#obscure masquerade costumes

[devil-takethe-hindmost]

this might be the biggest downgrade in history

wait no the massacre of the star princess is worse

[operafantomet]

I was listening to Jeremy Stolle’s and Greg Mills’ podcast and they had mentioned that after reopening, along with the new blocking some of the changes included the removal of some characters/costumes due to cultural insensitivity reasons, I think specifically from Hannibal or Masquerade I can’t remember. Do you know anything about this and what they are referring to? (If it’s not appropriate to discuss or post pictures of I understand, I was just curious)

You are very right. And in fact, some these changes happened before the pandemic and the re-opening, at least worldwide.

Hannibal originally had an overblown take on a blackface costume. In my interpretation designer Maria Bjørnson rather made fun of how bad historical blackface costumes looked. It was no attempt to create a believable illusion; rather the hood had crude cut-out openings for eyes and mouth, and the hands were left bare.

Hannibal as whole is a light parody of Aïda, and every character on stage is a parody on opera tradition. That is why Carlotta opens the show with a severed head, there is a giant fake elephant on stage, there is a man dressed in lion fur with lion's head and so forth. This is the context of the costume.

That said, I can see why this does not translate well into today's audience. I also don't think it has to, as it isn't essential to the storytelling in any way. There are so many other overblown figures from the opera world in Hannibal. This costume was replaced by generic yellow non-hooded ones in 2016 or thereabout. Here's one of the replacement costumes, made in the vein of the "Wild Woman" figure in Hannibal:

Similar, there was a costume also featuring a blackface character in Masquerade, taken from this etching of a fancy dress party in the Palais Garnier in Paris in the 1880s:

Whereas the etching may actually depict a black man attending the ball, it became a blackface figure in Masquerade. So this too was changed in recent years. In some productions it was merely cut, and in others made into a fantasy blue man. It's a bit hard to find photos of the new costume, as few productions have it, but here's a glimpse of an arm...

A third that seems to come and go is the Hula Girl, in many productions used as a swing costume in Masquerade, while others had her as an ensemble costume. She too seems to have been largely cut. That said, not many productions had it originally.

There's probably more too, these are the ones that came to mind. Due to the change of costume stock in Masquerade, some productions has added costumes previously worn by dummies for their ensemble members. This includes the Highlander (West End):

...the Bumblebee (Las Vegas/ Broadway):

...the Mobcap Girl (Broadway):

...the wild boar (without mask, West End):

...and again, probably many more.

Another change happened with the Mirror Bride. Originally this character was perfectly mimicking Christine, wearing a mask looking identical to the actress. Here's "Rachel Barrell":

..."Sarah Brightman":

...and "Marni Raab":

...and the Final Lair dummy having a face moulded from the actress' features, as this "Dale Kristien" dummy shows:

And again, "Sarah Brightman":

But with Lucy St Louis starring in the West End revival, and Emilie Kouatchou on Broadway, creating a mask perfectly mimicking their features would - regardless of context and history - create a feeling of blackface. The solution was to create a sort of "silver bride", wearing silver mask and silver or white gloves, and a thicker veil. This still gave the feeling of a ghostly mirror bride, but without a reference to the actress:

I will be frank and admit I don't particularly love the silver bride. I think Christine seeing herself in the mirror is a big part of her horror. But I can see how it was the most sensible solution for a historic moment in time when both flagship productions featured a black Christine as one of their leads. I'd rather have that historic moment any day, than the traditional mirror bride.

I was however happy to see the traditional mirror bride being featured in the new South Korean and Chinese productions. It is an eerie detail.

All in all, some gentle tweaks on the original 1986 design so that details of the design does not distract the modern audience from the main story and the main message. (and as mentioned above, this is not a complete list, but the ones that came to mind when typing)

[ecoamerica]

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[project-sekai-facts]

The cards from the Where is ♡? set contain multiple references to previous Mafuyu event card sets. By far the most obvious reference is the mask that originally appeared as part of her Masquerade Doll costume / Captive Masquerade trained 4* card (right). The mask reappears in Mafuyu's My True Feelings card (left), although it has now been broken in half, alluding to her dropping her metaphorical mask in front of her mother.

Another obvious similarity is the strings in both cards. Mafuyu's Captive Masquerade card originates from her first event, Captive Marionette, in which she subconsciously associates herself with a marionette doll she sees in an exhibit, causing her to have a panic attack. She sees herself in the marionette doll because of how her mother treats her like a puppet - every aspect of her life is controlled by her mother pulling the strings. Her My True Feelings card originates from the Saying Goodbye to My Masked Self event, in which she finally stands up to her mother and ultimately runs away, hence why she is shown cutting the strings in the art.

While hard to tell, it seems as though the background in the My True Feelings card may be based on or even be the same location as the cards from the Ball of the Marionettes set. It's easiest to tell by comparing the background to the windows and pillars from Miku's trained Severed Threads 4* card.

Kanade's trained Embracing Your Trembling Back With Kindness 4* card features ivy covering most of the objects in the card, including the strings. This appears to be a reference to the cards from the Nursing my ES set, the set from Mafuyu's previous unit event, Guiding a Lost Child to What Lies Beyond. In this event, the N25 story began to focus on Mrs Asahina's influence over Mafuyu's life, and the ivy growing over everything may be representative of this. There appears to be some ivy on the objects in Mafuyu's My True Feelings card, but it is hard to tell for certain because the background is out of focus.

Kanade, Ena and Mizuki's cards from the Where is ♡? set feature a crystal heart-shaped apple object. This is a reference to the cards from the Snow White in Oblivion set, which featured a smaller version of this item as a charm on all the costumes. Mafuyu's card from this set is also notable for featuring the first physical appearance of Mrs. Asahina (albeit with her face obscured on both the trained and untrained version of the card). The event this set originates from, Mirage of Lights, was referenced in Saying Goodbye to My Masked Self.

Finally, all of the cards from the Where is ♡? set feature furniture scattered around. This was also a common feature in the Ball of the Marionettes set. While the items of furniture in the latter set are rather generic fancy chairs and such, the objects in the Where is ♡? set appear to be mainly household items and pretty standard furniture, likely alluding to how Mafuyu feels trapped and overwhelmed by her home life.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

CM Office Party Challenge 🎉

The following are prompts including an Office Party! Reader, Original Character, Character/Character ships, Gen/Platonic fics are allowed!

This event is over (Masterlist of Fics here), but you are welcome to use any of these prompts. If you would like to be added to the existing Masterlist of entries, please check out the Rules below!

🎊 Prompts 🎊

It’s a BAU kid’s birthday!

The BAU throws a ridiculously large/lavish bridal/baby shower.

It’s rare that the BAU gets to celebrate the return of an old team member.

The team hardly believes it when Character A agrees to dance with B.

After sharing sad prom stories (or lack thereof), Penelope throws a BAU prom.

It’s characters first Missed Holiday Meal (MHM). It’s also the first time a holiday meal actually felt like home.

The team discusses holiday traditions. Characters decide to try a few out.

The FBI is throwing a family picnic. The playful competitions get a little… heated.

It’s the anniversary of the BAU. The team throws a party to celebrate the greats.

Penelope planned a Murder Mystery party… with a bunch of criminal profilers. Great. (Bonus if a non-profiler wins)

The BAU has been dealing with a lot of stress. Penelope plans a day at a pottery shop so everyone can make something. It causes even more stress.

The team pairs up to play the newlywed game. Someone starts to notice that, despite not being partners, A knows the answers to every question about B…

Rossi is finally (actually) retiring. The party brings together friends that haven’t seen each other in years.

An anniversary/award brings back old team members. There used to be a time when they couldn’t fathom a week away from one another, but they haven’t spoken in years.

More Prompts Below + Create your own! 🎉

Each team member has to find an obscure holiday to celebrate (pi day, random acts of kindness day, unicorn day, etc.). Character goes above and beyond.

Character has very surprising responses to Never Have I Ever. They have even more shocking admissions.

There is nothing that a bonfire can't fix.

Characters are stuck at a party, but they can't stop thinking about each other (based on "Dinner & Diatribes" by Hozier).

Characters always find each other. Even at a masquerade, when their faces are almost entirely covered.

A party is the perfect place to see a new side to your coworker.

🎄 Holiday Specific Prompts 🦃

Halloween prompts / Winter Holiday prompts

It’s time for Penelope’s Halloween Party! Someone comes in an… unexpected costume.

The single members of the team decide to host a lonely hearts club dinner on Valentine’s Day. Two people leave together.

Characters end up beneath very suspiciously placed mistletoe at the holiday party.

Character accidentally started an ugly Christmas sweater tradition which somehow turned into a contest.

After an awful case, the team comes back on Christmas Eve to find that Penelope has gathered their loved ones and quickly decorated the BAU as a surprise.

Character only wanted to reveal that they are someone's Secret Santa at the BAU Christmas Party but they end up confessing a lot more than that.

🎂 Dialogue Prompts 🍰

"... Surprise?"

"What are adults supposed to do at a kid's birthday party. Does anyone actually know?"

"Whatever you do, be sure to avoid the food. I don't know who made it, but it's awful." "Oh, it uh... it was me."

"If you help me win, I'll owe you one great big giant favor."

"I just never saw you as a... party type of person."

"I think you're bluffing." "Am I?"

"You are the last person I expected to have attended clown school. I figured your clownish nature was inherent in who you are."

"So, if you had to guess, who do you think is going to drunkenly confess their love for someone else at this party?"

"The year is over. Did you accomplish everything you hoped for?"

"I fucking hate balloons."

"What's the point of a fridge on the jet if not for a celebratory drink?"

"If we're stuck here all night, we might as well have fun."

"I love you. I do. But you are a terrible Santa."

