#tulip skirt pattern

[anielskaaniela]

Beginner-Friendly Wrap Tulip Skirt Tutorial with Free Pattern

In this post, you will learn how to sew tulip skirt with free PDF pattern. Welcome to my step-by-step guide on creating your very own wrap tulip skirt! Whether you’re new to sewing or looking to add a versatile piece to your wardrobe, this tutorial is perfect for you. I’ll provide a free tulip skirt pattern in 8 sizes, ensuring a flattering fit for everyone. Customize the length to your…

[munsonthings86]

scattered lilies

eddie doesn't have enough money for flowers before your date so he improvises by picking the prettiest flowers he sees on the way to your house.

warnings: cursing, fluff, soft!eddie, kinda shy!eddie, shy!reader, 0.6k

"shit," he curses in a whispered tone, desperately slapping at his pockets. he rushes over to his neglected, mountainous laundry pile, digging at every pocket he can find, praying to find a bill, a quarter, shit he'd be relieved to even spot a nickel. but the strewn out clothes with their pockets all turned out to reveal nothing but crumpled tissue and lint, eventually rendered useless.

eddie was becoming hopeless, running his boisterous silver ringed fingers through his curly hair that was growing unruly by the minute. pacing in his room, he nearly toppled over the picnic basket that he'd packed with food, drinks, books, and sweet mary jane for the two of you, which was where all of his money had gone, of course. glancing at the analog clock on his end table, the daunting red numbers blared 4:37.

from what he could see out of his small window, he spied ivory flowers growing out of mrs. hafers front yard of her trailer, and a cunning idea sneaks its way into his conscience. he tried to talk himself out of it as it was mrs. hafer who’d offered to put him to work at her cafe when no other employer in hawkins wanted to hire him after the incident in '86.

he figured he could ask his uncle to spot him so he could head down to the florist to legally obtain flowers instead, but he made the promise to pick you up by 5:00 and he was out of options. he couldn't not show up with flowers. what kind of a gentleman would he be?

he shrugged on his trusty leather jacket, tucking a bandana into his back pocket and scoops up the picnic basket that he hoped you'd love. he nearly knocked his uncle wayne over as he dashed out the door but soon changed his pace, creeping up to the bush of lilies. he plucked as many as he could without leaving the yard looking so obviously tampered with, and made a beeline for the main road.

on the trek to your house, eddie couldn't stop staring at the thrifted bouquet. he knew you loved flowers as you always had one threaded in the strands of your hair and wore pretty little dresses with floral patterns, but he had no clue what your favorite flowers actually were.

what if you hated lilies? what if you were more of a tulip or a dahlia kinda girl? eddie only knew those names because you talked about flowers so often.

he spent the rest of the walk picking any and every flower he saw whether it was red, pink, or white, big or small, tying the stems with a scrunchie you'd given him some time ago, when the bouquet grew too abundant.

his fist shook a little as he knocked on your door, nerves poking fiery needles across his skin, coloring him red. his cheeks and lips pulled into a toothy smile when you answered the door with a grin of your own, doing your best to hide your face with your hair. you wore a blush pink crewneck, styled with a white collar, a skirt of the same hue and sneakers that were almost identical to eddies. you looked nothing short of perfect to him.

"hi, angel," he waved to you the best he could, what with the basket and bouquet occupying his hands, and all.

"hi, eddie," you giggled, closing the door behind you, stepping closer to him. eddie's breath hitched as a gust of wind blew, allowing his senses to be overrun by your sweet, fruity perfume. "got these for ya," he gently rested the flowers into your cradling arms.

"thank you, they're gorgeous," you giggled at the wild assortment of flowers, recognizing some of them from your neighbors yard a few houses down. you decided to not question him about it. no one’s ever gotten you flowers before.

eddie took your hand in his, leading you to the park where he hoped to have a date that was as perfect as you were <3

💌 1 new message from jojo: if you made it down here i love you :) lemme know if i should make this into a full fic, cuz im thinking abt it…inbox is open!

[inanewmoon]

For fanfic purposes, trying to collect all of Akane's outfits from the manga. This is gonna take a while.

"Tiny Tulips" Apron Over Tuplip Pattern Skirt - Volume 5, Ch 1

[dollivication]

oh dollyyyy

How do u think the dmc + leon (or js one, or an additional carlos if you're feeling spicy) would behave if their darling was hyperfeminine

bc i just KNOW Dante would be feral if ur makeup was almost always done, wearing pretty clean clothes and having a bow in ur hair more often than not

cwacked my knuckles 4 this 1 this specific ask made my pupils dilate sow…. MWAH thnak yew for asking this teehee :3 part 1!!!

nsfw for dante and slight nsfw 4 nero…. gulp….

DANTE SPARDA!

.he would be ALL for a hyperfeminine darling. encourages it even! he’d probably even ask trish to take you out shopping so you can come back looking flashier than ever >:3 whatever makes his baby happy!

.and you’re so right about that!!! he’s aware that you don’t really do it for him, but the monkey brain inside his head tends to tell him that it is. you just look so pretty with your makeup all done, surely you had him in mind while adjusting into your cute little outfits?

.he’s SUPER touchy, so if you really care about your clean appearance, stay away from dante. he WILL start to play with any ribbons he sees, be it on your hair or clothing—often causing them to undo and god knows that this idiot has no fucking clue how to re-tie them. rushes off before you can even say a word to him. ugh..

.and he just can’t help being dirty to you when you look like a living doll! :( yucky thoughts FUEL him. he’ll see a pattern in your clothing; cutesy, pastel, pink… and he will immediately think about if your panties are matching the whole thing you’ve got going on outside.

.he’ll try sneaking his hands under the dresses and skirts you wear, try and flip the fabric up to confirm his suspicions. even if you’re whining loudly about how gross he’s being, all that he can think about are your adorable frilly panties!!! i fear he would try to fuck you in whatever you’re wearing… (＞人＜;)

VERGIL SPARDA!

.i don’t think he would care much! it’s not his business how you choose to dress, and if that’s how you express yourself, who is he to judge? plus, you look damn well good while doing it, he’s not gonna stop you even if the whole thing is a bit foreign to him.

.vergil hasn’t really seen anyone dress like you do, but it’s a very pleasant change of pace for him. a darling who doesn’t conform to the typical lower-toned fashion? he can get behind that! especially because it brings his beloved dove joy.

.once in a blue moon, he’ll tell you that he likes the outfit you picked out that day. it reminds him of a tulip. and of course, if you’re experiencing any trouble in picking something out or struggling to get dressed up, vergil is at your side in the blink of an eye, ready to help you with whatever it is you need.

.need a ribbon tied? he’ll do his best for you. need something zipped up? he’s your guy!! don’t know if you should pick the long sleeve or the short sleeve? well, both look good on you, but it’s out hot and the short sleeve is definitely a favorite—and you can wear the former another day.

.i do think that he’d be far more gentle with a hyperfeminine darling than a darling who isn’t. theres a certain tranquility from seeing you so content and unashamed while donning the prettiest little dress, he would probably handle you carefully—to ruin your outfits would be to ruin your glee, and that is the last thing vergil wants. so he treats you and your belongings like fine china <3

NERO SPARDA!

.MESMERIZED!!! nero thinks you look like a literal fucking angel. he’s practically a puppy, eager to see how you’ll look the next day. and even if your closet is limited in options? that doesn’t matter! he’s still going to dote on you, kissing your forehead to be mindful of your makeup while rambling about how cute you are!!! each morning is a welcomed surprise :3

.it’s funny because he’ll be showing you off, but gets pissy when other people actually look at you. especially men!! he can understand a woman or kid staring, because you’re literally a sweet dream walking, but other guys??? na. but then nero looks at you again and realizes this fine babe is dating him, not them! it feeds his pride lols keep doing what you’re doing!!

