#Is Instagram a good place to start working with influencers?

[sociocosmos]

[thebearer]

follow me |carmen berzatto x reader|

prompt: the bear needs a social media rebrand. sydney hired you, and carmen gets more than just followers after meeting you.

an: bad descript i'm sorry lol. basically you're a social media manager and carmen likes you lol or how you and carmen meet <3 also thinking this will be a part 1???? lmk if you want a part 2!!!

contains: reader is a social media manager. language. carmen denying himself happiness ofc. mentions of mikey. fluff, fluff, fluff!!!

“What the hell is this?” Sydney’s voice raised, brow raised even higher to heighten her suspicions. Maybe her disgust. 

After Carmen looked at the snarl on her face, he decided it was definitely disgust. 

“What?” Carmen shrugged, looking at the screen in front of him. “It’s the, uh, The Beef’s old Instagram.” 

“Right.” Sydney said slowly, blinking at Carmen obviously. “The Beef, and we are not that anymore. We are The Bear.” She scrolled for a moment. “They also haven’t posted since twenty-twenty, which is-” 

“-Well, Mikey ran it, alright?” Carmen huffed, glaring at Sydney with annoyance. “I just found the fuckin’ password on a fucking gum wrapper in a folder labeled ‘important shit’ so I don’t know what to tell you.” 

Sydney nodded slowly, looking back at the phone, before sighing deeply. “I know what you should do.” She said, typing on her phone. Carmen grunted, still looking at the piles of order forms for produce in front of him. “You need a social media manager, because Carm, this? It's not gonna work.” 

“Social media what?” Carmen’s brows creased, shaking his head. “I don’t- no, I don’t need to do that. I’ll just, I’ll get Gary or fuckin’ Sweeps or Fak to run-”

“No, no, Carmen, seriously? Look at this. There’s- oh my God- there’s a thing here that says bring your own plate and you’ll get a free drink, Carmen… What the fuck?” Sydney sighed, shaking her head at him. 

Carmen nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I-I’m thinking that was a, uh, a Mikey special.” He muttered, pinching his eyes shut. “I can’t afford to hire someone on the payroll for that long, ok? Not when I could hire another hostess or-or a runner.” 

“They only come in to revamp and get it started. Just a little kick start for now. To get us started.” Sydney explained, clicking on her screen. “Look, I have a mutual friend with this girl who’s really fuckin’ good, ok? She did Lobo’s that pizza place? Got them from two hundred to eighteen thousand followers in like two or three months.” 

Carmen’s eyes flashed, looking at Sydney with a raised brow. “Seriously? Fuck…” Carmen looked at the screen, the crisp photos, videos, fun and trendy- vibrant and alluring. He hated to admit it, but it was good. 

“Look, Carm, it’s free advertising, ok? You catch the influencers if it goes viral. Could really put this place out there.” Sydney countered. “It’d be a lot cheaper than paying for some shitty advertisement on the news that no one watches anyways. Could bring in a lot of business and attention.” 

Carmen’s fingers drummed against the counter, sighing sharply. “Fine, whatever, see if you can get her in and just… Just tell me how much I need to put aside, alright? I’ll push the new glasses until then.” 

Sydney smiled triumphantly, nodding at Carmen. “Yes, Chef.” She saluted, walking out of the office. 

Three days later, you were standing outside of The Bear, newly opened, freshly renovated, and steady but not booming. “Uh, excuse me?” You waved through the window at the man in the beanie, looking at you carefully. 

“Hey, we’re closed until dinner, alright? But you can-” 

“Oh, no. I, uh, I’m not here for eating.” You cringed, shaking your head. “I’m looking for Sydney? Or Carmen? I’m the new social media person?” 

“Social media?” The man repeated, pushing the door open further. “Oh, shit! You’re the girl who does the, uh, Lobo and Avec!” 

“Yeah, I am.” You blushed, walking into the restaurant. 

“I love watching those reels of the asmr cutting the bread. Ugh, I watch it every night before going to bed.” The guy laughed, locking the door behind you. “Oh, I’m Marcus by the way.” 

You took his extended hand, introducing yourself, while you took in the fixtures on the wall, the art, the overall ambiance. “I am going to get Carmen, but you can stay right here if you want.” Marcus grinned, pushing the sliding doors open. 

You set your things down, pulling out your notebook, and looking around the restaurant. You knew that this was once The Beef, Sydney had sent you a few things about Carmen’s credentials and you looked up the rest. Impressed was an understatement, a guy your age that had ran the best restaurant in the world? Quite possibly was the best chef in the world or at least Chicago and needed your help? You were nervous, to say the least. 

Marcus called your name, making you jump slightly as you turned around. “Uh, so this is Carmen. He’s the owner, the head chef.” 

“Hi,” You were met with piercing blue eyes, hidden under a stray blonde lock of hair. Carmen’s hand reached for yours. “Nice to meet you. Sydney, uh, she couldn’t stop tellin’ me about your work. Thank you for helpin’ us out.” 

“No, no, thank you.” You reached for his hand, strong, a little rough, trying not to stare at his inked fingers. “It’s a pleasure to work with you. She told me a little about you, about the restaurant. It’s very impressive. Surprised you needed me.” You grinned. 

Carmen bit back a smile, looking down to hide his blush. Fuck, Sydney said you were good at your job, she failed to mention that you were so fuckin’ pretty too. Carmen could feel his heart fluttering in his chest, taking flight like he was a middle schooler again with a school yard crush. 

“So, if you have time, I want to go over some goals with you?” You say, gripping your notebook tightly. 

“Goals. Right, uh,” Carmen looked through the back doors. “Sydney is on her break, and-and my sister, Sugar- well, her name is Natalie, she’s like our manager. Richie too, uh, shit- I’m sorry that’s a lot of people, I know.” Carmen shook his head, an anxious laugh pealing out from his lips. “Those are the people you need to talk to, basically. I can grab them, just-” 

“-But you’re the owner, right?” You asked, lifting a brow gently. 

“No, I mean, yeah, I am.” Carmen stuttered. 

“Then I need to talk to you, too.” You gave him a small smile. “I mean, you know this place better than anyone, right? All the ins and outs? And from what Sydney told me, you redid this entire place. Right?” 

“Yeah, I did.” Carmen nodded. Fuck, he kept staring at your lips, he didn’t mean to, he was just… he was distracted. 

“So, we can all meet if you want, or I can do it one at a time.” You pulled your pen out of your notebook, looking at him with a gentle smile. It had Carmen’s heart racing. “I just have a few questions about the vision.” 

“The vision?” Carmen repeated, swallowing around the growing lump in his throat. 

“Yeah, the vision.” You smiled. “Just… tell me about this place. Tell me about you.” You slid into the chair across from him. 

Carmen wiped his hands on his pants, turning to look at the doors, hoping someone would come to his rescue. He wasn’t good at talking, especially not to pretty girls, especially about himself. Still, he couldn’t leave you sitting there. He’d hired you after all, and you were here to help him. So he sat down across from you, hoping you didn’t see the way his knee bounced under the table, hoping you couldn’t hear how his heart pounded. 

“So, Carmen Berzatto,” You grinned, every syllable of his name rolling off your tongue so sweetly, Carmen was sure he was going to faint. “Tell me about The Bear. Why did you start it?”

“Well, it was The Beef before. And-And my parents owned it, then my brother Mikey did…” Carmen started, watching the way you scribbled, eyes flickering to him with a small smile.

“Hello!” You called, pushing through the back door. They’d given you the code a week ago, so you didn’t have to wait or pound on the front door until someone took mercy and let you in. “It’s content day!” You sang, cheery and bright. 

Carmen could hear the pretty trill of your voice, trickling down the hall and into the kitchen. Tina smirked, watching the way he stopped, turning to look at you, blush rising under his white shirt. “Hey, Jeff,” Tina smirked, his head snapping to her. “Your girl’s here.” 

The staff had been teasing Carmen relentlessly about how smitten he was with you. Something he’d been so reluctant to do, he now looked forward to. Carmen swore it was because of your work. You had taken them from the measly six hundred followers they’d had since they started the account in twenty-eleven to six thousand, strategic posts and tags and tagging a few buzz accounts that were Chicago foodies. Business had gone up, reservations filling slowly. Followers poured in from TikTok, from the reels, from the posts. One tag from a micro Chicago influencer had brought in a good chunk and was still, all because of a photo with the pretty light features and the dessert. 

“Where’s the Bear?” You grinned, passing Sydney, camera in hand, bag slung over your shoulder. You pushed open Carmen’s office, dropping your bag in there. He’d told you that you could keep your things in there, since you didn’t have a locker, of course- and not at all because that meant he’d see you before you left. 

“He’s in here, baby!” Tina called, smirking at Carmen. 

“C’mon,” Carmen shook his head, a deep breath to keep him from looking so flushed. It worked for a moment, of course, until you rounded the corner. All bright smiles and fuck, you smelled so good. Camren wanted to drown himself in your perfume. “Good morning, Bear.” You beamed. 

Carmen grinned, cheeks heating with every step you took forward. “Mornin’.” He muttered, looking at the clock. 

“It’s content day.” You grinned, shaking your camera lightly. “Tell me you got something good for me, Chef. What's the special this week?” 

“A lamb tenderloin with a gorgonzola sauce served over pasta- house made, of course.” Carmen answered. 

“Of course.” You repeated with a tiny grin. You turned on your camera, taking a test shot, before you looked at Carmen carefully. “Ready whenever you are, Chef.” 

Carmen bit back his own grin, clearing his throat lightly. “How do I start it? The same as last time?” 

“Yep.” You nodded, pressing the camera to your eyes. “Tell me your name, name of the restaurant, and then just this week's special.” 

“On your mark.” Carmen nodded, picking up his clean utensil. 

“On yours.” You laughed. “I’m already recording.” 

Carmen spoke to the camera easily, trying to stay trained on the lens and not at you. How you’d grin and nod encouragingly at him, zooming in closer as he chopped, seasoned, pulled the already prepared and finished product out of the oven. 

Richie crossed his arms, leaning against the wall next to Sugar, lips pursed knowingly. “I know you’re thinkin’ the same shit as me.” 

Sugar hummed. “That Carmen’s into her?” 

“Way fuckin’ into her.” Richie grinned, watching as Carmen blushed, grinning back at you, genuine and a little shy at your compliment. 

“Fifty bucks says he doesn’t make a move.” Sugar looked at Richie. 

Richie snorted, scoffing with a shake of his head. “Alright. I’ll take your bet. I say he does.” 

“Get ready to be out of fifty dollars, Cousin.” Sugar said smugly. “This is Carmy we’re talking about. Not Mikey. Carmen’s not gonna make a move on her.” 

“Eh, not so quick, my dear, Natalie. Carmen’s changed a little since this place.” Since the horrendous freezer incident with Claire. “He really likes her too, look at ‘em.” Richie nodded, watching as Carmen held the spoon out for you, blushing when your hand touched his to take it, groaning before smothering him in compliments. Tina looked at Richie, amused and grinning from across the room. 

“Carmen will seal the deal. It’ll be last fuckin’ minute and it will be a mess, because it’s fuckin’ Carmen, but… I believe in him.” Richie nodded. 

