#i'm curious if this is one of her debut dresses

[fashionsfromhistory]

Ball Gown

Driscoll (United States)

c.1900

Gift of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, 1976

The MET (Accession Number: 1976.134.14a, b)

[eeulysian]

⟡ . ALLURING

summary: model!kafka x afab!actress!reader. you met kafka at the red carpet, and both of you became enamored with each other.

cw: none

a/n: i'm sorry if i went overboard (or too short) and if my english or fic wasn't good! it's my first time making a fic, and i cringed a little making the dialogues.. other than that, i just love the celebrity au thing specifically with hsr women! they're all so glamorous and pretty enough that they'd star so good in the entertainment industry ❤

YOU were a rookie actress in the entertainment industry. even while you were a rookie, people absolutely loved you no matter if you were starring a big or a small role in a show or movie.

on one particular day, you were invited to the red carpet. you had to pick out the most prettiest dress you had in your closet because this was gonna be the biggest day you've ever experienced.

and you were infact right.

as soon as you got to the place, you were crowded by loads of vips and big shots like himeko, one of the older actresses you know. you starred in a romance show once and you met her. she starred as the female lead's best friend. and there was also serval, a really popular singer in the entertainment industry. she has many fangirls fawning over her.

there was countless of big shots and celebrities you could name, but there was one in particular that caught your eye.

kafka. she was the most beautiful model in the industry, and shes appeared in many magazines. she even starred only once in a show as a background character and she still caught many people's attention. if you say even her name, people would instantly light up and start talking about her. she's just that impressive.

she noticed you when she saw that there was a crowd centering you. she was curious to see who it was, and she found out that you were the rookie actress that just debuted recently.

after the crowd went away to go and center some other celebrities, she finally came up to you.

"aren't you... y/n? the rookie actress that starred in that action movie with stelle?", she asked. "oh, yes i am! and you are kafka, right? the renowned model that appeared in countless magazines? i really love how the recent vogue magazine turned out, you looked so pretty in it!", you reply to her back, flashing her a polite smile. "oh baby, no need to flatter me. i'm just doing my job after all", she gives you a wink and you jump slightly, both at the pet name and the wink while wearing a light hue of pink appearing on your cheeks.

"say... why don't you have dinner with me later? i'll drive you home ♡", she says, giving you a seductive smile. your heart skipped a beat, wondering where this will take you. all you said was a shy "yes", and that's where you knew you and kafka were going to be a scandal together.

© 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝗲𝘂𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻. 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹, 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁.

[kbagraces]

Curious Time - Lando Norris

Lando Norris x Singer!reader

Multiple part series where their friendship was easy, their feelings were confusing and the distance was the hardest <3

(Third person perspective)

PART 4 -

I KNOW IT WON’T WORK

"What if I'm not worth the time and breath your saving?"

yourusername just posted

It's finally finished! My debut album! I'm so proud of this, she's my baby. Thank you for being patient over these last 6 years. We've had singles, we've had EPs and now an ALBUM.

Introducing "I know it won't work" out November 4th!

To thank you, one more single off the album before she's all yours. The song the whole project is named after, 'I know it won't work' is yours!

Liked by landonorris, pietrapiola and 127,000 others

Since leaving Lando's in the summer, y/n had worked non stop on the album. She was right in telling him it wouldn't work as they now were speaking less than they ever had. Hence the blatantly obvious title track written solely about him. She put her soul into this album, songs that were personal to her every experience.

Everyone would interpret them differently, one of the things she loved about her art. But he'd know and in the back of her mind she worried for his reaction. Would he be happy? Would he be hurt?

Beautiful song. Call me sometime.

That was it. A simple message as if he knew she was worrying. It was just enough to calm her. She left his in May it was now September. Things were fine for a month, until calls got few and far between how she'd expected. It was normal she knew they'd come back to each other but this one hurt more, maybe because she felt his promises were now empty.

July was worse as Lando was spotted with some model she'd not heard of. She wasn’t one to believe gossip pages, so when she saw she couldn't think quick enough before her hands had type a message to Pietra, her inside woman when it came to Lando gossip due to her boyfriend and his 'bromance' as they call it.

Pietra confirmed they were causally seeing each other. Empty promises. Y/n found herself infatuated with the mystery girl, leading to her writing one of her songs 'Lacy' off her new album.

The song she is performing tonight at the Brits. She's beyond nervous. Not speaking to Lando before hand like she usually would isn't helping. She's on in 30 minutes and her brain is racking up all the things that could go wrong. But he's not hers to call anymore.

Pietra was there but she was engrossed in her phone, not aware of y/n’s mental termoil.

Y/n’s phone rings... Lando. She doesn't want to give in but God does she need these nerves to go.

"Hi Lan, long time no speak." She sighs out of awkwardness.

"P told me you're a surprise guest at the Brits? Why didn't you tell me? I'm so proud of you y/n/n." He cheers. She can hear the smile in his voice talking like nothing had changed, like she hadn't just released a song about how much she dreaded the idea of them together.

"I wasn't meant to tell anybody, you know."

"I'm not anybody though, y/n/n." He sounds hurt now. That's not what she meant. She just wasn't sure he cared anymore. She'd been ignoring him after she found out about his mystery girl leading them to only drift further apart. "What are you singing tonight? The song about me or..." he teases.

She's glad he gets it, she's glad he's not angry.

"Um, well. No. Well it's not the latest song if that's what's your asking?" She stutters, it's not the one he's heard, but not far fri being about him.

"Another one about me? Oh I am flattered. Can this one be a little happier this time. I wasn't all bad in our friendship."

"Oh this one is sort of about you, but not really. And it's not happy I'm sorry, I wrote it when I was a little crazy but it's too good to not release." She's rambling, he knows she's nervous whether it be about the performance about the song abour talking to him, he can sense it.

"10 minutes!" Someone yells form outside her dressing room

"Lan I've got to go. Thank you for calling. We'll speak soon?" Another empty promise.

"Y/n/n, wait. You'll smash it you know. You're amazing at what you do, everyone will love it whatever it's about."

He always knew what she needed to hear, she hated that about him. She hated that they were still so in sync. But he's with someone else, it won't work.

As she steps on stage, smoke circles around her feet. The lights so bright she can barely see the crowd, it makes it easier.

"Lacy, oh Lacy..."

The cheers were deafening, she'd never felt more acknowledged, more proud. Tears in her eyes she hugs her guitarist so tight. She's proud of herself, her hard work paying off.

She doesn't stick around for press, the alcohol she downed after her performance would throw all PR training out the window. Pietra joins her to continue the party back at her London flat.

Yourusername just posted a picture

You got the one thing that I want

Brits thank you for having me

A couple of drinks more and P makes her way home to Max, leaving Pippa alone once more. A little too drunk to control her best interests, picking up her phone. Clicking Lando. It rings and rings until,

"Y/n, it's 2am where you are! What's wrong?"

"Lan! I did it! Did you see me? Of course you didn't, but I did it! I wish you were here." Why did she say that, but she didn't care right now she wanted him to be proud of her.

"Of course I saw y/n/n. Would never miss something like that. You're so talented, unbelievably talented."

"Lando who's on the phone"

Y/n heard it, the girl she's penned as Lacy. Embarrassment flushes her already red face from the alcohol.

"I didn't realise you had company, I'll leave you to it. Im sorry." A lump forming almost instantly in her throat. The alcohol heightening her emotions, although they were very real, just never this on the surface.

"Don't be sorry. I'll sit in the living room, we haven't spoke in so long please don't hang up. Please." She can't say no, she could never say no. He has a hold on her. They both know it, it infuriates her, causing her to blurt out emotions she saved only for writing sessions never to his face.

"You broke your promise." So quiet he almost missed it.

"What promise?"

Ouch.

"You promised to wait for me. You said it'd be different. We speak less than we ever have. I'm losing you and you're losing me. It's supposed to be us Lando. Now its you two."

