#the intentional matching of the gold hoops

[definitionsfading]

thinking about lemon and tangerine’s gay little coordinating gold earrings every day of my life

[sierrale8ne]

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS CHAPTER TWO

thought i’d be lying if i said ‘i didn’t want you to myself.’ when you look me in my eyes and, tell me that it’s mine, i…

pairing wnba!paige bueckers x singer!oc

taglist @thaatdigitaldiary @ohbueckers @patscorner @wbbgetsmewetter @makethemhoesmad @authentic-girl03 @rosemariiaa

kalena speakss 🪽! wanted to give yall another chapter tonight since college is kicking my butt atm and idk when the next update will be. hopefully soon tho!

May 2025 — Los Angeles, California 

“I just don’t see why you keep acting like our relationship doesn’t matter. I'm tired of acting like it doesn’t piss me off.” Julian spoke, disrupting the peace I had created for myself as I got dressed in the bathroom.

We were supposed to be getting ready for the Sparks home opener game against the Dallas Wings. I was exhausted from getting into LAX at an ungodly hour of the night, and now the conversation was giving me a headache.

“Ju, are we together?”

“Yes—”

“Did you ask me to be your girlfriend?” I turn around, slipping the mini gold hoops in my hand into my ears.

“No, but—”

I cut him off before he gets the chance to defend his position. “Then we’re not together.” I sigh. “I like where this is going, I really do, but we can’t keep having this conversation, Julian. I’m tired of it. This is just the way my career is working out right now.”

“So what? You make more money when the public thinks you’re single?” Julian asks. He’s very visibly frustrated, as he has been since before I even stepped off the stage in New York.

“No. I make more money when I keep the main thing the main thing. And right now the main thing is my music.” The words bounce off the wall for a moment, silence cutting through the air. I feel bad. He really is a great guy, and I hate to put him in a position like this, but it’s the way it has to be. “Ju’ come on. You have to understand where I’m coming from. I’m sorry.”

My hand reaches out for his shoulder, attempting to lessen the blow. Instead he steps back from me, shaking his head with a huff and leaving the bathroom. 

“Have fun at the game, ‘Raye.” He speaks as he leaves, and it’s my turn to huff.

I turned around. Looking intently at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. 

This is the closest thing I’ve had to a relationship in years, and yet, I’m spending the majority of it fighting over something dumb. But is it really dumb, or am I being insensitive?

I really do like Julian. He’s funny and sweet, he never fails to go out of his way to support me; I mean he just caught a flight to see me on Jimmy Fallon. He buys me flowers, he cares about communication, and all the little things. But for some reason I Just can’t keep up with it. 

It sucks.

—

May 2025 — Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California 

The atmosphere in the arena is booming, and oddly enough I find myself surprised at how many people have filled Crypto. I’m seated courtside, underneath the basket nearest to The Sparks bench. The game is halfway through the first quarter and at a timeout when I take my seat. 

I have on a burgundy leather set from Fashion Nova. The shirt is a cropped button up that I only fastened at the bottom button and matching shorts. I’m wearing a pair of matching burgundy Prada slingback pumps that my recent success has gratefully allowed me to purchase. 

I sent a last minute text to my sister, telling her that Julian bailed and I would love it if she joined me, hence the slight tardiness. 

I’ve never seen Cassie as excited as she is right now. She’s beaming with energy, you would’ve thought she’s been planning this for months rather than being invited last minute. She’s for sure more of a basketball fan than I am, I credit that to my uncle. Whereas my dad made me more of a football fan.

“You’re gonna be getting infinite Christmas gifts this year for this, oh my God.” Cassie jokes with a kool aid smile on her face. I giggle, brushing her off.

“I’m glad you’re having fun, Cassie.” I giggle, brushing her off playfully. My phone dings, and I pull it up from my lap to check the notification.

Hey I feel like shit about earlier

Talk when you get home?

It’s Julian. Of course it’s Julian. I try to fight the urge to frown but I can’t help the way the disheartened expression forms in my face. I shut my phone off, shaking the feeling off and turning back to the game.

The buzzer sounds, alerting us that the game is starting again. It allows me to finally bring my attention back to the game. The Sparks are down seven, but you couldn’t even tell that the fans were bothered by it. 

“Jumbotron.” My sister whispers to me and I notice the camera moving past ‘celebrity row’ and getting shots of everyone.

“Bro.” I groan. I don’t hate it, it just gets so awkward. The camera man stays out there for too long and then I forget what to do with my hands. 

But regardless, the camera approaches me and my sister. I look up briefly at the Jumbotron before back down at the camera in front of me. A smile spreads to my face and I wave emphatically. Fortunately it doesn’t take very long and the camera man backs away a little.

Only briefly though, because within a matter of seconds he’s crashing to the ground and his large camera falls into Casandra’s lap.

During all the basketball games I’ve ever watched, I’ve always wondered how common the players run into the media crew or the stands. And every time I've sat in an arena, I’ve always said it would never be me. So you can imagine my surprise when a 6 '1 Paige Bueckers fell right on me after getting fouled going for a layup, knocking over the camera man in the process.

“Oh shit, man you good?” Paige asks him. Her hand helps steady him on his feet and Cassie hands him his camera back, mumbling hurriedly if he was alright. The man nods, patting her on the back.

My eyes meet hers, and suddenly I’ve never seen a prettier set of eyes. A shade of blue that was indescribable. Her hand reaches out to the both of us, palms outstretched as she asks, “Are you guys okay?” It comes out as a stutter and I barely notice it but it’s there.

I nod. And then I remember she still has free throws to shoot. “Yeah. All good, thanks.” I smile. Paige turns around, brushing her teammates off with thumbs ups and high fives when they ask if she’s alright. 

I would be an idiot to say that I wasn’t a little star struck. Sure, I wasn’t completely up to date with all things basketball, but I knew more than enough to know just how much Paige Bueckers was loved in the basketball community. Hell, the city of LA basically through a parade when they got that #1 overall pick.

She was a superstar, in all possible definitions of the word. You couldn’t go more than five minutes without seeing her face on TikTok or some commercial. 

And she was stunning; the last five seconds of me staring at her confirmed it in my mind even more.

—

“Thanks, Holly.” I beam with a smile. It only takes a few seconds of me walking away from postgame to hear yelling in my ear and Cam’s long arms around my shoulders.

In the least cocky way possible, I played an amazing game. Yes, the defense I faced tonight was different than when I was at Connecticut and efficiency wise I did struggle a bit. Who am I kidding— I played phenomenal.

26 points 9 rebounds and 7 assists, the pick-and-roll with Dearica racking up many of those. The team came out with a narrow win over the Wings, getting our season off on the right foot.

“That’s my fuckin’ rook!” I hear Azura Stevens hype me up. I dap her up cleanly, the smile on my face physically impossible to get rid of. For only being on the team for a month, they did a great job of welcoming me with open arms. 

I could definitely get used to this.

A towel hangs around my neck, picking up all the sweat from the game. I’m walking towards the locker rooms with a few of my teammates when I get pulled back for some autographs. I don’t say no, honestly I can’t remember the last time I refused to sign an autograph. Or if I ever did. 

There’s a young girl in front of me alongside her mom. She has on the UConn National Championship shirt from a month ago, her eyes wide as she pushes my sparks jersey up to me. I sign it with a smile, my heart swelling in size when she squeals and thanks me profusely.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for coming out!” I grin. My feet carry me through a few more fans. I sign all sorts of memorabilia from hoodies, to jerseys, phone cases, and shoes. As well as a wild number of selfies before I hear my name.

“Paige, come here!” It’s Rickea, as her voice has become widely recognizable in the last month that I’ve been here. “Oh my God, walk slower!”

I roll my eyes as I pick up my pace. She’s standing courtside with her warmups on. “Finally. I wanted you to meet a friend of mine. Maraye, this is Paige.”

When I look over it’s the girl from the TV last night, standing there with her purse in hand and— oh my God I ran into her like an hour ago. I fell into her lap. Oh my God this is embarrassing.

She looks even more gorgeous than when I was drooling over her last night. Her hair is the same, from what I can remember, but her outfit is completely different. The color she has on is similar to the one from last night, but the set shows off so much more skin. Her legs are toned, the top she wears is unbuttoned just enough to give me a show of the lace black bralette under it, and her gold septum shines in the arena light. 

“Hey.” I greeted her and the girl who sat next to her earlier in the night. “I do apologize about earlier by the way.”

“Don’t worry about it. It happens.” She reassures me.

“P, Cam, and I were watching the show last night. You did great, Raye.” Rickea pushes at Maraye’s shoulder. My eyes catch how she blushes in response. 

“You on a world tour or something? New York last night, and LA tonight.” I joke, and she laughs. Her laugh is possibly more angelic than her singing, and the way her accent popped out when she spoke might even have an edge on that.

“Nah. I just couldn’t miss opening night. Kea’ would never let me live it down, plus my sister is like a huge hoops fan.” She explains, gesturing to the two women next to us. 

I’m towering over her as I look at her but she still keeps eye contact with me. My eyes never leave hers, I didn’t even want them to.

“I was just telling her about Cam and Ben’s dinner party on friday.” Rickea starts. She turns to face me, but I’m still stuck on Maraye and her— well her everything. Rickea swats my arm as slyly as she can to get my attention. My eyes rip away from the musician with an incredulous force. “You are going to that, right?”

“I, uh, I’m not sure. I gotta check on when Drew and my dad are coming to town.”

“Maybe I’ll see you there then?” Maraye speaks. 

Someone please help me figure out why her eyes are so mesmerizing. They’re big and a perfect shade of brown. The slight tilt of her head when she asks me nearly drives me crazy.

“Yeah maybe.” I nod before looking at Rickea. I don’t know how long we’ve stood here, but what I do know is that coach will hand our asses to us on a silver platter if we’re late to the first media session of the season. “Yo, we gotta…” My head tilts towards the tunnel.

“Oh shit you’re right. It was so good to see you guys!” She jumps, pulling Maraye and her sister into a group hug. “Tell y’all folks I say hi!”

The four of us exchange waves and we walk off the court. By the time we make it to the tunnel Rickea is letting out a loud cackle and pushing me away from her. “You’re not even trying to hide it!” She laughs. I know exactly what she’s talking about but I act clueless, it’s too early for my teammates to be ridiculing me over my choices in women.

“You are sooooo going to that dinner party.”

A smirk spreads on my face and I roll my eyes. For the first time all month, I can’t even disagree. Nothing is stopping me from going to that dinner party.

[hannahbarberra162]

A Mean Mean Marco ask from @quinloki

@quinloki 's ask is below the cut. I was actually writing nice Marco but this pulled me to the dark side (I'm not complaining). I definitely DO want to answer it but it is terrible wonderful mean Marco goodness (badness?).

TW: dead dove, dub / non-con, needles mentioned, Reader beware.

Also this is OOC (mine not Quin's) because idk I just wanted to write this.

Oh Quin. Oh my delightful, wonderful Quin. I absolutely love your version...here's my take.

You looked at the small jewelry box in Marco's hands with confusion. It was really all you could do since you were bound with your hands above your head and a spreader bar keeping your legs apart as you tried to maintain your position on your tiptoes. A gag was keeping you quiet but you wouldn't have said a word without it, either.

"Don't you love it yoi?" Marco asked you, drinking in your reaction. You didn't know what to make of the gift so you just nodded. Inside the box were 5 small golden hoops, each about the size of your pinkie nail. They were delicate and pretty but you couldn't understand what they had to do with you.

"There's a second part to the gift that will come later," he said while affectionately pinching your cheek. You tried not to jerk back as his hand approached your face, you knew he didn't like that.

"Aren't you curious what it is?" Marco asked calmly, picking up one of the rings in his large fingers. You nodded, unease filling your chest as Marco smiled at you. Nothing good ever came from that lazy, relaxed smile.

"I thought you might be tired of the clamps yoi. After all, you cried for so long after the last session outside, I thought you would never stop. So this is something we will do instead. Isn't that nice yoi?" You felt a bead of sweat down your back and an invisible weight against your neck. Marco set the ring back in the box and walked behind you taking the box with him.

You couldn't strain your neck far enough from your position to watch him but you quickly heard a cart being wheeled in your direction. Marco shortly returned with a cart full of medical looking equipment. You shook as you remembered some of your previous "inspections" which made Marco laugh lightly.

