#you know about cotton dolls? its pretty popular right

[txtfromcellx]

God I can’t wait for Lodge Lyra to be added so she can get her own plushie

[volleychumps]

« Progressive Rivalry

Omg I love your blog 🥺 could I get a scenario or one shot with iwaizumi or Sakusa (or honestly any character you’d like!) where u run into each other at every tournament and it started out as a bitter rivalry but then they got rly worried bc u got hurt and they’re like “why do I care!?” Does that make sense? Ahaha 😅

~ just why do you keep running into the guy you hate most, especially when he equally hates your guts as well?

format: One-Shot 

genre: fluff

- includes: Iwaizumi Hajime

Warning(s): swearing, slight mention of blood, enemies to lovers trope 

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

“Oh look, my best friend’s here.” 

“Fuck off.” 

A sarcastic grin tickles your lips as you place a hand over your chest, pouting mock-affectionately as the dark haired spiker wipes at his sweaty neck with a damp towel. You adjust the gym bag on your arm as the rest of your team begins to warm up, already used to this turn of events. 

“Aw, Iwa! You always manage to warm my cold, dead heart. If you have a crush on me, just say so. Are you some kind of stalker?” 

“Hah? A stalker? You wish.”  Iwaizumi stands as the red-headed one and popular brunette behind him stifle their amused laughter into their fists. “Who would like looking at your ugly mug all day?” 

The spiker’s failed attempt to intimidate you with his height had your smile widening in challenge, the insult not hurting a bit.  In fact, you lean a little closer, fake sniffing as if he had genuinely hurt your feelings. 

“Yep. I definitely want this temperamental six year old in the body of a seventeen year old to show an ounce of interest in me. How’d you know?” 

“How can I not show interest in things that perturb me?” 

“So you are interested.” You wink. “Don’t hurt your pretty little head over using words that are too complicated for your brain.” You lean around him to shoot a sweet smile to his teammates, ignoring the flash of irritation across Iwa’s face. 

“Issei, Oikawa, Hiro!” You flash a thumbs up, your pretty smile almost blinding. “You guys were cool.” 

“Y/N-chan~ you’re such an angel!” 

“Angel my ass.” 

“Oh. You’re still here.” Your voice falls dejected as Iwaizumi gains an irk mark on his forehead. Glancing back at your team, you smile and wave at the other three. “Gotta go warm up, cheer for me!” 

“Good luck!” Matsukawa calls after you, merely grinning when Iwaizumi shoots him an irritated stare. 

“Not gonna wish the love of your life a good game?” Hanamaki questions, already beginning to walk off while smirking into his water bottle as his dark-haired friend merely scoffs. The teasing from his trio of “friends”  wasn’t anything new. 

“I don’t think that thing is capable of loving.”

“Yeah yeah, you love her, we get it.” 

Iwaizumi groaned inwardly, sitting down tiredly on the bleachers to rest up as your team littered your side of the net. His jaw clenched when you offered him a lazy wave, kneeling slightly in your position as a libero. 

There were many things Iwaizumi had could say about your character or even the irritating smile on your lips at his blatant annoyance, but he couldn’t deny how well your team mixed. Oikawa whistled lowly as Hanamaki absently mentions to Matsukawa about how the other team hardly stood a chance. 

Iwaizumi blinks, feeling a pit of annoyance in his gut as the boys in the stands whistled at every save you made, the pit deepening even further at the smile you cast in their direction. 

“You’ll get frown marks Iwa-Chan!” 

“Shut the hell-” 

“Oh shit! Y/N!” 

Iwaizumi’s head whips back in the direction of your match at the sound of Hanamaki’s exclamation just in time for the collision. 

And then his breath caught in his breath so abruptly he almost choked. 

You clutched your ankle, teeth biting so deep into your lip so hard Iwa swore he could see a bead of blood as you withheld an obvious wail of pain. Your teammate knelt by your side with a hand clamped over her mouth in shock, Iwa being able to make out from your teammates’ panic that someone had accidentally shoved you so hard to the side you swore you heard your ankle snap in an attempt to stabilize yourself. 

“Y/N-chan!” 

“Is she okay?” 

But Iwa wasn’t listening, all distaste for you seeming to drown out of his system as he wondered, 

wondered why the hell he cared so much about the girl who tried her hardest to get under his skin. Your witty retorts, your wide grin, the softness of your irises, and the pang in his chest every time you jokingly bumped your shoulder against his in passing- 

that same girl who’s cheeks were now shining with spilled tears causing him to rise to his feet. 

“Oi Iwaizumi, where are you going?” 

He didn’t spare a glance to your teammates as they silently made way for the wide-shouldered spiker, dark eyes assessing the damage as he bent down, swooping you up into his arms as if you hadn’t weighed a thing. He ignored the stares and wolf whistles from his team as he hurried out of the gym and in the direction of the infirmary towards the specialists who were trained for these events, heart tugging at the sound of your whimpers. 

“I’ve had dreams about this.” You mumble, eyes clenched shut as tears built up on your closed eyelids, arms wrapping around his neck tighter as you buried your face in his neck. “Please be hot, that’s all I’m asking for.”

“You’re still joking at a time like this?” Iwa’s voice cracks at the proximity, wondering why on earth his chest was pounding in his ears as your eyes shot open. Immediately, you begin to squirm, your face heating up as Iwaizumi continues his hurried stride, barely sparing you a glance. 

“You’re taking me?” 

“No.”

“Don’t be sarcastic with me!” 

Iwaizumi leans his head in the opposite direction, away from the volume of your voice, but he couldn’t stop the slight tilt of amusement on the right side of his lips as you seemed distracted by the obvious pain in your ankle. Mission successful. 

He ignores your protests to set you down, frowning at your claims to wanting anyone else to have taken you. Even the brunette one.

“See, now that’s just plain insulting.” Iwa’s eyes narrow at you as he finally sets you down on one of the cots, about to walk off to find the doctor before a hand weakly tugs at the bottom of his jersey. 

“....I think they’ll come soon. Can you...just stay? Just until they come?” 

Iwaizumi blinked. Then blinked again. 

Iwaizumi clears his throat, recovering from his shock before pulling up a stool and grabbing a nearby first aid kit. He tilted your chin up with his fingers, his gentle touch causing your cheeks to flare up as your eyes took on a vulnerable edge. 

“Why do you hate me so much?” It was genuine curiosity, anything to alleviate the strange heaviness in his chest when he acknowledged that fact that you despised him so.

Your eyes widen at the sudden attack, wincing a little as the cotton pad dabs at your lips, soaked in alcohol. “Why do you?” 

“I don’t hate you.”

“Oh-” 

“I just think you’re annoying as hell.” 

“Well I think that not a single thought goes on behind those pretty eyes.” 

“So you think my eyes are pretty?” 

The silence is heavy as you shake your head no quickly, causing Iwa to click his tongue and scold you to stay still as he keeps his eyes trained on your-

oh god he’s looking at your lips. 

“Yes.” You’re almost whispering, shyly avoiding his widened gaze as you lean away from him.

He stumbles over his words at your direct response, unprepared for the way in which you lean a little further back, eyes nervous and not at all the sarcastic gleam he knows as he swallows back the lump in his throat. 

“Well,” and then his hand is cupping the side of your face as he tugs you closer, confusion swirling in his head as his heart surges him forward, practically mumbling against your lips in a daze before he could stop himself. 

“I think you’re prettier.” 

He wanted to smirk at how he could practically see smoke puff out of your head. 

“Even if you hate me?” 

“I’m honestly not sure I ever did.” 

The distance is closed by you, a hand coming up to run your fingers through his dark locks as his thumb strokes your cheek, lips moving feverishly together as you attempt to pull back-

If he let you go, would you go back to hating one another? 

only for him to kiss you back even harder as if he was satiating some sort of hunger, a smile growing on your lips before a shot of pain shoots through your leg, bringing you back to reality as you whine against his lips. Iwaizumi gasps, ignoring your giggles and assuring words that you’re fine, carefully laying you down on your back while elevating your ankle. 

“Y/N.” 

“First name basis? Look at us skipping all the necessary steps.” you tug your hair out of it’s knot, attempting to redo it with a hair tie between your lips as the pain in your ankle falls to a dull throb. 

“What did....are we...?”

“Does the Iwaizumi Hajime want to know if we’re a thing or not?” Your smile has his cheeks flushing, stare becoming irritated. 

“Oi. Nevermi-” 

“Yes, idiot. Now run along and fetch my things, will you?” 

He rolls his eyes at your playful wink, ensuring your injured ankle was positioned properly before beginning to exit the infirmary-

“And Iwa?”

“What is it, doll?” 

Your chest leaps at the nickname, Iwaizumi beginning to smirk at the change in expression on your face before you clear your throat. 

“Thank you.” 

It was one of the most sincere things you had ever said to him. 

Your unexpected boyfriend kissed you on the lips a second time after a few strides, any confusion within him seeming nonexistent as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. The way you gazed up at him had his chest doing somersaults, wondering if you were both just denying the attraction you felt towards one another before fate took its turn. 

“Nah, I should be thanking you.” 

“For what?” 

“Hurting your ankle-” 

“Get out.” 

Iwa’s feeling like an idiot with the lilt to his lips when the door slides shut and something hits the door where his head would have been, the slight smile fading back to his usual scowl at the sight before him. 

His three friends had identical grins on their faces, Matsukawa holding a #1 fan balloon and Hanamaki decked out in merch from your school. He narrows his eyes at the bouquet of flowers tucked behind Oikawa’s back. All obviously from the themed store of the tournament. 

Guess he didn’t need to worry about whether or not you would enjoy his idiotic friends’ company. 

“So you're whipped. Didn’t see that one coming.” 

“Whatever.”

“Iwa, where are you going?” 

“...to go get her things.” 

“You so love her.” 

“Shut the hell up and don’t enter her room until I get back.”

It was only when the dark-haired spiker turned the corner, looking behind and in front of him before his back hits a nearby wall as he attempts to calm his heartbeat, swearing he had never felt such a wild surge of energy through his veins as his lips tingled with the taste of you. He sighs, touching the hair tie that he stole from you when he kissed you a second time from within his pocket, wondering just when his hatred melted into the exact opposite. 

He was so whipped.

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

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Hi all! How are you lovelies doing? I’m going to be on here more often, thank you for 9k and your patience with me has helped me so much! This was one of my requests that I wanted to use to slide back into the swing of things, so I hope you enjoyed! <3

[aclosetfan]

I’m still mad about Bunny from an earlier post so here’s some headcanons for an au affectionately titled “what could have happen if CN didn’t nuke the one ppg with an intellectual disability”

Long post! Look under the cut!

Bunny has Down Syndrome!

The Professor is a little...tifted when he finds out his children made another child, but Professor is a man full of love, so he takes it in stride. He’s never mad at Bunny, but the triplets have a very long and thorough talking to.

Bunny is an adjustment, but so were the triplets. Professor adjusts well to the change. He doesn’t like his lil honey bun (cause ofc he has embarrassing nicknames for her too) to go out and fight. He doesn’t want her getting too overstimulated and would rather leave the bigger villains to the girls. He can’t stop Bunny from running to help when her sisters call though!

Bunny is no damsel in distress!

But for the most part, Bunny does her part for the team by helping the professor in the lab! She’s a little uncoordinated when she gets excited, but so is the Professor, so it’s a match made in heaven. She has her own lab gear and happily hands over tools and chemicals (w/supervision!) at the Professor’s request. She also very good at reminding the professor when it’s time for a break. Bunny doesn’t let him miss snack or bedtime.

She also makes sure his experiment have a touch of cutesy because Bunny loves her a bit of sparkle and frills!

Having a sister with an obvious disability is difficult for the girls in their own ways. But Bunny really teaches the girls a lot!

For Blossom, she has a hard time puzzling how Bunny was going to live a fulfilling life in an unforgiving world. Since Blossom strives for control over things she doesn’t understand, it takes her a little bit (and a few lectures from the professor) to realize that Bunny will find her own place and that she doesn’t have to be so anxious. Bunny will be fine. She’ll be okay. She’s not so fragile. (But Blossom still has bouts of extreme worry that her little sister won’t ever be accepted) Like I said though, Blossom strives for control and tries to help the Professor keep Bun well structured and safely entertained, but Bunny’s has an independent mind of her own and teaches Blossom that while structure is good, everyone deserves a little fun!

For Buttercup it’s a giant lesson in calm and patience, which if you follow the show, is generally the lesson Buttercup needs to learn. But Bunny isn’t Bubbles or another kid on the playground, she’s special in a different way and even though she has super powers too and can get a little rough—because Bunny often forgets her own strength—Buttercup has to often be remind that she needs to be gentle. It takes a little bit for Buttercup to realize that Bunny doesn’t get things right away and what Buttercup thinks is funny can be hurtful to her. But Buttercup does learn and she’s extremely protective of her baby sister. She finds games and sports that they both enjoy, and every once in while Buttercup will buckle down and play the princess that Bunny has to save. Fr Bunny and Buttercup never give up on each other.

Bubbles is immediately the best with Bunny. It’s not so much her disability that Bubbles has an issue with, it’s more like the family displacement. Bunny gets a lot of the extra attention Bubbles has been use to. Bunny and her like a lot of the same things—dolls, coloring books, things that glitter and sparkle, bright colors, stuffed animals etc. They’re both very much into everything girly. And that means Bubbles really has to learn to share. Her stuff, her sisters, her professor—everything. Sometimes she gets a little jealous, but after an incident with Octi (where the beloved stuffed animal was ripped in two and crudely taped back together by her little sister in apology), Bubbles eventually realizes that Bunny looks up to her as a strong, tough older sister and that’s A-Ok w/ Bubs. And I know it’s cliche but I think Bubs would give Bunny Octi—not forever mind you—they share.

School’s interesting! Bunny goes to preschool with them and gets her own special teacher. But kids can be cruel and the bullies of the preschool (which is, yeah, Mitch and his group) do what they do. The sisters learn early on how to deal with insensitivity and it’s not easy (especially for BC/Blossom), but with the help of Ms. Keane, the Professor, and Bunny herself, the preschool learns that Bunny’s just a little girl who likes to play too!

I mentioned this one in a previous post, but I think Mr. Green should be her parateacher instead of the girls substitute. That way his character can stay in the show and they can have the “don’t judge a book by its cover” episode. But now it can wrap back into the episode of Bunny’s first day of school to really hit the point home! Mr Green can explain that Bunny was “different” but the girls loved her anyway, so “hey give me a chance to, I promise I won’t let you down!” (The intensity of the episode would be heightened because the girls would be extra protective of Bun) (Bunny absolutely adores Mr. Green and Ms. Keane appreciates the help!)

Bunny teaches them how to stim!! Whether it’s flappin around or playing with slime the sisters like doing it together (and tbh they’re fun stress relievers that the triplets carry into adult life)!

Also, now that I think about, I don’t feel like Bunny would get over stimulated often, but it takes her a bit to calm down when she does. Bubbles is the best at calming her down when she gets too excited, but when she’s angry, it’d be BC. I think that’s because Buttercup’s marked as an aggressive kid and, like I mentioned earlier, her and Bunny’s relationship would be filled with “learning to be calm” lessons.

Bunny has sensory issues! Nbd we all do, but Bunny doesn’t like her ears being touched so sometimes it’s hard to brush her hair. She loves Blossom’s hair though and Blossom can usually convince her that if she wants long pretty hair she needs to wash and brush her own. Blossom and the Professor are the only ones allowed to touch her hair!

Sensory wise, Bunny only likes soft cotton clothing. Everything else is too ichy. She also only wears dresses because they’re both pretty and light. good thing t-shirt dresses exist!

Purple! Bunnies! Purple! Bunnies! She has a niche and my baby fills it!

Hard ‘T’s are hard for Bunny. They round into ‘D’s instead. So Buttercup becomes Buddercup except Buddercup can sometimes be too much too, so Bunny more often then not calls her sister Buddy and that’s how Buttercup eventually earns the nickname Bud.

If you h/c the girls with fingers, the Utonium’s learn sign language, which helps when Bunny become too over stimulated or has bouts of being non verbal! Buttercup has the hardest time, Blossom catches on the quickest, Bubbles and Bunny keep making up their own signs, and Professor’s just trying to teach them all!

