#these ones are from the 1880s or 1890s i think

[fleshbeetle]

March 2, 2024.

Gravestones too worn to read.

[chere-indolente]

La Repasseuse

Hello I'm back with a lingerie set this time ! It includes corsets, a corset cover and some drawers. Althought the painting that inspired me this time is older than usual, the cc I ended up making is fit for the 1870s, 1880s, 1890s & 1900s. More pics and download below

This set was mainly inspired by the Edgar Degas's painting : La Repasseuse (The Laundress/Ironer).

————————— Plain Corsets —————————

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In the 19th and 20th corsets were used to achieve the fashionable shape of the times, provide bust support, maintain good posture and distribute the weight of the skirt's and petticoat's yards of fabric. Althought corsets were underwear judging from the paintings I've seen (cf reference pictures below) working women would sometimes take off their bodices when it was getting too hot (ironers, laundresses as well as peasants during harvest). I've kept these plain corsets pretty simple only featuring the boning channels (where the whale bones or steel bones would go) and a bit of cording under the bust, as I've seen on most corsets of that period.

I've made 2 versions :

is meant to be worn on top of clothing (presumably underwear but you do you) and as such are compatible with my skirts and split drawers

is meant to be worn under clothing (petticoat or skirt)

32 swatches : 22 solids & 10 floral patterns

2 versions

————————— Lace Corsets —————————

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These are the same corset but with some lace at the top, a very common style but probably more expensive than the plainer ones.

These corsets too exist in 2 versions (V1 to wear over clothing and V2 to wear under).

32 swatches : 22 solids & 10 floral patterns

2 versions

——————— Embroidered Corsets ———————

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These corsets are the same as the lace ones with added embroidery.

This type of embroidery is called flossing it's decorative but also practical : the flossing reduces the corset bones’ movements to improve the comfort of the wearer. These corsets too exist in 2 versions (V1 to wear over clothing and V2 to wear under).

36 swatches : 24 solids & 10 floral patterns

2 versions

—————————   Corset Cover  —————————

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As the name implies corset cover were worn on top of corsets. Their purposes were to smooth over the corset lines (the equivalent of today's pantylines), to hide the corset's color (for it to not show under a lighter bodice), to absorb sweat so as to protect the bodice and finally especially in the edwardian era to act as padding to achieve the fashionable pigeon breast look.

That being said it seems not everyone wore corset covers from what I've seen.

Like corsets, corset cover too were sometimes used as workwear by women working in hot environnements (ironers, laundresses as well as peasants during harvest).

This corset cover includes 3 styles (pictured below) with different degrees of "laceyness". I tried my best to make it work for both 1880s and Edwardian fashion, in the end I think it's leaning more toward the later.

15 swatches : 3 styles (cf picture above) with 5 swatches of white/off white each

—————————   Split Drawers  —————————

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For most of the 19th century and even the beginning of the 20th century, women drawers were open : they were composed of 2 legs that would be buttoned or tied together at the waist and that would overlap in the crotch but could be split appart when necessary.

I've made 2 versions of these, since I've seen both :

is tighter under the knee giving that poofy "bloomer" like shape

is straight legged

10 swatches with 5 different white & off white color ways

2 versions

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Download : dropbox — simfileshare

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And once again as a bonus some of my main reference pictures :

[astriiformes]

Last night we re-watched the second and third Back to the Future movies, and I think I've mentioned before that it always amazes me how period-accurate most of the 1880s clothes in the third movie are, particularly Clara's dresses, which have the exact right silhouette. But one thing I hadn't picked up on until this time around is that when she and Doc show up again at the end, with a decade or so having passed for them, Clara is now wearing what is unmistakably an 1890s dress (you can tell from the sleeves).

The attention to detail is mind-boggling to me. She shows up for a few minutes on a time-traveling flying train but the costume designer still went "By god we are doing this right." Greatest movies ever made.

[liyawritesss]

ᴊᴀꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴅᴅ + ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀꜱ

-> synopsis: there's no denying that Jason Todd Is the intellectual boyfriend we all crave - so let's take a peek into his repertoire and see what are some of his favorite black artists, authors, and philosophers!

         -> characters: Jason Todd | Red Hood

-> from: batman universe

         -> contains: can be read as either pre- or post lazarus pit, 3rd person

-> a/n: here's the first hc post from the batman poll i did! currently taking an intro to black writers class, and I wanted to make a spin on some classics I think Jason would like, specifically from black contemporaries from the like late 1800's to the 1990's. And yes, I know these authors and stories dont necessarily tie in to the canon timeline of things - I honestly just wanted to have fun with this, so please take it with a grain of salt, and if you don't like it or find yourself wanting to comment something mean, just scroll! Save us both the commotion.

         -> join my taglist!

-> tags: @mbakuetshurisprincess @shuriszn @writingintheshadowsforever @cafehyunji @niyahwrites @marsfunzon22 @briology @asensitivecookie @moon-bo-young @flo-milli-shit-hoe @romiantic @shuinami @badass-dora-milaje @uranometrias @insomniac-jay @punkeropercyjackson

      -> Paul Lawrence-Dunbar

             -> dunbar was a young novelist, writer, and poet during the 1880's and 1890's. His writing style is distinct with dialect, which earned him a lot of criticism despite his much popular portrayal of black life in southern America after the end of slavery. A lot of the tone in his pieces depict that of the African Americans struggle for survival post-slavery, as without adequate resources to gain their footing into society, the formerly enslaved were left to fend for themselves. What a lot of people at the time missed in his writings - and what Jason actually gravitates towards - is the fact that his particular style is actually intentional. It acts as a reclamation of what was mocked and dehumanized, reinstating power into it in a way that seems regressive, but is more powerfully progressive in retrospect. ‘Sympathy’ was a poem he didn’t know he needed until he read it, and now he either has the poem taped on his wall somewhere or it’s written/screenshotted in his notes on his phone. Similarly, he finds that the poem ‘We Wear The Mask’ is an allegory to the path he himself has taken.

      -> “Passing” by Nella Larsen

  -> this novel tells the story of two colored women - Irene and Clare - and how they navigate the world with the ability to pass as white women. There’s so much that goes into this novel, from the question of race as a moral ground, sexuality in the form of envy, the loss of community when one crosses the racial lines…. I feel like jason would love this book DOWN, the complexities and intricacies are right up his alley. While the book is not in production, Jason definitely finds some way, shape or form to get his hands on a copy….don’t ask a fanboy his methods okay!

       ->Toni Morrison

             -> Toni Morrison is one of my favorite black authors and by extension it is now Jason’s favorite. The way she writes is just so raw and passionate yet delicate and it really speaks to your soul. She’s one of those authors that’s in a completely different league of her own. I feel like Jason would really love Sula and A Mercy from her. He definitely cried while reading Beloved (everyone cries while reading Beloved). The Bluest Eye is his number one favorite book ever in life and I will die on this hill!!!

       -> “Sonny's Blues” by James Baldwin

             -> I honestly think anything by James Baldwin, Jason would like, but I choose Sonny’s Blues because of the struggle with brotherly love. There’s no secret that Jason has a tumultuous relationship with the rest of the Batfamily, and although for the most part the majority of it has been reconciled, tension lingers. Jason has his reservations, hes brash, and he’s the one that often clashes heads with people. This dynamic reflect that of the narrator and his brother, Sonny, who are constantly at war with one another because of Sonny’s desires and dreams, and the narrator being unable to see them. I feel like this is one of Jason’s comfort novels; it’s bittersweet, heartbreaking, and truly a testament to what people do when they think they’re doing what's best for those they care for.

       -> Other Books and Essays Include…

             -> “Letter to my Nephew” by James Baldwin, “Native Son” by Richard Wright, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet Jacobs, “Sweat” by Zora Neal-Hurston, The Parable Duology and “Bloodchild” by Octavia E. Butler

If you enjoyed, please leave a like, comment, and reblog for others to see! And don't be shy to send in a request!

[natimiles]

Chronology and random facts in Ikemen Vampire

Because I was bored one day and now I can't stop thinking about it

First, their births and deaths (DD/MM/YY): Jean: ☀️ 06/01/1412 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 30/05/1431 (19yo) Vlad: 🧛🏻‍♂️ 1431 — historically 💀 1476 (45yo?) Leonardo: 🧛🏻‍♂️ 15/04/1452 — historically 💀 02/05/1519  (67yo?) Faust: ☀️ 1480 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 1540 (60yo) Shakespeare: ☀️ 26/04/1564 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 23/04/1616 (almost 52yo) Isaac: ☀️ 25/12/1642 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 31/03/1727 (84yo) Comte: 🧛🏻‍♂️ 28/05/1696 — historically 💀 27/02/1784 (87yo?) Mozart: ☀️ 27/01/1756 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 05/12/1791 (35yo) Charles: ☀️ 15/02/1739 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 04/07/1806 (67yo) Napoleon: ☀️ 15/08/1769 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 05/05/1821 (51yo) Vincent: ☀️ 30/03/1853 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 29/07/1890 (37yo) Theo: ☀️ 01/05/1857 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 25/01/1891 (33yo) Arthur: ☀️ 22/05/1859 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 07/07/1930 (71yo) Dazai: ☀️ 19/06/1909 — 🧛🏻‍♂️ 13/06/1948 (39yo)

Fact I: From what I found online, France started using electricity around 1870-1880. It intensified after 1881, after the Exposition Universelle (Universal Exposition) in Paris, when they lit up the Eiffel Tower. 