"No, no. Nothing like that, pet. I'm adorning you in my colors, permanently," he said. He had clamps, another jewelry box, needles, alcohol pads...and the rings. Your heart sank as you realized his intention - he was going to pierce you with permanent jewelry.

Five rings meant five piercings, you thought. As if answering your question, Marco began speaking to you again.

"One for each ear," he said, rubbing an earlobe between the pads of his fingers.

"One for each nipple," he continued, biting your left nipple for emphasis, causing you to flinch back.

"And one for your clit," he finished, running his finger through your slit. Due to a previous edging session, you were already soaked through your folds.

You tried shifting, wiggling, squirming, anything to get away from his hands, but all that got you was a swat on your already abused cunt. You whined but tried to keep your sounds to a minimum, not wanting to give him what he wanted.

"Hm. That is not the reaction I was anticipating yoi. So ungrateful, so disrespectful. I was going to put numbing cream on your clit for that piercing but you don't deserve it. Usually these piercings take weeks to heal but of course, that's not the case with me yoi. I'll be able to adorn you with my feathers this very night," he said, opening the second box. Inside were many metal teal feathers hanging from hooks.

Marco removed one and held the hook between his fingers, allowing the feather to dangle. The small hook matched the yellow gold of the hoops and glinted in the light as he turned them over in his fingers.

"Each one weighs only a quarter of a pound. Let's see how many feathers your nipples can wear for me," he said, snapping on latex gloves.

"Maybe if you show your appreciation, I can be the only one in feathers."

[ins4nebxtch]

effortlessly chic : mastered

a guide to looking effortlessly classy

“It’s not about what you wear, it’s about how you wear it.”

1. Hair: Perfectly Undone

Effortless hair isn’t about looking like you spent hours on it. We’re going for the slightly messy, yet polished look. Waves are key here—think lived-in texture, not those stiff, defined curls. A little undone, but still under control. Messy, but not like you just survived a storm. No Clean Girl slicked-back buns—keep it loose, slightly imperfect, but still intentional.

Healthy hair is everything. But here’s the catch—you don’t want it to look too done. The goal is that slightly tousled, I-don’t-care-but-I-secretly-do look. Your waves should have a bit of mess, but not like you’ve just been attacked by a pack of wolves. Keep it natural but polished enough to show you’ve got it under control. Too slick and sleek screams high maintenance. Too wild and it’s giving “I tried but failed.” Find the sweet spot.

2. Color Coordination

Wearing the right colors? Absolute game-changer. When you’re in your shades, everything about your look just clicks into place. You know those times when your outfit is on point but something feels off? Yeah, it’s probably the colors. The wrong tones can make you look like you’re trying too hard to make something work, while the right ones will have people thinking you just glow naturally.

Same goes for jewelry tones. If you’re cool-toned, silver will have you looking effortlessly chic, while gold will seem forced. And vice versa. Match your metals to your skin tone, and you’ll always look polished without even trying. I speak from experience so trust me on this.

3. Jewelry: Statement Pieces Over Basic

Let’s talk jewelry. The key is balance—statement pieces are where the magic happens. You don’t need to overdo it with cheap, fast-fashion accessories. A well-placed statement necklace or a bold ring says so much more than a bunch of basic hoops. Wearing a statement piece that pulls an outfit together looks much more classy and effortless than throwing on a bunch of jewellery. if you want to look like you spent a couple mins throwing yourself together yet you still look amazing, don’t wear too much jewellery all at once. For example if you’re wearing a dress that’s plainer around the top, wear either statement earrings or a neck piece, not both.

It’s all about choosing one or two pieces that pop and elevate your look. When done right, your jewelry should feel like an extension of your vibe, not a distraction. Trust me, you’ll stand out in a sea of basic.

Timeless pieces like a Cartier Tank watch, pearl earrings, or a vintage-inspired chain necklace are perfect examples of effortlessly stylish accessories. They add sophistication without screaming “look at me.”

here are some examples

1. Delicate Gold Necklace: A simple, thin gold chain or a pendant necklace adds a touch of elegance without being overpowering.

2. Pearl Earrings: Classic pearl studs or small hoops can elevate any outfit while maintaining a timeless look.

3. Stackable Rings: Thin, stackable rings in gold or silver can be mixed and matched for a chic, layered effect.

4. Dainty Bracelets: Minimalist bracelets, such as a simple cuff or a chain bracelet, add subtle detail to your wrist.

5. Chic Hoops: Medium-sized hoop earrings in gold or silver offer a classic vibe that can be dressed up or down.

6. Charm Bracelets: A simple charm bracelet with a few meaningful charms can add a personal touch without being too flashy.

7. Minimalist Watch: A classic watch with a thin band and clean face is both functional and stylish.

4. timeless outfits

We’re not doing fast fashion here. You want pieces that are timeless, effortlessly stylish, and not screaming I just bought this because it’s trending on tiktok. Quality basics, suiting your body type , mixed with some unique statement pieces are where it’s at. Think of it as curating a vibe that feels like you rather than jumping on every fashion bandwagon. Dressing for your body type is very important too as clothes that don’t fit how you’re built just make you look like a try hard and kind of odd.

5. Confidence: The Secret Ingredient

No matter what you wear or how you style yourself, the real trick to looking effortless is feeling effortless. When you feel good, it shows. Confidence radiates in a way no amount of makeup, clothes, or jewelry can. Wear what makes you feel like the best version of yourself, and that energy will do the rest.

In the end, looking effortless is all about balance. It’s about being polished without being too perfect, stylish without being too trendy. Embrace your signature style, rock your colors, and remember: the ultimate IT girl look is about owning who you are—effortlessly.

6. examples and references

[myreitha]

Costume time!

Okay, you know what, I want to share this process and I've chosen y'all to suffer with me.

SO! A friend of mine doesn't have a spooky show to produce this year, and so is putting all his energy into a cool-ass halloween event (Fancy paper invites, puzzles to solve, challenges, games, seances, etc). The whole thing is themed around this fake secret society that we're all now part of, and the dress cose and we're being encouraged to come up with cool fancy clothes/outfits to match the theme to come in. Best description I can come up with for this theme is "Fancy witchy-vampire" (Like, think VtM, but witchier). THAT SAID. I'm still out of a job, so, I've got to be strategic. AND I've got the itch to make things. Even better. (More past the cut!)

I don't have photos for a lot of these earlier decisions and stages, sorry. BUT I go through my closet and costume tubs (the for-fun-or-cosplay costumes as well as the circus/performing ones) and have a nice closet-runway to figure out what I'm starting with and settle on this one burgundy satin wrap top with big-ass sleeves that I love. . .that unfortunately doesn't go with much that I have in my wardrobe that vibes with the theme. (There's like. . .one or two things it works with, but I want to be FANCIER). So I sketch around and come up with an idea based around this shirt (and a statement necklace collar I have that was some of the best $5 I've ever spent)

I have this old dress I'd bought at a flea market years ago and had altered to be an overskirt for a hoop skirt, and then it's been worn as a bustle with the bodice tucked away more times than it's felt hoops. It's a similar color as the top, so I figured I'd finally take the bodice off it, pull it in to be something I could walk in that wouldn't trail on teh ground, and I could set it under a corset in the center. Bing-bang-boom! Genius!

No. The skirt and the shirt were similar-but-different enough colors and textures that they clashed. Damnit. Well, I can ditch the skirt and figure out the rest! Some skinny moto pants. A decorative corset - I could embroider a corset (Myr no), or, ooh, use gold appliques (Okay, more realistic, proceed).

Next step was to mock things up as I'm trying to find what I want without purchasing a bunch of shit, which got me to this:

Okay okay okay. Cool, I've got a direction (that's not the shirt, but it's the closest I coudl find online to use, so I used it). Now for the endless internet and thrift store (No fingers, not thirst store, dear god) and internet thrift store searching to find me some cool-ass pants and a corset and some shoes that'll work with this. You'll notice, though that my statement necklace has been swapped out for cool-strappy-thing. Because statement necklace-collar is geometric and GOOD LUCK finding geometric applique. Harder than I expected. Took me a couple months to find things that weren't lots of money that I could afford. BUT I EVENTUALLY DID IT. This included buying multiple corsets with the intention of returning things. Benefits of modern shopping. The happy "lets try everything on" day was this weekend!

SO FAR SO GOOD. Took a poll from friends and the short corset is the winner. It's definitely the best constructed of the three, though the pants aren't QUITE high enough waist to be able to wear under it without some adjustments. But it'll do. The shoes turned out to be dark brown instead of black, so I need to see about making them black (and fixing them so the tongue doesn't decide to go deep diving towards my toes.) Other things to do: bring in the wrists of those sleeves some, they're a bit too big (Here they're clipped with bobby pins), decorate the corset, maybe add some gold detailing onto the pants? They've got that gold ridging along the thighs that you find on moto-pants, but that's absolutely invisible most of the time, so I think if I just brush some gold paint along the tops of those ridges, it'll make them pop in a good way. You'll note that none of these photos have the strappy-thingy, and instead we're back to the statement necklace-collar. Turns out the differece between the image I found on the internet and teh shirt I own is enough that you BARELY SEE the strappy. Also, I decided that instead of using applique, I'd buy some gold paint, make a design that'd work, and paint it on the corset. Only time will reveal whether this was a good or a bad idea.

Other thing this showed me is that this doesn't feel FANCY enough. So I'm coming back to that half-skirt idea. This time, though I'm thinking about something sheer - either a burgundy to match the top, or a black with gold accents (OR A FULL DESIGN?!?!?!).

Last night I got flat photos of the corset for figuring out the design, since the shape I was working with in my sketches doesn't match the chosen corset shape. Pls to enjoy some of the designs I was playing with:

Proooooobably going to see about adjusting the eye design. I think it fits the theme best.

Last night I started on the alternations by taking in the waist of the pants. Please have this photo that happened 30 seconds before my thread was attacked.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part five of chapter one. The parts will continue to be brief from here, but that's because we're getting closer to the end of this "episode."

If you haven't already done so, please stop and read parts one , two, three, and four. This is a #Batwoman AU based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. There seems to be a lot of parallels between the characters, and felt like it would be interesting to reimagine a world where Ryan Wilder has a more intentional pursuit of vengeance. 

CHAPTER ONE - DECEPTION (Part Five)

Summary: Robyn Wilde, formerly Ryan Wilder, continues to make connections that set the stage for her revenge. Wildmoore Week Prompt: Family Reunion

MONDAY, MEMORIAL DAY, 5:30PM

Luke meets Ryan at the doorway onto the yacht. He's in a white Canali suit with a pink knotted tie, and she's wearing a green cropped top with thick straps and a matching pair of high waisted pants that flare at her heels. Her hair is parted down the middle and tied back into a bun, showing off her large hoop earrings, and she has black tinted and rose gold rimmed Bvilgari sunglasses on.

As Kate’s head of security at Wayne Enterprises, he’s been feeding her information for weeks. Even though he’d worked his way up in the company, and Bruce Wayne, its prior CEO, was grooming him as successor, when Bruce took an unexpected leave of absence, with no explanation to the board, they chose a family member to take his place. Wayne’s image was their primary concern, and the Kanes were considered reliable.

Luke: “Right on time.” 

Ryan: “Every minute matters.” 

Luke: “I guess it’d be unnecessary to ask if you’re ready, then.” 

Ryan: “Same answer. Kate’s on the deck.” 

Luke: “Alright then, let’s go party.”

They begin walking through the dining room that the entrance lands in. When they reach the top of the stairs, Evan, who's wearing a pastel pink Dior suit with a matching bowtie, is the first person that sees them. 

Evan: “Robyn, you didn’t have to bring me a gift!”

Ryan: “Luke and I just keep running into each other. We did not come together.” 

Luke: “I work for Wayne. I’m Kate’s head of security.”

Evan: “How did I make it this long without meeting you? Luke, tell me you have a handsome brother.”

Luke: “Wish I could.”

Evan: “Just a shame. Well, look, let's get you both some drinks and show you off a bit, yeah?”

Evan grabs a couple of glasses of champagne off of a tray from a server and hands them to Ryan and Luke. Then Evan thinks aloud, about who they should introduce them to first, but Kate beats Evan to the punch when she sees Luke. She reaches up and waves him over. He speaks under his breath. 

Luke: “It’s go time.” 

