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skygemspeaks · 8 months

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okay so after seeing all of the first three episodes again last night with friends and falling even more in love with the cast than before, i finally got around to episode 4 today. some thoughts:

i can't gush enough about the set design, it's all absolutely gorgeous. i was completely in love with the little clearing where young zoro and kuina have their match, just seeing the sunlight filtering through the trees...it really gives off that kind of nostalgic, romantic feeling that you get when you think back to a simpler time in your life. and of course, kaya's mansion is gorgeous! it doesn't look like yet another generic rich person mansion. it has character! i loved all the wall art in their dining room, i like the orderly yet cozy cluttered feeling of the kitchen, i love how it all feels lived in, like it has a history

talking more about the technical aspects, i love the costume design too! i like the slightly too clean look of the marine uniforms - it brings notice to the fact that these are new cadets who don't have much fighting history. i like that both nami and sham get to wear practical clothes! no stupid high heels for nami! no short shorts!

i didn't mention this last time, but i LOVE jacob's version of usopp. it's crazy that they managed to find a guy who can do usopp's over the top facial expressions in real life. they really lucked out with this entire main cast, i can't imagine literally anyone else playing our beloved straw hats. i hope we can see at least one more season, and i hope i adore robin and chopper just as much as i love these the east blue crew

as sad as it is, i'm glad that it seems like merry really is dead. i like this more brutal direction for the live action, because it feels like there are actual consequences for them, and i like that you can't take for granted that just because someone survived in the manga/anime, it means they'll survive in the live action too

the child actors are a little stiff, but i think they're really doing a good job given how young they are! young zoro's actor was definitely doing a better job that kojiro's. he sold his grief over kuina's death very well

speaking of koshiro, i still fuckin hate that dude. he did kuina so dirty with his sexism, convincing her she had no future as a swordswoman, making her believe that she could never stand up to men.

i think having koby and helmeppo show up at kaya's mansion and inevitably get duped by kuro was a good choice. it lets koby get a little more experience in a leadership position, and more than that, it helps establish usopp's distrust of the marines. from the beginning he was always interested in the romantic view he had of pirates because of his dad, but seeing that the marines failed him, even after they said they would help him, and that they didn't believe him no matter how much he begged them to, it helps establish a reason for him to go along with the pirates when they invite him to. the marines didn't do shit to protect kaya, but luffy and his friends did everything they could. they loved kaya, maybe not as much as usopp, but they wanted her to be safe.

side note, it's kind of hilarious to think about helmeppo trying to kill luffy, and then going back to the ship and finding out that he's garp's grandson 💀💀

when we are! started playing in the background as the going merry set sail for the first time with her crew...i cried, i'm not ashamed to admit it. gosh, i missed her, and i miss the first opening. it's so nice to see her get to go on more adventures with her crew in this new medium! i know some people were unhappy with her figurehead, but i just adore it, it suits her crew well

luffy's little shit-eating grin when kaya just gives them merry for free, and nami being just SO exasperated because he's gonna be so insufferable now, it made me laugh so hard! i love these idiots

when usopp and luffy were arguing about which one of them was captain, and nami just burst out laughing? and then zoro started chuckling too? that was so healing! they've already had good chemistry so far, and they've shown loyalty, but it's so nice to finally see zoro and nami kind of starting to admit that they do like these people they've become friends with, and it's nice to see that they're coming around to how much they care about luffy

i was a little iffy about them doing the garp reveal at the end. my first instinct was to be really annoyed by it, but after thinking on it for a moment, it honestly does make sense. in the first place there wasn't really a plot reason to put off the reveal until post enies lobby anyways. and then you also have to take into account that it would be a huge success if we ever even get a second season, let alone reaching post enies lobby. so it's not ideal, but i'm not too upset at them about it. ALSO, seeing zoro, nami, and usopp's reaction to the news was fucking hilarious. i hope we get some good dynamics in the next episode! i want to see garp call luffy his idiot grandson. i want that funny family dysfunction.

#opla spoilers #opla liveblog #opla #spoilers #one piece #op spoilers #monkey d luffy #monkey d garp #roronoa zoro #nami #kaya op #kuro op #koby op #helmeppo

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animehouse-moe · 7 months

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The Iceberg of Online Manga - A Reading List and Print Wishlist

We get a lot of manga in English, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. We get a hell of a lot of fan translated manga, but even that doesn't cover the whole thing. Separated by language and culture, the "untapped" potential of manga is foreign to a lot of readers, myself included really. But it's because of that deficiency that I decided to start taking a look at interesting fan translated titles to find series to recommend to publishers (and potentially read), so this is a sneak peek into my ever-growing list.

It's also an open request for people to share their favorites from the online manga sphere! As a single person it's impossible to find all the hidden gems, so being able to share titles between one another can really help widen horizons.

Sui and Neri of the Twilight Planet / Tasogare-Boshi No Sui To Neri

In a way, it reminds me of Girls Last Tour, a sunsetting planet that explores the oddity of a du in their life. Not quite as bittersweet or contemplative through what I've seen so far, but still very pretty and detailed. Lots and lots of hand drawn background art, and some really good layouts and paneling.

Poison Poison Forest Forest /Doku Doku Mori Mori

Mushroom on Mushroom violence, with a healthy side of grim visuals. It's got all the punch you could expect, and has a pretty novel approach to what you could consider a revenge story. Still early on so not a mountain of stuff to go off of, but at the very least what there is is good.

Captain Momo's Secret Base / Momo Kanchou No Himitsu Kichi

Tsuruta Kenji, the mastermind behind the art of Emanon (and other series), need I really say more? Regardless, with Tsuruta's art behind a lighthearted and curious series of a woman travelling through space alone with a cat, it's an undeniably enjoyable ride. Though do be warned, there is quite a bit of nudity featured as Momo prefers going commando to wearing clothes.

Every Every Night / Yona Yona Yona

An incredibly strikingly designed robin hood-esque story, Yona and her crew go on nightly missions to try and steal back art that was originally stolen by a corrupt police force. Creative, expressive, fun, and impressively detailed and unique, it's got quite a bit of potential!

The Feared Witch of Tasihou / Taishou Kitan Majo

Mixing the Western practices of Witchcraft with a Taishou-era Japan setting? A cultural combination that I'm truthfully surprised we haven't really seen yet. Add onto that the incredibly unique and sketch-like art style (and the wonderful color pages) and it's just a super easy pickup.

Welcome to Hotel Metsäpeura / Hotel Metsäpeura e Youkoso

A little hard to explain succinctly, but this is the story of a trio, two men and a teenager who they find standing outside their hotel in the Finnish wilderness in the middle of Winter. Characters with... interesting pasts, it's a story about providing not just a house, but a home to this young boy on his own.

The Ends of A Dream / Yume no Hashibashi

This is one that I'm really quite desperate to get in print. It's an emotional story of a pair as they retrace their forbidden romance through the years that have evaded them as they reach the end of their lives. A painfully beautiful concept that I really hope to see licensed someday.

Will You Clean This For Me? / Kirei Ni Shitemoraemasuka

Alright, something a little more light and fun! A story of a laundry (though it's really sorta general cleaning) shop as they go about their daily life, even offering a few tips and tricks to better cleaning things. Simple idea that has some pretty clear care put into it, and is just the right thing to relax with.

Amber Days and Golden Nights / Kohaku no Yume de Yoimashou

Let's keep the good vibes rolling! Another specific interest series, this time about craft beer. Kenzaki Nana's a burnt out employee at a Kyoto advertising firm, but happens to stumble across the Shirokuma bar. With just one night she ends up pulled into the world of craft beer, and our story begins! Very fun and light, and a really cool area to see explored by manga.

The Dragon, The Hero, and The Courier / Ryuu to Yuusha to Haitatsunin

Nothing like some good old comedy at the expense of someone else. Yoshida, a half elf, is a mail carrier for the Imperial City of Idazig that will deliver mail to anyone, anywhere. With the breadth of fantasy and middle-ages history expressed early on, there's a lot of creative potential for humor alongside the really wonderfully scratchy and sharp art.

Deep Sea Aquarium Magmell / Magmell Shinkai Suizokukan

My friend Phantom would kill me if this wasn't on the list. Anyways, it's a series about a deep sea aquarium employee in Tokyo. Very cool, very informal, and incredibly beautiful. I love how much they work with blacks and darkness in the art.

A Coffee Shop in the Unwaking Town / Samenai Machi no Kissaten

I love stories that are incredibly odd and quiet, and this is no exception. Suzume one day finds herself unable to wake up, stuck in the unwaking town Lutetia. It's in this town that she works at the coffee shop known as 'Quatre'. From the moment I laid eyes on it I knew I'd enjoy it, a unique concept paired with standout art, it has such a comfortable feeling to its experience (as well as offering a few recipes).

Living In an Antiquarian Bookstore of The Karakida Family / Karakida-ke no Kosho Gurashi

A simple story about three girls inheriting their grandfather's shop in the heart of the largest collection of used bookstores, Kanda-Jinbouchou. A very calm and borderline mundane story that is supplemented with some truly beautiful art.

And that's all this list has in it for now! Of course I've got more I can chat about, but I thought these to be the most promising in my perusing of the internet. Best of all though? All of these are available (to some degree) on MangaDex! If you want to give them a shot they're there. And really, do feel free to add to this list with your own online finds, I'd love to find all sorts of unique and creative manga that we don't get to hear about in the English sphere!

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seraphtrevs · 1 year

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Could you expand on the similarities/parallels between Lalo and Gus? (or link me to a post if you’ve already talked about it) I think it’s fascinating & I’d love to read more

OKAY I'm finally here - every time I've sat down to write it I've been sidetracked

First, let's talk about how they're different. They are polar opposites - orderly/chaotic, serious/playful, cold/hot, cartel outsider/cartel insider, born to poverty/born to wealth. I've kind of convinced myself that Lalo was designed specifically to be Gus's foil.