Can’t stay in preschool forever! Kids grow up! Sucks though :/ because the girls don’t stay in the same class. But don’t worry the triplets make sure they always eat lunch with their sister! And two weeks into middle school they realize that their baby sister doesn’t need them much anyways. She’s the queen of the SPED room. She’s so helpful, kind, and popular that she’s socially doing better then her sisters 😂😂

Bunny really gets into gymnastics! She wants to be in the special olympics, but she has super powers and the Professor has to explain that having super powers is a bit like cheating. She throws a tantrum and Bubbles, with all her crafty genius, saves the day by making fake medals and trophies. The Utoniums though are still very involved in the special olympics and other like activities . It makes them all happy and Bunny gets to hand out the medals! (Helps that she’s a superhero 😏😉 always getting that special treatment)

Guys, my gal? She’s a huge flirt! If you’re like ew no, that’s morally wrong, you need to re-evaluate what YOU know about Down Syndrome! Yes developmentally she’s a little slower, but Bunny’s still a teenager—a growing young women—and very much human, so romantic idealtions are very normal. And that applies to all our friends irl too. It just depends on a persons mental capacity! Admittedly, the Professor was a little uncomfortable at first too because there’s consent and power imbalances to think about, but the people of similar age that Bunny interacts with on the daily are people just like her—like minded individuals with puppy crushes. You can’t deny a person their humanity, so when one of the boys in her SPED class gets the courage to ask her on a date the Professor buckles down and calls the boy’s mom.

Their date is a at a park, properly chaperoned by their parents. They swing and have a good time. They end it with a hug! It’s very exciting and Bunny doesn’t stop bragging about it. Two days later she’s broken up with her new BF for the next brave soul. (Truly everything stays completely innocent don’t worry. I can understand anyone’s concern—Bunny isn’t a sexual being she’s just a romantic. Also there’s ALWAYS a chaperone)

Her family still worries though. Blossom because she always worries about Bunny and the things Bunny could be missing out on. The Professor for much the same reason + she’s his little girl. Bubbles because her LITTLE sister keeps getting more dates then her. And Buttercup doesn’t worry much, but she is annoyed because if the Professor isn’t available, she’s the one who ALWAYS has to chaperone.

Why buttercup? Don’t let her fool you. She actually volunteers. She’d chaperone any of her sisters’ dates if Blossom and Bubbles would let her. Ain’t no gross boy touching her sisters.

Tbh bunny flirts with boys most of the time to embarrass and get a rise out of her sisters. She’s a lil shit sometimes. (It’s the spice in her)

Bunny also makes sure to keep her sisters IN CHECK. If she thinks they’re being too judgmental or mean to the “bad guys,” she makes sure they remember how they were mean to HER.

Most of the main villains though don’t know her. Mojo tried something once and ended up being carted back to Townsville Correctional Facility in a gurney. Bunny has an aversion to violence after the “you’re being bad” incident, so she isn’t one to fight/protect herself (protecting her sisters is another story tho lol she’d kill for them), but her sisters are fiercely protective. Incredibly protective. So protective that when the other main villains saw Mojo carted into jail they went 😬😬😬 and stayed away.

She meets Princess though! She likes Princess for all her glittery dress-up shit. Idk how yet, but I think she’d be a good catalyst for Princess’s redemption arc (along with Robin, who yes is also Bunny’s best friend). She thinks Princess’s hair is pretty and really let’s be honest Princess goes soft because she likes the positive attention. In Princess’s defense, she was never insensitive to Bunny’s disability. She’s a ppg and a ppg is what Princess wants to be. Sure, she’s petty, but goodness gracious, Blossom, she’s well versed in etiquette and that’s just uncouth.

And she meets the boys because she’s a flirt remember? Boomer’s name is her favorite but she never gets the “-er” part out. Just likes the way BOOM sounds. Her sisters have to remind her to use her inside voice, but Boomer’s a good sport about his ear drums being blown out and usually yells right on back. She thinks they’re cute! Like Princess, Bunny makes the boys feel liked and needed and helps them along their redemption arc! But they’re hesitant to be around her because they saw MoJo and....😬😬😬 (hell would freeze over before the girls let them near her anyway) (their fear is also why they aren’t completely insensitive shits towards Bunny—Mitch is a human so he got away from a beating, but someone like Butch?? Nah, BC’s always actively looking for a reason to decimate him)

Bun’s fave villain though is Fuzzy. He’s like a giant fuzzy pink teddy bear!

Bunny’s essentially made out of the exact same stuff as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice. So what if she’s a smidge bit different. Everyone loves her just the same!

[missusk]

Pecha Berries

A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Story.

Chapter 1 - Mediocrity

Mediocrity was the one thing she was ever really good at.

Dolly gazed out her living room window, slumping her head on her fist. Her fingers drummed on the sill as she watched the trees sway back and forth, the spring wind wisping through strands of her hair. She picked at the skin surrounding her nails - an unfortunate habit, sure, but it was something to do.

She was never very popular, never very funny, and pretty average when it came to marks in school. Her ex-boyfriend said she was a solid 5/10, so she had that going for her. Not interesting enough to be pretty, not interesting enough to be ugly.

A few Sqwovets bumbled across the branches of the Slumbering Weald, a fat one cracking the branch and tumbling into a shrub below. She winced on his behalf. He seemed fine though, as he quickly scuttled back up her fencing.

Well, she has been known as being 'a pleasure to have in class', but that's about it.

Average on all accounts; the princess of plain, the queen of common, the czar of standard. If anything, It didn't matter if she was the best at something no one cared about.

“Hey Dolly, wanna come play?” the Sqwovet asked, flicking his tail back and forth. “Me an’ the boys are having a dung war later.”

Dolly resisted the urge to grimace.

“Thanks Jeremy, but uh, no thanks,”

"Why? You’re not doing anything,” the Sqwovet huffed, setting his hands on his hips.

She shrugged and he scrambled back toward the trees, calling back into the bushes.

"She’s not coming! I told you humans don’t play with their own dung!” 

“What a step back on the evolutionary ladder,” another voice grumbled as the shrubs rustled. 

Perhaps there was one interesting aspect about her - she could talk to Pokémon, not by her own choice, however. These daily requests for dung wars was exhibit A of why talking to Pokémon wasn’t as dreamy as everyone assumed it was. Exhibit B was Blipbug mating season. She shuddered at the thought and slumped over to the couch, flopping onto the flowery decorative pillows her mum picked out when they first moved to Postwick. 

It's not that she didn't enjoy doing things, it's just that she was completely average at them. Sometimes by her own account, sometimes not. A lot of people lived by a dramatic, inspiring mantra. Hers manifested in that half-assing anything was better than no-assing it, and easier than whole-assing something.

Her mum’s Munchlax snored in the corner, letting out quiet murmurs as he slept.

“Rawst berries…snrk …Sitrus berries…. snrrrt ….pork loin… hurk…” 

Dolly rolled her eyes as she flung a leg up on the back of the couch, pulled out her new Rotom phone, and started scrolling. Living in the world of Pokémon had perks, but sometimes pictures on social media weren’t one of them. Lady posing with a Slowbro here, Sudowoodo there, a picture of a sandstorm…even social media was average today. Her eyes began to droop until she saw a flash of gold and red.

"Ah! The exhibition match!" Dolly exclaimed, sitting up on her couch.

Now that was someone who was good at something. One of those blokes that was good at everything, probably. Champion Leon was tall, dark, and handsome, charismatic to a fault, and the most powerful person in Galar, next to Chairman Rose of course. They said he was bad with directions, but it’s not like that was a character flaw. The passion that he oozed through every pore was palpable, even through a screen. It was magnetic, pervasive, and it almost made her feel like she could feel that passion again one day, too.

Almost.

As she watched Leon's team decimate yet another Trainer, her mind began to drift. Charizard used Air Slash, which is effective against Fighting-types. Rubbish mistake sending a Machamp against his famous Charizard, what was this Trainer thinking? Has she ever even seen Leon battle before? Rubbish.

Even though Dolly allowed herself to believe she was absolutely average at everything, a small thought pricked the back of her mind as she evaluated the battle.

She was good at one thing, once. Pokémon battles.

But that thought didn't last very long.

"Hello, hello!"

The pseudo-politeness of that verbal knocking was Seismic Tossed into the dirt as a boy barged into the living room, along with a cotton sphere and dirt from a pair of shoes and two pairs of hooves.

"Oh, that your flash new phone, Dolls? Were you watching Lee’s exhibition match on it?"

She glanced up to see her purple-haired best friend grinning at her, with his trusty Wooloo partner grinning right along with him. A quick glance to the left revealed her mum grimacing at the now dirt-speckled carpet.

“Hi Hop,” she said. “And hi Wooloo,”

“Hi,” Wooloo replied sheepishly, hiding half of his face behind his Trainer.

"I've got all my brother's matches recorded anyway,” Hop continued, ignoring her greeting. “Don't you want to meet the legendary Champion in person?"

“That’s today?!”

Hop beamed and folded his arms over his chest as Dolly scrambled off her couch.

“You bet, it’s been on the calendar for months! That’s why I came here to get you! Lee’s coming into town today, so come on, get off your duff and let’s get moving!” 

“Yeah!” Hop’s Wooloo bleated as he raised his head in mock-triumph as his Trainer did.

Dolly trailed after her best mate who was already heading out the door.

“Going to Wedgehurst with Hop, bye mum!”

“Now wait a minute, Miss Dolores, you get your hat, remember the weather,” she scolded from the kitchen.

“And grab a bag, too, Lee’s probably going to have presents for us!” Hop sing-songed on his way out the door.

Dolly hopped to her room, slung her mum’s old leather bag over her shoulders, figured she’d be fine without her gran’s ugly old hat, and sprinted back to the front room. After a kiss on the cheek from her mum, she sprinted out the door.

“Now no going into the forest with the two of you!” her mum called from behind them.

“We know!” they replied simultaneously.

They trotted down the steps of her house and to the dirt path and a laugh exploded out of Hop’s mouth.

“Look at that bag, it’s about to pull you over! If Lee brings a Snorlax you’ll be all set!”

"Shut it, it’s the only one I’ve got," Dolly said, shoving at him with said bag. "If you’d like to buy me a new one at the boutique I’d be happy to trade it out,”

“No thanks, mate, I’m saving my money for potions and Poké Balls for when Lee endorses me for the Gym Challenge,” Hop whistled as a Wooloo came rolling by.

Their eyes followed it as it rolled into the fence near Dolly’s house.

“What’s a Wooloo doing here?” Dolly asked as it butted its head against the fence post.

“I see what you’re up to,” Hop grinned, marching up to it. He pulled at the Wooloo’s flank and backed it up. “Don’t go using Tackle on the fencing!"

“Don't go past that fence, little Wooloo, there’s some scary Pokémon in there,” Dolly agreed as Hop patted its head.

The Wooloo looked at her blankly. Odd for it to not respond... She had dozens of conversations with the Wooloo around here, but perhaps she had never spoken to this one specifically. Although her Curse was overall pretty terrible, talking with Pokémon was one perk - the only perk, really.

Hop brushed his hands off and grinned as the Wooloo scuttled off.

“Well now that that’s taken care of, let’s set off! You’ve still never met my big bro, right? You can’t miss out on your chance to meet the undefeated Champion!”

“It’s true,” Dolly grinned, hiking her bag up on her shoulders. “Someone so famous from such a nowhere town, and your brother, no less.”

“Yeah, well Postwick will be the hometown of two of Galar’s Champions once I get through with the Gym Challenge,” Hop grinned, pumping a fist in the air. “Speaking of nowhere towns, there’s Wedgehurst! Race you there!”

Hop took off at a sprint, kicking up dust as he ran towards the Wedgehurst train station. Dolly snickered and took off right behind him.

The plaza was filled with spectators and villagers, which wasn’t too challenging, to be honest, as their little villages weren’t exactly a thriving metropolis. They reached the back of the crowd, peering around bodies and through the arms of folks gathered to see their beloved Champion. The crowd erupted with cheers, and Hop and Dolly saw a flash of fire and a twirl of gold.

“Hello, hello, Wedgehurst!” they heard from through the crowd. “Your Champion Leon is back!”

Hop was grinning ear to ear as they pushed their way through the arms and legs of the spectators, Leon addressing the people of Wedgehurst. Once they finally made it to the front, Hop stumbled forward, beaming at his older brother. Dolly followed behind him, curiosity burning in her to see the undefeated Galar Champion in person. She had seen so many matches on the telly and scrolling through her phone, and she had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet someone so charismatic and passionate. Well, not countless. She didn’t daydream about the Champion that often. 

Anyway.

He stood tall, a dark red and gold cape slung over his shoulders. She could immediately see the resemblance between the two brothers as they stood grinning at each other, each with a megawatt smile, golden eyes, and indigo hair. He seemed even more dynamic in person as he ran to give his younger brother a hug. He ruffled Hop's hair as they stepped back.

“So, my number-one fan in all the world has come out of his way to pick me up! Look at you, Hop! I reckon you’ve grown…” he said as he scratched at his chin, then snapped his fingers. “Exactly an inch and a quarter since the last time I saw you!”

“Bingo! That’s the sort of sharp eye that’s kept you undefeated for so long, eh, Lee?”

Hop was vibrating with excitement. Suddenly, Leon turned her way, taking in her appearance as well. A grin appeared on his face.

“And these bright eyes over here,” he started, making his way toward Dolly. 

Automatically Dolly stood a bit straighter, her mind racing for something clever or interesting to say that could possibly surprise or enrapture Galar’s famous Champion. He approached her, still smiling his million-dollar smile. Dolly felt like she was about to turn to a puddle.

“You must be Dolly - am I right? I’ve heard loads about you from my little brother,” he grinned, looking between her and Hop.

Now was her chance to make a good first impression.

“Yes.”

Nailed it.

“Now that we’re all acquainted,” Hop grinned. “Bet I can beat you both back home!”

And with that, he took off sprinting to Postwick again. Dolly watched in horror as her safety net sprinted off, kicking up dust at the two of them. She was banking on Hop and Leon chatting all the way home as she walked beside them, basking in the glory of the Champion. What on earth did she have to say to the most famous person in the country? ‘Yes’? Because that went over great the first time. Leon let out a laugh as he watched his brother.

“Always got to be the best, that Hop. You know,” he said as he turned to Dolly. “With a proper rival of his own, I’m sure he could push himself to become something truly special.”

“Yes.”

He was surely captivated now.

Dolly stood beside him, waiting for Leon to finish addressing the crowd again. She pondered for a moment that sure, who wouldn’t want a good rival? An accountability partner with a dose of healthy competition was often a recipe for growth. She wasn’t sure where Hop would find that in their little town, though, but perhaps if he started out on the Gym Challenge like he always said he would, then maybe he’d find a suitable sparring partner. 

“Do you train Pokémon too, Dolly?” Leon asked as they started towards Postwick. Hop had already made it to the edge of Route 1, hopping back and forth as they made their way to him. 

“Ye- I mean uh, n-no,” she stammered, fiddling with her hands. “I did, once, but uh, not anymore.”

She certainly didn’t anticipate talking about this today, with the Champion, no less.

“Well, I hope you change your mind soon.”

“Come on, you Slowpokes!” Hop called, tapping his foot. “I could have made it to Kanto and back by now!”

A devious grin inched onto Leon’s face.

“Pardon me, Dolly, but I need to show my little brother that Galar’s Champion is truly the best. Not if I make it there first!” he yelled to Hop with a laugh, breaking into a sprint. Dolly watched as the two brothers ran beside each other, pushing and laughing as they raced back to their childhood home. 

She was nearly out of breath by the time she caught up, the two of them laughing and chatting in their front yard. She tried with every fiber of her being to breathe like a normal human and not the Weezing she felt like. Maybe if she willed it hard enough the sweat would disappear from her brow and the undefeated and surprisingly attractive Champion wouldn’t notice how completely out of shape she was.

“Finally, took you long enough,” Hop grinned, running to meet her at his front fence and pulling her arm. “Come on, Lee, you promised us a present! You brought Dolls and me some Pokémon, didn’t you?”

“Consider this the greatest present from the greatest Champion,” Leon grinned, waving his hands before him. “Come on out, you three!”

He turned to the makeshift pitch in their yard and tossed out three Poké Balls. In a flash, three Pokémon appeared, all running to explore the new space around them. In a burst of chaos they had managed to ignite one of the hedges, knock over the mailbox, and fall headfirst into the pond by slipping on a puddle of tears. After a grimace and some quick repairs, Leon called them to line up, which they dutifully obeyed. Hop pushed Dolly’s shoulder forward. 