Natalie snorted. “I genuinely hope you’re right, Cousin.” She looked at Carmen with a small smile, watching the way he looked at you, eyes cutting like he was being so cool about keeping his feelings underwraps. “I really do.” 

That night, Carmen lied in bed, scrolling through his footage from the day, seeing the video pop up from @/thebearchicago. Set to classical music, snobby and dramatic, the cuts, Carmen’s voice laid over describing the meal for the week, and a particularly good close up of his hands cutting the onions fiercely. Carmen was shocked to see the number of likes… the number of comments flooding in. 

“the cameraman knew exactly what they were doing lmao”

“New necklace available!!!” 

“I will give you my vital organs and let you chop them up like that if you let me watch chef please” 

“What the fuck?” Carmen snorted lightly, shaking his head, scrolling through the comments. He clicked to the main page of the restaurant, seeing you were just a few away from ten thousand followers. Fuck… Sydney was fucking right. You were good. 

Carmen’s face fell, mind racing and screaming with the reminder that you were only there for a few more days. He’d only hired your for two months- two glorious fucking months. You seemed… permanent now. Like he couldn’t imagine you not coming in on Tuesdays and Thursdays and after three on Fridays. You were a staple there. The staff loved you, you were good, and-

And Carmen really liked you. Liked having you around. Looked forward to talking to you. To get the chance to lean over your shoulder as an excuse to touch you when you showed him a preview of a post. Or when you’d send him cute text messages, a funny comment attached, your text reading: “you’re a hit, bear! they love you!” 

It was like you could read his mind, your contact flashing across the screen at him. 

To: Carmen 

‘told you this would be a good one! the fans love you berzatto!!!’ 

Carmen grinned, the faint twinge of a blush on his face. He could feel his heart racing, fingers dancing over the keyboard, and worst of all- he could hear Mikey’s fucking voice in the back of his head. A nagging tone repeating over and over and over, “Let it rip, Bear! Don’t be such a pussy! Ask her out!” 

Carmen looked at his screen, fingers typing out the message, a short, less than smooth invite to make you a special thank you dinner and his place- a date. He hoped you picked up on it. Heat hammering in his chest, he could feel his chest tighten, ribs knitting together uncomfortably, stomach twisting in the worst way. 

So, Carmen did what he always did. 

From: Carmen 

‘Never doubted you. Thank you. The video was great.’ 

He watched as the blue sent, the delivered turning into seen, and followed by your thumbs up over the text. Carmen put his phone on the table, lying back on his pillow, but he couldn’t sleep. His stomach still turned, unsettled with regret. 

“Oh! Marcus stop!” You gasped, Carmen’s head turning at the sound of your voice. “You didn’t need to do all of this!” 

“Yeah, I did.” Marcus beamed. Carmen turned the corner, seeing a beautifully piped cake there, candles and icing cursive that read “thank you!” in the middle of the buttercream. “You’re cool and you got us on the map, girl. Plus, we’re gonna miss you.” 

“Yeah,” Sydney nodded, holding a small balloon that said that exact phrase on it. “We will miss you.” 

“I’ll miss you guys.” You grinned, hugging them both tightly. “This has been my favorite job so far. You guys have been so nice. Way nicer than a lot of these assholes around here.” You grinned. 

Richie stood on the wall, foot tapping, eyes darting back from you to Carmen. He could see his cousin’s stuttering movements, hesitant and careful, before retreating back into himself. C’mon, Carm, fuckin’ do it, Richie thought, shaking his head. Carmen wouldn’t though, wouldn’t let himself be happy. Richie took a deep breath, head shaking with annoyance. 

“Goddammit, Berzatto,” Richie muttered, pushing off the wall. “You know, sweetheart, it’s been so great having you. Seriously, you blew us all away.” Richie said, walking towards you. 

You smiled. “Thanks, Richie. I really appreciate it.” 

“And you know what, we want to really show how much we appreciate you.” Richie’s eyes cut to Natalie, a silent plea to help him out. “I had a cancellation for this evening, and I would love for you to come instead. Let us really cook for you, give you the whole experience. No bill, of course. All on the house, for you, my dear.” 

“Oh, I-I couldn’t let you guys do that.” You shook your head politely, eyes cutting to Carmen’s. 

“No-No, please.” Carmen nodded, finally speaking. Richie sighed silently in relief. “It would be great actually. Please?” 

You felt your heart melt, nodding softly. Before you could even reply, Richie was stepping up again. “And you know what? You gotta do one last post for us, right? The big chef spotlight one. The, uh, c’mon, Sydney what am I lookin’ for here?” 

“Oh, the one about the staff spotlights?” Sydney asked. 

“That’s the one. See, that’s it. And you’ve done everyone except the big boss.” Richie pointed at Carmen, ignoring the way the younger man’s face fell. 

“I didn’t get one-” Fak started, Richie shoving him out of the way. 

“You gotta end with Carmy, and it's funny because it’s gonna be real slow tonight anyways. Wednesday, ya know? And I think what better way to experience the night, really craft that staff spotlight thing, than with Carmen. The two of you, have dinner and get to talk.” Richie knew it was rocky, not at all smooth, but it was the best he could do. 

“What? Cousin, what are you-” 

“-No, you’re right, Richie.” Sugar added, stepping towards Carmen, and cutting him off. “And Carm, you were saying you wanted to see everything in action for yourself. You do the customer experience so you make sure everything’s good, and we’ll serve you both dinner. All the stops.” 

“How’s that sound?” Richie clapped his hands together, nodding at Tina, who grinned. 

“Jeff, it would be really nice to make sure we can work without your instructions. A good night for it too.” Tina added. 

“Yeah, and Sydney’s got it.” Richie nudged the girl beside him. 

“Totally, Carm- uh, Chef. I’ve got it.” Sydney nodded, catching on to Richie’s glare at her. 

Carmen felt like he could melt into the floor, face red and palms sweaty. His ears were ringing, tongue swelled thick in his mouth. You looked over at him with a small smile. “I mean, that does sound really nice. If-If it’s ok with you guys, you don’t have to-” 

“-Oh no,” Richie shook his head, walking over to Carmen to clap him on the shoulders. “We insist, don’t we, cousin?” Richie laughed, leaning down to Carmen. “Don’t fuckin’ stand there like a jagoff, say somethin’.” He whispered. 

“Yeah.” Carmen said, swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat. “It’s, uh, yeah. That-That sounds great.” 

“Wonderful.” Richie beamed. “Six o’clock sounds good for you kids? Give you enough time to get it together.” Richie looked from you to Carmen. “Maybe for some of us to take a shower.” 

Carmen could feel the heat rise from his neck to his cheeks, covering him in a furious blush. You giggled. “Definitely gives me time to get a blow out.” You laugh. “See you at six then?” 

“It’s a date.” Natalie added, practically bouncing on her toes behind Carmen. 

Carmen glared at her, before turning back to you. “Yeah, I-I’ll see you then.” 

[giselleloversclub]

GG SMAU REC !

YU JIMIN / KARINA

꒰ LOWKEY ꒱　@ninguitar

❛ in which a concert you were tantalized by your friends into attending led to a one-night hook-up with band member, yu "karina" jimin, who was coincidentally a classmate, too. though incredulous and foolish, in karina's eyes, you were way too good to have you slipping through her fingers, but even so, she couldn't just act on it, leaving the two of you in an awkward predicament, and keeping the feelings amidst lowkey. ❜

yu "karina" jimin.　&&　fem. reader

wlw, crack, fluff, angst, school au, youtuber au, band au, & more.

DAYLIGHT @jenscx

park y/n is known for many things. she’s known as a pretty streamer, a popular entertainer and a hothead when it comes to video games. it’s unfortunate that her rash personality erupts when she meets yu jimin in an overwatch match.

influencer!jimin x streamer!reader

⋆･୭ ˚ HARD TO GET @bluebvrry

everyone could easily fall for Yu Jimins charms. Expect one person. Now Jimin finds herself smitten by the girl. It was like she had her wrapped around her fingers.

play girl!karina x f!reader

"IT'S ME BEFORE HER" @uchinagai

kim y/n, #1 soloist currently, known for other than just acting like out of this world and singning like an angel, is also known in the industry as 'flirt' among female idols. A certain world wide idol, got her attention on her, but little did she know, there was another one, more desperate and in love with her before the global it girl.

yoo jimin x fem!reader

don’t tell my boyfriend! @laurentpark

where jimin stalks her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend after a certain incident happened and couldn’t help but grow hatred over her. coincidentally, her and jimin happen to be global ambassadors of the same famous luxury brand and have to work together for a commercial. at first, jimin despised the girl with all her flesh and bones but soon understands why her boyfriend fell for the young actress in the first place… because she was starting to fall for the young actress as well.

yoo jimin x female reader

smau. drama. rom-com. angst

fool for you @pupuyvs

Aaliyah Hernandez is a popular MY account known for her looks, so when she gets a chance to attend a fansign, fellow fans can’t help but notice that some members of Aespa seem to be a bit more interested than they should be. Taking it as nothing but a stan twitter joke, how will Aaliyah react when she finds herself being contacted by one of the members?

Karina x fem!oc

smau + written, idol!karina, non!idol fem!oc, fluff, slight angst, humor

PAUSE @leeseulss

ou were sm’s new trainee and accidentally hitting the karina of aespa wasn’t exactly on your bucket list. unfortunately, karina holds grudges.

trainee!femoc x karina

strangers to acquaintances to lovers

send nudes? @wintersgff

when yn sees karina's post on instagram, she takes the opportunity to send her a flirty message.

idol! karina x idol! le sserafims member! reader

fluff, suggestive, curses, a little angst

BUSINESS MATTER @aettuddae

two of the most important kpop companies covet a partnership with a huge global brand, only to be surprised when the deal is extended to both labels. fearing potential sabotage and cynical strategies to secure exclusivity for just one of them, both CEOs resort to desperate measures. in a bid to maintain trust and prevent betrayal before the signing, they come up with a pact: forcing a fake relationship between the leaders of their star girlgroups. if one side attempted to fail the other, they threaten to expose it all to the conservative south korea.

karina/yu jimin x fem!reader/oc

social media au, idol au, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, comedy, fluff, angst, slow burn.

a business proposal @yooflm

after begging on ends for what seemed like weeks, you finally accept your best friends request to take her place for her upcoming blind date. the pro? you get a date with a hot CEO. the con? the CEO seems to be none other than your boss at your recently hired job!

yoo jimin x fem!reader

fluff, crack, slowburn (eh..), social media au, romance, strangers to lovers, fake dating, e2l???, non-idol au, college au

– I CAN'T BE YOUR LOVE @mingyushadow

what happens when the boyfriend of your muse invites you to be part of his band?

smau + written, band au, angst, romance, crack.

Rivalries and reconciliations @sapphic-kpop-fics

Y/n and Karina grew up as neighbors, becoming the closest friends until one night in high school when they get too close for comfort and stop speaking for years. Going to the same college was easy until the university introduced a new dance team that both want to join and become captain of.

