#i love my underrated short king

[seumyo]

TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE ✰ 8:34

PROMPT. Tokoyami with his girlfriend, who’s taller, dresses in decora fashion, and has way too much energy + third year!school dance trope.

Tokoyami stood in front of the mirror, his crimson eyes taking in his reflection. His usual attire was dark, minimal, and brooding—perfectly in line with his aesthetic. But tonight was different. Tonight, he was doing something unprecedented.

Something that he himself never expected to be done.

A pink dress shirt peeked out from under his impeccably tailored black suit, its soft hue a stark contrast to the somber tones he usually wore. It felt strange, foreign even. But it was for you, and for you, Tokoyami was willing to step outside his comfort zone.

Hell, if you asked Tokoyami to buy an entire luxury clothing line of your choice, he probably would.

His feathers ruffled slightly as he adjusted the cuffs. Was this too much? Too out of character? He wasn’t one to care about appearances beyond practicality and comfort, but the thought of your reaction made his heart race.

Pink wasn’t his color. But black goes well with pink, no?

Dark Shadow peeked out from behind him. “You look dashing as ever, boss. [Name]’s gonna love it!”

Tokoyami exhaled slowly. It’s like his nervous system can’t differentiate between being held at gunpoint and wanting to impress his girlfriend.

“It is a deviation from my usual attire, but... it is fitting for the occasion.”

“You’re whipped,” Dark Shadow teased, snickering. His companion never failed to try and be all cheeky with him, more so now than ever because you always encouraged Dark Shadow, much to Tokoyami’s dismay.

“I am devoted,” Tokoyami corrected, his tone firm but faintly embarrassed.

“You’re gonna knock her sparkly socks off.”

Satisfied with his appearance—or as satisfied as he could be—he grabbed the bouquet of blush pink roses he had painstakingly picked out earlier. He’d never been one for floral symbolism, but these flowers reminded him of your warmth and radiance—soft, vibrant, and enchanting. He made his way to your dorm room; each step reminded him of what’s to come.

When he reached her dorm room, his heart thrummed against his ribs. Tokoyami held himself in high regard when it came to being composed, but the anticipation gnawed at him. He raised his fist to knock, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts.

When the door opened, all coherent thoughts fled his mind.

Your gown sparkled like a field of stars under the dim lights of your room, every pink sequin catching the light with an ethereal glow. The fabric flowed around you, elegantly so, perfectly capturing your signature style. Your signature colorful accessories were noticeably absent tonight, replaced by delicate, glittering jewelry that only enhanced your beauty.

Tokoyami, usually eloquent even in darkness, found himself utterly speechless.

“Fumi,” you greeted happily, your eyes widening as you took in his appearance. “You’re wearing pink...?”

He shifted slightly, his feathers bristling.

“I thought it appropriate to match you."

Your face lit up with a radiant smile, and you clapped your hands together in delight. “You look amazing! Oh my gosh, I love it!”

Tokoyami felt warmth bloom in his chest at your reaction. His nerves dissipated, replaced by a deep sense of satisfaction. All his doubts about the pink dress shirt evaporated in that instant.

“You look... breathtaking,” he said softly, offering you the bouquet.

“Fumi, you didn’t have to—these are beautiful!” You smiled again, nodding. “Thank you. You’re such a gentleman.”

He extended his arm to you. “Shall we?”

“Wait! I need help putting on the necklace you gave me.”

“Right,” he carefully took the jewelry from your hands and even had to go a bit on his tippy toes as you crouched to make it a bit easier for him.

Some men may find it embarrassing for their lovers to be taller than them, but he’s fully embraced it at this point, plus there’s something about you being taller that just makes his knees weak. He might be absolutely helplessly in love at this point in your relationship.

And it’s mostly your fault (and his, because you may have fallen first, but he fell absolutely harder).

Clasping the shimmering necklace, he nodded proudly to himself. “Divine,” he murmurs.

“Alrighty! I’m good to go.”

-

Kaminari nearly tripped over himself in shock when he saw his friend. Such a sight to see.

“Tokoyami’s wearing something that isn’t neutral? And pink—at that?” he gawked. “I didn’t think that was physically possible!”

“[Name]’s got him wrapped around her finger,” Mina teased, grinning. “It’s adorable.”

Even Bakugou, who rarely commented on things that didn’t interest or concern him, snorted. “The damn bird actually cleaned up well. Guess miracles do happen.”

You laughed, leaning closer to Tokoyami. “I think we’re making headlines, Fumi. Well, you mostly.”

“I anticipated some attention,” he admitted, “though perhaps not to this extent.”

When you stepped into the dance hall, the atmosphere shifted. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, casting a dreamy glow over the room. Students, friends, and couples swayed to the rhythm of soft music, laughter mingling with the melody.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful! The innovation committee really went all out this year.”

Tokoyami, despite his usual preference for subdued environments, found himself appreciating the ambiance—perhaps because your joy was infectious—it made everything better for him.

As the music transitioned to a slower song, Tokoyami turned to you and offered his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Your breath hitched, and you took his hand gracefully. “You may, my prince.”

His heart thudded at the nickname, but he maintained his composure as he guided you to the dance floor. Your movements were tentative at first but soon fell into a steady rhythm.

“You’re surprisingly good at this,” you tease.

“I have observed and practiced,” he tells you. “Preparation is key.”

“You’re amazing, Fumi.”

He adjusted his hold on your waist, his voice low but sincere. “Only because you inspire me.”

“I love you,” you whisper, meeting his gaze.

The words hit him with a force stronger—faster than any villain’s attack. “And I love you,” he murmured, the admission coming naturally despite his usual reserved nature.

Tokoyami realized that tonight was more than just a dance—it was a testament to how much he had grown, how much he could go to show his love for you. And he’ll gladly embrace these changes wholeheartedly.

For chivalry and genuine love will never die as long as Tokoyami is breathing.

[misiahasahardname]

forget reality tv, someone get this baseball a modelling contract!!

i found a sick ass outfit at mohito and thought of baseball instantly… (my family then fought over who would buy it for me. i’m sorry to the people waiting in line behind them…)

my nickel gijinka is ugly af ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ but also bickel

my reference drawing below :

irl michalina jumpscare????

i cannot for the life of me smile in photos fucking hellllllllllllll

[vetitiscripta]

Can you do sfw and nsfw headcanons for btd 2 ren? I love him so much he’s my underrated short king🦊

btd2 ren my beloved. ask and you shall receive anon (i might add more to this later but this is what i have for now)

sfw

this man is the clingiest motherfucker ever. in the beginning, you can't walk from room to room without ren being on your heels. it was a new experience for him and he wanted to know all about you! now, though, his clinginess comes in the form of holding you too tightly when laying with you, tracing his name onto your skin with his finger, and telling you how much he loves you about 20 times a day. it's suffocating to be honest, but you would rather ren be clingy than be mad

speaking of mad, he doesn't get mad at you often. you've learned well enough in your time with him that making him mad was not a fun thing to do. ren may be small but he knows how to fight or to at least knock you down enough to remind you who’s really in charge. but there's not really a need for that nowadays since you are so well behaved! he makes comments all the time of you two being the ideal relationship (you find yourself agreeing with him sometimes. maybe he's not so bad after all)

loves taking baths with you. it's probably the thing he looks forward to the most. there's just something so intimate about it that he loves so much. maybe it's the scented soaps and shampoos going to his head or the heat of the water. maybe its the way you fit so nicely against him and he gets to hold you close (there's not enough room, don't look at him like that!). sometimes he can convince you to let him wash your hair and the way you look at him as he's running his fingers through your hair is enough to make him die from happiness

50/50 on being the big spoon or little spoon. there are days where he wants nothing more than to hold you, face buried in your neck as his tail lays over you like a blanket. but there are also days where he wants to be held himself. those tend to be the days where everything floods back to him, the memories of when he was in your shoes. sometimes he just needs a reminder that he's okay now, that he's better now ("better")

he likes to win your affection with little things here and there. small things he picks up for you while out, letting you choose what anime to watch that night, but his go to is to cook for you. we can't deny that ren is an amazing cook and he knows it. you cook as well, but ren tends to cook most nights. he likes cooking and he loves it when you help him. but if he's trying to woo you (or to maybe erase some anger you feel towards him) he'll whip up your favorite meal and maybe even light a few candles

JEALOUS OF LITERALLY ANYTHING! showing more attention to the plant he got you last week? it mysteriously dies a few days later (he poured glass cleaner into its pot). mentioned liking a specific actor/actress from a show? the tv has parental locks the next day to restrict that show. all your attention belongs to him and should be on him! nothing else! (sometimes you find it cute how jealous he gets and will go out of your way to make him jealous, but don't tell him that)

he's still trying to find his place in this entire thing. strade's gone now, but ren can't deny that he feels like he's missing something. like there's a gaping hole in his chest that's longing to be filled. you filled that hole, but you don’t fit it perfectly, there are still gaps here and there. because of this, he's not afraid to experiment on you. you wake up in the basement more than you would like, ren looming over you with a smile on his face but an almost empty look in his eyes. he's thinking, calculating what he'll do. the sessions always end with tears streaming down your face and ren understanding a little better where he fits in

nsfw (under the cut)

horny 24/7. cannot keep his hands to himself. you'll be watching tv together and then ren's hand is on your thigh- ok normal enough. and then it starts moving slowly upwards and your breath hitches when his hand finds the waistband of your pants. he teases you first, messing with the band and drawstrings, nails grazing the skin just below the band. he's not even looking at you, or at least you don't notice the sneaky glances he throws your way before turning back to the tv. but that doesn't last long as he can't take it anymore himself and throws himself at you right there on the couch

ren's big on eye contact. he wants you to watch him as he goes down on you. if you look away or close your eyes, his nails dig into your thighs hard enough for little beads of red to form. your attention belongs on him at all times, especially when sharing an intimate act. he expects you to keep eye contact when you go down on him as well. he doesn't care if his cock is in your throat and you're trying not to gag. he'll pull your hair hard enough for tears to form in your eyes

likes to roleplay every so often. his favorites are anime specific ones and maid/master. he loves it when you dress up for him, especially if it's in these big, frilly dresses or skirts (doesn't matter your gender, he loves to see it). he likes having you pretend to do something, only for him to come up behind you, sneak his hands under your skirts and mess with you. likes taking your attention away from your task and putting it on him

ren hates having to punish you but he loves the act of it. when he punishes you, he gets to do whatever he wants! punishments tend to be in the basement and he tends to get just a little heated every so often with them. your tear streaked face just does something to him and most of the time punishments end with his cock either in your mouth or with him fucking you

doesn't shut up while having sex. if he's not whimpering then he's moaning in your ear. if he's not moaning then he's talking to you, telling you how good you are, how great you feel. if he's not talking than he's whimpering

