#lola core? HAHA

[hankekii]

This is for my fellow 22-year-old teenage girlies! For those infantilized! For those caught in between the terrors of being in their 20s and having no idea what to do with their life. Me making a poster based on a britney spears lyric was totally not what I expected to see myself make but here it is! I love this song so much actually HAHAHA and i relate to it a lot :") I'm doing this mini personal project where I just let out my feelings through designs mainly with lots of kewpies! Kewpies because I love them and also because they have a long history of being a part of illustrations, postcards, greetings, protests and etc.

[badingsm]

Part VI — Lovemaking, Family, Romanoff

Pwede na yung same-sex marriage sa PH, sabi ko.

Warnings: Mentions of childhood trauma, abandonment, some kink (?), BADLY written smut, cursing, INACCURATE translations! Plus, forgive me with the first few scenes, I don't normally write those so...

"Y/n..." Natasha chomped her bottom lip, trying to draw out some air with each hard breath she took. "Please, baby, I need to-"

"Hold it," You commanded sternly, whimpering as you took Natasha's enormous length, which was huge for your tight little core. "You don't get to come until you make me squirt, are we clear?"

"Hmffghn." A single tear streamed down her left cheek while she fought her hardest not to let herself go inside you, as you had ordered.

Her length was repeatedly pumped into you, and you quickened your pace when you felt something weird yet familiar building up in the pit of your stomach, and you kept repeating your motions with treble efforts until you felt something explode from you.

"Can I... can I cum now? Please, baby?" Natasha exhaled sharply.

"Beg."

"I want to give you my children, breed you over and over again, and make love with you until you pass out—please, please—Oh, fuck! Detka, please-"

"Cum," You finally ordered, your sensitive core moving once again, making you groan with pleasure and ecstasy. Natasha then quickened her rhythm, seeking her own climax, when suddenly, just as she was about to cum, she was startled awake by a pillow striking her in the head, forcing her to wake up with a hazy mind.

"Wet fantasy, Romanoff?" You grinned, leaning seductively against the pillow in your head. You decided to taunt her and mimic her words in her sleep earlier when you noticed her heated state, "Please, please, please.."

"Fuck off!" Natasha glared. She cannot, for the life of her, look you in the eyes right now because she is embarrassed and ashamed of herself.

"I mean, it's hot, but-" Before you could continue your thought, you heard a knock on the door, followed by your Lola's and Mama's voices.

You jumped up and kicked all the sheets and pillows beneath the queen-sized bed before settling up next to Natasha. You attempted the cuddling position, with Natasha being the bigger spoon from behind, but then you felt something poke your ass, causing you to move away.

"What the fuck is that?!" You exclaimed, wide-eyed at her.

"It's morning!" Natasha explained sheepishly, grabbing a cushion to place between your lower bodies before snuggling you again. When you heard another knock from outside, you grabbed the nearest book and opened it, pretending to read as you let them in.

"Well, well, well." Your Lola smirked. "Did we disturb something?"

"Haha, like what?" You questioned nervously.

"I mean, come on, your cheeks are both flushed. The book that you're reading is upside down. Both of your bottom bodies are covered… So what? How many Apo can you give me before I die, huh? I want a dozen, please. It's your gift for me on my birthday, yeah?"

You flushed violently at Lola's remark, hurling the book back into the corner before clearing your throat as if you weren't embarrassed at the moment. "Morning, Lola and Mama, what are you doing here so, um, haha, early?"

Lola stepped forward, "Well, I want to request something from the both of you."

"Well, anything, please." You urged her to go on.

"I want you to get married tomorrow—on my birthday! Isn't that great?!"

Natasha became anxious since you haven't spoken about the wedding yet, saying, "But we don't have a venue yet! We haven't prepared anything properly. Plus, we don't want to ruin your moment!"

"It's fine, we've set that up already in the barn where we, the Y/l/n family, all got married! It's like a tradition now." Lola cleared up, "And I've already had 89 birthday parties; I don't need another one!"

What do we do? You and Natasha exchanged glances quietly because you both got caught off guard.

"I'll treat your silence as a yes! Anyways, we already booked the wedding planners, and they would organize everything so you don't have to worry about anything anymore. In the meantime, we have to borrow Natasha for her fitting, yeah?"

Silence is never an indication of yes. Because silence means contemplating between yes and no, and it will never be a yes as long as there is a potential for no.

God.

"I… can we have breakfast first?" You cringed, looking for an excuse to speak with Natasha alone.

"Oh, yeah! We brought some palabok and pandesal."

"I made the pandesal." Your father barged in, "I wanna say sorry, Y/n. It's a foul move on my side."

"Thank you, Pa." You smiled, relieved that you wouldn't have to argue with him for the rest of the day. "So... may we eat?"

"Yes." They all responded, smiling as they walked away, leaving your Lola to smirk playfully one more time, making you giggle cheekily till they shut the door.

"What the fuck just happened?" You stated, scratching your tired face as your mind raced, but it all faded as Natasha's warm hands massaged your shoulders, relaxing you with her warm breaths against your ear in her serene presence.

"It's okay," She repeated like a mantra to soothe your panic, even if she needed some comfort herself. "We'll get married and divorce quickly as soon as I get done with my visa issues."

"Yeah," You agreed, then looked her in the eyes.

You become lost in her labyrinth of green orbs as you browse over her facial features with just enough precision to make them flawless in your eyes. The way they flicker and flash against the sunshine streaming through your room's windows and the way they transmit some unknown message to you as if trying to tell you something vital had you staring, and honestly, you could look at them for an eternity.

"But for now, let's eat," Natasha stated, pulling you out of your reverie and offering you the dishes that your family had prepared. "I wouldn't want my fiancé to find another woman just because I didn't feed her, right?"

You chuckled unsurely at that.

-

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Natasha cursed repeatedly underneath her breath as she escaped the house. She wandered around, trying to breathe in some fresh air to clear her mind. "It's not real. I'm not—love is for children, Natasha, stop this-"

She's denying it.

She doesn't want to get hurt.

She was protecting herself.

Except that she's not.

In fact, she's putting herself more on the verge of pain since she's not acknowledging her feelings, and that can cause a lot of damage for her.

"Please stop this-" Natasha came to a halt in the middle of the road when she noticed Lola in the center of the roadway. She had one hand on a megaphone and was grinning from ear to ear.

"Makinig kayong lahat!" (Everybody, listen!) Lola declared over the speaker. "Ipinatawag ko kayong lahat rito upang imbitahan kayo sa kasal ng aking pinakamamahal na Apo!" (I've called for your attention today because I want to invite you all to my beloved granddaughter's wedding!)

Natasha couldn't understand anything, but she obtained the answer to her questions when everyone around them clapped, especially when she made eye contact with your grandma.

She realized she was in a fucked-up position.

"Natasha, come here, please!"

She complied. "Yeah?"

"This beautiful lady right here is my Apo's manok! Everyone, meet Natasha Ganda!"

Everyone seems to adore her as they chant her name, oblivious to the fact that the people of NYC despise her guts and probably want her dead every time they see her in the office acting bossy and shit.

"Mabuhay si Natasha!" (Long live Natasha!)

"Mabuhay!" (Long live!)

"Luh patay na nga e." (Eh, she's dead already, right?) The author laughed as she ate a burger inside her hospital room since she is stubborn and refuses to take her meds.

Your author flu away!

-

"Oh," Your mother asserted as Natasha exited the dressing room. "You look so... perfect."

The redhead stood there, dressed in a modest yet magnificent white bridal gown passed down from generation to generation.

"I might need to loosen up some parts," Lola replied, looking at the bottom of the garment as Natasha blushed and covered her bump with her hands.

"No need to be shy around us, Apo," Lola smirked before delicately removing the necklace Natasha had never seen her without.

Your mother cried when Lola placed the necklace that meant so much to her around Natasha's neck, perfectly fitting it there.

"Take this." Lola smiled. "Take care of it like you're going to take care of my only Apo."

"I can't—no, please, Lola.." Nat shook her head, a lump growing in her throat as she felt guilty for all of this act. She realized how wonderful you and your family are, and yet here she is, ruining everything by lying to those people who accepted her despite her flaws.

She never had this.

Her mother had abandoned her at an early age, and her father was unknown to everybody. That's why she was forced to be alone. Then, at the age of 11, she was adopted, and this was a critical moment for her since her adoptive father (Dreykov) was cruel to her. It was at that point that she realized how to be strong and remembered her previous mother's words to her: Pain only makes us stronger.

That enabled her to cope.

Despite the odds and circumstances she had to face, she has made it to this day.

So having someone care for her, love her, give her pleasant things, or say something lovely about her was tremendously overwhelming.

"Take it, please," Lola pleaded.

"I can't," Natasha answered, biting her lip and fighting back tears. "I can't do that. It's yours, and I can't take it-"

"Yes, you can. It's a gift from me, dear."

"You're a family now," Your mother butted in, wiping her teary cheeks. "Plus! It's bad to refuse blessings, you know?"

"I do know that, yes." Nat sniffed quietly, nodding against her will. "Please know that I'm beyond grateful... You don't know how much."

"You're very welcome, dear."

-

"Hey! Where have you been? I bought you some street foods for you, and they're on the table-"

"I forgot, okay?" Natasha yelled randomly as she barged inside your shared room. You were playing your PS5 on the couch in front of your bed. "I forgot!"

"You forgot what?!" You asked, extremely confused.

"How it feels to—to love and be loved at the same time! God, this is pathetic, but it's scary as fuck!"

You stood on the couch when you heard someone sniffing behind you.

Natasha stood there, her eyes bloodshot and her lips quivering as she clutched herself tightly, as if to protect her small frame. Her stance was rigid, and her jaw was so tightly clamped that you were frightened it might shatter soon—she was shaking, and you didn't hesitate to grasp her in your warm arms.

She was apprehensive at first (locked in her place), but she felt powerless with no one to lean on, so she eventually caved.

"It's okay," You whispered, rubbing her back soothingly. "It might feel overwhelming right now, but you have to know that you deserve to feel all of this. To have a family beside you—ready to fight with you and all. Nat, we're here."

"I feel so horrible for lying," She murmured, pawing your shirt. "They were so kind and gentle and beautiful—I don't deserve that."

"Shh, you do, Nat, you do." You reassured, "It's okay. Let it out."

"Thank you," Natasha mumbled against your shoulder after breaking down for a good while.

"You're always welcome."

Perhaps it's the warmth that you provided or the thought that she has a family now that made her cower away, but nonetheless, after her crying and embarrassing (for her) session with you, she ate and waited until it was bedtime.

After she made sure that everyone was deeply asleep..

She left.

She left for good.

For your good.

As well as your family's.

Because if you love someone, you need to set them free.

[psychedex]

Today's OCtober prompt is relationships! I don't have the energy to draw today, so an infodump will have to suffice instead. I'll be talking about Kyo (he/him) and Kit (they/it)!

Kyo and Kit are old ocs you've probably seen a lot if you followed me prior to 2022. They're some of my og ocs! They're two twins who are very close to each other but their relationship isn't exactly the healthiest... They're very codependent for trauma reasons. But it's ok, they cope with it later and get better :)

Tw for cult trauma

The basic gist of their story is that they grew up in a cult thanks to their mom falling in love with the cult leader. Kyo always wanted to escape but Kit was too scared to and didn't want to admit that their mother was abusive. The first time they tried to escape Kit ended up drowning, so Melanie, their mom, killed Luca, a demigod of death Kit considered an older sibling, to bring Kit back to life. Kit is very much burdened with this, at only the age of 14 :(

This is Luca btw everyone say hi

Anyway the second time they tried to escape was successful but they've never really lived in the real world so it was hard for the two of them to adjust. Because of the trauma they endured within the cult, they both have an extreme ride or die attitude with each other and would probably kill if anyone got in their way.

However there starts to be a divide as they get older, Kyo has a goal of killing their mom and Lola (the cult leader), and starts becoming obsessed with it. Kit is not a big fan of this because they're holding onto the non existent hope that their mother is redeemable but alas. It causes issues.

