#congratulations on your remix completion!

[downtofragglerock]

Thinking about how kind of insane Romana's journey is

Ok so imagine that you're a recent college grad, did very well, high honors, stem major with a polysci minor or something like that

And then, like very shortly after you graduate, a literal god kidnaps you and puts you on a fetch quest where the continued existence of the spacetime continuum is on the line.

This is not as big of a deal for you compared to someone else, as you come from a society that deals with time stuff on the regs. Granted, the stakes at play are pretty damn dire, but again, you majored in the sciences of your society, which have advanced to the point of being viewed as borderline sorcery to most other civilizations

You're assigned a partner for this, another member of your society. This makes sense, while you're up for the task, having another person equally qualified will probably make the whole thing easier.

Only the guy the literal god gets for your partner is the biggest weirdo your society has ever produced. He barely graduated every school he was in and currently lives out of an old busted up van that he stole literal lifetimes ago and also barely works.

But you go along anyway and start the fetch quest. On the final leg, you end up encountering a woman that you just become enraptured with, though you'll never externalize this at the time, nor examine why you, a woman, may be feeling the things you're feeling about this other woman.

The fetch quest is over and time is saved and all that, but you're still traveling in the busted up van with this absolute freak, although his charm has grown on you. You're still fixated on that woman though, to the point where you self induce complete cellular remixing to become an exact body double of that woman. You don't examine why exactly you did this.

You keep traveling with the weirdo, and you're really starting to like his shtick, so much that you resolve to start aping it, only better (certainly with better dress sense at the very least), and hey, maybe you don't wanna go home, at least for a bit.

Eventually you two get trapped in a parallel dimension, you accidentally pick up an annoying teenage boy, but you don't have to deal with him for very long, as when your weirdo friend finally figures out how to get out of there, you stay behind to help some furries or something. You'll get back on your own time. Also you took the robot dog with you (he had a robot dog this entire time).

Some time passes and you eventually not only make it back to your own reality, but also your home. You end up meeting another woman who your weirdo friend hung out with before you met him, and she also triggers those feeling you had that last time made you commit the ultimate form of identity fraud.

But no time to ruminate on any of those unexplored things, you run for president, and win. Congratulations, you are now in charge of your entire society after what timescale-wise basically amounted to taking a slightly longer than normal gap year after graduating from college.

That is the tale of Romanadvoratrelundar, aka Romana, aka Fred

[swayziiwriter]

Congratulations | Trent Alexander-Arnold

summary: after Liverpool pull off a much needed victory against Manchester United you decide to extend an “innocent” congratulation to Trent.

WARNING: 18+, sexual content

Trent let out a throaty moan, reaching his hands to grip the pillows on each side of your head.

He was thrusting into you relentlessly, the force of his hips snapping up into yours had you shaking. You had already came around his aroused cock, nails gripping into his back dragging down right before his ass. Trent was making you feel sensations you hadn't know were possible, the heat and close proximity between your bodies was dangerous. Clouding your judgement,

Liverpool had beaten Manchester United 7-0. What was supposed to be an innocent exchange of congratulations, ended with you under Trent, moaning his name out as he pounded you into the bed. It felt like Trent was everywhere. You could feel his hands roaming all over your body, sending you bursts of pleasure as his movements never faltered.

"So dirty for me" Trent groaned into your shoulder, biting down on the soft flesh lightly before licking the now red area. "You want this cock deeper?" he asked, it wasn't a real question. Trent was going to deeper with each thrust, your soaking core allowing him to slip back inside with no halts. Trent Brough his face down, burying it between your breasts as you pulled at his dreads.

Small beads of sweat dripping down from them as you continued to squirm, "so good- good Trent" you moaned out.

He lifted his head looking into your eyes as you begged for him to fuck you silly, praising his cock like it was the last time you would ever get it.

He smirked, the image of you begging for him would replay in his mind as he jerked himself off, wishing that it could it be yours hands and lips wrapped so tight around his cook

Trent hit your g-spot with a hard thrust, making your mind go blank as you let out a pornographic moan.

You clenched around him, feeling his cock twitch inside of you as Trent's body shuddered. Your hands went to his face, bringing it to level with your trying to figure out the reason for his subtle halt. "You feel so tight when you clench around me" he moaned, his strokes now slowing down becoming hard and long. "Like this?" you questioned clenching around his hard dick that was buried deep inside of your pussy, waiting for a release.

Trent's head fell to your chest, his breathing becoming uneasy as his eyes closed in pleasure. The sensation was overtaking his body, you took advantage of this. Trent was close, you could feel it as his cock twitched inside of you once again. You lifted your back arching to the side, prompting Trent to lift his head.

"Give it to me Trent, make me cum again" you begged giving him the push to speed up his movements again.

Speed up he did, your second orgasam washed over you before you even had the chance to tell Trent you were cumming. He felt your warm juice coat his dick, your hands reaching to his hair, tugging on his locks as Trent chased his high. He was so close, his cock begging for a release. So, you decided to give him some words of encouragement.

"Gonna cum in me?, fill me up Trent. Give it to me, cum in me Trent." you said tauntingly. Trent snapped his hips into you forcefully as you clenched around him, sending him cumming into your tight pussy. His warm seed painting your walls, you moaned to the feeling.

"Fill me up so good" was the last complete sentence you got out before Trent flipped your body to be laying on your chest. Running his cock up and down your ass, before sliding back into you dripping core.

You knew you were in for a long, steamy night with Trent.

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #68: 2017

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Ed Sheeran, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, The Chainsmokers, Migos, The Chainsmokers, Sam Hunt, Imagine Dragons, Post Malone. End description]

More information about this blog here

It's easier more than ever to see the effects of streaming on the pop charts. As electropop and club music become a distant memory, the pop music of the late 2010's works better with individual listening. As mentioned before, streaming works better for album listening, much more than the iTunes era which encouraged the purchasing of individual songs (which was great for singles artists, but not necessarily for albums). Some artists were able to hack this system. For example, Drake's Views (featured on the previous poll) was notable for having 20 songs on its tracklist -- which is a lot for a pop release. Unlike the iTunes era or even the CD era before, longer albums with shorter songs flourish more in the streaming landscape.

Streaming also helped to continue blurring the line between genres and audiences. Without going too much into it (because this is a topic I could ramble on about endlessly), genres were not handed down to us from Mount Olympus or something. Genre is a tool of marketing, and the lines drawn between them can have a variety of cultural, racial, economic, gender, religious, and other variables between them. These lines were more prominent in previous years before streaming made it easier to access just about every kind of music at once. This is when we start to see the rise of a concept known as the "monogenre". In order to cater to as wide an audience as possible, everything starts to sound like everything. A little rock, a little indie, a little trap, a little tropical house, a little festival EDM. There were also those who criticized the streaming era in how it promotes a more "passive" listening style, since playlists and algorithms could continue playing ad infinitum without the listener needing to seek out new music themselves. While I certainly see the evidence of that on the charts, I don't think this tells the complete story.

As a less cynical counter-argument, streaming has made it easier for listeners to find music that otherwise wouldn't have been marketed to them. I believe that this could be one of the factors behind reggaeton finding a growing audience among English speakers. Obviously reggaeton did not originate this year. The roots of the genre can be traced back to the 1980's in Panama where it would later grow an even larger audience in Puerto Rico. The genre would grow in popularity in the States as well, especially in the early 2000's. But if you weren't paying attention to Spanish language music (and you didn't grow up in the Southwest), it was easy for mainstream audiences to miss it. Reggaeton includes influences from dancehall and hip-hop, so it makes sense that the genre would find a mainstream English-speaking audience when those two genres were also shaping pop music. Because Despacito wasn't just big for a reggaeton song. It wasn't even big for a Latin pop song. Despacito led to Daddy Yankee becoming the sixth most listened-to artist on Spotify in 2017, and led to an influx of Latin and reggaeton artists who were able to cross over without English language remixes. Billboard magazine has an article here about the "Despacito Effect".

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 19/10/2024 (Sabrina Carpenter, JENNIE, Brat Remix Album)

For an eighth week, bringing Sabrina’s annual total to 20 weeks at #1 this year (a feat not reached since Frankie Laine), “Taste” sticks to the top spot of the UK Singles Chart, and we’ve got another goofy week where our new entries aren’t really the main point of interest. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, way more sex references than normal

Rundown

As always, we start the episode with our notable dropouts, those being songs that exit from the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to: “Going Crazy” by Nines with uncredited vocals from LEILAH, “Black Friday (pretty like the sun)” by Lost Frequencies remixing Tom Odell, “Numb” by Linkin Park, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” by Ariana Grande and “I Can Do it with a Broken Heart” by Taylor Swift.

Now we also have two more songs dropping out that may be of more interest, specifically the premature dropouts for Charli xcx’s “Talk talk”, featuring Troye Sivan and an uncredited Dua Lipa on the remix, and “Guess”, her former #1 hit with Billie Eilish on the remix. These singles from Charli’s album would hypothetically have a boost given the release of her deluxe remix edition of BRAT, which I wrote about on my RateYourMusic listening log if you want more in-depth thoughts there, since there are actually no debuts from it. Instead, Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat has not only pumped its parent release to the top of the albums chart with no T-Swizzle to block it this time, but due to a three-song rule in the UK Singles Chart, it’s created what I can only call a switcheroo for songs that had charted before, but are now doing so in remix form. In that regard, we welcome back “360” at #20. The original peaked at #11, its book-end album closer counterpart “365” reached #63. As with many of the remixed versions, I far prefer the originals in both cases, but it is of course noteworthy to point out that Swedes Yung Lean and Robyn feature on the fragmented, awkward “360” remix that works pretty wearingly as an album opener; I used to prefer it, but now, I find it just okay. The Official Charts Company has not credited them, and the case rings true for “Apple” at #11, which was still charting but takes a boost to #11. Previously peaking at #8, the remix would be the first chart appearance for English indie singer-songwriter Amber Bain, known as “The Japanese House”. For new fans, I remember listening to her 2019 debut Good at Falling and whilst I fell off the ship at some point, there’s definitely stuff worth hearing there. I’d probably like it even more now. However, OCC decided to credit only one of the guest remix artists, that being Ariana Grande who grants a new peak with her… completely serviceable but uninteresting remix of the great “Sympathy is a knife”. Originally peaking at #56, Ari takes it straight to #7 off of the return, and it’s not the only new top 10 entry this week.

We do have a fair few non-Brat gains and returns too, namely “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay taking the space of one of their new singles at #72, “Scared to Start” by Mchael Marcagi restarting at #70, “NEW DROP” by Don Toliver coming back at #69 and I have a feeling this will be one of those songs that just comes back and forth, then Andy C and Becky Hill seeing a return to #66 with “Indestructible”, thanks to a remix from drum and bass DJ Disrupta that OCC seems to think is a new song. Congratulations to Disrupta for his first chart entry… I suppose… if you count formatting errors and misremembering chart positions as valid debuts, the remix is fine. You know what’s not? “Riptide” by Vance Joy up to #61, but our other gains see boosts for “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls at #59, “KEHLANI” by Jordan Adetunji at #58, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #52, “Free” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding at #47, “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” by Dasha at #40, “Don’t Dream it’s Over” by Crowded House at #32, “Move” by Adam Port, Stryv and Malachiii at #10, with all acts gaining their first top 10 thanks in part to an uncredited Camila Cabello remix, and Trippie Redd also grabbing his first with, you guessed it, KSI on “Thick of It” at #8, its Prime position thus far.

As for our top five on this week’s UK Singles Chart, we start with “Somedays” by Sonny Fodera, Jazzy and D.O.D at a new peak of #5, followed by another new peak for Gracie Abrams at #4 with “I Love You, I’m Sorry”… can’t say I’m too over the Moon about either of these in the top five, but I am pretty happy with “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez making it up to #3, then of course, “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars as the runner-up at #2 to Sabrina once again at #1 with “Taste”. Now we’ll have more on Sabrina later, but for now, let’s take a look-see at what’s below her.

