#simple wedding hairstyles shoulder length hair

[crystallizedkingdoms]

ᐊᕿᑦᑐᖅ

Johann braids Avi’s soft hair in peace.

wc: 1,708

this is a fic I wrote back in fuckin. 2021. I think it was the first fic i ever wrote with my inuk avi, so it features that very prominently. I posted it solely on tumblr for funsies. but finally I’ve posted it on ao3, where you can read it now. but alongside with it I edited it Just a tad (plus an extra paragraph) so I think it deserves a repost.

“Hey, be careful.”

Johann pulls his hand away from Avi’s hair. “Sorry,” he says almost immediately. “Won’t start from there then. Can I try again?”

“Yeah.”

…

“Hey, don’t tug too hard, man.”

“Okay, now you’re just lying. I haven’t even touched your hair yet!” Johann huffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Though Avi faces away from him, focused more on his phone rather than much else, Johann can practically feel the smug grin growing on his face when he says that.

“I could feel you thinking really hard about it!” Though Avi tenses slightly when Johann takes the ends of his hair into his hands, he plays it off by shifting his position on the floor. “So what’re you going to do? Just my usual ponytail or something?”

Threading his fingers through Avi’s soft hair to rid it of any knots he might’ve missed with the comb, Johann hums in thought. “Not sure. Just a simple half up half down braid, maybe, if that was okay with you,” he says when he’s finally sure that he has gotten rid of any tangle in Avi’s hair. Not that he had many to begin with. He’s careful with that sort of thing, Johann has come to notice.

“What’s that look like?”

“Fuckin’ Google it or wait for the results. You’ve got your phone right in front of you. I can’t project the image into your brain.”

Avi laughs, and it’s a sound that makes Johann feel hot all over his skin every time he hears it, no matter how many times he’s experienced it before. “All right, all right. Just give me the vibes of it or something, at least?” he asks, his head twisting to the side to look over his shoulder. There’s a big grin resting on his lips from what Johann can see, and he wants nothing more than to lean in and kiss him.

But Johann simply pushes Avi’s cheek away to face ahead. He has braiding to do, after all. “Think Pinterest wedding vibes. I might put an Inuk spin on them though. What I have in mind will look really cute on you.”

“You’re giving me a Pinterest hairstyle? That’s practically sacreligious.”

“…Are you being serious? I won’t do it if you are.”

“No, I’m not being serious. You can do it! I was just kidding,” Avi’s grin can be heard when he says that, which gets a small smack on the arm from Johann. “Ow! I said I was kidding!”

Kissing his teeth, Johann gathers a section of hair from the right side of Avi’s head, near his temple, “You kid too much. Now, do you want it to be tight or not? It needs two small braids around the side of your head, around the length I’m holding right now. Is that fine? Do you want more or less hair for these braids?”

When Johann asks these questions, he notices how Avi’s body finally relaxes from its tense state from earlier. He leans a little closer to Johann and his shoulders slump into a more comfortable position. “The amount of hair is fine. Try not to make it too tight or too close to the scalp or whatever? Whenever I try to braid it myself I always go too tight and it sucks. And when I loosen it, it just falls apart completely,” Avi explains with a sigh.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with braided hair. Is that why?” Johann attempts to make conversation as he segments the section of hair in his hands and begins to braid them in a simple manner. He intentionally left some hair loose and kept the braid from growing too tight. His hands move in a swift and calculated pattern, but he occasionally slows down to admire just how soft Avi’s hair was in between his fingers.

“Yeah. The ponytail I usually do is a lot easier to put on and manage than a braid,” Avi says. His voice grows quiet when Johann ties off the braid he was working on, then moves to the other side of his head to grab another section of hair. If Johann were to strain his ears just a little, he would hear the hitch in Avi’s breath when he begins the new braid.

Even though Johann would’ve preferred to talk while doing his braiding, he allows the silence to continue when he notices that Avi is completely relaxed. He watches as Avi places his phone to the side when Johann begins the second braid, and instead lets his hands rest on his lap.

Johann weaves the new braid with a rhythmic motion. He splits the section of hair in his hand into three, smaller sections, then works to thread them together into a simple braid similar to the one he made before. Over the middle, over the left, crisscrossing down the length of Avi’s hair. Not once is Johann rough— his fingers smooth down the rest of the hair that isn’t being braided when he must, he allows the braids to be loose, and he never tugs Avi’s hair, not even playfully.

What is it about this that feels so intimate? It slows Johann down. Only by a little, but it slows him regardless. Why do the tips of his fingers buzz when he threads between the silky strands of hair that Avi took great pride in and maintained to the best of his abilities? Perhaps it’s the utmost trust Avi places in Johann to care for his hair, and knowing he’s trusted to that degree sends a thrill in his chest. Or perhaps it’s simply due to how soft Avi’s hair is. Either way, Johann embraces the intimacy.

The second braid finished in nearly a minute, Johann ties it off at the end and lets it drop. He has to pick it back up anyway, but he gives himself the time to take it in. Not the braids, those are fairly simple and Johann doesn’t quite find pride in them because of it. No, he takes his time admiring Avi, from his hair to the movement of his back as he took in deep breaths.

Avi takes this pause as a sign of completion. He looks over his shoulder at Johann, his eyes twinkling softly. “Are you done already? Most of my hair isn’t braided,” he points out. Aside from the sections of hair near his temple, the rest of his dark hair flows freely down his back.

Johann shakes his head and takes the rest of the unbraided hair into his hands. He begins to weave it into one big braid, in the simple pattern as the other two, “No, I’m not done. Sorry, I was just looking over it.”

That makes Avi turn back around, but not before Johann could catch a bashful smile on his face as opposed to the wide grin from before. “Like what you see, eh?”

“Duh. Your hair is really nice. Really, really soft. Also really thick, it’s a bit tough to braid this big one.”

“See what I’m talking about?? It’s too hard to put it into braids,” Avi sighs and slouches his back.

In response, Johann pauses the braiding and pushes one hand on the centre of Avi’s back to force him back into a straighter position. “It’s not too hard for me. It just takes a few seconds to get used to, that’s all. If you want me to do this for you more often, I can,” he says when he continues his work.

As he completes the final braid, Johann takes the two smaller braids and tucks the ends of them into the larger braid, creating a distinct loop to them. Once he’s finished, Johann props the large braid over Avi’s shoulder, then places a kiss on the nape of his neck. “Okay, now I’m done. Your phone is right next to your ass if you wanna check it out.”

“Check out my hair or my ass?”

“You do the first, I’ll do the second when we’re done.”

Avi takes his phone and swipes to the camera. As he props the phone up towards his face, Johann is surprised to see that the corner Avi’s eyes are wet with barely-held-back tears. He doesn’t ask about it— Johann knows the reason. Asking will only embarrass Avi.

“Hey, you actually did a really good job,” Avi mutters in awe, his free hand moving to feel at the larger braid.

“You doubted me?”

Avi shakes his head and places the phone back on the ground so he can turn and fully face Johann. “Of course not! I just wasn’t sure what it’d look like on me. I really like it though.” His hands are fiddling with the braided loops by his temple when he says, “Thank you, babe. I really mean it.”

Johann rolls his eyes and presses a kiss against the bridge of Avi’s nose, right up against the line of tunniit on his skin. “Oh, you’re such a sap, but you’re welcome. I wouldn’t mind doing it more often if you’re comfortable with it.”

“Yeah, I think that’d be nice,” Avi admits with that sheepish smile.

They quiet down for a moment, their faces still so close that their foreheads almost touch. Johann thinks about backing away just as he feels Avi shift his head. He cocks his face so his nose is pressed right onto Johann’s cheek, and he inhales against his soft skin. The deep sniff makes Johann’s heart pound wildly in his chest, and he can’t help but smile without restraint just feeling it.

“I still can’t believe you do that with me now.”

“Who’s the sap now? Getting all giddy over a kunik,” Avi teases. Johann doesn’t dignify it with a response— he just toys with Avi’s new braid and leans into Avi’s body. Enjoying their closeness.

Avi gives Johann another kunik. Then another, breathing in so deep and breathing out so gently. Then Avi moves again, and he kisses Johann’s lips, and Johann throws his arms around Avi’s neck with one hand on the base of the braid. Until they’re both smiling and giggling into their kiss for god knows how long.

And it’s soft the whole time.

[guildtree]

Prompts!

Kasjory

Grumpy affectionate “If any other person did this to me, they would be in big trouble.”

Sleepy "You were much nicer in my dreams."

Gorrik & Taimi

"It doesn't matter" "But you do matter"

OKAY HERE WE GO

Post-EoD Kasjory - If any other person did this to me, they would be in big trouble:

“There.” Kasmeer adjusted the fabric over Jory’s shoulders. “How does that feel?”

Jory shrugged. “It’s fine.”

“Is it actually fine, or are you just saying that to get this over with faster?” Kasmeer stepped back and took a look for herself. Her future wife stood before her in a relatively simple white wedding dress. It had taken them a while to find one that didn’t irritate her scars and wasn’t too fancy for Jory’s liking, but maybe they’d finally managed it. Jory was missing a few things – makeup, jewelry, a proper hairstyle, and more – but even then she looked beautiful enough to make Kasmeer’s heart squeeze.

At least, until one noticed her expression. Then she looked like the grumpiest, most uncomfortable woman on the face of Tyria. “Look, I won’t ask you to smile, but at least try not to scowl.”

That only made Jory turn her death glare onto Kasmeer. She was probably moments away from summoning a bone minion just to get kicked out of the store. Kasmeer sighed. “It still looks a little loose. Let me try and pin it and then we can take a break.”

She bunched up some of the fabric at the shoulder and tried to pin it in place, just to test if it would work. The material was surprisingly thick, and soon her fingers slipped. Jory cursed and flinched away.

“Sorry! I’m not an expert.”

“Isn’t there supposed to be a guy to help us with this?”

“There was, until somebody scared him off.” Jory grumbled something under her breath as Kasmeer finally got the material settled in place. “What was that?”

“Oh, nothing. Just that if any other person tried to do this to me, I’d kill them.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad.” She gestured to the full-length mirror the proprietors had kindly provided them before fleeing. “Don’t you think you look beautiful?”

Jory’s expression softened as she watched them both in the mirror. “It’s just … white is your color. I feel strange wearing it.”

“I think I can share for one day.” She kissed Jory on the forehead and added, “We’re getting close. Try just one or two more, and then it’ll be my turn?”

“Fine. But only for you, love.”

Season 1 Kasjory - You were much nicer in my dreams:

“Jorrrry… wake up!” Kasmeer’s voice shocked Marjory out of a dream about … Kasmeer? Yeah, that was right. Kasmeer kissing her, sighing as Marjory ran her hands through her hair, pressing herself even closer…  Marjory hummed happily and curled herself tighter around the real Kasmeer, not quite ready to leave that hazy space between sleep and waking.

Her flesh-and-blood girlfriend wasn’t having it. She wiggled around until they were nose-to-nose, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. Oh, I see… Marjory tilted her head to give her a kiss, sure she knew exactly what Kas wanted.

Just a second before their lips met, Kas ducked her head and bumped her very cold nose into Marjory’s neck. Marjory leaned back with a grumble, and Kas giggled. “Come on! The sunrise is so pretty!”

“Sunrise? You woke me up for a sunrise?”

“It’s morning! I can’t believe you want to sleep so long.”  Now thoroughly and unfortunately awake, Marjory squinted at the light filtering in through their curtains. The sun wasn’t even up yet, only a pale glow on the horizon. It was late magic hour at best. Curse whatever gods existed for dooming her to fall in love with an early bird.

She groaned and closed her eyes again. “Nope. Too early.”

Kas whined; Marjory could perfectly picture her adorable pouty face. “Yesterday you said you’d get up and make us breakfast.”

“Oh, is that what this is all about?” She tugged the blankets up and rolled over, away from the sun. “Ask me again in three hours.”

“But I’m hungry!” Kas flopped herself over Marjory’s sleeping form. Clearly, she was not going back to sleep without a fight.

“You know, you were much nicer in my dream. Dream-Kasmeer doesn’t pester me to make her pancakes.”

“Pancakes? You didn’t tell me we had those.” Marjory cursed herself internally. She was not getting any more sleep today.

