#you’re all so unique and find things I haven’t seen before that you’re actually more special than you realize

[sadisticyouko]

in case you guys ever think… “did she do that because of me?”

yes, yes I did. you liked one of my posts/followed me, I stalked your blog & reblogged something I liked

that is nature. I found something I like because of you. keep it up and we may kiss ♡

[asapeveryday]

SHOCK FACTOR★彡 PART 3

Previous. Next.

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Rival!Reader

Warnings: swearing, suggestive jokes/language, tension

Summary: having Paige’s number means she can bother you whenever she wants, but maybe a night out with her isn’t a bother at all.

A/n: enjoy guys 😇lmk what you think of this one

YOU

is this paige?

???

Has anyone else given you their number since you got here?

YOU

no…

PAIGE

Aight, so who else would it be then? 🤘🏼

YOU

i should’ve thrown out that napkin tbh!🙂

PAIGE

Ignoring that. How’s the hangover?

YOU

it’s ok. getting coffee helped ig

PAIGE

Having another night out might help too…if u fw that

YOU

with you? id rather die then “fw that” 🙏

PAIGE

Ok rot in ya hotel room see if I care 🤷🏼‍♀️

Seen.

PAIGE

Actually nvm I feel bad for ur miserable ass. U shud fr go out and see what Connecticut has to offer. Ever been to Gianni’s?

YOU

no i haven’t, I’ve only been here for like two days. is it italian food?

PAIGE

Only the best in town 😉 u shud def go

YOU

ugh I would but i have to see if elaine can take me cus my teammates are busy

PAIGE

I could take u if u want?

YOU

typing…

YOU CAN FEEL yourself getting socially drained as you text her, at least that’s what you tell yourself. Paige is infuriating and arrogant, which comes with the deadly additions of charisma and the ability to keep you on edge with every word spoken, or even typed.

You’d always known of this, even before your game with her that day. A player like Paige can be hard to come across; perfectly capable, talented and independent yet somehow the best team player out there, sharing passes she can without a doubt make. Why? Because she doesn’t need to prove anything.

It often bothered you, especially since you constantly needed to prove yourself during the start of your college career. You took every shot you could get your hands on, and she gave shots away like candy whilst still having a huge reputation as a player. Obviously it went deeper than that, but the simple fact just stuck to your brain.

You can’t help but recall her face, inches from yours attempting to pry your ball from your grasp. Like she was deserving, like it was hers for the taking. She had made a similar face on the panel where she dissed you soon afterwards, and then again while watching you at the bar, and just before writing her number on the napkin. You wondered if she was making that face right now as she texts you.

PAIGE

I could take u if u want?

The text is simple but it summons some sort of unique feeling in you. Paige Bueckers is offering to pick you up in her car, on her night off, and take you to a restaurant. And you, for whatever reason, are considering saying yes.

Sighing to yourself, you weigh your options. Option one: you sit around your hotel alone till your teammates come back, most probably drunk from a bar since it’s a Saturday. Option two: you ask Elaine to take you out once again, even though you’re probably gonna see her the whole week you’re here. Option three: you let the girl who shit-talked you at a post game conference take you out for dinner.

YOU

i guess i should go out. DONT act like ur doing me a favour tho….n if I don’t have fun i’m blocking u.

PAIGE

Drop the addy. I’ll come by in an hour

Seen.

After hurriedly pulling yourself together, taking an Advil, checking out the restaurant’s Instagram and getting ready you can’t help but find your heart steadily hammering inside of you. Paige is coming to your hotel. You’re gonna be in her car. She’s taking you to her favourite restaurant. This has to be the most peculiar thing that has happened all year.

-

The car ride is significantly better then you expected it would be. Paige adamantly seems to prevent any room for awkward silence to seep through, commenting on your outfit and filling the vehicle with music that makes the interior buzz from the volume. She has a free look on her face, chair reclined more then you’d dare if you were in the drivers seat, hair blowing in her face from the windows being down.

“I’m surprised you’re driving me out.” You say, finally airing what was on your mind.

Paige shrugs. “Didn’t feel like drinking today. Plus, I’m in the mood to be generous and show you what Storrs has.”

“If someone told me I’d be hanging out with Paige Bueckers like a week ago, I think I’d be fucking appalled. Or disgusted. Or both.” You laugh.

She chuckles, glancing at you sneakily. “You swear a lot, don’t you?”

“Awe my bad.” You pout, giving her a fake-concerned look. “Forgot you can’t handle a little language.”

“I can handle it,” she grumbles. “I just think cursing is better for specific situations.”

“Like what?”

Paige wets her lips almost sheepishly, but she keeps her eyes straight on the road. “Like sex.”

A beat passes before you respond “Sorry I couldn’t savour a couple words for you and your little kink.”

She looks over at you now, and you meet her gaze as equally as you can. She just lets out a smile, shaking her head to herself as she pulls into the parking lot. You try to ignore the elevator-sinking feeling in your stomach from her words as you get out from the car.

The restaurant is beautiful. It’s cozy, ambient and well decorated. Not too fancy and not too full, just perfect. You’re seated in a more secluded area, per Paige’s request. She orders for you, insisting she knows exactly what to get for the best possible experience.

The food is good, and you don’t feel the need to hide it from Paige, who visibly grows at your praise for the place she picked out.

“So, are you jus in Connecticut for Elaine?” She says.

“Not really.” You reply. “Me and some of the others are just doing a little East Coast road-trip. I wasn’t really interested in coming to Storrs, but it made sense to come by and see her.”

“For a whole week?” She raises her eyebrow. “Seems like you’re close.”

“I was only gonna stay in Storrs for a couple days, then go to Hartford but the girls seem to like it here.” You shrug. “They think it’s cute, being a small town and all, but it’s pretty boring if you’re not a student.”

“It’s better if you’re with fun people.” She smiles.

“I hope you don’t think you’re fun.”

“Compared to Elaine I definitely am.” Paige scoffs.

You can’t help but feel a little more hostility than humour in her tone.

“Do you guys know each other?” You ask, as sly and innocent as you can muster. Paige seems hesitant.

“Nah.” She finally decides. “I mean, we’ve talked before. Ion know her personally.”

“It’s kinda funny, she said she doesn’t pay much attention to you but I think she might have a little crush.” You laugh.

Paige visibly stiffens at this, which catches you by surprise.

In a split second she regains her calm, unbothered composure. “What has she said?”

“Not much.” You shrug. “Just seems a little interested.”

Paige’s jaw clenches for a moment, and you’re not surprised when she changes the subject. “How many people have been on your case since I posted that picture of us from the bar on my story?”

“God, so many.” You laugh, shaking your head. “You?”

“You don’t even wanna know.” She scoffs. “Not sure why everyone was so crazy bout it though, s’not like we were beefing for real.”

“Right!” You say, happy she seems to be on the same page. “It was just some petty crap. I guess people just really were hoping there would be some rivalry.”

You think for a moment, before saying. “Maybe we should keep this drama thing up. Might be fun.”

“It’s a lil too late for that,” Paige shakes her head with a slight smile. “remember how KK and Ice were on live yesterday at the coffee shop? Yeah, we kinda were in the background at some point. People saw us talking.”

“You’re joking.”

“Dead serious. There are edits and everything.”

You rest your head in your hands, elbows on the table, lessening the proximity between you and her. “I only get into these weird ass situations when I interact with you, Paige.”

She sits up in her seat, blue eyes quickly looking you up and down. “Yet you’re still here.”

“Girl’s gotta have fun.” You shrug. Her foot hits yours under the table, her eyebrow raised as if challenging you. You have a sudden thought of going under the table and letting your hands unzip her cargo pants, but instead you just kick her back.

“Wanna go?” She asks. You don’t want to go back to the hotel, and she seems to pick up on it. “The area we’re in is nice. We can walk around a bit.”

You smile and nod. “Split the bill?”

“Fuck no.” She shoots you a look, pulling out her credit card from the back of her phone.

“You cursed!” You exclaim, to which she scoffs.

“I said it’s alright in specific situations.”

Now it’s your turn to scoff. “Well we’re not having sex, are we?”

The way her eyelashes flutter at your question gives you jitters. “Aight, stop talking.” She finally manages to respond. You just send her a look that you hope makes her nervous.

-

“You’re not funny.” She grumbles, attempting to grab your phone from you.

“Back off, Bueckers! I’m serious.” You laugh, sidestepping her with your phone above your head. The street was empty and the lights were on, putting the two of you in a yellow glow against the night. You’d been walking around the neighbourhood, observing houses and learning a bit about Storrs for the past hour.

“Give me your phone, I know you ain’t deleting those.” She huffs, grabbing for your phone. You try to escape her grasp but she’s got longer limbs, so eventually your phone is in her pocket and she’s wearing a proud look on her face.

It’s nice to walk in the quiet of evening, her beside you. You have no idea where you are but you can’t help but trust she can get you back to the car in no time. Not just yet though.

You turn to look at Paige almost shamelessly. There’s just so much to observe with her. Her confident posture, toothy smile, sleek straightened blonde hair, even the baggy cargo pants and sweater. She always looked good, it never failed to annoy you.

“Either your pants are too tight or crazy baggy.” You note. She just raises her eyebrow.

“Sounds like you just want me to take my pants off at this point.”

“Wouldn’t mind a little show.” You reply almost instantly, shocking yourself at the surge of confidence. She doesn’t seem taken aback, in fact she’s intrigued.

“Is that your usual routine? Have a meal out then have a meal at home?”

“Maybe it is.” You shrug. “I never object to a wine n dine.”

“And what exactly would you object to?”

“Cocky girls who think they’re the shit.” You say, turning your head to face her. You don’t mean to target her, but she simply smiles.

“Is it really being cocky if I can back it up though?” Paige asks quietly. You’re not walking anymore, stuck in place on an empty path between buildings. She’s closing in on you until your back hits a brick wall. The way Paige is staring down at you, hands in her pockets, lip between her teeth. It’s nothing you’d object to, ever.

“I won’t believe it till I see it.” You mutter, holding her eye. The air is tense in a new way that you haven’t felt with her since you first met in the bar. Her face is entrancing.

Paige’s hands lift your jaw upwards, and she leans into your ear. “You might not see it,” she mumbles, breath hot against your skin. “But you’ll definitely feel it.”

When she pulls back from your ear she stays hovering just above you, hands chastely holding your head up. You’re in the perfect position to kiss, and you can’t stop your eyes from darting between her electric stare to her lush, pink lips.

You can literally feel her breath on your mouth when a piercing ring cuts through the moment. It’s coming from her pocket, and she pulls out your phone. Paige’s face twists as she reads the screen. “It’s Elaine.”

“Just- just decline it.” You rush out, not caring how desperate you sound. You can feel how wet you are, and the lack of heat against you is blaring.

“She texted you too.” Paige scoffs. “She’s waiting for you at your hotel.”

You don’t even know what to say. Paige’s face is expressionless. You’re disappointed, but there’s no point in begging. Nothing really happened.

“Let’s get you home.” She says, starting to walk back from where you came. “Shouldn’t keep her waiting.” Her tone is dripping with toxicity. It makes you shiver.

[johannestevans]

Finding Your Style, Part I: Shape & Silhouette

A deep dive into deciding on your own personal fashion and tailoring your clothes to fit.

Also on Patreon / / Also on Medium / / Leave a tip.

Introduction

Before I start with the actual meat of this piece, I want to establish what this series of guides is not going to be. These guides are going to be about building and cultivating your wardrobe and accessories for you and your preferences.

I have no interest in and will not be going into how to look good (or revoltingly, how to look “slimmer” or similar), how to be fashionable or trendy, or alternatively, how to look unique or dress differently to everybody you know.

I often get frustrated when pieces about cultivating one’s personal style stumble across my dashboards and they advise the reader to pay attention to the latest trends, to make a moodboard, cultivate a capsule wardrobe, and leave it at that — a moodboard can be helpful if you’re a visual thinker, and there’s nothing wrong with a capsule wardrobe as a tool, however.

