#i’m not saying the media but iykyk

[hazypawz]

my Jacob horse has shipped and i feel crazy waiting for it,,,,, gimme boy,,,,

[overly-hubristic-mad-scientist]

We need to make superhero media silly again

[cherry-leclerc]

back to you ☆ cs55

genre: fluff, oldmoney!reader, strangers to lovers

word count: 3.1k

Fixated from the moment he first saw you, Carlos stays missing someone whom he never even properly met. But that all seems to change one night when you unexpectedly show up to a business dinner.

req!... i'm such a liar lmaooo (iykyk). hope you enjoy, my lil anons :) hope this heals some of the heartbreak we all endured today !!(*bashes head against keyboard*)

It almost seemed like you had something up your sleeve, a tactic to retrieve all of his attention away from the camera shoved right in front of him - media duties.

“Hello guys, just wanted to come on here to say that I think we gave it all we could during today’s race but there is definitely always room for improvement…” Blah, blah, blah. 

He can’t quite figure out what he’s saying because his brown eyes are attached to the pretty girl walking right in front of him. Not behind him, trying to catch up. Not besides him, begging for a photo. Nope, right in front of him as if you could care less that you have one of the most popular drivers to ever exist almost chasing after you. 

He could hear you mumbling about God knows what to the girl walking besides you. The Spaniard feels like a total creep when it comes to him becoming more alert to possibly catch your name. As you were saying? The media team manager stares back expectantly once Carlos blanks out. Though it wasn’t that unusual. 

The 29 year old flickers his gaze back to the camera and then back to where you were, only except, you’re gone. Out of sight and his heart stops for a nanosecond.

“Onto the next week. Vamos.”

-

“So then, you have your upcoming shoot for the new fireproofs, testing, stimulator - if we have time, interview at…” 

Carlos tunes out as he blinks at the never ending list as if it were just another Monday. Charles nods attentively, though he also looks far too uninterested. They were exhausted.

“And dinner tonight to meet our new sponsors.”

“Another one?” Charles asks, a slight crack in voice as he tries to pretend he wasn’t at all annoyed. “We just had one last night.”

Maria musters up a stern look. “Yes, again. They’re a lovely family, so we want to impress them with two well-behaved drivers.” The Ferrari boys swallow their laughter as they nod their heads. Got it. 

It takes all of Carlos’ remaining willpower to get ready for dinner that night. On the way to the small Italian restaurant, he second guesses even showing up. He could fake a fever. A sore throat. Shaking his head, he curses as he steps out of his custom Ferrari. 

“Oh good, I thought it was just going to be me,” Charles jokes as soon as he spots the Spaniard. Carlos chuckles before greeting the team. About 10 minutes go by before the Monegasque grows impatient as a child. I could have finished watching my movie.

“Shut up,” Fred murmurs before abruptly standing up from his seat. “Ah! È così bello rivedere finalmente te e la tua famiglia!” Choking on his champagne, Charles scrunches his nose before flying up and introducing himself. Carlos bites back a smile as he follows his lead. 

And there he sees you, standing elegantly with a silk dress that looks as soft as your skin. You’re smiling sweetly at everyone, stepping in to not just shake their hands, but also go in for a small hug. Your mother and father repeat the same action, though they later focus all of their attention on Fred and Maria. 

The Monegasque kicks his teammate’s shin. Carlos winces as he shoots fiery daggers. “We hit the jackpot.”

“What?”

Charles' shoulders drop theatrically. “Are you kidding me? Are we looking at the same girl right now or are you just blind?” 

But he did see you, and he never quite forgot about you since that day. He could feel the tips of his ear burn bright red as you made your way over to him and his teammate. Charles, so nice to meet you, the green eyed boy beams before going in for a hug. You smile from ear to ear.

“Nice to meet you, too! I must admit; I’m a little starstruck right now.” Charles blushes fast as he stutters his way around such a compliment, even if he’s received thousands of the same one before. “Ah, this is Carlos.”

“Hello,” he feels himself saying. “Carlos, nice to meet you.” As soon as you look up at him, his breath hitches and fears you might feel his sweaty palms flourishing against your soft ones. And if you do, you choose to ignore it as you share a small smile, the kind you share when you see someone after 15 years. 

The kind that seems forced.

“Ditto.”

With one last glance, you excuse yourself before making your way over to where your parents and Fred chatter about upcoming plans. Carlos blinks. “Wow. No hug,” Charles points out. “That’s weird. She was basically giving them out for free.” 

“Be quiet.” 

The remainder of the night you kept to yourself, occasionally inputting your own opinion with a polite smile drawn onto your fruit punch lips. Very well mannered, Fred would approve as you would bow your head with shyness. Carlos quirked a brow of curiosity. 

He wondered what he might’ve done wrong. Had he been too forward? Cold? Often, his parents would claim he could be like that sometimes, so maybe? He wasn’t clinging onto the fact that he was the only one who didn’t receive a warm greeting from you, but he was left with questions.

“E tu, tesoro?”

“What about me?” you repeat, hair fanning along your face like a shiny curtain. Maria chuckles. How do you feel about being a part of this new chapter? You think about it for a second before settling with the safest answer. “Very proud, there’s nothing better than tying links with such a superior team.” Fred roars with genuine laughter as he pats your father’s shoulder. Smart girl.

“Why fine jewelry?”

“Pardon?” 

The inquiry was directed towards your parents - who would clearly have the answer - but his eyes were trained on you, leaving you to fend for yourself. Lips part slowly as you connect with Carlos’ intense attention. “I’m curious, that’s all. I’m delighted we have you as our sponsors, but I was just wondering what made you dive into the business? Must be hard.”

Squinting your eyes, you click your tongue. It’s in our blood, your father’s voice cuts your train of thought. It’s what we do, what we love. But his warm gaze sticks to you like hot glue. You clear your throat before returning to your wide smile. 

“I think it’s safe to say that diamonds are beautiful. They are scarily so crystal clear that for a moment one might search for a trace of color. And then they do come in other colors, so it’s really no problem,” you say, soft chuckles circling the table. “But I believe it’s also safe to say that we don’t often think about how they got here, shining around many ring fingers.” Your mother approves as she shows her mind-blowing diamond cut. 

“Miners are the answer. They work hard - get their hands dirty - because they know that while it may not be easy to find such precious things…” His eyes roam your lips before dancing back up to your orbs. “It’s very well worth it.” Taking a sip from your glass of wine, you raise a brow. “That’s why.”

-

“It doesn’t even feel that tough to wear these pieces,” Charles squeaks as he slips on a white gold bracelet around his wrist. “They’re breathtaking.”

Clapping, you squeal at his words. For a moment, Carlos thinks about punching his teammate for getting to see your good side. They’re great, thank you again. You just tip your head towards him to confirm you heard, and slide away. Carlos sighs.

“This is ridiculous. She can’t even look at me.” The Spaniard bites his cheek. “Do you think she hates me?”

“For doing what?” Charles asks, face pinched with confusion. Carlos huffs, arms flying up.

“I have no idea!”

“Well…I don’t think so, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

“No.” He groans. “Can you picture how awkward that would be? There’s no way.”

“Suit yourself.”

-

Pouting, the brown eyed boy zigzags his way into the studio, mentally preparing himself for hours of blinding lights. “Buongiorno, Carlos!” Spotting your father with his arms wrapped around his wife, he walks over with a tired smile. How are you guys? “We’re fine, son, thank you for asking. Tell me, are you excited for this weekend?” He instantly stands up straighter.

“I am. The Tifosi are always great to be around. Gets hectic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

“I can imagine. My wife and daughter are always amped up when it’s finally Monza’s turn.” He hums, almost as if he’s reminiscing. “Tell you, my baby would beg for us to take her to cheer on her favorite drivers. It’s kind of a full circle moment so don’t mind if my wife gets emotional.”

“Stop,” your mother sniffles as she shares a grimace. Told you, your father mouths. Carlos laughs. 

“I completely get it, it must mean a lot to all three of you. Maybe that’s what makes this partnership work all the more.” Your fathers winks, large fingers wagging over at the Spaniard. Working over time. I respect it. 

“I see why my daughter likes you.”

Carlos halts. “Sorry?”

The older man pants, seeming comedically defeated. “Are you kidding me? She adores you! You've been her favorite driver since you joined Formula 1.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Her love towards the sport had a huge impact on us to join as sponsors, but to be fair, we probably still would have done it. Like I said, it holds a special place in our hearts.”

“Buongiorno,” your soft voice echoes, skipping happily to greet the Ferrari team. Everyone’s energy quickly picks up as you flow with such easiness, skirt wrapping around your waist, making you seem like the only flower in an empty garden. Talk to you in a bit, you cheer as you make your way up to your parents. You stop dead in your tracks as soon as you spot the grumpy brunette. Like always, he can physically see you create a wall around yourself, keeping you from him. He felt like the Beast drooling over the rose inside the glass. “Good morning, Carlos. Logo looks good,” you hum, dark red pedicure pointing at your last name printed onto his fireproof. “Can’t wait to see how it looks on Charles.”

His jaw ticks. “Why don’t I call him then?”

“That would be lovely.”

He’s jealous. Of course he fucking is. He might have found out your whole act is a facade but that didn’t stop him from feeling this way. He could have been your favorite at one point, but what about now? It sure as hell didn’t seem like it.

“She wants to see you.”

The Monegasque furrows his brows. Who? But as soon as he notices his teammates' sour face, he registers the reason for his bad mood. “Stop pouting. You look like you just sucked on a lemon.” Carlos shoots a deadpan expression. “This has gone too far. It’s obviously bothering you.”

“What? You nagging?”

“Okay, ouch.” The green eyed boy takes a small step towards the Spaniard. “You don’t like it that she’s ignoring you because you like her.”

Carlos jumps off the couch. “I do not!” Charles hums. 