Friends with feelings Gorrik and Taimi - It doesn't matter/But you do matter:

Footsteps echoed across the Eye of the North’s dragon chamber, and Taimi flinched. Not because of the pain in her legs – though that was certainly noticeable – but because she knew she was in trouble. Who would it be this time: The Commander, Kasmeer, Caithe? Her money was on Caithe.

She was wrong. “Taimi!” Gorrik said, appearing next to her all in a huff. The tips of his ears were turning red from the exertion of running over, or perhaps the cold. “There you are! I was worried about you. You missed your midafternoon nap today.”

“Yeah, well, there’s a lot of dragon research,” Taimi said with a shrug. She tapped the on-screen analysis graph for her draconomic analyzer to show him the mountains and mountains of data. “That latest pulse from the Dragonstorm just came in. I didn’t want to miss anything.”

“That’s hardly time-sensitive,” Gorrik argued. “The data isn’t going anywhere. You could have taken a few hours to rest.”

She glared at him and he pushed his glasses up his nose, but he didn’t back down. “I’m fine, Gorrik. Don’t fuss.”

“I’m not fussing!” He shuffled his feet. “Okay, maybe I’m fussing a small amount. I simply don’t want stress to severely impact your quality of life.”

“Good grief, I’m not going to keel over from one missed nap!” Taimi dropped the dragon data entirely and turned her chair to face him, ignoring the burst of pain that shot up her spine at the motion. “I can’t believe you people think I’m so fragile. I’ve helped kill dragons! Made machines worthy of a genius! Compared to that, a little pain hardly even matters!”

“But you do matter!” Gorrik said, or perhaps shouted. Taimi’s ears went back in surprise, and he fidgeted with his hands, suddenly unable to look her in the eyes. “That is… your comfort matters. Not just the things you do.”

Taimi found herself lost for words for a moment. Gorrik dragged the analysis graph over to his workspace and started entering data, though she could tell it wasn’t really his focus. “I know how this works, you know? Blish was sick too.” He glanced up at her for just a second, and there was a bottomless sorrow in his eyes. “I thought it would save him, when we put him in the golem. But it didn’t. And now I don’t know how long I have left with you.”

The soft beeping of data slowed as his fingers drifted to a stop on the hologram. “Taimi, you’re my… my best friend. Whatever time we have left, I want you to be comfortable and happy. I don’t want to see you spend the rest of your life miserable because you refuse to take care of yourself.”

“Gorrik, I didn’t … I mean … well…” Taimi stared down at her hands and her stupid, aching legs. It was true that the pain was worse on the day she’d skipped her nap. Her condition might feel abstract and mysterious at times, but it was ultimately biology and science like everything else. She knew what made it worse and what didn’t, and she’d known she was pushing herself.

She’d been so worried about dying before the world could pay attention enough to remember her. But maybe Gorrik had a point too. Didn’t his very presence prove that someone would remember? “You know what? It’s late, but I could use a nap. You coming with me?”

“Oh!” Gorrik perked up, adjusted his glasses, and grabbed a cube of dragon data. “Of course! I’ll, uh, look through this while you sleep.”

He offered a shoulder to lean on as Taimi limped back to their room in the central hub, and Taimi took it for once. Gorrik sat in a corner, quietly tapping away at their work, while Taimi curled up on her bed. She fell asleep to the sound of soft beeping, and with a strange, happy warmth in her chest.

[natasha-in-space]

What are your headcanons for Hyun x Jaehee’s wedding ?

Hmm... Personally, I only ever saw them as very close friends to each other, but it's certainly fun to explore their dynamic a little bit further. So, take my thoughts with a grain of salt, since I don't really pair them in a romantic sense!

Zen respects Jaehee greatly: he states that more than once throughout the game. Her work ethic is more than admirable. But, it isn't just that trait of hers that earned his respect. They're more similar than it may seem at first glance. The way Jaehee tries so hard to carry the weight of the whole world on her shoulders is so painfully familiar to him. They both grew up fending for themselves in this cruel and cold world, having to eventually learn not to rely on anyone else. They both never had a family to call their own. While Jaehee tragically lost her mother due to the horrific accident shortly after living through her father's passing, Zen had to run away from his highly abusive home life and leave his family behind for his own safety. I believe that's partially the reason why Jaehee got so attached Zen in the first place.

Seeing him achieve so much all by himself is so incredibly inspiring to her. They both had a rough upbringing, and observing his career grow and flourish gives her that, maybe one day, she might find the passion of her own.

Zen, on the other hand, finds out about Jaehee's difficult childhood only once they get further into their friendship. She's not one to be open about her struggles with other people. She doesn't want to worry those closest to her... And learning about that vulnerable side of her will make their connection prosper only farther.

Jaehee reminds Zen that he's loved just the way he is. Not for his looks and not for his achievements. He's loved and appreciated for simply being himself and enjoying what he does. Just by being himself he brings so much happiness into the lives of so many people that genuinely want to support him and see him grow. On the other hand, Zen is the one that encourages Jaehee to pursue her dreams without any fear inside her heart. He believes in her. For the first time in her life, someone tells her to choose what she truly wants.

Whether you see them as friends or partners, you can't deny just how important their relationship really is.

Now, if we're speaking about a wedding for them... I don't think it'll be anything grand. They respect each other, and Jaehee is not one for big celebrations, especially when it concerns something so incredibly personal for her. It'll be a small and lovely ceremony with only those closest to them as guests. Absolutely no paparazzi are allowed. By this point, Jaehee has already grown out her hair, so I think she'd prefer a hairstyle that shows off the length of her hair in all its beauty, like a metaphorical representation of her growth. (Off topic, but it's certainly cute to think about Jaehee and Zen sharing their hair care routine with each other!) As for the dress... it'll be elegant yet simple. Something natural that brings out her beauty.

Zen, on the other hand, will go all out for his outfit. Any occasion to dress up is exciting in his eyes and your very own wedding? Well, that's a day you're supposed to remember for the rest of your life, so he should dress accordingly! The ceremony will be peaceful and unrushed. It's a private moment to celebrate just how far they've come in their lives, as well as the treasured connection they've formed with each other over the years.

[veevesllc]

Occasion Jewelry: How to Choose the Perfect Pieces for Every Event

Choosing the right jewelry for an occasion can elevate your outfit from ordinary to extraordinary. Occasion jewelry is not just an accessory; it’s a reflection of your personality and style. Whether you're attending a wedding, a cocktail party, or a festive gathering, selecting the right pieces can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ll explore the art of choosing occasion jewelry, how to match it with your outfit, and tips for making a lasting impression.

The Importance of Occasion Jewelry

Occasion jewelry holds a special place in fashion, as it’s often reserved for significant events and milestones. Unlike everyday jewelry, these pieces are chosen with careful consideration, reflecting the formality and theme of the event. The right occasion jewelry can enhance your appearance, highlighting your best features and adding a touch of elegance to your ensemble.

When selecting jewelry for an occasion, consider the event's formality. For formal events like weddings or gala dinners, opt for classic pieces such as diamond or pearl earrings, which exude sophistication and grace. For less formal gatherings, you can be more playful with your choices, experimenting with bold colors, unique designs, and modern materials. The goal is to ensure that your jewelry complements your outfit, rather than overshadowing it.

Another key consideration is the balance between your jewelry and your outfit. If your dress is heavily embellished or features intricate details, opt for simpler jewelry to avoid a cluttered look. Conversely, if your outfit is minimalist, you can afford to go bolder with your jewelry choices, using them as a focal point of your ensemble.

Matching Jewelry with Your Outfit

One of the most important aspects of selecting occasion jewelry is ensuring that it matches your outfit. This involves more than just color coordination; you’ll need to consider the neckline, fabric, and overall style of your attire.

For outfits with a high neckline, consider skipping the necklace and focusing on statement earrings or a bold bracelet. This draws attention to your face and adds balance to your look. If you’re wearing a strapless or off-the-shoulder dress, a choker or a delicate necklace can beautifully frame your neckline. The length and style of the necklace should complement the cut of your dress, enhancing rather than competing with it.

When it comes to earrings, consider your hairstyle. If you’re wearing your hair up, long drop earrings or chandelier earrings can add a touch of drama. For hairstyles that frame the face, like soft curls or a bob, stud earrings or small hoops are more suitable, providing elegance without overwhelming your look.

Lastly, consider the fabric and texture of your outfit. For example, if your dress features lace or intricate embroidery, choose jewelry with smooth surfaces and simple designs to avoid clashing. Conversely, if your outfit is made from sleek, plain fabrics, you can opt for textured or bejeweled pieces to add visual interest.

Tips for Choosing Occasion Jewelry

Selecting the right occasion jewelry requires a thoughtful approach. Here are some tips to help you make the perfect choice:

Consider the Event's Theme: The theme of the event can guide your jewelry choices. For example, if you’re attending a vintage-themed party, consider wearing antique or vintage-inspired jewelry. For a beach wedding, opt for pieces with a more relaxed, natural vibe, such as those featuring pearls or coral.

Stay True to Your Personal Style: While it’s important to match your jewelry to the occasion, it’s equally important to stay true to your personal style. Choose pieces that you feel comfortable and confident wearing. If you’re not used to wearing large, statement pieces, opt for something more subtle that still adds elegance to your look.

Think About Longevity: Occasion jewelry is often an investment, so choose pieces that you can wear for multiple events. Timeless designs in gold, silver, or platinum, as well as classic gemstones like diamonds and pearls, can be worn across various occasions, ensuring you get the most out of your purchase.

Conclusion

Occasion jewelry plays a crucial role in enhancing your overall look and making a statement at special events. By understanding the importance of matching jewelry with your outfit and considering factors such as event formality and personal style, you can select pieces from Veeves that not only complement your attire but also reflect your individuality. Remember, the right jewelry can transform your look, making you feel both confident and stylish at any event.

[wigsandstyles]

Slaying Summer at 50: Chic Hairstyles for Shoulder Length Hair

Summer is the perfect time to embrace your inner style icon and showcase your vibrant personality. If you're in your 50s and rocking shoulder-length hair, you have endless styling options to stay cool and chic during the warmer months. From effortless waves to sophisticated updos, here are some hairstyles that will help you slay summer in your 50s.

Beachy Waves

Achieve effortless summer vibes with tousled beachy waves. Use a curling wand to create loose waves throughout your shoulder-length hair, then tousle them with your fingers for a relaxed and carefree look that's perfect for beach days and backyard barbecues. Or simply use shoulder length wavy wigs to achieve this look. 

Classic Bob

A classic bob never goes out of style and is perfect for women in their 50s. Opt for a shoulder-length bob with soft layers to add movement and volume. Style it sleek and straight for a polished look, or add some texture with a texturizing spray for a modern twist.

Half-Up Half-Down

With a half-up, half-down hairstyle, you can keep your hair off your face while still showing off your shoulder-length locks. Simply gather the top section of your hair and secure it with a chic hair clip or elastic for an effortless and stylish look that's perfect for casual outings and special occasions.

Low Ponytail

Beat the summer heat with a low ponytail hairstyle. Gather your shoulder-length hair at the nape of your neck and secure it with a hair tie for a simple yet sophisticated look that's perfect for everything from brunch with friends to outdoor weddings.

Messy Bun

Embrace laid-back summer vibes with a messy bun hairstyle. Gather your shoulder-length hair into a loose bun at the back of your head and pull out a few face-framing strands for a relaxed and effortlessly chic look that's perfect for hot summer days.

With these chic hairstyles for shoulder length hair, you'll be ready to slay summer in your 50s with confidence and style. Whether you're lounging by the pool or attending a backyard barbecue, these versatile hairstyles will keep you looking and feeling cool all summer long.

[wayfinderlegacy]

Canvas, hair, and road for Saris

Bling for Nesha

And day and night for Sorrel!

(It won’t let me send asks with my OC blog)

I'm putting this under a read more since I ramble and this is gonna be a LOOOOOONG post!

