#the dress on the top right has little MERMAIDS on the corset

[lowvintagesims]

tell me why it was only today that i discovered @cinnamon-sims, her cc is so cute wtffffff

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[sarawritestories]

My Beautiful Angel

Cassian X Plus Size Fem Reader

A/N: This was written with the song Beautiful by Bazzi and Camilla Cabelo basically on repeat.

Summary: Cassian comes home from a mission and Y/N is happy to see him. He insists that the IC goes to Rita's. Y/N finally wants to tell him her feelings to find that he's flirting heavily with the bartender and she leaves. The General follows ands clears the air

Content Warning: 18+ Minors DNI, P in V, Oral M receiving. Smut with little plot, Fluff

Word Count: 3.8k

Masterlist

Sitting in the dining room eating my dinner alone, Azriel went to the townhouse to see if anyone needed anything, Cassian was out on a mission Rhys sent him out for last week. The house was lonely without those two stomping about and finding some petty thing to argue about, which always turned to them ganging up on me. I sigh thinking about how I miss Cassian, he hasn’t been out on a mission for this long since before the war. The way he wraps his arms around my soft stomach and pulls me close and always stays close during outings, especially with meetings from other courts.

I shake my head clearing my thoughts of the Illyrian general and dive back into the book Nesta let me borrow. Diving into a love story about a prince and a mermaid, the mermaid gaining legs during the day found her lover and he pressed her against the wall mouths colliding with a reverent fervor. I adjust in my seat trying to mask the arousal that is beginning. The prince’s hands roam down the mermaid’s body grazing across her slick center.

A warmth kissed the shell of my ear, “You know that’s going to rot your brain. Right.” The low rumble of Cassian’s voice jolted me from my seat, slamming my book shut. I stood up and was about to scold him for sneaking up on me but before I could he grabbed my waist and spun me around. When he stops, he pulls me close to his chest. “Oh, I missed you, Sweetheart,” He kisses the top of my head.

He puts me down and I smile patting his cheek, “I missed you too, Cass. How was your trip?”

He rolls his eyes, “A standard mission.” He wrapped me in his arms again, “I’m just happy to be home.” I wrap my arms around his waist and place my head on his chest. My heart skips at the contact I must remind myself that touch is one of the ways he shows love and that this isn’t him wanting to just take my scent in. “So, we’re celebrating my coming home by going to Rita’s.” That got me squirming out of his grasp, but he holds me tighter. “You’re coming, too.”

I groan and get out of his grasp, “But I wanted to finish my book tonight.” I grab my book and immediately it’s taken out of my hands. “Cassian!”

Cassian waves the book above his head and bends down to make eye contact with me, “You can get it back when we come tonight.” He gives me a shit eating grin that I want to slap right off. “Now, go get dressed and meet me back here so we can meet everyone at the Townhouse.” I glared at him, and I quickly try to jump and grab my book, but he stands to his full height, and I fall short. The general extends his arms to the hall leading to the bedrooms, and I stick my tongue out at him and head to my room to change.

I picked a silver silk gown that has thin straps and a corset back that accentuated my generous cleavage the bodice rouching to beginning the skirt had a slit that starts at my hip down as the skirt flows down to the floor it highlights the stretch marks on my thighs that I enjoy. I place my hair in soft curls pinned half my hair in a bun, letting the rest of my curls flow down. With a pair of heels that I laced around my ankle I make my way back to the dining hall, where I see Cassian with his hair down, black slacks and a white button up shirt that the top unbuttoned his chest tattoo peaking out. I give a low whistle, “Looking good, General.”

Cassian grins and looks up and his face falls into something I don’t recognize. His Hazel eyes graze down my body from the diamond choker around my neck to my dress and zeroes in on the slit of the skirt and his eyes darken, I wrap my arms around myself unintentionally pushing up my chest. “Something wrong, Sweetheart?” Cassian asks his voice sounds like he is gritting out the words.

I bite my lip, “I feel like with that look on your face I need to change, you know I think I will go do that.” I’m about to turn when a calloused hand grips my wrist.

“I’m so sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that dress, I’ve never seen it before.” He kisses my cheek, and I can feel the heat rushing to them. “You look beautiful.” He scoops me up in his arms and gives me a saccharine smile, “Ready?”

“The things I do to get my book back.” He pinches the pinches my side and I giggle, “Lead the way General, just don’t mess up my hair.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” And we take off into the skies.

Once we get to the house, I notice familiar shadows and I hop out of Cassian’s arms before his feet touch the ground. “Azriel!” I leap into his arms, and he laughs wrapping his arms around me.

“Brother, I think she gets lonely when we’re gone.” Az says to Cassian as he pulls away and looks at my outfit, “Y/N are you trying to get Males and Females on their knees tonight. You look ravishing.” A growl emits from somewhere but when I turn in that direction, Mor, Feyre and Cassian were beginning to walk towards Rita’s.

Rhys kisses my cheek, “What did he do to get you to come out? You hate going out to Rita’s?”

I meet his violet eyes and cross my arms, “He is keeping my book hostage.”

Azriel snorted. “Smart. I should try that.” I scowl at him, and he loops his arm in mine, “Come on, we’re going to make you earn that book back.”

The three of us finally met up with the rest of the group, the music in Rita’s thrumming in my ears. Mor flagged us down and Rhys says, “I’ll get the three of us drinks.” with that he walks over to the bar as Azriel, and I go and sit with out friends. A seat is open by Cassian and he pats the spot next to him. I sit and instantly Cassian splays a wing around me and he nudges his knee against mine and I give him a smile.

Rhys comes back with drinks and a round of shots for everyone once everyone has a shot glass in hand, “To Cass and Az coming home.” We all cheer and take our shot, a shiver racks down my spine from the burning sensation. I sip my drink and the drinks keep filtering to our table. After a few drinks, Mor grips my hand, “Come on hotstuff, we are dancing.”

 I groan and face the General a playful smirk on his face, “You owe me.” He chuckled as Mor pulled me and Feyre to the dance floor. Once we reached the dance floor the music consumed me, and I let my body lose and began to sway my hips to the beat. Mor and Feyre were following my lead as we twirled and swayed, and I found myself laughing, enjoying myself and letting myself feel beautiful in my beautiful dress. I feel confident enough to tell Cassian how I feel.

“I’m so glad you came out tonight, even if Cassian had to keep your book hostage for it.” Mor yelled over loud music. I gave her a nod and a thumbs up in agreement.

After a few songs I make my way to the bar to grab water. Sweat coating my brow as I got closer to the bar, I saw Cassian and saw him laughing with the bar tender. I walk closer to him, and the bartender grips his face and presses her lips to hers. Shock runs through my system followed up with hurt.

Rhys, I’m going home, tired, tell everyone bye for me.

Rhys responded quickly, want me to take you home?

No, I’m going to walk. Thanks.

I sever the connection and make a bee line out the door. The cool breeze cooled my overheated skin. I cross my arms as bumps raise on my arms in response to the rapid chill and begin making my descent home.  Thunder booms across the sky and one drop falls on my cheek, and another and the sky opens on a down pour. “I should have stayed home.” I murmured.

I feel dumb, I have always interpreted Cassian’s touches and actions as him being interested when Cassian has always shown his love through touch. I can’t help but let my worst insecurities rise to the surface, he was a general well trained, his body a weapon. My adventures only fell in books and stories told from my friends and I have seen the females Cassian has taken to bed and they are drop dead gorgeous with bodies of warriors. I have always carried more weight and I never have felt shame or ugly because of it but-

A firm hand grabs my arm and spins me around and I meet Cassian’s eyes. “I tried calling you like 3 times.” He shouts over the rain.

“Sorry. It’s just loud. What are you doing out here?

Cassian’s brow furrowed, “You left, Rhys didn’t say why. I was worried.”

I waved him off, “Don’t worry about me I was overheated and tired. Go back and have fun I’ll be good.” I turn once more but his grip on my arm tightens slightly, and I turn back, and his white shirt is completely see through his abs and tattoo on full display. “Cass.”

“It wasn’t because you saw the bartender Kiss me?” He asks to close the distance between us.

I shook my head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I look away from his gaze as his arm snakes around my waist. Neither one of us disturbed by being drenched in the rain.

“Sweetheart, I was blindsided by the kiss, her lips were not the one I wanted tonight.” He curls a finger under my chin and makes me face him, his eyes dark no hint of hazel.

“No?” I whisper.

Cassian smiles and highlights his chiseled tan face, and my knees feel weak, “No. I was hoping a vision in silver would kiss me.”

Oxygen flees from my lungs as I slide my hands up his chest, “Cass.”

“Y/N,” His hands glide down to my plump ass and digs his fingers in, and a gasp escapes my lips, “May I?”

I almost whimper, “Please.” He bends down and crashes his lips into mine. His lips wet and warm in contrast to the cold ran against my skin. He nips my bottom lip and I moan in his mouth as he squeezes my ass again.  I pull away from him and he growls in protest as I kiss his nose and his eyes flutter shut, “Take me home, Cassian.”

Cassian eyes meet mine and there is playfulness there as he scoops me in his arms and launches into the skies. In mere moments we land on the balcony that leads to his room and he opens the doors and only when we are by his bed did, he set me down. The house closes the door and Cassian’s lips are on my again. His one hand grips the back of my neck, the other sneaks through the slit of my dress his knuckles grazing my bare center. He groans as he finds no underwear there and slides a finger in and I gasp, and Cassian takes it as an opportunity to slide his tongue in my mouth. He begins to slide his finger in and out and Cassian moves his lips from mine and slides toward my neck and he adds a second finger.

“Cassian.” I moan as I lean my head back. His canines bite the tender flesh of neck and his thumb rubs my clit. I began moving my hips, meeting his pace in stride. “Mother spare me. I reach up and grab my breast to get more friction the cold rain already stiffening my nipples.

Cassian releases my neck with a pop and I his voice is lust filled, “Look at you, riding my fingers, wicked little thing, aren’t you.” He picks up his pace and circles his thumb on the sensitive bud and I move my hips in time with his fingers. “Come for me, Pretty girl.” He curls his fingers and I release a lewd moan as stars flicker on my vision as my release overtakes me. Cassian takes his fingers out and licks on as he makes eye contact with me. He closes his eyes and moans, “You taste delicious, Y/N” He holds his finger to my lips my arousal flooding my nostrils, “Open, Sweetheart.”

My heartrate spiked as I opened my mouth for him as he slides his fingers in and suck my juices clean off his fingers, His free hand caresses my cheek, “So fucking beautiful.” I close my eyes and hum at his compliment.

He pulls his finger out and he pulls undoes his pants and pulls them down until his cock springs to attention. I look at the plush reading chair in the corner and an idea form “Go to the chair, General,” He quirks a brow but walks over to the chair and picks up his wings to get comfortable sitting. Once he rests his wings, he spreads his legs.

I prepare to untie my heels when Cassian voice goes, “Those stay on along with that Choker, Sweetheart. Everything else off.”

I begin unlacing my dress and once its loose enough, I slowly pull down the straps facing Cassian, I tug down and turn quickly as I reach my breast, turning my head to give him a wing and slowly remove my dress swaying my hips for him until the dress is pulled at my feet. I step out of my dress and drape my arm over my chest and turn to him. He is breathing rapidly, and his hand is fisting his cock. His white shirt no longer covering his beautiful body and lust over runs my brain as I slowly lower to my knees and his eyes widened. I lower my arm and place both hands on the floor, my breast on full display and the focal point of the general’s gaze. I begin to crawl to him, and he groans leaning his head against the chair. “Fuck,” he moans.

When I reach him, I grip my hands on his calves and slowly raise my hands to his as sit myself in between his legs, “Do you know how long I have wanted to do this, Cassian?” He moans as my hand replaces his. “How often I touched myself thinking about a moment like this?”

Cassian’s eyes met mine, and he smirks, “Show me, Y/N.” I returned his smirk and while maintaining eye contact, I lick from the base all the way up to the tip of his cock his hips jerk slightly. I let my tongue swirl the tip the taste of his precum inducing the lust as I begin to take him in my mouth. His large hand slides through my hair as I take him deeper and deeper. I relax my throat to prevent me from gagging. Cassian fists my hair and pushes my head lightly, “Tap my thigh twice if it’s too much. Tap once if you understand.” I tap his thigh once, “Good girl.” I begin bobbing my head and he moans, I hollow my cheeks, and lift my eyes to meet his pure desire over his handsome features.

I picked up the pace drool pooling at the corners of my mouth and after a few moments Cassian tugs my hair, “That’s enough, I want to be inside you.” I take him out of my mouth as a line of spit that connects from my mouth to his tip. He leans forward and swipes my bottom lip. “You’re so beautiful.” I could feel the heat creep up my cheeks. He stands and holds out his hands, sliding mine into his own he lifts me up and with ease lifts me up and I drape my arms around his neck as my legs wrap around his waist. He presses his lips to mine and I tangle my fingers in his hair. His kiss is urgent and hungry, and he digs his fingers in my soft skin as he walks us to the bed.

Cassian lays me on the bed gently and pulls away from our kiss, he stands removing his pants completely and his soaked shirt. His tattooed tan skin and brood muscles are on full display. I watch as his eyes glazing over my heavy breast, my round stomach and the stretch marks and cellulite that brushes my skin. I instinctively cover myself with my arms he gently grabs my arms and pull them away, “Don’t hide, Sweetheart. I’m just admiring your stunning body,” He kisses my hand, “You’re fucking perfect, Y/N,” and he leans down and kisses my stretch marks on my thighs and moves up to the ones on my stomach, and he moves to my breast, and he places my nipple into his mouth swirling his tongue causing me to arch my back. His large, calloused hand grips my other one and squeezed it and I moaned and lifted my hips.  He releases my nipple with a pop, and he kisses up my neck and my cheek. “I fantasized about having you in my arms, in my bed for so long.” He strokes his thumb across my cheek.

My breathing became labored, “Really?”

He kisses my lips so reverently and he presses his forehead to mine, “Gods yes, since that first day we met, the first time you smiled at me I wanted you. I just knew that you needed a friend first, so I tampered off my feelings.”

I cup his face in my hands and whisper, “I’m yours, Cassian, I’ve always been yours.”

Something primal stirs in his chest, and slants his mouth over mine, his thighs move to spread my legs apart. The kiss is possessive, and tongue and teeth and I grind my hips to try to get friction between my thighs. He chuckles over my lips, “Does my girl, want my cock now?” I moan at him calling me his girl and I nod my head, “Words, Sweetheart. Give me your words.”

“Yes, please, General.”

He hummed, “Well since you asked so nicely.” He slowly guides his cock into my center going slow so I can adjust to his size. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as he stretches me out. The hand that cups my cheek and my eyes met his, “Stay with me, Sweetheart.” I nod my head, “You, okay?”

“Cass,” He tilts his head, “Please start moving.”

“As you wish, Gorgeous.” And he pulls himself out almost all the way until he slams all the way into me, and I arch my back, Cassian tilts his head back and groans as he thrusts in a slow steady pace. “You feel magnificent.” He leans back down and cradles his head in the crook of my neck, I move my hips to meet his pace and he starts nibbling on my neck leaving little love bites on the column on my neck.

His hands find mind and laces our fingers, and he gives my hands a squeeze, and I whimper as his cock hits the right spot, and I murmur, “I love you.”

He stilled and his hazel eyes meet mine, “What did you say?”

I look at him and give him a smile, “I. Love. You.”

Cassian’s stunned face turned into one of pure beauty and happiness, “I love you too, more than you could possibly know.” He quickens his pace, and he leans his head against mine and growls, “You’re mine.”

I smile as sweat coats my brow, “And you’re mine.” He releases one of my hands and his hands finds my swollen clit and my hip jerks at him swirling his finger on it. My climax building in my stomach, “Cass, I’m close.”

He continues his thrusts and whispers, “Come with me, Sweetheart.” His hand works in time with his thrust and him squeezing my hand keeps me grounded. I moan and he swallows the sound with his mouth. And my stomach coils tight and my eyes roll and Cassian roars his wings flaring out, as we both finish together.

