#literally only made this set for the last one

[cinnaleaf]

In Your DMs: Left on Read - Ch 1: Never Say Never

summary: you left jude on read once—but after one reckless night, he’s making damn sure you never ignore him again 💫 | MDNI 18+

warnings: angst/tension, push/pull dynamic, alcohol consumption, party setting, language, sexual references, public argument, easter eggs from previous fics wc: ~5.9k (approx. 21 minutes) 💋: it’s only chapter 1… pray for them. song inspo: VeLDÁ x Bad Bunny ft Omar Courtz & Dei V

It had been two weeks since you hooked up with Jude in a drunken rendezvous, and while the dick was surprisingly fantastic, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t starting to get the ick. You gave Jude your number after you left his house that afternoon in post-orgasm delusion and he’d been bombarding your phone with texts, voice messages, unscheduled facetime calls, and random tiktoks that “reminded him of you” ever since. He clearly thought your hookup was something more, which made you regret your decision to give him any attention at all. Although pretty privilege had its perks, a world class footballer being obsessed with you was not a perk you wanted to engage in – especially when it was Jude Bellingham.

You sat in the apartment you shared with Bri and Tasha, watching your other friend, Mateo, scroll through his phone while shaking his head. “Miss girl…” he drawled with an amused grin. “They have all of your tea in 4k. All of it.” Mateo handed his phone to you and you nastily glared at the screen, annoyed that you suddenly became a part of whatever the fuck this was:

SpillTheBeansUK Looks like Jude Bellingham had his eye on something other than football two weeks ago 👀. The England star was spotted leaving a Madrid club with 21 year old Y/N, an NYU Tisch film & television student from Miami who’s currently studying abroad and very much a regular in both cities’ party scenes. Her dad is none other than THE ‘Dr. Cinch’, the mastermind behind SculptHaus Miami, the go to clinic for IG baddies and A-listers looking for that perfect CINCHED look 💉 Jude’s no stranger to being deep in a girl’s likes, but he’s been extra consistent with Y/N’s lately. What’s really going on here? Because word is, she’s not exactly the type to be impressed.. especially by ballers like him. 🤨

2Fast4VAR wait she’s from miami?? bro lost before he even started. she’s built different. 😂

CertifiedMenace69 if i was jude i’d be in her dms, comments, and her email too she’s bad af

BigBootyJudeyFC he’s about to start liking those inspirational quotes on IG like “if it’s meant to be, it will be.” 💀

MissMiamiDade305 jude better watch out... does anyone remember when she had that miami promoter crying on IG live last year?? she does NOT play with these men 💀💀

gossipgorlzzz not him liking her pics and finally getting the W! stay persistent kings!!

SpillTheBeansES Si Jude cree que puede cambiarla.. le deseo suerte 🤷‍♀️ (If Jude thinks he can change her.. I wish him luck)

JudePorFavor jude’s probably in her DMs like “pls respond angel 😩” LMAO

Baddiebydesign not dr. cinch’s daughter!! she’s set for life. face card AND her dad’s the plug? i bet her friends never have to pay for fillers 😭

AnonymousInsider13 i heard she’s cool with that real madrid baloncesto guy too…santiago something. ngl that man is fine af. if she’s choosing between him and jude i see why she’s taking her sweet time 

RedBlooded1892 maybe her dad can fix jude’s shoulder that’s about to fall off the hinge 😭 cinchdollsnob her dad literally invented half the faces we double tap. a baddie with real face card genetics. life ain’t fair. ChampagnePapiButBroke jude and his big bum liking all her pics is sending me. boy was lurking HARD

ChickenNCoke cinched bellibabe is kind of an iconic alias icl

mamacitasintl lmaooo if jude’s trying to lock her down..good luck. her dad probably has a vetting process more intense than real madrid’s medicals

nosygirlieFC jude defo heard about trent bagging the perfume baddie and thought he could do the same LOL

You were annoyed by the post to an extreme amount. Whoever was the administrator of this god awful account decided to treat you like you were some Z list Love Island reject instead of a girl who got dicked down ONE time in a moment of weakness and dipped.

Bri leaned over to scan the screen and let out a cackle. “ ‘Jude Bellingham had his eye on something other than football two weeks ago!’ ” she mimicked in a dramatized voice. 

“Ew.” You scrunched your nose in disgust. 

Tasha was deep in the comments on her own phone, scrolling at lightning speed. “No but, ‘She’s not exactly the type to be impressed… especially by ballers like him’ is so shady,” she snorted, flicking her eyes to yours. “The streets know you too well.”

Mateo looked at you with a sly grin, clasping his hands together. “Sooo...how does it feel to be a Bellingham Baddie?”

You cut your eyes at him. “Don’t fucking start.”

“It’s too late.” Bri waved her phone in the air, grinning. “Your inauguration is already underway. These people are in the comments eating it up.”

“Let me see” Mateo snatched Bri’s phone from her and started reading out loud. “ ‘She’s bad as hell, I’d be in her likes too.’ ” He smirked, flipping his wrist. “Real recognizes real.”

Tasha leaned over, giggling. “Wait, this one says ‘Jude’s in his romantic era. He’s playing the long game.’ ”

“Oh hell no. Absolutely not.” You reached for the phone but Mateo dodged you with the speed of a messy gay man who lived for drama. 

“Hold on, hold on.” He scrolled further, widening his eyes before he started howling. “Ohhh girl, not this one!” he wheezed, hardly able to get his words out. “ ‘Jude’s big bum came from Dr. Cinch? Noted.’ ”

Bri and Tasha both started laughing with tears streaming down their eyes. “Not Jude having BBL allegations because they found out who your dad is!”

You ran your hands across your face, shaking your head. “I hate this app.”

Mateo was screaming along with the other two, kicking his feet out but you really didn’t find it all that funny. “No, I LOVE this app!”

After their laughter subsided, Tasha shook her head, continuing to scroll through the comments. “The way they dug up your whole life just off one club sighting is actually insane.”

“I know. They need jobs.” You groaned, leaning back against the cushions. 

Mateo tilted his head while eyeing you. “Well, since you’re the new bombshell in the Bellingham Baddie villa, you may as well tell me...how was it?”

Bri and Tasha perked up immediately, turning to face you while giggling, mainly because they already knew. You groaned, rolling your eyes as you picked up your own phone. “It was fine.”

“Fine?” Mateo questioned, not fully believing you because you usually gave him the full rundown in detail, but this time you were holding back. “Just fine?! Don’t tell me he’s a minute man. It’s always the hot ones.”

Bri leaned in. “Mmm, I don’t know about that. Tasha and I called and she couldn’t even talk. That man blew her back out for sure.”

“In her words exactly.. it was ‘one hundred percent worth it’ ” Tasha added. “If the dick was bad she would’ve come home the next day and roasted his ass but she didn’t. She was quiet as a mouse.”

Mateo pointed at you accusingly, narrowing his eyes while analyzing you. “And you keep dodging the conversation which means it had to be amazing.”

You rolled your eyes, fake scrolling through your phone like you always did when you couldn’t look someone in the eye. “Well I don’t know about all of that now...he’s doing too much.”

Mateo snickered. “You gave him the best pussy of his life and dipped. Of course he’s doing too much.”

You groaned again, letting your head fall back against the couch. “Can y’all shut the fuck up?”

“Absolutely not.” Mateo fired back immediately, leaning forward to read you for filth. “I know you. If it was mid, you would’ve been dragging him for filth. You’d be in this living room doing a full dissertation on why that man is a waste of height.”

Tasha nodded, scrolling with purpose. “But instead you’re holding back.”

Bri suddenly gasped, pointing a finger at you. “Ooh, she likes him.”

That was where you drew the line. The suggestion that you, of all people, would be catching feelings for a footballer, let alone Jude Bellingham sent you straight into defense mode. It wasn’t even about him specifically, but merely the principle of the matter. You didn’t date athletes. Not seriously anyway. NEVER seriously. You learned a long time ago they were all the same: entitled, egotistical, and so used to women throwing themselves at their feet just because they could handle a ball and had a few viral highlight reels. They saw women as accessories, something to show off when it suited them and discard when it didn’t. You weren’t about to be anyone’s little off-season toy passed around in a group chat the second they got bored. That was never going to be you.

But ballers weren’t completely useless though, they had their perks. Stamina? Unmatched. Strength? Ideal. But once the adrenaline wore off and post-orgasm clarity set in, the appeal disappeared right along with it. You entertained a few before just for fun, just to see if they were worth the hype, but they all had one thing in common: they started thinking they were special. Like they had you hooked. Like they were pulling the strings.

It was funny, really. Because if anything? They were always the ones falling first. Every time.

Jude was proving to be no different. The way he sauntered up to you in the club as if he knew where the night was headed, versus the way his ego deflated the minute you left his messages on read for weeks was textbook athlete behavior. And now? He was chasing you.

Mateo tapped the edge of his phone against his palm, watching you with an expression that made it very clear he was about to ask something that would grate your nerves.

“So what’s really going on with you and Jude?” He tilted his head, brows raised in intrigue. “Like.. what is he to you?”

You didn’t even look up from your phone and scrolled as you answered, “A pronoun.”

Mateo’s mouth dropped open, delighted by your messy answer. “Be so fucking for real Y/N” he said, crossing one leg over the other. “If he’s just a pronoun to you then why did you give him your number?”

Tasha didn’t even give you a chance to answer before jumping in. “That’s actually a great fucking question. Because you knew giving him your number meant this...” she gestured to the entire situation, the group chat chaos, the SpillTheBeansUK mess, “so why did you do it?”

You sighed dramatically, tilting your head back against the couch from being exhausted by all of this nonsense. “He asked for it, so I gave it.”

Bri blinked at you. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Mateo was unconvinced. “And you just gave it to him? No hesitation? No thoughts?”

“I was in a state of post-nut delusion.” You shrugged, sipping from your water bottle to avoid any further questions.

Tasha sucked her teeth. “Mmm.” 

Bri was already side-eyeing you. “Mmhmm.” 

Mateo tapped his phone again, unimpressed. “Lying just like the mattress he put you through, I see.”

You ignored them. There was a very brief moment where you considered not giving him your number. You could’ve just taken your Uber and dipped, pretended like it never happened, and gone back to your normal, Bellingham-free existence. But Jude gave you a cocky, half lidded smirk that made you fold immediately when he asked. You figured your brain was still stuck somewhere between your legs for wanting to hear from him again, which was exactly why you were so annoyed with yourself. Not only was he blowing up your phone, but now you were on SpillTheBeansUK. You scrolled through the endless posts dissecting your one mistake, making you feel more irritated with every new comment. There were threads analyzing your every move, posts tracking Jude’s IG likes, and an entire debate about whether or not you were “Jude’s type.” 

“How do these people have so much free time? Is the unemployment rate that high?” you muttered, aggressively tapping out of Instagram. “I was in the same club as him one time, and suddenly I’m the internet’s main character of the day? I fucking hate it here.”

Bri snickered, nudging Tasha. “Not her being mad when she willingly chose to leave with him.”

You shot the nastiest glare at both of them.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Bri challenged, raising her brow.

