#look buddy it's based on your music taste

[spotify-official]

Spotify handing out only the most normal of daylist names

Don't you know it

[deadghosy]

Do you know about the Welcome Home fandom? So what about Wally Darling!Reader?

HAZBIN HOTEL X WALLY DARLING! READER

prompt: you are a greeter of the hazbin hotel! Who knew a muppet looking demon could be so colorful.

You are so soft spoken! Like that soft voice you have can hypnotize anyone into doing anything.

“hello, welcome to the hazbin hotel. i’m your greeter.” You say with a “:D” face

You’re so colorful and you’re definitely shorter than Lucifer…i can see Lucifer picking you up like a damn doll at times as you just smile with your muppet ass smile.

You’re just TOO DAMN CUTEEE! 🦆💗 literally even husk grumbles and gives you apples by the bar for you to stop giving him those doe eyes you give him when you are needy for apples.

I feel because of your muppet look, it would bring attention to yourself as a muppets looking demon is quite rare around the pentagram city, or even hell itself as Lucifer and Charlie have a muppet or Marionette look. 

Literally you are friends with Lucifer because of it and he finds your muppet look adorable. Even with your 3 ft height. (Yes I looked up his height and damn he short as hell!😭)

You are just chilling after greeting some new sinners in the hotel as you read the news paper, Lucifer comes out of no where. Dead ass reads the newspaper trying to understand your likes and dislikes.

“Lu-Lu?” You said softly as Lucifer awkwardly smiles and does finger guns at you. “Oh what a coincidence? What are you doing here..?” He says awkwardly as he sweatdrops at his attempt to start a conversation with you. “I live here?” You said raising a brow sitting down the newspaper.

“Oh I do too! What a very crazy thing?!” He says pointing his finger at himself as he poofs away in embarrassment as you just sat there…..*cue in pure confusion*

Alastor would not hate you because you are colorful, lemme be realistic. You two would be mutuals. Not like “oh I hate you but you are cool” type shit. I mean you two are the people who wave at each other but never approach each other because you don’t know if they like you fr. 🥲

One time a sinner had shoulder bumped you on purpose thinking you wasn’t gonna do anything…BUT NAH! YOU GRABBED THAT MF BY HIS NECK AS A SHADOW COVERS YOUR FACE, only leaving your eyes showing as you kick they ass out. You ain’t dealin' with no bullshit at this establishment. And for your friend’s sake.

Angel likes to play with makeup with your face since it’s calling out for his makeup kit. Literally he does blue eyeshadow on you.

I headcannon you wear blue eyeshadow just like how Wally’s eyelid is blue up there. Dead ass it would be cute if it was just blue eye shadow and you had a natural blush on your cheeks. You are quite beautiful reader💗😘

Since Angel is a drag queen, he would also try to make you wear drag queen makeup only for you to sneeze at how much product he used…yeah he never used it on your face.

You’re beautiful natural anyway…just don’t sneeze in his face. Ever again.

You definitely look like you listen to 1970-80’s jazz music as you dance in the lobby with Alastor nodding along happy. Just two jazz buddies liking jazz.

I can imagine Charlie trying to hold you back from eating the fruit gift basket for the guests…you’re only aiming for the damn apples as your mouth was drooling for it.

Imagine Vox has you on his channel because he brided you with apples. He stalked you through your tv you had that has rainbows and apples on it-

Well anyways Alastor “recused” you because you just sat there “begging” to be saved is what he saved when you munched on an apple confused by why Alastor came to take you away from Vox.

If you and Lucifer hung out doing hobbies together, which he suggested. You’re panting a portrait as he makes a duck based off of you….he can’t help but show affection of making you a duck version of yourself.

Niffty and you definitely get along well as hell! As you two have the same fashion taste as you both will dance to the genre of music you guys like.

With you being the greeter, you always have a soft smile and a soft approach to make the guest and residents feel safe in the hotel.

Sir Pentious will absolutely admire you…like a friend crush. He just wants to be your friend but you are too pure to approach as he thinks he won’t be cool enough to be your friend.

Imagine Valentino seeing you shopping and he tried to approach you only for a red smoke to cover you as you blinked confused to see an overprotective Lucifer smiling at you as you had teleported to the hotel. But with Lucifer, you could see his real feelings as you felt confused.

After a few months you and Pentious became friends because of one of his egg boiz named Frank said his “boss” wants to be friends with you. You giggled and nodded as you and sir Pentious do trust exercises together when Charlie host them.

Husk had dilated eyes and purr at you because you scratched under his chin which made him snap out of his cat daze and slap your hand as you giggle with a soft gaze.

I headcannon Velvette to be your girl who makes your outfits in primary colors. Like that or just cute aesthetic kid core fits. 💗‼️

I can see how reader always gives balloons to sinners who had trouble reliving their childhood. So they give balloons out to the sinners who had childhood trauma. You are a greeter, and a hell of a good one. 🦆💗

Imagine how Wally! Reader has those safety pins that say “Welcome!” And it’s so cute because you made them a t hand and Lucifer saw his you had effort in it so he made you more to give out to the guests.

I feel like Valentino will try to get you under his contract so he can use your pretty look since you seem like a femboy….but really you’re just a little guy who likes apples and his friends.

YOU’RE ONLY 12 APPLES TALL! 😨

But the hazbin crew literally cockblock him to the point he just stops doing he was trying to do to you.

I can see Lucifer trying to impress you at times as he never has a friend that had a cute appearance like you so your blank eye stare always catches him off as you just stand there smiling so adorably.

I headcannon waking up to find an apple by your night stand as a note reads “hope you like the apple, my angel!”- Lu-Lu. You just blinked at the apple completely ignoring the note and eating the apple as you smile at the taste.

“…yummy apppleee….” You say until you open your eyes looking at the note. “Wait what.”

You had gave Lucifer back an apple basket with rubber ducks that had painted apples not it for your appreciation of the apples he gave you 

[leahwllmsn]

16,904

leah williamson x reader

Melbourne

October, 2023

You finally tell your friends that you’ve been talking to someone you met online on a Friday night. The response you got is that they all think you're crazy, and you can’t blame them—saying that you have a tiny crush on this blonde who’s almost twice your height and likes football and country music without actually knowing if this said blonde exists is kind of crazy.

But you really do like talking to Leah and you could only hope that Leah is Leah and not some fifty-year-old man. 

“You don’t even know what she looks like,” one of your friends snorts. 

“It’s not always about the looks,” you argue.

“That’s true,” another one of your friends chimed in. “But you gotta admit, the looks matter a lot.”

You were about to correct her and say no, they do not, because yeah, sure, Leah is so freaking gorgeous based on the pictures on her profile, but what matters the most is that she’s so kind, and funny, and just overall amazing.

Instead you kept your mouth shut. A part of you don’t want to share Leah with anyone just yet. 

(And another part of you still needs the confirmation that that is actually Leah because god damn it Leah is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen and you wish that it’s really her.)

—

6 Oct, 9:02 pm

y/n: I told my friends about you. they think it’s weird that I’m starting something with you when we’ve never met  

y/n: it’s not weird, is it? 

leahw6: starting something huh? ;) 

y/n: shut up 

y/n: we met on tinder. what were you expecting to find? a math tutor? 

leahw6: ...  

leahw6: you’re really funny, love

leahw6: and no, it’s not weird 

y/n: good 

y/n: and for the record, even if they think it’s weird I couldn’t care less 

—

6 Oct, 9:25 pm

leahw6: just to be clear 

leahw6: ‘starting something’ that means you want to date me right 

y/n: how else could I mean that 

leahw6: idk maybe you were the one looking for a math tutor 

— 

London

October, 2023

“Where did you meet her again?”

“Tinder.”

“Tinder,” Lia repeats.

“Yes,” Leah nods. “When we were in Australia for the World Cup… I got bored one night and decided to go on Tinder.”

“And you found her there,” Lia muses, sipping on her cup of coffee. “Wait, so she lives in Australia?”

“Melbourne, yes.”

“And does she know you’re all the way here in London?”

Leah hesitates before answering. “No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Oh boy,” Lia gives her a sympathetic look. “Does she know who you are?”

“Me… as in Leah?” Leah gives her teammate a confused look. “Yeah?”

“You as in you’re Leah Williamson.”

“Oh,” realization sunk in Leah’s face. “Then no. I mentioned I like football and she said she hates it. So, I doubt she knows who I am.”

“Oh boy.”

“I know,” Leah drops her head on the table. “I’ll tell her soon but what if it’s a deal breaker?” 

“Which part? The part where you’re a famous footballer or you live thousands of kilometers away?”

Leah grimaces “Distance problem. She already said she hates football and wouldn’t dare step foot in a football game, but it’s fine! That’s not a problem because I can and will convince her to watch one of my games.”

Lia laughs. “Sure, buddy.”

“I really like her,” Leah continues. “She’s funny and witty and passive aggressive sometimes but it’s so endearing. She has great taste in music, great taste in movies and books, and just great taste overall—”

Leah’s words get cut off with Lia’s hand on her mouth. “You’ve known her for a few weeks and this is already how you act?” Lia chuckles, taking her hand away. “You got it bad, Williamson.”

Leah groans. “I know.”

“Just tell her now. If she likes you the same way, I have a feeling that she wouldn’t mind either.”

—

24 Oct, 4:13 pm

leahw6: can we talk ?

y/n: sounds serious 

leahw6: kind of 

y/n: are you getting tired of me already :( 

leahw6: ofc not 

y/n: oh okay :D 

leahw6: idk how to say this 

y/n: do you want me to call you? 

leahw6: oh god no 

leahw6: omg wait 

leahw6: I didn’t mean that in a bad way I swear  

leahw6: it’s just that if you call me I’ll be hearing your voice for the first time and I’ll be even more nervous  

leahw6: and I don’t think I’ll be able to put out a coherent sentence bc I’ve been imagining so much what your voice would sound like with that face and all my guesses are that you have an extremely hot voice, raspy maybe?  

leahw6: but actually no I don’t think you have a raspy voice 

leahw6: a deep one maybe and holy shit a deep voice with an australian accent? I’ll faint on the spot I’m afraid  

leahw6: no you can’t call me 

y/n: okay...? 

leahw6: I’m really sorry please ignore all that 

y/n: I won’t ignore it, it’s adorable  

leahw6: you think I’m weird don’t you 

y/n: absolutely 

leahw6: great 

y/n: it just makes me like you even more

leahw6: I live in london 

y/n: as in the one in england … ? 

leahw6: is there another london I don’t know about 

[incoming call from y/n]

leahw6: why are you calling me ?! 

leahw6: I told you I’m too nervous rn 

y/n: I don’t get it. it says that you were 2km away? 

leahw6: yeah… I was on vacation… kind of...

y/n: kind of?

y/n: so you don’t actually live here? 

leahw6: y/n if I was only 2 km away from you I would make up excuses just so I can see you everyday 

y/n: how many km is it instead 

leahw6: between us?

leahw6: google says it’s 16,904 km

y/n: ??! holy shit 

leahw6: I know 

leahw6: look, I get it if you want to stop this. not everyone is cut out for long distance

y/n: we’re like

y/n: on opposite sides of the world

leahw6: I know

y/n: do you want to stop this? 

leahw6: I don’t 

y/n: then we won’t 

leahw6: are you sure 

y/n: let me call you 

leahw6: NO 

y/n: leah

leahw6: give me a day to prepare 

y/n: you’re so dumb

y/n: but fine 

y/n: do I at least get a facetime

leahw6: FACETIME? 

leahw6: no. you get a phone call. voice only

y/n: r u catfishing 

y/n: I knew it you’re too beautiful to be real 

leahw6: ha ha 

y/n: call me tomorrow okay lee? 

leahw6: okay

leahw6: and y/n

leahw6:  thank you

y/n: what for

leahw6: for giving us a chance

y/n: leah I’d be stupid not to 

—

Melbourne

November, 2023

You're in the middle of a meeting with boring, old men in suits when your phone rings—very loudly at that. You curse yourself for forgetting to put your phone on silent, quickly pressing the red circle on the screen, but not before smiling at the caller ID.

When the meeting finishes an hour later, you immediately pick up your phone and dial Leah’s number.

“Hey you.” 

You smile at the voice on the other end. “Sorry I couldn’t pick up. I was in a meeting.”

“Oh sorry, bad timing. Thought you were finished for the day”

“Bad timing indeed,” you chuckle. “It rang really loudly.”

