#Knights of the Garter

[stephensmithuk]

The Priory School

Published in 1904, this is the final story we're covering from Return.

It is also our first story set in the reign of Edward VII, who was a rather different monarch to his mother to put it mildly.

So, the Duke of Holdernesse's biography. Brace yourself, because this is going to need a few points to cover:

There have been a total of 40 dukedoms created in the English peerage; some of them have been recreated over the centuries after dying out due to lack of a male heir (they are nearly always male only) or the holder ends up becoming King, in which case the dukedom "merges in the Crown" and is free for further use. For example, Prince Philip was made Duke of Edinburgh as a wedding present when he married the future Elizabeth II. When he died, Prince Charles inherited the dukedom but didn't use it as he was already Prince of Wales. King Charles III then gave the Duchy to his brother Edward as a 59th birthday present, but made it life only. I will mention Edward again later.

Not counting the Duke of Cornwall, the title being explicitly linked to the oldest son of the monarch i.e. Prince William, the oldest active dukedom is Norfolk, currently with its 18th holder, Edward Fitzalan-Howard. He also holds the hereditary title of Earl Marshal, in that capacity organising both the funeral of Elizabeth II and the coronation of Charles III, something made a good deal harder when he got a six-month driving ban for driving through a red light while on his mobile. His lawyer managed to get a good part of the hearing done in private because the mitigation stuff involved discussing sensitive coronation details.

KG stands for "Knight of the Garter". Below the Victoria and George Crosses, the latter of course not yet a thing, this is the most prestigious honour you can get in the honours system. It typically goes to royals domestic and foreign, top officials including Prime Ministers and those who have done major works for the monarch personally. However, notable other cases include Sir Edmund Hilary i.e. the Everest chap. At the time, the Government made appointments, but to stop the honour being used for patronage, since 1946, the sole appointer has been the head of the order i.e. the monarch.

I could go on about the Garter, but we'll be here all day.

PC stands for Privy Counsellor, a formal group of senior advisors to the monarch, that includes top politicans. They still have a function, including intelligence sharing and can use the title "Right Honourable" even if they aren't. Some have in fact been kicked out recently for criminal convictions.

If you have multiple titles, your oldest legitimate son is allowed to use one of the junior ones as a courtesy title. Hence Lord Saltire. Pivoting back to Prince Edward, his oldest son James, aged 15, uses the title Earl of Wessex, his father's wedding present and will inherit that from his father. As a monarch's grandson, he will have the right to call himself a prince when he turns 18.

This said, it is perfectly possible for a kid to become a Duke in his own right. The other Prince Edward became Duke of Kent in 1942 aged just six when his father died in a plane crash.

Lord Lieutenants are official deputies of the monarch in the various 'ceremonial counties' (as British local government is now rather complex). They used to have a role leading the local militias and still play a role in selecting low-level judicial officials, but their main job is giving out medals and opening stuff. They also have deputies below them, who are the people you write to if you want a royal to open something.

Hallamshire was a historical area in what is now South Yorkshire, no longer a county by this point, that covers an area roughly the same as the modern-day City of Sheffield.

Preparatory schools or "prep schools" are fee-paying schools designed to prepare children for the Common Entrance Examination to get into one of the public schools like Eton or Fettes. They are frequently, but not always, boarding schools.

Yes, 13 May 1901 was a Monday.

An Eton jacket is a short (waist-length) jacket with three buttons. Outside the military, where it forms part of mess dress, it's now far more associated with service staff.

Heidegger shares his name with a German philosopher, Martin Heidegger, who had yet to come to prominence at the time. A Nazi supporter, he has the interesting distinction of being the only then-living philospher mentioned in the "Bruces' Philosophers Song" by Monty Python.

An "ordnance map" refers to the Ordnance Survey maps. Originating in 1745, when maps of Scotland were created to assist in putting the Jacobite clans then in rebellion against the government, these have been the standard maps for ramblers, the military etc. for generations and can be used to trace changes in places over time. The ones from before 1970 are now public domain and available online.

The bicycle track deductions have been debated to death by Holmesian scholars over years; Klinger covers their analysis in some depth. Doyle himself admitted he wasn't quite right.

It was a legal requirement for the details of the landlord of a pub to have their details prominently displayed at the entrance. By tradition, that was and still is above the door. However, since 2003, you legally just need the premises licence on display.

The Capital and Counties Bank had 473 branches across the UK until its 1918 acquistion by Lloyds Bank, still the largest retail bank in the UK.

Britain had "felony murder" like the US until 1957. Since Wilder is involved in the kidnapping, he would be just as liable as Hayes for the murder of Heidegger and could face the death penalty with him.

This became a matter of huge controversy in the 1953 case of Derek Bentley, also known as the "Let him have it" case. Bentley allegedly delivered those words to his accomplice in a burglary, Christopher Craig, a 16-year-old who then shot dead a police officer. Bentley himself had mental development problems with a IQ recorded of 77. Both were found guilty of murder and Craig spent ten years at "Her Majesty's Pleasure" as a juvenille offender. A recommendation for mercy in the case of Bentley was ignored by the judge and when the appeal failed, the Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyfe (who had also overseen a major increase in the persecution of gay men) declined to commute the sentence, despite 200 MPs calling for it. Bentley was hanged, but the continuing outcry was a key factor in the 1964 abolition of capital punishment in England and Wales. Bentley would get a posthumous royal pardon in 1993 and the Court of Appeal quashed his murder conviction in 1998 on the grounds of the flawed trial.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

A Conservator adjusts the gallery clock in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle.

The ceiling above is studded with the coats of arms of all the Knights of the Garter since the foundation of the Order in 1348.

29 October 2023

—

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348.

It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system. The only decorations which outrank it in precedence are the Victoria Cross and the George Cross.

The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George, England's patron saint.

[simshousewindsor]

GARTER DAY AT WINDSOR CASTLE

The Queen's first Garter Day as Sovereign of ‘The Order of the Garter’

The Queen, The Prince consort and members of the Royal Family today attended a Garter Day service and ceremony at Windsor Castle. This year's event was the first time The Queen has taken part as Sovereign of ‘The Order of the Garter’.

Last year, The Queen did not attend Garter Day due to being on maternity leave but, The Prince consort and The Earl of Boykins were installed as Royal Knight Companions of the Order of the Garter, having been appointed by Queen Katherine I in 2023.

The Emperor (and Empress) of Sulani posed with The Queen and Prince consort after being invested as a Stranger Knight of the Garter.

New appointments to "The Garter" were invested in the Garter Throne Room, including the Lady Hope Spring as a Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order and the Emperor of Sulani as a Stranger Knights Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Windsor Castle, which has been the family home of Windenburg Kings and Queen's for over 240 years, is a historic castle, Royal Palace and a family home that is open to visitors for most of the year.

After lunch the Knights process on foot to a service in St. Leo's Chapel, wearing their blue velvet robes, known as mantels, and blue velvet hats with white plumes. The processional route is through the Upper, Middle and Lower Wards of the castle and around the bend to St. Leo's Chapel.

St Leo's Chapel sits in the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle at centre right, partially behind trees.

The Queen attended the service along with other members of the Royal Family in the Order, including The Prince consort, The Duke of Kent, The Duke of Hastings, The Earl of Boykins, and The Queen Mother.

The Emperor of Sulani was given the honor of accompanying Her Majesty into St Leo's chapel.

On reaching the chapel there is a short banner service, at the beginning of which the new Companions are installed inside.

The colorful procession is joined by the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle and the Military Knights of Windsor.

On emerging from the Great West Door of the Chapel, the Sovereign and the other members of the Order return in carriages and cars to the Upper Ward of the castle.

The Queen and Prince consort led the procession out of the chapel, upon their departure from the event.

New appointments are announced on St George's Day but the chivalric and installation ceremonies take place every year on the Monday of Royal Ascot week, known as Garter Day.

This year marks The Queens first time celebrating Royal Ascot week after being crowned.

The Queen Mother was beaming as she joined alongside the other senior royals to depart the Order of the Garter service.

The Duchess of Kent was pretty in a pink @rustys-cc dress while The Duchess of Hastings shined bright in a yellow dress by @melonsloth.

The Earl and Countess of Boykins showed off their growing baby bump. The Earl was installed as a Royal Knight last year.

The Queen's younger sister, wearing a purple @rustys-cc dress, announced her pregnancy almost two months ago. This will be the royal couples first child.

The Duke of Hastings, currently 11th in line to the throne, also attended his first Garter Day. His Royal Highness was the last appointment made by His late Majesty King George I but did not attend last year's service.

The Order also includes supernumerary members (members of the Windenburg Royal Family and foreign monarchs), known as "Royal" and "Stranger" Knights and Ladies (Companion), respectively.

King Felipe of Oasis Springs, attending this year's Garter Day alongside his wife Queen Aoki, was made a Stranger Knight in 2022.

The Emperor and Empress of Sulani were all smiles as they emerged from the chapel. The Emperor is also a distant cousin of the Queen.

Installed as a Stranger Knight of the Garter in 2014, this year also marked The Emperor of Mt Komorebi's attendance since 2022. The two countries have been strong allies for over a century.

[skippyv20]

Hey KC….if you can do what you do to your brother….you can also deal with your son!  The UK and Commonwealth Realms are disgusted with him as well

[allright]

nanami btw. if you even care /lh

feeling sooooo abnormal right now. i desire him carnally

[suitelifeoftravel]

Royalty at its Finest at Windsor Castle!

Our tour bus arrived in the regal town of Windsor and parked near the train station before we stumbled out into the winter chill.  Located thirty miles west of London, Windsor Castle overlooks the fertile Berkshire landscape of England and its battlements can be seen from miles around.  One of three magnificent residences of London’s royal family, Windsor Castle, has been inhabited by the rulers…

[muttball]

Honi soit qui mal y pense!      Dieu et mon droit!

“Shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”.  God and my right

The motto of the  British Royal Order of the Garter and the motto of the monarch of the United Kingdom.

[arkhammaid]

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ THIGH RIDING.

fandom. honkai star rail

pairing. argenti, blade, dan heng, gepard, jing yuan, seele x gn!reader

content warnings. nsfw, MINORS & AGELESS BLOGS DNI, thigh riding, not edited/proofread

word count .0.7k

notes. for my favorite whores and our obession with thighs <3 edit: welt does not have a part in this fic!! i copy pasted this whole text above with infos abt the fic from another one and forgot to delete his name, very sorry :(

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ argenti.

to argenti, beauty was elegance, close to perfection. this is what he aspired to be, a knight touched and blessed by the gods themselves— just not in warfare. but seeing you like this, the first time, messy and whiny on his lap, your skin flushed and eyes shiny with tears refusing to roll down your cheeks— it’s truly mind blowing. he’s enchanted, the way you move your hips, grind yourself hard on his thigh and hearing the whimpers that escape your lips. you’re a mess but you’re still oh so beautiful. 

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ blade.

he knows how much you enjoy riding his thighs. he knows it and he will use it against you, finding amusement in your eyes focusing on the garter belts he likes to put on, when you really should focus on something else. he will tease you for hours, not coming near you and making sure you don’t get any wrong ideas. when he finally thinks the torture is enough and you deserve some mercy, he will haul you towards the bedroom and place you on his thigh. and even then, when you’re slowly but surely loosing your mind, he doesn’t help you. instead he leans back and watches you with half lidded eyes, how you whine and pant on his lap. 

