#dodie outfit

[imagining-in-the-margins]

🌈CM Pride Challenge🏳️‍⚧️

The following are prompts including LGBTQA+ PRIDE! Reader, Original Character, Character/Character ships, Gen/Platonic fics are allowed!Please check out the Rules below the Keep Reading.

This event is over (Masterlist of Fics here), but you are welcome to use any of these prompts. If you would like to be added to the existing Masterlist of entries, please check out the Rules below!

General Prompts 🏳️‍🌈

Coming out is so much harder the second time

Describe Character’s first kiss with the same gender

Describe Character(s) spending a day at a Pride parade

The team realizes that A&B were more than roommates

Penelope goes a little overboard on rainbow decorations at Characters’ wedding

Character's marriage mutually comes to an end when they come out... now what?

Character comes out at the same time they announce their new relationship to the team

Character A fears it’s too late for them to live authentically, and B assures them that’s not true

Character A gifts B something colored like their pride flag because “the colors reminded me of you”

Child realizes that not every kid has two moms/two dads and they have a lot of questions about it

Queer characters have a hard time deciding what their child should call them and come up with fun ideas

Character A goes to a LGBT bar with B as a wingperson (or maybe they want them, themselves?)

Anything else you can think of!

More prompts (transgender, assorted, dialogue) below!

Transgender Prompts 🏳️‍⚧️

Character A helps B get their first tailored dress/suit

Character A helps B shave and/or put on makeup

The couple is looking for gender neutral nicknames

Character A buys B specialty gender affirming lingerie

Character is casually referred to with an appropriately gendered nickname for the first time

Characters are renewing their vows and redoing their wedding photos following a coming out

Character A walks in on B wearing a new gender-affirming outfit and surprises them with an enthusiastic compliment

The team throws Character an impromptu first birthday party following their coming out (how did they get a banner so fast?!)

Character A buys B a gender affirming but stereotypical gift (sports jersey, neon pink purse, etc.) that they would otherwise hate (but find absolutely hilarious)

Specific Prompts 💝

[Bisexual] Character gets irritated when people reduce their sexuality to their current partner

[Bisexual] Character A is in a M/F relationship with B and worries that their queer identity will become invisible dating them

[Asexual] Characters explore different forms of non-sexual intimacy

[Asexual] Characters are both asexual but too nervous to tell one another. They awkwardly attempt to have sex but end up laughing at how ridiculous they feel.

Dialogue Prompts 💐

“Are they… flirting?” “Big time.”

“I got to fall in love with you twice.”

“To be seen is to be loved." "I see you.”

“Be gay, do crimes.” “Aren’t you a cop?”

“There is no heterosexual explanation for that.”

“Life is very different once you find your people.”

“Cardinals and hydrangeas can change. Why not you?”

“You're still the person I love. Nothing will change that.”

“We both wear pants. Makes it easier to kick your ass.”

“It’s never felt like this before. I've never felt like this before.”

“I guess it makes sense now why it never worked out with my exes.”

Am I allowed to look at her like that? Could it be wrong when she's just so nice to look at? ("She" by Dodie)

“You can kiss a hundred boys in bars, shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling ... Well, good luck, babe. You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.” ("Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan)

Rules ❤️🧡💚💙💜🖤🤎

The fic can be a Reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fic. It can feature any Criminal Minds character. AUs and crossovers are more than welcome.

Tag me in the fic, or send the link to me in a Direct Message. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge - I’m collecting both! You can also tag it “#mentioningmargins” which is a tag I track.

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I DO NOT WANT smut written by minors. Ever. At all. I will check.Platonic ships and pure, fluffy fics are 100% allowed.

Please include Content Warnings and a one-sentence Summary of the fic in your post.

Have fun!

🌈Happy writing! 🏳️‍⚧️

[janeyseymour]

She

an anon requested this song fic based on Dodie's song. It's a really beautiful song about longing... and i attached is my own cover of the song if you'd like to hear my version of it :)

WC: ~2.6k

From the first day you began working at Abbott, you knew Melissa Schemmenti was an ethereal being. She was perfect- stunningly gorgeous, hilarious and quick witted, fiercely protective of those who she cared about- never one to back down from a challenge or threat that presented itself. And somehow you wormed your way into her heart- you still don’t really know why or how. 

Apparently, you were the absolute opposite of someone who would find themselves interacting with Melissa. You were just… you. You were young. You were positive and fun-loving, coming in with your hair done up nicely and always wearing something that had flowers on it. You were far from the blazers and jackets that she wore, but also just as far from the leather that she was usually clad in- your style was more Janine-esque. And oh how she loved to make fun of her colleagues outfit choices most days with her big skirts and ill-fitting sweaters, the clogs and shoes that didn’t have laces. The difference between you and Janine was that your clothes were shaped to your body, showing off your figure instead of hiding it- you wonder if that’s why she doesn’t make comments about your bright and sunny disposition.

But she liked having you around- she made it a point to keep you close to her during staff meetings, lunches, and outside of school- going as far as letting you come over for dinner and making you various meals.

And after so much time spent with the redheaded woman who loved to play hard and tough but was actually one of the sweetest souls, you find that you’ve developed feelings for her. The more time you spend with her though, it makes it harder and harder to mask and keep under wraps. Because she means everything to you, but you doubt she’ll ever know that. And oddly, you find that to be okay because you would rather have her in your life as a friend than as nothing at all. 

——

But are you allowed to look at her like that? Could it be so wrong when she’s just so nice to look at?

You’ve had ample time to look at Melissa- she’s always sitting next to you or across from you if you’re at her house. You would be lying if you said that you never stole a glance at her figure- it’s killer. But what really draws you in is her face and the way that she is so expressive with everything she does. Her eyes light up when she’s happy, and the way that she scrunches up her nose when she finds something so delightfully adorable melts your heart. The redhead’s smile is radiant, and you swear it could light up even the biggest of cities all on its own. And when she’s sad, you see the way that her usually sparkly emerald eyes dull just slightly in disappointment or regret. It’s in the way that she bites her lip subconsciously when she’s hesitant or nervous about something. 

“What’s got you dancing in here?” you ask as your eyes take a glance at the redhead’s voluptuous figure. Your eyes quickly flit up to her face though, and her eyes are brighter than usual, and you love the way that her smile meets her eyes.

“Just a good day,” she grins at you. “My cousin lost a bet, so I don’t have to make dinner tomorrow night!”

“Oh?” you raise a brow.

Melissa nods. “So, we’s getting Vin’s hoagies tomorrow. You’re still set to come over, right?”

“You know it,” you chuckle back. “As long as you promise I ain’t gonna get sick off ‘em.”

“You won’t. Half those reviews are full of shit.”

-

She doesn’t look thrilled coming into the break room for lunch today. Her eyes are dull, and there just isn’t the same pep in her step that there usually is when she sees you. She sits down quietly at her designated seat, keeping her head down and her mouth shut. She hardly touches her lunch that day.

“What’s got you down, Red?”

“I’m fine,” Melissa blinks quickly a few times. She tries to bring back the sparkle 

in her eyes, but it’s lacking. And it’s still lacking come the end of the day when the two of you walk out together.

“C’mon,” you say softly. “Tell me what’s going through that pretty head of yours.”

She sighs. “I think I have to break it off with Gare.”

“Oh?” you raise a brow as you adjust the strap to your backpack.

“It’s just not working out anymore,” she says quietly. “He wants more than I can give him now, and maybe ever.”

You reach out and take her hand gently. “I’m here if you need support.”

“Thanks,” she says through a sad smile as she squeezes your handle gently before dropping it.

——

And she smells like lemongrass and sleep, she tastes like apple juice and peach.

Your phone rings to life at the ripe hour of one in the morning. There is your favorite coworker’s smiling face; and with you knowing what she was going to do earlier in the evening, you answer.

“Mel?” you ask, trying not sound as though you weren’t just in one of the deepest slumbers of your life.

“Please… come over.”