Childhood friends to enemies to lovers

sugarcoat @izfims

as a way to fix her image, jimin's team decides to host an event where one lucky fan gets to go on a date with the idol to show the world that she's a good person. since y/n's younger sister happens to be one of her biggest fans but unfortunately falls under the age limit, she decides to sign her older sibling up instead. there's no way she actually gets chosen.. right?

idol!yu jimin x fem!reader

I HATE LOVE YOU @jennifestival

Karina has hated y/n ever since she “stole" her place on the team. Karina swore to hate her all her life, since she took away her passion, but as the time passes by, and they have to see each other every day due to university, and some mutual friends, karina realizes she doesn’t hate y/n that much;

Or

When karina realizes she’s falling for the person she despises the most, her enemy;

Yu jimin x Fem!reader

SHE’S MY COLLAR @dollieseo

as the most popular member of the band ‘lucky 8’ and a known playgirl, jeong y/n has many admirers, which she takes pride in. what she didn’t expect is for one of those admirers to be famous model/influencer yu jimin.

smau + some written chapters.

— ･ *･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ SATAN'S SPAWN @patheticallyinfatuatedwithu

yu jimin had everything in the palm of her hands. highest grades in the year, promoted as the captain of the dance team, top of the social hierarchy, and close to having the school's hearrthrob— song kang as her boyfriend. everything was sunshine and rainbows, until song kang's supposed sister, kim y/n turned song y/n— a certified hottie pain in the ass steps into frame, no longer the pathetic, crybaby loser jimin knew her as. and the line between hate and love slowly began to blur.

yu jimin x fem! reader

smau, crack, fluff, enemies to lovers

HIGH GARDEN ACADEMY @aettuddae

a new school year begins at the high garden academy boarding school, bringing with it new students, and among them, the new center of attention for the drama-thirsty student body: the hong sisters. eunchae and her mysterious and unsympathetic older sister, daein, who oddly seem uninterested in the secrets, legends, and gossip of their new school. winter, the institution's top student, and karina, the popular girl and promising pianist, never imagined they would end up so closely involved with hong daein.

karina/yu jimin, winter/kim minjeong x fem!reader/oc

social media au, boarding school au, love triangle, high class au, comedy, fluff, angst, slow burn, non-idol.

JOIN MY GAME @zlut4rina

a famous Minecraft streamer (Y/N) meets a girl on a public server. How will this new found relationship affect y/n and her reputation ... ?

baristas ୨୧ @jongocat

୨୧ you’re hopelessly in love with online friend karina. unfortunately for you, she’s got a crush on some barista.

the idea of yoo @spadesolace

in a small town called kwangya, there's not much going on aside from familiar faces, small annual events, and little to none attractions. what happens when naoi y/n was given an offer she can't refuse? the catch is the job to ghostwrite letters for choi yeonjun's crush, yoo jimin?

highschool au! karina x fem!reader smau

strangers to lovers, fluff, a bit of angst, a short smau

AFTERGLOW @hrtyunjin

after 4 years of no contact with previous ex bestfriend, karina, karina and yn re-connect with each other again. will they remain as best friends or develop into something even more serious that they were longing for since the beginning?

“why’d i have to break what i love so much?”

wlw, fluff, slow burn, smau, best friends to strangers to best friends to lovers, crack.

bound by the rules @eventuallyaugust

txt's oldest member, oh hyunseol just want a peaceful life after pandemic with her members, but it seems like fate wants to shake things up.

lesserafim huh yunjin x txt's sixth member! gp! oc x aespa yoo jimin

_______________________________________________

Uchinaga Aeri / Giselle

POINT OF VIEW @amourjins

and by bumping into someone that just so happens to be the queen bee of the school, you apparently made a new enemy.. on your first day of being at a new school.

meangirl!aeri x newstudent!reader

texts w/ gf!aeri @amourjins

“ met thru internet “ @uchinagai

two oomfs and huge Red Velvet fans, seolhee and Giselle, decided to join Selca Day, which caused Seolhee to fall in love with the girl; little did she know, it would go completely wrong

non idol!giselle x fem!oc (seolhee)

Crazy Combo @theofficialnarrator

Aeri “Giselle” Uchinaga, SASA’s queen bee, gets dethroned by her ex-bestfriend, Jang Wonyoung. Out for blood, Giselle decides to run for Prom queen against Wonyoung and Yujin. With who? None other than the campus golden girl, Y/N L/N. Can the crazy combo win the hearts of SASA's student body, or will the two crash and burn before Prom?

non!idol Aeri Uchinaga x non!idol fem!reader

SMAU + Written, fake relationship, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, fluff, slight angst, HEAVY drama, non!idol au

A CHANGE OF HEART @geeminz

mihye has been secretly dating giselle, her best friend’s older sister, for four months. what happens when their relationship turns toxic, and their secrets become public?

toxic!giselle x f!reader oc (mihye)

it’s so over for me @wonysugar

aeri ‘hottest girl on campus’ uchinaga, aeri ‘it girl’ uchinaga, aeri this, aeri that. y/n was sick and tired of hearing and seeing that girl everywhere. what was so good about her? she was a mean bitch, average looking and just a little rich, why were people freaking out over her so bad? aeri knew that y/n didn’t give two shits about her, and she didn’t like that. at all.

nonidol!giselle x nonidol!femreader

_______________________________________________

Kim Minjeong / Winter

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 @perfectsunlight

𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐩𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧. 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫.

𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁!𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘅 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

girls like girls (like boys do) @forwntrx

you are the fifthmember of aespa. one of the aces. loved by the public, the media, and even other idols. you were confident and assured in everything, except...yoursexuality. you were so sure you were straight, just like a pin, until you met yunjin.

huh yunjin. a member of le sserafim. when she slips her number in your cookie at music bank, your whole life is thrown off balance. from that point on, she relentlessly tries to steal your heart, not knowing that winter was the one who set her eyes on it first. kim minjeong has loved you ever since she met you, but she was so sure that you could never see her that way. she lets go of her feelings and chooses to be your best friend instead. that is, until yunjin tries to make you hers. the three of you become locked in a triangle noone can escape. not without getting hurt that is.

- " i wanted her first. "

- " didn’t you ever hear second is the best, first is the worst? "

- " that’s not how that goes. "

(reader x winter / reader x yunjin)

LOVE RADAR @hearts4jiheon

basically your celebrity crush hates you, that’s all!

soloist!reader x idol!winter (wlw)

🗑️ dumpster dive @kissies4jiwon

after getting drunk and attending your boyfriend's party you find him hitting on one of your friends. after crying for a bit, you decide to sleep next to his trash can in the back of his house. little did you know now there are rumors of you being homeless and broke, and some people think you were thrown by your boyfriend in the dumpster. one of these people is winter, and she is determined to treat you better than that scum.

highschool setting, strangers to lovers.

personal fav plot !

THE CHEESE TOUCH @baekwrld

desperately seeking employment, broke college dropout y/n l/n accepts a job at a chuck e. cheese run almost entirely by similarly incompetent friends of friends. upon learning that her coworker is part of a popular local band, y/n attends one of their shows in support of her new friend—only to find herself tangled in a dating rumor with their guitarist, kim minjeong.

kim minjeong x fem!reader

under the moonlight @wintersera

on a cold winter night you were strolling down the street getting some snacks when you spot a shivering puppy curled up outside. as an empath you felt horrible for the poor pup- now… bringing it back home wasn’t exactly the best idea.

wolf hybrid!winter x fem!reader

BUSINESS PROPOSAL (side b) @isaaabbellle

Oh why did you have to meet the woman of your destiny like this? Getting caught being the real Kim.

secretary!minjeong X f!reader

HIGH GARDEN ACADEMY @aettuddae

a new school year begins at the high garden academy boarding school, bringing with it new students, and among them, the new center of attention for the drama-thirsty student body: the hong sisters. eunchae and her mysterious and unsympathetic older sister, daein, who oddly seem uninterested in the secrets, legends, and gossip of their new school. winter, the institution's top student, and karina, the popular girl and promising pianist, never imagined they would end up so closely involved with hong daein.

karina/yu jimin, winter/kim minjeong x fem!reader/oc

social media au, boarding school au, love triangle, high class au, comedy, fluff, angst, slow burn, non-idol.

_______________________________________________

Ning Yizhuo / Ningning

when worlds collide @oceanbug

Y/N had never been the type to take life for granted. You grew up with the mindset that if you wanted something, you had to work for it; So getting paired up with the university’s “Rich Bitch” Ning Yi Zhuo for your midterm was the last thing you wanted. Are you willing to step into the world of fame for an A+?

non!idol x reader; fluff; college au; enemies to lovers; wlw; smau

_______________________________________________

Kim Chaewon

LOVEBIRDS @celestialsequels

y/n falls in love with chaewon at first sight after seeing her during her orientation day at university but what happens when y/n tries to find ways to approach chaewon…? does she end up with chaewon…? read to see how y/n and her friends figure out ways to approach chaewon.

chaewon x f!reader

GOAL ! @pupuyvs

Yoo Jihye and her friends are the biggest losers in school. Though proud of the title, it seems to bite her when someone decides to sign her up for the school’s soccer team as a prank. Now forced to play the full season, how will Jihye survive, especially when the team’s captain is dating her crush, head cheerleader Kim Chaewon.

cheerleader!chaewon x loser!femoc

The only exception @tuna-gimbap

Chaewon wasn't really fond of love to begin with, as she grew up in the shadow of broken love, and she swears to never fall in love only to find one person who changes everything.

Chaewon x reader smau

CAUGHT @kkrymiii

Hwang ray apart of the schools infamous trouble makers who's in the media club, One day captures a photo for the media club to post for the science fair but a specific person in the photo catches her attention. As she tries to figure out who this pretty girl is it clicks to her. It was the stuco president... Now what will this lover girl do?

Kim chaewon x Hwang ray (reader)

Unexpected @saturnayeon

Chaewon accidentally messages the wrong account, trying to message Kazuha about Eunchae’s account. What she thought would never be brought up again, ends up growing into a great friendship. Will it be more?

Chaewon x fem!reader

_______________________________________________

Huh Yujin / Jennifer

For My Eyes Only » @seullovesme

you weren't necessarily famous or anything to begin with. it was only until after the post revealing your amazing visuals that your socials seemed to grow. it certainly attracted people, maybe even a certain someone and their fanclub.

famous!huh yunjin x famous!reader, smau

girls like girls (like boys do) @forwntrx

you are the fifthmember of aespa. one of the aces. loved by the public, the media, and even other idols. you were confident and assured in everything, except...yoursexuality. you were so sure you were straight, just like a pin, until you met yunjin.

huh yunjin. a member of le sserafim. when she slips her number in your cookie at music bank, your whole life is thrown off balance. from that point on, she relentlessly tries to steal your heart, not knowing that winter was the one who set her eyes on it first. kim minjeong has loved you ever since she met you, but she was so sure that you could never see her that way. she lets go of her feelings and chooses to be your best friend instead. that is, until yunjin tries to make you hers. the three of you become locked in a triangle noone can escape. not without getting hurt that is.

- " i wanted her first. "

- " didn’t you ever hear second is the best, first is the worst? "

- " that’s not how that goes. "

(reader x winter / reader x yunjin)

Et puis je t'ai rencontrée... @yunjinpwr

( and then i met you...)