But like all good foils, they also have a lot in common. Such as:

They're all business. Neither of these men have anything remotely resembling a personal life. I've seen articles on several random pop culture websites that incorrectly say that Gus had Lalo's family killed at his home, but those people were not his family! He' paid them to be there! Because real, honest attachments would be a distraction - and a liability, as Gus learned from personal experience. (And who knows - maybe Lalo learned that lesson, too.) The only thing they have going on in their lives is the Game. When all you do is play a game, you tend to get pretty good at it. Which leads me to #2

They're on the same level. The cartel is not a brain trust. Gus and Lalo are usually the smartest people involved in whatever their latest scheme is, so when they encounter each other, there's a weird moment of recognition - oh hey, this guy is a serious opponent

And since they're both experts in the game they're playing, their trains of thought generally end up at the same destination. I'm sure the way they arrive at their conclusions is very different, which is something I think deeply annoys both of them - like, it's a very specific kind of annoying to have someone you despise come up with the same answer but in the wrong way. It's why they're able to anticipate and interpret each other's actions based only off vibes

They're ruthless. They both have zero qualms about doing whatever it takes to achieve their ends, with seeming little regret. We see Mike, Jesse, and Walt struggle with all the violence and the death, but Gus and Lalo never show regret. They know that sometimes you have to sacrifice pawns to win games, and so that's what they do

They're loners. Neither of them have a single real friend. If you buy my headcanon that Lalo is also gay, it kind of makes sense why he's also kept people at a distance. Neither of them can risk the kind of exposure being truly intimate with someone entails...and honestly, they're both just kind of weird and don't fit in, the way exceptional people don't sometimes.

They don't care much about material things. Neither of them seem particularly interested in a lavish lifestyle, outside of having a nice house and getting the occasional outrageously expensive bottle of alcohol. They don't wear expensive clothes. They don't drive especially flashy cars (compare Lalo's car with Nacho's). They don't throw parties to show off their wealth. Jimmy uses his money to the fullest extent - because what's the point of having it otherwise? But Lalo and Gus don't seem to care about that. Money is just one of your scores when you're playing to win

They're loyal - Gus was fiercely loyal to Max, and Lalo is fiercely loyal to Hector. I think this is related to their loner tendencies - it's rare to find anyone who truly understands them. It's like they take every last scrap of their humanity and invest it in one single person. This is how Lalo figures out that Gus is up to something - he knows that there's no way in hell Gus would ever save Hector's life unless he had an ulterior motive, so he started to look around for other things that didn't make any sense

#i'm sure I'll think of something else the moment I hit post #gustavo fring #lalo salamanca #better call saul #asks

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cursedvibes · 2 years

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Edo Flashback Character Design

That Kashimo flashback is living in my head rent free so let me ramble about the character design (particularly hair) and how it tells us a lot about these people in just a few panels.

Ishigoori & girlfriend/wife

I see a lot of people making fun of Ishigoori for being bald... hate to tell you this but 90% of men back then had some variation of this hairstyle. Kashimo & Kenjaku aren't the norm but I'll get to that.

The topknot of the ichomage is quite long and a bit thicker with the top of his head widely shaven. Overall, a very tight and clean look usually seen more among Edo city folk, which I think can be interpreted as him being being pretty fashionable and in touch with modern trends despite being a samurai living up in the north. His clothing looks casual and he's waving his naked feet around, so I'm assuming this is his house they're in. He seems to be pretty well off, looking at the conditions of it.

Now his girlfriend is the main reason I think this takes place somewhere between 1600-1650 aka very early Edo period. She has long flowing hair, not pinned up like it would be common during the heights of the Edo period, and she seems to be wearing a kosode (short sleeves, unisex belt and wider cut unlike kimonos) which started to go out of fashion by mid 1600s. It was a trademark of upper class women around the time this takes place, showing again that she and Ishigoori must be well off.

(ca. 1615)

(Kashimo & Kenjaku under the cut)

Kashimo

(gonna use they/them for Kashimo because if Hakari doesn't gender them, neither will I)

Now, Kashimo immediately sticks out for being unshaven and having their hair all waving about. Very unprofessional. I'm pretty sure Akutami's main influence here was Takezo from Vagabond which also takes place around the same time. Subsequently, we immediately know that Kashimo doesn't take part in polite society. They're only wearing a plain dirty yukata(?) and don't care much about appearance (sickness might play a role too). It could also be that Kashimo is simply so unchallenged that they don't even bother getting into more proper combat gear like in modern times. Anyone who sees them, besides Kenjaku, will likely die anyway without them needing to spend much effort, so why bother.

Kenjaku

Okay, so Kenjaku is really interesting. First of all, for a man their hair is way too long and loose. My guess is that this person originally had a chasenmage or sohatsu style and then grew it out or Kenjaku grew it it out. Both styles were popular among young men around 1600. Sohatsu was worn by confucian scholars and doctors in learning until the early Edo period and then got picked up by samurai later in the era, 1750+ (also became popular among ronin). Either way, their hair still rarely reached past their shoulders, so Kenjaku's style is definitely unusual. The hairstyle was already seen as a bit extravagant, so Kenjaku probably appeared eccentric/flamboyant (bit fruity) to the general population. Actually some of the hairstyles of the women on the painting further up in this post look closer to this than the typical sohatsu...

(left: chasenmage, right: sohatsu)

Generally, they are wearing pretty light clothing both in fabric and colour (this is the first time we see them wearing light colours) that are in a modern style considering the time period but nothing outstanding, more on the casual side. The clothes Ishigoori is wearing look like they're from higher quality material than this. What I find interesting is that they don't have any sort of sigil on their haori despite being out in public, so they either removed it or the person they took over doesn't belong to any big family. The sandals that they are wearing together with the comfortable clothing indicate to me that they are traveling a lot, otherwise they would wear gesa (would also be more practical on a bloody battlefield...) or zori. If they really did just come from Mutsu, that would be appropriate. Very busy making binding vows I guess.

Considering they said their body isn't suitable for fighting, they don't have any weapons on them that we can see, and this is Kenjaku we are talking about, I would say their body probably used to be a wandering physician or scholar with political ties and that's why they took over this body. But who knows. Definitely very gender.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk spoilers #ishigori ryu #ishigoori ryuu #kashimo hajime #kenjaku

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yuan4i · 1 year

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Alr Tysm for letting me participate to be in your matchup event!!

Personality!

I’m an introvert but doesn’t necessarily mean I’m shy but mostly just quiet (mostly around people I am not familiar with) but I do make an effort to try and be at least more talkative if I sense if someone wants me to engage more into the convos, I also get along with most people very well so I don’t have much of a problem there. I would also add if a friend rants to me I am always there to listen and give them advice, and when someone first meets me (like I said in the beginning) I am a very quiet person but once someone gets to know me and spends more time with me I usually start coming out my shell and when that happens I am a very loud person and energetic most of the time while being super optimistic! But sadly I can also be moody most days with noticeable mood swings but I don’t really notice until someone points it out. I am also confident and I don’t really let people push me around.

Hobbies / interest!

Needless to say despite me usually staying in one place I really love traveling! Traveling from place to place and exploring and trying new different things is exciting and fun! I also love seeing new designs and fashions and new clothing style everyday so I’d say I also really like fashion, I also shop a few times (but not too much) since I also like treating myself (and other people) to something good at least once a month or a week. And baking desserts with someone is one of my favs also! Cause at the end most of me and someone else is a little bit messy BUT the dessert comes out great! I also love listening to music, I don’t think I can go a day without it! And having a little movie / series marathon here and there.

Sexuality!

I’m still in the questioning stage of it BUT I do think I am omnisexual but just with a leaning preference towards men. (Also my pronouns are she/they!)

Dislikes!

Loud noises, it can really be distracting for me or just really annoying so I like spending my time mostly in quiet places or just somewhere it isn’t is loud, someone who is usually rude for no reason, and someone who is physically too clingy (I don’t really mind here and there but my love language isn’t much on physical touch).

Likes!

Seahorses, foxes, cats, people who are very helpful, someone who understands and respects boundaries, plushies, music, fashion, and exploring!.

And a few fun facts!

I am a Gemini

I am an ISTJ

Usually when I’m talking about something I’m very passionate I tend to move my hands or well just move in general!

And I am half Hispanic and half white (NOT THAT LIKE REALLY MATTERS but yk)

And I love exploring other peoples cultures!

Anyway, you have a wonderful day / afternoon / night and a splendid month and year!! (ALSO if I have broke any rules please let me know!)

- 🦊 Anon!!

I MATCH YOU WITH . . .

THOMA !!

- your likes fit and remind me of thoma quite a lot^^ - you love exploring cultures, right? thoma would openly talk about his culture to you!! - since he originates from mondstadt, and he now lives in inazuma, i'm pretty sure he'd know quite a lot :) - thoma would listen to you rant and talk, he also adores the way you move your hands - don't get me started on baking with him. he'd love to bake desserts or any of your favs with you! - shopping with thoma is going to be so fun! especially since he's really good at bargaining and negotiating prices. - thoma would go anywhere and travel places with you! - he'd make sure you're always comfy too!! - thoma doesn't mind your mood swings, he's really understanding!

NOW . . . VALENTINE'S DAY WITH THOMA!

- i am 100% sure he's the type of person to not only buy you flowers but make chocolate for you. - you cannot tell me he doesn't surprise you with it. - he also makes travel plans for you two to go to during valentine's day

"happy valentine's day, my love." thoma says, handing you a bouquet of flowers and a small bag of homemade chocolate. "i'm not sure if they're as good as store-bought ones, but i'm pretty sure they'll be to your liking! i also booked us a cruise to [place]!"

#⁺◟✿ always forever : match ups event #thoma #thoma x reader #genshin match ups

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sanstropfremir · 2 years

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i love your blog and need need NEED to ask you if you have any opinion on this because people were talking abt it on twitter recently. if u don't tho it's fine! just wanna hear your thoughts. someone was talking about moments in kpop that were popular with the ppl but actually shouldn't be because they were designed for the male gaze and the two cbs mentioned were monster by irene&seulgi which, shocked me a bit. but more so the second which was sumni's tail. do you feel like tail stages/mv were designed to appeal mainly to men? genuinely this took me a aback a bit because yeah sure choreography makes sunmi appear extremely attractive and she wears revealing clothes but the power dynamics in the choreo and just in general in the camera movements in her performances during tail always made me think she's actually mocking men more than catering to them? anyways I hope this makes sense. sorry. just read it and immediately thought of u so I came here lol

;ALSKJF;LASJKF;LKJF THE CB WHERE THE ORIGINAL CHOREO WAS HER DIGGING HER HEELS INTO A MAN'S THIGHS????? THE MV WHERE SHE TIES A MAN TO RAILROAD TRACKS?????? THAT TAIL????????? god this is such a fucking stupid take i'm so sorry you had to read any of that anon. anyways here's my analysis post on the costumes in the tail mv and how they illustrate sunmi's (character's) reclaimation of power and masculine imagery.

but besides tail specifically, there is actually something i want to talk about here in regards to how this particular take smacks of an inability to understand basic critical and media analysis theory.

when you say that something shouldn't be enjoyed or engaged with, you imply that there is a should; a 'correct' way to engage or interpret a work. and there is NO correct way to interpret art. a massive problem with social media is that there is a hegemony on moralistic opinions. you have to have a 'good' opinion, you have to like the right things and hate the right things and why. because reasons. because some anonymous icon on the bird app said it was male gazy and therefore that apparently means it's bad. and yea i'm gonna sound like a fucking crank about this but you need to do your own readings. the male gaze is not a code of ethics, it is a theory of media analysis. and theories are tools that are meant to help you better understand the life you live and the ways that you engage with the world. YOU are the one that uses the tool, that makes the choice on when and how and where you use that tool, and also if you take into account the information that that tool provides. it's all about the nuance. unfortunate that the internet went and shot it in the back.