Saris Canvas: Saris doesn't have any piercings or tattoos but does have several scars. One on his torso from being stabbed by Arcann (Whoopsies), and then from the Zildrog fight he has Lichtenberg figures (though they probs wouldn't be called that in SWTOR-verse) from the tips of his fingers all the way up to his shoulders. Just barely missed having lethal damage from that and still working on the story that explains it as I keep vaguely alluding to it all the time. :'D Additionally, damaged enough that he can't hide the darkside corruption anymore after that so has the black looking veins and paler skin. (I do not reflect this in game since game's (mostly) not canon after that point anyway. :')) The scars are only covered on account of what he wears being long-sleeved, not revealing on his torso, and the fact that he often wears gloves, but he doesn't actively hide them.

And uhhh, here! Pics of how he's supposed to be looking! (please ignore cape glitch. :'))

Hair: Hairstyle is the same as in-game but actually butt-length because SWTOR hates me and won't let me have long hair that would TOTALLY clip despite several other clipping issues including his cape! I mean. What? Jokes aside! He'll also sometimes wear it in a long braid of either Senri or Arcann's making from chilling sessions with his family. There's isn't really any particular reason for how he styles it or the length, however. Just that he's a sorta vain little thing that likes to look pretty. :') Road: His traveling outfit is actually probably just something like the simple robes I used for recording him in chapter one! Add a cloak over the top though. Traveler's cloaks are COZY! And just important to the look frankly!

Nesha Bling: Nesha has her Akul-tooth headdress (that I kinda wanna redesign slightly from in-game but we'll see!) and a simple wedding ring from her marriage to Lana for easily visible jewelry. There's also a charm bracelet that contains charms based on people she holds dear, but that sometimes falls hidden under her sleeves. She's not really much of the fancy jewelry type for the most part and just likes simple things with a lot of meaning! Charms include: A lightning bolt made of purple crystal- Saris A small shard of bone- Qyzen A silver and gold microchip- Theran A holographic sphere with flowers and equations- Holiday A small sphere painted to look like Balmorra from space- Zenith A lily-like flower- Nadia A golden sun- Felix A heart made of green and pale yellow crystal- Lana A raindrop made of a light blue crystal with a heart etched into its surface- Noctiluca A silver snowflake- Thespesia A bronze book with the Jedi Order's symbol- Yuon A golden light rising from a crescent of obsidian- Syo

Sorrel Day: Sorrel tends to like whites in his clothes and back in his days in the Republic tended to prefer things he could be hidden in. At the start of his training as a Jedi it was a hood that hid his eyes from sight, and the later years up until being imprisoned on Zakuul it was his trademark too-large looking white cloak. Splashes of color were given by reds which he simply liked the contrast of. Whites for the color of his admiral uniform back in the Chiss Ascendancy as a small reminder of home.

Post-imprisonment is when Sorrel ends up being more comfortable showing himself entirely, and just more comfortable and more himself in general. ...And honestly he looks handsome as frick in this outfit so I love it! :'D

Other than those details though, he doesn't really put much thought into what he wears, and probably just has a casual robe or two lying around for hang-out/non-official times. Night: Honestly for nighttime/sleep clothes I haven't put a TON of thought into what Sorrel would wear since it hasn't come up too much yet. :'D HOWEVER! I feel like he's either the light fabric nightgown type, or the softest, fuzziest goddamn PJs you can possibly find type!

Thanks for the asks! :D

[janneymorgan]

You must include bridal hair accessories in your wedding attire. They not only complement your haircut but also perfectly complete your bridal ensemble. Although there are many different types of bridal hair accessories available, some types work better with your vintage theme. Thus, we've compiled a list of some of our favorite wedding hairpieces for a vintage bride. 

[mrs-perfectly-fine]

padmé’s battle dress:

here are the previous ones:

my favorite padmé outfits

geonosis outfit

funeral outfit

wedding outfit

summer meadow outfit

parade outfit

tatooine peasant disguise

this maroon and gold outfit, made with concussive-absorbing fabric, was worn by the handmaidens of the naboo court during combat (padmé is wearing the handmaiden costume instead of the queen because sabé is stoll he decoy). the gold details of dress, lining, and trousers make the outfit visible at night.

here are some early concept designs, by iain mccaig. as you can see, most of the designs show a combination of pants and a long overcoat, which makes sense for the activity required when using this piece. the red color in the leftmost one would eventually be changed to a wine red, with some other small changes. the hair stays fairly consistent throughout the designs.

the calf-length velvet overcoat of the piece, with a fitted closure above the waist, is reminiscent of a victorian era smoking jacket or an 18th century business suit. the maroon color is also very popular during those times, and can be seen in all the pictures.

the velvet maroon pants combined with the top of the overcoat remind me of jumpsuits common in the 70s, although the pants in jumpsuits are less fitted than those of padmé’s battle outfit. i think this is a cool sort of throwback to the original trilogy, as “a new hope” came out in the 70s, when this fashion was common.

featured around the shoulders of the bodice, up the coat side seams, along the coat lining, and down the leg of the pants is gold jacquard ribbon. jacquard ribbon, made from a jacquard loom invented in 1804, was common in the victorian era, used for finishing and detailing exquisite dresses. thus, the use of gold, intricate ribbon on the outfit of a royal’s handmaiden makes sense.

padmé’s hairstyle in this outfit looks much like traditional japanese hairstyles. the pictures above show many smooth curves and clipped hair. this hairstyle features a large twice folded ponytail, which is both practical and stylish for battle.

the large buckle on padmé’s belt contains the emblem for naboo, but it’s influences aren’t totally known. the buckle of the piece is reminiscent of historical nurses belts, cowboy belts, army belts, and many more, so there are lots of options.

finally, the boots. they seem to be inspired by both gogo boots and rain boots, taking the smooth waxiness from the gogo boots, removing the heel, and adding more lacing and sole from the rain boots. in all, they are fairly simple and pass for any black boots.

overall, i think this piece really shows the badassery of the handmaidens and reflects the tradition and style of naboo culture. the piece helps to show a side of padmé that we hadn’t seen before, and allows for more character development as not only a queen but a strong fighter and capable leader.

𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬! 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜! 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨!

@roamingbadger @how-the-feathers-have-fallen

[capricornus-rex]

A Legacy Begun (2)

Chapter 2: The Wedding | Cal Kestis x Reader

Summary: After a long time of running and fighting, you and Cal decided to finally settle down after all these years to raise a family. However, it was never a life of peace whilst the shadow of the Empire looms over your heads.

Prompted by Anon: Hiya! Still taking any requests? If so, can you write something about Cal and JediReader finally settle down and have a kid or something.

A/N: Alexa play A Thousand Years by Christina Perri & Steve Kazee ;;;///w///;;;

Also posted in AO3

Additional prompt: My fic idea

Tags: Scruffy! Cal Kestis, Daddy! Cal Kestis, Adult! Cal Kestis, Jedi Family, Jedi Offspring, Force-Sensitive Offspring, Settling Down, Rebel Alliance

Previous: Part 1 | Next: Part 3 | Masterlist

2 of ?

Two days before the big day, Merrin woke up early—perhaps the earliest you’ve seen her up—and she told you to wash up and get dressed. She dragged you along to the town that sat on the valley, a trek away from where the Mantis sat in a forest clearing.

It is clear that she was excited for you and Cal, and wanted to be of help to you in time for your celebration.

“Have you ever attended a wedding, Merrin?”

“I can’t say I have, but that’s what makes me excited—I get to see one for the first time, and it’s yours, no less!”

Her enthusiasm was new to you, normally, when she’s curious about something—beyond the knowledge that she has from living in Dathomir—she would only inquire, question after question until her mind has been sated. But this display of hers was unique—there was a child-like glee in her as she tugged your hand in hers, leading you into the town with the objective of the perfect dress.

“Don’t the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers in Dathomir have a sort of union?”

“We’re not a celebratory kind, [y/n]. Once a Nightsister finds her mate in the Nightbrother village, that is that, apparently,”

“I see,”

The city, known as Reema, was a sizable settlement whose business districts and residential areas mingled together—as well as the peoples that resided there. It was a town abundant in textiles, exotic foods, as well as a sturdy, construction material whose raw state originates from a bluish-green mineral called Zakora found in the planet’s oceans and deeper reefs—giving the citizens’ homes a decorative, mosaic-like effect.

You made it clear that you want everything to be simple yet perfect. Merrin already understood that you were not one for grandeur. There was one street in the business district that had a whole row of stores that sold fabrics and pre-made clothes. Some of the shops had a dress or two displayed behind their glass window; but you two girls skipped most of them since they didn’t fit your taste or they priced the clothes unreasonably… or both.

“I think we’ve swept the entire street in search of your dress, [y/n],”

“It’s okay, there’s no need to rush. We can take a break if you like, Merrin,”

“Of course,” the Nightsister’s eyes trailed over your shoulder. “There’s some shade over there.”

“Perfect! Come on,” you take her hand and bring her along to the bench underneath a tree.

After taking a breather, you and Merrin agreed to have one last sweep before heading home. Hopefully by then, you would have found what to wear before heading back to the Mantis. The two girls walked together through the street, passing by the same shops but stopping to look at the ones you’ve skipped.

Merrin gave a slight tug of your hand when she stopped to see a dress hop that stood out from the rest.

“This looks promising,” the Nightsister commented.

“Come on, no harm in trying,” you added.

Perhaps, it might be the smallest atelier you’ve seen in this street. The person who greeted you was a young woman, you’re under the impression that she was an apprentice seamstress, but upon examining the studio, you realize that she worked alone.

She was startled by the sound of her door chimes ringing upon your entrance, she fumbled about on her work desk and she stomped through piles of fabric that pelted the floor.

“H-Hello,” she stammered shyly, embarrassed by the mess. It seemed that she wasn’t expecting any visitors.

“Hi there,” you warmly greeted.

Merrin looked around the place, “Do you work alone?”

“Yes, m-my name is Milana,”

“Hello, Milana, is it alright with you if we take a look around your shop?”

“Please, by all means, miss,”

You flashed a friendly smile as you thanked her, she managed to repay the gesture and awkwardly leaned against the edge of her worktable. She constantly fiddled with a strip of cut fabric, anxiously watching these two ladies who just entered her shop. The young girl’s head was racked with questions that she answered herself in her mind.

“For what occasion, may I ask?”

“A wedding,” Merrin answered, then bobbed her head to you. “For her.”

The young lady’s eyes lit up, suddenly enthused, and she tried to break out of her awkward demeanor.

“Oh! I have a section specifically for that,” she chirped. “Please, follow me here.”

Her studio had another room, neater and less cluttered than the main space, two racks hugged the walls and another work desk sat by the window of the room—but a dress on the works occupied the table instead of drawings and sketches. She helped you out in deciding the designs by asking you what kind of style you wanted.

“Just something simple, Milana, please. I don’t want to go through puffy skirts and wide sleeves anymore!” you joked.

The young designer had an array of dresses that nearly fitted your taste—pertaining to your preference of straight skirts, slim sleeves, and minimalist designs.

Eventually, after scouring every dress she has out in the racks, Milana spotted you pulling out a particular white dress—its transparent neckline gave the illusion that white leaves, sown and expertly shaped with beads, crawled up to a lady’s bosom, though it lacked sleeves; and the skirt is made out of billowy tulle. You instantly fell in love with it.

“May I?” you smiled.

“Oh, of course, miss!”

Merrin helped you in fastening the back of the dress, minutes later, you come out of the fitting room—which was only a nook covered by drapes—and the two girls gasped upon your appearance. You walked up to the front of the mirror, turning around to get a look of yourself in different angles, you even attempted to do a little twirl so the skirt flared.

“Aww [y/n],” Merrin fawned.

“This is it!” you giggled.

“It’s perfect, Miss [y/n]! Simply immaculate!”

When you announced in the studio room that you’re taking it, the young designer ran towards a closet that sat beside the mirror. She pulled out one of the drawers and produced a small box.

“Originally, when I made that dress, it had to go with this,” she flipped the lid open, revealing a silver headpiece. The designer explains that it should be worn on the back of the head and no particular hairstyle is required for it to be securely worn on the bride’s hair.

While Milana explained, Merrin already knew what to do with your hair on the wedding day. Milana also provided a selection of shoes for you, admitting that you were used to boots for most of your life, you decided to play it safe and chose the cream-colored heels that were only two inches high.

