#i was working at music camp as always in july

[fishsticxz-art]

finally back home and properly rested so ive gathered enough energy to go back to artfight. @queijac/Queijac's olive!!!!!

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

I was just listening to a song I used to love while we were friends. I listened to it so often, we talked so often, it became the background music to our relationship.

I'm listening to it while I knit. I often forget that I started knitting because of you. I remembered tonight. It's strange, I never knitted anything for you. I've knitted for other loved ones, rarely for myself, but never for you. I remembered you showing me the amazing things you made, and I wished I could get to that level of skill. But at that time, you had to explain to me how to purl because I couldn't get it.

Everything reminds me of you in a terrible way. Everything I do is an echo of you. I started painting so that I could paint for you. I started knitting to bond with you. I hear your voice in the music I listen to. You're haunting the things that I love. Will I ever make a brush stroke or stitch without you on my mind?

[marlsswrites]

Summer camp AU, part 8!!

July 8th <3

Traditional - @jegulus-microfic - words: 797

First part Previous part

They were sat on their respective sides of the room, James on the left and Regulus on the right. James had a bored look on his face as he mindlessly flicked through his phone, Regulus with his face in a new book.

He flicked the page, the silence in the room suddenly too loud. He sniffed, flicking his eyes away from the book and towards James, who had resorted to attempting to flatten his hair, it wasn’t working.

“What are you doing?” Regulus chuckled.

“Does my hair look flat?” He asked desperately.

“No, it looks like a birds nest.” A groan. “I’m just being honest!”

James put the comb down and gave him a wonky smile. “I know.” He sighed and hung his head off the side of the bed, his hair now sticking straight up, Regulus resisted a laugh at the sight. “Can I ask something?”

“Depends what it is?” Regulus questioned, a quiver in his voice.

“When did you run away?” He got a weary look from Regulus. “I was just always curious why Sirius didn’t take you with him.”

He blinked slowly, it wasn’t an odd question to ask someone like him, yet coming from James it felt different. It was clearly something he’d been thinking about for a while, Regulus wanted to know why he cared so much though, judging as they met a mere few days ago.

Regulus stared at him for a moment, contemplating his next words, before he decided that James was the human embodiment of the sun, and could do no wrong even if he tried.

“I chose to stay.” James gave him an odd look. “Then as soon as I turned 18, I said goodbye to all of my parents traditional views, took the money they put away for me, and ran to Pandoras house.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Regulus snorted. “Now that’s enough of that.”

Letting out a chuckle, James nodded to him, now fishing out his laptop from under his pillow and going to stick a movie on, inviting Regulus over.

He smiled and walked over to the bed, watching as James chewed his lip in concentration as he picked a movie.

-

Don’t ask Regulus why he thought it would be a good idea to tell James to put a horror movie on, but it most definitely was the best idea he’s ever had.

“This one’s not even that scary!” He laughed out.

“Reg it’s two in the morning, and there’s a clown running around killing kids.” James gasped. “What the fuck!”

Regulus let out another snort, covering his mouth with his oversized jumper sleeve and watching as James’ eyes trailed pennywise on the screen.

“How are you laughing right now?” The older boy gave him a pointed look, turning his head to face Regulus, their noses close together and the dull light of the laptop illuminating James’ face.

Regulus coughed. “Don’t be such a wimp.”

Receiving a pout from James, he smirked in return.

Now they sat with nothing but the sound of the movie in the background, the occasional pitter patter of leaves blowing against the window and creak of the bed when either of them moved.

The scene now was quiet, the characters whispering and intense music building up. So Regulus positioned his lips right up against James ear and gave a short. “Boo.”

The James let out the highest pitched squeal known to man, jumping back and proceeding to glare at Regulus.

“That wasn’t funny!”

But Regulus was laughing, head thrown back against the wall, rosy aching cheeks and a lightness to his face that even he knew was rare.

James didn’t speak, Regulus looked over at him, smile still on his face as he raised a mocking eyebrow at the older boy. “You-“ He threw a pillow at Regulus. “Little shit.”

“Aw, but you like me.” Regulus spoke in a mimicking voice, blinking up at James. The brunette didn’t say another word, smiling and shaking his head fondly before looking back to the screen.

Regulus tried to avert his attention to the movie, he really did, but James looked so happy.

Yes, he looked good, jaw dropping gorgeous even. But it wasn’t just that, there was a kind twinkle in his eyes and a quirk to his lips, a genuine smile. Not the one he puts on for people, because he doesn’t have to do that with Regulus. It’s a sweet one, short, small, but sweet none the less.

He’d much rather watch James than the movie, he never realised just purely looking at someone be happy can bring him so much joy, bubbling up inside him and making him want to hold onto the smiling boy and never let go.

Next part

[finemealcreates]

S'mores

July 14: Family camping trip | candle

Clark double checks that they have everything packed up. He has all the suitcases, the tents, sleeping bags, flashlights, coolers, food, chairs—

“You’ve already double checked everything twice Dad,” Jon complains from inside the car. 

“I just want to be thorough,” Clark replies, placing a third checkmark next to every item on his list. 

“There’s being thorough and then there’s being a little obsessive,” Conner mutters from the middle seats, likely knowing Clark would hear it. 

“Hey, this is Danny’s first time camping with us. I wanna make sure everything goes well for him,” Clark replies quietly, knowing Danny is in the car and not wanting to embarrass him. 

Both his son and brother sigh in the car, but Clark can also practically hear them relenting. They want Danny to have a good time, too. 

Only after Clark is satisfied does he enter the car, smiling over at his cousin who has his switch out and is already playing some sort of game. 

“Ready Danny?” Clark asks, putting the key in the ignition. 

“Been ready to go for the past half hour, Clark,” Danny teases, pausing his game and turning to face Clark more head-on, a grin stretching along his face. 

“I just wanted to—”

“Be thorough, yeah yeah,” Danny replies sarcastically, good naturedly rolling his eyes. “You know there is such a thing as over packing and being too thorough, right?” 

Clark huffs and rolls his eyes back, grinning. 

Then, he begins the drive, turning on the radio to (quietly) play some music for the drive. 

“Batman’s rubbed off on him,” Conner whispers to Jon, causing the other boy to laugh. 

“Now that’s uncalled for,” Clark huffs under his breath, a smile still on his lips. 

“How long until we get to the campsite?” Danny asks, oblivious to the conversation the supers are having near him. 

“About an hour or two,” Clark answers happily. 

Danny hums while the other two groan. 

Usually, when they go camping, they just fly out to the campsite. It’s a secluded enough area that they can get away with not having a car. But since Danny’s coming with them this time, they can’t do that. 