.whenever he can, he’ll buy you a little plush that fits your style! anything remotely light pink or white automatically makes him think of you. its a bit of a problem… but hey, at least he’s got you and your tastes on the mind 24/7 !!!

.if you ever try to give him oral while wearing your outfits, he’s quick to refuse no matter how much you insist that it’s fine. he knows how much your clothes can cost, and how much you put hard work into your appearance that he doesn’t wanna fuck it up! lest he cums and stains the fabric on accident :(

.if by any chance, you do manage to convince him, and his worst fears do happen—nero will spend just about ALL of his savings to spoil you because he feels guilty LMFAO.. he’ll definitely give you a solid few bucks to go crazy the next time you guys go shopping, muttering about how he wanted to make things up to you. but it’s not all that bad, because now you can show off with more cute clothes and fluster him!! >.<

V SPARDA!

.he’s curious about your taste in fashion! not in a judgy way, no, but he’s actually intrigued by you! very fascinated at how you can capture an almost innocent side of being feminine using a certain arrangement of mere accessories and clothing. you’re always pleasant to look at, so don’t be surprised if you catch him stealing a few glances your way teehee!! all in all, he earnestly respects the grind and isn’t afraid to express it.

.the whole dynamic between you guys is just so comical.. especially because you two are polar opposites in the way you present yourselves. i do think that after V took his current clothes from that one thug, he developed a little taste in gothic-esque fashion, so you both will be getting a few stares in public together!

.hes,, unemployed,, i fear… so he cannot buy anything for you as he would have liked to—but i do think he would maybe ask griffon to fetch (steal) him a few strands of ribbon for you, and that goes for jewelry! pearl necklaces, lace chokers… just about everything else that you express interest in. he’ll probably keep doing it even if you tell him he doesn’t need to.

.you are NOT safe from hardcore compliments. v straight up glazes you in a way that like.. makes you feel vulnerable? he describes you in such a heartfelt manner using his poetry, all while basking in the sight of you. truly, you remind him of a lamb. carefree and joyful, and a symbol of purity. it’s very strange but in a nice way…

.does not take kindly to rude remarks directed at you! the way he sees it, all you’re doing is living a life that’s comfortable for you, and it’s not hurting anyone! he really doesn’t get why some people feel the need to look at you like you’re some kind of freak-show. if he sees that the harsh opinions of others visibly dampens your mood or get insecure, he’ll be quick to assure you that your fashion is nothing to be ashamed of—because it really isn’t. you’re a piece of art, not only to him, but all around.

[rafecameronsslxt]

Dahlia

Soft! Rafe Cameron x Reader (Name Drop twice- Amerie)

Synopsis: Rafe surprises you with a romantic time in a field of flowers.

Warnings: Cute fluff

A/N: I have never been so busy in my life, so I have to get something out.

Masterlist

“Rafe Cameron, where are we going?” Amerie inquired playfully sternly with a soft smile. You refused to leave the bed unless Rafe told you about his planned surprise. “We are… going out to dinner.” He leans down and kisses you just for him to pick you up by your waist, positioning your body to the walk-in closet. “Fine, fine. What am I wearing to this supposed dinner, baby?” 

   “You’re going to want a soft look and THOSE.” Rafe points to the costly butterfly heels you haven’t dared to wear because there hasn’t been an event to wear them to. Lavender silk and each thread are embroidered, creating a garden-like look, but the IT factor is the pastel lavender leather and lining, along with the two butterflies placed on each heel. You start to protest, but he quickly moves on to the clothing.

   You pick out a puffed sleeve that laces in the front and a sweetheart neckline paired with a pastel pink and light black skirt forming a Gingham pattern as two tasteful little slits are at the bottom. 

   Amerie twirls for Rafe, who is more than satisfied with the outfit that completely fits his desired aesthetic. “How come you’re not dressed so fancy because you seem to be a fashionista nowadays.” You wrap your arms around his neck, bringing him closer to your face until your lips are meters away. “I’m hard just looking at you.” He lays his hand on your cheek, caressing your pale cheeks with the pad of his thumb. Your lips turn to a large grin, and start giggling. “Are you ready, Cameron?” You peck his red lips. Rafe grabs a bookbag, stuffing a camera, water, and two pairs of sunglasses, one black pair of Ray Bands and the other white Chanel sunglasses with pearls on the sides. Right, because we wear sunglasses while eating… How normal.

   “Close your eyes, baby.” You close your eyes as the truck stops and wait for Rafe to help you out of his car. He interlaces your hands together, and a floral smell comes about, strong too. “Open.” He whispers.

   A flower field filled with every flower possible. “You remembered!” He nods, smiling wholeheartedly at your happiness. You grazed over the subject one night of wanting to have a romantic time with Rafe in a field of flowers and take pictures. The scenery is better than the pictures. The blinding orange sun, squinting up at the pink and orange cloudless sky, blended as if a professional had come to swipe the colours across to contrast with the dark trees behind the field of wildflowers, tulips, sunflowers, and Lilies, but your favourite blossom was missing. A Dahlia, specifically an ombre of white to pastel orange, makes it extremely hard to spot among the other bright oranges.

   “Sweetheart,” Rafe shouted for you though he was halfway across the field from you. He’s holding the exact flower. You squeal, running wobbly in your heels. He snaps a few photos, and you give him your best pouty face for it. “I love you.” You then realize his shirt is off and glide your delicate hands over his abdomen. “I love you too, my ethereal girl.” He grins compassionately into the chaste kiss. 

[rikas-things]

Diabolik Alcoholik part 8

|||Summary: Yui isn't sure she believes these boys that she's tasked with staying with are true vampires, but when Ayato (with the suggestions of Laito) states that he wants Yui to suffer punishment, she's put in a conundrum! What will she do? And what will happen next?

Happen to stumble across the series and need context? Click the link below to get a list of all available chapters! 🩷