“Go on Dolls, you pick first. I’ve already got Wooloo, after all.”

“P-pick?” she asked, eyes wide at the Pokémon before her.

She hadn’t had a Pokémon in years, not ever since her last partner. Even when Hop had tried to persuade her to catch a Wooloo to befriend his, she always made up some excuse to avoid the trip. He tried relentlessly for a while, but after years of attempting he eventually gave up. She glanced at Leon. But then again, the undefeated Champion of Galar had brought Pokémon all the way back for Hop, and for her, even though they had never met. She couldn’t turn down a gift from Galar’s Champion, right? She may be lazy, but she wasn’t rude.

Dolly looked to the options before her, trying her best to swallow her fear. The Sobble was looking at the ground, the Grookey was looking at the surroundings, and the Scorbunny was looking straight into her eyes.

Could she really do this? As she looked at each one, the reminder of her Curse flashed through her head like a gunshot. It could happen by one overpowered Solar Beam, a Blast Burn, a Hydro Pump. Sheer Cold, Fissure, Guillotine...she shook the thoughts out of her head. How could she have the audacity to choose who may meet an early end? The dried sweat on her forehead was chilling.

“Hey lady, are you going to pick one of us or not?” the Scorbunny yawned, scratching at his nose. He turned to the other two. “When do you think Mr. Leon will let us get some grub?”

“Soon, I expect,” Dolly replied, kneeling down. “We’re to have a barbeque later tonight.”

All three of them jerked their heads to her.

They stared wide-eyed as the Grookey and inched his way toward the Scorbunny. Cupping his hand on the wrong side of his mouth, he whispered.

“Did...did she just understand what you said?”

“Shit if I know!” the Scorbunny shouted, spurring more tears from Sobble. “But I do know she said barbeque!”

The Grookey slapped his forehead before shoving the shoulder of the Scorbunny.

“Try asking her something.”

“What color am I?” the Scorbunny asked, squinting his eyes.

“That depends,” Dolly responded, “Most of you is white, but you’ve got bits of red, orange, yellow…”

“A human can understand me!” he yelped, falling onto the grass.

Grookey and Sobble’s mouths dropped open Dolly could feel Leon’s gaze on her as Hop jumped up and down.

“See, Lee? I wasn’t pulling your leg when I told you she could talk to Pokémon! Brilliant, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve been able to since I was a kid,” she laughed nervously, scratching her neck. Was it wicked? Sure. Was it worth it? No.

“Hey lady! What am I thinking?” the Scorbunny interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut and scrunching his face. After a moment the Grookey thwacked him on the back of the head.

“She said she can talk to Pokémon, not read your mind.”

“Oh yeah.”

“So,” she said as she looked at each Pokémon again. “I’ll let you guys pick. Which one of you would like to be my partner?” 

Perhaps it wouldn’t be all on her if something were to happen again, right? She was torn from her thoughts when the Scorbunny immediately jumped up.

“Oh pick me! I want a Trainer who can speak Pokémon!”

The corner of her mouth twitched up, and she nodded her head.

“Well, that takes care of that,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone.

“Yes!” he yelled, bounding around her.

She laughed and held out her knuckles for a fist bump. He bounded around her again, then seeing her first, he prepared for a jump. Fist out, he jumped, overshot it, and punched Dolly square in the face and it only took a second before she was on the ground with a Scorbunny on her stomach.

“How’s that for first impressions,” the Grookey said, slapping his forehead again. 

First she saw stars, then the blue of the sky, then the wide grin of her new Scorbunny.

“Heh, sorry,”

“You’ve got quite the arm,” Dolly mumbled, rubbing her jaw and sitting up. The Scorbunny fell to her lap, still looking up at her.

“High attack,” she continued, opening and closing her jaw. “Pretty adamant...we’ll have to watch your special attack in the future. Do you have a name?”

The Scorbunny scratched his chin again.

“Hmm...Scorbunny.”

“Okay, well now is your chance to change it," Dolly said, letting out a laugh. "What would you like me to call you?”

“Something ace! Like...like...” he started, hopping off her lap. He paced back and forth, then looked around. “Like Mr. Leon!”

“Okay well I’m not going to call you Mr. Leon, just because you think he’s cool,” she added with a smirk and a glance to Leon. Though he was, indeed, very cool. “How about Jackson? I had an old rabbit stuffy named Jackson,”

“Awh, yeah that’s even better!” Jackson yelled, hopping up and down.

“Jackson it is then," she smiled.

“Right, then” Hop interrupted, helping Dolly up and stepping over to the remaining Pokémon. “I’ll go with Grookey. You and Wooloo will have to get well-acquainted, since we’ll all work together so I can be the next Champion!”

He held his arm out to Grookey, who cheered and raced up Hop’s arm until he was sitting on his shoulder. Leon grinned and walked up to them, nodding as Grookey cheered from Hop’s shoulder.

“I bet you will be, Hop. That’s why I brought along these Pokémon for the both of you, so the two of you can battle and train and grow stronger together to try to reach me!”

Dolly’s eyebrows furrowed. Reach him? Why? She supposed he didn’t often hand out rare Pokémon to strangers, so perhaps she shouldn’t be so surprised he’d want more Trainers out in Galar. Maybe she should just hand Jackson back off before she got too attached and all this got more misconstrued. 

“Oh, thanks Mr. Leon but-”

“Just call me Leon,” he grinned to her.

“Oh, right, uh, Leon, thanks and all but I’m not-”

“Alright!” Hop and Leon’s mum called as she made her way out of the house carrying a rack full of ingredients. “Enough with all this Trainer nonsense for one night! Dinner’s about ready, so bring your Pokémon and wash up!”

Dolly’s sentence died in her throat as the two brothers sprinted into the house, pushing and laughing again as their Pokémon trailed behind them. Her mum walked up to her and hugged her arm around Dolly’s shoulders.

“You’ve got a new Pokémon, haven’t you, love?”

Dolly looked down to Jackson, who was gazing between the two of them expectantly.

“I guess so,”' she said with a faint smile. “I certainly didn’t expect today to be filled with so many surprises,”

“Well, I’m glad. I know I’m always nagging on you to get up and do something, and this seems like the perfect avenue for it. I think it will be good for you,” she added, gazing at Dolly with an understanding only her mum could muster.

Dolly nodded weakly and let out a sigh. Even her mum now, too?

“You gonna eat or what,” Hop asked as he walked up to the two, barbeque sauce smeared on his cheek. “Mum says you better get some before Lee eats it all.”

Dolly’s mum clapped and ran back into the house, stating that she forgot to add her secret spice blend to the vegetables. Hop looked to Dolly and swallowed the rest of his kabob. 

“I told you Lee was the coolest,” he grinned, sauce still smeared on his cheek. “I asked him to bring you a Pokémon too, hope you don’t mind. I figured you just didn’t like the ones around here, and that’s why you’d never catch one. Now we can battle together! It’ll be ace, you and me, getting endorsed and doing the Gym Challenge together!” Hop enthused, bobbing his kabobs up and down with enthusiasm. Grookey on his shoulder kept swiping at the meat on top, to no avail as Hop kept bouncing them up and down.

Dolly looked at her best mate, gung-ho and enthusiastic for her in a way she could never be for herself. She probably wouldn't be very good at it, but maybe if she could support Hop in his journey and muddle through a handful of Gyms before dropping out. She nodded. Yeah, that was a good plan. Catch no more than six Pokémon, beat the first Gym, release her team all back into the wild, then drop out and move back to Postwick and watch her friend become the new Champion and achieve his dream. Less risk, that way, to herself and her new Pokémon. She wouldn’t get too close, just in case.

Looking down to her new Scorbunny, to the hope and trust she could already see in his eyes, something in her heart tugged. Maybe keeping one would be fine.

The rest of the night came and went with everyone having full stomachs and full hearts. Dolly spent a sleepless night with her new Scorbunny, him asking her thousands of questions, and her finding an odd amount of joy in answering them. She had to admit, he was pretty funny, and as the sun rose they had ended up talking and learning about each other almost all night. They both liked spicy curry, they both knew how to juggle, and they both had an embarrassing fascination with Leon. The sun hit Dolly’s face, and she awoke to see Jackson snuggled beside her head on her pillow. She reached to pet him, a bit of love already built up between the two of them. Yeah, maybe keeping just one would be fine.

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Author’s Note (A/N): View story summary and full chapter index HERE!

Chapter Index:

Current: Chapter 1 - Mediocrity

Next: Chapter 2 - A Mysterious Encounter

[callunavulgari]

Year-In-Fic | 2019

How many fics did you write this year? What was your total wordcount?

This year I wrote 41 fics (technically 40 as the last was published today, but I wrote it in December so I’m counting it), for a total of 96,689 words. For even more interesting numbers, of that 96k, a little over 70k of them were written in the month of October alone, so I’m pretty proud of that.

Fic Roundup!

children of dust and ash | Bartimaeus |  Bartimaeus/Kitty(/Nathaniel) | 1,801 words |  Kitty summons Bartimaeus on a chilly fall day in her thirty-eighth year.

sweet music playing in the dark | DBH | 1,102 words | “I noticed some time ago that you seem to have an appreciation for jazz.”

Radio Ga Ga | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,143 words | There’s always another party in Hawkins, Indiana. It would be almost boring if it weren’t for Steve Harrington.

Sunlight | Marvel | Loki/Thor | 765 words | They aren’t quite out of the solar system when Loki appears at the arm of Thor’s chair, hair shorn short and a furious snarl on his face.

like the bough of a willow tree | Detroit Become Human | Hank/Connor | 1,214 words | There’s a human lost in his woods.

knocking on heaven’s door | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,748 words | “Just, get in the fucking car. I’ll drive you home.” Billy looked at him, very seriously, and said, “What if I don’t want to go home?”

no more dreaming like a ghost | KH | Axel/Roxas | 813 words | He is in the kitchen, the stove top still warm under his thighs, and everything smells of cherries. The pie is cooling on the windowsill, the sun slanting in warm and buttery, and it is like a dream. A memory. A wish.

Cheers | DBH | Hankcon | 6,368 words | “Are you coming in or not?”Connor blinks, jerks his eyes up and away from those hands and-The bartender has blue eyes. They match the spinning LED at his temple perfectly.

bury a friend (try to wake up) | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,587 words | Steve digs up Billy’s body on a Tuesday.

won’t be too soon ‘til I say… goodnight moon | KH | Riku/Sora | 4,549 words |  The house was built in the fall of 1882.

you’ll never know what hit you | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 5,379 words | “C’mon, ghost,” Shane urges. “Make all my dreams come true. Fuck me up, fam.”

make this chaos count | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 724 words | “You really should stop looking for me,” Akmazian tells him, fingers creeping across Ryan’s ribcage, mapping the architecture of his ribs.

eat you up whole | The Witcher | Geralt/Regis | 2,527 words | “How many mouthfuls do you think I could take from you before it had some effect?” Regis whispers, lips against his throat. Geralt can feel the pinprick of fangs. “Four? Six? Ten? More, even?”

forget the horror here | DBH | Hankcon | 4,390 words | “Hello,” the android says, it’s chest heaving, the gleam of its heart brighter, bluer than before.

summoning demons (and other bad first date ideas) | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 3,868 words | “If I let you out of that circle,” Ryan says, slowly. “Are you going to eat me?”

Itch | The Magnus Archives | Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims | 1,440 words | The boneturner takes from him two ribs - one for him and one for Jon.

the salt water sting | Dishonored | Corvo/Outsider | 2,163 words |  The ship wrecks several hundred miles off of the coast of Karnaca.

a skeleton of something more | SGA | Rodney/John | 3,072 words | “John?” he murmurs, still coasting on the pain. His head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, if cotton were also made of glass.

in the woods somewhere | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 4,570 words | Stiles buys a house in Virginia.

Wake Up | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 550 words | “If you wake up,” Martin tells him, experimentally. “I won’t go through with it. You can tell me what a stupid idea it was, and we can laugh about it, and everything will be normal.”

Pas de Deux | KH | Axel/Roxas | 506 words | Roxas doesn’t remember what the sky looks like anymore.

try to wake up | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,226 words | They do not, in fact, bone down and praise Satan.

too late to come on home | LoZ | Gen | 1,391 words | “You look familiar,” the boy says in his strange, haunting voice. “Are you lost?”

patron saint of the lost causes | Harry Potter | Draco/Harry | 4,203 words | “Can’t you just, y’know,” he waves a hand and makes an obscene gesture, his cheeks flaring red. “Shag it out?”

wouldn’t you like to see something strange? | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 1,571 words | “I’d say you make my heart pound, but well…” Stiles nods meaningfully to his chest, where if you look hard enough between the slots of his ribs, you can see the lump of muscle that once was his heart, pointedly not beating. “You know.”

the night is softly, sweetly calling | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 2,938 words | Here’s the thing that Stiles never tells the Hales: his mother was strange too.

Haunt | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 1,486 words |  Ryan couldn’t remember a time when the world didn’t believe in ghosts.

bite my tongue, bide my time | PJO | Nico/Percy(/Annabeth) | 1,376 words | “What’s wrong with you?” Nico asks, cowering when Percy places a gentle kiss on his collarbone.

Bird Song | Raven Cycle | Ronan/Adam, Gen | 1,445 words | On a dreary Sunday in early January, Ronan dreams himself a pair of wings.

kiss me hard until you’re done | Star Wars | Reylo | 3,082 words | He looks up at her from under heavy lids, dark hair sweeping forward to frame his face. “May I have this dance?”

beauty in the dissonance | Marvel | Tony/Loki | 1,411 words |  When Tony dies, it isn’t for forever.

like real people do | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 2,808 words |  “I’ve got the sight, man,” he says with a small shrug. “And look, I feel for you. You’re dead and I’m not, and that sucks, but unless you’re planning on doing something about it, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop feeling me up and let me get back to sleep.”

i’d rather drown in your ocean | Naruto | Itachi/Shisui | 1,630 words |  The Uchihas are an odd sort. Everyone says so.

catch your breath | The Bright Sessions | Mark/Damien/Sam | 2,588 words | Mark had never assumed in a million years that he would ever see Damien again. He hadn’t factored in zombies.

Nightmare | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jonathan | 1,424 words | “All right,” he says, taking Jon’s still outstretched hand. “Let’s give the dream what it wants.”

dreaming of the crash | Gravity Falls | Mabel & Dipper | 484 words | When the end of the world comes, they’re under the bed.

don’t we love it now? | Kingdom Hearts | Sora/Riku/Kairi | 1,784 words |  When Kairi is eleven years old, she gets lost in the woods.

all this, and love too, will ruin us | Star Wars | Reylo | 1,102 words |  Rey is awake to watch the sunrise

open the walls, play with your dolls | Coraline | Coraline/Wybie | 2,886 words | Halloween at the Pink Palace is a lot like any other time of year.

in every golden trace | Queen’s Thief | Costis/Eugenides/Irene | 4,645 words |  For as long as Costis can remember, he’s had two names scored across the skin atop his ribs, one on either side of his rib cage, nearly perfect mirrors to one another.

a different kind of danger in the daylight | Shades of Magic | Lila/Kell/Holland | 6,930 words | Sleeping with Holland was never part of the plan. 

Best story I wrote this year: Probably the night is softly, sweetly calling. I wrote this for the 18th of October, and it’s the much awaited third part of a Teen Wolf/Addams Family fusion that I wrote back in 2014. A lot of people have asked me to continue this series over the years, but I never did because I felt my writing style had changed too much and then I fell out of the Teen Wolf fandom completely. But I’d written another Teen Wolf fic a few days before (more on this later) and I was just... very nostalgic all of a sudden. My style of writing had changed, but to offset the change of tone, I wrote the story from Stiles’s POV instead of Derek’s and it made all the difference. I was pretty pleased with the result, and hope that it made everyone happy.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest. patron saint of the lost causes. There were a couple fics that I think I did a really good job writing this year, the one listed above and below included, but I think that this one was my favorite. Writing Drarry was a surreal experience, because even when I was in the Harry Potter fandom I didn’t really write for it (well, I didn’t publish what I’d written for it) and I was surprised by how easily it came to me. I tried to channel a lot of the feeling of men who had mothers when I was writing this one, because it seemed very right. 