The three of them walk over to the small, round, high-top table where the women Ryan had seen before were still situated around. Kate is the least dressed up person at the party, likely because she can be. She wears linen pants and a white button up, with the top three buttons undone. While this could appear to be a family reunion from a far, for Kate, it’s just another day on a boat.

Kate: “Luke! You made it! And you brought a friend. I'm Kate Kane.”

Ryan: “Actually, we’re just getting to know each other. Evan invited me. I’m Robyn Wilde.” 

Sophie: “Ah, nice to see you again, Robyn.”

Ryan had to accept that she couldn’t avoid that happening forever.

Ryan: “Same to you, Sophie.” 

Kate: “How do you guys know each other?”

Sophie: “Selly introduced us. She ran off again, and Robyn found her.” 

Kate: “Did she try to claw your eyes out?”

Sophie: “Nope, I found them snuggling.” 

Ryan gives her a small smile. Sophie is going to be a little more trouble than she anticipated.

~~~~~

To be continued...

Notes: I'm sorry for the short, possibly abrumpt ending. This is basically the end of chapter one, and so I split it into two parts.

Reminders: I'm sharing these parts of chapter one of Revenge on Tumblr for @wildmooreweek, and will pull everything together and post it on Ao3 on Day 7.

And I'll probably post a new section from each chapter on this app once a week, as mentioned previously.

All #Batwoman things I do now are also in the name of #SaveBatwoman. Go follow all the social handles and support the cause, please.

#wmw23 #wildmoore week #wildmoore #batwoman #fanfic #ryan wilder #ryan x sophie #sophie moore #luke fox #save batwoman

[ashif544]

How to Wear Statement Gold Earrings Without Overpowering Your Look?

Statement gold earrings are a bold fashion choice that can transform any outfit, making it more stylish and elegant. However, if not worn thoughtfully, these striking accessories can easily overshadow the rest of your look. This guide will walk you through the art of wearing statement women's gold earrings in a way that enhances your overall appearance without overpowering it.

Understanding Statement Gold Earrings

Statement gold earrings are designed to stand out and grab attention. They often feature intricate designs and large sizes and may include embellishments like gemstones or pearls. The key to wearing these pieces successfully is to let them be the focal point of your look.

When choosing statement gold earrings, consider the occasion and your style. Bold, geometric designs are great for modern, edgy looks, while ornate, vintage-inspired earrings can add a touch of classic elegance. Understanding the nature of your earrings will help you pair them with the right outfits and accessories.

Balancing With Minimalist Outfits

One of the best ways to ensure your statement gold earrings don’t overpower your look is to pair them with minimalist outfits. Simple, clean lines in your clothing will allow your earrings to shine without competing for attention. Think of a little black dress, a sleek jumpsuit, or a classic white blouse and jeans.

Minimalist outfits create a neutral canvas that highlights your statement earrings. When your clothing is understated, your earrings become the show's star, making a bold fashion statement without overwhelming your overall appearance. This approach works well for both casual and formal settings.

Considering Your Hairstyle

Your hairstyle is crucial in showcasing your statement gold earrings. Updos or sleek ponytails are excellent choices, as they keep hair away from your face, allowing your earrings to take center stage. An elegant, tucked-behind-the-ear style can have the same effect for those with shorter hair.

If you prefer wearing your hair down, consider styles that keep the hair away from your earrings, such as side parts or half-up, half-down hairstyles. Ensuring your earrings remain visible and not tangled in your hair will keep your look polished and intentional.

Matching Earrings With Your Neckline

The neckline of your outfit can significantly influence how your statement gold earrings are perceived. High necklines, like turtlenecks or boatnecks, provide a solid background that helps your earrings stand out. On the other hand, low necklines or off-the-shoulder tops draw attention upwards towards your face and earrings.

When wearing high necklines, choose earrings that contrast with the fabric, such as dangling or chandelier styles. Statement studs or hoops can be particularly striking for low necklines. Matching your earrings with your neckline can create a cohesive look that accentuates your earrings without overwhelming your outfit.

Keeping Other Jewelry Minimal

To avoid overpowering your look, balance your statement earrings by keeping other jewelry pieces minimal. Opt for subtle rings, delicate bracelets, or a simple necklace that doesn’t match your earrings. This approach maintains the focus on your earrings while adding a touch of elegance to your ensemble.

Layering multiple statement pieces can create a cluttered appearance, detracting from the impact of your earrings. Limiting the number of bold accessories allows your statement earrings to shine as the centerpiece of your look, achieving a harmonious and stylish balance.

Coordinating With Makeup

Your makeup can complement or clash with your statement gold earrings for women, so finding a balance is essential. For a cohesive look, coordinate the colors in your makeup with the tones in your earrings. Warm gold earrings pair well with bronzed, glowing makeup, while cooler gold tones suit more neutral or cool-toned makeup.

Avoid overly dramatic makeup that competes with your earrings. Instead, focus on enhancing your natural features with a well-defined eye or a bold lip. This approach ensures that your makeup enhances your overall appearance and retains the elegance of your statement earrings.

Considering the Occasion

The occasion significantly influences how you wear your statement gold earrings. Opt for sophisticated designs with subtle embellishments that exude elegance and refinement for formal events. These earrings can elevate an evening gown or tailored suit, adding a touch of luxury without being too flashy.

For casual settings, you can experiment with more playful and bold designs. Large hoops, geometric shapes, or colorful gemstones can add fun to your everyday look. Adjusting your earrings to suit the occasion ensures that they complement rather than overpower your outfit.

Choosing the Right Size

The size of your statement earrings should be proportional to your face and overall look. Oversized earrings can make a dramatic statement, but if they are too large, they can overwhelm your features and distract from your overall appearance. Consider your face shape and size when selecting statement earrings.

Smaller faces may benefit from medium-sized statement earrings that add flair without being too heavy. Larger faces can more comfortably wear bigger earrings. Ensuring the right size balance keeps your look elegant and prevents your earrings from becoming the only focal point.

Opting for Versatile Designs

Versatile statement earrings can be dressed up or down, making them a valuable addition to your jewelry collection. Look for designs that can transition from day to night, such as classic hoops with a modern twist or dangling earrings with detachable elements.

Having versatile pieces allows you to make a statement in various settings without needing multiple pairs of earrings. This flexibility ensures that your statement earrings remain stylish and appropriate for different occasions, enhancing your look without dominating it.

Highlighting Unique Features

Statement gold earrings often feature unique designs, such as intricate patterns, unusual shapes, or eye-catching gemstones. Highlight these features by pairing them with outfits that draw attention to the earrings. For example, if your earrings have a floral design, wearing a solid color dress can make the floral details pop.

Emphasizing the unique aspects of your statement earrings can create a focal point that adds interest to your outfit. This approach ensures that your earrings are noticed and appreciated without overpowering your overall look.

Considering Skin Tone

The shade of gold in your earrings can complement your skin tone and enhance your overall appearance. Yellow gold suits warm skin tones, while white gold or rose gold can be more flattering for cooler skin tones. Matching the gold tone to your skin can create a harmonious and flattering look.

If you have a neutral skin tone, you can wear various gold shades. Choosing the right gold tone enhances the impact of your statement earrings and ensures they complement your natural complexion rather than clash with it.

Experimenting With Different Styles

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles of statement earrings for women gold to find what works best for you. From classic to contemporary, there are countless designs to explore. Try various shapes, lengths, and embellishments to discover what suits your personality and style.

Experimenting allows you to develop a versatile jewelry collection that can adapt to various outfits and occasions. By finding the styles that resonate with you, you can confidently wear statement gold earrings that enhance your look without overpowering it.

Conclusion

Wearing statement gold earrings is a beautiful way to express your style and add a touch of luxury to your look. By balancing these bold accessories with your outfit, hairstyle, and makeup, you can ensure that your earrings enhance rather than overwhelm your appearance. Remember to consider the occasion, choose the right size and design, and keep other jewelry minimal to let your statement earrings shine. With these tips, you can confidently wear statement gold earrings that make a lasting impression without overpowering your look.

[advika1]

Do you know the Advantages of Custom-Made Jewellery?

Custom-made expensive jewelry can make a very special gift item. Simply just collaborating with a proficient jeweler can result in the creation of a fantastic ring, necklace, as well as bracelet that actually matches your own personal taste. Let's take a look at a number of the top reasons to buy custom-made jewelry:

Developed from scratch

A significant advantage of custom-made jewelry is that every piece made will likely be entirely exclusive. This sort of jewellery is completely made from scratch with the intention to make something that is exclusive and able to stand out from the more conventional styles.

Earrings are evergreen accessories and the easiest way to style up or down your everyday western, fusion or even Indian wear. We suggest you take a few picks from our contemporary earrings collection for a casual chic statement. There are plenty of designs to choose from among studs, hoops, tassel earrings, front-back styles and danglers which range anywhere from antique baroque motifs to floral patterns and modern classic lines. Handcrafted out of plain and gold-plated silver or alloy, many of these pieces are studded with Swarovski crystals, pearls, rubies, opal, sapphire and other gemstones, or adorned with enamel details. Some styles even have pop colours that can pep up any attire and even your mood! Bahubali Earrings.

For the fussy wearer of precious jewelry, this can provide a perfect possiblity to give their insight to guarantee the finished piece is able to fully match up their persona. There may be a lot to consider in the process of creating the best item of jewelry. Furthermore, the points to consider will vary with the different kinds of jewelry. For example, the actual basic form of the item is actually likely to range between rectangular or round for a pendant, while a pair of earrings may have a drop or button style.

Another concern is a specific metal for custom-made jewellery. The most popular selections include things like titanium, silver, gold, in addition to platinum. The preferred metal style is relatively very easy to pick because most of us have a particular choice for the basic metal color as well as look.

Moreover, there is the choice to find the type, color, number, and also height and width of the gem stones.

Commonly, it will benefit to have a rough perception of the actual preferred style or appearance of the piece of jewellery before making a visit to the particular store to help you to explain exactly what is needed.

We have a versatile collection of contemporary bangles whereby one can choose from textured or animal and bird motif handcuffs, stone- or glass-studded bracelets in single or multi strands to intricately designed hand harness styles. Contemporary bangles from Tribe are easy to carry off, lightweight and ideal for workwear. However, some of the available styles can even accessorize cocktail and party wear as well, to lend an elegant modern appeal to your western attire. Navratan Bangles.

Create an heirloom

Jewelry that is well-crafted and also personally designed offers the potential to become a much-loved heirloom that could be transferred from family member to family member. Even so, it is recommended to possess the jewelry piece created to a very high standard. For example, rings with individual or even various gemstones will need to have them safeguarded and also set well to last for the long term.

Reuse classic jewelry

Rather then beginning entirely from scratch, there is the alternative to reuse the gemstones and metal from our old heirloom piece. Many items of jewelry can start looking old-fashioned but nonetheless have high-quality gemstones or diamonds. They can be used again to create something which is a little more updated.

[natade-art]

ok so you know how months ago i posted headshots of my trio and said i had finished i had them all. well i was wrong. but this time im right i promise 

ID: pencil sketches colored digitally, a lineup of Link, (a younger) Ganon and Zelda (with Fi behind her), or at least my designs for my LoZ au. Fi looks slightly different, mostly in that her “arms” are more like feathery wings. Zelda has the Master Sword at her waist, and Ganon and Link both have strong blue accents in their outfits to match her. Long in depth descriptions of their outfits are below the cut. end ID

I really want to go into all their designs because I’ve put sooo much time into them but do not want that long post cut off again for just one image...

