#and I got spikes that are like beads for jewelry

[ghostickle]

I’ve made jewelry before but it’s normally kinda childish fun colorful stuff but I don’t wear things like that and anyways I just ordered a bunch of stuff to work with leather and spikes and chains n everything instead

[emotionalcadaver]

Part 13: Dance of Darkness

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Grace Burgess x OC

Summary: It's the first time either of them has seen Grace since she left Small Heath two years ago.

Word Count: 4,448

Notes: Warnings for depictions of infidelity, smut including a threesome, and references to infertility.

Previous Chapter • Series • Fic • Next Chapter

Chapter 11: Happy or Sad

With Ada staying at Polly’s until they got the whole situation with Campbell sorted, that meant that her house was available to be used. Staring at herself in the mirror in one of the upstairs bedrooms, Lucy raised a trembling hand to her lips, wiping a small smudge of bright red lipstick, running a hand through her hair. Downstairs, she could just distantly hear the hum of Tommy and James talking, as Tommy explained that he and Lucy needed the house to themselves that evening. 

She’d picked out a bright red dress with a long skirt and intricate black beading, and had swapped out her usually simplistic and less flashy jewelry for a few of the more expensive, lavish pieces she owned. Most of which had been gifts that Tommy had gotten her throughout the years. Fussing over her hair one last time, she sighed, and began to climb down the stairs, careful in the heels she was wearing so that she didn’t fall. She heard the door open and close, as James finally left for the night.

When Tommy saw her, his eyes lit up, crossing the room to her in several quick, long strides, hands landing on her waist as he kissed her.

“You look beautiful.”

She blushed under the praise. “Thanks.”

He’d prepared the sitting room while she was upstairs, turning on a few of the lights and getting a fire started, the dim glow leaving the room feeling seductive and romantic. He had shed his coat, leaving him in only his waistcoat, slacks, and white button down shirt, making it easier for her to feel the muscles in his biceps flex as she ran a hand along his arm. 

“What if she doesn’t show up?” she asked, nerves spiking again. Tommy looked her up and down, clearly appreciative.

“I’m sure we can think of something to do.”

She laughed, leaning more solidly against his chest. He rubbed her back.

“Nervous?” 

“A little.”

“It’s just Grace, love,” he reminded. She nodded.

There was a knock at the door. They both drew in deep breaths.

“I’ll get it,” he said. Lucy nodded, but then followed him anyway.

Grace looked more or less the same; more done up, in a beautiful, elegant dress and carefully done makeup, her golden hair shorter and curlier where it fell to around her chin. Her smile was wobbly, bordering on unsure.

“Hello, Tommy.”

“Hello, Grace,” Tommy stepped aside for her to come in, taking her coat for her and hanging it up. 

“Grace,” Lucy stepped forward.

“Oh, Lucy,” she reached out to her, pulling her in a warm, firm hug. The smell of her perfume was the same that it had been years ago. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too,” she pulled back to look Grace over. “I love your dress.”

Grace flushed, tucking some hair behind her ear. “Thank you.”

“This way,” Tommy gestured, leading them back to the sitting room, closing the door behind them. Grace looked around as Tommy offered her a seat, gesturing to the orange couch and armchairs, settling himself down in one. Grace sat down in the armchair across from him, and Lucy took the couch. Tommy fumbled with his cigarettes.

“Do I not get a drink?” Grace asked. Tommy gestured with a cigarette to the alcohol shelf.

“Please,” he handed Lucy another cigarette, probably knowing that she needed one. Grace stood, fumbling with her little handbag.

“You want one?” she asked, looking between them.

“Yes,” Tommy said.

“Sure,” Lucy nodded.

“Still whiskey?”

“Yes,” Tommy answered for both of them. Grace started to pour, mentioning briefly that she’d seen his name on vans at the docks. Tommy kept his eyes lowered, like he was afraid to look at her. Lucy, for her part, couldn’t stop staring at her. As if she did, Grace would disappear. Grace passed them both their drinks. Lucy eyed the massive, obvious glittering wedding bands encircling her left ring finger. Instead of returning to the armchair, Grace came to sit on the couch next to Lucy.

“Tommy, I really wasn’t sure about coming tonight–” Grace began.

“I lit a fire in the bedroom upstairs,” Tommy interrupted. “My plan was that we’d sit here for a while, talk about old times, drink some whiskey. Then I was gonna tell you, I hadn’t spent a day without thinking about you. And then we were gonna go upstairs, the three of us, and sleep together.”

Lucy shifted closer to Grace, until their shoulders were nearly touching.

“But just now on the way to opening the door…I changed my mind.”

Lucy’s eyes snapped up to his, unable to fully tell if he was joking or not.

“So just have one drink, tell me how happy you are in New York and then you can go,” he said. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. Interesting seduction strategy. She would have interfered if she wasn’t so curious to see if it actually worked. 

“You changed your mind?” Grace asked, voice trembling, angry.

“Mm. So you can go.”

“Well…” Grace looked up and away. “As a matter of fact, I am happy in New York. And I am married.”

Lucy looked back down at the rings on Grace’s finger, swallowing.

“Oh yeah, he’s rich, I know,” Tommy said, a trickle of bitterness leaking into his voice. 

“And he’s sweet, and he’s kind to me. So what makes you think that I would’ve gone to bed with either of you after one whiskey and some conversation?”

“I was accounting for three whiskeys,” Tommy defended. Lucy snorted, raising a hand to clap over her mouth a moment too late. Grace’s hair whirled as she turned her head to stare at her.

“Sorry,” Lucy mumbled, still trying not to laugh. Grace spun back on Tommy, snapping at him while he maintained his appearance of being unbothered. 

“I came here because you asked me.”

“Even though he’s sweet and he’s kind to you?”

“Tommy,” Lucy groaned, tilting her head back. “Stop being an ass.”

Grace continued to bicker with him, and yet she still did not take him up on his offers to leave. 

“But you’re still here,” Tommy observed. 

“Are you so certain?” Grace asked.

“That you’re still in love with me? With us?” Tommy asked. He sighed. “I was. But I’m not anymore.”

Grace was still looking at him with cooling anger in her eyes. Tommy narrowed his pretty blue orbs, slightly, and asked her if she was armed. 

“No, I’m not armed. I don’t carry guns. I don’t have to.”

Tommy looked like he was trying not to smile and failing at it. “You don’t have a sense of humor anymore either.”

“Ugh, Tommy,” Lucy groaned, resting her fingertips against her forehead, but her smile was uncaged, clear on her face as she watched him have his fun. He shot her a teasing grin before looking back at Grace.

“What are you talking about?” Grace snapped, looking between, seemingly greatly offended. Tommy downed the remainder of his whiskey, and stood. Lucy scooted across the couch, making room for him to sit between her and Grace, curling into his side.

“Thing is, I hate reunions,” he told Grace.

“That’s because you’re shit at them,” Lucy mumbled, pressing her face into his shoulder, yelping when he lightly pinched her hip in retaliation, snickering.

“I didn’t want to sit here for hours talking about nothing and dancing around what we really want to say. So now…I know you’re happy in New York, I know your husband’s rich and sweet and kind to you. I know you’re unarmed. And you didn’t come here for sex, because you don’t love me or Lucy anymore. And it’s only three minutes past,” Tommy explained. “Another drink,” he determined, then poked Lucy. “You want one?”

“God, please,” she said, handing him her empty glass to refill. Grace squirmed in her seat, stammering. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he went to the alcohol shelf, then turned around. “It’s good to see you, Grace.”

“So you didn’t light the fire?” Grace asked, and Lucy pulled her lips in to try to hide her smug smile at the glimmer of disappointment that she sensed in the words. He handed Lucy a refilled glass, then went to fill both his and Grace’s.

“You see, my real plan…was that we go out. I want to impress you,” he leaned forward. “Now…do you like Charlie Chaplin?”

Grace smiled, confused. “Yes, I like Charlie Chaplin.”

“Good,” Tommy smiled. “I bet you’ve never heard Charlie Chaplin speak.”

∗ ∗ ∗ 

They walked side by side, her and Grace with their arms linked with each of Tommy’s. Jazz music gently played, as they stepped into a room where several people were gathered.   

“Oh my God, that’s him,” Grace gasped, eyes round as dinner plates as she stared at the man across the room from them. 

“Mhm.”

“That’s really Charlie Chaplin in person.”

“Surprise,” Lucy grinned. In response to Grace’s question as to how he knew Chaplin, Tommy whispered an explanation that he knew Chaplin through his bodyguard, Wag MacDonald, who, like Chaplin, was a Gypsy. A waiter came by holding a tray of glass flutes of champagne, and Tommy scooped up one, handing it to Grace. “Thank you,” then another to Lucy before taking one for himself. “Thank you. See, we all have our secrets, Grace.”

Lucy smirked, wondering if he was going to tell her about the horse they’d gotten that he’d named after her.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you,” he began to pull them along, introducing Grace with a charming smile. Lucy smiled politely to Wag and Chaplin, having already met them each at a different function. Grace blushed, smiling so wide the dimples appeared in her cheeks as she began to chat with them. Tommy let her go, then gave Lucy a tiny tug on the arm, eyes lit with a wicked type of mirth.

“We’ll be right back,” Lucy whispered into Grace’s ear. She nodded.

Tommy dragged her away to the telephone in the far corner of the room. He dialed, then held it up to his ear, angled just enough so that she could hear. “Hello, Mr. Campbell.”