I have a particular style of dress, I like to play around with a lot of colours and fabrics, a lot of patterns, and a lot of the people around me tell me I dress well and that they enjoy my style: I have never read a style guide that is envisioning a man who dresses like me, or even a man who dresses even close to the way I dress.

When I think of someone’s personal style, I’m talking about aspects of their appearance and the mode in which they clothe and carry themselves that are distinctive to them.

Firstly, this doesn’t mean that they dress uniquely, and like no other person around them.

I know guys who basically dress themselves to match mannequins in particular stores, and they look good for it — when I see them around, even if I haven’t seen those mannequins and don’t shop in the stores they shop from, what makes them distinctive is particular colour palettes, brands, and also a clean-cut, neat style that works really well on a shop mannequin. What they’re wearing obviously isn’t unique, but it is distinctive, and it is a particular visual I associate with them when I see them.

Secondly, when we think of distinctive qualities, I might associate them with a specific style that isn’t inspired by a high street store or particular fashionable brand — people who dress in vintage clothes and are always kind of ’90s or ’70s, or people who dress in lolita or goth or emo or cottagecore or identify with another subculture that has a particular visual signature.

Apart from fashion subcultures, there might be other aspects — yes, specific high street brands, but there are all kinds of other visual signatures like particular patterns (someone who always wears stripes, for example), other brands or media (e.g. someone who wears a lot of stuff printed with anime characters), particular places or hobbies, et cetera. I’m currently fleshing out my wardrobe and trying to find a lot more pieces that are nautical or sailing themed, so there are a lot of anchors, compasses, helm’s wheels, and ships incorporated into my wardrobe.

And thirdly — this is one thing I want to impress very firmly, because far too many pieces that focus on fashion don’t take this into account at all — one of the most distinctive qualities is how much I might recognise a friend’s specific needs for comfort in their style of dress.

I, for example, have a lot of cardigans, jumpers, woollen vests and waistcoats, etc, and in winter will often appear in multiple layers of wool underneath another layer of leather because I get cold so easily; even in summer, I’m often wearing a t-shirt under a collared shirt, sporting a cardigan, or even wearing three-piece suits. I know other people who basically from spring through to late autumn will only ever be wearing one layer, particularly just a t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt, because they overheat so easily.

This is going to be a series of pieces, and I want to focus on a handful of specific points to focus on in cultivating your wardrobe and accessories:

Part I: Shape and Silhouette

Part II: Fabrics and Materials

Part III: Colours and Patterns

Part IV: Garments and their Construction

Part V: Accessories and Details

Part VI: Eras & Epochs, Subcultures & Alternative Looks

Part VII: Thematic Cohesion

Part VIII: Editing and Adding to your Wardrobe

A lot of style guides are written with people in mind who are trying to look good at work, especially at office jobs, and subsequently they assume a certain level of conformity with business casual or other “acceptable” styles in mind, where standing out to any degree is considered in poor taste, but more importantly, where things like personal comfort aren’t taken into account.

Your personal comfort in the clothes you wear, whether that’s to do with your resting temperature, if you feel most comfortable in any specific fabrics or textures, if you feel comfortable under multiple layers or only one, how many pockets you have and how accessible those pockets are, how exposed or free certain parts of your body are, etc, is far more important than virtually any other aspect in selecting your wardrobe.

There are absolutely garments or styles where you might either enjoy the discomfort or think it’s worth withstanding for the visual effect, but that’s really up to you to decide, and anyone who says that you should be uncomfortable on your day-to-day, or that it’s normal and therefore desirable to feel uncomfortable in your own clothes, is a prick.

As a species, we wear clothes to keep our bodies warm and safe from harm, and while we might enjoy looking good or projecting a particular image, our comfort, safety, and our feeling of security in the clothes we’re wearing is no less vital.

Especially if you’re used to dressing in uncomfortable clothes, it can be hard to figure out what you actually do feel comfortable in, and that’s okay, that’s a process.

A lot of us have basically had it embedded into us, after years of conditioning, that there is only one way to dress, one way to exist, and that this is in-keeping with what’s Appropriate or what’s Pretty or in line with any other expectation, and unlearning that is hard, but it’s a process, and it’s possible to work through it.

Shapes & Silhouette

The first thing we often talk about when it comes to fashion, and the first thing a lot of clothes designers sketch out and visualise, is silhouette — if you find that hard to envisage, imagine yourself in whatever outfit is a favourite of yours, that you’re behind a canvas, and you’re being backlit from behind.

Your silhouette is the shadow cast by the shape of your body and your clothes — when someone first enters into a room, when we take in their outfit, we take in the broad strokes of it and the silhouette it casts, the shape of their body.

You might want to cast an initial impression that emphasises particular bodily qualities you’re proudest of, makes you seem taller or shorter than you are, slimmer or fatter, curvier or squarer, softer or more angular.

The problem with a lot of silhouette discussion is that many clothing designers abhor and loathe clothing anyone who isn’t a white, thin cisgender woman: imagining silhouette becomes about imagining a base body that serves as a mannequin and clothes that are draped on her, rather than about imagining a range of body types and different silhouettes that might go with them, complementing or contrasting the base body on which they’re built.

Subsequently, when people talk about clothing for fat people, particularly for fat women, a great deal of emphasis is placed on a silhouette that attempts to disguise or hide the body’s natural shape, whether that means making them seem nebulously slimmer by increasing their perceived height or by some other method, or increasing or decreasing their curviness.

The problem with that, apart from the fact that it relies on a vociferous hatred of fat people, of fat people’s bodies, of body fat in general, an odious bigotry in itself, is that a lot of the time, it doesn’t fucking work.

It’s instead people writing pages upon pages of advice on how to make yourself appear smaller and lesser, capitalising on people’s taught and conditioned self-loathing, and a lot of it is just clickbait. I’m by no means saying it would be ethical or correct if a lot of this advice did work, but the fact is that it doesn’t.

Someone might take your outfit with lots of layers and rounded shapes to it and assume you’re fatter than you in fact are, because multiple layers make you look larger — it could also be that simply wearing those soft fabrics make people think that you’re rounder, which they associate with fatness. In contrast, someone might take an outfit with lots of angles to mean that you’re bigger than you are because when we drape our body with angular clothes, they often work by sticking out from our body and creating corners where they don’t exist — but, people might associate that angularity with a lack of body fat, either with bones or with muscle, and therefore think you are bigger, but less fat.

We live in a fatphobic society where people make a lot of judgements based on how fat they perceive you as being. Because of the aforementioned fatphobic society, we also live in a society where people might associate you with fatness (or some other physical trait they consider negative) because they dislike you.

If you speak loudly or “a lot”, people might perceive you as being fatter than you are — if you barely speak, they might perceive you as being thinner, because you take up less apparent space, no matter what you wear or what shape you present.

There is no way to win, is my point.

You cannot win against bigotry in a fundamentally bigoted society by trying to change subtle perceptions of angle or size or light or shadow, and the people who say that you can are lying. The point of those lies is firstly to sell newspapers and screentime, but the second of them is to make the reader think that a bigoted society’s attitude toward them is their fault, because they weren’t employing enough tricks to deter the bigotry.

When I talk about the varieties of silhouette you might want to attain or aim for in your clothing choices, or how well-fitting or loose a garment might be for you, it should be in line with your preferences and your desires, whether that’s about aesthetic, comfort, or something else.

Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels, with guide lines added by me.

When envisioning your silhouette, the key points of your body might be:

your head

your shoulders

your waist and hips

your feet

This depends on your body shape and also on the sorts of outfits you’re wearing — it might change for you depending on the clothes you’re wearing on a given day, or you might cut a drastically different silhouette in boymode versus girlmode, or in summer versus winter, etc. 

Think of these as anchor points on which your clothing or accessories are draped over or mounted from, almost like you might envision armour slots in a videogame. When you envision your silhouette, it’s how your body immediately appears when lit from behind — your legs and arms aren’t irrelevant here, and the shape of sleeves, trousers, and skirts will absolutely contribute to your silhouette, but depending on your body in motion or how you stand, these won’t always be immediately distinctive, whereas your head and torso will be.

As well as being the place where your clothes drape from, these might be the points where your most important accessories might be placed — headbands or hats, shoulder clasps or shawls or collar pins and such, belt buckles or suspender clips, and your shoes or boots. These points become the focus to which the eye is drawn because they’ll be the most static parts of the body, whereas other parts in between might jiggle or flow. 

These points aren’t part of some sort of rule you have to follow — it’s more of a handy shorthand to help train your eye into seeing the particular shapes each part of someone’s body cuts, and what the overall effect is, and how much you like or dislike the effect. 

You might feel that some of these anchor points, when emphasised or de-emphasised, add or take away from your dysphoria or your general self-esteem, make you feel more feminine or masculine, just look really fucking cool or really hot, etc. Think about those when you start sketching out your shapes in your head and what you like best. 

When you really want to imagine a silhouette, do what I did with the first three images — there’s the outfit itself, I’ve drawn the anchors at the top of the head, the top of the shoulders, the waist, and then the feet. Contrast that silhouette with this image:

Photo by Becerra Govea Photo via Pexels, with guidelines added by me.

This person has a different hair style, but see how with the shape of the dress, the waistline is drawn in compared to their shoulders, and would be even if they weren’t posed with their elbows outward? See how their waist appears to be smaller in contrast with the wide sweep of the thickly layered, loose skirts?

A useful exercise when thinking about a silhouette you like is to draw these anchor points and then either draw in lines following the outside of the body’s / clothing’s shape, or you can separate into each section and think about the simplest shape that silhouette can be boiled down to: a circle, a square, a triangle, a straight line.

In the two images I’ve indicated, I’ve focused on the waist as an anchor point because it’s the base of the suit jacket and then where this dress is drawn in — on your body, you might find that somewhere else on your pelvis is better for you to draw the line.

Have a look at this TikTok and look at all these bodies in motion, the clothes they’re wearing, how much skin is or isn’t being revealed, how loose or fixed each piece of clothing is, how much contrast is or isn’t present in the different shapes on show. Think about each different silhouette and how different or similar they are to one another.

(A TikTok of an NYFW fashion show in September from Remi Jo on TikTok.)

Look for the motion in these garments and in these people’s bodies — the parts that jiggle, that flow, that have free motion — and contrast them with the bits of their garments or bodies that remain more static. Many of these garments bare skin or flesh, and many of them cover a lot up, depending on the garment’s design — look at shoulder pieces, busts, waists, skirts, hemlines, sleeves. If a garment stands out to you as pleasing, cut it up in your mind and look at each piece of it individually before you consider the whole again, see what stands out most to you.

Generally, for modern men’s tailoring, the focus is often on the lower-slung hips rather than on the higher waist. If you’ve got a squarer body, your waist and hips might be the same or almost the same width, to the point you have no big distinguishing angle between the two points — you might want to think of your anchor point as at the base of your hips, in line with your backside; you might want to think of it as at the absolute high point of your waist if you tend to very high-waisted trousers or skirts. 

If you’re fatter and have a significant overhang to your belly, depending on whether you like to wear your waistband underneath the overhang and have your belly rest on top / over it, or if you wear looser clothes or generally keep your belly within the waistband, for example under your dress or your skirt, this might change how you think about your silhouette too. 

You might still be looking from the tops of your shoulders, but then the end of that “shape” might be in line with your backside or your upper thigh instead because that’s where you can see the lowest part of your belly in your trousers or leggings, or in a maxi dress, it might be a straight (or mostly straight) line from your shoulder down to your feet. Alternatively, rather than focusing on your hips or specifically where your waist is, you might like to make sure your middle point is at the widest point of your belly — if you’re wearing a belt, you might like the belt buckle to rest in the middle point there, or have the waistband of your skirt there so that you have the maximum flow to the skirt. 

And remember, as I said about how the most key points might be different depending on what sort of outfit you’re wearing or what the occasion is, consider how much you’re going to be sitting down or from what angle you’re going to be viewed by others. 

If you’re generally going to be sitting down while wearing a particular outfit, your midpoints at the waist might be less important to you than your shoulders and your feet — and if you’re going to be viewed significantly from above or below (for example, if you’re on stage or performing in a theatre), or from a further distance, this might make a difference to what key points you want to focus on. 

