#(we're going through the collection now to reblog ones we've missed—if you don't see yours by the end of the day feel free to let us know!)

[cruelsummer-ficfest]

a circus ain't a love story...

(and now we're both sorry)

if you've submitted your fic via ao3 and not on tumblr, please extend your mods some newfound grace as we remember how it was back then when we set up our rules...and only just now think to go through and check the ao3 collection we set up for you all to share your stories in.

(time moved too fast but MANY thanks to the folks who reminded us of that detail in the back of [our] mind[s] so we wouldn't miss out on all of your lovely stories)

[hyunin]

hiiii everyone, this blog hit 1k followers the other day 🥹 tysm to anyone that has followed me here over the years! i'm sure at least a third of my followers are dead blogs from my suju (🤮) era in 2013 before i returned to gifmaking tumblr in 2020, but so many of you joined me once i returned and i'm so thankful for everyone that has reblogged my content and chatted with me and followed me up until this point! 🫶 i wanted to write some fun lil messages for my mutuals and pals below the cut, as well as shout out some people i don't necessarily speak to but like having on my dash also 💗 if u aren't mentioned on here and we're mutuals that doesn't mean i dislike u it just means i'm stupid and missed you 😭 before i get into the messages i also want to ask anyone who can to consider commissioning me for a gifset or writing by donating at least €10 to this fundraiser and sending me a screenshot of your donation! more info on that via this post. thank u so much again everyone!!! 🥳 (edit: i don't think half the mentions in this post are working so please check to see if you were mentioned even if you weren't notified!)

@redvelvetcult hi ele 🫶 i know we don't speak as often anymore but i'm always so happy to see u around and i love you <3 thank u for running yangjeongin with me even if it has been in spirit for 99% of its run LKJSDLFKJSJLKFD still wouldn't be the same without u @bataranqs hi kid! this is going to sound so lame but it's been rly fun watching u grow up over the years through awoo9, every time u use our weird ass humor it's so much funnier coming from u. thank u for hyping up everything we all do, especially my writing!! i really appreciate it and u @anyujins iwin...whew....LLKSJDKLFJLSKF i'm rly happy that we're a lot closer now than when we were last time i made one of these posts. i think we are anyway?? i forgor...but either way ilysm, thank u for your support when i've been going insane over the years and it would appear both of the stories of our love lives that we've been following for so long will have a tragic ending. LJKSDFJLKSLK but i hope we can be friends for many more moments of insanity to come and that we have more good news than bad news to share w each other soon. in the meantime it's always rly fun to talk to u and i am glad i have u in my life @miyawaki ver. i appreciate u v much if only bc u are a major provider of quality shitposts on my dash, u also being into kpop and giffing is a bonus. u are also so funny even if u are also MEAN!!!! it's funny most of the time. and u have also supported me a lot in ur own ver way over the years, and i can always count on u to give me feedback on giffing and such. i'm so happy for u that u are going to uni again and i hope u have so much fun but also don't forget about us 🔫 🫶 @seulggi gfx queen minya! u deserve a shoutout if ONLY bc u are carrying the gfx side of kpop tumblr on ur back fr. and i love seeing what u make on my dash. but u are also an awoo9er so i will give u a long AWOOOOOOOOO of appreciation ❣️ @meongppangz RI omg idk what account is best to tag u on so i tag u here. i rmr the last one of these i made i was like 'hope to talk more under better circumstances' and now we talk nearly every day LJSDFLKSDF i love that for us. thank u crazy person gc for bringing us together fr....love that we can bond over loving ggs and also hating collecting pcs and any other random shit of the day skz is doing. and giffing ofc. talking to u always makes me happy so i hope we continue talking and being friends for a long time to come 🫶 ily. also i'm going through my follow list for this in order of oldest blogs first and i just discovered y'all were one of the first skz blogs i followed. how cute @curiosityjams hi drea, we haven't spoken ages but i wanted to shout u out individually as well because i still enjoy seeing u on my dash and i still consider us friends 🫶 fellow eunbi stan...i will never forget waiting for the 2020 election results w you LMAO abt to do it all again soon...but i hope you're well and hope good things continue coming to u 🙇‍♀️ @hyunjinz agnes, backbone of stayblr that u are, i love u!! i know we don't Personally speak much at all i still feel like u are a dear friend of mine. you were one of the first ppl to support my skz content and i think you're that for a lot of people on stayblr and i think that is so sweet of u and also important for the community. u are so brave for going through the tags all the time and reblogging everything i do not have that kind of energy but i'm so glad u do!! i miss ur gifs but i'm happy that you're still around even when you don't gif. we're some of the last remaining pre-kingdom era skz ccs left 😱 so i will always appreciate ur company here <3 @innielove hi vi, i just want to say i love that u are giffing skz again. i've probably missed a lot of ur sets bc i'm bad at checking tags and dash but when i DO see them i'm like omg vi's gifs r really looking better than ever. thank u for returning to us 🫶 u have also actually been on stayblr for a long time so i'm always happy to see some of the oldies (can u believe we are oldies now...) back on the dash 😌

