#the fashion history lover in me is excited

[iwanthermidnightz]

✨MET GALA 2024 THEME✨

Announced today, the Spring 2024 exhibit will be entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” Approximately 250 items drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection—some very rarely seen in public before—will be displayed in an entirely new way. Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, said: “This innovative show will push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience many facets of a work, to learn more about its history, and, ultimately, to gain a deeper appreciation of its beauty.”

From a 17th century English Elizabethan-era bodice to 21st century acquisitions by designers including Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, and Connor Ives, the core exhibit will span 400 years of history. Other pieces featured will include designs by Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, and many other canonical fashion creators. These will lie at the heart of a curation that aims to unstitch and enlighten our understanding of the natural world through the fashioning of dress and textiles.

Speaking in advance of this morning’s announcement, Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, said: “Fashion is one of the most emotional artistic forms because of its connection to the body. It is imbued with memory and emotions, and we relate to it very much via our senses. One thing I hope this show will activate is that sensorial appreciation of fashion.”

Bolton explained that the exhibition will be structured around approximately 50 historically significant and aesthetically beautiful pieces from the collection that are far too fragile ever to be worn again. “These are the ‘Sleeping Beauties’ of the title,” he said. Instead of fulfilling their original worn function, these pieces—including that Elizabethan bodice and a silk satin ballgown by the American couturier Charles Frederick Worth from 1877 that was the show’s original inspiration—will instead be transformed through display.

[hyacintheros]

Home

|| (Wolfstar x Fem!Reader)

Main Masterlist

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: A little angst

P.S: Tryna get back into posting regularly again, let me know what you think of this! C:

Synopsis: Late-night confessions and long-forgotten family secrets surface at Grimmauld Place, pulling Harry closer to his godparents, Sirius, Remus, and Y/N. As they share laughter over breakfast, the trio finds solace in each other, turning a house full of sorrow into a place of healing and family.

A once cold and dreary house, now filled with melancholic warmth, Grimmauld Place makes everyone uneasy due to its history.

Harry pads his feet gently across the hallway, hoping to be discreet In his search of a misplaced book. Hermione had told him to pack earlier, they’d be leaving for their fifth year the day after tomorrow. In Harry fashion, he had told her not to worry, now he's worried he won't be able to pack his bag.

“S'not fair, Siri…” Hearing the voice of his Godmother, he pauses, wanting to hear the conversation. What isn’t fair? He’s never heard his godmother cry in the five years he’s known her

“I know darling, but we have to push through, we have to raise that boy…even if it's the last thing we do.” Sirius holds her, the tears in her eyes giving away. Remus joins the hug, his heart breaking for his lovers. She tries to keep her sobs to a minimum, it’s late and she doesn’t want to wake people up.

“It’s been 14 years, yet I still can’t get over them. Everyone says he’s got Lily’s eyes…but he’s also got James’ smile,” she sobs even harder into Remus, unable to hold back. Y/N had known James since they were in diapers, raised together and practically siblings, despite being two years younger.

Sirius gives Remus a look, passing her off to Remus. The werewolf cradles her, patting her hair down and wiping her tears away. He pulls her onto the bed, trying to get her to relax more. Between the two boys, Remus had always been the better comforter.

“Harry, what are you doing up?” Sirius pops out of the room, spotting Harry near the end of the corridor. He freezes in place, not wanting to admit he was eavesdropping. “Just looking for my Herbology book, need to pack my case.” Sirius hums in acceptance.

Walking down to Harry, he smiles. “D’you ever wonder where the Potter Manor went? I mean, your father was a Pureblood, your Grandfather was a Potions Master!” Harry had never pondered on this before, head always stuck with the Dursely’s home.

He shakes his head, not really knowing what to say. Sirius smiles again, chuckling. “It took a little damage during the first war, a small cottage on the property got bashed in. Though the manor itself is in great condition, courtesy of Remus and Y/N.” His eyes have a little twinkle, reminiscing of the manor during his younger years.

His father being a pureblood rarely crossed his mind. Growing up with muggles, he never really registered his family heritage. Some days, he could barely consider himself a wizard, so remembering that his father was a pureblood and what that would entail never crossed his mind.

The boy looks up with a curious look, silently asking for more information. Sirius laughs, amused at his expression, like a little puppy. “You’d have to talk to Remus and Y/N, they’re the ones living there.” Sirius says, then bidding Harry goodnight, going back into their shared room.

Harry, now has forgotten the conversation he eavesdropped on, now completely focused on the thought of a Manor, one his real family had lived in, one where people were excited to finally be able to meet him. Though, only two of the six friends, well technically two friends and one traitor, would have been able to meet him in his teen years. Shuffling to his room, he does his best to not make any noise, it’s late and most Order members are sleeping.

—♡—

The house is bustling with people, most adults on the way to work, leaving the house to the teenagers and the couple. “Y/N, could you call the kids down? Breakfast is almost ready, you know how long they take to come down.” she snickers, bumping her hip into Remus’, a little love tap. Remus laughs, kissing her on the head. Sirius is watching the waffles, given very clear instructions to not burn them.

Y/N calls for Kreacher, being the only person in the house that Kreacher was happy with. “Yes, Mistress?” he asks. Y/N had been sorted into Slytherin, leaving James a little upset, but he eventually got over that. She was in the same year as Regulus, and a Pureblood. They had become best friends, practically inseparable. Kreacher loved her because Regulus loved her, though like a sister.

“Could you be a dear and call the children? It’s breakfast time. Would you like for me to set some aside for you?” She asks. Kreacher has never been accustomed to Y/N kindness, even after all these years. He nods his head shyly, going to call for the children, which he did grovel about.

“That elf could never warm up to me, yet could instantly love you?” Sirius pouts. His two lovers laugh, coming in for a quick group hug. “Guess I’m just better” she teases him. He scoffs, going back to intensely looking at the waffles, still with a pout.

Hermione comes down first, followed by Ginny. They take their seats at the table, waiting for others to join. Y/N pats the girls on their heads, putting plates down and making conversation. A small exploding sound comes from the stairs, revealing two nonchalant twins. She ignores the explosion, accustomed to it by now.

Harry and Ron shimmy down, in a very heated conversation, one only Quidditch could conjure. Kreacher hobbles near Y/N’s legs, sort of like a mean little cat. Remus and Y/N put out the food in serving dishes, leaving everyone to take what they’d like. She gets a small plate for Kreacher, knowing he doesn't like to eat in front of people. Kreacher takes his plate, going off to Orion’s private study.

Y/N takes her seat between Sirius and Remus, serving up a plate of sausage and eggs for herself, a few hushpuppies and a glass of water. She keeps quiet, wanting to observe, though that is quickly thrown out the window as Sirius starts pulling her into conversation.

“D’you remember when Remus got stuck in a tree in 6th year?” Remus goes red and Haya laughs, patting him comfortingly. “How’d you get up there Moony?” He looks away, mumbling. “Can’t hear you Rem~” she teases. He speaks up, “Saw a squirrel and he looked scared..” The table of teens laugh, trying to picture such a shy man going after a squirrel. “And who went after you?” Sirius jests. Y/N raises her hand excitedly. “I had climbed the tree after him, trying to untangle his cardigan from the branches.”

Ginny is the first to speak up, “Was this a regular thing? Chasing after squirrels and whatnot?” she giggles, spooning some yoghurt. “Sirius was always caught by Minnie- Professor McGonagal, always the last one to evade the crime scene, though it was a very valiant effort” Remus feeds them information.

Sirius had always been proud of his pranks, but went red because of the revelations of always getting caught. “Sorry, did you call her Minnie?” Harry jests. “We had overheard it from Dumbledore in fourth year, thought we could tease her with it.” Y/N answers, piling food onto everyone's plate, smiling so brightly it could burn the brightest of stars.

In this house, one that held such painful memories for Sirius, it is this moment where he finally can be at peace in this house. Surrounded by his lovers, by his family, he finally feels like this is home.

[alicerosejensen]

Another you

Warning: reader mutation (c-virus), angst, blood, slight aggression, acquired albinism, fem/reader (not an agent, an ordinary civilian who worked at the museum), Leon has plot armor, more narration than dialogue, the text contains an antagonist like Simmons (male character), Ada is helping Leon again, relatively happy ending.

Synopsis: You didn’t want to change, you loved him, just as he loved you, but against your will, your love turned into hatred and animal anger towards him. However, Leon still hopes that you will remember him...

A/N: This is probably my biggest work. Tumblr told me to fuck off a few times while editing, but I came out victorious in the fight, although I had to re-write the text into the draft a few times because Tumblr for some damn reason published it without my knowledge. I hope feedback if anyone liked it, because I have been burning with this idea for a long time!

The text also contains an excerpt from Byron's poems (I adore him)

He promised himself first of all that nothing would happen to you. That his work won't affect you in any way and you won't get hit by the corporate bastards, and you really didn't. However, something else happened...

But people whom Leon loves or simply cares about tend to leave or even die.

Everything was fine with you. Ideal in his imperfect life and you were this perfection that he valued and protected. A prudent person would not keep an expensive diamond in front of everyone, so Leon did not scatter information about you and who you are to him. You were loved and dear to him more than all the treasures of the world, he appreciated your tenderness towards him and kindness, because it was you who helped him get out of the hole of despondency in which he buried himself. His personal little guardian angel. Still, he has something to continue his fight against bioterrorism.

A normal working day, except that the museum where you work was supposed to host an exhibition of some very expensive collection for which you were so carefully preparing, forgetting about yourself. It seemed to Leon that you were burning with enthusiasm and love for the work you were doing, which made you walk around too excited, forgetting about food, so he had to remind you to eat. This exhibition had no meaning for Kennedy, but he did not belittle your efforts thrown into this preparation, especially since you were so happy that you were incessantly talking about all these paintings, historical activities depicted on them and objects: a pendant with a strand of hair of some queen - you explained to him that this is a symbol of affection that was previously used It's like you're giving a piece of yourself to your giver, a kind of connection with a loved one, but this is just one of the meanings of such a peculiar gift. Silk fans, a clock, a desk, some items of clothing that, in Leon's opinion, were very strange and he was just glad that fashion had moved far ahead.

Although he could interpret all this in one word: beautifully.

And you were beautiful too. He would have liked to spend more time with you, but you were completely absorbed in your work, and he was overwhelmed with paperwork that he couldn't stand, but anyway, at least he could come back to you and listen to excited speeches and new facts that he didn't know anything about and would hardly remember if he told him about it someone else.

And everything went to hell when there was another outbreak, less global, but most importantly - human lives. And yours.

He was trying to save you, even if someone else had survived this exhibition, he would still have saved you first and not someone else. Mini Raccoon City, that's what he called it, making his way with you to the emergency exit while you kept up with him on your heels, because today you were supposed to shine and glow and not cry with fear looking at the pale corpses of history and art lovers. The light from Leon's flashlight illuminated a small part of the space while you walked quietly thinking about Leon's words, "I wonder how much time we have before they get up?"

"Were they poisoned?" you assumed, because how could you kill such a huge number of people without weapons. Leon, watching the ventilation grilles in the rooms, suggested in his head only one quick way.

"It must be gas,"

But then you would both have died too, you decided, but you did not voice your thought, because shortly before the tragedy you were invited to discuss something by the sponsor of this exhibition. A man who managed to collect so many magnificent things with a rich history. The man who gave you flowers and flirted with you from the day you first met, despite the fact that you made it clear to him that you were not interested in any relationship with him, except for work.

However, Leon also remained silent when he saw the luxurious bouquet of scarlet roses on your work table, which filled your entire small office with their aroma. But right now that simply wasn’t the main thing. He needed to get you out of the mess that happened, and then ask about flowers from rich strangers.

You walked slowly, trying not to make any noise or cry behind him while you clung to his jacket, partially managing to wonder why Leon's gun was with him when he had no reason to carry a gun. All this, of course, was secondary, given how stress, coupled with imagination, turned the exhibits into various frightening figures that frightened, made you scream, thinking that the fallen armor, which was probably simply poorly secured to the stand was another dead man. I didn’t even want to think about what happened in the exhibition hall, much less imagine. Leon had to take you by the hand and at times drag you along with him because the panic really aggravated everything, he was afraid that you would start to go hysterical, but it seems that despite the periodic stupor, you kept yourself well under control, exactly until the moment when Leon’s flashlight went out, leaving you in pitch darkness.

“Leon?” you called out anxiously, feeling noisy ragged breathing behind your back. Was this what Leon was talking about? Until recently, you hoped that his words were just another stupid joke and the dead do not rise, but here behind you is the living embodiment of a nightmare who is ready to grab your neck and feast on warm flesh. Have time to scream? You didn’t even have time to fully scream when a strong grip grabbed you by the shoulder and roughly threw you to the side from the line of danger because you fell, hitting your thigh on the marble tiles, after which a series of deafening shots and the muffled groan of a dead man was heard, three bullets or maybe be more? You didn't count.

As if in slow motion on a large screen, it was impossible to take your eyes off what you saw. All sounds died down, leaving the silence of your own mind and the smell of blood.

All you could do was watch how the beam of light from the flashlight shines directly on the corpse and how Leon’s hands are trying to bring you to your senses, because you knew the one whom he had just completely killed. Richard, your colleague with whom you had coffee this morning and discussed the latest news, sometimes often joked at lunch... was now dead and you were crying without knowing it. Tears just flow uncontrollably from your eyes even as Leon wipes your face with his thumbs, trying to lift you off the floor and make you go outside.

“Come on, sweetheart, I know it’s hard but we have to go"

"I... I can't... why here?" You ask more into the void than from him

“I don’t know, but we need to get out of here.” Leon grabs you under the armpits, helping you get to your feet, dragging you towards the exit.

Better yet, this would all just be a nightmare. The noise from the shots makes you cover your ears with your hands while Leon once shoots people, at the same time trying to protect the slow-moving you. They scream, moan, attack and you feel like you are in a horror film with high-quality special effects and good acting, but you realize, albeit reluctantly, that all this is not a joke but an evil reality where Leon almost at the very exit asks you to pull yourself together and you don’t even you can stand on your feet. Before your eyes, everything collapsed and the world went crazy, trying to grab you with it.

"I can't... can't... I'm so scared..." your hands grab Leon and he hugs you to him, which only makes you want to cry harder and ask him to do the impossible - to return everything to the way it was. He hugs you tightly, kissing you on the top of your head, giving at least some reassurance given the fact that he has always tried to protect the little that he loves from his work, but you accidentally found yourself in the epicenter and your reaction is quite expected.

"Everything will be fine, please look at me," he asks in a soft tone, lifting your head and forcing you to look into his eyes, "It will be difficult, I do not know what is happening outside and what kind of virus it is, but you must not leave me alone. I shoot, and you stand behind me or hide if I tell you to. If you see a dead person, don't you dare approach him!"

"Is it like this everywhere?"

Leon didn't quite understand if you were talking about the whole city or just the upcoming race, in any case, he only nodded briefly, giving you a little more time to catch your breath while you listened to the rapid pounding of the heart in his chest. He was afraid too.

It could have tried better. You really pulled yourself together, but after contacting Hunnigan, Leon exhaled for a second, saying that the virus had not spread so far and in fact the appropriate measures had already been taken, she sent the two of you to the evacuation point where doctors could examine you and give you a vaccine injection in case it really was gas, as Leon said, which logically you were both breathing anyway. So the virus could have entered your body, the scariest thing you reasoned while you were following him, is that you are both alive by a lucky chance, because if Leon had not been attacked by an attack of tenderness, it would probably have been the last day of his life. You no longer even thought about the fact that that sponsor called you somewhere... Emerick. You smiled when you remembered that Leon called him a high-dimensional asshole, but he probably became a victim like everyone else, so there's no need to speak ill of him.