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ dan heng.

dan heng simply enjoys thigh riding because you find pleasure in it. he was first confused, why you wanted to ride his thighs, when he had a dick you could ride so much better, but then were clinging onto him, calling out his name while you chased your orgasm. and he could only hold your hips, utterly enchanted by every noise and movement you did, watching how you came undone on his thigh. and you? you love sitting on his lap, a thigh between your legs and grinding on his muscles, chasing your peak with frantic moving hips, all while he murmured low praise in your ears, eager to see you shake in his arms. 

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ gepard.

gepard is always the more flushed between the both of you when you ride him, be it his dick or his thighs. but there is something different when you make a mess of yourself and drag him with you, his uniform soiled and wrinkled, just because you’ve been riding his thighs until you were shaking in his arms. it overwhelms him every time, your moans and high pitched whines filling his ears and fogging his mind, your whimpers making him lightheaded— even when it’s you, who always comes undone on his lap, it’s him that ends up as a complete mess. 

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ jing yuan.

jing yuan thinks it’s amusing, the way you’re so fixated on his thighs. be it in his uniform or out of duty clothes, you always try to find a way to admire them. and your enthusiasm, when he asks you if you want to ride his thigh, only confirms it to him. you ride them as if it’s his dick, hips frantic while you grip his shoulders, head thrown back while moans escape out of your mouth oh so shamelessly. it’s amusing to him, to see how fast and hard you can cum by simply riding his thighs— sometimes even harder when you’re in the office and you’re ruining his pristine uniform. and he loves to share his amusement with you, teasing words making you shudder while you plead for him to stop and do so much more— oh how he loves it when you come undone.

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ seele.

seele knows about the enjoyment thigh riding can bring, but she can’t lie, she prefers you to be the one doing the riding. the feeling of your legs around hers, your arousal wetting her muscles and helping you to glide over her skin smoothly— all these sensations, paired with your oh so pretty moans and whines, it’s truly heaven for her. to see you so messy is akin to seeing you free, free with your desires and passions, for her eyes only. and to see you above her, gasping for air while your whole body shudders, is one of many fantasies she can witness as much as she wants. 

ARKHAM MAID 2023

[hellsburners]

you got me

summary: marc finds you wearing his shirt and a pair of short shorts pairing: marc spector x male reader word count: 1.5k warnings: 18+ warning, kinky marc, bottom!reader, marc hates short shorts (secretly loves it) a/n: thanks to this lovely prompt (also i might make one for jake and steven too if i have the time)

masterlist | more moon knight

Marc came home to a quiet apartment. It was clean, as always, with all of Steven’s books arranged on the desk and Jake’s favorite clothes ironed on the clothes rack. He couldn’t help but smile, dating you was probably the best thing that could happen to them. 

“Baby?” he called. “You home?” 

“Yeah, I’m here!” you said, carrying folded clothes to Marc’s closet. He took off his coat, dropping it on the couch. “Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m fine,” he stretched his back muscles and cracked his neck, the fatigue weighing in. “Just need a drink that’s all.”

You came out of his room, wearing his shirt and shorts too short. Marc’s thick eyebrows furrowed as you walked to the kitchen trying to get a wine glass for him. 

You felt a finger on the back of your thigh, running up your skin till it reached the hem of your shorts. “Where’d you get this?” he whispered. 

You grab the glass from the cabinet, leaving it on the counter. Marc’s eyes follow your movement, his hands snaking around your waist. “Get what?”

“These shorts,” he said, palming your ass through the cloth. “They’re a little—provocative?” 

“It was very hot today,” you said. “And I cleaned the whole flat!” 

“And you’re wearing my shirt,” Marc whispered, smelling himself on you. He pressed a kiss on your nape, sniffing on the base of your neck, his arms toying with the barrier between your skin and the shorts. 

“Go sit on the couch I’ll bring the wine,” you smirked. 

Marc sat on the couch, manspreading while holding the empty wine glass. He bit his lips, the sight was downright obscene. As you reached for the wine on the top shelf, your shirt would lift to the point that he could see the garter of your underwear. Marc’s cock turned in his seat.

“Come sit on my lap,” he said, pulling you to his lap before you poured the wine. You cheered before taking a sip, the bitter liquid burning your throat. 

Marc’s hands snaked all over your smooth legs, he lifted your leg from your ankles to place kisses all over your legs. You squirmed under his embrace, burying your face on his neck. 

“Marc—” you whimpered. He made you straddle him, his ass practically slapping your ass. 

“I’m gonna fucking rip these shorts off you,” he said, kissing you in the process. He held your chin, his other hand going under your shorts. “Your legs are so pretty—and that fucking ass,” slapping your ass again making you shudder. 

“I didn’t know it would have this much of an effect on you,” you wail, “I could’ve worn something shorter.”

“Try me.”

“I’m pretty sure Steven liked it when I wore these shorts.”

“Oh he liked it very much,” he said, his hands reaching under your shirt finding your nipples, he toys with them, eliciting a whimper under your breath. 

You grind on his lap trying to give his growing erection some friction, a groan leaves his lips. Your hands rest on his chest, using it to stabilize your body as your hips roll on his cock. 

Marc bites his lip almost drawing blood trying to stifle his moans. He grips on the hem of your shorts pulling them down to nearly expose your ass as he leaves hickeys all over your neck. 

“I’m gonna rip this off you,” he declares. 

“Marc—”

You unbuttoned his trousers, palming his dick through his boxers. His hands linger on your neck, running through your hair as you release his cock from its confines. 

It was already leaking with precum, you use the wetness as lube for your hand, stroking his thick shaft. Marc takes his jacket off, his body already warming up, sweat dripping on his forehead. 

“Can I ride it?” you pout.

“No, baby,” he said. “You’re bending over for me tonight. Go to the bed, on your hands and knees.”

“Oh.”

“And keep your clothes on.”

You did what you were told, waiting in the room staring at the stark wall waiting for him. You hear the door creak he is silent, but you hear his belt jingle as he walks. You feel the warmth of his hand on your back, pressing it down so your ass was pointing towards him, your shirt pooling on your shoulders leaving your back bare. 

His fingers reach under the hem of your waist, simultaneously pulling with so much force tearing the thin cloth and splitting it into two pieces—the fabric rips like the sound of thunder behind you. Marc does the same to your underwear. 

“Marc!”

“Now that it’s out of the way,” he said. “I’m gonna play with this all night,” massaging your ass before he dives right in, licking and sucking on your hole drawing whimpers from your mouth. 

He spits on your hole, using his fingers to enter it. He curls his fingers to play with your prostate, the sheer amount of pleasure made your legs wobbly. He takes a moment to nibble on the fatty mound on your rear, leaving hickeys as his fingers continue to play with your hole. His other hand finds your erection, stroking it.

You continue to writhe and whimper under him, your mouth dripping with saliva, your eyes rolling back into your skull, pure ecstasy enveloping your being. Your hands grip tightly on the sheets, leaving dents on your palms. Marc smacks your ass from the continued assault. 

You could hear Marc stroke his cock, the wet sounds were so lewd it led to your cock ache even more. You wanted him to use you, to draw out all the moans, to punish you for offending him. 

“You’re so hot baby,” Marc uttered. “Need this every day.”

“Please—I need you already.”

“Need me, how?”

“Inside me—please.”

That does it for Marc. He teases your hole with the tip of his cock, tracing it around with its wetness. He presses in, the tight muscle enveloping it. Your back aches but he persists, pressing deeper until it’s fully sheathed inside you.

The two of you let out guttural moans, tears welling under your eyes. Marc bends down to grab onto your hair, pulling at his hips to push in. There was a rough side to him that you know, but maybe it was the shorts or the fatigue, but tonight he was rougher, his grip on you tighter. 

“So fuckin’ tight—”

He thrusts, over and over. The sound of skin slapping and your cries are the only things your neighbors would hear. His hand pushed you down the bed, his other hand at your side for support. 

You stroke your cock, practically leaking onto the sheets. Marc whispers sweet nothings to your ear, and a drop of the wetness on his lips drips down your ear. He nibbles your ear, your hands still gripping onto the sheets. 

He flips you around so that you’re facing him, placing your legs on his shoulders. He thrusts back again into you, the base of his cock hitting your ass on each stroke of his hips. The veins on his hand bulge as they sit tightly on your wrists, pinning them above your head. 

Precum leaks from your tip, pooling on your abdomen. Marc takes some with his index finger, scraping it up from your belly button to your chest, and brings it to your lips. You lick your essence from his fingers, the salty bitterness on your tongue. He bends down to share your wetness with a kiss. 

“It tastes good, yeah?” 

You nod, your eyes scrunched up from all the stimulation. You could feel your core tighten, the heat pouring through your veins. Marc leaves light kisses all over your skin down to your collarbone. All you wanted to do was take him in your embrace.

You pull him in, your nails digging into his skin leaving red marks down his back. His dark curls tickle your face, his head buried in the corner of your neck. He ruts into you faster, harder, more forcefully. You let out cries that break through the hot atmosphere. 

“Babe—I’m close,” you whine. 

“I know baby, I know,” he coos, caressing your cheeks. “You gotta be patient though, –need you to wait for me.”

“I’ll try—” the tears blurring your vision. The pleasure coming from Marc’s cock was intoxicating, the heat of our muscle combined with his thrusts almost drove him to the edge, teetering for release. 

“Fuck, you’re so tight you’re gonna make me cum so hard.”

“Can you cum inside me?” you begged. You held his face in your palms, relishing his beauty as he fucked you. His long lashes and his thick brows scrunched all over. It was adorable. 

“If you want me to,” he groans. “Anything for you.”

Marc moved his hips with such grace and power it was finally the time for release. He kissed your lips, moaning from the moment the two of you reached your climax. Marc, thrusting erratically, as you stroke your erection one last time. Your wetness shoots all over your torsos, his cum filling inside you leaving a warmth fullness. 

He pulls back from this kiss, staring down at you with dark eyes. He pushes your hair back, caressing your cheek with his thumb. Your breaths heave trying to catch some air. 

“My pretty boy,” he lets out. “Wear those shorts again and I’m fucking your brains out.”

interactions are greatly appreciated btw if u liked this fic and want more send me a prompt and i'd gladly make something from it :>

[thepastisalreadywritten]

What is the Order of the Garter and who are the members in the Windsor Castle procession?

By Emily Ferguson, Royal Editor

17 June 2024

xxx

[simshousewindsor]

Sovereign

The Queen

Royal Knights and Ladies (Companion)

The Queen Dowager LG LP GCEO GCStL BD The Queen Mother LG LP GCEO GCStL BD The Duke of Kent KG KP GCEO BD ADC The Prince consort KG KP GCEO GCStL BD ADC The Duke of Hastings KG The Earl of Boykins KG

Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion

Emperor Akio Liu of Mt Komorebi KG GCEO King Felipe of Oasis Springs KG GCEO Emperor Keanu of Sulani KG

Knights and Ladies Companion

The Lord King of Mayfair KG GWE Lady Vanessa Washington LG Sir Will Gates KG KP PC The Lord Summerlin KG ADC Lord James Carmichael KG KCEO The Lord Martin of South Miltons KG PC Sir Winstin Churchill KG PC The Baroness McMillan LG Marshall of the Royal Air Force The Lord Scrubs KG AFC BMM The Lord Ray-Johnson KG The Viscount Brookfield KG KStL Lady Hope Spring  LG

[angel-of-the-moons]

Mr and Mrs Knight

Steven Grant (Marc Spector + Jake Lockley) x Curvy!Fem!Reader

TW/CW: NSFW, body dysmorphia, smut, suit kink, glove kink, fingering, PiV sex, creampie, squirting, misuse of The Suit™ (and truncheons), cosplay, established relationship, fluff

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: I am unashamed to admit that suits are fucking hot and the shit they do to me is what I imagine straight men feel when they see a VS model in lingerie. And Steven is hot. So is Marc. And Jake and Oscar in general you get the rest. Imagine the Mrs Knight suit looks something like this. (Also featuring the headcanons by @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction for Jake's craftiness!)