“Oh shit, good, then I could ask her out.” He beams. “I wouldn’t want things to get weird between us.” Carlos' heart almost jumps out of his chest as he grows nauseous at the thought of you saying yes. He continues. “I’m telling you; I have a good feeling.” The brown eyed boy clenches his jaw. “It’s like this - I could see myself marrying her, having a baby heiress-”

“Okay fine, I like her!” He pants. “She drives me so fucking crazy. Whether she looks my way or not, she makes my head spin. Ever since I saw her at the Canada GP, she’s been imprinted into my brain like a lecture I’ve been told over and over, time and time again. It makes me sick that she seems to almost get sad when she’s around me. The way she can never look at me the way I’ve always looked at her. And I’m…” He looks down at his race boots. “I’m too afraid of ruining something that I don’t even have a chance at.”

The Monegasque pats him on the shoulder, lips stretched out into a teasing smirk. “Now, was it that hard to admit your feelings?”

-

It was that hard to admit his feelings. He thought about it for the first time since he met you. Confess everything that’s been locked away deep inside of him; claim his feelings like some kind of gold medal. But then he saw you radiating pure perfection and he would turn the other way. You hated him, he’s sure.

“Alright Carlos, push, now push.” 

He could taste it - sweet victory that he badly craved. If he played his cards right then he could get second place, which was pretty good in comparison to past results. 

The Spaniard tries to not feel too upset about coming in third and waves up at the Tifosi who let out blood curdling screams. Pride rushes through his veins as he walks onto the podium, he didn’t even mind all the attention. Especially the kind you were gifting him with.

The way you smile so big that your perfect teeth shine up at him, eyes crinkling like a love letter. Cheekbones slightly pink from cheering so loud but also from the bright sun. He swore he was on some kind of drug. 

Making his way back into the motorhome after all the interviews, he bumps into you and your parents. “Like it?” he asks as he displays his trophy. 

“Definitely,” your father beams. “You deserve it, son, enjoy it.” After a few more affirmations, he and your mother walk away. Brown orbs find your own. 

“Have fun?” He tries to ease his deep voice, to appear more outgoing, to not scare you away. And yet, you nod, looking down. 

“He’s right. You totally deserve it.” And for what seems like the first time, you bless him with your warm stare. “Felicidades, Carlos.” Pink paints his cheeks. You speak Spanish? Your eyes grow wide as you feverishly shake your head. “I-I- I don’t, but I’ve picked up on a few things here and there…”

“From me.” He tilts his head. “You actually pay attention to me.” 

You can’t help stutter like a broken record. “Of course-e, I ha-ave ears.” You show them off like a weak justification. “See?” you squeak. Playing with the hem of your dress - that had him swallowing a string of moans the moment you walked into the garage that morning - you slowly started backing away. “I should go now…” You point towards the sliding doors. “See you later?”

But he knew there would be no later. Fuck, this was the most you’ve spoken to him since, well, ever. He wouldn’t let that slip away so easily. Even if his heart got bruised along the way. 

“Did I do something for you to hate me?” 

Your brows narrow like a little kid. “You think I hate you?” 

“It’s okay if you do, I suppose, but I’m just lost as to where that happened? Did I-”

“I don’t hate you,” you softly speak up, eyes shut in disbelief that you’ve made him feel that way. You blink back at him. “I promise you, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Okay, he confirms.

“Why can’t you talk to me then like you do with everybody else? Why can’t you even spare me a passing glance?”

His voice sounds desperate now, he knows it, but he was desperate. Now you were embarrassed that he continues to bring up more and more of your poor behavior - but it was never intentional. You twirl a strand of your hair before releasing it.

“You intimidate me.” 

The Spaniard squeezed his fist around the trophy. For a moment, he thought he would dent the steel. Your stomach drops at the sight and he feels guilty for proving you right. He lets out a shaky breath. 

“I’m not a bad guy, y’know? I’m sure it may seem like it, but…” He licks his lips. “I’m not.”

Doe eyes flutter like butterfly wings. “I believe you, Carlos.”

“Good. Now, would you please tell me why you always escape when I’m around?” You softly curse as you pinch your hand for a second. 

“I wasn’t lying; you do intimidate me. But not in the way you might think.” Like an angel, you make your way closer. “You’re my favorite driver, you know that?” The Spaniard’s brown eyes grow wide. You laugh. “Ever since you-”

“Joined Formula 1.”

Your jaw drops. “My father ratted me out?” Panicking, you pace the room back and forth. You could only look at him for a couple of seconds before planting your stare at anywhere else that isn’t him. “I told him not to say anything! Oh God.” You let out a maniatic chuckle. “I swear it’s just a tiny crush, it’s not even that deep - I’ll get over it!”

Now it’s his turn to geek out. “You have a crush on me?” Crap, you groan, biting down on your nail. He didn’t mention that part, did he? Brown strands of hair shake back and forth as you sigh. 

“Forget I said anything, I am so sorry for making things awkward-”

“I’ve seen you before.” What? The 29 year old winces. “At the Canada GP. You were walking with a friend.” Synthia, you whisper to yourself. “I was being filmed for feedback on the race and you were about 5 steps in front of me.” You counted? “I said about - and for months, you were all I could think about. You sort of stuck to me like a nostalgic scent. I don’t know why I felt the need to talk to you, I mean, it’s never happened to me before. I looked away for a second and you were gone.” He shares a lopsided smile. “Then I saw you again.”

“And I blocked you out.” You bite your lip. “Shit, Carlos…I had no idea you felt this way.” He shrugs.

“It’s my fault. I never told you.” Still, you try to reason but he only brushes you off. “It’s not your fault.” 

“But it is,” you whimper. “I acted like a complete snob and belittled you.” Your heart breaks at the image. “And you’re telling me it’s been mutual all along?” 

“Looks like it. This is good though.” How? The brunette winks as he pulls you in. “Because now we do know and I can take you out sometime?” You quirk a brow.

“It works just like that?” 

He hums, comfortable with the two trophies pressed up against him. “Only if you want it to be like that.” You can practically hear your crazy heartbeat with the way he’s looking down at you - as if he’s just discovered a previously nonexisting star. With soft hands pressed onto his suit, your eyes twinkle.

“Just like that, then.”

[bxeckersz]

Paige Bueckers x Black Electric Guitarist!fem reader hcs

Warnings: uhh language idk man

A/N: saw a video of a girl playing ‘Me and your mama’ on the electric guitar and i damn near nutted so enjoy this.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

• loves when you play and learn songs for her on the guitar

| she arrived home after practice late at night, tired and sore. “Baby?” She calls out. “I’m in the room!” You yell back. “Hey” She smiles as she enters our room.

“Hi baby” You smile back as she gives you a kiss. “What’re you playing?” She asks, putting her bag on the bed. “I’m trying to learn a song for you. A new one” You smile, turning your attention back to the guitar.

“For me?” Paige smiles, wiggling her eyebrows. “Yeah” You giggle. “I can’t wait to hear it.” She says, kissing you lightly on your forehead. You smile as you grab your pick for the guitar. “I’m gonna go take a shower” She says, grabbing her towel. “Okay” You nod, letting your fingers go to work.

• Sometimes you try to teach her how to play (easy) songs on the guitar and it goes terribly wrong

• Loves watching you play, she thinks its the hottest thing ever

• Whenever she watches you play her focus is mainly on your fingers and how fast they go iykwim

• Your biggest supporter ever, #1 fan no matter what

• Whenever you post a video of you playing on tiktok or something she’s all up in your comments

| “My wife is so talented” “that’s my girl”

• Or is always responding to comments

| “Marry me”

“Boxing match rn”

• Gives you songs to learn and play

• Whenever you get frustrated with learning a new sing she helps you let all that pent up anger out iykyk

• Rockstar girlfriend life or no life for her

• Admires tf out of you

• always sneaking pictures of you while your playing

• She bought you a new guitar for your anniversary

• makes sure everyone knows that you play, no matter what.

| “My girlfriend plays the electric guitar and she’s really good at it”

• She has a necklace with a guitar pendant

• Always mentioning you in press conferences: interviews

• Whenever someone asks her who her favorite artist is she says you

| You and Paige were walking around Connecticut when she got stopped for an interview. They had asked her about 3 questions and they were finally on the last one.

“One last question for you. Uhm- who’s your favorite music artist?” The guy asks, pointing the mini mic at her. “My wife” She smirks, pointing at you. The guy smiles as he wraps the interview up.

• Always trying to get people to follow you on social media and what not

• Buys you everything you need first your guitars

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Thanks for reading all the way through!

Smb be my electric guitarist gf

[izvmimi]

cw: fluff. pop star!bakugou. prior breakup mention. based on the story behind the eyes, nose, lips mv, iykyk.

Even if you guys are closer than can be, your friends are typically more likely to text before they call, especially at this time of night, and less likely are they to accost you in a sudden video call the way they are now. You were asleep, just by stroke of luck waking up to the sound of your phone vibrating on your end table, too exhausted to put your phone on Do Not Disturb. It’s just a few minutes after midnight, 12:06 am to be exact, and when you pick up the phone, both of them appear frantic.

“Oh, thank God.”

“___, please tell me you’re away from a phone right now.”

“Dumbass, we’re literally calling her on the phone right now.”

“Don’t call me a dumbass.”

Still rubbing your eyes, you let out a sigh.

“Why did you two call me?” You’re still horizontal, trying to orient yourself while lowering your phone brightness. It’s entirely dark in your room, and you’ve been exhausted all day between errands and other activities, including a single 25 minute cry over your failed relationship.

It’s been 3 months since you and Katsuki split, and while you’ve overall been handling it quite well, intermittently the sadness overtakes you. After all, it was abrupt.

Dating a pop star was not all it’s cracked up to be, especially when it ends abruptly over a dinner you could never afford yourself with the words “take care of yourself, okay?” from a man you’d planned the rest of your life with. The last thing you’d asked him to do before that was to go public, and he’d been hesitant to, and you don’t know what happened between then and that night, because it all ended all too quickly, with you crying on the limo ride home. 

