#i also have a lot of thick hair that wants to have the texture of cotton candy and it takes years to style it

[orcelito]

Vaguely tempted to get a nose piercing too... like on the side.... probably would need to be on the left tho. My right nostril gets irritated more easily for some reason

#speculation nation #anytime my nose bleeds it bleeds from the right #idk if that's normal or not. i PROBABLY dont wanna fuck with my right nostril tho #but also. just imagining myself with a lil stud... #tho im planning on getting a cartilage piercing on my left ear hfkshx bc my hair is parted towards the left #aka less hair on the left aka more chance of a piercing being seen. so. #so if i do a left nostril id be very left-leaning with my piercings #i DO have uh. double lobe piercings for both ears. that's a thing i have. #but idk i love piercings and i want LOTS of them #ive also been tempted to get a tongue piercing and a bellybutton piercing. both would be sooo sexy #man i was remembering myself age 21 ish where i had the blue hair and side shave. that was my sexiest era #im growing my hair out tho. i want it to be SUPER long. bc i hate myself apparently #no my hair is just super thick and luxurious. i think itd be really great to have long hair #and i hated bleaching my hair SOOO fucking much. horrible experience. plus i didnt like the texture it made my hair #so ive got undyed long hair so ppl think im straight or smth at first glance 😠 even with my undercut 😠 #piercings would be a low effort way to be a little less straight looking. this is important. #im just daydreaming about piercings by this point hfkdhdjx

[writingwithcolor]

A Careful Balance: Portraying a Black Character's Relationship with their Hair

@writingraccoon said:

My character is black in a dungeons and dragons-like fantasy world. His name is Kazuki Haile (pronounced hay-lee), and his mother is this world's equivalent of Japanese, which is where his first name is from, while his father is this world's equivalent of Ethiopian, which is where his last name is from. He looks much more like his father, and has hair type 4a. I plan to make his character very finnicky about his hair, both enjoying styling it, but also often being unsure how to style it (not in that he doesn't know how to, but has so many options for how to style it, he has trouble choosing). However, I know that there are some very harmful ways to write black hair, especially in regards to how the black character themselves feels about it. Kazuki does not hate his hair, in fact he takes joy in it, and I'm researching black hair and hair styles to be as accurate as possible. But I'm unsure if portraying a black character as occasionally overwhelmed by or vain about his hair is negative. How would you suggest either changing this or making it work? Does it need to be changed in the first place?

Black Character Overwhelmed by Curly Afro Hair

Your Black character wanting his hair to look its best and at times feeling overwhelmed seems reasonable and natural to me. It appears their challenge comes with how to style it. Not so much with struggling how it looks or how hard it is to manage. That is good, as this further helps avoid placing a strong negative focus on Black hair. 

Him caring a lot about how it is style should not be deemed vain or frivolous, either. In any case, hair care is self care. There’s nothing wrong with having pride with your hair, especially hair that mainstream society, historically and present, might say is not beautiful. This still matters, even in a fantasy world, since your readers still exist in this reality. It’s empowering and a welcome change to see someone who loves their afro hair, actually.

There are unique factors someone with coily afro hair would experience vs. straight, wavy, or looser curls, but people struggling with their hair (too frizzy, too flat, too limp, too thin, too thick!) is universal. 

There is a delicate balance to achieve.

Avoid Writing a Black Hair Journey Experience 

An overall negative Afro hair journey might be the reality for many, especially when society deems Afro hair as unacceptable and slaps so many uninvited opinions, laws and policies over its existence and on certain styles (again, historically and very much at present), but that’s the kind of story that is best handled by someone with the background. Someone willing to commit to the research might also be able to pull it off, although it’s truly not the kind of thing an escapism novel needs in my opinion. If the story is not meant to delve into “A Black /Black Hair Experience” then I'd avoid going that route. That is moving a bit towards a struggle narrative, depending on how much it defines your character’s story.

Add positive and neutral hair language and interactions

For your writing, I’d avoid using unchallenged negative language about his hair. Being overwhelmed at times and frustrated is one thing and expected. If his hair is constantly brought up, and is associated with uncontrollable, ugly, or too [insert struggle here], then rethink the direction you’re going. 

Add some positive or neutral terms, reactions, and interactions in the narrative towards afro hair, such as describing color and texture.

“His fine coils bounced in the wind.” 

“Hair black and shiny” 

“She wore her hair in two large, fluffy buns.”

“He admired his fresh, neat braids in the mirror, smiling at his reflection, before turning to leave.”

Another tip: It may have been for research purposes, but leave out any hair number categorizing in the story and rely on description. I’d say this goes for any story, as reading the number would feel off. 

“He had coily 4a hair.” Nahh! :P 

Also, I would suggest sending all passages that focus on his hair to a Black sensitivity reader for review.

More reading:

~Mod Colette

#asks #black #black hair #hair #afro hair #description #tragedy exploitation #struggle novel #creator responsibility #representation #guides #writeblr

[zeldasnotes]

The Rising Signs’ 🦢

In The Signs Series™

ARIES RISING

Looks tense like somebody just said something stupid. A lot of them have a widows peak or just a very square hairline to draw attention to their head. The hairline can sometimes be so good it looks like they are wearing a wig, and not only in the forhead but the whole hairline even behind the ears looks super good. They can have a high forhead like Rihanna whos an Aries Rising. There tend to be a ”bitchiness” to them but at the same time they got this innocence to them. Some of them have a babyface while some of them have a more sharp and angular look. Men with this rising sign can have hairline shaped like an M. Might also start to bald early. Some of them might have red tints to their hair or beard and freckles are also common(depends on cultural background tho) Might have oily skin or very ”leather” like texture to the skin. These peoples hair is usually very prominent which is who they can easily be mistaken for a Leo Rising. If they have a lot of Mars squares in their chart they can be very confrontational with a lack of filter. They look very good in anything sporty and tight. These people might have people wanting beef with them because they can come across as cocky or rude when they are not. There is something very respectable with them especially when they have a Capricorn Midheaven. Like you really want them to like you. They also have the most gorgeous eyebrows and face shapes. There is this ”Since nobody else will, I will do it.” They are the ones who might stand up for someone when nobody else does. The real go getters. Unfortunately might be involved in a relationship where they have to do anything because people expect them to.

TAURUS RISING

A lot of Taurus Risings have the Taylor Lautner look with the smaller eyes and short nose, very ”cute” but there is also the Taurus Risings with the longer look like Jake Paul and Robert Pattinsson with the prominent long chin and the small ears. The longer types are usually skinnier with a longer nose while the short nose ones are usually heavier built. If the Ascendant is conjunct fixed star Algol the look can be very intimidating and the person might be more aggressive in both appearance and behaviour like Conor McGregor whos a Taurus Rising. The women with this Rising are very often praised for their good looks like Halle Berry. They have the that calm feminine aura to them. There is a strength to Taurus Risings in a way that they look very kind but at the same time you can see that there is a raging bull inside of them ready to put someone in their place. For example Snoop Dogg whos a Taurus Rising, super kind and funny but very quick to show it of he find an interviewer or fan annoying. These people can have a skin thats completely flawless. They usually have extremely even skintone. They can also have those super small pointy ears. A lot of Taurus Rising look curvy even if they are skinny and if Lilith is on the Ascendant the curves can be very pronounced for example Megan The Stallon. There is always something about the nose that stands out and a lot of them might want to highlight it by having a nose ring. The neck can be very thick and short or super slim and long and they like to show the neck of by wearing a chain. Taurus Rising is found in a lot of criminals especially when it conjunct the violent star Algol.

GEMINI RISING

There can be a roundedness to their features but still pointy? Look at Pamela Anderson and Jessica Biel for example they are both Gemini Risings, very round but still pointy. Can have a cleft chin or a cleft on the nose to show ”hey im parted” or a mole on only one side of the face but very close to the middle of the face to show ”here is where the other side of be begins”. The mouth can be very shapely and while closed might give of the look of an M. Like the opening of the mouth is shaped like that when the mouth is closed instead of just being one straight line. Might remind you of a bird in some way. Some of them stand and walk with their feet pointing outwards like a bird. The upper body can sometimes be larger than the lower body and legs. The nosestrils might not be visible unless you are standing below them. Might color their hair or change hairstyles very often. The Gemini Risings with a longer face usually have a slightly bigger nose like Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse who are both Gemini Risings. Gemini Risings from a cultural background where big noses/roman noses are not common usually have a rounder face shape with a very ”bent” nose instead. A lot of them have this slightly sneaky look like Drew Barrymore like they just did something very naughty. A lot of them have a signature hairstyle or signature makeup look that makes it easy to know its them. Like Pamela Anderson and her messy bun. If someone said ”paint this person” its easy to paint them and everyone will know who it is. They look good in parted hairstyles and midpart to show that there is two sides to them.

CANCER RISING

Very glossy hair, can look veeeery kind just like pisces rising. Some of them look ”wet” like super hydrated. The iris of the eye is close to the inner corner of the eye. There are two types of Cancer Risings: 1. The ones with the more round face, usually lighter skintone than other family members no matter cultural background, smaller facial features, sneaky eyes, shorter hair, curvy. And type 2. Skinny, darker skin than others from the same ethnicity, longer hair, longer face and big forhead, a longer nose and sometimes a roman nose. Larger eyes than the round faced Cancer Risings. The Cancer Risings with the long face are usually less shy and can be very outgoing while the roundfaced Cancer Risings usually have a more shy personality and they are also more calm personality wise. Type 2 are usually very funny and seem to smile more than type 1. Cancer Risings also have a special relationship to children. They are warm people and when they form connections they want it to last for life. These people can suffer from some very intense moodswings tho. Cancer Rising men come in the same 2 different types too but here the round faced ones are often the more outgoing ones while the longer face ones are less social. Cancer Rising men can often have a M shaped hairline with a very defined widowspeak. The eyes can sometimes bulge out. The round faced Cancer Rising men are usually very into fitness and might have a very defined jawline. There can be some intense issues with masculinity and self esteem in these men since at an early age they knew they were sensitive which was not considered ”manly”. Some of them seek out a mother/father figure in their relationships.

LEO RISING

These people are very confident and might even come across as bitchy. They come in two similar types as Cancer Rising, Selena Gomez obviously being type 1. They take a lot of pride in their hair. Some of these people might have hair so long it touches their butt, but there are also Leo Risings who rock the shorter hair, for example Tina Turner. The Leo Risings with shorter hair might have thicker hair from what Ive noticed. They can have a feline look to them and some of them can have this cute cozy look like Selena Gomez. If afflicted the ego become a real issue here and they might start to compare themselves with everyone around them which can make others back off from them. Men with this rising sign might want to have long hair and you can often see them with a bun. These people love to be seen and might start acting weird when focus is not on them. They love to show off and they love the feeling of being the center of attention. When younger they might be loud or even annoying to get this attention but Ive also seen a lot of very shy Leo Rising. There are a lot of ”cat” looking Leo Risings like Emma Stone with the cat eyes and wider face and prominent cheekbones, but not all of them got that feline look. Jessica Alba for example does not look feline at all and shes a Leo Rising. They love fashion since its their way of expressing themselves and they absolutely love looking good. A lot of them love leopard print. They absolutely love brand name clothes and anything quality since they are a fixed sign. They look sooo good in sunglasses, orange, gold and beige.

VIRGO RISING

Think DOLL. There is a perfection to these people that can be almost creepy. I have a Virgo rising friend and I swear that every single hairstrand on her head is the exact same length. Her hairline is so perfect it almost look like she shaved it. These people are youthful but not in a childish way. The skin can be very perfect too. They are very refined almost to the point you feel ashamed cursing infront of them. Very well groomed. They are ethereal just like their sister sign. Their shyness will often be mistaken for being snobby or arrogant tho. This is something ive noticed with a lot of Virgo Risings, being accused of being arrogant. Some of them are tho since Virgo is a very picky and judgmental sign but most times they are just shy. Their personality infront of people they feel safe with and people they dont differs a lot. There is a charming quality to their mouth and to the way they speak. A lot of them prefer a more natural look and might look better without makeup than with it. There is a ”perfection” here that is impossible to copy. No matter what they wear it looks neat and tidy. They usually have sensitive stomachs so they have to be careful what they eat and ofc they are. They look smart and the eyes can be penetrating but not in the same way as scorpio risings. They dont have that ”I will expose you look” like scorpio risings have they have more of a ”I know what you are doing but I feel bad for you” look. They need to be careful not to be too perfectionistic and picky tho since this can have a very negative effect on their self esteem. There is very often a huge issue with the self esteem with this rising sign. These people might not be approached often because they look ”out of your league”. The head is often diamondshaped.