Kyo is generally the "happy go lucky" one of the two, he's funny and charismatic, and tends to attract a lot of attention. On the other hand, Kit is way more reserved and grumpier than Kyo, and more stoic and attracts a lot of negative attention. It does seem like they're very different, but they're actually pretty much the same at their core- they're both skeptic, paranoid people who are willing to betray others if it means they stay safe. They both also are pretty selfish and apathetic towards other people (though surprisingly Kit has a bit more sympathy than Kyo), and have a bad temper.

While fragments of life isn't a story where mental health is a central theme, Kyo and Kit have a theme of surviving abuse and the ways to cope with it- Kyo is bitter and wants revenge to the point of it being all he cares about, but Kit wants to believe that it wasn't as bad as it seems. They both end up meeting a middle ground of accepting that it was as bad as it is, but they can't dwell on it forever and need to heal so they can move on. Also Kit finally accepts it is morally correct to kill your abuser ♥️

They're both insane but I love them. They helped me a lot in my teen years with coping with my own familial abuse. I finally got the closure that I needed (which was an apology and effort to work on themselves) but I know for everyone that isn't always what the outcome will be. But my goal for them is to show that it's okay to have trauma and it's okay to want to do something about it, but it's really unhealthy to engulf yourself in it and not let people help you.

Anyway yeah those are my scrunklies I could write a whole dissertation on them but I wanted to keep this fairly short haha, hope you enjoyed if you read it all!

[pleasedontsavemeiwouldratherdie]

I'll probably anon this. Do you know Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie by Brian Hyland? that's my first favorite song. I was 3-4 years old back then, in our house in Pampanga, I remember my father holding his camera and i was dancing like a pabibo kid lol. It was my jam apart from Take on Me and I Won't Last A Day.. by Carpenters. I'm not even sure if people remember their fav songs at that age.. do you? it's like a core memoryy

re: your blog

I used to think the same way! That those kids were Taylor and Ed Sheeran. I think we all did at some point. It's funny they really look like them. Everything Has Changed was my 4th grade best friend's favorite song. I remember blasting and singing that song in school (when our teacher's not around). Crazier by Taylor was our jam too. Fun times. haha. What's MTV Top 10? i only remember watching cartoon sht on tv hahaa

When I saw those song titles for me, it was kind of familiar, and when I listened to them, it was insanely nostalgic because I used to hear those songs on our radio back in the day because my Lola and my father always had a radio, and they always tuned to stations that played classic old songs. That's why wherever I go, I always hear music. I remember hearing Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie and Take On Me when I woke up in the morning. In the afternoon, my parents always force me to sleep while the radio is turned on, and I always hear I Won't Last A Day Without You by the Carpenters, along with the End of the World by Skeeter Davis, Unchained Melody, and a song with lyrics starting with "Oh Carol, I'm not a fool." Those songs are like my lullabies when I was a kid. I'm sorry I talk a lot. It happens when something triggers me, such as hearing a song from a long time ago or seeing a place or things that I once played or went to when I was young. In this case, those songs trigger this stupid little brain of mine. That's why a lot of memories come up. plus it was always good to dance even if you didn't look great just dance dance dance haha

It's great to hear you and your best friend are having fun with those Taylor Swift tunes back in the days. If I was your classmate too, I would probably sing my lungs out hahah. It was a gold memory with your best friend for sure; I envy you in that aspect because I used to have a strict teacher who loved to ear-twitch everyone who was too loud, which is why we can't do some parties hahah. And also, the MTV Top 10 on channel 23 was a compilation of the day's music video hits. They show 10 music videos every day, similar to MYX's top ten. The difference is that MTV focuses on western artists, which is why a lot of music videos are from the US. Anyway, thanks a lot for the songs; they were nostalgically magical.

[skyler10fic]

Watched episodes 1 and 2 of Agents of Shield tonight, my first rewatch since the end, and wow, there was SO MUCH character building and foreshadowing and things that they played on later. Fitz’s love for monkeys, but also the way he uses tech to overcome and speed up solutions and his hesitancy to jump without knowing the consequences. The way Simmons thinks through stressful urgent problems fueled by undying optimism. May and her silent looks that say so much but willingness to get the job done and trust Coulson. Coulson’s dad status and leading into the unknown and taking things into his own hands and Lola. Ward’s thinly veiled frustration and hints at his family background. Skye and her trauma and the 084 and her remark that she’s erased someone’s identifying files before (her own, we can assume), her saying she’s not a team player, which she will wrestle with as a defining character arc. Already here, she has the hula girl and the BEST lines. 

They all start with so much room to grow into their characters, and now seeing the start it’s easy to see how they did, but it’s also beautiful how going back to watch now, they are still themselves, the freshmen versions of the characters we saw them turn into. We think of foreshadowing as humorous lines about how the danger of episode 2 must be an anomaly and surely it isn’t always this risky, haha! But really, at a deeper level, there is so much there. 

It’s amazing how Chloe, virtually unknown and inexperienced in major acting credits, came in with star power and artistry right from the start and is able to flip the switch from adorkable kid to grown lady feminine wiles to wisecracking tech genius to inspiring leader to foundling daughter to quick-thinking agent so authentically in like 80? 90? minutes of action? One minute it’s like ohhh precious bby you sweet summer child and the next it’s like oh yeah I forgot she was this wise badass from Day One. It makes it worth all the pain and trauma and utter breaking to the core. They become who they were always meant to be from the moment they stepped on that “bus.”

[lustresky]

kahit ‘di mo alam [james ‘bucky’ barnes x f!filipina!reader]

summary: After an emotionally taxing mission, you and Bucky share some stories— and maybe also some leche flan along the way.

wc: 5200ish. (might have went to town on this one.. haha woops)

themes: angst (i need to chill tf out i’m sorry:’’/), some fluff ig, happy but kind of ambiguous ending (mayhaps a sequel....), mention of ptsd/trauma, hydra being shitty, bucky trying his best to comfort reader (this is my first time writing him so sorry if he’s kinda ooc..), filipina!reader, also kinda cliché idk

a/n: psa, i do not know how to bake. all i am is your typical filipina girl who has a soft spot for bucky and also thinks that there needs to be more poc centered readers. that is all<3 thanks to @ panlasang pinoy for da leche flan recipe lmao. also! title is a song by december avenue, which i think fits this story. check it out if you want!:]

requests are open! & pls don’t forget to like and reblog, thank you! c:

You hum quietly to yourself, beating the yolks with a silver balloon whisk that Tony had.

Out of all the things that you would never have thought Tony would own when you first joined the team, a full on expensive ass baking set was on the top of the list. Hell, you don’t even think that he’s ever opened the oven door before; but then again, the guy’s loaded, so maybe it wasn’t really a smart idea to wonder what he did or did not own.

Whatever— you thought to yourself. Pondering about what the billionaire did with his money wasn’t really what you should be focusing on right now, anyways.

You continue with the repetitive motion of your hand, stopping once the eggs were smooth. Gradually, you add the condensed milk, followed by the regular milk and then finally, a few teaspoons of vanilla extract. You mix the concoction once more, your bottom lip caught in between your teeth as you focus on the task at hand.

You didn’t hear the gradual shuffling of feet into the kitchen, nor the opening and closing of the refrigerator door; and so you were startled out of your concentration when Bucky Barnes himself ended up in front of you, a bowl of oatmeal in his hands as he positions himself properly on the island chair.

He doesn’t greet you— and honestly, you weren’t expecting him to anyways. You two were never really close; acquaintances at best, with how high both of your walls were built.

You really only knew Bucky from what Steve had shared. You knew that he was part of the Howling Commandos, that he’s Steve’s life long best friend, that HYDRA had brainwashed him and used him against his own will...

Even just thinking about that acronym still makes bile rise up in your throat.

HYDRA had also imprisoned you, beat you, used your body for their own gain. Your stories were similar. Two unwilling and unlucky humans— taken against their own volition, experimented on like a pack of mouse labs, memory and history wiped out to store target information…

You take a breath, trying to steady yourself.

Baking had been the only thing that you remembered from your past. As much as HYDRA tried to erase your history, the memory of your lola’s kitchen came back time and time again, relentless and the only sense of soundness that you found yourself with. The cartons of eggs, the measuring cups, the light dusting of flour all over the table, the rays of the hot afternoon sun peeking through the curtains, the smell of the freshly baked pandesal wafting through the air…

It was comforting, sometimes it was the sole thing that made you calm down. The only pleasant memory that you had left of the simple life that you barely remembered, but greatly missed and longed for.

Hence, before you knew it, you were in the spacious kitchen of the compound; making leche flan to calm your nerves and trying your best to forget what had just happened a few hours ago.

The mission had ended with the team’s victory, sure, but you don’t think that you’ll ever forget the image that had seared itself in your mind. You desperately wanted to forget the sight of Bucky, vulnerable as he lay on the ground with his metal arm torn off of his body, right before an enhanced individual gave him a powerful blow square on his abdomen.

Blood had spluttered out of his mouth, red, bright, coating the brick walls that you were both enclosed in. The mission should’ve been simple: break in, grab the information needed, and then bring said information back. There should’ve only been a few guards. It should’ve been a quick mission— but the sight of Bucky being plummeted with no remorse brought you back memories. Memories that you had tried so desperately to forget.

You bite your bottom lip harder, unintentionally gripping the bowl and whisk in your hands tighter as your arm mixes faster— faster and faster until you suddenly find yourself with a splatter of batter on your cheek.

You groan. Nice one, Y/N, you thought.

You hear a small snicker in front of you and you look up, embarrassed and annoyed. Bucky just stared back at you, a hint of a smirk on his face.

Taking a quick but good look at him, you notice that he had cleaned himself up. His hair was still damp from a shower. It was wavy, pulled back into a small ponytail behind his neck. His face was clear of soot and blood, and he no longer wore his combat outfit.

You can’t help but flicker your eyes over to his left arm, familiarity getting the best of you. You know that you should be rational, but you still feel your shoulders sink as your gaze missed the glint of metal that you were accustomed to.

Bucky senses your wandering eyes. He shakes his head, head dipping back into his bowl of oatmeal. “It isn’t your fault.” He mutters, voice raspy.

You huff, setting down the metal bowl on the marble counter with a bit too much force. You take off your apron and with it, you hastily wipe the splashed part of your face clean; or at least, as clean as you can without a mirror.

“No,” You argue, feeling your throat tighten as the memory and your emotions flashed through your mind once again. You ball up the now dirty apron, throwing it onto the counter. “It is.”

When you had seen him lying on the floor, taking hits every single second, you were unable to move. You had felt helpless, weak... cowardly. It was dumb. You were an Avenger, for Christ's sake. Your life was plenty of danger— seeing people getting hurt had never shook you so hard to the core before. Hell, you survived HYDRA.

Yet the memories were enough to make you freeze up.

Thankfully, Steve had showed up right before the enemy had landed his final blow. If it wasn’t for him, you highly doubted that Bucky would’ve been sitting in front of you right now, casually eating his oatmeal as if he didn’t almost just die a few hours ago.

When Bucky tilted his head up to look at you, ready to retaliate, you stood your ground and stared right back at his light blue eyes. Neither of you said a word.

You were angry. Mad. Furious. At Bucky? Maybe. Him dismissing the fact that you almost let him die and treating your mistake lightly was a thing in its own, but fuck. You were mad at yourself.

You feel incompetent. Useless. You almost let a teammate die, even if physically, you were completely capable of saving them. You drop your head down, unable to continue looking at someone whose life was in your hands just a few moments ago. A life that you were fully capable of protecting, but couldn’t, just because of some stupid fucking memories coming back to haunt you.

Before you know it, a hot tear ran down your cheek— and you hurriedly wiped it away with your arm. Now isn’t time, you hiss at yourself. Baring vulnerability in the middle of the kitchen? Ha. you thought to yourself.

Pathetic.

You grip the edge of the marble tiles, steadying yourself and trying to control your breathing. In and out. In and out. One, two. One, two. It was shaky at first, but after a few seconds of repeating the exercise, you managed to get a loose grip on it. Just enough of a hold to straighten your posture and set aside your mixture, before bolting away from the kitchen and into your bedroom a few doors down the hall.

