#all ages between 21 and 26 are ugly

[littleeyesofpallas]

Got a fun ask from @macchiato-dreaming22.

I'll be honest I'm kind of weird in my relationship with headcanon and fanfic in that I'm kind of not all that engaged with characters as characters, if that makes sense? I'm not the type to get hung up on "he would not say that" sort of quibbles, or really dwell freefloating in the spaces inbetween canon characterization the way a lot of fanfic writers, or RPers, or stans or shippers or whatever else you'd call it do. I can appreciate the need or the preference to do so but it doesn't really call to me the way it seems to to them. So what I tend to do is try and round up all the otherwise loose bits of canon trivia and try and piece them together, only loosely speculating about things that havent happened based on their adjacency to things that have. I dunno if that makes any sense at all as a distinction...

Anyway point being is that the fact that I've never thought very hard about how old the Visored are individually/relatively sort stems from that M.O. but also I can definitely figure out what my own existing headcanon would imply is the answer to that question, and so that's what I'm going to do.

(And to be clear I'm not really going to fuss about the ages, relative or otherwise, within the strict canon of completed manga so much as I'm going to take my headcanon/AU for the character concepts and run with things from there. That might not make sense right now, but it should clear itself up as I get going.)

oh boy this got long...

So as a refresher on the AU I never wrote: Given their introduction between vol.21-26, my headcanon is that the Visored were never a bunch of gotei captains and lieutenants, they were a bunch of humans, each became something like a substitute shinigami in their own right, and then had those powers taken from them, at which point Urahara conveniently appeared and took advantage of each of their desperation to get their powers back to experiment on them, working out the system he'd eventually use on Ichigo. So it's not only the hollow aspect as an impurity, but the fact that they (re)obtained their shinigami skills in spite of being stripped of their substitute shinigami status that makes them criminals. But in the process, each of them would either be abandoned or otherwise escape Urahara's "care" and/or observation.

Given the implicit consequences of the Shattered Shaft method, and Bleach's general world building, the elephant in the room we never had addressed was that because Ichigo and in this interpretation of their premise, the Visored, all had their soul chains severed, thus separating their soul from their body, making them ghosts. That in mind, I consider them all to have stopped aging when the Visored process took place, and THAT is where I anchor most of them to certain time periods based on their basic design and sense of style. (technically I do sort of head canon them as all having been turned in the 1970s, thus ~30years prior to the start of Bleach, which is, ya know, the right age for the father of a 15yo to have been about 15 30 years ago... but if i just left it at that it'd be kind of boring, so I'm letting these age ranges drift a little, if only to make this whole thought experiment more interesting.)

So for starters, I associated Shinji with the British Jazz-Rock and Mod scenes of the 1960s: the hair, the teeth, the ugly ties, the scolor scheme, even the trenchcoat he wore the one time at random, the only thing he was missing was a moped. I also very specifically think of him as a Pete Townshend analog for some reason. So given that he passed as a 15yo highschooler in Karakura, I'm going to say I think he was 15 when he was turned in 1965, so it aligns with The Who's release of the song My Generation. So that puts Shinji's birth in 1950.

The easiest to nail down actually would just be Mashiro, since she clearly borrows from very Himitsu Sentai Go-ranger specifically, but also Kamen Rider more generally. That puts a cap on how old she could be at 1975 as the airdate of the original Super Sentai series. It's hard to judge her age considering she's so distinctly childish, but it's kind of implied that even supernatural aging aside, she's immature for her age. It's an arbitrary call to make, but I'm gonna say she was 10 in 1975 when the tokusatsu thing left an impact on her, but got turned when she was older and just never grew out of it. So born 1960.

Another somewhat straight forward one to pin down is Kensei, who I associate with the Vietnam War, and implicitly the 1969 lottery draft, and the US Military occupation of Okinawa as a launch pad into Vietnam. Although historically the actual draft applied only to those born between 1944-1950, making any draftee who deployed in 1970 at least 20yo, and I see the Visored as kind of explicitly teens, so I'll say he wasn't drafted but volunteered and was 18 in 1970 and when he was turned. That makes him born in 1952.

(I could have alternatively nailed him down to the 1980s bosozoku scene on account of his later theming, but the super distinctive cargo pants, combat boots, short hair, and a rubber grip combat knife all point to more of a military theme than a biker thing --also there's some military motif in one of his random attacks to boot. Although arguably that style of knife grip is even more modern, but I don't get the impression Kubo was thinking about it that hard, just about whether it gave off the right (para)military vibe.)

Funny enough Risa is one of the harder ones to really tie to a time period, as her classic sailor-fuku could be placed anywhere from the 1920s to the 1980-90s when they started falling out of style. Notably though they have a stronger association with middle school than high school, and Risa is also a pervert, so I want to say she's wearing it as a fetish thing, rather than as an actual student. That in mind, the school girl fetish really took off in the 80s and hit its peak in the 90s just before social awareness and political actions to try and curb the trend started being put into place. (Oh and I forgot, her Visored mask is a Gyan from Mobile Suit Gundam, so that already caps her at 1979.)

(I was also going to add something about Comiket and the birth of the doujin market, but that actually overlaps with this timeline already so it doesn't really narrow things down at all. It's pretty arbitrary but I'm gonna pin her to 1984 as the date the term "Cosplay" was first used. Assuming she was also 18 at the time, that makes her born in 1966)

(There's ALSO a weird thing in one of her attacks, and the general style of her shikai, and very very loosely a possible Chun-li reference that all seem to suggest she's got a bit of a chinese thing going on too? but I don't see how it gels with the rest of it, and it's just kind of a deadend to look further into. Technically there's a whole character type of the fujoshi/female otaku being very into chinese historical/fantasy, so like... maybe that because ti woud mesh with the general otaku vibe of the school girl uniform??? Theres a reason I didn't pursue this angle...)

Rose, I could try and triangulate the whole bishounen trend in 70s shoujo manga, but I'm gonna be lazy and just say he's the same age a Bjorn Andresen and born in 1955 as that more or less lands him right smack dab in the timeframe I would've ended up pinpointing anyway, give or take. For technicality's sake I'll say he was turned at 17, thus technically qualifying him as a proper bishounen and not just bidanshi, making him turned in 1972.

Hacchi is so hard to work with in this context... So long as this is all just headcanon anyway I'm gonna let go of even loose anchors to canon and just say his whole tux getup is a host club thing. (I know that doesn't quite feel right, even to me, but I gotta pick something instead of just juggling "maybes" and "sortas" for forever... I can't really match the look to much else eotherwise... Like a wedding caterer maybe? One half of a classic Japanese standup comedy act? Some kind of a stage magician?) Host clubs only really took off in the late 90s, peaking in the 2000s. Considering the range of dates on the other members this does kind of afford him the chance to be older, although it's sort of weird if he's the only physical adult in the whole group... If I call him 25 at the tail end of the slow decline post 80s bubble economy pop, around 2002, then that makes him born in 1979. (if i shift that back to the start of the pop in 1992, it slides him more in line with the others at 1957, but then he's kind of out of the range of the host club thing.... I dunno, man, Hacchi's an enigma... He really is maybe the absolutel single biggest wrench in this whole thing, which is a damn shame because he's maybe my favorite visored.)

(love that the little cartoon in the sweatpants was the exact thing that showed up when i googled guudara[ぐうたら]:"lazybones; good-for-nothing; idler; slacker; loafer")

It took me a second to remember who I'd missed. Love and his weird slacker, drop out, tracksuit thing scream 80s to me, and technically the whole adidas tracksuit look was in fact a 70s-80s thing. it's a much less specific kinda look than some of the others where it can be tied to specific characters, titles, and authors, or historical events... I'm gonna go out on a limb with this one and just tether it to 1984 and the release of the Run-DMC album, if only because they're the only specific names I can tie to the tracksuit look, rather than just a general casualwear trend. If Love was, say, 17 in 1984, he'd have been born in 1967.

And then that just leaves Hiyori.... Hers is such a general look that I have like zero idea where to place it. It falls into a similar time span as Love's with the track suit thing. but then she's got that mountain hick country bumpkin sorta thing going for her, which suggests she's kind of out of style, so then is her tracksuit look sort of out of date? She very specifically has some general parallels with Kumiko, in the manga Gokusen as a homely, spunky, firebrand kinda gal. If I consider that Gokusen came out in 2000, and had Kumiko be 23yo, then if I map that onto Hiyori, she'd have been born in 1977? But clearly turned very early as she's by far the youngest of the Visored physiologically.

BDAY - name (age apparent/real)

MAY 10, 1950 - Shinji (15/55)

JUL 30, 1952 - Kensei (18/53)

MAR 17, 1955 - Rose (17/50)

SEP 8, 1957 - Hacchi (25/48)

APR 1, 1960 - Mashiro (16/40)

FEB 3, 1966 - Risa (18/39)

OCT 10, 1967 - Love (17/38)

AUG 1, 1977 - Hiyori (13/28)

I guess the only thing I'd do to manually tweak these is nudge a few years around to more evenly space them out... Maybe make Mashiro a Visored before Kensei, because I feel like that's how their some of their conversations in the early arc pointed. I can't figure out if I feel like Hiyori gives off the vibes of being the first or the last recruited Visored... I like that she bosses others around like she has seniority, but also she seems like the most inexperienced and rough around the edges, as well as the overt comparison to Ichigo. Although actual age-vs-apparent age aside, the order in which they were actually recruited into the ramshackle gang they are is a timeline all its own.

Again though, I think of the Visored as that ramshackle band of undead kids squatting in an abandoned factory hoping the samurai death cops don't find them, or the mad scientist that threw them into a hole in the first place --half of them convinced that the whole process was a mistake and who just want to not have a monster inside them anymore, and that the hogyoku is the key to turning them back, but then at least Shinji secretly convinced that he's just a god in the making and wants to hougyoku to push the transformation even further.(ala the general thrust of the Fullbringer premise) The ones Ukitake betrayed for the sake or balance and order, ala his yinyang theming. The one he's secretly using ichigo to monitor via the substitute badge. Rather than just a bunch of weird coworkers who had one bad night and then just sat around doing nothing for like 100 years.

(Again, see all the odd little details of how they were introduced that later got steamrolled or just outright ignored: Urahara and Isshin talking as if they're not in touch with the Visored. Hiyori's between-two-worlds talk with Shinji emphasizing the line between humans and shinigami. Hiyori and Shinji having signs of a practiced recruitment process they're using with Ichigo. Kensei not being at all familiar with Mashiro's training process. Kensei thinking Orihime slipping thru the barrier could've been another visored, as if it's just assumed there are an indeterminate number of others out there unaffiliate with them. etc... yadda yadda.. I've made this post somewhere before, right? or has it only ever popped up in bits and pieces?)

Anyway all that just to reiterate that this whole exercise is less preoccupied with trying to make any particular "sense" out of the manga's canon backstory, and more just a pulling on loose threads of my own headcanon.

(Oh, and because there wasn't any better place to throw it in there: in this headcanon, Shinji was Isshin's substitute 30 years ago.)

[gaymer-hag-stan]

Inspired by fistsofcarnage's post found here:

I decided to share my own opinion on the Tekken 8 base roster while we wait for its release!

A more detailed ranking:

Favourites

1. Nina Williams - My Queen since c. 2005

2. Jun Kazama - I really really missed her

3. Lili - Crazy rich girl? Love it

4. Zafina - Weird spider / scarecrow / praying mantis Egyptian lady? Of course I love her

5. Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo - La Reina del cafe is looking GREAT

6. Jin Kazama - Him and Hwoarang have been my main "men allowed on the upper tiers" for a while now

7. Ling Xiaoyu - My love for Xiao is a relatively more recent development but she's a queen alright

8. Hwoarang - Angery kick boi. You love to see it

Love (?) Is a strong word to describe my feelings for the following but I like them alright and maybe even played as them in past Tekken games

9. King - I mean it's king

10. Shaheen - A huge downgrade over his Tekken 7 design, still cool

11. Asuka Kazama - Asuka had tons of potential for me but her one-sided rivalry with Lili and them being positioned as the main female rivalry of the series for a while now (I wonder if it has anything to do with them being teenagers~) has kinda damaged her characterisation a bit for me. She's kinda there for Lili to have something to play with nowadays rather than being her own character. I still like her but nowhere near the amount I liked her in her Tekken 5 era.