Lucy clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from cackling. Tommy elbowed her with a grin.

“You said you knew my sister’s address in Primrose Hill. So I expect you have men watching the house to see who comes and goes. Well, tonight your men will see me return to the house with a very beautiful woman. She will stay until just before midnight. Of course, I’ll close the curtains. Can you guess who the woman is?”

Lucy grinned, clinging to his bicep, snickering to herself.

“Liar!” Campbell roared from the other end of the line.

“Sleep well, Mr. Campbell,” Tommy hung up the phone. Lucy nearly doubled over, fighting to keep herself from howling with laughter.

“I love you so much,” she said finally, holding firmly onto his arm. Tommy smirked, and pulled her along with him, back towards Grace.  

∗ ∗ ∗ 

When she kissed Grace, she tasted like champagne and whiskey, with the hint of something sweet underneath it all. Maybe strawberries.

Tommy was behind Lucy, groping at her hips, kissing messily at her throat, pushing his erection forward to rub against the small of her back. Grace’s hands found her breasts through the material of her dress, squeezing them, and Lucy broke the kiss to let her head loll back onto Tommy’s shoulder, eyes rolling into the back of her skull. 

Taking her by the shoulders, Tommy spun her around to face him, mouth crashing down onto hers, grunting when she squeezed his biceps. Grace’s face nuzzled into the crook of her neck, hands still cupping her breasts. She broke away from Tommy, leaning to the side to give him the chance to kiss Grace, swapping places with him so that he was in the middle, hands shaking as she smoothed them over his chest, nibbling at his neck. 

“Tommy,” Grace whispered, reaching for his face. “Tommy, do you have someone?”

He just kissed her again. Lucy buried her face in between his shoulder blades.

“It’s too late, Tommy,” Grace tried. Lucy shivered, bottom lip wobbling when she said it. One of Tommy’s hands grasped hers where it was laying on his chest, squeezing.

“It’s eleven, Grace,” he said, noting the time on the clock. 

“I mean, it’s too late,” her voice trembled with it. Lucy pulled away from Tommy to wrap herself around Grace’s back, burying her face in her neck, breathing in her perfume. She didn’t want her to go. She never wanted her to go again. “If you had come with me to New York…” she trailed off.

“I had things to do,” he said, simply, kissing her again. Lucy petted her golden hair, letting the curls twist around her fingers, trailing them along her shoulders, feeling how it made Grace shiver.

“You mean the coin landed the wrong way?”

“It couldn’t have worked. That was the question.”

Grace just kissed him again, probably to get him to shut up. Lucy flattened one hand on the middle of Grace’s chest and slid it down, until she just grazed over her core through the material of her dress. Grace nearly sobbed, pulling away from Tommy’s mouth again.

“Tommy, do you have someone? Do either of you have someone?”

“I have a racehorse,” Tommy said, and Lucy snorted into Grace’s shoulder. “She’s gonna win the Derby.”

Lucy curled the fingers of one hand around the zipper of Grace’s dress, pulling it down slowly, grazing her hand and her lips along the newly exposed bare skin. Grace let her peel away the top half of the dress, leaving it bunched up at her waist. Tommy cupped her breasts and kissed her hungrily, rutting his clothed erection into Grace’s stomach, pulling her deeper into his arms while Lucy pressed herself flush to her back. Suddenly, Tommy's arms were around her as well, effectively squishing Grace to his front as he pulled Lucy closer, until he was able to find the zipper on her dress and pull it down. Grace spun around, pulling Lucy’s dress away, dropping her mouth to kiss at her breasts. Moaning, Lucy tangled her hands in her hair.

“Oh, fuck,” Tommy hissed, leaning around Grace to kiss Lucy, growling when she nipped playfully at his bottom lip. Grace wriggled the rest of the way out of her dress, pressing her naked body to Lucy’s firmly, bare skin sliding against each other.

Lucy let out a yelp and then a laugh as Grace suddenly pushed her back into one of the orange armchairs, her hands catching at Grace’s hips, lips pressing into the bare skin just below her navel. Tommy sank to his knees, and her legs fell open for him without him even needing to ask, his tongue finding her clit with little preamble as he began to suck.

“Here,” Lucy said, reclining her head back as much as she could. It took a little maneuvering, but eventually she had Grace settled on her face, closing her eyes and lapping at her folds with long, slow licks of her tongue. Grace shuddered, fingers closing in her hair, being careful not to pull too hard. It was hard to focus, with Tommy pushing two thick fingers into her, but she managed to mimic his movements onto Grace, tongue playing with her clit while she slipped her fingers into her, smirking as she felt Grace already start to tense with a building climax, the vibrations from Lucy’s moans only helping to get her there faster. All it took was a few more well timed strokes of her fingers, and Grace came onto her mouth with a moan, head thrown back. And Lucy was right behind her, thighs squeezing around Tommy’s head as he pushed her into an orgasm. 

Grace slid off of her, gasping for breath, while Tommy rose up to kiss Lucy, letting her sample herself on his lips while he took a taste of Grace on hers.

Grabbing at Tommy’s face, Lucy fixed him with demanding eyes. “I want to watch you fuck her.”

Grace moaned, Tommy’s hips thrusting forward at the suggestion. 

“Touch yourself,” his voice was deep and growly as he gave the order. 

Grinning, she sank down into the chair, letting her legs fall open, fingers circling around her clit. 

Tommy pulled Grace into another kiss, lowering her onto her back on the couch. His clothes were shed hastily, tossed haphazardly around the sitting room. He and Grace kissed languidly as he settled between her legs, adjusted himself, then thrusting into her with one quick roll forward. Grace moaned, legs wrapping around him as he began to thrust slowly. Lucy sighed at the sight, slipping two fingers into herself, pumping in time with Tommy’s thrusts, watching them as they kissed and thrust against the couch, Tommy cradling Grace’s head gently. The hand not pumping within herself fondled at her own breasts. A growl rumbled from the couch, Tommy watching her with dilated eyes as he continued to roll into Grace at an increasing pace.

“Lucy,” Grace suddenly cried out, gripping tightly to Tommy’s back. “Lucy, come here. Please.” 

It took a good deal of willpower to manage to pull her fingers from her sopping core, climbing to kneel on the floor beside the couch. Grace used the hand not clinging to Tommy’s shoulder to cradle the back of her head, pulling her into a deep kiss. She could tell that they were both close, turning her head to kiss Tommy next while Grace threw back her head with a cry as she came. His hips continued their slow rolls forward, and when Lucy brushed her nose along his neck, she felt him tremble and then groan, low and deep in his chest, pushing himself forward as deep as possible, bursting within Grace, the muscles in his back straining with how powerfully he came, emptying deeply and heavily inside her.

Lucy watched her lovers slump against one another with soft, fond eyes, biting back a smile at the erotic sight before her. Very slowly, Tommy raised himself back up onto his forearms, giving Grace a quick kiss on the lips before pulling out, sitting up on the couch.

“Lucy,” he said, urging her up into the space between him and Grace. Leaning back against the opposite armrest from the one Grace had her head resting on, he pulled Lucy into his lap, mouth hungry on hers, dropping down to suck on one of her nipples. 

“Mm…” she sighed as Grace pressed in from behind her, legs wrapping around both her and Tommy possessively.

“Our pretty girl,” Tommy praised, knowing well enough that he could probably have gotten her off using just his voice alone. 

Lucy could feel his erection swelling up again underneath her, only encouraged when Grace reached around her to stroke him, chuckling upon finding him already half hard, mumbling something into Lucy’s neck along the lines of, “stamina of a fucking stallion.”

The moment that he was fully hard again, he was lifting Lucy up and sheathing himself in her, groaning and pressing his face into her chest. His hips bucked up as she balanced her hands on his shoulders to stabilize herself while she rode him. All the while, Grace remained flush to her back, kissing her neck and fondling her breasts, pinching her nipples.

“Oh, fuck…” Lucy choked, head falling back to rest on Grace’s shoulder.

“That’s it…” Grace encouraged. “Fuck her good, Tommy.”

Lucy nearly sobbed, walls spasming and tightening around Tommy in a way that made him growl, cock twitching. With one hand still squeezing her breast, Grace dropped the other down to rub Lucy’s clit, and she came with a scream, still bouncing in his lap. Tommy’s thrusts remained deep and powerful, working her through it until he moaned, loud and low and–

“Oh, fuck,” she whimpered, as she felt him release yet another large load, seed thick as it coated her walls, cock spasming when it emptied. 

They all collapsed in a tangle of limbs, Tommy sprawled half on his back on the couch with Lucy on top of him, face buried in his shoulder while Grace was draped over her back, nuzzling at her neck. For a long, long while, none of them moved. Just content to lay together in a silent little bubble of satisfaction and fading pleasure. 

It was Grace who moved first. Pulling away and leaving Lucy’s back cold as she sat up, pushing her hair back.

“I have to go. It’s getting late.”

Lucy felt Tommy tense beneath her, as she raised her head, watching sadly as Grace stooped to pick up her dress. There would be no point in asking her to stay. Moving off of Tommy, she looked around, searching for her own clothes amongst the pile that had been tossed to the floor.

Slowly, silently, they all began to dress. Lucy helped Grace with her zipper, watching as Tommy pulled on his shirt and waistcoat. Grace touched her shoulder, and she turned to let her zip her back up. 

“I’ll drive you,” Tommy offered, after they were all more or less presentable. Grace nodded, silently. “When do you sail back?”  

“We don’t know yet.”

