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shizukateal · 3 years

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The Holy Quintet: The BEST DRESSED Magical Girl Team EVER. Part 2: Characters made of symbols and shapes.

Part 1 here.

Mami Tomoe

Mami Tomoe’s outfit is a work of genius that really humbles me as an aspiring character designer. Watching the perfection in its simplicity only boggles my mind trying to reverse engineer the thought process behind it. Even if they already had decided on the huntress theme before they finished her, how did Ume Aoki came up with cutting the sleeves like that? Or with the perfect skirt shape that allows the corset to show all of her curves while puffing at just the right height to not make the hipline transition awkward and giving the shape of a flower? How long did it take her to find this particular color scheme? Did she immediately know where to put the purple to balance the outfit without feeling artificial? How did she realize that the stripes on the socks would add the ideal touch to the whole setup? Or the perfect way to turn the soulgem into a hair accessory? I would have gone the easy way and put it in the chest ribbon like the amateur I am! Did she have doubts about it while she was figuring out the exact design of the boots?!

This outfit does everything. It’s sexy without being unnecessarily tasteless, it’s girly and fancy but battle-ready, it even passes the silhouette test, it’s nuanced, almost realistic. Even Mami’s hairstyle, which in a lesser design would look too childish, is perfect for her. Mami’s whole theme is that she’s a little girl desperately trying to convince herself that she’s an adult. Her low drill-tails are doll-like, which is to say a little girl’s idea of what a fancy adult woman looks like. The side-swept bangs also give a youthful roundness to her face while being elegant, and the way the hat and hairpin complements the whole thing is just * cheff’s kiss *.

Kyouko Sakura

Kyouko is a fire gal, and as such her shape is a triangle, so her outfit is a halter top coat that widens into the frilled overskirt. Her ponytail also feeds into this theme, with hair bits sticking wildly on the top like the fire sparks of a candle, and the ribbon is just scrappy but cute enough to compliment her personality. Haha, ponytail, get it? Like a horse? Or in her case a de-horned unicorn, ergo her spear. Her look also gives us the impression of an outlaw with her pirate/rider boots, long coat and gloves, fitting her lifestyle, and her soulgem is on her chest, indicating her more emotional nature. I think the boldest decision was to leave her hands ungloved, or at least I know I wouldn’t have done that, but that’s why I’m glad I wasn’t in Ume Aoki’s position when Madoka was in production. The white details on her undershirt and boots also put an elegant touch of complexity that completes the whole thing. What I’m trying to say here is that Kyoko has the ““easiest”” design of the other puellas, but it’s still top notch.

Sayaka Miki

Sayaka’s outfit is a balancing act, trying to keep it’s knight aesthetic clear without relying on heavy armor to do so and thus allowing Sayaka’s more romantic, femenine side to show, not to mention her water + music/mermaid theme. Her whole getup is very ingenious. Her short hair allows the cape to flow without seeming excessive and heavy or an inconvenience, her hairpin prevents the cut from being bland, but still keeping a somewhat tomboyish look, and her skirt has a distinct asymmetrical cut that, with its white outline, gives the idea of a wave. Her boots are short, comfy, practical, and their shade is just different enough that they avoid the look from feeling kinda boring within its color pallet, without straying away from it. I’m honestly amazed at how well they pulled of her belly-button soulgem as well, especially without taking away from the knight theme, hell they even used that in their favor! That is ingenuity. It was also a genius idea to hold the cape on a choker to make it all fit better with a sweetheart neckline.

Homura Akemi

As I mentioned before when I talked about Senjougahara, Homura is a rhombus, not just in her soul gem but in the rest of her body: she is pointy, slim, and long. She is the tallest and lankiest amongst the Holy Quintet, her outfit primarily highlighting her legs and her hair ending in jagged points. What impresses me the most about it is that the shirt is very weirdly cut for a concept as straightforward as “school uniform”, but it works. I can imagine a much easier version of it without the undersleeves or the collar. Speaking of which, the shape of them draws attention to her soul gem on her hand, which is placed there to symbolize how she’s the most “hands on” magical girl. Her time motif is present in her back ribbon, which looks like clock hands, same with Moemura’s braids, and in her shield, which is small and attached to her wrist and also is actually a sand clock. That shield is a really neat, concise, and smart way to tie up the entirety of her wish, huh? Speaking of Moemura, it’s really interesting to see the conflict between the two versions of this character in their differences. First we have the hair, of course, then the red glasses. I sense that there’s more to those than what I’m interpreting here, but the best I can do is conclude that aside that Homura tosses them out because they represent her weakness the fact that they’re red means they also represent her emotionality, which Madoka returns to her when she gives her her red ribbons (which also represent the string of fate, of course, and also confidence in oneself). But the part that interests me the most is her heels. Moemura doesn’t fit them, she trips on them constantly, but for Homura they are a symbol of her maturity and composure. Naturally, the first time we see Homura break down after narrowly killing Kyubey before they could do a contract with Madoka, she trips on them.

@leafbladie also pointed out to me that the reason it looks like a school uniform might be because school is the only place where she could make genuine human connections.

Madoka Kaname

Kyouko is a triangle, Homura is a rhombus, and Madoka is, fittingly, a Star, aka. a cluster of points shooting out from a center, which also blends well as a flower motif. Or to put it even more eloquently, she’s the flower from the ground that will eventually become the star in the sky. It’s in her skirt, gloves, socks and ponytails. And the rest of her? Is a deception in its simplicity. After all, this is what you expect from the leader of a magical girl team, right? Pink! Ribbons! Frills! Come on, you’ve seen this outfit before, it’s practically the same as Cure Peach’s! But Madoka is aiming for something more specific: she is both a fairy AND a witch, the two faces of the Magical Girl, creatures of fairytales often related to either nature or to the stars, and it works precisely because she uses that shape. Madoka is a balance of roundness and pointiness, it’s just that those points are softened by the pastel coloring. Her balance in ribbons and frills is excellent as well. I should probably write a separate post on how those 2 elements work in general, but suffice to say that we all know way too many magical girls that just put those things everywhere. Two on her ponytails to highlight them, one behind her neck, two on her hips to smooth the hipline transition, two behind her shoes. Huh, speaking of those, Madoka has surprisingly tall heels, right? Taller than Mami’s and only matched by Homura’s. Really tells you who the 2 most emotionally resilient members are in the team.

The last piece I’d like to highlight is her weapon, which I’m jealous of because I did that concept for an OC of mine and now if I do it everyone is going to think that I got it from her. But in any case, yeah combining a druidic staff into an also druidic bow whose arrows are also shooting star analogues is the perfect choice for this particular character, the Goddess of Magical Girls.

And this, everyone, has been my reasoning and analysis of the genius of the Holy Quintet’s character designs. Follow me if you want more magical girl outfit analysis.

#puella magi madoka magica #magical girl fashion #madoka kaname #kyoko sakura #homura akemi #sayaka miki #tomoe mami

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thatrosewoodwriter · 3 years

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rwch gang clothing styles

☞ characters: lottie pumpkin, ellie wolf, jamie volk, anastacia alcroft, saskia san martin, binah fae, micky tompkins, lola tompkins, percy butter

☞ warnings: none

☞ notes: i got carried away

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▻ girl dresses like a princess

▻ i don’t take criticism

▻ she has low-heeled shoes for every outfit

▻ s k i r t s

▻ and t i g h t s

▻ she doesn’t wear very much makeup, honestly

▻ she rarely wears dark colours

▻ her wardrobe is full of pink and white

▻ we all know this girl is a literal emo

▻ black everything

▻ lottie thinks she owns 10 pairs of the same boots

▻ but ellie knows they’re different

▻ lots of band t-shirts but we all knew that

▻ i’m not saying she owns fishnet, but i’m also not not saying that

▻ she never shows shoulder

▻ it’s scandalous

▻ yet she owns shorts

▻ lots of them

▻ man’s literally wore a black t-shirt and jeans to a ball in pip

▻ he’s a casual kid

▻ he has the best gym fashion though

▻ even disgusting and sweaty, he’s hot

▻ unless you knew who he was, you’d never find him in a crowd

▻ good luck

▻ trainers (sneakers) are his every day shoe

▻ but ever since ellie introduced him to doc marten’s, he’s been wanting a pair of boots