Clark is used to long car rides, but the other two never had to deal with them much. They always complain about long car rides, but Clark refuses to budge. He always insists it builds character, but he knows that’s not why he makes them. Sometimes he makes them for appearances, like today. Other times he does it because he misses long car rides, and they’re always more fun with other people in the car with you. 

“So how’s your job going?” Clark prompts, hitting his turn signal as he merges onto the street, heading for the highway. 

Danny’s entire demeanor lights up as he sits up more in his seat.

“It’s amazing! The Goddard Space Flight Center is such a surreal place to work at. Did you know it’s the largest organization of engineers, scientists, and other technologists who build spacecraft, new technology, and instruments for NASA?” Danny questions, stars practically in his eyes. 

Clark smiles. He did know that, but he’s not gonna mention that. 

“Really?” Clark prompts. “Can you tell me anything you’re working on right now?” 

Danny smiles good naturedly. 

“Nothing that you can’t read about in our news articles,” Danny sing-songs. 

Clark puffs out his cheeks good-naturedly. 

“Dang, was hoping for an inside scoop for the planet,” Clark jokes. 

“I know, I know Mr. Reporter. Unfortunately all the NDA’s I signed say I can’t tell you much,” Danny teases. 

“Would’ve been nice to hear about all the new things NASA’s cooking from an Engineering Technician,” Clark sighs, winking at Danny. 

Danny rolls his eyes, but the grin stays on his face. 

“I can tell you that the Hubble has traced dark matter in the Dwarf Galaxy using stellar motions,” Danny offers, a smile wide on his face. 

“Oh yeah? How so?” Clark questions. 

“Well,” Danny starts, eyes getting sharp and focused, “some of our astronomers have been measuring the movement of stars in the Draco dwarf galaxy over the past 18 years. They’ve finally succeeded in making the currently most accurate three-dimensional understanding of the stars’ movement within that galaxy.”

Clark’s eyebrows raise slightly.

“That’s a long time,” Clark comments.

“Well, learning about space and getting accurate information is a marathon, not a sprint,” Danny replies. 

“That’s really cool, Danny,” Clark says with a smile. 

“Isn’t it?” Danny asks with amazement and wonder in his entire being. “I know that I don’t work with that directly, but man it’s so cool how we’re all working together to learn more about space and the world overall.” 

Clark smiles and hums in agreement. A part of Clark is saddened by the fact that Danny will never be able to go to the stars in the way he wanted to when they were younger. But after the lab incident that hospitalized Danny, his body was never the same. Not fully. 

“I think you’re doing great work, Danny. Even if you can’t tell me about it,” Clark states with a smile. “I can’t wait to read about the things you’ve worked on in the future.” 

Danny grins brighter under Clark’s gaze, tapping his feet lightly against the floor of the car and simultaneously tapping both knees. 

“I can’t wait for you guys to see what we’ve been working on! It’s revolutionary!” Danny admits. 

Clark’s grin grows. 

Bruce apparently knew what they were working on, which made sense since Wayne Enterprise had teamed up with NASA for this particular project. The man had been tight-lipped about what the project was, but had told the Justice League that if all went well, the Watchtower would be getting some major upgrades. 

“I don’t doubt it,” Clark replies. 

“But enough about me and space,” Danny dismisses. “Talk to me about what you’ve been working on, Clark? I always read your articles when I get the chance.” 

Clark smiles proudly, glad that his cousin is reading the articles he writes. Even if not all the articles are particularly exciting. 

“Well, I’m currently working on an article about different businesses in Delaware that have taken to using AI versus ones that haven’t, and its impact on those businesses.”

Danny raises a brow, interest coloring his features. 

“Oh?” Danny noises. “And can you tell me anything about what you’ve found?” 

Clark gives Danny a sly smile. 

“You can read all about it when the article comes out,” Clark teases. 

Danny groans good naturedly, rolling his eyes. 

“Hardy har har,” Danny responds sarcastically. 

“I can tell you that we’re publishing the entries from the contest we hosted,” Clark replies with a proud smile. 

“Really?” Danny asks, attention fully grabbed. “Which contest?” 

“Delaware Student Articles,” Clark answers. “It was a contest we held where students wrote articles and submitted them to be published. Could be anything from local to world news. We’re publishing the top 10 winners.” 

Danny’s eyes widen some more in interest. 

“How many submissions did you get?” Danny questions. 

“Over twenty-five thousand,” Clark responds. 

“That’s amazing!” Danny exclaims, bouncing slightly in his seat. 

“Isn’t it?” Clark replies with his own matching smile. 

“Really, Clark, I think it’s cool you get to do such an amazing job that you’re so passionate about,” Danny says, serious with joy coloring his tone. 

“I’m glad you get to do the same,” Clark returns, honest. “We both got incredibly lucky with our jobs.” 

“We did,” Danny agrees, humming slightly. “Enough about work, though. Tell me about Lois, how is my favorite cousin doing?” 

Clark rolls his eyes good-naturedly, but goes with the topic change. 

The rest of the car ride is filled with conversations about their personal lives, how family is doing, and everything they’ve missed since they last saw each other a few months ago. 

Before he knows it, they’re at the campsite. It throws Clark off a little as he didn’t realize they’d been yapping for so long, but good conversation does make the time fly. 

“Alright, boys, we’re here!” Clark announces with a smile. 

“Finally,” Jon groans, unbuckling and jumping out of the car. 

The young boy runs around in a few circles, stretching his legs and getting used to being on two feet again. 

“So dramatic,” Conner huffs, unbuckling himself and exiting the car, stretching slightly. 

“Don’t you guys go camping semi-often?” Danny questions, unbuckling and opening the car door. “You’d think they hardly ever go on long car rides.” 

Clark chuckles, covering the slight nervousness he feels at Danny being so observant. 

“They still haven’t adjusted to it. They get too antsy and cramped,” Clark lies smoothly, exiting the car himself. 

“Makes sense,” Danny mutters, leaving his things in the car as he begins to help Clark unpack the car. 

Together, and with the other two’s help, they get the entire unpacked in record time. Well, in record time for doing it without a ton of use of their powers. Clark gave Jon a Look when he carried more than a normal twelve-year-old would typically be able to. 

“I haven’t camped in a while,” Danny admits as he and Clark work on getting the tent set up. 

Really, it’s Clark leading the assembly of it and giving Danny directions of where to stand and which pieces to slot together. 

“I can’t imagine not camping semi-regularly,” Clark says. “It’s so nice to get away from the hustle-and-bustle every once and a while.” 

