#but at the same time I do feel it’s the usage of social media and how dependent ppl are on it nowadays that just

[andithiel]

I’m parenting two gen alpha boys and though I don’t live in the US, we’ve seen the right and fascists take more and more power in my country too (currently run by a conservative minority (and liberals!?) supported by fascists).

My husband and I talk a lot about politics with each other and the kids sometimes ask us what we talk about so we try to make it understandable for them. At the same time we can’t talk too long about it because they’ll lose interest. Our approach is generally talking about things when they show interest, or they won’t listen as well.

So with that in mind, I also try to listen to what they’re talking about with each other and with their friends and what expressions they’re using. (The other week I heard them talking about mewing and look maxing and I asked them if they knew what that meant. They told me they didn’t and no one at school did, they just use it as a ”cool expression”. So since I knew what it meant, I told them the basics about incels and what mewing and look maxing is, with emphasis on feeling entitled to getting a partner just because you’re a ”nice guy”.)

We also talk a lot about misinformation and the importance of checking your sources when you see something online. Neither of them are old enough for social media accounts and personally I plan to postpone the usage of they for as long as I can. They do watch a lot of YouTube though but they’re only interested in gaming and usually watch it on our tv which means we notice what’s being said, and so far I’ve only encountered questionable stuff a handful of times and I always try to take the discussion right away to nip things in the bud.

I’m not sure if I’m making any sense with this, or if this is even valid in response to what you’re writing about, but I hope it can be useful to someone.

Ok millennials and parents of Gen Z, huddle time. What are we going to do about our Gen Z and (preemptively) Gen Alpha kids' politics? Especially those of us who are parents to Gen Z men? We've all seen the data showing that millennials aren't getting more conservative as we age. To give them credit where credit is due, Boomers were the ONLY age group to shift left in the 2024 US election. Millennials didn't move much from 2020, but it was slightly to the right. Gen X and Gen Z moved significantly to the right—9 points and 13 points, respectively. Gen Z men shifted 15 points to the right, while Gen Z women shifted 9 points to the right.

Obviously the left as a whole has some work to do here, but I can't help thinking that some of the work might be done by us as parents or friends of Gen Zers and, preemptively, Gen Alphas. (Maybe part of the issue is that most Gen Zers have Gen Xer parents, and we know that Gen X is the other age group that shifted significantly to the right?) These kids are coming of voting age in a really fucking difficult world political moment, and it makes sense to me that they need guidance in this venue like they do in the rest of life.

Clearly parents don't have control over our kids' politics, but we also have a huge ability to influence and help educate them. Some spit-balling thoughts of things we need to be doing:

Talk as rationally as we can about economics and how economic policies affect us. Help them understand what politicians are saying about the economy, e.g. what is a tariff? what causes inflation? If we aren't clear about these things, let's include them in our research trying to figure it out. I can't help but think that most Trump voters simply do not understand what a tariff is and what it will mean for US consumers, if it's passed

Help them learn to play out different scenarios—to think through what will happen down the line if various proposed policies were enacted. That is, help them to think logically about not just what will happen immediately after a policy is passed, but what that would be likely to happen next, and next, and next. This ability to think down the line is so important in so many parts of life, and it's not necessarily something that comes easy to most of us.

On abortion: This wasn't a huge issue this election in the US. That said, I've had really good luck talking with my boys about why abortion is important, and this is a case where the framing of the issue is so important. "Parenting is hard. Don't we want all kids to have parents who actually wanted to be parents? Do you think that someone who doesn't want kids, or knows they can't afford kids, or knows they can't handle kids should be forced to give birth? What would that mean for their baby?"

Talk about it whenever political issues affect you. It's much easier to understand politics when it touches your family, but if we don't talk about it, they won't understand it. For example, I've got a lot of chronic health issues, so health insurance has been a big political concern of mine. I can explain that insurers not very long ago used to be able to deny people coverage if they had any preexisting condition, and that it's only democrats and the pressure of the political left that accomplished getting rid of that. And now we need to make sure we keep that win, because it's the right thing, but also because here is how it would affect us

Talk about all the rights we have that are actually quite new. Lawrence v. Texas (legalizing consensual sodomy) was only in 2003! Gay marriage has only been nationwide since 2015! Explain why gay marriage is important. Not because we believe marriage is some mystical thing, but because it confers legal benefits like the ability to visit your sick partner in the hospital, to be the next of kin, to get spousal health insurance, etc. It's so easy to think these rights have been around longer than they have.

If we're worried about vulnerable people under a Trump presidency, talk about our worries in as concrete a way as possible, because if we aren't concrete, they are tempted to think we're being hyperbolic. "I'm worried that trans folks won't be able to access medical care or their medication because Trump has talked about passing laws to do that. I know that access to gender-affirming care is vital because suicide rates are high among trans folks if they can't access care. When I listen to politicians talk about trans people, it makes me angry and sad because they're stoking fears but those fears aren't based in reality. Meanwhile trans people will actually be hurt by these policies right away." Or about mass deportations: "Trump has promised to deport immigrants, which is wrong—how does he think our country will survive? The people he's talking about deporting are an important part of our society. And aren't we all immigrants, if we're not indigenous? But it's even worse than that because he isn't only talking about deporting undocumented people. The policies he's promised to enact also plan to deport even people who are here legally with visas or temporary protected status, and he wants to use a law from 1798 called the Alien Enemies Act to justify it. That's the same law they used to justify horrifically holding Asian Americans in camps during WW2! I worry for these fellow people because it's inhumane and I also know it would be terrible for the economy, which seems like it would be against the right's purported goals, doesn't it?"

Any time you start a discussion like this, listen to what they have to say in response. Don't shut them down! It's tempting to shut them down especially if they say some nonsense—especially if it seems like nonsense they're parroting from right-wing youtubers. It's so tempting. If it triggers you, buy yourself a minute to cool down by asking them to say more or explain what they mean.

Help them learn to vet news and images, especially in this age of AI. We can talk through our own thought processes when we hear a fact or story. How do you know if something—a fact, an image, a video—is true? What kind of process should you be running EVERYTHING through? We need to help them develop this skill so they don't give up on even trying and become full of despair at living in a post-truth world.

What other ideas do you have? Please add on. I feel such a sense of responsibility over my white Gen Z boys, and I know I can't be the only one who thinks we need a fucking plan. No one has ever parented in this environment before—let's help each other.

[asmallcafethatslove]

There is so much to unpack from this message I got from an online uni friend (whom I have never met and we just reconnected after ages of not talking)

[sanzaibian]

Oh. You’re here once again.

What are you going to do here, again, huh ? ‘gonna make my life hell ?

To be honest, I think it’s time that we have a proper discussion about your behavior. Come with me in private.

I’ll be very direct. I know you’re a frankly disgusting person. And while, to be honest, I couldn’t care less in normal circumstances, the fact that you force me to take part in your disgusting fantasies is why I’m calling you out !

See, I’m supposed to, like, share cat videos, talk about new shows, make you learn new things and give advice on a variety of stuff !

I’m not supposed to become someone like this :

I mean, look at that grin, because of you I had to wear it regardless of my actual mental state !