Taglist: @mundivagantsoul @belle-oftheball34 @steven-grants-world @denile-xo @whatevenisagrapefruit @hagridnmegamind @sapphire-and-ruby

🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒

It had been a banger of a night. A fun Halloween bash at the museum, amazing costumes, great food. Donna even seemed to be in a decent mood. But of course that woman could have been faking it.

You and Steven decided to go with matching costumes. In a gross abuse of Steven, Marc, and Jake's status as Moon Knight, you'd convinced him to use his "Mr Knight" suit as his costume.

Jake helped you make yours to match. Finding the majority was easy enough at thrift stores (despite Marc's insistence that you should buy a new one), the mask was what was the pain.

That's where Jake's expertise came in. Sure his main skill was in knitting, but that didn't mean the man wasn't nuanced in other ways to make clothes. You couldn't count how many times Jake would stitch up the seams of your favorite jacket that you just refused to throw away, or how many times he'd hit you with that smug smile when you blubbered about how awesome he was for giving extra life into your jacket so you could wear it juuuust a bit longer.

Your mask turned out to be almost a perfect replica of his, complete with glowing lenses to match Steven.

You were nervous when you got dressed, looking in your floor-length mirror at your reflection.

Your hair was pinned back neatly to allow you to pull the mask on or off (because unlike Steven's, which was magically suited--pun intended--to be comfortable) without much problem, and you would still appear "flawless" as Steven put it.

But right now, you were having second thoughts. You weren't sure you liked how the skirt fit you. Or the blazer.

The waistband of the skirt squeezed your waist and the rolls of your tummy, the creases in the fabric seemingly emphasizing every imperfection you saw in yourself.

Your transparent white stockings were not helpful either, the bands squished the fat of your thighs in a way that made them look like muffins, even moreso than your tummy. They kept rolling down so much you had to buy garters to wear beneath your skirt just so they'd stay up...

You frowned at your reflection as the skirt rode up your legs, showing off the cute lace trim of the stockings and your squishy thighs; honestly if you weren't careful, or you bent over the skirt would bare your ass to the whole party.

You were tempted to go and grab that last minute shitty vampire costume you had stashed away, when Steven walked in, already dressed immaculately in that gorgeous white suit of his.

He adjusted the tie, not looking at you as he does so.

"Hey, luv, I'm fairly ready. I can help you with your makeup now, if..." His eyebrows shoot up and his mouth feels suddenly very dry at the sight of you all dressed up.

His tongue darts out to swipe at his bottom lip, moistening it as he clears his throat.

"You look good."

"Oh.... Thanks." You mumble shyly, trying to pull the edges of the blazer down to cover the rolls poking out of your skirt a bit more.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong, beautiful?" He said softly, moving up to you.

"I... I look like a marshmallow." You sigh hesitantly, your tone full of self-deprecation.

"Hey, now." Steven smiled sweetly, wrapping his arms around your waist as you tucked your face into his lapel.

"You're the most gorgeous marshmallow on the planet if that's the case." He told you, kissing the top of your head.

He felt something press down on him, and he looked up at the mirror, getting a full view of your back, but he saw Marc's face staring back at him with a cringed expression.

(Dude, that was the shittiest compliment ever. What woman wants to hear her being compared to a marshmallow??) He hissed.

Steven was about to retort, before you started bubbling out on laughter at how silly his compliment was.

"That was so corny." You snicker.

Steven gave a smug smirk at Marc before looking down at you with a soft, lovesick smile.

"Yeah, well, you love my sense of humor, eh?" He winked.

"Yeah... I guess I do." You smile back.

"Now, then! Your makeup. Let's sit you down so I can work on it for you!"

Whenever you had your doubts about your appearance, Steven, Marc, or Jake would pipe in and alleviate your worries. Sometimes all three at once, though rapid switching would often cause problems for them (like migraines).

You kept your eyes closed as Steven carefully applied your highlighter to your cheekbones, the brush tickling your skin, his shaky breaths ghosting over your face.

He would mumble some curses when he messed up, but would correct his mistake.

When you had asked him where on earth he learned to contour and highlight he shyly admitted he watched half a dozen tutorials on YouTube to get it perfect for you.

You felt the coldness of the liquid eyeliner as he painted on the wings with the white liner, the silver and gold glitter further adding to your look.

"'Kay luv, open your eyes so I can apply your mascara." He murmured, looking down in your makeup kit for the said cosmetic.

Once he did, he pulled out the black tube and made sure there was no excess before he carefully combed the white creamy substance on your eyelashes, lightening them up to enhance the face he'd helped apply for you.

Once he was finished with both eyes, he leaned back and allowed you to blink, smiling that puppy dog smile of his in satisfaction at his handiwork before placing the mascara tube back in the kit.

He lifted his hand and shook the bottle of setting spray so you wouldn't accidentally sweat it off or wipe it off with something during the night (or god forbid it rub off on the inside of your mask).

"Close em again for me."

You couldn't help but smile at his level of gentleness and politeness.

You restrained from physically recoiling as the cold setting spray hit your skin and quickly dried.

"Now, do you want to put on lipstick now or when we get to the party?" He asked as he watched your sickeningly gorgeous lashes flutter open. All the white, silver, and hints of gold on your face enhanced your eyes and their color, the very depths of them stealing his breath away.

"We can do it now. I have liquid matte and regular lipstick." You reply, smiling once again.

"Which would you prefer?" Steven asked you.

"Whichever you think would look best."

He sucked in a breath that his lungs were suddenly starving for, and grabbed the liquid tube.

His hand gently cupped your chin as he brushed the satiny lipstick onto your lips, carefully lining them so it wasn't too much. He'd even dipped his finger in your cosmetic glitter and applied a very gentle amount.

"Gorgeous." He breathed.

"Aww..." You giggle, thankful for the glitter and makeup that hid your blush at his praise.

"Now then... Let's go, shall we?" He said, taking your hand to help you stand and slip in your white heels.

As the two of you left, Steven could hear Jake in the back of their headspace.

(Que hermosa... Be careful, hermanito. If she bends over, I just might take over for the rest of the night and have that ass for myself.)

🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒

Mr and Mrs Knight. That's what you two went as for the party. You two even won the prize for best couples costume!

Sure it was just a gift card to some restaurant, but it was exhilarating to hear how people adored your matching outfits.

And you couldn't help but notice all night that Steven simply couldn't keep his hands off of you.

He would get like that sometimes; working himself up like that, but trying to be subtle. You knew it was only a matter of time before an awkward boner would be the cause for the two of you to leave early, so you excused yourself to the restroom under an excuse to check and see if your makeup needed retouching or if you could go the rest of the night without your mask.

But you got a little nervous when two women went into the lavatory after you, and you felt trapped within your stall. You simply couldn't stand the glances from other women you were getting all night. You were afraid these two women who were clucking at each other like hens were amongst the ones judging you.

And your fears were confirmed.

"I can't believe that such a handsome guy would pick a blimp to be his girlfriend." One of them scoffed as she applied a fresh layer of brick red lipstick. As if she didn't have enough on already.

You felt your heart sink further inside of you as the other joined in.

"I know, right? It's gotta be her tits, only thing I can imagine. Maybe her ass, too." The other laughed as she touched up the false blood on the corners of her mouth.

"Either that or she gives good enough head that he can overlook the fact that if she ever got on top she could crush him." The first one snickered.

Your hands knotted in the mask you held in your hands, threatening to tear the stitches Jake so lovingly sewed in for you to wear tonight. You bit the inside of your cheek harshly as the two gossiped further.

"Ugh, and the sad thing is, he's cute, for a bookworm who won't shut up." The second sighed.

"Ugh, I know... I can look past the blabbering if I can see what he's packing."

"Right? I wonder if he's as good with his mouth as he is with his stupid history facts." The first giggled.

You gritted your teeth. You couldn't take much more, you knew that. Insulting you, you could take and bottle up to deal with later, probably in the heat and privacy of your shower.

But talking about Steven like he's some kind of... sex toy? No. Hell no. If you were anything, you were insanely protective over your boys. Even bordering on possessive at times (of course the same was true for the boys about you).

You were done.

You slammed the stall door open and sort of enjoyed how startled they seemed when they saw you, their jaws dropping when it hit them that you heard everything.

You hurriedly wash your hands and slip your gloves back on, gripping your mask in your hand tight as you spare them a backwards glance before leaving the lavatory to find Steven.

You felt sick to your stomach and you wanted to go home...

When you found him, his brows knitted upwards in concern at how tight-lipped and tense you were when you gripped his sleeve tight.

"Ey luv, what's wrong?" He murmured to you, leading you away from the crowd.

"I... I just want to go home." You say, the words those women said about your body weighing down on you, and the things they said about Steven burning hot in your gut. You weren't sure what to feel with this cocktail of emotions.

"Hey hey, okay we can leave." He says, kissing you on the forehead.

"Let's go."

🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒

The walk back to your flat was... Difficult. You could barely hold yourself together, suddenly hyper-aware of every roll and stretch mark on your body, even the slight double chin you had when you moved your head a certain way.

It wasn't until you were in the lift of your building that you finally broke down, your reflection staring back at you in the walls of the tiny space, crushing down on you with every imperfection you saw.

You couldn't keep in the bubbling sobs, or the fat tears that rolled down your cheeks and ruined the makeup Steven worked so hard to put on you.

He cradled you against him and cooed to you, saying sweet nothings and whispering nothing but praise for your looks, rubbing your back and kissing your hair.

In the various angles of the reflections, and the oppressive feeling weighing down on Steven... He could see and feel Marc and Jake.

Both looked pissed. Marc almost looked violent.

(If anybody talks like that about our muñeca again...) Jake trailed off.

(Oh trust me, I'll do the honors.) Marc growled.

The walk back into your flat felt horrid. You didn't just cry, you ugly-cried. You ruined your makeup, your hair fell out of the pins, and your skirt rode up more with every rushed step you took to hurry up and get in to get into some baggy clothes that didn't showcase your body.

You didn't feel cute or sexy anymore, you felt... ugly.

And Steven didn't like that one bit. Marc and Jake retreated, knowing that their anger at your injured self-opinion wouldn't help. This kind of situation was a Steven situation. He knew best how to be the sweetest person on the planet with you.

But right now he wasn't feeling particularly sweet. Sure, you were upset. But he couldn't help but get a good look at you as you walked ahead of him, the skirt riding up so much that he could just barely see the black and blue panties you wore beneath, your cheeks peeking out from the edges of the fabric, the garter straps clinging desperately to your stockings in effort to keep them up your gloriously plush thighs to keep them up.

He felt hot beneath the collar, his trousers getting uncomfortably tight as blood flowed straight to his cock.

The moment the door closed behind you, your hands, trembling and rushed, went to unbutton the blazer to get it off of you quicker, sniffles and tiny sobs sneaking out of you in the process.

However, your actions were halted when Steven placed his hands gently on your shoulders from behind, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of your blazer, trying to soothe you.

"Love. You're gorgeous. Beautiful." He breathed, resting his forehead against the back of your head, inhaling the lingering scent of your shampoo.

