barely contained

Adventures of the Existential Three #1: The Great Debate Over Whether Damien Would Look Good in Gold (Turns Out He Looks Better Than)

AHHHH THE FIRST SHORT IS HERE!! remember how i said i'd post these very saturday? yeah that was a lie. also remember charys was supposed to be a non villain villain? yeah all the villain in him is the aesthetic. mans is the nicest softie ever

i thought about making the first one an introduction to their world and them, but i went with going straight in instead. i'm so proud of this, i'm so happy to be writing for the first time in weeks, and i hope you guys love this and all the rest of the shorts as much as i do <3<3 enjoy please

word count about 3100

tws kissing

-

It starts with, “I think you’d look wonderful in gold,” said with that characteristic eagerness and shit eating grin on Paris’ face. He leans back in his reclining chair and crosses his hands behind his head, glittering from hair to bootlace in his perfect gold. The sleeveless gold coat Charys chose for him tonight shines in the sunlight, and his golden suntanned skin has been rubbed with glitter.

Charys sighs, knowing he’s in for something. He sits back in the chair facing the vanity where they've been watching Damien prepare. Might as well let it happen.

Why does it always seem to start with Paris?

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Damien says, running two hands thick with oil through his dark hair. The three of them are preparing for a night at Charys’ favorite theater, putting on one of his favorite plays. While his lovers have heard him ramble about it at length, they’ve never seen it all together.

Charys was looking forward to the attention he’d be getting, surrounded by all his favorite people and things, but he has a feeling this conversation will steal it all away.

He’s less mad about the prospect than he expected. It’s not like it’s a rare occurrence, or an unpleasant one, when the idea of one of his lovers in something takes his breath away. Even the candlelight on the vanity casts gold shadow onto Damien's light brown skin, a suggestion of an idea.

“Gold is your color, Paris,” Damien says, shaking his head like it’s a stupid idea. Charys’ mind is already spinning, spinning, with possibilities, fabrics, textures…

“What, so no one else could look good in it?" Paris retorts. "I think you could put on a potato sack and you’d look just as good as you do now.”

Damien goes still and quiet as he does when he’s completely overwhelmed by even the cousin of a compliment.

“I’d have to second that,” Charys agrees, sitting up to place his hands on Damien’s shoulders. He startles at the touch, relaxing slightly when Charys begins massaging his stiff shoulders.

Charys just wanted to feel the dark green velvet jacket that looks just as good on Damien as he predicted, perfectly complementing his dark hair down to the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. But the allure of touching his lover overtakes him.

He’s done himself in by putting Damien in white earrings that drip from his ears and sparkle in the light.

“I’m sure I’d look in gold just as I do in everything else,” snaps Damien, sensitive, unwittingly agreeing with them. He stands up, and Charys mourns the loss of warmth under his fingertips. “What about Charys?”

“What about me?”

“You’d be—beautiful.” Charys sees and appreciates the difficulty Damien has pushing the word out. Expressions of his love said aloud have never been his strong suit. The effort makes him smile and his chest flutter like he's learning Damien for the first time. It takes laughably little to bring him back that feeling of giddy newness.

“That’s true,” Paris says. “He always looks beautiful, though.”

“Oh, my gentlemen, you flatter me, but I’m inclined to agree with Damien this time. Gold is not my color. My hair—my hair would clash,” he defends, as the others start arguing. "My skin is white as milk, yellow and I have never been friends, gold neither."

“What are you saying? Your black hair and gold were made to be."

“The dark blue streaks and the gold? My gray eyes? I’m not so sure. Gold is too bright for my image, anyway.” He stands up. “We’re going to be late.”

The others let it go. The conversation falls from Charys’ mind as the three of them finish fixing their hair and climb into a carriage with that meddling gold curling around the edges.

“Only the best for my gentlemen,” Charys says despite their protests, settling back into black leather cushions and closing his eyes for a brief moment. The moon is rising through the orange glow of Paris’ sunset and a thin layer of clouds, and the evening air is wonderfully cool.

Paris and Damien argue that Charys is treating them like always when they should be treating him, this night is about him, and Charys argues that subjecting them to his favorite play should require some compensation. They retort that to share his joy is a luxury in itself—well, Paris argues that, Damien is too shy to say it aloud.

Charys lets Paris win. His chest fills with a warmth he’s never found anywhere else.

They pull up to the theater, and everything gold drops from his head.

***

The topic doesn’t come to mind again until Charys is trying on old clothes and fitting together new ones. A rare eventless day lends them time to sort through the depths of their wardrobe and prepare for the next time they go to the theater—or to the square, or even to the bank of the river to watch Paris play in the black water. Charys would never miss an opportunity to be dressed in their finest just to go outside, if it meant being seen by other people.

The only opinions and attention that truly matter to them are those of their lovers, though. They won’t pretend otherwise.

Hanging on a wooden coat hanger are long golden robes in a similar style to their favorite black ones, the ones they have five pairs of and wear most often. The sleeves of those very robes, wide and embroidered in dark blue, fall down their arms as they pull the gold robes free.

These golden robes, however, have strips of fabric meant to trail behind them, made of a thin and shimmery fabric . A thin layer of dust coats the shoulder padding—these are surely Paris’, bought for the colder months when he actually bothers to cover his chiseled chest. Somehow it wound up in here.

Paris wears his gold and wears it well, with pride, the frequent white chitons offsetting his golden hair and the permanent tan of his skin. No one can deny he is the incarnation of golden sunsets, from their color to their warmth to their aura of simplicity and comfort. But Charys harkens back to his suggestion a few weeks ago, the delectable idea of Damien in gold, their own dismissal of how gold would look on them.

Charys hesitates with the hanger in their hand, wondering. There’s no way Damien will agree to this, but that doesn’t mean they can’t perform an experiment.

The three of them don’t have an outing planned this evening, just dinner and falling asleep in a pile on the couch, perhaps to the soft sound of Damien reading or Paris singing.

The chipping white paint on their nails, chosen by Damien, will never go with this, but that’s an easy enough matter to fix discreetly. Charys has used their free moments over their immortal existence well to teach themself very valuable skills—they haven’t messed up nail paint in years and years, and the last time was because Damien was distracting them.

They blow off the robes again, resigning themself to trying to fix the creases in the skirts before the others get home.

An hour later, as Charys is fiddling with their earrings and turning every which way in the mirror, dinner from the fish place down the black river laid out on the table, the front door begins opening.

They quickly smooth down their robes one more time and wait, hands clasped, for Paris and Damien to round the corner. The two of them are talking in low tones, followed by the unmistakable sound of Damien’s soft laugh, before his short wavy hair enters Charys’ line of sight.

“Charys, you wouldn’t believe the kind of day we’ve both had, souls thinking they were both dead when—” Damien stops in his tracks.

Paris, who was evidently expecting an answer to a question, says, “Damien?” and comes to stand beside him. “Holy River Black.”

Charys can only smile.

Paris stalks toward them, walking around them and muttering awed endearments. The pin of his own chiton has come undone, as it usually does at the end of the day, and the white trails along the floor while his glorious tan chest lays exposed.

“I know it was my suggestion, but you have no right to look this good,” Paris says, hands on his hips and attempting to glare. He can’t keep the pure wonder out of his ocean eyes, though, and his defiance dies when Charys steps toward him.

“See?” Damien says, much more composed. The hood of the coat he wears to banish the cold in the in the between is down—black today instead of the usual white—an indication he's relaxed. “The gold goes supremely with your hair and your eyes. I know you’re the expert on these things, but I think we’ve found your blind spot.”

Charys resists the urge to roll their eyes. “It’s just some clothing. I’m still me.”

Paris closes the gap between them to place his hands on Charys’ face, kissing them hard. “Don’t for a moment think we’re saying we only love you because of the outstanding things you wear.”

“That’s certainly part of the reason,” Damien says, leaning against the column holding the ceiling up with his arms crossed.

“Damien! I’m trying to tell our dear lover, who will probably look better than we ever will in anything because they actually know what the hell they’re doing, that we love them for much more than their clothes.”

Some of Charys’ burning vulnerability from all the attention vanishes. They grin. “Oh, Paris, I’m not offended in the least. My dear Damien, was that a joke?”

Damien smiles, letting it overtake his whole face the way Charys knows is rare. They take the skirts of the robes in their hands for something to do, swaying idly back and forth. The fabric may be light, but the bulky shoulders and light sleeves in the middle of this summer heat make Charys roll their shoulders to dispel some of the heat, or at least try. This just makes Paris groan.

“You look even more ethereal than always,” Paris cries. “I pity the public the day they see you like this.”

Charys shakes their head. “This is just for you.”

“Aw, Charys—”

“It would rather destroy my image if I were to be seen in anything brighter than dark green dark enough to be mistaken as black.”

Damien grins at the ceiling. Paris groans.

Charys stares at the bits of gold in Damien’s eyes and wonders. “Damien…”

Damien turns his relaxed, loose, beautiful smile to Charys, shaking his bangs out of his eyes. “Yes?”

Charys doesn’t say a word. Paris begins chuckling as he figures it out.

Damien is next. His smile slowly fades and he points a finger at them both. “No. I will not wear your damn robes.”

“Please, my heart,” Charys says, taking his cheek in their hands. Damien sighs and leans into their hand, kissing the tips of their gold painted fingernails. “For me? For us?” they add.

“You know you don’t have to if you really don’t want to,” Paris cuts in. “You know we would never force you into anything at all.”

Damien smiles faintly, still refusing to meet Charys’ eyes. “For you,” he mutters at last, dragging his eyes up, and the look Charys finds there makes them shiver. Only a hint of hesitation shows in the deep brown, the rest is all interest.

Charys smiles slowly. “I look forward to it.”

The moment is broken when Paris asks, “Charys, you bastard, did you get the fried fish from that fish place down the road? Damien, come on, forget about gold!”

***

The day Damien finally puts on gold is when Charys is least expecting it—though that’s rather the point, probably.

This time, it’s Charys who’s out of the house all day with the others at home. It’s a long day of comforting the usual frightened souls struggling to comprehend their status, watching older ones slowly relax into the afterlife they’re discovering is better than their life, and visiting the ones who’ve been there the longest and luxuriate.

Some days Charys is so busy with welcoming newly dead souls that he has no time for the seasoned ones, but when he does, it brings a sweet ache for home. Home lies with Damien and Paris, where Charys’ heart has taken residence equally in the depths of theirs, but he longs for the comfort of the riverside house, despite usually having left it that morning.

That’s not always a given, either—there have been many occasions where one or all of them have had to sleep in their respective places of business, and there have been days and weeks when they haven’t seen each other or the riverside house at all.

Those reunions are always sweeter than sweet, but thankfully Charys didn’t have to wait weeks to see his loves again. He only had to survive a long twelve hours in the mansion of the dead starting at the crack of dawn. Leaving the warmth of the bed and the tangle of four arms who seemed intent on making him stay was the hardest part—it always is—but now he’s back at the riverside house, letting some of his walls come down.

He pauses for a moment outside the white front door to regain the breath he’s been short on all day, letting his shoulders slouch and rolling up the sleeves on his dark robes a bit before pushing the door in.

All is silent. Perhaps the others aren’t home yet? No, Charys has a foggy memory of Paris telling him they weren’t going to work today. The three of them have assistants who are capable of handling most minor problems and the routine work of registering new souls to the afterlife and helping ones still in their life, but they all prefer to work themselves.

They are the patron of the dead, the lord of the in between, and the ambassador of the living. To leave their duties in the hands of someone else feels instinctively wrong.

Charys pushes further into the house, the wide sitting room to the right and the kitchen further beyond, around every support column, the bath chamber hidden behind a wall to the left, and when he still finds no one, he finally heads up the creaky wooden stairs. He checks their offices, the study, the little library that’s really just there for him, the empty bath chamber, and their shared bedchamber at the very end of the hallway.

Resigned to the fact that he’s the only one home, he begins unbuttoning his robes and reaching for the closet on instinct when he notices that it’s already open and a lantern is lit inside. Paris stands next to Damien, who is wearing the brightest, most delectable golden robes Charys has ever seen.

They’re not even the robes Charys wore. These are entirely different, without the puffs at the shoulders and closer in style to Paris’ beloved chitons. A crown of golden laurel sits on Damien’s hair, free of its usual oil, and when he moves Charys notices the black boots and gold laces going up to his knees.

Charys can’t speak, can’t move. He gains an appreciation for the way the two of them felt upon seeing him in his own gold. Damien is staring at him with a flush painting his cheeks, an embarrassed smile spread across his mouth. Charys swears there’s gold glitter on his cheeks, but the only way to be sure is to step closer, his plan anyway.

Paris is equally flushed, pink atop his tan skin. His head turns to see what has so captured Damien’s eye. The moment Paris clocks him, he drags Damien close by the lapels and kisses him with a clearly pent up passion. Charys is still speechless, he can only watch and feel his heart thaw and heat and melt into a molten puddle.

The love in his chest that blooms and grows for them only seems to blossom more every day. It’s the most precious thing Charys has ever had, and just getting to watch them kiss like this still makes his breath hitch after all this time, like he’s kissing them himself. Oh, what he would give to be able to give both of them that attention at once.

He finally gains control of his feet and strides toward them. He doesn’t know where to put his hands in the face of such pure beauty as Damien wrenches away from the kiss, gasping. A stronger one than Charys can resist Damien’s pink lips, wonderfully framed by the gold and brown. Charys is torn between the insatiable urge to kiss touch and the yearning curiosity to feel those boots, individual of fashion that he is.

The moment he has his composure again, he’s going to demand to know where and when Damien got this outfit, especially those boots, and also how he carried it out so secretly. He underestimates Damien’s capability for secrecy. Being the most mysterious man in three realms seems to have that effect.

“Hey, hey, let me have a turn,” Paris says, shaking Charys’ shoulder. “I was going to kiss him the moment I saw him, but he made me wait until you got home. I know it wouldn’t have been the same, but honestly, can you blame me?”

Charys wrenches himself free of Damien to point his finger and say, “You are not allowed to suggest something for any of us to wear ever again. This is what happens. Are you trying to kill me?”

“You are the patron of death, I would think you’d be well equipped—”

Charys takes his shoulders and kisses him, too, hoping he’ll feel every bit of his spite and revenge. He hates how good Damien looks. He can’t get it out of his head even as he has Paris grasping at the back of his neck, attacking him like a starving man.

The gold compliments Damien so well, he glows with it under the yellow lantern light in this closet that’s too cramped for three people to stand in.

Charys has to tear away to look at him again, especially the way the crown suits his hair. Charys has always been a sucker for Damien’s hair without oil, anyway, when his almost-curls get to be free for Charys’ fingers to run through without feeling disgusting.

He looks so much softer like that, too. People call him brooding, scary, reclusive, but only Charys and Paris get to see the smiling, eternal boy under the white hood he wears to the in between.

“You know I hate it when you fight over me,” Damien says, breathlessly.