Okay, NOW your most popular story. All right, so technically my stats are all messed up this year because when I posted the third part of the Addams/Teen Wolf fusion, I also posted a chapter to Que Sera, Sera since so many people were subscribed to that story. So. From a purely stats standpoint, Que Sera, Sera was the most popular because it has a total of 25,790 hits, 2973 kudos, and 115 comments. BUT, I did not actually write anything new for that one so-

in the woods somewhere was the first fic I’d written for Teen Wolf since I wrote  take me to church in August of 2017. It has over 900 kudos and some 5000+ hits. When I decided to do Dark Month this year, I knew that I wanted to revisit some of my old fandoms, so Teen Wolf was always going to be a given. I wrote take me to church as a cathartic goodbye to the show, the fandom, and of course, Stiles and Derek. It was my soft epilogue for the boys.

in the woods somewhere has a very similar feel to it. It’s post-canon, obviously, and features Stiles buying a house in Virginia and Derek slowly working his way back into his life. It is also very much in the ‘soft epilogue’ genre, leaning heavily into the magical Stiles Stilinski trope while maintaining the FBI agent direction canon was leading us in. Also it has a lot of comfort things for me - judicious descriptions of food, a packed witchy cabin in the woods, and warm shower kisses. Story of mine most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Possibly either won't be too soon 'til I say... goodnight moon or all this, and love too, will ruin us. The first of these two fics is almost 5k of spooky season Riku/Sora that was strongly inspired by Uzumaki-sama’s old fic Goodnight Moon. It was the second day of October and my prompts for the day were moon cycles, nightmare, cage, lookalike, mirrors, and glowing eyes, which was just asking for fic exploring doppelgangers and old haunted houses. I loved writing it, and maybe I should have expected it since Kingdom Hearts is such a quiet fandom nowadays, but it honestly stung that it didn’t get more attention.

The second of those fics was a Reylo fic (yes, yes, I know, it’s an awful ship, etc. etc.) that was very much written to be slow and melancholy and kind of surreal. Sometimes my smallest fics are my favorite, and I really liked this one. But alas, some things were not meant to be.

Most fun story to write: I had a whole lot of fun writing summoning demons (and other bad first date ideas). A lot of the fics I wrote this year, particularly during October, were really fun and easy to write. I missed writing every day. This one in particular though was about 4k of Ryan accidentally summoning Shane (the demon) while Shane was standing right next to him in his human suit. It let me play with a lot of body horror tropes that I don’t explore usually, and Buzzfeed Unsolved is a very fun, fresh fandom to dig around in. This is the second of the three (I think it was three, at least) fics that I wrote for the fandom during October and I had so much fun with it.

Story that could have been better? I don’t know about better, but Sunlight and Bird Song were both supposed to be significantly longer. I wrote Sunlight shortly after watching Endgame, and it was always going to be me working my way through my issues with that movie (Loki not really coming back, weird wonky time travel, Thor leaving his people after his whole arc was him learning how to be a good king) but I got distracted and had to go somewhere that day and just never got back to it.

Bird Song is actually a fic I’ve been meaning to write for years. Ages ago (and we are truly talking ages ago, like September 2015 ages ago), @kaikamahine gave me a prompt for E, 17, and hymnal, which basically balanced out to Ronan, churches, and wings. So day 20 of October was going to be Raven Cycle (with such prompts as stacked deck, darkness, wings, and fight fire with fire, it was begging for it) and I was finally going to write Ronan wingfic. It was going to be great. There was going to be Calla and Ronan interaction and found family themes and there was going to be a church, because obviously, but then I wasn’t doing so well and ran out of time, SO. Definitely could have been better.

Story I wrote to fix things: beauty in the dissonance, the 24th fic of October, was a Tony/Loki flavored story where both Tony and Loki are, in fact, alive. Sunlight was written as a direct response to Endgame, even if it was never finished properly. make this chaos count was the 4th day of October, and written because I’m still not fucking over Ryan and Akmazian. And then knocking on heaven’s door was written just after viewing s3 of Stranger Things. It was uh, less of a fix it fic and more a wallow in your grief fic, but it still applies.

Oh, and a different kind of danger in the daylight was technically fix it fic? I’m generally okay with how Shades of Magic ended, despite my favorite character dying because it came off as a good death. However, the recipient of my Yuletide gift wanted no character death and I wanted to write something post-canon, so presto, fix it fic.

Longest completed fic this year: a different kind of danger in the daylight, followed by Cheers. Both are hovering between 6 and 7k, which isn’t technically long, but since about 90% of my fic this year was written over the course of a day each... I’ll take it.

Fandom you enjoyed writing for most this year: I had a lot of fun with Buzzfeed Unsolved and The Magnus Archives, but I also had fun dipping briefly back into Harry Potter and Teen Wolf.

Favorite character you wrote this year: I had way, way too much fun writing Geralt and Regis in eat you up whole. I have literally no idea if it translated into good fic, but it was fun and just shy of porny and I just really like Geralt. I also had a lot of fun writing Lila in the Shades of Magic fic.

Most memorable comment(s) this year: I got two comments from @kaikamahine about a week ago that honestly made my day. @faorism reread one of my older Stranger Things fics and left a comment, which made me reread it, which was just very good. Every single comment I got on the new Teen Wolf fics with some variation of ‘missed you’ or ‘so glad you’re back’ made me fucking melt. The two different comments where the reader wasn’t even familiar with the material, just read and enjoyed because I wrote it. The comment on one of my Stranger Things fics that just reads, “What the FUCK this SLAPPED.” The comment directly above that one that is from one of my favorite writers in the fandom. The several comments on the single PJO fic I wrote this year which were different variations of “oh my gosh it’s you” and “it’s been so long.”

And of course everyone losing their collective shit over some of the grosser October fics. Namely Itch.

Fics you wanted to write but didn’t: For the most part, the fics I wanted to write but didn’t are the same as last year- Sabriel AU, Enjolras/Grantaire fic, found family Dishonored fic, bodyswappying Reylo, Sterek Bioshock and Carmilla AUs which I am likely to post as is sometime next year. 

I still want to finish the Castlevania OT3 fic, the giant canon-divergent Bright Sessions AU where years after the series ends, Mark ends up running into Damien again in a small town in the middle of nowhere only to realize that he has a daughter, a farm, a life, and is just so drawn to it that he keeps coming back. I have the Wolf 359 post-canon fic where everyone has feelings and found family is a general theme and maybe Eiffel smooches an AI. I also have the smuttier Wolf 359 fic that’s been lurking in the back of my head for months where Eiffel and Kepler er, basically eiffel tower Jacobi.

Oh, and I have the Reylo fic where Rey (and Ben, through the bond) sit through General Organa’s funeral and keep coming back to each other afterwards. And that Final Fantasy 15 fic where Dino and Noctis do the nasty. And the Hera & Jacobi fic from October. And uh, the post episode 9 fic that’s been lurking about in my brain.

Oddest story: Probably i’d rather drown in your ocean? It was pretty spot on aesthetically for me, but it was weird to write Itachi and Shisui again, especially in a strange modern day vampire context? Also Itch and Nightmare were both Magnus Archive fics that were super gross (Itch) and just plain spooky and bizarre (Nightmare) but they were so fun to write. Hardest story to do: Cheers gave me some trouble initially but got a lot easier as I went on. I hit writer’s block pretty bad with the Shades of Magic fic too, but that seems to be what happens when I come up on deadlines. Easiest story to write? Most of October’s fics were a blast to write and super easy besides. Basically all of the Kingdom Hearts, Stranger Things, and Teen Wolf fic. And the Buzzfeed Unsolved.

Most mining of your own history in one story: Probably either  open the walls, play with your dolls or no more dreaming like a ghost. Not in any way that really matters, but there are a couple familiar details.

Themes, or absence thereof: Mostly either spooky scary things or fix it fics. Sometimes both.

Where did you publish/archive your stories? Ao3, as per usual. Story I haven’t yet written, but intend to: The only thing that I currently have planned is the post episode 9 fic and a couple things that I’ve had planned for a while that may or may not come out.

Sexiest moment (excerpt): “How many mouthfuls do you think I could take from you before it had some effect?” Regis whispers, lips against his throat. Geralt can feel the pinprick of fangs. “Four? Six? Ten? More, even?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Geralt murmurs, and Regis laughs.

“I would,” he agrees.

“So, why don’t you find out instead of boring me with all the details?”

Regis pulls away from his throat, far enough that Geralt can meet his eyes again. He swallows at what he finds there. Amusement, yes, but also hunger, brighter than the moonlight reflecting in his eyes.

“A taste, first, I think,” Regis says in a low, cool voice, and then closes the space between them.

Geralt had forgotten the blood on his lip, but he remembers it when Regis catches him in an open-mouthed kiss. It’s wet and bruising, and Geralt is responding before he remembers he shouldn’t, fighting back the only way he knows how with the rest of him indisposed. He claws at him, bites at him, and the vampire laughs when Geralt catches his plump lower lip between his teeth and bites down. Regis gives his mouth one last darting swipe of the tongue before he is pulling away.

There’s a flare of color high on Regis’s cheeks and his ears are distinctly more pointed than they were five minutes ago, the sclera of his eyes gone red.

“Can’t say I’ve ever been bitten by a human before,” Regis tells him, leaning close like he’s divulging a secret. “It’s a rather exhilarating experience.”

“I’m all for a repeat experience,” Geralt quips, eyes narrowed. “Lean in just a little and we can see if I can manage to tear off your lips before you rip out my throat.”

.

“Please,” she whispers, and feels herself quiver like a taut bowstring when he touches her mouth gently, with the very tips of his fingers.

He smiles and leads her away, through the demons and goblins and fae that she came here to kill.

They make it as far as the parking lot before he is hitching her up the side of a gleaming Mercedes, hooking her legs around his shoulders, and hiking her skirts up over her thighs so he can duck his head beneath them. His fingers linger for a moment on the silver of the knives strapped securely to her thigh, and then he is reaching in, guiding her underwear to the side and getting his mouth on her, right where she wants it.

She must make some kind of noise, because he chuckles, tongue circling her clit in a slow, languid way that makes her think that he is savoring her, that he likes the taste of her on his tongue.And he must, because she knows what he is. Knows that just as he’s savoring the taste of her, he is eating her, feeding off of her want like the things that she hunts in the dark feed off of blood and marrow and souls. She knows, but it isn’t enough to stop her from tilting her head back, gasping for him, the distant wink of streetlights and stars so far away.

He makes her come with his mouth on her, with his fingers inside her, and even as she’s shaking around him, she knows that it isn’t enough. She wants more, wants to feel the heavy press of him inside around, wants to kiss his lips and taste herself on his tongue.

“Please,” she says, her thighs shaking, and he laughs, pulling away and easing her down, until her legs are looped around his waist instead of her shoulders. He reaches between them, and she knows what’s happening beneath her skirts, knows that he’s getting his cock out of his pants and pressing it against her, can feel it as he sinks slowly into her, the tight fit of it so sweet, so perfect that it makes her ache.

“You’re lovely,” he whispers, kissing her shoulders and fucking into her slow, a teasing stretch that makes her mouth water, makes her twitch.

.

“Is this what you wanted?” Hank jeers, one finger circling the rim of Connor’s hole. There’s a flush of angry blue across his cheeks. His hair is coming loose from its usually immaculate tail, curling against his forehead. His eyes are blue. His LED is not. “To lay back and take it? From a fucking machine?”

Connor whines, back arching as Hank dips the tip of his thumb inside, just enough to hold him open.

“That is it, isn’t it?” Hanks says softly. There’s a touch of triumph to his gaze as he fucks Connor open on his thumb. Something mean, too. Disdain, slowly unfurling in the curve of his lips. He shakes his head. “All this time, coming to this bar. Talking to me like you thought I was some kind of human, and you just wanted something like me to hold you up and take you apart.”

“No,” Connor gasps, but can’t help the twist of his hips when Hank adds another finger.

“No?” Hank says with a laugh. “Look at you.”

Connor’s cock jerks against his belly as Hank drags his pants the rest of the way down his thighs. They make it as far as his knees before they tangle, stuck on his shoes. His cheeks feel hot, and he- god, he wants to protest. Wants to say that Hank’s got it all wrong, that this is more. That he’s more.

But then Hank is flipping him over, until the arm of the couch is digging firmly into his belly, his ass high in the air. Hank pulls his fingers out, then leans over and spits, the cool slippery slide of the saliva trailing down the curve of his ass.

“All right, Connor,” he says. “This what you want? I’ll give it to you.”

No, Connor should say. It isn’t like that.

Instead, he says, “Please.”

Crackiest moment (excerpt):

“Did you just sneak into my house?” Stiles breathes, absurdly charmed.

Derek’s in his human disguise, everything dangerous about him hidden away from view, lurking just under the surface. He gives Stiles a look, and says, “Don’t be weird about it.”

He shuts the door behind him.

“I’ve got a nice monster knocking on my door just before the witching hour,” Stiles tells him playfully, making room for Derek to take a seat next to him. “How am I not supposed to be weird about that?”

Derek does something akin to rolling his eyes, the flames doing a little shimmy around the circumference of his eye sockets. He leans back against Stiles’s headboard, seemingly unconcerned that their sides are pressed together. Derek’s skin is very warm, human warm, and Stiles is all bones. He sucks up the warmth greedily.

“I’d say you make my heart pound, but well…” Stiles nods meaningfully to his chest, where if you look hard enough between the slots of his ribs, you can see the lump of muscle that once was his heart, pointedly not beating. “You know.”

.

“What’s the local legend about this thing?” Shane asks, hopping up onto the throne easily and spreading out, eyes on the night sky. He looks good. He always looks good, but Ryan likes him best like this, out here with the moonlight shining down on them and the camera catching all his best angles.

As Ryan watches, he blinks, and turns to look at Ryan, puzzled. “Ryan?”

Ryan clears his throat. “The locals say that if you make a wish while sitting on her throne, the witch will grant it.”

Shane gives him a wicked smile and hums a few bars of Genie in a Bottle. Ryan chokes out a laugh, crossing the space between them until he’s leaning up against the side of the throne himself.

Shane closes his eyes. “I wish, I wish with all my might, please dear god, let there be ghosts here this night.”

Ryan holds his breath.

“C’mon, ghost,” Shane urges. “Make all my dreams come true. Fuck me up, fam.”

All around them, the world is still.

Shane cracks an eye open and squints at him. “Did it work?”

.

“Jon?” someone asks, and Jon blinks.

Martin is standing before him. He’s wearing something out of another time, a costume of silken breeches with a well-cut waistcoat of a rich, opalescent blue. There’s a puffy cravat hugging his neck, and polished buckled shoes on his feet. Jon almost expects him to be wearing a wig, but his hair is the one thing that’s been left untouched, hanging loose around his chin.

“Martin?” Jon asks.

Martin seems to take him in, his eyes running slowly down Jon’s body, lingering at his wrists, his waist, his thighs. It’s a bold sort of move, one that Martin would never be half so blatant about if he were awake.

“You, er. Look nice,” Martin says, and Jon glances down at himself.

He’s sure that moments ago he’d been wearing the same thing he’d worn to the office, shabby coat, mostly clean shirt, a pair of nondescript trousers that didn’t have any stains. But now, he finds himself in a dress. The gown is long and brilliantly red, the skirts heavy around his thighs. There are embroidered patterns reminiscent of roses along the bodice and down the front of his petticoat.

“Well, shit,” he mutters, still staring. Experimentally, he moves his hips, and finds that the skirts swish obligingly with the movement.

“Yes, well,” Martin murmurs, cheeks flushing horribly. “You always did look rather good in red.”

“In red-” Jon repeats in horror. “Martin, I’m in a gown.”

Favorite dialogue (excerpt):

“Are you ever going to stop looking for me?” Akmazian asks him one night.

Ryan is tired. Akmazian is a shadowed figure in the dark that he tries not to look at too closely, because if he does, Akmazian will be gone.

“Maybe,” Ryan tells him, and turns over onto his side. Away from the shadow, the ghost.

The bed dips under the weight of a person who isn’t really there, and Ryan can feel Akmazian’s breath on the back of his neck, warm and damp.

“Don’t touch me,” Ryan says, and means, I don't want this to end yet.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on it, darlin',” Akmazian murmurs back, then drags his lips over the back of his neck anyway, just to be contrary. Ryan swallows, his throat dry, tongue thick in his mouth. He clenches his fingers in the sheets, eyes squeezed so tightly shut that his vision stains red behind his eyelids.

“Please,” Ryan says.