"Steven, I'm... I'm not." You sniffle. "I'm fat, I can barely squeeze into a pair of jeans, I can't even shop at normal clothing stores for women. I get looks when I wear anything tight, and--and the things I hear people say about me--"

Your voice is broken off when you hiccup, feeling another sobbing fit try to get out of you.

"You don't understand what I'm sayin', luv." Steven smiled into your hair, ever patient.

"You're the prettiest girl in the world to us. You don't need a flat belly, or toned thighs to be pretty. You're funny, you're warm, and you're soft."

You made a shocked squeak when his hands snake around you, his gloved hands gripping at your belly and squeezing the plushness there through your clothes.

Your denial died in your throat when Steven rolled his hips into you, his hard cock throbbing as he rutted into the curve of your ass.

"You wouldn't be able to get to me like this if I didn't find you the most gorgeous woman on the planet. You wouldn't get Jake to say the filthy things he tells you in bed. You wouldn't have Marc snuggling you and resting his head in your lap or on your belly..."

His breathing got heavier as he rocked his hips into you further, a bitten-back whimper dying as he swallowed hard.

"S-Steven--"

"You've been driving me insane all night. This skirt looks so good on you." He says hotly in your ear, his fingers rolling up the hem of your skirt to reveal your panties and garters, making you gasp again.

"Those stockings huggin' you so tight. Been thinking about how badly I want to have my head between your legs, tonight." He growled.

Before you could say anything else, his gloved hand went up to your mouth and he tapped your lips, begging for entrance. Powerless to resist him, you let him press his fingers into your mouth, your tongue wetting them effectively before he pulled them away, and slipped down into your panties

He dragged one of his fingers up your puffy lips, parting your folds before he turned his attention onto your clit.

"S-S-Steven--" You whimper when he starts to circle the little nub.

"Hush, now. Let me show you, eh?" Steven said, biting at your earlobe softly.

You couldn't fight it, you couldn't fight the warm nectar that gushed out from you at his words and affirmations. All your mind could focus on was how wonderfully his fingers toyed with your cunt, deftly rolling, pushing, and pinching your clit in every way he knew that brought you the best pleasure, the fastest.

Your mind practically went blank when he curled two fingers into your weeping hole, the leather around his digits making them thicker than they normally would be, and providing a luxurious texture to your clit as he massaged you with his palm. His mouth trailed down your neck, breath hot on your skin as he bit down and sucked.

It wasn't like when Jake did this to you, no. Every one of them had different methods, different touches...

And Steven was particularly good at balancing out the sweet and the hard, paying more attention to your own pleasure than his. Sometimes, he would get so lost in pleasuring you he'd cum in his pants without even being touched.

This time was no different... in no time at all, he had you cumming so hard you almost fell to the floor, your slick gushing out and soaking the glove.

He smiled sweetly into the skin of your neck as he eased you forward, so you could press your palms on one of his desks, thighs quivering as you recollected yourself.

You barely saw through your haze clearly enough to catch Steven licking his glove clean through the reflection in the mirror on the desktop, his eyes closing in satisfaction at your savory taste.

You half expected him to drop to his knees and eat you out, next, but he doesn't. He just stands there for a moment, staring at you with a lidded and loving gaze, curls falling forward over his forehead as they always do.

That's when your self-consciousness rears its ugly head, and you pinch your legs together, and try to wiggle away from his gaze, to retreat to the safety of the bathroom and escape from his heated staring.

But in a flash, Steven is on you again, his hands gripping at your hips and that's when you feel the hot, heavy weight of his leaking cock slap against the barely clothed flesh of your ass as he rolls your skirt up completely over your hips.

"Steven!" You squeak.

"Hey, now... 'M not done showing you yet." His voice croaks out, heavy and barely coherent as the silk fabric of your panties brushes the head of his dick.

He groans, giving one more roll of his hips against your ass, smearing more precum on the fabric and skin, there; before he gripped the base, lining his cock up to your weeping hole.

"Fuck, luv. So soft. So wet f'me." He said, voice strained from barely contained arousal.

You squirmed, still feeling inadequate despite Steven's words and assurances.

God, you wanted him. You wanted him so badly. But right now you just felt so... so...

Your thoughts cut themselves off when he reached behind him, and from beneath his coat pulled out one of his engraved truncheons.

Placing it in front of you and gripping it with his other hand, pulling you tight against him as he thrust sharply into you, sheathing himself in one whole go, the tip of his cock slamming upwards so suddenly you felt his tip smush your cervix before he eased back.

"B-baby--" You whine, despite yourself.

"Not runnin' away, luv." Steven grunted into your hair as he thrust into you, his hands gripping tightly on the truncheon, using the bar to squeeze against your belly and hold you against him while he fucked you raw.

You couldn't fight the snapping of his hips or his raw need for you, right now. You couldn't hold back the moans and whimpers he wrenched out of you with each punctuation of his hips.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck--" You hear him wheeze as his thrusts get more and more desperate.

There is a metallic clang as he tosses the truncheon to the floor in favor of gripping your thigh and lifting your leg so your knee was on the desktop.

You let Steven guide you so you're practically laying face down on the desk, his cock still spearing you open, pussy fluttering around him at the change in position.

You were taken by surprise when he grips your wrists next, ripping off his tie before slipping it over your hands, before tying them together at the curve of your back. Not tight enough to cut off circulation, but tight enough you couldn't squirm free.

He hesitated a moment. As nice as it would be to watch the soft flesh of your ass bounce and ripple while he fucked you... He didn't want to do it like this.

So, without further hesitation on his part, he gripped you, lifting you off your feet and rolling you so you were laying with your upper half on the desktop, pulling your legs up so your calves rested on his shoulders, all without dislodging from the warm tightness of your cunt.

You whimpered as he does this, and try to wriggle from his tie so you could cover your face, your running makeup and smeared lipstick.

Your pitiful, chubby face--

"Hey, hey..." His voice is soft and shaky as he leans in, cupping your cheek with one hand as your thighs squish against the both of you.

He caresses your soft cheek with a thumb and he smiles.

"Don't hide from me, sweetheart. You're gorgeous and I want to see you."

"Steven, I..." You whimper as your pussy clenches around his shaft, making it twitch inside of your tight, gummy walls.

His eyes rolled back with a groan.

"I'm not gonna stop until you see what I see." He grunts, dragging his cock out slowly until only the tip remains inside of you, the rest of your cunt squeezing desperately around nothing.

You're barely given a moment of respite before he snaps his hips into yours again, fucking you relentlessly and hitting your sweet spot over and over withe every arch of his hips.

Some of Marc's precision was bleeding into him as he aimed the tip of his cock like a weapon against your g-spot, pounding into you hard and fast, stoking the fire in your belly so hotly that you felt the embers scatter throughout your veins, every nerve in your body aflame in pleasure.

His left hand kneads the soft skin of your thigh, squishing and rolling the plush flesh beneath his gloved fingers before he slips his other hand between you, circling your clit mercilessly, making you shriek with every sharp thrust of his hips.

He loved how your body jiggled and bounced with every thrust; how your tits were bouncing so hard that they were spilling out of the top of your bra cups, your blazer falling completely open around you, now.

Despite still being fully clothed, you felt utterly naked beneath his gaze. Fresh tears burned in your eyes as he crammed his cock into you over and over again, his fingers working your second orgasm out of you faster and faster with every swipe of his fingers.

"It's okay, luv." Steven moaned, turning his head to plant a kiss on the inside of your knee, the leg he was squishing in his fingers.

"Cum for me, yeah? Show me how pretty you are." He pants, his thumb pressing hard into your clit.

That was all it took, the friction of his fingers, the thrusts of his hips, and each jab of his cock, plus his words? You were on cloud nine, brain fried and all sense gone as drool dribbled down your chin and you cum with a choked cry, babbling out his name over and over as your body clamps down, gushing around his cock, spraying out and soaking his hand and the front of his suit.

Steven, poor, loveable, goofy Steven could never hold out too long after you came, the squeezing and milking of your pussy was simply too much for him to bear.

Your eyes rolled back and you felt yourself spasm in an aftershock as you felt the hot ropes of his cum painting your walls a milky white, flooding your hungry cunt with everything he had to give you.

He drops your leg, wrapping them around his waist as he leans in and kisses you roughly, his tongue pushing past your lips to twine with yours and steal your recovered breaths.

"See... You're fucking beautiful. Wouldn't do this to us otherwise." He mumbles against your lips.

"Oh... God." You whimper.

Your mind ticks back into sanity and you realize the two of you are still clothed. Your outfit was of course mussed, but Steven was almost completely immaculate. The only thing he was missing of his suit was his tie, and the only sign of mess was the wet stain on his front, and his cock still sheathed inside of you.

"Hmm." He hummed softly, looking down at you with the softest gaze he could fix on you.

Steven gave you a sweet kiss to your forehead before he moved his mouth to the shell of your ear.

"And if you still don't believe me... Jake and Marc want to have a word with you."

[psycholuvrgirl]

sweets! part I

ethan landry x bimbo!oc [winnie adair]

summary: the blackmore students go to a costume party and ghostface comes back.

warnings: nsfw implications, mentions of murder

a/n: chapter one finally <3 i hope you all enjoy!

masterlist

“Hey, Ethan!”

The boy looks around the room, eyes landing on the smaller girl. Her short dress clings to her body and she has a little garter around her left thigh. It has a small heart on it and the band squeezes the fatty limb so it could fit. She’s covered in red -- her dress, the garter, her lips, and cheeks.

“Ethan!” she calls again. He blinks a little, snapping out of his little trance and smiling at her. She giggles, pushing through a few people to make her way next to him. Her bangles clap together as she bouncily walks over, and he wonders how those giant hoops are even comfortable weighing down her ears. “Do you like?” she asks, finally in front of him. She does a little twirl for him, Ethan’s eyes snapping down to the bottom of the dress for the split second her back is turned to him.

“Very nice,” he says, nodding in approval. She giggles and looks at his costume, furrowing her brows a little at it. She looks up at him, confusion written plainly across her expression. 

“I think I’m pretty obviously Betty Boop, but what the hell are you?” she asks, “A knight?”

“No-- Kind of. It’s the Brown Knight,” he explains. The girl scrunches her face, both unimpressed and still confused. “Chris Hawley? Murder Party?” 

She shakes her head and giggles, “I have no clue what you’re talking about, dork.”

He smiles a little at the nickname. Usually he would feel a little hurt by the jab, but she says it so endearingly that heat rises to his cheeks immediately. Her name is called by some girl in the distance and she’s quickly whisked away, but she makes sure to turn around and wave at him as she disappears into the crowd. 

“Not happening,” Chad says, walking up behind Ethan. The curly-headed boy turns to his roommate who’s shaking his head. “You stay away from her with your little puppy-dog eyes, alright?”

“What?” Ethan asks with a small, nervous chuckle. Chad shakes his head, pointing at Ethan.

“I know your tricks, alright?” Chad says, a little harsher. Ethan’s eyes widen momentarily, shaking his head.

“No, no, no,” Ethan says, “There’s no tricks, I swear. I’m just--”

Chad’s stern face fades into a smile, the boy leaning over with laughter. He looks up at Ethan, but he only laughs harder when he sees the other boy’s face.

“You should see yourself right now, man,” Chad laughs. Ethan anxiously joins in on Chad’s laughter. “Don’t worry, Landry, I’m not gonna hurt you or anything. Jesus, you looked terrified.”

“I kinda was,” Ethan mumbles, just loud enough so only he could hear it. Chad claps Ethan’s arm, shaking him a little bit.

“I’m just playing with you,” Chad says, calming down. “But seriously, stay away from her, Landry.”