Few days after being back from France, you meet up with your friends at university. Somehow, an important paper fall from your bag… what will happen when Yunjin find it and message you ?

university smau, non!idol x f!reader, wlw, fluff, strangers to lovers, crack

student!yunjin x student!femreader

bound by the rules @eventuallyaugust

txt's oldest member, oh hyunseol just want a peaceful life after pandemic with her members, but it seems like fate wants to shake things up.

lesserafim huh yunjin x txt's sixth member! gp! oc x aespa yoo jimin

_______________________________________________

Kang Seulgi

by luck » @seullovesme

You've loved Red Velvet long before you became the current host of your radio show. When its announced that they'll be starred in your next show to promote their new album, you are aghast; Especially when the Kang Seulgi shows interest in you, but without each other's information, you part ways. that's where it ends.. unless?

idol!seulgi x fan!reader

_______________________________________________

[octuscle]

Gold and coal

Johannes was a passionate influencer. When he felt like it. Actually, he only called himself an "influencer" because it sounded better than "slacker" or "professional son". He actually made a good living from his parents' money, which he spent at parties, shopping and traveling.

"So, what do you think of my cute new hat? I found it at this very cool market here in Ankara. It goes well with the necklace, doesn't it?" There were fewer likes on the picture than usual. Comments instead. Critical comments. Why he suddenly has such a beard. Johannes grabbed his chin. He had no beard, he had no beard growth at all. And he had carefully retouched the picture before posting it on Instagram. There had been no beard. But still: the photo above the caption clearly showed a beard…

He would have to deal with it later. Johannes had a full schedule. Working out at a gym, which surprisingly enough actually wanted to pay him, a visit to a Turkish bath and cocktails and dinner at a trendy rooftop bar in the evening. Even though Johannes was a hedonist, he was usually well organized and punctual. But at the gym, his schedule started to slip. He trained harder and longer than usual. He felt full of energy. And the traditional Turkish bath and hammam were fantastic. He met super interesting people there. Surprisingly, in the two weeks he had been traveling around Turkey, he had picked up more Turkish than he thought he would. He struck up conversations with people and they got on with each other using their hands and feet. Actually, he should have been up on the roof terrace, styled and with a gin and tonic in his hand, when he left the Turkish bath with a real Turkish stallion. The two of them had shagged like Johannes had never shagged before in his life. Johannes' hair was still oily from the scalp massage. He was sweating. His stallion asked him if they wanted to have another cup of tea and a shisha. They did. And then Johannes was fucked again in the stallion's apartment!

"as-salāmu ʿalaikum, brothers! Today will be a great day. I'm going on a tour of the insider tips in Ankara with my brother Hakan today. But now it's time to pray. salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam."

There was a hail of question marks as comments. Friends asked whether he had gone mad. But he also received positive feedback. Because of his style. Because of his faith. These comments were mostly in Turkish or Arabic. Both languages that Johannes (or Yahya, as he called himself here) understood more poorly than well. But he recognized praise in every language!

Hakan and Yahya had a great day. In public, they were the typical machos, but Hakan knew the places in Ankara where there was good, hard sex. Yahya sucked a minister's cock in the station toilet. And got 200 US dollars for an obviously good performance. Enough money for a good evening in the hammam and a good shisha afterwards.

The apartment that Hakan and Yahya shared was small and stuffy. The housing shortage in Ankara was no different to anywhere else in Turkey. But thanks to their small extra income, they at least had three rooms. Pure luxury for two people.

For Yahya, Instagram and other social media were actually just full of sin and Western decadence. But of course they were important media for receiving news from his brothers. His own account existed. Nothing more. He followed a handful of fellow believers who posted frequently, but he didn't really have any followers himself. He still had an old account from his school days. His name was still Johannes. But he hadn't looked in there for years.

Working at the bazaar as a porter was hard and exhausting. But the bazaar was full of niches where you could earn money with services that his sheikh shouldn't know about. Although Hakan thought he had shagged the sheikh before. But Yahya didn't really believe that. But he didn't really care… The main thing was that he and Hakan had enough money and fun. They prayed for that. Not necessarily five times a day. But about ten times a week. If they sucked more cock, they prayed more often. And Yahya sometimes had to pray very often. He was grateful that he didn't stand out too much with his hairy body and bushy beard. But the blond hair was exotic. And many customers were willing to pay a lot for sex with a blond Muslim.

Yahya and Hakan were minor celebrities in the bazaar. Firstly, because they were oil wrestlers on their way to competing against each other for the title of national champion. On the other hand, because they were only simple porters. But they knew every corner, every trader and always knew everything. "Ask Yahya or Hakan!" was a common saying if you wanted to know anything. Or if you wanted a special service. But they didn't talk about details in the bazaar.

Pics made by @ki-kink

[alwaysmicado]

Hi Love!!, love your works! Do you have your request open? Or if you just open to my insecurity talk🫣😅, well i’m curious about your take on reader’s insecurity on their boobs *shocking* by their real life’s average size theirs are bigger (that’s the first insecurity) and by the online’s appearance (like how social media and corn looked to them) theirs are just not the type that is appealing (in their opinion) well if it’s too much i’m sorry and the world is still going on and the sun is still shinning if they’re just accept it is what it is. I love your works, have i said that? I’ll say it again, im justt ugh im loving it to the point of i need to consume it everyday, and i love you thanks for your masterpieces!!

Anon, I’m kissing your forehead and holding you close 🤍🫂 Thank you so much for your support! I’ve had my fair share of body image issues, so I get it, BUT I want you to know that you’re beautiful, your boobs are amazing just the way they are, and there’s zero reason to feel insecure.

Your body is part of what makes you, you—and that is wonderful.

In His Eyes

1.8k | Dieter Bravo x f!reader | 18+

Warnings: insecure!reader, fluff, sweet!Dieter, sex talk A/N: My mind went straight to Dieter somehow...he just strikes me as a tits guy. Happy reading! 🤍

The glitzy world of Hollywood feels like another universe, a place where everyone is unnaturally beautiful, perfectly polished, and always on display.

Ever since you started dating Dieter, that world has been closer than you ever expected it to be. It’s like being constantly thrown into the deep end of a pool you didn’t even want to swim in, surrounded by model-like women who make you feel smaller by comparison.

It’s not that Dieter makes you feel this way—he’s actually a lot more down-to-earth than you’d expected for someone who is, well, Dieter Bravo. But the groupies, the social media influencers, the actresses at those Hollywood parties—they make you feel it.

Like no matter how much Dieter is into you, there’s always going to be someone thinner, prettier, younger, with smoother skin and...nicer tits.

You’ve always hated yours.

They’re big, heavy, not the gravity-defying, perky kind you see on social media or in porn. There’s some sag, stretch marks that remind you they’re real, but not what’s considered “ideal.” Dieter’s never said anything about it, but lately, it’s all you can think about. Every time you see him surrounded by those women, it gnaws at you, leaving a pit of insecurity in your stomach.

You’re sitting on the couch in his apartment, your phone clutched in your hand as you scroll through Instagram, heart sinking with every photo you see. Dieter’s out at some event—another movie premiere, another round of beautiful people all posing for the camera. You hadn’t felt like going tonight, too overwhelmed by your own self-doubt to put on a dress and act like you belonged in that world.

You try to shake the feeling off, but it lingers, wrapping around you like a heavy blanket. Why does he even like me? you wonder, staring at a picture of some model with a perfect hourglass figure. What’s stopping him from being with someone like her?

The door opens, and Dieter steps in, still looking devastatingly handsome in his suit, his tie slightly loosened, a lazy smile on his face.

“Hey, babe,” he calls out, kicking off his shoes as he makes his way over to you. “You should’ve come. It was a circus, but the drinks were free, so...you know, could’ve been worse.”

You force a smile, closing out of Instagram and setting your phone down. “Yeah, I just wasn’t feeling it tonight. I’m glad you had a good time, though.”

Dieter pauses, eyeing you for a moment before plopping down on the couch beside you. “You’ve been ‘not feeling it’ a lot lately. Something wrong?”

You shrug, trying to play it off. “Just...stuff. It’s nothing.”

“Come on, don’t give me that,” he says, nudging you with his elbow, that familiar grin on his face. “You think I don’t notice when something’s up? You’ve been avoiding these events like the plague, and now you’re sitting here in the dark. That’s not you.”

You bite your lip, debating whether to brush it off or tell him the truth. Dieter’s easygoing, playful, not the kind of guy who dives into serious conversations. But he’s also observant, and you know he won’t let it go.

“I just...” you begin, taking a deep breath. “I’ve been feeling a little insecure lately.”

Dieter’s grin falters, his brow furrowing slightly. “Insecure about what?”

You hesitate, your heart pounding. “About...me. My body. My boobs.”

There’s a beat of silence, and you feel the words hanging heavily in the air. You brace yourself for whatever reaction might come, but Dieter just blinks at you, as if waiting for you to elaborate.

“You’re constantly around these beautiful women,” you explain, your voice quieter now. “These perfect, gorgeous actresses and models and whatnot...and yeah, sometimes I feel like garbage compared to them. Especially...I mean, my tits aren’t...”

You trail off, not sure how to finish the sentence. You expect Dieter to brush it off, to laugh it away or make a joke. But instead, he shifts, turning to face you fully, his expression surprisingly serious for once.

“Wait, wait, hold on,” he says, holding up a hand. “You’re feeling insecure because of them? Because of all those...what? Barely legal models and influencers who’ve already had ten plastic surgeries by the time they turned eighteen? Babe, they’re literally paid to look like that. That’s their whole deal—selling a fantasy. It’s not real.”

You glance down, feeling the weight of your insecurities pressing down on you again. “I know, but it doesn’t make it easier when it’s all I see here. I just...I can’t stop thinking that one day you’ll realize you could be with someone like that instead of...me.”

Dieter stares at you for a second, then lets out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “Are you kidding me?”

Your stomach twists, and you can’t help but wince. “No, I’m not kidding. This isn’t funny to me.”

“Okay, no, I’m sorry.” He reaches out, grabbing your hands, his grip warm and grounding. “I get that you’re serious. But you’ve got this all wrong.”

You frown, unsure of what he means, but Dieter leans in, his dark eyes locking onto yours, his voice lower and softer now. “You think I’m into you despite how you look? You think I’m sitting here going, ‘Well, I guess I’ll settle for her, even though there’s all these other women’? That’s not how this works, babe.”

You blink, taken aback by his sudden intensity. “Yeah, but all your exes had–”

“Let me be crystal clear,” he interrupts, squeezing your hands a little tighter. “I’m with you because I wanna be with you. And that includes your smart mouth, your amazing brain, and your beautiful body. Every part of it.”

Your cheeks heat up, but you still can’t shake the doubt. “But my boobs–”

“Are fucking perfect,” he cuts in, his eyes flicking down to your chest before meeting your gaze again. “Jesus, how many boners do you need to give me just from existing in the same vicinity as me before you start to believe it?”

You can’t help the incredulous laugh that escapes you. “You’re a dork.”