You couldn’t thank the young designer enough, you insisted paying a little extra for her help and she had no other choice but to accept—although she did it with great gratitude and bade well wishes to you for your wedding.

—–

Today’s the day.

You wake up with a rapid heartbeat and clammy palms.

The wedding happens in the afternoon, Cal had found the perfect spot where the ceremony will be held. It was customary that bride and groom don’t meet on the day itself, thus, both of you slept in separate rooms—you slept in the same bunker as Merrin and Cere last night while Cal remained in the original quarters.

For the rest of the day, Merrin and Cere delivered food and drink to you and would allow you to go around the ship—granted that Cal was absent in the Mantis—and this went on until three hours prior to the ceremony.

“How are you feeling, [y/n]?” Cere asked, placing her hand on your shoulder.

“Nervous,” you awkwardly chuckled.

Cal had already got himself cleaned, his red hair slicked back while his growing stubble remained undisturbed, and donned his crisp black ensemble piece by piece: starting off with a long-sleeved tunic over a short, black leather vest, and finishing it off with black pants and boots.

“How do I look, BD?”

“Beee! Trill, chirp!”

“Yeah? Thanks, buddy,” he chuckled. “Well, here goes.”

He marched out of his quarters, passing by the bathroom door and heard the water running, he heard you humming and giggling in between the song. He smiled to himself and imagined what you’d look like when you come marching towards him.

You finished washing yourself, returned to the shared room and Merrin delivered your entire outfit. The Nightsister assisted you once again in fitting the dress, only now did you realize that the dressed emphasized your curves, you put the shoes on while seated and she began working on your hair. Merrin’s slender fingers created an elaborate braid that crowned the back of your head, she secretly used a little bit of her magick to make sultry waves on the remaining length of your hair, and for the finishing touch, the crown of silver leaves nestled above the braid. You also splurged on some makeup for this day: you drew winged lines on your eyelids, painted your lips to a soft pink, and brushed your cheeks with powder and blush.

“There, you’re ready,” Cere cooed, examining you from head to toe and resting her fingers underneath your chin.

Merrin stood by Cere’s side to take a look at you as well, she smiled, triumphant and proud of her masterpiece on the bride.

“You’re so beautiful, [y/n], the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” the Nightsister fawned.

"Thank you so much," you squeaked, grateful of the help you've received from the two ladies.

“We’ll see you there, okay?”

“Okay, Cere,” you breathed.

They embraced you and kissed your cheek one by one before leaving the room. Five minutes later, you finally walk out of the ship. Your bouquet of flowers rested on the lounge table. The entry ramp was left open and you take the deepest breath you’ve ever taken in your life.

“Here it goes, [y/n],”

You take the first step out of the ship, you were so nervous at the moment that you could feel your footing unstable—even though you practiced walking on the ramp with the shoes on for a whole day—but you managed to get to flat ground. You were surprised to find one of the male partisans back in Kashyyyk. It was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. He was to deliver you to the aisle, to your husband-to-be.

“Cere said it was a surprise,” the partisan added.

You gripped your bouquet and continued your march with the partisan guiding you, following the path showered with flower petals of all colors.

Cal stood by the lake, awaiting for your entrance; Merrin, BD-1, Greez, and the rest of the witnesses stood at the side of the path waiting for you as well. When a splash of white caught Cal’s eye, and you appeared in the arch that the trees formed, he almost stopped breathing. His heart leapt at the sight of you—dressed like a demure goddess, the length of your hair spilled over your shoulders, and your face naturally glowed with the sunset as you smiled while walking the aisle.

“Wow…” he gasped.

Cal found you more beautiful than the sunset behind him. Your eyes spanned across the lake’s clearing and found some familiar faces like Mari Kosan and a few partisans you’ve personally befriended. In the gradually shrinking distance, you and Cal traded shy smiles. It felt like your legs were moving on their own, but you didn’t resist them. You knew that you were walking into a newfound life to share with the man you love.

His tears instantly welled up and he had little to no time to fight them back, and then his heart pounded faster and faster for every step you took. You finally stood a mere inch away from him. He bit his lip as he smiled, you caressed his cheek and then a single teardrop escaped his eye.

“Darling…” you whispered, running your thumb across his cheek to wipe away the tear.

He offered you his arm and you linked it with yours. The both of you turned to face Cere who presided the ceremony.

“Here I stand before two individuals, whose bond was forged, grown, and then strengthened by time and by the Force. They have willed to nurture that bond through this ceremony of marriage and for the times to come,”

Cal couldn’t help but steal a glance at you, the gesture was returned when you turned to smile back at him as Cere stated her opening remarks.

“May the words of their vows express their unbreakable connection that run as deep as the Force itself.” She cued.

The bride and groom faced each other.

Cal reached for your hand and you willingly took it as he recited his vows.

“Lo, behold my Maiden, for she will cast away my fears that reside in the Dark. She is my torch that will lead me away from the shadows of doubt, to whom I will forever hold on to. To you, [y/n], my beloved wife, I commend my heart, life, and soul—all this as the Force wills it.”

Next, you reached for his free hand to which he gladly took as you said your vows.

“Lo, behold my Knight, for he will combat the haunts of the Dark. My shield to conceal me from the evils, to whom I will always find shelter in thy arms. To you, Cal, my husband, I commend my life, heart, and my soul—all this as the Force wills it.”

Finally, Cere took a step back and ignited what used to be Trilla’s lightsaber—instead of a bright red beam, a blade as white as bleach emerged from the hilt—and she instructed both of you to kneel.

“By the will of the Force, I dub thee, [y/n] Kestis—wife of Cal Kestis.” She hovered the saber above your shoulders and then concluded her dubbing by hovering the blade over your head.

She then repeats the gesture when it was Cal’s turn, “By the will of the Force, I dub thee, Cal Kestis—husband of [y/n] Kestis. All this as the Force wills it, and so shall it be for your joined days until the end.”

After her oration, you and your husband stood up.

“You may kiss the bride.” Cere declared.

Cal cupped your cheeks, pulled you in for the sweetest, most tender kiss of your life, his stubble tickled your face but you didn’t care; you wrapped your arms around his neck, pressing your lips against him as you smiled in between kisses, and applause and cheers filled the forest. When he pulled away, your new husband snuck another kiss on the tip of your nose, warranting a tiny chuckle from you.

“I love you,” he whispered to you.

“I love you too,”

The wedding was immediately followed by a banquet celebration courtesy of Greez. The Lateron really cooked up a storm when he served the slow-cooked Nerf roast to the table, a Jogan berry cheesecake, and Phillak steaks. Pouring two glasses of wine, the newlyweds linked arms with glasses in their hands.

“Bottoms up!” you and Cal said in unison as you drank the wine from each other’s glasses, chugging down the slightly strong liquor and fighting off the bitter taste.

Your guests laughed and applauded once both of you finished your wine. Evening had washed over Cerinda, the moonlight’s reflection rippled in the lake and fireflies dotted the space like starlight while you and Cal perform your first dance as husband and wife.

“To the newlyweds!” Mari Kosan proposed a toast, raising her glass and everyone followed suit.

They lightly tapped their glasses, urging the two of you to kiss, Cal was the first to cave in. When he spun you in his hand, he pulled you in closer to him so that his lips meet yours once more. Applause filled your ears once again, both of you could feel each other smiling in the middle of the kiss.

Your fingers raked his hair and then your hand trailed to his jaw, the prickly hairs of his stubble brushed roughly against your nails.

“This is the best day of my life,” Cal cooed.

“Here’s to forever?”

“Forever and ever, my wife, until the galaxy ends.”

[crystallizedkingdoms]

tmw u write a very self indulgent fanfic of johann braiding (inuk) avi’s hair... cuz what else would u do with ur time <3

word count: 1,548

“Hey, be careful.”

Johann pulls his hand away from Avi’s hair. “Sorry,” he says almost immediately. “Won’t start from there then. Can I try again?”

“Yeah.”

…

“Hey, don’t tug too hard, man.”

“Okay, now you're just lying. I haven't even touched your hair yet!” Johann huffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Though Avi faces away from him, focused more on his phone rather than much else, Johann can practically feel the smug grin growing on his face when he says that.

“I could feel you thinking really hard about it!” Though Avi tenses slightly when Johann takes the ends of his hair into his hands, he plays it off by shifting his position on the floor. “So what’re you going to do? Just my usual ponytail or something?”

Threading his fingers through Avi’s hair to rid it of any knots he might’ve missed with the comb, Johann hums in thought. “Not sure. Just a simple half up half down braid, maybe, if that was okay with you,” he says when he's finally sure that he has gotten rid of any tangle in Avi’s hair. Not that he had many to begin with. He’s careful with that sort of thing, Johann has come to notice.

“What’s that look like?”

“Fuckin’ Google it or wait for the results. You've got your phone right in front of you. I can't project the image into your brain.”

Avi laughs, and it's a sound that makes Johann feel hot all over his skin every time he hears it, no matter how many times he's experienced it before. “All right, all right. Just give me the vibes of it or something, at least?” he asks, his head twisting to the side to look over his shoulder. There's a big grin resting on his lips from what Johann can see, and he wants nothing more than to lean in and kiss him.

But Johann simply pushes Avi’s cheek away to face where he was looking before. He has braiding to do, after all. “Think Pinterest wedding vibes. I might put an Inuk spin on them though. What I have in mind will look really cute on you.”

“You're giving me a Pinterest hairstyle? That's practically sacreligious.”

“...Are you being serious? I won't do it if you are.”

“No, I'm not being serious. You can do it! I was just kidding,” Avi’s grin can be heard when he says that, which gets a small smack on the arm from Johann. “Ow! I said I was kidding!”

Kissing his teeth, Johann gathers a section of hair from the right side of Avi’s head, near his temple, “You kid too much. Now, do you want it to be tight or not? It needs two small braids around the side of your head, around the length I'm holding right now. Is that fine? Do you want more or less hair for these braids?”

When Johann asks these questions, he notices how Avi’s body finally relaxes from its tense state from earlier. He leans a little closer to Johann and his shoulders slump into a more comfortable position. “The amount of hair is fine. Try not to make it too tight or too close to the scalp or whatever? Whenever I try to braid it myself I always go too tight and it sucks,” Avi explains with a sigh.

“I don't think I've ever seen you with braided hair. Is that why?” Johann attempts to make conversation as he segments the section of hair in his hands and begins to braid them in a simple manner. He intentionally left some hair loose and kept the braid from growing too tight. His hands move in a swift and calculated pattern, but he occasionally slows down to admire just how soft Avi’s hair was in between his fingers.

“Yeah. The ponytail I usually do is a lot easier to put on and manage than a braid,” Avi says. His voice grows quiet when Johann ties off the braid he was working on, then moves to the other side of his head to grab another section of hair. If Johann were to strain his ears just a little, he would hear the hitch in Avi’s breath when he begins the new braid.

Even though Johann would’ve preferred to talk while doing his braiding, he allows the silence to continue when he notices that Avi is completely relaxed. He even places his phone to the side when Johann begins the second braid, and instead lets his hands rest on his lap.

Johann weaves the new braid with a rhythmic motion. He splits the section of hair in his hand into three, smaller sections, then works to thread them together into a simple braid similar to the one he made before. Over the middle, over the left, crisscrossing down the length of Avi’s hair. Not once is Johann rough— his fingers smooth down the rest of the hair that isn’t being braided when he must, he allows the braids to be loose, and he never tugs Avi’s hair, not even playfully.

What is it about this that feels so intimate? It slows Johann down. Only by a little, but it slows him regardless. Why do the tips of his fingers buzz when he threads between the silky strands of hair that Avi took great pride in and maintained to the best of his abilities? Perhaps it’s the utmost trust Avi places in Johann to care for his hair, and knowing he’s trusted to that degree sends a thrill in his chest. Or perhaps it’s simply due to how soft Avi’s hair is. Either way, Johann embraces the intimacy.

The second braid finished in nearly a minute, Johann ties it off at the end and lets it drop. He has to pick it back up anyway, but he gives himself the time to take it in. Not the braids, those are fairly simple and Johann doesn’t quite find pride in them because of it. No, he takes his time admiring Avi, from his hair to the movement of his back as he took in deep breaths.