#nuance is dead long live nuance i guess #kpop questions #sunmi w #also honestly this take also screams of internalized misogyny #like these people are recognizing that something might not be for them so they immediately decry it as being bad #(im assuming these people are mostly cis str8 female bc that is a big demographic of kpoppies but of course this may not be true)#theyre unable to conceptualize any perspective outside of their own so therefore it HAS to be male gaze. obvs.#like why are you going after an artist that is known for having strong creative control over her concepts #have you literally not seen a single thing sunmi has done in the last four years???????????? did i hallucinate noir?????????#like please god get a grip and go read a book or just take a basic media analysis class #tail was for the bisexuals sorry i dont make the rules #ok i am simplifying a lot of this there are much longer discussions to be had here #text #answers #like here's an example: i just got back from going to see mamma mia live #and it was some of the most fun i've had at the theatre in a long time!#does that negate that the script has problems? no! but i am aware of those problems despite my enjoyment!#its very simple really #sorry if this sounds kind of angry this isnt directed at you anon #like imo u made the right choice. seeing something fucky and going to ask a question about it to someone who's opinion u trust #when u dont have the personal knowledge base to inform yourself. that's v smart and a sight lot better than many other people #not that im an authority on any of this bc im very much not. but if i can help fill in some knowledge gaps im v happy to

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atcordare · 1 year

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Okay well this is a thread of the designs of my zukka AU

This is sokka, water tribe attire first and fire nation attire on the second image.

I tried picking elements from the Inuit and Maori cultures, besides canon content from ATLA and some other stuff I pulled out my ass.

For the water tribe attire, i chose to stick closely to the inuit traditional clothing. I added fringes and a little bit of a patterned section- The Southern Water Tribe is extremely poor in canon and even more so in my AU, so I'm pretty sure they don't have a lot of resources to spend in decorations. I did, however, get creative with the cape. It's maori-inspired- I took some elements from the cape that signaled chiefs (the white parts on the top, which are dried plants), and some others from the parts that signaled hunters (the braided section and the dark color of the general silhouette). However, using the skin of an entire animal was my own idea, and I was taking into consideration the materials available in the area they lived in.

The tattoos are mostly my invention as well. There are notes in spanish by them- they ssy that the tattoos on the face point out the role on the tribe (i merded together inuit tattoo designs and the marks people get from ice dodging), because everyone can see them. Then, the ones avobe the heart tell you about the person's name and their family. Inuit society puts a lot of weight into family and such, so I thought it would be appropiate. Then, down the arm, where lays the skills and such, they tattoo the person's accomplishments. A heavily tattooed arm belongs to an enviably accomplished person. However, these tattoos are comsidered to be deeply personal and they're only supposed to be shown to your loved ones (since you're not getting naked in front of just anyone in the south pole...) It isn't specified in there, but you also tattoo the name of the person you marry on the inside of your wrist- avobe your pulse, and ready for you to see when you miss them, at any time.

I thought this was a cool way to keep the written tradition going in a place where you can't really actually write, with all the snow and shit. This and embroidery- but i guess embroidery would be dedicated to tapestries that would show the history of the tribe, kept in like a public closed space. The inuit rely very heavily in oral tradition to pass down their identity as a tribe, and while that IS something I wanted to keep (and I did! but it's not reflected on sokka's design), I don't want the water tribe to be a replica of the actual inuit. I'm pretty sure I couldn't play off the inaccuracies if it was. Oops.

Then the earring- there's a tooth and a black feather. Honestly, the tooth just looks cool and that was my reason to shove it in, but the feather DOES hold meaning. It has a Maori origin, since they used the feathers of a now extinct bird to point out chiefdom. Pitch black feathers signaled a minor chief or a less powerful one, while tgere were white-tipped ones that were used to point out absolute power?? If i understood that right?? And since Sokka is the acting chief of the southern water tribe while the men are at work, I thought it would be nice to show the difference that way. Hakoda keeps his own white tipped feather, but Sokka got the pitch black one from him.

The fire natiom outfit mixes elements of tge forementioned cultures along with the fire nation. He bandages his tattoos so no one can see them, he has an archer glove on his right hand, and the clothes allow ventilation so the man that has lived surrounded by snow his entire life doesn't evaporate the moment he lands foot on the fire nation.

The fringes and the pants are inspired by the inuit again, same as the pattern on the top thing. The cape is a fire nation-ized version of his cape with a fire nation-ized parka hood. Less practical, chillier, just there to give off a more commanding vibe.

The lore behind the outfit is that Sokka used some clothes designed by Gran Gran and made by the fire kingdom so he can travel there for whatever business (I didn't explain this and probably won't since this silly little AU has thiiiin chances of leaving my head, but this is an arranged marriage AU mixed in with political drama, enemies to lovers shenanigans and whatnot). However, the fire nation people were all "nooo put on some REAL clotheees" so he just shuffled in whatever didn't look too awful from what he saw in the fire nation fashion scene and called it a day. The cape is what really did it for the fire nation people, though. Gives off a more royal vibe, attracts the eye, whatever.

He can use bows, his boomerang and spears, as long as you keep in mind that he was trained a hunter and not a warrior. He was left to hunt on his own for his entire village (which includes animals to get the skin for clothes from) since he was younger than 15 so you can bet he's damn good at it (i think it should have been the same in canon since this happens in there as well but whatever). Also, since he's used to constantly running in way denser territory in way heavier clothing at the same speed than people from the rest of the nations, you can bet he's crazy quick when those factors aren't hindering him.

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practically-an-x-man · 11 months

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Secret!

Ooh, okay! Let's see...

Let me give you a little background on my future Witcher fic!

It'll be Jaskier x OC since I absolutely love Jaskier (and really, Joey Batey needs to be in more things! He's really talented!)

The OC's name is Lydia, I haven't given her a last name yet and I'm not entirely sure I will. At the time of the story, she's a siren (note that I haven't read the Witcher books yet so my depiction might be different from any sirens in that). I'm planning to go pretty dark with this - these aren't "mermaids", they are sirens that charm men into the water, attack them like piranhas, and eat their hearts. I'm also thinking of giving them some sort of bioluminescence as a means of communicating underwater.

I'm sticking to some typical "modern" depictions of sirens: they can shift between tail and legs via contact with standing water (not rain, and anything larger than a bathtub), they have to stay near the water (otherwise they grow weak and sick, like the flu, it's referred to as the "oceansong" or "call of the ocean"), and must consume the hearts and blood of living humans in order to survive. Most depictions state that it's men's hearts specifically, I'm saying that any human heart will work but most sirens still choose to hunt men because they're generally more susceptible to their song.

The siren curse operates similarly to other curses in the Witcher: in theory, would be cured by true love/true love's kiss. HOWEVER, the siren curse is spread through kisses, and the siren curse would transfer before the cure occurs - I.E., the curse is (normally...) too strong, and overpowers the cure. If you've read the Warm Bodies book it's basically the last scene in that This leads to it being viewed as an incurable curse (and results in a lot of grief on Lydia's end)

This will also be a soulmate AU: people get small tattoos on their wrists representing their soulmate - not names, but representative of the person. Aroace people either get a mark for their platonic soulmate, or a small braided band around their wrist that marks them without soulmates. This is normal - some people just prefer to be alone, that's respected. If a soulmate dies, the person's tattoo shifts to another design, either another romantic or platonic soulmate to fill their life.

Sirens have no soulmate. It's believed that they are completely incapable of love (similar to Witchers), and their wrists are completely bare. Not even a wristband tattoo, which isolates them even from the people who are naturally without soulmates.

Now, you might be thinking "R, you said this was a Jaskier x OC fic, what do you mean sirens don't feel love?"

Yeah, that's a load of bull. Much like the idea that Witchers don't feel emotion. It's a social superstition that isn't actually true, and is perpetuated by the fact that the older sirens simply enjoy their violent, immortal lives and don't mind being isolated.

Enter Lydia. She's a younger siren: turned six or seven years before the events of the fic (and ring the bell bestie because that story gets dark as all hell, probably one of my darkest backstories period), and this event leaves her with a lot of standing grief and emotional ties.

She's washing her clothes on the riverbank when Jaskier comes up to scrub his own tunic, stained with mud and blood and monster guts from Geralt's latest hunt. He doesn't know she's a siren, and being the painfully social flirt that he is, they get to talking as they wash their clothes.

Geralt returns after a while and realizes his bard has been talking with a siren on the banks of the river, and she could've killed him at any point. He pulls Jaskier away quickly - Lydia tries to promise that she wouldn't have hurt him (and she really wouldn't, it was nice to have someone talk to her as a human being after so long being treated as a monster), but he's hurt and leaves without another word.

The next day he goes down to the riverbank while Geralt's still asleep. Lydia's gone, but his tunic is clean and folded on a flat rock nearby. She leaves him a note: I'm sorry. For what it's worth, I never meant to hurt you.

This is where we begin our story.

#thank you bestie!!!#this one's been brewing for a while and I'm really looking forward to writing it #but it's bound to be a pretty long story so I need to time it right #answered asks #my friends!!!#my writing #my ocs #(oh and I have plenty more “secret” WIPs so if you want to hear about another one I'm happy to oblige)#(i'm still trying to choose which to write next so this helps me gauge it)

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6-of-november · 2 years

Text

This is a vent post about people who hit on my gf

Yes people are horny & disrespectful. Men online on are creeps, occasionally women online are creeps too. One thing that's for sure is that most of them fall into a category she describes as "manic pixie dream girl" chasers. Boring people (usually men) who think dating an exciting chaotic girl will make their life better & more fun.