LIBRA RISING

Looks like they thought of every detail. Not a hair out of place. Ive seen a lot of Libra Risings and they all looked so different tl eachother. I think Libra Rising is the rising sign most affected by their chart ruler sign because they all looked like that sign. But they all had söme things in common and that was flawless skin, symmetric face, nice body with evenly distributed fat. They were also friendly and polite. They spend a lot of time perfecting themselves because these people care a lot about how they are seen. When you see someone and you instantly see think ”that probably took a long time” then most likely a Libra Rising. They know their flaws and they know what their best features are. These people are born stylists. Knowing what need to be hidden and what to highlight comes naturally for them. Not all Libra Risings care this much about appearance tho. And its not always about them being vain, its just that looking presentable is important for them because they are the socializers and they just want to look nice. For them its a sign of respect too. They would never show up at your party underdressed because for them thats disrespectful to YOU. So its not only about themselves. A lot of them have a strong cupid bow and their mouth might even be shaped lile a heart. The outside corners of the mouth are always pointed upwards making them look like they are always smiling. This makes them seem very friendly and makes people approach them easily because you can see that this person wont diss you. Them being so approachable blesses them with a lot of social contacts. They might have dimples either on the lower back or on their face. They can also have a mouth thats always slightly open.

SCORPIO RISING

A lot of teeth showing when they talk, almost looks like they are talking with their teeth, gummy smile and sometimes vampire teeth. Can look very different from other family members for example light skin that cant tan while living in a warm country or dark skin while rest of the family is pale and living in a cold country. Remember that pluto rules being the black sheep of the family so this rising have a high possibility of looking different than other family members. Eyes are impossible to miss because they can be very small or very big. Usually framed by a shadow or darker pigment around the eyes, like they were born with eyeshadow. The scorpio risings with the smaller eyes usually have extremely arched eyebrows and a pointy small nose while the ones with the larger eyes have less arched brows and instead usually have a rounder nose OR a roman nose. There is also the scorpio risings with a more square face and square shaped nose. Some of them have a protruding brow bone giving them a predatory look and adds to the shadow around their eyes. The guys can have a prominent, low hairline and sometimes it almost look like the hair is a helmet. Can also have very pointy ears. Moles and beautymarks. Very good at talking with their eyes. They like to watch people and especially people who they are intimidated by. They cant hide envy, their eyes turn all reptilian when they envy someone. Good at having a conversation without revealing anything about themselves. You talk to them for 2 hours only to leave without knowing anything. Might smile without saying a word when you talk to them, making the conversation uncomfortable.

SAGITTARIUS RISING

There is always something with the walk here. The walk might be extremely attractive and model like or they can be super clumsy, or both. These people will definitely have others noticing them because of how they walk. They are naturally funny without trying. They might look super tall from far away even if they are short because their legs are usually longer than their upper body. They can have a horse like look to them like Kim K. With a longer prominent nose and a oval face. But there is also Sag Risings with a more round or even square face. The Sag Risings with the round or square face usually have a wider forhead and smaller nose. The butt and breasts might be very pronounced and protruding here making them look curvy even if they are not. Might have a protruding belly. The smile will be one of their best qualities. They might walk a lot or just be outside all the time. These are the kind of people who are almost never home. Gen Z Sag Risings might be very different tho since a lot of them have Pluto in the 1st house. These people can be very reckless and sometimes dont think about consequences. They come across as super friendly and have an easy when it comes to interacting with people. These people can be extremely popular especially if mixed with a strong Venus influence. A lot of the most popular people in the world got this rising sign like Princess Diana, Bob Marley, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim K. They just attract attention wherever they go.

CAPRICORN RISING

The arch of the eyebrow starts at the very end of the eyebrow. Looks like they hade work done. Could get wrinkles and grey hair early or have no wrinkles at all at 70, usually one or the other. The hairline on the side can be close to their eyebrows. Looks like they are squinting their eyes to see you better. They usually dont like people who act innapropriately in public and they will show it. Very well mannered and aware of social codes. They care a lot about who they are seen with in public. Very scared of public humiliation. Can look very tired. Might come across as rude. The hair is usually gorgeous and very thicker than others from the same cultural background. Can have a very prominent t-zone. Might have a bigger chin or just very prominent shape. They can also have creases on the sides of their mouth instead of dimples or hollow cheeks. The cheekbones are prominent and high. They look aristocratic. Some of them have very small ears with a pointy top. They can be very petite and have a thigh gap. The teeth will also be prominent and might even protrude making it hard for them to close their mouth completely. Their face change a lot until they reach their 20s thats when they start to grow into their looks(this does not mean they didnt look good before tho). A lot of them experience skin issues but since Saturn rules ”You reap what you sow” they have the possibilty to have really good skin if they take care of it well. The younger years are usually difficult and they might suffer a lot with their self esteem. The best part of their life starts after their Saturn Return. The corners of the mouth usually point downward making them look less approachable but also makes them look serious. They look like they are someone important.

AQUARIUS RISING

These people always have striking eyes. They look tall even if they are short because the limbs are usually long. They can have some very uncommon physical features like super light blue eyes with darker skin tone while everyone else in their family is light, or jet black hair mixed with super pale skin making them look like they colored their hair. Might be hard to guess which country they are from. Some of them can have such a unique look to their eyes that you think they are wearing contacts. Definitely striking. Some of them have a very long chin. The hair have a tendency to stand right up even if they have straight hair almost like they were electrocuted. They can have a very shocking style and they usually have their own look like Nicki Minaj for example with her bangs and pink hair. They look so good in neon colors. Some of them have a shocked expression like Jared Leto. Something about the body language, way of talking or way of thinking might be considered unique and people easily become fascinated by them. The eyes can also be downturned at the outer corners. They could be asked where they are from a lot just like Sag Rising. They are usually popular because they are social and easily gets to know new people. They have this friendly ”I know everyone” aura mixed with their down to earthness just look at Barack Obama. They can have an interesting mix of sharp and soft. The cheeks might be shubby paired with a pointy nose or slim and bony faced with a very rounded button nose. Some of them have a baby face. They might be taller than average or shorter than average.

PISCES RISING

These people have a vulnerability to them. They might look sad or tired. They might have the bedroom eyes like Marilyn Monroe who had Neptune in the 1st house. The lips and eyes are their strongest features. Some of them could even be accused of being on drugs, look at Billie Eilish and you know what I mean. They can look unreal because they have this Disney Princess look sitt the glossy eyes and helpess expression. Some of them even have the baby voice to go with the look. A lot of them look younger than they are and can have that little babydoll look like Barbara Palvin. People might overshare to them a lot. They look much more innocent than what they actually are and people might be disappointed when they find out they were not that helpless damsel in distress. There is usually rumours about them because people cant figure them out so they have to talk about them. They might be quiet when around a lot of people and then super talkative when around people they are comfortable with. Dark circles under the eyes are common too, adding to the sleepy look. The lips might be naturally pouty. The eyes are watery. These people absorb energies easily and they need to learn that not everyone should be trusted. They feel bad for people easily and people can see this. The eyelashes can be longer than average like Zayn Malik whos a pisces rising. They could also have a lot of baby hair forming a natural gloria as the little angels they are. Some of them look glittery because the eyes are watery and the skin is usually watery so everything just shines and glows. Usually shorter than average. The Bratz Dolls of the zodiac.

Aspects to Ascendant is not taken into consideration in this post. Aspects to Ascendant and planets in the 1st house can make you look different than your Ascendant sign. ❕

© 2023 Zeldas Notes All Rights Reserved

#astro notes #astrology #astro observations #astronotes #ascendant

[mayakern]

Why....why are the sweaters 3/4 sleeve??? Personally I would totally get a black sweater (or white tbh) but I can't vibe with a 3/4 sleeve (for a few reasons, mostly various sensory/attention problems) so i was wondering why that choice was made and whether there's any chance of a full length sleeve being made in addition or instead? But also I'm curious as to exactly what kind of fabric it is? Is it an anti-pill material? (Pilling is one of my fabric enemies)

so first off, this as is about the lace collar sweaters that will be hitting the store later this year. you can watch the full video here, but i’m including screenshots as well for those of y’all who don’t want to watch the video.

2nd, i get that everyone has personal preferences, but this was unnecessarily rude. you’re not going to like every decision we make, and that’s OK, but if you’re old enough to use a credit card to buy things online, you’re old enough to realize that product decisions you dislike were not made to personally gall you.

there were a few reasons we chose to do 3/4 sleeves, but the primary reason was that 3/4 sleeves work better for a variety of arm lengths. a 3/4 sleeve will look good whether someone’s arm is shorter or longer than average, whereas a full length sleeve can easily be too long or too short for the person wearing it. we also didn’t want to do short sleeves because at the time the only other shirt we had in production was the wrap top, which has short/cap sleeves.

we do have some full long sleeve shirts/sweaters in planning/in production that we have not shown off yet, but currently we do not have plans to make a long sleeve version of this particular sweater because we have no idea what sales will look like. if these sweaters sell well and there’s considerable customer demand, we’ll consider doing long sleeves. if these sweaters sell poorly they will not be returning to the store, period. we are a small business with limited funds and we cannot throw infinite money at the wall.

last, the fabric composition is 62% polyester, 33% viscose, 5% elastane. we tested a lot of fabrics for this sweater, and this was the only one that felt right. its appropriate thickness (not super thin, but not super thick, so that it can easily be layered under warmer garments or worn solo without causing you to overheat), the cute ribbing, and the texture/feeling (which don’t aggravate my textural sensitivities as an autistic person with very sensitive skin) were all just right.

we’ve also done a number of wash tests and did not encounter any issues with pilling. in general, if you take good care of our garments, that is not going to be an issue from our current manufacturer, who have demonstrated time and again that they prioritize quality labor and material that is made to last. the reason shein products fall apart isn’t because they’re made of polyester: it’s because the sewing is rushed and the fabric fibers are low quality and often have a looser knit or weave, which makes them more prone to damage/falling apart on a structural level.

as for pilling specifically, pilling is actually the fabric breaking. looser weaves/knits are more prone to breakage because they are more open and cheap fabrics are often made of looser weaves, which results in more pilling. but even a high quality material can pill under the right (or wrong) circumstances. when fiber is wet, similar to hair, it is more vulnerable to breakage, and washing machines with agitators (the big thing in the middle of some washers) are really really good at breaking your fibers, thus resulting in more pilling.

anyway tldr the sweaters shouldn’t have any pilling issues if you treat them right and full length sleeves are not likely to happen but are not totally impossible.

#ask #store #faq

[bitchesgetriches]

Bitches! You have a wide audience so I come seeking advice. My family are all of the thin, straight hair variety. I am not. I have long (waist length), thick, curly hair.

Can I get some advice on how to style it and take care of it? I’ve been told my whole life to “just brush it” but I’ve seen on insta and elsewhere that that’s like, the worst thing you can do to curly hair. Please help a confused little bitchling!

Love your content! 💚💙

First off: you sound absolutely gorgeous. Good on you for wanting to take care of your natural hair and let it show its true glory.

HOW BOUT IT, BITCH NATION? ANYONE WITH THICK, CURLY, LONG HAIR WANT TO CHIME IN WITH SPECIFIC ADVICE FOR ANONYPOO?

