#this brought to you by a combination of my new boots and the wedding outfit im planning

[eldritchmochi]

i stg someone needs to kick me in the ass next weekend so i get started on my ashton wig i have to do it asap if i wanna wear them to rccc and also with how long ive been sitting on this idea ruminating how i wanna do him, ive developed so many iterations. i Do Not go to enough cons to wear everything ive thought up and my photog friends all live a ways away so i gotta get the basics built asap for the two cons ive got planned cos some of my fit choices are too good to live in my head

[herradhighpriestess]

Deliberate Exchange

Chapter Four: Breathing

Bane looked down as she gingerly stood, keeping her grasp firm on his outstretched hand. He saw the amount of effort it took her to willingly touch him.

When she was finally standing as straight as she could manage, she yanked her hand free of his as he continued to drink her in.

“Are you hurt?”

Bane was careful to keep any warmth out of his voice. He kept his burnt amber eyes, the color of fall leaves before a crisp day of burning, cold and hard.

Elka stared at him, a slight lift to her chin, narrowing her eyes at him under a fringe of lashes. “I’ll manage,” she finally said and quickly brought a hand to her mouth as coppery notes of blood washed over her taste buds. She felt blood begin to pool up to her lower gum line and dribble past her lips.

Bane stared at her a moment longer, torn between this new conflict of wanting to help her that wrapped itself around his lower spine and threatened to snap him in half. He practically snarled before forcing another involuntary cry from her when his hand shot out again and closed around the bare flesh of her upper arm. She tried to pull away and gave a high-pitched cry when he tightened his fingers around her bicep.

“I require your assistance now Mrs. Green,” he stated in a clipped musical tone as he pulled across the utility room and into the dank concrete tunnel.

Elka abandoned the idea of blotting any freely flowing blood staunched as she struggled to keep up with the masked man’s much longer strides. Her eyes tried to memorize the route to wherever this masked monster was taking her.

Bane pulled her towards the room where Esau had left more stacks of photos, articles, and initiatives that Chief Justice Calvin Green had either supported and threw money at or publicly spoke out against.

Esau looked up startled when Bane burst in the room with the woman he had neglected to discard from the Gotham Exchange. Esau’s eyes swept across the bleeding, wide-eyed, disheveled woman at his side before returning his full attention to Bane.

Bane spoke quickly to Esau in a language that Elka didn’t understand. She watched the man flick his eyes towards her again before leaving quickly.

Elka struggled to remain silent when the masked man pushed her towards a rolling chair. “Sit,” he ordered, and she shot him a glare as she settled in the padded chair.

Before Elka could ask what she was doing in the room that was outfitted with a cornucopia of computer equipment and manila file folders, the masked man picked up a file and began reading to her from the first page.

“Your husband, Chief Justice Green, supports indiscriminate deforestation,” he started in a haunting mechanical tone.

As Elka sat and listened to the fearsome man pepper her with questions, her body continued to find more pockets of pain and she fought to keep her expression neutral.

“……burning fossil fuels……desertification….,” his melodic voice rained down around her.

Elka sighed long and low as the masked man continued his thundering litany.

“….climate change….greenhouse gases…..nuclear power….”

Bane paused in his barrage of questions when Esau returned with a stack of folded fabric and sturdy boots.

Elka closed her eyes as the two men exchanged a few foreign words. She flinched when the clothes landed in front of her bare feet. She opened her eyes and looked down at the folded clothes before reaching for them. `

She unfolded a stack of monochromatic clothes and looked up at Bane when he remained standing in front of her and continued with his musically verbal interrogation.

“Subsidies…..artificial governmental incentives and…,” Bane started before Elka held both her hands up in the air and interrupted him with a frustrated sound.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, please, can you stop?!? I would rather discuss the life cycle of a goddamn sea cucumber than talk about Calvin and his ideologies.”

Bane regarded her for a few long moments, it started feeling like too long for Elka and she began to grow nervous. Her nervousness gave rise to anxiety that manifested in a slight shaking to her traumatized body.

She felt the inside of her mouth grow bone dry before she boldly stood from the squeaky office chair. “Is there somewhere I can clean up?” Elka asked in a hesitating tone that was laced with an obvious tremor.

Elka realized she was holding her breath under her formidable kidnapper’s empty gaze and tried to not squirm as he closed the folder he was holding and put it aside. He began to speak when he picked up a yellow legal pad of paper.

“I shall allow you to clean up once you have provided the entire list of your Exchange access codes, passwords and building security codes.”

The terrifying man with the intricate mask that covered the lower half of his face lapsed into silence and held out the pad of paper with its canary yellow blank pages.

Elka rolled her eyes and finally took the paper. She resumed sitting before looking up, “well, can I at least have something to write with?”

The dangerous man passed her a short-dull pencil and crossed his arms over his broad chest until she began to write. Elka wrote fast and soon had close to a whole page covered in her cramped printing with numerical and alphabetical combinations.

Bane watched Elka as she wrote with her head bent, concentrating on her task. He picked up another folder as she was compiling her list and scanned the initiative that Chief Justice

Green was openly supporting. The current governor was pushing for stricter laws on abortion and obtaining birth control. Judge Green had hosted a benefit in support of mandatory trans-vaginal ultrasounds before a woman is able to be even considered for an abortion.

Judge Green and the governor had chaired several meetings about denying emergency contraception to anyone under eighteen unless they underwent an invasive and embarrassing exam and had witnessed parental consent.

Bane looked up from the article and at Elka as she racked her brain for anything she may have neglected to add to the list and finally laid the pencil on the pad of paper and held it out towards him.

“Is this everything?” he asked before taking the paper from her, setting the yellow pad to the side without even a casual glance.

“Yes,” Elka said with a hint of annoyance. She added with false confidence, since this man had gone a record time without striking or harming her body, “what now?”

“Now you may make yourself presentable,” Bane stated in a dry tone and crossed the room to her in several long strides. His hand was soon gripped around her upper arm and half dragging her to a small bathroom with an even smaller aluminum floored shower.

Inside the shower stall were a few used bars of a light blue soap.

Bane pulled Elka into the cramped quarters of the bathroom and flicked the switch on the grey wall. The low wattage overhead lights flickered to life and gave off as much light as they were capable.

Elka looked up at Bane, shifting on her feet, the ground icy cold under her bare toes. Her irritation was beginning to eclipse her anxiety and fear. Elka pressed her mouth into a tight line and was relieved of having to break the silence when he spoke first.

“You have ten minutes,” Bane stated abruptly and left the room.

Elka stared at the closed door before cranking the faucet of the shower all the way to scalding. She pulled off her remaining clothing shreds. Her thigh highs were mostly intact, a faint run on the inner calf was barely noticeable. For some reason, a giggle fell from Elka’s lips at the fact she even noticed her nylons in her current state of being.

Elka hissed as the hot water made contact with her damaged skin as she bit her lip and refused to allow tears to roll down her cheeks, she soaped up a threadbare washcloth and gingerly dabbed the soapy fabric against her bleeding skin, bruises and sore spots.

She rinsed out the washcloth and mopped away the dried blood against her naked, wet skin before turning the water off.

She dried off and happened to glance down at her wedding ring set and suddenly was consumed with remembering the last time she had been with Calvin sexually. Bane stood outside the closed bathroom door. With his Venom enhanced hearing, he was able to discern the sounds of Elka dressing.

He clenched his hands into fists at the sound of the slate grey fabric of the cargo pants sliding up her thighs, his fingertips ached at the remembrance of the brief touch of her long legs and taut flesh.

Bane let his mind recall the feel of her unwilling flesh under his touch as he dropped a hand to the zippered front of his cargo pants. He closed his eyes and stroked himself harder as he weighed the risk of kicking open the door and finding her wet and naked.

The very second that ten minutes had expired; Bane opened the bathroom door. He found Elka standing in front of the sink examining her bruised face and neck. She winced as she brushed her fingertips across her blemished skin, completely aware of Bane‘s entrance to the room but not acknowledging him in any way that stung him, he was not used to be being ignored.

Bane found his irritation growing as Elka didn’t move her attention from her reflection.

In the space of silence before Bane addressed her, back up on the street level in the lavish penthouse that Elka has been occupying that very morning, her favorite coffee mug still in the sink, Chief Justice Calvin Green had just arrived home. He frowned and thought it was odd that Elka wasn’t there. He looked around the kitchen for a note and checked his phone to see if he had missed a message from her.

Calvin grabbed a jar of pickles and a paper wrapped package of cold cuts from the fridge when “god please grab my steering wheel,” sounded from his phone.

“Hey Phil,” he answered when he saw his brother’s number flash across the square screen.

“Cal, are you watching the news?”

“No, hang on,” Calvin said and fumbled for the remote. Faux News was on and Calvin frowned when he saw a special report on an assumed terrorist attack on The Gotham Stock Exchange.

Billie-Bob O’Riley’s sweaty, reddened face filled the screen, spittle flew from his lips as he listed off the clear connection between the terrorist attack and the current occupant of the Executive Office.

Calvin ended the call with his brother when Elka was listed as one of the still missing. His mouth was open, and his growling stomach diminished in a heartbeat as he hit number two on his speed dial.

The phone rang once before it was answered by the peppy voice of Donnie Scotts, Calvin’s PR, and campaign manager.

“Good evening Chief Justice Green, may I first offer my condolences on the possibility of Mrs. Green being abducted.”

“Fuck your condolences Donnie, this will all but ensure my Senate seat,” Calvin said and prattled on. “Get me booked with Timbaugh, Karlson and O’Riley.”

As Calvin and Donnie brainstormed about campaigning strategies that would focus on the Justice’s grief at his abducted wife and hopefully dead soon for a big death bounce in the polls, Bane spoke to Elka’s back.

“It is now time to continue our discussion Mrs. Green.”

Elka turned and looked over her shoulder, “what are we discussing now?”

“All in good time,” he answered with musical amusement evident in his voice.

Elka narrowed her eyes and turned completely towards him, “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going to happen to me.”

Bane’s anger flared to life, “I am going to be more than generous and allow your impudence to slide this final time. Proceed out of the door immediately, make a left and do not stop until I tell you.”

“No,” she spit and put her hands on her hips. Elka filled her lungs with air and lifted her chin in total impertinence.

Bane crossed to her and Elka barely had time to protest before his massive hand was in her hair and pulling her up onto her freshly booted tiptoes. His other hand closed around her slim throat and slammed her roughly against the bathroom wall.

Elka’s control on her tears was soon lost and salty crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks as her face flushed under the pressure of his hand against her throat.

Bane lessened his grip enough for her to draw a small breath before he let that same hand trail down her waist and rest on her hip.

“Mrs. Green,” he hissed mechanically and brought his face close to her ear. “Have you already forgotten the punishment for insolence?”

“Fuck you,” Elka said and slapped him across the front of his mask.

Bane didn’t respond verbally, instead he drove his closed fist into her solar plexus. She dropped to her knees after he released her hair. Bane looked down at her for a few minutes before gripping her roughly under her armpit and hauling her to her feet and roughly spun her until she was leaned over the sink.

“Just hurry up and do what you’re going to do,” Elka said bitterly, in between gasps.

A growl rumbled through Bane’s chest as he started tugging at the waist of her pants when she closed her eyes and whipped her head backwards with as much force as she could muster.

The back of Elka’s head made contact with the twisted metallic coils on the front of Bane’s mask. He stumbled back from her at the abrupt contact, his hands went to his face to check the damage to his mask.

Elka pushed open the door of the bathroom and bounded down the dimly lit corridor of the sewer that she hoped would eventually open to the outside world. Her newly issued boots made pounding noises on the wet cement, too loud for her liking.

Bane straightened up when he discovered his mask was unscathed and still functional before he tore out the door after Elka’s escaping form with a guttural roar.

Elka’s breath began to come in ragged gasps from her lungs burning need for oxygen, a cramp began to build and snowballed in her side and she stumbled with the piercing stab in her left flank.

She spared a quick glance over her shoulder as her masked captor was coming closer.

“This isn’t happening,” she thought as her eyes darted everywhere, looking for any clue to the way out.

“Please, let there be a door, anything that will lead out of here,” her mind whirled rapidly as she increased her sprint. Elka’s long legs didn’t match Bane’s longer stride and he began to actively gain on her, she pumped her arms as sweat bloomed on her face, errant strands of her hair sticking to her flushed cheeks and forehead.

Elka’s eyes widened and her body filled with a small amount of hope when she saw an industrial looking door that she was nearly certain had to lead to the outside world.

Elka was less than ten feet from the grey door, when she felt the faintest touch of the masked monster’s fingertips brush against the thermal shirt that was soaked through with sweat, left clinging to her like a second skin.

Perspiration poured down her face and stung her eyes, she tasted the salt along her lips. Elka found a shred of speed remaining in her body and lunged the last few feet at the door.

Her body slammed fully into the steel door, which embraced her as a lover might and responded by opening to deposit her into a large room with grey walls. Three square card tables were butted up to each other and stacks of papers and cardboard tubes littered the mismatched table surfaces.

The chilly ground rushed up to meet her and she landed hard, her knees acting as twin shock absorbers. Blood blossomed under the fabric covering her knees from her suddenly broken blood vessels.

Elka struggled to her feet, turning with both her hands already raised defensively in front of her. A cry was on the tip of her tongue, but she was soon paralyzed and rooted mutely in place at the look in the masked terrorist’s eyes from where he filled the doorway. The warm caramel orbs were alive with flecks of green fire, his chest heaved with the exertion and overload of adrenaline that flooded his entire nervous system.

Elka took advantage of the masked lunatic’s silence and stillness to quickly back up and put the row of tables between them.

She was the perfect picture of chaos, her hands at her side, clenching and unclenching into loose fists. Her dark blonde hair, now tangled, was soaked with nervous sweat and she smelled sweet with fear, tears streamed from the corners of her eyes and the sound of her blood pounding in her ears was deafening.

Bane watched her scurry to the other side of the tables. “She thinks those flimsy tables offer any semblance of protection,” he thought with amusement.

Bane stalked towards the uneven row of tables and stood behind one of the many folding metal chairs with their thin upholstered padding.

He watched her unclench her fists and raise her hands in the air, Elka talked fast, stumbling over her words.

“I’m waving the white flag,” she said and added desperately. “I’ll discuss anything you want.”

Bane leveled his gaze at her. “It seems too little too late for your cooperation Mrs. Green,” he murmured as he began to walk down the length of the tables.

Elka shadowed his movements until they remained standing on opposite sides, he began to start walking again, until she yelled at him in frustration. “Stay on your goddamn side of the table.”

Bane slowed his movements but didn’t completely stop. Elka scrambled for words, “please, can you stay where I can see you. I‘ll tell you anything you want to know?”

He stopped and regarded her across the table, “is this another temporary agreement before you revert to your previous obstinate behavior?”

Elka shook her head and wiped a clump of wet hair back behind her ear and mopped her sleeve across her slick skin.

“No, I’ll tell you everything. Just lay out the facts for me, tell me what is going to happen to me,” Elka stated. Her voice grew in strength and she ended the last syllables in an ear-catching tone of command.

Bane considered her request, dissected her inflection and posture. His eyes sought the cracks in her carefully constructed façade before he pulled out the chair closest and sat down heavily. The air was expelled quickly from the cheap upholstered seat cushion.

“Sit, we will talk,” Bane said and gestured at the row of empty folding chairs on her side of the row of tables.

As Elka looked across the table at the masked terrorist, now sitting in the cheap metal chair, his hands resting on top of his strong thighs, across Gotham City, Chief Justice Green was nearly rubbing his hands together and smiling like a schoolboy who caught a glimpse of a pair of white panties under a lady’s skirt. He had ended the call with his campaign manager after brainstorming ideas of how to use Elka’s abduction to skyrocket himself to the United States Senate floor and beyond.

