#bc YOU chose to make this a brand. YOU chose to make this a product. we are telling you... the product is hurting teens

[thelastattempt]

yeah it's definitely more expensive! most brands have factories in non EU countries bc labour is cheap and laws aren't present so I'm glad that louis chose another way. his hoodie I have is also fair trade cotton which means it's more sustainablely made :)

Thank you for clarifying, it’s so important to support brands that are making the decision forgo some profit margin to maintain their ethics and provide a superior product. And you know, I was expecting the collection to be very exclusive but the pricing is still at an accessible point, especially if you compare it to the current price of merch in general. Let’s not forget this is a designer brand. The quality of his mech is unmatched, with sustainability points, so I’m hopeful (and glad) it’s translating over to 28 too.

He’s just out here doing his best for as many people as possible 🫶

[jesusbutbetterrr]

so I'm kinda taking this from the makeup ramble I went on, bc I feel like this kinda needs to be seen lol

We need to start normalizing colors in every day makeup.

"You look like a clown!" Good, did I scare you?

It kinda breaks my heart to see someone decide against a blue eyeshadow look because it's "too much" or whatever. I hate the amount of times I've been complimented on my makeup for looking "so natural" I get it's said in nice intentions, but my goal was drag queen low-key.

Also I want people to feel free to try out different things with makeup, it's not something you need to look alive or shit. It's too put on for fun and to look cool and awesome and express yourself.

You like that color? Go paint half of your face with it!!! (Ok I feel like it just should be said tho, do not paint your whole face in black, just don't)

You love glitter? Put it everywhere!!

Fan of a certain shape? Like doodling? By the gods, try out graphic liner!!!!!

WEAR BLACK LIPSTICK.

just wear it, I feel like we need to do that more

APPLY SHIT WITH YOUR FINGERS

FUCK THE DIRECTIONS

ok maybe don't do certain shit tho, like please don't put stuff in places if it says not to. Don't ask me about pressed pigments, it's literally just eyeshadow that could possibly land cosmetic companies into lawsuits, that's why when they add pressed pigments into eyeshadow palettes they tell you not to put it near your eyes. I hate to tell you, but it's going near my eyes. Almost on a daily basis. Chose your own journey.

USE PRODUCTS FOR MORE THAN JUST THE INTENDED PURPOSE

CHOSE THE BOLD LIP COLORS, THE CRAZY EYE LOOKS, THE HARSH CONTOUR, THE CRAZY EYEBROWS, THE HEAVY BLUSH, THE EXTREME EYELINER

ENJOY YOURSELF DAMN IT

MAKEUP HAS NO GENDER ITS FUCKING POWDERS, LIQUIDS, AND CREAMS

um I feel like I got most my ideas out.

SUPPORT THE COOL ASS INDIE BRANDS AND SHIT.

YOU DONT NEED EXPENSIVE MAKEUP

I mean if its something really cool and specific to the brand and everything checks out for it to be good, go ahead, treat yourself.

DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD AND HAPPY WITH IT

[swiftfootedachilles]

I love the Ghost Hunters AU and I really want more of Salem. Especially Salem with the Milkovich siblings.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 thank you. ive always wanted a black cat named either princess or salem and i thought it would make sense since its a ghost hunter au (even tho i skipped over all the ghost stuff so my post wasnt a million words long) with terry not around i feel like the milkoviches would love playing with animals. Salem is a very adventurous, people-loving cat! you know, the kind of cat people say were a dog in their past life. of course she loves the gallaghers too! even carl makes a point to be nice to her (after, when she was a kitten, ian beat him up for making a joke) but the milkoviches dont really get to show affection ever, so they love getting to play with her and scratch her lil belly and give her treats they stole from the pet store. they all adore her but ofc after ian and mickey get together and he comes over to the gallaghers a shitton, mickey becomes her 2nd dad. he goes to the top of her favorite people list. nobody else plays with her the way he does! hes not afraid to get a little rough, but he knows whats signs to look out for when a cat is not playing/irritated. shes still young and she loves playing!! imagine toddlers who like getting thrown around because its fun, shes like that. she gets kicked out and put in a different room when they fuck, and she uses this time to get in as much trouble as possible, knock shit over, and annoy anyone else in the house. ALSO she LOVES liam!! they literally grow up together and fiona teaches him how to treat animals so by the time hes like 5, she moves from sleeping with ian to sleeping with liam

i imagined ian and mandy meeting at the same time, so when salem is 2 that would be s3 ish. when he first found her, ian had just started his job and scrounged up every penny he could find to take her to a low cost clinic to get spayed and vaxxed. other than being skinny and dehydrated (and ofc separated from her mom as a kitten) she was in surprisingly good shape! now shes so used to being spoiled by everyone! ian LOVES taking care of others and being of service so he really found a home in Salem, treating her like his kid and giving her the best life possible. i definitely think once he gets diagnosed with BD, he pays (with mostly mickeys money lbr) for her to be his emotional support animal and takes her to as many pet friendly places at possible!

like i said she becomes kinda the mascot of the ghost hunting youtube channel they eventually start. its not something they see as a career or anything, they do it as a hobby, but they gain decent attraction and make extra money on the side from ads and a few brand deals. ofc Salem is the reason everyone watches the channel 🙄 she's in pretty much every video, and they chose her as their icon bc 1. black cat spooky duh 2. she brought them together 🥺 3. she really does show up A LOT in videos, especially when they're not urban exploring/hunting and at home recording the historical backgrounds and debriefings for each location. also yes they do urban exploring as well, thats mainly mickey and mickey and whatever milkovich wants to tag along and graffiti an abandoned building. imagine a combination of The Watcher and Dan Bell (omfg now im imagining them doing Another Dirty Room???? 😭 they would be so offended at paying money for rooms worse than their own back in the southside) but with less production value

ok omg i wrote so much im gonna stop now before i go off the rails again. how did i fall in love with this random ass au from a trope generator. reminder that i accidentally deleted the og post so it wont turn up in searches unless youre on my blog or the blog of anyone else who rbed it :)

[heavenknowsffs]

I never thought myself a faithful person, not as a quality or anything, just more of a "you should be faithful to friends and family OF COURSE, that's just a given natural thing every human should have" but nothing else, like not to brands or whatever. But..

After having 3 pairs of the same exact earphones and 1 pair of a slightly better and more expensive ones (bc i got it wrong).... like i already knew i was FAITHFUL to this specific product because it never failed me. The reason i had 4 pairs since 2014? (FOUR IN TEN YEARS ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I USED TO BUY NEW CHEAP EARPHONES EVERY 2 DAYS) is not even because they stopped working on their own, i literally stepped on my first pair, the 2nd one i also stepped on one of the buds, the 3rd one i lost them and got the other better ones by mistake (they're quite better actually but i didn't want to pay extra 10€ but i got them bc they look the same 🥲) nd now i have them both bc i found pair no 3.