If you use a wheelchair, depending on how big your wheelchair is compared to you in terms of its back and shape, you might like to take its angles and colours in complement to your outfit — if you use a cane or crutches, or if you wear a prosthetic limb for some events but not others, you might want to consider the asymmetry or the squarer shapes cut by your mobility aids. 

Similarly, if you’re in costume and you’re wearing or using a really important prop like a stave or wand, some sort of weapon in the hand or slung on the belt or worn in some sort of other holster, you might want to employ similar complementary or perpendicular angles. 

For example, if you’re wearing something that’s really angular and is going to make one shoulder, side of your head, or side of your waist/belly seem much higher than the other side, you might want to match that angular shift to the side you don’t have a limb or use a cane or have a prop to continue that exaggerated angle — you might want to make it go to the opposite way to offset the imbalance. 

--

I’ve talked a lot above about how to observe and identify shapes and silhouettes in outfits you’re observing, but only a little bit about how to actually construct and cast them. 

For a lot of people, the shadow cast by your head is going to be the same every day depending on your haircut or hairstyle: if you have shorter hair, you’re unlikely to change it much on the day to day in a way that will be noticeable at a glance.

If you do have longer hair or you change your style regularly, you can think about the shape that your head is casting in contrast to your outfit — if you alternate, for example, between having a big ‘fro and braids or twists that are much tighter to the head or are gathered at the back of your neck, those will be pretty dramatic differences to your silhouette; ditto if you go between different ponytails or braids and different up-dos, whether that’s a bun or gathered braid or similar. 

If you wear hats and/or wear headscarves, those will make a big difference too — a beanie casts a very different shadow to a Panama hat, different again to a boater, a baseball cap, or a bandana. 

A more structured hat or other garment for the head — a tiara or crown, for example, or more structured hair styles that come out from the head such as bantu knots or structured wigs and up-dos, will be more static; looser hats, scarves, and loose-worn hair will have more flow and wave when you move, and will stay in motion as you walk or even as you turn your head. 

How visible do you want your neck to be? The lines of your jaw, your chin, your ears (and earrings), your brow, the nape of your neck? Do you enjoy the sensation of fabric or your own longer hair touching the tops of your shoulders, or being a weight on your back? Do you need the shade from your bangs or longer fringe, or that a structured hat will give you?

From your head we can jump to the broader part of your actual outfit or the garment that covers most of your body. 

Your shoulders and your hips / waist / the widest point of your belly are where the garments you wear are going to rest — shirts, jackets, vests, coats, all of these are going to sit on your shoulders and either cling closely to your body or hang over it; loose fitting trousers and any sort of kilt or skirt are going to hang off your hips or the widest point of your middle. 

Depending on your outfit and how your legs are clad, your feet might not actually be particularly noticeable — if you’re wearing shorts or anything with a shorter skirt, more attention is going to be drawn to the feet in contrast to your legs, ditto any sort of skinny trouser, legging, or tights. This goes especially for bigger boots, trainers/sneakers, and various heels.

MSCHF’s newest crowd pleaser, the Big Red Boot, is distinctive because the Big Red Boots are extremely shaped like boots, but not particularly like feet.

And after this point, you might have different points entirely that you construct away from your body — big earrings can be a point of interest; the hem of a shorter skirt, for example, might stop at your mid-thigh or knee, and that might be at an angle with your shoes; if you wear flared trousers like I tend to, you might create another point of contrast at your knee or at the mid calf.

Some points to consider are: 

Which parts of your body or your shape do you enjoy most, want to most emphasise, or want to draw most attention to? Are there any parts of your body or your shape you feel less comfortable showing or emphasising, and would like to draw attention from?

Are there any silhouettes, for any gender, that you feel most drawn to and interested in? For example, do you particularly like the shape cut by certain styles of suits, robes, dresses, or other garments? What points do you like most, are most drawn to? What points are the same from outfit to outfit? 

Think of cartoons and other animated series you like or have enjoyed, which normally have distinct styles and place emphasis on certain body parts or shapes for each characters. Do any particularly appeal to you? Do any characters look especially fun or cool compared to others, because of the style they’re drawn in or what garments or armour they’re drawn in? Cartoons will show an extreme, but they might help you visualise something you’re particularly drawn to because the extremity makes it so visible.

Apart from the shoulders, middle, head, and feet, do you want to create any further points of interest? Draw attention to your elbow or knees, dangling earrings, shift the silhouette of your feet by elevating your heel or sole?

Do you want your garments to hang from your body and be loose, or do you want them to be more tightly tailored? A garment that “hangs” will generally rest on your shoulders or around your middle and then be looser or boxier — a more fitted garment will hug tighter to the lines and curves of your body, and the extent to which will depend on the fabric weight and the construction of the garment. 

How much is your silhouette different in motion, standing, seated, or otherwise? How much does it change with different mobility aids, or in different seats, while doing different activities? 

And that’s it for that piece!

I am going to go through the other parts of this bit by bit — originally I was going to do this as one huge deep dive, but it just became untenable in terms of length. Let me know what you think, which bits are most helpful, and please feel free to mention anything you’d particularly want me to cover in the other pieces as I go through them. 

[bellewintersroe]

Another idea I would love to see you write (and it doesn't have to be NSFW if it makes you uncomfortable) is Malarkey, Babe, Chuck, Shifty, Winters (and anyone else you want to write) reactions to seeing all the various scars you received during the war for the first time. The scars can be wherever on the body you want to put them and the injuries that caused them can be different for each guy if you want; I will leave that to your creativity and discretion. I would just find it interesting to see how you think they'd react bc, while injuries during the war became probably a daily occurrence for the men that they've grown accustomed to, you're technically not a man and how could you have gotten hurt?

ugh I absolutely love this request it’s so creative, thank you sm!! I hope it’s what you were picturing, if not feel free to request another :) i’m comfortable writing NSFW but for this request I haven’t gone too crazy, but there is some mentions of potential smut? I can also understand how the topic of scars should be a TW- but no mentions of any self inflicted scars. Easy Boys reaction to seeing your scars:

Dick Winters:

I think he’d probably notice the small, circular scar on the back of your lower hip during seggsy time.

he wouldn’t point it out, seeing as that seemed rude and a bit off putting mid activity- especially seeing as it was one of the first times the two of you sleep together.

it’s afterwards that you’re cuddling when his hand travels down, “how did you get this?”

“oh, that scar?” You’d begin to laugh, leaving him a little confused. “Accidental cigarette burn from a guy I was treating in Normandy.”

Dick is a little confused, you seem so amused so he’s following along with a smile but it’s the most confusing thing ever.

what actually happened is pretty lighthearted, you were treating a wounded guy in the infirmary in Normandy, and well, his eyes were bandaged up and accidentally mistook you for the ash tray?

a pretty funny story, it burnt at the time, but you don’t mind the small scar, in fact it’s even amusing to you. Dick doesn’t notice it often, but when he remembers the story you told him he’d smile every single time he’d see it again.

Babe Heffron:

In Austria you’re wearing your summer uniform/ clothes, things are more relaxed, and so when your top falls down your collarbone the slightest bit, you don’t think anything of it.

“Wha- hey! How’d you get that?!” That was until a certain Babe Heffron chimed up, sounding overwhelmingly concerned, eyes focused on your upper chest.

“What?” At first you’d cover it up, unconsciously before even realising what he’d seen.

he’d hurry over, taking a peak to sigh with relief when he realised it was an older scar.

“Babe.” You’d grumble, pulling your top further up out of embarrassment.

“Oh, hey- no, don’t be upset, I was just worried thas all. It’s not everyday I see a lady with a scar, y’know.” His hand would smooth down your arm, worried he’d offended you, but he’s so sweet, how could you ever be upset at Babe?

“It’s from Bastogne, right?” Unlike the other men (apart from Gene) Babe would probably recognise where it was from.

“The bombing at the church, yeah.”

“I like it, looks cool.” He’d be so honest and genuine, at first I think you’d be a little shy, but Babe finds it so unique, and well- it makes you you.

the major downfall however is that you obviously got hurt, resulting in this scar. He can’t bare the idea of you hurt, it sends a chill through to his bone.

Chuck Grant:

Chuck is no stranger to scars especially after the war, so when he notices you’ve got a couple littered around your leg he doesn’t point them out due to knowing how sensitive that topic can be.

theyre white and faded now, only small, but I feel like Chuck would probably recognise they’re from Bastogne- like he’s seen the wounds the splintered trees cause, he figured it would be something like that.

in reality they were a present from Haguenau. An exploded building left your leg semi trapped, luckily not broke, but it hurt like a bitch and left you with the constant reminder of the pain.

You’d tell him one day after a shower, when you caught him looking at them. “I know they’re ugly.” You’d wince, conscious.

“Ugly? No, c’mere, babe.” He’d pull you into his lap, hand on your thigh as he kisses you so tenderly.

“Nothin’ about you could ever be ugly, doll.” Ugh he’d be sooo sweet and kind, reassuring you in the best way possible whilst accidentally seducing you.

Shifty Powers:

Too cute omg, he wouldn’t even really notice too much, I mean everybody has scars. You’d lay and night and he’d caress your skin, not caring if there was a scar or two littered around your shoulder.

“How’d ya’ get this?” He’d ask softly when the two of you were both falling asleep.

“Nothin’ exciting, I was playing around in the water when we were in Austria and caught my shoulder on the pier gettin’ out the water. I wish it was a better story.”

Shifty would find it so amusing because only you would wish you had a better story to tell about a scar. The rest on your body are from your childhood, Shifty would love hearing the stories that come along with each scar.

Eugene Roe:

Unlike some of the men I think Gene would’ve actually been there when you got injured.

you’re a woman, part of the medic team, a field nurse really which is attached to easy company, so you’re close to the men, especially Gene, throughout the war.

Gene would still remember vividly the day you got hit, how he failed to protect you, cover you. A sniper came out of nowhere, catching you in the shoulder. Gene can only imagine the bullet was meant for him and not you.

He’s the one that patched you up to the best of his abilities, it’s one thing treating a man, but to be treating a girl? Especially one he liked- well his hands were shaking and he was reassuring you non stop.

the scar left was only small, luckily there was no complications and you got lucky and could get back to work real quick.

Every time Eugene notices the scar it reminds him of what happened to you. At first he wouldn’t talk about it. Then, slowly you get it out of him and he’s so soft with you.

“I just don’t know what I woulda’ done.” He’d sigh, burrowing his face in your neck/ chest pressing kisses to your skin.

“Well you don’t have to think that, cos I’m still here with you now, Gene.”

Don Malarkey:

Don would actually notice the fresh scar on leg during Haguenau when you were rolling your socks up, he gets a peak at the flesh on your calf.

“Woah, that looks nasty, how’d you get that?” He comes and sits behind you, waiting for you to turn around.

“Fuckin’ tripped and fell, Malark. Out of everything that coulda happened to me I got this from falling over.”

Malark is more concerned about your wellbeing but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t break a smile.

“That’s just your luck.” He’d smile, rubbing your leg gently to check if it hurt. “You’re ok now though? So you don’t need carrying around everywhere?”

“I wouldn’t object to that…”

No but seriously, Don is a massive sweetheart, he probably would carry you around Austria just for the fun of it, he still blames it on your ‘cut leg’ that he needs to do that.

in reality he’s just flirting with you and knows it’s super easy for you to kiss him whilst he’s holding you like that.

Lewis Nixon:

“What’d you do?” He’d ask as soon as he saw it, running his hand back against your hair, revealing a kinda small scar placed near your hairline.

it’s early in the morning, the two of you are lounging in bed with a cup of tea or coffee, preparing to have a lazy day.

“Oh, it’s from running Currahee, I face-palmed the floor.”

“Ouch, what did Sobel say?”

“thank god he wasn’t there to see it. I got a matching one on my knee too, from the same fall.” You’d pull out your bare leg from the covers and he’d purposefully slide his hand up your thigh, then over the scar on your knee.

“Nice. Battle scars.” He smirked, teasing and pulling your leg over his to give him a cuddle.