Lucy frowned at the answer.

“You don’t have a return ticket?” Tommy’s brows furrowed.

“This wasn’t right, Tommy,” Grace fretted. 

“When do you go back, Grace?” he asked, ignoring the statement. 

“They’re doing tests on us. I don’t know when they’ll be finished.”

Lucy and Tommy both stared at her blankly.

“We’re having treatment. A doctor in Harley Street. Some new thing, a breakthrough,” she hesitated. “We’re trying for a baby.”

Lucy felt like she’d been punched in the throat. Tommy stared at Grace, then looked down, rubbing at his eyes, pinching his nose, sniffing, and grabbing a cigarette from the ashtray for a drag, then setting it down again.

“Why did you come here tonight?”

“The doctor believes it’s surely me who’s at fault,” Grace said, eyes sad. Tommy shook his head. Lucy swallowed around her own memory of pain, as she’d sat in that doctor’s office years ago and listened to him tell her of the surety of her barrenness.

Perhaps she and Grace were more alike than she had ever even thought.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed. “It’s no one’s fault.”

Lucy glanced up at him, moving a tiny step closer, wondering, not for the first time, what he would say to her if she told him the truth about her broken, sterile womb.

“I’m tired of that, Tommy,” Grace said, not unkindly, eyes miserable. He reached out, and rested a hand on her arm.

“Can I see you again?” he asked. She looked down. “Grace,” he nearly pleaded. Lucy looked at her with begging eyes, already feeling the beginning cracks in her heart as the silence, in it answer enough, stretched on and on. Tommy dropped his hand. “You still working undercover, eh?” he asked. Grace’s head snapped up, and she slapped him hard across the cheek. Tommy jerked back, but other than that, he didn’t move. Lucy’s muscles tensed on instinct. 

“I have never lied to him once,” Grace growled out, suddenly furious. Though Lucy suspected that it was more at herself than at either of them.

“So tell him the truth,” Tommy urged. 

Grace’s face twitched and shifted, looking down, she pushed some of her hair back behind her ear. “I promised that I would be home before midnight.”

Tommy let his head drop, then nodded. “Alright. We’ll drive you back,” he took Lucy’s hand, holding onto her particularly tight as he went to the door, grabbing his coat. 

They drove Grace back to her hotel in near silence, only bidding her goodbye with quick, quiet words. Watching as she disappeared inside, Tommy’s hand covered Lucy's, squeezing her fingers as they drove away.

“Lucy?” he said, voice low in the dark.

“Mhm?”

“I’m so happy that you’re still here. With me.”

She tilted her head up, gazing at the shape of his jaw in the darkness, understanding what he meant. She pressed a kiss into his cheek.

“Me too, love.”

∗ ∗ ∗ 

“I feel terrible,” she complained, slumping over in her seat beside him in the car, staring at May’s house with mounting dread.

“I can do it, if you’d like. You don’t even have to be there,” Tommy offered. Lucy sighed.

“I feel like I should be.”

He shrugged. “You really don’t.”

She glanced over at him. “I feel like a coward.”

“You’re not. Go do some work in the drawing room or take a nap or something. I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you.”

He just stroked her hand affectionately in answer. The guilt twisted sickly in her gut as May greeted them in the entryway with a huge smile.

Despite Tommy’s assurances, she still felt like a coward, but she really couldn't bring herself to face May. To have to watch her pretty face fall as they told her about things could no longer continue between them. So she muttered something about having a headache and needing to lay down, and left them to go to the stables on their own. 

She didn’t actually get any rest, simply laying there on her back and staring at the overly fancy canopy of the bed in one of May’s guest rooms, silently hating herself.

Poor May. They really were awful people. 

∗ ∗ ∗ 

“I want you to go down to the phone in the Garrison and call Alfie Solomons.”

She paused, head raising from where she’d been staring at the cobblestones as they walked. “You do?”

Tommy nodded. “Tell him that I want a meeting.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Is this just because you don’t want me in the office when you meet with Campbell?”

Tommy’s lips twitched upwards. “Yes.”

Looking him over, assessing, she frowned. “Is that because you plan to kill him?”

“No,” he said, though from his tone it was clear that he very much would have liked to. “I just don’t want him near you,” she opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off before she could speak. “But I really do need to set up a meeting with Alfie.”

Giving him a once over, she nodded. “What do you think Campbell wants?”

“Probably to talk about Russell’s house being burned out and the location of the assassination being changed.”

“And you’re still going to suggest Epsom on Derby day?”

“I am.” 

“Okay,” she shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’ll head over to the Garrison now.”

“Thank you.”

Previous Chapter • Series • Fic • Next Chapter

Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a comment, reblog, or like. I always appreciate feedback and love getting the opportunity to interact with you and hear your thoughts!

[struungout]

Been meaning to post up some of my crew wearing the swag I got from Resin Rose and finally got the energy for it haha.

First up, we have two spike chokers I got from marabandbjd. I first saw them posted on IG a while back and knew I’d have to get a few at the con haha. Sachi and Farai are looking pretty smashing in them.

Next are two rings and a necklace from of adornment. I’ve been wanting to snatch up jewelry from them for ages and were the primary vendor I wanted to visit since they only sell leftover pieces online after conventions. Didn’t get as much stuff as I would have liked, but there was a ton of other stuff to look at ahaha. xD;

I also got two kimono (and some bead bracelets as well, though I don’t have those photographed) from Mischief Maker Designs for Hiei and Riyo. Almost got a green set for Riyo, but the little flowers on this red one were calling to me hahaha. Pretty much always have this gal in florals. xD

Jonathan is modeling one of several tops I got from Striped Green Threads. My larger dolls have been in need to spoiling for a while, so it was nice to snag a few things for them.

Then lastly are a pile of keychains Rae gave me! She took and printed out pictures of us, me and my friend Jen, as well as Sachi and Riyo with Shrimp to put into each. She also accidentally broke the My Melody keychain because we couldn’t figure out how to open it lmao (as it turned out…it slides open bahaha). Got all those hanging up on my corkboard by my bed now. C:

[sheliesshattered]

Grommets in progress!

Grommets in armscyes!

Grommets all completed!

Grommets all laced up!

Grommets!

Stabbing holes in a nearly-completed project you've been working on for seven months is always nerve wracking, and even more with this delicate silk brocade. And even more while trying to pattern-match at center back. But I did a test run of setting the grommets in scrap of fabric, I measured and marked the placement carefully, I took my time setting them, and I'm really happy with how they came out.

The lacing is the rayon cording I posted about dyeing the other day, and I'm still just so pleased with the color match I was able to achieve by mixing colors of Rit dye and only keeping it in the boiling pot for about 5 minutes. (My first attempt I actually dyed far too dark by thinking I needed to boil it for 20 minutes, but thankfully I have 144 yards to work with and won't need anywhere near that much.)

Since I decided not to try to hide a zipper in this and keep it as screen-accurate as possible, the back lacing will actually be the way I get in and out of the dress. So to make lacing it up a lot easier I handsewed a lacing point to each end of the cord -- actually just 3mm spiked beads that are meant for jewelry making, but are perfect for threading through the 5mm inner diameter of my grommets. They have just enough weight to move nicely too, so I'm going to use them in the front semi-decorative lacings too.

My goal for this weekend was to get through all the pounding of setting the grommets during non-work hours, and even taking my time and taking breaks as needed, I got through that no problem. Next weekend I want to be able to have everything ready so Jack can help me mark out where the hem needs to go, so all my next steps are going to be focused on preparing for the hem:

I think having the sleeves laced on and the dragon claw lacing at the front waist may change the way the dress falls, so I want to get those done next up. I need to fiddle with my (very well broken in) shoes so they're ready to wear for the fitting. I need to cut ~100" of silk organza to face the hem with, and there's one little fit adjustment at center front I would like to do if I have time, but probably won't affect the hem at all.

If I get all the way through that with time to spare before Saturday morning, I'll spend the rest of the time finishing all the raw edges of the organza underdress. It's in an okay state to wear for fitting the hem, but getting those raw edges handled will make it a lot more comfortable to wear. And hey, it needs to be done eventually anyhow.

The hem is the last big must-be-done for this cosplay to be wearable, and then I'll be able to shift gears into things like the wig, a little bag to carry my con essentials in, finishing the underdress, and the beading the neckline trim. And working on my Swiftie Harley Quinn! Getting that one into a wearable state will probably come before the beading for this cosplay.

I have 44 days left to work on all my cosplays before it's time to pack for Dragon Con, but now that I've actually been able to try this on with the back fully laced up, my to-do list feels a lot more achievable. I've got to keep up this pace, especially if I want to do detail work like beading, but I'm hopeful I can get it all done.

[scarlet-fangs]

J'ai publié 1 096 fois en 2022

C'est 820 billets de plus qu'en 2021 !

9 billets créés (1%)

1 087 billets reblogués (99%)

Les blogs que j'ai le plus reblogués :

@oceansrose2002

@volterran-wine

@phantomenby

@patient1666074

@jack-is-lost

J'ai étiqueté 1 045 billets en 2022

Seulement 5% de mes billets ne comportaient pas de tag

#the lost boys - 692 billets

#volturi - 145 billets

#felix volturi ❤️ - 96 billets

#marko ❤️ - 74 billets

#aesthetic - 70 billets

#paul ❤️ - 38 billets

#demetri - 36 billets

#vamp posting - 32 billets

#spike - 29 billets

#stranger things - 25 billets

Tag le plus long : 79 caractères

#he's such a sweetheart and the perfect boyfriend for the librarian that i am ❤️

Mes billets vedette en 2022 :

n°5

Lucifer's name

A lot have wondered how did the vampire came to be called like that. Few knows the true meaning behind it. When he fully accepted his new and complicated gender identity, Luci wanted a new name that would fit his own view of his gender and who he was now. As a librarian, his job was to bring knowledge to people, and this played a huge part in the choice, as knowledge is Lumière and Lucifer means Light Bringer. Plus the name is one of an angel, whose gender transcend human vision, and is also masculine. It's only a bonus that it's shorten version reminds him of a Dracula character.