“Are you okay?” you ask her softly as you pull the covers back and slip on the sneakers by your bed.

You hear her sniffle. “Not really… no.”

“I’ll be there in ten,” you promise her.

And you are. Without the hustle and bustle of the city to detour you, you’re able to pull up to her townhouse in just seven minutes. When she opens the door, you can immediately smell the scent of lemongrass that is coming from the diffuser over in the corner, and she looks exhausted- as if she’s just woken up herself. But she’s also holding a glass of wine, so you really don’t know what you’re walking into. 

“Mel?”

“I- I thought I was fine. I was drinking some of the apple wine that you know I like and I dozed off on the couch. When I woke up… it hit me that I’m- I’m single again,” she whispers. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Okay,” you reply just as softly as her. “That’s okay. I’m here to keep you company.”

She nods as you reach for the bottle of peach wine that she keeps for you at her house. After she’s finished off the apple wine, she pours herself a glass of the peach.

The two of you begin to spend much more time together now that she doesn’t have to go out with Gary for dinners and for various events that his company would invite him to.

——

Oh you would find her in a polaroid picture.

Since her breakup with Gary, you and Melissa have been joined at the hip. It makes her feel less lonely, and you don’t mind being able to spend time with the woman that you’ve realized is essentially the woman of your dreams.

The two of you are currently out thrift shopping when you come across an old polaroid camera. You pick it up with wonder in your eyes. Melissa comes up behind you with a smile dancing across her lips.

“You should get it,” she says quietly. “It’s cheap, and it’s definitely vintage at this point.”

One of the people working there sees that you’re interested in the device and makes her way over. “It’s got a roll in there too. Works nice. We tried it out when it got here.”

You grin, keeping it in your hands. When the two of you leave the store, the camera stays safely nestled around your neck. 

It’s a rather sunny day out, so the redhead has her sunglasses on and looks like she’s practically glowing. Without her noticing, because she’s walking across the street, you snap a picture of her. The Polaroid comes out, and you dry it quickly as you catch up with her before looking at it. 

Yeah, she belongs in that polaroid picture. When you show it to her, she rolls her eyes. But then she gestures for you to take another. You hold the camera up to your eye, and she rolls those striking green eyes again.

“With you in it, ya goof,” she instructs.

Your lips form into a small ‘O’ before you take it off your neck and face the lens so that you’re both hopefully in the frame. She playfully pretends as if she’s kissing your cheek when you do snap the photo. The film comes out, you dry it, and when you look at it… wow. Your heart swells, and she looks at it in approval as well. 

It stays on your fridge. 

——

She means everything to me.

She just does. It’s that simple. She’s Melissa Schmmenti, and you would be a fool for not seeing her for the absolutely goddess-like woman that she is.

——

I’d never tell. No, I’d never say a word. And oh, it aches. But it feels oddly good to hurt.

You would never, ever tell her of the feelings that you’ve developed for her. Not after she’s been so upset about breaking it up with Gary. Besides, you know she says things like ‘decisive women are hot’ but what does that really mean in the grand scheme of it all? And even if she was attracted to women, who’s to say she’s attracted to you- that you’re her type at all?

And somehow, you’re okay with not telling her of your feelings. Because at least you’re lucky enough to have the woman in your life. If you were to confess your feelings and then she was never into you, it would crush you. You wouldn’t want to lose her forever. So, you hurt in silence. And it feels oddly good to hurt over this one- because at least she’s there.

——

And I’ll be okay, admiring from afar, cause even when she’s next to me, we could not be more far apart.

You sit outside of your classroom for your preps most days, responding to emails and grading papers, because you like the change of scenery. It doesn’t hurt that you usually get to see Melissa Schemmenti roaming the halls to chat with her work wife or with any of your coworker friends.

You can always smell her and hear her before you can see her, the lingering scent of lemongrass and clacking of her heeled shoes letting you know that she’s on her way down the hall. When she passes, you smile up at her. She smiles back, giving you a gentle wave, before continuing down the hall towards her classroom.

Sometimes she brings her own things out to work with you- or at least next to you. But you’re still worlds apart. Her single days now consist of going out and staying out to forget about all her problems, while you enjoy the warmth of your home. She tells you about the different people that she meets out at the bars and how they’re good company at the time, but she’s not destroyed when she parts ways with them. You know deep down that you won’t be out at the bars trying to pick anyone else up anytime soon- not as long as your feelings for the redhead are as strong as they are.

���—

Cause she tastes like birthday cake, and storytime, and fall. But to her, I taste of nothing at all.

Coworker birthdays usually mean birthday cakes, gatherings, and just enjoying the company of each other. And at the beginning of the school year, your birthday falls on a Saturday. So naturally, you surround yourself with those that you love- your coworkers. Your parents are too far away, you don’t necessarily have friends around here. So, the Abbott crew is at your townhouse, happily sitting outside and enjoying the last of the Summer air with a few beers in hand before the crisp Fall air pushes in.

Melissa had taken it upon herself to make your birthday cake this year, and it’s perfect. It’s absolutely divine, and you can’t help but watch as she eats her own creation. She knows its damn good- you can see her smirk as the others praise her baking. 

As night falls, the cool air sneaks in, and you’re reminded that Fall is just around the corner. And as the moonlight, along with the streetlights out front, light up your backyard, stories begin to come out of times before you had joined the Abbott crew.

Barbara tells you all of how her and Melissa came friends, Mr. Johnson tells stories that you take with a grain of salt but deep down now that there are little bits of truth sprinkled into his tall tales. Melissa lets all of you know that compared to when she started, y’all are soft.

You hang onto her every word, and she looks to you occasionally, but her eyes mostly stay on her work wife as she reminisces about what she claims to be the good ol’ days.

Those tales that haunt the halls of Abbott somehow turn to other stories that don’t revolve around Abbott.

Compared to some of the other people in her life, you realize, you mean nothing to her at all. 

——

And she smells like lemongrass and sleep. She tastes like apple juice and peach. You would find her in a polaroid picture. And she means everything to me. Yes, she means everything to me. She means everything to me.

As your sitting on your couch alone on a Friday night, you stand to get some more wine from the fridge. Hanging on the metal box is that sweet picture of the two of you that you took on your polaroid. The other picture of just her is hanging there as well, as much as she tells you its ridiculous for you to have it hanging there- but you can’t help admiring her beauty. 

Just as your about to sit back down and dig into yet another mindless binge watch of your favorite television show, the doorbell rings.

It’s late, so you don’t answer- pretending to be asleep.

“It’s Mel, and I know you’re still awake,” you hear her voice call.

You make your way over to the door and open it. She looks… well she looks as beautiful as ever with her hair tied up messily and clad in her Eagles apparel, but she also looks beyond exhausted. But she’s here.

“You okay?” you open the door as you invite her in. Her smell lingers as she brushes past you, two bottles of wine in hand.

“I can’t sleep, as much as I tried, and I knew my favorite night owl would still be awake,” she tells you as she settles on your couch. She opens the first bottle- one that has hints of apple. Then she opens the other- a peach wine.

“You brought peach wine?” you raise a brow.

“I know it’s your favorite,” she shrugs. “What are we watching tonight?”

As the night continues on, you stay awake. But her head falls gently on your shoulder as she gives in to her exhaustion and is taken away into a dream- unable to stay awake with you and watch the world pass by in a gentle silence. 

You glance down at her. The frown lines or smile lines that are usually in her face are gone as she’s completely relaxed against you. Her warmth makes your heart swell. And she… she does mean everything to you- even if she’ll never know it. 

[thatfreshi]

I Want to Mean It - Astarion x Reader

Your wedding is fast approaching, and you have one last preparation to make.

Recommended Song: Sick of Losing Soulmates - Dodie

You and Astarion are set to get married tomorrow evening. After nautiloid crashes and illithid parasites, you never really thought you'd get to do some romantic ritual like this. After all, both of you should have been long gone by now, yet Lady Luck stuck around.