“Oh, darling, we’re not fighting over you,” Charys says. “We’re both appreciating your majesty in our own ways.”

“It sounds like you’re fighting over who gets to appreciate me the same way first.” Damien smiles softly again, obviously still self-conscious, and Charys is really so in love he could happily die. They’ve had debates over whether he is actually dead, as patron of death.

He’d only be happy dead if he could keep these two by his side in any of their realms, though. Life, death, afterlife, he couldn’t ever do without them, no matter what color any of them are wearing.

Things like gold and Damien's hair without product and the keen glint in Paris' eye just remind Charys why he wants to share every moment of his existence with them.

aet taglist (lmk to be added/removed) @magic-is-something-we-create @47crayons @chayscribbles @metanoiamorii @ashen-crest @doggo038

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the first date

Damian wakes up to two wildly different texts, one from Cady and one from Janis.

Cady’s is about what he can expect from her; if not a touch more nervous.

Little Slice: Good morning Damian!! I’m sure Janis has already told you but she’s taking me on a date tonight and she won’t tell me where we’re going do you have time to come over and maybe help me put together something to wear???? love you!!

And then there’s Janis.

Janjan: dame can u come over today i’m taking caddy out tonight and i’m losing my shit

Oh boy. He’d been absolutely thrilled when they’d finally announced they were dating, but he should’ve known they would never make it easy on him. He decides to go to Cady’s first, Janis will need his support right up until she leaves to go get her.

He texts both of them while he has breakfast and feeds his little french bulldog, Pippa. He learns that Janis is picking Cady up at four to take her to the zoo, so he has a couple hours to kill before he needs to be with either of them. He sends a text to Cady letting her know he’ll be over around one, getting a thumbs up and several heart emojis in response.

True to his word, he knocks on the Heron’s front door at exactly one, greeting Cady’s mom politely before she shoos him up to Cady’s room. She’s sitting at her desk, still in her Lion King pajamas, working on what Damian can only assume is calculus. He taps lightly on the doorframe, wincing a little as she jumps practically out of her chair before snapping her head to look at him. Once she sees it’s him, though, she smiles brightly and rushes up to hug him, as if she had no idea he was coming.

“Damian! You’re here! I totally lost track of time, I was doing math to relax because Janis won’t tell me anything about where we’re going so I don’t know what to wear or how many people are going to be there and I don’t know what to expect so I’m nervous but it’s also my first date with Janis and I’m so excited and-“ She bursts out rapidly. He envies her breath control, sometimes.

“Whoa, little slice. Deep breaths. I’m here to help, she told me what she has planned and it sounds really cute. I think you’ll like it,” Damian says lowly, massaging her arms to help calm her. “There will probably be a fair number of people around, but I don’t think you’ll notice them and they will definitely not notice you. And I’m here to help you pick something to wear that’ll make Janis combust when she sees you. Okay?”

“Okay. Thanks Damian,” she says, resting her chin on his chest and grinning up at him. He gives her another tight squeeze before making his way to her closet.

“Oh, my god. Okay,” He whispers to himself once he opens it. It’s a violent clashing of various flannels and bright pinks, but he spies a few pieces he can probably work with. “I’ve never seen a lot of this stuff before! Most of this is really cute,” He exclaims, pulling out a yellow sundress that it’s definitely still too cold out to wear.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to go through and give stuff to Gretchen and Karen that I know I won’t wear. Some of it just isn’t me, and some of the fabrics bug me,” Cady mutters shyly, as if he’d ever judge her for that.

He would never judge her, but he had not taken it into consideration. “Okay, so what kinds of fabrics or textures irritate you?” He asks, flicking through what she has hanging.

“Um, wool or anything scratchy, certain kinds of denim, and most things made of polyester, off the top of my head.” That limits the Plastic side of the closet rather severely.

“What about corduroy?” He asks, spying a green overall dress she bought at the tail end of her time as a Plastic. The color is almost exactly the same as Janis’ favorite jacket, maybe he can coordinate a color scheme. She reaches out to feel it before nodding. “Groovy, now we just need something to go under it.” They’re in the midst of what’s known as “Fool’s Spring”, so it’s just about warm enough outside for her to leave her legs bare. He starts digging through her stuff again, looking for some kind of top to go underneath the dress.

“Did you just say ‘groovy’ in earnest?”

“Yes, I did, thank you.”

“I have some more stuff in my dresser if you want to look at those,” Cady says, decidedly moving on. He puts the discarded garments back on their hangers and closes her closet carefully before moving to root through the drawer she’s pulled open.

“Don’t you judge me, Miss Grool. Let’s see what we have in here,” He says, grinning to himself a little as he pulls out several of Janis’ hoodies. “You guys have only been officially dating for, like, two weeks! How did you already get all these?”

Cady flushes, nearly matching her hair. “She gave me one a long time ago, and it was so comfy I just... never gave it back. And now I borrow them whenever she’s not looking. But only the ones she doesn’t really wear! And I’ll give them back. Eventually.”

Damian laughs at that, knowing full well she won’t give them back until Janis notices they’re gone. “I say go for it, little slice. Payback for her stealing mine since we were little.”

“Aww, you guys must’ve been so cute,” Cady coos, stretching up and pinching one of his cheeks like a grandmother would. “I wanna see pictures soon.”

“You’ll have to fight Jan on that one,” he says, pulling out a black sweater made of the softest fabric he’s ever felt. “Holy shit, this is so nice. Is this one you can handle?”

“Oh yeah, that’s my favorite sweater, I forgot about that. Thanks Dame,” she says, taking it from him gently.

“Okay now go put this on so I can be sure it actually works together,” he demands, clapping his hands and shoving her delicately towards the bathroom. He knows it will, he just wants to see Cady in it.

She shuffles back in a few minutes later and gives a little twirl, holding her hands out to her sides. Damian pretends to take pictures of her like she’s on a runway, and they both start laughing as she goes along with it and starts doing various exaggerated poses.

After a few minutes of shenanigans, he checks the time and realizes he’s been at her place for nearly an hour and a half. Cady is very easy to get lost in conversation with.

“Are you gonna be good if I go now? I have to take Pippa on a walk before dark and run some errands for my mom,” He says, coming up with a little white lie in case Janis doesn’t want Cady to know what he’ll actually be doing.

She nods and comes to hug him goodbye, reaching up to squish his cheeks. He’s exactly a foot taller than her, so she has to reach just a little to get to him, making them both giggle. She gives him one last squeeze, muttering, “Give Pip a snuggle for me?” into his chest before pulling away. He says he absolutely will before wishing her luck and leaving her alone. First job done.

——

Janis’ ten-year-old sister, Juliana, opens the door for him as he steps onto the porch. Their mom must be running errands or something, she doesn’t work Saturdays.

Julie pulls him down to mutter “She’s a mess,” into his ear before running back to the living room with a squeak as Janis calls “I heard that!” from the top of the stairs.

“I’m not a mess,” she murmurs as she reaches him at the bottom, but Damian can tell her anxiety is getting to her.

“Have you taken your meds today?” He whispers into her hair, groaning as she shakes her head. “Janis Olivia, I swear. You gotta take those regularly or they don’t work. Go take them and get something to eat. I’m gonna go pick your outfit.” He pushes her lightly towards the kitchen and thanks the heavens she goes willingly.

Letting himself into her room, he sees the telltale signs of a stressed Janis. Sketchbook open to a random page on her bed, filled with rough sketches of a familiar little redhead. She left her phone blaring music on her nightstand, and he can see faint footprints in the plush carpet from where she’s been pacing.

Damian knows Janis’ closet very well, as she makes him pick her clothes for any important event. He has an outfit in mind already, but he’s a little worried about how Janis will react to part of it. He pulls out the pieces he wants, laying them on her bed gently as she waltzes in. She shuts off the music before turning to look.

“Pants?” She grimaces as soon as she sees what he’s picked. He called it.

“I know, I know, but hear me out. You can still wear your fishnets underneath, they’ll look cool with the rips. And, Cady’s never seen you wear pants before! All you’ve ever worn are your shorts and dresses,” he begs. He knows Cady will love her in this, and it’s in Janis’ comfort zone enough that she’ll still feel confident in it.

“Fine. Turn around, loser.” She grumbles, faking annoyance. He obliges, turning around and covering his eyes until she says he can look. He turns back to face her as she’s pulling her less-decorated green jacket over her black and white checkered crop top, and adjusting where the rips fall on her black mom jeans. “How do I look?” She asks, spinning around like Cady did.

“Bitchin’.” He says, pushing her to her mirror so Janis can see herself. She checks herself out, and Damian can see the grin growing on her face. She really does look great, if he does say so himself.

“Okay, yes, you did a great job, as always. Thank you,” she says as she turns around to hug him. “Now can you help with my hair and makeup?”

———-

Damian pretty much does her typical makeup, just with slightly less around her eyes. After he finishes swiping on her signature dark purple lipstick (and making extra sure to set it enough), they both start talking at the same time.

“Do you think the zoo is too cliché?”

“Can I try something different with your hair?”

“Do whatever you think will look best, Dame. I trust you. But really, is it dumb?”

He grabs her mom’s curling wand and gets to work after putting on a heat protectant. “I don’t think it’s dumb, I think it’s cute. You want to do something she’d like, and she loves animals. Caddy chased that duck around the park for, like, half an hour last week, she’ll love it.”

Janis bursts out laughing at the memory, trying not to move her head to avoid getting a serious burn. “I didn’t think I’d be this nervous. We went out all the time when we were just friends, but like, what if she hates it? What if I’m so awkward she changes her mind and decides she doesn’t want to date me after all? What if I do something dumb and she gets uncomfortable?”

“And what if it’s perfect? Janjan, Caddy’s been pining for you for the better part of a year, and she’s been your best friend for even longer. If she hasn’t run off screaming by now, she’s not going to.” He says comfortingly, shutting off the iron and starting to run a brush through her two-toned hair. “Now hold still, you’re gonna mess it up.”

Janis goes stiff, holding as still as she can. He can tell she’s still very nervous, but she seems to be doing better than earlier, since she didn’t immediately try to contradict everything he just said.

He starts brushing her hair up into a high ponytail, asking “So are you only taking her to the zoo? Or do you have some other scandalous plan for later that you’re not telling me about?” to distract from what he’s doing. It was a valiant attempt that failed miserably, and she shoots him a look in the mirror.

“Um, if she’s not too tired I was gonna take her to that clearing by the pond we found a while ago to watch the stars. She knows all about that stuff,” She murmurs, fiddling with a scrunchie. Regretfully, it is the one Damian needs, so he plucks it delicately from her fingers and gives her the brush to play with instead.

He snaps the scrunchie into place around the ponytail, spraying it lightly with hairspray so the curl holds. He wipes some pretend tears from under his eyes, saying, “My baby girl, all grown up, going on her first date,” with highly exaggerated emotion. Janis laughs, shaking her head and watching her hair bounce around in the mirror.

——-

Julie manages to corral them into playing Mario Kart for a bit, Janis only being able to do one race before she has to go. She grabs her backpack and the large pile of blankets from by the door and puts her boots on, going to kiss both of them on the forehead and remind her sister to feed their cat, Pancakes.

“Get out of the way, Janny, I’m about to win,” Julie whines, kicking her lightly in the shins.

Damian cackles at that, saying “Yeah right, squirt. Have fun, Janjan. Make good choices and send me pictures,” Before also shooing her out of the way. Janis rolls her eyes at them as she locks the front door behind her and texts her mom that she’s going but left Julie with Damian.

——

Janis hears her phone ping as she’s pulling up to Cady’s house. She dries her slightly sweaty hands on her pants before digging for her phone in her bag, grinning as she sees the message.

Cady Girl: Do I need to bring money or anything??? I can’t wait to see you btw, I’m so excited!!!!! 

Janis texts her back, telling her all she might need to bring is a blanket and reminding her to wear good shoes since they’ll be walking a lot.

She grabs the flowers and cup she acquired on her drive over and heads up to the door, knocking politely. Cady opens it with a squealed “Janis!” before she’s in her arms, nearly knocking the stuff out of her hands.

Cady clocks them after a few seconds, asking, “Are those for me?” and pointing to the flowers.

Janis pecks her on the cheek in greeting, answering, “No, these are for your mom. Damian said it’d be a good idea. This is for you,” and handing her the venti chai she got from the Starbucks a few blocks out of their neighborhood.

“Aww, Jan, that’s so sweet. Thank you,” Cady coos at her, taking the cup and calling for her parents. “Mom, Daddy, Janis is here! She got you flowers!” Janis flushes bright pink as Mrs. Heron emerges from the kitchen.

“Oh, hello Janis. Thank you, these are lovely,” she says, taking them from her before turning to Cady. “Binti, you know the rules. Home by ten and make good choices.”

“Yes, mom, I will,” Cady says as she hugs her mom goodbye, turning to grab her bag and the blanket she picked out. “Tell dad I said bye. Love you,” she calls as she drags Janis out by the hand and shuts the door loudly behind her. “Sorry about that, she can be so embarrassing sometimes.”

“Nah, don’t be sorry. It’s cute,” Janis says, opening the door to her truck for Cady to be chivalrous. She gets in on the other side and chuckles as Cady sips her tea, cradling the cup as if it’s the most precious thing she’s ever been given.

“You’re wearing pants! And your hair is up!” Cady nearly chokes on her drink as she finally notices, reaching out to tug gently on a curl and watch it spring back into place. “You look so beautiful.”

Janis flushes scarlet again. “Thanks. So do you,” she mutters, grabbing Cady’s hand and kissing her knuckles, feeling the last of her nerves fading into the background.

“So do I get to know where you’re taking me yet?”

“Nope. I want it to be a surprise. Just enjoy the ride, Peanut.” Janis says, reaching for Cady’s hand again as she drives. She takes it and starts playing with her fingers, fiddling with her rings.

“Fine,” Cady pouts. They continue chatting quietly, Janis rubbing her thumb over the back of Cady’s hand. After a while, she goes quiet. Janis looks over to see her asleep, curled up adorably in her seat. Maybe it’ll be a surprise after all. Now she can’t see all the signs saying “ZOO” they keep driving by.

————

Cady still hasn’t woken up by the time Janis has paid for and found a parking space. She goes around to open her door for her, shaking her awake gently.

“Caddy. We’re here, it’s time to wake up.”

“Noooooo,” Cady whines, pawing indignantly at her hand and curling into herself.

“Yeeeees,” Janis laughs. “Come on, this’ll be fun!” She reaches over to click Cady’s seatbelt off, grabbing her hands and hauling her to her feet.

Cady rubs at her eyes blearily, looking around to see where she is. It takes her a second, but once she sees the big lion on the sign nearby it clicks and she jumps into Janis’ arms.

“Jay! We’re at the zoo?!” She squeals into her ear.

Janis laughs as she scoops her up, spinning her around a few times before setting her down again. “Yeah, do you like it?”