“I will, I will,” Ethan says, hands up in surrender. He drops his arms back to his sides and tilts his head, “Why? Are you two…”

“No,” Chad says, shaking his head with an amused smile, “I just have to look out for her because nobody else will.”

“I’m back!” Winnie says through a sing-song voice . She peeks around Chad and he wraps an arm around her.

“Hey kid,” Chad says, looking down at her. He glances back up at Ethan, shooting him a look.

“And I brought you boys gifts,” she says, holding two shot glasses out to them. Ethan looks at Chad for permission and the bigger boy nods at him.

Ethan takes the small cup, “Where’s yours?”

“I don’t drink alcohol anymore,” she says, shaking her head. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a bottle with a wink, “But I do drink cranberry juice.”

Chad furrows his brows, narrowing his eyes at the girl, “Excuse me?”

She looks up at him innocently, “Huh?”

Chad shakes his head, “Nevermind.” Winnie looks at Ethan for an answer, but the boy quickly looks away from her. Chad lifts his cups, “Hey, cheers to the dynamic duo of Hortense Tower, third floor, room 315. And Winnie.”

“And Winnie!” the girl cheers, her bottle tapping their shot glasses. She takes a sip of her juice and watches the boys. Chad downs the shot with a slight grimace, and Ethan immediately spits it back into the glass. She giggles at him, offering him her juice to wash it down. “Oh, man. Time to start making moves. Yeah, get you out there. Introduce you to some girls!” Chad says, nodding to a girl in a Harry Potter costume, “What about her?”

Instead of looking at the dancing girl, he looks at Winnie. Her eyes are locked onto the girl Chad is looking at. Her face is stoic, void of any emotion. Then like a switch she smiles, looking up at Ethan. He quickly looks over to the girl he should have been looking at the entire time.

“She’s gorgeous,” he says. He watches Winnie in his peripheral, her blinking is rapid for a moment and she forces the smile to stay on her face. Was she jealous?

“Great. Ask her out,” Chad says.

“No, I can’t,” Ethan chuckles nervously, glancing at Winnie momentarily. She’s now on her phone, clicking on the Instagram logo without a care for what was happening between the boys.

“Ask her out! Ask her out!” Chad chants. He looks at Winnie, “Tell him, Win.”

“What?” she says, angling her phone at her chest and looking up at them.

“You gotta have confidence,” Chad says, emphasizing the last word. He backs up to look at Ethan, “Plus, look at you, man! You’re a snack! Practically an entire meal all on your own.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! You’re Ethan Landry,” Chad says, leaning an arm on Ethan. He turns to the girl, calling out to her. Ethan whispers Chad’s name, trying to stop him, but there’s no point. “My friend here, he’s a snack, right?”

She shrugs, her face not showing any sign of interest. She turns back to her friends who shake her head and laugh with her. Chad laughs at the girl’s reaction a little.

“What did that mean?” Ethan asks.

“No, it’s good. It’s good,” Chad says.

“What?”

“It’s not bad. There’s room for improvement!” Chad says.

“Well I think you’re a snack,” Winnie says, bumping Ethan with her arm. He looks down at her with a smile, but his next words are lost when he sees her lips wrapped around another sucker. It’s red, matching her costume, and her lipstick is staining the base of the stick. She licks the candy, bringing it back into her mouth.

“Thank you,” he breathes out, responding to the wide-eyed girl.

“Hey, big guy, you’re needed,” Anika says, popping around the corner to look at Chad. Chad pats Ethan’s chest, following Anika away from where they were.

“Come on,” Winnie says, taking Ethan’s hand into her own. She follows Chad, keeping a small distance between them. They settle in a doorway, watching Chad confront a guy on the staircase with Tara. Winnie puts herself close to Ethan, her back against his front. She looks up at him, popping the lollipop out of her mouth. Before she can say anything Chad drags the guy down from the staircase. Winnie gasps and Ethan wraps his arm around her, pulling her backwards as he steps out of the way.

The two boys push each other back and forth, shouting at one another. Their shouting ceases when Sam makes her way into the room, putting herself between them.

“Sorry to interrupt. I’m just gonna tase you in the balls real quick,” she says, putting the taser exactly where she said she would. The crowd all gasps or grimaces, shocked by the scene in front of them. “Don’t ever lay hands on my sister.”

“Sam. Are you fucking kidding me? You’re stalking me now?” Tara says, approaching Sam. She shakes her head and walks off, pushing through the crowd. Sam follows behind her sister, and the rest of the group scrambles behind them.

“Wait,” Winnie says, grabbing Ethan’s arm. He slows down, falling behind the group with her. She pulls the hat that, in the haze of chasing after the arguing sisters, Anika gave to her off of her head. She tiptoes, messily placing on top of Ethan’s curls. “I really like you.”

“I like you too,” he says. She giggles at his words, looking down at her feet. She looks back up at him with her big, brown eyes. 

“I’ve just been having a lot of fun with you since I transferred here and--”

“Hey!” The two look over at the voice, a girl throwing a drink at Sam. “Murderer!”

The two groups get into a small argument, but naturally fades with the growing distance. Chad, Mindy, Anika, and Tara walk off. Sam stays where she is, fixing her top. Winnie wraps her arms around Ethan’s, sticking close to him after the outburst.

“Hey, I have tissues if you want tissues,” Ethan says as he approaches Sam. He pulls them out of his pocket, counting the pieces of soft paper. “I have, like, three tissues.”

Winnie giggles, but Sam seems less than amused. 

“You are aggressive,” Ethan laughs. Winnie rips the final piece of duct tape off of his sweater and giggles.

“I’m just trying to be helpful,” she says. Somebody pounds at the door heavily and the two look over, as if they can see through it to the culprit.

“You two better not be fucking in there,” Quinn shouts. The two let out hushed laughter, being quiet to worry the girl. “If you two are having sex on my bed I will throw up.”

“One second!” Winnie shouts. She rushes over to her discarded purse, grabbing her lipstick out and motioning for Ethan to lean down.

“What are you--” he whispers, but then the pigment is being rubbed on his lips. She grabs a tissue from Quinn’s nightstand, rubbing the red around his lips to smudge it and doing the same to herself.

“Are you guys actually having sex on my bed?” Quinn exclaims, her voice a little higher now. The doorknob rattles as Winnie looks over her work on Ethan’s lips. She perks up as an idea comes to mind.

“May I, uh,” she pauses, trying to find a nicer way to ask, “Can I kiss your neck?”

Ethan’s eyes widen, taken aback by the question. He quickly forces a calm demeanor that isn’t fooling anyone, nodding and leaning his head to the side. The girl presses messy and quick kisses to his neck, leaving a mix of smudges and clear kiss marks. 

She discards the messy lipstick tissue into her bag and grabs his hand, leading him out the door. Quinn’s eyes widen as she looks between the two. Her mouth falls open a little and she stutters, mouth opening and closing.

“Chad, your friends had sex in my bed!” Quinn exclaims, marching over to the living room. Winnie and Ethan follow behind closely, earning widened eyes from Mindy and Anika. Winnie shakes her head and rolls her eyes to signal it was fake, and the other girls nod, but continue to play along. The three continue through the house, making their way to Tara’s room. “You two better tell your frien-- Oh,” Quinn says, surprised when she sees the proximity of Tara and Chad. Winnie and Ethan widen their eyes, then smile at each other. “Did I cock-block you?”

“What did you just say?” Tara asks.

“I cock-blocked you,” Quinn says.

“No,” Chad says, still not looking at the doorway.

“I cock-blocked you, didn’t I?” Quinn asks.

“Immediate no.”

“Please stop saying the word cock,” Chad says, finally looking up. He quickly looks away from Quinn, his gaze falling on Winnie and Ethan. Their fingers are still intertwined, both of them covered in red lipstick. Winnie shakes her head, but Chad ignores it. He says a quick goodbye to Tara, walking out and towards the pair. Winnie squeals, pulling Ethan to run across the home. They make it to the living room and Winnie puts Ethan behind her.

“Chad it’s a joke,” she says, “No killing my friend, please.”

“I’ll kill him if I want--”

“Murder has struck two students from Blackmore University…”

The announcement grasps the attention of everyone in the room. All five teens perk up, looking at the TV. Mindy and Anika scramble for the remote, while the other three stand there for a second, too in shock to react.

“Go get Sam,” Winnie says. She looks up at Chad, “Sam! Now! Go!”

“Right, yeah,” Chad says, walking towards the door.

“Tara!” Winnie calls, making her way over and swinging the door open.

“What?” Tara asks, looking up from her phone with faux-annoyance. She observes the fear on her friend’s face, and the playful negativity wipes away, worry taking its place. “What?”

“News,” Winnie says. Tara immediately shoots up, both making their way to the living room. They watch the announcement in horror, Sam joining the group at some point.

“Jason Carvey and Greg Bruckner.”

“Holy shit, that’s that chode from our Film Studies class! The one obsessed with Argento,” Mindy says. Winnie sighs, squeezing Ethan’s hand tighter for a second.

“...various Ghostface costumes, a character popularized by the Stab movie franchise.”

The group falls quiet for a moment, all looking at one another when the familiar name is mentioned.

“No,” Winnie cries quietly, trying to push herself further against Ethan. 

“Pack a bag. We leave in ten,” Sam says. A small argument ensues between the sisters as Chad kicks out ‘cute guy.’

“Are you okay?” Ethan asks quietly. She turns around in his lap, her legs now on the side of him. She twists her body the rest of the way to face him. That’s when he sees the tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, dragging some of the black mascara down with it. Her lip quivers for a second and Ethan feels lost for a second, unsure of what to do.

“I can’t do this again,” she whispers, shaking her head. Ethan nods, pulling her into a hug -- the only thing he really can do. Mindy shoots him a suspicious glare, but doesn’t interfere with the moment. She cries into him for a minute, pulling away to wipe at her tears as she steadies her breathing.

“You three, back me up here,” Sam says, looking at the other ex-Woodsboro residents.

“It is a little bit…” Chad starts.

“Close to home,” Mindy finishes.

“Yeah, Tara,” Winnie shakes her head.

“That doesn’t count, Winnie thought the maintenance man was gonna kill her the other day,” Tara says.

“Chad and Mindy still agree that this is not a coincidence, Tara,” Sam says. Tara turns to Quinn, asking for help from her dad. She gets on her phone immediately, announcing that she’s calling him. Simultaneously, Sam’s phone begins ringing from the table. Everyone jumps a little, and Winnie hides herself in Ethan’s neck.

“Who is it?” Tara asks. Sam doesn’t answer her question, instead hitting the decline button. 

“Why did everyone just freak out when her phone rang?” Ethan asks.

“You gotta keep up, my dude,” Anika says, “If Pooh bear can read the situation, you should be able to too.”

Winnie pulls away from him, “Can you walk me home? I don’t want to go alone.”

“Yeah,” Ethan nods, “Let’s go.”

The two gather their belongings and say their goodbyes. Chad and Mindy watch them carefully as they leave, peering out the window until they’re no longer in sight. Once they’ve created some distance between them and the building, Winnie reaches for Ethan’s hand.

“I’m really scared, Ethan,” she admits.

“I know.”

“I can’t go through this again. I barely survived the first time. I can’t… I can’t.” Her final words are said through a sob, the emotion shaking her entire body. She stops where she’s standing, hiding her face behind one arm. Ethan does the only thing he can, again, and pulls her into him.

“Hey, listen to me,” he says, squeezing her body close to his. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“You don’t get it Ethan,” she says, crying harder, “It doesn’t matter that you say that! If Ghostface wants to kill me they will. They won’t stop till-- Till they’re dead or till they win.”