“Y/n,” you could hear Leah’s soft giggles. “The silent feature exists for a reason.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” you take a seat in your office chair and sigh contently. “I’m glad it rang though.”

“How so?” 

“I saw your name and my mood instantly picked up.”

Leah snorts. “You’re such a sweet talker, mate.” 

You throw her head back in laughter. “But it’s true!”

Leah doesn’t say anything after that, all you could hear is the sound of chatter and honking of cars. “Where are you?”

“I just had breakfast, I’m walking to the… office.”

“You called me when you were having breakfast? Am I that much more interesting than whoever you were with?” you ask, your tone teasing.

“Of course you are,” is Leah’s reply and you could feel your stomach flipping upside down.

“Now who’s the sweet talker?”

“Still you.”

“Says the person who couldn’t stop telling me I’m pretty when we facetimed for the first time.”

Leah laughs and you really, really love the sound. “But you are pretty.”

“But I don’t think I need to hear it every five minutes.”

“Just accept the compliments, love.”

“Okay,” you relent, a grin spreading across your face. “Who did you have breakfast with?”

“Just my team– colleagues. My colleagues, Beth, Viv and Lia.”

You go silent for a few seconds, the last name ringing a bell in your head. “Lia as in your ex?”

“The one and only.”

“Oh.”

Leah must’ve sensed the jealousy in your voice (but honestly, you aren't jealous, you’re really not), because the next thing you know Leah is laughing and telling you that it didn’t work out between her and Lia because they were better off as friends.

“You see her everyday though,” you say, your voice less confident than before.

“And what about it?”

“You don’t see me everyday,” you pout, staring at a polaroid picture of Leah smiling at the camera that is stuck to the wall of your cubicle. Leah sent you a handwritten letter along with that picture a few days ago. Your roommate was the one who received it and it went something like this:

“Oh my god, there’s no way this is your Leah.”

“What?” 

“This! Is this really her?” 

“Is that Lee’s mail for me? Did you open it?!” 

“I got curious!” 

“Give me that!” 

“You never mentioned that she looks like this!” 

“I just haven’t shown you what she looks like ‘cause everyone kept on teasing me!” 

“Because she could be a fake for all we know! But holy shit, she’s soo stunning. Does she have a twin sister?”

“No.”

“A twin brother?” 

“No.” 

“Can I have her instead then?” 

“What the—no?!” 

“Fine, be stingy like that.” 

“...I’m really fine with us like this.”

You blink away images of your roommate in your head and focus your attention back to Leah’s voice. “What did you say?”

“I said I’m okay with not being able to see you everyday,” Leah repeats. “Talking to you over the phone is enough.”

You smile. “It’s enough for me too. It’d be great to have you next to me but this is good too.”

People would think otherwise but for you, having Leah a phone call away really is enough; you'd take hearing Leah's laughter through the phone than not hearing it at all.

—

10 Nov, 1:11 pm

y/n: I got a dog

leahw6: ???!! 

leahw6: Y/N CALL ME OMG 

leahw6: I WANT TO SEE 

y/n: you’re more excited to see him than me :// 

leahw6: YES 

y/n: excuse me 

leahw6: WHAT’S HIS NAME 

y/n: robert 

leahw6: ROBERT? 

y/n: yes, robert 

leahw6: he's now my favourite

leahw6: SEND PICS

y/n: :/ 

y/n:

leahw6: you know you're my favourite too  

y/n: :D 

leahw6: but I think I like robert more than you OMG HE'S ADORABLE!!!!

y/n: bye 

—

London

December, 2023

leahw6:  want to hear a funny story

y/n:  what is it

leahw6:  a guy tried to hit on me tonight

y/n:  excuse me???

[incoming call from y/n] 

“That’s not funny,” is the first thing Leah hears once she accepts the call.

“Hello to you too,” Leah stifles a laugh. You sound tense and Leah can just picture the frown on your face.

“Leah.”

“Yes, babe?” Leah learnt that the quickest way to melt away your anger is to use pet names and so for any argument (even if Leah is in the wrong), Leah would always win.

This time it doesn’t seem to work. “How is that funny again?” 

“Darling, I’m just teasing you.”

“Did a guy really hit on you?”

“Yes,” Leah answers honestly. “He bought me a drink.”

“I see.”

Leah doesn’t like how dejected you sound. So she presses the button for facetime and the first thing she sees when you accept is her girlfriend pouting at the screen.

“What are you doing?” Leah giggles.

“Is all of this funny to you?” you pout even more, your phone screen illuminating your face in the dark room.

“Did I wake you up?” Leah asks instead. She knows you like to sleep in on weekends.

“Yes, but that’s fine. You know I want to talk to you any chance I get,” you answer, shifting so that you’re now lying on your side.

“You’re the best,” Leah says as she climbs in bed, tucking herself under the covers.

“Obviously,” you scoff. “Unlike that stupid guy who doesn’t know you’re off-limits.”

Leah grins at the annoyed look you’re giving her. “Baby?”

“Hm?”

“It’s so cute when you’re jealous.”

You roll your eyes. “Of course I’m jealous. He gets to be within your presence while I’m stuck here, freaking sixteen thousand kilometres away from you. It’s unfair.”

Leah sends her a soft smile. “But you’re the one I’m talking to every day, so who’s the real winner here?” The frown is still present on your face and Leah wants nothing more than to kiss it away—so that’s what she did.

“Leah, what the hell are you doing?”

“Kissing you,” Leah answers simply, kissing her screen again.

And when Leah hears laughter from the other end, her heart feels much lighter.

“Lee, have you cleaned your phone? That’s gross.”

“Shut up. I’m trying to be romantic.”

“Cute, but maybe clean your phone first.”

Leah rolls her eyes at you, her smile never leaving her face. “At least I made you laugh.”

“You always make me laugh,” you say, your face so close to her camera that the entirety of Leah’s screen is just a close up of your face. Leah’s heart swells in adoration at the sight.

“Did you have a good night's sleep?” Leah asks.

You hum in answer. “Now it’s your turn to get a good night’s sleep.”

You could see how hard Leah is trying to keep her eyes open.

“This sucks, time difference sucks” Leah pouts. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Baby,” you give her a sad smile. “It is how it is. We’ll talk more when you wake up.”

“Yes, captain,” Leah gives you grin, her eyes fully closed.

“Good night, Leah. Sweet dreams.”

You watch Leah go to sleep for a few minutes, the sound of her soft snores making it seem like she’s right next to you. 

That night Leah dreams that you're right next to her, holding her close and keeping her warm on the cold winter night.

[paddockbunny]

List B + Challenge with Lando please!

Good Kisser

Summary : The first time you had kissed Lando it was well, the worst kiss you had ever had. So when you joke he wasn’t a good kisser, he makes sure to prove you wrong Rating : 16+ Pairing : Lando Norris x Reader Word Count : 1,787 ONE SHOT Trigger Warnings : 16+, NSFW, adult language, nothing too bad Images : curated from Pintrest

List : List B. Prompt : Challenge - after the receiver teasingly suggests that the sender is a terrible kisser, sender immediately and fervently proves them wrong with a long, passionate kiss that leaves the receiver taking back what they said.

You felt the heavy bass of the thumping music reverberating through your bones as you made your way to the VIP table your friends were sitting at.

While everyone had been indulging in the free bottles of liquor that adored the table, you had been good and had barely drunk a thing. You were the responsible adult for your friends tonight - which meant you had to make sure none of the guys went home with any girls - so when you saw Lando raise his glass to his mouth again you rolled your eyes.

“What are you drinking, Norris?” You saddled up beside him. Momentarily, he looked up at you sheepishly but there was also a hint of smugness about him. “Why don’t you try it and see?” He held it out to you. You knew Lando didn’t like the taste of alcohol. He went for fruity little cocktails and sugar based drinks instead of the strong stuff simply because he hated the taste of it. So when you sucked the orangey red liquid up the straw it didn’t surprise you that it tasted like a smoothie. “You’re such a child.” You laughed as you slid into the booth beside him. “I’m really not…” You weren’t sure if he intended you to hear his words or not. They sounded like they were laced with something other than sarcasm. Something more like flirtation. But it was Lando. He was the last person who would be flirting with you.

As Max returned to the table he eyed the pair of you up and down and raised his eyebrow. Max had continually been complaining about how close and cosy you and Lando were. He always moaned about the pair of you seemingly like bosom buddies and like he was third wheeling. Which was utterly ridiculous as there was absolutely nothing going on with him. You were just friends who occasionally flirted. Flirty friends. That was it. Suddenly as you looked at him you saw the mischievous side grip hold of your friend across the table. The glint in his eye gave him away.

“Why don’t the pair you just kiss already?” You mentally wanted to strangle him. See months ago, you had in fact kissed. You and Lando. He had come P2 at his home race and on the night out that followed he kissed you. It wasn’t in the slightest bit romantic and as far as you could get from mind blowing. Actually, it had been a total fail. He had caught you off guard and instead of it being some big breath stealing kiss it was like kissing a dead fish. You were in shock. You had zero idea it was coming and the element of surprise was really, well, surprising. And besides all that, he didn’t actually seem to be into it. He didn’t grab your waist, caress your neck or fist his hands in your hair. He basically stood in front of you and just went for it. His tongue felt too foreign in your mouth, lips to unfamiliar and he felt so distant and uninterested that you even thought he had done it on a dare. Kissing Lando should have felt euphoric. It should have felt like you were the luckiest girl on earth - after all the fans that would have killed you to have been in your position - but it felt more like you were kissing your brother. It was truthfully the worst kiss of your life.

As you shot Max daggers across the table you heard Lando nervously giggle beside you as if he was in on some kind of joke. He had probably told Max all about the failed kiss and made it seem like it was all your fault. Hence the laughter and hence why you played him at his own game. “Please, not again, once was enough.” You jokingly flicked your hair over your shoulder dramatically. It whipped passed him and skimmed the open space left by not doing enough of his shirt buttons up. You glanced at him - thinking he would be ready to laugh about it like you were - and he looked at you like he had never looked at you before. Lando seemed angry. His brow was furrowed and he had a stern look on his face you had only seen when he was pissed about something that happened in a race. “What do you mean?” Tension grew. In fact it grew so large it felt like it a whole person had sat between the pair of you separating you both. You thought he was on the same wave length as you due to the fact neither of you had brought up the failed kiss after it had happened. Now, as nerves began to fill your body, you turned your head and glanced at Max. His eyebrows were raised and he was staring at you with a shocked expression. You were sure Max knew all about it - Lando was a bloody blabber mouth and told him everything after-all - but the look he was shooting you seemed to imply he was himself shocked at your words. Lando hadn’t given him the impression the kiss was good, had he?

“It wasn’t exactly good was it?” Your mouth kept going. You were digging yourself a hole and couldn’t stop. Fuck! This was why you didn’t like the spotlight. You’re mouth had a kind of its own when you got nervous. “Are you saying I’m a bad kisser?” Lando actually sounded offended. “Well, I’m not calling you a good one” It came out quicker than you could stop yourself. Your brain not catching up to your mouth, once again. But you also nervously chuckled to yourself because you were suddenly so anxious and you always laughed when you were uneasy. No one else laughed however. Certainly not Lando himself who was practically staring into your soul, seething in what you were reading as anger. “You’re the only one who has complained.” He said it directly to you. Looking dead in your eyes. “Really?” You we’re pretending to be shocked but you really were actually shocked. The failed Silverstone kiss was all you had to base your assumptions on so could he really blame you that you presumed he had had other complaints about his kissing skills. “Yeah really.” He scoffed.

And then your mouth did it again. It went off on its own accord before you could stop it. And with confidence you suddenly stated broadly; “Prove it”

You had no idea what you thought was going to happen - considering the fact you had quite clearly insulted him and then proceeded to push him - but now as he looked at you with a cocked eyebrow you felt like you could read his thoughts. He was surprised but pleasantly so. The smirk that breezed past his lips told you that. His head turned the opposite direction just as the knot formed in your stomach. If this was how you were thinking it would happen, you were sure he would chicken out. He would never do anything that was even slightly PDA in public. It wasn’t in him.