New Entries

#74 – “Why Lie?” – Skepta and Flo Milli

Produced by Lex Luger, PotentGYFT, Kesh and Carson Hackney

I am of the opinion that Skepta would have much more respect in general music-loving audiences for his influence, talent, catalogue and unique approach to hip hop production if he didn’t fuck around in questionable, perpetually brow-raising side quests, but oddly, he would lose some of my respect if he stopped doing that. He’s constantly got a look out for new collaborators and new sounds to crib from, and even when he doesn’t fully understand it, he’ll co-opt it, well-intentionally, and make… something of it. I figured that maybe the recent Ryder remixes and his EDM tracks, including a remix of Amy Winehouse, would push him into ambient house territory or something, but he quickly disproved that by just dropping whatever. After his latest track to chart, “Gas Me Up (Diligent)”, itself some AWGE-adjacent cloud-trap, he released an Afrobeats track with JAE5 and then got on a bit of a sexy drill kick (he’s just like me, for real). These singles are all potentially from an upcoming album, but would be confusing as a whole package, as he equipped PoWR Trav for the R2R Moe and Jorja Smith-assisted “Miss Independent”, using typical Cash Cobain-esque tense drum patterns and buzzy bass over a distant R&B sample, whilst Skepta raps mostly about sex, sometimes in too much detail. I’m not ageist, and Skep’ looks great, but I’m not always looking for middle-aged sex raps.

Relationships are once again the topic on “Why Lie?” but after going through Afrobeats and sexy drill, he’s chasing after yet another bubbling trend in not-exactly-mainstream-yet hip hop, “new jazz”, a trap subgenre taking a chiller approach to rage synthwork with much more wonkiness. Alabama rapper Flo Milli, herself no stranger to switching genre, has been recruited here for a duet that involves Skeppy getting into a Young Adz-level faletto on the chorus as Milli’s breathily cooing below him, then interchanging bars on a beat that has tiny details that never take up too much space, still leaving it slightly empty, to fit for the sheer amount of vocal layers and filters present, often somewhat extraneous and occasionally acting as arbitrary censorship. The main conceit of the song is that Skep’ thinks that Milli’s probably cheating, but doesn’t seem to care too much, because after a while, the sex is good enough for their slightly frayed connection to repair itself. Neither rapper will admit to lying to each other in the relationship, but are under the impression that if they really love each other, they’re just going to sugarcoat all the problems in the relationship anyway, and not think about the toxicities too deeply. It’s a really unique and honestly somewhat depressing relationship dynamic portrayed here, with the immediate contradictions present being pointed out and laid out quite openly. Milli is desperate to have sex after Skepta’s exhausting live show despite wanting to “take it slow”, both acts seem to care more about money accumulation than each other but still hold hope in the strength of their love – it’s not the most subtle song about relationships, but it allows for a lot of good trade-off displaying both the charming sensuality of Flo Milli and the chinks hidden in Skepta’s noble façade.

As far as my opinion on the song overall, I love the squelchy bass sound and the delayed feeling of the chorus coming in that fits the whole song having a staggered sense to its bass hits, sloppier drum programming and cascading, shimmering melodies, forming sonically the sound of this fragmented relationship they seem to work through in real time. This wonkiness is clearly cribbed in part from the similarly messy 2000s pop-rap classic “What’s it Gonna Be?!” with Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson, which “Why Lie?” subtly samples. The chorus is genuinely hilarious as well as an earworm, with Skepta lamenting to his boys in an auto-croon that she’s probably having sex with another man, before a deadpan ad-lib that “She might as well” preludes his one-line falsetto run about he’s going to go on a business trip anyway, leaving her in the dust. There are doorbell sound effects, some of the best ad-libs on the chart – Skepta ending the hook by whispering “(Sex)” is such a stupid detail – and the overt detail in the analogy that the sex was so emotional that not only did he nearly shed a tear, but she “cried” too if you get the jist. Skep’s verse has the bass clunkily fall over him right after he details the outright falsehood that Flo Milli is a “ride-or-die” type and throughout, his flow is about as slippery… I’m not going to complete that sentence.

I love how the final chorus is led in without the drums by Flo’s panned whispering too, as the song is structurally all over the place but proud enough of that fact to add these quirky details, including some that seem improvised – Skep’ interrupts his verse to ask his mic to be turned up in a way that shouldn’t fit the flow or content, even rhyme scheme, at all, but works out because its execution is as chaotic and befuzzling as the relationship it depicts. I didn’t expect to be discussing this song at all, in all honesty, let alone in this much detail, as it has barely charted in the first place, but this is one of my favourite songs of the year, absolutely some of the most fun I’ve had with pop-rap in a year that has either had little of it or peppered with detailed interpersonal conflict. I hope that it can become a hit, because it absolutely could get radio play or become a meme… if not both. Check it out.

#60 – “The Days” – Chrystal

Produced by Chrystal and Billen Ted

Billen Ted, probably best known for the “Wellerman” remix, have found a new vehicle in the slow-burn breakout single for Chrystal. Though active since 2014, with a remix of their 2015 debut single “All Ur Love” being the only other reasonable success for them on streaming services, Chrystal has, from my understanding, largely kept a low profile, with this new song having crept up to the top 75 after a few weeks bubbling under, though it may be reminiscent of a larger trend. We’ve seen with nimino, PAWSA and a few other stray songs that weirder, more insular, often old-school and sometimes minimal house music by lesser-known artists, possibly thanks in part to the experimentation and innovation of acts like Fred again.., is starting to solidify a place in the lower reaches of the UK charts, and it’s been relatively hit and miss so far, which is understandable. These are lower-budget, very much lower-profile acts who bring their relative anonymity to the basic rhythms and airy atmospheres of their music, and “The Days” is no different. The cheap, dime-a-dozen four-on-the-floor beats sound exhausted especially with all the swooshing effects phasing in and out, and Chrystal themselves, assuming they’re the one singing, reminisces about chilling, smoking, having their partner’s favourite show on the background, and wanting to relive that whilst having some uncertainty about if that relationship is actually what it seems. I love the vocal filter that makes her distant in the pre-chorus, resembling the audio qualities of a post-chorus, the basic and desperate plead of “Do you?” acting as the “drop” or “hook” when in reality, like “TOO COOL TO BE CARELESS”, which has grown on me, there’s not much of a drop or hook at all, as the song builds about as lethargically as EDM possibly could. Stuttering synth bloops and a heavier, fuzzy bass are about as detailed as this song gets, and I find it honestly fascinating how empty the song is. These types of house jams we’re seeing always end up on a bittersweet note due to the woozy nonchalance with which they’re structured and produced, and whilst I’m not always a fan, not only is it funny to see those lazy Nate Dogg remixes that popped up turn into something worthwhile, but it’ll be interesting to see if this obscure phenomenon continues into a larger trend.

#37 – “Mantra” – JENNIE

Produced by JUMPA, El Guincho, Șerban Cazan and Jelli Dorman

Another week, another K-pop track that will probably not last too long but makes for a smashing top 40 debut, this time yet another latch at solo stardom from a BLACKPINK solo member. Though I’ve found it difficult to distinguish the girls as solo artists thanks to a lack of cohesive sound, they are at least more interesting on average than the BTS solo attempts, and yeah, this is about as chaotic as you could expect. Billed as a “pretty girl mantra”, JENNIE’s condescending sing-songy chorus is intensified by a stretching, nigh-indecipherable loop pushed to the back of the mix by a bunch of sounds, including an obnoxious stab of keys and horns, heavily involved bassy rhythm section and JENNIE herself, whose melodic ad-libs are fighting for attention with not just her own multi-tracking but stray “hey” vocal blips, a spray of house bass synth, and a cascading plunge into atmospheric synth mess… until that chorus brings the focus back into a different kind of chaos. Hell, it even has a set of panning cowbells that don’t let up once JENNIE starts singing the busier post-chorus, with a multi-tracked half-belt at the end making way for some of the most detailed and confusing vocal production I’ve heard on the charts in a while. Several layers of “oh” harmonies plate up below twinkling takes of breathy cooing, bordering on whispering, and just actual breathing, that never fully swings back into a full register. That little detail is particularly interesting given how much of the song is confident flexing, perhaps hinting that the light she scoffs at having dimmed may have gone off after all. Whilst substanceless lyrically, it has less awkward turns of phrase than a typical English-language BLACKPINK track, though I'm raising an eyebrow at how she'll supposedly turn me bisexual, and it goes for a more specific sound that could actually form unique character rather than an aping of other songs or artists that K-pop acts sometimes fall into when chasing western trends. It works as more of an amalgamation in a charmingly messy way, and that’s where K-pop acts tend to be at their best for me: embracing styles and genres in an endless pile-up that goes for shock and drastic twists and turns whilst retaining incessant hooks. “Mantra” falls squarely into that category, and is actually her second I’ve enjoyed after “You & Me” – given the BLACKPINK girls have been all over the place but often leaving a positive impression nowadays, I am interested in where any of these careers end up next, if the most reasonable angle isn’t to branch them all back together.

#9 – “Bed Chem” – Sabrina Carpenter

Produced by John Ryan and Ian Kirkpatrick

When I first listened to Short n’ Sweet, this song stood out as probably one of my least favourites, along with “Please Please Please”. Both have grown on me, so it makes it quite a fun coincidence that this week has swapped out the latter for “Bed Chem”, in yet another example of the silly three-song rule. I’m not necessarily complaining here: “Please” is still definitely a dud, just less so than I initially thought, whilst “Bed Chem” has won me over completely, mostly for the reasons that I disliked it in the first place. Sure, it’s cheesy and awkward in its heavy-handed sexual chemistry, framed in the context of her first meeting with her new partner, who in this case may specifically be her real-life partner, Irish actor Barry Keoghan, whose “thick accent” is mentioned in the pre-chorus. I may find the pitch-shifted vocal detail unbefitting for the otherwise vague attempt at organic soft rock, but it’s easily ignorable and the unnatural elements of the production overall, including the sprinkling sound effects and Sabrina herself, whose high-register chorus is so shrill and over-programmed that it used to just annoy me, and honestly still catches me by surprise, being genuinely a bit difficult to listen to for me in that hook. Surely, I wouldn’t rate it highly because of that... but aren’t people newly in a relationship all over each other and never out of each other’s mouths (in all possible ways that I could mean by that) always a bit annoying to the observer? The meek hints towards explicit lyrics are purposefully straight out of a PG-13 romcom, with audience chatter in the outro furthering the idea that this is all just a humorous portrayal of lovestruck youths, with all the awkwardly sexual banter and shimmering optimism intact. Sure, it’s not her most nuanced song emotionally, not that nuance has ever been Sabrina’s calling card, but it’s a lot of fun, needlessly catchy and an understandable fan favourite that I’m sure is both hilarious and incredibly difficult to perform live. With this as a replacement, Sabrina’s currently three for three for me in regards to her charting singles.

Conclusion

Weird week, but ultimately one pretty defined by a youthful chaos and attention to detail, that led to four frankly great songs – yes, every one, to the point where I can’t give out a Worst of the Week. Best of the Week goes to Skepta and Flo Milli, however, pretty easily, for “Why Lie?” as it takes ownership of its elements in a way that leans heavily into a narrative, placing it above JENNIE and just having more to it than Sabrina. Meanwhile, the isolated-feeling “The Days” by Chrystal takes the Honourable Mention for its uniquely muted sound that builds its own manic energy with so few elements that it has me really curious about the future of its genre. So, after this fantastic week, what’s to expect from next? Well, God forbid, we might have Yeat, but I consider it more likely that JADE or fellow BLACKPINKer ROSÉ show up, alongside maybe something from Kylie Minogue or Rag’n’Bone Man. Time will tell, however, and for now, thank you for reading, rest in peace to Liam Payne of One Direction, and I’ll see you next week!

[lnights]

@10yearsofblindchannel

Aleksi day! 1328 words, Joel/Joonas, Joel/Joonas/Aleksi.