“You really should stop looking for me,” Akmazian tells him, fingers creeping across Ryan’s ribcage, mapping the architecture of his ribs.

“I know.”

“You’re never going to find me.”

Ryan laughs. “Never say never.”

There is silence behind him and then, “Ryan. Please. You’re hurting yourself.”

Ryan trembles a little when a hand lands on his hip, just this side of too solid.

“Don’t care.”

“You’re hurting the stars.”

Ryan is silent for a moment. Then, “I just miss you.”

A sigh.

“I know,” Akmazian murmurs, and leans over to place a kiss on Ryan’s forehead. “I miss you too.”

Ryan opens his eyes, turns to look, and like always, Akmazian is gone.

.

“Look,” Potter says, audibly slurring. “I’ve had an idea.”

Draco crosses his arms. “And what, pray tell, is this idea of yours, Potter?”

Potter leans forward, using a hand to prop himself up, until he’s well into Draco’s personal space. He smells like beer and whiskey, and his cheeks and jaw are more beard than stubble.

“Break your curse with me,” he breathes, a hand settling atop Draco’s blanket-clad knee.

Draco swallows. “I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

“No, look,” Potter says, leaning in even closer, eyes a bit wild. “We can just… you know.”

“No, Potter,” Draco tells him. “I don’t know.”

But he does. He really does.

“You know,” Potter says again. “Shag it out.”

“I think that you’re confusing things again,” Draco says tiredly. He sets the book on the nightstand next to him. “Remember the terms of the curse? Love, Potter. Not sex.”

Potter’s nose wrinkles. “But sex is part of love. Usually, anyway. It’ll work, I know it.”

“It won’t,” Draco insists, slapping Potter’s hand away when it begins to wander up his thigh. “Do you really think that I didn’t shag my wife before she left me? Because I did. We tried for years. Years, Potter. Trust me, if the curse were going to break because of a fuck, it would have happened well before now.”

Potter blinks at him, his eyes wide. There’s a ruddy flush on his cheeks, and Draco’s not sure if he likes it.

“We could at least try,” Potter says, almost gently. He doesn’t touch Draco again, but he looks like he wants to, hand trembling where it lays on the bedspread.

It feels like there’s glass in Draco’s throat. He is so, so tempted. Here is what he wanted - or at least part of it - Potter in his bed begging to fuck him, and he’s going to have to send him away.

“I think you should leave,” he tells him, and Potter’s mouth shuts with a click.

Favorite lines (excerpt):

“Relax,” he croons, stroking her fingers before he pulls away. “Your secret is safe with me. Most of this crowd knows that I’m not on speaking terms with that side of my family. They won’t suspect you because of me.”

Her face is flushed, either from rage or humiliation. Possibly both.

“So you-”

“Yes,” he says, fingers dropping to caress the fabric of her gown, swirling a thumb around the sweeping petals of an embroidered rose. His gaze is sly, a bit predatory when he glances back up at her. “I know what you have under this pretty skirt of yours.”

Rey’s breath catches, and she feels something- a slow trickle of heat seeping in to pool around her navel. She shifts, thighs sliding together, and hopes that he can’t smell her.

“Just as I know exactly what you’re doing right now,” she tells him in a hard whisper, jerking away from his grip on her elbow.

His eyes widen, affecting a look of innocence - a ‘who me?’ - that isn’t quite as effective when his lips are also curling up into a slow, pleased smirk.

“And what exactly am I doing?” he asks, his eyes laughing at her.

She glares at him. That seems to be enough of a reply, because he chuckles before taking possession of her arm again and pulling her smoothly towards the dance floor. Once they’ve reached the edge of it, he stops, dropping her elbow in favor of dipping into a low, courtly bow.

He looks up at her from under heavy lids, his hair sweeping forward to frame his face. “May I have this dance?”

The dance floor is crowded, full to the brim of masked people sweeping by in jewel-bright dresses and dark suits. She knows not to - knows that this place is a lot like fae courts of old. You don’t eat the food, you don’t drink the wine, and you definitely don’t dance.

But she’s already drank the wine, so she might as well dance.

.

The ship wrecks several hundred miles off of the coast of Karnaca. The storm that ends them is a rare sort, fiercer than most, a huge bank of dark clouds that seems to come from the void itself, blooming on the horizon like a warning. The lightning cracks the world asunder, thunder deafening, but it's the wind and waves that will always be a ship’s downfall.

Corvo watched the wave approach, saw its frothing white caps and the way it had stretched, higher and higher, until it loomed over the ship.

They never had a chance, and by the time the wave came crashing down, Corvo was already holding his breath.

Much of what he remembers after are mere snippets: the gulping suck of the water around him, broken pieces of the ship spinning by along with those of the crew who were unlucky enough to be caught by the ship’s pull, sucked down into the void, devoured by the whale god himself. He remembers his first gasp of air once he’d surfaced, the tang of brine and salt heavy on his tongue as wave after wave battered his body.

He doesn’t think that most of the crew survived the first few minutes much less the whole night, and he is certainly alone when the sun blossoms on the horizon hours later, clinging to a piece of ship the size of his torso and kicking relentlessly towards the dawn.

Corvo grew up on the coast, his hair stiff with salt from the ocean breeze. He grew up in and out of the water, hauling cargo or gutting fish on the docks. He’s familiar with the ocean - how the pull of the tides work, which days its best to avoid the dock, how to escape the sea’s wrath when a riptide or an undercurrent tries its damndest to drown you.

So he knows that his chances of making it to land are slim. But Corvo has always been stubborn, his legs have always been strong, and his story is far from finished.

.

Stiles buys a house in Virginia. It’s a modest thing close to Quantico, but not too close, tucked away into the heart of the wooded Appalachians. The bones of the house is all stonework and sturdy dark wood, a rickety wraparound porch bracketing the house on all sides. The first thing that he’d bought for it were two overpriced rocking chairs he’d gotten from the nearest Cracker Barrel.

Over the course of a year, he fills the house with things. A soft, dark gray sofa. Several solid end tables. A pair of emerald lamps he gets from an antique shop. A moss-green throw that is warm as a hug when it’s wrapped around his shoulders in the dead of winter. His living room is a bit too mountain man chic, but he likes the way that it looks when he’s coming home from a long day at the academy, warm and inviting.

He gets his bed set from a woodworker a couple dozen miles down the road, a man with a gruff bristled gray face and a warm smile, who trades Stiles the custom set for some warding and a couple bottles of what he calls, ‘miracle elixir.’ The set is sturdy mahogany, a pair of wolves carved across the top of the curving headboard, runes filling the gaps between them. The chest of drawers and dresser are just as solid, and Stiles has to hire movers to help him get everything back to the house.

The bulky rednecks decked out in worn flannel that help him with it carefully avoid looking at the runes of the headboard, their eyes skittering away from the carvings like frightened rabbits. They exchange apprehensive looks when they see the herbs drying over the sink in his kitchen, but to their credit, stay quiet and hightail it out of the place when he pays them. Here in the Appalachian backwoods, no one talks about magic, but everyone knows it exists.

Stiles has people over every once in a while - flies his dad and Scott in from California, has Lydia drive down from Boston, or Kira from North Carolina - but mostly, he’s alone. It’s a strange thing to get used to, the silence of the nights out here, where the night sky is bright and clear enough to see the stars above him, not a hint of light pollution to be seen, and the trees rustling in a quiet wind is almost louder than the hoots and hollers of the local wildlife.

He’d thought it would be lonely, and to be fair, sometimes it is.

Some nights he comes home and collapses back onto his sofa, and would do anything to be right down the road from Scott and Melissa and his dad again. He has days where he craves Melissa’s pozole or his dad’s meatloaf so badly that he can taste the heat of it on his tongue.

But mostly, the quiet is nice.

He cooks himself soups that simmer in the slow cooker while he’s at the academy and roasts that he makes on the weekends. He experiments with food the way he never used to back in Beacon Hills, where he had his dad’s heart to worry about if he made anything, and fast food which was easier to grab when he didn’t. He takes a world tour through his kitchen - homemade pierogi, hearty paella, steaming pirozhki, spicy-smelling curries, and hand rolled sushi. The first time that he makes his own bread in the ancient oven that came with the house, the smell of it coming fresh out of the oven is so good that he nearly cries.

It’s three winters into living there before he hears a scratching at his door in the middle of the night, and when he goes to investigate, finds a large black wolf on his doorstep.

It’s favoring one of its paws, dark fur matted on one side of its head where he can dimly make out a sluggishly bleeding gash. It blinks at him, eyes glowing a bright, familiar blue, and Stiles spends a minute watching it before he smiles and steps aside.

Fic goals: Hey Heather, it was only 800 words, but you did technically write something original. Now, let’s do something original that’s a little longer. And while we’re at it, let’s do something novel length. 

[scifimagpie]

The Art of Destruction: Distressed Aesthetics

A belated happy new year, my dear followers!

So, I have a neat idea for a new series coming up. But after the holidays (which were pleasantly busy) and some interpersonal scuffling in January (which was not nearly as lovely, but came to an all-right enough resolution), my idea bank was absolutely flat broke.

A nice chat with friends has filled the bowl up, but while I work on those posts, here is something I stashed off to the side after a Facebook conversation last year.

I often reference fashion and clothing to help get in the right mindset for my writing projects. Whilst working on Poe's Outlaws (Book 4 of The Meaning Wars series; book 3, The Meaning Wars, is ready for beta-reading and edits now!) I indulged in my usual technique of sifting through Dolls Kill and Pinterest to look at various bits of outre, fun, futuristic fashion.  Of course, when working on Monsters and Fools and planning for After the Garden's sequels, I also like to look at post-apocalyptic and distressed clothing. I like distressed clothing anyway, but it tends to get a lot of flack. =

On an episode of a podcast called Minion Death Cult, the hosts discussed some common reactions of tradespeople and Boomers to distressed and some faux-muddy jeans. (Not unsurprisingly, there were a lot of tired jokes about just selling people old, worn-out jeans from "real" tradesmen.) But not a lot of people understand how distressed clothing works, or why it's somehow different from their dad's old, grimy jeans and tattered denim jacket, so I'm going to break it down. 

Note: all images in this article came from the Nordstrom website. Most or all are designed by PRPS.

  I'm gonna take the unusual stance here of defending distressed jeans, because I've been studying and making distressed knit clothing and other types of distressed clothing for a bit. Why? Because I like post-apocalyptic fashion, and I think wrecked things are often beautiful. 

You may be familiar with the term "wabi-sabi," which sometimes passes in and out of vogue for decorating trends. The term is comprised of two Japanese words - wabi, in a nutshell, refers to the beauty of simplicity; sabi, to the beauty of age and use. There's a bit more to it, but that's the quick explanation of these beautiful and imperfectly translatable terms. Wabi-sabi is usually used in reference to home decor, but it totally applies to clothing, too. 

Anyway, getting on with the point - the thing about dirty jeans is that they're gonna leave dirt on wherever you sit. Fake dirt still captures the same look, the rather beautiful way the brown stains and fades into the tightly woven blue threads, but it won't leave big ol' scuffmarks on your leather car seats.

As for the distressing, the interesting and beautiful way that denim falls apart tends to happen in less sexy areas - the knees, the thighs, the crotch. Distressing clothes on purpose lets you get the look without impairing the wearability and structural integrity of the clothes. Sometimes that doesn't work at all, like with the cheaper distressed jeans that are all holes and have a high spandex content, but that's still the idea.

As far as how this relates to designing and making clothing, with knitwear (such as the awesome punk sweaters we all may love, or at least have seen before), it's important to know how the particular fibres and yarns work structurally. There's a reason why clothing made to be or look distressed looks so awesome and a lot of actually busted up clothing or "home-made" distressed stuff looks crappy. Knowing where and how to cut fabric in pre-made knits, how to style the runs, or how to make patterns with the runs and holes, is all very calculated. As I've learned myself, if you try to distress a finely-knit sweater, it'll look like crap; distressing needs a chunkier, thicker yarn to be really noticeable. And wet-blocking a ravelled sweater (stretching while wet) is very important - otherwise, the threads maintain their curled appearance, and don't become those straight lines that create contrast with the curving knitted stitches. It's also really important to actually tie off runs in a distressed sweater, or the whole thing will, in fact, unravel. 

The advantage of knitting a sweater with a distressed look is that you can control this process. In effect, dropped stitches and yarn-overs create a sort of freeform lace look, and don't destroy the structural integrity of the sweater (which unravelling a pre-made sweater CAN do). 

So basically there IS a method to the madness in pre-distressed clothing, and knowing how to distress your clothing well and safely - whether it's for a stage production, Halloween, or fashion - takes more than sharp scissors and boredom!

Predictably, clothes like this inspire retorts like, "I could give you my old jeans covered in cow manure and farm dirt and motor oil for that price!" But that's the point - the "fake dirt" that so baffled the Washington Post and CNN, where reporters appeared unfamiliar with the concept of "p a i n t", will not rub off or dirty other surfaces. The pants don't contain the scent and sweat of another person's work, nor are they worn out and about to fall apart, as those pants probably are. (For example, the wear patterns and distressing and whiskering all appear on the thighs and calves of the jeans, rather than in the crotch, around the bottom cuffs, and etcetera.) 

It's not about pretending you work - it's about exploring the beauty of entropy and things that are lived-in. The way fabric dye fades, the soft whiskering of denim fabric, the delicate feathers of raw-edged cotton - all of these have their own beauty. Repairs can create a contrast from the original fabric or material as well, and it needn't be ugly. People familiar with "that weird gold thing," kintsuogi, may also know have seen it in cases where useful objects are repaired and the cracks are patched with gold leaf to highlight their beauty. 

Here's another example of finding beauty in marks and unexpected places. When I saw an advertisement for Canada Post that featured a very intriguing necklace, I tracked down the artist's work and had a look at her site.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUkgqx4hXdu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

View this post on Instagram

#fbf to my 30 seconds of fame 😛 I custom made this piece especially for the #canadapost commercial. It took every spare second I had for a month....... and it will be on-screen for a second at a time for three years 😪 💰#lianevazbespoke

A post shared by Toronto Goldsmith (@lianevazdesigns) on May 26, 2017 at 2:22pm PDT

However, to my surprise, most of her jewelry was either minimalist and geometric, or covered in dented and scratched textures, like this!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw10Dy7AWYp/

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HEX textured pendant in 18k gold on a vintage chain ✨

A post shared by Toronto Goldsmith (@lianevazdesigns) on Apr 29, 2019 at 6:17am PDT

Or, like this! 

There is real value in appreciating things as we wear them out. If we are to shift to a less consumption-driven culture, which is necessary in the fight against climate change, we're gonna have to get used to not having things that look new all the time. Supplies and availability of items may be restricted. Repairing clothing and items instead of just throwing them out has also become pretty popular amongst Generation Z, many of whom are embracing thrifting and minimal-waste lifestyles. 

But in addition to that, there's also a beauty in the broken or fraying, the imperfect, the less-than-new. Most of the time we spend with an item will be active. Jewelry gets scratches. Clothes rip. Colours fade. Paper tears. And all of those things expose new beauties and different aspects of the item, revealing its structure and design and suggesting or reminding us of experiences we've had.

After all, our possessions act as anchors for memories. There's a reason why in pre-industrial times, treasured items were passed down through generations or repaired over and over. Our things aren't just pretty diversions or useful parts of daily life - they're parts of our lives, woven or tangled with our memories.

***

Michelle Browne is a sci fi/fantasy writer and editor. She lives in Lethbridge, AB with her partner-in-crime and Max the cat. Her days revolve around freelance editing, knitting, jewelry, and learning too much. She is currently working on other people’s manuscripts, the next books in her series, and drinking as much tea as humanly possible.

Find her all over the internet: * OG Blog * Mailing list * Magpie Editing * Amazon * Medium * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook * Tumblr * Paypal.me * Ko-fi

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Doki Doki March 19

Things seem to be taking a turn for the worst again, now there’s drama with our neighbor and we’re thinking maybe our land owner wasn’t lying when he claimed it was their complaints that resulted in his decision... It’s become a frustrating ordeal by now, and we’ve been cleaning up more than usual for pretty much no reason- since we’ll be moving anyway, I’m still convinced.

Also, my missing TokyoTreat finally showed up. For anyone who read my previous review.

