#that one tiktok trend of “do you think we are together in every universe?” or whtv and its kremy and gideon

[daiisiy]

JEAN LUKE AND HIS BOYFRIEND REMY LACREOU

[thepersonnamedsam]

do you think we’re best friends in every universe? - ln4 & gzd

pairing: lando norris x the genz!driver

summary: y/n asked lando, if they’d be best friends in every universe

word count: 500

warnings: none

note: a little drabble about the current tiktok trend :)

masterlist / taglist

„Lan, do you think we’re best friends in every universe?“, she asked the older boy. „Huh?“, he had asked back.

„Do you think we’re best friends in every universe? I saw this trend on TikTok“, she explained.

„Let me see“, Lando demanded. y/n stretched her arm out to give Lando her phone. „That’s a sad one, but there are happy ones“, she said as she showed him the video were the F1 drivers all had different best friends.

Lando laughed his typical laugh and said: „I definitely wouldn’t say ‚what’, I‘d probably say ‚huh‘.“ She laughed, as that was the exact thing he’d said when she asked him.

„Do you think we’re best friends? Seriously“, she asked one more time.

Lando tugged on his Ferrari shirt and looked at her Mercedes gear. „Yeah, I think so, even if we aren’t enemies on the track, I think we’d be best friends.“

y/n laughed a little, her heart swelled a little at his words. „What do you think, do we drive for different teams in different universes, do we even drive in Formula 1?“

His shirt changed to a McLaren one and hers to her own team. „Maybe, maybe I’ll drive for Ferrari and you for Mercedes“, he laughed. She nodded her head, wondering how’d it be to drive for one of the big teams.

„And what if we don’t even drive in F1? I mean we met here“, she dragged out. „I think we’d still find a way to meet.“

„I mean, we met on a Saturday in a bakery, don’t you remember?“, Lando giggled. They were sitting on the floor in a two bedroom apartment. „You’re right! London, 2021, a tiny little bakery, you ordered a cinnamon bun and I got a raspberry tart!“, she excitedly said.

„And look where we are now! I mean, you’re an engineer for Red Bull Racing and I am a professional Golf Player who even participated in the Netflix Cup with Pierre Gasly“, he added.

„I think we’d always find a way back to Formula 1“, she sighed. Lando‘s light blue shirt matched y/n Williams shirt. „Do you think we’d be teammates too?“, he asked.

She shook her head no: „I don’t think we’d always be teammates, but always best friends, right?“

Lando nodded as he handed her a pint: „Always my pub bestie.“

„Maybe not always pub besties, but maybe even best friends since birth“, she smiled. „You weren’t even born in the UK, how would we be besties since birth?“, he asked.

„But I was“, she exclaimed. „Don’t you remember our mums meeting in the hospital?“

„Fuck, yes you’re right! Besties since birth, my god.“

„I know everything about you, Lando Kinder Norris“, she giggled and pushed him away.

„Do you think we’d be together in another universe?“, he asked shyly.

„I think I love you in every universe“, she said back and drew more figures on his naked torso. „Good, I don’t think I’d be able to live without you“, he sighed. „Don’t worry Lan, I’ll always be with you, one way or another.“

„Don’t you dare eat that worm!“, y/n in her bird from squealed. „And what if I do“, Lando challenged. „I’m gonna pick your feathers out“, she dared. „Ohh now I’m scared“, he taunted and ate her worm.

„What if I was that worm“, she whined. „Then I’d have you in me all the time and forever.“

Lando laughed and said: „Yes, y/n, I think we’re best friends in every universe.“

°°°

@ironmaiden1313 , @topguncultleader , @biglittlesecret , @gulabjamooon , @lovelyy-moonlight , @peachyplumsss , @mistrose23 , @copper-boom , @love4lando , @champomiel , @serenityleah , @iloveyou3000morgan , @angelwithoutmywings , @elleeeee21 , @youkissedareaderinthedark , @mikauraur , @thybulleric , @lpab , @fdl305 , @mellowarcadefun , @teti-menchon0604 , @vildetry06 , @bibissparkles , @aurora-maria , @lunnnix , @sya-skies , @Buckywifeyy , @dakotali , @rechtrecht , @noncannonships , @1eclerc16 , @pitlanebabe , @sopheeg , @avengersheart , @thatsadsmallchild , @peachiicherries , @idkiwantchocolatee , @callsign-scully , @mehrmonga , @badbatch-simp24 , @lissyontour , @din0nugs , @elliegrey2803 , @gay-for-victoria-de-angelis , @10vely-yutazen , @daggersquadphantom , @azriel-the-shadowsinger , @i-love-scott-mccall , @mikauraur , @heartmetaphor , @darleneslane , @ellswilliams , @thxtmarvelchick , @nataliambc , @dontjudgeabookbythecover , @hockeyboysarehot , @thehistoryone , @zimm04 , @woozarts , @mellowarcadefun , @deephideoutmolkshake , @grimeslvrr

[fairykazu]

you, me and the universe ft. bf! scara

masterlist . moonflwr masterlist

scaramouche doesn't understand your antics and how you always manage to pull out a "what if" question out of nowhere. of course, he does reply to all with them, with truth. he remembers when "will you still love me if i was a worm?" was trending and you were reposting on tiktok cute replies to the question. however, when you asked him that question, he said, "no."

you were incredibly distraught, "what do you mean??" he laughed at your demise until he noticed how you were fed up with him. "sorry, excuse me, let me explain."

you glanced at him with a look that only said, "explain yourself."

"okay, i wouldn't love you still if you were the worm. i'll love you as a worm while you're a worm. well?"

"that is so cute but question, so you wouldn't want to turn me back into a human???"

he pinched his nose bridge, "aiya, what was the point of asking, name? and yes, i would turn you back into a human with the resources from ei."

"just asking if you would love me the same." you said with a sigh.

he exhaled a laugh before pulling you into his arms, his hands resting on your waist. you rested your chin against the nape of his neck, the very end of his hair tickling you. you can feel his warmth from his hands against your back. "i would love you the same regardless of what form you take."

you smiled against his neck, kissing it lightly, "you're so cute, honey. it's the same for me."

it's 3am, you and scaramouche is already in bed, but you're wide awake and still thinking about the alternative universes trend on tiktok, "do you think we would still be ___ in different universes?" you know you had gotten the answer you liked from scaramouche, but you just need one more answer to this question and you'll fall asleep peacefully. rolling to his side of the bed, your body stopped at his. you poked his cheek, "honey..."

he peeked with one of his eyes before opening both, "hmm.. g'morning?" his hair was sprawled out on the pillow and his hands snaked underneath the comforter, bringing you closer to him. his hands were so much warmer than your body, maybe because you're wearing a t-shirt. you curled closer to him, stealing a bit of his warmth.

grabbing your phone, the blue light reflecting on your screen, you checked the clock, around three fifty. you replied "it’s not morning yet but i have a question again."

he already guessed it from your tone. "is it from tiktok again?" gosh, do you ask so many questions specifically from tiktok? probably if he was able to guess it again. you nervously laugh,

"unfortunately."

"ask away."

scaramouche was piecing together the random tiktoks you have been reposting and the question from earlier to see how you were trying to ask a question about alternative universes. "so what youre asking is that do you think we would be together in every universe?"

you nodded, although he couldn't see it, he heard the folds of the blanket shift. "i don't think we would be together romantically every universe. but it doesn't matter how many universes there are. there will always be a version of me standing by your side, romantically, platonically, beyond the forms of humanity and even as pixels, 3x3 apart."

you chuckled as you rolled away from scaramouche. he knew he made you flustered from just that. "honey, come back, are you flustered?"

"nooo???"

"c'mere." of course, you were pulled back by scaramouche. "let's go to sleep."

"don't you want to hear my answer?"

"i don't have to. i know what you mean," he rested his chin on your shoulder as your legs tangled with his.

"but i want to express it."

"then go ahead."

"i think you're right. we wouldn't be together romantically every universe. but every other universe, i'll be there for you too."

"very original, name."

"well, you took the words out of my mouth."

[friendly-neighborhood-boricua]

Favorite Photo

Summary: Sirius does the tiktok trend where there’s some fake dialogue at the beginning saying “why do you keep smiling at that one photo?” and then he shows a cute photo of Y/N

Notes: Harry Potter Universe, Sirius Black x reader (no Y/N beyond the summary), modern!AU (only because there’s tiktok), headcanons

This trend popped up on Sirius’s for you page and he immediately wanted to do it

I think there are two possibilities with Sirius doing this trend

The first one is super sweet and fluffy, because we all know Sirius is Sweetheart™

He spends way too long scrolling through his photos, trying to find the perfect photo of you and him together

And that kinda turns into him just going through his entire camera roll and looking at all the photos and watching all the videos

He’s easily distracted lol

And eventually he finds a video that James took when they were at a party

James is quite drunk, but the video is surprisingly steady, and he’s walking around the party and finding each of the Marauders

Just for fun, I guess? James still doesn’t remember that party because he was really out of it, but that’s okay lol

And when he finally gets to Sirius, he finds the both of you laying on the couch with Sirius laying on your stomach, his chin resting on your chest as he just kinda stares at you

So Sirius takes a screenshot and boom, new favorite photo of the two of you

And of course, he’s got that lovesick look in his eyes at the beginning of the tiktok when the screen says something to the effect of ‘Why do you keep smiling at that photo??’, and the background music is probably like Billie Eilish’s cover of Hotline Bling or something pretty and soft like that (“Just like you!” Sirius insists, and everyone in the room rolls their eyes)

Most of Sirius’s followers (besides his friends, of course) follow him because he’s an absolutely GORGEOUS specimen of the human species, and you’re fine with that because, let’s be real, you agree with them

But when he posts stuff about you and him (which is relatively often) it’s always this sort of thing: lovey dovey and soft and sweet

And all of his followers go absolutely wild for it

They eat that shit up

Every one of them sees the both of you as their ideal relationship, and they all simply love you both immensely

Now, if you recall, I did say there are two possibilities

The second is kinda silly, but I think it still fits with Sirius’s personality

Because this time around, Sirius knows exactly which photo he wants to use

And it’s an absolutely terrible one

Not actually terrible, of course, because Sirius thinks you look gorgeous in every photo, and he’d never post any photo of yours without your express permission

But not exactly your finest moment either

It’s probably something silly, like you making a disgusted face at something, glaring at him after a prank, ugly-laughing at something one of your friends said—you get the gist

Maybe he’d post this one after the first one with something like “runner up” in the description lmao

Of course, it’s all in good fun, and if you were to perhaps come to him pouting once you see it, he’ll cuddle you to death and apologize and ask if you want him to delete it

He’s such a thoughtful little sweetheart <3

[tamelee]

fuck booktok fr it literally recommends the same ten books over and over again, mischaracterises or twinkifies half the characters and then act like theyve done no wrong when other book communities hate on them. LIKE BABES YOU LITERALLY TURNED LITERATURE INTO FAST FASHION. capatalism is at an all time high in booktok, with ppl having 200 physical tbr's and five editions of the same book. but if you say anything about it, you hated on for hating???? we really need to go back to libraries, its like ppl have forgotten those exist. anyway that was my small little rant hehe (sorry feel free to ignore)

Oooooh, book-community discourse is a thing? *-* Interesting. I do know they get a lot of backlash from the art-communities because every damn novel has one of three cover-designs and they all look the same nowadays. You can hardly tell the authors apart. Most are made by AI as well -.- (I mean, shouldn’t writers/authors and artists be on the same page about the matter? No? Imagine complaining about your writing being stolen and then using AI for your cover-art… come on now.) 

Feel free to rant always xD I’m actually happy to know I’m not the only one feeling weird about these 10’ish recommendations that you see over and over again. I picked one out that was Goodreads #1 bestseller once (2022, I believe) and seeing people rave about it and giving the monstrosity 5-⭐️ catapulted me to an alternative Universe to rethink my entire life. I don’t think I’ve ever been more confused. (Beautiful prose though, I’ll give it that.) 

((I put book-tok and -tube together because to me it didn’t seem like it’s much different? I don’t really use tiktok, but they all repost their vids and recs through yt-shorts. Not sure if putting the two together pissed someone off then, but please do correct me if I’m wrong.))