LINK: is the shortest, freckled, with sharp eyes and light brown hair that is longer but similar to the style of Skyward Sword Link. His tunic has long sleeves rolled up the elbow, with white embroidered accents showing leaves and a fairy. He has a long blue scarf with white stripes, and wears a black obi with a flute tucked haphazardly in, under a thick leather belt, from which hangs a pouch for an ocarina. His fingerless gloves and boots match, the same brown leather as his belt but with the tops rolled down to reveal lighter, orange-y leather and stitched hems. The boots toes are enforced with metal, and the same leaf pattern on his tunic runs up the front of the boot. The right knee of his pants has a patch. A slit on the side of his tunic’s skirt reveals chainmail, and of course he has small blue hoop earrings, with no visible gold or triangular motifs. Biggest inspirations: Link to the Past Link illustration where all he’s wearing all his items, and TP Link.

GANON: is the tallest, with his trademark gold eyes and fiery hair, which falls in spikes around his face, one long segment of hair over each shoulder, ending in golden triangle accessories. He wears a high-collared off-white tunic with bishop sleeves, hemmed with a dark pink geometric pattern. Over this he wears a very dark blue sleeveless a-line silhouette coat with golden accents and buttons. His belt is blue and wraps around his waist twice, with a pouch on his hip. On the other side hangs a pendant which is hardly visible but matches the one on Zelda’s top (it was once hers - his original pendant matched the accessories in his hair, and he gave it to Link as a good luck charm. Link, in turn, gave Zelda her bracelet.) He has blue leg warmers and black pointy-toed boots. The pencil lines show a backpack and the mark of the Triforce on his hand. The goal is fancy but not overly so, still practical and cozy. Biggest inspirations: variety of academic-type NPCs though the series (ex: Owlan, several guys I ran into frequently in BOTW) and Koume & Kotake.

ZELDA: is the only one here who I drew knowing she would be in this lineup, and so her pose and lines are more intentional. She has blunt bangs and equally blunt hair cut above her shoulders, plus the Toon Zelda zig-zag locks framing her face. Her earrings are large but simple gold triangles. She wears a sleeveless white shirt under an off-the-shoulder blue top with a circular cutout in the middle of the chest, just under the neckline which is held together with a gold pendant. The pendant is a circle with small stylized wings (echoed in the pattern on her top) with a red gem in the center and a red tassel hanging down, matching the tassel she has attached to the Master Sword’s hilt. She wears a black underbust corset with tails in the front and back, gold accessories at the ends. Her flared pants have white stripes near the bottom similar to the stripes on several Zelda’s dresses, and her leather boots have golden soles. She wears a green bracelet on her right wrist, along with nearly a full arm of golden armor, green and black painted detail, on her left. Biggest inspirations: idk she just happened <3 Skyward Sword Zelda concept art

[bellarosethefangirl]

Bucci gang (+Trish) reacting to their darling wearing jewelry customized to their Stand/Clothing Part 3 Giorno Giovanna

Author Note: Giorno has a bit more merchandise than the others since he’s the main character so in the headcanons he’ll have a bit more added. I’ll have general headcanons and his reaction to each article of jewelry you decide to wear. Also since there’s a 10 photo limit I’ll separate these in parts.

Summary: You went out and ordered customized jewelry based on their outfits or stands. Your time and effort is paid off with their reactions.

Giorno thinks it’s very adorable you’d buy customized jewelry. They’re based on his ladybugs. He didn’t realize he could fall more hopelessly in love with you until he had sight of them. His smile doesn’t go unnoticed. All his attention is on you as he looks them over. He gets up from his desk chair to walk over to you. You allow him to get a closer look at the article of jewelry you wear. He’s flattered you’d purchase it to match with him. He loves how you got every detail right. If you wear earrings he’s looking them over then kisses your cheek. A necklace will make him pepper your neck with kisses. A ring will have him kissing your hand and making a flirting compliment. A bracelet will give him butterflies and he’s kissing your hand over and over again. If his stand notices your jewelry, golden experience requiem (or Golden Wind) will be very happy. He’ll speak about how cute and beautiful you look then make you a bouquet with his powers. Giorno can’t believe his stand isn’t listening to him as you’re both absorbed into the conversation. His stand admits how much he loves you but it isn’t as romantic since it’s stoic expression isn’t expressive. When his words sink in you look over to Giorno with a surprised yet delighted smile. You give golden experience requiem a kiss to the cheek which Giorno feels as well. He blushes but stays quiet as his stand offers you more flowers. Having enough his stand returns to him and he plants a kiss on your lips.

“I love them bella. They’re as beautiful as you.”

Earrings Reaction

He moves your hair and tilts your head the other direction to look over the hoops. The ladybug is an exact replica of his ladybugs filling him with joy. He hopes you’ll wear them often. He kisses your cheek.

“They’re perfect. I must order you more jewelry to match with my other suits.”

Now these earrings have more detail and the colors don’t go unnoticed by him. He likes how they represent him so well. The blue stud to match his own pair, the pink to represent his favorite pink suit, the gold stud for his stand, and the heart for the cut he has tailored for every suit. Each are very much brownie points.

“You put a lot of thought into these. You’re such an endearing sight. I won’t be able to take my eyes off of you, amore mio.” He kisses you.

You showed off both sets on separate occasions. The dangly earrings on a date and the studs while you two enjoyed lunch together. During your date he took you to a private garden. When he asked about them you told him they’re customized. He is over joyed by them and holds your hand kissing your cheek. The studs don’t give you as much brownie points but he’s still blushing since you got every detail right.

“They look exactly like my ladybugs.. I never imagined you with my ladybugs. It’s truly a sight to see.”

When he does notice the studs he’s complimenting them and the color. He likes that they’re silver since it brings out the color. He asks where you got them so he can get a matching pair with you. His eyes are sparkling at the thought of such a cute scene with the both of you matching. He wishes to get it done the next day. For now he’ll kiss you.

“Thank you, amore. I like them.”

“Gold earrings? And they look like my ladybugs.” The gold reminds him of his stand which he thinks you had the intentions of referencing. He chuckles.

“You’re too beautiful, amore mio.”

His compliments always makes your heart flutter. Next thing you know golden experience requiem appears and gives them a look over. It’s expression doesn’t change but it does pull you into a hug. It utters some sweet words that cause Giorno to freeze.

“I love you..”

His voice is exactly like Giorno’s. You melt at the loving words then beam at Giorno who is embarrassed. His stand creates a bouquet for you. You accept, giving them a fond expression. Giorno is finally able to make his stand disappear. He wasn’t able to control it since it was too busy making you flowers. Giorno immediately pulls you into a long kiss.

Ring Reaction

You’ve certainly got a flustered don on your hands. He thinks the gold band looks lovely around your finger. His signature ladybug is beginning to make him think it almost looks like a promise ring. He blushes at the thought then reaches for your hand to kiss it.

“You always know how to flatter me, amore mio. I’m no match against your love. I melt alone at a simple touch from you.”

Necklace Reaction

Giorno is super impressed by the details. Brownie points if he’s wearing his pink suit because his heart is melting. His eyes look over the choker as he holds the ladybug. He’s thinking how lucky he is to have you before leaning in to plant kisses on your neck.

“Bella how can I resist you when you wear this?”

The necklace is hard to miss. It matches his brooch perfectly. He holds the pendant in his hand. He can see it must’ve cost a bit. He gives the pendant a kiss then lays one on your lips.

“Next time you order yourself a custom necklace I’ll be the one to pay for it. I must design the other one for you. I like the blue but how does purple sound?” When you agree he smiles and gives you a smooch.

The pendant is round but still looks cute. He notices his name on the chain too. The effort is clear and he also kisses the pendant. He also kisses your forehead.

“You’re so cute ordering this necklace. I love you so much, bella.”

Bracelet Reaction

It’s clear you made these bracelets yourself. The charm must’ve been custom which he can see you designed yourself. Both Giorno and his stand are melting at the sight of the bracelets. Golden Wind appears and holds your wrist while Giorno is behind you with his arms wrapped around you. Golden wind places a flower in your hair and kisses your forehead before leaving. You’re flustered by the both of them. Giorno raises your hand to his lips and kisses it over and over again.

“They’re very special. Both bracelets were made by an angel.”

If you’re interested in the jewelry I’ll list where you can purchase them.

Giorno hoop earring- from a part 5 earring set from hot topic

Giorno purple lady bug studs- also from of a part 5 earring set from hot topic

Giorno choker necklace- hot topic

Golden ladybug earring- from a part 5 set from box lunch

Gold set with multi colored studs and sing purple ladybug stud- hot topic

Blue lady bug studs and dangly earrings- online from Etsy

Ladybug ring- from a part 5 set from hot topic

Bracelets- hot topic

Necklaces- the round ladybug necklace is from an online store called AliExpress. The second is a Bandai exclusive (I think it’s being sold on EBay as well).

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Mediocre Percabeth Headcanons

Every Sunday is hair wash day and it's the full works. It is exhausting but they put music on and have fluffy robes and they make it a whole day. There's generally face masks and cookies involved.

Annabeth stays up late six nights out of seven during exam season and Percy makes sure she has lemon water, and sour patch kids on hand before he goes to sleep. At three in the morning when she stumbles into bed he opens the blankets for her and wraps his arms around her waist. While sleeping.

Every morning they wake up in a tangle of limbs. They can go to bed as far apart from each other as possible but somehow they still end up pressed together.

Annabeth sharpens their blades and no matter how many times Percy sees it he still gets all hot and bothered. There's just something about her grey eyes intently focusing on a sharp blade and wisps of curls falling in her face and the way she looks lethal.

But it's all give and take because whenever Percy is cooking Annabeth will sit in the kitchen and stare at him as he moves around. Tossing ingredients in a sizzling pan and stirring heavenly smelling sauces and soups and whatever other delights he's cooking.

Their sparring sessions always end up with one of them pinned down and laughter bubbling around them like music. They are breathless with love and it bleeds into the wooden floors of the sparring room. That space is well used and full of joy.

They train little halfbloods together and it is a fight to get into their classes. Percy is unbelievably good with children and knows how to keep them focused. Annabeth is great at breaking things down. It works like a well oiled machine.

Every holiday season they get matching pajamas and spend a day watching silly movies and laughing themselves into a coma. There is of course milkduds, Haribos, bars of chocolate, popcorn, and any other junk food they could possibly be craving.

On the nights they go out, to dinner, or with their friends they tend to be matching. Not in outfits but in shades. If Percy is wearing a dark blue button up and slacks, Annabeth is wearing a soft blue jumpsuit. It's hardly ever intentional but somehow it happens everytime.

They share jewellery. Necklaces and earrings. Percy has the normal ear lobe piercings and a helix piercing on his left ear. He usually has a small silver hoop in there. Annabeth has three piercings on her ear lobes. They're both debating nose piercings. They're going to get them. Neither of them have any self control. They wear gold a lot. It's pretty against their skin.

It is a common occurrence in their household to end up in each other's chb t-shirts. Percy's goes to Annabeth's knees. Annabeth's is a crop top on Percy. Some days they don't even bother to change back. It is endlessly amusing for the other Campers.

Annabeth tends to wake up first so she puts on a pot of coffee and leaves out chocolate fudge and blueberry pop tarts for Percy. But Percy mostly goes to bed late and switches off all the lights and blows out all the candles.

[lizzy-williams]

𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞 | 𝐛.𝐛.

༄Warnings: Smut, blood/gore, language, mature themes, 18+, minors DNI

༄Masterlist

༄Summary: You're a creature as old as time. And Bucky is entranced by you. (vampire!reader x Bucky)

The moment that Bucky saw you, he was completely enamored. Looking at you was seemingly a gift. You were dressed like an angel, a white cocktail dress with shoes and gold hoops to match. Simple, and yet would be like a beacon of light; a flame and Bucky was nothing but a mere moth just like the other gentleman whose prying eyes made his blood boil.

Possession was all he could feel as he finally made his decision to get up from his sulking corner and go out on the dance floor, where you were surrounded by men who were desperate to get a taste.

Grabbing hands, tentative stares, and desperate body language surrounded you as you danced without a care in the world. As if there was no one watching, your own little world surrounding you.

As Bucky finally pushed his way through the crowd of horny and otherwise intoxicated men, he finally was able to see your body in full view. To say the least, he liked what he saw.

