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gunloyal · 6 years

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kinda dumb but heres my mlp headcanons!

you can read my garbled text below! sorry its so repetitive lol i kinda rushed it!

HI i'm not the first one to do this (duh) but i wanted to do my own! some info abt the ponies; Theyre all different types of ponies sent from different parts of the pony...earth? To this magic school so they can become the defenders of equestria and stuff! The series surrounds them becoming friends while going thru character arcs and stuff. The villains are all the same but are being sent out by one being or something so the final villain/season revolves around testing the truth of their friendship!! Also they like......live there so theyre all like stranger roomates! also theyre all modeled a little differently so none of them look the same Twilight Sparkle -shes still a unicorn(at first) -shes very hipster and standoffish at first. -She has a really bad memory regarding things from the past, but easily remembers things from the present onward (this is important for her character arc) -she wears her hair up most of the time in a messy bun/ponytail, but sometimes she lets it down -guess what guyz!! she cant see at all lol so yeah..she finally gets the glasses she deserves (if ur wondering yeah she had big dorky glasses as a kid) character arc -shes princess luna!! thats why she has such a bad memory from the past. Princess celestia made this entire school a thing because she wanted to give her sister a redo since twilight messed up so bad in the past and she thinks giving her a chance to experience friendship will help prevent repeating the past. -cus of this i gave her a new cutiemark bc her old one doesnt represent that moon princess vibe! -also she has a really big horn since shes royalty! This also gives her a reason to become an alicorn once she finds out shes princess luna. AND IT EXPLAINS HER NAME FDHJSKF (shes the last to get her character arc) Rarity -shes still very prissy and loves fashion but loves to dress her friends up -her hair moves really pretty in water bc shes a MERPONY! heck yea -she has a mole under her eye -she hav hooves on land and a tail in water (like h2o just add water vibes) character arc -shes originally very standoffish and doesnt want to accept spending time with different species of ponies, but when her sister (Sweetie belle who is also a merpony) becomes friends with a pegasus(scootaloo) and an earthpony (apple bloom) she learns to be more accepting and earns the generosity element (Shes the second to have a character arc) Fluttershy -shes a flutterpony! so she is very very teeny -her hair is a lot longer and covers one eye (until her character arc) -she's super meek and has a very big head and ears and really skinny legs! very cute aah character arc -She used to be really scared of everything until she gets in an intimidating situation with like a dragon or something and then she realizes she has the power to talk to animals in both a strict but loving way. She learns to stop being as meek and rarity makes her a little hair clip so she can get her hair out of her face and........boys..........get this.......she has heterochromia. (shes the third to have a character arc and this starts her love for animals and gets her the kindness element!!) Apple Jack -shes a regular ol earthpony :~P -she wears a handkerchief in her hair instead of a hat bc hats are hard to draw and i think she looks cuter in this lol. -freckles..........everywhere -she wears her hair in a bunch of different ways!! country girl i love eeyouuuu -she doesnt speak a lot in the beginning :/ shes kinda standoffish and she has a very lovely country accent and i love her (also she has clydesdale hooves hehe) character arc -applejack deserves a good arc and they keep focusing on her stupid parents............I WANNA SEE MY GIRL GO THRU TROUBLE!! okay get ready -she is very scared of being tomboyish bc she doesnt want to be made fun of by her friends so she hides her tomboyish nature and how STRONG she is bc/ she doesnt want to seem boyish. she forces herself to act really girly but a situation occurs or something and she is forced to show her strength and come clean to the others. she is really scared but because she tells them the truth she gets the element of honesty and the others are like "were glad u told us because youre our friend and u shouldnt have to hide anything from us!" yeah anyways i love her and from that point on she is more tomboyish but still girly! (shes the fifth to get her character arc) Rainbow Dash -shes still a pegasus! -i love her so much but people think she's annoying and always make her buff and calm but i did the OPPOSITE i made her SUPER PUNY and SUPER FAST and MORE ANNOYING because i LOVE HER!!! -she fluff up like a bird when she's upset! -because she's smaller she has bigger ears and wings >:] -shes very conceited (At first) and bosses people around (even tho shes so puny) character arc -she's a really selfish character before hand but then everyone gets into some sort of danger and she risks herself just to save them!! bc of this she gets the loyalty element and cares a lot more about everyone else afterwards and is still annoying but is able to stop herself from being so selfish! (shes the fourth to get her character arc!) Pinkie Pie -shes a crystal pony! -when she first is introduced she forces herself to be regal and in her crystal form -she cant let herself laugh around the other ponies bc she doesnt want them to see her as silly/not good enough/not serious -she has a really 80s spunky vibe and wears roller skates -yeah she still has that twitch thing but instead of it being her tail its her little hair curl coming from the top of her head -gummy is a croc she finds and decides to keep (after her arc) character arc -in like the second episode or something, a curse is placed on the characters where they all look different, but pinkie isnt affected, and after seeing everyone laughing and struggling with the temporary defects, she starts laughing and reverts from a crystal pony to her normal state and her hairs all poofy and its real cute and shit.........she gets the element of laughter and everyones like "whyd u hide ur happiness?" and she says she didnt wanna get judged and god.......its jsust real nice (shes the first one to get an arc) anywayz this took a long time to write for no reason and its just SO MUCH if u actually read this i love u!!! this was inspired a lot by jenny nicholson's next gen ideas!!!! 100% creds to her for the inspo<3 i changed a lot of things but i still based some ideas from her!

#my little pony #mlp #ik this wont get many notes but i wanted to post it anyways!#if u have any questions please ask!!!!!!!!!

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not-majestic-bluenicorn · 4 years

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Puzzle || Ink Prints JohnKun Mini Series

Fandom(s): NCT (127 & WayV)

AU: Soulmates AU

Genre: Romance, Fluff

Relationship: Johnny x Kun

Language: English

Status: 5/5

Chapter WC: 2,684 words

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, Bruises (someone falls of a bike).

Chapter Warnings: None apply

Summary:

Kun doesn’t really know what he’s doing with his life. He moved to South Korea on impulse to study his major, but he doesn’t actually know what he’s doing there. He is starting to regret his decision when his soulmate walks into his life in the most unexpected of ways. If only it were that easy...

AO3

Ink Prints Masterlist || Next Chapter >>

Tagged: @queen-of-himbos

Hello kids~

My name is Johnny and I’ll be your peer mentor for the next two weeks! In this e-mail you’ll find all of the important schedules that you’ll have as well as a map of the campus. For now, the most important document is the one with the information on how to get the key to your temporary room, it’s the first thing you gotta do when you get here!

On the first day we’ll have two meetings. The first one will be just a general introduction about the University, the campus and all that important business. Then I’ll take you to a tour of the campus. The second meeting we’ll be about the finalization of your transfer process, so it’s very important you assist to that one!

If you have time afterwards and want to, I’d love to take you all out for dinner! Send me a confirmation response please!

Johnny

Hello Johnny-ssi,

I’m Qian Kun, one of your mentees. This would be my confirmation response. Thanks a lot for the useful information. It’d be a pleasure to have dinner with all of the group.

Kun

Kun pushed his suitcase with one hand as he held the map of the campus with the other. He was trying to figure out where the dormitories were so he could get his key and pass out for the night. His flight had been postponed and he had ended up arriving later than planned, which ruined his plans of seeing a little bit of Korea for the day. Now, the only thing he craved was rest.

When he finally figured out how to read the map, he sighed in relief and made his way there. His legs ached. At first because of the somewhat cramped space in the Economy Class of the flight he had taken, but now because he had been walking around like a headless chicken trying to decipher the campus’ map. That tour was certainly going to come in handy.

He folded the map and shoved it in his pocket as he got to the building. The lady behind the desk was quite kind and understanding as she guided him through the registration process, and soon enough he was holding the miraculous key in his free hand. His room was on the second floor, which was ideal because he didn’t want to climb too many stairs while carrying the suitcase.

The room was a decent size and it had two beds on opposite sides. He knew he would need to share rooms once the classes started, but for now, he was grateful to have it for himself. Kun chose the bed further away from the door and sat on it, laying down the suitcase to begin pulling stuff out. He was tired, but his future self would be grateful to him if he didn’t have to struggle looking for clothes the next day.

Once he had put everything away, Kun flopped on the bed and took out his cellphone. He had bought a plan just so he could use it in Korea during his stay, but he would probably have to change numbers until he finished his studies. He had a couple of messages from his fathers and some friends, but decided to answer them later. He was still a little bit surprised he was actually going through with his decision to study in Korea.

He didn’t have an actual reason to do it. He had made the decision unprompted and just gone through with it, and now he was only a couple months away from starting his universitary studies in Korea. His fathers had been very supportive of him, like they had always been, but it still surprised him a little bit that they had just let him go to a whole other country. Still, Kun was sort of glad with his decision, if only because it made him excited.

He raised his arm and looked at the horse pacing on his skin. It was really big, even for a soulmate tattoo, and from what Kun had researched, he knew it was a Clydesdale. Whenever it was on his hand, it covered more than half of the back, and it made him feel somewhat small. It was funny though, because his fathers usually told him his soulmate must be someone really tall, even though the tattoos weren’t actually tied to the physical aspect of the person.

Kun sometimes wondered what the animal that represented him was. But more than that, he wondered if he would ever find his soulmate at all. He knew it was difficult to find your soulmates and that a lot of people were happy even when they never got to meet them. Still, he was allowed to hope. Maybe that was the reason he had left China in the first place. He sighed and turned around, falling asleep shortly after.

The next morning, he woke up with enough time to get ready and have breakfast. The problem was that he didn’t have food nor did he know where the nearest convenience store or cafeteria was. Fortunately, he had packed protein bars for such occasions. He opened one and shoved two more in his pockets before picking up his backpack and heading out, map in one hand and protein bar in the other.

His backpack had nothing but a notebook, a couple of pens, and his cellphone’s charger. Honestly, he didn’t even think he would need to take that many notes to begin with, and felt silly for bringing such a big backpack with him. It was a little too late to be second-guessing his outfit, so he just followed the map to the best of his abilities to the auditorium where they would be introduced to the university.

Kun finished his protein bar and shoved the plastic wrapper in his backpack before entering the auditorium. There were already people there. A kind senior student gave him a folder containing notes with what they were seeing that day, before directing him towards the seats. Kun walked down the aisle and sat down, keeping a certain distance from the other foreigner students waiting for the meeting to start. He still didn’t feel quite ready to make friends.

Little by little, the auditorium filled until the clock marked the time for the meeting. Kun took out his pens and made his own notes over the papers he had been given. The peer mentors told them a little bit of history about the university and explained to them how each department was divided. Kun paid close attention to everything, while simultaneously wondering which of those students was ‘Johnny’.

He had liked the first impression he had formed of his peer mentor through the email. He seemed kind and helpful. As far as Kun knew, most peer mentors were also foreigner students that had been new to the university at some point, just like them. Johnny was, according to his limited knowledge, an English name, so he wondered if his peer mentor came from England or maybe America.

“Now, let’s go through a quick overview of the campus’ map, and then your peer mentors can take you on a tour!” The student at the front said, as the presentation changed to a slide with a map of the university.

Kun compared it to his own map which he had been using so far, but it wasn’t of much help, as he had truly no idea how to even locate himself in the map. The tour would surely be helpful. The meeting came to an end shortly after, and the mentors pulled out papers with their names printed on them. Finding Johnny was easy enough.

His mentor was a tall man. His hair was long and bleached, half of it held back in a little bun. He was holding his sign high and moving it around with a silly smile on his face. Kun couldn’t help but smile, although he tried to suppress it as he walked towards him. From close up, Johnny was even taller, but his smile made him approachable.

“I think this is all of you,” Johnny said with a smile, as he folded the paper and put it back in his pocket. “My name’s John Seo, but please don’t call me John, it makes me feel old. You can also call me Youngho, as that is my Korean name. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable!”

As it turned out, three out of his four new colleagues were also Chinese, which immediately made him feel more comfortable. Junhui and Yanan were both taller than him, but the first one looked like he was up for mischief and the second one had a very nice smile. Handong looked like you didn’t want to mess with her, but she turned out to be quite funny and nice. Alexandra (or Alex, as she had asked them to call her) was very friendly and immediately bonded with Johnny over coming from America.

Johnny turned out to be an excellent guide. He let them know where the most important markers were and how to use them as guides to get to their destinations. The campus was really big, and they ended up only looking at the main buildings. By the end of the three hour tour, Kun was exhausted and famished. Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one, so Johnny took them to his favorite cafeteria on campus.

“Personally this is my favorite place to eat on campus,” he explained as they all picked something from the menu. “But you can always eat outside if you find time to come and go, there’s plenty of stuff around here.”

“Johnny-ssi-” Kun began, but he was quickly stopped.

“Hyung, please,” Johnny said with a smile. “What is it?”

“Johnny-hyung…” The word felt weird on his tongue since he didn’t actually know Johnny that well, but the oldest seemed content with his effort, so he was willing to let it slide. “Is it true that there’s going to be a treasure hunt?”

“A treasure hunt?” Junhui immediately piped in, eyes open wide.

“Ohh yeah.” Johnny clicked his tongue. “Spoiler alert, it’s quite hard.”