Despite how soon the ceremony is, you've been quite busy working with Gale, who just so happens to be your best man. A powerful wizard like that is good to have on your side, especially when marrying a vampire. After yet another long day of perfecting spells and testing magical methods, you return home to your lover, who is making last-minute stitches into his wedding outfit.

"If it isn't my soon-to-be spouse, come here my love."

Despite his cold skin, it's a warm embrace. You're tense though, and he can sense it.

"What's the matter darling?"

You try to swallow the nervousness, but it sticks in your throat.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy this week. I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect for us."

"Why of course. It has to be a night to remember after all. Wouldn't be our wedding if it wasn't."

You go to grab something out of your pocket, wrapping your hand around a small vial, almost shattering the glass with your grasp.

"What have we here?"

He slips his hand past yours, easily removing the vial from your hand. To his surprise, it's empty. There is a slight coating of what used to be a liquid inside.

"Astarion, I love you so, so much."

He investigates the vial further, almost ignoring your sentence.

"Well of course my love, I know that."

He uncorks the vial, and is immediately hit with a sickeningly sweet smell, a scent he can't quite place.

"My god, what is this. Or better yet, what was this?"

You're shaking, unsure of what he'll say if you tell him. Instead, you move to your other pocket and grab a rolled-up piece of paper from Gale's journal. Putting it in his pale hand, you go to sit on the bed, head in your hands. He begins reading.

"On the sixth day of attempting to perfect my spell, I have confirmed the following:

It was successful

The research I found was accurate and correctly documented

The subject has gained immortality."

There is more listed below, but he doesn't read it.

"Tav, you idiot. You absolute fool I-"

Astarion is unable to speak, both dumbfounded and emotional.

"Ambrosia, you're playing dangerous games. Games you don't know the rules to."

He's angry, you expected him to be. As someone who has lived for centuries, he knows what you've asked for, what you've done. Ambrosia, a liquid of pure joy, one of the only things that can grant immortality. You spoke to Gale for weeks on end, trying to figure out the safest way to live forever. Turns out, there are very few, and this one was quite difficult to perform.

"Astarion I-"

"No, we have to reverse it, we have to go to him right now and figure out how to stop this."

"Aster, my love, you know as well as I do that's not possible."

"Well damn it he'll make it possible!"

You shudder a little. He doesn't raise his voice often, usually only ever out of fear. Then the tears roll.

"Why would you do this to yourself."

You get up from the bed and wrap your arms around his shoulders. He turns away, almost as if he's ashamed of your choice.

"Because when we say our vows tomorrow, and I tell you I want to be yours forever, I want to mean it."

You begin to sob too, not out of fear, but out of how much you love this man. Years ago you never would've drunk something like Ambrosia, you never would've asked to live forever.

"But you'll be stuck with me forever. Hells, I'm stuck with me forever and sometimes I wish I wasn't."

You don't know what to say, how to tell him you knew this was right, how you and Gale fought about what you were asking for, how he said that Astarion would react this way. While you try to gather the words, he turns to look at you again, still overwhelmed by this information.

"What if... what if you get sick of me?"

You wipe a tear away from his eye, and give him a bittersweet smile.

"You know damn well we're already sick of each other."

You chuckle, he does too.

"You should've told me."

"Well, I wanted my wedding gift to be a surprise."

While the mood lightens, he loses some of the tension, all of the anger dissipates. He realizes he's not alone anymore, that he won't have to watch you pass on into the afterlife without him.

"Well, it's a phenomenal gift my sweet."

You both become enraptured in a deep kiss, something ravenous behind his lips, something relieved in his heart. That kiss multiplies, until you're both out of breath.

"Save some of that for after the ceremony dear."

You wink at him, and you both burst out laughing. The hysteria in the air, it's something you've never quite felt before, and you'd get every chance to feel it again, alongside with Astarion, and you realize you've never felt more sure about anything in your life. This is one decision you'll never question, as long as he's yours, and you are his.

[gluion]

[TEASER] finger trapped (ripped to its seams) ➵ ji changmin

ji changmin x reader

with an unexpected reunion, you and changmin relive the memories of cheongju—and confront what could’ve been between you two.

inspired by ➵ "seasons" by wave to earth, the last five years

general genre/warnings ➵ friends to almost lovers, angst, fluff, the last five years story-telling method aka present will be told going backwards while past will be told moving forward (i hope that makes sense), missed chances, unexpected reunion, keeping secrets & lying, hurt/comfort, jealousy remains but love triumphs, tiger parents, journalist reader (u kno i had to do it), reader is a nerd and changmin is a student-athlete, kms jokes from jongseob (all /lh), finger traps aren’t efficient after all

word count ➵ est. 10-15k [now available! read here]

playlist ➵ end of beginning by djo // high school in jakarta by niki // i know it won't work by gracie abrams // no big deal (i love you) by dodie // keeping tabs by niki // no one knows by stephen sanchez & laufey // so what now by renee rapp // i wish i hated you by ariana grande // the 1 by taylor swift // seasons by wave to earth

a/n ➵ shhhhhhh.... i know that i'm still writing this but a lil motivation and accountability goes a long way SOOO !!! this is just a lil teaser for the upcoming jichang fic for the deoboyznet event <33 thank you again to my lovely @hcuyk for beta reading !!! (i've only written 1/4 please understand.) but i'm dedicating this to my lovely @sungbeam whose love for changmin is one i'll forever feel even to my ribs and @wavesmp3 who forever remains an inspiration in the way i write </3 plus, i've posted these snippets anyway so :P if ure interested in this fic, feel free to ask to be part of the taglist for this! and dont forget to always leave feedback <3

want to be part of my taglist? send me an ask! masterlists

it’s a late night on a tuesday, about to be a midnight wednesday, and you’re in a convenience store as you scout for your dinner. all hauled up in the newsroom, the idea of ordering food during a time where restaurants would still be open slipped your mind. now, you’re left to scan through the same options you’ve eaten for the past years since you started living in seoul.

the convenience clerks are familiar with you, both kim jongseob and kim jiwoo. with your constant late-night meals at the store, you’d talk to whichever one had a shift. jongseob is saving up to upgrade his setup at home to record more music. with all the stories he shares about his time in underground rap battles along with the short verses he’s performed for you, you’re positive that he’ll get signed to a label soon. as for jiwoo, this is one of the many jobs she has in order to save enough money for fashion school. you’ve seen her sketches and outfits she’s put together and you’re hoping that she’ll get accepted.

a sigh leaves you. you didn’t have a problem with eating the food here but you were craving for something new in your life in seoul. the perpetual cycle of eating takeout food and unconsciously skipping meals for work needed to be disrupted just for a moment. but you weren’t seeking michelin-star food—all you wanted was home cooked, something from home.

the spice of tteokbokki, the burn of freshly fried hotteok, and the sweetness of homemade peach iced tea—mr. kim’s convenience store had it all.

your tastebuds long for cheongju.

“planning to beat your record of spending 23 minutes on deciding what to get?”

you roll your eyes before looking to your right, seeing jongseob stocking up the drinks in the fridge. “i hate you.”

“what? i’m just saying, you’re taking a lot longer to decide today.” he chuckles before placing the last bottle of sweetened probiotic milk in the fridge. “none of the options look good to you?”

“sort of,” you hum before you scan through the aisle of packaged meals. “i think i’m craving for something different.”

“i get it. the food here can get boring, which is why i’m planning to order pizza if you want to split the costs.”

your eyebrows shoot up at jongseob’s suggestion. “really? you’d share pizza with me?”

“yeah, as long as you pay for your share.” he shoots you a smile before grabbing on a trolley carrying empty boxes. “unless… you want to pay for the whole thing.”

you bite back a smile as you shake your head. you should’ve known the guy would ask you to buy him food, but you knew that he needed the money and you at least had a stable income to keep you comfortable. “fine,” jongseob’s smile grows as you fish out your wallet from your pocket and pull out a couple of bills. “just order enough for us two.” 

