#so it’s a little strange that it’s rarely seen in media

[mabelsguidetolife]

need more characters with epilepsy where their disability is not their Only Trait so you’re not just meant to pity them

[paucubarsisimp]

Hi! I hope you’re doing well!

Pablo Gavi is dating Sienna, the youngest player on the Barcelona Femení team. Their relationship is a PR stunt, and the media is obsessed with them, especially since Sienna is extremely quiet, shy, and has this unique, delicate vibe that makes everyone pay attention to her in a weird way. Even though Gavi is a little weirded out by her and thinks she’s a bit strange, he still cares for her, and there’s this weird tension between them as they navigate this PR setup. Sienna doesn’t mind the situation because she has her penguin plushie and marshmallows, and that’s all she needs.

Gavi is 20 years old, just coming back from an injury, and Sienna is 18, super quiet, and a bit of an enigma to everyone around her. She’s skin-and-bones skinny but has cute chubby cheeks, and people think she’s the weirdest person ever. She spends most of her time in her room at La Masia, keeping to herself.

Could you include some cute interactions between them, especially where Gavi is trying to figure her out, and there’s some fluff as they get to know each other better despite the weird PR relationship? Maybe throw in a little moment where he has to protect her from the media or calm her down when it gets too overwhelming.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your writing it’s like perfect I love your stories 💖

quiet

pairing: pablo gavi x oc (sienna)

summary: in which sienna and pablo begin to fake date, but what if sienna is shy and quiet and pablo is known to be loud and playful, how will it work out?

warnings: none

taglist: @barcapix, @universefcb, @nngkay, @joaosnovia, @ilovebarcaaaa, lmk if you want to be added!

a/n: js a reminder that i only write x reader fics (not ocs) but i made an exception js this once to try it and i don’t think i like it very much so only x readers from now on!

1. the beginning

gavi didn’t think much of sienna at first.

she was new to the team, younger than most, and quiet in a way that didn’t feel shy—just calm. she didn’t try to be seen. didn’t care if people watched her. but they did anyway. probably because she had that kind of presence—the kind that made silence feel full.

when the club told him they’d be pairing him with her for a pr campaign, he didn’t argue. he was still easing back from injury, and the cameras needed a new narrative.

the first time they met officially was in a meeting room. she was sitting at the long table, hoodie sleeves past her hands, listening while the staff talked about interviews and photo ops like this was all normal.

she looked at him once. didn’t smile. didn’t look away either.

“guess we’re fake dating,” he said quietly.

“guess so,” she replied, just as quiet.

and that was that.

2. small things

the first week was awkward.

he tried to make small talk in the car rides, and she gave simple, honest answers. she wasn’t rude—just didn’t talk to fill silence. eventually, he stopped trying to force it and just let things be quiet.

that’s when he started noticing her small things.

she always had a book tucked into her bag. she ate the corners off her toast first. when she laughed—rare, quiet, and real—she’d cover her mouth like she wasn’t used to the sound.

he started looking forward to seeing her.

once, she showed up to a shoot in a soft blue sweater, cheeks flushed from the cold. he told her the color looked nice on her. she blinked, looked away, and said, “thanks,” like no one had ever told her that before.

3. real moments

they were sitting backstage at an interview set when she leaned over and whispered, “you don’t have to pretend so hard.”

he looked at her. “what do you mean?”

“you’re always trying to make this look real. it already does.”

and he didn’t know what to say to that. not because she was wrong—but because it did feel real sometimes.

later, she fell asleep on his shoulder in the car. he didn’t move. just stared out the window, heart beating a little too fast, wondering when this stopped being about the cameras.

4. after the match

he came to one of her games without telling anyone. sat up in the stands in a hoodie and cap, hoping not to get noticed.

she played like she didn’t even realize people were watching. calm, focused, graceful. not flashy, just good.

after the final whistle, she looked up into the crowd and saw him. he didn’t wave, but she smiled—just a little—and somehow that felt like more.

later that night, she texted him for the first time.

you came.

he stared at the message for a while before replying.

of course i did.

5. something honest

they were walking back to la masia after dinner, just the two of them. no cameras. no handlers. the air was quiet and soft, the kind of night that made everything feel easier.

“can i ask you something?” she said, voice barely above a whisper.

“anything.”

“if this wasn’t a pr thing… would you still talk to me?”

he stopped walking. looked at her. she wasn’t looking at him—just at the ground, like she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer.

“yeah,” he said, no hesitation. “i’d talk to you more.”

she looked up then, cheeks pink.

“me too.”

6. not fake anymore

they didn’t make a big announcement.

they just stopped pretending to pretend.

he started waiting for her after training. she started saving him the softest part of the bread at breakfast. they shared headphones on bus rides. he gave her his hoodie when she forgot hers. she started writing his name in the margins of her notebook.

and one night, when they were sitting on the couch watching some dumb movie, she leaned into him—slow, careful, real—and he kissed her like it wasn’t staged.

because it wasn’t.

not anymore.

[0798f]

💞 — Sonnet 18.

RELATIONSHIP: Dr. Ratio x Reader

SUMMARY: There is little time to spend together and there was little to be hidden.

A/N: I just like the secret relationship trope.

The Intelligentsia Guild worked alongside the IPC very closely. Most IPC agents were familiar with a few Guild members and it was common for both factions to work closely together on projects. Typically, though, those at the top of the corporate ladders only dealt with those of similar status to them. They had little care for what the average office grunt was doing.

Today, Veritas Ratio found himself at Pier Point for a routine visit to the IPC headquarters. He was perhaps the highest of the corporate ladder when it came to the relationship between the IPC and Intelligentsia Guild. Most scholars have never met a Stoneheart, yet Ratio worked with multiple members side by side to accomplish important tasks. In fact, his visit here was solely to meet with Aventurine about an upcoming excursion, in the gambler’s words, they would have to take to make a deal. 

So it was strange that, instead of going straight to the ornate IPC conference room to be fashionably thirty minutes early for a meeting Aventurine would be late for anyways, Ratio made his way to the IPC archives. It was a cavernous room filled with any data log relevant to the IPC; everything from future business prospects to client information that the IPC promised they didn’t keep. Ratio much preferred the leatherbound paper of a physical book, so these archives weren’t of much use to him.

A lone archivist was responsible for organizing and sending information across the IPC’s channels. It was not an enviable job; it meant spending hours and hours alone in a windowless, sterile room doing thankless tasks. But that archivist did not seem to mind too much. They sat at a large desk with a comfortable looking chair and extra comfortable looking blanket. With nothing in their queue right now, they used their computer to listen to music and scroll through social media. In Ratio’s opinion, it was quite unprofessional for his taste, but for this thankless job that no one else was willing to do, he understood why they would allow such a relaxed environment.

Ratio approached the archivist’s desk and addressed them, “(Name).”

(Name) looked up from their screen and smiled. It was a reserved smile betrayed by the sparkling in their eyes. They stood up, carefully putting their blanket behind them on their seat, and walked around their desk to properly greet the Doctor. “Ah! Dr. Ratio. It’s good to see you. Is there something you need from the archives?”

Now, the Doctor was more reserved than most. Most of the time he wore a bust because he couldn’t bear to look at the faces of the uneducated and rarely smiled even without it. No one could read his expression and whatever he was thinking was beyond the understanding of any normal person. Certainly beyond the scope of a common IPC grunt.

“Yes,” he began. “I was looking for you.”

In the empty archives, there was no facade necessary for them to keep up. And Ratio is reserved and patient at all times so he allowed himself to lower his guard in this moment. Ratio moved forwards and placed his hands on (Name)’s waist, pressing his fingers against their side. He pressed a kiss to (Name)’s neck, then another, and another, moving upwards until he reached their jaw. The premise of status disappeared and (Name) savored his embrace, giggling with each kiss and turning to face him once he reached their jaw. Their arms found their way around Ratio’s neck and (Name) leaned forward to steal a rare kiss from the Doctor. It had been several months since the pair had seen each other in person, and while messages were a decent form of communication, it could never replace the pure euphoria of being in each other’s embrace.

Those moments, though, are often too short. The couple separated, only for (Name) to pull Ratio in for a hug. There would be no greater scandal than such a low level IPC agent fraternizing with Veritas Ratio of all people, but amongst the shelves of data they were just two regular people. (Name) clutched wordlessly onto Ratio, savoring the feeling of his body against theirs. Ratio pressed a kiss to the shell of their ear then their cheek, his lips never leaving their skin. 

Their time together was always too short, but that just meant each opportunity was special.

masterlists.

[doctorcurdlejr]

Niko!! what'd you think of I saw the tv glow. I finally saw it last night and noticed you posting about it so I wanted to know your thoughts :)

Levi!!! I was JUST wondering what you were thinking about the movie after I saw you posting about it as well... we are so media discussion pilled in this way, it's awesome. ANYWAYS I've had so many thoughts since I first saw it and I've been trying to turn them into something coherent for a little bit now.

Ummm okay I have written 1k+ words about this movie, the suburbs, and escapism via teen TV.... clearly I was dying for somebody to ask this I guess so thank you for indulging me <3

First and foremost, I absolutely loved it! I've seen it twice now and the first time I watched it I got to see Jane Schoenbrun talk about the film right after. I already really liked it from that first watch alone. I found it so deeply relatable to my experiences - both in terms of growing up gay and trans, but where I am now in my 20s trying to navigate adulthood. Hearing what Schoenbrun had to say really cemented my feelings and thoughts about the film.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a big influence on the movie (it's why Amber Benson makes a cameo as Johnny Link's mom). Even though I don't have the same emotional link to Buffy since I never watched it, I recognize it as the same type of warmth I experienced growing up with Riverdale. When Owen says he feels like his insides have been scooped out but that he's too afraid to look and have that wrongness everybody knows is there be confirmed, Maddy simply responds "Maybe you're like Isabel. Afraid of what's inside you." Tears forming but not falling, breathing shallowly, I grabbed the paper and pen the theater keeps at the seats for people to order food with and wrote that line down - the slip of paper is still somewhere in my car. Writing it now almost feels lame in its simplicity, but it felt like my insides were being flayed open.

During the director discussion, Schoenbrun talked a little bit about this idea of how truly fucking bizarre it is to grow up in the suburbs. Like, when we think about the pinnacle of normality in American culture, it's the image of middle-class cis-hetero-white suburbia. At the same time, despite this cultural dream of normality, everybody is hyper-aware that the suburbs are one of the least normal things ever. So, the ACTUAL cultural understanding of it is that it's where we go to, like, passively kill ourselves (*George Costanza voice* WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY YOU KNOW!). This idea isn't new, I mean there are so many films and shows about navigating that specific bizarre dissonance from Rebel Without a Cause to Heathers to Twin Peaks. Probably half the pre-teen to teen TV I watched obsessively growing up, stuff like Strange Days at Blake Holsey High, Making Fiends, Truth or Scare, and eventually Riverdale, were never shy about being weird and morbid and saying "yes, the suburbs are exactly as bizarre and lethal in the ways you can already feel in your bones at 13." I Saw the TV Glow does a really good job of keying not only into that mental dissonance but more specifically into how those of us who have felt so intrinsically weird and different and wrong fell back on these shows like they were capable of doing the emotional version of a rescue breath maneuver after being drowned.