3 months later and you were almost over it until you chanced on a photo you’d forgotten to hide away in your digital memoirs and proceeded to sob.

“So uh… have you spoken to Katshole recently?”

You roll your eyes at the nickname your friend has given him, not bothering to tell her now to be nice. “No.”

It still annoys you. “Please stop calling him that.”

“Fine.”

Your other friend sighs.

“So uh, anyway, he dropped a video.” You raise your eyebrow.

“I mean, sure. Is the girl in it hot?” you ask. You pretend you haven’t been looking at his social media intermittently, trying to see if there was someone new in his life, but either way Katsuki prided himself on keeping his private life hidden away, so you wouldn’t be able to tell unless it was someone equally famous or advantageous to his career.

Your two friends both grimace at the same time. One says, “I mean yes, but not in the way you think.”

You blink.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You’re up and seated now, bedsheets pulled to your lap. You’ve minimized the video and are now typing his name into Google, and can see, indisputably, that he’s posted a new music video.

“Why did you guys wake me up for this?”

“Babe, listen to me carefully. If you’re not ready to get back together, do not click this video.”

Your heart thumps, while both of your friends watch you with bated breath, as your face contorts, trying to figure out what that means.

“I-”

“You’re in the video.”

You blink rapidly, your eyebrows still furrowed together, as your heart rate starts to pick up. Your mouth opens then closes.

You’re in the video.

“She’s done for,” one of your friends says, reading the look on your face, and sighs. “I’m gonna hang up, I’ll see you in the morning.”

All of you say your goodnights, and of course, you remain up, your face basking in the blue light of your cell phone, as you watch Katsuki’s urgent music video supposedly with you in it.

The video culminates in Katsuki, standing by a painted mural, and you recognize the photo, an image of your face from the first time he flew you out to paint in Italy, something that would have won any girl over just from the expense and planning, but won you over because he chose you as his model, because you can still remember how his lips parted as he mixed the right colors for your hair.

I’m sorry, please pick up my call, the video closes with the words written in his handwriting, and said with his voice, and you can feel the tears streaming down your face as you wordlessly cry.

And then your phone rings.

[blythsholland]

No More Secrets!

Pairing: Tom Blyth x Actress!reader

Warnings: None.

Summary: You join the cast of TBOSAS, sparks fly between you and Tom, and fans are quick to notice some things.

AN: For the sake of this social media au, let’s pretend spiderman: no way home was being filmed as well!

part 2

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

thehungergames posted a photo

liked by youruser, variety, tomblyth, zendaya and others.

thehungergames Rising Star @ youruser has joined the cast for the upcoming Hunger Games prequel: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, lead by Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler. Character details still unknown. (📸 Getty)

View all 2,345K comments

youruser I’m so happy and excited to join such wonderful cast! 🤍🤍🤍

tomblyth Welcome to the hunger games! 🐍🕊️

↪️ youruser Can’t wait to work with you! 🫶🏻

↪️ user The hands heart emoji… oh I ship it already!

rachelzegler Fans aren’t ready! 👀

userfan If I have to guess, I’d say she’s playing someone from the academy. Maybe even have a relationship with Coryo.

comment liked by youruser

↪️ youruser You just have to wait and see!🤫

user1 AHHHH IM SO HAPPY. I just know she’s going to be amazing in this!

youruser posted a photo

Liked by tomblyth, tomholland2013, jacobbatalon, zendaya and others.

youruser That’s a wrap on No Way Home! 🎬 Grateful for this amazing opportunity! Catch me in the FoS crew!!! Iykyk 🕸️🕷️

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zendaya I’m going to miss youuuu 🥺

↪️ youruser I’m gonna miss you too :(

jacobbatalon FoS crew let’s goooooo!! 🤙🏽

tomholland2013 now why would you post that pic of me giving the finger 😂

↪️ youruser your beautiful girlfriend told me to post and I follow orders!

↪️ zendaya you bet I did! sorry love @ tomholland2013 😂🩷

userfan1 FoS?!?!? What does that mean???

user @ userfan1 It means friends of spiderman. If you saw FFH they mention this towards the end!

blythloverrrr This is like the 4th consecutive post Tom has liked of youruser 👀

↪️ youruserfans1 right 👀 apparently he also liked one or two edits of her not too long ago.

↪️ blythloverrrr that’s interesting ✍🏼

youruserupdates_

liked by user1, blythloverrrr, userfan22, and others.

youruserupdates_ @ youruser posted on her story this morning on her way to Berlin . And surprise, a fan spotted Tom Blyth picking her up at the airport. The two of them shared a hug that looked very cozy. 👀

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blythloverrrr that’s a cozy hug indeed. ✍🏼

userfan2 relax guys, they’re just friends!

user1 @ userfan2 who’s saying they aren’t?

youruserfans okay but can we acknowledge the fact that he went to pick her up? that’s so sweet!

user23 I ship them idc!!!

user3 him liking almost all her posts, liking some of her edits and now he’s picking her up??? Something is happening idk. 🫢

blythfan can a guy and girl be just friends? let them be!

youruser posted a photo

liked by tomblyth, tomholland2013, zendaya, rachelzegler and others.

tagged: tomholland2013, zendaya, rachelzegler, tomblyth

youruser Life lately 🤍

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tomholland2013 gonna tell Sony to make that pic of me the official poster for nwh 😂

↪️ youruser you’re so unserious 😭

hunterschafer I’m going to meet you as soon as I get on set next week!

↪️ youruser YES PLEASE! 🥹

rachelzegler 🩷🩷🩷 that pic tho, tom can’t never be serious.

lionsgate Coriolanus snow, part time model!

user1 that pic of Tom belongs on an art museum!

blythloverrrr okay but the last pic??? Is everyone seeing this??? 👁️

user123 IS THAT TOM ON THE LAST PIC?? THE HAND HOLD??? THE ROSE???

user Yeah they’re definitely dating, I have no proof but I also have no doubts 👀

tomblyth 🤍🤍🤍

comment liked by youruser

↪️ youruser 🥰

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

part 2? 👀

If you want to be tagged let me know!!

[fanonical]

Don’t take this as someone hitting [X] for Doubt but why are people saying Gwen Stacy is canonically trans?

I’m not really a comic book enthusiast nor a marvel fan but I enjoy the Spider-verse movies and I love hidden/blink-and-you’ll-miss-it/iykyk representation in media as much as the next guy but I what did I miss in the second movie that led to this conclusion?

so first of all, Gwen has a trans flag hanging in her bedroom that says “PROTECT TRANS KIDS”. people are saying, well she could be an ally etc but are forgetting this isn’t like, a real person’s bedroom, it’s the bedroom of a fictional character where everything is placed there as a commentary on what type of person she is. in this case, it’s pretty clear to me she’s saying she is a trans kid. her dad even has the trans flag stitched into his uniform - i’ve never heard of a cop doing that unless they have a trans kid, and again, i think that’s pretty clearly what we’re supposed to take from that. finally, Gwen’s entire world and design is defined by the colours of the trans flag. if you pay attention to her outlines, backgrounds, the colour grading of the scenes she’s on, it is clearly and specifically the trans pride colours. sure, it’s also her costume’s colours, but with the trans pride flags it’s pretty obvious what we’re supposed to read these colours as, if anything it implies that’s why she chose those colours for her suit. finally, the Spider-Woman “coming out” and “returning home” sequences specifically are defined by these colour palettes. when Gwen explains being torn between being “just a normal girl” and the new moral panic in the news to her father, when she finally opens up about the decisions she made to kept who she was secret from him, the entire scene very obviously bleeds into the entire trans flag. Gwen’s hair, normally a dyed blonde & pink, is the trans flag, vibrant and passionate — truly who she really is.

it’s not even really that subtle? its really obvious especially if you watch the scene with this in mind, it literally bleeds in like water colours into the scene.

there’s also just plenty of other details. her narrative is one pretty identical to the experience of a trans girl coming out. her dad, normally loving and caring, is awful and hateful about just one thing — who she is, who she has been this whole time, who she’s hiding from him. and when she finally is forced to come out, he insists on this hatred. and she has to run away. to a group of people just like her, where she can crash on the couch of a punk instead of going back to her dad. but with time, he comes to accept her. he changes - it’s no coincidence that this is the scene with the trans flag watercolours.

also she shares a shoesize with Hobie lol

[blackynsupremacy]

If I were to cast more black women in “Smallville” : A Thread Part 1

(These actresses could be seen as side characters, recurring characters, love interests, guest stars or villains. They could even be used as face claims for OCs for any stories based in the 2000s-2010s! )

Disclaimer: These are MY opinions, inner thoughts, and head canons. I believe these women would’ve absolutely nailed a role in the series if they were given a chance back then. There’s nothing wrong about wanting to be represented in any media content such books, movies, and television shows that you enjoy, especially in genres such as sci-fi, fantasy, and period dramas. If you don’t like it, then keep scrolling! This page is basically a diary, so I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say.

1. Meagan Good

2. Kat Graham

3. Bianca Lawson

4. Cassie Ventura (she deserves better iykyk)

5. Christina Milian (Fun Fact: She has already guest starred in the series! 🥰)

6. Kelly Rowland

Part 2 coming tomorrow!

[burningvelvet]

I officially finished Pride and Prejudice yesterday! Some more rambles to add to the ongoing collection:

1 Learning that Wickham and Lydia are on the downward path I predicted is really satisfying for some reason. Just the image of the classic rake being forced to marry the unruly teen he had a fling with and then being forced to deal with the repercussions of his actions for the first time in his life — so good considering he seemingly believed he could partake in ruining her reputation and get away with it. And Lydia isn’t consciously suffering (although in reality, her prospects/reputation have indeed suffered) because she’s so oblivious to the misfortune around her that she thinks her life is much better than it is. It’s all just so true to life imo. Nothing is black-and-white. Every family has the worrisome trainwreck couple and these two are the perfect representation of that. Also, Wickham/Lydia give me major Byron/Claire Clairmont vibes (my fellow Romanticists iykyk).