"You never gave me a chance, y/n/n. You never gave me a chance in our friendship nor a relationship. You got fixated that it would be bad, you pushed me away not the other way around."

"I'm scared that's why! Not because I don't want you because I'm terrified it'll ruin what we have."

"Well we don't even have that anymore."

Double ouch.

"I'm going to go. I'm sorry I shouldn't have called."

"Y/n/n- wait- I-" He stutters, he doesn't know what he wants to say, he just doesn't want her to go. The girl in his bed is a pass time, he even thinks she's aware of it. She's enjoying her 5 minutes of fame, nice holidays and dinners knowing she's a place holder for the one he can't have.

"Bye Lan"

Tears finally leave her eyes, built up from 2 years of fighting for each other to end with nothing. Why was she so scared of the one thing she wanted? She hated herself right now. She couldn't stop crying from such a high to such a low. She reached to her phone which was still pinging with messages from Lando. Switching it off the tears fell and fell staining her blush coloured pillows.

This is all wrong and she's not sure it'll ever be right.

Masterlist

[darkstar225]

Twice's 10th member being pampered by 6mix (not her cup of tea but-)

A/N: I got an ask on Tumblr and I loved writing it, ty and I'm sorry for taking some time but studying sucks. This one is being posted as thanks for 25k views on Wattpad :D

The request: hii <3 i have a request where its kinda like the being babied by 6MIX prank but instead its not a prank and they genuinly treat her like a baby and it gets on the maknae's nerves because she isn't an affectionate person

PS: Tysm for everyone that reads what I write, I hope I can bring a smile to your faces every time I post! I'd like to thank whoever sent me this idea 'cause I loved to write it <3

__________________________________________________________

In the vibrant city that never slept, the walls of JYP Entertainment's headquarters echoed with laughter and melodies. The headquarters was buzzing with the excitement of 6MIX's 10th debut anniversary celebration. The air was thick with nostalgia and harmony as the members rehearsed their upcoming performances and shared stories of their journey together.

Amidst the mess of preparations, the youngest member, Y/N, found herself in a curious predicament. Y/N was known for her composed and somewhat distant demeanour, a stark contrast to her lively and affectionate group mates. As the day of the anniversary celebration drew nearer, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Sana, Jihyo, and Jiwon (aka 6MIX unnies) decided to create a plan to shower their baby with the love and attention she rarely expressed herself.

The morning sun streamed through the windows of the dormitory as Y/N emerged from her room, a book in hand and a faint smile gracing her lips. She was dressed in her usual casual attire, her eyes focused on the pages before her. Just as she reached the living area, the atmosphere shifted. Nayeon appeared, her face adorned with a playful grin that instantly put Y/N on alert.

Nayeon - Good morning, Y/Nnie! 

Nayeon cooed with her tone overly sweet.

Y/N- Morning, Nayeon unnie. *furrowing her brows in suspicion*

Nayeon's grin widened, and she pounced, wrapping her arms around Y/N in an unexpectedly tight hug. Y/N stiffened in surprise, her book dropping to the floor.

Nayeon - Surprise hug attack! *giggling as she releases Y/N*

Y/N blinked, her expression caught between confusion and amusement. She bent down to pick up her book, her fingers brushing over the words absentmindedly as Nayeon continued to ramble on about the upcoming anniversary celebrations. Y/N could feel Nayeon's gaze on her, filled with an intensity that hinted at some kind of mischief.

As the morning progressed, the other members of 6MIX joined in the spectacle. Jeongyeon presented Y/N with an oversized teddy bear, Sana adorned her with a crown of flowers, Jihyo offered a plate of heart-shaped pancakes, and Jiwon handed her a cup of juice with an umbrella straw. Each gesture was accompanied by coos, giggles, and whispers of Our Y/Nnie is so cute!

The maknae's cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and bemusement. She tried to maintain her composure, returning polite smiles and nods while desperately attempting to read her book amid the flurry of affectionate distractions. Yet, there was an undeniable warmth that stirred within her, a feeling she wasn't entirely accustomed to.

By the afternoon, Y/N's patience was wearing thin. The dormitory had turned into a sanctuary of plush toys, glittering decorations, and an undeniable atmosphere of love. Nayeon had worn a chef's apron and was attempting to teach Y/N how to make heart-shaped cookies, much to Y/N's mortification. As the dough clung to her fingers and flour dusted her clothes, she felt a tickle of frustration.

Y/N - Nayeon unnie, I appreciate all of this, really, but I'm not exactly a baby.

Nayeon's eyes widened, and she blinked in surprise before bursting into laughter. 

Nayeon - Oh, Y/Nnie, we know! But it's our way of showing how much we care. Besides, it's your 10th anniversary with us! You deserve all the attention.

Y/N sighed softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. Despite her resistance, she couldn't deny the warmth that had settled in her heart. As the day turned into evening, the members of 6MIX continued their unabashed display of affection, surrounding Y/N with a bubble of love that she couldn't help but be touched by.

Later that evening, after a celebratory dinner, Y/N found herself alone with Jiwon in their shared room as the older girl spoke with a warm and understanding look on her face. The dormitory had finally quieted down, and a sense of calm had settled over the space.

Jiwon - Y/Nnie, I know this isn't your usual style, but I hope you know that all of this was done with genuine affection. We just wanted to remind you how special you are to us.

Y/N's fingers traced the edges of her book, her gaze distant. 

Y/N - I do know that, Jiwon unnie. And I appreciate it more than I can express.

Jiwon moved closer, her hand finding Y/N's and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

Jiwon - You don't have to change who you are, Y/Nnie. But sometimes, letting others in, even just a little, can be a beautiful thing.

Y/N met Jiwon's gaze, a mixture of vulnerability and gratitude in her eyes. At that moment, she understood that this day wasn't about changing herself, it was about allowing herself to be vulnerable and open to the affection that surrounded her.

The anniversary celebration continued with fervour, but now Y/N participated with a more open heart. The members of 6MIX continued to shower her with affection, and while Y/N's demeanour remained composed, there was a newfound warmth in her smiles and interactions.

As the clock struck midnight, marking the official start of 6MIX's 10th anniversary, Y/N found herself on the rooftop of the dormitory, gazing at the city lights that stretched before her. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Sana, Jihyo, and Jiwon joined her, their presence a comforting reminder of the bond they shared.

Sana - You know, Y/Nnie, we're like a family. And families come in all shapes and sizes. We love you just the way you are.

Y/N's lips curved into a genuine smile, her heart swelling with gratitude. She may not have been the most affectionate person, but she had come to realize that being surrounded by love was a blessing beyond measure.

As the night deepened, the group huddled together, sharing stories, laughter, and dreams for the future. At that moment, as the city lights shimmered below, Y/N felt a profound sense of belonging. She was a part of something greater than herself, a part of a family that embraced her for who she was.

And so, under the starlit sky, surrounded by the people who had become her second family, Y/N embraced the love that enveloped her, her heart forever touched by the anniversary celebration that had begun as a playful prank but had evolved into a heartwarming reminder of the power of genuine affection. And that made her have only one thought:

I am proud of my dear chosen family.

A/N: I apologise for any errors, English is not my first language. Pls, let me know if there's something wrong, ty for reading <3

[maigeiko]

hii! i'm a bit curious of the previous post about the higashiyama onsen hangyoku, how come her obi is taiko? i assume she's wearing yuiwata since she's close to becoming a geisha, however... why? is it common for geisha to also work in snack bars like that? thank you ^^

Hello there o/ I assume that dressing rules in Higashiyama Onsen are more like "house rules" of each Okiya. Since there are only two Okiya with Hangyoku, it's easy to see (so easy, yet I never noticed before...): Let's start with Hanayoshi 花佳. Here's a picture of Chiyono 千代乃, uploaded on twitter in 2014. You can see she's wearing Yuiwata and Taiko musubi. Since I don't really know when she debuted, it could have been taken in her first or last year of being a Hangyoku...

