#show edition. third rewatch

[shloodles]

ID: four sketches of characters from jonathan strange and mr. norrell. 1) norrell, a mouse-like older man with an oversized wig slumped in an armchair with a cup of tea in his lap, looking extremely weary. 2) norrell glaring at childermass, a younger man with messy hair in a ponytail, who is leaning against a wall with arms crossed, looking at norrell judgmentally. 3) lascelles and drawlight looking at the viewer. lascelles, standing behind drawlight, is a slim man with short hair wearing a disinterested expression and holding a small glass of something. drawlight, a shorter plumper man with rouged cheeks and a wig is wiggling his fingers with a delighted and nefarious expression. 4) segundus, a young thin man with curly hair standing stock straight with his hands clasped awkwardly yet delicately in front of him, staring straight ahead with a haunted expression. behind him stands honeyfoot, an older portly man with thin hair, looking slightly bewildered. end ID

another mr normal sketchdump

[solardrop]

abbot for the character ask thing :D

looks: somewhat attractive | eh | not really my type | pretty | handsome | beautiful | stud | gorgeous | SWEET LORD MERCY

can you relate to this character on a personal level?: no | not really | somewhat | yes | they are me

would you date/be friends with this character in real life if they were real?: total bros | friends | best friends | date | become their steady boyfriend/ girlfriend | neither | i don’t kno | become a third in his relationship with mohan

[thelovelybitten]

that's my daughter right there :')))))

[angellicxx]

rooftop watcher

Benjamin "Dex" Pointdexter x Reader

Summary: Dex loves watching you from a distance, but hates not being able to give the pleasure you deserve from him.

an:This is my first ever published fanfic one shot so hopefully its not that bad. I've been obsessed with Bullseye edits recently and just needed to write a stalker fic.

warnings: Dark!Dex, stalker, f masturbation, cumming in pants, dark thoughts, Dex daydreaming and wanting to hurt a guy (he's so precious he would never)

w.c.: 1,300 (edited 5/25/25)

A fresh breeze of the city hit Dex’s face as he adjusted his binoculars. It was the perfect view. It didn’t take him long to find it. He only had to find a building adjacent to your apartment and with a higher outlook. How lucky he was for it to have an unlocked rooftop no one ever went to. It was almost like you were inviting him to watch you, not ever closing your curtains at night. Didn’t you know there were bad people who could see you living all alone? Thats why he had to be there. To make sure you were safe.

It was a late Friday night, and Dex was so proud to see you were staying home tonight, instead of venturing out into the unsafe city where it would be hard to keep an eye on you.

You probably would go out with your girlfriends in a skimpy outfit-- that sexy, black plunge top and skirt he loved so much, the one that showed your ass perfectly--all of it earning sinful gazes from prowling men in the night who would offer you drinks and a night at their apartment. He would have no other choice than to watch you blush and smile at them, too drunk to make a decision that was good for you.

If Dex had the courage he would be the man.

He was a coward, too unworthy to approach you. Instead he would just follow from a distance to make sure the guy didn't get any wrong ideas-- make any moves that made you uncomfortable. If he did, he would leave him bleeding in the alleyway, before asking if you were alright, if that man was going to hurt you.

Maybe he wasn’t-- but he would still earn your thankful praises.

A hero in the night.

You would be so grateful for him and insist on bringing him back to your place-- oh, that would be so nice.

But that wouldn’t happen tonight. No, tonight you had chosen to stay in and rewatch that show for the third time. Dex didn’t pay attention to the show, he was too busy adjusting the magnification of the lens to get a better look at your tank top and shorts. They must’ve been new and not worn in yet because they were just so tight.

In the faint glow of your dark room he would see your delicate nipples pushing at the fabric, your breasts stretching the cotton. The sleep shorts riding up your thighs as you mindlessly gazed at the TV under drowsy lids. How cute you were sprawled across your bed sheets for no one else to see but him.

Dex was getting agitated in the soft chill of the night. He deserved to be in the warm bed with you, holding you close as you smiled at the cheesy joke on the screen, caressing your soft exposed skin still fresh from the thirty minute shower you just took. Dex didn’t know what it was that made you switch on, but it snapped him back to his watching when he saw it.

Maybe it was an intimate scene on the television, or a passing thought of him, but a drowsy smirk played on your lips as your hand slowly slid down your chest and slipped down your shorts.

This was going to be a good night for Dex.

You were rubbing slow, soft methodical circles underneath your shorts. Dex prayed you would take them off so he could see your pretty pussy just once. It was unfair how you didn’t even take your clothes off. Dex wanted nothing more to see you naked—unfortunately you only ever seemed to put your clothes on in the bathroom.

Your other hand had dipped under the hem of your tank top, palming at your breasts as your eyes closed to your sensual movements. It only took a few seconds until you began to squirm, legs reaching out as your mouth fell agape to soft moans and whimpers.

His cock twitched beneath his pants, fighting the urge to take it out and stroke himself alongside you. But he resisted. He had to take in every moment. Dex noted to bring a camera next time.