12. Steve Fox - Steve is cool. He's okay.

Like

13. Lee Chaolan - This is such a weird redesign... Lee is so extra and fun but I can't stand the new look.

14. Yoshimitsu - Yoshimitsu is Yoshimitsu

15. Reina - Kinda basic but cute

16. Leo Kliesen - Kinda basic but cute

17. Lars - Kinda basic

Neutral / Dislike - My phone and also Tumblr only had an orange-y yellow marker so I merged these two together

18. Victor Chevalier - French James Bond Ninja Noctis Samurai looks kinda cool

19. Raven - I liked Master Raven more

20. Claudio Serafino - I liked him back when he was revealed but he ultimately became too forgettable for me

21. Devil Jin - Edgier Jin. Whatevs

22. Alisa Bosconovitch - Sex slave robot modelled after an old man's dead teenage daughter that a middle-aged man has the hots for will never not be creepy

23. Leroy Smith - Meh

24. Kuma - Even bigger meh, and I'm also still mad that both him and the other fucking bear keep taking up TWO slots but Christie being playable alongside Eddy in Tekken 7 was such a ludicrous idea for Namco

25. Marshall Law - I liked his Tekken 4 / 5 moustached look more. Him gulping all the fucking steroids in the world between Tekken 7 and 8 was not a wise choice

Hate

26. Panda - Read Kuma's entry. She's lower than him because she looks weirder now and I think both look weird when they put clothes on them but she looks weirder this time

27. Kazuya Mishima - Too boring

28. Bryan Fury - Too ugly, boring and loud

29. Paul Phoenix - Too ugly and boring, and also he looks his worst in this redesign

30. Sergei Dragunov - Too boring and ugly but at least he's fun to play with

31. Feng Wei - Too ugly and loud

32. Jack-8 - It's a JACK unit... All these redesigns and upgraded models and Jane still hasn't figured out how to not make him look fucking ridiculous

I'm still missing Anna Williams, Christie Montero and (mum) Kunimitsu. I hope Anna at least fucking makes it as Christie is probably gonna be left out in favour of Eddy again and since they introduced a younger, cutesier and more boring version of Kunimitsu in the form of her daughter I don't think we're ever seeing her again.

I wouldn't mind seeing Katarina return either, Miguel's chest is always nice to look at and I'm DEFINITELY on the Lucky Chloe did nothing wrong camp! I also think that over the years I've grown more fond of Forest than Marshall but unless his dad's liver stops working from all the extra steroids he took I don't see him making it back until the next Tag Tournament

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 37 - Psychometry

I missed manga-based psychometry for Mamoru in the Original Anime, so it makes me very happy that so many talented individuals have weaved it into their stories. Below are a few where it plays a bigger role in the outcomes, although quite a few others have made their way into the series already. Also a reminder that prompts for @usamamoweek2023 are up!

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

Manganatomy - @idesofnovember

When I think of Psychometry and AU stories, this is one that is most top of mind for me. Usagi gets stuck with an assignment of getting a medical professional to look over some josei manga spreads for work. Except the person she has to see is less than helpful. Cue accidental bumping into Dr Chiba, who might just feel why this is so important to her. 

My Own Little Stage: A Collection of Prompts - Chapter 5: I thought you knew - @tinacentury

Every time Mamoru touches Usagi’s heart-shaped ring he gets glimpses of her memories while he wasn’t around (with Galaxia’s help). With Usagi taking a bath, he had more time than usual to hold it, getting to see more than he bargained for. 

The Reveal: Chapter 8: Touch - @kasienda

Mamoru learned from a young age to not let anyone know about his ability to know things through touch, having gotten burnt on more than one occasion, leaving him in a dark place. Maybe there is hope for him after meeting a blonde girl and "seeing" things he never knew were possible.

The Space Between: Chapter 13: Heal - @uglygreenjacket

With Usagi bailing on their date last minute because she is "sick", Mamoru tries to cheer her up the only way he knows how - with flowers and soup.  I honestly wish everyone had a Mamoru around to help with cramps. 

Becoming - @floraone

This drabble collection walks us through all the events that made Anime-inspired Mamoru who he was, with an addition of psychometry - both the ability to feel through touch and ability to heal. 

Little Moments: Chapter 1: Helpless - @floraone

Having gotten hurt in battle and an ugly bruise preventing her from doing something as routine as putting up her hair, Usagi begrudgingly heads to Mamoru's for assistance. 

---

That's it for this week. Next week we have "What if" stories - idea was courtesy of @areptiledysfunction1107!

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Week 30 - Flowers

Week 31 - Traditions

Week 32 - Dreams

Week 33 - Friends

Week 34 - Body-Swap

Week 35 - Medical Assistance

Week 36 - Sex Pollen

[ben-the-hyena]

So I watched a 2017 Wacky Races episode again because someone pointed me out on Twitter the actual age of the racers is said, and indeed around the end the episode's villain says "what are you, around your mid twenties ?" to which Penelope the 2nd/reboot Penelope replies "yep you bet !", Dick, Tiny and Peter say nothing and IQ and Bella correct with their actual ages (IQ being just 10 and Bella hundreds of years old)

Which means 2 possible things :

1) it's just because Penelope doesn't want to say her real age, we see in a cancelled season 3 episode she replies "none of your business" when asked her age and is glad someone would think she is in her mid 20's, hence her excited tone and the use of "you bet" which is odd for this kind of question ; Tiny (whom we know to be hundreds of years old too in other episodes) and Peter are too slow to correct and Dick just give 0 fuck at this point (he is done the whole episode for those who forgot)

2) Penelope, Peter and Dick actually ARE in their mid 20's and it's the truth, which means Dick the 3rd is actually gen Z and as old as me aka between 23 and 27 yet looks like that

For those who already know I, for now, HC Penelope (and Pandora since they are twins) and Dick as being 30 by the time of the show which I suppose to br 2017 like its year of release, but Peter as 26 since he has "91" at the end of his blog's URL, which is often the 2 last digits of the year of birth in normies who have no idea what to find for username and Peter is really a normie lol however I had not started to HC Penelope, Pandora and Dick as born in 1991 anyway because Dick still seems older (I mean if you asked me just by hearing him and looking at him I would have said he is 50 but there are a lot of hints during the whole show he is as much as a youngster as the others who just looks old because he is ugly and old fashioned but still I thought imagining him as 26 would be too exagerated) and because Penelope is a little too worried about saying her age for someone who is just 26. But who knows, maybe they ARE 26, Penelope just misses when she was in her late 10's because she raised by a misogyne mother who only thinks about looks and hyperfeminity and I wouldn't be surprised if she taught her a woman stops to be desirable after 21, and Dick could actually be even younger than I initially imagined for him and he just is NOT AT ALL helped by his genetics and his tastes

What should I do guys ? Keep HCing these 2 as 30 and have this line just be a lie from Penelope the 2nd, or have them be 26 and have this line be true ?

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

452 of 2023

1- Are you a lefty or a righty?

Kinda ambidextrous. Back to leaning lefty, though.

2- What show(s) are you watching at the moment?

Keeping Up Appearances. I love this show, it's hilarious. Soon there's gonna be Allo Allo, and I love it equally much.

3- Are your earlobes attached or unattached?

Unattached and I hate it. Attached are much more aesthetically pleasing.

4- Is there any food you eliminated from your diet but miss eating?\what is it?

Coffee. My brain reacts badly to sudden caffeine shots and it stops my meds from working. This means no coffee, unless I opt for decaf.

5- Are you outgoing, introverted or somewhere in between?

Between, and I like it.

6- If you look to the right of you, what's one thing you see?

Dining table.

7- What's one show you remember watching from your childhood?

Smurfs.

8- Do you cry often?

I don't cry at all.

9 - Can you watch a horror movie at night by yourself with the lights off?

Ew, movies are lame. I have better things to waste my time on.

10- Do you play an instrument?

No, I don't. You need two working hands for that.

11- What's your top 3 favorite accents?

West-Flemish (yes I'm biased), Amsterdam Dutch, and British from England, if we speak about English language.

12- What's your favorite season?

Summer because long days. The downside is that I barely tolerate the heat, it makes me feel dizzy.

13- What is your favorite hair style on a guy?

Whatever suits him.

14- What is your favorite hair style on a girl?

Whatever suits her.

15- At what age do YOU consider someone to finally be an adult?

Adulthood has no age, apparently. Someone might be in their 40s and still act like a kid, and someone may be 16 and more mature for their age.

16- What's your ring size?

6. My wedding ring is so small that my husband can't even put it on the very tip of his pinky. I have really thin fingers, though.

17- Who is better - Spiderman or Batman?

Both are lame, thanks.

18- Do you\did you study enough in school?

I did, I have two diplomas.

19- Disney or Pixar films?

No, thanks.

10- Do you like to eat popcorn while watching a movie?

I don't even waste my time on movies.

11- What is the last movie you saw?

Jesus what's with all these movie questions? The most boring subject ever.

12- Do you believe there is life on other planets?

There must be, the universe is way too big.

13- What's the happiest memory you have?

Getting a permanent contract at work.

14- What's your favorite name?

Joris.

15- Do you play video games?

No, I don't. Yet another boring subject.

16- How often do you read?

All the time. Sometimes several books at once.

17- Do you like the Kardashians?

I genuinely don't care.

18- Do you think babies are cute?

Ew. Toddlers are cute, though.

19- Do you swear?

I do, nothing to be proud of XD

20- Are you sitting or lying down right now?

Sitting on the couch, going to bed soon.

21- Paper or plastic?

Whatever is more resistant.

22- Did you ever get stung by a jellyfish?

No, thankfully. Raised at the sea, I could have the possibility XD

23- Did you ever make smores over a fire?

I don't even know what smores is.

24- Do you burn easily in the sun?

Too easily.

25- What's the last game you played on your phone?

Jewel Slide, it's my current favourite.

26- If someone was in line in front of you at the store but they were short $3 and you had the extra cash , would you help them out or let it go?

I would help. I'm not Dutch enough :P

27- Werewolves or Vampires?

Nope, it's lame. Can I choose werecats?

28- What's the weather like where you are right now?

It's dark outside as it's 21:32 right now and it's September, but the whole day it was hot and sunny.

29- Do you collect anything?

Yeah. Pens, notebooks, keyrings, postcards, fridge magnets.

30- (if you wear Tampons)Did you ever sneeze or cough and have your tampon fall out?

N/A.

31- Would you rather go without your phone for a week or go without your hearing(apologies if you are deaf)?

What a question lol.

32- Do feet gross you out?

Ew yeah. They look ugly and they stink sometimes.

33- What's a vegetable you don't like?

Cucumber. Literally the only one veggie I don't like.

34- Are you afraid of heights?

Kind of.

35- Did you ever see the film Hook?

No, and I'm not interested.

[sublimeredviolin]

Corrections and Universal truths, facts

1) Nobody is what seems to be.

2) Death does not forget or to forgive anyone.

3) Men are more prone to dementia than women.

4) There is a difference between being tough and to run your mouth like a primitive creature.

5) Is not what people say, but what they dont say.

6) They are avantages and disavantages of Entrepreneurship, Employment, Corporations and you Must know them all! Keep in mind, the Ugly side of it, less glamorous or enjoyable, as Media tries to portrait it: With others the Untold.

7) Real dominance has nothing to do with violence.

8) As excelent recommandation, are only a list of a few books to READ when business is applied: " Limping on Water " by Phil Beuth; " The Intelligent Investor " by Benjamin Graham; " Dream Big" by Cristiane Correa; " A few Lessons for Investors and Managers " by Peter Beveli etc.

9) They are only 10 Philosophical concepts you should know from The concept of Solipsism; the Categorical Imperative; Determinism/Indeterminism to Cogito Ergo Sum; Existential Crisis; Plato's Theory of Ideas...

10) Today, human beings have an average life span of 31.99 years, the oldest confirmed is 122 years of age; at birth humans are expected to live on average 49.42 years; they can live 3 minutes without air.

11) The hearts of women and men often operates differently. The heart does not fatique.

12) Mind, energy, intelligence are rare.

13) Mahaishi Mahesh Yogi introduced the Trascendal Meditation program to the West, anyone can have a personal view that containts their own opinions and interpretations. I was 'tempted' to give a try since TM works and is proven beyond doubt: is a great business with superb marketing between $2 to $3 billion dollars and it seems to me to take many forms over the years. I am not a 'fan' to die for books, seminars, the field of the collective Consciousness etc. may be as older they get, others have their fears of mortality like a 'cure' for modern life.

14) Women dont prefer taking risks because of their bigger angular cingulate cortex and have more intricately hard-wired brains than men.