They followed him to a table. Kun sat in front of him, so it would be easier to ask him questions and listen to him without having to turn around. Johnny prompted them to eat their lunch while he explained a little bit more about the treasure hunt. The first bite tasted like glory to Kun, although he wasn’t certain if it was because of his hunger or because the food there was as good as Johnny had bragged it was.

“There’s prizes, mostly things that will be useful for your stay here. It can range all the way from supplies to food coupons which, honestly, can be life savers.” Johnny took turns to talk and eat, trying not to leave details out. “But it is pretty hard, since the campus is so big.”

“We should team up!” Alex suggested, and the rest nodded.

“Is it obligatory?” Handong asked, leaning closer.

“Oh no-” Johnny shook his head- “none of the activities are obligatory, they’re simple recommendations.”

“Will you participate in the treasure hunt?” Kun asked.

“Well, technically I can’t,” he said, after swallowing a bite of his meal, “but I will help prepare it.” Johnny winked knowingly, and Kun found himself needing to look away.

Johnny was very friendly, and very confident. Which he had a right to be, because he was also very attractive, but that only made Kun feel more flustered and awkward. It wasn’t that Kun didn’t have self-confidence, because he did… just not as much as Johnny. He just hoped he would be able to overcome it soon, because Johnny was going to be his mentor for two whole weeks.

“Right.” Johnny pulled his cellphone out of the bag and passed it to Yanan on his side. “Please put your Kakao account, it’ll be easier to talk through there than through emails.” Yanan sent himself a friend request and then passed it to Alexa. “Also, I would like to invite you all for dinner tonight, it’s on me. I’ll text you the details.”

Once they were done eating, the five of them returned to the meeting room while Johnny stayed behind to do some other stuff. This time, Kun did sit next to his new friends, finding it a bit more comfortable. Soon enough they were all added to a chatroom by Johnny, and Kun used the opportunity to add them all as friends.

This meeting was a lot more tedious, as it was packed with important information. Kun could barely take notes fast enough in Korean, so they ended up a mix of Korean and Chinese that probably only he could understand. It didn’t matter as long as he was able to use them for their intended purpose.

After the meeting, they went their separate ways, as they all wanted to use their free time differently. Kun simply went back to his dorm, thinking that he should ask Johnny for some places to visit over dinner. He kind of knew where he wanted to go, but getting the opinion of someone with more experience than him seemed like a better idea. Just as he was thinking of that, Johnny sent a message to their chatroom.

Johnny-hyung: meet me outside the dorms at 8-ish Johnny-hyung: dinner’s on me!

Kun programmed an alarm and then flopped on his bed to take a nap. He was exhausted and it took him no time to fall asleep. He barely heard the alarm when it sounded, and woke up with a start. He managed to fix his hair and rinse his mouth before storming off to the dorm’s reception. Despite waking up right on time, he was still the first one to make it besides Johnny, who smiled brightly upon his arrival.

“For a moment I thought you’d stand me up!” He said as a form of greeting. Kun bowed slightly, apologetically. “Don’t worry about it, the others said they’re on their way here. It seems like they had a busy afternoon.”

It took about ten minutes for everyone to get there, then Johnny called cabs for them and off they went. He took them to a grill house, and as soon as the smell of grilling meat reached them, they all felt hungry. A waiter took them to the table Johnny had reserved, and they all sat promptly, eager to eat.

When the meat arrived and Johnny began grilling it, Kun immediately offered to help. At least it was something he could do, and it made him feel better to have some sort of control over the situation. Everything felt so foreigner to him, which was kind of ironic when he was in a group full of other foreigners.

“Ohh!” Johnny exclaimed in admiration. “It seems like our Kun is good at grilling meat!”

Alex let out a cheer as Kun placed a handful of juicy pieces of meat on her place. Junhui tried to steal from her, but she protected her plate fiercely. Kun chuckled and served Junhui next, to avoid a war from starting at their table.

“It’s nothing, I just like cooking.” Kun smiled, feeling warm at the compliment.

“Really now.” Johnny smiled, taking care of his own side of the grill. Kun glanced at him briefly, but looked away once he discovered Johnny was looking at him.

Once everyone had meat on their plates, Johnny grabbed his glass and raised it to the center. The others followed him, glancing curiously at him.

“I want to propose a cheer for all of you,” he explained. “May your first year at the university be successful!”

“Cheers!” They all exclaimed in unison, clinking their glasses and then drinking for them.

Kun glanced at Johnny briefly, and the oldest smiled at him, reassuringly. He felt his shoulders relax as he took another sip of his drink before going back to grilling meat. Maybe he would be able to find himself in this unfamiliar place after all.

#kwritersworldnet #kconnet #kdiarynet #nct #nct 127 #way v #nct fanfic #nct fic #nct fanfiction #soulmates au #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop fic #kpop fanfiction #nct johnny #nct kun #way v kun #ink prints #bluenicorn writes

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ehzradoesthething · 3 years

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When the Truth Gets Out~ Finikk Stryder

“No- you had hundreds of opportunities to tell me the truth after Dad died, Nik- but you just fucking lied.”

The scathing words from his younger brother still rang loudly in Finikk’s head- too loud to concentrate on reading, let alone sleep. Quill was right, he should have been told the truth a long time ago, and keeping it hidden for the better part of nine years was the furthest thing from fair. Maybe when he ten it was justifiable, but now he was nineteen, and of course it didn’t take him long to figure it out on his own.

~~~~~

Finikk still remembered a lot of the details from that night, it was hard to forget, considering how much it had changed his life. He was fifteen, a brand new recruit to the Night Watch, off on his first watch with his father to safeguard his home. It had been an ordinary night for Duskwood, though his father did make mention it was unusually quiet as they walked the path between Darkshire and Raven Hill, lighting their way with torches that offered a fraction of extra warmth if you held it the right way. That was exactly what Finikk had been focused on when the sound of heavy hoofbeats disturbed the still night. It was Lorelle- his mother, who had ridden out on Finikk’s Clydesdale, Horizon in nothing but his lead halter. Finikk could still hear the desperation in her voice.

“’He’s gone- the bloody idiot’s run off in the night into who knows what. I told you Elryn, what would happen if you left Quillan out of Nikki’s life like this-”

She was distraught, having found Quill’s bed empty and his window left open. Finikk remembered his Father throwing him onto Horizon’s back behind his mother, ordering them both to return home before he went in search of Quill himself, knowing already he’d be searching for a body.

The ride back to Darkshire was made quick thanks to his horse, and that was when Finikk did something stupid himself. A very quick scan of the bedroom he shared with Quill told him all he needed to- Quill had taken his brother’s bow and quiver, climbed out the window to avoid their mother, and followed after his Father and brother. So, without hesitation, Finikk headed back outside, ignoring the panicked pleas of his mother. His Father might have given up on finding Quill alive, but Finikk never would.

It was unlikely Quill would have got far carrying Finikk’s bow- it was way too big for an already-small-for-his-age ten-year-old. But even then, Quill was smart enough to know to stay off the paths if you wanted to avoid the Watchmen. Going outside after dark was far from recommended in Duskwood- even the daylit hours were unsafe. But Finikk knew all their hiding spots, new and old, and he knew Quill’s head.

The early signs of Quill’s journey were something only Finikk would see- the disturbed dirt on the embankment leading straight to Brightwood Grove, right in the easiest area for a kid to climb if he wanted to avoid the watchmen patrolling the paths. It was difficult in the dark, even with the torch, and Finikk started letting his worry get the better of him. Brightwood Grove was usually infested with Venomous Spiders that averaged about half the size of a horse, but word among the watch was the knowledge of a new threat- a pack of feral Worgen known as the Nightbane had moved into the area, and proved very difficult to keep under control. Finikk wanted to think that Quill, even at ten, couldn’t be so stupid as to wander into the area on purpose, but something told Finikk his brother had more on his mind than simply following him and their father that night.

Finikk was careful, and surprised at the lack of giant spiders he had to slay along the way as he carefully travelled through the Grove by torchlight, following the smallest traces of broken twigs and flattened grass as he went. But, when the dim glow of the torch revealed the mangled corpse of a Direwolf, Finikk started to panic, and against his better judgement, started using his voice.

“Quill?”

He waited a few seconds, to no response, returning to his slow process of tracking, listening to the sounds around him for any seconds head-start on the next spider, or worse.

“Quillan!”

He knew he should shut up, and all he was doing was drawing attention to himself, but this time, his call went answered- and it was only a whisper- but so close he almost screamed himself.

“I'm over here-”

Quill was sitting against the stump of an old tree, hiding, by the looks of it- not six feet from him. His torch was dimming quickly, but even in the poor light, he knew Quill was terrified of something.

“What the fuck were you think-”

Finikk didn’t know what hit him, and he wouldn’t until it was well beyond too late. The Worgen came out of nowhere, and all Finikk remembered was his skin being torn apart, white-hot pain in his shoulder combined with the sickly feeling of his own blood escaping every wound- but, just as quickly as it had happened, the attack stopped, leaving only the agony and Finikk only just made out a familiar voice before he fainted.

“You’re fine, You’re going to be fine, we have to go-”

The biggest surprise that followed was when Finikk awoke in his bed the following evening with all his injuries wrapped in bloodstained linen- he knew just by looking it was his mother’s work. Lorelle sat nearby, right at Finikk’s bedside, patching clothes that seemed to be Quill’s. Her blonde hair was still a mess from the disastrous evening, but really, it just made the resemblance between her and her second son all the more apparent.

“... Is Quill okay?”

It was the first thing he wanted to know, and the sound of his voice clearly startled his mother- and she wasn’t very easy to scare. She recovered quickly, dropping her needlework and moving to sit at the edge of the bed instead, fussing with the bedsheets as she spoke.

“He’s fine- He woke up earlier today too-”

“What do you mean woke-up? Is he alright?”

“He wasn’t conscious when your father found you, Nik. He’s alright though- Spider bite is all, but... easy enough to treat. He’ll be fine.”

Finikk closed his eyes, relieved.

“So... what attacked me?”

His mother shook her head, lightly fixing his hair out of his eyes.

“A Dire Wolf, by the looks of it- a big one.”

“I’ll kill him- If I ever walk again I’ll kill him.”

~~~~~

Finikk snapped back to reality, still sitting by the dying embers of the fire where Virgil had left him. Finikk knew the rest of that story- He just didn’t want to be reminded. But now- Quill knew it too. And the biggest question was weather or not Quill could forgive Finikk for slaughtering their mother when he turned within minutes of waking up.

A soft creak of the floorboards behind him alerted him to- he assumed- Virgil coming back downstairs- who knew why. But Finikk rubbed at his eyes quickly- he didn’t need the ex-paladin to think he was weak.

“I’m ok, Virgil- I wont be much longer-”

“It’s me, actually”

The sound of Quill’s voice made Finikk jump, and he automatically stood up to face him.

“I... didn’t think you’d be back so soon...”

“Neither did I. But it is late. And... I’m not ready to be around you yet, but you deserve to at least know I don’t blame you for Mother. And... I’m sorry my actions ended up with you... getting hurt.”

It was the last thing Finikk had expected, or so he thought- Until Quillan stepped forward close enough to reach up and pull back Finikk’s hood- to see the scarring that marred Finikk’s face and neck as what it actually was for the first time. Finikk did his best to stay still, and let him look, even at his violet eyes that gave off a faint glow.

“You know you’re still my brother, Nik. And... I’m mad. At you and at Dad... But I know that wont last. You were trying to protect me and I get that. But I can handle the truth. I’m not ten anymore.”

Finikk only nodded, forcing a smile. He didn’t trust himself to use his voice, especially not when Quill was acting so serious.

“Maybe it made sense when I was younger... But if you went through that at fifteen, I could have too. I just... I want to talk about this more, another time. I really just wanted you to know I’ll stay in the City for now, so... I don't know. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay... I am sorry, Quill. I just-”

“Tomorrow, Nik, seriously. I really cant right now. Besides- your boyfriend is probably wondering where you are.”

There was a smile then, from both brothers.

“He’s not my boyfriend, Quill.”

“Does he know that? Shit, someone better tell him before you leave it nine years too late and end up married but not really because ‘he’s not your husband’.”

Quill grinned, it was probably too soon to make jokes of the situation, but... he wouldn't be Quillan Stryder if he didn't. With a last smile, and a light touch to his brother’s unscarred shoulder, Quill left, quietly closing the door behind him to return to Stormwind.

Finikk stood where he was, processing what just happened until the embers in the hearth died completely, Then, with a relieved sigh, he unpinned his cloak, leaving it draped over the back of the lounge with the one he had given to Virgil, and headed upstairs.

He hesitated on the landing above, debating his next move less carefully than he should have- before he just turned away from his own room and went into the one that was once his Parents’, now Virgil’s, collapsing on the free side of the bed without a word. He didn’t even bother waking him, or climbing under blankets, he just fell asleep right there, for once, thankful that his improved hearing could even pick up Virgil’s faint heartbeat- it was probably a lot easier without the hood too, but regardless, It was a comfort, and soon sent Finikk to sleep.

