#i've added some show footage to it :)

[poirott]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AGATHA CHRISTIE! (b. September 15 1890)

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime"—a moniker which is now trademarked by her estate—or the "Queen of Mystery". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

[casuallyanidiot]

Yandere Vlogger who gains a following by stalking you.

TW. DDNE ! MDNI ! Stalking, Implied NonCon, Voyeurism, Kidnapping

Sequel here

It started out with a few, weird videos that barely got any views.

He had a shaky camera, and he'd rarely ever talk. In fact, he didn't even show you in the beginning. It was more of videos he took walking in random places without showing his face. Honestly, it looked like he hadn't intended for anyone but himself to see the uploads, yet somehow they ended up floating across the feeds of some people.

| What is this even about lol | This is kind of strange... | What are you doing?

He was surprised to get any comments at all, but the last one especially jumped out at him. Any rational person wouldn't talk about how they'd been secretly following the love of their life to some random stranger, but he was far from rational.

Instead of replying in the comments, he made another video.

Why I Do This

" It's because I love her, and I want to make sure she's safe," he said with a shrug. The camera was propped up on a cafe table, and his face was clearly in view. Well groomed, handsome, young... he certainly didn't seem the type to be a deranged lunatic. "Besides, I like the thought that one day she'll see this and know how much I care." After he spoke, the footage was cut with a shot of his shoes slapping against pavement, wandering in some unknown location.

That one got quite a bit of views. Hundreds this time, out of seemingly nowhere.

| Woah is this guy for Real? | No way is he serious, this is probably just some project or some shit. | Lol who cares if it's real, it's kind of interesting | I wish I had a boyfriend like that | You should show us your partner lmao

The videos would come every other day or so now. There seemed to be a bit more editing involved, and the few glimpses of you that the audience got became like a fun guessing game.

"I never expected anyone to be interested in this," he admitted, this time more quietly in a library study area. " I thought people would think that this whole thing is weird, but there are, what? A thousand of you now? So strange... and here I thought I was the weird one," He chuckled and brushed his hair back gently. Just out of sight in the camera was your seated form, working diligently on an assignment. If only you knew how much he cared. Not only that, if only you knew how many people thought he was cool for loving you the way he did.

| Guys I'm starting to get kind of freaked out. Is the person getting stalked okay? | Nah, it's not real. No way. If he was for real he wouldn't be showing his face | Woah the quality has gone up so much! The sneaking into the house portion of the videos are always so creepy and realistic! Keep up the good work! | You should go into acting man | Our beloved stalker is getting pretty bold lol. I wonder how this series will end lol

Sure enough, he started having more fun making the videos. He invested in a higher quality camera, and he started to become more and more obsessed with not only following you, but documenting the whole thing. He invested in a new camera and bought new editing software. Plus, with the ad revenue he was getting from his growing viewers, he could afford to buy trackers and other things...

"Thanks to you guys, I've finally got enough to bring them home," he practically beamed as he stared into the black lens. He was hidden in a bush, the glow of your house lights illuminating his face. He held up a bundle of ropes and some cuffs. "I really couldn't have done this without your support. I'm really grateful. I might have to lay low for a while after this... but hopefully I'll be putting out some more videos about getting them settled in their new home. Again, thanks for everything."

When a missing persons alert was put out for you, hardly anyone paid any attention. His viewers didn't know your name, and he was smart enough to hide your face, so no one suspected a thing. Soon enough, you were a forgotten statistic to everyone but him.

| Woah new video! | The new set looks great! | They're acting is so realistic lol. It gives me chills. | Hey don't they kinda look like that one person...? | I'm glad to see how this series progressed lol, the stalking was getting kind of boring

"They love you," he hummed as he scrolled through the comments, the screen lighting up the darkened room. You were bound in his lap, whimpering, blindfolded and gagged as he rubbed soothing circles into your hip. "Not as much as I can, but I told you everyone was rooting for us to get together," He smiled and planted a kiss to the crown of your head.

He then stood up, carrying you in his strong arms before laying you down on his bed. He switched on the lighting and turned on the various cameras he had set up to catch your expressions from every angle. His voice was sickeningly sweet as he got you tied down and ready, his eyes flashing with barely contained obsession. "Now... some people have been asking for more... exclusive content. I think it's only fair we let them see... I wouldn't have you if it wasn't for them after all. Be good for me okay?"

[gilbertscurls]

holaa i got request that like 7 mins vids of chris and reader being in love but they are bsf like some fan did vid showing moments chris and reader do that shows their love to eachother

hope you like it!! <3

also, i think i've seen a similar story somewhere, so credits to the original

7 Minutes of Chris and Y/N Being in Love ➵ Chris Sturniolo

You stumbled upon the video late one night, alone in your room with the glow of your phone casting soft shadows across the walls. It was titled “7 Minutes of Chris and Y/N Being in Love But Not Admitting It”, posted by one of the Sturniolo Triplets’ most dedicated fans. Curious, you clicked on it, not quite ready for the trip down memory lane.

The video started with a soft piano tune, and each moment was introduced by a little title. You held your breath as the first clip began.

1. “The Hoodie Thing”

The video opened with a scene from a casual vlog, probably from a random day where the four of you had just been hanging out. The camera was set up on the counter, capturing Chris as he talked animatedly about something or another. In the middle of his story, he looked over and spotted you wrapped up in his hoodie. You saw his mouth twitch in that familiar way as he tried to keep his composure, but his cheeks betrayed him, turning just a bit pink.

“Is that mine?” he asked, pretending to be annoyed, though the sparkle in his eyes told a different story.

You shrugged, smiling as you hugged the hoodie tighter. “You left it here. Finders, keepers.”

The fan had zoomed in on his face just then, catching the soft expression he wore as he looked at you, that look he always gave when he thought you weren’t watching.

2. “The Arm Thing”

The next clip was from one of their prank videos, where Nick had decided to try scaring you by hiding behind the door. The plan went off without a hitch; you’d jumped in fright, letting out a little squeal. The moment Chris heard it, he stepped in close, putting an arm around your shoulders, almost instinctively, like a protective reflex.

“Are you okay?” he asked, not even giving Nick the satisfaction of a laugh.

You laughed, brushing it off, but Chris kept his arm around you for the rest of the video. The fan had added a heart overlay on that moment, making it all the more obvious to anyone watching that this wasn’t just a casual gesture. It was his way of telling you, without words, that he’d always be there to protect you.

3. “The Way He Looks At Her”

This cutscene played moments from several videos stitched together: every time Chris’s gaze lingered on you a little longer than necessary, his eyes softening, or the way his face would light up whenever you walked into the room.

One clip was from a road trip vlog where Nick had asked you a question, and you’d gone off on a tangent, laughing at your own story. The fan had slowed down the footage as Chris watched you, his smile widening with every word you spoke. They’d even added text overlay: Look at the way he smiles at her.

And there it was—that undeniable, heart-melting look that said so much more than words ever could.

4. “The Hand Thing”

The screen faded to another clip, this time from a Q&A the triplets had done with you sitting behind Chris. He’d been laughing at something Matt said, his hand reaching back to rest on yours almost absentmindedly. You’d barely registered it, but the fans clearly had, picking up on the way his fingers subtly intertwined with yours.

At one point, you noticed and looked down, a slight blush coloring your cheeks. But Chris didn’t pull away; he just squeezed your hand gently, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The fan had zoomed in here, highlighting the way his thumb rubbed small circles on your hand, creating a moment that had clearly been noticed by everyone but you two.

5. “Little Things He Remembers”

This section showed clips where Chris would mention something small about you, things you didn’t even realize he’d picked up on. In one of the videos, you’d talked about a favorite candy that you hadn’t had in years, and a month later, in a different video, Chris had surprised you with it.

Your face had lit up, and the fan had looped Chris’s shy smile when he saw your reaction. Then came another clip from a Christmas gift exchange vlog, where he’d somehow known exactly what to get you—a rare vinyl record you’d been looking for forever.

As you hugged him in gratitude, the fan captioned it: he remembers the little things.

6. “The Almost Kiss”

This was the clip that made you catch your breath. It was from a few weeks back, a late night when you and Chris had been filming a random vlog in his room. He’d been teasing you about something, and you’d leaned in to swat his shoulder, both of you laughing.

But then there was that moment—a pause—where your faces were just inches apart, his gaze locked on yours, and everything had gone quiet. You could almost feel the unspoken words hanging in the air, the what if.

The fan had zoomed in, adding a soft overlay to heighten the tension, and you watched yourself look up at him, eyes wide, both of you caught in that heart-stopping second. His face had softened, and he’d opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but then he’d pulled away, laughing to break the tension.

The screen faded to black as the fan added one final caption: maybe one day.

You stared at the end screen, your heart racing. You’d felt all those moments before, lingering on the edges of your friendship with Chris, but seeing them compiled like this left you breathless. Your mind raced back to that last clip, to the almost kiss. What would have happened if he hadn’t laughed it off? If you hadn’t pulled away?

Just as you were lost in thought, your phone buzzed with a text from Chris.

Chris: Yo, did you see this vid someone made of us? LMAO they really think we’re in love or something 😂

You felt a rush of nerves, unsure of how to respond.

You: Haha yeah, just saw it… it’s kinda cute though, don’t you think?

There was a pause, longer than usual, and you held your breath, waiting.

Chris: Yeah… kinda cute.

Chris: Listen, about that one clip… you know the one I’m talking about, right?

You: Yeah. I know.

Chris: What if I said I wasn’t just acting for the camera?

Your heart skipped a beat. You could almost picture him, staring down at his phone, wondering if he’d said too much. But something told you it was time to finally say the words that had been on the tip of your tongue for years.

You: Then I’d say… me neither.

It was a simple exchange, a confession years in the making, and yet somehow, that was all it took.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom, @sturniolowhore69, @faith5drpepper, @emely9274, @psychologyloverfr, @lovetaylorrussellgrr, @conspiracy-ash

[domxmarvel]

Mine 💚

Masterlist

Pairing: Billie eilish x Female!Reader

After years of work you got signed to a major horror movie studio,throwing your name into the spotlight. And quickly tossing you into multiple interviews to promote yourself and your new movie coming out. The press tour taking you almost all across the US. Including an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The interview was mostly about your new movie,the previous roles and the new studio you were signed to. Of course because it was Jimmy Fallon he had to keep the mood light and make jokes. During the interview, the audience was shown clips of you at various Billie eilish shows from the Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour. You had been to several shows and had the time of your life. Which was embarrassing and all you could do was just laugh.

“I’m guessing you had fun?”

“She’s just incredible” You chuckled,praising Billie.

Hours later the clips were all over the internet and your phone dinged with a message.

@ billieeilish Her name popped up,seeing that she sent you a message. 

@  billieeilish: “hey just saw you on Jimmy Fallon, you’re funny and congrats on signing to the new studio”

"Well I dabble in comedy 😉,and thanks" you added a winking emoji to emphasize the joke.