My oldest picture of Fuyuka 冬華, together with one of her younger sisters, probably March 2019. Both wear Yuiwata and Taiko musubi:

And another one - Kotono 古都乃 on the day of her debut. Wearing Yuiwata? Check. Wearing Taiko musubi? Check.

Now, let us proceed to Hananoya 花の家. Mai 真衣 was a Hangyoku from around 2006-09. Momoware and kôken musubi.

After her, Hananoya didn't have a Hangyoku until Iori 伊おりin August 2023. Unlike those who debuted before her, she has her own hair styled (I think it's Hanaogi mage 花扇髷) and wears kôken musubi like Mai. She recently had a katsura fitting (Momoware), so I'm curious if she will continue to have her own hair styled, or start wearing katsura regularily in future.

As for the snack bar. Good question. Perhaps it's owned by someone close to the Hanamachi, a regular customer? It is an extra opportunity of generating income in times of low demand for Ozashiki. Noboru のぼる, a Geisha/Okasan from Tokyo Omori said in an interview in 2020, that some of her employees work in snack bars, when there are no Ozashiki. It's not clear to me if this was separate from their Geisha job, or a part of it.

[mesaylormoon]

Barbie: A Review

Now that Barbie is finally back in theaters, and it’s been half a year since it made its debut, I believe there to be no better time to publish a review. As my bio suggests, Barbie has become my entire personality and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on the biggest comedy of the year — especially now that it’s sweeping awards season.

The interesting thing about my overwhelmingly positive perception of this film is that I was vehemently opposed to seeing it, initially. The trailers made it look like a ridiculous movie for children and the over-the-top set design and overhyped anticipation where theatergoers dressed in pink led me to scoff at Barbie at every conceivable opportunity. Weeks after its premiere, however, I was made curious about what I may have been missing out on, and was secretly very excited to see what the film had in store…

Pros:

Barbie is literally the funniest movie I've seen in years -- it may even be the funniest movie I've ever seen. I laughed harder during my first screening of the film than I have at any other movie.

As every viewer has pointed out: the set design of Barbie Land is incredible. The Dreamhouses in the movie are all doused in pink and look exactly like a playset you'd beg your parents to buy

The diversity of the cast is a huge plus and reflects the manner in which Mattel creates dolls of every skin and body type to "keep up with the times"

Barbie takes full advantage of its premise and uses its narrative as a means to address the doll's harshest criticisms, as well as its most controversial dolls

Ryan Gosling is magical as Ken and Margot Robbie is a flawless representation of what a "stereotypical Barbie doll" would look like

The I'm Just Ken song/scene

Cons (Prepare yourself. These criticisms are particularly harsh):

This movie is full of big problems. One of the biggest: the conversation regarding feminism is not very potent. It lacks intersectionality, is discussed in a surface-level manner, and reads like a pop Instagram graphic, to paraphrase ModernGurlz.

Despite its level of self-awareness, Barbie (the film) is a corporate product that is ultimately meant to serve Mattel's best interest. Many of Barbie's (the doll) biggest criticisms are discussed throughout the movie, but the self-owns are so powerful the film doesn't exactly engage with any of them. As a result, Mattel is able to, in the words of CinemaSins, "feign self-awareness and laugh all the way to the bank."

Gloria and Sasha (the mother and daughter in the movie) are not very well-developed, and neither is their relationship. For a film meant to celebrate womanhood, the dynamic between these two had the potential to create more meaningful conversation about what it means to be a woman, and the opportunity falls flat

You could cut the Mattel executives from this movie and it wouldn't make a difference

Spoilers: Barbie wants to become human in the movie, but only has negative experiences during her time there (e.g., getting objectified, arrested, chased, groped, and being made to look insane). Consequently, her choice to become human by the end of the film makes no sense

Verdict: Honestly, despite Barbie (the film's) many flaws, I find the movie so entertaining and so funny I can overlook them all. To me, it is absolutely brilliant that this picture was advertised as a movie for children and threw every viewer's expectations by presenting a comedy for adults. My dad, who expected to hate the film, was much more entertained by it than he anticipated. I was beyond thrilled with my experience at this movie and I am certainly not done watching it for the millionth time.

[robotic-suffering]

What I Want for the Sylvanian Families/Calico Critters Franchise

Although I absolutely love this franchise, there are some things I wish it would do or at least do better

Re-release of older building sets

When I say this, I don't mean the houses or log cabins. I mean stuff like the post office, toy shop, etc. I'm just a sucker for bigger playsets even though I don't have the space for them

Re-release of the Urban Life series

I just discovered these guys and absolutely fell in love with them. Then I found out they debuted in the 1980s and (some) were Japanese exclusives 😭. I would like for them to be brought back (with all their babies included). If y'all can do it for the Puddleford family, then I know y'all can do it for the others. If they ever do, please keep them dressed exactly like how they were originally were

More Celebration Sets pls!

I know that selling families separate garners more money (perfect marketing strategy) but I'd rather pay for a box containing all of the family members (including grandparents, older siblings, aunts/uncles, & babies) than buying them individually. Plus, it'd be easy to collect and complete a lot of families that way

Why is Easy Buy not so easy to find?

I very rarely see any Easy Buy sets (with the exception of Sylvanian storekeepers) and when I do they are stupidly expensive. I thought the point of "Easy Buy" meant that they were also easy to access and purchase. It kinda reminds me about the Budget LOL OMG dolls from the Swim series. They sold two different versions (one w/articulation & one w/o articulation). However, I've never seen them in stores, not even dollar stores but they go for a lot online.

Another thing with the Easy Buy families is that the babies are separated from the other 3 family members. Why not just make it a 4-pack? Again it's probably a marketing strategy but the completionist in me is hurt by how difficult it is for me to find their babies. I was lucky enough to get the Devon cat and Oswald rabbit babies when I did but I will forever kick my ass for not getting the Applewood family when they were still around.

Give others time to shine!

I’ve noticed that a lot of individual, duo & trio sets are/include a Chocolate rabbit and/or a Persian cat. Now, I know Freya/Bell is the mascot, so of course they would use her and her family in merchandise, and I also love the Persians. However, I feel like they’re in too much merch. I think other characters should get their time in the limelight y’know?

Boy Twins

When I say twins, I’m referring to the case of the Persian cat twins and the Marlowe charcoal/tuxedo cat twins. Strangely enough, both sets of twins are female cats. So, I’d like an official set of twin boys who aren’t cats. I could make my own with duplicates but an official set would be cool

Cold one with the boys

I don’t think I’m alone when I say this but the guys in this franchise are heavily overshadowed and casted to the side. (😐: Me at the 3-packs where the son is always removed). The ladies get an abundance of gorgeous outfits and accessories while the guys get scraps. I mean look at the Snow rabbit family!

All the girlies got drip while the dad & son are just… there. I know what you’re gonna say: “They do have outfits for the dudes!” “Just get duplicates and/or switch around clothes!” “Make custom clothes!” Yes, they do have clothes for them but it’s so little compared to the ladies. I don’t like buying duplicates or redressing that much and I cannot make clothes for them sadly. Let my boys be stylish and have variety!

Only the horses! (Praying at least one of y’all knows that song)

Bring back the horses! I’m dying for a horse racing set (if there isn’t one already)

Alright, I’m gonna add more later bc it’s like 5 in the morning and I haven’t slept in a couple of hours. Sorry for the absence and have a good day/night! 👋

Oh and feel free to add any things you’d like for the franchise to do! I’m curious about your opinions

[wrestlingisfake]

G1 Climax night 6 preview

Juice Robinson (1-0, 2pts) vs. David Finlay (0-1, 0pts) - This is for 2 points in D Block. Robinson still has the IWGP United States title belt and he will probably continue to claim to be the real champion until Will Ospreay gets his hands on him. Actually, I'm curious what happens if somebody beats Juice before he faces Ospreay. If Finlay wins here, would he just take the belt? Would he issue a challenge to Ospreay? Who knows.