Finally, he slid up behind you, making a bold move and placing his gloved hands on your hips. The moment your eyes locked with his was the moment he knew that there was no escape, and maybe he was okay with that.

You suddenly turned around, wrapping your arms around his neck as he pulled you close, swaying to the beats echoing through the building. Other men looked to him in envy, but Bucky couldn't care less, not when he was staring at one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Your skin was flawless, your hair perfect, your curves fitting against his hands like a puzzle piece. The lights blared on around you two as you felt him press himself as close as he could to you, your touch like a drug.

You then caught sight of his dangling dog tags against his red Henley, and you smirked as you looked at him, "What brings you here, soldier boy...?" you tease as you look at him intently for an answer.

Bucky stuttered on his thoughts as he tried to think straight, "Uhm, I was just with a couple of friends, and I think I'm kind of just... on my own now...," he admitted, "What about you?"

"Looking for someone to pass the time with." you admitted truthfully, and of course he would never understand the gravity of your response, barely anyone ever could.

"Well, look to farther," he smirked, pulling you closer to his hulking form.

You suddenly pulled away and slipped out of his grasp impressively quickly.

"Where are you going?" he called over the blast of the music.

You turned around, giving him a playful smirk, before calling back, "Going to get a drink!"

And like a moth drawn to a flame, he followed closely behind.

"You're so full of shit!"

Your laughter was music to Bucky's ears as he leaned against the bar as you sat in a seat, sipping of a Gin & Tonic with a bendy straw.

"It's the truth," he put his hand over his heart with false sincerity.

"There's no way you stayed in Wakanda and met the king. Interesting story, but I doubt it," you jabbed back.

"Believe what you want to believe, but I have." he swore, taking another swig of a bear he knew he couldn't get drunk off of, "Alright then, Miss Cynical, what have you got in the arsenal. You've had to have had some sort of misadventures,"

She paused but only for a second. She has seen many, many things. If only he knew.

"Umm... let's see... I've traveled to 72 of the 195 countries in the world. Lived in Romania for 4 years, France for 2, but I figured after being in the U.K. for 12, I thought it was time to come home."

"So your American?"

"Originally, yes."

"Huh. It's just that you have an accent and... I just can't quite seem to place it."

Bucky would know. He had traveled many years as well. More than he'd care to remember.

You brushed it off, "I take it you've had your fair share of 'misadventures'?" you jabbed back.

"If only you knew."

The hours passed quickly, and by 2 in the morning, people began to filter out one by one, and finally, you decided it was time to take your leave as well.

But you really didn't want to. You had the most interesting conversations you'd had in decades. He was truly a man out of time. Literally. He let it slip about the Avengers, and to say the least, it opened up a can of worms.

He was oddly open about most things. How he was with the Avengers, how he was taken in the snap (you, however, weren't), and how he really did stay in Wakanda. But he spoke of nothing farther back than that.

You decided not to pry. If you knew one thing, it was that people had secrets, and they could get very good at hiding them.

Finally, the two of you decided to shuffle your way to the door, and once you swung it open, you immediately regretted not getting an uber before getting there.

It was pouring rain, the thunder now clearly heard now that there wasn't any blaring music to block it out. Bucky looked at you suggestively.

"It's fine, I... I can call a cab or something," you tried, but Bucky wasn't having any of it.

"Come on, doll, I can give you a ride home."

The two of you quickly ran out into the rain as he used his jacket to cover the both of you, and yet despite the rain, he still walked to the passenger side with you and opened the door, a gentlemanly smile on his features.

Once he got in, he reached to turn the car on but was stopped in his tracks. Next to him, he saw you looking up out of the windshield on the end of the sheet, watching the rain as it fell and slipped down the glass. You had seen rain millions of times before. But every time you did, it made you pause and remember the life you had lived; the things you had seen.

You felt a pair of eyes staring, and you pulled your gaze away from the water droplets to look at the culprit.

"What?" you asked, and Bucky just grabbed you, your lips meeting his, the sound of the rain hitting the metal of the car making the moment that much more special.

You made the bold decision to mount his lap, your tongue mangling with his as you just... felt. It had been a while since you had done that.

The kiss seemed to last for eternity as you softly ground on his growing erection, his breathing picking up. You started to go lower, your lips meeting his jaw as you took a desperate inhale of air against his flesh.

"I can smell the sunlight on your skin," you finally muttered, your hands on his biceps, "You smell so good...,"

"I'm flattered," he nervously chuckled.

Finally, you pulled back, and Bucky gave you a confused, otherwise terrified glance. That was when you noticed that your fangs were out, the moonlight outside the tinted windows of the car.

"Are you scared?" you muttered, knowing that you were going to get what you wanted whether he liked it or not. But you would rather him be conscious and willing.

His look of confusion morphed into something more. Something darker. Lustful. Taking his thumb, he reached up and pushed your top lip up and exposed your canine at the root. He then looked you dead in the eyes, shaking his head 'no' softly.

He then took one of his gloves off. Soon enough his whole jacket was off, and he revealed a harsh metal arm that beamed just as brightly. Who were you to judge? You refused to pry. You knew what it was like for society to hate you because you weren't what they wanted you to be. You move your hands up and down the sleek metal, the plates shifting as your fingertips grazed it.

You gave him a compassionate smile, leaning over and whispering "It'll only hurt for a second, but it'll start to feel good, I promise."

You went lower before giving a gentle kiss to a spot on his neck —a warning — before biting deeply into his neck as he let out a pornographic moan.

His blood was intoxicating. Like plums, whisky, and a sharp spike of mint. His flavors were vivid, addictive, and you let out a verbal moan as you tasted him on your tongue.

You suddenly jerked your head back, a gasp leaving your mouth as your lips parted, your eyes searching his, "What are you?" you pried, confusion etched across your face, your hands now holding his face.

"I'm whatever you want me to be."

That was true. At this point, even he didn't know what he was, everything that he was, a blurry memory. A soldier. A lady's man. A best friend. A fighter. Now he didn't know what he was. He was hoping that you could help him figure that out.

Assuming you weren't going to get a definitive answer, yet at least, you brushed it off, pressing a loving kiss to his forehead, before leaning down and sucking more of his sweet, addicting blood from his veins, another groan leaving his mouth as he leaned his head to the side, giving you more access, your hungry tongue probing and licking.

His hands wandered eagerly, grabbing whatever it could on your body as he tried to catch his breath, his body suddenly relaxing, his body no longer feeling pain but rather absolute pleasure.

His head was now cocked up as he gasped for air, feeling as if the air was sucked from his lungs, not in malice but in pleasure as he felt his body well up with heat.

You pulled yourself away from him, pricking your finger on one of your teeth and rubbing it on his bite marks, the gashes closing up almost instantly.

Bucky then weakly reached up, now cupping your face in his hands, speechless.

"Can I keep you?" you whispered in a hushed tone, your crimson-red eyes meeting his crystal blues.

Bucky nodded, enveloped in your gaze.

The words that came out next slipped out before he could stop them:

"Wanna head back to my place?"

The kiss was sloppy and uncoordinated as you fell through the opening doors of the elevator of his apartment complex. You stumbled down that hall in an unsynchronized jumble of needy grabs and touches.

Bucky finally reached the door, grabbing his key and trying to put it in the lock, missing the mark completely and dropping his key to the ground.

Begrudgingly he broke the kiss and frantically shoved it in the lock, unlocking the door and slamming the door open, the two of you tumbling inside and letting your lips lock once again.

You were able to catch a glimpse at your environment when you broke the kiss, noticing how Bucky must have truly been a minimalist.

"Nice place," you joked, smirking at him.

"What can I say? I like a tidy home."

He then wrapped his hands around yours and pulled you to the bedroom. Your dress almost disappeared like a rabbit in a hat, you didn't even feel it leave your body as he tore it off, the only indication was the cool temperature hitting your skin.

Bucky was delighted to find you weren't wearing a bra as he leaned over you, his lips immediately finding your exposed chest. You mewled as his tongue probed at your nipple, using his flesh hand to tweak and pinch the other.

You felt yourself get hotter despite your normally cool temperature, and you loved it. You had spent so long looking for a man like Bucky to make you feel like a little girl all over again. To make you hot. To make you feel like maybe your life was taken from you just so you could meet him.

You bucked your hips up to the erection he had been sporting since you pierced his neck. He let out a primal growl, taking off your panties, leaving you completely nude.

"So fucking gorgeous, like a goddess," he praised before driving in between your necks, wasting no time licking a wide strip up your sex, making you whine in surprise.

Your attempts to make him go faster here futile as you bucked your hips, gripping his hair like a vice. You verbally whined as you tried to get him to do something— anything— but your patience began to wane.

Even though Bucky's go-to tactic was to tease his women until they couldn't take it anymore, he had never met you.

Before he knew it, you moved quickly, standing him up and flinging him on the bed face-up, your hips over his face in seconds, your hand stroking his hair gently.

Bucky stared up at you in shock and awe, nobody has ever thrown him around. He certainly wasn't opposed. His shock turned into pure, unfiltered lust, his hands placed on your thighs, hungrily pulling your pussy to meet his lips, where he then ate you like a man starved.

Using his hair and an anchor, you ground yourself over his eager tongue, your moans only queuing him to lick and suck at your precious pearl even harder than before.

"Fuck Bucky! So fucking good, baby," you praised, throwing your head back as your fangs made their presence known with a smooth 'pop'.

Your hands changed tactics as you moved yourself to lean back, one hand gripping at the headboard, the other sat on his textured abs, your nails making the skin under red and sensitive.

Before you knew it, you were on the edge. Your body was screaming for release, your hormones going into overdrive as you went harder—faster— praying that your coil would snap.

"'M gonna cUM— Bucky fuck!!" You gasped as you finally slipped into your state of nirvana, your body buzzing.

You shook in your ecstasy, perfect noises slipping from your lips as you felt Bucky lick up everything you gave him. Meanwhile, he was in heaven, suffocated by your thighs as he lapped at your ambrosia. You were the most delicious pussy he had ever had.

After Bucky finally detached his mouth from your core, he looked up at you lazily, and you moved your hips down, your dripping pussy hovering over his painfully hard erection.

"You're amazing, Bucky...," you muttered, your lips meeting his in a passionate kiss. Something more than lust or infatuation. You were ready to make him completely and utterly yours.

You reached down, lining him up with you, and kissed your way down his jaw and to his neck. You suddenly sunk down, your teeth piercing his skin as he let out a lewd moan, pleasure coursing through his veins as you began to move on him, bouncing your hips at a sensual pace.

You sucked at his life force with volition, your pace never faltering as it increased, your body nothing but a thief, and at this point, Bucky would let you take everything he had.

You pulled away to look at him, smirking as you felt his blood surround your mouth, coating your teeth as you continued to bring him pleasure.

"Mine," you growled, "All mine."

Bucky nodded in his daze, "Yours. Promise."

Your lips met in a sloppy kiss as you felt him tense up, knowing he was close. Mischievously, you took his flesh hand, placing it where you needed him most. You wanted nothing more than to cum with him.

"I can feel you," you groaned out, "So fuckin' deep,"

Bucky was in a submissive daze, nodding to whatever you said as his mind blurred in pleasure and need. His skin was almost electrifying as you felt his blood run through you.

"So come on. Cum for me. Cum inside me," you moaned, Bucky watching as your breasts bounced with every movement of your hips, "Wanna cum for me, Bucky?"

"Yes! Please, I want it! I want it, please," he whined as you smirked, you couldn't have asked for a better response.

"Cum," you commanded, as you felt your body tense up as well, and just like that you came the hardest you had in almost a decade, your world going white.

You felt yourself scream out as you collapsed on top of the man below you, your body limp as he continued to thrust up into you, letting out a guttural, filthy moan as he came inside of you.

You felt him fill you up, your eyes open as you tried to center your vision, your mind scrambled as you listened to Bucky's adorable little noises.

You rode out each other's highs, your lover panting like a dog, his eye closed as he tried to gather himself as well. When he eventually caught his breath, he couldn't help but look down at you in amazement.

"Absolutely incredible," he murmured as he put his hand to your face, stroking gently.