@ billieelish: "Dabble in comedy and final girl roles, apparently. your screams are iconic."

"So are your songs,I mean you saw the footage of me making a fool of myself at your concert 😂😅"

@  billieeilish: "I think you spelled 'living your best life' wrong 😂” You chuckled to yourself. 

"I guess I really did spell it wrong"

@  billieeilish: "glad you cleared that up 😂 so which song is your favorite?"

"Well I have two favorites 'You should see me in a crown' and 'lunch'"

@  billieeilish: "taste 🤌🏻 you might be the first person to not say all the good girls go to hell or something in my dms 😂"

"Or bad guy 😂"

@  billieeilish: "omg yes 😂"

"You really should consider adding copycat to the set list,if you're taking suggestions that is"

@  billieeilish: "oh, I'm always open to suggestions. 👀 I'll see what I can do. "

@  billieeilish: "You seem to be a big fan. How many of my shows have you been to?”

"Honestly I've lost track,I've been to almost every show for the past three years"

@  billieeilish: "Damn, okay, hardcore. I'm impressed. have you been to the international ones too?"

"Some,when they were close to the filming locations" you explained.

@  billieeilish: "Ah, right. acting superstar, I forgot 😂 what's it like filming horror movies? I bet it's nerve-wracking"

"Not really,it wears off after a while and you lose the 'scared' part of it. You gotta learn to fake being scared really well" you explained further.

@  billieeilish: "You're a great actress then, because you looked terrified in The long night"

"Let you in on a little secret,that shot was filmed like 13 different times and they went with one of the later takes. Meaning that terrified look and scream was entirely fake,at that point I had been screaming all day but no one can tell"

@  billieeilish: "Damn, respect. all that screaming, and you still look amazing 😂 I'd be a mess. you probably have a killer throat game" You chuckled.

"So I've been told but don't expect me to sing. You heard how horribly off key I was,but if you ever need someone to scream or something like that,you know the right person 😂"

@  billieeilish: "Well, if I ever need a scream queen, I know who to call. and don't worry, off-key is the new in. You'll start a trend 😂"

"Sureeee" you spelt it in a way that showed you were being sarcastic. "Whatever you say Billie"

@  billieeilish: "don't mock me. I'm a very influential person. I can totally change trends with one flick of my pretty hand 😂"

"I don't doubt that" you smirked but she of course couldn't see it.

@  billieeilish: "good, you shouldn't doubt me. I'm always right. just ask my best friend Zoe, she'll confirm it 😂" You chuckled,before texting back.

"I don't think I need someone to confirm it,I already believe you. Unfortunately I'm gonna have to let you go,I have a premiere tomorrow and if I show up one more time with dark circles under my eyes from staying up all night the makeup team is not gonna be happy with me"

@  billieeilish: "Aww, alright. Gotta let my new fan rest. Can't have those circles under your eyes ruining that perfect look 😉  have fun at the premiere, darling. Break a leg"

"You too,and get some sleep because I know for a fact you have a show tomorrow"

@  billieeilish: "oh, so you're keeping tabs on me now? 👀 I'm honored, really. and yeah, you caught me. I have a show tomorrow. but I'll be sure to rest up so I can give my best performance for my number one fan ;)"

"Oh,I'm not gonna be there,with the premiere the time just won't work out. But I know you'll do great"

@  billieeilish: "Aww, that's a bummer. I was definitely looking forward to seeing you there. But I get it, the timing sucks. At least you'll be there in spirit 😂 and don't worry, I'll make sure to put on a show worthy of you, even if you won't be in the audience. I'll pretend you're there watching, front row, screaming for me"

"Good night,Billie 💚"

@  billieeilish: "Goodnight, darling. Sweet dreams. can't wait to chat again"

The next day you sent her a few photos as you got ready with the makeup team.

@  billieeilish: "wow, looking absolutely radiant! The makeup team works miracles. I'm jealous, all I have to do is wake up and get dressed 😂"

"You're the lucky one here,I had to be up at five am for this. I wish I could just get up,get dressed and head out 😂"

@  billieeilish: "Ugh, five in the morning? brutal. I don't envy that. I'm already exhausted just thinking about it. but hey, at least you get to wear a gorgeous dress and walk the red carpet. I just get to run around on stage for two hours 😂"

"I'd still rather be there watching you than the red carpet"

@  billieeilish: "Aww, you flatter me. but really, don't underestimate the power of a red carpet moment. I've seen those photos, your fans go absolutely crazy over you. I'm jealous of that 😉"

"I gotta go,they're calling for me. Good luck with your show 💚"

@  billieeilish: "alright, break a leg out there! I'll be thinking of you while I'm onstage.Have fun ❤️" You got to the red carpet and took photos,did some interviews which consisted of questions about the movie and filming before you headed inside.

@  billieeilish: "How's the premiere going? I bet you're absolutely killing it on the red carpet. I wish I could be there to cheer you on"  You sent her a photo from the red carpet. 

"It's going pretty well although I still wish I was at your show instead"

@  billieeilish: "Wow, you look stunning! they could totally use that photo as a movie still. And aww, I wish you were at the show too. But know that I'm thinking about you every time I sing. Maybe I'll even dedicate a song to you 😉"

"Really,which one?"

@  billieeilish: "hmmm, let's see... I'll let it be a surprise 😉 But trust me, it'll be one you'll love. You have great taste in my music, after all. I hope you're settling in for the movie now, but I gotta get ready for mine. Talk to you later, darling" As soon as everyone got into the theater to watch the movie you snuck off,changing your shoes so you weren't wearing heels. You made your way over to her show,already having a ticket that you bought months before. You walked in and heard her singing. You listen closely to see which song it was. Billie was on stage, performing with infectious energy, and the audience roared in approval. The song she chose was ‘Happier Than Ever.’ Soon you were screaming the lyrics with her,but begin cautious to not be too loud. As the song ended, Billie took a moment to catch her breath. The crowd cheered on, and she couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline from the performance. She spotted you and shot a subtle smirk your way, clearly enjoying the fact that you were there. You smiled back at her,clearly overdressed for one of her concerts. You saw her chuckling,probably at how overdressed you were. As the concert continued, Billie continued singing, her eyes occasionally darting back to you, You continued to sing along with her,knowing every single word. As the concert reached its climax, the energy reached its peak. The crowd was electric, and you were right in the middle of it all, singing and dancing like you were the biggest fan. After the final song had ended and the lights went down, the crowd erupted into applause, and Billie's adrenaline was pumping. But as the audience began to file out, she looked around for you, realizing you were gone. A mix of disappointment and curiosity filled her mind.

"Sorry about running off,I had to get back in time for the after party so they wouldn't know I snuck off. I wish I could've talked to you but I had to be fast" You were gone but you did leave a message. "And your performance was absolutely fantastic," you added. You arrived back at your hotel room, kicking off your heels and collapsing onto the bed with a sigh of exhaustion. The after-party had been fun, but all you could think about now was how much you had enjoyed Billie's concert and the stolen moment with her. You were in the middle of washing your makeup off when you noticed tweets popping up with your name, mentioning that you had been at the concert. Curiously, you started scrolling through the mentions and comments, reading what people were saying about your surprise appearance.

"I'm dying! Y/N at Billie's concert? This is the crossover we didn't know we needed."

"I still can't believe I saw Y/N in the audience at Billie's concert. She was jamming out like the biggest fan."

"Wait, was that Y/N I saw at Billie's concert? OMG, she's such a huge fan! #Y/NAtBillieConcert" Immediately these were followed by others confused as you were supposed to be at the premiere.

"Yeah,she had premiere tonight,she must really be a big fan to sneak off just for Billie"

"Isn't she supposed to be at the premiere of her new movie?"

"Gotta admit, that's pretty impressive. Who would skip a premiere for a concert? Only a true fan."

"Wait, what? She left the premiere for Billie's concert? That's some serious dedication." You couldn't help but laugh at the confusion on Twitter as people started speculating about your whereabouts. And less than an hour the news outlets had picked up on the story,swarming with headlines such as.

@ EntertainmentWeekly: "Y/N Caught at Billie Eilish Concert: A Night to Remember!"

@ E!News: "Y/N Spotted at Billie Eilish Concert Amidst Premiere: A Surprising Fan Moment"

@ CelebBuzz: "Y/N’s Surprise Appearance at Billie Eilish Concert Sparks Speculations of a Romantic Connection!"

@ GossipCentral: "Y/N Skips Movie Premiere for Billie Eilish Concert: A Secret Romance?” You filled up the bathtub just as your phone dings with a message.

@ billieelish: "Hey, I see you made quite the impression on the media tonight 👀"

"Sure did,now everyone thinks we're secretly dating"

@ billieelish: "Haha, well, you know how the media is. they'll take any opportunity to spin a story. but just so you know, I'm not complaining about being associated with you like that 😉"

"They'll take anything,huh?"

@ billieelish: "Oh, absolutely. they're like sharks, circling any piece of drama or gossip they can find. but honestly, I wouldn't mind the media thinking we're secretly dating. could be worse, right?😏"

"It's pretty funny too,maybe you should come with me to the next premiere?" You suggested.

@ billieelish: "Haha, you know what? maybe I will. it'd give the media something to really talk about, right? and I have to admit, I wouldn't mind being your date to a premiere 😉"

"In that case I'll text you the details once I get them"

@ billieelish: "Perfect, I'll be looking forward to seeing you again and giving the media even more to write about 😉”

A few days passed and you talked less,mostly because you were both busy. You doing promotions for your next movie and she was filming for a music video,but she was stumped on one thing. The music video needed a princess of sorts to tie in with the song about how someone and their life looks like a fairytale. She just couldn't figure out who should play the princess,every actress didn't give the look in her eyes that she wanted. She was quickly running out of hope,having gone through a big amount of the actresses that auditioned.

@ billieelish: "Hey, I know this might be a bit random, but I've been stuck on something and I was hoping you could help me out. Can I ask you a favor?"

"I'll see what I can do,so what do you need help with?"

@ billieelish: "Well, I'm filming a music video, and I'm having trouble finding the right actress to play this princess role. I know it's probably a long shot, but I was wondering if you'd be open to trying out for it? I think you'd be perfect for the part."

"Sure,I could give it a try"

@ billieelish: "Really? That's amazing! Honestly, I was a little worried you might think it's a crazy idea, but I'm so glad you're game for it. When would you be free to come down to the set and give it a shot?"

"I have one more interview,so send me the details and I'll be there in one hour maximum"

@ billieelish: "Awesome, I'll have my team send you the address and any other necessary details. And don't worry, the scene is pretty simple. You just need to look pretty and act like a princess."😏

"Lucky for me I'm pretty good at that" you jokingly typed back.