Aleksi always knew he was going to be in the music industry.

His dad would take him around while he worked with his clients, one of his earliest memories was running around a studio; he was exposed early and he knew working in music is what he wanted to do.

He hadn't thought it would be DJing when he was younger, he had loved the little rock band he had with his friends, he had thought he looked so cool as a drummer.

But like the vast majority of childhood bands they had faded, everyone going their own way. And while he had been studying music production he came to find his love for sampling as well as percussion, some experimentation led him to buy his first deck and becoming a DJ had become his career path 

But of course he still loves rock and metal, that wouldn't go away just because he found himself working with more pop artists both for remixes and production. He liked to think his taste was varied, after all. 

Which is how he found himself at Bring Me The Horizon, all alone because none of his friends had wanted to go, but there was no way he would miss them when they were actually in Helsinki headlining.

He has been waiting in line before the venue opened, hoping to go to a good spot, but the overwhelming urge to get merch had won out and he found himself in line, just hoping the hoodie he wanted would still be in stock in his size by the time he got up there. And maybe a-

Someone knocked into him from behind, making him stumble into the two people standing in front of him.

"Hey!" The taller of the two turned to look at him with a scowl.

"Sorry," Aleksi said quickly "someone bumped into me and- wait a minute, I know you."

The person standing next to him turned around at that, an equally unamused look on his face, somewhat undercut by rounded cheeks and platinum blonde hair in his eyes

"You guys are from Blind Channel right?" Aleksi asked with a smile, "I love your guys' music! I've been listening to Another Sun on repeat and Darker Than Black is-"

The taller of the two, Aleksi was pretty sure his name was Joel, snorted. "Oh now you like our music? Where was that enthusiasm five months ago?"

Aleksi frowned, "what do you mean?"

"Joel-" the other member, their guitarist? Put a hand on his arm

"I reached out to you about a collab," Joel told him, "I heard your stuff on the radio and thought you might like to remix one of our songs or we could work together or something, you left me on read!"

'No I didn't!" Aleksi told him, "I never leave people on read, if I don't want to work with them I just tell them that. I wouldn't have…" He felt the blood drain from his face; he had a distinct memory of getting the message right when he was leaving the house to do a day's full of errands. He had told himself he would reply when he got home and could devote more time to it.

He must have completely forgotten.

"Oh shit." Aleksi groaned, "I swear that was an accident, I would absolutely want to work with you guys."

The shorter of the two hummed, "really?"

"Yes!" Aleksi nodded hard, "I promise it was an accident. Can I buy you guys a beer?"

The taller laughed, "yeah, I think you can do that."

It didn't take long before the three of them were chatting like old friends, newly acquired merch and beers in their hands while they found spots to enjoy the concert.

Despite the misstep, Joel still wanted to work with him and Joonas insisted he should meet the rest of the band in Oulu eventually.

"Did the rest of them not want to come to this?" Aleksi asked.

"This was actually a trip for our anniversary." Joonas told him, "we've been together for three years as of a month ago."

Joel smiled and wrapped an arm around Joonas' waist.

"Congratulations." Aleksi told them, the two of them certainly made a striking pair, both tall and handsome with sparkling blue eyes and-

No, he didn't need to go down that line of thought.

They enjoyed the concert, talking more between songs and dancing to the music with Joonas while Joel bobbed his head and jumped along, all three of them singing along to the songs; they left in the crush of people and Joel took one of his hands and Joonas took the other so they wouldn't get separated from each other.

Aleksi tried to not think how warm it was, especially when they didn't let go of him as they got to the parking lot. Their cars were surprisingly close to each other and the three of them ended up leaning against his while they watched everyone else leave.

"We've been talking for way over an hour." Joonas eventually murmured.

Aleksi blinked and looked at his phone, he would have sworn it had only been twenty minutes, but it was closer to two hours than one since the concert had let out, the parking lot basically empty.

"Oh wow." Aleksi said, "didn't you guys say you were going to drive back tonight?"

"Yeah, it's a long drive but we couldn't find a hotel room for the night." Joel sighed, running a hand over his face.

"Come stay the night with me." Aleksi blurted out before he could think it through, "I have an apartment nearby."

Joel and Joonas exchanged looks, communicating silently. "That would be great." Joel told him with a smile, "we'll follow you over."

Aleksi nodded and went to get in his car, his mouth suddenly dry when he realized he didn't have a guest bed and the couch wouldn't hold both of them.

Should he offer to let them share the bed and he take the couch? Rilla would like that.

He truly wondered if he had gone crazy, inviting two strangers over to his home, but the worry faded as they parked and he led them up, their easy banter picking up where it had left off.

Joonas went nuts for Rilla, who was woken up by them opening the door, and they all ended up on the couch to talk more about music and work and everything under the sun.

It was well passed two in the morning when they all admitted to being tired.

"I can grab pillows and blankets," Aleksi yawned, "but I don't have a guest bed, I should have mentioned…"

"Don't worry about it," Joel told him, "we would have been happy on the floor."

"Or with you." Joonas mumbled, eyes half shut and leaning against Joel.

Aleksi blinked at him, "do… do you guys want to?"

Joel looked away but gave a small nod, Joonas smiling a little.

Heat shot through Aleksi and he got up to lead them to his room, Joel and Joonas waiting for his nod of approval before discarding their jeans and crawling into bed in their boxers and band shirts.

Aleksi smiled a bit at how Joel took the middle, Joonas spooning him in a way that seems instinctual. He slid under the blankets next to him and closed his eyes, falling asleep easily and much more comfortable than he should have.

He woke up only a couple hours later, Joel and Joonas still fast asleep, and it took him a moment to realize why he was awake. Joel had tugged him closer and was hugging him like a teddy bear.

Maybe he should be uncomfortable, after all he didn't really know Joel, but he could feel his warmth on his back, feel a hand that had to be Joonas' in his hair, and he couldn't help but smile a little.

He dozed off again, feeling safe.

[goat-and-coat]

UT Yellow Spoilers Ahead.

So. Here’s some buffer text so this shouldn’t show up in your notifications. The spoilery parts. The spoiliest. Consider this your spoiler warning.

Yeah, this is probably long enough. I’m just gonna shotgun this lol.

We’re going to start with the good.

So the good!

Yeah. There’s a LOT. Way too much to mention, so here’s some highlights.

Toriel showing up is obviously a necessity. But it was such a cool little moment to have the rescue ending (:

Nice callback to UT’s little “wait for something to happen” moments that happen in the Core and Ruins.

The music, of course, is amazing. Whether it’s the original music or the remix (I dig that Hopes and Memes remix), they did a phenomenal job.

On the front of artistic expression, the art. Sprites are amazing. The flashback art is amazing. The videos are super cool. The animations are really good.

Gameplay is pretty in line with Undertale. You’ll find yourself holding X a lot more to slow yourself down than you did in UT.

I like how the game makes callouts to beloved characters we don’t see directly, like Alphys and Undyne. It was nice to see more of the same side characters, too. The expansion on monsters is good- like Dalv. And we finally see farms.

I love Clover, Martlet, and the Feisty Five. Cerboro… well, we’ll talk about her later. Their dialogue is always great. I don’t think there was even a single bad line.

The hugs at the end! And the hand holding! And how much everyone just loves Clover aaaaah

Also Flowey (:

Good cowboy representation!!!

Snowdin expansion (:

More of the Ruins we never got to see (:

We got to see the city up close wooo!!

The map is just good. My favorite part was the Dunes. I liked seeing the UG Apartment Complex. The Royal statue specifically. Nice smaller detail that I’m glad didn’t go forgotten.

Also! UT Yellow successfully retains the writing and goofiness of UT. While the drama doesn’t hit AS hard, it’s still definitely a tearjerker! It really makes you see the six kids as more than just a number. Helps to put gravity and weight on that.

But most importantly, the creators very clearly have such love and respect for UT. It shows in their creation. A lot of hard work and effort went into it. UT Yellow is what all fan games should look to do in my opinion. I want you to keep this in mind for what I’m going to say about the dislikes.

Here’s what I didn’t like:

Do you wish every fight was as bad as Sans? Do you hate everyone and yourself? Do you wish to inflict pain on your mental well-being? Do you straight up suck at dodging, but love seeing game over screens?

Congratulations. This game is for you. It’s a mix bag for me. Extra challenge is good, but this was extreme.

The boss fights don’t hold back. So this could easily be in the “good” category if you’re a masch… maschochist? Masc… enjoy pain. I can’t spell it, okay??? And I ain’t gonna Google it.

Axis took me close to two and a half hours to beat (in comparison, the dance boss took only about an hour and a half).

That’s my only real complaint about the pacifist run as far as combat goes. No way monsters would’ve been locked away without a single soul during the war if they were this strong.

I will say the world makes the Underground seem TOO big, which contradicts the whole “the underground is too small” narrative Undertale pushed. I think Yellow mentions it once or twice, too? HOWEVER!! I am totally and completely willing to ignore this because cowboy hehe (:

Plus, it explains some food source. Little curious how they’re growing crops underground, but I’ll just go with “it’s magic so it doesn’t need sunlight” as my excuse.

Flowey. I know I said I liked him, too. So here’s what’s going on.

This is gonna be weird to people because Asriel and Frisk are my favorite UT characters. And I don’t even dislike Flowey in Yellow! He’s super funny.

But he should not be there.

His presence opens up a whole can of worms.

1- He can save and load while Clover can’t (he is Clover’s save point). This isn’t an issue in itself, but it is an issue at the same time because Flowey’s goal to take human souls would be ten billion times easier if he just bodied Clover at the very first opportunity like he tried to do with Frisk. This is a kid who throws a temper tantrum after about five seconds of you not dying to his bullets. I don’t think he would have the patience to play the long con.

2- Flowey doesn’t seem to have met a human other than Chara and Frisk… and the ones who killed him, I guess. The True Lab implies that before him, LemonBread had the SAVE/LOAD ability for a short time.

3- Flowey’s presence also stuffs the timeline in a box. We’re to assume Flowey in UT woke up relatively recently, because he’s been screwing with timelines. But Toriel tells us a human hasn’t been underground in “a long time” in both games. I can picture this being 7-10 years minimum.

Are we really going to believe Alphys had people locked in her basement for ten years? Because I couldn’t see that lasting more than 3 months tbh. 6 months would be a MASSIVE stretch before people stormed the gates. I feel like Alphys’s mention should’ve been left at “the new Royal scientist made a robot.”

Leave out the subplot of Cerbora’s blatant disregard for child safety. You wouldn’t even need to do away with the (frankly busted) fight she had (I did most of it with the silver scarf btw).

My final thing that is a total complaint is the genocide ending. Clover gains the LOAD/SAVE, one shots Asgore, murks Flowey, and frees the souls. But they’d still be trapped down there lol.

I feel like Asgore should’ve just skewered Clover and that should’ve been the genocide ending. Flowey being left out would’ve nullified my dislike of him dying (for realsies).

Though I will say, the art made exclusively for it is disturbing as heck and belongs in a horror game. So they definitely did a great job on that part of it.

Speaking of Asgore… he seems really out of character to just fire someone like he does. I can disregard this as him wanting kids to NOT die. Axis is very clearly a way bigger threat than MTT could ever dream to be.

So really, my complaints boil down to:

1- Game too hard ):

2- Biiiig place but cool so it’s worth it (but how the heck is there a desert down here? Who cares!? Worth it!)

3- Genocide ending sad and dumb and I hate it because sad and weird):

4- Flowey’s presence

5- Timeline confuzzlement.

The first is a skill issue (even if I know I haven’t had nearly as many issues as some other people).

The second is really just a mix bag. It makes sense in most places (Snowdin, Hotland, New Home, Home/the Ruins) but less so in other places (the Dunes, aka my favorite spot in Yellow. Damn, I’m willing to compromise just to keep this tho.)

The third is just personal preference I guess… I don’t like how it’s contradictory to UT. As a stand-alone thing, it’s perfectly fine. Just too depressing for me.