[5iyoomi]

How The Haikyuu Boys Kiss You ━ Part 2

characters: Sugawara, Shirabu, Semi, Akaashi

warnings: all fluff with a touch of hurt/comfort in Sugawara's 🙏 gender neutral reader here as well

A/N: I'm totally not procrastinating making my masterlists (I don't have much on here yet so it's fine right? right.) but anyways I've had so many ideas lately which is crazy cuz almost all of what I usually write is like mlm x characters. I barely touch x readers myself but I love reading em'. Making a blog in the middle of a deep hyperfixation will do wonders like that cuz I've been writing smth practically every day LOL.... sorry if this one's shorter/sorta all over the place

Part 1 | Word Count: 1,170

‎

Sugawara Koushi

His kisses are definitely short and sweet (like Hinata) but they're passionate

He's probably the most experienced of the boys or at least comes off that way, he knows what to do and how to do it

He's pretty feather-light with his touches, so much so that you don't even register they're there half the time

But you like how they ground you in the moment

Sugawara's also the kind of guy to kiss your tears away, relishing in how your eyelashes flutter while he flashes you a comforting smile that he saves for you in your more vulnerable moments

"Everything's gonna be alright, okay? I'm here for you"

He'll usually kiss you when you least expect it, rambling on about something you're interested in or something before he leans in

Your words get caught in your throat when he does, but he doesn't let it linger, so you're just left blinking in surprise with a visible question mark floating over the top of your head

He must be able to tell cuz he laughs a little

It leaves you wanting more, so he never complains if you ask for another or take the initiative and give him one right back

He has a tendency to place his hand atop yours or on your knee/thigh when you kiss

He also likes when you kiss his cheek, right where his birthmark is. It tickles since it's by his eye, but it makes him feel closer to you

Sweet but super shameless, if somebody sees you and you get fidgety he'll tell you there's nothing to be embarrassed about

"So? It's fine if people talk. We're dating, aren't we?"

Needless to say you stopped caring so much after that

Shirabu Kenjirou

ANOTHER UNDERRATED KING

"He's mean/annoying" DON'T EVEN JOKE LAD

Anyways....

He's not allergic to PDA but he won't entertain it at first

Like at all

It's not cuz he doesn't want to, but he gets really shy about it

As his first partner, you're naturally his first kiss too, so he has no idea what he's doing

He's scared you'll make fun of him, so when the perfect moment arises and he turns his head at the last second, you have to face him and tell him that his inexperience doesn't matter to you

You won't laugh or poke fun at him, you respect his feelings and always will

He's less apprehensive if it's also your first, but it's still a hurdle you have to overcome

He's probably a little blunt especially when it comes to affection, he says the exact opposite of what he means 80% of the time

"I can do it myself" = he wants help but doesn't know how to ask for it

"I know that, idiot" = he's silently thankful you didn't brush him aside, that you looked past that composed facade he puts on sometimes and brought him out of it

Once that's out of the way and he feels like he can be more open with what he wants, he recloses the distance between you

It's messy and stilted, but neither of you mind. He just wants to be near you

He's so touch starved it's insane, you'll hold his hand or touch his face and he literally freezes up

If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was because he didn't like it, but you know he wants to, he's just really awkward. He has a lot of difficulty with asking for physical touch

Did I mention touch starved?

He pushes away from you if somebody sees, even if you guys aren't kissing

"You didn't see anything" he says to whoever it is, and you chuckle, ruffling his hair and pressing a kiss to his forehead

You can see his brain short-circuit in real time when you do :>

Semi Eita

Tendou would absolutely tease him for it but he has the biggest soft spot for you

You'd be at one of their games holding up a sign with his name on it or cheering the loudest for him and Tendou makes a mental note to mess with Semi later (much to the shorter boy's dismay)

Tendou's a MENACE

But anyway

His kisses are pretty similar to Sugawara's, but they last for longer

Light, passionate kisses with his hands on your lower back or two fingers gently tilting your chin up if you're shorter than him

They might get deeper, they might not. It just depends on how you react and how he's feeling (he never wants to accidentally push you into anything)

But once he's got you, he doesn't wanna let you go

He gives them out sparingly, more of a words of affirmation person, but he likes how much you smile against him when he does

He's surprisingly pretty doting on his partner, so if you grab his wrist when he moves to catch his breath, 9 times out of 10 he'll yield to your touch

"Not yet..." oh BOY he's whipped. He'd only say no if you both actually had to be somewhere or he starts to get sick of the stares thrown his way that are mostly from Tendou and Shirabu

He has you wrapped around his finger just as much as you've got him wrapped around yours

If he isn't kissing you on your lips, then he'll bring your hand to his mouth and kiss your knuckles/fingers

It reminds you of a prince from one of those old fairy tales <3

Akaashi Keiji

When it comes down to initiation with him, it's kinda 50/50

Akaashi's the kind of person to get explicit consent before doing anything and on top of that he can read people pretty easily, especially people he knows well

So if he senses any apprehension he'll stop or give you a quick peck on your cheek instead

But if you lean into him, lips puckered and a wordless plea in your eyes, he doesn't have any reason to refuse

(On the flip side, I don't think he minds random kisses or hugs from you, but he appreciates if you ask too)

His kisses are soft and loving, the kind that leave you feeling warm and floaty for a few minutes afterwards

They're always purposeful too, kisses after an accomplishment or during one of your dates

But sometimes he does just wanna kiss you cuz you look pretty/handsome

Your lips curl up, eyes lightly squinted in a display of happiness as you look at him like he's as beautiful as the stars

And it's then that he gets that urge

He's more embarrassed about being seen or walked in on. He probably wouldn't wanna keep going, so most of your kisses in public are short (but still equally sweet)

He keeps his hands above your shoulders, or he holds your own, giving them the occasional gentle squeeze

He swipes a thumb across your cheek and presses a parting kiss to the corner of your mouth, bright eyes saying more than he ever could

He loves you, he really does

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Hermione Baddeley (Brighton Rock, Passport to Pimlico, Mary Poppins)— An absolute mainstay of British films from this period. She’s an icon who never takes shit from anyone in any of her movies, dresses for the occasion, and has the best line delivery! Also she started out in silent movies, and was a close friend of Noel Coward. In a desperate attempt to appeal to a large tumblr fandom, I will also point out that her first husband and one of her children were both called David Tennant. You like that name, don’t you tumblr??

Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins, The Court Jester)—LISTEN, I'd let that woman's voice with all its gravely hoarseness (positive) wash over me all goddamn day, but if that's not enough she managed to play the straight woman to Danny Kaye's jester, all with her cleavage so plunging it might as well have been catapulted into the ocean right after Basil Rathbone

This is round 1 of the bracket. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Glynis Johns propaganda:

She walks the line between sexy and cute. Her best role for me is in "The Court Jester as Maid Jean. She's fantastic as the soft but tough captain of the outlaw band and she looks stunning in every gown she wears throughout the film. And of course we can't forget her iconic turn as the suffragette mother, Mrs. Banks, in Mary Poppins! Also shoutout to her distinctive and beautiful voice, kind of smoky and husky. Extremely hot and set her apart from many of her peers."

"Listen, listen. I was raised on Mary Poppins and "Votes for women! (step in time)" single-handedly taught me how to be a feminist. Also The Court Jester is one of my favourite movies of all time and she is UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous, charismatic, funny, and clever in it. She knocks several men out. Absolute icon."

"Like Bette Davis she has eyes to die for. Unlike Bette Davis you felt comforted by them, even when she was batting her eyelashes at you. Would glady go to Downing Street with her and throw things at the Prime minister"

"She had this wonderful wit and charm to her no matter the role and the most distinctive, striking voice!"

"She was amazing in Mary Poppins (the Suffragette song is severely underrated) and apparently she was Welsh? National pride! And she advocated for arts funding in Wales, which is very cool. Also, she died recently (RIP) making her one of the last survivors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, according to Wikipedia. Also also, she just has a cheeky energy I like? And her eyes are beautiful!"

"I mean, incredibly beautiful and talented, can do drama can do comedy. And she was a mermaid."

"I love Glynis Johns. Most of the reason is The Court Jester where she's a sensible and capable foil to whatever what going on with Danny Kaye at the time. She was also the first star I based an OC on. An OC that I still have to this day! Anyway here have some YouTube links love u bye"

Mermaid clip: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1jUEA03mYTk

Court Jester (sharing a bed trope): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d_qG9i054U

Court Jester (seducing the king): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GuqFYElKg

"VOTES FOR WOMEN! Well, votes for this woman. Please."