“Yes! Come on, let’s go, let’s go let’s go! I wanna go in!” Cady exclaims, bouncing excitedly as she grabs Janis’ hand and goes into a full-tilt run towards the gates.

“Caddy, Jesus, please slow down a little. It’s not even five yet, we have time,” Janis calls.

Cady stops suddenly, turning to look at her. “Oh, sorry. I got carried away,” she says sheepishly. Janis tips her chin up and boops her nose lightly.

“Don’t be sorry, I’m glad you’re excited. Just do it at a speed I can handle,” Janis tells her, breathing a little heavier. Cady grabs her hand again, gentler this time, and starts walking them at a much more reasonable speed towards the gates.

——-

“Where do you wanna go first, Kitkat?” Janis asks, flicking through the map she grabbed once she’d bought their tickets.

“Uhm...” Cady hums pensively. “The aquarium?”

“Sounds great, that’s this way,” Janis answers, pointing down a pathway to their left.

Once they enter the dark building, Cady makes a beeline for the small touch tank, rolling up her sleeves and quickly skimming the rules before sticking a hand in, giggling as a little stingray comes up and brushes against her. Janis comes up behind her, putting her arms around her waist and bending down to rest her chin on her shoulder.

“Do you wanna feel, Jayjay?” Cady asks, holding Janis’ hands with her free one. Janis shakes her head, kissing her jawline gently.

“Nah, I don’t like touching wet things that move. Creeps me out,” she says, prompting a laugh from Cady, who reaches up to pat her cheek with her dry hand.

“We’ll have to go to the petting zoo then, I saw it on the map. Those are just dry things that move,” She teases, turning her head around and kissing Janis’ nose before moving to get some hand sanitizer.

Janis takes her now clean hand and leads them deeper into the building, towards a much, much larger tank that reaches the high ceiling, filled with various tropical fish. Cady goes up to press her face against it, pointing excitedly as a massive shark swims right past her.

Janis stays back for a second, sneaking a quick picture of her, illuminated by the lights in the tank. It gives her auburn hair an almost ethereal glow, making her look like some sort of siren. She puts her phone back into her pocket, deciding to paint the photo later.

Cady turns around to grin at her, gesturing for Janis to come look at the fish. Janis comes up, taking a place next to Cady and admiring the brightly colored fish swimming by. They really are beautiful, but she’s more interested in sneaking glances at her girlfriend’s excited smile.

Cady suddenly throws her arms around her, burrowing into her chest. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she mutters, resting her chin on her chest and smiling up at her. “I love it.”

Janis wraps an arm around her shoulders, brushing Cady’s hair from her forehead with her other hand before leaning down and peppering kisses on all the freckles she can see. She wants to kiss her on the lips, it certainly wouldn’t be their first, but she’s still anxious about doing so in public. Cady squeals at the sensation, smushing her face into her chest again.

“Janis?” she murmurs after a moment.

“Hmm?”

“Can we get food?”

Janis laughs, kissing her hair again. “Yes, we can. Let’s go find something.”

——

Once Cady is satisfied with her belly full of pizza, they make their way over to the section of the park with the African animals, which they’re both the most excited about. Janis has to grip her hand firmly to stop her from running off again.

Cady rushes through the gorillas and hyenas, prattling off every fact she knows so quickly Janis can’t really understand what she’s saying, but she nods and enjoys them nonetheless.

Eventually, they find themselves on a tall platform overlooking the giraffe enclosure, and Cady practically starts vibrating with excitement when she sees the sign listing all the feeding times. Janis looks over and sees the next one is in three minutes, wordlessly going to get in line to buy a bucket of lettuce.

Cady barely notices her absence, pressed up against the fence and admiring the tall creatures as they come up to get fed. Janis hands her a bit, laughing as one comes up directly in front of them and promptly begins to lick the railing separating them.

Cady proffers her leaf, laughing as Janis yelps “What the fuck?!” when its long, alien tongue pokes out to grab it.

A zookeeper comes up, informing them that their giraffe’s name is Georgie and politely asking them not to pet him before wandering off to the next group. They take turns feeding him and taking pictures of each other doing so, until Cady sticks her hand in the bucket to get another bit of lettuce and notices they’ve run out. She pouts sadly as they both wave goodbye to Georgie before returning the empty bucket and washing their hands at the small sink on the other side of the platform.

——

They go see the lions next, Janis’ heart giving a painful squeeze as she watches Cady stare longingly through the fence, pressed against it as close as she can be. She loves her life here now, but every once in a while her heart longs for her old friends. She stands there, watching as the gentle breeze ruffles the mane of the one closest to her, and as the new cubs chase each other around. She’ll see her own lions again, someday. She knows it.

Janis snaps another sneaky picture of her, sending it to Damian with a sad face emoji; he responds in kind with several more crying emojis. Cady doesn’t linger for too long, coming up to Janis for a quick hug before they move on.

Janis keeps an arm around Cady’s shoulders, squeezing her gently as they walk toward the elephant and rhino building. She winces at the smell as soon as they enter, but Cady doesn’t seem fussed by it. They walk down the hall to where the large windows are, looking for an opening in the wall of people blocking them.

Janis thinks she’s found an area behind a few people. She can certainly see fine. “Aww, there’s a little baby one. Look, Cads,” she says, pointing.

“Jay, I can’t see anything. There’s people in the way.” It is at this point that Janis suddenly remembers that Cady is 5’3 on a good day, and that she’s a whole seven inches taller than her girlfriend.

“Oh, sorry Peanut,” Janis says sheepishly. “Hold on a second.” She hunches over, gesturing for Cady to climb onto her back. She obliges with a giggle, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and resting her chin on top of Janis’ ponytail as she grabs her thighs to hold her steady. Once she’s sure Cady’s secure, Janis straightens back up.

Now that her eye level is a good foot higher than it used to be, Cady can indeed see the baby elephant Janis was referring to, cooing over it as memories of Kenya come flooding back once again. They walk around a little, listening to the recording of a voice listing facts about the creatures and the area they normally live in, Janis laughing as Cady confirms or debunks everything the robotic voice says.

Cady is still clinging to Janis like a baby monkey as they leave the building, burying her nose in Janis’ apple-scented hair and pressing a few kisses to the top of her head. Janis doesn’t seem to mind, though, adjusting her grip and trying desperately not to think about the amount of bare thigh Cady’s dress is making available for her to hold onto.

“Where next, baby?” She asks, freezing as the pet name slips out of her mouth before she can stop it.

Cady pretends not to notice it for the moment, murmuring, “Erm... penguins?” into her ear softly.

“Did you just pick those because they’re all the way across the park and you want me to carry you more?”

“Maybe,” Cady hums, squishing her cheek against Janis’ warm, flushed one. As Janis starts walking she decides now is probably an okay time to ask about the name. “I’m baby?”

Janis bursts out laughing at that, much to her confusion. “Sorry, that’s an old meme I haven’t shown you yet. I’ll do that later. If you don’t like it I can call you something else. I just thought it fit,” she mutters the end quietly.

“No I love it! Aaron never nicknamed me,” Cady says before remembering mentioning her ex on her first official date with her new girlfriend was potentially not the best move. Stupid with love. “But now I have to come up with more cute things to call you!” She tightens her grip on Janis’ shoulders slightly.

———-

She’s spent the entire walk over to the Antarctica exhibit thinking of something to call Janis. “What about Jellybean? That’s fun,” she asks as Janis gently sets her on her feet again.

“Absolutely not,” Janis squeaks, turning away and pretending to be very interested in an informative plaque to hide how much she’s blushing.

“Aww, you’re all blushy. You’re just as sappy as I am,” Cady teases, poking her arm lightly.

“No I’m not!” Janis insists, gesturing to herself. “Look at me. Look at my boots, look at my hair. I’m tough. I’m a badass. Now let’s go see some fucking adorable penguins.”

Cady bursts into giggles. “Fine, mpenzi, you’re tough as nails. But you’re also going the wrong way,” She calls as Janis is briskly walking away. She freezes for a second before turning around and confidently going the correct way as if that’s what she meant to do all along.

“We are never speaking of this again.”

———-

They find a little bench just across from the exhibit, deciding just to sit and watch them quietly for a while. Janis nearly falls off the bench at one point, laughing hysterically as two of the penguins start fighting over some fish. She laughs even harder as an exhausted keeper comes out to break them up, looking as if it’s not the first time those two have gotten into it today. Cady’s not really paying attention to what’s happening, just grinning as she watches her girlfriend laugh so freely.

Once Janis has recovered, gently wiping tears of laughter from under her eyes, she takes Cady’s hand and pulls them up again. “Okay, you ready for best first date ever part two?”

“There’s more?” Cady asks. “But this was already so fun.” She pouts, wrapping herself in Janis once again.

“Hell yeah there’s more. I have a legal obligation to spoil you now,” Janis grins, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. “Now come on, we can stop by the gift shop on the way out.”

———

As soon as they walk in, Cady spies a pile of stuffed animals, her eye going specifically to a lion one on top. She runs over to check the price, wincing as she sees that it’s nearly thirty dollars. Janis bought her entrance ticket, and dinner, and let her feed the giraffes, and she didn’t bring any of her own money. She puts it back delicately and makes her way over to where Janis is looking at various keychains.

“Hey, Peanut. Did you find anything?” Janis had definitely noticed her rush over to the stuffed animals, and her dejected frown as she walked over to her.

Cady shakes her head, popping up on her tiptoes to lean her head on Janis’ shoulder. “No, I was just looking. I’ve never been able to find my name on one of these things,” she says, reaching out to flick at one that says Allison. They have her middle name, at least.

“I haven’t either,” Janis says, leaning her head against Cady’s. “At least never spelled correctly. Anyway, do you want to keep looking and see if you find anything? I saw something over there I wanted to grab for Damian,” she lies. The pizza was much cheaper than she had anticipated and her student ID got them

both a discount on their entry fee, so she has a fair bit of money left over. She’s been saving her art prize money, and her mom gave her some to have fun with as well. Time to buy a lion.

She grabs a little bouncy ball for her sister and a pair of sloth socks for Damian. He collects socks, so that’ll make a good enough cover story for now. She snatches the stuffed animal from the pile, rushing up to the counter to buy everything before Cady can see.

She finds her again with both hands in the bin of colorful rocks, sighing at the texture before she removes them again. She jumps lightly as Janis comes up behind her, saying, “Having fun, Kitkat?”

“The texture is satisfying,” she mutters. “Didn’t think you’d find me so fast.”

Janis chuckles, coming up to take her hand. “Are you ready to go?” Cady nods, leading them out the gates and towards Janis’ truck. Janis checks the time once they’ve settled in, finding it to be just before seven thirty. Perfect.

She decides to stop by the Wal-Mart on the way to the clearing to pick up some snacks, Cady still chattering excitedly about how much fun she’s had so far. It must’ve been the tea that put her to sleep last time, now she’s got the most energy Janis has ever seen.

Cady seems a bit confused as they pull into the parking lot, but takes Janis’ hand trustingly regardless. Janis tells her to go pick out a snack she wants, and she nods quickly and darts off. Janis makes a beeline for the chip aisle, immediately grabbing all her favorite kinds before moving on to candy.

In typical Cady form, she comes back carrying only a case of strawberries and two bottles of her favorite sweet tea. “Oh my god, Jan,” she laughs when she sees how many bags Janis is trying to carry. She rushes off once again to grab a cart, returning to Janis and putting her things in it before climbing into the basket herself. Janis raises an eyebrow at her, but ultimately can’t resist the crystal blue puppy eyes blinking pleadingly at her and starts pushing it towards the checkout area with a sarcastic grumble about ‘certain people being too cute for their own damn good’.

———

Janis pulls into the clearing in the woods, telling Cady to close her eyes so she can get everything ready as she cuts the engine.

“Are you gonna murder me now?” Cady jokes as Janis grabs the massive pile of blankets from the backseat and begins making a little nest in the truck bed.

“Yeah,” Janis grunts as she hops up. “Took you out to give you a fun final memory.” It takes her a while, and she swears vigorously as she misses her footing on the way to grab the snacks and nearly falls on her face. She sets all their food up in the middle, and as a finishing touch, puts up Cady’s new stuffie holding up her phone, which is now playing music softly. Not too shabby, but she just hopes her girl likes it.

She goes around to help Cady down, making sure her eyes are still covered as she leads her around to the back before she takes her hands away. “Tah-dah,” she says shyly, but smiles as Cady gasps excitedly.

“Janis! This is incredible! And you bought me that lion,” she squeals, pointing to it. “Thank you!” is all the warning Janis gets before her girlfriend is in her arms, kissing her firmly.

She scrambles to grab her as she suddenly pulls back, saying, “Oh, sorry I didn’t mean- I should’ve asked first,” hastily. Janis sets her down gently before leaning in and pressing their lips together again.

“I appreciate that, but you don’t have to ask anymore, baby. It might take me some time to be comfortable with it in public, but I love your kisses,” She says comfortingly. “Now hop up here and snuggle me.” Cady uses her offered hand as a boost, wriggling up and picking up the stuffed animal to hold it close. Janis follows, getting comfortable in a corner she made extra cushy before gesturing for Cady to come to her.

She obliges, leaning her back against Janis’ chest and resting her head on her shoulder so they can both see the sky. “You don’t have to ask, either,” She murmurs quietly after a few peaceful seconds. “In case you were wondering.”

“Good to know,” Janis says, pulling her tighter against her and wrapping them

both up in another blanket. They watch the sun set in silence, observing the stars getting brighter the lower it gets.

“Which one do you like better?” Janis asks after a long moment.

“Hmm?”

“The sky. Is it better here or in Kenya?”

Cady thinks for a minute. “Uhm, both,” she says softly. “There’s less smog in Africa, obviously, so you can see more. The stars themselves are more distinct and you can see more of them. But everything just stretches on for miles, I could see everything around me, and it always reminded me how alone I was. Here I have you, and Damian, and so many people that I know actually care about me. There’s less sky, but more people to share it with.”

“That’s confusing,” Janis cracks in a ditch attempt to lighten the mood. “What constellations do you know?”

Cady takes her hand gently and uses it to point out what she can see, telling her the scientific names of all the stars she knows and the stories behind all the shapes.

“How do you know all this?” Janis asks after she’s pointed out everything they can see, turning Cady around in her lap to face her.

“My brother taught me when I was little, and then I just kept studying it after that.” Cady surmises, nuzzling into her shoulder and starting to stim with the ends of her hair.

“Your brother?”

“Yeah, he-um. He passed away when I was ten. He was in the military,” Cady says.

“Oh.” Janis says. “I’m sorry. My biological father died when I was four but I still don’t... really know what to say in this kind of situation.” She mumbles, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it, darling. It’s awkward for everyone,” Cady comforts.

“Tell me about him,” Janis asks. “If you want to, no pressure.” She adds hastily, relieved as her girlfriend chuckles lightly.