Avi takes this pause as a sign of completion. He looks over his shoulder at Johann, his eyes twinkling softly. “Are you done already? Most of my hair isn’t braided,” he points out. Aside from the sections of hair near his temple, the rest of his dark hair flows freely down his back.

Johann shakes his head and takes the rest of the unbraided hair into his hands. He begins to weave it into one big braid, in the simple pattern as the other two, “No, I’m not done. Sorry, I was just looking over it.”

That makes Avi turn back around, but not before Johann could catch a bashful smile on his face as opposed to the wide grin from before. “Like what you see, eh?”

“Duh. Your hair is really nice. Really, really soft. Also really thick, it’s a bit tough to braid this big one.”

“See what I’m talking about?? It’s too hard to put it into braids,” Avi sighs and slouches his back.

In response, Johann pauses the braiding and pushes one hand on the centre of Avi’s back to force him back into a straighter position. “It’s not too hard for me. It just takes a few seconds to get used to, that’s all. If you want me to do it more often, I can,” he says when he continues his work.

As he completes the final braid, Johann takes the two smaller braids and tucks the ends of them into the larger braid, creating a distinct loop to them. Once he’s finished, Johann props the large braid over Avi’s shoulder, then places a kiss on the nape of his neck. “Okay, now I’m done. Your phone is right next to your ass if you wanna check it out.”

“Check out my hair or my ass?”

“You do the first, I’ll do the second.”

Avi takes his phone and swipes to the camera. As he props the phone up towards his face, Johann is surprised to see that the corner Avi’s eyes are swelling with tears. He doesn’t ask about it— he knows it’ll only embarrass Avi.

“Hey, you actually did a really good job,” Avi mutters in awe, his free hand moving to feel at the larger braid.

“You doubted me?”

Avi shakes his head and places the phone back on the ground so he can turn and fully face Johann. “Of course not! I just wasn’t sure what it’d look like on me. I really like it though.” His hands are fiddling with the braided loops by his temple when he says, “Thank you, babe. I really mean it.”

Johann rolls his eyes and presses a kiss against the bridge of Avi’s nose, right up against the line of tunniit on his skin. “Oh, you’re such a sap, but you’re welcome. I wouldn’t mind doing it more often if you’re comfortable with it.”

“Yeah, I think that’d be nice,” Avi admits with that sheepish smile. Then he kisses Johann’s lips, and Johann throws his arms around Avi’s neck with one hand on the base of the braid, until they’re both smiling and giggling into their kiss for god knows how long.

[nanchatte-tips]

Hairstyles for nanchatte!

Not sure what hairstyles to wear with nanchatte? Look no further! Nanchatte emulates the look of girls who wear these clothes every day, so certain OTT hairstyles may seem out of place with its style. With that in mind I compiled this list of text/photo tutorials and Youtube videos.

Edit: I had these as hyperlinks, but Tumblr kept blocking the links. So here they are as normal links. Sorry for the mess.

Hair with hats https://violetlebeaux.com/2014/05/14/6-hairstyles-wear-hats-hair-tutorial-inspiration/

Chin- to shoulder-length hair:

Curl inwards at ends https://youtu.be/w_hY-0BeqRQ

Gyaru hair https://youtu.be/gRSz_wYgYJY

Two gyaru styles https://youtu.be/bYA0Q0M0xAw

Two more styles https://youtu.be/WF_66XEd6JQ

Eight(-ish) styles https://youtu.be/I6aBt9rnfpk

Long hair:

Bear ears https://violetlebeaux.com/2014/03/14/bear-ear-hairstyle/

Curler waves https://youtu.be/xWjDtr5E8WI

Half-up half-down french braid(s?) https://youtu.be/LrQGi-TRnl0

Heart-shaped corset braid https://youtu.be/VT9EWLZj298

Heatless waves https://youtu.be/pGb_1WIJdbg

Looped braids http://poupee-sapphira.blogspot.com/2011/05/looped-braids-hairstyle-tutorial.html

Rag curls https://old.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/12/frugal-festive-hair-for-your-little-girl-or-you.html

Ribbon braid https://violetlebeaux.com/2014/12/19/simple-ribbon-braid-hair-tutorial/

Sheep horns (sorry, I couldn’t resist) https://youtu.be/oZfHLYTfDqQ

Waterfall braid http://www.oncewed.com/diy/waterfall-braid-wedding-hairstyles-for-long-hair-2/

Two styles https://youtu.be/7l9yUgDp1dg

Two more styles https://youtu.be/E69gLkOzdVU

Two more more styles https://youtu.be/iKj6eDJMUH8

Three styles https://youtu.be/EtOBFYSY6rg

Three more styles https://youtu.be/5LHnIaR_yoA

Four styles https://youtu.be/dOHM7EhzmNk

Five heatless styles https://youtu.be/cLJGgBa4jSI

Seven styles https://youtu.be/I6aBt9rnfpk

Nine styles https://youtu.be/FpT6hkCs52U

Ten styles https://youtu.be/I6aBt9rnfpk

[threadsketchier]

Whumptober #14 - Tear-stained

The next couple of prompts are angst rather than whump-related, but this was the first thing that sprang to mind for this one.

The name for Alderaanean nevesilk is derived from the Spanish word for snow, nieve.

There had been numerous times in Leia’s childhood where she’d felt she would never be able to master braiding her own hair beyond basic plaits.  Although attendants or her mother could handle the task for her, Leia had stubbornly insisted on learning herself, despite her loathing of the waste of time and distaste for the seemingly frivolous pomp.  It was hair.  Why couldn’t she simply shove the whole mess in a simple bun and get to work on more important matters?  Father was a perfectly good prince consort and senator without long tresses bound in gravity-defying coiffures.  Mother had roared with undignified laughter at the mental image.

Leia came back to herself again for a countless time, her thumbs unconsciously worrying the pool of fabric in her lap.  She felt as though she were eight years old again, all fumble-fingers and hesitance, not the grown woman who could practically braid and pin her hair in her sleep.

It was common for brides to be a bundle of nerves on their wedding day, but the tremors in her hands and the bounding of her heart really had nothing to do with that.  There was nothing to be nervous about when it came to marrying Han, as absurd as that thought seemed.  He was crazy and still somewhat of a scoundrel and more comfortable than ever with meeting death head-on, but he was her bedrock.  Underneath all the bravado and sarcasm and awkwardness, he was the steadfast guardian of her heart and soul, he was her home, and she had no lack of confidence in him.

What she’d once called home was gone, and only shreds were left, like the one she was currently holding.

Alderaanian brides traditionally wove fine scarves of nevesilk into their wedding braids, often handed down through their family.  Mother’s had been embroidered with couched bronze thread in a delicate starlily pattern.  Today she would have been wearing it, and she would have let her mother have the honor of braiding it for her.  Instead Leia sat alone staring at herself in the mirror, tears coursing down her cheeks.

The faintest of impacts in her lap made her look down to see that twin tear stains had darkened the fabric.  Han always had his ways; somehow he’d managed to get his hands on a piece of raw nevesilk, though probably through far more honest means than a con.  Even if she’d refused the crown, most of the survivors of Alderaan still considered her their de facto queen as well as their princess, and she could imagine just the mention of her marrying would be enough for some archivist to donate a piece.  The fact that he’d done his own research to help keep her traditions alive spoke volumes.

But this scrap of silk was neither long nor wide enough to weave throughout the full length of her braids, so he, Chewie, and Luke had plotted to fix that by unorthodox means and contribute cloth of their own to make up the rest.  All three pieces were dyed the same Alderaanean royal slate blue, but each took the color differently, rending them varying shades and depths.  To the nevesilk Han had added a strip of Kashyyyk treeworm silk - touted as the most durable silk in the galaxy - and Luke added a portion of Tatooine homespun, which was much more textured than the other two, not dissimilar to the coarse mountain silk Mother had often worn in her braid crown.  Luke himself had sewed them together.

Water stains could linger on nevesilk, but Leia wasn’t concerned; by the time the scarf was twisted through her hairstyle, they would be obscured.  Still, she had to gain control of her emotions - she had less than two hours left and her makeup wasn’t even done yet.

A soft knock at her door startled her.  Only then did she realize who was on the other side; she’d been too preoccupied and overcome by her anguished reverie to sense that he’d picked up on her distress.  Leia wiped her face and said, “You can come in.”

She saw Luke enter shyly by his reflection in the mirror.  He didn’t need to say anything, already having felt her grief.  He just knelt behind her chair, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her shoulder.  Leia bit her lip hard, fighting back a fresh wave of tears.

“Do you want me to help?” he whispered.

She nodded with a strained but appreciative smile.  He stood up, taking the scarf from her grasp and draping it behind his neck to hang down his front while she gathered her hair and started the base plait.

When the updo was finished about half an hour later, a couple of mistakes and some much-needed laughter had done wonders for the knot in her chest.

[rosegrl18]

Day Seventeen - Anticipation

@fatethreads, @iris-14cheonsa, @zarahjoyce, @quatresnuku, @princess-sas, @nopedontknow

Day Seventeen: Anticipation

Fandom: Mashin Sentai Kiramager

Characters: Tametomo Imizu, Sena Hayami

Pairings: Sena Hayami x Tametomo Imizu

           The anticipation was slowly killing her. From the time she woke up, Sayo had seemingly rushed her through breakfast, then rushed her off to begin getting ready. If not for her best friend, and her calendar, she would’ve forgotten what day it was. It was her wedding day! It was finally here! There were so many preparations to get through, hair, nails, just about everything! Sena even surprised herself, as well as everyone else, when she decided to wear a dress. Everyone had expected the athletic tomboy to wear a pantsuit, but since it was the most important day of her life, she decided to wear a dress. Besides, it was only for a few hours. The dress itself was a white, silken, sheath-silhouetted dress, with a sweetheart neckline, and a knee-length skirt. The strapless bodice was ruched and paired with a crystal and rhinestone-encrusted belt. The outfit was completed by a pair of white tights and white Mary Janes. Her bouquet was made up of green and yellow roses, symbolizing both the bride and the groom. Her veil was short, white, and made of delicate Chantilly lace. She’d decided on a simple wedding hairstyle, a braided bun, with her bangs and strand-bangs falling in their normal places, paired with the flower hair clip Tametomo had bought her and the veil clipped into her bun. She’d chosen yellow for her nails, pale pink lip gloss and blush, and green-gold eyeshadow. Everything seemed to be in order and going according to plan. All the bride and groom had to do was make it to the altar and everything would be perfect.

           Fast forward a few hours, and it was finally time for the long-awaited wedding ceremony. Sayo helped her best friend back into her dress, fresh off the hanger since the dress fitting earlier in the day. The hair stylist did Sena’s hair, clipped her hair clip onto the side of her head, and pinned her veil into her bun. Sena completed her look with her makeup, her tights, and her Mary Janes. Sayo handed the bouquet of yellow and green roses to Sena and smiled at her best friend.

           “Are you ready for this?”

           “The anticipation is killing me. I’m ready, but I’m nervous. I’m nervous that I’m going to forget my vows or that something else will happen. I’m ready to marry him and get this over with.”

           “Good. I’ll send your father in. It’s almost time and I’m needed at my place.” Sayo left the room with a smile and guided Mr. Hayami into the room.

           “Are you ready, Sena-chan?”

           “Yes!”

           “Do you have your vows?”

           “Yes, but I hope I don’t forget them. I can’t disappoint him.”

           “When I look at the two of you, I don’t see how there’s any way you could disappoint him.”

           “Thanks, Tou-san.”

           Her father smiled and bent his arm, offering the crook of it to his daughter.

           “It’s time, so let’s get you down that aisle.”

           Sena nodded with a smile, a smile which lit up her entire face. Mr. Hayami opened the door and led his daughter to the back of the open room where everyone was gathered. On cue, Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” began playing. Mr. Hayami walked his daughter down the aisle, only stopping when they reached the altar. He kissed his daughter on the cheek and took his seat.

           Sena handed her best friend her bouquet and held her vow cards tightly in her hands. The officiant began the ceremony, which, considering their jobs, seemed to go off without a hitch. After the officiant made the rest of his speech, it was time for the couple to read their vows. Tametomo went first.