Fact II: We know we are in the 19th century in-game, but don’t know which year exactly (not that I remember). Which means: our story is around 1870-1899, because there's electricity.

With all that information, I have so many comments and questions!

1. Imagine how freaked out Jean was when he went to the mansion! He died soooo young! And like 450 years BEFORE there was such a technology as a freaking lamp. Well, almost all of them died before the electricity… 

2. Vincent, Theo and Arthur come from the future. They actually were alive in the same years that the story passes. I guess they never leave Paris or they would’ve encountered themselves? I don’t know how this paradox would work. Dazai is also from the future.

3. I never thought Comte would be the “youngest” pure blood. I don’t remember them saying anything about it.

4. Napoleon probably met Charles before. As a fact, I googled it and found a little story about it, but apparently it’s not proven: “They met by accident near the Place de la Concorde, the same place he had killed the last king a decade earlier. Recognizing Charles, Napoleon asked if he would do the same to him if it came to it. Apparently displeased by the affirmative answer, Napoleon asked how he could sleep at night, to which Charles said, ‘If kings, emperors, and dictators can sleep well, why shouldn’t an executioner?’”

5. Arthur not only knew Shakespeare’s work, but he wrote a poem about it — and it’s so hard for someone who has english as a second language to read. It’s named “Shakespeare's Expostulation” (published in Songs of the Road) and it’s Shakespeare complaining about the attribution of authorship of his works to Francis Bacon.

6. It would be so awkward a meeting between Jean and Charles. Not related to any particular information in this post, just thought of the irony and got sad.

7. Dazai (and probably Arthur) knows what a car is. It must be weird for him to ride a carriage.

8. Aside from Jean, Theo is the youngest. Isaac is the oldest (not counting Comte).

9. Not related to this post specifically, but did you know Isaac Newton never dated anyone? He died a virgin. Now think about what an awkward snowflake he’s in-game.

Masterlists

[polish-art-tournament]

paintings* round 1 poll 90

Lady in a lilac dress by Władysław Czachórski, between 1880-1890:

propaganda: I just love the many different textures in this painting, I want to touch them all, the fabric of the ladys dress, the flowers, the vase, the curtain and the marble and even the oil painting in the background, I think you can really see the difference in all the material and its impressive and just gives a very tactil feeling even if its just 2dimensional painting.

On the ship - Colombo, Ceylon by Julian Fałat, 1885:

propaganda: I am sure people much more educated than me had better thoughts about this than I do, but the change from the sketch here; showing a brown woman in the center vs the final product replacing the model with a white one, gives the art works such different vibes - both versions are outside perspectives, in different ways, both are informed by orientalism in different ways (for a short read (17 pages) I recommend "JULIAN FAŁAT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: Hybridity and Mimicry in the Memoirs of a Polish/Kakanian/European Painter" by Grzegorz Moroz (free to read and download via jstor) which does not discuss Julian Fałats art but his writing and touches on the failure to connect the loss of Polands independence to Russia, Prussia and Austro-Hungary to the colonioal rule over Asia and Africa). The version with the white lady gives such an expected picture, the white feminity in the center, soft and courted, the white man having an eye on the interaction with the brown men - its important to remember that this as and sadly is a big image in our culture - but the sketch is much more interesting to me: the brown woman in center, and the small difference in her expression, looking more active to me, as if she is speaking while the white lady looks half asleep, the pose of the white man watching is different too, and I want to go find some research about this (if anyone has recs please share!)

[dresshistorynerd]

the gilded age costuming is interesting in that they deliberately take inspiration from later designs for bertha and gladys to emphasise the “nouveau riche” while the old money characters will be clothed in more historically accurate fashions (some are even direct replicas of paintings/extant garments)

I do understand the urge to do that, and I know it's approach with a lot of historical costuming, but personally I dislike that approach. I think it misunderstands the point of fashion in Victorian society. Today we think of the most fashionable people to be very forward thinking in their fashion and for formal clothing to be most fashionable. Red carpet is often treated as fashion event. However, this was not the case in Victorian society. Fashion was social decorum, it was a requirement to participate in high society. Or rather it was requirement to participate in society at all. Even workers adhered to the fashionable silhouette, while working. Here's for example factory workers from mid 1890s with perfectly fashionable silhouettes with the big sleeves and all.

I think it's quite backwards to think nouveau rich would be experimenting with futuristic fashion. It's unthinkable they wouldn't adhere to the fashionable silhouette for high society events especially. They were the ones trying to establish themselves as part of high society, so they would be the ones most religiously following the fashionable silhouettes and styles. This is why tea gowns were much more experimental, and why the counter cultural Aesthetic style, which rejected the Victorian silhouette, could first entered high society through tea gowns. Tea gowns were worn in more intimate society gatherings (afternoon tea with neighbors and friends), so there was more room to experiment with new counter cultural styles. Tea gowns in 1880s had many of the elements that would become fashionable in 1890s, looser fit in bodice, natural form bustle and even balloon sleeves. Some British middle class/upper middle class women would dress in Aesthetic dress during 1880s in public society events, but they were not part of the upper echelon of high societies and no one dressed that way in high society evening events. The old money rich people also had more room to experiment with more unconventional fashion than nouveau rich, since their position in the exclusive high society was so much more secure, even if they were not as respectable (and adhering to the fashion ideals was about respectability) as expected of high society, their connections and status protected them from consequences. Money was not enough to secure your status, you needed connections.

[grae-98]

Treatment

Set between 1880-1890, You have been feeling and acting off. After visiting the doctor's he sends you off to stay in Pelican Town where you are set to receive treatment for your condition. Upon arrival you learn the doctor administering these treatments is better than you think.

Harvey/ unnamed reader

2nd pov

3867 words

trigger warnings: reader is diagnosed with hysteria, mentions of depression, cheating/ adultery, doctor/ patient relationship

smut tags: fingering, cunnilingus

notes: i do have this posted on ao3 if you'd prefer to read it there. I kinda interested into making this into a short series, if you're interested let me know!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

 Treatment

“I believe we may need to seek alternative treatments for this type of abnormal behavior you wife seems to be displaying.” The nameless faceless doctor assures your husband. “It seems to be Briquet’s syndrome. To put it simply for your wife, here it is defined as-“

“Are you calling me hysteric doctor?” You cut in before he could even care to explain his own definition.

“Darling! I’m very sorry doctor as you can see my wife is surely not well. What would be the alternative treatment you speak of?” His statement was that of pure fact with little to no concern for his own wife.

“Normally I would recommend a simple rest cure, but I have a clinic I can recommend on the coast. It will also give your wife access to the sea air, which as you know is good for her feminine liquids.” He says “The doctor there is a friend of mine. He lives in a small area in the country called Pelican Town. I would recommend your wife stay there until she feels her symptoms lessen.”

“I see doctor thank you. I will be sending her soon, my grandfather happened to have a cottage in that area.”

That was all the preparation you received. Not even two weeks after meeting with the doctor you were being packed onto the train to be set off. Settling your skirts as you sat to look out of the window. The countryside was getting denser the further you traveled. The lush trees were scarcely letting in the midafternoon light. Checking your gilded pocket watch there was only 20 minutes left of the journey.

You were angry, you were alone, and you were left to stay in his grandfather’s hunting cottage with only two members of staff. Yes, you could dress yourself, but how were you meant to prepare meals or launder your dresses let alone mend them. But maybe this doctor will be able to help with whatever imaginary issues are at hand.

Stepping off onto the platform and taking in the surrounding environment. It’s all very quaint. You’ve been there only once before during one of your husbands hunting trips. It seemed like any cottage house that you’ve visited but now this one you’ll be staying in for heaven knows how long. The clearing of a throat brought your attention to in front of you. A tall man with light brown hair and well-groomed facial hair stood before you. His clothes were tailored handsomely but seemed to be worn in

“Hello, pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Dr. Harvey, you must be my newest patient.” He holds out his hand crooked slightly to the left. Staring at it with mild shock you place your hand in it to make a slight squeeze to greet him back. He quirks his eyebrow up at you taking the hand put before you. He seemed rather young to be a doctor. He didn’t seem to have any grey to his hair nor many lines to his face.