There are few who knows the old name she used as a human, but it is said to have greek origins.

1 note - publié le 1 décembre 2022

n°4

I want Demetri as a big brother

1 note - publié le 24 octobre 2022

n°3

1 note - publié le 19 octobre 2022

n°2

🌸 If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not 🌸

1. I'm a librarian! Like, professionally : i have a french librarian formation and will get a higher diploma next school year

2. I collect dolls, usually with alternative looks but I also like classic movies Barbie (dolls)

3. I'm smol (1m54 or 5'1)

2 notes - publié le 4 août 2022

Mon billet n°1 en 2022

Recently saw a TikTok of a girl making beads out of roses, and now i can only imagine Felix ' mate making jewelry out of the first roses Felix got them as a reminder of their love. They could have matching bracelets with those rosaries beads, it would be so romantic.

9 notes - publié le 4 décembre 2022

Obtenez votre année 2022 en revue sur Tumblr →

[tabbykatsplayground]

This has been out on the TKP server for a while... but I finally got to uploading it here now! This is for all the Vinnie fans out there. As always, alt text is under the cut!

[Base]

Vinnie stands straight with his right hand on his hip and his left arm at his side. Vinnie is a purple guy with spiky, curly hair, which is supposed to cover his right eye. He has a small ponytail. His eyes are lined messily, with little eyelashes coming out from top and scruff. He smiles at the viewer. Vinnie is wearing a purple security guard hat with a gold button and black brim.

Vinnie's outlines are pure black! He is not normal.

Not really design, but his skin is fuzzy like okra!

He can just manifest his arm hair to appear or not

Usually has That Damn Hat on... it's debatable if it's an actual hat or if it's skin

Eyes are scribbly circles!!! Go wild!

Next to Vinnie's base ref is a version of his head without his hat, as well as a drawing of his mouth with his tongue, which is purplish pink.

His right eye is always visible under his hair!! Think anime hair logic

The heart shines are non-optional. jsyk.

The gay little eyelash is as well non-optional

Inside of his mouth is like this... purplish-pink.

[MAIN]

Vinnie wears a purple security guard outfit with a gold badge. His shirt is noticeably strange, almost structured like a tunic, as a pure black belt goes through it. He also has pure black shoes. On his right arm is a pure black watch, and on top of it is a magenta, beaded bracelet.

Good ol reliable!

.... This is his skin. By the way. Not clothes.

The watch is ALSO skin and nonfunctional. sad.

The bracelet is real and he always keeps it on him! He'd cry if it breaks.

Weird semi-tunic thing going on around here...

All black stuff is pure black irl as well.

[CASUAL 1]

Vinnie has pink and black stripes in his hair. He has an eyebrow piercing where his right eyebrow would be, as well as two snake bite piercings. He has more elaborate eye mascara. Vinnie wears a pink and green shirt with Gir's head on it. He has two belts, with the bottom one being purple and studded and the top being black with a steel Hello Kitty buckle. Vinnie also wears black pants and black shoes with pink jewels. For accessories, Vinnie wears a black fishnet glove on his right arm, with the magenta bracelet still on top, while he wears three bracelets on his left arm. The top one has rainbow beads, the middle has red and purple beads, and the bottom is Kandi with four white letter blocks that read "Y/N" with a heart following it, a transparent bead, and a few pink beads along with heart-shaped beads.

A purple guy is put in a room with a DA kid for one day and comes out scene. Good!

Sometimes dresses fem! He can go either way! Whatever Y/N wants :3. She doesn't mind as long as he's enjoying himself.

He's a fan of 5 million belts and fishnets

The piercings are fake. He'd die if he got them

(Vinnie voice) Teehee Y/N look we BOTH have streaks in our hair *blushes*

Sometimes he just scrolls on the internet to come up with outfit ideas

KANDI OVER YOUR ARM HAIR??? LET IT BREATHE.

These are ACTUAL jewelry. He and Lulu made them together

Twinkle toes :3

[CASUAL....????]

Vinnie wears his purple security guard hat again, but wears a different outfit. He wears a dark purple, buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black tie, black vest, black dress pants, and black boots with lots of belts. For accessories, Vinnie has a gold badge that reads "Vin" with a heart underneath. Three little buttons surround it. On the top is a light pink buttton with Gir's face. The middle button is a purplish-pink button with a cupcake. The last button is purple with a red heart. Vinnie also wears two black fingerless gloves, along with a black bracelet with gold spikes on his left arm.

I'm gonna be honest. I just wanted to dress him up in this one cosplay I found

He dresses like those purple guy cosplays.. you know the ones

He IS styling

He likes to personalize the outfits of course

Big fan of big fucking boots. His 5'5" self loves to rock em. He will trip.

[PJs]

Vinnie has his hair down, showing his spiky, shoulder-length hair. He wears a long, purple shirt with a purple grape silhouette. He also wears pink and black striped stockings.

Lets his hair down! Mena sometimes brushes his hair

Technically he would sleep shirtless and in boxers but Mena would explode him, so.

Long ass PJ shirt with boxers it is!

Long ass PJ socks as well... warm and comfy

[et-capulus-lac]

˙✧ Gift ideas ✧˙

• Bicycle cards

• A really fancy version of Monopoly

• Rings

• Body mists

• BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS and then a handwritten letter inside

• Beard oil

• A cute lil bag and then you can fill it with their fav candy and make up

• A basket of different beads and charms for jewelry makers

• Miniature rose bush or Rosa spp (I got one and you can keep it inside, water it once a week, they look adorable and you have so many nice colours)

• A pretty wallet and maybe you can put a few giftcards in it and a hidden note

• A wooden chess board

• If you're good at painting (ehh, even if you're not) paint them something

• Get a basket and wrap fruit. Make it look really nice so they can't tell and then wrap the non-fruit gift and put it in too. Put it at the bottom so they don't open that first.

• An abaya with a matching hijab if you can find it

• If you have a bigger budget for this, book them a trip. Write a postcard but as if they were sending it to you from that place. First give them the postcard and when they look at you like ??? give them the ticket/booking/plan for the trip.

• People who love hiking or camping are happy when they get lil hiking/camping gadgets

• Compact mirrors

• Terrain stuff and miniatures for diorama makers

• Their favourite perfume or a perfume that reminds you of them (tell them 🥺)

• Bake them cookies and put a letter of your message on each. Let them put it in order before eating them.

• Epsom salts in pretty jars (you can decorate the jar however you want: pearls, paint, spikes, lace, random collage...)

• A teacup set and then a planned picnic where they can use it

•

[wontgodowninhistory]

ROBIN & ERICA

Another pointless drabble that I decided to share of Robin 'raccooning' through Erica's room

Robin was like a raccoon in human form and there was absolutely no denying that. She got into everything even if it wasn’t her stuff to be in. It was even worse when her ADHD spiked as it currently was. It would probably annoy Erica - everything annoyed the kid - but Robin was too hyper to care. That’s what happened when she had too much sugar. Erica’s house was stocked with all the good snacks and plenty of soda. Stuff she didn’t have at home. And her mother had even made cookies! Never having a mother of her own or even a close friend with one, Robin took full advantage of it as she sat at the counter and chatted with her friend's mother. She watched her take a fresh cookie sheet out of the oven and place a new one in. There was already a plate heaped with previously baked goods - more cookies and even a few brownies - a good portion of those and the ones that had just exited the oven were happily stuffed into her mouth. Erica’s mom didn’t stop her - the woman liked her for some reason or another - and that just made her more inclined to accept as many treats as she could. This was the result an hour later. Inability to focus on anything, fidgeting with whatever was in reach, and finally getting up to rifle through anything she could find as she asked questions about literally everything. 

The look on Erica’s face said everything just as it had years prior when the girl would come to insist on excessive free samples at Scoops only to be denied. It was a look of unamusement as Robin went through her belongings. Jewelry seemed to hold her interest the most and that was what led her to the box on her dresser. It didn’t have much in it, just earrings and a few bracelets - nothing like the cool one with the tiny ballerina that Nancy Wheeler had - but it was more than enough to hold Robin’s interest. She had some cheap costume jewelry of her own, she just found other people's things way more intriguing. “These are cool. I haven’t pierced my ears. I’m too freaked out by needles. I'm sure it would really, really hurt. I don't like pain.” She had enough of that at home. She wasn't going to voluntarily injure herself. She held up a pair of pearl earrings. “I’ve never seen you wear them.” Not that she paid much attention to what the younger girl wore. She didn’t pay much attention to what anyone wore unless it was Chrissy. Again she was rummaging and rambling. 