Finaly and Robinson came up together through the New Japan dojo and usually ended up teaming together as FinJuice. The duo had been doing pretty well as of late, until Juice suddenly gave a bit of a farewell address back in April 16. Then on May 1, he unexpectedly returned as a heel and member of Bullet Club. So although FinJuice was implicitly broken up, there was no betrayal per se with Finlay. Nevertheless, this is Finlay's big chance to settle his differences with his former friend.

The fact this match is closing the show is surprising. Granted, the other block matches aren't all that hot, but Juice is just starting to be taken seriously as a rising star, and Finlay has always been treated like a prelim guy. If Juice just beats Finlay, then I don't see the point of ending the show with this. If Finlay beats Juice, then that makes more sense. But it's hard to imagine Finlay getting a win like that right now, so this one is tough to call.

Lance Archer (0-1, 0pts) vs. Tom Lawlor (0-0, 0pts) - Lawlor is the very last guy in A Block who hasn't wrestled a block match yet. Both men are looking for their first two points. I'm assuming this is their first one-on-one match, given that Lawlor started with New Japan's STRONG brand shortly after Archer left New Japan to work for AEW.

I'm not sure where Lawlor fits on the pecking order with the domestic NJPW roster. In the US, he spent over a year as the STRONG champion, dominating the US-based roster, but the only main roster didn't really challenge him except for old-timers like Yuji Nagata and Satoshi Kojima. If Lawlor beats Archer, then that demonstrates NJPW takes him seriously among the midcard. If Archer wins, I don't think that cuts Lawlor off at the knees, but he'll need a big win to prove he belongs at this level.

I feel like Archer should win, although Lawlor could steal a victory with some cheap heel tactics. An 0-2 start for Archer would be rough, but then again I never expected him to win the block.

KENTA (0-1, 0pts) vs. EVIL (0-0, 0pts) - This is a C Block match for 2 points. Everyone else in the block has already wrestled at least once, but Evil is just starting. On paper these two are teammates in Bullet Club, but Evil's House of Torture has become rather isolated from Kenta and the rest of the group.

This match comes down to which guy can cheat to win first, and in a battle of fuck finishes my money is on Evil. A loss here would put Kenta at 0-2, and he's almost certain to take a third loss, in that I can't believe he'll beat both Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito.

Great-O-Khan (0-0, 0pts) vs. Chase Owens (0-1, 0pts) - Khan is the last wrestler to make his debut in B Block. As usual, 2 points are on the line. Chase debuted in last year's tournament and scored a big win over Tanahashi, but I still can't take him seriously at this level. Khan should utterly dismantle this dude.

Jay White & Bad Luck Fale & El Phantasmo & Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & SANADA & BUSHI - I guess this match previews Takagi vs. Phantasmo on August 12, but that's a ways off. The big story here is that Phantasmo stole Yujiro Takahashi's girl PIETER on the July 24 show. Knowing ELP, he'll dress her up in baggy coveralls or a barrel or something. Gedo is probably here to lose the match, but I suppose Bushi could lose too.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi & TAKA Michinoku - Tanahashi vs. Sabre is set for July 30. Okada and Tanahashi are something of a dream team, although I don't know that they ever really accomplished anything as a duo. Sabre and Taichi have had a good run as team in recent years. I can't recall ever seeing Tana-Okada vs. Dangerous Tekkers before, so that could be something worth exploring here. Taka will presumably lose the fall, though.

Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare vs. Hirooki Goto & Tama Tonga & Jado - This is a preivew of Goto vs. Henare on July 27. Seeing Goto with Tama and Jado is kind of weird. It shouldn't be, because Goto is in CHAOS, which is friendly with the "home team." I just still can't get used to Tama and Jado being aligned with Hontai, because I keep thinking they're still Bullet Club. The United Empire team will probably pin Jado to win.

Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. JONAH & Bad Dude Tito - We already saw Yano vs. Jonah a while back, but this is a good excuse to see Ishii and Jonah in the ring together. Ishii and Yano would appear to be an unlikely duo, but once you've seen them team together a few times you just go with it. Tito is here to eat the pin.

Yujiro Takahashi & SHO vs. Yuto Nakashima & Kosei Fujita - Yujiro's next block match is July 27 against Will Ospreay. I'm really curious to assess Yuj's state of mind after Phantasmo stole Pieter away from him. Will he go on like nothing happened, or will he be too distracted to fight? Not that it affects the outcome of this match. Nakashima and Fujita are Young Lions, so Sho could win this match all by himself if he had to.

[yeadycooks]

I didn't have the time or energy this morning or last night to post anything so I'm making a two in one post tonight! Last night we had lamb kofta kebabs from Coles and tabbouleh I made in the food processor. Easy but still nutritious and satisfying :^).

Yesterday I also discovered that the kitchen sink leaks from the hot water inlet into the cupboard. At least we have a dishwasher and can use the cold tap. Thankfully I wasn't storing anything electronic under there and for the time being, the stuff that was there is living on a bookshelf until the leak is fixed.

Today, the neighbours cat made her debut onto our balcony since our balconies are joined. She was hissing up a storm at one of our cats but when another of our cats appeared she ran off. She realised she was outnumbered! I'm curious to see if she comes back over and how she'll react to seeing all three of our cats.

Tonight, dinner was beef stroganoff on mashed potato with salad made up of: tomato, cucumber, spinach and rocket, carrot, sharp cheddar, spring onion and parsley. The dressing I made was: lemon juice and zest, balsamic vinegar, evoo, dijon and seeded mustard, garlic and grana padano.

I know putting salad in the same bowl as the stroganoff is probably a bit unusual but don't knock it til you try it! I think it helps brighten the creamy sauce and mash potato but I can see it being too acidic for some with the sour cream and vinaigrette. We both really enjoy acidic food though so we love this combo.

Also, proof there was plenty of stroganoff and potato under the mountain of salad. I'm not crazy! I just love veg equally to meat and carbs :9.

[cosettepontmercys]

Hi! Ya I was curious about the extra bonus track..but some people said it might just be a remix so I wasn't too sure about it. I like the color though and how it also matches one of her 1989 outfits on tour like people were saying. But I kinda wonder why she is doing so much for 1989..similar to Midnights with the extra bonus track and different covers..but I think she just wants it to be really successful over the original version. I may buy one for the car eventually but it also won't have the bonus song so idk. I loved her VMAS look and after-party look..and how she wore a dress similar to Sabrina's and hung out with Selena! I love that they're still close.

Ooh that concert should be fun and I'm happy you got tickets! Hopefully she works on stage presence too. The whole album has grown on me more..especially Get him back, but i have the same favorites. Ooh yes I am hoping to listen to Laufey, Mitski and Madison Beer soon. They all kinda have a slow style and almost old fashioned sound which I like. I would say it was true for Billie's other album as well if you listen to it. But Olivia's was actually more rockish lol...so I really just like it all.

I never saw Ride the Cyclone but have heard good things about it. I guess I'm not as familiar with some off Broadway stuff for the most part but that's cool. I hope we can both like Broadway again soon. But I see you watched the Little Mermaid movie and so did I! It's nice thinking we both did the same thing near each other like with the Eras tour..and hopefully with seeing the tour movie too. Anyway I thought it was mostly fine..but also good. But I mostly enjoy all the remakes..cuz I already know what I'm getting so I can't be too disappointed. But anyway..ya new songs sometimes always feel unnecessary anyway. I knew it was Lin beforehand but also you can always kinda hear Lin's style too so it's interesting you didn't know. But it was more obvious in Encanto than here. I'm still a fan of his though! But I will watch any musical movie and at least somewhat enjoy it lol. I am also using it as an opportunity to watch the Cinderella with Brandy and Bernadette Peters finally..and hoping to watch the new Theater Camp movie that's now on Hulu. I'm also looking forward to seeing her in the Color Purple movie when it comes out, since I thought she was a pretty good Ariel. What were your thoughts? I get the idea that ya it doesn't really need to be remade cuz we have stage versions too so sometimes it's just kinda okay..I think they're all pretty equal to me.