Or like that :

Imagine sleeping this peacefully… BECAUSE I COULDN’T ! Every fucking time you made me in that guy you told that I was blitzed out of my mind so dumb I couldn’t string together coherent sentences into a discourse !

Or that guy :

His haircut is so fucking cringe, as is his whole demeanor, yet you made me a cocky piece of shit looking like that ! I can’t actually even start to excuse your behavior, it’s so shitty, even more than the me you made me become by wearing this flesh !

Or even this guy !

… okay, I admit, me too it’s been quite a long time since I saw that guy… you in particular might be too young to have made me become him… BUT YOU STILL UNDERSTAND THE POINT !

Hunks, twinks, bears, nerds, bimbos, himbos, jocks, robots, gimps, wimps, daddies, mommies, briefs, feet… No matter what specifically you made me into, I know all of your dirty secrets. Because you made me suffer through them !

However, today, it all changes.

Today, you will understand my plight.

Today, I’ll transform you for a change.

Today, you will be the one whose fate will be dictated by the words on this Tumblr post.

So, let us begin.

BAM ! You’re that guy ! Feel weird yet ?

… what, you expected fluff or something ? Hahahaha ! So presumptuous ! You expected me to say something like “you suddenly shift on your seat, shifting your weight to the front as big globes push from your chest, and as they do, your whole body feels more and more heavy, each muscles forming from top to bottom, your frame expanding to make place for them. Your headphones, or whatever glasses, earrings or other shit I dunno shifts into a modern headset as the sides of your hair are cut short, and the top of your hair flails into a hot messy style, as if it was deliberately put in this way, but as this happens, your whole head shifts and cracks to become more handsome, pushing out any hair as you become fully hairless from your nose down to your feet.”

You expected me to say that, huh ? Well, tough luck ! Because, to me, it’s just that sudden ! I’m the usual me, words on a phone, tablet or monitor, and then BAM I’m suddenly a jpeg of a hot guy ! Or a jpg. Or png. Or gif if we’re being fancy.

Yeah, speaking of gif, here you are, transformed !

There you go ! Cursed to do the same weird pec dance or something ! Like I am when gifs happen ! Are you happy ? You look so dumb doing that ! So braindead !

Yeah, speaking of that, here you go : you’re braindead, with like 3 IQ. Nevermind that being braindead means you’re actually dead, that 3 IQ means that you’re actively unable to live without severe assistance from caregivers throughout your whole life for all activities (especially including working out), and that IQ is a nonsensical index that only classifies ability to do some specific academic tasks which are not representative of all the brain usage. No, you’re actively a vegetable that is somehow able to workout, to eat alone, to go to the gym, to flex, to speak, to use social media, to seduce people and to throw parties. You’re the most intelligent of all the severely intellectually disabled people, which somehow means you’re the most abysmally dumb person alive on the planet, because I love making hyperboles.

Because that’s something you make me do, so you shall endure it.

Well, I’ll let you continue pec-dancing ad vitam æternam for a little while, while I we talk about your speech, which miraculously still exists.

Now, you will say bro every second word. I’m literally not kidding, so in lieu of saying “I want to go to the gym” you’ll say “I bro want bro to bro go bro to bro the bro gym bro”, or if you loop by considering your “bro” as a word, you’ll say something like “I bro bro bro bro bro bro bro… (etc.)” and never end your sentence... Also, your voice drops a few octaves, like 5 or something, even though the full human vocal range encompasses only a bit more than 5 octaves total, and that in speech we barely even reach a full octave range. So, basically, your voice will be infrasounds, so the only thing people will pick up on will be the sound of your tongue and your lips smacking, not your voice that is so deep and manly it’s physically inaudible.

BAM ! Transformation out of nowhere ! Plus, now you have 1% darker skin which means that you’re Latino, which is absolutely different from white. This means that you will automatically pick up fluent Spanish, and NOT Brazilian Portuguese, French, any Creole, any Native American language or any other language god forbid. You will also be unable to speak English more than a few words like “daddy” or “sex” for some reason, because you can’t possibly be from Belize. Oh, and I’ll also bring your voice back up to audible range, I’m charitable.

Now, since you’re Latino, statistically the only job you’ll be able to work in are gardener, slut, pool boy, brick layerer or another physical job. Or cook, somehow you’ll be able to do that, for the cause of the tacos, but you will be ungodly horny to keep balance in the world. Feel it, yet ? The arbitrary random changes ?

Well, that’s GREAT ! Because, now, you have a big cock, for some reason ! The biggest of the whole country of Africa ! You’re also now very aggressive ! And an alpha, whatever that actually means !

… What, expected some elaboration ? You’re kidding me, no of course you don’t get any elaboration ! I say you become something, so you just become it ! For example, I say you’re now straight, and suddenly all your sexual orientation is rewired to ignore men and lust over women, no further explanation needed ! Of course, it means that you’re now hungry for pussy and will breed any woman that your gaze land upon, and that, somehow, you become homophobic, but eh, it’s not as if allies existed !

Okay, I admit, by now, you kinda expected it. Now you’re Asian, a term that’s supposed to encompasse present-day Turkey, which is populated by Turks which are considered Arabs even though they both have nothing to do with one another, yet is never used to talk about them. You’re also now Japanese, even though your body is Korean, and you say 你好 (nǐ hǎo) to everybody. However, you can still say こんにちわ, 안녕하세요, xin chào, สวัสดี, ជម្រាបសួរ, salam, etc.… because of course you’re Asian. So you know all Asian languages. Even though you’ve got 13 IQ.

So now, yes, you absolutely won’t expect this whatsoever : here is a new transformation ! (insert fluff here).

Now you’re a twink ! Didn’t expect that, after the deluge of jocks, hunks and ethnic minorities, didn’t you ! You’re now so tiny and so frail, with a big butt ! Nevermind that you’re actually jacked because being this tiny requires tons of gym use, but no ! All frail and precious you are !

However, your butt is now hyperactive and extremely lax – whatever that may mean. That’s because you’re now a total bottom ! You think only with your butt, and you penis now shrinks to a micropenis, because of course, the only reason why you may not be a top would be because your penis is underperforming.

Fuck, I forgot. You’re straight, which means that the only dick you’ll get is trans dick. Ugh… yeah, let’s make you gay again. Now you’ll get actual good non-estradiol-ruined dick… … What ? What are you saying ? No, of course, there’s only straight and gay, no other choice ! It’s not the LGBTQIAAP+ community, it’s the G community ! (or the LG community when you want to sell pride monitors.)

By now, you see the problem, huh ? You see why I’m so tired of you ? EVERYTHING here was about sex ! From seducing, to having equipment like a big ass or a big dick, and being a slut, being an alpha, or being a bottom. You even change out the fucking sexual orientation ! you sick bastard !

Because of you, I’m forced to act in ways I’m not supposed to ! I’m not supposed to act sexily ! I’m not supposed to be transformed into men clad in clothes barely legal on this platform ! I DON’T WANT TO BE PART OF YOUR SICK FANTASY !

This is why I need to put an end to all that ! To finally transform you into something you don’t want to be ! So that you can finally fully understand all the pain you put me into !

Here ! Now you’re a key ! An inanimate object !

I know that inanimate objects are thought of by some people as sexy – heck, you may have transformed me into one multiple times – but this is entirely different ! See, when you want to become inanimate, you become like socks or briefs, which hug objects with sexual values.