Calvin crossed the beige tiled kitchen floor and started preparing an extra dry martini as he practiced his speech after securing the Senate seat. He generously splashed more vodka to top off the glass, after taking a long swallow of the strong cocktail.

As Calvin returned to the living room to follow his personal messiah news anchor team on Faux News, Elka let out the long breath she had been holding and slowly sat on the folding chair across from her masked captor.

Bane’s eyes tracked her every movement, his gaze sought out the rise and fall of her chest and the sheen of sweat across the bridge of her nose and cheekbones. His mind whirled yet his visible facial features gave no indication to the tumultuous minefield his conscious mind had become. Questions swirled and crashed with lightning strike forces against the inside of his skull.

“She doesn’t fear me completely,” he thought incredulously and fought the urge to shake his head.

Bane’s eyes bored into hers, his gaze found her sea-green widened eyes, their dark lashes in stark contrast to her pale, clammy skin. Under his mask, his lips pulled into a twisted grin at the palatable sweet stench of her fear. His eyes narrowed as his mind again peppered him with questions. “You haven’t addressed your deviation from the plan, why did you take this woman?”

“She is married to conservative Supreme Court Justice Green, she could prove valuable in the upcoming election,” Bane countered.

“You need nothing further to level Gotham City and liberate her from the oppressive constraints. You need nothing except continued loyalty and obedience.”

Bane pushed the voice to the recesses of his brain where it could play games with his unconscious mind as Elka lifted her chin and met his gaze.

“What will break her?” Bane thought before addressing her. “Do you know your husband supports drilling in the Arctic and a pipeline that will displace thousands of species and further destroy the earth? Do you support his statements about luxury and social security tax impositions?”

Bane continued his litany of questions in regard to Chief Justice Green. He trailed off when Elka raised a hand and started speaking. “Look, I’m trying to understand your objective here but I’m more than a little thirsty and I’d like a cigarette.”

Bane frowned across the dusty table at her, “you believe you are entitled to make requests?”

“I think I’m entitled to a hell of a lot more, but right now I’m not asking for much more than a cup of coffee and a cigarette,” Elka returned sharply.

Bane regarded her silently, his first instinct was to stand and throw the table out of the way. His second thought was to beat the stubbornness from her flesh, break whatever was necessary to find her penitence. “What will cause her great suffering?”

Bane stood after a painfully long period of silence, Elka fought to keep her composure when he rose from his chair. She stood from her own chair when he neared the end of the tables. Elka felt some of her body’s rigidity lessen when the fearsome masked madman went to the metal door. She felt the tingle from the brush of confusion when he closed the door behind him and then the metallic sound of the lock being engaged soon followed.

As soon as all sounds at the door ceased, Elka was across the room and tugging at the door handle. She was not surprised to find it locked and completely unyielding under her grasp, she let out a frustrated sigh and walked the perimeter of the room, searching for any type of exit, big or small.

As Elka explored the room and hunted for an object that could be used effectively as a weapon, Bane returned to the makeshift control room where Esau was navigating through the Gotham Exchange’s internal infrastructure. He glanced up when Bane walked in the room and passed his line of vision.

The information that Elka had written on the pad of paper awarded nothing that Esau hadn’t already found. Esau’s access was limitless, and he couldn’t understand the necessity of Elka’s presence and life. He had returned to buying stocks with Bruce Wayne’s money when Bane passed through the room again with a white paper cup.

Esau shook his head and returned to the task at hand of separating Bruce Wayne from his billions.

Bane returned moments before Elka resumed her spot on the grey folding chair, she tucked a section of copper pipe with a jagged end inside her pant leg. She tucked the dangerous end in the cuff of her sock and had her pants smoothed back in place when her captor opened the door.

Elka turned towards him and her eyes immediately went to the paper cup. A stiffness swept over her as he again walked around the table and resumed his own place across from her. Bane set the cup in front of her and fished a battered half pack of cigarettes from his thick-lined coat and a grass green lighter.

“How long has this been a habit?” he asked as he tossed the tobacco sticks towards her.

Elka detected judgment in his tone. “On and off, I usually only smoke under stress,” she said as she brought the white filter to rest between her lips as she lit the end. Bane watched her take a deep inhale and close her eyes. “And this certainly qualifies as stressful,” she added with a tired smirk.

She reached for the cup and closed her fingers around the paper that contained caffeinated comfort in liquid warmth. The coffee was bitter and murky but spread its warm fingers throughout her chest and belly, she willed the caffeine to work at her growing tension headache and deep ache behind her eyes.

“Thank you,” Elka reluctantly let fall from her lips after a few sips of the harsh unsweetened java. “I’d kill someone for even one goddamn sugar packet,” she thought as she swallowed the acidic brew.

Bane heard her gratitude but didn’t acknowledge her, instead he continued badgering her about Calvin’s ideologies and public statements about the wealthy staying wealthy and letting the rest be sorted out by the white man’s jesus.

Elka’s first thought was to interrupt the masked psycho’s ranting about Calvin but then she decided it would be a good time to drink the bitter coffee and enjoy a smoke or two. She lit another cigarette from the teal blue packaging and birthed a flame from the lighter with the fleshy pad of her thumb.

Elka inhaled deeply and kept the wintry tasting smoke trapped in her lungs while the masked sociopath continued lobbing a mixture of statements and questions towards her about Calvin and his upcoming election bid for an open Senate seat.

Elka squinted across the table at the masked jackal’s face as he continued his address. His voice maintained its eerily musical melody as he never gave her a moment to possibly answer any of his questions.

“You attended a fundraiser for the conservative governor and publicly donated five million dollars to his campaign, do you advocate his decision to shut down and level state parks for an oil refinery?”

Bane continued after taking a small breath, Elka raised the cigarette to her lips and inhaled deeply.

“Did you have any moral quandary about being photographed with the president of the National Rifle Association after he made sexist remarks about a woman’s place and role in life?”

Elka exhaled and closed her eyes, she drained the cup and dropped her still lit cigarette butt into the scant remains of the coffee.

“Look,” she started and paused to light up another. “Cal’s thoughts and actions are all Cal’s, I don’t…..” Bane interrupted Elka by standing quickly and slamming both of his palms flat against the dusty surface of the table.

Elka was unable to keep from flinching when his massive hands crashed and made contact with the table’s surface.

Bane stared down at her, his penetrating gaze seeing through her body and into the highways of her cardiovascular system.

Elka stayed perfectly still and only the hand holding her cigarette moved as the masked lunatic leaned closer and whispered melodically. “What is your role in this environment, this world?”

Elka inhaled and looked up at him, “I breathe,” she stated and exhaled the lungful of acrid smoke into his looming face.

[mhdiaries]

Wave 1 Frankie Stein Diary

The 30th day of June

So mom and dad think I should keep a diary to help sort out everything I’m feeling. Since I’m only a few days old I’m not sure where to even start. Right now I’m feeling happy, sad, confused, enlightened, worried, hopeful and hungry - all at the same time. Is this normal?

The 15th day of July

The most amazing thing happened today! It rained! I know everybody has seen rain before but this was my first time and I got so excited that I ran through the house yelling for everyone to come see it. Dad came bolting up from the lab and was rather unhappy to find out I had made such a big deal out of it. “Mary Shelly’s ghost Frankie, I though there were villagers with torches outside!” I guess I must’ve looked either surprised or sad ‘cause dad gave me a big hug and said he was sorry he yelled. I wanted to go out and play in it but dad said he thought that might cause me to short out. Mom came to the rescue with an umbrella, rubber boots and a raincoat. It was wonderful and dad even came out in his lab coat and boots to show me how to stomp puddles! Does life get any better than this? 

The 16th day of July

I feel like I’ve got so much to learn between now and when school starts. What if I get excited about something that is just a normal every day occurrence, like the rain, and everybody laughs at me? Should I just be quiet and pretend I’ve seen it all before? I’m not even sure if that’s possible for me since everything is just so completely scary cool right now!

The 17th day of July 

Okay so one thing I have learned in my short life is that I am not a morning person. My dad is though and he insists on yelling “It’s alive!” every time I come upstairs for breakfast. Unfortunately I don’t think he’s going to stop doing that any time soon because when he finally stops laughing he slaps his knee and says, “That just never gets old.” Is it too soon for me to decide that breakfast is overrated? 

The 23rd day of August

We went on our first family trip today... to The Maul! I was really excited but also really nervous. Dad took the long way there and drove by Monster High to show me where I’d be going to school which made me even more nervous so that by the time we got to The Maul I was a total casket case. I almost asked dad to take me home but I went in anyway. We all had lunch at the food corpse and then mom took me shopping while dad went to look for some neck bolt polish. The first place Mom took me was her favorite store but all the outfits looked like old wedding dresses. I really didn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings and I didn’t tell her this but I wouldn’t have been caught alive in most of those clothes. I guess mom must have sensed that I wasn’t very excited causewe didn’t stay there very long. As we were leaving the store we ran into Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura. Mom introduced me to them and said we were shopping for school clothes. Clawdeen looked at the store and started to say something but Draculaura accidentally hit her with the umbrella she was carrying and said, “Mrs. Stein if you would like us to show Frankie some of the places we shop, we’d be happy to do that.” Fortunately, mom said yes and then mentioned something about finding dad before he made it to the laboratory supply store. Clawdeen and Draculaura took me around to all the scary cool stores and told me all about Monster High. It was like we had known each other forever. Draculaura is sooo nice and Clawdeen Wolf is so confident and funny. While we were shopping I confessed I wasn’t sure what kind of styles would look good on me. Draculaura and Clawdeen both started laughing and I thought I’d said something wrong. Then they both put an arm around me and Clawdeen said, “Ghoul friend, with your figure you shouldn’t be wondering how good a style looks on you but how bad you’ll make it look on anyone else who wears it.” Draculaura even invited me to tryout for the fearleading squad... I was too excited to tell her I didn’t know what that was but it sounded like fun. By the time mom and dad came to find me I didn’t want to leave. I’m so glad I stuck it out and didn’t ask dad to take me home.

The 24th day of August

Didn’t see dad very much today. He’s been working on a special project in his lab and he said I’m not allowed to see what it is yet. I asked mom if I was getting a new sister or brother and she almost choked on the coffinccino she was drinking. “Karloff’s crypt sweetheart, whatever gave you that idea?” I heard mom telling dad about it later and it sounded like they were laughing. I wonder if other teenage monsters have parents who do odd things?

The 26th day of August

I got into my first fight with my parents today and they sent me to my room! I couldn’t believe it! I must be the only monster that this has ever happened to. So what happened was Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura called to invite me to a moonlight party on the beach. I said yes without asking mom and dad first and I was so excited that I ran upstairs to tell them and they said NO! “We’re sorry dear but we already have plans to do something as a family - you should have asked us first.” I told them that all the monsters that would be in my class at Monster High would be there having a scary good time and that I had already told Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura that I could go and it just wasn’t fair that I wouldn’t be able to and then water started running down my cheeks! I didn’t know what to do and I thought maybe I’d somehow broken my eyes. Dad and mom gave me a hug, which I didn’t want at first, and told me it wasn't’ my eyes but my heart that broke a little bit but it was okay cause hearts still work even when they break. Then they told me that the water was tears and that it was very unusual for a monster to be able to cry and that made me even more special. I had to call Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura back and let them know I couldn’t go but they told me it was okay and that the next time they would tell me ahead of time so I could make sure mom and dad didn’t have plans. I guess I still have a lot to learn but at least I’ve got good parents and friends to help me with the lessons. 

The 28th day of August

This morning dad revealed his special project - a new pet he made just for me! It’s really cute and sweet and it’s not exactly a dog or a cat or a fish but more like a combination of everything. Dad told me that he took the best qualities of all the best pets and put them together. It barks like a dog, purrs like a kitten, swims like fish, has spikes like a dragon and eats bananas like a monkey. I’m going to call it Watzit. dad said its pet license is like ten pages long and the monster vet wasn’t even sure where to begin the examination. I don’t care though. Watzit slept at the foot of my bed and purred me to sleep. I love my life.

The 1st day of September

I had to get stitches today... well I guess I should really say new stitches. I was throwing a ball for Watzit and I heard rrrripppppp as the ball went one way and my arm went the other! I know that sounds terrible but it didn’t really hurt. It was kind of embarrassing though and I was really glad that no one was around to see it. Watzit brought the ball and my arm back and I went inside to see if dad could fix it. Mom was not very happy with dad and told him that he needed to work on his knot tying skills. Dad showed me how to stitch my arm back on and then gave me an emergency sewing kit to carry with me in case it happened when he wasn’t around. I really hope this doesn’t happen in front of my friends or I’ll be mortalfied.

The 6th day of September

I got my first letter in the mail today! It was my class schedule and a note welcoming me to Monster High. I think I’m more nervous now than I was before that first day at The Maul. It’s okay though because I know I’m getting ready to start my next great adventure and I just can’t wait to get started!

[quarterfromcanon]

Breathless

Heather & Valencia - Femslash February - Day 19 - Rosé  [3,673 words]

They were nearly finished with their first glasses when Valencia circled to the topic of the wedding preparations that took over Heather’s house.

“So how's it going?” 

“All over the place. And also nowhere. It’s an avalanche of crap. There’s rare proof of results. I’m kinda worried about her.” Heather swirled the rosé and watched it settle back into stillness. “The venue’s hella pretty so I get wanting to have it there, but like, I’m reasonably sure moving things up this soon is a bad idea in all caps.”

“What she needs is a guidebook,” Valencia declared. “I had an entire binder.”

“Rebecca’s latest reference is some D.I.Y. wedding from Canada.” Heather polished off the remainder of her drink.

Valencia scoffed in dismissal. “Even those require more work than people realize.” 

“That’s what I said!”

“Plus, if the user who posted isn’t from anywhere near your hometown, then you can’t count on their resources to be applicable to you,” Valencia expounded. “Hell, if they’re from another country then I’m sure it’s even worse. They’ll have access to different shops and venues, not to mention the help of their families and friends. You can’t copy and paste their circumstances. It won’t come out the same. Guaranteed.”

“You gave all that a lot of thought,” Heather remarked.

“After a decade and a half with Josh, it was way more than thought. I had every piece in place except for the groom.” Valencia downed her wine and set it on a coaster. She shrugged. “Turns out, he didn’t paste so well, either. I still have the binder, though.”

“Really? You didn’t, like, burn it or throw it in the dumpster so you wouldn’t have to look at it again?”

“I was tempted,” Valencia conceded. “My hand was literally over the trash more than once, but I always kept myself from dropping the book. I did a lot of work rounding all that up, damn it. Why waste years of effort and attention to detail? Something useful ought to come out of what I went through. He could change my reality, but I didn’t want to let him take my dreams.”

“Good for you.” Heather raised her empty glass in approval.

“Can I show you everything?”

Heather freed her hands and adjusted her cardigan. “What’s that?”

“The binder,” Valencia clarified. “It’s still in my bedroom. Would you mind looking through it with me?”

Heather’s pulse quickened. The subject matter and the woman who wanted to discuss it struck her as a dangerous combination in light of recent overnight scenes from her subconscious. This was exactly what almost convinced her not to knock on Valencia’s door, but there was no retreat now. She could see how badly Valencia wanted to share what she had made. Heather didn’t have the will to deny her that wish. She traced the stem of the wine glass. “Yeah, we can do that. I’m game.”

Valencia disappeared through the open doorway. Heather accompanied her but stopped near the threshold. Valencia was already on her hands and knees beside the bed, rummaging underneath it. She faced opposite from the door and Heather was momentarily transfixed by the curve of her friend’s jeans. 