I (Piggy) love hair, and mine is long, wavy, and thick. If you watch our YouTube you'll see I almost always straighten or curl it. Sounds like we have different textures, but a few things that have absolutely changed my (hair) life are as follows:

I oil my hair once or twice a month using a keratin oil. I used to think that with greasy hair like mine, it would make the situation worse, but an oil treatment actually makes it LESS greasy. It's magic.

I coil my hair into a bun on top of my head when I sleep. This keeps it from getting tangled and sweaty over the night. Plus, if I've curled or straightened it the day before, the style will last longer this way. Lots of people with long hair wear silk caps to bed or braid their hair before sleep for similar reasons.

I wash my hair twice per week instead of every day. Overwashing can be really bad for your hair, but everyone's washing schedule is different. I'd consult a hair stylist about how often you should wash (if you can afford to see one, they'll give you LOTS of expert tips).

I often use a wide-toothed comb to comb it out instead of brushing.

Hair can be a VERY sensitive subject, tied to culture, ethnicity, and oppressive beauty standards. Seek out communities, either online or irl, of people of your ethnicity with the same hair type and texture. They'll have great tips and stories for you!

Also, we wrote a bit about hair here:

Can Looking Weird at Work Be Good for Your Career? 

Why Is Short Hair Controversial? An Examination of Expensive, Annoying Beauty Standards

If you found this helpful, tip us.

#hair #hair tips #hair care #long hair #hair stylist

[wildemaven]

Sweet Creature: Chapter Nine

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x F!Reader

WC: 8k

Warnings: 18+ Blog; Fluff, a kiss of angst, talk of past relationship and break up, pregnancy scare, mopey Poppy, nervousness and anxiety, brief mentions of sobriety, smut, self doubt, public speaking, reader has the nickname Poppy- zero physical description, to dumb dumbs in love

A/N: This is a doozy of a chapter, there was so much to pack in for these two. I can’t believe we’re nearing the end, I had definite moments of sadness as I was wrapping up this chapter but also found so inspiration to help tie up the story for these two! You can listen to Dieter & Poppy’s Playlist Here. Also a big thank you to @gnpwdrnwhiskey for constantly listening and helping me through this one, I definitely needed it on this chapter.

Series Masterlist / Playlist / Main Masterlist

Previous/ Epilogue

It had taken a few months for Dieter to tangle himself into your life. 

Inching his way into your mind, settling deep within your bones and eventually finding shelter in the most sacred of places— your heart. 

It took only a matter of a few short days for him to imprint himself into your home, pieces of him lingering in your space, even long after he had left. 

But you can’t seem to pull yourself from the confines of your bed, each morning since his departure, you study the hollowed out spot where his worn body claimed as his, still having yet to find the energy to make it or wash the sheets clean of the hours of intensity and conversations ingrained into the plush pillow-top. 

Your fingers run over the creases of the pillow, remembering how you would trace the same lines etched across his face in the early mornings, the usual scrunch between his brows smooth and relaxed, the faintest of snores escaping his parted lips— memorizing his angelic dreamy state. 

A soft thread catches the path your finger continues to take. A silky strand of hair, no longer a part of him, now woven in through the fibers of your cotton pillowcase— proof he was here and existed in this space with you, with those unruly thick curls tousled with ardency, sweat and sleep— your fingers still managing to work through the wildness. 

*

-Saturday Morning-

“What was your last serious relationship like?” Dieter asks, laying on his side with an arm bent, head propped on his hand, your bed sheet draped over his naked lower half. 

His free hand mapping out the plains of your exposed skin, the morning sun filters through your bedroom window, providing a soft muted light as his fingers continue to unearth new details of your body he has yet to see in daylight. 

“Oof! Hitting me with the serious stuff first thing in the morning.” The rasp of sleep still coating your throat, your body turned in close towards him with one arm tucked between your pillow and resting head, your free hand mesmerized by the texture of his skin— connecting invisible lines between each freckle painted across his neck and chest. 

“Question for a question then. But you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.” 

“No, it’s fine. It’s— just a lot for some people to hear. Kind of just keep it to myself, less questions and ‘how come’ once they find out.” 

“Hey, I won’t judge you, for anything you tell me— ever.”

Dieter watches the way your eyes flit about for a few seconds, his hand stopping to rest on your naked hip with a gentle squeeze, a reassuring gesture of sincerity in his words. 

“Frankie was my high school sweetheart, we started dating our senior year. We were together— gosh…. 5, almost 6 years.” You let out a sigh, all the memories of your previous relationship flooding back to you, having been locked away for so long. 

“After high school, when we realized things were getting serious, we decided to figure out what we wanted moving forward. We were on the same page with everything for the most part, no real deal breakers. We would get married after college, buy a house— a seemingly cookie cutter life together.”

“I’m not following— sounds like the perfect life to me.” Confusion settles across his forehead, brows drawn together as he studies your face. 

“Except, I couldn’t give him the one thing he wanted— kids.” You notice the way his face drops when you say it, knowing his first thought is exactly what everyone else usually assumes when you tell them.

“I guess I should rephrase that— I didn’t want, don’t want kids. It was something we established too, both on board with living a childless life. We agreed we would be the best Aunt and Uncle for our friend’s kids.”

Dieter nods at your admission, the hand on your hip starting to leave feather-like strokes the length of your side, goosebumps scattering across your warm skin. 

“It wasn’t until we were well into our relationship that things changed. We had a bit of a pregnancy scare, we were both very careful too, so it was a bit of a shock when it happened. I was angry with myself— how could I let it happen? What did I do wrong? All the things running through my head the minute I saw those pink lines, wondering how we were going to afford a baby on our combined income, all while trying to get through finishing college— I spiraled pretty hard for a good week. But, through some routine testing, we discovered it was a false-positive— I was so fucking relieved!” 

Your fingers still over the hollow of his neck, taking a deep breath, not really sure how Dieter is taking everything you’re saying. 

“In the midst of my inner turmoil over the thought of being pregnant, I hadn’t really checked in with Frankie to see where his head was at, I had just assumed he was riding the same boat as me.”

“He changed his mind?” He asks. 

“Yeah— or it was what he had always wanted, he just didn’t realize it until that week, when it was almost a possibility.”

“So you broke up?”

“We stayed together for another year afterwards, thinking we could work through it. But I couldn’t keep that from him, it would have eaten me alive being the reason he wasn’t 100% happy. We decided it was best if we split.” You can’t help the smile that starts to develop, Dieter’s receptive demeanor made this whole moment feel a little less heavier than you thought it would be. 

“I ended up running into Frankie a few years ago. We caught up and I learned he ended up joining the army, Special Forces I think, met his wife while saving her from some bar creep, always the chivalrous one—  and they have two little girls. I like to think we both ended up where we were supposed to be.”

There’s a prick of something that ricochets across his chest— the pairing of unaltered reverence and adoration. You just want the best for others, and it shows even in how not that long ago how you went to battle for Diem out of pure love, wanting the best for her and Wren— he respects you so much now looking back on it. 

Dieter leans over and places a few soft kisses to your lips, the last one lingering a little longer before pulling away to rest his forehead on yours. 

“Thank you, for sharing that with me.” He murmurs against your lips. 

“Of course. My question now— What about you? Do you want kids?” You ask. 

Dieter gently pushes you to your back, settling himself between your legs, peering down at you with a soft smile.

“I’ll only ever be Uncle Dude— never had the desire to be a dad.” 

His head dips down to your still bare chest, the few kitten-like licks before he takes your nipple into his mouth, scorching and persistent, causing your back to arch up into him, eyes fluttering closed and mouth wide as you emit a breathless whine. 

A few intense sucking motions before he gives your breast an experimental bite, his eyes observing the way your body writhes at the juxtaposition of sensations before releasing it with a pop, blowing a stream of cold air across your wet skin and watching the way your nipple instantly tightens. 

He crawls up your body, one arm resting next to your head as the other snakes down between your bodies taking hold of his now hardened cock, a few quick strokes before he’s notching the head at your now dripping entrance. 

“Doesn’t mean I don’t like partaking in the act.” His words punctuated by him fully sheathing himself into your cunt.

“Oh fuck! Dieter—“ Your laugh quickly exchanged for a heady moan. 

Your bodies meld together in a heated indulgence. The slippery grip of dewy skin as your bodies work in a synergistic fashion, calculated snapping of hips take you both to a climactic level of bliss. 

*

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ

The vibration of your phone against your nightstand draws you back from the reliving of your weekend with Dieter, interrupting the playlist streaming through the phone speaker. 

You grab your phone to check who the message is from…

Mom ❤️: Hey Sweetheart! Let me know when you’re heading over. Going to sit by the pool for a bit until then. This place is beautiful, I might not ever leave! Talk to you soon!

The music promptly picks back up again with its uptempo beat, you connect your phone to your speakers in the living room, the words floating brightly in the background as you will yourself out of bed. 

In route to a much needed cup of coffee, you pull on the fuzzy warm jacket that seems to have established itself as an essential element in your daily life, dropping your phone in its cavernous pocket before bringing the fleecy fabric to your face for a brief moment. It’s a cognitive experience, the inhalation of the still drenched in his signature Dieter-musk, making your insides gooey and flustered. 

‘Ooh, I lose control, can't seem to get enough, uh-huh

When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love?’

You chuckle into your cup as you take that first sip, the words a flawless depiction, and complete coincidence of every morning this week. 

A quick text back to your mom to fill her in on the day’s plans. 

Poppy: Hi Mom! Had a bit of a slow morning, but I’m up and moving now! Going to shower and get ready. I thought we could go to this new sandwich shop that just opened. I've been wanting to try it. I’ll text you when I’m on my way to the hotel. Love you

Your mom had gotten in late last night, still having not seen her yet. Diem was so kind to put her up in the Capri for the weekend, your mom insisting she didn’t want to intrude and give you space. 

It was her first time visiting since you had moved, but not her first time to Ojai. She had visited on numerous occasions in her travels before having you, it was usually a brief stop for a few hours to grab a quick bite and then off to her next stop. 

As a child, you would spend hours browsing through her endless collection of photo albums, dreaming up your own stories about visiting her favorite places— grainy Kodak Portra 160 was her film of choice, the color grading and light leaks adding to the cinematized scenes. There was something alluring about Ojai, always spending a little extra time with those images, it had become your ‘one day I am going to move there’ place. So, when you had started actually considering moving, your mind instantly went to Ojai— it was a no-brainer this was the place you were meant to set your roots in. 

A slow sip of the ambered liquid trickles down your throat, its atomic structure hitting every nerve as it slowly expands in your veins, giving you the ample amount of energy to keep you from crawling right back in bed. 

A thrumming piano tune dances across the room, instantaneously reliving the moment you coerced Dieter to add it to your growing playlist, selfishly you hope the familiar high falsetto voice evokes the same memory for Dieter as it does for you when he shuffles through the songs. 

Just a small town girl

Livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train going anywhere

Just a city boy

Born and raised in South Detroit

He took the midnight train going anywhere

*

-Sunday Afternoon-

“Add. The. Song. Dieter!” A purely joking dramatic version of yourself pleads with him, you sense the song isn’t a front-runner for Dieter, but you’re enjoying the banter it’s causing. 

The popular chorus continues roaring through the living room where you’ve both been camped out for the last hour, switching off listening to music on bith your record player and Dieter’s Spotify account.

It felt silly when you suggested you both should create a compilation of songs that you could listen to and think of the other person— complete cheeseball move. It was reminiscent of junior high when you would download songs off shady sites and then burn the perfect cd mix for your crush, labeling it— I really like you but I’m not good with words, so here’s some songs instead— the cover art hand drawn sharpie doodles and emo quotes that could bring a 15 year old girl in love to tears. Being it was modern times, Dieter opted for a playlist of top favorite songs between the two of you, dubbing it ‘Dieter’s & Poppy’s Mix Tape.’

He wants to engrain this scene in his mind forever, your naked form cloaked in his beloved brown jacket, dancing around your living room, belting the lyrics in the most out of tune way. 

“Streetlights, people!— Dieter, please! You said our favorite songs— this would be a favorite of mine! Add the damn song!!” 