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yourplayersaidwhat · 5 years

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Grand Theft Arm

Long story short, my group is playing a modified version of Curse of Strahd. After a direwolf attack led by Strahd in the city wipes out 90 percent of the population, my centaur bard takes over the inn to establish a bit of normalcy. Making free meals for residents n such. She also has the Guild Artisan background, and she specializes in brewing alcoholic beverages. Think of her as a clydesdale centaur barmaid that towers basically over everyone she meets, a 5 foot tall character comes up below her withers.

Anyway, she ends up getting our Aasimar Sorceress drunk after making her a rather delightful meal, and in the sorceress’s drunken stupor she thinks the bard will steal her food and becomes protective of it. Of course, being a bard, it’s time to mess with her.

Me: -tucking my arms behind my back- Oh, but Sorceress, I can’t steal your food if I don’t have arms.

Sorceress: What?! Who stole your arms? Was it [Monk’s name]??

The bard is unable to answer her as she dashes for the large manor in Vallaki to confront the Monk, who of course had nothing to do with it. You could say it was…an Armed Robbery.

#shit my players say #dnd #submission #team spirit #stealing things for fun and profit

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kate-embershield · 4 years

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Where would the Skydancers be sold?? Would they have some lore to them??? MAYBE AN ENTIRE AREA. You know, to fit their aesthetic!!

Ok so technically Skydancer is a term used in Flight Rising, so I have no claim on that nor the dragons look because I was drawing one of my dragons when I saw the ask so, for now, let's just call them Dragons

Maybe a new area for the dragons could be in the more mountainy areas of Jorvic. there are a few high peaks that, if tunnelled into, could make a good spot for a new dragon based area. Or, I know there are people behind the ice gate, maybe they could have the dragons.

Regarding the lore for the Mountain area idea, maybe something happened to make the dragons go into hiding, and so they, and a few selected ‘Riders’ fled to the mountains, where they had already set up a city based on the premise of dragons and their ability to fly. Then, Jon shows up, everything happens and the dragons and their citadel in the mountains fade into legend, then, when the game takes place, a lost/injured/curious dragon finds its way down the mountain and the player has to hide them while getting them home, unlocking the area, rideable dragon mounts and the usual stuff that comes with a new area. And perhaps with this new mountain area, the team could introduce ‘Gliding’. the dragon's special ability. So long as nothing is in the way, the Dragon can jump off a high place and glide down to the ground.

For the general theme of the area, it could be very colourful and cavernous, banners and strings of light decorating entire man mad caves and massive domed spaces carved inside hollowed-out mountains. The area could be layered like the mall, piles and piles of shops and houses and stables carved into little knolls in the rock. the whole area echoing when you walk or make a sound, distant drumming music and the neigh of horses and screech of dragons and scream of claws and hoves as someone skids to a stop. massive gaping tunnels could lead to cliffs where dragons can take off, leaping into the sky to get to lower parts of the area that is still accessible on horseback but the way there is through a maze of tunnels and spiralling staircases roughly mined out. the whole area doesn't feel cold like the light mountain air would have you believe, but instead, it's warm and lit brightly with Dragonfire, people bustling around and dragons roaring. the whole thing a beautiful mess of life and culture and when your there, time seems to pass differently as you ignore responsibility as you focus solely on the feeling of weightlessness when you take the leap off one of those balconies, feeling the wind roar in your ears and toy with your hair as you plummet before those wings snap open.

Then there's the ice gate and the people behind it. Not much is known about them, so maybe they could be harbouring the dragons. Lore wise, it could be the same premise, but instead of flying to the mountains, they could have fled to the valley because they were under attack, and what better place to hide than somewhere no one would think to look. And they could look more fluffy and warm, with a large body like a Clydesdale or pony, more suited for the cold environment while the mountain-based ones could be as drawn, scaly and feathery, with much more streamline and aerodynamic body.

Maybe the area is a small village or bustling icicle city, with dragons roaming freely as their human companions go about there day. Maybe the dragons have perch’s on rooftops or stables carved from ice. maybe the dragon's breath ice or fire, ice being used to build and reinforce while the fire is used to warm. Maybe the basic structures are wood with ice frozen over like nordic mound homes. Or maybe its igloos. massive ones serving as stables. pr maybe past the ice gate is green and lush, a paradise from fantasy where the people are more fae than human. maybe it's a winter wonderland from the wildest of fable or its a faery world like no other. but the dragons and humans coexist, trusting and believing in one another through means unknown and magical. maybe its underground tunnel networks forming labyrinthian city or even an entrance to pandora where people have made their homes in the world of pink and magic, making the people not all human nor pandorian, but something else entirely. or maybe it's not even pandora, maybe, like Gallopers keep, its another plane of existence entirely. A void on which civilisation build itself from the ground up. maybe they sp[eak of the magician and his tricks like a benevolent god, or they speak of a new force in itself, a creature both feared and loved, granting the inhabitants of its plane anything they could want and need.

I had fun with these like holy damn writey Kate kicked her way in with a bat and refused to leave and maybe new tack and clothes for both areas could be more on the armour side or even festive parade tack with gems and metal carved in incredibly intricate ways.

Maybe the whole thing is even eastern centred, great serpentine loong dragons weaving through the air like ribbons, vibrant reds and golds and stunning blues and silvers making up the majority of there colours.

I don't know where to end this so here

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legendofeliselozau · 4 years

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Legend of Elise (LOZ Next Gen AU) OC Bio: Mark

Name: Mark

Birth-name: Maik (Pronounced: MEY-K)

Age: 17

Birthday: February 20 (Pisces)

Gender: Cis Male (He/him)

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Species: Gerudo

Hight: 5’6”

Weight: 141.5 lbs.

Occupation: Succorer in training under Queen Zelda

Powers & Abilities: Mark is a powerful spell caster. Mark can create an orb of light to shock his opponent from a distance and an electric zap from his hands for a short-range attack. Mark also can create a burst of fire and teleport short distances.

Weakness: Despite Mark having strong magic he’s not that physically strong. As a result, Mark has a low resistance to physical attacks.

Pet: Dusk (Male-Black Clydesdale Horse)

Friends: Elise, Sakura, Robin, and Orca

Parents: BIOLOGICAL-Ganondorf and Kisun (HC NPC) ADOPTIVE-Malon

Sibling: Afya (Big sister)

Enemies: Afya, Shadow Link, Shadow Elise, and Ganondorf

Personality: Mark is a rather nerdy, boy. He has a vast knowledge of magic and is very enthusiastic about it. If he’s not physically trading him magical abilities he’s reading about magic. Mark is an introvert preferring to either keep to himself or his small group of friends. Mark is often described as quiet and reserved. When he doses force himself into large situation gatherings, he’s awkward and anxious. Mark is easily peer pressured by his friends. Even when he knows their plan is going to fail, he goes along with it anyway.

Backstory: Mark is the second born child of “The King of Evil” himself Ganondorf. His family lived in secret in Gerudo Village. That is until Hyrule Authority got word of Ganondorf’s residence, shortly after Mark was born. Ganondorf and Kisun decided it would be safer if the children would be safer if they lived separately from them. Kisun ended up leaving Mark outside of Lon Lon Ranch where Malon soon found and took Mark in, later adopting him.

Mark grew to have a strong bond with his adoptive family. In his infantry, his grandpa and great-uncle would look after Mark while Malon worked on the farm. Despite Malon’s hard workload as the owner of Lon Lon Ranch, she would make as much free time as posable for Mark. Mark was often shunned by his peers, as the Gerudo had a bad reputation in the eyes of the Hyrule public. As a result, Mark spent more time with his family then his peers. Malon seeing this didn’t what Mark to feel ashamed of his race, so she would buy him Gerudo clothing, literature, jewelry, ECT to show him all the good his race has done.

Early on Mark showed magical potential. Malon would buy Mark as many magic books as she could. After years of self-teaching himself, magic Mark decided to need professional teaching. Thus, he went off to Hyrule Castle Town to ask Queen Zelda to help him feather his magic training. When Mark arrived at Hyrule Castle Town he ended up getting in the middle of a confusable by accident. Lucky Elise was nearby, using her royal authority to get Mark out of the mess her tripped into. After finding out why Mark was in town Elise helped him meet with her mother. After herring Mark out Zelda, agreed to help train him. Elise and Mark became fast friends, Mark appreciating Elise’s rambunctious, enthusiasm and Elise found him magic intriguing. Much to Link’s dismay. After all Link went, thou fighting Ganondorf he was on edge meeting another male Gerudo. After getting to know Mark better Link learned to trust him.

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secret-engima · 4 years

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I would post something if I had any ideas what animals suited the characters other than the dragon slayers /possibly/ being dragon taurs. As it is, the only thing I’ve thought about beyond the concept was that taurs not needing/wearing clothing on their lower half means that any scars Erza, Jellal, and the other Tower of Heaven survivors have there would be visible ^^’

That’s the thing! They could be any animal you want depending on aethsetic and humor! You could make the dragon slayers dragon-taurs, OR you could go with other taurs for the humor of seeing like-a fire breathing akita puppy and a wind wielding fawn of some kind! For Erza as another example you could pick by the red fur to go with her hair (so like, Maned Wolf or Red Fox? They look cool) or by animals that fit her ferocity (like a tiger, which also would fit her red hair!) or even by oblique reference to her title via making her some kind of deer taur (stags and deer are associated with the fairy realm aren’t they? I think they are anyway, plus, all the dragon slayers being afraid of a deertaur is funny).

Some other cool/funny taur halves might be:

Gajeel - lizard taur of some kind or something more traditionally fierce like hyena, African wild dog, wolf, or even moose (do not mess with moose. Ever. They have Big Stompers And Know How To Use Them). OH OR- Gajeel’s last name is canonically Redfox and dragons are hardly the MOST creative at naming (plus Gajeel could have named himself after winding up on human streets) so you could totally make him a Red Fox. Gajeel Redfox the Red Fox taur was that bad that was bad I’ll see myself out XD

The Strauss siblings could all be horses or dog breeds, just with different taur halves that makes Elfman drastically bigger than his sibs (ie Elfman the Clydesdale and Mirajane the dainty little Arabian or Quarter Horse).

Levy - maybe a house cat breed like a Ragdoll, or even a rabbit breed! It would be a funny contrast to Gajeel if you picked something fierce or large for him.

Lucy - ... idk honestly, she’s nobility, so possibly an herbivorous or show breed. Like some kind of popular show dog breed, show cat breed, or conversely a wild animal like a deer or elk? There’s a type of deer breed (can’t remember the name rn) that has spots even as an adult so they look kinda like big fawns and that might be cute for her. Or you could pick something with a gold coat like a Golden Retriever to go with her hair. Then again- if you made Natsu a dog (or just considering Natsu’s personality even without making him a dog) a cat would fit right into their early anime dynamic.

Like- if you need a suggestion or want to ask if choice A or B sounds better for a taur half or whatever feel free to yeet an ask. I won’t pick them for you obviously, your bunny your rules, but if you get really stuck then I’d be happy to help. This is absolutely the kind of bunny I would encourage.

And btw the visible scar thing is a Cool Touch™.

#SE asks #dogsanddigimon asks #fairy tail #taur au #Secret Engima Rambles #other people's fanfic ideas

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survivorwildwest · 4 years

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Episode 12 - Us and Our Friends

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a jackrabbit finds comfort in some tallgrass.

Ken has woken early and made his way to the town’s campfire. He surveys the campfire and the boulders they’d been using as seats, then the shadows of the few buildings in town and the sun.

“Why are you staring at the sun,” Kass asks as she walks up behind him.

“I’m not. I’m just... checking something,” he says as he turns to her and removes his hand from his brow.

“What are you checking?”

“I’m working on something.”

“That much I gathered.”

He puts his hands firm around the only boulder in the shade. He drops his hips and presses his chest forward as he pushes the boulder from its place. As he tries to move the boulder to its side, the force of his chest pushing forward pops open the top couple buttons of his shirt. The strenuous and sweaty work makes his shirt stick to his back. Once the boulder is sufficiently horizontal, Ken stands up and wipes the beads of sweat from his forehead and removes his shirt. He bends down again and slides his hands under the boulder. His heels dig into the sand as he begins to roll the boulder. The waist of his pants remains stiff, giving just a glimpse of his ass, as he slowly lunges through the sand. Once Ken feels the boulder has been moved far enough from the fire, he turns around to see Lauren approaching from the saloon.

“Good morning, Ken,” she calls.

“Good morning, Lauren,” he says, “I’ll be right back.”

Lauren takes a seat next to Kass and asks, “enjoying the show?”

“I’m certainly not complaining,” she says.

Ken returns shortly after carrying what he’s been building. He places it where the shaded boulder had been.

“I built a bench for us,” he tells them.

“What, when, how,” Kass asks.

“The last few days. We had all these leftover tools and supplies and, you know, I always need something to keep my hands occupied.”

“That much I’ve gathered,” Kass jokes, looking at Lauren.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a tortoise reaches for a flower with his beak.

Colby appears with the day’s tree mail.

“Weight?” Wendy guesses.

“I guess,” Colby says.

At high noon, the final eight meet Jeff in front of the day’s reward challenge. As always, he’s full of smiles standing next to his clydesdale.