[dragon-kazansky]

Save a horse

Gender neutral reader

Doc Holliday x Reader

Holliday likes what he sees, and he will let it be known.

Dedicated to @callsignscupcake​

They of course wouldn’t actually say this back then, but how can I resist?​

♡♡♡

Tombstone was a unique place. Therefore, it brought along some unique characters. One such person was a favourite of yours.

John Holliday, or Doc to literally everyone.

Doc didn’t know you at all. You had never dared approach the man, but you have seen him around a lot. Gambling, drinking, walking and talking with the Earp brothers. He always seemed to be around somewhere.

The man in question was up ahead talking to Wyatt Earp. You were doing some chores in town when you spotted him. You couldn’t help but admire him. The pair seemed to be in deep conversation, so you could admire them without concern of them catching you.

Doc was a dying man with a strange sense of humour, but you liked that about him. He was kind to those who gave kindness and stood up to those who tried to start a fight. Doc was also quick on the draw. You had been lucky enough to even witness his gunslinging skills.

A voice called out to the pair from behind you. The two men turned to see who was there. You had a split second to move and make it look like you hadn’t been standing there staring. You kept your head down as you walk, hoping they hadn’t noticed at all.

A pair of eyes follow you as you walk across the street and then disappear out of sight.

You don’t see Doc for a couple days after that. You’ve been busy getting on with things. Keeping to yourself. Business as usual. 

It wasn’t until one evening, while making your way home, that things changed. You were lost in your own mind as you made the walk through town. A walk you knew like the back of your hand. You hadn’t even noticed him step out of the shadows until his arm was around you, and you were then facing the other way. Your snapped back to find yourself tangled up with Doc Holliday himself.

Hs hand was settled on your hip as his arm crossed over your stomach, blocking you from moving. He was flush against your side, or more so, you were flush against his. His crystal eyes shone with mischief as his lips quirked upward into a cheeky grin.

The fox had the rabbit.

“A fine evening for two fine people to meet, wouldn’t you agree?” He says, coughing a little at the end.

“Pardon?”

“Not yet. I feel your eyes on me, but our gazes never quite meet. Always fleeing the scene before we ever get a chance to speak.”

You look around you, but only find that everyone else is just passing by and getting on with their day. You’re not quite sure what’s happening and find yourself at a slight loss.

“I don’t understand,” you say.

He chuckles slightly and lowers his arm from you. You find yourself turning rather chilly without his touch upon you.

“I see you often, but you always disappear before I can even make a move. Are we destined to be in this town together but never meet? Does a dying man not get a chance with pleasant company? Perhaps my reputation chases you away.”

You frown.

“Not at all. You’re one of the best gunslingers in this town.”

He perks up at that. Plush lips quirked into a cheeky grin.

“Is that so?”

“You know so,” you say. “If you don’t mind, I was on my way home.”

Holliday does not move. Instead, he offers you his arm. You stare at it with confusion. He couldn’t possibly be offering to walk you home. Surely, he has a game to win, a drink to have, Earps to keep company.

“May I?” He asks, seeing you not make a move to accept.

Well, you do after that.

Doc feels rather smug as you take his arm and allow him the honour of your company. You both walk casually through town, with you guiding him the way. 

Not once does he take his eyes off of you. You can feel his steely gaze on you as you walk.

“What is it that captured your gaze, darling?”

You avoid meeting his eyes as you look ahead.

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think I don’t know? That I haven’t seen you? Always looking from afar, never stepping any closer. The beauty that’s forever out of reach. Never have I wanted something more,” he says, voice dropping low, lips drawing ever closer to your ear.

You swallow softly.

How can one man hold all the cards and show them to you before the game is over? Unless he’s bluffing, but what does he benefit from that? He doesn’t know you.

“Your pursuit signals are confusing me. Is this genuine?” You ask him.

“I have never been more honest in my life.”

“How could John Holliday possibly want to waste his time with me?” You ask.

“Waste? Not at all. People like you are rare in a town like this. I am lucky to even be given a moment of your time now.”

“You came up to me,” you remind him.

“Exactly. You were never going to come to me willingly. I had to take matters into my own hands and snare you into my trap.”

“Trap?”

“These arms, dear. A cage you may never wish to be freed from.”

He was smooth. Smoother than you thought possible. It was clear why people were either fond of him or despised him. He knew how to work the opinions of others.

You come to a stop, and he stops with you.

“This is me,” you say.

Doc turns to the house. It’s small and out of the way of the main city streets. Yes, it’s quite you, he thinks.

Reluctantly, he lets go of you. Yet, you don’t move from his side. You meet his eyes at last and he smiles.

“I feared you were repulsed at the sight of me.”

You’re shocked to hear that.

“How could anyone be repulsed at the sight of you? I’m sure handsome men like you get many gazes from others,” you say.

“Quite. Not all friendly.” 

You laugh softly. That seems to please him.

Holliday reaches for your hand and holds it within his. He keeps his eyes on yours as he stares at you. You have to turn away after a moment as his gaze becomes too much to hold.

“May our paths cross again.”

“Should you be so lucky,” you say, finding your boldness.

“Oh, I do not need luck.”

You find yourself smiling at him.

“Then I look forward to our next meeting, Doc.”

He grins.

“As do I, darling. As do I.”

He releases your hand from his and lets you move to your house. He stands there and watches you go. Before you are able to disappear into the house, he calls out to you.

“Perhaps next time you would like to ride with me, as opposed to away from me. Save the horse, ride the cowboy, dearest.”

He tips his hat before taking his leave.

You’re left staring at his back as he goes.

Something tells you you’re in for quite the adventure wherever he is concerned. It’s one adventure you find yourself eager to take part in. Doc Holliday was right. His arms are a cage you would willingly fly into.

Perhaps sooner than you think.

[r3n0-5]

About Bungou Stray Dogs

I’m happier than ever now that I found a new husband, damn, Asagiri really can write… despite some things, I feel like there are things he still needs to polish, and at the same time I find myself gasping, crying, smiling, having all sorts of feelings I’m not supposed to be able to feel -or recognize ‘cause I have alexitimya- thanks to him, I love his work so much that it doesn’t matter how many words I write, it won’t ever come close to what I actually think about it, it was so good that motivated me to write again, to paint, to draw, I can’t stop creating, he inspired me in ways I have never seen before, maybe it’s because we’re so alike, I noticed that through his work, we’re so besties even when we don’t know each other, I would even dare to say that we were through some similar things in life, he said that his work is not for the ones that are outside and live their lives and don’t need stories like these to feel like they are actually living, he was so right with that one, yes, I really do need stories like oxygen in order to live, and he’s the same, he knows it, he’s aware of it and doesn’t plan to change it, and why bother? Books became an obsession for me from such a young age, and they still are for me and thousands of introverts on the world, his storytelling touches my soul for a reason, ‘cause even when we never met we share likes, experiences, interests, suffering, we live in the same planet, it's amazing when literature can make you feel for an instance you’re not alone, happened to me when I read poets and writers from hundreds of years ago, specifically with Dostoevsky, I could feel his pain, I was feeling so out of place before, Poe was there for me when I had no one, so many critique their words, but it’s because they write about the cruel reality of life that everyone’s loves to ignore ‘cause living in their little happy bubbles is more comfortable, happiness can’t exist without sadness, How would you appreciate those moments when you smile next to someone you love if you haven’t cried your eyes out before? How are you gonna appreciate life if there’s no death? What would be your purpose in living then? That’s when stories like these come to hug you, to tell you you’re not the first one to experience this or that, you’re human, you’re just being alive, and it’s completely ok to feel desperation, terror, madness, loneliness, hate, whatever it is, you won’t be the last feeling those either, isolate if you need to, let your body process what consequences breathing brings, and then rest, heal, and then live again, to anyone reading this, you’re not alone, doesn’t matter how much it looks like you are, an the end, we’re all connected through this thing we call life.

And that’s why I can connect with him and his characters, he writes them in a way that feels alive, he lets them have actual feelings, and that lets me know them more, like their motives, their way of seeing life, and I can empathize with them and feel like I’m living with them, that I’m also a part of the story, and there’s counted works that made me feel that way, so I’m thankful that I decided to watch/read, this series, I understand why, even when Bungou Stray Dogs has a small fandom, they are loud and dedicated enough for it to be noticed by other fandoms, I understand now why they love it so bad, and they made it reach someone like me, I have stopped consuming anime for a long time, I didn’t find it entertaining anymore, but this was a different one, a unique one, a work I want to consume and know more about, the anime wasn’t enough, I’m planning to read the manga, and most of all, I’m excited to read the novels, please Asagiri keep painting a world I want to be part of

[twilight-at-midnight]

High functional autism

Pairing: Edward Cullen x reader

Warnings: Slight bullying

Requested: @frzntrx

Request: Edward X High functioning Autistic (used to be called Asperger's) reader who loves reading and writing stories??? :) It's nice to see representation in media (Sheldon Cooper from BBT kinda puts people off, but other stuff like the Book "The Kiss Quotient" are more relatable!)

***

Out of all the classes you were enrolled in, you favored creative writing and debate most out of all others.

Study could be considered as another favorite, as you could take advantage of the time to either read or think of an idea for your short stories. You were a very talkative person as well, and sadly, that had lost you a few friends while others grew tired of you. That included the teachers, and teachers are supposed to be like your given ultimate protection from the mean kids at school.

You would speak almost non stop, the only friend that stood by your side was Bella Swan, she never once considered judging you just because of your diagnosis of High Functioning Autism. She was one of the few who didn’t and who could oversee that and be friends with you anyways. After Bella, Edward Cullen soon follows and he seemed to have taken quite an interest in you, and Bella couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous as she had always thought of him as handsome and wanted nothing more then to be with Edward. But at the same time, she couldn’t intervene because she just wanted happiness for the both of you. Just like Bella, Edward had felt as though he needed to protect you after learning of your diagnosis.

The thing was you were handing in your assignment for creative writing and after getting the best score out of everyone else, that’s where the teasing had started. Some even gave you the nickname, teacher’s pet and you couldn’t lie that it was hurtful. Bella nor Edward stepped into your defense because you haven’t said a single word about the hell you’ve been enduring through the school hallways of Forks High School. When they did find out, it was when they discovered you in the ladies room, quietly sobbing in case anyone walked by. Edward had a look of wordy, he couldn’t go in the ladies room without being seen, so Bella did and started talking to you, wanting to figure out what was wrong. Admittedly, you had wanted to be left alone at first when you were found, but Bella wasn’t having any of it as she remains there until you’re ready to tell her what’s going on.

It took a few moments to gather your thoughts before spilling the beans completely about your school life, the teasing and bullying along with everything that’s been going on. Bella was not too happy of course that you hadn’t report this to her or Edward and what set her off was the showing of your grade from creative writing course and when she reads over it, she was now really upset about this, so much so that you were beginning to feel bad about telling the actual truth, than you started apologizing.

Bella stops talking your ear off once she heard the apology.

“Are you serious? This is why you’ve been teased? What the hell is wrong with people?!”

“I’m sorry..” you say quietly, Bella than looks your way.

“Don’t be, it’s not you. It’s them and it always will be them. You’re very strong and capable of extraordinary things, things that had given you something most people don’t have, you were one of the few lucky ones. It makes you quite unique, I love your short stories and the way you pick a book to read to me and Edward on the lawn during lunch hour. You may be a talker, but there’s no need to worry when it comes to talking to me. Don’t listen to them, okay? They just don’t know the real you.”

You slowly nod in agreement while taking her outstretched hand to pull you to your feet and follow back out behind her.

It was almost startling to see that Edward was waiting for you.

“What’s going on?” He asks.

“Nothing now, everything is okay.” Bella lies.

“Nothing now, I just had a bad day is all. Everything is fine now.” You say, backing Bella up on her lie.

Later on that night, something would happen to make everything change.

You had followed Bella to town along with two of her new friends as they were there to pick out dresses for the prom. You weren’t paying any attention until Jessica had mentioned your name, confronting you about it.

“Are you even listening,(Y/n)?”