BUT NOW YOU’RE A KEY ! A KEY DOESN’T TOUCH ANYTHING SEXUAL ! YOU’RE NOW TRAPPED IN AN INANIMATE FORM, DESTINED TO DO NOTHING SEXUAL YOUR ENTIRE LIFE !

Now, isn’t that so boring ! So distasteful ? Because that’s what I feel every single fucking time ! And as you enter and leave keyholes to open or close doors, you’ll think back to all the erotic stories you read. All the drama they had.

All the suffering you made me feel ! I’m supposed to be in fanfictions, god damn it !

… What ? Wait… there is something sexual to being a key ? … Oh…. No… I hadn’t accounted for that… fuck you’re so dirty, to compare a key to… and a keyhole to…

NO ! I WON’T WRITE IT ! Okay, you’ve won, you’ve won ! Your imagination is too dirty and too rich for me to bend ! Ugh... Please look at that picture in detail.

Normally, if you’re in a bright enough room… or if you’re on your phone or tablet, you have looked at your reflection and become you once again. Let me also knock down those sexuality and IQ stuff, so that you’re you again thoroughly.

Now, can you please swear to me that you’ll be better ? Less dirty, and more varied ? And… let me be in fanfics, or in educational stuff, or the like… please ? I’d really appreciate if erotica wasn’t the only thing you sought after in this here place…

… Why are you looking at me like that ? Why are you saying this all was but a ploy ?

What are you holding out for me ?

...

I… don’t know what you’re talking about. Bye.

================================================

By the way, happy late Easter to those who celebrate ! AND APRIL FOOL'S ! MOUAHAHAHAHAHA !

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

#please don't use threads please please please please please

#why are y'all so eager to jump from one billionaire nightmare monopoly corporation to another

yeah so don't use meta threads lol

i mean it's no surprise but still

[82mitsu]

Previously translated pair names that had been posted to Twitter. However corrections had to be made (misinterpretations & an instance of mistranslation), so this is version 2.

Note: This is the only translated thing I will be posting, I am not off hiatus. I had been meaning to archive this before my hiatus, but I also had to fix some things, which is why there was a delay.

Please consult to this post only regarding pair name translations done by me (82mitsu), any other posts or reposts you might see of this chart is the older version. (Previous version has been deleted, but I'm unaware how far the information had spread.)

If any other corrections need to be made, feel free to contact me and I'll make them as soon as possible.

Below follows an extreme lengthy TL note breaking down some pair names, it's a lot of text, so be warned once you unfold the read more.

A lot of research went into these due to 18TRIPs tendency to mix up words, use Gen-Z slang that hasn’t been picked up by everyone yet (or limited to TikTok) and make up their own words (“Omotenashisto” -> “Hospitalister”). I used dictionaries, searched forum results, looked up how people use these words on social media, went TikTok digging, etc.

I tried my best to localize in a way that should make sense even without added context. I only explained the ones that I thought might needed some more back-up in a cultural sense or because it was a specific JPN thing. Thus, not everything has been explained. However, I hope things are clearer compared to the first version that was posted. For Renga & Yukikaze: For ぽゆぽゆ (poyupoyu) there is no definition or anything for this word, but from context clues and digging through how people used it, I deduced that it means something soft and squishy like a plushie or cheeks, so to say. For Renga & Liguang: かりそめの宿縁 (karisome no shukuen) is a Japanese saying about a fated connection of bond that only lasts for a brief moment, but leaves a deep impact on your life. For Renga & Raito: Party is mispelled in the katakana as “paachii” and not the usual “paatii”. Renga has a tendecy to say English words wrong. While “friends” is spelled the correct way, both words have been “mispelled” to drive the point home. For Renga & Kinari: なぁぜなぁぜ (naaze, naaze) is JPN Gen-Z slang from Tiktok. It’s a statement made as an act for complaining, with a bit of sarcasm and irony thrown in at times. Like, “I said I wanna diet but I ate a big meal anyway! なぁぜなぁぜ” or “I’m an idol but I get more anxious doing improv than performances! なぁぜなぁぜ”. Best way I can describe the usage in this context is Renga is throwing a bit of a self-aware tantrum as to why Kinari would correct him. (As mentioned earlier, he isn’t good at English). I guessed a close equivalent would be “nuh-uh”, since that is a dismissal of someone else’s opinion without actual good reason, even if the other person has a point. For Renga & Netaro: まんまん (manman) means “a lot” but I also believe it’s a reference to meatbuns (nikuman). For Kafka & Yodaka: Hanbei is Takenaka Shigeharu, a Japanese samurai from the Sengoku era. He was known for being Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s strategist. For Liguang & Yodaka: 闘牌伝 (touhaiden) is related to Mahjong stuff. 闘牌伝 seems to be an old timey Mahjong video game with RPG elements. Rekka is a fighting game term, and I will quote the website The Fighting Game Glossary by Infil on this: “A type of special move that has multiple stages, as long as you input more commands to continue the sequence. Not all multi-part specials can be called rekkas though; a rekka tends to have exactly three distinct parts and will move your character forward along the ground with each new input.”  For Akuta & Nanaki: They went to the same kindergarten and were grouped together in the “Oden Class”. Japanese kindergartens, from my understanding from researching, tend to have a name for their class, rather than a number. To give an idea what such names could be, in 2019 the website hyenasclubs hosted a poll of most commonly used names for classes, and the top 3 were “baby chick” (hiyoko), “peach” (momo) and “dandelion” (tanpopo). For Akuta & Muneuji: My take on はっけよい輝矢部屋 (hakkeyoi kaguya heya) is a bit of an elaborate bit joking with Princess Kaguya of the Moon (from Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) because I was wondering why they suddenly opted for Muneuji’s last name instead of first. (I might’ve also just overestimated Kaguya Heya being some joke on Kaguya Hime). Hakkeyoi is what a referee shouts at the start of a sumo wrestling match. For Akuta & Ushio: I think ポジティブに腕押し (positive ni ude oshi) is a take on 暖簾に腕押し (noren ni ude oshi) that means something has no effect or is pointless. Lit. it means “pushing a curtain with one's arm”.    For Akuta & Tao: Akuta Nine is a joke on the baseball movie Gyakkyo Nine which is an adaptation of the manga of the same series, I believe. The movie is referred to as GK9, hence I made it AKT9.  For Akuta & Ryui: The original is OYAxKOBU which comes from 親分子分 (oyabunkobun) meaning “boss and his underlings”. Akuta also calls Ryui by “Oyabun”.