Yeeaaahh, you’re right actually. I never really sat down to think about it, but that analogy you made is pretty brilliant. I mean, it’s sad, but a lot do treat books like fast fashion from what I’ve seen. I may not like majority of these ‘trending’ books, but treating a piece of work that way (cheap and trendy) hurts my book-loving heart a little. If ever possible in the future, I’d love to have a library in my home with my favorite books. (Dark academia style of course.) I usually only buy a physical copy if I really liked it after reading the digital version. Unfortunately around here, most libraries have closed :( So I’m afraid you’re right about that as well— people really have forgotten. 

[dearest-painter]

Do you know that one trend going on around tiktok, and if you don’t know it’s basically slide show(some) and on the first it would be any character said “do you think we’re together in every universe” or something else and the next slide said “am I even alive in this universe” while vampire empire by Big thief plays in the background cause it reminds me so much of yandere romantics and Kobeni!reader

OMFG YES! I also like the “Do you think we’re soulmates in every universe” “Were we even soulmates in this one?” As it can fit a few of them romantic yanderes :3

[astranva]

bestie can write about y/n doing that “that's not my name” TikTok trend

Word Count: 635

Category: Fluff

Warning: None

Summary: Y/N joins the “That’s not my name” TikTok trend.

a/n: yes bestie, i think i can xx

..

When you have been in a relationship for years with someone as well-known as Harry, it was inevitable to be the subject of many, many names that weren’t your own.

You were no robot; it took some time getting to accept the fact that you couldn’t please anyone and that not everyone would like you, even if the very reason behind the displeasure was that their favorite celebrity was in love with you.

In an ideal world, name-calling would be all about pet names; baby, babe, love, lovie, etc. but the world wasn’t ideal, and you were accepting that.

While you were called some colorful names, you were also called by the weirdest and funniest things that always had you giggling and laughing, and even Harry sometimes teased you with some of these names his fans creatively gave you.

The trend felt like fun, and just like almost every TikTok you posted, it made fans feel more connected to you when they knew that you were aware of what was being said online.

You were in a hoodie, eyeglasses on, and with a glass bottle of orange juice in your hand that acted as a microphone.

That’s Not My Name song by The Tin Tings played as you mouthed along to the lyrics,

“But with nothing to consider, they forgot my name!” You sang, tilting your head as you mouthed along to the echoes, “Ame, ame, ame,”

The screen then changed to a screenshot of an article from years ago, the headline being:

“Harry Styles spotted with mystery woman!”

You had added a text to the screenshot that was displayed as the song sang “They call me hell,” being the first name you were called:

“✨mystery woman✨”

With “They call me Stacy!” came another screenshot of an article headline:

“Harry Styles dating a university student?”

And so, with a text you added:

“✨university student✨”

“They call me Her,” another article headline:

“Harry Styles swimming with new beau in Maldives!”

A text:

“✨new beau✨”

“They call me Jane,” another headline:

“Harry Styles’s girlfriend posted a picture of them together and we are swooning!”

A text:

“✨harry styles’s girlfriend✨”

The song then sang the chorus: “That’s not my name, that’s not my name,” as the screen changed to your face again, shaking your head as you sang.

“They call me quiet,” sang and with it came another screenshot:

“British A list celebrity’s girlfriend spotted dinning with friends.”

And so, a text you had added:

“✨british a list celebrity’s girlfriend✨”

“But I’m a riot,” the song sang and a screenshot of a tweet was displayed:

“if i see that bitch y/n i’ll throw my fucking hands”

You added a text:

“✨that bitch y/n✨”

“Mary-Jo-Lisa, always the same,” it sang with another screenshot of a tweet:

“saw a video of harry’s groupie dancing with anne and my day got ruined”

And with a final text:

“✨harry’s groupie✨”

Your face was shown, singing along with the chorus, again, “That’s not my name, that’s not my name,”

You had added a caption to the TikTok that said:

“y/n? don’t know her”

The moment the fans saw that video, they were quick to smash their keyboards; most laughing, some expressing how unhinged you were, and some sending you supportive comments.

user: alright but does harry know he’s called y/n’s boyfriend?

Liked by creator

View replies (36)

user: we’re laughing now but that’s actually sad

View replies (28)

user: i just know y/n chose to show these names and not the nasty ones some of yall call her

View replies (203)

— yourtiktokusername: i was called “miss trepidation” once. i liked it 💀

user: are you or are you not harry’s groupie? 🔫

View replies (198)

— yourtiktokusername: sorry i signed an nda. can neither confirm nor deny

[crimswnred]

Tim headcanons that nobody asked for

LISTEN, I know we are long past season 1 but as one of the few Tim stans out there, I just had to do it, ok?!

(not even the LITG universe forgot about him since they mention him every single season)

So here is some headcanons I wrote about Tim (based on my MC, sorry not sorry) under the cut!

🎶 they were best friends first so he is so much more comfortable with talking about his feelings than he was in previous relationships

🎶 he can't cook for the life of him but he's trying his best to learn how to do her favourite pasta at least

🎶 he loves taking her to his shows and watching her dance from the stage

🎶 when he met her family he was so frecking nervous because he didn't want to repeat Jen's fiasco

🎶 Tim is an extrovert for sure. he's really friendly with everyone and people are always saying how he's the best to work with

🎶 he has ZILLIONS of mixtapes filled with songs about her and he keeps doing more and more, just non-stop

🎶 their dates are always something chill and fun, some days, they just enjoy a day out and about in town or a picnic

🎶 they are together for almost 4 years now, so I reckon he already popped the question! it was during a family gathering and everyone worked together to keep it a secret from her

🎶 the ceremony happened at a hotel and they invited everyone from the villa. unfortunately, Jen and Levi couldn't attend

🎶 if there was ever a tiktok couple this one qualifies (yes I'm quoting the Legally Blonde musical, what about it?). every couple trend, dancing challenge, they do it aaaall

🎶 Sundays are his favourite day of the week cause he can just chill with his girl in bed and play video games and be together

🎶 in my head, my MC was pining for him and like, afraid to ruin their friendship? so she was always saying that on beach hunt confessionals– and Tim loves to rewatch that shit

🎶 every time the Love Island team calls him about a new cameo he always is excited about it. he really loves the show because it was where he met the love of his life

🎶 the rap crew is one of his favourite things from the show so they are always meeting at Jake's restaurant

🎶 he supports all of his friends' businesses. Talia made a new article? he retweets it. Jake is working on a new dish? He goes there, eats it and posts about it. Rohan is performing? THOUSANDS of stories about it.

🎶 (I'm not sure if this is canon, BUT) Tim is a great dancer and his girl loooooves those moves, so every time he has a gig at a club or something, they enjoy the dance floor a bit

🎶 he's super popular on twitter. He comments on the new LI seasons (and he was #TeamBobby and #TeamAJ don't @ me) and loves the memes

🎶 the Rocco singing Wonderwall meme was a thing because Tim posted about it, argue with the wall

🎶 their anniversary is during the Christmas season so every year he gives his girl two gifts to celebrate it even if she says he doesn't need to

🎶 I suppose that after Jen, he believed for a long time that being himself was not enough and he had to learn that he could be loved as he was

🎶 he likes bright colours like light blue, orange, yellow, red and neon green/pink. don't ask me why, it just matches his vibe

🎶 but don't you worry, his girl makes him feel like the best man in the world— he loves how she laughs at his jokes, enjoys his rapping and supports his career

🎶 and to be with him is like having your personal hype man. He worships your body, he absolutely adores your company and he can't get enough of you

🎶 that being said, I believe his love language is words of affirmation (secondary quality time)

🎶 the two of them are UNBEARABLE together. if you're hanging out with this couple or the rap crew expect a lot of jokes, loud chattering and a lot of out of tune sing-alongs.

🎶 talking about sing-along, he loves a good karaoke. totally eclipse of the heart? HE SMASHES IT!

🎶 now, Tim and his wife are thinking about children and when I tell you this guy is OBSESSED with the thought of having a baby around the house

🎶 I'm talking about Pinterest board, YouTube videos, his TikTok algorithm only showing him baby content... and he would read about it too if that was his thing

🎶 and don't tell this to anyone, but as soon as she's expecting he'll low-key be hoping it's a boy

🎶 I don't know how famous he is but if he's big enough to give interviews, he'll be worse than Ryan Reynolds when the topic is family

🎶 you know he's drooling over his girl and their baby, always mentioning it and tearing up a bit when he talks about them

🎶 and that includes his socials. when it was just the two of them, his Instagram was full of pics, reels and stories of his girl. but now with the baby? THAT'S THE ONLY THING HE POSTS ABOUT!

🎶 we all know he's gonna be the best of dads. he believes in a more chill upbringing, so he'll probably be the type of dad that his kids can confide with

🎶 he follows parenting tips tiktoks profiles, the ones with actual professionals talking, y'know? he wants the best for his children and that includes working on his parenting skills

I'm ending this here before I write a full essay about him lmao

[tender-rosiey]

hello, hope you’re okay!! i have a request and i hope you can write this (if you cant no big deal)

So i was thinking you could write about dazai & chuuya reacting to like edits of them and s/o (like badass edits about s/o or the other characters etc.) they’ve been together for a long time so there is some mutual trust between the couples. so basically they’ve been transported (kinda stupid but please bear with me) to our world, where bsd is an anime and you know that people make edits and fanfic, so i was wondering how the characters and s/o would react.

have a nice day loves ✨❤️❤️❤️

❥ Dazai and Chuuya reacting to edits of them

ᴀ/ɴ: this is one cool of a request you got there, let’s do this; hope you like it 💕

Dazai Osamu:

oh wait I just noticed that says “my master”

Moving on

So Dazai knew something would happen when you touched that weird ass looking cube

However he did not expect being transported to a whole entire universe with scenes in his life playing right in front of him

“Y/N, do you have any idea where in the world are we?”

“Osamu, If I did I wouldn’t be latching to you like this.”

Suddenly a certain human totally different from what they looked like entered the room

Let it be me because self insert

“Oh my god you are Dazai Osamu and Y/N L/N FROM BUNGOU STRAY DOGS?—“

This is how real humans speech would look like btw ⬆️

“Oh my, are we well known in this area?”

“Can I please get an autograph? Literally anything—“

And so they started asking questions to know more about the shit they got themselves into

Found out they are an anime, they have edits, fanart and many many more things to appreciate them

That added to his ego cause woah people are low key obsessed about him

“Y/N, people love us a lot here, I saw something called a TikTok of a lady crying over a photo of mine.”

You were curious about more things and wanted to see more of those stuff so asked to see the edits

Mind you, you felt immense amount of pride since while everyone in this world is crying over your lover, you have him with you every day and night

And so you stole my phone and watched through all the edits of yourselves that you could find

Now onto how I think dazai would feel about this ✨

There are some REAL TALENTED people and honestly Dazai was mesmerized by a lot of them and even those who think theirs are not good enough, he appreciates the effort

Oh and btw he is going crazy over edits of you, and is slowly turning to one of your simps (as if he already wasn’t)

“OH Y/N I NOW SEE YOU IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT PLEASE STEP ON ME!”

Welcome to the y/n simp club, dazai; would you like to be the leader

He would probably save them so he can watch them later to make up for the lack of your presence at times ;(

He adores wholeheartedly the ship edits, and keeps gushing about how you two are great couple and that you look breathtaking together

Okay so time for a soft point

You know the playdate trend?

Yeah the one with the soft scenes of the character

He saw one of you and a really small and soft smile crept up to his face

PLEASE HE WAS LOOKING AT IT WITH SUCH ADORATION

but

I think he would like crack edits better cause HAHAHA comedy

For example, the simp audio (if you are paying the price cause you are just being nice you are a simp, that’s how it went I believe—)

The legs audio

Anyone simping for him is considered very entertaining as well

Probably going to make an account called dazai official and compliment any and every edit he could find of him, you or both

“This looks great! Keep it up :D”

“Your talent is immaculate!”