Anyway where i'm going with this... sorry if anyone is actually reading all this i just want to get it off my head. But like with phones, i've had a samsung in like? Idek like 2015 and it was great and i've had the same brand since because again, it never really failed me (everytime i changed was either for updates, bc it was stolen or because it went through too much beer on the screen - i.e. the last one and mind you it still works! Just not the screen and i guess it was cheaper to buy a new phone) but i got this new phone which i didn't really want anyway. But i needed for work and etc wtv and it doesn't have an earphone jack which is annoying. But now comes back my faithfulness bc i bought an adapter for my perfectly great earphones and now it DOESN'T WORK bc this phone apparently sucks (i could make an entire essay about them doing this on purpose so you have to buy wireless ones and only use their own brand etc) and i'm just like "ok i'll hang out with my last samsung that works and usa that little one just for music..... BRO THAT IS SO INCONVENIENT???? BUT I AM WILLING TO JUST SO I DON'T BUY WIRELESS ONES

And now you ask "why don't you just use your old phone anyway and why did you get a new one" that is indeed a good question and even though my life would suck immensely using that old thing i kinda wish to go back. But alas i am a photographer and in case ya didn't know that takes up a shit load of memory, as well as needing some apps that that phone cannot support / have space and RAM for 🫠 idk why i chose such an expensive hobby either lmao

[spoopydooblr]

okay first off, ur username is hilarious i always have a lil giggle when i see it. spoopydoobler strikes again

second off, i love stella and Kendall, i think it’s really on brand that Kendall ends up in a semi-healthy, dysfunctional long term relationship with a 20-something actress. her young spirit but also self-awareness and (probably daddy issues?) is what kinda makes her stand out and stay with him even as he’s falling apart. Like after everything is over she kinda puts him back together but also pieces him back together in a mould that suits her and her lifestyle (dysfunctional relationship bby😘).

i also kinda like her role in that she’s a lurker, she’s kinda watching everything happen and has her own private moments with him so everyone has kinda already written her off as Kendall’s flavor of the month. but surprise she’s in it for the long haul bitchesssss. she’s getting that Roy money and they start a film production company that’s like the succession equivalent of A24.

could you imagine Kendall Roy at the oscars or golden globes that’d be pretty funny to see.

also i love that headcanon of babies, like it’s probably reallllllly far off in the future and i do agree with you i see both possibilities. i guess what i crave more is like domesticity.

also let me preface this as i love all the roy siblings but i want like a version where at least out of the three of them Ken (kinda not really) wins?!? or atleast doesn’t not have the worst fate (#rip my girl shiv)

anon, you make my heart swell! this is so thoughtful and sweet!! spoopydooblr is a suuuuuuper old tumblr name from when i was about 16! not sure why i chose it but here we are! :)

i dont wanna spoil my ideas for the ending of the show but yes, stella will be there to put ken back together again. thats what she does best, tbh. i also love how dysfunctional their relationship is, but at the same time, its really one of the most loving and successful relationships either of them has ever had.

the A24 comment is everythingggggg. i definitely envision stella and kendall starting either a production company to rival waystar studios OR i can see kendall getting into the music business too. either way, theyre in it together and make BANK. i think the sibs are underestimating stella too. they def see her as his flavor of the month (lol) but she is in this forever!

i just KNOW their first red carpet appearance is full of drama like twitter is fighting over whether theyre super cute or super creepy.

when it comes to the babies im thinking they get married a couple of years after the show ends (2026?) and since stella will be in her 30s and ken nearing 50 (wtf) they start fertility treatments pretty soon after. i also love the domesticity of it all and i know with ken out of waystar he actually will be a doting father. i think especially bc i imagine them with twins (fertility drugs increase the change of multiples) ken is like alllllll over stella and when the babies are born hes in complete shock. like one baby, sure, but TWO? hes so scared but theyre in it together and their girls grow up to love and respect their dad. (i think sophie and iverson would love having little siblings too!)

wow this is long but YES! ken needs a win and i think stella is the win he needs. especially with how shitty his ending is. i so wish i was in jesse's brain to create stella and have her in s4 for real, but alas i am just a twenty-something unemployed loser from the us.

again, thank you for this lovely message to wake up to! its messages like these that inspire me and keep me writing.

[amarriageoftrueminds]

i don't get how some ppl have such short memories for the creative decisions marvel makes

people saying that james gunn(??) should write Bucky bc of rocket's arc in gotg3... did they forget that we already know what gunn's thoughts on Bucky and his autonomy are? none of them were remotely good, and it also involved rocket and his ableist running joke of wanting to dismember amputees replacement limbs off. marvel would rather humanize a raccoon than a human who was tortured and enslaved by nazis.

or how people will rightfully criticize all the available info feige puts out re: Thunderbolts for calling Bucky a villain... but then turn around and preeptively praise that he might have "long" hair (the WS cut) so out wondering why marvel keeps putting Bucky in winter soldier style designs whenever they villainize him again. it happens in both comics and mcu consistently. obviously those in charge want to keep him as the WS villain role and not progress his character and don't care why people liked the WS story (the development it set up)

or how some complain that Sam was unkind and victimblamey towards Bucky in tfatws, I feel like those got too into fanon!Sam that made him a therapist bc of his veteran work, but Sam re: Bucky started out wanting him to be put down like a dog, and consistently complained about Steve treating Bucky with kindness and empathy. fatws Sam wasn't OOC, he was always a military man whose empathy never extended towards the POW captured by Nazis and always regarded him as a potential threat that he has to tolerate, that was in character. the actual fault is the mcu not exploring the dynamic a super patriotic US military man not extending empathy towards a a ww2 vet for fought nazis only for said nazis to be hired by the US a lá Project Paperclip, but LBR the disney-owned and USDoD-funded marvel studios is not financially incentivized to delve into those topics in any way that doesn't ultimately end with "woo, Captain Amurrica, red white and blue stars and stripes, stand for the flag wooo! ignore anything close to critical in this project and embrace patriotic centrism!"

I already hate how long the last one got but another thing:

the way that Steve's mother and his Irish heritage (during the early 1900s which makes it more significant in that point in history) are given to shine, we don't even know her maiden name, even the story of Steve's father and how it's supposed to parallel Steve going to fight European fascism in both world wars, none of that gets any attention bc marvel as a franchise cares more abt the generic patriotism to dive into the characters

There's never enough talk about how post-CATWS mcu demoted Bucky from titular character and arguable secondary protagonist as a foil and parallel for Steve, be his alternate supersoldier/superhero journey based on who the world chose to lionized and who to exploit in the seedy underbelly and shady deals w nazis, but post-CATWS mcu (specifically CACW) robbed Steve of the chance to have Steve's (not Cap's, Steve's) character be explored.