“For today’s reward challenge, you will be divided into two teams. Each team will, together, hold a board over their head. Over each person’s head will be a bucket of water. Each bucket weighs one quarter your starting weight. Your hand will be attached to a disc keeping the water in the bucket. If you drop your hand, your bucket will empty and you’ll be out, leaving your teammates to carry your weight. Last team standing wins. Want to know what you’re playing for?”

They all yip and they all yeehaw.

“The winning team will take a trip to a movie theater for a viewing of an American classic set right here in the old west! We’re talking popcorn, soda… air-conditioning and of course... the traditional beans. Worth playing for?”

They all yip and they all yee and darn tootin do they all haw.

“Alright,” Jeff says, “We'll do a schoolyard pick for teams.”

Jeff passes a bag of two black and six white rocks around. They reveal and Jeff announces, “Kass and Jerri, captains once again.”

The two women count one-two-three-shoot to decide who goes first. Jerri’s paper covers Kass’ rock this time. She picks Colby first. Kass takes Ken. Jerri calls Michaela’s name. Kass says Lauren’s. Jerri looks at Wendy, whose smile is so big her whole body vibrates, then to Bi. Jerri drops her head and calls for Bi. Wendy drops her smile and joins Kass’ team.

The two teams stand on platforms set to each of their heights so their buckets can remain level. Jerri takes the first position for the orange team. Standing next to her in the second position is Michaela. Taking the third position is Colby. Bi, standing on the tallest platform of the challenge, takes the end.

Kass takes the first position for the teal team. Ken and Lauren stand in the second and third positions. Wendy rounds them out in the fourth position. Once everyone on their platform, Jeff calls for the challenge to start.

Both teams start strong, unwavering in their support and balance. Jeff begins his narration, “This is a challenge of balance, you don’t want your bucket to tip, but also of trust. If you trust your teammates enough to hold the weight, you can drop out... Eventually, your arms are gonna get sore and you’re gonna try to fight the urge to drop out but maybe you should. If you can communicate, the weight won’t be too much to bear.”

After a few minutes, everyone has closed their eyes and fallen completely silent. Kass eventually speaks up, “How are you guys feeling?”

“I’m good,” Ken tells her.

“I’m good,” Lauren says.

“I’m fine,” Wendy says, her eyes still closed.

“Okay, I’m gonna drop,” Kass says.

“Okay, do it slowly,” Lauren says.

Kass removes her hands from the handles and drops her arms to her sides. The water splashes over her and she exhales “aaaahhh!”

“Feel good,” Jeff asks.

“Oh, I’d recommend they all drop out.”

After another ten minutes, Jerri asks her team how they’re feeling. Michaela gives a simple, “yeah.” Bi says, “You’re good.” Jerri lets her bucket shower her with water and she joins Kass on the bench.

After an hour and ten minutes, Wendy says, “Will you guys be okay if I step out? I feel like I’m gonna pass out.”

“Yeah, go ahead,” Lauren says.

Wendy turns her face upward and drops her hand to take a shower.

“How’s that,” Jeff asks.

“Amazing,” she says.

Bi snarls at the wet Wendy as she walks past.

“Jealous, Bi?”

“It does look nice,” Bi responds.

“You can drop out,” Michaela says. “We’ve got this.”

“No, I’m alright. I’m good.”

“Michaela and Bi negotiating going down to two people,” Jeff narrates, “Ken and Lauren doing the work of four people. Colby, meanwhile, hasn’t said a word this whole challenge. Are you not a fan of my questioning Colby?”

“Don’t need it,” he says without opening his eyes.

“Alright,” Jeff says, “message received.”

“Ken,” Lauren says.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m gonna…”

“It's okay. I can take it.”

“No, I mean--” she says as she faints and drops her disc.

Ken and Jeff both rush over to make sure she’s okay. The medical team rushes in to check on her. They determine she’s going to be fine. She just passed out. When she comes to, she sees Ken and feels his hand in hers.

“Are you okay,” he asks.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Did we lose?”

“Yeah,” Ken laughs, “I think so.”

“Aw, damn. I really wanted to go see a movie with you.”

“We can go some other time,” he promises.

“I’d like that,” she says as she places an ice pack on her forehead. “Oh, I didn’t even get to feel the water splash on me!”

“Is the ice nice?”

“The ice is nice, yes. Thank you.”

“Of course,” he says.

Jeff turns to the orange team to let them know they’ve won. They all let the water splash over them but with less enthusiasm than they’d hoped for after seeing Lauren pass out.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a trailing four o’clock shakes in the breeze.

Jerri, Colby, Michaela, and Bi ride their horses to a large marquee with pink and green neon lights, alerting anyone within a mile of this dusty, old movie palace. They tie their horses outside the theater and walk in. They take in the scent of the warm film and the popping corn. They each grab a bucket of popcorn and various other treats and drinks. Colby and Jerri take two seats next to each other in the back of the theater, spreading their snacks in the seats around them. Bi and Michaela take the seats in the next row and do the same.

From above, the projector illuminates. The warmth emanating from the bulb is a comfort from the shock of the theater’s air conditioning. The increasing flip of the film roll starting is heard and on the screen before them, they see “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Lumière No. 653.” appear in white text on a black screen.

“Oh,” Colby says, “This is that movie where everyone was afraid the train was coming at them.”

The film plays and the screen fades to black, but the whirring of the projector continues. Fireworks burst over a castle, a lamp hops across the screen, then a red car says, “This is Agent Leland Turbo.”

“What is this,” Michaela asks.

Then the title card appears on screen, “Cars 2.”

Everyone bursts into laughter. Colby falls back and raises his knees as he laughs. He slaps his knee, forgetting he’d rested something there, as one does in a movie theater. His hand gets hot and sticky and wet, “Ah,” he shouts as he jumps up from his seat.

Michaela turns around and, seeing the mess Colby’s made yells, “Ha! Colby’s eatin beans!”

Everyone laughs at him as he runs off to the bathroom to clean up.

When he returns, he takes the seat next to Jerri that is not covered in beans. Jerri whispers softly to him, not to interrupt the antics of Lightning McQueen and Mater, “You know we have beans at camp. Why’d you go for the beans?”

“I don’t know, I just like beans. I don’t really like sweets like that,” Colby also whispers, giving John Lassatter’s vision the respect it deserves.

“Aren’t you farting a lot,” Bi turns around and whispers.

“Honestly, no. I haven’t once.”

“What,” Jerri asks, surprised but still whispering.

“I haven’t been able to fart once since this started.”

“That’s weird,” Bi whispers.

“Are you okay,” Jerri whispers.

“What are y’all whispering about,” Michaela asks at full volume.

“We just didn’t want to interrupt the movie,” Jerri explains.

“I don’t give a shit about this movie,” Michaela says, “What’s going on?”

“Colby can’t fart,” Bi tells her.

“Bi,” Colby protests.

“What about all those beans you been eating,” Michaela asks.

“Nothing,” Colby tells her.

“Do you feel sick,” Michaela asks.

“No, I just can’t fart.”

“So, you’re just eating beans for the fun of it,” Bi asks.

“Col-beans,” Michaela calls him.

“Colbeans,” Jerri and Bi both laugh-shout.

Colby just smiles and appreciates they’re all having a good time, despite it being at his expense.

“You know we’re just joshin you, Colbeans,” Michaela says.

“Yes, I am a veteran in this,” he says, looking over at a grinning Jerri.

“You know we love you, buddy,” Jerri tells him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I know,” Colby says, gently resting his hand atop Jerri’s and for a moment they gaze at one another.

“So,” Michaela says, “Should we talk about the final four?”

“I’d be happy with this four,” Bi says.

“I’m on board,” Jerri says.

“Absolutely,” Colby agrees, “I guess the next question is, who are we targeting next tribal?”

“Well, it seems Lauren’s the glue over there,” Bi says.

“Ken’ll be mad,” Michaela says.

“Ken will get over it, then he’ll come running back to us. Wendy and Kass aren’t going to comfort him. We use him to take out Kass, then Wendy, then we take him out and voila we’re the Final Four,” Bi says, putting her hand in the center of the four of them.

“Makes sense to me,” Michaela says, putting her hand on Bi’s.

“Sure,” Jerri says, placing her hand atop Michaela’s.

“Should we come up with a name,” Colby asks, putting his hand in.

“The McQueens,” Bi says, overhearing Mater cheer for his friend Lightning McQueen as he leads the pack around a bend in a canyon.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a river digs away at the land for years on end.

Back in town, Ken and Lauren sit together on the bench he built. Wendy sits on the next closest boulder. Kass pokes an ember with a long stick around the fire.

“So, who’s the next target, Lauren,” Kass asks without making eye contact.

“Oh, I’m not in charge...”

“You’ve got a captive audience right here if you want to present anything,” Kass tells her.

Everyone looks at her expectantly.

She sits up straight and says, “Okay, what about… Colby?”

“Big move,” Ken says.

“But, we could do it. The four of us stay strong. They can put their votes on whoever, as long as they don’t play an idol or anything--”

“What if Colby wins immunity,” Kass asks.

“Then we put all our votes on Jerri.”

“I don’t want to vote for Jerri,” Wendy argues.

“Okay,” Lauren thinks it over, “Bi? Is anyone close with Bi?”

“I’m not worried about her,” Kass says.

“She’s smart,” Lauren says.

“She’s not a jury threat,” Kass explains.

“Ken,” Lauren says, turning her attention toward him, “Would you vote for Michaela?”

“Michaela and I… are close...”

“It might be our only option,” Lauren says, “You need to take her out before she takes you out.”

“I don’t think she’d do that.”

“Are you sure,” Kass asks, “She’s gotten awful close to Colby.”

Ken tilts his head back and forth as he considers Kass and Lauren’s proposal.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a cactus’ bloom wilts under the ceaseless sun.

The McQueens return to town after their viewing of Cars 2. Michaela follows Ken into the saloon. Ken sits at the piano and slowly plays a single note over and over as he droops his head over the keys.

“What’s going on, bud,” Michaela asks, taking a nearby seat.

“They’re coming after you.”

“Who?”

“Lauren and Kass.”

“Are you gonna vote with Lauren?”

“I don’t know. Who are you guys targeting?”

Michaela drops her head in a similar way and says, “Lauren.”

“Aw, man. What?”

“Bi thinks she’s the glue between y’all.”

“Bi thinks she can just take out whoever she wants.”

“What do you think of this? Me, you, and Lauren, plus Jerri and Colby take out Bi right now.”

Ken nods his head back and forth as he thinks it over.

“She’s gonna take everyone out one by one until she makes it to the end. We take her out right now, Kass after that, then Wendy, then it’s us and our friends in the Final Five. We just gotta stay strong.”

“I like the sound of that.”

In a talking head, Ken says, “You know, Michaela’s a smart girl. So, that’s the problem... She’s a huge threat... Good at competitions... She’s a smart chick… It’s a tough game. It’s a really tough game.”

The next morning, Colby hikes through the Mojave Desert with Jerri and Michaela to collect Tree Mail.

“I know we just made a Final Four deal with Bi,” Michaela says, “but I can’t trust her after her taking out Wardog like that.”

“Sure,” Colby says, “That makes sense.”

“You talk to Ken already?”

“Yeah, he’s on board.”

“Let’s hope she doesn’t win immunity,” Colby says.

“Yeah, it’s about time you won one yourself,” Jerri says, slapping Colby’s back.

“I’ll say. It’s been 20 years since I last won one,” Colby says.

“Oh, it’s only been about 9 days for me,” Jerri teases.

“Yeah, it’s been like eleven or twelve for me,” Michaela piles on, “but for real, I need it tonight. They’re coming for me.”

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a rock teeters on the edge of a cliff.

When they return to camp, Michaela stands beside and just behind Colby as he reads the Tree Mail to the tribe around the morning fire.

“Robbery,” Michaela finishes.

Colby assumes the same rhyme and points a finger gun at Michaela.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a train track stretches across miles.

The final eight meet Jeff outside the train station. Jeff wears a conductor’s cap & overalls as he explains the challenge to them.

“This challenge is called The Eight Train Robbery. Each of you will be carrying a sack with you. First, you will have to untie and unlock a briefcase. The key is somewhere inside the train station. Once your briefcase is opened, you are free to take as much cash from it as you want. But, you’ll want to be quick because a train will be coming to town five minutes after the challenge starts. The train will be refueled with coal while stationed here. You have until the engine is filled to get onto the open box car before the train leaves. If the train leaves before you get on, you’re out. Inside the box car, you will find a chest with your name on it. It is locked with a combination lock. Figure out the combination and collect the chest’s contents. Then, climb the ladder. On top of the box car, you will find a dummy that is half your starting weight. Throw the dummy off the top of the train. Once the first person throws their dummy off the train, the train will slow to a stop and the conductor will unlatch the engine from the rest of the train. You have until the engine is completely removed to get your dummy off the top. If you can’t do it in time, you’re out. The rest of you will have the opportunity to run through the train and collect as much cash as you can before the engine leaves again. The first four people on the engine will move on to the next round. The engine will drop them with four horses. They will then race to the finish line. The first three people across the finish line will have their money counted. Whoever collected, and held onto, the most money throughout the challenge, wins immunity and has a one in SEVEN shot at winning this game. I’ll give you a minute to strategize and we’ll get started.”