Cassian slowly pulls himself out of me and I groan in protest. He chuckles, “Insatiable little, minx.” He goes to his bathroom and comes back with a rag and cleans me up. Tossing the rag aside he lifts my leg and begins to untie my heels on my one foot. Tossing the shoe on the floor he begins to massage my foot and I hum in contentment. He sets one leg down and lifts my other leg and does the same process.

Cassian scoops me up and pulls the covers back lays me back down pulling the covers over me. I watch as he walks to the other side of the bed, his wings tucked in and slides in. He pulls me closer, and I place my head on his chest the steady rhythm of his heartbeat a sweet melody in my ears. He wraps his arm around my waist, his hand rubbing up and down my side. “I didn’t think I was good enough for you.” I whisper.

His hand stilled, “What?”

I slide my hand to his and I trace the line inside his palm, “I’ve seen the females you’ve taken to bed; I don’t look like them.”

Cassian snorts and resumes rubbing my side, “No, your beauty blows theirs out of the water. Not to mention, your kindness and your love for your friends, your love for books and fuck if your smile doesn’t make me want to fall on my knees for you.”

“I love the way I feel safe in your arms, the way he always holds me close especially when you’ve been away for a while. You always have made me felt love and safe and even before tonight made me feel like I was the most beautiful female in the world.”

He kissed the top of my forehead, “You are, Sweetheart,” He pulls me closer, “My beautiful, Angel.”

A thought crosses into my head and I lift my head and meet his honey-colored eyes, “I think I earned my book back, General.”

Cassian laughed a boisterous laugh, and he lightly kissed my nose causing me to giggle, “In the morning, for now let’s go to sleep.” I place my head back on his chest and fall asleep to the steady beat of his heart.

[masschase]

How would you describe Casey’s fashion taste!!!

Ooh what a fun question!

A phrase I say a lot in my head, at least for post-SRIV which is mainly when I draw her, is "goth but make it fashion" which really is a way of saying I draw what I find fun, haha.

Obviously all her style eras have some significance to her character at that time, but I'm trying to answer based on her "current" (2021 to at least 2024) style because otherwise this will take forever 🤣

She's able to be more herself in this era bc:

plenty of money

no pressures of being famous/being watched/running for president

Pierce indulging his fashion design side; he makes really good use of the Zin tech.

her friendship and later relationship with Matt kind of giving her someone to bounce off of like "am i doing this right?"

Anyway...

She's fond of chokers, fishnet, camo (they managed to rip that one from her circa-2012 but in 2022 IT RETURNS in her attack-the-new planet outfit), any form of cutouts or rips, showing off her waist whether that's with corsets/belts or actually exposing it, off the shoulder stuff (one or both). She prefers to wear trousers or shorts for everyday, especially high waisted skinny jeans as her waist is pretty small compared to her hips and it helps them stay on. Generally even if she has baggier pants, sweatpants etc. they will have some form of cuff on the ankle so they're not in the way.

In terms of tops she never really stops wearing baggy cropped ones but she will also wear tighter full length vests/t-shirts. She likes soft fluffy sweaters, cardigans and hoodies bc she's usually cold.

I see her occasionally wearing casual dresses when it's hot, something low-effort like a loose silk t-shirt/tunic dress or a maxi dress. But skirts not so much. She will wear really short ones for parties/nights out/seduction purposes though.

She doesn't really do the workwear looks too much anymore because she felt forced into that stuff for press releases etc.. At most she'd maybe go for skinny suit with band tee. She doesn't really have formal events by this era but when she did she generally liked fishtail/mermaid fit dresses. She would probably secretly like to try a big floofy skirt for the hell of it but it's not really suited to the presidential events etc. she used to go to.

She likes to be at least as tall as the guys so she wears heels a lot even when it's not that practical. She wore her high-heeled boots with her spacesuit and on most time travel missions for about two years but eventually one of the heels broke and she tends towards wearing her goth boots or converse after that. I like to think she'd eventually get a new pair of heeled boots. Maybe something kind of steampunky.

She's heavily pro use of the fleur-de-lis or other Saints branding which is why she likes Pierce's designs so much. She quite likes skulls too, and little metal details like zips and eyelets too.

She wears mostly black with jewel tones or bright colours; the same sort of colours she would dye her hair. She generally wears purple underwear.

[la-jolie-mln-posts]

Do you Know the difference?

Cocktail dresses, formal gowns and black tie looks. –Know the difference.

Do people still go to cocktail parties? You do if you work for the federal government in Washington DC. People with jobs at agencies, NGOs and consulting firms do the cocktail party circuit every night. High profile business events are also places where you’ll see cocktail dresses—at award ceremonies and tradeshow parties. And if you are millennial-age, your social schedule is packed with weddings, showers, and rehearsal dinners. My cousin in 2023 alone, had 10 weddings and all the related parties. For all these occasions, the dresses are different. Let’s start with the cocktail dress.

What to wear to a cocktail party

Typically, a short dress is the look. If the event is work related, women often show up in whatever they wore to work. That is a mistake, especially in today’s typical casual work attire.

You want to stand out, and there’s no better way to accomplish that than to wear something that says “I dressed for the occasion.” It shows your respect for those who invited you.

So, whether it’s cocktails followed by dinner or cocktails to celebrate a special occasion, you’ll want to wear something that shows off your best assets (not boobs), and that fits both the season and the occasions. Here’s some looks we love… 

All of these looks are unique. The Nox Cocktail Dress with short skirt and spaghetti straps is ideal for a rehearsal dinner or a more formal event. If you’ve got the legs and the shoulders to pull this off, go for it. This one definitely calls for a cosmopolitan.  The Jordan Dress is a Floral Mikado with a jewel neckline and a midi-length skirt, perfect for the office cocktail party. It’s modest but definitely shows that you dressed for the occasion. Finally, we give you a little black dress that is truly a knock-out. The Nox Tulle Dress has an embroidered lace bodice and spaghetti straps with a flattering v-neckline.  The corset design on top is very “in” right now.

What sets the cocktail dress apart? From the sleek, sultry little black dress to the flirty bejeweled number with the swingy skirt, to the modest floral, mid-calf design, dressing up is back, and the cocktail dress is a staple, especially for young consumers whose social calendars call for a closet full of dresses.

Formal dresses find the spotlight

Weddings typically state up front if formal dress is required. For women, that typically means a long gown. If, however, you have only this occasion for a long gown and would prefer to wear a cocktail dress, find one that is formal and honors the event.

What’s hot now? The shapes and styles of formal dresses run the gamut, from mermaid shapes to ball gowns. No matter what you choose, remember that you can have the dress fitted so that it works on your body. Let’s start with glamour. Our Jovani beaded gown is long and sleek. The bodice makes the most of your bust line—revealing without being too much. This dress has just the right mix of glitter and a hint of transparency at the bottom. Gorgeous.

 Were you blessed with shapely legs? Our Fitted Sleeveless Gown combines elegant simplicity, a leg revealing slit, and a simple sweetheart bodice with spaghetti straps. Best of all is the color. This comes in emerald green, hot pick, and soft lavender.

Do you simply prefer a formal dress with a shorter skirt? No worries; there are no hard and fast rules as to the length of the skirt. It all about standing out with the right look (just to be clear, that doesn’t mean going as Cat Woman.)

One of the hottest colors is, of course, red. And our Jovani Red Strapless Fit and Flare dress is a show stopper. The tulle fabric is covered with lacy embroidered detail. This red stunner will stand out on the dance floor, draw attention from across the room, and work for any dressy occasion. Pair with black high heel sandals or a fancy pump.

The right look for black tie events

What’s a black-tie occasion? Some would say a Hollywood award ceremony is a good example. True, but if you can’t afford Yves St. Laurent, here are some looks that could pass at the Oscars, but for a lot less.

The Dolla Nox Black-One Shoulder Gown hits all the marks for formality and grace. What distinguishes this mermaid-style gown is the full ruffle sitting atop the shoulder. It provides a dramatic accent that gives the simple lines a dressy signature. Some would say a Hollywood award ceremony is a good example. True, but if you can’t afford Yves St. Laurent, here are some looks that could pass at any black tie event, but for a lot less.

If you prefer a more classic look, we recommend our Nox Lavender Gown. The skirt is flowy and features a slit to show off one long leg. The color is accented with a see-through at the waist corset bodice. And the lacy fabric gives a dressy look to the beautiful sweetheart neckline.

If it’s a ball, wear a ballgown. Here is a dress that makes every women look like a sophisticated princess (think Princess Kate). The Jovani Blue Ball Gown has an embroidered, lace fitted  bodice and open back. Stunning lace appliques tumbles down the full, multicolored tulle skirt. This dress competes with any red carpet, designer look.

Find your dream outfit here at La Jolie MLN

La Jolie MLN is noted for our cocktail, formal and black-tie dresses. No matter how you plan to celebrate, we offer a fabulous array of looks and accessories in a range of prices.

[marvelcriminalhoe]

The Vampire Kings Religion

Soft Dark! Vampire King! Steve Rogers x Human! Religious! Reader

Chapter 3

Series Warnings: Soft dark Steve, obsessive/possessive behavior, forced marriage, talks of blood, talks of feeding, death, eventual smut, probably some dubcon, eventual kinks, +18 minors DNI, maybe a little bit of dubious consent idk yet. This will be a soft DARK story so read at your own will.

word count: 2,197

Series Masterlist

What do you wear to meet a King? What do you wear to meet a vampire King? What do you wear, when the reason for the meeting is unknown to you?

You settle for a forest green colored dress. It has a swirled pattern design running up it in white and gold. It goes all the way to the floor and is long sleeved, covering all of you. You add your white corset over the top, and put on your mothers necklace, the gold cross you wear everyday. When it’s time for shoes, you decide on your lace up boots, in case you'll need to make some sort of getaway. Though you doubt you would be able to outrun a vampire, they just give you a better peace of mind.

Your father left for the church before sunrise, as usual. He hasn't said a word to you since he stormed out of the kitchen last night, throwing a “Don’t be a disappointment.” Over his shoulder. You can’t help but already feel like one. If word got around, back to the church, that you were going to the palace, the repercussions it would cause, not only for you, but for your father, is unfathomable. He runs the church, and people would start questioning his leadership if his own daughter can’t even fall in line.

The car arrives at exactly noon and the same vampire that knocked on your door yesterday, meets you as you walk to the car. He opens the door for you, same emotionless expression on his face, and you feel your stomach start to tighten as the car pulls away from your home.

You stare out the window the whole drive, passing through the different towns. The 20 minute car ride is completely silent. Pulling up to the palace, your eyes widen at the sight of it. You’ve never seen something so magnificent, granted, you've never left your human town, making run ins with the mythical creature few and far between. The ones you did see the most of were the fairies, that lived in the forests, and the witches, that lived on the outskirts of the creature land.

The vampire from yesterday opened you door, ushering you out the the car and up the stairs of the palace. A red headed female Vampire is at the front door, next to a brunette man. The red head sends you a friendly smile as you draw closer, your fathers voice echoing in your head.

Don’t show them your fear, they’ll use it against you.

When you're standing right in front of them, the red head holds out her hand, “I’m Natasha. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

You stare at her hand for a few seconds, debating, before slowly reaching out and shaking it. Her cold hand meets your warm one, and it takes everything in you not to pull back. The man next to her does nothing but watch you with calculating eyes, you make sure to keep your breathing even, not letting your anxiety show, but you're sure they can sense it.

The red head, Natasha, looks over at him, rolling her eyes and looking back at you, “This is my husband, James. Ignore him, he’s pouting.” The man beside her moves his glare from you to her. You nod your head slightly, unsure of how to respond, folding your hands in front of you. Natasha opens the door to the palace, welcoming you in.

“Steve is finishing up a meeting with the Mermaid court. He’ll meet us in his library.” She tells you as she walks ahead. You fall behind the two vampires, looking around as you follow. The thing that catches your eye, is all of the beautiful, meticulous paintings adorning the walls. They have so much color, so much life to them. whoever painted them, payed so much attention to detail that you almost feel you could step into them.

You must have slowed down without knowing, Natasha’s voice bringing you back, “They are beautiful pieces.”

You whip your head to her, mumbling, “I’m sorry, I just— I got distracted.”

She holds up one of her hands, “It’s alright honey, no need to apologize, we aren't in a rush.” James grunts in disagreement next to her, receiving a elbow to the rib from his wife. He stays silent after that, frown heavier on his face.

“Do you paint?” Natasha turns her attention back to you.

“No. I’ve sketched some, but paint is sold by the witches, forbidding the church members from buying it.” You tell her softly, looking back at the painting in front of you. It’s a forest. The trees tall and lushes green. Small dancing lights floating through. Theres small pops of orange, red, and purple, coming through from the tops of the trees, as if to represent that it was painted in the evening, at sunset. It reminds you of your view from your bedroom window, the one you looked out of constantly as a child, the one you catch yourself still looking out of every now and again.

You shake your thoughts away, turning back to Natasha and following her the rest of the way to the library. Both Natasha and James leave you by yourself, telling you the King will arrive shortly. When their gone, you release a breath. You were intimidated by them and although Natasha’s kindness seemed genuine, you remember your fathers teachings.

They will try to manipulate you, don’t fall for it.

You walk around, scanning the large bookcases. You’re surprised when you see some human literature. You pull one that your mother read to you as a child, flipping through the pages, when a voice from behind you makes you jump, “That’s one of my favorites.”

You're chest heaves up and down from the fright, dropping the book and clutching your chest.

When did he arrive?

The meeting lasted longer than Steve wold have liked, but it was important. Some mermaids have gone missing from the coves recently, and they are starting to get frightened. It’s Steve’s job as king to protect all the creatures of his land.

The second the meeting is finished, Steve rushes out of the room. Nat and Bucky waiting for him in the hallway. “Is she here?” He asks them.

Nat nods, “We just left her in the library.”

Steve sends her a thankful smile, heading in that direction. He pats his brooding friend on the shoulder as he passes, knowing he's not a fan of the current predicament. Steve understands where he is coming form. It’s not really that you're human, though he’s sure Bucky doesn't like that, but that your part of the church. The same church that wishes for all creatures to vanish. The same church that gave Bucky the long, jagged scars, that run up and down his left arm.

But Steve can’t help the warmth he felt inside when he saw your picture, the rush of the spark he was looking for. Not to mention the fact you are the preachers daughter adding fuel to his warmth. Steve enjoys a challenge, and you might be as big as they come.

When he reaches the doors to the room, closes his eyes as he takes in your scent, vanilla and honey. He’s never smelled something so sweet and warm. He enters the room and his eyes immediately find you, standing by one of the bookcases, so engrossed with the literature in your hand, you don’t notice him entering. He makes his way to where you are, taking bigger breaths, enjoying how he is surrounded by your scent. He thinks he would be okay drowning in it. The moment he makes his presence known, your heartbeat skyrockets. He enjoys the sound of it racing, making his mind wonder with other ways he could make it race.

“Apologies, darling.” He smirks at you, “Didn’t mean to startle you.” He watches you swallow, his eyes taking in the sight of your clean neck. He holds himself back from his true desire to mark you all over, painting your neck, letting everyone know your his, and only his.

“It’s alright, your majesty.” Your voice is soft and low. It makes his smirk widen as he steps even closer to you, your breath hitching. You stumble back into the bookshelf as he crowds your space, towering over you. Your eyes widen as he moves his head closer, rubbing his nose with yours, one of his hands moving up, to put a piece of your hair behind your ear. “Just Steve, darling.”

“Steve.” She whispers, he thinks involuntarily, and he can’t help the want of listening to her say it forever.

“How about we go sit?” He asks you.