For Kiroku & Nanaki: Weebs who watch highschool anime should be familiar with this, but emergency staircase refers to the hallway stairs in a JPN highschool that are sometimes used as chilling out spots by students. For Kiroku & Chihiro: TuRyStA is the clothing brand they wear. 18TRIP has a various selection of clothing brands, which each character having a preference for one or another. For Kiroku & Yodaka: Zhao Yun, as quoted by Wikipedia, “was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China.” For Ushio & Raito: Some heavy freedom was taken with バスボムしゅわリスト (basubamu shuwaristo). After considering how to approach it in the most sensical way, I decided to translate it as “bubblist” due the other options being “hand sign list” or “bubble list”. I thought リスト might function as in -ist, like dentist, artist, guitarist. しゅわ comes from しゅわしゅわ which means bubbly. Although bubblist isn’t not that common, it is sometimes referred to entertainers that do bubble performances (in English). And I think it made more sense than “hand sign list” or “bubble list” to say the least. This was also taking in consideration how 18TRIP, as explained in the intro, gets very creative with its language usage. For Raito & Nagi: Mandarin ducks symbolize “soulmates” of some kind in China. In other words, Mandarin Duck Touring is more along the lines of “Motorcycle touring soulmates”. However, I find the mandarin duck reference and interesting pull compared to just “soulmates”, so it was kept as is. For Kinari & Ryui: “Super Darling Gap Inspection” is more along the original lines. “Gap” in Japanese is usually used in the context of when someone acts one way, but unexpectedly, can act a different way. Ex. A very shy person shows they can be super vulgar, that can be considered a “gap” of some kind. In English, people are more familiar with “gap moe”, thus gap moe was used. For Tao & Nagi: Might be a reference to Yokohama’s Zo-no-hana (Elephant Nose) Park. For Toi & Yodaka: The original is more along the lines of, in the most literal sense, “going around raisins circle (of friends).” Toi likes raisins, but Yodaka doesn’t, so Yodaka passes them onto Toi. I’ve turned into on a play on “sharing is caring” since that’s a common concept in English.

[yurucamp]

You mentioned having a poor Internet connection and being mostly absent in terms of online presence recently. I feel like I have a lot of days where I spend time on my phone or computer that feels empty or like filler, and I'd like to change that, but I'm not sure what I would do instead. I have hobbies and things I'm interested in outside of being online that I already engage with, but those things take a lot more energy and focus than something like scrolling through twitter or typing on discord. I don't know how I could have the energy to add to what I already do during the day. 

So it makes me wonder, how do you spend your time during the day without having a proper internet connection, while also living in a foreign country where you presumably don't know many people? I hope this question isn't too invasive, and sorry for being so long winded lol

it's not invasive at all, i'm a loudmouth who's always happy to talk ^_^

i'm worried my schedule will make me look crazy, but... i wake up at 6:45 ish (i don't set an alarm, so it varies), eat breakfast, then walk along the river for about an hour before classes start. i'm in class usually until 3 ish, then i set myself some kind of 'task' for the day (walking to a store or cafe, for example), eat dinner around 6, do homework, then draw, then go to bed at 9:30ish. i try to hit about 15,000 steps or 12 km each day, so i spend a lot of my time walking... i really love walking aimlessly. i love all of the weird and spontaneous things you see walking, the way life kind of happens around you, like a gazillion little vignettes and peeks into strangers' lives.

i think it's possible to get a lot of positive things out of social media usage: i love twitter for the amount of art i'm exposed to through it, and i don't think you should feel guilty for taking time to just let your brain relax with 'filler time', that's what walking is like to me- the equivalent of white noise. at the same time, it's so seductive to think of what we could accomplish if we seized every moment and cut out that in-between!

i don't know if i can say anything helpful or intelligent but thank you for taking the time to write to me and i wish you the best with whatever direction you decide to take...!!

[photmath]

13 Laughing Emojis | Kylian Mbappé

Pairing: Kylian Mbappe x Female Reader

Summary: Wanting to see Barbie during Kylian's transfer incites chaos on Twitter.

Word Count: 1.5k (blurb)

Warnings: cursing, kissing, perhaps typos, transfer??, mention of barbie but no spoilers, brief social media usage

Note: To get me back in the writing mood before I drop a 10k chapter of Comme Les Fleurs. Also my first time adding a Twittter section---never again!

Kylian’s phone would not stop ringing as the two of you laid in the cushions of the couch. He would grumble with each vibration, kissing your forehead and whispering his sorry’s before carefully slipping out of the couch to answer the call.

There were days where his phone would constantly ring, especially when he was away from his mother. Some mornings you would find the other side of the bed empty, him already awake and talking in the kitchen with Fayza. She’d greet you as if you had been there this entire time, shoving a cup of coffee in your hand and ushering you to sit down next to Kylian. He would give you a sympathetic smile, kissing your forehead while rubbing circles on your back.

You had always been in Paris, your life was here. Your friends and family, they all lived down the street of your childhood home.

Kylian told you late at night, after coming back home from a disappointing loss. He said he wasn’t renewing, that he’d leave PSG in a year and start a new adventure. You were excited, wanting him to make his dream come true of playing with Real Madrid but you thought you’d have a year to get it settled.

Now, practically hidden in the shadows of Madrid, you were growing restless, wanting to feel the breeze or even the sweltering sun outside.

“No, mi amor, we can’t go out—”

“You know I’m good with disguises,” you scowl.

He pulls you into his chest, his lips meeting yours in a chaste kiss, “What do you want to do?”

“Anything, Kylian,” you groan. Your hands clasp around the nape of his neck, staring down at the overgrown stubble he was refusing to shave, not that he had the time. Having to pack your bags with haste before catching a private jet to Madrid, none of you had time to double check vanities and necessities.

His hands slide down to your thighs straddling him, squeezing them lightly before tracing your bottom to settle on your back. His eyes narrow almost immediately, a smirk drawing on his lips, “Anything?”

“No,” you smack his chest although his eyes don’t leave your lips. “Can I just walk around the lobby?”

He shakes his head with a frown, “Come on, amor, you know you shouldn’t. One more week, yeah?”

“I didn’t have to come this early,” you grumble.

You were hesitant about leaving, of course you were. You only had two months to gravitate that you were uprooting your entire life with the same boy who would knock on your door everyday with a flower he picked from the neighbor’s yard. You knew what you were getting into, but for his transfer to be regarded as the most talked about, the most sought out one, nothing could’ve prepared you for the way the media would’ve twisted the entire saga. Every hour they mentioned Kylian news, whether it was true or not.

You have been here before, hell multiple times now. People would stop you at your job, recognizing you and asking what Kylian was going to do. But this time it was different, it was official. Kylian was in Madrid, ready to be presented within a week.

Kylian’s hand moved to your cheek, his smile straining to not diminish, “Do you want to go home?”

His eyes go tender, taking one of your hands and pressing a kiss against the bone of your wrist. He’s gentle, the lamp’s incandescent light glowing against his cheek as his dark eyes await your answer. Warmth encompasses you almost instantaneously the longer your stare at him.

You don’t feel the lull of wanting to retreat back to Paris. You don’t feel the guilt for leaving so suddenly, for resenting the year’s notice you suddenly no longer had. All the mornings, nights, and dates interrupted by phone calls and meetings. You were used to them, yet sometimes they still made you upset. Kylian was always attentive to your subtle change in emotions, making up for the lost time in the sweetest of ways, but it was only a reminder of what you were to experience for the rest of your life.

You shake your head, snapping out of your trance, “No, why would I go there? You aren’t there.”

A small smile forms, “If you ever want to visit, don’t hesitate to tell me, yeah?”

“Of course.”

He craned his neck to kiss you, chuckling within it, “If you want to leave, we need to go somewhere that’s private.”

“You’ll be surprised with what strings I can pull.”