And then his hand was in your hair, his thigh was hard against yours and his chest pushed against yours. Your eyes closed in time for his lips to suddenly - finally - be on yours. His bottom lip grazed and his top lip captured as your breath was already stolen from you from the utter confusion at what was happening. But as Lando’s hand tugged your hair, your head tilting back for him, your mouth opened against his lips giving him access to your tongue. That was when you felt it. You felt yourself melting, swooning at his kiss. The blood seemed to rush to your ears and beat so loud it drowned out the noise from the nightclub speakers. All you could think about was him and how he was making you feel. Your temperature raised when his tongue glided across your own. He wasn’t forcing a game of dominance, you were already at his mercy. He had reduced you to a puddle on the floor. Your hands found his shirt and you held on to him while subtly trying to pull him into you even more. A deep, low groan flowed freely from him and straight into your mouth which sent a throbbing ache straight between your thighs. Fuck. What was he doing to you. Lando nipped at your bottom lip. Taking it between his teeth at one point making you completely loose control of your mind. You sighed giving him the signal that he had you in the palm of his hand and all you cared about was getting more of him.

But - almost rudely - he pulled away. His lips gone from yours in an instant. His face was only inches away and you stared directly into his beautiful olive green eyes, breathless and full of want.

“Well?” He smirked. His hands were still on you and you felt his body heat radiating from him. Words couldn’t form anymore. Your quick talking mouth had fallen silent from one single kiss from him. There was nothing you could say in response. You’d rather show him, kiss him back, kiss him again. But he pulled back when you went to do it “You didn’t answer. Am I still a bad kisser?” No. That’s all you had to say. You just needed to tell him no, he wasn’t a bad kisser. But you didn’t. “I think I need another sample to really confirm.” You shrugged and tried to brush it off (while trying to ignore the throb going on inside your panties.

“I’ll take that as a no.” He smirked but he gave you what you wanted. He began kissing you again and you never wanted him to stop.

[cloverdaisies]

# UR SUCH AN EMO! ｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

— choi chanhee x gn!reader

₊⊹⁀➴ description: the popular kid meets his unconventional match in one of the school’s most hated emo’s. from lab partners to cleaning buddies: the events that caused social royalty to fall in love with someone from the very bottom of the high school food chain. ｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

₊⊹⁀➴ genre: angst, fluff, enemies to lovers.

₊⊹⁀➴ word count: 4.1k+

₊⊹⁀➴ a/n: happy belated birthday @sanaxo-o , ily a lot, hope you enjoy this little piece i put together 4 u 🫶 it’s been in the works for a while but i really wanted to complete it for you. ｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

₊⊹⁀➴ warnings: mentions of bullying, frequent arguing.

The sound of crashing drums and noisy guitar riffs leaked from your headphones, lazily dragging your shoes across the pavement as you were unwillingly met with the gates of the hell that was school. As usual, the halls were like the inside of a incredibly overpopulated zoo, with heads being met with the sides of lockers and the boisterous roars of students celebrating the beginning of the last semester of senior year.

You couldn’t be more excited to finish school, considering school simply wasn’t the safest place for anyone with alternative taste in anything. You clumsily made your way to your locker, abruptly pausing the music in your headphones before placing them on the shelf and shutting it with a slam.

“Someone’s not happy.” You sighed at the voice beside you, a familiar voice that has haunted your nightmares since you were at least 14 years old. “If you wear anymore eyeliner, you’re gonna start looking like your cosplaying a panda.”

“Good one.” One of other boys perked up, cheering on the other with a pitiful snicker sucking up to him like a little minion in goggles and dungarees ready to steal the moon.

Sunwoo definitely wasn’t the nicest guy to be around in high school, it certainly didn’t help that your locker was conveniently placed next to his so you got the divine pleasure of seeing him everyday. It also didn’t help that his group of minions congregated around that space 24/7 during every break like they had nowhere else to be.

However, he wasn’t the worst of the bunch. If anything it was a boy called Chanhee, he always had something to say, in fact too many things. “Your headphones are making my ears bleed.” , “Try not to wear black challenge!” , or just simple things sometimes like “I HATE your shoes.” You couldn’t deny you brought that upon yourself after one time you’d made fun of the fact he’d worn a beret to school, yeah the entire, “dAd yOu CaNt dO tHiS i WaNna gO tO fAsHioN sChoOl” comment you’d made didn’t sit well with him.

He stood towards the back of the small circle, him, Sunwoo and Changmin were the only ones that had arrived on time surprisingly, as some of that group seemed to only turn up half way through the day when they felt like it. The others weren’t as bad either, Hyunjae was a nice guy and so was Haknyeon, the rest you hadn’t had too much interaction with, thankfully.

Breezing past them with a sigh, you threw your bag over your shoulder and decided it’s best to ignore them rather than make any attempt to clap back. Besides how could you waste anytime when you had the extremely fun class that was chemistry to rush to?

“Okay class, welcome. Take your seats.” Your chemistry teacher welcomed you in with a jovial smile, his combover gelled so stiffly it would survive a hurricane intact. "We're jumping straight into some lab work today, I've assigned you partners based on ability."

The entire class let out a unanimous groan at the thought of set partners, the excited glances made by bestfriends across the room being replaced with long frowns. However, for you, this was simply the best case scenario since you didn’t have any friends in this class. At least that’s what you thought until the teacher spoke some unfathomable words that sent you spiralling as soon as they fell from his tongue.

“Y/n, you’re with Chanhee on this bay.” He called from the second row, you glanced over at Chanhee who rolled his eyes with a groan grabbing his bag and grumpily shoving it down next to his stool.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy either.” You laughed sarcastically, sitting beside him as he rested his head on the desk in frustration.

The teacher went on to explain the test you’d be carrying out, different chemicals reactivity in water, recording the results and comparing the differences. It was pretty simple, since it’s was just a warm up to ease the class into the semester. Hopefully the time would pass fairly quickly so you wouldn’t have to sit next to mr. miserable for much longer.

“Are you just going to sit there or help?” You sighed, watching the boy sit up with sleepy eyes peaking through the strands of his dyed blonde hair. You passed him a pair of protective goggles, dropping them in front of him as he jolted awake.

“Sorry, I fell asleep you’re that boring.” He replied satirically placing his glasses on. He sported a false smile gleaming off his white teeth, his eyes creasing and smile lines faintly showing at each peak of his lips.

“Charming.” You raised your eyebrows momentarily, filling the plastic basin with water and placing it on the table in front of you. You took turns dropping chemicals into the water watching the the chemicals fizz or even catch light at times. Recording the sound and visual on paper as well as the time taken for it to stop.

“So why do you hate me so much?” You asked the boy curiously, crossing your arms as you watched him scribble down some more notes in his workbook.

“I don’t?” He laughed slightly, shaking his head, his golden earrings dazzling under the light. “I’m more annoyed I have to work with you, because to him, hopefully I can get your grades up.”

“So you’re crying because you think you’re doing charity work? Get over yourself.” You snickered, not breaking eye contact as he stared you down with an intense glare, his pupils darkened in silent rage.

“Maybe you should get over yourself, huh? You ever thought about that, don’t talk to me on your high horse when you had no reason to make fun of me for what I wear in the first place.” Chanhee spat, thankfully the ringing of the school bell paused the argument, diffusing the tension in the air.

The class was dismissed, and in your next few classes you couldn’t stop thinking about what you would have said back to him in that conversation. Perhaps something along the lines of “Isn’t that what you and your group have done to me everyday for the past 5 years?” If the bell hadn’t rang there would have probably been some sort of cat fight break out.

Soon it was lunch, and as you were sitting with your friends on your own table you felt an intense stare across the room. You looked up inquisitively at the feeling of eyes on you, spotting the same group of boys Sunwoo, Chanhee and the others you like to call the minions ( come on they literally have one called Kevin ) staring at you like hawks. You rolled your eyes and continued talking with your friends, eyes occasionally wandering to the other side of the room. You needed another drink, squashing your empty carton of apple juice and throwing it into the trash can nearby —landing a pretty cool trick shot.

“He’s not very happy with you.” A polite voice chimed from in front of you in the line of the canteen, “Said you got in a bit of an argument.”

You turned to see Haknyeon, nibbling on cherry tomatoes from a plastic packet like a small mouse, whilst heartily filling up his lunch tray and sliding it across the surface.

“I can tell that, the minions seem to have a bit of a staring problem.” You chuckled looking over the group where they were trying to land food into each others mouths from large distances, yelling boyishly when Juyeon caught a grape from across the cafeteria.

“He’ll get over it.” Haknyeon shrugged, as he got to the front of the line ready to pay for his food. He held out the plastic packet of tomatoes he was snacking on and offered. “Tomato?”

“No thanks, I hate them.” You laughed slightly, listening to the beep as his card was accepted on the lunch reader.

“More for me then.” He shrugged, stuffing his face with another before flashing the brightest and cutest smile you’d ever seen. You paid for your drink, sitting back at the table with a sigh, glancing back over at Chanhee as he smiled and laughed along with the other boys in glee.

Next period after Lunch was English, the sound of the teacher reciting quotes from The Great Gatsby singing you to sleep like a lullaby. It also didn’t help in front of you, Chanhee and Hyunjae were sat working away taking notes. After the argument you’d had this morning with him, the presence of Chanhee couldn’t put you anymore on edge.

“Hey y/n… y/n? Wake up.” Hyunjae flung a pencil towards your head, abruptly causing you to sit up straight at your desk eyes sensitive to the bright lights around you.

“What?” You rubbed the top if your head where he’d hit and groaned in annoyance. “I was getting a good amount of sleep there.”

“I’m having a party on Friday, you wanna come?” He asked, with bright eyes and a grin of genuine interest spreading across his face.

“You know, I always say no.” You replied with a sarcastic jingle, situating your head back on your desk and yawning tiredly.

“That is not happening. Even if you say yes there is no way I’m letting you come.” Chanhee chimed in with a shocked gasp, laughing to shake off the thought of you being at one of Hyunjae’s events.

“Can’t you just be nice? Y/n’s my friend and actually is pretty damn cool if you get to know-” Hyunjae laughed, thinking the other boy couldn’t be serious but was sharply cut off before he could finish his sentence.

“Are you even my friend?” Chanhee scoffed, immediately going back to his work and not making eye contact with him. Hyunjae shrugged at you, offering a sympathetic smile and going back to his own work.

You didn’t pay anymore attention to the pair of them, your head reintroducing itself back to the table planning to nap the rest of the lesson away.

“Jesus wake up.” You felt a push at your arm, “You can’t interrupt my sleep and then start snoozing behind me.”

You looked up at Chanhee in annoyance, raising an eyebrow whilst observing the disgusted look on his face. You smiled, taking a breath, choosing your words carefully before speaking to the brown eyed boy.

“Will you do us both a favor? And stop speaking to me?” You spoke calmly with a false sweetness loading each word like a bitter bullet, watching as his eyes rolled to the top of their sockets and back.

“That’s enough! Y/n and Chanhee! Both of you out of the classroom.” The teacher demanded, fed up of the disruption from the corner of the classroom. You both got up, more than annoyed leaving the classroom door with a slam.

“You’re so dead for this.” Chanhee glared at you in annoyance his palm resting against his forehead as he tried to destress.

“Deserved. If you kept your mouth shut we wouldn’t be here, would we?” You smiled as he sighed, it was quite funny watching him being kicked out of class for the first time — a place you’d been so many times before, but for him it was more than ego crushing.

“What brings you both out in to the corridors?” The sound of heels clicking down the corridor, has both your heads turning towards the principal with a sigh. “Kicked out of class.”

“Not intentionally.” You groaned, hating having to encounter the woman considering she had her eyes on you 24/7 for sleeping through classes and not doing any homework contributing to your grade.

“Y/n, you can’t be pulling down the reputation of some of our best students like Mr. Choi here. Seeing as the both of you aren’t in lesson, the music store room actually needs cleaning and it would be amazing if you could help.” She smiled, passive aggressively clasping her hands together like a fly.

You’ve got to be kidding me, was the only coherent thought to pass your brain, it was only the first day back and you’d already gotten yourself into so much in just a few hours. She brought you to the storage room, where there was clutter everywhere, cardboard boxes, trash, old instruments just scattered over the unseeable floor.

“It might take a few days, so I’ll make sure you both commit to this for at least an hour each day until it’s clean. No free periods after lunch, got it?” She cocked an eyebrow at the two of you, pulling the dusty chain for the dim light bulb that barely lit the room.

“Yes Ms.” You both replied unenthusiastically, beginning to move boxes to make some walking room amongst all the chaos in the room.