“This— This is your favorite song? It’s like the most overplayed karaoke song in the history of music” His cocked eyebrow as he holds his phone with the Spotify app open in his lap, finding it hard to hold off his growing smirk and not surprised in the least that it’s a top pick for you. 

“I’ll have you know, I am the reigning Karaoke Queen, west of the Mississippi River— you're in the presence of royalty, Babe. Don't stop believin' Hold on to that feelin'!” Grabbing another slice of cold pizza from the half eaten box on the coffee table, you continue twirling about on your tippy toes, maintaining your off-key singing between bites. 

“Something tells me your full of shit. Fine— It’s added. But I’m adding ‘You Need to Calm Down’ for tax.”

“I need to do what?” Your twirling ceases, the bottom of his jacket swaying about as you watch the way he stares down at his phone, fingers pecking at the screen. 

“No— it’s a song. According to Wren, “it’s a Taylor Swift masterpiece!’” His air quotes and deadpan expression almost take you out. 

“Never would have pegged you as a Swiftie, but I love it.”

“Well, it’s all she wants to listen to on the drive to school. I can’t help it if i know every word to almost every song.”

The next song plays through, Dieter continues to watch you from his spot on the couch, loving the carefree manner in which you move, your infectious smile on display as you sing along to a song you definitely do not know a single word to, eyes closed and arms stretched out letting the chorus fully envelop your mind— this whole moment solidifying his love for you. 

He brings his phone up and snaps a few pictures, each image progressively blurrier as he tries to capture you dancing, his last attempt is more or less successful, the timing just right and the result an accurate depiction of how he wants look back on this time together— a flash of your beaming smile that causes your eyes to crinkle at the edges and your audacious desire to be completely yourself in front of him is a picture worth taking. 

“Are you taking a picture of me?” Breathless and smiling. 

“Guilty. I need something to remember this day while I’m away.”

“Okay, but take a better one then.” 

Grabbing his sunglasses off the table to situate them on your face, your bare leg crossed over and kicked out to the side in an ameture Radio City Rockette fashion, middle fingers erect while your hands cover your now exposed breasts, a one-sided nose scrunch and curled lip with some semblance of a smile, all while the remaining slice of your pizza dangles from your mouth. 

“Beautiful, just like the other ones.” His chest vibrates at the sight of you, he pats his thighs motioning for you to come over to where he’s seated. “Alright Karaoke Queen, get your sexy little Believin’ ass over here!” 

Tossing your crust back into the pizza box, you skip-hop over to him, your knees sinking into the cushions of the couch as you straddle his boxer clad lap. His hands sliding under where his Jacket is splayed open, his warm touch glides over your thighs. 

“Let me see— the others, please.” You ask timidly, not sure what ‘others’ entails, pulling his sunglasses off and tossing them to the side. 

His thumb swipes and presses across his phone screen, then hands you an open folder of images, tiny intimate squares fill the screen. You click on the most recent ones of you here in your home, laughing at how ridiculous you think you look, glancing up to see Dieter’s head tilted to the side and his gaze fixed on you. Refocusing on his phone, you start swiping, so many images of times you had spent together, except you're the main focus of each photo, very much unaware of your photo being taken. 

There was the afternoon spent baking cupcakes for no reason other than they sounded delicious. Flour covering the surface of the counter, while you and Wren laugh at something completely unrelated to the making of said cupcakes— equal amounts of flour coating both your hands and faces. 

There’s the backyard dinner Diem had invited you over for. You were seated across from where Dieter and Diem were sitting, listening intently to something she was saying. The sun warm against your back as it had started its descent, your elbow propped on the table and chin resting on your hand, your attention focused on every aspect of the conversation. 

The first evening Dieter and Wren had attended your art class together, a few of you talking about something art related and then a couple of you actually painting and drawing— your face naturally lighting up at you sharing art with others. 

Each swipe revealed another image, so many of you smiling while looking off at whatever had your attention, full body laughs shared with someone out of frame, deep in thought or absorbed into something you were reading or looking at on your phone. 

Seeing your life candidly curated in a digital collection of photos has so many emotions whirling through your mind, love being the most prominent one. 

Your breath hitches when you scroll to the last image in the folder.

You're at the front of your classroom, a stack of papers tucked against your chest as your smile beams out to your class. You note your outfit isn’t your usual uniform, you're wearing your favorite band tee, jeans and sneakers— it’s the morning you were late and Dieter stepped in to help you out, bringing a sense of ease to your disarray of a morning. 

“I think that was one of the moments I knew.” Dieter’s smoky voice cuts into the air, pointing at the image you’ve been studying a little longer than the others.

“Knew what?” Looking up from the phone to see his chestnut eyes twinkling with adoration, his hands gently rubbing against your hips. 

“Knew that I needed you in my life, however that was.” 

“There were others?”

“Your art class was another.”

There’s a beat of silence between you, the start of the next song picking up its pace. 

“Do you ever imagine what it would be like if we would have met each other sooner than we did?” Something you’ve thought about at times, wishing you had more time with him, maybe if you had met sooner. Your fingers trace along the ridge of his collarbone as you wait for his answer. 

“No— you would have definitely deserved better than who I was back then. You would have hated the thought of being in the same room as me.” 

He wouldn’t have been anything close to who he is now, grateful you were never fully subjected to the asshole he used to be. 

Your hand settles on his bare chest, right where his heart is beating fiercely.

“I deserve you now though. And I definitely want to be in every room you walk into.” 

‘Tears stream down your face

I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Tears stream down your face, and I

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you’

Your lips meet his in an unhurried embrace, Dieter pulling your lower body closer to his, his fingers digging into the meat of your backside when your hips start to gradually begin to grind against him, his cock hardening with each brush of your wet cunt. 

His hands create their own intimate paths over your body, one traveling up the length of your spine, the other moving to the underside of your breast, cupping the supple weight of it in his palm. A swipe of his thumb over your sensitive nipple has you gasping into his mouth, the catalyst for your silent plea for more— and he hears it loud and clear. 

His hands. His mouth. His cock— all working in perfect, articulate motions. Until you’re succumbing to the culmination of purposeful exertion and precise execution. 

The last 48 hours were spent with Dieter's departure looming in the background of your minds, not allowing yourselves to stew on the impending heartache that was to come the moment you said your goodbyes. 

Between the hours of relaxed conversations and alleviating desirous needs, you both managed to get through the weekend with a strong sense of optimism about the future. A shared commitment to each other, with endless promises of check-ins whenever possible and working out a plan to see each other once Dieter had his schedule set, it was enough to keep the sadness at bay— it gave you something to look forward to. 

The afternoon slowly began to bleed into your final evening together, tangled limbs and intimate memories treated with exactness, fueling hushed whispers of ‘I love yous’ embedding themselves into every single part of your soul. 

*

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK 

You hadn’t been expecting anyone, the rapid knock on your front door was a complete surprise. 

After confirming your name with the sweet delivery lady, she hands off the beautiful dried floral arrangement, mentioning a card was tucked into the center, wishing you a great rest of your day before driving away. 

You had never seen anything like it before, an incredible assortment of dried flowers, stems and oversized leaves arranged meticulously in a ceramic vase. 

Placing the flowers on the kitchen counter, you pull the small card from it, reading the small written note:

Poppy, I’m so proud of you! You’re so talented and I can’t wait to hear how tonight goes. Love you, Dieter

You smile at his thoughtfulness, missing him so much and needing to hear his voice desperately. 

Pulling your phone from the coat pocket, you dial his number and hope there’s a chance you catch him at a good time. 

“Hello.” There’s warmth in the way his voice cracks through the phone. 

“Hi. I just got the flowers— they’re absolutely beautiful, Dieter. Thank you!” 

“I can’t take full credit. Nessa, my assistant, said you might like them, something about them lasting forever. Anyways, she set up the order while I was in a meeting.” 

“Well, I’ll have to thank her at some point then.” There’s some static carrying through the line as you continue your conversation.

“How are you feeling about today?” 

“Good. Just finally pulled myself out of bed. Going to get dressed, then have lunch with my mom before I get ready for tonight. I miss you, Dieter.” 

There’s a brief moment where it sounds like the call cuts out, looking at the screen you see it’s still counting up the call minutes, still connected. 

“I— you too. ‘Ant wait— it goes….”

“Dieter?…Hello? Babe, your phone keeps cutting out.”

*Call Dropped* 

The connection was lost, conversation cut short, staring at a now black phone screen. 

Poppy💐: Your service must be shitty or something, couldn’t hear most of what you were saying. Call me when you can. Love you 💜

You attach a photo of the flowers along with your message. Knowing if he was in a bad service area, you wouldn’t be getting an immediate response, so you take that as your cue to get yourself ready. 

Poppy: Getting dressed! Should be leaving here in 20 minutes. See you in a bit mom! 😘 

*

Your mom’s presence was exactly what you needed today. Seeing her sitting across from you now makes you feel less overwhelmed by the fact that your boyfriend isn’t here and you’re hours away from sharing this passion project of yours, something so intimate and personal, with a room full of art loving strangers.

But even in her presence, you still find your mind wandering— Dieter being the central character of your deviating thoughts— even things outside your home, the smallest of details, reminding you of him in some way. 

Bart’s across the street, a favorite spot for both of you, especially after the talk you both shared coming to an understanding and moving forward together with a new perspective on each other.

Someone walking by, where your mom and you are sitting together on the restaurant patio, was carrying a merchant bag from a store you had bought Dieter’s birthday present. There was a gold colored velvet button up shirt cover in a large geometric print that you had seen while out shopping with Diem one weekend, she had made the offhand comment that it was totally something Dieter would wear and when you had found out a few days later that Dieter’s birthday was the following weekend, you immediately went back to buy it for him. 

You had also thrown in a pair of tiny Frozen charms, Elsa for Wren and Olaf for Dieter, for the Crocs you had seen him wear around Diem’s house on movie nights, in the chance he hated the shirt you knew he was a sucker for kitschy gifts— by the way he wears the shirt regularly, it’s fair to assume he likes it. 

You even think of him in the most laughable ways too, like when a car similar to his drives by the restaurant, you of course immediately think of him— you find yourself to be a lost cause at this point. 

“I’m so sorry, Sweetheart, I’m sure Dieter would love to be here if he could. Aside from him leaving, how was the rest of the week after he left?” 

“Hmm?” 

“I asked how’s your week been? We haven’t talked much since last week.” 

“Oh my gosh, Mom! I’m so sorry— I’m literally the worst person to be around right now, I’m sure. I’ve been so in my head lately, I can’t even think straight.” You cover your face as you apologize for being lackluster company to her, realizing you’ve spent most of lunch off in La-La-Land. 

“My week was good though. With summer break starting last week, I spent most of this wrapping up last minute grading and finishing up paperwork. Monday and Tuesday I went to clean up my classroom, just mainly clearing out old projects and lesson plans from the past year. Which then left me the rest of the week to get my canvases prepared and hung up over at Reverie, where the art opening is tonight.”

“Sounds like it’s kept your mind off of Dieter not being able to be there tonight.” She gives you a sympathetic look, and it makes you feel so appreciative that she flew out to be here for you. 

“If I’m being honest, it really hasn’t. I just selfishly keep wishing he didn’t have leave so I could have more time with him. And then I hate myself for even thinking that, because I’m so happy and proud of him— he deserves this, I just miss him so much. We’ve tried to talk and FaceTime when we can, but his schedule right now has been busy, so I just sit and wait for him to call most evenings. God, I sound ridiculous!” A slight crack to your voice as you’re overcome with emotion, it’s sadness and happiness all wrapped up in a perfect little box sitting in your chest, lifting your chin up as you fight back the tears that threaten to break. 

“Oh, honey.” She passes you a few clean napkins, noticing the few tears that managed to escape. “Maybe give him a call in a bit, I’m sure hearing his voice will help you feel better.”

“Yeah, I’ll give him a call when I get home. Thanks mom. I’m so glad you’re here! Let’s talk about something else, bring the mood back up. How’s retirement going?” Changing the subject to hopefully suppress your mopey demeanor, dabbing your wet cheeks lightly. 