Danny smiles teasingly at Clark, but Clark can also sense some … tension? Clark resists the urge to frown. 

“Can’t imagine why a small town boy like you likes to escape the city for a while,” Danny jokes. 

“You say that like you didn’t agree to join us,” Clark shoots back, smiling back at Danny. 

Danny shrugs, still smiling. 

Clark pretends not to notice the tension in Danny’s frame as they finish getting the tent set up. 

“When was the last time you went camping?” Clark inquires as they throw a tarp over the tent, just in case it rains. 

“Uh,” Danny starts, frowning as he thinks, “we went camping as a family back when I was a Freshman. It was Jazz’s idea, she thought I was too stressed out.” 

Clark’s eyebrows furrow. He wants to ask more questions, but he resists the urge as he takes note of how Danny is hunched in on himself. 

“Well, hopefully this is a fun experience for you,” Clark replies with a smile. 

Danny grins back. 

“If you packed stuff for s’mores, I’m sure it will be,” Danny assures. 

Clark laughs as he nods. 

“Wouldn’t be camping without ‘em.” 

⧍↟☾

After they cook and eat some hot dogs, they begin roasting s’mores. Jon keeps getting too overexcited and burns his marshmallows, but otherwise the marshmallows get turned into a light brown. 

“Thank you,” Danny says after everyone has made themselves s’mores. 

Clark smiles, looking at Danny confused. 

“For what?” 

Danny shrugs, offering a shy smile. 

“For bringing me with you guys. This is really … nice.” 

Clark’s smile softens as he gives his cousin a side hug. 

“Of course, Danny. Thank you for joining us,” Clark tells him honestly. 

“I’ll have to join you guys again,” Danny comments before taking a bite out of his s’more.

Clark’s smile widens with delight. 

“We’d love to have you join us again, any time,” Clark replies. 

Danny smiles widely. 

“That’d be great,” Danny responds.

Clark feels warmth fill him from the inside. He loves spending time with his family, and looks forward to spending more time with Danny.

[vital-information]

The camp aesthetic isn't dead. It's just doing what it's always done, waiting to be found and appreciated outside the mainstream of year-end lists and algorithms. Below, I've made a list of some prolific creators I see keeping it alive with two camp principles as guidance (apologies to Susan):

"Camp: doing more than is necessary with less than what you need." Zadie Smith, "Mark Bradford's Niagra"

"Decorative, 'amusing,' 'good theater,' witty in the right way, and likely to make heterosexual relationships look ridiculous." J.B. Priestley, "Block Thinking"

Julio Torres: the Salvadorian-American surrealist formerly of SNL

Los Espookys: a friend group uses special effects to fake paranormal activity to help rich people and government officials avoid their problems Problemista: an aspiring toy-maker must work for an art-world outcast played by Tilda Swinton to keep his visa Fantasmas: in a surreal NYC, Julio encounters a bunch of different people as he searches for a lost diamond oyster earring

Jojo Tichakorn: the Thai party-fiend with a love for the 90s and y2k

3 Will Be Free: Throuple escaping the mafia Mama Gogo: former diva inherits a male strip bar and has to make it successful The Warp Effect: High-schooler figures out what happened the night he blacked out when he wakes up ten years in the future Only Friends: Thai redux of Queer as Folk, updated for the current era The Heart Killers: Adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You and Taming of The Shrew but with gay hitmen and BDSM

Nida Manzoor: the Pakistani-British romantic punk feminist

Enterprice: two young entrepreneurs, Kazim and Jeremiah, try to escape the South London hustle and get their business, Speedi-kazz, off the ground We Are Lady Parts: an anxious med-student, Amina, finds herself drawn into an all-muslim punk girl band Polite Society: when her sister decides to give up on her dream and get married, teenager Ria tries to save her, Bollywood action-movie style

Cheewin Thanamin: gender-fluid Thai director making cringe euphoric

Make It Right: the queer messy love stories of a gaggle of highschool boys Secret Crush on You: an underdog friend group helps one member deal with his obsessive habits as he falls for a popular jock Bed Friend: A private guy has a one night stand with a casanova coworker he hates Playboyy: Investigating a missing twin, a pair of friends find themselves sucked off into the sex-work industry

Kunihiko Ikuhara: none of us knows what exactly it means

Revolutionary Girl Utena: girl arrives at a mysterious high school and has to sword fight her way to a girlfriend Penguindrum: saved from the brink of death by a spirit in a hat, a girl's brothers must repay their debt by retrieving a 'drum' with the help of some penguins Yurikuma Arashi: Two girl bears disguise themselves as humans and sneak over the city wall to enroll in school Sarazanmai: A musical in which a spirit that sucks souls out of anuses recruits three boys to help stop package theft

Kenny Ortega: gay white American brings camp to the kids on Disney Channel & Netflix Hocus Pocus: the annual favorite about the rebirth of the kid-killing Sanderson sister witches into a 90s suburban neighborhood High School Musical 1, 2, 3: How can a boy possibly like basketball and musical theater at the same time without ruining society? The Descendants 1, 2, 3: Made-for-tv cinemusicals about the children of Disney villains Julie and the Phantoms: lonely teenage girl without a mom forms a band with some gay ghost boys

Manolo Caro: Mexican showrunner who believes telenovelas can be even queerer

House of Flowers: a family reckons with their secrets and a faltering flower shop after the patriarch's passing Someone Has to Die: a conservative family in Franco regime Spain recalls their son from Mexico for an arranged marriage only to find he's brought a male dancer along as his companion Once Upon a Time (Happily Never After): musical comedy about reincarnated lovers who must fall in love to save a town's love lives Holy Family: the bond amongst a group of mothers turns dangerous as someone's past starts to catch up to them

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

Several Sentences Sunday

Thank you to @tizniz @theotherbuckley @your-catfish-friend @diazsdimples and @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove

Here is a little bit of what I've managed to write of the next chapter of Any Other Way :)

---

So, one sunny hot Tuesday in July, when Eddie shows up at Buck’s to pick up Christopher, only to find the two of them camped out in front of the apartment’s AC unit, each with a popsicle in hand - Buck’s red, Christopher’s bright pink - listening to pop music, playing Connect 4, he is reminded of just how much they need Buck, too. They don’t hear Eddie walk in through the apartment’s unlocked door - Buck has told him not to bother knocking while Maddie isn’t home - so their conversation continues where it was, as if he’s just a fly on the wall.

“You’re really good at games,” Chris is saying. “And you don’t always let me win. Tia Pepa always lets me win everything, it’s boring. My mom never did that.”