In high school, if there were two things about me that any person who even vaguely knew me could list off it was that I watched Riverdale, and I was a lesbian - and I was mocked more for the Riverdale. At that age, I was, without a doubt, the most miserable I have ever felt in my life. I rarely left the house because my family lived in a development that made me want to scratch my skin off when I walked out our front door. Owen didn't leave the house for days, afraid Maddy could somehow force him out. I sobbed constantly and frequently to depressing indie rock on the floor of my closet while hoping my family would just once read the (honest to god) KEEP OUT poster plastered on my door since I didn't have a lock on it. Owen didn't leave his room for days, afraid of what Maddy recognized in him. I didn't go on dates and kept my chest binder shoved to the bottom of my bookbag while wearing dresses that could've come from a how-to-be the perfect 50s housewife manual. Owen didn't leave his bed for days, afraid of Maddy touching his neck and Isabel's dress. I also watched Riverdale with the kind of zeal you see in a Pentecostal who has found God and started speaking in tongues to let you know it. I own a button that says, "Don't Make Me Go Dark Betty On You," I cherish it in a way that is only achieved by knowing exactly how corny and trite it is and then moving straight past that because well actually, and most people wouldn't get this, she's holding back something deeply dark and wild and- and disgusting. something painful yet intrinsically her. but i get it, obviously. or maybe not obviously! hopefully not obviously, but- basically, I'm just saying I get it: the experience of reflection and recognition through the other and all that.

Whatever, the point is that this movie is one big glaring trans allegory about how it sucks dog shit to live in the suburbs, and even at our most repressed we find these little snow globes of actualization in the glow of a tv screen that isn't afraid to show you the world you see. I've seen some people say that, like, in this context accepting or coming into your transness is this monumental death of self, which I get, but I feel there lacks a nuance in that because either way Owen is dying. Unlike Maddy who buries herself alive only to come out renewed, Owen doesn't kill himself upon facing the reality that the world is constructed to keep him miserable and the only way out is to take back what it is that the world wants to keep scooped out of him. Instead he just passively lets it drag him to a much more permanent death. This lack of suicide sucks in the kind of way that forces you to sit in your car on the midnight drive home and think to yourself am I letting myself suffocate because at some point knowing the misery became less scary than admitting I've been capable of doing something about it the whole time?

Clearly, I’ve been enchanted by the film’s narrative and meta-textual language. If you're familiar with it, you can see how Schoenbrun built this movie like a long-form dream episode of a canceled teen show filmed in Vancouver. Lynchian? Yeah, sure. Riverdalesque? THIS we cannot possibly deny. Schoenbrun said they included Amber Benson as an act of healing the inner rage experienced at Tara’s death in Buffy. This is a Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa ending Riverdale with a bisexual polycule after his gay Archie play got ceased-and-desisted type move. There’s probably more I could say about the soundtrack and the visuals, but I’ve hit over 1k words on this, so I’ll leave it at I enjoyed this movie a lot. :)

Maddy is an out lesbian who left town to escape the misery and found it strapped to her ankles. She slinks out, an animal pressed against the gymnasium floor, and says "I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." Owen looks into the camera and narrates. He cuts himself open with a box cutter, fully acknowledges what's there, and the movie ends with his suffocating apology parade for the unremarkable inconvenience of his excruciating suffering. You can be gay and trans, you can know it and you can stop repressing it, but you're not going to stop suffocating until you can find a way to destroy the part of you that truly deeply does want to die, reaching for the comforting euthanasia of normalcy. Stop visiting the dream of the life you want and make it into your reality with the same kind of unrepentant conviction seen in some underfunded but wildly ambitious teen television series. In other words: you must try to survive the ego death of being weird. A weirdo, who doesn't fit in and doesn't want to fit in!

[neidhart]

kcd oc 🧎🧎🧎 WHO IS HEEEEE

WOW, this is the first time someone had asked about my characters on social media, so thank you for reaching out!!

he is still a work in making, so i don't have a lot of definite lore set in stone yet, but i can talk about what i already have, and maybe do a proper post about him some other time

he's also not that much tied to the kcd plot, as he strays away from the main conflicts, just because he is an opportunist and prefers to profit from them while not necessarily taking part

this is basior (polish for a male wolf in hunter's jargon)

he's a bandit leader who roams various woods, poaches in them, terrorizes the local peasants and out of personal vendetta, attacks nobles passing by the forest trails where he currently resides

and that's mainly the idea i had for him!! i'm not very good at explaining things so my desriptions can be a little all over the place, but i'm also gonna throw in here some loose thoughts i wrote about him in order to get more familiar with his character:

Nobody really knows where he hailed from, as the man himself never spoke about his past.  There were rumours, of course, the kind you'd hear spoken in hushed whispers at places where no unwanted ears would hear them. Rumours, that claimed he was a werewolf, some swear he struck a pact with the devil, or even that he actually was the embodiment of the devil himself.  And maybe they were true. He never did anything to disperse those hearsays. Common people feared him, the nobles found him repulsive, and that gave him power and control which he very much enjoyed.  He didn't bear any personal name, at least none that mattered to him anymore. However, the people gave him a title - Basior, due to the fur cloak with wolf's head that served as a hood, which always obscured his face whenever he went hunting. It was like a second skin to him, once he wore it, it became one with him. He himself became a beast in those moments.  The man didn't care much for the name, but he allowed it, because it presented him more as a symbol or a wild animal than just a person, and that was very much to his liking. He was a threat to be reckoned with, and the forests he occupied were always treated with utmost caution, as the local residents refused to enter them at any given occasion, fearing that harm could come upon them if they dared to step inside. Strange things happened before to those who did, either they were never found again or came back so shaken, that they swore they had seen wrathful forest spirits among the trees, not just a common band of bandits.  He and his pack never lingered in one place too long, there was no reason to. It was easier for them to keep in move, as it would prevent them from being located easily by the local lords and their soldiers, who would want to deal with them for good. Outside the woods that they spent time poaching and living, they acted as scavengers and vultures - always following the trail of armies and scourging the battlefields after fights for loot and maybe even captives, if they could find some still breathing noble.  It was the only case in which he allowed nobles to stay alive upon encountering them. They were wounded, helpless, but overall - useful, if ransomed. He wasn't so merciful to those, who happened to travel through the forest paths, or the ones who hunted in the woods he occupied at the given time. Those encounters rarely ended well for those who opposed him. There was a deep-rooted hatred in his heart. At times the man thought it was the only thing that has kept him whole, the only thing that made his life thrive. And so, he fueled this spite that grew inside his heart with the blood of others.  At first, it was only of those who wronged him in some way or another, he justified his wrath as something that was inevitable. It was simply their fate. They would be judged by God after death, but why wait so long? Is it not better to quicken the process? They would die either way, as every living being. Later, he found that it didn't satisfy him anymore. He craved something else, something more fitted to his newly formed, cruel taste.

and that's basically it for now!! thank you for coming to my ted talk

[i-am-arkham-asylum]

IN DEFENSE OF PETEKEY

an open letter about a ship everyone knows, but no one ships.

The link between Pete's discography and petekey has consistantly been cited as source of contention among those who would catagorize themselves as 'anti-petekeyers', or at least those who would think of themselves as not petekey aligned.

There is this common notion that most petekeyers are delusional, which while I might argue that RPF in itself is delusional, as RPF is fundamentally a made up fan activity, I think the belief that "petekeyers suck" comes from an outside perspective of the ship that missunderstands the fans within.

There is a term in Chinese fan culture for ships, if something doesn't have many works being created for it, it's called 冷门 - which means that it’s cold, or in slang terms, "the artic circle".

Petekey is straddling this strange place of being a ship that has high notoriety without having a large body of work being created for it anymore; it's very famous, but not contributed too. It is an artic circle ship.

So, unlike Peterick or any other more prominent ship, there is a deficit of work which takes labor; fanart, fanfic, edits, etc. Because creating that work takes double the effort, one must create their own situations and then create their art.

There is very little canonical interactions of petekey. It is an old ship. It requires a lot of work on behalf of the fan to interact with petekey nowadays, and much of that work must exisit outside of the cannonical acceptance if new ideas/content are to be created.

What is easy, and what is simple to digest to the larger population, is the fact that Pete at one point in time probably wrote some LiveJournal posts about Mikey. And what is easy to do is extrapolate that into "XYZ song is about Mikey Way".

"Songs about mikey way" a joke that I believe is easier made and more wide spread among people who don't ship petekey in a genuine way. Within the Petekey tags on fansite, you'll see little of this behavior among people who are actively engaging in the ship in a continuous way.

I have found myself several time staring down a post made as a joke about how "every song is about mikey" with many critial comments about the ship as a whole. I think it is easy to take posts in fandom spaces at face value that their intent is genuine due to the overwhelming presence of genuine and honest love for the media/people at hand.

But fundamentally, we see the abject distaste of petekey in a way that isn't applied to other ships. For an easy comparison you can look to Peterick and the notion that any content can be applied to Peterick without judgement.

Though Peterick is definitavely a more complex ship which encompasses more time between the two members, it is noticeable that same standard of "canon" is not interjected into those who determire what is about them, weather that be in FOB's discography, interviews, or other writings.

We can say many things are about Peterick while containing it within a vaccuum unaffected by any other ship or "canon". One of the typical objections to Petekey posts one might see, is an intejection that whatever romantic notion is detailed, pales in comparison to what Peterick has.

Similarly, due to the prevalence of Pete and Patrick within each other's lives, many fans can write that any given meme, situation, lyric, or other media can be applied to them with relatively no push back. After all, there is a wealth of situations one could use to justify its "canonicalization".

This reliance on the canonicalization of Fall Out Boy lore and the rallying against that which is uncanonical has always been a bit paradoxical. As stated before, RPF has always been a fan created activity for the purpose of self expression.

Shipping, let's use for example, Andy and Pete (or any other "rare parings"), despite their limited romantic expression, is not to be seen as delusional, but rather an endevor of fun that doesn't need canonical text to back it up. Content within these rare-pairs does not recieve the same scrutiny within typical interactions; which one might allign with the notion that these rare pairing are done with fun and jest.

So while we often link the annoyance of petekey to "making lyrics about mikey when they're not" AKA the adherance to "canonical text", I often wonder if it isn't simply the disinterest in petekey altogether due to the fact that it's prevalence has gone stale and contributed little to the marketplace of artistic creation within the past ten years.

You can also see this happening within the MCR community. As MCR contnues to interact less and less, there is a difficulty that comes with creating new works of labor as one must develop their own ideas surrounding the ship. Staleness can often come and permeate fandom.

I find the rise rayard/frikey as an almost counter movement to frerard/rikey which previously was the popular default among fans. There is the artistic desire to explore that which is new in order to open up a door to new artistic explorations.

One of the reasons I started writing fanfic was the lack of fanfiction being produced for petekey which explored new ideas past "doomed yaoi". Many petekey AU fanfics which have gained notoriety were written by authors who have long since left the pekekey fandom altogether, not to mention the amount of half finished works abandoned on AO3.

As I write my own Petekey works, I find myself creating people who are adaptaions of Pete Wentz and Mikey Way. It is an expression of how I, someone who also travels for work and works in entertainment, views relationships and love and life.

It is hard to keep a dead fandom alive. It takes time and authentic love for what you're doing, both of which the larger fandom population would not be exposed to, because one must go looking for it.

The anger and vitrol towards petekey largely seems to be volleying shots at an enemy that has long since left. That which you do not enjoy or are bored with does not make it your enemy.

I encourage those of you who claim to have no ill will towards petekey, to check out some of the lovingly crafted fics instead of focusing on those who have lobbed a tweet or tiktok from a place of irony. These works are rare and and created from a place of authenticity and I am very honored to share a space with them.

viva la petekey

AO3 user xpatxperience

[landoscarinthefastlane]

No space to breathe without you (part 2) - Landoscar

Summary: After Oscar’s move to Red Bull Racing, Lando struggles with the loss of their closeness, feeling the absence of Oscar deeply despite Carlos Sainz’s comforting return to McLaren. One evening, while Lando sleeps exhausted in his motorhome, Oscar visits him, quietly seeking the connection they both miss.

Note⚠️: Contains soft boys falling asleep on each other, surprise Carlos cameos, and the undeniable truth that some bonds survive even navy-blue betrayals.

Oscar wraps his arms around him tightly, like he doesn’t want to let go either, and for a moment, everything else falls away. No contracts. No teams. No rivalries. Just them—raw and real and impossibly close.

