#all in all not cheap but not my most expensive place either haha

[swordsmans]

Hello! As someone who really really wants to attempt bookbinding, could I ask how you started? I am very overwhelmed with the amount of materials and equipment bookbinders use and it is not within my budget to get most of them, which is really discouraging :,)

I would love to know some cheap(er) alternatives to certain materials and which materials, in your opinion, is the most essential and worth splurging money on! I particularly have a lot of issues with using leather because it is WAYY out of both my budget and skill level haha!

Additionally, what are some of the reasources you used to learn how to bookbind? :o

Thank you!!! (It's alright if you don't respond to this! I was just wondering :])

hi, hello!!! im sorry for the late reply!!

to start with--i definitely dont use leather for the same reason!! even imitation leather is expensive, and tbh i like the ability to play around with colors and shapes that working primarily with bookcloth and paper affords me. you can either make your own bookcloth using regular fabric, a binder like HeatNBond, and tissue as long as you have an iron--or you can purchase it from places like amazon, hollander's, or other bookbinding supply companies. leather is ~fancy~ shit.

as for essential tools, that sort of depends on what youre trying to set out to do. western "cased" bindings require more material as a baseline, but glue-free bindings like coptics and japanese stabs require much less! really, as long as you have paper, a needle, thread, and cardboard, you can make a book! here are some of the tools i use, as well as some alternatives:

bonefolder(s) - i have two, a "traditional" one and a square angled one, both real bone. this is something i would consider an essential item, because you will use it for almost everything. you can buy a cheap teflon folder at your local craft store, but really anything you can use to crease your pages and evenly tuck your folds would work. a firm piece of plastic, a thick card--hell, a 6in ruler would work!

ruler(s) - god, i have so many rulers, both imperial and metric, in so many different shapes and materials. the ones i use the most are my 12in/30cm double sided metal ruler and my 3x4in/70x100cm double sided metal square, but as long as you have something you will be set. you can find cheap wooden or plastic rulers at your local dollar store!

weights - this includes freestanding weights and a press. while i do use a press, i also have some bricks from my local hardware store that ive wrapped in craft paper (because cleanliness is essential), a mason jar filled with rocks, and a giant stack of cookbooks. i use all of these for different things, but getting a few bricks would probably be your cheapest option; mine were $0.62 each at lowe's, lol! you dont need a press. anything that will get you even, heavy pressure will work!

waxed thread - you can use any sewing thread you want and wax it yourself by running the wax along the thread! small beeswax blocks are relatively inexpensive and will last quite a while, and regular sewing thread won't break the bank. you can certainly buy pre-waxed thread, but making your own works just as well.

awl - i have two awls and a punch cradle, and genuinely none of these are "essential". straight up just stick a sewing needle in a wine cork, bestie, and youve got yourself an awl. punch cradles are also totally optional; just make a guide with some cardstock so you know where to punch your signatures and youre set.

paper - this is the big rabbit hole, of course. fancy handmade papers can get REAL expensive and dont even get me started on procuring paper with the proper grain direction. HOWEVER, im currently using a mid-tier premium "printer" paper as my fill (though ill be switching to proper stuff when i run out) and you can definitely use regular sheets youd find anywhere with only minor issues. as for decorative paper--anything works! regular scrapbook paper is perfectly fine, and you can buy 12x12 booklets online or at your local craft store for cheap--it seems like theres always some on sale.

bookcloth - mentioned above, but making your own is probably the cheapest way to do it! however--bookcloth is only essential if youre doing a cased-in binding imo. if youre doing coptics/stabs/open sewn/glue-free/etc. bindings, you dont need it.

glue - glues are tricky. traditionally people use a combination of paste and PVA. however, you can use whatever glue you want so long as youre okay with the drawbacks of using high-moisture stuff. gluesticks, craft glue, whatever. you can also make your own paste with flour and water! if youre looking for some of the things id recommend getting the "good" version of, though, i would pick PVA. i buy mine by the half-gallon and its worth it, and i actually prefer it over nori paste (what can i say--im impatient! and paste takes 24 hours to dry).

cutting tools - this is the one absolute thing i would recommend getting: a good boxcutter with replaceable blades and a large cutting mat. this is the essential tool of all time, because while you can use scissors its nearly impossible to get a straight line on anything. i have a workpro w011043a, an xacto xz3601, and three pairs of scissors of various lengths--and my workpro is what i reach for the most. cutting mats can run a little expensive, but i cant stress enough how much easier your life will be with an open blade + cutting mat as your primary cutting setup.

chipboard - i use several different thicknesses of greyboard for my covers and spines, but you can genuinely use whatever cardboard you have on-hand. got an amazon box? that works!

of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list of tools--but these are my go-to tools for every bind! a lot of the fancy stuff like edging, foiling, bookmark-making, etc, is totally optional and opting out of those will significantly reduce your overhead costs. you can also start out with the inexpensive stuff and upgrade as needed! bookbinding is daunting and yes it does have a bit of an initial investment, but there are definitely ways to make it work if youd really like to get into the hobby. you can also look at starter kits on etsy, too! theyll often come with some of the essential tools as well as materials to make your first book, so you can try it out to see if youd like the hobby without going ham.

as for resources to get started, here are some of what ive used!! also not comprehensive because everyone is different, but a great place to start.

hope this helps!!!

[lesbiankiliel]

hi, a non-finn here, could you elaborate why you think Espoo is the worst place in Finland? I'm soon moving to Finland and Espoo is one of the places i was considering so seeing your tags kind of freaked me out haha

so I live in helsinki, right next to espoo, and. well. a lot of espoo looks like this

it's just that espoo is known as not a very beautiful city in finland. also it's kinda expensive to live in, at least for the most part (not that helsinki is cheap either but at least most of helsinki is fairly pretty imo - I'm biased but we do have a historical city center and all that)

I will admit that some parts of espoo are okay, like kivenlahti in western espoo (had a friend who lived there, sea is close and the buildings aren't supremely butt-ugly, though not particularly easy on the eye either), and I'm sure that it's not a bad place to live in terms of services (public transportation kinda sucks tho)

my dad, who works for yle as a soundman, has a fun anecdote about espoo being ugly: some years back he was recording some international dance competition or something that took place in espoo metro arena, and the german delegation wanted them to film espoo city center for their broadcast in germany

dad's team was like, um, are you sure?

germans: yes yes take us to the center!

well, my dad's team did just that. the above photo is from there. the germans were shocked because they had probably expected something nice and old and pretty. the finnish photographer then asked if they could film the city center of helsinki and then an espoo roadsign, and the germans were like yeah let's do that, no one in germany needs to see whatever this is

but yeah, the aversion towards espoo is mainly rooted in it not being a very pretty city

[purplesurveys]

1873

[SHOWERS]

When taking a shower, does your hair become straight or is it still somewhat curly (if your hair is curly)? It becomes straight, then wavier as it dries, then it either remains wavy or very frizzy, depending on the weather.

What kind of shower/bath would you have if you could have any shower/bath in the world? Idk if they have an official name, but those rain-type kind of shower heads. They seem very comfortable; the luxury feel of it is a bonus.

Do you use expensive or cheap shampoos, and does it matter either way? Both of mine are on the relatively more expensive side since my hair requires more maintenance (it's dyed purple, and generally, has undergone bleaching more times than I can count lol). I've tried cheaper products before and it's always led to my hair being excessively dry and losing its color so much more quickly.

What kind of shower head do you have? Just your standard handheld one.

Do you ever burn your skin while taking a shower? Not to that extent, but it's hurt before.

[TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS]

Have you ever been in a relationship (romantic or not) that was considered toxic, and who was that person and how were/are they toxic to you? My mom and I are the quintessential toxic relationship; like if there was a book on all you needed to know about toxic relationships, I'd be pretty offended if we weren't called to be on the cover LOL. I don't feel like delving into it. My one and only relationship was also very toxic on both sides.

Do you know anyone who has been in a toxic relationship, and what made that relationship toxic? I know someone who's been cheated on recently. To her credit she stormed out as soon as she heard, but she's also resumed talking to the guy again. They talk everyday, just like the days they were still together – but like she will also be randomly passive-aggressive? like she will make shots at the cheating from time to time. An example is if she walks by this restaurant she could go, "Remember this place? This is where you went on a date with her hahaha" What kind of response from the guy is she even wanting from all the references she's throwing around? Anyway, kinda sad and also kind of an ick.

How you do feel about people going back to their toxic relationships, and can you relate or do you find them dumb for ever considering to go back? It's understandable to see such dynamics. I went through it as well, and for me it was both because 1) I had already invested a lot into the relationship so "what a waste" if it doesn't succeed and might as well try until the very end; and 2) I've grown so used to the relationship and the person that imagining how life would be without them seems impossible and such a really big adjustment to cope with. Eventually you just have to learn to make a brave face and move on.

What kind of toxic relationships do you find more damaging: Romantic, friendship, or family member? Toxicity is damaging, period.

Now, out of these options, which do you find the most damaging: Physical, emotional, or verbal? I never liked the idea of comparing different kinds of abuse/pain.

[Cartoons]

Would you rather watch little kid’s cartoons, older kid’s cartoons, or adult cartoons? Older kid. It satisfies the nostalgia bug + many of the jokes I still laugh at anyway, hahaha.

How about watching regular cartoons or anime? I don't like anime. But what does regular cartoon even mean if not for younger and older kids?

Would you rather watch cartoons on Disney, Nick (Nick Toons/Boomerang doesn’t count), or Cartoon Network? Nickelodeon did the cartoons better; but I preferred Disney for the real-life shows. From Cartoon Network I really only liked Pokemon.

What cartoons/anime do you actually like, if you like any at all? I don't watch any these days.

If you could bring back one cartoon/anime from your childhood, which cartoon/anime would it be? I'm fine, I grew out of them a long time ago haha.

[Jobs]

Do you have a job right now, are you content with your job, and, if you don’t have a job, are you looking, underage, or just don’t care enough to have a job right now? I do. I am quite neutral about it at the moment – I've reached a point where I've mastered most things and can do stuff blindfolded, but I no longer have that fresh-grad-spark-in-my-eyes kind of excitement for it. Which I think is fine and nothing to worry about Work is work. I still have passion and I still feel happiness and fulfillment, but I reserve that now for my personal life; vs the past where I equated work with life.

What is your dream job that you could have at your age right now? The dream job I NEVER even considered having was being a PR director. I just aimed to be a manager and figured I'd be stuck there until I can find another company. Then they promoted me a step higher hahaha. It's been fine, but I hate how intertwined with business development it is.

Have you ever read notalwaysright, and what is the worst story you have read on there; if you haven’t read any story on there, have you seen or heard any stories about awful customers? Never heard of that.

What are a few “dream” jobs you have in general? In-house PR for WWE; museum curator; historian.

What are a few places you would refuse to work at? Anything that would deal very directly with customer service, like a restaurant manager. I'm too nonchalant with people's complaints.

[Cultures]

Out of all the cultures in the world, what culture do you find the most interesting? I find all of them equally interesting :)

If you get rid of one culture in the world, what culture would you rid of? ?

What is your culture like, do you like your culture, and do you even follow your culture at all? Filipinos are non-confrontational and are accepting of whatever and whoever we encounter – that's why we're always described as hospitable (would do *anything* for a visitor) and resilient (cracking jokes and making memes during a chest-level typhoon flood). For a long time we thought it a source of pride that we embrace whatever comes our way; but the sentiment has shifted more so for the younger generation to be more like "Why should we just accept things as they are?" anyway we have a long way to go but at least there've been some starting blocks.

Filipino culture is also very religious, conservative, community- and family-based, and uhhhh idk just a very messy pot of mostly Western influences lmao. No thanks to the Spanish, Americans, and Japanese who took away our identity and killed a lot of us too :D :D

Do you have friends of different cultures? I know a few of Chinese ancestry.

Are there any cultures that are very similar to yours, and how about the most different? Similar would 100% be Southeast Asia. Most different, idk probably Europe? The individualism stuff is definitely different from what I'm used to; as someone who comes from an extremely community-based background it's very fascinating to imagine doing most stuff alone or being away from my family all the time.

[c4tto626]

today i realized the flaming nix deluxe garret is pretty roomy and only 13k gold unfurnished so i promptly bought it and naturally spent like ten times that much on furnishing it nicely! i don’t... actually have a dunmer dunmer character (my only dunmer is with the dominion lol) buuut eventually i might just make one! i like the muted greens/browns of dunmer furniture it’s quite lovely~

kept it dunmer style with some daedric touches! placed the dunmer table and two stools further in the floor for a nice seating area with some floor pillows, and added some reddish plants for that red mountain flair~ also loving those floating books on the bookshelf (recipe from the psijic merchant in artaeum) they give such a subtle magical touch i love them! place also got a desk for some paper work and reading and a cute little bal foyen nix hound and a gold-cap shroom shakl bc they’re also are utterly cute ok

also took some detail shots: i like adding a small table by the doors of my houses as a sort of “stuff to grab before heading out adventuring” spot, got a backpack, a bedroll, some money, some elixirs, stuff like that! i also love the ashlander platter with cheese and bread it looks so good just placed and ready to eat! some drinks, a table brazier, some quick midnight snack on the bedside table and a little decorated table with some coral and a giant clam bc i thought it looks nice haha~ also an ominous daedric urn in the corner idk lol

and of course a little bit of storage and laundry bc someone obviously lives here! i love elder sims online ok i looove decorating haha

[mystic-deep]

"Whipped Cream" - Part 1 | Nanami Kento fem!reader

♡ ♡ ♡ description: Taking cooking classes seemed like a nice way to relax and sharpen your skills, too bad the teacher hates you.

♡ ♡ ♡ warnings: none, some mild swearing near the end, rating will go up due to explicit content in later chapters.

♡ ♡ ♡ notes: Chef Nanami anyone? Probably the only job that he'd actually enjoy haha. I'm not sure how many parts this will have but I'm not going to rush it, I pretty much have the plot and ending all planned out, let's see how fast we can get there haha. As always, didn't have time to proofread so please don't mind the mistakes.

♡ ♡ ♡ word count: 2.5k

“Happy Birthday!”

Sitting at a table inside a small restaurant, you looked at your best friend as she handed you a colourful envelop. Money? She wasn’t your mother. A postcard? Too cheap considering she only bought you a bouquet of flowers.

“Open it already!”

Like obeying a command, you opened it and peeked inside. A gift card? How original. You spent days preparing the gift for her birthday and she gets you a gift card. Seeing your disappointed expression, she quickly explained.

“It’s a cooking course! You always said you wanted to attend one but never got the time, I figured if I bought it, then you’d have no choice but to go.”

You took the card out and began to inspect it. The words VIP were written in a golden colour as well as the name of the school you’d be attending.

“It was the most popular course, apparently you have to book it months in advance. I was really lucky since someone dropped out at the last minute.”

“When will I have the time to-”

“Shhhh!” She placed her index finger on your lips in order to shut you up. “The group session is thrice a week and you have twelve lessons in total. It’s after working hours and if for some reason you can’t attend then they can schedule a private lesson for the weekend. Benefit of a VIP and all.” She flipped her hair in a proud way and you fought back the urge to roll your eyes. Who says money can’t buy a very expensive and needless cooking course?

The truth was, you loved to cook, it was the only time you felt calm in your otherwise hectic life. You were also pretty good at it but self-taught. You once joked that it would be fun to take some lessons and actually sharpen your skills but that was the point, you were joking. You remember the promise you made to yourself at the beginning of the year that you would go to the gym every day and get in shape. You bought a class pass for a year with a personal trainer and only ended up going for a week or two. You still received reminders weekly that you should be attending since it was already paid.

“Thank you, it’s a really thoughtful gift.” You offered her a smile as you played with the card in your hand. Well, one lesson or two might not take up too much of your time. You were also curios to know why this particular course was so popular.

“You’re welcome! Also, from what I’ve heard but nothing confirmed yet, the chef that’s going to teach you is really good looking.” Her eyes gleamed and you wondered if she was sending you out like a scout, to test the water and if it was good then she’d join as well.

“Wonderful, I can’t wait to be surrounded by an army of housewives.”

Monday afternoon you found yourself at the reception of the cooking school you’d be attending for the next couple of weeks. You had to admit that so far the building looked impressive. There were several classes from what you could tell and the lobby was already pretty crowded.

“Can I help you?”

The pleasant looking receptionist gave you a smile and you handed her your VIP card.

“Yes, I’m here to attend the course with chef Nanami Kento.”

“Oh, Nanami-sensei!” She gleefully took your card and began the registration. “You’re pretty lucky, this is our most popular class. It’s quite unusual for someone to drop out.”

“So I keep hearing.”

She gave you back your card as well as a small bag that contained several items.

“You have here your apron as well as your class schedule and several cooking accessories that you get to keep at the end of the lessons. The class is 10-A, the very last room at the end of the corridor. I hope you enjoy this experience!”

You smiled and thanked her before heading to the classroom. Upon entering you realized that your fears had been justified, the whole room was filled with women ranging from mid-thirties to some ladies that looked in their sixties. Only women, and they all seemed to know each other.

You moved to one of the islands in the back, taking out your apron and putting it on. You had to admit you kind of felt like you were participating in the Great British Bake Off. In terms of gadgets at your disposal, everything was modern and your island was well equipped with everything one might need for the cooking process. You had your very own oven and stove as well as a Kitchen aid and several other utensils. In one of the drawers you found a cutting board as well as a set of knives and several bowls. You were starting to realize why the fee had been so expensive.

“First time here?”

You turned around and nodded sheepishly at a group of older looking women.

“I guess everyone knows each other huh?”

“For most of us this is the second time we’ve taken this course, it’s quite lovely, you learn a lot of things.” You couldn’t help but wonder why they would need to take the exact same course twice. Either they didn’t manage to learn what they were supposed to the first time around or the chef really was thathandsome.

“I’m looking forward to it as well, I want to sharpen my skill and this one came highly recommended.”

“Are you married?” The question came as a punch in the gut and they all looked at you like it was the most normal thing one could ask.

“We didn’t see a ring on your finger.”

“Urm no, married to my work perhaps.” You offered a light chuckle but no one else found it funny.

“Then for whom are you sharpening your skills for? Any children?”

At this point you thought their questions were quite intrusive and rude. Were they perhaps thinking that you were a threat? A young new girl that was going to steal away the attention of their sensei? You were actually starting to get aggravated by their attitude. What happened to solidarity between women?

“I want to sharpen them for myself. No children, just a cat, pretty lucky I suppose.” Their eyes narrowed and you smiled to yourself. Teasing them was proving to be quite fun.

“Oh? Well, you’ll want them when you’re older. Although, you should probably hurry, not much time left to spare.” By this point your hand was itching to slap at least one of them. What an unpleasant bunch of old hags!