Once inside, your resolve crumbles. You didn’t even have time to lay on your bed, your legs just giving up and leaving your body down on the carpet. Fresh hot tears ran down like rivers on your face, your nose stuffed, your eyes blurred. Your lungs heaved, just trying its best to give you enough oxygen, but you’re sniffling, your throat’s dry, and your mind’s weary and everything just feels like absolute shit.

You don’t remember how long you had sat there, your legs against your chest, head in your knees and hands on the back of your head as the rest of the water in your body leaves in tears.

You hate feeling like this. Emotional, vulnerable, sensitive… You aren’t supposed to be like this. You have a job. You can’t let your own personal problems get in the way of accomplishing what needed to be done. There isn’t any backing out in what you’re doing. There isn’t a delete nor reverse button. If you fuck up, you fuck up, and that’s that.

Your bedroom door suddenly opens, the unexpected sound making you flinch. Fuck, you forgot to lock it.

Still, you hold your head down against your knees. You don’t want to see anyone right now, you don’t even think that you have any energy left to make a proper conversation. Your throat’s dry, your nose is stuffed, your eyes are sore. You absolutely feel like shit.

The intruder continued their pace, before stopping in front of you. You hear a shuffling of legs, and something being set on your nightstand, until you feel a warm hand lay itself on the side of your left leg. They gave you a couple of soft pats.

From your position, you can’t really see who they are; you had a gut feeling that it was Wanda— but then again it can also be Nat. Or maybe even Steve.

Whoever it was, you know that they’re just trying their best to help, and you appreciate their concern, truly, but you just don’t think you’re capable of talking about something so close to your heart with someone else.

At least, not right now.

Except, you also know that they wouldn’t leave without any verbal cue, and so you force a smile, a truly fake and horrible one as you lift your head up to try and convince whoever it was who decided to check up on you that you’re fine, thanks, and that you just need some space— but as soon as your eyes focused on the person in front of you, your act drops, as the one who you expected the least stared back.

Before you can even ask him to leave, he beats you to it. “Here,” He says, getting up on his knees and retrieving the bottle of water that he had placed on your night stand. “Drink this.”

Wordlessly, you comply. The quench of the water on your tongue clearing your head, hydrating your body back.

Eyes glued to the carpet, unwilling to look anywhere else, you pass him back the glass. Bucky takes it and places it back to where he had originally put it.

He clears his throat. “Listen, Y/N… I— I know that we aren’t really… we aren’t really on the best of terms but— if you want to talk about it, I’m all open ears— but if you want me to leave and forget about this, I’ll head straight out the door.”

“I just—“ Bucky continues, and although your eyes were still fixating on the tufts of wool of your carpet, from the corner of your eye you could still see him shuffle awkwardly on his kneeling position. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you. We all are.”

You… didn’t really know what to say.

Here Bucky was, a soldier, another person who had undergone through HYDRA’s torment, someone whose walls have since been taller then, a teammate who you respected but aren’t close to— hell, barely even really friends with; offering you comfort, a place to vent, a shoulder to let your head rest.

As much as you barely knew him, you feel a pull in you to let him stay.

Bucky, however, takes your silence as refusal. Your eyes catch his legs unfolding from their position, straightening out as he stands up. He doesn’t say anything else as he turns towards the door.

“No, wait—“ You croak, cringing mentally at your voice. Looks like the water didn’t do as well of a job as you thought did. Letting out a much needed sigh, you finally let your gaze strike his, and once it made contact, you saw him. Clearly.

His eyes are cloudy, concern evident in his features. His dark brows are furrowed, lips set in a straight line.

You muster up some courage, and whisper, “Stay.”

Bucky’s expression flickers for a moment, concern turning into total surprise for just a millisecond, and if you had more energy you would have maybe laughed— but you didn’t. Instead, you cast your eyes back to the floor as you hear him shuffle back to you.

He sits to your left, legs crossed, arm on his lap. He doesn’t say anything for a while, the sound of your breathing and his being the only sounds filling your bedroom for a few minutes.

It wasn’t exactly a comfortable silence, some awkwardness from you both definitely seeping through... but nevertheless, your eyes start to get heavy.

Bucky, somehow sensing your current situation, clears his throat— effectively gaining your attention. Your head snaps up to meet his eyes.

“If you want… you can, you know…” He gestures to his right shoulder with his hand. He doesn’t continue his sentence, knowing that you had caught on to his proposition.

Too tired and sleepy to say no, you let out a breath and say fuck it.

You shuffle closer to his body, and as you lean your head down, a wave of fatigue washes over you. You hear Bucky inhale a breath as you finally drop, the left side of your face colliding with his shoulder.

As much as your body was pleading for you to simply close your eyes and just… rest— it still feels too awkward to do so. The silence is deafening, and as much as you appreciate Bucky lowering down his walls just a bit, you can’t help but let the next words tumble out of your mouth;

“What was it like in the ‘40s?”

You feel him stiffen beside you, and for a moment you worry that you had asked for more than you can chew, but within the next second Bucky lets out a small chuckle. He shakes his head slightly, a few strands of his freshly washed hair subsequently grazing over your face. It tickled.

“It was…” He starts, seemingly finding the proper words to say. “It was definitely a different time.” He concludes, sounding nostalgic and full of wistfulness.

His voice: deep and gravelly, began to lull you to sleep. You’ve never heard him quite like this before, often, his words were quick and precise and straight to the point. Never full of sentiment, never so… warm.

You want to hear more. So you hum in response, wanting to know more about his old life, urging him to go on— and go on he did.

He talked about the memories that Shuri had helped him remember from his time in Wakanda. His secret rendezvous, his childhood with Steve, their adventures and misadventures. He went on, his own memories making place in your own mind and pushing aside the ones that had you freezing up before. The ones that had broken you down are now being replaced by silly anecdotes, wistful memories and nonsensical stories.

Without even noticing it, you find yourself asleep on his shoulder, a small smile on your face as Bucky recounts another thought from the past.

You don’t know how long you had fallen asleep, but the crank in your neck was enough to tell you that it might have just been a bit too long. Your bottom aches, sore from the not so cozy flooring, and your back definitely needs to be stretched. Your body hurts, but at least your chest feels lighter.

You lift your head up from Bucky’s shoulder, feeling him flinch from your sudden movement. His head pulls back from its resting place on your wall. He looks back at you, confused.

He meets your eyes, and it seems that he had just woken up as well… had he fallen asleep too?

Bucky just continues gazing into your eyes, and you can’t help but just… stare back. Thankful for his comfort.

“I…” You whisper, about to thank him, until you remember the dessert that you had just hastily cast aside before bolting to your bedroom. “The leche flan!” You cry out, worried— fuck, if you leave it out for too long it could spoil!

Bucky, however, became even more confused at your outburst. You calm yourself down for a moment, letting out a sigh.

“My— uh, my dessert.” You explain, embarrassed. “It could spoil if I leave it out too long— I need to… I need to get back to it.”

Bucky’s eyes widen, thankfully understanding your dilemma, giving you a nod. So you lift your body up, stretching it just a bit, your bones popping themselves back into place.

You’re almost out of your door when you hear footsteps from behind and to no surprise you see Bucky, hair disheveled and lounge clothes wrinkled. You fight an urge to giggle. The all powerful soldier, looking all messy and drowsy... It’s definitely a sight to behold, maybe even a precious one at that.

He runs his hands through his hair, loosening his ponytail and settling his hair tie around his wrist with one hand. You try to ignore the way his fingers easily managed to do that. “If… I mean if you need a hand… I can— help?” He suggests, voice dropping to an unsure whisper by the end of his sentence.

You feel your mouth pull into a small smile, and this time, you let it do so. “Sure.”

So to the kitchen both of you went, a comfortable silence and understanding settling between you two. You quickly spot your metal mixing bowl from before, alone on the island counter. A relieved sigh falls from your lips as you peek an eye into the container to see the mixture untouched.

“So…” You start, grabbing the apron that you had thrown onto the counter in a fury. You don’t bother with getting a new one— it’s only slightly dirty, anyway. You put it on, tying it around your waist and patting it down slightly in less than a second. “Let’s get you an apron, shall we?”

You open the cabinet in which you keep the aprons and pick one up at random, giving it to Bucky with one hand— your back still turned away from him— as you use your other hand to close the door. When you turn back to face him, a complete look of hesitation is on his face.

You raise an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Bucky clears his throat. He looks up at you, and then at his arm, sheepishly. “Can you…?”

Eyes widening, you quickly nod, ashamed that you had forgotten about something so important. “Yes, of course.”

You walk to his side, grabbing the piece of cloth on his hand and positioning yourself behind him. “Here.” You say, grabbing the bib part and looping it around his neck. You brush his hair out of the way, inadvertently appreciating its softness, as the neck ribbon then lays itself properly against his neck. “Arms up.” You order, Bucky complying instantly. Taking the other two pieces of ribbon by his side, you wrap it around his waist and tie it by his back with a small little bow, tightening it just enough for it to not fall off but still be comfortable. “There.”

“Thanks.” He mutters, turning around to face you with a grateful smile, hair swishing as he did so. You smile, but then you realize that he should probably tie it just so that it won’t get dirty or in the way.

Before you know it, you ask him, “Want me to tie your hair, too?”

Bucky’s eyes widened, and upon realizing what you had just said too, your eyes did the same. Was that too much? You quickly open your mouth, desperately trying to apologize. “I’m just— it could get dirty or in the way if you don’t… and doing it with one hand must be…” You explain, inwardly cringing at your own words and not even trying to finish your statement.

Thankfully, Bucky quickly catches up to what you were trying to say. He flashes you a reassuring grin. “I would appreciate it, doll.”

You tried to ignore the butterflies swarming in your stomach at that little nickname.

Getting the hair tie from his wrist, you desperately ignore the way your hands brushed against his. You angle your body towards his back once more, raking your hands softly in his hair, grabbing it gently and putting it into a comfortable ponytail.

“Thanks again,” He turns around to face you, gratitude clear in his eyes. You just smile back at him, feeling the heat creep up to your face. Thank God your skin doesn’t easily show colour.

You had never been this close to him before— and the bedroom incident (You had decided to label that... ’moment’ in your mind like that as of right now.) just a few minutes ago didn’t quite count as you weren’t looking at him, nor were you a hundred percent conscious during that encounter.

Before things get even more awkward, you quickly turn your body back to the kitchen island. “Well then— let’s continue with this, shall we?” You announce, wanting to just calm your feverishly beating heart and the rise of heat in your cheeks. Maybe agreeing to let him bake with you isn’t as good of an idea as you had thought.

Bucky just gave a hum as a response, and so you went about and explained to him each and every step that needed to be done. Thankfully, you had already finished mixing up the batter, and so now all you really had to do was heat up the sugar, pour the batter into the moulds, and then steam it all up. Just three more steps and you’re done.

“So,” You start, grabbing the metal containers that you had already pulled out from the cabinets before you had started. “This—” You lift one up, pointing at it with your index. “Is called a llanera. What we’re basically going to do is pour some sugar in it, heat that up until it’s nice and brown and syrup-y, and then we add the batter. Got it?”

“A yah-neh-rah?” Bucky asks, rolling the word over his tongue, getting the feel of it. You smile at his well-executed attempt.

“Yep,” You reply, placing the mould down onto the counter. You grab the sugar jar and a tablespoon, dipping it into the container and sprinkling a generous amount all over the metal container. “Actually— I’ll heat up the sugar and then you can pour the batter in, that sound good to you?”

Bucky just gave a hum once more, signalling his approval of your plan.

After about two tablespoons, you put it aside and walked towards the stove top, Bucky following beside you in earnest with the metal bowl containing the egg mixture in his arm. Turning the dial up, you put on an oven mitt as you wait for the range to get hot enough; and once it does, you hold the metal tin a few centimetres away from the top of the burner. Within minutes, the sugar caramelizes, turning into the familiar, brown syrup.

The scent that then fills the kitchen is heavenly, pure sugar wafting through the air. You hear Bucky sniff, and you let out a smile, happy that he liked it too.

You place the hot tin onto a cooling rack. “Your time to shine.” You smile up at Bucky, motioning for him to go ahead and pour the batter in.