Hermione Baddeley propaganda:

Propaganda for both Hermione and Glynis:

[the-victor-brothers]

The Victors as soldiers (while both Victoria and Elsa as ballet dancers).

Here is Victor VD and Victoria (from CB) in an adapted “Steadfast Tin Soldier” segment, “Piano Concerto No. 2” from Disney’s “Fantasia 2000,” and Victor F and Elsa (from FW) in 1990 animated film, “The Nutcracker Prince.” From both “Fantasia 2000” and “The Nutcracker Prince,” both the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Nutcracker Prince (Hans) fought against monstrous enemies (The Jack-in-the-Box and the Mouse King), have their feelings for their love-interests (The Ballet Dancer, and Clara) while protecting them, and do not worked well with rodents (mice and rats). Also, both the Ballet Dancer and Clara do ballet dancing (Clara dreamed about traveling around the world and become a ballet dancer).

1) Steadfast Tin Soldier

I loved “Fantasia 2000” (my favorites were “Pines of Rome” and “The Firebird Suites”). I thought V+V would work well as Tin Soldier+Ballet Dancer from the Disney version. After all, both Victor VD and the Tin Soldier had been separated/isolated from their love ones in different world, while both the Ballet Dancer and Victoria still remain faithful for their true love (Victor and the Tin Soldier) while didn’t work well with suitors (Jack in the Box and Lord Barkis). (And yes, folks - Barkis will be the scary Jack-in-the-Box DX).

I know, Victoria looks like Belle from animated BatB, but funny thing is that the Ballet Dancer has similar hairstyle from Belle’s (after all, both the Ballet Dancer and Belle don’t work well with suitors, while both have feelings for their true love (Tin Soldier and Beast/Adam)). Also, I know in CB that both Maggot and Black Widow said to Emily that Victoria “couldn’t” dance or sing, but - BAH what did they know? They didn’t even know Victoria. In my head canon, Victoria always use her imagination to dance with someone (like dancing with an imaginary friend or a ghost) while she’s a fairytale buff since childhood - so, there you go.

Funny thing was that the Steadfast Tin Soldier from the Russian 1976 short film, “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” by Soyuzmultfilm (known for “The Snow Queen,” “The Wild Swans,” and “The Nutcracker”) looks like Victor VD. Now that’s ironic in this art pic.

2) The Nutcracker Prince

“The Nutcracker Prince” is one of my childhood faves - underrated but great version. (I did read the Alexander Dumas version last time. Right now, I’m still reading the Hoffman version (Penguin Christmas Classics)).

Victor F+Elsa both can work well as Hans+Clara from the 1990 version. After all, both Hans and Victor F involved with Science, dealt with creatures (the mice army, and the monster pets), and help/protect/save the girls (Clara and Elsa) from harm (even saving them from falling off the cliff). As for both Clara and Elsa, they both share their sympathy and caring for the boys (Hans and Victor F), have adorable pets (Pavlova and Persephone) as companions… and dealt with monstrous creatures (The Mouse King, and the monster pets).

As for Mr. Rzyzkruski - yes, he’ll be Uncle Drosselmeier (I like that character from the 1990 version). 😄 That would have been like Vincent Price as Drosselmeier in any Nutcracker film or stage. 😆 As for Edgar, he’ll be Fritz, Clara’s brother (and yes, he’ll do something stupid for the poor Nutcracker). And the Wererat will be… the Mouse King?

Both of these drawings were referenced from the screenshots from the films from online. The backgrounds were just colored in color pencils (the second one from the bottom used Posca markers for adjustments). Done with traditional media tools (Pilot Color Eno (Soft Blue) mechanical pencil, art markers, ink pens, color pencils, and Posca markers). Enjoy.

[jackandjoker]

my top shows of 2024 (better late than never)

1. jack and joker (act surprised)

this was my first ever thai show and GOSH was i in for a ride.. i legit started watching this for fun because i saw an edit and i found the name ‘joke’ very funny… oh how times change.

this show was made for me, it’s perfect to me, i can talk about it forever and i will.

2. peaceful property

to think i almost didn’t watch this because the poster didn’t interest me 😭

but this is so underrated i think? it was everything to me, each story was special and made me feel so many things. the phoomvicha episode made me cry the most, along with ep 8 😞

3. last twilight

this is the 2nd show from P’Aof that i’ve seen and i think he’s gotten a spot in my favourite directors list. definitely not without faults, but still unique and beautiful and i loved it. also cried a hell lot… and i hope i can get mhok’s fart proudly shirt one day.

4. let free the curse of taekwondo

my first ever korean drama and it will not be the last!! i loved this so much, i only wish it was longer. i’m patiently waiting for all my exams to end so i can watch all of hwang da-seul’s filmography.

5. i hear the sunspot

so many firsts in this post- this is the show that introduced me to the world of asian bl… my first ever asian drama <3

i love kohei & taichi with all of my heart and although they seem to be the kings of miscommunication, they found each other in the end. and i desperately want to try that burger.

6. interview with the vampire s2

iwtv is my kind of crazy, i love them all 🤲

not much to say about this one but it’s one of the 3 shows i’ve given a perfect 5/5 rating so far. (others are j&j and derry girls).

7. the on1y one

patiently waiting for season 2🥹

these two had my entire heart 😭😭 something about this show that makes me feel so much comfort… and it’s gorgeous so that’s a plus. (my first ever taiwanese drama- sorry)

8. takara’s treasure

this was just so cute 🥹 they’re adorable and it’s just a light and fluffy show and i love that. i took care of an abandoned kitty for a while and named her takara because i considered her my treasure lol.

9. 23.5

loser lesbians <3333

if onsga and aylin had a daughter, it would be me. 100%. i love milklove and i’m impatiently waiting for whale store xoxo. and i love how view is like the girl version of mark pakin because i adore her and keep seeing her in random stuff i watch.

10. see your love

this was just so fun🥺 the best 20 mins i had every wednesday for 12 weeks. both the main leads and johnathan & xin jia have my heart, along with shu he and shaopeng’s parents. i love amazing supportive parents in bls 🥹🩵

some other favs under the cut :)

non 2024 shows i loved-

moonlight chicken

i need more series like this because 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵 it was so gorgeous omg and it was too short 😞😞

when i watched the first ep i didn’t think i’d like it but still continued and i’m so glad because it only got better and better. and i hope whoever decided to make earthmix firstkhao gem4 sing the moon represents the heart never has a bad day in their life. i love it so much.

the best story

when are we getting the dew story yinwar?? 😭🥺 if i had a nickel for everytime war cried after seeing yin with a girl, i would have 3 nickels. maybe more if i start counting their music videos

cherry magic thailand

i wanted more taynew after peaceful property and damn!! karan was whipped 😭 it’s funny how his thoughts were like that when he had a gaystraight face the entire time

other 2024 shows that i enjoyed:

sugar dog life

i love shows that involve cooking and i love characters who bond over food. so obviously i loved this. similar to takara’s treasure, a feel good show.

caged again

it got a bit messy around the end and the story took turns i wasnt expecting, which was fine, but i felt it was different from the premise if that makes sense? i loved it still and i would definitely like to see more of ben & jay.

my love mix up th

i randomly watched this on my period and honestly it made me laugh so much so i’m biased 😭 some stupid stuff did bother me but overall very slay <3 i’m glad chokun has a main role now, after this & peaceful property 🥺

[kdramaxoxo]

Hit me with your best loser boyfriends who support their gfs through and through like sunjae from lovely runner or ji hyuk from marry my husband

Himbos and Beta Males for the WIN!

K-dramas with super sweet, totally dedicated and maybe not the most intellectual of men.

When The Camellia Blooms (Honestly this drama was underrated! The couple is adorable but it's also a really really great drama!)

Dali And The Cocky Prince (I'm actually rewatching this one as we speak. The villains are super annoying but what else is new. Moo Hak LOVES Dali and basically would follow her to the ends of the earth trying to understand art and failing lol. )

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale (this short little drama is airing now and literally no one is watching it. It starts off a bit iffy but overall it's super fun. The lead is a literal unhinged idiot who is in love with the FL but cannot admit it. He'll do anything for her and is constantly trying to rescue her but also....So SO Very Cute And Dumb.)

Boys Be Brave! (this bl features maybe one of the cutest himbos ever. This poor sweet kid will do anything to get the attention of the boy he likes (including a tattoo) and he's not even sure he likes him? This drama was great at the beginning and just ok at the end but the couple was very cute.

Run On (we all know I LOVE this drama!!! The second ML is my bias wrecker for this role. He's a happy go lucky, super funny and cute softy who falls for a CEO and never lets up.)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (see a theme?? KANG TAE OH! He's not a himbo tho cause he's very smart. Whatever he belongs in this list!!)

Shopping King Louie (One of the favorite k-dramas, a spoiled rich kid with amnesia moves into a small apartment with the only person who can take care of him. SOOOOOO CUTE.)

The Happy Loner (this short little k-drama featuring a little puppy boy was actually really really great! It's only 2 episodes so I don't need to say the plot, you can just watch it! ;-)

Hogu's Love: (Another one of my favorites, Hogu is literally the cutest softest bean just trying to make it in the world and help his love take care of her baby.)

King The Land (I don't think Junho's character is dumb at work but he's really very dumb with love so it's excellent to see the chemistry. Also, people complained that there wasn't much plot but if you want a sweet and funny rom com with TONS of skinship, kisses and a man who wants to quit his job to help his girlfriend...this is it.)