“Yes, it seems so. I didn’t realize for my treatment you would make house calls. I would have figured I’d come to your clinic.” You say as you drop your hand from his.

“Normally yes but given the nature of the treatment I would have thought you might be more comfortable in your own home.”

“And why might that be?” The doctor seems to flush at this statement and looks to the help that is beside you.

“Please do take that inside. I will be in shortly.” You shoo away the man helping you carry your suitcase.

“You haven’t had any discussion of your treatment before coming here?”

“I cannot say that I have. I feel as though I have been spirited away and left from my friends.” You say with an awkward giggle.

“Ah, well I see. I will discuss it with you further after we have a bit of a chat. I would like a better list of your symptoms before starting.”

“Yes, very well. Please do come in, I haven’t anytime to explore yet. I am sure we will still find some place to speak.” Opening the wooden door.

“My apologies, I was told you were to arrive yesterday.” Harvey removed his hat and his coat upon entering the cottage.

“I’m not sure who told you that, but as you can see, I have just arrived. I’m sure I will still be able to make time to answer your questions about my diagnosis.”

He seems very caught off guard by the direct statement. The same man who took your case earlier drops off a tray to pour tea. With a quick thank you the man is seen off. You sit in what seems to be a very old couch across from the doctor. Pouring one cup for yourself and one for him. He leans over to take his cup as you begin to speak again.

“I am very well aware the doctor who sent me to you says that I am hysteric. I feel that is not the case. I am bored, there is hardly anything for me to do. I find the typical ladies’ activities to be rather dull. My husband clearly does not love me otherwise I wouldn’t be talking to you right now. I have long been disinterested in my husband and he me.”

“When you speak of disinterest?”

“I mean that my husband and I have not been in… amorous congress in quite some time.” You give a slight pause in the middle of the statement to find the right words to say.

“And do you find yourself frustrated with the lack thereof?”

“On occasion.” You answer truthfully. Harvey seems to be writing down everything you’ve told him thus far.

“Aside from those, do you feel any other physical symptoms that weren’t there before?”

“I do, yes. I find myself often fatigued. I feel as though I cannot sleep a wink at night, and I do suffer for it in the day. Some days I feel ravenous with hunger and other days I could hardly be bothered to eat a crumb. It all feels very strange to me, and that is what I told the doctor. Look where that’s gotten me.”

Harvey nods solemnly and scribbles more notes into his small leather-bound journal.

“Well Missus we will be able to rectify some of these odd behaviors of yours it’ll just take some time. I will be back tomorrow to begin your treatment; I would prefer to give you a little while to settle in your temporary home.

“Thank you, Dr. Harvey, I shall expect you tomorrow in the morning say around 3pm?”

“Yes, very well. Gald to meet you.”

“You as well doctor.”

It was early the next morning when you rose. Something about the fresh air allowed you to be able to sleep much deeper than you are used to. It was a lovely way to wake, with no lingering tiredness or aches. Placing bare feet on the floor you open the windows outward to let in the light and cool ocean air. Taking in a deep breath you move your way back to bed to ring the bell to signify that you’re awake.

After a simple breakfast of eggs toast. The eggs tasted a lot fresher than you were used to than in your own home. However, there wasn’t much time before the doctor would come to visit and you had a few things left to do before seeing him. Writing letters to your friends back at home to explain your journey and explain the place where you are staying now.

Three pm came upon you far too fast for your liking, but it was nearly at 3 o’clock sharp that Dr. Harvey came calling. He greeted you with the tip of his head as he walks into the room to find you sitting in the same place you were yesterday.

“I hope you hadn’t waiting for too long.” He speaks as he takes his seat across from you.

“Unfortunately doctor that’s all I seem to do.” He nods taking a seat.

“I came to discuss with you about the method of treatment that I had mentioned yesterday. After our meeting I strongly recommend this course.”

“Do please explain.”

“You will undergo a treatment that will involve you being able to expel your feminine liquids. Since you and your husband do not share each other’s company, and it is difficult for a woman to expel them herself. What this means is that I am to stimulate to for you for your health.”

“I see.” You blush at the doctor for even mentioning it.

He clears his throat before speaking, “I can feel your hesitancy, but I can assure you this will be relatively quick.”

“How exactly will you ‘stimulate me’ doctor?” You ask in meek voice attempting to sound more emboldened than you are at the moment.

“Easily. I will place a hand on your abdomen and the other I will massage until I feel that you had a paroxysmal convulsion.”

“I see. You said it would be relatively quick?”

“As quickly as I can.” He says with simply too much enthusiasm.

“Alright then. Let us try this new treatment then.”

You bring him to your bedroom for your ease and comfort he told you. It only occurred to you now as you slide your bloomers from under your dress that this man was going to see you. Doctor Harvey has you lay on the bed in such a way that he can stay standing. Sliding your dress up your legs you ask him a question.

“Doctor, how many patients have you done this treatment for?”

“Plenty while being trained on the treatment, but none since I came to practice here. Are you feeling nervous at all?”

“I am yes.”

“I will do my absolute best to ease any discomfort you may have. You will feel a slight pinch in the beginning but it should get better over time.”

He did not lie to you. As he entered a single finger to your entrance there was the familiar drag of skin to your dry opening. Sucking in a pained breath he stopped for a single moment.

“As I said it’s worse in the beginning. I will be better soon I promise.” He looks at you with concern in his eyes. You can tell he doesn’t want to be doing this anymore than you want it. Nodding to him the doctor moves his finger once again.

You feel your muscles relaxing while he moves his finger in a gentle front and back motion. Slowly coaxing the tingle from your belly; you begin to shift your legs higher onto the bed they were already perched on. Then just like a canary you sang a song. The dampness that spawned from a desert was amazing. The glide of the doctors’ finger within you had you singing a praise you didn’t know you could sing.

“Oh stars, Doctor Harvey this is incredible. Please don’t stop.” He responded by pushing the hand on top of your stomach just slightly harder while adding a second finger. Breathing heavily you look down to the doctor to see his sleeve rolled to his elbow, forearm flexing as he pushed his fingers into your newly soaked heat in earnest. Rolling your head back as he moved the hand on your stomach down slightly.

“I’m going to try something tell me if this doesn’t work, okay?”

He began to add more pressure to the top of your monds while pressing his thumb to the hood of your clit. The reaction was instantaneous, your hand grabbing to the one holding you. Wrapping your fingers around his wrist like you’re trying to ground yourself as your hips are now shaking to meet his thrusting fingers. Staggering breathing between throaty moans and cries of him to not stop whatever magic he is doing. You can hear the unmistakeable squelch as he moves his fingers is rapid movement. You feel like you’re on fire like everything is you is burning. The dress you’re wearing suddenly feels like a 40-pound weight, the muscles in your stomach begin to tighten so deeply they feel they’re about to cramp. Your free hand that’s not holding onto the doctor grips the covers beside you. You know you’ve been near screaming when you feel the two fingers leave your body. Breathing heavier than before you sit up to the edge of the bed.

You watch the doctor grab a linen from his bag to wipe off his wet fingers. Casually curling the rag around each of his fingers and down the palm of his hand. He looks to you as you stand and attempt to fix yourself in the slightest.

“Thank you Doctor, that was a very informative treatment. Although, dare I say, Mrs. Harvey must be a very happy lady.” You say towards him with a smile on your face. He responds with a laugh.

“Heavens, there is no Mrs. Harvey. I am unwed; however, I’m happy that you are feeling better after just one treatment. We will have to continue this for at least a few more weeks, just once a week to make sure you’re well and comfortable. “

‘No wife?’ you think to yourself ‘How has this man remained unmarried? Certainly that was incredible and it was unlike anything felt before.’

“I do not know how long I may be here. I don’t see why we shouldn’t make this twice a week to speed up recovery time.” You hope that you’re not coming across more crass than you intend to be.

“I can understand your desire to go back to your home, but I would rather not try to rush your recovery. Your symptoms seemed to be mild at the very least so just once a week should be okay for now.”  Slight disappointment washed over you.

“Next week then Doctor?”

“Next week.” And with that he left.

Six weeks have gone by since coming to Pelican Town. The spring was now turning to summer and the heat was getting slightly more intense.  Although you’re by the ocean so the blazing sun doesn’t seem as blistering as it would at home. Living in the country seemed to have its perks. The small community seemed to be the backbone of this town. There weren’t very many people to get acquainted with and the home in which you’re staying doesn’t have the space to host but nonetheless you’ve managed to make a few friends here.