With a gentle and cautious hand, Bucky slowly tilts the bowl into the mould, the creamy mixture pouring itself out. After a few seconds, you say, “Okay… that’s good— you can stop now.” He swiftly follows your instruction, stopping when there‘s only 2 or more so centimetres left in the pan before the batter touches the rim. He looks up at you, expectant.

Before you know it, the thought passes by your mind. How cute.

Biting your lip, you set aside the flutter in your stomach. You give him a huge grin. “That was great,” You praise him, genuine pride rushing through you. “Now let’s finish the other ones, shall we?”

Bucky and you then continued on, filling the rest of the llaneras up. It was a pleasant experience, discomfort and awkwardness not present at all while both of you worked on your respective tasks. It was… soothing, you could say.

“Nice!” You cheer, clapping your hands together as Bucky finishes filing the last of the moulds, setting down the empty metal bowl in the sink right after. “Now, let’s cover it with aluminium foil and then we can steam it and eat it.” You grin up at Bucky, who simply nods back at you.

You grab the aluminum foil, eyeballing the sizes for each of the containers. It doesn’t really matter anyway, they just had to be big enough to cover the pans. Within a few, quick minutes, all of the llaneras were ready to be steamed.

Opening up the steamer, you place three of the moulds in— mentally telling yourself that you should ask Tony to buy more steamers so that you can simply just cook the next batch of leche flans all at once. You then close the handle, setting it on medium heat and the self timer on. “There.” You announce, hands unintentionally going to and resting at your hips, proud.

You face Bucky, who seem to be just as proud as you are. It seems like he had something on his mind, though, and so you tilt your head. Curious. “Something on your mind?” You ask.

He hums, hand going back to scratch the nape of his neck. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…” He starts, giving you a reassuring smile to show you that he meant it. “But… how’d you learn how to bake?”

Your breath hitches in your throat at his question, caught off guard as the answer flashes in your mind. To say you were surprised was an understatement. You had assumed that he would ask you when the leche flan would be finished— not about your… past.

Though, you figure that he deserves to know about your history, now that you basically know all about his own. He had recounted his entire life to you just an hour or two ago, after all. It’s only appropriate that you share some of your own life with him back.

You let your hands fall from your waist, resting them in front of your stomach as you fiddled with them as you compose your answer. “Well—“ You start, taking a deep breath. Bucky, patiently, urges for you to go on with a small nod. “I don’t— I don’t really remember much from my past… just a few memories here and there.” You take a pause.

“But— there had always been this one memory, which… always stood out from the rest.” You bite your lower lip, the recollection taking place in your mind, making you smile. “I was in my lola’s— my grandma’s kitchen, dough in my hand and flour everywhere and we were—“ You feel your throat tightening up, making you take another pause. Bucky, still as patient as ever, gives you a small smile and wordlessly urges for you to go on. “We were making pandesal… a type of bread…” You continue, smiling, remembering the sticky hands and the rays of the hot southeast sun passing by the blinds. “It was a calm afternoon… just me and her, baking...”

“That’s all I really remember of her, and so I… every time I feel overwhelmed or every time I’m having a bad day I just— bake.” You conclude, looking up at him. There was more to the story, more that you have yet to tell him, memories that are still hard to share; but even with the small piece of it leaving your chest, your whole body feels lighter, grateful for having been listened to.

Bucky just stares back at you, respect evident on his face, a small smile still on his lips. “I’m… thankful that you shared that with me, Y/N.” He says, and as your name rolls off his tongue, you can’t help but smile back.

You were about to say something, but the moment was cut off by the steamer's angry beeping. You let out a small giggle as you see Bucky flinch. “Well— let’s check up on those lil’ things, shall we?”

Opening up the steamer and waving the steam away from your face, your mouth waters at the sight before you. They looked perfect.

Quickly grabbing a serving plate, you take one of the tins out and place it upside down on the ceramic— it would probably be even better if you let it cool down first in the fridge, but you can hardly wait. You give it a couple of taps, stopping once you hear the familiar ‘plop’ sound.

You take off the llanera, and a pristine and perfect looking leche flan greets you back. You hear Bucky hum in approval beside you as you take out a fork, getting a slice. Turning to your side and raising the utensil up at him, you ignore the slowly rising heartbeat in your rib cage as you muster up the courage to say, “Want the first bite?”

Bucky seemed to be taken aback at first, and for a moment you fret that you might have overestimated and overstepped your boundaries, but a small nod from him eases your worry. Lifting it up to his mouth, he lets you give him the slice. You decide to ignore the intimacy of the moment, as is the heat in your cheeks; instead focusing on his expression.

He doesn’t show nor say anything at first; and you furrow your eyebrows. Was it too sweet for his taste? Had you accidentally let some egg whites mix in with the yolks?

Before you have the chance to ask him what he thought of it, Bucky swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as his lips curled into a huge grin. “Damn... that’s really good Y/N.”

Relief rushing through you at his approval, you laugh, happy that he likes it. Not wasting another second, you open your mouth and give yourself your own slice; savouring the creaminess and sweetness of the desert. It tasted heavenly.

Looking back at Bucky, you startle yourself out of your sweet paradise as he stared back at you. Light blue— almost cerulean— eyes gazing back into yours.

“Thank you.” were the only words out of his mouth, but that still didn’t stop your heart from fastening it’s pace nor the butterflies from welcoming themselves into your stomach.

His deep and raspy voice clearly enunciated every single emotion, and you know, deep in your heart, that he wasn’t just talking about the dessert.

You smile back at him, eyes crinkling, as you say, “You’re welcome.”

[rainydawgradioblog]

a covidsation with yufi

Next up in this interview series is Yufi, local plur-core/EDM band. They just released their self-titled album, which is available on Bandcamp and Spotify. Check em out !! Dance to them in yr bedroom !!

Lola Gil: Tell me about your band. How long have y’all been playing together? How would you describe your sound?

Todd Maegerle: I usually describe Yufi as “plur-core”, but apparently that’s not very descriptive lol. Most people would describe the album we just released as a mix of screamo and y2k throwback electronic/trance/digital hardcore/drum and bass. Yufi has been a project for about three years, but has gone through some pretty significant transformations (started as a math rock project lol).

LG: As an artist, how have you been affected by COVID-19? How was your most recent tour affected?

TM: We had planned a tour that would send us down the west coast, over to Austin, TX for SXSW, then up through Santa Fe, Denver, SLC, etc. back to Seattle. We planned the tour to start on Wednesday, March 11th. Those first couple weeks of March seemed to be when the whole COVID-19 thing really picked up. Two days before our tour was supposed to start, we made the decision to cancel all except the west coast leg. It was a really hard decision to make because we had already exchanged hundreds of messages/emails to artists, venues, showcases for SXSW, etc to make what was looking like a super fun tour. At that point in early March, there were so many unknowns. “Is the COVID-19 panic going to die down in the next week or so?” was a tough question to answer at that exact moment (which seems really silly now lol).

The west coast leg of the tour was super fun, but it was also an apocalypse tour haha. Shows we were really looking forward to playing were getting cancelled while we were driving to that city to play. Attendance was fairly bleak with only a couple exceptions. I think the last show of the tour had something like 80 tickets sold in advance and maybe 10 non-artists actually showed up. We were playing a warehouse in downtown LA, and when we showed up the city was an absolute ghost town. It was surreal. All-in-all it ended up being a really fun west coast run, but also was maybe one of the worst times to start a tour haha.

LG: Is Yufi planning on putting out new merch or music soon?

TM: Quarantine is great for writing new music! I could see it being pretty hard for more traditional bands who get everyone in a room and jam-out a new track, but Yufi has become computer music for the most part, so we kinda just have more free time to work on stuff. But also, I personally get a lot of inspiration to write music by attending shows. When I see a performer I really like, I’ll get really motivated and inspired to work on new stuff. So that’s been happening less since all shows are cancelled :^{

LG: How have you been personally affected by COVID? What has your quarantine experience been so far?

TM: I’m pretty extroverted, so being unable to go out and interact with friends has been hard. Fortunately I live with five really super homies; quarantine would be a lot harder for me if I didn’t have anyone to goof around with in-real-life. Still, I really miss going out and dancing and meeting people and all that. The online music festivals have been fun, but experiencing them through Second Life/IMVU/Minecraft/etc is not quite substitutable for actual live music.

LG: What music have you been listening to recently? What has been your go-to quarantine album?

TM:I’ve honestly almost exclusively been listening to live streams. Like, Charli XCX going live on Grindr’s Instagram to do a DJ set? Yeah I think I’ll tune in. A group/collective/entity called “Hurt-free Network” has been putting on really fun IMVU raves with DJ sets from artists I really like. There’s also a 48+ hour long music festival happening right now called Data Fruits; most of the artists are from the west coast USA or Japan, so when one country is (mostly) asleep the other can take over the stream. So even though I really miss going to shows, it’s been pretty awesome to see how people are still coming together in some form!

LG: Were there any spring shows that you were particularly looking forward to attending that got cancelled?

TM: Yessss ughhhhh way too many :’^{Anamanaguchi, Yves Tumor, 100gecs, Dorian Electra, and a bunch more. Fortunately I saw a couple of them last year, so that eases the pain a little bit. But if I don’t see Ecco2k in 2020 I’m literally going to scream. I’m not gonna make it.

LG: How do you think the Seattle music scene is going to shift post-COVID?

TM: Every musician is going to be a DJ after quarantine and it’s going to be sick. Jokes aside, I think we’re going to need a lot of people to come together to make up for the impact that COVID has made. A lot of venues that are vital to the Seattle music scene are going to have to close doors as a result of the financial hit they’ve taken. I think there will be a lot of artists excited to play shows once it’s safe to, but I’m hoping there will be venues still around to host.

LG: How do you think artists can support each other during these weird and difficult times? 

TM: This is not artist exclusive, but everyone can email their Seattle city council member to enact a rent/mortgage moratorium. That could help lessen the financial burden that COVID has created, which would certainly help artists (and everyone lol).

Aside from that, I feel like I’ve seen a lot of artists supporting each other by listening to and sharing each other’s new releases, tuning into each others live streams, etc. I hope to see more of that in the coming months!

-Lola Gil

[blancasplayground]

Best and Worst of AoS Season 5

Here is my season five postmortem, in the form of a roundup of what I loved and didn't love. It got really long, so I won't spend too much time on the intro. Let's just dive in. Obviously, major spoilers for the entirety of the season follow.

Best: The Future

For the first half of season five it felt like the team was stuck in a dystopian YA novel. In a good way. It was a bold move to completely change the look and feel of the show, but it worked from both a narrative and production standpoint. Not only did it make the best use of the reduced budget, since they could film primarily indoors on smaller-scale sets, but they didn't have to deal with the goings on in the MCU back home (that would come later -- and it's not on the "best" list). Creating a future from scratch requires tremendous imagination and planning, and they delivered a rich backdrop. I was sorry to leave behind the characters we met there, like Tess and Flint. Of course, they had to return to the present eventually, but they did a really good job of world-building for those episodes.

Worst: Contradicting Time Theories

The showrunners have said in interviews that there were a lot of heated discussions in the writer's room about time travel logic, and it shows. Back in the season-three episode "Spacetime" they gave us one answer (which happened to be one I really liked) -- time is an illusion. As Fitz explained, the past, present and future happen simultaneously. We just experience it in a linear way because we're limited to the third dimension. So it cannot be changed. But when they blew up the Earth for the season’s main storyline, they also blew up that theory, because they HAD to change the future now. They weren't going to allow the world to be cracked apart. It's not that kind of show. Plus, they’re still tied to the MCU, so they couldn't let that future play out. And yet, when they returned to the past they had characters still behaving as if it were fixed (the whole "invincible three" idea, which so many people disliked), but trying to change it anyway. Either the future is pre-determined or it isn't. Trying to have it both ways makes for sloppy and confusing stories. It also gives viewers a headache.