“I could really use a coffee right now.” You groaned as the door slammed shut behind her with a deafening screech, the both of you covering your mouths with your forearms due to all the dust.

“You’ve just slept like a sloth for an hour and you need coffee? Pfft.” Chanhee scoffed, adding on a cough at the end blowing the dust out of his face with a look of disgust painted all over his face. “I can’t believe you got me into this.”

“You got yourself into this because you can’t keep yourself quiet, you’re just always dying to say something negative to me.” You put down the box you were carrying into a pile in the corner, the fragile cardboard wearing thin.

“Only because you for, some reason, think it’s okay to be mean to me too!” He snapped back once again referencing the time you’d made fun of his outfit one day, pulling his red sweater over his palms as he lifted another box.

“I was actually gonna say earlier, don’t you think I hear the same thing everyday from your gang of guys? Do you think that one time I made fun of you outweighs the last 5 years of you making them at me?” You turned around, tears welling in your eyes as you spat your words of frustration out in to the air. A moment of silence lingering, the tension in the air so cuttable and cold it felt like shards of ice hitting your skin, the nerves and adrenaline painting a pink color your in your cheeks.

“Just because they made fun of you, or even just Sunwoo, does not mean for even one minute I thought that about you too.” He softened his voice having seen you get so vulnerable on the topic. “Plus you give Hyunjae a pass, why did you go for me? Why did you make fun of me? I still get slander for the way I dress and act to from them-”

“I could ask you why they get a pass? If they’re so mean to you and you don’t think they should be mean to me, then why are you even friends with them?” You laughed in frustration at the boy justifying years of torment to not only you but himself, it simply made no sense.

“Because I don’t know anything else? Is that what you wanted to hear?” He threw up his arms in frustration watching as your lips sealed in silence. “Or the real answer, because I’m too scared to say I got hurt by it? I don’t want to seem fragile or like I can’t take a joke. I’ve known them since when we were kids, they’re still my friends, my day 1’s. That’s the truth.”

Seemingly emotional, he turned around to the wall slightly frustrated he’d let his guard down, however also perhaps in a state of processing the reality of his own actions and feelings. As if he’d had some sort of emotional awakening, as if the cogs finally started turning on why he was so hurt by what you’d said to him. He was hurt by you, because he’d already had his confidence worn down by the same people affecting you.

The both of you began unboxing the items in the storage room in complete silence, not uttering a single word other than a few coughs or mumbles about how much dust was in the room. You began opening a rather dusty box, a large rectangular one attached to a smaller chunkier box. You opened it and let out a quiet “cool” as you found a brand new electric guitar attached to an unopened amp.

“Do we have a power outlet in here?” You turned to Chanhee with an excited smile, he didn’t look up at you but just pointed to a old looking socket on the wall. You plugged in the amp, attaching the connecting wire to the guitar and played a slightly off key chord due to the guitar being untuned.

“Oh my goodness, that’s so loud stop.” Chanhee laughed slightly, a giggle from pure joy, not a sarcastic or mean one, a genuine chuckle. “We don’t have time for this.”

All of a sudden he returned to seriousness, the laughter pausing as quietly you put down the guitar neatly in the corner of the room and unplugged the amp. Clearly it was impossible to clear the air or bitterness with this guy, you may as well give up trying to reconcile at this point.

“I see how it is.” You sighed, lazily continuing the move the plethora of boxes around the room to try at least uncover the floor of the storage room by the end of hour.

Around 10 or so minutes later the bell rang, signalling the end of the day and soon the hallway outside was filled with muffled laughter trapping you both in the musty room until the storm passed. He didn’t say anything to you, asides from slinging his bag over his shoulder and leaving, it felt as if the conversation earlier seemingly had no effect on his feelings of hatred towards you.

Since it was the end of the day, you went to retrieve your headphones from your locker opening it up to a note that read:

“Ur Such An Emo!”

“Real original, ur so funny!” You uttered, crumpling the paper in your fist and letting out a deep sigh before putting your headphones around your neck.

“Didn’t like my note?” Sunwoo asked leaning against his locker with a cocked brow and his arms folded across his black wash denim jacket.

“Not really. I almost forgot how unfunny you were for a second though.” You sighed closing your locker door, only to have your arm gently grabbed back.

“I’m only joking, you do know that, don’t you?” He asked, his condescending smirk saying much otherwise. Despite it being ‘not that deep’ to him of course it was frustrating being the butt of the joke everyday for you.

“Sunwoo shutup for one minute, will you?” Chanhee approached him, pulling his gentle hand from your arm and turning back away from you coldly.

Almost shocked for words, you stood there for a moment before quickly rushing away from the scene down the hallway. Chanhee? Chanhee Choi? Defending you? Perhaps the conversation did have some impact on the way he thought of Sunwoo and his minion clan.

“So about that party, Friday night.” The cheery voice of Hyunjae beside you forced you to take off your headphones on your way out of the gates. “Are you coming?”

“Maybe.” You sighed, clutching your bag on your shoulder with a delayed and airy chuckle.

“That always means no, doesn’t it?” He laughed in response, trying to make eye contact as you only kept your eyes on the pavement ahead.

“Pretty much.” You shrugged, briefly nodding a goodbye to the boy before parting your ways to walk home. The trees hung over the sunny sky in September, leaves drooping, getting ready to decay orange and make the departure from their branches. Birds flying over the neighborhood in crowds, humming the scene a soundtrack as you stepped through your front door home. Crashing into your bed, you huffed wondering why Chanhee had defended you yet still acted as if he hated your guts.

｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ —

Friday soon stumbled upon you, the rest of the week hadn’t been particularly interesting, however Chanhee hadn’t spoken to you since Monday. Everyday the hour at the end of the day that you’d both designated to cleaning the music store room, he remained silent not speaking a word to you everyday, ignoring your questions, jokes and thoughts - only speaking when necessary with the odd “excuse me.” or sometimes even a brief “pass that over.”

Today wasn’t any exception, he strolled in on the last hour without any polite “hello”s or quite frankly any acknowledgment of your presence in the room at all. You’d had enough of trying to entertain yourself with your own thoughts and turned around to the boy with a quick snap. He’d chosen to wear a more toned down outfit than usual that day, straight fitted black jeans with a loose tucked in black t-shirt. In his ears he’d opted for small silver hoops which complimented the thin silver chain around his neck.

“I can’t take it anymore, why’ve you been ignoring me all week?” You huffed out, watching as the boy did nothing but shrug in the most annoying and frustrating fashion. “You don’t know, really? It’s killing me, did I do something to upset you? It can’t be nothing.”

“I’m not sure why I’m ignoring you, I’m actually not.” He sighed, carrying himself within a register that translated words of genuine truth. He finished packing one of the last boxes, placing his palms on the top and beginning to stare into nothing but space.

“Then can you stop?” You laughed walking through to the thin aisle of shelves where you’d been placing organised boxes for the past week. You gently put your last box down, turning and accidentally bumping into Chanhee as you hadn’t noticed he’d moved from his original spot to move his own box.

You caught eye contact with him, forgetting to apologise for bumping into him instead you were lost for words. As you looked into his hazel brown eyes, you couldn’t seem to catch a single coherent thought other than how unreal he looked in the warm lighting above him.

“Can you not? I just nearly dropped my shit.” He rolled his eyes and huffed a huge sigh of frustration forcefully breaking his eye contact with you.

“Jeez I’m sorry, didn’t see you there.” You groaned, returning the eye roll, annoyed he’d began picking arguments with his unpredictable attitude once again.

“If you’re going to apologise try not being rude about it.” He clapped back, you immediately whipped your head back around, slowly walking back up to him and shaking your head in disbelief.

“Shouldn’t you be the one apologising? Didn’t you start the argume-” You began, before you were unexpectedly cut off by him passionately smashing his lips against yours, his hands cupping either side of your face. You couldn’t help but immediately reciprocate the kiss, the shock fading away almost instantly. You pulled away looking at him with a bewildered expression painted across your face, not expecting him to even have that kind of action programmed into his perfect little system.

“Uh, Why? I thought I was ‘such an emo’.” You asked, not being able to contain your laughter as he mirrored your chuckles, a smile plastered on his face as he locked eyes with the ground.

“Well first of all, never tell anyone what I’m about to say or you’re actually dead.” He looked up at you with a pair of sparkly eyes, “I like you? Even though you’re such an emo. I guess.. I have for a while, I always thought your style was really cool and I’m sorry I made fun of you.. I don’t really know why I did it.”

“You’re so awkward quit being so nervous about it.” You laughed as he chewed on his lip trying to hide the nervous grin creeping up. “I guess there’s always second chances, apology accepted.” You teased him, placing a boop on his nose with your finger.

“Thanks.” He spoke softly, his cheeks turning bright pink as you placed a kiss on one side of his face to reassure him. “Uhm, So you coming to that party tonight?”

“Sure I will.” You smiled, grabbing your bag as the last bell of the day sounded. “I guess I like you too, by the way.” You added before quickly escaping through the music storage door, leaving him behind alone, his brain running marathons and his heart beating out of his chest. His phone screen lit up and sending an aggressive bell sound to be muffled thorough the denim of his jean pocket:

y/n: oh and u looked like such an emo today xo

Chanhee laughed, his fingers shaking nervously over his cracked phone screen as he thought of a reply. When he got home he’d continue to text you until the very sunset, when his eyes simply couldn’t stay open any longer. For him, he finally felt accepted for who he was and what he liked — similarly so did you.

[corinescorner]

Grounding: A Few Techniques

Grounding can help in many situations. Here's a few techniques that also involve systemhood!

Sensory-based grounding:

Sight: Look around and name five objects you see. Focus on their colors, shapes, and textures.

Touch: Hold an object (like a fidget toy, smooth stone, etc) and focus on how it feels in your hand.

Sound: Listen to calming music, identify the ambience, or hum a song.

Smell: Use a comforting scent, like essential oils, body spray, or even make your favorite meal.

Taste: Suck on mints, chew gum, or sip a comforting drink. Focus on the flavor.

Physical grounding:

Breathing exercises: Take slow, deep breaths. (Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4.)

Movement: Stretch, walk around, or engage in light exercise.

Temperature change: Hold something cold, splash cold water on your face, etc

Weighted items: Use a weighted blanket or plushie!

Mental grounding:

Alphabet game: Choose a category (such as food) and name something for each letter!

Math: Do simple, but thinking math problems, like counting by sevens.

Affirmations: Repeat grounding phrases, such as, "I am here. I am safe. I am in control."

Practical:

Grounding kits: Create a small kit to help you for grounding, such as packing a stress ball, fidget, essential oils, and photos of loved ones!

Daily practice: Even if you're not overwhelmed, practicing grounding techniques can help in the future and help strengthen skills over time.

Anchors: Keep visible reminders of present day, such as a calender, clock, or a sticky note of todays date.

For systems!:

Internal check-ins: Pause. Ask who is feeling overwhelmed. Communicate internally and validate their emotions and address their needs.

Buddy system: Pair a grounded alter with a distressed one. Just having someone can be enough.

Fronting: If the current fronter is overwhelmed, discuss to allow an alter who feels more calm to take over temporarily. Communication is key.

Grounding is a skill that everyone can use.

[cozzzynook]

Thinking of Bumblebee at the base with his teammates and Sentinel Prime is wrecking havoc on everyones last nerves.

He’s dedicated a numerous amount of time to complaining and talking down to the autobot team on Earth. He criticizes Bulkheads art and intelligence, mouths off to Ratchet whenever he wasn’t in the medbay, insulted Prowls love of nature and Jazz’s interest in human music and continued to call Sari a walking organic infection even with the knowledge she was half cybertronian.

Optimus was already used to Sentinels arrogant personality and the only time he was ever truly riled up by Sentinel was during battle when he tried to play leader and endanger everyone with his lack of experience and skill.

But Sentinel had managed to get under Prime’s skin by upsetting his team and family and so the Prime was making his way over to Sentinel who was standing by the Communications area. He was heading to tell Sentinel he needed to keep his comments to himself or Prime was going to force him to leave.

That all had a pin put in when the sound of a door sliding shut and lighter pede steps catching the attention of every bot and half bot in the room.