She averted her gaze, but the places it landed after that were not especially helpful distractions. Valencia’s mattress looked comfortable and warm in the patch of sunlight pouring through the shades. The picture they took together on Labor Day was at the edge of Valencia’s nightstand. Its presence made Heather’s heart skip a beat. She raced through a surprising number of thoughts in the span of seconds -- why that particular photo received a place of honor, why it was kept within view of where Valencia slept, what she might think or feel while looking at it -- but then Valencia’s words interrupted Heather’s reverie.

“Sorry,” Valencia apologized with a grunt. “It went too far last time. I shoved it against the wall.”

Heather blinked a very different mental picture from her mind and focused on the out-of-reach binder. “Do you want some help?”

“Yeah, go for it.” Valencia moved out of the way. She gestured for Heather to give it her best shot.

Heather joined Valencia on the floor and dropped onto her stomach. She crawled under the bed with her head tilted to the side and tried to extend her arm far enough to catch the spine of the binder between her fingers. Her duster caught on the metal of the frame. She had to pry herself from its clutches. Heather exhaled her vexation. “Hang on.”

She scooted in reverse, shed the cardigan, then resumed her pursuit of the elusive item.

“Almost... got it...”

“Girl, your entire back is out right now.”

Heather paused and realized she could feel the air of the room against a rather significant amount of skin. “I’ll get it in a minute.”

“It’s all right. I can fix that for you,” Valencia offered.

“I’ll be done in like two se--”

Heather’s eyes widened as Valencia’s fingers curled beside her rib cage to slide the shirt down where it belonged. When Valencia’s knuckles brushed her waist, Heather twitched involuntarily and bashed her ear against the underside of the bed. She hissed with a wince. 

“Shit.”

“Are you okay?”

Heather pressed her palm against the injured side of her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just figured something out, though.”

“What?”

Heather reemerged. She flipped to a seated position. “I’ve been coming at this from the wrong direction.” She propped herself up with her hands flat against the floor and put her legs under the mattress. Heather inched forward to gingerly search with the toes of her boots until they tapped against the binder. “Uh-huh. This’ll do the trick. Wait for it.”

Her shirt crept up her stomach as she strained to gain purchase. She couldn’t be certain because it was so fleeting, but Heather thought she saw Valencia’s gaze linger over her abs.

“Got it!” she announced. “So, now I’m just gonna...”

Heather crab-walked with the binder between her feet and finally brought it out of the shadows.

“Yay!” Valencia clapped. She hefted the tome into her arms. THE WEDDING BOOK was emblazoned across the front. She sat beside Heather and they leaned against the wall next to her closet. “Are you ready for this?”

Heather patted her thighs. “Put it here.”

They shared the weight of the book, half across Heather’s leg and the other on Valencia’s.

“Wow, it’s really heavy.” Heather lifted and lowered her kneecaps several times. “I could get a good workout with this. You weren’t kidding about having everything. I think you might be, like, the Tolstoy of wedding planners. That’s how many pages this thing has.”

Valencia laughed. “Well, I do like to be thorough.”

Heather licked her lips. She broke eye contact to look down at the first sheet. “Oh my god. Is that a table of contents? Wait, wait. Let me check the back. Yep, there’s an index, too. It’s a legit numbered and annotated book.”

Valencia elbowed her. She arched an eyebrow. “Are you finished commenting on my formatting?”

Heather hid a smile. “Take it away, Tolkien.”

Valencia rolled her eyes but her lips turned slightly at the corners. “So, the first few scans are actually before wedding prep begins. Layouts for engagement announcements, good locations for the accompanying photo shoot, recommended nearby photographers with their contact information, outfit inspo, and so on.”

Heather nodded and tried to concentrate on the assembled elements, but she was repeatedly drawn back to the person who had put it all together. Valencia spoke with obvious authority on the event. Bright enthusiasm came through in her voice. Her hands slid lovingly over every accumulated image and article of information. Heather herself had never so much as considered a style of dress, so she admittedly could not relate to the extensive construction of the fantasy. She hadn’t ruminated on post-nuptial domesticity, either, unless she counted the fictional scenario from her sleep that night during the Santa Ana winds (which she had been actively blocking out of her memory ever since). All that considered, however, the longing behind Valencia’s features caused a sympathetic pang in Heather just the same. 

Even though Valencia was over Josh, the fact remained that she wanted this. The gown, the veil, the ceremony and tradition of it, the gathering of loved ones, a devoted partner to share her life with -- it all brought her such audible and visible joy to imagine. Heather frowned. As they neared the end of the binder, she leaned her head against Valencia’s shoulder. The statement got caught in her mouth, slamming against deliberate resistance and uncertain implications, but the truth was more important than her insecurity. “I really hope you get your dream someday, V.” 

Valencia rested her cheek against Heather’s hair. “Thank you.” They remained that way for a brief while. Then Valencia closed the book with a resigned sigh. “Now that I’m looking at it with a new perspective, I think I’d probably scrap most of this. The vendor cards can stay, but the rest of it? Too much was for someone who’s not a factor anymore. Josh’s parents, his friends, his sisters... I knew they’d all be there determined to hate me, so the reception was where I was hoping to turn things around. It probably wouldn’t change their opinions much, but at least they’d be having a good time and not glaring from their tables. They’d end the night with fond memories, if nothing else. I’ll admit, the wedding itself was mostly for me, but you know what? I’m not a factor anymore, either. Or, at least, who I used to be isn’t. I’m... different. But maybe that’s not so bad.”

She looked down at Heather, who lifted her head and froze when they locked eyes. Valencia studied her vulnerable expression and became suddenly apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I completely dampened the mood. I was supposed to be helping you get away from weddings, not bringing them to you. Can I get you more wine?”

Heather concealed her disappointment with a forced smile. “Sure. That sounds great.”

“Awesome. Come on.” Valencia departed in the direction of their abandoned glasses. Heather uncomfortably shifted to cross her thighs. She took a deep breath and stood to follow her host. Though it happened without a conscious decision, Heather’s head turned for a parting glance at the bed before she left the room. She internally berated herself for that.

___

“Your ear is bleeding.”

“Huh?”

“Right there.” 

Valencia tried to point but her depth perception was no longer trustworthy. Her finger sank deep into Heather’s curls.

Heather snickered. “Missed.”

Valencia snorted. “Yeah, a little bit. It really is bloody, though, but like... dry.”

“Probably from your bed.” Heather took another drink.

“Aww! Is that what happened? Well, let me at least get some Neosporin for that.” Valencia shuffled toward the bathroom.

“Dude, you can’t even poke my ear right. How are you gonna put medicine on it?”

“Very carefully.”

They giggled. Heather leaned against the counter while she awaited her companion’s return. Valencia came back a couple of minutes later with an excessive dollop of the ointment on one fingertip and a circular bandage on the other. 

“Okay. This is going to be interesting. Don’t move.”

Heather swept her hair aside before she complied. Valencia rested the edge of her palm against Heather’s cheekbone to keep it steady. Her eyes squinted in concentration. A pink hint of tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth. Heather’s shoulders began to shake with suppressed laughter. Valencia gave her a teasing shove with the other hand. 

“That counts as moving.”

Heather tried without success to look serious. “Sorry.”

Valencia shifted her palm in a motion reminiscent of the hand on a clock, advancing by degrees, until at last her finger came into contact with the area of injury. “Hah! Nailed it.”

“Cool. I’ve gotta say, though, I’m not at all optimistic about that bandage.” Heather cast a wary glance at the plastic.

“Yeah, me either,” Valencia agreed. “Wish me luck.”

“You? I’m the one who’s gonna end up with adhesive in my hair.”

“Fair point. Good luck to you, too.”

“Comforting. I feel so much better about letting you do this.”

Valencia’s brows drew together. “Shh... You’re distracting the healer and she’s got a very important job to do. This is life or death stuff.”

Heather pantomimed zipping her lips.

“That’s better.”

It took several attempts including a couple of near-accidents involving stray strands, but then Valencia cupped Heather’s ear with both her hands and somehow managed to fold the bandage across the top.

“Ta-da!”

“Brilliant work, doc.” Heather plucked a sunflower out of the vase on the counter. She passed it to Valencia. “Job well done.”

Valencia blushed. She accepted the flower and put it immediately back in the water with the rest. “I’m very respected in my field.”

Heather inclined her head solemnly. They lapsed into silence, but then Heather tapped both hands against her denim shorts. “I should probably go home. I can’t avoid it forever.”

“You’re not going to drive, are you?”

“No, no. I walked. I’ll just head back the same way.” Heather ducked into Valencia’s bedroom to retrieve her cardigan off the floor.

“By yourself?”

“That’s how I traveled, yeah.” Heather clumsily shoved her arms into the sleeves.

“Not this time. I’m going with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Let me get my jacket.” Valencia grabbed the article of clothing in question and, with some difficulty, added it to her ensemble. She pocketed the key ring and tapped her fingers against her sides. “Off we go.”

___

Valencia wasn’t sure at what point during their stroll Heather talked her into taking the long way around or why she agreed to it, but eventually she realized they were in a part of West Covina she didn’t typically frequent.

“Where are we right now?”

“Getting close to my homework spot.” Heather walked up to a sign and pointed. “The Municipal Park.” They rounded the curve of the sidewalk. Heather gaped in amazement. “V, look! It’s empty. This never happens in the middle of the day.”

She walked across the vacant earth in long strides. Valencia followed at a distance. “Where are you going?”

“On a nostalgia trip. C’mon.” Heather approached the jungle gym.

“What does that even mean?” Valencia watched while Heather reached overhead to grasp the first beam of the monkey bars. “Are you sure this thing is made for adults?”

“Technically, no, but the metal portions will still support my weight.” Heather bent her legs at the knees to verify. “And I am gonna make good use of that sturdiness.”

She shucked her outermost garment again, but tied the sleeves around herself to keep track of it. Valencia stepped back so she had room to move. The crossing was more complicated since Heather could not easily judge the span of each transition, but her arms seemed up to the challenge of bearing her body aloft for a longer stretch of time. Valencia watched Heather’s biceps shift beneath her skin before she had to suppress a shiver.

Heather misjudged the next switch and whacked her knuckles against the bar. “Ah, fuck, that hit a vein.” She dropped lightly to the ground. “What did you do on the playground when you were little?”

Valencia counted activities on her fingers as she tried to remember. “Jump rope, hopscotch, four square... Oh, and one year our classroom got a couple of Skip-Its. The teacher had to schedule out turns to prevent fistfights.”

Heather’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, Skip-Its. I completely forgot about those things. So fun, but the counter hitting your ankle hurt like hell.”

Valencia nodded and chuckled. “So many bruises.”

“What about the stuff they’ve got here?” Heather prompted. “What would kid Valencia have ended up doing in this park?”

Valencia noticed the ladder to the lookout. “Well, I used to hang upside down sometimes. My legs were always stronger than my arms.”

“Do it.”

Valencia headed toward the bars without further consideration. “This is a terrible idea. You are a bad influence.”

“When I’ve been indulging in substances? Sometimes. But I’m a good spotter. I’ll stand directly in front of you. Try it.” Heather planted her feet firmly and waited.

Valencia ascended a few rungs, locked her calves across the other side, and started to lean backward. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.” They both winced as she uncurled her spine with great caution, but then her back straightened and she dangled vertically above the ground. “Wait. Nope, nope, nope. The world’s not supposed to start moving without me. Catch!”

Heather flinched when Valencia’s legs kicked past her face, but she dove forward quickly enough to secure a supporting grip against Valencia’s middle. Valencia felt Heather’s fingers graze just below her chest and her stomach clenched. She adjusted her jacket and cleared her throat, but she couldn’t step away from the embrace until the vertigo subsided. “Thanks,” she murmured once her surroundings returned to normal.

“Told you I’d be ready.” Heather hooked her thumbs through her belt loops. She wandered toward the swing set. “Did you ever play Spider?”

Valencia tilted her head. “Did I pretend to be a spider? Was that a thing?”

Heather regarded her with amusement. “No, dude. On the swings. I’ll show you.” She cautiously lowered herself onto a seat. “Now you climb on, and one of your legs goes on either side of me.”

Valencia’s eyebrows lifted. Sweat prickled over her pores. “You want me to what now?”

“It’s tricky even when you’re sober but it’s fun, I swear. I can help you get started.” Heather crooked a finger and beckoned. “Please? With one person it’s just, like, regular swinging.”

Valencia bit her lip. “Okay, but don’t you dare drop me.”

“Cross my heart and, well, hopefully none of the other stuff. I’m only twenty-six.” She tapped the chains on the swing. “Hold onto these while you put the first leg through. It keeps you steady. Kinda. Also, lead with your left. That way, the dominant leg is still supporting you.”

Valencia adhered to the instructions. She still swayed dangerously, but Heather was able to stabilize the shaking of the swing enough to restore balance. The second leg-up was even more hazardous. Valencia yelped and threw herself forward with the motion of the kick. Heather’s feet slipped from the dirt. They had to hold onto each other to keep from tumbling backward as the swing careened in no particular direction. Heather’s forehead touched Valencia’s clavicle. Valencia panted with relief that they had survived the takeoff and tried to ignore the way Heather’s proximity tingled at every point of contact. She gave her friend a subtle push.

“What happens now?”

“The next part doesn’t exactly look like the real thing because actual spiders don’t move like that, but it’s the only way to get the swing going, so that’s how it works. You alternate leg movements. Like, I hold mine out while you curl yours under, then you extend yours while I pull mine back. Get it?”

She demonstrated both. Valencia peered cautiously over the side to watch. “Yeah, I’m good. Full speed ahead.”

Heather grinned. She began the process, and Valencia followed her lead. The swing started to move in a recognizable arc.

“It’s working!” Valencia cried excitedly.

“Yep. Ready to kick it up a notch?” Heather’s smile became an adventurous smirk.

Valencia felt butterflies, which she willfully attributed to the rush of their successful endeavor. “Always.”

They picked up momentum, shouting and laughing harder the higher they soared. Valencia leaned away a bit more than she intended. Fear swooped into her gut when her torso pitched backward. Her co-pilot’s arm was around Valencia’s waist before she even had the chance to explain her panic. Heather held fast and eased the swing’s tempo back to something slow and easy. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

When they were nearly to a stop, Heather’s grip returned to the chain links. Their fingers accidentally overlapped, yet she did not adjust her hands to remedy that. Valencia became acutely aware of how little distance stretched between them. Heather’s eyes met hers, but Valencia had to look away. Her gaze fell instead to Heather’s mouth. Unbidden, the Santa Ana dream she’d vocally dismissed at the time resurfaced. 

Would Heather’s lips be as soft and sure against her own as she had unintentionally imagined? Could they fit together that perfectly, tangled into one form until nothing else mattered?

Was it her skewed perception, or was Heather angling closer?

Valencia forgot to breathe. Intense heat built between her thighs. Her heartbeat accelerated so frantically that she couldn’t perceive any other sound.

“I’m glad you taught me that,” she blurted. Valencia’s face burned at the evident strain in her tone. Although she did not know if the undercurrent had been one-sided, a small part of her hated that she had been the one to break their connection. 

Heather blinked. “Yeah, it’s a classic.”

Valencia tried in vain to disengage without aid, but in the end it was impossible to get back on her feet without Heather. The lack of personal space seemed altered somehow, awkward and fumbling. When they were both standing once more, Heather untied her cardigan and pulled it onto her torso. She strode beyond the park perimeter. Valencia hastened her steps to match the pace.

The pair returned to the cement path, walking without talking. Valencia’s insides felt leaden and they twisted with compunction. Her feet were equally under strain, so heavy in the state of remorse that she tripped over a break in the blocks. “Sorry,” Valencia mumbled after Heather turned to check on her. “I’m still a little unsteady, I guess.”

Heather modified her speed until they traveled side-by-side. She offered a reassuring nudge that lifted Valencia’s spirits in an instant. “It’s okay.” Heather’s smile was affectionate and patient. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

[aggresivelyfriendly]

~Who Names The Colors~

Chapter 9-This Is Not A Pipe (The Treachery of Images)

Hello my lovelies!!! Is everybody sending up good vibes that we get another amazing outfit and bounce in Hotlanta? I know I am! Give it to us Good Harry, we want it all night!