Becayse why tf does that terrorizing billionaire have more screentime on what is (nominally) a sequel to Steve and Bucky's movie? We learn more about tony's annoying ass billionaire parents in a desperate attempt for pity than we do about either Bucky or Steve's families… the most we get is a name drop of Steve and Bucky reunion scenes that were clearly cut short if you compare them to the trailers of the movie.

the russos are branded as hacks (and maybe this is me still being bitter as an OG cacw-hater) but after they revealed in interviews that they kept re-editing and re-shooting civil war until half of test audiences sided with tony, that should've been where they were forever banned from filmmaking. that's not making a movie, that's making a product to sell action figures (unfortunately true for most of marvel if we're honest)

"Captain America: the Winter Soldier" nay have listed them by their titles, but that movie is pretty much the only time we see Bucky and Steve as characters most of the time, it's literally the only own with flashbacks to their relationship before the war, before "Captain America" even existed, to where it was just Bucky and Steve.

the vast majority of the marvel franchise treats them as only "Cap" and "Winter Soldier" their actual characters get lost by "creatives" who only have a superficial understanding of them as just two types of action figures to collect, they don't know Steve or Bucky, so we get sequels constantly about "Bucky's a killer robot who must be browbeat at every turn" and "Steve's most important thing in his life is the cap shield and legacy" as if their stories weren't centered around how Bucky was NOT the killer robot and in fact Steve's damn-near guardian angel character before the war and even during (literally killing nazis before they could touch Steve) and as if Steve didn't throw away the shield and Captain America title in each of his movies in favor of what's actually important to him: his oldest protector and the one he wants to protect in return, Bucky.

marvel doesn't even understand Bucky and Steve, they treat them as WS & CA, even though their core canon never showed them caring about the "legacy" and patriotism, it was always incidental at best or an obstacle that gets in the way. the most patriotism was in catfa, but it was always a mantle forced into Steve and his hero team (Howling Commandos) were purposefully diverse and non-American majority recommended by Bucky when Steve joined Bucky in the war to fight nazis. But now marvel wants to retcon in this stuff with lines like Bucky calling Hydra "my people" instead of his oppressors and torturers like they actually were, and storylines about how the patriotic legacy and shield are Steve's whole identity instead of Bucky speaking up and pointing out that none of the other characters actually knew Steve, they only knew "Cap" and "Mr. America" and that Steve literally abandoned the shield as his last public choice with it, so none of it even is his legacy at all.

the sheer gall of (in defense of infinitywar/endgame's BS) people claimed that Bucky would finally get focus again in tfatws, but in the end, only catws gave us flashback scenes of Bucky (and Steve!) before the war before the superhero stuff, meanwhile the d+ show didn't even acknowledge that Bucky's direct family's kids are 1000% alive (he had a big family!) and heard of the real uncle Bucky, and instead the show claimed that Bucky is closest to HYDRA… the ones who tortured him into a mindslave… and he said it to a government mandated therapist (institutionalization by the state) who works for the same government who had the hydra-nazis on payroll and funded Bucky's torture…

no one at marvel even gave a thought about Bucky's family or the direct fault the gov has in his abuse.. no one on screen points out that the state that's institutionalizing him as a felon literally owes him reparations. they could've done a storyline relating to other IRL groups and family descendants who are owed reparations for the USA's domestic and international crimes and how Bucky is a similar case, but instead it's about how Bucky has no family that he was violently imprisoned from and how he's the one at fault and how the government mandated oversight says Bucky should be apologizing for what they funded

Bucky has so many blatant similarities with victims and descendants of IRL state human rights abuses that those states refuse to recognize, but marvel isn't willing to frame in a way that makes the US look bad because they're too busy being patriotic and "respecting the shield" and flag symbols and "legacy" and pretending like the shield is so so so important to Bucky or Steve and retcon out the parts where the shield and the captain america stuff was discarded easily at the emotional climax of each of the first 3 movies in favor of protecting what actually mattered more: each other….

but patriotism tho, the new Cap & WS who replaced Bucky & Steve are too patriotic to point out that the government literally owes their (cuz both ssr/shield & hydra were agencies by them) their two most famous supersoldier experimental test subjects a lot of money and apologies for a long laundry list of reasons

[inkskinned]

kinda makes me want to eat my fist. i am following her on instagram (why? my sister asks. i tell her i don't know, i just am. it is what it is). and she's gotten rich. she complains about how, at a 5-star hotel in bora bora, nobody offered to take her picture. how she had to (how sad!) use a tripod instead. to lower herself to this! can you imagine?

she notes that she still shops at marshalls. that she isn't really out of touch with all us little peons. that yes, this trip was expensive, but come on, it's the big one.

i snort and send it to my best friend. the entitlement, though. i mean, if they had the tripod set up, why are they complaining that nobody took their picture for them? who would ask to take a phone off a tripod? why don't they just pay for a photographer if it bothers them so much? why do they expect other vacationers to offer this in the middle of a pandemic? so many questions baby.... let's get rich and have problems like this.

i used to work for a corporation that will go unnamed in this poem. but it rhymed with malt wisney dorld. they taught me many things, but my favorite is that i got very-good at taking the pictures of random people. i do it all the time, still - i see someone trying to pile others into a selfie and it feels like i have been given a gift beyond reckoning. i like particularly when i hear someone say no, it's okay, i'll just not be in them - and i get to take the phone out of their hand and let them be with the people they love, grinning.

that corporation paid me 8 dollars an hour. and change. i worked 18 hours a day during the holidays and was just able to afford to buy christmas gifts for my family. i had to eat rice for all of that season. i remember being delighted when i realized oh, i can afford to buy a single bag of chips.

i love taking people's pictures. i organize them - one super serious. okay now one silly. okay now you're smiling but pretend you just won the lottery. okay now you're an international spy agency. okay now - i love watching them scroll through the results, smiling. i got paid 8 dollars an hour to notice things like this. i remember handling thousands of dollars in cash, passing over my hands like water. everyone out for their big trip. i remember all the people who snorted just get a better job, kid. i remember how when i was first hired, i was genuinely excited.

i think it must be tiring, is all. it looks like, at a certain point of celebrity - at a certain point of wealth - the whole point is to be endlessly-unhappy. maybe it's insecurity. social media thrives on complaining. she used to be someone i liked for her down-to-earth positivity. i guess she owes me nothing, but it feels ironic. and when it doesn't feel ironic, it feels troubling.

i mean. just take the picture of you in your eighth hundred-dollar bathing suit in an area i'll never get to visit. write another testimony to your wealth. to your success. seem, weirdly, ungrateful for all of it.

my 28th birthday is tomorrow. i will be making cake from a box. my life is actually very beautiful and lovely.

i scroll through her pictures and find myself thinking - oh. i know why i'm angry. i'm angry because she's being like this when she has everything. and i'm angry because i am picturing myself in her place, and how i'd do everything differently.

and i'm angry because i will never be in her place. at the end of the day, i legitimately can't be. and isn't that just enough to make something feel... a little less lovely.