“Oh! This bracelet is wicked.” She dropped the earrings to pick up the rainbow-beaded bracelet and studied it with curiosity. The D&D books that Erica had been proudly showing her moments earlier were completely forgotten. It wasn’t abnormal for Robin to get distracted and change gears in the middle of doing things. Either she was hyper-focused or she couldn’t focus at all. There wasn’t an in between. “So once I was at Nancy’s. Well like we weren’t friends or anything yet. It was just that one time when we were devising a plan to save the world.” She rattled casually as though such a thing was normal. To them it was. “She had this jewelry box and it had a tiny little ballerina in it that spun around to the music.” That would forever be one of the coolest things in her mind and she just felt she needed to share it. 

[chronicas]

i love ur jewelry so much where do u get it? ive had such a hard time finding really fun goth jewelry

Dead women!! Joking… kinda. The classier ones are legit from dead ladies (friend’s grandma and my late sister) I got my spiked collar off Etsy so I could more reliably be sure it was made with actual leather (will last wayyy longer than anything else, you want leather). My glasses chain was handmade by my lovely roommate who hunts for charms and beads that look cool at Michael’s. My claw rings are straight up from hot topic and my other rings are from the local annual gem and mineral show where you can find all kinds of precious gems for cheap!

Otherwise I recommend thrift shops, antique shops that sell clothes and jewelry, and any other place you might find stuff like that. Most of my other finds have just been stuff I stumbled across at random stores.

So yeah make it, find it, and be the first to show up when someone kicks the bucket! (Morbid joke comes with the territory, but seriously grandmas have some really kick ass jewelry. Even costume accessories were made wayyy better than most jewelry nowadays)

I really hardly ever spend money on jewelry, I just like having shiny things to wear and I’m good at seeking them out!

[summers-pratt]

dawn makes spike like black and red friendship bracelets with little bats when shes feeling nice she makes him bright ones when shes feeling evil. she makes them in abundance. she understands that he will wear anything she makes him all the time. she knows the power she has.

HELL YEAH SHE DOES ok I love this SO much oh my god because of COURSE Dawn makes friendship bracelets of COURSE she does!!

So yeah at first he's like, "This is for me? You made this for me?" and she's like, "Yeah, I thought, you know, those are your favorite colors, and look, a bat! I thought that was funny, and I got them on sale at the craft store! But you're a big bad vampire, I totally get if you don't want to wear it-" "No I'll wear it, give it here" and he never takes it off. So then she makes more and he can't not wear them, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings, and yeah sure they're alright, he supposes they go with his shirt (but of course deep down he LOVES them) and then she starts making him more colorful ones bc she can be a little shit and she KNOWS he will wear them, AND HE DOES he grumbles and complains when he gets a bright orange and yellow one or a pink and green one with watermelon beads but he wears them all and eventually she makes him so many he physically can't wear them all but he does keep them all in a special jewelry box and mixes and matches them everyday :)

(sidenote I have a fic in the works where Dawn makes bracelets for Buffy when she's dead and leaves them on her grave so like, love that we agree on Dawn being crafty and making bracelets for her parents :)

[rederiswrites]

Yesterday we had a lovely old gentleman over who was actually just here to pick up our applications to display at the local historical museum, but of course we ended up talking for like two hours, about local artists, about the local artist business, etc. He spent maybe a third of it bragging about his intimidatingly accomplished daughters, which was unbearably cute.

At one point, he asked if I made anything besides jewelry. At the time I was like...”Uh? Not really? Like...I make beads? *grabs marble I made for kicks out of a nearby plant* Uh... Marble??” I thought it was a slightly weird question at the time, like I’d missed a step.

Afterwards, as I was making dinner, pieces from the conversation percolated quietly and suddenly I realized that what he was really asking was, “What do you have for people who are invested in you and your art but haven’t got a use for jewelry?”

Which really turned the entire question on its head. 

In a way, it’s a classic example of not actually being prepared for success, which can really be a fumble if you don’t catch it early. Previously, I’d been thinking “if I provide things people want, they may buy them”, which is--logical and reasonable, especially for a person who rarely shops in person and almost always searches for specific items I’ve decided in advance that I want and never shops for fun. I was, of course, aware of the need to build a brand, and the advantage of creating audience engagement and making said audience invested in you, but in my mind that was still always because then, when they DID want something, they might buy it from ME.

And yet even now, pretty early in what I’d call my lampworking “career”, there are almost certainly several of you out there that would like to own a piece of my work less because you have any real use for it and more because, well, I made it. By the standards of Tumblr, I am rather spectacularly arrogant, but that still took a while to occur to me. Probably short-sighted, because actually nobody has much USE for jewelry at all. Jewelry is, in a sense, ABOUT the stories it tells.

If I’m building a local brand, which rather to my surprise I suddenly am, it’s all the more important to my theoretical local customer. They’re not buying jewelry, per se, they’re looking to buy from A Local Artist. Maybe they don’t wear jewelry. Maybe they want it for a gift, but realize that jewelry is a somewhat intimate gift, and requires an understanding of the giftee’s taste, which is kind of a lot of pressure. Maybe they just think the idea of a little glass gnome conversation piece in their African violets is adorable. 

So. I guess it’s time to start practicing my plant spikes and buttons and, yes, marbles.

[softcallofdutyimagines]

The Warlord's Wife | Naga x fem!reader

Time for some more Naga x fem!reader my dear friends! This one is a short fic requested by @kapanovangswife . The content has been left up to my discretion, but y'all know I'm a sucker for soft stuff, so this'll be about you two having a soft evening together after kapano's been away for a while. Enjoy :)

No warnings, just fluff ❤️

The sun hangs low in the sky, casting an orange glow over the camp and vista before you. You're sitting on the meticulously crafted bamboo porch of the hut you share with your warlord husband, Kapano Vang. It's quite large all things considered, and even has been outfitted with electricity and running water.

In the background, the radio drones on giving a news report from the one English speaking channel. Kapano has, with seemingly infinite patience, bless him, been trying to teach you Laotian, but sometimes you just enjoy the comfort of your own language. A little sewing project sits in you lap, forgot for now as you bask in the glowing sunset.

You close your eyes and lean back in your chair, allowing the radiance to warm your skin. So focused are you on the moment, that you don't even hear the hasty plodding of combat boots come up the stairs.

Naga calls your name excitedly, stopping abruptly to take in the view of you. He rips off his sunglasses and pulls down his mask as the world seems to move in a hazy, glowing slow motion around him.

You're like a golden goddess in this light, bathed in yellow and orange highlights as you finish stretching and turn to him at the sound of your name.

Even now, just by looking at you, he is truly certain he's married the most beautiful woman in the world.

Without a moment to waste, your hop up and run the short way over to greet him. You need not speak a single word, the brilliance of your smile and the energy radiating off of you giving more of a hello then any words could.

Like an overly excited puppy, you jump into him, wrapping your extremities around his neck and waist. With a small grunt of effort, he helps you balance comfortably so he can hold you for a little while.

If you asked him, he'd say this is perhaps the one downside of being with a foreign woman...

He's a little ashamed to be nearly the same height as you, not to mention he's nowhere near as burly and strong as all the American men he keeps meeting through... Work. It stresses him to know that you could've had so many better options to suit you from home, and yet... it fills him with pride to know that you chose him.

But, he puts such thoughts aside for now and gives you another squeeze and a small tap to let you know he's going to put you down. Once safely on land, you pull back a bit to look at him, and you find that you simply cannot stop smiling.

That sunny is smile is so contagious... He smiles back, almost shyly, before leaning in for a kiss. Naga runs his hand up and down your waist and hip, feeling the small curve there as the full weight of how much he missed you engulfs him.

You break the kiss for just a moment, long enough for you to speak, but close enough that you can still feel the breath of his mouth caress your lips, "God, I was so worried about you... Is everything alright? You were gone for so lo-"

"Shhhh, everything's fine my love", he gives you a gentle, quick kiss to soothe you, "Just took longer then expected", he groans, and rolls his eyes. He wonders if he should look for better men to hire... It would be worth it if it means he'd be able to get back home to you quicker.

"Come on, let's get inside eh? It's been a long day", he takes your hand and leads you through the beaded archway, sparing a quick nuzzle to your hair as the last of the sun's rays slip off it.

Naga changes out of his combat outfit while you warm up a quick little something to eat together. He comes out to join you soon enough, stripped down to his pants, an undershirt, and his wedding ring, the one piece of jewelry he's never without.

He helps you set up and joins you on the floor amidst some plush cushions and a small, raised surface for the dishes. You sit together, nearly hip to hip as you enjoy your meal and each other's company. You even feed him a spoonful here and there, laughing playfully as you wipe at the mess he's making all the while he patiently indulges your behavior.

He's far too callused to admit it, but... He does rather enjoy being babied by you. If word got out, he'd be ruined, but seeing you smile like this is worth the risk.

By now the sun has set and night settles over the valley and surrounding jungle. Birds and bugs of all sorts provide a little white noise as Kapano lights a small lamp there on the woven, bamboo rug. The dishes have been put aside for now, and it's just you and him reclining on the downy pillows.

Naga lays propped up on his back with you cuddled up to his chest. A cold rain has begun to fall bringing with it a chilly wind and a silence, save for the rhythmic pitter patter of droplets. You try to draw yourself even closer to him for some warmth and comfort, but any further and you'd be under his skin.

Kapano kisses your forehead and turns away momentarily to reach for the large fleece throw he had imported just for you. He tosses the side of it over you allowing you to relax at last.

"Thank you", you mutter blissfully.

He settles back down, inviting you to his chest once more, "Of course"

Kapano kisses your fragrant hair, stroking it gently with one hand. You can feel his biecp flexing behind your head with each caress, and just underneath your ear you can hear his strong heart ticking away. He glides his hand down to rub your back, leaving room for him to test his cheek against your hair.