“Okay, um- his name is Rhys. He was the best, he taught me all about science and stuff, and he always made up games with me when our parents were busy with their research. I used to get nightmares a lot when I was little, and he would sneak into my tent to cuddle me back to sleep before I woke anyone else up,” Cady recalls fondly. “I think he was a genius, too. He knew everything. He wanted to be a doctor, actually. We couldn’t afford to pay for all of his schooling, so he joined the army to get help with that when he was eighteen. He was almost at the end of his service when he died, he was twenty. My parents never told me what happened, all they ever told me was that there was an accident and he was never in any pain.”

Janis presses Cady impossibly closer to her, kissing her soft cherry-scented curls. “He sounds wonderful, baby. Sounds a lot like you, actually.” She says, nuzzling their noses together.

“You think? My parents say that a lot, but I never believed them,” Cady mutters softly.

——-

They continue to chat quietly as the sky gets ever darker, talking about everything and nothing all at once. Eventually, they go quiet, and Cady leans up to press their lips together gently. Janis sinks into her, tangling her fingers into curly auburn hair and nipping her bottom lip softly.

In her head, Janis knows that the universe is above them, stretching infinitely into nothing. But in her heart, she knows that there are just as many stars in Cady’s eyes, just as much beauty in her heart. Her whole universe is right here, in her arms.

--------

lol remember when I said this one would be shorter ?? oh well.

hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading!

-ezzy

Binge-Watching: Pandora Hearts, Episodes 4-7

In which the honeymoon period wears off, the writing is a little too standard for its own good, and a certain friendship still holds strong.

Honeymoon Blues

The critical test for an anime comes when it finishes its setup phase and moves into the plot proper. Plenty of shows have started out strong, with eye-catching premises and exciting developments, only to use up all its good ideas setting up the status quo and have nothing left when our heroes finally embark upon their adventure (whether that adventure be a literal adventure, putting a club together, or anything in between). If you’re gonna ask an audience to stick with you for twelve or more episodes, then you can’t just rely on a strong start to carry them through to the end. The journey that stems from that starting point must be up to the task as well. Pandora Heats had a fairly strong opening volley, establishing strong relationships and moving the plot along at a fast enough clip that you were always discovering something new. But even then, I wasn’t sure how long it would be able to hold my interest. The warning signs were all there that as enjoyable as it was, it might not be able to sustain that enjoyment for the full 25 episodes it asked of my time. And unfortunately, now that the setup is finished and we’ve moved on to our main adventure- searching for fragments of Alice’s memory while uncovering the secret behind Oscar’s past- it looks like those warning signs might be bearing fruit.

The fact of the matter is, Pandora Hearts was always gonna be fighting an uphill battle for me. These kinds of shows aren’t my aesthetic at all; modern anime is advanced enough by now that even the not-so-impressive shows make decent use of digital processing and other computer skills to blend their worlds more seamlessly together, and it’s hard to look back on this era of anime without negatively comparing it to how far we’ve come since then. I just can’t get over how flat everything looks, how dull the colors are, how stiff and limited most of the animation is, how little detail is put into the texture of the world or character designs. And it doesn’t help that the direction is also kind of terrible. Scenes awkwardly fade into each other, the poppy manga-esque gags clash with the overall muted aesthetic, there are weird moment where the show tries to shift styles to impact a dramatic moment but they’re so poorly integrated as to be distracting, it’s just a mess. I do like the monster designs a lot; I’ve always been a fan of the whole fucked-up memories of childhood aesthetic, so all the oversized dolls with creepy sewn eyes dripping blood and opening their gaping mouths wide to swallow our heroes whole are right up my alley. That evil rabbit puppet who torments Alice’s dream world in episode 7? I will see his eyes in my nightmares tonight. But these monsters aren’t on screen for nearly long enough to distract from the awkwardness of the production as a whole.

Old Hat

But it’s not just the production that gives me pause; the writing isn’t exactly the best either. It was working fine enough in the setup phase, throwing all the important characters together bit by bit and building conflicts from their developing relationships until they finally figured out how to work together. But now that the journey’s begun, we have to rely on the group dynamic and everyone’s individual arcs to carry investment, and it’s... well, I don’t want to say it’s completely awful. Break, in particular, is such a sniveling little shit that I can’t help but love him (”We are both taking advantage... I mean, cooperating with each other!”) Dude’s so dedicated to being a little shit that when Oscar stops him from stealing his cake, he just tries to steal his tea instead with the exact same fork, despite there being no way to drink tea with a work. That’s how much of a petty bitch he is, and I appreciate him greatly. But most of the cast suffers from a lack of imagination, pulling from tropes without really making the tropes stand on their own feet. Alice and Raven’s bickering doesn’t feel like it stems from any particular aspect of their characters colliding; rather, it feels like they fight so much because protagonists who don’t get along is a common source of comedy in many fantasy adventures. Alice’s refreshing spunkiness feels like it’s taking a backseat in favor of being the Special Girl who gets dragged around by the plot. And I have no idea what to make of Oscar. He feels like a different character in almost every scene, one moment a dumb kid making goofy faces, the next a jaded noble weary to the ways of the world, one moment overwhelmed by the challenges before him, the next totally confident in facing down his fears. He’s all over the place, and his disparate Protagonist Archetypes don’t really gel into something cohesive. These tropes can work- they’re classic for a reason- but they need more purpose and more energy behind them than they have here.

My Absolute

That said, there is one aspect of Pandora Hearts that does still work for me: Oscar and Gilbert. I knew Gilbert wasn’t dead just yet; he was too important a character in Oscar’s life to sacrifice so early. And the reveal that he’s actually Raven makes for a great twist; Oscar spent ten freaking time-dilated years in the Abyss, and the world has moved on without him. His best friend has grown up into the noble of a rival house, and the trauma of Oscar almost killing him back then still weights heavily on them both. But Oscar isn’t about to let him go, because their bond is too important to him for ten years of difference to shatter it. Sure, it’s basic stuff, but it’s pulled off with genuine heart. We get to see how their relationship became so important to them, how Oscar refused to treat Gilbert as lesser just because he was his attendant, how he considered them on even footing right from the start, even taking a nasty blow for him. Because as Gilbert’s master, Oscar knew it was his job to protect his attendant and make him a valued part of his community. And he still trusts his friend enough to pull a self-sacrificing “I know you’re in there somewhere” mind control break on him, because he knows Gilbert hasn’t changed so much that he’s not still the Gilbert he used to know. All that stuff is great, and I have no trouble getting invested in their dynamic. Get you a boyfriend who’ll face down death for you because dying would be easier than living with the guilt of almost killing you on his shoulders.

Odds and Ends

-”But I’m afraid we have to put you under arrest now.” askjdhaskd fuck’s sake Katsura he just got OUT of prison give him a break

-D’aww, that hat looks good on you.

-”Oz, why do I get the feeling she hates me?” rekt

-”You people are keeping more secrets from me than her.” Good observation, kid.

-”Hi, dad!” “Who are you calling dad?!” That’s it, that’s their dynamic.

-The whole thing with the flower seller girl didn’t really work for me either. Just a random innocent to be brutally murdered (and threatened with rape) for cheap tragedy points. Do better, show.

-So Oz is racing a ticking clock, it seems. I’m sure that won’t be weaponized for tragic effect later on.

-Ooh, nice glass-shattering effect in this memory. Still many secrets to uncover.

-”Unfortunately, I’d rather go treasure hunting than play with dolls.” Hm... I suppose Oscar does have two hands...

-Ah, and the bad guy’s the white rabbit. I see your game.

And on we go. See you next time!

Lol the desperate reaching re the suits. From the very first interviews in S01 Chris repeatedly said his favorite color is blue and he wears it all the time - long before he ever set eyes on Darren and vice versa. How is then blue a CC-color coordination? Does Abby understand that time doesn't run backwards? Last year Darren wore a different color while Chris was in blue again, is Abby's new theory that if Chris is in blue and Darren in whatever color, it's a coordination dammit!

It’s like Saturday was an absolute shit show we saw. The cc fandom was visited by all 3 ghosts of Christmas past/present/future and woke up Sunday with a reborn sense of purpose. Once that purpose was turned on, they have been unable to turn it off. Now EVERYTHING is a poetic representation of crisscolfer- including their suits last night… which didn’t look good together stylistically at all. 

Now that you mention it, Chris does wear a lot of blue. I grabbed a pic of the suit he wore last year- a very similar look.  

I saw this comment and I had to go in on it…

hopelesslydevotedshipping

Both guys looked stunning on their own, but what I love the most is how their styles are almost complimentary of each other. I mean, imagine them standing together side by side. The sheen of Chris’ suit next to the muted velvet of Darren’s. The blue pop off color from Darren’s nails reflected in the subtle blueish tone of Chris’s suit. Somehow they just match, like they are meant to be.

This comment had me feeling some kind of way. Yes, they both look stunning.  In fact, all 4 members of the cc conspiracy theory look stunning. Chris and Will are competing for highest hair and I am living.

I completely disagree with the comment about Chris and Darren’s coats looking good together. Their clash in so many ways..almost like they weren’t planned together! 

Chris’s coat doesn’t look its best under the photography lights on the red carpet. They exaggerate the sheen making it outright shiny and they completely obliterate the beautiful color shift that comes from the fabric’s natural drape. Instead of gorgeous tone-on-tone color, the folds are reading as more or less shiny, giving the entire coat an inexpensive look. The ruching on the sleeves looks like he once had his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, leaving it now a wrinkled mess. Under natural light, the coat is very beautiful. 

The sheen is soft and muted-not at all shiny. The color shifts and changes subtly as the fabric drapes and the ruching on the sleeves looks like it was meant to look, a gorgeous textural contrast to very smooth fabric- silk? satin? IDK my fabrics that well to know by eye. I wish I had a bigger pic to of Chris alone in natural light just to appreciate the design. 

Standing next to Darren’s soft velvet under the harsh lights would have only highlighted the sheen in Chris’s coat- not a good thing. 

But the bigger problem is they are stylistically so different.  They would have looked terrible next to one other as a co-ordinated outfit. Darren’s has loose, oversized, military silhouette. It is so different from Chris’s very traditional, fitted, tuxedo silhouette. Chris’s coat details include an almost tone-on-tone black collar, the dark blue color and the ruching on the sleeves. His pants are made a contrasting matte material and it looks like the jacket material was used to make the tuxedo stripe. He was styled traditionally with a black bowtie- I can’t see the shoes but I have never seen Chris wear funky shoes. Chris’s outfit is gorgeous and next to a standard tuxedo, the details give it a slightly edgy quality…until Darren showed up. Darren’s jacket is sporting a bold gold metallic and red striped trim that is pulling all of the focus and would have overpowered Chris’s outfit entirely. Add the styling- his slim-fit pants, no tie, rock n’roll Louboutin boots, and that beautiful white shirt- even the nail polish- and nobody would see Chris. 

Mia is wearing THE perfect dress stylistically to go with Darren’s outfit- they are clearly together but they are too cool to match. The dress’s ripped bottom is bold, grundy, and nontraditional enough to stand up to Darren’s outfit without pulling focus. Mia is very good at dressing to look like she and Darren thought about their outfits but she never pulling focus from the star. From stories I have heard about fans seeing Darren at Guns n Hoses shows- he does the same for her- he is dressed down and politely refuses photos because she is there to support her.  They are always the coolest looking couple at any event.    

Chris and Will and the hair TO THE GODS.

What really got me going about the hopelessly’s comment was 

The blue pop off color from Darren’s nails reflected in the subtle blueish tone of Chris’s suit. Somehow they just match, like they are meant to be.

First of all, a pop of color on the NAIL will NEVER save 2 horribly clashing outfits.That isn’t a thing. 

is dread nation a good example of a cover utilizing photography/a real model? (please tell me its a good example bc i love it SO MUCH and i haven't even read the book yet)

YEP YEP YEP YEP YEP the dread nation cover is AWESOME and here’s why, even though I’m usually a big proponent of illustrated figures over models for this kind of thing: a) the figure isn’t separated from context b) the photography is a stylistic choice with conceptual relevance rather than a presumed default.

A “a model on the cover as the character” typically works best when the entire cover is comprised of the original photograph, rather than a figure that’s been cut out and pasted over a new background (*unless your design is intentionally collage-ey, like, say, the new Simon VS cover. There’s exceptions to everything). This is common in contemporary YA: good examples off the top of my head include To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and When Dimple Met Rishi.

These are both art directed well, framed interestingly, and edited in a very natural-looking way, with a similar ~ light and modern ~ overall aesthetic that suits the book. (Seriously, the WDMR cover is SO CUTE AND GOOD AND WHAT WE DESERVE.) It’s just straight up harder to do this for fantasy or historical, both logistically (costumes and props are more expensive and harder to obtain) and artistically: “photography of a model in a studio” lends itself to breezy naturalism more easily than ~~~~ high fantasy drama ~~~~~.

To get that high fantasy/historical capital-d-Drama with your photographed model, you normally enter the world of heavy photomanipulation, and while that’s by no means an AUTOMATIC bad thing it throws the door wide ass open for… Issues. 

(See also my The Belles review and…… every romance cover since 2001 or so.)

Because once you start stylizing, where do you stop? And once you pass a certain threshold of unrealism (usually, the point at which you physically cut out the figure from its background) what’s your justification for using photography at all? [real answer: because the alternative, illustration, is expensive and time-consuming.] How are you using the inherent clash between the two to your design’s advantage, rather than making it a burden of visual weirdness? The above two examples are draped in fantasy symbolism but divorced from any context that make them feel ~ real in any intended way; they’re too glossy and obviously composited while trying to convince you that they’re not.

At a certain point, if you refuse to cede realism to stylization, you either have to execute with 101% skill to make it work or you end up in uncanny valley slash extreme cheesiness.

(The Mirror King models got me feelin….. a way. Mostly about how he’s wearing a…… p aintball vest (?) and she’s literally wearing this exact cinderella costume)

(CDs: please get to know some cosplayers/ theater people. you can do better.)

Also I really want to hit this point of “what’s your justification for using photography at all?” It seems like a stupid question, but every single goddam thing in a design should have a reason it looks the way it does, should contribute to a greater stylistic whole. Often the choice to use stock models isn’t a choice, it’s simply a default, the Easiest way to get A Human Figure on the page. To go back to my talk of romance and adult fantasy covers, that’s fine for some genres, but if you’re going to put that much effort into the stylization of your YA fantasyscape, why not do the same for the figures within it? Why not invest in art with a stylization that says something about your story?

One counterpoint to this being that the sentiment that we need more POC on book covers is an important one, and seeing nonwhite models, rather than illustrations, Matters. And I want to be clear that this is not me trying to say illustration is better than photography, or that you can do photomanip THIS WAY but not THIS WAY; when I talk about good vs bad artistic methods and trends, I am not saying X is always better than Y, i am saying, X is normally in a better position to achieve the goals we want to achieve [in this case on fantasy and historical novel covers]. I am making generalizations to which there are plenty of exceptions. Throne of Glass did in theory the thing I want and redid its cover into an illustration, and it SUCKS SUPER HARD, as we all know. Way worse than that weirdly sterile photomanip. This is a rambly post because there’s a lot of nuance and variation in what makes “photographed model” work or not work on a cover, and I don’t want to seem like I’m giving it a blanket dismissal regardless of my feelings about Dread Nation’s cover.