15) Gender equality at the workplace could add $4.3 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2025.

16) Men are competitive by nature.

17) Men can actually multitask.

18) Men lie often from 6 to 10 lies a day, while a woman lies between 3 to 5 lies a day.

19) Faithful men have higher IQ than the unfaithful ones.

20) Men's metabolism is fast due to their lean muscle tissue.

21) Men also go through PMS such as fatique, irritability, stomach cramps etc.

22) Women have stronger immune systems.

23) The female brain is more intricate and detailed.

24) The two highest IQ scores in recorded history belong to women.

25) Women cheat cause of low self-esteem, anger, retribution, opportunity, boredom, revenge, numbing difficult feelings etc.

26) Men cheat when they feel disappointed, broken, enraged etc. and could be a lot of reasons why it's Unfair to label only men as cheaters, because it's not just men but every human being has a strong desire for self-gratification. Ignorant women to take notes: Men, at birth are wired in a certain way and attracted psysically, emmotional, spiritual, intelectual by a certain woman and they want all these things. Are men who cheat cause of lack of maturity, when they feel inadequate, due to selfishness ,lack of appreciation, ignored, bullied, nagged, they need their ego. stroked, boredom, chemestry is gone, desire to feel young again etc. From an Evolutionary perspective, men are Not designed to be monogamous.

27) Many Women dont want the truth. They just want to hear, what they want to hear. So, to stay in La-La land.

[cornerstorebitch]

i hate that i keep aging i wish i couldve been 20 forever. nice even number

[keijisprettygirl]

➺ synopsis ;

𝗸𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 & 𝗽𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀. 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻?

Pogue! Kuroo Tetsurou x Kook! fem! reader

➪ 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝑈𝑆: ongoing

➪ 𝐺𝐸𝑁𝑅𝐸: Outer Banks (OBX) AU, SMAU, AGED UP! angst, fluff, drama, summer break! forbidden love

➪ 𝐺𝐸𝑁𝐸𝑅𝐴𝐿 𝑊𝐴𝑅𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐺𝑆: profanity, judgemental and rude rich people, toxic relationships/friendships, rivalry between two social classes, alcohol consumption, mentions of drugs, suggestive themes but nothing too kinky! Kita is an asshole ):

➪ 𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇: open | now closed.

➪ 𝐴/𝑁: this does not follow the storyline of Outer Banks and it won’t matter if you haven’t seen the show! also, pretend Outer Banks is in japan and not in the US😭🙏🏼

( always read fun facts after every chapter )

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐊𝐨𝐨𝐤?

A Kook is a person who lives in Figure 8, in the north side of the Outer Banks. They are typically well-off and have the most power on the island.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞?

A Pogue is a name given to a group of people that are from The Cut, the south side of the Outer Banks. The Cut is home to the working class, citizens who make livings bussing tables, washing yachts, and running charters.

Kooks ❣︎ Pogues

❥ Ch.1 | POGUES 4 LIFE.

❥ Ch.2 | im trying to make you my step daughter y/n.

❥ Ch.3 | fight me rat.

❥ Ch.4 | NO pogue on kook macking.

❥ Ch.5 | are you drunk?

❥ Ch.6 | she’s like a spitting cobra

❥ Ch.7 | stalk some milfs down at the peer.

❥ Ch.8 | fuck you. you absolute buffoon. you fucking cretin.

❥ Ch.9 | please don’t HEHE me rn.

❥ Ch.10 | what is funny about a cat in pain.

❥ Ch.11 | kuroo you suck shit bruh eat a toe.

❥ Ch.12 | i said i hate you, are you deaf.

❥ Ch.13 | okay simp.

❥ Ch.14 | shes deaf.

❥ Ch.15 | ok girl i see you *purrs*

❥ Ch.16 | finish your sentence you ugly bitch.

❥ Ch.17 | spit on me.

❥ Ch.18 | SUS ??????

❥ Ch.19 | reminder: slay them all.

❥ Ch.20 | lmao don’t be a little shit shoyo.

❥ Ch.21 | miss girl….

❥ Ch.22 | where you saw bae???

❥ Ch.23 | mr l/n…....?

❥ Ch.24 | im gonna fucking kill you sunarin.

❥ Ch.25 | you’re too annoying to listen to.

❥ Ch.26 | arent y’all inlove or something? tf?

❥ Ch.27 | HELP. I HSVE BEEN ATTACKED.

❥ Ch.28 | CHILE ANYWAYS.

❥ Ch.29 | yeh ong i swear on aran’s life.

❥ Ch.30 | WAIT WHY’D YOU REMOVE ARAN??

❥ Ch.31 | Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity!?

❥ Ch.32 | man shut up i swear u jinx this shit

❥ Ch.33 | …

❥ Ch.34 | …

❥ Ch.35 | …

— 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚍 ~

[baoshan-sanren]

Chapter 54

Emperor Wei WuXian And His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Birthday

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45 | Chapter 46 | Chapter 47 | Chapter 48 & Chapter 49 | Chapter 50 | Chapter 51 | Chapter 52 | Chapter 53

It is past midday by the time the grand hall doors can be opened.

Wei Ying had intended to hold the meeting in the early morning, to spend the midday meal with A-Yuan, to perhaps have an evening alone with Lan Zhan. He had planned the day’s events with his old body in mind, counting on his old resilience and boundless energy. Instead, it had taken nearly two hours just to dress him, the majority of the work accomplished by A-Sang and shijie, while Wei Ying struggled with the simple task of remaining upright. It is astounding, how many mindless, day-to-day tasks, he had taken for granted in the past. Meaningless actions, such as putting on his own robes, securing his own belt, standing on a single foot to slide into his own shoes. Each one so straightforward and undemanding, each one suddenly transformed into an arduous undertaking, requiring many hands, frequent periods of rest, and more than one muttered curse by everyone involved in the process.

Running over the rooftops seems a distant dream. The act of walking, supported by both A-Sang and Lan Zhan, to the grand hall dais, settles a trembling ache into every one of his muscles. By the time he is seated on the throne, his robes adjusted, his sleeves pulled down to cover the splint on his wrist, he is tired enough to sleep the rest of the day away.

Patience has never been his strong suit, and the inability to force his body into obedience fills him with frustration that can find no outlet. Lan Zhan’s eyes settle on his broken wrist so often, that Wei Ying can practically hear the unspoken string of self-recriminations. In the wake of his earlier confession, A-Sang has been mostly silent and subdued. It is impossible to be angry with shijie, whose patience can rival the Immortal Mountain itself.

Jiang FengMian is admitted to the grand hall before any of the others, and Wei Ying, irritable and exhausted, snaps at the man without thinking. It does not lessen his discomfort, and the reproachful look he receives in response only sours his mood further.

At the root of this frustration, there is a fear he cannot voice. His body will recover. His current weakness will not last forever. But will he ever again belong to himself alone? Will he ever again be able to view his own anger as justified? Or will he be forced to forever question the root cause?

Any descendants that posses the affinity, Xue ChengMei had told A-Sang.

The words have replayed in Wei Ying’s mind countless times, invading every thought, tainting every past decision. He wonders if the boy knew the terror that his words would carve into Wei Ying’s bones. Is there another YanLing DaoRen waiting somewhere inside of Wei Ying? How deep does the affinity run? What will it take, to bring it out into the open?  

If these were questions that Wei Ying had never considered before, he would find Xue ChengMei’s revelations easier to bear. But they are not new; somewhere, in the murky depths of Wei Ying’s belief that he had never truly been suited to the throne, these questions have reared their ugly head each time his confidence had faltered. He had never executed a man without wondering if YanLing DaoRen would have done the same, without wondering if his mother would have offered a pardon instead. Now, even his simple frustrations are no longer just his own, forever tainted by the blood that he shares.

Can he ever again trust any decisions he makes? Can he ever again be certain that they came from a righteous place?

Fingers brush his hand, mindful of the injured wrist. Lan Zhan’s gaze is focused on the entry of the hall, on the task ahead. His face is cool and collected, any emotion that is concealed beneath the surface impossible to read. But his fingers are a gentle reassurance, a promise and a pledge, spoken in a language Wei Ying is finally beginning to understand.

The touch does not take away the anxiety, but it muffles it into something bearable, something Wei Ying can push down, back into the dark recesses from which it came. If he cannot trust himself, he can trust Lan Zhan. He can trust A-Sang and shijie, Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing.

“They may enter,” he says.

It is immediately obvious that there have been some slight changes in the hierarchy. The Jiang and the Nie are the first to be admitted, as they always have been, but the place traditionally taken by the Jin is now filled by Lan XiChen and a small number of Lan disciples. The Jin Sect is next, but instead of MeiShan Yu, the Fan Sect follows immediately behind, Fan XiaoHu striding proudly at her father’s shoulder, and making no effort to conceal her contempt for Jin GuangShan. This arrangement has, of course, pushed some sects further to the back. Wei Ying notices Sect Leader Yao’s disgruntled gaze measuring the new distance between himself and the dais.

Any arrangement that keeps the man further away from Wei Ying is a good one, regardless of the circumstances. He thinks, if only he had known that nearly dying would have such an unexpected benefit, he may have risked his life sooner.

It takes some time, as it always does, for all to settle in their respective places, for the shuffling of the feet to cease, for the murmurs to grow silent. On Wei Ying’s left, Lan Zhan had refused the pillow, opting to stand. On his right, A-Sang had settled in his usual place, his easy posture concealing nerves that are just as brittle as Wei Ying’s own. The weight of the dragon crown is pushing down on Wei Ying’s neck, a dull pain radiating through his shoulders. His ribs ache, resentful of his stiff posture. His wrist, a minor pain compared to some of the others, is beginning to throb with greater frequency. He does not know how long he will be capable of keeping his spine fixed in a straight line, how long before his weakness becomes apparent to men who have always known exactly where to look.  

He does not have the time for diplomacy. The thing he must do, which would have taken a great deal of finesse and caution in the past, must be done through crude and forceful tactics instead.

“There will be no war with the Wen,” he says, his words cutting through the murmurs.

Before any of the Sect Leaders can gather their thoughts to voice opposition, Wei Ying signals to Jiang Cheng.

A group of Jiang disciples carry forward an object wrapped in a red silk cloth, setting it down in front of the dais. Unwrapped, the parcel reveals a set of armor, the steel polished and shining, an intricate dragon with milky jade eyes depicted on the chest plate.

“This is the gift from Wen RuoHan,” Wei Ying says coldly, “The gift that was delivered by the Wen Sect disciples, and later replaced by a cursed object in time for the Gifting Ceremony.”

He does not mention the fact that the gift had come with a message, Wen RuoHan’s decisive hand easy to read in each ruthless stroke. Wei Ying had been right to assume that the man had been ready for war when the gift was sent. The note had offered the Emperor sincere congratulations on managing to reach the age of eighteen. It had also expressed a hope that this set of armor may actually make Wei Ying a worthy opponent in the upcoming war, as well as an offhanded assurance that, at the very least, the armor will guarantee a dignified appearance to his corpse.

The others, especially Lan Zhan, had been deeply offended on his behalf. Wei Ying, relieved to not be suiting up for battle, could muster up very little resentment. He had always found Wen RuoHan’s arrogance amusing, rather than disrespectful, but he is fairly certain that none of the others would understand his forbearance.

The note is currently tucked in his qiankun pouch, where it will remain, unread by both the General and the High Councilor.

“Your Majesty,” the High Councilor says, “Are you certain this is not some trick by Wen RuoHan?”

“The Royal Companion had inspected each gift the day before the Ceremony. Between the inspection and the Ceremony itself, the Wen Sect gift was replaced. Wen RuoHan may be untrustworthy, but the Royal Companion is beyond reproach.”

“I wonder why,” Jin GuangShan says carefully, “the Royal Companion did not set our minds at ease sooner? It certainly would have been a grave offense, to have attacked a blameless Sect due to a misunderstanding.”

“An attack?” Wei Ying says, his voice dangerously low, “How can there be an attack without a declaration of war? Who, other than the Divine Ruler, would dare declare war in His name? Surely, the Jin Sect Leader did not mean to use those words.”

“Certainly not, Your Majesty,” Jin GuangShan stutters, “Forgive me, I misspoke--”

“The Royal Companion,” Wei Ying interrupts, “has behaved in a manner befitting his position. Those who have overreached during my absence will find that my tolerance has limits. The Sect Leaders may prepare to extend their stay in the Immortal Mountain until these matters have been resolved to the Divine Ruler’s satisfaction.”