She wasn’t wrong. You did willingly leave with him. You hated the attention and the way people were dissecting your life, but you weren’t completely mad at the way Jude was acting. Mainly because he wasn’t just moving on like it never happened and letting you fade into the background. He was still chasing you. And even if you never wanted to admit it.. you liked that.

Your phone pinged in your hand to bring you out of your thoughts, making you glance down at your notifications.

JUDE BELLINGHAM ❌ 🙄 17:43 - Did I do something?? 17:51 - Because I’m struggling to believe I had you screaming my name two weeks ago but now you’re airing me. 18:02 - Hello? 18:27 - Ok I get it. I know you don’t really do this athlete thing. 18:28 - I’m not blocked though 👀 18:42 - Let me take you out?

You rolled your eyes before switching to a different text thread.

SANTI DOMINGUEZ 🏀 🇩🇴 20:42 - Y/Nitaaa que haces esta noche? (what are you doing tonight?) 20:42 - Fiesta en La Finca at mi pana’s house for the night. Big ass infinity pool, drinks, music, todo. Pull up. 20:43 - Bring your friends too. Dime que si. (Tell me yes.)

You smiled, already typing out a response.

20:45 - A party in La Finca? Bet. 20:46 - We’re coming. You better have good drinks!

Santi hearted the message instantly.

20:47 - Siempre, preciosa. Nos vemos. (Always, gorgeous. See you soon.)

You liked Santi. He was one of the few people in Madrid who weren’t constantly on some clout chasing nonsense, which meant you actually enjoyed being around him. And even though he could be a little flirty, it wasn’t serious. 

You were just about to lock your phone when another text rolled in.

JUDE BELLINGHAM ❌ 🙄 20:48 - Your dad is a plastic surgeon??

You frowned, watching as a second message came in.

— [SpillTheBeansUK post]

Oh. He really was chronically online. 

“Ew,” you muttered from the ick of it all before typing out your own response.

20:48 - why the fuck are you sending me STB links like you’re a gossip girl admin? touch grass.

There was no immediate response but you knew he probably read it the second the notification popped up on his phone. He was probably typing, stopping, then typing again, trying to figure out how to keep you engaged without pushing too far. It was funny really, the difference between the two of them. Santi would text once, maybe twice most of the time and you would reply immediately with no hesitation. Meanwhile, Jude would send text after text, throw in tiktoks, voice messages and a Facetime call here and there, which made you want to take your sweet time responding.

You could already feel the looks your friends were giving you, but Mateo was the first to speak.

“So you answer Santiago immediately but Jude has to beg for a response?” He smirked, already piecing together what would likely go down tonight at the party. Tasha hummed in agreement and glanced over your shoulder at your phone. “She doesn’t even respond to us that fast but Santi texts and suddenly her fingers work?”

You locked your phone and flipped it over on the table so they wouldn’t see any other message notifications from Jude or Santi. “It’s not that deep.” 

“It is that deep,” the three of them spoke in unison. 

Tasha pointed at your phone and then crossed her arms. “Explain.”

You stretched your arms over your head, already starting to prepare your exit strategy. “I don’t have to explain anything.”

“Oh, but you do,” Bri countered, shifting to face you. “Because you clearly like the attention from both of them.”

You let out a sharp exhale and grabbed your phone, making your way to your bedroom. “I have to get ready for the party and I suggest y’all do the same if you’re coming.”

You dropped your phone onto the bed and stood in front of your wardrobe, biting your lip while you scanned through your options. La Finca pool parties weren’t the same as your club nights. The vibe was more laid back but the guest list was usually stacked with the most beautiful people you’d ever seen, so naturally you had to one up them and show them how a Miami girl stepped out. Just as you were grabbing a cropped halter top from the hanger, your phone vibrated against your comforter and you snatched it up immediately.

JUDE BELLINGHAM ❌ 🙄 20:58 - Touch grass with me. What’s the move tonight?

You debated telling him about the party, but you decided against it and threw your phone back on the bed with a scoff to finish getting ready. Although he was giving you the ick, something about the way he chased you fed a very specific, very vain part of you and you would be lying if you didn’t admit you weren’t the least bit curious in how far Jude was willing to take it. 

Somewhere outside of your room, you could hear Bri and Tasha moving around, digging through wardrobe drawers and arguing over what top to wear. Mateo’s voice floated down the hall, loudly reminding everyone that if they didn’t hurry up, he was leaving without all of you.

An hour later, the four of you piled into a car with the windows down as the city lights of Madrid blurred past. The further you drove into La Finca, the bigger the homes became. When you finally pulled up to the house, you could hear a mix of reggaeton, afrobeats and spanish trap music playing through the air. The garden surrounding the property was already full of people with drinks in hand as they laughed and swayed to the music. 

You made your way to the pool area, smelling the mixed scent of tangy smoke from hookah and rum. You adjusted your top, feeling the backless cut brush your skin in the breezy, but warm night time air as you walked on the stone pathway. Your matching mini skirt hugged your hips just right and dipped low enough to show the string of your bikini bottoms underneath. Your small entourage followed behind you, already plotting the kind of chaos they could get into tonight.

Mateo adjusted the collar of his shirt, scoping out the scene. “I’m manifesting a man with a villa tonight. Just watch.”

“Manifest being the bartender while you’re at it” Tasha muttered, eyeing the outdoor bar where bottles of Ron Barcelo, Brugal, and Larios gin were already in rotation. Someone had cracked open a case of Estrella Galicia beers, and a group near the pool was passing around cups of Kalimotxo, the unofficial drink of every wild night in Spain.

“Vamonos mamis!” Santi yelled from somewhere near the pool. 

His height alone made him impossible to miss. He was a towering 6’5”, had broad shoulders with a trim waist, perfectly white teeth, dimples, deep sun kissed skin, and a freshly trimmed fade that made you tilt your head slightly to take a better look. He had that natural Dominican aura that made it impossible to tell whether he was flirting or just being nice.

“Oh, you’re outside, outside tonight!” he teased, sliding his arm around your waist for a quick hug. He glanced behind you and smiled at Bri, Tasha and Mateo. “Good to see you all. Drinks are in the kitchen. Hookah’s by the pool.”

“And you’re where?” Bri asked, arching a brow while biting the nail of her finger flirtatiously.

“Everywhere.” Santi winked, then tilted his head back toward the pool. “Come find me if you need anything.” He disappeared back into the crowd before any of you had time to respond, leaving the scent of his cologne lingering between all of you.

“Oooh he’s wearing Rêveur.” Tasha nodded in approval, taking a second glance back to get another look at him. “That man has taste.” 

“But why is he so fineee?” Bri muttered under her breath.

Mateo snickered. “Because God had time when he made Dominican men that’s why.”

You hated gassing men up too much, so you gave them a blank stare, eventually walking away to make your way toward the drinks as Bad Bunny’s “VeLDÁ” played through the sound system. They followed behind and Mateo took on his duty as bartender, rummaging through bottles of Havana Club and Brugal Añejo.

“Shots or mixed drinks?” Mateo asked, double fisting bottles in his hands.

“Mixed” you answered immediately.

“Shots” Bri and Tasha dueted.

“Majority rules, sorry Y/N” Mateo mused as he reached for the shot glasses.

On the other side of the yard, Jude leaned back in an outdoor lounge chair, resting his arms lazily while his drink sat half empty on the table in front of him. He wasn’t drunk, but the warmth of Madrid, the drinks, and the atmosphere had him leaning into the mood.

“That’s her?” Cama tilted his head toward the cluster of people near the pool, smiling with curiosity.

Jude didn’t answer at first and stared at the condensation on his glass before moving his eyes back to you. He clocked you as soon as you stepped on the stone pathway, he couldn’t have missed you even if he tried. The backless halter top with the matching mini skirt, coupled with the sheen of your Dior lip oil catching in the light every time you tilted your head back to laugh, had his head spinning. Even from a distance, he could see the faint tan lines peeking from under the straps of your bikini strings underneath your outfit.

“Damn..” Kylian whistled beside him, leaning forward to take a closer look at Bri and Tasha. “Who are the girls next to her though?”

Jude glanced sideways, trying to suppress a smirk. “Focus mate.”

“I am focused,” Kylian replied with a laugh, still scanning the scene.

Cama chuckled and nudged Jude’s arm. “She looks good, bro. You bringing her home tonight or what?”

Jude tilted his head, taking another slow sip of his drink. “We’ll see. She likes to play hard to get.”

“Does she know you’re here?” Kylian asked as if he cared, when he was actually plotting on Bri and Tasha.

“Nah.”

The truth sat heavy on his chest. He hadn’t expected to run into you tonight, but then again, Madrid was a small world when it came to hanging around certain circles. It was bound to happen eventually. But seeing you laughing with your friends did something to him that he wasn’t ready to unpack.

“You should go over there” Cama suggested, nudging Jude’s arm. 

“Not yet.” Jude replied, following the curve of your bare shoulders as you tipped your head back to down a shot with your friends. The twist of your face from the burn of the alcohol, along with the parting of your lips made it too easy to remember the way those same lips felt against him just two weeks ago.

—

The shot you had just taken settled warmly in your stomach while the bass from the music grew heavier. The music was loud, the air filled with scents of alcohol, sweat, and smoke but none of it could shake the buzz in your head from spotting Jude in the party crowd.

Of all the parties in Madrid, he had to be at this one.

You clutched your glass tighter, trying to resist the urge to look back at the lounge chairs near the pool. Bri crossed her arms and smirked, darting her eyes between you and Jude. “So you’re just gonna ignore him all night?”

“Ignore who?” you replied flatly, knowing damn well who she was talking about.

“Oh girl. Pack it up.” Tasha chimed in from your other side while swaying to the beat of the music. “You know exactly who.”

“No. I don’t.” you muttered, wiping off the condensation wetness from your fingertips.

“Then why are you gripping the glass like that?” Bri teased, bumping your hip with hers.

You ignored her and instead scanned the crowd for any sign of Santi. You spotted him leaning against a pillar with a bottle of beer in hand, laughing at something one of his teammates said. His crisp white shirt clung to his torso, making you gawk just a little. When he caught your gaze, he lifted his beer and gave you a blinding smile.

Tasha clocked it immediately and raised her eyebrows. “Well.. looks like you have options tonight. Bellingham or Dominguez?”

You sighed heavily, ignoring her again and headed to the pool to dip your feet in. The infinity pool stretched out in front of you as you swung your legs back and forth in the water. You should’ve felt relaxed, or maybe even carefree and tipsy, but instead you were on edge.

On the other side of things, now that you were closer, Jude watched you from the rim of his glass as he took long, slow sips. Kylian and Cama were talking next to him but their words turned into background noise while he observed the way you leaned back with your hands pressed against the pool deck stone.

“She’s going to notice you staring eventually” Kylian leaned in, sensing Jude still had you on his mind.