You nod feverishly as he backs away from you, walking towards the lounging area of the room. He observes you take calming breaths before you follow him over, he can practically hear your thoughts darting around your head. You sit in the chair across from his, crossing your ankles. Steve takes you in fully for the first time. He thinks you look wonderful in green, but would be exquisite in blue or red. He also enjoy’s how little your dress shows, no-one being able to see what’s underneath. He makes a mental note to have dresses made for you with a deeper neckline and shorter sleeves, however. No one will look at you when he’s around.

“Would you like something to drink, doll?” You shake your head. He stands, making himself a whiskey, opting to sit in the chair next to yours rather than across once he’s done. He sips from the glass, noticing how you fidget with your fingers, he reaches over with his free hand, stopping you, enjoying the way you stop breathing for a moment. Enjoying the reactions he can pull from you.

What a precious little thing.

Your stare at his cold hand holding yours for a silent few moments, before raising your eyes to meet his. Blue globes mixed with green swirls hold you in place. You work up the courage to finally ask the question that has been burning in your mind since yesterday, “Why am I here?”

You don’t enjoy the way his eyes drinks you in, nor the smirk that widens on his face when he hears the waver in your voice.

“Why do you think you're here, doll?” He raises a condescending brow at you.

Your eyes narrow at his tone, “If I knew, I wouldn't be asking.” You bite out, immediately regretting it. His eyes widen, before the settle into a look of amusement.

He chuckles, sending chills up your spine, “I’m looking for a wife, darling. Surely you’ve heard that?”

You nod your head in confusion, “That doesn't answer my question.”

“Doesn’t it?” He rebuts. His thumb drags across your knuckles and you berate yourself mentally for forgetting he was holding it. He leans closer to you, smiling when you stiffen, “You, darling, would make the perfect wife.”

Your blood runs cold at his words. Surely he’s joking, playing some sort of sick game with you. You're heartbeat speeds up as your mind fills with questions. You feel yourself begin to shake and the anxiety coursing through your veins, imbeds itself in your bones. You feel like your suffocating, eyes blurring. The only thing that draws you back to the present, before the panic can fully settle in is a knock at the door.

“Enter.” Steve calls. You see a short woman with long, light brown hair, walk in. She smiles at you, and you can tell she’s not a vampire, but she’s not human either. A witch, your brain supplies.

She turns her attention to the King, “Lunch is ready for you, your Majesty.”

The King smiles kindly at her, “Thank you, Wanda.”

He pulls you up with him as he stands, leading you out of the room. Your panic is back, not paying attention to any of your surroundings as you walk. He brings you to a room with a large dinning table, pulling out a chair for you.

You look up at him, but he just smirks, gesturing with his chin for you to sit, so you do. “I had the maids prepare you some food.” He sits in the chair adjacent to yours at the head of the table.

“That’s not necessary.” You speak, wincing as your voice shakes.

Don’t show them your fear, they’ll use it against you.

“Of course it is.” He dismisses you, “A husband must care for his wife’s needs.”

You choke, coughing up the water you were drinking. Once you settle, you look back to him, trying to keep your voice firm, “I’m not marring you. I don’t even know you. I’m human and you— you’re a—.” You start to stutter.

He stands from his chair, walking to yours. His hands go to the arms trapping you from leaving. He leans down over you, all traces of the amusement from earlier in his eyes, gone. His dry laugh keeping you from speaking again, “Doll, I’ve already made my decision.” He grabs your chin gently with one of his hands, forcing you to stay looking at him. You feel his slow breaths fall over your face.

“Your mine now, darling.” He whispers, his cold lips, meeting your warm ones.

A lamb, brought to be slaughter indeed.

[shizukateal]

The Holy Quintet: The BEST DRESSED Magical Girl Team EVER. Part 2: Characters made of symbols and shapes.

Part 1 here.

Mami Tomoe

Mami Tomoe’s outfit is a work of genius that really humbles me as an aspiring character designer. Watching the perfection in its simplicity only boggles my mind trying to reverse engineer the thought process behind it. Even if they already had decided on the huntress theme before they finished her, how did Ume Aoki came up with cutting the sleeves like that? Or with the perfect skirt shape that allows the corset to show all of her curves while puffing at just the right height to not make the hipline transition awkward and giving the shape of a flower? How long did it take her to find this particular color scheme? Did she immediately know where to put the purple to balance the outfit without feeling artificial? How did she realize that the stripes on the socks would add the ideal touch to the whole setup? Or the perfect way to turn the soulgem into a hair accessory? I would have gone the easy way and put it in the chest ribbon like the amateur I am! Did she have doubts about it while she was figuring out the exact design of the boots?!

This outfit does everything. It’s sexy without being unnecessarily tasteless, it’s girly and fancy but battle-ready, it even passes the silhouette test, it’s nuanced, almost realistic. Even Mami’s hairstyle, which in a lesser design would look too childish, is perfect for her. Mami’s whole theme is that she’s a little girl desperately trying to convince herself that she’s an adult. Her low drill-tails are doll-like, which is to say a little girl’s idea of what a fancy adult woman looks like. The side-swept bangs also give a youthful roundness to her face while being elegant, and the way the hat and hairpin complements the whole thing is just * cheff’s kiss *.

Kyouko Sakura

Kyouko is a fire gal, and as such her shape is a triangle, so her outfit is a halter top coat that widens into the frilled overskirt. Her ponytail also feeds into this theme, with hair bits sticking wildly on the top like the fire sparks of a candle, and the ribbon is just scrappy but cute enough to compliment her personality. Haha, ponytail, get it? Like a horse? Or in her case a de-horned unicorn, ergo her spear. Her look also gives us the impression of an outlaw with her pirate/rider boots, long coat and gloves, fitting her lifestyle, and her soulgem is on her chest, indicating her more emotional nature. I think the boldest decision was to leave her hands ungloved, or at least I know I wouldn’t have done that, but that’s why I’m glad I wasn’t in Ume Aoki’s position when Madoka was in production. The white details on her undershirt and boots also put an elegant touch of complexity that completes the whole thing. What I’m trying to say here is that Kyoko has the ““easiest”” design of the other puellas, but it’s still top notch.

Sayaka Miki

Sayaka’s outfit is a balancing act, trying to keep it’s knight aesthetic clear without relying on heavy armor to do so and thus allowing Sayaka’s more romantic, femenine side to show, not to mention her water + music/mermaid theme. Her whole getup is very ingenious. Her short hair allows the cape to flow without seeming excessive and heavy or an inconvenience, her hairpin prevents the cut from being bland, but still keeping a somewhat tomboyish look, and her skirt has a distinct asymmetrical cut that, with its white outline, gives the idea of a wave. Her boots are short, comfy, practical, and their shade is just different enough that they avoid the look from feeling kinda boring within its color pallet, without straying away from it. I’m honestly amazed at how well they pulled of her belly-button soulgem as well, especially without taking away from the knight theme, hell they even used that in their favor! That is ingenuity. It was also a genius idea to hold the cape on a choker to make it all fit better with a sweetheart neckline.

Homura Akemi

As I mentioned before when I talked about Senjougahara, Homura is a rhombus, not just in her soul gem but in the rest of her body: she is pointy, slim, and long. She is the tallest and lankiest amongst the Holy Quintet, her outfit primarily highlighting her legs and her hair ending in jagged points. What impresses me the most about it is that the shirt is very weirdly cut for a concept as straightforward as “school uniform”, but it works. I can imagine a much easier version of it without the undersleeves or the collar. Speaking of which, the shape of them draws attention to her soul gem on her hand, which is placed there to symbolize how she’s the most “hands on” magical girl. Her time motif is present in her back ribbon, which looks like clock hands, same with Moemura’s braids, and in her shield, which is small and attached to her wrist and also is actually a sand clock. That shield is a really neat, concise, and smart way to tie up the entirety of her wish, huh? Speaking of Moemura, it’s really interesting to see the conflict between the two versions of this character in their differences. First we have the hair, of course, then the red glasses. I sense that there’s more to those than what I’m interpreting here, but the best I can do is conclude that aside that Homura tosses them out because they represent her weakness the fact that they’re red means they also represent her emotionality, which Madoka returns to her when she gives her her red ribbons (which also represent the string of fate, of course, and also confidence in oneself). But the part that interests me the most is her heels. Moemura doesn’t fit them, she trips on them constantly, but for Homura they are a symbol of her maturity and composure. Naturally, the first time we see Homura break down after narrowly killing Kyubey before they could do a contract with Madoka, she trips on them.

@leafbladie also pointed out to me that the reason it looks like a school uniform might be because school is the only place where she could make genuine human connections. 

Madoka Kaname

Kyouko is a triangle, Homura is a rhombus, and Madoka is, fittingly, a Star, aka. a cluster of points shooting out from a center, which also blends well as a flower motif. Or to put it even more eloquently, she’s the flower from the ground that will eventually become the star in the sky. It’s in her skirt, gloves, socks and ponytails. And the rest of her? Is a deception in its simplicity. After all, this is what you expect from the leader of a magical girl team, right? Pink! Ribbons! Frills! Come on, you’ve seen this outfit before, it’s practically the same as Cure Peach’s! But Madoka is aiming for something more specific: she is both a fairy AND a witch, the two faces of the Magical Girl, creatures of fairytales often related to either nature or to the stars, and it works precisely because she uses that shape. Madoka is a balance of roundness and pointiness, it’s just that those points are softened by the pastel coloring. Her balance in ribbons and frills is excellent as well. I should probably write a separate post on how those 2 elements work in general, but suffice to say that we all know way too many magical girls that just put those things everywhere. Two on her ponytails to highlight them, one behind her neck, two on her hips to smooth the hipline transition, two behind her shoes. Huh, speaking of those, Madoka has surprisingly tall heels, right? Taller than Mami’s and only matched by Homura’s. Really tells you who the 2 most emotionally resilient members are in the team.

The last piece I’d like to highlight is her weapon, which I’m jealous of because I did that concept for an OC of mine and now if I do it everyone is going to think that I got it from her. But in any case, yeah combining a druidic staff into an also druidic bow whose arrows are also shooting star analogues is the perfect choice for this particular character, the Goddess of Magical Girls.

And this, everyone, has been my reasoning and analysis of the genius of the Holy Quintet’s character designs. Follow me if you want more magical girl outfit analysis.

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

There's a Coney Island Circus Sideshow, sometimes billed as the Coney Island Freak Show. It's a sort of retro, throwback vibe, part old school goth, back when alt was ALTERNATIVE instead of just cute but with winged eyeliner, part madcap Americana weird. "Human curiosities," it promises, euphemistically. But it's not the circus sideshows of old, of yore, with PT Barnum exploiting every person he met with any kind of birth defect or mystery disease or other abnormality, not exactly. Best the Coney Island Circus Sideshow can do ya, these days, probably, is a magician with dwarfism. Audiences have different tastes now: the sideshow is too weird, too exploitive in the wrong ways, to be popular. The Coney Island Sideshow is too weird to be profitable, even when it's kinda samey. But the Coney Island Circus Sideshow has something weirder: most of the performers--the freaks, if you will--are self made. Free range and therefore technical, therefore ethical. These are people who made some choices--subdermal implants for horns, full face tattoos, acrobats, contortionists. Body mods. "Acrobat isn't a body mod," you say, but honestly, what takes more total hours to accomplish--tattoos or training to do doubles on trapeze? How many doubles can YOU do? That's right. Sit down.

There's a Coney Island Sideshow and it's sort of weird and cheap and possibly bad, and that's the point.

I'm always in Manhattan, these days, when I'm in NYC, in tasteful heels and modest neckline sheath dresses. But if I have the time for that long ass sketchy subway ride, I can remember, pay homage to that long ago summer when we first scuttled across the city to go the freak show. I remember it as night but was it, really? I don't know.

It was the metallic subway smell caught in your hair, the summer you wore a blood stained Yankees cap with your cutoffs and lacey tops, all exposed bra straps and chipped black nail polish. $1 to a street vendor completes the look, neon plastic rosaries around your neck, your wrists. The walk is sketchy and the walk is long before you spy the iconography of the sideshow, the banners with conjoined twins and, for some reason, a Fiji mermaid. Tickets are cheap. Everything is kind of filthy: classic NYC grime. The vibe isn't creepy carnival as much as, say, the bathroom at the back of the goth club where somebody's doing coke. It smells like burnt popcorn instead of clove cigarettes. The fog machine smell is the same.

There's something bawdy about a circus sideshow live performance that just doesn't translate on video. You know what the trick is for sword swallowing, or the bed of nails, or the nails through the nose. But knowing isn't seeing isn't being. The MC is just some babe in a corset and face tats eating spiders, but she belongs, it's FUN. A man in the audience calls out YOU'RE THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS! he means it. you can tell she gets this a lot.  someone else is swallowing yards of plastic tubing. The reason we never had more American born "flipper babies" is that one doctor, Frances Oldham Kelsey, dared to ask "why the fuck are we letting pregnant women take Thalidomide when we don't know what it does to fetuses?" Presumably she didn't say "fuck." You say fuck. The performers say fuck. It must be a night show. Are there kids here? There's creepy clowns but honestly, where AREN'T there creepy clowns? You're used to creepy clowns. The creepy clowns say "fuck." Bearded lady isn't the shocker it was a century ago. Fire breathing is still rad as fuck. Fire breathing will always be rad as fuck. All fire breathing live performance is an audience participation event. Everyone feels the heat. MC babe eats another spider. The word you are thinking of is kitsch, but with affection, with a little thrill, with a little awe. Years later you will look an aerial hoop and your heart will say "yes" and you won't make the carnival connection until later. You are not supposed to like this, you are supposed to come from an upstanding family. At least one of your ancestors ran away from home to join the circus and this is how you know that this is in fact your bloodline, a bunch of witches where sometimes someone goes sane in the middle of everybody else being batshit and the solution is to run away and join the circus. Even more years later you will look at a stripper pole and your heart will go: why not? Later on you read that the origin of the stripper pole is the same Americana wild gauche circus carnival shit you've always loved for no dang reason. This makes sense to you. You buy the pole.

[my-fan-side]

Unconventional (Chapter 3)

A/N: I was suppose to post this yesterday but I wasn’t sure where to cut the scene. I hope this is okay. :) Also I have read one of my Nessian FanFic where they also attend a ball, I realized I have the same idea on what Nesta should wear on formal occassions like that. haha.. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this and on next chapter there will be more Eris-Nesta-Cassian interaction. :)

Previous Chapter: Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Not a few minutes after Nesta went upstairs, Feyre and Elain saw Cassian land on the porch. But instead of coming inside from the front door, he raised his hand to wave at them and pointed out the pack he was holding, then walk beside the house towards their backyard, where his small smith room was located. He was dropping his materials to his workstation first before coming in. The two youngest Archeron just nodded back and smiled to him.

Then footsteps were heard from the stairs, both sisters turned their attention to it and they were both rendered speechless on what they saw. Nesta walks carefully down towards her sisters. The beautiful red dress fits her body perfectly, showing off her generous curves. The intricate sequins and elaborate embroidery over the meshed-up fabric compliments each other impeccably. Both sisters would agree without saying a word that she looks like a Queen in her own right.

Apparently, there’s another one that have the same thoughts as the younger Archerons’, because the next thing they know, a broken glass was on the floor, and a certain Illyrian was blinking dumbly as he stared at his mate, with his mouth hanging open. They all turned their attention to him, trying not to laugh at his reaction.

Nesta’s mind tells her to tease him, but her body was tingling with the way Cassian was staring at her. She can feel the awe, the desire and the love from his eyes and through their bond. She blushed and her eyes soften a little bit, but then she managed to control herself and put her hands on her hips instead. She raised her brow and smirked towards her mate. “I’m not cleaning that up.” She nods towards the broken glass that he had dropped as soon as he saw her.

Cassian though, without taking his eyes off of Nesta, waved his hand and with a breeze of wind the broken pieces flew towards the trash can. He stepped towards her one at a time, looking at her from head to toe, until he’s finally in front of her. They were so close, there’s barely any space between then. He was looking down on her and she was staring back up at him.