"Next time, I'm in charge of the karaoke mic."

🎈Rules 🎁

The fic can be a Reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fic. It can feature any Criminal Minds character. AUs and crossovers are more than welcome.

Tag me in the fic, or send the link to me in a Direct Message. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge - I’m collecting both! You can also tag it “#mentioningmargins” which is a tag I track.

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I DO NOT WANT smut written by minors. Ever. At all. I will check. Platonic ships and pure, fluffy fics are 100% allowed.

Please include Content Warnings and a one-sentence Summary of the fic in your post.

[misc-obeyme]

Okay. I decided to do a little headcanon post for Flufftober, so here it is. Except that it turned out to be CRAZY LONG. I did not expect that. I was gonna post all the characters in one post, but that seems excessive. So instead, I'm gonna post them separately as usual and just link to the other part. I will be posting the rest of the characters shortly!

The theme here is a masquerade party... well don't worry, there's an explanation about what's going on. I dunno I just got the idea and thought it'd be fun to write and then got carried away as usual. I tried to keep them brief, but here we are.

FLUFFTOBER 2023

GN!MC x the demon brothers

Warnings: none that I can think of??

It was an October night in the Devildom and the House of Lamentation was hosting a Halloween masquerade ball. The main hall had been decorated splendidly in oranges, purples, and blacks. An entire feast was laid out, the table full of dishes contributed to the party by Barbatos and Simeon. The room was dark, lit mostly by orbs of orange light, enchanted to float through the air by Solomon. On a small stage there was a live band playing a mix of lively and slow creepy music. The dance floor was filled with demons, all of whom were unrecognizable…

Due to the masquerade theme, special masks had been made for each attendee. They were made by Satan and Asmodeus, working together to create magical masks that would completely obscure each party goer's appearance. Once they put on the mask, a glamor fell over them that transformed them and made them unrecognizable. Every glamor costume was black and incorporated a look involving fancy suits, flowing dresses, and probably too many sequins.

The party organizers all knew what each other's mask-generated costumes looked like. Everyone had been present when Asmo revealed his designs. Everyone… except you. You had insisted on creating your own glamor and thus hadn't been present to see everyone else's.

Now you stood in the middle of this masquerade party, unable to recognize a single person.

And yet you knew that the person you wanted to see most was in the room somewhere. And after a small amount of time, you were certain you had figured out who it was. You made a bold move and asked them to dance. While you were in their arms, they told you to meet them somewhere specific later, when the party was winding down. You agreed and spent the rest of the night exchanging looks with them, anticipating the moment when you would be alone with them.

Had you chosen the correct person? Did you know them well enough that you could determine their identity when their appearance was so altered? And more importantly… did they know who you were?

Lucifer

It was his bearing. The way Lucifer held himself was undeniable. There was nothing about the fancy suit that tipped you off - no bits of blue or red, no feathers, no indication at all that it was Lucifer. Even his eyes were turned pure black by the glamor. And yet, when he looked at you, it was like you could feel the ruby red that hid beneath.

When he asked you to meet him in the music room later, you were even more convinced. Of course that would be Lucifer's choice. When you arrived, the sound of the party music still playing softly in the distance, he smiled and took your hand. A little piece of you doubted, wondered if he could truly detect you behind your mask.

His fingers ran along the edge of the mask that covered your face. "Do you trust me, MC?"

Even his voice was altered by the magic. You shuddered. What if it wasn't him?

Though, would Lucifer really make such a mistake? Would Lucifer let someone else lead you astray?

You let out a breath. "Yes."

Lucifer put his arms around you, pulling you close, and pressing his lips to yours. The masks bumped slightly against each other as you gasped into his lips.

When Lucifer pulled away enough to remove his mask, a relief flooded through you at the familiar curves of his face.

"How did you know it was me?" you asked.

Lucifer smirked at you. "You couldn't help yourself, could you? You were by my side most of the night. And when you weren't, I could feel your eyes on me."

You blushed, but Lucifer only chuckled and kissed you again.

Mammon

He didn't know who you were at all, but the minute you got close enough, you could feel it. A sense of protection that you could only feel in the presence of your guardian demon. He may not know who you were, but you knew him. He was in full on party mode when you asked him to dance with you. He seemed uncertain, likely thinking about you, but he accepted.

Something in his demeanor changed while you danced. His uncertainty fell away and he asked you to meet him out by the front door. You thought this was kind of an odd choice, but you agreed. Later, you slipped out the front door as requested and everything fell into place.

He was leaning against his Demonio 666 Lexura, mask still on, smiling at you.

You laughed a little at how pleased he seemed. You walked down the stairs to the street, stopping right in front of him and reaching out to remove his mask.

There was the familiar face you knew so well - blue-gold eyes shining, white hair bright in the darkness.

"Ya wanna ditch this party and go for a ride?" he asked.

You put your arms around his neck. "You didn't know me at first. How did you figure it out?"

Mammon put his hands on your waist. "Like I wouldn't recognize your dance moves."

Your laugh was smothered as he kissed you. He opened your door for you and you got into his car. He kept a hand on your thigh as he drove into the Devildom night, the yellow moon high in the October sky.

Leviathan

He gave himself away by bringing a handheld video game console to the party. It stuck out of his pocket when he wasn't using it and when he was, he was hunched over in a corner somewhere, the little bleeps and bloops adding a humorous quality to the music in the room.

When you came over to him, Leviathan looked annoyed that someone was interrupting him. He frowned at you for a moment and then became nervous when you asked him to dance. He tried to get out of it, but you didn't listen, dragging him by the hand onto the dance floor. You proceeded to incorporate some dance moves from the latest music video of Sucre Frenzy and suddenly Levi's attitude changed. He wasn't trying to hide who he was and asked you to meet him in his room.

When you knocked on the door later, Levi opened it, mask already discarded. He looked at you, still in your glamor and said, "Th-that's you, isn't it, MC?"

You removed your mask and smiled at him.

Levi sagged against the door for a minute before opening it wide to let you in. "I was so nervous! I thought maybe you were someone else who happened to be intimately familiar with Sucre Frenzy's dance moves!"

You laughed and hugged him, patting his back reassuringly. "I'm pretty sure we're the only ones who know those moves that well. That music video only came out a couple days ago."

Levi pulled back to look at you, pride evident in his orange eyes. "You did them flawlessly."

You blushed a little and pulled on his clothes to bring him closer. "You weren't too bad yourself."

Levi kissed you to hide his own blush, but you still saw it quite clearly.

Satan

You were standing among a group of demons, listening to their idle chatter. You had no idea who any of them were, of course, but they seemed to be discussing the merits of various cafes in the Devildom. This was a fairly benign topic until one of them brought up cat cafes. You noticed the minute the demon beside you began to ramble at length about the benefits of cat cafes. It quickly devolved into what sounded like a dissertation on the positive qualities of cats in general. As the others quickly excused themselves, you laughed and asked Satan to dance with you.

Satan seemed reluctant at first because he wasn't sure who you were right away. But when he stopped rambling and really took you in - your demeanor, the soft smile of fondness on your face - he accepted your request. During the song, he seemed to feel certain of your identity and asked you to meet him in the library later.

You had expected Satan to be deep in a book when you arrived, but instead he was watching the door. He took several steps toward you when you came in.

"I thought you might not come, MC," he admitted.

Your heart squeezed and you removed your mask. "Why wouldn't I?"

Satan took off his own mask. "I thought your attention might have been drawn elsewhere."

You closed the distance between you and looked into his eyes, now their usual mixture of greens and blues. "You say that as though I've been able to think about anyone other than you."

Satan wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you in to kiss you.

Asmodeus

It was in the sensual way he moved, how he lightly teased everyone he came into contact with, the boldness he seemed to gain from the fact that nobody knew who he was. All of these things tipped you off, but when Asmodeus stopped to look at himself in a mirror, lingering a little too long than anyone else might have, your suspicion was confirmed.

To your surprise, Asmo already seemed to know who you were, too. You didn't even have the chance to ask him to dance because he asked you first. You thought maybe he was just asking anyone and everyone, that it wasn't because he knew you. But when he asked you to meet him in the garden later, you were suddenly uncertain. Did he know you or not?

When you arrived in the garden, Asmo was looking up at the yellow moon. He heard you approach and turned around, giving you a dazzling smile.

He spread his hands, the offer of a hug. "There you are, darling!"

You considered him. You still weren't sure if he knew who you were.

Asmo giggled. "Oh, do you think I don't know you? Silly thing."

Asmo walked up to you, placed his fingers on your mask, and leaned in close. "No amount of glamor could hide you from me, MC."

You shivered. Asmo took off your mask and removed his as well, tossing them aside. Then he opened his arms again.

You stepped into them easily, pressing yourself against his body, and meeting his lips with yours.

Beelzebub

The glamor obscured Beelzebub's size and height - the things that normally made him almost impossible to miss. And maybe it would have made it difficult for you to find him in different circumstances. But this was a party. And there was food. You watched the buffet table for some time, waiting to see who never left it or who ate most of it themselves.

When you asked Beel to dance, he accepted immediately, which surprised you. As the two of you danced, you tried to figure out if he knew you or not. He seemed comfortable with you, but it wasn't any different than how Beel was with most people. And then he asked you to meet him at the planetarium. Perhaps you had gotten it wrong? Was there another hungry demon at this party? Was it actually Belphie you were dancing with?

You arrived at the planetarium, feeling uncertain about just who it was you were meeting.

When he saw you, Beel took off his mask, completely eliminating your concern. He smiled at you, the same sweet smile that made your stomach flutter. "Hi, MC."

You shook your head slightly and took off your own mask. "Why did you ask me to come to the planetarium?"