@ billieelish: "Haha, I have no doubt about that. I've seen your red carpet looks, you totally dress the part of a princess. can't wait to see you in action 😉"

one hour later

When you arrived at the set, you noticed that the crew were already preparing for the shoot. Billie was in the corner, looking over the scene. She noticed you and quickly walked over.

"Hey, glad you could make it. ready to give this princess thing a shot?" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Sure,now what should I do?" You looked around,trying to deduce what the scene was about.

"Well, we're shooting a scene in the forest. We want to capture the whole fairytale vibe, so I think we're going for a soft, almost floating kind of walk. you know, like a princess walking through the woods, lost in her own world." Hours passed as you filmed,the last scene was her laying on your lap as she sang.

Days later you were back on the set of your movie when you got a notification of a money transfer from Billie with a note that said “Thanks princess” Your eyebrows raised, and a small smile played on your lips, realizing that Billie had sent payment for you appearing in her music video.

"You know that's way too much,it wasn't that many hours" you texted her.

The one thing about it was,it was too much for that few hours of filming.

@ billieelish: "lol, don't worry about it. I wanted to make sure I paid you well for your time and the amazing job you did. consider it a bonus for being the perfect princess 😉"

"Okay,sugar daddy," you joked back.

@ billieelish: "Haha, sugar daddy? I like the sound of that 😉 but seriously, I just wanted to show my appreciation, and I think you deserve it. so consider it a thank you gift from your favorite musician 😉" A few hours later you had finished filming for the day,the music video was released and you sat down to see what people were saying. You scrolled through your phone, checking social media to see how fans reacted to the video. Comments were rolling in, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People were going nuts over your appearance and some even speculated about your relationship with Billie. Comments like 

"OMG, the princess is a literal goddess! Who is she?"

"Billie and the princess are giving us major fairytale vibes"

"The way Billie looks at her 😍" filled the comment section. Fans also took notice of the fact that the music video had a more light and cheerful tone than her usual dark and somewhat depressing tone. 

"The chemistry between Billie and the princess is off the charts!"

"I think the princess is the reason for the happier vibe. There's something about her that really brings a smile to my face."

"Is it just me or does this music video feel different than Billie's usual ones? It's so light and cheerful!"

"The princess, the lighting, the vibes—this music video is perfect. it feels like a whole new side of Billie we haven't seen before."

"I don't know what it is about the princess, but she really makes this music video. The chemistry between her and Billie is unreal."

"I've never seen Billie look at someone the way she looks at the princess. there has to be some real-life chemistry there! the tension is insane."

And the comments continued as you took her to your premiere as your plus one. The fans went wild on social media after seeing photos of you and Billie together at the premiere. The hashtag "billieandprincess" started trending, and the speculation about your relationship reached new heights.

"Omg, did you see that look in Billie's eyes when the princess walked down the red carpet? pure love. I can't handle it." 

"Billie and the princess are owning this red carpet. seriously, they're giving us goals #billieandprincess"

"I can't believe they came as each others' dates! they look so cute together.”

"The chemistry is off the charts. I can't stop staring at their pictures. this has to be more than just a friendly outing, right?" 

“The way they're posing together is everything. I'm officially on the 'billieandprincess' train. this is the ship I didn't know I needed."  It was clear the fans wanted you together and that wasn't helped by her continuing to have you in music videos,playing various characters but always close to her.

"I'm fully convinced they're secretly dating. who else gets to be in this many music videos with an artist like Billie?"

"I can't believe they're in another music video together! every time they team up, the chemistry is just unreal." The idea that you were secretly dating quickly made its way out of the fans and reached the headlines in newspapers and magazines.

@ PopCultureInsider: "The latest scoop: are Billie Eilish and her onscreen princess truly an item? read more here to find out!"

@ TrendingNow: "Billie Eilish's latest music video sparks romance rumors with mystery actress. Could this be the real deal?" With both of you not confirming or denying it,which only served to make them speculate more.

You were both at her place,she had invited you over to watch a movie. You had a couple of drinks before she started talking.

"So, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about... about us." she paused, her eyes searching yours. "You know how the media's been going crazy with all the speculation and rumors about us, right?"

"You wanna tell them that we're just friends?" You asked.

"No, that's not exactly what I was thinking." Billie shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. You moved closer to her,her hand quickly moved to your waist.

"If we do..." you couldn't think of what to say,the alcohol clouding your mind.Billie's hand on your waist sent a shiver down your spine, and the alcohol in your veins made your heart pound faster. You took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself, but the proximity was making it hard to think clearly. She leaned closer, her face just inches from yours, her eyes fixated on your lips.

"If we do..." she repeated your words, her voice barely above a whisper. You leaned closer and kissed her,your hand moving into her hair and she pulled you into her lap. With a soft moan, she deepened the kiss, her tongue seeking yours. The world around you faded away as you lost yourself in the moment, the taste of her and the intoxicating heat of her body against yours. You ran your hands through her hair, holding her close, your body trembling with anticipation. The room was filled with the sounds of your ragged breaths and soft moans, a symphony of pleasure that only fueled the fire between you. Only for the moment to be interrupted by someone's voice. 

"Well, this is... unexpected." Just as things were getting even more heated, the sound of someone clearing their throat broke the moment. You both turned to see Billie's brother, Finneas, standing at the doorway, his eyes widened with surprise. "Looks like I interrupted something." He smirked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the two of you, still cuddled closely together on the couch. His playful tone was evident as he spoke. Billie's voice was filled with embarrassment.

"Finneas, hey... um, you're home early."

"Sorry, didn't realize this was a private party." Finneas chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation.

"Oh, shut up. Don't you knock first?" she retorted.

"Oh, my bad. I'll make sure to wait for an invitation next time."

"Well, you just ruined the mood." You couldn't help but smile at their banter despite the initial embarrassment. Finneas's easy-going nature made the moment less tense as he leaned against the doorframe. He grabbed something and left,but not without some remark.

"Oh, and just remember kids, protection is important." Billie tossed a cushion towards him, which he dodged. "Thanks, we'll keep that in mind. Any more sage advice, oh wise one?"

“Hey, just lookin' out for you two lovebirds! Safety first, remember!" You and Billie exchanged a look before bursting into laughter. Finneas had a knack for lightening the mood, and his playful banter eased the embarrassment you both were feeling. She tossed another pillow his way.

"We get it, we get it! Now, can we get back to our moment, please?" Finneas ducked out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting hit by the pillow. He smirked, clearly enjoying the banter. He turned his back and you tossed a pillow his way,this one hit him.

"Hey, that was a cheap shot!"

"Maybe now you'll think twice before interrupting next time." Billie was clearly finding it fun that you stood with her,despite your moment having been ruined. He scurried off,leaving her looking up at you as her hands held your hips still.

"Where were we again?" Billie looked up at you, a mixture of desire and affection dancing in her eyes. Her hands remained on your hips, a possessive touch.

"I don't know,the shock sobered me up" you got off her and stood up. "I could use a shot of something"

"Yeah, Finneas has that effect on people. Always pops up at the most inconvenient times." You both moved to the kitchen. "As for that shot you need, what's your poison?"

"Something strong"

"How's a shot of good old whiskey sound? It'll definitely kickstart your mood." You both downed the shots,the whiskey burning on its way down. She set the empty shot glass on the counter with a soft clink, her gaze fixed on you, a mixture of desire and anticipation in her eyes.

"So we're doing this?" you gestured between you two.

"Unless you've changed your mind." She took a step closer to you, the space between you growing smaller with each moment. Her hand found your hip again, drawing you in even closer, the heat of your bodies meeting.

"I haven't" you moved closer,pressing yourself against her. You picked her up and set her down on the counter. Sitting there, she looked up at you, her gaze dark with desire and a hint of mischief. Your hands moved up her thighs to her waist as you kissed her.Her hands found their way to your hips, pulling you even closer as she deepened the kiss, a soft moan escaping her as her desires heightened.

"Maybe you should write a song about me," you teased,trailing your hand between her thighs.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Being the subject of my next hit single." She looked up at you with a playful look, biting her lower lip as your touch sent sparks of pleasure through her. Trying to keep her voice even, she responded, her tone both amused and slightly breathless. You pulled her right to the edge,right up against you.

"Doesn't your princess deserve a song?" You knew what you were doing,playing with her.

"Oh, does my princess want a song all to herself?" She wrapped her legs around your waist, her arms looping around your shoulders as she looked up at you, a mix of playfulness and lust in her eyes. She leaned in closer, her words a playful challenge. You kissed her neck.

"What do you think?" It was a sarcastic question,one that didn't demand an answer.

"Maybe I do... maybe I want a whole album."

"Really now? Tell me more" you bit her neck,making her moan. "Make that album and I promise I'll give you the best night of your life" you whispered,moving your hands underneath her oversized t-shirt.

"You'd better keep that promise." You moved to pull off her shorts,moving to whisper. 

"Oh,I will" you spread her legs,your fingers hooked her panties and pulled them off. "I'm keeping these,I hope you don't miss them too much. And if you need more 'inspiration' call me"

"Trust me, I'll remember this for future inspiration. But I think you might need to give me something in return." Her panties had a massive wet spot,clearly she was enjoying this. You unzipped your top to show your chest as you leaned closer. She bit her lip, trying to control the wave of arousal that coursed through her at the sight. 

"That's a pretty good exchange... but is it enough to inspire a whole album?"

"Then touch them" you smirked

"Giving me instructions now, are you? I should've known you'd be the bossy type." Her hands slowly traced your skin.

"You should watch that pretty mouth,it'll get you in lots of trouble" your lips glistened with your lipgloss which had somehow stayed despite everything.

"And what if I like trouble? What if I want my pretty mouth to get me into some fun situations?" Your hand brushed against the inside of her thigh,before two fingers plunged into her. Your fingers slipping in so easily. 

"God,you're so wet for me"

"Y-You have that effect on me... It's incredible..." Her body arched into your touch at your words, a soft moan escaping her lips."Really" You pulled your fingers out and licked them. She whined and whimpered the second you pulled your fingers out. "Please... I need more, don't tease me like this" You smirked,knowing you had her at your mercy. You moved her body,putting her feet on the counter which made her spread her legs wide. Letting you see her fully as you drew lines from her ankle to her inner thigh. You took her hand and placed it between her legs. 

"Now,show me how you've touched yourself." You smirked,your hand covering hers. She moved her hand,circling her clit, her breath shallow and quick. "How many times have you done this,pretended,wished it was my hand?" You whispered into her ear. She let out a shuddering exhale as your words washed over her, the sound of them sending chills down her spine. Your free hand moved to her chest,softly squeezing as you kissed her collarbones and neck. You kissed her cheek,your hand moving hers in quicker circles. Her back arched and she moaned loudly. It didn’t take long at all for her to cum with your touch,you took over and let her ride it out as long as she could. “That’s it,good girl.”