But the world doesn’t stop turning, and a few weeks later, everything changes.

Oscar’s transfer to Red Bull Racing had become the headline of every motorsport outlet across the globe. Pictures of him in the navy-blue suit, standing beside Max Verstappen and Christian Horner, were everywhere. He looked... happy. Confident. Like he belonged there.

And Lando hated it.

Not because he wasn’t proud—God, he was proud—but because every glimpse of Oscar in those dark colors felt like a thousand tiny cuts he couldn’t stop from bleeding.

Meanwhile, change was sweeping through McLaren too. After Ferrari had unceremoniously shifted Carlos Sainz aside to make room for Lewis Hamilton, Papaya had opened their arms to Carlos again. It was strange at first, a blast from the past. McLaren’s garage buzzed with the new-old energy Carlos brought, but it didn’t fill the Oscar-shaped hole in Lando’s chest.

Even when he loved Carlos so, so much.

It was after the first few practice sessions of the season when Lando finally found himself cornered by Carlos in the McLaren motorhome.

Carlos leaned casually against the table, sipping from a water bottle. His easygoing demeanor couldn’t hide the knowing look in his eyes.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Carlos said, breaking the silence between them.

Lando chuckled humorlessly, rubbing a hand over his face. “Feels like it.”

Carlos tilted his head, studying him. “It’s weird, no? Seeing him in navy blue. Next to Max. Like it’s always been that way.”

“Yeah,” Lando muttered, voice hoarse. “It’s wrong.”

Carlos gave a small, sympathetic smile. “You miss him.”

Lando didn’t bother denying it. He slumped further into the chair, feeling the full weight of everything he'd been trying to suppress. “It’s just... different. We used to share everything. Now he’s... Red Bull’s golden boy.”

Carlos sat down opposite him, his gaze softening. “He’s still Oscar, amigo. And you’re still you. Different teams don’t change that.”

Lando didn’t answer right away. He stared down at the table, fingers drumming anxiously. “Feels like it changed everything.”

Carlos clapped a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Maybe it changed the surface. But not what's underneath.”

Lando offered a weak smile in return. It helped, a little. But not enough to fill the gnawing ache in his chest.

Carlos truly was his bestest friend.

The paddock wound down into a rare, peaceful lull. Most of the media had disappeared, and teams were hunkered down in meetings or relaxing in their motorhomes before the evening’s events.

Lando, completely drained, retreated to his motorhome and collapsed onto the couch. He barely had time to kick his shoes off before sleep dragged him under, too exhausted to care about the still-wrapped burrito abandoned on the coffee table.

He didn’t hear the soft knock on the door. Didn’t hear it open.

Oscar stood there, hesitating at the threshold. His Red Bull racesuit hung loosely around his waist, fireproofs clinging to his torso, damp with the sheen of sweat from the final practice laps. His hair was messy, cheeks flushed, and he looked tired but determined.

He spotted Lando instantly, curled up on the couch, fast asleep, his mouth parted slightly, one arm hanging off the edge like he’d passed out mid-thought.

Oscar’s heart clenched. Without really thinking, he stepped inside quietly, closing the door behind him. He dropped onto the couch beside Lando, careful not to wake him, but somehow, some part of Lando must have sensed his presence—because he stirred, blinking groggily up at him.

“Oz?” Lando mumbled, voice rough with sleep.

Oscar gave him a tired smile. “Hey.”

Lando’s hand instinctively reached out, fingers curling lightly around Oscar’s wrist like he was afraid he’d disappear if he didn’t hold onto him.

“Thought you’d be busy,” Lando whispered, blinking slowly.

Oscar shook his head, brushing his thumb lightly across Lando’s knuckles. “Wanted to see you.”

Something warm bloomed in Lando’s chest. He shifted, making room, and without a word, Oscar lowered himself down beside him, pulling Lando against his side. They fit together effortlessly, like pieces of a puzzle that had been separated too long.

Within minutes, they were both fast asleep, tangled together on the small couch, Lando’s head resting against Oscar’s shoulder, Oscar’s arm slung protectively around Lando’s waist.

Carlos, who had been sent to fetch Lando for an impromptu debrief, quietly opened the motorhome door.

He froze when he saw them.

There, fast asleep, two of the paddock’s most talked-about drivers curled into each other like they were the safest place in the world. Carlos’ lips quirked into a soft, knowing smile. He stepped back quietly, closing the door without a sound.

He figured whatever meeting they were supposed to be at could wait.

Some things—some people—deserved to have their moments.

Oscar and Lando were never going to let go of each other. Everyone knew it. Rivalry or not, they were not to be seperated. And Oscar? Oscar would always have his place in the McLaren team. Just like Carlos had all those years, driving for Ferrari.

[skzhocomments]

please 735 with hyunjin ☺️

General Masterlist

Request me a story

---

Writing Prompt 735 - “I have to walk away. I have to leave.” - Hyunjin

Word count: 2.6k words

Wattpad | AO3

~

Falling in love was one of the most beautiful feelings Hyunjin’s heart's ever gotten to know. From the moment he’s first seen you, it was like all the novels he’s ever read finally made sense. All the love songs, all the poems, everything he’s ever heard about love proved to be real, not just a fragment of an inspired person’s imagination.

Love, what a strange feeling it was. How weird it was to fall head over heels for someone he didn’t even know the name of.

He never thought it would happen to him. Not like this. 

He remembers that day perfectly. It was late April, the cherry blossoms were in bloom, and in-between the concerts and the tight schedules, he had a day off.

It was rare to be able to go on his own to a new city just to explore, to get lost in the intricate architecture, to breathe in the scent of unfamiliar streets, taste new foods and simply enjoy being a normal person, far away from his otherwise extremely overwhelming life.

On that day, he left the hotel with no plan in mind. All he wanted to do was to be a tourist, to head nowhere in particular and to enjoy as much as possible before his departure the next day. New show, new city, new people, new everything. It was tiring, really, to always be on the way somewhere, so he decided that for this outing, he wouldn’t be on the way to anywhere.

He wanted to be a regular person for a change, not the famous Hyunjin.

And so, he began walking slowly, his hands in his jeans, a cap on his head and a mask covering half of his face. He dressed as modestly as he could, making sure to not draw any attention, and he walked and walked and walked, smiling to himself and feeling truly happy for the first time in a long while.

Sure, being on stage made him happy; Stray Kids made him happy, and he enjoyed being at home with his family. But being on his own in a new place, just able to walk and enjoy a warm spring day? That’s when he truly felt free.

For the first two hours, he simply walked with a coffee in his hand, sipping once in a while. He sat on a few benches here and there, and then he resumed his walk, until eventually, he found himself in front of a beautiful building, maybe the most beautiful he’s ever seen ever since he left the hotel.

At closer inspection, he realised that the building was actually an art museum, and how perfect that was for him. He never planned on coming there, but being in front of such a magnificent museum, he felt like he could find answers to all his questions, and that he would finally be able to get over his art block.

He went in, paid for his ticket and got scanned for any weapons at the entrance like any other person, and he smiled to himself once more at the thought that no one recognised him. No one knew who he was, so he could just be someone else for a little while – not famous, not Versace’s Prince, not Stray Kids’ best dancer or visual or whatever else the media said about him.

And what a liberating feeling that was!

He walked and admired works of art for hours. The museum was so large, so impressive, he could just walk for a whole day in it and not get bored.

Unfortunately though, all the walking ended up making his legs grow tired, so he took the liberty to sit down on one of the benches inside. He picked his spot carefully, finding the most complex painting he could, and to his delight, there was a bench right in front of it.

The day couldn’t have been more perfect.

But then, as he approached the bench, he spotted you.

You weren’t anything extraordinary. You weren’t dressed particularly nice, you didn’t wear any make-up, and your eyes seemed very tired, but still, something about you made Hyunjin unable to take his eyes away.

You came and sat down right next to him, but you couldn’t care less about him, he noticed. You didn’t spare him even one glance. Instead, you focused on your apparent task at hand, which was taking out a large notebook out of your backpack and opening it up on a blank page. You then looked at the painting for a good fifteen minutes, Hyunjin counted, and after your intense staring, your eyes darted back to your notebook as you took out a pencil and began sketching.

Hyunjin was so drawn to the way you were drawing, each line sketched with perfect precision and confidence, and he found himself lacking. It was always hard to sketch, and his drawings never came out the way he wanted them to.

He watched you for more than an hour as you drew line after line, and when you were mostly done, you raised your notebook in the air and looked at your sketch, comparing it to the large painting in front of you.

Your face was displeased, Hyunjin noticed, and what you did next shocked him to the core. You clicked your tongue and ripped the paper away from the notebook, crumbling it with a soft sigh and a shake of your head.

“Oh, God!” He exclaimed loudly. He didn’t mean to do so, but he was genuinely shocked, and he couldn’t hold it in.

You turned to look at him with a confused expression, noticing for the first time that someone was sitting next to you. You were so absorbed with drawing that you couldn’t bring yourself to care about your surroundings at all, so it was no surprise that you didn’t see this random man staring at you for the past hour.

“Uhm…” You started, “Were you talking to me?”

“Yes… sorry… it’s just that I think your drawing was very beautiful. Why would you crumble it like that?” Hyunjin spoke, realising he might’ve been out of line.

“Oh, this?” You chuckled. “It’s shit, man. It’s the third time I’m trying to do this, but I just can’t get it right.”

“What? You got it perfectly!” He insisted.

“No.” You chuckled again. “But thank you for saying that. I appreciate it.”

As you replied, you sighed again and turned your attention back to your notebook, and so, you began drawing again.

“Are you going to try it again?”

“Obviously.”

“Why?”

“Exam.” You replied shortly, your eyes so focused, Hyunjin found it rude to interrupt you again.

Still, he couldn’t take his eyes away, completely captivated by how focused you looked when sketching. He decided to be rude once more, not truly wanting to disturb your concentration, but wanting to make sure that you wouldn’t mind his presence.

“Do you mind if I stay here and watch?”

“And why would you do that?” You asked, your eyes still stuck to your notebook.

“I’m an… aspiring artist, you could say. My sketches are not nearly as good as yours, so I feel like I could learn a lot from your technique.” Hyunjin replied truthfully.

“Sure, I don’t mind.” You shrugged, so Hyunjin decided to keep silent this time around, and he just watched how meticulous you’d draw each line, fully immersed in your creative process.

It took you two hours to finish, but when you finally put your notebook in the air the second time, you seemed more satisfied with the result.

“What do you think?” You asked, turning to look at him with a genuine smile, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

“I think that’s very beautiful. I love the shadows you added there, and I can’t understand for the life of me how you’ve managed to perfectly capture the viewer’s perception of all the elements.” Hyunjin took in a breath and then looked back at the original painting, before his eyes darted once more to your drawing. “The proportions are perfect as well. You nailed it.”

“Really?” You replied with an even larger smile.

“Yes.” Hyunjin chuckled a bit at your enthusiasm.

“Do you have any of your drawings with you? I’d love to see them.” You smiled once more, your eyes sparkling with excitement, and Hyunjin felt glad that he carried his notebook with him at all times.

He pulled it out of his bag and handed it to you, and you immediately began looking through it, nodding your head ever so slightly every once in a while.

“These are great.” You spoke eventually.

“What can I improve?”

“Hmm… let’s start with this one, maybe?” You showed him a drawing and began pointing out which areas he should work on better, and you even showed him a few examples by quickly resketching his drawings in your own notebook.

“Is the museum closing?” He asked after some time has passed – hours, to be more specific, which he didn’t even realise. He enjoyed so much talking with you about art, that time stood still, and the world around him didn’t matter anymore.

“Oh, I think so. We should go.” You chuckled.

“I really enjoyed talking with you… and I’d really love to talk to you and see you again. If you want to, of course.” Hyunjin said as you both made your way to the exit.