“Hmm,” Buck says, dropping a token in a slot. “Maddie never let me win all the time when I was little, either. Said it would make me better at the games we played and a better sport.”

“Did it work?” Chris asks.

Buck smirks. “Well, I always win at Scrabble, but I always lose at poker.”

“My mom loved Scrabble!” Chris announces. “I don’t know how to play.”

“I can teach you. I think there’s a kid-friendly version I can buy.”

“Yes, please!”

Eddie doesn’t know why this makes him want to cry. Just that it does. Just that it seems big and important in a way Eddie doesn’t have words for.

---

Tagging @pantsaretherealheroes @jeeyuns @aroeddiediaz @exhuastedpigeon @fionaswhvre

@steadfastsaturnsrings @mangacat201 @daughterofscotland @athenagranted @evanbegins

@wildlife4life @buckleybabyblues @adarkermiserablecrow @epicbuddieficrecs @fortheloveofbuddie

@watchyourbuck @buddieswhvre @l0v3t0hat3y0u @lyricfulloflight

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today - March 12th, 1974 - Queen Story!

Interview with Freddie Mercury – NME

by Julie Webb

It was clear for all to see that Queen’s Freddie Mercury wasn’t in the best of health. His hair lacked the recent attention of heated curling tongs; a cold sore was erupting above his upper lip; and horror – seems he’d not been able to summon enough strength to apply Biba black nail polish to more than one hand.

Mercury was worried as the camera lens zoomed in on him. He beseeched us to “touch up the picture to remove the cold sore if you can.”

I know it sounds like we’re setting the guy up, but he takes it all in good heart. Why, last time we met he stated he was “gay as a daffodil” – and here he was, willingly holding a daffodil in hand, outside Buckingham Palace. He posed regally, shirt temporarily coming unhitched from his trousers, revealing a hairy chest.

The British tour sapped most of the Mercury energy. Bedridden with laryngitis when it finished, he had just a few free days to repair any mental or physical damage before Queen joined Mott The Hoople on their two-month tour of America.

He is, in short pretty knackered – and if the American tour seems to be happening too soon after Britain, there’s no way he can change things.

I’d like a couple of weeks off, but you’ve got to push yourself. But we’re at a stage in our careers, my dear, where it’s just got to be done. I shall be resting on my laurels soon…”

He stops, considers the last remark and realises he may have said the wrong thing. Hurriedly he comes in with, “To put it another way, I shall try and reap my profits. I’ve worked my ass off these past few months. I’ve worked till I’ve dropped and after a while you physically can’t do it.”

Didn’t he think the British tour was a bit too busy, what with so many gigs included. “Yes it was a heavy tour, but it put us in a different bracket overnight. It’s a tour we had to do and I think now we’ve done it we can do the next British tour on our own terms, exactly how we like.

“With this tour we were booked in well beforehand at semi-big venues and, by the time we came to doing them, we had the album out, we’d got a bit of TV exposure and everything escalated. I think if we’d waited we could have done all the big venues – it’s just a matter of timing. But I’m glad we did the tour when we did. Even though there was a lot of physical and mental strain – so many things to worry about other than the music.”

A situation not improved by the fact that all members of Queen are, according to Mercury, “very highly strung”. Add to that his admitted bad temper. “I’m very emotional. Whereas before, I was given time to make my decisions, now nearly all of us are so highly strung we just snap. We always argue but I think it’s a healthy sign because we get to the root of the matter and squeeze the best out. But lately so much is happening, it’s escalating so fast that everybody wants to know almost instantly, and I certainly get very temperamental.”

“You’ve got to know where to draw the line. But the public always come first – it’s a corny thing to say but I mean it. Lately I’ve been throwing things around which is very unlike me. I threw a glass at someone the other day. I think I’m going to go mad in a few years time; I’m going to be one of those insane musicians.”

It’s at this point that I begin to wonder about Mercury. On stage he lords it around like some old slag. Offstage, he’s vain, camp – yet a nice enough dude.

He just has an unfortunate way with him during interviews, coming out with quotes and stories that are bound to be misconstrued or lay him wide open to mickey-taking. This could well account for some of the unkind press the band have received.

“I think, to an extent, we are a sitting target because we gained popularity quicker than most bands and we’ve been talked about more than any other band in the last month, so it’s inevitable. Briefly, I’d be the first one to accept fair criticism. I think it would be wrong if all we got were good reviews – but it’s when you get unfair, dishonest reviews where people haven’t done their homework that I get annoyed.” Unlike many British bands, they’ve waited until the time was right and are appearing on the same bill as Mott, who will assuredly pull in large crowds.

So the present and the future seem well assured I enquire about the past – like, what kind of family background does a guy like Mercury have?

“Middle-class. Musicians aren’t social rejects any more. If you mean; Have I got upper class parents who put a lot of money into me? Was I spoilt? – no. My parents were very strict. I wasn’t the only one, I’ve got a sister, I was at boarding school for nine years so I didn’t see my parents that often. That background helped me a lot because it taught me to fend for myself.”

Boarding school… if we are to believe stories that circulate about boarding schools – brutish behaviour, homosexual goings-on – well, the mind positively boggles in Freddie Mercury’s case.

I broach the subject…

“it’s stupid to say there is no such thing in boarding schools. All the things they say about them are more or less true. All the bullying and everything else. I’ve had the odd schoolmaster chasing me. It didn’t shock me because somehow boarding schools… you’re not confronted by it, you are just slowly aware of it. It’s going through life.”

So was he the pretty boy who everyone wanted to lay?

“Funnily enough, yes. Anybody goes through that. I was considered the arch poof.”

So how about being bent?

“You’re a crafty cow. Let’s put it this way, there were times when I was young and green. It’s a thing schoolboys go through. I’ve had my share of schoolboy pranks. I’m not going to elaborate further.”

Oh dear. And just when we were doing so well.

📸 Pic: 1974 - Freddie Mercury posing

[sweetbottletops]

We are experiencing Aya's villain origin story in real time.

Quite a different arrangement from when they had the RHCP fail for their first big concert "together". And while Aya would rather the short term upgrade from umbrella sharing to seat sharing with Mitsuki than have Narita there, I think he and Kanna are likely yuri enablers for the long haul.

Ch 81

Fuji Rock Festival '24. A real life festival and it seems like there's a lot of glamping that happens around it. I wonder how the Koga family does things. On a budget or all out?

Is Narita rich or something to make him think someone has festival tickets, lodging, and transportation money as teenager? And Aya, don't you have a full time job working for Mitsuki? They owe you.

This the most "dad" Uncle Joe has ever looked. What is with that festival...fit? Bucket hat...socks and sandals? NSYNC on top and RHCP on the bottom.