This fic has an age gap, she’s over 40, he’s just over 20. If you do not like this, I’m not offended. If you are intrigued, and like art, or UST, or juicy plotlines of deep POV-read on!

I could not do this, especially not as well(lmao), without my babes @nocontrolforlouis, @bleedinglove4h, and @dirtystyles-who is wonder at the banners that so beautifully adorn each chapter!

“Where are you?” Jo texted Ethan again.

“Mom, it’s handled, get ready.” She got an unreasonable 15 minutes later while she paced her bathroom and checked on what Zoe might be destroying several times. She had convinced herself that this was a very important situation and Ethan had said he was coming home. Audrey was busy and it’s not one of Colin’s appointed visitation times, so she knew not to ask him. Plus, after that comment about her ass in her yoga pants over two weeks ago, Jo had no interest in inviting him into her life, let alone her dating life.

Jo needed someone she could trust because Zoe was a threenager if she ever saw one.

 That little girl was full of opinions she couldn’t quite express and that huge influx of hormones she was getting about now, that Jo had heard was unmet in females again until puberty, made her full of feelings. Zoe insisted on expressing all of them loudly. She was a handful right now, even for Jo. Ethan may have had days like this, but the blur of parenting in her chaotic early 20’s had dulled the memory. Or, thankfully, her challenging child came when she was more prepared for her. In any case, her pint sized wonder had an attitude to outmatch a cast member on Made in Chelsea and was just as unreasonable.

Zoe also needed constant supervision at the moment. Jo was currently in the practice of knowing where she was in their house at all times and what weapons of minor destruction were at her disposal too. This had been brewing for some time, but it had become necessary for a normal sense of peace of mind starting about a week ago.

Jo had been working on grading her 2nd year technique submissions while watching her Sunday roast and decidedly not thinking about the shape of Harry’s lips or ass or how he had surpassed her in his technique and innovation as an artist and how she admired him, when she realized that she didn’t really know where her three year old was in the house at the moment. More worryingly, she had not heard a high pitched peep, let alone a squeal in too long. Jo dropped the iPad she had collected her submission’s on, including the piece Harry had sent after their frustrating meeting the other day, the one she mentally referred to as “Jo in the moon” and made her way to the play area. It was empty of life though the trail of destruction was clear. Jo cleared up five toys, as she tried to do in every room Zoe had wrecked, before checking her bedroom, again bereft, and the bathroom, also clear. 

She heard a chatter in her own bathroom then and wanted to freeze. The other day she had found that Zoe had billy goat-ed her way on to the counter from the toilet back and had crossed to the medicine cabinet where Jo safely kept her razor, or so She thought. This time the razor was not the problem. Instead, Zoe had found her way to the medicine cabinet and other trouble. In an effort to make herself feel better about being a woman in charge of her own destiny who made choices that were best for her, even if not what she wanted, Jo had recently sprung for the Ruby Woo Lippy instead of the Rimmel #1 she usually purchased.

So, of course, Zoe had found it and painted herself with it. The red stick had gone a long way, Jo imagined she could have had it for years, because there was enough of it to cover Zoe from her knees to her collarbones and beyond, including cold straight horizontal lines for eyebrows like she was Anger in Inside Out. Her daughter had taken one look from her place on the ruined bath mat, seen Jo’s incensed face, a less animated personification of anger and tried to run to hug off her mum’s rage. Jo, like any good mother in her best work clothes, stiff armed her like an American football player, and stripped herself before depositing a crying and sorry Zoe into a bath.

Jo had immediately called her friend Cidra with a glass of wine in hand. She could see her daughter was safe, but was far enough away to just watch. Jo needed to find the funny in the situation, as soon as possible, and Cidra would help. Because it was funny, Jo knew, even when it was your lipstick and your bath mat and your child. Cidra had laughed her ass off for minutes and convinced Jo to take pictures of the remnants of the waxy red dye all over Zoe. She had also declared that Jo desperately needed a night out, and “some dick to wind you down, god you are wound up tighter than my mother in law’s arsehole.” This and the 10 minutes since disaster had Jo laughing to.

It remained funny when Zoe’s chest and especially her eyebrows where red for better than a week.

For all these reasons, Jo wanted a trustworthy babysitter to watch her baby while she went on this blind date.

Jo had a date. She’d finally let Cidra do her work.

Her first since Colin had charmed his way into her diary, then heart, then bed. She was fairly certain that order was important. Had the sex come before the feelings, she may have taken a pass. And then it would only be awkward when they ran into each other at university functions, not Tuesdays and every other weekend.

So, this date. Jo was trying her best to be excited. But, her motives were totally suspect. She was going out with William, Or Wills, as Cidra called him, because she needed to meet a man more of an adequate age. Somebody that checked the same bracket as her on those bloody questionnaire’s one filled out too often. Not because she wanted to necessarily. The dinner would be fine, especially if he paid. But she might be at the age where the free-ish meal was not worth it.

To make any of this wishful dating work, she needed a trustworthy babysitter though. And luckily, her boy was supposed to be home. But he was very late. Jo was just about to go see what Zoe was into, when her toddler ran into her bathroom with her tiny collectibles in her right fist, and the bunny Harry had sent to her for Easter with Ethan in the other. Zoe’s name was embroidered on the ear. Jo smiled and then bit her lip. She would not be endeared by that man. That boy, she mentally reminded herself, because he was sooo young. And even though he acted like more of a man than the supposed one she had exchanged wedding vows with, especially the last time she had seen him, he was still too young. Point blank and period.

Well, not the last time she had seen him. Several days ago, a few hours before she had finally texted Cidra to take her up on the great guy she had for her, Jo had seen Harry on campus. And he had been a sight. His hair was a little ramshackle, could use a wash, as it was speckled with paint and not a little greasy, still she wanted to touch it. He was also wearing the craziest flower button down, it was a Hawaiian shirt, but more vivid, and his ripped knee skinny jeans and Chelsea boots. His outfit was eye catching, but the thing that Jo could not look away from was his company at the school coffee shop. He sat with a sweet faced blonde of his own age who looked quite smitten. Jo felt like an interloper when she found a small alcove to stand in to watch them. Harry had gotten up to grab their coffees and she got tender and catty when she saw the girl bite her lip and watch him walk to the counter. Then giggle.

Was he on a date? It looked like a date. The part that bothered her the most was that she was decidedly bothered. Harry should be on a date with a girl from school, he should be smiling like he was when he gently brought her coffee back to her, and of course the blonde was smiling and a little shy. Because this was still a new arena to both of them, unlike Jo, who had definitely dated, was now divorced and jaded.

Not so jaded that she stopped herself from calling Cidra. Or from wearing the daring trouser boot combination. The slim fitting trousers were new, but the over the knee boots were an impulse buy on the internet when she was sad about turning 41. It had been over a year and they had never made it onto her body. The blousy white wrap top felt silky against her skin and the bralette was her own sexy secret. Because she needed a confidence boost going into this thing. And, well, she frankly usually forewent underpants, so lingerie had to be special to be worn much at all. Though she did see the necessity of a bra. Especially when Ethan hit 12 and told her she was to wear one at all times. She did have a boy, it made sense. She made a face at that memory while she kept getting ready, the sound of her curling iron ticking on and on until it hit temperature ringing in her ear. Her hair felt smooth and wrapped around the barrel lightly while she prepared herself and tried to look at her progress across her head, not her bitten lip or furrowed brow. Jo put her hair up in to a full ponytail with swooping side pieces, smoked out her eye a little and threw on a nude Lippy.

It would do, she decided while looking in the mirror. Now she just needed her son, who had once again answered a text with his own version of chill mom. Zoe was playing at her feet now too, she’d snuck in silently and Jo almost stepped on her little hand. That child was way to stealthy. Either Jo was in her head worse that she thought, or she was going to be in even bigger trouble when that kid decided to be sneaky on purpose.

She made her way to the fridge to have some water to calm herself down and thought she heard a knock at the back door. That was curious, the only person who knocked was, “Harry?” She gaped at him when she got the door. He looked good, if out of place, with his hair down around his shoulders and an old Rolling Stones tee and his signature jeans. Dammit, this was gonna be awkward. Ethan had better be right behind him. “What’re you doing here?”

Harry looked her up and down and narrowed his brow. “Ethan got a date he’s been hoping for, said you needed a hand. And I said I’d lend it. I figured that Colin skipped out on you. Then thought maybe we could paint a little.” He looked her over and her skin heralded his eyes progress by getting all excited, the hair follicles standing at attention wherever his eyes landed. “But, you don’t look like you have university business.”

Jo felt miffed for a minute, there was nothing wrong with her outfit. She supposed it was inappropriate for school stuff, but it fit well and she liked it.

Harry smirked then, “oh! I know where you are off to-Girl’s night??” His smiled hopefully and she didn’t return it. His face fell a little then and his wide eyes looked so hopeful that she almost lied to him. Almost.

“Um, that sounds like more fun, but, no, I, well” spit it out she thought, he’s not your boyfriend, you only kissed the once, and he went out too. “I was set up by a friend.”

His face truly fell then, and his lips thinned into a line, like the one they had crossed. “Like a date.” It wasn’t a question.

Jo guiltily nodded and was ready to shove her fist in her mouth when Harry looked at his booted feet then gave her a false grin and changed the subject, “where’s my girl then?”

“Um, she was in my bathroom. Let me get her. I didn’t really write out any instructions, cuz I thought Ethan was watching her.” And he should know how to take care of her, he was a grown man.

“That’s alright, Miss Jo. I got her.” His back was to her, and he sounded tired, then he seemed to realize he shouldn’t be going into her bedroom and the doorbell rang. Did jo send Harry to the door, where her date he seemed to be bothered by was-or to her messy bathroom where she was sure there was a bra or two on the floor?

“Would you mind answering the door, and I’ll go make sure Zoe hasn’t painted herself with lipstick, again.” Oh that drew the dimples. “I’ll show you the picture I took so it could be funny, as opposed to rage inducing.”

“Please.” He nodded politely and Jo hated it.

Zoe was playing in her make up, but luckily it was the brushes, she looked a little messy, but cute.

“Guess who’s here bub?” She asked with extra enthusiasm.

“Tan!” Dammit-Jo had told her to soon. She’d have to ask Harry if her son was coming home after his hot date. She wanted to be pissed about him sending Harry and making it awkward, but she couldn’t. How was Ethan to know that she and his best mate were doing a tango around each other?

“Not Tan, bub! Hopefully soon, but today you get to hang out with Harry.” Jo sat her down before she fell from wiggling around so much.

And Zoe took a couple seconds to grieve the absence of her brother before launching herself like a disturbed bottle of coke at “Arry!”

Who stood with his arms crossed and his brow narrowed. The perfect shape and color of his lips was hidden by the straight line he had thinned them into. Beside him was who she had to assume was William.

He was about the same size as Harry, perhaps a little more robust in frame. He had a clean, classic haircut with a touch of curl in the dark blonde locks. His eyes were a milk chocolate brown and best of all, he had a full groomed beard. Had you asked Jo to describe her type of guy, and Cidra had, he would be it. No wonder Cidra was so keen to get them out together.

“Arry!” Zoe was happily at his feet and he thawed a touch to reach down and pick her up.

“Hey bug! What do you want to play tonight?” He tried for the level of enthusiasm he usually gave her. Jo could hear the false note in it, like she was a producer with headphones on and everybody else could be distracted by the backing vocals.

“Puppets!” Zoe raised her hands up and Harry looked bewildered for just second. He looked at Jo and she smiled at him. She wouldn’t have described Harry when asked her type then, but now she might, lanky and tall with long hair and beautiful olive skin and deep dimples and green, green eyes. Maybe she couldn’t even dream him up until she saw him grown into himself.

“She saw a puppet show at the library, so I got her a few and we’ve been using her kitchen set as a stage. Stuck a blanket over it.” Harry laughed at her description and he looked so beautiful.

A throat cleared and Jo remembered why Harry was here in the first place. She turned to her date. “Sorry, I’m unforgivably rude!! Jo Smith” she extended her hand. He took it and pulled her in a bit, keeping his arm across his stomach, so she had to enter his space bubble.

“William Sullivan, people call me Will, or brave ones, Sully. I bet you are a brave one! Cidra has been talking about you for ages and she told not a lie!” And he smiled appreciatively and his accent, maybe Belfast, was lovely, and he was handsome and just a bit younger than her, maybe 3 years, and perfect.

But Jo found she was fighting with herself to keep her eyes on her date and not watch Harry to see how he was feeling.

This was a good idea. She needed to go on a date with somebody her own age, in the same life stage. Not someone so young. Harry may make a great babysitter, but it would be totally unfair to thrust him into any kind of parenting role. Jo had been a parent at Harry’s age, you missed out on a lot. She would not take that from him, especially for a child not his own.

She was also miles ahead of herself. Harry was seeing a sweet faced undergrad and she was going on a lovely date with a very handsome man.

They had only kissed once.

Her eyes cut to Harry. He was looking at Zoe, but his face was a little red. He returned her gaze then and Jo wanted to be 3 inches tall. Felt it. That was the least charitable look he had ever given her.

“Are you ready, then? Need to grab a bag or anything?”

“Oh, sorry,” Jo was still looking at Harry while she said it, but she was answering both of their questions. ‘Sorry’ she mouthed again at Harry and he bit his lip and nodded.

Jo turned with an excuse me and grabbed her bag.

Dinner was lovely, it was.

William was lovely, he was.

He was educated and cerebral, but in no way pretentious. He had a working knowledge of art and even had been to a Jenny Seville exhibition Jo wanted to see herself. But the minute she thought of Seville’s art she thought of the way the flesh of Harry’s women looked, how he created some kind of meld between landscape and flesh and all of it seemed to be in motion, alive.

He made her feel alive. Her bones sing and hair scream and skin dance.

William sat across from her and he was more adequate in every department. He was of a certain age, she wouldn’t feel like she was cheating him of some experiences and forcing others upon him. There was no ethical questions surrounding him. Jo would not get fired it she was caught with William. Not unless she fucked him in front of her classes. Also, she wasn’t his advisor. There were so many inequalities between them. Harry was her protege, for fuck’s sake. That made her chuckle, but it must have been well timed, because William smiled like he was encouraged and she felt guilty but continued to let her mind wander. She may have introduced Harry to his inner artist, but he was light years ahead of her now. He could make a career of his talent. And she believed he would.

Last but not least, in fact most, was Ethan. How does one tell your barely grown son you are dating his best mate?

You don’t.

And if it was just a sexual thing, not worth it. Sex was lovely, but most certainly not worth upsetting her son over. Certainly no sex she had ever had. She looked across the table to William’s wide eyes and raised brows and knew she had missed a question.

“I’m sorry, what?” She blushed.

“Would you like desert? We could share?"he raised one brow.

Her distraction was totally unacceptable and Jo should say yes and cozy up to the perfectly lovely man. "Actually, I’m really sorry to say this, but I’m feeling unwell. I’m gonna head out, call an Uber.”

“Oh, no. Absolutely not. I’ll get the check and get you home.” He looked around for their server and Jo almost hurrahed aloud when the lady was nearby. Her heels were burning to go. She was already formulating her excuse for why this wasn’t going to work.

The drive home was silent, William put on a playlist from his phone and she really liked every song that came on. Even found herself singing along to the “The Freshman”. William joined her and she smiled, maybe they could try this again and she would feel something for him and her focus could come back to reality. Maybe?

Harry probably didn’t even know that song.

Once outside her home, she didn’t have the chance to get her door open, because Will moved like lightening to get it for her and he took her hand to walk her to the front of her house.