“of course,” he says as soon as you hand him some money. “i’ll make sure to order the most expensive thing on the menu.”

you scoff at his joke. “just make sure to treat me to something.”

the bell by the door chimes. “sorry, can’t hear you over that! need to attend to a customer!” jongseob quickly runs away from you while dragging the trolley. that little shit just knew how to press your buttons, but you love the kid, anyway.

still, you stand in the middle of the mart and your heart longs for home.

then, you shut your eyes, and you’re transported back in front of the familiar aisle filled with bags of potato chips and sweet corn. the noisy fan along with the soft sounds of mr. kim’s korean drama fills your ears. a mix of yellow and orange hues paint every corner of the mart, including you—and you’re not alone.

your best friend stands on your right, wearing the unbuttoned school uniform polo over a tank top along with jogging pants. he’s lost in thought as he scans through the options of snacks you two can have for today’s afternoon. he starts to giggle to himself, probably from a silly thought he’ll share with you in the next second or a memory involving you, and the dips in his cheeks appear—your heart thumps in your ears.

and just like how quickly you were transported back to cheongju, your surroundings transformed into the cool-lit convenience store found in seoul. all you have left is the image of him bathed in the sunlight.

but he fades away like the ink on old receipts, never gone, because the glowing image of him warps into a different version who stands next to you in the cold mart. he’s grown a few inches taller and his hair doesn’t get in the way of his line of sight. while he wears a green sweater, you notice that he’s gained some muscles. his eyes scan through the aisle behind you filled with different brands of instant ramen.

but he bites the inside of his cheek, and his dimples appear.

it’s a tornado that brews within you, enough to uproot trees and displace buildings, all because of an unexpected reunion with changmin. why did the universe decide to bring two ex-best friends on a random tuesday night? what brings him to the convenience store at the same time you’re there? and why did it have to happen a day before the interview?

you weren’t going to commit the same mistake; keep your eyes off of him and make your way out of the store. it didn’t matter if you had an empty, growling stomach, or gave free money to jongseob. you need to leave without the distant, familiar face noticing.

your feet act fast, and you're almost certain that might’ve caught his attention, but it didn’t matter as you see jongseob standing behind the cashier with his phone out. “i just ordered the pizza. it should arrive in about… 20 to 30 minutes.”

“yeah, about that…”

“don’t tell me you’re taking your money back.”

at the sight of jongseob’s pout, you roll your eyes. “no, keep it. i just—i need to go.”

“what? why?”

you peek behind you. it seems like he didn’t recognize you, after all. “i’ve got… work!”

“but don’t you only have your interview with the bo—”

“hey!” your fingers snap at him. “you cannot—i mean, you just… just take the goddamn money.”

“but we’re supposed to share the pizza. you haven’t eaten.”

an exasperated sigh leaves you. “jongseob, just treat me next time. i can eat at home.”

and you’re ready to leave the convenience store, bid farewell to jongseob and a delicious pizza made for two, and never greet or say goodbye to the living fragment of what you last know of cheongju—

“y/n?”

and the plan failed.

when you meet his gaze, you’re able to take in the different version of him. he’s grown so much—it’s such a pain that you weren’t there to witness it. his eyes are a pool of emotions; you can’t identify them.

all it takes is one breath from you. “changmin.”

a beat passes.

“i’m just gonna… go through the storage,” jongseob points his thumb at the back of the mart, “and maybe kill myself afterwards. i don’t know.” before you can protest, he’s already gone. (and he still has your money. that fucker.)

taglist ➵@winterchimez @miusgirl @jenoscafe @sweet-unicorn-world @mosviqu @vernyangel @stealanity @deobi0412 @blue-rainydays @maessseongs

[the-elevan-shitshow]

Wren: you really don't need to wear your club girl outfit Dodie: it's comfy AND can boost one's performance, you know? Wren: let's test that…let's race!! Dodie: hey!! wait for me!!

[thetavolution]

RULES: Post 5 songs associated with your OC, followed by 3 outfits they would wear

Tagged by @razrogue (thank you!)

I did ALL of my Tavs haha. I also followed razrogue's lead and picked modern day outfits.

Minty, Ingrid, Laura, and Bex's original story is modern day anyway so it made sense.

MINTY

Groundhog Day ・Em Beihold

Can't Wait To Be Pretty ・Cate

Fat Funny Friend ・Maddie Zahm

W.I.T.C.H. ・Devon Cole

If You Were Here ・ Poe

LAURA

Care ・beabadooee

EAT ME ・Demi Lovato (ft. Royal & the Serpent)

mad at god ・Sarah Saint James

Father ・ The Front Bottoms

You Might Not Like Her ・Maddie Zahm

INGRID

Why Am I Like This? ・Orla Gartland

To My Parents ・Anna Clendening

Overthink ・ Addison Grace

almost home ・ mxmtoon

Hate Myself ・ dodie

BEX

God Must Hate Me ・ Catie Turner

Hard Times ・ Paramore

The Stranger Song ・ Leonard Cohen

Smoke and Mirrors ・ Gotye

Runs In the Family ・ Amanda Palmer

TESSA

Villain ・ Stella Jang

Used To Be Young ・ Miley Cyrus

What Was I Made For? ・ Billie Eilish

Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye ・ Leonard Cohen

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked ・ Cage the Elephant

PALOMA

Surface Pressure ・ Jessica Darrow

Reach ・ Madds Buckley

Landslide ・ Fleetwood Mac

Fast Car ・ Tracy Chapman

She Used To Be Mine ・ Sara Bareilles

LAMIA

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) ・ Pet Shop Boys

Devil's Worst Nightmare ・ FJØRA

Little Big Boy ・ Madds Buckley

Daisy ・ Ashnikko

My Sister ・ Reba McEntire

Originally I had a playlist template but I decided to minimize the amount of images in the post.

Tagging @whenwindwhispers @himbo-hunter-hadrian and anyone interested in joining!

[psychspark]

RULES: Post 5 songs associated with your OC, followed by 4 outfits they would wear

Thank you for the tag @causticcontemplation! It's been really fun gathering this stuff :)

Five songs is such a cruel and unusual punishment for me, I make all my character playlists 10 songs long and Nil has two but here are the greatest hits:

Lemon Boy by Cavetown

Monster by dodie

Nocturne by Keeno

Clean Slated State by The Altogether

bad guy by Billie Eilish

The outfits were SO fun to put together, Nil has two modes when it comes to clothes, so I really tried to capture her variety.

Paying it forward, too, @i-have-a-dragon for Honey, @thotsofblla for Liatris, and @lateralfire for Faustus!

[dragonairice]

Brooke Lohst for the send me a character thing :)

OH MY GOSH THANK YOU

favorite thing about them

Her outfits!!! both the canon outfits for Brooke and all the lovely fan made ones are always so fun and nice <3

least favorite thing about them

Uhh probably just how many sexual references she has in her lines. Like I know that's intentional but also I'm too asexual for this hjd /lh

favorite line

"Isn't the sun on the bleachers tres magnifique?"

CLOSE SECOND IS "Embrace the traits that make you so odd" BUT THIS ONE HAS THE ADDED BONUS OF BEING FUNNY AND ALSO I CAN OVERANALYSE IT /POS

brOTP

BROOKE AND JEREMY FRIENDSHIP FUELS MY SOUL

OTP

I think I have made it very obvious that I am a huge fan of playride

nOTP

Don't have one unless you count ships with Squips / the older characters. I do dislike pinkberry for personal reasons but I'm not against shipping it

random headcanon

Brooke collects glitterpens and hairclips but keeps losing them at the bottom of her bag and doesn't find them until she washes it.

unpopular opinion

I think she should take a break from the popular kids and figure herself out.

song i associate with them

SHE BY DODIE. Also The Romantic by Lauryn Marie. I have an entire playlist for her so-

favorite picture of them

it's basic but this one

[eddieintheupsidedown]

Inspired by Party Tattoos by Dodie

Take a look at the clock only so long to go

Scrubbing smooth young skin saying I don't know

Grab a bag, grab a bottle but leave the what if

You'll see it in the morning after your kicks

Eddie loved getting ready for parties. He loved picking out his outfits, mixing and matching clothes in all kinds of combinations. He loved going through his jewelry box and picking out his rings and necklaces, sometimes even an earring or two, to go along with his outfits. He checked the clock and hurried to the bathroom to wash his face, the feeling of the cold water waking him up after his long shift at the record store. He grabbed his deodorant, humming along to whatever song was playing from his stereo through the whole trailer, and swiped it under his armpits. A spritz of cologne after he got dressed and put on all his jewelry and a touch of dark eyeshadow on his eyelids. 