The silence that greets his words is thick and indignant.

Wei Ying believes he may have very little time left before his spine gives up on the tedious task of keeping him upright.

“You are dismissed,” he says.

[forgive-me-your-highness]

Your highness demands questions to be answered.

This fool would love to appease Her Majesty

1. You just opened up a web browser. What is the first site you visit?

First thing that opens for me is Ao3

2. You just walked into a bookstore. What section do you go to first?

Sci-fi

3. You are hanging with your closest friends. What are you most likely doing?

This!

4. You just turned your car on. What station is the radio tuned to?

80’s on 8 LMAO

5. You have just woken up for the morning. What is the first things you do?

I go back to sleep

6. Complete this phrase: You cannot buy happiness, but you can buy____.

Shiny gloves

7. What would you do if you woke up as the opposite gender?

I’d text my friends that I have big dick energy

8. Are you more likely to cook for yourself or buy food from a restaurant?

Cook for myself

9. If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would you rather lose?

Smell

10. If you could relive any one year of your life, how old would you be?

I’d go back to 7 or something

11. Would you take a bullet for anyone you know?

Many people

12. Would you rather be rich and dumb or poor and extremely intelligent?

Extremely intelligent

13. What TV character do you most relate to?

I watch a solid 1 show right now and as a fellow nd I relate to Dr. Shaun Murphy

14. You just walked into a supermarket. What section do you first go to?

Dairy

15. Is sex before marriage wrong?

FUCK NO, like buddy there’s worse things to worry about than where someone sticks their dick before they sign a paper

16. You just won the lottery. What is the first thing you do with your winnings?

Depending on how much I’ve won, help out my mom

17. If your best friend admitted that they have a crush on you, how would you react?

I’d be over the moon

18. Will the USA ever have a female president?

I just want to drink my hot cocoa in peace…

19. You are carpooling with your friends. Are you more likely to be the driver or a passenger?

Hands down a passenger. I sleep through any drive

20. How short is too short for skirts and dresses?

If you, the person wearing it, are uncomfortable with the length then it’s too short. If you like it then fuck yeah rock that skirt!

21. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, without any consequences, what food would you choose?

Shit man probably chicken noodle soup

22. It’s Saturday night. What are you most likely doing?

Either relaxing with Lulls or sending her some fun ideas

23. You go on a blind date. Your date is extremely beautiful and physically captivating, but you hate their personality. Would you want a second date?

No thank you, if we don’t get along then I’ll respectfully turn them down

24. How strict should gun laws be?

If it means I don’t get shot while studying then I’ll praise the goddess

25. Would you rather be the worst player on the best team or the best player on the worst team?

So long as we’re having fun I don’t mind

26. How well do you work with others?

Depends on who I’m working with

27. You have the ability to cure only one fatal disease and eradicate it forever. What disease do you choose?

If cancer isn’t a disease then I just made myself a fool

28. If you could go back to college and choose a different degree to study, would you?

I’m good with not thinking of that

29. Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

I hope I’m not dead

30. Are you pro-life or pro-choice?

Sir this is a Wendy’s

31. Would you attend a same sex wedding if invited?

HELL FUCKING YEAH I WOULD AND IT’D BE MINE (or some close friends!)

32. So far, what has been the greatest day of your life?

I’m saving the best day of my life for the future

33. Has anyone you know ever been arrested?

Yup

34. If it could be one season year-round, what season do would you want it to be?

Winter

35. What is your biggest regret in life?

Didn’t get to say goodbye to a friend

36. If you could bring one celebrity back from the dead, who would it be?

Robin Williams

37. What offends you the most?

I’m pretty hard to offend (Skyward Sword is a bad game, it was a GOOD GAME OKAY?)

38. Would you rather have an ugly hairstyle or be bald?

Ugly hairstyle because that’s mine everyday

39. At what age did you have your first alcoholic beverage?

3 (don’t @ me I know, bad parents)

40. What do you think happens to us when we die?

Don’t make my religious crisis worse

41. What do you think is the best way to quit smoking?

This just unlocked memories I forgot about

42. If you could take home any one animal from the zoo, which animal would you choose?

FISH, any kind

43. We’re humans created or did we evolve from earlier species?

Prob evolved

44. What scares you the most?

The list goes onnnn

45. What personality trait turns you off the most?

Lack of boundaries

46. You got offered a job to do something you hate, but the pay will make you rich. Do you take it?

If it means being able to live comfortably then yes

47. If today you only had what you were thankful for yesterday, how much would you have?

Fireworks

48. How often do you get mad or upset at yourself?

More often then I should

49. If you could choose one celebrity to be your parent, who would you choose?

I don’t even know any

50. If you could only listen to one musical artist for the rest of you life, who would you be listening to?

Ah a tie between Unlike Pluto and MISSIO

51. Have you ever used you cell phone while driving?

I’ve seen it go wrong so that’s a hard no

52. Had anyone you were close to die way too young?

Sir this is a WENDY’S (ex boyfriend)

53. Is world peace possible?

God I wish

54. You go on a blind date. You date is extremely ugly and physically appalling, but you are madly in love with their personality. Would you want a second date?

Oh my god if we get along then hell fucking yes

55. How did you discover that Santa Claus isn’t real?

Aged out of it lmao

56. Do you believe in God, or some form of higher deity?

Please I beg of you I can’t answer this

57. If you could save someone you deeply cared about, but it meant breaking a law, would you do it?

Will do

58. What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done for money?

25 year old wanted to date me and he still buys me video games :/

59. If you were to make a YouTube video about what you know most about, what would the subject be?

Either LoZ or Service Animals

60. What do you think is your greatest personality flaw?

Oh damn where do I start?

61. If your friends spoke to you the way you speak to yourself, would you still want them as friend?

Considering it’d be rambling then sure

62. Have you ever “woke up like this”?

You guys wake up?

63. You got offered a job to do something you love, but the pay is one of the worst out there. Do you take it?

HELL FUCKING YEAH

64. What do you think is your best physical feature?

I have nice tits lmao

65. What do you think is your worst physical feature.

I’m too soft :(

66. Do you know anyone who has committed suicide?

Mm ex

67. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done for someone you don’t know?

I helped a lady find her camping spot, and when I realized it wasn’t safe for her I let her stay at my camping spot with me. She was very nice and had lots of good stories to tell

68. Have you ever had a night’s dream come true?

Sort of? I heard a voice and the next day someone said it word for word and it shook me hard

69. How would you reject a date offer from someone you didn’t like?

Done it many times and I try to respectfully turn them down

70. Which do you think is worse: Failure, or never trying at all?

Failure :/

[mythvlogie-archived]

𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑹𝑻𝑨: the code of honor that governs the mafia, forbidding anyone to betray their comrades and seek the authorities. the penalty for betraying that founding principle: death.

𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 — the battaglias are the most powerful family of the american cosa nostra branch, living in the lavish boroughs of manhattan while making unsavory deals under the cover of darkness. the battaglias have ruled the manhattan crime syndicate with cunning and acumen for over sixty years, and continue to do so, this time with an unusual capo: caterina battaglia. the first woman to become a don in the history of the sicilian mafia. she’s ruthless, astute and beguiling, and only a fool would cross her path. it turns out that such fool lives under the same roof as the don, her younger brother — santino. a lifetime of being overlooked has left a deep mark and the insatiable taste for power, as he plans to overthrow his sister with the help of the battaglia’s very own made men and women, claiming to be the rightful alternate to their father. santino’s methods are merciless, some would even say bellicose, but his objective is one that anyone loyal to the family can agree: he wants the battaglia name to be the most powerful crime syndicate not only in the united states, but in the world. santino has had enough of the five boroughs; he wants to build an empire. with a lethal feud brimming at the heart of the family, where does your loyalty lie?

omertà is an appless discord based group, all muses must be 25+ and all muns must be 21+, the group will tackle mature topics such as violence, substance abuse, smut, etc.

( 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 —  𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 )

( fc. age in letters. gender. pronouns. ) welcome to the family, first last ! the records show that you have been working as an occupation for the battaglia family for number of years/months in letters. i have heard you are quite positive and negative, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of 2-3 aesthetics, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina/santino. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( ooc alias. age. tmz. url. )

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑨𝑮𝑳𝑰𝑨 𝑹���𝑵𝑲𝑺

𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢 (1/1)  — the leader of the family, chosen by the last capo. in this case, caterina’s father, giovanni battaglia. responsible for protecting the family, as well as keeping everyone in line and dictating the future of the organization. caterina battaglia, monica belluci, fifty years old, npc.

𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐨 (1/1) — the underboss, responsible for smaller operations that don’t require the capo’s intervention. santino battaglia, luca marinelli, forty years old, npc.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐞 (1/1)  — the capo’s right hand man, responsible for giving advice and making important connections, sometimes exerts more power than the sottocapo due to their networking abilities.

( oliver jackson-cohen. thirty six. cis male. he/him. ) welcome to the family, jimmy o’rourke ! the records show that you have been working as a consigliere for the battaglia family for six years. i have heard you are quite arresting and cynical, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of overcoats concealing the guns on his holster, the metallic taste of blood on lips & gold chains in lieu of ties, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( ron. 25. gmt -3. mythvlogie. )

𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 (3/4)  — nominated by the capo, they are responsible for the soldati and report to the don. they oversee a variety of operations and work as lieutenants for the family. the battaglias have four different types of caporegimes, or clemenzas. the leisure caporegime is responsible for casinos, strip clubs, night clubs and other leisurely establishments. the international affairs caporegime, responsible for overseeing international operations as well as making connections with the other crime syndicates such as the bratva, the calabrian mafia, the yakuza and the triads. the traffic caporegime, responsible for illegal dealings such as drugs, guns, and more. the arms caporegime, the chief of guns and security for the battaglia family. all caporegimes must be 30+.

( ana de armas. thirty-three. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, mia d’amado ! the records show that you have been working as a leisure caporegime for the battaglia family for three years. i have heard you are quite captivating and sly, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of cherry red lips, the feeling of swinging on a swing & silk sheets, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( jules. 23. gmt-3. seremity. )

( hande erçel. thirty. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, mira aslan ! the records show that you have been working as a traffic caporegime for the battaglia family for two years. i have heard you are quite daring and deceptive, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of half used bottles of perfume, sharp red nails and a sharper tongue & the sound of the ocean during a storm, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( bela. 21. gmt-3. drunkenloved. )

( megan fox. thirty four. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, olivia vigliano ! the records show that you have been working as an arms caporegime for the battaglia family for four years. i have heard you are quite eloquent and frivolous, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of leaving before the other wakes up, clenched fists & the touch of velvet, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina*. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( barbie. 23. gmt-3. sncflwers. )

reserved

𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢 — the brawn of the battaglia family branch. they are responsible for getting their hands dirty, also referred to as made men/women or wise guys. responsible for assassinations, drug dealing, collecting money from the associates’ establishments, extortion and other illegal operations. they must report to their respective caporegimes and are not to be associated with the capo or the sottocapo publicly. unlimited spots.

( bruna marquezine. twenty five. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, molly vanderpump ! the records show that you have been working as a soldato for the battaglia family for two years. i have heard you are quite charismatic and ruthless, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of perfectly manicured nails, a concealed weapon & blood on white sheets, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with santino. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( del. 22. pst. goldrushed. ) 

( tom hardy. forty. cismale. he/him. ) welcome to the family, steven simpson ! the records show that you have been working as a soldato for the battaglia family for five years. i have heard you are quite diligent and amoral, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of perpetual nightmares at three in the morning, ugly scars that hide even uglier truths & broken watches that make you feel lost in time, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with santino. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( krissy. 26. est. bbydclls. ) 

( giuseppe maggio. thirty three. cis male. he / him. ) welcome to the family, domenico mancini ! the records show that you have been working as a soldato for the battaglia family for four years. i have heard you are quite adroit and callous, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of bruised knuckles accompanied by signet rings, the sandalwood scents of tom ford's oud wood cologne & and a never-ending nightmare playing on a constant loop, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with santino. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( leesh. 21. pst. wearyhands. )

( casey deidrick. thirty three. cismale. he/him. ) welcome to the family, cage lafferty ! the records show that you have been working as a soldato for the battaglia family for eleven years. i have heard you are quite debonair and impulsive, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of all black clothes, a patchwork of tattoos across your body & concealed weapons, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( kevin. 28. gmt. wrciths. ) 

( benedetta gargari. twenty six. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, alessia genovese ! the records show that you have been working as a soldato for the battaglia family for eight years. i have heard you are quite loyal and resentful, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of weapons hidden in dainty garter belts, smudged makeup under bloodshot eyes & bruised skin, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( ella. 21. gmt-4. boreaalis. ) 

( riccardo mandolini. twenty five. cis male. he/him. ) welcome to the family, ludovico vieri ! the records show that you have been working as a soldato for the battaglia family for four years. i have heard you are quite forceful and savage, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of ruination staining bloodied, calloused fingertips, bending every rule just enough to get away with it & watching silently from afar — observance hidden in raw, dulled gazes, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( lex. 23. est. silenthalos. ) 

𝐚𝐯𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢 — associates to the battaglia family, could be on their payroll or just after mutual benefits that the protection of the family produces. these are judges, attorneys, politicians, police officers, establishment owners, escorts, athletes and pretty much any occupation that exerts a certain influence. unlimited spots.