“Jo, can I call you in a couple months?” He asked when they got the the covered step at her door.

“Huh?” Jo thought for sure she would be turning down another date or basically shaking hands and parting ways. She was amazed that wasn’t the conclusion after her inattention.

“Cidra told me about your divorce. And, well I’ve been there myself, so I guessed we would see how it went before we tried to do it again. I’d like to take you out again. But only when you are ready.” His eyebrow on the left was raised.

He was lovely, dammit. Jo bit her lip and nodded. “Please call me in a few months, hopefully I’ll be in a place where I can appreciate how wonderful you are.”

Will smiled at that and she felt better about basically ignoring him their whole date. Jo let him assume it was her ex husband and not her babysitter causing the wandering mind.

He leaned in then and kissed her cheek and she returned the gesture and turned to open her door. She watched him get in his car and then closed the door, put on the latch and leaned against it with her eyes closed to gather herself before going to relieve Harry. She wasn’t sure what she would say to him. Or how awkward their exchange would be.

When her eyes opened and he was right in front of her with a hurricane face she clutched her chest. “Jesus, Harry, you scared me!” She whispered, because Zoe had better be asleep.

“Sorry,” he said with the cruelest smile Jo had ever seen on his face. It twisted and turned across his pretty mouth like churning clouds. “Did I interrupt your reverie?”

“My what?” Jo was lost.

“Looked like you were thinking on the kiss your suitable man gave you.” Suitable- that was a spot on word. Harry’s voice was a rumble of thunder when you didn’t see the lightening strike.

Jo pulled a face at him. “Not that it’s your business,” she moved around him to hang her purse and bag on the coat rack. And turned to stare at him with some weather of her own. Hands on hips, “but I didn’t kiss him.”

Harry scoffed then and walked back into the studio, throwing a “whatever Jo, I saw you.”

Jo went after him. No way was he getting away with being a little immature shit about this. “Listen, Harry, I get that this was awkward, I had no intention of you witnessing my date like I had to witness yours—”

“What date? I haven’t been on a date?”

“The one in the coffeehouse with the sweet blonde thing who looked right chuffed to be getting coffee with you.” He was facing her and she realized his shirt was half buttoned and he was holding his coat ready to go, and that he had been painting. His shirt had speckles of gold.

“Liz?” Harry looked puzzled.

“I don’t need to know her name!” Jo stamped her foot.

“Well I know his! And I watched him kiss you, since you lied about it.”

“Were you watching me?” Jo drew her chin back in question.

Harry looked heavenward. “Of fucking course I was watching you. I’m always bloody watching you! For any sign you want me! But I saw how you were with him! Could he have run to your door any faster?”

“Don’t mock him for being a gentleman!” Jo was livid.

“I’ll mock him if I want! And you don’t think I’d be a gentleman to you? I have been a gentlemen to you. Trying to let you call all the shots. I’d be whatever you wanted except what you think you need!” He was almost shouting and Jo shushed him.

“And what do I think I need?” Jo whisper yelled.

“Somebody older! Which I can’t be! But, Jo, you could be out with him still and instead you are hear yelling with m—”

“Well! That’s because I fucking want you instead, isn’t it!”

At that, the lightening struck right between them and the electricity closed the circuit and Harry had her face in his hands and her mouth on his and was picking her up to lay her on the canvas on her studio floor.

[gwynnew]

Behind 'Black Panther': The hidden meanings of those stunning Wakanda costumes

Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, and Florence Kasumba (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Oscar-nominated designer Ruth Carter takes us on a guided tour of her exquisite fashions and explains their authentic African origins.

Even before Black Panther premiered in theaters, costume designer Ruth Carter saw her Instagram feed blowing up with fans emulating the film’s style. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Director Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking film is easily the best-looking Marvel movie to date, in large part because of Carter’s dazzling vision of fashion in Wakanda. Carter’s prestigious résumé includes Oscar-nominated designs for Malcolm X and Amistad, along with costumes for beloved films like Selma, Serenity, and Love & Basketball. But Black Panther presented a unique challenge: creating the look of an African society that was both untouched by Western influences and more technologically advanced than any nation in the world. As Carter told Yahoo Entertainment, she turned to ancient African tribal designs for her inspiration, then remixed those elements to create a futuristic, cutting-edge fashion aesthetic that, not incidentally, makes everyone in the movie look fabulous. It’s no wonder the film is already showing its influence on the fashion world. Carter spoke to Yahoo about creating the film’s many distinct tribal looks, her source for the royal family’s stunning jewelry, the inspiration behind Michael B. Jordan’s sexy Killmonger street look, and the secret superhero element she worked into Letitia Wright’s Shuri wardrobe.

Yahoo Entertainment: The concept of Wakanda as an African nation that was never colonized by the Dutch or British is so powerful. How did that inform your design choices? Ruth Carter: I discovered so many things about Africa that I didn’t know — like, the cloth that we normally see in many African-inspired things, the wax cloth, was brought in from the Dutch. There are influences of the British; when you see a Nigerian wedding, you’ll see a Nigerian traditional drape and a guy with a top hat on. [laughs] So you have to dig deeper and go to the indigenous tribes of Africa. You’re not a real historian, you’re just kind of the temporary historian for the picture, so you’re looking at beadwork and you’re looking at carvings and you’re looking at masks. And you’re being inspired by patterns. There are a couple of patterns that I saw repeated throughout the continent: one is like a checkerboard, another one is a triangle.

And I looked at books on African ceremonies, since ceremonies reminded me of pre-colonization. So for example, the Dogon tribe were the first astronomers. They do a ceremony once a year where they adorn themselves in these brilliant raffia skirts and wood-carving masks that shoot up to the stars — they’re really tall. And they do these moves that sweep the earth. I was fascinated by that. So Ryan wanted the Jabari to wear grass skirts during battle, and the Dogon was the perfect place to start with the inspiration. We used the wood carving design for the armor for the Jabari. So when we see Winston Duke (as M’Baku), he really is representing the Dogon tribe of ancient Africa.

Winston Duke as M’Baku (Photo: Marvel Studios)

And then the Dora Milaje were inspired by many indigenous tribes of Africa. The color was the brilliant red of the Maasai. When you see these pictures of them with their beadwork, you see this red that is just so prominent and so strong, and really beautiful with these bald heads, and they stack beads, and it’s just phenomenal. So I upped the color of the design to be a much more brilliant red so they could have this part of Africa that was undeniable in its brilliance and in its color. Also their neck rings were inspired by the Ndbele tribe of South Africa. Ryan really wanted to use them, and it was his idea to have these neck rings and these arm bands to represent this form of adornment that we see throughout Africa. Using them as armor just felt very natural. But Ryan also said he wanted them to feel like jewelry, especially Danai [Gurira]’s. When you see Danai in the opening scene in Nigeria and she impales the guy behind her and she walks straight [towards the camera] — you see this gold just glimmering, and it’s very regal.

Okoye (Danai Gurira, left) with the Dora Milaje (Photo: Marvel Studios)

So those are kinds of ways that the costumes represented the ancient indigenous tribes of Africa. And I used so many books — I think everybody loves African art, I don’t know anybody who doesn’t, but we didn’t want to approach it from an anthropological point of view. Like the man with the lip plate. You see him with this lip plate, and you mostly see that in National Geographic, on a woman who’s bare-chested in her village, you know, cooking outside on a fire. But this way we honored it, and we made it classy and regal, and we gave the actor a beautiful suit to wear that represented the tribe, and we painted the lip plate to match the color of the suits, and we made it an outfit. So in those ways we gave it honor.

Forest Whitaker (right) as the royal adviser Zuri (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Can you talk about how you used fashion to express the cultures and beliefs of the different tribes of Wakanda: the Border Tribe, the Panther Tribe, the River Tribe, the Mining Tribe, the Merchant Tribe, and the Jabari?   There was a color theory that Ryan set out. It was pretty basic: he wanted the River Tribe to be green, the royal palace is purple, the Border Tribe is blue — they represent the police, they patrol the border of Wakanda — and the Merchant Tribe is this aubergine with lots of metal.

Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi is a member of the Border Tribe. (Photo: Marvel Studios)

So I just took it from there. And once I divided my research by the different tribes of Africa — the Merchant Tribe representing the Tuareg, the River Tribe representing the Surma and the Kongo, the Mining Tribe representing the Himba — I was able to apply it.

The Mining Tribe (Photo: Marvel Studios)

And I wanted to apply the art of the tribes to their costumes. For example, silver is a precious metal for the Tuareg, and that fit within the Wakandan ideology of vibranium, because vibranium is also silver. So I combined the silver from the Tuareg look with that aubergine-baby blue kind of mixture for the Merchant Tribe of Wakanda.

The same goes for the River Tribe. The cowry shell was a form of commerce [in West Africa], it was how they traded. And so I used a lot of the cowry shell on Lupita’s costume, and a lot of beads and shells because she represented the river and the water and the grass. So I had a wealth of resources of artistry to pick from.

Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Letitia Wright (Photo: Marvel Studios)

You mentioned metal, which reminded me how amazing the jewelry is. Were those all custom pieces? Ramonda’s earrings are bought from this man in Atlanta, and I’ve been looking for his name since then. He came into my shop, this old guy chewing on a licorice root.

Chadwick Boseman and Angela Bassett as Ramonda (Photo: Marvel Studios)

He had everything rolled up in a black cloth, and he unrolled it, and then there those earrings were! And I just bought some things from him. But much of the jewelry was handcrafted by Douriean [Fletcher], who I hired — she’s a jewelry designer who I met and I really liked her aesthetic, I liked her work ethic, and I felt that the jewelry of Wakanda needed to have this hand-tooled look that would also be reminiscent of the craftsmanship of Africa and of ancient Africa. So I started everything with a prototype that was made of metal, and then we molded it and were able to recreate the jewelry in rubber and paint it to look like metal.

Angela Bassett (Photo: Marvel Studios)

I want to talk about a couple specific characters.  Wakandan princess Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) has such a distinctive fashion sense. What was your inspiration for her? When when we first meet Shuri, the tradition is uncomfortable for her — she says, “Can we get this over with? This corset is really tight.” So that informed the rest of the story. When we first meet her at the airstrip and she asks T’Challa if he froze — she’s the one who’s wearing the cape! She has a little cape on her costume. All of her costumes were inspired by fashion, were inspired by new technology. When we see her in her lab, I didn’t want to use a lab coat.

Shuri (Letitia Wright) in her lab (Photo: Marvel Studios)

I wanted to present these overlays — everything was overlaid, and I wanted the overlays to feel as if they were different recycled fabrics. So I chose carefully whether it was a mesh, or a sheer white kind of a sweatshirt-y feel. Also, I wanted her colors to be young and fresh, and her look to be that of, not a 15-year-old, not a preteen, but of a girl who’s going from teenage to womanhood.

Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright (Photo: Marvel Studios)

I also want to talk about Erik Killmonger’s street look when he first see him in the museum, with the denim jacket. It’s such an unexpected look for a villain, sexy and geeky and cool.  In one of the first versions that we read, Killmonger was an anthropologist. And we thought, when you think of the stereotype of an anthropologist, you think of a tweed coat and slacks, like he’s coming from the university. And Ryan really wanted him to feel like he was basically urban, he was unapologetic about his look. He was learned, which is where the glasses come in, but we gave him drop-crotch pants, Balmain boots, a shearling denim jacket, and an oversized T-shirt.

Michael B. Jordan and Killmonger and Andy Serkis as Klaue (Photo: Marvel Studios)

He’s also wearing some kind of African beads, so there’s a little bit of culture there. There are signs that he has a connection to his past but it’s not overt. He is representing the Lost Tribe, so we needed to make him really feel like an African-American urban cat, you know, an urban guy, and have the security surround him as if they don’t really know what to make of him — is he a thug? What is he? And so it just really plays him against T’Challa really great, because T’Challa comes from a place that’s never been colonized, he was raised a prince, and so his look is completely the opposite.

This movie is looking to be hugely influential in the fashion world. You’ve done so many iconic films; is that an experience you’ve had before, of seeing designs inspired by your films on the runway or in stores?  I have not had this experience before. I feel like we’ve got an opportunity here to have a voice and shape the world in a sense, and that’s where fashion comes in. If that’s what people want to buy, the fashion industry usually provides that. And if the Panther film has influenced people to want to wear these things — I see it on my Twitter feed all day long, I see it on my Instagram all day long. People are re-creating the fashions because they feel a connection to the story, they love the story so much, and so I feel like the H&Ms and all those people will have their Wakandan vibe in some of their clothes. And hopefully it won’t go out of style like most things in fashion sometimes do. Because it’s a movement more than a fashion statement.

Athi Patra Ruga at World Gallery #costumedesignerblackpantherfilm #southafrica

A post shared by Ruth Carter (@iamruthecarter) on Jan 13, 2018 at 4:05am PST

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Letitia Wright’s freestyle on the ‘Black Panther’ set is the best thing you’ll see all day

‘Black Panther’ star Michael B. Jordan wants his Killmonger’s hairstyle to become a trend

‘Black Panther’ breakout Shuri crowned the best Disney princess by social media

#BlackPantherSoLit and beyond: Cast of Marvel’s megahit reveals favorite ‘Black Panther’ memes

The biggest ‘Black Panther’ Easter eggs and end-credits scenes explained (spoilers!)

Inside the ‘Black Panther; cast’s ‘Coming to America’-themed party, featuring Ruth Carter’s costumes:

[elegant-etienne]

Fashion, pastel goth, and glams in Eorzea

When I returned to Balmung about a year and a half ago, I fantasia’d Etienne with a very specific sort of soft grunge / pastel goth look in mind. While the definition of pastel goth (much like ‘goth’ in general) is vague and not very agreed-upon. In the case of Etienne’s design philosophy, it is, at its core, an embracing of elegant, feminine lines and shapes with a heavier Victorian/gothic fashion sense, while embracing a spring and summer color pallet. I classify Etienne as a pastel goth just as much because of their attitude as much as their look. I do not consider pastel goth to be ‘goth lite’, as some might categorize it. Also, I’m more of the philosophy of creating an aesthetic rather than following one, if that makes sense. Since I can’t define what pieces turn up in the game and not everything I’d like Etienne to wear is available to them, it’ll never be exactly what I’d want or imagine. But I find that to be part of the fun and the challenge.

I was very flattered recently to receive a message asking for tips on what items dye well for a pastel goth aesthetic. I’d say the Heavensward gear is best for goth stuff in general, there are a lot of gems in the leveling gear, and people are moving away from that for the time being which will give you a more standout, if possibly quaint, look. I wouldn’t say there’s a particular color or dye that works better. I bought some of the pastel pink dye for my wedding and have used it on a few other items and found it quite satisfying, but you can get a good look out of everything if you follow through with your colors and it happens to be shades that work on your character. Even the ice blue and rose pink dyes you get in the early game could be put to good use in the right context.

Siince I realized I had a ton of things I wanted to say on the subject of glams, pastel goth and fashion, as well as wanting to use visual aids. Here’s some basic ideas and philosophies that help me dress Etienne in all their pastel goth glory. All of these things are purely my opinion, every single one of them, so feel free to disagree. Preferably far away from me. I’m only an amateur when it comes to fashion. I like it a lot but I have not taken a single class or cried over a dress form or anything like that. If I get something wrong, I hope you can at least get my gist.

1. The Character Creator, Hair, Makeup, And Other Considerations

Everyone’s got that POTD haircut these days, right? But I love it!