You thought that because you didn't think he was a bad person. You and Emerick had common topics of conversation, he knew a lot and he had a rich collection of rare things bought from auctions for a lot of money, besides, as he himself said, much of what he actually has was inherited in his family, which made you think that he probably was some kind of hereditary noble. His manners were really perfect.

It took about an hour before Leon left you in a quiet place. There were only zombies outside and a few survivors who, no matter how hard Leon tried, still couldn't help. They always died in front of his eyes, even now leaving a sense of guilt in his soul, because he should protect and not kill, but now this is the best thing he can offer them to the infected. Wide windows on the third floor of a God-forsaken warehouse protected from enemies and if you believe Ingrit, then this is the C-Virus that Neo-umbrella created, not so old, but in the terrorist market, in fact, it is already junk.

"At least there are no cocoons and lepoticas, otherwise I would have big problems"

You were sitting on the crates risking tearing your nylon tights while Leon was talking via video link on his work smartphone, waiting for his colleague Ingrit from F.O.S to plot the safest route to the plane that should pick you two up. Leon thought you were safe with him. You just sit quietly next to him trying to catch your breath while he does the main work and he was really calm until you screamed sharply falling off the box, forcing him to turn to you when he saw you holding your neck.

The phone immediately fell to the floor.

"What happened? Are you in pain?!"his eyes widened as he pulled out the dart that was the cause of everything. "Baby, can you hear me?! Everything will be fine, hold on!"

There was no one in the window. By the way, there was no time to search for the culprit. Thoughts were flying crazily in his head, Leon picked you up in his arms, hiding you behind drawers so that you would not get into anyone else's lens, noticing how quickly your breathing becomes shallow.

Was it a new virus or an improved one from before? You curled up crying from what seemed like your organs were turning into a burning cauldron causing hellish pain that made you moan loudly.

"Hunnigan! I need a vaccine, urgently! Where's the damn helicopter?!" Ingrit shot up for a moment. The women's painful moans in the background were ready to make Leon burst into tears and she was almost sure that tears were stuck in the corners of his eyes.

"It will take time to figure out what it is..."

"There's no time!" he shouted into the phone. Ingrit's fingers immediately clicked on the keyboard.

You sobbed. The bones seemed to melt, which made you literally lie on the concrete floor until Leon shifted you onto his lap, feeling your body temperature rise from normal to high.

That's probably why you threw up and blood gushed out of your nose. Your heart was pounding wildly, you didn't hear Leon screaming in panic, hugging your body to him, realizing that if you don't inject the serum soon, then everything will be over. You're dying, but Leon's brain refuses to accept it when he picks you up in his arms trying to save you because with your death, life won't make sense to him.

"You're not going to die!" the words expressed through clenched teeth echo in the spacious building as Leon picks you up in his arms and carries you outside in time. "Everything will be different"

He couldn't let this happen again. It was as if everything was being repeated again from hell to hell, only now in Helena’s place he is himself and he definitely won’t have enough strength to put a bullet in your forehead, and if he does... then he’ll shoot himself too.

Every minute was precious and if it weren’t for the infected, Leon would have instantly reached the right place and injected you with the serum, but luck was not on his side again, just like on the first day of work in Raccoon City. You were heating up so much that he could feel the heat emanating from your body, even through your clothes. Once the virus enters the human body, the incubation period varies for everyone: Deborah Harper lasted two hours before she mutated, for some it takes about a couple of minutes, even God himself does not know how much time is measured for you.

Having reached the helipad, Leon cursed everything in the world since the helicopter was not even visible anywhere. The situation was clearly not going in your favor. You again let out a painful groan, feeling like your body was literally burning and your head hurt so much that you wanted to be hit with a huge hammer. Leon stroked your back, holding you close to him. God, your temperature was already colossally high!

"Just a little more, be patient, honey" Leon doesn't believe it, he wants to, but he can. You scream and cry, trying to tear off your skin with your nails just to make this heat go away. He would like to change places with you, it would be better if he were dying now and not you, and not so monstrously.

The virus flows through the veins, attacks all defense mechanisms, mercilessly rebuilding the entire body in a new way, creating an aggressive weapon out of a person capable of mass murder without any remorse. Leon's affection does not destroy you, right now it is the only way to save yourself, but even if by some miracle an active medicine fell on your head, what is the chance that it saved you? The probability of healing, even with side effects, tends to be no more than 5-7%.

"D-don't want to d-die"

A pitiful groan, through the agony of pain you see Leon’s crying eyes, the skin peels off unnaturally under the influence of high temperature, but this is not visible under the clothes, but face...

"No no no no!"

Leon fell to the ground from your sharp push, but immediately jumped to his feet, running up to you after a wild, painful cry. Just one second and the body was suddenly engulfed in a flash of fire, turning the flesh into a hardened cocoon. You are gone.

It was all over.

Leon sees double. It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this! The gun is lying somewhere a couple of meters away, having fallen out of the holster when you pushed it away from you, and if this was a standard work situation, Leon would have tried to quickly run up to it or pick up the Sentinel Nine, but his hand did not rise. His knees hit the concrete floor painfully, along with the realization that he had lost again. The hard cocoon transforms the caterpillar inside itself into a beautiful butterfly, which is destined to fly, but Leon knows that everything human in you has burned out and only a monster will hatch from this cocoon, at best only vaguely reminiscent of you, so maybe it’s better to just tear it apart and then let him go on his own a bullet for himself?

The rain continues to pour, gradually calming down. The guys from B.S.A.A are already somewhere down there clearing the city of the infected and saving the survivors because there is a vaccine, there are ways to destroy the trash that Neo-Umbrella created. The sounds of gunshots mix with a frenzied rumble in his heart, which is why Leon doesn't want to hear anything anymore, preferring instead to stretch out his hands to your still warm cocoon, where some movement is already visible. Watching this, Leon was ready to miss even the deafening sound of the helicopter, but the light made him close his eyes and lift his head up.

Even without looking closely, he immediately realized that it was not the helicopter that Hunnigan had sent.

For the sake of love, people really do the most cruel things.

Leon immediately realized who was behind all this when the helicopter landed and several armed men jumped out of it, their faces hidden by masks. He slowly got to his feet, looking at the culprit of his suffering, dressed in a snow-white suit, with an impudent grin that Kennedy remembered from the beginning of the evening, when everything was still fine. Leon could have sworn that he had never felt such rage before, although a painful scream stuck in his throat.

No one pointed a gun at him. Everyone just froze, waiting for something.

"It's a small world, Mr. Kennedy," he said, waving to one of his assistants, and he and two mercenaries pulled a cryogenic capsule out of the plane. "But it was stupid to think that a man like you would die from a bunch of mindless zombies. I must admit, I didn't want to go to extreme measures until the last moment, I liked today's event, but because of you, I had to cancel everything. I've lost most of my collection"

"So it was you after all…" Leon muttered through his teeth, not yet grabbing the gun, realizing the risks. He is alone in the open space - a wonderful target. "I didn't see your corpse in the museum."

"A distraction," he explained, watching the capsule's preparation from the corner of his eye.

Emerick… Leon suddenly remembered how you recently confessed to him that he began to take care of you by giving you flowers, then inviting you for a cup of coffee, listening to music or general topics of which there were too many. But in the end, when the attentions began to exceed the standard amount, hinting at something more, you refused him, saying that you already have someone. You didn't notice, but Leon has been catching his obsessive glances at you all evening… How sometimes you looked at the exhibits behind the glass case, which you can not touch, despite the ban.

But you didn't even choose between the two of them. Leon always came first.

"For what?"

Emerick smiled as he looked at the cocoon and Leon's question disappeared by itself. Because of jealousy? Because a rich bastard couldn't get what he wanted, even with a giant bank account?

"You won't believe it, Mr. Kennedy, but for love. Death took away a dear person from me and I want to return what belonged to me, however, you will not understand this"

Leon grinned, clenching his fists.

"Why? Why her? If you wanted to take revenge on me, then you would have taken revenge on me and not on her!"

"Who said it was you?" asked Emerick, looking at his interlocutor as if he were an idiot. "For the most part, you just annoyed me like an annoying fly, but no more, although you encroached on something that does not belong to you."

Leon was about to answer and pounce despite the machine guns pointed at him, but the movement below and the sound of the cocoon tearing attracted all attention. He has seen it many times and your hand was reaching out to break free from the tight shackles of the past flesh, forcing its way out. Everyone is closely watching the birth of a new life, but only in the eyes of one of those present there was delight, not fear and regret. Leon couldn't bear it… He didn't understand what was wrong. The transformation was different.

"Happy birthday, Ada,"

A memory flashed through his mind.

History repeats itself. Only it turns out that besides Simmons, there is another bastard who looks like him in everything.

Leon reached out to you, as if trying to grab you, to help you get out and take you away from here. A brief moment of hope still lit up in my soul like a small smoldering flame, my mind seemed to be clouded, and yet deep inside there was a glimmer of awareness. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was wrong while you were trying to get out, muffling all his annoying voices of caution. Wrong smell, wrong body color… Leon squints his eyes, the cocoon breaks and before he can grab your hand, he freezes.

The slimy, sticky naked body lying in front of him looked more like a white marble statue with a thin network of blue veins protruding under the skin. The mercenaries looked at each other, clutching their guns tighter but still not pointing them at you. The sight is really amazing. Leon comes up to you lying down, at first glance it seems lifeless, but looking closely, your chest quietly heaves and he kneels down again, pulling you to his shoulders, peering into familiar but still changed facial features.

There are no appendages behind the back, from which ugly claws protrude, no razor-sharp claws, no fangs. But instead, unnaturally pale skin and hair… the structure is thicker, and the color merges with the color of the body. The same discolored ones, but stuck together due to the transformation in the cocoon. You open your eyes a little, and instead of the usual iris, two red lights rush at him without a shadow of anger and aggression, just fatigue, something that Leon used to see when you stayed up late at work.

"And, when the grave restores her dead,

When life again to dust is given,

On thy dear breast I'll lay my head—

Without thee! where would be my Heaven?"

Ignoring the familiar lines of poetry, Leon remains silent when he gives him an order in a harsh voice.

"You won't understand," Leon has no doubt. He doesn't want to understand these motives. "You're not even worthy of the dirt under her nails, let alone touching her!"

Leon picks you up in his arms, turning to face Emerick, meeting with loaded guns.

"Did you infect her with the C-virus so that she would become your toy?"

"A toy?!" he snapped back.

Now it already looks like a confrontation between two men for the heart of one woman, almost a joust in modern realities in all its dirty manifestations and meannesses, but Leon does not feel the advantage. A fairy tale with a bad ending. One madman decided to use a virus to change the girl's memory and her appearance, making you the one who died a long time ago, and he…a brave man with a valiant heart who somehow thinks that even after death, Simmons is also connected with this. Even indirectly. Sold the idea of resurrecting someone else's personality in another person?

The rain is hitting your body in drops, and Leon wants to cover you, hide you, hoping that this is his second attempt. It seems that consciousness is returning to you, but you are still disoriented, not understanding who you are and what is happening. You became a part of the darkness that Leon carried on his shoulders.

"All for love," one wave of his hand, and the one standing behind him makes Leon bend painfully, crying out in pain, almost dropping you, his fingers dig into your skin, causing a barely audible moan from your mouth, but you are still snatched from his hands, carried into that capsule, after that, Emerick turns away from his opponent, putting something like an oxygen mask on you, stroking your cheek gently with his fingers.

"What the hell kind of love?!" Leon knows for sure that the other person is smiling even if he does not see it himself.

"You may not believe it, but I'm one-woman man, Mr. Kennedy. It took me a fortune to improve the C-virus so that it would affect her body without turning her into a vile insect-like creature. There was only one side effect after the final result - loss of pigmentation, but this is not significant, in all other respects it completely met my expectations. All THIS is for her sake."

"You sick... "

"No, I'm a heartbroken husband who lost his wife prematurely but now we will be reunited." Emerick looked at you lovingly before closing the capsule, which they began to load back into the helicopter. “And you, Mr. Kennedy, are just one of millions. You saw a work of art and decided to grped it when you had no right to do so. Someone like you will never understand her value, you were never able to give her everything she deserved!”

It’s hard to disagree when the muzzle of a machine gun is pressed to the back of his head, but Leon still fights as he watches the cryogenic capsule ahead being shoved back into the helicopter.

Adrenaline is pumping into his head and his palm is itching to get the second gun out of the holster, but Leon realizes one wrong move and this will be the finale in his story. You will drown in a pool of false memories, considering yourself the person you have never seen or known, you will begin to be called by another name, carrying antibodies to the improved C virus in your new body and you will give yourself into the arms of a man distraught from his loss, considering yourself his true love.

Leon walks on the edge, but now the feeling that a thin rope can throw him into the abyss, from where there is no return, feels more acute. If only Hunnigan's helicopter had arrived, but intuition suggested that the delay was caused not just by technical circumstances.

"Do you think you injected her with a virus and she will start to adore you? You gave her the power to smear you like a bug on the wall as soon as she wakes up." He does not know the properties of this virus and what abilities it can give, but experience suggests that minor adjustments in appearance and lack of pigment like albinos are not the whole potential obtained.

"You've dealt with many terrorists, but I'm not one of them, Mr. Kennedy," still pretending to politely hide his hatred for some American sharing a bed with his woman, whom he considered his own, Emerick retorts: "I don't want to turn people into monsters, although I don't want the world to be on fire, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices. This virus was tested on many before my trusted person injected it to her, and before using it, I tested it on many."

Leon clenches his teeth, glaring at Emerick, letting him finish. Truly, big money creates lawlessness.

"As I said, everything is for love"

But there is no love here. Just an obsession.

Emerick no longer intends to continue the conversation, sits back down in his seat in the helicopter next to the cryocapsule, again signaling his people to get rid of the last witness, besides, he no longer intends to dirty his hands, especially about someone like Kennedy. Although he may still have the desire to end Leon on his own, but looking back at the capsule, his lips are touched with a mocking smile. The project must be completed, and the finishing touches are always needed so that the creator can enjoy his creation.

"But so be it, I'll leave her memories of you. The most bitter and unhappy, she will remember you and be glad that I saved her from you. See, I can be generous even to those who don't deserve it."

"I will refuse your generosity."

The situation was turning into complete shit. Emerick probably hoped to clean up all traces of himself, which is why he left the mercenaries to clean up after him, while he himself rose into the air with a last contemptuous glance at Leon.

"I'll find you, you son of a bitch."

He'll find him and kill and then bring you back.

Fortunately, sometimes Leon has a guardian angel with a smoke bomb behind his back, covering him with shots from a crossbow bolt while Leon quickly pulls out his spare pistol, getting rid of the last two mercenaries. A familiar style and a familiar fragrance when the haze clears allowing you to see the savior in the flesh in his unchanging red outfit and Leon would even smile at her if the plane with you did not move away from him every second. Ada is the red queen of today who postponed the execution of her former lover, smiling at him gently and a little cunningly wondering how fate brings them together and separates their paths from time to time. Leon does not thank out loud, but words of gratitude to this woman who clearly spent her personal time on him still freeze in the air.

She looks at the remains of the cocoon, clutching the crossbow tighter, roughly imagining what could have happened, seeing Kennedy's wet eyelashes, although the rain could have been to blame for everything, which fortunately had already calmed down, as well as the noise outside, although occasionally groans and shots were heard in the distance. Today, her calculated accuracy saved him again.

 "Long time no see, Leon" The velvety voice sounds soothing, but a little tired. In any case, Leon definitely owed her more than double the fare for his rescue.