Months later she had finished the album and was working on a music video with you. This one was completely sexual and you played along perfectly. One scene was her scribbling the word 'mine' all over you. Pretty much confirming your relationship to the media. You both knew that this moment was more than just a scene for the music video. It was a statement to the world that you belonged to each other. You were covered in the word and decided to post a photo to your Instagram,with the caption 'I think they got the message 💚' and tagged her on one of the 'mine' she had written on your skin. 

[hesperisms]

// Knight Shift

This is my submission for @nanamiscocksleeve Christmas Secret Santa Fic Exchange! I was tasked with writing for the wonderful @reilemon ! "Please don't squirm...you're making it very hard for me to be a gentleman..."

// summary: you get a little too drunk and make a fool of yourself at the bar, requiring Zayne to haul you out of there.

// content warnings: 18+ (mdni), fluff, second-hand embarrassment, pet names, early-mid relationship, THE IMPLICATION, toothache cuteness, husband as HECK

// a/n: when I saw this prompt go on the list I was so hopeful I'd get it and I'm so glad I did! I hope I did your idea justice <3 Happy Holidays

likes, reblogs, comments are always appreciated!

1:04 AM Zayne's phone screen beamed a soft blue glow back at him as he sat in his car in the darkened hospital carpark, brow furrowed as he skimmed through his notifications at the end of his shift.

A veritable forensic timeline of your night, his nimble finger scrolled through Moment post after Moment post documenting your Christmas party, smiling and shaking his head as he watched each captured tease of your night progressing. The Moment posts were very innocent at the beginning of the night and they made him smile to himself, you looking cute and bright-eyed in your new dress, twirling in your bedroom mirror to show him what you planned to wear. He felt a blush creep into his cheeks as he watched you, beaming happily and giggling with your colleagues at the bar.

Gradually however, the blush and the smile were replaced by a tight, protective, possessive feeling in his chest and a pit in his stomach as your drinks began to flow freely. The little brightly colored umbrellas from your cocktails were now starting to get stacked up in your messy updo like a crown of flowers, each video adding to your pile of paper adornments as the footage got blurrier and more concerning to him. Zayne had never been much of a drinker himself and you had pinched his cheeks as you rolled your eyes at him, insisting you could handle it when he asked you to be careful and pace yourself tonight, but the most recent Moment posts told a different story to your dismissals.

An hour ago, blurry new male faces appearing beside you and your friend that he didn't recognize as being colleagues of yours and they definitely weren't as drunk as you; twenty minutes ago a shaky POV of you cheer-screaming at the top of your lungs as your friend downed a double shot of something as they spurred her on. Thirty seconds ago a jumbled black screen mess of your phone clattering to the floor as you howled with laughter and someone tried to help you up, shoving another drink into your hand.

"This has gone on long enough; she's too drunk to be among strangers", Zayne thought to himself with a scowl as he started the car and began to navigate his way towards the location you'd tagged in your Moment posts. He dialed your number as he drove and after what felt like half a lifetime, you picked up the phone.

"ZAAAAAAAAAAAYNIE! ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYNIE!" you slurred at him excitedly as your glassy and unfocused eyes finally came into view on the facetime call. You were so much drunker than he expected you to be, so much so that he was half-questioning if something had been slipped into your drinks. "Zaynie I've been having SO. MUSH. FUN. with my new frenzzz here...what uhh...what were your namsh again?" you asked with a giggle as one of the unrecognized men muttered in the background and swiped at your phone when you turned it towards him.

Zayne forced a slight smile for you and spoke in a slow, even tone that hid his true feelings about the situation "I just finished my shift, I thought you might like me to come pick you up and we can finish the night with some dessert, hmmm?". With how happy you'd been to answer his call, he expected an enthusiastic yes, so when you pouted and whined that you were still having fun with your new friends, you weren't ready to leave yet, Zayne couldn't hide his icy scowl. "I'll be there in five minutes, Y/N, I'll carry you out of the bar if I have to." Zayne stated in a firm, no-nonsense tone.

Whether you hung up accidentally or deliberately didn't matter to Zayne, what mattered was you were alone and very drunk with strangers. His knuckles gripped the leather steering wheel tightly and he sped up a little, pushing the boundaries of how comfortable he felt speeding at this late hour. All he cared about was getting to you and getting you home safely.

Leaving his car a block away from the bar, Zayne jogged up to the doors, only to be stopped by the two large men guarding the entrance with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Too late for new entries, Sir" one of them said with a note of apology to his tone as he blocked Zayne from going further. Standing up on his tiptoes to peek over their shoulders, Zayne shook his head and began to make his case to them. "Sorry gents, I'm trying to collect someone. You might've seen her? Blue and white dress, about this tall, very drunk?". With timing so perfect only the cosmos could've coordinated it, you let out a loud squeal of laughter that carried through the open doorway, followed by a crash of what sounded like breaking glass. "Speak of the devil...May I?" Zayne winced in apology as the two bouncers looked at each other then back to him with a nod and stepped aside.

"Better you get her out quietly than we have to turf her out, Sir."

Nodding back with an apologetic tight smile, Zayne pat the shoulder of the bouncer in thanks as he passed, making a beeline for where your noise came from. When you had slipped and fallen off the barstool, your heel had snapped off your left shoe and you were drunkenly wobbling, trying and failing to understand why you had no balance.

Placing a hand gently on your shoulder so that you knew he was there, Zayne made his presence known. "Looks like I got here right on time, Y/n" he raised his voice above the cacophony of noise around you in the bar. On seeing your eyes light up in recognition, he dropped to one knee in front of you, beckoning for you to stick your foot out to him. Rewarding you with a slight smile as you complied, Zayne slid his hand delicately around your heel and began to unbuckle the strap on your shoe, slipping it off your foot. Repeating the process with your other foot, your bare feet now flat to the floor, you looked even smaller compared to his tall broad frame as he hooked his index finger into the straps of your shoes to hold onto them as he stood up, picking paper umbrellas out of your hair and letting them fall to the floor.

"Lets get you home," Zayne said to you softly, eyes scanning between the floor and your short dress, frowning at the broken glass you would risk navigating to the exit. "Hold these for me please," he instructed you, handing your heels back to you, before slipping his suit jacket off and wrapping it around your hips so that it draped down over the back of your legs to protect your modesty. You blinked at him in confusion before letting out a little squeal of surprise as he wrapped his strong arm around your thigh and picked you up over his shoulder, holding you tightly and securely in his arms. "Don't worry Y/n, I've got you, I won't drop you" he said confidently as he headed back past the bouncers at the front door.

"Zaaaaaaynie," you giggled tipsily. "You're carrying me like a princess, am I your princess?" You teased him as you clung to his neck tightly, your heels and your purse tapping into his strong shoulder blades rhythmically as he walked you back to his car. He paused mid-stride and pulled his head back to look you in the eyes, noting they weren't as glassy as they had been, but you were still far from sober. "My knight in shining armor," you giggled and buried your head in his shoulder. Zayne answered you with a low rumbling hum, your words stirring something in him that makes the tips of his ears flush red. He hoped you were still too drunk to notice and you seemed to be.

He delicately cradled your head to avoid you hitting it as he bundled you into his car passenger seat and he paused, stunned for a second when you suddenly reached up and stroked his hair gently, like you were petting a cat. "So soft..." you murmured sleepily. Zayne cleared his throat and pulled his head away hoping you wouldn't notice the flush deepening. "Feel free to sleep in the car on the way home, I'll wake you when we get there," he whispered to you as he leaned across you to lock in your seatbelt, but by the time he looked up to your face you were already out like a light, your breathing steady and peaceful, cuddling your shoes and your purse to your chest.

Zayne smiled down at you gently, brushing his thumb against your cheek tenderly and closed the car door as quietly as he could, trying not to disturb your slumber. Zayne drove carefully the whole way to your apartment, taking care not to accelerate or brake too suddenly and risk jarring you out of your sleep.

He needn't have worried, because you didn't stir when he opened the passenger side door or when he reached across you to unbuckle your seatbelt. "Princess Y/n," he whispered to you, a playful tone sneaking into his voice. "Wakey wakey your knight is trying to carry you in." Zayne smiled at you as your half-lidded eyes fluttered open sleepily and you struggled to focus. He chuckled and shook his head with an exasperated sigh as you held your hands out to him expectantly, but he still bundled you into his arms to carry you bridal-style up into your apartment complex without a word of complaint.

Zayne shifted you in his arms, putting you down for a second so that he could punch in your front door code. Missing the warmth of his strong arms and the steady beating of his heart lulling you, you snuggled in tightly against his chest, slipping your arms around his hips and pressing yourself flat up against him.

"Please don't squirm...you're making it very hard for me to be a gentleman..." Zayne blushed, reaching to stroke your hair. "Are you steady enough to stand on your own now?" He asked gently. You nodded up at him with a smile, before blushing with an embarrassed giggle as you almost tripped on your own feet trying to walk to your couch. "Wait there, I'll be back in a moment," Zayne instructed you as he shut the door behind you both and made his way to your bedroom and bathroom, moving through your apartment confidently like his own.

From your bedroom he collected a set of pyjama shorts and a shirt of his you had promised to wash but had instead kept to sleep in; he never asked you about it after the fact, liking the idea of it being wrapped around you at night when he couldn't be much more than it gathering dust in his closet. Detouring to your bathroom, he took your toothbrush, loading it up with toothpaste for you, your retainer, your pack of makeup remover wipes and a jar of eye mask patches.

"Your dress, while beautiful, smells like a brewery I'm afraid," Zayne chuckled, sitting down beside you on the couch with the pile of supplies he'd collected for you. He held his hands out to you and made a "come hither" motion with his fingers, encouraging you to scoot closer to him until your knees touched. "Give me your face, Princess Y/n," he said gently, holding your chin delicately with his right hand as he pulled makeup wipes out of the pack with his left and began to carefully wipe the grime of the night from your face.

You sat barefaced in front of him, eyes closed and sighing contentedly at his delicate attentions, your skin tingling from the makeup wipes. "Nope, I'm just resting my eyes," you murmured with a smile when he gently tapped the tip of your nose asking if you had fallen asleep on him. You stiffened for a second as the cool shock of aloe hit your undereye and you opened your eyes lazily to see Zayne placing the little masks carefully and brushing them smooth with his thumbs. Zayne took hold of your chin again, pressing your mouth open with his thumb and index finger, before holding out the toothbrush and popping it into your mouth.

As you brushed your teeth sleepily, enjoying the calm domesticity between you both, Zayne picked up the clothes and put them in your lap with your retainer on top. "Go rinse and change into those while I throw away these wipes and put your phone on charge," he instructed you, brushing your hair back away behind your ears before taking the rubbish into your kitchen to dispose of. You made your way to the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub. Slipping the clean shirt on over your head, you noticed it smelled like him again and you knew you'd worn it to bed often enough that it had lost his smell...you half-wondered if he hadn't rubbed it on himself a little to transfer some fresh cologne to it for you and the thought made you flush with giddy happiness.