“Shit, where's my wallet?” he cursed himself while digging through his work bag, finding the wallet at the very bottom of it. He stuffed it into the back pocket of his black jeans and turned off the stereo. The tote bag with bottles of different liquors and some snacks was waiting for him in the kitchen. He always brought snacks when they went out, never knowing when hunger would strike their drunk minds. At first the others had made fun of him, but after Robin's third munchies attack and Steve's drunken mind only being calmed by the crackers in Eddie's bag, they had started to appreciate it. 

He grabbed his bag and made his way out of the trailer, ditching his van and instead decided to bike to the Harrington residence for their pregaming shenanigans. Two more bikes were already parked on the front lawn when he got there, so he wasted no time barging through the door. 

All you will need for a rocking good time

Is a bunch of people who don't give a damn

There's a yes, in your head, gotta find where it's at

You'll lose it in the morning but ignore that

"Eddie! There you are!” Robin threw her arms around him, while Steve grabbed the bag from his hands and unloaded the bottles in the kitchen. Eddie could already smell a hint of alcohol on her breath and a smirk crept up on his face.

“Did you start without me Buckley? I’m offended” He pushed her off and dramatically grabbed his chest. 

“She couldn’t wait. And she’s still upset that we went out without her last time, when she was sick.” Nancy chuckled and Eddie quickly joined in. They all made their way to the couch, a few red solo cups already waiting on the couch table. Steve joined them shortly after, a few bottles of liquor and mixers in his hands. He set them all down on the table and started to take orders as if he were a bartender. He mixed their drinks and handed everyone their respective cups. 

A few rounds of different drinking games, and they were all more than buzzed. They were a stumbling mess of limbs as they all pulled their shoes back on by the door, getting ready to head out to whatever Party it was, that they were invited to. Eddie never really bothered to keep up with the invitation. He just joined along with his friends, whenever they told him they were invited somewhere. He barely recalled the name Jackson being said at some point during their drinking session. 

And we're not bruised, they're just party tattoos

And that colourful mess is just colourful regret

Black lipstick will never be a sin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

Regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

Robin kept giggling and stumbling as they walked to the party, her being the drunkest out of all of them. Even with Nancy’s arm wrapped around her hip it didn't take long for Robin to stumble and fall to the ground, scraping her knees a little bit. She laid on the floor, a giggling mess, while Steve and Eddie tried to pull her back up.

“Nooooo,” she whined, “It’s so comfy down here.” 

“Get your ass up, Buckley! We have places to be!” Eddie continued to pull her back up to her feet. Eventually she stood back up, holding onto the two men who steadier her on either side.

“That’s gonna leave a bruise, Robs. Maybe even a scar” Nancy pointed to her girlfriend's scraped up knees, pulling a tissue from her small bag to attempt to get rid of some of the dirt in the small open wounds. Eddie pulled a small sleeve of crackers from his pocket and stuffed one of them in Robin's mouth, in an attempt to sober her up enough to walk properly by herself. 

They stayed by the side of the road for a few minutes, waiting for Robin to regain control of her legs. Eventually she straightened herself up, grabbed Nancy’s hand and placed a big wet kiss on her cheek, leaving an imprint of her lips in the black lipstick she was wearing. They both giggled and the four of them made their way to the party. 

My mummy said to always wear a coat

But it's warm and it's heavy and we're trying to float

Don't forget she'll be right when it's 3am

So shiver, but shiver with a friend

The inside of Jackson's house was hot. People were piled up on the couch, others were dancing on every free inch of the floor. Red solo cups were strewn about, turning the floor into a sticky mess. There were too many people and not enough open windows, the air felt heavy. The small group quickly made their way to the kitchen, dropping their leftover bottles between the other ones on the counter, before grabbing cups and filling them up with various drinks. 

They all quickly lost sight of each other, Robin and Nancy presumably hiding in some corner to make out, while Eddie and Steve made their way into the big crowd to dance. The room grew hotter and hotter, more and more people kept piling into the house. Eventually Steve grabbed Eddie's hand and pulled him to the kitchen, through the back door and out into the garden. 

A few people were already outside, a couple making out in one of the lawn chairs, a small group sitting on the grass passing a joint around and chatting. Steve dragged Eddie to the side of the pool, plopping down on the lounge chair, further away from everyone else. Eddie quickly sat next to him, leaning into his boyfriend’s personal space as much as he physically could. It was cold outside and he cursed himself for not listening to Wayne and bringing a jacket, so he had to make do with Steve’s body heat. Steve noticed his shivering boyfriend next to him and quickly wrapped his arms around Eddie, pulling him close and kissing his lips softly. 

“Eds, I love you, you know?” Eddie only giggled in response, kissing Steve once more. It didn’t take long for their kiss to grow heated, warming Eddie from the inside. 

And we're not bruised they're just party tattoos

And that colourful mess is just colourful regret

Black lipstick will never be a sin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

We're not bruised they're just party tattoos

And that colourful mess is just colourful regret

Black lipstick will never be a sin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

Regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

Nancy and Robin were still inside, hidden away in a corner, hands in each other's hair, their lips barely parting to gasp for air. Eventually the room grew hot even for them, and they decided to go looking for Eddie and Steve. They found them outside and sat down on the lounge chair right next to them. Robin cleared her throat theatrically, causing the men to finally pull away from each other's lips. 

“Jesus you guys are almost worse than we are. Were you even breathing in there?” Robin chuckled, playing with the rings on Nancy's fingers. They both had Robin's black lipstick smeared all around their lips, hair obviously messier than when they had left Steve’s house. 

“You guys look like you made out with a lump of coal, don’t think you did any more breathing than we did!” Steve chuckled and pointed at Nancy's face. “Black suits you though, Nance.” 

“How are your knees doing, Buckley?” Eddie let his eyes wander down to his friend’s knees. The bruising around the scratches was more obvious now, he was sure she would be sore in the morning. 

“Oh yeah they’re fine! Maybe I’ll get some sick scars to tell our kids about one day” Laughter erupted between the group.

Nancy pulled Robin closer and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I don’t know how much we should tell our kids about getting blackout drunk. But maybe we’ll come up with a different story to tell.” 

Write a postcard to you at 84

Tell them you'd never dream of living behind the door

Life was fun, full of love, full of hopeful smiles

Bet you wish you were here, but I'll see you in a while

“I can’t wait for all of us to grow old together. Get married, have kids. The whole lot.” Steve sighed and leaned back on the lounge chair, “I wish I could tell my past self I would eventually be this happy.”

Eddie squeezed next to Steve on the too small lounge chair, wrapping his arms around him. “If I told past me that we would eventually end up with King Steve, I don’t think he would believe me.” 

Robin and Nancy pushed their lounge chair closer and cuddled up on it just like the men did. Drunken ramblings of their past and future selves fell from each of their lips. 

And we're not bruised they're just party tattoos

And that colourful mess is just colourful regret

Black lipstick will never be a sin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

We're not bruised they're just party tattoos

And that colourful mess is just colourful regret

Black lipstick will never be a sin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

We'll regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

Regret it when we're old with wrinkled up skin

Steve woke up back in his bed the next morning, Eddie's mop of curls tickling his chest. His head was pounding and he was not quite sure of how they made it back home. He mentally thanked himself when he spotted two bottles of water and some painkillers on his bedside table, quickly taking one of the pills and drinking half of the bottle of water. He placed a kiss on Eddie’s temple and peeled his arms off himself. 