Jude tilted his head back to finish his drink. The thought of you being so close yet so far away made the alcohol sit heavier in his stomach. You hadn’t really been giving him much of a thought since you hooked up and that bothered him. It made him want you even more. He internally debated with himself, wondering if he should just leave you alone or speak up now that he had an opening that you absolutely couldn’t leave on read. Just as he was about to stand, Cama clapped him on the shoulder with a wide grin. “Go talk to her bro. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“She could throw her drink in his face..” Kylian added helpfully.

Jude snorted. “Nah. I don’t think she’s like that.”

He really didn’t know you as well as he thought he did, you were definitely ‘like that’ if the need arose. 

Jude stood up with enough adrenaline and liquid courage to walk the short path to the pool’s edge where you sat. You felt his towering presence immediately as he stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, glancing toward you swishing your feet in the water.

“You ignoring my texts now?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, surprised that he had the gall to start the conversation off that way. “You’re not serious.”

A gleam of moonlight caught on his lips when he shifted closer to you with a lazy smirk plastered over his face. “I get it. You’re a busy girl. But you could’ve at least told me you would be here tonight.”

“For what? Why would I tell you?” you countered, looking up at him in annoyance. “I don’t even know you like that.” The nerve of this boy to think he deserved to know any of your moves when he wasn’t your man, or anything remotely close to it.

“You know me well enough to let me fuck..”

Your head snapped up so fast you nearly gave yourself whiplash. “Excuse me?”

Jude tilted his head, still with a dumb smirk on his face that made you want to slap it clean off his face. His hands were still tucked in his pockets casually, like he wasn’t standing there stirring the most out of you.

“I’m just saying..” he lazily shrugged, as if that would smooth over the conversation.

“Oh, ‘you’re just saying’ ” you mocked, standing up to meet his eye, though you still ended up having to look up because he was so tall. The edge of your skirt brushed against his thigh and you were close enough to see the sheen of sweat on his thick hairline from the warm night air. Up close, Jude was hard to ignore. He got under your skin in the right way to make you give him your full attention.

Just the way he liked it.

“And this is coming from the same man blowing up my phone like I owe him something.”

Jude chuckled under his breath, his eyes moving briefly to your outfit before locking back onto your eyes. “I wouldn’t have to blow your phone up if you just responded the first time, angel.”

Angel.

That word hit you straight in your core. It was impossible not to hear his voice from that night echoing in your head.

“That’s it, angel. Keep fucking me back.”

You took a deep inhale through your nose, clenching your fists on your sides as heat flared through your chest from frustration and other things you weren’t ready to name.

“Don’t call me that” you snapped, but the hitch in your breath told a different story. A story that said you liked it, and Jude noticed. His eyes lowered to your lips briefly, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward like he knew exactly where your mind went. 

“Ohhh, so you do remember” he mused, clearly enjoying himself.

“Jude, I swear-” You shoved his shoulder but he barely moved in the slightest bit. He stood his ground, leaning into your ear to speak low enough so only you could hear. “Don’t start. Unless you’re trying to start something you know I can finish for you.”

“You’re so fucking full of yourself, you know that?”

The warmth from the alcohol running through your veins made your voice louder than you intended, making you become acutely aware of the heads starting to turn your way. In between your conversation with Jude, Tasha and Bri made their way over to sit with Kylian and Cama near the lounge chairs. Bri was sitting on Kylian’s lap with her arms draped over his neck like they knew each other way longer than what had to have been no longer than 15 minutes. All four of them were watching the scene unfold with varying degrees of amusement.

“Okay, fuck this” you muttered under your breath, feeling the embarrassment creep in. Eyes on you and whispers spreading throughout the crowd was the exact type of thing you wanted to avoid. Your mind flashed to the SpillTheBeans post and the comments dissecting your entire life, snapping you right back to the cruel reality of being a newly added ‘Bellingham Baddie’, as your friends called it.

“This is exactly why I don’t fucking date athletes” you jabbed a finger at Jude’s chest for emphasis.

“Who said anything about dating?”

You laughed in disbelief and threw your hands up. The tipsiness loosened your filter in all the wrong ways. “You know what? I’m so sick of-”

“Todo bien?” (Everything okay?)

The sound of Santi’s voice made you freeze mid sentence. You turned around just enough to see him approaching with an unbothered walk, beer still in hand like he wasn’t about to walk straight into chaos. His eyes moved between you and Jude, reading the situation.

“We’re good.” you answered, holding up your hand toward Santi as if that would somehow deescalate whatever was about to go down.

“Didn’t look like it,” Santi eyed Jude in a way that was more curious than confrontational, but Jude wasn’t having it, being the crashout that he was.

“You her bodyguard or something?” Jude shot, tilting his chin as he stepped fully into Santi’s space. Santi’s smile didn’t budge but his posture shifted subtly enough to raise the tension up a couple notches. “Nah. I’m just looking out for a friend” he replied coolly, not breaking eye contact.

“Yeah? Well, she doesn’t need you to–”

“BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!” you yelled loud enough to cut through the music and all the other conversations happening around the pool. Heads turned with the rise of your voice and half of the party had their eyes locked on the three of you, but you were too far gone, and too far drunk to care.

“I am so tired of you men acting like I’m some prize you get to win!” You jabbed a finger between both of them in frustration. “I don’t fucking belong to either of you! And you..” You turned to Jude with fire in your eyes. “Stop acting like I owe you something just because I let you fuck me ONE time!”

Jude’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

“And you..” You whipped back to Santi, who at least had the decency to look slightly guilty. “Don’t walk up here like you’re about to save me! I don’t fucking need saving!”

The silence was deafening after the read you gave them, broken only by the distant sound of water pushing against the pool edge and gossiping chatter from the crowd.

Finally, Jude ran a hand over his curls, exhaling hard through his nose. “You done?”

“Yes, I’m done! I’m never fucking you again so get it out of your thick skulled head!” you snapped and stormed off toward the house without looking back. 

Back at the lounge chairs, Kylian and Cama exchanged looks while Bri and Tasha creased in laughter.

“I don’t know whether to be scared or impressed..” Kylian shook his head in amusement.

“Definitely impressed,” Cama replied with a grin.

You stormed off down the path leading toward the house, weaving through random groups of partiers who definitely caught at least half of the argument. The adrenaline and frustration swirling around in your head had you on ten.

“Who the fuck does he think he is?” you spoke to yourself, enraged. “I fucking hate ballers. Worms for brains ass motherfuckers.”

The nerve and audacity of that man to approach you like he was owed something more than the one night you already gave him pissed you off. Your chest was filled with a fury of emotions you really didn’t want to unpack, especially not in the middle of a party where half of the crowd had probably pulled out their phones to message their group chats about what they just witnessed. As soon as you reached the back door of the house, Mateo appeared beside you out of nowhere, moving swiftly to match your quick pace.

“Girl.. what was all of that?” he asked, eyes wide with equal parts concern and curiosity.

“Nothing.” you muttered with clenched teeth, but Mateo wasn’t having it.

“Nothing? That was prime telenovela content and I need details immediately. Why did-”

“I’m never fucking Jude again,” you snapped, cutting him off before he had a chance to launch his full analysis. It sounded like you were trying to convince yourself more than anyone else. Mateo knew Jude having you this bothered by his presence meant you’d be rethinking that exact statement in approximately three to five business days. He’d seen it all before, so instead of pushing any further, he took one sip of his drink and gave a knowing look between you, Santiago, and Jude.

“Mmm… never say never.”

[dammit-tazmuir]

Who said anything about desiring extinction? Are you mad at the oligarchy, or are you "I just unlocked the secret of true resurrection, then watched almost everyone I personally care about be slaughtered in front of me because people too stupid to see through the oligarchy's lies thought I and my people were the real danger, despite us having been desperately trying for so many years to present an actual sustainable method to save the planet and the masses, so FUCK IT! The only person left alive who I trust to give a shit already agreed to a suicide mission holding my nuke. We're all doomed anyway. I may as well speed up the process, because unlike the rest of humanity, I can actually fix things now! Would I have gone through with it if I hadn't learned this? Maybe, but who cares. I know it now. But first thing's first, they're not getting away with abandoning— okay no get back here I will eat the entire rest of the solar system if it means stopping you—" mad at the oligarchy?

Like... Man. I do think he was on the verge of being willing to just kill everyone. Surely something would survive and adapt. Deep sea life, microbial life, evolving something new once we're all gone. It would have been the worst blow earth had ever experienced but at least it would have been the last humanity caused. The fallout would diminish eventually, on a cosmic scale.

But that wasn't the goal. At no point was extinction the goal. It started as a threat in the extremely dangerous but desperate bid that it would finally make people listen. If they'd stopped the trillionaires and investigated the facilities and went, "Hold on! The crazy zombie man was right, this IS a sham!" he wouldn't have hit the button, at least not yet.

If they hadn't stopped the trillionaires, but they also hadn't slaughtered his friends and partners, and Cristabel hadn't shot herself, and he hadn't figured out the soul or the world-soul, if the governments instead went "okay okay let's talk," would he still have set off the nukes? Maybe! If he didn't, I certainly don't think he'd have take his fingers off any buttons until long, long into negotiations, so it may have just come later.

And that's not to shift blame. He's still the one who made the choice to bargain with nukes. If he hadn't, they wouldn't have slaughtered his people right then. He'd still shown he was fine with solving problems with murder if on a much smaller scale before that. He still always had the choice to stop. It's just always worth asking, then what? It's so much easier to say what he shouldn't have done than to come up with anything he should have.

Appealing with science never worked, appealing with literal unprecedented magic didn't work, and even appealing with the threat of extinction didn't work. So what exactly would have? He made those choices, but not in a vacuum.