He is Pyschometric (a poor babygirl who has psychic powers and falls for a cop. I really loved this drama even tho I'm mad about One Thing.)

Fight for My Way (This himbo isn't obsessed with the FL until he realizes his feelings but after that? GAME OVER)

Extraordinary You (We all know the leads are OTP for me. Haru is recognized by Eun Dan Oh and follows her everywhere. He's soft and quiet and is he smart??? Unclear :P)

Enjoy the SOFT!

[emmyrosee]

What’s up homeslice. I’m here because I’m on a Haikyuu bender and I know you’ve got the sweet sweet hookup.

So hear me out… I am a taller individual(5’8 to be more precise). We see a lot of content out there for ladies of average or shorter stature(I love all you small people out there, don’t you dare think otherwise) so I beseech thee: nishinoya, yaku, hoshiumi, Kenma, atsumu, hell maybe even suna. Any of these wonderful gents just being absolutely infatuated with a tall(ish) s/o.

If you don’t wanna do it, no worries my dude, I can smell what yer steppin in and I respect it, no problemo. Love peace and bacon grease my homie ✌️

Oh HELL YEAH MATE!!!! 5’9 representative 🥳🥳 also I want to eat this prompt for breakfast how could I NOT take it the hell you think this is??

Also as always my pieces are in timeskip but the gifs give me some organization so don’t @ me

-

Listen. Nishinoya would be in straight denial that you’d have reciprocated feelings for him because like. You’re you, okay; he worships the ground you walk on, but now knowing that you truly are into it, it increases tenfold.

“This isn’t even cat walking. This is goddess walking. This is queen walking. Here-“ he drops to his knees to give the ground, be it on cement or hardwood at home, a quick playful dust with his hands, shaking his head and relishing in the laugh you let out. “How could I possibly let my queen walk on the filth left behind by me?”

“Truly,” you snicker, and you lean down to meet him halfway for a kiss, which he rises on his haunches to reciprocate. “But I like your mess.”

“I like you,” he mumbles against your lips.

Yaku. My underrated loml. There’s minimal I wouldn’t do for this man. He’s so good to you and confident in himself that flirting with you came easy- turns out that you flirting back was his weakness.

He’s a complete victim of the psychology okay, you’re already taller than him, you already rock your height and are proud of it that you two just click.

And he’s so protective of you, it drives you wild; he knows your comfortable in your height, you far need him for protection, but that’s not the point. If anyone dare say anything about his beautiful lady, be it in any way but respectful, he truly turns into an attack dog, letting you watch in satisfaction as he completely tears apart whoever look at you the wrong way.

There was an incident you had to patch him up after a fight. But the way dazed and adoring eyes looked up at you, smiling a bloody smile and re-splitting his lip that almost makes his rare altercations worth it.

HOSHIUMI!!!! IS!!!! A NEW LOVE OF MINE!!!! CAME OUTTA NOWHERE FOR REAL!!!

And I so love to think he put the moves on you first, just flirting and sending you playful vibes because he’s a short king who’s confident in his height, and god it has you completely whipped.

He’s always so quick to hype you up in very Nishinoya-fashion, and he’s so unapologetic about having you on his arm, that anytime you enter a room, he not only opens the door for you, he steps ahead and yells out a swift “EXCUSE ME EVERYONE! Out of the way, please! Queen coming through!”

The sheer volume does have people parting to let you both come in, your hand laced with his and proud smirk on his face.

There’s very seldom a time that his cheeks aren’t completely painted with stains of tinted lip balms or lipstick, and he wears them like a badge of honor as you bend down to give them.

Woof. Atsumu. What else can I say about my pretty, goofy, dumb blonde?

What else can I say about the way he completely melts when you wear his jerseys, because they fall just slightly against your hips and when you reach up, a sliver of your skin comes out?

What else can I say about the way his eyes never leave you for long, be it when you’re in two day old sweats, or gown he splurged god knows how much on just to see you wear it?

What else can I say about how you rest your head on his shoulders while in line at the market, and he takes selfish inhales of your scent?

God. GOD.

Marking him up with lipstick and glossy marks isn’t foreign, even getting so cocky he merely taps his cheek no matter where you are, for a show offy kiss just to flex your height to everyone watching.

Okay. You know what’s up. Kenma is the og. He’s the number one. I LOVE this man. And he LOVES hyping you up in possessive, hot ways. For eXAMPLE, there’s a picture of you on his Instagram where you’re dawned in heels in preparation for a banquet for his sponsorships, towering over him with your back facing the mirror in your stunning form, and he’s merely smirking back into the camera. It looks chic, it looks smooth, and the caption has his entire fandom in a tizzy: “mom and dad say sit.”

Sure enough, when the comments are filled with suggestive comments and tons of “SORRY MOMMY-“ you scold him for his cheeky post, but secretly love the attention.

One time, you posed as Lady Dimitrescu, towering high over him, and he as Ethan Winters and by the time you woke up the next morning, it quickly rose to his most popular post.

What can he say? He likes being walked like a dog.

*sneezes* Suna’s is a lil dirty so minors pls go away for this part on, but here’s a Suna gif to make up for it

But. BUT-

I just relish in the thought of him not making you lift a finger; treating you like royalty for simply existing.

It’s why he never says anything as he sees you dressing up for sponsor events, instead guiding you to sit down while he fetches the brand new heels that go with the brand new dress he spoils you with. He tugs the seam of his pants up slightly before getting down on one knee and grabbing your foot and slipping the shoe on for you. His hands are gentle, and his lips leave adoring kisses along your knees and calves, tongue laving over your nylon covered flesh feverishly.

It makes you sink your teeth into your lip and tighten your thighs in need.

“You are fucking breathtaking,” he pants, letting his bottom lip draw along the length of your shin.

“I know, baby,” you whisper, matching his tone dominantly.

“You never cease to amaze me; made by the fucking gods, truly.”

“Rintaro-“

“Worship every inch of skin on this body-“

“We’re going to be late,” you snicker, rising to your feet and getting accustomed to the added five inches. He doesn’t move, merely smiling up at you, and you can practically see the invisible tail wagging behind him.

“I could stare at you forever,” he rasps. “I’d pay a sponsor to move his charity event if it meant I could rip this dress off you right now, make you scream my name.”

You giggle easily as he does, finally, get up, looking up at you with a bite of his lip. “If you behave tonight,” you begin, and he lets his eyes glaze over you one more time.

“I’ll let you.”

[bonne-chanson]

✎𓂃 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 : 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒙 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 ᝰ.ᐟ

a mini-series of one shots dedicated specifically for the characters of bungo stray dogs: stormbringer!

✑ 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 !

based on the planets suite, op. 32 by gustav holst, one of my favorite orchestral works ever. i thought it would be nice to write something for this, mostly because i attended a very special performance of it around a month ago (and also to celebrate the manga adaptation that recently came out)!

because the piece contains seven movements based on each planet of the solar system (as well as their respective personalities), i will be assigning one movement per character, as listed below:

i. mars, bringer of war : paul verlaine x reader

the ominous and angry first movement of the entire suite ; represents the roman god of war, mars

contains nsfw. MDNI!

ii. venus, bringer of peace : lippmann x reader

the ethereal yet eerie second movement, a slower contrast to the first ; represents the roman goddess of love, venus

iii. mercury, the winged messenger : albatross x reader

the fast and vivacious third movement, short yet playful ; represents the roman god of commerce and messengers, mercury

iv. jupiter, bringer of jollity : piano man x reader

the well-known and majestic fourth movement of the planets containing the most popular theme of the seven ; represents the roman king of all gods, jupiter

v. saturn, bringer of old age : iceman x reader

the slow and unsettlingly powerful fifth movement accompanied by a harp with passages as icy as the planet’s rings ; represents the roman god of time, saturn

vi. uranus, the magician : adam frankenstein x reader

the boisterous and idiosyncratic sixth movement ; represents the roman god of the sky, uranus

vii. neptune, the mystic : doc x reader

the mysterious and other-worldly seventh movement ; represents the roman god of the sea, neptune

✑ 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙚 !

typically, when a performance is well-received, an encore unrelated to the main repertoire played follows. that being said, i’ll be applying the same principle for this mini-series for another character if the audience wishes. should these one shots be received well enough, i will add a bonus (underrated) character to the list, based on the helios overture, op. 17 by carl nielsen, just to complete the entire solar system for this repertoire. ;>

(encore!) an overture to helios : ??? x reader

a concert overture so warm and brooding, it paints a picture of the sun rising and falling over the aegean sea with swelling strings ; dedicated to helios / sol, god of the sun

i have so much love for this piece in particular (as it is one of the orchestral works i grew up listening to), so i hope you guys get to enjoy it as much as i do through some of the stormbringer characters. 🫶 much like holst himself (who favored saturn), i also have a favorite movement here so i tried not to be so biased about it lmao (i gave it to piano man).

these one shots won’t be connected in any way (unless you’re creative enough to find some way to connect them lol)! feel free to read them in any order — i assigned those movements to certain characters solely because i thought they fit the music and the context behind each part of the suite. :}

as for the scheduling: expect the one-shot to drop every time a new chapter of hoshikawa’s stormbringer adaptation is out (which means this will be monthly)! i will do my best to time it right!

next one-shot: verlaine x reader -> march 26! (side note: happy birthday, paul! 🥳)

also, just a short heads-up: some one shots may or may not contain nsfw! and as always, when that is the case, MDNI!

anyway, hopefully i get to play this piece one day! :’>

✎ . . . ᝰ.ᐟ

[dezkal18]

Random collection of Prince Eric/Jonah observations (sorry it's so long and rambly):

1. The way he grabs Ariel's hand as he's waking up on the beach.

2. The way he runs up the stairs to see if she's the girl who saved him.

3. His face when he realizes she can't be the girl because she can't talk. He looks so heartbroken, like he was so close and then his hopes were dashed. But he's trying his hardest not to let her see his disappointment because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings, so he pushes through and offers her anything she needs.