Best: Fitz's Journey

Fitz's absence was notable in the first few episodes, but to make up for it we got "Rewind," one of the best episodes of the season. We saw Fitz struggling with his dark side, only to have to embrace it in the future to save Jemma and Daisy in the most badass way (a total "baller move" as Daisy put it). The blend of pre- and post-Framework Fitz was exactly what they needed at the time. Unfortunately, it may have opened the door for The Doctor to take control in "The Devil Complex." He got a chance to marry the love of his life, but that happiness was short lived. His psychological break (which was an incredible reveal and riveting to watch from an acting standpoint) and what he did to Daisy split the team and the audience, sparking a lot of debate about the nature of good and evil both on screen and off. Which, I think, was exactly the point. Was he redeemable? Could he have learned to control his dark side? Could the team ever learn to accept this new version of Fitz and his morally questionable, yet undeniably effective, methods? We'll never know. Which brings me to . . .

Worst: Fitz's Death

(Jemma gif because I can’t watch that death scene anymore.) 

(But this is almost as bad.)

We've been over this, and the wounds are still fresh, so I won't rehash what so many others have said more eloquently. I will point out that the issue is not with the death itself. They had to do it in order to bring back Cryo Fitz (or perhaps because they knew they could), who hasn't experienced the majority of season five. It's an intriguing idea, and should open up a lot of pathways for his story next season. Also, it gave Iain another chance to show off his crazy talent (like he needed more this season, but whatever, we're grateful). It's just the way they did it, and the fact that anyone thought this would be an acceptable sendoff for a fan-favorite character if it really was the last episode. The fake-out (which wasn't even a proper fake out because they REALLY DID have to bury Fitz) undercut what should have been a bigger moment -- Phil's departure and impending death as well. They botched it, plain and simple, and there's no taking that back.

Best: Philinda Endgame

They took their time getting there, but May and Coulson finally expressed their feelings for each other (at least, the human versions), each in their own signature way. May finally telling Phil she loved him just to shut him up was classic May. And that kiss behind the shield ought to go down as one of most iconic TV kisses in history. I sincerely hope they get lots of parasailing in, and, despite it being a lovely sendoff, that we'll see one or both of them back next season. Incidentally, I believe the fact that Robin drew the two of them on the beach in Tahiti before they changed the future means that they wound up together in the previous version of the loop too. Of course, Phil had to be gone to allow May to become Robin's mom, and now I'm giving myself a headache again. See what you've done, season five!

Worst: Team Infighting

This show is never better than when the characters work together as a team, whether it's on an action-packed mission or simply solving a problem on the ground. Which makes the decision to split everyone up along multiple fault lines later in the season a confusing and super frustrating move that wasn't at all fun to watch. Families fight, sure, but the divisions this year were deep, involving the loss of trust and respect, and the questioning of each other's core moral principles. These are not minor squabbles. I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish by stepping up the tension and having them take sides against each other in the face of their greatest challenge yet, but I don't think it worked out the way they wanted it to. I would love to see everyone come back together and be a family again, as long as it's done realistically without sacrificing characterization.

Best: Graviton

With this season possibly being the last, the writers took the opportunity to pick up a thread they'd left dangling in episode three. Ever since the introduction of gravitonium way back when, fans have been wondering if the show would follow through and deliver the major comic-book villain Graviton. Considering this season could have been the show's swan song, it was a good time to deliver on that promise. And they did, in a way that was surprising yet somehow fitting. Glenn Talbot has been a thorn in Coulson's side since he showed at the end of season one, so to have him become the final Big Bad is a satisfying, if tragic, fate for the character. Especially since, in his twisted mind, he believed he was doing the right thing, right up until the end.

Worst: Ruby Red Herring

Sorry Dove Cameron fans, but the show let your girl down. Despite the potential in her first few episodes, Ruby never lived up to the compelling, cutthroat (or cut-arm, haha) villain they set her up to be (her hooded alter ego never even got a cool villain nickname). As it turned out, she was only there as a distraction, to confuse the characters and the audience about the real identity of the Destroyer of Worlds. And just as she was getting interesting -- the way she watched and mimicked Fitzsimmons alone told us more about her cold upbringing and the lack of human connection in a few moments than we got in all her episodes before that -- they killed her off to give the team something else to fight about.

Best: Nostalgic Callbacks and Fan Service

We got so many callbacks to previous seasons throughout season five. Maybe it's because the writers knew there was a chance this would be the last year, so they packed in as many references to the history of the show as they could. There was also the milestone 100th episode, which naturally lent itself to looking back. In addition to paying off older plot points (see above re: Graviton) they directly acknowledged their loyal viewers with that "small but active fan base" line. It was exciting seeing Mike again. And good to have Davis back too, with his mysterious survival story (that I hope they never reveal). Not to mention Hunter (which I will, down below). These were all gifts to long-time fans and we ate them up.

Worst: Infinity War Tie-In

If you're going to go there (and yeah, they had to, given the show's history), then fully commit to it, rather than using the cop out of ending the season just before the movie's biggest moment. Anyone who's seen it knows that the ending could potentially have a major impact on the show. So embrace that (imagine Phil handing Mack the keys to Lola, only to watch them fall to the ground). Or they could have used the multiverse to disconnect from the MCU once and for all. There were already so many questions going into the finale, whether they would or wouldn't go through with the snap was one debate I could have lived without. And it's still up in the air as to whether it will be a factor next season. Given that the airdate is after the next movie comes out, I'm inclined to think not, but I kind of wish we didn't even have to worry about it.

Bonus Bests:

The Return of Lance Hunter

Every single moment he was in was pure gold. I really hope we haven't seen the last of him.

Fitzsimmons Wedding

I mean, obviously. So beautiful and emotional. A shining moment of light to balance the darkness of the rest of the season..

Deke

I love Deke. End of story. He is still around and he will be back. See my explanation post here. I have no official confirmation of this, I'm just thinking positively.

One final note: These gifs were pulled from all over. I’m still rather new to Tumblr, so if you see something that’s yours and would like credit, let me know (and also if you could let me know how to do it that would be great).

[theviennalorenzi]

Vienna Lorenzi e Lola W no Late Late Show with James Corden

[TV - AMERICA - divulgação para Stylish e Hot Girls Also Cry]

Em 8 de março de 2025, a cantora e compositora Lola W ao lado da produtora musical de renome atualmente Vienna Lorenzi, dupla que gravou a música Stylish para o mais novo projeto desta última, estiveram esteve no programa de televisão estadunidense The Late Show with James Corden. Divulgando o single recém-lançado, ambas concederam uma entrevista ao apresentador e comediante James Corden, na qual comentaram sobre o lançamento de 'Stylish', brigas envolvendo a Rocket Records, menções às meninas do eClipse e muito mais, além de revelar detalhes do futuro da carreira das duas. Elas ainda participaram de um quadro do programa chamado Into The Lyrics, em que precisavam explicar a letra da música a cada verso ou estrofe para os telespectadores e o público presente.

James: Hoje a alegria aqui é em dobro, pois não teremos apenas uma convidada nesse programa, mas duas! Uma já é bastante conhecida de todo mundo por sua mixtape de Halloween no ano passado. A outra ainda estamos conhecendo, mas já vimos que têm um baita potencial. Por favor, uma salva de aplausos para Vienna Lorenzi e Lola W!

Lola: Olá! Olá, James. Olá, pessoal.

Vienna: Boa noite a todos, obrigada pelos aplausos.

James: Boa noite. Como vocês estão? A noite tá um pouco quente, aceitam um pouco de água?

Vienna: Não, obrigada. Estou bem pesar de estar bastante quente, sim.

Lola: Eu também vou ter que recusar. Não me incomodo tanto com o calor, já sou quente, sabe?

Vienna: Hahaha! Super relatável, Lola, super relatável.

James: Bem, então vamos começar a nossa entrevista. Vocês estão aqui para divulgar o novo single Stylish, estou certo?

Vienna: Exatamente, James. Este é o lead single do meu novo projeto.

James: E você pode nos dar mais informações sobre esse novo projeto? Ano passado você gravou a mixtape de Halloween e agora todo esse conceito dark foi abandonado e tomado por essas cores rosa-choque. Como vai funcionar daqui pra frente, Vienna?

Vienna: Hum... Você tá muito apressado, a gente conversa sobre isso mais tarde.

James: Poxa, tudo bem. Mas então, como você conheceu a Lola, Vienna? E como você conheceu a Vienna, Lola? Foi só com essa parceria?

Lola: Não exatamente. Eu já conhecia a Vienna e amava o trabalho dela há algum tempo. Felizmente eu consegui entrar em contato com ela ano passado e enviei a letra de uma música que eu tinha escrito. Ela gostou muito e quis produzir.

Vienna: Após você ter me pedido umas quinze vezes, haha...

Lola: Sim, isso aconteceu, haha. A Vienna produziu pra mim Wet Christmas, música que eu lancei no final do ano passado só como buzz mesmo, eu ainda não fiz o meu debut de verdade, estou esperando o momento mais oportuno para isso.

James: Ah, Wet Christmas! Eu lembro dessa música. É a minha música natalina preferida, devo admitir.

Vienna: Claro, com dois talentos enormes lado a lado era impossível não ficar bom. Acabei de perceber que "natalina" quase é um anagrama para "italiana", mas "natalina" tem dois 'n' e "italiana", dois 'i'. Eu só percebi isso de repente porque sou italiana, informação aleatória aqui para vocês.

James: Essa é uma curiosidade realmente interessante.

Lola: Sim, e "natal" também é quase anagrama de "an*l" mas com um 't'.

Vienna: Lola, não acredito que você disse isso! Hahaha!

James: Estamos em TV aberta, louca! O que é isso? Hahaha!

Lola: Eu também acabei de perceber, desculpa, não consegui não falar.

James: Mas e então, Lola, quando você vai fazer o seu debut mesmo? A gente te ouviu cantando Wet Christmas, cantando Stylish. A gente quer saber de você quando esse debut vem.

Lola: Ai, James... Em breve. Eu estou trabalhando em algo que já estava quase pronto, mas teve que sofrer algumas modificações, entende? Ainda não está perfeito e eu me recuso a lançar qualquer coisa que não esteja sobre a perfeição.

James: Percebam que ela disse isso e só lançou músicas com a Vienna até agora.

Vienna: Hahaha, assim eu fico sem graça. Não sou tão perfeita assim, vai?

Lola: Você está sendo inteiramente modesta, Vi...

James: Mas e então? Como foi trabalharem juntas pela segunda vez?

Lola: Pra mim foi ótimo, a Vienna é uma produtora excepcional e ela consegue captar exatamente a essência de tudo o que eu quero cantar e fazer um instrumental que se encaixe de maneira incrível para aquele música e apenas para aquela música, tudo o que ela faz é único e isso é provavelmente uma das coisas que eu mais gosto nela, ela sabe ter identidade, ser original e se impor como quem é.

Vienna: Ai, vou ficar emocionada e vai borrar a minha maquiagem. Ah é, não preciso usar maquiagem, haha. Bem, eu também gostei bastante de trabalhar com a Lola W, eu acredito que ela tenha um talento que ainda não foi descoberto e eu fico feliz de estar lançando-a assim no mundo da música, eu espero que ela bata as asas e voe muito longe pois ela merece, é uma compositora inegavelmente incrível e canta muito bem também, eu acredito que ela tenha, sim, potencial para ir longe. Eu só estou aqui para ensiná-la a voar.

Lola: Que fofa! Abraço de amigas?

Vienna: Claro, abraço de amigas. *elas se abraçam*

James: Ei, eu quero participar também! Abraço de amigas! *James inclina o seu corpo para ficar mais próximo delas e as envolve em seus braços, fazendo com que todos riam* Muito bem, mas como nem tudo é amor e rosas vermelhas, vamos ver o que acontece no Twitter! Desde a semana passada, quando a música Stylish foi anunciada, Vienna Lorenzi se encontrou envolvida em um desentendimento com a Rocket Records, gravadora de Lola… até Apollyon, dono da Arcade Records na qual Vienna é contratada, comentou o assunto. O que podem nos contar sobre?