▻ but he will look like he’s part of the men in black when he wears a suit

▻ always dresses like she’s on a red carpet

▻ does not care about stares

▻ even if she’s worn something most people consider casual

▻ her makeup will say otherwise

▻ she always wears a red lip

▻ a l w a y s

▻ heels at all times, too

▻ usually wears skirts with tights

▻ but if she’s actually doing something, it’ll be some pants

▻ also another chill gal

▻ cares less than ani does

▻ but ani wants to match

▻ and if saskia doesn’t look good enough, ani will pick her outfits for her

▻ saskia always goes for practical over aesthetic

▻ ani just makes it look aesthetic

▻ but this girl absolutely has all the brands because of ani

▻ oh lord, please tell him he can’t dress like hamilton every day of his life

▻ he also dresses kinda fancy

▻ he’ll look casual at first glance

▻ but then he’ll do this thing where you compliment his shoes

▻ and he’ll tell you where he got them, how much they were, what they’re made of and what brand

▻ it’s gucci, we all know this, his parents are hollywood actors, come on

▻ this is a man who is not afraid to wear feminine items of clothing

▻ bring on the frills

▻ jumpers and sweaters

▻ she loves jumpers and sweaters

▻ an avid shirt-tucker

▻ will do the thing where you wear a jumper or sweater with white or black shorts and tuck the top in

▻ then pull it out slightly to make it look more relaxed

▻ folds her socks down

▻ usually wears trainers or boots

▻ pastels and white

▻ skirts and flowy shirts

▻ it’s so cute

▻ sometimes it hurts to look at her in the sun

▻ her clothing is so bright it reflects light

▻ always has a small backpack to keep sweets in

▻ sandals are her favourite shoes

▻ though does get concerned how many stains her clothes will get

▻ micky and suspenders

▻ that’s all

▻ he probably likes turtlenecks and knee-length shorts

▻ a fellow mid-shin sock wearer

▻ will probably have yellow and white clothes for the most part

▻ wears loafers or boat shoes, i don’t make the rules

▻ always makes sure he has pockets to store sweets

▻ percy and suspenders

▻ yes please

▻ button up shirts and boots

▻ percy is possibly one of the most fashionable of the rwch gang

▻ even ani can admit he’s got style

▻ for someone who doesn’t like attention

▻ he sure dresses well

▻ button up shirts, long black pants, boots and suspenders

▻ dark academia w h o

#rwch #the rosewood chronicles #rwch headcanons #lottie pumpkin #jamie volk #ellie wolf #anastacia alcroft #saskia san martin #raphael wilcox #binah fae #lola tompkins #micky tompkins #percy butter

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loudestcloud · 3 years

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After a long brake from this saga, it returns for her birthday! However, I should start this by saying the obvious fact that I don't like they way Nami and women in general are drawn, I really wish the mangaka had a middle ground between the 'If I sneeze I'll snap in half sexy girls' and the 'i will crush you in my fat rolls ugly girls' types but here we are and this is what we've got. As a result, most of my connects would usual be how I wish she her skirts would be longer n such but I'm not gonna do that because I don't want it to get in the way of the actual content in the post. Let's go: NAMI!!

'First appearance': it's not the first at all, idk what to call it tho, it's her 3rd. it's just the one in We are so technically counts. It's probably the nostalgia, but I love this look. I can't place why but I'm not even mad at the weird stripe lengths design, it's just cute to me. The sleeves are short but long enough to hide her tattoo and I adore her skirt too like the dark orange parts remind me of blood oranges!

Baratie, Loguetown, Little Garden, first Arabasta outfit, (& Long Ring Long Land) Post-Arabasta & Post-Enies Lobby: This was probably a common or local brand for her cos she's rocking that skirt in all different colors 👌 Also, I just wanna start by saying, all her t shirts actually go past her hips? So her skirts would actually be longer than they look cos she's actually draw quite strange when in tops. Anyway, shes starting off strong with this nice pink top n I like the nice shade with the white. Then, a dark blue for the first and only time ever for Nami to pick out. I personally think lighter colors are nicer for her tho. Bringing us to this BEAUTIFUL baseball jersey with purple sleves, get it bitch oml! 😘 I don't think that skirt matches very well but it's still cute. Then, she tries stripes and I think it works out well and I think the 3/4 length look is good for her too so that one is nice. The diamond pattern tank top is actually one of my favourite Pre-Skip looks just because it's so well matched with the skirt. You can't see in the picture but the dot inside the circle is the same yellow as her top so it's just very well done, definitely an actual set. And the lace? Amazing. I hate the feel of lace myself but it looks amazing.

Baratie, Drum Island, Post-Arabasta, Long Ring Long Land Whisky Peak, Post-War, Punk Hazard: Now, I don't actually have much to say about these, I just think they are worth mentioning.i like Nami in shirts with text, I always spend way too long trying to read em lol. Anyway, I like the Drum Island shirt & Punk Hazard shorts because ✨ stripes ✨

Water 7 & Enies Lobby: Nami's first dress! And also a new skirt! I like this frilly style more, I wish it stayed around tbh but oh well. Water 7 gives us the iconic blue shirt & tie with matching shoes and it's a blessing really. Then, Enies Lobby gave us the strange Denim outfit that Paulie hated with all his mind 🤣 At the time,I thought it was a cool outfit. It's not bad, the too looks a bit armour so it's go that going for it and that jacket slaps in my opinion. I like long sleeves on cropped jackets.

Thriller Bark: Pink! When I saw the first outfit, I thought something super bad was going to happen because it looked fancy and that anime for 'time to die'. Lucky for her, nothing happened at all apart for her just looking really grown up. I like her hair too, super cute. In the next fit, it's a total flip, quite punk. Her belt is a nice contrast from her skirt and I LOVE her top! Her party outfit looks like an itchy lace and the straps, while I live frills, look very irritating. It looks cute but I could never wear it myself. Lastly for this set is one of my all time favourites for Nami because she gets to wear a necklace! It's very small and hard to see but I think it's amazingly cute. This combination of her hair being down again, a nice pokadot shirt, full length jeans and a big smile from making a friend makes it all the best.

Sabaody Archipelago & Levely: As with the 3rd outfit set, I just think these are neat. She's rockin' a different necklace, shorts and a 90s style flower top then in Levely she's chillin' in a simple puff sleeve shirt with hearts a cross the chest. Simple looks, very effective

Fish-Man Island, Punk Hazard & Dressrosa: Fish-man island comin' in hot with the iconic Timeskip look and belt! This, I much prefer the Crimin bra because it's simple plus her hair is up really cutesy. Also it's funny cos that would have been expensive for she didn't steal all the outfits she did. Looks wise, Punk Hazard is my favourite but I really dislike that it doesn't cover the bottom of her boobs and its not really supportive. I think it's my favourite because it reminds me of Frankys vibes. Dressrosa's is also really cute but once again looks like the frills would tickle a bit. Also I like her shorts.

Zou: A DRESS! not only that but it's Purple, a color she's not worn before more than as sleeves years back. It's an interesting dress style, very lacy and would brake easy but it's VERY nice to look at. Her next looks bring back the ruffley frills and basic shirts. The half button shirt has her 2nd number on it and the colour matches her skirt! I like the purple coming back in her next skirt but what I like way more is her last Zou look. It's a nice halter neck with black lace trim then to make it better, her skirt is a wonderful shade of red that has an adjustable rope belt with little gold buttons on! I just- 🥰

Whole Cake Island & Wano: everyone's lord and fashion savour, WHOLE CAKE!!! I mean look at how cute she is in that first one! That fairytale aesthetic really owns my ass at this point! Then it's a total shift with that more mature sexy style red turtleneck dress no sleeves? The side by side vibes are 😘👌 love em! Plus, this arc gave us more purple AND 2 box neckline dresses which I think with Nami they really work. The forts Wano ouyfit is only here cos blue really works for her. It look okay but I don't think they are as nice as most people do. Idk what it is about it, I think it's just too square. The 2nd is nicer to my eyes, idk

And lastly, I just wanted to Shout out the First eps and the Dead End Adventure outfit cos it looks like Vector from Despicable me:

This post was made listening to 'One Piece vibes' by Kato & rewatching One Piece

Sanji

Luffy

Zoro

#one piece #op art ref #art ref #art reference #op nami #nami op #nami #one piece nami #nami one piece #fashion #op fashion #happy birthday nami

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draconesmundi · 4 years

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Flight Rising Dragons in Dracones Mundi Style

Flight Rising is an online dragon breeding game set in the world of Sornieth - a land ruled by 11 elemental dragon gods. Dracones Mundi is a book I am writing re-imagining dragons from all over world mythology as super weird crocodiles.