[ellavaday]

ariel's look for the heroines runway is a homage to her mother and every other person that provides for their family as cleaning staff and making of the world a better place, her look is a super heroine that cleans the world of lgbtphobia; she would start the runway in the blue look and reveal into the rainbow one

she also reminds people that cleaning staff were the first line of battle during the worst of the pandemic with barely any protection, no vaccines and that it's shameful how were they quickly forgotten once vaccination started

the sticker of the bottle is a parody of a window cleaner brand (instead of cristalsol it's cristariel rec, fitting lol bc her name is also the name of a disney princess detergent brand, the bodysuits she's wearing is a spoof on said brand) and the bottom of the bottle says 'my warrior mother n⁰1 brand, they were apparently given this category a week and a half before they had to leave for filming (concept art and even more rambling under the cut)

she chose the first look in yellow and blue because it's v similar to the uniform of a lot of cleaning staff members, her idea was to make the blue look something that reminded people of cleaning products but also akin to a superhero apprentice uniform

she wanted the superhero to be more on the camp side which is why the bodysuit is literally rainbow, you can see she had her name like the ariel detergent brand printed on the bodysuit, the the back the bodysuit has 'for a world clean of hate' written on the ass and her weapon was the window cleaners that were supposed to go on her legs like the tomb raider thigh harness

[dumpster-divers-unite]

My plastic comb broke!!✨✨

I really do love plastic. It broke when I smacked it against something while I was chatting with a coworker when we were talking about hair. I use it every day, and I have long natural hair that I will not cut off bc I love it and it grows too fast anyway. I literally cannot go a day without brushing it; if I do it WILL become painfully tangled and take forever to brush through again. The shedding will be horrible and I’m not in the mood to become bald.

Yes, I could go to a store and buy another plastic comb, but do I? No. I’m looking online at small creators for horn combs and brushes with real bristles. No more plastic for me.

For me it’s important to make the switch to more sustainable choices/options when I need to. I always make sure to take the best care of my things, no matter how small they are. Paint brushes, shoes and boots, clothing, furniture, towels… everything. When something is beyond my repair is when I throw it away or see if I can realistically reuse it. This comb is *technically* still useable, it’s just a hassle and might break again. Bone and wood both have a harder time breaking due to me being stupid and general use.

Plastic sucks. Cheaply produced items suck. Things that you use every single day to keep you healthy that break suck. If only brands chose to make sure their products were going to last a long time and be durable. Companies like Carhart, Dickies, Irish Setter and Grainger come to mind that are so good and durable and can be put through the shredder of life and still function like brand new.

[hardtchill]

On the Nike thing, maybe Chris chose not to be featured/used bc of Re? Nike is also an athlesiure brand but ofc Re's mission and other products like the re-space are unique so the comparison is far-fetched. Idk just putting my thought out there

I could believe that if Pinoe and Tobin also weren’t featured, but they are. Doesn’t really make sense to only choose for Chris not to get featured and like you said Re is very different from Nike so i don’t even see them as competition.

[jesusbutbetterrr]

Hi Jesus !!! Use this ask as ur personal ticket to dump about whatever you want! I wanna listen!!!

ok so this is mainly just gonna be about makeup and shit bc it's one of my favorite things. So like half of this is issues I have and then the other half is my screaming about stuff. The yelling is first, issues at the bottom. All below cut

We need to start normalizing colors in every day makeup.

"You look like a clown!" Good, did I scare you?

It kinda breaks my heart to see someone decide against a blue eyeshadow look because it's "too much" or whatever. I hate the amount of times I've been complimented on my makeup for looking "so natural" I get it's said in nice intentions, but my goal was drag queen low-key.

Also I want people to feel free to try out different things with makeup, it's not something you need to look alive or shit. It's too put on for fun and to look cool and awesome and express yourself.

You like that color? Go paint half of your face with it!!! (Ok I feel like it just should be said tho, do not paint your whole face in black, just don't)

You love glitter? Put it everywhere!!

Fan of a certain shape? Like doodling? By the gods, try out graphic liner!!!!!

WEAR BLACK LIPSTICK.

just wear it, I feel like we need to do that more

APPLY SHIT WITH YOUR FINGERS

FUCK THE DIRECTIONS

ok maybe don't do certain shit tho, like please don't put stuff in places if it says not to. Don't ask me about pressed pigments, it's literally just eyeshadow that could possibly land cosmetic companies into lawsuits, that's why when they add pressed pigments into eyeshadow palettes they tell you not to put it near your eyes. I hate to tell you, but it's going near my eyes. Almost on a daily basis. Chose your own journey.

USE PRODUCTS FOR MORE THAN JUST THE INTENDED PURPOSE

CHOSE THE BOLD LIP COLORS, THE CRAZY EYE LOOKS, THE HARSH CONTOUR, THE CRAZY EYEBROWS, THE HEAVY BLUSH, THE EXTREME EYELINER

ENJOY YOURSELF DAMN IT

MAKEUP HAS NO GENDER ITS FUCKING POWDERS, LIQUIDS, AND CREAMS

um I feel like I got most my ideas out.

SUPPORT THE COOL ASS INDIE BRANDS AND SHIT.

YOU DONT NEED EXPENSIVE MAKEUP

I mean if its something really cool and specific to the brand and everything checks out for it to be good, go ahead, treat yourself.

DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD AND HAPPY WITH IT

For the issues n stuff:

I have an issue with a lot of tiktok makeup trends due to the fact that half of them are the same thing with maybe one or two changes to them, but suddenly everyone has to 'jump on' to the trend even tho they did the same thing three videos ago.

I'm also tired of a lot of the clean girl shit simply because a lot of the people who do it make it seem like that is the only way makeup should be done. Like the whole idea that makeup should be natural or made to look just like skin or whatever is bull shit to me simply because the people who say that tend to like push the idea instead of just kinda bring it up. Im not saying everyone does, but there are a lot who do.

Another issue I have is like a lot of fancy ass brands and shit. Like a lot of these brands will release new things like eyeshadow palettes and it's only like 6-24 or so of the same nude/neutral colors that can be found in so many other palettes. I just don't really see the point in it. Also like half the time I see people paying like more than half a lower class pay check for a cosmetic product that preforms just about as well as a makeup kit from Claire's. Like what's the fucking point.

I don't like the fact that we're in the year 2024 and people sit dont widen the shade ranges for darker skin tones and shit. Im glad we're learning about all the different undertones for people and all that, but like for the love of god, can y'all quit making a total of 4-6 shades for dark skin colors and also stop making them all warm toned. I will say though, there are brands starting to get better, but I'm so tired of seeing a foundation go viral only for a POC to not find their own shade in that product.

This also goes for things outside of foundation or concealer. Face powders, bronzers, contour, blushes, lipsticks even. Like this issue goes past the more basic things. This is why I literally hate hearing about Charlotte Tilbury's pillow talk lipstick. "But what about pillow talk medium?" It can burn in hell. Also like seeing POC only have about one or two blush choices half the time is more than disappointing. The darkest bronzer of a new product that could literally be used as face powders for them, actually depressing.

Anyways yea, I feel like I've gone on long enough, people need to widen the shade ranges, it's actually not that hard.