Happy reading!

~~~~~~~~~~~(⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)~~~~~~~~~

Why won't I move? What's wrong with me?

Yui's mind flooded with these thoughts as the twins' hands zoomed closer to her like of vision, and black, hazy blotches crept around her sight until everything faded to black.

When she woke up, she found herself flung into the wall of darkness.

After her ears and back ache from pain, she willed herself to move and adjust herself.

The room was dark, with the only light afforded to her was the dim light from the hallway, showcasing how late it was.

She could make out the shapes of Ayato and Laito standing over her too.

Once Yui got her bearings, she sprung on her back and pointed at them.

"You...where are we? Where did you creeps spirit me away to?!"

She couldn't see their faces, but the annoyance in Ayato's huff was more than evident.

"Hey slowness, this is your room."

She blinked as she squinted her eyes, examining every nook and cranny of the place.

As if on command, the curtains skirted backwards to let in the moonlight and she was able to properly take in some of the room's features:

The walls had pinstriped patterns and held some of the posters of boy bands she had back in her home as well as her favorite flower stickers.

The bed was large and had an elaborate floral pattern on the sheets, with some of her pillows shaped like the flowers on her hairpin.

The desk also shared the same floral pattern and design and there were even tulip shaped pens in the pen holder as well.

When she turned to the large sliding window, she saw it had a balcony.

The idea of a large room with a fancy balcony was always Yui's dream.

Her own room, one that wasn't constantly cluttered with furniture or music equipment that she could just be herself in, where no one could take her pens or kick her out or treat her like she was an eye sore...

The attention to detail would have normally made her thrilled, but knowing that these people were supposedly folks she never knew until now made her shiver.

Bile grew in the back of the throat and she grimaced at the flowery room.

"My..." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Ah, good," Ayato's satisfied pur interrupted her train of thought, "you're getting the picture now."

She looked up at him with wide eyes, seeing the malice in his large lime-green eyes.

They looked like they were almost glowing- figuratively and literally - with excitement at her discomfort.

"Pretty isn't it?!" Laito said merrily. "Reiji did the decorating!"

"You're kidding!" Ayato guffawed at the news, the malice edging back from his eyes, if only a little, "you mean stuffy ass Reiji is into girly stuff like that?!"

"Well, when I say Reiji did it, I really meant he just told Jenkins and them to do it," Laito admitted sheepishly.

"No shit," Ayato rolled his eyes playfully, keeping the smirk on his face.

He then turned towards Yui and the two of them circled around her like vultures.

"Hey, Laito, let's quit dicking around. I'm sure she's anticipating our fangs!"

They chuckled at her squirming, her brows raised and her breathing haggard as her legs and arms twisted uncomfortably behind her.

As they eyed her, Laito cocked his head, keeping his smirk.

"How did you want to punish her?" He asked without looking away from Yui.

Ayato turned and smiled sweetly at his brother, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Wanna have a contest for who bites her the most?"

Laito shared his child-like glee.

"M'kay! Fine by me!"

With no time to spare, they quickly cornered her, with Yui's back against the wall.

"W-wait!" She began to plead, "let's t-talk about this!"

Of course her pleas fell on deaf ears, their advances not stopping, their hands outreached and inches away from her.

She stood up as they grew close enough, their fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

A pathetic whimper escaped her lips as she felt the tears fall, the thought of their biting causing her to stir more.

As one last ditch effort to get them to stop, she screamed, her voice breaking as one of them grabbed her throat.

"GET BACK!!"

******

Time was irrelevant for them, but it felt like hours had passed since Laito and Ayato had played the drinking game with Yui, and it was only a matter of time before they could tally up to see who won.

Laito, despite being satisfied with the work he had done, was ready to see what became of his efforts.

Both he and Ayato had blotches of Yui's blood all over their clothes, hands, and mouths, and her lingering smell improved both of their moods.

Laito himself felt like he could level a mountain, which he didn't remember feeling so refreshed after drinking a human's blood before.

Where did this taste come from?

And why did it feel so familiar?

Eh, he never liked dwelling on the unnecessary details, and was ready to examine her already, though Ayato seemed to have other plans.

"Hey, Big Bro, you ready yet?"

Ayato huffed as he turned towards his brother.

"Ugh, dammit, Laito, shut up, you made me mess up my count!"

Laito pretended to be hurt by his words.

"You're so mean. But you aren't cheating by sneaking in bites, are you?"

"Like I'd need to do that against you?"

He restarted his count, mumbling the numbers until he was done counting her back.

"305, 306....400!" Ayato grew smug.

"See, I told you I'd win! I got the most bites off her back compared to your measly 209!"

"Hey! You can't count like that! What about the rest of her body?!" Laito said accusingly.

"Why bother with the rest? I already won, idiot!"

"You dirty cheat! I bet I beat you! I bet you snuck bites while I wasn't looking!"

Ayato glared at Laito.

"What you say?!"

As they argued, Yui just laid on the carpet floor, her body involuntarily shivering.

She looked like a thimble with the amount of holes covering her arms, legs, back and face, with most of her expression obscured by her bloody hair.

What was left of her shirt were tatters, as it served to show even more egregious bites near her chest.

Some were red and irritated, while others were still bleeding and stained her rags of clothing.

She struggled to move, but got up nonetheless, which caught Laito's attention and caused him to stop arguing.

His deep green eyes grew wide at her before a big smile formed on his face and he flailed his arms like a cartoon character.

"Wait, Big Bro! Look at her! Quick!" He said as he pointed.

Ayato harrumphed.

"Don't try to derail the conversation, you jerk!"

"No but look, Ayato! You might like it!"

Curious, he turned towards her as he wiped a bit of blood off of his face.

Yui's face, despite all the bitemarks and blood on her body and clothes had a... pleasurable expression.

Tears were streamed from her eyes but her eyes were dazed as a wide Cheshire grin was plastered across her face as she hugged herself.

She giggled darkly as if she was ecstatic and went into a mad cackle, not seeming to notice the boys.

Despite her expression inspiring amusement in Laito, it all but brought disgust to Ayato as he reeled back, looking like he wanted to throw up.

"Ewwww! She's drooling on herself and shit!"

"I know! Isn't she breathtaking?" Laito asked proudly.

"Laito quit smiling like that! That's gross!!"

"Huh? Why you being so mean all of a sudden?"

"Ugh, whatever."

He smirked at Yui, who was still a giggling, drooling mess.

"I figured punishing you in your room would be the best bet, seeming as it's considered a safe space. You don't deserve to feel safe. You don't deserve to feel comfortable. This is payment for defying me! Understand?"

She stopped giggling and looked at him in bewilderment, as if Ayato was speaking a foreign language.

He shrugged and prepared to return to Laito for the tally results when he felt a familiar presence enter the room.

He whirled around and when he looked, right between him and his meal, Ayato was eye to eye with his middle brother, Kanato, who wasn't holding his teddy this time.

He held Yui close to him before flipping his twins off and disappearing as quickly as he came.

Ayato and Laito just stood there for a moment, stunned at what took place before them.

Laito immediately started panicking.

"What the hell was that?!" He said as he paced around the room. "You saw it too, didn't you?! That runt took our prey right?!"

Ayato folded his arms, eyeing his brother.

"Calm down. That little rat just scurried away is all. Once we get him alone, we'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

Laito gave a dark smile.

"Yes. Kanato will rue the day he interfered with our plans!"

Barging in unannounced, Reiji came into the room.

"There you are, it's almost time to-"

He did a double take by cleaning his glasses.

"Are you serious?! Not only are your clothes dirty, but there's parts ripped! What do you think you're doing looking like pigs in a mud pen?!"

He grabbed their ears and forced them out of the room chewing them out for messing up their school uniforms, yelling over their protests to not pull their ears off.

[trishmishtree]

More historical underwear

I made all of these Edwardian underthings a year ago but only now got around to taking pictures.

Hip pad is the Scotty from Virgil's Fine Goods. It's cute and does the job of ever so subtly widening the hips (and giving the illusion of a smaller waist) without looking like I just stuffed lumpy pillows under my skirt. I've worn it under my c0rset before, but I think it works better over it. I'm wearing it here over my combinations (which also desperately need to be remade) and Tulip c0rset by Aranea Black (pattern is sadly no longer available) and bust improver (based on the one from LACMA).