“My belladonna looks etherial, my oh my—“

A LOT OF SAVED EDITS YAY

Chuuya Nakahara:

*gently holds him* i miss you, you piece of shit

ANYWAYS

The mafia deals with a shit ton of people, and one of them didn’t like the deal the mafia proposed so they made you and your lover transfer to another world and place

Why?

You are one of the strongest units in the mafia hence you shall be gone out of their sight so they don’t face problems (they really thought they were gonna win just like wow)

And now you are in a world you have no idea about and everyone is weirdly 3D and looking like tired meat and flesh

Cue a girl who runs a blog called tender-rosiey with three tangerines in her hand entering the room

“OH MY FUCKUNG GOD ITS CHUUYA AND Y/N—“

(I believe in the supremacy of tangerines)

“You know us?”

“Y-YEAH! YOU GUYS ARE REALLY FAMOUS HERE; also, how did you get here?”

“If we knew we would’ve told you trust me, right, Chuuya?”

“Yeah I guess, now tell us where we are.”

“Can I show you some things first?”

And you guys went through the fanart (cursed and non-cursed we shall not spare anyone ) and how there is an anime featuring your lives and are in other words are being stalked by people

Then we come across edits

But before that chuuya found a lot of stuff talking about how he is too pretty for his own good and how he has a godlike jawline (like have you seen him pls)

Anyways back to the edits, there are multiple edit types but he feeds his ego with the badass ones and likes when people put voiceovers of him

Made him realize how beautiful and attractive his voice is

As we know Chuuya is a loud prideful man and smug like

Once again, you felt so proud and smug cause you have the man that millions are willing to kill the world for in a blink

Back to the ginger

“AHA PEOPLE MAKE A LOT OF EDITS OF ME, SEE, DOVE?”

“Yeah, Chuuya, they make alot of them about me as well.”

“Wait let me see.”

And he is head over heels all over again and becomes even more whipped

Like, his baby looks so good and those effects?? Mesmerizing

He wholeheartedly believes that people are really talented and are doing your beauty the utmost justice

Like dazai saves a lot of them cause he needs his eyes blessed every once in a while

He was smiling all the way through the ship edits of you two like awww

But like the badass ship edits are hot too cause hell yeah you are one hell of a power couple and no one can go against you two

SOFT EDITS TOO

CAUSE YOU LOOK SO ANGELIC AND MAJESTIC AND HE JUST KEEPS THINKING ABOUT HOW LUCKY HE IS TO HAVE YOU

He would give his honest opinion about the edits, but he doesn’t know how exactly each editing app works

HOWEVER

His comments are like

“this transition could’ve been smoother.”

“If they made a twirl instead of a slide it would’ve look more gratifying.”

And is mind blown by some other edits

“woah, babe look at this; it’s so smooth and professional.”

“They deserve more, are people blind, why don’t they like this and give it more attention?”

Unlike dazai, I don’t think he would make an account specially for this and would just admire from afar

Maybe he would make one to make haters shut the hell up

But yeah

We stan a supportive chuuya

Geology is boring to me

Biology supremacy

copyright © 2020 tender-rosiey

do not copy or plagiarize or you will be reported

[blxetsi]

modern eren jaeger dating headcanons

lowercase intended !

college!eren jaeger x gn!reader

warnings: mentions of p*rnhub

- firstly, this man is CONVINCED it was love at first sight (he ALWAYS tells you this too)

- "babe when i met you i just KNEW you were gonna be mine" "no you didnt" "yes i did- hey dont stop holding me 😣"

- you guys met because you were tutoring him. (he was failing history 😔💔)

- after weeks of shy touches and shared giggles he FINALLY brought his grade up and didnt need you anymore

- that didnt mean he didnt want you tho ;)

- asked you out on a date (and by that i mean to a party smh 🙄)

- and the rest is history 😌✨

- hes the kind of guy that flirts with you even though youre together

- "so uh,, you come here often 😏"

- "eren youre in my apartment 😐"

- he tries to invite you everywhere that he goes with his friends

- like,,, EVERYWHERE

- jean and reiner wanna organize a boys night ? hes pulling out his phone getting ready to text you and saying "oh is it okay if y/n comes ? i didnt get to see them much this week i miss them 🥺" like mf this is for The Boyz 😡😤🥶🥵🔥‼️

- youre weirdly close with sasha, shes just really cool

- eren will call you at the most inconvenient times for the stupidest reasons

- one time he called you while you were doing an INTERVIEW for work and you wanna know what he called you for ? to tell you he bought a bunch of silly string to use on jean.

- bitch im trying to get PAID. rn . trying to make a LIVING. so i dont end up below the POVERTY LINE. tell me about ur silly string after i secure the bag 🙄‼️

- is very touchy. like very touchy.

- but also respects bounderies

- hes NEVER mad when you have something to say about him or your relationship together

- you dont feel comfortable with the pda ?? He Wont do it Again

- you think you two could work on communicating better with each other ?? hes already googling ways to do that

- he cares and cherishes you and the bond you two have created together, hes not gonna try and ruin that

- is a fucking lightweight. dont go with him to parties.

- but if you asked him to hold his drink he will NOT forget about it.

- a couple times he broke the plastic cup he was gripping it so hard 🤩

- is also the type of guy to just protect others ?? like for no reason

- he sees a guy trying to get close to a girl who had made it abundantly clear that she didnt want that ?? hes going over there and playing bf to protect that stranger

- he can thank first year drama class for his superb acting skills 😌✨

- will literally help anyone he sees in a bind

- also his brother is weirdly cool ??

- his parents live far away but his brother only lives like,, 40 minutes away from the university

- hes like an older brother to everyone 🤩

- if you like reading classic literature zeke is your guy to talk to. has so many ideas and opinions on those stories and stuff, and will NOT hesitate to lend you a book of his

- eren has led lights in his room. he ALWAYS has them on the colour red

- he doesnt understand why ppl think hes horny bc of the red lights ?? his eyes just adjust better to the red lights compared to the blue 😔

- he has stretch marks all over his body 🤩 like on his biceps, tummy, back, thighs, etc. etc. doesnt really think about them anymore but he used to be SO self conscious of them in highschool. he saw berty (bertholdt) with his shirt off once during his freshman year and saw how he had stretch marks too, and immediately thought they were cool

- he likes to play with your hair and scratch your scalp, but he likes it when you braid his hair because he thinks it makes him look pretty

- will get you weird things because they remind him of you

- one time he came to pick you up for your date and before you could even KISS HIM hes pushing you away and pulling out a tiny ceramic frog 😐

- "no you dont understand zeke took me to a thrift store today and i found this and it reminded me of you-" "i look like a frog to you ? is that what youre saying ?" "NO ! its just so cute, and youre so cute so i had to get it. do you like it 😊"

- doesnt like most meats, his only exceptions are chicken,

- thats it 😐

- you guys were having a picnic and you made sandwichs (with the sliced turkey meat) and he took one bite out of it, looked you in your face, and spit it back into the baggy without breaking eye contact

- likes just laying in bed with you. has a playlist of songs like arctic monkeys and shit like that, just sitting in the dark with a song on low volume, whispering whatever he wants into your ear is like,, the DEFINITION of love in his book

- also can and will recite lines from shakespeare plays to you ?? will be at the most randomest times. you could be sweeping and he'd just wrap his arms around you before whispering "two households, both alike in dignity. in fair verona where we lay our scene. from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."

- okay mf this isnt english class 😐‼️ but thank you 😁👍

- will always try and do new tiktok trends and make funny videos so he can "blow up"

- he gets on average like 20 views 🤩

- he likes seeing you and his friends get along, it just makes him so happy that you love mikasa and armin just as much as he does, and hes so thankful that youre all friends

- likes to help you reach whatever you cant, and if youre taller (even by an inch) hes making you grab things for him

- he doesnt have a major yet, and he doesnt really know what he wants to do with his life, but being a hairstylist sounds cool

- whenever youre having a bad day mentally, he'll just give you your space unless you say otherwise

- he doesnt know if its the best idea, but he knows when he gets into a bad headspace he wants to be alone

- if you do say you want him with you, he'll lie right beside you in bed and spoon you, and if you want he'll put on the arctic monkeys playlist and whisper about the project he worked on for his business class

- he doesnt like sharing, BUT will steal your shit all the time 🙄

- "oh hey heres that thing i borrowed from you" "oh my fucking god eren i thought i lost that months ago"

- may not understand everything he learns in class, but he always tries bc this is his education !! his parents saved up a lot of money for him to be able to go to university !! hes gonna try his best to make the most of this

- i feel like he would play baseball at university. he asks that u wear his jersey to every game so "everyone knows that the most beautiful person attending this educational establishment is MINE" like,, k ill wear the jersey 🙄🤚

- has a list of the best websites to use to illegally stream movies, anime etc.

NSFW ! -------

- also hates pornhub. knows about all the controversies and shit about the website and doesnt use it. supports smaller porn companies that respect their workers 😁👍

- his parents love you. Im Serious

- carla asks about you all the time (hey mommy ��) and his dad wonders about you too even though hes more lowkey about it

- always has to open the door for you or pull out your chair for you. no matter what setting youre in he Has to do it bc hes a gentleman

- bohemian rhapsody is his comfort film

- i think eren thinks that Youre the One for him, and this idea is solidified when you two graduate together 😍

- he takes you back to the library where he first met you, gives you a promise ring and just asks you to move in with him, hes not ready for an engagement and he knows you arent either, but he knows that youre it for him, and he just wants to be with you for as long as youll allow it

GAH this felt all over the place and very mediocre but i hope you enjoyed !!! remember asks are open so feel free to request something 🤩

[bangbangchanie]

NCT 127: Soulmate au Senarios

Hey so we’re back!! Admin Whinnie here we’ll be The tiktok soulmate trend really got to me lol, decied to drive in deep and do all 23 memebers!! So keep and eyes out for NCT Dream, WayV and a NCT U verision for the two newest memebers!! 

Taeil:

“내 목숨보다 소중한 그댈 보내지 못해” Your voice sang, making a smile curl up on his face, the image of you singing along to his voice as you got ready for your date. The idea of you, harmonizing with him nodding his head as he starts to sing back, making you giggle half way through.

“Hyung you’re missing lines.” Doyoung chuckled, making Taeil stop as he smiled at him, making Doyoung raise an eyebrow as he chuckled.

“She's singing my song...so I decided to sing with her.” His words had Doyoung's smile drop, fascination spreading through his eyes as he stared at him. “I love singing with her like this, I can hear her laugh as she sings, it..it gets me through this. Sometimes when we’re on tour I’ll hear her scream back at your guys parts but she's always quiet during mine.” He shakes his head as he adjusts his top waiting for your message that you were ready to be picked up.

“Why's that?”

“Cause she says my voice is her favorite, and it's the only part of the song she can hear when we’re on tour.” He laughs as Doyoung follows.

“I can’t wait to meet mine..I don't hear them very often so I wonder what it's like.”

“It's like...like magic..that's the best way to explain it.”

Johnny:

“Hey,hey, hey you you I don't like your girlfriend…” A voice rang out in Johnny's  head, making a smile spread across his face, he couldn’t help but chuckle as your voice rang through his head. The idea of you jamming out in your shared bedroom had his cheek turning red as he looked to see Mark and Ten staring at him. “No way no way, I think you need a new one!”

Your off tone pitch made him shut his eyes as he let out a laugh making Marks eyes widen as he looked at the older.

“She is absolutely horrible.” His laughter made Ten and Mark follow as Marks hand slams onto the table they were sitting at. Their laughter had Johnny's eyes snapping as he huffed at the two and glared playfully.“Only I can laugh at her and her singing… her horrible singing. God I love her.”

Taeyong:

“We're the new heroes!”  Was shouted in his head, followed by a crackled cough making his eyes widen as he blinks rapidly. The sweat dripped down his face as he looked at the makeup artist who was dobbing the sweat off of his skin as Ten performed his stage.

“They're here” He whispers, making them stop as he sees Kia stop and turn his head over to him. “They're singing Tens song. They’re singing Ten songs..they're screaming. They're here.”

“Tae..thousands of people are here.” Kia sadly sighed making Tayong let out a huff as he felt tears gother up in the condor of his eyes.