“Oh, me too, but… I’m currently just visiting my family. I got a scholarship and I’m attending a University in Korea this year, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to meet you again…” You smiled sadly. "We could text, though."

“Wait,  in Korea? Really? Where? In Seoul?”

“Yes.”

“I actually live there myself! Well, I’ll be back there in around two weeks, but still!”

“Really?” You gasped. “That’s such a fortunate coincidence!”

“Right? I can’t believe it!” He laughed. “Then… could you give me your number, maybe?”

~

That’s how you and Hyunjin started talking every day. He would send you sketches or random pictures he’d take around the world, and at first, you had no clue who he was or why he was travelling so much. It came as a shock when he eventually told you that he’s famous. You genuinely couldn’t believe it that this random man who’s grown to be such a consistant part of your day-to-day life in such a short time was actually a superstar.

You regretted catching feelings for him, because you never thought you’d be lucky enough for him to reciprocate them, but when he confessed that he’s also been harbouring much the same feelings as you did, you were over the moon, and so was Hyunjin.

Love was simply the most beautiful feeling in the world for him, and falling in love with you through your every day chats and multiple meet-ups throughout the week has been one of the best moments of his life.

But nothing could’ve prepared him for falling out of love.

The pain was tough, but the guilt was almost unbearable.

Hyunjin didn’t know how it happened or why, but he found himself replying less and less often to your texts, and he didn’t get much joy in receiving messages from you anymore. Talking to you used to be the part of the day he was looking forward to the most, but all of a sudden, he could go hours without replying to you and he wouldn't even notice anything missing.

He still enjoyed your presence and talking with you about your common interests once in a while, but the spark he once felt was simply gone, and it scared him. It made him feel like a horrible person. 

And the worst part of it all? No one understood him. No one seemed to know the answers to the questions in his heart, or the internal battle he’d been fighting.

Except for you.

You immediately felt the shift in his feelings, in the way he would hug you and kiss you. Making love felt more like sex than love, which was such a weird feeling when you were used to Hyunjin being so passionate about anything concerning you.

But you felt him slipping away through your fingers with each delayed text, with each cancelled plan, and you knew the end was coming.

It was agony to come to terms with the fact that your love only lasted for 6 months, especially when you were still so in love with him, and you were longing his presence more and more every day.

You felt that it was fate that brought you two together. It was fate working its weird, little ways of having both of you live in the same city, even if only temporarily. It was fate that Hyunjin and you had the same interests, the same taste in music, the same passions.

So, why? Why would fate be so cruel to deal you these hands of a short-lived love?

But, despite feeling this uncertainty for a while, you couldn’t bring yourself to let him go. You never voiced these concerns to him, no matter how much it hurt you, and you let himself become more and more distant.

Each time you’d make a plan with him, you would wonder if it would be last time you’d see each other – if he would finally get enough courage to tell you that he’s no longer in love with you.

You even began realising that he was probably never actually in love with you, but with the idea of love itself, and it hurt. It hurt so badly.

And so, with the November rain mercilessly crashing against your windows, you knew everything was bound to change, much like the seasons outside. The beautiful autumn was quickly turning into a harsh winter, just as you were anticipating the apparently inevitable break-up. 

You were waiting for Hyunjin to come to your apartment, and when he got there, you immediately realised that this would be the day he would finally muster up his courage and break up with you.

Damien Rice was playing in the background as you two walked in your small kitchen and sat down at the table, and with the way he was averting his gaze, you knew.

��Listen…” he started, so you kept quiet. “I have to tell you something…”

“Alright.” You nodded with a soft smile, conveying all the sadness you’ve been feeling for the past few weeks. “I’m listening.”

“I don’t… I’m so, so sorry… I don’t even know how to say this in a better way, or how to apologise, and I’ve tried to change it so hard, but no matter what I did, I realised… I don’t love you anymore.”

You were expecting this, but it still somehow took you off guard. You didn’t know what to reply.

“I’ve been thinking long and hard about this for the past couple of weeks, but… What I feel… it’s just not the same…”

“So… This is it, huh?” You asked in a quiet voice. “Is this how we’re breaking up?”

“Yes… I’m so sorry for everything. I wish I could still love you, but I… I have to walk away. I have to leave. I’m sorry.”

Tears began running down your cheeks in quick succession and you started sobbing quietly. Still, nothing Hyunjin would tell you would be able to comfort you in any way, so you decided to spare both of you of this relentless suffering. You just nodded and told him he could leave, and he did with no further words.

It broke your heart that such a passionate love turned you two into strangers so quickly, and although love used to warm up your heart, it now left you so unbearably cold, you didn’t know how you would pick back up the broken pieces of your shattered heart.

[hardtobethebardbitch]

I want all your thoughts about Maya and the Three as well as The Book of Life (remember I'm Mexican bitch so I reserve EVERYTHING LATINA RIGHT to judge your answer >:3)

*claps hands together* HERE WE GO TIME TO YAP ABOUT THE BEST MOVIE EVER.

I literally grew up watching this movie. My earliest memory is showing it to my best friend at a sleepover when I was like 6.

My entire WORLD as a kid was Book of Life. Got my first phone, what was the first thing in my music library? Book of Life. Every birthday and when I was sick, what would I pick? Book of Life. Hell, I wrote a self-insert as Manolo's older sister who was best friends with Maria and in love with Joaquin(before I figured I was gay, but like...Joaquin)

I DIDNT EVEN REALIZE IT WAS A JUKEBOX MUSICAL

Once I found one of my favorite cover artist Annapantsu's rendition of Can't Help Falling In Love With You, and I thought, "yes, she's seen Book of Life!" Ectasy of Gold? Saw those beer commercials and thought, "Hold up-" I heard Radiohead for the first time and I went, "Wait this was in Book of Life!"

But my God, I as a white person of European descent, adore Dia De Lose Muertos. It is my favorite holiday right after Halloween, because it's my excuse to watch Book Of Life on repeat. I know it entirely by heart, and-although I've now forgotten-I used to scare my sister because I could sing I Love You Too Much and The Apology Song in Spanish, without knowing a lick of the language otherwise. I HAVE A COPY OF A NOVELIZED VERSION OF THE MOVIE, ITS IN SPANISH, AND I UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD.

Okay okay, now onto the actual movie other than my experiences.

This thing is one of the best pieces of media I've consumed in literally forever. While it has certain flaws-pfft what am I saying, IT HAS LITERALLY LIKE ONE MINISCULE FLAW, AND I CANT EVEN PIN IT DOWN.

Im going to treat this as one of my movie reviews, just so I don't make this an entire essay lol

Plot: DUDE, THE PLOT?? it's just-beautiful. Just imagine it for a second, as if you were part of this as a main character like Manolo. You are in love with your best friend-your other best friend is in love with her too. You continue with your life, still in love even after she leaves for finishing school. When she returns you do your best to impress her, despite the fact you're kind of the village loser. You die, and when you get to the afterlife you find out that your love life has been betted on by literal gods, just cause they're bored?? I am shocked Manolo kept his cool as much as he did. And then the freaking bandits?? The battle?? I just fucking love this movie man.

10/10

Music: JUKEBOX MOVIE ALERT!!! Except one-I think two?-songs, everything is from somewhere else. And my gods, the conversion from whatever they used to be into the style of the movie is ASTOUNDING. I completely believed that Creep was supposed to be played on guitar like that. And then I could go on for literal hours about The Apology Song-and most of it would just be screaming in joy. I DON'T UNDERSTAND, IT'S JUST SO GOOD FOR NO REASON?

100/10

Animation: How the hell do I explain this with words? Just look at it yourself.

LOOK AT IT!!! Care and love was put into every single frame and it SHOWS.

10000/10

Writing: I do have to admit that maybe, occasionally, from time to time, rarely, the writing is a little strange. But then when there's real heavy scenes-okay who am I kidding, the writings amazing. Humor, pacing, and everything in between-they made due with what they got, and they left ZERO CRUMBS. JUST LOOK AT THD GRANDMA

Queen. AND THEN THIS FUCKING SCENE I JUST-

"Don't forget me."

Waiter! You forgot my tissues!

Characters: I...cannot stress enough...how much I love everyone in this movie.

Manolo? Peak. He molded what my type would be. Selfless, strong, but allows you to be independent, a complete pathetic cat to his lover. His conflict can be felt by anyone with disapproving guardians, or even those who just had disappointed figures in their life. And Diego Luna???? Fuck. Perfect character right there.

Maria? Badass. Likes to lead a little on, but what girl hasn't? She's the leader's daughter and has a pet pig. Need I say more? And Zoe Saldana fucking smashed the role.

JOAQUIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I LOVE Joaquin. When I saw Deadpool and Wolverine and my friends pointed out Channing Tatum I went, "JOAQUIIN" and they stared like I was senile. I do honestly believe that he is extremely underrated within this niche Fandom. Just saying, I had an epiphany a few years ago: How did Joaquin feel?

Maria was believed to be dead. Blinded by grief he tells his best friend that it should have been him. I entirely believe that he was the one to return to the tree. To apologize, of course. And what does he find? His best friend, dead. He doesn't have anyone left. Maria comes back, and he can only imagine the pain she's feeling. He hates that General Posada is only thinking of marriage at a time like this.

And if he hadn't been the one to find Manolo? Then it was Carlos. And Joaquin watched as a man he respected carry his best friend's body out of the fog from the lonely dock. Or perhaps Carlos buried him right under the tree, and returned with nothing but grief.

And he completely accepts Manolo and Maria's love! He definitely felt hurt, but I'm sure it took a minute because he was just happy Manolo was alive man. He'll find love, I'm sure he will. He'll get a medal from me, no doubt.

Im simply saying, Joaquin had the most development of everyone in this movie.

La Muerte and Xibalba? Peak on and off married couple. La Muerte is hot as hell, and Xibalba's hilarious. Candlemaker, peak. Carlos, peak. The Mariachi Brothers, peak. Luis, peak. Carmen, peak. Book, peak. Even the detention kids were so incredible!

100/10

Overall movie: This movie has so many layers, and it can be enjoyed by all ages. I have enjoyed it since I first watched it, and I will adore it until I die. I will have this play at my funeral, and all you sick fucks are invited.

100000000000000000000000000000 x infinity/10.

And MAYA AND THE THREE???? UGH. MADRE DE DIOS I WANT TO CRY THIS THING MADE ME SOB.

I heard my dad call me from the living room. It was during COVID so I was a little under the weather. I go to the living room, and he's showing a new release on Netflix: Maya And The Three.

I CRASHED OUT. I was SCREAMING at him, begging him to give me the remote. I almost cried right then and there.

AND THEN I STARTED WATCHING?!?!?!!! AND IM INSTANTLY HIT WITH...ZOE SAL-FUCKING-DANA.

AND THEN...DRUMROLL...

DIEGO LUNAAAAA

(I'm fine guys I swear.)

Guys...this thing reignited something in me. The absolute fabulousness of the entire show screamed "Gutierrez". While no one was bursting into Radiohead this time, I swear my heart gave out from all the absolute nostalgia I was getting, and the new story that was tugging my heartstrings in a direction they had never gone.

(You can only imagine how I felt with that La Muerte Xibalba and Candlemaker cameo lol)

I adored every character, but I feel like one can guess who my favorite was haha...

Hes so pathetically down bad for Maya and I can't blame him one bit. LOOK AT THAT FACE!!! I wanna squish it.

Man his reincarnations are gonna feel that lovestruckness. (*cough,* MANOLO, *cough*)

This entire thing, even with all the deaths, I just adore.

I FELT THAT SCREAM WHEN ZATZ DIED. I FELT THAT SCREAM FROM MAYA DEEP IN MY CORE.

AND THEN THEY BROUGHT BACK THE MISBEGOTTEN SON OF A LEPROUS DONKEY BUT JUST A LIL DIFFERENT I CLOCKED THAT IMMEDIATELY AND SCREAMED.