I feel like I should get this reference, but I'm all headachy today and should be in bed for my totality road trip, so right now it just sounds like she's either won a game show prize or possibly has been taken in as an apprentice.

"Was this manga always like this?" If you could only see inside Aya's mind, Mitsuki. It's been much much weirder.

Aya now has means, motive, and opportunity. Will we get a "and there was one tent" moment? Yuri Camp!

Boop your shoulder. You know festivals are really packed and scary at times. Better hold hands so you don't get lost.

Kanna thinks this is hilarious, but she hasn't seen Narita motion sick before.

Aya = Angry Mitsuki = Scared Joe = Annoyed Kanna = Trollolo

Has Narita even expressed what music he's into? He seemed more into fashion and relationship watching. Maybe that's actually what's got him excited. I assume he's going to be a helpful soundboard as Aya and Mitsuki hatch their separate plans to woo the other, but currently he's being the anti-tiny umbrella in this situation. That was not the thigh Aya wanted to be pressed against.

Now about this festival...how is the sleeping arrangement going to go down? Two tents? Two rooms? Boys vs Girls? Did Kanna's friends also hook them up with expensive lodgings?

It looks like we did a time jump to late July so she's really cutting to the chase at least. I like that we're going straight to a big event and heck, with four pages a week we could stay at the festival til real time July and I wouldn't mind.

[ryttu3k]

Thoughts on Space Babies and The Devil's Chord, in no particular order:

So we agree that the overarching storyline for this season is stories becoming real, yeah? Starts with invoking folklore at the end of the universe, is solidified with the Toymaker and his rules of play, used heavily in The Church on Ruby Road, and now children's fairytales and musicals? Fascinated to see where this is going!

Generally ridiculously camp and bonkers and you know what, I goddamn missed that. It had whimsy. It had space babies and musical battles! It was fun and ridiculous and just. Felt good, man.

And it also had far-future dystopias and reproductive horror and slow starvation and suffocation and refugees and a timeline of depression and nuclear winter simply to create the universe's biggest aeolian harp so, you know. Doctor Who is back, baby!

Space Babies

Okay the episode was pretty fun and, at times, sweet (they saved the monster!) but oy the CGI/voice acting for the babies was… not great XD;;

Rani reference!

RTD detractors: "Ew, fart jokes with the Slitheen, so immature." RTD, writing an elaborate snot joke that ends with a colossal projectile shart: "Watch this :D"

Okay yes the projectile shart to get the space station moving is one thing, but, uh. How is it going to stop? XD;;

The nanny filter made me giggle each time.

I actually had to go back and check because I was squinting at the readout trying to work out what's weird and somehow failed a spot check and missed the fact that it had started snowing. Good observational skills, self. Anyway, the snow is definitely a Message. (Is it snow? Like I agree that it's connected with the day Ruby was born, but is what's falling in the church scene snow to begin with?)

Do you. Do you think the butterfly can regenerate now.

The Devil's Chord

Oooh, a Pantheon! Love a Pantheon. There's mention of the One Who Waits, speculation on whether 'the Oldest One' was there the day Ruby was born, we already have the Toymaker -> Maestro line, so maybe we'll be getting others? Also, the way Maestro phrased something earlier was fascinating too - "the Lord Temporal who sealed my father in salt". The Lord Temporal. There's been a lot of references to how the Doctor isn't just a Time Lord, maybe they're part of the Pantheon too, as the personification of time? Regeneration and Time Lord society all coming from this base primordial being?

Anyway I goddamn adore Maestro.

I wonder if we'll get Susan at the end of this season? (See: last link of this section!)

July 2024? So that's a good six months of travelling unaccounted for! Big Finish just going 👀

Semi-related but Ruby saying she was born in 2004 gave me a Crisis. Rose was 19 in 2005 and born the same year as me. Yeah okay I am good with that! Martha born in either 1986 or 1984, yep, fine, all checks out. But now there's a companion who was born when I was already an adult how is that legal.

"He ripped my soul in two." Oof.

The sonic actually did something sonic!

"I thought it was non-diegetic!!" I have so many questions. The walls are getting thin. Yeah, especially the fourth! (Random thought: Doctor Who official ARG?)

Lennon-McCartney saves the world! (I still like Harrison's stuff better.)

Apparently Murray Gold had a cameo but I have no idea what he looks like so it went completely over my head lmao

Missed opportunity to play The Devil Went Down To Georgia or The Devil's Trill, although we did get Danse Macabre and Rhapsody in Blue (which I put on as soon as the episode finished)!

Fun fact about Danse Macabre: "The solo violin enters playing the tritone, which was known as the diabolus in musica ("the Devil in music") during the Medieval and Baroque eras, consisting of an A and an E♭—in an example of scordatura tuning, the violinist's E string has actually been tuned down to an E♭ to create the dissonant tritone." (People hated it when it premiered. It made them feel anxious. Which is... kind of appropriate.)

There's always a twist at the end~ (I thought it was little H.Arbringer, but who knows?)

[innytoes]

uhm... 👉👈 Ray hitman AU? maybe? if you were up for it? pretty pretty please? 🙏

-For those who don't know I made a shitpost about Ray being a hitman because I looked up housing prices in Los Feliz (and how medical debt works) and SIR HOW THE HELL DO YOU AFFORD THAT HOUSE ON A PHOTOGRAPHER'S SALARY.

-It starts when one of the Petal Pushers has a very abusive, stalker ex. She had tried everything, but even with a restraining order, it isn't enough. Law enforcement just shrugs and suggests she moves (again) after 'someone' breaks into her house, ransacks it and kills her cat.

-It's not like Rose and Ray meant to kill him. But it's what happens. They manage to make it look like an accident. They never tell Violet, but deep down she knows.

-Somehow word gets around and they suddenly have a booming side hustle of taking out abusive spouses, partners, exes, stalkers, etc.

-Ray starts to take on the most of the wet work, with Rose doing the research and being his alibi.

-He's always been a great shot. He won Rose so many stuffed animals at carnival shooting games that they had to start donating them to shelters.

-They do have very strict rules on who they work with and who their targets are. Ray gets very good at stalking people with a giant long distance tele-lens. Both the people who hire them (to make sure they're telling the truth) and the targets.

-The prices they charge vary, and they even have perfected the scheme of 'take out life insurance on him and we get half of the pay out' for people who are in a bad financial situation. Those are trickier because he has to make the deaths look like an accident.

-Listen I'm not saying a few of the plants in Rose's Plant Wall in the studio are toxic. Of course they aren't, they have children running around in there.