You were ready to give a sharp reply when the door of the classroom was opened and your teacher stepped inside. You hated to admit it, you really hated it, but he was indeed handsome. Blonde hair, light coloured eyes, build like a brick wall, sharp features and when he opened his mouth to greet the class, you fawned over his deep voice.

“I’m glad to see some familiar faces…and new ones of course.” His eyes landed on you and you shifted, feeling like a doe caught in the headlights. His presence was quite something, no wonder these women were ready to turn into harpies just for a bit of his attention. Still, it wasn’t enough to win you over. If anything, you felt an instant antipathy towards him-he seemed too arrogant for your taste.

“We’ll start our first day with a test bake. I want to see each and everyone’s level before we begin our lessons.” As he spoke, he neatly rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and put his own apron on. You could actually hear sighs going around the room but he seemed unbothered.

“You can bake anything you like, something you’re comfortable and good at.” With that said, he gave you an hour and a half to see what you’d come up with.

You decided on your famous lemon cookies, they were pretty easy to make and every time you baked a batch your friends would fight over it. As you were creaming the butter with the sugar you felt a presence near your station and turned to look at Nanami that was peeking inside the glass bowl.

“What are you making?” Just like that, no introduction, no small talk, right down to business.

“Lemon cookies. They’re-”

“Quite a simple recipe, don’t you think? I wanted to see your level, this is something even a child could bake.” Your heart dropped a little. You weren’t great at taking criticism and you couldn’t stand how those old hangs from before were snickering behind you.

“You said to bake something that we’re good at.”

“So lemon cookies are the only thing you’re good at? Hmm.” With that he left your station and you just stared at his back as he went on to check on someone else. Your cheeks turned red with embarrassment and anger. You were going to shut him up, once he had a taste of your cookies he’d eat his words, as well as the whole batch.

It seemed, however, that the universe was working against you. The batter didn’t have enough time to chill and since you weren’t accustomed to the oven you over-baked them. You stared at the plate of spread lemon cookies, not one looking the same as the other, and chew on your bottom lip.

With your baking time coming to an end, he was walking from one stand to another, mostly complimenting the results. The other women in your class were a giggling mess, thanking him like he had offered salvation just for eating one of their treats.

When he finally reached your station, you felt his judging eyes burning holes into your very soul.

“What happened?”

“Well, the fridge is not set to the right temperature. The one I have at home is much cooler, and I didn’t have time to let the batter set. Also, the oven is different from-”

“A simple recipe but you couldn’t finish it properly. Everyone in class uses the same type of fridge and oven, no one else had any problems.”

You wanted to argue back, wanted to say how unfair it was since they were all well accustomed to their working stations because they had already taken this class. Instead you kept quiet and fought back tears that had formed at the corner of your eyes. If you wanted someone to look down on your work you would have stayed overtime at your office.

“Can’t be helped, since you’re at beginner level. You have to keep up with the rest of the class so please pay extra attention during lessons and don’t hesitate to ask your classmates for advice.” With that said he continued to stroll around the room, throwing nice remarks left and right.

When the class was finally over you grabbed your bag and dashed out of the room. You struggled to take off your apron as you walked through the main reception and into the elevator that led to the parking lot. When you finally managed to set yourself free you fished the phone from your handbag and dialled your friend.

“Hey little chef, how was your first-”

“Horrible! I’m never coming here again!” You practically screamed in your phone as the elevator doors closed. You were shaking with anger and as you stared at your reflection in the mirror from the opposite wall, you also realized you looked just as upset as you felt.

“He’s an ass! He didn’t teach us shit! Test bake he said, so I made my lemon cookies you know.”

“Oh I love those!”

“Right?! Too easy he said, even a child could make them! The damn fridge wasn’t working properly and I forgot to set the oven so they spread a little but they were still good! Then he just made fun of me in front of the whole class and ugh don’t even get me started on them-” You continued to vent as the doors of the elevator opened and you stepped inside the underground parking lot.

“All of them have taken the class before and they’re just here to drool over the teacher. I swear it’s a fucking joke, his class is only popular because every single middle-aged married woman there wants to fuck him!” You stopped from your raging rant to look for your cars keys that were nowhere to be found. “I swear they all have some sick fantasies with him! He’s not a chef, he’s just some thirty something guy that preys on naïve women. He probably doesn’t even know how to whip cream!” You huffed in anger while trying to juggle the bag you received at the reception, your handbag and your phone.

“Where the hell are my car keys?”

“They seemed to have fallen at your feet.”

You froze, feeling the blood draining from your body. You turned around in slow motion and looked up at the figure of your teacher who was only a few feet away from you. You didn’t realize just how tall and menacing he looked until now.

“Urm, I-”

“I’ll be seeing you on Wednesday. That is, if you want to attend a class taught by a guy who doesn’t know how to whip cream.”

The sweet embrace of death couldn’t have come faster. You picked your keys from the ground and tried to form some kind of apology but he quickly walked through the parking lot towards his car. He opened the door of an expensive looking Mercedes and drove away, leaving you standing there like a complete moron.

“Y/n are you still there? What happened?”

“Oh god, oh god, I’ve fucked up!” You began to walk to your car feeling like the worst person on earth. “I’m not sure how much he heard but he heard plenty.”

“Ohoho this is getting interesting!”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this.” You spat bitterly as you opened the door of your own car and stepped inside, throwing you bags on the empty seat. “Well, I shouldn’t bother with what he thinks anyway. He was mean to mean first and it’s not like I’m going again.”

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this one! I didn’t spend so much money just so your workaholic ass can come up with excuses not to attend! I don’t care if he likes you or not, despite what you may think he was highly recommended for his skill not for his looks.” You grumbled as you turned on your engine, really hating the fact that your friend was making a point. You loved to cook, you were good at it, you might have had a bad day and now your teacher hated you, but you shouldn’t give up on the opportunity to learn proper cooking skills.

“Alright, I’m going to try a few more lessons. It will be a miracle if he doesn’t kill me by the end of the week.”

“That’s my girl!” You rolled your eyes and hanged up the phone before driving off. You really didn’t like Nanami and now he had more than enough reasons not to like you, but you also weren’t a quitter. If anything, you will continue to go to classes out of pure spite. You’ll show him how skilful you actually were, far better than any of those hyenas from your class. You’ll whip that cream until you’ll turn it into butter.

[the-mercurial-star-o-vesper]

TEN OUTTA TEN 1010

Welp, its happened. I’m into No Straight Roads, and the boys with the K-Bop in their step has got me hooked.

So I’m gonna celebrate (for the moment) with lots of gathered info I’ve found, seen, or heard speculated, regarding the Top Boy Band of Vinyl City... 1010. [Possible OCs to come later]

Some of this stuff might be common knowledge, some is already on the wiki, but hey, no shame in having a consolidated list.

But for now...

The Names of 1010 were deciphered by out of universe fans. They are Rin (White), Haym (Yellow), Eloni (Green), Purlhew (Blue) and Zimelu (Red).

An old placeholder model for 1010 had Black Hair and different tron lines.

1010 in binary is... literally just 10.

Eloni does not get fan letters; He’s the “Funny Band member”, and Funny Band Members don’t get fan letters.

1010 wears Sailor uniforms (The US Navy would call them Dress Blues, so think... Popeye. But no hat.) In fact, their flying limo is a god damn Tron-lined Battleship. Even the Cannons dance to the music.

They’re a parody on K-Bop bands or Boy Bands to the West. And while they’re listed as Funky, they’re technically Synthpop. (Haha, Synth)

In the background of their fight, when the Battleship Limo stops for pictures, you can see that there is a set of pictures of 1010. Rin the White has a Fuschia or Purple Background, while all the others have a background matching their aesthetic colors.

1010 have common powers... ... Firing Lasors. ... Levitation (Or small time Flight; as they rush to the side to meet the Cameras) ... “Taking to the Sky”, or just really powerful jumping. ... Being powered by Cheers. ... There’s a reason I left Shield off in a moment.

1010 are both outrageously tall (Mayday only comes to their waist when they stand up properly), and outrageously heavy (did you hear them walk backward in their intro cutscene? How heavy are these guys!?)

It could whatever kind of AI they have, but they are waaaay insynch, almost preemptively. Perhaps 1010 are directly linked to each other?

In most of their appearances outside of battle, they all have the same colored eyes as their aesthetic colors. But in Battle, they all have White eyes. Mind that in their Show Stopper picture, they’re back to having their aesthetic eyes again. Take that as you will.

1010 has associated attacks, when you’re in the Phase facing the Factory and Neon J. ... Yellow has Missiles or Splash Damage explosions. No literally, the yellow droid is the missle. ... Green has Bombs. HIS HAIR IS A BOMB. ... Red has Saws. He-He literally uses Red Droid as the Saw. ... Blue has some sort of Staffs or Whirlwind strike. They are staffs made of Purl-Hew. ... Because of his Picture’s Purple Background, White’s likely isn’t an attack but is, in fact, the Shields that occured early in the battle. Which is probably why they’re never deployed, because how the hell can you make a shield out of Rin Bots.

It was pointed out in one of the many Youtube Comment Sections that 1010′s hairstyles match their respective attacks in some form or fashion. ... Zimelu’s Mohawk indicates his associated Saws. ... Haym’s hair looks like a missile. ... Eloni’s hair looks line a Grenade Pin. ... Purlhew’s flat top hair could indicate the fact that he’s literally used as a Staff End. So basically he’s Blue. That’s his attack. [Hah] ... Rin’s the sexy one. Look, for a Band of Robots with fancy hairdos and attacks, he’s not considered remarkable.

As they are a parody of Boy Bands across the World, they may follow the boy band “archtypes” ... Rin is the Leader, and the Heartthrob (He doesn’t have a weird hairstyle, and he does the most flirting / talking; as well as the most promoted) ... Eloni, as already established, is the Funny Guy, or the Comedian. ... Purl-Hew is the Cool Guy, (consider his Sunglasses) ... Zimelu is the Bad Boy (Mohawk, his ANGRY EYES AARGH) ... Haym’s is apparently considered a Pompadour. Maybe he is also a Bad Boy? Consider his name, he may be the Smart Guy. ... There is no known “Shy Guy” or “Cute Guy (Technically, the Second Heartthrob, but isn’t a threat to first Heartthrob’s position). So, go forth and create.

Fun Consideration on my part. Since Names can have meaning in No Straight Roads and meaning in personal names... ... Rin is a japanese name, and boy can it mean a lot of stuff depending on the Kanji (Some of the meanings are “Dignified” “Compassion” “Cold”). He’s probably coolly impassionate off stage. ... Purl-Hew is apparently a pun on Pearl Hue (cos I guess blue Pearls). Perhaps he likes puns. ... Zimelu is an ooold fortress in Lativa apparently. Perhaps he has a warish personality. Or I guess knows very Niche military history. (Perhaps, in-universe, it was the name of a base Neon J served at?) ... Haym is the name shared by a few people, but in the themes of music, its probably Nicola Francesco Haym (Italian Poet, Opera Librettist, Composer, Manager, Editor and Numismatist (That’s uh, a guy who studies Currency)). Perhaps our Haym is quite the Nerd. ... the name Eloni means Lofty. Which can me “Of Imposing Height” (They all are), “Noble or Exalted Nature” (Possibly?) “Proud, Aloof or Self-Important” (They all are that too, yes), or in regard to Lofty Wool “Thick and Resilient” (I mean, if you look at those thighs-- Ahem). So basically Eloni’s name defines all the group... Wow, poor fella. No wonder he’s the Comedian, he’d have to pull anything to get noticed (when its not about his hair) [THE DUDE DABS]

If Battledroids all have background memories to be more efficient in combat... Does 1010 have backup memories from Neon J?

Metro Division shows other kinds of Robots, and the progression of 1010′s Mark Models (1 looks like your typical Sailor, 2 looks a bit like our 1010 but more droid, jointed and blocky, and our 1010 is currently mark 3... There are 4 known Types of Droid, so a 4th Mark may be on the way)

Neon J, Manager and Creator, is a Vetren of Vinyl City’s Navy (It only has a Navy); and his District is literally a Theme Park mashed with a Ship Yard.

Neon is the 10th element of the Periodic Table, and J is the 10th letter. Dude loves his 10s.

Considering how he replaces the bots in battle, or even outright uses them as weapons... Perhaps his “Troops” are not the Bot bodies, but the AI possibly hosted inside? 1010 has more personality out of battle after all, and Neon is seen fervently protecting 1010 when their eyes share their hair color. (As their eyes are only white in battle...) Hm, mayhaps the HC is, that when their Eyes have color, the AI is truely present.

Neon is a Cyborg, note that his body appears to be the same kind of droid as 1010′s, with a Radar head. His brain is apparently in his radar, and as we saw post-battle, that head was smashed to hell. Perhaps the reason he was reminiscing so much and though that BBJ was really after him, was because of some serious onset head or brain trauma.

Apparently, Vinyl City has or has had Border Wars. This could be a reference to the Korean DMZ Conflicts (As 1010 does distinctly include Korean K-Pop, and South Korean men do have to serve 2 years in the military forces by law), but there have been hundreds of different Border Wars throughout the world. [ I wonder what war Vinyl City was in. Perhaps against the Artist Capital of the World, Canvas City ] [ Oh take me down to the Canvas City, where the grass is green and the pics are pretty--]

Neon’s passion is Dancing.

Neon J and DJ Subatomic Supernova do seem to be in a lot of pictures together. No wonder everybody ships them.

Neon J used to make toys, as seen by the collectibles you can get. Done by hand too. Though if each toy found is a stage in his life... I wonder who the doll with the violin is.

Think maybe Neon J has direct control over 1010? I mean they share the same voice, they have a passion for poses and dancing, he does directly command them...

Are Cyborg parts cheap? Or was Neon J someone important enough in the Vinyl City Navy to actually become a cyborg? Military doesn’t do expensive prosthetic surgeries for random grunts without reason.

Okay, regarding what the Azkar faction is. Its probably suppose to be Askar. Azkar is a type of Islamic Prayer. Askar is actually Arabic for Army. So it’d be The “Army Faction” (which makes more sense for a nation city-state that only has a Navy)

The place he called “Kewan” is not a real world place. Its either Persian for “Saturn” (What, is he... Is he a SAILOR SCOUT!?) or Kurdish for Mountains (He does mention mountains).

Possibly more as information arises.

[qualidude]

I mean I'd tell you to list every single piece if clothing but that's impossible so just a lil list in general

lol bless you you’re so sweet

Barney Cools is my favorite shop right now! That’s where all my pants and my two colorful fruit/animal button ups are from 🥰 It’s a little expensive so I really only ever buy anything when it’s on sale, but they have actually good sale items unlike some other stores and most things go on sale at the end of the season regardless of what they are!

I really like Etsy for graphic shirts (especially gay ones?? they have a shocking number of excellent gay tees). Lots of cool screenprints too. About half the stuff on there is the most cringe thing you’ve ever seen, but the other half is 👌🏻👍🏻🔥 Plus you get to support a small business!

I like volcom and RVCA a lot as well, though a lot of their clothes have logos that are too big for my taste. Comfy though and very easy to feel v gender euphoric in 😌

I get my formal clothing from WildFang! That’s another place that’s really good to hit when sales are happening because ngl I do not think their clothes are worth full price (😬 sorry WildFang yikes). One thing I will say is if you live in a city where there is a storefront like I do, GO TO THE NEAREST BUFFALO EXCHANGE DURING THE SEASON CHANGE. I literally got three full suit sets, a pair of shoes, and two shirts for so cheap 😭😭✌🏻

I get my underwear from tomboyx and paxsies! I love tomboy tbh but I would support paxsies over them because paxsies is actually geared towards trans folks and tomboy I have heard is undereducated on and uningaged with trans issues as a company.

I just got a super twinky swimsuit from lockwood51 so I’ll let y’all know how it is!!

Tbh I also shop a lot at like...target lol bless that place their clothes are so gnc. All my button ups are either from lands end, my grandma’s closet, or the goodwill bins haha. My Levi’s jacket came from a vintage store and I think is from like the 90s. A lot of stuff I stole from my dad 😂😭

edit: also my pretty boy sweatshirt is from FLAVNT!

[pynkhues]

What’s you top 5 unpopular good girls ships?

I am eternally blessed, anon, because all my ships for Good Girls are pretty popular, haha. I’m all about Beth x Rio, Ruby x Stan, Dean x Suffering, Boomer x Grievous Bodily Harm! Even my non-canon ships like Annie x Nancy or Annie x JT are pretty popular! 

So instead, I’m offering you five crack ships and I’ve written the scenarios where I think they could work, because I am a glutton for punishment, haha. One of them I actually want to write, but I’m not going to say which, because I don’t want anyone to peer pressure me into writing it, hahaha. (I have way too many WIPs!)

Below a cut to save your feeds.

1. Krystal x Lucy

Okay, SO, I accidentally wrote them into the pornstar au, and ever since the thought came to me, it’s latched on like a parasite! I love the thought of them both having someone in their corner in the way that we sort of know they don’t? Lucy really needed somebody who could fight for her and was more clued into the world than either herself or Max, and Krystal pretty clearly needs someone who’s kind to her. Plus Krystal would edge out some of Lucy’s cutesyness, while Lucy would ground Krystal, and idk! I just think they’d be cute!

Okay, scenario though – I’m thinking the Hill’s have a Christmas party. Lucy and Max have recently broken up and Beth feels bad for her, so invites her to be her plus-one (or, well, plus seventh after Rio and the kids), and the gesture’s a nice one, but Beth is instantly distracted by helping Ruby get the food out or with Jane and Marcus inevitably causing havoc, and so Lucy ends up wallflowering, watching everyone else just - - know each other, right? 

And maybe Krystal sees her and maybe she’s a few drinks in already, so it’s not like it takes much to grab another cup of spiked eggnog and tumble against the wall beside Lucy. And maybe it’s awkward at first, because Lucy’s sort of weird, but maybe Krystal kind of likes that, and maybe Lucy compliments Krystal’s ugly snowman earrings, and Krystal really does think Lucy’s reindeer sweater is cute, and maybe Lucy falls a little in love when Krystal sings bawdy Christmas songs, her arm slung over Ruby’s shoulder, and Krystal falls a little in love when Lucy is unfairly good at drunk pictionary, and maybe it feels like they’ve known each other a lot longer than a night (and maybe they want to make sure they will). 

2. Mick x Mary Pat. 

Okay, okay, okay. Hear me out. 

So it finally happens. Rio finds out who Mary Pat is, what she’s done – that she’s Beth’s rotten egg – and y’know, Rio isn’t playing around anymore. He wants to send Beth a message, and what better way to do that than to handle the third person she couldn’t after Turner and Boomer? So he sends Mick off with an order.