The 10,000 year grudge though is 100% on him. Like dude it's been twice as long for you now as it had been since the Egyptian pyramids had been built when you were born. These people barely know shit about their history. Also you created a universe that no longer has a concept of queerness as anything unusual enough to label but you made indentured servitude legal. Your backstory is a tragedy but you've had way more choices since then. You can't blame the past forever.

re-reading Harrow and "once you turn your back on something, you have no more right to act as though you own it" seems to make a lot more sense after the events of Nona ???? the trillionaires abandoned Earth and now BOE, their descendants, are fighting John to reclaim the planets and a myriad later John is still holding a grudge for what they did. for John this is still personal and it will always be personal

[clarabosswald]

the forensic info behind the bibas children's death was thankfully posted by someone else on the jumblr tag, because i couldn't write it down, but i want to address the intel question, aka "israel knew their fate but pretended otherwise for evil reasons!!!!!11"

in the weeks and months after 7/10, a lot of people were missing, and their exact fate - whether they perished in the massacres, or were kidnapped - was uncertain. some people were documented as they were kidnapped, but not everyone. on the scenes of murder in the kibbutzim, a lot of the houses were set on fire by the terrorists. the idea was simple - people, families, were hiding in their shelter rooms, and some (not all) have managed to block the doors and windows effectively. so the terrorists set them on fire. either the smoke and heat drives the people out - exposing them to either gunfire or kidnapping; or they stay inside and die anyway. those fires burned for a long while too. it's not like firefighters could immediately come to the scenes and put them out. so in many cases, the only things left from people were charred remains. in many cases, literal bone fragments or singular teeth. so the identification process took a long, long time. first the remains had to be found (that took a long time in cases too). then have dna extracted from them for identification. actual archaeologists and paleontologists were recruited for this mission because they had more experience dealing with such fragmentary remains than the regular medical teams.

and until those remains were accurately identified, the victims would not be officially and legally declared dead.

so for a long time, there were people whose fate was, officially, unknown. even if no footage of them from 7/10 ever emerged, even if hamas didn't declare them as hostages, even if their homes were burned to crisps, they would not be declared officially dead until they were 100% medically identified. the famous video of shani louk showed her dead body. but she was not officially declared dead until much later, when a fragment of her skull was found, and it was medically analyzed to be impossible for her to survive without that skull piece. this is just a single example - there are more. too many.

now to the bibas family.

the information published by the media is that israeli intelligence knew about their murder early after it happened (back in november 2023). the family was told that there's "a grave concern for their fate", which is (as the israeli public had since learned) is official lingo for "we really think we're dead but we can't prove it".

the "we can't prove it" part is exactly the point. there was an official committee decision that since there's a lack of material forensic evidence, the bibas family - shiri and the kids - can't be legally declared dead. it wasn't a special, unusual decision, made to torment their relatives or fool the public. it's literally how it's always been with victims of 7/10.

the bibas family have also publicly said, several times, that they refuse to assume shiri and the kids dead and give up on them before there's proof. yarden, when he was returned, also refused to do so, despite the famous video from captivity where he breaks down after his captors tell him shiri and the kids are dead.

even as hamas declared that the bodies to be returned this week are gonna be of shiri and the kids, the bibas family explicitly asked for people to not eulogize their loved ones until there's forensic confirmation of their identities. it was THEIR request and their decision to hang on to hope that they might be alive until the last possible moment.

one last thing i'll mention is that hamas have lied about the fate of the hostages before. they've claimed one elderly hostage (i think it was hannah katzir) died in captivity, but she was later released alive, if in severe condition. (she eventually passed away from the damages done to her body while in captivity.) they've filmed "the body" of daniella gilbo'a, claiming she died in an iaf bombing. she was eventually returned alive and well in the current deal, and told the truth - hamas made a whole production staging her death, using her. and most importantly, hamas refused, again and again, to provide evidence that shiri and the kids are dead, despite repeatedly being asked to do so. so yes, israeli intelligence services "knew" they were dead via their own means. but officially, publicly, it was impossible to declare them as such. and hamas' own vagueness and history of lies about the hostages' fates made it so the israeli public - and specifically the bibas family relatives - could not know for sure that they're gone, during all this time.

so people who choose to believe there's some grand evil conspiracy can do so if they like. for us israelis, it's another piece that fits the puzzle of horrific tragedy that started in 7/10.

[atinyniki]

파이팅 해야지

my mooties ! (in no particular order) pt. 1 || pt. 2

@skzoologist: my life. my heart. my soul. my darling dearest. my wife. my butterfly. my best friend. soulmate, if you will. my life would not be the same without you. i think about you and everything you have done for me every single day. thank you for being with me through all my struggles. i don't believe i'll ever be able to repay you the same way, but i'll always be here for you no matter what. there is no one else i would have chosen to be my best friend, absolutely no one could ever compare to you. your artwork is so fucking phenomenal, i still have the drawing you made set as my lockscreen. your writing is so amazing and perfectly angsty, i haven't found anyone who can write like you. i love our dynamic and how i can speak so freely with you. our personalities are so vastly different and i think that's the reason i find it so easy to speak with you. i wouldn't trade you for anything, zehina. thank you for showing me what a true friend is, i love you sosososoooooooo much cutie (yes you're cute shut up) <3

@writingforstraykids: i love talking to you so much. i'm so glad to have had you from the very start of my whole journey on tumblr. there's not a single moment where i'm afraid to reach out to you anymore. you are my safe place. i know life has genuinely been treating you like shit recently, but i hope you know that you always have me to talk to about these things. thank you for everything, i love you <3

@galaxycatdrawz: azzy. my cutie lovebug. my bomi buddy !!! my little troublemaker hehe :3 i love you sososo much and i cannot explain how much you've helped me within the past couple months. thank you for never leaving my side, you genuinely make every moment so much better. we'll have known eachother for an entire year soon, and i can't wait to find new things to experience with you <3

@theo4eve: theooo ! i remember the last time i made my mooties page, we had only been mutuals for a couple hours. i'm glad that we've gotten to know eachother since that time. we haven't spoken as much since my break, but i hope to speak frequently with you again soon ! love you <3

@shua-f4lmings: my anna bug ! so glad to have met you. you are sososo talented and unique ! thank you for reaching out to me all those months ago, i love yapping about different groups with you hehe <3

@sona1800: sona, my darling. it's shocking how i've found my long lost twin on tumblr hehe :3 i love talking to you and spending time with you, and i'm so grateful for all those nights you've helped me with my feelings. thank you so much, simply for being you <3

@silverstarburst: ash ! we haven't really talked in a while but i miss you so much ! thank you for always being here for me anyways, i'm back online regularly now so i'll always be here if you need someone to talk to as well !!! love you <3

@miuracha: miu my angel. you are so fucking talented and amazing and omg i love you. idk why but i get such bad cuteness aggression when talking about you :3 still will never forget about how i almost passed away after you followed me back haha... and after finding about your 8 million accounts....... <3

@jinnie-ret: jinnieeee ! you are literally just the sweetest ever and so fucking supportive. thank you for always being here for me. you're so talented, and even after my huge reading/writing break your fics were still just as refreshing as ever ! hope to talk more soon <3

@kaiyaba: omg cadence ! i'm not sure if you post anything anymore, but i'm glad we've still been in touch outside of tumblr ! miss you, hope we can interact on tumblr more often too <3

@cham3li: jenny jenny jenny jenny oh my god my sunshine my baby my mini me ! i've missed you so much. i hope we can talk more now that i'm back hehe, hopefully life has been treating you well :3

@milf-ivy: ivyyyy ! it's so fun to meet people of the same culture here on tumblr, i think it's kinda cute how we found eachother in this little community :3 we don't talk much but i love you a lot and i miss you ! hope we can talk again soon <3

@cinnamostar: hehehahhaha stacy... honestly we don't talk much about groups anymore, it's mainly just videogames lol. still so happy to have you in my life nonetheless ! i think we lowkey went on hiatus around the same time, but i hope we can both get that spark back ! love you <3

@hyuuukais: waaaa i have no idea how you follow me either like i am nowhere near your level of writing omg... your works are so fucking addicting and i literally remember how i squealed when you posted your xdh masterlist lol. hope to see more works from you soon <3

@seungiesz: im in love with your little text scenarios. no like literally. we have never spoken to eachother but your works are so cute and i hope to read more of them soon ! maybe we can interact soon hehe <3

@riariks: aaaa hi hello ! i love your little drabbles hehe :3 i remember i used to read a bunch on your old account ! hope life is treating you well and we can interact more hehe <3

@kayewrite: i've literally only read 1-2 fics from you a while back, and from what i can remember, they were amazing. you're genuinely such a talented writer, i know you've been inactive for a little bit, but i hope to see you again soon <3

@anautumncarol: honestly i wish i was able to read more of your fics since you normally post on ao3 but holy shit your fluff is soooo good ! i love reading your fics when i'm in a bad mood ! you're amazing at what you do <3

@starseungs: lord have mercy i cannot even believe you follow me back. you are so sosososiiofigehruifehwuifkjeifjk so fucking talented and you're such an amazing writer it's like flabbergasting. literally continue doing whatever you're doing bc it's working so well and im addicted. not exaggerating <3

@eczlipse: your smut... lord have mercy. i love your writing format tbh it makes it so easy to read ! i don't think we've ever interacted but your writing is so yummylicious like i literally love it. pls keep doing what youre doing bc it's working xoxo <3

@jeonginsleftcheek: ozzy ! im 100% sure you literally don't know who i am bc i think we started following eachother as soon as i went on my hiatus, but i love your works ! hope we can interact now that i'm back <3

@uki-kiki: idk if you write for any kpop groups but from what i know, i love your little scenarios and bits of poetry. i'm not quite sure if you're active anymore, but i hope you're doing well <3

@efflorescing-mary: i love your poetry ! i know you're a kpop stan but i'm not entirely sure you write for any of them lol... all i know is that your works are amazing ! idk how long it's been since you've written something but i literally love the way you write <3

@wmewtew: honestly i don't know if we've talked like ever... but i love the fics you reblog they're so yummyyyy agh ! i hope we can bond over them sometime hehe <3

@aeinzzzketchup: i'm not sure if you write anymore bc i can't find your main anymore :( it's sad to see all these people leaving aghhh ! i hope you know you always have a place here in our little community <3

@thefantasyden: love your writing ! it's so like straight to the point when it comes to smut hehe :3 i haven't gone through your entire masterlist yet, but it's definitely on my bucket list <3

@biteyoubiteme: ugh your formatting is soo nice like i wish i could write the way you do... that being said i love the stuff you write and your content is so amazing ! we def need to interact more lol, expect reblogs on your fics soon <3

@zee-143: i'm pretty sure we met through theo if i'm not mistaken hehe :3 we've barely talked but you're such a cutie and i hope we can get to know eachother more <3

@dmnksrt: hehehhe ik you through zehina :3 i remember you from a while back honestly but i think you've gone offline for now too </3 hope to see you back on soon tho <3

@hyunnjiin: i also don't know if you post fics... but i know you reblog a loooot of stuff ! i hope we can bond over some of that content some time hehe <3

@wooyoungchangbinstaytiny: nithya... you haven't been active since all the chaos ensued lmfao. clocked leah and kylei's asses though, you'll always have a special place in my heart for that <3

@beomiinee: holy shit it has been soooo long </3 i think you've deleted all your fics unfortunately :( but i still definitely remember you !!! i'm always here to talk if you wanna darling <3

@moonchild9350: hehe i loooove your writing, especially because of how fluffy and smutty it is at the same time ! i'm probably gonna read more of your works soon, you have a lot omg <3

@miyaluvvsyou: miyaaaa heheh hiiii ! idk if you write at all but thank you so much for helping with so many of nat's masterpieces lol ! i've read some of your works years ago on your madderton account too, literally phenomenal <3

@solisyeah: hehe your writing style is so cute and easy to read ! it makes your fics so enjoyable. i know your life has been sososo hard recently and i'm pretty sure you're completely off tumblr anyways, but i hope it's better now <3

@evermourning: i know you're inactive too, but i love your series, your works are so fucking adorable ! will miss your writing lots, hopefully life is treating you well <3

@hearts4leeknow: i miss you so much you have no idea. it's been almost an entire year since you've been off tumblr, and everyday i regret not getting to your request fast enough. it's still in my drafts, i wanted to post it when you got back, but you never did </3 i hope one day you can come back to our community, love you forever <3

@slvt4felix: hehe your series are soooo cute and i love your writing ! not to mention your art ?! it's actually so amazing like hooooly shit. you have to start making more of that lol, it's so good <3