Lola: E-- 

Vienna: Quieta amiga, eu sei que talvez mandem sequestrador na sua casa se você abrir a boca… nossa conexão vai me deixar falar por você, tá bom? *Vienna encosta as pontas dos dedos na cabeça e foca em Lola, como se estivesse usando telepatia, e dá uma leve risada* Bem, primeiramente... prefiro me abster de quaisquer comentários sobre os fulanos sem a presença do meu advogado.

James: Não seja por isso, nós o convidamos para que participasse do programa também, olha ele lá na plateia. *O advogado de Vienna estava na plateia acenando para ela*

Vienna: Bem, então nesse caso é diferente, podemos falar sim sobre… aquelas... pessoas.

Lola: Alôou, eu posso falar também! Talvez eles sejam donos do meu contrato… da minha arte... da minha vida... mas não da minha voz!

Vienna: Tá bom tá bom, só toma cuidado tá? E só pra não arriscar, vou te levar pra dormir na mansão cheia de seguranças comigo hoje. Girls’ Night! *as duas comemoram por um momento... antes de suspirarem, e falarem sobre a situação um pouco mais sérias*

James: Ok ok, já estou pedindo pra chamarem os guardas que vão escoltar vocês pra fora daqui do estúdio também--

Vienna: Então, basicamente, a gravadora que não deve ser nomeada não está fazendo NADA pra promover Stylish! Nada! Zero! Tudo porque não concordaram com nossa proposta de divisão de lucros...

Lola: Achávamos que dividir meio a meio obviamente fosse a melhor opção, mas eles nunca aceitaram. Nem quando tentamos negociar pra aumentar um pouco pro lado deles, eles queriam muito mais... era quanto mesmo Vi? 6 terços?

Vienna: Ai amiga não lembro, e o celular com a calculadora ficou no backstage... enfim, pelo que eu entendi, eles acharam uma divisão injusta justamente por causa da quantia enooorme que eles tomam dos lucros dos artistas. E tá bom, qualquer um pode olhar pra mim e pensar ‘ahh ela tem tudo, beleza, moda, mansões, limousines, iates, jatinhos, ônibus espaciais, foguetes…’ enfim, ok que eu não preciso de lucros tão justos em cima de Stylish, mas meus colegas da Arcade precisam! Estou lá pra isso, lançar minha arte e ajudar a financiar quem precisa dessa ajudinha pra fazer música também.

Lola: Quem dera eu e o pessoal da R-... da minha gravadora tivéssemos alguém assim lá, ainda bem que você já me ajuda com um dinheiro sempre que pode amiga. *elas se abraçam*

James: Nossa, mas isso vai muito mais além do que tinhamos visto no Twitt-

Vienna: Ah, corrigindo! Isso tudo é o que fez eles não estarem fazendo nada sobre Stylish, na verdade não é NADA... eles estão fazendo campanha negativa contra a gente. Intimando várias fontes de notícia do grupo da música para não falarem sobre o lançamento... é simplesmente podre o jeito que eles tentam silenciar mulheres lindas como nós.

Lola: O preconceito também faz garotas gostosas chorarem... (also makes hot girls cry), mas decidimos não ficar caladas! Ok que não era pra comentar sobre isso aqui ainda mas as questões pro tribunal também já estão sendo resolvidas-

Vienna: Shh, isso realmente não pode falar, se não o Apolly me mata!

James: B-b-bem, vamos partir pra outra coisa então! Mas preciso concordar... é nojento o jeito que ainda tentam calar nós minorias...

Lola: Né? Na nossa próxima parceria vamos falar disso também!

Vienna: Já estamos na terceira ou quarta parceria e já tá imaginando a próxima... muito bem amiga, gosto assim!

James: Lola, você mencionou seu single solo mais recente, que também recebeu um remix de Vienna esses dias! Podem dar uma palhinha pra gente?

Lola: Palha?... ah, um pedaço da música. Claro!

Vienna: Olha eu não trouxe meu equipamento nem me preparei psicologicamente pra mixar hoje, então solta o instrumental aí produção!

Lola então mostra belos vocais em cima do ‘Lolarenzi Mix’ de seu single “Hot Girls Also Cry”, animando a plateia enquanto canta o refrão de pé e pula um pouco ao som do drop produzido por Lorenzi.

James: Fantástico! Essa versão deixou a música mais gostosa ainda.

Lola: Estamos falando da melhor produtora do século né, claro que deixou!

James: Já que estou falando com você aqui, Vienna, quero te perguntar como tem sido ser acionista da Arcade Records, a gravadora, e como isso tem te ocupado. Será que você podia contar pra gente um pouquinho? Lola, daqui a pouco a gente fala com você, querida, segura aí.

Lola: Sem problemas, haha. A voz da Vienna é tão doce que eu poderia ouvi-la por horas.

Vienna: Como vocês sabem, a família Lorenzi é bem rica, então eu tenho alguma experiência administrando dinheiro... mas não foi nem perto de suficiente pra saber cuidar da gravadora! Eu decidi comprar uma parte da gravadora pra fazer algo de bom com o dinheiro sabe, ajudar meus amigos artistas. Mas nossa... as primeiras semanas me envolvendo na administração foram f*da. Claro que eu tava bem animada, mas foi sofrido. Agora já tô pegando o jeito melhor, e agradeço muito aos funcionários que me ajudam também.

James: E nós recebemos a informação sobre uma festa que você fez para os artistas da gravadora quando foi confirmado o aumento do valor do contrato de todos.

Vienna: Ah sim, isso foi tipo, meu melhor momento lá por enquanto. Porque deu pra unir a responsabilidade da gravadora ao glamour de uma festa na minha mansão. Chamei os artistas de lá e alguns convidados especiais de outras também também, e a gente comemorou a noite toda. Nossa, eu lembro tão bem como eles estavam. O Apollyon ficou meio doido de tão bêbado... e as eClipse estavam ainda meio quietas, e com certeza chocadas com já estavam ficando famosas internacionalmente pelo debut delas. Foi uma ótima oportunidade de conhecer elas já que, como elas nem são da subsidiária asiática da Arcade, a gente ainda não tinha tido a chance de se conhecer muito bem. Mas depois daquele dia eu logo fiquei impaciente pra encontrar aquelas fofas de novo. Zoe principalmente, te amo gata! *ela joga um beijo pra câmera*

James: Elas eram muito diferentes do que vimos nas performances poderosas nas últimas semanas?

Vienna: Ahh claro, foi um momento mais descontraído nosso, sem essa preocupação. Mas eu quase fiz merda porque.... como vocês sabem, eu amo encher meu Insta de foto. Mas eu não pude tirar tantas naquele dia, por causa dos looks ainda não revelados delas! O manager delas tinha me falado pra tomar muito cuidado com câmeras perto delas porque tinham acabado de voltar de uma gravação especial, então eu me senti como se tivesse desfilando em cascas de banana. Mas consegui fazer dar certo... ainda bem, se não não sei se poderia estar com elas de novo nem tão cedo. Principalmente depois que uma delas ficou bêbada pela primeira vez... *rindo* ... mas shhh, abafa o caso.

James: Ah, você precisa nos dizer! Foi a Zoe?

Vienna: Não, ela tava bem de boa at-... ei, menos, foi uma festa particular. Abafa!

James: Hahahaha! Desculpe, espírito de jornalista sempre fala mais alto aqui. Então, por que não nos conta agora sobre sua parceria com elas?

Vienna: Primeiramente, b– PERA AÍ, ninguém falou nada de parceria minha com elas!... posso falar sobre outra parceria minha que tá vindo aí pra disfarçar?

James: Eita, quem é?!

Vienna: Bem... tá bom, eu conto os babados... depois, quando puder confirmar que tá tudo certo. Já tem vários artistas confirmados como parceria no meu novo projeto que vai sair em breve!

James: Você vem falado sobre esse novo projeto desde antes Stylish sair-

Vienna: Ai meu deus, assim eu não me aguento, controla essa curiosidade! Mas tá bom, eu conto... o projeto novo é um álbum novo! Que dessa vez, vai ser totalmente original!

James: Com isso você quer dizer que não haverá remixes de outras músicas, não é? Todas as faixas serão originalmente suas, quase como sua mixtape do ano passado.

Vienna: Exatamente e estou muuuuito ansiosa para isso!

James: E todo esse projeto vai seguir a mesma sonoridade que você está explorando agora?

Vienna: Sim, o álbum novo seguir deve seguir um pouco o que "Stylish" tá sendo. Não posso dar muito spoilers, mas a influência do hyperpop continua!

James: Uau! Me conta mais de como está sendo trabalhar nesse álbum.

Vienna: A Lola tem me ajudado um pouco no processo criativo, me ajudou a escrever algumas músicas, como é o caso mais claro de Stylish. Também escrevemos outra chamada Art, que ainda não sei se vai se encaixar tão bem no projeto final, então eu decidi não perder a oportunidade e lançar como b-side de Stylish.

Lola: Vão lá ouvir, está no nosso EP Stylish: The Collection!

Vienna: Isso! A música é incrível e eu não podia desperdiçar os vocais incríveis da Lola, a letra maravilhosamente bem escrita e cheia de autoestima que é o que nós mais temos, e o quase rap que eu fiz em uma das partes, foi muito divertido.

James: Bem, eu ia perguntar a vocês a inspiração para essas músicas, Stylish e Art, mas vi que vocês lançaram esse EP com 5 faixas, incluindo estas duas, então nós vamos fazer diferente. Lola, se prepare pois é a sua vez de falar. Vai começar o quadro Into The Lyrics.

Para o quadro Into The Lyrics, Lola W e Vienna Lorenzi foram colocadas na frente de uma enorme televisão, onde a letra das músicas iam passando enquanto a música tocava. Elas tinham um controle remoto nas mãos que utilizavam para parar a música quando quisessem explicar a letra ou comentar qualquer coisa sobre a música. A música que tocou foi Stylish.

"Serving my style / Serving all this style / I'm serving my style / Serving all this style / Serving my style / Serving all this style / I'm serving my style / Serving all this style"

Vienna: Eu não consigo descrever o quanto fiquei animada em cantar. Eu não sou muito do tipo que canta, não sou uma vocalista, mas ter a minha voz ecoando como intro de uma música e poder remixar isso depois e pensar "garota, você tá arrasando" foi uma sensação ótima! Agora eu sei como as cantoras ficam após ouvirem suas próprias músicas. Quer dizer, nem sei se todas ficam assim, mas eu fico porque a minha voz é linda.

Lola: Eu acho que entendo essa sensação, eu gosto de ouvir as minhas músicas e prestar atenção na letra e na minha voz porque geralmente são duas coisas impecáveis e isso me faz ficar refletindo sobre esse talento nato que eu tenho para ser uma artista. E, sim, Vienna, eu posso ser classificada como terceira pessoa aqui quando estou ouvindo seus vocais e você mandou muito bem, deveria utilizá-los mais nas suas futuras músicas, tenho certeza de que você vai se sair ótima.

"I'm serving my style / Admired from millions of miles / Infected by the fashion virus / But you're the one dying ‘cause you envy us"

Lola: É um pouco difícil de arrumar rimas pra "style", eu confesso. O meu maior problema nem foi achar as rimas, mas conseguir encaixá-las no contexto da música. Por sorte eu não fiquei limitada às palavras terminadas em "ile" e "yle" e consegui fazer rimas com palavras que são escritas de maneira diferente, mas acabam por produzir som similar. Resumidamente, eu sou um gênio da composição de músicas.

Vienna: Tá mais do que claro que você é o Michael Jackson da nossa geração.

Lola: E você é o Beethoven, querida.

"Me and my Italian girl / Running this whole damn world / We rose, pose, you choke / Looking all of our clothes"

Lola: Eu e a minha garota italiana, no caso a Vienna. Caso vocês não tenham notado, italiana puríssima.

Vienna: Hahaha. Boa noite, América; boa madrugada, Itália.

James: Tenho a impressão de que já ouvi outra versão dessa sua fala, Vienna...

Vienna: Eu amo como nós escrevemos em seguida essa sequência de rimas. Rose, pose, choke, clothes. Pra mim, é mágico como tudo parece fluir muito bem.

Lola: Não seria possível sem o seu toque de mestre, não é? A produção instrumental faz toda a diferença.