The final eight contestants stand in front of eight dummies wearing a vest over a puffy white shirt inside the station. The dummy’s ankles are tied together and his hands are tied behind his back. In the dummy’s hands, behind his back, he’s holding a briefcase. Jeff calls for the challenge to begin. They begin untying the knots. Colby drops his dummy on the ground to get a better angle on the knots. The rest of the tribe follows suit after its proved successful. Colby is the first to untie, followed closely by Wendy, then Bi. Colby checks the ankles, but sees nothing. Finally, he notices a box hanging next to the door. He rushes over and reaches inside to find the key with his name. He returns to his dummy, where he left his briefcase. Meanwhile, Wendy and Bi both brought their briefcases with them while retrieving their keys. As soon as hers is open, Bi flips the suitcase over her sack. Bills fly everywhere, many of them not making it into her bag. She doesn’t seem to care as the train is already refueling.

Colby runs into the box car and finds the chest with his name. It’s locked with a combination. He looks around the boxcar for four digits anywhere. Next to him arrives Bi. She sees the combination lock, then immediately looks in her sack. She pulls out a handful of bills and notices they all show the same scene: Pocahontas marrying John Rolfe. Each bill was printed in 1865. Bi inputs 1-8-6-5 and it opens. Inside the chest is more cash. Bi tips the chest into her sack and rushes to the ladder, climbing to the top. Wendy implements a similar strategy. Meanwhile, Colby is taking his time to make sure he gets as much cash as he can before he has to leave. He successfully transfers all the bills that had been carefully placed in the briefcase into his sack.

Meanwhile, Ken, Michaela, Lauren, Jerri and Kass have all begun unlocking their chests when the train begins to slow. Colby has made his way to the top, where he sees Wendy and Bi have both thrown their weight off the top. Colby does the same. Michaela, Jerri and Kass shake as much cash as they can into their sacks and head to the top of the train. Ken and Lauren remain in the boxcar alone as the train slows to a walking speed.

“You need to win this,” Ken says.

“What?”

“They’re gunning for you. Take my money.”

“What? No! You keep it. You can still win this.”

“You’ll have more than anyone else if you take mine,” he says, handing her his open briefcase.

She opens her sack and together they pour all their cash into her burlap sack. She rushes to the ladder and throws her dummy off the roof just as the conductor removes the train from the engine.

The remaining competitors line up behind the caboose. Wearing a conductor’s uniform, Jeff holds his arm in the air and announces, “Survivors ready? Go!”

They rush into the caboose and look around for hidden cash. Bi is the first to realize there’s nothing to find in the caboose and runs into the next car. Colby is quick behind her, followed by everyone else soon after.

In the next car, they find more dummies. Each of them wearing fancy tuxedos and gowns. Those in tuxedos smoke cigars. Those in gowns clutch their rhinestones. Bi opens a purse and dumps its contents into her sack. Colby reaches inside a tuxedo and pulls out a money clip. Kass finds a wallet. Michaela finds a purse with some cash. Wendy runs past and into the next car where she has first dibs of all the dummies. She grabs some cash from various pockets before her competition runs in. She runs off into the next car while everyone searches the dummies for any remaining cash.

Bi is the first, after Wendy, to the next car. Then, Colby, who is followed closely by Jerri. They all rummage through the dummies when Kass and Michaela join them. They all turn their attention to the engine 50 yards ahead. Bi is already almost there. Wendy is nearly halfway. Everyone else races for the final two spots on the engine.

Bi is the first to the engine. Wendy climbs aboard shortly thereafter. Colby takes the third spot. The three of them look over the back of the engine to see Michaela outpacing Jerri, but behind either of them is Lauren. She takes long, quick strides and passes Kass, then Jerri, then, despite being the last out of the train, she passes Michaela and claims the fourth and final spot on the engine. The conductor blows the whistle and the engine moves forward.

The engine stops where four horses wait. Colby, Lauren, Bi, and Wendy take their places in line with their horses. Jeff raises his arm and says, “Survivors ready? Go!”

The four horses are off! Bi takes a quick lead but Colby is determined behind her. He’s sure to not overwhelm his horse and keeps a steady pace. Wendy is close behind, giving her horse clear direction. Lauren falls behind. Her long legs make for an awkward fit on the horse’s back so it's hard to control. Colby’s pacing has worked out and he’s now directly behind Bi and her horse. He drops his shoulders slowly and presses his spurs into his horse’s sides. The horse giddies up and takes first place with just 30 yards remaining. As the finish line draws nearer, he hears the trots of another horse approaching. He quickly glances behind him and sees Wendy and her horse sprinting ahead. They are gaining speed faster than Colby and his horse can. Wendy passes them by and crosses the finish line first. Colby is next to cross soon after, followed closely by Bi. A few seconds later, Lauren crosses the finish line fourth and is eliminated.

The tribe meets again in the train station where Bi, Colby, and Wendy count the money they collected. Bi pulls out all her money, totaling “Ten Thousand and Eighty One dollars,” Jeff tells them.

Wendy empties her sack to the tune of “Twelve Thousand, Four Hundred Eleven Dollars.”

Everyone is shocked and applauds. Bi and Kass both side eye Colby as he looks around nervously. He giggles, certain he hasn’t beaten Wendy for a third time in a row.

“Twelve Thousand, Four Hundred And…” Jeff pauses, “Eighteen Dollars. Colby wins immunity!”

“Oh, man,” Colby says, “you had me going there, Jeff.”

“Congratulations, Colby,” Jeff says as he places the bandolier over Colby’s shoulder.

“Well done,” Michaela says.

Colby points a finger gun at her, winks, and fires.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a tortoise takes a step.

Back in town, Colby places the bandolier over the bar. He pours himself a whiskey as everyone congratulates him. Bi and Kass take a seat at the bar.

“She almost won again, Colbster,” Kass says.

“Wendy,” he asks.

“That would have been three in a row,” Kass says.

“How long has it been since you won one of those,” Bi asks, nodding up to the bandolier over his shoulder.

“Twenty Years.”

“So, I was like twelve years old the last time you won.”

“Okay, yes, Colby’s old now. What’s your point,” he asks.

“If we don’t take out Wendy now, what’s to stop her from getting to the end and winning. Isn’t that what you did?”

“I did more than just win immunity challenges, Kass.”

“Like, what?”

“I formed strong bonds with the people in the game.”

“You mean like Wendy’s doing,” Kass asks.

Wendy sits on the bench in the shade and plays with an ember in the fire when Ken and Lauren approach and take a seat next to her.

“Hey, Wendy,” Lauren says.

“Hey guys,” Wendy says.

“We’re all still on board for Michaela, right,” Lauren asks.

“Well,” Ken says, “What about Bi?”

“Michaela’s too smart, man,” Lauren says, “We have to take her out now. Before she expects it.”

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a ringtail cat crawls across some rocks.

As the moon illuminates the night sky, the final eight ride their horses to tribal council. Jeff approaches the campfire on his clydesdale, followed by the jury on their five akhal-tekes. They align their horses behind the remaining tribe members in a star shape. Jeff begins by asking Colby, “Colby, how long has it been since you’ve held individual immunity at tribal council?”

“Twenty years, Jeff. And I had been on quite the run then.”

“Five in a row,” Kass reminds them.

“That’s gotta be helpful, knowing you're safe so many tribals in a row,” Jeff says.

“Oh sure. Going on an immunity run is incredibly helpful, but that also means there’s a bigger target on you when you’re not immune. It’s a real double-edged sword.”

“Wendy,” Jeff says, “This is the first time you’re not immune in a few tribal councils. Does what Colby said make you nervous for tonight?”

“Oh, nooo. I understand where Colby is coming from, but I think I’ve built enough quality friendships that they don’t want to see me go!”

Jeff doesn’t respond with a followup question. Instead, he just smiles, appreciating Wendy’s exuberance.

“Everybody loves, Wendy, Jeff,” Kass says. “It would be silly to get rid of her.”

“Lauren,” Jeff says, “You made it pretty far in the immunity challenge.”

“I would have won if I’d crossed the finish line in time.”

“You had collected more money?”

“Yeah, Ken helped me a bit in the beginning.”

“Last I heard,” Jeff says, “You two were just friends? Is that still the case?”

“I mean,” Lauren coyly says, “What is a ‘friend’ on Survivor?”

“That’s a good question,” Jeff asks, “What is a friend on Survivor?”

“I think we’re all friends,” Wendy says. “I hope, at least.”

“A friend is someone you can trust implicitly,” Michaela says “in and out of the game.”

“Do you feel there are people in this game you can trust implicitly,” Jeff asks.

“How long have you been doin this show,” Michaela jokes, then, “But really, I do. At least, I hope so. This game, ultimately, is about building relationships.”

“Alright, with that, it is time to vote. Kass, you’re up first.”

Kass makes her way into the cave and casts her vote for Wendy. When she returns to the tribe, Ken makes his way inside, then, Colby. Jerri casts and shows her vote for Bi. Michaela follows her. Bi casts her vote. Lauren casts her vote for Michaela. Wendy makes her vote. Jeff tells them he’ll go tally the votes. When he returns, he says, “If anyone has the hidden immunity idol, and you want to play it, now would be the time to do so.”

Michaela looks around her fellow tribe members, then back to Jeff, who reads the first vote. “Michaela,” he announces. Her head drops.

“Michaela,” Jeff continues.

Michaela looks around, trying to deduce the author of the votes. Jeff reads the third vote, “Michaela.”

Ken’s head drops. Michaela’s brow furrows.

“Bi,” Jeff continues, “Bi, Wendy.”

Wendy’s head darts around as Kass grins.

“Wendy.”

Bi grins and looks over at Colby, who adjusts his hat as he looks at the sand.

Jeff reads the eighth vote, “Wendy.”

“What?!” Jerri and Michaela simultaneously yell, turning to Colby.

“We’re tied. We will revote. Wendy and Michaela will not vote,” Jeff says. He passes the urn to Colby who brings it back into the cave. Colby casts his vote, followed by the other five voters. Jeff tallies the votes and returns to the campfire.

“I’ll read the votes,” he says, “Wendy, Michaela, Wendy, Michaela, We’re Tied. Two votes each.”

Michaela bounces her knee as she stares down Jeff. Wendy grabs Jerri’s hand.

“Wendy,” Jeff reads.

Wendy clutches Jerri’s hand tighter. Jerri wraps her other hand around Wendy’s wrist and runs her thumb over her skin. Michaela has turned her attention to Colby. She stares at him with untrusting, yet hopeful, eyes.

Jeff opens the final vote, “Thirteenth person voted out of Survivor: Wild West and sixth member of the jury, Wendy.”

Jerri hugs Wendy tight as she says goodbye. Wendy grabs her torch and makes her way to Jeff.

“Wendy,” he says, “the tribe has spoken.”

She hugs him and says, “I’m just happy to get to go to Ponderosa this time!”

He laughs and says, “It’s time for you to go.”

Wendy rides her quarter horse toward the horizon as the final seven get back on their horses and head back to town.

“We didn’t need to do all that,” Michaela tells Colby as she gets on her horse.

“I’m sorry.” Colby says genuinely.

“Yeah,” Michaela says, riding off.

Michaela and Jerri voted for Bi on the first vote. Lauren, Ken and Wendy voted for Michaela on the first vote. Bi, Kass and Colby voted for Wendy on the first vote. On the revote, Jerri switched her vote to Wendy.

Read Episode 13 here

#michaela bradshaw #Jerri Manthey #wendy diaz #bi nguyen #ken mcnickle #Lauren O'Connell #colby donaldson #kass mcquillen #survivor #survivor wild west #edge of extinction #david vs goliath #millennials vs gen x #the australian outback

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wordswithateez · 6 years

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yeehaw!ateez - Chapter 1

OMG ITS FINALLY STARTING YEAHHHHHHH

i hope yall enjoy this as much as i do! thank you for all of your nice comments!!! :D let’s get this show on the road!!!

CHAPTER ONE - The Arrival

You’d been waiting forever.

As the stablehand personally assigned to the legendary equestrian team ATEEZ, you were expected to be punctual and efficient, which meant being the first person they see when arriving at your father’s stable complex.

Any minute now, you thought, for the ninth time.

Where you stood, you could see sunlight cast rays down over the rafters of the stable, turning dust particles to glitter. The nickering of awakening horses filled the stable’s ambiance, and a hen clucked idly out in the yard. It was peaceful, and the morning sun on your cheeks was making you regret leaving your bed.

Thankfully, the crackling of gravel under tires shook you from your morning daze. Two large trucks, both hauling impressive steel trailers, came toiling up the stable’s driveway.

Finally, ATEEZ was here.

You waved to signal the drivers where to park, walking over as the engines rumbled to a stop. There was a faint sound of hooves on metal, and a stray whinny or two pierced the air. It must have been a long ride for them. You wanted to see them, but there were more pressing matters. The first driver was already climbing out of his pickup, and you raised your hand to shake his.

“Hello, I’m y/n l/n. I’ll be your main stablehand during your stay here at Royals’ Elite Equestrian Center,” you introduced yourself with a smile. Admittedly, you’d spent more than a couple minutes rehearsing that line.