If you had blood pumping in your veins, you would have blushed, "As are you."

"Can you turn into a bat?" Bucky looked up at you with the curiosity of a child as you gently stroked his hair.

You had spent hours taking him apart, so it felt only right that you held him in your arms and on your lap, stroking his hair gently as his eyes hazed over with sleepiness.

You let out a light-hearted chuckle, "No. I can't. Although that sounds fun, no?"

"What can you do?" he continued to question as he held you a little bit tighter.

"I can... move at rapid speeds, but you already knew that, didn't you?" You jabbed, Bucky letting out a hearty laugh, "I'm immortal, I have a strong influence, I can even sense people who have drank my blood."

"Sense as in how?" Bucky didn't know why he was suddenly so worried.

"I can sense your emotions. I'll know where you are so I can find you quickly," you explained.

"What am I feeling now?"

You paused at the question, a sense of slight pity crossing you as you looked down to him. You closed your eyes, closing everything out in a means to feel him. A stream of consciousness crossed you.

"You're...," you paused, "You're feeling affectionate. In love. Vulnerable." you started, "But you're also feeling unsure... skeptical..."

Bucky liked knowing what he felt. Being told what he was actually feeling. Some days he felt as if there was nothing left. A void where his feelings once were.

"How old are you?" he questioned suddenly.

"Exactly or a rough estimate?" you joked.

"Exactly."

You sighed with a smile on your face, remembering the memories of the past.

"I'm 207 years old. I was born in 1813."

Bucky sat up. He had never met anyone that much older than him. He thought he was one of the oldest living fossils on the planet. But you were just full of surprises.

"D-Do you remember Steve?" Bucky questioned, tears welling in his eyes.

"Rogers? I mean... I saw him in posters in the '40s. Even saw one of his performances. But something told me he wasn't a fan of showbiz. Then after he got out of the ice, I saw him on TV. Mostly news channels."

Bucky winced. If you had seen Steve on the news, there was no doubt that you had also seen him on the news, and that-

"I know you aren't a bad man, James."

Bucky winced as you used his name, but nonetheless, the statement brought more tears.

"Say it again...," he pleaded, closing his eyes as he heard your melodic voice say what he had been wanting to hear for centuries.

"You realize I can't let you go now, right?" He cupped your face gently in his hands as if he might break you, but even with his super-soldier status, you were the one who should be worried about breaking him.

"I couldn't imagine you doing any different."

[yellowsuitcase]

Christmas Morning // Ron Weasley

A/N: Hello! Happy first of December! I thought a great way to start off this month would be by posting a Ron Weasley fluff. (In this fic, Voldy doesn’t exist. ) Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Summary: Y/N spends Christmas at the Burrow with her boyfriend Ron.

Warning(s): None.

Word Count: 2.3k

Y/N’s eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light streaming in from the Burrow’s windows. She sat up slowly and stretched her arms up to the sky, letting out a soft groan. Once she finished waking up her muscles, she glanced around the room and noticed all the décor. It’s Christmas, she remembered. Through the floorboards, she could hear that the Weasley’s were already downstairs. Mrs. Weasley was yelling at Fred while White Christmas was playing on an old fashioned radio. A few weeks ago, Mr. Weasley had found it at a muggle consignment shop, Ron had told her. Y/N pulled back the red and orange bed sheets on Ron's bed and touched her naked feet to the floor. It was cold to the touch, so she walked over to her bag and pulled out fuzzy white socks her mother had gifted to her before she left to spend this Christmas at the Weasley’s. She slipped them on her feet and headed for the door. 

Y/N failed to contain her excitement as she practically skipped down the steps until reaching the bottom floor. She turned the corner, passing the warm fireplace and sparkling tree, and walked into the kitchen where the entire family was digging in. Upon noticing her arrival, Mrs. Weasley smiled and stood up from her chair. “Happy Christmas, Y/N!” she said brightly, opening her arms up for a hug. Y/N eagerly embraced her, laughing as she did so. “Happy Christmas,” she replied. 

“You’re just in time for breakfast; we’ve saved you a plate right next to Ron,” Mr. Weasley notified her. Y/N gave her thanks to him and sat herself down next to her boyfriend. Ron leaned in for a sweet kiss. “Good morning, darling. Did you sleep okay? I didn't wake you, did it? It was hard to maneuver myself out of bed,” he chuckled. Y/N blushed and nodded. “I slept wonderfully, thank you, Ronald.”

“Eat faster. I want to open presents,” Fred said impatiently. “Fred! You’d better watch your mouth, or you won’t be getting any presents. Besides, Y/N just got here, let the girl get some food in her stomach,” Mrs. Weasley scolded. Y/N smiled softly, trying not to laugh at Fred. He glanced up at her and shot her a wink. “I’m only joking, Mum,” he replied. Mrs. Weasley scoffed as she sat back in her chair. Y/N started to eat her food. She, just as much as Fred, was excited to open presents. Ron, beside her, was nearly done with his plate. It only had a piece of toast left on it. He picked it up, folded it over, and shoved the entire thing in his mouth. Y/N promptly bent over with laughter, causing everyone’s eyes to turn to her. 

“Ron Weasley, I know you did not just put that entire piece of toast in your mouth.” Ron furrowed his eyebrows. “What?” he asked with his mouth full. Y/N shook her head in disappointment. “He can’t control himself, that boy,” Mrs. Weasley mused as Mr. Weasley nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, the amount of times Mum has had to do the Heimlich on him is staggering. He used to choke every other day when he was younger,” George informed Y/N. Ron, who had swallowed his bread, spoke up. “I did not. And besides, it’s not like I set off a smoke bomb in the middle of dinner, just for a laugh,” he fired back. 

“That’s enough, boys. It’s Christmas; no arguing allowed. Now, take your dishes to the sink and let's gather ‘round the tree, alright? Y/N, dear, take all the time you need; we won’t start without you,” Mrs. Weasley told Y/N. The Weasleys put their plates away and headed for the living room, leaving just Ron and Y/N.  “Oh, no worries! I think I’m done. I want to save room for your delicious Christmas dinner that I’ve heard so much about!” Y/N replied happily. Mrs. Weasley blushed and waved her off. “It’s nothing. Now go on, you two, I’ll be there in a moment.”

Ron took Y/N’s hand and led her to the living room. They settled onto the couch and threw a blanket on top of their legs. Ron turned his head to look at Y/N. “I’m really excited for you to see what I’ve gotten you,” he told her before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” she said quietly. Ron shook his head, adamantly. “Nonsense, you’re my girlfriend, of course, I got you something.” Y/N sighed but rested her head on Ron’s shoulder and squeezed his hand lovingly. Shortly, Mrs. Weasley came into the room and sat down in the wooden rocking chair next to the tree. It was drowning in colorfully wrapped boxes. “Ginny, dear. Why don’t you open one of your gifts first?” she suggested. Ginny nodded and grasped the closest present with her name on it. Y/N felt Ron shift uncomfortably next to her. “You’ll get to open yours soon enough, Ronald. So impatient,” she whispered. Her boyfriend responded by slightly shoving her, eliciting a little giggle from her lips.

Their antics were interrupted by Ginny gasping. In her hands were brand new quidditch gloves. They had red accents around the base to match her Hogwarts house. “Thanks, Mum! I needed new ones,” Ginny said. Her mother smiled proudly. “I’m glad you like them. I even embroidered the red bits on it, did you see?” Ginny nodded and placed her gloves tenderly beside her. She then grabbed a small box and looked at the tag to see who it was addressed to, but was stopped short by Mrs. Weasley's sharp inhale. “I forgot! Ginny, would you grab that large bag back there? It has gifts for everyone.” Ginny did as her mother asked and handed the bag to her. Mrs. Weasley, one by one, pulled out each gift and gave them to their respective recipients. Once everyone had their package in their hands, Mrs. Weasley smiled and urged them to open it. Y/N ripped the red colored paper eagerly, while Ron opened his unhurriedly. He knew what it was going to be, as did the rest of his family. Y/N, however, didn’t know what to expect. But when she pulled out a dark green sweater with her first initial knitted onto the front. She gasped and immediately pulled it over her head. “Thank you, Mrs. Weasley! It’s so cozy,” she gushed. Ron smiled at his lover. He and his brothers and sister had received one of these sweaters every year. But for Y/N, she had never gotten one. And to receive one meant his mother regarded her as part of the family. This filled Ron with pride. And on top of that, she looked absolutely adorable in it.

After everyone put on their sweater, they continued with presents. “Dad, here’s one for you. It’s from Y/N,” Fred said as he passed his father the box. “Y/N, you shouldn’t have,” Mr. Weasley said lightly as he shook the box. “I wonder what it is,” he said while ripping the wrapping paper to reveal an electric razor. But it seemed as though Mr. Weasley didn’t know what it was just by the picture, so Y/N filled him in. “It’s an electric razor. You flick it on, and that way, you don’t have to go through the hassle of rinsing the normal little one. Does that make sense?” she asked. Mr. Weasley’s eyebrows were knit together as he opened the box and lifted up the small mechanism. “I think so, but I’m not sure.” Y/N chuckled. “I’ll go over the instructions with you later if you’d like,” she offered. He smiled and placed the razor back in the box. “What a curious little thing this is… Yes, that’d be great Y/N, thank you very much.”

Y/N snuggled close to Ron. She loved watching people open gifts; it made her feel fuzzy inside. They continued opening presents. Fred got a new scarf as well as a gobstone set. George got a scarf too, but instead of gobstones, he got a fanged frisbee. The twins were rather excited about that one. Ginny, along with her gloves, got a necklace with six rings to signify quidditch hoops. A large pack of chocolate frogs was gifted to Ron and another Chudley Cannons poster to slap on his wall. Mrs. Weasley got a new knitting basket full of supplies, and Mr. Weasley got a set of ties. Y/N got a large basket full of prank items from the twins, a makeup palette from Ginny, and a wallet from Mr. Weasley. She was extremely pleased with her gifts and promised each giver that she’d try them out as soon as possible. Once all the presents were gone, everyone began to scatter, some to test their new items and others to get properly dressed. Regardless, this left Ron and Y/N on the couch.

“So, are you ready for your present?” Y/N asked. Ron smiled, “I am. Where have you hidden it?” he asked. His girlfriend laughed. “It’s in my bag; hold on.” She wordlessly summoned the gift. It landed in her hands, and she passed it off to Ron. It was wrapped in red and silver striped paper and had a gold bow on top. Ron gingerly removed the bow and tore the paper. He was now left with a simple black box. When he opened it, he breathed, "Wow." Inside was a wooden wristwatch with walnut colored straps. Ron took it off the little pillow and studied it intently. Inside the face were various small holes, almost like the moon or perhaps a sponge. He unhooked the latch and wrapped it around his wrist.

“You like it?” Y/N asked nervously. “I love it, darling," Ron assured her. "Thank you. Could you help me latch it?” he asked. Y/N nodded and leaned over his wrist, her fingers nimbly pushing the prong through the hole and fastening it tightly. When she pulled away, Ron’s hand touched her cheek, and he drew her in for a kiss. She sighed softly, melting into him. “Now, it’s your turn,” Ron murmured after pulling away. He stood up from the couch and walked over to a shelf where he opened the top drawer and drew out a long, slender box wrapped in blue paper. He remained standing and handed Y/N the box. She looked at curiously, wondering what could be in such a skinny box. But when she removed the cover and saw what was inside, her face broke out in a genuine grin. Inside was an elegant red quill, spotted with gold flecks. Y/N ran her finger along the center, feeling its smoothness. She picked it up and held it in her dominant hand just as she would any other quill. It felt perfect. “Ron, this is beautiful. I hope it wasn’t expensive…” Ron smiled and awkwardly rested his hand on his neck. “It was a bit pricey, but I knew you’d love it so I had to get it,” Ron said with a blush on his cheeks. Y/N set the quill back in its box and stood up to face him. “Ron Weasley. I love you so much.”

Suddenly, the radio went silent, catching their attention. The pair turned their heads towards it, wondering why it was quiet. But then the telltale sound of winter bells filled the air. “Silver bells...silver bells... it’s Christmas time in the city…” Y/N averted her attention back to her boyfriend. He smirked at her and held out his hand. “May I have this dance, Ms. Y/L/N?” Y/N giggled at his playfulness but took his outstretched hand nonetheless. He pulled her close, gently pushing her head to lie against his chest. Her hand was still in his as it too rested on his chest. Ron’s opposite hand landed on her waist. They began to gently sway back and forth, letting the music fill their ears. After a few moments, Ron even started to hum along. The vibrations from his chest lulled Y/N’s eyes closed. She felt so happy, so peaceful in his arms. 