Dieter lets go of your hands and moves closer, his fingers sliding up to gently cup your face. “I may very well be, but I’m also serious. Look at me.” He waits until your eyes meet his again, his voice steady and insistent. “I’m a shallow, sex-obsessed, movie star, right? If I wasn’t into every inch of you, why the hell would I still be here?”

You crack a smile at his self-deprecation, but the weight of your insecurities still lingers. “I dunno. Maybe you love other parts of me and take the bad with the good?”

Dieter groans softly, leaning against the couch, his hands dropping to your waist. “You don’t really believe that, do you? And, okay, you want me to be brutally honest?”

You nod, unsure but curious.

He smiles, his fingers grazing your waist as he speaks. “Every time you walk into a room, the first thing I notice? Your beautiful face, your radiance, how you light up the whole damn place with your presence. It’s like you pull all the air out of the room, and suddenly, there’s just you.”

“Oh, stop it…”

“I’m serious,” he insists, his eyes locked on yours, a smirk tugging on his lips. “And then, a millisecond after that? Your tits.”

You chuckle, rolling your eyes. “Of course.”

“They’re amazing. Like, out-of-this-world amazing. They’re real, and soft, and they’re part of you. And trust me when I say, I’m not looking at anyone else. Not like that.”

His words are sinking in, but part of you still struggles to believe it. Unfortunately, the insecurities you’ve harbored for so long won’t just vanish with a few compliments, no matter how sweet they are.

“But I’m…never gonna look like the rest of your…friends or whatever. And it makes me feel like an outsider,” you say a little quieter now. “And I know you love me, and I know I’m too old to feel this way, I know, but I just…do.”

“Why would you want to look like them, though?” he asks, genuine confusion in his voice.

“Um, what kind of question is that?” you ask incredulously. “Because they’re beautiful and successful and–”

“Fake,” Dieter interrupts bluntly, cutting you off without hesitation. “Airbrushed, filtered, and half of them are so miserable they can’t go to sleep without a cocktail of Percocet and vodka knocking them out. Trust me, I know.” He’s serious now, the playful tone gone. “Their lives? Their bodies? None of it is real. It’s smoke and mirrors, and it’s fucked up that it’s sold as something desirable.”

You open your mouth to say something, but he doesn’t let you. His hands move up, resting just below your ribcage, his gaze unwavering as he speaks.

“You’re real, babe. That’s what I want. I’m not interested in some blow-up doll version of a person. And even if I used to be into that, or if that’s what other people want—so what?” He leans in closer, the look in his big, warm puppy eyes making your heart race, clouding your senses. “I’m with you now. Because I want you. Because you’re the one that gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me up at night.”

“Thank you, Dee,” you whisper, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips, your heart swelling. You wrap your arms around him tightly, nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck. His familiar scent and warmth surround you, comforting you in ways words alone can’t. His hands find their way to your back, gently rubbing, soothing. 

For a moment, everything is quiet, just the sound of his steady breathing against your ear. At last, your mind is calm. 

“You know I’m constantly daydreaming about your tits, right?” Dieter murmurs suddenly, catching you off guard like only he can. “Playing with them for hours on end, burying my face in them, licking them, sucking on them…pressing them together and fucking them. Or just watching them bounce while you’re on top of me.” 

You laugh softly, shaking your head at how shameless he is, but your body responds to every word. “Dee…”

“It’s bad, okay? Can’t even really jerk off to porn anymore…I think you broke my brain, babe.”

You chuckle and pull back just enough to look into his eyes. “Be careful, or I might just start believing you.” 

“Yeah?” he grins, his hands never leaving your body.

“Yeah.” You bite your lip, feeling the heat rising between you. “But I think I might need a little more..convincing.”

----- Thank you for reading! 🤍 Masterlist | inbox

[wenellyb]

Bucktommy & The power of positivity

I've seen some people say there was a ship war between Bucktommy and Buddie shippers and "both sides were to blame".

The way I see it, Buddie shippers started sh*tting on Bucktommy shippers the moment Tommy was confirmed as a love interest for Buck and Bucktommy shippers decided to reciprocate by being petty and making fun of some of them (especially the ones who were tagging their hate as "Bucktommy").

But Bucktommy shippers aren't the ones harrassing the cast and the crew and writing nasty comments on the 911 official instagram page.

It might be seen as a "ship war" but one of the groups is not like the other.

Whether you see this whole thing as a ship war or not, what I wanted to say to the Bucktommy fandom is not to fall in the "trap" set by Buddie shippers and be influenced by their penchant for negativity.

We're in a good place right now, and our ship is in a good place and it's one of the reasons why they're so angry, but we have no reason to be as angry as they are.

I'm not sure, of course, but I think that one of the reasons why Buddie never became canon over the past years is because of the behavior of some of the fans who were constantly harrassing the crew members and acting entitled. No showrunner likes that. These extreme stans even drove Oliver Stark off of social media.

On the other hand, we have Tommy who was only supposed to be in 4 episodes and here we have him in 6 episodes, and I think it's due to all the positivity surrounding Lou, Tommy and the Bucktommy ship.

So we should keep up posting about Bucktommy, writing fics, making edits, spreading positivity and try to ignore the negative posts as much as we can (I know it's not always easy) because it seems to work.

It's so easy to fall into the trap of Buddie shippers, because they try to provoke us with the biggest lies, just so they can get a reaction.

We have to remember that the negativity is all they have left.

I've checked some anti-Bucktommy posts and honestly the notes don't even go higher than 20 or 30 notes, so it's really not worth paying attention to it.

We're in a good place right now and we wouldn't want to messs it all up just because we started playing the game some Buddie shippers are playing.

TL:DR: Let's not try to focus to much on the haters: they're hateful because they’re losing. Let's focus on the positivity and keep enjoying Bucktommy!!!

[doomtrooper77]

Meet Gusieppe "Joe Murder" Murderetti. Mob Boss's Mob Boss

It had been a couple of weeks since he had been back to the Dungeon gym. He got his workout in at the gym at work, but this place was made for growing. The Dungeon was mainly a private gym. Most people didn’t know it existed, and those who attended liked it that way. From the outside, it looks like an abandoned warehouse. You might also think so if you just paid attention to the unpainted walls and steel girders above your head. Graffiti on the walls. Look at what the gym contained: a sea of free weights, benches, racks, and machines to lift big. The only cardio was the fighter’s section in the far corner. Full boxing ring, a full-size MMA octagon, mats galore for jujitsu to karate. The other side of the building was for recovery. 3 full Saunas, 3 shower areas, Cold Plunges, 4 huge Japanese heated Soaking tubs, and massage rooms. This place was a lifter's dream. But there were no influencers here. Nobody is setting up their camera for Instagram or TikTok. The place was clean from top to bottom. Members didn’t pay, you had to be invited.

I had decided to bring my college buddy who was in front out of town with me. He was still in pretty good shape even though 10 years later, he spent most of his day behind a desk. I told him I knew a place where we could workout like we used to in college. He didn’t think much of the place until we got inside, and he grinned like a kid in a candy shop. We changed, and I told him no phones were allowed outside the locker room. He objected and said he had a deal he was working on, and he had to stay in touch. I told him it could wait an hour or two. We worked out together for about 30 minutes, and he said he wanted to work arms, and I told him I needed to do some legs. So we split up.

 I had my headphones on and was on my 3rd set in the squat rack. When I noticed everyone in the room was looking at something behind me. I racked the weights and turned to see my buddy in fucking Joe Murder's face. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

Joe Murderetti, aka Joe Murder, was not a local mob boss; he was THE MOB BOSS. Not the flashy one, he was the Mob Boss the flashy ones were terrified of. He was the one authorities knew had his hands in everything, from drugs to extortion, loan sharking, casinos, financial crimes, and murder for hire. They had come at his 10 different ways, and each time, not only did nothing stick, but people disappeared. Judges, lawyers, prosecutors, politicians, witnesses, and cops. He was called a wizard of the fucking underworld because impossible things happened when he was involved.

Joe Murderetti was also the person who invited me here to this gym. His gym.

My buddy was in good shape for your average guy. He was 6’2 "and 270 lbs. He looked solid and hadn’t lost much of a step since our college days. I was 6’3" and 290 lbs. I was a beast; I had to be when I was on the streets.

Teddy was running his mouth and putting his finger in Joe Murderretti’s face! He was always an arrogant hot head and when he got this way he never paid attention to the world around him. He didn’t see the fucking sea on monsters headed his way. Joe Murder owned this place. Most of the people who came here worked for him—either part of his day-to-day crew or one of 20 others who controlled most of northern Illinois.  At least 15 guys were converging on the two. Not one of them was under 300 pounds. Hell, Joe himself tipped the scales at 340-350.

 I flung my headphones and started trotting over. I got within 10 feet when I felt a big hand clamp on my shoulder and neck. My training and instincts kicked in, and I grabbed the hand and arm holding me and started to judo-throw them over my shoulder. Under normal circumstances, that person would have been slammed to the ground over my shoulder, and my knee would be in their neck. Instead, the big hand holding my shoulder grabbed my wrist, twisted it, and kicked my legs from under me; when we hit the floor, it was my face slammed into the rubber mat, and a massive knee was in the center of my back. Air rushed out of me, but my training kept me attempting to move. I tried to twist, but not only was the weight on my back too much, but the person holding my arm twisted it further and pulled it up toward my head. The pain was excruciating. I was only able to twist my head to the side and yell out, “Mr. Murderetti, Mr. Murderetti!” Another shadow passed over me, and a big, lugged boot sole stepped on my head and neck, pushing me further into the ground. I stopped struggling.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Teddy and Joe Murder looking over at me on the ground. Teddy's eyes got big, and he started moving in my direction, but two more massive guys grabbed him. Teddy's only training was from football when we played in college.  One guy had him wrapped in a chokehold, and the other had slammed his fist into Teddy's gut twice already. Before he could hit him a 3rd time, Joe Murder casually held up his hand, and the chokehold loosened, and the puncher stood at the ready.  Joe Murder was still looking at me.

His dark eyes locked on to me, and he said, “David, what does this have to do with you?” His voice was deep, yet he had the south-side Chicago Italian accent. This was the voice of the mobster on the street. I had heard that voice speak in a boardroom executive tone to north side charity dinner smoothness. Today, it was the voice of the man who owned the streets.

“I’m sorry, Teddy didn’t know who you were. We came in for a quick workout, but I wasn’t paying attention. This is my fault.” I said. Joe Murder made another small gesture, and the two monsters holding me down pulled me to my feet. They did not let me go.  By this time, there were 10 other massive guys surrounding us. All of them looked as if they wanted a piece of us. Everyone else in the gym disappeared.

Joe walked over to where the two men held us and absently said to them, “Let him go.” Both men let me go but didn’t move away. Joe stepped up to me, and an aura of menace surrounded him. Each of the guys on either side of me could have twisted me into a knot. But something about the man standing in front of me made them seem like puppies in comparison to a tiger.