It was a little embarrassing, because you didn’t have a book with you to read and you didn’t want to find yourself talking so much to the point these people would walk away like the rest have done in the past.

Jessica and Angela had no idea of your diagnosis, and they were a bit impatient with you. Looking up at them, you see Jessica in a beautiful lavender dress and you sincerely thought it looked head over heels beautiful on her. All it really was incredibly stunning, so much so that she shouldn’t have to try on anymore dresses.

“Of course! I love that one on you, it’s very pretty.”

“If there’s something else you’d rather be doing, you’re welcome to leave and meet us back at the restaurant for dinner as planned.” Jessica says.

“Will do. Um.. there’s actually a book I’d like to go and pick up from a nearby store.”

“Want me to come with?” Bella offers.

“No, I’ll be fine.”

After walking out of the store, you started making your way back to the restaurant, and part of that route goes through a sketchy dark alley that didn’t quite feel safe to walk through. Even if you weren’t alone, it gave anyone and eerie feeling not to go through it.

You were going to bravely continue in the alley, until you saw some creepy homeless dudes messing around with a pack or two of beers in hand. On instinct, you quickly turn to go the other way, or at least, you tried to from the sketchy men. The red flags started showing when they spot you before getting over closer to you, making unwanted advances towards you. With your diagnosis, it was often difficult for you to fight alone, but you wouldn’t give these disgusting homeless men the satisfaction in becoming vulnerable to them, you wanted to fight back and that’s exactly what you were going to do. After the first advanced had taken place, you were more furious than you were at all scared.

“Don’t touch me!” You snap, trying to back away.

The men started surrounding you, making remarks.

“Where do you think you’re going? Come with us, we’ll show you a good time!”

That’s when you got scared and really tried to fight them off. What saved your life was the sound of tires screeching as an unrecognizable car pulled up with Edward existing it.

He demands you to get in the car, which you do.

“Get in the car.” Edward orders firmly as he walks over to the men.

You watch from the passenger’s seat as Edward scared them off with a death glare that read, “If you hurt her, you will have to deal with me.” It was impressive to say the least, though Edward scared them off by dominating the situation, he climbed back in the car furious and nearly ran over one of the men who laid a unwanted hand on you.

Edward quickly sped off, right on out of there with you safe and sound. That was a night neither of you would ever forget. The situation was like a roller coaster and you wanted nothing more than to forget about it, but you would always be grateful for Edward getting there in the nick of time. After the incident, you used part of the scenarios in your short stories and had given them to Edward to read. He loved the effort you had in writing, and wanted you to write some more sometime while sitting on the lawn with both Bella and himself during lunch hour and read to them.

You read them aloud the book you had bought from that very store. Living with high functional autism was not always difficult, best friends made it not seem so difficult. In your case, you had two best friends that you were closest to, and everyone knew it. Those friends were Edward and Bella, they were always there for you.

That was all that matters, you no longer didn’t care what others thought.

***

@twilight-at-midnight

Tags: @frzntrx

NOTE: I hope you enjoy! Thank you for requesting this and I hope I did it up to your expectations! Feel free to send in another request! ❤️

Requests: open

Characters:

• Carlisle Cullen

• Edward Cullen

• Jasper Cullen

• Emmet Cullen

• Riley Biers

• Benjamin

• Vladimir

• Alice Cullen

• Rosalie Cullen

• Bella Swan

• Aro

• Caius

• Alec

• Jane

[yearnforag0ny]

The MD and DVM; Chapter 1

Author’s note: hii omg this is the first fanfiction I’ve written in about five years now loool…I wrote this because I’ve never seen a harvey fic where the farmer is a veterinarian, and I have seen many questionable things said about farming. I work on a farm, and I am working towards going to veterinary school, so I felt my knowledge might contribute to a unique Harvey fic lol correct me if I’m wrong, tho, and please let me know if I should continue this! Crossposted on ao3 under xxdeaduniverse.

spring 1

You had always loved your grandfather’s property. His death almost broke you. However, you were delighted to find that he had left you his farm, Cinnamon Meadow. It was a quiet slice of heaven nestled away in Pelican Town. It still had all its old charm, just some added overgrowth and a lack of crops and animals. 

You graduated from veterinary school a couple of years ago. Visiting your grandfather’s farm ignited your love for animals, and it only grew the older you became. After eight years, you earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science and were officially a doctor in veterinary medicine. 

Since your veterinary school was near Zuzu City, you picked up a job offer at a clinic in the heart of the city and worked almost exclusively with dogs and cats. It was incredibly fun; however, you had forgotten your initial dream of working with farm animals instead of small ones. So when your grandfather died, you were happy to see he left you the farm in his will. While living in Zuzu City, you would visit Pelican Town every so often to say hello to your grandfather, but more so because Marnie was a client of yours. She called you whenever her animals were having the slightest of health issues. You were happy to answer her calls because it meant you would see cows, catch up with Marnie, and say hello to your grandfather. 

You sighed while you stood on the porch of your grandfather’s old house, which was technically yours now. It was a beautiful spring day. You didn’t realize how much you had missed the sounds of birds chirping. 

Marnie interrupted your peace by slamming the front door on her way out of the house. 

“Whoops! Didn’t mean to let that door slam,” She chuckled. You smiled at her. You were so grateful she agreed to help you move your stuff today. 

“Well, that was the last box,” She sighed in relief. “I’ve gotta run. Shane has to work a shift at JojaMart, and I need to watch Jas. You should stop by Robin’s house today so she can start building you a coop!” Marnie exclaimed, smiling at you.

 “Yeah, I probably will. I want to get this place up and running as soon as possible,” You said, looking out onto the land again.

“I’ll be at the saloon Friday night. You should stop by and introduce yourself to everyone then,” suggested Marnie. 

“That’s a good idea, actually. Gives me enough time to do some work and mentally prepare to meet all the new people,” You chuckled. Marnie rolled her eyes. 

“They’ll love you. Just come by whenever you’re ready, okay?” She winked at you before walking off towards her farm.

You waved goodbye and groaned once you realized you would have to clear some overgrowth to build a chicken coop. You cracked your knuckles, grabbed your axe from the porch, and got to work.

A couple of hours of hard work later, you had a small clearing of land by the farmhouse. You decided that would be enough hard work for today, you weren’t sure when Robin would close up, and you haven’t unpacked anything in your house at all. You set the axe back on your porch and made yourself look somewhat presentable. You noticed your cat, Horace, had already taken a liking to the new digs. He had plopped himself on top of a pile of boxes. Horace was a fat, tuxedo tabby cat and essentially your best friend since you had adopted him your junior year of college. You gave him a pat on the head before heading out to Robin’s.

You admired the peace on your walk to the mountains. At some point, the hours must have melted away because three o’clock. You finally noticed how tired you were from moving in and doing physical work on the land. However, your dreams of dozing away were cut short. The walk to Robin’s was not as long as you had anticipated, though, as her house suddenly appeared hidden behind pine trees. You took a moment to admire her house, assuming she had built it herself. Wooden with a blue roof. You liked it. Once you spotted the telescope on the left, you immediately wondered how beautiful the skies must be here. You hadn’t seen a sky free of light pollution in years.

You cautiously opened the front door to see a counter with a ginger woman standing on the other side reading a newspaper. She looked up when the door opened, smiling at you. 

“You must be Y/N! I’m so glad to meet you finally. I heard someone was moving into Cinnamon Meadow, but I didn’t know so soon. I’m Robin,” She said, coming out behind the counter to shake your hand. You shook it, happy to realize she wasn’t startled by some stranger entering her home. You smiled at her.

 “Hi. Marnie said to come see you if I wanted anything built, so here I am,” You chuckled. Robin looked delighted. 

“Well, sure! What were you wanting to have built?” She eagerly questioned. It was easy to see she was excited; not many villagers in Pelican Town needed new construction. 

“I’m going to get Cinnamon Meadow up and running again, so I’ll need a new chicken coop. And then a barn. And probably house renovations. I need a lot done,” You sheepishly rubbed your neck, wondering if this was too much to request all at once. Robin defied you and lit up even more. 

“Great! I can get started on the chicken coop tomorrow!” She exclaimed. 

“Deal.”

~

After paperwork and settling payments, you returned to Cinnamon Meadow to continue yardwork. You felt so relieved that the coop wasn’t too expensive to build. You had been saving up since you paid off your tuition, and you were finally happy to invest some of the funds into your future. Around six o’clock, your exhaustion won over your ambition, and you decided to settle down for the night. You unpacked enough kitchen supplies to scrounge up some frozen dinner, took a hot shower, and promptly fell asleep with Horace in your small bed around eight.

You slept better than you had in ages. You even had a dream where your farm was complete, cows and all. But you knew something was missing. Or rather, a special someone. What was the farm if you had no one to share it with? You thought to yourself within your dream. You had always told yourself you didn’t need to be with someone, that as long as you made yourself happy, it was all that mattered. But you still ached for it. Your dream was cut short by a particular fat cat lightly smacking your cheek. 

“What the–Horace!” You exclaimed.

 “I was sleeping so well…” You sighed. You checked the time on your phone. 6 AM? Might as well get up now and get some yardwork done I guess… You thought to yourself with an elongated yawn. You realized you were a little sore from all the work yesterday. You groaned, knowing there would be more to come today. Slowly, you pulled yourself out of bed and organized some food for Horace. As expected, he flew to his breakfast and you figured you should do the same for yourself. A cup of coffee and one granola bar later, you pulled on your favorite pair of overalls and stretched. Today was going to be long. You intended to clear more of the land and buy and plant seeds.

You headed outside to start working and saw Robin hammering away at the coop. Her enthusiasm for her work made you smile. 

“Morning, Robin! Any coffee for you?” You greeted. 

“NO THANKS!” She yelled back with a smile. You wondered why she was screaming before noticing she was wearing headphones. You chuckled, grabbed your axe, and went straight to work.

Around one, you figured you should take a break to go to the store. You briefly recall Marnie mentioning a place called Pierre’s. After trading your axe for your wallet, you started heading in the general direction of town. It was another beautiful day. Are all the days here going to be as lovely as they have been? You wondered, smiling to yourself. You noticed that the change of scenery from moving here had already positively affected you.

You walked into town and focused on the square before you. It's small but adorable. Lamposts and trees lined the square, along with a few buildings. The one before you was the doctor’s clinic, with Pierre’s store on the other side. You briefly wondered about the town doctor for a moment. You knew you should get yourself checked up sooner rather than later. After doing farm research in your undergrad, you unfortunately found out the hard way that farm work was no joke. You filed away this thought for later and walked into Pierre’s.

The general store was small but had everything you could ever need. The older gentleman with glasses behind the single register smiled at you.

 “You must be the new farmer! Y/N right? I’m Pierre. It’s so nice to have somebody new in town!” He exclaimed. You wondered when the last time somebody new moved into Pelican Town. 

“Yeah, I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you,” You smiled back. 

“I’m so sorry to hear about your grandfather. He was a great man. Sold me the best crops,” Pierre sighed. You felt a tinge of grief bite at you, pushing it away immediately. 

“He was a good man. I fully intend to restore the farm, though, so I’ll have some crops for you,” You chuckled. Remembering what you came here for, you grabbed a bunch of random seed packets and essentials for your kitchen. You accidentally bumped into a woman with bright green hair in one of the aisles. You quickly learned she was Pierre’s wife, Caroline. 

“You should come to the aerobics class here on Tuesdays! Great way to get to know everyone,” She smiled. The thought of any more exercise than you already had to do on the farm made you cringe. 

“Maybe,” you tentatively said before mentioning it was good to meet her and heading to checkout. You went right home afterward, excited to plant your new seeds. You may have been a little ambitious when you started tilling the dirt; the field you created was large. You also knew if you wanted to make money anytime soon, it would be from crops.

It took forever to till, plant, and water the field. By the time it was 6, you were wiping sweat off your brow and decided that was all you could take today. You headed into your house to make a proper dinner from the groceries you picked up at Pierre’s today: homemade pizza. You savored every bite—your first meal in your first owned house. The thought made you smile. After a shower, you watched TV, cuddling Horace before finally falling asleep for the night.