The fourth… well… okay, this is the only complaint I don’t see myself budging on.

The fifth just needs some minor corrections.

How is Yellow overall?

If Undertale is a 9, which frankly it is, I’d give UT Yellow a solid 8.75. It should be impossible to make a fan game that’s almost as good as the content it was based on, but the absolute madlads did it. They really did it.

Jury’s still out on DeltaRune, but I rate it around an 8.25 so far.

For context, out of all of my favorite games, I’ve never once thought of a game as a ten. Not even the fantastic Fallout: New Vegas or the reliable (Halo) Reach.

[cyarskj52]

BET Awards 2023: See The Complete List Of Winners 

By Tony M. Centeno

June 25, 2023

Photo: Getty Images

The results are in!  On Sunday night, June 25, the BET Awards 2023revealed this year's winners in 21 categories. Some of the winners were announced during the official pre-show. Libianca received the award for Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act following her performance at Red Carpet Live! Meanwhile, Beyoncé won big by claiming the awards for BET Her and Viewer's Choice Award while newcomers Latto and Coco Jones also claimed trophies at the annual awards show. The biggest winner of the night was Busta Rhymes, who took home the Lifetime Achievement Award. He's only the third rapper in the network's history to receive the award following Queen Latifah and Diddy. 

Earlier this month, BET shared the full list of nominees. Drake took the lead with seven nominations including Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Group with 21 Savage and Best Collaboration with Future and Tems. GloRilla came in second with six nominations including Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Best New Artist, Album of the Year for Anyways, Life’s Great..., Video Of The Year and Best Collaboration. 21 Savage and Lizzo tied as the third-most nominated artists with five nominations each.  Congratulations to all the winners! See who won in bold below. 

Album Of The Year

Anyways, Life's Great GloRilla

Breezy Chris Brown

God Did DJ Khaled

Her Loss Drake & 21 Savage

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick Lamar

Renaissance Beyoncé - WINNER

SOS SZA - WINNER

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Ari Lennox

Beyoncé

Coco Jones

H.E.R.

Lizzo

SZA - WINNER

Tems

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Blxst

Brent Faiyaz

Burna Boy

Chris Brown - WINNER

Drake

The Weeknd

Usher - WINNER Best Group

City Girls

Drake & 21 Savage - WINNER

Dvsn

Flo

Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin

Quavo & Takeoff

Wanmor

Best Collaboration

“Big Energy” (Remix) - Latto & Mariah Carey featuring DJ Khaled

“Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” - Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice

“Call Me Every Day” - Chris Brown featuring Wizkid

“Can't Stop Won't Stop” - King Combs featuring Kodak Black

“Creepin'” - Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage

“F.N.F. (Let's Go)” - Hitkidd & Glorilla

“Tomorrow 2” - GloRilla & Cardi B

“Wait For U” - Future featuring Drake & Tems - WINNER

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Cardi B

Coi Leray

GloRilla

Ice Spice

Latto - WINNER

Megan Thee Stallion

Nicki Minaj

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

21 Savage

Drake

Future

J. Cole

Jack Harlow

Kendrick Lamar - WINNER

Lil Baby

Video Of The Year

“We (Warm Embrace)” - Chris Brown

“2 Million Up” - Peezy, Jeezy & Real Boston Richey Feat. Rob49

“About Damn Time” - Lizzo

“Bad Habit” - Steve Lacy

“First Class” - Jack Harlow

“Kill Bill” - SZA - WINNER

“Tomorrow 2" - GloRilla & Cardi B

Video Director Of The Year

A$AP Rocky For AWGE

Benny Boom

Burna Boy

Cole Bennett

Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar

Director X

Teyana "Spike Tey" Taylor - WINNER

Best New Artist

Ambré

Coco Jones - WINNER

Doechii

Flo

GloRilla

Ice Spice

Lola Brooke

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

“Bless Me” - Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin - WINNER

“Finished (Live)” - Tamela Mann

“I've Got Joy” - Cece Winans

“Kingdom” - Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin featuring Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore

“New” - Tye Tribbett

“One Moment From Glory” - Yolanda Adams

“The Better Benediction (Pt.2)” - PJ Morton featuring Lisa Knowles-Smith, Le'andria Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard & Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Viewer’s Choice Award

“Break My Soul” - Beyoncé - WINNER

“Jimmy Cooks” - Drake featuring 21 Savage

“Kill Bill” - SZA

“First Class” - Jack Harlow

“Super Freaky Girl” - Nicki Minaj

“About Damn Time” - Lizzo

“Last Last” - Burna Boy

“Wait For U” - Future featuring Drake & Tems

Best International Act

Aya Nakamura (France)

Ayra Starr (Nigeria)

Burna Boy (Nigeria) - WINNER

Central Cee (UK)

Ella Mai (UK)

Ko (South Africa)

L7nnon (Brazil)

Stormzy (UK)

Tiakola (France)

Uncle Waffles (South Africa)

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

Asake (Nigeria)

Camidoh (Ghana)

Flo (UK)

Libianca (Cameroon) - WINNER

Maureen (France)

Mc Ryan Sp (Brazil)

Pabi Cooper (South Africa)

Raye (UK)

Werenoi (France)

BET HER

“About Damn Time” - Lizzo

“Boy's A Liar Pt. 2” - Pinkpantheress, Ice Spice

“Break My Soul” - Beyoncé - WINNER

“Her” - Megan Thee Stallion

“Lift Me Up” - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From And Inspired By - Rihanna & Ludwig Göransson

“Players” - Coi Leray

“Special” - Lizzo

Best Movie

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever -��WINNER

Creed 3

Emancipation

Nope

The Woman King

Till

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Best Actor

Amin Joseph

Brian Tyree Henry

Damson Idris - WINNER

Daniel Kaluuya

Demetrius 'lil Meech' Flenory Jr.

Donald Glover

Michael B. Jordan

Best Actress

Angela Bassett - WINNER

Coco Jones

Janelle James

Janelle Monáe

Keke Palmer

Viola Davis

Zendaya

Youngstars Award

Akira Akbar

Alaya High

Demi Singleton

Genesis Denise

Marsai Martin - WINNER

Thaddeus J. Mixson

Dylan Gilmer

Sportswoman Of The Year Award

Alexis Morris

Allyson Felix

Angel Reese - WINNER

Candace Parker

Naomi Osaka

Serena Williams

Sha'carri Richardson

Sportsman Of The Year Award

Aaron Judge

Bubba Wallace

Gervonta Davis

Jalen Hurts - WINNER

Lebron James

Patrick Mahomes

Stephen Curry Lifetime Achievement Award Busta Rhymes

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Sent from my iPhone

[pulseofthestars]

☭

Battle Theme: Vs. Elite Four Remix by RetroSpecter Battle Intro: Kamille stretched lightly as he gave a confident grin across the field towards the other, "Well looks like I have my work cut out for me against such a sturdy opponent. Let's both give it our all!" He challenges as he lifts his first Poké Ball with determination clear as he faced off with the Rock type specialist Kahuna of Akala Island and Elite Four member. Victory: Kamille let out a breath he had been holding as his Decidueye stood in victory over Olivia's Lycanroc. After congratulating the water/bug spider he gave a smile to Olivia in turn, "Thank you for a great battle Olivia-san." He said, extending a hand to her as a show of sportsmanship and respect. Defeat: Kamille bit his lip a bit as his last Pokémon fainted. It hadn't been the first time he had felt defeat when going up against the challenges of a region but that didn't make the sting hurt any less. After a moment though he managed a smile and nod of his head, "It looks like I still have a lot of training to do, thank you for the battle." Assist: "Looks like we'll have to partner up here, I'll work to avoid getting in your way." Kamille took a stance next to Olivia, ready to call out his first Pokémon against their opponents. Dual Strike: Timing with Olivia's Midnight Lycanroc's attack, Kamille's Dusk Lycanroc moved to strike the opponent with Crunch, eyes gleaming red as it attacked before leaping back for its fellow Lycanroc's own attack to strike as well. Defending: Seeing a water attack heading towards Olivia's mon Kamille gave a quick order and his Kommo-o moved, tanking the hit with a small growl before pushing back, rattling his armored scales in challenge of the opponents. Taunt: "Seems like your team isn't quite as rock-solid as you were banking on eh?!" Reacting to Taunt: "Oh I'll show you for that one!" Flee: Reacting to Flee: Tie: "A-A tie? Well that's... rare. So uh... what does Alolan regulations say about what happens with a tie?" Perfect Victory: "I... certainly wasn't expecting a sweep like that. I dunno if it was luck or what but I hope we have a chance for another battle in the future." Finishing Move: Kamille kept his eyes trained on the last two Pokémon standing after an intense battle, his Decidueye and Olivia's Lycanroc, the two staring each other down. The Lycanroc moved first, using its slightly higher speed, aiming with Olivia's command to hit the spectral owl with a Crunch as Kamille felt his heart practically pounding in his ear... as Decidueye just barely managed to avoid the jaws of the rock wolf, "Now's your chance, take her down with Leaf Blade!" He called out as Decidueye's eyes narrowed as from the tips of his wings leaves emerged, gleaming green as the owl dashed and unleashed a powerful blow, sending the Lycanroc crashing to the ground. After a tense moment the opposing Pokémon collapsed completely, unable to continue the battle as Kamille was declared the winning trainer.

@akalychee

[contentsets]

Shows Reel Awards: abdul muheed Enthralls With Feet Tapping Tracks taka tum taka

The Shows Reel Awards, held on March 15, were a star-studded event with the shining stars of the industry in attendance. While the awards recognized talents who have entertained us in recent times and honored them for their contribution to the video editing industry, it also saw one of the most trending editors enthrall the crowd with his creativity and charm. We are talking about none other than Abdul Muheed, who gave a completely new meaning to video editing and music composition.

Abdul Muheed is a 17-year-old video editor from India who has made a name for himself in the industry with his innovative and creative video editing skills. His work has won him several awards including the Lamoo 2k21, Beast 2k22, and Discipline 2k22 awards.

At the Shows Reel Awards, Abdul Muheed performed with a team of backup dancers and gave a jaw-dropping performance that left the audience in awe. Dressed in a black suit, he opened with the song Taka Tum Taka, which was originally a viral track on social media. The enthusiastic group of dancers matched the beats of the remix and entertained the audience present at the venue.

Abdul Muheed's video editing skills are unmatched in the industry, and his unique approach to music composition is what sets him apart from other editors. His work has been recognized not only in India but also internationally, and he is now considered to be one of the most promising video editors of his generation.

The Shows Reel Awards were a testament to Abdul Muheed's incredible talent, and it is safe to say that he left a lasting impression on the industry with his performance. We can't wait to see what he has in store for us next, and we're sure that he will continue to amaze us with his innovative and creative video editing skills. Congratulations, Abdul Muheed, on your well-deserved recognition and awards

[epicspheal]

[ID: picture of Trainer Red and Charizard from Pokemon Masters. Red speaks “ ... ... ... ... ... ... Words are Unnecessary!” To Flint and the player who are off screen }

You know I just have to say, I really love Red’s characterization in Pokemon Masters. He’s just so adorkable and polite yet also lowkey a bit of a troll (that smug “ain’t no gonna believe you if you tell them this” look he gives afterwards when Flint asked if he just talked was priceless) and it’s just honestly a great represenation of the legendary trainer. Like don’t get me wrong, I was definitely one of those epic stoic!Red fans from back in the day when HGSS came out and all of those remixes of the Champion theme were on youtube complete with lovely art of Red and Gold on their iconic battle. But nowadays I’m just here for adorkable Red

[ID: Picture of Red, serious speaking “...I accept your challenge” to Blue who is offscreen ] But this scene in Chapter 30 of Pokemas just OMG. Red actually speaking. To accept a challenge from Blue!? I screamed when I saw this (On youtube because my phone doesn’t play Pokemas). Words are unneccesary for Red most of the time so you know it’s important when he actually speaks up. And the fact that he spoke up for Blue to accept his challenge was just so precious. Shows how much Blue and their rivalry means to him (also my inner Reguri shipper just squealed at that moment)

[ID: Picture of Red speaking “you won” to the player and their team who are offscreen after defeating them, Leaf can be seen to the left of Red]

And Red finally speaking and telling someone congratulations (no lie I wish they let him say this in SM/USM or GSC/HGSS). This was so precious. Red is just so precious I care for him so much

[ichayalovesyou]

ST: TOS Ship Dynamic Field Guide

Duos

Spock & Kirk aka Spirk (the flirtiest one):

Flirting on the bridge

“Jim...”