2 Elizabeth’s conversation with Lady Catherine was so nerve-wracking. Elizabeth handled it so well, which surprised me. Toward the end of the novel I was getting a sense that Elizabeth had really come into her own self & seeing how expressive she became in comparison to some of the other women around her was very refreshing.

3 Elizabeth and Darcy’s long conversation while walking was actually cute, I can’t lie. I didn’t really find Darcy personally appealing at first, but he grew on me — which I’m aware was the intention — but due to the popularity of the romantic elements of the story in popular media and film adaptations, I was really surprised just how little Darcy and Elizabeth interacted if we take into account the entire length of the novel and how many actual conversations they had. It’s more realistic that way due to how things like travel, socializing, and marriage were conducted back then. I think for the sake of modern audiences and modern concepts of romance/etc., adaptations and maybe even fans themselves really overemphasize the romantic elements of the story. What I mean is that it is a love story, yes, but our concepts of love in the Anglosphere have changed a lot since Austen’s time. Adaptations reflect this change, although they also probably skew the reader’s reception of the original novel. Alternatively, the Georgian era was a bit more lively than we regularly think, which is seen by Wickham/Lydia’s rendezvous, and so we could also interpret the novel as containing more passion covertly hidden beneath the pages. There are a lot of ways to interpret the concepts of love/romance as shown in the novel.

4 Lydia is truly her mother’s daughter imo. I don’t have a thought-out argument to defend this opinion but it definitely showed that Lydia was her mother’s favorite and Elizabeth was her father’s favorite — and interestingly, they married two men who were enemies to each other, and diametrically opposed in personality. I think one of the biggest takeaways from the novel is that the Bennet parents were an ill-suited match and so their children are having this struggle of trying not to repeat the generational curse — in Lydia’s case she fails like her parents did, whereas Elizabeth and Jane manage well.

5 I routinely forgot that Mary Bennet existed. Like was she even in the novel or was I just zoning out every time she appeared? Lmao

6 Mr. Bennet sarcastically saying that he loves Wickham and Collins more than Darcy and Bingley because the former two amuse him more and give him free entertainment… same tbh!

7 It’s interesting how all the men and women function as foils for each other and represent various reactions to the system they live in. Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Bingley, Lady Catherine, Mrs. Gardiner, are all interesting to compare to each other, and Mr. Collins, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner are also in that way very neatly comparable.

8 I’m biased because I’ve studied Shakespeare but I really got a big Shakespeare vibe the entire time. I saw someone on here post that the novel may have been inspired by Much Ado specifically and I completely agree! I looked it up and there have been articles and academic papers writing about the influence of Shakespeare on Austen and P&P particularly, so we’re not alone here.

— Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would! If none of you have read it, or are only familiar with adaptations, definitely give it a try.

[probablyintensemuses]

INCOMING: A DESPERATE COLLEGE STUDENTS OATHBOUND PREDICTIONS!!!!

CC @mageofspace__ on IG

TRACY!! I JUST FELL TO MY KNEES IN THE MIDDLE OF WALMART! THE WHOLE GANG!! I’m so happy to see Valec, Alice, Will, & Mariah in the flesh like wtf! But while we are here, I want to talk about some of my Oathbound predictions…because I can. ❤️⚔️💙

P.S. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ LB OR BM I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT CONTINUE! Spoilers ahead!

• Okay first, I truly believe that Bree has had her squire and kingsmage all along, Nick and Sel. I mean just with the relationships between those three, there is no way it goes any other way.

also, Alice will wake from her coma and have somehow inherited powers from Will as she was LITERALLY breathing his aether signature in. Like I’m not 100% sure how that would work, but we’ve seen it in media before, take Monica Rambeau and Wanda’s hex for an example! Maybe that interaction with magic will awaken Alice's own unique magic too, or maybe it's closely related to Bree again how the Mesmer did too in LB.

Regardless, when she awakens I think bby girl will be given an even more important role in the finale of this series. Maybe like being Will's squire...

• it’s going to come out that not only is shadow daddy, IYKYK not spoiling for potential new readers who have no sense of self-preservation and are reading this anyways, is not only Sel's father but VALECHEZ’s! Like not only would that be pure comedy considering how they were at each other's NECKS in BM, but it makes sense as to why Sel was succumbing to his demonia so fast, faster than others, maybe because a little more demon than others…

•I think this new magic system that Tracy is cooking up is going to tap into Natasia and Faye’s relationship a bit more and even Sel and Bree’s.

I also think it’s going to be the solution to not only Sel’s demonia, but Bree’s bloodmark, and even abatement and all these fucking legendborn oaths. I mean think about the word OATH, practically meaning something one HAS to abide by. Vera took an oath of sorts with the blood mark “one daughter at a time for all time.” The legend born and their oath of service and all this, as I call it, greedy magic which shortens their life spans, the Merlins too! What if, just what if, Faye and Natasia found a way to combine both their forms of magic (root + aether + blood craft) and created something entirely new? Something so potent and powerful, defying these “oaths” or what you could call them, curses, to cure all these things…and what if since Bree is from Faye’s lineage, sel from Natasia, what if they can do it together too.

• I think we will learn more about the Morgaine. More on Nick….hmm. A lot of LB fans keep calling him boring, but with his mom's disappearance, and the fact that Tracy is too good of an author to simply leave his arc hanging, I don't trust it. Maybe he will even go rogue, I'm not too sure ATP, but don't sleep on Nick!

• Lastly for my final predictions…more like a pipe dream. I really, for the life of me, need Bree to pull a Wanda from episodes 8-9 of WandaVision with Shadow Daddy.

We know Bree is smart and clever, this ain’t new! So, I need her to take what she has learned from shadow daddy, and then pull a clean uno reverse, and get out of there! EXPEDITIOUSLY!

Then from there, I need her to find Sel and Nastia (preferably in some cute cabin in the woods, and Natasia needs to be a MILF) this revelation of Bree's survival prompts Natasia to discuss the above ^^^ She and Bree get to work! Sel is now cured and they can get these oaths removed!!! Once these oaths are removed, the REGENTS ARE TOAST, TOR TOO! Then we get to work on Camlann in book 4! Cuz that’s how tf Tracy does it! Period!!

THESE ARE JUST MY PREDICTIONS, NONE OF THESE ARE CANON!! All I have to say is I'm fucking so excited about this book and even though it's still two years out I'm trusting Tracy's expertise to bring us something DE-LI-CIOUS! Also is it too much to ask that if this is adapted for television to have it animated, we know how much Tracy loves and takes influence from anime... it's only fair, and I feel can make for a more accurate and dynamic visual medium.

That's all for now. PEACE.

[fuddbueckers]

Yeah I agree tbh I don't think they will hard launch I think they might just post each other a little more maybe like a little soft launch vibes like flau’jae and her bf but idk. I don’t think they will hard launch snd like u said they don’t owe the media or us anything. I just love them and want them to be happy 🥹 they deserve each other so much. I just think they won’t have to hide or be as careful acting like gfs when p gets drafted cause ik one of the main reasons they dont wanna say their tg or act like it on camera is cause they're on the same team (which makes sense ofc) and again they don’t owe anyone anything so as long as their happy I’m happy. Its also kinds like paige where everyone (smart people) just kinda know she’s gay lol she’s not gonna come out and say she’s gay but its just quite obvious that she is 😭 like the high snobiety interview where she said she knows the affect she has on the lgbt community lol plus she has implied that she likes girls before so again it’s like a iykyk situation lol

exactly it’ll kinda just be like iykyk i don’t think they will hard launch lol

[jacobsbadwig]

I have this long standing analysis of YA media dropping the ball on themes and consequences for its main characters giving them huge plot armor. What I realize the frustrating part about them is that often they are fantasy or fantasy adjacent, the authors accidentally create these huge worlds and severe problems and implications, but ironically, their main characters are separate from the world they inhabit via tone or their characteristics or mindset not aligning with the world (aka 21 century American mindset in a fantasy that takes place in 18th Russian analog iykyk)

Like Bella’s story being a romance while everyone else in a horror or gothic novel or pseudo vampire thriller or fantasy series is like odd as @panlight often points out mentioning SMeyers unwillingness to really lean into the vampire of it all. Honestly in a non first person story, this could be played for laughs to even be interesting.

(Never mind Smeyers surface understanding of the novels and plays, that she references as Bella’s favorite stories. As a former English teacher, her understanding and Bella’s understanding is in fact of someone who read some classics in high school but didn’t necessarily delve into the commentary and themes of the works focusing on the aesthetics of the romance rather than understanding what said purpose romance actually serves in the narrative as a critic or other wise. Insert ‘Smeyer doesn’t know what star crossed lovers means and refuses to learn rant)

Ironically, Bella having a romance in her world is portrayed as the exception when we look at other characters, even the uncivilized vampires, she is in fact the norm.

What makes Bella special other than her shield she gets at the end? She isn’t even the only one with great control. There are other hybrids. She is special because the text tells us she is. I’m not going to compare her to other female protagonists because my point isn’t about Bella as a character but rather how her narrative allows her to be special without really, really setting her apart from everyone else.

Just about everything the narrative says is specific to Bella’s story can be found in other characters backstories (that honestly don’t matter but do matter as a comparison that Bella is the exception to the rule rather than the example as I stated above.)

I think a lot of people cling to the Twilight saga (and other YA novels) but simultaneously desire more from the narrative because we want to feel special without doing the work, which isn’t wrong especially at a young age when you are finding yourself, but once we reach a level of maturity, we want our gifts and specialness to allow us to love ourselves and move in society as it drives our lives.