Looking at yourself in the bathroom mirror as you spat and rinsed your toothpaste, you couldn't help but grin to yourself, feeling so spoiled by him. After you disposed of the eye masks and fitted your retainer, you stepped out of the bathroom to find Zayne was nowhere to be found. Wandering through the apartment, you softly called out for him and felt a wave of relief wash over you as you heard him respond from your bedroom. Wandering in, the sight that welcomed you made your heart beat faster; true to his word, Zayne had plugged your phone in on your bedside to charge and was now fluffing your pillows and quilt for you. "There you are," he said with a teasing tone. "I was starting to think you might've passed out on your Knight again."

Zayne held his hand out to you and helped guide you into the bed, bundling you in under the covers, tucking you in. You grabbed his hand, catching his eyes as you felt his breath catch at your unexpected touch. "Stay with me? Please?" you asked and he nodded, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head. "As my Princess wishes," he responded, swallowing thickly. "Let me just get out of my suit and I'll stay the night with you". You watched Zayne's movements around the room with half-lidded eyes as he slipped his tie and belt off and draped his suit slacks over the back of your arm chair. His nimble fingers worked to undo his cufflinks and free himself from his button up shirt, which promptly followed his slacks onto the chair, the clink of his silver snowflake cufflinks hitting your jewelry dish on your chest of drawers ringing through the silence.

"That gaze of yours is going to bore a hole in me if you keep it up, Your Highness," Zayne teased, a tone of a smirk to his accusation and you blushed, pulling the quilt up over your head. You felt the quilt pulled back from you and internally pouted that Zayne had already slipped on some pjyama bottoms you had bought and left for him to use at your place. He slid himself into the bed beside you and pulled your back up tight against his broad warm chest, wrapping his arms around you in a firm hug and planting one last kiss on your hair.

"Thank you for everything tonight Zaynie," you whispered. "Sometimes I feel like I don't des-"

"Shhh...." Zayne cut you off, his arms squeezing you tighter as he pressed his chin down on the top of your head. "I'm exactly where I want to be," he hummed to you. "If you really want to thank me for being your knight in shining armor, in the morning you can help me make us blueberry pancakes. For now though," Zayne punctuated his final thought by inhaling a deep breath of your hair. "Sleep, my Princess."

[frostyscript]

˚˖౨ৎ~𓍢ִ໋ Investigating Outer Banks most haunted lighthouse

"Investigating Outer Banks most haunted lighthouse"

part: 1, The Lighthouse

warnings!; I'm not american so correct me if sth is wrong; english is not my first language!!

notes; this is supposed to read like you're watching a video

previous part | masterlist | next part

"What's up, guys? It's Sam and Colby, and welcome to the most haunted lighthouse in the Outer Banks," Colby started the intro, his voice cutting through a shot of the towering structure shrouded in thick fog. Aerial footage of the lighthouse played, revealing its weathered stone walls perched on the edge of the rugged shoreline.

"This lighthouse is located in the Outer Banks, North Carolina," Sam informed the viewers, his tone equal parts excited and uneasy. "It’s been standing here for over a century, but the hauntings? Those only started about ten years ago with the death of the lightkeeper's daughter."

"And it’s our second time investigating a lighthouse," Colby added, nudging Sam with a small smirk.

"Yeah, maybe this one’s nicer than the last one," Sam joked, earning a laugh from Colby.

"The craziest part?" Colby continued, his expression shifting to something more serious. "The current owner of this lighthouse is actually related to the spirit we’re hoping to make contact with tonight. She’s the ghost’s aunt, and she’s agreed to let us investigate."

"This place has such a vibe already," Sam said as the camera panned to the lighthouse’s towering silhouette. The faint cry of seagulls echoed through the haze, and a low wind rustled the tall grass by the shore.

As the camera cut to Sam and Colby walking toward the lighthouse, the fog seemed to part just enough to reveal the silhouette of a woman standing at the entrance. A large white dog lay stretched out on the porch, its head lifting in quiet alarm as the two men approached.

"This is Anya, the current owner of the lighthouse," Sam introduced as the camera showed the woman standing by the door, with the dog at her side.

"Thanks for letting us investigate," Colby said.

Anya gave a brief nod. "You're the first strangers to investigate here. I haven’t really let anyone try before."

"So, what’s the story with the place?" Sam asked, glancing around.

Anya took a moment before answering. "It’s been in my family for generations. My brother was the last keeper, but he passed away years ago. Since then, I've taken care of it. As for the hauntings... they started not long after. We think it has something to do with my niece. She grew up here, and then... well, things changed after she passed. It's quiet, but sometimes you’ll notice things—footsteps, doors creaking, stuff moving."

"Do you think it's her?" Colby asked.

Anya shrugged slightly. "Could be. We don’t really know. But we’ve heard things, especially in the winter. The dog’s protective of certain spots, like a chair by the window. Never lets anyone near it. You'll maybe hear some humming."

"Any signs on the beach?" Sam asked, noticing the faint waves in the distance.

"Sometimes footprints. But nothing too clear," Anya said. "It’s been quiet lately, but maybe tonight you’ll hear something."

As she was about to leave, the elderly woman turned toward them. "During double digits on the clock, you can see her fall, " she hummed, before walking out the door, leaving Sam and Colby alone in the lighthouse. The dog, however, stayed put, curled up at the end of an old chair by the window.

[merchelsea]

sacrifice - lando norris

pairing: lando norris x fem!reader

summary: you and lando have a long distance relationship due to your hard work. you rarely have free time to attend to his races, the only one you actually attend every year is monaco's. you understand things will have to change when lando gets into a crash and that makes you want to be there with him at everytimes.

author’s note: i hate making myself go through this.

word count:

warnings: lets pretend lando crashed duriung the interlagos gp, not the LA one, for the sake of the plot :)

"hey, babe!" you mumbled as you stirred from your nap. originally meant for a quick rest before the race, it turned into a marathon of sleep that spanned the entire duration of the race. checking the timing, you muttered, "shit."

"were you asleep?" he chuckled.

"yeah... I'm sorry babe. I was just trying to catch up on some sleep debt before the race. I am just tired..." you explained with a low rumble. lando always had a away of understanding things. "anyways, how did it go?"

"not so well, i am kind of glad that you didn't watch it, you would've freak out unnecessarely." he sighed

"why? what happened?" you sat up, eyes squeezed shut in alarm.

"it was nothing serious, just a crash." he reassured. the word 'crash' froze you, an unsettling feeling settling in your chest. "I'm fine now; I'm at the hospital doing some tests."

you didn't answer him and he immediately sensed your worry, it was your usual reaction whenever he had an incident. it was your own way to deal with stuff. "I'll have to stay here in brazil for some extra days. we don't want to rush things. everything is alright, but still."

"yeah, I know. how are you feeling? any pain? wasit bad? why are you at the hospital? is there anything they're worried about?" your thoughts rushed out, anxiety evident. you wished you could've been there with him, knowing how much he disliked going through hospitalization alone.

"calm down, baby. I'm fine, no pain. they gave me painkillers for my headache," he began, his voice carrying weariness and sadness. "the crash felt horrible from inside the car, but I've seen the footage, and it wasn't that bad. I don't think they're worried about anything specific, just my racing career," he added with a hint of self-deprecating humor.

"shut up. you know those jokes aren't funny, right?" you retorted, hating his tendency for such jokes. "anyways, I miss you so much. you have no idea." placing your phone on the bed, you awaited his response as you searched for your notebook.

"I know babe, I miss you like crazy too. and i won't be able to be home for some more days, as i told you. i hate it." you both sighed. "but it's okay, i'm glad you weren't here this time."

although you felt the honesty in his words, you could also know that it was pure bullshit. he wanted you to be there more that anything, and the fights you two had over the past weeks showed that clearly.

lando felt your support fading away and, as always, he talked about it with you, but there was nothing you could do, you could not just leave your work and follow him around the world.

your life had to come first. you couldn't be financially dependent. you had never wanted that for yourself.

"I love you, lando. you know that, right?"

"i know. I love you too." anuncomfortable silence lingered, more apparent to him than to you, as you were preoccupied with booking a flight to brazil. "look, I have to hang up to do some exams. I'll call you as soon as I can, yeah?"

"yeah, okay. keep me updated, for the love of god." he laughed and silently hang up.

as soon as you were able to, you called your boss, letting her aware of the whole situation, who, understandingly, granted you a week off, more than you needed. grateful, you expressed your thanks in every single way you could.

as you couldn't just fly there without someone knowing, you called lando's dad to let him know that you were going. he was thankful that his son had found someone who cared so much about him, and as so helped you through everything.

you would obviously be staying at lando's room with him, so you didn't need to worry about that, but there were things you actually needed to deal with and that's where he was an absolute angel, taking care of everything for you.

the flight proved to be torturous; sleep eluded you, your mind consumed by worry for your boyfriend, presently hospitalized in a foreign country that held no appeal for him. the inability to communicate with him intensified your anxiety, and the endurance of such a long flight was a challenge unfamiliar to you.

the only thing keeping you focused on trying to sleep was knowing that you'd see lando soon and that you needed to be sane.

once you arrived in brazil, adam had already sent an uber to pick you up and drop you at the hotel. you were eternally grateful for him. your appreciation deepened when, upon entering the hotel, you found everything seamlessly taken care of, allowing you to reach his son without delay.

he drove you there himself, the casual conversation during the car ride centered uiquely around the topic most dear to both of you—lando's health.

every detail adam shared heightened your awareness; lando was okay, but not as well as he should be. the information failed to ease your mind, creating a lingering unease.

after reaching the hospital, the attending doctor informed you that lando was still asleep but encouraged you to enter. you opened the door to his room, and an immediate sense of tranquility washed over you. lando's peaceful slumber tugged at your heartstrings, and the sight of his features made you want to cry; you had missed him so damn much.

you took his hand, staying by his side as he slept. despite your exhaustion, the anticipation of his awakening kept sleep at bay.

lando woke up and confusedly stared at you for five minutes straight. in his head, he was trying to figure out if you were real or if his desperation had just made you up. you squeezed his hand and that seemed to clear his mind. you were in fact there.

"love?" he muttered, scared of being wrong.

"hey baby" you whispered to him, smiling softly.

"you're here? what are you doing here?" he hurriedly sat up, his expression filled with worry, like he wasn´t the one on a hospital bed.