“Yeah, we’ll just… get on our way home.” Feyre said as she quietly dragged Elain out of the house. “Uhuh… see you tomorrow.” Elain agrees softly, then closed the front door. Meanwhile, Nesta & Cassian doesn’t seem to hear or care on where the other two occupants have gone and said. They just keep on looking into each other’s eyes, until Cass finally spoke. “Gods damn it, why did he have to be the one to give you this dress.” He was holding the edge of the sleeves that ends on Nesta’s wrist, tracing the embellished swirls in it.

Without breaking eye contact, Nesta traced her fingers from her mate’s wrist, then arms, then shoulder, until she settles it at the back of his neck. “Will it make you feel any better if I tell you that according to Elain, this is probably Lady Isabella’s idea, more than Eris?”

Cassian didn’t answer immediately, he keeps on staring at his mate’s blue grey eyes as he moved his hands from her sleeves, to her hips. He leaned in closer and slowly moved his caresses to her lower back just above her butt, then higher towards her spine. But not a moment too soon his hands froze, because on a place where he expects to touch more fabric, his hands met a warm and soft skin instead.  Nesta didn’t miss the slight tilt of her mate’s head when this happen, so she smirks at him and completely leaned into him, resting her head by his shoulder. Cassian then nuzzles her neck, taking a peek at her exposed bare back.

“I don’t care who gave you this or who made this dress for that matter, Sweetheart. All I know is that this dress is made for you, and only you. It would be a shame if the world won’t see how stunningly beautiful you are wearing this.” What he said is true. Right now, looking at his mate, Bryaxis could’ve given this dress to her and he still wouldn’t mind if she wears it. If anything, he wished it was him who gave her this outfit.

Nesta couldn’t help the reddening of her cheeks so he burrowed her head further towards Cassian’s neck to hide it. Cassian found it amusing and snorts, but kissed her forehead nonetheless. Nesta slap him slightly on the chest because how dare him laugh at her being flustered.

Pushing slightly away from Cassian, she looks straight to his eyes before asking: “Are you sure?” She wanted to be certain that he’s not just admiring how she looks on that dress now. She stands by what she said to her sisters and him, she won’t wear it if it would bother him. Not because she has to have his consent, no, of course not.  But she’d rather not have her mate itchy and irritated the whole time they were supposed to be relaxing and having fun.

Cassian nods and give her a sincere smile to assure her. “I’ve just got one request though.”

Nesta raised her brows at this, curious at what he would ask from her.

But instead of answering her question, he grins bigger towards her, then without warning he pulled the tie that was holding her hair up. Her wavy golden-brown hair tumbled down all the way mid her spine. It covers the upper part of her bare back, but still exposed generous amount of it. He touched her hair softly and whispers so close to her ear “Let your hair down on the party, please?”. When he got the soft nod from his mate, she kissed her temple and kept admiring her on that dress for a little while more, before finally Nesta decided to step out of it.

-----    

The weekend can not come any sooner, they were all preparing to leave the House of Wind and go to Autumn for the ball. Rhys and Cassian were by the window talking about some topics they weren’t able to discuss on their meeting earlier. Az already went ahead to check on the surroundings that they’ll be winnowing in. Mor and Lucien is by the couch talking about Winter, sharing stories on their experiences when the last time they were on that court. Amren is nowhere to be found, but with Varian already in the night court having agreed to come together with her little monster going to the ball, they’re not surprised that the couple were a bit late.

They’re all waiting for the Archeron sisters, who’ve decided to prepare together and come out when the three of them are all ready. Clicking of heels were heard from the hallway, and then there was a vision of red, green and black in front of them. Nesta, Elain and Feyre stepped out of the hallway, stunning their precious mates with their presence.

Feyre is wearing a black sequined dress with thin halter top and deep plunging neckline ending mid-waist. Its torso has a corset fit that accentuates her small waist. The mesh fabric was covered with swirls and diamonds that gives that sparkle when she moves. The thigh high slit gives that sensuality that always radiates from the High Lady of the Night. Her hair was up in a slightly messy updo and she only have her earrings and arm tattoo as her accessories. She radiates both elegance and magnificence on how she looks. The High Lord shook his head, and as he continues to roam his eyes on his mate, he thought he will never not find his mate beautiful.

Elain’s outfit was a light contrast to her sister’s dark hues. She was wearing a green dress whose shade was between fern and mint. The neckline was in line with her shoulder blades, and the bishop long sleeves were made of see-through chiffon. There are embroidered flowers by the shoulder and on both ends of the sleeves. There’s a dark ribbon as her belt knotted on her waist, and the rest of the dress flows down in an A-line cut. With her hair loosely braided on one side decorated with small floral trinkets, Elain emits a fairylike ambiance and sophistication only a true Lady can have. Lucien’s embellished jade green tunic with gold-work thread was a perfect match for his mates’. His smile was somewhere between awe, gratefulness and pride that she has this brown-eyed Lady as his mate.

Last but not the least, Nesta was wearing the grandest among the sisters. Her mermaid dress emphasizes her hour glass figure, from her generous front to her curvy hips. The neck line was not as deep as Feyre’s but still exposes that ample cleavage and sharp collarbone. The intricate design over a sheer layer of fabric runs from her shoulder and arms, to her chest, all the way to her hips. Her hair was down in a loose wave flowing through her exposed back. She emanates such class and opulence that only Queens usually gives out. And Cassian, frozen in the middle of the living room, could not comprehend how he had deserved such female as his mate. Yes, he has seen her wear this before, but seeing her now all made up and looking like a royalty, he shook his head and approached Nesta steadily. He then made a slight bow of his head and raised his arms for her to take. “My Queen, may I have the privilege to escort you through out the night?” He looked Nesta in the eye with a genuine smile of admiration towards her. Nesta tried not to blush on her mate’s antics, but with all her friends and family’s eyes on them, she can’t help it. She bit her lip and took her mate’s arm, pull him slightly close to her and give him a kiss on the side of his lips then whispers “Yes, you may.”

There was a moment of quiet as the Illyrians and the Fox keep on admiring their mates, Mor raised her eyebrows at this. She found the sisters absolutely gorgeous, but the way these Males are looking at them she knows her compliments wouldn’t probably be heard. She was about to break the silence, when suddenly Amren spoke behind her that made her jump a little. Actually, it startled all of them whether it was obvious or not. That sneaky little…

“So, are we going or are you just going to keep on staring at each other?” Amren raised a brow towards the couples and wander her eyes to all of them. She gave the ladies nods of approval, and the males an eyeroll.

“Alright, let’s go.” Rhysand held her hand out towards Cassian so they can winnow together. “See you in a few Feyre Darling” He gave his wife a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing. The rest of the circle paired up and left one after the other. Elain was with Lucien, Feyre winnowed out with Nesta, and Amren, Mor and Varian left as a group.

-----    

Looking at the entrance of the palace, they all admire the elaborate decorations that surrounds the place. The fairy lights on trees, bushes and walls; the velvet banners by the balcony; and the beautifully arranged cluster of red and orange flowers that awaits every one that was to enter.

Walking down the hallway towards the great ballroom, they were greeted with the same luxurious interior. They’ve entered the room just in time as the speaker was making an introduction for the new High Lord of Autumn before he comes out. Also already on the stage was Lady Isabella, and some Officials of the Court.

“…And now, let us all welcome Eris Vanserra--the eldest son of the late High Lord of Autumn- Beron Vanserra, and his beloved wife, Lady Isabella.” Settling down on one side of the room, near the front, the members of the Night Court joined the crowd in clapping and looking towards the stage. They watch as the auburn-haired Lady approach his eldest son whom have kneeled at the center of the stage awaiting the crown his mother was carrying. As the crown was settled on his head, the crowd erupted into another round of applause and cheers. His mother touched his face tenderly and kissed his cheek, then she took a step back to give the stage to his son. Eris spread his arms wide and a burst of fire flew out of his hands. The ballroom was surrounded with fireworks, then there were floating candles by the ceiling and the torches by the wall was lit. Eris was glowing, and the crown in his head was burning brightly. Everyone can feel the power radiating from him, but instead of fear, it was the amazement that was more dominant.

Eris gave the obligatory speech; it was short but poignant. “….Again, thank you everyone who is here and have given their time to celebrate this occasion with me. Know that your presence is very much appreciated. Now, I would not let you wait any longer. Please, enjoy the rest of the night. And let the dining and dancing... begins.”

Tags: @sjm-things @moonbeammadness @maastrash @typicalmidnightsoul @awesomelena555 @wannawriteyouabook

[jordanlahey]

My Jolly Sailor Bold (1)

Pairing: Pirate!Bucky x Reader

Summary: Y/n gave up her legs for a tail, a painful life for a carefree one in the wide ocean but what would she give up for the heart of a salty bloodthirsty pirate? Is there even anything left for her to give up for him?

Chapter Warnings: Slight violence?

Word count: 1499

A/N: What’s this? Another Update on the same day? You lucky fellows. Tag list it still open

MJSB: @queen-of-elves @undiscovered-misunderstood, @baybay123455

Permanent - @doowneey , @m-a-t-91 , @fuckthatfeeling , @jitterbuck , @pvnk-bivch , @etherealmandi, @pri00r @5aftermidnight , @thisismysecrethappyplace @dtftheavengers, @straycuties9, @typicaltrashbag, @lanijoy, @fourtyninekirbygamzeegirl

Bucky Barnes - @release-the-cathyrchkn, @ria132love

Y/n would swim rapidly in the ocean. This was when Y/n felt free, this was her time to do whatever and however she did it for. She would converse with other merfolk in the further out waters away from land, she would swim with the deep sea creatures and play with dolphins, she will explore deep underwater caves and find treasures of her own. 

Although Y/n chose to give up her human life for a mermaid’s one she still finds herself watching the humans from time to time, she’ll often wonder if her parents miss her but shakes the thoughts from her mind. Lately Y/n’s obsession has been with a certain ship that plows the sea and a certain pirate she fancies.

This pirate was a good man at heart and was not always a pirate, he worked for the throne but he was treated unfairly and had slaughtered the whole crew and made himself into the ruthless pirate he is today. Over the years he had gathered enough men to join his crew and he became one of the most wanted pirates at sea for the crimes he has committed.

Y/m would swim below his ship and follow it wherever she can and occasionally will look through a window like whole in his ship and watch him steer his vessel. Heavens knows why Y/n has fallen for this pirate besides his devilishly handsome good looks that’s about it but Y/n knows there is still good in his heart but it’s been locked away for too long. Y/n watches over the ship and a few times she has saved her pirate and his crew from those bloodthirsty sirens, her voice was powerful enough to block out the sirens spell from the crew allowing them to escape before their lives were stolen from them.

Times like this where she would sit and watch her pirate she wished she still had her legs so she could one day meet him if she could she would sail with him for the rest of her days. Y/n had to leave the ship as it pulled into the docks but she would never be far away from it, she would sit on the rocks near it but still out of sight of humans.

*2nd POV*

You sat on the rocks ringing the water out your hair as you kept watch of the ship, you began to hum a tune to yourself to pass the time then found yourself being joined by another mermaid.

“Good evening Maria.” You smiled and turned your head to see the other mermaid still in the water. “How did you find me?”

“I have raised you since you were a child I know where you would run off to.” She laughed and pulled herself up onto that rock beside you. “Y/n, he’s a dangerous man you know that.”

“I know but there is good in him, i know it.” You sigh, looking down at your tail then Maria took your hand in hers and gave you a sympathetic smile.

“You know, I never properly took away your legs dear.” You looked up at Maria with a confused but Maria only grinned. “You see if you stay out of water long enough you tail will dry and your tail will become your legs again and if you want your tail back you go into that water.” She smiled.

“So I can…” You look over at the ship then back at Maria and she nodded. This was your chance to meet the man you have fallen for.

“Just please be careful Y/n.” You nodded at her and pulled the rest of your tail out of the water. “There is a human couple who are swimming in the ocean give me a second.” with that Maria dove back into the water and then appeared again holding a few pieces of clothing. “Don’t worry I didn’t get them wet.” Maria came back with a corset, a pair of bloomers, an underskirt and a blue dress to go over the top. She helped you get into the things she could while you still had your tail, it was nearly dry by the time you had finished getting the million pieces of clothing on.

“Why do humans have to wear so much items of clothing?” You huffed as Maira finished fixing the dress.

“Humans are strange people you should remember that.”

“Yes but i never wore this much clothing.” You answered back, just then a strange feeling washed over you and you looked at your...legs? “I have legs!” You shouted and began touching your legs and feet. “Wait I’ve forgotten how to walk.” You panicked but Maria hushed you and told you to put one foot in front of the other. You started off a bit wobbly but you were quick at learning. You put on the rest of your items of clothing but you didn’t have shoes although your dress hid the fact you didn’t wear any. You said your goodbyes and you attempted to quickly make your way to the ship you have been following for a while now. 

You finally reached the ship and you looked around to see if anyone was around but as far as you were aware no one was near or on it so you went on.

“Oi, you’re not supposed to be on there!” A voice shouted and you quickly ducked down behind two massive crates and covered your mouth to muffle your breathing.

“Captain Barnes! There’s a woman on your ship!” The voice shouted but you stayed behind the crates. It wasn’t long before you heard many footsteps aboard the ship then the all stopped. A part of you was scared and another part of you wasn’t but this is what you have been dying to do and it was definitely too late to back out now. You suddenly felt pain in your head as you were pulled up by your hair and then grabbed by the neck, you winced and a strangled cry escaped your mouth before you met eyes with your pirate.

“Look what we have here men. What’s a girl like you doing on my ship?” His grip tightened around your neck and you lifted your hands to start clawing at his hand but it was no use, he wouldn’t let go. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you darlin’ it might just get worse for you.” He squeezed a little tighter and you started to feel dizzy.

“C-can’t…t-t-talk….to….can’t breathe.” Your efforts to get him to let go of you became weak and your eyes were about to close then he let go and you dropped to the floor coughing and gasping for air. “That...was not what...I was… expecting.” You mumbled mainly to yourself but the pirate heard.

“Well what did you expect? You snuck aboard my ship. Now tell me your business and i’ll consider a quick death for you.” You looked up at him with wide eyes, surely this wasn’t the man you caught feelings for. You stood up, nearly losing your balance then smoothed out your dress.

“I’m Y/n and I don’t know why I’m on your ship but I did want to meet you?” The crew was silent then they erupted of laughter.

“Darlin, do you know who I am?” You opened your mouth to speak but he cut you off. “I am Captain James Barnes, one of the most ruthless and wanted men at sea. Nobody wants to meet me. Right men?” The crew cheered in agreement and James’ smirked at you, you felt a part of you break a little inside.

“Well I did and I’m not a nobody and I’m most certainly not like everybody else. I gave up something important to me for this but I must have wasted my time.” You sighed, You went to walk passed him but a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes stopped you.

“Now hold on a second there sweet cheeks, I didn’t say you could leave.” You turned around to face James once again. “Explain to me what you gave up and how you’re not like everyone else.”

“I cant.”

“Why not.”

“Because it’s a secret and you’ll use it against me.” You raised your voice slightly. This was not like anything you’d imagine, you were disappointed to say the least. “I just want to see the world from a different perspective once more that’s all, can you grant me that?” You sighed in defeat. Captain James thought for a moment and looked between you and the man behind you.

“Y/n, welcome aboard to The Winter Sailor.” he held out his hand and you beamed at this and some of the men behind you cheered mostly to the captain but you didn’t mind really, you were finally going to get to know the pirate you grew to like.

[thatlaughingbat]

The Life of Liz - Chapter 1 Part 1

"Jack, the boat!"

He looks down and sees the water slowly filling from what I assume is the hull.

"Ugh." He grunts and slides down from the rope next to him. "Bucket." He holds out his hands. I grab the wooden bucket and toss it to him. Jack starts scooping the water into the bucket and back into the ocean. The water just returns to the boat. "Do you not have the ability to help, darling?" Jack asks softly. Not as he's demanding me to help.