It’s why we cling to characters like Carlisle who doesn’t have known powers and has had series of trauma and has to actively rise above it. Or Jacob who is beaten by the narrative and should have been a symbol of how fate is myth and bullshit and circumstances may forge your path but choices and perseverance can alter it or make the path better.

I wanted to discuss @fuckmeyer Come Nightfall along with other Twilight reimaginings and how I feel as though, hers is the best damn thing we have. But while trying to write out my thoughts and why I feel as though I could never accomplish something like that, I ended writing this post after many posts about Star Wars. Honestly, I am reminded about two ideas: we are protagonist in our own stories and we are also side characters in others. Meaning we are chosen ones chosen for something greater but that doesn’t mean no one else is a chosen one.

Maybe that’s why I have out grown YA novels. Adulthood is in fact learning that you are hot shit but not always hot shit but other people also make sure your shit stays hot and you also make sure theirs stays hot too.

At the end of this thought process, I am left asking what was Bella actually chosen for. To be born a vampire? A Cullen vampire? A vampire in general? Edward’s wife and Renegades mother? Did she actually take the Volturi down (no but I’m posing the question) Or did she deny the call to what her purpose was.

If the last thing is true, then someone must rise to take her place.

I think Come Nightfall and other ideas answer this question and make it clearer that Bella chose her path rather than it being forced upon in a way the OG Twilight didn’t convince me. At the same time, fics and musing that pose other answers are just as compelling.

As for me, I believe Bella Swan denied her call arguably the call was declined for her the moment Edward entered the picture or maybe when she went to the Volturi (the Volturi of it all is for a other post but they should have killed her or turned her like WTF? Dumb). But also Bella Cullen’s only purpose in the narrative was to be Edward’s wife and Renesemes’s mother regardless of her earlier apprehensions.

[gay-dorito-dust]

Sooo I've been reading your re4 fics and I've been loving them! ✨️ I like how you depict Leon (ngl 👏🏾 that's my fav version of bb boi). While munchin at the re4 buffet table (thanks to the remake) I've been seeing drabbles/hc of Leon and current memes, but like Leon isn't gunna know any meme/joke past '98.

Not to speak bad about the posts. I truly love them and understand they're for comedic purposes. (The 🥚 post come on now 😽 delicious)

It just got me thinking (😏 iykyk), what memes do you think Leon would get? Like if reader or oc referenced a meme/joke that's an inkling past the 2000s, I think Leon (all vers) would either laugh/pity laugh () cause he doesn't get it or and tell you he doesn't get it and inquiring about it. Some of your re4 posts have a dash of humor in them, so that's why I asked.

Sorry for the long post. Take care and put your health first. ♥️✨️

(Sorry for any typos)

Firstly I want to thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to read my resident evil stuff, and I’m even more thankful that you like how I depict Leon. I honestly thought I would do shit. So once again, massive thank you for taking your time to read my stuff. 🦦

If anything this felt like an entire post about how little Leon knows about memes….tbh he probably called them ‘me me’ or ask why there was a second e in meme before you tell him that’s it silent.

That’s an excellent question and I know other people will have their opinions and I’d love to hear what others think, whether it’s the exact opposite of mine or other wise. I’m always open to hear out anyone and everyone.

So, I genuinely believe that Leon would have a better time with memes that are straightforward in what they’re about, compared to the ones where he’s expected to be up to date on modern forms of media.

His job doesn’t exactly grants him a lot of free time to catch up on everything that he’s missed that he might as well make a list like Steve Rogers does in Captain America: the winter soldier.

You’re absolutely right in saying that Leon would laugh and or pity laugh at some of the memes due to your differing senses of humour; though that is entirely dependant on what type of humour you’re into.

So if you’re one to likes memes along the lines of;

‘me and the boys,’

‘Is this a butterfly?’

Markiplier’s Farquaad ‘E’ meme

And the ‘tuxedo Winnie the Pooh’ meme (aka the ‘a fellow man of culture’ meme)

Then he will not get them at all and will need you to explain to him what the context of the memes were and why they were inherently funny to people nowadays.

Leon would defiantly do the age old ‘eye squint and moving the phone closer to him’ thing when looking at the memes you show him.

Bonus if the meme in question was poking fun at how people of an older generation reads memes.

I think he recognises some obscure meme that probably wasn’t even funny to begin with but is funny to him and he’d be like ‘I understood that reference.’

To me, Leon S. Kennedy is the Steve Rogers of memes, he doesn’t know many of them but once he does, he makes everyone aware that he does, whether by a snicker or outward acknowledgment.

This might just be me projecting but he’d torture Ashley with the infamous dad jokes. It doesn’t even matter if Leon like them himself, he just knows it annoys Ashley and he’s willing to continue doing it cuz he’s a little shit.

Ashley: I’m tired

Leon: hi tired, I’m Leon.

Ashley: 😒

Leon: 😎

Hate to be the one to say it but he probably likes those Facebook minion memes… I don’t know why but then again I’d say the same for Ethan Winters but that’s neither here nor there.

Overall thing to take away; Leon is a little cringe and likes minion memes, dad jokes, and the like. He’s got really shit taste in humour, plz help this man, he needs to be exposed to bigger and better things.

[primaviva]

Your post felt like those really popular 2020 K-pop videos on YouTube that were like “my unpopular K-pop opinions part 1” 💀 anyways SAY IT ALREADY

BAHAHA THATS ACTUALLY SO TRUE STOP I REMEMBER THOSE anyway unpopular opinion time!!! 😁😁

okay but like y’all can’t hate me….i don’t want miles and gwen to end up together but i do at the same time and you gonna know what i mean

JUST STICK WITH ME PLEASE im not tryna sound like those delulu fans ada and leon type shi… where people don’t want someone to be together for themselves like NO not like that

it’s just like for a while i feel like every time a piece of media comes out even if it’s not popular there’s always a love interest and i feel like not every story has to be a love story or involve one. and what REALLY got me thinking this was how originally in itsv, gwen and miles were supposed to kiss before they went into the portal and i was like why? like i can see their chemistry in the first film but the story can go the same way even with them as friends and when i see that in movies I’m like “did they really have to be love interests?”

MORE SO it’s just like every time a girl and a guy are friends in a movie or show it just feels like they always put a romance between them and it’s like yes, it makes good writing. are gwen and miles cute together? yes the dynamic between them is so good. but did it NEED to happen? like i just wanna see a film where a male and a female can be strong companions without a hinted at romance.

and just ignoring how impractical them being in a relationship across dimensions would be and how my the mcu logic if they were to be in a dimension for too long it would be like nwh all over again…. it just would’ve been nice if they were friends that built off one another but because they been edging this romance for 4 years or sum now i would be HEATEDDDDD if miles and gwen didn’t get together. and i have a strong feeling that they are gonna kiss in btsv or at least gonna kiss each other goodbye if miles finally leaves the spiderverse alone but it’s like UGH

i feel like nobody is gonna agree but im just so tired of people behind these big movies always making the male friend and the female friend have romantic feelings like i feel like it feeds the stigma that boys can’t be friends with girls or it’s always gonna lead to something more. tbh it just feels so hard to find a genuine friendship in shows or any type of of media that don’t show any hints of romance like yes it’s very realistic for miles to have a crush on gwen and her back BUT SHOULD THEY BE ENDGAME?? LIKE IM NOT SO SURE

i saw this btsv theory i loved about how like they think beyond the spiderverse is linked to the reveal that there are other verses beyond the spiderverse (obvi miguel and them ain’t know that) that aren’t link to every spiderman variant and all that and how they think the movie is gonna end with all of them accepting that they can’t keep messing with the multiverse and miles is gonna learn to let go and just say goodbye to all of them and how that’s gonna be his sacrifice having to choose his universe over all the others he been yearning to see esp gwen and peter idk i ain’t gonna explain it all so iykyk imma have to find the video

i fekt crazy writing this idk if anyone feels the same but i feel like the romance was unnecessary AND HOW COME EVERY TIME A BLACK PERSON IS A LEAD IN SOMETHING MAINSTREAM THE LOVE INTEREST IS MOST OF THE TIMES A WHITE WOMAN that’s a rant for another time bro

[tutuandscoot]

Let’s talk about this lift

~an essay

First, some brief history..

This is probably VM’s most iconic lift, along with ‘The Goose’, and to a lesser extent I would also say the curve lift in MR (the Prince Lift). I include that last one from an ‘iconic Olympic moments’ pov. It is often used in media packages for the Winter Olympics. It was one of the most iconic moments to come out of VM’s performance- because of the way it fit with the music, created a moment, electrified the crowd… it just became one of those things that you now picture when you hear Come What May, and a truly memorable moment from their skate- when you think of triumph and super human achievement that’s an image that comes to mind. It’s an Olympic lift. In that respect I place it in the same company as the two former lifts, however I wouldn’t give it the same VM specific, iconic to them status as the two former.

The difference with The Goose and this lift (which will be referred to from here on as the ‘Carmen Rotational lift’ (CR) as I hate that other name it was given) is The Goose was largely popularised within the skating community. [I may be wrong with this, I wasn’t around back then but from what I’ve understood and learned about their career/legacy]. (Also I’m not going to recite the whole passage about it’s creation from the book.. IYKYK). It was first performed in Pink Floyd. It was then used as one of the many, but maybe most memorable, highlight moments in Mahler. The fact that in Mahler she originally jumped out of it seemed mind blowing, then when it was changed to blindly falling back into his arms I think just added even more to it’s poetic beauty and mind boggling difficulty. This lift was made famous in 09/10 and was then retired from competitive programs. It became ‘their move’ not just of the season but of their careers among fans especially, and/or anyone who attended ice shows more than once. It’s an iconic move, but it largely stayed iconic within the confines of the skating community, maybe seen more now through FS edits on IG & TT.