I'm glad you're feeling better! I wasn't feeling as well either which is why I didn't reply right away. But I've also more offline and trying to read more too. I will hopefully be done with Some Mistakes Were Made by the end of this week..maybe. since I am now trying to read more books in the readathon and focus on that. I will probably put The Night Circus in cozy fantasy then, and finishing up picking for the other categories. I don't really listen to audiobooks cuz I get too distracted or can't focus on it. It would have to be a good one too..a lot of the ones I'm familiar with is just like reading out loud so I don't usually listen to them..but i could see how it might make you enjoy the book more if the audio was good. I'm glad you are reading more books you enjoy and getting more done for the readathon. I will definitely look into any book you love or recommend! Have a good week!

hi hello!! i'm definitely curious to see what she ends up doing in terms of remixes for 1989 tv! and i've seen some theories about her alternating between not a lot of promo and then a lot of promo, which is cool — and would make sense with rep being an album with not a lot of promo which means (in my delusional brain) that debut would have a lotttt of promo !! i do not think that's true, but i would love it if debut finally got paid its dues. unfortunately, the different covers is just the norm now; i think sour & guts both had ~ 15/16 variants, most artists have at least 3 but a lot of them usually have more, it's just a marketing/sales thing, unfortunately. and yes!! i think it's so cute how close they are <3

i listened to the new laufey last week but haven't had time to relisten and so i do not have favorites for you yet! i've actually never listened to madison beer, but tiktok keeps pushing her on me so i might give her album a go soon! and the new mitski — i am just very behind on music lately (been listening to audiobooks instead) but i am very excited to give the new mitski a go! one of my best friends got to go to an early listening party in a planetarium for the new mitski, and that experience sounded SO cool. guts has definitely grown on me a lot more; i think i like it more than sour, but that might be recency bias.

i saw ride the cyclone twice in seattle, and it is just such a weird little musical that i love with my entire heart! i love odd little shows that just make me think, and ride the cyclone definitely is one of those shows. i'm seeing the national tour of hadestown in a few weeks which i'm super excited for; i've seen it on broadway twice, but missed the tour last year when they were in seattle (got into seattle and then found out they cancelled my performance twenty minutes before doors opened). and i just got tickets to go see a regional performance of the band's visit when i'm in boston this fall, so i'm super stoked! i hope you're also able to love broadway again soon 🤍

and yes!! i love that! 🥺 i think i was a little disappointed by the remake? i don't usually like remakes though (aside from live action cinderella). i really loved halle bailey as ariel, but was a bit let down by jonah h-k as eric (and sent my friend caitlyn several voice memos about how his eric reminds me of how he plays laurie in PBS little women) vocally but also just wasn't the biggest fan of his characterization/interpretation! i think the remake also just didn't do a whole lot for me, which is fine! the pacing felt very drawn out, i wish the costumes were a bit brighter in color, and i think some of the casting was interesting, but i really loved daveed diggs as sebastian! i haven't actually wanted encanto but i keep meaning to!

i'm SO excited for theatre camp! i think i'm watching it on friday with a friend; i love molly gordon, and will watch anything for her haha. the color purple remake looks so good, i saw a trailer of it when i watched barbie and it looks amazing!! in general though, i really have mixed feelings because i don't think everything needs to be a remake — i think some things work better as proshots vs. remakes, and sometimes i just get sad because there are perfectly good actors who can sing well that we can cast in musicals and a lot of remakes/movie musicals don't do that (this isn't about any cast/movie in particular, just an overarching generalization).

i hope you're feeling better!! i feel like everyone is getting sick/ill lately :( take care of yourself, friend! i haven't really been doing the readathon as much as i want to either — jamie and i were briefly talking about doing an october / nov / dec one instead (i have some prompt ideas, might just post them to encourage the besties to read more if people are interested)! do you have anything fun planned for this weekend? what are you currently reading/watching/listening? 🤍

[college-girl199328]

Johnny Depp got into character as Capt. Jack Sparrow for a good cause. On Sunday, the YouTube channel "Kraken The Box," operated by an 11-year-old boy named Kori, shared a personal video that Depp, 59, recently sent in collaboration with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In the clip, the actor reprises his role from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

"So, Capt. Kori, I'm terribly sorry I missed out on this. I meant to say it, forgot to say it, didn't say it, and now I'll say it. "Saying it, I'll say it," Depp said in the video, which shows him wearing Jack Sparrow's costume, headscarf, tattoos, and all. "I've heard of something they talk about nowadays called the YouTube channel, which I don't understand, but why not?"

Depp goes on to say he "shall be glad to follow your YouTube channel, and I shall tell all my friends to follow your YouTube channel." Kori's YouTube account has gained 176,000 subscribers since the page was created on Nov. 28, largely featuring pirate-themed videos.

"I believe the video-sharing platform will provide a wonderful expertise and momentary lapse of togetherness entirely in one space," Depp said. "Curious, enduring, and strange."

"I wish you the best of luck." "I am your No. 1 fan, Capt. Kori," Depp said to finish the video as he blew a kiss to the camera. A source close to Depp tells PEOPLE the actor was contacted by Make-A-Wish with "a timely ask," as Kori is in palliative care after undergoing multiple heart surgeries.

Kori is a "massive" fan of Jack Sparrow and frequently watched the Pirates movies "during his multiple heart surgeries and subsequent recovery periods," the source says. In a separate YouTube video titled "THANK YOU FOR 1000 SUBS!" shared by Kori and his mother last Thursday, Kori's mother confirmed that her son has received two heart transplants in his life and is currently in palliative care.

"So we're making the most of whatever time we have left by not going to school—bonus—not doing any housework, living in our pajamas, and basically slumming it," she says in the video. "We're just kind of focusing on making life as good as we possibly can and having as much fun as we can when we can." Another video shared on Kori's channel on Tuesday shows part of a video call between the boy and Depp, still in character as Jack Sparrow, in which the actor promises to officially name Kori "Capt. Kori."

While Depp's future with the Pirates franchise remains uncertain in the wake of his highly publicized defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, the actor has a history of making charitable donations to hospitals and visiting with sick children dressed as Jack Sparrow. He earned an Oscar nomination for his character's debut in 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and he last played the part in the 2017 fifth installment. Those interested in learning more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation can do so on its website.

[nirvanawrites111]

Escape With You (Taemin x Reader)

Genre: Fake Relationship, Dom reader/sub idol, angst

Warning: strong language, sexual language, sub!idol smut not in part 1 but Part 2 will have it.

Pairing: Taemin x Fem Reader, Minho x Fem Reader

She/ Her pronouns

Word count: 1540

Y/N is in a fake relationship with Minho and you have your eye on Taemin.

"I am so ready to leave this boring ass party," Key says. You watch him sway to the music, and his gaze wonders around the hotel ballroom.

You couldn’t agree with him more, but it’s not your place to agree. You were a newbie to the group of men you were standing with.

Truth be told you are tired of fake laughing at this SM company party. Regardless of you being in a room full of celebrities, you weren’t starstruck.

It wasn’t your first type of party where you were instructed to wear a simple designer black dress, not too flashy, but fit your body perfectly.

You are used to maneuvering within a posh environment with tons of wealth around you.

One of the many perks of being a serial dater of men in the entertainment industry. You enjoy this type of scene for the live entertainment, endless food and drinks, and the opportunity to be around wealthy people.

You scan through the sea of people, and your eyes stop at the chamber quartet playing music. Your ears perk up, but you still can’t tell what song is playing.

Choi Minho's anchored arm has been around your thick waist the entire night. You made an intentional effort to touch his chest gently, hang on to his every word each time he spoke, and maintain solid eye contact with him.

You even found yourself occasionally wiping his face whenever he needed. You are going the extra mile to display intimacy between you.

Hell, it wasn’t like it was a chore. The man is utterly attractive, with his tan, olive skin that glows, a boyish smile that would make any man or woman melt.