-The ones under the grow-light in the attic though....

-He tells everyone he's a photographer but really, he only knows how to work the tele-lens. Rose jokes he could become the world's greatest paparazzi if he wanted to.

-Rarely does he get up close and personal with the targets, but he did made an exception once when 'My Ex Is An Abusive Scumbag number 87' really, really wanted Ray to know the client was right by going after his kid from his first marriage, because his favourite target (their client) wasn't there to take his rage out on.

-He starts hitting the gym after that because it was a liiiiittle too close for comfort.

-As spoken by @floating-in-the-blue: THAT'S WHY HE'S SO FIRM.

-They buy a big house and have money to send the kids to summer camp and fancy music school and the likes. When people ask he just smiles and shrugs and said he signed an NDA so he can't talk about most of his Big Photography Clients.

-Carlos and Julie think their dad is the biggest goober and he totally is. He forgets where he put his phone because he's too busy with the 700 other details of his job. He can tell if any of the parts of his work-toolbox have been moved even a millimeter.

-Just imagine Reggie like: wow Ray really does a lot of research about his photography clients, I wonder if it's like an engagement shoot or something.

-IT WAS NOT AN ENGAGEMENT SHOOT. There was a shooting, though.

-He's a little shell-shocked but still follows Ray down to where he meets the client to promise her it's done, and she cries and tells him thank you and mentions some of the awful things the guy has done or threatened to do, and then he gets it.

-They stage it to look like a break-in gone wrong. Reggie helps knock some shit over when they're distracted like: he's a ghost there are no finger prints. He stays after Ray leaves and watches the woman 'come home' and call the cops. She's either a really good actress, or the tears are just more tears of relief.

-He's really, really glad the abusive guy didn't come back as a ghost though, that would have been so awkward.

-Reggie decides that Julie can never, ever know.

[hawkinsgirlnextdoor]

Being An Older Sister Figure to the Party

Headcanons for being an older sister to the party from seasons 1 to 3 (for now, I'll probably add more ideas that pop into my head, especially for season 4). I might even do a part two if someone requests it.

You’ve been babysitting Will since he was nine and as a result you’ve become very protective of him and his friends. 

You and Jonathan have always worked as a team to make Will feel accepted. You started coming over every weekend to watch movies or listen to music with the two of them, making sure that it was stuff that he liked. 

You listen carefully when Will tries to explain D&D to and you smile at the way he talks about “Will the Wise” and the adventures he goes on with his friends. Eventually Will’s party gives you a rundown of how to play and you participate sometimes (usually reading lines for an NPC Mike wrote beforehand).

Dustin and Lucas really like having you around. They always try to impress you with random references and facts that are pretty cringe-worthy but you find them charming. 

Even when Joyce couldn’t afford to pay you after Lonnie left you still stick around because you care about Will so much. It kills you to see how he and his friends get bullied and you try to help any way you can but it doesn’t always work. 

You and Joyce have always been really close and she treats you like a daughter. 

After Will came back from the upside down you visited him every day in the hospital and brought him a box full of his favorite things (art supplies, books, his favorite movies). 

You never really recover from what happened but you try to be a pillar of strength for him. 

When Max moves to Hawkins you quickly get wind of her home life. You make it your mission to make sure she has a place where she can feel comfortable, letting her stay over at your house whenever she needs a break from Billy or Niel. 

Max has never been traditionally “girly” but you help her feel comfortable in her femininity. Painting her nails, braiding her hair, taking her shopping for clothes because her mom is too overbearing, etc. 

She’s always struggled with finding positive female role models but you show her the strength in being vulnerable and tell her that she doesn’t have to act tough all the time.

When Steve Harrington enters the picture you’re a little skeptical. He never seemed like the kind of person who would spend his time worrying about anyone but himself and his asshole friends. You’re especially worried about Dustin trying to emulate him but soon enough you come around. He shows you that he cares about the kids just as much as you do even if its in a different way. You start to bond and anytime he worries about people still seeing him as “King Steve”, you assure him that he’s a great guy who’s doing his best. 

Eleven is your baby. After season two you make a point of treating her like a normal preteen girl. When she grows out her hair you buy her clips and look in every magazine to find hairstyles that she can wear. 

When Lucas and Max get together they break up constantly which leads to Lucas crying on your doorstep begging you to help him get her back. Lucas insists that he did it himself because he’s just that smooth (and he’s embarrassed about blubbering in your arms about missing Max). 

When Dustin comes back from camp you’re the only one who believes him about Suzie being his girlfriend. You even talk with her on Cerebro and quickly become pen pals. 

After season 3 you like to keep tabs on Erica. Mostly just to check if she’s having any problems sleeping after what happened on the Fourth of July, or sometimes just to hear her rant about her D&D character. 

You and Mike have an interesting relationship. He’s been Will’s best friend for as long as you remember and has been one of the only people who’s ever made him feel normal but at the same time he’s put that boy through the emotional wringer. 

He annoys you a lot of the time but at the end of the day you know he’s a good kid and who doesn’t have a lot of love in his life. 

Sometimes Mike comes to you about stuff he doesn’t tell anyone else. He sees you as one of the only older people in his life who won’t scold him for his mistakes. You always tease him or set him straight but at the end of the day you let him know you care.

You're the first person Will ever comes out to, and you make sure to guard that secret with your life.

At the end of the day all the kids love you and feel like they can come to you for anything, especially end-of-the-world stuff <3.

[esther-dot]

Hey, what do you think about the musical version of the Tourney of Harrenhal possibly spoiling certain upcoming book plots? It looks like the play might be out before WOW, and I wonder how that might play out? I feel like fans are going to lose their minds when their theories are or are not confirmed.

I’m still so incredulous about it I always have a “WHAT?!” reaction even though I know there's a play in the works. 😂 I first heard of this a couple years ago now (2021 with an expected 2023 debut) and they’ve switched the name from Harrenhal to the Iron Throne which made me wonder if they’re shifting the focus of the story, but then I realized, that’s prolly just a name recognition issue? You need something that says “GoT-related” as soon as you hear it, and they didn’t do enough with pre-canon stuff for the general public to immediately recognize Harrenhal. Although, I don't remember reading it was a musical. Do you have a source for that?

Your thought was my first reaction to hearing the news: THE SPOILERS.