You slip a hand under his shirt, hoping to catch some warmth too for your frozen fingers. He hisses at the surprise, but doesn't tell you to move. Instead he takes your hand in his, holding your icy fingers in as much of his warm, little fist as he can while rubbing small circles on the back of your palm.

There was a time when he would not let you near him for the rest of the night if you did something like that, you know. And now look at him. He can't tell if he's spoiled you too much, or if, just maybe, you've actually managed to soften him up.

Hmph, that's his clever girl...

You're not sure what's going on inside his mind, but you figure it must be happy thoughts as you can hear his heartbeat quicken after accepting your touch.

You sigh contentedly, feeling more safe here in the arms of the Warlord, in a wooden hut, surrounded by a wild jungle as a thunderstorm picks up outside then you ever did back before.

"...I love you", you whisper.

Naga's heart spikes quickly, just for a second, at the sound of those precious words. He looks back at you and the blissful smile you're wearing as you slowly drift off to sleep. A forked bolt of lighting seperates the stars above and a gust of wind rattles the beads over the doorway, but nothing can tear him away from this moment...

He slides down just a touch, only enough so that he can lay with you side by side, careful to make sure he's still supporting your head. He gently taps his snubbed nose to yours, just enough to get you to do that cute little nose twitch he loves. And as he watches you breathe slowly with sleep, he thinks... He's never seen such a perfect being in all his life.

Every job, for Stitch, for Perseus, for his people... All the raids and fighting and the threat of punishment should he let things go awry... For you, all of it is worth it.

At last, he closes his eyes and rests his forehead against yours. He'd fight every day for the rest of his life it meant he could keep you safe like this.

"...I love you more"

[8clarify8]

Call Me if You Want A Good Time

This is for @theluckiestwitchathogwarts for the @mlsecretsanta I sincerely apologize that it’s taken me so long to finish this for you. 

The number stared back at Marinette as she clutched the leather strap of her purse, the only graffiti in this run down bar’s bathroom that she couldn’t take her eyes away from was someone had scrawled in big pointy letters: CALL ME IF YOU WANT A GOOD TIME!

It mocked Marinette, tempted her even as she was not having a good time currently. This bar wasn’t her first choice for a date, but the guy she was seeing played in a band that was playing here tonight.  

Which was cool to tell her friends that she was dating a bassist for a band, that was until one of the groupies tried to roofie her drink. Now it wasn’t so cool, and she wasn’t having a good time. 

She hid in this seedy bathroom that had graffiti covering every inch of the space, but it all looked like it was directing her attention to the phone number. 

Sweat beaded down her cheek and she bit her lip to try to focus on anything other than the headache that was starting. 

Before she realized what was happening her phone was in her hand placed against her ear, and a masculine voice spoke from the other side. 

“Hello?” 

Oh, god. Marinette didn’t know what she was doing. 

“Umm… hi? Are you the Call me if you want a good time, guy? I found your number in this bar--” 

“Oh? Oh yeah! I sure am. I take it you want a good time?” 

“I want an excuse to get out of here.” Marinette rubbed the heel of her palm into her eye, effectively ruining whatever makeup Alya had done for her that evening. 

He paused on the other side of the line for a minute. “Not having a good time?”

Marinette tried her best not to choke on her anxiety. “Not at all.” 

“Ok, here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna bail on however you’re with. Just Irish goodbye them. And meet me in the alleyway in two minutes.” 

“Two minutes?” Marinette didn’t know who this was or how they were going to get there so fast, but they hung up. 

This was do or die time. 

Marinette composed herself in the mirror that was covered in band stickers and lipstick kisses. She was right, she did mess up Alya’s makeup. She took one of the makeup wipes from her purse and wiped away all of Alya’s hard work for a beautiful red smoky eye and just refreshed with a new simple winged eyeliner. 

The simple winged eyeliner looks underwhelming next to her bold lipstick and outfit, and in her misery she wiped away the lipstick as well and replaced it with just tinted chap stick. Marinette gathered her curled hair and put it in a bun, and just wanted to get out of the bar. 

Her mood soured more after she left the bathroom only to find the groupie Lila hanging off of Luka, the guy she was seeing, in a booth further in the bar. Lila was the one that tried to roofie Marinette, and she didn’t want any part of that glass of controlling. 

She caught Luka’s blue eyes for a second, she offered him an apologetic smile as she slipped out the door of the bar. 

It was a warm night for spring in Paris, with a full moon looming overhead like an old friend. The wind picked up for a moment blowing leaves and papers down the streets. There weren't as many people out and about or loitering around, but as she rounded the corner to stand in the alleyway her interest heightened. 

“Are you the one that called about a good time?” Marinette’s heart thundered in her ears as the voice spoke up from behind her-- but worse than that it was a voice she recognized instantly. 

“Chat Noir?” she squeaked, as she slowly turned around. There in his latex suited glory was indeed Paris’s very own hero, Chat Noir. 

He leaned against the brick wall, lazily swinging his tail around in his clawed glove. 

“The very same.” He sauntered up closer to her, and his own green eyes widened as he got closer to her. “Marinette? What are you doing here?” 

She rubbed her arms, and suddenly felt very exposed with the crop top lace up vest she wore and ripped up skinny jeans-- she even accented it with spiked jewelry. 

But it wasn’t her. 

“There was this guy I was seeing, and he’s in a band that’s playing here tonight. But…” She rubbed her arm, the one where Lila had gripped her tightly earlier that evening. “A groupie got jealous and tried to hurt me.”

Chat Noir sighed, stalling for a moment with his hands outreached to her. Marinette knew this sign well enough by now, he was wanting to pick her up. She adjusted the strap of her purse to cross her body instead of just sitting on her shoulder, and then she nodded to him. 

He picked her up easily, bridal style was his usual way of carrying her when she needed to be Marinette at the moment and not Ladybug.

It took Marinette a little too long to realize something, it was as they were bounding across the rooftops, jumping from street to street that it clicked. 

“Wait, you put your personal number in a bar bathroom?” Marinette looked up at him, shocked and confused. He only shrugged. 

“Is this what you do on your Saturday nights?” she teased him as they stopped on a balcony of a church. 

“No, you’re actually the first one to call.” He shrugged, lazily walking the thin line of the beam, circling around one of the pillars as he made his way back around. 

“What’s with meeting you in the alley?” Marinette leaned against the railing he was walking on, and he stepped over her with all the ease and grace of a proper cat. 

“I’m an alley cat, you know?” He smiled down at her, and Marinette rolled her eyes in turn to his shenanigans. 

“Oh yes, a rough and tumble alley cat who calls the streets home.” She laughed at the idea of it, and he laughed after a moment too. But there was something unsettling in his eyes after they were done laughing. 

“I do.” He said after a quiet moment. “More of a home than I ever had, it feels like.”  

Marinette shifted uncomfortably next to him. She had a home, loving friends and family. It was weird to think if she didn’t. 

“Well, if you ever need another one--” she couldn’t believe she was saying this, “-- you can always stop by mine.” 

Chat Noir blinked at her, surprise etched into the pattern of his iris. He grinned at her after a moment, jumping down to the balcony and bending down in front of her. 

“We’re here to make your night more fun, so let’s have fun.” 

Marinette hid a smile behind her hand, “what will we do?” 

Mischievousness glinted in his eyes. “Do you like going fast?” 

She loved it. She loved the exhilaration she got as Ladybug, swinging above Paris and being able to cross the city within seconds. 

“I do,” she breathed. Realizing that he was going to carry her on his back, she tentatively climbed onto him and firmly grasped her wrists around his neck. 

“Don’t drop me.” She warned him, but the smile he gave her looking over his shoulder assured her that he would never dare to dream of doing such a thing. 

“I’ll never let you fall, Marinette.” It was so simple, so easy to say. It wasn’t his usual banter, puns, or pining over Ladybug that she had gotten used too. 

No, this was something entirely different-- and that simple statement made her heart flutter. 

Her screams turned into laughter as they flew through the night sky-- Ladybug was fast, but Chat Noir was  faster. His speed and dexterity outmatched Ladybug’s, though for normal people you couldn’t really tell. 

He leaped over the Seine like it was merely a puddle and not a river flowing through town, and she laughed in his ear as the wind twisted her ponytail and rushed through her ears. He spun them around poles and columns as he came across them, making Marinette properly dizzy. But she continued to laugh, and just enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t her putting in the effort to go fast. 

It was Chat putting in the effort to make her feel better. They passed by people playing instruments and performers on the streets on their way to the Eiffel tower, which sparkled and glowed with the thousands of lights that adorned it. 

“Hold on tight to me, ok?” He called back to her, and she nodded. Her hands were getting sore from gripping so tightly but she knew that she didn’t want to fall now-- not while he was scaling the Eiffel tower, leaping from cross beam to cross beam. 

They passed by couples and fans alike who waved or cheered as Chat leaped by, and Marinette tucked her cheek in his muscled leather back and felt him flex and move underneath her. And she could feel his heart beating quickly, probably just from the exercise she told herself. 

Marinette tried not to see his flushed face as they sat together at the top of the tower, all of Paris laid before them like twinkling stars here on earth. And Chat tried not to let her see his lingering gaze on her face, or her lips. 

It wasn’t the good time she was expecting, but it was the one she was needing. 