@arafilez: ara aaaa omg i've missed you so much ! you're one of the first ateez writers i ever got into, and i think it's so cool how we're also from the same area lolll ! i love your works so much. they're amazing, and so are you <3

@chqnverse: lord have mercy... your writing nora. it's so fucking good oh my god ! it's so unfortunate that we had such a rocky start to our friendship, but i hope we can talk again soon ! miss you <3

@wegc: i genuinely remember falling in love with your writing and sending in an ask after the first couple fics i read by you... i lowkey don't know if you write anymore but i'm glad to see you're still active on your personal account <3

@uknowme-not: i'll never forget you darling. i remember how excited i was seeing that someone had sent me an ask for the very first time. i cherish what you said to me in that ask forever, thank you so much for supporting me <3

@hyewka: stg i go back to your fics like every other day. i will reread the bunny hybrid soobin drabble over and over and over again till the day i fucking die. i'm actually never forgetting about you, you're so cool pls never die xoxo <3

@astraysimp: aaagh your skz!dad fics have always had a chokehold on me, i still go back and read them from time to time ! your account has the cutest concept ever omg i love it so much <3

@redlightsallnight: i think you were last active in 2024, but omg the things you reblog... unfortunately i don't think i've been able to find any of your works yet, but i'll surely read them if i see them anywhere <3

@owocontroversy: hehehhahahah your mood boards... yum yum ! i don't think you write, but you're pretty chill and i love interacting with you ! it's definitely been a while tho, hope we can catch up soon <3

@shampgyu: agh i miss you... i know you've changed blogs but i was too pussy to dm you and ask for your new account </3 i hope that we can reconnect someday thooo <3

@turtledove824: hehe awhhh i think i only remember one of your fics, it was the christmas one !!! but it was still sooo cute, i mainly know you for our interactions tho :3 miss you, hope we can talk again soon <3

@lixie-phoria: i love your headcannons and drabbles oh my godddd ewhjgfuyiewflk like how are your works so good !?!? and you make it look so easy too... you're so talented babe, keep it up <3

@mxltshake: i'm not sure if you post anything at all but i fuck with your reblogs heavy, and i've seen that we agree on a lot of the same controversial topics !!! hope we can yap about that stuff eventually hehe <3

[youryurigoddess]

Thy Kingdom Airways

Attention all passengers, please fasten your seatbelts. We are preparing for take-off. This time our analytic journey will revolve around planes as a recurring motif in Good Omens 2 and possibly Good Omens 3. Since a part of this post will add some new crumbs of information about the ongoing production to the discourse, please make sure to spoiler tag your replies accordingly.

We’re starting literally at the beginning, AND YES, I’m painfully aware that this is my third time breaking apart this particular scene from the new title sequence (Peter Anderson, I’m in your walls). We’re witnesses to the Second Coming brought to us via Thy Kingdom Airways.

And this big silver plane is actually a part of some good old — literally 20-year-old — spoilers from the never published Good Omens sequel:

Director Douglas Mackinnon personally chose the poster for A Matter of Life and Death / Stairway to Heaven (1946) to appear here as well. The movie itself is referenced multiple times in both seasons of the show, but what interests us here is the fact that its MC is a British pilot who dies in a plane crash.

He gets another chance at life due to an angel’s error and eventually must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with a radio operator who shared his last moments on Earth over the airwaves.

Douglas is also responsible for the movie playing in the background of The Resurrectionist pub scene in S02E06 — The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), a biopic of Charles Lindbergh, the pilot who made the first nonstop solo flight from New York to Paris.

To finish the transatlantic flight, Lindbergh has to stay awake for 33 hours (33 happens to be biblically significant, i.a. as the age of the crucified Jesus). He succeeds by talking to a fly that had buzzed into the cockpit and reminiscing to it about his life (via flashbacks).

Once an accident, twice a coincidence, three times a pattern, right? So there’s a plane. And a character traveling through time and space to navigate some dangerous circumstances. Looking for help or… clues? The danger is either their own feelings or something more ominous here.

Flash-forward to 2025. It might be completely off, but considering the overall panic I think it’s worth mentioning that I found some crumbs of information suggesting a Good Omens film shoot with a certain amount of angels at an airport right now.

I was casually screening the extras’ profiles for Good Omens 3 the other day, as one does to learn that e.g., one of them is a professional contortionist (really!) and after a while, it came to my attention that a few of the profiles repeated mentions of “angels”, “2nd unit angels”, and “airport” across a few days in late February. Interestingly, some of them also listed sword fighting skills and law enforcement background underneath.

The implications seem obvious to anyone familiar with the plot of the unpublished Good Omens sequel and what I just shared above: please take a minute of your time to consider Aziraphale in a new suit, new hairstyle, a headset, and surrounded by at least one unit of angelic bodyguards in dark glasses.

Now, the filming dates in question consist of days and months only, so technically could also refer to their Good Omens 2 work since some (not all) of the extras were also employed by the show at the time. And Heaven’s corridors scenes could be shot at an airport instead of a studio, right? But the thing is, the background angels seen on screen in S2… don’t seem to match the profiles I found.

A perfunctory social media screening revealed one mention of Boeing 737 interior scenes filmed this month in the area, at Dunsfold Aerodrome. Is this connected? No idea, but if at least some of my speculations are correct, a follow-up exterior shoot at an airport would make sense.

Another interesting crumb that may or may not be related in some way is this photograph from the set shared by Guy Spangler, a professional dressing props specialist and armourer on Good Omens 3. Not quite the big silver plane of Thy Kingdom Airways we’re waiting for, but still!

[t-rexdescendant]

[CRACKS KNUCKLES] ITS TIME FORA READ MORE LADS!!!! GRAB A CUPPA, SIT DOWN AND FREE UP YOUR SCHEDULE THERES ALOT OF SHIT TO READ

OKAY LETS START OFF WITH SUE Wetted Stones Unturned: she LOVED her citizens despite all the hell she's been through. She's gone through three massive population shifts over her grand life. Her first city inhabited were all the prison wardens fleeing from the riots within Warden Of Nothing, she was made in a slap dash effort because of that. Wasnt built in too good of a spot ATOP being the 14th iterator made did some shit. But she didnt care, she loved them because she was built FOR them. Most of them were ascension fanatics and as a result the population stayed relatively low. Due to the result of exactly where the bulk of that population came from, the entire place had the EXACT same vibes as a show room expo. The entire place was squeaky clean, if you fucked up it was jover. She didnt care. She still loved them, even if it hurt 'removing' the 'blemished' citizens. The second round of population happened in the years leading up to Twin Stones being built. This was Voidless Seas Setting Suns and his followers. She still loved them with her whole worth. However, Voidless was a fucking idiot who never properly planned the building of his new iterator and thus had to quite literally harvest Sue of varying components, letting her HEAL from said loss and then doing it again. basically turning her into a massive organ donor. This only TANGENTIALLY broke her trust in ancients. And then Voidless stole her puppets motherfucking heart and basically killed her, shattering all trust she had in ancient kind Her third round of population came from the collapse of Looks Upon The Stars, Cascade of Endless Hope and sudden radio silence of Multitude of Endless Points. These people had migrated from Twin Stones when HE collapsed (had had basically build the group as a refuge hub). Sue during that time was basically running on fumes + basically puppet dead. When she was finally fixed up, she was VERY weary of them at first, and all but REFUSED to let anyone near her puppet chamber (within a hundred meters of it infact). This shit lasted untill the mass ascension and beyond. Why beyond i hear you say? well. Sue managed to keep her city alive, population and ALL going even when the world ended. Now dont get me wrong, she didnt force them to stay, they all willingly chose to stay atop her and ignore the MA happening all around them. As a result she loves them beyond all reason. Everything she does is FOR her city. She has done abhorrent things in the name of keeping her city safe. The entire group has done abhorrent things to keep the city safe. And brother, what her city wouldnt DO to keep her alive and well. The city was named Karma for a reason. They're all rough necks, and smell more like oil and fluid more than anything. And they love Sue just as much as she loves them. Not even Gateway could shatter that love, not even Rightful Retribution, Not even Patience Pulled Thin. All three mascaraed her population upon discovery, and yet, they still cling to one another, they rebuilt. Sue isnt just a home to them, she's FAMILY, if something needs to be done, she is asked and if she says no, its not done, even if it will help her. She is family to them all with no questions asked about it, she is their mother, their daughter, their friend. She loves them to the end of the earth.

Tyrant Sings Tales: Tyrant LOVED her citizens once upon a time. LOVED. EMPHASIS ON THAT. Girly was the golden child of Step Before Hell. If you ignored the prototypes in the region, she's the eldest and claims the crown of being the 11th born iterator. Her citizens worshiped her as a deity, THE means of a true and final ascension. She was lavished her entire life, every need she had was met. If she had even so much as a sniffle there was an army of maintenance teams running to her aid. Her puppet chamber had heated FLOORING kind of deal. Things started to grow dire however when her architect started drafting up another iterator, with the plan to use HER as a gestator. Now she didnt care about it, infact she was kinda down FOR it because she did actually want a child. However the problems arose and the divide between her and her population started to grow. Her architect, Heralds Promise Upon Open Flames, basically auctioned the rights to 'marry' her against her will, and Tyrant was VERY lucky that the person that won the bid actually cared about her. This was her first clue into how the ancients actually VIEWED iterators.

The next massive problem came from one of the 'bachelors' that lost the bid. Seven Fish Glinting in Barrels, one of the men responsible for the Iterator Project actually taking off and becoming what its currently known as. He threw a MASSIVE bitch fit over A: not being the soon to be iterators genetic donor B: not being the soon to be iterators main architect and C: basically being barred from what was the CAPITOL CITY of the local region. His solution to all this? orchestrate an entire war, putting not only Tyrant, but her newly built child named Demanding In Moments, their combined citizens, the cities AROUND them, all at risk. The iterator built for all this was Nine Birds Feathered Flaws. The war waged on for AGES, with Tyrant fighting tooth and nail for those under her care. Eventually, her citizens got actually whole ass bored with the war, and drafted up a new iterator named Monster Within Depths. This is where shit hit the fan. Tyrant's trust was completely and UTTERLY broken by that decision, and, for an iterator that was never told NO in her whole entire life. Flipped her shit. During the agreed evacuation cease fire, Tyrant turned her weapons ONTO her own citizens and all but forcefully ascended all of them with voidfluid related weaponry. This entire ordeal forced the shutdown of the ENTIRE Greater region, the sole reason why Tyrant wasnt shut down herself was because no one ALIVE knew how to shut down something THAT OLD. She has remained jaded ever since, and was responsible for hunting down several batches of stray ancients that called her region home after the MA. Her thoughts on Karma are bitter, but thats her sister's city, and who is she to slaughter them all.