Not to mention his cute close-cut haircut, and tonight he is wearing the hell out of that tailored black suit. Even through the suit, you can see that he takes care of him body.

Who wouldn’t want this man to be glued to them at this type of event? The man is dripping sex appeal, and still behaves in a modest way that is admirable. On paper, he’s the perfect guy.

You snap out of your thoughts and observations of Minho and tune into the men around you.

Now they are criticizing the new song that is now playing to replace the live quartet. You didn’t know the name when they mentioned them, but you assume they are a younger group.

You don’t follow K-pop like that, but even before tonight, you were aware of SHINEE's impact on the industry.

“Music sounds too rushed these days,” Onew takes another sip from his mixed cocktail.

"I agree the vibe is different from when we debuted," Minho added.

You tune back out of the conversation, because something else is on your mind. If you could be honest with yourself, you would admit that Minho isn’t your type.

Your eye is on someone else tonight. You can’t stop staring at him. His awkward giggles, random jokes, and constantly inserting himself into the convo made you curious.

You definitely have a type, and no matter where you go, you always seem to attract men just like him.

"Y/N, what type of work do you do?" Key asked, but by his high-pitched tone, and judgmental stares all night. He already knows what you do. Maybe he does, or perhaps he doesn’t.

"I'm an accountant," you quickly reply.

You were used to being put on the spot and making small talk. You aren’t an accountant, but no one ever asks for details once you tell them that.

"Ahh, is that how you met, Minho?" Key's eyes dart from you and over to your date. You aren’t going to let Minho fumble to try to lie to his bandmate.

One of your greatest gifts is being able to read a man.

So, like the professional you are, you smile softly and say, “Actually, we met at a coffee shop. We kinda bumped into each other,” You place your hand on Minho’s chest and wink at him.

"And that turned into a conversation and later cute text exchanges," you say, looking into his dark brown eyes. As you lean in closer, you expect Minho to pick up on your lead, and embrace you.

Minho leans closer to you to quickly sneak a quick kiss. You can tell he wasn't used to PDA, but is willing to go the extra mile to convince his bandmates that you two have something going on. The peck was short and sweet.

Once you pull back, you innocently laugh, as you see Key's jaw drop.

"This is surprising... if you like it, then I love it," Key said.

"Yeah, thanks," Minho blushes, and his response makes it seem believable.

But, it didn't seem to move Onew. You pan your attention over to Taemin, who also seems indifferent about you being with Minho.

"I'm going to the restroom," Taemin abruptly leaves the group of friends.

Your eyes follow him as he moves through the crowd of people.

"He's a little weird," Minho clears his throat and says.

"Yeah, I don't know what his deal is. He's been acting a bit weird all night. I'm going to grab another drink," Key walks over in the direction of the bar.

Maybe the kiss made them uncomfortable. You didn't regret it, though. You tune out those negative thoughts.

Now, Onew and Minho are discussing things you don’t seem to care about.

Your mind is still curious about someone else. You want to talk to Taemin, but you need to get him alone. Away from everyone else so you can see the real him.

Without notifying Minho, you feel your feet move underneath you, and you carefully move through the sea of people to the balcony.

You walk all over the balcony, but you can’t seem to find him. You turn around and walk over to the other end. Your heart races as you think about what you would say.

Would he reject your advances? He seems to be interested by his constant glances and the way his eyes traveled your body the entire night.

You weren't actually dating Minho. It was just a ploy to protect his actual relationship.

Did you misread Taemin’s actions and picked up the wrong vibe?

You stop in your tracks when you find him in the corner of the balcony. Your mind starts to spin about what made him retreat from everyone else.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come here,” his tone sounds giddy. He continues to stare at the night skyline.

You smile when you look on the rail to see his nails are painted black.

Where he stood there is a flower wall that is blocking the view of the door. You take your chance to walk closer to him.

You stand behind him, and press your body against his. You love how warm he feels in front of you. You run your hands along his arms to feel his smooth soft skin thanks to the fact that he rolled his sleeves up earlier.

You felt a vibration go through your body when your fingers touch his skin. You lead your fingers down the middle of his back.

“So, you already know I want you,” your fingertips move from his back, and carefully around to the front of his neck. You turn him around to face him with your right hand still on you.

Taemin let out a tiny moan in response to your touch. “I’ve been watching you all night literally eye fuck me. When we first greeted each other at the dinner table, and just then on the dance floor,” he says.

You give his bare neck a bit of a squeeze and turn him around to face you.

Usually, a submissive would be startled by your sudden forwardness, but Taemin still has a sexy smirk while your fingers wrap around his throat.

The cool air blows against your skin and flows through his jet black hair that is past his shoulder.

You took a few moments to take in his features. You wanted nothing more than to suck on his juicy full lips, plant soft, gentle kisses on his nose, and watch his dark brown focus on you as he pleases you.

You had all these thoughts in your head all night. It's been a minute since a man has sparked your attention in this way.

"You sure are mouthy for a sub," you say. You lean close to him, and place your hands behind him on the railing.

"Nothing you can't handle," Taemin looks up into your eyes. You like a bit of a challenge. This is the excitement you’ve been looking for this evening.

"I'm sure you were tied up a lot with your last DOM," you grab both of his hands in a swift. You thought of all the ways you would tie him up.

"Maybe maybe not... but I am sure you would like to find out, " he taunts.

"Please... I will have you whimpering like a bitch in five minutes. I got something special for mouthy brats like you," you reply.

"Make me whimper, then,” Taemin throws your words back at you. You step closer to him. But, you hear the balcony door open, and footsteps approach you.

Part 2

[pwarkluv]

❝ what is love? - l.mk ❞

lee mark x reader | fluff | 2k words

WARNINGS | lowercase is intended, idol au, love at first sight au, 6thmemberofitzy!reader, shy!mark and shy!reader, fluff bc that’s what i’m best at LOL, another request :), just enjoy <3

REQUEST | “hii i read ur electric love fic w jisung and i really loved it :DD could you do the same for mark ? still as the 6th member of itzy ofc :D” - my lovely anon <3

SUMMARY | he wonders what is love, but finds the answer in you.

AUTHOR’S NOTE | inspired by the song “what is love” by twice (english lyrics by genius translations)! ANOTHER REQUEST HDSFKLDSJHF IM SO SO SO SO EXCITED! i wanted to change up the setting so it’s still 6th member itzy, but not in weekly idol :P ALSO this was inspired by when nct dream, itzy, and stray kids sat next to each each other in that one award show so yeah lolol. IM SO SORRY I LOST THE MESSAGE WHERE MY ANON ASKED FOR IT BUT I STILL WROTE IT FOR YOU! I LOVE YOU, THANK YOU, NEVER BE SHY TO DM ME ;)

what is love?

mark knew the general idea of it; the sappy moments movies show, the “butterflies in your stomach” feeling books portray, the pain and hardships songs make you feel. 

but he’s never been in love, at least not like this.

❝ how could it be as sweet as candy? ❞

training at such a young age molded mark into the perfect idol, and with that he was fully aware dating would look bad to the public. he accepted the fact that he might never find love, all to help achieve his dream. 

but as cheesy as it sounds, the canadian wished to be loved. 

yes he was loved by his members, his family, his friends, his fans; but the type of love he longed for was something none of them could give him. 

mark wanted to feel the sweetness of being in love, the giddiness you’d feel whenever you talk to them, the pounding of your heart whenever they’re near. he wanted to experience the overwhelming need to be with that person, like if they’re gone for too long it’s like you can’t breathe.

was being in love like making a song for the very first time? or was it like eating watermelon all the time?

so many questions with no answers, the boy left to wander in his own thoughts. 

❝ how it’s like flying in the sky? ❞

he smiled bittersweetly as the newly wed couple danced around in confetti, the sound of laughter and cheers resonating around the room. one of nct’s managers that had been with them since the beginning invited them to her wedding, to which the team obviously accepted. 

all 23 of them were happy for their noona who found her happy ending. mark could only watch in awe at the sight of the two lovebirds, the love and adoration for the other evident in the way they looked at each other.

his heart tugged a bit knowing he wanted something like that too. 