"Did you completely forget the fact that once I touch this, I won't be able to stand?" I respond. I gesture down to my legs.

"Ah." He smirks and nods.

"It's not working," I say, "but we're near land. Let it sink." He looks up behind me and stands. I feel a dark presence behind me. Death. I turn quickly and see skeletons being hung. Three of us. They're pirates.

Jack takes off his hat in respect. I salute and turn to the land. Port Royal, I assume. There's no way this boat is going to make it in time.

Jack grabs the rope and pulls himself back up to the top. He mumbles something I couldn't make out and wraps his arm around my torso. The wind travels through my hair. I wrap my arm around his neck to keep myself steady. The ship slowly sinks as we reach the dock.

Many children are working on the docks. Slaves maybe. They could be children of the other workers though.

Jack lets me down on the end of the dock, him following. I smile and grab his hand as we start walking. We walk past the dock keeper and a child, ignoring them. Until...

"Hold up there you two!" The man says. We turn and look at the man. He is well dressed but still dirty. He is holding a book. "It's a shilling to tie up your boat to the dock."

I look at the "boat". It's nothing but the top of the sail poking out. Unnecessary payment in my opinion.

"And I sure need to know your names."

Jack pulls three small coins from his pocket and lays it on top of the book. "What do you say to three shillings and we forget the names?" He says. The man looks at the child and back to us.

"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. and Mrs. Smith." He says, closing the book. I sigh in relief and nod at the man. Jack clasps his hands together as a thank you. I turn and finally take in the smell. I expected it to be a bit less salty. But the air was salty and sour. It felt like I was taking my last breath every time I breathe.

Jack finds a small coin bag on the podium. He grabs it and shakes it. Seems at least 5 shillings in there. It could be useful so he takes it.

Then, we continue walking. There's a lot of people around us but they are too busy working to notice us. Jack stops. He nods his head to a large ship. A ship I've seen before. The Interceptor.

"That one?" I ask.

"It's big and it's fast. That's all we need, love." He responds. I nod and follow him to the ship.

When we reach it, there are two English guards. We try and walk past them, but they walk right in front of us.

"This dock is off-limits to civilians." One of the guards says. His voice sounds a bit shaky like this is his first time guarding.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know," Jack says. "if I see one, I shall inform you immediately." He grabs my hand again and tries to walk past them but they block us again.

"Apparently there's some high-toned and fancy to-do at the fort, eh?" Jack asks.

"Shame you didn't get an invitation. Such pleasant men like yourself should have been at least asked." I shrug. The other guard glares at the other.

"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians." One of the guards says confidently.

"And it's a fine goal to be sure, but it seems to me, a ship like that," Jack moves to the side and points to the Dauntless ship from afar, "makes this one here a bit superfluous, really." The two guards turn to look at the Dauntless.

"The Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough," The same guard replies, "but no ship can match the Interceptor for speed." I laugh softly. Funny.

"I've heard of one," Jack says. "It's supposed to be fast, nigh uncatchable." He looks to me and smiles.

"The Black Pearl." We say together. The other guard laughs at our response. I tilt my head to the side.

"There's no real ship as can match the Interceptor." The other guard says in defense.

"Black Pearl is a real ship." The first guard replies. I roll my eyes and lay my head against Jack's arm. Something tells me this bickering is going to go on longer than I want it to.

As they continue bickering, Jack and I slip away while they're distracted. We walk over to the ship and climb onto the deck.

It has a reddish-brown wood on the floors balancing out with the navy and yellow lining the outside of the ship. It's beautiful. Jack walks up to the wheel and drags his hand across it.

"How's this one?" I smile.

He laughs. "Perfect-"

"Hey! You two!" The guards yell. They run towards us and point their guns at our stomachs. "You don't have permission to be aboard there, mates."

"I'm sorry. It's just... it's such a pretty boat." I elbow him. "Ship!"

"I agree. What is this, mahogany?" I tease and lean on the wheel.

"What're your names?" The guard asks. I clear my throat.

"Smith. Or... Smithy, if you like." He says. I'd laugh softly and nod.

"What's your purpose in Port Royal, Mr. and Mrs. Smith?" The guard asks smugly.

"And no lies."

Jack sighs and walks towards them.

"All right, then. I confess." He starts. "It is my intention to commandeer a ship, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid pillage plunder, and pilfer my black guts out." I didn't expect him to say it. I mean, it does sound kind of insane now that I am thinking about it.

"I said no lies!" The guard says.

"He's not lying," I mumble.

"I think he's tellin' the truth." The other guard responds. Jack holds onto the rope and smiles.

"If he were telling the truth he wouldn't have told us." The guard says.

"Unless of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you," Jack says a matter of factly. I smile. I've always admired his intelligence. Not a lot of people notice it.

We sit down and Jack starts to get the guards to soften up to us. He starts explaining crazy stories of ours because he knows they wouldn't believe him.

I hear a splash from afar. I turn to see a girl floating deep into the water. About my age. Maybe younger. I stand immediately and run to the edge of the ship.

"Will you be saving her, then?" Jack asks.

"I can't swim!" The guard says. Jack turns to me and nods.

"Pride of the king's navy, you are!" He takes his hat off and starts giving them his weapons to keep them safe. I sigh and pull my overshirt off to reveal a shorter top. The guards look at me with wide eyes.

"What? I got a hickey or something?" I ask. They shake their heads. I drop my weapons and jump onto the ledge.

"Do not lose these," Jack says. We dive into the water and towards the girl. There was extreme pain in my legs. I grunt softly and bite my lip so I didn't let out an ear-piercing scream. Grey travels from my forehead to my now connected legs as my hair turns a dark black.

Suddenly, I feel a vibration throughout the water. It pushes me back a little bit. Jack grabs the girl and swims to the surface. I try and see if I can get her to breathe again, but I'm behind blocked by something.

"The dress," I say. Jack sinks underwater and rips the dress off of her. I shake my head. "Something's still blocking it. Bring her to the surface." I say. He nods and guides the girl's body to the dock close to us.

I grab the edge of the dock and lift my legs and the rest of my body to the bottom of the wood so I'm fully outside of the water. The opposite of my transition from before occurs with my regular state back to normal. My muscles clench as I flip from the bottom to the top of the dock.

Jack follows, but goes the easy way and just climbs up normally. He lays the girl's body on the dock.

"The corset." I place my hand on her throat. Jack grabs his knife and slices the corset open. I allow air into her system again.

She wakes up coughing up the water and gasping for air.

"What's.." I say. Jack has already finished my sentence and picks up the gold pendant necklace around her neck. The Aztec gold medallion. The cursed Aztec gold medallion.

"Where did you get that?" Jack asks. Suddenly, we hear footsteps.

I look up to see a sword to my face and Jack's face.

"On your feet." The new commodore says. I stand and interlock my fingers with Jack's.

"Elizabeth!" The governor says and grabs the girl we just saved. "Shoot him!"

"Father!" Elizabeth protests. "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuers?"

I smile at Elizabeth and the Commodore. He puts his sword down as the rest of his crew does.

"I believe thanks are in order." He held his hand out to Jack. Jack hesitantly grabs it only to be pulled forward with his sleeve pulled up. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate?" He asks.

Jack winces.

"Hang him!" The governor says.

"Keep your guns on him." The commodore orders. "Gillette, fetch some irons." He pulls the sleeve up more. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow isn't it?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir," Jack responds.

The Commodore then forcefully grabs my arm and sees the same 'P' mark on my wrist.

"I assume that means you're the mermaid then. Nice to meet you, Ava Liz." He spat.

"Get your hands off her," Jack says and grabs my arm back, wrapping his arm around to secure me.

"Oh, and it's SIREN. Thank you." I say and nod.

"I don't see your ship, 'Captain' and 'Siren'." The Commodore says.

"We're in the market, as it were," Jack says.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one." The guard says.

"These are their's, sir!" The other guard says and picks our stuff up. The Commodore takes them and looks around our weapons.

"No additional shots nor powder." There is one additional shot and it's not for you. "A compass that doesn't point north." It works, you just don't know-how. "A black and gold shell necklace." It's not just a necklace. He pulls our swords out. Jack's is rusty and silver. Mine is pitch black with a few scratches around the blade. "And I half expected it to be made of wood." He slips them back into the holsters and returns his gaze to us. "You are without a doubt the worst pirates I've ever heard of!"

Jack smiles. "But you have heard of us."

The Commodore gives us a dirty gaze. Our games are pissing him off. He grabs our arms and pulls us forward.

"Commodore, I really must protest!" Elizabeth runs after us. I groan as they slip the chains onto my hands. They're tight. I can almost feel my wrists turning red.

"Carefully Lieutenant." The Commodore orders. Elizabeth walks in front of us and starts to protest to the Commodore.

"Pirates or not, these people saved my life." She says.

"One good deed does not redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." He spits.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack says in defense. The Commodore looks at me. I smile and shrug. The smile is genuine, though I'm sure he thought it was sarcastic.

"Indeed." The Commodore says. I pull on the chains and wince. I can already see the rust rubbing off.

The Lieutenant walks away and Jack smiles. He lifts his arms around Elizabeth's neck and pulls her close.

"Finally." He says. The soldiers point their guns at us. I rest my chin on Jack's shoulder and smile at Elizabeth. I shouldn't, but I do. She is so vulnerable and weak. She could be strong with a bit of training from myself,  but I wouldn't want to waste my time.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I get close to her ear and whisper. "Scared?" Elizabeth winces and shakes.

"Don't shoot!" The Governor protests. I look to him and pout jokingly. Pathetic.

Jack looks to me and back to Elizabeth. Her breaths are shaky and frightened.

The Commodore's men's eyes were all on me and Jack. Mostly I because of the number of clothes I had on. Currently, the shirt I was wearing was blood red that ended where my ribs did. The pants were —really— short with fishnets lining the rest of my legs. Most of my tattoos were showing. I didn't mind the amount of skin showing but I did have more covering my upper half before Elizabeth fell into the water.

"Commodore Norrington, our effects, please. And my hat. Hand all of Miss. Liz's to her and mine to.. Miss Swann here, Savvy?" Jack says. The Commodore glares at him. "Commodore!", is all Jack had to say before Norrington obliged and started collecting our stuff.

I wink at one of the soldiers to keep them intrigued. Their face flushes up a deep red and they look back to Jack.

"Elizabeth.. it is Elizabeth?" Jack whispers.

"It's Miss Swann." She sneers.

"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind." He smirks. "Come, come, dear. We don't have all day." Norrington passes my shirt, sword, necklace, and gun to me before handing Jack's weapons and hats to him.

Jack turns Elizabeth around with a gun to her head. I stop paying attention to them and decide to distract the soldiers.

I turn away from them to my back is to their faces. I can almost feel them swallow. The sheer white shirt slips over the top of my torso. I grab my boots and bend over to put them on. Jack's eyes shift to me while Elizabeth is completing his ensemble. He smirks and looks back at the girl. I wrap my necklace around my neck and holster my sword next to my gun. I turn on my heel back to the soldiers while they peel their glaze away from me.

Elizabeth was now done and turned back to her Father and the Commodore's direction. Both Jack and I take steps back as he says, "Gentlemen.. my lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack.. Sparrow!"

He pushes Elizabeth forward and grabs me by my torso. I smile and press my face into his shoulder, hearing a metal clanging and us being pulled up. The scent of rum and saltwater fills my nose.

"Hold on," Jack whispers. My grip around him tightens. The rope Jack is holding onto swung fast, gunshots surrounding us. I feel him land on something and try to balance.

He unravels his grip from me and wraps his handcuffed hands around the rope hanging to the next dock.

To follow him, I pull my sleeves over my hands and slide down the rope. The rope rubs against my shirt which burns insanely.

We reach the end and land on the wood, feet first. I sprint with gunshots surrounding us.

I look to the left and see the town. Jack was running in the opposite direction.

"J!" I whisper and grab his hand, yanking him towards the town.

"Woah! C-Careful, love!" He smirks and interlocks his fingers with mine. I can almost feel my heart beating out my chest. My breath stings my throat. I didn't realize how fast I was running until I turned my head to the right and saw the buildings fly by. "Here," Jack says and sneaks me behind a statue.

It wasn't very spacious. I turn my head to the right seeing Jack peering out from the gap. His eyebrows were furrowed with his eyes darting around to see where the soldiers were looking. I found myself staring at him. I loved watching him in action.

"Ava." He says, snapping me out of my distracted state.

"O-Oh! Yeah?" I shake my head and focus.

"You okay, love? You seem distracted." He asks. I smile and nod. He returns the smile and grabs my hand, pulling me out from behind the statue.

Above us was a sign. The shop was a blacksmith shop. I shrug and Jack walks into the building.

"So.. darling. Any ideas?" Jack says and looks around the shop.

"Nothing. What about you, Captain?" I say. He shrugs.

I hear a slight snoring sound behind me. My body quickly turns to see an elderly man sleeping. He looked dirty.

I nudge Jack with my hand.

"Damn." He mumbles. I let him make his way over to the man.

I turn and drag my fingers across the metal. There were beautifully made swords and other weapons. Some of them looked untouched and polished.

"WOAH!" I hear Jack yell.

"Jack." I groan and continue looking at the swords.

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, causing me to flinch.

"I need to get your chains off, darlin'." He says calmly.

"I can do it myself." I smile and aggressively pull my hands apart, the chains breaking. Jack looks at me and rolls his eyes.

"Couldn't have done that before?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Wouldn't want the fun to end." I smiled. Sometimes I do forget I can get out of situations like that.

Suddenly, we hear the door open. Jack grabs my arm and drags me behind a table to hide.

I look up and see a young man. He had long dark hair pulled back. I assumed he was apart of the staff here.

"Exactly where I left you." I hear him say. I look at Jack and widen my eyes. He places his finger against my lips to keep me quiet. I look into his eyes. His gaze returned and he smiled.

Suddenly, he stands up with his sword on the hat next to us. I sigh and stand behind him with my sword out.

The boy's eyes lingered on Jack and then onto me.

"You're the one they're hunting," He says, "the pirates." The news must be spreading around town if he already knows.

Jack's arm extended keeping me behind him. It's not like I can't fight for myself. Oh, wait.

"You seem somewhat familiar." Jack's words were slightly slurred. "Have I threatened you before?" He asks.

"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates." The boy says.

"Well, today's not sticking with that point," I say and smile. The boy looks at me and tilts his head. He does look quite familiar. I may have seen him when I was a child but I doubt it.

"She's right; it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record." Jack supports. "If you'll excuse us."

I start to turn but get stopped by the sound of metal being slid across something. The boy is now pointing one of the hundreds of swords in the shop at both of us.

"Do you think this wise boy?" Jack smiles. "Crossing blades with a pirate?"

"You threatened Miss Swann." He responds. I would act the same if someone threatened a friend of mine but somehow I'm still annoyed with him.

Jack drags his sword across Will's making a similar noise to before.

"Only a little." He says before striking at the boy. He blocks it. Again, Jack strikes and the boy blocks him.

Not long 'till the boy bests Jack. I slide my sword back to my holster and lean against the wall to watch. It's not every day we find someone as good as Jack or sometimes better.

"You know what you're doing, I'll give you that. Excellent form." He says. "But how's your footwork?"

Jack crosses his left foot over his right, "If I step here..." the boy doing the opposite. "very good." Jack does almost the same action as before, swinging his sword towards the boy, but moves his feet about 4 times more until he is standing in front of me.

"Ta." He nods and holsters his sword. Jack turns on his heel and drags me to the door.

Before I grab the wood that is locking the door, I hear something flying at my head. I duck down and land on my ass.

I look up to see the sword stuck into the door lock, keeping it unable to open. My head turns back to the boy.

"You almost killed me!" I yell. He snickers at my remark.

"You and I both know you were going to duck." He responds. I roll my eyes, refusing him to be correct.

Jack is pulling on the sword, still unable to get it out of the wood it's stuck in.