Beel looked up at the planetarium and pointed at the moon. It had an unusual yellow cast to it. "Belphie likes the planetarium. And right now the moon looks like a big wheel of cheese."

You laughed. He wasn't wrong. You took Beel's hands and turned him toward you. "I should've known."

Beel smiled again and kissed you.

Belphegor

Belphegor was eluding you. You had already spent a significant amount of the party looking for a sleeping demon, but you couldn't find one. Everyone you saw was fully awake and nobody even seemed to be slightly nodding off. He must have found a small hiding place to fall asleep and that was why you didn't see him anywhere.

You nearly jumped when you felt a hand on your back. When you turned, a demon smiled at you and asked you to dance with him. There was something about this quiet demon's demeanor that made you suspect it was Belphie. Where had he even come from? And was it really him? You allowed him to lead you out onto the dance floor. He asked you to meet him in the garden later and you felt compelled to agree. If it wasn't Belphie, you could always just leave.

Once you were in the garden, you found him standing there, waiting quietly. He was looking up at the sky, which was full of the yellow moon and a dramatic scattering of stars.

"The stars are beautiful tonight aren't they, MC?" he asked.

All doubts fled your mind then. You stood beside him and looked up, resting your head on his shoulder. "They're lovely, Belphie."

Belphie turned to you, easily slipping an arm around your waist and removing your mask. He stayed still as you took his off, too.

"You weren't sure it was me," he said.

You shrugged. "You look wide awake, that's all."

Belphie smirked. "I was on edge waiting to do this," he said.

You were about to ask what that meant, but he cut you off with a kiss.

part 2 with the rest of the characters

flufftober | kinktober | masterlist | Thank you for reading!

taglist: @anxious-chick @t0tallycoolname @libidinous-weeb

[yuurei20]

Rook Info Compilation part 19: Book 6 and Music

Rook invites himself to the Island of Woe in Book 6 in pursuit of Vil (and in one of Idia’s seiyuu Uchiyama Kouki’s greatest moments, which Tumblr’s egophiliac has animated brilliantly, here!).

Rook reminds Epel and the Prefect that their goal is not to win the inevitable battle against the Charon but to lose and be taken inside STYX headquarters, and then freezes an island of ice on the ocean to serve as a battlefield.

Rook says that he had been fully prepared to take drastic measures if STYX had been doing something terrible to the kidnapped students, but he feels better knowing that they are receiving special exams and blot treatments.

When Ortho asks why it is that he came Rook explains, “So that I could tell myself, ‘I did what I could,’ which resonates with Ortho, who later says, “Thanks to you and your friends coming here, I think I finally understand my purpose. I must do my best so I can say, ‘I did what I could.’"

(Ortho then proceeds to shut down Cerebus and unite with the soul of the dead child he was created to replace.)

According to Trey, Rook will sometimes sing randomly during Science Club meetings.

Deuce says that Rook started singing during while weeding the fire lotuses during Glorious Masquerade despite looking pained (“It was like watching a musical”) and Rook also bursts into song during Spectral Soiree, singing part of an obscure opera “known only to true enthusiasts.”

Vil says that Rook, Epel and the Film Research club (of which neither of them are members) got together and performed a “tolerable” opera for Vil’s birthday.

Rook is also a fan of classical musical and shares a conversation with a ghost about a Coral Sea court musician from three hundred years earlier, impressing the ghost with his familiarity with music history.

In addition to classical music and operas Rook also enjoys musicals, with historical musical “King’s Road” having a particular influence on him when he was a child. Rook explains, “I had trouble expressing myself as a child. But one day, I went with my family to the Shaftlands Royal Theater, and my whole life changed.”

He had seen “King’s Road” for the first time, and says that the performance of the lead actor—Neige LeBlanche—was the first time he’d been moved to tears.

Rook says it wasn’t Neige himself who moved him but the elements of the show combined—music, costumes, design—that made Neige shine. He says that the other cast members were spectacular, especially the villains, but he does not specify that child-Vil was one of them.

In his third birthday vignette Rook says that he often watches movies and TV dramas, and there is one series in particular that he has seen over 100 times.

Rook says he got two tickets to an opera from his parents for his birthday. (Other presents Rook received for his birthday have been compiled here.)

[ecoamerica]

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The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

Midnight Masquerade - Fives

Summary: The bottle lands on Fives.

Chapter Warnings: minors DNI; incubus!Fives x f!reader. kinks: edging + double penetration. slight instance of anxiety, seduction (though lbr, it doesn't take much from Fives), alcohol, oral (f receiving), Fives loves to eat pussy, orgasm denial, unprotected PiV sex (cloak before you stroke), creampie, if I missed anything please let me know!

Word Count: 2.9k

Read the intro here! | Suggested listening

...Fives.

The other troopers at the table cheer. Eyelashes fluttering, you glance up at Fives. Heat blooms under your skin at the grin that tugs at the corners of his lips. Rising from your seat, you chuckle as he trips over himself getting away from the table, but the brief moment of levity does little to quell the sudden rising tide of nerves in your stomach. You’d be lying to yourself if you said that you haven’t thought about Fives before. Of all the troopers at your table tonight, he is probably the one you’re most comfortable around, aside from Rex—but that level of familiarity is exactly what’s causing you to second-guess yourself now.

Fives’s easy grin smooths into a smirk as he slips his arm around you, hand ghosting over your lower back. You allow yourself to be led deeper into the party. As you brush past myriad other clones, in various states of costume and transformation, something brushes up into your hand. 

You jerk your hand up, eyes wide. A deep blue, nearly black, pointed tail wraps around you from behind, a leathery texture to it. Spinning as you walk, you trace the writhing appendage to its owner. 

Fives quirks an eyebrow down at you. “Hope you don’t mind if I flex my new body, mesh’la.”

“Course not,” you say, maybe a little too fast. Kark, yeah, you’re in over your head. Taking a steadying breath, you glance around at where Fives is leading you, but the fog machines have done their jobs a little too well. Anything ten or so feet past your nose is obscured.

Kriff, what are you doing? In the strobing lights, small, pointed horns gleam where they protrude from Fives’s forehead. He doesn’t touch you with his tail again, but you can nearly feel its presence undulating behind you. Through it all, his palm remains on your back, a gentle pressure, but one that your flailing brain latches onto. 

“I need a drink,” you gasp.

Tearing yourself away from him, you shove through the crowd in the direction you remember seeing the bar before. Breath coming in shorter bursts, you have to hold the rising tide of panic at bay in your chest. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long before the crowd breaks and you stumble into open space. The bar stretches before you. Bottles of every kind of alcohol imaginable line the shelves of the wall behind it. 

Several clones already sit on the barstools. As you approach, a few of them receive their drinks and disappear back into the crowd. You sink gratefully onto one of the padded stools. 

The bartender, a nat-born man with short brown hair and a sympathetic smile, approaches. “What’ll it be?” 

“Something strong and cheap,” you say. 

He chuckles. “It’s on the house. Doesn’t have to be cheap.” 

“Fine,” you sigh. “Something strong and not cheap.” 

With a wink, he departs, grabbing a bottle of amber liquid off of one of the middle shelves. You focus on the bartender’s movements as he plucks a clean glass, unstoppers the bottle, and pours your drink. Even when you feel a familiar presence settle onto the stool next to you, you keep your gaze on the bartender until he deposits the requested strong, not cheap drink in front of you. 

Next to you, Fives waves away the barkeep. He remains silent as you down the drink, grimacing at the burn as it slides down your throat and settles in your stomach.

“I’m sorry—” you both say at the same time. 

Smiling despite yourself, you glance at him. His expression is downcast, abashed, and even with the horns, he’s just Fives. You know him. 

“You first,” he says, dark eyes meeting yours. 

“No, please, go ahead.” You turn to face him. 

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he says. “I’m sorry if I came across too forward.” 

“To be fair, I did ask to know what a monster fucks like,” you say. 

“And those poor olives.” 

You laugh, nerves settling into a manageable simmer. “That, too.” 

He hums, his eyes searching your expression. For what, you’re not sure. He says, “Be that as it may, mesh’la. We’ll do whatever you want. Wanna sit here and get plastered? I’m here for it.”

Eyes fluttering, you smile at him shyly. “Thanks, Fives. I guess I just—I dunno. We’re friends, right? So I just got a little freaked out by the idea of...”

“Sleeping with your most attractive best friend?” he finishes, a self-satisfied, smug smirk twisting his face. But there’s a hint of something else in his expression, something more vulnerable. 

You must be imagining it. Rolling your eyes, you shake your head. “Something like that.” 

You take another swig of the drink. There’s more that you want to say, more to what you’re feeling. You want to tell him that it freaked you out because you’ve imagined him in certain scenarios before. What he’d look like drunk on your kisses rather than alcohol. Whether he’d be gentle or rough, and what sounds he’d make when—

Clamping down on that thought, you cast your gaze to the wooden grain of the bar.

Fives gently places a finger under your chin and tips your face up to meet his gaze once more. Your lips part in surprise. He’s close—not so close as to completely undermine his previous affirmation of your boundaries, but closer than you’ve been to him before. Has he always had that freckle by his right eye? 

“Wanna know a secret?” he asks, voice barely loud enough to be heard over the thumping music. 

Nodding, you find you can’t speak.

“I’m a little freaked out, too,” he says. 

“Oh?” Smooth. Real smooth. 

He hums, letting his hand fall back to his lap. “They weren’t kidding about this potion. I can feel...so many new things. Everyone’s energy. Do you know what I dressed up as, mesh’la?” 

You shake your head, surveying his horns and gently curving tail once again. 

“An incubus,” he admits, voice dropping lower. You shiver as it washes over you. “A sex demon. What are the odds?”