Oh my god say those percentages to me again Mr. Spock 😍

Mutual sass 😏

Dude stop blocking me from danger with your body everyone is gonna think we’re GAY🌈

So. Much. Hand holding! (The only cure for being trapped in a dangerous mind meld is getting ~touchy feely~ EVERYONE KNOWS THAT)

“It appears I’ve yet again outlasted your love interest of the week Captain.” “Oh? I have managed to draw you away from the handful of women pursuing you Mr. Spock”

*staring at Kirk for a long time and biting your lip is very heterosexual of you Spock*

🔥Pon Farr🔥

Bones & Kirk aka McKirk (the old marrieds):

“I’m sorry I yelled at you” (every time either of them yells at each other lmao)

I’m just gonna stare into oblivion like all the happiness in the world has been sucked right out of me when I think you’ve died. 😔

Drinking together.🍸🍸

Work hard, play hard

Hey, you’re not taking care of yourself, stop that! That’s an order!

Yours is the first name out of mouth when I’ve got no strength left.

“You’re only human Jim”

“Bones, it wasn’t your fault.”

I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about your trauma?! Dude I thought we were bros!

I’m just gonna, gently graze the place where the wound that got healed used to be while you’re asleep, and be on hyper-alert when you’re unconscious and vulnerable it’s super chill.

Spock & Bones aka Spones (the Odd Couple):

I hate that I love you 😤

Holding you’re hand for a real long time when you’re unconscious and almost forgetting to let go when you come to is normal people-who-hate-each-other behavior right? 🙃

But, if you’re gone, who am I gonna make fun of?! Wait WAIT, if you’re gone, who’s gonna make fun of ME?!

I’m just gonna carry your soul inside me like it’s nbd.

Are we fighting or are we flirting I’m getting really mixed signals!

*confides in you first about closely guarded telepathic abilities*

Dude if you don’t stop throwing yourself into danger for the sake of other people I’m going to kiss kill you you complete DUMBASS!

Throwing yourself in eachother’s way under the guise of a professional contest for Who Gets To Die for Science is a thing that only people who hate each other do right?!

“SHUT UP SPOCK WE’RE RESCUING YOU!”

When I make fun of you I’m definitely not secretly beating myself up about what happened.

McSpirk Remix!!

Spock & Bones @ Jim:

God we have to go rescue Jim from whatever danger he’s flung himself into... again.

Okay... Jim is acting weird and we’re scared for him, time to immediately seek one another for consolation and comfort!

Oml they’re bickering again this is adorable I love them both so much smh 🥰😂 “Gentlemen!”

I’m gonna push your buttons until you remind me that you love Jim too Spock because I’ve got issues and need validation!

Your feelings are blinding you to the fact Jim’s in danger, snap out of it.

🎶why can’t we be friends🎶

“I know, I’m worried about him too.”

Kirk & Bones @ Spock:

Congratulations! You’re both invited to my super angsty heterosexual arranged marriage party!

Giving each other sly knowing looks when Spock pretends like he doesn’t feel things like 😒🙄😏😉

Spock is wounded or dealing with some dangerous Vulcan biology thing he didn’t share with us, comfort time!

Spock, X is having a bad time/is being mind controlled can you use that super sacred personal thing to maybe heal him?

My dude, *bonk* you gotta stop pining! Get to work!

Give Spock some space Jim, he needs to process what just happened.

“I can’t let him die Jim.”

Spock & Kirk @ Bones:

Both of us instantly rushing to your side in perfect sync is a totally unemotional reaction to you being hurt Dr. McCoy

What do you mean we only stop flirting with each other when you need us Bones??

I’m willing to endure torture on both of your behalves and you can’t stop me.

Really? You’re gonna make out with your hands, right now? In my med bay?! Okay fine, have fun I guess 🙄 I’m not gonna leave tho 😏 I got work to do.

Watching you two loudly flirt in front of the bridge officers is fun and all, but it’s my turn to flirt argue with Spock now.

“Spock knows Bones.” (that’s why he’s holding onto your arm for dear life and staring at you intently, you dummy!)

[zee-writes-and-draws]

Truly Important

Summary: A look at some of the more important birthdays that Saw Paing has had, and the one he celebrated right after the tournament.

A/n: It's still July 8th, so I'm on time w/this. Nonetheless, I slept five hours so I apologize for lack of proofreading.

------

The first birthday that Saw Paing truly considers important is his fifth one, the day he gets to start Lethwei training for the very first time. He comes home covered in scratches and bruises and a trickle of blood running down his forehead. His father fusses a little and his ma doesn’t let him up until she bandages every little cut and bruise but nothing can spoil his good mood as Ne Win Paing puts him in a headlock and their little sister congratulates him on the start of his training.

------

Most birthdays to Saw Paing aren’t majorly important beyond the fact that even as a fighter Pa Paing did his best to see every single child on their birthday every year. But some are important because there’s new people in his life, people who aren't’ there, certain benchmarks and events that are important in and of themselves, but are easier to tie to years and dates and celebrations.

Saw Paing’s sixteenth birthday is remembered fondly only because it is one week before he meets his eternal rival for the very first time, a boy named Gaolang Wongsawat.

------

Seventeen. Nothing particularly important. Current youngest brother starts his training that year.

Eighteen. Important solely by the freedom it grants in travelling. Almost all countries recognize eighteen as an age of majority, an age where you can do a lot of things that would be illegal otherwise like go somewhere without an adult’s supervision or rent a car so you have your own transport. Going to places outside of Myanmar and Thailand is the most interesting he’s done in his entire life.

Nineteen. He finally gets a job outside the village. The weapons corporation that hired him is run by an old man and a teenage girl with a vicious streak longer than the destruction radius of the missiles she’s designed. Still, they hired him to safety test things and work to rescue people in afflicted areas, not attack them. It’s Togo Tomari’s brilliant ruthlessness that causes him to end up in the same place as Muteba for a month. Another friendship struck up with someone he’s fought against. A birthday gift of an absolutely gorgeous button-up with twelve patterns and wild color is dropped off at his door that year. Even though the gifter will likely never see it, Saw Paing wears the shirt with pride as often as he can for the next few years.

Twenty. Barely important but it was Gaolang’s eighteenth birthday that year and the time the title ‘God of War’ starts creeping into people’s thoughts about him. Saw Paing cheers his rival on whenever possible.

Twenty-one. Nothing. Little sister asks out crush, dates her for seven months and change before they have to break up because the crush’s family is moving. He and Muteba have each others numbers saved and text between missions.

Twenty-two. He and Ne Win Paing get to fight outside of legal matches for the first time. It’s exhilarating. Their father hugs them both afterwards and tells them how proud he is.

Twenty-three. The first birthday in their family celebrated after Pa Paing passes. It’s somber. Saw Paing would rather have skipped the day entirely if not for how his youngest siblings all seemed determined to follow traditions for at least the illusion of normalcy  and he’s not about to ruin their coping process just because he’s sad. With Ne Win Paing travelling nearly full-time and recovering when he’s home, Saw Paing is the de facto leader of the family and he’s not going to let them down so easily.

That night there’s a card delivered to him by a hassled-looking mail carrier. It’s from Gaolang.

I heard about your father’s death, Saw Paing. My deepest condolences to both you and your family. Take care of yourself. Do what you must to feel more stable.

To anyone else the writing would be cold and impersonal. Saw Paing re-reads it over and over until a drop splashes onto it and the crinkling of paper registers and then he hurriedly folds it and drops it onto the desk in his room so it doesn’t get destroyed.

If in two weeks when they next see each other, Gaolang relents and truly fights Saw Paing for twenty minutes before declaring a defeat form boredom, neither of them acknowledge the change in routine anymore than they acknowledge that Saw Paing’s yelling is more like loud talking and that Gaolang had made an extra plate of his favorite fish seemingly just in case.

------

Twenty-four. Saw Paing meets Sayaka for the very first time that year, a bright and sunshine-sweet teenager who screams out his intro and doesn’t seem to mind that he’s super-loud or that his opponent throws him into the commentators box and nearly crushes her by accident.

When he had apologized she made a joke about it. He made one back. A friendship stronger than any other he’d made was started that day. Sayaka reminds him of his little sisters, friendly and upbeat and ready to take on the world if she has to and come out with a smile, sharp wit and keen mind concealed under a bubbly layer that requires no lying to maintain.

That year his birthday includes a surprise delivery of a completely new set of cookware with a small note attached.

Happy birthday, Saw! Sorry I couldn’t make it, dad scheduled fifty matches for this week alone so I’m not even sleeping, but I hope you like it! See you in May (PS I’m secretly rooting for you!)

That night Saw Paing makes dinner for everyone with said cookware and an unflappable grin on his face.

------

Twenty-five. Nothing.

Twenty-six. His little sister is now formally competing on a near-national level. His brothers, no longer so small but always little in his eyes, work hard to bring in food and water and trade with the local villages and Saw Paing never stops feeling proud of them.

Twenty-seven. More and more fights in the arena. He leaves Tomari’s contracts behind but keeps in touch with Muteba. A chance metal concert allows him to meet Yoshiko, who in turn introduces him to Sawada. Saw Paing mails him several CDs of traditional Burmese music for the other man’s birthday. Gets a collection of ballet remixes in exchange. Listens to the collection every night for weeks and weeks on end until he can whistle half the songs without thinking. Smiles at how many small reminders he has now of the people he cares about.

------

Twenty-eight. The coldest and harshest one yet. Ne Win Paing is not there that year. Everyone’s energy is lower than usual. Saw Paing spends the day mostly taking care of the youngest siblings and visiting the graves of those he’s lost. He can feel the wrongness of this land on his skin, it’s Yoroizuka’s home and that’s better than the alternatives but it is not his home or their home or the home that his family deserved and had grown up in and lost because of Ne Win Paing or maybe because Saw Paing should have noticed sooner, should have caught onto the damage his brother had taken.

Sayaka leaves twenty voicemails and thirty texts, all reassurance and compassion and kindness that Saw Paing is beginning to doubt he deserves. Sawada had arranged for several boxes of their favorite sweets from all over the world to be delivered to his house. Muteba messages him a list of names and places if he needs to fight the emotions out or to talk to a professional specializing in fighters and loss of loved ones and tells him to cherish the rest of his family.

Gaolang visits that evening, sleeplessness evident in his posture and eyebags. It’s rarer and rarer for the two of them to see each other now, between the jobs they both hold and duties they’re bound to. Saw Paing’s first priority will always be his family, just as at the end of the day the Thai God of War is not that but the bodyguard of Prince Rama of Thailand. And yet here they are, sitting next to a firepit just outside a house that was not truly meant for Saw Paing’s family, in a country outside of Gaolang’s own.

“Are you alright?” Gaolang asks him. Saw Paing looks up.

I’ll be fine, he wants to say, thinks instead because even things like talking feel like too much right now. He settles for a nod instead, one that feels too slow and tired to really be him but has to be because who else could he be? Gaolang does not look reassured by this. He sits down next to Saw Paing and talks. That quiet voice, normally at least partially twinged with annoyance and exhaustion, now flows with an undertone of gentle energy. It’s not the fire that Saw Paing usually feels running through his veins. Nor is it Ne Win Paing’s quick fury or Pa Paing’s ruthless confidence.

No, it’s the other kind of energy, the kind that Gaolang always emits though it’s hidden under the day-to-day life’s mundaneness. Gaolang tell him about fights, about what guarding Prince Rama has been like for him, some recipe his parents love and he despises because of how annoyingly spicy it is and how Saw Paing would probably like it. And then he talks about staring into a fire.