“Happy Christmas, Y/N. I’m really glad you’re here,” Ron whispered in her ear. Y/N took her head off his chest to gaze up at him. “Happy Christmas, Ron,” she replied. The couple’s dance was interrupted by the sound of a loud click. They froze in place as they snapped their heads in the direction from which they heard the noise. There stood Molly Weasley, a camera in her hands. “Oh, I’m sorry, dears, but you two looked so sweet, I had to capture the moment. You can have the photo; it’s already been printed,” she said excitedly as she passed the image to Ron. He brought it towards him while shaking his head at his mother. Y/N grasped his wrist and pulled it down so that she, too, could see it. There they were, pressed against one another, swaying back and forth. Then the Y/N in the picture lifted her head to look at Ron. Real-life Y/N had to admit that the photo was definitely worth it despite their moment being cut short. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. This is the best Christmas gift, being here with you and your lovely family.” The red-headed woman blushed. “Of course, dear, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. I’ll leave you to it now, sorry for interrupting.” She scurried back to the kitchen, once again leaving the couple alone. Ron scoffed. “Can’t believe that woman,” he said. Y/N lightly whacked his shoulder. “Hush, you. Because of her, we now have this wonderful photograph,” she scolded. Ron sighed and brought the picture closer to his face. “It is a really nice photo,” he admitted. Y/N laughed at him, grabbed his face, and placed a tender kiss on his lips; he returned it eagerly, relishing in the feeling of his girl in his arms.

“This will probably end up being one of my favorite Christmases,” Ron said when she pulled away from the kiss. Y/N rested her head against his chest yet again, breathing in his comforting scent. “Yeah, I think so too.”

Taglist: @cutie1365​ @orangecrayon​ @sambucky8​ @emilianamason​ @raplinethereal​ @dixiethemorab24​ @prongsandprancer​

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 1-A

I've been playing tabletop games for TOO LONG without actually playing any D&D, and the time for that to change is now.

Zero and @eternalfarnham are Looseleaf and Saelhen du Fishercrown, a mothfolk animist and a half-elf conwoman whose travels take them to Blacksky University, where the discovery of an unknown magical artifact sets them on the path to discovering the secrets of a shattered world.

Oyashio, 親潮市, is known as the Crossroad City. It sits on the closest point between the two major continents of the world, alongside the swift currents of the fierce river-ocean that separates the two. People from all over the Jewel come here to find their fortunes.

Looseleaf is a new arrival to Blacksky University, the institution of higher learning that terrorizes the city with its warball hooligans and dangerous magical experiments. She's left her reclusive village to learn more about the cultures and peoples of the world, and has enrolled in the School of Natural Arts to pursue her dream.

The Lady Noeru de la Surplus is the down-on-her-luck scion of an elven noble family, here to complete her rite of succession and restore the good name of her clan.

Saelhen du Fishercrown is a half-elf disgrace who fled the stifling elven capital of Kanzentokai to escape its byzantine social order- and strike it rich by pretending to be the down-on-her-luck scion of an elven noble family and conning a bunch of elfaboo suckers out of their hard-earned gold. She's out to get rich and prove that elves can be assholes too, dammit!

*

Looseleaf leaves her room to discover- not her roommate, but a large half-orc woman rummaging through her oven.

She asks where Looseleaf keeps the swords.

It becomes clear that Bud Chestplate, here, is a friend of Oyobi Yamatake, Looseleaf's roommate, and Oyobi sent her to pick up some swords from the dorm. They make some small talk while searching, but Looseleaf fails her Investigation roll and can't find the swords for her. She leaves Bud to her business, since she needs to catch her meeting with the Dean.

Benedict I. (GM): So... you get to the Dean's office. It's a pretty large room- not because the Dean is particularly showoffy, but because Dean Mogher is a loxodon, and his office sort of needs to be big. Them elephant people, y'know. You've been asked to meet for an "academic consultation", and aren't sure what to expect.

Seems like Looseleaf needs to do some sort of independent study- and the Dean has something lined up for her, if she's interested. It's an artifact they recently got their hands on thanks to a rich donor, who wanted to learn more about it. It's super magic, so he had to pull some strings to keep it out of the hands of the School of Arcane Arts.

Looseleaf is excited about this!

Looseleaf: Looseleaf vibrates, shaking her wings kind of in the way that a dog might shake their body to remove dirt. This is moth body language for 'FUCK YES I AM SO READY FOR THIS I WAS BORN FOR THIS'.

Meanwhile... Saelhen has arrived in town. She's set herself up with a room in the city, made some public appearances to sell the story, and...

Saelhen has a plan. She'll pretend that this object is rightfully hers, as part of an arcane elven ritual to succeed the headship of her family- and hopefully badger the school into letting her get her hands on it.

She enters the school grounds via the student village, and meets a half-orc woman carrying a bunch of swords around for some reason- who she asks for directions. Bud obliges, despite being preoccupied.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were occupied by all those weapons." She bows at the prescribed angle for a small favor asked from a foreigner. "Your words are as 出鱈目外人向け. Thank you." Benedict I. (GM):出鱈目 is like, nonsense, bullshit, 外人 is gaijin, 向け is a suffix that means "for" bullshit for foreigners i love it

(Elven is Japanese here, for reasons.)

Saelhen follows the directions to the School of Arcane arts, and asks the receptionist- a tired-looking goblin girl named Two-Brains- where the Dean's office is.

Two-Brains directs her to the Moon Annex, a wing of the building identifiable by the river of moon symbols flowing along the floor. She reaches what is clearly the Dean's office, and hears a conversation within, that she opts to sneakily listen in on.

Benedict I. (GM): That'll do- you hear a whispered argument, fairly clearly. "...is he blackmailing you? Bribing you? This is clearly our department!" The voice is old and slightly screechy. A younger but still mature voice replies. "Please don't attack my character, Variable. Is my reasoning really that hard to understand?" "Yes," the older voice says. "It's the most magically powerful artifact that's ever come into our possession! How is this not of immediate concern to our department?" "You're failing to consider Coast's concerns, and those of our continuing research," the younger voice says. "Yes, this object is powerful- but learning its magic will scarcely tell us where it comes from. If we could find its source, we could find many more specimens of its kind for study."

It seems like Dean Variable Velocity of Arcane Arts (an elderly owl aarakocra in a wheelchair) really wanted to get her hands on the magic item, but Dean Coast Mogher of Natural Arts got this person to decide in his favor, instead.

Saelhen eventually opts to knock, and sees in the room with the Dean... an elf. Very tall, adorned in jewels, and wearing a very very large hoop dress that goes all the way down to the floor. This would be a problem for Saelhen, because actual elven nobility would see right through her disguise- but luckily, this woman- the provost of the university- is a drow, and not exactly welcome in the circles of elven high society.

The provost takes her leave, and Saelhen spins her sob story for Dean Velocity:

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Madam Dean, I am sure that any matter requiring your attention might very well overrule my own. If your affairs require that you delay our discussion of the provenance of your college's recent acquisition, then my honor demands that I comply." Benedict I. (GM): "The provenance of our recent acquisiton?" "Wait- are you here about that thing?" "The bracer?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ah, yes." Saelhen ducks her head a bit sheepishly. "I can come back." "Perhaps I have misunderstood what time I was meant to arrive." Benedict I. (GM): "No, no, come in! Come in, I'm sure we can address your concerns." "What time you were- you mentioned an appointment, who told you there was an appointment?" "Never mind, no, it's- please, come in." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "I spoke with a Madam Two-Brains? But information may have been lost in the shuffle -- I gather it was a busy day." Saelhen sits. Benedict I. (GM): "...The student receptionist? Why would- no, never mind. What's this about the bracer?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: Whoops. "I have neglected to introduce myself, and for that I apologize. I am the Lady Noeru de la Surplus, sixth of her name." Saelhen lowers her head. "Your... bracer is an item of some significance to my family." Benedict I. (GM): Her eyes light up. "Is that so?" "What significance, would you say?"

After a little more bullshitting and some great Deception rolls, she has the dean completely sold on her story. It helps that she quite badly wanted to believe it- since if it were true, her rival wouldn't have legitimate claim to it. Dean Velocity offers to help recover the item, if Lady Noeru would agree to let her study it briefly.

Meanwhile, below the School of Arcane Arts, Looseleaf is shown a special hands-free containment device for the magical item.

Benedict I. (GM): Inside the glass case hovers what looks like a stone bracer. It's inset with thirteen large sapphires, at seemingly random locations, little rhyme or reason. There's one region of the bracer that doesn't have sapphires- a flat, circular raised bit with a symbol engraved on it. It's not one you're familiar with, but matches the pattern of the emblems of the gods. Looseleaf: Is it a divine symbol? Yeeeep. Benedict I. (GM): A circle, with horizontal lines across it, growing denser towards the wearer.

Looseleaf makes some investigation and history checks to find out more about it. She observes that the sapphires are connected to one another, and that its craftsmanship doesn't match anything she's ever seen or read about. She's still taking a look at it when Saelhen and Dean Velocity show up.

Dean Velocity badgers Dean Mogher into hearing Saelhen out, and she continues to knock her deception checks out of the park. He doesn't want to give it up without a fight, but he believes her intentions are true. He proposes a compromise: Looseleaf will represent both schools (as she's taking courses in both and is undecided on a major) and accompany Saelhen on her supposed succession rite, asking lots of questions and writing a report that they might be able to publish.

This compromise is more or less amenable to all, and Saelhen is allowed to touch the bracer.

It immediately jumps onto her arm and sticks there, and projects a holographic wayfinding arrow out of one of the sapphires. The bracer begins pulling her arm in that direction. She can't get it off- and can't just run. She's forced to keep up the charade, and let Looseleaf try some magic on it.

Looseleaf is a homebrew class Zero found called the Animist, a caster themed around the idea that all things have "spirits". One of the things it can do is called Soul Glean, which basically lets you... read the mind of an inanimate object.

Lesser Soul Glean: You may peer into the things the soul of an object has witnessed. Make an int (arcana) check to determine the amount of information gleaned from the object. The more recent or emotionally volatile the event, the easier it is to glean information from, while the more distance the harder it is. Senses of emotions, vague intentions, and the sight of auras of can generally be gleaned from this reading.

And what she gets from that is...

Looseleaf:“It’s lost,” Looseleaf says. “It has a purpose and has been unable to fulfill that purpose for a very long time. It’s not epistemologically correct to assign emotions to items through divinations, I think, but if this thing had an emotion I imagine it would be sad.” ”Most importantly, it does not feel fulfilled. It is not behaving the way that objects reunited with their lost owners would be have.” “Given this, I hope you will forgive me for my indiscretion in this next act.” Looseleaf... shifts her arm, the arm touching the bracer, sliding off it and onto the elvish lady’s arm, and Lesser Soul Reads her.

Now Soul Read is for living things, and only sort of gets you mood and general intentions- for now. Saelhen, though, won't be having any of that- she passes her dex save to pull away before Looseleaf can read her. (This, of course, only makes Looseleaf more suspicious.)

Tumblr has new post restrictions that force me to keep these posts short, so here's:

[Part B]

[minervacasterly]

St Paul's Cathedral in London, where Infanta Catalina de Aragon aka future Katherine of Aragon, Queen Consort of Henry VIII and Prince Arthur Tudor married on Sunday, 14th of November 1501. 

On that day, the cathedral was beautifully decorated. According to contemporary accounts the cathedral was hung with marvelous tapestries displaying both of their families’ heraldic symbols as well as Arthur’s fabled ancestry to his mythical namesake. When the trumpets sounded, the young Duke led Katherine into the church, her train being carried by his aunt, the Queen’s sister, Lady Cecily Welles. The King, Queen and the Countess of Richmond were nowhere to be seen. They had opted to watch the ceremony behind a screen instead, fearing that their presence would overshadow the young couple. “The Archbishop of Canterbury” points the Receyt of Ladie Kateryne “was waiting there for her with eighteen more bishops and honorable abbots” who were anxious for the ceremony to start.Several people shouted “King Henry! King Henry!” and “Prince Arthur!” as she and Arthur momentarily turned to acknowledge the congregation. After the Mass was over, Arthur stepped aside to sign the last papers of their union. The young Duke once again took Katherine’s arm and led her to her next destination at the Bishop’s Palace where a great banquet awaited them.

The bride, groom and the youngest Tudor prince were also beautifully dressed, wearing matching colors of gold and white. White wasn't a popular color for brides -it wouldn't become one until Queen Regnant Victoria made it so when she married her cousin, Prince Albert centuries later- but Katherine nonetheless dazzled the crowds with her gown which was made in the Spanish fashion. When she became Queen, her bell hooped skirt which was called vertugado in Spanish and Farthingale in English, became highly fashionable.