“Must be pretty good,” you say. “You should play the lottery.” 

He laughs, white teeth flashing in the lights. Kriff, has he always been this pretty? “If only clones were allowed.”

“Then I’ll get it for you,” you say. “And you just tell me the numbers to play.”

Tugging his bottom lip between his teeth, he looks up at you through his eyelashes. In your chest, your heart does this weird tap dance where it both skips several beats and charges through several extra ones simultaneously. The knowledge of his costume should make you feel even more wigged out, but instead, you find a warmth sparking in your core. You feel a little light-headed, but the way he’s looking at you, like you’re the only thing worth looking at, makes you preen. 

You suppose he’s always looked at you like that, because you know for damn sure that’s how you look at him. And in that moment, you make up your mind.

“Fives?” you say, scooting closer to him on your stool. 

He smiles at you. “Yes, darling?”

“Kiss me.” 

Shock flits over his face, followed closely by a smirk. “Are you sure?” 

You nod, resting one hand on his thigh, the other dipping down to lightly ghost over the spike of his tail. He shudders. 

“Kriff, yeah, okay, mesh’la.” He spins his seat to face you. One hand sliding up your leg, his other cups your face and gently tugs you forward. Your lips meet in a chaste, close-mouthed kiss, his beard rubbing lightly against your face. Heart pounding, you pull back. You can’t stop the broad smile that breaks over your face.

He looks at you like you hung the stars. “Can we—?”

“Yes.” You surge forward and claim his lips in a much more heated kiss, mouths moving against one another fervently. You feel rather than hear the groan that escapes him; tingles cascade down your spine at the sensation. His hand on your leg squeezes the meat of your thigh, sending a delicious jolt of pleasure to your heated core. 

A voice forces you to break apart, panting. The bartender fixes you both with a quietly amused look. “There are rooms in the back.”

With a curt, grateful nod, you and Fives both hop off your stools and nearly race each other to the promised doorway. Through it, you find a hallway, which itself leads to numerous other doors. Fives picks one at random. Inside, you gasp; a large, fluffy bed sits under a gauzy canopy lit with twinkle lights. The faint scent of vanilla fills the room, chasing away the faux-sweetness of the fog machines.

Fives’s mouth is back on yours as soon as the door is shut. The two of you help one another undress, clumsy hands getting in each other’s way or tangled in pieces of clothing, making you giggle. But eventually, naked and panting, you press your body against his. Toned muscles flex under his tanned skin, all hard planes to your soft edges. You groan. He takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth, cradling your head to move you exactly where he wants you.

You smooth your hands down his back, relishing in the way the muscles there ripple under your touch. His ass is both firm and squishy; you can’t resist squeezing, earning you a deep groan. Palming his butt in one hand, you reach with tentative fingers towards the base of his tail. He jolts when you brush against it. 

“K-Kriff,” he gasps against your lips. A line of saliva connects your mouths together. For a moment, you remain there, breathing in each other’s breath. Your gentle touch explores the leathery, twisting appendage of his tail. Goosebumps raise all over his skin as you do. 

“Sensitive?” you murmur. 

He nods. Dipping his head, his lips leave a slick trail over your skin where he lowers to kiss the juncture of your neck and shoulder. You gasp at the sensation, core clenching around nothing.

An idea pops into your head. Keeping your hand on his tail, thumb caressing over the pointed tip, you snake your other hand between your bodies and wrap your fingers around his hard, leaking cock. He’s hot and heavy in both of your hands; his length is velvet smooth, where his tail is supple and rough. Fives keens against your throat as you stroke both lengths in tandem. 

“I’m supposed to be th-the sex fiend here,” he pants into your skin. 

You chuckle. “Better get to it then, Fives.”

Your words seem to flip a switch in him. In an instant, he snatches you up from your feet and carries you to the bed, where he deposits you unceremoniously. You flop with a giggle, the mattress plush and soft—but you don’t have long to relish in the pillowy comfort, as Fives’s hot and wet mouth closes around your neglected and aching cunt. Hands shooting to his hair, you grip at the tight curls, your thighs threatening to close around his head. 

His growl reverberates through you as his hands pin your legs open. When you crane your head to meet his eyes, they are dark, pupils blown, as he licks circles around your clit. The coarse hair of his beard burns deliciously against your slick skin. Tugging on his hair, you moan, pussy fluttering. 

“F-Fives,” you pant. “Please. Wanna cum on your tongue.”

You can feel his grin against your skin. He redoubles his efforts, mouth never leaving you for an instant. Kark, he looks so good between your thighs, and the slurping sounds he makes are absolutely sinful. The molten cord of pleasure in your lower belly pulls tighter, tighter, tighter. 

“Gonna—” You groan, tossing your head back, nails digging into his scalp. 

But then he pulls away with a wet pop! Your head shoots back up, a cry of anguish falling from your lips.

“You’ll cum when I’m ready for you to, mesh’la,” he says. There’s a growl to his voice, one that wasn’t there before, and you shudder.

He dives back into your pussy like a man parched. Waggling his tongues over your folds, he tastes you for what feels like hours, days, years—the pleasure never stops. In fact, it simply intensifies when he slips two fingers in to curl against your g-spot, finger-fucking you while he sucks on your clit.

You lose track of how many times you almost cum. You’re sobbing, body wracked with pleasurable quivers, as he fully withdraws and sits up on his haunches. His face and neck are absolutely soaked with your juices, and a dangerous, sinful gleam in his eyes tells you he’s not done with you yet. 

“Fives, please,” you gasp out. “Need to cum so bad.”

“I know, mesh’la,” he croons. He tugs you closer by your hips, lining his swollen cock up with your sopping entrance. “I promise you’ll cum for me soon, okay? Just let me take care of you.”

He punctuates the last word by thrusting into your cunt in one, fluid motion. You cry out, body convulsing with the sudden overwhelming sensation of being full. For his part, Fives immediately begins to fuck you, drawing his length out of you before slamming back in, over and over. He slings your legs up over his shoulders, then his hands find purchase on your chest, squeezing the soft flesh there. 

The room reverberates with the wet slap of skin against skin, the squelching of his cock driving deeper into your pussy, and the chorus of your soft moans and his growling groans. In your belly, your orgasm begins to build again, the tight cord fraying and ready to snap at any moment.

“So fucking tight, kriff,” Fives grits out. A single curl has fallen out of place and bounces against his forehead with every thrust. “Stars, can I fuck you with my tail, princess? Hm? Do you wanna have me in both holes?” 

You clench around him, his words very nearly shoving you over the edge of bliss. “Yes, please, Fives, please, give it to me!”

He slows his pace, resting his thumb over your clit. Though he doesn’t move it, the pressure of his thumb keeps you teetering at the edge of shattered bliss. He gathers excess slick from your cunt and spreads it over his tail. 

“Relax for me, darling,” he coos. Then the tip of his tail presses against your other entrance. You try to relax, try to do as he says, but as he gently works his second length through your tight hole, all you want to do is clench around him despite the burning stretch.

A guttural groan punches from him when you do just that. 

“Fuck, mesh’la, do that again and I won’t last.” 

For a moment, you both remain still, breathing heavily through your noses to catch your composure. Fives flashes you the cheeky grin that attracted you to him in the first place, then very slowly draws his tail back. At the same time, he traces tight circles over your clit; when he pushes his tail into you, he slides his hips back, withdrawing his cock from your cunt partway. You’re never empty. The rhythm he settles into is bone-melting, mind-shattering; your throat feels raw from crying your pleasure to the room. 

That molten thread of pleasure snaps taut in your core. Fives senses it, and, unlike before, he continues his ministrations, never letting up. You babble, not making any sense, as his cock drives directly into that spongy spot deep inside you, his tail stretching you in a way that makes your pussy gush. 

“Cum on me, gorgeous,” he mutters. “Cum for me, I know you can do it.”

Your entire body locks up with his words. In your tummy, that cord of tension snaps—and you scream, body spasming. Waves of molten, white-hot pleasure crash through you again, and again, and again, each one in perfect time with the way Fives fucks you through your orgasm. Tears stream down the side of your face, but you find you don’t have it in you to care. All you care about is the blinding, debilitating pleasure centered in your pussy.

A second orgasm rolls through you shortly after the first. “Fi-i-i-ives!”

“Where can I—?” 

“In me!” you plead. “Need your cum!” 

His hard length swells in your spent pussy, and then he’s groaning, body shuddering as he finishes, painting your insides with ropes of hot, white cum. You barely feel it when he slips both lengths from you, body floating on clouds, mind absolutely wrecked. Fives gently sponges away your combined releases with a wet cloth, then settles onto the bed next to you. Pulling you against his body, he rocks you gently back and forth, whispering against your temple. 

“Did so good for me,” he murmurs. “Did so well. Such a good girl, mesh’la. You’re safe, I’m here.” 

Eventually you find enough strength to talk, your voice hoarse. “Fives?” 

“I’m here,” he assures. 

“How do you feel?” you ask. 

He chuckles, the vibrations sending pleasant tingles across your body. “I’ve just fucked you within an inch of your life, and you’re asking how I feel?” 

You can only nod, too tired to feel embarrassed. 

“I feel...amazing,” he admits. “The incubus thing really made that, um, different. I hope I didn’t take too much energy from you, but kriff, I feel strong. Focused.” 

Humming, you let your eyes slide shut. So that explains why you still feel so out of it, beyond the fact that you just came the hardest you’ve ever done in your life. He took your energy; you’re glad to have given it. “Stay with me?” 

“Always,” he says. You think he presses a kiss to your temple, but your body slips into sleep, cradled and safe within Fives’s embrace.