You made fast friends with Robin who is aware of your condition and promises to keep things quiet after she heard your cries from an open window during a treatment. She is the local carpenter and was coming by to offer her services when she heard the cries. Even with that she offered nothing but support and understanding. Her previous husband tried to have her institutionalized after the birth of her first son before his death.  Thanking the heavens above for your husband who apparently loved you enough to not send you there.

Your treatments otherwise have been very helpful in restoring a delightful mood. Today is a day for Dr. Harvey to come and visit. As the weeks have progressed you’ve invited him later and later to have him join you for dinner.

As the clock tolls 5 o’clock there is a sharp knock on the door. You hear the voices down the hall.

“Doctor Harvey, will you be joining the lady for dinner this evening?”

“If the lady wishes it, I would be glad to.” Harvey responds back. You can hear the rustling of his coat being collected and the footsteps of his approach. It almost feels like a response on these days. Once the footsteps come close you feel your body light with want.

“Doctor Harvey, it’s good to see you.” You say, smile plastered on your face. Standing to greet him. You move your way across the floor meeting him behind the couch. With a quick glimpse behind him you grab his forearms.

“It is good to see you as well. I am to take that I will be joining you again this week for dinner?” He says to you as you look up to him giving his arms a reassuring squeeze.

“As you know I get rather lonely here. What better company than the wonderful doctor that’s treating my illness.” He laughs as you lead him to your bed once again.

This will be the eighth treatment from him, and he will need to reassess after the tenth has been finished. Hoping your time with the kind doctor doesn’t come to an end too soon you pray that he will find some reason to keep you here longer.

You’ve become accustomed to not wearing anything under your dress on the day the doctor comes to visit, and each time the nerves wrack up your spine.

“Feeling giddy today it seems?” He spoke as he rolled his sleeves up once again. It doesn’t seem like you will tire of looking at the pale skin of his arms. Knees backing into the side of the mattress.

“In truth doctor I’ve been having impure thoughts. I used to not have anything like this before.” You loosened the cover that sits over your corset. Allowing you more cooling air to hit your mostly covered chest.

“And what type of impure thoughts are they?” He asks as he helps you slide your dress further up your thighs after you lay in your designated spot.

“I don’t think I should tell you.” You say to him while he pulls up the chair you brought in for him around the week four mark.

“I am your doctor, I think you should tell me.”

“I want to know things that I shouldn’t want to know.”

“Now you have piqued my curiosity. Do tell me.”

You take in a short breath before answering, “I want to know how your moustache feels. How it feels against my legs, my chest, my arms, here.” You stop to point to your mouth before continuing. “And most of all. Here.” You open your previously held together legs to show him the growing damp.

You swore you heard him let a slight gasp before he traced a finger to your outer lips. His eyes scan your half-dressed body to meet your own. He tilts his lip to give you a smirk.

“I believe some of that might be arranged.” He spoke so softly as he lifted your left leg into his hand. Lightly pressing kisses to the inside of your calf. You sigh in content when he moves his mouth higher up your leg. Trailing feather light kisses until he reaches the inside of your thigh where he planted a hot kiss. You open your legs a little further urging him to meet your center and offer you release. Even slower than before he marks wet lips to where your thigh dips. Steaming breaths cloud his rounded spectacles as his mouth hovers over you.

“Harvey…” You whimper. He takes one quick tentative lap with the tip of his tongue against you. You shiver, hands planted firmly onto your knees as you spread them as far as they can go. Fully displayed for the man, slick lips puffy from the morning when you failed to achieve what he can do successfully.

He lets out a shaking breath before muttering something. Before you can ask him what he said his mouth attached itself. Lips suctioned onto the sensitive part of you that he has learned to maneuver with his thumb. Gasping for breath you keep griping the tops of your knees until he dips his tongue into your entrance. Hand sliding down to his hair, and he moans into you. The vibration alone causes you to moan back like it was a call.

“Gods above!” You exclaim. Hand feeling his hair for the first time and it was so soft beneath your fingertips. You mistakenly move your hips up to meet his muscle and he lets out a low growl using both of his hands to keep your hips in place. He laps at your sex with hunger and want to push his head further into you.

Your moans begin to fall off your lips in words of praise and delight. Both hands now twisting wildly into his hair when he lifts the bottom of you. Placing your legs on his shoulders he grips your butt to raise it from the mattress. You start to chant his name like it’s the only word that’s in your mind. He moans into you again and this time you could nearly faint.

“Fingers, Harvey, I need your fingers!” You cry as you feel the intense tightening begin to threat. He obliges and pushes the two fingers into you. The combination of the licking and sucking with the pump of his fingers makes you claw at the sheets. Crying as the damn broke, he began to slow his fingers.

“No, please don’t stop. One more, one more please.” Who is he to deny you. He removes his mouth from you to speed his fingers once again. Curling the fingers your eyes are squeezed shut. Legs held open my sheer force of will, toes curling against the cover. The intensity is so great for this. Your legs begin to quake, breathing labored as moans keep falling from between your lips. His hand moves slightly faster the obscene noise coming from your body would leave you embarrassed if not for how much enjoyment you were getting out of this. You open your eyes to find Harvey palming himself through his trousers. Prominent bulge showing through the tan fabric. You whimper again as you reach your hand out towards him just to feel. That’s all you told yourself. He lets you feel the thickness of it through his trousers. You could feel the heat of him seeping through into your palm and when you look up to see his face you’re awestruck.

Glasses tilted slightly, naturally wavy hair falls in a mess on his head, some even sticking to his forehead, moustache matted down against his parted lips, cheeks flushed and panting heavily. You threw your head back against the mattress whole body shaking against the surface. Harvey let out the longest and loudest groan as you looked down in horror. Shooting up so fast it nearly made you topple over

“I- I am so sorry Doctor Harvey! I didn’t realize that I could… Did I make water on you?” Harvey had no worded response. He quickly reached out to cup your face to haul you in for a kiss. Moaning once again but now into his mouth that tasted like you. Your lips parted only to meet again after heads changed directions. Your hands threaded their way through his hair again. Touch starved and lonely the both of you. As you broke apart you looked into each other’s eyes.

“Oh no.”

[stellastra-scribbles]

Finally completed the outfit reference for Jayna Stiles, a half-elven NPC follower from Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.

Outfit breakdown (or "outfit onions" as I like to call them lol~)

I really like Jayna Stiles and her backstory + goals of becoming a technological healer. I'm also a sucker for 19th-century fashion and I have an unhealthily large collection of reference books and a bunch of files saved from online museum collections (I've got about 22+ gigabytes of refs downloaded from the Library of Congress alone haha I need more hobbies).

Back on track, I really just wanted to design Jayna an outfit that suited her character more than her in-game sprites while also being practical for travel/adventuring.

More unrestrained detailed design ramblings below the cut~

Individual layers. I pulled most of her colors from her default outfit.

Since Arcanum's starting year is 1885, I usually picture the "modern" sense of fashion in big cities like Tarant and Caladon taking cues from real life 1885-1890s western fashions (to give myself some leeway with references). Smaller towns can be a bit more dated, but I try not to go back further than the 1870s in most cases.

However, for a character like Jayna, who hails from Dernholm, I gave her clothing from references dating back to the 1850-1860s. I did this because Jayna says in her recruitment dialogue that "[her] parents weren't wealthy people, and [she doesn't] make much money here in Dernholm," so I took this to mean that she likely wears clothing to last, wearing hand-me-downs, makes her own clothes, and mending it over the years rather than buying new clothes.

Given that Dernholm (+ the Kingdom of Cumbria in general) isn't in the best state when the game starts, they may be behind the times and the latest fashions take longer to reach Dernholm.

Gar: “Alas, poor Dernholm! Once home to the legendary Dragon Knights, it has fallen on hard times since Praetor became king some 60 odd years ago. He despises all technology, and I think he's recently become sour on magick as well.”

Herkemer Oggdoddler: “For two generations Cumbria languished as an economically abused and technologically impaired backwater in the shadow of Tarant. Its once fine capital, Dernholm, has become a ruin.”

Layer 1 - Chemise + Open Drawers. I deliberately drew the drawers as fairly loose so as to not expose her without having to redraw the pose or resort to "Barbie doll anatomy."

Various resources demonstrated the chemise being tucked into the drawers or worn fully untucked/loose, but I drew it as tucked-in for the sake of reference visibility, so perhaps either one works in practice.

Layer 2 - Corset + Socks/Stockings. I picked a more "contemporary" (1880s) design for the corset as I imagine it would be a more custom-fitted garment. Plus, anyone who has ever worn bras will attest that a bra that properly fits is comparable to a good pair of shoes: never cheap out on it because if you take care of it, it will take care of you. Perhaps that same logic can be applied to corsets in ye olden days and historically-inspired fantasy settings.