“Oh, it’s great! I’ve actually been thinking about doing some traveling now that I have all this time.” 

“I love that for you mom. You should go, see the world— you deserve it.” 

She shared about the places she had already started planning to visit— in and around Canada, parts of Europe, then several areas of South America. You greedily wished she didn’t want to go, feeling a steady wave of emotions rock through you at the thought of her being gone for so long. But, you know how much traveling means to her, it’s pure joy watching the way she can’t stop smiling as she shows you landmark places she’ll be visiting— a true testament to chase after the things you love. 

*

Doubt. 

Fear. 

Trepidation. 

A war of anxieties. Ruthless, belligerent intruders, battling for control and power. Your mind slowly forfeits, white flag in waiting, ready to surrender yourself to the helm of your own enemies. 

Even with the excitement surrounding tonight, you hadn’t really mastered the art of calming intrusive thoughts and apprehension once they began to build their way into your consciousness.

There’s the brief moment where you consider getting back into your car and driving home— rid yourself of the stress and anxiety that is overcoming you at the thought of being the center of attention tonight— albeit your art the main focus, but with that will come talking about yourself and it has you ready to bail. 

But, you had put so much time and effort into this collection, executing and curating an intimate journey of discovery in the form of detailed lines and brush strokes that make up a whole series of paintings you are incredibly proud of. 

Breathe. 

In. 

Out. 

Dieter comes to mind, the words he shared with you before he left: 

“You were made for this, it’s who you are and it’s what you know— don’t let you be the reason you stop chasing what you deserve. I believe in everything you do, you should too.” 

His words wash over you, each one forging a path for you to conquer your reluctance to seek out something that you have always dreamed of doing. 

You pull out your phone to shoot Dieter a quick text before heading into the gallery. 

Poppy💐: Hi! I miss you and wish you were here ❤. Hope you had a great day. I’ll have Diem take pictures to send you later. Call me when you can. Love you xo

Remembering back to when  Dieter had shared something he does when his anxiety starts to surface, deciding to take a minute to borrow his technique to help ground your thoughts. 

You see the vibrant lights from the front windows of Reverie Studio, the way the moon is peeking out from behind the building making its way through the sky, the streak of lights from headlights of passing cars, blurred bodies of people milling around the streets unbothered by you rooted in the center of the sidewalk, the time stamped over an image of you and Dieter as the lock screen on your phone. 

You feel the weight of your phone leaving your hand as you drop it in your purse, the flowy dress that you picked out with Diem a few weeks ago specifically for this evening, a folded piece of paper with notes for the small speech you were going to give, a good luck charm in the form of Dieter’s 1 year chip clutched tightly into your hand. 

You hear the muted chatter of the early birds spilling from the open door of the gallery, the mingling musical instruments in the local park showering concert goers with an original melodic song, an indistinguishable mix of hello’s and goodbye’s wrapped around gossip filled phone conversations. 

You smell the sweet-vanilla-waffle confections of the little ice cream shop that stays open late during the summer, a hint of a smokey musk dusting the air reminding you of the woody spicy that’s so distinctly Dieter. 

You taste the delicate flavors of a savory future, one that has a palatable balance of sweetness and verve— something so delectable that you don’t think you’ll be able to stop reveling in its richness. 

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ

Your immediate thought is it’s Dieter, pulling out your phone to see it’s instead Diem. 

Diem: Are you going to stand out there all night?? Get your ass in here!

She’s standing in the window with Wren on her hip, both of them waving at you. 

Feeling a somewhat renewed sense of confidence, you wait for a break in the passing cars and jog across the street to join the crowd already forming inside. 

You’re completely taken aback once you’re through the front door, not by the overwhelming number of people who showed up to view your work, but by how the room is filled with a plethora of vases overflowing with poppies. 

The edges of the room, table tops, display pedestals all covered in a sea of pinks, oranges and pale yellow flowers. 

“So glad you could show up!” Diem and Wren wrap you in a joint hug, a warm greeting with a touch of her special sarcasm. 

“Where did all these flowers come from? They weren’t here yesterday when I stopped in to do some final touches.”

“A certain someone might have wanted to surprise you with something special.”

There’s an immediate pang in your chest, his thoughtfulness and his way of showing support by filling the studio space with your favorite flowers, you have to actively fight off the urge to cry tears of happiness. 

You snap a few photos, focusing on the ones that sit below where your canvases are hung on the fabricated display walls. 

You can’t contain the smile plastered across your face, seeing your work being admired by those in attendance, getting a chance to catch up with friends and fellow artists and having your mom close by listening to her talk up your talent with complete strangers— all still while wishing Dieter were here bask in the excitement with you. 

“If I could have everyone’s attention please.” The owners ask, the room’s noise quickly reduced to a curbed level. “We thank everyone for coming to show their support for this wonderful event. We’ll have her share more about it with you and then we’d like to say a few words afterwards.” 

Applause breaches the silence as you’re beckoned to the center of the room, your paper of scribbled notes in one hand and Dieter’s chip in the other, making your way to the front of the mass of people. 

You introduce yourself as you take in all the faces, some familiar and some new, Diem and your mom in a side embrace with Wren to the front of them, each person enthralled and eager to hear you share more about you and the art behind you. 

“Art has always been a part of me, in so many different ways. Growing up I would tear apart my mom’s magazines to make collages of pretty pictures, sorry mom.” Glancing down at your paper as a wave of soft laughter filters around, it elicits a surge of excitement and sureness blooms somewhere deep in your soul, deciding to for-go reading anything you had written and just share from the heart. 

“And then I got my first sketchbook, that thing never left my side. Always with me at school, trips to the grocery store and even on days when my mom worked late, I’d sit in the corner of her classroom and just draw— creating little scenes from memory. I filled the pages rather quickly too, pages were barely hanging on with the amount of wear and tear I had put it through. Before I knew it, I had amassed a collection of sketchbooks and canvases over the years. Art has always been a part of who I am and I think it always will be.”

Everyone seemed so fascinated by everything you’re sharing. Explaining the story behind your collection— starting as a literal dream and slowly becoming a now etched on canvas reality. 

Even the collaborative piece with Dieter is hung among the others, you went the extra step to add his name onto the little artist placard:

Artists: Dieter & Poppy

Title: ‘Sweet Creature’

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

$: (Not For Sale)

“Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here tonight, I appreciate it so very much, I’ll be around the rest of the evening to chat more or answer any questions. And thank you to Reviere Studio, you’ve become like a second home to me. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to share my love for the arts with the many who attended my classes in this very space, but also to be the last art showing truly means so much to me. I will miss you all.”

Another round of applause and cheers fill the open space. You feel like it went pretty well for how nervous you were earlier in the evening, not really sure why you were doubting yourself to begin with. 

The crowd slowly starts to disperse as you start to weave to where Diem, your mom and Wren are standing, getting stopped for hugs and hellos from former class attendees, congratulatory remarks for complete strangers too— you’re even shocked when Betty and Marilyn stop to share their well wishes with you. 

“I’m so proud of you sweetheart, it’s all so amazing!” Your mom wraps you in praises and a tight hug. 

“Thank you mom, I’m so happy you could be here!”

“I’m happy to be here too!” Wren’s excitement is barely containable as she bounces off the floor. 

“I’m so happy you’re here too Wren!” You tell her as you bend down to give her a hug as well. 

Standing back to your full height, you turn to Diem and just wrap your arms around her shoulders and hold her close, she returns the same energy. 

“Thank you so much for everything, you are literally the best friend I could have ever asked for. I love you so much Diem!” 

“God dammit, Poppy! I didn’t wear any waterproof mascara because I wasn’t planning on crying tonight! I love you too!” She pulls away and starts fanning her face, drying up the tears that had started to fill her eyes. 

“Excuse me! We have a quick, exciting announcement to make before the evening continues with drinks and appetizers.” The sweet owner Susi’s voice boomed out to the guests. 

*

Dieter doesn’t like lying, not in general at least and especially not to you— open and honest is how he continues to move forward with his life. 

But this doesn’t feel like a lie, in a sense. A secret. A surprise. 

Taking this role meant sacrificing his time away and that terrified him, especially being his first project to jump back into. 

After a call with his agent on the drive back to LA Monday morning and a check in with his sponsor,  Dieter requested a meeting with the movie’s higher ups. 

That meeting didn’t happen until a few days later, but when he found out filming would be held in and around LA, Dieter learned his request for weekends to travel back to Ojai was successful. 

That gave him less than 24 hours to get flowers ordered to be delivered to the gallery, let Diem in on his plan to ensure everything was in motion, all while you had no idea what was happening. 

Dieter settles in the back of the crowd, tucked out of sight, finding it difficult to keep his eyes off you as you stand up there. 

Watching you share about your life and how art has always been a big part of it, the two of you so similar in many ways makes him feel a deeper connection to you. 

He recognizes the paper you’ve started crumpled into your hand, worn and creased from the repetitive folding and unfolding, scarred by the cross-hatching over abandoned words or shelved sentences, bullet points of importance to add substance to your speech. He likes the version you who was pacing around her living room Sunday morning, paper in one hand and pen in the other, reciting each line with a fluctuating ambivalent tone, stopping intermittently at the coffee table to rework a line or add something he had suggested. But he loves this version of you standing before him right now, no hesitation in your words, speaking with certainty and feeling— you were more than prepared. 

The way you wear your confidence stirs something inside of him— trying his best to keep a low profile, because all he wants to do is scoop you up and kiss you breathless, to tell you over and over, how perfect and amazing he thinks you are.

He notices the light catching something you’re intently smoothing your fingers over, tracing repeatedly over every word— It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it— engraved on his 1 year chip, a habit he’s welcomed into his daily routine. You had refused to take it from him when he offered it, not wanting him to be without it longer than necessary, but he had vowed to take it back the moment you were reunited. Placing it in your palm, hinting at the streak of luck it had brought him over the past year, ensuring that it would do the same for you— but he knew you wouldn’t need any.

He wants more of this— more time with you. To feel immersed back into this normal paced life and experience the joys that you feel regularly. 

He has to shuffle himself around a bit when the crowd starts to move about, still trying to not be seen, watching you celebrate post speech with your mom, Diem and Wren— eagerly wanting to do the same. 

The gallery owner’s announcement signals the beginning of something exciting. 

He just hopes you’re as ecstatic about what’s about to be revealed as he is. 

*

Susi takes a moment for everyone to quiet down and focus their attention on her before continuing her speech. 

“Earlier this year, we had made the difficult decision to close our doors— deciding it was time to seek out a new chapter with new adventures and close this chapter on Reverie Studio.”

You’re sandwiched between Diem and your mom, hands intertwined as your head rests on Diem’s shoulder, somber as Susi’s heartfelt words about the studio’s closing. 

“But we have some exciting news to share with you all. The gallery and studio are now under new ownership and will continue to stay open. It will be under a new name, but will still retain what Reverie had previously been known for— classes, art openings, studio space. And while we’re sad to hand it over, we’re excited to see it continue to serve the community.”

The delighted commotion pours out into the streets, catching the attention of passersby’s curiosity. 

“So, we welcome you to the new home of Les Coquelicots Studio. The new owner is somewhere here in the audience too.” Heads begin to turn, seeking out where this mysterious owner is, when Susi points towards the back of the room and waves. “Ah, there he is. Please be sure to make him feel welcome and thank him before you leave. Thank you all again for coming and have a wonderful rest of the night.”

Music begins to brim over the conversations that start to pick up, guests dispersing to fill their small plates with finger foods and refilling of drinks, ambling about observing your artwork and surrounding art pieces. 

But you're too focused on the fact that you had no idea that the space wasn’t closing, as you continue turning about scanning the room for the new owner. 

Everything stills. 

No sound. 

No horde of people. 

Just him. 

Dieter Bravo. 

All Dieter-like too, leaning against the back wall, hands secure in his pockets, the slightest tick of his jaw punctuating his dimple. 

Your brain is actively working to re-hardwire your body to function properly, but you’re motionless. Speechless. 