"That is a wonderful trick," Jack says through gritted teeth. He holds his hand out to me. I grab it and pull myself up. "Except, you almost just killed my right-hand girl and once again, you are between me and my way out. And now..." Jack pulls his sword out, "you have no weapon."

The boy whips around and grabs the fire poker, now burning at the tip. I stumble back as he turns back and points it at Jack's face.

I lean against the wall again and watch Jack and the boy fight.

"Who makes all these?" I yell over all of the noise. I see the boy's eyes flicker over to me and back to Jack.

"I do." He grunts and swings around the pole to strike at Jack. "And I practice with them three hours a day!" He switches positions with Jack.

"You need to find yourself a girl, mate," Jack says and swings his sword at the boy.

"Or perhaps the reason he practices three hours a day is that he's already found one and is otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet," I question. Jack winces.

"You're not a eunuch, are you?" Jack looks down, causing me to laugh.

The boy pushes harder on the clash they're in currently.

"I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate," he slashes at Jack, "I can kill it!"

I roll my eyes. 'It'. Imagine we have pronouns.

They end up on the wheel barrel. I feel myself getting more bored every second I'm just standing here.

I grab my sword and pull it out of the holster and walk forward. Jack is currently upside-down on the ceiling, trying to get unstuck from the sword he is attached to, and the boy is laying on the floor staring at Jack.

I lift my arm and flick my fingers as the boy climbs onto the wood platform. Jack falls unstuck onto the platform, flying the boy onto the ceiling railings.

"Ow." Jack grunts and stands next to me on the platform. The boy slashes a rope, dropping a sack of an unknown substance onto the other side. Jack's body flies to the opposite railing across the boy.

I run to the wall next to me and flip off of it to the railing.

We all jump to the railings next to us. I strike the boy, him blocking me. I grunt and continue striking at him, with him blocking every shot. Suddenly, one of his blocks pushes mine and Jack's swords out of our hands.

I give him an uneasy look and jump down, landing behind where Jack does. He grabs a bag of what I assume is dirt and empties it onto the boy when he jumps down in front of us.

Jack takes his gun out and points it at the boy.

"You cheated!" The boy says, holding a crowbar next to his head.

"Pirate." We say in unison.

Outside the shop, soldiers are pushing on the doors and grunting to get in.

"Move away!" Jack says.

"No." The boy says.

"Please move?!" Jack pleads.

"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape." He opposes.

Jack pulls the revolver and narrows his eyes. I grab his arm to try and prevent him from what he's about to do.

"This shot is not meant for you." Jack croaked.

"Exactly the reason you shouldn't be pointing this-" A bottle smashes against my head, making everything go dark. I feel myself fall over and slam my head into the ground.

My eyes open to a dark stone room. I gasp and sit up quickly, a blinding pain going through my head.

"Ava?" I hear a familiar groggy voice in my left ear.

"Ow.. stop yelling.." I mumble.

"I'm not yelling, love." He chuckles softly. There are bars in front of where I'm sitting. I stand, ignoring the pain that's coursing my entire brain, and stumble over to the bars. I reach to the rusting iron bars. When my fingers touch the iron, I feel burning, like my skin is going to burn off.

"AGH!" I yell and stumble back. "Vervain.."

Jack smiles and looks back down with his elbows leaning on his knees.

"Feelin' good about yourself?" I laugh, rubbing my fingers and sitting next to him.

"Hm." He grunts in amusement.

I try and keep myself warm against him because for some reason the guards assumed it would be a good idea to take my shirt. It's not like it'd be a dangerous thing for me to be warm. Maybe they just wanted me to be weakened.

"C'mon boy!" I hear the men in the cell next to us yell. They are holding a bone outside the cell, begging for the dog with the keys to come to them. Their nagging made my head pound. I was starting to get nauseous from the headache that they were making worse.

"Jack.. can you tell them to shut it." I groan and squeeze his wrist. He turns his head with his hat still over his eyes.

"You can keep doing that forever. The dog is never going to move." Jack says to the prisoners.

"Oh, excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet." The prisoners respond and turn away, not stopping.

Jack turns back to me with a smirk planted on his face.

"Sorry." He chuckles softly. "Want me to kiss it better?" He cooed. I smile, my cheeks heating up.

"You wish, pretty boy," I mumble and slowly fall asleep.

[artificialqueens]

A Clownfish & A Mermaid (5/?): Snatched! (Biadore) - doctor bitchcraftt

Anonymous request from AQ: “I love your fic of Bianca playing Adore for snatch game on bots, could you write one where Adore surprises Bianca by coming out as her? Maybe Bianca is being the host and doesn’t know till Adore appears.”

A/N: Keeping it non-AU by having it take place before Adore left for AS2, because as far as I remember she did have Bianca as her backup character for Snatch Game. And oh how I wish we’d been able to see that…  A little bittersweet, because we know Adore didn’t stay for Snatch Game.

Regarding Bianca’s waist measurement: her dress form is a 12, which has a 29-30 inch waist; additionally, it’s quoted as 28 in an article from years ago and she looks to be about the same size now.  Xoxoxoxo, bitchcraftt

********

“Show me what else you’ve got?”

Bianca lounged on the couch surrounded by piles of drag and half-packed suitcases.  Still in drag after hosting a show, she’d ignored the stare from the Uber driver (typical) and his awkward attempts at flirting (not typical), and blown through the door at full force to find Adore already spreading her chaos across every available surface.

NDA or not, Danny’s excited call a couple of days ago about accepting All Stars 2 made it clear that the planning had to include Bianca.  Roy kept his mouth shut at the objections he desperately wanted to voice - fallout from Danny' losing his dad, amongst other things - and promised his support in any way possible.

They’d spent the better part of the last two hours going through Adore’s drag, matching items to the list as best as they could and trying to guess what the challenges might entail.  Vintage shopping yesterday netted a gorgeous purple sequined shift that would go wonderfully with her crimped lavender wig, and they’d agreed on a half dozen other looks already before test driving for Snatch Game.  Adore’s Snatch Game needed to be strong, even stronger than her season six Anna Nicole Smith if possible.  Without Bianca and DeLa giving her a run for her money, she should be a standout.  Her first choice seemed decent, but having a backup option was always a good idea.

Danny had briefly complained about having to go into full drag and face for each look, but there was no way to get a complete opinion otherwise.  Because of that, she’d insisted that Bianca not watch her prep so that she would be able to give advice on the final product.  

Bianca was prepared to loan her anything she needed, and tried to guess what the character would be based on Adore banging around her closet and cursing.  After twenty minutes, Adore’s voice drifted around the corner.

“Close your eyes!”

“Really?"  Bianca rolled them instead.

"I want it to be a surprise!”  

She’d teased that it was another queen, and Bianca tried to picture her dressed as Alyssa or Laganja in things garnered from her own extensive wardrobe.  Although, Adore did have a wicked DeLa voice…

“Fine, they’re closed.”

The sound of heels clicking nervously on the hardwood heralded Adore’s arrival, tapping to a stop on the carpet in front of the couch.

“ ‘Kay, you can open them.”

Bianca blinked a few times, shook her head in disbelief, and tried to find her voice.

“You like it?"  

Adore had borrowed a pair of Bianca’s platform pumps covered in jet black rhinestones, and her nude fishnets showed where she held the weighted hem up.  Above that, she was corseted tighter than ever before over actual padding, clad in a fitted black velvet cowl-neck sleeveless gown with oversized sequin flowers pinned at the shoulder and hair piled up to ridiculous heights.  Was that five wigs? An assortment of sparkly bangles and large bracelets worked their way up from her wrists to almost the elbows on both arms.  To top it off, Adore had picked Bianca’s most obnoxious chandelier earrings to accompany the exaggerated eyes and what had to be eight pairs of lashes.

She clutched a throw pillow in front of herself, cocked a hip, and grinned before schooling her face into a disapproving frown.  

"NOT TODAY SATAN!"

Bianca opened and closed her mouth a few times, before starting at the floor and making her way up with a critical eye. The silence stretched between them, broken only by the clink of bangles as Adore fidgeted.  

"Well fuck me,” Bianca managed at last.

”…was that a good fuck me?”

As she watched nervously, Bianca’s blank expression transformed into a howl of laughter, raspy cackle filling the room.  Unable to speak through it, she flailed wildly.  Adore’s smile drooped a bit on the edges, face gone anxious.  Her posture melted into a slouch, vaguely ridiculous given the silhouette of her outfit.

”…okay, I get it.  I look fucking stupid, and I’ll -“

Bianca pushed off the couch, catching her hand before she could do more than turn.  

“N- no!  Don’t!  It’s…fucking…hee hehehe hee hee- oh my fuck it’s perfect!”

“Yeah?”

“Lemme hear what you’ve got planned."  This should be something else.

Adore scowled, dropping her voice and rolling her eyes.  "I ain’t got time for this.  Beat it queen!  Need help packin’ ?”

”Fuck you bitch, I do not sound like that!  You sound like you’re gargling gravel in there.”  After a night of yelling at a crowd her own voice was scratchy and rough, and Bianca couldn’t hold a straight face.  “All right fine, maybe I do.”

She pulled her into the drag room to stand side by side in the mirror, ignoring how the usually neat racks of dresses looked like a tornado touched down.  Without her own heels on she was the better part of a foot shorter than Adore, but together they looked like Bianca standing next to some of the more accurate fan art.  Seeing her own signature evening gown on Adore’s body set her off again.

”Adore Del Rio,” she giggled, dabbing at her eyes, “this might be the best fucking thing I’ve ever seen.  Including Anna Nicole.”

“Really?“  

"Not when you stand with your mouth open like that,” Bianca teased, nearly losing it again when Adore stuck her tongue out.  

“Put your hand on your hip.  No, like this,” Bianca repositioned Adore’s arm and tugged her knee until her right leg crossed in front of the left, bent slightly.  “Emphasizes the hips, it looks more feminine like that.”

“We won’t be doing runway like this, I’ll fucking trip over the hem.  I hope?"  

“You wanna be prepared.  And you’re taller so it won’t hit the floor…Visage is going to love that."    

The sequined flower was perfect and she didn’t need a necklace, but… “Here.”  She pulled the bracelets off and dug back into the jewelry drawers, discarding some and adding others to the pile.  She slipped them back onto Adore’s wrist sorted by color, switching the smaller beads for chunkier ones.  “Exaggerated but still detail oriented.”  

A second pair of less garish earrings followed, Bianca’s signature hoops with colored beads.  “In case you wanna use them for something else.  Now sit.”  She nudged her down in front of the vanity, picking up eyeshadow.  "Gotta get you beyond clown."

Frowning in concentration, she gripped Adore’s chin gently to hold her steady and reached for a lipliner.  "Your lips are full enough, don’t overdraw, just make the Cupid’s bow curved right here."  Adore had done a good job reproducing her eyes, although the liner was a bit more winged than Bianca would wear it.   Punk rock style or not, Danny was a talented makeup artist and the Bianca face only needed a little bit of adjustment.  “Raccoon territory next.  You need to avoid too much color on the lids.”  With a few deft strokes, she painted even darker eyes and added more white to the bottom lids before making the beauty mark bigger.

Once satisfied that the face was right, Bianca collected a few items - two shades of gloss, new packages of lashes - and zipped them into a cosmetic bag with the earrings for Adore to pack.  "Stack them fresh, you don’t want to wear someone else’s lashes, who knows-”

“Yes mom."  Her tone of voice implied that this was yet another lecture.  "I know, but they’re yours so…"  She wilted a little under Bianca’s unimpressed stare.  "Okay fine, but it’s not like I’m gonna get eye herpes from them.”

Moving up from the face, Bianca studied the auburn curls tenuously balanced on her head.  Frowning, she pulled it apart to set three of the five wigs aside, teased and re-pinned, then nodded decisively.

“Forget you trying to do this in the workroom.  Let me style you a full wig so it’s ready to go.”

Adore nodded and stood, leaning on the table for support.  Bianca narrowed her eyes when she noticed that she seemed to be slightly out of breath.

”Can you breathe in that?”

”Yeah?”

“That shouldn’t be a question.  You need to be able to sit for an hour, you remember what it was like.  Show me how you’re cinched.”  When Adore seemed reluctant, Bianca bent to hike up the skirt of the gown, waiting until Adore took the fabric from her before peeling the dress up her midsection (thank goodness for stretch velvet) to reveal the corset.  

"Adore.” The gently chiding tone was worse than annoyance.  “You’re not Chachki for fuck’s sake.  We can get rid of some of that padding and loosen it up."  While she spoke, Bianca turned Adore around to untie the laces before unzipping the front to reveal angry red welts where the boning strained around her waist.  Sighing, she pulled the tights down enough to work the pads out from underneath.  

"But…” Adore protested, “your waist is so small!”

“It’s about proportion.  You’ve got enough to cinch in without the pads. Just make your tits a little bigger, squeezing down to this isn’t going to even show when you’re sitting behind a table."  Bianca searched on the side table for a tape measure, wrapping it around her own waist.  "I’m 29 corsetted, 30 with the gown.  I only take two inches off.”

“I wanna get it right."

The muttered comment seemed more weighted than just a corset disagreement and Bianca paused with her hands on Adore’s hips.  "Pussyface?

"It’s…” Adore met her eyes, more serious than she’d been the entire night.  “I don’t want to disappoint you.  What if I fuck this up?"

"Hey."  Even with the heels, Bianca still needed to tip Adore’s chin up to make eye contact.  "You’re gonna be amazing, you hear me?  They’re lucky to have you, and it doesn’t matter what happens on some reality tv show filmed in RuPaul’s basement.  You could go home the first week and I’d still be proud of you for going back in to that fucking shark pit.”

Adore was silent while Bianca zipped her back up and smoothed the dress back down.  Bianca turned her to face the mirror again, and was relieved to see the small smile.  

“Really, pussyface,” she felt the need to repeat, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

[palakvalecha]

Haute Couture Spring 2020 Review (part 1)

Givenchy

Claire Waight Keller's Givenchy spring summer 2020 haute couture collection was inspired by love letters from a woman to another woman; the passionate love letters between Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. This love story inspired Virginia to write her novel "Orlando", which also happens to be the inspiration for the theme of met gala 2020. Claire Waight Keller describes the collection as her own love letter to the house founder Hubert de Givenchy.

The show opened with a white wide legged suit. While the jacket is very well tailored, the silk pants also look good.

The black tailored suit with baby's breath like row on the sleeves was jaw dropping, and my favorite look from the collection.

Among the many overstatements were exaggerated ruffle tops, huge corset-like belts, and ruffle gowns. This is exactly what I call "controlled exaggeration."

Feather collars never looked better.

The blue balloon dress over ruffle skirt amazes me, because the silhouette is ugly, but Claire somehow manages to make it look beautiful.

The tailored coat with mermaid cut was sharp.

It seems that Claire has a penchant for over the top accessories. At the spring summer 2019, we got the amazing bow pagpacks, and this season it is the beautiful veil hats. I am all for it!

Kaia Gerber as a bride in an off shoulder lace dress with the veil hat looked ethereal. This is just the level of extra we expect from Givenchy Haute Couture.

Claire Waight Keller's haute couture for Givenchy is little short of phenomenal. While Ready to Wear isn't her strongest suit, she aces Haute Couture.

Dior

For Dior spring 2020 haute couture, the creative director of the house Maria Grazia Chiuri collaborated with artist Judy Chicago, and chose feminism as the theme (yet again). While Maria Grazia isn't the only designer to express her feminist views through her collections, she is definitely the most unsubtle of them all. The collection was inspired by peplos, the classic Roman garment. It started with a golden color palette, and moved into purple, shades of green and blue.

The collection featured ugly fringe dresses, poorly pleated tops and chiffon dresses and bland suits. This couture could just as easily have been ready-to-wear.

While most looks were underwhelming, look 39 caught my attention. It was a sheer bodice with with the face of a lion made with what appeared to be some sort of cords. That was the only look that was remotely fresh. Still not what we expect from Dior.