For Jayna, despite the simplistic design, it might be one of the few luxuries she can afford for herself given the necessity of the garment for bust support.

Layer 3 - Trousers + Shoes. I was inspired by vivandières and Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, who typically wore trousers beneath their skirts. Dr. Walker was a "surgeon, women’s rights advocate, abolitionist, and spy, [and] the first female U.S. Army surgeon during the Civil War." Since Jayna is an aspiring technological healer, I feel like an allusion to Dr. Walker and her practicality was appropriate.

Layer 4 - Petticoat. It's just something to fill out the skirt volume a tad. I considered adding a corset cover in this layer but I did like having the upper outline of the corset somewhat visible in the shirtwaist layer to illustrate her living situation (aka she doesn't have one or just has a poor-quality one). As a modern-age woman, I think this this all already looks like a laundering nightmare to wash by hand.

Layer 5 - Shirtwaist + Outer Skirt. I really like the shape of the 1860s Garibaldi blouse's sleeves (I think these are bishop sleeves? correct me if I'm wrong...) and the stripes allude to some 19th century nurse uniforms. I initially went for a plaid pattern but that was a pain to draw and using a pre-existing plaid brush/pattern just didn't look as good as I wanted it to be.

Layer 6 - Sash + Pistol Holster + Bag. Given Jayna's goals of becoming a tech healer, I took design cues from vivandières, who were 19th-century women attached to military regiments, with a few known vivandières being nurses (like Anna Etheridge).

However, rather than lifting the vivandière look completely, I imagine Jayna would attempt to replicate the silhouette with her own clothes. The bag is a bit of an amalgamation of various 18th-19th century hunting/frontier bags, so I apologize that I don't have a direct reference image.

---------------

Of course, in the end, I did take some liberties with the outfit so it's not completely historically-accurate, but that's okay since Arcanum is a fictional universe.

I guess I should've prefaced that I'm no expert on historical fashion, just a casual enthusiast who thinks "ooh old dress is pretty!"

I just wanted to see how far I could go before I had to make some concessions, such as:

Jayna's hair is short and worn loose while irl Victorian women typically had long hair and wore them up (there were documented exceptions of course). Many portraits for both female player characters and female NPCs across all in-game races show short hair and loose long hair, so let's just assume that 19th-century Arcanum has more relaxed feminine hair standards compared to the real-life 19th century western world. Also, irl 19th-century rural women did sell their hair for money, so maybe there's something to apply to the world of Arcanum with that. Or maybe the short-hair craze just hit Arcanum a few decades early *shrug*.

I initially planned to give her gloves, but many resources show vivandières not really wearing them, preferring to go barehanded.

The clothing colors may be a bit too saturated for the era I took inspiration from, but I wanted to stay somewhat faithful to Jayna's original sprite colors.

I did simplify some garments down for the sake of me having to draw enough layers as it is lol. Sorry if the lace wasn't fancy enough or that she doesn't have headwear. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sometimes you just wanna finish a project and be done with it.

hoo boy, that was a lot

Thank You For Coming to My TED Talk :)

Now go play Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura~

[froody]

hii I have a character engaged to a texan cattle rancher and her name is miss faraday but I was struggling to think of a first name. judy or julia are my current favs. do you think you could help me find one?

(for reference she lives around 1890)

Hmmm. Let’s see if I can rustle up some good 1890s names for a girl from Texas…

Vernetta

Dolly/Dolle (one of my favs. got an OC from around that period named that)

Ramona

Eva (always a top 100 baby name between 1880 and 1932)

Anne-Marie (personal fav)

Coralee/Cora (got ancestors named this)

Della

Mabelle (interesting variation of Mabel)

[max1461]

I think something that doesn't get talked about enough is how large of a technological difference there really was between, say, 1830 and 1880, a period of just 50 years. 1830 was barely coming off the coat-tails of the 18th century, a period which ultimately looked in most ways more like the pre-modern past than like the present. By 1880 I think it's fair to say that society in the industrialized world was structured more-or-less like it is today, albeit of course without many of our modern amenities.

By the middle of the 19th century, the First Industrial Revolution had come to a close and society began, somewhat, to settle into this new way of things. By 1880 the Second Industrial Revolution was in full swing, and the world was really beginning to look like the one we have today.

Obviously I'm thinking about this in part in relation to Meiji Japan. Japan was an early industrializer, in the sense that they were there basically from the get-go of the Second Industrial Revolution. Japan industrialized before much of eastern and central Europe. But I'm also thinking about it in the context of Civil War and Reconstruction era America. America was deeply agrarian in 1830. Furthermore, in 1830 the US had not fully extended its territorial sovereignty to the western seaboard—indigenous nations, though under great pressure, still maintained autonomy in large swathes of what is today the US, and presented competition to the growing American empire over land and resources on the flanks. It wouldn't be until the Reconstruction period, the time of the Second Industrial Revolution, when trains made the West accessible to colonizers and the US took its modern shape.

I don't really have a point, other than to draw attention to the real anomaly of these years. Both Japan and the US were going through much the same thing in the nineteenth century. Someone born in 1810 or 1820, in either nation, would have died in 1890 or 1900 in a completely different world. Our world. They would have seen it, from different angles and in different ways, but none the less they would have seen it, if they were a white man from New York or a Lakota from the Black Hills or a Japanese farmer from Gifu. They would have seen the world that came before, and the world we have today. Something about that is incredible to me.

[mirai-desu]

Miss Scarlet & The Duke Read-a-likes

I had already started on a post of Miss Scarlet & The Duke read-a-likes before The News, and now I want to prove that hey, you can have historical mysteries with romance and the leads get together! When MSATD first came out I thought, this is like the books love to read! (whoops). The following are series that I feel like, as a librarian, skew closer to the actual original premise (ahem) of MSATD, but aren't the Historical Romance genre (i.e. these books are rated closer to the TV show, when it comes to the steam factor). In these cases, I chose titles that aren't just mysteries but feature the romance prominently, but also aren't just HR with a mystery in the background.

Disclaimer: mileage may vary; for some of these it's been awhile since I've read them and there might be mistakes. There's also a few other series that might work that are on my TBR list, so I might be updating this list in the near future.

Top Picks:

Veronica Speedwell 1880s, London | POV: First person; heroine You've probably seen this book listed as a MSATD read-a-like before, because not only is the time period similar, but so is the dynamic between the leads. The main difference is that the protagonists are actually natural historians and not detectives, and some of the plots are more adventure-like (think "Cell 99") than police cases. If I had to pick one series to rec, it's this one.

Molly Murphy 1900s, New York | POV: First person; heroine While in New York (har har), this series I think has a most general set up to MSATD; a lady detective with an agency that she takes over, and her love interest, a detective with the police force. There's even an Arabella. But don't fret! (ngl, though, this series proves that William wouldn't have an easier time with the NYPD than he does SY… RN might have wanted to do some research…)

Captain Jim & Lady Diana 1890s, India, US, UK | POV: Differs between books, 1st book is more his POV The first book in this series has a more layered approach with the setting of British India (which is fascinating in its own right), but the next two are more in line with MSATD and the other series listed.

Carpenter & Quincannon 1890s, San Francisco | POV: Third person limited, both hero and heroine This series is written by a husband and wife duo (HA), and might be a little confusing to figure out the order given the characters' appearances in their other works, but the actual series linked here is about two former Pinkertons who form their own detective agency together. Some of the cases are a little predictable, and there are a few books where their cases don't intertwine as well as the others, but it's still an enjoyable read of two detectives who make it work both professionally and personally.

Other Picks:

Wrexford & Sloane Regency, London | POV: Third person limited, both hero and heroine The latest volumes actually name check MSATD in their blurbs. I think the feel is slightly different, given the time period and a few other elements that are clear when you start reading them, but they are similar enough that I get the comparison.

Daisy Dalrymple 1920s, UK | POV: Third person limited, both hero and heroine 1920s historical mysteries with romance are a genre all into themselves, but I recommend this series over some of the others because of the HEA. (also tacking this on here: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is loads better as a TV series, which is why I don't recommend the books).

Inspector Corravan 1870s, London | POV: Third person limited; hero There's only two of this series so far, but I feel like the male lead has shades of William to him.

Athenian Mysteries Ancient Greece | Male POV (from what I remember) This one is off the beaten path compared to the others, but I do recommend it because of the dynamic between the leads and the HEA.