I thought it would be fun to do some Flight Rising fanart as if the dragons were weird crocodiles like the dragons in Dracones Mundi. Flight Rising dragons all have six limbs (until the Ancient Breed update..), with four legs and two bat-like wings, whereas Dracones Mundi dragons usually have four legs with only fancy frill-like structures that look like wings (cannot use them for fly, that’s what magic is for!). Here are the four starter breeds for Flight Rising re-imagined, with Jessica Peffer’s artwork on the left and mine on the right:

Guardian:

Guardian dragons are very large creatures covered in frills and fins. The name ‘guardian’ comes from their nature to find one item or being, their ‘charge’, and guide it for their whole life. The guardian dragon design is like the stereotypical ‘western dragon’, and so for the basis of the Dracones Mundi guardian I have used the design of the smok/firedrake/ddraig goch. The fins and frills fit super well with the Dracones Mundi aesthetic!

You’ll notice here that the Dracones Mundi dragon has her body closer to the ground than the Flight Rising dragon, and that the heel of the foot is on the ground (plantigrade) and not up in the air (digitigrade) - (fun fact as a kid I first learned to use those terms reading one of Peffer’s DragonArt books!) - this is because the Flight Rising dragons have a more feline anatomy whereas the Dracones Mundi dragons evolved from crocodylomorphs. Crocodiles can still run fast - and even gallop! - by employing a ‘high walk’ locomotion rather than the sprawling lizardlike stance due to special adaptations in their wrist, but their hind feet are not as springy as catlike feet.

Tundra:

Tundra dragons are favoured by the Icewarden; they are covered in thick coats of fur to keep out the chill! While the dragons of Sornieth can have fur and feathers, the dragons of Dracones Mundi only have heavily modified scales. I used a design based on la velue/the stollenwurm/the arrassas - ‘hairy dragons’ of European folklore. In Dracones Mundi these animals have a covering of psuedopennae or ‘false feathers’, which are large flat-bladed scales that look like feathers from a distance. This group of animals in Dracones Mundi does not have wings, alas, and probably won’t survive in Arctic conditions like the Flight Rising tundra, preferring to sleep for most of the colder months of the year.

Fae:

Fae dragons are super small and super cute! In Flight Rising they use their many frills to signal to eachother, and find other dragon’s facial expressions quite hard to read! In Dracones Mundi the best dragon designs for ‘large wings with small body’ are the dragons in the wyvern family, so here we have a Flight Rising fae dragon as a wyvern, with two legs rather than four.

Mirror:

Mirror dragons have four eyes, palmate antlers and a whole lot of attitude! They hunt in roving packs and are favoured by the Plaguebringer. In Dracones Mundi the dragons are tied to the laws of Earth’s biology so I had to think hard about how to incorporate the four-eyed design. Obviously there are reasons why a vertebrate animal might have four eyes (genetic or developmental defects for example) but I decided that maybe this dragon’s face is covered in wattles the same blood-red colour as his eyes! Wattles, frills and fins feature heavily in a lot of dragon designs in Dracones Mundi

Thanks for stopping by!

If you liked my take on these dragons consider following @draconesmundi , and if you liked hearing about Flight Rising I cannot recommend this game enough; there are sixteen dragon breeds that can come with any colour or pattern you can think of, a rich lore spanning three epic ages, and a fun community that likes to draw art of eachother’s dragons. Also you can give the dragons hats - https://flightrising.com

#Flight Rising #Dracones Mundi #Fanart

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capisback · 4 years

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character A hasnt seen character B for years. they're both villians in a superhero AU and they reminisce about the old days where they worked together or had a common interest in killing a/the hero/s. They don't use their real names, just their villain names. Maybe they're secretly into each other, who knows. Go wild babe. i imagine they meet on top of a building and suprise eachother.

Nothing ever changed in the city Melusine called home. Once, a long time ago, she’d hoped it would. She’d thought maybe she could change it with her own two hands. Take it, and twist it, and make it new, better, make it a city she and her family could live in without – well. Everything that came with being different.

As she stared over the monotone greyscale cityscape, given colour only by the setting sun, she thought of how foolish she’d been.

She’d started being a Villain at seventeen. Young enough to hold such naïve hopes for herself and the future.

Melusine sighed, kicking her legs, which dangled over the skyscraper’s edge, back and forth. She sounded like an old lady, and yet she wasn’t a day over twenty-six.

Pigeons scattered up from the lane right below Melusine, a luxury car speeding past as if it owned the street. She briefly considered sending a bubble down, trapping the car inside, and letting it and its driver stay suspended for an hour or twenty-four.

Gravel ground under someone’s feet, behind her, to her right, and she instantly summoned five paralysis bubbles to her fingertips. She whirled around, poised to throw, but stopped short, almost frozen, when she was met with a familiar – albeit a little different – figure.

“Vougn?”

“Méduse?” Vougn all but gaped at her, posture and features openly displaying her shock. “Is – Is that really you, Méduse?”

“Vougn”, Melusine breathed.

“Méduse!” Vougn launched herself towards Melusine so fast, that Melusine, out of reflex (and necessity, she later realised, seeing as she’d been about to be tackled off a skyscraper), threw a bubble towards Vougn, trapping her inside.

“Hey!” Vougn whined. “This isn’t what I call a warm ‘Nice to see you again’!”

“Sorry.” With a flick of her fingers, the bubble dissolved. “Reflex.”

“Hmm, good to see you’re still sharp, even after all this time.”

“It hasn’t been that long.”

“Please”, Vougn laughed, walking up to Melusine this time. “How long have you been a Villain for? Ten years? And I haven’t seen you for the last four of them, so sorry if I’m pleased to see you haven’t gotten rusty in your old age.”

“Har har”, Melusine said with a fond roll of her eyes. “I’m old, laugh it up.”

“Awww, don’t be like that, Méduse.” Vougn shoved her shoulder, seating herself next to Melusine. “If it’s any consolation, you look just as pretty as when I last saw you.”

Heat flushed across her cheeks and nose, and she quickly turned to look back at the city, away from Vougn.

“You don’t”, Melusine said loudly.

“Aw, I don’t?”

Melusine’s face, rather than cooling down, became a tad bit hotter at Vougn’s teasing tone, and she turned her face away to the left even more.

“You look even prettier”, she said, only a bit clearer than a mutter. And it was true. Vougn had changed overtime. Cropped her dirty blonde hair to just beneath her chin, where it had been a long braid when she and Melusine had had their partnership, and she’d changed her colour scheme to a fetching black-and-red.

“Hmhm~”, Vougn hummed, victorious, teasing grin clear in her voice. “Thought so.”

“Your personality’s terrible, though.”

That shocked a laugh out of Vougn. “Well! That’s what I’m known for!”

“What a pity to be both beautiful and a bastard.”

“Oh, Méduse, if you keep complimenting me like this, you know how we’ll end up?”

Ah, well, that didn’t help Melusine’s long-held (and previously dormant) crush get out of overdrive at all.

“Locked in battle?” she tried, hoping her voice wasn’t several pitches higher than usual.

“Yeah. Taking down our very own Superhero together.”

“You mean Draft?”

“Him, and whatever other hero we want.” Vougn sent her a cheeky, dreamy grin.

“That does sound nice, doesn’t it?”

If only it was something they could do – something she could do. But she hadn’t been able to realise something that big for a long time. When they’d started out, she and Vougn had been a great team. Draft had been a bit of a novel hero then, too, and he’d been so much fun to toy with. Too bad that Heroes got actual training, while they had to figure it out for themselves. Really gave the Heroes a very unfair advantage, and the Villains didn’t get enough credit for their actually quite impressive feats. Not that anyone was going to praise a Villain.

“Remember back in our first year?”

The sun dipped below the skyline, rays of gold, molten sunshine illuminating them through the haze hanging over the city.

“I remember all our time together, so you’ll have to be a bit more specific.”

Melusine chuckled. “The first time we captured Draft? Got him to spread my sticking bubbles all over the city. He was so upset.”

“Oh, oh, yes”, Vougn chortled. “Of course! God, and when we hung him by a rope at the edge of that gargoyle? I lit a fire under him, and he got right to begging! ‘Buh-buh-buh-lease’! He was so pathetic!”

“He is! And he’s gotten such a big head now, despite only having some so-so wind powers. Borea has amazing control over it, and the tricks she does are amazing, but you don’t see anyone complimenting her.”

“The fate of being a Villain, I’m afraid.”

“And who names themselves Draft? Who let him name himself that?”

Vougn sputtered a laugh. “It’s probably the best he could come up with since he’s so damn daft!”

“Oh my god”, Melusine laughed.

“Right?” Vougn wiped at her eyes. “What would you have called him?

“Probably just Daft, I think that’s perfect.”

“It checks out, for sure, but really. If you had to give him a proper Superhero name, what would it be?”

“I don’t know…” Melusine twirled her hair around her finger. “Something cool? Like, let’s see… Zephyr?”

“Oooh, sounds fancy. What’s that from?”

“It’s the Ancient Greek name for the western wind.”