Bee had finally come from his berth room, optics hazy and servos rubbing his arms Bumblebee paid no mind to Sentinel as he went to grab the large blanket Bulkhead was sitting on. Bulkhead was quick to hand his little buddy, making room for him on the couch along with Prowl who moved to sit on the arm of the couch. Sari sat on Bulkheads kneepad as she patted the spot with a smile and Ratchet poked his head out to keep an eye on Bee.

Optimus was too distracted with making sure Bumblebee was functioning alright to even think of Sentinel.

That was a big mistake.

Just as Bumblebee had the blanket in his servos about to wrap it around his shoulders, a decline to the his invitation to join them on the couch at the tip of his glossa, Sentinel spoke.

“Woah there Bumbler, looks like you need to lay off the oil and energon.”

The room had gone deathly silent as Sentinel’s vox filled the room with an endless seeming echo.

No bot nor half bot moved as the team seemed to freeze with looks of horror and worry on their faceplates. Jazz noticed the atmosphere immediately as he looked over towards a still and blank faced Bumblebee and an overly confident smirking Sentinel. The bot didn’t seem to notice how everybot in the room was waiting for a reaction out of Bee that seemed far too edge for his tastes. He was about to try reeling in the aft headed bot only for Bumblebee to look up towards Sentinel and ask in an uncharacteristic vox.

“What?”

Even Jazz flinched when he heard Bumblebee and he grit his teeth in worry just as the others did when Sentinel laughed, completely unaware of the situation at servo and how tension filled the air as the sleepy bot began to wake fully in a way that seemed non too pleasant.

Optimus snapped a servo over Sentinels mouth and wrapped an arm around his neck pulling him back only to be elbowed on the side of his chassis. With a grunt Optimus let go looking up with a glare to see that Sentinel sealed his fate.

“Optimus what is wrong with you!? Your processor glitched or something?! Don’t put your filthy hands on me!”

He turned back to the scout servos on his hips and optics drifting down to gaze at Bumblebee’s frame.

“Man, you been eating bolts and nuts? Too much metal is bad for you ya know? I mean sure it has rounded out your aft and thighs nicely but it’s definitely made your hips spread and your tank bloated.”

The others couldn’t believe what they were hearing nor could they predict the next words from Sentinels mouth as he stood in front of Bumblebee who stood there quietly with an unreadable expression on his face.

“I mean even your chest plates have grown and up close your tanks a bit bigger and rounder. You really gotta hit the training and stop slacking off on those video games and metals. You’ve definitely gained weight Bumbler and its not all the attractive kind.”

It was Ratchet who stood mouth open with his head out of the medbay that put the pieces together as to why their smallest bot was always so tired and eating metals and consuming more energon. Truthfully he should’ve seen the signs since he’s treated them before but he hasn’t seen one in over millions of stellar cycles and Bumblebee’s application states otherwise, he didn’t know to suspect that diagnosis but now that he’s realized it all makes sense.

He understands why Bumblebee lied on his application and if he has anything to say about it he’ll make sure Bumblebee won’t be forced to have his records changed to his actual status. Who knows what else the young bot was hiding.

Before any bot could get a word or even another thought across their stunned processors a loud slap echoed the room and as everyone even Sentinel stood spark shocked at Bumblebee’s servo print on Sentinel’s faceplates, the yellow bot jumped up wrapping his stabilizers around Sentinel’s neck and lunged down making the bot crack his helm open on the ground and his body painfully smash against the floor.

Thighs tightening as he made the arrogant bot gasp for air before shifting himself and smashing a pede onto Sentinels massive jaw breaking it off leaving the orange piece to hang by a few wires.

Sounds of gasps intaking every bots vents and Sari’s lungs with bulging sockets at both the impressive and terrifying display, Bumblebee stood from the ground servo on his tank and another picking up the cloth as trails of coolant ran down his optics.

“You’re such an ass Sentinel! Why don’t you do us all a favor and offline!”

“Bumblebee!”

“Don’t Prime.”

“But Ratchet-”

Bumblebee stomped off wrapping the blanket around himself and leaving the base as coolant poured from his optics.

“Don’t, I should’ve realized it earlier but I didn’t. Let him cool off, he needs it.”

“Ratchet? Whats going on?”

“What I’m about to say doesn’t leave this room nor will it be put on Bumblebee’s record got it?”

As the others looked around one another, slowly nodding, still in shock from Bumblebee’s uncharacteristic outburst and Sentinel who was lying on the floor leaking energon from his jaw as he groaned in pain. They nodded looking to Ratchet for an explanation.

“Bumblebee isn’t sick with something thats fatal,” he said to the relief of everyone, “he’s not sick at all in fact.”

That conclusion had everyone confused seeing as Jazz came to Earth to help the autobots since Bumblebee was put on medical leave due to not being able to perform in the field or transform without becoming ill and violently so.

“Bumblebee lied on his application, he isn’t a normal mech. He’s a carrying mech. Bumblebee is a carrier and I know without a sliver of a doubt that he’s carrying right now.”

There was a deafening silence surrounding the base before a chorus of, “he’s what?!” broke the remaining glass on the factory. Ratchet could feel his audios lose sound and as he was trying to get his processor straight and his optics online instead of seeing white, he feared for their lives. ‘Bumblebee is gonna offline these flatlined processor mechs if they get too close, especially since I’m quite sure none of them are the sire..’

Suddenly a small sliver of a smile broke out on Ratchets faceplates, ‘But I think I know who it is and that means we won’t have to deal with Sentinel anymore..at least not online.’

‘Aahh dreams really do come true,’ Ratchet mused as he watched the others rush out to try and find Bumblebee.

Far, from the city of Detroit deep in the woods, sat Blitzwing with his servos resting against his hummel who had dried coolant on his face plates. He was wrapped snug in the blanket he’d brought along with him, held comfortably against his large frame as he rubbed along the back of his helm before moving to kiss one of his sensitive horns.

“Vhat happened?”

“Stupid fragger Sentinel..”

“Vhat did he do now?”

“…you’ll think its stupid..”

That made Blitzwing open his optics and look down at his hummel. “Vhat did you say?”

“I said you’ll think it’s stupid!”

With an intake he pushed the frustration away, choosing instead to say, “I promise I von’t hummel, I never do.”

It struck him as odd how Bee suddenly became insecure in sharing his opinion when his bug was never like that. That coupled with the newly found tiredness his hummel suddenly was experiencing and his lack of being out in the field Blitzwing was worried about him.

“..he called me fat..”

That certainly wasn’t something Blitzwing had been expecting. He almost switched to Random before pushing the other back.

“Jou are not fat hummel, jou are jour regular size.”

“..”

The silence wasn’t helping Blitzwing any and when he leaned his head down further to look his hummel in the optics he grew worried.

“Hummel?”

“I have put on weight you just can’t see it because I’m wearing the blanket, but its not fat!”

Blitzwing grew curious at what his hummel could possibly mean by that and he felt he should tread carefully with how sensitive his hummel was taking the unappreciated insult from that aft headed overgrown chin.

“Vhat else did he say thats bothering jou hummel?”

It seems that was the simple push he needed to get his hummel to open up about what was bothering him.

“That arrogant bitch said I should lay off the metals! Who is that cunt to tell me to lay off the metals!?”

Blitzwing stared in shock as his audios tuned into what Bumblebee was saying, his sparkmate had never sounded so upset and angry. He rarely even used those two human curse words.

“That bastard had the audacity to look me up and down Blitzy! Even told me to lay off the metals! My metals! Who does he think he is?!”

Blitzwing could do nothing but blink his optics as his hummel trembled with anger and grit his denta as electricity from his servos scorched the blanket.

“He even said I should watch my oil and energon intake since it was going to my aft and thighs! He was checking me out Blitz! Even said it was going to my chest plates!”

Bumblebee let out a frustrated yelp as he stood on his pedes and began to pace, he was blind to Blitzwing switching to hothead whose red visor glowed so brightly with unbridled rage his frame was starting to let off steam as his canons ignited.

“I vill rip his spark from ze dirty chamber zat houses it! I vill rip zem vith my teeth and spit zem on his offline mangled frame!”

As hothead heated the area with his rage he warmed Bee to an uncomfortable degree making him drape the blanket low around his frame until his venting slowed and his frame cooled to that familiar chill and his optics were closing as he shivered.

The rapid temperature change was not welcome and he found his tanks churning uncomfortably. “Hey blitzy..can you uh c’mere..I’m uh feelin a lil..”

His tanks and frame seemed content to torture him with shaking servos that reached out in Blitzwings direction. He’d never been so thankful of hot servos gently wrapping around his middle and thigh plates as he had been now.

“Thanx…tanks upset again,” he shivered murmuring, “cold,” into the crook of Blitzwings neck cables. He was met with Hothead heating his frame slightly and a deep vent to keep his internals cool. The optics behind the red visor looked down at his hummel in worry. It wasn’t normal for his hummel to be so tired and cold like this, sure he was often cold and even more so touch starved like himself, but he was never cold enough to need a blanket and his warm frame.

With a wandering optic monocal and the sound of a whir Icy looked down at his hummel’s frame and found his chassis jerking slightly. He hated to admit it but it seemed Sentinel was right in his observations on his Hummel. That only made the triple changer want to rip the arrogant aft limb from limb as he ingested his internals and cables but he refrained from his processor going any further lest he switch back to hothead.

Blitzwing took time to gather the data before him. His hummel’s frame was a little heavier. His aft felt more rounded and his thigh platings were thicker not to mention his hips had widened. The sight was admittedly quite thoroughly attractive and Blitzwings felt a new rage simmering in his spark when he thought of Sentinel’s scrap optics checking out his hummel.

“I vill destroy zat scrapheap with my bare zervos!”

His frame shook with heavy vents as he cooled himself before gently lifting the blanket to go around his hummels shoulders until he stopped halfway. Something that should’ve been painfully obvious started to click in Blitzwings processor as his monocle zoomed in on Bumblebee’s chest plates. They were bigger and something more peculiarly telling was how his hummel’s tank was bigger too, round in fact, almost as if.

All three of Blitzwings faces began to spin out of control as his processor malfunctioned making Bumblebee jump from his dazed recharge. Spark pulsing as he tried to make sense of the situation before he focused on calming his con down. Getting Blitzwing to settle on Icy before Random tried to take control with an odd worried expression only for Icy to come back and Hothead making a brief appearance with worried frustration only for Icy to come back with a flat yet emotion fueled expression to take over.

“Hummel?! Are ve sparked?! Is that vhy jou’ve been so tired and cold?! Are ve sparked?!”

Bumblebee blinked in shock at the rushed question that was said with such urgency he felt himself answering before he could stop himself.

“Yes..”

It was out before he could think and when he went to try taking it back Blitzwing switched to hothead who yelled at him for trying to lie.

“Don’t lie to me! I can zee ze proof on jour tank! Vhy didn’t jou tell me zooner?! How long have jou known bug!!?”

“I’ve known for a while…”

Bumblebee looked down in shame face plates being lifted by Hothead who still was so gentle with him yet looked furious. But Bumblebee knew what the anger was protecting. His Blitzwing, his secret sparkbond and conjunx, was hurt more than anything else by his hiding this.

“Its not that I don’t trust you Blitz,” Bee held a servo to his cheek smoothing it with a digit, “it’s because I’m afraid…”

“I’m not afraid of you blitz, I’m afraid of what will happen,” he assured his conjunx as he took in his calming appearance. “We’re playing a dangerous game being sparkbonded..conjunxed..to kill one of us is to kill the other…we knew that agreed to it and accepted the risk. If either of our factions knew of us we’d be offlined on the spot after a series of torture..and yet..I don’t regret it.”

“I’ll never regret choosing you..but I’m terrified of them finding out about the sparkling…they didn’t sign up for this..for a war with no seeming end in sight..I didn’t..I don’t want to emerge a sparkling just for them to be offlined or upgrade without their carrier and sire..that..I did and it hurts..I never want them to watch our sparks extinguish..”

“Blitz..I don’t know what to do..I’m already showing and I’m not even halfway through carrying the others will piece it together eventually..I only told you I was a carrier the others don’t know and if I suddenly am found carrying they’ll know its from a con. I’m so scared Blitz..I don’t want them to take them and make me offline them…”

With arms wrapped around his tank as if to shield their sparkling, Blitzwing watched as Bumblebee trembled.

“I didn’t know how you would react and I didn’t wanna endanger you but I also didn’t wanna make you choose between your cause and my spark-”

“Shut up hummel!”