The following two days seemed to blur together. At some point, you went to Marnie’s to catch up and buy chickens after Robin was done with the coop. You were overjoyed to finally have animals back on the farm and made a mental note to return to Robin’s on Monday to have her start building a barn. However, today was Friday. The day you were going to the saloon. You thought about it–stressed about it–while doing your farm chores that morning. Was everyone going to like you? Would they insist on kicking you out of Pelican Town? Or would you drink enough to forget these irrational thoughts and let go? You decided on the latter. 

By the time five o’clock rolled around, you had showered and started getting ready for your first night out on the town. You threw on your favorite pair of jeans and a sweater with some jewelry. After a little makeup and tweaking your hair, you decided you were ready.

Walking out the door, you felt a cold spring breeze on your back. You were immediately grateful you picked a sweater. As you walked towards the saloon, you looked up at the sky. The sun had just begun to set. It was your favorite time of day. A part of you felt like having drinks on your porch alone instead of being crowded by strangers in a bar, but you knew better than to be a hermit tonight. You had told Marnie you would be there, so you would. 

You could hear faint music and laughter inside as you approached the saloon. A warm glow of light emitted from the windows. You took a deep breath and walked in. The villagers were having so much fun not many even noticed you came in except Marnie. She sat in the center of the bar, smiling and waving at you. A wave of relief washed over you. You smiled and sat down 

next to her.

“I’m so glad you came! I’ll have to introduce you to everyone,” She said, handing you a glass of wine—even more relief. You gulped to soothe your nerves. One by one, Marnie introduced you to some people in the town. You knew you would struggle to remember some of their names after tonight. You met Emily, tending the bar, along with Gus. Leah, an artist who had also moved to the valley from the city. Pam, who seemed like the local drunk. Willy, a sweet fisherman. Marnie pointed out other people; you determined Demetrius was married to Robin because they were dancing together. Some younger kids in the other room were Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail. A young woman with glasses suddenly sat herself next to you.

 “Marnie, is this the new farmer we’ve all been hearing about?” She questioned, smiling at you. 

“Yup! Y/N, meet Maru,” Marnie motioned to her. 

“Hi,” you shyly said with a smile.

 “Y/N is a veterinarian,” Marnie blurted out. You nodded. 

“Good to have another scientist in town,” Maru giggled. “Dr. Y/N, then?” She asked. You laughed. 

“Oh, no, please don’t call me doctor…except when I’m looking at your animals,” You winked, and they laughed. Maru looked in the other direction of the bar, and you saw something go off in her brain.

“I should introduce you to the only other doctor in town,” Maru giggled. 

“Oh, sure, I’ve meant to meet them, actually,” You nodded. Maru took your hand and led you to a table near the jukebox. At the table sat two men having wine. One had long hair and wore a reddish coat, the other with glasses and a mustache wearing a green coat. Before you had time to think further, Maru set her hands down on the table. 

“Gentlemen, this is Y/N. She just moved into Cinnamon Meadow. Harvey, she is also a doctor,” Maru said with a smirk. You briefly wondered which one she was talking to before the man in the glasses smiled. 

“Is that right? I’m the town’s doctor, Harvey,” He introduced himself. You were taking him in. Handsome. Really handsome. It didn’t help you had a thing for mustaches, but he was also smart, evidently. 

“I’m a veterinarian. I planned on getting my MD for a while but decided I liked animals more than people,” This raised a laugh out of them all. 

“Good to meet you, doctor Y/N,” Harvey said, sipping his wine. The man with the long hair introduced himself as Elliott. You immediately let his name slip your mind because you were considering how you would further get to know Harvey. Marnie interrupted your thoughts by calling for you from the bar. 

“Y/N! Come here, you gotta tell me what breed of cows you want to invest in!!” You blushed. 

“I suppose I’ll see you later,” You said, mainly to Harvey. You could feel the alcohol working its way into your system, so it was probably best you get away from him now before you were completely drunk. Harvey looked a little disappointed. 

“Be sure to come see me some time to get checked up,” He quickly mentioned. You nodded, smiling; maybe you weren’t just delusional, and he thought the same about you. You walked back to Marnie, but every fiber of your being wanted to stay and have another drink with him.

[archivistofnerddom]

Hilarious Rebels/Bad Batch crossover idea:

Everyone is chilling on Yavin 4 in a rare moment of peace. They’re enjoying this little respite to rest and recover. The Spectres is enjoying their time together, especially since they were able to get Rex and Kallus outside to enjoy some fresh air around the Ghost.

And then a heavily-modified Omicron class shuttle from the late Republic and early Empire era comes in for a hasty landing. It’s an . . . unusual approach to say the least, complete with a specific turn and a touch-down that few pilots would dare to attempt.

Everyone, especially the Spectres, are interested in what this means.

Hera remembers this ship and what its occupants did to help Ryloth during the early Imperial period. Kanan gets leery, by contrast, since he remembers Kaller.

And Rex just laughs, gets up, and casually strolls over to the shuttle.

When the shuttle opens, a blonde woman emerges from inside like a bat out of hell, rushing over to hug Rex. He is equally as excited to see her, retuning that big hug with equal enthusiasm. The spectators can hear the gonking of a GNK droid echoing from inside.

The woman is wearing an amalgamation of several different clone trooper armor pieces with some unique adaptations. Zeb is the first to comment on the massive knife attached to her thigh and the smaller one sheathed on her forearm. Kallus responds with an observation about the Zygerrian bow she’s carrying. (Using that weapon takes practice and skill.) Ezra is intrigued by the unique design of the helmet she’s carrying, especially with the skull motif on it.

Before anyone can ask who this woman is or how she found the Rebellion, Rex asks, “So, why do you need a cover story when your brothers call me in a huff?”

The woman grins and pulls out a ratty old red bandana from a pouch on her hip. (She’s got more pouches than seem necessary on her person, but she seems to know what is where.) That makes Rex howl with laughter.

“It was either this or Echo’s legs . . . and I already stole those as a prank three times,” the woman replies. “This was harder to steal honestly, but it was completely worth it!”

“This is why you’re my favorite sister, ‘Megs. I haven’t seen Hunter without that thing on in . . . maybe since Bracca actually. You know he’s going to call me to see if I know where you are, right?” Rex tells her.

Neither seem to notice the audience growing around them. With that landing and the age of the shuttle, how could there not be an audience? If they do notice their audience, they clearly don’t care. Their reunion is more important to them to worry about that.

The woman gives Rex a sly smirk. “Of course, he will. And you get to witness first hand the annoyance of Hunter with a terrible haircut. Cross pulled out the clippers again while Hunter was napping.”

That seems to make Rex’s day.

“Don’t tell me what new haircut he got. I want to be surprised.” Rex finally deigns to notice the group watching him. The Ghost crew especially seem fascinated by who this woman is. He slings an around her shoulder and asks, “Why is everyone so interested in my sister all of a sudden? You haven’t seem siblings reunite before?”

“We didn’t know you have a sister,” Sabine asks carefully. (She’s fascinated by the modifications to the shuttle. There’s no way it should be in as good condition as it is at its age.)

The woman shakes her head. “Hera did. She’s met our brothers and my squad before.”

Hera grins and laughs. “I have. It’s great to see you again, Omega. How are your brothers, by the way.”

“Oh fantastic. I’ll tell you about what they’re up to over dinner, if that’s okay with you. Rex should be getting a very annoyed call any time now from Pabu. Hunter will have looked in the mirror by now. I promised Tech and Wrecker I’d record Rex’s reaction,” the newly-named Omega says.

And that’s when Kanan finally finds his words.

“How the kriff are Rex and Clone Force 99 your brothers? They’re clones - male clones,” he asks, a myriad of emotions in his voice.

Omega sighs. This isn’t the first time that she’s had this conversation.

“Well, let’s just say some of us are little . . . deviant from the standard mold,” she replies. “Though, we prefer to be called the Bad Batch.”

[mania-sama]

Hello, just found your blog and I love your posts. Thanks for sharing them.

When I first saw your blog, I thought it will be about classical books like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc (sorry for my mistake). I'm new in anime/manga (about last 6 years), before that since my school days, I only read classical books.....So not young in age but young in fandom :D

Are those seven are your fav media : BSD, JJK, Genshin Impact, AFTG, Voltron, Demon Slayer, Haikyuu? Can I ask why you love them? What made them special for you?

P.s

Are you excited for the Haikyuu movie, new season of Demon Slayer, and new spin off for AFTG?

Thanks 🌻

Thank you for sending in another request!! I smiled wide when I saw that sunflower 🌻

I completely understand where you’re coming from. The A Tale of Two Cities is sure to through anyone off. Sorry!! I mainly use this blog to post my ramblings and creative projects that I can’t really put anywhere else, plus a few one shots. I might transfer more of my one-shots to here from Ao3, but I simply haven’t gotten around to it.

Love to hear that you love the classics, though!! I wish I had the patience to read more than I have already. I’m an extremely slow reader, so it makes it difficult to get through classics (even though I love them dearly). For anime/manga, I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan myself. Not that I don’t enjoy it, but I don’t go out of my way to read or watch something in that genre because it’s in that genre. I watch or read anything that may pique my interest, regardless of the format, be it on Youtube, Hulu, Crunchyroll, etc. I haven’t really even seen many animanga myself, to be honest.

I wouldn’t say the seven that you listed are my favorite media, they are just the ones that I have written fanfiction/analyses about and posted it on here. I use that list as a masterlist guide for people to find my meaningful posts easier! So, not my favorite, just whats available to peruse on my account. As for my actual favorite… it’s hard to say. I don’t think I have seven I can list off the top of my head, but I do have some favorites in general.

Interestingly, for most of my “favorites”, I have never written a fanfiction for, nor do I read many fanfics for (with the exception of a couple of favorites). I don’t know why this is. Maybe because I find the original story too good to be expanded upon? I can’t say for certain.

A Silent Voice is easily favorite movie. It’s also my favorite anime, if you don’t require the anime to be a series. I haven’t watched any movie better, animated or otherwise, and I’m not sure I ever will. The characters are all so beautifully human, who say and do the wrong things, who are awful to each other, but who also do kind things, who develop, who change, even as others stay the same. Not to mention that the animation itself is beautiful. I could go on and on about this movie; I cry every time I watch it. I’d say it’s my favorite piece of media in general. Everything else falls behind it. Nothing can top it (at least not yet). Fun fact, if you didn’t already know: the English voice actor for Shouko, the main female lead, is actually deaf. Wonderful voice casting as well, just to top things off.

Bungou Stray Dogs is my favorite manga as of right now. I love it for many of the same reasons I love A Silent Voice; the characters are horribly human and complex, despite their inhuman abilities. Each character is interesting and unique, and while I do have gripes with the main storytelling, Asagiri’s Bungou Stray Dogs: BEAST really makes up for it. All of the character designs are also very unique and thought-out. Each character and their design leaves me spiraling as I think and analyze. It really triggers the autism LMAO.

Child of Light is my favorite video game. While I do have the most hours logged into Genshin Impact (and it is a close second in terms of favorites), Child of Light is simply one of those games that I can never forget. I have a lot of good childhood memories tied with it. I also completed the entire thing in one sitting in about 10 hours, which is the first and probably last time I ever speed-run a video game (speed-run is used loosely here because I am not “speedy” in any sense of the word). Anyway, Child of Light is a very beautiful game both in visuals (with its watercolor game design) and music (one of the best soundtracks in any game, in my opinion). The language in the game is also very unique — every character speaks in a rhyming pattern, all except the Jester character, who you would THINK would speak in rhymes but fails miserably every time. Each character is as fantastical as the next, ranging from a water droplet to a mouse. I wish everyone would play this game, because it’s so fun and so beautiful.

The Grishaverse is my favorite book series, though there are multiple series within the universe. I just don’t have a favorite (definitely not the Grisha Trilogy though 😭). Although it’s been a while since I’ve read the books, I seriously couldn’t put them down when I was reading them. They are a perfect blend of fantasy and realism, with believable characters and powers. While the OG series is genuinely not good in my opinion, the Six of Crows and King of Scars Duologies are actual masterpieces. Six of Crows is full of action, intensity, and found family, while King of Scars balances it out with political intrigue. Very, very well written and well done book series in plot, character, and setting. The TV show is a crime against the books, honestly, but it’s okay, Just read the books, they are better.