Over that, I have the swishy silk Edwardian petticoat I alluded to last summer but couldn't photograph in my previous tiny apartment bathroom. Well, here she is now. See? Floor length and very swishy, with a pretty lace trim at the hem. I used a striped ivory and gold silk taffeta, which is why the color doesn't look uniform. But it's light-colored enough not to show through a thin cotton dress, and it makes a delightfully rustle-y noise when I walk.

(Sorry my c0rset keeps changing color in every photo. It's an iridescent silk shantung cross-woven with black and cornflower blue yarns, so it looks indigo in some lights and purple in others. Here it looks dark blue again, and the gold petticoat is giving me Snow White vibes.)

And finally over all that, I have this plain white cotton batiste princess slip I made last winter. It's mostly there to smooth out the lines made by all the stuff around my waist. The blue of the c0rset still shows through, but I've made my peace with it because I'm only planning to wear this set of underthings over eveningwear (e.g. the silk satin ballgown that I have no plans to make anytime soon). I have a separate ruffly c0rset cover that I plan to wear sans-c0rset under my frilly white Edwardian lingerie dresses to fluff out the bodices.

This is the final historical underpinnings post from me for a while, I promise!

I mean, I only do 18th century, Regency, and Edwardian costuming anyway, so I only need a full set of understructures for 3 eras. I don't do 1830s-1840s because I'm still daunted by the idea of having to fit hand-corded soft c0rsets and use up lots of fabric to make gazillions of petticoats that will never be seen, and I don't have a dress form to make metal cage crinolines for the 1850s-1860s, and I don't care for bustle era at all, and I don't like 1890s giant puffy sleeves. So.

[nyaagolor]

Yep, this is the same anon who sent hcs about Rika & Tulip (also about Nemona and Spectrier as well). Thank you for the praise; I usually apologize because I rather NOT try to irritate you by sending either too many asks or too long asks (since I assume you were busy with other things to do; keep up the good work with the doodle art requests; they are so cute!) I adore reading though your headcanons; they are SO great to read about [they're better than mine :) ]. I wanted to add a few things to the last set of hcs I sent.

I paired up Tulip and Galarian Rapidash because GR is part Psychic type and Tulip is the Psychic type Gym Leader of Paldea.

I realized that Miriam's hair and Galarian Rapidash's mane have similar colors and patterns with each other. They match really well with their white coats too (Miriam's nursing coat and GR's coat hair).

Say, do you mind adding/writing a list of headcanons about Tulip and her Galarian Rapidashs (make sure to include some about Dendra and Miriam too). I adore reading though all the headcanons you wrote so far, especially the ones of long length. If not, that's fine. Hope the week is swell for you from now on.

Hi sorry this took so long idk shit about horses so I was sitting there trying to think of things and was drawing blanks for a hot minute. Anyway.

Everyone assumes Tulip is a city slicker and wouldn't be into the amnt of work needed to care for one horse nevermind that many. And while she does have stablehands for that because she's too busy to do it herself most of the time, she is actually pretty well versed in their care

She can, has, and will continue to doll up the Rapidash(es? idk the plural). Whatever cosmetics she uses also apply to pokemon so she uses a variety of creams and dyes and gels to style their hair and add a lil extra ~pizazz~

Dressage queen. idk anything ABOUT dressage but just imagine

Dendra keeps trying to convince them all to race. Tulip and Miriam aren't super thrilled about the idea

Miriam once had a really bad day at work and immediately went to Tulip's for a vent session and joyride. They became the first women in Paldean history to bareback ride a Rapidash while both wearing skirts and heels

Dendra got a cowboy hat to wear while riding them around. Tulip hates it

Dendra really really wants to bring them to the academy to introduce Galarian forms to the students. Miriam isn't a huge fan of this because she doesn't think allowing children anywhere near giant skittish pokemon with swords on their heads is a good idea

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

Chloe

Chloe is a feminine name of Greek origin, meaning 'blooming' or 'fertility.' It is derived from the Greek name 'Khlóros'  In Greek mythology the goddess Demeter was sometimes referred to by The epithet Chloe. She was The goddess of agriculture and the harvest. In the bible Chloe is one of Jesus's early converts.

Firenze characters tend to have names that reference French fashion brands. Chloe would be referencing the brand of the same name. 

Chloe wears clothing that isn't quite as puffy and elaborate as the other Fireze characters because she rides a flying creature. Billowy skirts and sleeves and lavish adornments would be detrimental to her aerodynamic prowess. She still has a few features of classic Firenze rococo. She has fringing details, plenty of flashy gold and bows. She wears the Fireze palette of gold, black, white and green. The colours and adornments symbolise fertility, growth, purity and rebirth. The gold designs are a symbol of her status and wealth. 

The lack of armour except for the shoulders and boots are to limit her weight so the creature she rides can carry her. 

Chloe's casual wear is a long line gown and shrug. The gown is Firenze green with gold embellishments and The shrug is white with gold details. The golden pattern on her chest looks like the emblem of Firene. Her outfit demonstrates her love for her kingdom. The tulip sleeves add a feminine touch to her ensemble. 

[queso-magnifico]

Because starting a project is the best part (with finishing being second best), I have a new crochet project. This one is going to be a skirt for my sister so she can look cool at EDM shows. I'm just doing the ribbing for the waist right now, but this yarn is SO PRETTY. I splurged at my local yarn shop. It's such nice yarn to work with. I also treated myself to a Tulip crochet hook because they're so comfy.

Pattern: Crochet Mini Slit Skirt by ChendaDIY on YouTube (link)

Yarn: The Uncommon Thread Merino DK in Birthstone

[sorcerymuses]

Winx Club Fairy Transformations (Initial and Charmix)

//So to preface this post, I’ve picked up a new big project in ‘rewriting’ Winx Club. I’ll be using the new fairy designs for my muses here on this blog. I’ll bring it up in my fic, but except for Bloom (because of her unusual enrollment situation) part of the entrance exam for Alfea is a fairy transformation, so they already had this basic form when they were introduced. I’ll be altering the achievements of Charmix a little.

Fairy (Initial) in order of introduction ›

General Rule › outfit consists of either a one or two piece outfit in the respective fairy's favourite colour; wing shape and colour is related to power-set; shoes vary based on fairy's personality; hair accessories are common (from hats to clips) but if the fairy is a Princess, she will always wear some form of tiara or crown (which is one of the hints to Bloom's true background)

Bloom ›

Baby blue crop top with long transparent silver raglan sleeves and a high collar with a Sunstone pendant, a matching micro-skirt, and heeled ankle boots

Wings are shaped similarly to Dragonfly wings and tipped with red

She wears a jewelled tiara set with Sunstones

Stella ›

Orange single shoulder crop top with a flowing quarter length split sleeve clasped at her shoulder with a Peach Moonstone, matching short bloomers and matching go-go boots, her hair is restyled into low pigtails held by leather ties

Wings are shaped to emulate sunrays with yellow tips

She wears a silver tiara with a single Peach Moonstone

Flora ›

A pastel pink drop sleeve dress with a sweetheart neckline and petal skirt emulating a Peony blossom with a darker pink choker decorated with a Peony blossom and matching gladiator sandals, her hair is restyled into a half ponytail

Wings are shaped like Rose leaves with green tips

Wears a Peony blossom at the clasp of her ponytail

Tecna ›

A dark purple bodysuit with silver circuitry designs, and matching 'cyberpunk' wedge boots

Wings are digital in nature, normally neon green wires in the outline of bee wings but in flight reshape themselves into a triangular kite

Wears a cybernetic helmet to match suit, with a retracting neon screen

Musa ›

A maroon qipao with purple trim and music themed designs, purple micro-skirt, and matching wedge ankle boots

Wings are shaped to emulate a Bass Clef with pink tips

Wears purple headphones

Aisha ›

Pastel green sports bra and short-shorts with matching tennis shoes

Wings are shaped to emulate ocean waves with blue tips

Wears a jewelled circlet decorated with Peridot chips

Charmix (Accessories) in order of achievement ›

General Rule › accessories are related to power source of respective fairy

Bloom (Achieved by overcoming hesitation as the group’s chosen leader) ›

Sunstone pendant changes shape to a heart and gains a rose gold trim

Red and orange furry (colour and fur pattern looks like flames) heart shaped hip bag

Stella (Achieved by admitting her insecurities) ›

Moonstone clasp gains a Silver wire frame to match her Sword Ring

Silver hip bag with gold trim and a golden crescent moon

Flora (Achieved by overcoming anxiety around romance) ›

Choker becomes green and Peony decoration gains silver edges