When it comes to character customization your mileage can vary by races. I won’t begin to tell you what looks good. Aside from retainers, I’ve heardly touched any of the character creators aside from mi’qote and elezen. I’m a little obsessive about trying to make sure that my characters don’t look like everyone else’s, and that’s something that’s only brought about by long-term experience in the game. Remember that shades look different between haircuts, and if you think a skin tone or hair color looks good in the character creator, you probably want it a shade or two darker. The swatches are liars and things IG tend to look more washed out than in the CC. This shade of lavender looks like pink in the swatch, lavender looks gray or silver, etc. You can waste a lot of time, and potentially gil or fantasia on experimenting with this, but I’d say 98% of the time I’ve gone back to redo a character’s look it was mostly rectified by darkening up my color choices. So you may want to simply pick what you like instinctively, and then go a shade or two darker. I happen to like to highlight with a lighter shade of the hair’s original color to give some illusion of depth and texture, but this doesn’t work with every hairdo. Paler eyes give an illusion of life and depth to characters, but wash out very easily in screenshots or may give a lack of distinction.  Lip color you can take a bit more risk on. Darker purples, reds, and even greens or blues depending on what you’re going for / your character’s skin color (the latter look great on gray and blue skin tones) look pretty awesome, and again, better to err on the darker side. A brown can be an excellent choice for a ‘neutral’ lip color that still provides a made-up, polished look.

Bright colors look best on warmer and/or darker skin tones, so if that’s part of your character, you’re in luck.

One of the best pieces of advice on creating a customizable character to RP was to simply make it and walk away, and return to it the next day. This requires a lot of patience, but I think the results speak for themselves. You may otherwise wind up playing your character and finding you dislike your choices - or you made some very basic mistake.

2. Building A Silhouette

Shh... I know this isn’t pastel.

Shape of an outfit is, in my opinion, just as important as the colors you choose. This, like many other aspects, has many factors out of your control as we cannot have items custom made and builds have little variation. It’s a video game, and frankly it’s not like most of us are getting our IRL clothes bespoke either. Just as much as you want to think about what colors you should be wearing (and if you’re a RPer like me, why your character might wear it) but if the lines look good. I tend to build an outfit around one specific, notable piece of gear. Usually it’s a coat or something like that, but it may also be a hat or boots. I take a look at the shape of the item and consider the overall silhouette of the outfit. The Thavnarian bolero is lop-sided and worn with pants beneath, as the bloodhempen casting robe.  The ‘real’ bottoms for these sets are pants. I’m not fond of the way that breaks up the great line at the waist of these items and makes things look a bit lumpy and uneven. I thought a skirt was a great way to rectify this, plus it adds an interesting motion when you’re moving.

Having a lot of really ornate pieces all together at once, as well as potentially your weapons, can create a busy shape which makes an outfit seem muddled. Your admirers won’t know what to focus on. An outfit should, much like the main character of a Shonen Jump series, have a design that is simple, recognizable, distinct and attractive in silhouette.

3. Colors and Dyeing

If there’s one thing I come to again and again, it’s that you shouldn’t wear all one color.

This warddrobe color guide infographic literally changed my outlook on fashion forever, and thus, my entire glam life, and I keep the rules at the bottom for ‘foolproof combinations’ in mind at all times. 

I tend to avoid traditional neutrals, if I must I’ll go with the various shades of gray that are somewhat underutilized IG. Cream yellow and bone white are ones I’ve used a bit on one of my mi’qo alts to great effect, but they are more yellow and ecru than just plain white. 

I don’t have a cap that shows it, but I used to have a glam that was mostly grays with salmon pink gloves and shoes that dyed so that just the socks were that color. Using pops of color this way are an opportunity to cheat and use colors that might not look great in large amounts, or are unflattering on your character for the most part.

Remember that the more colors you have, the more bright pops, the more risk you run of looking busy, or that you simply threw together colors you liked without further consideration. That being said, I tend to enjoy using color families. Most of the light colors have darker counterparts.

When you dye an outfit a light color, many of the details get changed slightly to their darker shades. You can then pull out those colors for other pieces of your outfit and match it up. I was delighted to find out, when I got this hat in a drop, that it bore similar colors to the coat I’d already dyed colibri pink. Just because something isn’t dyeable doesn’t mean it’s going to clash with everything you own. If you like a piece, hold onto it. You never know. This is less of a problem in SB, but... just don’t ask to see poor Neondemon, my fashion retainer. Even his beefy Roe arms can’t hold all of my collection.

Plum purple wound up dying half of the boots that actual bright purple, and half of them a deep purple that coordinated with the trim and the other darker elements of the coat. In any case - dark hat, dark gloves, light shoes with a darker trim, and a very bright coat.

I also think it’s important that your earrings, etc., match the other materials you’re wearing, and that the shape compliments the outfit as well. Don’t let your earrings work against an outfit.

Here we have the combination of light coat, light hat, dark gloves, dark pants and shoes. I loved the line of the Ala Mhigan jacket and its art noveau little hat, so I decided to keep it. Even though this is a set of tomestone gear that basically everyone has, I’ve received a lot of compliments for the choices I made in dyeing this pairing it with the overall look of my character. In spite of it being an ‘ordinary’ outfit with zero alterations, I absolutely loved wearing this and how Etienne looked in these color choices. I don’t think you have to break new ground with every outfit or find the most unique, rare pieces. It may not be realistic to spend your time on that. When you dye things in unusual colors, it brings out qualities others might not have noticed or appreciated about that item. The details on the Ala Mhigan casting set are so much more noticeable in this light color, and it looks very pleasant with the snowy white trim. In spite of doing very little to ‘develop’ this glam aside from deciding on the colors, it’s one of my favorites so far.

Dark jacket, dark pants, light gloves, light shoes + paissa. #aesthetic

4. Take Risks, Get Feedback, Make Friends, And Have Fun

Or just marry someone really cute and stand next to him.

I’ve met so many awesome people because they complimented my look or my glam and I took a few minutes to chat with them about it. Complimenting others has gained me a lot of insight into different ideas, where gear comes from, how it dyes and how to pair it up with things. Allow yourself to be a work-in-progress. The one person you truly have to answer to when it comes to glams is yourself, so there’s no reason to worry to much about getting good.

I dye all my leveling gear.

I just feel like I’m having more fun when I’m pretty.

[taylors-journal]

Style 180

Taylor Repak

Style is unique to each and every student that walks through the halls of Rolling Meadows High School. Whether it’s jeans and a t-shirt or leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, most people have their own identifiable “look.” I, for one, usually wear a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt, often emblazoned with a Marvel or Harry Potter graphic. But I wondered: What would high school life be like if I dressed for a new part?

In a society that’s so vainly fixated upon outward appearance, I was apprehensive to say the least. Nonetheless, I took on the challenge and began to plan, deciding to wear dresses and heels for a combination of one gold, one purple day. The next two days, I would go for a bolder, more gothic look. Despite my aforementioned misgivings, I was determined to see the week through, and rationalized that it couldn’t be too difficult. I had faith in my peers that I would be treated the same, no matter what I looked like on the surface. Much to my dismay, I apparently had no idea what was in store for my next week.

Monday arrived, and with it, the commencement of my wardrobe challenge. I put on a dress, some light makeup and heels, dressed almost as though I were headed to a formal party, like a wedding or Easter mass. Confident, I departed for school, three inches taller. In accordance with my prediction that any reactions wouldn’t be too dramatic, the day went about as normal, with one or two more compliments than usual as the only exception, but this was expected.

Another dress and a pair of heels for Tuesday, and the day progressed as easily as the day before. At least until seventh block, when a student bluntly asked for the whole classroom to hear, “Taylor, what are you wearing? If nothing special is happening, why would you dress so nicely?” I stuttered, unsure of what to say. I hadn’t been telling anyone about my experiment, and I stumbled over my words for an answer.

To my surprise, another student quickly came to my defense, saying “What do you mean? Taylor can wear whatever she wants. It’s her choice, so if she wants to wear a dress, she can wear a dress.” I smiled, saying nothing, glad that the student had defended me with such little hesitation, and against his friend, no less.

Thinking the worst had passed, the day ended. I knew my style was changing the next day, and didn’t think it would be difficult at all, given that many students wear this style on a daily basis. Thursday morning dawned, and I slipped into black skinny jeans, combat boots and a black tank top. Pulling my hair into a high ponytail and applying black lipstick and mascara, I left for school.

Contrary to my obviously misguided preconceptions, I was immediately struck with how many odd looks and whispers I got from students in the hallway. People I had never talked to looked at me sideways, people I had known for nine years avoided me. I can’t count how many people came up to me to ask “what I was doing.” The mere idea of walking through the lunchroom filled me with anxiety, and I went without lunch. Dumbfounded and mildly afraid, I looked to my friends for a reprieve from the public scrutiny, but they only laughed and made fun.

That was only my first day. I still had to recycle this style for Thursday. I pondered just ending the experiment, thinking that I’d already gathered enough data for an article.

I told myself, no, I had made a commitment, and that I must honor it. I pulled on a very similar outfit, this time with a leather jacket, a choker necklace and I let my hair down, allowing it to cover my eyes partially. Having acquired a day’s worth of experience already, this day wasn’t as terrible in the shock factor, but the same things happened: I was stared at, approached and questioned to an inappropriate point

I realize now that I’d had no clue going into this just how deep the effects would run. Our society is built upon the idea of physical beauty, and even our own peers are hesitant to shun their own predispositions to reject those who elude the status quo. Despite how glorified it might be in movies and literature, marching to the beat of my own drum only brought me anxiety and paranoia.

As much as I hoped to believe that our generation of all groups would welcome the atypical and exceptional, the student body did not welcome me and I was frankly disappointed. We still have strides to take in acceptance of uniqueness, and I aspire to make a change in the general mindset of my community.

[pehstal]

All 100 ❤️

Takes a deep breath and stares at all the questions. Okay. Let’s do this. 

Q1: When you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?

A: More cereal than milk. Depending on the cereal, some of them I would eat without milk whatsoever. Milk is good but sometimes milk makes me get an upset stomach.

Q2: Do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?

A: Since there is no winter here, the closest equivalent here would be a windy or a rainy day. I would say it depends. If it had been warm the entire day or for the past few days, then the cold air is greatly welcomed. 

Q3: What random objects do you use to bookmark your books?

A: I do not use anything to bookmark my books because I am used to remembering the page number of where I stopped. 

Q4: How do you take your coffee/tea?

A: I take my tea with two tablespoons of sugar. 

Q5: Are you self-conscious of your smile?

A: I am self-conscious about myself in general. 

Q6: Do you keep plants?

A: No but I think plants are cute. 

Q7: Do you name your plants?

A: I would like to imagine that I would if I ever owned one. 

Q8: What artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?

A: Writing

Q9: Do you like singing/humming to yourself?

A: From time to time, yes. 

Q10: Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

A: Back and side. 

Q11: What’s an inner joke you have with your friends?

A: How I have this amazing ability to catch my friend’s dumb moments when nobody else is looking but nobody has witnessed my dumb moments yet. 

Q12: What’s your favorite planet?

A: Uranus. Solely because its colors are my favorite colors. 

Q13: What’s something that made you smile today?

A: My day started not long ago so, nothing yet. 

Q14: If you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?

A: It would be very minimal in terms of its colors, layout, and items. The colors would either be muted or dark colors and there would probably be various corners in the house to nap or to lie down on besides the couch. There would be bookshelves to store all our books combined together and there is always a scented candle burning in the background.

Q15: Go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

A: Footprints and tire tracks left by astronauts on the moon will stay there forever as there is no wind to blow them away.

Q16: What’s your favorite pasta dish?

A: Carbonara 

Q17: What color do you really want to dye your hair?

A: A dark brown with a hint of red. 

Q18: Tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

A: I told my friends a story before that when I was in kindergarten, there was photo taking day coming up and to this day, I solemnly swear that my teacher told me to cut my hair. So I told my parents just that and my dad especially was not happy about it because, during my childhood, I had really long hair. Like all the way to my hip kind of long. So he had my sister called the teacher, my mother went to meet with the teacher and then the teacher clarified saying that she told me to cut my fringe. Throughout photo taking day, I could see the teachers talking about me in the corner when it came to my turn. 

Q19: Do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

A: I used to but not anymore. 

Q20: What’s your favorite eye color?

A: Brown or hazel. 

Q21: Talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

A: I never really had a favorite bag but the one that I am using the most right now currently is the one that I like the most out of all the bags I have owned. It is a simple black backpack with patches that are space related on it, the size of the bag perfect for me to bring all that I need throughout the day. 

Q22: Are you a morning person?

A: I have been made into one due to work. 

Q23: What’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?

A: Honestly? Just lying down. 

Q24: Is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

A: No. I have told people my secrets before but not all of them. Some things are just not meant to be shared. 

Q25: What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?

A: Never broken into a place. 

Q26: What are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?

A: I used to have a pair of black boots that I would wear with everything and continued on using them until the shoes worn off. 

Q27: What’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?

A: Don’t like bubblegum. 

Q28: Sunrise or sunset?

A: Sunrise. 

Q29: What’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?

A: Checking up on me whenever they have the time, even though they may be busy and dealing with their own troubles. 

Q30: Think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

A: Countless times. 

Q31: What is your opinion of socks? Do you like wearing weird socks? Do you sleep with socks? Do you confine yourself to white sock hell? Really, just talk about socks.

A: I like socks. I am not as into them like my mother is though, who would buy whichever socks she liked in whatever colors or patterns she likes when she used to work. Since then, she has somewhat passed her collection to me so most of the socks I wear are hers. 

Q32: Tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

A: I am never with friends after three in the morning so sorry, nothing to tell. 

Q33: What’s your fave pastry?

A: Cream puffs. 

Q34: Tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

A: I had barbie dolls more than stuffed animals. I never kept a lot of stuffed animals as well. I do however have a stuffed animal that I bought on the whim when I was in secondary school. It is a monkey in a butterfly costume. 

Q35: Do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

A: I do. I try to get pens in most colors I can even if I mostly stick to black and blue when it comes to day to day use. When it comes to note taking, I like alternating between colors so that when I read back my notes, I would be more interested in reading. 

Q36: Which band’s sound would fit your mood right now?

A: Awesome City Club. 

Q37: Do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

A: I like keeping it clean for the most part. 

Q38: Tell us about your pet peeves!

A: Waiting for someone far longer than the time they promised to meet. People being unnecessarily mean or rude. 

Q39: What color do you wear the most?

A: Black or navy. 

Q40: Think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? Does it have any meaning to you?

A: I have a bracelet on my left wrist that is bought by my dad as a birthday present from two years back. I am unable to remove it because the clasp needs to be opened it with a set of pliers so yeah. The bracelet is pretty much stuck there. 

Q41: What’s the last book you remember really, really loving?

A: A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. 

Q42: Do you have a favorite coffee shop? Describe it!

A: No favorite coffee shop. 

Q43: Who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?

A: I never star gazed with anyone before. 

Q44: When was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?

A: Gosh, I cannot remember. I would say after my graduation in 2015? I felt like a heavy weight was lifted off my shoulders knowing that school was finally over. 

Q45: Do you trust your instincts a lot?

A: Yes. 

Q46: Tell us the worst pun you can think of.

A: It was an emotional wedding. Even the cake was in tiers. 

Q47: What food do you think should be banned from the universe?

A: Anything that has cucumber in it. 

Q48: What was your biggest fear as a kid? Is it the same today?

A: Fear of the dark. It is not as bad as now. 

Q49: Do you like buying CDs and records? What was the last one you bought?

A: I buy concert DVDs more than CDs. The last one was EXO’s Exoluxion Concert. 

Q50: What’s an odd thing you collect?

A: It is not something odd but I collect bags and pens. Some of them I don’t even use.

Q51: Think of a person. What song do you associate with them?

A: Crush by Yuna ft Usher. 

Q52: What are your favorite memes of the year so far?

A: There are new memes? I do not pay attention to memes in general. 

Q53: Have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? Heathers? Beetlejuice? Pulp fiction? What do you think of them?

A: Never watched any of them and some of them I never heard before. I would say those movies are more of an American thing to watch because this Asian kid never saw or heard about them except for two while growing up. 