And so Mick watches for a few days – keeps an eye on her schedule, her routine, carving out a plan to handle her as smoothly as possible (he’s not Rio after all, he doesn’t hand guns to women he’s just kidnapped, y’know?) – and starts to get a sense of her. Sure, maybe he feels a little bad. She has a lot of kids, y’know? And always seems pretty frazzled, at the end of her rope, but sort of sweet. She goes to church, sings in a choir, makes pancakes from a box, sure, but she adds both choc chips and blueberries which is a pretty good combo, and maybe it’s hard to believe she’s swept up in all of this, but then it was hard to believe Mrs Boland and that sweet girl from Paper Porcupine had been too. 

Still, Mick knows what he’s doing, y’know? 

He’s not Rio. He’ll finish the job.

So he steals into her house late at night, moving down to her bedroom, intending to take her outside, handle her away from the kids at least, when suddenly a wild Mary Pat appears! Brandishing a huge knife. 

Mick staggers back! Alarmed, and Mary Pat thrusts it at him, knowing exactly how long he’s been watching her and what does he think she is??? NEW to this??? She worked with the FBI! Okay, not --  not worked with them, but y’know, an agent was on her case for a while, and Mary Pat is not as stupid as her Uncle Larry told her that one time, and okay, Mick thinks, staggering back into his seat, eyes fixed on the knife Mary Pat is waving around at him. 

You wanna talk this out? 

It’s the wrong thing to say, because no, she doesn’t especially, and they just sort of stare at each other for a minute, trying to figure out what happens next when Billy wakes up and trots down the hallway, and he’s had a bad dream about the bad man, and for a minute, Mick thinks he’s talking about him, but then Mary Pat says something about how Boomer won’t ever step foot in this house again, and with the way she’s holding that knife, Mick is inclined to believe her. 

And then, well, Billy asks for pancakes. 

So that’s how Mick ends up eating pancakes with Mary Pat and three of her four kids at 2 in the morning, and y’know, he’s not a total asshole. He’s going to stay and help her clean up afterwards, and maybe it’s sort of nice, now that she’s put the knife down (although it is still in reaching distance, and honestly, he respects that), now that his gun’s back in his pants. 

And well, he can’t exactly kill a woman who just made him pancakes, so he figures next time, only next time, Mary Pat’s already cooking, and then the time after that, she’s already set him a plate, and maybe the time after that, she kisses him, and maybe the time after that, he kisses her first, and at least when Rio asks, Mick can just give him a look, because it isn’t like he doesn’t have his own batshit crazy mother of four he can’t kill. 

3. Rhea x Phoebe. 

So, y’know. Phoebe’s good at her job. 

Phoebe knows how to do a stakeout, to keep tabs, to collect intel. She revels in every part of the chase, every part of the puzzle, every part of the game of it all, because she knows that what she’s doing is right, she’s cleaning up the streets! Making the world a better place! But - - okay, she’ll be the first to admit that she already finds her marks exhausting.

Not so much Hill and Marks. They’re sort of fun to keep tabs on (and lowkey, Phoebe really does maybe daydream sometimes about what it might be like to sit on the couch and watch bad reality shows with them, drinking cheap wine and creamy, herb crusted cheeses). Even Boland is kind of awesome when she’s not with him. 

Because the thing is, as soon as Boland and the Big Kahuna are together, everything just gets a little - - hm. What’s the word for it? 

(”Nothing like watching a crime lord pull pigtails,” Henry had said on one stakeout, headphones on as they’d watched from afar as Big Kahuna had swung in close to Boland, said something that made her flush red and try to stamp on his foot. “Can’t wait until they graduate to passing notes. At least then there might be something we can use.”) 

And, well. It’s not like he’s wrong.

So maybe she starts to get bored of watching the highschool antics of them (as has everyone else, she thinks, if the looks on their faces is anything to go by - including the hitman clearly trying to take one, or both of them out [and please, a little part of Phoebe thinks, watching as Big Kahuna drags a finger across the back of Boland’s knuckles, and Boland wait until he’s gone to order the most expensive liquor in the bar to Big Kahuna’s tab]). Maybe that makes her dig a little deeper. 

Maybe that’s how she finds herself watching an under-9′s soccer game in a fold-out chair beside Big Kahuna’s baby mama. (She tells her she’s researching, so it’s not technically a lie, even if the cover of starting to coach a team of her own in the fall is a thin one).

And okay, maybe they hit it off. Which is kind of cool, Phoebe thinks, because it turns out Rhea is kind of cool (how she put up with Big Kahuna is a total mystery to her), and y’know, she’s actually pretty? LIke, pretty pretty. And nice, and totally normal, and maybe they get a coffee after the game, and catch a movie on the weekend, and maybe sometimes Phoebe forgets to fish about Big Kahuna at all, but that’s an easy mistake to make, and maybe Henry gives her a Look when he hears about it, but it’s nothing, Phoebe thinks.

She’s just doing her due diligence. 

Being thorough, y’know? 

I mean, who even knows when information could come out, and Phoebe’s just laying the groundwork anyway, she thinks, watching the line of Rhea’s neck, the purse of her lips, blinking rapidly when Rhea leans across the table, the curve of her breast visible beneath the thin fabric of her shirt, and says: “I know you’re a fed.” 

And Phoebe splutters as Rhea keeps leaning forwards. 

“I’m not going to tell you anything about him.” 

And what can Phoebe say except okay, something in her chest tightening at - - at what, Phoebe has no idea. Just knows that Rhea’s so close she can feel the other woman’s breath on her cheek.  

“I just want to be clear about that,” she tells her. “If we’re going to do this.” 

And Phoebe blinks, owlish at Rhea, pulse rapid and mouth dry as she asks: “Do what?” 

And well, it turns out Phoebe likes Rhea even more when she’s kissing her.

4. Greg x Dr. Josh.

Okay, so maybe two things happen. 

Maybe it’s a party of something when Annie finally turns around and tells Greg about kissing her therapist, and honestly, Greg shouldn’t be surprised. This is what Annie does, after all, and telling her off never really gets him anywhere, so he pours them both another drink, and - - sure, maybe another. 

Then maybe a few more. 

Because it’s just like they’re in this loop, y’know? Him and her. Like she fucks up and it’s not like she expects him to clean up after her (he’s not Beth), but it’s like there’s something in Annie where she needs him to know about it, and that just really gets to him sometimes, because like, Annie’s not his responsibility just because they have a kid together. Besides, he has Nancy now, so it’s not like he needs Annie, and even thinking about Nancy sort of makes him want to go and find her, so then he’s drunkenly stumbling around this party, looking for that cape of perfect blonde hair, and okay, maybe that’s when the second thing happens.

Annie. Nancy. Closet. Necking. Maybe a shirt’s off? There’s a lot of like - - like mouths and hand stuff and Greg slams the door shut and maybe goes and lies on the grass outside for a while. 

And okay, maybe it’s not a surprise either. Maybe this is also what Annie does too, but still, he stews on it, and then stews on it some more, and so what if he interrogates Ben for this therapist’s address, because like - - hadn’t Annie been going to him for months? How could this guy make everything worse. 

And sure, maybe storming into the guy’s office, drunk on anger this time instead of beer, isn’t the best idea, but he’s just - - pissed, y’know? And maybe he yells at the guy about where he gets off, kissing patients. Making his patients kiss his wife, and okay, the guy’s pale at first, but then is sort of nice, and they sit on the beanbags and talk for a bit about Hurricane Annie, and actually, he’s finished work for the day, so maybe they should go get a beer or whatever? 

And maybe later, when Josh drops a nervous hand to his knee and awkwardly closes the distance between them, when Greg’s kissing back, he does sort of wonder if he and Annie won’t always be pulling from the same pool. 

5. Turner x Noah. 

Come on. We all saw s2. There’s no way Turner didn’t offer a, ahem, hand to help Noah get over Annie. 

[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!

[yawnjunie]

monster hunting for dummies (1)

chapter one: so far, so bad

Description: Being a gruff, angsty teenager without a filter, you were not expecting to make any friends at your new school. After your first day of school, you decided to stop by the town carnival and have some fun for a bit. But five very annoying honeybees seem to follow you everywhere you go. If your fate hadn’t already been unfortunately entangled with these boys, then the mysterious object the bunch of you found at the fortune teller’s sealed the deal. Little did you know, this was the beginning of a long journey full of all sorts of absurd twists and turns. Word count: 3.4k Warnings: profanity, gore, lethal cuteness/diabetes-inducing fluff a/n: 💡 tip // if you’re on pc, ctrl + “+” to enlarge the screen for a comfy reading mode! we’ve spent a long time planning this story, so please let us know how you think of it so far :) without further ado, buckle in for a wild ride!

———

Wilson High. Probably the most dismal place on the planet. You stared straight ahead, lunch tray in hand. 

The cafeteria of the second best high school in the country lay right before your eyes, filled to the brim with top-notch jocks and nerdy A-holes. Someone behind you bumped into you, dangerously shaking the items on your tray. Feeling the weight of your backpack swing towards the right, you stumbled a little. So far, so bad.

You weaved your way through the masses of students walking to their usual seats, already busily chatting about their day. Of course, you kept your distance from the girls with the expensive backpacks and the newest cell phones. Not today, you thought, carefully balancing the food on your tray. Spotting an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria, you sat yourself down and started devouring your food without a second thought.

At least the food here is much better than anything from—

“Hey, you’re that new transfer, right?” A voice interrupted you mid-bite through your cajun pepper-seasoned chicken drumstick.

“Mmmfh, yeah,” you replied, wiping your greasy fingers on a cheap napkin. You looked up, straining your neck to meet the eyes of a boy who just spoke. Squinting from the fluorescent lights, you were only able to make out the looming shadow of the human skyscraper. He had a black backpack slung over his shoulder, and a basketball in the other hand. Who—

As you were sizing him up, his friends were already setting down their backpacks. “‘Bin, we’re going to grab lunch. Watch over our stuff.”

“Alright,” the boy said, awkwardly, seating himself across from you. 

“Oh, shoot, I didn’t mean to sit at your table.” You snatched up your napkin pile and picked up your tray. “Sorry.”

“Oh no it’s fine, you can sit here,” he replied, rubbing his ear sheepishly. “If you want.”

You sat back down, shoveling your food into your mouth as fast as you could without choking. This is so awkward. I might as well finish all this food and get out of here.

As you stuffed your face, you looked around at the noisy, yet dismal atmosphere of the room, filled with people you didn’t know and didn’t care about. New school, new air, yet nothing had changed. 

No matter where, school just sucked. It was a prison—better described as a hellhole— where bullies and other dull people turned the rest of the barrel rotten. Mental illness was a pandemic; everyone contracted it eventually, either from the schoolwork or from inhaling all the smoke coming from inside the bathroom.

The stuffy confinement of the walls could drive anyone insane. You felt the cool, smooth wall behind you with the back of your hand. This school could seriously be made into a mental ward, if it wasn’t already one. No remodeling required. 

Your gaze shifted to the boy in front of you. Of course, every place had its own share of the socially awkward. You, for one, had stopped caring. About nearly everything. In fact, you wouldn’t bat an eye if you failed all your classes; you’d probably end up being a farmer, either way. At best, you’d be a farmer with rudimentary knowledge of chemistry.

Sighing, you ripped another bite of your bread. Shit’s drier than Brandonbury’s humor, and that’s saying something. There was a long period of silence, which the boy in front of you filled by knocking his knees together and picking his fingernails.

Suddenly, you heard a slurred murmur coming from the space in front of you. “Um, wheredidyouusedtogo?”

“What?” Oh, right. There was a person there.

“Like, where did you go, before you came here.” He cleared his throat.

“Oh, yeah. I just went here and there.” You downed an entire carton of milk, wiping the milk mustache off your face with the back of your hand. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just… you know, we’re in the same English class.”

“Okay, and?” You were about to say, but you stopped yourself. Is that too cold? It was an astonishing act, for someone as insensitive as you to think about your words before you spoke. Not that you wanted to come off that way, you just, somehow, didn’t have a built-in thought filter like everyone else. But this time, you didn’t want to sound like a mean person to the first person to strike up a conversation with you in this shitty place.

“...Right. Your name is...” You studied his face. His friend just called him ‘Bin. Does he look more like a Woobin? Or a Yoobin? Changbin? Leebin? You furrowed your brow as you racked up more names. Trash bin, maybe? Haha.

“Soobin.” Close enough.

“Oh, yeah.” You chewed your food slowly, then swallowed. “Cool.”

The boy reached his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

There was a moment of awkward silence when you didn’t shake his hand. Retracting it, he cleared his throat and looked away in embarrassment.

“Sorry. My hands are greasy,” you said with a shrug. You were wiping them on your last napkin when out of the corner of your eye, you saw his friends walking back with their first rate cafeteria food. Guess that’s my cue. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” you announced as you gathered your trash, preparing to take your leave. “Bye.”

“W-wait,” Soobin cut, making you turn around.

“Here,” you said, wrapping your uneaten bread roll in a grease-spotted napkin and handing it to him, although it was quite non sequitur. 

He looked like he wanted those bread rolls. He was staring at them, for like, the entire time I was eating. Kind of creepy, but he’s probably hungry.

“T-thanks. See you around… Wyann, was it?” the boy stuttered, head bowed in embarrassment as he accepted the bread.

Did he pick it up during roll call? People with good memory are creepy. You wondered why anyone would bother to remember your name. It wasn’t like you stood out or anything. Just another face in the crowd.  

“What are you, an elephant?”

“What?” His cheeks flushed tomato red. “Are my ears too big for you?” 

I didn’t say anything about your ears, but sure. 

“Bye-bye.” You rolled your eyes a little. Weirdo.

You walked out the cafeteria and ambled aimlessly down the hallway, figuring that you’d find the bathroom eventually if you kept walking. How did the saying go again? Elephants don’t forget? It’d suck ass to be an elephant, then. Some things are better off forgotten, you thought, shaking off your awkward experience.

It took an eternity of walking, but you found the bathroom. After relieving your pea-sized bladder, you flushed the toilet with your heel and reached down to grab your backpack. 

To your horror, there was no backpack to grab. 

Being the health-conscious girl you were, you ran your hands under the water for half a second (without soap), then kicked the door open and rushed down in the direction you came. Back in the cafeteria, you scanned the place you’d been sitting at. Sure enough, your backpack was right where you left it, but it was now surrounded by 4 new faces.

I change my mind. I’d rather be an elephant than be in this situation. With a dreadful sigh, you walked up to the table.

“Didn’t you say she called you an elephant?” One of the boys snickered, before being elbowed in the stomach by a taller boy. Seeing you walking to the table, they all ceased their not-so-secretive giggling and cleared their throats, unnaturally leaning against the lunch table.

“Sorry to interrupt, just forgot my backpack.” Avoiding eye contact, you snatched your backpack and started to back away, but as always, the universe didn’t like making things easy.

“Your backpack? When’d that get there?” a boy with dark, curly hair remarked. 

“We talked while you guys were getting lunch. This is Wyann, she’s new here. And Wyann, these are the 4 biggest idiots you’ll ever meet.” Soobin explained.

“Okay.” You silently looked the four idiots up and down and they just stared back, both sides at a loss for words. With your eyebrow raised and them frowning back at you, this scenario was straight out of some Disney Channel show. Guess this bread boy isn’t very good at introductions. 

“So, Wyann, you’re a transfer? Where from?” Idiot #2 was a boy with wavy blue hair. 

“Here and there.” 

“Hmmm… do you–” 

“Dude, don’t you think you should be the one doing the talking?” Soobin interjected, eyeing his friend awkwardly.

“Oh, right, my name is Yeonjun. I’m just a dude. A really handsome dude. So yeah, you gotta stick around to find out more~”

And if I don’t want to? You thought it’d be pretty funny to say that out loud, but from past experience, you’d found that people didn’t tend to share your sense of humor. Boy, were they missing out.

“Okay.” You simply said.

Just finish saying your names! You guys have one job! Soobin prompted his friends to his left with his eyes.

“Uh, hi! My name is Huening Kai, but you can call me Kai. Nice to meet you. Umm, yeah.” He finished his sentence with a small nod, his curly hair bouncing a little.

“Okay.” 

“Well, uh, what is your name?” The boy asked after a moment of silence. He bottled his emotions up really well for someone who looked like he was going to burst from embarrassment the next moment. 

“I think you should have your ears cleaned out,” you said matter-of-factly.

“Oh… sorry, I’ll shower when I get home.” It would’ve been a funny comeback if he hadn’t meant it so literally.

Soobin violently facepalmed himself, turning around in embarrassment. When the silence ensued, you answered his question with a heavy sigh.

“You can call me Wyann, but really, my name’s Jared, 19, and I never f*ckin’ learned how to read,” you replied sarcastically. “Between the lines, that is. So I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to get going before lunch ends so I can find my next class, not that you care anyway.” 

Turning around to find your next class, you fetched your crumpled campus map from your skirt. Screw school uniforms. If I’m going to be suffering in this hellhole, I’m going to do it in a t-shirt and jeans, starting tomorrow.

You were about to turn a corner in the hallway when a hand stopped you.

“What is it.”

“The social science department’s that way.” A boy with scraggly blonde hair and round eyes flashed a friendly smile at you. Who is this again?

“And how do you know my next class is econ?”

“It’s ‘cuz I’m psychic. And also because all seniors take econ, which only has two classes, and since you weren’t in the first one, you must be in the second one. Here, I’ll help you find the classroom.”

“Cool.” People like this were the type that would get away with murder, and that was cool. But most people found your run-of-the-mill answers off-putting, even when you meant them. And so the rest of the walk took place in silence; for you, a peaceful one, but for him, an awkward one.

–––––––

Tick, tick, tick. 

Seconds seemed to slow into minutes. Rather than listen to the monotonous drone of your trig teacher, which was about as interesting as watching sandpaper dry, you turned your attention to your classmates’ side conversations. Not much of an upgrade, but it beat trig.

“Did you catch the latest episode of TEOTFW?”

“Dude, I nearly shit my pants at the part where–” 

You tuned the rest out to avoid potential spoilers, making a mental note to watch it later.

“Hey, doing anything this weekend?” 

“Don’t tell me you’re throwing another party.”

“Haha, you already know.” 

“Don’t you ever get tired of partying, Jackson?”

You didn’t think you and Jackson would get along very well. You had zero interest in parties.

“Wanna go to that carnival after school?”

“What? Since when was it in town?” 

“They were setting it up yesterday, so it should be open today.” 

“Oh my gosh, I’m gonna buy 50 corndogs.” 