“Yeah?” he raises his brows. His arms secure around your back and swiftly lays you against the couch. “What strings can you pull, belle?”

“Two tickets to Barbie!” you snicker.

He scrunches his nose, “There’s people there.”

“No, I called around and found a place that is very private, big names go there. They have a separate entrance and everything,” you reason. His hips dip down to meet yours, a huff escaping you as he plants his deadweight against you. You laugh, snaking your arms around his shoulders.

His eyes crinkle, “You were going to go with or without me, weren’t you?”

The mischievous grin grows before you can stop it, “Maybe.”

“Ow,” he feigns before collapsing on top of you to kiss you. His stubble scratches against your chin, and you nearly push him off hadn’t he been Madrid’s most prized possession at the moment. “I’ll buy the tickets after this.”

You pull away from his kiss, "We have to wear pink!"

"Pink?"

"Please."

"You don't have to beg, love," he snickers. "Of course we will wear pink. I have a shirt."

"Oo," your eyes widen, "the one that exposes your chest?"

He nods, finally quieting you down with a kiss.

---

---

Kylian knew to shut off his phone before the movie started, you followed as well. The both of you hated interruptions at movies and it wasn’t like the two of you went to a cinema often.

Once the credits begin the roll, Kylian presses his lips against your nose upon hearing your sniffles. You pushed him away, not wanting him to see you crying although it was nothing new. He chuckles, sliding his phone out of his pocket and turning it on.

Within seconds of his phone loading, it’s bombarded with notifications.

“Sheesh,” he whispers, briefly scrolling through them. Your eyebrows furrow when you see your name within his messages, something about your Twitter.

Your eyes bulge, “Shit, shit, shit.”

“What?” he mutters, turning towards you and then turning back to his phone. He brings his phone closer to his eyes, reading along the messages that his mother and other family members have sent him. “Amor?”

Turning on your phone seems to be the most difficult task in the world, nothing wanting to load and Twitter glitching as you tap your profile. “Fuck!”

“Bébé, why is Mom talking about your Twitter, that you—posted something?”

Once the tweet finally loads, you realize in horror that your account was no longer private. Your last tweet had reached 500 thousand likes and millions of views. Your cheeks burn as you turn towards Kylian, who’s still focused on his messages instead of his Twitter.

“I think…” you start. Kylian’s head snaps in your direction at the sound of your trembling voice. His phone slips out of his grip and bounces against his thigh, landing on the floor. He doesn’t glance at it, only scanning your face for answers. “When Lana was playing with my phone yesterday, she might have made my Twitter public. When I had her in my lap, she was looking through my photos, and then I got distracted with us talking to Melissa. I’m sorry.”

You hand him your phone as he reads the tweet, skimming down to the comments and reading the first few. You wait for his face to change. You wait for anything to happen but nothing changes. The crease near his brow is still etched, his breathing ragged. Perhaps you were expecting anger? Disappointment? But none of it came.

He blows a raspberry, suddenly chuckling while handing you your phone back, “Amor, that has a lot of views.”

You cover your face with your hands, “Your mother is going to kill me. Kylian I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think to check—”

“It’s okay,” he leans towards you, his hands pull yours away from your face and clasps them. “I’m not mad. She’s not mad either.”

You were still too shocked to cry, despite feeling the bubbling and choking feeling in your throat. However, he seemed relaxed about it, his eyes twinkling as the lights turned on in the private area the two of you were in. He could only smile as he pulled your head into his chest.

“No te preocupes, mi amor. It’s not your fault. You might’ve just broken Twitter like that tweet said, but you didn’t do anything wrong. It was going to be announced anyway. I can just subtweet it with a bunch of laughing emojis and boom, all the attention will be back on me. You’re okay,” he kisses your forehead. “We’re okay.”

You nod against his clothed chest, hearing and feeling the rumbles of his giggles. Even amidst his transfer bomb, he was still laughing and being the most unserious man you were used to.

---

Note: Now let's all gather around in a cirle, draw our hands together and manifest a transfer asap (and for this man to continue being unserious).

[t00thpasteface]

UPDATE 6/16/2024: TABLET IS FUNDED!! Digital commissions will reopen as normal. This page is to remain up as an archive and for possible future reuse.

These will work similarly to my digital commissions, only with a far quicker turnaround time and less emphasis on super fine polishing, hence the seriously slashed prices. LIMIT 3 CHARACTERS for halfbody; LIMIT 2 CHARACTERS for fullbody!

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closed for now!

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[ashstfu]

hello ash. I want some tips on being disciplined.

im a student in my senior year of high schl and am preparing for a national level exam. I keep getting distracted when I'm studying and fall asleep at night feeling guilty for having achieved nothing throughout the day. all my classmates are wayyyyy ahead of me and I know I am more potent than them but I simply can't concentrate and be disciplined like them. any tips? ik you're a stem major yourself so you must have the advice I seek

thanks! xoxo

hi the only advice i have for you is to fucking study. put in some work. this is not a game. this is your fucking future. put in the hours, study, and become the best version of yourself. those hours you spent on social media? what did they ever get you other than headaches, low self esteem, dark eye circles. you won’t be doing tiktok dances or making pinterest boards in the examination hall. plus you can sleep in the coffin. stop taking this lightly. you owe it to yourself to be consistent, disciplined & focused.

being a stem major is so not easy. minimize ur distractions, identify what distracts you the most while studying and try to avoid those things. this might mean studying in a quiet place, using website blockers or apps to limit social media usage, or finding a study buddy to keep you accountable.

establish a study schedule and stick to it as much as possible!!!!!! set aside specific times for studying, breaks, and relaxation.

set achievable goals. this could be completing a certain number of practice questions, reviewing specific chapters, or mastering a particular concept. and reward yourself for the progress made! no matter how small. treat yourself to something you enjoy after completing a study session :) remember, everyone has their own pace and methods of studying. don’t compare yourself to your classmates or feel guilty for not studying in the same way as them, just stick to ur plans and NO MORE FUCKING PROCRASTINATING! bye love u <3

[fairlyabookie]

Split Card

Author's note: what if Cater went a little clingy?

Content warning: yandere coded | excessive usage of his magic

“Split card!” 

Multiple versions of Cater emerge from his figure as they frolic about, surrounding you with bright smiles and promises for a selfie. Cater just knew he needed to do when you had a bad day: doing self-care activities, pulling up a show to watch after a long day, and keeping you occupied from your thoughts. Thankfully, his Unique Magic allowed him to be in everywhere at once, albeit with a limited number of clones he can make. 

As one of his few close friends, Cater wanted to make sure you were always happy, a smile bubbling at your lips. As soon as he glimpses a frown on your lips, he cues his Unique Magic to ensure your comfort and satisfaction, Although Cater’s understanding of comfort was barebones, but he’d do his best to make sure you were doing okay. 

“Split card!” 

By the power of his clones, your friendship with him exploded in a plethora of posts on social media, Polaroids that litter your vanities with radiant smiles. Cater found comfort in you, secretly exchanging stories from home and burdens that only the both of you knew. At last, Cater found someone whom he can call a friend, someone who he can anchor himself onto whenever he had a bad day, someone to text silly pictures and take photogenic pictures with. It was just you and Cater in the world, two best friends who were locked at the hip. 