4. The awe on his face when she finds the stone in the fossil and blows the conch shell.

5. I love how he's up for trying anything for her, no matter how foolish it makes him look. He just wants to give her anything she wants.

6. And you can just see a lightness and innocence in him when he's around her, like she's brought back the joy into his life and made him feel like a kid again. I think he does so many things he wouldn't have otherwise. Like, with the boat, he was planning on just grabbing his hat and going back to the carriage until he saw her looking at it. He also seems to just be in awe of her innocence and curiosity and the way she views the world.

7. In Kiss the Girl, right before he leans in the final time, you can see him breathing heavy and he's so nervous.

8. Grimsby, my man. The ultimate shipper. But I think an underrated moment is when he sees how smitten Eric is with the new girl and decides to casually bring up that they haven't found the mystery girl to make Eric stop chasing after a fantasy and see what's right in front of his eyes. I see what you did there and I approve.

9. How he pushes through Vanessa's spell and knows something is wrong.

10. How he's confused about Ariel being a mermaid and what just happened with Vanessa but he trusts his gut and trusts his feelings are real and decides to protect her.

11. When Eric sees Ariel standing there petting Max and he rushes to hug her, he has this crinkle in his forehead. I honestly thought he was going to cry and he looks so relieved, like he's thinking "oh thank God, I thought I was going to have to live a life without you"

12. His face when he sees Triton. I wonder if he's thinking, "Oh my God, my father-in-law is a merman and the King of all the oceans, what is my life?

13. Eric has to be so confused about what's going on but also amazed at the magic that has come into his life with this girl. Like finding the stone in the fossil and the conch shell. The animals and bugs lighting things up during Kiss the Girl. The girl he loves turning into a mermaid. Fighting an octopus lady. Etc.

14. Jonah's delivery of certain lines just gets me, they're not even significant lines:

-Oh. Me? No. Really? Alright... (when she shows him the conch shell)

-Grimsby, I feel a little... (You can tell he's so confused. He's been looking for his mystery girl and here comes this other girl and he's feeling so much for her in such a short period of time)

-Pretty much anytime he says "Ariel".

Ugh, Jonah. You have ruined every other male lead for me from now on. No one else will be as sweet and funny and genuine.

[albondiguilla007]

So:

I mostly opened this account to talk about Harry Potter with other fans. I need potterhead friends I’m begging you, take pity on me.

✨ First though, here’s a Marauders playlist:

✨ Profile pic by sophitil

Ok, so a bit about me and this blog’s contents:

✨ We don’t judge here, every ship is welcome

✨But if it’s gay better

✨ I love the golden trio, I won’t stand for ANY kind of SLANDER, not of Ron, not of Hermione, least of all Harry. They are human, and they are good friends with flaws who love each other very much. They are growing up, grieving, taking care of each other and learning about life. I adore their friendship, and fanfics that realistically explore their relationship will always be a soft spot of mine. (wholesome one shot)

✨ Hot take: If you have any fanfic recommendation where they are romantically together (the three of them, as in an actual relationship), I would appreciate it very much

✨ Drarry (please)—I live for Drarry, I breathe, think, dream, eat Drarry 🙏🏻 They’re my babies

✨ Draco Malfoy is a power bottom, fight me

✨ Lily Evans is my queen and goddess

✨ Tomarry? I’M A SLUT FOR TOMARRY (please I need more time travel fanfic recommendations) Some very good ones tho:

Terrible, but Great.

you belong to me (i belong to you).

Of Kings, of Pawns, and of Men. (This one is not time trivel per se but its AMAZING I’m telling ya)

Wear me like a locket around my throat

(all of them are in ao3)

✨ My boy Harry is incredibly underrated on his own book, like...? He is amazing, I love him, I wish him all the happiness in the world. WE NEED MORE FANFICS WHERE ALL HIS MENTAL STRUGGLES AND GRIEVING PROCESSESS ARE PORTRAYED. (He’s gone through so much, I don’t buy the way canon just swept everything under the rug and moved on)

✨ Another soft spot of mine? Fanfics where Harry time travels to a time where his parents are alive or a different dimension all together.

To make it better

Devil’s White Knight

Across the universe

You’re somebody else

(all in ao3 except Across the universe, that’s a short story in fanfic.net)

Other recommendations

✨ My bedtime readings are hardcore Drarry smut with some very questionable dom/sub dynamics. RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE 🙏🏻

✨ Jegulus (depending on the mood) Jegulily thooo 👀

✨Canon James Potter was a dick, but I forgive him. He did change a bit after Hogwarts, but I keep hoping he would’ve matured more if he’d had the chance to grow up into an actual adult

✨ Aaron Taylor Johnson and every other version of James Potter is mine, no arguments

✨ NO SNAPE SLANDER. He is an amazing character, and a very complex one at that. He is not supposed to be a good person, but a complicated one with a gray set of values. Y’all do not understand that, and I’m tired of watching Marauders stans be so fucking hypocritical when it comes to him.

Crime and Punishment (an amazing severitus fic on ao3)

✨ August, Cardigan and Betty are about these three idiots (Lily, James and Regulus) and you can’t change my mind. If you have any fanfic recs I’m all ears.

[dragoninthetrees]

Zhou Shen in London

How I would have loved to title this post as ‘Zhou Shen's London Concert.’ How lovely it would have been to write about what listening to him sing live for the first time was like, and what is was like meeting fellow fans to celebrate his first overseas solo concert in one of the largest venues in Europe.

Sadly, that is not the post.

More below cut - it's long. It's both personal account and some thoughts that I wanted to get out of my system. I doubt I've said anything that others haven't said, but it's mine and I started it and I wanted to finish it.

A bit of background seems appropriate. I started listening to Zhou Shen in 2021 early on when I was beginning to learn Mandarin. The hows and what's are a bit much to go into now, so the short story is 大鱼 (dayu - Big Fish) got me interested, Memory and 达拉崩吧 (dalabengba) impressed me, and the (definitely underrated and not mentioned as much as it should be) 相思 (xiangsi - Lovesickness) finally hooked me. His voice is beautiful, his range astounding and his versatility in performance stunning.

(And the Little Prince costume for his C929 concert? That too.)

Since then, Zhou Shen has been a constant presence in my life. The time I spend on him waxes and wanes, but he's there somehow. My daughter knows about him - she calls him Go Hen because at two years old, she still can't quite say her ‘j and ‘sh’ sounds (it's an upgrade on her previous name for him - Dough Hen). Her favourite video of him is this one below of 小美满 (xiaomeiman - Little Bliss) - though I think that's due to the animated dog running around in the background - she often asks for ‘Go Hen's dog.’

It would be years, I assumed, before I could get to see him live. So of course, the overseas fandom were beyond delighted when we learned he'd be taking his 9.29Hz tour internationally. First stop: London, O2 Arena, Friday 14 February 2025. The day the presale hit, I gave my daughter chocolate and plonked her in front of the TV so I could be sure to get a ticket without distraction (terrific parenting right? 😅). The process was surprisingly smooth though exciting with the waiting rooms and countdowns.

The anticipation, the excitement!

With that in hand, I booked a hotel room. I'd already discussed with my husband that he'd look after our daughter for the time I'd be in London. This would be the first night I spent away from my daughter since she was born. I booked annual leave for the whole of Friday so I could get to London early enough as I don't live too far away. Everything was set.

14 February arrived. Things changed - we'd had a difficult January with our 15 year old cat being ill, and them we took the sad decision to have her put down, a choice which meant I had to rework my leave plans. I now was working the morning and leaving directly from the office. I slept poorly that night, waking at around 4am fretting about what not to forget as I was bringing. I didn’t get back to sleep. Looking back at it, the fact that this was my first solo, overnight trip in just over two years was probably getting to me more than I realised. But when I got up, I got everything I needed and wanted packed and left the house at my usual early time. The day was chilly. That line from Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ - February made me shiver - has been apt for this month.

The work day was busy, and then at lunchtime I made a mad dash down the road to catch the bus from work to the train station (cheered on by a couple sitting on a bench) - only to find potentially big delays to reach London. Luckily for us a train to get to King's Cross was found relatively quickly.

Then I was in London. King's Cross had some check-in stops on the advertising boards, and knowing they'd be the only ones I'd have a chance to see, I made sure I stopped and took pictures.

Someone else was taking pictures at the same time. We smiled at each other but didn't speak - nice though to connect briefly with a fellow fan.

I navigated the tube system to get to my hotel. The staff had left a single rose stem and a little Valentine’s Day message print out on the table. The O2 Arena was in clear view from my window. I think I relaxed for the first time that day, just for a few minutes. It was close to 3pm by that point, and I wanted a shower, and I was frantically trying to finish a couple of little crochet whales I wanted to make for two 生米 (shengmi - the name of Zhou Shen's fans) - ZhouShenSpotify (who you should definitely follow for updates on his Spotify stats) and Rockster929 (translator extraordinaire of Zhou Shen interviews) - I knew from Twitter/X who I was planning to meet up with later.

Whales in waiting, with the Valentine's Day wishes and the rose

So I showered, tried to do my hair with fancy curls but ended up settling with an 80s hair metal band look, and I finished the whales, hooray!