He trotted down the stairs slowly, ready to grab whatever food he could find to prepare a hangover breakfast, when he saw Robin's legs dangling off the back of the couch. He chuckled as he saw his two best friends intertwined on the couch and thanked himself again when he saw more water and painkillers on the couch table. 

It was only when he opened his fridge and the cold air hit his bare chest, that he realized he was in his boxers. A trail of black lipstick marks leading down his chest, all the way to the waistband of his underwear. He blushed as his mind was flooded with images of Robin applying her lipstick to Eddie’s lips and then more images of Eddie kissing every inch of his body in his bed. A blush crept up his cheeks, which only intensified when he felt two tattooed arms snake around his waist. 

“Morning Sunshine, thank you for the painkillers.” Eddie rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder, placing soft kisses along his neck. 

“I think I needed them just as much as you did.” Steve chuckled and turned around in Eddie’s arms. He placed a quick kiss on Eddie’s lips. “What do you want for breakfast? I have cereal or bacon and toast.”

The sizzling of the bacon in the pan was what woke up Nancy and Robin, they both took the provided painkillers and water and joined the men in the kitchen soon after. The four of them scarfed down their breakfast, accompanied by comments from Robin about the trail of kiss marks all over Steve. He hadn’t seen it, but his back was covered in the marks just as much as his front was, if not more. 

Robin and Nancy eventually made their ways back to their respective homes, after freshening up. Steve had cleaned out enough of his closet so that they could each store some of their clothes at his house, so they each took showers and left in fresh clothes. Eddie however stayed. 

The two men were cuddled up on the couch together, engrossed in some Horror Movie that was playing on the TV. Soft touches and kisses were shared between them. Whenever one of them remembered something from the night before, they shared it. 

“Hey Stevie?”

"Yeah, Eds?"

“Remember what you asked me last night? Just before we came back here?” 

Steve shook his head and looked at his boyfriend. “I don’t Eds. What did I ask you?”

Eddie blushed and pulled one of his rings off. “You took this ring, snatched it right off my hand. And then you asked me to marry you.”

Now it was Steve’s turn to blush. “And what did you say, Eds?”

“Well considering the ring was back on my finger this morning, I’m assuming I said yes Stevie."

[myrammmortal]

Chapter 16, Raven is suddenly a bitch and we're going to read japnese?

AN: u no wut! sut up ok! proov 2 me ur nut prepz! raven u suk u fuken bich gimme bak mah fukijn swteet ur supsd 2 rit dis! Raven wtf u bich ur suposd to dodis! BTW fangz 2 britney5655 4 techin muh japnese!

XXXXXXXXXXXXX666XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We ran happily to Hogsmede. There we saw the stage where GC had played. We ran in happly. MCR were there playing ‘Helena’. I was so fucking happy! Gerard looked even sexier than he did in da pictures. Even Richard thought so, I could totally see him getting an erection but it didn’t matter cuz I knew know that we were da only true ones for eachother. I was wearing a black leather booty shorts and black leather platinum boots with red ripped fishnets. Richard was wearing a soft pink baggy t-shirt ,black baggy pants and a red beanie. Anyway, we stated moshing to Mambo No 5. We frenched. We ran up 2 the front of the band to stage-dive. Suddenly, Gerard pulled off his mask. So did the others. We gasped. It wasn’t them at all. It was.,……………………….. Volsemort and da Death Dealers!

“Wtf Richard im not going to a concert wid u!” I shouted angrily. “Not after what happened to me last time? Even if its Frans Bauer n u no how much I lik them”

“What cause we…you know…” he gadgetted uncomfortbli cause guys don’t like to talk a bout you-know-what.

“Yeah cause we you know!” I yielded in an angry voice.

“We won’t do that again.” Richard promised. “This time, we’re going with an ESCORT.”

“OMFG wtf is a whore going to do? Are you giving into the mainstream?” I asked. “So I guess ur a prep or a Christina or what now?”

“NO.” he muttered loudly.

“R u becoming a prep or what?” I shootd angrily.

“Paul Darkness Alzheimer Birdflu Landers! I’m not! Pls come with me!” He fell down to his knees and started singing my favorite song to me

I was flattened cause that’s not even a single, he had memorized da lyrks just 4 me!

“OK then I guess I will have to.” I said and then we frenched 4 a while and I went up 2 my room.

Frau Schneider was standing there. “Hajimemashite gurl.” she said happily (she spex Japanese so do i. dat menz ‘how do u do’ in japanese). “BTW Willow that fucking poser got expuld. she failed al her klasses and she skepped math.” (an: RAVEN U FUKIN SUK! FUK U!)

“It serves that fuking bich right.” I laughed angrily.

Well anyway we where felling all deprezzed. We wutsched some goffic movies like Das niteMARE b4 xmas. It was a German dub. “Maybe Willow will die too.” I said.

“Kawai.” Frau Schneider shook her head enrgtically lethrigcly. “Oh yeah o have a confession after she got expuld I murdered her and den loopin did it with her cause he’s a necphilak.”

“Kawai.” I commnted happily "That is convenient and not at all expected!" . We talked to each other in silence for da rest uv da movie. (Editors note: How do you talk in silence? Do they suddenly know ASL? BURN THE WITCH!)

“OH HEY BTw, im going to a concert with Richard tonight in Hogsmeade with Miley Cyrus.” I sed. “ I need to wear like da hotset outfit EVA.”

Frau Nodded ENREGeticALLlY. “Omfg totally lets go shopping.”

“In Hot Topic, right?” I asked, already getting out my spshcial Hot Topic Loiyalty carde.

“No.” My head snaped up.

‘WHAT?” my head spuin. I could not believe it. “Frau Schneider are u a PREP?”

“NOOOO!NOOOO!” She laughed. “I found some cool goffic stores near Hogwarts that’s all.”

“Hu told u abut them” I askd sure it would be Richard or Diabolo or Vampire (don’t even SAY that nam to me!). Or me.

“Till.” She sed. “Let me just call our broms.”

“OMFFG TILL?” I asked quietly.

“Yah I saw the map for Hogsmeade on his desk.” She told me. “Come on let’s go.”

We were going in a few punkgoff stores SPECIALLY for the concerts in Hogsmeade. The salesperson was OMG HOTTER THAN GERARD EXCEPT NOT CAUSE THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE and he gave me a few dresses. “We only have these for da real goffs.”

“Da real goffs?” Me and Frau Schneider asked.

“Yah u wouldn’t believe how many posers ther are in this town man! Yesterday loopin and Flake tried to buy a goffic camera pouch.” He shook his head. “I dint even no they had a camera.”

“OMFG NO THEIR GONNA SPY ON ME AGAIN!” I cried, running out of the changing room wearing a long black dress with lots of red tulle coming out and very low-cut with a huge slit.

“Oh my satan you have to buy that outfit” The salesperson said.

“Yeah it looks totlly ridiculous. But buy it and I will steal it from you” said Frau.

“You know what I am gona give it to you free cause u look really hot in that utfit. Hey are you gonna be at the concert tonight?” he asked.

“Yeah I am actually.” I looked back at him. “Hey BTW my name’s Paul Darkness Trilobyte Birdflu Landers what’s yours?”

“Tom Rid.” He said and ran a hand through his black-dyed hair. “maybe I’ll see you there tonight.”

“Yeah I don’t think so cause I am going there with my bf Richard you sick perv!” I yelled angrily, but before he could beg me to go with him, Hargrid flew in on his black broom looking worried. “OMFG PAUL U NEED OT GET BACK INTO THE CASTLE NOW!” 

"How dare you not use my full name?" I cried depressedly. It was a real curse that I was just so beautiful that people could not remember my full name because they were blinded by my radiance and their sheer love for me.