“Look,” Gaolang motions at it. “It moves so incredibly, alive and unalive at once.” Saw Paing looks into the fire, watches the moving flames flicker and dance in and out of existence. Next to him, Gaolang smiles.

“It reminds me of you sometimes. The difference is fire burns out. I truly hope you never do.” They sit next to each other, watching for a while until something in Saw Paing’s chest undoes itself, letting some feeling back in. Gaolang notices.

“Tell me about Ne Win Paing,” he asks, shoulder brushing against Saw Paing’s own, warmer than the air around by just enough to be noticeable without feeling too off-balance. And so he does, spilling out every little detail he can remember about his brother and all of the memories that were crafted for as long as he can remember. The sky is light when he finishes, still tired but somehow lighter. That something that had unwound a bit earlier is almost completely gone. He’s still saddened by the loss of one of the greatest people in his life, but things look a little better.

Gaolang leaves then, apologetic but unable to stay. Saw Paing nods at him again to say it’s alright and it must come across sufficiently this time, because Gaolang’s smiling softly as he walks to his car and drives back to his too-loud and too-busy life for such a quiet man and yet a life that couldn’t be anyone else’s.

Saw Paing’s younger siblings are slowly waking up, coming out to check up on him and start their day. He hugs them, feeling his spirit coming back to something normal.

------

Twenty-nine. Still a tad colder than before but mostly better.

Thirty. A year with little occurring beyond the increasing amount of kengan matches and the frequency that he gets to see old friends like Sayaka. The tournament that happens later in the year is undoubtedly something unforgettable that he;ll treasure for the rest of his life. So many new friends made, so many bonds forged and strengthened. He makes it a point to keep correspondence with all of them, even the more quiet ones like Karo and Rei. They clearly need the company if they're quite that quiet.

Thirty-one. He wakes up expecting another birthday that’s rather insignificant. His sisters and brothers in college call and Skype and do whatever else they need to say hello first thing in the morning, yelling through the screen loud enough that he can her the dorm’s complaints through the call. The siblings still at home whether from sentimentality or youth wake him minutes before that by running into his room and wishing a happy birthday to him at the top of their lungs. He’s so proud of their lung training being quite so successful.

He checks his phone after all of the younger siblings hang up out of habit. There’s another twelve messages from various members of the assassin clans he’s befriended, a missed call from Cosmo, a notification about a post from Adam, and an alert of the local post office telling him about several packages that are addressed to him.

On the journey to the post office and back he gets six more calls. As he’s balancing reading a short ‘happy birthday!’ texted to him from Cosmo and a rambly congratulation courtesy of Okubo that is interrupted by an incoming call from either Hanafusa or Yoshizawa, a wonderfully familiar voice calls out.

“Saw! Over here!” Sayaka stands by the edge of the road, looking as red carpet-ready as always, except for the small trolley of boxes and bags she’s keeping from rolling away.

“HEY SAYAKAAAA!!!!!” He yells to her as he runs over. She’s hugging him so there’s no reason not to complete their usual greeting by picking her up and spinning in several circles.

“Happy birthday, Saw!” She laughs as he puts her down. “Sorry I didn’t warn you, but there was a lot of last minute stuff and everyone wanted to send something to you and it was ‘one more thing’ this and ‘oh wait here!’ that, and it’s so great to see you again! Here!” the packages he was holding until two seconds ago are now in Sayaka’s hands, traded for a fancy-looking photo album.

“It’s for you. I wish I could stay, but Retsudo’s been flipping out for six hours and he threatened to send a SAR squad again, but I promise i’ll call this evening, kay? See ya soon, Saw Paing!” She runs to the familiar figures of Takyama and Misasa, waving the whole time they drive away until she’s out of his line of sight. Only tnen does Saw Paing turn his attention to the trolley and the photo album.

Getting everything home requires ignoring messages and calls so his plan to find out what these things are that everyone was so determined to send to him has to wait another hour or so but then he finally has the time to check everything out.

There’s two gorgeous shirts that fit perfectly, bright greens and yellows combining with the soft fabric and reminding him of his old shirt but nicer. This, he knows without even needing to check the card, is a gift that only someone like Muteba would have gotten him. A thick book of various recipes from several different regions in Japan, along with an impressively full binder of leaflet instructions for dishes made in the mountains is sent courtesy of Sekibayashi and Haruo.

A sharp-looking knife that seems to be more familiar with intestines sliding across its blade than vegetables is gifted by the Kures he’d met after Hayami’s rebellion, right next to several ‘free assassination’ coupons Reichii and Fusui must have snuck in as a half-joke and and half-true gift.

Most of the things are actually quite small, just fragile and packaged with an insane amount of cushioning, he realizes. It’s nothing particularly fancy, but they’re all things that will remind him of the senders, be it the scalpel that Hanafusa mailed him with instructions on how to DIY surgery or the old shogi set Kaneda gifts along with a book on most famous shogi strategies played throughout history.

Saw Paing moves everything to where it should be once everything but the photo album has been looked through. The cookbooks go to a specific shelf in the kitchen that no one else can reach. The weapons are hidden in a small box under his bed to avoid any incidents. Muteba’s shirts go onto hangers, Sawada’s fancy candies are set on a plate for eating while looking at this final gift, and then the album is opened.

The first photo makes him smile, a perfect snapshot from one of his earliest fights in the Kengan matches, capturing the moment they had both gone from enemies to friends mid-blow. A date, presumably of when the photo was taken, is written on the border in Sayaka’s neat writing. The second one is of Ne Win Paing from seven years ago. This time, the date is in heavier, blockier writing, not unlike Hollis’s. Saw Paing flips through the album a little more, taking it in. there’s plenty of photos of his various friends, fellow fighters, and even some family from the tournament and before it, but there’s also old photos of his brother and father, and even one of his mother back when she had fought in occasional matches, along with candids of some of the more stoic people. They must have been collected over several months, and not just by Sayaka.

Saw Paing already knows what will happen this evening. Gaolang will come over with some kind of small yet so deeply personal way of also saying happy birthday. Sayaka will call again, most likely throwing a small party in the Katahara house and inviting everyone she can. Rei might stop by and even if he doesn’t, he’ll Skype before the sun sets because he’s a punctual person by both nature and training.

But that’s still hours away, and in the meantime, Saw Paing decides to keep looking at the beautiful snapshots of the past, enjoying the present to it’s fullest.

------

END.

[searchingwardrobes]

Not the Type - 6/8

Finally! A new update :) Sorry for the delay, but the muse has been fickle as of late. In this chapter, Emma has her first competition of the season, and it's psyching her out. Will Killian be her encouragement, or will she push him away in the midst of it all? This chapter includes another iconic scene from the movie, when Torrance dances around her room to Cliff's song. I wanted to use the actual lyrics to the song, but in looking at it, there were a few lines that bothered me. One literally says "I'd bring you flowers every day just to roll you in the hay." And then there's a constant refrain that says "I'll make you mine." Those lines just don't seem to jive for me with Killian's character when in canon he specifically tells David that he doesn't see Emma as loot and tells Emma that he will win her heart, but not through any trickery. We know he isn't the kind of guy to give a woman flowers in order to manipulate her into sleeping with him. We also know how much agency means to him, so I didn't think telling Emma in song "I'll make you mine" fit either. Anyways, that's a long way of explaining that the lyrics are 99% like the ones in the movie, minus those two parts.

Massive thanks to my beta, @hookedonapirate who takes my confusing sentences and makes them sound purty ;) You’re the best! And thanks also to the @captainswanmoviemarathon​ for putting together this event and being massively supportive and patient. 

Summary: Emma Swan first notices him in the stands at the Friday night football game. She can tell right away Killian Jones is not the football type. Then again, she’s not the cheerleader type either, but here she is with pom poms. Life hasn’t ever gone the way Emma planned. Lately, that’s actually been a good thing. Maybe Killian Jones is a good thing, too.

My loose Captain Swan AU of the movie Bring it On

Rated: T

Also on Ao3

Tagging: @kmomof4  @snowbellewells @whimsicallyenchantedrose @xhookswenchx @teamhook @let-it-raines @winterbythesea @spartanguard @shireness-says @superchocovian @thesschesthair @resident-of-storybrooke @vvbooklady1256 @hookedonapirate @ultraluckycatnd @hollyethecurious @welllpthisishappening @wellhellotragic @bethacaciakay @optomisticgirl @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @ekr032-blog-blog @itsfabianadocarmo @profdanglaisstuff @thisonesatellite @winterbaby89 @tiganasummertree @xsajx @jennjenn615 @zaharadessert @stahlop @scientificapricot @thislassishooked @kday426 @ultraluckycatnd @carpedzem @ohmakemeahercules @branlovestowrite @delirious-latenight-laughs @jennjenn615 @snidgetsafan @lassluna​

The room was thick with hair spray, and Emma and the rest of the Storybrooke Knights Cheerleaders were sucking on orange slices. Except for Ruby who was touching up her blood red lipstick in front of one of the mirrors propped up on the classroom’s smart board. 

“I think they’re red enough already, Ruby,” Coach Ava remarked as she sprayed more Aquanet all over her daughter’s hair. MM was having to wear a hair extension so she didn’t look out of place with their “hair” theme, and Coach was paranoid it was going to go flying across the gym floor during their routine. Emma wasn’t sure hairspray worked that way, but she wasn’t about to say so. 

Ruby smacked her lips together with a loud pop. “The redder the better, I say. I want them to see my smile.”

She turned to the rest of the group and flashed a toothy grin. They all laughed, and Belle grimaced. 

“More like a predator about to devour her prey.”

Ruby winked at Belle and growled, resulting in more laughter. Coach Ava rolled her eyes as she capped the hairspray. “Just don’t get it all over your teeth, okay Lucas?”

“No worries, Coach, it’s that long-lasting stuff that isn’t supposed to come off.”

“So why did you need fifty coats?” Tiana quipped.

They were all still laughing when a woman wearing a t-shirt that read, East Maybrook Invitational and holding an ipad poked her head into the classroom. “Storybrooke High in the hole!”

The girls all stood, gathering up their things, tossing orange peels into the trash bins and giving their hair and make up one last glance in the mirror. They followed the woman in the official t-shirt down two hallways to East Maybrook High’s cafeteria where cheer mats had been set up in the same configuration as on the performance floor. The girls took their places as if they were really performing, and marked out the routine while Coach Ava counted out the beats. If something went wrong with the music, they would have to keep going. They only pantomimed doing the stunts, however, not wanting to risk a last minute injury. 

After running through the routine, a nervous silence fell among them. Some girls stretched, others did a few jumps, or even a back handspring. Anything to handle their nervous energy. Emma bounced on the balls of her feet, heart pounding in her chest more than usual. A phone call had followed the letter: someone from the UK cheer staff would be in the stands today. 

And she still hadn’t told her friends about it.

“Storybrooke High on deck!” 

The girls gave each other nervous glances and clasped hands in little groups as they followed the woman out of the cafeteria doors. Emma had Ruby on her left and Mary Margaret on her right, their arms threaded together. For once, Ruby was quiet. 

As they neared the gym, the girls could hear the familiar sounds of competition: loud music, an announcer's voice, shouts as the audience cheered for the cheerleaders for once. It made the adrenaline pump even harder. It usually was at this moment that Emma went into her competitive “zone” where everything around her went fuzzy and her mind became laser focused on the routine and what she had to do. Today, however, she felt like she was on sensory overload, unable to turn off all the sights, sounds, and smells around her. 

Before she could even process everything, Storybrooke was being announced to the crowd. Emma ran out onto the floor with a huge smile, cheers, and fist pumps for the crowd, but it felt like she was outside of herself, watching. She took her place on the floor, standing in prep, her arms straight at her sides and her head down. Her fists were clenched, and she tried to control the nervous tremors coursing through her as she waited for their music to start. 