Dark pink tulip shaped shoulder bag with green cord

Musa (Achieved by facing her father) ›

Qipao clasps replaced with a single treble clef brooch

Pink CD Player hip bag

Tecna (Achieved by overcoming her fear of showing emotion) ›

Neon Green triangular brooch

Matching transmitter hip bag

Aisha (Achieved by realizing that she's not alone and never has been) ›

Blue wave shaped brooch with silver trim

Pink canteen with blue seal

Another ‘Season 2′ feature ›

Bloom’s Corrupted Fairy form ›

Navy blue and dark red lolita dress (See this post for reference)

Wings remain the same shape with a darker red at the tips and a slight black aura

Tiara remains the same but Sunstones are replaced with Garnets

[shellyvizanko]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: GAP WOOL BLEND LINED GEOMETRIC PATTERN SKIRT, SZ 6.

[lovesmcfashion]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Shiny Flare Sleeve Surplice Tulip Hem Dress.

[inanewmoon]

For fanfic purposes, trying to collect all of Akane's outfits from the manga. This is gonna take a while.

Tulip Pattern Shirt and Dotted Skirt- Volume 9, Ch 21

[burningarcadesandwich-6448f9e7]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Doll Dresses, Set of 2.

[shaundoed]

Summer Tyme with the Collectors: Chapter 3

Dragons: Dragons are an incredible rarity, with only seven known to be roaming any world. These dragons came from another mystical realm long ago in search of safety. Nothing is known of where they’re from, or why they fled their original world. It’s assumed the knowledge has been lost to time, considering they’ve been lingering for thousands of years.

A dragon pulls their magic from their horde. Their vast collections can be anything, but must follow a general theme. If a dragon is gaining magic from a large quantity of furniture, they will not be able to add piles of gold to increase magical output. Similarly, it has been observed that dragons can mix ‘like items,’ such as furniture, carpets, rugs, dishes, and other household items.

In this respect, the greater and more ‘diverse’ a dragon’s horde, the more powerful and vast their reach. A dragon with millions of one coin will likely not be able to match another who possesses thousands of apples, oranges, bananas, apricots, grapes and other fruits, though the coins have a considerably longer shelf-life.

There are times when dragons have been observed changing their horde. With lives spanning eons, it is understandable that a dragon may get bored with the same thing, and wish to shake up their den. When this happens, it is likely that the dragon will seek the aid of a Collector, lure unsuspecting travelers into their lair, or take the shape of other creatures. Taking on a new, unassuming shape allows them to interact with others, thereby adding to their horde without drawing too much attention.

Gentle sunlight kissed Summer’s nose as she stirred in her sleep. She turned from her back, laying on her side with the golden rays dancing across her cheek as her hand drifted into a nearby flower. The struck flower shook from side to side, spilling petals and pollen onto the sleeping girl as her eyes fluttered open. 

Surprise furrowed in her brow as Summer shifted on the ground, her fingers curling around a fistful of grass and soft green growth. The scent surrounding her is familiar somehow, though she can’t place it apart from just… overwhelmingly flowery. It’s not overwhelming to the point of being unpleasant or unbearable, but every breath she takes seems to erase just a little more of her worldly worries. She smiles as she sits up, her hand following the stem of the nearby tulip up to the bulb. The petals of this flower are the most vibrant magenta she’s ever seen, more beautiful than she ever thought possible in a natural flower.

She turns her head to the sound of wings, unable to tell if they were more like a bird or bee. The rapidly flapping wings stopped as soon as they started, and she turned to see a trio of elegantly dressed individuals. Each person stood not taller than her shoulder, even as she sat in the field, and they seemed to be waiting for something as she stared back at them.

The one in the middle, dressed in a skirt splashed with colors as varied and vibrant as the flowers around, stepped forward. A pair of wings sprouted from her back, and her hair shined like gold. Summer looked at her wings, noticing the patterns and similarities they shared with those of her partners. The other two had nearly identical wings, though their attire was noticeably different. She let her eyes take in the colorful suit of the one to the woman's left. The suit was neatly fitted over a silver, button-down shirt, with a golden tie framed between the lapel. On the other side was another figure wearing a full dress, flowing elegantly down to the ground. The dress and suit were what she would consider tie dye, while the skirt in the middle looked more deliberately… speckled.

“Who are…” Summer started to ask, but her question faded to mute as the woman standing in front of her reached out a hand. 

A gold shimmer drifted down the woman’s arm, and the other two smiled reassuringly as small fingers drew near. Her fingernails were well manicured, appearing finely polished and neatly filed, and rounded on the edges. Summer’s eyes followed the unknown woman’s hand up as her fingers reached her head, but she winced and moved away when she felt the woman pluck a hair from her scalp.

“Ow-Hey!” she protested, rubbing the stinging spot missing a single strand. The pain was already gone, it was just one hair, after all. It was more the suddenness of the violation that had made her react in such a way, but the trio was already onto their next task.

The three small creatures each pulled a hair from their own heads, giggling as they worked. Summer stopped rubbing her head, sitting up straight with her legs crossed, her hands in her lap as she watched them with curiosity written on her face. There was some tune being hummed between the three of them, a melody she couldn’t place. It was hauntingly beautiful, mesmerizing even, and impossible to tell which of them was humming it. She decided all three had to be making the song as they worked, there were simply too many notes for one or two to hit at the same time.

Summer decided the creature in the skirt was the leader. The other two handed their single strands of hair to her as she retrieved a vial from a pocket. She uncorked the top and filed each hair into the vial, with the four strands dissolving into what had been a nearly invisible fluid. With the hairs all deposited into the vial, the woman secured the cork back into place and shook it violently, her giggle interrupting the melody being hummed by her partners.

To her right, the little creature had pulled what looked to be an alabaster pen from within the dress. Summer had been so preoccupied with what the first had been doing, she hadn’t really noticed where this other one had gotten the pen, but it made sense it had come from some unseen pocket. Then again, it may have simply been from thin air as far as she knew. The one on the left now held the tie, the golden sheet hanging from either side of a presented hand as a calm breeze drifted through.

Satisfied with the swirling concoction in the vial, the middle creature uncorked the container and accepted the pen from the partner to her right. The contents of the vial glittered and swirled, a chaotic mess of crimson, gold, and brown. Summer sent a hand up to her head again, letting her auburn hair waft between her fingers as the tip of the pen lowered into the open vial. She tried to see if there was some button or lever used, but couldn’t find anything on the otherwise smooth pen as the liquid inside the vial vanished. The pale siding swirled with life and color, growing darker as the vial emptied. Streaks of brown, red, and gold replaced the alabaster visage, shimmering as they churned together.

The suited one handed over the tie with a closed-lipped smile, the tune continuing to tickle Summer’s ears as the middle creature quickly accepted. Her hands were full now, holding the vial with the pen protruding from the open top in one and the tie in the other while the tie-dye pair hummed at her sides. She held the items with a smile on her face, but Summer could tell there was annoyance in her yellow eyes. The dreaming girl tried not to laugh at the spectacle as the middle fairy cleared her throat, giving the items in her hands a quick, curt shake to get the attention of her partners. She was not successful.

Summer covered her mouth in an effort to conceal the laughter as the suit-clad fairy reached forward to retrieve his tie. The one in the dress seemed blissfully unaware that anything was amiss as she continued to hum, swaying back and forth to the rhythm with both hands behind their back. She wondered if these three had rehearsed, or done anything like this before, or if this was their first time as the middle fairy slapped the suited hand away, grumbling her discontent. The suited fairy looked across to the dressed fairy, seeming to connect dots, then leaned back and waved. It took some time and effort, which also distorted the hummed melody, but eventually the oblivious fairy glanced over to see the frustration in the other two.