( pedro pascal. forty five. cis male. he/him. ) welcome to the family, salvador reyes ! the records show that you have been working as an informant detective for the battaglia family for ten years. i have heard you are quite thorough and prideful, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of breakfast at a diner, unbuttoned shirts & shady motel rooms, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( bird. 22. est. soloneys. ) 

( elizabeth lail. twenty nine. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, cassandra 'cassie' maxwell ! the records show that you have been working as an executive assistant for the battaglia family for four years. i have heard you are quite passionate and impetuous, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of a personalized, engraved letter opener with an extra sharp edge, a wardrobe of curve-accentuating dresses and power suits & the smell of smoke after a firework explodes, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with santino. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( kels. 25. pst. foolsongs. ) 

( matthew noszka. twenty eight. cismale. he/him. ) welcome to the family, forbes belle watson ! the records show that you have been working as a club owner for the battaglia family for five years. i have heard you are quite persuasive and conniving, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of lies masked with a convincing smile, hundred dollar bills banded together with a gold clip & crisp glasses filled to the top with gin held between clenched fingers, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with santino. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( adri. 25. est. litscigarette. )

( margot robbie. thirty. cis female. she/her. ) welcome to the family, ashley vienna ! the records show that you have been working as an escort for the battaglia family for five years. i have heard you are quite kindhearted and passive, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of an innocent finger pricked by a sharp thorn, lace covering the silhouette of a body & and feeling alone in a room full of people, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( lauryn. 24. cst. lovesonged. ) 

( theo james. thirty six, cismale. he/him. ) welcome to the family, heath addington ! the records show that you have been working as a police officer for the battaglia family for six years. i have heard you are quite vigilant and guileful, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of a wolf in sheep's clothing, being tricked into playing a game you can never win & foreign languages dancing on a poisoned tongue, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( holly. 21+. gmt+8. frgilebones. )

( manny montana. thirty-seven. cis male. he/him. ) welcome to the family, demitrick estrada ! the records show that you have been working as a detective for the battaglia family for seven years. i have heard you are quite tactful and intense, but i am not one to judge. caterina tells me you remind her of flashing a badge using bloodied knuckles, deceptive words told through warm honest smiles & the sound of lone footsteps in a dark empty alley, i guess it’s a good thing you’ve caught her eye. between the both of us, i know your loyalty lies with caterina. don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ( amanda. 21+. mst. ladygenie. )

𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐜𝐬

monica belluci, luca marinelli, oliver jackson-cohen, ana de armas, hande erçel, megan fox, bruna marquezine, pedro pascal, tom hardy, giuseppe maggio, benedetta gargari, matthew noszka, elizabeth lail, riccardo mandolini, casey deidrick, margot robbie, theo james, manny montana

𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐜𝐬

ayça ayşin turan

at this point you may apply for only one muse, with the opportunity of multiple muses eventually.

[thedenimdentist]

Role Club Engineers: Worth the Wait?

Introduction (Part I): History of Engineer Boots

Engineer boots are definitely a polarizing style of footwear within the heritage/amekaji boot community. For one, they utilize an ankle strap for fastening in lieu of laces, and second, their tall stovepipe shafts don’t integrate quite well with the slim tapered esthetic of modern denim/trousers. While often associated with motorcycles and bikers, engineer boots were actually designed as protective gear for firemen working on railway engines back in the 1930s. (Hence the name “engineers.”) Their minimal design and use of buckles over laces made them ideal for this line of work. The tall shafts provided protection for the lower leg, while the slip-on design allowed for quick removal should anything dangerous (such as hot coals or embers) slip down the shaft into the boot. This style of footwear lost some popularity following the introduction of lace-up combat boots during World War II, but would later be picked up by motorcyclists who found use of their insulating and protective features. (And there is your history lesson for the day, courtesy of Wikipedia. Lol)

Introduction (Part II): How I Got into Engineer Boots

I first got into more well-made boots back in early 2019. Like most boot n3wbs, I was completely infatuated by that lace-up service boot esthetic, and insisted on wearing them with the slimmest, most tapered denim I could find. My first boot purchase was (of course) a pair of Red Wing Iron Rangers, followed by three pairs of Truman service boots in pretty quick succession. That first summer was when I discovered @brianthebootmaker on Instagram and YouTube, and instantly fell in love with his Underdog design, which I later purchased in August 2019 and received in May 2020.

At that point in time, Brian’s popular Underdog boots fit perfectly within my slim service boot style. However, Brian’s most iconic boot pattern was (and is) definitely his engineer boots. I admit I wasn’t sold on them at first, but I was intrigued. Did they fit my wardrobe at all? Nope. Would they even fit under the 6.75” leg openings of my PBJ denim? LOL nah. Nevertheless, I found myself constantly going back to Brian’s Instagram page and browsing all the photos of his engineer boots. Eventually, I grew to really love the look of engineer boots, ultimately placing a second deposit with Brian for a pair of engineers in October 2019. I had no idea how I was going to fit them into my wardrobe, but I figured I’d make it work somehow. (Luckily, since then my denim preferences have actually shifted toward more relaxed cuts, just in time for the arrival of these engineers.)

The Ordering Process

For most customers purchasing online, Brian requires you to take a set of measurements on your own feet, which he uses to build your boots remotely. However, those lucky enough to live nearby can actually visit Brian’s shop in LA to be personally measured by the boot maker himself, as well as discuss any details or questions you have regarding your specific makeup. I was one of these lucky people who could actually visit him in person, and used those measurements to order two pairs of boots from him: first a pair of Underdogs, and now some engineers. Both pairs were built on different lasts (which I will discuss more later), and both fit perfectly. (For a more detailed summary of being measured in person, check out my previous review of my Role Club Underdogs.)

My Specifications

While you can’t really go wrong with any of Brian’s engineer makeups, I personally loved the design Brian designed for himself: brown CXL horsehide hand-finished black, a full leather outsole, and full woodsman heels. They definitely have a more western, cowboy, workwear vibe compared to most other engineer boots out on the market, but in my opinion these are one of the best patterns, with some of the cleanest construction to boot.

A few screenshots I took of Brian's engineer boots, taken off his Instagram.

I did make a few tweaks/upgrades from Brian’s boots when designing my own, which I’ve listed below:

Model: engineer boots

Shaft height: 10”

Upper leather: brown Italian vegtan horsebutt, hand-finished black

Toe track: yes

Upper stitching: black

Hardware: brass roller buckles

Last: 2307 last

Unstructured toe

Edge finish: black

Welt stitching: white

Sole: full leather sole, black heel cap

Heel style: full woodsman heel

Metal toe plates

Custom built-in orthotics (same as my Underdogs)

One of the biggest reasons I keep going back to Brian is that he’s able to use the orthotics I typically slip into all my footwear and actually build them into the insoles of my boots. Not sure how difficult this actually is for a boot maker, but Brian has absolutely nailed the fit on my ugly feet both times, and it’s super convenient to not have to worry about a removable orthotics.

Price, Lead Time, & Shipping

The initial deposit to reserve a pair of Role Club boots is $200 regardless of which model you are ordering, with the remaining balance due upon completion. I visited Brian’s shop in Los Angeles on 8/21/2019 and placed my deposit on 10/15/2019, with an estimated completion date of November 2020. However, due to delays in construction (including waiting for my custom metal toe plates to come in), my boots weren’t actually completed until 3/25/2021 (nearly five months late). Inconvenient, but it’s not like I was wearing boots and going out much anyway due to COVID.

When I placed my first deposit for my Underdogs in August 2019, the estimated wait time was just 8 months (April 2020). However, when I placed my second deposit for these engineers just two months later, the wait time had jumped to 13 months (November 2020). To be honest, I’m not even sure how long Brian’s queue is now. Last I heard it was sometime in 2023 or 2024. (Freaking insane. So thankful I placed my second deposit when I did, before his waitlist exploded.)

At the time I placed my deposit, the base price for Brian’s engineer boots was $1350. After a few upgrade fees (hand-finished leather, toe plates, etc.), the final price of my specific makeup was $1500. Minus my initial $200 deposit, my final payment for these engineers was $1300 + $20 shipping. I made this payment via Venmo on 3/26/2021, my boots were shipped the following Monday 3/29/2021, and I received them via USPS on 4/2/2021.

At $1500, these are not a cheap pair of boots by any means. However, for engineer boots this price is actually not unreasonable, as there are some other brands selling engineer boots at a higher price point in stock sizes with limited to no customization (i.e., Clinch). #perspective #itsallrelative (To be completely honest, I roll my eyes when people scoff at a pair of boots in this price range, claiming they’re “too expensive” or that they can’t afford it, and turn around and buy 2-3 pairs of average Vibergs instead. Just stop. Clearly it’s not the cost, it’s your personal values and priorities. #endrant lol (Also, not knocking Clinch or Viberg or anything. Just a few examples to prove a point.))

ANYWAYS. For those hesitant to commit to such an ungodly wait time, I will point out that the cost to reserve a pair of Role Club boots is just $200, regardless of which model you are ordering. In fact, you don’t even need to finalize your order at the time of deposit. You can continue to brainstorm, change your mind, and discuss with Brian about your specifications long after the deposit is placed. (I mean, you have like 2-3 years before he even starts working on your boots anyway, so you have ample time to decide. Haha) Also, should you decide you can’t wait that long (or you suddenly become more financially responsible, lol), I hear you can also use that $200 deposit for something else more affordable, such as a resole of another pair of boots. Either way, hopefully this knowledge makes the $200 deposit a little less daunting and scary of a commitment.

Unboxing

The boots arrived in a single standard shoe box enclosed in a standard plastic shipping bag. There was zero padding included, so the box did arrive with some dents and dings. Inside the box, each boot was slipped inside an individual clear plastic sleeve. Unlike most other brands, no extra padding, tags, or shoe bags were included. Just the boots. (Though, they are some freaking amazing boots. Lol)

“HFB” for Hand Finished Black.

360 Degree View

The 2307 Last

When trying to pick a last for these engineers, I was debating between his 1940s last and the 2307 last. Ultimately I picked the 2307, mostly because it had a lower toe bump. I do think that his 1940s last is his most popular for engineers, and the toe bump really doesn’t make too big of a difference once the unstructured toe collapses. (For a more in-depth summary of all the lasts/toe shapes Role Club toe has available, I will link you to Brian’s YouTube video.)

Profile views of both the 1940 and 2307 lasts. Notice the more pronounced toe bump on the 1940 last in comparison to the 2307.

I had my Underdogs built on Brian’s 100 last, which typically has a significantly slimmer, almond toe shape in comparison to the 2307 last. However, due to my awkwardly wide feet and bunions, the MTM 100 last ended up not being too dissimilar from my MTM 2307 last. I definitely like the 2307 more, as the outer sweep of the toe box has a more angular, elegant curve in comparison to my 100 last, which kinda just looks like a thumb.

As you can see, my Underdogs were supposedly built on the 100 last, but ended up being way more rounded than expected (which I’m happy about).

The Leather

Brian most often sources his leather from the Horween Tannery, specifically CXL horsehide and shell cordovan. Brian used brown CXL horsehide hand-finished black for his own pair of engineer boots, which has aged incredibly. Personally, I tend to opt for vegtan leathers whenever possible, as it’s more environmentally friendly and in my opinion tends to build a nicer patina than chrome tanned or combination tanned leathers. Luckily, Brian happened to have some brown Italian horsebutt lying around his shop that he was willing to offer me. At the time, Brian didn’t remember the tannery from which he sourced the horsebutt (which, according to him, no longer exists), but he was able to send me a few photos. I immediately said yes.