At the thought of 50 freshly-fried heavenly-smelling corn dogs, you started to salivate. Sounds like fun. I think I’ll go check it out. After a few minutes of fiddling with your phone under the desk, you pinpointed the location, conveniently just ten minutes away. 

When the last bell rang after what felt like an eternity, you were the first one out the door. Your backpack had already been zipped and slung over your shoulder for the past 15 minutes now. Running across the asphalt of the school grounds, you bounded out the gates to sweet, sweet freedom.

On the bus, you took your usual seat: 7th row down, left side, aisle seat. Window seats weren’t your thing; no space to breathe. But then again, that was public transportation for you.

Ten minutes down the road from hell, you could practically smell the corn dogs. The venue was less than a block from the bus stop. It was impossible to miss the flashing lights, the bright colors, and the lighthearted carnival tunes. Instead of hopping off the bus at your usual stop, you jumped right off at the corner of the usually isolated street. And before your very eyes, what was usually a patch of empty grass was now bustling with people and fair booths.

Alright, let’s go get some corn dogs.

––––

Straight away, you ran into a dilemma. Right at the entrance of the place was a towering rocking Viking boat, your favorite type of ride. There was something strangely appealing about feeling your stomach was going to fly out of your body, almost as appealing as stuffing yourself to the brim with oily sausages. Now that you thought about it, you really like abusing your stomach. 

Okay, maybe a quick ride wouldn’t hurt.

Being the first person in the queue was among the greatest privileges of mankind. Of course, you went straight to the end of the boat for the maximum thrill. You swung your feet aimlessly, patiently waiting for the ride to start. Most of the riders were parents with their small children, who filed into the middle rows. I’m never having kids. Still, you were grateful for them, because they gave you the whole back row to yourself. 

The ride was about to start when a voice interrupted: “Wait, wait! Hold up, we’re coming– oh wow, I’m out of breath.” “Haha, you gotta get out more, ‘Bin.” 

Oh dear lord, please no. Not here.

“Or maybe you should quit eating so much bread.” 

“Say what you want about my physique, but you’ll never take away my bread rights.” 

Please don’t come over here, please don’t come over here. 

To your horror, you realized that there was only one empty row left and they were heading straight for it. In a frantic last-ditch attempt, you pulled your hood over your head and turned the other way in hopes that they wouldn’t recognize you. The wooden bench creaked under the weight of five new butts. And it was just your luck that Bread Boy happened to sit closest to you.

“Lucky there was enough room left,” the blue-haired idiot remarked. “Thought we weren’t gonna make it.”

“I’ll say. Maybe if you stopped eating so much bread–” 

“Stop teasing me about my bread already. Who are you to talk, anyways? All your nicknames are about food!”

“Well, at least I–” 

You rolled your eyes and filtered out the rest of their bickering. What are they, a married couple? Better dynamic than my parents, at least. God, I hope I never get mar–

The ship lurched, jolting you out of your thoughts, and nearly your seat too. For the first time in a long time, you felt a wide grin spreading across your cheeks. With the breeze gusting through your hair, the sensation of thrill in your stomach, and the view from the top of the boat, you felt alive for the first time in a while. At least, until the screams started.

They literally sounded like dying goats. They were hitting notes even you couldn’t hit, and you were a soprano. Not that you knew how to sing, but you could break glass when you stubbed your toe. 

The rest of the ride was not a pleasant one. Between the screeching and the obnoxious hyena laughter that followed, you were about ready to jam your fist down their windpipes. Luckily for them, the ride ended and they were spared from your wrath.

“Haha, that was so fun! We should go again!” 

Fun, you say? You might have laughed if you weren’t so angry.

“Actually, I think we should dip soon. I dunno why, but I’m getting the heebie jeebies.” Who was that again? Narrowing your eyes, you tried to pin a name on the boy. Oh, never mind. He’s one of the guys who didn’t introduce himself.

“Sure, Tae. You and your spidey sense have gotten us out of trouble too many times to count. But before we go, let’s grab some corn dogs.” The other four followed Tae’s suit and left the boat. It struck you as odd how they trusted his word so easily. What could he have sensed, anyways? Your bloodlust?

Whatever. Now that they’re gone, I’d like to actually enjoy the ride this time. 

Finally, you had the back row to yourself again, and you savored every moment of it.

––––

“Hey guys, can we not go in?” Soobin clutched his queasy stomach at the sight of the waterpark installment, shuddering as he recalled his near-death encounter in deep water as a kid.

“Are you scared because you almost drowned in the kiddie pool when you were five because your safety float deflated?” Taehyun asked, a little too loudly. It earned him a few glances from other people in the queue.

“Shut up! That did not happen!”

“Okay, but aren’t you kinda too old to be scared of water? To be fair, you’re over 180cm and the water here is barely a meter high.”

“Still! I don’t like cold water.” He frowned. “Can we please go somewhere else?”

“Like where?”

“We-we could go watch the circus performances!”

“No thank you. Animals in cages make me sad, and I didn’t come here to be sad,” Tae replied. “We could go watch that magic show at 7 o’clock if you want.”

“But that’s at seven!”

“You can wait for us if you want, grab an ice cream while you wait.” Kai suggested, at a crossroads between going on the waterslide and keeping his friend company. Luckily for Soobin, Kai being the good kid he was, he chose friendship. “I could stay with you if you want to go somewhere else, we’ll have them give us a call when they’re done over here.”

“Okay!” the aquaphobic replied immediately, shooting dirty looks at the three boys that chose to stay in line. Linking arms, the two set off to find the ice cream stand. 

After picking up their ice creams, they wandered through the fairground without any particular destination. After a while of “Oooh, let’s go into the Mirror Maze!” “No, that one has a shorter line!” and “Oh, look! A bread stand!”, the two boys had worn themselves out with their own antics. Or maybe it was just Kai who felt drained, because his counterpart seemed perky as ever, now munching on his fifth carbohydrate snack. The boy sighed wearily as he reclined in a rickety plastic chair, taking a sip of his overly sweet lemonade. 

Staring off into the distance, he suddenly noticed a young boy sitting on a haystack staring him dead in the eyes. The child looked about seven years old, his curly brown hair parted in the middle. Slowly, the corners of his mouth turned upwards without the slightest twitch in the rest of his expression. His eyes didn’t match his smile. Kind of creepy, but then again, kids are weird. Yet something felt off.

“Bro, these nachos are so good! I’m too full to finish it, you want the rest?”

“Psst!” Huening Kai tapped his hyung’s arm quickly and nodded in the direction of the boy. “Look at that kid. Don’t you think he looks kinda cree—”

“Hmm?”

“Wait– where’d he go?” The haystack the boy had been sitting on appeared untouched; not even the slightest buttprint remained. It was as if he’d disapparated. “That’s weird.”

“Oh, right! Tae just texted me saying that they were done over there. We’re going back to meet with them. Let’s go!”

“Alright,” Kai responded, sparing a few last glances before leaving. Call it a gut feeling, but something told him that this wasn’t the last time he’d see this child.

———

chapter one finally out! the original chapter was supposed to be around 7.6k words, but we had to cut it because it was too long 😬😬😬 thank you for reading :)

hmm, i wonder who that mysterious child is?

[rwbyremnants]

WARNINGS: Winter/Ruby: teacher/student roleplay, hot wax, scene interruption, under the table action, accidental exhibitionism, accidental parent/child incestuous feelings (no actions).

 (Also, reminder that the Jacques Schnee in this story isn't very similar to the one in canon)

Oh... this chapter. Haha we almost didn't go through with it, since it treads very close to a specific line, but it was just too fun an idea to resist. Hope you guys enjoy it~ and Happy New Year very soon!

=Chapter 7

"Oh wow… yep. That’ll be perfect."

Ruby and Penny had been discussing a few details about the session she would be going through with Winter for the evening, about how she was expected to already be in a particular costume and begin the scene as soon as she entered the door. What had Winter requested? A school uniform. It wasn't something that completely surprised Ruby, but was certainly new and unexpected. Her time at Signal High didn't require a uniform at all!

Thankfully, Penny had come to the rescue. They were both a similar size, and upon hearing Ruby's dilemma, she immediately offered up her old uniform for her to use. Penny had attended a high end private school in her youth in comparison to Ruby's public school, and knew that the uniform wouldn't come cheap. So she saw no point in allowing her girlfriend to go out and buy one when she had one stashed in the back of the closet.

Satisfied with how it fit on her, Ruby turned from the wardrobe to look at her girlfriend. "And you're sure I can use it for this, right? Like, no second thoughts?"

"Of course," Penny said, mostly focused on her laptop screen. "I do think it's strange, of course, but I'm also not using it at all. Why shouldn't you and Winter get some use out of it?" Then she sat back slightly. "There. What do you think about this? 'I am a highly-motivated Berkeley graduate, seeking to enter the workforce and to bring the skills I have gained there and from real life experience to my new employer in a field that offers potential for advancement.' Good, or is it too wordy?"

"Wordy is good! They're always looking for wordy. And if you go for an interview, you're just as smart when you talk as you seem on paper," Ruby complimented. Taking the jacket off the hanger she inspected it closer. Penny's fathers really didn't spare any expense; the material looked wonderful! It almost seemed a shame to use it for some clandestine purpose in Winter’s torture chamber.

"Alright," Penny sighed, finally looking up from her laptop. She gently, not saying anything for a moment. "You look wonderful today. I wish you had gone to my school; it really suits you."

"You think so?" she asked, placing the jacket gently on her bed so it was out the way for her showy little spin, one that made her giggle when she felt the skirt drifting up slightly. "It would have been kinda cool, but I think my dad would have missed me too much to let me stay there all that time."

"Probably true; he didn't want you to go to college where you did, either." Penny giggled as she picked up the little roll of black material that had been on the corner of her desk, standing up and crossing to the bed. "Now, you promised I could do the honours; that's the deal for getting to use it."

"You just wanna see up my skirt," Ruby teased. But not wanting to disappoint her partner, she held out one of her legs, giving her toes a small wriggle to tease further. "Ready!"

"Sit," she ordered, and Ruby did so. Then she took the ankle and gave each toe a delicate kiss. It was different than Winter's reaction to her feet; while she seemed to be drawn to them magnetically, against her will, Penny simply enjoyed doting on the smallest, most insignificant parts of her romantic partner. Who just giggled in response. She always enjoyed how tender Penny was toward the simplest parts of her. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes! Waiting patiently as Penny pulled up the tights, she blushed again.

"And you don't mind if these… rip, do you? The tights, I mean."

"Not the tights. The rest of the outfit, I would appreciate it if you tried your best not to harm it. At least, not in a way that can't be fixed with dry cleaning." Picking up the second stocking, she again kissed Ruby's toes as she said, "But Winter had better not harm these little piggies or I would be very upset."

"Oh, she won't." Chuckling to herself once more, that actually reminded Ruby of another subject to do with Winter. One that she hadn't actually mentioned to Penny yet. "Funnily enough… she actually likes feet. A lot. It's something I didn't expect."

"Really?" Penny asked, hands only halfway raised to put on the other stocking at last. She glanced down at the feet, one covered and one not, then back up at Ruby's face with a slight smile. "Well, why shouldn't she? They are adorable; yours especially."

"Yeah I guess toes are kinda cute and small, but like, sexy? I mean, I got nothing against it, whatever floats her boat." She smiled again, pushing the foot into the stocking as Penny held it open. "Winter's really mysterious like that. I barely know any of her kinks."

Penny's smile was gentle as she tugged the stockings into place perfectly, then reached down and picked up the fabric-covered feet, cradling them fondly in her hands. "They are nice. I mean, as far as I can tell, since 'sexy' is a strange concept for me. So I will defer to Winter." The smile turned mischievous as she kneaded into the soles with her thumbs. "What if… I had control of one of them, and Winter had control of the other? Would you enjoy that?"

"Hmm…" Looking upwards as she allowed herself to relax, Ruby rolled her foot slowly into Penny's motions, softly groaning from how pleasant it felt. "Both massaging? Well, hey, I like being pampered…"

"Massaging for me. I'm not sure what Winter's preferred activities are." Again, she kissed the feet through her stockings and then picked up her saddle shoes, slipping them on. "Have… you talked to her about your romantic feelings yet?"

Deeply sighing, that once relaxed smile faded away. Instead she leant forward again, staring into nothingness. "No… I still don't know if I should. I don't know if Winter's Aro or not, but she's never really had a relationship, or dated or anything. Maybe she doesn’t want that with me, and it might just make things weird."

As Penny continued tying her shoes for her, she said reasonably, "Well, you can't know if you don't ask. Perhaps you should pose it to her as a question; simply find out whether or not she would be open to doing romantic things with you. If she says no, then you don't have to tell her that you're already feeling that way."

"Penny, you know me better than anyone else. You know I'm not that slick. She'll see through that a mile away." Resting her chin on her hands, she continued to stare out blankly, already giving up without trying.

"Oh, Ruby…" The job done, Penny got up and sat next to her girlfriend, hugging her close. "You're a beautiful, sweet, wonderful woman. If she's going to feel romantic feelings for anyone, why wouldn't it be you? And if she doesn't, then I'm sure it's only because she doesn't feel that way about people – the same way I don't feel sexual desire for people." Then she lowered her voice and added, "Though I can make exceptions for my little Rubáiyát."

That had managed to bring a smile to Ruby's face. Somehow Penny always seemed to manage that with her, even when she was in her lowest of moods. Turning to face toward her, she wrapped her arms back around her partner, giving her a big kiss on the cheek before she nuzzled against her. "And you are just as sweet, just as beautiful; inside and out. You're so good to me, Penpen."

"Just protecting my investment," she joked in a gentle tone; an old joke for them. "Love you."

The smile turned into even more of a grin as she nuzzled again, softly stroking her shoulder. "Love you more."

-------------------

For the thirteenth time, at the very least, Winter checked the clock on the wall. Resisted temptation to call Ruby, or text her; to triple-check she was on her way, since she had passed double-check quite some time ago. As she sat in the chair, legs crossed and one shoe bobbing up and down anxiously, the elder of the Schnee sisters again reconsidered why she cared so much. For most subs, if they were on time, that was fine. For Ruby… being on time wasn't good enough. She wanted her there much earlier, so they could begin right away; have plenty of time to chat once their session had ended.

Because you care about this one, a small voice in the back of her head whispered. Too much.

She silenced it with a physical wave of her hand. Yes, she obviously cared about Ruby; she was a friend and a sister-in-law, besides her favourite person to dominate. Those were plenty of reasons to cherish her greatly. And if she found herself fantasizing about more than simply deriving sexual pleasure from the girl…

If she found herself wishing she could wake up next to her more than just the once in her life…

The sound of the doorbell shattered those thoughts, and she now found herself grateful. Pulling out her phone, she sent Ruby a quick text, smirking to herself all the while. It was time to begin.

Just as eager to start, but anxious for what was to come, was Ruby. She patiently waited outside the door to her Dom’s flat, holding her hands in one another to try and maintain her focus. This was to be slightly different from their last sessions, in that she would be thrown straight into the role. No preparation, no film and drink. They had already agreed on the terms over the phone, with their usual safety word in place. As soon as Winter would open the door, they were in-scene.

The text only read: Door unlocked. Come to the office, first door on right; bring in what's outside.

“She really is prepared,” Ruby breathed to herself Quickly pushing open the door and stepping inside, she shut the door tight behind her; she saw no point in locking it, not with Winter's reassurance that her roommate was out for another weekend. Besides, she had not been instructed to do so. Following the message to the letter, she headed straight for the hallway, toward the office.

Sat outside the door was a backpack. When Ruby picked it up, it didn't seem to weigh much. Just an average school bag. No doubt she expected Winter wouldn't want her to look inside until she got in the room, so she didn't. Finally, she turned the knob on the door, slowly pushing it open.

The room was very different from when she had glanced in before; then, it had been a fairly dull office space. A few filing cabinets, a fine oak desk, and a potted plant… and literally nothing else. Just a place for Winter to do some of her work when not upstairs in the main Schnee offices. Now…

Now it was a classroom.

“Whoa...” she couldn’t help breathing as she gaped at her surrounding. The dull painting that had hung on the far wall had been replaced with a blackboard, and the couple of other comfortable chairs vanished in favour of smaller student desks. There were only two, but that was enough for realism's sake, given that this was for play. A globe stood on one of the filing cabinets, and there was now a bookshelf with a full Encyclopædia Britannica racked up along its planks. Winter's own desk was the same, but the contents on top had been changed out for a syllabus, a stack of papers to be graded… and a shiny red apple.

"You're late," Winter said in a firm tone from where she sat. Though Ruby could only see her from the waist up, she could see one of her crisp white blouses that she wore to work had been augmented with a cardigan, the sleeves tied around her neck so the rest draped over her back.

"S-sorry, Miss Schnee!" That seemed to fit the role. Ruby had guessed they were doing a teacher-student thing, but not for the entire office to be changed so drastically! Straight away she went to take one of the seats – the closer one, as Winter expected her to, resting the bag on the table.

"You are already in trouble, so the least you could do is be punctual for your punishment." Then she sighed, a very slight cloud forming in front of her mouth, and set about straightening a few of her papers. "And I am sorry about how cold it is in here; the heat is inferior in this room, and with only the two of us in here to lend our body heat…"

"O-oh…" Thanks to the jacket, Ruby hadn't noticed just yet. She had only just opened the bag: a few blank books, some papers, and a pencil case. Her student didn't know if they would be used or not, but it was worth getting them out anyway just to make sure. "It won't happen again," she reassured, setting them on her desk. "And… do you want me to write lines, Miss?"

"Yes I do." Picking up a pair of square-framed spectacles, she pushed them onto her face as she scooted her own chair back. "Given that you aren't much of a troublemaker in my art class, I see no reason to make it too strenuous. Let's say… fifty times. And nothing too long, either."

Then Winter rose and turned to the board. From there, Ruby could see she had her now-red hair in a bun, and was wearing one of the tightest black pencil skirts she had ever seen. Her hand grasped a piece of chalk, then wrote in loopy cursive on the board:

I, Ruby, have been naughty.

"Okay… I can do that." First thing first, she opened the notebook on the first page. Although she was expecting it to be clean, she was mistaken…

Right there, on page one, was a large heart in brilliant red marker. In the middle of it was written in blue, "Ms. Schnee + Me". There were a dozen little hearts drawn around it, as well, in various hues and sizes. So dark was the press of the marker that the next several pages past it had experienced bleed-through.

Oh GOD. Ruby's face went bright red. Not only was she already distracted by the resemblance Winter had to her teacher that she had once described, something that had prompted double take; but Winter had embarrassingly marked the notebook for her! Straight away she could be heard loudly turning the pages, trying to find a single one where there wasn't anymore bleed-throughs and eventually, halfway into the book, she found one.