“My soulmate is in this building, I can hear them. But I..no I have..” He felt a hand on his shoulder making him look to see Taemin, a small smile on the olders faces as he squeezed Tayongs shoulder. ”Hyung they're here, I could..I could see them..hold them tonight.”

“I know.” Tamin said as Tayong felt something press under his eyes, they were whipping his tears away. Cause even though you were in the building, there was no way he could get to you.

Jaehyun:

“Now suddenly you're asking for it back. Could you tell me, where'd you get the nerve?” The sound of your voice entered his mind as his eyes opened, staring at wall, the sound was full of pain. The cracks in your voice had his heart hurting, as his hand ran through his hair. His mind rushing with a lot of scenarios, but one, one kept playing over and over.

Someone hurt you. Someone took your heart, your love and threw it in your face.

It made anger rush through his chest as he sat up and took a deep breath, hand grabbing his phone as he looked through his music app.

“Took a while, I was in denial when I first heard. That you moved on quicker than I could've ever, you know that hurt.” He heard a sob making his heart lurch, pain spreading through him as he dropped his phone. God did he wish he could just hold you, wipe your tears, kiss the top of your head. Promise he would never let go. Never break your heart. Never leave you. And how he’d work to prove that to you. So he went over to his piano, sat down, and started to play a song that he can’t wait to sing to you in person.

“I'm so in love with you And I hope you know Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold”

Doyoung:

Doyoung sat there, his eyes closed as he nervously stared at the camera in front of him, comments began scrolling rapidly as the staff behind him nodd. Encouraging him to sing the song he planned to cover during this live. He rolled his lip between the teeth as he smiled brightly at the screen.

“Um so I’ve been wanting to cover a song for a while now..one that means a lot to me and probably a lot of you..I hope you guys like it.”He paused as he started to play the keys, his eyes closing as he took a deep breath and let the song pass his lips. “How can you miss someone you've never met? 'Cause I need you now but I don't know you yet ,But can you find me soon because I'm in my head? Yeah, I need you now but I don't know you yet.” he let out a breath as he continued, hearing you slowly hum the song back, making his eyes water as he looked at the screen and smiled. The next verse finished in his head making him pause as he let out airy chuckle as he looked to the live. The comments went crazy, especially as he kept playing the song but missed the last verse. One sticking out.

His soulmates finishing the song for him, has to be, he nodded slowly as he listened to your voice.

“Yeah, lately it's been hard,They're sellin' me for parts,And I don't wanna be modern art,But I only got half a heart to give to you,And I hope it's enough.”

“I need you now but I don't know you yet.”

Yuta:

His eyes stare up at the moon, standing outside in the balcony of yet another hotel room as he felt tears gother in his eyes. Four mouths, without you near him factimes and long distance calls though he misses your touch most of all. The feeling of the burn that ran around the ring of his eyes had him sniffling as he looked down at his hands when he heard your voice. “'Cause I never knew, I never knew,You could hold moonlight in your hands 'Til the night I held you You are my moonlight,Moonlight.” He felt his hand slightly shake as he let out a chuckle, that stupid Ariana Grande song that you sang every day since he met you. “I kiss his fingertips,As I'm wishing he's all mine.” He let out a breath as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the brick wall.

“Baby, I be fallin',You're my moonlight, Moonlight.” he paused as he heard you chuckle , he imagined you smiling brightly up at your bedroom ceiling. Or staring at your phone waiting for a call. Waiting for him. So he did just that.

“Hey moonlight, I missed you.” Your voice traveled quickly to his ear as he saw a static version of you on his screen. In one of his sweaters, probably sitting at your desk, getting ready to do an online class.

“I miss you too.”

“I was trying to sing you to sleep but I guess it just kept you awake instead.”

“I like this better anyway.”

Jungwoo:

“ Baby 네게 반해버린 내게 왜 이래 두렵다고 물러서지 말고 그냥 내게 맡겨봐라 어때 my lady.”Jungwoo's eyes suddenly widened as he looked up from his food, his mouth stopping mid chew as he let out a whine. Jaehyung let out a snort as he watched the younger struggle once again.“Ring ding dong, ring ding dongRing diggy ding diggy ding ding ding”

“Im literally gonna kill her, this is the fifth time today she sang this song.” Jungwoo let out dropping his chop stick with a frustrated breath. “Why can't she get one of our songs stuck in her head, like I can block that out easily but no she does this. I'm gonna kill her when I meet her.” He let out as Jaehyung's eyes stayed wide , watching as they usually claimed Jungwoo lost it. “I mean I'll squish her in a hug, but this come on”

“Jungwoo..ring ding dong, ring di-hey that was the last dumpling!”

Mark:

Mark eyes trail across the thousands of green light sticks, the sea of fans had his heart beating out of his chest. Some faces were caught with the right lighting but there truly was only one face he wanted to see and that was yours. He wanted to hear your voice. But he knew he had to wait. Wait till he was back in his hotel room, so the two of you could sing together  as he laid in bed eating his meal while you were at home doing school work. So far away, yet your connection brings you close together. Closer than he ever thought you could be.”I just want you to knowThat I really, really think you're something special Wanna try hard to show Make it sweet, sweet, sweet wherever we go.” He heard right as they did their final bow, making him smile as he started to hum to tone back to you. Wanting to wait to sing your song aloud when he was alone in the room since Yuta ws going to do a vlive with Johnny tonight. He couldn't wait to sing for you.

“Just to have you baby, by my side Love would be the only rule You're gonna see, baby, how hard I can try None will ever do so well Like a load of farming, fairy tale.” He sang back as he was changing, it was softly a whisper tone, but Hechan had caught it, a teasing smile on his face as Mark tried to shake his head but Hechans teasing had already slipped past his lips.

“Someone in loveeee.”

“Shut up you idiot.”

Heachan:

Taking a deep breath in, you rub your eyes, the memory of the heated argument you had with your boyfriend, your soulmate Donghuck made your chest ache. The words he had said to you had cut you deep, had made you question if the universe really did make a mistake parking the two of you. You know he didn't mean the words, at least not fully. His face had etched itself into your mind the way it changed when he realized what he had said. The way you had taken a step back, arms curling around you as you let out a soft whine when he reached for you. Rushing away from the practice room you had bothered him in.

“And I know there's no making this right, this right And I know there's no changing your mind, your mind. But we both found each other tonight, tonight.” His voice rings through your head making you pout as you feel tears build up in the corner of your eyes, the heels of your hands push up against your eyes as you slowly snag along with his voice.

“If love is nothing more than just a waste of your time..then waste it on me waste it on me.” You whispered, your eyes closing as you heard his voice trail off then a knock on your apartment door had you sitting up and rushing to open it. There he stood, eyes staring down at you as he pulled you into a hug.

“I love you.”

[amphtaminedreams]

Sitting Front Row at...(On a Budget Obvs): Lookbook no.15

Hey to anyone reading!

And welcome to my fave lookbook I’ve done in a longggg ass time! Yes, that’s partially because it involved making collages and doing the low effort work of scouring Vogue Runway for “research purposes”, but I promise, that statement wasn’t made out of COMPLETE laziness-I am super happy with it too. It’s been a good use of pre-part-lockdown-lift time in the interim between that brief period of Christmas celebrations and eateries finally fucking opening again because let’s be honest, I always knew I was gonna get distracted by oat milk vanilla lattes and veggie all day breakfasts once I could actually sit down with them at my fave local cafe. You could say I was very much operating on a self-imposed deadline.

The “what I would wear to sit front row at...[insert designer here]” TikTok/Instagram reel trend was something I wanted to get on board with ever since I first saw one and whilst the option of doing my own live action take-I really cannot bear the thought of having to edit footage of myself awkwardly attempting to sit nonchalantly in front of a camera for hours on end-was off the cards considering my complete lack of screen presence, I decided a Tumblr text post would work just as well, and if not even better in a way. Given the absence of the time limitations you face when you’re making a reel or a TikTok I thought it’d be cool to present the looks as part of a mini moodboard for each designer which adds a bit of context to each look even if you aren’t familiar with their past collections and establishes the general vibe of the brand I’m attempting to replicate. Not to sound snotty or as if I am the font of all knowledge on anything high fashion related but even with my amateur knowledge I noticed that as the video trend took off and was adopted by big name influencers, it became less about the average person putting their own personal spin on the aesthetic of the labels we can’t ordinarily afford and more about them building outfits that only vaguely resemble the general public perception of the brand around the real corresponding (and often gifted and thus inaccessible to someone who doesn’t makes thousands for a sponsored post) pieces they own SO I thought I’d take the trend back to its roots and get a bit resourceful. All that being said, in no particular order, here are the outfits I would wear to sit front row at Gucci, Vera Wang, Miu-Miu, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Brock Collection, Alexander McQueen, Etro, Burberry aaaand Saint Laurent based on their past collections and guess what? They didn’t cost a shit tonne of money :-)

-disclaimer: will include an asterisk before any new purchases if from a high street store though to be honest, I don’t think there are any, we shall see! I do include where I got old purchases from in case anyone wants to search anything on Depop/Ebay-

1. Saint Laurent (formerly Yves Saint Laurent)

-blazer from identityparty on Depop, pleather trousers from Zara, jewellery from Dolls Kill-

I know technically abbreviating Saint Laurent to YSL doesn’t really make much sense anymore given the brand’s name change in 2012, but I’ll always think of it as that in the same way I’ll always associate it with the slightly dishevelled yet simultaneously glitzy rock n’ roll aesthetic. The thing is, whilst YSL hasn’t done anything wildly out of the box for a long time, it’s rare they put a look on the runway that I wouldn’t wear; they never end up being a fashion week standout but the Parisienne take on grunge we’ve seen Anthony Vaccarello establish as his go-to will always have a place in my heart. 

2. Alexander McQueen

-embroidered leather jacket from Ebay (originally Topshop), harness from Amazon, dress from ASOS, boots from Koi Vegan Footwear-

Alexander McQueen is a brand that is pretty much universally liked, from the historically extravagant and groundbreaking shows the man himself put together to Sarah Burton’s more toned down but still beautiful collections. Obviously I didn’t attempt to do justice to the former, so I tried my hand at putting together a look inspired by Sarah’s blend of delicate femininity and nomadic edge, and it went...okay? Like it’s definitely not my favourite of all the looks because it does give off slightly cheap copycat vibes buuut outside of the context of this lookbook it’s cute.

3. Brock Collection

-boater hat from Ebay, midi skirt from morganogle on Depop, corset top from ownmode_, heels from amybeckett1, bag from Primark-

Brock isn’t as well known a brand as most of the others in this list but I adore everything Laura Vassar Brock does and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try and channel the vision of one of the OG pioneers of the cottagecore vibe through my own wardrobe. I mean fr, this woman’s work as a steady provider of meadow photoshoot worthy dresses and corsets and skirts is v slept on and I will not stand for it. I will sit in front of a camera and then write a paragraph in my blog post begging anybody who reads to give LVB (an abbreviation I acknowledge is unlikely to catch on because Lisa Vanderpump anybody?) some form of acknowledgement for her services to period romance novel inspired moodboards everywhere.

4. Marc Jacobs

-coat from House of Sunny, white shirt from Retro World Camden, co-ord from Sugar Thrillz, bag from Poppy Lissiman-

If there’s one thing Marc Jacobs always does, it’s COMMITS. TO. HIS. THEME. I just KNOW he has a secret Pinterest with separate boards for every fashion era of the 20th century and he is putting those boards to good use providing us with collections that are as immersive as they are eclectic year in year out. 

5. Miu Miu

-beret from H&M, hair clips from H&M, jewellery from Primark, coat from mollyyemmaa on Depop, shirt from YesStyle, sweater vest from YesStyle, skirt from Depop, diamanté belt from Brandy Melville, shoes from Koi Vegan Footwear-

We all like to talk about Bratz dolls and Monster High dolls and Barbies as fashion inspo but can we all focus on Cabbage Patch dolls for two secs so as to acknowledge the fact that a Miu Miu collection is basically all their fits grown up? And made boujie as fuck? If I want my fix of Wes Anderson meets Scream Queens (what a combo) inspired outfits, if I want prissy and girlish but also glam, if I want to look like a bratty rich girl whose one redeeming quality is her eye for vintage clothes, I know where to look and that is the Miu Miu section of Vogue Runway. 