           “When we first met, I thought our relationship would only be work-related. However, as we got to know each other better, things developed into something completely different. I knew I was in love with you when you came to my gaming tournament. I told you very personal things about myself, things I haven’t told anyone else, and you sat and listened. Before I met you, I only had my gaming career and Spark of Bullet. Now I have friends, and more importantly, I have you. Now I have someone I can confide in when things get difficult. Because of you, I see the world in a much different way. When I need to get something off my shoulders, I can come to you and tell you everything. You’re such a part of me that when you’re gone, I worry. I worry because I have no idea if you’re safe and I can’t be there to protect you. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together, laughing and playfully arguing as we normally do. My devotion for you is unquestionable. If you need me, just call, and I’ll be there.”

           Then, Sena read hers.

           “When we first met, I couldn’t believe it was really you I’d be working with. However, we got to know each other more and more, things developed into something more. I knew I was in love with you when you asked me to come back with you to the next round of your gaming tournament. That was the first time I called you “Tame-kun”. You told me very personal things about yourself, things you’ve probably never told anyone else, very traumatic things, and I just sat and listened to you. Before I met you, my life was all about my track and field career. I was endlessly training and qualifying, but never had any time outside of that for any personal time. Now I have you, and I have friends that I can spend time with outside of work. You’re just as much a part of me as I am of you. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together, laughing and playfully arguing. My love for you is endless. If you need me, all you have to do call, and I’ll be there like a speeding bullet.”

           After the vows were read, the ceremony continued with more words from the wedding officiant. Soon, the ceremony reached its end and the officiant spoke the words Sena had been anticipating all day. She knew it was coming and she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

           “You may now kiss your bride.”

           However, Sena didn’t wait for him to kiss her. She stood up on her toes, grabbed his face in her hands, pulled him down to her, and kissed him, forever sealing the two in marriage.

[erasethedarkness]

All at Once -Day 10 #1 | Proposal / Wedding- (Aizawa x f!Reader)

Summary: The day finally came. You two spent the morning apart, as per tradition, getting ready separately and with your people of honor. Somehow intrinsically- perhaps through such a deeply shared love- you two were feeling the same anxieties and worries. But fortunately, you both had the best possible people with you to calm those nerves- that is, until it was time for the First Look. 

Note: I really love this prompt and have been dying to write this Aizawa fluff for like 3 weeks… so I’m doing it twice and replacing the prompt I really didn’t want to do. It begins focusing on Aizawa and then shifts to focusing on you, ending on you both, so hopefully it’s not confusingly written. :) The location and described is based entirely off of Hotel New Otani’s Japanese Garden and Rose Garden!

Theme Song: All This Time - OneRepublic

Reader: Female

Words: 3522

All this time, we were waiting for each other…

“Shouta, it wouldn’t kill you to smile on your wedding day.” Even with his eyes focused on the bowtie he was fixing, Hizashi could tell that the groom was still scowling. The last time he noticed his best friend smiling was the night prior at the rehearsal dinner when you were recounting your first date and kiss with the unmistakable glow of a woman in love. The way you spoke was captivating and could make even the biggest killjoy swoon over Aizawa- which was a testament to your love for him, considering the hero came off as one of the least lovable people ever. He was always curt, had little regard for social expectations, was borderline ruthless as a teacher with a reputation for expelling students, and somehow you made him seem like the most caring and considerate person- all because he was to you.

“Seriously, how have you never learned to tie a bowtie in all your years?” he mumbled to himself, undoing the black strip to completely start over. How Aizawa managed to get dressed so quickly would have been a surprise if it wasn’t for how poorly it was done. “You can manage a suit and tie just fine for U.A. news appearances, b-”

“Hizashi, stop.” It wasn’t anger that led him to take the hands at his neck and just hold them for a moment. His voice was stern, and the exasperation well disguised, but they knew each other well enough to catch subtleties like this. The blond brought his eyes to the groom’s face and sighed, a soft smile forming on his lips afterwards. How did he not realize that his best friend was incredibly nervous? He nodded in understanding as Aizawa lowered his hands so he could get the bowtie done. As the ends were pulled tight, Yamada took a step back to make sure it was fastened straightly and evenly, then smiled again to his friend who still didn’t have so much as a trace of joy or excitement in his expression.

Despite everything running on time and according to the itinerary drawn up by the wedding planner, the stress of such an important day was still getting to the Erasure Hero. For you, he agreed to have a white wedding instead of pushing for a simple and legal marriage. And for you, he would get through this formality on the principle of love alone. Technically, the paperwork was done and you two were already married, but he would never deny you the ceremony and celebration of a wedding. He took a deep breath, the collar and tie noticeable around his neck, but not tight. His best man certainly knew what he was doing, and he could not be more grateful to have him there.

Waiting for Yamada, Aizawa began to tidy up, which was exactly why the blond took his time in the first place. From the corner of his eyes, he watched as the groom carefully made sure that he didn’t miss a spot when shaving, tucked his shirt in properly and double checked that he didn’t mis-button it, adjusted the pocket square over his breast, and made sure his formal boots were unscuffed and polished. This level of preparation for an event was something he wasn’t used to, and Yamada couldn’t help but smile to himself at how out of place his fellow teacher was. It was like watching a child trying to imitate their parent- hardly succeeding even on a superficial level- and it was incredibly endearing. He’d have to tell you about it at the reception after everyone was a few drinks in.

“What if she changes her mind..?”

Yamada looked away from the mirror he was fixing his bowtie in front of and saw Aizawa standing at the floor length window, his shoulder pressed against the glass as he stared out at the garden below. The weather was perfect outside, and everything was at its best possible scenario. So far, there’d been no complications; the wedding planner had everything under control, and it seemed like even the stars aligned for your special day to be flawless. Yet despite this, the man getting married was more stressed, nervous, and unsure of himself than ever.

The groom was so engrossed in his worry that even though he could see the blond walking up to join him at the window, it didn’t entirely register with him. He stared vacantly at the lushous landscape below, the deep blue of the man-made pond contrasting the bright and lively green of the trees and brush.

“She’s not going to get cold feet,” Yamada assured him, placing his hand on his shoulder.

As if that touch brought him back from his thoughts, he sighed and shook his head slightly, looking to his best friend. While he struggled with what to say, his dark eyes gazed through the orange lenses that Yamada wore, expressing the genuine fear he had. What if you suddenly realized you deserved more than him and what he could give you? What if you decided that he didn’t make you happy anymore? What if in five years, you looked back at today and thought it was all a mistake?

“But what if-”

“What if today is the happiest day of her life so far?” Yamada’s question hung in the air, silencing his friend of over twenty years. He let the quietness settle for a moment as he moved to stand in front of the window, looking down at the Japanese garden. “Shouta, what if it could be the happiest day of yours, too?” The question served to remind the hero that today wasn’t just about you and your happiness- it was also about his.

Before the weight of his best man’s words really hit him, a knock interrupted them as the wedding planner came to retrieve him for the First Look down in the Rose Garden. You had gone to great lengths to keep everything about your wedding appearance a secret for this special moment. From your dress and jewelry to your hairstyle and makeup choices, your future husband had no idea what to expect other than something white and your irrefutable beauty. The two men followed the wedding planner, listening to them fill in everything of relevance and how this wedding has gone smoother than almost all the other ones they’ve planned in recent years. But even though he was hearing the words, Aizawa was hardly paying attention, his chest tight and stomach knotted as his feet moved automatically.

The wedding planner escorted the groom to the gazebo at the center of the garden surrounded by tens of thousands of red roses. They had walked down one of the three clear paths, and Aizawa was positioned with his back to the single, rose-laden trail that you would be walking down. His best man gave him a bright smile and two encouraging thumbs up as he and the wedding planner left him underneath the sheer, white drapes of the rosy canopy, stepping off to the outskirts of the garden while the photographer did his magic in catching the groom just moments before seeing his bride for the first time.

During all of this, you shared in his anxiety without realizing it. Early in the morning, you and your person of honor were escorted to the Queen’s Room of the resort hotel you just had to have your wedding at. The room exclusive to brides and their wedding party was beautifully decorated with the intention of creating the perfect backdrop and environment for those classic getting ready photos. Your dress and veil were fitted on a mannequin when you arrived, and meticulously pressed and steamed to guarantee its perfect condition for this once in a lifetime experience.

Even though your person of honor made sure to provide breakfast for you, you couldn’t eat a bite. You tried, but your stomach was filled to the brim with butterflies, the excess pouring into your chest. At most, you were able to drink some water, which was better than nothing at all. Your photographer, hairdresser, and makeup artist met you in the room and wasted no time in pampering you and your best friend, trying to help ease your anxiety away. After all, you were not the first nervous bride they’ve worked with.

“Darling, you have nothing to worry about!” the gentleman working your hair exclaimed. He stood behind you as you both faced the mirror, and gestured to your face. “You have such a natural loveliness, and today, you will look like a goddess to your husband-to-be… though I’m sure you already do every day to him.” The bright smile on his lips was sincere as he resumed doting on your hair. You tried your best to smile at his words, and your person of honor chuckled at how distressed you managed to look, placing their hand on your wrist. Even the photographer smirked as she documented your transformation.

“Really, (Y/N), there’s nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be perfect today,” they reassured you. As much as you wanted to believe them- and you did to some extent- your body still didn’t ease up on the physical expressions of your worry.

Once your hair was finished, your makeup was next while the hairdresser worked on your friend. The morning was incredibly smooth with the professionals taking care of you, and by the time they were done, you were just barely more confident and ready. As they left, they hugged you and patted your back, telling you over and over that you were stunning and lovely, reminding you that no matter what happened, you were still going to be a beautiful sight to behold. But most importantly, they reminded you that weddings weren’t the pinnacles of love, and that what you shared with the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with was not something that could be captured in a legal document or secular celebration.

You exhaled deeply when you were alone with your person of honor and photographer. Good intentions only went so far, and the reassurance from people who were essentially strangers was a bit stifling and overwhelming. With your eyes closed, you sank back into the salon-styled chair you had been in for hours between the hair and makeup. Hands gently came to your shoulders and squeezed them, giving you a simple but comforting massage.

“What’s on your mind?” your person of honor asked as their hands slipped away from you and they began to change from their pajamas into the wedding outfit you two picked together.

You sighed again before opening your eyes, staring at yourself in the mirror with an almost sullen expression. Yes, you looked lovely- the hairdresser and makeup artist were remarkable professionals. And somehow, you still looked like yourself; it wasn’t as if you were transformed into some celebrity look-alike. But undermining all of that was the anxiety of self-doubt.

“I’m… I’m kind of scared,” you admitted softly, both to your friend and finally to yourself, forgetting that the photographer was still present with how much else was on your mind. “It’s not like I have any doubts about Shouta or anything. It’s just...” Slowly you stood up and walked to the mannequin wearing your wedding attire and gently stroked the veil. “...What if it doesn’t get any better than this?”

“What do you mean, (Y/N)?”

For a moment, you didn’t say anything. Your eyes were focused on the subtle accents on the fabric- it was as if the hem was laced with diamond dust that was only noticeable in just the right light.

“I mean… What if this is the happiest day of our lives, and nothing else feels this wonderful going forward? What if this is the peak of it all? Of our relationship and lives together?” Your hand fell from the veil as you turned around to face your friend. They gazed at you silently for a moment before coming over to you and pulling you into a tight hug that slowly but surely began to ground you in reality, taking your thoughts from the “what if”s that dared to plague you on today of all days.

“It’s not going to be,” they whispered to you. “Imagine how wonderful it will be tomorrow, waking up together for the first time as husband and wife... Or how amazing it’ll feel to introduce him as your husband from now on, and how all the times you’ve practiced signing Aizawa, instead of what’s now going to be your maiden name, isn’t just practice anymore.” They paused and pulled back from the hug, taking your hands and smiling at you as they continued. “Can you imagine how ecstatic you’ll both be years from now when you tell him that you’re pregnant? Or when you get to hear the heartbeat for the first time and see the ultrasound? (Y/N), imagine how happy you’ll both be after the delivery. And then all the times you’ll catch him being the perfect father you’ve always gushed about seeing him as…”

Your best friend had a way with words, and right now was one of the most prime examples on why they were your person of honor instead of anyone else. As you began to tear up, they let go of your hands, got a tissue, and very delicately and carefully dabbed the corners of your eyes so that your makeup remained flawless. You bowed your head, nodding in response as you pulled your emotions back and composed yourself.