A princess must have a knight in love to protect her from evil. In fairy tales, a kiss of love usually solves all problems, but what if the princess herself does not remember losing herself in the memories of her own and others? A suppressed personality cries out from the depths, not wanting to be forgotten, fighting with the one who took the pedestal and two names… two girls cannot merge into one, causing you only panic attacks and uncontrolled aggression, forcing the creator to believe that he is not so skilled even if he was filled with desire and endowed with money.

A charming man who calls himself your husband bends over her, holding out his hand decorated with antique rings to you, and you look at her with a puzzled look, pressing your back against the wall, trying to create distance between you. Because no matter how hard they tried to suppress your personality, but the feeling of uncontrollable fear, fused together with a new body, did not leave you, so you did not believe. Neither to him, nor to himself, nor to anyone else, and the dagger in the white palm hidden behind your back does not seem so heavy. The reaction is faster, the senses are heightened, and although the virus does not give the princess strength, you still resist, wounding your "husband", allowing scarlet drops of blood to bloom like roses on a white dress that has merged with the color of your skin.

Contrary to that, you have not become perfect, but you are still a passionate obsession for two men: one with pure thoughts and the other with a mad desire that has been tormenting him for a long time. It's hard to escape from the mansion, but thanks to heightened senses, it no longer seems impossible. However, it is even harder to ignore your true self, which screams and tears your head apart, as well as to separate two personalities from yourself.

You're confused. Not in luxurious rooms and corridors, but in yourself.

Something screams from the inside telling you to run away from here, and then it calms you that this place is your home, you know every corner here, every crack on the vase, these outfits in a separate dressing room tailored specifically for you, everything is familiar and at the same time alien. Your husband said that he saved you from a bastard named Leon, and after saying this name, the image of a blond man with beautiful blue eyes immediately stands in your eyes, but your heart overflows with rage, forcing you to tighten your grip on the dagger hilt.

You still have at least one sincere emotion, as you thought, however...

Leon is intently examining the analysis result from the remains of the cocoon that was sent to him. It really was what he was thinking, but Ada had already revealed a little secret to him.

"Maybe years will pass, and her real personality will somehow begin to manifest itself. I still don't know how Simmons fixed Carla's memory."

Leon puts the phone back in his pocket, looking at Ada with a slightly offended look, although she knows that he holds a grudge only against himself.

"But she's an exact copy of you," Leon reminded her, saying that when you pulled out of the cocoon, your face remained almost the same, yes, the features changed a little, but it was still you.

"But it will explain your new friend's obsession with your girlfriend," she chuckled, teasing him kindly, "If she looks so much like his dead wifey, then why would he change her appearance when they are almost identical to each other."

"And if it was an extreme measure, as he said... " Leon continues, scolding himself even more.

"You provoked him to infect her yourself. If he was hitting on her and she turned him down because of you, then it makes sense. Maybe if your girlfriend had been more mercantile and greedy for money, everything would have been without the virus."

However, was it Leon's fault or yours? Ada didn't blame anyone.

Leon may never guess at the ulterior motives, which may not have existed at all, but who else but she helped him again, however, leaving all the dirty work to Leon himself. After all, you were his concern, not hers. Although she followed you and your strange behavior a little, she finally sent him the coordinates of the place and your photo.

"I wish I could say that she remembered everything, but it seems that the virus did not affect her the way it was originally intended. Be careful, your beloved is a little aggressive."

Is it a consequence of the virus, or do you still remember who you are? Leon wants to believe in the latter when he collects equipment for the road, no longer hoping for anyone's help. But your new house looks more like one big clever trap and all the working staff have disappeared somewhere. In Leon's opinion, there should be more than one butler here, but there were no corpses either. Holding a gun at the ready, it was essentially a trespass on private property, but in the report he would later indicate that he was getting evidence. It won't be easy to find you, although you might make a little noise to attract his attention.

And you? You are sitting in a silent garden in the sweet scent of roses, standing out against the background of bright colors as a white spot, listening to the noise of the fountain, which still somehow calms you down after the last scuffle with your spouse. Alone, barefoot, you walk along a stone path, fingering strands of hair between your fingers, trying to compare in your head incomprehensible pictures from the past of two different people. You cannot love that person, for some reason you are afraid and angry at him despite his care. He took the knife away from you, letting you wander around the house like a ghost humming an annoying melody from his own past to himself, letting Emerick hope that manipulation and time will do their job. You hate Kennedy and that's been enough.

The support group is ready, but Leon still prefers to pick you up and then let the guys from the alliance work, having their own personal accounts in this matter. This could be the easiest capture of a terrorist in all his professional experience, but when his presence becomes known, the situation becomes complicated in the form of additional traps equipped with deadly devices and gas for which the anti-C vaccine is useless. In the end, Leon remains even without light and the flashlight does not save well. He looks into every room in an attempt to find at least some hint of your stay here after almost six months of absence.

And he finds in one of the inhabited rooms where only one bed occupies a quarter of the space. There is a beautiful comb with precious stones with traces of white hair on the dressing table, and Leon, picking up the jewelry, is sure that you are here somewhere, just like he is wandering among the dark corridors, although he really regrets that he did not find you in this room. However, another thought comes to his head when a thin lace pale pink negligee lying on the back of the sofa catches his eye… you only walked around in such things with him alone, and clutching the fabric in his hands, Leon can't help but think that Emerick slept with you in this bed.

The funny thing is that he's ready to forgive you everything now. He won't even remember that another man touched you afterwards because you're a victim and Leon, even if you don't remember him, wants you to at least return to a relatively normal life.

But the silence is suddenly cut short when a creak is heard behind, barely perceptible to the ear. A secret door? He does not turn around, freezing in one position, continuing to hold your negligee in his hands, feeling someone's sharp gaze on his back, but out of the corner of his eye catches a familiar silhouette, in the darkness of which two red eyes are burning.

You.

Leon tenses up. The sound of the blade breaks the silence, and your light tread turns into a sharp jerk as you rush at him with a sharp hairpin, hoping to plunge it deeper into his back. Your reaction may have improved, but Leon's reflexes are still faster, Kennedy dodges to the side, which causes you to fall directly onto your dressing table, knocking it over with you, forcing him to open his eyes in amazement.

"No, no, no, you couldn't turn into a monster," a thought runs through Leon's head.

The mirror breaks into many pieces and dig into your skin, causing the blood to contrast brightly on the light skin, which seems almost an unnatural sight. But through the pain, you hiss again trying to pounce on him, which causes Leon to fall on his back, rather out of surprise, managing to intercept your hand that aimed the clip directly at his eye. Pushing you away is not too big a problem, but the point is that you will still continue to throw at him and he does not want to use weapons at all.

"Bastard!" you growl, "Don't you like being hit back?"

"Stop, it's me!" he shouted, still holding your wrist so that you couldn't hurt him.

It was as if you hadn't heard. Leon pushed you away a little, hoping that being farther away would allow you to get to know him better, but what he didn't expect was for you to lash out at him over and over again, and honestly, if it were up to him, he would have removed the threat quickly, but it's hard to hurt someone you love. He'd had to kill Marvin and the President in the past, that in itself still weighs on his soul, but if he had to kill you… Deborah was easier. She was Helena's sister, not his, so his hand didn't shake when he pulled the trigger of the shotgun, but you're different. You're impossible to shoot at.

"Stop it!" he begs twisting your wrist so that you scream in pain and that scream tears his soul causing a lump in his throat. "It's not you! I beg yoy don't make me hurt you."

He doesn't even want to think about the estate being so deserted because of you. Leon still thinks it's just a virus, and somewhere inside you remember his, you just need to trigger it somehow. Ada said the virus affects you differently than it does Carla, but she didn't mention that you're aggressive to anyone who tries to touch you. Leon keeps his guard up, but despite your tight grip, you've apparently acquired some sort of ability that allowed you to break free and run down the hallway. He's not sure if you can throw people against the wall like baseballs, but your regeneration is enviable, because the only reminder of the wounds from the broken mirror on your body are drops of blood.

No abrasions.

So, after a little scuffle, as a result of which the antique dressing table is smashed to pieces along with all the bottles standing on it, Leon gets to his feet trying to figure out what the hell just happened. However, your trail has already disappeared. The house is huge, but despite this, Leon still puts the safety on the gun, afraid to instinctively shoot you if you attack him again. In hand-to-hand combat, you have little chance, but his reflexes can work faster than his brain. But abrasions and wounds a couple of centimeters deep, your body is able to regenerate itself. So cold steel will be the best thing, in case he meets other inhabitants of the estate besides you.

As already mentioned, the flashlight did not save the situation too much, of course, fanatics worked in some places, especially in the garden, but Leon did not find anything except small supplies, although his gut instinct encouraged him to pick up a gun to feel confident. But in the backyard, after several hours of searching among the marble statues and the damp fresh air that hit in the face, somewhere among the bushes in which some cautious movement is heard. It's like a wild cat sneaking up to its prey and Leon realizes - you're here!

Behind him again, so Leon straightens up. If it were daytime or even evening, he would have no problem finding you, but there is a starry night overhead. Rage is growing somewhere between your ribs, inside, but everything is different for him, because despite the internal contradiction, Leon is to some extent convinced that it is useless to fight with you.

There is nothing in his chest but regret and delayed words that he rarely said.

And yet at some point you look at each other continuously. You notice that he has only one knife in his hands, just like you, although Leon hides it back in the case, taking two small steps back trying to talk again. White hair is blown away by the wind and it annoys you that there is no elastic band or barrette to put it in a bun or tail. There doesn't seem to be anything in this damn house for your comfort!

The most painful thing is the way you look at him, but Leon still grins hiding his pain behind an inappropriate joke, standing in a fighting stance preparing to deflect blows.

"Well, I'm not against role-playing games, I really liked it when you were my bunny last time."

It's confusing or rather discouraging that it stops you for a few seconds and Leon uses this time to take the knife away from you, but you dodge so deftly and still more scared, almost dropping the knife to the ground.

"Come on, drop it, sweetheart" Leon asks, taking a step towards you, then you, on the contrary, retreat trying to find your advantage. "You know I'm not the one who's going to hurt you. I'll take you home."

"fucking dog," you growl in response, seeing how he swallows the insult, "Do you think I'll go with the one who made me like this?!"

Your voice is almost hoarse with hate. At the same time, Leon's face takes on a painful appearance, as if he was hit from the inside in the most painful place. That's what that son of a bitch told you! Okay, you can scold him with the most vile words, most of which he'll really be surprised that you even know, but... No buts!

"See?! I'm not afraid of you anymore! "

"You've never been afraid of me."

"You loved me, and I still love you," he wants to say, but the words are stuck in his throat. And after all, somewhere in the whirlpool of memories, these frames sometimes pop up in your head. Not the Stotholm syndrome...

You weren't afraid of him, but of the other one... the man who is your husband calls you by a different name, although Leon calls you by a completely different one, and what you hear from the agent seems much more familiar, more correct and more familiar.

"Baby, I don't want to hurt you! If I wanted to, I would have shot long ago, right? "

"I'm not your baby!" you're snarling, and your red eyes are burning even brighter in the dark.

Bad word.

Leon wants to bite his tongue. He still doesn't know about all the properties of your mutation, but he hopes that now you won't have claws behind your back, God bless him who left him many years ago, but it seems you don't have anything like that. Although when you attack him in a fit of anger, Leon really hurts like hell, which makes him even clench his teeth trying to hold back a moan of pain.

Probably, with strong malice, the power also somehow increases... A lot of times, because it looks like you broke his rib.

"Yeah, you never liked that word, but at least you didn't rush at me with a knife before," Leon still jokes, realizing that talking clearly won't help here. He doesn't want to use force, but it seems that there is no choice. He agrees that you may never love him more, but he won't leave you here either.

It is not even necessary to move to radical measures. Your head is bursting with pain again, causing tears to flow from your eyes and everything inside screams with fear, making you want to cower into a ball. Therefore, Leon does not expect you to bend at the knees and cry and start running away from him, just as you ran, according to Ada, all over the estate from Emerick. The wind licks wet tracks from your cheeks, scratching your skin when you run along the garden path, running out into a small open space before freezing in a frenzy, pressing your palms to your chest, as they did in a previous life, before mutation, when you were worried.

Cocoons.

A nightmare come true. Your heart was pounding and forehead was covered with sticky sweat, as were your palms from which the knife slipped.

"It's scary..." an inner voice echoes. You hear Leon running up to you and stopping too, looking at something he hoped to forget someday. Tears involuntarily flow down your cheeks, as if the real you are making your way, pushing someone else's personality into the background. Fire, pain, fear, a dart... This hellish pain that turns people into monsters, you haven't seen the staff, the estates, but now you understand what happened. Just like a divine epiphany.

Maybe it's just one of the reactions. Leon remembered from his own experience that not all individuals hatched from cocoons, but this was a huge rarity, and here as many as twenty if not more, however, this was the trigger. You remembered something.

The wet paths glowed in the light of the moon on your cheeks. If the situation had been different, Leon would have immediately tried to console you, but it seems that this could have become another stupid idea, on the other hand, your stupor could have been turned into a plus and they could have simply picked you up, put you in a helicopter and then calmly dealt with this crap. A tempting thought, of course, but... Something like a phantom pain... a feeling as if the whole body was burning again and being reshaped under high temperatures. Even the same hellish headache that sends a painful pulsation into the eyes. You were again struck by a short flash of memories, how someone’s strong hands held and stroked you while your body was changing and it definitely wasn’t your husband... his hands are icy, and his voice is dry, devoid of emotion... Maybe..

"Аt least it's clear where everyone has gone," a voice sounded from behind. It was getting harder to breathe and the world was spinning wildly in front of your eyes, so an inner voice told you to find where to land or your head was at risk of injury. This is not the first attack, but the most severe in the last few months. Anyway, your vague consciousness leaves you for a while, turning off, allowing you to get lost in fragmentary memories, but Leon's hands manage to catch you in time, carefully laying you on the grass.

Leon checked your pulse, the main thing is that your heart was beating and your chest was heaving smoothly. Apparently, it was an ordinary fainting fit against the background of a spectacle that caused you psychological trauma. He picked up your knife with which you tried to stab him a couple of minutes ago, was ready to take you away from this place as he had hoped earlier. Those guys who were still alive from his group proved that Emerick was not in the estate, but Leon did not believe.

And it's good that I didn't believe it. Leon didn't believe in miracles at all.

Well, right now he was definitely aiming to just pick you up before you regained consciousness, because trying to explain where the truth is and where the lie is clearly not the best idea. Calling a helicopter for evacuation and picking you up in his arms, hugging you closer to him, Leon quickly jumped up but heard a painfully familiar click to his right, which froze him in place.

“In the past, hands were cut off for theft, but I’ll assume that a colossal imbecile like you doesn’t know that.”

Leon grunts as he turns around. A tactical vest will protect his back and chest, but his head remains open for a shot.

"Then you should have been walking without hands for a long time," Leon retorts, putting you on a bench while delaying your rescue. "Looks like you didn't run away after all."

"I don't like unwanted guests, because of you, my wife and I will have to move to another place. It's a pity, she liked this garden."

"She's. Not. Your. Wife." Leon almost hisses, reaching for his gun, but jumps aside after a burst of three shots that were meant for him. "Bastard"

"I was informed that they did not get rid of you and I assumed that you would look for me at least out of a sense of duty to the country you work for, but please note that there are bigger fish in the sea. You seem to have a weakness for women with Asian features, so maybe you'll focus on your own preferences and not mess with my wife, whom, as I told you earlier, you just don't deserve. You have no idea what a valuable diamond she is, a nugget! One in a million!