A. This ignores the 3-dimensional aspects of most people which is why I use chaser & fetishizing in the negative connotation when discussing this stereotype

B. A fun exciting chaotic person may or may not want a relationship rock (a steady reliable partner, usually more chillax) & there's no good reason boring do-nothing types should expect to be desirable when they can offer next to nothing to this fun-loving archetype they chase

C. In my relationship I'm not jealous, I'm poly too, but serially pursuing (chasing) my partner who is not interested is rude, disrespectful to her, & disrespectful to me. I can & should kick your ass for your disgusting behavior

D. In my relationship my gf does her fun chaotic things & I do mine & frequently we cross paths & support the other. Neither of us is the other's social crutch to cure the other's unwillingness to get off their ass

E. Let's briefly compare me & the main individual I'm annoyed at

- I live above a moshpit at a shady venue, he lives in his parent's basement

- I wear makeup design my own clothes, he wears normal clothes

- I ride motorcycles on & off-road with current & retired racers, have crashed thousands of times, ridden through injuries, drifted motorcycles through shipping containers full of bullet casings, do my own maintenance... He's spent 6 years talking about how cool he'll be when he gets a bike & does the PCH

- I do hardcore bodybuilder style pen & pad workouts, his workout is lifting a jug of milk

- I ate a Carolina Reaper for $1, this man is intimidated by siracha

- irl or zoom I attend meetings where I'm holding my own with PHDs, he uses his microphone to insult teens over League of Legends & that's the most adrenaline thing he'll do in a month

Which of us respects my gf as a person & doesn't fetishize her into a cure for one's short comings?

Which of us sounds compatible with a fun-loving chaotic partner?

Which of us wrote cruddy fan-fiction about how he wins my gf back with a motorcycle once I'm out of the picture? 😒

Sorry, I just needed to bitch about him & people like him in general. Fuck off, y'all "still wouldn't be able to date me even if I was single" - the gf, yesterday.

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audreydoeskaren · 3 years

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Have you read Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim? Idk what Era precisely it's meant to be, but I'm curious if anyone in the Chinese fashion sphere has anything to say about the clothes making/designing portions of the book, re: what clothes making was really like, the job of a royal tailor/tailors in general (were they common, or did most people make their own clothes? Was it a respected job?), that kind of thing! Thank you for your work on this blog!

I don't usually read fantasy novels like Spin the Dawn but I can say a thing or two about clothing production in imperial China. The state of dressmaking was different for each era and I can only talk a little bit about the Ming and Qing. Obviously I don't know the complete details of every stage of production for clothing, I'll just share some things that I do have knowledge on. Most of my information came from Rachel Silberstein's book A Fashionable Century: Textile Artistry and Commerce in the Late Qing, which could be read on JSTOR.

Royal dressmaking

Clothing that was meant for royal use was seldom created by one person alone, but rather the combined efforts of specialists and professionals in different areas. The designs would be made by artists in court, then textiles used for the clothing would be commissioned from state owned textile workshops, then sent to tailors to be sewn into garments and then to embroiderers if embroidery was required. Embroidery wasn't always necessary, since for most of the Ming fashionable and prestigious clothing was made from fabrics with woven patterns (e.g. brocades, damasks) instead of embroidered ones; embroidery would not become the dominant form of decoration until the Ming-Qing transition in the mid 17th century. Normal people wouldn't be able to purchase fabrics from the imperial workshops, but imperial workshops have been on the decline since the late Ming and commercial workshops were producing quality fabrics on a par with those from the imperial ones. Imperial workshop also frequently sublet their work to commercial ones.

As to the design aspect, formal court dress was heavily regulated as to what patterns and garments could be used for what occasion, so there wasn’t much room for artistic liberty. It was on informal clothing that more creativity could be exercised; embroiderers could choose what patterns and motifs go on garments and tailors could experiment with different proportions.

Source

Women’s 吉服 jifu formal ensemble from the Qianlong era. The patterns and their placement for such formal garments were fixed.

Source

Guangxu era informal 氅衣 changyi. The final appearance of this garment was still the combined efforts of many people, e.g. the weavers decided on the purple color, the tailor decided on the proportion and the embroiderers the floral motifs etc..

Home dressmaking

Common people prior to the 17th century mostly made their own clothes, particularly by the female members of the household. It was very common to make clothing from scratch i.e. the growing of cotton or grooming of silkworms, to fabric weaving, sewing and embroidering. It was considered a part of women's education to learn how to weave fabrics and sew garments together, but this doesn't mean that the entire dressmaking process was confined to women or one person either; men, who were expected to do farm work, would grow the crops necessary for the weaving of fabrics, and often assisted in the weaving process. Since the majority of the Chinese population lived in the countryside, many families produced fabrics from raw materials they made on their own farms and made clothes from said fabrics. Because of the difficulty in weaving brocaded fabrics by oneself, home dressmakers who couldn't afford to buy ready woven fabrics prior to the late Ming had to limit themselves to plain fabrics. In the late Ming and early Qing, the rise of embroidery as the dominant method of decoration meant that fashionable patterns became available to less wealthy people who couldn't afford to buy expensive brocaded fabrics, since they could reproduce all the fashionable patterns with just needle, thread and spare time. Embroidery books showing popular patterns and motifs were widely available and could be purchased cheaply. With that said, that doesn't mean that the entirety of a garment had to be made from scratch; many decorations and notions could be bought from shops, like trimmings, ribbons, buttons and prefabricated embroidery appliques. The seamstress would just need to buy the fabric, decorations and notions and put them together as one garment. In the Qing, women seldom went out of the house, and they relied on vendors or middlemen for vendors who brought products to their homes for sale. For women at the time, being a skilled weaver, seamstress or embroiderer was a highly desirable trait, not just because it symbolized "female virtue" whatever that means, but also because it provided work opportunities. Women who were otherwise not employed could take commissions from commercial weaving, tailoring or embroidery workshops as a side income.

Commercial dressmaking

Since the 17th century, the textile industry was increasingly commercialized and it since became more viable to purchase ready woven fabrics from commercial workshops, especially for people in urban areas. These were usually owned by rural families as a side income, and they would often hire landless people to work in their manufactories. I don't know if owning a textile manufactory was a respected job (probably not, considering the literati's hatred for everything commercial) but these people did make serious money. Family operating businesses were often co-owned by wife and husband. Embroidery workshops making prefabricated embroidered appliques and tailor shops making ready to wear garments were also quite common, often relying on middlemen for delivering orders and negotiating prices between the workshop and individual embroiderers/seamstresses in the countryside. In Qing tailor shops, it was often the case that only menswear could be purchased ready to wear, whereas womenswear was made to measure or by the wearer herself. Within tailor shops, there were many subdivisions of labor, like some people did pattern drafting, some people cut pattern pieces and some people assembled the garments. The status of commercial tailors has historically been low, mostly because of the Confucian ruling class’ disdain for consumption, luxury and anything non-self sustaining.

Source

Ca. 1780s export painting showing weaving women.

Feminist tangent

In the Qing, most home weaving and embroidering were done by women, but the commercial workshops were male dominated and their guilds prohibited entry for women, because commercial dressmaking had become a lucrative business and men didn’t want to share employment with women. Male employees in workshops were considered artisans and better paid, whereas women who had to work at home were considered unskilled labor and paid less. Most commercial tailors in the Qing were also male, for reasons similar to why embroidery was male dominated. Whereas women commonly sewed clothes for themselves and their families, they were often prohibited from becoming professional tailors working in workshops or joining a guild. It’s that bogus thing where handicrafts are “women’s work” but when men see how profitable they are they suddenly become “artistic” and limited to men.

Commercial tailors, who were male, were seen as a cultural abomination for doing what was historically seen as “women’s work” for profit. In order to elevate themselves to a higher, more respected status, they chose to throw women under the bus and revise the history of all things historically considered “women’s work” to make them more male centered. An example of this was the 露香园 Luxiang Yuan or Dew Fragrance Garden, a renowned Suzhou embroidery workshop built up by three generations of women of the Gu family, who owned the estate and was the namesake of their style of embroidery, 顾绣 guxiu or Gu embroidery. The male family head at the time, Gu Mingshi, later became the patron saint of the Suzhou embroiderer’s guild founded in 1867. The reason why Gu Mingshi was worshipped instead of the three women who made Gu embroidery famous was largely because male members of the Suzhou embroiderer’s guild needed historical justification for their exclusion of women and erasure of women’s contributions. Apparently late 19th century scholars also complained about this misogyny so this isn’t a new understanding.

Source

Gu embroidery by Han Ximeng, one of the three OG Gu women.

With all of this said, it doesn’t mean that women stopped working in commercial embroidery; women were actually the backbone of the industry, they just didn’t get any recognition from official, male written guild records and such. Many people in the 19th century observed that while the resident embroiderers in commercial workshops were men, a lot of their work was sublet to independent female embroiderers in the countryside, who were not credited on the finished product or advertising.

Now I’m kinda inspired to make a whole rant about working women in the Qing and their representation (or lack thereof) in the Republican era, but there are some 20 unanswered asks sitting in my ask box so maybe later😅

#chinese fashion #historic fashion #ming dynasty #qing dynasty #chinese history

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hotchscvm · 3 years

Text

side to side

Warnings: swearing

Word count: 4.6k

Summary: In which you're performing your hit single in front of your fellow Avengers cast-mates and Chris can't seem to take his eyes off of you, catching the attention of a few cameras.

"I'm here with the biggest pop-star of this generation, and she plays the very talented daughter of Tony Stark," the interviewer announced your name, smiling brightly at you as the camera panned your way. The hundreds of thousands of fans at home screaming when your face appeared. "How do you feel with all your nominations tonight?"

You smiled at the camera, giving a small wave at the people watching at home. "Honestly, I'm just glad I was even considered for these nominations. I mean, my girls Taylor, and Billie...they're amazing and I'm so happy to be put in the same category as them."

The lady grinned at you, her eyes twinkling. Or maybe it was her sparkly dress, the fabric nearly blinding you with how it shined under the lights. "If you ask me, you've got a pretty good chance at winning. I mean, your hit single—Side to Side—surpassed, like, a billion views in just a month? That's impressive."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without my fans." you replied, winking at the camera.

It was that time of the year again, where every artist, actor, and YouTuber hit the stage for the People's Choice Awards. With your crazy schedule, and the lack of sleep, you had planned to skip the award show until your friend, and co-star, Chris Evans—Captain America himself—convinced you otherwise. Even with the categories you've been nominated for had been more than a handful, but it was the begging and constant complaining from Chris that made you get off your tired ass and put it into a tight dress.

Your hit single, Side to Side, had everyone anticipated for your performance, unsure if you would be performing until the producers had put your name into the advertisement, making fans blow up Twitter. You were sure they had advertised your own song, along with your movie nominations, more than you ever had.

With nominations of Movie of the Year (Avengers: Infinity War), Action Movie of the Year (Avengers: Infinity War), Female Movie Star of the Year (Amara Stark), Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (Side to Side), Music Video of the Year (Into You), Beauty Influencer of the Year, and Social Celebrity of the Year, you had your hands full, which had only made your manager glow with happiness.