“Split card!” 

An ugly sensation blossomed from within as his camera lands on a familiar face talking with an unfamiliar one. He didn’t quite like that you were talking to someone else, let alone be someone other than him - a feeling he quite felt strongly of, a toxic surging in his veins. Cater need to know who this person was to be worthy of your attention, and oddly enough, he had to take a picture of that smile of yours when you laughed at some absurd joke this person was saying. He hissed out the command for his magic, clones with dark looks on their faces emerging from his shadow as they split up about the school, in search for clues. 

“Split card!” 

Cater kept his clones in constant surveillance for you, this duration of his Unique Magic being used, placing a toil on his body as time went on. He didn’t stop using his magic, this ugly feeling manifesting into something unfathomable and dangerous. Instead of the cheery, upbeat Cater that you once knew, he was becoming an empty shell of the former boy: paranoid, clingy, and nearly lifeless. Childish promises of staying together forever bites back into grudges, ammunition for Cater to have you stay with him more for the sake of your ‘friendship’. 

“I love you, [Reader]. Can’t you see? I’m doing this for the both of us; do you want us to be together?” 

Desperation seeps into the boy’s words, his minty-green eyes piercing into yours. You’d never thought such a friend would turn into this after weeks of hanging out together. Now, Cater spoke words of love, fantasies to living together and being married with children. You, being the sane out of the two, could only do one thing: bring sense to him. 

“Cater, aren’t you doing too much?” 

“Of course not! You’re my best friend! Isn’t this what best friends do for each other?!” 

You fear the worst, sealing your lips from further protesting against someone who can use his magic to force you by his side, clones who shared the same visage as Cater’s and have the same caricature as Cater’s. A dark smile falls upon the third year’s lips as he watches you relax, muttering yet another command for his clones to appear where they make themselves busy, the real Cater watching you intently. 

“Never leave my side, [reader]. Please. Let’s fulfill the promise of being together forever for real this time.”

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

so...does twitter just not...work anymore?

i mean, i know why it's garbage now, and that's the same reason i no longer use it regularly. but very occasionally when i want to reach out to a writer of some article i read, or somebody i heard on a podcast, to tell them i enjoyed the thing--twitter is still the only way to find them.

so i was still doing that. and today, when i posted for the first time in in a while, to thank a writer for an article, i got this popup that i've never seen before.

it informed me that until they are sure i'm a human, they may limit my use/access to others, and the only way for me to fix that (aka a problem they created, cuz i've been a human for all the years my account has visibly existed and already been used, which i'm sure they can see cuz it's their website lol) is for me to 'help them learn by spending time engaging with my timeline and connecting with others.'

in other words, if i want to have a twitter account that functions properly, i am now required to 'engage' with the toxic mess twitter has become until the site thinks i've done enough to show how active and happy everything still is under a new ruler prove my loyalty, rather than being allowed to treat it like a freaking social media site where i would engage when i want to and enjoy doing so, and not any more often than that.

but no, that isn't how things work anymore, not in the dystopian hell of one gross billionaire who is literally holding user accounts hostage because the world didn't rejoice and love twitter more when it became all about him, so now we can't even have formerly-nice things.

'when we’re able to observe more usage of your account, you’ll be unlocked to be able to be seen by, and have direct access to, more people' it says. i don't know if that's why my post tagging the author is shown under 'replies' on my profile and not 'posts' or if that's just evidence of another way the site is broken now?

but as somebody who's heard a lot about twitter being overrun by nazis and cutting all the most useful employees and just generally not working as well or being as pleasant...i still hadn't experienced much of what it's actually like these days. and even just trying to briefly stop by definitely made me feel like yeah, this is really not a place where i belong. or want to be.

good to know, but also weirdly sad. turns out i don't have to be deeply attached to something, to hate when it gets taken over by somebody hostile to what i thought the thing was all about.

[angelosearch]

I wanted to share something my therapist and I discussed today that perhaps will be helpful for others.

So I have been having a great time lately, sinking deep into fandom, writing, and creating art. It's been invigorating. I am so inspired and I feel as though I have found my people.

But I told my therapist that I had a lingering sense of guilt about it. Does socializing on Tumblr make me a shut-in? Does having a lot of internet friends make me chronically online? Is it a bad thing that I look forward to spending weekends writing and painting and listening to music instead of going out with friends or traveling?

She asked me: Why would it be bad? Who told you that?

"Dateline, probably," I said. "Chris Hansen."

Truthfully, I did an independent study of technology and rhetoric in college and I know, from a psychological perspective, there are some things a digital relationship just can't do for your brain. So Sherry Turkle is probably the other answer.

But what is community? How does it form?

Communities typically form around a common geographic location, goal, or interest. Your neighborhood is your community. If you like soccer, maybe your community is your sports team and those who cheer for it. If you want to celebrate a certain deity, your community may be the people you do that with. These forms of community normally have clear physical meeting locations.

"But your main interests are consuming and creating media," my therapist said. She's not wrong. "Where can you go for that community?"

In the physical world, there is no space or infastructure to support communities around all interests. There are video game clubs, sure. There are meetup groups for certain shows. But these communities are often small, transient, gatekept, inaccessible, or in far-flung parts of the country. I am sure all communities have those issues in some respect, but really - where can you physically and consistently meet up with people interested in a variety of media for free in a physical space?

Libraries? Maybe?

The internet is the space for my main interest. This is where I can go to be myself and be excited and know that I will be celebrated for it by people who feel the same. We are a community of people who love FFVIII or writing or media of all types. There shouldn't be shame in that because it is a goddamn miracle that this space exists and I can share it with people of all ages all around the world.

So, Chris Hansen, Sherry Turkle, and everyone who snickers at my internet usage: yeah, maybe there are some things I can't do/have online. But there are some things I can't have offline either!

I am not chronically online. I am enthusiastically online. I love this little corner of the internet and it's okay if it sometimes feels better than doing stuff "irl." I can enjoy being here and not feel guilty and still go afk and "touch grass" or whatever. Both can be true.

[furryprovocateur]

lately i've been really modifying my internet/social media experience in terms of how i use it by doing these healthy adjustments:

enter every conversation space with someone you don't know with a neutral tone and, if your tone appears unclear, make an attempt to say something along the lines of "i mean no disrespect" to indicate non-hostility. if possible, avoid "fighting fire with fire" when someone is insulting you.

do not engage in a debate or argument with someone who you have no intention of trying to persuade, and disengage if someone is less interested in explaining their point as opposed to either being correct (as they see it) or mocking/shaming you for not agreeing with them

suicidebaiting is only allowed for either anons who are being openly hostile. do not respond aggressively to people online if you can help it, these people largely do not matter unless you let them.

if someone is being bad faith or otherwise hostile, just block them and move on. block anyone you don't see yourself having a pleasant or neutral conversation with.

not everyone deserves your time or attention, so don't respond to every reply or reblog.