The man who’d driven smiled back at you, his eyes crinkling under his coffee-brown fringe. You tried not to mentally question the mullet.

“Oh, thank you,” he replied. “My name is Kim Hongjoong, but you can call me Hongjoong. We’re ready to unload if you are.” He gestured to the heavy steel trailers.

Kim Hongjoong? THE Kim Hongjoong? You felt a little bit of your soul leave your body.

“Of course. Nice to meet you, Hongjoong.” You smiled, pointing back at the barn. “The stalls are ready as well. Eight horses, right?”

“Yep,” he affirmed.

“And a box stall for the Clydesdale?”

“Yep. You guys really followed all of our requests, huh?”

“Of course!” you said, a little too enthusiastically. “Royals’ Elite prides itself on its hospitality.”

“We’re glad to be working with you,” Hongjoong said genuinely. He tapped on the window of the pickup, signaling that the rest of the riders could exit. Soon, the trucks were empty of passengers. The trailers’ steel doors were lowered, and the unloading process began.

“Seonghwa, take Dauntless first,” you heard Hongjoong say.

Park Seonghwa, triple gold dressage champion, the fangirl inside you sang. You tried to hide your starstruck-ness as a taller man with styled blond hair entered the first trailer. You heard the shuffling of footsteps and the click of a lead getting clipped to a halter. Not moments later, a large black stallion came stepping into the sunlight, head raised high. His coat shone like jet, and you couldn’t help but let a small ‘wow’ leave your mouth.

“Pretty, isn’t he?” a new voice piped up right next to you. You bit back a cry of surprise and turned to look at the speaker. “Hwanggeum’s prettier, in my opinion.”

If you hadn’t recognized his face by now, you definitely recognized the name of Jung Wooyoung’s prized Lusitano. He smiled brightly at you. “I’m Jung Wooyoung. You’re y/n?”

“That’s me,” you replied quickly, after getting over your inherent shock.

“Nice to meet you,” he said with a grin, before entering the trailer. Moments later, out stepped Hwanggeum, led by Wooyoung. The stallion’s name was no mistake–the buckskin really did gleam like gold, and from the high-stepping strides, he knew how stunning he was. Wooyoung gave you one last smile before walking after Dauntless and Seonghwa into the stable.

Next, a tall boy with black hair went inside, and you heard heavy hoofsteps echo from inside. From the sound, you knew this had to be Jeong Yunho’s retired Clydesdale. She was the largest by far, you noticed, when she walked down the trailer’s ramp at Yunho’s side. Yunho gave you a friendly greeting, but didn’t say much more than a ‘hello.’

“The box stall is at the end of the barn,” you offered helpfully as they passed. He waved at you, grateful.

“Thank you!”

Only after they had passed, did you notice that Yunho wasn’t carrying any sort of lead.

The last horse to exit the first trailer was unmistakable: Song Mingi’s Knabstrupper showjumper, Domino. Domino’s spotted coat only accentuated his strong legs and neck, which was arched in a stretch as he followed Mingi. You watched in awe as Domino kicked up his heels as he felt the gravel under his hooves, to which Mingi chuckled and walked Domino in a few small circles before entering the barn.

It was now time to unload the second trailer. The final four horses remained, and were getting impatient.

“We’d better go get them,” Hongjoong said at your side. “They won’t wait for long. I need to speak to the stable manager, would you please bring Gale to the stable for me?”

“Absolutely,” you said, completely calmly, definitely not losing your mind on the inside.

“He’s the last one,” Hongjoong said. “Thank you!” With that, he turned and walked towards the community building.

Steeling your nerves, you followed the four other ATEEZ riders around to the back of the second trailer. One of them, with red and brown hair–Choi San, your annoying fangirl mind chanted–reached up and lowered the ramp, going inside. San’s beautiful Haflinger gelding stepped out moments later, letting out a joyful whinny at seeing the sunlight. You tried and failed to hide your smile, which San returned with a sweet grin of his own.

“You like her?” he asked, to which you dumbfoundedly replied,

“Uh, yes!”

He laughed. “Me too!”

Suddenly, the shrill nicker of an Arabian rang out through the air as a shorter brown-haired rider walked in, a staple trait of Kang Yeosang’s award-winning mare. Sunny herself came trotting out of the trailer, leading Yeosang more than he was leading her. You laughed a little to yourself as he trotted her in a quick circle, similar to what Mingi had to do. She didn’t calm much, and you barely had time to tell Yeosang where to go by the time Sunny trotted into the stable, tail raised high.

Now it’s just you and Jongho left.

“Watch out,” he said to you as he walked inside the trailer. “Fuego doesn’t travel well.”

You nodded, worried about what the iconic brindle mustang might do.

“Ah, damn it!”

Not seconds later, Jongho’s voice griped from the trailer, before Fuego suddenly came galloping out, a lead rope dangling freely from her halter. She let out a bellowing neigh as she went cantering into the front yards, her head held high and ears pinned back. “Quick! Catch her before she makes even more of a mess!” he demanded, hurriedly jumping out of the trailer’s side door.

Your foggy, starstruck mind cleared instantly at his words, jumping into the situation at hand.

“Okay!”

The disgruntled mare was making a beeline for the road from whence they came, prompting you into a full sprint to catch up. She wasn’t travelling all that quickly, but she definitely wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, and would wind up in the main road within minutes.

“Fuego!” you shouted, an attempt at catching the mare’s attention. Her ear flicked back, indicating that she had heard you, but veered to the left, away from you. At least she’s not headed for the road anymore, you thought. You ran to the front gates and quickly shut them as Fuego left you in the dust, hopefully keeping her inside the compound.

Jongho, who was adjacent to Fuego, raised his fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp, high-pitched whistle. Fuego stopped in her tracks, skidding through the dirt like she’d learned to do in the arena. Her head swiveled to stare Jongho in the eyes, who was jogging in her direction.

He was barely a few meters away before she suddenly whirled on her heels and took off back the way she came, letting out a shrill whinny.

“Great, now she thinks this is a game!” Jongho groaned, breaking back into a sprint.

You laughed, although quickly shut up when you noticed Fuego barreling in your direction.

Suddenly, you had an idea.

“Fuego! Here, girl!”

You reached into your vest pocket and pulled out an apple you had saved to eat as a snack, waving the fruit through the air like a flag. It shone like a ruby in the morning light, and as if on cue, Fuego immediately became nothing more than a young thief eyeing jewelry on the street. Her big, brown eyes locked on target, and she slowed to a brisk trot, her hooves sending up clouds of dust. Moments later, you were face-to-face with Fuego herself.

She pressed her nose into your chest as you hid the apple behind your back, momentarily distracting her as you took a fierce hold on the mare’s (now dusty) lead rope.

“Good girl,” you soothed, letting her have the treat as soon as you got a grip. She munched happily, as if she’d been rewarded.

“Ugh, she’s going to think running away will get her treats now,” Jongho complained as he jogged over, slowing down to take Fuego’s lead from you. You were surprised to see that he wasn’t out of breath at all, and there was no malice in his voice. He gave you a grateful smile. “Thanks anyway. You’re, uh, y/n, right?”

“That’s me,” you said. “You’re Choi Jongho?”

“Sure am. Gale’s still in the trailer, by the way. I’ll take Fuego to her stall for you,” he said with a smile, giving the mare a pat or two. She snorted softly, closely watching your exchange with Jongho.

“Oh, okay,” you said. “I’ll get Gale.”

“Cool.” His grin was friendly, knowing. “You’ll like him.”

You laughed, unsure of what else to say. He smiled once more and turned to lead Fuego back to the stable, who clearly still had a little energy left. You let out a big sigh, relieved, and walked to retrieve Hongjoong’s horse from the trailer.

heyyyy here’s the first chapter. it seems a little boring now that i read it but i’m not changing that now lol. lemme know what yall think in the comments 💓💖💞💝💞

#yeehaw!ateez #ateez #ateez fics #atz #equestrian!au #kq fellaz #ateez au #equestrian!ateez #yeehaw!au #hongjoong #mingi #yunho #seonghwa #jongho #yeosang #san #wooyoung #chapter one #the arrival

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thatfairyfangirl · 5 years

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Written In The Stars Chapter 9

Legolas paced on the wall of the great fortress, contemplating the battle ahead and those lost already. His friend and his jewel of a star both gone with still so much fight left. But as his mind wandered his eyes spotted something off in the distance, the smallest sparkle of light reflecting off the window of a caravan wagon. Hope grew in his soul as he squinted, finding his focus landing on a small caravan of three wagons lead by Aragorn charging forward on his steed, Steluta not too far behind on one of the large Clydesdales, of her people. “Open the gate!” He called as he rushed across the wall landing with a leap by the entrance into Helm's Deep. All of the elf prince lit up as he watched them grow closer.

“I am sorry my friends. We have no room to shelter you.” Theoden told the wanderers regretfully. “We barely have enough for ourselves as it stands.”

“You misunderstand Theoden King.” Steluta explained as she dismounted, noting that Aragorn had no trouble entering yet he seemed so weary of accepting her people. “I come bearing aid.” She explained as men from the caravans behind her unloaded crates of food weapons and armor. All Theoden could do was blink, surprised the wanderers were coming to his aid. Never could he recall treating them with friendship. “More of my countrymen are on their way to help defend your people.”

“Thank you Lady Star.” Theoden said as they both clamped hands down on the other's shoulders in comradery. “This will not easily be forgotten.”

“There has never been a need for our animosity. King Vorris has always looked on the horse lords as friends, we hope this will mend our broken ties.” Theoden nodded at her words in agreement, knowing he will greet the Songmasters more friendly in the years to come.

Though Legolas was suppressing a smile she could see in his eyes how overjoyed he was to see her, enough to bring a smile to her lips as she pushed her tangled hair behind her ear.

“You look terrible.” He joked as he fought off the smile.

“Well…” she shrugged lightly as their eyes met, lingering on eachother longer than any of the fellowship had seen from these two before. “Could be worse...I could look like you.”

As the words danced off her lips Legolas could hold his smile in no more as he listened to her playful jab at him before pulling her in to a close embrace, hugging tight for a few moments as his long slender fingers came to rest on her long tangled mess of hair. “I'm glad your back.” He offered with a smile as he pulled the rose from his quiver, planting it gently back in her tangled mane.

~ ~ ~ ~

“No elf princling will best me!” Steluta couldn't help smiling at the sound of Gimli's voice carrying through the tunnels of the fortress as she aided the small band of her troops in carrying the supplies they brought to where they would be the most useful.

“Ah! Ninmirel! Solve this for us would you?” Legolas asked as his eyes lit up falling on her. Even with her face covered from the nose down he was glad to see her beauty. “Gimli believes he will take the most Orcs tonight. Clearly it will be me.”

“You're both wrong.” She answered rather matter of factly through glittering fabric wrapped around the lower half of her face. In her arms she toted a crate of small jars filled with a black powder. “I will have the highest number.”

“And what makes you so sure of that?” Gimli asked with a raised brow as he rested on his axe.

“Because I have black powder.” She answered matter before turning to the elf. “It is a highly concentrated poison, we don't have much, have your archers aim at these jars when they fly and we might have a chance of thinning their ranks.”

~ ~ ~ ~

The moon hung full in the night sky with an ominous glow as the army stood ready and waiting. In the distance a foul horn cry echoed telling the three factions who have joined together battle was close. Steluta looked out over the land with great distress. The second caravan carrying her family still unseen. Looking for answers she closed her eyes, probing the veil of time to see what she can find. She did not see her family, but she did see a stray arrow finding its way into her elf's chest. “No” she whispered.

“What's wrong my star?” One of her troops asked worried.

“Keep to the plan. One of my companions is in great danger. I need to warn him.” She answered before kneeling down reaching out with her mind. High on the wall a lifelike image of her appeared behind Legolas and Gimli. “Hey pretty boy!” The voice of the projection echoed in on itself as it spoke.

Legolas turned, the only hint he had that this was not truly his Ninmirel was the faint echo in her voice. “Ninmirel? Now is not the time for this.”

“No, now is the perfect time.” She assured him. “Move to your left NOW.” She commanded as the first arrows from the enemy flew. He did as she asked ducking behind one of the merlons. The arrow lodged itself into the ribs of Steluta’s projection. “Couldn't have you dying on me.” She remarked before pulling her form back into herself, letting the arrow fall safely to the ground. Behind her stood a wide eyed elf, beyond grateful the girl saved not only the life of the woodland prince but also his own life by stopping the arrow, vowing he would never speak ill of the race no matter how long his life would be.

As the battle raged on though the two were on separate ends of the battlefield they still played into one another. As the jars of black poison were released Legolas ordered the battalion of elvish archers to shoot them, shattering the glass to allow death to rain from the skies onto the foul beasts.

But soon such a plan was no longer effective. The shrill cry of a Mandalayn horn pierced the battlefield as wagon and steed rushed across the land. For a moment Steluta smiled, hopeful as she watched her people of the road leap from wagon to horse, leaving those who could not fight behind with their traveling homes, charging into battle atop their mighty Clydesdales . The timing could not have been worse. If they were a little later in arrival, or earlier the battle would have been won. But as the orc rushed the small drain hole with a torch all that could be done was letting daggers and arrows fly. The wall was breached, the ultimate weapon of Mandalayn warfare now useless. The sounds of metal clashing mixed with the shrill battle cry of the princess making a dark music on the air as her people pulled their knives and daggers to defend Helms Deep. Legolas watched as she slashed and stabbed in a wild fury as he counted each he slew. The three armies fought the hordes as one until the dawn came bringing with it Gandalf and the riders and along with them the hope returning.