“You’re right… This is just the beginning of the countless indescribably happy moments to come.”

They smiled at you, met with one in return. Even with your heart pounding, you two began to joke and lighten the mood, and throughout this entire time, your photographer captured the beautiful and candid moments. Once your person of honor was all dressed, you two began on the task of getting you laced up in your wedding gown. Having practiced tying your corset several times, it only took one go to get it done  perfectly. Final accents were added, and then, at last, your veil was slid into place. When you were ready, your photographer sent a message to their partner who was already waiting with the groom.

As you arrived at the Rose Garden, your person of honor joined Yamada and the wedding planner at the outskirts. Your photographer brought you to the beginning of the rose trail that led to the love of your life and positioned you. She and her partner masterfully took pictures that placed you and Aizawa in varying backgrounds and foregrounds of each other- catching the excitement, nervousness, and budding giddiness in your expressions. They then stationed themselves to catch both of your reactions when you were finally signaled to actually have your First Look.

Silence settled as everything became perfectly still. There was no wind, and everyone waited with bated breath. It was all on you and your timing now. Taking one last deep breath, you began to walk down the path leading to Aizawa that was made just for you. In the quietness, each click of your high heels was audible, even to the hero several paces ahead of you. You saw his head just barely lift as he took a deep breath, your eyes focused on the back of his head as you stepped through the rose petals.

When you were just over halfway there, the photographer facing you and your future husband gave him the signal to turn around.

Everything leading up to this moment had been anxiety and stress provoking for Aizawa. He was never the biggest fan of weddings, avoiding them as much as possible because they seemed so frivolous. But when you two talked about getting married, he didn’t shut out the idea of having one- and now, the first wedding he attended in his adult life was his own. At the signal, he closed his eyes and took one more deep breath, turning around slowly and opening his eyes.

Nothing could have prepared him for this.

It wasn’t like the tunnel-vision that videos and clips would have you believe. His eyes didn’t start at the ground and come up to your face. When he opened his eyes, he saw you- all of you- and his heart stopped. Everything stopped. Everything, except for you. Even with the sheer veil folded over your face, he could see the glow of your smile despite the nervousness you both shared. The soft blush on your cheeks, the gleam in your eye- was that a tear? You were so radiant while simultaneously shy and overwhelmed. So many feelings were fighting to show themselves on your face- and Aizawa could relate.

In fact, he had no idea what expression he was making as he gazed at you, unable to look away. But you had never seen it before- not even when you said ‘yes’ to being his girlfriend or when you became his fiancée. His mouth hung open, lips parted as he took shallow breaths. Your hairstylist was right- he did think you looked even more like a goddess than ever before, and he had always admired your beauty.

As each click of your heels brought you closer, he finally closed his mouth, smiling for the first time. Seeing the unmistakable love and happiness on his face made you look away from him with the brightest grin and sweetest blush, and the impossible happened: he fell more in love with you.

All at once, the tightness in your chests and stomachs loosened. The heaviness that weighed down your joy and excitement was lifted from both of you. Aizawa’s smile trembled as quiet tears welled in his eyes before escaping past his lashes and down his cheeks. You had never seen anyone cry so elegantly. His body didn’t shake with sobs, nothing ran and he made no sniffles. The only evidence of his crying at all were the tears that fell with each slow and steady blink. Nothing could make him look away from you.

Seeing the man you loved more than anything else in the world so overwhelmed by emotion made the tears of happiness you tried desperately to deny slip down your cheeks. Your eyes were glued to his face- this was one of the rare occasions when he was clean shaven and the dark bags under his eyes weren’t as pronounced. He looked healthy and happy and undeniably handsome, and your heart ached even more for him.

Stopping before him, you both shared a moment of unspoken relief and clarity. You gazed up into his black eyes, seeing your whole life and future in them as he stared right back into his. His hands came to your veil and delicately lifted it up, placing it over your hair, handling it and you as if you were the most fragile flower. The backs of his knuckles ever so gently grazed your cheeks before he held them with the softest fingertips. There were no words that could express even a fragment of how he felt, so he closed his eyes and kissed you underneath the rose spangled gazebo, his hands trailing down your neck as you lifted your arms and wrapped them around his. With a tender pull, you were fully drawn into his embrace.

Without warning, Aizawa guided your kiss in a slight shift and swept you off your feet. One arm hugged your legs beneath the knees, and the other supported your back as you kept your arms around his neck. Your surprised gasp broke the kiss as you looked up at him from your carried position, his enamored and joyful smile greeting you. You kept one arm around his neck while your hand came to his cheek, thumb stroking his skin with your deepest affections and passing over his lips, receiving a small kiss in the process.

“Shouta…” You broke the silence, his name the only word you could find on your tongue.

In his characteristic quietness, he said nothing, but kissed you again amidst the endless roses surrounding you. When he pulled back and gazed down at you, he smirked and brushed his nose against yours before kissing it with the sweetest sounding chuckle you’ve ever heard.

“We’ve only just begun, dearest.”

Aizawa smiled to you as he set you down and kissed your forehead. The nervousness that plagued you both, the doubts and irrationality- they were all long gone, feeling like memories of a different day, and a different life altogether. Complete confidence in each other and the single, shared life ahead of you overrode all your fears and calmed the anxious thoughts and whispers that once tightened your hearts, making way for the weightless euphoria of your wedding day to engulf you both in perfect bliss.

And deep down, you knew it was only going to continue getting better from this day forward, as husband and wife.

...We got all this love, can’t waste it on another.

[writehardwhumpharder]

Drabble - Carson gets drugged at a party and it all goes downhill from there

It was a simple request. Anyone with a grain of magical talent could probably pick up energy trails if they really tried. Carson tended only to look at magical energy while he was using it. His main source was the white orb of light that glowed in the center of every living being. Some were brighter than others but they all looked pretty much the same. That energy was clearly supposed to be there. When people started to move energy around and meddle with the fabric of the universe, that produced a whole array of distinct colors and textures. Magic users carry an aura around with them, something unique to their use of magic. When they spend a lot of it in one place that aura settles around that spot for a while. Carson had gone to a crime scene looking for these types of energies. When Morris found out he was not too happy with him but he could still picture the magical signature in his head. It was a deep swirling purple, just on the edge of dark magic.

Tonight was his chance to figure out who that magic belonged to. A party was being held in Manhattan, the kind that attracted the attention of any criminal with a small fortune along with the occasional musician or local rich person looking to make some less than legal business acquaintances. More than anything it was a chance for everyone to show off. Carson had no idea how Riley snagged an invitation, she surely didn't do it by flashing her badge at anyone, but she had a hunch that the suspect might show up and yet again she wanted his "opinion" on the matter. Meaning she wanted him to use his magic to look over every single party guest until his eyes bleed. Metaphorically, he hoped.

Carson took one last look at himself in the mirror. He wore a classic black suit with a skinny navy blue tie that would have been fashionable several decades ago along with a pair of shiny black dress shoes. His dark brown hair was parted on one side in a neater version of his usual style. The longer, wavier hair on top was combed back in a tousled way which he achieved by putting a touch of jell in his fingers before raking them through his hair away from his face. The dark suit contrasted nicely with his light blue eyes. All in all the look was more wedding than cocktail party but hopefully people wouldn't be paying much attention to him. Someone knocked on his door at 8pm precisely. He opened it to see that Riley had somehow turned her pretty but average looks into something absolutely striking. Her dress was an emerald green that made her eyes sparkle, actually sparkle. She had on a few pieces of thin silver jewelry that might as well have been diamonds on her fair skin. It was the hairstyle that really did it though. Her medium length, dull brown hair cascaded across the top of her head, pinned down expertly in a way that left just a few stray curls to frame her face. And though he couldn't see them under her floor length dress, she must have been wearing three or four inch heels that put her close to eye level with Carson.

Riley felt a little self-conscious under Carson's gaze but he wasn't looking at her sexually, it seemed more like he was taking in the details of a work of art. She cleared her throat to end the moment and started heading out towards the car. Carson followed a couple steps behind. What met them at the curb wasn't a limo, but Morris's honda civic was black and sleek enough in design to mostly blend in with the rest of traffic in Manhatten.

***

Carson's heart started to race as they neared the double doors at the entrance of the building where a few very scary looking guards stood on either side. A woman in a plain black dress greeted everyone and checked a list as they went in. He half expected the woman to turn them away but so far the plan went off without a hitch. They got there shortly after it officially started, leaving plenty of time to scan everyone. A server approached them with champagne, which they accepted, directly followed by another server holding a tray of finger sandwiches which Carson was more than eager to take. Riley grabbed one as he piled three onto a napkin. In total Carson almost had a whole sandwich, score. Riley ate hers slowly with a hint of both satisfaction and disinterest. She blended in well with their current company who all seemed to be having a good time but still managed to be extremely uptight as they did. As more people started to fill in the large ballroom Carson saw a few people he might have recognized. Riley made a much longer mental list of all the known criminals she saw. Carson stood behind Riley and focused his eyes, opening them to the lingering energies around them. So far nothing looked significant. A few people had a faint glow of pink or yellow, showing they had just a touch of magical talent. Random white sparkles floated around the room, just trace energies left by regular people. Carson closed his eyes and let go of his concentration, blinking the lights away.

"See anything?" Riley asked.

"Nothing yet."

A steady stream of people passed them and shook hands with Riley, exchanging polite smiles. Carson managed to fade into the background, keeping his eye on the current of people going in and out the doors. Maybe he did too good a job of fading because he suddenly felt kinda tired. He yawned discreetly, only catching Riley's attention.

"Bored already?" She asked.

"Mmm." He responded, trying to keep his eyes off the way the chandelier reflected little beams of warm light across the ceiling, fascinating. She turned to him finally, a little concerned by his lack of an answer.

"You okay?" She asked. He looked a little unsteady on his feet but Carson's face still held the serious look it always had. She stepped closer to him. Without the heels she might not have noticed his eyes and just how large his pupils were. The light blue ring was reduced to a small sliver encompassing two large saucers.

"Yeah I'm fine, must have had too much champagne." He said, sounding a little distracted. Riley had been warned that Carson was a major lightweight and was to be kept away from alcohol at all costs. Although Daniel might have been a little dramatic about that last part. Even so, he didn't even have a full glass. She distinctly remembered him put the glass, half full, on a passing server's tray. He closed his eyes tightly for a second, looking a little pale.

"You don't look so good. But I don't think it was the champagne."

Music started up from somewhere nearby and Carson's look of discomfort vanished, replaced by a dazed excitement. The band picked up and couples made subtle attempts at dancing.

"Ooh come on, let's dance. I love piano." He beamed, looking a little crazed as he did so. Carson grabbed her hand and pulled her farther onto the floor. She played along, casting a skeptical glance around the room. He pulled her against him and she put one hand on his shoulder, taking shuffling steps to mirror his.

Riley figured it would be best to get out of there as soon as possible, before Carson managed to act any stranger than he already was.

"Why don't you take one more look around and see if you spot anything like the energy you saw. Then we can leave."

Carson seemed to think about that. Somewhere in the back of his mind a warning bell went off. He'd completely forgotten about the reason they were there.

"Okay." He mumbled. Carson closed his eyes and prepared his awareness, only to find that his brain was too fuzzy to do even that much. "Bastards." He slurred.

"What?" Riley said, looking up at him with concern.

"I can't see anything. Whoever it was made sure I couldn't see them, which means they must be here." He whipped his head around wildly.

Riley swore. If the suspect's intention was to drug his drink, impairing his ability to identify them, they had certainly succeded. Okay, it was officially time to abort mission.

"Let's go. While you can still walk." She said, grabbing his arm to lead him to the door.

"No, I'm gonna get that bastard." His voice turned serious and he managed to wiggle out of her grasp. Carson closed his eyes again, putting much more energy and thought into it. When he opened them he could see faint traces of energy. Either that or he was hallucinating. His brows furrowed with determination and focus. The lights got a little clearer. He could make out the white orbs of people's souls as well as the faint yellow glow of a woman near them. But nothing looked like the deep purple he remembered.