And, of course the ever popular

Rico, Chimi, Picchu, Lance, Daggers, Shield, Camazotz, Puma princess, Micte, Queen Teca, Chiapa, Apush-I love every single character in this show.

AND THEN ALL THE THREE SYMBOLISMS JUST ARGGH

I can't go on man, I'm either gonna die of euphoria or pass out I have been writing this for almost an hour now. But it was so worth it, and I hope it was worth your time too.

No retreat, no surrender.

I am so behind on my French.

[moonstandardtime]

i've been using tiktok a lot the past few months, since my irls use it and i'm bored. here are some things ive noticed

(disclaimer: this is influenced by the tiktok algorithm, obviously. it is also influenced by who i follow on tumblr. i personally don't post on tiktok, but aside from that i use the two platforms pretty similarly and interact with the same type of content.)

(another disclaimer: this is entirely for fun and to provide a new perspective. be nice.)

under cut because it got really long loll. enjoy

tumblr users get REALLY mean, judgy, and holier-than-thou about tiktok. tiktok users, on the rare occasions tumblr is brought up, speak pretty positively (though secretively) about it. saw a tiktok that mentioned tumblr and the top comment was about shoelaces, and the creator replied saying they don't know what that means.

tiktok users aren't stupid or lesser than you. stop "not like other girls"-ing social media.

omegaverse comes up with about the same frequency on both platforms. i do interact with tiktoks about fanfiction, so that's probably why omegaverse shows up on my fyp in the first place, but i don't interact much if at all with tiktoks about omegaverse. yet they still show up.

fanfiction culture on tiktok is a little strange. they mostly make funny videos about accidentally skimming over the mpreg tag and getting jumpscared, and other relatable jokes.

the fanart on tumblr is better because it's easier to find and interact with.

tiktok loves edits. and the edits are SO GOOD. guys oh my god

tiktok also loves tweening, 2015 animation memes style. animation memes seem to be coming back i think?

on social issues, tiktok users seem generally much more optimistic than tumblr users. possibly because of the more potent sense of community caused by the "speaking directly at the camera" format as opposed to the "writing an essay mostly anonymously and hoping people actually read it" format. especially now, i feel far more inspired to act when using tiktok, and far more like i'm bracing for my inevitable doom when using tumblr.

on that note, tiktok's algorithm actually lends quite well to communication. tiktok users want people to see and interact with their videos, so they speak in a way that encourages conversation. this makes it feel more like an open friendly discussion. tumblr, however, has no such algorithm, and interacting with posts feels much more distant, so making a post about a serious topic is more akin to shouting your frustrations into the void and hoping someone on the other side hears and agrees with you.

the jokes on tumblr are funnier. tiktok loves their mediocre skits. nobody is that blunt in normal conversation and it's making your bit feel stilted, guys.

tumblr's sense of humor isn't unique, though. the format is just a little better for it.

tiktok users don't seem to piss on the poor as much. maybe because it's embarrassing to look inept and stupid when your face is attached to what you're saying? there's also access to body language and tone, and less pressure to say exactly what you mean in the exact right way the first time you say it without angering anyone.

14 year olds still engage in purity culture regardless of platform. this is because they're 14 years old.

i'm finding a LOT of great music through tiktok. it's awesome. genuinely one of my favorite things about the app.

tiktok is judgy and weird about things like appearance. tumblr is judgy and weird about morals. i prefer tiktok on this because at least i can say "normalise fatness" without being jeered at.

tumblr users love to guilt trip.

the "unalived" problem is not as bad as you guys make it out to be. tiktok users don't actually seem to say it much and prefer other euphemisms, especially when being serious. in no particular order, i've seen "departed this mortal coil", "passed", "eliminated" (usually in reference to the uhc ceo), and, a not insignificant amount of times, just "died" with the captions reading "unalived" or "d*ed" or something of the sort. it's still a problem with younger people, but for the most part everyone seems pretty against terms like "unalived" spreading into real life.

i DO see people using "grape" a lot more than "rape". probably because the word has a lot of weight and people are afraid of the topic. there's also a bigger fear of censorship here than with death and drugs; death and drugs are just a part of life. sexual assault? not so much. everyone seems pretty against the term "grape" spreading into real life too.

sex is a weird topic regarding self-censorship. when sharing personal drama, people approach it like they're in a room with children. in all other contexts it's pretty candid. when talking about sexual assault people like to dance around it. basically all like real life conversation, just ticked up a notch or two. i can't say anything about the extensive euphemisms of booktok smut povs, because i haven't seen a single one ever.

there are SO MANY ADS on tiktok. well. not really. there's a pretty normal amount of ads and a shit ton of lives and even more sponsored posts and posts where the poster gets commissions from advertising a tiktok shop item. it feels like you're being inundated with ads.

i'm white so i'm speaking from experience here (though i'm obviously not the end-all-be-all voice on this)—accidental racism is a lot easier to spot and fix on tiktok. it's a lot easier to see if your fyp is entirely white people and sometimes a poc every once in a while, since their faces are all right there, than it is to take note of the race of each of the faceless bloggers you follow on a pretty anonymous site. it's also easier to fix; on tiktok you can just look up something like "black hairstyles", like a few posts, and now there's black people on your fyp. if you interact with their posts normally, there won't be much more issue. on tumblr you'd have to specifically seek out someone, which feels almost performative to me, and also something that, regardless of biases, takes a lot more effort.

on a similar but contrasting note, tumblr's lack of algorithm makes it a lot less easy to fall down weird rabbit holes. on tiktok, though, it is concerningly easy to be boiled like a frog down pipelines, whether they be alt-right or conspiracy theory or astrology that devolves really quickly into a new type of essentialism. i like to think i'm pretty Aware of what i interact with online and how, but people on tiktok reaallyy like astrology and i've nearly slipped quite a few times thanks to a passing interest in tarot.

tiktok users are weirdly reliant on tiktok. tumblr users are weirdly reliant on tumblr. tiktok users don't have a superiority complex about it, though. i think we should all expand our horizons.

conclusion: to me tumblr feels like a club and tiktok feels like chatting with strangers at a chill party. i don't think one is better than the other; they're pretty drastically different platforms and can't really be compared like that. i feel like they're both somewhat necessary internet ecosystems. tumblr is anonymous, non-algorithmic, and has far less built-in censorship. tiktok is closer to real life, allows you to easily find and explore new things, and brings communities together in a pretty impactful way. insert something inspirational and poignant about society and how humans interact here.

[givetomurasomechapstick]

Hi I saw your request open and wanted to try to request something. Is it possible for you to write about Rottmnt Mikey? So S/O / Reader? is a make up artist but she very very rarely posted about her transformative cosplay make ups that could change her entire facial features into whoever she was cosplaying as and Mikey didn't know about that as he only thought S/O was more of normal makeup artist. One day, when S/O was visiting Mikey and the others while they forgot about their own makeup being a famous artist in that universe for a makeup post on their social media. Tired and forgetting suddenly S/O was being alerted by Mikey who was still friendly but had an edge to his voice due to not recognizing S/O thinking an intruder had come to the lair, alerting his brothers as well. This made S/O finally awaken from her drowsiness and quickly wiped off her makeup to reveal her face? I just think it's a comical scene and would love to see if you could do it if possible. Please don't be pressured by this. Hope you have a nice day. 🐻

Interesting idea. I'll see what I can do! Hope this is what you wanted 💖

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Mikey X MakeupArtist!Reader

Notes: Fem Reader!! (Y/N)'s POV! April is mentioned too! Donnie is also really the only one out of the brothers to really speak here, sorry about that. Mikey might be a teeny bit ooc.

"Mistakes were made lessons were learned..." - Rise Leo in Hot Soup the Game (I literally but that for no reason)

Warnings: None really.

Key: (Y/N) Your name, (F/S) favorite show, (N/N) nickname

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If you haven't yet, this is a reminder to check out my 2025 Requesting Rules! Requesting is open!!

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"And done!" I had just finished posting my newest makeup art. Unlike usually, I uploaded more of a cosplay makeup of my favorite character from (F/S).

Which is honestly, pretty rare of me. One top of that, I was also extremely tired. Mainly and only because there was a big test going on at my school that me and my friend, April, were studying for.

I think I might've forgot the sleep last night. Whatever. At least I don't look like it.

'Maybe going to hang with the guys will keep my mind off of that darn test.' So that's exactly what I did. But I'm feeling like I forgot something...

...

When I was walking there, I felt a lot of eyes on me. What? Did a mosquito bite me or something? It isn't even bug season. Maybe I have dirt on my face? It was strange but I tried to brush it off. But things only got weirder when I got to the lair.

The way they looked at me was so weird. I must have something on my face, but what? 'But why are they looking at me like that?' "Uh, hi there." Mikey said perking up a smile, but had some uncertainty in his voice. But he sounded pretty cautious. Mostly normally, but a little cautious. But why?

Before I knew it, Mikey was gone. I think I heard him say something like "Guys, I think there's an intruder in the lair." but I wasn't sure cause it was pretty faint. But next time I seen him, he had his brothers with him, and they were all weaponed and geared up. I quirked up a brow and my eyes filled with some shock. So kind of like a face mixed with confusion and shock.

But then I pieced the puzzle pieces together. 'That's what I was missing!' I quickly looked down at my hands, and roughly rubbed my face with them. Until my hands were smeared with makeup. It must've not been enough thought. "M-Mikey, can you get me a little water...?" I asked unsure, yet softly so I don't scare them if they really doesn't know it's me, but that did the opposite.

"They know my name!" Mikey shrieked and Donnie held out his tech bow further. "What else do you know? I guess you know all of our names, hm?" Donnie scoffed, snarling.

I guess saying his name got them on edge. However, Mikey carefully brought a bowl of water over, the boys gripped their weapons tighter.

When I held the bowl of water in my lap, I dipped my hands inside and wiped my face off. Getting rid of most of the makeup. Enough to tell it was me at least.

"(N/N)..." Mikey mumbled in shock, before he quickly rushed up and hugged me. "Omigosh! I'm so sorry! I thought you was an intruder who was a spy or something. I'm really sorry." I made sure to hug back tightly. I couldn't help but chuckle thought as we pulled away.

"It's okay Mike. My mistake, not yours." I pat his head gently. By now, the brothers has lowered their weapons and their grip has decreased greatly from when they thought I was... whatever they thought I was.

At least I guess I learned a lesson today. Mirrors are there for a reason!

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Did my best, and I hope you enjoy! Kind of short, sorry about that tho. You are also the first request I chose!

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The gif isn't mines! I just found it on my browser!

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If you haven't yet, this is a reminder to check out my 2025 Requesting Rules!

[caw4brandon]

The Power of Stop-Motion

Media in today's standard is quick and easy. Rarely is a show more than 2 hours long or 13-epiodes per-season. With that, animated movies are a lot slower than the typical films.

There is a discussion on if animation is suitable for film purposes and while it is often shunned by the Golden Globes or the Oscars or other awards. The very few outliers can prove these awards and the world very wrong.

But that is not what we will be talking about today. Because while animation is popular, there is a dark horse among its sphere. One with a rich history and strong filmography that should be shared. Let's talk about;

- Have I possibly gone daffy? -

Stop-motion is a film making style that compiles multiple still images of an object being physically manipulated in small movements into one whole scene.

Majority of Stop-motion films and videos use [Clay Animation] or [Paper Animation] with several more varieties of new innovations emerging under the umbrella of stop-motion. The most popular of them in the modern era towards kids is [Lego animation] which is the manipulation of Lego models in motion.