[yourdailykitsch]

Did you know that ZDF will Show a little less violent version of Shadowplay, while the international version that is marketed will be more violent? From an interview with Tim Halkin.

I did see that, but thank you for pointing me in that direction. Perhaps there are some rules and regulations in Germany that won’t allow for that level of violence. Though I could see that something relating to post WWII might be sensitive. 

Tim Halkin has also commented on the yourdailykitsch Instagram and said that they just started sales of Shadowplay in the US. Hopefully with the delay in filming over the past 10 months many streaming services will be eager to grab brand new content. 

Ask #2: WOW HE FINALLY CAME OUT OF HIDING. But he could’ve gave us more 😩😩😩

Answer #2: I know, it’s frustrating he’s been MIA for so long. I honestly think the cast were sent things to post. Tuppence posted something similar to what Taylor posted today as well. But Taylor has been pretty consistent in what he posts on instagram, usually project related or something photography related. He hasn’t been working and travel and any activity that isn’t social distancing is looked at with a critical eye so it makes sense he’s been so quiet. 

Ask #3 and 4: I hope Taylor works more next year. Hope he just says screw it im going to be apart of 4 projects this year. Likelihood? Do you know if there’s any news on inferno? Hopefully it’s still going forward.

Answer #3 and 4: The likelihood he signs on to more next year? It’s up in the air. We know he has ‘Wash Me in the River’ coming. I assume ‘Inferno’ is still in the works but has been pushed until next year. It’s just so hard to know what he might land or what his mindset is. 

Ask #5: I wonder how Taylor got wash me in the river? I know he’s replacing someone. I wondered if he sign on cause of deniro or just doing a favour for a Randall or made a deal to get pieces going if he did this. I wonder why Randall chose him?

Answer #5: So the film company that was financing ‘Pieces’ was Randall Emmett’s company, which was sold, and I believe he lost funding. I know that Taylor has a previous relationship with Randall because of Pete and Lone Survivor. There is a lot of jockeying right now in Hollywood for different roles because people have had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts. We still don’t know if Taylor was supposed to do the second part of Shadowplay which should be filming right now but was pushed because of a Covid breakout in the Czech Republic. Maybe he suddenly became free and was at the top of Randall’s list. Taylor seems made for the role. 

Ask #6: FNL re watch right now, I’ve only watched the show in it’s entirety once. Once that episode with Tim and lyla comes when she leaves for college I physically can’t watch the rest of the show even though I love Tim

Answer #6: I know, if your draw to the series is Tim/Lyla, it’s hard to move on to the last few seasons. But I hope you at least tuned in to the episode ‘The Son’ in season 4. 

Ask #7: Hopefully the fans who won the zoom call with Taylor post something in depth about what they talked about! Love when Taylor talks about fnl even though he probably doesn’t want to lol. Wonder if he brought up Tim and lyla, cuz to me they’ll always be endgame not Tyra!

Answer #7: I spoke with one of them about it and they didn’t really have details. I think it was probably very much a blur for them. 

Ask #8: Hi just curious if you edit or smooth out the photos you post of Shadowplay? Or is that just how the production company put it out? Bc everyone looks different

Answer #8: I do not. The most that is done to the pictures is a filter is laid on them to lighten them, but those are just instagram filters. I can’t vouch for what might have been done to them by the site(s) that post them where I’ve found the pictures. 

[cafedanslanuit]

Headcannon for RFA+V with MC who wants to run her own business please?

I also added Saeran bc I couldn’t help myself. Chose a different business for each character

Yoosung

When you tell him about owning your own business, he thinks you’re going to start selling cookies at college

You make the best cookies he’s ever had

Uhm, no, Yoosung, I’m thinking about something bigger

cakes?

Your own pastry shop

“but make it pet friendly”

DONE

You pull a lot of all-nighters and you take extra shifts at your current job so you can save

Yoosung offers some money, but you decline. You’re going to start small.

You definitely do need help to decide which desserts are going on display

He tries them all and gives them a score

He’s there on the opening, gives you a bouquet of flowers and cries a little, blaming on his allergies

He doesn’t have allergies

Jaehee

You’ve always liked coffee but you’re pretty sure Jaehee has an obsession

It’s nice though, she has different brands of coffee around her place and lets you have a different one every day you come visit

So, when you tell her you want to start your own coffee shop, she’s ecstatic

She quits C&R the very next day

poor Jumin is confused

You wake up the next day and she has prepared a huge binder with all the information you could need and more

is there a way you could love her even more?

Zen

He’s usually pretty busy with rehearsals so when he comes home, you’re asleep

he still wakes you up for some lovin’

But it’s been a few nights he’s found you browsing the web, glasses on, taking notes on a little notebook

One night, before suggesting doing something romantic, he asks what you’re working on

You show him your notes

Accidentally you end up giving him an entire powerpoint presentation

You want to start designing costumes for theatre and movie productions, you’ve actually had a little bit of training at college

He’s pretty excited

Asks you to design a few for a musical he’s on so he can suggest them to the director

supportive!Zen for life

Jumin

You’re taking your morning coffee whilst admiring the view from Jumin’s penthouse when suddenly someone knocks on the door

Which is weird because you weren’t expecting anyone?

“Jumin, darling, I appreciate it, but I want to do this alone? No, it’s not just a little bit of help, you sent a team of ten people to our house”

He’s trying

It’s no easy job to set up a law firm, and you know it

But hell, you’re a lawyer and you’re pretty good at your job, you have amazing colleagues so why not?

Jumin stops sending you his team, but sets up a small office for you in the penthouse, so you can have meetings and work more comfortable

The least a husband can do, says

Sometimes he still offers his help, but he’s now more respecting of your boundaries

Seven

“MC, what do you mean I can’t hack so you get your license faster?”

saeyoung, no

He’s obviously your first costumer, buys a big flower arrangement with your favourite flowers

You find it on your night stand when you come home

“There’s my favourite hardworking girl!”

He doesn’t know a lot about flowers but apparently you do

And hell, the flower shop looks amazing, the arrangements are beautiful

You stumble a bit when you’re trying to organize orders

So, he sets up a website with an easy and nice way the customers can choose how they want their flower arrangement, which flowers they’d like and what is the occasion

It makes your job easier

thank u, Saeyoung

V

He’s obviously a supportive boyfriend

Listens to you carefully while you give your ideas for the app you’re developing

He’s still amused by how intelligent you are

Like programming? He thought it was only a thing guys like Luciel could do but there you are

He helps you prepare your pitch to get funding from big companies

Always brings you a cup of tea or coffee when you’re working at home

Also gives you back massages when you take breaks

a n g e l

Saeran

When you decided to open an art studio, you didn’t think it was one of the best ideas you’ve ever had

Not only for yourself, but for Saeran too

Who could have thought art was so therapeutic

everyone, MC

You sell art supplies and also give art classes in the afternoon

You have a group of kids, teenagers and adults

At first, Saeran didn’t like hanging around the store, but once he’s there bringing you lunch and is captivated by the way you’re teaching a little girl to use her brush

He stays for the rest of the class, surprised the kids aren’t afraid of him

Now he’s a regular at your 4 pm classes

He even buys some stuff and you’ve seen him drawing some Sunday mornings

Saeyoung put Saeran’s first drawing on the fridge

His mood is better since he’s started going to your classes

When he does, he helps you close the store and walks you home

You even stay in the store once after closing and end up making love on the floor. Paint is involved.