But my second was, fuck me. GoT must have given enough way re: Rhaegar and Lyanna that Martin isn’t afraid to green light this. 😬 Obvy, I don't buy the complete whitewash they gave Rhaegar in GoT, but I def think we're not getting Robert's version of events. This was the official description I saw in 2021:

"The play will for the first time take audiences deeper behind the scenes of a landmark event that previously was shrouded in mystery. Featuring many of the most iconic and well-known characters from the series, the production will boast a story centered around love, vengeance, madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now." (link)

A very reasonable description as yeah, I do think we will be getting Lyanna's (short-lived perhaps) infatuation and decision to run away with Rhaegar. I mean, technically, the secrets and lies could be about Jon's identity? It's hard to know what all they’ll be covering, but the fact that they include the “madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy” bit should alert people to the fact that they aren’t getting the completely romanticized version of R/L either.

Here was Martin's July update:

Last week we had a great meeting with the producers on THE IRON THRONE, the stage play we’ve been working on the past few years.  The scripts for that one are coming along well, and it’s got me very excited.   (link)

Martin's December update:

And since we are talking theatre… one of the meetings I had in London was with Dominick and Duncan, the director and scriptwriter of our own stage play, the one we have been working on for the past few years. Originally we were calling it HARRENHAL, but we have now settled on THE IRON THRONE as a title… until we think of something better. Regardless, things are coming well, I think, and we are hopeful of being able to open in late 2024. Maybe. But you never know. There’s still a lot of work to be done. (link)

I don't think any camp will be particularly happy because I believe Martin has a more sympathetic view of Rhaegar than someone like me (I’m guessing he views this more as a genuine tragedy rather than my “fuck Rhaegar” stance), but the hardcore Targ fans aren’t gonna be thrilled either.

I’m not sure how seriously people will take it though. As in, GoT happened and most of the fandom rejects parts or all of the ending as coming from Martin, so I’m not sure that anything other than TWOW will shake anyone’s conviction. And for some, that won’t be changing their minds either 😂

[trashbag-baby666]

Everett Blakely HC’s from my hs au!!! Liked and reblogs highly appreciated!

MOTA Masterlist!

•Everett grew up as an army brat, his father a retired naval aviator. His step mom a lawyer and she certainly was more like a mom to him than his actual one.

•His dad’s originally from Minnesota his step mom from San Diego. They met there while he was stationed there, they fell in love, got married, had two kids. Everett absolutely adores his younger brother and sister.

•They’re a very hug oriented family.

•Everett smokes cigarettes because he wants to be a indie tumblr girl, okay?

•god forbid his parents ever find out…

•Beginning of junior year he started dating this girl named Ava. But it wasn’t a healthy relationship at all, she was manipulative, mean, isolated him, sometimes she would hit him.

•When she would hang out with the group she’d go as far as making fun of Johns stimming.

•Gale had a bit of a falling out with Everett because of her.

•God, he felt so alone and now none of his friends wanted to talk to him.

•Curt removed him from the friend group chat.

•When Dougie didn’t say anything everyone knew this was serious.

•Everett spent his summer between junior year and senior year pretty much alone. Besides when he was with Ava but you know that wasn’t positive attention.

• Everett: wanna hang later?

• Dougie: sorry gotta work.

•Things came to a halting stop one specific day at the end of July.

•Everett had confronted her about how she was treating his friends and him.

• “God, Everett I didn’t mean it like that. You’re so dramatic.”

• “I’m not dramatic you’re being an ass! Do you not understand why your ‘jokes’ are so hurtful? You have no idea what it’s like to be Bucky, so stop with your comments.”

• “It’s not my fault your friends are a bunch of fucking freaks and fags.”

•Everett had heard enough at this point. He’s telling her to get out and she’s grabbing her stuff but oh my god she will not stop talking. Everett literally grabs her arm and hauls her ass to the door and slams it in her face.

•The beginning of summer football camp in August was a shit show to say the least.

•Everyone was mad at Everett and they were all off their game.

•Chick and Jack pulled Everett into their office after the end of the first week. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but you should talk with Buck and get this is all sorted out.”

•Everett showed up at Gales house that night asking to talk. Upon seeing, no Ava Gale let him in.

•Curt’s sitting on the couch with Ken tucked into his arm and Meatball in his lap but he’s shooting daggers at him. “What the fuck is he doing here, Buck?”

•Gale lets Everett explain and defend himself. Johns smashed in between Gale and Curt playing with Gales fidget ring. He’s silent and he doesn’t think he can bring himself to make eye contact or talk.

•Everett kinda breaks down crying at the end and John just comes over and rubs his back before whispering a small, “it’s okay I forgive you.”

•The fact that Meatball went over to comfort Everett won over Curt a little bit but he’s still got a hell of a lot of more trust gaining to do.

•Him and James spend a lot of time just sitting in his truck quietly together while music plays and they eat snacks.

•James can see that Everett’s cigarette problem has only gotten increasingly worse.

•He can see the way that Everett has became so flinchy to touch. They were always just so playful and naturally touchy with each other.

•I’ve rambled long enough but we know that these two make out…

•okay they have a really good character development arc I promise!

•Asks open for any questions regarding these!!!!

-

-

Brought to you by military la la land @mangokitkats @ihearteugeneroe

[ahumanbeingtryingherbest]

MY LETTER TO YOUNG ROYALS

Still can't believe Young Royals is coming to an end! I've been watching this series from the very beginning (July 2021). It was incredible to watch, even if from behind a screen, the actors and the story grow and evolve. It's kind of hard realize how quickly time passed. When season 1 first aired I was 15 in a summer camps in the middle of the Swiss Alps. I listened to Olivia Rodrigo first album SOUR the day and watched the series the night hidden underneath the covers. That summer was magical, I was either giggling at the posts other fans made on Tumblr or reflecting on their clever analysis. In my summer camps I distinctly remember there were two swedish girls and me and other people who saw the series asked them so many questions about their country! It was also the summer I made my fist coming out to a group of absolute strangers :)

When season 2 aired I was 17 and at the start of my second year of high school. These time my daily soundtrack was directed by Taylor Swift's "Midnights", fist album who made me fall in love with Taylor's music and religiously listening to it on the bus while going to school. I wasn't exactly happy back then. I thought I had had a big life lesson and that now everything was going to be completely ok. Well, looking back I was also very wrong and I'd say naïve, but I got through it and I'm happy YR and Taylor kept me company during that period.

Now here we are, only one week left before season 3 airs. Still no new album I can enjoy with it, but Taylor's "The Tortureds Poet Department" will swifly (ahah) follow. I'm not stressed about the end (k maybe a bit), I'm already nostalgic looking back how much time passed and how much life and people grew and changed.

To be fair, I really dislike changements. Like, profoundly. For me the end of this series symbolizes a part of my adolescence ending. I'm growing up too. I don't really now what the future will reserve me, I just now that I'll always try to act with respect and love while finding my way.