Joe Murder was 2 inches shorter than me, but damn near a foot wider. He made you feel like the closer he got, the more you shrank into yourself. “Your buddy has a loudmouth and seems interested in business that’s not his,” Joe said. Teddy spoke up, “Dave, tell these knuckle draggers to let me go! Tell them you’re a cop, and they just fucked up big time. You’re gonna drag them in and put them under the fucking jail!” The last sentence cut off as Teddy got another shot to the gut. His legs crumpled under him, but the guy held him up.

Joe Murder’s eye twinkled dangerously, and then he said mockingly, “Under the jail! Yeah Dave, tell me how you’re putting us under the jail.”

Over the next week, I will post a member of Joe Murder's crew daily.

[applejuicefruit]

Hey,Can i Request a Rafael Leao fic where him and the reader are bestfriends and the reader is insecure about being chubby and Rafa asks after a bad game if he can take a nap on her chest or tummy and she says no and covers it up.And from then is just Rafa complimenting her and just basically a small love confession🫶🏻🫶🏻

rafael leao x reader

TW : insecure and self conscious reader, angst and fluff

Perfect

you knew you weren’t perfect. no, you kept comparing yourself to all the models and influencers that appeared on your instagram feed. you couldn’t help it. but things got worse when your best friend rafa kept introducing you all his conquests he made during parties. it was just too much for you to handle. you always had a crush on him but you knew you wouldn’t be the type he would date, you were just the type he would go to when he needed some comfort or when he wanted a chill night watching netflix and eating popcorn. it’s always been like this and you got used to it. you went to his games and supported him no matter what, looking so proud for what he achieved.

usually everytime rafael came to your place it was almost like a habit that he would ask you if he could lay his head on your stomach or your lap because you were comfortable. at first you didn’t mind, not at all, in fact, you liked the attention he was giving you but as the time passed by you got more self conscious about it. the way he would express his wants to you like “please let me lay on your tummy, it’s so comfortable” you started to hate it.

hate that your tummy was comfortable and not flat. hate that you weren’t as the girls he was used to date. you just started hating yourself even more and you didn’t know how to stop that feeling.

you were currently on your couch watching rafael playing as you told him before you couldn’t make it to his game because you had a late work meeting and you got lucky you got out of the building at the start of the match.

so now, you were eating popcorn and cheering for rafa and his team from the comfort of your couch.

the match wasn’t good at all. his team lost and you felt rafael sadness through your tv. you already knew that in an hour you would find rafael on your door, begging to be comforted and of course - who are you to say no? he was your best friend after all.

and that’s what happened.

“come here” you said opening the front door and letting him in “how are you?” you asked him, wanting to be sure he was doing well.

“i’ve been better…” he said sitting on your couch. you could tell he cried before coming here, it was an important match and he didn’t want to lose it.

“i’m really sorry rafa…i saw the match and you did all what you could, you even scored…” you tried to cheer him up.

“yes but it wasn’t enough” he said.

“that’s football…sometimes you win, sometimes you lose” you said and he let out a sarcastic laugh. you knew him too well and you also knew that it didn’t matter what you said to comfort him, he wouldn’t listen.

“can we watch netflix?” he asked and you couldn’t say no. you were currently watching together modern family so maybe it was a good idea for cheering him up.

“yes” you laughed and turned netflix on.

a few minutes into the episode he asked if he could lay on your stomach but something snapped inside of you.

“y/n…” he called for your attention “can i lay on your tummy? it’s always so soft and comfortable and warm…” he asked, thinking you were going to say yes like you always did but this time he was greeted with a cold no.

“why not?” he asked.

“i don’t want to rafa”.

“but why?” he continued “you never said no”.

“because i don’t want to, okay? i…i don’t feel comfortable doing it so drop it” you said, eyes back on the tv and ignoring the questioning look on rafael’s face.

but he didn’t ignore how you covered your stomach with a pillow and how you kept hugging it, almost as if you wanted to hide your body.

he pretended to see nothing so you could continue with the show.

four episodes later you both fell asleep on your comfortable but uncomfortable couch.

when you woke up you were greeted with the delicious smell of coffee and pancakes and you couldn’t help but smile.

“good morning beautiful” rafa said when you got into the kitchen.

beautiful? he never called you beautiful.

“i made some breakfast for us…i hope you don’t mind but we’re out of eggs” he smiled.

“it’s okay, as long as those pancakes are good” you joked.

“here you go gorgeous” he said handing your plate with the pancakes.

gorgeous? and beautiful? in less than ten minutes? what was going on?

and that day wasn’t the only day he complimented you.

he started with texting you good morning beautiful or good night pretty girl. he started complimenting every outfit you wore on your days out, every time you style your hair in different ways or every time you did your make up in a different way. but it was too weird.

“i never meant to make you uncomfortable” he said one night while you were both hanging out at his place.

“uh?” you asked.

“that night…at your place…”

“it’s been over a month rafa” you smiled.

“i know but i saw the look on your face and how i made you uncomfortable…i’m sorry, i never meant to hurt you and your feelings in any way possible…” he said truthfully.

“it’s okay…really”.

“no it’s not…i…okay don’t hate me for what i’m going to say but i know you, i’ve been knowing you for years and i know how you feel uncomfortable in your own body…” he started talking.

“rafa” you tried to stop him.

“let me finish please…i just, i just wish you could see yourself the way i see you y/n, you’re beautiful, your eyes, your face, your body, everything about you is beautiful” he took your hands in his big ones “i’ve always wanted to say it to you but i never wanted to make things uncomfortable between us because you’re my best friend but maybe we could be something more?” he asked, too scared of being rejected.

did he just confess his love to you?

“do you really mean it?” you asked.

“of course, come here” he said, his hands grabbing your face and your lips meeting his softer ones. it was a gentle and loving kiss but you felt on fire.

“is this real?” you asked him and he laughed.

“very real”.

“i like you…and i mean a lot” you joked and he kissed you again.

“we can take things slowly…i just want to be with you” he said looking into your eyes and you said yes, completely forgetting about the show you were both watching and melting into rafael’s arms.

[binzlovenicetingz]

Idk if your taking requests for will or Luca but can you do one where the reader is saving themselves for marriage but is scared which will/Luca would leave them. Im sorry I’m feeling angst, fluffy. Not having a good day😭

hi hi yes i am taking requests imma a little slow with replies due to work but i will try my best and I’m sorry you weren’t having a good day. feel free to message anytime 🤎

I’ll give this one to Luca. You were honestly so scared to tell him that you were saving yourself for marriage because 1) that was still considered old-fashioned by some of your friends and 2) you didn’t want to lose him. the thought of your relationship with ending because you didn’t “put out” was always in the back of your mind every time a kiss getting too heated and you’d feel his need growing before you pulled away. If he was upset about it then he never showed it or was really good at hiding it

you shared this with some friends who shared story after story of their partner leaving or cheating because there was no sex. there advise only sent you spiraling further because what if Luca gets bored of waiting? he was a hot chef with tattoos and beefy arms, there wouldn’t be any issues with him finding someone who would be willing to give up all of themselves to him, you just weren’t one of them.

you thought that you were keeping it all together but Luca noticed a change in you for a while now. Opting to watch and listen until he started to ask what was wrong but you would push it off quickly, a small smile on your pretty lips wasn’t fooling him but you wouldn’t talk him and he could force you too

until one nice, his first night off in awhile and he just wanted to spend it laying in bed cuddled up with you. instead you were scrolling through your instagram, showing him every post that had a woman in a bikini or some tight athletic shorts, asking him if he thought this one was pretty or that one. he entertained you the first time but now Luca couldn’t stand seeing another influencers edit tits being shown.

with a tired sigh, Luca sits up, eyeing you carefully while you continued scrolling “what’s this really about, love?”

“about what?” you don’t look up, scrolling and liking post after post.

“what you’re doing now” Luca reaches over, taking your phone from your hand ad your quickly protest.

“you can’t just take my stuff like that!” you huff but quickly stop when you see the remorse on his face.

“I know and I’m sorry but I need you to focus on me, angel, please.” Luca gently cups your cheek, eyes filled with admiration and worry. “just..talk to me, please.”

you were a goner. instantly you were wrapping your arms around him, tears flowing and you tried to tell him about your insecurities, the worries and thoughts that go through your head.

Luca holds your close, letting you cry out but also soothing you. he couldn’t understand what you were trying to say but you softly whispering, “please don’t leave me” crushed him. after a few minutes, you felt yourself calming down while Luca gently rubbings small circles on your back.

“I’m not sure where this is coming from but I’m not leaving you.” he says gentle yet firm in his words, he makes sure your focus on him, “all those other people you showed me, there’s nothing compared to you, okay?”

you nod slowly before he places a kiss on top of your head. a sign leaving your lips, it was now or never, “I..um..Im-Im a virgin and I plan on keeping it that way until I’m married.”

Luca was slightly taken aback by your sudden confession and he must of looked surprised because you were quick to continue, word vomit claiming you as it’s next victim.

“I-I know it’s probably weird that I’m not putting out or whatever but this means a lot too me and I want to know that I’m g-giving myself to someone who truly loves me. so if you wanted break up or something then just do it now because I heard that if I don’t sleep with you soon, you’re going to find someone who will give it up easily to because that’s just something that’s gonna happen and-“

“whoa, who told you that crap?”

you shrug like a child caught but you still shared the name of some friends who told you those cheating stories. you can tell Luca was annoyed by that but he was quick to reassure you he’s not the type and that you might need to rethink some friendships if they aren’t being supportive of you.”

“I meant what I said, y/n. I’m not going anywhere”

for the first time in a while, Luca was able to see your perfect smile.

Satisfied that you were able to talk to him about your problems and work through them together.

[will80sbyers]

Brett unapologetically believes what he believes. This makes criticizing him less worthwhile to people, cuz if it doesn't affect him, then what's the point?

With Noah, it's clear he's a lot more apologetic about what he believes. We've seen how quickly he backtracks and it's cuz his beliefs were never that strong in the first place. He's a total sponge. He's not confident about his beliefs whatsoever in the same way Brett is because his beliefs largely stem from the beliefs his loved ones have, who he trusts to have good beliefs. This makes tearing him down a lot more entertaining to people that love a good downfall.

I remember after 10/7, there were a few days where Noah did not say anything. So many people were waiting for the ball to drop. I was curious how his Israeli friends were reacting, and low and behold they both had instagram stories that were very obviously directed at him, crying and saying how they were disappointed that someone who they thought cared about them, who has millions of followers, hadn't said anything. And predictably, the next day he started being vocal about it.

And now we just saw how quickly he took down his copypasta after filming started. Im guessing all it took was a few days filming on set among the cast, away from his family and inner circle, for them to talk some sense into him, because he. is. a. sponge!!

It's crazy to think how much appeasing the people around him has probably played a big role in this. And how him now backtracking is only going to make them hate him now too, all the while not even getting the people that hate him already to even consider forgiving him anyways.