“Oh, man, that would’ve been so much more intimidating than Draft. Can’t believe I have to regularly beat up a kid called Draft and not Zephyr.”

Melusine bit back her laughter as she tried for mock-sympathy. “Oh, no, poor Vougn. Having to kick ass and not even having someone cool to beat up. However will the number three villain recover from this injustice?”

Vougn sniffed and wiped away an imaginary tear. “Thank you, it’s really hard.”

“How is it, though, being a big time Villain? Everything you hoped for?”

Everything fell silent for a long moment. Melusine was struck by the weariness of Vougn’s expression, the tired curve of her back.

“Well…” That bitter, breathy laugh shouldn’t come from someone like Vougn. She was upbeat, bright, and sometimes a little too much. She wasn’t quiet, or reserved. She wasn’t bone-tired and disillusioned. Not the Vougn Melusine remembered.

But then again, neither was Melusine the one Vougn remembered. The world had changed them both. Maybe too much.

Melusine, too, was tired.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you”, there was that cheeky tone again. Both a relief and a painful sting, since it was so obviously strained, an attempt to divert from her inner turmoil. “How are you holding up? I see you’re still rocking that jellyfish aesthetic.”

She motioned to Melusine’s blue-and-white, puffy (and jellyfish-frilled) skirted outfit.

“I’m getting kind of tired of it, actually.”

And of everything that came with it.

Maybe she and Vougn still made a perfect pair, after all.

“Oh. That’s too bad. I think it suits you.”

Melusine cracked a smile. “Thanks.”

They settled into a long silence. Dusk rapidly caught up to the time. The long shadows cast down on the city below disappeared into the dark. Only they, up on their skyscraper, were privy to the beauty and the setting of the sun, and the movement of the Earth.

Her grandmother loved dusk. Le Crépuscule, she always said, refusing to use the English word. Her grandfather had once told her he’d had to bargain with her to keep from naming their little crafts-and-herbs store that. She had to admire her grandfather. Her grandmother was a hard woman to bargain with.

“You know”, Vougn said. “When I first got these powers, I never imagined I’d turn out like this.”

She let fire dance across her fingertips, the bright orange flickering and casting a warm glow between them.

Melusine huffed, bitter and understanding. “Me neither. They always tell you you’ll be the hero, don’t they?”

“Yep.” Vougn popped the ‘p’. “But, hey, they also say everyone’s the hero of their own story, so I guess they’re a little right.”

“No, they’re not.”

“No, they’re not”, Vougn agreed, and snuffed out her fire.

Melusine closed her eyes and tilted her head back, face towards the clouding sky. This, this, was nice. Calm, quiet. Peace. She wanted that. No more battles, being yelled and cussed at, no more injuries and long days and late nights.

She wanted a life. A proper one.

“Vougn”, she said, softly. “I’m quitting Villainy.”

“What?”

Melusine looked back at Vougn, surprised by the disbelief in her voice, and even more at the distress on her face.

“I’m quitting”, she repeated, firm and resolute. “It’s not worth it anymore, Vougn. All of this, it’s just – ” She sighed. “I can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to.”

“But – but you had such big plans!” Vougn stumbled over her words. “Weren’t you going to change things?”

“And where have I gotten with that?” She looked at Vougn with earnest sorrow. “Tell me, Vougn, how have I changed anything? How will I ever change anything? We’re not the heroes of this story. At least, not me. Maybe you still have a chance. But I’m done, Vougn. I’m – I’m so tired.” She choked on fresh tears.

“Méduse…” Vougn hesitantly reached for her, hand hovering in the space between them.

Melusine clasped that hand tightly with her own two.

“Will you remember me?” Her throat was raw. Her feelings clawed, sharp and unbidden, up her chest. “When I’m gone. Will you at least remember me?”

Vougn swallowed thickly, frozen for a moment, but then she placed her other hand, gently but firmly, a promise and a reassurance, over Melusine’s.

“How could I ever forget you?”

Melusine let out a wet laugh, her smile wobbly.

The caress of Vougn’s thumb over the back of her hand was gentle, comforting.

“Méduse”, Vougn’s voice was soft. “I just – I want to –” She frowned, struggling. She tried again. “Will we ever meet again?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Me, too.” A pause. “I’ll search for you.”

Melusine smiled, soft, and for the first time in a long while, hopeful. “I’ll love to see you try.”

#Anonymous #hello thank you for this prompt because I think I'm in love with Meluse #me: this is going to be short :)#also me: writes 1785 words #ok so maybe I should explain Meluse's jellyfish theme?#so like her name is méduse #and this both means Medusa #AND #jellyfish #idk why that is but I really love it #french did a good job with this one #first I wanted to call her Méduse as in medusa and then I went with Médusine but Melusine kept calling to me #so in the end I used both Melusine as her first name and Méduse as her villain name #and Vougn comes from Vough (or Fuath) which is gaelic and I didn't think Vough fit very well and for some reason my mind kept going Vougn so #here we are #also I'm not very good at writing superhero/villain stuff lol #but I tried!#I had to cut a few small things I wrote because it didn't fit in with the rest and im sad #it's been ages since I last wrote something so thank you SO MUCH for this prompt #I had a lot of fun!!#hope it's somewhat alright #I'll probably pick out a few things I would've changed later but so far I'm pretty pleased with it #hope you enjoy it too!!#cap's writing #writing #hope there's no mistakes either lol #but eh we'll see #prompt

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insanityclause · 4 years

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The Interval Diary - Day One - Betrayal

Like so many colleagues in the theatre business, I’ve woken up to an entirely bleak Tuesday. Wednesday’s not looking too fancy, either. Or, indeed the rest of 2020.

As well as retraining as a hazmat suit model, I thought I’d try to keep some line of communication open with friends, young photographers and clients. Yes, we need ventilators. Yes, we need a vaccine. I am only partially qualified to offer these, and so in lieu of that, I offer the nation a blog. A small space for people to check out photos of themselves, rivals and mostly good looking people. Oh, and no end of pretty sets, costumes and generous lighting states.

The Interval Diary is going to be what journalists call ‘an occasional series’ - meaning that you can expect it to appear when I can get my act together to update. I’m going to take a look back at work past, talk a little about the way I work, offer the odd anecdote or two, and remember a time where my biggest challenge was a slow memory card. Those were the days. Always having been a lazy journalist, I present this information to you in a self-generated, easy to digest Q&A format. There will be a mix of production and rehearsal shots from one chosen show.

I can’t wait until I can scrap this diary and get back to capturing other people’s work. And so, while I’ll do my best to keep this up - lets all wish it ill.

So many projects have been lost, so many livelihoods choked and so many theatres face an existential crisis. So, what are we going to do? Well, before we prepare to eat each other, let’s look forward as optimistically as possible – while taking the best of the past with us.

Beginning with…

Betrayal by Harold Pinter Directed by Jamie Llloyd Designed by Soutra Gilmour Lit by Jon Clark Sound design: Max & Ben Ringham

Biggest challenge… Trying to capture the dynamics of the characters in that vast ‘empty’ space. That’s always the challenge, but on this show, Jamie and Soutra cleared the stage for three actors and three chairs - and so getting the right weight, balance and interplay was key. The spatial relationship between Tom, Zawe and Charlie was so forensically staged that capturing it without simply ‘going wide’ was the biggest battle.

Biggest surprise… Just when you thought you had the measure of it - you discover that there’s a revolve. And a kiddie.

One thing I’ll remember… Walking into the rehearsal room for the shoot and thinking - there is a lean aesthetic here that is absolutely fresh. Jamie has honed that ever since. It’s an essentials-only approach to theatre that demands an audience’s attention. No frills to distract. Just eyes, ears and audience.

Random fact… I shot Zawe Ashton on my first ever pro-shoot for the Royal Court. She was the standout in Bola Agbaje’s Gone Too Far.

Favourite moment… That final revolve that has the characters circling each other like distant planets. Just beautiful.

Favourite shot…

For all the photos, please go to Marc Brenner’s blog

#Betrayal #Tom Hiddleston #Zawe Ashton #Charlie Cox #Marc Brenner #photos #blog post

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everysongineverykey · 4 years

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Glam, Glitter, and Goblins

So! My kotlc secret santa was @ladystinaheks, who mentioned liking awesome dresses and the color blue, so here's a little fanfic about the kotlc girls being introduced to human dresses that i hope you'll enjoy! (I wanted the title to be a pun on the name of some fashion show but couldn't think of anything lol)

"Well?" pressed Sophie excitedly. "What do you guys think?"

The looks on the girls' faces were those of a group of people who had just been introduced to a wildly new style and did not know what to think. Sophie knew that much without having to read their minds. Her desire to belong was still strong enough that if even one of her friends decided they didn't like their dress, she'd cry.