Ragu list: @the-hexfiles @thorsterstrudle @dystopicjumpsuit @clonemedickix @freesia-writes @littlemissmanga @wolffegirlsunite @anxiouspineapple99 @wings-and-beskar @sinfulsalutations @523rdrebell @sunshinesdaydream @moonlightwarriorqueen @sev-on-kamino @starrylothcat @deejadabbles @starqueensthings @mandos-mind-trick @idontgetanysleep @eyeluvmusic21 @wizardofrozz @mythical-illustrator @sleepycreativewriter @dreamie411 @bobaprint @originalcollectionartistry @imarvelatthestars (if you'd like to be added or removed, click here!)

[voluptuarian]

Favorite Movie Costumes (pt. 1)

Recently got the line-up-your-toys urge to list and discuss my favorite tv and movie costumes-- my favorites are many and tumblr's image limit is low, so I'm not sure how many posts this'll eventually spread to, but here's the first crop.

The Queen's red gown - The Brother's Grimm

I don't think anyone on earth wanted to love this movie more than I did when it came out-- sadly, the film itself was generally a letdown. However, its costumes absolutely delivered, which should come as no surprise since they were designed by Gabriella Pescucci. The costumes for Monica Belluci's queen are my favorites of all, but this piece, the one she wears for most of the movie, may be my favorite costume of all time.

The costume has several iterations; it's paired most prominently with her enormous horned headdress (my fave), but she also wears it with a more delicate tiara.

Marianne de Morangias' red riding habit - Brotherhood of the Wolf

Although Brotherhood of the Wolf is far from a good movie, I have a terrible soft spot for it, which is mostly due to its wonderful costumes, including a crowd of hunting costumes throughout, none more gorgeous than the one Marianne's debuts during the film's first hunt.

I probably owe my love of riding habits to American Girl's Felicity and her swoon-worthy green velvet habit-- they are sadly underused in movies (meanwhile Marianne not only wears this red habit, but also shows off an equally beautiful green one later.)

Christine Daae's masquerade dress - The Phantom of the Opera

Fun fact, I watched this movie as a teenager (after falling in with the inescapable junior high theater nerd crowd, who tried unsuccessfully to use this as a gateway drug to getting me hooked on musicals), then forgot about the vast majority of the costumes, and stumbled upon it again years later without realizing it was from a movie and completely fell in love with it.

I'm very fond of the early 1870s silhouette in general, long trains in particular, and the back of this one is what really sold me. The frothy layers of chiffon?? the flowers?? the graceful tiered bustle?? Obsessed. (Another fun fact, this is one of the references I always bring up when discussing potential wedding dresses.)

Imogen Spurnrose's red ensemble - Carnival Row

I know, another red velvet number ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Imogen's wardrobe is full of lovely quasi-Victorian pieces, but this one had me GASPING when it came on screen. These pictures do not do the color or vibrancy of that jacket justice!

Geilis Duncan's white ballgown - Outlander

I'm usually not a fan of stripped down historical styles, especially ones this anachronistic, but something about the minimalist design of this dress just charmed me.

It reminds of in some way of artistic undress in 17th century portraits, and the lightness of the colors and material has this clean, airy, almost White Lady quality to it, and the simplicity and limited accessorizing really brings out the period silhouette. (Also I adore lover's eyes).

Vanessa Ives' lace blouse - Penny Dreadful

Vanessa has a gorgeous wardrobe (Gabriella Pescucci hitting it out of the park again) containing a number of delicate black and white blouses, but this one is my favorite.

The design is not that complex, but the wealth of tiny details, especially the petal shaped blackworked collar and cuffs, give it a huge visual punch; paired with the decorative belt and beautiful black skirt it's a very unique look that shows off some of the most beautiful elements of the period (last photo courtesy @periodcostumefantasylover)

Lorna's church dress - Lorna Doone

YES another red number. And what a red!! This miniseries is so obscure I had to do my own (butt ugly) screencaps off Youtube, but despite being a fairly modest production, they do some nice 17th century looks in it.

This dress is glimpsed for a moment as Lorna catches sight of her separated lover through the crowd-- very dramatic, but unfortunately it means getting a good look at the beautiful dress is hard, but I did my best: here's the actual scene, if you want a better look (and I'd recommend the series, too!)

Virginia Wilson's Worth dress - 1899

Big shock, the replica House of Worth dress made it in *Oprah shrug* I've adored the original dress for years, so I went nuts seeing it on the show! On top of just top tier everything, the costuming on 1899 was great, and the fact that they decided to throw this dress in was just the cherry on top.

There are some minimal differences between this dress and its inspiration, most notably the change in pattern-- Virginia's dress not only incorporates the alchemical logo like all the rest of the characters, but the rounded edges in the original are all made jagged to match it, as you can really see in the last photo.

---- on to part 2!

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Creatures of Yuletide: The Hidden History of the Christmas Goats

How Christians allowed pagan goat symbolism into their sacred holidays

Back in 2020, I started a series of posts here called Creatures of Yuletide, diving into the strange world of the creatures and magical figures that are said to appear during the holidays. However, there were some creatures and some interesting pieces of lore that I left unexplored, so now that I’m on my break from college, I’m thinking about bringing the series back for this holiday season.

I consider this piece a companion to my posts about Krampus, the Yule Goat, and the Companions of St. Nicholas, explaining things that I got wrong or thought were left unclear.

Let's start with my biggest complaint about the portrayal of Krampus in modern media: Why is he always a villain?

Originally an obscure character of regional European traditions, Krampus exploded in popularity in the late 2010s, quickly becoming a stock villain in cheap Christmas horror films, usually portrayed as a common demon or as a demon doppelganger of Santa Claus.

The fact is, that the tradition of Santa Claus started with St. Nicholas appearing on the eve or right on the day of his feast distributing some sweets, oranges, and nuts to children. However, these treats were only for good children. The bad children received a visit from a scarier and more threatening figure that would follow the saint. Usually, this figure would be represented by someone in fur clothes, with horns, and with a mask or a painted face. Depending on the region and country the identity of this dark companion varied.

In Austria, he was our demon Krampus

In Germany, he was a scary man called Knecht Ruprecht.

In French, he was Père Fouettard, Father Whipper, a dark figure connected to a butcher that killed three children in St. Nicholas’ legends.

In the low countries he was the controversial Zwarte Piet, where instead of a demon or a creepy man covered in soot, he’s a black servant boy, represented by a white person in blackface.

If you take Krampus' depiction at face value it’s easy to see him as a villain, since his and all the other companions’ shtick is to threat bad-behaved children with physical punishment and dragging them to a worse place. But if you look at the origins of the tradition you see a more interesting and much more nuanced view.

The people of the Alpine region and central Europe, in general, had a tradition of dressing in fur clothes and wearing wooden masks with horns. That was deeply connected with Frau Perchta, another dark yuletide figure from the Alpine region that was a goddess before Christianity arrived.

Perchten is the plural of Perchta. Originally, the word referred to female masks representing her, but the name come to refer to the animal masks worn in parades and festivals in the mountainous regions of Austria.

People would masquerade as these devilish figures and march in processions known as Perchtenlaufs. The Church didn’t like these creatures and tried many times to ban these practices, but due to the sparse population and the rugged environments within the region, the ban was useless.

Now depicted as a simple Christmas ornament in Scandinavian countries, the Yule Goat and similar other figures were probably offsprings of this tradition.

When the Christians showed up, small bits of these traditions remained, as an act of resistance, but little by little these people started adding Christian contexts to them, and Christians begrudgingly accepted them.

St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children. His saint day falls in early December, which helped strengthen his association with the Yuletide season. A seasonal play that spread throughout the Alpine regions was known as the Nikolausspiel, "Nicholas play". In these plays, St. Nick would make questions about morality and reward children for their scholarly efforts. Eventually the Perchtenlauf, in an attempt to pacify the Church, introduced Saint Nicholas and his set of good morals.

During the 17th century, in Sweden, it was the costume that during Christmas or the Epiphany (The Three King’s Day), young men in costumes would walk between houses singing songs, enacting plays, and performing pranks. The Yule Goat would often appear in these pranks, usually as a scary figure demanding gifts.

Eventually, these animal costumes soon became boogeyman figures that would follow St. Nicholas in punishing bad children. From place to place, the shape and identity of the companion changed, in some places staying a demon-like creature like Krampus, in others becoming fully human, like Zwarte Piet and Knecht Ruprecht.

It’s also important to point out that in some places, the goat creature absorbed St. Nicholas completely and became the gift-bringer himself. That’s the case with the Yule Goat. During the 19th century, men would often dress as goats to give gifts to their families. In Finland, to this day, the word for Santa, Joulupukki, translates to "Christmas goat" or "Yule Goat".

So why did all of these people dressed like goat monsters during wintertime?

Protection of course!

Thanks to electricity and heating we tend to forget how unforgiven winters in Northern Europe were. Winter was considered a time of darkness and death, and similar to Halloween, there was this belief that during winter the barrier between the worlds weakened. It was believed that ghosts and other evil spirits and entities could come to our world. There were several stories about entire spectral legions bewitching and spiriting away people in the dead of night. People dressed in these masks and costumes to scare these evil spirits.

In the 16th century, the Perchten took two main forms: Schönperchten, "beautiful Perchten", or the Schiachperchten, "ugly Perchten”. The beautiful Perchten came during the twelve nights of Christmas and festivals to bring luck and wealth to the people. The ugly Perchten had fangs, tusks, and horse tails that were used to drive out demons and ghosts. Men dressed as the ugly Perchten during this time and went from house to house driving out bad spirits.