“Pack up and get ready to go on a trip with this month’s theme, “Fantasyland Adventure”. We have curated items that are handy on a journey and evocative of a magical fantasyland. These cute tools will you have equipped and ready for any adventure!“

Before we begin, I wanted to show you guys that beginning with this month, the comics featuring Tomomi and her friends were pretty much removed/lessened. They started putting in other features, and for this month we got a cute quiz. If you enlarge the pic you can probably see the answers better.

This determined which creature you are based on how you answer; for example these are what I chose for each question:

1. A - because I always bring video games with me on trips or long periods away from the home. It’s a necessity for me.

2. B - I really enjoy all seasons except for summer, but winter is always the first one that comes to my mind when asked. 

3. B or C - I have a lot of trouble with this one <3< wolves are really cool too though...

4. D - I would never want flight because I hate heights. Shapeshifting and mind reading seem cool but how fun would it be to have a whole dark army~ the book never said they had to be an evil army.

5. C - I feel flustered to say that~

6. C - I don’t like beans but if they are magic...

7. B or C again. I’d rather befriend it to gain another partner or person who can be helpful further down the line.

So based on my answers, I’m kind of a cross between the Kitsune and Unicorn. The kitsune is clever, elegant, and outgoing, while the Unicorn is Youthful, kind, and imaginative according to the booklet. For any Tanuki’s or dragons, you are Loyal, diligent, and funny, or Brave, fierce, and deft. 

Suteki Crate

As you can see by this, the box is going to be very Sanrio, pastel, magical unicorn themed. So now, let’s take a look at the items ;3

My Melody Case

Our first item is this sweet little Case themed after My Melody’s iconic baby blue and pink color scheme. It has a removable carrying piece, meaning that not only can you attach it to various items, but you can also remove it and put other things through the loop its on. The exterior is very hard to protect the items stored inside from various elements. This is worth/costs 10 points

The inside has plenty of room for a variety of items, like makeup, health care, electronic, etc. It also has a mesh band on the one side to help keep things orderly.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Besides just looking adorable, I think this would be an extremely handy and practical item. As soon as I saw it I thought “This is great! I can use this right away!“ and I’m very excited to begin using it. I love how sturdy it feels and I came to the decision that I will most-likely use it in my bedside table, which despite organizing/cleaning monthly, always gets very disorganized and messy again. I have several small items that I’ll be able to find easier in it.

Also, I really like how it reminds me of my old DS “briefcase“ and my 3DS carrier. I still have them but the one I don’t use anymore since its so old and kind of rusted now, while the other one holds my DS and my 3DS stuff has been put into a Hello Kitty thing I got a couple years ago.

Kokeshi Nail Clipper

Our next functional and sweet little item is this pair of nail clippers inspired by a Kokeshi doll. This was available in a few different colors, but besides mine I’ve only seen one other one pictured. These are small-medium sized clippers and it includes a very small metal file.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I was a little concerned about the quality of these, because I’m so used to using a larger pair of clippers. We got several of them in various sizes but those are the ones I like better because I feel like they just do a better job. But, I also feel like smaller ones are more precise if you’re not having to trim a large amount of nail off.

These are also easier to use than most I’ve tried, didn’t require much pressure at all. I do wish the file part was a little bigger than what it is though.

My Melody Rotating Hook

Next up is our last My Melody piece of the box, an adorably sweet hook piece for hanging up things like clothing or holding various items. As you can see its advertised as a baby carriage-type item, but you can use it in various other locations as well. The smaller hook rotates, so it can be moved in 3 different spots and face both up and down. It can also be collapsed whenever you’re not using it.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Initially I had my doubts over this one. Like I can see its practicality and it’s pretty cute, but I wasn’t actually sure I would have much use for it. But the more I figured out its uses, the more I came to the decision that yeah, I’ll probably use it. Maybe not right now, but maybe after we move I’ll be able to discover its appropriate use for me.

Little Twin Stars Tooth Brush Stand

This is our final Sanrio item of the box, a toothbrush stand that is perfect for travel. Not only can it hold multiple brushes, but you can also unscrew the bottom and put various things in it for storing; like hair accessories, toiletries, etc.

It features a pretty translucent pink base and adorable pastel images of Kiki and Lala.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I think toothbrush stands are pretty useful, but at the same time, I’m the only one who uses a toothbrush in my bathroom. We have two of them, and I share it with my dad (who has false teeth). Not only that, but my toothbrush is electronic and thus too big for it. But I do have some other teeth items and brushes that would fit in it, and if I did have to travel I can think of all sorts of items I could put into the base; like eye drops, hair bands or clips, ear cleaners, cotton balls... even more outlandish things like nail polish and gum!

Unicorn Hairbrush & Unicorn Plush

It only made sense to include the last 2 items together; and as a side note I had no idea that rhymed :D Hairbrush plush~

I’ve always loved unicorns, so I’ve been pretty satisfied as of late due to their popularity. These are two cutie items I was looking forward to pulling out for review~

First up is our Unicorn Hairbrush, featured a dreamy unicorn and various pastel designs. On the corner you can see it even has a little metallic star charm for that added, magical touch.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

As much as I love how it looks... I did have some concerns. This brush seems similar to my usual brush, but I noticed it still hurts a lot when I try to use it when I have knots in my hair, in comparison to my other brush.

Also, the booklet says this is perfect for packing, but I kept mine in my box this whole time and upon pulling it out, I discovered the bristles are super bent and out of shape... and it hasn’t traveled or been touched besides my initial look at it. So I’m not sure how it would actually handle during travel, but I assume it’d be fine as long as it wasn’t pushed against something else. 

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Our last item is this kawaii little unicorn plush, featuring pretty white skin with a pastel mane and tail, a silk ribbon, blushed cheeks, and a pearl necklace. I definitely got the one I’d have wanted, and I decided to name her Lala. Besides mine, there is also one with yellow hair, purple ribbon, and a green necklace, and a blue haired one with purple necklace and yellow ribbon.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The plush is very soft and squishy, filled with a spongy-like cotton. It’s very sweet looking and in terms of a plush it seems to be really nice quality. But I did notice that because its fuzzy, it attracts stray hairs like crazy. Not really a big deal for me, but I know it might bother some people.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 5 out of 5. I like all of the items and the quality seems to be pretty good. I didn’t really have any complaints this time around or much to say on the items. I feel like they all did their job and were pretty self-explanatory.

Theme: 5 out of 5. With a wide range for a name, this box gave me 2 sort of mini-themes in 1 central theme. By this I mean, the Fantasyland part would imply fantasy, sweet pastels, unicorns, which the box did a great job of including. I don’t really think of fantasy when I see My Melody, but at the same time I can kind of see it? The other part Adventure and the description implies the theme is practical for travel, which the box definitely did keep in mind. The Suteki Crate is also a perfect match for this one!

Total Rank: 10 out of 10 Cuties. I probably don’t make it sound amazing or anything, but I think this would be a great box to pick up if given the chance. Plus they also add a whole pinch load of cuteness~

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Unicorn Plush - I can’t help it, it’s so sweet and huggable x3 I love its shiny pearl necklace and blushed cheeks. I’ll make sure to put it near my bed~

2. My Melody Case - The colors are so sweet~ I’m really excited about using this one just as soon as I return to my bed. The only problem is deciding what items to pop inside~

3. Unicorn Hairbrush - When my hair is a horrible knotted mess, it brushes through it just fine. I love the little charm and colors, but I sort of feel like a few of the designs on the Unicorn weren’t necessary, as cute as it is. 

4. Kokeshi Nail Clipper - It’s very cute looking, but I prefer bigger nail clippers. I even have my own set from another box, so I’m not sure how often I’ll actually think to use these...

5. Toothbrush Stand - I love how it looks, it’ll make a really cute decoration when I’m not using it. I also like how I can put things in the base, so it’ll come in handy.

6. Rotating Hook - It’s really cute and I love its pink color, but I feel like it’s the item I’ll use the least in this set.

[lolitain]

Be What You Want With Lolita Costumes

Before coming to the multiple facets of Lolita, here is a short introduction to Lolita for those who are already acquainted with this kind of fashion and those who are not. The Lolita is a Victorian styled women’s outfit that originated in Japan in the 70s and came to popularity in the 80s and 90s owing to Anime and Manga characters. The Lolita tries to create an extremely sweet, subtle and girly look with its feminine colors and designs, flared sleeves, gown like skirts and use of ornamental laces. You can see that it is highly inspired by the Victorian Age style of fashion for women and is just another modern version of the same for girls.

However, that’s certainly not all about Lolita. If things had been so simple, it would not have been a problem but there is a worldwide misconception amongst people who think Lolita to be just limited to cosplay or maid costumes. Lolita is everything but just cosplay or a costume to be frank and precise. Lolita has been popular for decades on the streets of Japan and has a long going connection with the Anime subculture. It is a fashionable outfit for women on its own terms and is one of the most sophisticated and multifaceted pieces of clothing ever made for women. Labeling it simply as a costume or associating it with cosplay is quite derogatory. It just shows that many people are unaware of the different aspects of Lolita and thus misconstrue it to be just a costume. In fact, cosplay refers to costume play where people dress up in costumes to mimic the role of any character. But Lolita is not a character; it is a fashion statement that has been used to style characters in Anime or Manga series. So, let’s put an end to this misconception once and for all.

Here we can see how Lolita can be sweet and girly, sophisticated and subtle and absolutely domineering too.

Sweet Lolita

These dresses are made in soft feminine colors like white, pink and powder blue shades. The fabric too is kept as light and soft yarn to convey a charming, girly appearance. They are decorated with lace and ribbons to create the typical romantically sweet look of a young girl. By wearing these sweet Lolitas, young women can look absolutely dolled up in the cutest and the most elegant way. The abundance of ornamental bows, frills and ruffles help to create the doll-like look every young girl dreams to achieve at times.

https://www.lolitain.com/strawberry-hug-series-bowknot-sweet-lolita-sling-dress-p-7711.html

This white and wine strawberry print Lolita speaks volumes about itself. Firstly, nothing can get cuter than this for any young lady. This is the tailor-made Lolita to make you look ravishingly cute. In fact, it pries out your inner sweetness with its simplicity. The flared sleeves and black frills near the hem lend an old-world charm to this irresistibly sweet Lolita.

https://www.lolitain.com/cute-retro-pink-lace-bowknot-sweet-lolita-short-sleeves-dress-p-6715.html

Do you want to style yourself in a fairy tale kind of way to revive your childhood fascination with Cinderella and Snow White? This baby pink Lolita with white frills at the hem and cute ornamental bows designing the dress is one such outfit to take you back to your days of fairy tales. Such fascinations never get old and you are never too old to let your youthful sweetness see the light of day again.

Classical Lolita

These dresses are styled as per the Victorian age dress code for women. The skirts are made longer to give them the appearance of European gowns. The colors are usually limited to graceful, light pastel shades and here too, laces and frills are abundantly used to emulate the classical Victorian and Rococo styles.

https://www.lolitain.com/alices-christmas-series-jsk-classic-lolita-wine-red-sling-dress-p-7633.html

This is how classy a classical Lolita looks. Now, do you understand why it is almost sinful to label Lolita as simply cosplay? These elegant gown style Lolita may be a little old fashioned for today’s women but as you know, retro is in and the evergreen Victorian age styles never really get outdated. Try wearing a classic Lolita instead of a gown and flaunt your feminine charm like never before.

https://www.lolitain.com/flowers-embroidery-little-high-waist-classic-lolita-long-dress-p-6940.html

Can anything get classier than this for a woman? We don’t think so. These classic Lolitas pay tribute to the age-old image of the elegant lady immortalized in poetry and paintings. Classic Lolitas are thus made in pastel hues and given the high waisted long-skirted look and subtle lacework to heighten the elements of classiness and grace. Any woman can look as pretty as a picture in a light classic Lolita on any spring or summer day.

https://www.lolitain.com/earl-tea-retro-college-style-woolen-brown-vest-lolita-skirt-set-p-6160.html

And here’s another truly classic Lolita styled up in the retro tea party fashion. These can never age and are meant to make you the center of attraction for all the right reasons.

Gothic Lolita

As the name suggests, Gothic Lolita conveys the element of mystery and darkness associated with the term ‘Gothic’. Just as in Gothic films or novels, the dress too stays true to its genre and the styles are based on dark themes. The color for these Gothic Lolitas is usually black and they make wonderful fashion choices for women.

https://www.lolitain.com/unknown-poem-series-gothic-lolita-black-long-sleeve-dress-p-6904.html

A classy black and white Lolita can make every day special. The nun style look has a mysterious gothic charm to it which makes it even more eye-catching than any regular black gown. It stays absolutely committed to its genre even while being at its prettiest best. It conveys an undeniable sense of the attitude of a strong and no-nonsense woman.

https://www.lolitain.com/black-lace-jacquard-cotton-cotton-material-waisted-doll-dress-p-5817.html

Don’t you feel that gothic spunk just by looking at this black lacy Lolita? This cannot just be a costume but a fascinating party wears too.

So, there are multiple facets of this outfit which will leave you stunned. Perhaps, awareness about the versatility of Lolita will help to break the misconceptions around it and make more and more people accept it with open arms as high street fashion.

[marzipanandminutiae]

The Try Marzipan Wears A Corset For A Day

(You know, like the Try Guys? Because this whole thing was done out of sheer spite towards BuzzFeed’s historical clothing videos?)

That’s pretty much the whole premise here. I wore a corset for a day. Put it on in the morning and took it off around 6 PM.

If I look angry here, it’s not at you. It’s mostly at BuzzFeed.

The corset is a replica of the style popular during the 1860s. It’s made of cotton coutil and steel boning. I wore it laced to about a 1″ waist reduction. Would Victorian women have laced down more than that? Probably about an inch and a half more on average, yes. But they’d been wearing these things since adolescence and I haven’t, so they probably would have been as comfortable with a 2.5″ reduction as I am with 1″. And there’s historical precedent for women wearing corsets with no waist reduction at all, though that was uncommon (source: an 1887 study by one Dr. Robert Dickinson, which is a bit scientifically iffy in parts but does provide at leas a small sample from which to draw averages of waist reduction).

Yes, it does give me truly ridiculous back and underarm bulging here. I miiiight have been so fired up that I laced the part over my bust too tightly. Never lace your corset angry, kids!

I also picked an undershirt with armholes too low to cover all of my skin under the corset. I mistakenly committed that cardinal sin of corsetry I rail against: Thou Shalt Not Wear Thy Corset Over Bare Skin. More on that later.

So I got the thing laced up and went about my day. I messed around online, reset sleep eyes on a 1909 German child doll, and then turned to the main task of the afternoon: cleaning the living room. This was something I particularly wanted to try, since so many comments on historical corset videos say things like “well, this is fine for upper-class ladies, but you can’t do housework in a corset!”

(I wanted to have one of my roommates film me cleaning in my corset while staring into the camera like I was on The Office, but alas they were asleep and at work respectively.)

How do you do housework in a corset? Well, you just...do it.

The main difficulty comes in bending at the waist. Namely, you can’t. I mean, you can if you really struggle, but it’s VERY uncomfortable. You can, however, squat, kneel, or in any other way bend your knees to lower  yourself to the ground. And bend from the hips if you’re really flexible or what you need isn’t very far below you. The wide, long aprons of the day would keep skirts from getting dirty if one needed to kneel down to sweep ashes out of a grate or something. And there were corsets like Symington’s unfortunately named Pretty Housemaid model later in the century that had elastic panels near the bottom to allow greater torso mobility for working women.

I swept the wood parts of the floor and vacuumed the rug, dusted, folded and put away throw blankets, wiped down the tables, put the sewing detritus that had accumulated on the main table back in its various places, etc. It was all pretty easy. The only difficulty was in plugging in and unplugging the vacuum and picking the dustpan off the floor, and as I said, I could easily crouch down to grab things.

I packed up a doll I just sold on eBay and took her to the UPS store for shipping, over a mile’s walk there and back. No fainting, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, nothing. Apart from truly prodigious cleavage sweat, I felt fine- and that didn’t leak through onto even the fabric of the corset, let alone my outer clothes.

I took some photos after changing out of my corset, to show what I mean about chafing.

That’s right under my arm where the corset touched bare skin. Doesn’t look fun, does it? It’s still a bit tender even now, almost three hours later. Wear Thou An Adequate Chemise/Liner!

I took one other photo in the interest of fairness, because, yes, the corset did leave marks on my skin:

Photo shows the area right beside my navel.