The earliest trace of Stop-motion in films is the 1898 short [The Humpty Dumpty Circus] by Albert E. Smith and James Stuart Blackton which is said to be a lost media. To compensate, please watch [A Tribute to Stop Motion]

In its early concept, Stop-motion was used as a method to create impossible things or do practical effects under budget constrains. Such as the iconic King Kong scene at the Empire State building. Since then, Stop-motion has evolved into a full production industry. From Indies; [Righteous Robot] to Juggernauts; [Laika Studios]

- Shimmer a Little at The Edges -

Unconventional media such as stop-motion is often not a style suited for every story. Its a rather expensive type of media that requires worthy innovations top break the niche barrier. Just looking at Laika Studios alone, we see that they've develop a lot of interesting ways to improve visual effects while staying to their stop-motion roots.

One perfect example is seen in < Kubo and the Two Strings > where the animators need to create water in a still image world that feels natural. [A Perfect Storm] one other part of the stop-motion puzzle is the iron-willed discipline it to conceptualize, animate and edit a production that can take about 3 to 5 years to complete. More so of a time frame than a normal film.

This difficult curve lead to budgeted methods such as using models that already exist to tell new stories. Such as; Legos or with crude multi-jointed figures of existing characters. [MOONSHINE]

While I may say its crude, the low budget production is the selling point. Assisted with sound bites taken from gaming sessions or from shows featuring a lot of inside jokes and memes. Also, its hilarious to see a Teletubby turned into a Eldritch monster.

These attempts to make stop-motion productions accessible has captured the attention of other like-minded channels to collaborate and elevate one another. [ERB: Harry Potter vs Luke Skywalker]

- For Better Tomorrows -

With all that is said, what is the power of stop-motion? As a media that is tediously overlapping across processes. What are the better tomorrows for our inanimate subjects?

I like to think, that as filmmaking grows. Stop-motion will continue to remain as a sacred tug against live action films and traditional animation. It can be used to tell complicated stories with concepts that may look strange if its adapted in a live action.

As I have mentioned in [The Beautiful World of Hilda] animation's greatest strength is simplification. Stop-motion takes the opposite side of that philosophy.

Its a higher level of world building of the materials with willingness to accept mistakes and ruggedness that gives them that little flavor of life. As an actual touchable thing, the various cartoonish styles can take on a whole new dimension to heighten the style and give it that detail that is less polished.

Stop-motion shows that filmmaking magic can still exist despite already knowing the tricks. Its a media where every frame shown has a significant purpose that invokes a specific flow. That's the power of stop-motion.

[i-am-trying-my-best-okay]

Attempting To Analyze Luka And Till To Try And Figure Out How Round Seven Will Go

LUKA:

From what we've seen of him, while he knows how to manipulate people's emotions, doesn't quite know how to understand them and process them. We see this as far back from when he was a kid, when he and Hyuna's brother would get into fights, and he would use his frailty as an excuse to go running to Hyuna for her to defend him; it's an excuse to get her attention, to get her to side with him against her brother. This probably made him feel good, like she placed him above her brother, even if it was momentarily.

However, this strategy came crashing down when he went too far, when he killed her brother. Perhaps this was an accident, just him being too frustrated that day, him going to far, and he didn't realize it till too late. Even so, it was fine, he just needed to present himself as the victim to Hyuna like he usually did. What he didn't anticipate, was Hyuna's complete horror and rejection of him.

Now, we don't know when exactly Hyuna ran away and went rouge, but it couldn't have been right away; also, if we're going on what we saw that one time with Hyuna still having cuffs when she was an adult, then it wouldn't be till many years later. The aliens wouldn't have put Hyuna in a different group or anything; even if she did somehow try and plead a case that she was worried for her safety or something, they'd take one look at little prized Luka and be like 'nah he's harmless; that stunt with your brother was in self defense', basically not caring at all about Hyun Woo dying at all; he wasn't as profitable as Luka. It helps that Luka is so sickly; it helps with him getting out of any actual punishment on the rare occasion he slips up. And so, in the aftermath, Hyuna and Luka still had to interact with each other everyday for the remainder of their training in childhood.

Now, to backtrack, for Luka's backstory, this is more speculation than anything. But from what I can tell, he's always had a camera in his face, some sort of eyes on him looking for media entertainment. Even before he's been properly trained, we saw that small scene of him as a child with a bunch of aliens crowding him, eyes on him, and him just looking so tired from it. I'm assuming that he was either breed and born for being a singer, or he was clocked at a very early age. Either way, he started getting media attention from before he was even put into training with others. It's in this, that Luka formed his understanding of interactions; it's performative, doing whatever the aliens want out of him for their entertainment, he learns that he needs to do certain things in order to get a positive reaction out of the aliens. It's what he needs to do to survive, all he's been trained to do really. From this all he knows about socializing is how to get an emotional response out of someone, a completely hollowed understanding of how emotions work.

And then he was put into training with other humans, which is likely the first time he's actually put with other humans. He's ostracized; he's seen as sort of 'other', since he's leagues ahead of the other humans who've barely started properly learning and he's been trained for this since forever. Also, the other humans likely have been around other humans before, meanwhile we have Luka over here who as none of the common social ques that humans have. Basically; he's never been treated like an equal before, he only knows the dehumanization dynamic from aliens, who just want him to perform. But with his group, their not asking him to perform, so he essentially ignores them, thinking that's all an interaction is. That's when Hyuna comes in; she feels like the sort of person to see how Luka is put on the outside of the group for being strange, and doggedly tries to become friends with him, despite his initial disinterest. It's through this, that Luka forms an obsession with Hyuna, his first friend, the first living being that doesn't demand anything from him. He can relax around her, do weird shit like chew on his sleeve if he feels like it and she doesn't mind, doesn't have to mask a response. He actually has positive feelings himself when he's around Hyuna, something he's not really used to. But despite this, Luka still has a dysfunctional idea of how emotions are, and really likes Hyuna, so he wants to get a positive out of her, so he still tries to do things he knows will get that out of her, like that thing with her brother.

Now, back to Hyuna now being horrified of Luka, he really doesn't know what to do with this. He tries to fix it, do every trick he knows to get a positive response from her, try to get her forgiveness, but nothing was working, and he doesn't understand why, and he's getting increasingly and dangerously frustrated. Luka is not use to getting a negative response, and I think it's through this that he really learns what that's like. So, I think to ward off his frustration, he tests getting negative responses from his fellow humans, particularly his opponents. It's through this, that he finds out how useful that can be, a more secure way to survive. As the years go by, Luka gets all the better at manipulating others emotions, and it's through this that he understands why Hyuna still won't forgive him, despite his understanding of these emotions being very clinical. Because of this, he knows how to try and better manipulate Hyuna into forgiving him, so much so that it actually starts messing with Hyuna's head. She emotionally begins to be swayed into forgiving him, but rationally she doesn't want to, and it gives her a whole complex of what she knows what she wants to feel versus what Luka is manipulating her to feel. But she ends up running away from the aliens before Luka could completely manipulate her.

When she runs away, Luka falls into a spiraling depression. The one person he's ever loved is gone, the one person who made him feel anything. From this, he dives into his work, trying to glean any sort of joy from manipulating negative responses from his competitor's to make them mess up, turning it into a sort of game at this point. It becomes his only defense against the constant eyes on him from the aliens, the constant and disgustingly dehumanizing attention that has choked him ever since he could remember. Luka folds further and further into himself, burying whatever sliver of humanity he felt with Hyuna. However, he follows very closely the revolution movement that's happening, knowing for a fact Hyuna would join (or start?) the group. The aliens likely have covered up this revolution, especially from the humans so they won't get any ideas, but with Luka being Luka, he likely has the influence to get some insider information whenever he can, causally eavesdropping on important alien figures talking about it while he sings for them. Whatever the case, no matter how much time has passed, Hyuna haunts him just as much as he haunts Hyuna. And even after all this time, he still doesn't hold the proper remorse of murdering her brother or trying to manipulate her into forgiving him, just regretting the results.

TILL:

From what I can try to glean from Till's past, it's littered in violence from the aliens. I can see there being a sort of cycle with Till; he does something that his alien owners lightly punish him for, which puts him on the defense and gets violent, which in turn makes the alien's get violent and try to restrain, which makes Till get even more violent, and so on. The aliens viewed him as sort of this feral dog, completely untrainable, moving him from home to home, shelter to shelter. They try all their methods they have to make him 'submit', but each and every time he simply refuses.

I sort of have this theory that Till didn't start out as someone with an owner, or someone who was even regulated by an alien in a adoption facility or something; he used to live on the streets, completely unmanaged, which is very rare for humans. Maybe he even had other stray humans he hung around, or maybe he managed on his own. Either way, eventually he gets captured by the aliens, and maybe his fellow stray humans get captured and broken down or killed in this. The aliens try to integrate Till into their human pet system, but he's just not having it. He wasn't trained by aliens since birth to act a certain way, which would explain his intense resistance towards them. He sees the situation for what it is, how humans being put in such a degrading and dehumanizing dynamic is wrong, and it makes him angry to be expected to put up with it. It makes him especially angry that his fellow humans expect him to go along with this dehumanization, just to keep the waters calm. Because even the humans that have sort of realized that this is wrong, were still trained under this system, and has just accepted that they need to live with it, and Till won't. They all act like he's crazy, aliens and humans alike, but Till refuses to give in.

Whatever the case, Till proves to show constant resilience, something that probably was having him set up to be on track for being 'put down', having no worth as a 'pet'. Till knew this, but it just made him push even harder, fight back harder. We see in a few flashes of Till be experimented on with syringes; possibly in an effort to make him calmer. This was probably something that happened before and after he became a singer. Even then, physically and biologically abused, he refuses to go along with this system, to try and hold on to any sense of autonomy he has even as they try to restrain and degrade it. And all this fighting does take a toll on Till; we see it in the heavy bags under his eyes, but even so, he keeps going. You know, unironically, I think Till is the embodiment of the term "the indomitable human spirit"; he just absolutely refuses to be cowed for the sake of an easier survival.

I think what kept him from being 'put down' was when it was discovered he had a talent for singing. I don't know how this was discovered; maybe Till was just bored and entertaining himself with singing or strumming a guitar, or maybe they had him tested for a talent before the decided to kill him just in case he had any sort of monetary worth. Once they figured out he had a talent, he was shipped off to be the Anact Garden's problem.

Now, Till, at his core, is an extremely protective person; it's actually kind of insane. Once he decides something is 'his', he tightly holds onto and protects it with everything he has. We see this time and time again; deciding to be the sole protector of the flowers and encouraging them to grow, literally beating someone up if they stepped on them. Following Mizi around just in case she would need help, and one day she did, and she didn't hesitate to run into that cave and fight off whatever monster she had stumbled upon, literally just some child squaring up against some mutated beast (or possibly striking a deal with it? we didn't see the whole thing. either way whatever he did must have been a huge deal because it literally changed Ivan's life). He doesn't even care if Mizi loves Sua and that she'll never love him; he just wants her to be safe and happy. And in defending Ivan as well, cause he was a weird kid, and I know Till would go from snarling at Ivan to snarling at another kid who's making fun of Ivan. And that's why he fights so hard for his own rights and autonomy as well, because he's protective of his own sense of self, refusing to let go of it. His protective instincts are his main motivation for basically all of his actions, all of his supposed feral behavior.

It's probably this that trait that drew Ivan to Till in the first place; his and Till's first interaction was Till beating him up over some flowers. It kind of looked like Ivan felt alive for possibly the first time in his life during that fight. I bet afterwards, if Ivan were to question Till on it, Till wouldn't even understand the point of the question; like of course he would defend the flowers till his last dying breath? Duh? Don't be a dick? Ivan probably followed Till around all the time, but I imagine the reason Till didn't form as close a connection to Ivan was because Till sees Ivan as just another source of violence in his life he needs to fight against. It's why he probably developed such a crush on Mizi; Till is drawn to kindness more than anything, to softness. It's why he forms a connection to the flowers, to Mizi. He can't see the kindness in Ivan, not till it's too late.