A few photos of another pair of engineers Brian made in the same Italian brown horsebutt. Loved the depth of color...which I had painted over. lol

I was hesitant at first to have Brian hand-paint black dye over this beautiful brown leather. However, I was pretty set on getting some classic black engineers, and I trusted that the black dye would slowly fade away in high abrasion areas, resulting in a beautiful black-brown pseudo-tea core finish. For horsebutt leather, there actually isn’t too much visible grain/marbling within the leather). It has a fairly smooth, consistent finish, which I don’t mind at all. Also, I can already see some browns peeking through, which gives me hope as to how the black dye will chip away as these boots break in.

Some of the brown undertones can already be seen beneath the black dye, which is most apparent on the vamps.

The Pattern & Stitching

I absolutely love Brian’s take on engineer boots. His pattern works perfectly with his lasts, creating a very well balanced, properly proportioned boot that looks just as good sitting on a shelf as it does on foot.

To my understanding, all of the boots in the Role Club Collection are branded with the same two markings: an embossed logo on the left boot and a sewn-on tag on the right.

The back stay is simple and clean. No extravagant stitch patterns or anything, just very clean, vertical lines. Nice, conservative, elegant. I like it.

I think of all the engineer boots I’ve seen on Instagram, the buckles Brian uses are some of my favorite. Flat, rectangular, roller buckles. Again, nothing gaudy. Some other brands choose to use more elaborate, bulbous buckles on their engineer boots, which kinda just look out of place. Maybe they’re too eye-catching, making it seem like they’re trying too hard. In contrast, Brian’s simple flat buckles are clean and minimal, allowing the pattern and construction quality of the boots speak for themselves. Less is more.

In general, I tend to like the look of 3-4 rows of stitching as opposed to just two. It just looks more substantial and sturdy. (Does it actually increase the quality or longevity of the boot? Probably not. I just like how it looks.) Also, can we take a moment to appreciate just how absolutely pristine this upper stitching is?

Perhaps my preference for 3-4 rows of stitching stems from my appreciation for higher levels of craftsmanship when it comes to boot pattern and construction. Having additional rows of stitching all perfectly spaced and parallel requires a little more attention to detail, and it looks amazing when properly executed.

2, 3, and 4 rows of stitching, all equally dense, evenly spaced, and perfectly parallel. Perfect execution. I haven’t found a single stitch out of place on the uppers of either boot.

Another little feature I opted to include on my boots were hand-crimped toe tracks running up the vamps of each boot. To be honest, I didn’t know too much about why it’s done or it’s benefits. However, here is an explanation I found on superfuture from Brian himself, posted by @beautiful_FrEaK:

The indentation you see on the boots is called a toe track. The reason a boot has a toe track is because the vamp went through the crimping process. It is used to get all the stretch out of the vamp because when a bootmaker needs to turn something that's 2D into 3D it is more work if the vamp is not crimped. Another benefit when a vamp is crimped is it keeps the vamp smooth without any wrinkles. The crimped vamp sits well on the shoe last.

There are different way to crimp a vamp. For example Buco puts their vamps into a crimp machine. It is a hot blade that folds the vamp in half and indents the leather. I wouldn't mind having a crimp machine (really expensive!) but I use crimp boards at the moment. It is the same process but more hands on. I last the vamp on a piece of board to get all the stretch out and it naturally gets the toe track.

Personally, I mostly chose to have the toe track for esthetic purposes, but understanding the reasoning behind it is pretty cool too.

The Heel

Unlike my Underdog boots, which have a low woodsman heel, I decided to go all out with the full woodsman heel on these engineers. I will admit, walking with such elevated heels will take some getting used to. It also definitely adds to the whole western cowboy boot vibe, but I dig it. Plus, the added lift makes me over 6 feet tall now. Added bonus.

The Sole

This is my first pair of boots with a full leather sole. Felt a bit risky putting it on such an expensive pair of boots, but whatever. They look great on Brian’s pair, so I wasn’t too worried. Plus, I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle in the California Bay Area. I don’t go on many nature hikes, nor does it ever snow here (or rain really, for that matter). Thus, I don’t really have a need for much grip or traction with my footwear.

The sole channel stitching is all pretty clean, minus one little wonky spot on the inside portion of the right boot (pictured above in the top left corner). Not a big deal though, as no one is ever gonna see it.

My biggest concern with full leather soles was the reduced durability/longevity from walking on concrete, specifically at the toe. To combat this, I asked Brian to add metal toe plates to my boots to prevent premature wear at the toe. Crisis averted.

Here’s a close up of one of the toe plates, cut into the leather sole as to be nice and flush. Apparently these had to be custom ordered to accommodate for the width of my foot, adding 4-5 months to my wait time. Meh. Worth the wait in my opinion, if it meant getting it done right.

The Welt Stitching

Similar to my Underdogs, the welt stitching on these engineers is all very clean and consistent. If I were to point out anything, it’d be that a little bit of black edge dye got on the white stitching in some areas, and there’s a small tuft of loose thread ends popping out on the inside of the left boot. However, if these are the biggest errors I could find on the whole boot, I think that’s pretty amazing.

If you look closely, you can see the spots where some of the black edge coat got onto the white welt stitching. Not the cleanest, but doesn’t bother me too much.

Here’s the small tuft of loose threads at the end of one of the 270 degree welt stitches. Again, very minor, and won’t keep me up at night.

Try On & Initial Thoughts

Being completely honest, I’m actually still blown away at how amazing these boots feel on foot. I can really tell that these boots were made to measure. I shouldn’t be surprised though, as the Underdogs Brian made for me last year fit amazingly. Although, being lace-up boots that can by cinched down with laces, they naturally are less prone to fit errors such as heel slip. Engineers, by comparison, are much more difficult to fit properly, but Brian did so masterfully. 

First of all, right out of the box I actually had very little trouble getting the boots on and off. I feel like this is often the biggest struggle in breaking in a new pair of engineer boots, but not this time. Sliding my foot down the shaft felt appropriately snug, until my heel snapped past the “pass line” and sucked down into the heel cup. (I actually didn’t even need to unbuckle the strap to get them on, which was double surprising.)

Once fully seated, I could feel the built-in leather-lined orthotics beneath my feet, and the adjusted width of the 2307 last comfortably fit my bunions. What I’m most shocked by is how little heel slip I have in either boot. Until now, I had just assumed that heel slip was to be expected with all engineer boots, and only with break in and wear would that slip maybe go away. Apparently I was wrong, as these engineers already exhibit less heel slip than some of my other boots and derbies.

In designing these engineers, I chose to try out a couple things for the first time: first full leather soles, and first full woodsman heels. I know it’s still early, but I’m already loving the full leather soles. They seem to breathe much more than half and full rubber soles, and they flex and move much more naturally with the movements of my feet. I feel as though I can “feel the ground” better, if that makes sense. I will admit that I can definitely tell these leather soles have significantly less traction than rubber/cork half/full soles. However, I knew that from the get go, so me and my sedentary lifestyle are completely fine with it. I haven’t slipped yet, so it’s all good. Second, the full woodsman heels on these engineers are by far the tallest heels of any boot I own, yet once on foot, I can barely even tell the difference. Even with the steep drop off from the full woodsman heel to the leather sole, walking felt completely natural.

The last thing I’d like to note is how nicely the Italian horsebutt is breaking in. I know it’s still early, but so far all the leather on the vamps and shafts seem to be nice and tight with very little grain break or creasing. Loose grain and unsightly creasing are definitely some of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to boots, so props to Brian on absolutely killing it on the clicking. (At least so far.) I can’t wait to see how this leather continues to break in, and for the black hand-paint to chip away to reveal that beautiful brown horsebutt underneath.

If I had to pick out one spot that may require a little extra break-in, it would be the top rim around the shafts of the boot. They bounce around while I walk, knocking and banging into my shins. I expect this is probably true for most engineer boots, but hopefully this break-in period doesn’t take too long, cuz it doesn’t feel great. Until then, maybe I’ll just have to rock some longer tube socks as shin padding.

(Note: I do my best to remain impartial and objective in all of my reviews. That being said, it was difficult not to sound like some fanboy trying to sell you on a pair of Role Clubs, but this really my honest opinion. I really just love these boots. Lol)

Conclusion

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m absolutely through the roof with regards to these new engineers. The construction quality and level of finishing are pristine, and the comfort and fit out of the box is surprisingly on point. In my opinion, I think Brian and Clinch design two of the most beautiful engineer boots (on Instagram, at least), yet at the same time they exhibit two totally different vibes. Brian’s engineers draw from more rugged, western, cowboy influences, while Clinch engineers are a bit more refined, fitting very nicely within the whole Japanese workwear esthetic. Both styles are very cool, with some of the highest quality construction available.

A comparison of Role Club (top) and Clinch (bottom) engineers, both new and worn. (Photo credit: top left: me, top right: @brianthebootmaker​, bottom left: @bsw_keisuke, bottom right: @partial2vintage.)

While I’ve barely owned these for a week, and already I can confidently say that these are one of my favorite pairs in my collection. With such a beautiful pattern and solid construction, I could pick them up and stare at them all day. Also, not gonna lie, the fact that Role Clubs are so difficult to come by these days does make me feel even cooler for owning a pair. Haha

Anyway, I’ll try to write a follow up review once these are more broken in. Until then, you can follow along my journey breaking in these engineers through my instagram (@thedenimdentist). Ttfn!

[little-sunshine-kid]

So I’m gonna do lots of questions to catch up cuz I was gone for a long time and probably just finish it cuz I keep missing days :/

Day 10: play dough or slime?

I like making stuffs with play dough but I don’t really like the smell and I don’t like when it gets all hard and not fun to play with but slime always stays fun and you can hold it and let it drip from your fingers so Slime!

Day 11: what’s your favorite little gear?

I like fun plates and cups and bowls that are fun colors and match and are good for putting yummy foods in!

Day 12: what’s your favorite video game?

I don’t know lots of video games cuz I didn’t have a game player until last year but then I got a switch and I like animal crossing a lot but then I lost it and my island got ugly but Then I found it and now I gotta fix it! But yeah... animal crossing!

Day 13: what’s your idea play date?

Ooh! I dunno! So my dream little day would be to wake up whenever I wants to and have yummy breffast like French toast sticks with syrup and fruits and then put in my favorite little clothes which is a pretty green dress with a pinafore to keep it pretty and then make my hairs to braids and then go to the science museum! And play and then when its time to leave I get to pick out anything I want from the gift shop and then lunch times is a picnic outside with sammiches and juice and then I get to play at the playground and then nap times cuz I will be sleepy and then I get to watch a movie even a big kid movie like spirited away and then I eats yummy dinner and then u get to take a bath with a bath bomb and bubbles and toys and wear my favoritest Jim jams and then I get a story and sleepy time with my frog prince plushie and yeah that’s my favorite day but I dunno if that’s really like a play date cuz I never got one before.

Day 14: build a Bear or Disney store?

Build a Bear!!

Day 15: what’s your astrology sign?

Aries

Day 16: what’s your favorite holiday?

Halloween!! I love dress ups! And candy! And it’s so fun!!!

Day 17: what’s your favorite activity while in little space?

Playing with my plushies! Or coloring. Or playing pretend!

Day 18: baths or showers?

Baths!! But only if they’re fun with bath bomba or bath paints or something.

Day 19: favorite season and why

Spring! I was born on the first day of spring and it’s not too hot and things turn green and it’s nice and has Easter and my birthday and no more winter sad times

Day 20: what’s your favorite little meal? I like bunny Mac and cheese but sometimes cheese makes my tummy hurt a lot so a meal that doesn’t hurt my tummy is pb&j with juice and chippies and jello and maybe a cookie or candy!

Day 21: what ages do you regress to?

Sometimes I’m really little like 3 or 4 and sometimes more like a big kid like 8 or 9 or sometimes in between but usually most of the times I’m 5 or 6

Day 22: do you have any siblings?

No but i want some! Or just friends. If anybody wants...

Day 23: sweet or savory snacks?

Sweet! Most of the time...

Day 24: what’s one positive thing about you?

I’m super duper creative!

Day 25: favorite Disney Princess?

Mulan! Cuz she’s super tough and cool and sometimes she’s a boy and sometimes she’s a girl like me.

Day 26: do you collect stickers?

Kinda. I have lots of stickers but I don’t wanna stick them on anything cuz I don’t wanna mess them up

Day 27: are your a dog or cat person?

Cats make me allergic so dogs! I have 3 puppies at home!

Day 28: colorful or dark aesthetic?