I agree with you I think he's VERY easy to suggestion from other people and that's what brought him to say certain things, I feel like propaganda does work and people just undermine that or like to talk about it theoretically but then when they see someone that actually did fall for it or that feels pressured to do things and is clearly influenced they don't take it into consideration and start jumping to the worst possible conclusion that they are heartless monsters etc even when they didn't idk commit direct crimes themselves because of it

I also feel like ignoring that there are LOTS of people that take the meaning of Zionism with a complete different meaning than what we take it as (because of what it is doing in the practical way of expressing that philosophy) is being disingenuous

In the same way that people saying that "from the river to the sea" means that you're saying that you want Jewish people dead is disingenuous

There are two different meanings that people have and not all of them mean that in the sense that they want to kill or keep opressing the other side EVEN if that is born from that, you know people don't mean it in that way, especially people that are not even living in those places themselves, like if you know that - you have to explain to them why that name to you has the same connotation as for example "fascist"

If you think about it, the words fascist and other similar words of political movements are not born with the people giving them inherent negative meaning but that meaning got attached there because of what they did as a movement, which is the same thing that happens with Zionism, but people that are born inside that culture where you get told that that word has a different meaning OBVIOUSLY are not going to tell you that they agree with the negative meaning unless they have been freed from propaganda and can actually see that there can be no distinction anymore because of what they have done... But again we're talking about deprogramming someone, it is just not easy to do!

They will refute that idea because it's a complete shift of the belief system you had since your were born... It's obvious to me that you can't just throw them in a box of "evil" just because they fight to make peace with that idea or refuse it

And online there's a jump from rightly asking for clarification or an apology with accountability when necessary to literally wanting that person dead or in complete misery immediately and never forgiving them or at least letting them live their own life without abuse and harassment

No matter what they actually did or didn't do, like a serial killer is put on the same plane of someone that says a fucked up thing and to me that's kind of insane... I feel like we lost measure (?) idk how to explain this in a better way I just have started feeling like it's all too much online it wouldn't be how you help people to change in the actual real world

And to be clear I'm not against people being called out and having to demonstrate that they did change, (I'm not even a "non violent" person... when needed. Like, I would punch a nazist if I needed to for example) but I feel like now the type of harassment is extreme no matter the "crime"

and instead of it being about helping our world to get better it has become about piling on to pile on and have the most liked post at the same time and these people don't care at all if that person changes or not, they are in the "evil" list now and there they must stay

[aleyalea]

Blogging vs. TikTok: Is Long-Form Content Still A King?

MDA20009 DIGITAL COMMUNITIES

Well let’s be freaking real, everyone and their grandma is on TikTok and Instagram these days. You can’t scroll for five seconds without getting hit with a trend dance or even a cute cat video or maybe some Influencer telling you about “why you should buy this product!”. Well, the app itself is very quick, it’s flashy, and of course it’s very addicting too. So, where does that leave good ol’ blogging? Well, you know, the thing people used to do before short-form video took over our lives?

Here comes the real question, is long-form content still A KING? In this era do people still blog? Is blogging still relevant? The answer, YES and maybe no. Well, according to Mr Google, blogging is still relevant till these days but it’s not the top dog anymore.

WTH is Blogging?

So what is a blog? According to (Weiner, 2022) Blogs are a type of regularly updated websites that provide insight into a certain topic. The word blog is a combined version of the words “web” and “log” (Weiner, 2022). It’s basically like having a journal but in a digital format. Short form “virtually”. 

Like I mentioned before, blogging is not the top dog anymore and it’s also not the same as it used to be. In fact, it has evolved in exciting ways. If you’re thinking, “Okay, so what does that even mean?”, don’t worry, I’m about to break it down for you why it still a valuable today.

Firstly, people still want in-depth information. I believe there are still 5 out 10 people not prefers or wants their content delivered in very small-sized like what do you mean 15-second? 30-second video?Sometimes there are people who like to seek or need a real explanation. You can’t learn how to build a website, start a business or bake a ten-layer cake from a quick TikTok (well, maybe the cake, but you get my point). So basically, blogs allow long-form, detailed content. To put it simply, they’re where people go when they’re looking for answers, rather than just casual entertainment.

Secondly, there are some people who find joy in blogging. Sitting down with their laptops and a cup of coffee to spend time expressing themselves through writing. Unlike TikTok and Instagram, where everything is short and meant for instant hits, but with blogs it lets you dig deeper into ideas and share personal stories. It’s a place where your creativity can shine and your art work is appreciated by the communities.

Additionally, I think one of the most empowering aspects of blogging is you own the damn thing. You control what’s published, how it looks, and how people interact with it. Plus, you can monetize however you want. Whether it’s ads, affiliate links, or sponsorships, everything you’re in control of. Having a blog is like owning a house, of course you make the rules. You decide the decor and the layout. You can freely create a community and connect with readers the way you want. 

But in the end, TikTok and Instagram have truly taken over, leaving blogs behind. Today, TikTok and Instagram dominate as the go-to sources for quick, visual entertainment. With shorter attention spans, people tend to favor videos over long written content. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram quickly capture attention with their dynamic visuals and sound, making them more engaging users and of course without any shame I'm definitely one of them.

To be very honest, a lot of people have switched from blogging to making videos because it’s easier to grab and hold people’s attention. Especially for those who don’t enjoy reading.

Vlogs are an engaging visual medium that many viewers prefer. It can be easier to build an audience and follow with video (Hazel, 2024). It’s easier to pull someone into a 15-second video than to get them to read a 1500 word article. Well that’s a fact.

People have shorter attention spans these days (big thanks to the internet), and scrolling through TikTok and Instagram gives them instant satisfaction. You can laugh, learn, and move on in just a few swipes. Blogging? meh… It takes more time to create, more time to consume, and the immediate payoff just isn’t the same.  It’s easier to throw together a 15-second clip than to write 1,000 words on "The Art of Slow-Cooking Ribs: A BBQ Lover's Guide". If you want quick content with little effort, TikTok and Instagram are where it’s at. Blogging requires dedication and patience, both of which are in short supply in a world where everything needs to happen now. People want fast, easy-to-consume content, and that’s where blogs sometimes lose out. 

So, Is Long-Form Content Still A King? I'll leave you with that to ponder.

References

Weiner, A. (2022, December 6). What is a blog? Definition, types, benefits and why you need one. Wix Blog. https://www.wix.com/blog/what-is-a-blog

[izvmimi]

summary: ushijima has a sudden moment of weakness. this is a repost.

cw: breakup, angst otherwise sfw

“Mr. Ushijima, do you have any words you can spare for us?”

Questions like this don’t usually offer much alternative, he thinks as he acquiesces, taking a seat at the table while ignoring the flashing lights and the cameras on him. He taps the mic in front of him to test it, then clears his throat as politely as possible.

Post-game interviews are usually nothing more than nuisances for Wakatoshi and today is not much different. Yes, there was a period of time where he dreaded moments like this, about a year ago, when a reporter noticed he no longer wore the promise ring you’d gifted him, and more and more media outlets had started to notice your absence from the sidelines, from social events, from his life entirely.

But that time had passed and now that the novelty of being newly single had worn off, the reporters spent less time asking him what newest actress, model or influencer he was now setting sights on or what he did wrong, and focused more on his ability to perform on the court. Meaningful conversation.

“We played well tonight. While it was ultimately a loss, I do think that there was a good attempt put forward. We will reconsider our strategy and improve our athletic ability in preparation for the next game.”

Ushijima’s answer, as usual, is short yet thorough. The reporters scramble to keep the conversation going, and Ushijima notices a young man in the corner who seems a little flustered to even be in this space in the first place, and looks towards him. Now surprised with attention, the young man’s eyes widen, and then he steps up a little closer, thrusting his microphone an uncomfortably close distance from Ushijima’s face.

“Have any challenges in your personal life affected your play tonight?”

Ushijima doesn’t like questions like this but he doesn’t exactly hate them. They’re expected with the territory and this journalist seems to be working from a script anyway.

“None. Things have been going well.”

He’s lying. Despite the fact that it’s been so long since he last saw you, you still haunt his dreams every once in a while. He remembers those exact words you’d said when you’d decided to finally give up on him, on your joint relationship:

I can’t keep holding out hope that eventually you’ll become someone you’re not.

There are a million better things he could have said at that time other than what he decided on.

This is who I am, ___. I don’t know how to be any other way.

He could have said anything else, but his stubbornness and his pride spurred him in this awful direction. The truth is he was frustrated. He hates to lose, and to come back to you after long stretches of time being apart and realizing you were slowly becoming more and more impatient with him only reminded him of how much he was failing.

The reporter continues his line of questioning focused on the technicalities of a particular play, and Ushijima tries his best to answer politely, his mind elsewhere.

What are you doing now? Is the man he sees holding your hand on your Instagram profile treating you right? He doesn’t know why you stayed friends on social media. He doesn’t know why he even checks. He barely pays attention to it other than for sponsorships... and the times where he needs to remind himself that your absence doesn’t mean that you’re dead, rather he is dead to you.

What if he could tell you what he should have said then?

Without thinking, Ushijima interrupts the reporter and takes his microphone, directing his face at the closest camera.

“I don’t know if you’re watching this, ___. I understand if you’re not. There’s no reason you would be.”

The crowd around him seems stunned to silence, confused as to what this man is trying to do. Ushijima’s voice and demeanor has remained even the entire time - what he is doing may not be planned, but it is intentional. Ushijima pauses, sorting out his words again, staring at the camera. In his mind’s eye, maybe you are watching, seated on a well-loved couch, sipping tea from one of your favorite mugs, wrapped in a shawl as he often would find you when studying many nights in college. Maybe you haven’t really been paying attention to the television until you hear his voice, and your eyes widen as he speaks.

“I hope you are happy. I mean this genuinely. I miss you but I want you to be loved the way you deserve.”

Maybe if you’re seeing this, there’s a small furrow in your brow as you recognize his affections. Perhaps you unfold your legs tucked below you and sit slightly forward, ears perked up and listening.

“I wish I could have been the one to be that person for you but I admit my shortcomings.”

Maybe you bite your lower lip. Perhaps this would move you to tears. Perhaps you’d reconsider that he’s not good with words - far better than when you met him, but still in need of help.

Yet, you’d remember that he loved you more than anything else in heaven and earth.

“If you’re watching this, I hope you are safe and cared for by a better man than I.”

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a tear that falls from your eyes, the ones he always thought were beautiful, in mourning of your past relationship. If he’s delusional enough, he imagines that you think about him, and maybe there’s a bit of regret. You consider the possibility of loving him once more. You assess your willingness to leave a stable relationship and take another plunge with him again. You consider him once more, eschewing any care for the person you now come home to.

In his greatest fantasies, you’re willing to try again.

It’s nearly silent in the room now, and Ushijima takes upon himself to hand the microphone back to the shocked journalist, promptly ending the interview of his own accord. He gets up and leaves, ignoring the now frenzied shutter sounds.

He’s gonna hate the press in the morning.

However, none of that matters. All that matters is whether or not you hate him for not being good enough for you.    

[theeeveetamer]

If FE characters of your choice had YouTube channels, what would these look like? And what kind of content would they create?

Ooooh okay okay okay!

Dedue has a cooking channel where he gives recipes and teaches you how to do basic cooking skills and reviews cooking appliances and things.

Dimitri has a "can I break it" channel where people send him things and see if he can break it. He and Dedue cross over frequently when Dedue reviews appliances. Dimitri is a good durability test to see if they'll last. It does not take fans long to realize that they always use the same kitchen as a backdrop for their videos (they're married, I don't make the rules).