"Of course!" the interviewer agreed, glancing at the teleprompter filled with tiny words. "It was rumored that you wouldn't be coming, and a lot of us were upset, including me. Was that just a rumor or..."

"Actually, it's not that far off. I'm fucking—oh, shit—oh no!" you gasped, covering your mouth before anymore foul words could come out on live television. Instead of correcting you, the lady laughed, patting your arm softly. "Can't say that on tv. My bad. I, uh, with everything going on, I've been really tired, and I haven't slept in a week. I just wanted to chill, and accept my nominations at home but someone convinced me to come. So, if I say or do anything ridiculous tonight, I'm blaming him and my lack of sleep."

She nodded, clapping slowly. "I think that's fair. Is that someone, your onscreen father, RDJ?"

"He was one of the many people who unsuccessfully changed my mind, but no, it was Chris Evans. He promised me a day with his adorable dog, Dodger, and I couldn't refuse." you said, grinning at how his face had changed from hopeless to cocky as soon as he brought up Dodger.

"If I'm remembering this correctly, Chris Evans is that very handsome man you had kissed in your music video earlier this year. Into You, right? How do you feel kissing one of your co-stars outside of the movies your working on?"

"Technically, it was still acting, and I have kissed him before, so it wasn't awkward at all." you answered, glad Chris had accepted the role. Not only had it sky-rocketed the views and streams, but it made you feel better that it was his lips you were kissing and not a random model's. Yet, it didn't feel as professional as it had before when you pulled away after a take.

In scenes where you had to kiss the Boston actor, it was as professional as kicking Anthony Mackie's ass in Civil War but the kisses you shared on the set of the music video was definitely more personal. At the time, you had brushed it off as Chris being recently single, but now that you had broken up with Henry, you started questioning it again.

The interviewer nodded, squinting once more to read the words off the teleprompter before asking you another question that would certainly make the headlines. "I've been reading up on all those juicy tabloids and I've got one question that would satisfy my curiosity. Was Into You written about Henry Cavill or Tom Ellis?"

Usually, that type of question made you change the subject or altogether avoid the matter but this time, you wanted to joke about your failed engagement. "Henry, but Side to Side was written about Tom since I wanted more Grammy's considering the last album I put out won me a few. But this time, I'm gonna do it without an engagement."

The woman faked a laugh, surprised by the blunt honesty of your answer. "Um, you certainly do have a thing for British men, eh? I don't want to keep you up, but one more thing, for the fans. They've been dying to know if there's anything going on between you and Chris Evans. Any tea you wanna spill?"

"There's none to spill. We're just friends but it's always amusing scrolling through Twitter to find these edits of us." you replied, fidgeting slightly with the hem of your dress. Like usual, you had wondered if you should've worn something less extra but you had let your stylist play dress up with you for the past few months.

"Of course. Well, good luck to you, and I can't wait to see your performance." she said, giving you a little pat on the shoulders before announcing your name once again.

You got off the little platform, immediately taking Chris' awaiting hand, holding onto it as you climbed down the steps in your dangerous stilettos. Sighing, you leaned on him, trying to avoid the blinding camera flashes. "That was more exhausting than I thought it would be. You need to get me some caffeine after this is over because there's no way I'm making it to the after show without at least a few cans of Red Bull."

"So dramatic." Chris grinned, childishly sticking his tongue out as he guided you down the red carpet, stopping when told to take a picture. He let go of your hand, only to wrap it around your waist as you posed for the pictures. "Are you going to the after party?"

Posing seriously for a few seconds, you let your smile back on your face, facing the man beside you. "I was thinking about it, take a few photos, and head back home. Aren't you?"

"Actually, I was thinking we could ditch it and just hang out. You know, I did promise you some time with Dodger and you could waste a couple hours sleeping." he replied, his hand tightening ever so slightly on your waist. Flashing you a shit-eating smirk, he nudged you a little, pulling you away from the blinding flashes. "What do you say?"

You opened your mouth to answer only to be cut off by your manager, Alexandre coming out of nowhere to rip you away from Chris' arms. The latin man sighed in annoyance, glancing at his watch while giving you the look you've seen too many times before. "You're supposed to be in wardrobe right now. Get your ass backstage, and change before you miss your own performance. As for you, Mr. Evans, Megan wants your ass in a chair."

"I'll see you after." you say, getting dragged by your manager, winking at the actor before walking towards the changing area, the cameras following you until they couldn't enter the area.

Getting ready before a huge performance always calmed you down, maybe it was the smell of makeup or the feel of designer clothing made especially for you, but something about it made you feel comfortable and cozy. It was like a routine, especially with all the music videos and movies you had to film, the makeup, the hair.

They made you sit back, giving you your phone like a child while they made you even more sparkly than before, making sure you'd stand out against the flashing lights during the performance. A performance you made sure no one would ever forget. Smiling, you let your thoughts drift back to a certain super soldier as you were pampered.

—

"Welcome to the People's Choice Awards!"

The room darkened, the blue and pinks lights focusing on the stage as cameras all turned towards your shadow. Making sure your mic was set properly, tried to see past the darkness, to see a familiar face or two but with the headache coming on from the tight half-ponytail didn't help your case. The music started, the beat vibrating, you flipped your hair, and started.

"I've been there all night

I've been there all day (Nicki Minaj)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Let then hoes know)"

You rode the bike, belting out in your microphone, the attached headset limiting your movements a little. Gripping the handles, you made eye contact at the camera to your left, winking at it as you pedaled.

"I'm talkin' to ya

See you standing over there with your body

Feeling like I wanna rock with your body

And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin'

I'm comin' at ya

'Cause I know you got a bad reputation

Doesn't matter, 'cause you give me temptation

And we don't gotta think 'bout nothin'"

As you had sung, your eyes had adjusted to the bright spotlight focused on you, seeing a shadow of the one person you wanted to make you walk side to side. While you had answered the reporter's question, you hadn't been completely honest. Some of the lyrics had been written for the Bostonian; or to be more exact, your sex fantasies. With the chorus coming up, you let go of the handles, trying not to fall on your ass as you clapped your hands above your head, the claps matching the beat.

"These friends keep talkin' way too much

Say I should give you up

Can't hear them, no, 'cause I..."

Trying to be bold, you stared at him, his face in particular. The spotlight had blinded you so much that you couldn't see what his reaction was—or anyone's for that matter—but maybe it was a good thing. After all, his gaze always made you blush no matter how hard you tried not to. Pedaling faster, you threw your head back, hoping the motion would draw everyone's—Chris'—eyes on your chest.

"I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side

I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side"

With the help of a shirtless dancer, you got off your bike, taking the sheer jacket from him, and putting it on as you walked towards the front of the stage, moving your hips in to the beat of the song. Resting a hand on a shirtless dancer, you positioned yourself so you were grinding your ass against his crotch, throwing back an arm around his neck.

"Been tryna hide it

Baby, what's it gonna hurt if they don't know?

Makin' everybody think that we solo

Just as long as you know you got me

And boy, I got ya

'Cause tonight I'm making deal with the devil

And I know it's gonna get me in trouble

Just as long as you know you got me"

Sashaying to the little balance beam at the front of the stage, you made sure your hips swayed more than usual.

"These friends keep talkin' way too much

Say I should give you up

Can't hear them, no, 'cause I...

"I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side

I've been here all night

I've been here all day

And boy, got me walkin' side to side"

A few seconds after your note ended, you strike a pose on the balance beam, posing for a few more seconds while the cameras turned their attention away from you and onto the queen of rap herself: Nicki Minaj. The leather, pink bodysuit was identical to yours except for the color, her attitude fitting the badass outfit. She began to walk towards the stage, never breaking eye contact with the camera in front of her while the men pretending to work out to the choreo.

"Uh, yeah

This the new style with the fresh type of flow

Wrist icicle, ride dick bicycle

Come through yo, get you this type of blow

If you want a ménage, I got a tricycle

All these bitches' flows is my mini-me

Body smoking, so they call me Young Nicki Chimney

Rappers in they feelings 'cause they feelin' me

Uh, I-I give zero fucks and I got zero chill in me

Kissing me, copped the blue box that say Tiffany

Curry with the shot, just tell 'em to call me Stephanie

Gun pop, then I make my gum pop

I'm the queen of rap"

By the time she had finished her verse, you had caught up with the multitasking of both working out and singing, able to use your full singing capabilities for your high note. Nicki joined you on stage, hyping up the crowd while you built up for the high note, almost every camera pointed at you except for the one focused on capturing the headline-worthy expression slapped on Chris' face.

"These friends keep talkin' way too much

Say I should give em up

Can't hear them, no, 'cause I...

"I've been here all night (Been here all night, baby)

I've been here all day (Been here all night, baby)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)

I've been here all night (Been here all night, baby)

I've been here all day (Been here all day, baby) (Ooh, baby)

And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Side to side)"

Both you and Nicki motioned for the dancers to come towards you, curling your index finger at the sexy men. Singing the refrain, you both made them drop to their knees in front of you, as if they were kneeling at your command.

Just as the last note was sung, everyone clapped, the majority standing up, and more cheered. You noticed Chris hadn't done either, still sitting in his motionless while two camera men pointed their cameras at him. Your eyebrows furrowed, thankfully after the spotlight had shifted over to the miniature stage where the two hosts were babbling about nominations.

You were ushered off the stage along with the queen of rap herself, taking a few backstage photos before quickly returning back to your dressing room to change into your tailored dress. Your mind had wandered to why Chris hadn't applauded—not that he was obliged too, but a little something would've nice, especially with all the days put into the performance.

Taking a deep breath, you entered the big room, filled with your co-stars and other A-list celebrities. Little did you know you'd find out the reason to your question in the morning.

—

The loud ringtone woke you up, the sound obnoxious and borderline abuse to your ears. Beside you, Chris groaned, rolling onto his stomach, trying to muffle the sound of the call with his arm draped over his head. Putting him out his misery, you lazily reached for your phone, pressing the green button with dread, seeing the name across the screen.

"Hello—"

"You're trending on Twitter." Alexandre announced, happy with the results of the previous awards show. While it wasn't something as big as a Grammy or Oscar, judging by the amount of awards you had taken home, you became the people's favorite. "Hold on, lemme rephrase that. You and Chris are trending. Number one, world wide."

Glancing at the man sleeping beside you, you sat up, confused by the information given to you. You blamed Chris for making you stay up so late for your confusion. "Um, why? Did I accidentally have another nip slip?"