The CR, debuted in the 12/13 season as the furious, passionate, violent climax to Carmen. Now this post isn’t about that program so I’ll keep this brief, as with all* their programs they were always able to create new, or modify lifts that were unique and deliberate for each character and storyline. Carmen as a piece is arguably the most raw and thematically dark program they ever did, and this lift, along with several smaller, nuanced moments throughout the program are such perfect embodiments of the specific character interactions they wanted to portray. It’s violent, it’s unexpected, it’s daring and death-defying… one slip on that exit and her head would smash the ice and she could be paralysed.

Moving onto this lift in MR..

Lets start by talking about the athletic and logistical nature of it.

As with everything they do, they make it look so easy. And as has been discussed many times, the reason they can do the lifts they do and make them so unique and seamless is because they play equal parts. It is not simply Scott lifting Tessa- she gets herself into and can hold herself in all types of bizarre positions effortlessly while Scott is the strongest, most secure male partner for her in the base/facilitator of the entry and exits of these lifts.

So let’s break this down. First, let’s talk about Tessa’s role

[WARNING: prefacing this for all readers that NO negative/crude/ comments/rbs will be tolerated, this is an educative/admirational essay. ALSO: discretion is advised for younger readers- adult themes will be discussed].

They prepare for the lift with just two backwards travelling synchronised crossovers, just two to gain a huge amount of speed to get up the momentum they need for T’s flip. She kicks her left leg up then forcefully (but not aggressively) digs her toe pick into the ice and immediately starts the twist and dives forward while still travelling at speed.

So now once she’s off the ice (which I guess is officially when the 7secs for the lift starts ?) is when it becomes mind boggling when you break it down. As she twists and flips, as she takes off she can’t really see him, she just knows he’s gonna catch her. She sees him briefly as she twists towards him but she’s in the air at this point so the lift can’t be aborted (side note: that’s the other thing with a lot of their lifts- they are so dangerous and physically demanding, there is often this kinda point of no return.. I’m sure they do, as we’ve seen in some practice footage, have emergency exit strategies if a lift doesn’t go right) but with this one, considering the speed and that they are travelling backwards, at least in this transitional part before she gets on his shoulders there’s kinda no going back.

What’s so interesting when you start to look at the detail of it.. she doesn’t just twist to flip forward and stays square, she continues to twist a bit because of where he has to step in and forward.. as she goes upside down, her body continues to twist slightly and her right arm gets left behind (1). Once he’s rotated her enough, she gets her right arm out from beside him so quickly and smoothly (2) and immediately starts to square up her shoulders and hips so as she sits up she’s as even as possible as to not throw off the rotation and sit on his shoulders evenly (3). Also while this is happening, she needs to be so specific with how wide she opens her legs. Too wide and she’ll slip off his shoulders, too narrow and he won’t be able to get his head in between. Also, partly due to the twist but also because he is stepping forward from her right side (once she’s twisted) she has to open her right leg slightly wider than left so timing wise it matches up to when he is stepping forward and he has that space as he’s coming from the back to be in line with her (4). The timing has to be perfect because if he steps forward too early he’ll hit her leg. Then once he’s in position she has to close her legs tight together- since that’s really the only point of contact/stabilisation for her throughout the rotation.

1. Upper body is twisted-hips slightly uneven, shoulders more so as right arm gets left behind. 2. Hips have evened up and right shoulder is brought forward. 3. Sit bones are even and right shoulder is (just about) square approaching top of the lift. 4. Right leg open further than left

Once she sitting up right- which she basically does all on her own, he is more or less acting as the pivot point for her hips and she rotates, there’s a little assistance with his left hand but it’s pretty much just her core strength. As she sits up, she has to not throw her upper body forward. She also has to be so careful not to use her legs to get her up because if she were to continue bending her knees and her skates go back, she could risk stabbing him in the back. So what she does to counter all that, is she does more of a ‘crunch’ motion- she lifts her knees up/brings her chest to her knees as she hunches forward, but keeps her hips very square and balanced as to not throw off the axis of the turn (5).

I feel like the Olympics version was the best version of this lift, because where as in other versions, some where she really hunched over but the weight was back (7), and others where she didn’t hunch over as much- she sat upright but she still held his head (6), what they achieved this final time was a balance of all of it. She got into that hunched over position and ‘grabbed’ his head right away- which I imagine just from a physics perspective, being in the tightest shape possible at the top of that lift is the most aerodynamic position. She also sat upright enough- or should I say she wasn’t hanging back on his shoulders - her thighs were at/close to a right angle.

5. Hunched over so her head is right above his. Curved spine for tighter ‘ball’ shape. Hips square- not hinging in an acute angle. Knees not physically moving but pressing upwards to counter knees and skates bending back. 6. Spine straight, only head bent forward and not touching his. 7. Hips at an acute angle, slipping/hanging back-knees bent over shoulders, skates uneven meaning hips aren’t square.

Lets break down Scott’s part in the lift before continuing:

So, as said before, they are skating backwards very fast, he quickly positions on himself in a spread eagle. I’d say it’s this position specifically so she has clear ice to dig her toe pick in for the flip-he could’ve traveled backwards in that parallel stance but would be in T’s way, also the SE position is more flattering and increases the difficulty of the lift.

Where I say she’s flipping blindly and just knowing he’s there, yes that is part of it, but if you look closely. Just before she goes he has just the tips of his fingers on the crest of her pelvis. I’d say that’s the ‘go’ signal (8). If you’ve seen the footage of WYWH where they had to abort the lift (I’m sorry I can’t find it to link) you will see he has his hand in this same ‘go’ position, but stops it by putting his other hand on her other hip. Now in a competition scenario (OF COURSE safety comes first) its not really possible to stop. So with a lift like this where it’s a blind entry and she just has to go.. they know each other so well they could have their eyes shut and he knows exactly when she’s going and knows she won’t hesitate, that’s the signal they use. So, as soon as she takes off his left hand position switches to being in front of her as she flips forward (9) and becomes that first pivot point across the front of her hips. Once she forward and moves past horizontal, his right hand comes over the top and pushes her back down and around. That hand isn’t really doing any lifting though. This whole thing isn’t really even a ‘lift’ (in terms of lifting her upwards, it’s a movement that results in her off the ice). The only point of weight baring contact is that left hand/arm and that only bares weight for not even 180 degrees of her rotation. That right hand then keeps contact with her and does a full pivot on her back to her hip to give her some assistance in getting up, and holds her steady as that the left hand switches from her front to her hip.

8. Light contact so she is aware of him spatially. Prepares to launch off toe pick. 9. As she flips his left hand moves in front of her across her pelvis to catch and establish pivot point. Right hand prepares to push and rotate her upper body.

THIS IS ALL BEFORE THEY’VE EVEN DONE HALF A ROTATION ON THE ICE!

Ok let’s keep going.. I’ll discuss both of their roles simultaneously from here on.

By the time she’s fully in position, they’ve already done a half rotaion, Meaning she has to do that sit up- getting past the hardest bit which is moving through horizontal, with that turning force pushing sideways and around her as she sits up. They only stay at the top of that lift for no more than 1 rotation, so it’s so important that she gets to that position and holds it as quick as possible and can spend as much time held there before changing position again so we see that image and it doesn’t just become all messy transitional movements.

Another important factor in making it work so well and would’ve taken so long to perfect, is he had to get his head right to the top of her legs before she sits up. This is what creates the visual everyone freaked out about, but it’s very important from a safety aspect that he does because as she sits up, she is gonna slide back a bit. Going from a position where there is no bend at the hips, to a hinged hip position, causes the thigh bones to slide backwards [try this for yourself- if you lay on the floor legs straight out and do a sit up/roll up, as you reach towards your toes you will feel your sit bones slide back, as you roll back down, you will notice you have shifted a few centimetres backward]. So here in this gif: the tops of her thighs, just under her sit bones get onto his shoulders as he gets his head in place (10) but as she sits up and hits that position, it’s more the middle of her thighs on his shoulders (11). This is important in creating that tight shape once she at the top of the lift. Obviously she isn’t actually ‘sitting’ on his shoulders, her pelvis is off at the back, so they have to get as high up on her thighs as possible onto his shoulders so she can squeeze her legs together and hang on that way, creating more of a ‘sitting’ look, rather than hanging off with just her knees bent over his shoulders and therefore look like she’s falling off.

Watching in slow motion, she is really only at the top of that lift for no more than 1 rotation-starting it when she’s facing the direction they have come from, when she faces that way again is when she starts to change position. This is really impressive because it is such a highlight moment in the program. It has a huge impact and carries so much emotion, while it really only lasts about a second out of a seven second lift (I’ve timed it and they actually complete it- the whole thing in six seconds easy).

So this is where the CR portion of the lift transitions into a hybrid with the Latch rotational lift. Its a very similar position to that in Latch but has a quite a few differences, partly because of the different position they are moving out of.

Where as in Latch, she only has to slide one leg off his shoulder, and they were facing the same way. Here she has two thighs to get off and twist/change direction. To get out of this sitting position, their timing with each other has to be impeccable for it to look as smooth and clean as it does. It’s actually very hard to notice when and how they change position when watching it at full speed.

Here I will break down the lift in written form, and at the end of this part of the analysis is a chart of accompanying screenshots showing each position at each half rotation.