@kazuhas MS KALE it always makes me happy to see u on my dash here. ur gifs are so lovely and so are u!! i know we mainly know each other from off cc tumblr 🫣 but i wanted to give u a shoutout among all of my other tumblr beloveds bc ily. it's what u deserve @seo-changbinnies marie...another fellow stayblr hag at this point...u are still one of the funniest people on this site i swear. and i'm so glad u are still here and making gifs and blessing us w your funny tags. i hope u always stay just as insane, i love u for that <3 @seungs HI MIAAA we don't talk that much anymore but i wanted u to know that i still always love seeing u and your gifs on my dash 🫶 @felixies luna, legend of stayblr that u are 🙇‍♀️ i think ur work largely goes unappreciated by the fandom but u are an icon for keeping createskz running for all these years despite everything going on in ur life. tysm for your service 🫡 @huiracha marie huiracha...this is how i refer to u in my head btw. like 'huiracha' is ur last name. LKJSDFKLSKLD we have barely spoken but i want to give u your own shoutout just for surviving and continuing to gif on stayblr as long as u have. veterans' discount fr @hyunsung hi mona 🫶 we haven't spoken in a while either omg but i am still always excited to see u on my dash when u gif something or reblog something from me i'm like omg that's my friend mona :D SDKJFSJKLDF so thank u and i hope you're doing well 🙏 @hyunpic VILMA HYUNPIC...u know i am so glad we are better pals now. u are so funny and fun to talk to but also the sweetest ever!! thank u for always listening to me and being kind to me and also making me laugh. every time i feel like an rper named their hyunjin character something dumb i am glad i get to report it to u. some things only u will understand and appreciate. LKJSDKLJFSKLJFKLFD @sungtaro eri <3 we don't talk much anymore and maybe we NEVER HAVE??? but i have always felt like u are a dear friend and beloved mutual. i love seeing u on dash even if we don't have too many groups in common anymore. ur content is always lovely and so are u so we will always be pals as far as i am concerned 🫶 @exocean hi mo!! i must admit i don't have much to say but i wanted to mention you individually because you are so sweet and i love seeing u around and u deserve to know it <3 @hyumjim i don't even know what to say (positive) u know i am so glad ur squirmy wormy tag on one of my hyunjin sets brought us together. idr if we have ever properly spoken like via dm but bc u follow me on all my accounts i feel Seen by u....nd u haven't unfollowed me yet so god bless u. i always enjoy seeing ur thoughts and the posts u put on my dash whether they be a funny text post or someone's hot take getting dismantled or something Thought Provoking. my dash is definitely a better place because of u so thank uu 🫶

@wolfchans lau the Actual backbone of stayblr tysm for ur service fr. without u providing files for us i genuinely believe most of stayblr would be lost. not only do u do that but u are also genuinely very kind and make great content so i appreciate u so much!! thank u for making stayblr (and my dash) a better place @hyunebear hi adri i gotta admit i didn't even realize u were back on tumblr until i was going through my following and saw that u posted recently akljsdflkjdsf goes to show how much i'm on my dash...but i wanted to mention you individually even though it's been so long because you have genuinely touched my heart a lot and i will never forget ur compliments 🙏 ok maybe i did forget some of them word for word. but i will never forget how sweet u were to me. how about that. so thank you and i hope to see u around more!! i probably have to be on my dash more for that tho huh... @romanceuntold hi jen 🫶 i miss u on stayblr i'm ngl but i'm also still glad to see u on my dash through all your phases. you are such a warm and kind person and another person who i will never forget being so sweet to me. thank you and i hope you're doing well ❣️ @wearehappiness sidrah <3 the fact that we were both on stayblr but met properly on pc ig first is still so silly to me. me intending to wait on ur mail to get to me then being like 'stayblr perk i'll send ur mail rn' after i found out u were here LKJSDLKFLJKSF but you are suuuuch a sweet person who makes lovely gifs too. i miss ur gifs also!! and just you in general. wishing u the best in life always 💗 @mybodyfails hi oli 🫶 another person who has been soooo sweet to me, i'm so glad i got to help w leeknoween and i still have all the freebies u sent me from it preserved safely in my freebie photocard binder 😌 you are always lovely to talk to whenever we do, and thank u for reading my fic too despite zombies not being ur thing i appreciate u!! @strayklds / @facethesuns em i just think it's so funny that we like didn't speak before i invited u to the gif streaming server and i just did that on a whim bc u passed the vibe check and now i feel like we are good friends. despite still rarely speaking KSLDFLSDLKF but i love that for us and love ur gifs and seeing u around always 💞 @neohyune hi fae <3 i know us speaking is like a very recent development but i also wanted to mention u individually to thank u for your help 🙏 i need to write more of my fic tbh...but i Will be checking our conversation again for Notes. you also seem like a very sweet person so i would love to talk to u more in the future also 💕 @linoyes another very recent friendship (yes i am calling it that already) in my life, but thank u for your generosity, let's meet that fundraising goal together 💪 i hope we're also able to talk more outside of this context too. i just have a feeling i will have a lot more to say about u once i make another one of these!!