He’s here, propelling himself forward and making his way to you, even as he stands before you, it doesn’t feel real. 

“Surprise.” His voice nearly takes you out, it hasn’t been that long since you had last spoken, but you’ve missed its gravely tone so much. 

“What are you doing here? I thought— I don’t know what I thought because I can’t think straight at the moment. How are you here?” Dizzy with total surprise and confusion. 

He leans in, laughing at your flustered smile, hands slinking their way to your face, his touch charged with fervor as his thumbs sweep over the apples of your cheeks. 

“Came to see my girl.” He smiles softly, his words a breath away from where you want him most. 

You close the distance between you, his lips fitting perfectly against yours, unbothered by the room full of people around you. You knew you would never get that same feeling or experience like with your first kiss, but this is second best and you welcome it fully. 

Before the kiss has a chance to turn into something more than what is appropriate for the setting, you pull away, resting your forehead on his, breathless and happy. 

“It’s you isn’t it— You bought this place?” The answer is clear as you look into his warm eyes. 

“I did.”

“Les Coquelicots? Monet’s painting?” 

“Poppies.” 

This is it. Your forever. With him. Always. 

“I know how much this place means to you, think of it as a thank you— for giving me a chance, for believing in me.” 

“You didn’t have to buy me an art gallery as a thank you, dinner would have been fine.” Your fingers catching the rampant tears streaming down your cheeks, emitting a breathy laugh. 

“We can go to dinner after this then.” His words mumbled in a kiss against your forehead. 

“You still didn’t answer my question— How are you here? What about your movie?” 

“When I found out we would be shooting locally in LA, I told them I had one request— that I was able to go home every weekend if I wasn’t needed on set.” 

“But your home is already there?”

“I’m selling my home in West Hollywood— my realtor is getting it ready to be listed next week, hopefully moved out by the end of the month. So I can move home.” 

It goes without saying that you know what he means, but you want to hear him say it out loud.

“Do you mean here? You’ll be moving here?” 

He nods his head in response.

“What if this place gets too boring for a big movie star like yourself?” Biting your lip with a hint of a smile. 

“Poppy— wherever I go, you bring me home.” 

The kiss is short, but full of a warmth you crave when he’s in your presence, your arms linking around his neck as he pulls flush against, white knuckle grip on your hips— the two you lost in each other as the work around you carries on. 

“Hmm— so, you’re gonna move in with Diem permanently?” 

“Nah, I’ll find some place eventually.” He winks, no real rush to move in together, but he sees it as an option at some point in the future. 

“Well, if you’re over living with your sister, I have a comfortable couch with your name all over it.” You snort at your offer. 

“Poppy, I’m not sleeping on your fucking couch.”

“Suit yourself then.” You mirror his wink before pulling him in for another string of small pecks. 

“I love you, Dieter.”

“I love you too, Poppy”

Next

#sweet creature series #dieter bravo x you #dieter bravo x f!reader #dieter bravo x reader #dieter bravo x fem!reader #dieter bravo x female reader #dieter bravo #dieter x poppy #pedro pascal #wildemaven writes

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for lying about my hair routine?

So, I (25F) don't have a lot of things that I am proud of, appearance wise. But the one thing i AM proud of is my hair. I have these, like, really soft and pillowy brown curls. Like, big fluffy 3A-3B ringlets.

My hair has always been curly, but I was bullied and harassed as a kid for it because I am the only person in my family with curly hair. As such, no one knew how to help me take care of it, so I'd have people both in and outside of my family telling me that I looked like a slob, that I looked lazy, that I looked like I'd just rolled out of bed, etc.

My hair WAS frizzy and messy, but whenever I tried to do something about it, I'd have people tell me I was just trying to be special, and that I knew it looked better straight, so I should just get over it and do the thing that I knew would make it look good. I grew up in Mormon country, so the pressure to look "professional and respectable" (read: conventionally attractive, thin, and white) was very heavy. I either straightened my hair or put it in a tight braid for about a decade before finally going to a curly hairdresser, having her cut it all off and starting fresh some 4 years ago.

Now that the damaged hair is fully gone and I know how to take care of it all, my curls are flourishing. I can't go anywhere without someone complimenting them. It's really lovely.

Now to the part where I might be an asshole. A lot of the people I grew up with (family, my mom's friends, people that go to my parent's church) have also noticed my hair, and are always asking me about my routine.

Now that the natural hair movement has sort of taken off, suddenly the women that got on my case about looking "lazy" and "ratty" and "homeless" all want curls, even if (especially if, in a lot of cases) they don't have a naturally curly hair texture.

Like my mom, for example, has had thick, gorgeous straight hair her entire life--like, it could barely hold a curl even if you used an iron and gelled that shit in place. And she was always complimented for it! But now that the women on her instagram page are showing off their curly girl methods, it's the only thing she can think about, and she talks about how jealous she is of my hair all. The. Time.

So, it usually goes like this. Someone I know compliments my hair and asks me about my routine. I try to laugh it off, then they ask for products, and I tell them that I just use normal head and shoulders shampoo from walmart. They ask me what method I use, I say that I just wash it, sleep on it, then brush it out in the morning--the same routine they always told me to use as a kid. And they seethe, because that's what they've BEEN doing, and it clearly isn't getting the same results. And I just go "well, I guess it has more to do with your natural texture :)" and move on.

I told my sister about this, and she told me I was being an asshole--that these ladies have moved on from their weird prejudice, so I should let it go and explain what I do and why it probably wouldn't work for them. I know it's petty. I know the nice thing to do would be to explain how my hair texture works and so on. But I take a lot of satisfaction in watching these women be jealous of something that they used to shame me for, so I'm okay with being petty. I guess I know I'm an asshole, but am I justified in it?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[cream-stew]

how abt p⭐️ alhaitham taking shy afab readers virginity and wanting to take all their firsts ;;; ANDD kaveh (who is also a p⭐️) is jerking off while watch them get on with it ,,,

- ⭐️ i have returned 🫣

🔞 minors dni

warnings: afab reader, voyeurism, virgin reader, creampie, oral sex, multiple orgasms

// note: the first time I saw this request I instinctively thought p⭐️ meant "popstar" and wrote with this in mind but actually I'm not 100% sure? please lmk if you meant something else I feel like an idiot rn sdfghgf welcome back btw I hope you like this anyway🙏

he feels so lucky that not only you allowed him to pop your cherry right then and there, backstage, barely hidden from view, but also allowed kaveh to watch you two as it happens!!

of course, he's not gonna let kaveh touch you or anything… not before alhaitham gets your virginity, at least😒

your eyes are firmly shut as he makes out with you, his hands slipping under your shirt to grope your tits as he presses his leg in between yours and coaxes you to ride his thigh. you're so embarrassed (and kaveh palming his clothed cock a few steps to the side isn't helping!) but your pussy feels so good as you do it and you just can't stop :( you're gripping the hem of your cute skirt to get it out of the way, but alhaitham didn't let you take off your panties, so you're getting them soaked as you rub your clit over his leg, feeling the unfamiliar texture of his leather pants against your naked thighs.

he praises you for being so obedient, but he still grips your hips to make you ride his thigh faster, and with him biting along the side of your neck you're cumming soon after. he pulls away from you, leaving you dazed and slumped against the wall for a moment, before he pushes you down to your knees and frees his thick cock from his pants.

slowly, he guides the tip past your already parted lips, and takes locks of your hair in both hands to hold you still as he fucks your face. you can barely breathe at first, but he's being gentle enough, and you start to get used to it after a while🥺

you hear kaveh's breathing become heavier, and you chance a look to the side, spying him as he jerks off to the sight of alhaitham making you give your first blowjob.

you think alhaitham is about to cum in your mouth, but no way he'd waste his load down your throat instead than fucking it into your pussy… so he pulls you off his cock and helps you stand up again.

he grips one of your legs by the back of your knee and raises it up, making way for his cock as he rubs it over your folds just a couple of times before penetrating you. he's nice enough to stay still for a bit, letting you get used to the stretch as you pant and mewl at the new sensations, your hands covering your face in embarrassment, but he doesn't have a whole lot of patience, you know?

he starts fucking you soon enough, pounding into your pussy with abandon the more you moan and scream his name, and you're so gone that you completely miss kaveh stepping closer to you two, his own cock so hard and already leaking precum.

alhaitham teases your clit with his free hand, making you cum a second time, and he groans when more of your slick gushes out, making the slide into your loose pussy even easier.

kaveh cums too, his seed splattering all over your stomach and running down to the hem of your skirt, and alhaitham picks up his pace until he's pumping his load deep in your pussy, though he's not exactly satisfied yet… there are still some things he needs to do with your body, he can't just let you go so soon :(

#genshin smut #genshin x reader #genshin impact smut #genshin impact x reader #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham smut #kaveh x reader #kaveh smut #⭐️ anon

[bbcphile]

Thoughts on character and costume?

I really love how the respective characters have different colour palettes, silhouettes but in particular material/textures to their costuming. Fang Duobing is a little princess so he gets pale pastels, fancy ornamentation and transparent gauzy fabrics which I find so cute, he’s not just rich he’s *expensive* and *pretty* it’s pretty funny that he matches the actual princess in the red leaves mountain case

DFS gets your wide shoulder bad guy rich deep colours with thick layers and lots of metal detailing but it veers towards grand instead of pretty. Hot topic young DFS is leather and studs lmao. Brocade and fur & shit.

LLH is a linen boi and he almost never has any metal on him, we all know his natural material hair ornament meta etc. Interestingly, he does share some colour palette and fabric overlap with FDB, we se him with his tits out transparent outer layer sometimes. No structure all flowy silhouette

someone on here made a post abt their differing sleeve styles but I can’t find it!

I wanted to gush but also do u have any extra costume thoughts + how they relate to one another? You have a great knack for finding good photos of the show too 😅

Thanks for the ask, @lei-llustrations , and I love your analysis of the outfits! I'm so sorry it took me forever to respond! I had grand plans for a full essay analyzing DFS's costumes, and then I ran out of spoons for doing that. (The short version of the point I was going to prove is that his a-Fei outfits have elements of what seem to be his favorite details from his fancier alliance leader outfits, so it seemed like evidence of LLH trying to make up for making him be in disguise and without his power. I'm thinking of the maroon-red one with studs in the sleeves in particular, but there are echoes of his preferences in the other ones, too.)

Since I'll never actually respond if I wait to put that meta together, here's a shorter one, with my thoughts on DFS's official Alliance Leader robes (screenshot taken from ep 40, when delivering the wangchuan flower).

LLH and FDB both call him Di mengzhu in the wangchuan flower scene, because he's clearly dressed in a way that makes this an Official Visit. I find it fascinating that he wears his alliance leader outfit instead of his grey, maroon, and gold outfit that he wears for non-alliance matters (aka. the wedding room outfit, which he also wears for such Xiangyi-related purposes as the reunion duel that doesn't happen and grieving for him in the middle of the night). After all, he's giving LLH a gift to save his life and issuing him a friendly anniversary honeymoon challenge, so you'd think that would call for his dating outfit, not his official garb.

BUT! What if he's using his official Alliance Leader regalia as a way of saying that not only a-Fei/Lao Di, but also Di Mengzhu and the Jinyuan Alliance want him to live? It's more than just essentially creating Peace Treaty version 2.0, and trying to get life back to what could have been if SGD and JLQ hadn't ruined everything: their people at peace, and the two of them meeting for friendly duels rather than death matches. Yes, only LLH and FDB are there to witness it, but by showing up in his Official Capacity, he's also correcting all the narratives about the enmity between himself and Li Xiangyi, and in giving him the flower, he's officially declaring that Di Mengzhu wants Li Lianhua to heal and have his strength and power back more than he wants to gain martial arts power himself.