Then I checked Twitter and saw this:

I’m one of those people who in times of shock leaps straight to the denial. I think my first thought was “That’s not funny. This has to be a joke, right? RIGHT?”

However, the link was straight to the Zhou Shen Studio Weibo. It couldn’t not be true.

I wasn't quite right for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The lack of sleep, the (self-induced) stress of travelling down to London, the nervousness as well of being both a non-Chinese member of the audience and one whose Mandarin is so basic - and then the cancellation so close to the ‘curtains up’. Everything else after was a bit of a waking dream.

The announcement said that he’d come out to speak to the audience at 8pm. I didn’t even consider not going - the thought just didn’t cross my mind. And also the chance to meet other fans is always worth it and I wanted to see both ZSSpotify and Rockster929.

I finished getting ready and left the hotel for the single tube stop it would take to get there. Once on site, ZSSpotify and I found each other inside. Both really happy to meet each other in person and also in shock. After a bit of thought we figured we may as well start queuing.

We had a lovely chat in the queue. ZSSpotify told me a lot that night about things which I would have had no way of knowing with my level of Chinese - her knowledge of the industry and how things worked and also about Zhou Shen was wonderful to hear and I'm grateful for the time she took telling me all about it.

Everyone was lovely - a couple of fans (I'm guessing ones more involved in organising fan events) came up to us to tell us about plans to sing 小美满 at the end of his speech to support him, and kindly said to me I could clap along if I couldn’t sing the lyrics (true, I can’t!), and thank you for supporting our Chinese singer.

I had a look around the crowd. Of course most people were Chinese but I was by no means the lone non Chinese there. I saw someone university aged with their parents (probably?) and another lady in front of us in the queue.

Around 6pm I rang home as I'd been placing to anyway to say goodnight to my family. I told my husband what had happened. My daughter was on the video call too and I tried to angle the phone so she could see Zhou Shen’s picture in entrance area.

Security made an announcement about cancellation and handed out a print out of the statement that had been emailed and first appeared on Weibo. They let us in about ten minutes before planned entry - the promised/threatened security delays were thankfully minimal. ZSSpotify and I were in separate sections so planned to meet up afterwards. I queued again for my section then got to my seat. The view was good for the distance I was at and I had leg room. It would have been a decent seat for the concert (and assuming a next time - I just might save up a bit more and aim for a floor seat!)

The mood in the Arena was quiet and a little sombre. The PA system played his album Shenself (反深代词 - fanshendaici) - it was an interesting experience hearing his music in public and not in my earbuds or in the house. There were blue envelopes on our seats - though for some reason they had missed my spot and the ones around them. Someone who got muddled about what seats they were in, initially on my row but then found her spot on row in the front, shared the letter that he’d written with me. (The staff eventually came around to deliver our own envelopes).

Looking at the audience, I could see a wide range of people. An elderly couple a few rows ahead took pictures of themselves with the stage behind. Lots of women in their 20s and 30s. A couple of wonderfully gothy girls sat in the row in front of me. A number of families with young children, some of whom I'd seen being carried. There was something really nice about seeing an artist who attracts such a cross section of society. There might well be a stereotypical 生米, but there isn't a stereotypical Zhou Shen fan.

The O2 Arena, obligatory selfie.

I occupied my waiting time with Chinese flashcards and checking Twitter, but there were no delays: 8pm came and the stage lights grew bright.

Then Zhou Shen walked out from backstage. Muted but encouraging cheers. He wore a long black puffer coat, a grey sweater and scarf. As I said, it was cold. It was good to see him keeping warm against the London chill.

He bowed in all directions to the audience. Then walked out along the cat walk and did the same. Only when he got back to the main stage did he raise his ever-present blue mic to speak.

When he first began (after a few tries to start) - honestly, I thought one of the tech crew was doing a mic test or something. His voice sounded so low, so rough. He could have stopped there and frankly that would have been fine - this wouldn’t have been a lightly made decision, but it anyone wanted proof that he couldn't possibly perform, there it was. Zhou Shen however spoke for about ten minutes. I understood…. well. Very little. A few words and phrases, and of course the most repeated word: 对不起 (duibuqi).

The instructors in the Mandarin course I’ve signed up with explained that 对不起 literally means ‘unable to rise.’ As in I’m so ashamed I cannot rise to face you. Yet this is what Zhou Shen did. Rose from his bows, faced his audience, his 生米, and apologised again and again and again. He was devastated. His voice cracked from both its physical condition and his emotions. He cried right along with many people in the audience. I'm a bit of a delayed reaction kind of person, but I found myself trying to hold my phone up - a Chinese fan on twitter asked if I could but frankly my recording was rubbish - and be very still at the same time, as if trying to hold space for him.

Then he finished and was guided off the stage. I'm not sure of he could have gone on for much longer and was surprised that he spoke for as long as he did.

The planned singalong didn’t happen exactly as intended - because after he let the stage, the band and backup singers performed 我以渺小爱你 (Woyimiaoxiaoaini - Loving you in my humble way) and 小美满 - so everyone who could got to sing anyway. As sweet as it might have been to have sung it directly to him, I wonder if he’d have just completely broken down on stage if it had happened.

By the next morning, Vivi on Twitter had translated the speech. Thank you. Screencap of the start of the thread and pictured linked to whole thread below:

Link to thread

And since then, the North American Zhou Shen Fan Club have provided this video, which captures also what the audience were saying and other details. Thank you to them as well.

I wrote on Twitter/X at the time, before he came on stage, that it felt like we the audience were there to support him regardless of how things had turned out. That was truly the case, especially when he started speaking. Despite what had happened, it felt right being there. Something of a privilege too. To see someone be so vulnerable at a difficult time is something to both respect and cherish.

Afterwards, I met with ZSSpotify and Rockster929 and her family, and we went for hot pot together. All a little stunned still by what had happened but in good spirits - and hungry, due to the latest of the hour! Everyone was very generous with their time in the cooking and explaining (and also the paying!) I'd not been to hot pot before - though you can't not hear about it if you watch any Chinese content for long enough. I'm incredibly grateful for the experience and the company.

I do wish I’d not been so dazed - I would have loved to have talked more and for longer - especially asked Rockster929 more about how she does it and thank her properly for the hard work she puts into getting his interviews translated and subtitled and available so quickly in English for the fandom. ZSSpotify and I took the tube back together - she kindly took this picture of me in front of one of his posters before we left the O2 site.

Unfortunately I didn’t sleep well that night either. The lateness of the hour, still muddle headed, I just couldn’t get to sleep until far too late. I had breakfast at the hotel, and left swiftly to be home for just after lunch. It was always going to be a flying visit. I got home. My daughter had apparently missed me a lot and there had been a bit of crying that morning. My husband looked a little wrung out. We settled into the rest of the day though. It had been something of a break from normal life - not the one I'd hoped for but it had happened nonetheless.

I showed my daughter a video of him speaking. I can't quite recall if I told her he was feeling sad or if she noticed it herself. I tried to explain what happened in terms a two year old would understand, and also that I was feeling a bit sad too.

Then later that evening, unprompted, she said, “Mummy Go Hen sad.”

“Yes, sweetheart. We're both sad.”

It was only that night after my daughter was in bed that I had a proper cry. Delayed reaction, being comfortable at home and safe, and just processing it.

Now, over a week out - I'm sad it didn't work out as planned, but given the people I met and what we all bore witness to that night, I have no regrets whatsoever.

*

Three days after and the compensation plan was released.

See Rockster929's post for details, Weibo link, and screencapped translation

Wow. I mean wow. He's under no obligation to do so. Ticket refunds, sure. Travel and hotel? This is going to cost him and his studio a small fortune. All to do what he believes is the right thing. I went and saw friends this week who all knew how much I'd been looking forward to the concert. I gave them the details, and one of them said that Zhou Shen was a ‘class act’ to have both come out on stage and for offering the compensation package.

And these two articles (thank you as always Rockster929) are an excellent summation of what happened and why, from the perspective of the music industry, this was quite something. I didn't appreciate just how poorly audiences can be treated by the industry and artists alike.

Link to thread

Hong Kong Economic Journal - screencap plus translation

Not Zhou Shen though. It isn't just his talent the draws fans - it's his character. It's his dedication and commitment not just to musical excellence but also to the highest levels of professionalism and to his relationship with his fans.

It's taken me over a week to write this all down - work has been busy, parenting is always busy, and we're about to go on a longish holiday overseas to see my family. And wanting to be sure I've caught a lot of what happened. Trying to give a sense of how it was. A few things happend since: Zhou Shen posted a selfie on Weibo (see below) and his team have a general update on his health. No performances (very rare for him but understandable) and one new song but two pieces of news have come out: that four of his songs have been selected for inclusion in Chinese school children's music books, and that Shenself was, in 2024, the 11th best selling album across the globe. This is all marvelous and I hope provided Zhou Shen with some moments of joy over the last week. Us fans were certainly pleased on his behalf. And plans are still going ahead for the rest of his world tour - Las Vegas is now days away (he might well be winging his way there already) and the dates and venues for his Australian stops have been released. Crushing as this was, what was meant to be his first solo concert outside China, his career is still going very very strong. We have plenty of reasons to be happy as fans and for him.

The way I want to conclude is with some reflections on the events - I wrote these fairly soon after and they still stand.