“being in love is like flying in the sky.” his manager explained to the boy as a makeup artist experimentally brushed strokes on her face. it was a couple hours before the ceremony when mark knocked on her hotel door, wanting to visit his favorite noona before she finally said ‘i do’. 

his question left his mouth before mark could fully register what he was about to say, the poor boy flushing a bit as the woman laughed at him. 

“are you in love mark? is that why you’re asking me how i knew i was in love?” she teased as mark stutterd, denying her accusation.

“n-no i swear!” he said as his manager continued laughing, the makeup artist having to pause a bit to let her get it all out. “i’m just curious.” mark said quietly trying to stop the heat from rushing up to his cheeks. 

“well being in love is a magical feeling.” the woman said, turning a bit serious. mark sat up straight as he listened intently. “when you realize you love someone, it can be a scary thing. love isn’t perfect mark, and i want you to know that. there are moments where you want to scream and rip your hair out, or cry to let it all out.”

the boy nodded in understanding, having a bit of knowledge from all the good breakup songs taylor swift writes about. 

“but it can also change your whole world.” she continued on. “it’s like seeing the world again for the very first time and the colors are more vibrant. it’s like having a permanent reason to be happy, and a reason to stay.” she explained as the mark sat quietly trying to comprehend it all. 

❝ i wanna know know know know, what is love? ❞

the poor boy’s head couldn’t wrap around the thought of you. 

his heart hammered in his chest as he secretly glanced at you, desperately trying to avoid suspicion from fans and his members. you were just too breathtaking, having the canadian looking back for more. 

the moment he first laid eyes on you, it was like an epiphany. you were the answer to all his questions.

so this is what it feels like, mark thinks to himself as he looks back on all the things he’s heard about love. 

the butterflies, the pounding of your heart, the “seeing the world in a whole new perspective”, mark felt everything and as much as he felt excited, he was scared.

as harmless as it sounds, award shows were a risky thing for idols. being surrounded by fans of different groups as well as said groups themselves always seemed to cause a bit of a stir between fans.

between dating rumors and rumors about beef between two idols, anything could happen.

but usually mark would be okay. he’s been doing this for a long time and knew how to behave.

however what he didn’t expect was to see you, the tiny rookie idol from the newly debuted girl group ‘itzy’. 

nct 127’s table was right next to yours which let mark have a clear view of your pretty eye smile as you laughed at something lia had whispered into your ear. your laugh was bubbly and contagious, the boy having to physically stop himself from wanting to laugh too. 

he was panicking, but mark couldn’t tell if it was in a good or bad way. 

❝ what does love feel like? ❞

your breath hitched as you saw the boy sneak glances at you from the corner of your eye.

the mark lee was looking at you, your heart racing as you tried to deny the fact that he was staring you down. there was no way the dude you’ve looked up to your entire trainee life is noticing you, no way at all.  

everyone has heard of mark lee even if you weren’t into kpop. he was just that iconic. 

you’ve been an nctzen since the very beginning, being there for nct u’s debut stage. in fact, nct was the very reason you decided to audition to become an idol in the first place. you looked up to the team but more importantly you looked up to a certain canadian in the group.

originally doyoung was your bias in nct when nct u first came out. but as the years passed by you found yourself more and more intrigued by mark, having him absolutely wreck your bias list.

since then you’ve been a loyal mark stan, even rapping his part in cherry bomb for your audition tape which ultimately led you to become an idol yourself. 

you refused to believe you were in love with the dude, not knowing a single thing about him. there was no way you could love him, not if you’ve never even met the boy.

but your heart seemed to prove you wrong as it beat wildly knowing mark was sitting right there on the table next to you. 

“you okay bubs?” lia asked in a worried tone, leaning in to whisper into your ear. she saw the way your leg bounced in a fast rhythm, knowing you only did that when you were nervous. 

you forced a smile as you hesitantly looked her way, knowing that she could take one look into your eyes and know you were lying. “i'm fine unnie, don’t worry about me.” you replied as sweetly as you could, wishing the elder wouldn’t notice a thing. 

though you two and yeji were the eldest in the group, all being born in the year 2000, you were the baby of the unnie line. lia and yeji knew you the best, having grown up with you after all. 

the girl only gave you a look before taking your hand in hers to give a soft squeeze. “i know you’re lying but i won’t push you. also mark lee from nct 127 is totally checking you out.” lia said, whispering a bit on the last part. she winked as you flushed, looking away in horror. 

-

johnny nudged the boy next to him with a small smirk, clearly seeing the heart eyes he was giving the girl in the table next to them. mark jumped a bit at the feeling, looking at his hyung with confusion.

“so y/n of itzy?” johnny said with a small smile as the younger immediately sat up straight. 

“is it that obvious?” mark whispered back with a hint of fear in his eyes.

if any of the fans were to get a hold of this… the boy could only shiver at the thought. 

johnny’s playful smile dropped a bit at mark’s worried look knowing how he must feel. they were idols after all.

“don’t worry, i only noticed because she was looking back at you too.” he said, mark flushing at the revelation.

“really?” he asked a little out of it. 

“i say talk to her after this?” the elder said, laughing a bit when mark jumped in his seat, immediately saying no. 

❝ will love come to me someday? ❞

“unnie why are you making me stay in the dressing room~” you whined as the end of the award show came along.

you just wanted to go home, your body worn out. not from all the dancing but from the way it viciously pounded in your chest whenever you ever thought about mark. 

lia only smirked in retaliation as she brought a hand up to squish your cheeks. “trust me, you’ll thank me later.” she said as she walked out of the dressing room, bumping into a 6 foot tall boy with a smaller boy behind him. 

“oops sorry.” she said a little playfully, as lia gave a wink to johnny knowing their plan was going accordingly. johnny only gave her a small smile, but if you looked closely you could see the mischief in his eyes. 

“hyung where are we going?” mark asked, a little weirded out by the two’s interaction. johnny only ignored the boy, dragging him by his arm as they walked down the hallway. 

“hyung i swear if this is a prank i’ll-” mark’s words were cut off as the two entered a door, only to see your confused face staring back at him. 

“oh shit.” he cursed under his breath, a little taken aback from how beautiful you were. one whole award show later and you were still as gorgeous as when he first saw you sitting down in the table next to his. 

your confused face quickly turned to an embarrassed one as you noticed the boy, turning another shade of red when you noticed he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.

“hi y/n, my name is johnny and this is my band mate mark.” the taller boy said, holding his hand out in a handshake. 

“h-hi i’m y/n.” you stuttered, not expecting to see the boy you’ve been daydreaming about for the past two hours to be right in front of you. 

mark gawked at the sight of you, his mind malfunctioning as the words seemed to get stuck at the tip of his tongue.

“markie right here has something he wants to ask you.” johnny said, pushing the younger in front of him with a grunt. 

this seemed to knock him right out of his trance, a hand coming up to the back of his neck as he stared down at the floor with pink cheeks.

“do you maybe wanna-”

“yes.” you blurted out, a hand covering your mouth in shock. “i-if you were gonna ask if i wanted to hang out sometime, the answer is yes.” you said a little shyly as the boy smiled. 

all this time mark thought he was gonna find love, but maybe love found him instead. 

“i’ll pick you up at 6 tomorrow evening.” mark said with a sweet smile as he took a step back only to be pushed back up again by johnny.

“you don’t even have her number you dumbass.” the elder scolded, disappointed at how dumb the boy was. 

your laughter caught both of the boy’s attention as you put your hand out with a small smile. “you want my number or nah?”

[rosietrace]

{Villainess Nyx AU}

{5/??}

_________________________________________

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝑵𝒚𝒙 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐 soon in a matter of weeks.

Thankfully, She had everything under control... Mostly.

For one, she didn't need to worry about the anxieties of debuting, since the body she found herself in already had debuted a few years prior to her current situation.