"I'm sponsored by great brands / On my stories on Instagram / You can find my videos and / Stay updated, my friend”

Vienna: Sim, patrocinadas por enormes marcas, como a Chanel, não é, Lola?

Lola: Claro. E, sim, nos sigam no Instagram para acompanhar os nossos stories, vocês não vão se arrepender mesmo. Se quiserem, nos sigam no Twitter também pois somos até mais ativas por lá.

"That's just my advice / I’m just trying to be nice / So hear it, write it, follow my tips / Stop being a fugly bitch"

Lola: Fugly bitch é claramente uma referência a Mean Girls, eu amo aquele filme, traduz muito a minha personalidade.

Vienna: Nossa, super entendo, parece que os personagens estão falando comigo de tão próximo da minha realidade que aquilo é. Mas, enfim, eu não sou nenhuma blogueirinha desesperada por fama que faz tutorial de maquiagem no stories do Instagram, mas quem quiser me seguir e ficar ligado nos looks que eu uso e tentar não ser tão brega, fique a vontade.

"Serving all... (Serving my style, serving all this style) / This style... (I'm serving my style, serving all this style) / Serving all... (Serving my style, serving all this style) / This style... (I'm serving my style, serving all this style), style, style”

Vienna: Mais uma vez os meus vocais... Haha! Foi muito divertido gravar isso com a Lola.

Lola: E como sempre arrasou em tudo o que faz, rainha.

"Serving all this style / Making you stare and smile / Get off my runway / Watch as I'm walking away / Serving all this style / But yeah I'm still so vile / So don't skip off my beat / Til I tell you to quit"

Lola: O refrão foi escrito pela Vienna que também é maravilhosa na composição. Eu acredito que tenha se encaixado muito bem com a música e eu admito que amo a parte do final quando gritamos juntas.

*Vienna entra de repente na fala de Lola, fazendo com que as duas falem juntas aqui também*: "Til I tell you to quit". Hahaha!

"I'm so in everything / The hottest bitch you've ever seen / Some can tell me “you’re' mean” / But I know I made no sin / You're so out, I wanna puke / Tell me who you wanna spook / So take it, burn it, rip your costumes off / It's not fucking Halloween"

Lola: Uma possível referência à mixtape de Halloween da Vienna no ano retrasado, talvez?

"Lots of makeup, you ghost, boo / My grandma dresses way better than you / I’m not kidding and she's almost 90 / You look like a clown and are only 19"

Lola: Eu amo essa capacidade de conectar estrofes diferentes. Na última eu estava cantando sobre Halloween e agora eu trago o fantasma e o palhaço, que querendo ou não, são elementos que nos remetem ao Halloween, tudo isso é bastante interessante.

"If you don’t have style, my dear / Let me show what’s the tea / So come fast, flash for cash / Get on mind who’s the best"

Vienna: Novamente as rimas consecutivas no final da estrofe! Eu amo isso, Lola! A gente fez um hino e nem estava percebendo, haha.

Lola: Nem precisava perceber, tudo o que a gente faz é um hino, amiga.

"Serving all this style / Making you stare and smile / Get off my runway / Watch as I'm walking away / Serving all this style / But yeah I'm still so vile / So don't skip off my beat / Til I tell you to quit / Serving my style / Serving all this style / I'm serving my style / Serving all this style / Serving all... (Serving my style, serving all this style) / This style... (I'm serving my style, serving all this style) / Serving all... (Serving my style, serving all this style) / This style... (I'm serving my style, serving all this style), style, style / Serving all this style / Making you stare and smile / Get off my runway / Watch as I'm walking away / Serving all this style / But yeah we’re still so vile / So don't skip off our beat / Til we tell you to quit"

Lola: Nós somos mesmo incríveis, Vienna. Essa música precisa ser um sucesso.

Vienna: Já nasceu aclamada. Tem uma batida chiclete, mas que foge do tradicional, uma letra poderosa e cheia de invenções e dois talentos enormes sendo creditados no título, o que mais você precisa?

"Serving my style / Watch as I'm walking my way / I'm serving my style / Watch as I'm walking my way / Serving all this style / Watch as I’m walking my way / I'm serving my style / Watch as I'm walking my way / Til I tell you to / Til I tell you to / Til we tell you to quit"

Lola: Depois disso, sabe o que eu acho, Vienna?

Vienna: Você tá pensando na mesma coisa que eu?

Lola: Não sei, mas eu estou pensando que todo mundo deveria ir ao Spotify ou qualquer outra plataforma digital de streaming de música e ouvir Stylish.

Vienna: Você também pode compartilhar com os seus amigos ou postar nos stories no Instagram, mas o mais importante é que ouça e goste bastante.

James: Então é isso, pessoal. Vamos encerrando o nosso programa por aqui. Estas foram Vienna Lorenzi e Lola W divulgando o single Stylish! 

[askikamle]

Getting a lot of inquiries about my routine lately, influencer yern? Haha charaught. I started the diet and exercise early 2019 when the pandemic hit. I didn't have enough motivation then, talagang nagising lang akong mukha na akong buntis sa panglimang anak sa pictures ko 😂. A friend recommended Lucy Wyndham-Read at dahil tamad nga ako, okay na sakin yung mga 7 minute routines nya. Then come July 2020,depress depressan ako kasi alone in the city because of the endless "CQs" so I got hooked on Emi Wong's abs and core workouts. Sinasamahan ko ng HIIT ni mareng Lucy. Around August 2020, sinisingil nako ng edad ko sa mga back pains kaya yung initially na stretching lang with simple Yoga routines, pinush ko na sa 13 day Yoga with AJ. Tsaka lumandi ulit si jemerly non after 6 years eh kaya kinarir ang paself improvement. Come December 2020, brokenhearted na ang lola so I can't eat and I can't sleep ang peg, kaya namayat ako - Unhealthily. January 2021, I fell in love again with running, kaso April nga nagkacovid kami lahat. June 2021, nadiscover ko naman si kettlebell kaya ininclude ko na si Tone it Up at Boho Beautiful Yoga sa routine ko. Now, I would switch it up between Lucy Wyndham-Read, Emi Wong, Yoga with AJ ng Mind Body Soul, kettlebell toning ni Katrina and her bikini friends sa Tone It Up, tsaka Boho Beautiful Yoga. Lahat po yan nasa Youtube naman. Mga mumsh, kung networking lang tong paworkout, madami na akong downline 😂 Pero eto realtalk: walang pilitan haha. Wag mo rin pilitin sarili mo. The exercise should make you feel happy about yourself. Not make you feel like it's extra work pa on top of the stressful workweek that you had. Also, sabi diba, make sure you include a healthy diet in your program. Proven na namin ng friend ko na unless singyaman ka nila Erwan Heussaff, mahirap ang healthy diet kasi mahalia fuentes. Also, hindi naman siguro tayo lalaban sa bikini body contest diba? Mag exercise ng naaayon sa kaya ng katawan, magdiet din ng naayon sa energy requirement sa araw araw. The exercise would just increase your happy hormones & energy to burn what you eat. Happy healthy living! #smallvictories #workoutroutine #recommendations https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ2HMqNBcqR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[barbhieyen]

Why not spending your time and sharing your 3Ts (Time, Talent and Treasure) instead of staying at home and doing nothing? Really had a great time with Home For The Aged and Manila Boystown. To Team Avengers (na naging Team Shy kasi super mahiyain ng mga kids), thank you for being active during the activity kahit na minsan snob nyo kami ng partner ko. Haha. 😂 Sa Switch It Up lang pala mawawala hiya niyo and first time ko sayawin yun ha. To Lolos and Lolas, seeing your smile makes my heart melt. Ang cute niyo po. 😍 Enjoyed watching your performances, too. Super sayaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Thank you @uhappyevents , Team Leader Kuya Sed, Ate Beth, Kuya Von, Ate Mika, Liezl, my co-intern Ate Queen. I honor you all for your passion and giving your time, treasure and effort with the people in need instead of being with your family and friends. Thank you for letting us to join you and feel blessed. Praying and hoping to become one of your Core Interns. Too bad, no groupie with them, nasa kanila. Huhu. (Anyway, my second time to join them pala, my first time was 5 years ago. We celebrated Kuya @chris_tiu17 ’s birthday with Charis Foundation in Tuklasan Center.) Also, thank you to all the sponsors in providing the foods and gifts. Sana maging sponsor din ako someday. Hihi. Lastly, thank you to my college beshy and B1, @keimosmos for accompanying me na supposedly mag-meet lang tayo. She even suggested to invite our college classmates din next time. Weeeeew. Love you bhe. ☺️ I will always be thankful and grateful kay God for using other people as His instrument in spreading His love and sharing His blessings. Truly, doing what you Love is the real Happiness. 😍 Until next time. 😍🙏🏼💙 P.S. I won’t be sharing any photos during the event po. #ChangeStartsWithU #UHappyEvents #ThankYouLord (at Manila Boystown Complex: Luwalhati ng Maynila) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzA_tz_A9VU/?igshid=14gnfhkjq7m4y

[dearatejannah]

Hey Ate 😅 Firstly, thanks for bringing me along to all of your family adventures this weekend. For someone who met me briefly last year, you made me feel just like one of your own family in my short time here :) As your dad always says, “Thank you very much! I appreciate!”

I wanted to sit down with you and talk a bit longer about your upcoming venture into The States. But I wasn’t sure if there was time with your flight today.

I really only had three questions for you:

1)Do you love what you do?

2)Do you love who you’re working for?

3)Do you trust yourself and in God?

I think question #1 is important because the path of nursing is not simple or easy by any means. You, more so than I, have seen first hand how demanding the profession is. So I don’t have to reiterate how strenuous the job can be. But there is a fulfillment in helping those in need. So if you truly believe this is your calling, the switch from the ICU life to the nursing home/bedside nurse life will be easier. And if you don’t see yourself as nurse in the near or far future, that is ok too. I can’t stress that enough. No one is forcing you to undertake this profession. No one is forcing you to stay in the US. You always have a choice. Saying “No” is always an option and is not quitting. No one will ridicule you for deciding not to pursue this road. But if you believe this what you are meant to do, that will help you go so far dear cousin.

Question 2 was to figure out where your motivations reside. I’d imagine that first and foremost, your sisters and your parents are the core incentives for why you work so hard. When the going gets tough (and it definitely will) I want you to remind yourself not just why you do what you do, but who you are grinding day and night for. Keeping them constantly in sight will be the shield that guards you on the hard days and the drive the propels you on the good days. You are so very blessed to have a surrounding cast of Joanna, Jehann, Jaie, Tita Jaida, and Tito Mike beside you. I know you’ll never let them out of reach. So constantly remind yourself who you are doing all of this for. That is where you will find your inspiration, through the tough work days and the chill ones too.

The third question is kind of tricky because you are a very humble person. I know the first thing you’ll do is give credit to God (and rightfully so). But do not sell yourself short, Ate Jannah. In conjunction with the Lord, you put in the time and effort to sharpen your skills to become the nurse you are today. God will always see how hard you work. But it’s very important the you commend yourself too. Self-love is so crucial to this next adventure you will undertake. I have no doubts in your faith in God. I just want to make sure you have the same trust in yourself and your abilities for the road to come. If you have conviction in both yourself and in God, there is nothing out of reach for you to achieve. And if you have a tough time finding motivation in yourself during your stay with us in New Jersey, just know the likes of me, Tita Minda, Tito Zaldy, Ate Riz, Paxton, and so many more people you haven’t even met yet all believe in you. No pressure though! You have nothing to prove to us. We all trust your skills and your faith. So if you can remind yourself just how awesome you are, you will do just fine when you make your way over from Singapore.

In situations like the one you are about to go through, I always go back to this verse:

Romans 8:18

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Tough times are inevitable. But they are not without purpose. I love this verse because God was very specific to mention that the glory is to be revealed within ourselves. That despite the turbulence around us, we will always find peace and triumph within us. Not anywhere, not in someone else, but within us.

Although! That doesn’t mean you have to live this life alone.

When you make your way from your side of the world towards mine, I’m going to do everything I can to help make your transition as seamless as possible.