Sighing in relief, she then went to unzip the pencil case. Only to find that wasn't the only surprise. The first thing to emerge was a pencil, of course; it rolled neatly up against the spiral of the notebook. After that rolled out a small plastic device, shaped like an overlarge medicine capsule, about the size of her thumb. It seemed to be twistable at the centre. There were other things inside the bag, too indistinct to see without tumping them out, as well… but even in shadow, they certainly didn't look like school supplies.

Blinking again in surprise, Ruby was beside herself. There were rather suspicious items in there, and love notes all over her book. And with how well Winter now resembled her old teacher, she didn’t know what to do besides take the pencil in her left hand to begin writing, and cover her mouth with her right in a vain attempt to try and hide the intense blushing she now has all over her face. This “lesson” was going to drive her mad.

Shivering as she sorted through her papers, Winter said, "This won't do. Hang on, I think we have…" Opening one of the lower desk drawers, she made a good show of rummaging around for something in there. Up came a candelabra of long tapers, and two smaller candle holders with small, squat red candles in them.

"Keep to doing your lines," she said offhandedly as she saw Ruby looking, producing a box of matches. But when Ruby looked up again, she couldn't. She had scarcely even written three lines, before she realised what Winter was doing. She was playing directly into the kinks she described; the teacher-crush, and the wax play. At least, she expected that was what they were for. Winter didn't just do decoration for the sake of it.

But when her “teacher” looked up again, Ruby quickly got back to it before she could say another word, quickly writing more lines as fast as she could. Nodding in satisfaction, Winter finished lighting the candelabra, then blew out the match. The room filled with the acrid smell of sulphur as she flicked it into the bin. Then she used one of the tapers to light the two smaller candles.

"This isn't much, but I hope it will help," she sighed as she stood, carrying the smaller ones over. The minute she came around the desk…

A powerful scent of strawberries filled the air between them. The tapers might have been simple wax, but clearly those two weren't. Unable to help herself, Ruby hummed; the scent was relatively strong, enough to relax her a little more. But not enough to ignore the still wonderful sight of Winter. She had nailed the look of her old teacher perfectly, from the shades to the bun. Not only that, but the outfit she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination, either.

Hey, I wonder if she's still wearing that plug from the other session. But the instant that thought crept into her mind, Ruby pushed it down, trying to get back to her lines. You dummy! She wouldn't have kept it in for that long!

But after her twentieth line, she thought, Then again, she could have always put it in again for you before you got here, maybe…

The clack of her black heels against the white tile floor gave nothing away, whether or not Winter had a plug inside of herself. When she bent away from Ruby to set down the first candle on the other desk, showing her pert, rounded posterior, there was nothing sticking out too obviously that Ruby could see. However, when she turned back with the other one, she found herself face-to-face with the girl.

"Miss Rose, what were you doing a moment ago?"

Looking up from the lines and toward her, she found her shoulders shrugging as more. Rendered utterly speechless as per the norm with Winter, she stuttered and stammered, trying to come up with some form of response. "U-uh… I-I was, um… w-working on my lines, Miss Schnee?"

"I… thought you were watching…" Shaking her head slightly as if to rid it of a stray thought, she reached to place the candle on the corner of Ruby's desk - and knocked the small pink object to the floor. "Oh, your eras-"

Her voice cut off when a quiet vibrating filled the air.

Immediately, the blushing on Ruby's face got even worse. This was so embarrassing, even if it was part of the session! She looked straight back at her lines again, red as the apple on Winter's desk. All she could say after that was, "That's not mine! I swear!"

As Winter picked it up, Ruby was granted a generous glimpse of cleavage; not as much as Winter might have shown her otherwise, but a little just above the knot of her cardigan. A little pendant hung down, swinging back and forth above her ample bosom, which was cut off by a lacy black bra. She couldn't resist taking a peek at that. Blinking repeatedly while Winter collected her “eraser”, she continued to stare. God, how she wanted to just get on with things and for them both to have their way…

No, she had to wait. Had to wait for whatever punishment Winter had lined up.

"Well, this…" Winter blinked at it in mild confusion for a moment, playing her part well. Then she cleared her throat nervously, twisting the device to end the noise. "You must have taken out this… neck massager instead of your eraser."

"Yeah, I must have! C-clumsy me!" Ruby giggled nervously, though soon got back to her writing again. She had to, it was the only thing keeping her sane anymore. But the fifty lines were done long before she thought they would be. On to whatever she had planned next. "Done, Miss."

Having just settled both candle and "massager" on the desk, she looked down and said, "Have you, already? Then… hmm." She leaned down and placed one hand on the side of Ruby's desk, the other draped over the back of her chair as she leaned down to study the lines.

Her chest was now so close that it was resting just the slightest bit on Ruby's shoulder. Already, she could feel her breath beginning to hitch up, her body temperature heating up. If Winter wasn't an agent for her favourite popstar and sister-in-law, she would suggest a teacher would be a good role for her.

"Very good so far. Now then… how about we try fifty more lines, something else? When you finish that, you can move on to your homework." Her hand trailed very lightly over the back of Ruby's neck as she drew away and walked back up to the chalkboard.

"Hmm…" She lightly shuddered when feeling the soft fingertips, finding herself watching quite closely. Each sway of her hips was alluring. Biting her lip gently, she asked, "What lines do you want next?"

Raising her delicate hand, this time Winter arched her back slightly as she erased the previous line, causing her plump backside to be more prominent. Then she went for the chalk and wrote:

I wanted Ms. Schnee to punish me.

Once again, Ruby swallowed in fear of what was to come. Winter was simply building it up, but it was already going to her head. She could feel herself beginning to heat up more and more as she began writing on the next page, trying to be as neat as possible to impress her.

Meanwhile, Winter seated herself for a minute, pretending to go over her lesson plan. Who knew what was written in there, if anything; perhaps she had even borrowed it from an actual teacher. Either way, she was certainly dedicated to making the scene authentic. That was what managed to get Ruby going the most: Winter had gone all out once again to make this as best an illusion as she could. Right down to the shiny apple.

A few minutes later, she sat upright again. Lowering her pencil, she cleared her throat and announced, "Finished, Miss Schnee!"

Without looking up from what she was "working" on, Winter said in a dispassionate voice, "Bring your notebook up here, please."

Swallowing again, Ruby held the notebook open to the right page as she rose from her seat. Pacing over, she did as she was asked, placing her punishment on her temporary teacher’s desk. Her only hope was that 'Miss Schnee' wouldn't turn the page.

Winter barely glanced at it, too absorbed in her lesson plan. From where she stood, it could be seen that she had filled it out, after all: the page was open to the current date. Written in very bold letters was: Alone time with little Rose. Blinking in surprise, Ruby couldn't help but begin to read the parts of the page she could see. For now, most of her arm had covered the rest up, but she read the next item on the itinerary quite easily: Get her undressed.

Finally, Miss Schnee did glance up at the notebook, then further up at Ruby, as if she had forgotten she was standing there all the while. "Yes?" she asked.

"O-oh! Um, sorry." Ruby anxiously shrugged her shoulders again. "Do you want me to sit back down?"

"Please. You should still have your art homework to complete." She started to turn back to her syllabus, then looked up with a slight smile. "These individual projects were fun to choose for my students. Have you taken a look at yours yet?"

"I-I haven’t," she admitted, slowly walking back to her seat again and pulling the chair out. But before she sat… "Remind me again, Miss Schnee?"

"You should have it in your bag, I hope," Winter sighed in an aloof tone, flipping a few pages back and forth in the lesson plan. "In the envelope I gave you earlier today. If not, then I'm not sure what else you'll do for the rest of detention."

"Oh, sorry! I… Forgot." She quickly made the excuse, taking her seat and picking up her bag from the ground to rummage through it's contents. Sure enough, there was the envelope that Winter spoke of, still sealed. Taking it and opening it up, she took the note from it and began reading.

Please take your time and do as good a job with this as you can, with whatever media you see fit; pencils, pastels, or paints. It counts for a quarter of your grade. Then, behind the note, was a picture…

And what a picture. It was an eight-by-ten glossy photo of Winter, sitting forward in a wooden chair with her wrists bound in the small of her back, facing away from the camera. One eye was looking back over her bare shoulder, but with the blindfold and ballgag, it was hard to tell for sure it was her.

For a moment, Ruby had to hide the photo from view. Winter seemed to have discovered that even though she was no Dom, Ruby enjoyed seeing her in such a submissive state just as much as she enjoyed being dominated by her. After regaining her composure, she pulled the selected picture back out again, taking a closer look. Even if it was presented without context, it was truly a beautiful photo; well-lit, the angle was perfect. How much more had she spent on this good of a photographer alone?

Able to sense she was being watched by Winter, she quickly placed the picture back down, covering it with her pencil case. "U-uh… I was just… Uh…"

"Doing your homework?" Winter prompted with a bemused smile, making a gesture over toward Ruby with her red pen. "That's the idea, isn't it? Just do your best; you know I grade on effort and overall improvement, so don't worry about if it's 'perfect' or not."

"Cool, cool… I think I know what I can do."

Taking out a sketchbook that Winter had placed within the bag, she went through the pencil case again. Perfect; a black ballpoint pen. It had been a long time since Ruby last made art, but whenever she did, her weapon of choice was ink. She began to roughly sketch the basic outline, mastering the different shades by the amount she had to scribble against the page. She began with the darker tones first, the small of her back against her bound hands, continuing up her arms and the rest of the piece. It was quick and rough, but the shape was pretty accurate to the photo.

Ruby was just putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece when Winter's voice reached her, sharp and clear even though it was still on the other side of the room. "What… what is the meaning of this?"

It was enough of a distraction to cause one line to go slightly too far. Probably something Winter wouldn't notice, but something Ruby cursed herself inwardly for. Looking up, she asked, "What? What is it?"

The teacher was holding open Ruby's notebook, still with the other hand gripping the cover as if to close it. As if she had accidentally flipped to the front page and was on point of closing it the rest of the way… when she saw. Her eyebrows were knitted in very convincing confusion.

"Is… this some kind of joke? One of your friends teasing you?"

Her time drawing had completely wiped her memory of the embarrassing notes in the book. And now there they were, right in her face. "I… U-Uh… I don't know h-how that… I-I…"

"This looks like your handwriting," the woman persisted. Her voice had been sharp before, but seeing Ruby's reaction was causing it to grow softer and softer. "Like it…" Finally, she closed the cover as she coughed into her fist, eyes on the other side of the rectangular-framed spectacles averted. "But you can't have feelings like that. This is a v-very cruel joke to play on your teacher and I am not amused."

"I'm so sorry," she began, looking down at the table in shame. Unfortunately the fact there was a picture of her bound and gagged right in her vision wasn't helping; it was only making her core heat up all the more, and the blush to flare up once again. "I-I don't know what I was thinking. I was just… I-I…"

But Winter had opened it again, staring down at the garish heart. Her cheeks were getting a little pink themselves, though not nearly so much as Ruby's. After another second, she closed it again and shook her head, standing up and striding around her desk.

"We can't have this going on. It could lead to a lot of unpleasant questions for both of us, you understand?" Then she very carefully added, "Regardless of… whether or not this is a joke."

"I swear, Miss Schnee, I didn't mean to embarrass you!" Even if it wasn't something she did at all, she still felt humiliated by the sheer insinuation of it. Slowly she looked up toward her again, eyes still wide and nervous.

"I know you didn't. You've always been a near-perfect student. It's… been a real pleasure having you in my class, Ruby. Every day, I looked forward to seeing you most of all." Clearing her throat as if realizing she had gone a bit too far, she instead walked closer to Ruby's desk. "How is your project coming along?"

That filled Ruby with a bit of confidence. Picking up the paper, she turned it in her direction immediately. It was a rough drawing, but more than enough for Winter to see Ruby's style of artwork. Scratchy edgy lines with different pressures tones the piece, with softer lines in the light parts to keep it reasonably neat. It was a talent Ruby rarely displayed anymore, but she wanted to do a good job.

For just a moment, Winter was completely speechless. Her mouth opened several times, closed again, opened. Then she finally whispered, "Strawberries."

That made Ruby raise her eyebrow. She lowered the piece again, suddenly seeming a lot more nervous than she was in play - which was now paused. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Ruby, that's really good," she hissed, barely moving from her position. The Dom seemed to be desiring not to break from their play too much. "Sorry, wow, I just wasn't expecting… I'm honestly really impressed you did that just while we were in here."

"Really?" Turning the drawing back to herself for a moment to take another glance, she began to smile again. Turning it back, she asked, "Did you wanna keep it after this? I mean… it wouldn't be this good if the photo wasn't top notch. Did you hire someone to do that?"

"Yeah," Winter whispered, biting her lip and smiling as she nodded. "It was an ad on KinkHub that I answered; the shoot was free, so long as he could have free reign with the pictures that didn't clearly show my identity. Like that one, because of the blindfold and gag."

"It's… I mean, I know for you both, it's a kink thing, but it's sort of an artsy pic," Ruby noted, placing the drawn image down right by the photos side. Bar a few slight flaws a casual observer would never notice, it was more or less a perfect copy with the shading. Clearly no one had seen Ruby's art skills apart from teachers and her father.

"Thank you. And sorry, I just had to stop play because, I mean, my next move was going to be yelling at you and demanding to know what you had drawn. I wanted you to know first that I thought your drawing was truly exceptional."

Her face was glowing with pleasure as she stood there, still holding the notebook full of lines. Even though she was still blushing wildly, Ruby was grinning from ear to ear, looking down again to her rather quick drawing. When she realised there was one final touch she needed to do. Taking the pen again, she quickly signed and dated one of the corners, before pushing it back beside the photograph, looking up with the still beaming smile.

"I hope you'd like to keep it, then. All yours!"

"It should be in a gallery somewhere, but… I'd be honoured." Clearing her throat, Winter seemed to come back to the moment. "Right, then - sorry, that really was bad form to stop play, but I couldn't have concentrated until I let you know how talented you are. Ready to begin again?"

Scratching the back of her head for a moment to compose herself, Ruby simply continued to smile happily. It was an honour to hear Winter's delight with her drawing more than anything else. But now that she knew where the play was going, she had to sit back down and recompose herself. "Begin play."

Winter's eyes slid closed, and she took a deep, slow breath in. When they opened again, they looked shocked, very realistically. "Wh… what on earth have you drawn, Miss Rose?! What is that?!"

This time, it was a little more obvious she was acting more than normal, and she seemed to withdraw into a shell, drawing the image back toward her. That, of course, revealed the photograph right next to it. "I-I… That was the photo I got! See?!"

"No, you…" The "teacher" gulped, her hand trembling as she reached toward it. "No, no, you couldn't have - there's no… I d-didn't- you were supposed to have a still life of nature, I'm sure- how did you find this?!"

"It was in the envelope, Miss Schnee," she said rather shyly, pushing the photo toward her. "I th-thought… you gave it to me on purpose – like you were making a pass at me or something, I didn't know!"

Her eyes swiveled between the two images, the original and the artist's rendering. Then she looked back up at Ruby, her cheeks a deeper red and a guilty look coming over her. "It wasn't on purpose. I… I know how this seems, but… Miss Rose, I would appreciate you not telling anyone that this happened. I promise you, I didn't…" Her chest began to heave, and her voice turned into a harsh whisper. "I am not the sort of woman who harasses her students!"

"I never assumed that!" she squeaked out. Unfortunately now that she was more clued in about the subject of play, the words didn't sound genuine. Something she would have to work on in future perhaps. "You said that our subject for this assignment was 'helplessness', right? That's what I assumed this was. There are so many ways it can mean that!"

"W-well, I guess that's a funny coincidence…" Under her breath, she whispered, "That was supposed to go to Glynda; I must have sent her the picture of a dog with its head stuck in the bannister. Wonder what she thought of that…"

"Possibly not as sexy as this image…" But in her haste to make a joke in character, she realised what she had let on instead, and immediately looked wide eyed. "I-I mean, I don't- well, n-not that you aren't sexy! Well you are but… I-I…"

Winter's eyes were wide as she stared at Ruby, cheeks still rouged. After a few more seconds, she shakily asked, "You… weren't trying to play a prank on me, were you? When you drew thi- OOP!"

The notebook caught the edge of the candle as she brought it up to show Ruby again, knocking it over. Most of the hot wax landed on the table, but a drop of it splashed onto the back of the student's bare hand.

And instantly Ruby found herself yipping loudly. She brought her hand in by instinct, but by then the wax had already cooled onto her skin. Before then, however, it was very satisfying to feel the warm sensation – just enough to send a tingle or two down her spine and make her sigh with enjoyment.

"O-Ooohhh…"

"Are you alright?!" Winter demanded, laying the notebook on top of the photograph as she snatched up Ruby's hand, bringing it in toward her face to examine the spot of wax closely.

Face reddened again, she realised that she had done the worst thing; moaned out loud in enjoyment. Way to hold back! Drawing her hand away again, she nervously looked down. "Y-yes, ma’am! Sorry, I'm fine! Just… Just surprised me! Y-you know how dorky I am!"

The woman didn't quite look satisfied. "You're sure? I could get you some ice, or…" Almost as an afterthought, she reached back and righted the candle. "What you must think of me today, giving you obscene homework and burning you…"

"No way, Ms. Schnee," she reassured, rectifying her desk a little more to place the photo on top of her artwork. At least then Winter had the option of taking it back if she wished, or even just leaving it till the end. In truth, Ruby just enjoyed seeing it. "You… you could never do anything wrong. You're the best teacher."

"No… no, I am not." Taking up the hand again, she looked at the little disc of wax clinging to it. Her thumb brushed over the spot very gently, frowning down at it. "The best teacher isn't one who… who could hurt her student the way I have."

"It was an accident." With it only being a thin drop, she brushed it to one side. If any more had spilled onto her, that would be a much harder task to get rid of, but this wasn't the case at all. Ruby then looked back up to her, cheeks turning red as she bit her lip. "Besides… wax doesn't exactly hurt me."

"Thank goodness it doesn't." Winter's soft lips drifted so close to Ruby's hand that her shallow breath could be felt, warm on the slightly red spot where the wax had been a moment before. Then she looked up. "I… what am I doing? You don't want me to kiss it and make it better; I'm not your parent."

"You're not, no… but…" How could she keep this going and play into the role? It was proving rather challenging when she just kept imagining it as her previous teacher. But eventually she smiled up at her again. "You are my guardian while I'm in this building. And that means you can."