How it works is: at the 1/2 rotation (12), T has got her position. She stays here fully for really only 1/2 a rotation, before she begins to change her hand position (13), completing the first rotation. By 1+1/2, I think very cleverly, Scott releases holding her with his right hand when she is facing the direction they came from and his right hand is upstage (away from camera) therefore we don’t see the change in hold (14). By the time they have made another half turn, completing 2 rotations, T has straightened and slid her left leg off his right shoulder and is now lying with her right side over his right shoulder (15). There is a point in this which lasts for again about a half rotation, where T has no hold on him at all- she has lengthened her arms from where she was holding his head, her legs are no longer squeezed tight together around his neck to hold on-they are now in about a 90 degree split. Scott is holding her just around her right thigh which is also rotating as she slides down his body (visible in motion between images 14+15). When the lift is at speed, there is no way to really comprehend all that is happening and how much coordination this takes from both of them to make it look so clean and effortless, all while he is maintaining speed and rhythm of each rotation on the ice- every rotation matches and is perfectly controlled and balanced despite the weight changes, curve, etc. He is also turning to the left- I don’t know if this is his more comfortable side, I know with jumps most skaters prefer left but since these are essentially chenés the left is often more uncomfortable- though thinking more about it many of their rotational lifts do turn this way so I guess that isn’t an issue. The thing that is so glaringly obvious, but is also the thing, at least I often forget/take for granted, is that are not doing this on the dry floor without fast rotation- it is on ICE, and happening within very fast rotations and must be completed in a matter of seconds. It’s easy to overlook all these things because of just how good they are and how easy they make it look, but breaking it down reveals all the tiny details that if one thing is off could affect the whole lift.

In just one more full rotation, they are essentially in their final position, with just T left to lock her hands together. From the position we left them in with just the one point of contact from Scott, we see his hands change to his right hand over her front (16), to hold her lying now on her back over his right shoulder, to then be able to completely release his hold around her leg with his left hand, which has to slip narrowly between his body and now her right leg which is dropping further down. His left hand then comes over her and reaches around to her right hip. Finally, that right hand/arm which was holding her over the top as she was lying facing up on his shoulder, releases once the left is now around her to move to holding the base of her head and support her neck (17). [pfeew that was a lot!] Tessa meanwhile has maintained such a strong and clean position throughout this transitional phase of the lift. This is an instance where it is not so much up to Tessa to get/move herself into a position, but she is required to stay so strong yet pliable for Scott to move her into that final position. With something like a rotational lift where there is a central axis point of all the moving parts and any unnecessary movement could fight against that centre of balance, counter balancing through their body positions and not ending up fighting each other for position is so necessary, and that’s exactly what they both do. From that 90 degree split position, over the final half rotation Tessa gradually closes her legs straight, finishing with that right leg in a parallel retiré position. Her body flips from right, to back, to finally left side lying against him- a drop in position from her pelvis above his shoulders, to finishing with her shoulders at the same height as his. In less than three incredibly fast revolutions that is a considerable amount of movement and to be made to look so smooth is very impressive. Finally, and again this goes back to the cleanliness of the lift as it relates to aerodynamics and not throwing off the axis of the rotation, she slips her right arm down his back so that isn’t something else pressing against the force of the turn. Her left arm stays high and circles around till she has been lowered enough and is rolled the right way around to wrap that left arm around his neck. The last thing to happen is her right arm passes forward past her side to be held by her left hand.

Another thing that is so impressive about what Tessa does in this lift is the use of her core to keep her legs up. From the second she moves out of that position at the top of that lift, she isn’t particularly high off the ground. She has to use her core to keep her legs lifted, straight and pointed- it is not simply the force of the rotation doing that. She is obviously not close enough to actually hit the ground, but to still have the affect of it being a ‘lift’ and that unlike other girls she is not just simply being thrown around by her partner.

The whole lift is completed in about 4 1/2 rotations. It is just mind boggling really, thinking about all the detail in it. This is classed as a level 4 (the highest level) lift- and you can see why, although comparing to many others both of this era and currently, it probably should’ve been classed as about a level 10.

What is also particularly impressive with this lift is the musicality. It’s very hard to hear but there is a little trill in the music right as she’s in her flip and ends as she sits up.

Now let’s talk about it artistically.

Firstly I want to say a few things: All art is subjective/interpretive. It is completely up to each audience member to interpret and decide what you are seeing the artist/s do. Sometimes it may be very literal- the artist/s is telling/showing you exactly what is happening, but more often than not there is always an element of interpretation and that varies between each viewer. I feel this lift is quite obvious what it’s implying, my take on it I think is the same as most, but maybe with a bit more artistic and athletic nuance..

So YES. Everyone on Twitter/tumblr/media outlets who childishly freaked out about it and talked about TS like strip teasers, this lift is exactly what it looks like. It is implying sex. It is meant to look like a sex act. And, credit to them for their artistry and bravery, a pretty dark and twisted version of sex.. now let’s talk about it like actual adults appreciating TS’s beautiful artistry and not like 5 year olds seeing the word ‘F**k for the first time.

Moulin Rouge is a very ‘sex’ orientated story. In the live show 95% of the chore is sexual. That’s just what it is, it is a factor in the story. Both consensual and non consensual. TS needed to portray what happens in this story, not only the sex but the abuse, the prostitution, Satine’s death, them falling in love, the setting of the story and the stakes at play, in just 4 minutes and with 3 tracks from the movie soundtrack. That is a lot to take on and frankly only a team of VM’s quality could pull this off this well. Baz Luhrmann confirmed as such that in watching TS he didn’t feel like he was watching an ice skating routine, but a ballet; a masterful piece of story telling where you felt so overwhelmingly invested in not only their characters but them as performers. TS said upon hearing it they felt so connected to the music and the story and it had all the things they wanted in their final competitive program:

Something raw, contemporary. Something with passion, drama, romance. Something with a changing storyline they could evolve over the telling of that linear passage of time where everything is affected by what comes before it. Jealously, rage, sex, raw fiery chemistry.

To convey all of those things in 4 minutes through a piece of art with very specific restrictions as to what must be included/excluded, to work all those themes, emotions and physical acts in in a way that is seamless, athletic, beautiful, classy while at the same time not shying away from being literal about certain things. It’s the true mark of genuses.

There’s several different ways they could’ve incorporated the idea or in their case ‘act’ of sex into this program (or any of their programs that warranted it for that matter). They had to find that balance of sensuality and sex in their choreography and story telling because they just didn’t have the run time, set, costume/s appropriate setting/audience or physical (movement) freedom to perform and compete something so stylistically reminiscent of the movie or stage show. Their MR program is ‘sexy/sensual’ (specifically the Roxanne portion) but for the way they told the story, to compress it into free dance format while hitting all the emotional beats, and as dancers, interpreting the music and convincing an audience, it needed to be this big highlight moment- as this scene is in the movie and is a huge turning point for especially her character. It’s a testament to their bravery as artists to make that big moment also the most ‘controversial’ (as some critics called it) but, pivotal moment in the program through choreography that you’ll remember. They could’ve done ‘sex’ in a story dominated by sex in many ways, but as with everything they do, they manage to incorporate it into an element, make it so classy and kind of in a way, give to the story and musical grandeur what it deserves without shying away from the darker themes, and also give us what we want without giving us too much. There are obviously several other references to the ‘brothel’ and ‘prostitution’ setting of the story and in fact the very first lift of the program- the stationary lift has an even darker context seen so subtly through their movement than most would think (but that’s for another post).

What’s brilliant about the way they did it was it’s athletically spectacular, but also as harrowing and (if you think about it the way I do) upsetting but in a really beautiful way to see them perform as their characters but appreciate them as people and their friendship- the strength of their bond to move in and out of the platonic friendship and their dance partnership where they are actors of the highest, most believable quality.

So, let’s talk about it emotionally- and how it managed to produce such visceral reactions by combining the athleticism and artistry.

• The Position: As I mentioned above talking about the movement break down. Earlier in the season, she didn’t hunch forward over him as much as she does here. It was a difficult position to balance. Here at NHK it’s very balanced but she stays upright. Here at nationals she hunched over more but slipped back.

[Side bar: I’m not gonna go back and track down all the articles about this lift [here’s two I found by accident later on after I wrote this post] and line them up with dates and what happened when, so if I’m wrong oh well, I’m not gonna stress it’s just a lift we’re talking about, but my research tells me that the stuff about this lift and that it supposedly had to be changed because it was taken to some board and it was deemed “too sexual” so it was “banned” seemed to occur after nationals when the media around everything olys related was gearing up. They were also announced as flag bearers so idk if that had something to do with it- sweet ol’ 🇨🇦 didn’t want their flag bearers performing o*** s** in a skating program at the olys. [that was a joke]. Anyway. The line VM gave was not that the lift had been banned, but after going back and watching tape, they didn’t like the shape of it, so they changed it. This contradicts what they said later about them going back to the CR lift for the IE, and that ‘they wanted to go back to original vision and intention’ of that lift. To be fair they do say that as they changed the second half of the program and music it ultimately made the whole story less dark, so not having an as intense and literal lift position for the new version they felt was better. I’m not totally sure what I want to believe, I understand that reasoning behind changing it more over the ‘someone banned it because it’s too sexual’- after the hell they went through with Carmen and having to change all that and forgo their true vision over a couple of people getting offended- I think at this point they were done being told what to do. The idea of it being too. ‘R rated’ for an Olympics viewing audience is BS- the lift is so quick and children would not understand what was going on. Not to mention really the most spectacular part of the lift is the twisting freaking back flip- I think kids watching would be more inclined to exclaim ‘did you see that girl do a backflip on ice!’ rather then ‘hey that’s a sex position’. So, if I may theorise for a moment: What I WONDER is if they changed it because they were trying to get T into that hunched over position and it wasn’t quite working- as seen at nationals, so they played around with other positions. It could’ve also been that with the points between them and 📎✂️ so (unnecessary) tight, and as they said, refined everything to the point where no marks could be taken off. This again is ironic considering as they said here that the lift in the TE was marked lower so they went back to the CR.. so there’s my theory on that. I’m not sure considering I always like to believe what they say, but the contrast between the CR lift at nationals, then when they went back to it after the team event is so obvious and it looks so much better then all the times before, I like to think they must have been aiming to get to that- an even more literal position for a while. Ok side bar over].

They achieved what I think is as perfect a position they could in this final performance. She hunched over him so her nose almost touching his head. She (just about) held his head with her elbows in. She squeezed her legs tight. When seeing it at full speed, while in that top position, you can’t see his head. That’s for me what gives it off as what they are implying. While earlier in the season, it’s still pretty obvious but that specific position they hit adds so much emotion to it.