With gasp Bumblebee snapped his helm up and looked into Hotheads vibrant orange optics that looked into his spark as he pulled him close.

“They’re not jour sparkling, they’re our sparkling! Our sparkling who vill grow up with a zire and carrier! I knew the risks of interfacing with jou the moment we sparkbonded and became conjunx! I chose jou, us, the moment I accepted and reciprocated my feelings for jou! So shut up with this my sparkling scrap and fragging put jour trust in me and lets vork this out together!”

Bumblebee could do nothing but stare dumbly at Blitzwing watching his conjunx vent to cool himself before nodding and wrapping his arms as tightly as he could around his conjunx neck cables. The whir alerted him to a faceplate change and he waited to see the personality he was talking to only for Blitzwing to shift him a little. A servo coming to rest on his rounded tank made Bee stir a little but the slightly cool servo told him who was touching him and he couldn’t fight the relief escaping his dermas.

His optics shut on their own as the lull of his conjunx spark pulsed in his audio and before Bee knew it he fell into recharge feeling far more at ease and peace than he had in the weeks knowing he was carrying.

Blitzwing lowered his optic to look down at his hummel to see he was getting some much needed recharge. ‘Good,’ he thought to himself as he made his decent from their meeting spot in the woods. ‘This should give me plenty of time to hunt down Sentinel and come back to my hummel in our momentary hiding home before I find a way to get us off this planet and into the neutral zone.’

With his processor occupied on getting his hummel, himself and their sparkling to safety, Blitzwing headed off with dark thoughts clouding the back of his processor on how to destroy Sentinel painfully as a wild cackle left his derma, unnaturally long glossa hanging out as he smiled disturbingly.

“Maybe I’ll even keep zat chin as a souvenir! AAHHAAHHAHAHAHHA!!”

-

I love this pairing.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Linkin Park - From Zero (with @jakeh2987)

Few bands have frustrated me more than nu-metal and rap-rock band Linkin Park. I’ve had such a complicated relationship with them for a multitude of reasons, whether for never listening to them during their initial popularity, their sound never being consistent for more than two albums, or hardly any of those sounds ever resonating with me. I’ve been listening to their discography as of late, as I’ve wanted to re-examine and re-contextualize their body of work. They’re a band that so many people love, but I’ve just never been able to “get it.” Maybe I’ve been too harsh on them over the years, so my thoughts might improve. There’s an elephant in the room that we need to address, though: on July 20th, 2017, vocalist Chester Bennington passed away by taking his own life.

I don’t know of a celebrity death that shook people to their core harder, especially for how unexpected it was. The band had just released One More Light, their foray into pop music that unfortunately didn’t sit well with longtime fans. Bennington’s death caused the band to lie dormant, and fans had no hope of the band getting back together, especially when Bennington was a once in a lifetime talent that no one could dare to replicate. They’ve stayed quiet for the past seven years, but they properly announced their return a few months ago, complete with a new singer in tow.

Emily Armstrong, of rock band Dead Sara, was touted at their new frontwoman, and boy, were fans angry. A lot of fans were welcoming and accepting, but even now, there are still a bunch of fans that can’t even fathom the idea of someone replacing Bennington, let alone a woman. Along with single “The Emptiness Machine,” the band also announced a new album, From Zero. Based on the idea of the band coming back “from zero,” as well as the band’s name being Xero, this record had a lot riding on it. I don’t want to talk about this album alone, though, so let’s welcome my buddy Jake back into the fold for this review! As a longtime fan of Linkin Park, how do you feel about them, and what was going through your mind when From Zero was announced?

When I look back on my musical journey and the development of my tastes, Linkin Park was my first favorite band, going back to around the time Minutes To Midnight came out. I just remember being excited by this form of more aggressive and heavier musc than I was used to at the time, and let's be honest, in 2006 going into 2007, I was just about to enter high school, so I was really prime for the angsty lyrics that were their signature. So, I've had love for this band for damn near 20 years now, which is kind of wild to think about, but you can imagine how shook I was personally by Chester Bennington's death. I think I actually remember you and I discussing it when the news first broke, and we were both totally shocked, because you're right, it came out of nowhere. I really had no idea what was going to happen next, but after they played their benefit show later in 2017, I was at peace with that being the end, because yeah, how could you replace someone like Bennington? Plenty of bands, absolutely iconic ones, even, have navigated tragedies and managed to come out the other side, sometimes bigger and better than ever (AC/DC immediately comes to mind), but Bennington's voice, both in the literal sense and in the sense of his lyrics and what he was saying about his mental health, was so integral to the band's identity, that I don't think you could blame anyone for wondering if they were done.

Well, seven years later, it turns out Linkin Park had more to say and share with the world, and that's in the form of this album, From Zero. A few weeks before the initial announcement and comeback show, buzz had started to build about a potential Linkin Park reunion, and I remember feeling a little apprehensive, but ultimately willing to trust Mike Shinoda that he wouldn't do any of this if there wasn't genuinely something there. The comeback show happens, Emily Armstrong gets introduced to the world as the new vocalist, and we're getting new music from one of my very favorite bands for the first time in close to a decade, something I wasn't sure was ever gonna happen again! I had no idea who Emily was, so I liked the idea of it being someone lesser known, and I also immediately loved the bold choice of choosing a woman to front one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, in a genre that has so few non-men performers at the forefront. I also really liked "The Emptiness Machine" upon first listen; it felt like a cool blend of old and new, and having Mike carry the first bit of the song before passing the reigns to Emily was a very cool symbolic way to introduce her to the fans. So, I was riding pretty high on all of this initially, honestly!

That all being said, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least briefly touch on some stuff regarding Emily's past and why some people started to question the choice to bring her on, mainly her alleged ties to the Church of Scientology and her support of now-convicted rapist Danny Masterson, of That 70's Show fane. From everything I've been able to gather from researching this, it appears that Emily was born into Scientology and hasn't been actively participating in anything relating to it for a very long time, and her support for Masterson only extended to the very first court date, and she immediately backed away once more and more evidence came to light over the course of the trial. So, after all of that was bubbling up and then was later put into a more clear perspective, I think unless you're just stubborn, or misogynstic, or both, there's a lot to be happy about regarding this comeback. So, let's talk about this album!

First, I wanna ask you, given your past history with the band, what was it about From Zero that finally made Linkin Park click for you?

When “The Emptiness Machine” first dropped, I hadn’t gone through the band’s discography yet, but it’s not only a good first single, it was a good debut single to showcase Armstrong’s vocals and how well of a fit she is for the band. I surprisingly really enjoyed it, especially for how it revived the band’s harder edged sounds, but still maintained a really catchy core. The week before From Zero came out, I got the idea to go through the band’s first couple of albums, ultimately revisiting those to see if I could enjoy those more now. Spoiler alert: Hybrid Theory and Meteora are fantastic. Despite being rather dated in spots, they still hold up quite well and they’re impeccably written, but that got me wanting to listen to their rest of their discography as I was also listening to From Zero.

I wanted to be able to compare their newest album to the rest of their discography, especially when part of From Zero’s appeal for me, personally, is that it takes a lot of elements of their other records and packages it into a tight set of 32 minutes. After going through the rest of their albums, as well as Shinoda’s last solo album, you can hear a lot of that here. Whether it’s the nu-metal of their first two albums, the alt-metal / hard-rock of 2007’s Minutes To Midnight, the moody and atmospheric sound of 2010’s A Thousand Suns, the rap-rock-meets-pop sound of 2012’s Living Things (there’s a lot of Living Things influence here, surprisingly), the post-hardcore stylings of 2014’s The Hunting Party, or the streamlined pop of 2017’s One More Light. Even on Shinoda’s 2018 solo album, Post-Traumatic, there’s some influence there.

From Zero isn’t only their first album in seven years, their first with a new singer, as well as their shortest album to date, but it’s their first album to celebrate their legacy and their body of work. Instead of going too much in one direction, because they could have easily made a nu-metal album and it would have been fine, but they took bits and pieces from their discography. Their albums are still rather hit or miss for me, but I don’t outright hate any of their albums anymore. My thoughts have improved on most of them, but their inconsistency is still kind of an issue for me, but From Zero is the first album of theirs since the first two that I’ve been able to really enjoy front to back. What about you, Jake? How do you feel about this record?

I think you hit the nail on the head there, and why I really like this album a lot; it's a celebration of the band's legacy and everything they've done before, but at the same time, and really importantly, it's also pushing them forward in a new direction that doesn't ever feel like a cheap retread or a ploy for nostalgia. That feeling of nostalgia comes naturally, just from the band playing to their strengths and having a blast doing it. "Two Faced" is probably my favorite song on the album; it's very much a called back to the Hybrid Theory/Meteora era, but I just really love the energy on that song, and there's an undeniable swagger in the back and forth between Emily and Mike. You're totally right, though, it would have been very easy to just do an album of all that, but they didn't, and that's a testament to how Linkin Park was never a band to stay stagnant, even when it didn't always work. Another highlight for me is "Over Each Other," a more ballad-y song where Emily fully gets the spotlight. It wouldn't feel out of place on Living Things or even One More Light, but whereas I thought One More Light in particular didn't do a lot with the sound they were going for, a song like this takes that idea and infuses it with a renewed Linkin Park essence that makes it work a lot better.

What were some of your highlights on the album?

From Zero certainly feels like a new direction, too, even with a lot of their previous albums infused within its DNA. That’s another reason why this record works so well, because it has its own identity. As for highlights, “Two Faced” is my favorite as well, because it has that nu-metal sound of the first two albums, but with something new and interesting about it. Emily and Mike sound great, too, but speaking of risks, “Casualty” is another huge highlight. I didn’t have Linkin Park making a hardcore song on my bingo card for this year, but here we are. Emily’s screams are fantastic, and while Mike is kind of just shouting, he still is pushing his voice in a way he hasn’t before. I also really like “Over Each Other,” because it’s a solo cut from Emily, and it’s a good choice to put a song with just her here. Songs like that, as well as some of the more pop-focused cuts, like “Stained,” “Overflow,” and the closing track, “Good Things Go” have the same kind of sound that One More Light did, like you said, but with something more. The latter track is another highlight, too, because of its very emotional and weighty sound that closes the album out on a real good note.

"Good Things Go" is actually a really great album closer, and I love how the last few seconds loop back around to the intro track, making for a really cool full circle loop that makes it even easier to immediately replay the album. I also gotta show some love to "Heavy Is The Crown;" that song was chosen as the theme to this year's League Of Legends world champinships, and I believe there's even a version of it featured in the newest season of Arcane (a show I really need to watch), and it's very easy to hear why. It's another quintinsensially Linkin Park song, and that long scream Emily does during the bridge?? I feel like that was the moment that was like "Okay, she's got this" for me.

I love that it loops around to the intro, because it shows that it’s a full circle experience, almost like the band itself is circling back to when they first started. They’re starting again, essentially, so I love a lot of the symbolism here. Oh, man, I forgot about “Heavy Is The Crown”! That’s definitely within my top three songs, and it’s a song that I’ve been coming back to quite a bit, whether it’s for that hook, or Emily’s wicked screams. That’s a song that shows the past and the present for the band at the same time, because you can hear their earlier material there, but also something new. I was pretty sold on her when the first single came out, but both “Heavy Is The Crown” and “Two Faced” really sold me, and actually had me more excited for the album. Mike is surprisingly a solid rapper, so I’m happy he gets to shine a lot throughout this thing. Even as a singer, he’s improved quite a bit, and it’s awesome to see their chemistry.

I also quite enjoy the lyrics on this thing, too, because they feel very quintessential Linkin Park, whether they’re interestingly vague and specific at the same time, and there’s a ton of emotional catharsis throughout. They aren’t anything too deep or poetic, but they never needed to be. Their lyrics have always been vague but specIn certain points, when Emily screams a certain line, I’m eerily reminded of Chester doing the same thing on the first two albums, and it sounds so good.

Speaking of which, there is another elephant in the room that I think we need to discuss, and that can be a good way to start to close this out — there are plenty of people that are going to write this off simply for the fact this isn’t with Chester. Even if Emily was another guy, I guarantee that people would still refuse to even give this a chance. What do you think about that minority of fans that refuse to give anything else a listen by them if it doesn’t have Chester?