I already spoke with some of my nursing school classmates who work in New York in surgical ICU settings about future openings. And if you still want to veer in that direction in the future, the path is there for you. If not, that’s ok too!

I’ve been researching if there are any branches of Life Group present in the New Jersey/NYC area. So far, I’ve been getting weird results that definitely do not resemble the community you’re active in at Singapore 😑 Through your IG stories, I can see how large a role God plays in your life. So if Life Group is something imperative to you finding your footing in New Jersey, I will search much harder to make sure you have a place to continue your growth with God.

There is a community called Bukas Loob sa Diyos (BLD) in New Jersey that is rich in both its Catholic roots and its Filipino heritage. I’m actually a member of it so you wouldn’t be going in blind. I can vouch for BLD and say it has enriched my life for the better. The people there are so accommodating and empathetic no matter where your faith is. They won’t force you to see their POVs on religion nor will they push you to do anything you’re uncomfortable doing. People from different walks of life and even those from different faiths have gone in there and thrived. I’m not sure what religion you associate yourself with (Catholic, Baptist, Born Again, etc) so I don’t want to unknowingly cross any boundaries on where your faith resides. Just know the BLD community, though Catholic in its foundation, welcomes all walks of faith and will not judge or exclude you for believing in way that differs from theirs. It’s actually welcomed! Since it gives a more holistic approach on how best to find God in our lives. If you come in with an open heart and an open mind, that’s more than enough. And as with everything else, you can say no to this too!

In terms of work, you won’t be alone. Tita Minda will be there every step of the way. Ate Riz will be around as well. In my not so humble opinion, I would consult with Ate Riz first on anything lol. Nursing wise, Tita Minda is a genuine master. But Ate Riz has a perspective of a child born in the 90s so she is much more approachable :) She speaks Tagalog too! And much better than me 😅 So there shouldn’t be a language barrier to deny you any insight she can provide you with. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. The nursing team in the place you will be at in Inglemoor is a true team. They will help you find your place and excel as you continue your nursing career.

I’ve spoken with your mom/Tita Jaida and she’s told me how much of a nomad you are. So I would imagine that being grounded in the States for a bit will be one of the more difficult things for you to adjust to. But if there’s anything you want to do or anywhere you want to go within US borders, I will take you there no questions asked. You’re going to have to forgive me for not being as adventurous as you though. I’m a tad bit lazy haha. But I want to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible. So whatever it is you want to do, I’ll hop out of bed and take you wherever your brave heart desires.

I know how close you are to your family. So being State side for a while without being able to visit them as frequently as you do now will take a toll. But I’ve spoken to my mom/Tita Minda about this particular situation. She is more well-versed in the logistics of it all but what she essentially said is that once you have enough time and good work accumulated, petitioning your parents to come to America will be much easier and quicker than you might expect. It will be a different challenge to get your siblings to come to to the States. But in time, they’ll be able to make their way here given some time. But Tita Minda was very optimistic that it won’t take long for your parents to follow you to the USA. So being homesick shouldn’t be a problem in the near future 😬

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to give you one last bit of Kuya Johny insight 😅

Among everyone I’ve come across in my visit here, you are the one who most closely resembles Lola Inang. Even back home in Jersey, no one really compares to our dear Rosita. It’s so uncanny how much you are like her! And I can say that without bias because in her final year of life and throughout her stay sa States, I was around her the most. On top of the infinite light and joy in her heart, Inang had an unmatched level of selflessness that I have not seen in anyone. Until you.

I don’t want this to be misinterpreted because Inang is alive everywhere I look. Her selfless persona is apparent in my mom, her joking nature shines in your dad, her maternal nurturing in Tita Wida, and so on and so forth. All Inang’s children carry a piece of her that I’m so blessed to be in contact with. And she’s alive and well in her grandchildren and great grandchildren too!

But in terms of someone who both acts and lives like she did, you most closely resemble her ☺️

You have the same heart of a child that Inang did. Even at the age of 85, she never acted her age 😂 And neither do you lol. All the attributes Inang had are shining bright in you Jannah: The light in her heart, the joy she exuded in her life, her selflessness with her friends and family, her courage through difficult times, and her endless trust in God. Rosita Mendoza Malonzo was a special one, a genuine child of God. And you have every single one of those traits in you. They really don’t make many of those. Only in the Philippines 😅

Jokes aside, it’s because of everything I just mentioned that I have no doubt that will thrive in America. Not just survive, but THRIVE.

If you ever need help or need someone to talk to, I’m always available. Tita Minda and Ate Riz are always around as well. We are all here for you. Just say the word and we’ll do our best to help.

Take care Ate 🙃 I’ll speak with you soon.

Love your tall, shy, poor-Tagalog-speaking cousin,

Johny

[entamewitchlulu]

Homura’s Top 15 5D’s Characters

Going underneath the cut!!  This is actually working to cheer me up haha :)

15. Mikage Sagiri

It’s kind of a sign that there aren’t that many characters in 5D’s that she’s on this list at all to be honest, but I do still like her.  I do love her no-nonsense attitude as a Security officer, and when she’s not fawning over Jack she’s a really cool character with a sort of strictness about her that makes her interesting to me.

14. Rally Dawson

Rally is just....precious.  I love him for being just such a cute little bro character, and I always, always wished that he had more screen time and had gotten to meet with the other characters, especially Lua and Luka.  I find him to be incredibly endearing for how hard he tries and how earnest he is in helping his friends.

13. Sherry LeBlanc

Sherry is one of those characters that I like for what she could have been.  Her first appearance was just a fun ride, she’s a pretty character who looks feminine but has a brash sort of personality, which is honestly a good thing I think for a shonen show.  What I like most about her is her bluntness and how she basically just says whatever she’s thinking without worrying about hurting people’s feelings, sometimes it’s a nice departure from the normal sweet girl characters in shonen.

12. Tetsu Ushio

Add this guy to the list of characters I never thought I would like!  Ushio was such an asshole when he first showed up, and I thought he would just be an unlikable antagonist forever.  But his slow growth into a legitimate friend and ally just felt so real and it was actually really nice to see what a good friend to Yusei and the others he ended up being.  It’s one of my favorite arcs in 5D’s and I think it’s one of the best examples of how Yu-Gi-Oh can turn even seemingly irredeemable characters into lovable ones.

11. Martha

I’m a sucker for moms, okay.  I love how caring Martha is, but she’s also a no-nonsense sort of person who easily switches between caring and scolding to raise her brood of children right.  Also, anyone that can get Jack to kneel and kiss their hand is probably a downright amazing person XD  Her devotion to her kids, old and young, is just a joy to watch.

10. Luciano

And then there’s this asshole lol.  He was actually one of the only antagonists I actually liked from the second half of 5D’s, mostly cause I found his bratty nature a fun ride.  He’s loud, obnoxious, and appropriately bratty for the age he’s supposed to represent, and I thought it was fun watching him screw with everyone.

9. Misty Lola

God, talk about great female villains, though.  She was an incredibly sympathetic character even from her first appearances, taking Carly in and taking care of her after she became a Dark Signer and seeming to be a very kind hearted person despite what side she was on.  Her kindness can’t be mistaken for weakness, though, because she’s an incredibly ruthless duelist when she feels she has to fight, and I found that her back story lead up really well to why she would become the way she is.  And she’s still incredibly honorable, too; after she learns the truth, she immediately is willing to drop her hatred and apologize for her actions.  She’s one of those characters I wish we had seen return in the second half, because I feel like there was a lot they could have done with her post-Dark Signer.

8. Kyosuke Kiryu

Kiryu is just fascinating.  I love the contrast he sets up especially for Yusei; he’s incredibly charismatic and draws people to him with fiery words and speeches and flashy displays of his own power.  He’s honestly the ideal protagonist type when compared to the much more reserved Yusei, who never really tries to draw people to him and seems content to take a back seat to other people taking the lead.  Kiryu’s arc is fascinating too, watching him change from this charismatic figure into a more wild character who fights back against the frustration that the unfair world has forced on him, and then into a subdued, depressed character, and finally into something more subdued but still a leader at the end of the Crashtown arc, is a really, really interesting arc, and he has a lot of potential to explore in fic and art.

7. Luka

I love my daughter more than my l i f e.  Luka is such a precious, beautiful girl who tries so hard despite being afraid, and watching her grow more courageous over time is just really inspiring.  I love her devotion and her very sibling-like irritation with Lua’s antics.  She feels like a very real character.

6. Jack Atlas

Jack is just a fucking fun character.  He’s a total asshole and he doesn’t really redeem himself like, at all in some respects.  He does definitely mature, but it’s fun to see the ways that he never quite matures, too.  He’s always going to be that same asshole-ish personality who tends to be selfish more often than not, but despite that he really has a good core at his center.  What I find most fascinating is what I see as his lowkey desire to make people happy.  His arc with Carly was mostly about him finding out it wasn’t being the King for prestige that was important, it was important because he knew he was a symbol for a lot of people, especially children, and he wanted to live up to those expectations to really mean something for others.  He really is at his core a good person who cares about being good to people, and I love that about him.

5. Crow Hogan

God, Crow is a fun character.  He’s sassy as fuck and honestly he has the kind of smile that lights up the screen. I love his reckless nature, his fun-loving, adventurous spirit, and I especially love his papa bird personality and how devoted he is to his kids and children in general.  I love parental characters, and Crow is one of the best in Yu-Gi-Oh imo.  He’s super cute and fun and I love that he always finds some way to have fun in his situations, but he knows when and where to be serious.

4. Yusei Fudo

I mean first off, he’s fucking gorgeous.  and second off, I just find him to be a really great character type.  I mentioned it a little bit when I was talking about Kiryu, but Yusei is not immediately the kind of person you’d peg as a shonen protagonist.  He doesn’t run his mouth, he doesn’t care to be flashy and seems content to hide in the shadows most of the time, and he’s not openly charismatic.  And yet people are drawn to him, and I think it’s for good reason.  He has a very powerful soul and a powerful presence despite keeping to the sidelines when he can, and he can’t back down from injustice; he refuses to keep his mouth shut when he thinks there’s something wrong with society and he’ll actively take a stance against it for the sake of everyone.  People are just drawn to him, not for his open charisma, but for his quiet confidence, and I think that’s just amazing.

3. Aki Izayoi

Aki is amazing.  She has one of the most poignant character arcs in Yu-Gi-Oh, and I just love how emotional she was allowed to be on screen.  She was allowed to be irrational and to react badly to things, she was allowed by the narrative to cry and get angry and lash out and hurt people and it felt real and human.  I love her for her slow growth as she reaches for her own strength and confidence in the wake of abuse and fear, and how she’s allowed to have some space to find herself and grow on her own two feet.  Aki is a powerful character who shows it’s possible to recover and become the person you wanted to be after completely losing yourself to bad circumstances/abuse/a bad past.  She’s a character who shows that things can and will work out if you don’t give up, and I love her a lot for that.

2. Lua

GOD talking about people who deserved better btw, Lua is fucking precious and deserves the entire world.  Lua is so earnest and he tries so hard.  He’s excitable about life, everything is a cool adventure to him and he doesn’t let anything get him down for too long.  He hides his insecurities behind this excitement, but he legitimately is happy about life and all the possibilities it holds.  He’s not the type to give up, even when his inner sadness is dragging him down, and he’ll always get back up no matter how many times it takes.

1. Carly Nagisa

Look at my baby girl!!!!!!  Carly is one of the most fun characters in 5D’s, her excitable antics as she tries to get the next scoop are endearing and adorable.  She’s a hard worker and a beautiful soul who always decides that morals and ethics are more important than getting a good story.  I love her cute little fortune-telling thing that she does to give herself courage, and her devotion to both her job and the people she cares about is inspiring.  Her arc as a Dark Signer was incredibly powerful, and every minute of it was just beautiful, beautiful writing.  Carly deserved a lot better than she got by the second half, but I’m still reeling at how much we did get for her in the first half.  I can’t blame Jack for becoming inspired by her, because she’s the kind of person that I think would inspire anyone just by being in her presence.  And what I love most about her is that I think that’s the kind of person she really wants to be, too; her dream from childhood was to just be able to support people who were working hard, because watching others find happiness made her happy, too.