A synth-pop remix of “Hair” from the Broadway musical started to play, and the Storybrooke Knights whipped their ponytails as they started their back handspring/back tuck peel-offs. Coach Ava always said that the music needed to appeal to every generation represented in the judge’s panel as well as the crowd, and as Emma flawlessly landed her tumbling pass to roaring applause, she saw the two boomer judges smiling and bopping to the music. 

She reprimanded herself for looking at the judges as she jogged across the floor for her next tumbling pass. Nevertheless, she scanned the crowd just before she started her pass, wondering where that UK recruiter was. It was the most difficult pass in the entire routine: a back handspring into an arabian, then a double whip into a full twisting double back. She hesitated, stumbling, before getting started because of her distraction, and by the time she did her second whip, she had a sinking feeling. Sure enough, when she landed her double back, she was way out of bounds. She didn’t need the loud buzzer from the line judge to alert her to the fact. She gritted her teeth in frustration, but then remembered to fake a smile as she got into the dance formation. Her face ached from her forced smile as she swung her hips to the rhythm of “Whip My Hair.”

Emma’s next mistake came in the squad’s first pyramid. It felt like she had a weight attached to her ankle, and she couldn’t lift her leg as high as she normally did to connect to Mary Margaret’s stunt group to her left. She almost lost her balance completely, but Ruby compensated and saved it. Mary Margaret didn’t falter either, thank God. Emma was practically shaking as she went into the twist up stunt - her nemesis in this routine. Kelly Rowland singing “Crown” as Emma popped up, her hand grasping her ponytail, helped her power through, as cheesy as it sounded. 

Despite the mistakes Emma was berating herself for, the crowd was going crazy for the combination of the theme, the music, and the cool tricks. By the end, the entire gymnasium was on its feet with thunderous applause. Emma ended the routine seated on the mat, back to the audience with her head flung back. Since she saw them all upside down, she couldn’t pick out her family or anyone in Kentucky blue. 

Ruby yanked Emma to her feet, screaming loud enough to shatter her eardrums. Mary Margaret and Ariel sandwiched her in a hug, and then they were swept away by the rest of their ecstatic teammates. 

“Amazing job, girls!” Coach Ava praised, gathering them in a big, squirming, awkward group hug. “Mary Margaret didn’t even lose her hair!’’

They all laughed giddily, except for Emma. Her mind was reeling. “I went out of bounds,” she confessed.

Coach Ava waved off her words. “It’s our first competition. It’s normal for there to be kinks to work out. Let’s not worry about that until the next practice, though. For now, let’s just celebrate a solid opening for the season.”

Her teammates seemed to all be in agreement, and so did the judges, awarding The Storybrooke Knights with a third place finish. It wasn’t their best opening - that had been last year’s first place trophy to kick off the season - but making the top three was the goal of every top squad right out of the gate. Even the UK recruiter had congratulated her on a solid routine.

“I could see the nerves a bit,” she told Emma, her smile kind and reassuring, “but the level of tumbling skill you possess is rare. Top five I’ve seen so far, no doubt about it. We’ll definitely be in touch.”

Emma, however, couldn’t shake the feeling of failure that clung to her. 

“I’m blown away, Swan, that was amazing!”

Emma was in Killian’s arms before she could even register that he’d rushed out of the bleachers and onto the floor to greet her. He brushed a kiss to her cheek and deposited a bouquet of white daisies into her arms. 

“It wasn’t amazing,” Emma whispered, staring down at the white flowers. 

“Come now, don’t be modest.” Killian’s grin conveyed giddy pride in her which she found inexplicably annoying. 

“I stepped out of bounds on my big tumbling pass, I almost took down our first pyramid, and I was shaky on every single stunt!”

Killian’s eyes narrowed. “Your team doesn’t seem put out with you.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “They’re being nice. If we hadn’t placed, it would have been a different story. It would have all been my fault.”

“Whatever happened to the whole we win as a team, we fail as a team thing?”

“My team relies on me keeping my head on straight!” Her voice had risen, and she slashed the air with the bouquet of flowers. White petals fluttered to the gym floor. 

Killian cocked his head and studied her. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Nothing!”

“It’s something, Swan.” 

He stepped forward, reaching for her, but she stepped out of his reach. 

“I just let everyone down, but no one will be straight with me. Why can’t you all just admit I screwed up today?”

Killian shook his head. “I don’t think you’re seeing things clearly. I saw an amazingly talented athlete today, Swan. You were amazing.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Of course you’d say that. You’re a high school guy. You’ll say anything you have to to get in a cheerleader’s panties.”

Killian’s eyes widened and his head jerked back as if she’d slapped him. “You really think so little of me?”

She tilted her chin. “I’m no fool. Did you think tonight would be the night? Show up to my little competition, compliment me, throw in some flowers, and I’d spread my legs for you?”

Killian backed away, his jaw clenching, nostrils flaring. “I’m going to assume you don’t mean any of that, Emma, so I’m walking away before either of us can say anything we might regret.”

“Fine!” she yelled as he turned and walked toward the gym doors. “Walk away! That’s what every guy does when a girl won’t put out.” She threw the flowers at his retreating form. She watched the white petals swirl through the air and the green stems hit the parquet floor with a soft swish and crinkle of cellophane wrapper. 

“Emma!”

She whirled around to see Ruth standing there, frown upon her face and her brow furrowed. David stood next to her, his arms crossed in disapproval. Nearby a cluster of her teammates stared as if she’d morphed into some mythological creature with two heads. Her face burned as she realized how loudly she’d yelled at her boyfriend. 

Probably ex-boyfriend now. 

Humiliated, she turned and fled, fingers pressed to her flaming cheeks. 

*********************************************

“Go away,” Emma muttered into her pillow.

“What if I were Mom with a plate of brownies?”

Emma grabbed a teddy bear, clutching two tiny red pom poms (a gift from Ruth after last year’s state championship win), and smacked her brother in the head with it. She glared at him through one eye, the rest of her face still smashed into the pillow. 

“I knew it was you because you crashed down on my bed hard enough to catapult me out the window. Ruth’s more subtle.”

David just laughed as he rubbed at his cheek where the bear had met his face. 

“Go away,” she repeated, turning her face fully into the pillow again.

“You left your phone downstairs.”

“So?”

“So, you have like fifty text messages and thirty missed calls.”

Emma rolled over, still clutching her pillow to her chest. “Well, he’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”

“It wasn’t just Killian. Your entire team is worried about you.”

“Because I choked?”

“Because you're delusional,” David shot back with equal parts humor and frustration. “You didn’t choke. You didn’t let any of us down. You didn’t give a lousy performance, or any of a thousand other ridiculous claims you’ve made in the past few hours.”

Emma turned to look at her brother. “I made mistakes, David.”

He shrugged. “Who doesn’t? It was one competition, Emma, not the Olympics. It wasn’t even the state championships or regionals. One. Competition. At some tiny high school in the middle of nowhere, Maine.”

Emma groaned as she pushed herself up to the headboard and let her head drop to David’s shoulder. He put his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

“Why didn’t you tell me about Kentucky?”

Emma sighed. When the recruiter had called, she insisted on speaking to Ruth as well. Emma should have known she would spill the beans to her son, especially after Emma acted like a complete lunatic. 

Yes, a delusional lunatic. Her brother wasn’t wrong. 

“I don’t know, it was just . . . a lot to process. And a lot rides on this. I mean, there aren’t any football recruiters looking at you, which means college is gonna be expensive, Mr. Quarterback. If my tuition is taken care of, Ruth can just worry about you.”

“I could get other scholarships.”

“You’re a white, middle class male. You aren't getting any other scholarships.”

He chuckled and poked her in the ribs. “Regardless of all that, Mom just wants what’s best for you. We’ll figure out college and the money and all that, but we’ll do it together. That’s what a family does. Okay?”

This family thing was still new for Emma, so she just nodded in agreement against David’s shoulder. 

“But speaking of Killian,” David said, waving her phone in front of her face, “some of these calls and texts are from him. He sent you a video, too. Then called me and pretty much begged me to get you to watch it, so just give him that much, okay? So he’ll leave me alone?”

Emma rolled her eyes as she took the phone. David could protest all he wanted, but she knew about the little bromance he had with her boyfriend. 

She waited until her brother went downstairs before she sat cross-legged in the center of her bed and pulled up the video from Killian. She gnawed on her bottom lip nervously before pressing “play.” 

And there Killian was, on the tiny screen, smiling like they’d never had a fight. Emma’s lips pulled up into a grin of her own. He was also holding his guitar in his lap and fidgeting.

“Hi, Emma,” he said with a nervous little wave. “You’ve been ignoring all my calls and texts, so I decided to pull out the big guns. I was gonna give this to you as a gift for like Valentine’s Day or something, but  . . . you know . . . desperate times call for desperate measures.”

He cleared his throat and shifted again, and Emma blinked back tears. She’d never seen him at such a loss for words. 

“I wrote you a song,’ he continued, “so, I’ll just shut up and sing it already.”

Emma gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as he began to strum his electric. It started 

out as a kind of slow, cheeky punk rock ballad.

Oh, Emma, I don’t get your cheerleading squad, but I love your pom-poms. I'd feed you bon-bons all night.

Then it transitioned into a full on rock song, and Killian began to shred on his guitar. He was really good, and the song had Emma bobbing her head to the music. 

1,2,3,4. Yeah, you got me to feel all those butterflies inside. In your locker I would hide. The truth, it's only you I see, and you're just what I need. I'll bring you flowers all the time in hopes that you’ll be mine. Well I'm feelin' fine, I'm right on time. I hope I’ll win your heart.

When he transitioned into the chorus, Emma leapt up from her bed. She propped her phone on her nightstand and began to dance around the room to Killian’s song.

And you're just what I need. And you're just what I need. Not everything works as it seems. Is that so hard to believe? So I went down to the record store. Picked my head up off the floor. The truth, it's only you I see. And you're just what I need. And if it's my world that you fear, let me make this very clear. Well I'm feelin' fine, I'm right on time. I hope I’ll win your heart. And you're just what I need.

The chorus repeated a couple more times, and Emma danced around her room like she hadn’t in a long time. She even grabbed an old pair of pom poms she’d gotten as a joke at the squad’s white elephant Christmas party. They were those enormous pom poms cheerleaders used to wave in the long ago days of letter sweaters and megaphones. They made a fun swishing sound as she bounced around the room to Killian’s song. 

A song he’d written for her! A song about her! If she wasn’t so giddy and happy, she would burst into tears. 

When the song ended, Emma collapsed onto her bed, panting from her ridiculous dance party and grinning ear to ear. She rolled over and grabbed her phone. She texted rapidly, her fingers trembling. 

I watched your song. 

Did you like it? 

I LOVED it!

Good. I meant every word. 

I’m sorry. 

I know. 

[mostly-marvel-musings]

We were on a break - Chapter 1

A/N: Some characters from Agents of Shield make an appearance but I’ve taken way too many creative liberties to stick to that plot. Feedback is welcome as always :))

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader

Summary: Circumstances have led (Y/N) and Tony to part ways. Continuing to work with Shield, a latest mission requires you and a few others to track down a business tycoon who could possibly be working for Hydra. Your plan to get into the man’s inner circle goes awry when a remorseful Tony shows up at the mission location.

Series Masterlist

Taglists open! If you wish to be tagged in future chapters, send me an ask.

Warning: Strong language, angst, smut in future chapters.

Word count: 1147

Tags: @shipatheart @tone-stark @thevanishedillusion @kahlanmars @loveisallyouneed1125 @kaestatic @swaggysposts @lieswithoutfairytales @agustdowney @booktease21 @panicattheeverywherekid @taina-eny​ 

…

Persistent ringing coming from somewhere on your left, brought you to consciousness. You groaned and turned away, hoping to block it out. Through half open eyes, you saw Clint scrambling about, trying not to trip on his own feet as he answered his phone.