6. Vera Wang

-blazer as in no.1, velvet bralet from catdegaris on Depop, harness from Amazon, skirt from Ebay, knee high socks from Ebay, lace up boots from Ebay-

Vera Wang’s RTW aesthetic, a blend of the ethereal, ultra-feminine bridal designs she’s known for and British style punk rock influences, is something I feel has only become firmly established in recent years but it is everything I ever wanted and more. I always find myself trying to balance the part of me that loves everything girly and delicate and pretty and the part of me that would love to be in a biker gang and Vera’s collections are always an inspirational reminder of just how well it can be done.

7. Burberry

-coat from charity shop, suit from emmafisher3 on Depop, top from simranindia, shirt underneath from Zara, jewellery from ASOS-

Now I’m not gonna lie, I’m not the biggest fan of Burberry but there have been a few looks over the past few years I’ve really liked and as someone who owns numerous trench coats, high necks and way too much plaid, I thought it’d be an easy one to replicate. Plus, if you can count on Riccardo Tisci for nothing else you at least can rely on him giving you some layering inspo which is very much needed in a country where it literally just snowed in April and where my plans for today have just been cancelled because the iPhone weather app did a Karen Smith and didn’t predict rain for today right up until it started raining so thanks for that one British meteorologists. Your incompetence strikes again.

8. Etro

-corset from Urban Outfitters, vinyl trench coat from Topshop, boots from Ebay, black slip dress from kaoanaoleinik on Depop, fur trim afghan coat from louisemarcella-

Like with Brock Collection, Etro isn’t a hugely well known brand, but it is always one of my favourites-to add a spanner into the works of any attempts to cultivate a firm sense of personal style, I live for the ornate Bohemian look that Etro does so well just as much as I love both grungy and girly pieces, and so I really wanted to include a brand whose collections go down that route. It was a toss-up between this and Zimmerman, the flirtier, free spirit counterpart to the dark romance of Veronica Etro’s designs; her vision really shines through the most when it comes to the brand’s winter collections, imo, and given that I live in a country where winter or some weather state resembling it does seem to take up 70% of the year, I did decide on channelling her work rather than that of the equally talented Nicky and Simone Zimmermann this time round.

9. Dolce & Gabbana

-flower crown from ASOS, tiara from Amazon, earrings from YesStyle, dress from alicealderdice1 on Depop, opera gloves from Ebay, boots from Koi Vegan Footwear-

D&G is a brand I felt really conflicted about doing-I don’t include their current collections in my fashion week reviews based on the actions of designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce over the last few years because I don’t want to mitigate the collective effort of fashion critics to push them towards irrelevancy. Though people like to claim the brand has turned a corner since Lucio Di Rosa was brought on board as the manager of celebrity and VIP relations last year (they are as prolific a force on red carpet fashion as ever), we haven’t seen any real meaningful apologies or reparations made by Dolce and Gabbana themselves which once again leaves us in the all too familiar quandary of whether or not we can separate the art from the artist especially when it is far too much of a simplification to only credit the two men for their work given there’s a whole design team behind them. There are a LOT of shitty people working in fashion, the whole industry is a bit of a cesspit if we’re honest, but I don’t think that should stop us from at least being able to appreciate old collections if we make sure we aren’t engaging in any kind of promotion of current works whilst doing so. D&G are a brand of high highs and low lows, with looks that range from hideously ugly to showstoppingly beautiful in a single show-when the looks are good, they are GOOD-and their presence in the fashion world is most definitely felt whether we want it to be or not. It would just be shit to refuse to recognise the existence of some real iconic runway moments, the practical work that went into the ornate detail and opulence that helped cement D&Gs place in sartorial history, the styling that’s made goddesses and fairytale queens out of modern day women as they’ve glided down catwalks, the far more extravagant and, let’s be real, sexier version of our world D&G shows have transported us to in the past. Will I talk about D&G ever again? No, and if you Google the scandals their brand has faced over the past few years, there are more than enough reasons why, but just this once I did want to pay homage to some of the collections, the snippets of which I saw on my Tumblr dashboard back when I was about 13, that first got me into fashion.

10. Gucci

-fur coat from Topshop, clips from Zaful, glasses from Ebay, dress from gracewright246 on Depop, shirt from Boohoo, blazer from charity shop-

Now last but, if you ever read any of my fashion week reviews (the likelihood of someone actually having read one of them and reading this is incredibly, incredibly slim lol, I wouldn’t read me either) you’ll know, definitely not least, is Gucci because Alessandro Michele comes through every!! single!! time!!

The man is truly the king of quirky throwback maximalism and it hurts my heart that a lot of people seem to think of it only as a brand associated with ostentatious displays of wealth. Year after year since Michele was made creative director he has released purposeful, fully-fleshed out collections which unravel themselves to us on the runway like time capsules containing the belongings of the rich and whimsical and yes that can sometimes result in outfits which are *ahem* a bit mismatched but it doesn’t matter because through fashion he manages to take us to a vivid version of the past where people could dress as freely and lavishly as they wanted to, into the wardrobe of a person unaffected by the side-eyeing of others. You get the impression he doesn’t design so much as plays around with some kind of enchanted dress up box and takes inspiration from there and to give that impression is only a credit to his talent-to make outfits so kooky and extravagant look like they were meant to be takes a boldness and genuine love for clothes that I do tend to feel a lot of the big name designers have lost in the pursuit of profit and the necessary placating of the dying customer base that keeps that coming in. Of course I'm not for a second saying Gucci does not care about profit, but at the very least, they have on board a creative director who genuinely has fun with what they’re putting out there and wants to make a statement too and that really shows; you can rest on your laurels and sell tweed boucle jackets to rich old white women for eternity but nobody’s going to mention your brand name and the word groundbreaking in the same sentence ever again unless they’re talking about what it was a century ago, you know (mentioning no names...unless...did I hear someone say Chanel)? That feels like such a shady way to end, lol, but I’m sure said brand will survive-to be fair, they’ve been included in every other What I’d Wear to Sit Front Row At video I’ve seen so although I’m always slagging them off for doing the saaaaame thinggggg year after year, for that same reason their aesthetic is instantly recognisable and so will always be a source of imitation. There are obviously pros and cons to being a brand which constantly reinvents itself but I think it’s totally possible to do that whilst maintaining an overall mission, and Alessandro Michele’s work at Gucci demonstrates that with ease.

Anyway, if you got to here, thanks for reading! I know I’m super behind on this whole TikTok trend and I know a Tumblr post instead of a video is a bit of a cop out but all the real, physically awkward ones out there know that watching yourself back is excruciating lmao, so I hope this does the trick. After this, I’m gonna get back to the reviewing S/S21 collections post though knowing me I’ll probs take a few days to get back into that because I feel like since I left full-time education (RIP me going back in a few months) writing continuously like this for any longer than about 15 mins fries what brain cells I have left. Again, thank you for reading and if you are, sending many good vibes your way! Stay safe!

Lauren x

[shefanispeculator]

I'm slightly disappointed to log onto Zoom and find Gwen Stefani in Los Angeles. I wanted to see the ranch. Stefani spent most of the pandemic in Oklahoma with her fiancé and fellow The Voice coach Blake Shelton, with whom she has recently collaborated on a string of country radio hits, alongside a kitsch Christmas song. For a ska-pop superstar, it's a pivot, but Stefani and Shelton are cute together — picture-perfect in their opposite attraction.

Country Gwen exists, her urban counterpart assures me, but on this particular MacBook she's nowhere to be seen. I'm not sure what crude regional stereotypes I was expecting (Stefani spitting sunflower seeds? Shelton line dancing in the background?) but I get Californian sunshine instead, illuminating a version of Stefani more familiar from my teenage years, when Love. Angel. Music. Baby and its follow-up The Sweet Escape spawned millions of fans, haters and imitators. She's platinum blonde, red lipsticked and wearing a black-and-white outfit that matches the decor. The checkerboard pattern can be traced back to an even earlier era, when Stefani and her No Doubt bandmates were '80s teenagers obsessed with two-tone acts like Madness and The Specials.

Cowboy boots wouldn't fit this picture, and nor would Stefani's glitzy showgirl outfits from The Voice, where she just wrapped another season as a celebrity coach. As she prepares to release her fourth solo record, and enters the fifth decade of an extraordinarily successful music career, Gwen Stefani is re-re-branding as... Gwen Stefani.

Top: Local Boogeyman, Pants: GCDS, Shoes: Valentino, Earrings, bracelets and rings: Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience), Necklaces: Gwen's own, Engagement ring: Gwen's own

"But what is that?" Stefani asks with seriousness, as we consider the possibility of some essential, inherent Gwen. "Everyone's interpretation of what I am and how I sing, I mean, that's what this era is about for me."

Said era kicked off late last year, with the music video for "Let Me Reintroduce Myself." It saw Stefani playfully revisit the wardrobes of album cycles past, from the ab-bearing tomboy tank tops of "Hollaback Girl" to the club kid blue hair mascara of '90s No Doubt. Her Harajuku Girls also make a return. The entire visual is a huge flex, not only for the sheer volume of iconic career moments recreated in dutiful detail, but the fact Stefani can still fit into the clothes originally worn during all of them. She looks eerily the same, frighteningly good, ageing in reverse at the same pace as her frequent collaborator Pharrell.

"It's really a blessing to be able to have such a long career, where there really is nothing to prove anymore."

Pop stars are expected to be young forever, in looks but also in their capacity to innovate new trends. Which makes the nostalgic music video a curious choice. Doesn't Stefani know by now that the cardinal rule of pop is to avoid repeating yourself? That even the hottest artists in the world are basically required by law to create completely new eras from scratch every six months in order to appease fans and maintain maximum TikTok-ready relevance?

Of course she does, but that doesn't mean she has to participate. Stefani isn't trying to chase down her contemporaries, despite clearly possessing the physical fitness required. "It's really a blessing to be able to have such a long career, where there really is nothing to prove anymore," she says. "It's a different energy. You know, it's really just about doing it to do it, as opposed to trying to make a statement or make a mark."

Corset: Ronald van der Kemp, Bracelets: Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience), Earrings: Lana Jewelry (The Residency Experience), Engagement ring: Gwen's own

Even the Saweetie remix of her latest single "Slow Clap" happened on a whim, after the younger artist happened to post a video of herself vibing to Stefani's 2004 single "Luxurious" on Instagram Stories. They knocked out the song and accompanying video in a day. Neither seems bothered by the Old Navy meme. "It was just this little video that we did on the fly," Stefani says. "It just happened. It just feels good to put new stuff out there."

Stefani completed a two-year Vegas greatest hits residency in 2019, which gave her a sense of perspective on her own legacy. "You make a new record because that's what is exciting for you," she says. "But people really just want to hear the records after a while that were the backdrop to their lives, a 'Don't Speak' or a 'Just a Girl' or a 'Hollaback Girl,' or whatever it was for them. So, you know, it's hard — you can only be new when you're new, and that's just the truth, and I know that."

She says she was pleasantly surprised that "Let Me Reintroduce Myself" charted at all, and that she only found out it did when Shelton walked into the kitchen to show her the iTunes numbers. "I burst out crying with joy, because it was like, 'Whoa, really?' I think I'd set myself up to be quite realistic about where I'm at."

Stefani, endlessly polite and self-deprecating in conversation, which on her end mostly consists of endearingly earnest run-on monologues, says she still has "tons" of insecurities. I get the impression she has been trying harder to give herself credit lately. She recalls recently hearing Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" on the car radio and finding herself in awe of the song's timeless catchiness.

Suit: Balmain, Earrings and choker: Lana Jewelry (The Residency Experience), Necklaces: Gwen's own

"But then I started thinking," she says, in a goofy Cher Horowitz tone. "Like, I have a few of those myself." She talks of this realization as a genuine breakthrough, which is a little worrying for a woman who has sold 40 million records. No shit, she has a "few of those." More of them than Lauper, actually.