Your hair sprawled out on your pillow, back arching to the pleasure Dex wished he could give you. if only you were kind and gave him a chance— it tortured him to the fact you hardly ever even looked at him.

Dex allowed his hand to fall to his hips, palming at the erection you selfishly gave him. He couldn’t contain his grunts of frustration as you fucked yourself, teasing him mercilessly from a distance.

You were a whimpering mess. How easy you got off, your sensitive self didn’t even need a toy.

He couldn’t take it, the thought that he could make you feel so much better. But tonight he would contain himself, and admire your needy form pleasuring yourself from a distance.

Dex couldn’t stop himself as his hips bucked into his hand in tandem with yours, his dick straining the fabric of his pants as he breathlessly fought to control himself. The form of your hand rutting underneath your shorts was enough to set him off completely.He could feel the pre-cum on the tip of his cock, white knuckling the binoculars so hard he thought he would break his damn hand.

You were so pretty, lips agape and body shuddering with your struggle to cum. Arms tensing as you fucked yourself all alone, whimpering to the dark air of your room. Next time you would be moaning his name into his ear as he did all the work for you. He would make you feel as good as he felt right now watching you.

You were close, fingers clutching your tit as you fingers moved faster under your shorts, legs straining to reach the climax he could give you faster. Your index finger was rubbing circles on your nipple from under the fabric, hip bucking into your hand at a faster pace. He could image in the lewd sounds of your moans and slapping of how wet you were. One final cry out and you became undone, falling back onto your mattress as you chest rapidly fell and rose, fingers still lazily drifting around your nerves to let the orgasm ride out.

“Fuck.” Dex breathed out and shuddered in the cold. Cum filled his boxers, sticking to his pants and hips as he gripped the brick boundary of the roof to steady himself.

Only you could make him so pathetically mindless to cum in his pants. Just imagining your tight body clenching aorund him and making him cum was almost enough to make him grow hard again.

When Dex gathered himself again to look back into your window, he was disappointed to see it had become pitch black, and you were lost in the dark to him. You must have grown tired from your orgasm and shut the TV off for the night, drifting off the sleep without him. He cursed himself again at how stupid he was to have looked away.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Perhaps tomorrow when you were on your morning run he would follow more closely behind. Maybe he would accidentally bump into you at the coffee shop you like so much and make a comment about the show’s upcoming renewal. The plan was all coming along, just so you could be together. Maybe tomorrow night you could get fucked by him instead of your lonely fingers.

He took one final peak and whispered a good night before he returned home.

“I’ll see you soon, darling.”

[girlbeyondthegrave]

I Watched Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a Third Time: More Things I Noticed

Here’s my previous list for those that haven’t read it. Enjoy!

A lot of people on this post I made thought that the dog in the MacArthur Park sequence was Taco from the Ghosthouse segment where Beetlejuice appears in the audience. I am sad to report this is not the case. Taco is a chihuahua, and the dog that appears is more of a terrier. However, some people on Reddit wonder if the dog is the one that ran out in front of the Maitlands’ car and killed them. I haven’t rewatched the first movie yet to check.

When Beetlejuice stitches Lydia’s mouth shut, she’s more exasperated than afraid. She literally tries to yell, “COME ON!”

Beetlejuice looks so offended on Lydia’s behalf when Rory calls her codependent. Like, “Is he serious right now? Get him, babe!”

Beetlejuice appearing before Delia can finish summoning him furthers the eavesdropping theory I made in my earlier post, and if we go off that theory, we can explain by Beetlejuice wasn’t that bothered by being summoned away at the wedding. He’s overheard Lydia’s desire to take her relationships slow and her reluctance to marriage. (Which is most definitely because of him and the fact that the last living person she loved tragically died—even if their relationship was over before that point.)

In the film, Beetlejuice is the ONLY person that agrees to help Delia find Charles, which we see her do at the end of the movie. This means that Beetlejuice kept his word and helped Delia, and he didn’t keep her away from Charles after the wedding fell through.

“MacArthur Park” plays when the studio intros roll, during the wedding sequence, and the end credits—three times when we have three different iterations of Beetlejuice and Lydia’s dynamic, fun fact. This is meant to be their song, and although the song is about a doomed relationship, this part sticks out to me: “After all the loves of my life / You’ll still be the one.” It doesn’t matter if Beetlejuice gets the timing right. It doesn’t matter if Lydia marries him. He considers her “the one.” He’s always going to wait for her, as conveyed by “Right Here Waiting.”

Astrid opens pages about violation 699 and summoning sandworms via trapdoors. I understand that was meant to “foreshadow” later events and explain why she knew how to do those things, but the terms for 699 are barely on-screen, so it’s hard to catch the part where it lays out how bringing Lydia illegally into the afterlife makes her contract null and void.

When Delores appears at the church, there’s a huge gust of wind, and the Handbook moves, but NOTHING ELSE MOVES with that precision until Delores moves Lydia away from the altar. This is kind of a stretch, but I personally think it’s possible that Beetlejuice saw Delores, and he purposefully sent the book in Astrid’s direction. If we go off my eavesdropping theory, he clearly knows Astrid is a smart girl. Plus, he stopped her from getting to the book earlier, so he knows it’s a threat.