That night as he spoke, many people called it to him meiguanxi, 没关系。It doesn't matter, it's ok. His response: “I know it matters.” Naturally we want to say this when someone so sincerely apologises, especially for something that wasn't fully in their control. The urge to reassure is strong. But I think he's right. Of course it matters. So much effort was made on all sides - from his crew, the musicians, the dancers - the amount of organisation that a huge event takes and the multiple working parts that have to all come together to make it happen. From the fans, who had to arrange and pay for flights, trains, hotel rooms, visas, and asking for time off work, arranging caring duties for dependents, and a host of other things that I’ve not considered when making plans to get to see and listen to someone you love, you adore. And for Zhou Shen himself, who would have put his all into preparations, planning, rehearsals, encouraging him team - and then at the end to go through all those medical treatments to try and pull through so he could perform for us. It absolutely matters. Our shared sadness and disappointment matters.

And (important that it's ‘and’ not ‘but’):

What matters more is that Zhou Shen is ok. That he looks after not only his voice, his precious instrument that brought us all there that evening, but also his own heart and mind. What matters more is that he looks after himself so he can sing again - both for his fans, and also for his own sake. This is a young man who has battered off ‘what would you do if weren’t a singer’ questions with what essentially amounts to ‘the alternative is unthinkable’. While we're all disappointed - Zhou Shen I believe most of all - after all that effort, the disappointment is for the circumstance, not in Zhou Shen. Not one little bit. On the off chance he ever reads this, he needs to know that he has nothing to feel guilty about. That’s my biggest fear for him. That this will haunt him far longer than it should. We all know this was the right decision. We all know he tried so so hard, threw every treatment the doctors could think of. If he could have made it work, he would have. But Zhou Shen has to protect his voice. The alternative would have been truly unthinkable.

And:

There are worse things that happen. The train delays I mentioned above were due to a death on the train line. I’m 90% certain it was suicide - they’re sadly common on the line I use. Someone and their loved ones had a far worse day than any of us. When I woke up the next morning in the hotel room, I read a diary article from of one of the climate change protestors who has been landed in prison for 4 years, writing about conditions that don’t read like they have a place in a just and fair society. And you just have to read the news to know that there are far far worse things.

And:

It still matters. Zhou Shen has been the soundtrack to so many people’s lives and has inspired and support and helped people pull through challenging, difficult times. He himself is an inspiring human being who so many, including me, look to as a role model. This whole incident is surely an example of that.

And:

While we were sad for ourselves, our hearts were right there with Zhou Shen, who bravely stood in front of us to tell us why he made the decision. As others have since pointed out, he could have just made a video. Instead, he came in person, in a cold London night while unwell and let his voice stumble and croak while he cried his way through it all. Not many people could do that.

But:

That's who he is.

So, in conclusion, and on the off chance he ever reads this:

Shenshen, look after yourself. Please rest and recovery fully. May we meet again. Best of luck for the rest of your tour. 加油！

[vanessalocke]

Why is official APH France an underrated character?

Today, I would like to repost a post about France that I wrote a long time ago. Please note that this post does not reflect my current views. Next, this is considered my personal blog, so if you disagree, please click back. And this post will only talk about what I (used to) felt about France in the official version, not exactly the France in my current headcanon and fanfic (even though that is the foundation for today).

.

[This post is controversial and has a personal opinion. If you disagree, just skip over it. But also because this post is mainly to express my secret thoughts that I don't dare tell anyone, so it's completely hypothetical]

Okay, this is a post about why I like APH France, and why I don't see him the way most people see him.

In short, because his aura looks very bright and when he smiles he is very cute (like the photo below).

I wonder when I fell in love with him, because it's been so many years, I can't remember. I will never be able to remember exactly how I fell.

Yeah pretty sure when people first watch Hetalia everyone thinks he's the typical sweet badboy, some people even say he's ex f^ck boiz and I'm no exception. But... damn, the more I follow this guy, the more I see his stereotype being wrong.

At this point it should be noted that when I talk about APH France, I am talking about France from 2011 onwards. It must be clarified that in the early days of APH, Hima's expression was quite dark. Maybe at that time Hima drew APH to be satirical or something, so not only was the plot quite ironic at times (and a lot of times he was sarcastic wrongly) but also the characters he built were very... But c'mon, MORE THAN 10 years have passed, just 1 year is enough to change people's way of thinking, let alone 10 years. Not to mention, APH does not have a specific plot or spirit to be consistent from beginning to end, so the later APH compared to the first APH has a completely different atmosphere and attitude, otherwise I want to say that APH has almost transformed into a new shape and only takes the first period as the root to develop. APH later became much gentler, lovely and brighter.

(When I wrote these lines, I still liked APH so I still defended it. Oh, what beautiful old days)

And I'll say it straight out that I didn't like the early APH. I also didn't like the way Hima built his characters in the early stages.

Okay, back to the main point. France is a very special character in APH. Why do I say France, not Italy - the central character, Germany - the king carrying the team, or Japan - the artist’s mother country? That's because when I read the early APH comics, I had a pretty clear feeling that the artist didn't like France.

It's not that he hated him, but he didn't like him and looked down on France a bit. Not to mention that Hetalia is strongly influenced by America's point of view and men often dislike France, think that French people are sissy. Basically, back then the way this artist looked at France was no different from the way everyone make memes "the white flag is the flag of France", "France is useless", etc. It was like everyone feels that this guy is very perverted, very annoying, very colorful, like a vase and can't do anything else. But like I said above, more than 10 years is a long process. Although the entire APH series does not have a consistent plot, Himaruya had a "development" in the way he views the main character he created. Partly because this is a series that takes references from real life and is not completely fiction, it is completely understandable for Hima to change the way he builds or even the perspective of his own character.

That's why later on France had a few solo episodes, all the deep emotions were attributed to France - something that is very contradictory to the "dark humor" stories he drew about France in the beginning. I don't know if it was to "compensate" for Himaruya pushing France down too much before.

Anyway, that's about the background. Below I will list the reasons I like this character:

- As for the character's personality, as I said, France has a very bright aura. I'm not talking about literary history or French reforms in real life, but just in the main story alone, I can see that there's something very... intelligent about him. Not trivially clever, but intelligence like, knowing a lot and understanding deeply. The fact that he is sharp and intelligent is also confirmed by the strip where he holds a knife to Prussia's neck and laughs.

- Then there's the emotional aspect. From Jeanne d'Arc to Napoleon, it is completely obvious that France is a very emotional person, a bit childishly attached to those he loves. Yes, that's right, he always says "I'm the big brother of Europe" but when he's with people he loves, he's EXTREMELY childish, likes to act spoiled, likes to attract attention (For example, he was cheerfully excited when he was with Lisa or was chased by Napoleon).

- France's way of expressing emotions is very vivid. When he is angry, he will say that he is angry; When he feels sorry for himself, he bites the towel; If he likes attention, he acts like a clown;... but never once has he lost his temper to attack others just because he was hurt. I mean, from all the symptoms I've seen in France so far, I can determine that France can be arrogant, picky, and difficult to please, but I've never once felt like he lost control of himself.

- Yeah sure, when he broke into England's house, was talkative, wore a pink dress and had eyelashes, you can see that he no longer has any shame, but I like people like this. Funny, optimistic and extremely confident.

- He really likes to care and take care of others. This is based on:

1. He is very attached to his previous bosses (as mentioned above),

2, He cooks very well, people who like to cook and cook well are people who like to take care of and see joy from others,

3. On America's independence day, he not only patted America's head but also gave him the Statue of Liberty,

4, Italy often confides in France. France also works as a newscaster giving love advice to others, and he is one of the few people who not only is not afraid of Russia but even comes up to ask about the other person's health,

5. Do you remember the Christmas episode where England called and scolded France? That evening France was alone and looked down at Paris. In the episode about a soldier meeting France and wondering about the life and death of the nation, the ending is also a scene of France sitting and watching the flow of people passing by. France is not only proud of himself, he also loves being close to people and

6, I didn't include this but if you want to take an example from APH in the first few years, there is this scene: when England was so sick, France was really panicked and worried. Even without bringing a romantic perspective here, for me it is a genuine concern between human.

- He is mean, meticulous, and profiteering. Damn him. I don't understand how he can play with Spain. One person remembers that people owe him every penny, one person "Huh? Do I have debt? When did I owe it??"

- Actually... sometimes this guy's EQ is unexpectedly low, especially with things related to England. I don't know how, every time England shows a little interest in him, he always "?:D huh? What's going on? You're planning something with me, right? Let's get to the main point, why are you rambling on?". I don't know how many times Mr. Kirkland has sighed at this guy.

- He is only mean to other countries, but to ordinary people he is very gentle and loving. With women, he has distance but is not impolite.

- It looks radical but is actually extremely conservative. In fact, no matter how much his country reforms and changes, he always seems to be somewhat attached to the monarchy, always recalling his past. Not to mention that he is one of the oldest men in Europe, and he is always nostalgic for previous bosses. As an old man and a secret royalist, it can be expected that France is quite a conservative person.

- That's why the aristocratic blood is deeply ingrained in the personality. Except when he is in a joking mood, every scene of Hima drawing France always has something quite aristocratic. Not the type of strict and meticulous aristocrat like Austria, but the type of guy who wakes up and carries his messy hair out into the street but still looks beautiful.

- France has "an iron fist covered in velvet". He seems very easy-going and pleasant. There are many cases where others just need to beg him a little and he will give in. But in the cases where he said no, it meant no. When he is serious, he is very decisive and does not compromise. One time America broke down and asked for a drink, but he firmly refused (Yes, the fact that America doesn't know how to drink alcohol has been confirmed in official). When he met his idol's reincarnation, he disappeared completely after talking, leaving his idol to live her own life. When he collects debt from others, he is also very decisive LOL.