Opening the store was definitely the best idea you’ve ever had.

[jan-uinely]

hot takes [pt. ii]

good[e] morning campers! we have more thoughts on \_ |_ | _/  RuPaul’s Drag Race episode 9... because i have nothing better to think about... lol. This is a novel, btw. 

SO... I have said it before and i will say it again... the in memorium segment gave me life. Robot Barbie Cheerleader. also RIP to jan’s clear drink in untucked. 

Let’s get into the gig, because why not. Unsure if readers are aware, but I am very politically minded. [do I use tumblr as a way to put politics aside for a little while? sure. but I have also worked on campaigns, did not take Elizabeth warren dropping out of the presidential race well... I mean she dropped at the beginning of march and now look at where we are.... anyWAYs.]

I did not like this episode. I did not like the challenge. From what I understand, the only other time this challenge was done was in season 4, but I stopped watching season 4 when sharon wore a conf*derate flag bodysuit for a mini challenge, prior to which she wore a mccain/palin shirt. I still don’t know if it was a joke, but #yeet. 

So this episode took the place of a “roast”/ stand up episode. Those are usually fine. They separate folks a little bit more. But, as someone who followed the recent primary with a VERY close eye, but was could also be humorous about it... Debates are hard to do. What makes a debate work is that everyone is well versed on everyone else’s platform, and knows how to attack them, because they have been the same person the whole time. For some reason, everyone “invented” a different character to play.... no one had a real platform... and it’s really hard to ~volley~ when people don’t really understand everyone’s characters. I also think, similar to the democratic primary- that there were too many people on stage. I also think snatch game happened too early... but that’s another story never mind anyway [did you catch that into the woods/bernadette peters joke???? @ JAN ]. 

So everyone has these “characters” which for the most part are not super consistent with who they’ve been portraying on the show... which makes it challenging. Then, it was moderated very poorly, and then edited together very poorly. There was no flow... it was very choppy. Again... not a fan. 

Season 8 also had a political challenge, but if i remember correctly, that was just a branding challenge kind of. It was better than this. Now, do I appreciate the fact that Drag Race is taking this election very seriously?? YES. But this challenge was just Not It. 

I thought Jaida was very consistent, I liked Jackie’s a lot [It seems like a running gag that she is too prepared in the same way that Jan was too energetic... which has its own election flashbacks....] I am really enjoying crystal... I thought she also had what was close to a fully formed character.. it just needed to bake a little more. 

So... next up... ms. goode. #cringe. tbh I don’t care about the performance. Were they just trying to redo snatch game? basically. were they the only person to try and do that? No. 

This mirror chat was the bomb dot com tho. best part of the episode.

We’re talking about the “oh i’m not political” We knew from episode one that Gigi grew up in a lot of privilege- and wasn’t the only one [@ jan] but jesus has it shown in gigi the most... I mean bob the drag queen said it best.. Gigi goode’s mom vs Jaida Essence Hall. 

But the nerve to openly say “i’m not political, and I don’t like it” when you KNOW at this point in time what the contestants have gone through... it’s just really insensitive. Also to be the open front runner knowing that the RPDR fans can be young and impressionable.. is really irresponsible TBH. 

Guess what? I don’t like to follow the news sometimes. I don’t watch tr*mp’s press conferences. Sometimes I log off twitter and go to tumblr. But I still stay INFORMED on the issues and am able to back up my positions. I VOTE. [cannot believe i’m saying this but i would not be surprised if gigi did not vote in 2016.]

[sidebar]

Maybe it’s bc I stan jan in a way that I have stanned no one else before [the only ru girl who even comes close to it while I was actively watching the show without prior knowledge is naomi] Maybe it’s combined with the quarantine that I have nothing else to do. And with that comes a [virtual] introduction to basically everybody who’s anybody in the NYC drag scene. [I will say the Bob-Monet-Cracker-Jan quad is just A+] So maybe I just have a better idea of what it is [have I gone down a Youtube rabbit hole on this subject? yes] 

Is new york also my personal favorite city? yes. Have I been to LA? no. Do I like the concept of LA? no. Have I been west of the mississippi river? no. So maybe it’s a combination of all of these things [including Jan saying on repeat that New York is the greatest city to do drag] but. The NYC girls are just so much more political. Brita, Bob, MOnet, tbh Jan is also on the record saying some A+ shiz. Marti Cummings is a non binary drag artist running for city council in manhattan. “Everybody black and aquaria.” 

Is NYC politics like any city, full of machines and garbage too? Sure. But NYC is just so much more powerful and political. LA is just the embodiment of privilege.

 I also think it’s interesting that some of the smaller town/city gals will move to LA [Trixie/Katya/Alaska? I’m looking @ you] after they get the drag race coin. Not that it’s a bad thing or anything, it’s just an interesting dynamic. [another aside: the non NY/LA girls deserve it all and i think it’s really powerful when the show directly addresses issues of wealth/privilege/access to drag on the show.] 

[end sidebar]

And Gigi came into the competition saying “I want to be on vogue” which is great. Their fashion sense is great. Most of their outfits are great. It’s great that they can do comedy [sometimes- like when they are not playing the role of Gigi] But something else I take issue with- and don’t get me wrong humility is great- is the whole “I’m not a dancer” that’s BS. they whole back handspring etc, madonna challenge. Maybe you weren’t a trained dancer, but ffs cut the crap. [if you haven’t look up gigi goode showgirls] 

And yet the judges continue to give Gigi [and SP] free passes. It’s like Ru is so afraid that if either of them end up in the bottom, they won’t turn it out and then there will be no frontrunner. Well guess what? In season 7, Max had 2 wins before anyone else and came in 9th. valentina going home was a total gag. Brooke and Yvie lip synced on the snatch game ep. But Apparently when the skinny white fashion queen from the big city [gigi, aquaria] does less than well, they don’t get put up for elimination??? [did aquaria deserve to lip sync for the makeover? idk.]

Gigi is getting a “winner” edit and it’s not really fair to anyone. People who should have won certain challenges were IGNORED, and instead the producers give all the credit to gigi, giving them almost a worse edit. Like we want to see humans, not robots. If we learned ANYTHING from last week is that the judges don’t like when you just “start on 100 and stay there THE WHOLE TIME”. Bc the truth is that [aside from the loads and loads and loads of privilege,] Gigi is really nice and very talented. But I, as a viewer of reality TV, live to see the perfect fail. I want everyone to shine [this is why I loved when Naomi sent manila home, oops] 

Also.. I would like to address the fact that Gigi basically used the same outfit twice... this runway and entrance look have almost the same pattern, with just a slightly different skirt type. I would like for this behavior to be called out bc it is such a memorable silhouette. 