It's probably those protective instincts that made him turn back when Ivan was trying to get him to run away; of course he wanted to run away. But then he thought of Mizi, left unprotected. And then he considered Ivan, who upon running away, would also be left unprotected out in the world. His need to protect was being torn at, and in the end, he chose Mizi, leaving Ivan to fend for himself. What he didn't expect, was to see that Ivan came back too. That's when Till truly stopped seeing Ivan; his guilt didn't allow him to. He feels like he abandoned him, thrown him aside what he feels he needs to protect, forced him to come back to the facility, and now Till can't look him in the eye.

Honestly, I think it's these protective instincts that serve in his break down after Mizi left. He feels like he failed in protecting her, and not only that, he feels like there's nothing left for him to protect. He'd already thrown away the idea of protecting himself when he was entered into this competition, only motivated to protect himself to get far enough to go against Mizi in the final round, in which he was going to throw the round so that she could live. He completely threw away any protective instinct for his own survival, having accepted that at the beginning of this competition, because those he loves will always come first, and he and Mizi both couldn't survive, so really it was a no brainer for him. But now Mizi is gone, and he doesn't know how to get that desire to protect himself back, can't find the motivation for it. And so, going up against Ivan, all of the years of constantly fighting are just coming to get him, and he's just so tired. With nothing left, he was just going to throw the match. And then Ivan comes up and starts kissing him, which catches Till completely off guard. But then Ivan starts choking him before Till could process what that meant, and this made a lot more sense to him. Ivan killing him on stage lines up with everything he thinks Ivan to be; just another source of violence, and he's going to let him. But then he realizes what's actually going on, and it all clicks into place for him; Ivan loved him. Ivan had a whole inner world Till never knew because he decided to look away. And Ivan was something Till still had left to protect, but now he was gone. And all he has left to protect is the sacrifice Ivan left behind; himself.

TOGETHER:

It's unlikely these two have ever really met before; they were in different age groups when they were being trained as kids, and given their extremely different vibes it's unlikely they'd be asked to perform together or even be asked for from the same clients. So this competition is likely the first time they've met. Having never really met, what they currently think of each other is Till thinking Luka "is a dick who messed with Mizi and kisses up to the audience", and Luka thinks of Till as "an idiot who will go unhinged at the drop of a hat and has no sense of his own self preservation".

Till finds the motivation to want to survive, for Ivan's sake. He wants to protect Ivan's cause for dying, almost like he wants to make up for not properly seeing him over the years, for tossing him aside and not protecting him. Bro's got a whole complex he'll work on for the rest of his life, but right now it's really motivating him to win, so at least there's that.

It would be really easy for Luka get a negative reaction out of Till; he's very reactive to things. But I think Luka will fail in getting the right kind of reactions out of Till. Typically, when he backs his competitors into a corner, they feel too much turmoil to properly sing. But that's the thing with Till; he's reactive. If Luka pushes him physiologically, his response won't be to shut down, it'll probably motivate him to sing even better, try to sing over Luka out of spite. So Luka's best bet is to try and provoke Till into violence, and it'll prove a challenge for Till who probably already hates this guy for giving Mizi a breakdown. I bet for the entire round Till will have to try so hard not to beat this guy up, to push all his aggressive energy into the performance, but it's so clear how much he just wants to murder this man, leaving the crowd and the guards on pins and needles.

Till's normal style of competing seems to be singing over his opponents, making sure they have absolutely no time to collect themselves. It's kind of funny, how both Till and Luka's strategy is just to make the other one look worse. But Luka has a lot of experience with making the crowd like him, so he throws tricks at Till he wouldn't be expecting, somehow blending the performances perfectly. But Till has never been one to stick to the script, so I can imagine him just playing a wildly different tune, trying to force Luka to change lanes again and again, seeing if he can keep up. In the end, this isn't a performance; it's a fight, a tug of war for the spotlight.

On another point, I wonder if Till will accidently remind Luka of Hyuna; she was obviously a rebel herself, given her whole thing of going to go join a revolution, so I wonder if at some point in the performance Luka will see a bit of Hyuna in Till, and it'll cause some faulter. It's kind of funny; Luka will on purpose psychologically torment Till with those that he lost, and Till will accidently psychologically torment Luka with the one that he lost.

Really, them competing with each other is sort of like a round of chicken, seeing who will crack first. But of course, all this could be for naught when we thrown in these two uncontrollable elements; Hyuna and Mizi. They're here, at the facility, and they're in trouble. This is something both of them will deeply care about, and it's unclear how it'll factor in. I wonder, if at some point during the performance the two of them will realize Hyuna and Mizi's situation, and give each other a look, like they're saying to each other "okay fuck you and all but we've got to help them", and then their battle turns into a weird sort of temporary alliance. Maybe they try to distract the aliens with their performance or start actually fighting. Maybe they do some sort of weird complicated dance move that's made to break the power and to make it easier for Hyuna and Mizi to get away. Maybe they just say 'fuck it' and run off the stage together, going to help the other two and have them all escape. Either way, I think the ending of their performance won't have anything to do with the two of them at all, but rather another. And I suppose it's fitting for the two of them, whose current sense of identity is tied so closely to other people, rather than themselves.

[thecoffeelorian]

Everyone's Got Secrets... (House Husband AU)

A/N: When I first saw Pedro Pascal’s character rushing into battle at the start of this movie, my very first thought of him was this:

He moved in for the kill, just like a wolf.

What does that have to do with fanfiction, you might ask…? Simple. When you add to this the legend that a wolf helped create the city of Rome, my love of the 'Way Of The House Husband' show, and a chat with @braveincafleet , then you may figure out that this is how my little House Husband AU came to be.

Anyway...I hope you enjoy this just as much as I do, and if so, be sure to give it some love before you go back to your scrolling. Thanks! <3

Story Premise: This is a little intro/infodumped backstory for a modern/ex-Mafia version of General Acacius, as that seems to be a writing style I've consistently had over multiple fandoms. It's also a version where he's (obviously) retired and settled down with the modern version of Lucilla Verus, though there are still glimpses of what he used to be like here and there if one is looking hard enough.

Story Word Count: 779 words.

Special Notes: So...maybe I'll turn this into a series someday, maybe I won't. Until then, I'll try and poke around to find more Lucilla x Marcus fics as soon as I possibly can.

No Pressure Tags:

@sweetperfectioncloud @letsgobarbs @rav3n-pascal22 @lilac-boo @iseefire16

@ultra-nina-bella @lunnaisjustvibing @blueheisenbergtragedy @vichons @mysticalgalaxysalad

@hicanivent @marvelforever352 @thischarmingmandalorian and anyone else who would like to read more stories about our favorite General. ;)

Justin Acacius was, according to the neighbors of Imperator Street, a fairly cultured man who wouldn’t dare break the laws of their fair city. Indeed, all outward appearances have never given them reason to think otherwise, for any red flag moments have not yet presented themselves.

For example, by day, he keeps the household of their esteemed Head Curator, Lucilla Gherardi, in perfect working order. This includes making sure that Lucilla herself never leaves the house without a homemade lunch in her possession, because there isn’t much work that a person can accomplish on an empty stomach. During the rare moments that she does, however, it’s not long before he’s on the nearest available bicycle to catch up with her, sometimes even breaking local traffic laws just to get there in time.

(Thank goodness the nearby law enforcement have learned to let him off easy by now.)

Second, there’s what this couple’s closest neighbors have come to label as “Piero Watch”, the daily sighting of the family dog on its walk around 9:15 am every day, most often with Mr. Acacius getting somewhat pulled along behind them. After all, sometimes dogs will go exactly where you don’t want them to go.

Third, whereas some neighbors are occasionally guilty of noise pollution, there's no such disturbance from Signor Acacius' side of the street. Sometimes he brings a friend or two over for short visits, sometimes he goes out for last minute groceries like the supplies needed to make homemade pasta--oh, but never will any strange women be seen going into that house beside him.

He's married, obviously, so he's not about to throw away a good life on one foolish act.

And speaking of foolish acts…neither will anyone notice this gentleman plotting any violence behind Lucilla’s back while she’s out of the house. That’s a vice best left for lesser men, for instead of any shady dealings, he’s much more likely to get into surprise “Cutest Dog” duels with passersby like Mr. Macrinus, as there’s quite the following for groups like these over social media these days.

As Macrinus himself may tell you, these sorts of “battles” will leave no fatal wounds behind them, and all parties involved will go home satisfied.

And finally, by the time that night falls, there’s not much of a change other than the occasional smoke break, if not also the even rarer trip outdoors for a few last minute groceries. In other words, though he might be a slightly imposing figure at times…there’s absolutely nothing to fear where Mr. Acacius is concerned.

At least, not if you’re the average, well-to-do citizen…because for those who wear their sunglasses a bit darker, their skin a bit more tattooed, and keep one eye over their shoulder, it’s a slightly different story.

Should any members of this crowd pass Mr. Acacius in the streets, the title “Il Lupo” is the name they speak. Sometimes they say it with a voice full of fear, sometimes with awe, but all, regardless of their age, status, or sometimes even gender, as this is the 21st Milennia, don’t dare stick around too long.

For the individuals in charge of such groups, be they The Twins in the center to The Emperor a bit further north, they will on occasion ask Acacius’ advice on what seem like trivial matters, such as the right temperature to roast a head of garlic or what is the best detergent to wash out a bloodstain or several—oh, but always from clumsy kitchen accidents rather than any violent executions.

In case you haven’t heard, these modern people don’t do that sort of thing any more.

That’s as far as the mystery reaches, of course, for as the dead can’t reveal any secrets and the living wish to keep their honor, nobody’s ever going to consider speaking up instead. It’s highly doubtful any average person will ever know the truth about Mr. Acacius, either, as there are no known books or magazines ever published that might otherwise hint about his true identity.

If someone were to happen upon the oldest man on the same street where Mr. Acacius lives, however—specifically, the one with a faded SPQR tattoo upon one arm and no photographs of grandchildren in plain sight—maybe they’ll one day hear the story of how the one known as Il Lupo, the one who looks suspiciously like Justin, narrowly escaped life in an Italian prison. Maybe they’ll also hear all about how he became a married man not long afterward, and curiously moved to the very same street address where Mr. Acacius now lives.

But then again…a story’s just a story, wouldn’t you agree?

[princesskenny1998]

MHA | Bakugou Katsuki x proHero!reader ~ Ship

As a newly debuted pro hero with a unique and rather unconventional quirk you’d quickly gained a following, along with some reputation in the field. Though your career was young, people noticed you, both for your fierce and chaotic fighting style and your public persona that fans couldn’t help but love.

However, none of that could prepare you for the strange twist in popularity that arrived one morning when you checked your phone and found countless tags linking you to none other than Dynamight himself. Social media was flooded with fan edits, speculations, and even a hashtag dedicated to the two of you as a “power couple.” And sure, Dynamight was undeniably attractive and undeniably talented, but you’d never even met him.

As you scrolled through one edit—one where someone had cut together footage of you and Dynamight side by side, looking fierce and intimidating—you couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. The idea of you and Dynamight as a duo was amusing at best, although you had to admit it didn’t look half-bad.

By noon, your agent called.

“Hey, you’ve seen the social media storm, right?” they asked, barely containing their excitement.

“Yeah, I did,” you replied, still a bit amused. “Is this really something to be concerned about?”

“Well, here’s the thing: the higher-ups in the agency think this might actually be good for both your PR and Dynamight’s,” they said. “It’s an opportunity to build more buzz around you as a new hero. The public loves the idea of a ‘Power Couple,’ you know?”

You rolled your eyes, but the idea of meeting Dynamight did intrigue you, just a little. He was known for his relentless drive and hard-hitting quirk. People idolized him for his intensity and strength. However, his temper was also notorious, and you were almost certain that meeting him would be anything but a smooth experience.

“Alright, so what’s the plan?” you asked, giving in.

“We’re arranging for you two to meet up. You’ll both be aware of it, and the plan is to pair you up on a mission soon after. Nothing crazy, just something to get people talking.”