A number of the marks seemed to come more from my “chemise” being pressed against my skin in folds, not the corset itself. Besides that, you know what else leaves marks on your skin, public in general and writers of The Alienist in particular? 

Bras. Fitted jeans. Watchbands. Very structured shirts. Sleeping on a textured blanket. Literally my bedsheets if I get all tangled up in a weird position.

I’ll just leave that there without further comment.

In conclusion, I wore a corset for a day and I was able to function just fine. There are other factors, to be sure, like me being a historical costumer and thus more used to wearing corsets than the ladies at BuzzFeed. And I certainly wasn’t tightlacing- but neither did the average Victorian woman. There were some things that were uncomfortable and difficult to do, and I found workarounds for those things.

Was it torture? Definitely not. 

Would I wear a corset every day? Also no. I like the freer movement afforded by modern bras. 

But my point here is that corsets, like bras, are neither 100% an oppressive tool of the patriarchy nor 100% a blessing straight from heaven. There’s a quote from a book I like, Runemarks: “You can use fire to cook your food or burn your neighbor’s house down.” You can use a corset to support your breasts or to lace your waist down dangerously small (which, again, most Victorian women did not do). The liberation or oppression lies not in the mere garment itself, but in the way it’s used or abused. We do a disservice to women by declaring that they were unilaterally oppressed by their basic undergarments and ignoring the very personal and individualized nature of women’s relationship to beauty standards in general and foundation garments in particular- then and now.

Also, BuzzFeed can suck it.

[livingcorner]

Here’s What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Wear to a Summer Wedding as a Guest@|what to wear to a outdoor wedding@|https://cdn0.weddingwire.com/articles/images/7/3/4/6/img_16437/t20_1-what-to-wear-to-a-summer-wedding.jpg@|24

We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.

Porterhouse Los Angeles

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Is there anything more beautiful than watching a loved one tie the knot on a warm summer day? The sun is in the sky and love is in the air—but nice weather comes with its own unique wardrobe challenges. If you’re wondering what to wear to a summer wedding, you’ve come to the right place. We’re sharing expert insight on exactly how to choose the right outfit according to dress code, venue, and, of course, season. These tips will help you stay cool and comfortable (without throwing traditional guest etiquette out the window). Keep reading to find out the biggest dos and don’ts of summer wedding guest attire, whether you plan on donning a dress or a seasonal summer suit.  

Decipher the dress code.

When the days grow longer and the temperatures get hotter, wardrobe choices tend to become more carefree and casual to reflect the season. It can be easy to assume that mentality applies to all your summertime events, but remember that warm-weather weddings don’t automatically equal a casual dress code. 

“Summer weddings shouldn’t be more casual just because of the season,” says Dean Handspiker, fashion expert and Vice President of Retail at popular menswear brand INDOCHINO. “They should be potentially more casual because they’re a daytime event versus an evening event, an outdoor event versus an indoor event, and also somewhat led by the venue.” With that in mind, the best place to look for dress code cues is your wedding invitation. Let the location, time of day, and formality of the invite itself be your guide.

What to wear to a black-tie summer wedding

Many soonlyweds adopt a formal dress code to make their celebration feel extra special. After all, a wedding is an important occasion no matter the season. “A black-tie event will always require more formal attire at any time of the year,” says Blaire Walsh, Style Director at Rent the Runway. But that’s not to say you can’t wear an outfit that feels a little more summery. “During the warmer months, we see more color, shoulder play, and hemline variation,” she explains. For men, a tuxedo is generally expected, but there are ways to make it more summer-friendly. Opt for a suit with a lighter fabric weight or that’s made from breathable materials, such as silk or a wool blend.

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What to wear to a semi-formal summer wedding

For a semi-formal wedding, Walsh suggests choosing a midi or floor-length dress with a dramatic silhouette, lace detailing, or another playful element. Bold colors and pretty floral prints are also a welcome idea. When it comes to getting suited up, you can ditch the tux, but a smart suit is still a must. While a black suit is certainly an appropriate choice, Handspiker advises against the color for outdoor or tented events in the sun, as it attracts heat.

What to wear to a casual summer wedding

Casual summer wedding attire can be tricky to figure out—but that’s what we’re here for! “My advice is that it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed for any wedding event,” says Walsh. The style director continues, “Leave any worn-in items at home and bring the bling!” Similarly, Handspiker believes that a casual wedding still deserves the respect of a proper jacket, a proper shirt collar, long sleeves, and pants with a crease. Baggy and untucked shirts should be avoided at all costs, according to the menswear expert.

CivicPhotos

Take the venue into account.

As we mentioned earlier, the type of venue can alter dress code expectations slightly. For example, it’s safe to assume that the dress code at an outdoor summer wedding is going to differ slightly from an indoor event—both in terms of style and functionality. But don’t worry—so long as you’re not underdressed or uncomfortable, you should be fine.

What to wear to an indoor summer wedding

Indoor weddings during the summer come with their own unique challenges (think: air conditioning woes). The best way to prepare for rogue (or no) AC is to dress in layers. With a three-piece suit, you’ll look pretty sharp with or without the jacket. An understated pashmina is another subtle touch that can easily be added to (or taken away from) an outfit. One more thing to keep in mind with certain indoor venues is modesty. You’ll want to make sure you’re appropriately dressed if the wedding is taking place at a religious site.

What to wear to an outdoor summer wedding

“If you know part or all of the wedding will be outside, it’s crucial to wear styles that allow for a bit of a breeze and are lighter in fabric,” says Walsh. The style director suggests turning to outfits with “cutout details, open backs, or skin-baring necklines.” Of course, you should still keep modesty in mind. Avoid anything too revealing, like super-high leg slits or plunging V-necks. Handspiker agrees that lighter fabric choices are key when it comes to outdoor summer wedding attire.

What to wear to a beach summer wedding

While a beach wedding generally dictates more casual attire, you should still check your invitation to make sure the couple hasn’t made any special requests. If you’re good to go, the next thing to consider is practicality. Walsh advises sticking to styles that are longer and a little more fitted to avoid a Marilyn Monroe moment in the ocean breeze. Handspiker suggests going with “an open-collar shirt as opposed to a shirt and tie” and being a little more adventurous with colors and patterns to nail the relaxed vibe.

Consider the time of day.

The time of the event also plays a role in what makes an appropriate summer wedding guest outfit. According to Walsh, “When attending a daytime wedding, guests have the option to dress a tad more casually with lighter-colored dresses and breezier fabrics.” 

Confused about what to wear to an evening wedding in the summer? The stylist suggests sticking with ankle- or floor-length hemlines for a formal evening event, while knee-length styles are acceptable during the day. 

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When it comes to picking out a suit, Handspiker believes that darker colors such as black would fit right in at an evening event. In the daytime, consider playing around with fresh, bright colors. 

Opt for seasonally appropriate fabrics.

When deciding how to dress for an outdoor summer wedding, comfort is key. “Nothing is worse than getting all dolled up for a wedding and then sweating it out during the ceremony,” says Walsh. If you want to enjoy yourself, breathable fabrics are the way forward. Avoid anything too heavy or itchy and steer clear of materials like velvet that have a distinct winter feel. Instead, opt for linen, silk, cotton, or chiffon attire. For beach weddings, Handspiker recommends a suit made from linen or a wool-linen blend.

Jacqui Photography

Embrace bright colors.

“Summer weddings are so fun for guests because there’s more opportunity to play with bold colors and prints,” says Walsh. Bright, cheery shades like red and yellow look amazing during the warmer months. Wondering if you can wear black to a summer wedding? According to the style director, the only shade that’s truly off-limits is white—but she does suggest steering clear of darker colors and jewel tones, which are more suited to fall and winter events.

When it comes to men’s fashion, darker shades are typical of formal and evening wear all year round, but there are opportunities to embrace a bit of color. For boho-style weddings, Handspiker suggests going with a three-piece suit with a contrast vest in a funkier hue. It’s also acceptable to wear a brightly colored suit for more casual daytime events.

Wear appropriate shoes.

Equally important to your outfit are the shoes you choose. If you’re attending a summer wedding outdoors, beware of sky-high stilettos sinking in the grass or sand. Instead, consider a wedge or, if the occasion calls for it, a dress sandal. For beach events, Handspiker suggests going sockless with a pair of loafers. Generally, both open- and closed-toe shoe choices are appropriate, but you might want to steer clear of anything that feels a little too blasé (think: flip-flops) unless the invite says otherwise.

Beware of being too casual.

When deciding what to wear to a summer wedding, it’s usually best to leave the shorts and flip-flops at home—yes, even in a beach or backyard setting. Unless the couple clearly says otherwise, anything super casual is a no-go. While it may be tempting to wear your most comfortable attire, remember that this event is an important celebration. Handspiker believes it’s respectful to the couple and their wedding party to get dressed up, since they’ll all be in their best attire. Plus, it’s a fun opportunity to dress a bit more formal than your day-to-day look. [external_footer]

source https://livingcorner.com.au/heres-what-you-should-and-shouldnt-wear-to-a-summer-wedding-as-a-guestwhat-to-wear-to-a-outdoor-weddinghttps-cdn0-weddingwire-com-articles-images-7-3-4-6-img_16437-t20_1-what-to/

[vol-ia]

Write-tober 4

What’s the point of doing an October thing if you don’t do something spooky?  Dolls are decades out of vogue, but if you’re reading this then odds are, you probably own at least one plushie. When did you see it last?

2377 words, PG: Horror elements, Transformation, Spooky Scary.

“Once upon a time, everyone loved dolls.”

You try not to hyperventilate, leaning against the bedroom door. Outside, somewhere in the darkness, it was moving around. Was it brushing up against the door? Or looking for another way in? It was difficult to hear anything over the sound of your own panicked breathing, and the disconcerting, high pitched voice coming from behind the door.

“It was a good time, for us. Dolls were in every house, played with by every child. They were prized possessions, best friends, trusted confidants, playmates.”

It was speaking like a child, but whatever it was, it wasn’t human. You glance down at your left arm in disbelief as the chilling realization begins to set in that you can’t move it, at all.

“My kind? We love dolls. They’re so comfortable, and you could stay in one and have an adventure and play so many games without ever having to move at all!”

Still leaning against the door, you pick up your left arm at the wrist with your other hand. It’s limp, floppy, and feels nothing like flesh. In the gloomy darkness of the bedroom, you can make out what looks like cotton stuffing poking out of half torn seams down its side. Down your side. Your arm, somehow changed, and yet still attached to you. Now, it looked all the world like…

Well, like the arm of a stuffed toy.

“But, one day, it all kinda… Stopped. Everyone decided dolls were creepy! Can you imagine? We all got put in drawers and forgotten about, or thrown away, or stuffed into glass cases and put on display!”

There was scrabbling at the foot of the door again. You quickly pull your feet away from it, just in case. It had been so fast. You were just up to grab a glass of water, and spotted it out of the corner of your eye as it leapt towards you. You had fended it off with one arm while you scrambled back for the bedroom in a blind panic, sending it flying, but it must have… Bitten you? Or something?

“Sitting around collecting dust is just… SO boring. It makes me all steamed up, just thinking about it. But, you know, you humans are predictable creatures. Take something that used to be popular and tweak it just a little and suddenly, everything old is new again.”

Some kind of monster, or demon. How had it gotten inside the house? How were you going to get away from it? The only way out of the bedroom was over the balcony, and you weren’t sure you could make it over the railing without seriously injuring yourself with only one working arm.

“And tonight, this particular spooky night, all of us have come out to play with you! What did you call this body again? A plushie? It sure is cute! I love this little fox body!”

A plushie? A fox? You had a Zorua plushie in the living room on the bookshelf, it was one of your favourite Pokemon. Your eyes were adjusting to the gloom, now. Your arm, the one the monster had gotten, it had a distinctive red patch at the end, just like the plushie in the living room. It was where your hand used to be. Your heartbeat pounding in your ears, you turn your deadened limb over, revealing what might have been, in other circumstances, a cute little sewn on pattern of a paw-pad.

“I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as me.”

Scratch. Scratch scratch. It was pawing at the door.

“Come on, let me in! Don’t you love your plushies? Don’t you wanna hug them?”

Your remaining hand was shaking as you held it against your chest, still leaning with your back to the door. It had said tonight, as though there was a time limit, and possessed or not, the plushie wouldn’t be able to get in if you kept your weight on the door. All you have to do is hold it together until sunrise.

You hope.

“Heh heh heh.”

“G-go away!” It sounds weak, you’re hoarse, and thirsty. You were already thirsty, and now the fear was just making it worse.

“I’m not going anywhere! I’m gonna wait riiiight here until you open this door like a good boy.”

“No! S-stop talking to me! I’m not opening this door!”

“Aren’t you though? You were in such a hurry to get away from me, you scrambled back into your room so quick. But, aren’t you forgetting something?”

Your mind races. Windows? Other doors? The balcony? There were no vents. A hole in the wall? The voice, it sounded so sure of itself, like it knew something you didn’t. But it was out there and you were in here, maybe it was just trying to make you panic.

Yeah, you’re totally safe in here, so long as you keep the door shut. Maybe there was a weapon you could find in the wardrobe, or something to prop the door shut. You cast your mind around your memories of the room, trying to think what might be…

You realise, cold terror raising the hackles on the back of your neck, that you have a Vulpix plushie in your bedroom. It’s on the bedside table.

No.

It wasn’t on the bedside table. Not anymore.

Your attempt to scream for help comes out as an airless squeak. Something darts at you from the shadows under your bed. You flinch, kicking out at it in a panic. You connect solidly with whatever it is, with enough force to send it flying, surely. You look around the room frantically, trying to figure out where it went.

“Got you!”

The voice causes you to tense up with shock. You can barely stand to slowly look down in the direction it came from.

It’s on your leg. The Vulpix plushie.

You’re too terrified to move. Your leg is numb, you realise. The plushie is looking at you, and then it looks down to watch as your foot seems to just, pull back into your leg, leaving behind a smooth black limb with a red ‘foot’ at the end. The Vulpix looks back up at you, moving fast enough that you can’t even see it in motion in the gloom.

It reminds you of the glimpse you got of the other one. A familiar soft toy with some kind of otherworldly glow in its glassy eyes, its seams somehow stretched and leaking stuffing. It almost seemed gleeful.

With all your strength, you wrench yourself out of your terrified paralysis, supporting your weight with your other leg and fumbling for the door handle, wildly flinging your leg around to try and shake it off as you pull at the door. You lose your footing as the door opens, and the world tilts around you as you fall, landing heavily on your chest, knocking all the wind out of yourself.

You shut your eyes for a moment, groaning and wincing at the pain and the sheer crushing weight of fear, threatening to cause you to lock up again. No, have to try and escape. You try to push with your other leg, but it’s gone numb too, replaced with something that bends when you kick at the door frame, soft.

“You know, it’s pretty fun to watch him squirm.”

“Right? You sure spooked him good!”

The voices are coming from either side of the doorway. Groaning, you use your arm, the only limb left that was still normal, and pushed yourself up and onto your side, leaning back against the door and frantically looking around, trying to spot either of them.

The vulpix is sitting a little way away from your now useless feet, its head tilted as it watches you. Still struggling to breathe from the impact, you slowly turn your head to look the other way.

It’s sitting in the gloom, right beside you. Twisted, wrong. Watching. The Zorua giggles cheekily at you, the leaking fluff that was hanging out of its rent seams jiggling as it does so.

“Such a good boy, doing what you’re told. Aren’t you fun?”

There’s not enough air in your lungs for you to reply. You can’t look away.

It gets up and daintily prowls towards you. You try to smack it away and it easily ducks under your swipe, tapping your arm and causing it to fall against the door, lifeless. You try not to whimper as the soft fuzz creeps its way up your limb.

You want to squirm, to look away, to call for help. You can’t stop staring as it climbs its way up onto your lap.

“Heh heh. So cute when they’re transfixed with terror, aren’t they?”

The Vulpix’s grin got wider. “Make him squirm a little.”

The Zorua laughed again, covering its mouth with a paw, seemly delighted at the suggestion. You struggle to speak.

“D-Don’t…”

“Shhh.” The Zorua’s eyes shine as it nuzzles at your belly in a grim parody of an affectionate animal. “Just relax! Keep your eyes on me.”