Unable to hold back any longer, Winter pressed her lips into Ruby's flesh. Once she did, she seemed unable to stop, kneading into it over and over, leaving tiny wet spots as she went. Her eyes closed, in bliss at being granted such an opportunity with her student… who began to smile again. All she could do was push her hand further into the kisses, offering her up more and more to play with. Oh, how she loved being pampered by her favourite teacher; something no other student would get. Despite the fact that the class size was exactly one.

When she finally drew away, Miss Schnee looked up at Ruby with heavy-lidded eyes. Licked her lips, swallowed. Then she whispered, "I… absolutely should not… have done that, Miss Rose."

"I didn't mind." And she didn't at all. Given that she was pushing the hand further toward her again, she more insisted it was kissed than anything. "I was enjoying it, a lot."

"No, no, this is a problem." The teacher stood, taking the photograph with her and staring at it as she strode to her desk, then turned around and gazed at Ruby fearfully. "You should never have seen this. And I should never have seen what's in your notebook. Some lines are… are not meant to be crossed."

"Maybe not, Ma’am." She would have kept to her desk, but when Winter was over there, backlit by the candles present on her desk, it was impossible to resist. Walking over and placing her art by the photo, she looked gradually toward her teacher again, blushing scarlet. "But now… it seems we're on the same page."

The teacher stared down at the desk at the two images, her fingertips running over the ink In the sketchbook. Then she whispered, "That doesn't make it right that… if I take advantage. You said it yourself: I am in charge of you. I should be telling you to go back to your seat right now."

But she wasn't. Instead, Winter stood there, breathing hard as she glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, caressing the drawing as her other hand clutched the edge of her desk. Half closing her eyes, Ruby made her need for her teacher as obvious as she could. She made sure to stand close to her teacher, unbearably close; despite how much her breath was hitching up.

"But you don't want to," she began, looking straight into the icy blues of Winter's. "And maybe I… want to be taken advantage of."

There was a moment of indecision. In that moment, Ruby of course knew that they would progress; it was the point of their play, after all. But still, the acting was superb; Winter's face showed all the earmarks of an older woman, tortured by desiring a younger one.

"Nothing that happens ever leaves this room," she breathed, voice shaking. "Not the photograph, or the feelings in your notebook…" Her eyes raised again to bore into Ruby's. "Or the 'massager' that we both know you're not going to use on your neck. Or anything after."

She had forgotten about that little tidbit. Blushing again as she looked back, she seemed to be weighing the options of Winter's offer. No strings attached, no conditions; sounded perfect to her. If only things were so easy outside in reality. Nodding, she held the back of her hand out to her teacher again, offering it up to be kissed.

"Yes, Miss Schnee."

Then Winter smiled. It wasn't a kind smile, but it wasn't cruel, either. Somewhere in between. "Tell me about your feelings," she urged, voice still shaking but now with more than simple fear. There was excitement building, as well. "One page in a notebook tells so much… but not enough."

Hoo boy… That was the question, in and out of play. It would be extremely difficult for her to answer that one without giving too much of the game away, and would leave awkward questions when they were done. But maybe she could purge these feelings by feeding them into the role.

"It started at the beginning of the year, when you first taught me. When you told me there was no need to be scared; that I should just… go with the flow- with my art, I mean."

Both of Winter's hands raised, fingering the lapels of Ruby's jacket. Fondly, almost affectionately. Their bodies were much closer now, even though Winter had seemingly done nothing to make it worse. "That's when it started, with me being kind. Where did your mind go from there? What changed it from merely being grateful to a teacher to…" She gave Ruby's necktie a little tug. "Something else?"

Pulled in toward her even more, she swallowed nervously. That was a question she couldn't answer, in or out of character. Taking a small breath in, she shakily began, "I-I dunno… I-it just began, y'know? I don't know how…"

"I'm no one special; just an art teacher. There are dozens of boys - or girls - at this school worth developing a crush on. It had to have been one thing or another." Both hands slid further up, one caressing the side of Ruby's face while the other tousled her hair. "Something I did, or said…?"

"N-no… just… you being you." That was the honest truth at the end of it. Out of character, it really was her discovery of how Winter was as a person that caused her feelings. She was kind, thoughtful, underneath her rather hard outer shell. How could anyone not fall for her? Edging herself closer, Ruby was more or less ready to slide into her lap, still smiling nervously.

"Just me?" Winter's fingers hooked around the bridge of Ruby's glasses, drawing them off and setting them on one of the filing cabinets as she walked to erase the board. Then she lifted the chalk and drew Ruby's name in large, ornate cursive. "I… can relate."

"You can?" Still standing herself back, she watched Winter write her name beautifully, waiting for her to make the next move.

"Why do you think I lit candles? To warm us up? They barely give off any heat, at all." Winter turned, biting the corner of her lip for a moment before she said in a low, sultry voice, "I wanted to see you by candlelight. Even if this was the only way I ever could, it… I can only allow myself so much without tipping my hand."

"Then…" Stepping toward Winter, allowing her character a moment of confidence, she half closed her eyes, placing her hands onto Winter's shoulders as she held her closer, fluttering her lashes seductively. "Maybe you should tip your hand now…"

"Miss Rose…" Her hands slid around Ruby's waist, very naturally sitting there. As if they belonged. Then she whispered, "Why haven't I been able to get you out of my mind? Did… I really put that photo in your envelope by accident? Or did my subconscious hope for this?"

"It could be a little both. I know that… this is like a dream come true for me." Gradually, Ruby began to lean forward. Her eyes seemed to focus on one particular part of her; her lips. Slowly she was heading toward her goal, eyes closing all the more…

Until there was a call from the main room of the apartment. One jarringly familiar for the teacher. "Winter! Do you have a moment?"

They both froze solid. Winter looked at the door, listening hard - and hearing the sound of footsteps, she hissed, "Shit, it's my fa- I mean, the headmaster! There will be too many questions if you're seen here!" Pulling out her chair quickly, she whispered, "Hide under the desk!"

Not even asking twice, Ruby immediately did as she was told and ducked down under the desk, scooting herself right to the back so she would be out of sight from anyone coming in. That was her out of the way; what about the rest of the things that were laid out for their scene?!

Seemed there was no time to do anything about it. The door opened, and entering immediately was Winter's father. Thankfully, he was distracted by a tablet in his hands, on which he tapped through a few of the screens, until he looked up toward her. "Ah, there you are! I just needed to confer with you about these few appointments coming u-"

Then he paused, looking at the desks in front of Winter’s. Blinking in confusion for a moment, it seemed as though he was going to figure something was going on, until…

"Are we due for the interns today? I thought that was next week."

"O-oh, it is," she sighed, sinking down into her chair. She scooted it carefully forward until she felt her shins up against Ruby's chest and stopped, not wishing to squish her but also needing for her seat to look as natural as possible. "I mean, they are. Next week. But the desks got here early."

"Hm… very well, that's fair." Leaning against one of the desks, he brought up another list on the tablet, before giving her his full attention. "I've had a few calls from different talk shows; some for FNKI, some for Freezerburn. Anyway, you're better versed in some of the topics they want to talk about than I am, so I need your input before I book these."

Below the desk, Ruby was blushing again. From where she was, she got an excellent view of Winter from down below. As part of her outfit, she didn't wear any underwear, and was freshly shaven just for her – other than the landing strip. Already she could smell that Winter was aroused, and right in front of her.

"That sounds fine, sir," Winter sighed, legs shifting somewhat anxiously. No way was she forgetting about their invisible guest, either, but was doing her best to sound as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. "If you could forward the dates to me, I'll consult my calendar. Or send them via instant message, if you would ever take the time to learn how to use it…"

"Hey, I've only just joined the twenty-first century learning how to use this thing." He turned the tablet in her direction for a moment, before looking back at it. "Can I go through some of these with you? I need your input on how appropriate these subjects are for your sister."

"Of course." But Winter wasn't budging. She couldn't take the risk that she would stand up and her father might walk around behind the desk, spotting Ruby much more easily. As surreptitiously as she could, she scooted the lesson plan book so that it mostly covered the photograph before she reached out for the tablet.

"Right. The first one is Lisa Lavender again. She's doing a marriage special and wanted Weiss and Yang on, but I have a feeling she's going to bring up the same 'so who's the father' if Fènleng comes up…"

Ruby had more or less zoned out from the conversation going on overhead. She was far too distracted by the sight and smell in front of her. Oh, how much she wanted to lean in, take another taste of it…

And she could; it seemed like something a student would do under these conditions. They weren't exactly playing by the rules here. Giving into her temptation, she placed her hands on Winter's inner thighs, beginning to stroke very slowly. Testing the waters.

"Well, it should be alright; Yang and Weiss are pretty good at redire-AH!" Clearing her throat, Winter adjusted herself in her seat slightly, trying to press her thighs together and trap the hands still. "R-redirecting questions by now. But we could have a word with Lavender before the show."

Alarmed by the sudden yelp from Winter, Mr Schnee raised an eyebrow. For now, he said nothing about it, and simply continued. "Right… well, that could be a possibility. Anyway, she wants FNKI possibly the week after, for both an interview and to perform; that I think would be fine. But I'm more worried about the other few shows on the list that want Freezerburn. I mean, I know they're pretty good with questions but I do worry sometimes on their behalf."

Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't stopping. She only began to smirk more, gradually pushing the legs apart a little more. She was determined to begin teasing as intimately as possible, to continue her habit of getting into risky situations. Wanting to give as good as she got for once.

Not that Winter was making it easy for her. The thighs were opening, but clearly she was pushing back against the hands forcing them apart. As she did so, she hitched a smile over her discomfort. "I know, Father. Weiss is still your baby girl, and Yang is an important part of our family, now, too."

"They are indeed. I just won't tolerate people attacking either of them and spreading rumours. Especially not while they're sensitive right now, I mean; you know what Weiss has been like since Fènleng was born, and the situation with Yang's mental health."

It didn't stop there. As well as hands, a soft pair of lips could be felt against her skin. Ruby was planting more and more kisses upward, giving a brief taster of what was to come. Which caused the scent to get stronger. Winter could only hope that her father didn't notice, but hopefully it would remain trapped beneath the skirt – or masked by the strawberry candle still burning on the second student desk.

"Y-yes, um… you know that I, of all people would never wish any further harm on Yang. But she's strong, she can handle a f- a few reporters."

"Yes… I hope so. I did say ‘no’ to the more infamous shows known to pressure their guests, thought that best. But if you could give a mark on the ones you think they'd enjoy, I'll be on my way."

The kissing continued upward still. Her hands instead moved to Winter's knees, holding them apart so she could continue that journey further upward, more and more until they finally hit home. And she pressed a soft kiss against Winter's petals.

At that instant, Winter had just been reaching up to grasp the tablet… when she couldn't help but let out a low moan, trembling from head to toe and accidentally knocking the apple from her desk as she braced herself against the sensation.

"Y… you can…" Clearing her throat, she sat back again and redoubled her concentration. "You can do as you see f-fit, Father."

Now it seemed he suspected something was wrong, and his brow furrowed again. "Is… everything alright? You seem awfully… on edge."

It could be more felt than heard, but Ruby giggled against Winter's flower at that comment. She could feel herself that Winter was on edge, especially when she delivered yet another kiss. When she saw fit, she allowed her tongue to press directly between her lips, giving a long lap over the length of her.

"S-sorry about that," Winter struggled to say, thighs pressing into both sides of Ruby's head, one of her heels digging into the girl's side. "Cramps, I… think I might have eaten… bad sushi…" She bit her lip to keep from calling out again, bracing herself as best she could.

Her student chose to ignore the mild pain. She continued to lap at the moist petals even more, loving every moment she could feel Winter reacting against her in some way. And all in front of her own father! This was as risky as it got; she was doing great! Winter would no doubt be so proud of her when they were alone again.

"I see. Well, I have some pain killers back in my apartment if you need them, I can go fetch them if needs b-"

But something else caught her father’s eye as he glanced toward her desk. Although she had managed to cover the photograph, Ruby's sketch wasn't covered at all. It was there, out in the open, forgotten by Winter. And was enough to raise both the man's eyebrows.

"Th-that won't be necessary," she told him, attempting to hold his attention away from the photograph. "I… I'll weather it, and if…"

A fresh wave of pleasure cut off the rest of her words. Seemed Ruby was actually not just aiming to tease her a little here or there, but to drive her all the way to orgasm! While Mr. Schnee was still standing on the other side of the desk! Had the Dom created a monster?

"Winter…" It didn't seem to work. Although his attention was away from the photo at the least, he was looking at her instead. There was silence for a moment, until he lightly smiled. "You… never told me that you were also into women."

And from below the desk, Ruby had to stop herself from suddenly laughing. Drawing herself away from the lips for a moment, she quietly chortled to herself, biting her own lip as tight as she could to prevent any sound escaping.

"What? Oh, that's… it's m-merely a drawing a f-friend did." Even though she was breathing easier now that her companion had taken a break, clearly she was still deeply affected by Ruby's attentions. "I… why should that mean I'm… you know, that?"

"Well… I can only assume, a picture of a naked woman – in this context, no less! You must have paid good money for a piece of art like that, and I can't think why you'd want it for general… aesthetic." He was finding himself becoming rather flustered at the subject. Mr Schnee had only just in recent years become more open to his family, including the extended family they now all shared. To his daughter, this would be a strange surprise to hear him talk about, or even see him blush because of the art. "I-I mean, nothing wrong with it, you know. Just… wow, I've been a bigoted old man all this time and both my girls are queer. What a twist."

Winter found herself completely in disbelief. Though she knew her father had come a long way since his old homophobic leanings, she hadn't expected him to very nearly not bat an eye at such an obviously perverse drawing lying out for anyone to see. Even if she had only forgotten about it and not meant for anyone to see it.

But there was something else about his blush that brought a question to mind. She didn't want to ask it, knew the answer would be nothing good. But try as she might, she couldn't resist.

"Do you… like that sketch?"

"I-it's… Uh…" Obviously from a drawing, he didn't recognise the figure; much to Winter's advantage. The last thing she wanted was to try and explain why there was a picture of herself bound and gagged on the desk. Still, he shrugged his shoulders, trying to nervously continue. "I-it's rather… interesting. I don't think you'd want to hear your old man admitting he likes that sort of thing."

"What do-" She hesitated, pushing her thighs together. If Ruby decided she was going to take advantage of the situation again, she wanted her to at least have to fight for it. "Perhaps I would never have asked if the topic hadn't come up this way, but now I'm curious. What do you like about it? The subject matter, the artist's skill… the model?"

And Ruby did. Even if her head was trapped between Winter's thighs, that wasn't going to stop her attempting to push back forward again. As best she could, once more she prised the legs apart, pushed her face to the petals beneath. She was determined not to let Winter off that easily.

And the ever-oblivious Papa Schnee could only look a little more, tilting his head. "Hmm… a-a mixture of the three. Though I haven’t ever seen anything quite like this, the art is very lovely. An interesting style."

"Isn't it, though?" Winter said, gasping as softly as she could when she felt Ruby's mouth attacking her anew, as she feared it would. "You'd… never believe who drew it. Quite a talent, even if it's… well, it's a little kinky, isn't it?"

However, during her brief respite from being eaten out, Winter had thought of a better plan for revenge. As she did her best to lean casually against her elbow, gazing down at the risque art, she raised her feet up and dug the pointed heels down into both of Ruby's hips.

A muffled yelp could be felt against Winter's sex. It hurt, but not to the point she had to stop. Just enough to prove again that she was doing a good job of inflaming her desires.

And further adding to the bonfire were the words of her own father, who could only give a nod of approval. "Yes. If you could give me the details, I may even attempt to commission them, maybe. Though… probably not something as kinky as this! Something more... tasteful, suitable for framing."

Winter nodded, using the time to let another wave of pleasure pass through her, into every last nerve ending. She couldn't stand it. If Ruby didn't let up, or if she didn't get rid of her father within the next few minutes… something unthinkable was going to happen. But she couldn't concentrate. Normally, she would know exactly what to say to get rid of him, or to make him lose interest in the conversation. But all she could do in that moment was to respond.

"I think that… could be arranged. I'll se- I'll set it up. One of the same model? Not kinky, but it could be… anything you want… name it…" Toward the end, her mind had drifted down under the desk again, as ashamed as she was of that.

But once realising what she had said, her heart stopped. No. She couldn’t pose nude for a sketch that her father would be buying – there was a line, and that was definitely over it!

"I may have a model in mind, perhaps… we shall see yet. Though I’ll keep her in mind, as well, of course; she's clearly a beautiful woman indeed. Reminds me of your moth- well, you won't want to hear about that." Thankfully, he did seem to be wrapping up the conversation. That much was obvious when he took the tablet back from her.

What a relief – in more ways than one. Although he did still spend a moment looking at the edits Winter had made to the list. Giving enough time for Ruby to continue. Rather than just lapping at the length of it, she began to focus directly on the clit. Giving a firm circle around and around, she smirked to herself when she felt Winter's legs shuddering. She was close.

The word "Shit!" fell from Winter's lips, soft and stressed. But even before her father could ask, she smiled up at him as convincingly as she could. "Oh, n-nothing, I just… knew the artist is f-fond of that model. Who d-did you have in mind?"

Ruby's mouth was magical! Every lick and nibble at her clit was making her skin tingle all over, her stomach clench and her heart race. A little further and she would be over the edge. The woman hated it, and yet she couldn't stop now; if she tried to get rid of her father at that exact second, whatever story she told him, she knew that one way or another, she would most likely have to stand up – and that when she tried she wouldn't be able to. Those knees were going to buckle. It seemed her only option was to bear down and weather the approaching climax.

Giving a small nod at the tablet, he finally tucked it under his arm. Business taken care of, he refocused on her question. "No one you'll know, I'm afraid. That's… more a conversation for another time, I think."

With a final grin to herself, Ruby went in for the kill. With a few more circles around the clit, she allowed one of her hands to head forward, drifting around her entrance that little bit to tease her. And once feeling the heels stab in a little more, she finally let them enter inside, trying to curl to hit that spot – as a vague revenge for the pain.

Both of Winter's eyes flew wide, her mouth falling open. Even throughout all of the teasing, the segue into earnest cunnilingus, she had never expected for Ruby to finger her! In front of her father! It was all she could do not to call out in ecstasy, to keep her reaction to a mere few breathy sighs despite the grinding through her inner walls. She had been so wet and ready, worked up to receive this pleasure. If they were alone, she would have been rejoicing as vocally as possible; she still wanted to.

But they weren't alone. Looking up at her father, she took a deep breath so as to sound as firm as she could manage. She was too close to wait for him to leave now. She had to ask him something that would keep him talking while she let her end come to the surface. "Ohh, Daddy…." That was NOT good; she tried again. "Y-you can tell me anything. Maybe I would… l-like to see the model's other work before I p-pass it along to my artist."