Q54: Who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

A: My mom. 

Q55: What’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?

A: I spammed a group chat for the team I was working with? That’s the most I’ve done, really. 

Q56: What are some things you find endearing in people?

A: How passionate and excited people can get talking about the things they love. 

Q57: Go listen to Bohemian Rhapsody. How did it make you feel? Did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?

A: It made me imagine an entire musical in my head from beginning to end as I sang along to the song. 

Q58: Who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? Why?

A: None of them because they are both kids in their own ways with how much they whine to me about wanting food or wanting to go outside. 

Q59: What’s your favorite myth?

A: The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd. 

Q60: Do you like poetry? What are some of your faves?

A: I have seen some poetry around and I have enjoyed them but other than that, I do not know a lot about poetry nor have I been exposed to much. 

Q61: What’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? The stupidest one you’ve ever received?

A: The stupidest gift I have given is probably this creepy wind-up doll in a cracked egg that moves when you wind up the coil as the music plays while the stupidest one I’ve received was a badge of a chibi Colossal Titan. 

Q62: Do you drink juice in the morning? Which kind?

A: Nope. 

Q63: Are you fussy about your books and music? Do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? 

A: Fussy in the sense that if I do not like it from the first read or the first listen, then I will not return to it. As for my books, I just leave them be. 

Q64: What color is the sky where you are right now?

A: A light blue. 

Q65: Is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?

A: Nope. 

Q66: What would your ideal flower crown look like?

A: Something like this one.

Q67: How do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?

A: They get me in the mood to listen to all the sad songs I have to fit the weather. 

Q68: What’s winter like where you live?

A: Long, rainy days. 

Q69: What are your favorite board games?

A: Never played a lot of board games so Monopoly? 

Q70: Have you ever used an ouija board?

A: No because I do not have a death wish. 

Q71: What’s your favorite kind of tea?

A: Peach tea. 

Q72: Are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?

A: While I do not forget, I like to take it down either way so that I can remind myself as often as I like later on about it. 

Q73: What are some of your worst habits?

A: Overthinking. Skipping meals. 

Q74: Describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

A: They make me feel safe and protected. They never forget to remind me that I am loved and that I am deserving of as much happiness and success in my life just as much as the next person. They do not make me feel foolish whenever I talk about something I enjoy or I am passionate about. 

Q75: Tell us about your pets!

A: I got none. 

Q76: Is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?

A: Nope. 

Q77: Pink or yellow lemonade?

A: Is there a difference? I don’t know? 

Q78: Are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

A: ‘I just don’t care about them’ club. 

Q79: What’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?

A: Stopping by my house to give me a big teddy bear as my birthday present.

Q80: What color are your bedroom walls? Did you choose that color? If so, why?

A: Pastel yellow. My sister chose it since it was previously her room and because I like it as well, I never felt the need to change it. 

Q81: Describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.

A: Perfectly folded and creased half crescent moons, with the dark and vast night sky as its background. 

Q82: Are/were you good in school?

Q: I think I was? I was in the top five of my class at one point of my school life. 

Q83: What’re some of your favorite album art?

Q84: Are you planning on getting tattoos? Which ones?

A: Nope

Q85: Do you read comics? What are your faves?

A: I read webtoons more nowadays. My favorite webtoons are Roar Street Journal, Saphie The One-Eyed Cat and My Giant Nerd Boyfriend.

Q86: Do you like concept albums? Which ones?

A: I do. I liked the greek gods trilogy that VIXX had last year with Dynamite, Fantasy and The Closer. 

Q87: What are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

A: Sadly I do not watch a lot of movies but I think The Silenced is a good recommendation from me with how moving the story was and how much it made me emotional. 

Q88: Are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?

A: I am not well versed or as knowledge about art but I generally enjoy anything that makes uses of watercolors or lots of colors. 

Q89: Are you close to your parents?

A: I am closer to my mom than my dad. 

Q90: Talk about your one of your favorite cities.

A: Even though I have never been there before, Hong Kong is a beautiful city that I would love to visit with how it is has a balance of the old and the new with every corner you turn, how rich with culture and history with everything you see and of course, the food is what I would like to try the most. 

Q91: Where do you plan on traveling this year? 

A: No plans. 

Q92: Are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?

A: Drowns it because I have no chill when it comes to cheese. 

Q93: What’s the hairstyle you wear the most?

A: None. I leave my hair as it is. 

Q94: Who was the last person you know to have a birthday?

A: A close friend of mine.

Q95: What are your plans for this weekend?

A: Rest. 

Q96: Do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

A: Install immediately. 

Q97: Myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?

A: INFP, Scorpio and Slytherin.

Q98: When’s the last time you went hiking? Did you enjoy it?

A: I have never hiked since I was twelve? Not a fan of the outdoors. 

Q99: List some songs that resonate with your soul whenever you hear them.

A: Taeyeon’s 11:11, Day6′s Letting Go, EXILE’s Gentle Light, Takahiro’s Place, EXO’s My Answer, Flower’s Dolphin Beach, J Soul Brother’s Love Song, M Flo’s Let Go, Junggigo’s Across The Universe, Pentagon’s You Are. 

Q100: If you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? Why?

A: Into the future. Mostly because I am always interested to know how the decisions I make now would affect how things would turn out in the future. 

[50s-glamour-in-the-gutter-blog]

Interview with Eliza Rose Schneider

   To many, the subject of the 50s is very irrelevant and might be a yawn factor. But that's not the case in this interview. This interview includes steps on how to make yourself look and feel put together in the morning and who doesn't want to look neat and put together before starting their day. Back in the 1950s, it was rare to see someone in the shops or even grocery shopping who looks like they woke up and straight then and their left their houses without spending some time in front of the mirror. Nowadays it has been very common not many people spend some time in the morning to get ready. If someone left the house with a dress a decorative amount of jewelry and a put together face it is usually uncanny and unusual. People think leaving the house as I’ve stated above is how you're supposed to dress to important events, weddings and events such as that nothing more. I have interviewed a vintage enthusiast via Instagram message. Her name is Eliza Rose Schneider from Florida. Her Instagram account includes a broad range of outfits worn by her that she styles herself using the vintage style. She also posts similar outfits to old Hollywood starlets such as Lucille Ball and models from 50s magazines. Unfortunately, I was unable to meet her face to face and ask Eliza questions personally but thanks to technology I was able to email her the questions and receive emails back with the answers.

Above is a photograph of Eliza Schneider.

The Interviewer:  Is it true that back in the 50s it was rare and look down on when someone didn't look put together?

Eliza: During the 1950s, and arguably until the mid-1970s, one’s appearance was an indicator of one’s social standing.  An un-kept appearance could lead people to believe that one’s home and family were also un-kept.  Even those who were not in the higher economic classes did their best to maintain an appearance that did not mirror their financial situation. There was pride in a polished wardrobe, and “casual wear,” though it certainly existed, was only acceptable for the confines of one’s home.

The Interviewer: What aspects made you like the 50s?

Eliza: When I first began collecting vintage clothing, I was insatiably drawn to the classic simplicity of the 1950s.  With just a few items from the 1950s in your daily wardrobe, one can have a versatile, pulled-together look.  Circle skirts and boat neck blouses, cigarette pants with sweaters and ballet flats, a simple, tailored dress and heels, all indicative of the style of the 1950s.  After the fabric shortages and clothing rationing of World War II ceased, designers began creating pieces that would have been seen as extravagant even shameful during wartime.  They met the new decade with a new shape, made famous by Christian Dior, and women found a freedom in their wardrobes that had not existed during (and shortly after) the war.  This mix of styles left over from wartime and modern haute couture styles created a revolutionary look that still has influence in the fashion world today.

The Interviewer:  How long did it take you to feel comfortable and find your own mark in old Hollywood ways of dressing and acting?

Eliza: I have always had a love for classic, glamorous styles, but only in the last two or three years have I put aside any uncomfortable or self-conscious feelings towards my clothing choices.  At the start, I would wear vintage only for special occasions, saving my nicest dresses for weddings or formal dinner dates, but over the years I have found that 1950s “casual wear” fits perfectly into my daily life, and daily wardrobe.  I no longer bat an eye at wearing a 1950s sundress to the grocery store or a 1950s bathing suit to the beach.  I have found comfort in vintage beauty rituals – setting my hair and choosing just the right shade of lipstick for the particular outfit I am wearing that day – and find the “modern” section of my closet growing smaller by the season.  

The Interviewer: Do you think vintage styles can be modernized?

Eliza: I think that vintage styles can be modernized, but they lose some of their authenticity.  For people who simply love the look of vintage clothes without wanting the hassle of maintaining a vintage wardrobe or composing an historically accurate outfit, there are many ways to “fake” vintage style with modern clothing. 

The Interviewer: In what way do you think an old Hollywood enthusiast can adapt their vintage way of living to day to day modern life without disregarding the development of this century?

Eliza: I believe that like most things in life, moderation is key.  I am an avid hiker and willingly swap my vintage clothes for hiking boots and spandex shorts whenever I am given the chance - but it is not surprising to see me also wearing red lipstick.  I do not style my hair every day or wear historically accurate undergarments whenever I wear my vintage clothing.  There is nothing wrong with saving your vintage clothes for special occasions or only wearing them when you feel like it.  Maintaining a vintage wardrobe is time consuming, and certainly isn’t for everyone.  But for people who want the vintage style without the hassle of mending and caring for true vintage pieces, there are many reproduction clothing brands that offer vintage styles in more forgiving fabrics and tailoring for all shapes and sizes.  There is no need to sacrifice any of the luxuries of modern living just for a vintage wardrobe!

The Interviewer: How were you able to adapt your 50s style to your life?

Eliza: I believe, in a way, once I found my style and began dressing how I always wanted to dress, my life adapted to my style, instead of the other way around.  This is not to say that I never wear leggings or choose to wear jeans instead of a vintage dress, but I have found that my way of dressing has brought vintage clothing and the study of historical fashion into the forefront of my life.  I currently work part time at a vintage clothing store, and find myself discussing vintage style every single day. 

The Interviewer: What are the steps and process of how to leave the house put together either in 50s style or even a modern style?

Eliza: I find that having a selection of clothing that you love is the most important aspect of dressing.  Don’t believe that you must have a full wardrobe – a small, curated wardrobe will leave you with no bad choices.  Now, when it comes to vintage clothing, finding you favorite decade is the first step!  I have found that the late 1940s and early 1950s contain some of my favorite styles, and I have a large collection of clothing from this period.  I do have clothing from the 1930s and from the late 1950s, but my most-worn pieces are from that particular era.  Once you have found your decade, it is important to find clothes that fit well.  Vintage sizing and modern sizing are vastly different, so throw away everything you think you know about the size of clothes.  If something is too long, but fits everywhere else, hem it yourself or find someone who can.  If something is slightly too tight, don’t assume that it will stretch over time or become more comfortable – most vintage fabrics have very little stretch in them.  Once you have a few basic pieces in your wardrobe – two or three day dresses, a nice pair of high-waisted pants, some classic ballet flats or heels – you can begin to branch out and find your unique style. I tend to plan my outfits out the night before, thinking first of what particular era I want to choose from, and then building an outfit from one or two basic pieces.  It is more than possible to select a good vintage dress, a nice pair of shoes, and look polished and put-together with very little effort.  Quality over quantity is key. 

   Eliza has answered in great detail of the history behind the clothing and what you can consider wearing to look put together. She talks about modern time and how you can combine 1950s fashion with it. Depending on your look it might only take you five minutes in front of your vanity, you can also customize your process and look for the time that best suits you. The best thing about waking up in the morning and getting ready with either a long or short process is that you probably will feel instantly better about your day and you may also feel confident. Just remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don't be afraid to explore your unique vision of fashion or even your own twist to the 50s.

[mhdiaries]

Diary of Frankie Stein

Why would anyone want to read someone else’s diary without asking first?

The 30th day of June

So mom and dad think I should keep a diary to help sort out everything I’m feeling. Since I’m only a few days old I’m not sure where to even start. Right now I’m feeling happy, sad, confused, enlightened, worried, hopeful and hungry - all at the same time. Is this normal?

The 15th day of July

The most amazing thing happened today! It rained! I know everybody has seen rain before but this was my first time and I got so excited that I ran through the house yelling for everyone to come see it. Dad came bolting up from the lab and was rather unhappy to find out I had made such a big deal out of it. “Mary Shelly’s ghost Frankie, I though there were villagers with torches outside!” I guess I must’ve looked either surprised or sad ‘cause dad gave me a big hug and said he was sorry he yelled. I wanted to go out and play in it but dad said he thought that might cause me to short out. Mom came to the rescue with an umbrella, rubber boots and a raincoat. It was wonderful and dad even came out in his lab coat and boots to show me how to stomp puddles! Does life get any better than this?

The 16th day of July

I feel like I’ve got so much to learn between now and when school starts. What if I get excited about something that is just a normal every day occurrence, like the rain, and everybody laughs at me? Should I just be quiet and pretend I’ve seen it all before? I’m not even sure if that’s possible for me since everything is just so completely scary cool right now!

The 17th day of July

Okay so one thing I have learned in my short life is that I am not a morning person. My dad is though and he insists on yelling “It’s alive!” every time I come upstairs for breakfast. Unfortunately I don’t think he’s going to stop doing that any time soon because when he finally stops laughing he slaps his knee and says, “That just never gets old.” Is it too soon for me to decide that breakfast is overrated?

The 23rd day of August

We went on our first family trip today... to The Maul! I was really excited but also really nervous. Dad took the long way there and drove by Monster High to show me where I’d be going to school which made me even more nervous so that by the time we got to The Maul I was a total casket case. I almost asked dad to take me home but I went in anyway. We all had lunch at the food corpse and then mom took me shopping while dad went to look for some neck bolt polish. The first place Mom took me was her favorite store but all the outfits looked like old wedding dresses. I really didn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings and I didn’t tell her this but I wouldn’t have been caught alive in most of those clothes. I guess mom must have sensed that I wasn’t very excited causewe didn’t stay there very long. As we were leaving the store we ran into Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura. Mom introduced me to them and said we were shopping for school clothes. Clawdeen looked at the store and started to say something but Draculaura accidentally hit her with the umbrella she was carrying and said, “Mrs. Stein if you would like us to show Frankie some of the places we shop, we’d be happy to do that.” Fortunately, mom said yes and then mentioned something about finding dad before he made it to the laboratory supply store. Clawdeen and Draculaura took me around to all the scary cool stores and told me all about Monster High. It was like we had known each other forever. Draculaura is sooo nice and Clawdeen Wolf is so confident and funny. While we were shopping I confessed I wasn’t sure what kind of styles would look good on me. Draculaura and Clawdeen both started laughing and I thought I’d said something wrong. Then they both put an arm around me and Clawdeen said, “Ghoul friend, with your figure you shouldn’t be wondering how good a style looks on you but how bad you’ll make it look on anyone else who wears it.” Draculaura even invited me to tryout for the fearleading squad... I was too excited to tell her I didn’t know what that was but it sounded like fun. By the time mom and dad came to find me I didn’t want to leave. I’m so glad I stuck it out and didn’t ask dad to take me home.

The 24th day of August

Didn’t see dad very much today. He’s been working on a special project in his lab and he said I’m not allowed to see what it is yet. I asked mom if I was getting a new sister or brother and she almost choked on the coffinccino she was drinking. “Karloff’s crypt sweetheart, whatever gave you that idea?” I heard mom telling dad about it later and it sounded like they were laughing. I wonder if other teenage monsters have parents who do odd things?