[haylanmakesstuff]

Day 12, 13, 14 of my 21 day Skeksis Costume Build

DAY 12: OCTOBER 21th

Just ten days to go until Halloween! Today I took some time off to go to my best friend’s house to make Wizarding World Wands for our annual Hogwarts Feast. I will post these later! For Skekso,  I didn’t do much today but work on the framed backpack and take some silly pictures.  

1.)    This is the updated frame all sealed together, PVC pipe and PVC glue. You can also see the end caps have little metal loops on them where the arms will attach. Husband and I did this part together, and I would recommend a buddy for any part of a project that needs PVC glue and math.

2.)    “Paint me like one of your Thra Gelflings!”

DAY 13: OCTOBER 22th

               It’s a busy one to make up for having fun yesterday: Bulking out the body and frame, beginning to add clothes to the body, and adding cloth and jewelry to the hands.

1.)    I wanted to add something soft around the frame where my head would eventually go, just to minimize annoyance and bonking sounds from my helmet. This also is handy so I will have something to sew cloth and glue to. I used PVC insulation foam from the hardware store, both hot glued and zip tied on. I needed it to STAY pur and carry weight.

You can see I also added a roll of bubble wrap to the back for a lightweight way to bulk out the hump back to give the Skeksis their signature vulture look.

2.)    Then I started to add fabric to make up what is the torso of the costume. For future understanding, there are 4 parts to this costume that come apart: the head, the arms, the upper torso, and the skirt. These photos are all as I add different fabrics, all from thrift stores, to the torso part. To find cheaply priced but originally expensive fancy looking pieces I actually went to the tablecloth/curtain section of thrift stores and found eerily exactly what I was looking for. The most expensive piece was maybe $4? Great deal.

3.)    Next, time to add cloth to the hands. I never found red velvet at a thrift store, so I ended up finding it in a discount bin at Joanne’s Fabrics – yay! It and the gold lame you’ll see in a bit are the only 2 fabrics I knew I had to have and wasn’t willing to compromise on. I am just cutting and gluing it to the hands to make the red velvet gloves he wears.

That’s Lady Gaga’s performance at Coachella on the TV. There are a few things I love re-watching while I do serious crafting; like Christine McConnell’s Netflix or Youtube shows, Bucky O’Hare, Jem and The Holograms, and any Lady Gaga concert or special. These things will always interest me and inspire me and are fun to watch. I really love Gaga’s special with The Muppets, and her gritty and perfectly gross show at South By Southwest.

4.)    After I finished my velvet base and tidied it up, I started adding jewelry. I got this at Goodwill and distressed it on an earlier day, but I knew they were a little heavy so I was very careful about attaching them both with hot glue and tying them around each finger, and gluing again so they wouldn’t fall off during use.

 DAY 14: OCTOBER 23rd

               Hand Armor, Collar spikes, beetle broche, and starting the ruffled shirt.

1.)    Starting today with more hands. Like the face, the hands will be a focal point because they will be on fully movable arms so people will pay attention to them. They’ve gotta look good! I carved and sculpted some armor that will go on the back of the hand once it is dry and painted. Here it is while drying. 

2.)    I decided I wanted some more jewelry on the fingers but without the weight, so I used fun foam, various beads, hot glue, and plumber’s tape to create some different looking lightweight pieces to add to the hands. 

Here they are being made, and a few further along in the background. Below, the hand is mostly done, with the new jewelry added to the distressed rings from Goodwill.

You’ve maybe seen the painting hanging on my wall in some photos, as well as the princess pastel work behind he hand here. These are both by the fabulous and fantastical artist named Ashton Guy. Please check out her beautiful work! 

3.)    Around Skekso’s collar are different types of spikes. I’ve already completed and set aside the large spiked ornaments that go on the back and around the sides, so now I’ve got to make a bunch of small, medium, and large spikes to go around the front of the collar. These were just Crayola Model Magic made into the right shapes, left to dry. Then covered in plumber’s tape, carved into a little with sculpting tools to create a texture, then painted black and wiped off for a hammered metal look (just like the neck ornaments finished earlier).

4.)    Next, finishing the beetle Broche. This was a lot of different materials; a base of craft foam, different pieces of Crayola Model Magic (left to dry a few days after forming), then Plumber’s Aluminum tape, jewelry wire, various sized beads, then painted and distressed.

For the paint on the pretty beetle wings I did regular cheapo acrylic, then covered it in a glitter glue paint, then clear coated for protection.

5.)    The last thing I worked on today was starting the black ruffle shirt front I mentioned earlier. This will look like fancy Skeksis clothing, but will secretly serve as a place for me to see out of the costume so I don’t ruin it and my face (I mean, it’s a great human face, but would look real strange popping out of a Skeksis chest). I used black chiffon, from a discount bin at Joann’s.  Speaking of Joanne, that’s another motivational Gaga concert on the TV. I see a theme here.

 That’s all for today! Come back for more posts about my journey through the very Bog of Eternal Stench to build this Skeksis costume in 21 days. Happy Halloween All Year!

[starletteex]

Artistic Swimming - Full Team Event from Rio 2016 | Throwback Thursday

Court Dimensions:

In the video, the pool is at least 20m wide by 30m long, and at least 2.5m deep. One area, 12x12m or larger, is at least 3m deep, and the slope between depth changes is completed over a distance of 8m or less.

The water in the pool must be clear enough so that the bottom of the pool is visible from above, and its temperature should be at least 27°C (80.6°F) plus or minus one degree. Because goggles are not worn in the competition, the amount of light underwater is also highly important, so a minimum brightness of 1500 lux is required.

Equipment:

Egypt Team - They wore transparent nose clips, brightly colored one-piece swimsuits with an Egyptian theme, uniform make-up, and colorful beads that matched their swimsuits.

Australia Team - They wore red nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits that had red, yellow, blue, and white colors, uniform make-up, and flowers on top of their hair as head accessories, which was very pretty.

Italian Team - They wore gold nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits with an earthy theme, uniform make-up, and headpieces that resembled starfishes.

Brazil Team - They wore golden nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits with a carnival theme, uniform make-up, and headpieces with an orange-like cap covering their bun's.

Russia Team - They wore light pink nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits with an angel theme, uniform make-up, and white star-shaped headpieces.

Ukraine Team - They wore silver nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits with an illusionism theme, uniform make-up, and a white headpiece that is also covering their bun's.

People's Republic of China Team - They wore gold nose clips that were round, unlike the rest of the team's nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits with a dragon theme, uniform make-up, and head accessories which probably serve as the dragon's spikes.

Japan Team - They wore silver nose clips, matching one-piece swimsuits with a sun theme, uniform make-up, and hairpieces on their heads that are similar to their outfit.

Basic Skills:

Egypt

Skulls - I noticed that they managed to perform this skill very well.

Eggbeater kick - They also performed well in this skill, which increased their score.

Position - They had various positions throughout their choreography, however, they were positioned in a neat and orderly manner which shows how organized they are. I also liked how they maintained their power throughout the choreography, even though they had to switch from one position to the next, which can be exhausting.

Lifts - I noticed that they didn't have a lot of lifts because they were mostly in the water. In my opinion, they also needed to work on the pacing of their lifts.

Australia

Australia Skulls - They performed admirably in this skill. They took advantage of this skill to perform quick foot movements.

Eggbeater Kick - I only saw this a few times, but they were also very good at it.

Position - Their positioning throughout the entire routine was very organized.

Lifts - I was astounded when they entered the pool because they performed impressive lifts and movements, at the same time they were so on beat with the music, making it more enjoyable to watch.

Italy

Skulls - They executed this skill well.

Eggbeater Kick - They utilized this skill to their advantage by making quick transitions throughout the choreography.

Position - They had quick transitions and, despite their simple positions, they didn't fail to portray their theme, which made it so entertaining to watch. They also demonstrated proper spacing and synchronization.

Lifts - They performed high-quality lifts that were perfectly timed to the music.

Brazil

Skulls - They performed admirably in this skill. They also had good balance and they were always in sync, even when moving their feet quickly.  

Eggbeater Kick - They had high-quality eggbeater kicks and I liked how they've maintained their powerful energy throughout their entire performance.

Position - They had quick transitions. I noticed that they had proper spacing as well.

Lifts - They performed successful lifts, however, I think that they need to work on their strength because I noticed once that one of them was struggling to lift the other player.

Russia

Skulls - In my opinion, they have fully mastered this skill, which has resulted in them gaining a large number of points.

Eggbeater Kick - They executed this skill flawlessly even when the transitions were extremely fast. They were also never out of sync with one another.

Position - They demonstrated proper spacing, as well as originality, uniqueness, and perfectionism throughout their entire performance, which I believe contributed to their victory.

Lifts - They had amazing lifts at the beginning, which was very impressive. I also liked how they incorporated their feet into these lifts; it demonstrated how tremendous their flexibility is.

Ukraine Team

Skulls - They had quick foot transitions and excellent synchronization. You can see that they took full advantage of their flexibility, which enhanced every move they made.

Eggbeater Kick - They fully utilized this skill as an advantage to showcase their gracefulness and originality.

Position - They had great positioning and spacing, as well as a unique choreography to go with it. They also displayed so much energy throughout their incredible performance.

Lifts - They portrayed originality in the choreography, especially in their lifts, which impressed me. I also noticed that one of them was standing on another person's back, which can pose serious injuries, but luckily no one got hurt during the process.

People's Republic of China

Skulls - Their choreography included fast foot movements that they executed flawlessly with synchronization. Their massive skulls undoubtedly boosted their artistic impression.