Twin Stones: you ever wanted to see a city with such a vast culture and wealth gap it would make you physically sick? Twin Stones is your guy. 24th iterator born, and a fucking DOOZY aswell. Theres an entire thing with him i wont go into detail. Anyway, Twin Stones was the capitol of the entire larger group. His population was MASSIVE, only beaten out by Sue's population at her peak (post MA). Twin Stones entire city could be divided into two parts. The Upper and the Walls. Frankly, he couldnt give two SHITS about the Upper, they were built to be self sustaining, and all but worshiped his brother, Voidless. His citizens viewed him as a gloried alexa kinda deal, he was there to run the shit they didnt want too, existed to make their lives easy. Except. He wasnt even doing THAT. Sure he ran calculations and shit, but the actual running of his structure? That was all owned to the Walls. And all his fucks went to them. He made life hell for the Upper maintenance crews, and did everything in what little power he had for the Walls to make their lives easier. After all, they were the reason why he was even breathing in the first place. Yes he kept things friendly with the Upper, but there was always three sides of him that he kept for the maintenance crews, the wall jockeys and the wire divers of the Walls. He loved them just as much as Sue loved her citizens. Course all this came crashing down when he was forcefully sunk by Boundless Thoughts, Eternal Fractals Spiraling in direct retaliation to Voidless' doctrine breeching the region (and NO ONE wanted a Black Void repeat. Ever)

Nine Birds Feathered Flaws: He's an interesting thing with her relationship with her citizens. Nine, due to the war, never really HAD a population to start with, outside of a small handfull of military motherfuckers dedicated to helping him shoot where. Theres not much to write about her beacause well, you know, WAR basically making it impossible to live atop him, (or inside), and the fact that basically the entire top of her can was a massive weapons array. However, due to being built custom made for a custom made war, he's HIGHLY aggressive, and just. In general would NOT be a good iterator to live atop. BUT Nine had her uses after Tyrant flipped her lid and ended the war in its entirety. Elective Debate (the groups senior), basically called the MA happening before it happened, and also foresaw Sue's city refusing to go down without a fight and said "here's the deal. I keep you alive and running and YOU get to make sure nothing gets into the larger region, deal?". Said deal worked out PERFECTLY untill Gateway busted out

Gone With The Wind: Gowi is also interesting on the account he was purely built as a utility iterator dedicated to maintaining the many custom made communications arrays within the Region. Theres a whole story with him BUT his relationship with those living atop and around him was purely coworker like. He was friendly but not overly so. He was respectable, polite and generally pleasant to be around. Then he bugged out, drew Elective's ire and got thanos snapped for it

Demanding in Moments: ohhhh boy poor DiM. DiM was doomed from the start with veir citizens. Biological child to Tyrant, heir to Removal of Dynasties region, born into a war. DiM like Tyrant had every need of veirs met, probably even MORE so than veir mother. Vey didnt even have to ASK to have super cooled water provided to veri systems. Veir maintenance crews just did that, to make veir life easier. Vey enjoyed being spoiled rotten, between veir citizens and veri mother. Vey were loved, horridly, rottingly so, and it all but primed vem to being never able to ask for legitimate help. This was veir undoing when Glinting ended up forcefully rotten vem out once the war was prematurely ended. Vey lost everyone within an hour due to the rot payload, and unable to ask for help, rotted out fully down to the puppet. All veir life vey viewed veir citizens as family, friends and all the things inbetween. Vey loved to entertain them, help them, do whatever vey could to make their lives easier. If it wasnt for the tradgerdy, veir citizens and city would've also pushed against and survived the MA

Deep Inside Stone Crypts: oh BOY OH BROTHER. DISC has a whacky wild life. But she boiled down to her 'citizens' being basically researchers and scientists. The relationship between all of them was strictly professional... and then she fucking got launched into space and turned into a mini space colony and forced to pivot from being a purely communications driven iterator to keeping around 10k souls ALIVE. And she hated that. But what could she do? She, and they, were in fucking ORBIT, and if her people went, so did alot of her vitals. So she just sucked it up, let them did what they needed to do and kept her nose to the paper.

Twine Wrapped Leaves: Girl was in a similar situation to DISC. Her people were less citizens and more work colleagues. Nothing much to write home about them all, outside the fact that said 'colleagues' basically gave her the green light to do whatever the FUCK she wanted with genetic samples. Im talking the MOTHER of all unethical shit. Everyone took bets, including herself, over if one of her projects would survive gestation. She was the second biggest importer of alcohol, topped only by Karma and Sue. Her maniacal laughter was used as ringtones for ALOT of people.

Ascended By All Means, Next Step To Evolution and Next Step To Light: these three fucks never had a solid population on the account of being built and then launched into fucking space (again). All three were built with the intent to preserve and maintain life outside of the planet, and to run experiments on the cycle and how it would affect life off planet. Nothing to write about the three on that account. Though, Next Step To Evolution carried genetic samples of several ancient species of DNA and as a result can not commit violence against anything that has a heartbeat

Timelost Needle Weaving Fates: LOL. LMAO EVEN. Timelost never really had a solid population to call his own. Like im talking THREE fuckers lived atop him, and those were his architects (it WOULD'VE been four if one wasnt turned into an iterator in retaliation to his construction coughcough DISC). Timelost was build for research, like DISC and Wrapped. He was fully custom made so he ran differntly form every other iterator at that point. Bro was made to break time. UNFORCHIES. He also... freaked is fucking bean two weeks into being activated and literally slaughtered EVERYONE that was atop and around him. One survived, and that was Vault of Glass, Guardian Made Fate. Timelost doesnt really give a shit about ancients as a result. He just finds them funny

Gateway To Oblivion: oh boy. Void Satan himself. Due to the nature of his EVERYTHING, he has no population. Outside of One Whole Entire Ancient, named Looking Past The Veil, Emerald Storms Blessing. Gateway was built as a failsafe in the event Voidless Echoed. MF echoed and hell broke loose. To put a VERY long story short. MF kills Elective, permanently ruins Tyrant's karma, murders MILLIONS of people atop Sue and throws the entire region into chaos. Shit works out in the end but his can is completly uninhabitable to life due to its position over a massive sinkhole that leads to the Void Sea. once everything's said and done and Voidless is removed, he doesnt mind ancients, and will do as much as he can to help them, despite only really being a puppet.

Flowers After Flames: poor Flowers lmao. SO it was built as an entertainment hub. It's puppet chamber was literally a theater. Its puppet is a fucking centaur. It loved to entertain, it was a goofball, it wanted everyones lives atop of it to be filled with fun. Nothing more to write about here. It loved them untill the cliff it was built on physically started to erode from under it, forced the evacuation of its population. It didnt mind that fact, but good LORD did Elective want to beat the SHIT out of its architect for building it on a cliff.

Looks Upon The Stars: oh man. Another ancient turned iterator, yippe yay. His relationship with his citizens was of blood and family. They ALL survived Twin Stones collapsing. He was very VERY protective of all of them, he cared for them, just as much as they cared for him. No one gave a damn about ascension atop that can, or even apart of that group. They survived HELL and by the damn void they were going to LIVE a billion lives before deciding it was time. This man has told multiple high priests to go stuff it, he has PERSONALLY kicked preachers of the void off his can (assuming his citizens didnt egg them themselves)

Multitude of Endless Points: she was the lest population of the three in Abhorrent Imperative, like her brother, she was once ancient turned iterator, and took to that fact the easiest. She was willingly saddled with all the industrial regions, and thus... well. Girls a character for sure. Those that lived atop, around and in her are works of art. Truly. No one there had a filter. Slurs were just normal words to them. Multitude would cycle loop fanatics herself for fun

Cascade of Endless Hope: the youngest of the three, and by far the lest rough around the edges. They had the highest population of the three, and was by far the most habitable to anyone visiting. They were sweet, kind to anyone atop of them, and unlike their siblings, tolerated ascension as the means to an end. Despite their father, Fractals, being the one to sink Twin Stones, they dont blame him for the entire shitshow, considering they were also about to do some DRASTIC shit at the time.

Drown Within Depths: VOID RIGERATOR. Vis' people are dock workers, and that comes with that entire cabin relationship. Drown's people are loud, and so were vis. There was comradeship between all of them, and vis' opinion was always accounted for with every decision made with the rig. Vis was apart of the table, the family, if you talked back to vis, treated vim like anything else BUT a person? Yeah, woe, fish guts be dumped upon ye. IF the MA didnt happen, vis' people would still be around, (some of them still are! Most of the leg workers got glossed over)

Diamond in the Rough: oh boy. ir is a work of art. Not too high a population, ir was a fucking nightmare to live on, not becaues of location, or because of circumstance, or because of mechanical issues or because of anything else. No Rough sucked to live on because ir had the personality of a cactus. yes, ir cared somewhat about ir citizens, and mourned when they were gone. But jfc the disrespect ir had for anyone that wasnt Elective, ir's sibling or Timelost is profound

Opals in the Deep: Rough's less rough twin. Their relationship was solid with their citizens, nothing out of the ordinary. By that the least remarkable out of the entire group. They mourned the loss of them all, then moved on. Instead they spend their time making sure their sibling doesnt ruin ir's relationship with the rest of the group, lmao.

Monsters Within Depths: POOR MONSTERS. Built to be a population hub, much like Sue. Made to be sweet, made to be agreeable, made to be kind. All of that pissed away in an instant by Tyrant slaughtering her soon to be population. She mourned the population she never had, but she doesnt blame Tyrant for it. She understood why she did what she did, even if it hurts. Monster's was then put down as the next of kin in the event Sue became uninhabitable (assuming Ones Song and Dance was unable to house the population)

Kilns Burnt Over: Kilns was built as a transportation hub for the region, linking them to the rest of the continent. He never had a stable population, mostly housing quarantined material and those completing the immigration process. The MA affected him the most on the account he took note of EVERYONE that left the region to ascend. It hurt him like nothing else, knowing how many people were marching towards their inevitable echoing due to the shit that went down in the region. He still houses a gaggle of stray ancients still alive.