He was speaking to his wife a bit too loudly for your hung over self, making you blindly reach for a pillow and throw it in his general direction. Natasha chuckled at your attempt as you saw her sitting up beside you, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Fuck off, Barton! It’s not even morning yet.” You grumbled, not bothering to actually check the time.

“It’s ten o’ clock, sleeping beauty. And Laura wants to talk to you.” Clint grinned as he handed you the phone, making you glare at him.

You weren’t exactly in the mood to have the ‘how are you holding up’ conversation post your break-up or break or whatever it was with Tony. But you knew you had to face Laura, she meant well and cared for you just like the other two agents currently lounging in your apartment.

Begrudgingly, you took the phone throwing the blankets away and walked out onto the balcony.

After fifteen long minutes of ‘it’s gonna get better sweetie’ and ‘you should come over for a chat’, you got back inside. A visit to the Barton household was due, given that Laura was expecting a baby and you missed her and the kids.

“So, did she give you her ‘you’re better off without him’ speech?” Natasha asked, walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, you following closely behind.

“Oh yes. Got the remix version of it.” chuckling, you shook your head as you sat down on the breakfast counter, waiting for either of the two to make coffee.

You partied a bit too much last night, a little at the bar, a lot back at your apartment. It ended with Clint showing off his archery skills in your balcony, and you bawling your eyes out over your failed relationships with Nat consoling you. You had also asked how Tony was doing in your drunken haze. As far as you remembered the conversation with Nat, he was equally distraught which relieved you to some extent.

“God we’re really getting old. My head is killing me.” You sat back on the sofa, massaging your temples.

“At least you don’t have to report to HQ today. Barton and I have a debriefing this afternoon.” Nat muttered, rolling her eyes as she sat opposite you on a lounge chair.

“So does (Y/N). She’s my boss now remember?” Clint yelled out from the kitchen, over the whirring sound of a blender. As happy as you were about the level up, you were in dire need of sleep.

Clint sauntered into the living room holding two large glasses of banana milkshake his hands, making you scowl. His famous hangover cure.

“Drink up boss. We gotta go.”

…

The HQ was bustling with agents as you arrived and headed straight for Maria Hill’s office. She called you in as Nat and Clint were summoned by another agent for some work.

You felt your stomach drop as you saw the man you never thought you’d see turn around in a swivel chair to look at you.

Your mouth went dry as you locked eyes with the man whom you hadn’t seen in weeks, who despite being described as ‘heartbroken’ by Nat had made no attempts of calling you. You didn’t expect him come begging but you hadn’t expected complete radio silence either, which had just added fuel to fire.

Cursing your mind to start functioning properly, you walked further into the office space, putting a considerable distance between you and Tony Stark.

Agent Hill cleared her throat snapping you back to reality.

“Agent (Y/L/N), glad you could join us. I was just finishing up here, let’s head to the conference room.”

Couldn’t she have had you wait in there instead of here with him staring at your nervous form?

He looked much more composed and unruffled than you, then again he’d been putting on a facade for media and the world for years now. He wasn’t a stranger to the practiced ‘poker face’.

“Agent (Y/L/N)?”

You had been busy staring at the ground to notice Maria Hill holding the door open for you to step out and Tony was nowhere to be seen.

When the hell did he walk out?

You saw Tony and Maria exchange a hushed conversation from the corner of your eye as you continued to walk down the hall.

Mentally shaking yourself to get it together, you reached the conference room to find Clint, Agent Simmons, Agent Ward waiting for the debriefing to begin. You exchanged pleasantries, glancing at the door every now and then, in case Tony decided to show up here too. He didn’t.

Agent Hill walked in few moments later, alone. She gave you a cursory glance before sitting at the far end of the table.

“We have a lead on the man we’ve been tracking for months, Andrew Leeds. Agent (Y/L/N), this will be your first mission as a Level 8 agent. Safe to say these guys will be taking orders from you. But first, Mr Stark had some information on Leeds as he’s had an encountered him a few times.” Maria Hill began, the lights dimmed and the conference table converted into a screen, bathing the room in a blue white glow.

“Leeds has been dealing in weapons almost for as long as Stark Industries. They met at a convention once or twice. He has a close circle of four maybe five people who do his bidding and dirty work for him. The man has a reputation for hosting lavish parties and being a flirt.”

You kept your gaze on the screen below which flashed photos of your target at various events.

Tony would never miss an opportunity to lead a team, even if it was just to give info. Why hadn’t he come in?

Your alter ego rolled her eyes at the obvious. He didn’t come in because of you.

Agent Hill began explaining the details on Leeds’ last known location, putting your obsessive thoughts on the back burner.

…

Natasha and Clint had to hang back so you drove back alone, the sky grey with gloom, picking up dinner from your favorite Thai place near your apartment. Throwing the keys in the bowl blindly, you switched on the lights and began stripping on your way to the bedroom for a shower.

Stepping out in a towel, you were rummaging through the underwear drawer when your phone buzzed. Putting on sweatpants and Tony’s old MIT hoodie that you never returned, you checked the notification.

Congratulations on your promotion, Pep told me. You deserve it, Agent (Y/L/N). – T.S.

…

[lvanter]

note: content??? from josie ??????? never heard of her

warning: swearing, some sexual ,, references,, sdgsjd (nothing bad i promise)

wc: 1.1k

watching you perform. skz

chan

chan my baby

you had told him about the performance but he hadn’t seen any of it and didn’t know what the concept was

so when you show up on the stage in some fucking silk shirt and glittery makeup he went :o

now,, chan has obviously seen you at different award shows—he's seen you all dressed up and pretty before but idk man your stylist just went fuck chan lives and made you look like a god

chan is sitting like :o before the music even started,,

when the music did start and he realized it was a sexy (sexier) remix of your most recent comeback he froze completely

congratulations, you broke him

he’s in awe

you look and sound amazing ;; he cannot look away from you

definitely gonna show you how much he loves you take that as you want *wink wink*

minho!!

mr minho pls return my calls you need to pay child support ,,, it’s me,, i’m the child you need to support

when you and minho started dating you made a pact sdfhdjsjsfg

basically it was just ‘show the other 10 seconds of your new song or performance’

the reason for the pact being you were each other’s biggest fans and wanted previews

you had shown minho the 10 seconds but nothing could prepare him for the entirety of the performance

he was blown away,, jaw down on the floor, eyes glued to you moving around gracefully on the stage

like he knew you were sexy ( ,, i hate the word sexy sdgshdjs) as fuck but holy shit you went off and minho didn’t know how to feel

on the outside he was sitting calmly, singing along and tapping his foot to the beat but on the inside,,,,, you best believe he was going “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

after the award show he found you and gave you a big smooch and maybe something else but i’m not gonna get about that

changbin

mr. seo, hello.

not saying he mouthed “what the fuck” when your performance began but he most definitely mouthed “what the fuck” (in a good way sdfgdhgh)

also not saying he got just a tiny bit turned on while watching you work you magic

ew i really typed thatdfhsbddjsj

changbin was just looking at you with heart eyes the entire time

when you showed up on the big screen he felt like his heart was gonna beat out of his chest because like !! that’s you!! his partner!!! you’re his!!! he’s yours!!! what a concept !!!!!!!!!!!!

you’re just fucking killing it on the stage and changbin is just aaaaaAAAAAAAAA

you best believe he’s gonna be talking about this for a loooooong time

he’s just so proud of you bc like youre really out there!!!! doing shit!!!!! and looking hella good while doing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hyunjin

fucking hwang hyunjin that demon

hyunjin is a dramatic boy

he is also your biggest fan and will fuking die if you do something

when i say something i mean anything at all,,,,, he’s just so in love with you and finds everything you do adorable (except when you come for his neck and do something seccy)

the first 30 seconds of your performance he’s just sat there like,,,, (♡o♡)

but then after he’s over his holy shit you’re performing he goes into Fan Mode,,,

which includes, but not limited to, screaming, crying, feeling like death, we’ve all been there

seriously,,, he so in love with the way you move on stage ,,,,and in general but especially on stage

you’re so elegant,and hot at the same time and hyunjin is losing his mind

jisung

okay han jisung i see u

jisung is your #1 hype man, has been since before you even started dating and he is Proud Of His Title

he hypes you up no matter what you do

you took a bath?? you wrote a song?? you learned something completely useless?? jisung is in the background with a sign that says THATS MY MF BABEY!!!!!!!!!!!! yelling loudly how proud he is

but ,, unfortunately,, he can’t do that doing a award show :(( chan told him no :(( so did his manager :(( :(( sad boi hours

but that didn’t mean he wasn’t screaming in his head but he was calm on the outside on singing along like any other idol would

he’s just !!!!!!!!!!!!aaaaaaAAAAAA YOURE DOING SO WELL!!!!!!!!!!THATS HIS MF BABY!!!!!!!!!!!

you best fucking believe you’re getting a bunch of kithes when he sees you backstage

felix

felix yes hello

felix b like Hello I Am Very Proud Of My MY Baby At All Times No Matter What Fucking Fight Me

he had seen the set list and knew you were gonna perform but HolY Shit he wasn’t ready

the fit! the vocals! the rap! the performance! his baby!!!

he went from (･□･) to (♡□♡) in less than 0.5 seconds

like okay He knew you were a fucking god but AAAAA you look so good!!!!!! what the fuck!!!!!!!!!

you did sosososososososo well and felix was sososososososososososososo proud

he’s trying to keep it lowkey but ultimately failing when you winked at the camera, he felt his soul leave his body

God (Name) Shut The Fuck Up I Have An Image!

seungmin

rapper!seungmin needs a comeback okay bye

seungmin. yes. king of looking at you like you’re a complete idiot while still loving the fuck out of you. yes.

you, obviously, told seungmin about the performance the second you knew it was happening

so he knew it was happening — he was prepared

of so he thought

he was not prepared. at all.

he malfunctioned. very much.

you! YOU!!!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jeongin waved his hand in front of seungmins face bc my boy was in a daze

he was soooooo focused on your movement, clapping hard when the performance was done

jeongin

jeongin stop growing juseyo

jeongin was REEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADY for your performance

he had been anticipating your performance the entire day,, and boy oh boy,, when it happened !!!!!!!!!!!!!

he was almost jumping up and down in his seat, but minho stopped him and held him down :(( minho u bitch

you always amaze him, even when you’re just breathing so when youre on stage,,, doing ur thing,,,,,,, he’s so fucjing in love with u oh my gOD

his mouth is slightly open and his eyes are glued to you, watching very , very , carefully so he can remember everything . e v e r y t h i n g

bruh when you get down from stage and meet him backstage be prepared bc hes not letting you go for the rest of the night

[tossawary]

Obviously not an official entry for your game because I'm anon (and I'm always anon!) but if you're partly just curious about how / why people ID you, I'm would guess that you wrote the Star Wars SVSS one. Which as great! I think that because (1) it was super long, (2) you like classic media cross-overs, (3) like, the general level of description of the setting. And if I'm wrong I'm not going to be ashamed! Ah, the beauty of anon.

Congratulations, Anon, you nailed it! I wrote the SVSSS fic “this point of pale light” for the 2021 MXTX Remix -> a Star Wars / Space Opera AU starring Shen Jiu with Shen Yuan as a symbiote! 

I know I said that my fic was “somewhere among the SVSSS, MDZS, and The Untamed works (not TGCF, because I haven’t read TGCF yet). Yes, it’s true, I write MDZS/Untamed fanfiction too sometimes!”, but that’s because there weren’t that many Scum Villain fics in the collection and I was afraid that my wordcount combined with the writing and formatting style would give me away immediately! I had to give myself a fighting chance! 

I do like classic media crossovers. The person whose fic I was remixing is a Star Wars fan, which gave me the perfect excuse to indulge in some Space Opera aesthetic, on top of some Liushen with some Sci-Fi twists. 

Thank you to everyone who indulged me and made a guess, and either put me through the mortifying ordeal of being seen or gave me some awesome new fic recs! I’ll be replying to asks shortly, as soon as I’ve double-checked that my list is complete. And I’ll have the details for sticker requests up soon. 

😘💕❤️