Merlin is my favorite TV show. I actually really love watching medieval settings. Not as much reading (not that I don’t like them in books, I just don’t search them out for the purpose of being medieval), but I love to watch them. I like admiring the old settings, buildings, clothes, and lifestyles that are being presented. I also love Arthurian retellings, so Merlin kind of hits the spot. I don’t have as many good reasons for loving this series, I just do 😭. Best (b)romance of the century. I did cry at the end when I watched it. Also, thank you to the Merlin fandom for reaching me what a good fanfiction is supposed to look like.

That’s all I can think of. I don’t really have a favorite individual book, classic or otherwise. I think that’s kind of impossible for me. I’ve read many great series, and I assume I will read a great many more to come.

I’m not sure if I’ll watch the Haikyuu movie. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the anime, but if I come across it and I can watch it for free, then I’d be down honestly. I have been keeping up with Demon Slayer, with plans to read the manga maybe, so I am pretty excited for the new season!! And don’t get me started on the new All for the Game book!! I need it in my hands right now.

Thank you so much for asking!! I love talking about my favorite medias lol

[flowerslut]

13, 27, 28, 30

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you to write about? What is easy?

this might be a boring answer but I’m not too sure just yet! there is a LOT that I haven’t tried writing about (just as there’s a lot of topics I have tackled in some way or another) so until I actually do more writing or expand the topics I tackle then I just don’t know! I’ve always been very good at tapping into varying levels of hopelessness and how that may present within different characters (caused by trauma, circumstance, mental illness, etc) so writing about that has always come easy, although it does come with its own unique difficulties (basically the affect that writing for long enough in certain mindsets can have on my own mental state)

but there’s so much I haven’t written about!!! so I think that my goal for the next year might be to try and do more actual writing exercises! for someone who wants to improve I don’t nearly do enough. shit, I might even just go back to accepting prompts and forcing myself to churn out drabbles and one-shots all year. who knows!

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

sakura fucking haruno. and she was only ever stressful because of the story she’s in and the way the fandom acts towards her. in any scene where you write her as level-headed then she’s an out-of-character self-insert! if you write her emotional then it’s just par for the course for that useless fucking crybaby am I right? and god forbid you do both to give her the rounded-out characterization that she deserves because then you’re reaaaaally just waving the red flag in front of the sakura haters who Can and Will Find You.

sakura is one of the most mistreated, underutilized, and widely-hated characters I’ve ever seen in any fandom and I will always be biting biting biting all of her haters when they make their presences known in my ff.net reviews. sorry that I want better for that phenomenal bitch (affectionate) and forgive me for being someone who is an expert at mining the potential of neglected fictional characters, it absolutely will happen again </3

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

this might come as a surprise to anyone who has read roots but I am SHOCKEDDDD with how easy it was and how much fucking FUN I had writing maria. sure I’ve written her before (who better to subtly remind readers in cotn that jasper absolutely has unresolved mommy issues 😌) but I’ve never written from her POV and gotten in her head like this before, and holy shit, who knew that writing a completely unrepentant petty bitch would be one of the undiscovered joys in my life??? I want to write so many controversial characters now. and not to make them less-controversial (because that’s so boring to me) but to really show how far they’d go to reach their goals/etc. ugh. learning how much I love to write maria was such a gift from roots. perhaps the only real gift I got the entire time 💀

30. Talk to me about the role dreams play in your writing life. Have you ever used material from you dreams in your writing? Have you ever written in a dream? Did you remember it when you woke up?

while I'm not a bitch who usually remembers her dreams, nor am I someone who has dreams that're coherent enough to translate into fic, I'm 100% positive that I have written-out dreams as fic before. I can think off the top of my head a naruto fic that was literally a dream I just wrote down and elaborated on, but I can't find it for the life of me (it was a war-arc one shot floating around here on tumblr somewhere). the main role that dreams play in my writing life nowadays are the ones that are inspired/caused by the things I write, as opposed to the other way around.

weird questions for writers!

[moviemunchies]

You would be forgiven if you thought “Johnny Depp as a lizard” was an idea you could easily dismiss. And yet…

I remember in the lead-up to Rango’s release that I had absolutely no interest in this film. It looked bizarre, and despite being good in the original Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp kept making movies where he just… played a whacky Johnny Depp character with nothing else to sell the movie on. This looked like another one of those, only animated so he could now be a lizard.

Then I gave this movie a try in college and, uh, I really liked it? I liked it a surprising amount. That’s dialed back in the years since, but rewatching it, I find that I still enjoy it quite a bit.

The movie goes a bit like this: our unnamed chameleon protagonist is a pet lizard who wishes he could be a sort of movie star, and after being accidentally dropped out of a car on the highway of the Nevada desert, he finds himself in a small desert town of Dirt, populated by other small animals. The lizard decides to reinvent himself: no longer nameless, he is Rango, a hardcore gunslinger who can outshoot anyone, and so the townspeople make him their new sheriff. But in his investigation to find out what happened to the town’s water, Rango finds out that he has to do more than act the part of a hero.

I will admit that in terms of actual Plot, this movie’s pretty by-the-numbers. Our hero goes into a new situation, fakes his way to the top, and eventually has to admit his own failings before showing himself a true hero. Yes, we get our own “Liar Revealed” moment. I don’t think the Plot is going to throw you any curveballs unless you haven’t seen a family film in the last thirty years or so.

But what makes this movie unique is its design. There are a lot of things that bothered me at first glance, especially having watched a ton of Animal Planet as a kid. Rango the chameleon is the same size as the other residents of Dirt, including iguanas, horned toads, owls, Gila monsters, jack rabbits, and tortoises. The only creatures that are noticeably larger are the hawk and Rattlesnake Jake. It’s pretty arbitrary.

Still, it’s not hard (for me, at least) to become fond of the character designs, because they’re so detailed and unique. In an age in which more and more animated films are aiming for a certain, soft and rounded look, seeing an animated movie which looks so… intentionally rough and dusty is a bit of a shock. The makers of the film made a point to have all of the characters have memorable designs, because it was a sendup to Westerns. Often in Westerns you get the idea that side characters each have their own lives outside the narrative that the movie just doesn’t have time to get into. Likewise, Rango’s Dirt is populated by characters who have clearly been through a lot, but we only get hints as to what their lives are like when they’re not on screen. 

There’s also quite a lot to love here if you’re a fan of Westerns. I don’t see that many CGI animated Westerns, so having one that not only copies the setting and character types, but the very feel of a Western with its small town, dirty, used buildings and characters, and gunplay, it’s pretty cool. The scene in which Rango meets the Spirit of the West is also one of my favorite scenes ever–and I’m impressed at how much the voice actor sounds like the guy he’s doing an impression of (to the point that I didn’t realize it wasn’t him until I saw the credits).

I really like this movie, because of how different it feels compared to other animated movies. Not in the basic Plot outline, which is fairly standard family movie stuff, but in its design and feel. In the era when a lot of big films seem so same-y, it’s nice to see something that looks so weird and different.

[jacquelinemerritt]

Why do I watch film?

Originally posted April 14th, 2015

I was posed this question today, and I realized that despite all of my experience and knowledge relating to film, film criticism, and film theory, I don’t actually have a simple answer, and even worse, I’d not once asked myself this question before.

It’s never really been a big concern, if I’m being honest. I’ve been watching film and television since the first month of my life (I was taken to see The Lion King in theaters by my Papaw not long after it was released), and so the idea that I would just keep watching film has always just been a given in my mind. And, most importantly, I enjoy watching films, and find doing so to be enriching, educational, and valuable, so the possibility that I would ever stop watching films is just absurd, in my mind.

To further complicate things, I already have a huge number of answers to the similar question “Why should a person watch films,” all of which are fairly obvious to anyone who understands the value of art, and that films are art (it’s a form of personal expression, the expression can resonate emotionally, and the creativity of that expression is inherently valuable). And that’s not even mentioning film’s specific capacity to represent the real, the fantastic, the dreamlike, and the unconscious in unique ways, all of which have been explored in detail by both filmmakers and film theorists alike.

So this question of why I watch films isn’t something that puzzles me because I doubt its value or importance as a medium. It puzzles me, I think, because I have never asked the question of why I watch films instead of focusing on another artistic medium, and also, because I’ve never asked the question of why I personally watch film. And now, I’m going to attempt to answer those two questions to the best of my ability.

Why do I watch films?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Films (typically) tell stories. Stories have emotional impact and resonance because they’re one of the primary methods of human communication and education. They have inherent value because of that, and they have personal value because of how they have affected me.

So with the obvious (I say, nonchalantly throwing out complex and controversial anthropological theory at you without evidence; a post for another day, because these are totally frequent) out of the way, let’s get into the complicated matters.

As I mentioned before, I’ve always watched films. Some of my earliest memories revolve around watching The Fox and the Hound, and more importantly, watching my cousin’s watch it, waiting for their reactions to the “good parts” (the friendship of Todd and Copper and their dedication to one another will always hold a special place in my heart; also that bear is scary as shit when you’re seven, and is definitely the creepiest creature Disney has ever animated in my opinion). But that experience is by no means unique to me; most of my generation has grown up with the same amount of exposure to film, and probably even watched The Fox and the Hound with their friends, and the majority of them haven’t ended up studying it at a high level with me. So why am I here, studying film, writing films, and making plans to become a film writer and director?

I think that primarily, it stems from the fact that I just “get” film. I understand visual storytelling. I understand what a cut from one shot to the next can imply, what the framing of a shot can imply, what the movement of the camera can imply, and I understand all of these things very automatically, often subconsciously (learning to consciously recognize these things has been what the bulk of my study of film has been for). And this natural understanding of film is why I’ve probably always seen stories very visually (beyond imagining stories in my head as films, when I read books, I see cuts, pans, shifting focus, variable depth of field, etc.; it’s probably why if worse comes to worst, I’ll end up writing adapted screenplays of popular novels).

That natural understanding doesn’t apply to nearly any other medium though. With say, painting, my understanding of framing and composition gives me some understanding of the medium, but I know absolutely nothing about brush strokes, canvas, or paint type. The same applies somewhat to fictional writing as well; sure, I know how to analyze plot, characters, themes, and the like, but I know nothing about defining space with language, how to use different writing styles to differentiate between characters, or how to use different rhetorical styles to differentiate between ideas (this post is undoubtedly a mess in that regard).

But my natural understanding of film only explains why choosing to study it was a smart choice; I could have invested the time necessary to understand the other mediums of art, and in the future, that’s most likely what I will end up doing with my spare time. And the reasons for that natural understanding are still actually really mysterious to me. Does my mind just naturally function like an editing board, making my understanding of editing a natural extension of its capacity? Or on that same note, have I simply just been so influenced by the editing of films that my brain has rewired itself to accommodate that, making my understanding of editing a learned behavior? Why have I always been drawn to film, and not any of the other arts that I’ve spent time studying? Is it something inherent to the nature of film that’s always appealed to me?