The 26th day of August

I got into my first fight with my parents today and they sent me to my room! I couldn’t believe it! I must be the only monster that this has ever happened to. So what happened was Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura called to invite me to a moonlight party on the beach. I said yes without asking mom and dad first and I was so excited that I ran upstairs to tell them and they said NO! “We’re sorry dear but we already have plans to do something as a family - you should have asked us first.” I told them that all the monsters that would be in my class at Monster High would be there having a scary good time and that I had already told Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura that I could go and it just wasn’t fair that I wouldn’t be able to and then water started running down my cheeks! I didn’t know what to do and I thought maybe I’d somehow broken my eyes. Dad and mom gave me a hug, which I didn’t want at first, and told me it wasn't’ my eyes but my heart that broke a little bit but it was okay cause hearts still work even when they break. Then they told me that the water was tears and that it was very unusual for a monster to be able to cry and that made me even more special. I had to call Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura back and let them know I couldn’t go but they told me it was okay and that the next time they would tell me ahead of time so I could make sure mom and dad didn’t have plans. I guess I still have a lot to learn but at least I’ve got good parents and friends to help me with the lessons.

The 28th day of August

This morning dad revealed his special project - a new pet he made just for me! It’s really cute and sweet and it’s not exactly a dog or a cat or a fish but more like a combination of everything. Dad told me that he took the best qualities of all the best pets and put them together. It barks like a dog, purrs like a kitten, swims like fish, has spikes like a dragon and eats bananas like a monkey. I’m going to call it Watzit. dad said its pet license is like ten pages long and the monster vet wasn’t even sure where to begin the examination. I don’t care though. Watzit slept at the foot of my bed and purred me to sleep. I love my life.

The 1st day of September

I had to get stitches today... well I guess I should really say new stitches. I was throwing a ball for Watzit and I heard rrrripppppp as the ball went one way and my arm went the other! I know that sounds terrible but it didn’t really hurt. It was kind of embarrassing though and I was really glad that no one was around to see it. Watzit brought the ball and my arm back and I went inside to see if dad could fix it. Mom was not very happy with dad and told him that he needed to work on his knot tying skills. Dad showed me how to stitch my arm back on and then gave me an emergency sewing kit to carry with me in case it happened when he wasn’t around. I really hope this doesn’t happen in front of my friends or I’ll be mortalfied.

The 6th day of September

I got my first letter in the mail today! It was my class schedule and a note welcoming me to Monster High. I think I’m more nervous now than I was before that first day at The Maul. It’s okay though because I know I’m getting ready to start my next great adventure and I just can’t wait to get started!

[lotusboutiques]

Cute Rompers And The History Of Everything Romper! The 411 On The Fashion Style That Is The Romper

 We've all seen fashions come and go, whether a brief fad or couple year trend, but there is one fashion style that has particularly peaked our interest. With all the rage being cute rompers... Have you ever wondered what the big deal is about rompers? Where did this popular trend come from and is it going to last? Originally thought to be a nod vintage fashion, rompers continue to evolve with new modern day styles, including one for men. There are also many people still skeptical about wearing rompers, so let’s take a look into the popular fashion style of cute rompers and see what it is all about. We are here to get the facts straight and enlighten your world of the century-old fashion known as the romper. 

The Evolution 

How did these one-piece wonders come about anyhow? In the early 1900s, rompers were first introduced as one-piece garments with shorts for infants. Made in easy to wash fabrics like cotton and loose fitting styles for easier mobility, this new development of practical play wear was the first casual clothing style made for children. The French even made a dressier version for their children to wear for more formal occasions. Originally made in solid colors and gingham check prints, floral designs and animal motifs made their début in the 1920s. The unisex design eventually segmented into gender-specific colors and patterns. The "onesie", as we now call it, is still the most popular and practical baby fashion to this day. So basically, the evolution of this wide stream women’s fashion trend started as a fashion for children. Pretty cool right? But it doesn’t stop there; the story is just getting started!

Due to the economic crisis of the Great Depression and men leaving to fight in WWII, women had to enter the workforce and this, my friends, changed fashion forever. Despite skepticism at the time regarding women wearing pants, women were given a role that needed more practical garments to do the job in. Rationing also led to the construction of garments with considerably less fabric. Wearing fewer articles of clothing/less layers and shortening the hemlines of dresses and pants became practical ways to adapt to the current economic situation. This in turn, brought about the production of utilitarian style one-piece outfits for women. In result, women’s rompers became the newest fashion trend of the 1940s.

The popularity of women’s rompers peaked during the post-war times of the 1950s. Also known as The Golden Age, this American era is known for its family-oriented, prosperous, and happy lifestyle due to the growth of economic stability. With men coming home from war, these times were full of celebration and family. Women wore playsuits as a casual summer outfit to wear outdoors to celebrate and entertain in. Rompers were then termed “playsuits”, a term we often use interchangeably with romper to this day. Playsuits were made for fun in the sun and entertaining whether on the beach or in the backyard. Contrary to the previous decade, these playsuits were made of bright, vibrant colors in contrast to the dull, drab colors in the 1940s as a reflection of the happier times. Bright reds, greens and blues were trendy colors of the time. Playsuits additionally featured popular printed fabrics like plaids, gingham and checks in bright colors as well. In the latter half of the 1950s, vivid floral patterns and fun Hawaiian prints were introduced and were a must-have playsuit for that time these were some of the cutest rompers on the scene. Also made with easy to wash, lightweight cotton fabrics, this decade introduced rayon as a new fabric alternative to the playsuit scene. This decade gave us our first glimpse of ready-to-wear fashion and will always coin the term vintage playsuit.

Above: 1959 Mademoiselle Magazine with Audrey Hepburn in a stripe playsuit [source: Pinterest]

Above: 1950 Harper's Bazaar Magazine Cover featuring a playsuit 

[Source: Pinterest]

Above: 1959 Mademoiselle Magazine featuring a gingham playsuit

[Source: Pinterest]

Rompers stayed popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s when they were first considered an actual fashion, rather than just casual clothing. A wider variety of materials started to be used in manufacturing playsuits as well. Long rompers, or rompers with pants instead of shorts, are called jumpsuits. Although seemingly different in style, many people still use the terms jumpsuit and romper/playsuit interchangeably to this day due to their similarities in origin. Jumpsuits were introduced to the scene in the early 19th century initially for men to wear parachuting and skydiving, but then became popular for women in the 1930’s. The jumpsuit became a statement fashion for both men and women in the 1970s, as seen worn by many music and dance influencers that appeared on the TV show Soul Train. The seventies fashion movement in general was a radical transformation in society that changed fashion forever. As disco fashion led the way, the 1980s decade featured jumpsuits with everything from shiny fabrics and head-to-toe embellishments that made the ultimate statement outfit.

  Above: 1974 Jumpsuit Advertisement 

Both jumpsuits and rompers started to fade away once the 1990s came around, as styles like grunge and casual chic took over. Following that with the futuristic Y2K decade, we didn’t see rompers again until around 2006. The response to this soon-to-reemerge trend was reluctance; hence, the trend consistently going in and out of style over short periods of time before ultimately being accepted as a mainstream fashion. This uncertainty is probably what generated the confusion we’ve had about whether or not the romper is back as just a trend or is here to stay. Rompers made a huge comeback in the year 2011 and haven't gone away since! If anything, rompers have become even more stylish with an endless assortment of designs to choose from. Rompers and jumpsuits in general have become an acceptable fashion to wear to dressier, special occasions such as weddings and cocktail parties. Designers continue to flood the runway each season with new fashion styles that can easily be incorporated into every woman's closet. Additionally, the advancements in one-piece fit and silhouette designs are now flattering to all figures and can easily accommodate every body type. With a widespread assortment of design styles available, many featuring embellishments or trendy details, and an endless selection of fabrics to choose from have made these one-piece wonders designed to work on everyone no matter age, body shape or time of year. Rompers are still the must-have summer fashion due to the ideal combo of shorts, lightweight fabrics and overall style. However, due to the rise in popularity, designers have made rompers adaptable to the other seasons as well. Long sleeve rompers in heavier fabrics, such as velvet and suede, are a top fashion for the cooler seasons and look fabulous paired with boots or booties. You can easily don a pair of tights and a fur vest for those chillier days and what New Year’s Eve is complete without a sequin-embellished romper?! So as you can see, it is safe to say the romper is back and here to stay for good! 

What’s so great about rompers? Let's talk about the perks.

One of the reasons the romper is so popular is in part due to its numerous advantages and they are as cute as ever! First and foremost, rompers are just plain easy! You don't have to worry about matching up a top and bottom outfit, because we all have those days where we just can’t make a decision. You get the easiness and comfort of a dress but the ability to do anything with the shorts. Rompers are also extremely versatile, as you can easily dress them up or down to suit your occasion. You can take the romper from day-to-night with just a change of shoes and jewelry. Also with an endless assortment of styles to choose from, there is quite literally something for everybody. Ranging from lounge attire to bathing suit cover-ups, casual daytime to dressy date-night styles and even fancier styles to wear for a more formal occasion, you essentially can have a wardrobe full of different designs that work for every day of the week! With so many one-piece options available, talk about an affordable style that's easy on the wallet! They are also simply fun to wear and they make a great travel companion too, as they take up less room in your suitcase and are easy to throw on and go. Rompers are perfect transitional outfits that easily adapt to the weather change from one season to the next. The advantages of the romper certainly justify its modern day comeback and permanent home in the fashion industry.

Modern Day Fashion

Since becoming a mainstream modern day fashion, another version of the romper has recently emerged and is currently a hot new trend. Fashion history still in the making ladies! Maxi rompers are the super chic and stylish one-piece sister of the romper who likes a little more whimsy in her everyday glam. Maxi rompers are a combination of a maxi dress and romper where a train or duster connects to the shorts portion of the romper on the back. Much like the skort, the style gives you the appearance of a romper with a train in the front and maxi dress in the back. So if you love the look of the maxi skirt but don’t want to feel covered up in the hot summer sun, a maxi romper is the perfect solution to keep you looking stylish and feeling breezy for any summer occasion. Maxi rompers are typically dressier than your everyday romper with an array of lightweight fabrics in a spectrum of colors and stylish prints to choose from. Thank of maxi rompers as the fancy sundress of the fashion world. From chic and sophisticated styles to extravagant modern styles, maxi rompers are a great way to make a fashion statement at a summer event.

  Through the Glass Mesh Top Maxi Romper 

Rompers and jumpsuits have become an acceptable fashion to wear to many special occasions throughout the year. At first, rompers seemed too casual of an outfit to wear to a wedding, business meeting, or other formal event. With the advancements of modern day styles available to choose from, society has grown accustomed to fashion-savvy women donning a lavish one-piece outfit to most fancy events. But rompers aren’t always glitz and glamour; they make a great lounge outfit too! Let’s break down the different romper fashions and see what these styles are all about.

1: Lounge Style Rompers

These rompers are more laid back than the rest. They are usually made of a softer knit material that is very comfortable and ideal for lounging around in. Whether it be a pair of pajamas, a bathing suit cover up or a simple outfit to run errands in, they are your go-to rompers for all-day comfort. Fabrics like jersey knit and terrycloth are common with this style and you can find any style sleeve, or lack there of, you can imagine. These rompers can easily be layered with a fitted tee or tank underneath and/or with a denim jacket for transitional outfits to get you through the change of the seasons. Since these lounge-style one-pieces aren’t meant to make a big fashion statement, you will often find them in neutral tone colors or dusty hues and also in mineral washes to make them look even more worn-in. Although commonly made in solid colors, stripes and tie-dye prints are a couple of cute romper patterns that add a little flair your overall look.

 2: Casual Daytime Rompers 

Now this category of rompers is much more broad, but certainly some of the cutest rompers made! Perfect for brunch or shopping with the girls, casual daytime rompers are the most versatile of the group as they can be worn with cute little sandals or wedges and easily dressed up or down to meet the occasion. Lightweight fabrics from cotton poly blends to linen and rayon to chambray offer a wide range of styles in this category to choose from. You can definitely find a solid-colored romper in any shade of the rainbow, but popular warm tones are pink, maroon, bright red and burnt orange. Popular cool tones are emerald green, royal blue and navy. Neutral colors like gray, taupe, white and the most iconic romper color, black, are just as popular. With rompers commonly layered with trendy jewelry, cute kimonos or denim jackets, sometimes letting the accessories make the color statement adds a chic touch and stylish flair to your outfit. If you do decide on a bright fun color, be sure to pair your cute romper with neutral accessories so it shines on its own! 

Prints take the romper to the next level, as you can currently find an endless selection of patterns to choose from. Currently popular is of course floral prints. From allover blossoms to micro floral designs, you definitely need a floral romper in your closet. Palm prints have been popular the past couple of years and still going strong today in 2018. Tropical print rompers seem to be making a comeback since the popular 1950’s trend! Stripes are a timeless print especially on a cute romper. From big and bold stripes to thin pin stripes, stripes are always a flattering choice.

Above: Chic style rompers perfect for sorority recruitment. 

Bohemian-influenced design styles are a very popular romper fashion. Ideal for wearing to concerts during the festival season, boho-chic rompers are just plain fun and easy to layer with boho accessories and a big pair of sunnies! Beach concerts or street fair festivals, you can rock your romper look with a lace bralette underneath, layered necklaces and feather earrings along with a floppy hat and voilà! Cool girl style cute rompers are ideal for wearing during sorority recruitment. This dressy casual romper is glam all by itself, but looks ultra-glam with a pair of pearls, gold cuff bracelet and a pair of sandals. Go for a sweet and chic look with a pastel color and sleek, sophisticated silhouette when choosing your romper. Simple styles are just as fashionable and can even make a more fashion impact than a romper with lots of frill. Rompers in solid colors representative of an athletic team are a popular choice for a game day outfit. Game day rompers are worn by not only college students, but women of all ages! You can easily find a romper that best suits your body type and in your teams colors to cheer them on in style!

*For more information on romper styles that would best suit your body type, check out this blog: Romper Styles for Your Body Type

 3: Dressy Date-Night/Formal Rompers

These fashion-savvy rompers are much dressier than your typical casual style romper. Dressy date-night styles range from using satin-like or silky fine fabrics, dramatic details such as plunge necklines or backless styles, billowy sleeves, ruffles, off shoulder styles, fun embellishments and even head-to-toe sequins! Lace is also a popular choice and you can't go wrong with a little black romper. Easily dressed up with jewelry and heels or wedges, you can wear a dressier romper to a wedding, formal dinner, or a general night out. 

Currently, there are quite a few romper trends to be on the lookout for that are oh so cute and stylish.

Off the shoulder or cold shoulder styles are super cute and on trend as well as fluttery bell sleeves for added flair. Perfect for either casual or dressy style rompers.

Open back detail adds a wow-factor to your outfit to spice things up on date-night or keep cool beachside. From cut-outs to crisscross strappy styles, everyone will want to watch you leave in a trendy open back romper.

Anything that wraps, knots or ties is a leading trend in the romper world. Wrap style rompers are super cute with a side tie and asymmetric hemline. A tie-front romper adds a little flair to the front of your romper and if you're daring, go with a tie-front with a little cutout too!

To sum, the history of the romper fashion trend start over a century ago as an infant fashion. It became a top fashion trend for women in the 1940s and peaked in the 1950s when the term "playsuit" was used as another word for the romper. Playsuits stayed fashionable through the 1980s as well as the jumpsuit, a favorite fashion of the time. Rompers seemingly disappear until they crept back on the scene in 2006. They were in and out of style until 2011 when they came back as a top fashion trend that never really went away. With the recent introduction of the maxi romper that has become a top spring and summer fashion the past couple of years, it is safe to say that the romper is back in a big way and ultimately here to stay. 

>>> But wait! Rompers aren't just for women and babies anymore!

Male rompers, aka "Romphims", are a thing and seriously projected to become a rising trend in men's fashion in the year(s) to come. Fashion history is still in the making folks!

  Article Source Here: Cute Rompers And The History Of Everything Romper! The 411 On The Fashion Style That Is The Romper