Two good “stock cover model” examples re: fantasy are Shadowshaper and The whole Selection series:

Shadowshaper is flawed (that drop shadow on the title! why! would you do that!) but its use of a model is excellent; it leans into the unrealism of the manip with the paint swirls in her hair that become the primary source of visual interest.

The selection covers aren’t especially popular, but I really honestly think they’re great (and a good example of expanding a cover into a series in an instantly recognizeable but sufficiently varying way.) I’ve always been curious to see what the original photos looked like vs the final, because I can’t tell how much of the sparkles/mirror effects/color/whatever else was edited in vs organically there– it has the dramatic, larger-than-life effect photomanip a ~fantasy~ cover is going for, blended seamlessly with the clearly real model (and the text is interesting and well-balanced.) (to reference my earlier stipulations, this is the rare occurance of the 101% execution.)

SO

TO

BRING

US

BACK

TO

THE THING.

So again, Dread Nation works not only because the design and photographic direction is really tight, but because the model is in context and that context is conceptually sound: this is a civil war photo. This isn’t just imagery pastiched together to look cool, it uses visual cues with specific cultural connotations (the flag draped behind her, the framing, the faint sepiatone, the way it fades out on the right like a damaged antique photograph) to not just tell us what the book is about, but to create this instant gut reaction and sense of drama built off our contextual knowledge of the civil war. Like. You can HEAR this cover, war drums and rifles and [zombie slashing noises] and all, despite not slapping, like, canons anywhere. Subtlety! Incredible!

And it literally would not work as an illustration; it might look cool, but it would lack the visual coding that comes from the realism. That’s what makes a really great photographic cover: if you would actively lose something trying to do anything else.

The other thing I really love about this cover is how the composition really lets its few, well-chosen details (the bloody scythe and the delicacy of the text) breathe, without sacrificing any drama or dynamism to do it. It is fucking hard to use such thin, fussy, textured type effectively on a cover, especially right on top of other imagery, and it’s a testament to the balance of the whole design that it works so well here (and the pairing of it with the tracked-out all caps for the secondary type is [kisses fingers]).

THIS POST IS KIND OF A MESS BUT BOTTOM LINE, DREAD NATION HAS A GREAT COVER AND I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT USE OF MODELS ON BOOK COVERS. THANKS FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK.

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers - 15+

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, The waves are random and edgy with heavily textured tips for an uneven surface. The colour is dark yellow with a medium gold highlight but there are also some ash blonde touches near the tips that break the ‘beautiful’ look. Nothing says sleek like long straight hair and layers can take it to the next level. Long hair tends to mask your face, especially if it is straight. Adding layers to the look can correct that hair around the face starting with shaggy jawline.

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Minimal styling is necessary because glaze with layers naturally adds movement to your hair, meaning you can Press that morning alarm snooze. A side parting and delicate sweeping fringe House star Olivia Wilde is ready to transform this dream bob look. WELL, what are you waiting for. It is another easy to maintain a length bob with fantastic texture and movement.

Short Choppy Layered Hairstyles

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Wavy jagged ends and a multi-layered size with a vibrant shatter effect are the leading trends in today's short haircuts. Modern cuts can have playful disconnected layers with a messy touch and a fabulous sense of movement. For short hair, all wavy haircuts are performed mainly on the basis of bob pixie or line cuts, but they leave an entirely new impression. Lines combined with contrasting textures and color enhancers can bring your usual style to new heights previously unknown.

How do you cut Short choppy layered hair?

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Just don't miss these new bright ideas that seem innovative for the current spring and long-awaited summer. The hair is cut in long layers with close layers at the ends to create this beautiful spiky look along the lower edge. The deep straight round throughout the eruption is suited to oval heart and long face shapes, and there is only a slight wave here and there.

Gorgeous Layered Hairstyles & Haircuts in 2020 - 2021

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Trying to find different ways of a shoulder-length hairstyle can be a bit tricky. It is especially recommended for women over the age of 40, but it also appears cute in young ladies. Flirt in the most classic way possible. Hair cutting but feeling completely deflated. We understand that, and we were there until we discovered the magic powers of layering. Sure you've probably had some layers since a preteen but we're not talking about long blunt or something layers from middle school but instead eye-skimming layers of wavy facial framing that turn bobs and ponytails into works of art.

Short Choppy Haircuts Women are Getting in 2020 - 2021

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, And for inspiration we've taken out the best of the best layered celebrity screenshot looks and hair salon pronto. I don't think about chopping your locks but I don't want to lose too much length. As you can see here, you can continue the wavy bob experience by trying a long bob. Wavy bob style is very popular at the moment this trendy hair color messy hair looks very stylish and effortless.

Short choppy hairstyles

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, That's why. This way your face opens up and is not covered by your long threads. Strong straight lines with golden highlights that emphasize vertical movement make this a favourite for round oval or heart-faced women. The back is teased for exaggerating depth from front to back, and the tips are heavily textured into sharp shapes to complete an extremely stylish look. This is a style of hair fashion fusion that combines wavy straight waves with straight sharp textured tips for a modern style clash vibe.

Short choppy layered haircuts for round faces

Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Beneath the textured upper layers is a cute water shadow that creates a 3D effect to make the hair look denser. A wavy bob style is very popular at the moment with this trendy hair color the same many young women prefer grey and white hair shades. Blame the impressive wisdom of Queen Elsa, or perhaps someone's very influential grandmother, but ultra-light hair is all the rage at the colour trends you'd expect.

Short choppy layered haircuts with bangs

And the soft gleaming blue colour and spiky tips make this wavy bob fab summer hairstyle option. We can't think of a better way to start our list than with a dazzling hairstyle. Not only is bob downright gorgeous but so painting is his choice. This is almost the ideal hairstyle for an unusual woman who can't wait to show off her true colors. If you think platinum blonde locks can be very overwhelming but dark blonde doesn't quite fit your style consider this absolutely stunning and stylish super light blonde hair color. Short Textured Pixie with Choppy Bangs Not only is this illuminating hair colour perfect for spring and summer but elegant waves add some serious flirty elegance that can be taken from the office or the beach. Keep your makeup thin and let your hair do the talking. A short hairstyle that any woman can shake is this voluminous cut. They don't end well and my latest attempt is no exception. And let's face it, I'm a girl, but I'm not always a real girl. Short Choppy Hairstyles To Try Out Today My uniform is holey jeans and a T-shirt. A new hairstyle is said to symbolize a new start in life. Whether it's the start of summer, bad karma short hair will always be in style if you want to give your neck a chance to breathe or survive. But he may be worried about whether they will be able to pull short hair. This dramatic layered cut that is great for every face shape and hair texture works a treat for almost all situations yes that's right. How do you fix a Short choppy haircut? If you're thinking of getting a wavy bob or someone who already needs a style update, check out our favourite Trend wavy hairstyles below. A hairstyle that makes layers of a fallback creates the illusion of longer voluminous hair. By cutting long or short layers into the hair extra texture and oomph is created by taking the look to the next level. Then consider the natural hair thickness and style to completely nail down the look when determining what type of layers you're in. Short Choppy Hairstyles for Any Taste Some use layers to thin thick unruly hair, while others only use them to add size and depth. Read on to learn how you can transform the vibe with a few simple snips. Essentially long layers are achieved by leaving your locks long and cutting just a few inches from the ends of your hair. The goal of reaching layers is to. Short choppy layered bob haircuts Avoid undulating violent lines, and long layers just do the job. Ask your hairdresser for long soft layers and the result will be extra texture and volume. Depending on your face shape, the long layers can be accentuated with some hairs around the face. Be careful not to cross the jawline for an understated vibe. What are choppy hair layers? The middle layers are perfect for ladies with thicker hair or women with natural wavy hair. Layers sometimes begin around the face as high as the cheekbone, highlighting the waves and making them thin. It's a great style to give extra thickness and texture appearance. Short choppy layers curly hair To thin and medium hair. Layered haircuts meet your needs and meet the needs of all people whether short or long to thin or thick hair. For men, layered haircuts suit so many people. Simple. They help add volume to lifeless hair or tame thick and wild hair. Short Choppy Hair Ideas for 2020 The pretty beige blonde shades show it's a contemporary look, and the vertical accentuation creates a lot of texture over the blunt cut ends. try experimenting with different parts to suit your face shape. There are ways to have stylish short hair without looking like you have a mullet (although these are fashionable). There are thin layers cut along the length of your hair, starting with the fringe line for a fashion statement. How can I layer my Short hair at home? Short layers will highlight your face and add movement and shape to your hair. If you're a rebel or a little love boho style, today's Gallery of furry excess and choppy bobs is right to watch what's hot right now. If your hair is thick, this is a great date hairstyle with a layered back that cuts a close stack. The fantastic volume bump at the back sweeps in the line, expertly graduating to create a slight pin curl at the front. What is a choppy lob? On one side of the side face and dark roots casually swept fringe curtains says the pale blonde is ‘urban chic’ loud and clear. Wavy jagged ends and a multi-layered size with a vibrant shatter effect are the leading trends in today's short haircuts. Modern cuts can have playful disconnected layers with a messy touch and a fabulous sense of movement. How do I fix messed up hair layers? For short hair, all wavy haircuts are performed mainly on the basis of bob pixie or line cuts, but they leave an entirely new impression. Lines combined with contrasting textures and color enhancers can bring your usual style to new heights previously unknown. Just don't miss these new bright ideas that seem innovative for the current spring and long-awaited summer. I get dirty and I do things. Hair doesn't get top billing. Short choppy layered pixie haircuts Sometimes there's no bill. But while I don't have pretty hair, I have scissors for DIY and a ridiculously serious dedication to everything. So I bleached the color and cut my hair. Today. This in your hair. In my adult life, my hair was in a constant state of flux. Long hair Short choppy layers I deal with bouts of amnesia that lead to attempts to grow between short haircuts. They don't end well and my latest attempt is no exception. And let's face it, I'm a girl, but I'm not always a real girl. My uniform is holey jeans and a T-shirt. I get dirty and I do things. Choppy Feathered Haircut with Highlights Hair doesn't get top billing. Sometimes there's no bill. But while I don't have pretty hair, I have scissors for DIY and a ridiculously serious dedication to everything. So I bleached the color and cut my hair. Today. This in your hair. Alexa Chung is sometimes credited as the inventor of modern shag hair and has worn many versions of it over the years. Should I get my hair cut Short? Its appearance ranges from short to long at shoulder length somewhere between the chin and shoulders. It can look both mod and stylish depending on how it's styled, and Chung is proof of that. If you carry a little longer hair, you can choose bob hair styles that have been quite popular and trendy lately. Depending on your hair texture, you may prefer the inverted one, the layered one, the wavy one and the curly one. What do Choppy layers look like? A cool bob cut is great for professional women. Reverse Bob is quite nice and stylish. An inverted bob is perfect for thin and Triangle-faced people. If you want a messy look, you can use some root volume and tousle it with the help of your fingers. You can use some gel if you want a smooth look. For the best haircut you always ask a professional salon hair designer for a consultation and service, said owner of the hair care system. How do you hide Short layers? Alan Benfield Bush. Always share your loves desires and lifestyle needs with your hair designer to get a haircut that is clearly designed for you. Yet there are some haircuts that work on many people and others that are almost never proud. I've had the chance to interview the best stylists there about the most and proudest haircuts, so it's the cuts you should think about and the cuts you shouldn't. She adds some messy waves to her style and creates a funky textured look that's great for any casual occasion. Short haircuts with choppy layers We're also in love with the colorful mix of light brown and even blondes to dark brown for the dazzling finish. Her dark blonde locks were reinforced with striking light blonde highlights, which made a very eye-catching effect that illuminated her overall skin. Giving her a wavy bob haircut some style and. Short hair with choppy layers Pizzazz adds some flirty and fun texture to the wave a bit. This look matches perfectly with pink lips and light eye make-up, and features summer styling written all over it. Styling your short hair with bangs is a great way to get a shorter cut than your existing mid-length style or just get a whole new look. Short choppy layered haircuts 2020 - 2021 The blast can draw attention to your beautiful eyes and also highlight your cheekbones. Another surprising feature of having a blast is that they are the fastest way to cruise the species. If you want to look short in type but still look perfect here you can best focus on just getting the right bang and pull the rest of your hair back up quickly. Add more edge to wavy layered hair with uneven bangs to match. Shaggy Choppy Hairstyle Tell your stylist you want something too extreme, just a fringe that isn't blunt or perfectly balanced. Explosions in this style make chopped layers a flattering compliment. In my adult life, my hair was in a constant state of flux. I deal with bouts of amnesia that lead to attempts to grow between short haircuts. A wavy layered haircut is the perfect way to get this tousled edgy look without always styling it. You may need your blow dryer and a small product, but still. You'll look like you walked out of the hallway or woke up every day. Stacked Bob with Choppy Layers Many young women prefer grey and white hair tones. Blame the impressive wisdom of Queen Elsa, or perhaps someone's very influential grandmother, but ultra-light hair is all the rage at the colour trends you'd expect. This cute look is perfect, comfortable and cuddly for days when you just want to go out and have some fun. Choppy Pixie with Shaved Nape The light brown shade is classy and subtle, with only a few accentuated blonde highlights to add some depth to the overall look. Gorgeous wavy bob hairdo. This year was a big shift in hair colour trends, with ash blonde accents bright copper taupe silver and white accents numerous styles summery bright blue/sea green plus sophisticated graphite grey and plum/purple accents. So if you're ready for adventure, let's go. Short Stacked Haircut Layers are ideal for protecting thick hair. Ask your hairdresser for some long layers of styling around the face. The layers will create a full-bodied look and add volume to your hair. Use a large round brush for styling and sweep the hair sideways for extra size. This fab angled bob has the latest hair fashion features that make for a super-trendy image. But adding some layers to your hair can have a big impact. Short hairstyles choppy layers Choose thin layers starting from the jawline for some shape and build, and try this nice line bob if your hair isn't thick enough for a stacked bob. Be realistic when choosing a hairstyle for you. Ask yourself whether your personality really wants a rocker and edgy hairstyle or a softer and more feminine style. If you're unsure, opt for a longer hairstyle with more versatility rather than putting yourself in a single Look. Short hair choppy layers Many of these short-wavy cuts are super easy for style. Who doesn't want to wash and doesn't go and look. Here's the best shortwave haircut for women right now. It's easy to get stuck in a rut with the same hairstyle. One day we love it and show off the hair we have but the next day we envy our friend with perfect locks and wish she was his mane. Short choppy layers long hair Those who love short-wavy hair will be relieved to know that there are at least 50 hairstyles to try. If you want a short and minimalist fairy, there are great ideas for anyone with a shaggy cut to flatten your wavy hair, or if there's something in between. Read the full article

2: Almost Lost You

Dwayne

I woke up on the couch, a small ache in the middle of my back. This sleeping on the couch thing wasn't working out for me, but I got nowhere else to go. I winced as I slowly sat up. I put my glasses on before walking to the bathroom and doing my morning routine.