Colorful!!

Day 29: what’s your favorite hobby?

Arts and crafts! I like making things and painting and coloring and drawing and doing lots of things like that!

Day 30: what’s your favorite little space music?

I like lots of Disney songs. I don’t super duper like music cuz one of my ears doesn’t work and I have auditory processing disorder but when I do listen to music I do like Disney

And that’s it!! Now you know me better I hope and you can be my friend! And if you want you can ask me questions or talk to me :D

[ohsh1t2wksl8]

Layers

Layer 1: The Basics Name: Age: Birthday: Gender: Zodiac Sign: Layer 2: Your Family Do you have any brothers or sisters? Do you have any pets? Do you still live with your parents? Do you have any stepparents? How many cousins do you have? Layer 3: Your Friends Who is your best friend? Who have you been friends with the longest? What do you like to do with your friends? Do you have more friends online or in real life? What is a good way to make friends with others? Layer 4: Your Home Do you live in a home, apartment, duplex, trailer, etc? How many rooms are there in your house? Is your home large or small? What is your favorite room in your house, and why? Do you prefer having people over to your house, or would you rather go to theirs? Layer 5: Can You Can you fold your tongue into the taco shape? Can you touch your toes without bending your knees? Can you tie a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue? Can you hold up your end of a physical fight? Can you do any yo-yo tricks? Layer 6: Who Who inspires you the most, and why? Who helps you maintain your sanity? Who do you go to most often for advice? Who knows you better than you know yourself? Who is someone that you would die or put your life on the line for, no questions asked? Layer 7: Do you Do you still eat sandwiches without the crusts? Do you typically finish your meal at a restaurant, or need to take a container home? Do you pull an Oreo apart in order to eat it? Do you read a lot of gossip magazines? Do you make friends easily? Layer 8: How Many? How many people live in your house with you? How many pets have you had in your lifetime? How many tries does it take you to become successful at something? How many meals do you eat a day? How many people can you honestly tolerate? Layer 9: How How do you typically get to school or work? How do you deal with a breakup? How do you like to help others? How do you know when you’ve found “the one”? How do you sleep in bed? Layer 10: What What do you think happens when we die? What do you do if there’s no toilet paper left on the roll and you’re already peeing? What do you eat most often? What toys did you enjoy most as a child? What do you do if you witness someone being awful to someone else? Layer 11: Where Where is your favorite place to eat out? Where is the place that has the best ice cream in your area?  Where did you meet your current or last significant other? Where can you be found at 7 PM. typically? Where can you find the best French fries? Layer 12: When When did you find out the truth about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy? When do you typically fall asleep?  When was the last time that someone paid you a compliment? When do you feel most comfortable? When did you last go to the bathroom? Layer 13: Why Why do you enjoy taking surveys so much? Why do people gossip so much? Why can’t humans fly?  Why aren’t you doing something else right now? Why is the sky blue?  Layer 14: If... If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on? If you found out someone was cheating on you, would you ever take them back? If you found a wallet with cash in the street, including identification, would you turn it in? Why or why not? If you could have any food right now, what would you like?   If you found out that the world was going to end tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? Layer 15: Firsts When did you lose your first tooth? Who was your first teacher that you ever had? When did you first learn how to ride a bike? When was the first time you had sex? Did your first birthday have a theme to it? Layer 16: Lasts Last person you texted: Last drink you sipped: Last time you rode a bike: Last time you swam in a pool: Last person you hugged: Layer 17: Favorites Favorite Color Favorite Season Favorite Shape Favorite Letter: Favorite Number: Layer 18: This or That Pepsi or Coke? Movies or Television? Phone or Tablet? Fruits or Vegetables? Animals or Humans? Layer 19: Which Which Poke’mon is your favorite? Which day of the week is your favorite? Which birthday celebration was the most memorable for you? Which holiday is your favorite? Which shoe do you put on first? Layer 20: Love Life/Relationships What is the name of your first love? How many times can you honestly say you’ve been in love? Have you ever been in a relationship before that was abusive in any way? Have you ever been engaged or married before? Do you have any children? Layer 21: Jobs, Dreams, & Goals What did you want to be when you grew up (as a little kid)? What do you aspire to be now? What interests you? What is the most recent goal you’ve achieved? What is a goal you are still striving to reach? Have you ever won any sort of awards before? If so, for what? Layer 22: Opinions & Beliefs Pro-life or pro-choice? Were you raised with any sort of religious background? If so, then what? Democrat, Republican, or Independent? For or against the death penalty? Thoughts on assisted suicide? Layer 23: Currently/Today/Present What day is it? What’s the weather like outside? What have you eaten? Did you run any errands? What time is it? Layer 24: Yesterday Did you have a work shift? Did you eat out anywhere? Was it snowing? Who did you last say goodnight to? Did anything unusual happen? Layer 25: Tomorrow Do you have to go to school/class? Does this day have any sort of significance to you? What is a chore that needs to get done? Will you hang out with friends? What time will you be expected to be awake by? Layer 26: Have You Ever Performed a magic trick successfully? Sat or laid on a rooftop and looked at the stars? Walked around with your underwear on inside out or backwards all day without realizing it? Touched a snake? Been bitten by an animal? If so, what animal? Layer 27: School Life Are preschool and kindergarten mandatory where you live? Were you or anyone you knew homeschooled? Did you attend public or private school? Were you bullied in school, popular, or somewhere in-between? What is the highest level of education that you completed? Layer 28: Your Appearance Eye Color: Hair Color: Height: Weight: Do you have freckles. moles, beauty marks, or birthmarks - and where? Layer 29: Electronics, Internet, & Social Media How much time do you spend on the internet per day? Which social media platforms do you belong to? When’s the last time you replaced the batteries in your television remote? Are you more likely to stream movies and shows on your laptop, or cast them to your television? Do you have an e-reader, or do you prefer actual books? Layer 30: Are You Are you still in school? Are you a member of the LGBTQ+ community? Are you looking forward to anything coming soon? Are you dreading anything coming soon? Are you gullible or naive? Layer 31: Does Does your workplace make you feel like you can never take a day off without feeling guilty about it? Does someone currently hold the key to your heart? Does anyone out there hate you? Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? Does crying make you feel less strong?  Layer 32: Would You Do the Polar Bear Plunge? Ever try to walk across a room blindfolded? Swim with sharks? Go into outer space, given the chance? Go out in public, looking how you do right now? Layer 33: Pets/Animals Do you have any pets? If so, what type, and their names... If not, what type of pet have you always wanted? What is your favorite animal? Do you think it is cruel to have circus animals? How often do you walk your dog, if you have one? How often do you scoop the litterbox, if you have a cat? Layer 34: Food What is your favorite breakfast item? What is your favorite kind of dessert? Do you eat all three meals everyday? What’s the longest you’ve gone without food? What do you like to eat when you are feeling sick? Layer 35: Past Does your past ever come back to haunt you at times? What is one of your favorite memories of the past? What is something that you used to do in the past, but no longer do? If you could have a meal with someone from the past, who would it be, and what would you ask them? Which historical time period would you like to go back to and check out? Layer 36: Future Do you think you will ever get married one day? Do you plan on ever getting a different job in the future, or are you happy with the one you’ve got? What age do you plan to retire at? Or do you plan on working til you’re dead? What is something on your bucket list worth mentioning? If given the opportunity to see how your future plays out, would you take it, or no? Layer 37: Hygiene How often do you shower? How often do you brush your teeth? Do you actually iron any of your clothes? How often do you do laundry? How long do you use a bath towel before switching it out? Layer 38: Clothing, Makeup, & Style Do you wear nail polish? If so, how often do you paint your nails? How would your describe your sense of style? Are there any popular trends that you do not find appealing? Where do you typically buy your clothing from? What sorts of accessories do you wear/use? Layer 39: Hobbies Do you still color, even as an adult? Do you/would you like to crochet, knit, cross-stitch, etc? What’s the last thing you crafted all by yourself? Do you use Pinterest at all? What’s the last thing that you cooked or baked? Layer 40: Dislikes List some of your pet peeves here. What are some things that annoy you about yourself? Is there anyone out there who you actually hate? Who? What is a feeling that you dislike? Do you get some ugly road rage while driving?  Layer 41: Random Have you ever successfully pogo’ed on a pogo stick? Have you ever mastered the jump rope? Do you know what it feels like to be truly happy? Is it winter in your part of the world right now?  What’s your favorite type of survey, and why? Layer 42: Music What are some of your favorite genres of music? What are some music genres that you can’t stand? If you had a blank pair of concert tickets, who would you hope to be going to see? Do you still listen to music on the radio from time to time? iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, or YouTube? Layer 43: Books What were some of your favorite books as a child? What genre of books do you typically read most often? What are some of your favorite books as an adult? What is a book that you were required to read for school that you actually enjoyed? Do you read any newspapers or magazines anymore? Layer 43: Around the World Where’s the best place you’ve taken a vacation and/or day trip to? Where is somewhere that you’d like to go someday, assuming you have the funds to do so? Where do your family members originate from? What is your favorite type of ethnic cuisine? What is something that is typically representative of your own culture? Layer 44: Would you Rather... Drink apple juice or grape juice? Wear pants or shorts? Be taller or shorter? Go to a zoo or an aquarium? Visit an art gallery or a museum? Layer 45: Movies Do you remember what the first movie was that you saw in theaters? What are some of your favorite movies you’ve seen? What genre of movie do you typically enjoy? What is a movie you’ve seen that you weren’t expecting to like, but were pleasantly surprised? How many movies do you own? Are they all DVD’s, or do you still have some VHS ones left? Layer 46: Personality Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? Are you more easygoing and laid back, or anal? Are you kind to everyone who shows that they deserve kindness? Describe your sense of humor. Do you tend to over-share? Layer 47: Celebrities Which celebrity has given their child the most unique name, in your opinion? Are there any celebrities that you keep tabs on/read articles about often? Who is/are your celebrity crush(es)? Have you ever personally met someone famous before? If so, then who? Who is a celebrity that you’re getting tired of hearing about all the time? Layer 48: Emotions When was the last time you cried? What are some things that you’re afraid of? What is something small that makes you happy? Who is the last person that you were angry with, and about what? Are you typically a shy or outgoing person? Layer 49: Digging Deeper What is your favorite alcoholic beverage? How old were you when you got drunk for the first time? Do you smoke? Have you ever taken and sent naked pictures of yourself? Have you ever done any drugs other than marijuana? If so, which ones? Layer 50: Games What are some of your favorite video games? Do you have any computer games that you play regularly? What was your favorite board game, growing up? How about your favorite card game? How good are you at solving puzzles? (such as a Rubik’s cube, word puzzles, or putting together a jigsaw puzzle) [ohsh1t2wksl8]

[skekheck]

30 Days of the Dark Crystal Challenge

Decided to do poultry-blocks Dark Crystal challenge because it looks like a lot of fun to do. However I’m cheating and I wrote all of this within a couple of days. Warning: fairly large post with pictures and fan ramblings. 

EDIT: I FORGOT TO INCLUDE DAY 16 WHOOP. It’s in there now. 

Day 1. Your favorite skeksis

Idiot, feral, wildman who stole my heart. How? Why? Who knows. *chef kisses* Beautiful stinky bastard.

Day 2: Your favorite gelfling

Bless her and her skeksis cosplay. What a queen.

Day 3: A character that you love that everyone seems to hate.

The tides are changing for her it seems. I think people are appreciating her more, but she still faces her fair share of controversies. Not that I don’t think it warrants discussion nor am I excusing her actions. But she’s way more complex than what a lot of people are making her out to be.

Day 4: A character that you hate that everyone seems to love. 

Hate is a strong word as I don’t hate him, but I don’t really care for Amri. He feels like a bootleg Deet mixed with a little bit of Kylan and Gurjin. Wasted potential and honestly shouldn’t have been the POV for Tides of the Dark Crystal. Seems I’m alone in this opinion, though. Maybe the book warrants rereading?

Day 5: Movie or TV Show? Why?

TV Show by miles! I think the series accomplishes way more than the movie does, like establishing lore,  better written characters, and a more engaging story. I actually cared about the gelfling and it really fleshed out the skeksis in an interesting way outside of “oh they do evil things because they’re evil!”. Doesn’t mean it does everything right, but I’ll get into that later.  

Day 6: Something you wish that happened in the series but didn’t.