This is a HUGE deal. DFS formed the Jinyuan Alliance as a way of climbing the ranks of the jianghu, because his goal was to gain strength so he'd never be helpless or forced to do someone's bidding again. And yet, he wears the outfit that symbolizes that striving and his place at the top of it to GIVE AWAY THE FLOWER THAT WOULD CEMENT HIS PLACE AT THE TOP OF THE JIANGHU. He wants Li Lianhua to not just live but also to regain the strength SGD and JLQ stole from him, which would mean that Li Xiangyi would quite possibly defeat him, and he would welcome that, because it's not about self-protection anymore: now, what he wants more than anything else, is for Li Xiangyi/Lianhua to live.

If that's not enough of an emotional gut punch, try this: Di Feisheng told Li Xiangyi at the start of the show that swordsmen shouldn't have weaknesses. Di Feisheng has only really had two "weaknesses" (vulnerabilities might be more accurate): his desiring the wangchuan flower (which led to SGD and JLQ incapacitating him) and Li Lianhua. It feels like a monumental shift to me that, at the end of the show, Di Feisheng hands one weakness to the man who is the other: essentially, he is announcing to the world that nothing is more important to him than Li Lianhua's recovery, and he doesn't care who knows it.

It also feels very pertinent that his official outfit is wedding red, and he's essentially showing up in his fanciest remaining outfit to offer Li Lianhua his heart on a platter priceless magical flower in a box the way someone might show up at the house of their beloved with boxes and boxes of betrothal gifts. Not that DFS explained that or LLH picked up on it, because that would involve better communication skills than either of them had.

#mysterious lotus casebook #mlc meta #lianhua lou #lhl #asks answered #Di Feisheng #Li Lianhua #Fang Duobing #costumes #feihua #dihua

[noldolante14]

Maedhros & Maglor Week Headcannons

I don't have the patience to write a fic or draw, but here is some of my thoughts for @maedhrosmaglorweek

Maedhros

Red hair that is LONG and straight but not very thick. Was a decent thickness and texture pre-beleriand, but after thangorodrim it is much thinner

Has oldest daughter vibes and also Catholic Guilt™ simultaneously

very rational and practical (until after the nirnaeth)

known to be the only level-headed one in the family (argument can be made for Caranthir)

Diplomat, good at negotiating

Battle strategist, many people in second and third ages (Elrond included) have studied his battle tactics and used them to win

not good at small talk

Fights with single Longsword, Longer than you are tall

Taller than everyone (perhaps shorter than Thingol but he's taller than Turgon and that's what's important)

Besides Maglor is closest to Caranthir

Maglor

Inherited Feanor's dark and thick hair but got Miriel's curls

has a big artist mentality, not very realistic in his ideas. This was a big issue with raising Elrond and Elros, because he idealized himself as a father figure and didn't always face the reality of the situation (Maedhros provided a lot for their education)

Lost the power in his Song after Losgar, gained it when Maedhros returned and unlocked it again to help his recovery

Taught Elrond and Elros Song, Elrond used it more but Elros was better at it naturally

Fights with voice but also dual swords

Only ever beaten at Song by Elrond and Elros once, they were nine and didn't want to go to bed

Closest with the Ambarussa

Went grey after Maedhros passed

Wandered the beaches forever before finally becoming Hozier

#elrond #maedrosmaglorweek #maedhros #maglor #feanorian #feanorians #silmarillion #kanafinwe #tolkien #elves #lotr #maitimo #makalaure #neylafinwe

[kinkandkreep]

TokRev Boyos Dad-canons:

Baji-boo:

Learned how to be a dad from observing his mom be a mom

I think the consensus is that Ryoko is a major contributing factor for Baji ranking number 1 out of the best boyfriends to have in TokRev

I would venture a guess and say that though Baji was influenced by his mother’s parenting, he knows that she didn’t do a perfect job, as with any parent, and he intends to make up for where she might have stumbled

Now, I’ma keep it trill wit y’all, I ain’t read Letter from Keisuke Baji and don’t know much about it 😭

BUT from what I’ve gathered, we do see more of Baji and his mother’s interactions

I think overall, Baji is a very chill dad

He’s one who never really gave deep thought about the prospect of having kids, but figured that if it happened, it happened

Initially, Keisuke does have some insecurity concerning whether he could be an adequate father or not

But once the time actually arrives, he’s very self assured and confident in his ability to be a great parent

Contrary to popular belief, Keisuke isn’t stupid stupid, he’s just book dumb

He’s got good common sense and reasoning skills, and he’s very well aware that both pregnant women and babies are fragile 

So, he acts accordingly 

Keisuke tries his best to be gentle during your pregnancy and after 

He insists upon doing practically everything for you 

He doesn’t like to dwell on it, but he frets a lot during the whole process

Everything is liable to harm you and your baby and the thought makes him simultaneously furious and so anxious he can at times visibly vibrate from feeling both emotions

You do a fair amount of damage control during and after your pregnancy, even though you’re technically the one meant to be hormonal and sensitive

Keisuke, perhaps surprisingly, doesn’t really cry when you give birth

His eyes more so water really hard but no tears fall

He’s actually really supportive and calm throughout the birthing process (which he insisted on being present for) and once your little bundle of joy has been safely and successfully brought into the world, he’s immediately overtaken with such a sense of happiness and fulfillment and the urge to protect that he’s slightly taken aback

Rather randomly, he looks great in all the hospital pictures taken the day your baby is born 🙃

I could honestly see Keisuke having either a boy or a girl in about equal measure, so I’ll let you decide what the two of you have

Either way, he adores his child

He’s kinda like Mikey, in that he can be firm but also very accommodating with his kid(s)

Is somewhat familiar with Cocomelon and prays your child never has to be 🙃 (mostly for his own sanity)

Bubble Guppies is his stuff though

Coos at your child all the time

Like everytime he sees them he’s just overwhelmed with this desire to make cute noises at them 😂

Would beat anybody up who tried to make fun of him for it though *coughMIKEYcough*

Takes care of the majority of baby related and household duties for quite some time after you’ve given birth

He just wants to be helpful, you’ll let ‘im won’t you? 🥺

He tries not to coddle you though, since he knows you’re not like, bedridden, just recovering

His favorite baby cartoon is probably Paw Patrol and his favorite pup is, perhaps predictably, Chase (though he does also have a soft spot for Zuma) 

MATCHING. OUTFITS. 

Keisuke loves to match outfits with his baby

And like he’s not normally a fashion focused guy, like Mitsuya, but when it comes to coordinating with his little “mini me,” he really goes all out 

Of course, who would Keisuke be if he didn’t let your child(ren) play with his long, luscious locks?

A terrible father, that’s who 😤

I can see Keisuke’s baby or babies all having hair like his, and this makes for some…interesting wash days

Especially if you got temperamental 4C hair, like me

And then combine that with how thick Baji’s hair is too???

Girl, my arms hurt and I’m ti’ed just thinkin’ about it 😂

Luckily, whatever texture your hair is, Baji doesn’t mind being the one to handle wash days, once you’ve shown him the proper hair care techniques

Loves to go on outings and do different activities to engage your little one

Keisuke knows he wasn’t the most academically gifted, so he does everything in his power to make sure that your child is mentally stimulated from a young age to hopefully encourage a greater academic ability 

All that being said, Baji is a superb dad, and he believes wholeheartedly that fatherhood has changed him for the better 🙂

Draken here

#tokyo revengers #tokyo rev #tokrev #baji keisuke #keisuke baji #baji

[blerb-f1]

I noticed that y’all have no idea what Germans grew up listening to. Late 80’s/very early 90’s stuff is THE SHIT and all the drivers definitely know them by heart as do i. So here’s a songfic to a sappy German lovesong(?) that we know by heart.  Also, i may have been a bit drunk and a bit nostalgic so yes

This one is called “dammit, I love you” and one of my all time favorites https://youtu.be/x6q0ciiqyG0.

Ex! Sebastian Vettel x Reader (songfic!!)

I wander through the streets until after midnight

Loved doing that back then as well

Don’t need you for that

Sebastian stared at the cold leaves falling, hands shoved into his pockets. 2013,  the year of evil things. Good Guy Seb was gone, especially after Multi 21. Same with his homelife, he grew bitter and almost jaded. The infighting with Mark traveling home to you, his Girlfriend. To be exact, his ex-girlfriend. You didn’t want to hear him like this anymore. You struggled through so much together, so why didn’t he want to listen? That’s what you had told him, but he knew better. He had to prove himself, to be the man. With or without you. Showing that he wasn’t just lucky, winning thanks to the car but instead due to his own prowess.

I’m sitting at the bar, drinking another beer

Back then, together we’d be here

It doesn’t affect me, doesn't affect me at all.

He pulled the big, wooden doors of his usual bar open, the Barkeeper mildly nodding  towards him with a pained expression. He knew everything about the situation, witness to one to many fights and breaking up equally many of them. He celebrated Sebs first World Title with you here, sponsoring Champagne to every guest that stumbled in. How quickly Time had passed since then. Sliding into his usual seat, the barkeeper quietly placed a bottle of beer in front of him which Sebastian hurried to take a sip from. 

This season was over, and It had taken enough from him. Ferrari was going to be a new start- Start of a new journey without you. He could do this without you. He should. He had to. 

Opposite of me sits a guy like a bear,

I imagine if he was your new man

It doesn’t affect me at all

Seb stared at the tall, muscular man sitting there. He looked a lot like Jenson Button, a guy you were often rumored to be cheating with. Not that you’d do that. You were loyal, if so to a fault.

Suddenly it hits me and i approach him

I tell him off:” Leave my Woman alone”

He just asks:” Are you mad?”

And all i can think of is You

Staring into Jenson’s Face just flared his deep rooted Anger. Those fake cheating news had started it all, making his trust towards you weaker. Making him question you while you were there for him through thick and thin. So what if you actually were with Jenson now? Sipping Cocktails somewhere in Britain? You, wrapped around his arms? 

'No, that needed to stopped.' 

He pushed the chair back and stomped towards Jenson, Face filled with Anger. “Leave my Woman alone!”, he almost screamed while slamming his fist on the table. Jenson jumped upwards in shock, clearly surprised. “Are you Mad?” he pushed Seb away from him. The barkeeper was quick to arrive, grabbing Seb by the sleeves and pushing him out. Muttering something about enough Alcohol which Seb didn’t hear. All he could think of was you. Your beautiful, loving eyes staring back at his upon waking up. The texture of your skin while wrapped around him.

Dammit, I love you

I don’t love you

Dammit, I need you

I don’t need you

Dammit, I want you

Dammit, I don't want you

I don’t want to lose you

Slowly I’m starting to remember it all

I just wanted to be a bit more free

Am I now or am I not?

You’d left before the season was over, after your big fight in Hungary. Dyed his Hair blonde because you loved his natural hair so much. Ready to actually become the villain you called him. 

I didn’t fit into your happy world

But it and you, are what i’m missing the most

I simply can’t believe it 

He was free to do whatever he so desired , but at what cost? He dominated the season but without your love at home, without you tousling his locks so gently, nothing was fine anymore. You were angry at his rude demeanor, his blatant disregard of others. You didn’t understand, with Michael being like that he felt like he had to prove himself anew. To prove himself the new German hope as some called him. 

Opposite of me Is a phone

It’s laughing at me mockingly

It won’t, it won’t ring

His iPhone laid there, Wallpaper back to the default one instead of your wide smile, sometimes turning on to inform him of some trivial news yet none of them related to you. Were you actually happy without him, living your best life?

 He did something he hadn't done since meeting you: smoking. You hated the smell with a fiery passion. Sebastian grabbed a cigarette from the Box (Marlboro Reds of course) and placed it between his lips while procuring a lighter from god knows where. Lighting it and taking a deep breath. The hot smoke filled his body with a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Seven beers, smoked too much

This is what a man needs

But nobody, nobody to stay “Stop it”

And again, all I can think of is You

He dropped the lit cigarette into the empty beer bottle, face crashing flatly on the table. Nicotine and Alcohol running through his veins, making his body fuzzy. You’d have said Stop. You didn’t like seeing him in this state.

You’d have said Stop like you always did. The voice of reason in his miserable, little life. Stop to Betrayal. Stop to Fighting. Stop to Self-Doubt and Self-hatred. 