And just like that, you were locked in.

The day of your arranged meeting arrived, and you made your way to the agency’s assigned training facility, knowing Dynamight would already be there. A part of you felt nervous—Bakugou Katsuki, aka Dynamight, was known for his intensity, and his fanbase was as devoted as they came. You weren’t sure how this would go.

As you approached the entrance, you took a deep breath and opened the door to see him standing there, arms crossed, eyes locked on you the moment you entered.

“Hey,” you greeted, flashing a small smile. “[Hero Name]. But you probably know that already.”

Bakugou looked at you, sizing you up as if trying to assess just what kind of person his PR had paired him with. “Yeah, I know. Dynamight,” he said bluntly.

The initial interaction was stiff, almost forced. After all, you were both here because someone else thought it would be a good idea, not because you had a real connection.

However, as the training session progressed, things began to change. Your quirks were oddly complementary. Bakugou’s explosive power matched well with your abilities. You found yourself enjoying the way you could support each other’s moves, almost instinctively.

Bakugou, too, seemed to loosen up slightly, impressed by your control over your unique quirk.

“Not bad,” he admitted, a rare compliment slipping out as you finished a drill.

“Coming from you, that’s high praise,” you replied with a smirk, enjoying the way his eyebrow twitched.

He scoffed, but you could tell he was secretly amused. Maybe this team-up wouldn’t be so bad.

Over the next few weeks, you and Dynamight were scheduled for more and more joint missions, and as you spent more time together, the initial awkwardness started to melt away. Bakugou’s abrasive demeanor softened, though only slightly, and you found yourself genuinely enjoying his company. Sure, he could be intense, but there was something refreshing about his straightforwardness.

As you both walked down a dimly lit street after a particularly grueling mission, you couldn’t resist teasing him.

“So, how does it feel to be in the tabloids with a new ‘partner’?” you asked, waggling your eyebrows.

He groaned. “Don’t even get me started. All these idiots are so focused on ‘shipping’ they forget I’m here to do my job.”

“But hey, it’s not all bad,” you replied, smirking. “We make a pretty good team.”

He stopped, glancing over at you. “Yeah… you’re alright,” he said, with a small shrug. Coming from Bakugou, you knew that was a lot.

As time went on, your friendship deepened, slowly shifting into something more. You didn’t talk about it, but there were lingering glances, casual touches, and inside jokes. You were drawn to him in ways you hadn’t anticipated, and you could sense he felt the same.

One evening, after another mission, you found yourselves alone in his apartment. You were both exhausted, but there was a comfortable tension hanging in the air. You leaned against the counter, watching him as he grabbed water for you both.

“Y’know,” you said, your voice softer than usual, “I didn’t think I’d actually end up liking you."

He rolled his eyes, handing you a water bottle. “You’re not exactly a walk in the park either, you know that?”

You laughed, shaking your head, but before you knew it, he was standing closer, his gaze intense.

“Katsuki…” you whispered, the realization that you’d just used his first name hitting you both.

And then, he kissed you.

The kiss was intense, filled with unspoken feelings that had built up over weeks. It was a release of all the tension, the anticipation, and the undeniable connection that had grown between you.

When you finally pulled back, you were both a bit breathless, staring at each other in shock and awe.

“Guess the fans were right,” you murmured, smiling.

Bakugou scoffed, though there was a softness in his eyes. “Idiots got lucky,” he muttered, his fingers gently grazing your cheek.

Despite your best efforts to keep things quiet, the media eventually caught on to your relationship. You’d been careful, but somehow, a photographer managed to capture a shot of the two of you sharing a kiss after a mission. The photo spread like wildfire, turning into a front-page scandal within hours.

At first, the agency was nervous. Relationships between pro heroes were a delicate subject, and the media frenzy wasn’t helping.

But Bakugou was unbothered, almost amused by the whole thing. “Let them talk,” he said dismissively, his arm draped around your shoulders as you both watched the news from his apartment.

You laughed, leaning into him. “Guess there’s no point in hiding it anymore, huh?”

“Damn right,” he replied, pressing a kiss to your temple.

The public’s reaction was mixed. Some fans were thrilled that their “ship” had sailed, while others expressed shock and disbelief. But for you and Bakugou, the opinions of strangers didn’t matter. You were happy, and that was enough.

As the initial frenzy died down, your relationship became more accepted, and you and Bakugou continued to fight side by side, a true power couple in the pro hero world. You balanced each other perfectly, your quirks complementing each other in ways you’d never imagined.

One evening, as you both sat on the roof of his building, watching the city lights, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn your life had taken.

“Did you ever think it’d turn out like this?” you asked, glancing over at him.

He shook his head, a rare, genuine smile crossing his face. “Nah. But I wouldn’t change it.”

You smiled, resting your head on his shoulder, feeling at peace.

[asholotl119]

today for @sanusoweek day 2: reincarnation, i present to you:

a one-shot almost 14x the length of the drabble i posted yesterday.

Sanji has odd dreams sometimes.

In these dreams, he’s a cook on a pirate ship. Not just any pirate ship– the ship of Monkey D. Luffy, legendary figure and his high school history teacher’s favorite historical figure. In his dreams, he’s not some untouchable legend, though; no, he’s just a guy who eats too much and annoys him with how often he tries to get into the fridge.

He chalks it up to the fact that he’s named after the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates. A combination of his mother’s obsession with old Germa 66 comics and the only name his father could remember from history class had led him to having the name he’d been given, and now he’s having weird dreams about being the actual Sanji.

Surprisingly, he looks vaguely similar to the old pictures of Vinsmoke Sanji. He’s got blond hair and light-gray eyes, but he doesn’t cover up his eyes. His eyebrows curl slightly at the ends, though not to the extent that the wanted posters–

“Sanji!” His roommate and best friend, Vera, calls from downstairs. “You’re gonna be late for your date!”

Sanji groans. “I told you to stop meddling with my love life!”

“You just had your bisexual awakening, I have to set you up with a good guy! Not just anyone will do!” Footsteps rattle up the stairs before Vera appears in the doorway. “Oh, you’re already ready.”

“I’ve been ready.” Sanji grumbles as he spritzes some cologne on. “I’d rather be going on a date with a woman–”

“Aw come on, you have to try at least once.” Vera moves aside as Sanji leaves the room. “Besides, you guys have something in common.”

“And what’s that?” Sanji grabs his house key and drops it in his pocket as he looks over himself.

“You’ll see.” Vera opens the door for him and ushers him out. “Have fun! Text if you’re not coming home tonight!”

“Haha, very funny.” Sanji scowls at her as she laughs, then turns his attention towards walking to the restaurant.

Sanji arrives at the restaurant 15 minutes early and sits down at the closest open two-person table, scanning the menu as he waits for his date to appear.

All Vera had given him was a vague description of a dark-skinned man with frizzy brown curls and “the cutest little button nose, it’s so adorable!”. He didn’t even have a name, Vera having been strangely reticent in that regard.

For all he knew, the guy wasn’t even gonna show up.

He orders a water and takes out his phone, settling in his seat as he scrolled through social media.

“Excuse me, are you Sanji?” Someone asks politely.

Sanji puts his phone down and looks at the man talking to him. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Great!” The man plops himself down in the seat across from him, taking off the bag slung off one shoulder and depositing it next to him. “I’m Usopp!”

“Usopp? Like the pirate?” Sanji blurts out.

Usopp laughs nervously. “Yeah, my mom’s really into history, and my dad’s a really good shot, so she thought it’d be funny to name me after the sniper Usopp. I am really good with a slingshot and have pretty good eyes.” Usopp clears his throat. “Have you ordered food yet?”

“No, just a water.”

“Great! Let me just… look over this menu…” Usopp looks through the menu, and Sanji takes the time to study him.

He looks vaguely familiar, though Sanji could swear he’s never seen him before. Long, thick lashes frame dark brown eyes that occasionally catch the light as he moves them back and forth, and his nose is, admittedly, small and kind of cute. Thick lips purse as he considers his options, and his jaw is covered in short stubble. Sanji tries his hardest to figure out where he might��ve seen him before, but can’t remember anything.

“They have fresh fish here!” Usopp cheers after a couple of seconds. “That’s my favorite.”

“Is it? I’ll have to cook some for you sometime.” The easy offer to cook surprises Sanji even as the words leave his mouth. He tends to cook only at work and rarely cooks for others outside of that, unless they’re close friends.

“Really?” Usopp smiles widely, and Sanji finds that he likes it.

“Yeah, seafood’s my specialty.”

Before they could continue talking, the waiter arrives to take their order, and Sanji orders some pasta dish that isn’t too expensive while Usopp eagerly orders his fish.

After the waiter leaves, Usopp asks, “So you’re a chef?”

“Yeah, I work at a fine dining restaurant across town, in the tourism district.”

“Really? I work in the tourism district too…”

The conversation flowed smoothly after that, interrupted only by the arrival of their food. They explore surface level topics and, when they run out of those, a couple of deeper issues. After two hours, the waiter politely shoos them out, and they pay and leave.

“This was really fun! We uh, we don’t have to go on another date, we can just be friends, but I wouldn’t mind going on another date with you.” Usopp’s cheeks are flushed and he looks away from Sanji. “I’d like to take you up on that offer to cook for me…?”

“I’d like to go on another date with you.” Sanji reassures him, holding out his phone. “Your number?”

“Oh! Right!” Usopp takes his phone quickly and taps his number in. “Here you go!”

Sanji takes his phone back. “I’ll text you later.”

“Yeah! Text me later!” Usopp’s smiling again, teeth on full display. “See you later!”

With that, the two of them leave, each walking in opposite directions.

Sanji has another weird dream that night.

In it, he’s cooking on the pirate ship again, but this time, he’s not alone. There’s a man chopping up vegetables for him, and they talk easily as they prepare the food. A long nose is the first thing he notices after he turns away from the stove, along with animated hands gesticulating wildly. He’s talking about how he single-handedly fought off a giant bear with sound effects included, and it’s a miracle he doesn’t chop one of his fingers off.

He stops when he notices Sanji looking at him and smiles in a soft, familiar way. Sanji walks over to him and kisses that smile–

And then he wakes up.

After a quick internet search, he realizes that the man in his dream was the legendary sniper God Usopp, and he groans. He couldn’t have dreams about regular Usopp, no, his weird brain had to substitute him with the historical figure Usopp.

Whatever.

“Do you ever think,” Usopp starts from where he’s sitting at the table, “that we knew each other in a past life?”

Sanji’s almost done with the fish he’s cooking, and he absentmindedly frowns. “What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know, it’s just this feeling I have, like I’ve known you for a lifetime, even though I’ve only known you for a couple months.” Usopp sighs. “Then again, I make things up all the time, so maybe it’s just my brain coming up with an elaborate lie.”

“No, I… I get it.” The fish slides easily from pan to plate, and Sanji works on making up the plate to his exacting standards. “Do you ever have weird dreams?”

“Weird dreams? Like what?”

“Like… you’re living out somebody else’s life.”

Usopp’s quiet for a moment, then he responds, “Yeah. This is gonna sound kinda stupid but… I have dreams that I’m actually Usopp the sniper.”

Sanji breathes out forcefully. “What?!”

“I know, it’s weird.” Usopp sounds embarrassed. “I can’t help it, though, it just happens.”

“Well, I have dreams about actually being Sanji the cook.” Sanji mumbles, absentmindedly wiping down the edges of the plate.

“Really?!” Usopp watches as Sanji puts the plate in front of him. “Do you think we were actually Sanji and Usopp in a past life?”

“I don’t know.” Sanji sets his own plate down. “I’m not sure I believe in past lives, but I think we were meant to meet in this life.”

“You think so?” Usopp beams. “Well, I’m glad I met you in this life.”

“Yeah, I’m glad I met you in this life too.” Sanji smiles softly. “Now, let’s eat.”