The Norwegian had the tradition of “Julebukking” or more correctly, “to go julebukk” (Gå julebukk). One man or many men from the community would dress in a goat mask and fur cape to represent the ghosts of a winter night. After that, they would go “trick or treating” from door-to-door receiving gifts from the towns folk to thank them for protection and keeping the winter ghosts at bay

Today, in some parts of Finland, the custom persists of people performing in goat costumes in return for leftover Christmas food.

From the Smithsonian Magazine: A man dressed in a traditional Perchten costume and mask performs during a Perchten festival in the western Austrian village of Kappl, November 13, 2015. Each year in November and January, people in the western Austria regions dress up in Perchten (also known in some regions as Krampus or Tuifl) costumes and parade through the streets to perform a 1,500 year-old pagan ritual to disperse the ghosts of winter. (DOMINIC EBENBICHLER/Reuters/Corbis)

Krampus and all the other Christmas goats aren’t evil. They are wild, but not evil. They aren’t even demons, that’s part of the Christianization and the demonization of them. In the proper context of their cultures, they are defenders of people, having their origins in a tradition that consists of scaring away malevolent winter spirits.

The idea of Krampus as the last remnant of a pagan world, protecting people from evil spirits that the modern world forgot existed, to me, sounds much more original than another cheap Christmas horror movie where Krampus is the bad guy.

@ariel-seagull-wings @thealmightyemprex @amalthea9 @tamisdava2

[starboyshoyo]

Of Masks and Men

Pairing: Yuli Chen (OC) x ???

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland

Genre: fluff

Word Count: 1k

A/N: I listened to this soundtrack while writing this! Jaxon belongs to @ryker-writes

A time spent with friends at Night Raven College's masquerade ball leads to the discovery of a secret admirer.

Despite Crowley’s refusal to spend a single madol more than necessary, Night Raven College’s annual Masquerade Ball was nothing if not lavish. The high ceilings of the cafeteria had been transformed into a cathedral-like grandeur, and ambient golden lights beamed down from the chandeliers, illuminating the partygoers as they danced and chatted. 

Yuli leaned against a pillar near the western wall, sipping a flute of apple cider. The cape of her masquerade dress hung over her shoulder in a wave, the pink silk shimmering in the light. She was sure that if she stood still enough, she would blend into the checkered floors and arched windows; just another piece of the glorious scenery around her. 

“Don’t eat too much all at once,” she reminded Grim, nudging his side with her boot. “Leave some food for the others to enjoy.” 

Grim was stuffing his face at the party table, his own small suit matching hers in color and design. She had worked diligently on their costumes for weeks, only just finishing them that very night. While she was careful and considerate of her own hard work, she couldn’t say the same for her rascal of a dorm member. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Grim mumbled around a mouthful of something-or-other. He grinned at her. “I’m just making use of the resources available to us here. Free food here means that we won’t have to pay for groceries for a while, right?” 

He went to wipe his paws on the mini ruffled top he was wearing. Yuli pulled them away and made him use a napkin instead. “Yes, eating now means less madol on groceries later- but that doesn’t give you the excuse to stain your shirt.” 

“Grim! Yuli!” A familiar voice with a playful lilt to it called out Yuli looked up, eyes brightening. Even with the masks obscuring the top halves of their faces, she would know these two anywhere. 

“Ace, and Deuce!” she waved as they approached, bickering as usual. 

“I thought you said the masks kept us from anyone recognizing us? But Yuli knew it was us right away…” 

“Ha! I can’t believe you actually fell for that!” 

Oh, Deuce… Yuli shook her head, smiling fondly. “Did you get those outfits from Sam’s shop?” she asked. “They look wonderful!” 

“Yep!” Ace gave her a crooked grin. “Cater helped me and Juice here score a sweet discount thanks to a Magicam sponsorship. Check ‘em out!” 

Yuli rounded the two boys, taking in their costumes. They both wore dark musketeer-style suits with fringed capes and felt hats with feathers protruding from the top. The only difference between the two was the tint of the fabric, with Ace’s being a deep red, while Deuce’s was dark blue. “Hold on.” She tugged Ace’s collar up. “There, it’s aligned now.”

“We waited for you at the entrance for a while,” Deuce informed her. “But you never showed up. Did something happen back at Ramshackle Dorm that made you late for the party?” 

“No, I was just finishing up mine and Grim’s outfits,” she explained. She spun around. “Aren’t they pretty? I didn’t think I’d have any use for that roll of silk that Vil gave me after the VDC, but I’m glad I kept it.” 

Ace whistled, smirking. “If you were gonna show off for us, you could have just done it in private, you know?” 

Deuce went red as Yuli rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up, you little shit-”

“Indeed, our Child of Man looks quite radiant tonight.” A deep voice rumbled in her ear. Ace and Deuce fell silent beside her. Only one person could have that effect on the students of NRC- Yuli knew exactly who it would be before she turned around. 

“Tsunotarou! You’re here!” 

The great Malleus Draconia smiled down at her, the dark jewels of his mask perfectly complimented his green eyes. “Child of Man,” he greeted, and nodded at Ace and Deuce, who returned it nervously. “Lilia was kind enough to remind me of this little rendezvous tonight, so I made it on time.” He paused. “I didn’t see you at the opening ceremony. Did you perhaps get lost? You haven’t had much time to get used to Night Raven College’s sprawling campus.” 

“No, I was finishing up Grim’s costume,” she explained again. Yuli didn’t bother to mention that she’d been here for over half a year now. A few months was trivial to an ancient Fae like Malleus. “Speaking of Lilia… he must be here as well, then?” She glanced around.

“Yes, he was performing some peculiar dance that he referred to as the ‘WAP’  on the far side of the room just a few minutes ago-”

“GET AWAY FROM LORD MALLEUS, FOUL HUMAN!” Sebek appeared, pushing his way through the crowd. 

“Aaaand, there goes the peace,” Ace muttered under his breath, frowning. His scowl only deepened when Silver followed soon after, along with a tall boy with dark hair. Yuli recognized him as Jaxon, the headmage’s son and Savanaclaw student- and Ace’s perpetual rival. 

“Sebek, the Prefect is only making polite conversation with our Lord,” Silver sighed, stepping to Malleus’s side. “The Students of Night Raven College are here today to foster goodwill among themselves, not stay solitary.” He gave a fond glance to Jaxon, whose arm was linked with his. 

“But no human is worthy to stand near his side! Especially when I, Sebek Zigvolt, humble servant of Briar Valley, am not nearby to monitor their behavior!” Sebek insisted, face red from the exertion of yelling. Silver sighed, resigned, while Ace plugged his ears. Yuli didn’t miss how he flipped off the loud first year- and Jaxon, too- behind his back. She pinched Ace in the side, making him yelp. “Be nice,” she hissed to him. 

Malleus watched the whole situation play out, amused. “I must take my leave now,” he mused, “Lilia will be wondering where I’ve gone by now. But I wish you well, Child of Man.” He paused. “And just so you know, a certain King of Roses has been watching you from across the room this whole time. Perhaps he is too shy to approach you first?” 

With a sweep of his cape, he was gone.

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[devil-takethe-hindmost]

rip to the guy whose costume straight up fell apart during masquerade at the final performance of phantom on broadway my heart goes out to you

the little pole thingy in his cloak that’s supposed to hold the edges out somehow came out and i love that you can see his “oh shit i gotta fix this before i need it to do its job”

[operafantomet]

Hi! You mentioned a few days ago that there are some generic masquerade swing costumes. Are those any of the named costumes or just the random ones that appear sometimes? Also its so interesting that there is something "generic" when even the most basic masquerade costumes are full of details.

When I call them "generic" it's not because they don't have a name, more that they follow a similar formula and that the costume's theme is not super clear unless you have the design at hand. For the female costumes the formula is:

Corseted sleeveless bodice, usually with a V-shaped bust decoration and draped shoulder fringes, slightly undefined skirt, hard-to-read headgear, and often long gloves.

Fluzie (Floozie) is one of these, here seen in the costume design next to how the costume appeared in the Copenhagen revival:

Ditto for the aforementioned costume they call both "Peacock" and "Firefly" on Broadway, a green/golden costume. If i have understood it correctly the costume did appear in a cast member in the original Broadway production in 1988, but in Las Vegas 2006-2012 she was a dummy (far left):

This exact dummy costume was introduced on Broadway as a swing costume a few years later, and referred to as Peacock by Sara Jean Ford and Firefly by Marni Raab/Greg Mills:

The origin of the costume is however in the original West End production, but in a somewhat different look. That costume featured a bronze and green dress and powdered wig with a heavier Rococo flair and a way way WAY cooler mask (left). Another version in a silvery/black/green look appeared in the most recent World Tour (right):

The only constant feature seems to be the criss-crossing bands in the front skirt, coming to view under the skirt draped over the hips. The corseted bodice with a clear front panel, sometimes with shoulder drapes and sometimes with straps, is also recognizable. But as you see it's been both an ensemble costume, a dummy costume and a swing costume, and made in various colour combinations.

Due to this and the many names I have a hard time telling what the narrative of the costume is. I have also never seen the costume design. That doesn't automatically make it a "generic" costume, but more so than the sharply defined Butterfly, Monkey girl, Goldfish, Rococo lady, Gauloise etc. Typical for the "generic" costumes is also that they are often worn by swings and understudies nowadays, making them a spare costume, as well as one not featured by all productions.

But hahahaha, I agree with your overall sentiment. There are limits to how "generic" a Maria Bjørnson costume can be, layered with fabrics and trims and embroidery and beads and KRITZY KRITZY.

[ircnwrought]

a kiss shared at a masquerade ball. // @siphonedshadow for amaya !!