Secondly, Victoria had helped her with her gown for the debutante ball a few days after meeting her in this world. Which was a big help considering Victoria still had a keen eye for fashion, even in another world so similar but different to her own.

Now... The things she worried about.

First, If she died in what she's supposed to consider 'Her first life' . She just suddenly woke up from a different environment into another environment that she's also unfamiliar with.

Second, How Victoria knew. Ever since Nyx heard what Victoria had said all those weeks prior, It's been engraved into her mind.

Lastly, What happened before she even woke up in this world. As lackluster as it may sound compared to the previous two worries she has, but it's still something she was rather curious about.

But, Moving on.

With one maid brushing her luscious hair and peacefully curling it, and seven other maids essentially panicking on which shoes fit the dress Nyx chose. It was rather amusing on Nyx's part.

"Say, Lucinda..." Nyx muttered, clutching the skirt of her gown as the maid in question brushed her hair without a care for the abundance of the other maids panicking their lives off.

"Yes, My lady?" Lucinda answered, sending Nyx a look of confusion her way after finishing up her hair curls and moving on to the accessories that'll compliment the style.

"I heard the prime minister has a daughter that's 19. And she's debuting this year."

"Yes, that's correct. Why do you ask my lady?"

"Well.... I thought you debut the time you reach the age of a teenager. Why is she suddenly debuting now when she's near adulthood?"

Lucinda chuckled, lightly rolling her eyes as she remembered the reason.

"The prime minister claims that his daughter wanted to wait for the proper time to debut at the right age. He simply claims to do what's best for his 'Shy little girl' , or so he says." Lucinda smirks, shaking her head at such an immature reasoning.

Nyx smiled."I see. I hope to meet the Minister's daughter during the ball at some point." She muttered, although her smile was a contrast to her tone of voice.

"Finally! These shoes are perfect for our lady's gown!" A maid exclaimed, both relieved and excited as she called for Nyx and Lucinda.

Amused that all her maids were willing to panic just so they could find the perfect pair of shoes that matched her dress, Nyx happily obliged and put on the selected shoes.

Although, She didn't expect that some of the maids would cry just by looking at her, and call her something along the lines of a goddess.

Either way, She was both touched/flattered and amused by such reactions.

"Thank you, All of you ladies for assisting me. I probably would've taken an eternity to put these on without your assistance." Nyx said, a calm smile on her face as she gave her maids a light bow of respect.

A maid sniffled, a grin on her face as she looked at Nyx."I-It's an honor, my lady! You've always been so kind to us..." She sniffled again, blowing into a handkerchief another maid gave her.

Nyx grinned back.

"It's the least I could do."

_________________________________________

"𝐍𝐞, 𝐍𝐲𝐱𝐢𝐞~ 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰."

Floyd teased, leaning his head against the walls of the carriage as they were drawing near the venue in which the ball will take place.

Nyx smirked, rolling her eyes with her arms crossed."If I'm to look good among the newly debuted young ladies, I may as well do what I can." She and Floyd laughed, erupting a smile to form on Jade's face.

The three siblings continued their banter for some time, laughing at each other's jokes, comforting one another when one of them feels uneasy, and overall just being supportive of one another despite the aggressive jokes on how much they 'hate' each other.

"Lord Jade, Sir Floyd, Lady Nyx. We have arrived at the venue."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for informing us. We'll be down in a minute." Jade responded, adjusting his tie for what Nyx counted the seventeenth time the entire ride.

Exiting the carriage and entering the venue, Nyx thought nothing of it since they did arrive surprisingly early. Especially since there was such a hassle on her SHOES moments before.

It was all rather normal, the guests arrived before the debutantes and they were too busy chatting about who knows what.

Hell, even Victoria entered with the mysterious husband she's wedded to. A man by the name of 'Regulus Zephyr' , Who was also unfamiliar to Nyx.

'Regulus Zephyr... Never heard of him. Not even in RSA. But, why does he look so... Familiar?' Nyx thought, placing a finger over her chin while tilting her head as she eyed Regulus with curiosity.

And then she noticed the sudden flash of green from his red eyes. It wasn't noticeable to most, but Nyx managed to catch it and had a pretty decent idea on who this 'Regulus' was.

Nyx snickered."So she ends up marrying her enemy... Ironic, but cute..." She chuckled, spurring confusion among the guests near her.

As far as Nyx could remember, there wasn't much that felt interesting. Well, not as interesting as to find out Briar was engaged to Roya Callistis (A person Nyx thankfully is acquainted with thanks to Rielle), and Victoria marrying Malleus, who used the pseudonym of Regulus Zephyr to mask his true identity.

Plus, none of the debutantes felt interesting enough to begin with.

Well... Until the one Nyx was so curious about showed up.

(H/N) (L/N), Daughter of the Pyroxene Empire's prime minister. She's 19, and chose to not attend the debutante at 16 due to her shyness, or so the Minister claims.

Hearing such information spurred curious into Nyx, wondering what her actual reason may be for not attending the debutante ball at that time.

Though, Nyx didn't expect her to look so... Underwhelming? Not in an offensive sense, of course. It's just, (H/N) looked out of place amongst the other debutante attendees just by how... Overly simplistic her gown was. It looked like she was poorly dressed bride coming to her wedding.

But without further ado, Nyx approached (H/N) with a composed smile.

After calling out her last name, (H/N) stared blankly at Nyx, almost appearing annoyed.

" 𝑼𝒉... 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝑵𝑶𝑻 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖?"

_________________________________________

{Nyx's outfit}

[jellyinmybelly]

hello! want to start a book impulsively? I gotchu. If anyone wants to read Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, the synopsis from Goodreads is:

In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women's lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.

A wife refuses her husband's entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store's prom dresses. One woman's surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted houseguest. And in the bravura novella Especially Heinous, Machado reimagines every episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a show we naively assumed had shown it all, generating a phantasmagoric police procedural full of doppelgangers, ghosts, and girls with bells for eyes.

Earthy and otherworldly, antic and sexy, queer and caustic, comic and deadly serious, Her Body and Other Parties swings from horrific violence to the most exquisite sentiment. In their explosive originality, these stories enlarge the possibilities of contemporary fiction.

I've been recommended this many times so I'm very curious. It's disturbing, creepy, sensual, weird, beautiful, as I've found from reviews.

if anyone wants to do a buddy read, let's go!

[zelink-appreciation]

I'm curious about 'Link does royalty'. 👀

Actually, the fic is just that x). I remember sometimes last year coming across this artwork where Link acts as Zelda’s decoy (Zelda also dressed up at Link but I’m not going in that direction), and I wanted to dive deeper into that. I didn’t notice but I already have 10k words on that, but I’ll finish up my other draft before diving further into that one (even if I like it a lot).

A little bit of dialogue here because I won’t work on it anytime soon (I’m putting dialogue tags real quick because I haven’t done it properly on the doc >~<) :

“You want me to be a princess?” Link asked. 

“Exactly.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand, your majesty.”

“My daughter will be sixteen in summer. She never made an appearance before, because of all the danger that it entails, and I don’t want to take this risk. After the queen’s departure, she is our only hope. Nevertheless, I can’t postpone her debut in society, as lady her age already appears in court way before that. That’s why you’ll act as a decoy.”

It made sense. Too much sense. Of course, Link would do anything to protect the royal family. But he looked down on himself. His tunic showed off his bare arms littered with scars. While his face was softer than men’s, his shoulders were wider than his hips, which outed him as a man. “Why not ask a maid to play the part?”

“I can’t put an unexperienced maid at the grasp of assassins.”

“But I’m a boy.”

“Nothing a dress and makeup can’t hide.” The king waved it off without a glance at him.

He felt his mask crack, a wildfire spreading on his cheeks. “I’ll wear a dress?”

“Of course, you’re a princess now.”

It needs editing but I think it gave you an idea of where I’m going with it (of course, Zelda doesn’t want a decoy and I have plenty of interactions between the two :3)