You know, on some level, I do kind of get it. Chester Bennington really was one of a kind, and the rest of the band had an utterly impossible task when they were looking for someone to carry on this role. Honestly, the only scenario I could see that maybe most people wouldn't be too upset with was Mike taking on all the vocal duties himself, but as solid as I think he's grown as a vocalist, having those dual vocals is another thing that's always put Linkin Park apart from other bands in the genre. So, when such a key piece of something that meant so much to you isn't there anymore, I can understand the hesitation. But, I listen to Mike talk in any interview he's done since the comeback and how much he didn't want this to happen just for the sake of it happening, and how it only really felt like Linkin Park again after Emily starting singing on the songs, I don't know how you don't at the very least give it a solid chance. If it's not for you still, that's totally valid, but what I don't love is when people (and to be fair, this is only a very small but loud minority) invoke Chester and try to say some nonense about how this totally shits on his and the band's legacy or how they should have changed the name, or even say some downright sexist shit like "Lol it's just Paramore now!" It's like, you could just quietly move on if it's not for you, and it's not as if the rest of their discography just goes away all of a sudden. I just don't see a world where you see how happy the band is to be performing again, and how Emily's really coming into her own as she gets more comfortable, and at the very least be happy that this band gets to continue in some form, even if their new album isn't for you.

I think that’s part of the cloud that hangs over this album, albeit from a small (but vocal) minority of people with that opinion, but the elephant in the room of this album not featuring Chester looms over this thing. For a long time, it seemed impossible that they could fill his shoes, and they could have easily had Mike take on lead vocal duties, but you’re right, LP’s appeal were those dual vocals, especially the rapped vocals and the sung/screamed ones. The hesitation is understandable, and I think most people would be, but that’s the other thing: Mike and the other members would not want to bring someone aboard that they weren’t comfortable and confident in, and they brought back Linkin Park as a labor of love, not because they need a paycheck.

I could understand if you give this album a chance, and it just doesn’t do anything for you, but there are people that will refuse to listen to it out, purely out of principle. I suppose I’m just baffled, because how wouldn’t this hit with longtime fans that love the first few albums? It has a lot of the same stuff that fans have loved, and just because Chester isn’t on it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t as good. I think that’s the thing about it, too, where people can’t just be quiet if they don’t like something. People always feel the need to express their vitriol for something, no matter how small, and they’ll always find something to dislike. It’s good that it’s a small minority, because a lot of the reaction I’ve seen has been positive.

I think what will be really telling for all this when it's said and done is how they follow up From Zero. This was the foot in the door, and Linkin Park has never been one to rest on their laurels and make the same album twice, so I'm so curious to see where they go from here. I'm also hopeful that after the intial feelings of having the band back at all and having Emily there wear off, if the people who aren't gonna give it a shor or maybe aren't as into this won't be willing to give what they do next a shot. I'm probably being a tad optimistic, but I'd like to imagine that now that people know what they have, Linkin Park can really blow the doors off the place.

Regardless of all of that, I think From Zero is basically everything I could have asked for in a Linkin Park comeback. It's a lean and mean collection of songs that shows the band back doing what they do best while also pushing forward, and I'm just happy this happened at all, considering how hard I imagine it must have been for them to even think about doing it.

From Zero is an album that doesn’t need to be anything experimental or revolutionary, because it’s exactly their foot in the door. They got back together, and they need to show that they still got it, so to speak, and this is them doing what they do best, all the while adding some new and exciting ideas. It’s cool that we’re in a new era for the band, because there were many years we never thought we’d get that, so I’m anticipating what we get next. I never have been crazy about Linkin Park, but this is the album that made me “get” them, so to speak. I’m happy I get to share this joy, even if it’s from someone that hasn’t always been their biggest fan, or grew up with them, but I absolutely love this album, and it’s one of my favorites of the year.

[your-local-squip-fanatic]

Factoids on Lester Leander Belenus Papadopoulos BECAUSE THEYRE NEAT AND I DONT HAVE MY RESOURCES TO WORK ON CH 3 (feral goblin noises) also wtf is with me posting so much GOD

-To recap, he's from Rhodes, later moved to Athens, then New York. He's got the Greek accent too, but he eventually was able to switch back and forth from an American accent. Just don't ask him to say "she sells seashells by the seashore." He literally can't say it and it's painful to hear him try. Oh gods, dude stop you're embarrassing yourself...

-When I was still working on the AU early on (CHRIST, I think it'll be nearly 4 or 5 years now dayumn!) I had everything down for my characters, but the only one needing finished was Lester. I simply couldn't think of how his personality should be. So I decided to use myself as a base and go from there! Trust me, the similarities will be evident once I get to his introduction in Shatterverse! And maybe this explains why his music taste is very similar to mine haha

-Speaking of his character, during the early stages I made his father a rich movie producer just to allow me room to work until I could figure out what I really wanted to do. Now, just a normal... well, mostly normal family and Lester doesn't need to worry about looking normal. (Advice: making your first draft god awful is a good way to go, trust me.)

-Lester, due to the above, was also supposed to know Piper personally and even crush on her like the hopeless romantic he is. Obviously not the case anymore, but he went from acquaintance to friend of Percy, and possibly even having met Annabeth once!

-Lester's design originally was just a copy of the cover designs, but I wanted to make him more authentic about his Greek roots, and so I gave him darker skin. And to clear confusion, I draw Canon/ToA Lester/Apollo with a green tee and paler skin. DLAU Lester!Apollo has a smidgen more roundness in his biceps (that cute lil chub) and visible acne. DLAU Lester always has his red hoodie, but his thinness and sickly pale skin should identify him quickly!

-He can do 115° heat. Cannot do anything below 60°.

-Bonus round! He will eat pretty anything but he adores seafood, favorite color is red (not the case once the series is done MWAHAHAHA) and he cares so much. Like he will play nurse if you're sick, he will comfort you after a bad day, and he will FIGHT anyone picking on you. Granted he will most likely lose, but hes defending your honor buddy. This mf is 16 and he is such a SWEETHEART. Too good, too pure for this world

Guys as soon as I get access to my books I will start work on Ch 3. It's killing me more than you guys not having it.

[lamentablequeen]

your ocs are so wonderful omg… if u don’t mind could u tell us more abt kelley? because reverse-werewolf-beast-cursed-to-be-human stuff is so insanely my jam i slather it on toast each morning.

IF YOU DON'T MIND….. you have no idea how much joy this ask brought to my extremely boring day (i have been bouncing around from library to library all day trying to work on my term paper). oh my god. literally you have made my whole day. i think about kelley constantly. 

so the thing about him is that like. he adjusted surprisingly well to being a human person, and he already had a little bit of background knowledge (because he was a search and rescue dog before) so it always catches people COMPLETELY off guard that he didn't live his entire life as just some guy. he's like, nebulously early 20s. easily excitable. very affectionate. he's really into watching baseball so sometimes on his time off he'll drive down to one of the civilian towns to go watch the game at whatever bar reliably has mlb. yes there's mlb in the wizard future… it being my sandbox and everything. he's got kind of a fratty dress sense but he never gets to dress like it because of the uniform thing, but in his truest form he would one hundred percent be wearing a backwards hat and socks with sandals. 

the other thing about him is that he is like. fundamentally kelley is a radar type without anyone to be radar for because maggie (the team lead) is actually really good at her job, so she doesn't actually need someone to be ready with whatever she wants before she wants it. this is one of the many things that gives kelley Some Kind Of Complex: he wants to be useful so bad and he wants to help people and he gets kind of weird and guilty about not being able to do as much as possible. i think personally he has kind of a thing about the fact that he's a person now. like, he's definitely got some kind of guilt complex about like. why him? what did he do that made him any more or less deserving of being MADE A NEW KIND OF CREATURE? he's also the youngest member of the team. he's been able to be human for more than a few years, so it's not like it's his first day on earth or anything. but also he does sleep with a stuffed animal if he's sleeping alone. 

kelley and the harbinger become best friends pretty much immediately. i think they have pretty similar music taste, kind of 90s alt/dad rock type stuff, but they're also gym buddies. the harbinger was a firefighter so they're BUFF AS FUCK and kelley immediately is like. oh my god. teach me your ways. i think he definitely looks up to them a little bit, but he's also the harbinger's closest normal friend (i say normal friend to differentiate their friendship from whatever the fuck is going on with the harbinger and BOWIE). after (plot spoilers) bowie leaves, kelley takes to sleeping on the harbinger's bed sometimes because their nightmares get so bad they really can't sleep alone anymore. he's gay but has absolutely zero game. i do think there's probably a guy he likes in their larger base camp but theres no way he is planning on doing anything about it. he's easily flustered. he DOES call himself a werewolf despite technically being more of a were-dude. he has kind of a surfer boy accent.

[flowery-laser-blasts]

Headcanon: is Shego actually 'goth'?

my short answer: no, but it depends really.

I often see people talking about Shego as a 'cartoon goth girl' and I'm pretty sure that everyone is only basing it on her looks and 'attitude'.

The stereotype of gothic and any other type of alternative 'dark' subculture, is wearing black clothes, black lipstick and having a pissed or 'whatever' attitude.

Basic rule for goth: if you listen to goth music, you're goth. That's it. You can dress in 'normal'clothes and still be 'goth' at heart. It's your choice to express it.

Shego's appearance:

I've heard some people say her look and all screams goth but, it's just her ex-superhero suit??? That would make all of the Go siblings (or anyone who has black work clothes) 'goth'.

In 'stop team go' we find out that Shego's casual clothes are actually fairly 'ordinary' and match with Kim's tastes. Actually, Kim and Shego are REALLY close to one another when it comes to what they like and is Kim a goth? Most definetely not. (And that's OK).

"But in that episode, all of Shego's evilness got taken away" yeah, so? Does that mean being goth is evil? Heck no! It took away 'evil' not interests!

'Regular' people can wear black lipstick. Because doy, it's just make up!

If I put on pink lipstick, it doesn't mean that I am no longer goth or anything. It's always odd to me that if someone doesn't dress 100% goth 24/7 that (most of the time normal) people say "oh you're not a 'real'goth".

'Kay by that logic; where are Shego's platform boots, chains and spikes at ?

Also the stereotype that goths don't go into the sun? I've got news for you buddy; we kind of have to. I despise it because of my sun allergy and getting blinded by it but you can't go around it...

But for a stereotypical gothy cartoon character, Shego really does enjoy sunbathing huh? (And pft ofc goths can sunbathe but look at Sam Manson from Danny Phantom for example, she's covered from head to toe during the pool episode).

Shego's attitude:

I'm honestly puzzled because so often in media you see that the 'goth' is mopey, evil, depressed, dramatic, sarcastic or down right rude when that's the furthest from the truth!!!

Heck if you give Shego a blonde wig, pink lipstick and pink clothes, not only would you get evil 'Barbie', but you'd get a mean girls type-a girl. Think of it as Bonnie2.0. Except with a go-getter attitude and a larger range of skills.

Shego is an antagonist with a strong character with even stronger opinions. But that doesn't make her goth.

Shego's music tastes:

In the show, it's only ever established that she enjoys listening to MC Honey.

She seems to be kind of 'eh' about Oh Boyz, but perhaps it's because of Drakken who sings it.

I doubt she'd listen to 'goth' (or alternative) music because to hear it might be too... moopy.

The gothic scene is heavily based (started with) the gothic music genre, so if you don't listen to it then chances are: you're not goth.

Does that mean that goths can never listen to any other music genre? Heck no! You can listen to whatever you want, but you've got to know the roots and origins from a subculture.

My conclusion:

In terms of looks, Shego could be considered a 'goth'. But is she actually goth? I think noth.

And unless a cartoon character shows actual participation in the goth culture or states "yeah I'm goth", they're probably not goth.

But that's just my take on it and I'm also not going to be a gatekeeper of what is goth and what's not.

if you consider her 100% goth, that's a-ok!

MIGHT update this in the future but this is it for now.

Bonus:

Dr Drakken however, the man DEFINITELY had an angsty goth teen phase in his life and 100% listens to some punk, rock and new wave when working on his projects along with country, rap and poppy boyband songs.

+ that dark themed Victorian labcoat that he wears? and headcanon eyeliner to hide his eyebags? Sheeeeeesh! 😫👌

[littleragondin]

I have been tagged by @sparklyeyedhimbo thank you!

rules: name seven comfort films you love, and then tag seven people

- The Lord of the Ring Trilogy

That one's an easy one. For a very long time, it was just the movie(s) I watched the most often across a year. I fell in love with The Fellowship of the Ring when I saw it at 10 in theatre, and I never came back. I know them by heart (both in French and English), and at this point putting them on just feels like coming home. It's the friendships, the hope through darkness, the love overcoming for me.