Oh, this conceit! His measured and calm tone is annoying, Leon tries to suppress his anger at the fact that the bastard dug up information on him somewhere, but his attachment to Ada is in the past, although they still care about each other in some sense, but now there is you. And you are you, not the woman that Emerick considers his wife. Leon hides behind one of the cocoons and the bullets hit the non-dense flesh, after which a kind of ugly embryo that was once an ordinary person falls to the ground, forcing him to quickly take a better position behind the statue of the goddess Aphrodite.

"You've been living a lie for so long that you've come to believe it yourself!"

"Oh, sure, you know better!" sarcastic laughter makes anger boil from the inside, but Leon looks out of hiding just to look at you and make sure you're still where he left you. "We past even though we always knew that we were made for each other, and only by chance and then you got in my way! "

"I would have felt sorry for you if in your grief you hadn't tried to make an innocent girl into a copy of your dead wife and killed a lot of people in the process."

Leon pulled the safety off the gun. Now the main thing is not to catch a stray bullet and hope that this bastard does not turn into a giant mutated creature, because apart from four spare clips and another pistol, he has nothing and the space is not spacious enough to maneuver, besides, you could also get hurt. He has already forgotten that you can regenerate wounds, but nevertheless, there is no time to find out what is your Achilles heel yet.

"All for the sake of love"

"This is not love"

Leon pulled the trigger but Emerick dodged. There was a smell of gunpowder and something sickeningly acrid in the air, as if something had died somewhere and even the scent of flowers could not completely drown out this smell. You opened your eyes, but your head still continued to spin and the sharp noise of the vystreds only mocked your brain, forcing you to involuntarily pull up your arms and clap your ears with your palms, just like... Like when you were protected from zombies in a museum"

It wanted to hide, curled in a dark corner and not get out until everything resolves itself, although life knows how to throw surprises. You hear someone else's conversation, you hear how the one who came for you says that your husband is a sick cretin who considers it normal to infect people to make a copy of a dead person out of them, whereas he explains his reasons only with grief. The puzzle is not fully assembled and there are still many white spots in your memory, but some fragments have connected to each other despite the fact that you still do not understand who you are.

This shootout will continue for some time, and unnoticed by these two, you will slowly slide off the bench and see Leon and Emerick engage in hand-to-hand combat after they ran out of bullets. It is noteworthy that after losing your knife in battle, which is now proudly stuck in a tree post, he used his own, which he did not plan to part with, but since they are busy with each other, you calmly grabbed the handle and pulled out the blade, looking at your own reflection of scarlet eyes in steel.

You don't love any of them and you don't want to choose someone's side at all, but you also don't want to be tied to someone who actually infected you, having put so much effort into driving you crazy. You need to make a choice, and whether it will be right, only time will decide. Two people are fighting for one woman, although it looks like you are not a princess in trouble at all, and as Ada said, despite the effect of the virus, the real personality will still take everything back under his control, but the old life will never be. All dreams burned down along with that body, so you're also quite sincerely stabbing the family knife into Emerick's back.

The princess does not need a knight to kill the dragon, because she herself is able to stab him when he does not expect it. This is the simplest from the point of view of Leon's combat missions, but at the same time the most difficult. A scarlet stain spreads on the snow-white suit, but that's all. Emerick had not infected himself with anything, although his fate could not be called terrible. It was all for love, and he died at the hands of that love. A stupid death, which is even insulting, but not for you. And walking with you to the helicopter in the living room above the fireplace, Leon really understands why such an obsession arose...

You really look like the smiling girl in the portrait like two drops of water.

He was told that rehabilitation would take a long time, possibly years. You never spoke to him, you didn't even say a word, but you didn't attack him either. You just withdrew into yourself, allowing the doctors to conduct tests and identify whether you are ready to mutate into other stages when you receive any damage, but I was glad that you did not. In their opinion, all your physical data remained at the same level before infection, although perhaps you just deceived everyone well just so that they would leave you behind and not make you an experimental rat, allowing them to drain blood from you, but this allowed Rebecca's team to make a new improved vaccine. A dubious achievement for Leon, given the fact that you persistently ignore him.

He brings clothes, books, even begged for a TV for you to let you kill time and still nothing. You didn't even turn it on until the moment when, with fighting and shouting and after a bunch of official papers, Leon was finally allowed to take you home. They said that you don't have any regeneration and your injuries heal like on any other person, you don't rush at people in attempts to devour them, sometimes you still talk for more than five minutes a day (but not with Leon) and you don't have any unusual abilities. Nothing that would be of interest to the bigwigs of the government. You'd think that you'd literally become a black sheep, people would just start mistaking you for an albino, which is basically true now.

It's good when you can control some of your body's processes. This eliminates a lot of problems. At home, you curiously look at all these little things from your past life, thinking about what it was like to share this apartment with Leon, you look at the bed in which you must have slept with him, and it seems incredibly comfortable, although right now sleeping with Leon causes rejection. He does not climb into your personal space, no longer clings like a puppy, although he whines in the corner from the lost affection of a loved one. He gave you the bed, but he sleeps on the couch, brings breakfast and after a couple of months you get in touch.

It took Jill Valentine several years before she returned to the barn. Chris is so comforting, telling him that everything is still fine, but if necessary, he will let you go. One way or another, of course, he will check if everything is okay with you, but he will let you go if you still do not accept him back into your heart. Leon believes that therapy will help and you will remember your real self by separating the grain from the chaff. You don't have to love him again, although he will be happy if you ask him to stay by your side on a stormy night, hugging you after a nightmare. Then he will wrap you warmly in a blanket and press your face to his chest, gently stroking your back and comforting you with words.

Therapy will help and one day everything will be fine again. Kissing the top of your head, Leon wants to believe it as much as you do. At least you're willing to try.

[bejeweledblondie]

Phillip Graves Headcannons

A/N: These are supposed to be somewhat realistic, I lived in Texas for three years on an Army Base & Jesus Christ they’re flooded with plenty of Phillip Graves

Phillip Graves x F! Reader

• You met Phillip while he was on a four-day weekend at a UT vs. Baylor football game

• You were one of the cheerleaders on the sidelines & you caught his eye immediately

• I mean c’mon those shorts & chaps mixed with Pom Poms (The UT Cheer uniform is so stinkin’ cute)

• Your friend pointed him out to you at first

• “Girl that man has been staring at you”

• He was nearly focused on you the entire game, you kept smiling & giggling at him the more he looked

• He found you as you were walking out of the stadium, he asked you out & ofc you said yes

• There’s 100% an age gap (this man’s ego is equally as large as big as Texas)

• If you’re in a sorority he attends the formals with you

• he drives the most lifted extra pick up truck you can imagine

• “Babe can you even see over the damn steering wheel?”

• As you graduate college he proposed to you (with a two carat diamond) & you had a elaborate wedding on his family’s ranch in Texas

• You had multiple wedding dresses designed by Berta bridal

• Surprise Pom dance for him with your cheer teammates

• After the wedding you honeymooned in Italy

• Ofc y’all decided on off post housing so you be able to have every commodity on the planet

• hear me out indoor swimming pool

• Even though you went to college, Graves is a very traditional man he doesn’t want you to work

• You have different hobbies, go to cycle class, shop ofc, get Botox done etc.

• Since he’s a very traditional man I do feel like he’d hold some old fashion views that were engrained in him from childhood

• He’s a religious man to some extent (he’s from Texas there’s no way around that)

• He 100% loves to show you off on & off post

• His Shadows at first were in pure disbelief that he married you, hell some of his Shadows are closer in age to you

• Buys you lululemon work out clothing for the “quality” he loves the way your body looks like those damn align leggings

• You guys do go line dancing & the both of y’all are pretty good at it

• He loves to go to the range to shoot in his free time, & he’s a hunter (I apologize to my fellow animals lovers) but not a trophy hunter

•He conceal carries a handgun at all times

• He makes delicious Deer jerky

• This man collects old Allied WW2 firearms

• He loves History Channel documentaries on WW2

• full on dad stance in front of the tv while watching

• “Honey come look at this!”

• He’s not that old but due to his time in the Marines & current job he does have bad knees, a bad back etc. the cracking his body does is insane

• He does take pills for that & you have to remind him to take them

• Whenever you ask him to read something he whips out his old man glasses

• He is always losing them too, so at work he will wear contacts (no one knows about this at his work)

• “Turn the radio I can’t see”

• He adopted a golden retriever puppy & a German Shepard puppy for you

• They’re your guard dogs when he’s away

• You got pregnant a little bit later in your marriage solely because Phillip was focusing on work a lot in the beginning of your marriage

• He was over the moon excited that you were pregnant

• Your gender reveal was powder inside of a target & be shot at it

• It was blue, you were having a little boy

• He made sure the nursery was set up prior to him leaving

• When you went into labor Phillip was about to go on a mission & it was the most excruciating experience knowing something horrible could’ve happened

• He watched your baby be born on FaceTime. It hurt him to see you upon so much pain & just surrounded by medical staff

• Due to a miscommunication & an ambush he unfortunately got held up

• He didn’t meet your son until a month after you delivered

• He looked at the photo he had of you in his plate carrier in the safe house he was held up in wondering how you & his newborn son were doing

• His Shadows & their significant others gifted you the most beautiful baby gifts once they returned from the missions

• Graves would fall asleep with your baby on his chest in the living room after feeding him in his recliner

• Your son’s little face would be smushed up against Graves’s chest drooling on his t-shirt

• He too would bring your son to work, but once he started crawling (I swear if there’s one thing that will break any hardened military man is a baby)

• Once your little boy is old enough he would play football & baseball

• Graves also helps coach when he can, he too played those sports as a little boy

• He’d also probably take him hunting too & teach him how to live off of the land

• The saying Once a Marine Always a Marine rings true in the Graves’s household

• Just like his old man your little boy joined the Marines

• Graves is a true traditional family man at heart & does everything he can to shield you guys from his line of work

✨NSFW✨

• huge daddy kink, his ego is already big & he loves the idea of you having to rely on him

• Loud office sex whenever you’d visit

• Cockwarming him while he does paperwork

• You’d wiggle around & he’d hold you down

• You went topless in Italy when you went to the beach on your honeymoon, & he constantly was grabbing at your tits

• You adopted the habit of tanning like that in the privacy of your backyard

• Major breeding kink too

• He loves finishing inside of you

• He’ll also use you to take his frustrations out when he’s had a rough day at work

• Lingerie especially red lingerie is his favorite

• He’s 100% a boob man & he’d be happy to pay for fake tits if that’s what you wanted

• You’d 100% wear his cowboy hat while riding him

• He spanks you as a punishment

• You do have sex in the back of his pick up truck under the infamous Texas starry nights

• You two have made so many sex tapes together from all different angles

• He also has so many nudes of you

• One or a couple may have accidentally gotten leaked to his team (this just fed his ego more)

• You’d also probably wear his old marine dress blues for the Marine Corps birthday as you rode him

[xxsycamore]

𝐍𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞

↬ 👖 Napoleon has a little problem dressing up for a date in the 21st Century. Luckily, the mansion's residents are there to give him fashion advice, divided into team Sexy, team Defense, and team Cute.

Napoleon Bonaparte x MC, ft. all residents ( Leonardo, Mozart, Arthur, Isaac, Dazai, Comte, Sebastian, Jean, Theo, Vincent, Shakespeare) • rating: G • tags: Humor; Crack; Dress Up • wordcount: 1,797 • masterlist

a/n: An early celebration for Napoleon's upcoming birthday, with the prompt Napo Style from my Napoleon Birthday Celebration 2023 event! Enjoy the chaos!

Thanks to The Door at Comte's mansion being fixed and thus allowing a safe trip through the time and space continuum, newer and cooler dating spots are now available for the mansion's lovebirds, Napoleon and MC! How exciting is that? The latter is especially enthusiastic about strolling the streets of 21st-century Paris and showing off her lover…

The former is currently losing his mind.

Because there is an hour left until they step into the vortex of time-traveling, and Napoleon has no idea how people in the future dress for a date. At all.

"This is a problem." Napoleon muses out loud as he paces back and forth in the mansion's lounge room. Of course, he's not alone there, in this house you never get a moment of privacy no matter where you are. Currently he shares his air with… Leonardo, Mozart, Arthur, Isaac, Dazai, Comte, Sebastian, Jean, Theo, Vincent, Shakespeare… wait, why are all of them here?! Even Shakespeare? Could it be that his worries are so prominently written on his face that the residents' gossip-meter was able to track it, and now they're bursting with curiosity?!

"Everything alright, Naps?" Arthur tests the waters, taking a noisy sip from his coffee.

"Yeah, you can always tell us if you have problems with your dating life. That's what friends are for."  Theo chimes in, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"Problems with my dating life? No, it's just… I don't know how to dress up for the date. I thought that maybe I could just go with these clothes…?" Napoleon shrugs, fixing the lapels of his jacket.

"I strongly suggest you don't." Joins Mozart, closing the piano he was pretending to play as he listened in.

"Then what do I put on? MC will be ready in just a moment and she'll no doubt be stunning. Gods… Can any of you help me out?"

"We can."

"Alright old chap, come out whenever you're ready. Too bad that our team's idea is first and therefore it will put an early end to this fashion show." Arthur boasts confidently as he takes his place on the left along with his other team members, part of the Sexy team. As the curtain is dramatically swooshed to reveal Napoleon, the audience livens up in a cacophony of different murmurs…

Napoleon has no idea why the bunch targeted his favorite red curtain-- erm, cape, as the first thing to be removed from the outfit, but in a flash Napoleon sees it hanging from the staircase's railing and he understands. The small space behind the stairs becomes a makeshift changing booth… he does live with the smartest men in history after all. From there on, the smart ideas keep on coming as he steps behind the curtain and braces himself for accepting the various articles of clothing being handed to him to try on.

Napoleon poses awkwardly while trying to hide his attributes, the small cloth hiding his crouch area making it difficult as his pants have been reduced to just that, a loincloth that his trademark big belt holds together. His shirt too has suffered a massive reduction in length and now barely covers his chest, leaving his abs and stomach exposed, a similar thing done to his sleeves so the shirt now reminds more of a tank top of sorts. The golden epaulets from his jacket remain. His boots are untouched, at least. His look is completed with ruffled hair for a messier, sexier hairstyle.

"Ahem. As you may know, the 21st century is vastly different from our times in terms of dressing to impress… so to say, the meaning of that phrase is turned upside down!"

"Undress to impress!" With a finger in the air and a smile on his face, the most unlikely member of team Sexy, Vincent, hurries to add. Before Theo can collapse, Vincent backs up his (unbeknownst to him) scandalous vision with a little bit of his wisdom. "How nice that is, a world that celebrates the body instead of hiding it. Napoleon has a body that many would put on a canvas, and he should celebrate it!"

"Thank you, Vincent."

"Sebastian, why are YOU on this team?" Someone in the crowd asks.

Despite Arthur's confidence in winning this "competition", the other teams are more than eager to have their go in an attempt to beat his idea of modern fashion. After another round of handing stuff to the haphazardly changing behind the curtain Napoleon, a group of four residents get ready to present their idea.

With a perfect little nod, Sebastian says matter-of-factly, "Master Napoleon has a body that many would put on a canvas, and he should celebrate it."

With difficulty, a man in a knight's heavy full armor (that normally can be found in one of the hallways as a decoration) steps in front of the audience's eyes, who they can only assume is Napoleon, due to not a tad of his identity being visible underneath this "outfit".

As a leader of Team Defense, Jean turns to the audience to explain. "The modern world is filled with dangers we're unaware of. Napoleon should prioritize his safety," he eyes his teammate, Shakespeare, who is ready to take the word next: "As well as the safety of his beloved. Thus he clothes in steal and prepares a heavy blade, or a dozen; if the chance arises, he shall defeath all that's on his path, in the name of her!"