#lotr #lord of the rings #fanfiction #legolas #legolas x oc

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doepaws · 6 years

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EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND OPEN PALM SLAM A HORSE INTO ITS STABLE. ITS A CLYDESDALE AND RIGHT THEN AND THERE I START DOING THE MOVES ALONGSIDE THE MAIN HORSE, SANDY. I DO EVERY MOVE AND I DO EVERY MOVE HARD. MAKIN WHOOSHING SOUNDS WHEN I SLAM DOWN MY HOOVES OR EVEN WHEN I MESS UP TECHNIQUE. NOT MANY CAN SAY THEY UNDERSTAND THE TRUE BOND BETWEEN A GIRL AND HER HORSE. I CAN. I SAY IT AND I SAY IT OUTLOUD EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN MY COLLEGE CLASS AND ALL THEY DO IS PROVE PEOPLE IN COLLEGE CLASS CAN STILL BE IMMATURE JERKS. AND IVE LEARNED ALL THE LINES AND HOW TO MAKE MYSELF AND MY FARM LESS LONELY BY SHOUTING EM ALL. 2 HOURS INCLUDING WIND DOWN EVERY MORNing

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the-fashiongeek-blog1 · 6 years

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Top 20 Collections of FW18

It’s officially t-minus one week until NYFW! With next season fast approaching, I thought I would take a look back at some of my favorite shows from the last go around. (a.k.a. a very long post under the cut)

20. BURBERRY These days, trying to keep up with the turnover of designers at major fashion houses can make you feel like you’re watching a game of musical chairs. Christopher Bailey’s position at Burberry was one of the few constants. However, this season marked the end of his seventeen-year tenure at the British heritage brand. His final collection was an ode to the brand, the country, Bailey’s youth, and the LGBTQ+ community. Not only did he create limited editions Burberry’s iconic logo and check patterns with rainbows, he made significant contributions to charities and organizations like The Trevor Project that are focused on LGBTQ+ youth. While it isn’t my favorite collection Bailey’s designed for the brand (hello, FW16), there were many pieces I liked. Some of the looks seemed a little busy, and would perhaps benefit from simpler styling. Look 68, for example, works better for me than look 64. Nevertheless, the clothes are fun and have an undeniable sense of joy about them. It made for the perfect sendoff for Bailey’s time with the brand.

19. CHRISTIAN SIRIANO From one celebration of a designer’s career to another. This season marked ten years since Christian Siriano began his namesake line. I’ve been a fan of Siriano’s since his time on Project Runway, and his win at the end of the season came as no surprise. However, I haven’t followed his collections too closely since. It might just be a matter of personal preference - he plays a lot with ruffles and 80s-style proportions, which I’m not really a big fan of. But Siriano is clearly talented and his continued red carpet success is proof of that. This collection was one of his first in years that really stayed with me. Some of the simplest looks were the ones that stood out the most, particularly the ones in glittering black velvet. Many of the evening wear looks were elegant and seem like they were made for each specific model. Siriano has been committed to working with diverse talents and promoting a wider range of beauty standards for a while now. His shows often have some of the most exciting casts on the entire fashion calendar and this year was no exception; the addition of Danielle Brooks and Selma Blair didn’t feel like a gimmick. They looked radiant in their Siriano creations. Every model did.

18. BALMAIN Last go around, Balmain was probably the biggest disappointment of the season for me. I’ve consistently loved Olivier Rousteing’s designs for the brand, which was why I felt so heartbroken when I didn’t. This season had me falling for the brand all over again. The premise? Balmain, but in the future. The distant future. In a time when the world feels like a hot freaking mess, many look to the past, where nostalgia goggles have turned everything a nice rosy hue. Looking instead to the future is a nice change of pace, with a sorely needed dash of optimism. There was lots neon and PVC, as well iridescent and holographic materials. My favorite textile might’ve been the plastic that had an oil-slick-like sheen. Despite it being an unfamiliar fabric for the brand, the pieces still looked very Balmain. So what is classic Balmain? During Rousteing’s tenure, it’s a mix of 80s glam rock, military influences, and current party girl looks. We saw all of those in this collection. There were plenty of intricate, embroidered mini-dresses, as well as some very 80s jumpsuits (thankfully sans shoulder pads). There were, however, a few pieces that were over-embellished, and those dreaded shoulder ruffles made an appearance. Still, the majority of the collection was strong and filled with pieces I would wear in a heartbeat.

17. SELF-PORTRAIT I’ll admit I’m a sucker for collections with a strong central inspiration. (See above.) Han Chong’s most recent Self-Portrait collection was more subtle. The collection featured all kinds of garments, fabrics, and silhouettes. Rather than looks with variations on the same theme, he used many different techniques and details, blending them into a thirty-five beautiful looks. Each look was unique, but they could all conceivably be found in the closet of the same person. Of the different details, the use of large grommets in everything from skirt hems to dress sleeves was probably my favorite. One of Chong’s more well-known design techniques are his off-kilter ruffles. I know what I said about ruffles earlier, but his are brilliant. They never seem to add bulk to the figure or the garment. Those ruffles were on full display in this collection. Particularly impressive were the pieces that featured this technique in plaid. Matching up prints, or arraigning them in a visually appealing way, is particularly difficult. The way Chong has pulled it off here shows both amazing design skill and craftsmanship. Also, those leather hip bags - all of which were worn under belts, conforming perfectly to the body - were the most stylish answer to the fanny pack trend I’ve seen yet.

16. CHRISTOPHER KANE After one of my favorite Pre-Fall collections, I was eagerly anticipating Christopher Kane’s next runway show. Not only was the campaign/lookbook aesthetically pleasing, but I loved the use of crystalline fringe. So I was of course delighted when his most recent collection brought it back. Unfortunately, it wasn’t featured that heavily. Similarly disappointing was the fact that he used a particularly beautiful lasercut pleather-and-lace textile only once. His clever use of zippers on sweaters, skirts, and dresses was delightful and I would wear those rhinestone-covered shoes in a heartbeat. However, not every look was a homerun. The looks that featured marabou at the hems were mostly lost on me. Bulky hems, particularly on lightweight fabrics, can cause a garment to hang weirdly. Maybe it was just my dislike of marabou in general - I wasn’t a fan of those feathered shoes either. The finale looks featuring images from The Joy of Sex seemed a little too on the nose. Kane is no stranger to explicit garments (FKA Twigs’ Met Gala look, anyone?), but this seems a little too on the nose. It lacks the cheeky fun of his other collections. Some of the lace pieces, like Looks 9 and 12, were complex without feeling over-designed. On the other hand were simpler dresses, like Look 13, which called to mind the early aughts…and not in a fun way. As a child of the 90s and early 00s myself, I want to be excited about this revival - I’m just not there. Maybe it hasn’t been long enough yet. Twenty-year cycle of nostalgia and all that.

15. ANN DEMUELEMEESTER When the inevitable cyberpunk apocalypse occurs, I know which designer I’ll be wearing. Okay, I’ll gladly wear Ann Demuelemeester before then too. From reading the designer, Sébastien Meunier’s, inspiration alone, I knew I would love it. I mean, he name-dropped Mary Shelly. The clothes themselves lived up to my hype. My weakness for corsets, harnesses, and bondage elements knows no bounds. Actually, this was a pretty bondage-light collection from the brand, leaning more towards tough, almost survivalist pieces. Of the looks, my favorites were towards the beginning and end of the collection. While other tunic tops and miniskirts seemed to shorten the waist and add bulk to the hips, the ones made of leather were particularly flattering. And those sheer tops had me reconsidering my negative stance on shoulder pads. Hooded dresses are another great love of mine, and I’m sad there was only one in the collection. That being said, Look 6 is right up there as one of my favorites. I only have one final question about the collection; those hip capes…how do they work? I’m just as baffled as I am delighted by them. I’m being serious here. What were they attached to?

14. SIMONE ROCHA Given my general tastes, it would probably surprise most people how much I love Simone Rocha’s designs. Cute, flowery, and girly are three things I generally am not. That does not mean, however, that I can’t enjoy them. Season after season, Rocha’s flouncy, feminine designs continue to delight. Fresh off a Moncler Genius collaboration (the best of the bunch, in my opinion), Rocha’s collection was one of exuberant excess. Her usual fare of lacy frocks included beaded chains, chandelier earrings, and more bows than you could shake a stick at. There were many patterned pieces as well, and even a dress or two that featured a large amount of embroidery. Perhaps it was the season, or that Moncler collab, but many of the looks in the collection featured coats and outerwear. The sheer dresses layered over blazers were particularly fun. One of my favorites was an off-the-shoulder red pleather trench coat. Impractical for actual low temperatures? Probably, think of how cute you’d look! A couple looks did veer worryingly into cutesy territory, or featured enough fabric to drown the wearer, but there was only one thing that really bothered me. Even in the midst of the ugly shoe trend, I must ask if there’s really interested in wearing flats that make you look like a were-clydesdale. Unless you’re trying to sweep your floors and getting in all your steps at the same time, I just don’t see the appeal. Those beaded, lace-up numbers, however? I’ll take fifty, thanks.

13. SONIA RYKIEL In 1968, Sonia Rykiel opened her first boutique and kept designing for her brand until 2011. She unfortunately passed away in 2016, but her legacy as the “Queen of Knits” lives on. Rykiel is also credited as inventing many techniques and pioneering braless fashion. This collection marked the 50th anniversary of her brand and was a celebration of everything she accomplished. There were sweaters galore and models sporting Rykiel’s signature curls smiled as they made their way down the runway. The five women who closed the show even had glitter sprinkled in their hair. While the show was very Rykiel, I was surprised by the lack of details Rykiel was known for. It may just be my computer’s resolution, but I barely saw any unfinished hems and not a single inside-out seam. Nevertheless, Rykiel’s “gamine Rive Gauche” style was on full display. I particularly loved the lace dresses in Looks 35 and 36. The show was a touching tribute to a well-loved and talented. designer. Bananarama even performed! Now, that haute couture show, however…

12. SAINT LAURENT What can I say other than I’m predictable? Dark colors, leather, and rock & roll are a pretty much unbeatable combination in my book. This may be fashion blogger heresy, but I actually enjoyed Hedi Slimane’s take on the brand. His first outing at the house was definitely my favorite, but I did like a lot of his other collections. Still, when I found out Anthony Vaccarello was taking over, I was hype. He was a favorite of mine and his designs seemed to fit the “skinny rocker” aesthetic Slimane championed for the brand. So far, he hasn’t let me down. Well, aside from jettisoning his main line to focus on Saint Laurent. But, hey, it’s a big job. That being said, this might be my least favorite of Vaccarello’s collections for Saint Laurent. The majority of the looks didn’t offer up anything particularly new or exciting the way his previous collections have. And those twenty-nine samey mini-dresses that closed out the show? The ones with the floral embroidery that looked like 80s wallpaper? Not the biggest fan. With that being said, I still liked the collection a great deal. The majority clothes were still nice as well as wearable. I really liked the set of three black, floor-length gowns near the middle of the show - particularly when paired with those wide-brimmed hats. Special mention also goes to the earrings in Look 52. Who doesn’t want a pair of crystalline fish skeletons dangling from their ears?

11. OFF-WHITE Virgil Abloh is having a hell of a year. First, there was the mob scene created when gatecrashers and those with invitations alike attempted to enter the show space all at the same time. Then, shortly afterwards, he was appointed to succeed Kim Jones as artistic director at Louis Vuitton menswear. His first collection for the brand was met with critical acclaim, and not without reason, but his FW18 collection for his own line deserves just as much praise. Maybe it was just me being a biased Manhattanite, but I always seem to love collections inspired by the city. (Even if this collection was titled “West Village” and I grew up on practically the other end of the island.) Typically, when I say a piece looks like it was made from a tapestry, it’s not a good thing. Abloh literally used a “tapestry” fabric for several of the looks in the collection, but they only scream “high fashion”. A couple pieces appeared to have fit issues, but I really enjoyed the collection and liked so many of the pieces. The corsets and blazer-romper combos were particularly nice. I also liked the athleisure-style turtleneck, flowy silk dresses, lace-up boots, corsets, sequined pieces…

10. OLIVIER THEYSKENS Until recently, Olivier Theyskens was a name I associated with Theory. I liked his work for the brand (there’s a well-loved leather jacket in my closet as proof), but I love his work for his own line. His detailing is subtle, never calling attention to itself, but enhancing the garment. The seams on the leather trench in Look 2 is the perfect example of that. I also love a good leather pant and some distressed denim, both of which were on display in this collection. The only pieces I wasn’t particularly into were the Bermuda shorts, but that length is usually a no from me anyway. One surefire way to my heart is by combining soft and hard feminine - a major theme of the collection. Slinky slip dresses were paired with platform combat boots that made my inner emo kid sing with joy. Several looks combining chunkier dresses with long coats called to mind 90s media like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Craft (two perennial favorites of mine.) There’s been something of a grunge/90s revival happening on the runways recently - the twenty-year nostalgia cycle, I’m telling you - which this collection could definitely be considered a part of. And I for one could not be happier.