- Pride (2014)

This one's based on a true story, it's beautiful and touching and has a fantastic soundtrack of course. I watch it when I want an uplifting story but I still need to cry (usually the Bread and Roses scene or Joe and Stef sharing the bed does it, but if not? I always cry at the end), and it makes me feel better about what we can do together. I also really like the friendships in that movie, somehow they make me miss having that irl the most.

- Constantine

You know how they say the music you listen at 14/15 shapes your music tastes for life? That was the movie version for me. I was 15 when I saw it, and listen. Hear me out. Between Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, and Tilda Swinton (especially looking like this) ... well. I was very into it ok. I also love horror and supernatural so you know. I love the story, there is a really good sibling relationship (if sad), it has angels and demons and cross engraved bullets... it's an easy go-to when I want some action and fantastical stuffs.

- 8 Femmes

It's a French jukebox musical about a murder, with a women-only cast for 99% of the movie. What not to love?? It's camp, the actresses are fantastic (it's an all star cast), I love the 50s feel of the whole thing, the songs are great, the characters are color coded ... I somehow always feel lighter after seeing this one, and find myself singing along all the time. (also come on, who wouldn't want to see Fanny Ardant and Catherine Deneuve make out in skirt suits?)

- Ai no Kotodama (2007)

Ootani and Tachibana have been together since high school, now in college they live together, installed in a comfortable routine until a high school classmate reappears in their life and things... become complicated. This one is just… warm, and simple, and quiet. It's just a slice of life, the conflicts can be a little silly but some feel more grounded, there is a clear and sweet happy end, it always warms me up. I've seen it for the first time 13 years ago and I still think about it regularly. Also the two songs are great and still on my playlists, and the fashion now feels delightfully out of date (Ootani's hair hello <3).

- Big Eden

I watched this one for the first time at a moment in my life where i was very lonely. I picked it up because I had seen some gifs on tumblr, I knew it had a happy ending, and I was starting to want to watch more story with adults. There are so many things to love in that beautiful movie, but usually I put it on for the warmth and acceptance of the community, for "Thing is, Pike, we want things to be nice for you, too, buddy." and the whole "Did we teach you shame?" speech and "I was just hoping you'd let yourself be found this time. I was hoping you'd let us find you. But you keep wandering and we can't." and just... yeah. This one is a comfort still when I feel lonely, or lost, removed from the people I love.

- Coraline

I was already a huge fan of the book and of Henry Selick's work when my dad took me to see it for my 18th birthday. It's a beautiful movie, visually, with an incredible score (by Bruno Coulais), and a very strong adaptation of the novel imo. It's a little creepy, but the good guys win at the end, I love Coraline as a character, and as I said it's just SO pretty to look at? I never get bored by it.

If you're into it and no one asked you yet, I'll tag @scienceoftheidiot @benkaaoi @howdydowdy @troubled-mind @gillianthecat @heretherebedork and @sauvechouris !

[the-bitch-files]

Songs for Cobra Kai Characters

Happy Cobra Kai anniversary!

I've done a post similar to this before, where I assigned songs to characters from Dracula by Bram Stoker, and here I am going to assign songs to the main cast of characters from Cobra Kai that can be included in a playlist. There are four (4) songs per character, and the song assignments are based on the vibes of the song itself or the lyrics featured, and relate to the characters themselves (although some songs have been included in the show itself). My choices also reflect my own musical tastes, so if there is a song that you think fits a character, that might be why.

If you have any thoughts about my choices or any suggestions of your own, let me know!

DANIEL LARUSSO

You're the Best - Joe Esposito Ain't That a Kick in the Head - Dean Martin My Life - Billy Joel Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears

JOHNNY LAWRENCE

Mony Mony - Billy Idol Nothin' But a Good Time - Poison Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett

JOHN KREESE

Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi Life During Wartime - Talking Heads Paint it Black - the Rolling Stones Union of the Snake - Duran Duran

TERRY SILVER

Just Another Day - Oingo Boingo I Want it All - Arctic Monkeys I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift Charmer and the Snake - the Velveteers

SAM LARUSSO

Fight Song - Rachel Platten Praying - Kesha Boys Will Be Boys - Dua Lipa Start All Over - Miley Cyrus

MIGUEL DIAZ

I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister Listen to Your Heart - Roxette Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys

ELI 'HAWK' MOSKOWITZ

Wild Side - Motley Crue Deceptacon - Le Tigre Somebody Told Me - the Killers Pretty Fly (for a white guy) - the Offspring

DEMETRI ALEXOPOULOS

Buddy Holly - Weezer Weird Science - Oingo Boingo Mr. Brightside - the Killers Boys Don't Cry - the Cure

TORY NICHOLS

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar Nightmare - Halsey Bad Girls - MIA Midnight Sky - Miley Cyrus

ROBBY KEENE

You're Gonna Go Far Kid - The Offspring Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin Supermassive Black Hole - Muse Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High - Arctic Monkeys

[500-moths-in-a-trenchcoat]

below the cut is a rant about character-based spotify playlists. it's not meant to offend, i know that this makes people happy and they genuinely enjoy this, but... i'll just let you read if you want.

i can't play devil's advocate with character playlists based on vibes. as much as people try to convince me, i just can't. vibes are subjective. someone can associate a character with the music that's associated with them in-universe, and others can associate that same character with buddy holly by weezer and nothing else. and what does that do? it makes looking for character playlists an absolute FUCKING NIGHTMARE. like, if i go to a hannibal lecter playlist, expecting to hear some chill classical music, and end up hearing goddamn mindless self indulgence in there i am going to go APESHIT (not just because of the inaccuracy, i also fucking hate msi). and it's even worse with characters that have a CANONICAL MUSIC TASTE. and sure, you can argue that "oh we can't assume that that's all they listen to can we??" no, we can't, but hearing hallowed be thy name by iron maiden and heart to heart by mac demarco right next to each other is pretty damn jarring to say the least. ALSO, i thought we were past the era where everyone associated every character with hayloft by mother mother. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER THAN THIS. i found out that playlists pertaining to spider-punk (yes, that spider-punk, the one whose movie came out a mere MONTH AGO) STILL HAVE MOTHER MOTHER ON THEM. jebus, you peoples' music tastes haven't changed since 2020 and IT SHOWS. would it actually kill you people to look up "british punk songs" and add those to your playlists? apparently it WOULD, since i have seen hobie brown playlists with NO PUNK WHATSOEVER. NOT EVEN A SINGLE RAMONES OR SEX PISTOLS SONG. NOTHING. and no, punk tactics by joey valence and brae isn't actually punk. in conclusion, i personally don't enjoy "songs that give me [insert character] vibes" because of their inaccuracy, BUT that doesn't mean you shouldn't too. cringe culture is dead and i'm hoping that the necromancer stays away.

[davidgriffith]

“It Takes Two” in the Sweet 16 of March Fadness

RIGHT ABOUT NOW...NOW...NOW...

Calling all old skool Hip-Hop lovers on Tumblr: I need your help. 

This Wednesday (3/22) Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s iconic 1988, multi-platinum hit “It Takes Two” is doing battle in the March Fadness tournament of 1980s one-hit wonders, and I need your vote.

I’m going up against Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science.” While it was a big hit in its day (1982), anyone who has read this far in the post knows that “It Takes Two” is far superior.

Here’s how the voting works: On Wednesday morning at 11 am EST voting will open. You can vote on the March Fadness website AND on by Twitter poll. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you closer to the time. Note that both votes count, so if you really want to show Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock some love, vote in both places.

In case you’re wondering what March Fadness is, it’s an annual tournament of songs, kind of like the March Madness basketball tourney, but for writers who are music-lovers. Each song is repped by a writer who has to write an essay about why they think they’re song is the best.

Here’s a look at the bracket: 

You don’t have to read the essay to vote, but I promise you the essays are worth your while. My essay on “It Takes Two” is all about being 12 years old, growing up in Decatur, a city on the vast, flat prairie of central Illinois, wanting to be a DJ, and hearing the song for the first time in my buddy’s basement and how it change my life in a profound way. Oh, you should also know that we ran a fake radio station out of the basement that we called WPIG (basically we made mix-tapes and introduced the songs like we were DJs). I still have one of the tapes, which is somehow still playable 35 years later.

You can read the essay HERE. 

Here’s a little taste from the beginning of the essay, which I’ve titled “The Situation That the Bass is In.” 

For the first 47 years of my life, I believed that Mike Ginyard, aka MC Rob Base, was celibate.     In 1988, when Base and his childhood friend DJ EZ Rock’s, single “It Takes Two” dropped, I was thirteen and did not know of anyone, besides, the adults in my life, and maybe Tanya, the hot as hell sixteen-year-old daughter of my paper route client, Mr. Yarbrough, who was having sex.     And so, every time I listened to “It Takes Two” in the basement of our split-level ranch in Decatur, IL, on my father’s capable system—Pioneer receiver with 5-band graphic equalizer, JVC CD player, with a hand-built 70s HeathKit turntable, and Pioneer speakers with 15 inch woofers—the line “...don’t smoke buddha can’t stand sex [sic], yes…” struck me funny.     The only people I knew that did not have sex on principle were the priests and nuns at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, and I would come to find out years later that I was even wrong about that.

Thanks for reading, and check back here daily for new content dedicated to this iconic song.

HIT IT!! 

[best-friendship-app]

The Art of Friendship: How Alyke is Redefining Connections in the Digital Era

Friendship is one of the simplest joys of life, yet building meaningful relationships can feel surprisingly complex in today’s fast-paced world. Work schedules, digital distractions, and shrinking social circles leave many craving deeper, more authentic connections. That’s where Alyke steps in — a friendship app that’s transforming how we find and foster meaningful bonds.

Why Are Friendships So Challenging to Build?

Life often pulls us in multiple directions, leaving little room to cultivate new relationships. Moving to a new city, changing jobs, or simply growing apart from old friends can create an unexpected void. While social media keeps us in touch, it rarely helps us forge fresh, personal connections. Alyke addresses this gap by combining modern technology with the timeless art of finding people who truly “get” you.

Alyke’s Magic Formula: Shared Interests

Alyke takes the guesswork out of meeting new people. Instead of relying on surface-level interactions, the app dives deep into what truly connects us — our interests.

From Music to Movies: Whether you’re into retro Bollywood hits or the latest Marvel movie, Alyke connects you with those who share your taste.

Fitness or Foodie Goals: Whether you’re looking for a running buddy or someone to explore street food stalls with, Alyke matches you based on what matters to you.

Niche Hobbies: From knitting and poetry to gaming and gardening, Alyke celebrates the diversity of passions that make us unique.

Real Stories, Real Connections

A Taste of Friendship: Sneha, a chef from Hyderabad, connected with another food enthusiast on Alyke. Their shared love for cooking turned into a food blog collaboration and a lifelong friendship.

Adventure Awaits: Ravi from Bangalore found a fellow trekking enthusiast on Alyke, and they’ve explored six national parks together since.

Creative Companions: Diya, an artist, met her biggest supporter on Alyke. They now co-host art workshops for children in their neighborhood.

These aren’t just app matches; they’re stories of trust, laughter, and shared adventures.

What Makes Alyke Unique?

Unlike generic platforms, Alyke is tailored to help you meet people who resonate with your personality:

Interest-Based Matching: No awkward icebreakers or mismatched vibes — just genuine connections.

Proximity Prioritized: Meet people nearby who share your passions, making it easier to connect in real life.

Focus on Friendships: Alyke keeps things simple — no pressure, no pretense, just the joy of meeting like-minded individuals.

The Friendship You’ve Been Waiting For

Building a meaningful connection doesn’t have to feel like work. Alyke makes it easy, intuitive, and, most importantly, enjoyable. From small-town hobbies to big-city adventures, there’s a friend waiting for you on Alyke.

Discover Your People

Life is better with good company, and Alyke is here to ensure you find yours. Whether you’re looking for a partner in adventure, a creative collaborator, or someone to share coffee and conversations with, Alyke helps you meet people who belong in your story.

Start Your Friendship Journey Today! Download Alyke now and take the first step toward building a world of meaningful connections.

Get Alyke on Play Store | Download on App Store