"What the hell?" Chris mumbled, rolling onto his back, his arm grazing your bare stomach. He immediately took it back, sitting up to look over your puzzled face. "What's going on?"

You shrugged, putting your phone on speaker so Alexandre could explain. Your manager chuckled, knowing you had stayed the night with Chris. He was just waiting for the day you'd finally have the guts to speak about the growing sexual tension. "Okay, Alex, explain."

"As much as I would love to go into full detail, I have other stuff to do so, I'm going to give you the basics. Chris' reaction to your performance went viral, people are shipping the both of you, and there's been thousands of memes made." Alexandre replied, a smile evident in his voice. "Anyways, I have to go. Got some interviews to schedule. Have fun getting your way out of this, Chris."

Your phone screen went back to the home screen, a picture of your family dog, Buster, smiling widely. Looking at Chris, you saw his eyes widened, his hands coming to rest of his face in embarrassment as he fell back onto the bed with a bounce, his head nearly hitting the headboard. "Oh, fuck."

"Are you going to show me what your face looked like or do I have to scroll through Twitter until I find it? Oh! Maybe they edited it in my performance." you thought out load, tapping on the YouTube app. You hadn't trusted yourself enough to log into your official account, knowing you'd probably make a mistake so you opted for having a secondary account where you could watch cat videos without the anxiety of posting something stupid.

Chris' hand snatched your phone away, tucking it in his pocket, the sweats he had slept in was somehow wrinkled, and his shirt damp from the warmth. "You wanna get some food? I'll cook some bacon but you'll have to make the pancakes 'cause the last time—"

"I wanna see your reaction." you whined, reaching across his stomach for your phone. Chris turned his body away from you, shielding the phone from your reach. "Chris!"

He waved your attempt away, rolling off the bed, his feet hitting the floor before you could fall back on the mattress.You poured, getting on all fours, crawling towards the edge. Chris took a step back, brows furrowing. "It's not important. Let's get you some food."

"Fine." you mumbled, an idea making you light up. Rolling off the bed, you glanced at his phone on the nightstand, exposed and easy to take. With quick reflexes, you grabbed his phone, rolling back on the bed until you reached the other side, making it impossible for him to reach for his phone back.

"Hey!" the Bostonian shouted, launching himself on the bed in attempt to get his phone back. He made a noise as you rushed out of your room, locking yourself in the nearby bathroom, laughing evilly when he threw himself at the door. He yelled out your name, his fist banging on the door. "I'm serious! Don't!"

Ignoring his begging, you opened his phone with your thumbprint. How ironic how much he didn't want you to look at his phone when he was the one who insisted you have the password to it. His arguments became louder as you opened up his Twitter, immediately heading to the trending section, seeing both your names at the number one spot.

"Damn, I look hot." you joked out loud, making Chris silent for a second before pleading for you not to continue. You smirked, scrolling through the tweets, trying to find his reaction. "Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to you? Did you fall on your face or something?"

Chris groaned, banging his head on the door in defeat as he heard your almost inaudible gasp, that quickly turned into little giggles. If he wasn't so embarrassed, he would've broken the door down to hold you in his arms. "Oh, no."

Bursting out into hard laughter, you fell into the large bathtub, hitting your head on the wall but you couldn't care less. The expression on his face during your performance had been borderline comical, the wide eyes, the jaw hanging open, the open hand resting on his chin while his eyes stayed strained on you the whole time, never wavering from your body, the sexy choreography making his jeans tight.

Cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West, tears ran down your cheeks, your stomach cramping from the maniacal laughter. Lifting yourself up from the tub, you stumbled to the door, your loud laugh ringing out towards the whole house. You let Chris in the bathroom, his phone quickly taken from your hand but it was too late. The blush on his cheeks wasn't going away anytime soon. You leaned against him, your head resting on his chest, while you panted out a question. "Why did you look like you were trying to attract flies in your mouth?"

Chris groaned again, covering his eyes with a hand while the other rested on your back. "You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Oh, God, no." you giggled, wiping the tears away, beginning to calm down. Glancing up at him, you noticed everything above the shoulders was gleaming red, the embarrassment too unbearable for him. "Chris, you looked exactly like the first time we were forced to share a bed together."

"Yeah, you have that affect on me."

"You gonna tell me why you looked so ... shocked? Or do I have to search through Twitter and go with whatever fan theory makes the most sense?" you asked, unable to keep the smug grin off your face. Chris closed his eyes, wishing he hadn't made you come to the awards show in the first place. You raised an eyebrow, fingers itching towards his phone. "You know I'll do it, Evans."

The man raised his hands, taking them off of you as he paced around the bathroom, deciding if this embarrassing moment was the right time to finally confess. "It's just, you know, the dance was so ... sexual and hot that I probably wasn't the only one looking at you like that. You can't exactly blame me for being shocked, watching the girl I'm in love with—"

Chris stopped as you be watched the colors drain out of your face, immediately freezing when he realized what he had said. Both of you stared at each other, eyes wide, not moving a muscle, barely blinking; the atmosphere so tense neither of you were breathing, waiting for the other to talk. But neither of you wanted to go first, terrified.

It wasn't until you started to feel dizzy that you realized you hadn't been breathing, letting out a huge breath, trying to relax while Chris did the same, his hands shaking, a nervous tick he got whenever he was anxious. You got the courage to speak first.

"What?"

It was better than nothing.

Chris was so nervous he nearly ran out of the room. There wasn't some kind of handbook or script he could read, helping him tell one of his best friends how head over heels he was for her. So, he said what his brain was stewing. "What?"

"What—what?" you replied, unsure if he even said the L word, so lightheaded by the sudden confession.

The actor stilled, eyes widening even further, while his eyebrows shot up his forehead. "What?"

"What?"

"Say what one more time, Evans, and I will make nothing but mac and cheese for the rest of your stay." you threatened softly, getting tired of not having an answer to your one-worded question.

Chris took a deep breath, hands trembling as he clasped them together, hoping to find the right words, hoping his inner thoughts would come out clear, giving you the answer you asked for. "I'm sorry. What do you want me to say?"

"What you were saying before. You know, before you looked like you saw a ghost and almost stopped breathing. I think that would be a good start." you replied, backing up to take a seat on the plush chair. Chris mirrored your actions, putting down the lid to the toilet before sitting down.

"This isn't the way I wanted you to find out." Chris whispered, his blue eyes trained on the emotions that flashed on your face. Your uncertainty of the situation didn't help his anxiety.

"Okay, um, were you going to tell me in the first place?" you asked, playing with the hem of your shirt—it had been a borrowed Patriots shirt from him. Looking back, you realized all the little things he'd done hadn't been because his platonic love for you. "Or were you just going to keep letting it be this way?"

Fidgeting with his hands, Chris peered through his eyelashes, seeing the hurt flash across your face before you quickly composed it. "Scott was hyping me up, trying to convince me to tell you before you got into another relationship. Do you know the real reason I broke up with Jenny? It hurt like hell when you announced you were engaged. Fuck, I couldn't even pretend to be happy because you were going to have the life I wanted with you, with someone who wasn't me. It was selfish and I got really mad at myself for being a dick."

"But—"

"And then the horrible, horrible relief I felt when you called off the engagement." Chris continued, his heart clenching. "Truth to be told, that was the day I found out I was in love with you, breaking things off with Jenny. Of course, I wanted to wait until you moved on, hoping to be the friend you went to but with my schedule, that was impossible. So, you seemed out comfort in Henry fucking Cavill."

"You're in love with me?" you whispered, hoping this wasn't some kind of cruel dream. If it was, you wouldn't mind staying.

The actor nodded, waiting for you to call him names and rush out. "Yes. You can leave or slap me or whatever you want to do but I love you."

You got up, running a hand through your hair. "Okay."

Chris' heart sank, wishing for any other kind of reaction, wishing you'd do something. Taking a deep breath, he got up. "Is this a goodbye?"

Frowning, you walked up to him, taking his face between with your hands, pressing your lips softly to his. You could feel his heart beat, the little organ beating so hard. You pulled away before he could recover from his shock, before he could kiss you back.

"Hello."

#chris evans #chris evans characters #chris evans x reader #chris evans smut #chris evans fanfiction #steve rogers #captain america #reader insert #marvel #chris evans x singer!reader #nicki minaj #ariana grande #fluff #side to side #song fic

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themoonsbeloved · 3 years

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Gulf Arab here (which I feel like Kalim and his family are based on, with all the being rich/spoiled stereotypes), those plain white thobes are only considered modern casual-everyday clothes for some people in the gulf region, for special occasions there are special thobes or coats that are worn over thobes that come in many different patterns and colors (for example the traditional Najdi thobes) as well as other traditional male clothes other than the thobes from both the Gulf countries and non-Gulf Arabic countries. But putting all that aside, I think it's sad that we have to prove that our cultural clothes are "fancy" or "colorful" enough for people to accurately portray them, like even if our clothes were the plainest-looking clothes in the world, that's not an excuse for outsiders to bastardize/fetishize them to make them more interesting-looking for their eyes (I know that's not what you meant btw, this is mostly targeted at twst and other media like it)

I also feel like that's one of the many reasons for this Aladdin-type of orientalist portrayal of Arabic culture, because outsiders are most-likely imagining us wearing colorful clothes that make us look like a walking parrot/peacock and for us to live in giant extravagant palaces in the middle of the desert, so when they actually see our real traditional clothes and our real architecture, they get disappointed and start adding extra stuff to make us look more spicy (no pun intended)

Wow, I didn't expect this to be this long, but basically I just wanted to say that I agree with that anon, the reason we don't see Kalim/Jamil or any other fictional male Arab characters in ankle-lengths robes, even though historically speaking they're the most common type of traditional male clothes in the MENA, is because of what outsiders (mostly westerners) think is "too feminine" and because they're more focused on making exotic desert-clothes than culturally-accurate clothes.

No thank you so much for this its great information, my knowledge is hella limited because of course I am not Arab, so I really appreciate it. I wanted to be careful about how I talked about it. but its what I've always thought of too, in that Kalim and Jamil's home country/ Kalim's rich lifestyle, just the whole "modernised" rich Arab (if you wanna call it that) look is awfully inspired by Gulf countries specifically the UAE imo. I think its very typical and expected that the point of reference will be the these countries at this point.

those plain white thobes are only considered modern casual-everyday clothes for some people in the gulf region, for special occasions there are special thobes or coats that are worn over thobes that come in many different patterns and colors (for example the traditional Najdi thobes) as well as other traditional male clothes other than the thobes from both the Gulf countries and non-Gulf Arabic countries

Oh absolutely, its the same for SA cultures (in my case Pakistani) where wearing plain white shalwaar kameez (or any other plain colour) is the standard for men. If anything it tends to be feminine attire with more pattern/designs, but yes contrary to belief cultures of the East are not going out everyday decked out in bling. My "research" so to speak for whenever I'm trying to find more "fancy" thobes is with the intention that I'm trying to find a balance between cultural accuracy and fantasy by looking at traditional clothing that's typically worn for celebrations and special events as inspiration (e.g., inspiration from SA wedding/groom attire, high fashion), but with pinterest and google in general its very difficult to find much information since the only thing that keeps popping up is the standard thobe, or with very little written information about the cultural/national origins of specific clothing.