"Well… she's not a model." Thankfully, he was continuing. It was probably the worst kind of subject to have whilst in the middle of these activities, but it kept him talking. And easily distracted. "Of course, your mother's been gone a fair while… and though I still miss her, very much so, I know she wouldn't want me to be lonely the rest of my life. It's only been recently that I've found the strength to begin searching again. And, well, I've met someone new."

While her father was talking, Ruby was simply intensifying her efforts. It was now or never! She had to do it while he was distracted enough to look away or else Winter would never forgive her.

"O-ohhhhh?" Winter just managed to turn the end of her moan upward so it sounded like a question. It was too late to turn back. Widening her thighs to give Ruby headway, she forced herself to keep it together long enough to ask, "Do you… have a… picture of this new… lady in your life? I'd lo-LOOOOVE to see."

Eyes widening in surprise at Winter's apparent enthusiasm, he blinked back at her, taking the tablet back from under his arm. "You… really don't mind? I mean, I was worried that you or Weiss would be angry at me, or uncomfortable with- this is quite fantastic!"

He seemed to have not noticed Winter's predicament at all. Somehow, Ruby's continued actions on her clit and inside against her spot were going unnoticed by him still, and Winter still wasn't there yet! Probably because him being there made her too nervous. Thrusting faster and faster, she tried to make sure she would be ready to finish her off at the perfect moment…

Which came when Mr Schnee began to scroll through his tablet again, rolling his eyes and groaning to himself. "Where is that blasted Facebook app?! I only just had it open!"

That was the moment, alright. Gripping one arm of her chair to tether herself, Winter stopped resisting, stopped holding herself away from Ruby's punishing fingers as her inner walls clamped down around them, moisture pushing outward as she came. Wave after wave of ecstasy flooded out from the two points of Ruby's mouth on her greedy clit and the fingers hitting her internal spot, down into her shoes and up into every hair follicle on her head. There could be no denying how phenomenal of an orgasm it was.

But it had consequences. They could have been worse, or more prominent, but she had heard herself moan Ruby's name in an undertone during one of the early aftershocks. Even if her father hadn't heard it, she also felt wetness running down her inner thigh, and down her chin from her open mouth. As sensitive as they were rubbing up against the lace, she found herself eminently glad that she had worn a bra so that her rock-hard nipples wouldn't show through her linen shirt; that would have been too obvious to ignore.

Finally, Ruby could be felt backing herself away. She had Winter's liquid splashed on her face, in her hair; a clear marking of what she had just done. Something her student was going to wear with pride when this was all over, and she gradually drew her fingers out to finally stop the teasing.

Meanwhile, Mr Schnee had at last brought forward a page belonging to a Latina woman with shoulder length brown hair, one who seemed a similar age to him, give or take a few years. "Yes, here she is. You might have seen her in the building a couple of times."

"She looks ni-iiiice," Winter let out with a shiver as she was exited, her neck twitching slightly. The drool rolled even further down her chin, but she couldn't quite force herself to raise a hand and wipe it away just yet. "Is… was she the representative from the… from our paper supplier? She's hot."

Inwardly, she cringed. That had not been quite what she meant to say! It was true, but she had intended to be more moderate about it!

"Why, yes, she is! She's actually been helping me a lot when I have bad days grappling with my loneliness; it took me far too long to realise I’m attracted to the woman, however." Although straight after the comment of her being “hot”, he pulled the tablet slowly back again, teasing. "Hey, hands off, you."

Smiling weakly, his daughter finally leaned against her hand in such a way that she could surreptitiously wipe the drool track away. "Very funny. But I am happy for you."

Even in the midst of such a strange moment, Winter realized that was true; her father had found someone to help ease his lingering grief. It was a lucky thing indeed, as she had noticed how bad it was getting over the years. Maybe the relationship would last and she could become part of their odd little family.

"Thank you, my dear. And… I hope, if I was right about earlier, that you're happy. That's all I care about. And if you do happen to find someone, man or woman, I'd like to meet them."

"That may never happen, Father. But… I promise you will if it does." Then she shuffled some papers, purely so she would seem too busy to walk him out, before she said, "Oh, and please send me a few pictures of your new lady friend; I'll forward them on to my artist, see if she would be interested in working with her."

"Shall do." Finally he was going to make a move to leave, drawing the tablet back fully and pacing back toward the door again, not before leaving one last quick remark about the drawing. "Though this model truly is attractive… if I wasn’t already working up the nerve with Amber, I might ask for her number."

And with that, he finally closed the door behind him, and could be heard doing the same to the main door as well. Leaving poor Winter with the knowledge that her father clearly still was head over heels for their mother… even if that knowledge took the form of knowing she would do in a pinch.

[purplesurveys]

1248

Your ex taps you on the shoulder and says, “I still love you.” You say?  I feel like I’ve answered a similar situation recently, but I would assume it was a drunk text or wrong text, inform them about it, and move on.

Do you play video games?  Nah. I do feel a sort of connection of video games since I grew up surrounded by them, though; but I’m more of a watcher than anything. I like watching playthroughs of video games I’ll never play. Do you spend a lot of time with family?  No. We used to, back when the quarantine was still a relatively new thing – we hung out in the living room all the time. But now that we’ve settled in this new normal, we’re back to our normal routines and I usually like staying in my room.

Is your house more than two stories tall?  Technically, yes. We have a rooftop that serves as the ‘third’ floor.

Have you ever hit your significant other? Has he/she ever hit you?  My ex and I never hit one another; that’s a gigantic red flag even I would notice, considering I ignored most of the ones I saw hahaha.

What makes you an attractive person? (Talk about your personality too!)  I’m not sure if I’ll be able to answer this question directly, but I like my generosity. I’m not sure if I can call it attractive, though. But if we were focusing on physical features, I like my smile.

What color is your hairbrush/comb?  Pink.

What snacks do you have available in your household atm?  My dad splurged on chips in his last grocery run so we actually have quite a lot of junk food in the pantry at the moment. He also bought several packs of cookie sandwiches, wafers, sunflower seeds, and garlic-flavored peanuts.

Has anyone recently told you that they like you, or find you attractive?  Neither.

Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged?  No, she’s just a good friend of mine.

Do you care about anyone that doesn’t care about you?  I guess I don’t, because I’m not even aware of them.

Was your last Facebook friend requests from a male or female?  Guy. It was another reporter, so I just ignored it and luckily he didn’t PM me just to ask to add him back, which others have already done. I really hate when work people try to make their way into my personal accounts.

Which one of your relatives is most likely to embarrass you?  My parents, especially when they are rude to service crew. Gen X-ers are impeccably talented at that, apparently.

When was the last time you ate a bar of chocolate?  Around two or three weeks ago when I had dinner at Angela’s. Her dad gave me a bar of Crunch so I can have something sweet after our meal.

Do you play any games on Facebook?  No, I never did hop on that trend.

What would you like to get a degree in?  I wanted a degree in journalism, and graduated with such. At the end of my college stint I didn’t want to pursue it anymore, but I pushed through with it anyway because it was too much of a hassle to shift and start all over.

Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night? Technically not, because I stay up until the middle of the night anyway. It’s been a while since I fell asleep anywhere between 8 to 10 PM.

Would you prefer to read a book, watch a movie or TV show, or play a video game?  Watch a show.

Do you usually get popcorn or soda at the movie theater?  I don’t like either; I get fries instead.

What genre of films do you like the best?  Drama.

How many bank accounts do you have?  Two but I haven’t been using the other one in months. That was the bank account I initially opened when I first started ~adulting~ but when I got employed I was required to enroll in this other specific bank, so that’s what I mainly use now.

Have you ever had the flu?  Not really. I just get the occasional fever that pop out of nowhere.

What is your goal for the next few months?  Start saving FOR REAL, and also prioritizing furniture over merch for a while so I can finally fix up my room, which is quickly starting to look and feel like just a warehouse and not very homey at all.

Have you ever had some kind of sleep-disorder? How did it affect your life?  Nope.

Have you ever had food poisoning before? Describe the experience.  Yeah, it was from barbecue that apparently went bad, even though it tasted nothing of the sort. I woke up at 3 AM sweating profusely and with the most excruciating stomachache; I was feeling hot, cold, and nauseous all at the same time, and it probably lasted for like an hour or so.

What are two things that you have no problem paying full price for?  Sealed albums and my pets’ vet expenses.

Funny, charming, cute, romantic, smart - choose only 2 for the opposite sex.  Charming and smart.

Have you ever let somebody use you? Why did you do it?  It felt nice to help people.

You can go back in time & change something in your mom’s past - what is it? Good question; I’ve never encountered this before. I would let her live a more comfortable, privileged life, where she didn’t have to staple her shoes to keep them closed or have to choose between eating at a fast food restaurant or being able to commute back home.

Do you know anybody who is around the exact same size as you? Who? I’m not sure, actually. Everyone’s always slightly taller than me.

Ever been to a haunted house? How scared were you?  I haven’t.

Been on any websites today you wouldn’t want your parents to see?  Tumblr, I guess? My survey blog isn’t for any irls to see.

Which is worse: dusting or mopping?  I don’t really do either often, but I’ll go with mopping.

Would you marry somebody who was intensely religious?  Not for me.

Did you pull a senior prank?  No, that’s not a thing here. Did you graduate?  Yeah, elementary, high school, and college.

Have you ever been unfaithful in a serious relationship?  Nope.

What was the last song you listened to?  It’s a song called Epiphany.

Are you one of those lucky people with 20/20 vision?  Not ever since I was like 9 lol.

Is fashion one of your interests?  I’m way more interested in it now for sure, mostly because the celebrities I’m into these days put a lot of effort when it comes to their style; so it makes me more aware of the trends that come and go, as well.

Do you think you’ll eventually find that special someone?  I’m keeping it as a possibility, but it’s not a priority for me now.

Do you care what people think?  To an extent, I would say. My life doesn’t depend on it, though.

Is acting something you enjoy?  Never been.

What was the last thing you broke/sprained?  Do you mean a thing or a body part? Anyway, I’ll answer both. The last thing I broke was my BTS Mic Drop pen of V looooooooooool the figurine came off the pen :(( It was pretty cheap though so I’m fine with it; I can always get another one. Last body part I sprained was my ankle, when I had a bad fall a couple of years ago.

Have you ever fought with a friend because of their boyfriend/girlfriend? Because of yours?  Either hasn’t happened.

Has a stranger ever yelled at you for your language?  I don’t think so.

Whose house, other than yours and your families', are you most comfortable at?  Angela’s. Also JM’s, just because their family doesn’t hover and that vibe can sometimes be nice whenever I’m at someone else’s place.

Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you?  Never.

Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? Not as a very young kid, but I took up table tennis starting when I was 12. Did you ever watch the show Full House?  Nope.

Is there a celebrity you are just DETERMINED to marry?  Now that’s just delusional haha. I’m pretty obsessed with some celebrities, that much I can admit; but thinking of them in the context of marriage is so many steps overboard.

Have you ever burned someone’s picture?  No. I could, but I am scared of fire and will probably just think of other ways to express my anger, like tearing up the photograph. What’s the longest hike you’ve ever been on?  Total length was probably like 3 hours. I haven’t gone too far when it comes to hiking.

Would you ever get a lip tattoo?  Not interested.

Who is the first person of the opposite sex that pops into your head? Hans.

Do your parents smoke cigarettes?  My mom tried it once in her life, I think. My dad has never smoked.

What does one of your T-shirts have written on it?  “Hope right here!”

Name a pet you definitely wouldn’t want.  Anything that’s supposed to roam freely in the wild, like squirrels.

Would you prefer your partner smaller or taller?  Taller, since I’m already quite pint-sized to begin with lol.

Do you enjoy going through old pictures? Sometimes. Other times, it's too painful. It also depends on the era of the pictures. < Agree, especially with the eras. Childhood photos are always fun to look at, but I have had to delete a CHUNK of photos from years ranging from 2014 to 2020 because I’ve lost a handful of friends from that period.

Do you believe people when they say they don’t judge people?  It’s hard to for the most part, but I’ve noticed very few people people really don’t. Most of the time it’s bullshit though.

What did you love the most about the town you grew up in?  That it’s pretty close to the metro.

What’s a movie that you laughed the hardest during?  Hmm, I prefer TV shows if I’m craving comedy.

What’s a movie you cried the hardest during?  Life Is Beautiful.

What’s your favorite restaurant?  Omakase for my sushi fix; School Tteokbokki if I want Korean; Yabu if I’m looking for a generous rice meal.

Is there a dessert you don’t like?  Anything with fruits.

Favorite album?  After Laughter by Paramore.

What’s a book that you read because everyone else was reading it?  I can name authors instead of books – John Green and Haruki Murakami.

Underwater or outer space?  Outer space.

Dogs or cats?  Dogs.

Kittens or puppies?  Puppies.

Bird watching or whale watching?  Whale watching. I don’t get to be in the water as much, so I would jump at the opportunity.

What is your spirit animal?  I dunno if I have one but let’s just go with dog and elephant, I guess? They’re my favorites.

What was your best subject in school?  History.

What was your worst subject in school?  Chemistry.

What is one thing you wish you knew in high school?  Don’t waste your time.

Who is your fashion icon?  Audrey Hepburn.

Diamonds or pearls?  Diamonds.

What color dress did you wear to prom?  For my own prom it was cream-colored/beige. When I went to Mike’s ball, I went with a royal blue gown.

What’s your favorite plot-twist?  I don’t think I’ve found my favorite yet.

Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now?  Not actively.

Honestly, what’s the worst thing you’ve done when you were mad?  I dunno...road rage, maybe?

Honestly, ever made anyone cry when you were mad?  It’s very likely.

Honestly, when was the last time you REALLY cried your heart out?  Sometime in the last week.

Ever pop someone else’s pimple? No thanks.

Do you need to return anyone’s phone call?  Nope.

Who are you closest to?  Angela.

Have you ever had a bad concert experience?  No, all the ones I’ve been to have been amazing experiences.

Are you currently sad about anything?  Not really. I can’t complain.

Have you had any form of exercise today?  Nah.

Can you handle blood?  Nope, I will feel faint if I see it 100%.

Has any place hired you underage for a job?  No.

Have you ever carried a concealed weapon?  I haven’t.

Are you currently searching for a job?  No, I like the one I have.

Does eating breakfast make you sick?  No?

[incarnateirony]

Hey min, I just read your last post and I was wondering you could do one on the meta-narrative hostility (that most of fandom calls queer coding) of pre-dabb era? I’m a young queer who’s new to all this and doesn’t have the same experience or knowledge as older queer people (obviously) when it comes to these things. Only if you want to/and are able to though, it’s something I’d really like to read and educate myself on, thanks :)

Sure! I’ll get on that, I think @curioussubjects and I held a brief discourse over that recently, but I’m sure we could get into it deeper. I may even try to peel @thecoffeebrain-blog out of her fandom ban to talk about it too. Unfortunately it’s like 2something AM right now and I do not have the brain function to write up a whole-assed thesis on it.

But in short (which will probably still be about a page long)? I kind of want to flip a table any time I read “Dean Winchester has always been written as bisexual.” – and like. I even have friends that say that. Friends I adore. And I still want to flip tables. Because. Like. No.

Yes, Dean Winchester was based on a repressed bisexual, Dean Moriarty. The thing is knowing that about Dean Moriarty requires reading the late release manuscript, not the original. In, perhaps, an ironic statement on our current show, the widely spread original version was sanitized of queer content. But if anyone thinks Kripke was, back in S1-5, trying to make some sort of statement about repressed and sanitized queer culture, I really don’t know what to tell them beyond like. No? 

I’d need to go digging – hence not having the time right now – for a full list of early season “bi Dean” moments. A great deal of them are actively homophobic as fuck things, like in Playthings taking a shot at Dean being butch over overcompensating, or whatever else. They used the statements as an insult, something to target, and aggress, and make a joke at a character’s expense – because being gay was immasculating and funny, haha, right?

Others included things like clothing choices, food choices, or other things that like… fandom swore up and down was queer coding and like– again– generally, no? Hopefully I don’t have to explain why in most scenarios those things are problematic.

Like you’ve seen me bang on about the menthols thing for example as queer coding – and yes! It is! Because that’s actually a queer culture thing. And like, ask any gay dude, literally, if he sees another, WHITE dude pull out a pack of menthols he knows who he’s going to try to flirt up tonight. There’s all kinds of reasons that was genuine coding written from a gay man that’s even a recovered smoker to the point his colleagues made light of it. Hell of an introduction, hell of a point, and something actually relevant to the represented demographic’s culture. (this actually does not apply the same to other ethnicities, it literally only applies to white dudes, and I could stat out the very real reasons about it some time, but not in this post)

We gays DO have our own language. As my friend Kris put it, “Whenever I see a woman has a purse I give up, cuz she’s either straight or at least in that ballpark where I’m gonna have to be the husband and hahahaha no.” – unshockingly, I don’t have a purse either. My wife does. I on the other hand am fine with being metaphorical husband role. She’s a femme, I’m not, it tracks.

But someone wearing a certain color, or eating a burrito is not a judge. Someone choking on a sausage for a punch line alongside a taco is– questionable on if even intended but again, guess what, a punch line at the receiving character’s expense.

A great WEALTH of early “bi Dean” moments are like this, even if we remove Destiel. And it’s a MESS. I give some leans of “not offensive but surrounded by enough offensive content in its immediate era that I don’t give it good faith” to moments like Dr Sexy. Sure. Those lay good potential groundwork.

Are there moments where Dean turned and looked at someone in a WAY? Yeah, sure. Was that scripted? Uh, generally no. Let’s face it. Jensen could have chemistry with a decommissioned droid if they were put on screen together.

Now, do those moments, that last section there – give early room for bi Dean being evolved into? Yes. Those moments do. Because evolving with chemistry and story is part of how it works. It’s the other shit we need to flush to the pits of hell, bathe in some glitter and chant some YMCAs to cleanse ourselves from or some shit.

Hell, let’s even look at season 7 with Dean flirting with the guard. Despite bobbing and weaving around most old bi Dean content for being flagrantly offensive when I made my Coming Out video, I kept that one. But even THAT runs a line. Why? Because Sam, later painted as an educated ally, starts laughing at Dean at the sheer idea of Dean doing it. Dean tells him to shut up which blows Charlie’s cover. Is that something actual bi people might have to deal with? Sure. Hence my choice to be willing to include the clip. But it was still. A punchline. At the queer content’s expense.

If you go and re-watch, I’d say, S1-7 and stop trying the “DIG FOR PROOF IN RETROSPECT TO PROVE DEAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BI” dance, and watch – really, REALLY watch – the way any kind of queer mention was handled. Is. Gross.