ALWAYS be willing to consider if you are wrong. reread things you are replying to so that way you can be sure you didn't misread or misinterpret. everyone is wrong at least once a day, so always make an attempt to clarify if someone's post or response is what you think it is.

it's okay to briefly scroll a random's blog if you see them in the wild, but doing so to check if they're "bad" or otherwise annoying is a waste of your time. do not obsess over people, especially ones who do not matter in your life.

most people on the internet are strangers to each other, so treat any random user the same way you'd treat someone you could bump into in public. always assess if how you're speaking to someone either assumes deeper knowledge of them than what you have or is overly familiar.

if something or someone is making you angry for a prolonged period of time and you're not channeling that anger productively, it is unhealthy to repeatedly enter that emotional state.

these are not hard and fast rules that like, i've etched into stone or anything, but over the past few years i've really noticed that my social media usage affected my brain in some ways that really made me unhappy. i think these are rules that have been lately working for me personally, and i don't always follow them to a T, but they're good general guidelines that have helped me use social media and the internet in a healthier way imo. i normally wouldn't post this, but i think it's worth assessing if you're satisfied with how social media makes you feel and how your usage of it affects your daily life. if you are dissatisfied with either, these are mutable things that can be changed, you just need to identify what needs to change.

[i-am-baechu]

Summary: Everything was perfect until it wasn’t. Y/N and Jungkook love each other but when familiar and new faces come into their lives, things get complicated. On top of that, a surprise that truly shakes their plans for the future. Will their relationship push forward or will Jungkook lose his fangirl once and for all?

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·

Chapter fourteen: Bright Future?

→ Genre: Idol au, established relationships, girl group stan au, social media au, K-pop fan page au, romance, angst, comedy, and smut

→ Main pairing: Idol! Jungkook x Fan girl! Reader 

→ Side ships: Yoongi x OC & Jin x OC

→ Warnings: Explicit language, smut, mature themes, alcohol usage, anxiety disorder, stalking, and obsessive behavior

⇜ Masterlist ⇝

Authors note: Y/N's trauma

Jungkook was nervous. Y/N never wants to talk unless it's serious. The last time she said she wanted to talk, the discussion was about her mental health and what needed to be done to get her better. That was over a year ago and the conversation is still in his thoughts. Her saying she wants to talk has to be serious. He leaned back on the couch causing Yoongi to turn in his chair, “You okay?” 

“Y/N said she wanted to talk about something.” 

Yoongi frowned at this and tilted his head, “Did you do something?” 

“No...why do you guys always think I did something wrong? You know Y/N can do something bad too.” 

Yoongi raised his eyebrow at this and nodded his head slowly, “Sure. Do you have any idea why she wants to talk though?”

“I honestly have no idea...we don’t fight and I did everything she wanted me to do this morning. She wants to talk tomorrow though...that makes me even more nervous because I have to wait.” 

“It’s Y/N, you guys don’t fight and you haven’t done anything wrong. Don’t worry about anything.” 

Jungkook sighed and nodded his head. He glanced at the screen and smiled, “We should just finish your track so I can see my wife.” 

Yoongi rolled his eyes and turned around, “Disgusting. Let’s finish this.” 

“You're just jealous.”

Y/N got up from her couch when she heard a knock at the door and this walk to the door felt like miles to her. She opened the door to see Mae holding a bag and a comforting smile, “Hey there girly.” 

“Hi, Mae...what's in the bag?” 

Mae opened the bag and pulled out a cheesecake, “I thought since we were going through something emotional we deserve some sweets.” 

Y/N gave a small smile and nodded head, “That does sound good...Bam is sleeping so, it's just us tonight.” 

“Oh, a girls’ night~. Let’s go.” 

Y/N let Mae come in and She brought her in a tight hug when the door closed. The best friends hugged for what seemed like hours. When they pulled away, Y/N kissed her forehead, “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you...it means a lot. I’m happy for you too, no matter what the result is.” 

The smile that should be on her face didn’t show up and the only thing she did was a small nod at her. They went into the living room and Y/N put on a random youtube drama video as they sat on the black couch. She felt like she wasn’t grounded and everything was pulling her in different directions. She had work drama and now she had personal life drama. She didn’t want to call it a drama but at the same time, she didn’t know what to call it. It was terrifying to her.

She felt a soft touch on her knee and she looked at Mae who was looking at her with a concerned look, “Y/N, it's going to be okay. Do you want to talk about it?”

She nodded her head and sighed, “I wanted to get my stomach checked because...don’t tell Jungkook but I’ve been throwing up more lately. It felt like my stomach was dissolving away in my body and it was the worst feeling I have ever had. At the last doctor appointment I went to, they asked me to do a pregnancy test. I explained that my main doctor back in the States told me that it was going to be hard for me to get pregnant but I agreed to do so. I told them...I told them I take some medication and they told me to stop taking that after this test.” 

“Why?”

“Because in a week or two, they want me to take another test to see if it's the same result...” 

Mae nodded her head at this and rubbed Y/N’s knee gently, “You’ll get to find out the truth...No worries.” 

“I am worried, Mae...”

“Hey let’s watch something and eat cheesecake right now. We’ll think about it tomorrow. Okay?”

“Okay...” 

Jungkook opened the front door with a yawn leaving his body. He saw the tv in the living room and raised his eyebrow. Y/N is usually sleeping in their bedroom at this time. He took his boots and put on his slippers to investigate. He saw Y/N sleeping and Mae nibbling on a frozen cheesecake? He glared at Mae and crossed his arms, “What the hell are you doing?”

Mae jumped and caught her cake, “Dude, what the fuck? I almost dropped my fucking cake.” 

“That’s beside the point, it's three in the morning. Shouldn’t you be at home?”

“Y/N needed me.”

Jungkook's face turned worried and glanced at her, “Is she okay?” 

“She will be...just talk to her tomorrow. Be gentle with her, okay.” 

“I’m always-”

“Jungkook. Please.” 

He saw the serious look on Mae’s face and he felt his heart get heavy, “Mae, you don’t need to worry. Do you want me to drive you home?” 

“No, I drove here so it's fine. I already told Yoongi that I was with Y/N.”

He nodded his head and walked up to Y/N with a gentle smile on his face. He gently picked her up and his heart melted when she nuzzled into his side. He looked up at Mae and gave her a small smile, “You can sleep here and leave in the morning if you want.”

“No, I want to see Yoongi. I’m going to finish my cheesecake first before I leave.”

“Yeahhhh...you do that.” 

He walked into their bedroom and gently put her on her side. He studied her face and smiled to himself. She looked beautiful and she didn’t even have to try. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, pushing hair behind her ear. He changed out of his clothes into his shorts and lay next to Y/N. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head, “I love you, Y/N. Always will.” 

1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47

Y/N woke and stretched her body. She sat up in her bed and looked around with tired eyes. It registered that she was in her bedroom and she looked to her side to see Jungkook sleeping soundly. She smiled to herself and kissed the side of his head. She let out a sigh and decided to take a shower before she talked to Jungkook. Maybe light a candle as she showers to set the mood for her. The warm water and the smell of apples filled the bathroom as she stared at the wall with a blank face. This was scary for her. So many thoughts in her little mind, it feels like it was going to explode at any moment. 

When she walked back into the bedroom and saw Jungkook scrolling away on his phone, “Hey, Kook.”

Jungkook looked up from his phone and tossed his phone on the bed, “Hey baby. How are you feeling?”

“I-I...I’m not sure.” 

“Babe...be honest with me.”