It was weird, though. I didn't hear the patter of feet running around. I didn't hear any video games. I didn't even hear Ron. Where was everybody?

I sighed and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to watch something. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns was on. I was getting hungry but I was also getting a little too lazy to get up and make something. And all I could think about was my Whitley.

I miss waking up next to her, and her waking me up for work with kisses. I miss her corny jokes and her occasionally funny ones. I always said her nagging voice would be the death of me but I barely hear it anymore. The country accent with a hint of drama queen. I never thought I'd miss that voice.

Suddenly, I heard the front door start to open. Three kids ran their way inside, followed by a walking Whitley and Ron.

DJ and Aiko ran to me, devouring me in hugs. Whitley walked straight past me with bags in her hand, into the kitchen.

Luna waved, “Hi, Uncle Dwayne.”

“Oh, you come here and give me a hug, too,” I motioned for her to join the group hug.

Luna giggled before running to hug me, too.

“Where did you guys go?”

They all let go, but Aiko still straddled her way onto my lap.

DJ smiled, “Mom and Uncle Ron took us out for breakfast.”

Ron sat next to me on the couch, “We decided to let you sleep in. You looked a little… tired,” he smiled in a sarcastic way.

I glared at Ron.

Aiko smiled, “And Mama bought you food.”

“Did she?” I smiled at her.

“Mhm,” Aiko nodded.

“I'll be right back,” I kissed her cheek before picking her up and putting her next to me on the couch. I was gonna try my luck with Whitley… again.

I walked inside the kitchen, she was washing her hands.

“Hi, Whitley,” I sat down at the table.

She turned the water off before grabbing a paper towel to dry her hands. She threw it out before turning to me, “Hi.”

“So… you got me food?” I looked at her.

She stood by the table, “I did. It's in the refrigerator. I couldn't feed everyone and not you,” she paused for a second as she played with her fingers, “We need to talk.”

Finally. Finally, she wants to talk to me about this so we can try and move past it.

“Whitley, again, I'm so so-”

“Not about that,” she stared blankly at me. Fuck.

“Oh,” I sighed, “Talk about what?”

“About our living situation. We've been at Ron’s for two weeks and haven't agreed on a place. I can't keep staying here, the kids need their own rooms. They need their own space. Aiko is sharing a bed with Luna when Luna’s here. It's me and DJ in that bed downstairs--”

“And me on the couch with a sore back.”

“Should've thought about that before you went and cheated on me Miss Yoko Ono,” she stared at me. I could see the hurt in her eyes.

“Whitley, I'm trying to make things right with you-”

“I'm not having that conversation with you right now,” her tone became hostile, “We need to agree on a place to live, okay? And soon,” she stormed out and I watched her.

She’s always so beautiful when she’s angry. But I need to fix this. Somehow. And I think I have an idea.

Whitley

Sometimes it's so hard being upset at Dwayne. Especially when he knows he's wrong because he is the sweetest thing and that’s so hard to resist. Part of me wants to forgive him and part of me wants to stay mad forever. But what do I do?

While I was at breakfast with Ron and the kids, the thought of Dwayne at home alone bothered me. Every time we would go out to eat, we'd go as a family. But we haven't been in a while. And I wasn't ready to have to sit in such a small space with him. I didn't know what to do so I just didn't wake him up. But I couldn't leave him without something to eat. I'm mad at him, but I just couldn't do it.

Ron also wanted to talk to me about the situation alone. To hear my side. Since the kids were there, I was very brief. I simply told Ron that I was hurt and needed time. Nothing more, nothing less.

The doorbell rang. I looked around to see who would answer it, but Ron and DJ were playing with that video game once again and I'm sure Dwayne is eating in the kitchen.

I got up and walked to the front door. I opened it to see my mother, Marion. This is not a great time, but I haven't seen my mother in years.

I forced a smile, “Mother! It's so good to see you. What a surprise,” I smiled nervously.

She walked on in, “Well, you told me you were in town! I couldn't pass up the chance to see my grandchildren. Come give me a hug, sweetheart. Not too tight,” she opened her arms for me.

I closed the door before hugging her gently. She never wanted me to mess up her clothes.

“Now where are those grandbabies of mine?”

“In here,” I walked her to the living room.

DJ looked up quickly, “Hi, grandma!” He dropped his controller and ran up to hug her.

Aiko ran to her to with a doll in her hand, “Grandma!” Aiko hugged my mother's legs.

My mother hugged DJ back before he ran to his game. She picked up Aiko, “Hey, sweetheart.”

My kids loved my mother because she'd buy them whatever toys or games they wanted with no questions asked.

My mother noticed Luna. She walked over to her, before putting Aiko down, “Hi, you're Lilly, right?”

Luna smiled, “No, my name is Luna. You're Aunt Whitley’s mom, right?” She smiled.

“Yes, I am, sweetheart. It's nice to see you again, you're so beautiful. You look like your father.”

Luna smiled sweetly, “Thank you.”

My mother walked over to me, “Where's that husband of yours?”

I inhaled sharply, forcing a smile, “He's in the kitchen, eating. You really shouldn't interrupt him, he hasn't eaten all day.”

I really just didn't want my mother to notice the tension between us.

“Oh, nonsense, I'm just going to say hello,” my mother walked right on into the kitchen.

I stayed on the outside. I didn't want to be in that room with them.

Shortly, she walked back out from the kitchen. She came to me, “So where are you staying so I can put my bag?”

“You can just leave it on the couch, mother.”

“With all these children, I'd rather not.”

I sighed, “Follow me,” I didn't want to hear her mouth about my living conditions but it's bound to happen. Telling her is one thing. Her actually seeing it is another. I walked downstairs as she followed me.

We entered the basement and I saw her face change in disappointment.

“Whitley…” she shook her head.

“I know it isn't the ideal place, but I'm still looking.”

She sighed, putting her bag down on the bed, “Even the decor in here just clashes with each other. You didn't want to customize it up a bit?”

“Well, I don't plan on staying here. I don't want to make it more home-like because I don't want to get comfortable in here. Although, it is hard to get comfortable in here to begin with because it's so crowded,” I sighed.

My mom nodded, “Mhm, I understand. But this bedding. You could've at least changed the bedding.”

I looked at her, “Really?”

“I'm just saying, sweetheart. Also, you should really think about relaxing Aiko’s hair soon. It would be so much easier to tame and more presentable.”

“We already had that conversation, and the answer is no. She's only three, I'm not going to damage her hair that way.”

“Well, you should've thought about how your children were gonna look before you just upped and married Dwayne.”

“What's wrong with how my kids look? My kids are beautiful.”

“They are beautiful, darling, but wouldn't a looser curl be easier to work with? Maybe a texturizer?And all those problems she was having in Japan, she wouldn't have had them, if you had married a man of Julian’s caliber.”

“Of Julian's caliber or Julian's skin color and hair?” I glared at her.

“Whitley, all I'm saying is… you don't want Aiko to stick out like a sore thumb.”

“It doesn't matter. I'm going to teach my daughter to love her natural hair. And her brown skin. And I absolutely did not worry about how my kids were going to look with Dwayne because my children would've been beautiful regardless of who I had them with. So no, I'm not perming my daughter’s hair. I refuse to teach her that the hair she was born with is unkempt and unpretty. So please do not ask me again,” I glared at her.

She looked at me quietly for a moment. She opened her mouth as if she had something to say then paused. She continued, “I didn't mean to upset you, Whitley.”

I sighed. I shook my head, “It's fine,” I paused looking down at my hands, “I've just been going through this with Aiko since I had her. Her and DJ being dark in Japan wasn't easy for them.”

“And what about Dwayne?”

“Dwayne has thick skin. He doesn't care what anyone has to say about him.”

She nodded, “And speaking of Dwayne, what's going on between the two of you?”

“We’re fine, mother,” I lied.

“Mhm. You two are usually all over each other and today just seems so off.”

“We just… we had an argument last night, so we're being a little distant,” I lied again.

I didn't want my mother saying I told you so. I couldn't tell her about what Dwayne did to me, she'd never let me forget it.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, mother, I'm sure.”

“Well, I want to take the kids for a few days. May I?”

“I don't know. They haven't been away from me in a while.”

“Please, Whitley? I need time with them, too.”

I sighed, “Okay,”  I nodded, “But only three days.”

She smiled, “Why don't you bring Aiko up here so I can fix her hair.”

“I already did her hair this morning,” I looked at my mother.

“And she's been playing around since. It's all frizzy. She has to look nice and neat when she steps out the house with me, you know that,” she grinned at me.

I sighed in frustration, keeping a forced smile on my face, “Sure,” I made my way up the steps, onto the main floor.

I saw Dwayne walk out of the kitchen and into the living room. He kept his eyes on me. I hated that this happened to us. I really do.

I cleared my throat as I stepped towards Aiko, “Koko, grandma’s gonna be taking you for a few days and she wants to fix your hair up, come on.”

“But I'm playing with Luna,” Aiko frowned, “And my hair is done,” she looked up at me.

“I know, baby, I told her that but she wants to do it over.”

“Why do you always let her do that to you?” I heard Dwayne’s voice.

I looked up, “Do what?”

“You always let your mother walk all over you,” he frowned.

“She isn't the only one, is she?” I stared at him, “I guess I'm just one, big doormat.”

He sighed, raising his hands up in defeat. He stayed silent for a few seconds.

I looked down at Aiko, “Come on. You can finish playing when you're done,” I picked her up.

“I'm gonna be going out. Okay?” Dwayne looked at me.

“With who?”

“By myself.”

“Will I have anything to worry about?”

“Not at all,” I could see the sorrow in his face. He was upset that I even had to ask this.

“Okay. Go ahead,” I walked away with my daughter.

I brought her down to my mother and my mother took her hair out of the ponytail I had it in. She sat between my mother's legs while my mother used a comb to part her hair in half. She was doing two buns in her hair.

“Whitley, do you have any barrettes for her hair? Two of the same kind if you have.”

I went into my suitcase. As I took out her barrette box, filled with hair accessories, I tried to find any two blue barrettes, as they would match her shirt.

“Grandma, daddy does my hair sometimes,” I heard Aiko speak.

“Does he really?” My mother entertained Aiko’s conversation.

“Yea..” she became quiet for a few seconds. She started again, “Daddy is sad now. All the time.”

“Is he?” My mother asked.

I frowned. I didn't know she picked up on that.  

“Yea. I think it's cause mama is mad at him.”

I shook my head as I took the barrettes out the box. My eyes swelled up with tears but I quickly wiped them away, “Here, mother,” I handed my mother the clips.

Her hair was almost finished. As smooth as ever, and perfect. She placed the two blue barrettes in her hair, one in front of each bun.

“Okay, sweetheart, you're finished,” my mother tapped Aiko’s thigh, “You can go back to playing with Lisa now.”

“It's Luna,” I looked at my mother.

“Luna. Right,” My mother turned to look at Aiko, “Do you need mama to help you up the stairs?”

“Nope,” Aiko jumped off my mother's lap, “I can do it by myself,” she ran to the steps.

Me and my mother both watched her as she wobbled her way up. Once she was out and closed the door, it was silent.

“So,” my mother looked at me, “Are you gonna tell me what's really going on between you and Dwayne, now?”

I sighed, “Mother, I-”

“Don't you lie to me again, Whitley. If it was just a small argument, that child wouldn't have noticed a thing. But she did. What's going on?”

“Okay, okay,” I looked down, “Dwayne…”

“Dwayne, what?” she raised an eyebrow.

“He… he cheated on me in Tokyo.”

“He did what?!”

“He cheated! Okay? That's what he did,” I plopped myself on the bed, “He cheated on me,” my eyes started to swell with tears once again, “And it’s so annoying having to tell this story over and over and over.”

“Whitley…” my mom moved closer to me. She wrapped her arms around me.

I cried into her shoulder, “I'm so mad at him. But I love him, so, so much. I don't know what to do,” I sniffled.

“Is that why you moved back?”

“It was one of the reasons,” I wiped my tears from my face.

She nodded, “And was this woman Japanese?”

“Yea,” I looked down.

“Now, Whitley, didn't I warn you about marrying him?”

I jumped up out of her arms, “See?! That's exactly why I didn't want to tell you!”

“Well, I was right about him! That man does not a thing for you, Whitley. I didn't raise you to live like this at all.”

“Now, you hold on a minute. Dwayne may have cheated but he's done a whole lot for me. Don't go there,” I folded my arms, pacing back and forth, “And excuse me for marrying a man who genuinely loves me, even if he did mess up! I wasn't just some arm candy to Dwayne, I was his best friend. Unlike Julian. And unlike any other rich man you could think to hook me up with.”

“Yea, well, he betrayed his best friend. I suggest you divorce him before you become the divorcee.”

“If Dwayne wanted to leave me, he would've done it already. And divorce? I can't hurt my children like that. I can't,” I stood in place looking at my mother.

“Sometimes you have to do what's right for you. You followed this man all the way to Tokyo to get cheated on. He doesn't deserve you anymore, Whitley. You know it.”

Tears streamed down my face, “I know he doesn't, but-”

“But what?”

“I don't know, mother. I don't know,” I wiped my tears, “I'm gonna need time to think about this.”

-

Dwayne

I came back into Ron’s house with an huge smile on my face. Yea, I had just spent a fortune but Whitley’s face will all make it worth it. It's something she's been asking for, for a minute now.

The house was empty and quiet. I opened the door to the basement and walked downstairs.  

“Whitley?” I spoke as I walked down the steps.

“Yes?” She sounded concentrated on something. I walked down to see her reading her book.

“Where's Ron?”

“He went to drop off Luna. And he said after that he's spending the night at his girlfriend’s house.”

I walked over, “May I sit on the bed?”

She looked up at me, “You can sit here. You just can't sleep here.”

I nodded, “Got it,” I sat in the bed, “Can we talk? I got something for you.”

“Actually,” she closed her book, “I wanted to talk, too,” she observed what I was wearing, “Did you say goodbye to the kids before you left?”

“Yea, I did. Speaking of, I have a boys night out with DJ and Ron next week. There's a car show.”

I nodded, “That's fine. Maybe I’ll do something with Aiko and Kim. But enough of that,” she ran her hand through her dark, loose curls, “Before you give me anything, I just want to say you hurt me. Deeply, Dwayne. And I've been sitting here and contemplating for almost two months what I want to do.”

“What do you wanna do, Whitley?” I looked down at my hands. My palms were sweaty. My heart was beating a thousand beats per minute.

She took a deep breath, “I want a divorce, Dwayne.”

My heart broke immediately at those words. I looked down, “Why?”

“Is that really a question?”