- He is very beautiful in a feminine way. Beautiful in a feminine way to the point of having to grow a beard and body hair to make people feel masculine. I bet he has endured sexual solicitation from old men.

- He has a lot of part-time jobs, from waiter to announcer to stylist. Was hired by England to be a chef at his place for a while => didn't go to work because of lack of money, but because he was multi-talented => liked to go on strike probably because he was "tired of being too good", because he is afraid that the world is not chaotic enough, because he is bored. He's not lazy, because if he was lazy he wouldn't go to work so much, and with his great body, I think he works out quite hard at the gym.

- Sometimes he's quite silly and weird. America just has a childish personality, but this guy is sometimes inexplicably euphoric. He cares too much about auxiliary things like clothes and hair accessories, but forgets about the main things. He argues with people about silly things. When he fights with people, he asks where the fabric comes from to make such beautiful clothes instead of focusing on fighting. When people asked his opinion, he always talked off topic. When people criticize him, he looks away, covers his ears, and whistles, "The weather is so beautiful today." He also raises dozens of silly birds.

In general, this man is not what he appears to be. He looks like a typical Don Juan but in reality he's mostly just an embellishment, seems mature but actually has a very childish temperament, seems to be sociable but is the type of person who can restore his own energy and doesn't need too much human attention. He doesn't seem to care about his appearance but is actually very proud. He seems heartless and shallow but is actually a thoughtful person. He likes to talk off topic, collect debts, drama queen- no, drama king. Extremely crazy and silly.

This guy's mind is so contradictory and complicated that the more I dig, the more interesting things I find.

And that's why Francis Bonnefoy is loved.

Ps: let me tell you a little about the Zodiac: Francis is a typical Pisces.

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics that are romantic comedies or have a rom com vibe to them as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Louis/Harry—

🧡 You Drive Me Crazy (but it feels alright) by MrsStylinson

(T, 102k, movie au) Bridget Jones' Diary AU.“Harry is not short for Harold,” he corrects, his voice as thick as molasses. He lowers his eyes to Louis’ sequined lapels, rubbing one between two fingers. “Is this small or extra small? It looks lovely.”

🧡 Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by @1diamondinthesun

(NR, 84k, movie au) the American high school AU loosely inspired by She's All That.

🧡 Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me) by @lululawrence

(NR, 82k, age difference) Louis wasn't planning on getting home and learning that Gemma's dad had gotten the house in the divorce and was dealing with things by focusing on work, the house, and his newly planted garden. It becomes obvious early on that Harry is a bit lost and Gemma is worried about him. To help both of them, Louis is more than happy to help Harry find himself again.

🧡 Let Our Hearts Collide by @crinkle-eyed-boo

(M, 76k, movie au) When Harry, a lonely transit worker, saves the life of the handsome commuter he's been secretly pining for, an innocent mistake results in Liam Payne's family believing that Harry is engaged to their son. A While You Were Sleeping AU

🧡 i must admit i thought i'd like to make you mine by @disgruntledkittenface

(M, 50k, girl direction) Blindsided and scrambling to save face, Louis lets herself get talked into a fake relationship with her new friend Harry. 

🧡 From Dust to Lust by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 45k, Australia) the one where Louis and Harry are fly-in-fly-out mine workers, coincidences are totally a thing, karaoke is an underrated form of foreplay, and the universe most definitely works in mysterious ways.

🧡 Love Isn't Always on Time by @softfonds

(E, 45k, movie au) Falling in love with your best friend sounds like a good idea, until he comes back from a work trip engaged to another man. A Made of Honor AU.

🧡 Until That Day by @kingsofeverything

(E, 44k, movie au) Hoping to witness Harry leave another groom at the altar, Louis heads to Holmes Chapel, where nothing goes as planned, and he finds himself falling for the serial heartbreaker. A Runaway Bride movie AU

🧡my only working remedy by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 42k, famous/not famous) His Team steps it up a notch when Harry is in between movies and they do a promo by launching the contest “Win a Date with Harry Styles!” Everything goes wrong for Harry's Team when the winner is a guy, Louis Tomlinson. 

🧡 crown me with your heart (your love is king) by @perfectdagger

(G, 41k, movie au) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Wedding au in which Harry is the Crown Prince of the small island of Eroda and Louis’ uncle is trying to take the throne from him, with a slight a/b/o twist and some more.

🧡 Set the Sky Alight, Oh Holy Night by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 33k, roommates) One house, five almost-strangers (plus Niall), six new beginnings.

🧡 From the Start by @allwaswell16

(E, 32k, fake relationship) Louis has no idea that one act of kindness will cause his life to spiral out of control. But that's what happens when his new friend fake proposes to him and a video of it goes viral.

🧡 Making Waves by @haztobegood

(E, 30k, movie au) the one where Louis can’t remember, Harry needs money, and Niall has a plan. An Overboard AU.

🧡 Supposed to Be by kikikryslee / @flamboyantommo

(M, 26k, movie au) the Geek Charming AU where Harry's a film geek, Louis' a popular jock, and they both need each other to get what they want.

🧡 Retiens la nuit by TeamLouis / @teamlouis2023

(E, 26k, movie au) Everything is too much for Harry. His exboyfriend, his job, his whole life actually. Flying across the globe to find a quiet place for Christmas holidays is exactly what he needs. The Holiday AU

🧡 And I’d Marry You Harry (Because You Forced Me) by @2tiedships2

(NR, 24k, movie au) The Proposal AU featuring Harry as Sandra Bullock, Louis as Ryan Reynolds, and all the fun a fake relationship and forced engagement can bring.

🧡 in the end I started thinking about the beginning by @infinitelymint

(E, 21k, wedding planner) When Louis returned from Malaysia to attend his best mate Zayn's wedding, he hadn't expected their wedding planner to be Harry Styles.

🧡 i'd never sing of love if it does not exist by wildestdreams / @lavendrhaze

(M, 20k, movie au) “This…,” Louis said. “Use each other for sex…at all hours of the day and nothing else.” or a No Strings Attached AU

🧡 Your secret's safe with me by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(M, 7k, royal) when Louis' favourite singer comes back and announces he's performing again, him and the rest of his group chat decide to go. When Haz, the man Louis' fallen in love with without meeting him, says that he can't, Louis tries his best to convince him with a drunken phone call, hearing his voice for the first time. 

—Rare Pairs—

🧡 Eight Days by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 22k, Liam/Louis) Louis and Liam got hitched in Vegas, completely forgot about it for more than a decade, and it comes back to bite them. Sort of.

🧡 I Got the Recipe (And It's Called Black Magic) by @fallinglikethis

(T, 10k, Liam/Louis) Louis needs to believe in love again, and with a little help from Almost-Liam Payne, Harry makes it happen.

[hotvintagepoll]

Charlotte Greenwood (Oklahoma, The Gang's All Here)—gotta submit Queen of the Dancing Scrungle charlotte greenwood! she was a lovely very tall lady, but when she gets dancing you know there's gonna be some scrungle on the floor 2nite

James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Public Enemy, White Heat, The Strawberry Blonde)—Whaddya mean I've gotta SUBMIT Cagney? You look up scrungly in the dictionary and there's a picture of him RIGHT THERE. He IS the scrungle. -SHORT KING 5'4 3/4 (1.65m) I could put him in my pocket -When he rolls down his car window (in Mayor of Hell) sticks his head out and makes some snarky comment (which I didn't hear because I was way too distracted) it's like struck by lightning, let me tell you -His hair is so wavy and sometimes it falls over his forehead and then I die a little -He plays The Public Enemy number one, everyone thinks of this as "the one with the grapefruit scene" but it is SO SO much more than that, it's also the one where he wears little striped pajamas -Multilingual (Yes, I'm the same person who submitted EGR and listed this earlier. Yes, this is a big thing for me.) He spoke Yiddish, guys and you can hear him speak it in a movie (Taxi) AND when the Warner Bros. tried to discuss him without him knowing they used Yiddish not realizing he'd understand everything -He talks so fast. Like. Staccatto. It's so fascinating -Loved animals & owned CHOW CHOWS (that's a very scrungly dog, c'mon) -Plays Bottom in Midsummer Night's Dream, that's the guy who gets turned into a DONKEY, nobody else could've played it like he did -Messed with Warner Bros. all the time, threatened to quit, told them he was going to go be a doctor instead -He does this little nose scrunch thing oh my god -Boy Meets Girl is a supremely underrated screw ball comedy and he has lots of silly little outfits in it and acts ridiculous the entire time -Was fascinated by farming and just puttered around on his tractor, like he's just a little guy! -There's a movie where he has a silly little mustache (I haven't seen it yet though) -They've dressed him up as bellhops, sailorsn cowboys and itty bitty gangsters [in movies] and frankly that should be enough -His first show biz job was a female dancer on the chorus line

This is round 1 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you're confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Charlotte Greenwood:

James Cagney:

James Cagney is such a scrungler. He could dance, he could sing, he embodied the gangster role, he was a short king, he had curly hair, what more could you possibly want?? Something about his face just feels so Looney Toons to me. He's like a little bug and I'm observing him through my magnifying glass. I'm obsessed with his hair and his scrunging demeanor!!! He's the most guy to me of all time. I tried to draw him once and completely failed. You could crumple him up like a tissue and watch him float away in the breeze.

Fanvid

A second fanvid

A third fanvid

He is the SCRUNGLIEST of gangsters, it’s the role that made him famous, and by god that’s for good reason. He also plays a peculiar little guy in musicals and occasionally westerns, all with a particular flavor of scruffy city rat energy that you can’t help but adore!