More new music is coming along slowly, but I've caught Stefani on a day when the horizon looks closer than usual, and while things haven't quite fallen into place yet, she's feeling more confident that they eventually will. "I'm at the end," she declares. "The idea of going for a session and not being with my kids or the idea of taking time away from Blake doesn't fuel my fire like it did two months ago. I need to decide, wrap it up, put out the project."

Crucially, there's no rush. The album will simply arrive sometime this year, tracklist and title currently undecided.

"You're talking to me at a weird transitional time," Stefani says repeatedly throughout our conversation, which sometimes takes on the cathartic tone of therapy. But having time in the first place is a new feeling.

Bracelet and choker: Dana Kemp (The Residency Experience), Obsession necklace: Lidow Archive, Gold necklaces: Gwen's own, Clothing: Blumarine, Boots: Philipp Plein

NO DOUBT WERE A BAND for nine years before getting on the radio. Enough time for Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal to be in a long term relationship then break up and write a whole hit album about it. All of the Fleetwood Mac drama was resolved pre-fame, which enabled the group to capitalize on the surprise success of Tragic Kingdom singles like "Don't Speak" and "Just a Girl" with a world tour that lasted almost three years. Three more albums followed, and Stefani has reinforced her household name status in every decade since, launching a solo career and multiple fashion lines while never totally cutting the cord from her original musical project.

In other words, record executives have been dictating Stefani's schedule since the mid-'90s. She even sings about it on Love. Angel. Music. Baby opener "What You Waiting For," in which her biological clock ticks like a metronome. Interscope Co-Founder Jimmy Iovine, who discovered No Doubt and continued to work with Stefani on her solo output, was quick to point out that his client's prime childbearing years were also her last opportunity to cross over into pop stardom. And after her first record went number one, it only made sense to lay down some new tracks straight away.

"Whether or not I get the response that I would hope to get — because that's what I'm used to, because I'm so damn spoiled and I've tasted the blood of success — I still got to do the creative journey."

"I had the baby, the first one, and it was only like eight weeks after I had him, that Jimmy was calling me saying, you've got to go in the studio with Akon," Stefani recalls cheerfully. "Like, Akon wants to work with you. Like, no, I'm nursing my baby. But then I couldn't say no." And then? "We wrote 'Sweet Escape.'" And then? "I went on a world tour." And then? "In the month that I got home from that one hundred and whatever shows it was, I got pregnant with Zuma. So then that was that." (It wasn't. Admittedly: "Then it was like, No Doubt, let's do another record.")

Things are different now: "You can just drop singles and you don't have to put a record out. But if you want to put a record out, you can work on it slowly." But even as she talks of slowing down, speculating that she might not even go on tour after the pandemic ends, in the next sentence Stefani's back to admitting that there's more work to be done, that she wants to write a couple more songs for her new record, "just to make sure."

Earrings: Lana Jewelry (The Residency Experience) Choker: Chanel, Necklaces: Gwen's own, Gloves: Laurel DeWitt, Top: Local Boogeyman

"The creation is the thing that fuels me so much," she says. "Whether or not I get the response that I would hope to get — because that's what I'm used to, because I'm so damn spoiled and I've tasted the blood of success — I still got to do the creative journey."

Like any good lyricist, she reaches out to her listener, hoping to convey a more universal point. "It's just probably the same for you as a writer," she guesses. "You know, it's the anticipation. You're in it now. You're getting the information. This is what you live for. You're doing the interview and then you're going to write it. And that's going to be the challenge."

GWEN STEFANI WAS PUTTING out diary entry pop when Olivia Rodrigo was still in diapers and Taylor Swift was but a humble Pennsylvania Christmas tree heiress. She struggles to pen lyrics that aren't confessional ("I'm not a creative writer when it comes to like, 'Oh, let's just write a sad song about something that didn't happen to me'"), and occasionally re-traumatizes herself when performing old hits. Return of Saturn deep cut "Dark Blue" triggers "crazy, just horrible" recollections of a past relationship. Even "Don't Speak" felt emotional onstage in Vegas.

But after releasing an excruciating divorce album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like, in 2016, Stefani is back to writing happy songs only. She's getting married, after all. She won't be releasing any of her trademark breakup anthems anytime soon. "Girl," she laughs, "I think I've had my fair share."

Bow: Laurel DeWitt, Earrings: Lana Jewelry (The Residency Experience), Bracelets: Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience), Shirt: Vintage Archive, Dress: Erdem, Tights: Capezio, Shoes: Marc Jacobs (Lidow Archive)

Stefani and Shelton's relationship has puzzled some fans. Shelton, a country radio phenomenon, never endorsed Trump in the 2016 election, but he did come close. Earlier this year, he was criticized for releasing a song called "Minimum Wage," about finding small joys during periods of economic struggle, at the peak of a recession.

Is Gwen Stefani a Republican now? She's not offended by the question, or really anything I have to ask. She has been famous for so long that she expects and even embraces scrutiny. "If you're going to be a star, that's what you get," she says. "You know what I mean? You get what you get, and you don't get upset, at all."

As for her politics, it's read-between-the-lines."I can see how people would be curious, but I think it's pretty obvious who I am," she says. "I've been around forever. I started my band because we were really influenced by ska, which was a movement that happened in the late '70s, and it was really all about people coming together. The first song I ever wrote was a song called 'Different People,' which was on the Obama playlist, you know, a song about everyone being different and being the same and loving each other. The very first song I wrote."

One of very few multi-racial bands playing stadium shows for hoardes of American teenangers in the 1990s, No Doubt did very literally embody those second-wave ska principles of inclusion. Stefani even wore bindis and saris on stage as a symbol of cultural exchange with Kanal, who is Indian-American, briefly kickstarting a white girl facial jewelry trend that it's safe to say would not fly in 2021.

Rings (left): Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience)

"The Specials and The Selecter and all those groups, and what they were doing in the late '70s was this whole kind of anti-racism, we come together, Black and white ska movement," Stefani elaborates on the band's founding principles. "And we were sort of echoing that in the '80s when we did it, we were like the third generation of ska."

Ska she's always happy to discuss, but Stefani was brought up to keep her electoral preferences personal, and that rule has held for her entire career. "The whole point of voting, is you have this personal space to feel how you feel," she explains. "I use my platform to share my life story and to engage with people and to exchange whatever gift I was giving. I'm not a political science major. I am not that person. Everyone knows that. So why would I even talk about it?"

"I don't need to go on Instagram and say 'girl power.' I just need to live and be a good person and leave a trail of greatness behind me."

It never has been. Looking back, it's weird that "Just a Girl" is so integral to Gwen Stefani's brand. She's never written anything else with remotely the same message, and or publicly identified as a feminist. To Stefani, it's just a song about growing up, and "all of a sudden you realize your gender." It wasn't meant as a protest or anthem: in fact, being her breakout hit, she didn't think anyone other than her bandmates and some local fans would ever hear it.

"I don't even know if I knew what feminist at that time was," she says. "I was very sheltered growing up with my family. I wasn't political. I wasn't angry." Even now: "I don't need to go on Instagram and say 'girl power.' I just need to live and be a good person and leave a trail of greatness behind me. Stop talking about it and stop trying to bully everybody about it. Just do it. And that's how I feel like I've lived my life."

WHEN STEFANI WAS GROWING up in 1970s Anaheim, her father got a job doing market research for Yamaha, which required frequent business trips to Japan. He'd bring home Sanrio toys, as well as anecdotes about the Tokyo district of Harajuku, where teenagers were dressing like Elvis, and "taking all these American things and making them Japanese." His daughter was entranced. "He would be telling me these things my whole life, like my whole life. I had a deep fascination."

So when No Doubt played Japan in 1996, Stefani describes, "It was a pretty big deal for me." The tour was the first time she'd traveled outside of the United states, save one trip to Italy when she was 21. "I just was inspired," she recalls. "It's a world away. And at that time it was even further, because you couldn't see it on the internet. I don't think a younger generation can even imagine what it's like to not have access to the world."

From then on, Japan became one of Stefani's biggest career motivations, especially when it came to her solo albums. If she could just write more hits, she'd get to tour there again, see the street style, visit the vintage stores. "If you read the actual lyrics [in 'What You Waiting For?'], it talks about being a fan of Japan and how if I do good, I get to go back there," she says.

In the meantime, she decided she'd bring Japan to Los Angeles. "I never got to have dancers with No Doubt. I never got to change costumes. I never got to do all of those fun girl things that I always love to do. So I had this idea that I would have a posse of girls — because I never got to hang with girls — and they would be Japanese, Harajuku girls, because those are the girls that I love. Those are my homies. That's where I would be if I had my dream come true, I could go live there and I could go hang out in Harajuku."

Earrings, bracelets and rings: Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience, Gold Necklaces: Gwen's own, Top: Local Boogeyman, Pants: GCDS, Shoes: Valentino

Dancers Maya Chino ("Love"), Jennifer Kita ("Angel"), Rino Nakasone ("Music") and Mayuko Kitayama ("Baby") would go on to accompany Stefani for her next two album cycles, dancing on stage and in her videos while also making silent, but very well-dressed, awards show appearances. Kita, who'd grown up in LA, visited Japan for the first time on Stefani's tour.

In a 2006 interview with Blender magazine, comedian Margaret Cho compared the Harajuku Girls to a minstrel show. The backlash against them has been consistent ever since. Stefani, to this day, disagrees.

"If we didn't buy and sell and trade our cultures in, we wouldn't have so much beauty, you know?" she says. "We learn from each other, we share from each other, we grow from each other. And all these rules are just dividing us more and more."

Hello Kitty merch was harder to come by when she was a kid, but in other ways, life felt easier. "I think that we grew up in a time where we didn't have so many rules. We didn't have to follow a narrative that was being edited for us through social media, we just had so much more freedom."

Earrings, bracelets and rings: Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience), Necklaces: Gwen's own, Dress: GCDS, Shirt: Faith Connexion, Tights: Capezio, Shoes: Marc Jacobs (Lidow Archive)

Stefani's penchant for rule breaking has always been apparent in her music as much as her aesthetic. Genre-wise, she's a randomista. The chart success of No Doubt's bouncing ska beats felt like an accidental post-grunge-era glitch in the matrix, and it's insane to this day that one of Stefani's biggest solo hits samples "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof, by way of '90s British dancehall duo Louchie Lou & Michie One. That another, "Wind It Up," features earnest Sound of Music yodeling.

"I just make up whatever comes out," Stefani says of her songwriting process. "I don't even know where it comes from. I feel like it just comes from the source. It's not trained, and it's not perfect, it's just real."

She looks back on the Love.Angel.Music.Baby era as unusually experimental and artistically fulfilling. "It was just a really incredible time, and a very creative time. I feel like it was just a really creative project."

STEFANI VIEWS HER CAREER success as mostly a matter of luck. Pop stardom is God-given and mysterious."Because the fact I made it, it doesn't make any sense," she reflects. "It's written in the stars. You know what I'm saying? I'm not the most talented. I'm not the most pretty. I'm not the most smart. None of those things. But I made it, right?"

Clothing: Blumarine, Bracelet and choker: Dena Kemp (The Residency Experience), Obsession necklace: Lidow Archive, Gold necklaces: Gwen's Own

Every week on The Voice she watches objectively gifted musicians fail at becoming artists. "I watched people that went through that without seeing their faces, without knowing what color they are. And I chose the ones that pulled my heartstrings. And even though they were so talented, none of them have had careers. It's made me look at myself and even feel even more amazed by the fact that anyone cared or cares."

If all of this is actually so out of her control, then Stefani feels safe stepping back a little bit. "I don't have that fuel in me like I used to, because I already won," she says. And now she has other victories in mind. "Being a good human, a good mother. I want to have a good marriage. I want to be a good wife. I want to win at finding peace. I want to win at finding other hobbies that I'm good at."

But at the same time? "If I'm inspired, I'm going to try to do something with that inspiration." That's the most fun part: whatever else comes after has always been an amazing bonus.

The "Let Me Reintroduce Myself" era, whatever form it may eventually take, isn't a desperate grab at former glory. It's Stefani refusing to evolve for the sake of it. She's poking fun at the whole idea of having to compete with past personas alongside current ones, while acknowledging the fact she's grateful to still be in the game at all.