“Look at me,” Ethan says. He puts some space between their bodies, but keeps his hold on her arms. She looks at him through her tear-filled eyes. He holds her gaze for a moment, the quiet blanketing the moment. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

[whencyclopedia]

Order of the Garter

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the highest order of knighthood in Britain and the most exclusive with traditionally only 24 knights as full members at any one time, along with the reigning monarch and the Prince of Wales. Created by Edward III of England c. 1348 CE, the chivalric order was one of the first of a growing trend where rulers and noble knights sought to differentiate themselves from the increasing number of knights in the late medieval period. The order's annual gathering at Saint George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, with its magnificent procession of members and retainers in full regalia, maintains the traditions of pomp and pageantry for which the Middle Ages are rightly famous.

Origins

The Order of the Garter was created by the English monarch Edward III (r. 1327-1377 CE) around 1348 CE and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint George. The king was still in a celebratory mood after England's famous victory over a much bigger French army at the Battle of Crécy in August 1346 CE and was eager to further emphasise the nation's martial prowess by creating an elite order of knights. In addition, by the 14th century CE, the number of knights had greatly increased so that the upper ranks of the nobility began to look for some way in which they could differentiate themselves from other knights and create a sort of private members club. These elite brotherhoods were designed to also pull together the greatest fighters and most useful military knowledge and experience so that in times of war the order would prove a useful part of the army's command structure. Finally, such secular chivalric orders were a good way for a sovereign to ensure the loyalty of their best knights who otherwise may have joined an order whose members, instead, swore allegiance to the church (the then-defunct Knights Templar being an example of such an order).

The Order of the Garter was the first of such chivalric orders in England, but there had been several already formed elsewhere, notably the Order of the Sash by King Alfonso XI of Castile and Leon (r. 1313-1350 CE) and the Order of Saint Catherine in France, both founded during the 1330s CE. The pomp and ceremony of the Order of the Garter was something more, though, and it would spawn many other famous orders at home and abroad such as the Order of the Golden Fleece, created by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy (1419-1467 CE) in 1430 CE.

Just like the legendary Round Table of King Arthur, the order of the Garter was, from the outset, intended to be a very exclusive club indeed. Its first two members were Edward III himself and his son, Edward the Black Prince and Prince of Wales. Alongside this pair were 24 knights, known as Companions of the Order of the Garter, all of whom had fought at the Battle of Crécy. Each member was granted the right to wear a dark blue garter as a symbol of their membership and new rank. A specific coat of arms was created for the order, which includes the flag of Saint George enclosed in a circle made up of a garter. Besides the knights, there were 26 priests and 26 'poor knights' (faith and charity being great chivalric ideals) who were expected to pray for the souls of the more illustrious full members, although they did receive free clothes, food, and lodgings at Windsor castle.

Continue reading...

[steellegacy]

⚜️ Armor Garniture of George Clifford (1558–1605), Third Earl of Cumberland, British, 1586

Made under the direction of Jacob Halder

Dimensions: H. 69 1/2 in. (176.5 cm); Wt. 60 lb. (27.2 kg)

Medium: Steel, gold, leather, textile

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George Clifford (1558–1605) was appointed Queen’s Champion in 1590 and was made a Knight of the Garter two years later. A favorite of Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558–1603), he chose for the decoration of this armor the Tudor rose, the French fleur-de-lis (then part of the English arms), and the cipher of Elizabeth, two E’s back to back.

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The Cumberland armor is the best preserved armor garniture from the royal workshops at Greenwich. It represents a technical and decorative high point of the Greenwich school.

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🏛 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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- -

⚜️ Доспехи Джорджа Клиффорда, 3-го графа Камберленда, 1586 г.

Изготовлены под руководством Джейкоба Гальдера (британца, мастера-оружейника королевских мастерских в Гринвиче, задокументировано в Англии 1558–1608 гг.)

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Размеры: высота - 176,5 см

Вес: 27,216 кг

Материалы: Сталь, кожа, ткань, позолота

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Доспехи украшены розой Тюдоров, французской геральдической лилией (в то время часть английского герба) и вензелем Елизаветы в виде двух букв «Е», повернутых друг к другу.

Этот доспех считается вершиной мастерства гринвичской доспешной школы.

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Джордж Клиффорд (1558–1605) — командующий военно-морским флотом, получил благосклонность королевы за выдающуюся храбрость во время вторжения Испанской армады в 1588 году. Фаворит королевы Елизаветы I (годы правления 1558–1603). Прославился победами на рыцарских турнирах, а в 1592 году стал рыцарем Ордена Подвязки.

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🏛 Метрополитен-музей, Нью-Йорк

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#ArmsandArmour #доспехи #средневековье #armour #medievalarmour #armsandarmor #Джордж_Клиффорд #George_Clifford #золочение #позолота #gold #leather #кожа #геральдика #Tudorrose #Elizabeth_I #JacobHalder #fleurdelis #KnightGarter #ОрденПодвязки

[stagefoureddiediaz]

RWRB costume/ colour meta!

Ok, lets do this!!

Man have I missed writing costume/colour meta, so its good to have something to write about again! This took me far far longer than it should have - I kept getting distracted by the film while I was working on this - I'd go looking for a clip or to grab a still and end up just watching the film again 😂😂😂 but I've finished it and I hope you all enjoy it! Grab a beverage of your choice because this thing is a beast coming in at over 7000 words - I totally understand if you want to skip, but I have ADHD and do not know how to be concise 😂😂😂

Red white and royal blue employs several fun and interesting costume and colour theories (also made use of in the set design) to help tell the story of Alex and Henry. I’m not going to write a detailed meta for each costume - I just don’t have the time - but I am going to look at some costume/ colour details in focus, especially for Henry and Alex as well as highlighting other interesting choices! I also do not have the picture limit (I need more than 30!!!) to include every image I would like to, so if you want to see what I'm talking about, you might have to go check out the relevant scenes (I'll try to give you timestamps where I can!) I’ve kind of tried to do things chronologically, but I’ve left Alex and Henry to the end so if I don’t talk about them very much in the rest of this meta - that is why! putting it under a cut because its so long!

The royal Wedding

There are a couple of key themes here, the wedding party (consisting Lady Martha, Bea and Henry) have a distinct colour palette - dusty blue, dusty pink and Ivory, with the exception of Prince Phillip who is in his red Dress uniform - they’ve used a red uniform to make him stand out, convey that he is more important than the bride (what with his being in line for the throne and all that jazz) and hint at power - red is a power colour. 

I’m not sure what royal orders the collar and riband that Henry is wearing are supposed to represent as they don’t belong to a specific British order - if I had to take a punt I’d say his red collar is meant to be a AU version of a Knight Grand Cross of the order of the bath but the one he’s wearing certainly isn’t a real order in the UK (it isn’t meant to be an order of the garter as that is the highest ranking order and Henry would then also be wearing the light blue riband we see on Prince Phillip) the royal blue riband with the red edging is more i line with the night grand cross of the order of Victoria, although in real life that riband should be for in the opposite direction. My feeling is that they wanted a red collar on Henry to play into the red as a symbol of power theme they’ve used on Prince Phillip, placing Henry as having the ‘power’ in his conversation with Alex (as he is on home turf) and the royal blue sash is a deliberate choice that I will talk about later when I focus in on Henry and I think its actually pretty significant as a choice. essentially the order insignia he is wearing are not real orders which is totally fine as this is essentially and au royal family!

We do have to talk about that wedding gown - not royal in the slightest - spaghetti straps and a low back would never be allowed for a royal bride, the dress is also too long on her (but that’s a different conversation about budgets and rental gowns so we’ll let it slide here!!) and her hair should also be fully up - not in the half up do she has going on! The colour is also wrong - she would have been tied to a very limited colour palette of white or ivory - no colour in a royal wedding gown, so the blush colour we see is a no go! I totally get why they did what they did with her gown in terms of colour and I’m fine with that choice (i’ll explain more in the next paragraph), I even get the fairytale princess look they were going for with that dress -  but when you’re trying to portray a family so stuck in tradition and history etc, I can’t help but feel that they missed a trick to show her as buttoned up, conforming to the crown etc, especially as we never see her again!

At the reception we see pretty much everyone in colour of some description, with the exception on Alex and Nora who are both in black - this is why Lady Martha’s wedding dress is a pale blush pink colour rather than white. The only reason that the men aren’t in colour (if they’re not in dress uniform) is because they are wearing white tie for the formality of a royal wedding, otherwise I think we would’ve seen coloured ties or some such on them. This is intentional because the room has a general (muted) wash of colour which serves to highlight Alex and Nora, making them stand out and look like they don’t really belong. 

Its a way of creating a them and us vibe and helps to establish the rivalry between Alex and Henry - we have a British scene, full of colourful clothing and the only identified foreigners are in black and white. We actually only see a black and white colour palette for the clothing of the Americans until Alex returns from his PR fix it trip to London after cakegate, while nearly all the Brits all were colour of some description - we can see this clearly in the hospital - all the children in colour, Henry in blues and - Henrys security in coloured ties while Amy is there totally in black.

Alex himself does wear navy blue but its a dark navy and that jacket is actually two tone - black and navy and its paired with black trousers in this scene - we see it again later - paired with taupe trousers which really helps to establish this idea of colour entering Alex's world once Henry is in it.

Sets

I’m going to pause on clothing here to quickly talk about the sets in the film and their colour palettes because they fall into three distinct categories;

We have the sage dusty greens, gold and bright reds of the British spaces - they have a regency and victorian air to them, all very traditional, opulent and royal in feel - they are the definition of a gilded cage and are ostentatious and Henry’s bedroom even fits into this mould (its very telling that we only see very limited physical intimacy between the two of them in this space - because its a space that neither of them truly fit or belong in) with its sagely green walls that echo the green walls of the state room the big royal family showdown occurs in. 

Then we have the creams, taupes and beiges (with a bit of minty green for the walls of oval office) of the America spaces combined with the very intentional colour choice of that rusty orange (there is also the red room but that is a whole other conversation - I’ll go into it later).

The Rusty orange is such a colour choice, its rich and eye-catching. All colours have meanings associated with them - these can vary wildly depending on where and how they are used and have both positive and negative connotations.

Generally speaking, orange is an attention grabber - its energetic and stimulating, but it also conveys transformation and endurance. This orange has brown undertones which means we should also reference brown colour meanings when thinking about what the colour means on screen - brown is a safe colour and it is also strong and reliable, but it can also portray a sense of loneliness - that is something I think is a really interesting concept - we see Henry in Alex’s world (through the text chats as well as in the first blowjob scene) on the rusty orange sofas and one of the underlying major parts of who Henry is, he is enduring like the orange (and his royal status make him an attention grabber without needing to try) but there is that underlying sense of loneliness - yes he might’ve had a crush on Alex since the climate conference, but as soon as the air had been cleared between them during the PR trip Henry reached out and pursued Alex because he was lonely and wanted a friend - not knowing if it could ever be more than a friendship.

Then, finally we have the spaces Henry and Alex occupy - spaces which are just theirs to occupy - spaces when they are themselves - these are predominately yellow and blue spaces, with some deep colours such as the teal we see on the walls of Alex’s room and the red room.

I’ll go into more detail about all the yellow and blue in this film a bit later on in this meta, but to provide a comment on the red room - red is a colour of passion and love, but this shade of red they’ve chosen maintains that orange undertone we see in the rest of the American spaces.