i'm ngl i don't know how many of you actually follow me here and i don't have time to check everyone's username individually so i'm just going to list a bunch of blogs i follow who may or may not follow me JKLSDFLKSDF but y'all make my dash a better place, thank u for all u do! 🫶 feel free to talk to me anytime too

@dazzlingkai @theseulgis @joytual @anyujin @cchuu @cherry-heartss @boynextdoors @hyunchans @ambivartence @minzbins @everglowz @chogiwow @ttathinker @minhosblr @minho-knows @yang-innie @leegahyun @bu99erfly

[mcclain-to-go-writes]

The Concept Artist

Chapter 1

1998

It had all started with a letter. A seemingly unimportant, unsuspecting letter to one Lon Boraz and the Animaniacs. 

The Warners were filming their newest film, "Wakko's Wish," when they heard Sandra, their ever friendly mail carrier, trying to get through the sea of crew to deliver a letter to the three. "I need to get this letter to them! Please, I can never get the letters up the tower, I just need to hand them to the Warners, and then I'll leave."

"Sandra, they're in the middle of filming, if you would just--" 

"It's okay, Ron, I think we're done anyways," the director told him. "Come on in, Sandra."

Ron shot Sandra a dirty look before letting her pass. "Here you go, kids. Sorry to interrupt filming," Sandra handed them the letter before turning to exit.

"Thank you, Sandra!" The Warner siblings called before haphazardly tearing the letter open.

"What does it say, Yakko?" Dot asked.

"Oh, please tell us!" Wakko chimed in.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses," Yakko laughed. "Ahem, 'Lon, I've missed you my dearest friend. We've missed you. I know we've had our differences in the past, but I would love to see you again. Come visit the old studio again, and bring those Warners of yours with you, I'm sure they'd love to see how it all began. -Fredrick.'"

"Lon?" Dot asked. "Like Lon Borax? I thought he retired... and went nuts."

"He did. Old Freddy here must not be too close with Lon," Yakko muttered.

"Well, why don't we ask him to take us?" Yakko froze.

"I-I don't think that's such a great plan Wak. Lon isn't the most stable guy."

"Come on, Yakko. He created us! And we could at least ask for the address to the studio!" Dot chimed in.

"I don't even know if we should go to the studio, Dot. Something feels off with all thi-- hey!"

Before Yakko could even finish his sentence, his siblings were taking off to find Lon. Yakko sighed. "I guess there isn't any talking them out of it now."

 

Lon Borax lived on the outskirts of Burbank in the Home For Retired Animators (Who Went Insane). Yakko never much liked the place. It always gave off odd vibes, smelled old and musty and the bars that had adorned each window always reminded him of his own imprisonment in the water tower. He shook his head, as if to rid himself of the thoughts. He wouldn't be there long, all they had to be there for was talking to Lon, getting the address, and then dealing with his siblings.

As they approached, Yakko could make out the figure of a slender woman sitting at a desk near the front, the secretary, he assumed. If Yakko hadn't liked the building from the outside, he liked the inside even less. The faded yellow paint peeled at the corners and looked scratched in the middle, as if someone had tried to rip it from the walls. The air conditioning was deafening and made the room entirely too cold. How someone could work, let alone live here, Yakko would never know.

"Excuse me ma'am," Wakko asked as they approached the woman's desk. "We're here to see Lon Borax."

"And who should I say is here," the woman asked them.

"We're the Warner brothers!"

"And the Warner sister!"

The woman, Stacy, Yakko deduced from her name tag, typed at her laptop before looking up at them. "You three are the Warners?"

"Yep, that's us," Dot said, batting her eyes for effect.

"I'm afraid Mr. Borax isn't taking any visitors. Sorry kids, I'll tell him you stopped by."