Great series but… the Slow Burn is Still… Slow

Bess Crawford WWI, UK/France | POV: First person; heroine I really do like this series, but I have to have a somewhat spoilery caveat: we are still in the slow burn 13 books in. But I have to recommend it anyway, because there's some striking similarities in that the female lead's father is the mentor to the male lead. I will warn you; there are a few books that he barely appears in. So maybe try this one last lol

Promising Start

Dr. Julia Lewis 1860s, London | POV: Third person limited; hero and heroine + villain My hold on this debut literally showed up the day after I almost finished the post, but I after reading the first one, it's definitely in the same vein (there's also a very overt reference to something that I'm certain is a nod to MSATD...). Looking forward to the next one for sure.

[heatwa-ves]

Wait what is jojos actually about?? Or is there no plot just a bunch of muscular gayboys running around for 1 million seasons?? I have a friend who loves jojos and they keep talking about tarot cards. Also I think they mentioned vampires at one point??

you have opened pandoras box here I'll TRY not to yap endlessly but no promises. jjba follows the joestar family the protagonist of each part are all related and all have a name beginning with jo (or gio. if you're italian) hence jojo. and the first few parts while having some things carry over from previous parts could probably be watched as standalone (tho you HAVE to have seen 1 and 3 in order to watch 6) so. quick summary of each of the parts I've seen (7 out of the 9) (part 9 is ongoing)

part 1 phantom blood (1880s or thereabouts): blonde british bisexual man (dio) is such a bitch ass hater he kills his adopted father becomes a vampire and tries very hard to kill his adopted brother jonathan joestar.

part 2 battle tendency (1920s): jonathan joestars grandson joseph is a beautiful brunette bisexual and he has to kill these four extremely cunty evil guys with the help of another beautiful blonde bisexual who he has a gay little thing going on with

part 3 stardust crusaders (1980s) : stands exist now and it's all dios fault. 100+ years later and he just won't die he's too much of a hater. josephs grandson jotaro goes on a roadtrip from japan all across asia to egypt kicking tarot card themed ass on the way while travelling with the most boring character ever, his xenophobic bisexual grandad, a frenchman with enormous tits and questionable hair, my wife, and a bitch ass dog in order to kill the immortal british blonde bisexual vampire who's ruining everyones life. I don't really like this part or rather I get annoyed thinking about it because it could be good and it isn't but my friend loves it so I guess it's a matter of taste.

part 4 diamond is unbreakable (1999) : prior to the roadtrip joseph (aged sixty something) cheated on his wife with the coolest woman alive and her son is called josuke he's the sweetest boy alive he's my baby brother and I would die for him. there are slice of life hijinks in a weird little japanese town for half this part and a really really good narrative about a kinky serial killer for the second half. joseph adopts an invisible baby he found on the side of the road

part 5 golden wind/vento aureo if you wanna be italian about it (2001) : (my favourite) dios son moved to italy changed his name to giorno giovanna and joined the italian mafia along with the only fictional character I have ever felt genuine desire towards and some other characters I adore. they kick a lot of ass and giorno age 15 becomes the boss of the mafia. it's good I swear

part 6 stone ocean (2011) : (prob my 3rd fav) jotaros daughter jolyne is arrested for a murder she's framed for. she has lesbian hijinks in jail and a priest with an unhealthy obsession with dio the blonde bisexual british vampire (he won't leave us alone) tries his best to kill her because her dad (who she kinda hates and has had nothing to do with in years) killed dio 20 years ago. they escape jail and said priest resets the entire universe. jolyne is one of my favourite characters EVER

part 7 steel ball run (1890) : (my other favourite) johnny joestar an ex jockey meets a random italian man and joins a pan continent horse race from san diego to new york in hopes of regaining his ability to walk. on the way he encounters dios reincarnation (still blonde bisexual and british but a dinosaur now. occasionally) and the corpse of Jesus Christ and kills the president.

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

fifth round of stats

we haven’t had a stats update in >200 polls, so I figured it was probably overdue. this is based on the first 821(ish) polls. as usual, any time I give two percentages with a slash between them (e.g., “18.5% / 11.3%”), the first percentage is the mean and the second is the median.

general observations

we’ve had 43 majority-yes results so far; for comparison, we had 42 majority-yes results in the last round of stats, meaning that in the last 200 polls there has only been one new majority-yes result. this is why I think it might be a good idea to start reblogging above-average yes results.

the highest individual yes result on either this or the sci-fi blog is still C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at 85.3% yes.

averages continue to drop

the mean yes result for all books is 13.9% (down from 15.9%), and the median yes result is 7.4% (down from 8.3%).

note that when I give aggregate numbers for things, I missed a book at some point when I was updating my spreadsheet, so any totals will only add up to 820 at most.

publisher

the gap between big 5 imprints and other publishers has narrowed, because of a big drop for big 5 imprints: big 5 imprints are now at 16.9% / 9.8% yes and other publishers at 7.0% / 3.0% yes (the median actually went up slightly — thanks, Mercedes Lackey!).

age demographic

children’s books continue to be much more likely to get a yes result; the averages across all categories have fallen again.

adult

there have been 453 adult books, of which 10 have gotten majority-yes results (2.2%). the average is 10.0% / 5.0% yes — note the very low median. an adult book that gets a more than 5.0% yes result is in the top 50% of most-read books in these polls!

teen/YA

there have been 161 teen/YA books, of which 4 have gotten majority-yes results (2.5%). the average is 13.3% / 8.4% yes.

children’s

there have been 206 children’s books, of which 29 have gotten majority-yes results (14.1%). the average is 22.3% / 15.8% yes (the median has dropped dramatically — it was 20.7% last time).

publication date

the decades that have enough books to provide (somewhat) meaningful data are still in a pretty clear bell curve peaking in the 1990s and 2000s:

18th century: 1

1830s: 1 book

1880s: 1 book

1890s: 2 books

1900s: 5 books

1910s: 3 books

1920s: 3 books

1930s: 6 books

1940s: 4 books

1950s: 10 books (average 35.1% / 23.5%, heavily skewed by Tolkien and Lewis lmao)

1960s: 8 books

1970s: 37 books (average 12.2% / 5.5%)

1980s: 68 books (average 15.1% / 6.4%)

1990s: 90 books (average 18.5% / 13.0%)

2000s: 191 books (average 16.9% / 10.1%)

2010s: 257 books (average 10.4% / 5.1%)

2020s: 133 books (average 9.5% / 5.2%)

race

the gap between white authors and authors of color has narrowed slightly, with the average for white authors dropping significantly and the average for authors of color rising slightly: books by white authors average 15.0% / 8.0% yes, and books by authors of color average 7.4% / 4.0% yes.

gender

books by women and books by nonbinary writers have a lower mean yes rate than books by men but a slightly higher median yes rate. this data suggests that in fact people read books by authors of all genders at relatively similar rates overall but that there are more bestsellers / classics by men (skewing the mean up).

women: 13.0% / 7.5%

men: 16.4% / 7.3%

nonbinary/other/none: 8.7% / 7.5%

geography

Oceania has finally got enough books that it’s not entirely determined by The Locked Tomb lmao.

North America: average 13.2% / 7.4%

Europe: average 17.6% / 8.9%

every other continent composite average: 8.4% / 3.7%

Asia: 4.4% / 2.9%

Oceania: 12.2% / 5.6%

language

the average for books originally published in English remains markedly higher (14.2% / 7.6% yes) than the average for books not originally published in English (9.4% / 2.9% yes), though it’s dropping. for other languages with >10 polls:

French: 7.2% / 1.7%

Japanese: 3.0% / 2.9%

so far in total we’ve had:

English: 752 books

French: 14 books

Japanese: 11 books

German: 8 books

Swedish: 8 books

Spanish: 5 books

Chinese: 4 books

Arabic: 3 books

Danish: 3 books

Korean: 2 books

Russian: 2 books

Welsh: 2 books

Finnish: 1 book

(Scottish) Gaelic: 1 book

Italian: 1 book

Polish: 1 book

Portuguese: 1 book

Yoruba: 1 book

as always, I especially invite submissions written in languages other than English, regardless of whether they’re available in translation!

[thedreamingpiscesfangirl42]

Another Overlords of Hell post for Hazbin Hotel because I just encountered it in my new fanfic and this is just me spewing ideas and headcanons. These may change in the future with my time to think and as new info comes from canon!

We all know Zestial is the oldest and Velvette is the youngest.

Whereas we don’t know when Zestial lived nor died, it is possible by the way he talks it’s at LEAST Shakespearean time. For example, Shakespeare lived from 1564-1616. Other headcanons I’ve seen that theorize Zestial was Jack the Ripper would place his time of life in the 1800s, as the Ripped was active in 1888 (April 1888 - February 1891 with a total of 5 CANONICAL murders, possibly more). From the way I see it when we take these dates into account, a healthy estimate of his time in Hell, and as an Overlord, could easily be anywhere from 130-460 years ago. Personally, I like to believe it was closer to when Shakespeare lived, maybe towards the tail end of the playwright’s life, right before the start of the 17th century or after the start or it, but could also believe he’s from the 1700s. So 429-300 years old for our spider Overlord.