This was followed by a series of bad looks. Maria Grazia's Dior is disappointing, and her feminist mentality can not save her.

According to me, Gianfranco Ferré and John Galliano were the best creative directors for Dior, and created some of the most iconic pieces in the history of haute couture. (Pardon my digression) Maria Grazia is not incompetent per se, she is just not the right fit for the brand.

[blogsimplesimmer]

Hi everyone! I’m very excited to share this project with you all! Ever since The Sims 4 came out I have had some collections of CC that I wanted to make and a couple of months ago I found some amazing modern Disney portraits done by an artist named Fernanda Suarez and I became inspired to try and do some more collections like my Anastasia collection! I really hope that you all enjoy this collection! :)

Update 3.6.18: Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that there is a small update to the files - someone let me know that one of the items required another that was in the set due to it using the same textures. It has been a while since I have made a bunch of CC and I forgot to embed the items in S4S. If you find that a red ? appears when you remove an item, please redownload the zip file and replace the item - I’m sorry for the inconvenience! 

Information and Download Below

There are 21 items in this collection, and I will list and give a brief description of each item for each picture, going from left to right. Lines will indicate a different outfit.

All hairs come in EA’s 18 colors and have hat chops. All items are BGC unless stated otherwise in italics.

Picture 1

Ariel Hair V1: Loose, over-the-shoulder hairstyle in leftmost picture.

Fork Earrings: Small fork (”dinglehopper!”) studs with 3 swatches.

Shell Necklace V1: A small shell pendant on a chain necklace. Comes with gold and silver chains with 9 shell colors.

Mermaid Corset V1: The corset pictured in the outfit on the left. 44 swatches.

High Low Skirt: High-waisted skirt in the outfit on the left. 45 swatches.

Ariel Hair V4: Ponytail with bangs.

Shell Earrings: Dangling earrings with a pearl and shell pendant. Gold and silver chains with 9 shell colors.

Shell Necklace V2: A small shell pendant on a chain necklace paired with a black choker. Comes with gold and silver chains with 9 shell colors.

Mermaid Corset V2: The corset pictured in the outfit on the right with sections of the midriff visible. 44 swatches.

Denim Shorts: Belted high-waist denim shorts with 25 swatches. Requires Outdoor Retreat Game Pack - it is a retexture of EA shorts.

Picture 2

Ship Wheel Earrings: Danging ship wheel earrings with 5 swatches.

Ship Wheel Necklace: Ship wheel necklace with 5 swatches.

Halter Dress: Simple halter dress with 44 swatches.

Ariel Hair V3: Half-up/half-down hairstyle with clip in back.

Shell Stud Earrings: Stud earring versions of the shell earrings and necklace. Comes with gold and silver details and 9 shell colors.

Shell Crop Top: Crop top with two shells on the front. Comes in with black and white shirts and 16 colors of shells.

Picture 3

Ariel Hair V2: Hair clipped to sides, free-flowing back.

Clip Accessory Overlay: Found in the accessories section - overlay of 23 colors for clips for both Hairs V2 and V3.

Ballgown: Off-shoulder ballgown with 20 swatches.

Ariel Hair V3 Bow Accessory: Found in hats, a how accessory for Hair V3. Comes in 22 colors.

Corset Dress: Long-sleeved dress with black corset bodice. Comes in 20 color combinations.

DOWNLOAD

All individual files are in the zip folder. You will need WinRAR or 7-Zip or a similar program to unzip the folder containing the files. Click on the link to go to the download page.

All files will have “tlm” in their file name to stand for “The Little Mermaid” - I did this so hopefully it’ll be easy to find or reference in case you ever need to.

The Little Mermaid Collection: [SimFileShare] [Mediafire]

Credit to EA for the meshes and textures. Made with Sims4 Studio.

I want to extend a huge thank you to @emmysimming! Not only did she give me encouragement, support, and feedback - she is also the creator of the beautiful Ariel sim model I used for this set <3

TOU: Please do not reupload my meshes and claim them as your own. Please feel free to recolor, just don’t include the mesh. If you use any of the items in this collection, please tag me because I would love to see them with your sims!

And if you have any issues please let me know!

[directionlessbuthappy]

Little Lamb pt. 2

part 1 here

When Ivar’s army lands on an island off the coast of Ireland, he is eager to learn more about the land he will soon conquer to the west. With his sites on the mainland, he’s managed to catch himself the perfect little thief that will be his guide, and perhaps an entertaining pet. You.

Warnings: depictions of violence, language

Note: this series is only going to be 3 parts. I’m sticking with trilogy style since I’ve got a couple other stories I want to keep working on. Cheers! xo

Taglist: @idonthavehusbandsihavelovers​ @wish-i-was-a-mermaid​ @cbouvier23​ @steadypiepsychicflower​  @holydream

Old Norse wasn't a language easily deciphered. It was even worse being muttered by half-drunk two ton bearded men. You could hardly understand a few words in between Ivar and his men discussing plans. His brother was an interesting man; less gruff than the rest. He was a cute lad by your standards. Still, he was a glutton and a heathen, much like the rest of your new company. Ivar growled something in Norse that made your eyes dart away nervously. He turned to you and spoke in English again.

"What do you think?"

You glanced at the map. You weren't an artist by any means, but you were able to draw out the lay of the mainland into the dirt.  You drew the channels and canals that connected the ocean to Droghed and Dublin Bay, all the way to Wexford and most things in between.

"The channel in Dublin is too small," you muttered to Ivar. His men were all staring at you with looks you couldn't decipher. It was hard to distinguish if they wanted to fuck you or kill you. Maybe both. "Its only forty or so feet wide. You could perhaps get a row 'r two, but the boats won't fit in a fleet. You'll be teeterin in lines like ducks."

Ivar considered it. He wanted Dublin. After hearing your stories about the richest settlement in Ireland, he knew it was the jackpot. Dublin was governed by what sounded like an earl of sorts. Ivar wasn't worried either way; he was eager to see how the real Irish fight.

Ivar took the driftwood from your hand without asking. He drew a few lines along the dirt.

"Two maximum," he grunted. You cocked an eyebrow at him and opened your mouth to speak, but you shut your jaw quickly. He caught it. "Speak up y/n. I like it when you use your tongue."

Hvitserk coughed next to you. You knew he'd learned quite a bit of English from his brother. He and Ivar were the only ones who understood your language, and vice versa most of the Northmen here didn't understand English. It was similar to a private conversation when speaking to the sons of Ragnar.

"You could take half your men by boat, and half on land to cover the boats' entrance into Dublin. I know most of your lot prefers being on the water, but if you move along the channel you'd have a poor defense when the guard sees you." You knelt down and drew a few lines to represent ground troops in the dirt. "Dublin guards are about as dumb as carraigeacha (rocks) but they're strong under good leadership. Lord McGuinely has ruled Dublin for decades and hasn't lost it to Scotia. They're doin something right."

You looked up and noted the evil grin Ivar was sporting. Warily, you stood up again, dusting yourself off. Ivar turned and spoke to his men; you couldn't understand much, but your name was mentioned, so you stood your guard. Once he was finished speaking the men disbursed, muttering between themselves and Ivar took a seat at the table under the tent. Hvitserk took your wrist, causing a sudden pulse of defense to flow through you until you realized he was leading you to come sit with him and his brother. You sat down quietly.

"We leave tomorrow, at dawn," Ivar grumbled over the rim of his cup.

"You sound upset."

"My men are not happy we'll be leaving some of the boats behind," he replied, uninterested.

"Your men need to learn what strategy is. Bashing skulls is fine and dandy when you got someone else thinkin for yuh," you shrugged. Hvitserk snorted, and Ivar joined him in a shared snicker. "What?"

"You're part of the plan too, y/n," Hvitserk said with a grin. Your face paled further, if that was even possible.

"You're people have slaves here, right? We'll need someone to open the canal's water gate so our boats can get into the center of the city," Ivar informed. "We'll have to get you to look the part..."

"We don't have slaves like you think, Ivar," you replied haughtily. He took your plan, and now this? "D'ya have anything like bréagán houses where yer from?"

Ivar scoffed. "Houses of...what?"

"Whores."

Hvitserk spit out his ale like someone kicked him in the stomach. Ivar laughed at this, setting his cup down now that you really got his attention.

"We use slaves for that too."

"Mmm," was your only response to that sentiment. "We have separate functions in our society. Whore houses often work in accordance with kings and wealthy houses. Besides, whores work, and slaves are owned. If I was dressed as a slave in Dublin, everyone would wonder who I belonged to, the nosy lot o’ em. But if I was dressed as a whore..."

"You mean you aren't dressed as one now?"

You grabbed Ivar's cup he'd set down and lifted it, threatening to clock him in the jaw. He smiled as you felt the cold, rough end of a blade pressing into your thigh.

"Easy, bikkja (bitch). You don't want to get hurt yet, do you?"

With a balled up fist, you hissed at him. "Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat."

Sitting back in your seat reminded you of a bird who flies out and back into an iron cage. You tossed the cup over your shoulder. Ivar lowered his knife in response; he wouldn't tell you so, but this game was fun for him. He didn't even care what you'd said.

"So, we dress you like one of your prostitutes, you get into the city, and open the gate," Hvitserk says, solidifying the plan. You nodded.

"If you lot aren't there when the gate opens, I'm dead fish in the water," you warned. Ivar reached over and cupped your face; it wasn't gentle, the way his fingers dug into your cheeks and the crook of his thumb and finger on your chin.

"Don't worry y/n. We wouldn't dream to leave our little lykill (key) behind."

...

Vikings were crafty. These Northmen did not have grace or subtly about them at all. But, they got the job done. After raiding Lambay, there was plenty off dresses and things for you to choose from. You pulled on a red dress with little complaint. Garnet fabric flowed down to your ankles. Taking a black leather corset, you pulled it along your ribcage. Corsets weren’t commonplace here but they concealed a knife wonderfully.

You had to allow one of Ivar’s “guards,” a shieldmaiden who hardly understood you, to tie up the laces of the corset along the back. She did with great strength and tied the leather in with force. You thanked her roughly, holding a grudge over the tightness she’d caused, while the guard walked off without a second check. You had half a mind to stab her with a hair pin when Ivar came in. He said something to send your guards away. You were suddenly alone with him, but you were hardly afraid. You were his instrument at this point, and...well it was hard to think of other reasons to fear him. The room was starting to feel warmer; you were lightheaded.

“Y/n...that dress makes you look cheap,” he chuckled. You glared at him and opened your mouth to argue, but you felt more air go out of you and took hold of the tent’s support beam. Your breath was difficult to catch.

“Where’s your smart tongue?”

You glared at him and yanked on your corset; it wasn’t coming off. Ivar watched your hand and smiled a little, fascinated with how small your waist looked. Seeing you struggle for air got boring however. He rolled his eyes at such an inconvenience and went over to you. Leaning on his crutch, he brought the back of your dress close to him. There wasn’t much you could do in protest. Your grip on the beam tightened as your nails gently clawed into the wood. Your were starting to see little dots of black.

Ivar worked quickly, his fingers going from the top of the corset to the bottom. You heard snapping as your lungs began inflating again. Dazed but grateful, you finally took in a gasp of air with the release of that last strap.

“It was...too tight...” you wheezed. Ivar snorted while the leather corset fell on the ground. You weren’t about to put it back on.

“You women are strange to be wearing these. What is it suppose to do?” Ivar snorted. He flicked his wrist and his knife disappeared into his vest. You smiled at that, agreeing that corsets did seem silly as you turned around to look up at him. You stayed with you back to the beam, unsure of how wobbly your legs felt.

“They’re suppose to hold your figure. Make you look smaller,” you shrugged. “I use them to hide weapons.”

“You do not need to look smaller,” he said. “You are already small and formed. Why would a woman need to be smaller? Smaller is weaker.”

“Small is attractive,” you shrugged. You realized that while you’d spun around to face him, Ivar made no moves to widen the small gap between you. He was closer than comfort dictated.

“Not to me,” he scoffed. You glanced at the table that held jewelry and darted over once you were sure your knees could hold you up. Ivar chuckled at how quickly you moved.

“Thank you,” you called as he made his way out of the tent. “For helpin me out, I mean...”

“Thank you, lágr fugl (little bird), for helping me in,” Ivar replied. He gave a throaty laugh as he left; it made you wonder what exactly he meant by that...

[blinder-s]

Wedding Day / Tom Holland

i had major love rosie feels today so:) here is a short thing for u i hope u enjoy !!!

warnings: swearing, underaged drinking (im british so like this is just standard but don’t drink underage but this warning isn't coming from a good source)

words: 1,434

masterlist!

gif creds to the owner

You and Tom had grown up together, and your first memories always involved him. Whether it was at school or at home, playing in the garden or eating popcorn at midnight whilst watching a scary film. The two of you were inseparable, and even as puberty hit you were as thick as thieves.

“So, like, what’s the deal with you and Tom?” Your other friends would always ask him in gym, “are you two dating?” And you’d would always laugh and act repulsed like always, telling whoever it was that you were like siblings.

It wasn’t until you were seventeen that you realised he was quite possibly the love of your life. And, of course, he was dating the most popular girl in high school at this point. 

“She’s a bitch,” You would say as you walked back home together. She was a bitch, but that wasn’t going to stop him from kissing her behind the bike sheds during lunch period. 

“Yeah, but she got us both invited to that house party on Saturday.” Tom looked at you knowingly, and you shrugged in defeat. You still felt is was wrong to call your own girlfriend a bitch, but what did you know about relationships? 

And, as you put on your dress for this afternoon, you couldn’t help but think back to the night of Adam Williams’ house party. You couldn’t help but smile at how you got drunk for the first time and Tom having to carry you home at 2am the next morning. 

It was pink silk, and had white material flowers sewed on the bodice, and you did truly think it was beautiful. The bride to be, Molly, chose it for you, and to be truly honest, you couldn't have picked a dress more perfect for Tom’s wedding, unless it was a wedding dress. And as bad as it sounded, you’d pictured yours and Tom’s wedding day at least one hundred times; and not once did you think of having a strapless top with a corset at the back.

Molly’s dress was gorgeous, the way it hugged her body and complimented her skin so well. But you had always thought of something more traditional, maybe made of satin and a mermaid skirt. The train would be long enough, and there’d be embroidery and lace on it which would sparkle as you walked down the aisle. 

The whole ceremony was beautiful; his, now, wife looked as pretty as a picture and it took everything in you not to cry at how badly you wanted to be in her shoes. The vows were spoken crystal clear, and each time Tom smiled at her you could feel part of yourself break a little more. 

“I do!” 17 year-old-you screamed at the top of your lungs as someone shouted if anyone wanted to do shots. It was Saturday night, and Adam Williams was making some moves onto you, and you were sure that even more tequila shots would do the trick. 

“(Y/N), don’t you think that’s enough?” Tom pulled you aside. It was nearly two o’clock and you were convinced that this was the best night of your life; even if Tom did keep sneaking off to Adam’s bedroom to make out. You shook your head and waltzed over to the kitchen where a group of people were doing shots simultaneously.

“Come on Tom! Do one with me!” You shouted, grabbing two shot glasses, filled with some unknown clear spirit. He complied, downing the shot after you did. 

“That’s enough,” he slapped you hand away as you went to reach for a second, “I think it’s time for you to go home.”

“You’re not my dad.” You protested as he physically dragged you out of the house. You heard him whisper ‘thank god’ under his breath, “I heard that!” And you stopped, digging your heels into the road, and stared him down as he turned around to look at your drunken state.

Your hair had fallen out of its ponytail and your eyeliner was nearly all rubbed off. Tom still thought you looked as you always did; beautiful.

It was time for your speech and you drew a big breath. Of course, unconventionally you were Tom’s best man, and had to provide the entire guest list with an amusing speech. Tom nudged your leg from beside you in encouragement, but you could feel your skin start to crawl and your eyes prick with tears.

“I need to get you home before you pass out, or get alcohol poisoning or need your stomach pumped.” Tom pulled on your hand so hard that you thought it’d fall off, and you moved forward against your will.