Ro watched it all with an amused smile on her face. Sophie hadn't told her about her gift yet.

"It's..."

All eyes turned to Linh, who was holding up her simple blue sleeveless robe. It didn't go past her knees, useful for moving around in, but probably unlike anything Linh or any of the other girls had seen before, let alone worn. She stared into the mirror, holding it against her chest, passing her eyes over it again and again, evidently trying to find the right word.

"It's definitely... shorter than what I normally wear," she said tentatively, quickly smiling over at Sophie. "But I can get used to it."

"So you like it?" Sophie asked eagerly.

"Well, I- I'll know when I put it on. But it's making a good first impression, yeah, definitely."

Sophie beamed as Linh sidled into the bathroom to try it on.

"You know," said Stina thoughtfully, pulling her human dress over her tunic and watching the way it swished when she turned, "I never expected something so weirdly..."

She paused, staring at her reflection and scrunching up her nose.

"Simple?" tried Sophie.

"....Eeeyeah," agreed Stina slowly. "That. But also elaborate."

Sophie looked at Stina in her floor-length sky-blue prom-ish dress and decided she agreed. It was plain by elvin standards, but the embroidery around the collarbone and shoulder area definitely added a spark of elfin pizzazz.

"It's... yeah. Plain, but it tries. It's not bad, actually. This is what human women wear every day?"

"That?" Sophie had to laugh. The thought of Amy and her human mother drifting around the house in prom dresses all the time was honestly hilarious. Amy didn't even like dresses that long anymore- she'd grown out of that phase by the age of eleven, apparently. "No, definitely not."

This response elicited looks of confusion from all of the girls.

"So then, what do they wear?" Biana chimed in.

Sophie opened her mouth to tell her the truth, but then closed it as a clever lie occurred to her.

"You won't believe this," Sophie began mischievously, "But they actually wear weird Halloween costumes most days. Mostly ducks, clowns, dinosaurs, that kind of stuff."

"Really?" asked Ro eagerly from across the room. "Oh, man. I mean, that's probably not true. But oh man, I wish it was."

"It is true," Sophie insisted. "It started out as a jokey fad in the eighties, but it took off, and now it's commonplace to walk down a street in any country and see women all around dressed up as princesses."

"Ha!" snorted Maruca. "You're lying. Halloween? Isn't that that weird holiday you have where you disguise yourselves and ask strangers for candy? I'm calling your bluff. What are these even for if they're not everyday wear?"

Sophie tried to keep a straight face, but gave up once she saw Biana smirking at her. "Yeah. Okay. You're right. I'm lying. Yeah, no, the dresses I gave you guys are mostly just formal wear. Except for Linh's- speak of the angel-" (Linh had just appeared from the bathroom clad in her new dress) "- Linh's, Marella's, and Grizel's. Those are technically sundresses. They're common on hot days, but-"

"Wait," Biana cut in, "You mean this is what humans wear to important occasions?"

She held up her dress, which wasn't really a dress so much as it was a shoulderless mini dark blue top covered in sequins accompanied by a floor-length ruffled skirt, also navy blue. It classified as a prom dress, though.

"Eh, that one's technically supposed to be worn to prom- which is this big fancy high school dance that basically all human schools have- but yeah, it could definitely work for a fashion show or something. Don't you like it?"

"Like it?" repeated Biana incredulously. "I mean... yeah, of course I like it, but it's way too... plain for stuff like formal dances or whatever."

Sophie was unable to control her laughter. Of course they would find these tame. Why hadn't she predicted this? She debated telling them about what humans wore for relaxed occasions. "Oh, my god. You know that's one of the most expensive on the market, right? That's supposed to be the most extravagant prom dress out there, and you're calling it... plain."

She couldn't see Biana's face, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

"If that's formal," Marella demanded, "If mine's formal, then what's casual??"

"Oh, god..." Sophie wiped away a tear. "Most human women usually just wear shirts and pants."

Silence.

"Shirts and pants," said Linh weakly, reminding everyone she was still there. "That's what you wear every day."

"That's why you were complaining about having to wear dresses when you first got here," Biana whispered. "Oh, wow. What a life to live. And that's not considered... weird or anything?"

"Believe it or not," Sophie giggled, "Human women spent the better part of history fighting for the right to wear pants. There's no concept of d-" her voice degraded into laughter again as she tried to enunciate "dress nobility".

"Huh," said Maruca plainly. "That's hard to imagine. Then what I'm wearing is fancy to you?"

She did a little twirl in her incredible outfit. It was navy blue, floor-length, covered head to toe in sparkles, fully sleeved with the fabric at the bottom spiraling out in a circle. Sophie nodded, still smiling. Maruca looked like a literal goddess- then again, all the girls did.

"Well," said Grizel, speaking up for the first time that afternoon, "I quite like mine- even if it isn't exactly what we wear at home."

Grizel's dress had been difficult to find, but it was very elegant- a dark blue maxi dress covered in blue and white flowers. Sophie was rather proud of her choice.

"I like mine, too," added Marella, "Though I think red and orange would go better with my aesthetic. But yeah. I like it. Blue at the chest, white everywhere else? It's nice. A little plain, but they all are."

"I'm so glad," Sophie smiled.

"And I'm glad I didn't get one," Ro said. "You elves might be all for frills and sparkles, but I'm content to sit out. But it was fun watching the girls adjust to a lack of glitter. Thanks for this, Blondie." She clapped Sophie on the shoulder.

"Actually," Sophie said confidently, "I've got something for you, too."

Ro stopped in her tracks, looking at Sophie like she had just sprayed her with glitter.

"Ex-cuse me?" she said as politely as possible.

"Oh, you're in for it now," chuckled Grizel.

"What?" Ro looked like she could kill Sophie right there. "Blondie. No. You didn't."

"Don't worry," laughed Sophie. "It's not what you think. Here. At least take a look." She handed Ro a plain white box, the same one that the others had come in.

Ro took one look at the box, took it warily, then looked down at Sophie menacingly.

"Listen here, kid, if this has even one sequin on it, you'll know exactly how much flesh-eating bacteria I've been growing."

"Oh, I'd like to help with that if there is," offered Grizel excitedly before being shushed by Marella. Everyone was crowded around the poor ogre by now, craning their necks to see the box's contents.

Ro shot Sophie a warning look, then lifted the lid and pulled out, to everyone's surprise, a leather jacket.

"See, I'm not that stupid," said Sophie as Ro pulled it over her shoulders and took a look in the mirror.

"Huh. Well. It's a lot more lowkey than everything else I've seen today. But..." she paused, as if lost in thought. "But it's not bad. Tasteful. Like everything else, a little plain. But cool. Cool. Alright, you've escaped punishment this time, Blondie, but I'll be on the lookout."

"I'm sure you will," said Sophie teasingly. "And you look good. By any standards. You all do."

It was true. They were all stunning- well, more than usual, anyway.

"Funny," said Marella. "If this is female fashion, then men's couture must be, I mean, just like this. Right?"

Sophie didn't have the heart to tell them about the intensely boring suits men wore for formal occasions. It would, she supposed, have to wait another day.

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abyssmalice · 9 months

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the world's most beloved daughter

(its 2am, time to post sad but elegant tonitoni doodle

+ slightly more edited ver below the cut bc i can't decide on a single version even tho it's literally only two extra colors off)

#aesthetic | (who are we in these frills and fancies);#flower art dot tag;#(flower vc: YOU THINK A DEPRESSED PERSON CAN MAKE THIS???????)#(tumblr resolution go fuck urself)#(dont ask me what the lighting/shading situation is. i had at least ten different layers just for the shading and dont know anything)

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melanchol-ism · 4 years

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4, 6 and 14?

4.) Do you have a FC for your para/me? Art? A moodboard? Tag or blog? Playlist?

yup to pretty much all of that! i have the tag moodboard for all of the moodboards i've posted. i have @pseudo-lie is a blog where i just reblog random aesthetics/posts that apply to my paras, and i have a post here with my para playlists! self promo lol

6.) List five things you like about a para/parame.

i'm gonna do this for chara because i feel like i don't give her enough love skekskjdkf

she's very smart!! we would all would probably be dead without her as she holds the singular brain cell of the group

good cook!! makes delicious food for her siblings and friends, bless

strong!! not necessarily physically, but when it comes to magic, she's your go to! she's on par with rensu when it comes to raw power tbh

very kind and accepting!! at first glance it probably doesn't seem like it because she doesn't easily open up to strangers, but she doesn't like seeing people hurting.

super curious!! she really love learning about, like, everything. takes pictures of weird plants she sees on walks so she can look them up when she gets home. she likes learning about different cultures and races!