“I mean I get it. I betrayed you, Whitley, but please, I want to make that up you,” I reached out to touch her hand.

She snatched it away, “Dwayne…” her voice started to crack, “Please don't make this harder for me.”

“I love you. Okay? There isn't a person in this world who can mean to me what you mean to me, baby,” my eyes began to tear up. I barely ever cry but I couldn't help it. I messed up so bad that she doesn't want to be married to me anymore. She doesn't want to be my wife anymore.

Tears rolled down her face, “Dwayne, please, stop it.”

Seeing her cry made me even more upset. I don't think I’ve ever seen Whitley cry in front of me. At least not with me being the reason.

“You're my best friend, Whitley, I can't let you just walk away from me,” I shook my head, reaching for her hand again. This time, she let me grab it. I kissed her hand, “I love you, so, so much. Please, Whitley…”

I was begging. I knew I was begging and I didn't care. This type of woman doesn't come around very often and I was stupid not to remember that when I was cheating on her. I was lucky to have her and I’m determined to keep her. Whatever it takes.

And she just cried. She cried and cried.

“I won't ever hurt you again, Whitley,” I reached to wipe her tears and surprisingly, she let me. My hands gently held onto her face, while my thumbs wiped her tears away.

“How can I believe you, Dwayne? Hm?” She looked at me. The tears subsided.

And idea jumped into my head, “Counseling. Let's do counseling.”

“Marriage counseling?” She sniffled.

“Yes,” I nodded, “Anything to make you happy. Whatever my issues are, I want to change them. I'm willing to change them.”

“You promise?” She stared at me, “Don't suggest it if you don't mean it.”

“I promise, baby,” I grabbed her hand once again, and kissed it. I wanted to kiss her lips, but I knew she wouldn't let me.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, getting ourselves back together from that emotional conversation.

I looked at her, “And you never let me give you my surprise.”

“What's your surprise? You better not be buying my forgiveness,” she fondled with her fingers.

“Is it buying your forgiveness, or is it just knowing what makes you happy, and pricey things happen to be one of them?” I poked her on nose.

She giggled then looked away, “You're not allowed to make me laugh, I just almost divorced you 5 minutes ago,” she tried her hardest to make a straight face, “What is it?” She blinked with those long eyelashes of hers, her eyes still a little red from crying.

I got another idea. I smirked, “Did Ron leave us the house key?”

“Yes, it's in my purse.”

“Good. Cause I changed my mind on how I'm gonna show you what I got you. Quick, put some clothes on. We're going somewhere.”

“Dwayne…”

“Do you wanna see what I have for you or not?”

She sucked her teeth, “Fine. Excuse yourself while I change. You're not allowed to see this body no time soon.”

“Aw, man,” I got up and made my way to the stairs.

“Maybe little miss Yoko Ono can mail you some pictures of her body,” I heard her say in a little snappy voice.

I shook my head, “That's childish, Whitley. And she don't have nothing on you, baby.”

“That's Whitley to you. And I know,” she smirked, “Now go on,” she gestured for me to leave with her hands.

I chuckled and shook my head before making my way upstairs and waiting in the foyer.

Minutes later, she opened the door. She was wearing this dress that hugged her in all the right places. I can just imagine her with it off. I miss seeing that. And I miss being the one to take it off her body.

“We aren't going on a date or anything,” I looked at her.

She smirked, “I know. I can't look good?”

“You can do whatever you wanna do, Whitley,” I couldn't take my eyes off of her figure.

She opened the front door and lead the way out. And I didn't let that back view out of my sight.

-

The closer we got to our destination, the more Whitley started to ask questions.

“Where are we going?”

“Shhhh,” I focused on the road. Our destination was right around the corner.

“Whatever. And don't get used to this.”

“Get used to what?”

“Me being nice to you. I don't forgive you, yet. Let's see how you do during counseling.”

“Whatever you say, baby.”

“Excu-”

“Whitley! I mean Whitley. Sorry,” I looked at her, “It's a habit.”

“Uh huh,” she folded her arms.

I parked the car in the parking lot of a home.

“Uh, Dwayne. Are we allowed to park here?”

“Why wouldn't we?” I looked at her, taking the key out of the ignition.

“Because this is somebody's house. Somebody’s huge house,” she looked out the windshield.

“Oh, really? Well guess what?”

“What?” She looked at me.

I took a key out of my pocket and dangled it in front of her face, “It's your huge house.”

She gasped and snatched the key, “What?!”

“That's right. 2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms,” I smirked.

“Oh my god!” She hopped out the car.

I chuckled at her as I got out the car behind her.

“I thought you didn't want to spend money for a house this big!” She said as she ran up to the front door of the house.

“I didn't want to, but I owe it to you. And guess what else?”

“What?” She looked at me as she used her key to unlock the door.

“You can decorate it all on your own.”

She opened the door to the house and gasped at the interior, “Oh my god…” then she realized what I had told her, “I can?!” She clapped her hands excitedly.

I chuckled, “You can. And you can have my card to do it.”

“I can?!” She asked even louder, her eyebrows raised.

“Do you promise to be mindful of a budget, though?” I raised an eyebrow.

She nodded, before hugging me.

I hugged her back. I kept her in my arms for a minute, I haven't felt her in a long time.

“Dwayne?” She said while hugging me.

“Yes?”

“You're still not off the hook.”

I chuckled, “I know,” I ran my hand through her head full of hair, “I know.”

Overgrowth and Dust: Part 2 [RP]

(( Rating: PG-13 ))

(( Trigger Warning: Depictions and discussion of death ))

(( Genre: Suspense, Mystery ))

(( Cast: @infiniteleftdoesffxiv , @gaillaffxiv , @ritsykitty / @moonlit-nightingale , @the-firetouched and others who don’t have a tumblr or I cannot find it. ))

Another breeze crept through the plains as they made their approach, the atmosphere far from welcoming. There was a rustling in the dry grass before a couple of songbirds scattered into the air at the sight and sound of the group. Everything else looked relatively untouched. The backs of faded ghers that were once brilliantly decorated faced the group, two in specific being closest from the left and right. The right one had the door halfway broken off, the splintered remains dangling while the rest was jutted out at an angle. The spiderweb that made up the gap in the door frame was an indication of a lack of recent activity nonetheless. The gher on the left's door - once a vibrant orange - remained shut, its contents within on apparent. All the ghers others faced the same direction as the one of the left; there were at least six in total. On the crowd a long cloth rolled over lamely in the wind, as if to greet the explorers. It was tattered, but carried distinctive colors...

Vivisha slowly approaches the ghers, staff aloft in case anything tries to jump out and try something! She lingers near the larger group, afraid of being alone in this open space.

"I think I'm gonna knock on this orange door?" she says, voice ending upward in question. "Is that stupid?" She feels compelled to talk quietly in this space.

"I'm sure there's no one be'ind it," says Dione, picking the cloth up by its hem and holding it aloft. She doesn't recognise the hues, but she begins rolling it up anyway. Mayhap its meaning will be clearer to the others; and if not, mayhap she could keep it. A small, sad reminder of a place that could have been home.

Vivisha nods at Dione and takes a deep breath -- only to hold it as she knocked three times on the door with her staff. If nothing answers, as she expects, she will open the orange door and look within.

There was no response to the knocking, the door surprisingly steady in its frame. When opened, it unveiled a layout of matching scarlet furniture, however very faded but caked in little dust. It seemed somehow a thin layer of sand was sparse along the rugs. A shrine to Azim on the left had grown dull from neglect, even with vines crawling up the side of the stand. Jackets and coats had fallen from the walls onto the floor, where they sat threadbare. Only a chair was knocked over to perhaps display the sturdiness of the home, especially in layered dzo skin walls. There was also the bed, the sheets crumpled and empty-looking, save for the head-end jutting upright.

Twenty-two.

That said enough, didn't it?

There was nothing more to ask, not without asking questions that Dione didn't seem to want to answer. That simple reply had implied enough. So instead he follows Vivisha and Dione, peering effortlessly around the small women to see what was inside, to follow once they had ventured forth. The place looked abandoned, as if it hadn't been disturbed in some time, which made the ex-Buduga's guard drop slightly.

Vivisha slowly enters the old gher, looking about curiously. "What lovely furniture," she comments quietly. She knew not much of the different tribal ways of life regarding furniture, but she could at least continue to look around.

The clothes, in particular, may reveal something. She goes there first, to examine the types of wearings these people might have had....

Seeing the lalafell woman sorting through the clothing, Dione instead looks to the bed. There seems something obscene about disturbing all of this: rifling through people's bedsheets, prying and poking with the cool efficiency of a detective into spaces that had once been ordinary homes, filled with ordinary people, laughing, happy... now dead. Her hand recoils as it touches the sheets, as if she disturbs a grave...

But Khabataaq's attention was drawn to something else entirely; the shrine to Azim. That was... that was odd, wasn't it? He didn't remember anything like this growing up. Nhaama, yes, but... not Azim. But admittedly... that had been so long ago, it was likely he had just forgotten. ...Right?

Akuro followed the rest of the group, but halted and leaned against the wall next to the doorway outside, keeping watch. One hand rested on her sword as her gaze shifted around the area.

While Vivisha moved quietly, the floorboards groaned in complaint at Dione's weight and even more so at Khabataaq's. Still, they supported them as they moved about. The other sound was the sound of a thin wooden pole being rolled about by Vivisha's feet, hailing from an ornate arrow that stopped just in front of one of the traditional Himaa coats. The intricate bone arrow tip was an incredible contrast to the dark far that lined the hem of the coat, of which was a solid blue color and stopped at a male's knee. Another looked suited for a child, green with copper claps and a beige fur interior.

The shrine in particular wasn't foreign-looking, at least in its set-up. However, the statue had a bronze halo, which wasn't all that common on the Azim Steppe. Even the statue itself had a shape closer to that of Doman intricacies than Steppe tradition.

The sheets barely moved. At Dione's touch, they didn't even rustle. However, underneath the blue blanket, something felt hard and pointy. Perhaps a concealed weapon? Through the fabric, it did carry a blunt metallic texture.

Dione frowns; she'd thought she'd felt something beneath the blanket, but most like that was just her nerves. Still, she pulls back the blanket with a swift whipping motion, like pulling the dressing from a wound, revealing aught that may be beneath.

Vivisha looked down at her feet, barely resisting jumping in fright. She picks up the arrow to show the others.

"An interesting piece here." She holds aloft the arrow. "And these clothes...is this standard? I seem to recall the clans tend to keep to certain colors but there are different colors present here...."

She looks closer at the arrow, to try and get a sense of how old it is, though she isn't much of a weapons expert.

But it wasn't. A metal horn cap glimmered in the light that peaked through the roof, the skull the horn belonged to grinning back at Dione with many missing teeth. The rest of the body's bones were shifted slightly with the motion, a few bones of the arm falling off the bed with a clatter. Though there was only one long horn to denote the Au Ra's age as elderly, the size of the skeleton made it apparent it belonged to a male. A tattered deel covered the skeleton's form, another arrow laying there in the rib cage. Slippers were askew at the edge of the bed. The hollow horn still had some scutes attached after all these years, though something was curious about them. The scutes were white.

Meanwhile, the arrow Vivisha held was banded with white and blue, the arrowhead carved with interestingly ornate designs for something that could have been used in combat. The bright brown cock and hen feathers at the end were flayed and rotted from age, but it refused to fall apart. The bird the feathers came from though was unapparent, though their banded markings were.

An oath, or something with the tone of one, falls from her lips. For a moment she struggles to parse what she's seeing: two cavernous holes, a grin, a horn... the clatter of knucklebones as they scatter. For some reason, the sound stirs something in her; a tug on some distant memory. The bones...

She blinks, recovering from her fright. Hand pressed to her chest, she takes a breath and looks over the remains once more, as the puzzle pieces come together into their horrifying whole.

"--He's dead," she says, which isn't quite what she'd meant to say, but it's what comes out. Only then does she take in the colour of the horn, and her brow furrows.

She looks back to the others. "White scales. Y' think a Raen...? Or one a' th' <Shrouded>?" She doesn't know the word albino, so she uses the Torgud term for the pale ones born to the tribe on occasion, vulnerable beneath the merciless sun.

Khabataaq looks up from the shrine at the other's words, the puzzled frown still furrowing his brow. "N...no. I don't... think so," he says to Vivi's question. Because nothing in this room looked standard, did it? At the word Raen, Khabataaq's gaze shifts to Dione. He doesn't... know much about Raen. He glances back at the shrine, this thing that looks so familiar yet so foreign.

"A Raen, would that explain this?" He looks a bit embarrassed. Did this... look like something they would set up? He isn't sure, but he isn't sure if Dione would know, either.

Vivisha squeaks upon the sight of the skeleton in the bed and nearly drops the arrow, but she manages to keep hold of it at last moment. She makes the sign of Thal across her body almost as a reflex.

"A raen? What clans accept Raen into their ranks? Isn't there...some sort of taboo against that sort of thing?" She remembers studying as much. She still holds out the arrow for examination as well, for any that may find more interest in it.

Akuro tilted her head slightly as she overheard Vivisha's speaking. "The Malaguld accept the Raen into the tribe. Exiles and outcasts mostly." She spoke up loud enough for Vivi to hear her, even as she continued keeping watch/guard right outside the gher.

Perhaps, despite the skeleton falling apart, things were being pieced together. The apparently foreign statue of Azim made it clear that the individual might not have even been from the area. Whether things were worth removing from the shrine was up to the group. Now, to mess with the body, on the other hand, might be another matter, possibly with a deal - or clash - of morals. The skull kept its bare smile, its gaze nonexistent. The cloth Dione had gathered from earlier was an obvious standard of the Himaa clan, a deep red for this section of the tribe. The deel of the sekelton lying on the bed was not this color; it was a blue. Not unlike the banding on the arrows, in fact. Even the one that jutted out of a hole in the deel formed around the rib cage, likely by the arrow itself.

Vivi's question was one Khabataaq couldn't answer, certainly. There hadn't been any Raen with the Buduga, at least, none that he'd seen. And those pale scales would certainly stand out, wouldn't they? As for the Himaa... that had been too long ago to remember. He offers the woman a meek shrug.

"I... I think... that's still rather odd, isn't it? At least... I would think so."

"Couldn't be th' Himaa. Least, not as I know of 'em." She looks down at the deel covering what once had been a person, now just a bare gallows of a frame with its horrid rictus grin. "If they'd look down on a nurseling for bein' born at th' wrong time, or born a woman instead of a man... no chances they'd let a Raen among 'em. They value symmetry," is what she's realising as she says it. "Unless they found a pair a' Raen twins." She snorts.

She looks over the fragile scutes once more, almost translucent now with age. "Could also be 'cause they're old," she notes. "Th' paleness. Scales can go pale when they're dead, aye?" But she's not sure if these aren't just a little too bone-white for that.

"Th' arrows's th' same as this shirt." She points to the man's covering. "No point in undressin' th' poor feller. If th' clan knows th' pattern on one, they'll know t' other."