9. COACH 1941 Discovering I liked Coach’s clothing line was the biggest plot twist for me of 2014 - and that was the same year Captain America: Winter Soldier came out. Before then, I only ever associated Coach with pocketbooks that screamed their brand name back at you. (No, I’m not a fan of the logomania trend, why do you ask?) Stuart Ververs’ clothing, however, is all kinds of 70s rock & roll, which I am very much into. That vibe was present here as well, particularly when paired with the muted and neutral fall color pallet of this collection. There were both slip dresses and more flowy pieces in a variety of colors and prints. The latter were more modest and called to mind prairie dresses, all without feeling dowdy. Some of my favorites were the ones that had a harder edge, with things like leather details. What can I say other than I’m consistent? Some pieces in the collection seemed laden with one too many details, or had an off-putting color pallet - like a metallic gunmetal and orange pleated skirt with a single, bright blue stripe near the hem. On others, however, the details absolutely made the piece. Some leather jackets, for example, had embossed inserts in a different color that really elevated them. And while I may loathe their C-print bags, there’s no denying Coach makes quality leather goods.

8. DION LEE Variations on a central theme? Check. Clever suit tailoring? Check. Lingerie details? Check. This most recent Dion Lee offering combined three of my favorite elements into one very strong collection. While pairing blazers with lingerie has been a trend in street style for some time now, Lee may be the first person I’ve seen to combine them into a single garment. With the smallest of cutouts just above the bust, many of these suits managed to be sexy without being obvious. Well, except for the opening looks which used contrasting fabrics for the bra insert and the rest of the blazer to draw the eye. That’s not a disparaging remark either - I quite liked those two looks, and I don’t fall for grey/warm color combinations easily. Another recurring element in the collection was the use of a fabric slashed in such a way that it becomes almost a fishnet. It’s a technique Lee’s spent years perfecting. On some pieces, the fabric was slashed more and pulled apart in certain areas to create varying levels of opacity. One element I didn’t particularly enjoy were the almost handkerchief-like hems on several of the dresses and skirts. Heavy hems are a hard sell for me and, while I adore cephalopods, I don’t think I want to go around looking like one any time soon. They worked a little better on the garments where they were pinned up, but that’s still going to be a no from me. Every single shoe in the collection, however, was right up my alley.

7. ROBERTO CAVALLI Glamour, opulence, and excess are three words that come to mind at the mention of Roberto Cavalli. However, that was the house under Cavalli himself. Paul Surridge’s vision of glamour is a little more subtle. Outside of a few evening wear looks - arguably some of the strongest in the collection - there was nary a sparkle in sight. Instead, the focus was on business dressing that featured subtle hints of sexuality. Several drop-waisted gowns used a combination of creative cutouts and thigh-high slits that oozed Cavalli. Handkerchief hems featured on everything from blazers to multi-tiered dresses….The effect was better on some pieces than others. Still, Cavalli’s influence on the brand was there. Many looks featured the kind of ombre prints Cavalli loved. (They were particularly reminiscent of the finale looks of his FW15 collection.) There were also the animal prints and straight-legged pants that were common staples on his previous runways. The blazers, however, were definitely Surridge; he is a former menswear designer after all. Interestingly, some of the looks could’ve benefitted from sharper tailoring. A few jackets and blazers had slits up the sides that were interesting in concept, but not so great in execution. Sensual business wear and understated elegance…Could this be what we can come to expect from Roberto Cavalli under Surridge? Of course, if you prefer the OTT glamour of Cavalli’s era, there were a nice pair of $91K crocodile leather pants that might be right up your alley.

6. TOMMY HILFIGER Okay, okay, Tommy Hilfiger uses the see-now-buy-now business model, so the most recent runway show was actually for SS18. However, it happened during the most recent fashion week. Also, I really liked the collection, so it’s going on the list. What can I say other than I love a good moto detail? It’s the first thing listed in my “about” page. And this was a whole collection based around moto looks. It also happened to be the final Tommy X Gigi collection. I can’t speak to how much creative input Gigi Hadid actually had in the the collection itself, but the outcome was wonderful. If her streetwear is anything to go by, she certainly likes moto too - along with the athleisure vibes that Hilfiger’s brand is built upon. In fact, this collection looks exactly like what current influencers, such as Gigi and co., already wear on the daily. It becomes a classic chicken-and-egg question. Which came first; a trend influencers picked up on, or designers picking up on influencer trends? Regardless, the clothes were still cute and wearable - if only for a specific demographic. Hilfiger is definitely marketing this collection towards a younger generation of social media stars and those that want to emulate them. There were crop tops galore and, of course, a pair of bike shorts or two. The only real problems I had with the collection were in fit and styling. Does anyone want a top that’s fitted under the arms, only to flare out at the waist? And then there were the shorts layered over, again, bike shorts. Other than that, I would happily wear almost any piece in the collection. Oh, crap, have I bought into the influencer hype? And if I have, can you blame me when it comes to collections like this?

5. JACQUEMUS And now we move from Instagram to Tumblr. No, Simon Porte Jacquemus was not inspired by this very website. The source of his inspiration, however, is one that is quite popular here. I must admit, I never really understood the wistful posts about reading classic lit on the Mediterranean - that is, until now. After spending some time in Morocco, Jacquemus created a collection inspired by the year-round mild climate there. The collection was filled with kaftans, loose shirt dresses, and clingy but light knits. Even the most substantial sweaters and coats felt breezy compared to most of the other outerwear shown this season. The collection was, of course, very French as well. The looks, nearly all of which had some slinky, body-conscious elements, oozed confident sensuality - the kind that’s endeared Brigitte Bardot to generation after generation. Small details were key here. Several looks included a tiny white tee that could easily be an updated version of the baby-tee that’s been gaining traction lately. Some also included a delicate gold body chain - which I need immediately. A sweater dress or two had a ribbed detail around the hip that flattered the body wonderfully. Clever draping on the jackets made you sit back and wonder just how the garment’s pattern had been drafted. Of course, Jacquemus also loves wild proportions. There were touches of that in this collection, but none more obvious than the bigger-than-big, wide-brimmed sun hats, which have been worn by Bella Hadid, EmRata, and more. With cold weather on the horizon, I’m already anticipating the moments I have every winter, where I’ll wish I was somewhere warm. This year, I’ll be fantasizing about reading Lovecraft on the Mediterranean - while dressed in Jacquemus, of course.

4. PACO RABANNE I’ll admit, I was slow to come around to Julien Dossena’s take on Paco Rabanne. Part of it might’ve been because I was bitter about the brand dropping Manish Arora so quickly. (And I still am.) But another part was the lack of the brand’s signatures within his collections. Sure, there were nods to the materials Rabanne first made fashionable, but they were never at the core of the collection. A metallic-sequined skirt here and a plastic dress there and that was it. That is, not until his chainmail-heavy FW17 collection. His following runway collection was one of my favorites of the season. This time around, Dossena finally took on the hardest challenge in Rabanne’s legacy; plastic and metal as textiles. To say that he succeeded is an understatement. The collection not only read “Paco Rabanne”, but Dossena as well. Each new piece felt fresh and exciting. Who knew there were so many different ways to shape metal and plastic together? There were hints of 60s mod influence, like a black and white striped t-shirt dress, but it was given a much more current silhouette. That particular dress was layered under a mesh made up of metal beads and rings. What’s more, all the pieces showed great movement. Just because they were made of stiff materials did not mean they had to be rigid or hard. A skirt composed of metal pieces shaped into flowers was even delicate and whimsical. This was classic Rabanne for the modern age. (Let’s just…not talk about those shoes, okay?)

3. CHLOÉ You hear a lot about sophomore slumps. Difficult second albums…difficult second runway collections? Not for Natacha Ramsay-Levi. In fact, this collection might even be better than her first. Chloé is a brand rooted in the 70s, and Ramsay-Levi’s clothes, while clearly inspired by the decade, didn’t feel dated. Garments were loose, but tailored in such a way that they still showed the figure underneath. Flattered, even. (A Surridge subtweet? Never.) Cutouts are still going strong, at least over at Chloé, and there were several variations I’d yet seen. Hip cutouts with a belt over top and even side-torso cutouts if you’re feeling a little more daring. The looks that created the illusion of a cutout by layering a plunging v-neck over a cropped turtleneck were also standouts. There were a couple pieces that did feel a little off, however. Namely the pieces that had a row of fur on them like some kind of edging or fringe. Those pants with the line of fur down the sides were particularly silly, sorry not sorry. On the other hand, the collection included a look or two with that shoulder frill so many designers have tried recently, which my mother and I joke makes you look like a nudibranch. But here it didn’t. Perhaps it was the bracelets over the sleeves that saved it. (A fashion risk, but one that definitely paid off.) There were so many other pieces I wanted to comment on - the flared pants, the jumpsuits, the updated Chloé boots, the jewelry, the aviator jacket…But what else is there to say some times other than I liked the collection?

2. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN In recent seasons, Sarah Burton has (imho) really hit her stride at Alexander McQueen. This collection in particular had an inspiration that was close to my heart. One of my mother’s best friends collects insect displays. Creepy and weird, sure, but also beautiful. Very much the McQueen M.O. This collection featured both beetle and butterfly motifs - some more literal than others. The “articulated corsets” could either be insect exoskeletons or butterfly wings. There were also a variety of garments in butterfly and beetle wing prints that were wonderfully geometric, if a bit busy at times. The most effective was probably a trench coat with an orange and red version of the butterfly print from the lapels down. (Though not quite as impressive as the coats with lace inserts, which were simply stunning.) The biggest surprise of the collection were the fringe dresses. Not so much the fact that there was fringe - it was ubiquitous this season, and Burton has used it before - but the fact that I liked her use of it. Her manipulation of the material was brilliant in the way it mimicked and integrated those earlier prints. The finale dresses that did not include fringe, however, I liked decidedly less. Decidedly. It’s a testament to how much I liked the rest of the looks that this collection was still my second-favorite overall. My favorite looks actually came earlier in the collection, both of which featured tulle embroidered with some very 3D beetles. Heavy? Probably. Uncomfortable to sit down in? Also likely. But stunning? Just like the rest of the collection, without a doubt.

Alright, I’m sure you can already guess my favorite SS18 collection (because I am tremendously predictable), but I wanted to give shoutouts to some honorable mentions first. The moto-reimaginings of Jackie Kennedy’s most iconic outfits at Moschino were some of my favorite individual pieces of the season. However, the unfortunate phrasing in the campaign has left a bad taste in my mouth since. Oscar de la Renta was gorgeous (that layered tulle coat Nicki Minaj wore to the Met Gala, wow), just not as exciting as the previous season. Likewise, Area had some great looks, and I loved the dark lip on some of the models, but it was about 50/50 for me. David Koma had amazing leather craftsmanship, as always, but the looks with embroidered feathers felt like something you could find at a department store. In another season, Elie Saab might’ve made it onto the list, I just happened to like other collections more. (Look 56, though. Wow.) And, with that all off my chest, my favorite collection of the season!

1. ALEXANDER WANG Do all of the earlier references to designs I like count as foreshadowing? This collection literally had it all; clear inspiration, variations on a theme, moto details…Well, and Alexander Wang is my favorite designer. From the first look, I was in love. There was something distinctly Matrix-ian about the collection - and it wasn’t just the tiny shades. Perhaps it was the trench coats and the prevalence of leather, or having the models stomp through a set that was, at one point in time, an office building - the former Condé Nast HQ, in fact. Wang’s use of zippers in this collection was phenomenal. The ones that hugged the hip were particularly beautiful, as were the ones that mimicked seams around the waist and bust. Perhaps the only looks I wasn’t feeling were some of the sweatpants. As much as I liked the rest of the seams, ones near the hips always feel a little unfortunate to me. But the rest? I was blown away. The ways Wang reinterpreted blazers in this collection; from the not-quite business wear at the beginning, to the mini-dresses at the end. Brilliant, all of them. Just the mini-dresses in general - an Alexander Wang girl is always ready to attend the hottest party in town. Those chiffon numbers towards the middle and the metallic looks near the end also deserve a mention. Honestly, even the things I don’t typically like, I was into in this collection. Pink is usually a hard color to convince me of, but I would absolutely wear the hot pink pieces here. Could I pull them off? Probably not, but I also wouldn’t care. I’m also not a huge bag person, but the Swarovski-encrusted Ziplock was pure genius. Unfortunately, this is the last collection Alexander Wang plans to show during the conventional NYFW schedule. In fact, he already showed his SS19 collection back in June. (And I loved it, of course.) My thoughts on that collection will have to wait for a little while longer. For most designers, SS19 will begin tomorrow. However, I already know Wang’s collection will make the list.

Alright, I think that’s enough rambling for one post. Those were my opinions on last season, but I would love to hear yours. What were your favorite collections of FW18?

#fw18 #fall 2018 #fashion week #fashion #blog post #tfg mini posts

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