14.) What seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your para/parame?

whenever nenori and rensu were younger, they had to live on the streets. they had to live off of whatever they could steal from vendors, pickpocket, or shoplift. once when nenori was wandering around, looking for potential stores she could sneak into, she passed a fancy, upper class clothing store that she could never risk shoplifting from. in the display window there were mannequins lined in glitzy, sparkly ball gowns. the one furthest right donned a pink, sleek satin dress that was guaranteed to drown the wearer in frills. the men and women stepping out of the shop shot her disgusted glares, and she quickly scrambled away when a guard took a step towards her. years later, that ridiculous eye catching dress was the first thing she bought with the swipe of her new shiny, golden credit card.

#ask #went a little bit over board with the last one djsnjsbsms #paraportal #para questions #paracosm: 4240 #para: chara #para: nenori

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lolitain · 5 years

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Classical Lolita Makes You Be Elegant

If you’re going for the aristocratic, yet cute look, then you should think about wearing Lolita fashion. Lolita is a fashion subculture from Japan but is heavily influenced by children’s clothing from the Victorian and Edwardian era. It also draws inspiration from the Rococo period. The unique and distinct feature of Lolita is a characteristic look of cuteness.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “well, isn’t that for little girls?” Ordinarily, you’d be right, but in recent times, Lolita fashion and is now worn by ladies of all ages. In fact, it has reappeared on fashion shows and catwalks all over the world. No one’s ever too old to look old after all.

The style originated in the 1970s in Japan rather quietly, but in the 90s somewhat merged with urban street fashion and became much more popular. It's signature look includes wide skirts, lots of lace, floppy bows on the head and so on

Lolita Characteristics and Charm

The main characteristic of the Lolita fashion is the skirt’s volume, usually in a bell or A-shape. Other components that make up the Lolita wardrobe include a blouse (with long or short sleeves), paired with a skirt or over a dress. If you’re looking to go full Victorian, you could go with knee-length or ankle socks, tights, paired with high heels or flat shoes to enhance that cute look.

Part of the charm of the Lolita fashion is that sense of class and aristocracy that comes from Victorian or Edwardian style clothing, without necessarily looking “stuffy” or “old”. With the Lolita style of fashion, you retain that “Ewwww” factor that little girls get when they wear their Sunday best.

Ashlyn Smith, a lover of Lolita fashion, had this to say about the style “It makes me feel feminine, creative and unique. I’m dressing 100 percent for myself, not necessarily trying to impress anyone else”. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Classical Lolita

Lolita fashion has quite a few variants under it, from major substyles like gothic, sweet and classic, to lesser popular ones like a sailor, country, punk, etc.

Classical Lolita is more or less Lolita fashion that is more directly related to Edwardian and Victorian style. It is considered a more mature style than other styles such as the Gothic or sweet Lolita style. Its major characteristic is simple to print dresses that are relatively subtle, that means there are lesser frills and lace, enhancing that mature look. Classic Lolita fashion is ideal for ladies that want to focus on elegance. The style is all about muted colors, floral prints, and A-line skirts.

Some of the substyles that fall under the Classic style are the Palace style, Princess Lolita, British nobility, Victorian retro and Rococo style.

Palace style:

https://www.lolitain.com/palace-style-black-ruffles-lolita-prom-dress-extra-large-p-7273.html

Gothic Lolita is a shade heavier than the classic Lolita style, and most times, but not always, contains a lot of blacks. It incorporates heavy boots, lots of lace and Rococo-era themed models.

Sweet Lolita, on the other hand, is much more girly than the classic version. It has more lace and frills but captures the opposite aesthetic. This style utilizes a lot of pink, parasols, and excessive embellishments to project a sweet and babyish look.

Princess Lolita:

https://www.lolitain.com/marine-princess-series-sweet-lolita-gradient-sling-dress-and-short-sleeve-lining-p-7682.html

Classic Lolita style features two types of fabrics mainly, patchwork and floral prints. Traditionally, Lolita fabrics feature floral prints, as well as lace, for classical Lolita, however, in the bid to project that sense of elegance, uses less lace and more of fabrics. Generally speaking, for classic Lolita, the floral or patchwork fabric is more or less the base, and then lace is added subtly to just retain that Lolita look. As more lace is added, the style shifts and tends towards sweet Lolita. Classic Lolita is also quite tame with colors, with a focus on lighter and neutral colors.

Victoria retro style:

https://www.lolitain.com/palace-style-pink-flower-embroidery-lolita-prom-dress-p-7312.html

Why you should wear Lolita

Classic Lolita is perhaps the most widely worn style of Lolita fashion. Because of the sense of elegance and class that the Lolita fashion, especially the classical style exudes, Lolita dresses can be worn both for formal occasions and in daily settings. In other words, you definitely want to get some classical Lolita dresses for your wardrobe

Rococo style:

https://www.lolitain.com/be-obsessed-with-rococo-series-wine-red-retro-printing-classic-lolita-skirt-p-6364.html

Where to get Lolita Dresses

When it comes to purchasing Lolita dresses, skirts, bows, and other accessories, you definitely want to get the best quality you can, from a store that knows what they’re doing. At the Lolitain online store, you can get a Lolita dress, skirt, coat or jacket that perfectly suits you and your tastes.

At the Lolitain online store, you can purchase Lolita clothes and accessories, at the most affordable prices, directly from the manufacturer. We also dress for special occasions, so if you decide to attend prom or your wedding in an unusual but cute dress, you’ll definitely get the best deal at our store.

Of course, dresses alone do not a Lolita make, and so we have numerous accessories to complete the Lolita look. Whether it’s bows, socks, shoes, we have them all, so you can get everything you’ll need to pull of the Lolita look.

Using our store is really easy, visit lolitain.com and select one of the subcategories on the menu bar, then browse the catalog till you find what catches your fancy, you can also filter and organize the selection by name or price. Once you see a design that you like, click on it to see a full image and product description. Select the size and quantity that you want, then add to proceed to checkout.

We operate a worldwide delivery system so that it doesn’t matter where you are, you can get your beautiful and cute Lolita dresses from us.

In the rare situations where you can’t find your dream dress, you can place a special order to have it created from scratch.

It doesn’t matter where you are, but you can join the Lolita movement today, and look astoundingly cute in your outfit.

#lolita skirt #lolita dress #classic lolita #lolita prom dress #rococo style

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huangels · 6 years

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ha, that's funny cause you're in a witch costume - witch!haechan

a/n: i was gonna write more in haechan’s POV but i didn’t want this to be too long since it’s already 3k (i say this all the time but pls ignore typos bc i’m a blind bitch)

genre: fluff + humor

word count: 3.3k

"I wonder if the ice cream shop is open this late."

The frills of your red and black pirate costume casually sway from the winds of the late October night. You're lucky the costume set came with striped tights to keep your legs protected and warm from the biting cold weather. It would be a lot colder if it weren't for the group of three energetic friends walking beside you. Thanks walking heat bags.

"Probably closed by now, it's Halloween, Y/N," Renjun responds, pushing his glasses up. The breeze picks up once again, it blows dramatically on his black wizard's robe and blue scarf.

"That sucks, everything's closed." Jeno kicks at the loose gravel on the asphalt road, his Batman mask covering most of his vision. "What do we do now?"

"How about we play a little game I like to call, Truth or Dare?" Jaemin pops up from behind, swinging his arms around Renjun and you. The ninja sword sticking out of his back knocks into the back of your head, in which you return a playful smack on Jaemin's side.

"You dumbass, everyone calls it Truth or Dare," Renjun asserts, throwing Jaemin's limp arm off of his shoulders.

"Well, how about it, then?"

The four of you agree since almost all of the houses around are stripped of candy and ready for bed. You guys trick-or-treated for a while but only got the smallest amount of candy since apparently you guys are 'too old for Halloween.' Abandoning the traditional Halloween custom, you four walk around town, finding anything to do to pass the time. Now it is almost 10:30 PM and you are still out and about in town. Somehow, your parents are okay with this.

You rock, paper, and scissors to pick who goes first, resulting in the loss of Jeno. He chooses truth once Jaemin asks the main question.

"Where is the strangest place you have peed?"

"Jaemin, what the fuck?"

The rest of the group laughs as Jeno scowls at the younger, "I don't fucking know."

"Nope, you gotta say it," Jaemin pokes Jeno's nose with a sly smirk. Jeno looks at you and Renjun for help but the both of you shrug in response. It's truth or dare, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Jeno grumbles before taking a minute to recall, "I think it was in a bush while I was camping last summer."

"Wait, I know this story. You have to tell the rest!" Renjun urges the already embarrassed Jeno. Jaemin and you stare with big puppy eyes, waiting for Jeno to continue the story.