You smiled at everyone, “well, where do I start?” You started, looking down at your crumpled piece of paper. It had come in handy to fiddle with as you wound yourself up to do your speech, “we grew up together, and I can’t remember a time without Tom. He has always been like a brother to me.”

“Stop treating me like your little sister!” You pulled away from his grip, “I’m fine Tom,” you slurred your words, and nearly tripped over but you stood your ground and looked at him. You were hurting now; your feet ached and you could feel something drilling into the left side of your head. 

“I think it’s safe to say that we’ve shared quite a few memories. I’m sure my dad remembers the first night I came home drunk; and that was definitely your fault.” Everyone laughed, and Tom looked at you, “I’ll always remember that night, even if we swore never to speak about it again.” His eyes clouded over in confusion as you looked at him, smiling sadly, “your mother always called me a bad influence, and I guess maybe she was right.”

“(Y/N), you’re my best friend!” He was pulling you harder and harder and you could see the street that lead to your house from here. 

“But I think, perhaps it’s time for you to make your decisions with Molly now.” You could feel the tears welling up in your eyes, and your vision became blurry, “when Tom said he was going to marry her, I was the happiest I could ever be. And if you’re happy, then I’m happy,” they were threatening to spill from your eyes and flood down your perfectly made up face.

“Maybe I don’t want to be just your best friend, Tom.” You screamed, crying on the side of the road, “maybe I’ll be sober tomorrow and regret all of this, but I love you, Tom! And there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“So, wherever life takes you, Tom,” you held up your flute of champagne up, “I wish you and Molly the happiest life together. And whatever you’re doing, at whatever time, just know that I will always, truly, incandescently love you,” you paused, looking down at him, “like a brother.”

He stood there motionless. “What?” He choked out. 

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly, and you downed a few too many glasses of white wine spritzers and had a couple more flutes of champagne or prosecco than you were supposed to. But Tom’s family all knew; they could see it in your eyes. It wasn’t until you were going to the loo, and Molly came in and commented on how pretty you were that the tears fell.

“Forget it!” Tears were streaming down you face now, and you couldn’t do anything to stop it. It was far beyond your control, as you sped away from Tom to your home. You slammed the door, and swore never to speak of what happened on the night Adam Williams’ house party.

“(Y/N), what’s the matter? Molly said she couldn’t stop you from crying.” Tom came rushing into the ladies bathroom, which was luckily empty except for you. 

You looked at him through long damp lashes, and smiled, “do you remember Adam Williams’ party?” He nodded, “I said I was in love with you.” He gulped, “well, I still am.” 

“(Y/N),” Tom tried to protest but you put your hand up to stop him.

“I’m not trying to be selfish. But Tom I have been in love with you since we were seventeen and were cycling along the beach in the summer.” You tried to keep your composure, letting the tears roll down your rouged cheeks. “I’m i love with you and maybe tomorrow morning you’ll be starting a new chapter of your life, and I’ll be sober. But I’ll always be in love with you.”

[laivineoasis30]

Contracts:

Part 1

Part 2 chapter one

Chapter 2: The Perfect Dress

Pairing MarkXOC

Warning: fluff :D, emotional abuse

A/N: This is the second chapter, and one of my favorites...but not because it’s mine.

Kristie woke up, stretched, and got out of bed. Her room in this apartment wasn’t big, but it was luxurious.  Her closet was small, so she couldn’t bring all her clothes.  Her bed was small too, but the sheets were silk, and a mint green in color.  Her vanity held hall her make up and her hair accessories.  The room was light in color, with a sliding door to keep her privacy.

She walked out of the bedroom, clothes in hand to go and take a shower. She changed into her outfit, and walked out.  Her mother took one look at her outfit, rolled her eyes, and shook her head.  She pointed to her room.

“Go and change,” she said.

“No,” Kristie answered.

“You look like a child.”

“I look comfortable,” Kristie answered. “Mr. Park told me to go and look for a dress today, so that’s what I’m going to do.  If I have to be fitted, and trapped in a corset all day, then I’m going to be comfortable for as long as I can be.”

“Go and change your damn clothes.”

“No,” Kristie reaffirmed, and walked out the door with her shoes in hand.  

She put on her red Converse sneakers, and walked to the elevator.  As soon as the doors opened,  a man walked out, and crashed into her.  He had blonde hair, cold brown eyes, and he glared down at her.  He looked her up and down, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Watch where you're going, dwarf,” he growled.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, looking down at her feet.  

He scoffed, and walked down the hall. Kristie watched to see what apartment he went into.  Her eyes widened as she saw him go into her apartment.  She turned and walked into the elevator.  When she got down to the ground level, she saw a black car with a driver.

Suddenly her mother was at her side.  She pushed her towards the car.  “Get in,” she ordered.  “Your fiancé got the car for us to use.”

“That was nice of him,” Kristie whispered.  

“Yes so stop flirting with other guys,” her mom ordered.

“I wasn’t flirting with anybody,” Kristie answered.  “Minho was just helping me with my bag, and that’s it.”

“You could have said no.”

“Oh my God! I tried! Can we go now?”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, you ungrateful cow,” her mother said, putting her hands on her hips.  “You're lucky you have an arranged marriage, because with that gut who would want you?”

Kristie's jaw clenched, and she got in the car. Maybe her mother had been right, and she should have changed.  Maybe a top this small wouldn’t look right on her.  Maybe she should wear something big and boxy instead.  A tear fell from her eye, but she quickly wiped it away.

 Mark stood in the doorway, wanting to catch a glimpse of his fiancée.  He stared at the girl he had called a dwarf earlier, and kind of regretted it.  She was shorter than him, but she wasn’t that short.  She was cute, with her curly hair pulled up into a bun.  Her knotted shirt, and light-colored jeans, and nude cardigan looked good on her. She had a casual style, which appealed to Mark.

Her mother said something, and Mark pushed open the door to catch their words.  “I wasn’t flirting with anybody,” Kristie answered.  “Minho was just helping me with my bag, and that’s it.”

“You could have said no.”

Kristie was growing frustrated, Mark could see it in her eyes.  It upset him that her mother was vexing her.  He made to take a step closer to them, and her mother’s next words gave him pause. This was her mother?

“Don’t raise your voice at me, you ungrateful cow,” her mother said, putting her hands on her hips.  “You're lucky you have an arranged marriage, because with that gut who would want you?”

Mark saw Kristie’s jaw clench, and pain flash in her eyes.  She looked down at her clothes, and bit her lip, doubt expressed across her face. Now it was Mark’s turn to clench his jaw.  He really didn’t like the way that her mother was treating his fiancée.   The thought gave Mark pause, because he wasn’t sure why he was feeling this way, but nonetheless, he made his way to the waiting black car.

“Excuse me,” he said, climbing into the car, next to his fiancée.  He saw her wipe a tear from her face before she turned to face him.  Her eyes widened, and he really regretted being so callous with her.  He smiled down at her, and took her hand.  “I’m Mark.  I want you to know that I’m very sorry for the way I acted on the elevator with you. I was a little frustrated.”  His eyes traveled down her seated body, and back to her face.  “I’m really glad you’re my fiancée.”

She blushed, and her mother giggled.  “I keep telling her that she’s beautiful, but she just doesn’t believe me.”

Mark turned knowing eyes to this wench.  Two could play this game.  “She is beautiful.”  He turned back to his fiancée.  “It makes me wonder from whose side of the family it comes from.”

Kristie’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped at his backhanded insult.  She blushed, and she looked down.  “What are you doing here?” she asked quietly.

“Kristie, honey, it’s his car,” her mother said in a sweet voice.  Her eyes however, spoke her frustration with her daughter.

“I realize, mother, but I didn’t know what he was going with us to pick a dress.”

“I didn’t know either,” he said, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand.  “Then I was walking out, and I saw you.  I couldn’t help myself.”

Mark didn’t let her hand go for the rest of the ride to the dress shop, even if the car was filled with silence.  His thumb didn’t stop caressing the back of her hand, and he was surprised at how comforting this small gesture was, to him.  

When they got to the dress shop, Mark got out first, and helped his fiancée out of the car.  He led her into the store, not bothering to help her mother out of the car. Mark was going to do everything in his power to convince Kristie that he was absolutely smitten with her.  He didn’t want to hear her mother say another thing about her.

The shop attendant helped her into a viewing room, and she sat everyone down.  “Hi, so who is the bride?”  Kristie raised her hand.  “Ok, so what kind of dress are you looking for?” the attendant asked, looking at Kristie.

“A long dress, preferably a line,” her mother answered.  Mark turned to look at her.  “It flatters all body shapes.”

“Personally, I’d love to see her in a mermaid dress, with a sweetheart neckline.”

“You are the groom?”  Mark nodded.  “What about you, bride?”

“I would like an asymmetric dress, short in the front and long in the back.”

“Honey, we talked about this,” her mother said, and Mark turned to glare at her.  She must have known about his reputation, because she quieted right down. “Whatever you want, honey.”

So everyone walked off to pick one dress that they liked.  They gave them to Kristie, and she walked into the dressing room to try them on. She looked at the dress that her mother had gotten her, and to be honest it was pretty.  It just wasn’t what she wanted.

The first dress that she tried on was the dress that her mother had gotten for her.  As she put on the dress, she realized that it did look good on her, but she didn’t like that the dress was plain white.  She wasn’t a virgin, so she didn’t want to wear white.  She didn’t want to wear champagne either, though.

She liked the dress, but she didn’t like the long sleeves.  She didn’t like the skirt.  She didn’t like that it was plain.  With a sigh, she walked out of the dressing room.  She looked at her mother, who smiled approvingly.  Mark smiled, but he shook his head at her.  She looked down, and blushed.

“That looks perfect on you,” her mother said, standing up.  “We will take it, and it’s nice and inexpensive.”

Mark turned to look at her, put a hand on her shoulder, and pulled her back into her seat.  Her mother looked at him in awe.  He smiled at her, and turned back to Kristie.

“She has two other dresses to try on,” he said, smiling at his fiancée.  “Don’t worry about the price, either.  I’ll buy the dress for you.”

“Um, no, you can’t,” Kristie said softly.

“I can,” he said, and put a hand up.  “And I don’t want you to argue.  I’m getting your dress for you, so your mother doesn’t have to stress about it.”  He smiled, and motioned for her to turn around and go back into the dressing room.

“Put on the dress you picked!” he called out.

Kristie looked at the dress she had picked out, and bit her lip.  It was the asymmetrical dress, and it was also white.  The dressing room attendant helped her out of the dress, and then helped her into the other dress.  She smiled as she looked at her reflection.  It was a very nice dress, but it was white.

“That’s a nice dress on you,” the attendant said, smiling at her.  

Kristie turned to look at her, and smiled. “Thanks,” she answered, and turned to look in the mirror again.  “It actually does look nice, doesn’t it?”

She walked out of the dressing room, and twirled as she went to stand in front of her mother and Mark.  He had been sitting, leaning back against the backrest of the chair, his right leg crossed over his left knee.  When she walked out, twirled, and stood in front of him, his eyes lit up, and he sat with both legs on the ground.

“Holy shi…” his voice dropped off, and he stood up slowly.  “You look a-fucking-mazing,” he said, walking up to her.

“What?” she asked, blushing.

“You look amazing,” he said, holding her hand up over her head, encouraging her to turn for him.  She blushed, and turned for him.  “Do you like the dress?”

“I do, but it’s white, and…”  She bit her lip, looking down.

“And what?”

“I’m not a virgin, so I shouldn’t wear white.”

“You can wear any color you want,” he said, his hand coming up to caress her cheek.  “If you like the dress, I’ll get it for you.”

“Let me try the other dress, and maybe I can find one with a little bit of color too.”

He nodded, and pushed her back into the dressing room.  The attendant helped her out of the dress, and then helped her into Mark’s pick.  “He is so very sweet, isn’t he ma’am?”

“It’s hard to imagine him angry, isn’t it?” Kristie whispered, more to herself than to the attendant.

She was worried about this dress.  It was form-fitting on top, and flared out at the bottom.  When she looked in the mirror though, she was surprised to find that she looked good. She a blush, and with a smile, she looked at the attendant.  

“You look amazing.  He’s going to be floored.”

Kristie walked out of the dressing room, a little apprehensive.  The second that he saw her, Mark’s eyes turned dark.  Her mother shook her head at Kristie.  

Mark swallowed hard, and cleared his throat.  “Do you like the dress?”

Kristie smiled.  “Do you?”

“I wish I could show you exactly how much I like that dress,” he said, his voice deeper than normal.  “Do you like the dress?”

Kristie blushed, nodding slowly.  “But I still want to try to find one with a little bit of color.”

“I think I know which one to get.  Go take that dress off, and I’ll get the dress I think you will like.”

Mark went in search of the dress he wanted Kristie to try on.  When he found it, he hurried back to the dressing room.  He didn’t know that picking dresses could be such a turn on.  Right now, he just wanted to go into that dressing room, and stake claim to that woman in there.  He shook his head to clear it.  He stopped short when he heard Kristie’s mom.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, disgust in her voice.  “You look ridiculous in that dress.”

“My fiancé seems to like it,” Kristie answered, in a small voice.  

“Your fiancé is being nice.  How can he like a body stuffed into a dress that looks like a sausage?”  She sighed. “I told you to work out before the wedding, now it’s too late.”

Having heard enough, Mark banged open the dressing room door.  He glared right at Kristie’s mother, his eyes turning steely.  He took three steps towards her, effectively pinning her between the wall and himself.  He opened his palm and hit the wall on the side of her head, embedding his spring loaded blade into the wall.  Her eyes widened, and he glared right at her.

“The next time that I hear you say another insulting, degrading thing to my fiancé, this knife isn’t going to go into the wall. Believe me when I say that I will get you when you least expect it, sitting having coffee, walking down the street, getting your hair done at the salon, and then she’ll be rid of you and your insults for good.  Do you understand me?”

The woman trembled, nodding her head. “I…y…yes, I understand,” she said, her eyes wide with fright.

“Good, now get the fuck out of this dressing room,” he hissed.

The woman turned and fled the dressing room. He turned to look at Kristie, who was looking at him wide-eyed.  He felt his features soften, and he smiled at her.  He put his blade away, and he walked up to her.  He handed her the dress, and then he nodded.

“I think this is the dress that you were looking for,” he answered, trying hard to keep his eyes on hers, and not down at the corset.

He couldn’t help it though.  His eyes wandered down her neck, across her bare shoulder.  His mouth went dry.  His eyes traveled over the tops of their breasts, and he just wanted to touch her, to see if she was as soft as she looked.  He swallowed hard, and shook his head to clear it.

“Put on the dress,” he said, and smiled.  “Then come out, and we can see it, ok?”

She nodded.  Kristie put the dress on, and the attendant came to help her close the dress. The attendant smiled, and nodded.

“Miss, this is the dress.”

Kristie turned to look at herself in the mirror. She smiled wide.  This was the dress that she was going to get married in. She turned in a circle, and looked at herself, and her eyes got teary.  This was her dress, for sure.

She walked out of the dressing room, a huge smile on her face.  Mark looked at her face, noticed her smile, and he nodded.  This was her dress.

“I knew this was the dress for you,” he said.

He walked up to her, again holding her hand up over her head, and encouraged her to twirl around.  He liked the dress.  It was very simple, but colorful, and very fun.  He looked at her, and before he could stop himself, he brought his lips down on hers.  Kristie gasped, and he lost his restraint.  He deepened the kiss, his hands moving around her waist.

He broke the kiss suddenly, and smiled at her. “I have a feeling I’m going to like going shopping with you,” he whispered.  “Get dressed while I pay for the dress.  I’ll take you home then.”

Kristie nodded and went to change.  She was looking forward to getting married now. She loved the way that her fiancé made her feel.

A/N 2: Just a reminder: This story is going to mainly focus on my three friend’s and my biases.  I hope you like this, and enjoy the story.