__________✨         THE     MUSIC     FADES     BEHIND     HER     AS     SHE     VENTURES     OUT     TO     THE     GARDENS.     even   with   the   costume,     there    had    still    been    stares,     whispers     (     she   is   sick   of   it,     seeking   refuge   in   the   cool   night   air   instead     )     leave   it   to   azriel   to   notice   she   had   slipped   away.     she   hears   the   familiar   gait   across   the   crunching   gravel,     turning   to   face   him   fully.     she   cannot   help   the   soft   smile   that   tugs   at   her   lips   to   see   him.     dressed    as    a    hunter    to    her    diana.     though   her   silver   mask   obscures   her   features,     it   does   not   diminish   the   glint   in   her   violet   gaze.     she    is    the    moon,     the    sky         isn't    there    a    story    that    the    hunter    had    been    lover    to    diana    too  ??     she   offers   her   hands   to   him,     dark   curls   tumbling   over   her   shoulder   as   she   inclines   her   head.      won't    you    indulge    your    patron    goddess    in    a    dance,     orion    ??     her   breathing   catches   for   a   moment   as   he   pulls   her   closer.     his    smile    is    matched    by    her    own.

✨__________         AMONGST     THE     HEDGES     &&     THE     FLOWERS,     WITH     NO     ONE     BUT     THE     STARS     OVERHEAD,     THEY     MOVE.     she    is    not    as    graceful    as    she    would    like    to    be,     her    leg    never    having    set    right    after    her    fall,     but    he    accomodates    her     (     as   if   he   knows   exactly   how   she   favors   her   weight,     as   if   he   can   anticipate   even   the   smallest   of   her   actions     )     there   is   a   break   in   the   music  &&    he   does   not   release   her   immediately,     instead   he   moves   his   hand   to   the   mask's   knot   at   the   back   of   her   head,     undoing   the   silk   ribbon   with   ease.     she   follows   suit,     lifting   his   own   mask   away,     never   once   breaking   his   gaze.     they    stand    before    each    other,     themselves,     no    longer    diana    &&    her    hunter.      just     azriel    &&    amaya.     they   cannot   hide,     they do not   want   to.     he    sees    her,     he    knows    her.     does    he    love    her    too     ??       the   gravity   of   the   heavens   bows   him   to   her,     claiming   her   lips   with   his   kiss   as   their   hands   are   clasped   together   between   them.     it    feels    like    a    promise,     a    supernova    sparking.     perhaps    it    is    the    beginning    of    their    own    poem.

[indulgnces]

who: augsta rivera (@behindthcmall)

where: masquerade ball

If James were being honest with herself, she was hoping she'd end up in the exact situation she was in when she came out tonight. Because while she loved all the traditional things that came with Halloween — the costumes, the decorations, the candy, the spooky vibes — it was the parties and hookup culture embedded into the holiday that was really her favorite part. When she first made eye contact with the Black Cat, she was across the room engaged in conversation with another, so James didn't interrupt. The second time it happened, James took it as an invitation, only to be swept away by her own friend in need of a bathroom break. The third time it happened, when the Black Cat was on the dance floor, James made sure there were no intervening forces when she finally approached.

Which is how she found herself where she was now, all but pressed up against the woman who had caught her eye. The dance floor was nearly like any other — the clustered bodies and acute scent of sweat a sharp contrast to the glitzy masks and adorned attire. The music thrummed through her, providing a hypnotic melody that perfectly fit the theme of the evening and the feeling James was caught up in as she moved in rhythm with the Black Cat, utterly captivated by the woman moving with her. She didn't know her name, didn't know her situation, hell she could barely see part of her face with the dim lighting and the mask obscuring it, but none of that mattered when the feeling running through her every time the other woman touched her felt this good. Drunk on that feeling, it felt all too natural to take her hand, lean forward, and suggest in the Black Cat's ear, "Let's get off the dance floor."

[misc-obeyme]

Here is part two with the rest of the characters!

I actually included the three undateables - Mephisto, Raphael, and Thirteen. I'm getting tired of waiting for them to become dateable, so I decided to go ahead and write some for them, too. I don't know how good they are, I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to them lol.

I may have also included my OC Arsenios as a bonus... just 'cause I really wanted to write one for him. It's exactly the kind of scenario he would be there for so it just fit so well. Anyway, you can read more about him here if you're curious. He's also the last one, so you can just skip it altogether if you like lol!

FLUFFTOBER 2023

GN!MC x the dateables, the undateables, and one OC lol

Warnings: none that I can think of??

It was an October night in the Devildom and the House of Lamentation was hosting a Halloween masquerade ball. The main hall had been decorated splendidly in oranges, purples, and blacks. An entire feast was laid out, the table full of dishes contributed to the party by Barbatos and Simeon. The room was dark, lit mostly by orbs of orange light, enchanted to float through the air by Solomon. On a small stage there was a live band playing a mix of lively and slow creepy music. The dance floor was filled with demons, all of whom were unrecognizable…

Due to the masquerade theme, special masks had been made for each attendee. They were made by Satan and Asmodeus, working together to create magical masks that would completely obscure each party goer's appearance. Once they put on the mask, a glamor fell over them that transformed them and made them unrecognizable. Every glamor costume was black and incorporated a look involving fancy suits, flowing dresses, and probably too many sequins.

The party organizers all knew what each other's mask-generated costumes looked like. Everyone had been present when Asmo revealed his designs. Everyone… except you. You had insisted on creating your own glamor and thus hadn't been present to see everyone else's.

Now you stood in the middle of this masquerade party, unable to recognize a single person.

And yet you knew that the person you wanted to see most was in the room somewhere. And after a small amount of time, you were certain you had figured out who it was. You made a bold move and asked them to dance. While you were in their arms, they told you to meet them somewhere specific later, when the party was winding down. You agreed and spent the rest of the night exchanging looks with them, anticipating the moment when you would be alone with them.

Had you chosen the correct person? Did you know them well enough that you could determine their identity when their appearance was so altered? And more importantly… did they know who you were?

Diavolo

You actually had to pretend that you didn't know who he was. The reality was that there was no mistaking Diavolo. He walked like a king, moving about the room and talking happily with every demon he came across. He had a presence unlike any other, even rivaling Lucifer in the way he commanded the space and everybody's attention.

You had to intercept him and ask him to dance. He accepted your invitation readily enough, but you weren't sure if it was out of politeness or if it was because he actually knew who you were. He spoke with you easily while you danced and even when he asked you to meet him in the foyer, you weren't sure if he knew you.

You managed to break away later, when things were winding down. You had seen Diavolo going into the foyer and followed him after only a few moments.

His mask was already gone and you found him in full demon form. Diavolo looked absolutely regal standing there, waiting for you. You went up to him, almost intimidated. You still weren't sure if he knew you.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Diavolo?" you asked carefully.

Diavolo chuckled. He reached out to take off your mask. "Were you truly afraid I didn't know you, MC?"

You blushed and looked away.

Diavolo laughed and took your hands, pulling you outside into the Devildom night. Before you knew what was happening, you were in his arms and with a heavy beat of his enormous wings, the two of you were flying. The wind rushed through your hair as you wrapped your arms around him, pressing yourself close.

Diavolo hovered for a moment. "Don't be afraid. I have you. I only wanted to be alone with you for a moment. Up here, no one will see us."

You flushed, amazed at the sight of him, his strong arms keeping you up, the yellow light of the moon splashing across his skin. Everything became heated as he kissed you, the neediness of his lips indicating just how much he had been waiting for this moment.

Barbatos

If you hadn't been deliberately looking for him, you likely wouldn't have noticed Barbatos at all. He stayed out of the way, on the edges of the party, sometimes fully in the shadows. But even in his glamor, he maintained his usual butler pose and his stance was what gave him away.

You weren't sure if he would accept when you asked him to dance. You knew he was a guest at this party, but he had a tendency to go into butler mode even as an attendee. To your delight, he bowed to you and took your hand. You hadn't been sure if he knew who you were, but the way he danced so close to you indicated that he did. Likely, he had known all along. Your suspicions seemed confirmed when he invited you to the kitchen.

You slipped into the kitchen as the party quieted, finding Barbatos making tea. You weren't in doubt of his identity, but the sight was so familiar, any questions were immediately put to rest.

"Come, MC," Barbatos said. "I've brewed your favorite."

You took off your mask. "You always knew it was me, didn't you?"

Barbatos poured you a cup of tea and handed it to you. He met your eyes and took off his own mask. "Just as you always knew it was me."

You put the teacup down on the counter next to your mask. You took Barbatos's face in your hands and kissed him.

Barbatos responded by wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing you back.

After a moment, he pulled away and smiled at you. "Your tea will get cold, MC."

"Let it," you said, kissing him again.

Simeon

You really thought it would be easy to find an angel in a room full of demons, even if they were all unrecognizable. You moved from group to group, trying to figure out if you could find Simeon by his words. Perhaps he would say something that would tip you off.

You were unsuccessful still by the time someone asked you to dance. You almost said no, but something stopped you. You cocked your head and considered him. He was graceful, his hand extended, ready to take yours. You couldn't quite place it, but there was something about him that made you think… could it be…? When he asked you to meet him in the guest room later - your room - you were even less sure than before.

When you entered your own room to find him waiting for you, you hesitated.

But then Simeon laughed and no glamor could hide the musical sound of it.

"I'm sorry, MC," he said. "Did I confuse you by asking you to meet me in your room?"

You sighed, coming fully into the room now and taking off your own mask. "It was a little unexpected, yes."

You walked up to Simeon and took off his mask yourself.

"But in the end, your angelic laugh gave you away," you said with a smile.

Simeon blushed. "I only wanted a moment alone with you and this seemed like the best place."

You put your arms around him. "It is," you said.

Simeon kissed you without prompting, his arms tightening around your waist and pulling you into him.