Just a few things. I miss the gelfling intermingling with the mystics, particularly urVa. I love everything that happens with urGoh and skekGra, but some of the bonding moments Naia had with urVa are precious and I wish we had more of that. I also wished the gelfling got the message out to the other clans like they did in the book where Kylan dreametched their message onto the Santuary Tree’s blossoms and scattered them all throughout Thra. I also wished Tavra and Onica were an established couple, but maybe it’s not too late for that.

Day 7: Favorite gelfling clan

The Sifa! It was the Dousan at first, but the more I learned about the Sifa the more I grew to love the clan. If I were a gelfling I would probably be a sifa myself LOL. 

Day 8: You opinion on Aughra

She’s a fun and fascinating character! Aughra puts a unique spin on the whole beautiful, wise earth goddess trope by making her ugly, old, and cranky. She’s also a character with her own flaws, even having a mini arc about neglecting to take care of her planet and doing whatever she can to make amends. Not to mention she’s wildly entertaining. Much love for Aughra!

Day 9: Skeksis or Gelfling?

Both!

Day 10: Your opinion on podlings?

They’re just funky little potato people who just want to have fun, dance, and drink all day and I respect them for that. They’re great. Also Hup exists and he’s just an amazing character so there’s that.

Day 11: Your The Dark Crystal unpopular opinion

I think it’s okay to sympathize with the skeksis as long as one is not excusing their actions. I see a lot of people say you shouldn’t because they’re evil and they commit atrocities. Which, yes, it’s true, but I think both can co-exist. I mean, skekTek’s whole cycle of abuse is written very sympathetically yet the show doesn’t coddle him. It shows the ugliness of his character and what happens when someone isn’t capable of cutting off from said cycle. Also the writers consider the skeksis as tragic characters due to their broken nature so I don’t think it’s wrong to be a little sympathetic. But once again with great emphasis, sympathy is fine as long as their actions are judged. They are awful bastards and no amount of sympathy will change that. 

Day 12: Something you dislike about the series

I think the stuff I don’t like about the show is a result of its pacing and cluttered cast. There are so many stories going on and while I liked how they handled it for the most part, you can also see how the show rushes to get through all of them. A lot of important moments where a character should reflect or something that should simmer more is pushed aside for the next thing. Maybe if the show was given more episodes and time to breath it would have been better off. 

Day 13: Most disappointing thing about the series

SkekMal and urVa didn’t have enough screen time and we were honestly ROBBED. 

Day 14: Your OTP

Speaking of which... . Its a crack ship, but I’m all about that allegory for self love (and I just want these two to be alive). Day 15: Favorite quote

Listed plenty of my favorite quotes before, but I’ll pick this one:

“ Life is my paint. Death is my canvas”

Day 16: Rate the skeksis from least favorite to favorite OR rate the gelfling from lest favorite to favorite [or both!]

And if you want my gelfling hot takes, here’s this list (just backwards in context to this post)

Day 17: Opinion on Raunip?

Raunip is a fantastic character. I loved him in Creation Myths and I can’t wait to see what role he’d play in the resistance. And I absolutely love the parallels between him and the urskeks it’s great. 

Day 18: A character that is most similar to you.

I too am a dark-dwelling gremlin who constantly forgets where I put things and crack a few dark jokes at my expense. 

Day 19: Which character do you strongly dislike, why?

This is entirely based on the books, but I find Mera to be awful.  I think it’s because she’s so fake and condescending? When Naia arrived in Sami Thicket, she was acting nice and polite but when the Drenchen asked her why the skeksis never visited Sog Mera responded  “It’s only worth counting what’s valuable”. She continuously disrespects her by calling her pet names even when Naia became maudra. It doesn’t come off as cute, it’s gross. I don’t recall Mera ever apologizing for any of the shit she did to Naia... or Kylan for that matter. She was a pretty neglectful step-mother to him. She doesn’t have an excuse being busy with Maudra stuff because Laesid was a kickass mom to her kids. So in conclusion, fuck this bitch.

Day 20: What do you like so much about the Dark Crystal?

The better question what’s not to love about the Dark Crystal? It has amazing creature design, an expansive world that feels real and alien from our own, having complex and interesting characters as well as villains, the fact that it relies heavily on practical effects a.k.a puppetry... . There’s nothing like it and that’s what makes it so wonderful and unique. It needs to be appreciated more. 

Day 21: Favorite music piece from the soundtrack?

Can’t beat that opening theme. 

Day 22: Your opinion on the sequel comics [Power/Beneath the Dark Crystal]

They have cool concepts and ideas, but they’re not written well. Power is just the movie if it was put into a blender and shredded and ignoring a large portion of established lore for the sake of plot. And Beneath is just a generic fantasy story with the Dark Crystal logo slapped on it. 

Day 23: Which character from the YA novels/comics do you wish we would see more of?

There are plenty of characters that are a given to appear in the series at some point (skekSa, skekLi, urSan, etc). And of course I want to see them, but I really hope Periss shows up (and his brother too). He is one of my favorite characters from the book series and we could use some more Dousan rep!

Day 24: Your opinion on the Age of Resistance comic?

I have yet to read the comics. I’m waiting on them to be part of a collection so I don’t have to buy all of the volumes at once (I prefer owning physical copies). I’ve heard good things about them, especially the story with Hup and the current Mayrin arc. I’m excited to get my hands on them. 

Day 25: The best moment/scene in the series?

There are a lot of great moments, but Rian and Ordon’s fight with skekMal is still my favorite in the entire series. The "Speak For the Dead” scene is a close second.

Day 26: The death of a character that hurt you the most?

He did not deserve this. Fuck you, skekMal. 

Day 27: Your favorite episode from the series?

It’s got to be 4. Not just because a number of my favorite characters debut in this episode, but it’s an important one for the plot. Stakes are being raised, we’re seeing set ups to major story elements and character arcs, and events that impact the rest of the series. It also has a handful of my favorite character moments and interactions. 

Day 28: Your favorite non-skeksis and non-gelfling character? Why?

I’ve come to realize the reasons why I love urVa are the same as why I love skekMal (incredibly appropriate I might say). There’s enough information about him that we get a good understanding on who he is as a character, but still mysterious enough that there’s interest in wanting to know more. Much like his skeksis, he’s unique from the other mystics and thus giving him unique experiences that are fun to speculate. However, the YA novels are responsible for my current fondness of him. 

Day 29: Do you like the urru and skeksis apart or like them as urSkeks together?

A main theme of the Dark Crystal is unity and balance. The main conflict of the franchise are the skeksis, the broken fragments of their urskek self who, according to the writers, “...[have] a dire need for the qualities they lack”. Their only salvation is to become urskeks again and unfortunately many of the pairs never achieve this.  They’re basically a giant allegory for the self and self-love. While we don’t really know what they were like when they were an urskek (aside from SilSol perhaps), we can get some understanding when we look at their pairs and see what traits they share. Speculation is also fun! So as much as I love the skeksis and mystics as individuals, I prefer them to be whole again.

Day 30: What are your wishes for a possible season 2?

A whole bunch of things. I want to see them explore more about the mystics and their lifestyle, having Raunip play a big part in the plot, seeing more of skekSa’s fall from grace from her perspective, the beginning of the Garthim Wars, and more. 

[seulgiswhoreee]

request list

SMUT

pick a number and put it in your request along with a random pairing (like incubus!____ x virgin!reader) and a brief plot :)

KINKS 1. pussy slapping 2. breeding kink 3. acarophilia (arousal from scratching) 4. anal 5. barebacking (unprotected sex) 6. begging 7. breathplay 8. bondage 9. breast/nipple torture 10. breast/nipple worship 11. praise kink 12. degradation kink 13. daddy kink 14. cock worship 15. collaring 16. cunnilingus (oral sex basically) 17. dacryphilia (arousal from crying) 18. dirty talk 19. double penetration (one anal, one vaginal) 20. double vaginal penetration (2 dicks or toys penetrating the vagina) 21. face fucking 22. face slapping 23. gerontophilia (being attracted to way older people) 24. alcohol or drug consumption before, after, or during sex 25. intercrural sex (basically fucking in between the thighs) 26. JOI (giving your partner masturbation instructions) 27. katopronophilia (sex in front of a mirror) 28. size kink 29. bulge kink 30. orgasm denial 31. temperature play (ice cubes or hot wax) 32. quirofilia (aroused by long ass fingers and/or big hands) 33. sensory deprivation 34. somnophilia 35. phone sex

ANTI-SMUT (like angst, comedy, fluff)

Pick a number, make a random pairing (i.e husband!____ x reader) and give me a brief plot to request! :)

PROMPTS

"Ma'am, is this your dog?"

“No, it’s really not that complicated. He’s a bad person.”

“Hey… what’s wrong with your face?”

“Ah yes, come in. Close the door behind you.”

“How could you do this to me?”

“Um, sorry. That one’s not for sale.”

“You’ve got thirty seconds to explain to me what you’re doing here.”

“Ain’t nobody ever told you who your real daddy is?”

“I know this may be hard to believe, but I’m on your side.”

“Never heard of that being used as a murder weapon before.”

“Just sit around and cry, then. I don’t have that luxury.”

“I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

“That’s the nice thing about telling the truth. You don’t have nearly as much to keep track of.”

“Of course we’re best friends. No one else would put up with our shenanigans.”

“That’s the least of your worries.”

“You look a lot different from your profile picture.”

“Do you trust me?”

“You found it on the beach? You know, when most people take a walk on the beach, they pick up seashells.”

“Sir. This is for children only.”

“I haven’t tried this on a human yet, but it should be very similar.”

“What? I meant it as a compliment.”

“Who put this in my coat pocket?”

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“You think you’re so good-looking, but deep down, you’re the kind of ugly that PhotoShop can’t fix.”

“I know you did your best, but it just wasn’t enough.”

“Even if I could stop it, I wouldn’t.”

“You have got to see this.”

“Guess who made the evening news?”

“I don’t really think of myself as a thief…”

“Are you just going to keep walking by my house or are you going to come in?”

“We do things a little differently in the 21st century.”

“Please return to your assigned seat.”

“Dude. It’s 3 in the morning.”

“I can’t believe I used to think he was attractive.”

“Actually, you are speaking to the manager.”

“Where are your clothes?”

“Well, this contest isn’t going to rig itself.”

“Hi, I’m calling about your ad?”

“I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

“I should have told you this a long time ago.”

“I am only telling the truth when I say that you have not behaved completely as a gentleman in this matter.”

“I thought we were friends!”

“That’s not a good look.”

“It’s a genetic trait, but it’s exceptionally rare.”

“I love you, but I don’t even think I know who you really are.”

“She’s evil, but she does have a point there.”

“I didn’t know you could talk.”

“Sweetie, what were you thinking?”

“What makes you think it was an accident?”

“Sorry. You’re the first person I’ve spoken to in ten years.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve got a blowtorch around here?”

“I know you’re here. You may as well show yourself.”

“Get a job!”

“This isn’t going to be a typical best man speech.”

“According to this, you owe them eighty thousand dollars.”

“We thought at first that it was part of the performance.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen y’all in church.”

“I would break his thumbs right now if I could.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“That’s the worst reason I’ve ever heard to have a baby.”

“I didn’t even recognize you!”

“Is it worth breaking your vows over?”

“I told you not to read that.”

“Put the turkey down.”

“I didn’t ask to be abducted.”

“That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Where did you learn how to do that?”

“Are you banned from all Taco Bells or just that Taco Bell?”

“I thought you had him!”

“Humility is not one of my many virtues.”

“How can you stand living here?”

“She’s young, fertile, and from a good family. What more do you need to know?”

“Sometimes being a total geek pays off.”

“You don’t have the correct paperwork.”

“Careful not to break the—oh.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but yeah.”

“I’d love to help, but I want to keep all of my money in case I want to spend it on other things.”

“Well aren’t you the cutest little thing?”

“Why is that your password?”

“Please don’t use sarcasm. It confuses me.”

“After we lost you, things just weren’t the same.”

“If you were logical you would’ve killed me already.”

“Well, that could’ve gone better.”

“Sometimes I feel like she’s still at my side.”

“We’ve been waiting two hours.”

“Your services are no longer required.”

“I feel like we’ve met before…”

“Does he hit you?”

“Yes, it’s a questionable line of work, but I’m good at it.”

“This used to be a great country, but people like you are destroying it.”

“I’m cured. I swear.”

“My chances of living to a ripe old age are unfortunately excellent.”

“Let’s face it, you don’t exactly blend in.”

“Forgive me if I’m misreading things, but do you want to make out?”

“The next time you shoot a guy, don’t do it on national television.”