"Oh, don't worry," Wakko waved his hand dismissively. "We won't be long."

"Maybe I wasn't making myself clear enough the first time. Mr. Borax won't see anybody. Now, I'm very sorry, but I have to ask you to leave," Stacy told them, shooing them out the door. 

"But we came all this way!" Dot cried.

"I know, and I'm sorry but--"

"What's all that racket?" A male voice from inside called.

"Nothing, Mr. James!" Stacy called back, trying to push the three outside, but they just dug their heels in.

"We want to see Mr. Borax!" Dot cried once again.

"For the love of God, Stacy, just let them in already!" The man... Mr. James hollered.

"But sir--"

"Let them in!"

Finally, Stacy stopped pushing them, letting them pass her by.

"Borax is in room 258," Mr. James said, not even glancing up from his newspaper.

"Thank you!" The Warners laughed as they planted a big, sloppy kiss on the man's face.

"Bah! You kids better hurry before I change my mind!"

The Warners just laughed as they ran down the hall in search of room 258. Soon, the air smelled mustier than before, if that were possible. The pit in Yakko's stomach grew heavier as he saw they were coming up on Lon's room. He never had much trust with the man. He knew that Lon was here for a reason, and was highly capable of violence if he wanted to be. His siblings, however, had always looked up to him in a way. It made sense he supposed, he had created them after all. But from Yakko's minimal knowledge of the man, there was one thing he knew for certain, Lon Borax hated the Warners, and wanted nothing more than to be rid of them for good.

Before Yakko realized it, there it was. room 258. 

"Sibs," Yakko started, stopping them from turning the handle of the old oak door. "Lon may not be thrilled to see us..."

"What do you mean by that, Yakko?" Dot asked.

"I-Lon... just... don't get your hopes us about him, okay?"

Dot and Wakko nodded hesitantly, before turning the handle to open the creaking wooden door.

"Nurse, for the last time, I don't want your crap JELLO!" Lon screamed when he heard the door squeak open. Dot and Wakko flinched, not anticipating such a forceful greeting. Yakko, however, stood perfectly still, as if he had known this was coming, As his siblings stood frozen in the entryway, Yakko walked into the room, his face calm and collected, but his hands subtly trembling by his sides.

"Lon Borax?" he asked.

"The f*ck do you want?" Any other time, Yakko would have made a witty remark about how even on the outskirts of the studio, the censoring was still there, but he was too nervous for that. Lon's face was burried under blankets, but Yakko could could see he was eerily thin and deathly pale.

"It's Yakko Warner. We need to talk."

Lon whipped around to face him, and his siblings who had hesitantly been looking in from the doorframe. "You," he spat. "You're the miserable freaks of nature that got me stuck here."

Yakko flinched, "I'm not thrilled to see you either, Lon. So let's make this as quick as possible, yeah?" Lon grunted. "Great. We got a letter. It's addressed to you, but it concerns us as well, so we got it first," Yakko handed him the letter.

"First you steal my career, now my mail," Yakko heard him growl under his breath. He read the letter, eyes widening. Finally, he finished, throwing the letter at Yakko. "I ain't taking you kids, if that's what you think is happening here."

Yakko swallowed, "I didn't think you would. Could you tell us the address of the studio?"

"There's a return address, moron. It's the studio address. Now get out of my room."

Yakko stared at the envelope, and sure enough, a return address was penciled in at the top left hand corner. Yakko felt a small pit of anger bubble in his stomach as he realized he could have avoided this whole encounter, kept Wakko and Dot's image of the man untainted. 

"Are you f*cking deaf? I said get out of my room!" Lon howled, throwing a glass at Yakko. It landed about a foot from Yakko's feet, but it shattered on impact, sending shards of glass hurtling at Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. Luckily, none of the shards hit them, but when Yakko heard Dot start to cry, Yakko realized this man was not against throwing something else, potentially more dangerous, so Yakko hurriedly ran to his siblings, being quick to get them from the foul smelling building, to the damp grass outside. Dot was crying quite heavily, and Wakko was shaking like a leaf.

"Are you two okay?" Yakko asked. "He didn't hit either of you, did he?"

Wakko and Dot shook their heads. 

"Why was he so mean?" Wakko asked finally. "I thought-I thought he'd like us."

Yakko brought them both in for a hug. "Some people are just mean," Yakko whispered. "And need someone to blame their troubles on."

Though neither sibling was willing to bring it up, they could feel Yakko shaking as he said it. Whether from anger, fear, or both, they couldn't tell. And they weren't sure they were willing to find out.

 

Alright, I hope you guys enjoyed and if you did please give this a like, a reblog or check it out on Ao3