Solomon

You were the only two humans in the room. Maybe that was all it took. Perhaps it was the unmistakable bond between master and apprentice. You could even argue that after all the time you'd spent doing spells together, you simply knew the feeling of the other's magic. Whatever the reason, both you and Solomon knew each other upon first sight.

You both deliberately kept your distance, each of you sending glances at the other across the room at regular intervals. It was a look of knowing, a soft smile, quick eye contact, a conversation without words. You were the first one to ask him to dance. He accepted right away, holding you closer than a stranger would dare to as you moved together to the slow song that was playing.

You were a little startled when Solomon teleported you right off the dance floor. You grabbed onto his arms as the room spun a bit before resolving into his own room at Purgatory Hall.

You took a step back and folded your arms, frowning at him. "Was that really necessary?"

Solomon chuckled. "You sound upset, MC. After all those looks you gave me tonight, I thought you would want us to be alone."

You blushed and were grateful that you were still wearing your mask. "I mean, yes, obviously, but now everybody's going to be in uproar about it."

"No they won't," Solomon said, putting his arms around you again. "Nobody knew who you were, did they?"

You suspected that some of the others had figured out your identity. But the look in Solomon's still glamored eyes made your stomach flip and you found you no longer cared. You took off his mask and yours, tossing them aside before kissing him.

Mephistopheles

Maybe you wouldn't have known Mephistopheles with the glamor, but he gave himself away with his haughty demeanor. He moved around the room with his chin up, following Diavolo like a puppy. Everyone in the room was aware of Diavolo's identity, so it only made sense that the one constantly seeking his attention was likely Mephisto.

You approached and asked him to dance, knowing that his sense of correct manners would prevent him from saying no. He didn't seem to be able to tell exactly who you were as you danced with him. You wanted to ask him to meet you later, but you weren't sure if he would agree. So instead you mentioned that Lord Diavolo was going to be in the music room.

You were pleased to find Mephisto waiting when you showed up in the music room. He turned to you and frowned.

"I thought you said Lord Diavolo would be here," he said.

You took off your mask. "I'm sorry," you said. "I only said that because I didn't think you'd come if I just asked."

Mephisto's frown deepened as he took off his own mask. "You? What do you want?"

You came closer, tapping his chest with your fingertips, smile teasing. "Oh I don't know. It's a party. You seemed so tense and preoccupied. I thought you might like to let go a little."

Mephisto blushed, but he caught your hand in his. "And I suppose you think you can help me with that?"

You leaned forward, your faces almost touching. "If you let me."

Mephisto pulled your hand so you stumbled forward a little and your lips crashed into his. His arm wrapped around you and you couldn't resist putting your other hand on his cheek as you kissed him back.

Raphael

Raphael was almost painfully obvious. You even heard him say something about spears, which instantly let you know who you were dealing with. He seemed oblivious about who you were and he also seemed like he didn't particularly care who was who at all.

That was, until you asked him to dance. He agreed, but it was clear to you that he was puzzled. Not just about who you were, but why you wanted to dance with him. He likely thought you were a demon and therefore would want to stay far away from him. And yet, as the dance went on, he relaxed, which surprised you. Had he realized who you were? You thought he must have when he asked you to meet him in the garden.

When you arrived, he turned to look at you. He had already removed his mask and he had a rose in his hand, which he handed to you as you came closer.

"I asked you to come out here so I could give you this," he said, his voice serious, his demeanor as stiff as it always was.

You held the rose carefully and looked at him. "Do you… know who I am?"

Raphael smiled and it transformed his face. One moment he had been staring at you with an almost stern expression, but now there was a sweet softness that you rarely saw. "Of course I do, MC."

You sighed and took off your mask. "What gave me away?"

Raphael blushed lightly. "It was your kindness. I did not think a demon would ask to dance with me. I would have recognized if it had been Simeon or Solomon."

You couldn't help yourself. You leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. To your complete surprise, Raphael put his hands on your waist, keeping you there and kissing you back. You found out in that moment how soft Raphael could become.

Thirteen

You expected it to be difficult to find Thirteen. You thought she likely didn't even want to be at the party at all. So you supposed she would keep to herself. But you should have known she wouldn't be able to give up a chance to trap a certain sorcerer. She had brought a trap that looked absolutely terrifying, but before it could be sprung, Barbatos intercepted it and had her take it apart.

She was sulking about the lost opportunity when you asked her to dance. The way she brightened up immediately made you think she must know it was you. You were the only one she seemed to genuinely like. She danced with you happily, smiling the whole time. When the dance was over, she asked you to meet her later in the planetarium.

As soon as you arrived, she was at your side. "MC! You came!"

You laughed and took off your mask. "How did you know it was me?"

Thirteen giggled. "Your shiny soul, of course! It was the first thing I saw when I got here!"

You blushed and reached out to take her mask off, too. "I might not have figured out who you were if it wasn't for that trap you brought."

Thirteen frowned and shook her head. "Barbatos ruined my chance."

You took her hand. "Maybe, but I'm sure you'll come up with an even better trap for Solomon."

Thirteen pulled you closer, her smile back. "You're so sweet, aren't you, MC?"

"Only to you," you said, leaning in and pausing only a breath away from Thirteen's lips.

Thirteen needed no further prompting, letting her lips meet yours as your arms slid around her.

Arsenios

The live band playing on the small stage seemed to consist of a group of demons all wearing the glamor-giving masks. You were a little mesmerized by the one who was playing the piano, but you had no idea who he was at first. You watched them play as you moved about the room, your eyes always going back to the demon at the piano. A few times, he looked up and met your eyes.

You noticed when band members began to take breaks, one of them leaving the stage while the others played something soft and mellow. So you were hovering by the drink table when the demon who had been playing the piano came to the table for some water.

"Hey there, MC," he said as he filled a little cup from a large glass jug with slices of Devildom citrus floating in it.

You frowned. "You know me?"

He shrugged and drank the whole cup in one long gulp. "There's a rhythm to the way you walk," he said.

Something about the way he said this clued you in to his identity. "Arsenios?"

He took off his mask, revealing that you were correct. "I didn't think you'd know me."

You pretended to be offended. "Really? Who else would recognize someone by the rhythm of their walk?"

Arsenios chuckled. "Yeah, okay, smart ass," he said.

You grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the drinks and into the nearest empty room, which happened to be the library. He let you lead him, an amused expression on his face when you turned back to him.

"I'm glad you're here tonight," you said. "Even if it is as the entertainment."

Arsenios reached up to remove your mask. He put it carefully aside before cupping your cheek in his hand. "And? Are you entertained?"

You leaned toward him. "Not yet."

Arsenios pulled you close and kissed you, arms enclosing you. You could just hear the soft strains of the music - sans piano - behind the beating of your heart.

part 1 with the demon brothers

flufftober | kinktober | masterlist | Thank you for reading!

taglist: @anxious-chick @t0tallycoolname @libidinous-weeb

[lisbetadair]

what if MW19 wasn't actually simon "ghost" riley but his older brother paying homage to his dead younger brother, who is the actual simon riley. how..how do you think this would go, in a fic, if you were ever to write something like this?

So, I can understand the logic of this from Unamed Older Brother Riley, who I'm going to refer to as Bro Riley for brevity, in that a) it's maybe convenient alter identity given that he's working in a secretive field b) feels like he's paying homage to someone that must have been dear to him in a way c) a homage to Terry Pratchett's Masquerade (I know there are others, but this is always the first one that comes to mind) where there's multiple anatogonists who share one identity-obscuring costume.

There's a long history of people establishing identities based around people who died, and most recently, in the UK, the police used the identities of children who'd died young to establish identities for undercover officers. This went down like a lead ballloon with the families of those children when it came to light. I can see the horrible logic in that this was a real person with a birth certificate, around which other identify documents could be produced, and would probably stand up to a basic identity audit. However, there's the counterpoint here that this would direct anyone who does learn his adopted identity towards his real actual family and thereofore, is a poor cover.

I appreciate the logic of wanting someone that you loved to live on through memorials or actions, but equally, I don't think that basing a whole persona around a lost loved one and living that identity every day as a sort of living memorial is particularly healthy.

If his brother died when he was a child, or a young person, his favourite Hallowe'en costume was a skeleton, and it was the dream of both of them to join the army when they grew up, that is the most sweet and least mentally ill version of the living memorial I can imagine.

If Bro Riley is adopting the persona of Simon Riley who died as an adult, and he literally says he is the ghost of that person re-personified in himself then I think that is a little odd as grieving behaviour goes, and it makes me think of all those method actors who "became" their character for months and then couldn't separate who they were from who the character was. I don't think it's a particularly healthy behaviour to say that because his brother didn't get the chance to live, that he will live again through Bro Riley's worship of him every day. I know that all the SAS autobiographies have evidence of tolerance of extreme weirdos, and this might be so insidious that no one really notices there's a problem until he starts refusing to respond to anything but Simon Riley at which case it's Definitely Weird.

The We Know It's The Ghost Because He Was Wearing A Mask option, where both brothers cut about in similar costumes as a method of confusing enemies is something that came up when Ghosts was released, as there were definitely people who thought that this character with the skull obscuring his face must be Ghost off of Modern Warfare 2 and it made me think that we actually have no idea if there was one Ghost or not in the original game because you never actually see anything identifying about him other than his mask. That definitely works to have Bro Riley and Simon Riley play essentially the same character, and it means there's then a lot to explore about taking back up a role that was shared with someone so dear to you when they're no longer present in your life. There's a lot of scope for emotions in those moments, and there's also scope for plot when people think they are talking to Simon about events (personal or political) that were kept secret from Bro Riley.

I'm not sure if it's a plot bunny that I would want to explore myself, but it's always one that kind of surprised me that more people don't.