"You don't know what you're doing," she says, somehow both confident and resigned. "You're a cartoon of yourself at this point, and you don't know what people are thinking. They're wondering, what? Why are you still here? And I'm like, I don't know. They said I could be here. So I'm here!"

Photography: Jamie Nelson Styling: Nicola Formichetti Hair: Sami Knight Makeup: Michael Anthony Nails: Carolyn Orellana Wardrobe director: Marta Del Rio Production: Katrina Kudlick Digitatech: Sean MacGillivray Logo design: Luca Devinu Story: Kat Gillespie

FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES

[harper44]

Thank you for 100 followers!

I have a little something for you to celebrate: TikTok Lovers

Rhett is one of the people who downloaded the app as a joke and got roped in way too quickly. At first, he thought he was too old for TikTok, but he soon finds college students like him and plenty of other adults. Now, the TikTok algorithm is known for knowing you a little better than you know yourself and Rhett has only been on the app for a few hours before he starts seeing the thirst traps. Specifically, the gay boy thirst traps. Rhett has entertained the prospect of being attracted to men before, but TikTok compounds it tenfold. 

He’s scrolling late one night, swipes up and hits a video the campus wifi struggles with, reads the caption, “Thought I’d try a thirst trap?” Eyelids drooping from exhaustion, he elects to wait it out and let it load. The music starts and on the screen is a guy who must be his age in a plain t-shirt, black hair swept up and off his forehead, and a little smirk on his face. He glances down to see what filter he’s using to make his eyes that blue, but whatever he’s doing, it isn’t a normal filter because there isn’t anything listed. The guy reaches forward to cover the camera with his hand for the transition and Rhett nearly chokes on his own spit when he pulls back again. The man sits back on a couch, legs spread wide, that smirk stretched wider. He’s wearing a dark blue button down that’s completely open to show a tanned and defined chest with a chain around his neck that sparkles in the filter. 

After Rhett has watched it several times, he goes to the guy’s profile to check out the rest of his videos since he’d said it was his first thirst trap. Turns out, he does some comedy type stuff and it’s pretty funny when Rhett remembers to pay attention. Most of the time he’s zoning out, staring at the guy’s lips or eyes or jawline. Eventually, he hits the follow button. A strange emotion zings through his chest when he reads the bio. It’s a rainbow flag and “North Carolina.” So Rhett has a tiny chance of meeting him in person. He figures there’s no way they go to the same school, but he takes note of the username in case the guy’s name is in there. It’s “linksblueyes,” so maybe he goes by “Link?” Strange name if he does.

In the following week, Link posts a few more thirst traps and comedy videos. It’s during this same week that Rhett breaks down and starts making videos. He gains a good number of followers for his humor and maybe a little bit his looks. One of his running jokes is alternate universes. About a month into his minimal fame, Rhett starts getting tagged in one of Link’s videos. After a day full of classes and a hundred tagged notifications, he goes to watch the video. It starts with Link staring into a mirror and a monologue overlay. Pausing it, Rhett quickly switches to dueting it since that was suggested in a lot of the comments. 

Finally, he settles in and hits record, exaggerating his facial expressions to react to what Link is saying. He gets closer and closer to the mirror, leading Rhett to wonder where in the world he’s going with this. All of a sudden, the man in the video is thoroughly making out with himself in the mirror and Rhett nearly drops his phone, wet sounds of the man’s tongue echoing in his ears. He hurriedly saves the video to drafts, he’ll unpack all that later, and goes to Link’s profile in order to watch the video a few more times. Battling arousal and trying to catch his breath, Rhett goes back to watch his own duet and eventually decides to post it, as his reaction to the end is more comedic than anything. 

That’s when a different type of commenting starts. He starts getting tagged in more of Link’s videos and Link in his, a lot of their followers encouraging them to meet up. Rhett’s scrolling through his most recent notifications when he does a double take. @Linksblueyes followed you. Rhett puts double the effort into his videos after that. 

A few months after Link has followed him, Rhett is walking back to his dorm. The sun is hot on his neck as he passes the student union, tables full of students sitting outside.

“See you later!” Someone says to their friend. Wait. Rhett recognizes that voice. He stops in his tracks, whipping his head around to find the source. Maybe he’s just going crazy, but then he sees him, the guy he’s been simping over for months walking in his direction. He opens his mouth to try and get his attention, but before he can say anything, Link meets his eyes. Confusion passes over his face like he’s trying to figure out where he knows Rhett from, and then his face registers recognition. They stare at each other for a second before Link finally breaks the silence with, “Are you Mythical Rhett?”

“I- yeah, are you? You’re Link’s Blue Eyes? You really don’t use a filter,” Rhett blurts, enraptured by the man’s impossible eye color.

Link tips his head back and lets out a gorgeous laugh. He’s so much more attractive in person, and that’s insane considering the number of people who comment on his appearance in videos. “I really don’t. Man, I knew you lived in North Carolina, but I never thought we’d go to the same school. It’s nice to meet you,” Link holds out his hand for a proper introduction. 

Rhett takes it, grin on his face. “Yeah, wow, this is crazy. Want to grab coffee or something?” Rhett ventures, holding his breath for the response.

“Sure,” Link offers with another smile.

After hanging out several times more, they decide to do a collaboration which sends their followers into a frenzy. They play off of each other so well and have such great chemistry, that it isn’t long before they’re starting an account just for videos with the two of them. Spring bleeds into summer and it turns out they live near each other away from college. Videos turn into their adventures together and the shippers get louder. That summer is perfect, in Rhett’s opinion. He liked Link even before he knew him, but now he knows he’s falling for him. Occasionally, he privately reads the comments talking about how cute they are together, but Link continues to make it clear in the videos that they’re just friends. 

Going back to school in the fall, the boys end up rooming together and they proudly show off their dorm to TikTok. Rhett doesn’t miss the suggestive comments about what they’re going to be getting up to in their room. Though Link remains firm on the friend front, when the camera isn’t on, Rhett could swear he’s flirting. That’s what leads him to think about trying the Electric Love trend. He has a few ideas in mind when one day he’s sitting in his bed doing homework and Link jumps onto the mattress and sits next to him. Rhett turns to look at him and his mischievous grin, opening his mouth to ask what he wants, when Link pulls him in by the front of his shirt, stopping just short of his lips. “Can I kiss you?” He mutters.

“Yes,” Rhett breathes, and just like that their mouths are together, Rhett sliding his arm around Link’s back, the other hand coming up to hold the back of his head. They slowly lean down so Link’s back is on the bed, Rhett on top.

He only pulls back when he has to take a breath, grin on his face. Link’s smiling right back up at him. “Full honesty,” Link says, jerking his head in the direction of his phone, “I was recording, but I meant it. I like you a lot.”

Rhett laughs, giving him another kiss, “I mean, they’re the real reason we got together, so they deserve to see the first kiss. The remainder of the make out, however…” Rhett nuzzles down his neck, making Link arch back to give him more room. “I really like you too.”

“Rhett,” Link says breathlessly due to the other man sucking gently on his neck, “I vote we post that video and then silence our phones till tomorrow morning.”

“Deal,” Rhett says, pressing another kiss to his lips and then letting him go grab his phone so they can edit the video. 

Everything else from there is TikTok history. The video goes viral among their followers and gains them a good chunk more. They continue to make comedy videos, but plenty of cutsie couple ones are in there too. Their followers are happy with every hint that the relationship portrayed is genuine with @Mythicalblueyed_RhettandLink.

[route22ny]

We’re Never Going Back to the 1950s

The year 2020 shattered America’s shared reality.

by DEREK THOMPSON

DECEMBER 16, 2020

***

Twenty years ago, the sociologist Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone used the decline of bowling leagues since the middle of the 20th century to symbolize America’s declining social engagement. This year, he published a sequel of sorts, The Upswing, in which he identified more stray threads of our social unraveling: in lower marriage rates, church attendance, and trust in government; in falling membership in all chapter-based associations; collapsing social trust among young adults; and even a decrease in mentions of community versus identity in novels and nonfiction books.

But no measure of communitarian pessimism could have prepared Putnam for the circumstances of the past nine months. America’s bowling alleys haven’t just depopulated; they’ve gone dark, along with thousands of churches, restaurants, bars, cafés, gyms, theaters, and almost every other physical space that could preserve or nurture a physical community.

Mirroring this civic fragmentation, America’s media and entertainment industry has spun apart, and the spinning is accelerating. On December 3, the film studio Warner Bros. announced that subscribers of the company’s digital streaming service HBO Max will be able to watch all of its 2021 film releases at home, on the same day that they’re released in theaters. The movies affected by this decision aren’t humble indies. We’re talking Dune and The Matrix 4—the sort of films that, if they were released exclusively in theaters next year, might earn a domestic box office roughly equal to the GDP of Micronesia.

Like Putnam’s beloved bowling alleys, cinemas are an example of the decline of semiweekly gatherings in the United States—even if they’re less chatty establishments. In the 1940s, the average American bought more than 30 movie tickets a year, regularly packing into theaters with scores of strangers. In the past few years, that figure fell below four. In 2020, movie tickets sold per-person will fall below one—possibly for the first time since the late 1800s. The decision by Warner Bros. will likely encourage other entertainment companies, such as Disney, to funnel more of their marquee content to streaming services in the next few years. And the result could be a death spiral for movie theaters as we know them, as the film industry continues its shift from a public, ticketed affair to a private, living-room experience.

Home entertainment is fracturing as well, and along with it the communal-while-alone possibility of a shared popular culture. Since 2010, 33 million households have either cut the cord or never signed up for cable TV in the first place. The traditional cable bundle is slowly dying, and its death is fertilizing new subscription-only streaming services, such as HBO Max, Disney+, Peacock from NBCUniversal, and Quibi (RIP), which join a landscape crowded with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, not to mention user-generated video platforms including YouTube and TikTok.

It would be hackish to accuse Netflix or Warner Bros. of being the main accelerants of American loneliness. But the fact is that cinematic entertainment, which was born as the ultimate communal ritual, an experience whose technology required simultaneity and togetherness, has become the ultimate personal activity, an incomprehensibly long spectrum of different stories mostly consumed in a state of solitude.

This media shift—from the scarce and communal to the abundant and privatized—also describes the evolution of the news industry. In the past 20 years, newspaper circulation, advertising revenue, and employment have cratered. But overall, news—that is, sources of new information, of varying truthiness—didn’t decline; it exploded. The web created a phalanx of news publishers, not just websites but also Facebook pages, Instagram personalities, newsletters, podcasts, and so on; at the same time, Google and Facebook duopolized digital advertising, creating a situation where publishers were multiplying as advertising declined.

In ecology, the term niche partitioning describes the way that competing species become hyper-specialized in an attempt to co-exist in an environment with scarce resources. I think that’s what’s happening in the news industry. As the number of competing publishers increases, it makes sense for each of them to carve out an ecological niche. This niches-get-riches race leads logically to a set of more outlets that embrace a more unabashedly partisan perspective—just as they did in the late 1800s.

One might assume that polarization is what happens to people cut off from information. But the truth is closer to the opposite: More information means more polarization. Research shows that access to broadband internet in the U.S. has in many cases increased various measures of polarization, as the web introduces voters to a bigger menu of partisan news from which voters select the sites that match their political tastes.

We’ve seen this phenomenon accelerate in 2020. Four years ago, most people would have said there were three major cable news networks: the center-left one (CNN), the liberal alternative (MSNBC), and the conservative juggernaut (Fox News). But in the past few months, the conservative-news monolith has shattered. Since the election, Newsmax TV and the One America News Network have stepped up to backfill President Donald Trump’s election-fraud lies with programming from an alternate reality. And behold, niche partitioning works: Last week, Newsmax rode the election-conspiracy story to its first-ever ratings win over Fox. Because Trump devotees are going to buy tickets to whatever media universe offers the best narrative, networks are competing to tell the Trumpiest tale.