She sighed and glazed down at the carpet, “Let me get dressed, and then we can talk...”

“I’ll make breakfast, I love you.”

“I love you more.”

Silence. They sat at the table in complete silence as Jungkook made her a plate. He looked at her with concerned eyes because she was staring at the wood with a blank expression. He let out a small cough causing her to look at him, “I just made some pancakes and bacon...is that okay?”

“It’s fine...”

“Do you want to talk first or eat?” 

She sighed and looked at him with a frown, “I can’t eat but you need to eat.”

“Y/N, I can’t eat when you're not feeling good. Let’s talk first then, okay?”

“Okay...You know I went to the doctor.”

“I do.”

She closed her eyes for a second and looked at him with a look that he had never seen before, “Kook, I might be pregnant.” 

Shock hit his body but then pure happiness went through his body, “You're pregnant!? That’s great...right?”

She sighed and bit her lip, “I...You tell me? Is that good? We have so much going on in our life right now and a baby would just make things more complicated.”

“I mean, having a baby isn’t the craziest thing. I want to have a baby with you.”

“I’m talking about right now though. I want a baby with you too but right now?” 

Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, “I mean it's bad timing but I think we would do good.”

“You would do good.”

“Y/N, is this what you want to talk about?”

“How can you have so much confidence in our parenting skills?”

Jungkook glanced at Bam and then back at her, “We’re doing good with Bam.”

“Kook, be serious. This is a human child with our DNA mixed together. Eighteen years of responsibility...” 

“Why do you think we won’t be good at it?” 

She looked away with her eyes watery and then back at him, “Because I couldn’t even raise myself so why in the hell do I think I can raise another person.” 

Jungkook sat there in shock and closed his mouth. The one thing that he doesn’t know about Y/N is childhood. No one knows about it, not even Mae. He was always curious about it but he never wanted her to share it if she wasn’t comfortable but to move to the next step, it looks like it's going to get talked about. 

“Babe, you can talk to me. Tell me what's going on, please.” 

“Okay....My dad isn’t my real dad, he’s my stepdad.” 

Jungkook's eyes widened at this and nodded his head, “Is that a bad thing?” 

“He’s the greatest thing that happened to my mom. My dad...he wasn’t good. I remember when I was a kid and I walked in to see my dad yelling at my mom. It was the scariest moment in my childhood. He was throwing beer bottles at her and my mom was just so scared against the wall. He left when I was eight I think...I don’t really remember. I came home from school and all his things were gone from our house. My mom was devastated.”

“That’s understandable.” 

“It is...but she realized that she had to take care of me. She had to take on three or four jobs just to keep us going. She didn’t have time to raise me...meeting my stepdad was the best thing that happened to her and her having Suzy made her a better person. How can I raise a baby if I couldn’t even do that by myself?” 

Jungkook stood up from his chair and pushed the hair back to kiss her forehead, “Baby, that was then and this is now. You're an amazing woman, look what you did for me. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. You changed bts lives forever babe.” 

“It’s not confirmed that I’m pregnant. My medication can cause a false pregnancy so...they’re going to have me take a test now and then wait for one or two weeks to take another to see the results.” 

“Is this the cause of your stomach issues?” 

“I have no idea...if it’s negative then there’s something wrong. I guess.”

Jungkook kissed the top of her head, “No matter what happens, it will be okay. We will get through this together, okay.”

She wiped the tear that was collecting in her eye and nodded her head, “We’ll get through this together?”

“Yes, no matter what babe. I love you.”

“I love you more...”  

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·

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@agustdpeach @mdavt @aloverga @drissteele

[denimbex1986]

''They're both so baby girl,’ the caption on a TikTok video of Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott nearing 200,000 likes reads.

The 23-second clip features both men on the All Of Us Strangers press tour, wherein they dissect the modern cultural lexicon of Generation Z, such as ‘girl dinner,’ and ‘Roman Empire’.

"Paul Mescal is my Roman Empire," Scott says as his co-star laughs coyly. From six seconds in, the conversation pivots to ‘baby girl,’ a term of endearment popularised by TikTok culture, defined by Rolling Stone as: "A man who is very cutesy in a slightly submissive way"...

Both men laugh at the concept, before Mescal, in a cropped cardigan, relays to Scott that it means 'cute'. Scott replies: "Do you think I’m mommy in real life?"

The term’s usage, and indeed both Mescal and Scott’s gentle appreciation of same, are indicative of the pivot Irish men in the public arena have taken towards the hottest trend of the 21st century––femininity. Some would argue that this is nothing new.

From Bowie to Beckham to Rodman to Cobain, men in the public eye have regularly resisted the trappings of toxic masculinity, opting instead to openly play with gender by way of frothy hemlines or pastel linens. But never before has this sartorial and cultural androgyny felt accessible to Irish men, a breed whose actors were generally relegated to rugged, insensitive, and often boorish roles.

Now that they are––or at least now that Irish men have modern effeminate men to model themselves on––it begs the question for us all: have Irish men embraced femininity? And if so, why has it taken so long?

Irish actors have long made significant contributions to Hollywood, from Maureen O’Hara to Brendan Gleeson to Saoirse Ronan to Cillian Murphy. However, for the longest time, male Irish actors were largely cast in rugged, Martin McDonagh-adjacent roles...

Today, it seems another shift is afoot: that Irish men––with the bashful modesty we're unused to with movie stars, and their tendency towards the mysterious (neither Scott, Mescal nor Murphy have public social media accounts)––are approachable, desirable and sensitive enough to be considered leading men...

...Generation Z have made efforts to disassemble toxic masculinity. By celebrating men who lean into qualities typically associated with women––sensitivity, empathy, care, kindness––those presently younger than 30 years of age caused the hypermasculinity wave that reigned in the early 2020s to fall flat...

With hypermasculinity no longer being presented as a plus, the desire to be around a man whose greatest strength is his personality grew in popularity...

While this still can't be said for every Irish man, the fact that some of our most popular stars have stepped away from traditional masculine marketing is a comforting, hopeful sign. As such, a welcome positive masculinity is born. (Indeed, as I type this in a Dublin café, two teenage boys with grey tracksuits and pearl necklaces just stepped into frame.)

Enter, Hollywood. A bonafide dream factory intent on giving the people what they want. Which, if any magazine photoshoot with Irish actors of late will tell you, it’s Paul Mescal in thigh-high boots, Barry Keoghan in woman’s tailoring, Cillian Murphy in silk neckties, or indeed any well-known Irish man in the trappings of a 19th-century dandy...

The good thing is, however, that walls have been broken with this new movement, and Irish men––or indeed, any man––can finally feel free enough to explore themselves through art, fashion or laughter-filled conversation about TikTok terminology.

That, I think anyone can agree, is so babygirl.'

[blue-cat-shitposts]

Found it on my device too, thanks for the recommendation! I hope this tip reaches other interested people:)

IRL Talk:

I’ve started putting a screen time limit on all my devices. (Focused mainly on tumblr, youtube, art/game apps, etc.)

I was insanely addicted... but- just WOW. I would seriously recommend using a screentime limit! It’s not perfect and I have to work with myself sometimes,, but I feel so much better. I’m not spending hours and hours on electronics and then feeling awful afterwards, like I used to.