Prince Arthur died less than half a year after their wedding. To this day the nature of their union is on everyone's minds, especially historians, when they try to answer the question as to whether or not it was consummated. Some give a plausible inference  as to what happened, saying that it is possible that the two youths (at the time) were telling the truth, but (as Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars would say) from a certain point of view, the truth is we will never know for sure. What we do know is that until then, their wedding was one of the greatest events in London.  Catalina's motto while she was Princess of Wales was "Not for my crown". Her chosen badge of the Pomegranate which was shown next to her husband's dynasty badge, the Tudor rose.The wedding served to legitimize the Tudor reign, as Arthur represented the embodiment of the union of York and Lancaster, while Catalina was the daughter of two of the most powerful monarchs in Western Europe who had put an end to the Reconquista when they captured Granada.

Special note: Most of the buildings and other architectural jewels and monuments of the medieval and the Tudor eras have been renovated, rebuilt, or no longer exist. So to demand originality in that context is impossible (unless someone has a time machine lying around). Even drawings of the era are mostly copies of the original. St Paul Cathedral was destroyed in a fire and it was rebuilt. Yet this remains the place where Catalina and Prince Arthur were married, and for all intents and purposes, given the sources that detail their wedding, the marvelous rebuilt cathedral that stands today is close to what the newlyweds saw when they were married.

Sources:

Katharine of Aragon by Patrick Williams

Sister Queens by Julia Fox

Tudor by Leanda de Lisle

Six Wives and the Many Mistresses of Henry VIII by Amy Licence

Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser

[queeenpersephone]

Hello! I’d love to see what you have written for the Good Omens/Doctor Who story! ☺️

yay! okay this is literally just copy/pasted from my doc for this fic (about 2k), so the plot probably won’t be obvious but hopefully it’s still enjoyable to read! i just don’t think i’m ever gonna finish it because i never finished good omens

without further ado...

take it up with the badlands

summary: If he wants her to stay, he’ll have to fight those who shaped the universe. And they could, he knows. He is an immortal demon, no longer bent to the will of heaven or hell. She is the Bad Wolf, Goddess of Time and Space, capable of feats even he can barely imagine. That’s not even in question. The question is: would she ever actually want to stay with him?

Deep down, Crowley knows the answer. And it’s not a happy one. 

The white haired man looks her up and down, a mask of evaluation on his face, before grimacing in distaste. “Oh, I suppose I know why you’re here,” he announces when he has finished deducing. “Wish you people would leave him alone,” he adds under his breath.

Rose just smiles, playing along. Maybe the man this man speaks of is someone who can help her - the reason Bad Wolf sent her here. “Sorry, can I just wait for him here, then?” She twists one of the hoops in her ears, giving the bookseller a bright grin.

Instead of looking reassured, the gentleman looks even more unsettled. 

-

“I've been working on this top secret project for years now,” she tells them. “The Dimension Cannon - supposed to get me back to my proper universe. Only, someone noticed I wasn’t aging that quick, so they somehow got my blood from my files and ran some tests. Still don’t know what they found, but a couple days later my stepdad was deposed. He only had the resources to get my mum and my little brother to a safe house before they killed him.” She swallows hard. “I was tortured for about four months.”

Aziraphale murmurs a sympathetic “oh dear!” but makes no move to comfort her. Crowley tries to refrain from rolling his eyes: angels have a great sense of empathy, but really know shit about showing it.

“Anyway, I escaped. Been on the run for a month or so - saw something in your window that made me think this was a safe place.” Something in her eyes tells Crowley that she won’t tell them what it was, not yet. “I figure something about this universe makes me age slower, but they thought I was alien. After all the crazy shit that’s happened in the last decade, they felt betrayed, I guess.”

Crowley shrugs. “You are, though.”

Rose starts. “What?”

“You’re an alien,” Crowley clarifies unhelpfully.

Aziraphale takes over. “What Crowley is trying to say, my dear, is that you are neither angel nor demon, but you are an immortal. Quite a powerful one, I sense.”

Rose’s jaw nearly hits the floor. 

-

“Well, love,” Crowley drawls, “seeing as you’re probably going to be here awhile, you might as well come for drinks.” He drapes a loose arm over her shoulder, leading her out the door as Aziraphale closes up shop behind them.

“Are you tempting right now?” Rose teases, but he can see the shock and pain that still hide behind those golden eyes. Crowley’s never had mortal attachments, and he’s not the type to be empathetic, but he still acknowledges that it must be difficult. He’s only known this newly immortal human for an hour, but he can already see how strong she is. “‘Cause I’d rather have a friend,” she admits.

Crowley, thankfully, is saved from responding by Aziraphale’s gentle hand on Rose’s shoulder. “Ah, my dear, I’m quite sure we’ll get along splendidly! My demon friend here is slower to trust, but he’ll come around.”

“Oi, right here,” Crowley grumbles, but he manages a soft smirk at Rose as they stride off to their favorite bar. He’ll get to the bottom of this anomaly if it kills him. 

-

To Crowley, Rose is a walking contradiction.

She has a dark sense of humor and a penchant for danger and trouble, with a generally mischievous air that Crowley has always associated with demons. Yet, her staunch sense of right and wrong and blinding optimism could only belong to an angel. Well, Aziraphale, at least. The rest of the lot are right bastards. 

And she’s so far out of the rest of the humans’ league that she might as well be in another universe.

From one, Crowley mentally corrects. Then he wonders when this little goddess-human prototype began to take up so much space in his conscious thought. The space usually reserved for good tea and terrorizing plants and tight jeans - now filled up with thoughts about Rose Tyler’s bright laugh and bad jokes and uncertain fate. 

-

“There’s something you’re not telling us, love,” Crowley observes.

“Yeah,” she admits, a soft blush blooming on her cheeks. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter, does it? I trust you.” Crowley makes an impatient shooing motion with his hands. “Yeah, okay, so in my universe, I sort of absorbed the time vortex? Long story short, I controlled all of Time for a few minutes - the Doctor said I would’ve burned, but he took it out of me.” Rose shrugs. “Anyway, the torture I went through.. that’s how I discovered I can kinda… control it, I guess.”

“Control it?” Crowley leans forward into her space, taking his hands out of his pockets.

Rose gestures around. “It’d be easier if I showed you - Aziraphale, do you have anything in the shop you’re not attached to?”

Crowley nearly loses it at his friend’s offended and very concerned expression. Oh, this girl is only proving herself to be more and more precious. 

-

“You’re God, huh?” Rose knows, gazing intently at the shadowy figure in the corner of her dream.

The figure straightens, but Rose still can’t make out any singular feature. It’s a woman, surely, but nothing else. “Bad Wolf, you do not belong in this universe,” God says, and Rose rolls her eyes.

“Took ya kind of long to figure that out, yeah?” 

God shrugs. “We couldn’t decide where you fit in with the Plan. And now We’ve decided you don’t fit, so We are sending you back.”

Rose's heart jumps at these words. “Back?” she stutters, “to the Doctor?”

“That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Rose squints at Her. “You’re not doing it out of the kindness of your heart though, are ya?” God is silent, and then Rose knows. “You’re afraid,” she realizes. “You’re afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.”

“We have no fear,” God says, but it is like She is shouting in Rose’s head.

Rose’s eyes flash gold. “I take your atoms…”

“ENOUGH.” 

Rose wakes sweaty and exhilarated to the sweetest sound she has ever heard. To the sound of the TARDIS. 

-

Crowley takes one look at the Doctor and the way he holds Rose’s hand, keeping her slightly behind him in a completely unnecessary protective stance that fires up Crowley’s indignation - he left her, he left her, he has no right to protect her - before shoving him up against the wall in a chokehold. If Rose hadn’t been panicking about the possibility of them killing each other, she would probably be a little turned on. The man she’s loved for years and the demon that made her smile again, both with the body and face of her dreams? It’s probably a good thing she’d only ever think about that possibility in hindsight. 

“I fell,” Crowley growls, “through ash and fire. All for pride. Rose Tyler, all annoyingly empathetic and stupidly optimistic and fucking brilliant that she is - she helped me find peace. And that makes things very simple. If you hurt her, if she feels one ounce of pain that you had it in your power to prevent, I will fall to God’s feet and beg forgiveness for my sins just to travel between universes and rain hellfire down upon you.” His words have the same, ancient feel to them as the Doctor’s, the same cadence as holy scripture, as absolute truth, and Rose shivers. His voice is so low and heated that when she steps close between them and lays a hand on his chest to push him off the Doctor, even she can barely hear it. “And I’m quite good at that,” he adds, smirking down at Rose, who shakes her head at him with a soft smile on her face. 

“It’s been a ride, gentlemen,” Rose says, sparing Aziraphale a friendly nod before gazing up at Crowley. “Thank you.” She rubs the fabric of the henley over Crowley’s heart, and he groans in frustration.

“C’mon, love,” he tries, “look at him! I’m sure I can give you at least twice as many orgasms.” Rose giggles, used to Crowley’s brand of humor, but doesn’t miss the sharp noise that the Doctor makes behind her. “I’ll make you see heaven,” he promises, but she can tell by his eyes that he already knows her answer.

The Doctor moves up behind her, twining an arm around her and pressing his palm to her stomach. “And with me, she’ll see stars,” his voice is low and dark, and Rose knows that they need to get onto the TARDIS before a full out brawl occurs in front of her. 

So she takes the Doctor’s hand from her stomach, pressing a kiss to the back of it before shooing him back to the TARDIS. He goes, but he watches Crowley with sharp eyes.

“You’re better than you believe, yeah?” she whispers to the demon in front of her, cupping his cheek gently. “If I was meant to be here, in this universe, I’d be the one to show it to you. So you just gotta get back out there and find this universe’s match for you. I know they’re out there.” Her eyes dart to Aziraphale for a moment, wondering if something might eventually come from that. There’s history there, and they have the rest of eternity to figure it out. “Rely on your best friend, yeah?” She adds, wondering if a hint could turn into a catalyst.

“Rose-” Crowley begins hoarsely, before Rose dives her fingers into his ginger hair and pulls his lips down to meet hers. 

It’s a soft, chaste peck, nothing like that drunken night, but the possibilities hit them both like a freight train. It’s not hard to imagine their endless days: going for drinks with Aziraphale, lounging at his bookshop, Rose following his angry rants at his plants with a soft touch to their leaves, Crowley tempting ordinary humans into sin and Rose tempting Crowley into bed. In fact, it’s easy, and when Rose feels the hint of tears at the corners of her eyes, she pulls away. “Bye, love,” she murmurs, borrowing his nickname before giving him a quick squeeze. His arms don’t have time to come around her before she is walking back to the Doctor, who brushes his lips against her forehead before she walks past him and into the TARDIS. 

Crowley ignores the lump in his throat, but before he can walk away, a low tenor stops him. 

“I’m the last of my kind,” the Doctor is saying, eyes dark and intent. “I’m the killer of my kind. I’ve spent my life trying to do the best thing for the universe, but rest assured, I’ll now be doing the best thing for Rose. Forever.”

Crowley nods in agreement with this promise, before letting a smile quirk at his lips. “Have you considered whether she’ll let you?” He asks.

The Doctor grins full on at this. “Oh,” he says, stepping into his transdimensional blue box. “I can see why she liked you.”

With a groan and wheeze, the Bad Wolf disappears from this universe. God is satisfied, but Crowley sets out to get really, really drunk.

He won’t stop living, though, he refuses to disappoint his Rose like that. No, he’ll find his match.

After a few bottles of Scotch. 

-

“Did you love him?” The Doctor asks quietly, weeks later, when they have regained some sense of stability.

If she had been the same person she was when she started traveling with him, she might’ve lied. Been afraid to disturb the peace, the delicate tightrope that she and the Doctor always seem to balance on. But now, Rose is different. She understands relationships, understands love and trust and commitment, a little better. She knows the Doctor would never leave her, never let her leave unless he was absolutely sure it would truly make her happy. They’ve already hashed it all out, amongst tears and rage and late night nibbles, sitting at the foot of the TARDIS’ doors and dangling their feet into the cosmos. After everything they’ve been through, honesty comes easy.

“I could’ve,” she admits. She saves the waxing poetic, the memories of the dark quips and burning hugs and blunt speech, for their next visit with Jack. She’ll be honest with the Doctor, but she won’t set out to hurt him. “He’s a good man- demon, I mean,” she corrects. “Misunderstood and angry at the universe. He deserves a love that didn’t already promise someone else forever.” The Doctor reaches over, twining their fingers together. “And I’d never regret that promise, yeah?”

“Good,” the Doctor whispers, tugging her close. “Cause that’s how long you’re gonna stay with me.”