For lack of name, I’m going to refer to the blue-flaming skull Overlord as Irving. His attire seems to me be butler-esque, although at the moment, it’s unknown where he’s from, just as we do not know his actual name. Butlers and other domestic servants had become increasingly more common in the 1800s throughout multiple countries, and so to me it makes sense that he would be one of the oldest. I would also like to note at this time that Irving was a name used in 1880s, with 654 males named according to Social Security records.

Now, we do have the von Eldritch family to analyze here. I have a few ideas for them, and as far as I can tell, who knows which one is the most accurate, if any of them. Reading online to find out more about their family, I noted some users claiming that the father, Frederick, was revealed in a past livestream to be a Hellborn that was able to rise to Overlord status, where his wife, Bethesda, also shares this title. If they are in fact Hellborn, this means they would have to be born after Zestial was, as he is the OLDEST, not the being holding the title the longest. The second option is that the term ‘eldritch horrors’ was coined by H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), which opens up the possibility that if the family is not actually Hellborn but in fact Sinners, that they could’ve died during the time after the author wrote his stories, which were being published in magazines at the time, and adopted a pseudo name, although Lovecraft’s fame didn’t actually arise until AFTER his death. Third option is that Irving, the Overlord mentioned in the paragraph above this one, isn’t actually an Overlord himself, but a butler for the von Eldritch family, as his attire could imply. He attends the meetings in their stead when they cannot, and fills them in on the proceedings. Although to the contrary of this point, when the backstory and lore of the Overlords are given, Irving is pictured in the overall group of titleholders, whereas I do not recall any members of the family being there, which kind of leads into the final option. It could be entirely possible that they are no longer considered Overlords, but could have a different kind of role in the series, if they were not cut out for the most part besides background characters. Only time will tell on this point.

Regarding Rosie, if she were not to be revealed as Hellborn, I’d place her death before Alastor’s, in the 1920s at the LATEST. Considering what little I know of fashion for the time and research, similar styles to how we see Rosie in the show was all the rage in the 1910s. Wide brim hats, short hair. However, her dress reminds me more of Edwardian dresses, popular at the turn of the century in the 1900s.

Considering Alastor died ~1933 when he was in his thirties (if I’m recalling information correctly, and I believe it was canon. My bad if it’s not), these bestest of friends are basically from the same time, and I would bet my bottom dollar that they knew each other when alive, if only for a time. However, even though Alastor died almost 50 years before Husk did (1970s), we all know he did not become an Overlord until AFTER Husk had been one for seemingly quite some time.

Now, I may sound absolutely crazy on this one, and it’s about our beloved Spanish ballerina, Carmilla Carmine. Considering her and Zestial refer to each other as old and dear friends, and the added jabs that we saw from Velvette at the Overlords’ meeting, I fully believe that Carmilla died sometime in the 20th century after Rosie and Alastor. Considering what conflicts were happening in the world in the 1900s, I don’t believe it’s too far-fetched. I’m not a total historian, but in addition to WW1 (July 1914 -November 1918) and WW2 (September 1939 - September 1945), there was also the Spanish Civil War (July 1936 - April 1939). Whereas the actual number of lives lost in this conflict is unknown, there seems to be an approximate number of half a million people that died during this time. This seems like a solid timeframe of when Carmilla, Clara, and Odette could’ve died, and why the weapons dealer wants to avoid war as much as she can.

There’s not much to expand upon with Vox (died in 1950s), Valentino (1970s), and Husk (1970s) in my mind right now. Those honestly seem like the most straightforward besides Alastor with their deaths.

It would honestly shock me if Zeezi did not die in the 1990s. Not only does her choice of clothing fit perfectly with the time, we also have the kind of demon that she is, a kaiju. There are other kaijus like her in Hell, but in the 20th century, there was one that influenced many people, and still does to this day - Godzilla. The first movie came out in 1954, but there was many more afterwards, including one in 1998. Now I’m not saying Godzilla is the cause of all kaijus in the show, but I like to believe it’s a pretty good indicator of when Zeezi’s death at least.

Last but not least, our dear Velvette, the youngest out of everyone! If we follow the trend of how long there was between the other two V members, it’d be a pretty easy guess to say she died in the 1990s. However, I don’t think that’s the case. She’s basically a social media influencer, which didn’t become popular until the mid-2000s, as well as a fashion designer. Not to mention I feel like a lot of the outfits she wears in the show is reminiscent of the 2000s from what I remember growing up in that time, with a bit of ‘90s thrown in.

Now that this is finally typed up and infodumping has been completed, thank you to anyone who read this! Honestly, I’ve been working on it for the past few hours 🤣 and like I said before, this is all headcanons, personal opinions, and ideas! I’m by no means a historian on things 😌

[arlo-rose]

My ramblings about On the Brink of Scientific Discovery and fashion history

I’m very very normal about both Brink and historical fashion, so I decided to go down a research rabbit hole of what the characters would realistically be wearing in this fic, and it just kinda spiraled from there. I’m not in any way a professional or super qualified, I just think historical fashion is neat. I’m also not a writer so I apologize if any pacing or formatting in this is weird.

(WARNING, VERY LONG POST)

(Seriously I’m gonna go into detail about a lot of the characters and my reasoning for why they’d wear that, and sometimes background on the clothes themselves if it’s really interesting)

Disclaimer: a lot of the fable characters, and therefore the characters in Brink, are nonbinary or otherwise don’t fully conform to one gender, and while Brink takes some liberties with historical accuracy so these characters can live openly as they are, I’m still going to sometimes refer to the clothing as “men’s clothing” and “women’s clothing” because that’s how it was categorized in the period. 

“On the Brink of Scientific Discovery”(by ConnorsNotHere on Ao3) is a Victorian gothic/cosmic horror AU of FableSMP that takes place in 1889. Brink and its sequels do a decent amount of globe-traveling, but most of the characters are from and live in England. However, a lot of them have connections to or are from places like France, the US, etc. By this time in history there’s(very generally) not drastic differences between the fashions of America and western Europe, so while I’m gonna try to find things as accurate as possible to what I think the characters would wear, I’m also not going to be overly picky about if say, a specific suit is from England or America.

What were the clothes like then?

In 1889 we are coming off of the second bustle period, so skirts still had a lot of fullness in the back, however, they were starting to transition into the more “trumpet shaped” skirts of the 1890s. Bodices and sleeves were both still very fitted, and sleeves are starting to get a little bit of a puff on top, rather than the smoother, more rounded styles of previous decades. In the 1880s more tailored, menswear-inspired clothing also started to gain popularity for women, so you’ll start to see jackets and bodices that resemble menswear more than in previous decades.

Year to year men’s clothing doesn’t change a drastic amount, but there are still a lot of things characteristic of the 1880s. Suit jackets were often buttoned very high up, sometimes to the point where you were barely able to see the shirt and tie. When the jackets were left open, it was actually quite fashionable to have bolder, more colorful waistcoats, which were often beautifully patterned.

However, not every person dresses like the latest fashion plates, and this photo is a good example of people who are still fashionable, but also just normal people and not wearing anything overly fancy. The entirety of the Fable Society has a decent amount of wealth, so they would be able to afford fashionable, good quality clothing, however, they still wouldn’t be dressing in their best, fanciest clothes every day, especially if it’s not practical for their job.

This is a photo of some teenage boys from 1889. This gives a really good idea of what characters like Athena, Easton, and Jamie would be wearing when they’re not wearing more casual or practical things.(side note, I really like the suit on the left I would 100% wear that)

Individual Characters

I’m not going to go into detail about *every single one* of the characters in Brink, as that would get repetitive and excessively long after a while, but I wanted to talk about a lot of them still.

Momboo

I want to start with Momboo cause in my opinion she would probably be the most fashionable(to the period's standards) of the Fable Society, and I had a lot of fun looking for things I think she would wear. Lots of pretty trims, ruffles, and florals were very popular at the time so there was a lot to choose from. While I can see her enjoying fancier clothing a lot of the time, she also loves to garden and care for the plants on her estate, so obviously she would wear different clothes for that, something with darker colors and less elaborate decorations so it would be easier to wash when it got dirty. There honestly isn’t much super unique going on with her clothing, it’s just very pretty so I wanted to talk about it first.

(That green and pink dress on the right is one of my favorites that I found the entire time I was researching for this, it’s so pretty) (also these 2 fashion plates give me such world sisters vibes, I like them a lot)

More pretty pink dresses :Athenafire:

Sherbert

In the 1880s there wasn’t yet standardized protection or uniform for chemists and people working with more dangerous compounds, and in pictures I’ve seen they just seem to be wearing normal(if slightly more casual) clothes with maybe an apron over them. In Brink neither Sherbert nor Easton wear any protection in their lab out of pure “well nothing bad has happened yet”(which I’m sure will be great for their health and will never have any adverse effects later in life /s) which is actually pretty accurate to chemists of the time.