There was some definite attitude in the way the middle fairy held the vial and pen at her partner. With a sheepish grin, a pair of hands reached out and held the vial, and the dressed fairy even bowed as the pen was extracted. The tune began again, this time all three of them most certainly humming their own specific part. Summer watched, her eyes growing heavy, as the middle fairy held the golden tie aloft. She dragged the pen over the fine surface, with words appearing on the shimmering fabric. That’s the only way she could describe it, appearing. They weren’t being written, there weren’t any deliberate strokes of the pen or anything so… practiced. No, the pen swept across the tie once, leaving a full paragraph. Then again, with another paragraph. Again and again, over and over until the whole tie was covered in… words?

With every inch of the golden tie occupied in something that might be confused for text, the middle fairy held the alabaster pen to her right. The dressed fairy accepted the pen and placed the tip back into the empty vial. She stashed the pair of items into her dress before helping the other two hold the tie horizontal. They each used one hand on the tie, holding it in front of them, letting the sunlight shine off the flattened material. Summer looked into their faces before reaching out herself, a tentative hand fighting a tremor as it neared-

An alarm pierced her apartment, blaring loud from the kitchen. Summer bolted upright in bed, gasping for a breath that she couldn’t have possibly been holding. Could she? She ran a hand through her hair, the already distant memory of her dream escaping through her fingers like the thousands of strands of hair. Hair… She remembered one being taken in her dream for ink? A contract? 

She turned in bed, a hand already on her pillow. Her heart raced as she realized she was holding her breath again, and she forced herself to breathe. One, two, three deep, calming breaths rolled in, then out of her lungs as her hand held her pillow in place, and she wondered just how stupid she would feel when she found an old, weathered cardinal feather under it. When the pillow was removed from its usual spot, however, she wasn’t entirely sure if she was surprised or not to find a neatly rolled, golden tie where the feather had been.

The alarm kept chiming, the mechanical melody repeating the same several notes over and over in the background of her senses as she let the pillow fall back onto the tie. Shaky breaths rolled in and out of her chest, but there was no chance of finding any calm as she brought the cushion back up. Again, the golden tie caught the sunlight, gleaming pleasantly as she stared down at it.

“Ohhhhh…holy…” she murmured with a steady exhale, finishing the lengthy breath with, “okay…”

Summer suddenly felt nauseous as the pillow fell from her trembling hand. Everything spun around her as her once firm grasp on reality unraveled. She had lost her belief in all things magic, knowing there was no such thing as fairies, yet… Here was proof! Proof that they not only existed, but worked the way children believed? Was that even possible? How had the whole world gone for so long without acknowledging any of this? She leapt from the bed and rushed to the bathroom, unsure if she needed to vomit, shower, or both. 

Instead of losing whatever remained in her stomach from the previous day, Summer tapped a key on the laptop to stop the alarm on the way to the bathroom and stood at the sink. She held the smooth surface around the bowl firmly, panting as she gazed into her reflection. The woman looking back at her appeared to have aged considerably, her hair a ragged mess, bags under her eyes, and an expression of abject disbelief casting an array of wrinkles across her features. Apart from that, she thought she still looked pretty good. Not quite “first day at a high end law firm” good, but nothing a bit of preparation couldn’t handle.

A trembling hand brushed beside her head, sweeping some messy hair back behind her ear. Her first day was in just a couple of hours and there was so much to do, but she couldn’t bring herself to start any of it. All she could do was stand at the sink, looking at herself in an attempt to retain the final shreds of her sanity intact. That must be it, though. She was simply having a mental breakdown, and probably just… imagined the tie from her dream under her pillow. It was the only logical explanation, after all. In all likelihood, she was still halfway dreaming when she looked under her pillow, both times. 

She let a crazed laugh tumble from her lips, dropping her head over the sink and losing the staring contest with her reflection. There weren’t any likely scenarios here, only facts and tangible evidence. The tie was there, she saw what she saw. Going back to her bedroom to see it again wouldn’t change anything. Even so, she found herself apprehensively making the short journey from the bathroom, crossing between the kitchen and living room, and standing in the open doorway of her bedroom. Her pillow rested on the bed, obscuring any view of what could be under it as she contemplated her next move.

“This is ridiculous,” she said under her breath, forcing herself into her own room. 

Ridiculous or not, the false sense of bravery bolstering her vanished as she stood next to her bed. She looked down at her pillow, an object designed for sleep and comfort, now looking so ominous as it smothered a mystical secret. Part of her wondered how bad it would be if the apartment burst into flames in that moment, purging the world of whatever lies beneath her pillow so she could continue on with her oblivious life. The other part…

The other part sent her hand down, heart racing and nerves on edge as her fingers settled on the pillowcase. Hesitation threatened to derail the whole thing, so before she could back out of it her fingers curled into the pillow and yanked it away, sending the light cushion sailing across the room. It thumped into the wall near the foot of the bed and slid to the ground as she was left staring down at the balled up tie. The tremble had returned to her hand, as well as traveled down to her legs, as she reached for the golden roll.

Impossible, yet here, right in her hands. That was the only way to describe the tie she held, having to remind herself to breathe as she turned away from her bed. The strength seemingly abandoned her knees, and she fell onto her mattress with a sharply inhaled gasp, but her attention was solidly on the tie that she was unrolling. More golden fabric shimmered into view as it spread between her parting hands, and she shook her head in disbelief as the writing shimmered across the lengthy bridge. It couldn’t have been more than two feet long, but every inch of it was covered in elaborate, criss-crossing, zig-zagging… gibberish?

Summer forced her eyes to scan the tie every which way in an attempt to make any kind of sense of what was written on it, but it was utterly hopeless. She’d taken a few semesters of Latin, several years of Spanish, and had learned more than enough French and German to get by. Chasing fascination, she’d studied Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean, but never had the time to really learn enough to have a real hold of the languages. What was scribbled across the tie resembled no language she’d ever looked at, and she doubted it was anything anyone would recognize. 

“What am I…?” she mused aloud, wondering what she was supposed to do now?

Her father had pretended to be a translator way back, but somehow she doubted he’d be much use with this. She held the tie on her lap, looking through the open doorway of her bedroom, and seeing her laptop still sitting on the kitchen table. If answers were out there, surely they existed online? Time continued to tick from her grandfather’s watch as she got back to her feet and walked to the kitchen, setting the tie beside her laptop and firing up a web browser.

“Just a quick search, then right into the shower with me.”

But she knew it was a lie. The two hours she had saved for herself went with her down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and wonder, bringing her no closer to answers than staring at a wall would have when she started. By the time she looked down at the digital clock at the bottom corner of her laptop display, she had hardly half an hour to get to the office for her first day, a magical feat in and of itself considering the commute would take at least fifteen minutes. She jumped from her chair and closed the tie between the folded panels of her laptop as panic pushed her through the apartment.

“Ohhh, no-no-no-no-” she muttered, hurrying to the bathroom for another rushed shower.

Two days in a row, she got off on the wrong foot. Today, she was not only late again, but hadn’t bothered laying out an outfit the night prior. She had to hustle through selecting a wardrobe, which left her with mismatched socks. Not exactly the end of the world, but something that left her feeling self conscious on her first official day. Fortunately, her navy slacks reached all the way down to her shoes, hiding the odd socks from sight.

No one would consider the rest of her deep blue attire out of the ordinary, except perhaps the ornate pocket watch she had decided to hang from her neck with a thin, silver chain, like a large pendant necklace. The professional looking, faux leather briefcase pulled it all together, though it wasn’t filled with anything more than a few pens and blank sheets of paper.

The commute went faster than expected, mercifully, which got her to work right on time. A phone was already ringing when she walked through the door, but someone was quick to answer it with a courteous, “Boggury and Associates, how may I direct your call?” Summer approached the front desk, eyes sweeping through the main lobby and down the hallway she’d walked the day before. She didn’t exactly know where to go from here, and hoped the attendant behind the desk would be able, and willing to help, and that she wouldn’t make too much of a fool of herself.