By season 8 Carver seemed to be dabbling in it – enough that Phil Sgriccia and Ben Edlund, exec producers, started leaving commentary on the season 8 DVD, such as how Jensen played it, and the potential it created for love in all places, that he and Aaron could have had a life together. Still, Carver had a LOT of shit he was fixing from holding Gamble’s burning bag. And yeah, Gamble queerbaited. She fucked over a demographic, realized the demographic she picked was wrong, tried to bait back that demographic without intent to follow through on it, then was gone. (And hell, go look at The Magicians now and her Dances With Avoiding Calling Her Characters LGBT).

Season 8 was a tipping point. Did Aaron slap down the idea of having a moment with Dean? Sure. But… guess what? It was Dean being offended by not having a moment. Not Dean being offended being accused of having a moment. This is a very subtle tone change.

Watch forward after that. There might have been a few moments. But it wasn’t until S9 they onboarded a new LGBT author. An open one. An activist. And yeah, menthols and “play it like a jilted lover” showrunner directions began. It’s like looking back, they had the idea and realized what was taking shape, but didn’t know what to do with it. And Bobo was still the new kid on block that year. That was the same year they almost made Metatron’s heaven for Castiel be covered in naked Dean pictures. Some people lament the loss of that. I do not. Because guess what. That made it a joke again. A shot at Castiel’s expense, if one more personal than the old shots. It was painted for absurdity, not authenticity. But, unlike prior eras… they had the sense to change that and paint the absurdity in other ways with dangly cheap hearts and other silliness.

Good.

As you look forward, from there, the question is after season 9– when was the last “LOL GAAAAAAAAAAAAY” joke you heard? When was the last time you heard it be framed in such a way that the audience was designated to laugh at the arrangement? Was Colette… framed as funny when Bobo wrote it? Was the heart connection… written as funny? Were the hunter husbands… written as a punch line or joke?

Sure, Lily Sunder had some funny bits, bit it’s not Funny Cuz It’s Gay, it’s funny and gay, and this is an important distinction. If that were a het couple bickering in the car that episode, we’d laugh all the same. This, also, written by a queer activist. Was the mixtape funny? No. In fact, if we’re to take, say, modern Dean and Cas as the central manifestation of the bi Dean narrative all these years later, their funny moments aren’t funny because of their gender. Their funny moments are funny because of who they are, like any given couple on TV, not in expense to their sexuality.

Even “attached at the everything” is more a fandom problem. There was no cue for that to be a laugh track. There was no recoil, no denial, no flinch, no nothing. It was just a barb of a demon in the know of the nature and depth of their bond needling where it hurt like any other relationship. It’s the fandom that chose to put a laugh track on it.

Beyond this though, I’d need to take the time to go and pick through the different individual moments and break them down and really pick apart WHY they were problematic in the old days. Hopefully this summary is a nice start.

[dramarising-replacement]

This game isn't fun.

First off, if you enjoy FR for what it currently is: great! I'm so glad you can have fun with it, and don't let the opinions of me, some stranger on DR, make you feel bad for that :) 

Anyways, I joined in 2015 and fell in love with the game for a long time. I never understood those people with dead, empty accounts or those who had went inactive. But now I do. The game just... Isn't fun.

1. Coliseum. Coliseum is the main way to profit in FR. Most of the 'well-off' people in the FR community grind Coli. It's one of the only places you can find rare items, and yet, it is nothing but pain. Coliseum is meant to be fun, and it can be in moderation, but i don't know a single person who genuinely enjoys grinding it. We shouldn't have to strain our wrists performing ultra-repetitive actions of "scratch, scratch, scratch, elim, elim, elim," in order to accumulate wealth and rare items in the game. It's time consuming, boring, has a broken and set meta (magic-using dragons and 90% of the battle stones in the game are worthless), and everyone seems to give it a pass. I see so many forum posts that go "haha, tfw your wrist is broken after grinding coli for an hour!" It's terrible that one of the main/only ways to 'succeed' in the game is to participate in a terrible and broken minigame. 

2. A lot of the main fun to be found in the game is dragons. As a petsite, collecting dragons is the objective. Unfortunately, the main purpose of the game is limited behind lair expansions with huge paywalls. If you don't grind Coli, better be prepared to play Fairgrounds for a hours each day in order to get enough treasure. 

3. Festivals. They're repetitive. Gather or, again, grind the broken Coliseum to find special currency to buy 2 unique items, 1 flight variant standard item, and the damn emblems that have been in there for eternity. There should be more to do on festivals. The only enjoyment I get out of them is user-made events on the forums. People who participate in those are great, but truly, you shouldn't have to pick up all the slack staff leaves when it comes to events. 

4. Coli again. Dominance, festivals, genes, special items, dragons, succeeding financially in the game--they're all dependent on this broken coliseum system. If you have wrist issues like I do (this sounds stupid but I genuinely can't grind Coliseum because I have a joint disorder in my wrist. Even when I use keyboard controls it hurts), or have a job or school or other commitment, or are simply a sane human being who doesn't want to do repetitive button-pushing like a monkey for hours on end, Coli isn't for you. And therefore, you're barred from training up fodder, from accumulating exterior wealth during festivals, from finding rare items and genes, from being able to buy lair space and other dragon-specific upgrades, etc. Coli is broken and needs to be fixed because all actual-fun features rely on it.

5. Staff. Staff is unresponsive. The suggestions forums never get looked at, and all serious suggestions are deleted. I suggested better, fairer wording on the gem purchasing screen. (Changing "Gem Packages are instantly applied" to "directly applied." I bought gems a while back and it took ~2 days for them to be delivered. Since it said 'instantly,' I thought I made a mistake and bought more gems. They refused to refund me and, despite tons of support on my forum post, deleted it. They said to email the suggestion instead, which I did, but to no response. I spent actual money under the promise of 'instantly' [wanted to buy something from an auction] and although i'd expect maybe 20 minutes of delay, 2 entire days isn't okay.) But anyways, the only suggestions on the suggestions forum that get left up are people's fan-breeds that staff, of course, will never implement because they're community-made. Also, some of the staff members are just plain rude and tyrannical. They regularly delete posts that make them look bad and respond terribly to all criticism, no matter how kindly it's worded. 

6. There's no rarity. In most pet games, there are things to aspire for. Rare breeds, mutations, ultra-rare items, etc. The only items that can be called rare are the sprites, early apparel and Kickstarter stuff, but those are so expensive that it's pretty much impossible to get old sprites and stuff. There needs to be more modern rare items imo. They've gotten better w/ rare eye types and ancient breeds, but there's still very few rarities to aim to collect.

7. Fairgrounds. The games are fun, but everyone tries to choose the highest-paying game as quickly as possible in order to get treasure out of it, instead of playing games leisurely that they actually enjoy. Games are meant to be enjoyed! Staff should make all the games pay generally the same, and maybe add drops specific to each game--for example, special water-themed apparel in the bubble game, or cool electric-y familiars in the shock game. Then, people would have incentive to try out other games and have fun doing so, without making FG another chore like Coli.

8. Flight equality. Some flights are over-represented, like shadow getting basically two shadow-themed holidays. Some flights are under-represented, like Nature not really getting their own breed (wildclaws are plague-based too according to the lore) or Plague being stripped of its gorey, creepy aesthetic. Also, small flights like Earth have unfair dominance advantage, while big flights like shadow have unfair burden in dom. There needs to be greater representation for all flights, and a balanced-out playing field for dom battles.

9. Unfair moderation. Touching on the M from earth thing, what they said was really stupid, unfunny and a tasteless joke. But they're 15. I was an edgy idiot at 15, too. Staff should have more leeway, since many of those who play FR are (no offense) unwise teens and edgy minors. A temporary ban, ability to appeal, or alternate punishment would've made more sense instead of banning a kid for a dumb joke and making all of their customers lose out on the gems they paid real money for, and treasure they spent hours earning. 

10. All of trading post, actually. You've got Roundsy's, with odds so unlikely that you'll probably get struck by lightning before winning. You've got Baldwins, a tedious task where you have to check in every 30 minutes and load their ads to boil down garbage you get from gathering. Crim's, you sell the garbage you get from gathering for a measly 500 each, and at Tomo's, you answer questions you've seen a billion times for very little payoff. At Swipp's, you ask RNG for the one trade you want, and at Pinkerton's, you typically get even more garbage that you'll either hoardsell or melt down at Baldwin's because 95% of the game's items are useless or dirt-cheap. 

11. .......yeah that's it this was long lmao. I'm gonna quit FR for good, I think. Maybe I'll rejoin if they fix coli or add adventure mode like they promised to do years ago. Or if they ever continue the storyline they set up with the water flight that they seemingly are ignoring. Thank you, the FR community, for making everything I've enjoyed about the game. Truthfully, my best and funnest experiences on FR have been on the forums admiring all of your creativity, kindness, and fun events like secret Santa, Trick-or-Treat or Tarot readings. Thank you! :)

[honestsycrets]

Pizza and Panties

❛ pairing | hvitserk x reader

❛ type | drabble

❛ summary | after seeing his fwb upset, Hvitserk decides to pop in and pay her a visit.

❛  warnings | modern!hvitserk, fwb, reference to angst

❛ sy’s notes | this was a feel better fic for a friend <3

You weren’t technically his girl but-- yeah, you were still his fucking girl. Nothing was exclusive because fuck, open was good for both sides. As long as Hvit didn’t know who you were seeing on the side anyway. You didn’t clue him into what had happened. All he knew was that you were upset.

So he got the picture. Ditch the Thursday night homework because fuck, he had some shit to do. All he’d have to do is weasel his ass up the tree and squeeze his scrawny butt through the second-floor windows of the apartment with one quick rat-tat. There was his babygirl, peeping out the window. Most men might expect an overly concerned response, a gasp and reach for him, but you-- oh you,

“Really?” you pop the screen out the window, setting your arms over the frame of the window. He can tell its a good night when you wear those shirts with the three-quarter sleeves. Too lazy to change into an actual slip or shorts, you probably only got those cheekies under that shirt. Can you say easy access?

“My lady,” he mumbles around the stem of a rose, stubbornly set between interlocked teeth.

“Cut the shit, Hvitserk.”

He grins, flicking his backpack up to you. You stumble in catching the strap of the bag, swaying the heavy package. The branch under his feet squeaks, throwing him momentarily off-balance.

“Fucker, don’t do that! You’re gonna splat your dumbass on the pavement!”

“Grass,” Hvitserk corrects, jumping from the branch, His hand catches on the windowsill, and he easily pulls himself up to crouch on the ledge. His hand steadies himself on the brick siding, offering you a fair rose. “For my Juliet,” he cracks.

“You’re an asshole.”

You say that, but you swipe the rose from his fingers. He hops in, bouncing on his high tops and drags the window shut. He bends down, plucks the backpack up-- and throws it over his shoulder.

“If you just told Josanna you weren’t interested in her, you wouldn’t have to be hopping up trees like some crazy person.” You insist. Hvitserk slips his hand around you, spinning you playfully so. His sneakers squeak over your hardwood floors, all the way into your pristine white kitchen. You’re limp like a noodle when he spins you out, placing his backpack on the countertop.

“Then I wouldn’ see my Juliet, donning the window with the light of her ass. Cut that fuckin’ tree by the way, I had a perfect view the other day. Orange and black lingerie? Na.”

“Put down the Shakespeare, Hvit. Just because you’re majoring in--”

“C’mon, that shit works wit’ all the other bitches.”

You spin to bare him a glare. He lifts his hands up as if obliging to the subliminal message you send-- shut the fuck up. He dips back into his backpack, picking out two boxes. One reading the name of your favourite pizza parlor, with face-like sized pizza slices.

“Hard on the cheese and oil, forget the veggies.” He swirls the box around, presenting it to you as if it were a box of expensive caviar. It’s not. The large slices drip with grease, and still, you dip your fingers in to take a slice.

“What’s in the other?” you ask him, taking a bite.

Hvit sets the box down and offers the other. A deep, forest green bralette crusted with diamonds-- and a tiny strappy thong. Your eyebrows pick up-- really? You swirl your tongue around the pizza, swallowing the greasy slice.

“Rea--”

“Before you say shit,” Hvitserk grins. “It’s a feel better present.”

“Feel better?” you repeat.

“Yeah. Didn’ think I saw you all depressed on campus today?” he states. You recall the moment he meant-- at the student union. You waved him off when he offered to ditch the latest redhead and blonde. You squish the pizza slice into your mouth, playfully wiping your pizza fingers off on his shirt.

“It was nothing,” you mutter under your breath before picking up the lingerie. Sparkly, you laugh off his acknowledgment. Hvitserk slips behind you, slipping his fingers in the rim of your panties. If you didn’t want to acknowledge it--

“Shit wasn’t cheap, either. C’mon, put them on.”

“Did you just come to get a peek?” you ask curiously. As if he hadn’t come to keep you company-- and to get whatever was on your mind, off.

“No,” he cuts out, but breaks into his smile. “Maybe.”

You tippy-toe, pecking a small kiss on your lips. He flutters in his excitement, low in his belly. Kisses were usually strictly off-limits, but when he got one, he knew it would be a good damn night. Maybe it’s some sort of thank you. 

“One peek!”

One, Hvitserk pouts. That’s what you say now.

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[illuma-can-you-not-i]

Every time Sojiro Sakura was the entire Phantom Thieves' Dad: Yusuke

Yusuke pushed open the door to the cafe, exhaling a deep sigh as he took in the calming atmosphere. "Um, Akira has work tonight.", Sojiro said, immediately assuming that he wanted to spend time with the boy. The facial expression the teen wore could be best described as...winded and exhausted, and clearly not looking to spend time with people who he hadn't planned on.

"...I'm not here to see him.", the dark-haired teen admitted, taking a seat at the counter. Realizing the purpose of the conversation, Sojiro continued to work while he quietly listened. The artist shut his eyes, holding his face with his hands. God, he was just so tired.

"Madarame is...gone.", Kitagawa slowly admitted after a moment of silence, slowly accepting the statement as fact, no matter how much he didn't want to. Sojiro just about dropped the glass he was cleaning in surprise. "I was pulled from class to the Family Court, where all, all, of his pupils were. The alive ones, anyhow.", Kitagawa scoffed at the last statement, shifting his head to one hand, using the other to absentmindedly tap at the wooden surface.

"I was sat down at the courtroom, and the judge read Sensei's will aloud to us.", he recalled in a far off manner. Yusuke had thought that he hadn't mentally left that courtroom yet. "I was left with a share of the inheritance that was distributed to everyone present, as well as all of his art supplies, and...the estate in Shibuya.", he listed, only showing an amount of emotion for the final item.  That emotion was disgust.

"Oh. What are you going to do with it?", the man asked, knowing that 'shack' was a difficult place for Kitagawa, as made obvious that the other pupils didn't object or make a claim for it. "Easy. Sell it.", the teen stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh?" The boy nodded in confirmation. "I have no good memories in that place. I have no need for it, either. Its upkeep is expensive, time-consuming and has no prideful name attached there anymore.", Yusuke reasoned, noticeably removing emotion in his voice as he spoke. "Thankfully, his attorney is willing to help me. Apparently, he's gotten a few offers from foreigners already. They, fortunately, only see it as cheap real estate and nothing more."

"Could I get you anything?", Sojiro offered after a moment of thought; he knew how difficult the grieving process could be, and wanted to help out as much as possible. Yusuke huffed a short laugh. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I doubt you would happen to have any pleasant, familial memories that I could actually attempt to grieve over.", the teen remarked coldly. The man slowly sighed, recognizing this stage of grief all too well. "Hey, hey. Let it out.", Sakura coaxed gently, offering a hand out to Yusuke.

Yusuke hesitated for a moment, before moving the hand cradling his head to take Sojiro's. "I...I hate him. I hate him so much. He manipulated me from day one, chewed my spirit up and spit it out without as much as a second thought, he stood by and let my mother die, and yet after death, I still cannot find myself to carry on from his reign.", he ranted, holding on tightly to the calloused yet gentle hand as he did so. "Haha. He may likely never let me.", Yusuke remarked with a hopeless tone in his voice. The tears he had tried so hard to hold back, with all the grit and sarcasm and basically allowing his emotions to shut down, finally spilled out. "I'm pathetic. I hate this man and yet... I miss him. Why do I miss him?"

"Well, he was your caretaker. He was the one responsible for keeping you alive and healthy for all these years. And I imagine that took at least some care on his part.", Sojiro explained, reminding Yusuke of the time Yusuke was sick and Madarame called one of his peers for assistance in a panic. The memory made his emotions stir, and the first thing he attempted to do was suppress them. "Don't do that, Yusuke. It's not healthy.", Sakura advised, rubbing his thumb against the boy's hand. The teen nodded before breaking again.

But for every tear spilled, every time Yusuke had trouble getting a full breath in because he was catching it so much, it at least felt like he was breathing, in comparison to the robotic state of mind he's carried all afternoon. He may have gotten swept up in the emotion, in the memories, if it weren't for the hand he was holding onto so tightly to keep himself grounded. And Yusuke let his mental dam break, finally letting himself cry in the space he could call safe. Even if he couldn't tell you what he was crying over; whether it be the grief of losing a man he had looked up to for so long or the relief of being able to truly put his abuser's actions behind him.

And Sojiro was there with him in silent comfort, brushing his thumb against the artist's hand as he let Yusuke hold on as tightly as he wanted. The man knew Yusuke had a thing about touch, and so he never made physical contact that the teen didn't ask for.

They stayed there, in that place, as the clock bell rang several times, marking the passing of every hour. Once Yusuke had run out of tears to shed, he looked towards the clock. "As much as I would like to stay, I have a curfew that I cannot miss.", he thought aloud, finally changing position and realizing just how much he had wet his shirt. Sojiro was quick to give him a to-go cup of coffee, placing it in Yusuke's hands before the boy pushed open the door. "Thank you, sir. For...everything.", he muttered, gaze fixated on the beverage.  

"Don't mention it. I take care of my kids.", Sojiro remarked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, before turning and getting Yusuke's tearful, shocked, and uplifted reaction. The man cupped his hand against the boy's cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tears with a gentle smile. Kitagawa echoed the expression, slowly shutting his eyes in acceptance of the contact. His breathing slowed, and he likely would have fallen asleep if it not for the fact that he needed to get back to his dorm room soon. So, despite his own wants, he pulled away from the contact and walked out into the open, just as a cold rain started to fall over the area. He had taken a few steps into the storm when

"Hey.", Sojiro called out from the doorframe, making the teen quickly turn around. "See you soon?", he asked, leaned against the entrance with a calm, knowing look in his eye. Yusuke smiled towards him with a wave.

"Of course, Father."