But putting all that aside, I think it's sad that we have to prove that our cultural clothes are "fancy" or "colorful" enough for people to accurately portray them, like even if our clothes were the plainest-looking clothes in the world, that's not an excuse for outsiders to bastardize/fetishize them to make them more interesting-looking for their eyes (I know that's not what you meant btw, this is mostly targeted at twst and other media like it)

No this is a really valid point though, I think thats why I've always had it in the back of my mind that I still want some kind of likeness to the traditional attire. Granted I do take a lot of inspiration/bias from my own cultural clothing and designs and fuse it in, but it's definitely something to be critical of. Everything you've talked about here kind of makes up what orientalism is of course lol. Like it is fundamentally about being reduced to a bastardised aesthetic which fits specific standards of how Westerners portray peope of the East, and the erasure and/or undervaluing the complexity and diversity of our cultures and traditions and people.

#twst racism #fantasy #I think its something to ask ourselves #what we define as being clothing and why when it comes to Eastern-inspired cultures #they almost always have the same over-the-top elements and traits to orientalism that are so far removed from the original cultures #while fantasy West clothing still maintains its authenticity/likeness in a way that they don't look like a stereotype #again thank you for writing this all out #I don't know enough Arab or MENA twst fans #so im always wary about saying something innacurate

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chrissyslittleartwork · 3 years

Text

Cursed to live for 3000 years, a Pharaoh, a Queen, and a Thief are bond to three Millennium items and without their memories, they are forced to wander the Earth until they are called by their destiny. Now three chosen young teens are picked to hold the Puzzle, Wand, and Ring, and this calls upon the cursed three.

So, figured I draw up what Atem, Bast, and Bakura would look like as immortals. At least in the Immortals AU. I will say this, in this AU, these three are very VERY different to original anime. For Atem, he's more like his season 0/manga self. Though he isn't like insane or thirsty for blood. However, living for years in the world, he has seen things that he sometimes wish he could forget. Plus, he has red eyes in this, which can lead to issues for him. People would believe he is a demon, or least a spawn of one. So, people would probably find him scary even though he is not in the slightest. He also is not afraid to risk his life because honestly, he can't die. His punishments on people who have wronged him are downright harsh. It's not till he actually meets Yugi and his friends that he begins to question if the judgements he makes is considered right. Not to mention, he has this empty feeling within him that he can't explain and that's only filled when he and Bast start to rekindle their relationship. I also wanted to make his outfit something different to what Yugi would wear. It was hinted in the manga he does not exactly care for the clothes Yugi tries to wear. Or at least, he finds his taste in clothes to be...weird. Which I guess I can understand. XD Also, I can see him wear earings since he did wear earings as a Pharaoh. And sometimes he would wear bands. Also, my friend and I decided that Atem would have NO issue getting girls to fawn over him. He is one hot guy. XD Of course he has those cool red eyes. (I do know Bast would love his eyes, especially since red is her favorite color). And his hair I decided to make like from the manga to make him stand out more.

As for Bast, while she does still have her kind heart, she is not the gentle soul I made in the original anime. In this, due to how long she had to live as well as her being a very beautiful woman, people (mostly men) have tried to take advantage of her. This would make her downright cold and untrustworthy of anyone she comes in contact with. There is even at one point in her life that a man she thought to be a kind soul turned out to be ugly and tried to rape her. This seriously damaged her view on men in general and even cause her to have PSTD. (Which unfortunately for Atem when they are starting to reform their romance, he ends up triggering that painful memory, but by accident and it leads to miscommunication.) She would even have one point that she almost ALMOST could have easily turned into someone who could kill if she wanted. But thankfully, she was saved from that and thus she vowed to keep her kind heart but be mindful of people. Thankfully, meeting Catzi and her friends, she starts to value her new friends and see not everyone is always going to take advantage of her just because she's beautiful. For her clothes, as I said, due to how most people just saw her only for her beauty, she started wearing baggy clothes in attempt to hide her true self. She really does get sick of people constantly hitting on her. After being with Catzi, her friends, and her relationship with Atem improves, she starts to reveal more of herself once again and never be ashamed for who she really is. I also made her hair a little more blue instead of the usual teal/dark aqua color.

Now for Bakura, this is where it gets interesting. I have shown in the comic and talked about it a bit there, but in this, Bakura is not evil. I mean, he kinda was at first but honestly, I feel like he didn't have to be. I feel so bad that he went through so much and never got a second chance in the end. So, for this, he was forced to be controlled by Zorc. And while being stuck in Egypt, he had to live his immortal life away from people for the most part. It wasn't until Ryou and his father come to Egypt and try to get the Ring. Of course, Bakura and Zorc can feel the Ring being disturbed so they had to go check on it. In the end, the Ring ended up killing Ryou's father since he was not worthy and Bakura was left to become his father. This actually changed Bakura. For so many years, Zorc had been trying to teach him of how being evil is the way. But Ryou, being just a small boy, would show him that it's not right and awaken the long lost human emotions and Bakura's old self. Thus he rejects Zorc which causes the evil being to go off by himself and becomes a normal human again. He also ends up caring and loving Ryou as his own son. Now for his design, I can see him just wearing simple clothes and not really caring too much about his appearance. I don't think he really brushes his hair all that much. XD He's also handsome but due to his sarcastic rude self, I don't think girls would want to hang out with him for too long. Going back to his hair, I decided to combine both the hairstyles he had. I honestly like the bat wing like or demon horn hair spikes. XD And also, I heard his thief king self was like 5'7. 5'7??? He was freaking shorter than Ryou who is confirmed to be 5'9!!! Nah...he looks taller than that, so I'm going to think he's 5'11. XD

Anyway, there you have it. Sorry for going into a bit of a rant but I wanted to show you all this and I really like how all three came out. :D

#chrissy's little artwork #yu gi oh #pharaoh atem #thief king bakura #yami yugi #yami bakura #queen bast #yami catzi

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drtanner · 3 years

Text

My complaints about XBox Live aside, the character design in Sea of Thieves is, honestly and truly, really genuinely delightful. I spent near enough an hour just generating pirates and making a shortlist before I picked one to be My Pirate, and as someone who has never been able to identify well enough with a female character to willingly pick one to represent me before in his life, it's a hell of a thing for me to say that I very nearly picked one this time.

If you haven't played Sea of Thieves, its character generator is fairly unique in that you don't get to edit your character yourself. Instead, it presents you with eight randomly-generated characters, and asks you to pick one. If you don't jive with any of them, you can tell it to make new ones, and if there's one you've got your eye on but you'd like to see what else you can get, you can "favourite" them and the game will lock them in while re-rolling the rest. This seems weird and unintuitive in the outset, but once you see some of what the character generator has to offer, you soon realise why it's like that.

Simply put, there's a great variety of character possibilities in terms of body type, ethnicity, age and everything else, but most players would never see any of it because they'd just click straight through and make a boring, triangle-shaped white dude, just like they did with Baldur's Gate 3, much to Larian's chagrin. Like this, you get to see it all, and even someone who's in a hurry and just picks the first character offered to them will get someone who looks interesting. If you take a bit of time, though, you'll absolutely find a character that you love, and they'll be virtually unique. In the hour I spent rolling characters, I did not see the same one twice. Ever.

Everyone, regardless of gender, is equally old, ugly and shitty, and equally likely to be missing teeth and/or eyes. It's not uncommon to see old men in mainstream media, but old women are exceedingly rare, and I was so happy to see a wide variety of battle grandmas in my lineup of randomly-generated bastards. In fact, I don't believe I saw anyone who looked younger than 40, which was honestly just fucking great. I was also genuinely delighted to see:

women who are rectangle-shaped fat and have a double chin rather than the more socially-acceptable pear-shaped fat with a thin face

heaps of men who looked like they could be someone's dad

or someone's uncle

numerous people that I'm pretty sure I've seen at the pub

ladies with HUGE ARMS and BROAD SHOULDERS

a guy who just looked like Knife Cat really

a massive square-jawed lady with shaved sides whom I was briefly very nearly straight for

David from DBD in a different artstyle, I think

This guy:

(I nearly picked him. It came down to a coin toss.)

Anyway, I'm going to put some screencaps of the ghosts of pirates who could have been under a cut, because I loved them all and was sad that I had to pick between them, but first:

LOOK AT THIS OLD BITCH!! SHE'S SEEN SOME SHIT!! I LOVE HER.

And this lady! She's great! I think she might have been one of the first lady characters I saw that really caught my eye because I'd been re-rolling for a while and realised that all of the body types were present for both men and women.

You can change your pirate's hair and clothes, and I can immediately imagine this lady with a big hat and a fancy coat on. She'd look good as hell in proper pirate garb.

Here's a guy I very nearly picked:

His smugness is off the charts. He's very cute!

LOOK AT HER, SHE'D BE SO GOOD AT HUGGING. AND ALSO KILLING PEOPLE WITH HER BARE HANDS.

This guy made my shortlist. I'm still kind of gutted that I left him.

Here's someone's dad:

And also his friend, someone's uncle.

Lots of scars, lots of tattoos, looks like he would play a mean prank on you. A++ pirate material, very nearly picked him.

BIG LADY. STRONG LADY. VERY POWERFUL, VERY BEAUTIFUL.

Then there's Nigel from the pub. I did not pick him.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing this game, lmao.

#Tanner plays #sea of thieves #character design #IT'S EQUALITY

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billyhargrove-imagines · 4 years

Text

Kindred Outsiders: Pt. 1

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x OC

Warnings: Cursing

Word Count: 2374

A/N: Hello! This story was originally posted on my fanfiction.com account but I decided to bring it to tumblr as well :) Anyhow, this story is going to take place in the beginning of summer & will later lead up to the events starting in the beginning of season 3. Gif used isn’t mine. Enjoy!

Indiana is…different.

I moved out here merely two weeks ago from Los Angeles, California. My father died from a plane crash over a month ago. He was on his way home from a business trip. My mother, on the other hand, isn't in the picture because she passed away from cancer 5 years ago. I was 15 years old at the time.