I wrote a post on the choice of red calla lilies and how they are both a symbol of love and commitment, as well as a phallic symbol of sexuality, and I know Alexander Hamilton was on the wall in the book, but he is there not only because he was very likely bi, but also because he was the subject of what is known as the first political sex scandal - something our boys are essentially also themselves going to end up becoming!

Once Alex does return stateside we start to see colour begin to fill his world. This is a really interesting thematic choice - think how the wizard of Oz (a film very much associated with gay culture - ‘a friend of Dorothy’ was a slang code used by gay men to identify one another and there is obviously the rainbow connotation) begins in black and white and then transitions to colour as soon as Dorothy wakes up in Oz. This film is playing on that same trope/ concept - this is a story essentially told from Alex’s perspective, so Henry and his world is already in colour - its only when Alex enters that world and becomes entwined with it that colour starts to seep into his life - its done in a much more subtle way, but it is there - even during the text bantering they have going one while he is watching a film with Nora - it is a black and white film (‘Some Like it Hot’ - its self a film that helped open conversations about queer identity and the queer community at a time when the Hays code was still in operation and when Sodomy laws still existed in the US, but that is a whole other conversation and lots has been written about it before, its one of my favourite films and if you want to know more then head to your search engine of choice or hit up my inbox! It’s also a film our director Matthew Lopez adapted for the stage which is possibly partly why it was chosen for this scene- as a nod to his other work!)and they are both wearing grey while Henry is in colour (cream and blue - playing into the queer coded yellow blue theming) and sits on the bright orange sofa.

I cannot tell you how much I am in love with the Koi carp on Alex’s dressing room wall because the symbolism - the symbolism!!!!! Koi are seen as a symbol of strength, patience, perseverance, love and bravery they symbolise success through courage. Koi are known to swim against the current and overcome great obstacles - there is a Japanese proverb ‘Koi no Takinobori’ which translates as 'koi swim up waterfalls' and as the word Koi in Japanese also translates to mean love the proverb therefore means that love can go against the current and overcome great obstacles and if that isn’t the perfect metaphor for Alex and Henry’s relationship then I don’t know what is!!

I am obsessed and I adore the set designer for including that wallpaper in general, but especially in their text banter flirty developing relationship - the writing is essentially on the wall for where their relationship is going and how its going to unfold - they are literally Koi swimming agains the current and overcoming great obstacles to be together!!

Back to the costuming!

As I said previously - when Alex returns from the PR trip we start to see increasing amounts of colour and it starts with blue - Oscar is wearing a blue shirt - a colour we only see him in for that scene and then again at the end of the film - during election night. Its an important choice - Henry's colour is blue - its the colour we nearly always see him in some form of blue so for this to essentially be the first colour that appears in the clothing in Alex's world is telling in its own way - it is the beginning of the slow saturation of Henry in the world of Alex. Oscar is always in tan colour-ways apart from those two scenes and generally speaking we see him wearing Mexican tribal and geometric prints/patterns and cowboy boots - playing into his Mexican heritage, but also establishing him as Texan.

Miguel is clearly set out as the baddie to us all - head to toe  in black all the time expect at the PM dinner - when he has to wear a white shirt because its etiquette - but they do make sure to give him black buttons on that shirt - which separates him from everyone else in dinner dress very clearly and keeps the undertone of untrustworthiness going.

The other thing to note is the grey fuzzy jacket he wears when being interviewed on the news. I’ve spoken before in my 911 meta’s about how the use of the grey fuzzy patterning is symbolic of confusion or obfuscation and that holds true here - Miguel is called out as being the one who hacked and leaked the emails by the presenter and he tries to bluff his way out - to obfuscate the truth.

We see the idea of green and jealousy play out a couple of times in the film - the flirty girl that tries to commandeer Alex and kisses him at the NYE party is wearing a very blatantly iridescent green dress which sets her apart from the rest of the crowd and then when the crowd drops low we also get the green lights on the DJ desk - while the scene is a play on the I saw you across a crowded room idea, there is also that undercurrent of jealousy - Henry is Jealous of Alex’s ease and that he cannot have him loudly and in the way he wants - highlighting that jealousy helps to build into Henrys later actions when he throws caution to the wind and kisses him under the tree. 

Ellen Claremont has a narrow colour palette as well - we only see her in black in that first scene and in the ‘new Texas strategy’ arguement with Alex, after that her dominant colour is cream and we also see plenty of red which is a power choice - she wears it in scenes when she needs to convey power and status such as at the PM dinner or when she is shutting down his Texas strategy. The cream is the base colour for her - its a colour of elegance, sophistication, it is also a neutral colour - playing into her position as POTUS, but also when she wears it in one on one scenes with Alex, it is a sign of her being a mother rather than the POTUS.

Zahra tends to wear blacks with one blue/grey cashmere jumper and when we do get colour on her they are jewel tones - purple and teal. We also get some more grey fuzzy patterning - again playing into my previous statements - here it is very much about confusion rather than obfuscation - she only wears the fuzzy grey when she finds out about Alex and Henry and has her mind blown by the knowledge. Its a perfect costuming choice for this scene as it conveys so much about where her brain is - that her mind has been blown by this huge thing she as just become privy to and it helps make her facial expressions even louder!

Nora wears a full spectrum of colours, the stand ones are obviously the red bodice and trousers she wears for new years and the pink shirt she wears in the office when Alex is having a mini bi panic and figuring himself and his attraction to Henry out. Generally speaking a characters costumes are meant to be about them and their own character, however with a film like this, everything is a driving point for the two main characters and so, other characters costumes will, at key points be less about the character wearing them and more about driving the story of the mains forward - this is very much the case with Nora’s red outfit (and we have already talked about the green of the flirty girl at new years representing jealousy).The red is very very red, it is meant to stand out and is a nod to romance - for both herself with Pez and for Alex and Henry, but Red is also a colour associated with passion and sexuality as well as fire and heat - essentially it is a marker that things are about to kick into action on the romance scale - we are heading from friends to lovers.

The pink shirt plays into the same theme - its a continuation, but a cooling down - less about the heat and passion of a sexual encounter, and more about the concept of romance and relationships - because that is what the conversation is ultimately about in this scene. We have the bi flag background helping to visually tell us what the conversation is about, but we also need to have that subtle reminder that this is not about fire and passion it is about the potential for romance - for love - because if Alex is going to hook up with Henry, it isn’t going to be a hook up, it going to be real. We do of course see things heat back up in the red room (as they should), but ultimately that is the last of the fiery heat we see - from then on anything connected with Alex and Henrys relationship is much more steadfast - the blues and yellows I will talk about in a minute!

Lets talk signet rings!! We see them worn on the male members of the royal family - so King James, Phillip and Henry - as well as Alex when Henry gives him his ring. their use is telling and significant. James and Phillip both wear their signet ring on the little finger of the right hand, while Henry (and Alex) wears his on the little finger of the left hand. in a general sense one would usually wear a signet ring on the little ringer of the non dominant hand - so if you’re a lefty you wear it on the right hand and vice versa if your right handed. This is not what is being portrayed here - all three of them are naturally right handed (yes I did spend far too much time on google to find this out!!) which would in theory mean all of them should have their rings on the left little finger and yet only Henry does.

There is however another explanation -  a ring worn on the right hand is symbolic of tradition conformity and rigidity and royalty (traditionally the monarch would wear a ring on the right hand and this was offered to subjects to kiss), wearing it on the dominant hand as a sign of power/ dominance. Henry and then Alex wear Henry’s ring on the left hand - the traditional hand that wedding bands are worn - because of the concept of the main artery running from the heart down the left arm and into the left hand, it is a symbol of love and life and connection to another person and is where the concept of the red string of fate comes from (which ties in nicely with Alex referring to the rope in his chest pulling him towards Henry). This all gains greater significance when Henry gives his ring to Alex and that he choses to also wear it on the left hand, its essentially a symbol of engagement and eternity - it is a sort of pre engagement I guess - and is a low key statement from Henry he is giving Henry Fox to someone for eternity - to Alex. 

Right, shall we talk about the yellow and blue theming that I keep mentioning. This specific theming, tends to be seen more in sets and lighting than costumes - although we do see it used in costuming too (looking at you Bea!!). For those not aware, there is a tendency to use yellow and blue colour-ways for queer story arcs - if you look at Heartstopper (esp s1) they have been using it to great effect , and it can be seen in other shows and films with queer character arcs to such as 911 (and Lonestar), as well as plenty of other mainstream media if you’re looking for it. I don’t know when or how it became a colour way associated with queer relationships - especially mlm relationships - I’ve not had the time to deep dive into that particular research spiral - but suffice to say we see it put to very very great effect here in Red White and Royal Blue - we only ever see it used as a colour way when it is regarding Alex and Henry and their romantic relationshipI’ve included some of the blue and yellow we see (couldn’t fit it all in - 30 pictures is apparently not enough!!!) surrounding Alex and Henry and there is plenty of it. The first time we see this yellow/blue theming come into play is at the turning point - when Henry opens up the lines of communication with his text message. Alex is in his room - the first time we’re seeing into his room - a room painted dark blue and full of yellow accents - the lamp on his desk and the unit to the side of the sofa, as well as the very yellow and blue painting we see above his bed (which was commissioned for the film and so the colour choice was very much deliberate). Just to show how prolific the yellow/blue colour way is here is a list of most of the occurrences - I've tried to include as many of them in the pictures as I can as well.

The copy of People is yellow and blue, the Jacket Alex wears for new year has gold and blue embroidery. The PM’s dinner has blue lighting with gold curtains and there are a lot of blue and yellow dresses being worn in the crowd when Alex is watching Henry. The cushion on the sofa behind Alex is yellow and blue. Then we get to the French hotel room and the Eiffel Tower - it is literally all yellow and blue - everything - even down to the blue (extra safe) condom packets. the New York hotel room is dark blue and gold another is a blue bottle of lube on the side (the condoms and lube are very much a deliberate colour choice - there are a million different colours you can buy both in so if the colour wasn’t important they could’ve chosen any, esp as fuchsia and red is the most common colour for both in the durex brand in the UK).

In England - Henry mostly occupies green spaces - in keeping with the royal theme I wrote about earlier - however the room he is most himself and most comfortable in is the music room/ library which is yellow and any time we see him in that space, he is wearing blue. It is telling that when the emails between Henry and Alex are hacked, his sanctuary is full of ‘old white men in suits’ and Henry cannot go in there - symbolic that who he is - his true self - has been violated and he is being forced into ‘royal coded’ spaces - back into his box as it were!

Back to costumes and he two blue hoodies. I’m gonna get a bit of hate for this, but the blue hoodie is actually two different hoodies! - they are slightly different shades of pale blue - Alex’s is much more dusty blue, while Henry’s is much more baby blue, they are also different cuts - Alex’s a traditional sleeve cut while Henry’s has a raglan sleeve cut (think baseball tee). There is the idea with these two hoodies that they are at different points in their journeys, but still connected and i love that we see them in them at really key points of crisis - they are a comfort blanket in a way - Alex wears his during is bi crisis and again when he's watching Miguel on the news and figures out who the hack was, while Henry wears his when he lets Alex in - when he opens up and unspokenly confesses his love for Alex, when he agreed to take the step and be brave - both are wearing these hoodies in moments when they need/want comfort the fact that they are wearing such similar hoodies speaks to the fact that in it is the other they want that comfort from (even if Alex doesn't actually realise it during his min bi crisis).

And now to our two mains - lets start with Henry.