As Napoleon hears the signal, he demonstratively takes out a spear, a chain mace, a war hammer, a longsword…! The audience takes a step back.

"They're right. You never know what's out there. There might be cats." Theo nods approvingly, slapping Napoleon's armor as if to test its durability. The last member of team Defense, Mozart, is ready with his own argument.

"Everything there must be dirty. This will protect him from exposure."

Still, this can't end without the final third team showcasing their own unique idea of dressing up Napoleon. And besides, the mansion's daddy, Comte, being a leader of this team is enough to make everyone quiet down and pay attention.

It's a shockingly good argument.

"And finally, team Cute. Because you, my dears, are forgetting a key element of what our fashion show is about, and that is helping our Napoleon win his girl's heart all over again, in a different time, in a different world. We must look from the eyes of MC. And a lady like her, oh her heart surely sings at the sight of everything that can be called cute. She'll swoon and melt as she witnesses Napoleon embracing his inner adorableness; that is for sure!"

Without further ado, Napoleon steps forward, revealing his outfit that for some reason troubles his walking more than the armor from before… the reason might be the tight corset Comte put him in, one made for men nonetheless, but still making it hard for the soldier to act naturally wearing. Especially combined with those high-heeled boots! There's not a trace of any dark colors anywhere to be seen, from frilly innocent whites to sunny yellows to baby pinks, he's dolled up like a little prince from a fairytale. His hair which is the only color out of place, is densely covered in small hairclips, that are not exactly Comte's style, so there might be put there by…

"Napo-chan is so kawaii with the little hair accessories I put on him. I'm convinced MC won't resist kissing you all over."

"Why am I on this team?!" Laments Isaac, whose contribution is narrowed down to an apple he found laying around… surprisingly, posing with the apple does add cute points to Napoleon's look, as much as the physicist hates to admit. He's only on this team because he refused to join in the absurdity of the other two…

"They're right, Naps." Leonardo agrees with a hand on his chin. "I've heard cara-mia gush all over you being cute when you make a slip-up from your mister perfect persona. Be a little clumsier and clueless. She'll find it charming."

Napoleon hums and looks at the palms of his glove-clad hands, a little lost. "I'm, uhhh… not so sure what you mean."

"That's it, just like that."

"Okay, that's all, which team won?" Arthur asks impatiently, not very amused about the fact that his coffee mug is now empty.

"That's for Napoleon to decide. What do you think, Napoleon?"

Napoleon takes a look at all the faces lit up in expectation, and makes a "wait" gesture as he disappeared behind the curtain again. A few seconds later he is out, dressed in what appears to be an untouched replica of his original outfit, but almost hidden beneath various items that each of the teams can recognize as their own.

"You all joined forces to help me, so the answer can only be a combination of your efforts. With this, I'm confident about covering all bases necessary for a successful date with my Nunuche. Thank you."

"Spoken like a true leader!" Dazai cheers, instantly approving the idea.

The door swings open as MC walks in at a fast pace, hurrying to collect Napoleon's hand and take him away. She's dressed in a simple sundress and wearing her light pink bag over a shoulder with the little Mousette charm hanging from it.

"There you are Napoleon, we're going to be late for our date…! What are you wearing?"

Napoleon makes a troubled humming noise as he shakes off item after item, throwing them in different directions as they clatter against the floor and roll off somewhere. He's back in his day-to-day outfit.

"Nothing much. Nunuche, the truth is… you're stunning. I didn't want to disappoint you. I'm sorry but I couldn't find anything to dress up for our date."

"Oh? What are you talking about, we're going to get you dressed up right now! As soon as we step out of the door we'll go to my friend Mai's boutique and you can have a full Comtherapy!"

"…I…What's a Comtherapy?"

"A Comte-therapy! A shopping therapy, dummy! He even gave me money to dress you up this morning! Thank you, daddy Comte!"

"You're welcome, ma cherie."

"COMTE? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?" a bunch of voices speak up at the same time.

"Why, my dearest residents and I were having so much fun. Who am I to spoil it?"

Amidst the chaos, Napoleon and MC begin to laugh, their hands still intertwined because of MC's earlier attempt to sneak Napoleon out of the rowdy room. Napoleon smirks and takes the lead, leaving the residents to their wits.

"Come on, Nunuche. Let's go on our date."

MC swoons and gawks, following right after.

"Gods Napoleon, you're so charming!"

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran    @pumpumnnnp @thesirenwashere @ravenarld @kimmy-banana @devonares @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @thewitchofbooks @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou   @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @aquagirl1978 ​ @ikemenlover24 @violettduchess @mcofthemansion @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @tele86 @lovely-bubb1es @aria-chikage @babyblue0t7 @rhodoliteschaos @my-day6 Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[jaemmphilia]

★ episode one: casual ★ || seo c.b

★ summary: changbin is called into his agency by his manager to come and look at a potential script for a mini-series that's a spinoff of the popular movie: don't say goodbye. he accepts the script immediately, not realizing who his co-star is until changbin sees him sitting at the table.

★ pairing: actor!changbin x actor!male!reader

★ warnings and rating: colorful language, reader and changbin have some history, enemies/idiots to lovers, (16+ rating), arguments, changbin calls the reader some mean names

★ word count: 1.8K (1810)

★ binnie's thoughts: welcome to the beginning of the paint me naked series! this is going to be a fun one, and i think i've postponed it long enough...

★ requested?: yes, thank you @goovultss and i'm so sorry it took so long for the first part to come out...

★ disclaimer: this fic in absolutely NO WAY represents changbin as a person. this fic is simply for entertainment purposes, so enjoy!

© triplejracha, 2023. please do not copy to any other platform.

★ series masterlist ★

Changbin is over the moon these days.

He’s at the top of his acting career, just like he’s always wanted. He’s constantly being invited to award shows and various celebrity parties (he was invited to world-famous actor Hwang Hyunjin’s recent birthday party, so he knows he’s made it to the big leagues.). He’s a humble guy, no doubt, but sometimes he can’t help but wonder how awesome he is as an actor. 

His career started when he was around three years old, and he was in a commercial advertising some sort of brand-new juice. He thought it was gross, but his mother told him she wasn’t going to listen to him whine about the fluid being nasty. He sucked it up and completed the commercial without any further fuss. Will he always remember that oddly specific taste so long as he still lives? Of course, but that’s not the point. Ever since then, he became popular, being cast in small roles, such as the child for a couple, or the younger version of the main character, the list goes on and on.

His roles only increased as he got older and his baby face morphed into one of a more mature type. His chubby cheeks remained, but he finally grew into his nose and eyes. He was then cast into more concrete roles with mature characters and themes. He was excited when he had to smoke a fake cigarette when he played Yoojeon, the secondary love interest and the most intimidating boy in school. 

But his success didn’t stop at acting, he was also chosen to walk down fashion runways, as well as appearing on the front of dozens of magazines boasting about his fast jump to fame. 

As Changbin is relaxing in his penthouse, flicking through endless channels as he shovels some chips into his mouth, his phone rings loudly. He sets the remote down and picks up his phone, the familiar contact name of his manager, coming to view. He immediately picks up, placing the phone up to his ear.

“Hey, kid. Got any plans today?” His manager asks, and Changbin tells the older man no. He had planned to hit the gym for a few hours, but that can wait until tomorrow. 

“Great. Come to my office, there’s a script here that’s calling your name.” The man says and Changbin wastes no time in jumping up and slipping on his shoes. His manager knows that Changbin would never turn down a script, he’s simply just high off on success. 

“I’m on my way right now! Did you send a car for me?” Changbin asks as he barrels down the stairs of his penthouse, nearly falling to his death. 

“Yes, it’s waiting at the front of your complex building. And please don’t rush down the stairs. You remember what happened last time.” The older man scolds. 

Oh, Changbin remembers it well. He was excited about a script reading and he misstepped on the stairs and fell straight down to the bottom, breaking his arm in the process. The broken arm led to him missing the opportunity to play the lead role in the movie he was going to be reading the script for. They gave the role to his worst enemy: Moon [Name]. 

Moon [Name] is the bane of Changbin’s existence. He’s snobby, egotistic, and contemptuous. Changbin hates his guts with his pretty face and great acting skills. Ugh, it drives Changbin up a wall just thinking about that asshole. Moon [Name] loves to make things into a competition, he’s always been like that. It’s always about who can get the better roles or who can accumulate the highest amount of sponsors for just a single role. 

If Changbin could drive, he would’ve hit [Name] with this car a long time ago. 

Once Changbin enters the building, he gets the rundown from his manager. His manager tells him the script is a spinoff of the hit movie “Don’t Say Goodbye” starring Han Jisung and Lee Minho. Changbin gets even more excited because he loves that movie. 

He remembers sitting in his penthouse sobbing like a baby because Jinhae (Jisung’s character) had died of some terminal illness without his summer lover, Yeohan (Minho’s character) knowing. He cried for days and days after watching the movie for the first time. He then proceeded to watch it six more times. He’s a hopeless romantic, cut him some slack. 

Knowing that the script is for the spinoff, he wonders if the characters will be the friend of Jinhae and the brother of Yeohan; Taesung and Yeohei. They were only mentioned a few times in the movie, and it was hinted that they were crushing on each other. Changbin also wonders which role he’ll get, will he be Taesung or Yeohei? If he were to choose, he would pick Taesung. Taesung sounds way cooler than Yeohei. 

Changbin arrives at the producer’s building, and he goes to the large meeting room his manager told him to go to. Changbin greets his manager outside the room, and he can’t help but notice the nervous look on the older man’s face. The way his eyes shift and refuse to look at Changbin.

“Hyung, what’s got you all worked up? Is your wife not speaking to you again?” Changbin jokes, but his manager only lets out a huff of a laugh in response. “Hold on, what’s going on? You always laugh at my jokes!” 

“I think it’s best if you walk into the room and see for yourself.” The older man says, his gaze still not meeting Changbin’s. Changbin is confused, his strong eyebrows furrowed as he pushes open the door to the meeting room.

When he enters, his gaze falls on a particular body in the room. The person looks up from his phone, his soft [EC] eyes staring straight into Changbin’s eyes. When the two of them realize who each other are, they both speak in unison:

“Oh, fuck no.”

It’s a few days after that unnecessarily aggressive encounter with [Name], and Changbin is not taking the role of Taesung. As much as he would love that role, he refuses to work with [Name]. Changbin’s manager is desperately trying to convince and bribe the young star to take the role, but Changbin isn’t listening. 

“Come on Changbin! This role could be huge for you! You’re already familiar with the storyline, and the director says your appearance fits Taesung’s character perfectly!” His manager cries out, the man slowly getting fed up with his bratty client. “It doesn’t get any more perfect than that!’

“I’ll take that role when [Name] is not my co-star,” Changbin says gruffly, letting out a puff of air as he lifts the heavy metal bar above his head, his bicep muscles tensing with strain. “You know how I feel about that fucking brat.” 

His manager huffs and rubs his temples, “Do you maybe, I don’t know, think you’re being dramatic?”

Changbin sets the metal bar on the hooks above him and he sits up, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He fixes his glare onto his manager, his plump bottom lip jutted out, which makes him less intimidating than he thinks. “Me? I’m not being dramatic! I just really hate that pretentious asshole!”

“Changbin, just think about the aftermath if you take this role. You would blow up, even more than you already have. You’re already at the top, but you can go higher.” His manager says to him, hoping those words of encouragement will give him the push he needs.

Changbin thinks about those words, the tension between his brows relaxing just a bit. If he takes the role, his fame would skyrocket, taking him higher than he already is right now. Maybe he should take the role, what if [Name] isn’t the same dickhead he remembers the male being? With a very dramatic sigh, he agrees to take the role. His manager immediately takes out his phone to call the director, leaving Changbin to resume his once-interrupted workout. 

It’s the first day of filming, and Changbin is pretty much vibrating with excitement. He spent the past three days memorizing his lines. He could barely sit still long enough for his makeup artist to complete his makeup. He was itching to film and he had not seen [Name] yet, so today was already faring to be a good one. 

That is, until [Name] showed up on set, his hair and makeup finished, his once [HC] hair now hidden under a black wig with purple streaks, the hairstyle in a shaggy cut. [Name] has a lip piercing, a silver ring straight down the middle of his plump, soft red colored lips. He’s wearing a fuzzy wine-red sweater with white cat paws littered around it hanging on his slimmer frame. Changbin tries not to stare for too long, but he has to admit that the piercing suits [Name] pretty well. A little too well, he might admit.

He turns his gaze away before he gets caught staring, and his makeup artist informs him that he’s done. She hands him a mirror, and Changbin barely recognizes himself. He has on green contacts, making his chocolatey brown eyes morph into a soft hazel color. They decided to keep his natural deep brown curls, feeling that they tied Taesung’s character together perfectly. His makeup artist placed a few small fake tattoos on his face, and he really likes how he looks. He feels like a badass motorcycle driver or the rebellious son of a mafia boss. 

“You look pretty good, Taesung.” A playful voice snaps him out of his little fantasy world. His face falls when he realizes [Name] is the one talking to him. Changbin hopes he didn’t get caught staring at his sworn enemy. [Name] is standing right in front of him, a cheeky smile on his face. Changbin wishes he could just slap that look off [Name]’s face. 

Changbin and [Name] barely managed to finish one scene together before they began arguing. The two are all up in each other’s faces, spitting hateful insults at each other. Their managers exchange a look, the two of them were already used to their client’s childish behavior by now. [Name]’s manager asks for a short break, even though filming had just started no less than five minutes ago. The director nods, not wanting to get in between the quarrel. Changbin’s manager pulls him away from [Name], but that doesn’t stop Changbin from calling the other male a stuck-up bitch.

“Changbin, what the hell were you two even arguing about?” His manager asks, handing him a water bottle, hoping it would calm the male down. 

Changbin angrily drinks the water before answering, “[Name] sai–” A pause. “You know what, I don’t even remember.”

Changbin’s manager groans. This was going to be a long filming process.

[masodemic]

[Eroica Musical Rant] The Case of the Missing Caesar Gabriel and the Character Assassination of Tyrian Persimmon

(Series masterlist)

When the Eroica Stage Show Twitter began announcing their casting choices, there was one in particular that shook an entire fandom: Tyrian Persimmon.

Or rather, it wasn’t so much about who played him, and more about the fact that he is played. Although Tyrian is the protagonist of El Halcon and Nanatsu no Umi, Nanatsu no Sora, by the time of Eroica, Tyrian is long dead and almost entirely forgotten, save for a very flattering portrait.

And that’s all Tyrian ever is in Eroica: a gorgeous painting, a MacGuffin. He, as a character, plays no role at all in this story. So why, for the love of Aoike, is there an actor playing Tyrian? For about a month leading up to the performance, my Eroica discord was confused and concerned as to wth they would use Tyrian for. Like is he going to pop out of the painting and sing? Are they trying to ride off the success of the Takarazuka Revue’s El Halcon?

After having watched the full show and spent sleepless nights contemplating, turns out the answer has to do with a character we’ve all sorta forgotten about as a fandom: Caesar Gabriel.

Caesar Gabriel

If you remember reading Eroica for the first time, you might remember that the first chapters were told from the perspective of and in relation to Caesar Gabriel – super-genius university professor at age 18, Art History expert, who's extremely frail, innocent and naïve. It was through Caesar that we as the audience were introduced to the fascinating specimen that is Dorian Red Gloria AKA Eroica. Who takes an interest in him, and whisks him away in a dramatic – illegal – fashion before letting him go, already hopelessly in love.

In the second chapter, Iron Klaus, it was due to Dorian’s effort to bargain and rescue Caesar from Klaus that they end up with a tank on their tail. Thus, beginning Dorian and Klaus' enemies-and-lovers relationship. Afterwards, Caesar is never seen or mentioned again.