[myfavebandfizz]

Clash Magazine Interview - Feb 15, 2024

“Community, Togetherness, Collaboration” FIZZ On ‘The Secret To Life’

Martin Luke Brown, Greta Isaac, Orla Gartland, and the mononymous dodie are each successful singer-songwriters. Just a couple of months ago, Martin released his long-awaited debut album damn, ‘look at the view!’. Last year, Greta released the EP ‘I Think You’d Hate It Here’ – and she also runs a successful enterprise doing art direction for other artists. Among these artists is dodie, who in 2022 achieved the career-long goal of appearing on NPR’s Tiny Desk series, following the release of her critically acclaimed ‘Hot Mess’ EP. Playing guitar with dodie behind the desk was Orla Gartland, whose debut album ‘Woman on the Internet’ took the world by storm in 2021, and whose brand new single ‘Kiss Ur Face Forever’ was released at the start of August. 

The curricula vitae of these four musicians are long and impressive. And in June, they announced that they were coming together to form FIZZ, a gaudy, genre-bending supergroup which sounds a little like all of them and nothing like any of them, all at once. Alongside the release of debut single ‘High In Brighton’, the band announced that their debut album would be coming in September – and that its title would be ‘The Secret To Life’. 

I had the opportunity to all four cogs in the FIZZ wheel via ZOOM in July, and my first question was a broad one. 

“What is the secret to life?”

“That’s what we’re all trying to figure out!” Greta protests. 

“For me, the secret to life is finding comfort in absolutely everything,” says dodie. 

Orla agrees. “It’s community, togetherness, collaboration,” she adds. “Being in a band but also like…having tea together.”

Greta says that “The secret to life is unwavering commitment to carrying on,” while Martin’s answer adds a touch of whimsy to proceedings. “It’s playing Rocket League, with the boys standing next to me,” he says, quoting a track from the upcoming album.

I ask the band if it was scary to come together as FIZZ. 

“I think everything is scary!” says dodie.

“Relate!” says Greta, “I haven’t left my house in days!”

“We promised ourselves we would leave our egos at the door when making this album and there was something so unfamiliar about that,” dodie adds. “It was scary and difficult – and it still is – but at the same time it’s so rewarding.”

What I hear on ‘The Secret To Life’ is four egos in a room managing to co-exist, and when I share this with Greta, it seems to resonate. 

“We have to remember that we made the album and all of our voices are equal and that shows up in the tiniest places. The best decisions are made when we each have our voices heard.”

“It’s an honour to rock out with you guys,” Orla adds, in an ironic, self-effacing American accent. The band bursts into laughter, and I get a little peek into what it might have been like in the studio during the making of the album. 

The consensus among the band seems to be that it’s felt refreshing to leave introspection behind. Martin points out that dodie – known elsewhere for the quietness of her vocals – is screaming on this album. Martin himself meanwhile has gone from ruminating on masculinity on his debut to “banging on his chest and taking up space” here. 

I ask Martin how it feels to be the “token man” in the band, and he says that during their Latitude set, an older couple had asked his pronouns, thanks no doubt to his flamboyant stage outfit. 

“I’m a straight man,” he says “But I felt so touched by someone of that generation asking that. It felt so humbling. Growing up, I was quite flamboyant naturally.”

“It’s a slippery slope, Martin,” I warn him, citing my own experience as a trans woman. 

“Welcome!” the rest of the band jokes.

“Something I’m very conscious of is that our audiences are quite gay,” Martin says, pointing to dodie and Orla in particular. “And I wanna respect that and exist in that environment in a way that feels me and not like I’m pretending.”

At risk of making a lofty comparison, I tell the band that the album reminded me of ‘Sgt. Pepper…’ by The Beatles. I ask the band whether they feel as though they’re playing characters on the record – and if so, who those characters are. 

“We’re elevated versions of ourselves,” says Orla. “and pushing each other to be more out-there”. 

“We’ve relinquished expectations of what we should be making and how we should be presenting,” says Greta. “It was a realisation of what we’re craving in our own artist projects, which was explosive, uncompromising joy.”

I ask the band if the joy of the album is all real, or if there’s something bleak being played on here. Is ‘The Secret to Life’ an attempt to escape from a pervasive sense of existential dread? 

“That’s spookily like something we’ve said before,” says Orla. “That really we’re adults playing dress up and trying to re-ignite the joy in life.”

“It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows,” says Greta. “There’s this mesh between youth and adulthood that’s complicated and messy.”

“I will say that the whole process has genuinely been unadulterated joy,” offers Martin, placing a reassuring hand on Greta’s shoulder. “There really hasn’t been any kind of weird ulterior motive. Whenever I speak to other artists, everyone’s moaning about TikTok and how hard you have to work as a musician. It’s a slog – and for a lot of people, the shine of it has just worn off. I think the novelty of being a musician isn’t enough to keep you smiling anymore. Starting a band and doing an album like this is a response to ten years in the industry. It’s joy that’s come from pain.”

I suggest that listeners might share the band’s pain here, especially in the political climate of 2023. It feels as though FIZZ is the music people are reaching for. 

“I feel like I’m chronically afraid of the world,” adds Greta, laughing through gritted teeth. “And getting to create FIZZ was an escape from all of that, but naturally a fear of life creeps into it as well. I would hope it would offer comfort and validation when you need it,” Greta agrees. 

When I cheekily ask about the album’s lead single ‘High in Brighton’ and what it might be about, Martin tells me it’s all about paragliding. 

“If you do go paragliding or ride the zip line in Brighton,” Greta says with a wink, “then make sure you do it with people you feel safe with and trust – and check in that you’re ready to go paragliding.”

“Maybe just have a good time before the FIZZ gig,” Martin advises cryptically. 

The production on the album is busy, deliberately messy, and full of countless little exciting details. I’m interested to know when and how the band – and producer Pete Miles – knew when to stop. 

“Pete tells us when to stop,” says Martin with a smile. “He has a holistic approach to everything. Pete is a bit of a wizard and he sets us up as primary school kids and encourages us to just run around making noise. Then it felt like we would just get tired, and Pete would be like – that’s it.”

At this point in our conversation – which is happening over ZOOM – Martin silently leaves the room to have a wee. The rest of the band apologises, and I tell them it’s okay because I can’t hear him. “We can,” they say in chorus. 

Conversation turns to the latest single ‘As Good As It Gets’, on which Greta takes the lead vocal. She says she turned up to the studio upset and stressed that day, and tapped into “a voice I didn’t know I had”. 

“I don’t mean a singing voice,” she clarifies, “I mean the bravery of just going for it. We probably wouldn’t have been able to sing that way if we hadn’t felt that pain. That’s what’s so special about this band. Our fears and our vulnerability and our pain is given a function and a meaning. I was so grateful for that day.”

“For all the convoluted things that this job can be,” says Orla, “taking what you feel and processing it through song is the reason I got into this. It feels like 2% of what we do sometimes, but it’s still its core for me. To me, that’s the whole reason for doing music, and there’s so much of that on this album.”

“I love writing with you guys,” adds dodie. “Our whole ethos with FIZZ is to get rid of the restraints – and we’re such fans of each other that we said yes to everything, which makes the songs so maximalist but so interesting and so fun. If I could take away everything else, I would just wanna write with you forever.”

dodie’s words here are the sort of sentiment that would normally inspire a moment’s reflection, or hugs and thank yous. But in FIZZ, they go unremarked upon. The band just carries on talking about something else. And that’s not to say they don’t appreciate dodie’s words – far from it. It’s just that FIZZ has fostered a culture where the magic of collaboration is constantly acknowledged, love and friendship are constantly upheld, and celebration doesn’t just happen on special occasions. Maybe that – at the end of it all – is ‘The Secret to Life’. 