(I had a really hard time dating this photo, it’s probably closer to the 1870s but still gives really good examples of protection used by chemists in their labs)

It was pretty difficult to find pictures of chemists in the clothing they would wear while working, but I did find a lot of really cool pictures of chemistry labs that are really interesting to look at.

A really fun detail that I realized when I was researching things for Sherbert(that was probably accidental but I still like it) is that Sherbert’s jacket is often described as being very long and having a large collar that is often turned up. This actually wasn’t a very common style for overcoats in the last couple years of the 1880s, *however* it was a lot more common just a couple years beforehand, so I like to think of Sherbert’s jacket in Brink as being something they’ve held onto for a while either out of practicality or just because they like it.

Caspian

One of my favorite details about Caspian’s clothing in Brink is that even when he’s given new clothing from the other characters after he’s rescued, he still wears his old blue jacket from when he was traveling around the world in the mid/late 1810s, looking for a way to bring back the lady of the world. To me It’s a really cool detail, and if Brink was in a visual medium rather than written, it would be such a cool way to show the audience that Caspian doesn’t quite belong, and has been in the End for a lot longer than the characters think.

During and slightly before the regency period(1811-1820), men’s fashion went through a massive shift from the elaborately embroidered and patterned fashions of the 1700s to a more toned down and subtle style(and contrary to popular belief, Beau Brummell was not the sole reason this change happened, he just became the face of popular trends that were already happening, but that could be its own whole rant). The most common type of men’s coat in this era was called a dress coat or a tailcoat, which was cut high in the front with long “tails” in the back, and large high collars.

I’m not sure if I really like this style of coat personally, but I think it’s really interesting that the men’s coats from this era are so different from what all the other characters would be wearing in the story.

(Don’t pay attention to why his hand is in his pants here, I have no idea why but a lot of men in fashion plates from this era are posed like this)

Rae

Rae’s research comes before most things in his life, including staying up to date with the latest fashions. However, in fable, Rae really likes fancier clothing so I think it’d be fun to have Brink!Rae also really like good clothes. Rae also does a lot of traveling and working outside at archeological sites, and so most of the time would be wearing more practical things.(though in the 1800s this still means he would often wear a full suit, just one made of different materials and not as fancy)

I really like this painting and I can definitely see brink Rae wearing something like this when at his home(or at least when not traveling or working in the field), I like the super dark blue/almost black of the suit and whatever he’s wearing on his neck is really pretty(I can’t actually tell what that is specifically but I like it)

Haley

I can see Haley wearing pretty fashionable clothing, but probably more subtle and practical designs than Momboo, and she would wear things in more subtle colors, but she would still have an overall pretty feminine style.

I wish I could have found more purple or gray dresses to use as examples for her, but I don’t think those colors were very common, at least in the fashion plates I was looking at. I was able to find some really pretty darker navy dresses though, which I think fits really well too. I don’t have a ton to say with her either but pretty dresses>>>

Jamie

Connor has talked about Jamie’s clothes in Brink before so I’ll keep this one shorter, but Jamie is the only person in the main Brink cast who regularly wears sweaters, which was a deliberate choice. At the time sweaters were associated with college students, working class people, and people who had very physical jobs, such as sailors. Sweaters were considered extremely casual and people outside of those groups didn’t really wear them often, but as Jamie is an orphan who was later adopted onto a very large farm, it makes sense that they would wear one often and feel more comfortable in one.

Ocie

I think Ocie is the character I’m taking the most liberties with when it comes to historical accuracy, mostly cause she is described in some scenes as wearing a naval jacket, and as it was only men wearing those, I couldn’t find anything completely accurate to what she was wearing. I can definitely picture how her jacket would look though. I picture it as being mostly in the men’s style, just cut more like a woman’s jacket of the time. 

During the 1880s some popular styles of women’s fashion started to become more tailored and more resemble menswear, especially in jackets and some bodices, so it was pretty easy to find menswear inspired women’s jackets that I think fit pretty well.

Riding habits(outfits for horse riding) have also been very inspired by menswear for hundreds of years, and I can see ocie wearing something similar as her jacket.

this image is very crunchy and slightly too early for brink (1886), but give a good idea of menswear inspired womenswear from the late 1880s

Other than her jacket I actually found some blue dresses I think fit Ocie really well.

The blue dress on the right is probably more fancy than Brink!Ocie would realistically be wearing, but it fits her so well I had to put it in, and I just think it’s really pretty.

And this is what actual navy captain’s uniforms like around the 1880s(it was really hard to reliably date these but they’re from approximately then) 

Galahad

Contrary to the popular image of the brave lone wolf cowboy who lived a life of courageous freedom, a majority of old west cowboys were actually very poor and rarely owned even the horse they were riding, which usually belonged to the man who owned the cattle they were herding. Obviously there were exceptions to this, including Galahad in Brink, but I think it’s interesting to see how much the fantasy of the old west has changed the image of the cowboy in America.(I highly recommend checking out Kaz Rowe’s video on YouTube, “Exploring the Queer History of the Old West… Yehaw”, its a really fascinating video on the old west as a whole, and honestly just check out Kaz Rowe’s channel in general, it’s so good)

There was no one uniform way cowboys looked, as they had to adapt to a ton of different climates depending on where they were working. Galahad travels often but he stays in the southwest, which makes their wide brimmed hat very practical, and he also wears a serape, a type of colorful wool shawl that’s draped around your shoulders. A serape isn’t the same as a poncho because a poncho has a hole for your head in the middle, while a serape doesn’t.

The variety of clothing cowboys wore in the old west is really fascinating to me, because even though fashion and style was pretty low on the priority list compared to things like their work and getting their next meal, these people still valued what they wore and took pride in it, and the variation of it is so cool to see in photos.

Athena

Throughout Brink, Athena wears both suits and dresses depending on their environment and what they are doing at the time, but I want to use this section to talk a lot about Victorian mourning wear, cause that’s what Athena is wearing for the end of Brink and a large portion of On the Edge of Worlds Unknown.

In the Victorian era, mourning was a very serious practice with many many rules that depended on gender, class, time period, and closeness to the deceased. While Victorian mourning clothes existed and were widely worn before the death of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert in 1861, the fact that she wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life skyrocketed their popularity and made mourning wear a social requirement. 

Depending on how you knew the deceased you could be in mourning anywhere from a few months to several years, and some(usually widows) chose to be in mourning for the rest of their lives. The exact time you should be in mourning varied greatly, and was often a source of anxiety for the mourners as coming out of mourning “too soon” could be a social death sentence for some.

As mourning practices became longer and more complex, different stages of mourning started to become common. During full mourning, you would wear only black, dresses were usually less ornamented, and close family of the deceased would very rarely take visitors or go in public. During half mourning, black was still the predominant color but some purple, white, or gray was also allowed, and the close family of the deceased was allowed to venture out in public a little more.

As dress styles and silhouettes started to change more rapidly starting in the 1870s, It became more impractical to buy or make a new fashionable mourning dress every year just in case someone died, and extravagant mourning practices started to become less common, though mourning dress was still a requirement for a few decades afterwards.

WWI was the final thing that ended mourning wear as a common practice, as so many people lost loved ones that practically everyone would have been in mourning if it was still a social requirement, and many people who’d lost sons or husbands simply wore a black armband to symbolize their mourning.

The one plate that started this whole thing

The one fashion plate that started me down this entire research rabbit hole was this plate from 1851 that I think just works so so well for Brink!Isla, and it lines up with the timeline too, cause as long as Brink keeps the timeline relatively the same for the Morningstar family, 1851 would be right before all of the god drama starts happening with her. I wanted to include her as a kind of honorable mention to the rest of the character breakdowns, cause that blue dress it so pretty and fits so well for her, and it’s what started me down the path of “what would all the other brink characters be wearing?”

If I got any details or information wrong please let me know and I’ll correct it! 

If ya’ll have made it this far in the post, thanks so much for reading. This has been a project for me since like July for a while now, and I’m so glad I finally got it finished and out here! It was so cool doing all the research for this, and turning all of my semi-coherent bullet points into something that would actually be comprehensible was a lot harder than I thought, my hat goes off to anyone who writes things ever.

Most of the fashion plates I put in here are from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries, as well as Mark Hartley(bygonewhimsy) and Melinda Kovács on Pinterest, but a lot of the plates and portraits were just things I had in my camera roll so I unfortunately don’t have sources for all of them.