So, although Caesar Gabriel might have been written purely as a functional character, his role is important in those chapters.

Caesar fills the role of the proxy through which Dorian is introduced in all of his … Gloria? By using a second-person point-of-view, Dorian first comes off as mysterious, unpredictable, and almost other-worldly. Audiences get to see Dorian’s IMPACT first, and it draws them in to this wildly charismatic character before diving into him in later chapters and arcs.

By removing a functional character, the musical has to compensate the plot-holes that the character filled. And they did that, by reviving Tyrian Persimmon from the painting. But hey before any Tyrian stan gets too excited, they gave him the personality of Caesar Gabriel. Let me tell you why this is bad.

First of all, because Caesar is the POV for the 1st chapter of the manga, it’s almost impossible to reconcile his absence. So, they skipped it. Which … fine, whatever. The big issue, though, comes up in Dorian’s plan to get the 2-in-1 painting.

In the second chapter, Iron Klaus, Dorian and Klaus meet for the first time and decide that they despise each other. Klaus refuses to sell Dorian The Man in Purple. So Dorian, being Dorian, decides that if he can’t obtain it the legal way, he has no qualm with obtaining it the illegal way. Sensing that Dorian might try something, Klaus orders tight-knit security to protect his family’s cultural treasure. Which Dorian and his gang manage to by-pass by mingling into the security unit and filling every room with sleeping gas. Eroica’s first heist is resounding a success.

However, Klaus still has “custody” of Caesar, and he calls Dorian to demand an exchange of “hostages,” to which Dorian gives his verbal agreement. On the day, though, tension is high, and Klaus begins suspecting the unknown guard stationed around the premise. Another guard rushes over and yells that the first one is Eroica, and in the commotion that ensues, the actual Eroica – revealed to have disguised as the second guard – grabs Caesar and speeds off in his red Lamborghini. Eroica’s second heist is a success – for now.

With the removal of Caesar, the plan becomes convoluted. In the musical, Dorian - using the strategy from the first heist - disguises himself as an art appraiser. With every agent out of sight, he fills the room with sleeping gas, which knocks Klaus out. Dorian, James and Bonham take the painting and drive away, feeling victorious.However, he quickly discovers that the painting is a fraud intended to trick him. Hence, Eroica’s first attempt is a failure.

He makes a U-turn - using the strategy from the second heist - disguises himself as a security guard, frames another as fake and steals the real painting right in front of Klaus and his agents. An extremely flimsy patchwork of the second heist, that also makes Klaus’s unit and instincts look slow and weak.

While in the manga, the structure of Iron Klaus is as follows:

Attack (1st heist) => bargain => attack (2nd heist) => to retaliation (tank)

In the musical, it goes like this:

Failed attack (1st attempt) => fix (2nd attempt) => lukewarm retaliation (tank)

There is no tension, no excitement, where it’s supposed to be a confrontation, where 2 characters are one-upping, mind-gaming, out-maneuvering each other. Now, it’s just a single over-complicated mess, because the 2 MacGuffins – Caesar and painting – have been reduced down to 1.

Towards the end of the manga chapter, Dorian willingly gives Klaus back the painting in exchange for Caesar’s well-being. But he steals the tank. The symbolic meaning of his actions can be read as Dorian being satisfied with Klaus’s self-expression. And to show his respect for one with a different viewpoint, he keeps the symbol of Klaus’s ideal beauty, while leaving Klaus his own.

Klaus certainly doesn’t view it as such, but like I said, different viewpoints. It’s a great note for 2 characters who have recently gotten tangled up into each other to part, promising much more to come. But in the musical, Dorian’s heist of the painting is, ultimately, a sadly failed plan, as Dorian is forced to give up on The Man in Purple. And although he does steal the tank, it seems less like a conscious action, and more like an attempt to provoke Klaus.

Tyrian Persimmon

So, in the Aoike Cinematic Universe, Tyrian Persimmon – or The Man in Purple – is Klaus’s ancestor who lived in the Elizabethan period. In Eroica though, he’s been loooooong dead, and it seems that not a lot is known about him. Although his painting is a MacGuffin, Tyrian himself doesn’t play any role, and if one only reads Eroica, it’s just a really nice painting, and that’s all it has to be. The interesting bit comes from a meta viewpoint.

If you have read El Halcon and Nanatsu no Umi Nanatsu no Sora, you would know, that Tyrian was a vile motherfucker. Murderer, rapist, traitor, and so ambitious he cares about nobody’s life but his own. Almost every character who crossed path with him died some kind of gruesome, unjust way. He’s irredeemably terrible even if entertaining. So, what’s the significance of this in the context of Eroica?

In Eroica, everyone fawns over Tyrian’s portrait like he was a god-sent beauty. It is even said that on first glance, Klaus might look like The Man in Purple but he lacks a certain “grace and charm,” attributes that could be considered heroic, or even angelic. The magnetic power of the portrait drew many of the conflicts in Eroica as characters seek to possess his image. But those who worship his beauty knows not the monster beneath the canvas. For an audience looking for meta-reading though, the fact that the portrait is still eliciting so much trouble is a reflection of Tyrian’s own life as the bane of existence. Even Klaus once wonders if they were being played like puppets in the sadistic theatre of The Man in Purple. This combined dramatic irony is severely damaged when the portrait is suddenly personified like a character.

And what’s worse is that, not only did they reanimate the portrait for the musical, they tried to give him a caricature Caesar Gabriel’s personality. This … vile, manipulative, murderous narcissist is now a bubbling, naïve and confused 18-year-old coddled child. It’s comical in the worst moments.

Like in the tense scene of the Autobahn chase, all my attention was directed to Tyrian trying to chase his hat which had flown off the vehicle, while trying to hold the portrait frame around his face. Or during, what I still maintain as the best scene in the entire musical, the cuddling in the tank scene, the budding bond between the two main characters are constantly distracted by Tyrian’s antics.

And to top it all off, they didn’t even give him his PUMPKIN PANTS!!

[missoneminute]

Combing my two biggest interests - The Libertines and perfume, recalling the scents which defined that era for me.

Libertine by Vivienne Westwood - Notes of Pineapple, Lily-of-the-Valley, Oakmoss, Labdanum and Musk. Released in 2000 and sadly discontinued. (A tester strip from this perfume was pasted into one of Peter’s early journals.) There are many perfumes that have had this same name since, but only one that smelled exactly like the year 2000 - mossy, earthy but soapy and clean, playful and lively, wiping off the grass stains of grunge and soaring into a new millennium, determined to cause trouble before it had consequences.

Stella by Stella McCartney - Notes of Rose Oil, Peony, Tangerine and Amber. Released in 2003. The syrupy rose jam scent of nights spent losing your mind - sleepless weekends, the eye of the storm of a cultural shift. Everything is alive, everything is exciting, everything is happening, and you can’t stop pressing your nose to your wrist, or a lover’s neck, to breathe it in, the hint of sour among all the flowers.

Prada Amber by Prada - Notes of Bitter Orange, Patchouli, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Labdanum and Tonka Bean. Released in 2004. A little sexy, a little dirty, things were getting messy. Sold via the cleanest of clean girl advertisements that were a total lie. This is the scent of a skanky cult - filthy and addictive, sweetness left on skin days after a kiss. An almost incoherent blend of vanilla and knees caked in mud - an ad for clean sheets when the bottle contains what went on between them.

Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood - Notes of Cardamom, Rose, Violet and Leather. Released in 2005 and also sadly discontinued. Where Libertine smelled of 2000 this smelled of 2005, the height of indie sleaze - leather jacket rock ‘n’ roll, hats and suits and ties and ironic nationalism, the celebration of all things British, driven at least in part by the explosion (and implosion) of The Libertines in English music and fashion culture. Weaved in with the spice of Brick Lane, the bootleg band shirts of Camden, the incense burning in the corner of your ashtray-scented flat.

Youth Dew Amber Nude by Estée Lauder - Notes of Cinnamon, Ginger, Carnation, Amber and Sandalwood. Released in 2005 and discontinued. The amber era for perfume, and the start of Tom Ford’s reign with ingenious collaborations that took dusty heritage brands into the modern age with their glamour intact in a time where we looked back to look forward. All the trash gathered up and made beautiful, injected with new life and resold at a premium. But didn’t it smell delicious, just like history, just like old money.

Belle d'Opium by Yves Saint Laurent - Notes of Jasmine, Incense, Tobacco, Peach, Rose and Patchouli. Released in 2010 (and yes, also discontinued). Rich and bold and witchy, the end of an era creeping in, all things indie drifting away, diluting but leaving their indelible mark - one last gasp of the rock star girlfriend, clad in her vintage faux furs and laddered tights, the messy glamour, the scent trail of a fearless era falling away, all those heightened, drunken memories of dollar store incense and roll-on oil remade into its final form.

[emileighruth]

Sleeping Beauty: the Reawaken of Fashion.

Arriving promptly at 10 am, just as the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens its doors, anticipation fills the air. Fello fashion students eagerly await the chance to see some of the most delicate garments in history. Walking to the museum's second floor, the line continues to grow, filled with fellow fashion lovers, all excited for the experience that lies ahead. Before this visit, my knowledge of the museum and its annual fashion collections was limited, mainly springing from my inspiration for Alexander McQueen and his iconic "Savage Beauty" collection at the Met. I knew that "Sleep Beauty" housed some of his most distinguished and delicate pieces, which only fueled my excitement even more.

As I entered the collection, I was immediately greeted by one of the oldest garments I had ever seen, lying peacefully in a glass case. Moving through the exhibit, I couldn't shake the feeling that a princely garment might appear to awaken these sleeping beauties. Yet, they were only brought to life by the visual displays surrounding some of them. The thought of these retired, delicate dresses, perfectly preserved yet destined to sleep forever once the collection closes, filled me with sadness. So many garments lie in the spotlight for such a brief moment, never to relive their days of glory again.

As I left the museum, my mind buzzed with inspiration and questions. How could I contribute to this fashion world one day? What will become of these dormant garments over time? Will we ever get to enjoy these garments again? Many of these questions will find answers in time. For now, these exquisite garments will remain asleep, waiting to be reborn by future designers or transformed into virtual creations for the world to see.

-ER xxx

[tamavonpineapple]

Leosagi culture shocks I wanna see (based on my personal hcs)

Medicine/hygiene: as excited as Leo is to finally have Usagi visiting New York, you can't tell me that one of the first things Leo does isn't throwing his edo period boyfriend in the shower and chucking his clothes in the washing machine. Since they live in a sewer, Splinter made extra sure to drill good hygiene and cleanliness into his tots. As such Usagi's first two visits are spent learning about soap/shampoo (special kind for fur from Hidden City), toothbrushing, toilets, etc. I feel like he'd be amazed and shocked at how much cleanliness actually matters when it comes to health. He'd also be dragged to Donnie's lab frequently for vaccines. Even after bacteria and viruses are explained to him, Usagi would still be kind of scared and Leo is just holding his boyfriend's hand the whole time. Considering Leo is the resident medic, Usagi would be very interested in hearing Leo info dump on how surgeries and major wound stitches are done along with disinfection.

Modern tech: this one's obvious, he's from the Edo period and Leo is from the 21st century. Usagi is mesmerized by how advanced everything is and is shocked that none of it is magic. Donnie takes immense pleasure in educating Usagi in the ways of modern technology and how it all functions.

Culture: as a traveller, Usagi probably has quite the open mind for his time and generally appreciates the new cultures he comes across. I think he'd be so amazed at how big and how diverse the world is. Especially when it settles in how Japan (what was previously his whole world) is such a small part for an enormous planet. Considering that New York is an immigrant city, Usagi would probably adore how much of a cultural melting pot it is. Leo gets them some cloaking broaches and the two have several dates just exploring the cultural hubs of New York. Be it the traditional preserved cultures or the new ones created from the mesh.

Self expression: another thing I feel Usagi would appreciate is how freely people can express themselves. Be it gender or culturally, people just wear what they want. Especially people as nonchalant as the turtles. The four have been having fashion nights with April since forever and no way they didn't absolutely slay in dresses and skirts. No way they also didn't drag Usagi into their fashion shenanigans.

Art: it's canonically confirmed that Usagi is a lover of art in all its forms. He'd absolutely loose his mind at how many styles of everything there are. I can see him bonding with Mikey in this aspect, with the young turtle showing Usagi all the best drawing/painting techniques there are. Music is another big thing: he's that one dude who's spotify is just a mix of everything (different genres, languages, instruments, etc). Electro music is something he'd take longer to warm up too, but I think he'd end up enjoying vocaloid. Mostly because of how diverse in themes vocaloid is (depression, love, violence, redemption, etc) and because it's his first exposure to modern music that he can actually understand (since it's japanese).

Reading: I don't think Usagi would've been an avid reader before Leo. Mostly cause there wasn't much to read. Now that he can visit New York, he just gobbles up whatever literature he can find. He reads a mix of Japanese and English (helped him learn the language faster). Usagi really likes mythology, history, and poetry books. He also has a taste for the occasional novel and manga that Leo recommends him. As a samurai, Usagi's all about self improvement. So I feel like he'd read a lot therapy-esque books regarding things like healthy relationship and adjusting to new perspectives. He'd also work on any biases or assumptions he has from living in Edo Japan (like towards disabilities).

Media: like with any other tech, Usagi is shocked by how easy it is to learn anything curtesy of the internet. I also feel like he'd have a deep appreciation for the art of cinema considering its like theater but so much more. Especially with animation since its story told through moving art. Hell I bet he and Mikey have their own little animation stop motion drawing pads.

Relationships: here's where the biggest shocks are mostly cause how different things are from how Usagi was raised. First comes his relationship with Leo and how they each express love. Even nowadays PDA is frowned upon in Japan and Japanese don't tend to explicitly outright say they love each other. Usagi, who's probably very reserved with his affection and likely a little touch starved, is just floored with how openly affectionate both physically and verbally Leo is. I feel like he'd be a little embarrassed at first and slowly ease into being more open with how he loves Leo in more physical ways. Then there's the general Hamato dynamic. Even now, japanese culture has emphasis on respecting elders and the heavy expectations children have to succeed in the eyes of said parents. Combined with general edo period extreme formalities between parents and their children plus how Usagi's father barely raised him yet still put pressure on him to become a great samurai. Then we have Splinter: a rat man who's doing his absolute best to be involved in his kids lives and make up for the time they lost due to his trauma (mother's death, kidnapping, battle nexus, turning into a rat, etc), never pressures his kids, lets them grow as individuals and enjoy their own interests, very involved in their shenanigans, works hard to support his kids, and (most importantly) freely shows unconditional love. Just seeing a parent as involved and affectionate as Splinter is would be a big shock to Usagi. Especially a male parent cause traditional gender roles and since Usagi is from an era where fathers freely send their sons to die for honor while Splinter would blow up the Earth before even thinking of knowingly putting his sons at risk. Plus the brothers constant talk back and disobey their father. Then we go to the sibling dynamics. Like with parent-child relationships, edo period sibling dynamics were draped in formality and seriousness: affection is very reserved and any threats are literal plus the hierarchy placed by seniority. The Hamato siblings are probably Usagi's first exposure to a normal healthy sibling dynamic. Which would probably be confusing in itself since sibling relationships are a weird mesh of superficial hate but genuine love. Like Donnie wouldn't hesitate to take a bullet for Leo but no way in hell is he touching his new boots. Any of the brothers could be arguing as if they're about to kill each other and be cuddling on the couch not 15 minutes later. The constant back and forth would be a whiplash for Usagi and it would take some time to fully decipher how they communicate. Then there's their relationship with April. Splinter doesn't see her as his daughter but she is undeniably the Hamato's big sister. If you add in Cass and Sunita, then you have Usagi reveling in finally having strong independent female friends who aren't potential love interests. Throw in Casey Jr and the typical TMNT adventures and you've got Usagi collapsing exhausted from the sheer craziness of this friend group. Usagi would be civil and respectful with Draxum.