The Zorua seemed to be growing. The numbness was creeping up your arms and legs, and out from where it was sitting on your lap. The door was pushing past you, getting bigger as well. The whole house seemed to be getting larger. You want to whimper, or close your eyes, as the numbness creeps up your neck and something pushes out into the bottom half of your vision, as your nose changes into a small, plushie like snout, as you finish shrinking down to the same size as your tormentor, but you can’t look away. You can’t move at all, not even your eyes. The numbness fades, replaced with a surreal serenity as the realization sets in that you’ve become totally immobile. It’s oddly calming.

Or maybe that’s just the lack of a rapidly beating heart.

The Zorua grabs you by one limb and pulls you onto all fours, off of the door, your new plush tail springing to attention as you rock forward perilously on your two front feet, unable to so much as flinch as your body manages to avoid tipping over by the slightest of margins, wobbling back onto all fours and settling into complete stillness.

“Done! Isn’t he a cute little toy?”

“He sure is! He sure knew how to whimper and squirm, too.” The Vulpix padded closer, inspecting you critically.

“I knew you’d enjoy it. I told you!”

The Vulpix giggled, quietly. “You did! I wonder what he’s thinking, right now?”

The Zorua leaned in and playfully bapped you on the nose, causing your whole body to rock back and forth. If you had guts anymore, you’d probably feel quite nauseous. “He’s probably thinking about how no one else knows he’s in there! About how, come tomorrow morning, no one will even notice him down here while everyone looks for him.”

Well, you hadn’t been thinking about it until they had mentioned it. If you still had lungs, you’d definitely be hyperventilating.

The Zorua’s eyes glinted. “Humans are terrible, you know. They leave their plushies just sitting around doing nothing, all day every day!” It leant closer, whispering right into your sewn on ear. You could feel a slight tickle at the gentle contact of plush nose onto your own soft fabric. “I could put you away and leave you to gather dust, you know.”

“Forever.”

It giggled again, leaning back and grinning at you as though it could hear your desperate inner pleading and panic.

“Oh, but I can!”

It could?

“Yes! What would be the point of turning you into one of us if that was where the game ended? We came to play, after all.”

The vulpix chimed in. “Yeah! It’s not so bad, being a plushie, provided you’re willing to play.”

Play? How were you supposed to play when you couldn’t even blink?

“It’s easy! You can move around all you want, and talk, and when the sun comes up, you’ll wake up in your bed like it was all a dream. I promise!” The Zorua sat back on its haunches and crossed its chest with a paw. “All you gotta do is… Help us find more people to play with.”

You weren’t quite sure what the Zorua meant.

“Duh! Come on, fluff for brains. Surely you know someone else who has plushies as well. Just tell us who, and we’ll all go over to their house together, and play some more.”

Well… You did know one person, off of the top of your head. You looked down, trying to decide if it was really worth leading this sadistic little monster to them. They WERE your friend, after all.

Wait, looked down? You start, nearly falling over at the shock of suddenly having regained your motor control. The unfamiliar bulk of a Zorua’s tail cause you to nearly fall over again, and your smooth, nigh featureless paw-stubs aren’t much use for trying to stabilise yourself. The two other plushies laugh at you as you try to pick yourself up off of your rear, and laugh harder as you realise that you have a tag coming out of one of the seams of your hind legs.

“H-hey…” The squeaky voice comes out of your mouth, or what passes for it currently. You rub at your chest and neck with a paw, probing at the soft, sewn pillow that must have been your Zorua mane, unable to detect a voice box or throat. “Y-you’re not gonna… Hurt my friend, are you?”

Both of the other plushies stopped dead.

“Hmm.”

“Would you classify this as hurt?”

“We never hurt anybody.”

“Just spook them a little, is all.”

“Yeah.”

You attempt to scowl. It doesn’t work. Your facial expression is stitched on. “You uh, you DID trip me.”

“Oh! Well, you were trying to get away.”

“Can’t have that.”

“Nope. Besides, you’re better now right?”

You supposed you were. It’s not like you had any flesh left to be bruised.

“You see? You can trust us.”

“Yeah! Plus, if you play with us, you never know…”

The Zorua leaned in closer again, its glassy eyes shining in the gloom.

“You might even enjoy the hunt.”

[meganewsposts]

Cupcake Baby Clothes Near Me

So forget giving the basic onesies and get mom and baby something fun and frilly from Lollipop Moon's adorable clothing store. This looks like a puzzling question especially if the baby is not yet born and you want to shop for the outfit from an online store. If you don't like the canopy idea, try a mobile of fairies. I don't remember our puppies shedding like that. Warmer weather is coming soon which can only mean one thing - lots of water time fun. You can be smart with your child expenses and at the same time give the best of everything to your child. Children's clothing might be a bit more difficult, so choose pieces that your child can grow into. Almost every crib bedding set will have a wide range of nursery accessories including picture frames, toy boxes, kiddie-size chairs, fabric storage boxes and more. I have 3 onesies that I mostly wear when I'm alone in my chilly house. To purchase cute baby clothes follow the link.

​Cupcake Baby Clothes Near Me

Your baby should only wear clothes with utmost quality. Many people ask if designer baby clothes are a must. For a traditional three legged race, two of the legs are tied together. The change tables with two open shelves are not practical, especially when your little one starts getting into things. The kids are now two years older and today will be the third annual relays. Scavenger Hunt: For those spring days that the kids seem to be saying, "I'm bored" on repeat, why not set up a scavenger hunt for them. This is perhaps one of the main reasons why parents end up making several trips to several shops just to buy the coolest and most exciting clothes for their children. Apart from being well aware about the babys schedule of the day, you also have the responsibility of making sure the things that you find cute and pretty do not harm them in any way. Peanut Shell Sling. I don't have to "futz" with it and rewatch YouTube videos to wear it!

Funky baby clothes with too loose necklines are also not good to wear. A simple, beautifully made baby wardrobe essential and great newborn gift option. Berrylane Shop brings quality products from all over the world to present to its customers a collection of baby clothes in Canada that are a true reflection of fashion attire that are well within the budget. I've purchased the Me To You products before, including key chains and photo frames. Whether you are looking for everyday outfit for her next play date or new baby clothes for your next visit to her grandparents, you will surely love our awesome line of durable clothes that will fit her active lifestyle. If the dog is a pure line and registered, then there is a slim chance of in-breeding. There are women who buy them to fulfill a need for a real baby. You just need to spend several minutes in front of your monitor to get exactly what you desire.

The wrap style used with Japanese baby clothes allow you to place the baby on top of the garment and simply wrap the baby up, therefore, eliminating the need to pull anything over the head. Who Owns Japanese Dolls? But girls who are entering their teens don't necessarily feel uncool showing off their AG dolls online. Also consider how much use you are going to get out of it. Millie pretty much lived in these for her forst 6 months so we have stocked up on them for this baby too. If you have ever wanted unique and personalized apparel for your infant or kids, then online screen printing is the thing for you. For your cute baby boys if you are searching for the best high-quality dress material then there is nothing better than Deer White-Yellow Hooded Top, Pants Set. There are many different styles of punk clothes that are available. E-retail stores are the most convenient places where one can shop for the latest baby clothes. Not only are they comfy for the baby, but they are not restricting so the little baby can just have a ball with the visiting company. I have to say we spoil her!

Fans may have missed that Kylie Jenner's nursery tour low-key happened during the announcement as well. Always make sure to inspect the clothes well before buying to avoid purchasing clothes that lack some accessories such as buttons. We trawl the island for the cutest baby and kids clothes. Fashion for kids is growing tremendously in today's age. Add to sleep time and footsie pajamas with some cozy comfort baby blankets that will transform nap time into a joy (for kids and parents alike). Thoughtfully made, our baby shoes are designed with soft soles and easy to get on and off. Never limit your choices when it comes to trendy baby clothes for your little ones for they deserve nothing but the best. Therefore, cotton is one of the best materials for baby clothes. Embellished with trendy rows of buttons, and topped with an attention-grabbing orange pom-pom, your little one will be both snug and stylish in this crocheted hooded jacket.

How to Start A Wholesale Business Nowadays

One truth that each parent discovers as their baby gets older is they also get bigger, sometimes at this type of astonishing rate that you simply swear the clothes you just bought the other day don't fit already! As your sweet infant turns into a baby, then the toddler and then the child, they undertake clothing sizes so quickly. Before you know it, they've grown from size 3-6 months to 3T plus you've got plenty of adorable baby clothing in the home that you just can't bear to get rid of but don't have use for anymore. Here are some popular ideas for what you can do together with your baby's clothes now that you just can't use them anymore.

Baby creepers are an excellent idea when babies are infants. At this time, children are certainly not mobile yet. They mainly spend their time sleeping and eating. Baby creepers will keep them warm and they also make good sleepers when babies require elsewhere for care. They will also be the ideal choice in the event the temperature is just a little cooler. Should it heat up, they could always strip right down to small baby t-shirts and diapers. Baby creepers are also useful as the little tykes start crawling. Their knees, legs, elbows, and arms will likely be shielded from dirt and scrapes.

Infant body suits are some of the most desirable to parents as they are so easy to work with. These pieces tend to be referred to as a long t-shirt held together by snap buttons. The snap buttons make them quite simple to switch the infant's clothes and change their diaper as there are separate bottom snaps. For the parents who will be with limited funds, you'll find the generic varieties of body suits called snapsuits, babygrow, babygro, mameluco, diaper shirts, and creepers.

Do not be afraid to say any minor stains or wear and tear on the clothing; it is best to be upfront and honest about these things and maybe even take pictures of which. Good, clear pictures are extremely important because many buyers won't even look at an item that doesn't have a photo. Parents need to become as clear and descriptive as is possible in postings; an excellent rule of thumb would be to post a thing that would look enticing on the parent posting the product.

[eldritchsurveys]

619.

Sugary Carnival: Have you ever been considered popular? >> No, I don’t think so. The closest I’ve ever come to popularity is when I was in the RP community on Vampirefreaks, because it was smallish and insular and I guess since I was relatively skilled at and passionate about storytelling, I (and a few others who were similar, one of whom is still my friend to this day) kind of stood out. But it had its dark side (as popularity usually does) and also I wasn’t the kindest person back then, so it wasn’t exactly a bed of roses. ...Well, maybe it was. Roses do have some pretty wicked thorns. Milky Planet: Besides earth, what planet would you come from? >> Pluto was my first thought, but it’s so far from the Sun that I had to reconsider. I was thinking more from the astrological interpretation of Pluto, though, rather than the astronomical. --Then again, Mercury is both closest to the Sun and the planet that rules over my Sun sign, so... guess I should go with Mercury. Rose Toilette: Your signature perfume? >> “Opium” roll-on oil. Whimsical Vanilla-chan: What pets do you have/want to have? >> We have a cat. I prefer to go pet-less but, you know, compromise. Marine Kingdom: Favourite undersea creature? >> Ursula. (LOL, I never thought about having a favourite undersea creature, and since I’d just read Lane’s Disney-related answer, this is what popped into my head. Octopuses in general are pretty cool, too.)

Dreamy Dollhouse: Describe your room with just 5 words. >> I don’t want to. Melty Chocolate: Favourite type of chocolate? >> Only dark, the more bitter the better. I’m mildly disgusted by sweet chocolate. Sugar Dream Dome: What do you like most about Winter? >> I’m less likely to overheat. The winter holidays. Also, how even quieter it gets in rural areas covered in snow. Milky Berry: What do you like most about Summer? >> The amount of sunlight (and amount of daylight in general). It’s easier to get dressed. My skin doesn’t feel parched all the time. Happy Garden: What types of things would you plant in a garden? >> Whatever is native to the region. Magical Étoile: Favourite attraction at a carnival? >> I don’t go to carnivals. Toy Parade: What toys did you play with as a child? >> Dolls, computer-like toys, erector sets. Holy Lantern: Describe the darker side to your personality. >> I am a world-eater. I am capricious and destructive and cruelty is addictive. I’m fascinated by the look in people’s eyes when they know they are going to die. I wish to dig my nails into my flesh and rip it open and drown in black bile everyone who’s ever looked at me. If I break everything, then I can rebuild it my way. And so on and so forth; to be honest, Red!Mordred isn’t all that interesting. Just imagine a Disney villain with a death-metal tune as his villain song. Melody Doll: What types of music do you listen to? >> I listen to a lot of different types. Wonder Party: Favourite type of tea? >> Ginger. Glass Bottle of Tears: What, without fail, makes you cry? >> I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday by David Bowie, apparently. Cinema Doll: What makes a movie really enjoyable for you? >> There’s different things for different kinds of movies. Ultimately, I just want to be emotionally engaged (the kind of emotion can vary, and should). Memorial Cake: What is your ideal romantic experience? >> I don’t know, romance isn’t really my strong suit. Or even my weak suit. I’m not even sure what romance is half the time. I just want to feel held. Star Night Theatre: If life was viewed as a theatre stage, what role would you play? >> I just want to be the Phantom!! Cotton Candy Shop: If you had your own shop, what things would you sell? >> I don’t know, I really don’t want to own a shop. Decoration Dream: Favourite way to decorate a cake? >> --- Fancy Box: What gift(s) did you get for your birthday last year? >> I don’t think I got anything specific. We just went to Chicago. Oh, I think last year was the year Blayke commissioned a picture of Can Calah (well, his “canon” version) for me. Misty Sky: What is your favourite type of weather? >> I’m not sure. I like a few different types. Dreamy Horoscope: What is your zodiac sign, and do you relate to it? >> My Sun sign is Gemini, and of course I relate to it -- it’s also my Moon and Mercury sign, so there’s a lot of Gemini influence and I’d be crazy not to notice it. But my Ascendant (and dominant sign, oddly enough) is Scorpio, and... I’d be crazy if I didn’t notice the strength of that influence, either. Symphonia of Birds: Favourite type of bird? >> Corvids. Day Dream Carnival: What do you daydream about the most? >> I don’t really daydream, as such. Unless I’m in the car or something, but often I’m just zoning out or talking to Can Calah. Royal Cards: Name a game you are really good at. >> Guitar Hero. Well, I’m a little less adroit than I was when I used to play almost daily, but the muscle memory is mostly still there. Milky Cross: Are you a religious person? >> I am, but I don’t belong to a religion (yet?). I just have what I call religious sensibilities. Cream Cookie: What kinds of snacks do you munch on? >> Snacking is hard for me, because most snack foods are things I don’t really like. I end up eating cheese and matzah a lot, lmao. Drained Cherry: What emotionally exhausts you? >> Life, really. I get emotionally exhausted pretty easily, lately.

Fancy Paper Dolls: What accessories would come with a doll version of you? >> A laptop, a pair of headphones, and a plushie. Holy Night Story: Favourite thing to do when it’s night time? >> Sleep. Candy Treat: Favourite type of candy? >> Raffaello, I guess. Fantastic Dolly: What cosmetics do you use? >> I usually don’t use cosmetics. Mostly out of lack of motivation. Drink Me: Favourite drink/beverage? >> *shrug* Merry Making Party: Describe the biggest party you’ve ever been to. >> I guess that’d be the Endless Nights Vampire Ball. Unless there was a bigger one that I’m just forgetting for some reason.

Country of Sweets: What countries would you like to visit? >> All of them. Except I guess ones that are actively being bombed or whatever. Fruits Parlour: Favourite fruit? >> --- Dream Sky: Have you ever seen a shooting star? >> Yep. Soap Bubbles: How do you like to bathe/shower? >> Quickly. Jewelry Jelly: Name your favourite jewellery pieces. >> I got a Yog-Sothoth pendant last year and I love it. Also, this stupid Hellraiser box necklace that is obnoxious to wear (because it’s heavy and on a long chain and just gets in the way a lot) but I still like it. Dream Fantasy: What is your wildest fantasy? >> *shrug* Milky-chan the Fawn: Favourite forest animal? >> Deer are neat. Honey Cake: What do you normally eat for breakfast? >> Veggie burger and chips. Dreamy Baby Room: The most childish part of your personality? >> My maladaptive coping mechanisms. Chess Chocolate: What piece would you be on a chess board? >> I don’t know enough about chess to say. French Cafe: Favourite thing to eat at a patisserie? >> I’ve never been to one of those. Sugar Hearts: How is your love life right now? >> Stable. Wonder Story: What types of things do you like to read about? >> I will read about almost anything if it’s written in a manner I find engaging. On the flip side, I will drop a dryly-written book like a hot potato even if it’s about something I love. Twinkle Mermaid: Favourite type of fantasy creature? >> The eldritch kind. Gloria: Name a very rare item that you would love to own. >> I can’t think of any.