"Huh... Long story short, I peed in a bush where a family of skunks was living and they sprayed me... while I was in my most vulnerable position," Jeno explains, defeated.

You choke back a snicker but the other two has already let out their heaviest laugh. Through your stifled laughter, you tease the latter, "wait, Jeno... The skunks sprayed your- dick?"

Without saying anything, Jeno replies with a slight nod, the tips of his cheeks burnt as red as Jaemin's ninja costume.

"Jeno sprayed the skunks- and they sprayed back!" Jaemin nearly has tears in his eyes, latching onto Renjun's shoulder for stability as the shorter hunches over to stop his stomach from hurting. You take refuge by a pole of a street light, gripping it with all of your might and trying not to topple over in laughter.

"Just continue with the damn game. Renjun, truth or dare."

The game continues with more embarrassing truths, since no one is brave enough to choose a dare. Your turn comes up next, high on sugar and laughter, you decide to be the first to choose a dare.

Jaemin's eyes widen in excitement as Renjun looks around the premise, coming up with a dare. "Y/N, I dare you to enter that store and buy something."

Your line of sight follows Renjun's finger, leading to a small, dark store. It stands alone in the middle of two large shopping plazas across the street. The windows, bordered with intricate lacey designs, are tinted black so that you can't see the inside. The aura the shop exudes causes a shiver to run down your backside. You wouldn't have been able to tell if it's open or closed if it isn't for the light-up sign that reads, "Mystik Hex."

"Guys...I don't think it's even opened," you lie with a nervous chuckle.

Jeno slaps your back, pushing you across the abandoned road, "You got this!"

"Don't be a pussy, Y/N!" you hear Jaemin yell as your hands land on the door handle, which is a smooth purple orb. The glass door is tinted black just like the windows, a deep purple curtain decorated on the outside. It's tied up at both ends revealing the name of the shop again, in a fancy but eerie font. Before opening the shop, you take one more glance back at your friends. In case I die in here, at least I know who to haunt.

With your eyes shut, you slowly swing open the door. You don't expect that the first thing to hit you is the warmness of the shop, compared to the harsh fall weather. After the warmness comes the obscure fragrance of the shop, lemons and roses.

You open your eyes, one then the other, to take in your surroundings. As dark as the outer appearance seems, the inside is much more welcoming. The walls are painted a dark beige and lined along them are shelves stacked with boxes and jars labeled the strangest things. In the middle of the shop sits a glass display case, revealing an arrangement of jewelry and ornaments. Hanging from the ceiling is a variety of dreamcatchers, of all sizes, designs, and colors. And in the middle of the ceiling hangs a large candle-lit chandelier. Speakers hidden somewhere around the store plays soothing 80's jazz music.

"Can you close the door, it's cold?" A voice sounds from the back of the shop. You close your mouth, not knowing it fell wide as soon as your eyes opened. You step into the shop, letting the door close behind you with a tinkle of the welcoming bell.

"May I help you with something?" the same voice calls. You slowly make your way around the glass display, eyes wandering all over the store as there is a lot to take in.

Finally, you arrive at the back counter, meeting the sight of a witch (well, someone dressed as a witch), holding a magazine in her hands with a lollipop stick hanging from her lips. The tilt of the hat restricts you from getting a good look at her face and the magazine in her hands.

"Um, what's the- cheapest thing in here?" you hesitate, not knowing if the employee is listening. The latter lowers the magazine, eyeing you up and down as she switches the lollipop to the other side of her mouth.

Finally, the employee tilts her hat back to reveal...a male.

༄

[Earlier that day]

"Haechan!"

"Hae-!"

"What? What? What do you want?" a boy appears from the back room, pushing the beaded curtains to the side of the entryway. His hands are stained with a dark blue color.

"Remember, you're gonna be running this shop today by yourself. Open up at 12 PM and please remember to close at 12 PM. We don't want a repeat of what happened last time...," Yuta, the owner of the witch shop, lectures the younger. Small bottles of dried up leaves and colorful liquids magically enter into his messenger bag with a wave of his hands, surrounded by a haze of purple.

"By the way, Happy Halloween. I left your costume by the cash register. You better wear it or I'm gonna fire you."

Haechan rolls his eyes away from the entrance and towards the stool behind the counter. A plastic bag sits on the chair, with a picture of a female's witch costume on the front of the bag.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Haechan picks up the bag, turning it around to see if Yuta is actually being serious.

He is.

On the back of the plastic bag is a sticky note with Yuta's scribbled handwriting on it, "I got security cameras in here."

Haehcan makes direct eye contact with a security camera to the right of the counter, pulling a middle finger out for Yuta to see later. The yellow sticky note floats above his flat palm before it burns into nothingness.

"Dressing up like a stereotypical witch is so embarrassing when you're an actual witch," Haechan thinks to himself. "But I know Yuta will give me shit for months if I don't put this on."

Entering the back room, Haechan slips into the purple and black dress, not even surprised that it fits perfectly (and that it matches the aesthetics of the shop). He ties the cheap corset around his waist and plops the bent hat on top of his head. Then, exits out of the room, back to the camera.

"Jokes on you, shithead. No one comes into this shop anyway."

༄

A male? In a female's witch costume? I mean it is 2018, and fuck gender roles.

"What did you say?" the boy squints his black-lined eyes at you. Your eyes travel down to his name tag, Haechan.

Even his name is just as intimidating as his appearance is. His dark brown eyes are smudged with black eyeliner with a touch of red shadowing. His lips are coated with a deep red tint and a sparkly gloss over them. His ears are lined with silver piercings, he even has a piercing on the right nostril of his nose. His hair is dyed a honey brown with highlights of pinks, blues, and greens. Loosely holding onto the magazine, the boy's fingers bears many intricate rings, but the uncanniest thing about them is that he has complex markings on the back side of his hand.

"Um- What's the cheapest thing in here?" you repeat with a gulp.

Haechan pulls out the lollipop with a pop noise and points it at you, "what is this, some kind of prank? Because I'm not in the mood."

"Well, actually kind of. It's a dare from my friends."

"Your friends dared you to come in here- and buy the cheapest thing?"

"Basically."

Haechan returns to his magazine, which now you can see clearly it's for magical spells, and points to the far corner of the shop, "Those rocks are $5."

You look at the small cauldron of differently shaped rocks and colored crystals, which are actually pretty cool and seem to glow in an unusual way. You dig around in the cauldron before selecting a violet-colored crystal.

"I'll have this one," you announce as you place the small gem on the table.

The latter glances at the crystal placed on the counter, "Ah an amethyst. A remedial stone."

You tilt your head in curiosity, not knowing that rocks can have meanings behind it. Haechan takes this as a sign to continue.

"The gemstone amethyst is helpful in purifying the mind and relieving it of negative thoughts. This includes the negativity of stress and anxiety, which is why many people meditate with amethyst so as to rid themselves of that darkness," Haechan explains, the magazine now forgotten on the counter as he continues to expand on the significance of the gem.

You lean in, interested to learn what other aspects the amethyst holds. As the boy talks, you feel drawn in as if compelled to keep listening to him. The way the magical words leave his tongue makes the meaning of the stone more interesting. It seems like Haechan really enjoys learning about these magical elements as his eyes ignite throughout the explanation. The more you stare, the more Haechan intrigues you. There's something about him, the burning fire and shimmering stars in his eyes, both calm and stormy.

You can't help but let out a soft, "Wow..."

Haechan chuckles at your awed state, picking up the stone. Somehow it glows even brighter in his hands. "You know, I can put this into an accessory for you."

"Oh, thank you but I only have $7 with me," you avert your eyes, feeling a slight blush form on your cheeks.

"It's alright, it's on the house. The stone, too."

"Wait no, at least let me pay for that."

But Haechan has already disappeared behind the beaded curtains into the back room. You pull out the $7 and place it between the pages of where Haechan left off in his Magazine. You feel bad if you didn't pay for it and the dare is to buy something in this shop.

A few minutes pass by as you grow bored of just standing there, waiting for Haechan to return. So you roam around the shop some more, studying the different jars, candles, potions, and crates. They all hold specific items or ingredients, an explanation plastered on a note next to them.

Couple more minutes fly by but no sight of Haechan.

You make your way back to the counter, looking through the curtains. Bright explosions of purple and white lights puff from behind a slightly opened door. Out of curiosity, you peak through the crack.

What you see causes you to let out a gasp, knocking the door open.

Haechan stands by a large black cauldron, with purple and white smoke rising from the lavender-colored liquid. Hanging above the cauldron is a lever, lowering the gemstone into the mystery liquid.