The idea is that she has her hands clasped behind is head and forcing him into her. (I believe in one of the articles I linked above it’s what one reporter describes what she’s doing as- I can’t remember though it may be a different one). That’s not exactly what she’s doing but that’s what’s implied, and by this version at the olys it looks most like that. I would’ve loved to see them actually be able to do that because the lift is what it is- there’s no hiding from that- so if there was some way it would’ve been possible to complete that image I would’ve loved to see them do it. (I feel) it’s because the lift and rotation is so fast there just isn’t the time for her to actually clasp and unclasp her hands in less than one rotation. I also think, even though it’s only marginal-he is so close to her body he can hardly see, but if she were actually forcing his face into her her, having what little he has of peripheral vision in the position they do probably aids in his balance and spacial awareness. (I know this little bit seems contradictory to what I said about it being so quick kids wouldn’t understand it- but the difference is kids/people in general seeing it once and fast, and taking no further interest in TS, and taking the interest in dissecting it athletically/artistically for appreciation purposes- of course looking at it more with that educational frame of mind more can be gathered).

• The emotional factor/what is happening in terms of the story: I’m gonna do my best to just ramble about this exact moment and not go into the whole thing (I’ll do that in another post). I’ve thought about this in different ways. Earlier in the season, when they still were doing the (what I call) ‘darker’ version of it, where Scott’s character in Roxanne was more menacing and aggressive. Playing not so much a specific person in the story but more the idea of what is happening to T’s character, I saw the lift as him assaulting her. They go into it with so much aggression on his end and it feels more violent. He’s more that version of the character/s of the one/s doing the abusing to Satine (The duke and then also Zidler in enabling it). In the diagonal leading up to it he is playing to the darker, aggressive voice on the lyrics ‘you’re free to leave me but just don’t deceive me’:

The olys version differs where they softened his character and he starts playing into Christian’s qualities earlier. On this same bit of chore he’s playing to Christian’s side of the lyrics, and as they go round into the lift it’s T with more aggression. He’s trying to help her but she’s so caught up and afraid and feels she has no choice so all that anguish she takes into the lift and out of panic and confusion she ends up assaulting him. It’s amazing how they can take literally the same chore and music and just by tweaking the character intentions it can have a huge impact on the direction of their specific story.

Another way to read this is more literally to the scene in the movie (up until recently I hadn’t seen the movie so I had adapted my own interpretation based on that I understood of the story). This scene in the movie is comprised of intercuts to Satine having to seduce and ‘go through’ with letting the duke r**e her in order to continue funding the Moulin Rouge- and her livelihood, and Christian watching the company’s corps play out this tantalising tango in front of him as he yearns for Satine and fears for her safety. The scene then is alarmingly cut as Satine races into Christian’s hotel room, throwing herself into his arms desperate for him to keep her safe as she couldn’t bare being tortured (emotionally/physically) by the duke any longer. She begs Christian to run away with her and promise they will stay together forever. This moment literally plays out this entire scene from the movie in one lift- the terror in the climax of Roxanne, to falling into Christian’s arms as he screams ‘please believe me when I say I love you’. In this one lift, Scott transforms himself from the duke (or representative of the duke’s character intentions) to Christian promising to protect Satine. I’ve said it many times before but I’ll say it again: give that man an Oscar!

In a way I feel a little bit ridiculous spending months and months composing thousands of words to explain a 6 second movement in an ice dancing program. And I’m questioning whether I would’ve had it not been for the ‘controversy’ around it. Yes, I remember the FB posts talking about how ‘these Canadian ice dancers had to tone down their free dance for the olys’ and ‘you won’t be seeing this lift from Canada’s top dance team at the olys’. All made to drum up hype.. but then instead had actual consequences enabling those who can’t tell the difference between sleaze and superior artistic expression. I more than anything was astonished at Tessa’s athleticism and fearlessness. “She did a back flip entry into a lift on freaking ice!!” I’m pretty sure was my reaction, but then immediate after was stabbed in the heart with aching emotion for what that movement and moment was implying in the context of the story, and my heart continued to ache for days on end rewatching this beautiful masterpiece by some of the most fearless artists I have ever seen, on top of the narrative of these precious best friends who had never left each other side for over 20 years in pursuit of greatness in their field and admiration for each other.

I’m going to finish this post essay off by speaking more broadly about the judgement passed on them more so than other teams for boundary pushing themes and choreography, and maybe offer a way to understand their art form on a deeper level.

There are several instances of lifts performed by both pairs and dance teams that transition through ‘sensitive’ positions as a matter of entry and exits. However the difference with this lift (and the stat lift and their other programs with similar themes) is the entire thing is intentional to what it is implying. The ‘eye catching’ position serves as both a means to transition into the main feature/positions of lifts, but it is that very lift position that is implying that moment in the story, and funnily enough, it seems that the position at the top of the lift is the most “””concerning””” part of it. I don’t mean to labour the point of this and reminisce on the controversy, trust me I don’t like it because I understand what they are doing and have never had a problem with it, but I think this is useful in understanding this art and how to convey a story, even if those stories are sometimes uncomfortable- TS are being truthful and honest and want to be literal yet tasteful in the way they tell their stories which they always managed to achieve.

The idea of ‘intent’ with something like this has come up before with them in relation to Carmen- some posts from way back in the day commenting on ‘the thigh grab’ moment. There was a post in helping people understand the difference for those non-versed in artistic movement and physical story telling, that Scott would always be touching/holding/grabbing Tessa’s thigh/s as a matter of partnering and lifts, but the difference in this moment in Carmen was the ‘intention’- it being deliberate and removed from transitional/lifts/partnering movements. That was the entire point of that moment for it to be intentional, obvious, send shivers up your spine. On the opposite end of the (lack of respect/lack of common sense) spectrum there was another old post I came across that claimed in one performance he had reached his hand and grabbed all the way up under her skirt, which was not only completely incorrect (that’s obviously not what he did) but utterly disgusting the fact people were seemingly getting their jollies over something that was completely exaggerated. Now, we’ve all heard references to the ‘OG Carmen’- the ‘very very very’ not toned down version, the ‘NOT Mickey Mouse’ version.. so could that have actually happened in the original version? Maybe. Sure. Would I have been outraged by it and objectified them for being s**ts? NO. There is appreciating intent without it being completely literal, and not exaggerating something to claim they were actually ‘grabbing’ or doing whatever when they clearly weren’t, however if they were to, that should also be respected in the context of what their craft is. There is a matter here of ‘artistic consent’ that they (and all partners doing this sort of stuff) need to have. In the case of actors in a movie/TV show it comes in the form of contracts, chemistry tests, and intimacy coaches (which is actually something finally starting to make its way into the dance world), in TS’s case it is years of foundational trust in each other and a mutual desire to challenge themselves as artists, this along with having coaches and mentors at a young age (and throughout their career) that nurtured their relationship and gave them a safe space to learn how to be intimate with each other. Had either of them ever felt uncomfortable with anything at all, they would have been honest with each other and it wouldn’t have happened, or they would work around their apprehensions through comfort and communication. But because they have (artistic) consent- all of it is 100% consensual, there is zero need to think of any of the more ‘questionable’ choreography they do as anymore than simply choreography servicing their story. Obviously, and I say all the time they have to be very brave to put out the stuff they do- anyone does (not that I’ve seen every program ever so I’m sure there have been others taking on ‘riskier’ subjects) it’s obvious they have felt very connected to these stories for them to be so passionate about performing them, doing them justice and interpreting them the way they want. It has nothing to do with wanting to perform sultry, sensual, ‘R rated’ choreography for the sake of it. They can and when it’s warranted, do it so well because of their trust and chemistry making those moments all the more emotional because you really believe them and feel invested in them as characters and artists.

If you have made it to the end of this essay, thank you for sticking at it all the way through, I know it was a lot but I felt it deserved it, and as I did end up expanding on, it’s not just about one lift, one moment, but learning to understand and appreciate them on a deeper level. I hope this was educational/informative, maybe even a bit emotional.. (I always like my posts to have that flavour). I like to think those who read my posts are here for the in depth study and appreciation of these incredible athletes and we can move on/ avoid all the trashy stuff xx.

[prettyrealm]

Hey you like rap right? Which rappers do you find attractive?

you BETTER not say ynw melly or some shit like kodak trash. 💀💀💀💀 cuzzz noooooooo!

I actually used to think blueface was attractive before I found out about his trash ass disgusting personality...ew!

Don't you find it funny how female rappers literally ALWAYS have to look their best and get plastic surgery to fit in the female rapper aesthetic while the male rappers are allowed to be ugly? Like seriously thou...most if not all of the female rappers are attractive but the male rappers????? Noooooooooo. And then you have lil baby walking around like he's the finest motherfucker on earth only to be clowned on social media when they start comparing him to that picture of the dog lmaoooooo iykyk!😭😭😂😂😂💀💀💀💀💀💀

Now why the hell would I say either of them 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ im crying that caught me off guard!! Blueface was never for me, but I feel like everyone thought he was fine back in 2018/2019 before he came out as insane so I get it lol for me I think Future is a very good looking man 👍🏽 everyone always wanna call him old but you can’t say he’s ugly! I used to really like YG (4hunnid) as well 💀

And yeah, it’ll always be more difficult for women but it’s sad how badly female rappers get bullied for their looks. After a certain point after they blow up it’s ALL people talk about. I’ll never forget what these demons did to Megan. If I’m not mistaken, Nicki Minaj even said she felt super pressured to get her BBL, like she wasn’t as worthy without one despite her immense talent. But yeah, I feel like in every industry the men are kind of allowed to look like anything and anybody and the women have to be completely done up at all times. It’s dirty.

NTM ON BABY THOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭 every time people clown him i gotta look away like guys he’s silly as hell…. He doesn’t know what’s going on!! 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️