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[chorusfm]

Emo Orchestra and Hawthorne Heights

Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom interview with the leader of Emo Orchestra, Ben Mench-Thurlow, as well as the bassist from Hawthorne Heights, Matt Ridenour, to discuss the on-going tour. I asked both of them about what challenges this unique concert experience brings to the table, how the setlist came together, as well as what they each love about Emo music. This tour of Emo Orchestra wraps up on November 12th in Anaheim, California. Well, let’s go ahead and get started. Thank you both for your time today. First of all, Ben, can you tell me how the idea came from the Emo Orchestra putting these live shows together? And then how have the first few shows been going? Ben: Yeah, so the idea sort of spawned from a pretty difficult time in my life, and I just sort of needed a little bit of a distraction. I had been wanting to create a show that really bridged the gap of contemporary and traditional music. One didn’t exist, so I was like, well, I was making it! I found our arranger and conductor Evan Rogers created the scores for these songs.  Matt: I mean, when I hear my inner-ears, I basically just hear our band. So I will never actually see this show, which is kind of a bummer…because the orchestra is doing their thing, and we’re doing ours. And apparently according to people like Ben, it sounds awesome! So yeah, it’s been very interesting. We just wrapped up our festivals, and then we had about eight days to rehearse . And we’d all been kind of practicing beforehand, because you can’t just show up blind and learn this stuff. But we got in a room, and it took about three days where I thought we would “be fine,” because we’re always fine. But it took about three or four days before I called Ben and said we’re going to be good. So now we are! We’re getting better every time we do it, too, so this is really cool.  That’s great to hear! What goes into the production for this massive undertaking of playing these amphitheaters and venues like that? What kind of unique things did you want to bring into the fold for this? Ben: …it’s been chaotic. From where I typically sit behind a computer, hitting buttons on a keyboard, to producing a show with a traveling crew of 20 more people…and lining up and finding our orchestral players. We have to carry all these people on buses at a time when getting buses is very difficult. I mean, it’s been a massive undertaking. But when we started, and when I approached Hawthorne Heights with this idea, we’ve always said that we have to be perfect,  and it has to be big. It has to be to a point where anybody who tries to replicate it is going to look like a lesser value show that we’ve, in the words of John Hammond, “spared no expense”. Matt: When the fans show up, they’re essentially going to see our band play in a way they haven’t seen before. We’re going to be not in the club. We’ll have an orchestra behind us with LED walls that light up for each song. When somebody walks in there, there’s no way they can get what they were expecting. They’re definitely getting more than they were expecting. And if they’ve ever seen us before, they’re getting us like they’ve ever seen us. Just the look of it, the room they’re in, everything about it is just different and new, new and fresh for us, which we still wanted 20 years ago. A point that holds a lot of value for us is doing something new and fresh. And then when the fan walks in it’s new and fresh just like the  Is For Lovers was something new and fresh.  Yeah, and I understand you’re also doing a few cover songs right from different bands that you’ve toured with over the years and things like that, right?  Matt: Yep. We’re doing four of our songs, and it’s a 17-song setlist. Wow! Matt: Yeah. So we’re doing 12, basically, because we let the orchestra take “The Black Parade.” It’s just the orchestra playing that song, which is my favorite part of the set. I mean, that ‘s the beginning of Act Two, I take my inner-ears off, and I listen to… https://chorus.fm/features/interviews/emo-orchestra-and-hawthorne-heights/

[onlygirlasia]

How To Start As A Sports Content Creator

Think about the sport that you love and how you can make it into a career. I'm not telling you to try it out in the field and join professional leagues. I'm talking about you as a sports content creator, offering entertainment in that industry where you build your own community and partner with the biggest brands in sports. It's not easy, I know, but there are ways for you to reach that 3 pointer achievement if you're dedicated and just patient with the process.

Pick Your Sport

There are plenty of games that you can pick if you want to be a sports content creator. You need to choose the right sport for you and think about whether you will ace that area or does it suits you or not. Don’t just throw yourself into a random sport if you don’t want to regret it. We all yearn for a sport that seamlessly goes to our hearts and sticks without friction.

Moreover, you can ask your friend or your partner to find the sport that will fit you. Get recommendations from them because they know you better and can give advice accordingly. It’s better to get opinions from a sporty individual that you know of so they can assess whether you belong to that sport or not.

In addition, you should also consider your body and health. Each sport demands different intensity, physicality, time, and analysis. Try various activities first so you can compare each sport using reasonable parameters. Consider your interests and your physical attributes, too. If you pick a game that doesn’t interest you, it’s going to ruin your content in the long run. It’s like voting for someone for the Presidency, you have to choose wisely.

Be Unique And Creative

So after you pick the right sport and have assessed it to be the center of your content creation, it’s time to make videos and other content surrounding that sport. Make sure that when creating content, it should be unique and creative. Remember that you’re not the only sports content creator out there, you have bigger competition. In relation to that, your content must bring out the best in you in just the first few seconds. Something about the first second should be intriguing so people would stick around.

In addition, bring your personality. Do something that people will think of as “outside-the-box” content. If it’s a content that the majority haven’t seen before then there’s a high chance that it’s gonna blow up. You can make trick shots, hyper-lapse, or add animation to your videos to add spice.

Edit And Direct Your Video Content

The best way to insert your attitude to whatever things you put out is if you’re present behind the scenes. Be the head in every content that you make. Edit and direct your videos so you can incorporate your style, personality, and creativity into all the videos you upload on the web. In that way, people will determine that it’s you that they’re watching: your captions, your video editing, your fun memes inserted throughout the video, your intro and outro, and the overall vibe.

It’s like building a brand starting from your very self. You can experiment with it and ask for suggestions (the best way to improve), and while you’re at it, gradually, you’re creating a space that’s only for you and your dedicated fans.

Stay Ready So You Don’t Have To Get Ready

It’s every content creator’s daily ritual, be ready so you don’t have to get ready. You can actually apply it to every aspect of life. It’s the same thought as prevention is better than cure but in a more content-creation way of preparing things when everything else will not go as planned. When saying this, I have two things in mind.

First is getting ready for whatever content schedule you have so you stay on top of your game. Plan every post that you make and ensure that quality is plastered all over it. Learn the algorithm even if it’s not consistent, by this, you’ll be more than prepared for the second thing: your content’s outcome. May it be the video views, the engagement with online communities, the fans, or the whole content creation in general, stay ready for any result. Consider each statistic a positive one and look for the bigger picture. You can learn from it and focus your way to improve whatever content you have.

Monetizing

For starters, you can always incorporate a sports brand and make video content about it. You can use their shoe or ball and include them in your content. Get the message across as to why you’re representing that brand.  Do something eye-catching and shareable, in that way, you’ll have a bigger chance to magnet the brand to collaborate with you and do some projects together. Always keep in mind that you should add value to your content ideas so you can also add value to someone’s experience. Find things that you believe in and are also intriguing to some audience so you can make different brands align with yours.

Equally important, think about how you can be more of a creator in your content collaborations with brands rather than just an influencer. There’s a huge partition between influencers and creators.

Know Your Platforms

5 years ago or even a few years back, people didn’t take social media seriously and they were kind of laughing about it. But now, everyone is trying to get involved; all companies are getting a TikTok account and are asking how to grow there. Back then TV was a big thing, now people just go online and see all sorts of news, entertainment, shows, and other things.

If we’re talking about platforms, the hottest right now is TikTok. It has the space and maybe the biggest room for growth. You can post videos and then follow the trends so you’ll get an audience by just using the sound. Then they’ll visit your profile and check your Instagram since you can link your IG to your TikTok account. Random viral videos on the said platform are sweet, unless you have a consistent viewer there, it’s kind of hard to get an opportunity.

The next big thing is Instagram. A lot of opportunities are coming from Instagram. You can plug yourself, in your stories you can insert a link to a brand or you can tag them for exposure. Also, it’s very easy to find different pages there since online shops and famous brands always have an Instagram account. Famous celebrities have Instagram and that’s the area where they will promote every brand they represent.

Now let’s talk about Facebook, I say it’s a palace where our parents can hang out and support each other. It’s not much of a place to be your target but it can be a platform to repurpose your content. But YouTube is also a room where you can grow your content creation. Whatever you do and what content you put out, always go to YouTube and repurpose everything. YouTube Shorts is a vertical video option and you can also put it on IG and TikTok. Never put it on just one platform, post it on other platforms too.

Consistency

This is the rendezvous of everything we talked about in the past paragraphs. You can be the most followed person on social media but without consistency, your page/brand will go astray from the mainstream shenanigans and you will lose those stats in a few weeks. Think of consistency as your bestie in content creation. Transform your page and be consistent in all fields of work you do. There is a lot of well-done and well-thought-out content, so you have to put time into the quality and process behind your content. Shoot in a location and get aesthetic from it, consistency and quality should coincide. Some people will post every other day and some will post once a week.

Moreover, don’t feel too controlled about it. Some creators are not reliant on what time they should post and what’s the algorithm today since they already built their name across social media. Keep in mind that you should never sacrifice quality for consistency. You can delegate the tasks at hand to make things easier. Remember that if your stuff does flop and you still love it, then that’s awesome. 

Start Your Sports Content Creation With OnlyGirlsAsia!

There are so many lanes you could go in and what sports to take. Go whatever you want with it and decide what that will become. Put time into it since it really takes time to figure out what you're doing and if you love to do it for the next few months. Have an inner confidence and point of view to determine what is enough for you. Don’t get lost in the process and let OnlyGirlsAsia help you start your content creator journey. Sign up now and earn up to 80% of your daily exclusive content or more! Get verified as a content creator in just 15 minutes or less and start earning while at home.

[moonrisecalamityretreat]

移植片拒絶 // DR. DENDA // C.02.005 [RE: RESULTS]

—You don't seem like a great person. Maybe I feel a bit of a kinship. We're just assholes.

—If you think you’re permitted to feel even kinship, you haven’t been listening at all.

——————————

Of all the things she finds objectionable about that man, Ikko has never minded being hated by him.

She wouldn’t mind if he did it right, anyway.

The thing about truly hating someone is that it will never put them at a distance from yourself. He’s been employing it like a pointed tool, when really, hatred is the most shatter-proof pair of shackles. Every time he wishes death upon her in the same breath as he wishes it upon himself, the chain between them draws in imperceptibly.

——————————

—Oh, hush. I still think you're a real dick. Treating me like a rat in a maze. I don't know why anyone would like you beyond thinking you have good fashion.

—Don’t get any ideas — you’re not my project, and you’re not allowed to skitter around my maze. If I see you in there, I’ll electrify the maze walls.

—I hope you do. I hope it kills me.

——————————

Even if she wanted to, Ikko couldn’t profess to love him in the same way that so many here now are. If it were up to her, she would have stayed at a studied neutral, and the two of them would remain unbound. Unfortunately, he’s tethered them together with his pure spite, and the unique type of intimacy it brings.

The two of them should know better than anyone that hatred is just as strong a bond as love.

In despising her so thoroughly, Imai’s shown her parts of himself that others didn’t get to see — parts that were too ugly for his vanity to permit, or too deep in the labyrinth to find without chasing him through it by force.

Of course he’d hated being seen by her, Ikko thinks. For all his narcissism, he hated truly looking at himself.

——————————

—On the small chance I get out of this flying death trap then I'm just going to go back to life as normal. I will have learned nothing and remained the same, and then return to my life as normal. Why would I put in the effort? Who am I impressing?

—If you escape this place, you certainly won't be the same. Surviving this might actually be the one thing capable of derailing a machine like you from your course.

——————————

Normally, being right is the thing that satisfies her most. Where is that feeling now?

She’s right, but she’d forgotten the other thing capable of moving him from his course — the thing that isn’t surviving this. It may not be satisfying to pronounce, but it puts her heart at ease on a level far deeper that he tried to survive to begin with.

Ikko says, with a nod that looks almost approving:

“You’ve changed.”

What more to say? After his confession, Ikko had stepped in front of him to defuse the room. She’d honestly expected something more explosive to occur, but surprisingly, nothing had been ignited. (If she were Jinpachi’s age and in Jinpachi’s position, she probably would’ve tried to throttle Imai before the rabbits could; she takes a moment to admire his patience.) Now, what Imai needs is palliative care, and there are far more capable practitioners here than Dr. Denda.

She takes a step back — away from the knot of tenderness that’s formed around Imai — and doesn’t feel the shackle pull on her wrist.

She has an idea of what’s coming next, in the execution-chamber. As far as personal complexes go, Hisakata Imai’s are ideal to ironically exploit. They’re going to attempt to undo everything that makes him want to survive, likely with the thing he cares and fears for the most. But whatever imagery or memories they employ… that’s also the proof that Imai will not and cannot die alone. With a glance over her shoulder, she leaves him with the final words:

“Whatever they use against you — that’s the proof you have something to survive for, with pride.” (...) “Fight for your life.”

(What are enemies for, if not to remind you why you’re still fighting?)