"i'm here to see you." you extended your hand and let it travel through his face. "got the week off, couldn't leave you alone." his smile was priceless. he rushed his arms around your waist, since you were standing now, and pulled you closer to him, head in your belly.

when he told you he had missed you like crazy, he didn't define it well enough.

he locked his lips with yours as soon as he had a chance. you missed that feeling, you missed it too fucking much. you missed everything about him too fucking much, and maybe this misfortune was just what you needed to realize that something had to change. you couldn't miss him like this all the time.

it was literal hell, for the both of you.

adam entered the room after some time and, from his face, you could see he carried good news.

and you were right. "you are free to leave today, all the exams cameback with positive answers. you still have to stay in brazil, of course, a flight so long could jeopardize your health, so you'll have to stay for a bit longer, but you two can go stay at the hotel for tonight.

you and lando celebrate this little "victory" with each other and then you start talking about going home, anticipating what you'd do.

the room was uncharacteristically quiet as he payed attention to the TV and you lost yourself in your own mind.

"I think I might quit my job." you let out with your head layed in his chest. he twists his head to look at you. "what?" he asks, clearly confused, in his head, trying to figure out where all of this was coming from.

yes, it's true that he didn't like to travel around the world every year and leave you behind, and it's also true that this past year, he felt your support fade away, but he didn't want you to leave your life in second place for him. he knew, and understood, how important for you it was to have your financial independence.

he had started to feel guilty, even though this was not his fault.

you thought and rethought about it during your flight, since it was the only thing you could do. of course you never wanted that, but you also couldn't bare the distance anymore, and his accident showed you that.

you wanted to be there, to be able to celebrate every single one of his podiums by his side and not over the phone, you wanted to be able to hold and support him whenever he needed you to do so.

six years into your relationship, neither of you envisioned it ending anytime soon. if it did, you had your savings, but for now, you craved closeness.

"seriously. i want to be with you. i think i never noticed how affected i was by your absence, but i am a lot." you admitted with a sigh. helistened intently. "I want to be able to be with you."

"are you for real?" he asked, concern in his eyes. "I don't want you to feel pressured to do that. I love you whether you're here or on the other side of the world."

"I know, lan. it's not like I would stop working. I just have to find something within my capacities that allows me to travel around the world with you. and it's not like you're going to break up with me, leaving me with nothing. I have my money."

"it's not like I'm gonna break up with you, period." he smirked. "we're a forever thing."

turning you around as if you were as light as a pillow, you wrapped your arms around his neck.

"I love you," you whispered against his lips.

"I love you too," he whispered back.

[madonnamadeofasphalt]

EA & Bioware honestly did an incredible job at killing any enthusiasm I had for a new Dragon Age. Fucking hell, man, I've played the first two games so much I could probably go through them with closed eyes and still pick all the right dialogue options to get My Exact Personally Canonized Plot. And the only reason I didn't do the same thing with DA:I is because it was made after EA completely gave up on optimizing their shit so the fucking thing takes up like a billion terabytes of disc space and takes 10 hours to download and install. I honestly think it's the best-written cRPG franchise to ever have a budget that doesn't involve a list of Kickstarter backers or getting an eccentric Estonian billionaire fixated on the project. And the gameplay is also there, I don't really care about that part.

Then they proceeded to fire all the talent that made me love those first three games, and scratch and restart the production twice, and be suspiciously cagey with any details or gameplay footage for a fucking decade, so my hype consistently went down and down. And yet I still managed to hold out some hope that somehow, by some miracle, it wouldn't fucking suck.

I kept that hope until the trailer dropped. You know the one. The one where we see a bearded Varric. This, I think, was the exact moment when I lost any desire to play fucking Veilguard.

Like, first of all, Varric being there at all is already an issue. Leave the man alone. His presence was already kinda forced in DA:I. And after DA:I and Tresspasser, his story couldn't be more finished if he got killed, eaten, shitted out, condemned to hell, redeemed by divine sacrifice, bathed for eternity in the everlasting light. There is no point to Varric anymore. Whatever arc they've given him in Veilguard, and I don't even give a shit enough to read the spoilers before writing this post, it has no business existing. Fuck you. The only reason he's there is because he's a recognizable IP, and when you're a certain kind of soulless corporate moron, you think there's nothing more important than putting a recognizable IP in whatever new bullshit you're trying to peddle. Maybe if you didn't fire every decent writer in your trash fucking company, you'd have someone to tell you about the importance of Ending The Fucking Story When The Story Fucking Ends.

But that's not even the core of the problem. Beard? they gave Varric a Beard? Varric I fucking hate everything that's even tangentially connected to dwarven culture with a passion which is why I've made a point to shave my beard all my life to spite anyone who gives a fuck about it Tethras? beard? you gave him a beard? He changed so much offscreen in the goddamn timeskip between these two games that he got a motherfucking berd? fucshhfdbeard? feadsgfsvarricafgfdh BEARD? yyousftoiuslyhhabevarricasgsfucningbeardandthivkimgosabedineditit?beard????

PS. (edit after finding out spoilers) I've gone to TV Tropes to read up on Varric's role in DATV after writing this (just in case I'm wrong and dumb, and there's actually a deeply compelling narrative reason for his presence), and, well, this shit is cheaper than I thought. And more importantly, just as I thought, there appears to be no justification for the beard beyond "adding a beard is a cliche way to show that a bunch of time has passed, and we didn't care enough to think this shit through". I'm fucking tired, man.

PPS. (edit after reading the rest of big spoilers) This is so much worse than I could even begin to suspect. This is worse than the final season of Game of Thrones. This is the final season of Game of Thrones if they straight-up fired GRRM, burned his notes and hired a showrunner who's only read a one-page summary of the first six seasons. This is fucking depressing, man. I'm genuinely fucking sad. So many subplots that were started over the course of these three games, that were clearly going somewhere, scrapped in favour of a simplistic good vs. evil story that would get rejected by fucking CD-Projekt in 2007 for being too basic. All because the artists who poured their hearts and souls into this bullshit franchise got thrown out like trash by its "owners". Morrigan's kid, the Well of Sorrows, all the implied complexities of Tevinter politics, the Crows, the Old Gods, Andraste. All went to shit. Death to capitalism.

[directdogman]

Hi, I hope you're having a decent day! I'm sorry if this is an invasive set of questions - feel free not to answer - but do you still actively like DSaF as your own creation, or is it more of a "it was fun while it lasted but i outgrew it and it's for the best to leave it behind" kind of project? Do you ever regret making the games? If you knew they would get so popular, is there anything you would have changed about them? Is there anywhere I could read more of your writing.

It fluctuates a bit. These last couple of years, I've really just been sorta nostalgic for it. I've seen a lot of people discuss those games being a source of comfort during bad times in their lives, people talking about how much the characters mean to them and it's hard not to smile when you see that.

It's a funny thing for close friends of yours to see people WITH fanmade DSaF merch out in the wild, or to watch a random youtube video and being hit with a DSaF reference outta nowhere. It happens from time to time, even today. On a few occasions, I've even had a person reference my work to me in real life and not realize who they were talking to, believe it or not. It's really fun to play dumb and get someone to explain your work to you like you don't know what it is.

I certainly didn't think any of that would happen when I first made the series, or even during development. I think the normal assumption would be to look at DSaF as it exists now and assume its release was a peak for it, but believe it or not, the official discord only had 30 people in it shortly before 3 dropped! The archive listing of the series (reposted to a single page after the series ended) is now sitting at over 1.1 MILLION downloads.

People kinda assume the true heyday of something is when it's new, when it's fresh and novel. For instance, some people look back at when FNaF itself was new and see that time as its peak because it had a lot of internet cultural relevance as big new indie thing on the block. But, raw numbers don't lie. The series has been continually growing since its conception and that growth has similarly bled over to its fan projects. This explains why DSaF, despite not having a new series release in almost 6 years, seems to be inexplicably growing.

Just recently, I saw someone post footage of a scene from DSaF 2 on Twitter, which got over 16k likes. People praised its writing and largely celebrated the scene. The ironic thing about that particular scene is that I remembered being unsure if it was good or not, so I showed it off in one of the FNaF community hubs. The response was broadly lukewarm to negative. Now, it's held up as one of the best scenes in those games. That's kind of the point I'm trying to make, my thoughts on the series have certainly changed with everyone's else with years of hindsight.

Heh. I'm not sure if I've talked about this in a long time, but y'know, the very first scene I implemented in-game was actually the very first Phone Guy scene in DSaF 1, more or less exactly how it appears in-game today. This was before I'd even written the bulk of the game. I was pretty unfamiliar with visual novels as a whole, pretty unsure if something like this would be palatable to a fandom that was really just used to sit 'n' survive stuff that were far more gameplay than text. I mean, there wasn't any FNaF fangames really LIKE DSaF before that point. Closest was FNaFb, a jokey turn based RPG made in the same engine.

The engine I made the game in is also not exactly fit for VNs out of the box either, and I wasn't 100% sure the idea would actually work. But, the very first time I added the image of the prize corner, Phone Guy, the audio of that iconic cheesy stock track and booted up a test screen, I had a little moment where I said "Oh. I think I'm onto something interesting here." I kinda remembering instantly realizing in that single moment how much potential the idea had. Over 8 years later, I still remember that moment like it was yesterday.

I think lately, that's the sort of stuff I think of when I see people coming to me and asking about the series. Yes, it's really rough around the edges, yes, there's jokes that've aged poorly. But, it is a source of comfort for people and entertains tens of thousands of people each month. And that's gotta count for something, right?

[cryptidtumbleweed]

Mysterious disappearances, missing chunks of time, glitchy camera footage, faceless man-like monsters in the woods? Welcome to...

Marble Hornets has always had a special place in my heart ever since I stumbled upon it in 2019. It's a tradition for me to watch it every Halloween, and I still keep up actively with the comics and other things Troy, one of the creators, still does. The fanfics from the fandom have shaped my taste in reading and style in writing, and the art has inspired me.

So, what better use of my time than to smash it together with the most important show in my life?

---

Marble Owls is a Hunter and Luz focused au that follows the two trying to figure out what's happening to the people in their lives.

Two months ago, Edalyn Clawthorne went missing. One month ago, Hunter's father Caleb went missing.

Two weeks ago, Hunter went missing.

The police aren't doing anything.

Luz, having been infuriated by the cops not doing anything even before her own brother vanishes while on a walk at the local park, Rosswood Park, decides to take the matter to her own hands. As she searches for answers, thinking maybe Hunter for some reason ran away or went to look for his dad, she stumbles upon Hunter's diary and a video camera stuffed under his bed, hidden behind boxes. Deciding Hunter's safety trumps his privacy, she starts going through them.

The confusing, paranoid scribbles and weird corrupted footage of the woods only make Luz more worried and determined to get to the bottom of this. With the bits and pieces of clues she has, she sets out to follow the bread crumbs to track her brother down.

Hunter, affected by The Operator's influence, is slowly getting more and more paranoid. His dad's disappearance really messes with his head, only adding to the constant feeling of being watched that's been plaguing him for a while now.