With weekly religious attendance at low ebb and live TV in structural decline, national elections are arguably the only activity that Americans do together in shared time. But shared time is not shared reality. Led by the president, Republican lawmakers have petitioned to sabotage the results of the election, based on fantastic conspiracy theories. The GOP fever dream, which is credulously reproduced across Trump-friendly media, is clearly contagious: More than 80 percent of Trump voters believe that Biden’s win is illegitimate, a figure corresponding to about 60 million people. There is nothing unique about reality and fantasy blending together in politics. But the speed and severity with which Trump’s “Stop the Steal!” mind virus has infected the GOP is the sign of a compromised civic immune system. A far-right cohort has been effectively quarantined from reality in one corner of our honeycombed media landscape.

There is no going back to the 1950s. We will never again be enfolded by those bespoke mid-century circumstances, the scarce broadcasts and broadsheets. The dividing forces are too strong and too many. The film experience pushed out across millions of flatscreens; the live-television networks splintering into millions of digital entertainment queues; the news dissolving into innumerable political realities: One by one, these are not evil trends. But they add up. Or, more aptly, they divide. They individuate.

People ask me if I’m optimistic about 2021, and the answer is that, in a way, I’m ecstatically optimistic. The economy will reopen, and life will reopen. People will come out of their homes; they will send their kids to school; they will hug and kiss and live. But underneath the high tide of economic growth and social normalization, I think we’ll feel something else, an eerie undertow of isolation and anxiety.

“The definition of community is ‘where you keep showing up,’” said someone I met, whose name I’ve forgotten, back in the days when it was normal to meet new people whose names you could forget. I haven’t forgotten that line, though: Community is where you keep showing up. What a lovely idea. But where do people keep showing up, these days? Nowhere. Not the office, not the COVID-aerosolized bars and gyms. A lot of people have spent a year finding community via a glowing screen in a room they never leave.

The empty bowling alleys and movie theaters; the infinity buffet of entertainment and partisan media; the dissolution of a shared American reality—these are distinct yet connected phenomena. Digital technology has spawned a choose-your-own-adventure mediascape, which has flooded the electorate with alternate realities, at the same time that its community ties wither. America is coming apart, and these pieces will not be easily reassembled.

***

DEREK THOMPSON is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he writes about economics, technology, and the media. He is the author of Hit Makers and the host of the podcast Crazy/Genius.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/how-2020-shattered-shared-reality/617398/

[straykidsupdate]

Stray Kids Make Their Mark In NYC With World Tour "District 9: Unlock"

Nestled underneath the majestic Madison Square Garden in New York City lies Hulu Theater — a smaller, more intimate performance venue where every seat is given a front-row view. It's here, on January 29, 2020, where Stray Kids began their journey across the USA for Stray Kids World Tour "District 9: Unlock."

Bright lights on the ceiling of the venue illuminated the crowd below, but it's nothing compared to the hundreds of Stray Kids lightsticks, coined najimbongs, that many in the audience held in their hands. Fans sang along to Stray Kids songs while they waited in anticipation for the 8 idols to take the stage.

A theatrical VCR introduced the start of the show, much to the audience's delight. Screams grew louder as their biases appeared on the screen, and peaked when the screens separated to reveal Stray Kids. They were there. They were real. Yes, it was absolutely happening.

If you thought this would be an easy-going, relaxing concert — do we have news for you! Energy levels began at 325% right off the bat as Stray Kids jumped into a remix of "District 9." And yes, the song can go harder than it already does. The momentum never stopped as they continue on with "Victory Song," "Question," a remix of "Rock," an epic dance break that made its last appearance at KCON LA, and the iconic "Side Effects." We have to commend these boys and their energy: there were no breaks in between these high-impact performances.

"We worked really hard to unlock this world tour for you," Changbin shared after the group made their cheery introductions to the crowd. It was no lie — just within eight months since Stray Kids held their last USA tour, the group has accomplished so much. Seeing their fans, known as Stay, as many times as they can is unmistakably one of their top priorities. How can you tell? If you've seen the way their eyes shine as they stare into the audience, you wouldn't doubt the love they have for Stay one bit.

To counter the tenacious impact of their first few stages, Stray Kids brought about a chiller, more laid-back atmosphere with "M.I.A." Though no choreography accompanied this performance, Felix surprised the crowd by dancing to "Renegade," a dance trend that went viral on video-based social networking app TikTok. This is one honorable mention from the show that will go down in Stray Kids history.

The first unit stage followed — Hyunjin, Lee Know, and Felix wowed the crowd with a deeply seductive performance to "Wow." Yes, abs were involved (thank you, Felix). The trio, known to fans as Danceracha, effortlessly dominated the stage with their presence. Leader Bang Chan later designated their performance as "sexy time," and we have yet to see the lie in that statement.

"Mixtape #4" was the next song off the setlist, and many were not prepared for the emotions that the song brought: with its lyrics, Stray Kids assure us to keep moving forward despite difficulties that we may face and to know that although we might feel alone, we never really are. During Felix's rap, Stay united as one as they shouted: "Stray Kids nine or none, we're gonna cross the finish line," though there were only eight standing on stage. The amount of love and adoration held in the venue visibly grew after that point.

It was time to "Get Cool," and what better way to fill the "Awkward Silence" than with the fun, cheeky performances that followed next? Members chased and tickled each other — youngest member I.N. being the most popular target — and interacted with the crowd during these upbeat, cheerful tracks. It's moments like these were the relationship between Stray Kids and Stay truly show their colors — not only through the laughs shared or cheers exchanged but also through the concerned gasps from the crowd as they watched Hyunjin fake-throw Seungmin into the audience. But hey, I'm sure Stay would have caught him if it really happened, right?

Let's take a moment to think about the VCR that played next. Picture this: Stray Kids take to the streets, wielding weapons and destroying virtual buildings in the most magnificent way possible. Is this symbolism for Stray Kids fighting the system, taking it into their own hands, and building a district of their own? Or is it purely just a group of eight boys wanting to destroy things for fun? Either way, we're all for Stray Kids world domination.

But on the real, the true message that Stray Kids wanted to share came to light in their performance of "Levanter." Stray Kids isn't just the name of their group; it's what they represent. Reflecting on the words both seen in the VCR and spoken by the members, there are lost kids all around the world just trying to find their footing. Together, step by step, they can pave a road to move forward. Here lies the strength echoed in the words, "Stray kids everywhere all around the world."

Sentimental moments were followed by soft ones as vocalists Seungmin and I.N. reappeared on stage in baby blue accented outfits, serenading the crowd during "My Universe." Just as Danceracha appeared for their unit stage earlier in the show, this was Vocalracha's time to shine. Special shoutout to Changbin for his rap verse appearance — though his vocals could potentially land him a spot in Vocalracha, don't you think?

The eight members continued their serene mood with a performance of "Third Eye," complete with the smooth use of chairs as props in their choreography. Chairs made the choreography more dynamic, playing with levels changes and strategic placements that brought the performance to the next level of satisfaction. Speaking of satisfying, Felix's deep-toned rap over nothing but a heavy, rhythmic bass drum is something we can listen to over and over again.

Stray Kids then transitioned into a straight line formation, basked in a cool light as a ballad accompaniment of "I Am You" played softly in the background. Experiencing this song without the choreography gives Stay a completely new perspective of the performance, filled with more emotion and connection than can be explained by words. The feelings intensified as Stay joined Stray Kids with the words "Stay together, you and I."

Stray Kids gave Stay the ultimate whiplash as the stage flipped into one of the most chaotically satisfying performances of the night: 3RACHA finally made their appearance. Basked in red lights (a warning, perhaps?) and dressed in leather detailed jackets, Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han lit the stage on fire with their performance of "We Go." Equal parts playful and chaotic, this unit, formed even before Stray Kids' official debut, really knows how to serve the heat - they're 3RACHA after all.

Following the wave of intensity that 3RACHA SUMMONED, the group reunited as eight on stage to perform a remix of "Road Not Taken" and an extended dance version of "My Pace." They take a moment afterwards to chat and interact with the audience. Han, being the overly excited delight that he is, fumbled with his words as he spoke. He laughed it off by apologizing to the translator, admitting he was too excited.

"I've never heard Stay scream this loud before," Bang Chan shared with the audience, "but I've never heard Felix scream so loud!" Felix laughed along with the entire venue in defeat — apparently, his excitement had gotten the better of him as well.

Changbin's comment felt all too real: "We want to be happy every day, but that's not always possible," he starts, "but I believe we can overcome these things and those hardships will pass like the wind." Bang Chan echoed his words, thanking Stay for their kind comments and for always staying by Stray Kids' side, which in turn started a chant of "we love you's" from the audience. The chant turned into a competition when Stray Kids started saying "we love Stay" in return. Who will win this exchange of love? We'll let you know (if it ever ends at all).

"Make sure to tie your shoelaces twice!" Bang Chan exclaimed as they jumped into "Double Knot." (Does he write his own material? Genius). Just like the beginning of the show, their energy stayed top tier as they lead into "Boxer" and their debut song "Hellevator." The stage production and background VCR for "Hellevator" was extremely impactful, using first-person point of view to transform the theater into a completely different world. It felt like a 3d virtual reality game where Stay accompanied Stray Kids on a journey through the fire and rubble, making their way out of this "Hellevator" together.

Stray Kids' performance to "Miroh" was taken to new levels with the introduction of drums, both as props and a backing beat to the hard-hitting instrumentals that ignite the chorus. An extended dance break made the stage even more exciting, but it also made us wonder how they're still jumping with so much energy. JYP, tell us your secrets, we beg of you.

And just when you thought this concert couldn't get any cuter, the next VCR introduced an interactive game. With games, came prizes — this one being Stray Kids returning to the stage for more performances. The premise of the game was simple: a Stray Kids song played while 8-bit icons appeared in beat at the bottom of the screen. When a clapping icon appeared, Stay had to clap. When a heart icon appeared, Stay had to form hearts over their heads. And, in true Stray Kids fashion, when a dab icon appeared, Stay had to hit the hardest dab of their life. "Get Cool" was the song that played during the practice round, with "Miroh" being the main stage of the game. Cameras panned through the audience, focusing on enthusiastic Stay in the crowd and screening them on the large LEDs on stage. It was a fun and entertaining way for Stay to participate in the show from their seats and also a clever way to get a whole theater to "dab to the left" at the same time. Several members mentioned they were watching the audience from backstage and called us "cute." If that's what it takes to make Stray Kids think we're cute, we might as well play this game all day, every day.

The final stage of the game was "unlocked," prompting Stray Kids to make their way back to NYC Stay, dressed in tour merch and bright blue accessories — Han wore a blue LA Dodgers cap (in NYC? We won't question it, we'll just let him do his thing.) while Lee Know had a soft blue sweater tied around his torso. The lyrics to "Grow Up" appeared in the background, inviting Stay to sing along. There was something soothing about singing the lyrics together, telling each other that you're doing fine, to just take your time, and that you can do it.

The inevitable finally arrived — final ments. It got real deep during Felix's last comments. "Having to express our love for one another — It gets me in the feels and I really want to do so much more for you guys. You're the reason why we are still Stray Kids. I really believe in Stay."

Changbin continued with his own set of sappy love-filled messages. "Now that I'm here with you, I'm so happy and excited. I shouldn't expect anything because you always surprise me! Thank you, this is for you." Changbin shared as he threw a cute finger heart to the crowd.

Before their last two stages, "YAYAYA" and a reprise of "Miroh," Bang Chan expressed his feelings. "As long as you guys invite us, we'll be glad to come back. You gave us the chance to come back here and we were so stoked! We'll give you guys the best 2020 ever, promise. It feels like Stay is a part of our family — it was your show and ours today."

Here's something important for Stay to remember as a takeaway from their show: You not only make Stray Kids stay — you make them grow. You make them succeed. You make them happy. This fan-idol relationship? It's a two way street. But it's a street that Stray Kids and Stay gravitate towards so effortlessly and make their home.

Thank you to SubKulture Entertainment and JYP Entertainment for the chance to experience this memorable night in New York City during Stray Kids World Tour 'District 9 : Unlock.' Make sure to keep supporting Stray Kids!

Don't miss your chance to see Stray Kids live on this tour! Tickets to upcoming locations are still available here: https://www.subkultureent.com/stray-kids

Source: KpopStarz