Leo reviews books, I think. It's really not fancy he just sits in front of a camera and talks. People come by for his aggressive sarcasm and dry humor.

Takumi insists he doesn't want a youtube channel but he always shows up on Leo's. People just assumed they were dating but they actually weren't for like... a good three or four years at the start there. There's much confusion among the viewers when they finally announce that they got together, because everyone just assumed they were and they just didn't talk about it.

Sylvain doesn't have a YT but he's an Instagram influencer. He's just as annoying as one, too. I bet he also models.

Felix is an unboxing channel but he only buys weird shit. It's not like toys or anything he's like "here's this vintage sword". He pretends like he's not excited about it every time. He's also really bad at hiding it.

Aaaaand for fun, I think Ingrid runs a channel where she just reviews food places. But like, not high end food places (at least not all the time). She's the youtuber who'll sit in her car and eat McDonald's and talk about it.

And Dorothea probably does song covers.

OH AND Alfred probably has an entire channel just dedicated to sharing his work out routines. Diamant doesn't have a channel but he does frequently pop up on Alfred's. They're ""gym buddies""

[lvebug]

LOVEBUG FIGHTING / MOVEMENT GUIDE:

climbing: after getting her powers it's near impossible for andie to continue rock climbing in a way that brings any satisfaction, since her powers fully interfere with it. still, the fact that she did this for years influences the way that she moves and climbs.

she doesn't move in a "crawling" motion, but will tend to mimick the way that someone would freehand climb for bouldering. this typically means following hand placement only after a foot placement has been found and most of her weight being carried in her legs. she'll rarely move both hands and feet at the same time which gives her a much more irregular movement pattern. while moving along a surface she also tends to be much less linear, following more of the swaying seen in climbing/bouldering & shifting to keep her weight near the surface she's climbing on. this is a mix of her still searching for those natural holds—even if they can look far different when the climber has the abilities that she has—and her leading with her hips to throw her momentum in the direction that she's trying to move in, as climbers tend to do.

fighting: we all know that andie doesn't fight in the traditional sense and there are a few key components to how this looks.

shock absorption: lovebug still frequently has to make close contact with her opponents, such as when swinging into them or throwing/flipping them. even these actions, despite involving direct contact, are places that she tries to reduce how much force she's actually using to connect with the other person? i don't have good phrasing for this? the best way i have to show this rn instagram reel of some dancers. the woman is throwing her partner, and she cradles his head as she does so to help protect him. lovebug does this too, including when that person is being thrown directly to the ground (which is usually the case i just don't have like specific video), she's putting herself better her opponent and the concrete. it's about stopping/subduing them, and not harming/knocking them out so even though they're fighting she isn't trying to hurt them at all.

similarly when doing the very classic swinging kick, she bends her knees as contact is being made which gets her up close quickly and knocks the person off balance, but tends not to do too much damage compared to keeping ur knees locked.

im linking some more instagram videos that came across my feed that i saved bc they gave andie vibe

i like this one bc the woman kind of brings the other guy down on top of her? andie would do that. minus the arm bar at the end

this one is kinda flashy but i think works esp in the sense that andie has just phased up through the floor idk

i am also kind of a big fan of this like wrestling move? even though idk how well it works for lovebug

the one handed cartwheel is very andie to me but also the way that a) it starts from a punch from the opponent b) andie could control their fall a little / protect their head

gymnastics: one of the biggest things that lovebug is is a distraction, so there's lots of cartwheels, handsprings, flipping through the air, and other such big distracting movements. it helps that she took years of gymnastics as a kid and that she's extra flexible from her powers stuff like this is both quite natural and effective for her, but also some of her flashiest moves.

swinging: of everything she does, this is probably the most fluid. i really dk how to explain what this is like at all but i suppose it kind of looks like peter in the first ps4 game? when andie first starts out as lovebug she doesn't have any webshooters because she doesn't know how to make them, so she doesn't rely on them as much. she tends to use single zip-lines and swing in wide fluid arcs that cover lots of distance when she's between buildings that she can run on or poles that she can swing on.

phasing: there are actually some tells for when she's about to use this. usually she will brace herself—if someone is coming at her she tends to square her shoulders a little more and bend at the knees slightly, if she's going to run through a wall she'll prep with chin dipped down and tilting her body forward. it comes more fluidly when built into another action like swinging first or if phasing through the floor she'll often dive down. this is something that requires concentration for her to use.

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 3

Day 3 is here and it feels like things are just heating up. Today's feature is Code 51 by Jill Chapman, a Young Adult novel full of mystery. This novel cover was designed by the amazing returning artist, Cookie Redding!

(For those of you who don’t know, 30C30D stands for 30 Covers, 30 Days in which 17 Wrimos and 5 YWP Participants get the chance to win a professionally designed cover! The rest of the days are being filled by community features. We’ll be posting a cover a day throughout November, so make sure to check them out!)

Code 51

Jacqueline Kolby wants to get through her senior year in high school to get on with better things. She doesn't want attention in or out of class from anyone. Jac, as her friends call her, ignores headlines and surely doesn't want to be one. However, when an arsonist seems to target her family, staying in the background isn't possible anymore. Jac's dad gets burned in a barn fire after several of their corn fields are razed. Now she's had enough. The police and fire marshal don't have any suspects. Her mom is busy caring for her dad while her grandpa mourns the recent loss of her grandma. Jac and her two friends set out to solve the mystery before anyone else gets injured. Who would want to hurt her family? Why now?

About the Author

Jill resides in Southern Indiana with her husband of forty-five years. They enjoy their country lifestyle and visiting with their children and grandchildren. Her life centers around her family and her yellow lab, Indy. She is an avid movie watcher and loves Mexican food and watercolor painting. 

She has published a middle-grade mystery series titled The Bomb Squad. Code 51 will be her first venture into young adult mystery/suspense books.

Jill’s interest in books began in childhood when reading provided a wonderful outlet for her wild imagination. She loves to tell stories about her life experiences with humor mixed in to convey the sense of adventure she feels daily. Jill says her life is like a good plate of nachos, a tiny kick of spice, and a whole lotta cheese.  

About the Designer

Cookie Redding is an artist, designer and lecturer with the School of Visual Arts at the Pennsylvania State University and teaches courses in the Digital Art and DMD Programs. Her work encompasses the art and design world, with a focus on multiple media forms of expression.

Redding's influences are from a diverse array of disciplines spawning from the classics and antiquities, to history and tech. Her explorations integrate these elements into a study of symbols. The imagery she deals with within her work is a study from the beauty of words and by being within nature. Her explorations show how the literary world meets the natural work with color and texture. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook!

Cover Design Process:

This year. we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Cookie's:

My process typically starts with some sketching, brainstorming and listmaking. Then I start to hone my composition concept while also searching for imagery that would be ideal for the cover. I went through around 8 iterations and then my concept adjusted a bit to include the grid--that's when everything fell into place! Thanks so much for letting me be a part of 30 Covers 30 Days again--it's the highlight of my design year!

[orianacperez]

[trans woman and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [ORIANA PEREZ]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [ZION MORENO]. You must be the [TWENTY-NINE] year old [HAIR STYLIST @ STUNNING STYLES]. Word is you’re [POLISHED] but can also be a bit [ALOOF] and your favorite song is [THE BOLTER BY TAYLOR SWIFT]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [CRYSTAL COVE CONDOMINIUMS].

@aurorabayaesthetic

BASIC INFORMATION !

FULL NAME: Oriana Calista Perez NICKNAME(S): Princess AGE: Twenty-Nine GENDER & PRONOUNS: Trans woman & She/Her SEXUAL & ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Heterosexual & Heteromantic BIRTH PLACE: Aurora Bay, California BIRTHDAY: 17 August ZODIAC: Leo RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single HEIGHT: 6'0" OCCUPATION: Hair Stylist NEIGHBORHOOD: Crystal Cove Condominiums LENGTH OF TIME IN TOWN: Born in AB, Moved away at 13, Arrived back in town 2 1/2 months ago PARENTS: Fransisco Perez (Father) — Living, Juniper Herrera (Mother) — Living, Elisabetta Perez (Step-Mother) — Living SIBLINGS: Step-sibling (WC)   PETS: None

BIOGRAPHY !

Oriana Perez was raised by a single father and her grandmother. She doesn't remember her mother—who skipped out on the family when she was three. Although her father was angry, he never blamed his child for his wife's departure. From that moment on, he worked hard to keep his family afloat, sometimes working multiple jobs in order to spoil Oriana. Her family, despite small, were all very supportive of each other. They weren't wealthy at first—and then her father finally got a job where he was actually making a decent salary. A few months later he met another woman and they got married.

Elisabetta already had another child from a previous marriage, so suddenly Oriana had to share everything with her new step-sibling and she wasn't exactly a fan. As much as she liked the idea of her expanded family and having more people around to care about her. But Oriana hated having to share her family with someone new. She had a competitive streak when it came to besting her new sibling. So when her sibling decided to start dancing, Oriana also joined. And she fell in love with it. Even when her sibling fell out of love with dance, Oriana kept at it. Dancing was where she realized that she was trans—she wanted to wear the dresses and heels and makeup that the other girls in her dance class were wearing. Although it wasn't until she was in middle school that she was confident enough to tell her family who were all supportive.

Although Oriana grew up in Aurora Bay, her dad had decided he wanted to send her to a private school. She was shipped off to a girl's boarding school in England and absolutely hated it. She had never been an academic oriented school, but being in Europe was good for the fashion loving side of her. Oriana ended up going to Paris fashion week several times and while she didn't graduate as one of the best students, she ended up doing alright in school. Although she ended up arguing with her dad about going off to university, eventually she caved and applied to a school in the states in California. Oriana wouldn't be in school for long though, as she quickly realized that was not going to work for her.

She stayed in school for two years, but it was in her junior year that things changed. In high school, she had started a fashion and style instagram. While it took some time to get off the ground, she started getting a really decent following and making money from her videos in her sophomore year of college. Although her father was angry, he couldn't exactly stop her from quitting school to follow her passions in the influencer space. Oriana eventually went to cosmetology school in Los Angeles and got a job at a decent enough salon. Her page turned more into showing her own work and got even more attention—enough that she started to get invites to red carpet events and work as a stylist on some movies.

It was at a red carpet event for a movie she was hired to work on that she met someone. The two quickly realized how compatible they were and Oriana had never found herself falling in love so fast with someone. The next few years went by in such a blur that Oriana barely remembers them. She found herself happy and successful—everything she had always wanted in life. When he asked her to marry, Oriana said yes without thinking about it. And then two days later she packed her bags and left a note saying she couldn't marry him. She left Los Angeles and went back to Aurora Bay.

Her father was confused when she showed up at his door, but he let her stay for a bit, until she got her own apartment. Oriana got a new job at Stunning Styles and posts online less often than she did before—but still has quite a following online. She has only been back a few months at this point, but she refuses to talk about why she just left Los Angeles and all of her friends are confused about where she went.

HEADCANONS !

To be written

CONNECTION IDEAS !

To be determined