Teeth Wrapped Around Throats: lmao poor girl was never finished before the MA came into full swing. She never had a population BUT instead she makes do with taking care of the varying wildlife that calls her can home. She likes to grow fruit for them despite the entire region being in the fucking north poll and never hitting the double digits in the positive in summer. She always makes sure every animal that visits leaves with the mark

and now... Elective Debate: so. To start off, Elective wasnt always Elective, she was once known as Warden of Nothing, THE prototype iterator, THE motherfucker that caught everyones attention. THE bitch that caused the project's funding to skyrocket and for iterators to pave the way to dominating the times after her. Now, once the hype wore off her, Warden was repurposed into a fucking prison colony. And, like her name, treated them exactly for what they were, heretics, scammers, the scum of the earth. If it wasnt a petty crime, you went to HER. She worked her prisoners to death, never gave a shit if the bred within her. She took IMMENSE glee in punishing those sentenced to live in her walls and island. She never gave two shits about their well being, she hardly gave a shit about her WARDENS either. Living within her was hell. ACTUAL HELL. The larger regions name, Step Before Hell, was conceived because of her actions. She was a NIGHTMARE for live within. Eventually, tensions boiled over, with the iterator project in full swing and other more 'habitable ' iterators being made at that point, the children of the original convicts ended up throwing an entire riot, forcing many of the prison wardens and the watch guard to flee, resulting in the construction of Sue. Course this was literal ants vs a fucking GOD. As in, Warden was the GROUND below them. The SOLE reason why they succeeded in overthrowing her was because of Ten Bricks of Colour, Eight Pillars of Stone, her ARCHITECT, growing tired of Warden literally pulling the arms and legs off 'ants'. He helped orchestrate a small group of people to go into her chamber, shut her down, and then write her (while still alive mind you). They succeeded and Warden was overwritten with Elective Debate, the crowned mother of Step Before Hell

Elective was Warden's polar opposite. Caring, loving, willing to do anything and more to keep everyone alive. Her love, her ruthlessness carried over to Sue and Tyrant, physically drilling TO them underground to hook them up to her systems fully (Tyrant had some gestation issues early on, and was partially hooked up to Warden in order to survive). Their citizens became her citizens. Then the rest of the group was build, all of them hooked up to her, thus, becoming the massive behemoth she is today. Including Gateway. Now, Elective wasnt always a saint. The shit she had to do during the peak of the MA to keep Sue's city safe, her CHILDREN safe, was immense. The amount of echos in the region can almost always be linked back to her, assuming they're not apart of the Fractals Echo Swarm. This is evident with her exiling Voidless from her island, resulting in Sue's downfall, because if Voidless had his way, he would've bled her people dry due to his Black Void related experiments. She beats herself over that fact, despite being unable to do anything more about it. She loved the region, and the region loved her back, to the point where she has defied void related deaths nine times. The amount of effort it took to constantly repair her, maintain her, was immense, so many parts of her are just so unfathomably ancient, even the organics are fickle to work with because of her age. And yet, everyone put in the effort and more for her. Because she was the one keeping them all alive on so many fronts. She did everything and more for all of them. And eventually, that was her doom

AND THAT CONCLUDES STEP BEFORE HELL! I HAVE SEVERAL OTHER REGIONS, GROUPS, LARGER GROUPS, SOLO ITERATORS AND MORE TO DIVE INTO BUT GOOD LORD THIS IS ALREADY LONG ENOUGH

i wish i got to hear more about the dynamics iterators had with their cities as a whole because i think its one of those things that occasionally gets glazed over in favor of iterator social dynamics post-mass ascension. for this reason i am upgrading glass arena from civil unrest to civil war! anyways... tell me about your iterator/city populace dynamics 👀?

[delicateperspective]

Lyrical Analysis of "Sattelite"

If we analyze Satellite within the context of Harry’s House (played in reverse order), it follows a clear emotional progression:

In Love of My Life, Harry reflects on a relationship that was incredibly significant to him. He lost it, but has now found it again, signaling a reconciliation.*

In Boyfriends, he admits that despite their deep love, the relationship isn’t perfect—they’ve both made mistakes, but they always find their way back to each other.

Now, in Satellite, Harry explores the feeling of waiting. He’s finally ready to fully choose this person, but they aren’t quite ready to choose him—at least not publicly, not completely.

This song captures the frustration of being in love with someone who loves you back but is unable to fully commit because of external circumstances. It’s not unrequited love—it’s love that is being held back.

Lyric Breakdown and Analysis

You got a new life Am I bothering you? Do you wanna talk?

This immediately sets up a distance between them. Louis is on his first solo tour, stepping into a new chapter of his career. Harry wonders if he still has a place in Louis' life, if reaching out is even welcome. There’s hesitation here, like Harry is unsure if Louis even wants to have this conversation.

We share the last line

Many fans assume this refers to cocaine, but in this context, it’ could be referencing either One Direction, where they literally shared the last lines of their songs (such as when Harry closes Over Again with "all over" and Louis used to add "again") or Louis’ album, Faith in the Future, which he was actively recording at the time. (Some believe Harry’s voice can be heard as the backing vocals on the last line of That’s the Way Love Goes. Louis brought attention to this specific part during a fan chat on Twitter where he mentioned loving "the strings at the end".)

Then we drink the wall 'Til we wanna talk

They avoid the conversation. They numb themselves. They wait until they can’t ignore it anymore. This could hint at coping mechanisms—drinking, distractions, public relationships, anything to avoid the pain of not being together.

I go round and round Satellite

Harry is the satellite. He’s orbiting Louis, always close, but never fully reaching him. This is exactly what happened after November 2011—they were still together, still seeing each other, but never able to exist in the same way they did before.

Spinning out, waiting for you to pull me in I can see you're lonely down there Don't you know that I am right here?

He’s feeling lost, waiting, wanting Louis to finally choose him publicly. A satellite can’t pull itself in—it needs gravity, it needs the planet (Louis) to bring it closer. He knows Louis isn’t happy either. Louis might be the one who is physically distant, but Harry sees right through him. This is heartbreaking—Harry is saying, "I’ve never left. I’m still waiting."

I'm in an LA mood I don't wanna talk to you She said, 'Give me a day or two.'

He was filming Don’t Worry Darling in LA, but LA is also a symbol for fakery and PR relationships. Maybe he’s frustrated, maybe he’s tired of waiting. "She said, 'Give me a day or two.'" could be about his PR girlfriend at the time, OW. It could symbolize the artificiality of that relationship—like she needs Harry’s time, but only for the sake of PR. It also contrasts Louis, who Harry is actually waiting for.

Right here, right here Wishing I could be there for you

This is Harry’s core message in the song. He’s always been there, but he’s never been allowed to fully be there for Louis the way he wants to be. He’s waiting, but how long can he wait?

Analysis of the Satellite Music Video

The Satellite music video is essential to fully understanding the song’s meaning. While the lyrics alone convey a sense of longing and waiting, the video amplifies these emotions through the story of Stomper, a small, abandoned robot whose journey mirrors Harry’s feelings of isolation, patience, and the fear of never truly reaching the one he loves. When analyzed alongside the historical context of 2011, the significance of the Curiosity rover, and the heartbreaking ending of Stomper’s journey, it becomes clear that this video is not just a visual accompaniment—it is a metaphorical retelling of Harry’s experience of orbiting Louis for over a decade, waiting for the day they can finally be together.

The Opening Scene: A Calculated Choice

At the beginning of the music video, we see Harry backstage at his concert in pajamas when a staffer greets him. This seemingly mundane interaction is important because it establishes Harry’s normal routine—his life is moving forward, his career is thriving—but something is missing. Then, the camera shifts focus to Stomper, the small robot, appearing for the first time. At this exact moment, a TV screen in the background broadcasts the launch of the Curiosity rover from the Kennedy Space Center on November 26, 2011.

We hear a documentary narrator say: "Launched on November 26th, 2011 from the Kennedy Space Center, Curiosity was born on Mars. It has spent over ten lonely years roaming the surface of the red planet."

The choice to feature Curiosity, a rover rather than a satellite, is significant. If the song is about a satellite, why focus on a rover?

The answer lies in the date: November 2011.

November 2011 was a turning point in Harry and Louis’ relationship.

Before this, they were inseparable, openly affectionate, and constantly together.

But in October 2011, Eleanor Calder was introduced as Louis’ public girlfriend.

In November 2011, One Direction signed their U.S. deal with Columbia Records, marking their official expansion into the American market—a market that was notoriously less accepting of openly gay relationships, especially in boybands.

From this moment on, Harry and Louis’ interactions became more distant, more controlled, and more hidden.

The Curiosity rover’s launch in November 2011 is a direct parallel to Harry and Louis’ forced separation. Just as Curiosity was "born" on Mars, isolated and alone, Harry and Louis entered a new phase of their careers where they could no longer be publicly close. Curiosity has spent over 10 years roaming a planet it can never leave—just as Harry has spent over a decade orbiting Louis. This is why the Curiosity rover is the perfect metaphor for Harry’s experience.

Stomper the Robot

Stomper, the small cleaning robot in the video, is an extension of the Curiosity rover metaphor. Like Curiosity, he longs for connection, but he is stuck in a cycle of waiting, watching, and hoping.

Stomper starts off ignored, unnoticed, insignificant—this is a parallel to the main character in the Adore You music video. Both do not see their lives as worth anything and are quite miserable - until they meet that someone/something special. For Harry, I firmly beleive this was Louis, who showed him he was important and worthy of love.

As soon as he sees the Curiosity rover on TV, he feels a connection—just as Harry might have felt when seeing Louis. We know they were immediate friends. So much so that people have debated if they met before boot camp.

Stomper then breaks free from his routine and starts pursuing something greater, something he longs for. This moment in the video directly parallels Harry’s own journey—this deep connection is found and then they were both off on a life-changing journey and pursuing their dreams.

Stomper’s journey mirrors Harry’s decade-long orbit around Louis, always waiting, never fully reaching him. Inside the concert venue Stomper watches fans, longing for connection. Even through crossing the rainy streets, highways, and landscapes Stomper is determined to find Curiosity, no matter the obstacles. When he takes a moment to stare into his own reflection in a puddle it is a moment of self-doubt. He sees himself as small, insignificant—just as Harry may have felt at times throughout their journey.

The deeper meaning here is clear: Harry is searching for something he fears he may never find—Louis’ full, public commitment.

The most heartbreaking moment of the video is when Stomper finally arrives at the Kennedy Space Center—so close to Curiosity, so close to the thing he has been chasing the whole time—but his battery dies before he can reach it. This moment is devastating because it reflects Harry’s fear that he will never get to be with Louis the way he wants. He has waited for over a decade. He has watched from a distance, orbiting, hoping. But what if he waits forever and it never happens?

Stomper’s battery dying is symbolic of time running out, of patience being exhausted, of the fear that all of this waiting will be for nothing. As Stomper shuts down, alone, just inches away from Curiosity, the video leaves us with an open-ended question: What if Harry never makes it to Louis?

Why the Music Video is Imperative to Understanding Satellite

Without the video, Satellite can be interpreted as just a song about waiting for someone to be ready. But with the video, it becomes a deeply emotional and symbolic story of isolation, endless devotion, and the fear of waiting forever.

The Curiosity rover metaphor directly connects to 2011—the moment their relationship changed and they were forced into distance.

The opening quote highlights the theme of observing from a distance, just as Harry has had to do in his relationship.

Stomper’s journey represents Harry’s decade-long orbit around Louis, always waiting, never fully reaching him.

Stomper’s battery dying before he reaches his goal is Harry’s biggest fear—that he will spend his whole life waiting, only to never truly be with Louis.

The Satellite video is not just a visual accompaniment—it is the key to understanding the pain, devotion, and longing that define the song. It shows that love isn’t always about being together—it’s about the willingness to wait, even when you don’t know if the waiting will ever end.

The Larry of It All

When you piece together the lyrical content of Satellite, the music video’s symbolism, and the historical context of November 2011, it becomes increasingly clear that this song cannot be about anyone other than Louis Tomlinson. While Harry’s public relationships have often been used as a way to attribute meaning to his songs, Satellite does not align with any of the narratives surrounding his ex-girlfriends. Instead, it directly ties back to his decade-long connection to Louis, their forced separation, and the way Harry has continued to “orbit” around him ever since.