A spike of pain went through his head and he dug his fingers into his temples.

"You're gonna hurt yourself. Let's just go, it's not worth it."

Carson was starting to agree as his head ached with the effort. He swept his eyes across another corner of the room. The pain increased threefold as he narrowed his eyes, looking for any hint of a purple aura. Something wet and warm trickled down his face.

"Do I have to call Morris in here to drag you out?" Riley threatened, already grabbing her phone anxiously.

"No... we can go." He mumbled, letting her guide him across the floor. She dabbed at his nose with a tissue she seemed to conjure out of nowhere. They were almost to the door when Carson stopped. He wavered, bending to put a hand on one of his knees for support.

"We're almost there, you're alright."

Carson was not alright. His feet started to feel heavy at the same time he started getting lightheaded. Spots started to form in his vision so he blinked his eyes to clear them. When the feeling didn't pass, Carson tried to press through it. He made it a few steps closer to the door before stopping again. Riley looked around anxiously. It was only matter of time before people started to notice them.

"I don't... I don't feel.." He breathed, swaying dangerously.

"Ten more steps. I believe in you." She slung one of his arms over her shoulder and he fought down the rising sense of nausea as she dragged him out onto the sidewalk. The cold air was refreshing for a second. But then his stomach turned and his whole body felt too hot. Riley looked up and down the street for Morris's car, he should be pulling around the corner any second now.

Riley had left Carson leaning against a stone pillar, he wouldn't have been able to stand without it. Paling even further, his stomach lurched without warning. Apparently it was convinced that whatever he'd been drugged with was some kind of poison that must be ejected. He turned around quickly to throw up into some bushes. He made an effort to be quiet but a few party goers chose to walk out at that exact moment, giving him dirty looks as they descended the stairs. He wiped his mouth off with his hand and staggered a little.

Carson yelled at them, slurring drunkenly, "Don't look at me like that. It's not-" Riley caught his arm and started to pull him away, looking absolutely mortified.

"Jesus christ, keep your voice down."

Morris's car slid to a stop in the middle of a no parking zone and he jumped out rushing toward them.

"What happened?" He asked, moving to grab Carson who was starting to sag in Riley's grip. She rubbed at her shoulder once the weight was taken off of it. Carson's eyes looked glazed over and they slid out of focus just as his body went completely limp. Morris had gotten there just in time because if Riley was still holding him then she would have dropped him on the pavement for sure.

Morris let out a huff of breath as he picked Carson up in a bridal carry so he could slide him into the backseat. "I'm too old for this shit."

Carson didn't stir as he was settled on the leather backseat. Riley took shotgun while Morris jogged around the car to the driver's side.

"Do we need to take him to the hospital?" Morris asked as he rejoined traffic.

"No I don't think so. They just wanted to keep him impaired, not kill him. It's probably some kind of roofie." She said, glancing back at Carson who was sprawled across the backseat. He moaned quietly.

"'S not fair..." he mumbled.

"What is?" She asked, barely able to make out what he'd said.

"They only drugged me. I mean, what did I ever do to them?" His voice was weak and words blurred together all over the place. Riley had seen drunk frat boys who were more coherent than Carson was now. He bolted upright suddenly, his face twisted in distress. Riley knew that look.

"Pull over." She said urgently. Carson barely waited for the car to stop before he pushed open the door and leaned out. He coughed and threw up whatever was left of the finger sandwiches, then weakly pulled the door closed again. He curled up, looking absolutely miserable and more than a little disappointed that he didn't manage to do the one thing he set out to do.

***

When they pulled up outside Carson's apartment building it was getting pretty late. Riley and Morris talked in hush tones the whole way back.

"I don't know should we leave him alone like this?" She asked.

"Not alone." Carson muttered as he summoned up the energy to pry himself off the leather bench and stumble out of the car. The thought of laying down in his bed was the only thing driving him at this point. Riley followed him up the steps to the door and unlocked it for him. Unsurprisingly, Daniel padded down the stairs with his arms crossed to meet them. His apartment gave him perfect view of the street and he'd probably already picked up on the poor state Carson was in.

"I warned you not to let him drink. At all costs." He scowled. Carson returned the look as he shuffled over to his door, a little hurt.

"What happened?" Daniel asked, softening his voice a little.

"Roofie." Riley sighed, looking a little guilty. He was a civilian and it was her job to look after him when they went on little missions like this one. She'd failed now on more than one occasion. Carson looked completely done as he leaned his head against the wall and tried to open his locked door.

"I think you need a key for that." Daniel said, taking a step closer to help.

Carson looked him in the eyes and ran his hand over the lock. It clicked audibly. "Do I?"

Carson's knees buckled as fatigue washed over him. Now was not the time to be reckless with his energy. Riley was closer but Danny was faster. His arms wrapped around him, stopping his descent to the floor. Oh well, Carson had felt cool doing it. His friend got him back on his feet and pushed the door to his apartment open with his foot.

"You guys can go, I'll babysit." He said to Riley as she headed to the door. "You looked nice tonight." He added.

"Thank you." Riley smiled.

Carson's head lolled against Daniel's chest, "What, you're not gonna tell me I look nice too?" Carson slurred.

Danny shook his head and laughed, "Yeah you look pretty too. Now let's get you inside, my arms are getting tired."

[blackdamed-blog]

fashion in zhonghua --

although zhonghua fashion is primarily influenced by the ming and tang dynasties, i’ve incorporated bits and pieces of others. during the spring and summer women wear tang dynasty-influenced fashion. in the fall and winter, ming dynasty fashion is the trend. however, just as many dramas aren’t 100% true to their respective dynasties, i’m not strict on ming or tang dynasty fashion.

fall and winter fashion:

the clothing of choice for women in the colder seasons. this is a more down to earth hanfu and the style is known to people of all classes. a jacket is worn over the hanfu, usually slit at the sides but not always. the skirt of the hanfu is often pleated. the distinguishing factors in what separated the upper and lower classes are both the cut and fabric. commoners clothing were usually shorter in length, both in sleeve and dress/pants, the colors dull muted, skirt unpleated, and the fabric cheap. wealthy and noble classes were afforded elaborate colors and designs on their clothing, as welll as the best fabrics. elaborate hats and hair ornaments were also solely worn by the upper class, almost exclusively nobles and royalty. there were strict rules on the hair ornaments that certain classes could wear without ‘impersonating’ royal or nobility. this rule was solid and would be in place year round.

in the fall through winter, colors that were popular were rich blues, greens, greys, and dark colors in general. among nobility and royalty, they wore the same in addition to purples, reds, and gold detailing -- which commoners were not allowed to wear. outfits made from gold fabric are usually only allowed among the royal family and royal concubines. to others, the color gold is merely an accent or secondary color.

spring and summer noble lady fashion:

summer is a time when many are out and about. and, as such, it is a time for many of the wealthy and nobility to parade their assets. wealth, beauty, their figure. it is especially a time for the upper class women of zhonghua to show off themselves for all to see. for a confidence boost, for potential marriage, none can quite slim it down to one reason.

often called a ‘fairy dress’, this outfit is defined by several layers of fabric that flow from a woman’s body and flatter it. the sleeves are often sheer and are always longer than the wearer’s actual arm length. a ribbon is wound around their chest, often lifting up their chest and giving a glimpse of cleavage -- if the person is bold enough. the dress portion usually consists of a simple pattern or is one solid color and pleated near the top. the fairy dress is accented by the must-have scarf that is wound around the woman’s back and arms and flows to the ground. when the wind blows, the woman is surely a vision of mystical and flowy wonder -- hence the name; fairy dress.

by older zhonghuans, this fashion is looked down upon and they prefer the more conservative fashion that commoners share.

spring and summer conservative/commoner fashion:

far more practical than the fairy dress and less costly as well. middle to elderly aged zhonghuan prefer this sort of hot weather hanfu, as well as commoners who cannot afford nor are allowed to wear fairy dresses. this hanfu is consists of an opaque robes, contrasting the sheer sleeves of the prior dress. although women do not take off their robes in public, it allows for a nice breeze and is good to work or walk in. it also allows for beautiful designs on the robes of the upper class. the dresses of such outfits are also usually pleated and there the statement of a complimenting ribbon is not left behind; usually around the wearer’s waist instead of chest. commoners do not usually wear ribbons, as dresses with ribbons are more costly and using fabric for ribbons is seen as wasteful.

hairstyles in zhonghua:

up until the time for their hair pinning days and capping ceremonies, the girls and boys of zhonghua usually wear their hair down. for all, men and women, hair is their crown and glory. so, hair is usually grown out as long as manageable. after hair pinning and capping, no respectable zhonghuan would be seen out in public with their hair down. for men, they usually pin their hair up in a bun or braid is in a long fishtail. they also wear caps, usually plain and black. princes usually put their hair in a bun and have a simple hair ornament to cover the bun, before inserting a jade or gold pin. the pin symbolizes their status.

hair is truly a statement for zhonghuan wealthy and noble women. there are so many elaborate hairstyles that they may style their hair with, several illustration books have been published to display them. events with nobility is truly a showcase for the hundreds of hairstyles that the women may do. it is so expansive that to be out in public with one’s hair down and unstyled is to be seen as lazy, even for commoners.

only a few of the styles women may have. those without ornaments or headdresses are the ones that commoners may have, as they are not allowed elaborate ornaments, jeweled pins, or headdresses. they may, however, use flowers, wooden pins, or simple headbands to accent their hair.

influences from the han dynasty are also used, such as this popular style.

a plainer style that could be seen on a minor noble, defined by the single pin. the more ornaments in their hair, the wealthier they are seen.

another simple hairstyle that commoners may have, including the flower. peony is known to frequent this style, which is why many view her as a modest princess, unmoved by displays of wealth.

also featured in this picture, the makeup trend of women in zhonghua. pale foundation, blackened eyebrows, red rogue, rosy eyelids, and rosy cheeks. women of the upper class also paint forehead designs known as hua dian -- usually a variation of petals or a flower.

more examples of the makeup trend in zhonghua

headdresses among the upper class and royalty:

as mentioned, common women may only wear flowers, plain pins, and simple headbands in their hair. the upper class may have gold ornaments, elaborate pins with beads and pearls dangling from them, and other accents for their hairstyles. the more ornaments, the wealthier they are seen as. the upper class are also the only ones who can afford earrings, too pricey for a simple budget. the separation from royalty comes in the form of what is considered crowns, which only the royal family may have access to.

a common headdresses for noblewomen

crowns, worn by princesses and noble consorts of previous emperors. duchesses (daughters of the previous reigning emperor) may also wear them.

crowns, worn by empresses and empress dowagers.

hats and headresses usually worn by princes.

headdress of the emperor, defined by the long beads covering his face.

a simple pin, usually worn by minor nobles and common men.

princess and empress fashion:

a princess is defined by the first three pictures; soft, billowy, and light. a princess is often adorned with several layers, at least one of them sheer, and in the winter will don fur around her collar. her wardrobe consists of youthful colors until she is married; in which she will wear more mature and earthy colors. an empress should be seen as bold and akin to a goddess, often donning hanfu with broad shouldered capes and statement colors; often a deep red, blue, and gold. elaborate red and gold hanfu, similar to what an empress may wear, are also afforded to the upper class at their own wedding. only princesses or those marrying into the royal family, however, may wear a crown.

male fashion:

much shorter than the female counterpart. men’s fashion is much simpler; common men wear plain and cheap clothing, noble men and royalty are afforded the better fabric with elaborate designs. only the emperor may wear gold that’s not simply an accent. often, a man’s wife or mother may embroider a design on their clothing, this goes for lower and upper class. court officials wear navy blue, accented by a gold embroidered design of their choosing in the chest center. male court officials/ministers also wear simple black hats, of finer fabric and a unique shape that separate them from others.

attire of a court official/minister/advisor, though they are all navy blue in zhonghua.

attire of a minor nobleman, very simple.

attire of a prince and wealthy nobleman. the hat is worn by princes, when they are on official business or simply out in public.

disclaimer: keep in mind that i’m mixing different dynasties fashion into one, as zhonghua has no set dynasty.

tagging: @nobleconsort -- because i thought you’d like to be tagging in something about zhonghua!