Dammit, I love you

I don’t love you

Dammit, I need you

I don’t need you

Dammit, I want you

Dammit, I don’t want you

I don’t want to lose you

He didn’t want to lose you but he already did. You were gone.

#Sebastian Vettel x Reader #Sebastian Vettel x you #Sebastian Vettel #f1 x reader #blerb writes

[writingwithcolor]

Black woman with shockingly dark eyes and impossible features - is this exotification?

@pretend-this-username-is-funny asked:

Okay so I'm writing a superhero story and one of my main characters is from Ethiopia. I know it's really frowned upon to give black characters "exotic" features, especially things like light eyes and perfectly straight natural hair. My character is described as having very dark skin but she also has some features that are meant to show her powers. For instance, her eyes are very dark but they're described as being like oil in that they're very shiny and reflect a lot of color, and she has specks of shiny green and blue on her cheeks which are described as freckles. 

She also has really long bright green hair but I want to make it clear that it's really thick and not at all straight. It's not really curly though either, but I don't know any words for hair like that. Are there any adjectives I can use to describe the texture? 

These features are supposed to reflect her powers which are basically colorful blasts of energy but I don't know if they could come off as trying to make the character exotic. I have a bunch of white characters who also have unusual or otherwise impossible features (one is a girl with white hair and unnaturally pale skin and there's also a boy with cat like pupils and fangs). Having unusual physical traits is normal for superpowered people in this world but I don't know if this could be potentially harmful.

"Exotic" features on Black people

I know it's really frowned upon to give black characters "exotic" features, especially things like light eyes and perfectly straight natural hair.

I wouldn't say it's frowned upon to give Black people light eyes and straight, natural hair in itself. It’s when creators choose these features for Black people time and time again over those with darker features and those more commonly associated to their heritage. 

It's also a problem when characters with these "special" traits are exalted, either by the narrative, fate, or other characters, while the other "non-special" Black people aren't given favorable treatment, if they even exist in the story at all. Books tend to represent Black people with light skin or stand-out features first, especially Black women (Black men are more often allowed to be dark and still be seen as attractive, although not always).

When you do have characters with these extra-special traits, it's nice to avoid the pitfalls mentioned above. Also, adding important Black characters without these traits helps to balance out the special snowflake syndrome.

This applies to your character as well. The oil-dark eyes doesn't read as exotifying to me. The shiny green and blue freckles are adding some more "main character syndrome" to the mix, but i'm not too concerned. You have characters of other races with unusual and impossible features. This helps to avoid implications of her only deserving to be there because she's not like the others.

As for her hair Thick, not quite curly, but not straight at all? I think you're looking for the word wavy. Check out our hair guide for more words that may help with texture words, but I think wavy works fine.

~Mod Colette

#Black hair #afro hair #description #exotification #special snowflake #Black women #asks

[twsted-kinks]

TWST Dick and Pussy Headcanons (NSFW)

>minors and ageless DNI<

Content warning: Descriptions of genitals. Includes terms dick, cock, cunt, pussy. May include kinky stuff idk yet but bdsm and piss is always possible.

(Probably dropping the janitor series but gonna keep doing this one cause headcanons easier than fics. May still write janitor scenarios here and there but idk)

Parts: Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle (here), Scarabia & Ignihyde, Pomefiore, Diasomnia

Azul

Pussy

Azul has a cute little clit and a tight cunt with his thick trimmed pubes matching his silver hair. His clit and cunt are very sensitive and he squirts easily and a lot. And, he hates it. Why? Well, he squirts ink (because I say so) and which can stain just about everything. This is why he usually jerks off in the bathroom where it's easier to clean. Azul is not good with most degradation, but degradation mixed with praise hits him hard. That mixed with him being a drooling masochistic sub means there's a lot of fun that can be had. Call him a pretty slut while you choke him and slap his cunt, fuck his face and call him the perfect cockskeeve, use his cunt and ass with no prep and groan in his ear about he's your favorite fleshlight. His ink will be everywhere.

Dick

Azul's cock is honestly adorable. Just a little under 3 inches (~7 cm) with trimmed pubes and a little beauty mark on his balls. His balls are plump and compliment his cock nicely. Again, he's self conscious af partly because of size but mostly because of the fact his precum is ink. Please dom the fuck out of him and especially slap his cock. Loves CBT and will cry. Watching him cry is just- he's so beautiful with tears streaming down his face. If you want to be really cruel to him, put him in a chasing cage. He hates it but also loves it so much.

Mer Pussy

Azul's pussy in mer form is below and between all of his tentacles (where an octopus beak would be). There's a natural slickness that is always present, so, when he gets horny, his cunt is absolutely drenched. It's a weird texture, but it's a very nice texture. His clit isn't big or long but it's almost like a miniature tentacle without the suction cups. His clit in your mouth will wrap wound your tongue.

Mer Dick

Azul's dick in mer form is in the same general area as his dick in his human form, but everything is behind a slit. You have to turn him on if your want his dick to be out. His testicles are internal so all stimulation comes from touching under his slit. His cock in mer form is just a bit longer than his human and is like another tentacle without suckers. His cock will try to wrap around your cock/strap and his cock inside you will be wiggling a lot.

Jade

Pussy

Eel mers have a little more freedom in terms in genitals. They can't change their genitals instantly, but they can change between male and female freely. Jade usually chooses to go with a vagina just cause it's what he prefers. He's used to internal genitals and doesn't like his bits just hanging out. He doesn't shave his pubes clean but he trims them very short and there's a very small amount of hair. His clit is rather big (similar to an afab person on T). Just because he prefers having a vagina doesn't mean he's super into being penetrated. He does enjoy doubled sided straps though. Loves tying you up and pegging you. Has a whole bondage and impact play toys.

Dick

While he prefers having a pussy, he also likes to change it up a bit. He'll decide to have a dick from time to time. His cock isn't girth but it is long, roughly 9 inches (~23 cm) that curves upward with a decent set of balls to go with it. He likes fucking you with his cock, especially enjoying your tight ass, but he doesn't like how he finishes quicker cause he can feel you around him. He's mostly a dom top, but, if you do want to top him, it'll be easiest to go for it while riding him. Though, at any moment he can flip it around and just rail you.

Mer

First of all, eel mers got both a dick and cunt because I said so. There's one slit for genitals above the anus where the human like torso and tail meet. The slit, when aroused, opens up to reveal the vagina and internal sheath for the two cocks (they get 2 again because I said so) where the cocks get hard and grow out of the sheath. Another aspect about eel mers is that, during certain times of the year, they got little eggs that come out of their cocks as well.

This is Jade's most comfortable form of his genitals. He loves fucking you in his mer form. Two cocks to stuff wherever he wants and a vagina for you to eat out. And, when that time of year comes and if you're willing, he's absolutely stuffing you with eggs. They won't be fertilized and can either be pushed out or disintegrate over time. He's also more willing to be dommed and topped in mer form, especially if bondage is involved. Normally he likes to be in control, but role-playing you catching him in a net and having your way with him is a real turn on. Milk him of his cum and eggs, fuck his cunt, he'll talk shit but also absolutely love it.

Floyd

Dick

Like Jade, Floyd can choose which genitals he wants in human form, but Floyd likes having an external dick and balls. He likes how they dangle and can flop around. Yes, he does helicopter his dick when nude and bored, and, yes, he will put his dick to a fan and just put it in random things. He has panicked and needed help to get his dick out of things like a bottle. His dick is about 9 inches (~23 cm) and curves downward. His pubes are unkempt and his balls are saggy and he loves it that way. They will slap you when he fucks you. He also just likes touching you/placing his dick and balls on you and on your things. He can be hard or soft, it doesn't matter. You will be doing something and suddenly there's his cock in the way. You'll be sleeping and wake up to his cock and balls on your face. He also just likes cumming on you randomly. If you're standing in the library or anywhere he thinks he can get away with it, you will suddenly feel your pants/skirt/legs wet with Floyd's cum. If you're sitting, Floyd will sneak up and cum in your hair or quickly yank you by your hair and angle your face so he can cum on your face. He'll also do this a couple times a day cause he has a high fucking libido and what seems like a bottomless pit that is his balls. You can try to put him in a chastity cage, but you better be prepared for the biggest brat behavior in your life. Cage him? He'll hump you instead. Punish him? He's teasing you the entire time. The only form of punishment that works is edging and denial, but he will lash out if you deny him. It is a challenge, but doable to tame him.

Pussy

He doesn't really like having a pussy casually, but he LOVES getting his pussy fucked. Either get a double strap or a strap for an extra dick, cause NEEDS you to fuck his ass and cunt. He needs you to fill him. His pubes are a forest with a nice big clit for you to find. Loves when you suck on it. He misses taking his dick out when he has his pussy, but he likes grinding on your thigh and covering you in his slick. Also loves riding your face. He will break your neck when facesitting so you better have good health insurance.

Mer

He loves his mer form but does miss just having his dick out at all times. Still, with his libido it's very common for his cocks to be out more often than not. Will drag you into the water and hump you and cum all over you. His favorite though is a version of reverse cowgirl where you're cock/strap is in his cunt and his cocks are in your hole(s). That or a normal cowgirl with double sided dildo in both you and him with his cocks either both in you or one in your and the other fronting your cock/clit. He usually likes this more cause its easier to bite you and shove his tongue down your throat.

#twst smut #twst writings #twst x reader #twst octavinelle #twst azul #twst jade #twst floyd #twst azul smut #twst jade smut #twst Floyd smut #twst writing

[maridoodles]

brush theory doodle

my brush settings + how i use them under the cut

I use paint tool SAI

PEN BRUSH • LINER + FLAT COLORS

this is the basic pen that comes with SAI. I use it for sketching, lining, and throwing down colors. It's very lightweight to use, and responds great to pressure. i like how soft it looks but it's still solid for selecting areas and paint bucket filling when coloring later on

MARKER BRUSH • BLENDING COLORS

this is the marker tool, i have it set to a fine flat tip to use like a copic chisel tip end. It's semi transparent so it works just like a marker, more pressure will give more color. It's great to add a wash of shading in a picture when using on a separate layer. When coloring on one layer, it'll pick up colors and blend them like when painting with oil paints.

here is an example of using it to lay down shadows in this wip, but it leaves a lot of harsh edges that i'll blend out with a watercolor brush.

SUGOI BRUSH • LINER

this brush i got from an artist that's no longer on tumblr... i do not use this to color because it pulls colors really weird when painting on one layer. But it's great if you want very straight lines. I use this when i want thicker consistent lines like my merch art

it also layers very fun because it's semi transparent. I use it when I want very soft casual lines like in this illustration, see how the lines blur into the colors on the layer underneath?

CRAYON BRUSH • TEXTURE this is my favorite brush. it mimics a rough 2B pencil, it has a beautiful texture. However, it has so much texture that unless you have very thick lines it'll leave pixel gaps so you cannot use the paint bucket fill/select tool making it not great for lining.

I use it to add blush lines and shade hair like Serafina's from my Ghoulfriends comic. Use it on a seperate layer for the sharpest results

i saw this brush theory trend on instagram and wanted to join because i love talking about all i put into my art

bye

#brush theory #i ramble for 10 years under the cut sorry #tutorial #tutorials #brushes #paint tool sai brushes #my art #original

[one-time-i-dreamt]

not a dream

I was just talking to a good friend of mine who has naturally wavy to curly hair and we were both venting about our hairs, he'd love if his hair was straight and I'd love if my hair was curly or at least had some volume.

It's so interesting how a lot of people I know who have really straight hair wish they had curly hair and vice versa.

Like, my hair is super straight and without any volume. It's heavy, but also, I don't have a lot of it. It won't hold curl and blowouts just fall flat on me. Hairdressers hate me. It takes color really badly as well. I can't do much with it because pins fall out of my hair because it has kind of a silky texture.

Meanwhile, all the people who always tell me they want my hair because it's so straight and "shiny" have amazing thick, curly hair. I want their hair and they want mine, but I guarantee that none of us want or understand the issues of each other's hairs completely.

#not a dream #tea chitchats