Okay i completely forgot about this, I saw it during vacations and then proceeded to forget about it. Sorry Okay, ejem, there are thing that I want to adress.

1. During that (and previous) period, japan already had toothbrushes, shampoo and soap, they already new about hygiene. We tend to imagine that this topics are modern and, let's be honest, came from Europe. No, for GODS' SAKE TOILET PAPER WAS INVENTED IN CHINA DURING THE 6th CENTURY!! And let's bw honest, Usagi lives in a world of furries, of course they already specialize soap/shampoo. I had nothing to add to the vaccines, i had a couple of scenes already planned regarding that topic. However, Usagi has been stabbed a couple times, and was perfectly fine with Chizu drugging him so he could get a rest, I can't really picture this man being a childman who needs to hold someone's hand to get vaccinated. (tho it'll be ironic, ngl)

Culture: Usagi himself has stated some levelnof discomfort regarding immigrants in Japan, because is japan, I wont go deep here, cuz theres a bunch of articles and videos about japan being an isolated country. It is certainly easier to imagine an initial rejection and a LONG adaptation process that will culminate with him accepting that the world is much more diverse than he imagined, but he would not stop being himself.

Art: usagi and Mikey bonding through art It's another plot that I had envisioned for rabbit stew, Usagi's fascinated by markets, color pencils, and all that, but usagi will also showed him the traditional techniques from his father homeland, cuz you know, sumi-e and ukiyo-e, since they're not inferior to modern of different techniques. (Btw have you ever heard of that band that plays with modern and traditional instruments?)

As for the rest of it, I mostly agree with the other points you've made. Except for one small detail that is bothering me and that is that it only seems to focus on how New York is going to change Usagi... I'll be real with you all, if we are just going to make Usagi a white dude and erase what being a 16th century samurai is... Well, I don't see the appeal anymore.

There are also things to rescue from there that the modern society lacks, despite of how murky the society in which he was raised may be. But here it seems like we're focusing on how cool New York is over Japan.

And let me tell you, food, environment, manners, global warming? These are some of the many things that Usagi will have a strong opinion on... That's if it survives the rot that is being fed microplastics to actually learn about it.

[mid0khan]

Dreamling Week 2024, day 5

Thanks again to @mr-sadman for the prompts!

Prompt: Midsummer

Title: I'll Follow Thee and Make a Heaven of Hell

Summary: Hob would do anything to see Dream happy. Yes, even going to one of Shakespeare's plays. (1,254 words, no TW, also Human!AU)

Read on AO3:

Dream was practically vibrating out of his skin with excitement as he crossed the literature department to reach the history teachers offices. It sucked that Hob’s office was literally on the other side of campus from his. Or maybe it was a blessing, there probably wouldn’t be much work done if they were next to each other at all time.

But it meant that now the literature professor had to keep himself from running as he walked through the whole university to join his husband.

He barged in Hob’s office without knocking, causing the history professor to startle badly.

“Jesus Christ, Dream!” he exclaimed frightfully. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“You will never believe what Lucienne just told me!” Dream exclaimed, doing his best to refrain from screaming. His jaws were starting to hurt from smiling.

Hob chuckled fondly, standing from his desk to kiss his lover.

“It must be really extraordinary, I haven’t seen you so happy since our wedding!” he teased.

“Don’t be stupid, it doesn’t even come close.” Dream rolled his eyes, still bouncing on his feet.

Hob hummed, pretending to think. “Did your sibling break their leg during their last fashion show?”

“Stop it, you make me look bad,” the literature professor chastised, laughing all the same. “No, it’s far better than that!”

“Now I’m really curious! What is it?”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at the Globe in two weeks-” Hob must have made a face because Dream hastily added: “and it’s staged by Kay Culverton Stranger himself!” Hob really tried to look excited, but he must have done a bad job at it considering that his husband’s enthusiasm deflated quickly. “I’m sure you would like it!” the literature professor pleaded. “Stranger has such a deep understanding of Shakespeare’s work, his stagings truly are the bests when it comes to Shakespeare, they always highlight the emotional and political depths of the plays in such amazing ways…”

“I’m sorry darling. You know what I think about Shakespeare…” Dream seemed about to cry, his eyes fixed on the ground. Hob gently tilted his head up, forcing his lover to look at him. “But I would gladly go with you anyway.”

“But you hate Shakespeare.”

“I don’t hate him; I think he is overrated and I don’t like his plays. But I knew what I was signing up for when I married a Shakespeare specialist.”

“I don’t want you to have a horrible time just for my sake,” Dream sulked.

“I won’t, I’ll be able to watch my amazing husband be excited about something he loves for a whole evening!” His lover still didn’t seem convinced so Hob changed his strategy “Let’s make a deal. We go see A Midsummer Night’s Dream in two weeks, and in exchange you let me drag you to the exhibit about the evolution of the guild system during the Renaissance that starts next month at the British Museum. What do you say?”

“It seems like a fair trade,” Dream admitted, a smile growing back on his face. “I accept your proposition.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” Hob declared with a mock curtsey, which earned him a playful swat and some delighted giggles. “Now, shall we go back to our mansion for the eventide?” he continued with the poshest accent he could muster.

“Our flat hardly count as a mansion, dearest,” Dream chuckled fondly. “But yes, we shall, if you are done with your work here.”

It was a nice day, and they decided to walk back to their flat. Dream genuinely tried not to talk Hob’s ears off, but he was far too excited about the play, and soon he was passionately info-dumping, hands flapping with enthusiasm. Hob didn’t mind. He basked in it; he remembered, when he had met Dream, how the literature teacher had been distant and silent, barely letting show any interest in anything. Now, after years together (and after going no-contact with Dream’s parents), he could talk for hours about his special interests, eager to share them with his husband. He still struggled around strangers, and he often appeared aloof and cold to those who didn’t know him well, but he made progresses one step after another, opening up a bit more every time, allowing himself to be. Hob delighted every day in being able to watch Dream free himself.

When they arrived to their home, Dream practically threw himself at their PC to book their tickets to the play. Hob watched worriedly as his excitement died down, his shoulders dropping as he let out a disappointed sigh.

“What’s wrong, love?”

“It’s already sold out,” Dream answered sadly. He turned the PC off and went to their room.

Hob heard him cry through the door, but he didn’t dare enter. He knew Dream didn’t like people seeing him cry. He cooked his favourite dish and prepared his favourite movie, hoping that it would cheer him up a bit, and waited.

When Dream finally got out of their room with puffy eyes and damp cheeks, he was grateful for hob’s efforts, but it was obvious he was still crestfallen.

The following days, he tried to act as if everything was fine, but Hob could see he was still upset. When even their colleagues started asking him is Dream was okay, the history professor decided to act. He took advantage of his office hours (which were really calm this time of the year) and made many phone-calls.

There was one week left before the play when he walked in Dream’s office with two tickets in his hand.

The literature professor barely refrained from screaming, springing from his chair and catching Hob in a bone-breaking embrace.

“How did you get them?” Dream asked, in awe.

Hob smiled, trying to keep his bouncing husband from hitting his desk. “The advantage of being overly friendly and changing career path more times than I can count in my twenties is that I know a lot of people. I made a few phone-calls, promised to help with a house move, got ourselves invited to quite a few get-togethers to reconnect with old friends (which you can obviously skip if you don’t want to come), and finally got my hand on two tickets, and we even have VIP seats.”

“You did all of that for a play you don’t even want to go to?” Dream asked, confusion momentarily eclipsing the euphoria.

“I did all of that so my beloved husband wouldn’t be upset anymore. And it was all worth it, considering how happy it makes you.”

Dream rode the happiness high the whole week, spooking their colleagues a few times with his uncharacteristically cheerful behaviour, to Hob’s great amusement. The day of the play, he was so excited he couldn’t stay still. When they got to the theatre, he was shaking so hard with anticipation Hob worried for a moment they wouldn’t be let in, but thankfully they were guided to their seats without a fuss. They were placed on a balcony, with a perfect view on the stage.

Dream kept squealing and bouncing with delight until the play started. When the first actor appeared on the stage, he suddenly became very still and silent, immediately captivated. Hob didn’t look at the stage once of the whole night; instead, he watched as Dream smiled, cried, and laughed, delighting in his husband’s joy. When the curtain fell and it was time to go home, he couldn’t remember a single word from the play.

They both had an amazing evening.

[f-ferrari-forever]

Monte Carlo Simulation

(a model used to predict the probability of a variety of outcomes when the potential for random variables is present)

Or in other words—Elle’s birthday fic, based on a conversation we’ve had, that was supposed to be much longer than the little word dump it turned out to be. Happy birthday, Elle, @il-predestinato! 🎉

Summary:

“Don’t let him win,” Nico whispers in his ear.

Max’s blood boils.

For 1 millisecond, he holds that pole trophy in his hands.

For 1 millisecond, Charles starts P2 in Monaco.

For 1 millisecond, the curse reigns on.

Word count: ~800

“Don’t let me win,” Charles hisses in his ear. 

Max gulps, his grip on Charles’s waist tightening as he unconsciously draws his lover closer. Lando gives them a puzzled look, muttering under his breath since he, too, must get closer now to save what’s left of the front row photos.

Max ignores him. Afterall, that’s fixable within a ride back home and half a streaming session. Maybe less, if there’s food involved. The Charles problem, not so much.

The Monaco problem, really.

They weren’t even born when Hill overtook Alesi to claim the latest exciting win in the history of Formula 1. Everyone knows that in Monaco, qualifying is everything. You sell your soul to the gods of Monte Carlo on that very first day, all for the farce promise of a winning pole. A brilliant qualifier like Charles ought to have set some sort of record by now.

Max’s fingers twitch, his wandering eyes lingering on the navy blue of Charles’s race suit; the way it hugs his curves and edges, the Red Bull logo a prized jewel over the man's heart. A heart that still beats crimson for another, as loud and vibrant as the prancing horse’s neigh.

The Ferrari prince, kidnapped by the evil of the sport itself, held against his will as a second driver to its golden boy. 

They hold the entire grid behind instead. If Max wins a race, Charles claims the next. They’re a perfect diad, Max and Charles; a match so close that Lando finds it frightening—how well they complement each other. Challenge each other. Beat each other.

Charles won in Bahrain. Max won at Jeddah.

Charles won in Melbourne. Max won in Florida.

Charles won in Vegas. Max won in Spain.

Charles won at Imola. Max knows what’s coming.

Whit a shaky grin, he signs that stupid tyre for Britney of all people; Monaco’s new shining poster boy. Last he heard, a circuit official was barred from attending the launch party of some high-end fashion house.

No names were given. They didn’t have to.

“Don’t let him win,” Nico whispers in his ear.

Max’s blood boils.

For 1 millisecond, he holds that pole trophy in his hands. 

For 1 millisecond, Charles starts P2 in Monaco.

—

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?”

Max freezes in his tracks. Just moments ago, the Red Bull motorhome had seemed deserted, almost everyone being out for a lavish Monaco-style lunch somewhere downtown. Charles was supposed to do the honors. His fucking race engineer was definitely supposed to join him.

A warm hand grasps Max’s shoulder, friendly, yet resolutely clear in its message. 

Stop. Don’t do this. You’re being reckless. 

Sebastian's eyes twinkle with delight. He looks good in Red Bull blue—happier than he did in red; prouder than he did in green. He looks home.

“Uh,” Max stutters, schooling his face to appear casual. “You know, just checking in with Hannah, asking how school’s going for the kids—you know, the usual stuff.” 

“I do know, actually,” Sebastian drawls, luring Max away from the strategy team’s office, his other arm slowly curling around the Dutchman’s waist, fingers softly squeezing. Max feels trapped; like a kid whose more forgiving parent catches them trying to sneak out and then dotes on them, just to be sure. 

If he squints, Max thinks he could make out the little button he threatened to resign in order to have installed in his car. It has been there since the beginning of the season, just below the key reserved for GP, untouched, a crimson “S” hurriedly painted on it. “S”, for Sebastian. “S”, for sacred. “S”, for secret. “S”, for schatje. 

A direct line between Max and Charles’s race engineer, just in case. Max dreads the day he’ll inevitably have to use it.

“Let me tell you a story,” Seb says, sitting Max down with a gentle pull of the hand. “You do remember how I won my third title, don’t you?”

Max’s face falls. Seb's grin has suddenly lost some of its radiance.

—

“Fight me, chéri,” comes the garbled reply, that lovely, soft voice Max adores so much rough and impossibly loud in his ears. The red “S” blinks madly in his face, and Max deliriously thinks he is going to hurl Sebastian into the Red Bull pool tonight.

In his rearview mirror, he sees Charles approaching. The finish line up front. Their home is on the left; the harbor on the right. 

It’s the widest part of the circuit. It has to be. 

They cross the finish line side by side.

Max doesn’t even register when he gets out. All he knows is that Charles is by side as they watch the replay. When the photo finish is shown. 

All he knows is that Charles is crying in his arms.

After all this time, Monaco loves him back.

“I love you,” Max says. 

And that, at least, is always going to last.

[bunnymajo]

Filled out another ship questionnaire for Tiara x Jewel because it's fun and no one else will probably do it but me lol

What’s their love languages?

-Tiara knows Jewel’s big into science & history so anytime she comes across something interesting she’ll share it.

-Jewel nags out of love.

Do they have a dynamic trope? (enemies to lovers, sunshine x grumpy, etc?) 

-Sporty & Studious I guess? Jock x Nerd? Princess x Normal girl

Who cooks? Who cleans up? Who’s banned from the kitchen?

-Both of them are just ok cooks, since it’s Jewel’s house Tiara probably would do most of the cleaning. Jewel is probably banned from cooking the main dish whenever Tiara visits because all of Jewel’s food is too spicy for her (Tiara likes spice but like. A level 2 or 3 vs Jewel’s 5+ level). 

What’s their favorite sleeping/cuddling positions?

-Tiara’s the little spoon

Who does what chores?

-They’re both pretty responsible enough to do whatever. Tiara’s more likely to fix stuff using duct tape and tools herself “what? it works fine!” while Jewel’s more likely to take it to a professional.

Jewel’s also more likely to make the bed or interior decorate. 

Do they go out often or prefer to stay indoors?

-I could see them going out a lot, Tiara’s not one to sit still too often. Jewel’s up for a little excitement so she’s happy to go anywhere also.

Who is the more romantic one?

-Probably Tiara, I think she tries to seem cool and collected but she’s not really used to having someone her age to depend on, so she turns into mush.

Even though her being a princess isn’t really that important to her, I could also see her internalizing fairy tale ideals like “true love’s first kiss” and “love conquers all” that sort of thing.

Jewel’s a lot more practical comparatively. 

Do they have any favorite activities to do together?

-I think Jewel’s a bit of a sports fan, like she’s good at strategizing and analyzing the best way to play. Tiara’s definitely more of a jock so she gets really competitive and enjoys sports both as a spectator and to play.  

So I think they both enjoy athletic activities but in different ways.

Who drives and who picks out the music?

-Jewel drives, Tiara tries to be good and let Jewel pick the music but after like, an hour in, it’ll devolve into whatever Tiara wants. Jewel’s into loud music though so it’s ok. 

What’s their opinion on PDA?

-Hand holding and hugs are ok, Jewel’s a little embarrassed by anything deeper than that. Tiara’s not shy but she also doesn’t want to make Jewel uncomfortable.