While on a walk in Rosswood Park (totally not there trying to find Caleb), Hunter runs into a familiar face. He doesn't quite know the story behind why his father and Philip had a falling out, he was far too young when it happened. But Philip seems to sympathize with what he's been dealing with for the past month or so, so Hunter gives him a chance when he brings up having an idea what happened to Caleb.

The next thing Hunter knows is that he wakes up in a shack in the woods with no memory of how he got there, or how long it's been.

Philip and Belos were a fun thing to tackle for this. I played around with the idea of them being the same pesron/creature, but eventually settled for separating them. Belos is referred to as "The Operator".

The sickness:

The Operator's influence presents itself in a few ways; increasing paranoia being the strongest. Other effects are coughing fits that worsen the closer The Operator is, losing (sometimes significant) chunks of memory and seizures. As it progresses, the paranoia festers into aggression and violent outbursts. There is medicine to help it, but untreated it can lead to fatal incidents when interacting with other people. The Operator seems to prey on those who have struggled in their life.

Below are some other drawings I've made while workshopping this :)

Playlist:

AU go brrrr

[drvirgus]

The shooting Range

Idol! Minji X Athlete! Reader

Wc: 2k

One Shot

———————————————————————————

Focused, I stared at the target, my hand outstretched and holding the gun in the correct position. I closed one of my eyes, especially since I needed to train both. I took a deep breath and moved my finger to the trigger. As I exhaled, I fired. This was my 150th shot today.

I pressed the button in front of me, bringing the target towards me, and immediately focused on it. I used 5 shots per target. My eyes narrowed as I counted the points I obtained on this target. Unsatisfied with the result, I sighed and secured the gun, placing it back in its place.

"Y/n," I heard someone say, recognizing my coach. My hand, still holding the target, lowered as my back straightened. My eyes now on my coach, who smiled at me. I smiled back at the taller man. "Yes?" I asked, as he didn't start speaking.

"You need to stop your training," the older man said, furrowing my brow. My head tilted to the side as I saw another girl behind him. She was taller and seemed to be a bit more muscular. Her face also seemed quite familiar. Especially when she politely smiled at me.

My eyes refocused on my coach. "Why?" I asked with a furrowed brow and visibly tense shoulders. "I've only done 150 shots," I added, pointing to the targets next to the gun. My coach glanced briefly at the targets and then at me, sighing softly.

He gestured to the woman behind him. "This is Minji, and she and her team will be filming here shortly," my coach said, causing my eyes to glance at Minji again. "So what? Let them," I replied with a disapproving shrug of my shoulders. Minji seemed to smirk at that.

"You need concentration during your training, and I need to explain and show everything to Minji here. That would only distract you. Plus, you shouldn't be caught on camera during your training," my coach explained, which annoyed me even more. My eyes fell on Minji once again before I sighed.

„How long will it take?" I asked, slightly more annoyed as I placed the used target on the stack. Minii's eyes followed me, but I simply looked at my coach, who then turned to Minii. "Well, I'm not quite sure. Maybe 1-2 hours?" she asked. "We've already shot some footage," she added shortly after, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"What exactly is a K-Pop idol doing at a shooting range?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest. Minji chuckled at that as she looked down at me. Her eyes gleamed with a certain curiosity. "I've always wanted to try it," she replied with a smirk, which took all my strength not to roll my eyes.

"So, you're disrupting my training for that?" I asked, but my coach immediately interrupted me. His hand on the back of my head as he gently tapped it. Outraged, I looked at him with my mouth open as I rubbed the back of my head. Minji laughed at that. "If only it were Hanni," I muttered quietly, causing Minji to stop laughing.

"Oh? A fan?" she asked, pointing her finger at me. I shook my head and shrugged. "Not really. But it's hard not to know about you when almost all of Korea promotes you," I replied, which made Minji laugh even louder. She nodded. "But why Hanni, then?" she asked, making me blush a little.

Minji's eyebrows shot up, and she nodded understandingly. She bit her lip for a moment but then turned her head as one of her managers said something to her. Unfortunately, I couldn't really hear it as a sudden tinnitus started in my ears. I sighed. "Alright. I'll go grab something to eat. I'll be back in 2 hours," I said as I took the stack in my hand and placed the gun back in its place. "But you start over," my coach said sternly, causing me to roll my eyes.

———————————————————————————

With the pistol in my hand, I stared at the target. My eyes narrowed as I tried to concentrate. "And then, out of nowhere, Haerin grabbed my hand. It startled me so much that I stumbled backward into Danielle, pushing her into Hyein. In the end, we almost landed on Hanni. She saw her life flash before her eyes. She didn't even scream and would've just died silently,"

I sighed, lowering the pistol. With narrowed eyes, I looked at Minji, who was sitting relaxed beside me, occasionally reaching into the small bag of chips and popping one into her mouth. "Do I look like I want to chat?" I asked, causing Minji to visibly hesitate.

"Am I bothering you?" she asked, sounding a bit sadder as she looked at me from her seated position. Her doe eyes softened, making me swallow. It looked pretty cute...

"No, not at all," I tried to say with a sarcastic tone, but Minji interrupted me with a broad grin on her face. "Okay, good. Anyway," she continued, which made me sigh again.

Anyway... that was also good training. It was never completely quiet at competitions...

I lifted the pistol once again and tried to focus on the target while Minii continued to chew my ear off. It was weird. Minji came to the shooting range every Monday at exactly the same time. She would shoot for a few minutes next to me, and I had to admit she was really good, but for the rest of the hours, she just sat there and talked to me. All I wanted was to train in peace.

"Hanni said you're cute."

Startled, with widened eyes, I turned my head at lightning speed to Minji, completely missing my target as I accidentally fired. With nervous hands, I placed the pistol on the desk in front of me and looked at the taller woman with obvious interest. She seemed to notice, starting to giggle.

"Oh? Do you still have a crush on Hanni?" she asked, popping another chip into her mouth. Then she held out the bag to me. "Want some?" she asked, but I shook my head. "I don't have a crush on her. It's more... I find her cute. Like a little sister," I replied, which made Minji hum loudly. Her eyes roamed over my entire face. "But she's the same age as me. Does that mean you see me as a sister too?" Minji asked, standing up from her seat, immediately towering over me.

My eyes narrowed instantly. "Why are you standing up? Are you trying to prove something?" I asked, rolling my eyes. Minji laughed. "Let's go get some food. I'm hungry," the younger one replied with just a smile. My eyes fell on the bag of chips and then to Minji.

„I Can't. I have to train," I sighed, but Minii just smiled even wider. "You don't have to. That was your thousandth shot. You're done," she said, surprising me. "Since when do you stalk me? Don't you have better things to do as an idol?" I asked, sighing, which only made Minji laugh. The taller one looked at me with a smile as she took my hand. She shook her head slightly, causing her long black hair to sway from left to right.

"What's better than a date with you?" she asked, making me stutter. My mouth slightly opened. "Date?" I asked, which made Minji laugh even louder. "Of course. A friends date," she replied with a grin, making me blush slightly. My head lowered slightly. Of course, she didn't mean a real date...

I'm an idiot...

"No thanks. I have to do 500 more today," I replied, causing Minii to sigh in disappointment. Her eyes roamed over my entire face as I got back into position and lifted the pistol.

———————————————————————————

My eyes focused on the people who were talking loudly and laughing. My mouth shifted to the side as I bit the inside of my cheek. I could hear Minji laughing loudly and then she glanced at me. Her smile disappeared from her face, and I immediately stared back at the target. Minji was doing it on purpose. She knew I always trained at this time of day...

"Um. Excuse me?" I heard someone say shyly. My eyes widened as I noticed Hanni next to me. She had a pistol in her hand and held it firmly with both hands. I politely smiled. "Yes?" I asked as I briefly glanced at the pistol in her hand and then into her eyes.

"Could you explain this to me?" she asked, which surprised me even more. My eyes wandered back to Minji, who was currently teaching Danielle how to shoot. Hyein was just shooting without proper stance. With a smile on my face, I nodded. I gestured for her to use the desk next to me.

Quickly and carefully, I explained the key points to the equally tall person. I observed every movement and kept a safe distance. When she hit one of the targets, she looked at me with big, happy eyes, which made me smile contentedly. But my eyes kept wandering back to Minji, who seemed to be busy with the others.

I sighed in annoyance. "I hit it," Haerin's voice rang out as she threw herself into Minji’s arms. My forehead creased at the sight, and my mouth twisted into a disgusted look, of course without me noticing. Minji looked at me, her eyebrows raised.

I saw Minji start to giggle and slowly let go of Haerin. With a very relaxed, almost too slow pace, she came over to me. But my arms crossed over my chest, which only made Minji laugh even more.

"What?!" I asked, probably sounding a bit annoyed, but Minli didn't seem to mind at all. Her eyes wide as she looked first at Hanni, who was focusing on shooting, and then at me. "So? How's it going with your crush?" she asked with a grin, which only made me furrow my brow even more.

"Not good."

"Why not?" Minji asked, a grin on her face, her hands on her hips as she looked down at me. Her eyes were expectant as they met mine. "It's none of your business," I replied, annoyed, turning my back to her slightly. Minji laughed as she now covered her mouth with her hand. Feeling offended that she was really laughing at me, I gently hit her arm.

"My crush isn't going well either," I heard Minji say, which immediately made me roll my eyes. "Did I ask?" I retorted, which made Minji huff. "She doesn't even care about me," Minji continued, which only made me angrier.

So I started to ignore her. "Her training is always more important than looking at me. She didn't even want to go eat with me," Minji said, emphasizing each word. My expression twisted. Unaware that the taller one was talking about me, Minji continued, "Even though I visit her every Monday and spend a few hours with her."

Slowly furrowing my brow, I looked up at the younger person. She smiled gently at me, nodding slightly with her head. "Yes, Y/n. I'm talking about you," the younger one said, shocking me visibly. My mouth opened as my arms uncrossed from my chest.

I looked at the taller woman for a while.

"You... you said it was a friends' date."

"That was a lie. I didn't know you liked me."

"Neither did I."

"What?"

My head lowered as I felt my cheeks blush. Embarrassed, I laughed, "I... I didn't know I liked you either," I replied, which made Minji laugh a bit. Her cheeks were also visibly flushed. I took a deep breath.

"Do you-"

„Do you-"

Surprised that we spoke simultaneously, we both paused. Laughing, I looked at the younger one. "Do you want to go get something to eat? As... a date?" I asked, which immediately made Minji nod. Her smile turning to a big gummy smile.

"Definitely."

[poirott]

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch at Salt of the Earth event → Venice International Film Festival, September 6-7 2024

Sophie Hunter is the director of the immersive performance and installation Salt of the Earth, an artistic production and campaign aimed at raising global awareness to protect our Salt Marshes.

"Salt Marshes are an incredible natural ecosystem that capture up to 50 times more carbon than rainforests. They are nature's buffer against rising sea levels and an essential habitat for diverse ecosystems. But this extraordinary natural asset is facing extinction by 2100, with devastating consequences for the planet."