Also- Shout out to Crystal for the most bomb ass runway... I want that whole outfit pls. 

but aside from that... TBH I just want a show with the real top 7 [ the heidi and widow have been cracking me up saying “we’re at top 5″ or “we’re at top 6″ before the ep aired on instagram and I’m loling.. and that VERY AWK moment when Jan is on the x change rate saying that they couldn’t justify putting anyone other that her and widow in the bottom bc gigi and 3 wins and trying to work around not saying SP’s name had 2. [also shout out to jan the real mvp for unfollowing SP on twitter]] doing competitions and having fun. And I’ve said this before. This is a really good season that did not need production’s handprints all over everything. But they chose to cast RuPaul’s Best Friend Race, so they shouldn’t be complaining or trying to manufacture drama.

I was cracking up when Jaida was [clearly prodded by producers] asking is there anything we need to talk about? and then Jackie goes to talk to widow right before they leave and they are just nice to each other. lol no drama here. It’s the season of the inner saboteur. 

So Jackie and widow are in the bottom and tbh I don’t know. I would have liked to see Gigi lip sync. I would have liked this challenge to not happen. but it did. The lip sync song.. I just didn’t love the cut... Katy perry’s voice is so over produced [trend alert] that the illusion of the lip sync didn’t work in the first chorus. Jackie’s plastic bag was just A+. These lip syncs, tbh starting w jan v widow have been very good. not good enough to make up for the garbage that was everything since ep. 3, but close. [and some of that was song choice, some of it was not. I will say brita killed her first one but rip to rock]

Jeff gold bloom. I just don’t know. Maybe it’s bc I never saw jurassic park. Maybe he was just a bad judge. maybe he too was being prodded by production. ugh. You can read the takes on his interactions with jackie somewhere else. 

[waitingforminjae]

TaeminLive anon, p1: I can't help but feel like my words in my two last asks were kinda harsh towards TM, but it was so difficult to write without it getting too long. I think you're right that this is really hard to discuss when we don't have the full picture and don't know TM personally. I think the overall point I was trying to make in the last ask, was that I have a really hard time differentiating between TM's own actions and SM's orders. Did he himself think "Im going to do a live everyday

pt. 2-3: from now on so that my fans stop being mad that I'm going to Japan on tour" or did SM tell him to? It could be that, aside from giving some distraction from his own thoughts, Instalives also give him a false sense of control? But I do think there's some truth to your theory that TM does insta this much in order to fill in Key's spot. I just don't know whose idea it was, Taemin's or SM's. I guess my theory is that Taemin is being burdened with carrying SHINee's name on his own and that the pressure forces him to act sweet and rational 24/7 in order to always keep abusive Shawols happy, and I'm afraid that he's unable to set the boundaries he needs in order to stay happy and healthy. Sigh. :(

I don’t think you sounded harsh! I just don’t want people to think I’M coming from a mean place when I say certain things, is all!

I think it’s always hard to tell what’s the company and what’s the group’s idea in kpop, but I think it’s especially hard with SHINee bc their entire brand is built around their honesty. Taemin is incredibly good at “faking” sincerity, and so it’s hard to know when he’s “faking” and not. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s what makes him (and SHINee) seem ~elevated~ above other groups--they always seem sincere. It’s an incredible gift.

But I don’t know whose idea the instalives were. I tend to believe that SM doesn’t so much give their artists incredibly detailed instructions or role sheets or scripts, but instead relies on their common sense and training to get through PR/Promo things, just like I think that they don’t force the relationships between their artists, but rather capitalize on the ones that exist naturally (i.e. Taemin and Kai being best friends). So, I think it’s possible that SM might have said, “Hey, use this to interact “personally” with your fans”. Obviously it’s going to be monitored, and I bet on that particular day they asked him to go live to appease the Korean fans. Taemin has also been doing this forever now. He can survive without to much control. They trust him. So even though he probably has to clear it with his managers first, they’re likely his idea. But maybe not. It’s impossible to know, unfortunately.

“Could it be that...Instalives give him a false sense of control?” I really hadn’t thought of that before!!! I’m still thinking through this idea in relation to Taemin specifically, but I think in general that is an extremely valid take on why people do lives!! Social media is all about your control over your own self and image, after all.

Taemin isn’t someone I had thought of as having control issues. The question I would ask is, if the lives are rooted in control, then what, exactly, is he trying to control? I’m not sure. I honestly can’t quite see it, but I do know that when I read that sentence my instincts went “YES!!!!!” Which means that I think you might be on to something, but I can’t quite get the pieces together in my head yet. But I do think it would be hard to have a controlling personality and be a kpop idol without straight up having a breakdown, because you can’t really be in control. But at the same time, going live could give you a sense of control bc there’s nothing the company can do in a live moment. So, I don’t know.

(An aside, but I think out of everyone in SHINee, Jonghyun and Key are most likely to have like, legitimate control issues. But that could just be because they seem to have very particular personalities.)

(I have to preface this next bit by saying that, basically, in my opinion there is no such thing as “ethical consumption” of media, and also that I straight up despise both Hollywood and the Korean Entertainment system. So I am biased on this, just like everything else I say!)

In my opinion, kpop itself is built around relationships with boundaries that are fundamentally unhealthy. As long as Taemin is a kpop artist, he is practically incapable of establishing truly healthy boundaries. And, honestly, the extreme cynic in me wants to argue that he’s incapable of it bc he’s been groomed by SM from such a young age. But I try not to let that part of me win ever, so. I’m going to chose to not believe that.

The thing abt Taemin’s instalives, that I literally was just able to put words to now, is that they kind of remind me of how my roommate interacts with her parents. We’re both going to college 12 hours away from home, so we’re really only home for the major holidays. But her parent’s call her randomly all the time, have some ten-minute random casual conversation, and then hang up. Taemin’s lives have a similar energy. It’s like a friend face-timing you. But he is not our friend. I saw somewhere on Twitter yesterday where someone said, like, “kpop is centered around the idol as the product, more so than the music they make”. I think that’s true. A really brutal reading of Taemin’s lives would be that they’re really just another way of him and his team marketing him.

(As another aside, SHINee’s awareness of themselves as a product is extremely fascinating, and one of my favorite things about them. Key, especially. But that’s another conversation lol)

But mostly I think it does boil down to Taemin having to adjust the way he interacts with fans bc he is the only active member rn. There’s no one else to save him from any holes he might dig himself into, or to take up the space. And I think that’s really what it’s all about.

[boyfriend-cal]

Because I Had You – Calum Hood description: me being emo while listening to Shawn Mendes strikes again! Calum is reminiscing on your relationship together, even though it’s in the past. sad but also fluffy. based on the song Because I Had You by Shawn Mendes. a little bit salty bc i decide to be productive for the first time in months and tumblr deletes my drafts :(

 friendly reminders: join my taglist, read my masterlist, and send in requests!