Who does fashion shows after a mall trip and who watches and compliments them?

- Both really. But Jewel is more inclined to spoil Tiara with gifts

Do they go on vacations together? Where is their favorite place to visit?

-Tiara’s always traveling but it’s for her search for her father so it’s been an incredibly long time since she’s gotten to actually relax without having a weight on her mind. If their schedule’s line up Jewel will come with Tiara somewhere but she’s also there to help in the search.

They promise that one day when this is over they’ll travel to all the places they didn’t get to go together.  

What’s their favorite “domestic bliss” moment? Do they cook/clean together? Do they like to go out shopping together?

They’re a long distance relationship mostly, so pretty much anything 

What does a relaxing night in look like for them? 

  -At their core they’re Sega characters, so they like to play games. Board games, card games, video games. Or just enjoy each other’s company.

What does a date night out look like for them?

Favorite place to go is the local sports bar for chicken wings, but if they’re feeling a little fancier maybe a new restaurant they haven’t been to and just chat and hang out for hours. Sometimes a dance club if Tiara wants to blow of steam or a movie if Jewel’s feeling stressed.

How do they silently/subtly express their love for each other?

-Tiara will sit still for a bit. If she’s comfortable enough to sit with you for longer than an hour I think you’re in.

-Jewel....I think Jewel gets very stuck in her routine that doing something outside of that is big deal to her. If she's willing to meet in the middle on something or want to try something new because she knows it'll make you happy - I think that's proof enough that she cares for you.

What clothes/accessories do they steal from each other?

-Jewel’s clothes are too small for Tiara, but she will try on some of her business blazers when she’s not looking

-Jewel knows Tiara’s clothes won't fit her so she’s too embarrassed to even try. She will borrow or hats, sunglasses or something else of Tiara’s if they’re outdoors a lot for the day.

Which of their friends/family pokes fun at them for them getting flustered/affectionate?

Oh Tangle playfully teases Jewel whenever it comes up, she never goes too far with it, but Jewel makes it too easy sometimes. Whisper’s starting to do it too.

How do they apologize after arguments?

Just. With words. Like you’re supposed to. Tiara might get a little extra cuddly.

 Do they like pick up lines?

-Tiara will try and sometimes it works if Jewel is caught off guard. But some days Jewel be so caught up in trying to get something done she’ll be like “that’s sweet of you to say, hey help me carry that stack of papers?”

What are their favorite places to kiss on their partner(s)? What are their favorite types of kisses?

 -Tiara likes forehead kisses, she’s also a sucker for being kissed on the hand.

-Jewel is sensitive all over

What is their dream home? Do they buy a place together? Who plans the decorations and who does the heavy lifting?

-Jewel’s home in Spiral Hill is probably where they’d end up for a long time. If they ever moved it’d probably be in some kind of mobile home traveling the world. In any case Tiara would do any heavy lifting required and Jewel decorates

Do they have any pets or kids?

-Nah, but I think if they were older I could see them wanting to start a family

Who would propose? What would their wedding be like?

-Tiara would probably have to be the one to propose, just because she’s the type to not settle in one place and Jewel would be too nervous of that rejection. But it would work out once Tiara’s closure with her father finally isn’t weighing on her anymore. 

As for a wedding I think Jewel would be focused on getting all the logistics figured out (how does the world’s best wedding planner relax for their own wedding?) while Tiara is more focused on making the funest reception ever. They’d say it’s just a small get together but it turns into Spiral Hill’s wedding of the year.

What’s something that reminds them of their partner(s)? Do they have anything on them daily as a reminder (a photo, phone background, tattoo, clothing/accessory, etc)?

Silly answer: Buffalo wings…

Real Answer: Since Jewel deals a lot with missing person reports she, in a sad way, always has Tiara in the back of her mind. It helps keep her focus in her work though, she takes it very seriously.

Since Tiara’s been doing more research on gems since meeting Jewel she’s also constantly reminded on Jewel’s influence on her. Every time she sees something cool or finds book that teaches her something new she thinks “Oh I wonder if Jewel’s seen this one?”

What is something they can never agree on? How do they meet in the middle?

Buffalo wing side dish fight, Celery vs. Carrot stick. Jewel is team celery & Tiara is team carrot stick.

Free space! Say something about this ship that you want to say!

To the person who has the rights to Tiara: please consider letting Tiara and Jewel hold hands. It’s cute. Please give me your blessing because I’m going to keep doing it anyway.

[violet-prism-creatively]

good omens s2 episode reaction: 1

hi! i've been watching good omens season 2 with my family, one episode a day, and writing down my reactions. it occurred to me that it would be better to post the reactions individually rather than all in one post. so here's the first one, from a few days ago! spoilers for s2 e1, obviously, but not for any of the other episodes.

[the rest of my reactions: e2, e3, e4, e5, e6 - links will be added as i post them]

starmaker crowley!! he's so happy! seeing him get excited about the universe is so cool! the dynamic where he's annoyed about his work and creativity going to waste and wondering why the plan is like that, and aziraphale is enchanted by the stars but warns him not to ask questions, is exactly how i would have pictured it. the wings moving to express emotion is a nice touch. the sheltering wing same as eden!!!! when they met on the wall of eden, they didn't seem to know each other, so i would guess their memories were erased but the instinct to shelter the other beneath their wing remained, which is so sweet. i didn't get a good look at how crowley's eyes were when he was an angel, obviously not snakey yet. 

the next time we see crowley being on the bench with shax where he's asking what's the point of it all hits even harder in contrast to his pre-fall self. i wonder why he's so cynical and why he hasn't spent as much time with aziraphale! did something happen between them?? i hope future episodes explain. 

"you only call me when you're bored, you want to tell someone about the good thing you've done, or something's wrong" (paraphrased). why doesn't aziraphale call more often??!!? or maybe he does, but crowley is interpreting his attempts at reaching out as boredom and wanting to brag about good deeds. either way, it's sad that their dynamic is so different from the fluffy post-s1 that most fanfic imagined. 

lots of focus on maggie and nina. i like them, but i wonder whether they'll actually be relevant to the story. they're so aziraphale- and crowley-coded though! dark color scheme/light color scheme, cynical/sweet, old fashioned/modern. from maggie's lines about not drinking, i already relate to her, growing up sheltered and deciding i'm not interested in partying because it's not the kind of thing a good girl like me would do. nina already being in a relationship is an obstacle to her and maggie's romance, but it seems like her current relationship is unhealthy from the type of texts that were showing. interesting effect to have them written on pieces of paper that pop up. 

the special effects on beezlebub are wonderfully creepy, and so is beezlebub zirself. (is neil gaiman's post about beezlebub using ze/zir pronouns canon?) the threat of being erased from existence entirely is especially threatening to crowley and aziraphale because if they never existed, they never would have stopped the apocalypse. 

gabriel/jim is delightful! i had already seen a lot of his funny lines in trailers and sneak peeks, but my parents and i definitely laughed. a lot of the lines have great meme potential. 

there's a lot of potential for angst in crowley's reaction to gabriel: crowley recognizes that gabriel was abusive towards aziraphale, but aziraphale himself doesn't recognize that. i wonder if crowley remembers being an angel and whether he has history with gabriel. 

i didn't love the michael and uriel in heaven scenes. it's cool that there's an angel in a wheelchair though! 

we got the song good old fashioned lover boy! unfortunately, not in the sweet way that so many animatics use it. although it blasting while crowley speeds toward aziraphale's shop is pretty good. 

good on aziraphale for demanding a real apology! the song and dance are hilarious. i've already started learning the dance just for fun. 

they seem to have dropped the narrator, which i didn't notice at first because the dialogue was very good on its own. it was a fun convention, though. i wonder if any of the main characters from s1 like adam and anathema will be appearing. 

my overall rating: 8.5/10. i think it would be a higher rating if i hadn't seen so much of the episode through sneak peeks already. there's an intriguing mystery set up! the dynamic between aziraphale and crowley is tenser than i was expecting- i hope we get an explanation for why- but i guess we still need conflict between them. seeing them again is like reconnecting with an old friend!

✅ discussion in the replies and reblogs - yes please!

❌ spoilers for the rest of s2 - no!

[scorpiun]

it’s the first birthday miguel has reached coupled with hanzo— and therefore the first that he has gotten to achieve some manner of intimate extravagance in the form of sharing time. today is all about hanzo and only hanzo. a hasashi miracle. once tethered to life by rage, and out of the ashes of his violent rebirth a new phoenix was born. one that has not only fostered a sense of love and hope in miguel, but in a clan reformed which preserves memory. history. ritual. nevermind the party awaiting them soon, miguel has two gifts for hanzo and skitters anxiously around in good energy as he collects them. one, a box rather large and hefty. the spider offers that one first. within is an entirely custom made and tailored outfit, in a similar style to the traditional wear but somehow meshed into the fashion of 2099. red and black, the same colors as miguel’s suit. complete to the very last detail of the shirai ryu insignia embroidered on the hems of the sleeves in silken, red thread, and imprinted as a pattern on a bulletproof outer layer, and blade-resistant fabric. lightweight and sleek. for hanzo to wear wherever he’d like— miguel beams proudly as his lover inspects it. “ lyla is integrated into this outfit, so you don’t have to wear the bracelet if you have this on. and there’s a visor that can spring up out of the mask equipped with targeting and long range sensors, but… you don’t have to use that… ” he idly scratches the back of his neck, still smiling, but meeker now. he waved the second present around in his hand, a sealed envelope (and it is rare to see miguel handle stationary, as almost everything he uses has to do with tech). “ and i have one more gift for you, but it’s a … letter. you can’t read it until after the party. i know the romantic in you will be unable to resist it, so that has to wait. do you like the outfit? it’s more for you to wear in nueva york when you’re helping me, there. i thought you might like something that allied you with the spider. officially. ”

  hanzo's    chest    became    warm    in    an    unexpected    excited    nature    seeing    his    dearly    beloved    come    forth    on    this    cold    celebration. the    weather    did    not    stop    miguel    from    presenting    a    nature    so    warm    and    affectionate    it    could    melt    the    frost    from    any    pasture. bestowed    before    him    was    a    box    that    probably    with    it    held    a    great    ample    amount    of    miguel's    excitement    which    he    had    been    longing    to    unfold    all    these    days    he    is    certain. inside    revealed    a    new    outfit    ,    no,    more    than    that. a    new    suit    of    meticulously    planned    detail. embroidered    with    love    through    every    thread. ❝    [    amazing... ]        ❞   hanzo    tone    was    awe    struck    as    he    lifted    out    the    main    part    of    the    suit    out    to    hold    before    him. his    milky    gaze    could    almost    sparkle    if    cloudiness    did    not    hide    the    shine    from    his    eyes. the    insignia. the    fabric    still    comfortable    despite    his    resilience. ❝    this    must    of    costed    you    a    fortune... [    you    shock    me        ]    ❞    the    garment    is    held    outward    perpendicular    to    his    chest    in    a    manner    that    he    is    imagining    it    upon    himself    without    yet    putting    it    on. more    notable    was    the    colors. they    matched    in    joined    beauty    with    the    colors    his    beloved    worn. a    black    and    red    palette... something    about    matching    made    the    demon    rather    love    struck. to    compliment    each    other    with    more    than    just    affection    but    in    a    complimenting    synchronized    look    excited    him. he    could    imagine    how    much    more    of    a    item    they’d    seem    bounding    and    swinging    through    sky    line    of    nueva    york    with    matching    outfits. for    a    moment,    hanzo    is    lost    in    his    thoughts    visualizing    the    memories    this    gift    would    bring    forth.. needless    to    say,    the    suit    has    already    made    its    way    to    his    sentimental    heart.

      ❝    thank    you,    mi-kun. its    amazing,    and    its    beautiful. though    i    am    unfamiliar    with    all    the    apparent    upgrades    you    added    for    this    i    am    already    excited    to    wear    this    and    have    you    teach    me    its    true    potential... thank    you    so    much    again. ah    -    ❞   the    demon    clutches    it    to    his    chest. "    you    spoil    me. this    is    beyond    what    i    could    ever    imagine    for    myself    as    is. "   

   the grandmaster    already    had    somehow    magnetized    to    miguel. all    that    parted    them    was    a    forearms    distance. at    this    point    the    garment    had    been    returned    and    hanzo’s    attention    follows    miguels    second    gift. in    stark    contrast    to    the    extravagant    technological    outfit    was    now    a    mere    envelope    and    within    it    held    its    words. only    a    paper    thin    barrier    away    from    hanzo’s    eyes    to    preen. clouded    eyes    squint    somewhat    to    being    denied    the    letter,    but    he    allows    it    to    be    delivered    at    a    later    time    and    for    now    only    keeps    it    in    mind    with    a    building    curiosity    dualed    along    anticipation.

      ❝    very    well,    though    if    you    wanted    me    to    read    it    later    you    could    have    shown    it    to    me    later. now    it    will    be    on    my    mind. the    outfit,    yes. ❞   he    turns    back    to    the    box    this    time    lifting    the    mask    up,    holding    it    carefully    within    his    palms    as    if    it    were    a    golden    egg... its    value    to    him    already    was    beyond    money. ❝ i    do    not    need    colors    to    know    our    hearts    are    enough    for    us    to    be    allied. but    to    match    with    you    in    your    city    is    both    my    honor    and    my    beloved    gift. youre    so    creative    my    love... i    am    beyond    touched. now,    do    tell    me    that    this    is    it,    right ?    you've    already    spoiled    me    enough. ❞    the    demon    seals    his    appreciation    by    interrupting    miguel    before    he    event    can    answer. his    lips    meet    that    of    his    spider    as    their    chest    meet. the    first    kiss    is    long    to    show    appreciation    and    adoration. and    thereafter    he    peppers    him    with    smaller    pecks    all    over    his    face    in    a    show    of    sheer    love    for    him. he    is    grateful    to    just    have    him    today    despite    it    all. truly    that    was    gift    enough…    he    parted    from    bombarding    miguel    any    more    kisses    though    he    could    simply    do    that    this    entire    day. ❝    it    is    you    who    is    gift    enough,    don’t    you    know    that    ?    ❞ 

HANZO BIRTHDAY BASH 2023 !!! @spidergene

[stylespectrumblog]

Schiaparelli Spring 2024 RTW Collection

This is Schiaparelli's ready-to-wear collection, so that means we saw a lot of looks that was meant to be worn off the red carpet! The collection was beautiful, and featured many pieces with the keyhole cut out:

The fashion house further had Kylie Jenner wearing a piece with the new keyhole cutout:

Fashion house designer, Daniel Rosebury, did not forget to add his iconic surrealism pieces throughout the collection, such as the over-the-top giant, gold crab necklace:

Rosebury even included an oversized, gold lobster necklace that pays homage to the 1937 lobster dress, designed by Elsa Schiaparelli in collaboration with Salvador Dali:

The reference piece is as follows:

Of course, this piece is a part of fashion history, as Salvador Dali famously painted the lobster directly on the dress.

One of my favorite interpretations of the lobster theme is this draped, lobster skirt:

It is a great example of high fashion in the ready-to-wear sector that still offers exciting pieces.

Creamy, silk slips were also featured in the collection:

As well as traditional fabrics such as velvet:

Making the fashion house's ready-to-wear collection still accessible and realistic for the everyday lover of high fashion.

Two pieces that were most exciting to me were these tops with over-dramatic, ruffle collars:

I especially loved this look that featured an oversized, low rise trouser, showing off a Schiaparelli brief with a gold, keyhole layout. Paired with the cream colored blazer featuring a chunky gold chain, it shows that Schiaparelli may do ready-to-wear, but it doesn't have to be boring!