I couldn't stand being alone in my father's mansion any longer. It just wasn't the same without him. It caused me nothing but pain having to enter a home where I am not greeted a simple 'hello' from my father. Dinners were always lonely so I ended up resorting to going out with friends almost every night for dinner, followed by drinking at home from my father's in-home bar.

When it came around to bedtime, I felt a pit in my stomach whenever I passed my father's office and didn't see the light shining under the crack of the door. He always worked in his office late.

One day I made a bold move by giving my aunt Joyce a call and moved in with her in Indiana a month after the incident. Aunt Joyce is my father's sister.

Her small house is nothing compared to mine and lacked the useless amenities I was used to. But I didn't care. Living here so far with her, Will and Jonathan was much better than living back in California all alone. Sure, I had friends but it doesn't compare to family.

Since I am an only child of my parents, I inherited all of their money. I also made a selfless decision and paid off my aunt's mortgage. When I told her the news, I was thanked with a slap across the face followed by a tight hug. She never wanted any handouts from my parents in the past and still doesn't til this day.

It is 1pm and I just clocked out for my short shift at this clothing store in the starcourt mall. Yes, I have a great amount of money in my bank account, but I still wanted to keep myself occupied by working a part time job. I didn't want to just sit on my ass all day. Especially since I still don't know what I want to do for my career. I am 20 years old and time is ticking, but I don't want to waste my time and money on schooling when I don't know what the hell I want to do yet.

After every shift I've been stopping by the ice cream shop, Scoops Ahoy and I always see the same duo, Steve and Robin. I've become quite acquainted with them and I learned so far that they're fresh out of high school.

"Let me guess, rocky road?" Steve said with a grin.

"You know me too well, Steve." I replied with a smile, stretching my arm out to hand him cash.

"God Steve. Just ask her out already." Robin added, rolling her eyes playfully and crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back counter.

"Can you not?" Steve snapped his head at Robin, cheeks flushed red.

"Very funny, Robin." I let out a chuckle and waved goodbye to the duo as I licked my delicious ice cream on my way out.

As usual, I took my time walking through the mall. I wanted to make sure I finished my ice cream before I arrived to my car and headed home. A variety of families, couples and friends seemed to be enjoying their shopping trips. Though word on the news is that many local business owners are enraged about the mall being built due to losing business.

A familiar female voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hi Victoria!" Aria, my eccentric coworker greeted me, her shoulder-length blonde hair bouncing as she kept up to my steps.

"Hey Aria, I thought you're off today?" I asked, still enjoying my ice cream.

"Yeah I was just shopping around for a gift for my mom's birthday next week." She briefly lifted the shopping bag in her hand. "Did you just get off or are you on lunch?"

"Um, I just got off."

"Yay! I'm going to the pool after this. Join me so I'm not alone!" She suggested. "There's also this hot hot hot lifeguard they hired last week. I went to school with him!"

"Okay sure. But I'm not really into that."

"Come on, Victoria." Aria groaned. "I know you don't have any plans today."

"No I meant the hot lifeguard or whatever. Not into that." I gave a dismissive wave of my hand before taking a generous lick of my ice cream.

"Oh. You're into girls? So sorry. I didn't know."

I snorted in amusement, but internally I was rolling my eyes at her. She's always been quick to make assumptions.

"No no no. I like boys." I made known. "I just don't care to drool over a piece of meat. But I'm down to take a dip in the pool."

"Oh! Okay. Sorry. Sorry again."

"It's fine Aria," I dragged. "I'm gonna go home and change out of this and I'll meet you there."

"Yay! Okay bye!" Aria shouted with glee before going our separate ways. She sure can be annoyingly hyper sometimes, but she's the only real girlfriend I've made here so far. Robin is always working and when she is off, she's always busy doing god knows what.

Like clockwork, my ice cream was finished off before I made it outside to my car. Or should I say my late father's black 1984 Porsche 911. It's quite showy for someone who now lives in Indiana, but this car was my father's baby. I'm never letting go of this.

The Rubberband Man by The Spinners blasted on my stereo as I drove to Aunt Joyce's house. Music from the 70s has always stuck with me. On my face are my favorite pair of black aviator sunglasses.

After a moment of driving down the familiar roads, I pull into the front of my aunt's house. I take the keys out of the ignition, remove my aviators, hop out of my car and enter the non vacant home. "Hey Jonathan." I greeted my cousin who is watching television on the couch with a full plate and fork in his hands.

"Hey there, Vic. You're home early." He said with a full mouth. I hummed in response before scurrying to my bedroom.

I searched through my dresser drawers until I found the perfect bikini for my mood, which is a two piece. I paired my black cheeky bottoms with a neon green strapless top. After quickly peeling off my work attire and slipping into my bikini, I made sure to at least cover up my ass cheeks with denim shorts before throwing on a pair of sandals.

Now I am out the door, tossing my bag of pool essentials in the passenger seat and making sure not to forget my aviators. The sun is at its peak and I am ready to cool off.

Minutes later I pull into the parking lot of the community pool for the first time since moving down here. I've driven past it plenty of times but never had the need to go yet until Aria randomly invited me.

Exiting my car with my bag under my arm and my aviators on, I hear various sounds at a short distance of people enjoying themselves in the water.

The sun is beaming down at me as I'm making my way through the gate, glancing around until I find Aria. "Victoria! Hey!" She shouted with glee, waving her hand. I found her lying on the pool lounger.

"Hey Aria." I greeted, placing my bag on the ground.

"Go on in the pool if you want. I'm waiting for him to show up for his shift. It should be any moment now!"

"Really?" Sitting down at the foot of the empty pool lounger, I shook my head at Aria in disapproval.

She scoffed. "Oh don't give me that look, Victoria." I shook my head at her, dropping my shorts and tossing it in my bag.

Aria let out a gasp out of the blue, sitting up straight. "Speaking of Billy. There he is!"

"Where?" I asked, casually pulling a flask out of my bag. I'm not an alcoholic and I don't plan to get plastered, but a little buzz is well deserved.

Aria doesn't respond. Instead, I scan my surroundings until I spotted the only male lifeguard walking the grounds to my left. He is tastefully shirtless, wearing red swim shorts, a whistle necklace and brown aviator shades. His dirty blonde hair is styled into a mullet, which surprisingly fits his face perfectly.

Billy's head snapped my direction as I'm taking a swig out of my whiskey filled flask. I couldn't tell if he was directly looking at me due to the shades masking his eyes, but all of the women's eyes were on him. And by the swagger of his steps, I can tell he's reveling in it.

"Eh." I shrugged my shoulders, once Billy passed me and sat comfortably in the lifeguard chair. "He's alright." I lied.

From his perfectly tanned skin to his flawlessly sculpted muscles, it's as if his body was made by angels. Even from a distance, I could see that his plump lips could lose any woman in his kiss. But no, I had to feign being unimpressed because a man that looks like that is bad news for me.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" She briskly pulled her sunglasses off, shooting me a look of disgust.

"Are your sunglasses blinding you?"

I snorted. "Nope. I can see perfectly clear."

"Ugh! If you think that Billy Hargrove is just alright, then I don't even want to know what kind of men you consider perfect." Aria mentioned seriously to me as she laid back and placed her sunglasses back on.

"Don't care. I'm going for a dip." I threw my flask back inside my bag before rising to my feet towards the pool to swim a few laps.

Stroking through the water, there is no one alive who can stop me. It's a moment like this that makes me miss the beaches in California. But I close my eyes and lose myself, pretending that's exactly where I am.

Unaware how long I've been swimming to and fro, I do one more lap before I take a break and reward myself with another sip of whiskey.

As I am motioning out of the water and my feet are planted onto the cement, a deep, male voice captures my attention. "Here."

I look and it is the stud himself, Billy Hargrove handing me a towel. "Oh thanks." I accepted with a soft smile, almost hesitant because I have a towel in my bag but I didn't want to seem rude.

I begin pat drying my long, black hair with the towel and begin sauntering towards my designated pool lounger, but Billy halts me, "Hey sweetheart." I spun around to face him with furrowed brows. "What's your name?" He asked, removing his glasses to reveal his annoyingly beautiful, blue eyes.

"Victoria. And you?" I asked even though I already know.

"The name's Billy." He said, randomly placing a piece of gum in his mouth which caused me to catch a glance at his lips, then to his abs and back to his eyes. I swear I saw the corner of his lip quirk up when he caught me. "Nice to meet ya Victoria."

"You too Billy." The sun was so hot that I didn't even need to dry off my body anymore. Instead, I threw the towel over my shoulder.

"Am I mistaken or is this your first time here?" He asked, smacking his gum as he's indiscreetly giving me an elevator look.

"No you're right." Before Billy had the chance to speak any further, I pointed behind him towards the pool. "Hey, I think there's a kid drowning over there."

Just as I predicted, he cautiously looked over his shoulder and that's when I made a beeline towards my pool lounger next to Aria.

"You. Dumb. Bitch." Aria remarked with obvious displeasure as I'm searching for my flask. "I can't be friends with you anymore."

"What now, Aria?"

"Billy the hottie was obviously into you and you blew it! Ugh, the things I'd do to be in your shoes right now."

"Oh please. He's just another pretty boy that wants one thing." I implied before taking a sip. "Go over there and talk to him yourself then." Flickering my eyes, I am now seeing that Billy's back on his lifeguard chair.

"Um no. If Billy wants somebody, Billy always makes the first move. Do I look like I want to embarrass myself right now?"

"If you say so." I said, readjusting the pool lounger so that it was flat and I lied on my stomach, using my arms as a makeshift pillow. "Can you rub sunscreen on me and wake me up in 30. I'm taking a nap."

Being the good friend that she is, Aria stole the sunscreen from my bag and did as I asked. She knows I'd do the same for her.

"I know you can't see right now," she started after a minute of no words exchanged, "but he's looking over here. Probably at your ass." She paused. "I wouldn't blame him though."

She's right. I do have a nice ass.

"Billy can stare all he wants. What do I care?" I uttered lazily, eyes closed and ready to sleep.

"You're insane! If I can't have him, then can you have him for me? And tell me if it is big!" She whisper shouted, rubbing the last bit of sunscreen needed on me.

"Im not having sex with anyone, Aria. Especially not him. I'm taking my nap now."

Billy is just another handsome face with a Calvin Klein body which doesn't impress me because it seems like he's used to getting any woman he wants. But I'm not any other woman, so he can use that charm on the next one for all I care.

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove fluff #dacre montgomery #stranger things #steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #joe keery #robin buckley #maya hawke #jonathan byers #joyce byers

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