Henry

The bulk of Henry’s wardrobe is double breasted suits - a key theme for the members of the royal family - not one else where’s them - its a fun costuming choice, cease generally speaking the double breasted suit isn’t in fashion at the moment - the film fit single breasted suits we see on the rest of the characters is. It's a very clear choice to create a them and us concept in a visual and telling way. the other thing to note about these db suits is that only Henry wears plain fabric - the ones we see on Phillip and James are pinstripe or woven stripe. I want to quickly mention the tie King James is wearing because of its very obvious pattern. it is the only loudly patterned tie in the entire film - all others are either, plain , striped or spotted. In the book Henry says that patterned ties are considered too political (i'm paraphrasing and can't find the actual quote!!) and here we have a king playing with politics wearing a patterned tie - I love tiny nods like this to the original source material that only those of us who love the book will pick up on - its just a tie to the ga!

Henry himself wears pinstripes - when he is at his most royal - so for example when he is taking part in the PR exercise post cakegate. His ties also fit into this theming - he almost exclusively wears striped ties excepting at a couple of key moments - when he’s undertaking skulduggery and the yellow one he wears for the election. at all other times he has stripes on his tie. the stripes get wider or skinnier depending on the situation - the wide ones tend to be for royal events while the skinnier stripes tend to be connected to Alex.

Another thing to note with Henry is the lack of black he wears - the only time is at the most royal of occasions - the wedding - all the rest of his suits are varying shades of blue or grey (and cream) even the tux he wears to the PM dinner is a dark navy with black lapel rather than black - it differentiates him from everyone else in the room (esp Miguel) and shows him as the object of Alex’s gaze. I also want to mention the royal blue theme we see on him - something I love Keith Madden for doing - Henry nearly always has something blue on him and a lot of the time (especially connected to times when he is doing something connected to his status as a royal) we see him wearing something royal blue - its why his riband at the wedding is royal blue rather than the lighter blue of the order of the garter - but we also see it in the royal blue socks we see him in several times, the royal blue pyjamas when the hack/leak comes to light and the blue shorts in Texas when he’s lying on the bed before he leaves to return to England. We also see him in a lot of blue shirts keeping that blue theme connected to him.

Then there is my most beloved check theory - (its a theory connected to 911 for those who don’t know my costume metas already) Check is connected to foreshadowing of trouble - Henry wears a check/plaid pattern at a couple of very very key moments - at the bar in Texas - when we see Alex realise his love is the forever kind, when he is back in England having broken his own heart in a misguided attempt to save Alex (gingham shirts in pink and blue) and then the suit he wears when he choses himself over the crown and steps out onto the balcony with Alex to greet the crowds has a subtle check pattern (not sure if you can see it its the pictures but if you watch the scene you should be able to) all of these are moments which foreshadow the upcoming or current trouble in his life.

Yellow roses - symbol of Texas being flipped - from Mexican to independent (and eventually becoming part of US) - symbol of the fact Texas is about to flip blue from red. Yellow roses are also a symbol of good luck more generally and the yellow tie is a great choice to suggest neutrality in the election scenes (at this point in time Henry still has royal status). We see Henry in a grey suit with this yellow tie - this only further highlights his escape from royal life - when he is un the US we do not see him wearing the navy blue suits we see him in in England - the only exception is the dark navy dinner jacket he wears to the PM dinner . In the US he wears either a grey suit or the cream/light blue suit we see him in when he visits the lake house and the light blue linen jacket we see him on his light back to the UK is the only single breasted jacket we ever see him in - I would have loved to have seen the grey suit at the end also have been single breasted, but I'm guessing budget constraints prevented that from happening, as it really would've highlighted the difference between Henry George Edward James Hanover-Stuart Fox and Henry Fox!

At the lake house we get a piece of costuming that I love - the slightly differing short lengths we see on Henry and Alex - it Alex’s shorts are always shorter than Henry’s - it maintains that sense of Henry be more closeted and buttoned up - the overhead shot of them on the pontoon shows it really clearly - the two of them have similar leg lengths which serves me well here to show this point - the shorts Henry is wearing are at least 3 inches longer (possibly more) than Alex's - it isn't just that one pair of shorts - all 3 pairs of Henry's shorts are longer - its a costuming choice thats s perfectly in keeping with their respective characters.

The final thing to talk bout is Henry’s rainbow turtle swim shorts - a cute nod to his being gay - especially as Alex is is his purple bi swim shorts. But there is also the fact that they are turtles. Turtles are a symbol of steadfastness, longevity, perseverance and transformation. they can also be seen as a symbol of everlasting love. there is also the concept of carrying the weight of the world - which is seen in its most explicit way in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels - where a giant turtle carries the world on its back. All of these metaphors and symbols perfectly fit Henry and his relationship with Alex - it is a symbol of the enduring nature of their love for each other, the perseverance we will see for them to overcome the obstacles thrown at them, the steadfastness of their love, as well the transformation we are seeing Henry go through - from closeted gay thinking he has to conform to the very rigid and dated ideals of his family - to the freer Henry we see in the US - the real Henry and the version of himself he so desperately wants to be but thinks he can’t - he has the weight of the world on his shoulders at that moment a la the disc world turtle.

Alex

Alex, obviously has the largest number of costumes, as well as the largest colour palette, but even that is pretty limited. In the same way we see Henry’s wardrobe go through a subtle transformation, we also see the same for Alex, almost in the opposite direction - while Henry’s wardrobe becomes freer, Alex’s becomes more grown up - more mature and conveys his growth as a person - becoming more certain in who he is. I’ve already written a fair amount throughs this meta about Alex’s costumes, so this section is a little shorter than Henry’s for that reason! 

We get rebellious Alex to begin with - the leather jacket easily conveys this to us, its almost a universal symbol or rebellion in costuming speak at this point and one of the reasons I like its use here is that it very quickly sets him apart from everyone else in the film - yes its early on, but he is the most casually dressed character by a long way - and this jacket it the antithesis of the buttoned up penguin suit from the wedding - it emphasises how uncomfortable Alex was in that environment and as a result gives the heavy drinking we saw before the cake went flying purpose and visually sets him up as the lead and as a rule/ convention breaker. The same is true of the greyscale with leopard print Hawaiian shirt which is meant to contrast him dramatically with Henry, who is still stuck in that stuffy double breasted suit prison of convention and expectation to behave a certain way - the costuming does a big chunk of the work in giving us rebel v prince in those opening scenes. I actually like that they brought the leather jacket back for the drive to the lake house - it sets up Alex’s falling in love arc nicely - in that it allows the idea of rebellion to continue flowing through the story - Alex wanting to be outing proud in Austin and not grasping that that isn’t an option Henry at this moment in time and is a nod to his not really understanding the different places he and Henry are in when it comes to what being out means for them respectively.

I’ve already written about the black and white colour way we see him in until his PR stint when we start see colour appearing in his wardrobe. I’ve put the pictures roughly in chronological order because it helps to show his progression, but it also shows the increasing amount of blue in his wardrobe, especially in moments connected with Henry.

To pick out some of my favourites - the Mexican pattern shirt with the red cardigan is wonderful - we have the shirt hinting at Alex’s heritage - in blue with the chunky knit red cardigan - I’ve written above about the use offered as a colour of passion and how that passion ebbs and flows - this cardigan also plays into that idea - it is the first time their texting becomes flirty - even the text message is in a red bubble on screen. This idea carries on with the orange red tee he is wearing during the turkey conversation - I made a post about that outfit being the same colour way as the turkey in question and how to talk turkey means to talk honestly and openly with someone - the very thing we see in that scene. 

I adore the subtle yellow and blue jacquard embroidered New years jacket - the moment our boys connect and we move further into the lovers part of the enemies-friends-lovers trope and it keeps the yellow/blue theming an active part of the storyline. - the contrast with Henry’s orange tie is a choice - while there is a lot of colour at the NYE party Alex blends into the background while Henry is quite literally tied into the orange theme we’ve already seen in the furniture and sets - orange stands out and now we the audience are being drawn into unconsciously making the same connection that Alex is making - Henry is lonely, but he is an enduring and attention grabbing part of Alex’s life - it only further reenforces the direction of Alex’s gaze - green wearing flirty girl who??

We have a fair amount of Alex and the bi colour ways and we subtly see it coming into play from more or less the moment they start messaging - the light purple tee and purple message boxes, flowing through to the women sufferage wall and the fact he is wearing blue and purple in that scene with Nora in pink to round out the there colours. then we have the blue and purple colour ways he wears at the lake house - bolder and brighter - contrasting with the more muted shades from before - showing that he has recognised and accepted that part of who he is - he’ now out and proud and his parent know about him. I’ve used the old subtle a lot, but this is yet another example of transformation and growth for a character done subtly through colour. We also see him bathed in bi lighting at the bar when he has his 'OH I feel forever about him' moment at the Texas bar - he is the only one in that whole scene lit in that way - Henry is blue lit, while there is a more general lighting scheme that is blue/red dominant for the bar as a whole.

On to Alex’s suits and ties - he seems to have 5 suits and a jacket (not including the formal wear - tux and tails) a black one, 2 navy blue ones (one with a woven pinstripe that he wears in Paris) a bright bluish grey one and a grey one along with the black and blue waffle jacket we see him wear both on the PR trip and at the Polo match. I am obsessed with the fact that when he is in England he wears the navy suits and jackets whereas in the US he wears the other colour s suits - in the same way we see Henry less buttoned up and wearing grey and lighter blues in the US, here we see Alex fitting into Henry’s world and the navy blue suit uniform of the Royal family - its a wonderful piece of costuming that tells so much of how each of them are fitting into the others worlds, especially wen the black and navy waffle one is only worn early on - it is the cross over garment!

The ties have  a similar story to tell - we see him wearing 4 ties - a yellow one we see in the beginning in the news reel and never see him in again and then we get the lighter blue striped one at the polo match - the one most similar to the striped ones we see Henry wear - suggesting he is trying to fit into this new world - Henry’s world - that he’s been invited into - its somewhat jarring for his character and plays on the idea of trying too hard - its therefore telling we don’t see it happen again - we only see hi in a striped tie again at he end during election night and accompanied by the black suit we saw him in a couple of times on the campaign trail in Texas. the blue tie is the only other tie we see him wear and it nicely connects all the key moments he has while in his suit - key political moments - his speech at the DNC followed by his speech to the press after the email hack and when he is at Buckingham Palace facing up to the King.

The final ting to talk about is the khaki green shirt jacket - I cannot tell you how happy I was with this costuming choice (and not because it was screaming Eddie Diaz from 911 vibes) khaki is so associated with military - with the army - anti is the most perfect choice for this scene - army are about war - they go somewhere to fight - to storm the palace etc so to have Alex - who has never worn anything remotely like this before rock up to KP to fight for his relationship - for his love - is the perfect choice, its a subtle yet clever way of emphasising the Alex has chosen to fight for what he wants - for his relationship with Henry and what makes it more telling is that we only see him change out of it once Henry has explicitly stated that he will try to be brave and that he wants history to include his love for Alex. It is why we see Alex in the yellow and blue Mexican patterned jacket - he no longer needs fight for his love because he has won - this yellow/blue jacket is a piece of costume tied into pivotal moments - we see the jacket twice - when he wins his bid to get the Claremont campaign to focus on Texas and Ellen tells him he’s going to Texas, and again when he has won the day with Henry and they are back together - in some ways that makes this his victory jacket - victory in his own personal battles - battles that are central to who he is and his development and I think that’s petty neat!

Hopefully you've enjoyed this deep dive into the sets and costumes of the film - I've loved writing it and I can only hope its coherent! Feel free to hit me up with any questions or comments and likes and reblogs are love ❤️🤍💙 thank you for reading and until next time...