Summer made an attempt to look for Mr. Haberly after walking through the doors, but found no sign of him before being greeted by a stout, smiling woman. She looked to be in her mid thirties or early forties, and no more than five feet tall. Gray strands formed shimmering streaks through her hair, and her vividly red blazer really stood out among the more dull colors worn by other office personnel. Wrapping the whole ensemble together was a pair of rainbow-rimmed glasses, the complete color spectrum lining thick lenses nestled on either side of her small nose.

“You must be Summer!” the woman said with thinly contained enthusiasm. 

Everything about the woman seemed so out of place. This was a major law office, considered elite in any legal circle. Yet, here was someone who looked like she belonged at Woodstock, or some other music festival. Trying hard not to judge a book by its cover, Summer put out her right hand with a more conservative smile. She, after all, had just spent hours of her morning searching the web for ways to read fairy writing.

“Yes, Summer Tyme,” she replied, avoiding the urge to roll her eyes for what was doomed to come next.

“Oh, my favorite time!” said the woman, taking Summer’s hand with a firm shake. The woman took a moment to laugh at her own joke, and Summer put forth the effort to giggle as well, pretending like she hadn’t heard it dozens… hundreds of times before. “I’m Vivian Boggury, and- yes, that Vivian Boggury,” she added with a smirk after seeing Summer’s reaction.

Boggury and Associates Legal, the law firm in which Summer now stood. The one she had just recently been hired to… work for, in some way? What was her job here, again? The interviewer, Mr. Haberly, he hadn’t actually assigned her one, and now she was shaking hands with the head of the firm? Summer looked around, trying to conceal her bewilderment and feeling more than a little star struck. She had never managed to put a face to the name, but Vivian was someone she genuinely admired. To be meeting her, and touching her on her first day… dream made.

“Our resource manager was ranting and raving about you all afternoon yesterday, you must have made quite the impression.”

The way she said it had Summer feeling strangely defensive. There was a glint in the woman’s eye as well, as if she suspected something, but how could she? It’s not like anyone in their right mind would ever suspect fairy magic at play in any kind of job interview. Summer tried to keep herself calm, holding the handle of her briefcase with both hands down by her belly as she offered a pleasant smile.

“I- um, what do you mean, ma’am?” she asks, hating how shy her tone sounds to her own ears.

“What I mean,” Mrs. Boggury replies, her voice losing a hint of the friendly tune as the legal warrior comes out, “is I expect far better from my legal assistant. You’ll be here no later than half an hour before eight, ready to get right into it. Understood?” Summer was nodding, though she didn’t quite understand what the woman was getting at. “No more of this ‘coming through the door without a moment to spare’ nonsense.”

A nervous hand ascended her torso, clasping around the wide pendant hanging from her neck as her new boss spoke. Summer hadn’t even really noticed the movement of her own hand, but feeling the cool, firm texture of the clock within her palm and fingers, the steady tick-tick-tick tapping lightly against her grasping skin managed to calm her.

“Of course, Mrs. Boggury,” she offered apologetically, nodding her head and bowing slightly. Her cheeks flushed a little at the gesture, wondering if she had pushed it too far. Who bows anymore? “It won’t happen again, I-”

“Good,” Vivian interrupted with her warm, pleasant smile back on her face. “Unpleasantness out of the way, once and for all. Now, follow me?”

With that, she turned and began walking down the hallway. Summer remained where she stood for a beat, but hurriedly followed. They walked at a surprisingly quick pace down a hallway, doors on both sides of the polished, hardwood path. The hall wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to Summer, who had been down it just the day before. She noticed that many of the same doors remained open, along with the one through which she finally spied Mr. Haberly. He waved at her as she rushed to keep up with Mrs. Boggury, but her window of opportunity was barely wide enough to offer a smile before they were out of view. The hallway continued a few more doors, which presumably led to a few more offices before they reached the end.

At the end of the hall was another door, standing open and leading them into an expansive room. Vivian strolled in without even gesturing Summer follow, but the girl knew well enough to continue her pursuit of the tenured woman. The hardwood floor abruptly ended at the doorway, where lush, deep crimson carpeting took over. It was thick and startlingly cushioned under her feet, nearly making Summer lose her footing as she stumbled into the room. Mrs. Boggury didn’t turn around on her way to the executive desk, but Summer could hear the woman chuckle a little.

“Careful on the carpet,” she said as she got to the neatly carved, oak desk. “I should have warned you about the change in floor texture, it tends to throw people off the first time or two.”

Summer waved a hand with a dismissive smile, hoping to do nothing more than forget the near spill. The last thing she wanted now was to trip and fall, make some kind of comic relief scene out of herself where her briefcase flies across the room. She fought the urge to laugh at the image of her nearly empty case popping open as it smacked against a wall, and focused instead on her surroundings.

Beside the colossal desk that obviously belonged to Mrs. Boggury was a smaller, less extravagant one. It looked like an afterthought, with how it was pushed up against the side of the fine wood, the darker, more polished surfaces a stark contrast to the cheaper, sandy facade. The walls framing the door they’d walked through supported framed qualifications, licenses, and accolades, while the other three were lined with windows facing the sunny morning. In the middle of the office was a leather couch, forest green with matching armchairs on either side.

“Take a seat,” Vivian offered as she did the same in the chair behind her own desk. The chair looked to be the same material and color as the couch and armchairs in the middle of the office, and reclined slightly as Vivian sat back against it.

Summer looked at the smaller, less impressive desk beside Mrs. Boggury’s skeptically, wondering when the training and onboarding would start. It was right up against the larger desk, situated to face the more tenured woman. A difficult gulp struggled down her throat as Summer thought this certainly had to be a joke, some elaborate prank? There was no way she’d be working for Vivian Boggury on her first day, right?

“Go on,” Vivian said with a smirk, sitting forward and taking her wireless mouse in one hand. Her attention was on the wide-screen monitor on her desk, but she was addressing Summer as she spoke. “It’s not going to bite, and we’ve got work to do.”

Every nerve was on edge as though she expected the rug, or in this case, dense carpeting, to be yanked out from under her feet at any moment. She practically jumped when the office phones on both desks rang in unison, but managed to maintain just enough composure to not drop - or throw - her briefcase. Summer placed her briefcase on the desk beside… her? keyboard, eying Mrs. Boggury suspiciously as she then took the back of the chair behind… her? desk. The chair was on roller wheels, but the thick carpet made moving it more difficult than it would have been on most other floors. She eventually had it pulled back far enough to take a seat, then hop/rolled herself forward until her legs were neatly tucked under the desk as the phones stopped ringing, a steady red light showing that someone… Phil, had answered it.

“Good.” It was said through another smirk as Mrs. Boggury typed something, her monitor tilted just far enough out of Summer’s view to be nearly impossible to see. “Now, what exactly did Bill say you would be doing here?”

With a nervous laugh that she quickly tried to play off as genuine, Summer replied, “Uhh… nothing, really? He just said to show up at eight.” She realizes that she’s fidgeting with the thin framed monitor, and brings her hands down to the keyboard as though Mrs. Boggury might instruct her to type at any moment. “For… onboarding,” Summer adds, unsure if she should look her new boss in the eyes.

That didn’t seem to be the response she was looking for. Summer jolted upright in her seat, rising quickly from an unintentional slouch as the respectable woman let out a loud laugh. For how sudden and startling it was, the laughter was so genuine that Summer soon found herself resisting the urge to join. She dipped her head to hide the smile, and felt her cheeks burning red as the other woman began to regain control of herself. 

“...sorry, I-” she started, but was promptly cut off.

“No- no, I’m sorry. Bill was going on and on about you all day yesterday.” Mrs. Boggury had retrieved a tissue from her desk at some point, and was using it to dab away the tears in her eyes. “He seems to be your biggest fan. Just… singing your praises so much, I kind of figured you were some… some… accomplished professional!”