Vivisha nods, somewhat relieved that they won't have to be undressing a skeleton! She turns her gaze toward the statue of Azim...tilting her head in thought.

"Would it be sacrilege to remove this statue as well? I...only ask because...well, I like...art pieces...and this one reminds me of something I'd have seen in the marketplace in Kugane and...oh, not that I want to keep it! I mean for evidence! Of signs of an unknown clan."

She flushes at the near oversight of her statement.

Akuro continued her vigil of the area, crossing her arms across her chest and drumming her fingers along her upper arm. At this point she was partially trying to listen to whatever might be going on inside the gher, but the rest of her attention was still on her surroundings.

Dione narrows her eyes at the lalafell's backpedaling-- but she knows little of Azim. And it is unusual. She'd expect this from the Oronir mayhap, but Himaa?

"I'd ask Ilakha," she grunts, as much as her high-pitched voice can resemble a grunt. "She's th' spirit person around 'ere. Mayhap y' can show it to her an' she can see what she can learn from it, an' if it's no use, we can put it back."

With those last three words, she trains her glacial gaze on Vivisha, just to be sure she gets the message.

Vivisha looks in fear at Dione for a moment! "I didn't---" Well, any protestations would certainly seem suspect now. "I will, of course, show this to dear Ilakha and follow her wishes," she says, with perfect politeness. She takes the statue carefully from the base, if possible, bracing herself in case it is heavier than it looks and preparing to go and find Ilakha to assess her thoughts on the matter.

Khabataaq glances over to see the small woman moving to lift the statue. ...Oh, that's half her height, isn't it? Maybe not quite, but she was so small. Oh dear. He hurries to collect the haloed statue should it come easily off of the table, with a quick glance over his shoulder at Dione. He'll be back, the look says. Then a glance back down to Vivisha. "I can carry it... you lead the way."

Static sounded from each of the group member's linkpearls, before Ilakha's voice sounded. Her tone was a bit urgent. "I know this is bit soon but we are going to need to gather what we can now and get moving," she just short of ordered. "My big brother reported that he hears a large set of hoofbeats on the ground. They is not going very fast but are coming closer in this way. What have you all finded so far?"

Vivisha emerges from the yurt, hoisting the statue as she goes. She puts it down and puts a hand up to her linkshell. "We've got...some curious religious items here, including a strange statue I have brought out for your inspection. We also found some clothes...and an arrow... depicting other clan colors."

Akuro had a hand on her linkpearl, then quickly poked her head inside the structure. "Whatever you found, grab it and get moving." She then ducked back outside, one hand on her blade as she tapped her linkpearl again. "Ilakha, any idea which way the hoofbeats are coming from?"

Ilakha hummed over the linkpearl at Vivisha's words, then answering Akuro. "Big Brother said it sounds like more than ten. He... oh, no." There is silence for a moment, something reminiscent of wind blowing, then she speaks again. "We used a telescope. Adarkim tribe standards. 'Bout two-hundred yalms away. They are the biggest tribe. Not very good at combat, but still very dangerous. They can overwhelm us fast. Let us get out of here!"

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It is another easy to maintain a length bob with fantastic texture and movement. Short Choppy Layered Hairstyles Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Wavy jagged ends and a multi-layered size with a vibrant shatter effect are the leading trends in today's short haircuts. Modern cuts can have playful disconnected layers with a messy touch and a fabulous sense of movement. For short hair, all wavy haircuts are performed mainly on the basis of bob pixie or line cuts, but they leave an entirely new impression. Lines combined with contrasting textures and color enhancers can bring your usual style to new heights previously unknown. How do you cut Short choppy layered hair? Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Just don't miss these new bright ideas that seem innovative for the current spring and long-awaited summer. The hair is cut in long layers with close layers at the ends to create this beautiful spiky look along the lower edge. The deep straight round throughout the eruption is suited to oval heart and long face shapes, and there is only a slight wave here and there. Gorgeous Layered Hairstyles & Haircuts in 2020 - 2021 Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Trying to find different ways of a shoulder-length hairstyle can be a bit tricky. It is especially recommended for women over the age of 40, but it also appears cute in young ladies. Flirt in the most classic way possible. Hair cutting but feeling completely deflated. We understand that, and we were there until we discovered the magic powers of layering. Sure you've probably had some layers since a preteen but we're not talking about long blunt or something layers from middle school but instead eye-skimming layers of wavy facial framing that turn bobs and ponytails into works of art. Short Choppy Haircuts Women are Getting in 2020 - 2021 Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, And for inspiration we've taken out the best of the best layered celebrity screenshot looks and hair salon pronto. I don't think about chopping your locks but I don't want to lose too much length. As you can see here, you can continue the wavy bob experience by trying a long bob. Wavy bob style is very popular at the moment this trendy hair color messy hair looks very stylish and effortless. Short choppy hairstyles Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, That's why. This way your face opens up and is not covered by your long threads. Strong straight lines with golden highlights that emphasize vertical movement make this a favourite for round oval or heart-faced women. The back is teased for exaggerating depth from front to back, and the tips are heavily textured into sharp shapes to complete an extremely stylish look. This is a style of hair fashion fusion that combines wavy straight waves with straight sharp textured tips for a modern style clash vibe. Short choppy layered haircuts for round faces Short Haircuts Choppy Layers, Beneath the textured upper layers is a cute water shadow that creates a 3D effect to make the hair look denser. A wavy bob style is very popular at the moment with this trendy hair color the same many young women prefer grey and white hair shades. Blame the impressive wisdom of Queen Elsa, or perhaps someone's very influential grandmother, but ultra-light hair is all the rage at the colour trends you'd expect. Short choppy layered haircuts with bangs And the soft gleaming blue colour and spiky tips make this wavy bob fab summer hairstyle option. We can't think of a better way to start our list than with a dazzling hairstyle. Not only is bob downright gorgeous but so painting is his choice. This is almost the ideal hairstyle for an unusual woman who can't wait to show off her true colors. If you think platinum blonde locks can be very overwhelming but dark blonde doesn't quite fit your style consider this absolutely stunning and stylish super light blonde hair color. Short Textured Pixie with Choppy Bangs Not only is this illuminating hair colour perfect for spring and summer but elegant waves add some serious flirty elegance that can be taken from the office or the beach. Keep your makeup thin and let your hair do the talking. A short hairstyle that any woman can shake is this voluminous cut. They don't end well and my latest attempt is no exception. And let's face it, I'm a girl, but I'm not always a real girl. Short Choppy Hairstyles To Try Out Today My uniform is holey jeans and a T-shirt. A new hairstyle is said to symbolize a new start in life. Whether it's the start of summer, bad karma short hair will always be in style if you want to give your neck a chance to breathe or survive. But he may be worried about whether they will be able to pull short hair. This dramatic layered cut that is great for every face shape and hair texture works a treat for almost all situations yes that's right. How do you fix a Short choppy haircut? If you're thinking of getting a wavy bob or someone who already needs a style update, check out our favourite Trend wavy hairstyles below. A hairstyle that makes layers of a fallback creates the illusion of longer voluminous hair. By cutting long or short layers into the hair extra texture and oomph is created by taking the look to the next level. Then consider the natural hair thickness and style to completely nail down the look when determining what type of layers you're in. Short Choppy Hairstyles for Any Taste Some use layers to thin thick unruly hair, while others only use them to add size and depth. Read on to learn how you can transform the vibe with a few simple snips. Essentially long layers are achieved by leaving your locks long and cutting just a few inches from the ends of your hair. The goal of reaching layers is to. Short choppy layered bob haircuts Avoid undulating violent lines, and long layers just do the job. Ask your hairdresser for long soft layers and the result will be extra texture and volume. Depending on your face shape, the long layers can be accentuated with some hairs around the face. Be careful not to cross the jawline for an understated vibe. What are choppy hair layers? The middle layers are perfect for ladies with thicker hair or women with natural wavy hair. Layers sometimes begin around the face as high as the cheekbone, highlighting the waves and making them thin. It's a great style to give extra thickness and texture appearance. Short choppy layers curly hair To thin and medium hair. Layered haircuts meet your needs and meet the needs of all people whether short or long to thin or thick hair. For men, layered haircuts suit so many people. Simple. They help add volume to lifeless hair or tame thick and wild hair. Short Choppy Hair Ideas for 2020 The pretty beige blonde shades show it's a contemporary look, and the vertical accentuation creates a lot of texture over the blunt cut ends. try experimenting with different parts to suit your face shape. There are ways to have stylish short hair without looking like you have a mullet (although these are fashionable). There are thin layers cut along the length of your hair, starting with the fringe line for a fashion statement. How can I layer my Short hair at home? Short layers will highlight your face and add movement and shape to your hair. If you're a rebel or a little love boho style, today's Gallery of furry excess and choppy bobs is right to watch what's hot right now. If your hair is thick, this is a great date hairstyle with a layered back that cuts a close stack. The fantastic volume bump at the back sweeps in the line, expertly graduating to create a slight pin curl at the front. What is a choppy lob? On one side of the side face and dark roots casually swept fringe curtains says the pale blonde is ‘urban chic’ loud and clear. Wavy jagged ends and a multi-layered size with a vibrant shatter effect are the leading trends in today's short haircuts. Modern cuts can have playful disconnected layers with a messy touch and a fabulous sense of movement. How do I fix messed up hair layers? For short hair, all wavy haircuts are performed mainly on the basis of bob pixie or line cuts, but they leave an entirely new impression. Lines combined with contrasting textures and color enhancers can bring your usual style to new heights previously unknown. Just don't miss these new bright ideas that seem innovative for the current spring and long-awaited summer. I get dirty and I do things. Hair doesn't get top billing. Short choppy layered pixie haircuts Sometimes there's no bill. But while I don't have pretty hair, I have scissors for DIY and a ridiculously serious dedication to everything. So I bleached the color and cut my hair. Today. This in your hair. In my adult life, my hair was in a constant state of flux. Long hair Short choppy layers I deal with bouts of amnesia that lead to attempts to grow between short haircuts. They don't end well and my latest attempt is no exception. And let's face it, I'm a girl, but I'm not always a real girl. My uniform is holey jeans and a T-shirt. I get dirty and I do things. Choppy Feathered Haircut with Highlights Hair doesn't get top billing. Sometimes there's no bill. But while I don't have pretty hair, I have scissors for DIY and a ridiculously serious dedication to everything. So I bleached the color and cut my hair. Today. This in your hair. Alexa Chung is sometimes credited as the inventor of modern shag hair and has worn many versions of it over the years. Should I get my hair cut Short? Its appearance ranges from short to long at shoulder length somewhere between the chin and shoulders. It can look both mod and stylish depending on how it's styled, and Chung is proof of that. If you carry a little longer hair, you can choose bob hair styles that have been quite popular and trendy lately. Depending on your hair texture, you may prefer the inverted one, the layered one, the wavy one and the curly one. What do Choppy layers look like? A cool bob cut is great for professional women. Reverse Bob is quite nice and stylish. An inverted bob is perfect for thin and Triangle-faced people. If you want a messy look, you can use some root volume and tousle it with the help of your fingers. You can use some gel if you want a smooth look. For the best haircut you always ask a professional salon hair designer for a consultation and service, said owner of the hair care system. How do you hide Short layers? Alan Benfield Bush. Always share your loves desires and lifestyle needs with your hair designer to get a haircut that is clearly designed for you. Yet there are some haircuts that work on many people and others that are almost never proud. I've had the chance to interview the best stylists there about the most and proudest haircuts, so it's the cuts you should think about and the cuts you shouldn't. She adds some messy waves to her style and creates a funky textured look that's great for any casual occasion. Short haircuts with choppy layers We're also in love with the colorful mix of light brown and even blondes to dark brown for the dazzling finish. Her dark blonde locks were reinforced with striking light blonde highlights, which made a very eye-catching effect that illuminated her overall skin. Giving her a wavy bob haircut some style and. Short hair with choppy layers Pizzazz adds some flirty and fun texture to the wave a bit. This look matches perfectly with pink lips and light eye make-up, and features summer styling written all over it. Styling your short hair with bangs is a great way to get a shorter cut than your existing mid-length style or just get a whole new look. Short choppy layered haircuts 2020 - 2021 The blast can draw attention to your beautiful eyes and also highlight your cheekbones. Another surprising feature of having a blast is that they are the fastest way to cruise the species. If you want to look short in type but still look perfect here you can best focus on just getting the right bang and pull the rest of your hair back up quickly. Add more edge to wavy layered hair with uneven bangs to match. Shaggy Choppy Hairstyle Tell your stylist you want something too extreme, just a fringe that isn't blunt or perfectly balanced. Explosions in this style make chopped layers a flattering compliment. In my adult life, my hair was in a constant state of flux. I deal with bouts of amnesia that lead to attempts to grow between short haircuts. A wavy layered haircut is the perfect way to get this tousled edgy look without always styling it. You may need your blow dryer and a small product, but still. You'll look like you walked out of the hallway or woke up every day. Stacked Bob with Choppy Layers Many young women prefer grey and white hair tones. Blame the impressive wisdom of Queen Elsa, or perhaps someone's very influential grandmother, but ultra-light hair is all the rage at the colour trends you'd expect. This cute look is perfect, comfortable and cuddly for days when you just want to go out and have some fun. Choppy Pixie with Shaved Nape The light brown shade is classy and subtle, with only a few accentuated blonde highlights to add some depth to the overall look. Gorgeous wavy bob hairdo. This year was a big shift in hair colour trends, with ash blonde accents bright copper taupe silver and white accents numerous styles summery bright blue/sea green plus sophisticated graphite grey and plum/purple accents. So if you're ready for adventure, let's go. Short Stacked Haircut Layers are ideal for protecting thick hair. Ask your hairdresser for some long layers of styling around the face. The layers will create a full-bodied look and add volume to your hair. Use a large round brush for styling and sweep the hair sideways for extra size. This fab angled bob has the latest hair fashion features that make for a super-trendy image. But adding some layers to your hair can have a big impact. Short hairstyles choppy layers Choose thin layers starting from the jawline for some shape and build, and try this nice line bob if your hair isn't thick enough for a stacked bob. Be realistic when choosing a hairstyle for you. Ask yourself whether your personality really wants a rocker and edgy hairstyle or a softer and more feminine style. If you're unsure, opt for a longer hairstyle with more versatility rather than putting yourself in a single Look. Short hair choppy layers Many of these short-wavy cuts are super easy for style. Who doesn't want to wash and doesn't go and look. Here's the best shortwave haircut for women right now. It's easy to get stuck in a rut with the same hairstyle. One day we love it and show off the hair we have but the next day we envy our friend with perfect locks and wish she was his mane. Short choppy layers long hair Those who love short-wavy hair will be relieved to know that there are at least 50 hairstyles to try. If you want a short and minimalist fairy, there are great ideas for anyone with a shaggy cut to flatten your wavy hair, or if there's something in between.