It was an honor being there when this project started and I'm happy I get to see the end as well. Its not something everyone got to see so I'm glad I was there, even if only by watching and reading others reactions. I hope the actors will find other stimulating projects where they can contribute with their talent. I hope that Lisa is happy she got to tell her story, because we were definitely happy to hear it.

Finally, I want to end on a personal thought. I'm not an actor, I'm not a celebrity and even if I do want to make art and I do want it to be recognised by humanity I'm coming now to terms I don't think I will ever get to live the sort of "succes wave" these actors (around my age, mind you) experienced. I hope, I wonder if they're fine, I hope so. What I think it's just important to remember that these are human beings. I don't know about you but I feel kind of a sick movement to my stomach when I see people being obsessive, and I'm talking about myself as well when I catch myself wondering too much about them too.

These series spread a lot of beautiful message these years and will continue even after I'm sure. So a little note, always be respectful about others life and intimacy. Be curious, but don't be a stalker. Be a fan, but don't be obsessive (for your own good as well). Enjoy the present moment and express your enthusiasm for these people work!!

I hope I'll get to see more of them in the future, and about Lisa's works as well.

xxx G

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Hey music I have a question, with pop it seems that your going to do more than the canon everything happen at their first year of ua. Any advice on how to spread everything out between three years and not cramming everything in one year?

If you mean how to add extra things to canon without making it overwhelming:

First figure out where the 'lulls' are. I've complained about the timeline before but it is easy to see the lulls.

Week 1- then the USJ. From my plotting I figured out that the episode with Iida being president and the USJ covers at least two days, so USJ occuring later in the week works for this.

Then we have a few days off, then two weeks, boom sports festival. Then an unknown amount of days, the work placement. That lasts a week.

Sometime we have midterms, and then a jump to the end of the school semester. That's April to July for the Japanese system usually. Summer break is August, and then we start again.

So: April and May have events we know of, meaning you have at least one month of nothing going on that you can add things into.

I highly suggest not putting to much 'oh the LOV is moving' in because we know they're gathering forces for the summer camp.

For POP: Magical shenangians are planned during lulls. We have Jiro and Kaminari with their storm sorcery, at least Spinner being a dragonborn to explore, Izumi being sort of a bridge between worlds, and other stuff. Other then One HUGE plot point, the stuff going on is more: 'Jiro flew into a tree' and 'Madame Fairbraid lost some potions gotta find it' until canon stuff I'm editing occurs.

Really: I suggest keeping things lighthearted with a handful of big plot points. If you want to, changing the days the war occurs works as well.

Frankly: I always like the idea war starting in their second year then 'no still the first year' stuff more, which gives you breathing room. As POP will have the war go off the rails, it works.

The thing is: if you upset the plot enough things will not happen as they do. IE: Izumi's magic shenanigans means things happen more then not. Nezu wanting the magical people in one class also affects the plot.

So if you're worried about pacing: think about what will upset the plot more and focus on figuring out where things go from there. It'll help in the long run.

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson in Tampa, FL

Photos and Written by Romina Raggio

Louis Tomlinson is, and will always be, an absolute rockstar! Louis took Tampa by storm on Friday, July 14th at our very own Yuengling Center, located on the University of South Florida Campus, as part of his Faith in the Future World Tour. Dedicated fans with general admission floor tickets began lining up as early as 9am for their numbered wristbands, per the policy set forth by Louis' team to dissuade overnight camping. Later that day, they returned to line up in their places to enter the venue.

Once inside, fans were regaled by powerful and emotional ballads from the first opener, Andrew Cushin. At just 23 years old, Cushin puts on a show filled with passion and left fans absolutely floored! Next came a band by the name of "The Snuts". Originally from Scotland, the Snuts know how to put on a show. With high energy songs like "Seasons", fans were jumping around & filling the center with fun dance moves and smiles.

When it finally came time for Louis to take the stage, fans were absolutely brimming with anticipation. Fog and strobes filled the scene as the opening notes of Louis's song "The Greatest" began to play. Louis' band made their way out onto the stage, and the screams were deafening as we awaited the man himself. The crowd absolutely exploded as Louis finally appeared, and proceeded to put on one of the best shows I've ever seen!

When Louis began his performance, I was absolutely speechless. His voice is absolutely incredible, with the most beautiful and unique vocals of any vocalist I've ever heard. Louis sang his heart out, songs like "Bigger Than Me" and "Face The Music" from his latest album "Faith in the Future", while also bringing out some oldies from his debut album "Walls" with songs like "Kill My Mind" and "We Made It". Fans went absolutely nuts for Louis' cover of "505" by the Arctic Monkeys, and then completely lost it to Louis' new rock rendition of one of his earliest singles "Back to You" feat. Bebe Rexha. Louis sings each and every word with so much passion, and every one of his songs is an absolute work of art! Louis also takes every possible opportunity to thank his fans, saying time and time again that he wouldn’t be here if it weren't for them, and expressing just how much he loves them. At one point, Louis even took the time to sign a tattoo for a fan, a common request from his tattoo-obsessed fanbase. Louis was constantly cheesing at fans and looked to be having the absolute best time on stage, and we just couldn’t get enough of him!

As Louis' left the stage proceeding his final encore, something incredible happened. One particular fan in the crowd began belting out the lyrics to "No Control", a song by One Direction that is famously known to be written by Louis himself. The entire crowd then began singing along, me right along with them, serenading Louis backstage with this and another 2 songs from his One Direction days in a nostalgic sing-along. The camaraderie within the crowd was beautiful, and it was so touching to see music bringing fans together like this.

Louis then took the stage one final time, performing an acoustic "Saturdays" under one single glowing bulb, the iconic "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" by the one and only One Direction, and finally finishing off with an off the charts performance of "Silver Tongues". Fans at the barricade scrambled to get as close as possible when Louis climbed off stage and sang the final few lines from on top of the barricade itself. Louis pulled himself out of the crowd, said one final thank you, and left the stage. With that, Louis concluded his final Florida show date of his Faith in the Future World Tour.

I could not stop smiling throughout the entirety of this show, from the incredible openers to the iconic Louis Tomlinson. As a longtime fan, I'll never get tired of seeing Louis perform, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone! Louis was born to perform; From his early days as the lead in his school play of "Grease" to his chart topping years in One Direction, to now, taking his solo career to new heights every single day. It's only up from here for him, and fans and I alike cannot wait to see where he takes us next!

Louis Tomlinson, FITFWT23: TAMPA [14.7.2023] Part1. Photos Part 2, Part 3