Salt of The Earth premiered in Venice, a city at the frontline of climate change, which has already lost 85% of its salt marshes.

Source: twittaurora, imogen__knight__moves__, seanovenice, Instagram Stories via ariannasgarbi (alternate), chihiro.kawasaki_, juhi_blue, multa_paucis__, dianagomezphoto (alternate), punh (alternate)

[brainwasheds]

— i've been asked abt sharpening a few times but i thought that i would just share my actual actions i use but with some guidelines because it can really differ between different video sources and no sharpening is always exactly the same

— i've included different examples of video sources that i use for gifs alongside each type of sharpening action because not all actions will work for every gif. while it's always a matter of preference (whether u prefer a softer/more sharpened gif) some sharpenings can whitewash a gif so i added a little question mark as a warning to be mindful of that and make adjustments! — there are three (technically four) different actions. one is ultra hd sharp and works best on really good quality footage such as master mvs or good film/show footage! the second is a simple sharpening that can be used on all videos and the third is a softer sharpening that utilises the diffuse setting and it has a glowy option w blur as well! — take a look below at how the sharpenings look on different videos 💙

💌 MASTER/BUGS/BLU-RAY VIDEOS video source: here (gdrive) file size: 2gb

💌 4K YOUTUBE VIDEO video source: here (yt) file size: 470mb

💌 1080HD OR LESS VIDEO video source: here (yt) file size: 77mb

💌 TS FILE video source: here (k24hrs + dm for password!) file size: 3.21gb video specifications: qtgmc 60fps preprocesser + bm3d denoise (2)

💌 GOING SEVENTEEN because it varies so much it requires an example of its own video source: here (yt) file size: 606mb

YOU CAN FIND THE SHARPENINGS HERE <3 if you ever need any help or clarification feel free to ask!! no need for credit if you use, but of course please don't claim the actions as your own <3

[sinnersmovie]

gif tutorial

i was asked to make a tutorial for this set i made, so let's get right into it!

first things first, i downloaded the music videos from youtube in 1080p using 4k video downloader. unfortunately, the quality of youtube videos always seems... not great, to put it simply. plus these music videos are from the 90s, so they've been upscaled to 1080p after the fact. all of this works against us, but i've definitely worked with videos of lesser quality than these, so at least there's that!

when i gif, i import video frames to layers rather than screencapping. this comes down to personal preference. after everything has loaded, i group all my layers together and set the frame delay to 0.05. i then cropped my gif to 540x500.

the next step in my process is sharpening. i did play around with my settings a bit given the quality of the footage and the dimensions of the gif. i compared both @hellboys low-quality video gif tutorial to my regular sharpening action and my vivid sharpening action and in this case, i preferred my normal vivid sharpening action. i used this tutorial to create the action for myself, and you can find other sharpening tutorials here. this action converts my frames to video timeline and applies sharpening.

once my gif is sharpened and i'm in timeline, i begin coloring. i wanted to simplify the amount of colors used in these gifs, again because of the video quality -- i knew it wasn't going to have the crispness i would normally like for my gifs. here are my coloring adjustment layers and their settings (not pictured: my first layer is a brightness/contrast layer set to screen) (explanation in alt text):

all of these layers and their settings will vary depending on your footage and its coloring (and obviously, feel free to make the gradient map whatever colors you like if you aren't going for this exact look).

pretty basic coloring, especially with just slapping a gradient map on top (my beloved), but at this point, i still didn't like the quality of the gif, so i added a couple textures/overlays.

i put the left one down first and set the blending mode to soft light and the opacity to 8%. depending on what look you're going for, you could increase or decrease the opacity or play around with different blending modes. i like using this texture with lower quality footage because even when it's sized up a bit, it adds some crispness and makes things feel more defined. for the second texture, i set it to overlay and 75% opacity. we love and respect film grain in this house.

now for the typography! sometimes i really enjoy typography and other times it's the bane of my existence for the sole reason of just how many fonts i have installed. anyway, here are the settings i used for this set:

make sure the color of your font is white and then set the blending mode to either difference or exclusion. i can almost never see a difference between the two, but for this set, i used exclusion. below are the blending options (double click on your text layer to bring up this menu or right click and select blending options).

now we have to add the warp effect. with your text tool still selected, click this icon at the top of your screen:

from the dropdown menu, select twist. these were my settings, but feel free to play around with different warp options and their settings. the ones i use most often are flag, fish, and twist.

this last step is completely optional, but it's an effect i use in most of my sets with typography. duplicate your text layer (select the layer and ctrl+j), turn off the layer effects (click the eye icon next to effects), and set the blending mode to normal. right click on the layer and select rasterize type. right click on the layer icon itself and choose select pixels.

at this point, you should see the moving black and white dotted line showing that only your text is selected. then go to edit > stroke. here are the settings i almost exclusively use.

this is what your text should look like now:

using ctrl+T, move the layer off the canvas so you can't see any of the text anymore. you should be left with only your outline. click anywhere on your canvas to de-select the text we just moved. use ctrl+T again as well as your arrow keys to nudge the outline over to the left 2px and up 2px. this is personal preference as far as the positioning, but i almost never move it any other way. you can leave it like this, which i sometimes do, or you can set the blending mode to soft light like i did for a more subtle effect.

and that's it! rinse and repeat for each gif in your set or use a different warp effect on each gif to switch it up! if you have any questions about this tutorial or would like me to make one for anything else, please feel free to ask any time!

[pkmnprideflags]

Japanese First-Person Pronouns of Every Protag and Rival

Edit 4/29: added Rei and Akari.

Source for most of these is this Reddit post showing the pronouns used in Pokémon Masters EX; for characters not on that chart, I either looked at Japanese game footage or used ctrl+F on pages on the Japanese Pokémon Wiki.

Watashi (gender neutral but leaning feminine, polite): Kris, Leaf (and Green from LGPE), Hilda, Selene, Lillie, Elaine, Juliana, Nemona

Watakushi (gender neutral, very polite): Avery

Atashi (feminine, casual): May, Dawn, Lyra, Bianca, Rosa, Serena, Shauna, Gloria, Marnie, Akari, Carmine

Uchi (feminine, casual, used in certain dialects): Klara, Penny. (Note that they're both from the Isle of Armor; I haven't checked, but I wonder if other female characters from there like Peonia and Honey use uchi as well.)

Boku (masculine, casual): Red, Ethan, Wally, Lucas, Hilbert, Cheren, N, Nate*, Tierno, Trevor, Elio, Chase, Victor, Bede, Florian

Ore (masculine, most casual, sometimes rude/arrogant): Blue, Silver, Brendan, Barry, Hugh, Calem, Hau, Gladion, Trace, Hop, Rei, Arven, Kieran**

*Peculiary, in Masters EX, Nate uses boku in his written dialogue, but jibun in his spoken voice lines. Jibun is a curious pronoun; it started off as a word meaning "self," so its use as a pronoun was limited to phrases like "I did it by myself." However, now it's sometimes used as a first-person, mostly masculine pronoun. A lot of times it can make the speaker sound distant from the situation (for example, Larry in ScarVi uses jibun because he's a jaded salaryman). However, I've read that in some places in Japan, young men will use jibun more casually. Why does Nate use it? I have no idea!

**In The Teal Mask Kieran spells ore in hiragana, but in The Indigo Disk he switches to using kanji. In fiction, the way a character's pronoun is written carries implications: hiragana is standard/polite, katakana is eye-catching and maybe bragadocious, and kanji gives an aura of seriousness. So, switching to the kanji form of ore helps emphasize his switch into a more serious character in TID.

[cool-fancier]

Hidden Flames

Synopsis: You and Bada stunned everyone at JustJerk Academy with a passionate duet, sparking comments and speculations from fans about your undeniable relationship. Your real-life romance was kept a secret behind the dance, yet it was impossible to ignore your bond.

The atmosphere at JustJerk Academy was electric that evening. Students crowded into the dimly lit dance studio to watch a spontaneous dance battle, which was causing a buzz of excitement. It was today when you and Bada would perform the dance duet you had been practising for weeks to the seductive music of "Señorita"

The audience split apart to form an impromptu dance circle as the music filled the space. You and Bada were in the middle, surrounded by curious viewers.  There was a moment of uncertainty, but the connection you shared was undeniable. You gave each other a subtle nod as you started to dance to the beat.

You two had an evident chemistry that carried over into your dance with ease. With each step, you and Bada painted a picture of passion and desire thanks to her precise movements and your grace.

The dance's daring lift and dip routine was its high point. You were wrapped by the strong arms of Bada, who swiftly and expertly spun you around in her grasp.  She lowered you as the music grew louder, the surroundings becoming increasingly hazy. The audience let out astonished gasps, and the energy in the room rose to a fever pitch.

Bada brought you back up into a closer embrace as your bodies squashed against one another and your breaths mingled. The students' loud clapping and cheers were evidence of the undeniable chemistry you two shared on the dance floor.

You and Bada went to the sidelines after the performance to gather your breath and enjoy the joy of the moment.  The fellow dancers were talking about the show nonstop.

"That was amazing!" While giving you both a pat on the back, Lusher exclaimed. "You two are like a dance couple in real life!"

With adoration on their faces, Kyma, Tatter, Minah, Cheche, and Sowoen nodded in agreement. Minah added with a flirtatious smirk, "You two have some major chemistry."

You two couldn't help but smile knowingly as the compliments and comments flowed in. Little did the rest of the world know that you two were more than just dancing partners.

Later that evening, the academy's YouTube channel published the official footage of your "Señorita" dance performance. The first comments from fans arrived quickly.

@BadalovesY/n: Who else saw the chemistry between Bada and Y/N?❤️‍🔥

@DanceQueen:Seriously! They are burning up. I love them so much.🫶🥰

@BadaLover: I've already seen this one hundred times. Y/N and Bada are such a fantastic team. I hope they dance together more often!

@SecretbadaShipper:I'm sure I'm not the only one who believes that this is about more than just dancing. #BadaAndY/N4Ever 😉

@Y/NisBada's:I don't know who to be jealous of 😒😅

Fans continued to speculate about the relationship between you and Bada in the comments that kept coming in. Some shipped you together openly, while others spoke about the possibility of something more beneath the surface.

You and Bada laughed together as you looked through the comments, and you two exchanged flirtatious glances. You were aware that your relationship was private, but even the fans watching from a distance couldn't deny the amazing spark you two had.

"I wonder if they'll notice if I would've snuck a kiss?" jokingly teased Bada as she came in closer and spoke in a seductive whisper.

You couldn't help but smile as your heart skipped a beat. "Well, there's only one way to find out." You both laughed at this point because you knew that even if your love was kept hidden, it was a strong force that was unstoppable even when it was in the public eye.