Eggbeater Kick - They also had very good eggbeater kicks, which added to their overall performance.

Position - They are very quick in changing formations which is always a good thing.

Lifts - They had a strong lift at the start which powerfully started their performance, and they continued these strong lifts until the end.

Japan

Skulls - They had quick foot transitions and great synchronization.

Eggbeater Kicks - I noticed a slight delay in two of the girls during their choreography, which required them to have their arms on top of the water. However, they were tenacious in maintaining that high-level energy throughout their performance.

Position - They had good positions and are quick at transitioning to the next formation.

Lifts - They had fantastic lifts from the beginning to the end.

Technical and Tactical Skills:

I've observed three technical and tactical skills from the video, and they are complexity, artistic impression, and execution of movements.

Complexity - they all had very complex yet original choreography, but in my opinion, Russia had the most complex and difficult choreography, which helped the team win first place.

Artistic impression - they were all very artistic, as were their coaches who devised the choreography, but Russia scored the highest in artistic impression, thus increasing their chances of winning.

Execution of movements - They executed the movements that their coaches gave them correctly, and I can confidently say that all of their practices paid off because I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of their performances and the effort that they put into their choreography.

Rules of Artistic Swimming:

No Touching The Bottom

One of the things that add to the spectacle of the lifts is that artistic swimmers are not permitted to touch the bottom of the pool at any point during their routines.

No Bling

Presentation is a distinct and important aspect of artistic swimming, but there are some limitations on what swimmers can wear. Artistic swimmers, for example, are not permitted to wear jewelry, theatrical make-up, or inappropriate costumes.

There are no goggles

Goggles are another restriction during artistic swimming routines. Swimmers competing in figure competitions, on the other hand, are permitted to wear them.

Team Means Team

Teams typically contain eight swimmers, but a team can have as few as four. Teams lose points for each swimmer they have under the full complement because it is easier to synchronize a routine with fewer people.

Stick To The Schedule

Routines can vary in length from two and a half minutes to five minutes, depending on whether they perform alone or as part of a team. Swimmers, on the other hand, are penalized if they take 15 seconds less or more than the specified time.

How to Officiate the Sport:

There are five officials in artistic swimming this includes the timekeeper, clerk of the course, scorer, judge, and referee.

Timekeeper: Checks and records the overall times of the routines and deck movements. The timekeeper also informs the referee if the deck work time limit is exceeded or if there is a deviation from the permitted routine time allowance.

Clerk of the Course: Organizes the competitors so that they are ready for their events on time. During figure competitions, they ensure that the swimmers are performing their figures in the correct order.

Scorer: A synchro scorer's job is to record judges' scores and perform the necessary computations for each routine.

Judge: They are essential for running synchronized swimming competitions because they provide scores based on each routine's performance. They are also in charge of grading grade-level assessments. They did a great job in the video by providing scores for the various teams, and there was no bias in the scores from what I've observed.

Referee: A synchro referee's job is to supervise the control of synchronized swimming competition. The referee ensures that all aspects of the event run smoothly and in accordance with FINA rules.

[simpsonssitcom]

Character Design (Pt. 1)

The Main Family

I want to preface this by saying I already wrote a post about the designs in this AU, but it was vague, uncertain, and most importantly, deleted by a tumblr glitch after a couple of days. This is an updated version of that. I also won’t put at many pictures; I’ll try to just name episodes and/or condense photos into a collage for a single character.

Anyways, this post is about changes to the design of the main family. Anything not addressed will remain the same. These will also only cover standard, present, everyday designs. Special clothes and flashback designs will be addressed as they come up.

Marge

Marge’s physical changes might be the least drastic. Her hair, still blue, will be one “head” smaller. By this I am referring to her pages in “The Simpsons Handbook: Secret Tips From The Pros.” Marge’s hair is broken into three sections: around her head, one head size above, and another head size above. Let’s level that down to only one “head” above. She’s not hiding rabbit ears anymore, we can do this. As for her outfit, I had a little trouble in deliberation, but I’ve decided on it mostly being the same, except her green dress has a sleeveless turtleneck on top like her orange peplum dress. This is mainly due to her job as a cashier now; her apron would look weird over a tube dress and I wanted her to have the same outfit at work (like how Homer wears a tie over his normal shirt at work). She has two bracelets like her early design (from her sisters) and still has her necklace. I considered maybe adding the flowers from her early design to her dress. After all, she has an art streak not just in painting but in sewing (think of her cute modifications to her pink Chanel outfit) and adding her own pattern onto the dress to “spice things up a bit” would be such a Marge thing. Still, I didn’t want to made her design too busy, and I also didn’t think flowers were super Marge. She’s more into classic looks and solid colors, I think.

Homer

Anyways, Homer’s shirt is pink now! I outlined a ton of reasons for my Homer outfit decision in the original post, but I’ll make it brief. It’s mostly that pink was a strong color in the early stages of the show, that Homer isn’t as aggressive in this AU, and that we know pink with blue (his jeans) is a good color combo on him from his outfit in Stark Raving Dad, his prom outfit, and his suit at Lisa’s wedding. Speaking of Lisa’s Wedding, his bodily appearance will closer resembling that of that episode. It’s only a five year timeskip so he won’t be too different (no eye wrinkles for example), but he’ll be more top heavy, his shoulders and neck getting larger to even out his pear shaped beer belly we have now. His hair will be deteriorating too, instead of a zig-zag on the sides, it’s just individual strands.

Maggie

The children will change the most, as obviously they are growing up. They’ll get taller and their hair will change too to better distinguish them. Maggie’s got fairly consistent hair in her future appearances: longer and parted with three spikes in front and 4-5 in back, depending on the episode. Her hair isn’t that long yet at 5, but it’s certainly parted already. Her face, to help distinguish her from Lisa, has a mouth more like (younger) Homer’s, with the curved upper lip.

So, I have something I’ve added as part of Maggie’s character which I’m only mentioning on this post because it helps inform her design. I am autistic and, although I know there’s a running gag in future episodes that she’s apparently talks a lot, here Maggie is nonverbal autistic. Anyways, I’m bringing this up because of my #1 favorite in-show future Maggie design choice: her pacifier necklace. You wanna know why? Stim jewelry. Now, Maggie has a necklace like Lisa or Marge, but hers only has one bead, and she sucks or chews on it sometimes to stim. Next, what do to about the onesie? I’d like to keep it something comfortable, maybe very loose, because that gag of Maggie constantly dripping over her own clothes can be kinda funny (so long as it doesn’t seriously hurt her, I never liked that trend of just tagging on characters for no reason) A blue sweater (looking like the top half of her onesie) and some bootcut jeans that are too long for her legs is essentially what I wore at that age, why can’t she do the same? All that matters is that she’s comfy.

Lisa

Okay, we gotta talk about Lisa’s dress. A middle school girl in a strapless dress? Has the world gone mad? Yes it has, but in the American public school system, that’s not gonna fly. So what do we do, put straps on her dress or give her a whole new outfit? After a lot of consideration, I decided on a skirt the same color as her dress (blood orange, or is it “fucking red”?) with the spiky bottom too, with a lavender polo. Why lavender? Well, Bart’s imagination in “O, Brother, Where Bart Thou?” gives us a good look at that color combo (complete with white neck accessory) on someone with the almost exact same features as Lisa. We also see Lisa’s dress with straps, which looks okay for adult Lisa, but there’s too much cleavage for what I’d consider putting on a thirteen year old.

In addition to getting taller, like all of the Simpsons children, Lisa’s hair is changing, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. In a all her future appearances (much like Maggie, likely to help differentiate since they’re almost identical when grown), her hair is always styled one way: pushed back and down. But specifically I’m going to draw her hair design from, you guessed it, Lisa’s Wedding! What can I say, it’s just a good episode for character design... mostly. But I love the way her hair starts to curl in that episode. If we take the curl as coming from Marge, it’d make sense if she grew to look more like her parents.

Bart

Alright, Bartman! Bartholomew is probably getting the most change, hence why I put him last. After all, he’s changed a lot in the show too (the color of his shirt from blue to... again, is it orange or red?) and his future appearances arguably vary the most. His hair is interesting, because although the design I’ve settled on for it matched fairly close to his 15-year-old self in Barthood, it’s actually based off of the music video for Deep Deep Trouble. He got his head shaved as punishment, and since I saw it I HCed that this happens whenever Bart gets in big trouble, so his hair is constantly a buzzcut because it’s always just growing out. As he matures a bit and doesn’t get caught as often, he can grow his hair out more. As for height... although most of his aged up appearances have him keep that pear shape to look like Homer, I figure since he has a bit more of an active lifestyle, he would shed some baby fat. I particularly liked his lanky look in that one “2006-2013 Family Portrait” couch gag, where he just kinda... stretches. It makes him look like he took after Marge some, which I like.

Clothes are fun. Bart has always been a rebel, and a very creative kid, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he started expressing himself in his clothes more. His lucky red cap and his earring from Simpson tide would almost certainly appear more, but in terms of his clothes, a simple orange shirt won’t cut it anymore. The bright orange might be too close to homer’s salmon pink or Lisa’s warm red, I’m altering the shade to be more brick. The shirt itself will be a floral button up (the pattern being his classic orange and OG blue as an homage) inspired by his clothes in Homer’s Phobia, Bart to The Future (where he also has an earring), and this post by @springfieldblues, which I love.

That’s it for part one! Part two will focus on the nature of how character design will function in this AU as a whole, as well as changes to more minor characters.