[randomnessjilly]

Dodie Clark in one of her fizz outfits

[goldenpinof]

well we know the segment with Louise was filmed the same day as the outfits video because of what Phil was wearing... and Louise seemed to think it was gonna be posted all the way back in November (like I'm pretty sure she responded to a comment on YouTube or insta) so I'm really confused about if her segment will ever see the light of day. idk it'll be interesting to see what happens with the last 4 dd videos.

you know, i was 100% sure that Louise's video was filmed before Dodie's but. look at this picture: Dodie is in the same dress as in Dan's video. pic was posted on September 30th. that reel with Louise was also posted on September 30th. so now i think they were filmed close to each other (he was finally home on September 27th with the 2nd London show on September 28th), so it doesn't matter who was 1st. Dodie got a November upload though. so Louise could be instead or after, and after still didn't happen. very very interesting.

Dan's outfit in Louise's reel and video is different from the pick my outfits video. we're waiting to see him in black in the 1st segment of the last dd episode? 💀

[dnptheinfinity]

I posted 7,443 times in 2022

363 posts created (5%)

7,080 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@justasmallbloginabigklainefandom

@deadandphilgames

@combeauferre

@allthatdivides

@polar-bears-making-pancakes

I tagged 996 of my posts in 2022

#why am i like this - 187 posts

#esc 2022 - 34 posts

#eurovision - 25 posts

#answers to things - 21 posts

#q - 16 posts

#sim dan nun - 15 posts

#my very serious college experience - 15 posts

#dodie show spam - 13 posts

#dan and phil - 12 posts

#daniel howell - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#also it’s been 10 years and i still can’t listen to the beginning of somebody that i used to know without thinking someone’s calling my dad

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

outfit concept for when i’m seeing dan in berlin

124 notes - Posted October 10, 2022

#4

its that time of year again

190 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

#3

i know australia has a ballad but it’s a queer ballad so i’ll accept it.

196 notes - Posted May 12, 2022

#2

that was the moral of the video, right?

196 notes - Posted May 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

269 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[the-elevan-shitshow]

Elevan: so, I actually had a cowboy side story before you were born…well Miley and Santos did, but I had to learn to ride a horse and all. And this snatchin' outfit still fits, see? Dodie: omw…kill me Elevan: ok…so the animation to mount went like this…? Dodie: [to Wren- mouthing] sorry

[thetavolution]

I RECONFIGURED INGRID AS A DEEP GNOME. I feel so silly I didn't realize it before. She'd 100% be a deep gnome. Laura will just tower over her and Minty.

Full name:  Ingrid Ellen Sullenberger Name meaning:  Ingrid: beloved or beautiful; Ellen: sun ray or shining light; Sullenberger: habitation name for people from Sollenberg or Schallenberg Pronouns:  She/Her  Race: Deep Gnome Age: 28  Orientation: Pansexual Romance: Halsin Class: Druid Subclass: Circle of the Spores Origin: Sage  Theme Song: Why Am I Like This? — Orla Gartland / To My Parents — Anna Clendening / Overthink — Addison Grace / Hate Myself — Dodie

Personality Ingrid is soft-spoken and timid. She can be shy, but once she feels comfortable, she loves to talk! People are surprised at how at ease she feels with the dead and the spores, but it makes perfect sense when you get to know her. She respects all aspects of nature, including death and decay. Oddly, it’s become a way for her to confront her own fear of death.

She’s a pushover and she lacks assertiveness. Or, at least, that’s who she was before she became a leader of a ragtag team of certified weirdos. She had to get it together and take care of them. Her bravery comes from how terrified she is. If she didn’t have other people to take care of, she’d probably curl up in a corner and cry. When other people are relying on her, she quickly musters up every ounce of courage she has and powers through her terror.

She always comes through in a clutch. Even when scared out her mind, she’ll never abandon anyone. She’ll just go have a panic attack after it’s safe. She has an incredibly kind heart and strong sense of empathy. 

During the entire adventure, she does a good job tricking everyone into thinking she's fearless. In reality, she just doesn't let herself stop to think long enough to cower like she wants to.

Background Ingrid was born in the Underdark in a small deep gnome settlement. She comes from a divided home. Her father, Sully, left her mother, Greta, when Ingrid was young. Sully would then marry Anna, a forest gnome, who resented living in the Underdark. Anna also hated Greta with a passion. She was terrified that Greta would "steal" Sully back from her.

It cause a lot of heartache and jealousy among the adults. Ingrid and her younger brother, Sebastian, were often pitted against each other. Anna would take her anger out on Ingrid since she was a timid child. Ingrid would eventually stop trying to spend time with her father to avoid Anna altogether. Sully never made an effort to reach out.

Ingrid felt suffocated by the isolated nature of her village. It didn't help that the Underdark can be cold and unforgiving. She decided to head for the surface and move to Baldur's Gate.

Ingrid found a way to make a living for herself by offering tattooing services. It’s something she practice from a young age and she made a decent living off of it in the city.

She would meet Minty when she first arrived in the city, but she wouldn’t meet Laura until a few years later. Ingrid had settled into a routine in Baldur’s Gate, not entirely sure she was happy with it.

The universe would throw a wrench in the works when she was abducted and given a tadpole.

Likes: Tattoos, tattoo artistry, drawing, scary stories, romance stores, cute outfits and accessories, spiders, sweets, animals, autumn, the beach, forests, and winter

Dislikes: Disrespecting the occult or nature, standing up for herself, baking, sand (it gets everywhere), bitter foods, and how deep gnomes are treated/regarded

Fears: She’s terrified of dying and getting older. It consumes her thoughts often. She fears one day she’ll be old and alone, and left to die a lonely death. Keeping her spore zombies and skeletons close helps her feel better as strange as it may sound. She’s afraid of being “thrown away” by those she loves at any moment.

She's also scared of becoming like her mother, a complete pushover who is too afraid to live her own life.

Quirks:  She struggles to speak up and it’s hard to hear her at times. People misunderstand her a lot due to the fact her voice doesn’t always carry very well. Her eye twitches when she's anxious or hasn't gotten enough rest.

Mental Health:  She has anxiety and depression. She is preoccupied with her fears of death and aging beyond what is reasonable. She’s terrified she has no value for the people around her and could be discarded at any moment. Her depression can make her listless sometimes. If she doesn’t have a job to do or someone to help, she’ll struggle to get up to do anything for herself.

Favorite Foods: Strawberries, Potato Soup, Pasta, Mushrooms, and Honey Cake

Favorite Drinks: Chili Chai

Favorite Flower: Camellia of the Black Lady

Height:  3'6”/ 106.68 cm 

Skin: Grey-Blue

Hair:  Dark Blue

Eyes:  Blue

Color Scheme:  She loves wearing blacks, browns, and greens. 

Fashion Sense: She straddles two worlds. She loves to be in nature with clothing to match, but she also loves to wear cute outfits made by merchants Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter.

She’s not as free with nudity as Halsin is. She can handle other people’s nudity. She’s just self-conscious about her own.

She has a lot of tattoos that are only visible when she wears more revealing clothing.

Family: 

Calvin “Sully” Sullenberger Sully is the head of the household. He secretly likes having Anna and Greta fight over him, ignoring the damage it has done to his children. He’s friendly and boisterous, but selfish.

Greta Sullenberger She’s Ingrid’s mother. She’s a lot like Ingrid, but even more docile than her daughter. She doesn’t stand up to Sully or Anna as often as she should. Ingrid fears she may be too much like her mother.

Anna Sullenberger She's Sully's second wife who terrorizes Greta and Ingrid. As horrible as she is to everyone, she's convinced she's the real victim in all of this. She's needy and loves being the center of attention.

Sebastian Sullenberger He’s Anna’s son. He is the apple of her eye and he hates it. He actually likes Ingrid and he wants a healthy relationship with her, but his mother makes it near impossible. He also left home early to avoid dealing with his parents’ drama. He’s off being an adventurer in Faerûn. Ingrid hasn't seen him in years. He looks like a forest gnome and most people would never guess that he's Ingrid's brother.