Important: plain italic is the past, bold italic is the future

Word count: 1.6k

 ++

Calum tapped his bottle against the bar to tell the bartender to give him another one. He was thinking of you again. He didn’t only think of you when he was drinking. He thought of you all the time. It was a problem. He’d even switched the brand of beer he drank because his favorite was something you’d convinced him to try and he ended up loving it.

He always felt like he should’ve fought harder at the end of your relationship. He’ll forever hate himself for not trying to at least. He changes his mind about his last beer and decides to pay his tab, so he can leave. After he throws enough money down for the bill plus a tip, he’s out the door.

The cold air hits his skin, and when all he can think about is how much you’d enjoy being outside on a night like this, he knows it’s time. It’s time to find someone else.

Calum passes the library you met him in. He remembers hearing your laugh ring throughout the entire building, but instead of complaining, most people just enjoyed it. Then he can clearly see another memory.

“Calum, stop goofing around. I need to find this book, so I can finish my paper.” You roll your eyes at him, but the Calum can tell by the smile on your face that you love his pestering.

Cal turns around and starts thumbing through the books on the shelf. He giggles at some of the titles, just to distract you. You sigh, feeling like you should just give up. The book you were looking for was old, and for a specific topic, so you weren’t sure why you thought you’d find it anyway.

“Baby, look what I found.” You spin around, hoping he’d found the book you desperately needed. Instead, he was showing you a cover that said, “History of Love.”

“I already told you to stop it. I don’t think we’re going to find what I want here, so let's go.” You make sure the shelves around you look neat before you turn to walk out of the aisle. Calum calls your name again.

“This right here is where we’ll go one day. You know what for? For being the most iconic couple in the history of couples.” Calum joked, and he loved the way blush crept onto your cheeks. He could tell you were trying hard to fight a smile, but you lost.

“Such a dork. I love you.” You reach forward, placing one hand on either side of his face and kissing him softly.

“I love you more, baby girl.”

He continued to walk towards his lonely one-bedroom apartment. He could make new memories with someone else. You certainly had, but he wasn’t going to let himself be super bitter about it because you genuinely looked happy.

The next building that catches his attention is the café that you two became regulars at. He hadn’t been inside in months just because he wasn’t sure if you’d be there. After your first date there (where you spilled your coffee all over him, so he gave you his), you decided it could be something you two often did. You liked their poetry nights, and he liked their karaoke nights. It had something for both of you.

“This place looks homey.” You comment as Calum holds the door open for you. He smiles and shrugs, you were right. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and half of the area had tables for eating while the other half was filled with couches and recliners. It felt like the kind of place you’d live in.

“What can I get you two?” The cheery old lady behind the counter pulls both of your attention away from the room.

“Oh hi! Uhm, he’ll have an Americano, and I’ll take a caramel Macchiato, please.” You step up and order for the both of you while Calum has his back to you. He’s still scoping out the room.

“Names?”

“I’m Y/N, and this is Calum. What's your name?” Calum turned to look at you. You were beaming with a smile like you always were. He loved that about you.

“Sharon, nice to meet you. Would you like any sweets to go with your coffee?” Sharon points to the display case and the gasp that leaves your mouth as you gush over how good everything looks makes Calum chuckle.

“We’ll take two danishes and one slice of the lemon loaf.”

Calum taps your shoulder and lets you know he’ll pay so you can go find a spot to sit. As soon as you turn around and start to take in all of the little details, he knew he wasn’t getting you to leave anytime soon. He thinks it’s lucky that there’s only one other person in here because sometimes your bright and bubbly personality comes off annoying to bystanders. It was one of his favorite things about you.

He watches you sit in one chair and then get up to move to another until you find one you want. Then, you have to get up again to look through the books on the shelf. Calum realizes he’s been so focused on you that he hasn’t even paid yet until Sharon clears her throat behind him.

“My apologies. How much?” Calum shakes his head a little bit, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket.

“$14. Don’t apologize. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a couple so in love.”

Cal hadn’t seen Sharon since a couple of weeks before the breakup. When you two first met her, it was only your third or fourth date. At first, it startled Calum to think that he was already head over heels for you, but he was. Instead of running away as his instincts told him, he chose to embrace it.

Calum shuddered at the thought of walking into that café with someone else. He knew Sharon would see right through him. He thinks that might be the hardest part of moving on with someone new, taking them to all of the places that he used to go with you.

But then again, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Oh, look, Calum! This place is so cute. Want to go inside?” She looks up at him with pleading eyes. He looks to the quaint, quiet place in front of him. Somewhere that is so familiar. But he doesn’t hesitate, he nods and leads her inside.

Sharon is inside, behind the counter like she always is. Her smile never falters even when realizing who’s not standing next to him. Calum things, this is fine, he can do this. What was he so worried about?

His date steps up and orders an iced blended drink and then turns to him and asks what he wants, but Sharon already keyed it in and nods. Calum asks her to pick a spot to sit and then starts to pay for their drinks.

“How about a slice of lemon loaf also?” He smiles weakly, remembering again. Sharon nods and says, “It’s on the house, sweetheart.”

When Calum turns around, he expects to see her browsing the books or running her fingers along the different fabrics of the various recliners. Instead, she’s sitting on a barstool and looking at her phone. It’s okay, he thinks, not everyone can be like you. In fact, no one is like you.

Cal waits for the drinks before he joins her. She tells him “thank you” but says nothing else. After a few minutes, Calum tries again to make conversation and this time she bites. They’re both laughing at a story she’s telling about a prank her little brothers pulled once, and suddenly they’re too wrapped up in themselves to see or hear anyone else.

Over some number of months, things are good. Calum tells himself every day that he’s happy. He wakes up, makes plans with her, and it works. It distracts him for a good while.

He takes her to the library and she sits with her feet in his chair while he reads. Sometimes she reads too, sometimes she bugs him in a cute but also annoying way.

Other times they hit up Calum’s favorite bar. She’s not afraid to get the party started on karaoke nights and she loves to be in the middle of the dance floor. Calum prefers to watch, but steps in when she makes a pouty face and bats her lashes.

And then, one day, they’re sitting in the corner of the coffee shop. Their knees are touching and their fingers are interlocked. It’s very personal looking to anyone on the outside, one person in particular. Calum notices that the bell above the door rang, but he doesn’t look up until a moment later. It was a mistake.

You’re standing there, at the door, alone, and staring right at him. He watches your eyes move from him to her, to his hands, and then back to his face. Calum feels like he’s been caught doing something wrong. He realizes he did and that this is all wrong.

The sound of someone clicking the lock button on their car keys, followed by the horn, is what pulls Calum back. He takes back his previous thought. It would be as bad as he thinks. Because he could try, and he could make something work, but he’d never be completely satisfied. Calum could distract himself for a good amount of time, but he could never love her in the right way. All because once, he had you.

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