Surrounding Haechan is a cloud of purple fumes. The markings you noticed earlier on his hands glow within his skin. He looks too concentrated in the cauldron, with his eyes closed, to notice you standing by the opened door. Though, you don't know if you should leave quietly or call to him. Either way, you can't do anything since your body isn't responding, leaving you frozen before him.

The fumes of deep purple whirl around, picking up speed before it comes to a full stop. The purple glow from the liquid dissipates, leaving the room dim since its only light source is a small ceiling light. Haechan's hands return to their normal state as he picks up the amethyst necklace, back facing you.

You still haven't made a noise or movement since barging into the room, hoping whatever magic is happening here can make you disappear from the shop forever. However, no magic is able to help the situation as Haechan turns on his feet with a smile and the necklace in his hand. But as soon as he meets eyes with you, he jumps back in panic, dropping the necklace. Yet, it stays floating in the air before returning to the palm of Haechan's left hand. You don't think you've even blinked since before this incident with how wide your eyes are right now. Neither of you dares to speak as you both don't know what to say.

The silence soon breaks with Haechan's distraught voice, "How long h-have you been standing there?"

"Uh, I saw the purple cloud thingy," you answer coarsely, though you know that isn't the best answer in this circumstance. "What was that? What are you?"

"I'm nothing. A human. Just a human. Yes." The way Haechan answers exposes his true nature.

"What are you?" you repeat with furrowed eyebrows, confused and slightly frightened. Is this how I die? I knew I would die the moment I followed up with the dare. Those pesky boys are so going to get a big haunting.

Haechan sighs, "I'm a witch."

"Ha, that's funny cause you're in a witch costume," you sarcastically respond, "No seriously, what are you?"

"Seriously, I'm a witch."

Haechan holds up his right hand, the black markings turning into a lustrous white as a swirl of purple smoke transform into a flame above his palm.

You stumble back into the door, not knowing how to react.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," the latter assures as the flame disperses into thin air.

Another silence flies by as you're still too stunned to function. A thousand thoughts squirming around in your head, trying to come up with some explanation.

Haechan moves forward to your frozen state, holding out the amethyst, "Here."

Your arm finally responds back and hesitantly raises to grasp it from his palm. You expect his palm to be burning hot from the flame but it's a normal bodily temperature. Though, you don't know what would be more unnerving. "Oh, thanks... for the necklace."

"Actually, it's not a necklace, it's an amulet."

You cock an eyebrow at the boy, "What's the difference?"

"Well, necklaces are just decoration, they hold no special abilities," Haechan takes back the amulet and connects it around your neck. "Amulets, on the other hand, are objects that are carried by or worn on a person that holds a specific energy or spell."

With how close Haechan is, you can feel his breath fan over your face as he explains the difference. Your voice drops to a whisper, "Then, what does this amulet hold?"

"Protective powers, as well as healing ones."

Your eyes meet his in awe but confusion, "protecting me from what?"

"Anything that's dangerous, Y/N."

"How do you know my name?" you break the contact between you two.

The ends of Haechan's mouth curves upwards, "I'm also psychic."

"Wait, really?" you bolt up in interest, eyes wide again.

"Nope," Haehcan pops the p, "I just heard you and your friends yelling outside of my shop earlier."

Your shoulders slump down, disappointed. Haechan leads you out of the back room, closing the door behind him. Before you can thank Haechan and speak a farewell, a group of yells enters the shop.

"What have you done with Y/N?"

"Where is she?"

"We're gonna kill you."

You realize it's Renjun, Jeno, and Jaemin barging into the store in their lame protective stances. Renjun holds his plastic wand out just as Jaemin holds his foam swords, Jeno just has his fists in front of him as if he really is Batman.

"Guys relax, I'm fine." You hurry them away from Haechan before they can embarrass you anymore.

"Who's the girl?" Jaemin points at Haechan, a smirk plastered on his face, sending a flirty wink to the latter.

"I think that's a dude, man," Jeno punches Jaemin's shoulder, stifling a snort.

You flash an apologetic smile at Haechan, harshly whispering for the guys to wait for you outside.

"Wait, that's a guy? Holy shit man, why are you in a girl's costu-." Jaemin gets interrupted by an electric zap sent from Haechan's finger to his butt. The younger jumps up from his stance, rubbing the back of his butt with an 'ow.'

"Let's get out of here, Y/N hurry before he kills us all."

Renjun pulls along your arm as you wave goodbye to Haechan. I'll come back, you whisper in your head, hoping Haechan has some type of magical power to read it.

༄

"Is this...a jar of eyeballs?" you place the glass jar on the table with your tongue sticking out. "Gross."

"It's frog eye but yes," Haechan hums, too focused on the potion he's mixing up in the back room. You're seated by a small table juxtaposed with the caldron, handing Haechan the ingredients and herbs he needs from the shelves of mysterious items. It hasn't been long since you've started working in the witch shop.

"What do you even need that for?" you question, wiping your hands on the black apron tied around your waist.

"All sorts of things," Haechan briefly answers, mumbling for the Burdock Arctium Minus.

You hand him a jar of the purple spiky plants, "and what are you making now?"

"A love potion."

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parisiangiraffe · 5 years

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I kinda wanna ask all these numbers for Weiss, because i like your Weiss headcanons

You got it :^)

Which type of cereal is their favorite?I’m really sorry, but I just keep seeing her with Frosted Flakes---

What outfit do they wear when they need to feel confident?Some NICE HIGH HEELS brand new, polished, with a sword at the ready, hun!!!

Describe their dream dateShe WOULD enjoy a nice romantic dinner in a sectioned off area just for the two of them followed by a walk around a garden/park, but I don’t think she’d be too picky (although she’d pretend to be) :*)

What is their bath or shower routine?Definitely a bath with soaps of her favorite scents (I’m imagining lavender or a sea cotton scent?). There are days where she’ll do a full skin care routine and others, she just falls right asleep without doing any of it

What is their love language?I’m thinking acts of service- getting them food, taking them out for a breath of fresh air...just something to make their day easier :*)

What was on the TOP of their Haukkah/Christmas/Birthday/etc list as a kid?One of those bunkbeds that had a freakin slide attached. She never got that one---

What did their high school love letters look like?Fancy stationery, FRILLED EDGES with cursive writing. All sealed together with a wax seal YEP

What is their bedtime routine?Coffee (if she’s studying late), study/work, a nice bath, skincare routine if she still has that energy, maybe read a bit in bed/reading stuff on her scroll, yell at Ruby to CALM DOWN SHE’S TRYING TO RELAX, fall tf asleep eventually

Describe their happiest birthday.Shortly after her team and JNR reunited. They had a nice get together with a cake that Ren made (because everyone else woulda burned that shit) and she tried really hard not to tear up because it was the first time it was acknowledged in a long long time :*)

What makes them melt romantically?Ruby bein a FUCKIN DUMBASS

What is their favorite ride at Disneyland? Favorite food?She likes the tea cups but she LOVES just chilling by Cinderella’s castle. She asks anyone on the team to take #aesthetic pictures of her by it until she gets a good angle. And she loves the ice cream :*)

What craft do they learn to make for a gift? Who do they give it to?SCARVES. All for her team and their colors :*)

How do they like to provide for others?Always has good advice/great to talk to, WILL call you out on your shit and guide you in the right direction

What game do they always select for game night?Everyone starts fuckin GROANING when Weiss pulls out that Pretty Pretty Princess board game (Blake is secretly fuckin delighted)

What fandom do they write fanfic for? Give us a small sample.I’m not giving a sample but she’s written some mad shit on some Atlas boy bands....

Which household chore do they privately love?I’m seein her LOVING TO VACUUM for whatever reason

What sappy nickname do they give their loved one(s)?Deeeeffinitely sweetie, honey, darling, etc.

What is their favorite touristy thing to do when traveling?Takin pictures for the GRAM

Do they like to receive flowers? Give flowers? What kinds?BOTH. She’ll often give various white flowers, maybe lillies. But she has a soft spot for red roses (WINK)

How do they warm up when it’s cold outside?She huddles in a big blanket, we been knew

What makes them feel proud?Her development over her time at Beacon, her strength in fighting and her independence :*)

What is their usual Starbucks order?Peppermint hot chocolate with whipped cream~

How does this character indulge themselves?They all have chocolate in the dorm-- (But when she’s down, she’ll sneak off to dog shelters to see puppies)

Which sappy romantic movie is their favorite? Do they admit to it?She loves ANY bad romantic movie, but she won’t dare admit it

What brings them the most unmitigated joy in all the world?Her team :*)

#OKAY THAT WAS A LONG ONE #I won't do ALL of them for other asks tho #Anonymous

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