The lyric “We share the last line” is one of the most telling clues. If Harry’s vocals really can be heard on the last line of Louis’ song That’s the Way Love Goes, then this lyric is not just poetic—it is literal. This would mean that even after years of distance, Harry and Louis are still collaborating in quiet ways, still leaving traces of each other in their work. No other ex of Harry’s has this kind of musical connection to him. His relationships with women like Taylor Swift and Olivia Wilde were highly publicized, but neither involved the kind of hidden, intertwined songwriting that we see with Louis.

Then there’s the November 2011 connection, which is impossible to ignore. The Satellite music video opens with the launch of the Curiosity rover, explicitly pointing to that time period—the exact moment when Harry and Louis’ relationship changed forever. Before November 2011, they were inseparable, openly affectionate, and constantly together. But as One Direction’s career exploded and their U.S. deal with Columbia Records was finalized, they were forced into distance. Louis was given a public girlfriend, and their interactions became noticeably restricted. The rover metaphor fits perfectly with their story: Curiosity has spent over a decade roaming Mars, just as Harry has spent over a decade “orbiting” Louis, never quite able to reach him again in the way he once could.

This simply does not align with any of Harry’s public exes. His relationship with Taylor Swift lasted only a few months and did not involve years of waiting. His relationship with Camille Rowe ended on his own terms, and he has never given any indication that he was left in a position of longing. His connection with Olivia Wilde was highly visible and did not involve the kind of secrecy and forced separation that Satellite suggests. None of these relationships match the depth of history, restriction, and quiet devotion that the song conveys.

Ultimately, Satellite is not about a fleeting romance or an ex-girlfriend Harry willingly moved on from. It is about someone he has been tied to for over a decade, someone he has never been able to fully let go of, someone he has continued to orbit around despite the distance. The only person who fits that description is Louis Tomlinson.

Final Thoughts

This song isn’t about unrequited love; it’s about love that is held back. It’s about years of restriction, of external forces preventing them from fully being together. The music video reinforces this theme, using the Curiosity rover’s launch in November 2011 as a parallel to the moment Harry and Louis were forced into distance. The satellite metaphor perfectly captures Harry’s role in this dynamic—always orbiting, always near, but never quite able to land where he truly wants to be.

The fear that Stomper’s battery dying represents is one of running out of time. What if he waits forever, only to never truly reach the person he loves? This is why Satellite is so devastating—it’s not just about longing, it’s about the uncertainty of waiting.

Ultimately, Satellite is a song about enduring love, about waiting for the person you can’t let go of, even when you don’t know if they’ll ever fully come back to you. In the context of Harry’s House in reverse, it’s the moment of waiting that bridges the gap between pain and reunion. It’s about hope, but also about the fear that hope might not be enough.

[jiminjeonging]

Don’t you guys find it weird that big accs like sunshine, evon, seasonal fish or big korean accs are all jmj shippers. Idk it feels interesting to me even their personal fan accs like iberis(mj) or just(jm) are all shippers as well. Like all of big accs with 20k+ followers are all jmj shippers. I have never seen something like this in other groups 🤷🏻‍♀️ The traditional way in gg or bg accounts and shipping is

+There are big personal fan accounts(%90 korean or asian accs)

+News accounts for the group and big group accs(aespa japan, aespa china or MY international fanbase etc)

+Translate accounts for lives or shows

+Chart, stream and voting accounts

+Self made shipping and personal accs(us little guys)

+Lastly toxic akgae accs(the police and woke mafia)

Besides the last two none of these accs would ever show favoritism to a ship in a traditional group setting but %90 of them ships and roots for jmj. Now the funny thing is yes the girls are obsessed with each other, yes they are their each others biggest fans, yes we can see how much genuinely they care and love each other but they lack fan-service so I find it interesting that the whole nation ships them. I know aespa is in top 5 of worlds biggest kpop groups, both winter and karina are insanely popular and their ffs are all in top 10 and they have visual and natural chem etc. but this level of shipping and this level of trust in them is insane like the whole continent wants them to marry. So weird like no one believed karinas dating scandal(which was a pr we all know), everyone was so quick to clock people for winters dating scandals their fan accs literally warned people not to believe in them and rooted for jmj. The only people who were going crazy all apeshit was international fans.

So my point is lovely shroomrina and fellow jmjers I have a huge hunch that these accounts knows the real deal about them, knows what’s up and they don’t support and root jmj for nothing. I know we talk about homophobia in the fandom but this only happens in international side of twitter. I’m not trying to play detective or be delulu or idk push a narrative it’s just my mere observation. I could be wrong just wanted to share and hear opinions on it from you nat and other anons here! I know it’s long but I hope you take the time to read it! Thank you 🙏!

heyy sorry for the late reply but youre so right!! tbh accs like sunshine being jmjers doesnt really move me but both iberis and just having jmjers in their circle of friends makes me sooo delusional its crazy like they know every schedule of the girls and the girls talk to them when they see them so they have to know something yk??? everyone can see jmj’s chemistry!!

[babybearnation]

Dino x reader where you’re feeling down and he does literally everything he can to make you feel better

dino is one of my fave boys tbh

dino beganovic x gn!reader (emotional hurt/comfort headcanons)

depression had a way of ruining you for weeks at a time and you weren't looking forward to it happening now that you were with dino

he had constant boundless energy and loved spending time with you but when you were down and depressed? it was practically impossible to get you to do anything

unfortunately, it just so happened to hit pretty early on in your relationship - only two months in

you and dino had a date planned for the day it hit and you felt so miserable but you told him the truth when you told him you had to cancel your date

he left you on read and didn't respond which broke your heart

maybe he wasn't as sweet as you thought..

you were moping even more than usual when you heard a knock at the door

you grumbled and groaned and got up to answer the door, opening it to find dino there instead

he was carrying a huge bouquet of your favourite flowers plus two bags full of indiscernible stuff

you didn't say anything, you just pouted at his smiling face so dino pushed his way into your house, bundling you into his arms as he kicked the door shut behind him

he comforted you before carrying you into the kitchen, sitting you on the side and sorting out the stuff he'd brought with him

he'd replenished your groceries and bought some of your favourite snacks, probably more than enough to last you a whole week

also in the bags were some new hobby-related items to keep you entertained but you knew that they probably wouldn't get much use anytime soon

you thank him with a soft sniffle before reluctantly taking a snack

dino picked you up again and carried you into the living room, throwing a new blanket over your shoulders and handing you the remote

when you fix him with a blank stare, dino frowns and cuddles close, accepting the remote when you hand it to him

even though it breaks his heart, he doesn't say anything, doesn't force you to speak, he just lets you cuddle up to him, occasionally reaching for a snack when you wanted one

when you fell asleep, dino cuddles you closer before researching ways to potentially cheer you up, entirely unsure what to do

he came up with a few ideas so when you woke up and he asked if you wanted to do some self care, you were pretty confused but went with it

the two of you set up a bath and he found some self care products to slather on your skin messily

it made you smile a little bit but you still felt hopelessly miserable

once you were out of the bath, slowly but surely drying off, dino decided to move onto plan 2 - playing games

however, that didn't work as, before he could even set anything up or ask you what you wanted to do, you had crawled into bed with a heavy sigh and nothing else

dino cuddles you and lets you sleep again before deciding that, when you wake up, he'll try and cheer you up by rewatching some of his old f3 races

you're okay with that since you'd seen them happen live but, before you can process it, you're perking up, silently cheering him on even though you knew he won/podiumed

when you clap excitedly and whisper congratulations to him after rewatching one of his wins, dino smiles and leans over to kiss you, glad he'd made you say something more than just yes, no, okay or thanks

© all rights to babybearnation 2025.

[lovelyylittlelonely]

Changbin's special present for STAY

Bonus under the cut

[crossbackpoke-check]

blessed be (lorscher bienensegen) | telling the bees (wiþ ymbe)

"Bees" [remixed, abridged], Claudia Emerson // "Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years from Now" [remixed. abridged], Matthew Olzmann // "Letter to my Great, Great Grandchild" [remixed, abridged], J.P. Grasser | Len Redkole, Nina Weiss, Brian Babineau, Christian Peterson, Mitchell Leff, Dave Isaac, Megan DeRuchie

[cisthoughtcrime]

.

[thedrotter]

i depend on you (based and very much inspired by @/sometimes317 's piece on twitter)

process pics in read more!!^^

you can tell the moment it struck me that i was practically drawing ship art www

[sysig]

Damned Masterpost

Original run

ZEX wasn’t there for that, Dex!

Getting started

Kissing Strangers 💋

Captain Dating Sim

If I become lost...

It started with a whisper

Perfect comedy routine

Flowers for you!

ZEX loves wild horse!

Dexter’s first visit

Pivotal bright spot

Sunshine Captain ☀️

But ZEX loves humans!

Uniform ♥

Hard learning curve

Big Guy Teisel

VUXisms

ZEX’s hair <3

Haunted by Kayako

Zelnick has two hands

Zelnick’s gone :(

ZEX’s MU (blood)

Them (blood)

Leaving weird impressions

Last man standing

Wake up somewhere better (blood)

Despite everything, he’s still ZEX

New Daay

DAX profile

DAX Expressions

VUX duo Expressions

Lover’s tiff Expressions

Action heroes Expressions (blood)

Roughed up VUX Expressions (blood)

Too busy flirting

The Little VUXmaid ---

What if DAX was there

DAX’s Special Counseling

Homesick

After ZEX’s MU

Hope we die (blood)

Max’s visit

Karaoke Night

The girlies are fightinnggg

Different sensibilities

ZEX’s hair, again

Protect him, please

VUXémon

The three of them

Wander I mean Dr. Doran

More Dr. Doran

“Wake up” configurations

More VUXémon ft. Larry and Kabu

Dismissed ---

First re-meeting ♥

Chill, Sub-Commander

Each other’s VUX

Pyramid Head fight (blood)

Dr. Vargas

VUX silliness

Therapy went great

Nightly squabbles

You must snuggle

Obeying commands

Locked In

Damned, but make it Osmosis Jones

Wants to fight so bad

Some familiar faces

Drix Uniform

Main three’s profiles

Other

Stanley profile speculations

Max wants out

Crystal Gem VUX

All those missing eyes

2024 Sketchdump

[wolfwarrior142]

Have always really appreciated Callum talking about his conflicting emotions at the end of 306. About how he was so angry and sad about seeing Avizandum dead, because the dragon killed his mother, but also confused because that same dragon was the father of Zym, the Dragon Prince, a baby dragon who they all love and are determined to protect. Who also never got to meet his father, because Callum's stepdad killed Avizandum months before Zym hatched. And that happened because Avizandum killed Sarai, mother of Callum and Ez. It's a cycle, if you will. And Callum, who is now 14 and lost his mother when he was around 5 years old, is feeling such conflicting emotions about seeing Avizandum's stone corpse frozen in time.

I really love how mature that discussion is. Even one of my coworkers who I got into the show commented on how well done and impactful that little scene was. Yeah, loss and mourning can be like that. Even when there isn't a cycle of revenge involved. I've been there as well, experiencing similar emotions. I'll always appreciate how they did that scene as it was an important topic done in a very realistic way.

[fxckinemo]

there's so many things i wish i could apologize for and try to be better about but i can't because I'm definitely still owed an apology first but i doubt he cares enough to do so anymore