Again, the woman tumbled into hysterics, laughing uncontrollably into her tightly clasped tissue. Her face was a concerning shade of red at this point, and Summer was beginning to feel embarrassed - as though this was the prank, and she was the punchline. The laughter diminished with the help of some calming breaths, and Mrs. Boggury was able to finally get herself back to normal once more.

“I apologies, Ms. Tyme,” she offered, clearing her throat with a hand over her chest. “I certainly didn’t mean to lose control like that, but…” there was a pause while the woman was clearly trying to keep from breaking down again. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, “...Mr. Haberly doesn’t often speak highly of our interviewees. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him be so excited about a new hire before.”

“So… should I…” Summer puts a hand on her briefcase, feeling more out of place than ever. She pulls it closer to her, letting a third of it drift over the edge of the desk. “I should go, then?”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Boggury says with a dismissive wave of her hand. Her hands glide over the keyboard as she continues to work, aggressively typing things just out of Summer’s view. “Aaaaand… done. Ok,” she says, turning to face the younger girl. “Mr. Haberly- Bill, as most of us tend to call him, he may have a knack for sussing out new hires, but I always look into the people he approves. Even the ones he can’t stop talking about. Especially when they’re supposed to be my personal assistant.”

The young woman was at a loss. Her hand slid off of her briefcase, nearly sending it toppling off of the desk - her desk, which she would be occupying every day as long as she proved her worth. Which she very much intended to do, just as soon as she picked her jaw up off of the floor. 

She recovered just in time for the door to open. It sounded much further away than it actually was, and helped shake her from the stupor as a man strode through. He was wearing a pale blue, long sleeve, button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and deep navy slacks. The guy appeared to be in his mid thirties, with thin rimmed glasses and short, curly hair atop his head. A green folder gleamed in his hand as it caught the sun from one window, and Summer could see several papers contained within.

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Mrs. Boggury said, commenting on her employee’s reaction. “Thousands of miles from home, fresh out of college, and now you’re working in a field actually related to your degree!”

A nervous smile formed on Summer’s face as her heart raced. There were few times in her life she’d ever been so excited, but none of them compared. Maybe the one when she found out she had officially passed the Bar, qualifying her to practice law, but even that was iffy. 

“No, it’s just…” she started, trying to carefully find the words. Her coworker placed the folder onto Mrs. Boggury’s desk, was thanked, and turned to leave. “...you’ve been a kind of hero of mine for years. Role model might be a better term, but I really aspired to be like you. Working for you would have been a dream come true, but… with you? Directly?? I might cry…”

“Well, don’t do that on these files,” Mrs. Boggury cautioned with a smile. “They’re your employment contracts and other legal documents.”

Summer wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but had very real tears in her eyes. Her hands had an annoying tremble, and she doubted if her signature would look quite right. A few steadying breaths shook in, then rolled back out as Mrs. Boggury walked her through each form, talking as though she had been through all of them a hundred times. In all likelihood, she was probably the one who drafted them in the first place.

After the necessary signatures and approvals, Summer was shown how to navigate their computer programs. They had custom software for note taking, calendars, clients, bills, court filings, research, and everything else they’ve found useful over the almost thirty years of service. There was so much, it was absolutely mind-boggling that anyone could keep it all straight. Summer had a little headache coming on while clicking through one and seeing how it interacted with two, three, four others. 

“You can sync the computer with your cell phone easily enough,” she explained. “Either sign in with your network account on both devices, or you can scan the QR code on the screen.”

Mrs. Boggury looked at Summer expectantly, as if waiting for her to do one or the other straight away. Panic roared to life in the young woman's heart, and chaos sprinted through her mind. She had no phone to take out, of course, but what was she to do? There was no way she could tell her new employer what happened to her phone, she'd sound like some kind of lunatic! She could say it was stolen, but… would Mrs. Boggury want to help? Launching an investigation would lead to more problems, for sure. Saying she lost her phone would just tell her boss that she was a poor, irresponsible choice for an assistant, and likely see to her contract termination before the day's end. 

With a calculated swipe of her hand, tucking some auburn curls behind her ear and adjusting her glasses to disguise the nervous tremble in her hand, Summer offered a soft chuckle. It came out far more forced than intended, but she assumed it may potentially help the lie she was about to tell. 

“The-um… My phone,” she started nervously, glancing into the woman's piercing eyes before sending her gaze away. “I… It's kinda embarrassing…” Summer looked down to her lap. “I dropped it into the toilet this morning.” She could feel her cheeks burning scarlet, the crystal clear tell that always ratted out her every deception. With any luck, it would actually assist it this time. “I was going to try to fix it tonight after work, but there are cracks all over the screen. It doesn't look good…”

“Well,” the seasoned lie detector replied, “you'll just have to get yourself a new one, then. I can't have my assistant going around with a cracked, potty phone, can I?” 

Summer giggled down to her lap, but kept the smile as she dared to look up. Whether Mrs. Boggury had fallen for it or not, she decided it didn't matter. Lying wasn't something Summer enjoyed, and she internally vowed to never do it again to her employer. She felt dirty for misleading her this time, even though the truth would have been far less believable. Frankly, a more likely scenario would be my dog ate it, a classic tall tale that made Summer laugh again while trying to remember her network credentials.

“If you need some help to get a new phone, we can set you up with an advance,” Mrs. Boggury said nonchalantly.

She was typing on her keyboard again, her eyes focused on her monitor. Summer looked at her, unsure if she heard the woman correctly.

“Sorry, what did you…?” she wasn't sure how to ask, scared to question the offer further but certain there had to be a catch.

“Getting a new phone.” Mrs. Boggury said, her tone level as she looked over to Summer. “They aren't necessarily cheap, especially if you still have to pay off your old one. I know not everyone can just… go out and upgrade on a whim, especially someone fresh out of college.”

The young woman was stunned. She'd heard horror stories of unpaid internships, underpaid positions, and devalued positions. People being taken advantage of across the board in all walks of life. But… here, this place�� She fought the tears threatening to form in her eyes as she learned how right she was to idolize this woman. 

“I should be ok,” she assured her employer. “I still have enough in savings to get through what I thought would be a lengthy job hunt.”

“Great,” Mrs. Boggury said with a smile, “you can leave early today. That way you’ll have all the time you need to get a replacement phone.”

With a nod, Summer turned back to her monitor. She looked at the calendar that very much reflected Vivian’s. They had an extremely full schedule. Between scheduled hour-long meetings with clients, conference calls, and court filings, there was undoubtedly plenty of unscheduled research time. Add to that any other unexpected interruptions, and she was certain that this first workday would surely go well beyond five this evening. 

“Should I take off after lunch, or…?”

Mrs. Boggury sent another email on its way to a client at blinding speed through the internet. “I think today has been a pretty good start,” she said, turning to look at Summer to offer a smile. “Don’t want to overwhelm you so soon now, do we?”

While Summer was more than a little grateful for the early dismissal, she didn’t want to appear too eager. She took a moment to scroll through her own email, wondering if she looked silly considering there wasn’t much more than a few setup prompts in her inbox. ‘Before much longer, perhaps she would be the one typing rapidly to keep up with the high demand,’ Summer thought, trying to imagine the kinds of inquiries and requests she may receive. In any case, she did want to take care of her phone issue, and have enough time to brush up and study more on California Law. She longed to prove her worth sooner rather than later, and closed out of her email app before shutting down her computer. Plus, there was that… other thing nagging at her.

“I’ll take you up on that,” she replied to her boss, returning her warm smile.

After securing her copy of the contract she signed within her briefcase, the paralegal stood from her seat and turned to leave. The phone rang again, for the hundredth or so time, and Summer made a mental note to try and keep count of how many phone calls come in tomorrow. She walks through the office, thinking of coming back bright and early to the place she works, for someone she genuinely admires.