When Beetlejuice has a dramatic entrance or exit, it’s very intentional. He does a whole dramatic couple’s therapy bit for Lydia and Rory. He does the earthquake through the model with a slow rise from the smoke. But we’ve also seen him appear in straightforward ways, too, like how he appears randomly to spook Delia. Beetlejuice controls his entrances and exits, and so his dramatic exit at the end is intentional. He allows Lydia to send him away. He makes a big show of it. Lydia has been manipulated by Rory for years. He’s tried to control her and stifle her. When Beetlejuice lets Lydia send him away and makes a big show of it, he’s demonstrating the amount of control he’s giving to Lydia. He goes because SHE wants him to, not because he can’t stop her from saying his name.

(Editing to say that this post confirms the dog is Tim’s dog.)

[gayofthefae]

The stark contrast in the artistry of how it was shot.

The first: zooms in from everyone else being visible and is only just him like this for a moment. Center frame. Bright.

The second: Set up by previous shots from this angle in which Will was there, emphasizing the empty space where he used to be (my favorite part). Uses rule of thirds. Silhouette to emphasize isolation.

Cinematography is purposeful and art and a storytelling device just as much as anything else and this is proof.

Shot 1: he's upset

Shot 2: Will left a hole in his life

Even the framing shows a different severity. When El is gone, Mike still takes up the entire screen. When Will is gone, he can't fill the hole, in fact, it just becomes more evident.

I see so many gifs but don't rewatch the actual scenes as much like making edits is now forcing me to do. But this shot was the ending shot of the scene. They could have kept it at him calling after Will, but they didn't. So so many shots they could have cut but didn't. Because it wouldn't hit the same. They needed go back to Mike's POV after Will left. They needed you to see the emptiness.

Because this

Doesn't hit like this

[physalian]

How to Make your Writing Less Stiff 4

Let’s keep this train rollin’! This time less down to line edits and more overall scope of your narrative

Part 3

1. Foreshadowing

Nothing quite like the catharsis of accurately predicting where something’s going to go. It doesn’t have to be a huge plot twist or a character death, it can (and should) be little things that reward your audience for paying attention. Double points if it adds to rewatch/re-readability.

Example: In The Dark Knight, this exchange happens:

Harvey: “You’ve known Rachel all her life.”

Alfred: “Oh, not yet, Sir.”

You won’t think anything of it on your first watch. Alfred is just making a witty joke that throws Harvey off. Watch the movie again, when Rachel dies, and it becomes some incredibly dark foreshadowing. Turns out Alfred has, actually, known Rachel all her life.

2. Chekhov’s Gun

Chekhov’s Gun is a narrative concept where a seemingly inconsequential element introduced at some point in the narrative (a gun) must “fire” by the end of the narrative. Sometimes this element leaves audiences uneasy or anxious, because they know something bad must come of it. Sometimes they think nothing of it until it’s about to fire and you get a one-two punch of the realization that it’s about to hit, and then the impact of the hit. It helps create tension, and tension is incredibly important (if you want a whole post of my take on it, lmk).

It also helps your narrative look more cohesive, where nothing is left on the table. Your set-ups and payoffs leave no threads dangling.

3. Repetition

The Rule of threes can apply on a micro and macro scale. I like doing lists of adjectives in threes, (e.g. My cat is soft, fluffy, and adorable) because the cadence and the flow of three is something we’re familiar with in spoken language. We like three supporting examples for an argument. Any less doesn’t feel strong enough, any more feels like you’re trying too hard. This is not a rule it’s a suggestion.

On a grander scale, you can look at the script of Curse of the Black Pearl for a masterclass in macro rules of three, like three parlays. Doing this helps your narrative look more cohesive and like every detail is thoroughly interwoven and nothing is coincidence. Your audience will get to the third instance and mimic that DiCaprio pointing meme—they will absolutely notice.

4. Motifs

Motifs as well, beyond threes, help. Colors are a huge one. For example every time you mention the color purple, you could attach it to an emotion, or a character, or an important plot beat, like how leitmotifs work for character themes in movies and TV shows.

Obvious examples in film are like lightsaber colors or dressing up the good guys in white and the bad guys in black. I did this whole post about color in fiction.

It’s a lot of other things too. Weather elements and times of day, or specific inconsequential objects popping up over and over again, like birds, or litter, fallen leaves, clothing items. Whenever the narrative mentions them, the author is trying to clue you in on some subtext within that scene.

—

My new novel is here!!! Do you like supernatural fantasy? How about queer vampires? How about acespec characters? Then Eternal Night of the Northern Sky is for you!

[boyswillbebuggsorsomething]

If I Saw Him, I’d Still Kiss Him - pt.1

Spencer Reid x M!Reader 

Summary: After a case, the BAU has a night out at O’Keefe’s, which unexpectedly reunites Spencer with someone he hadn’t expected to see ever again

Warnings: Vaguely inspired by If I Saw Him, I’d Still Kiss Him by McCafferty but specifically the last verse (or at least that’s how it started, it really doesn’t seem like it in this one but it will come into play in the next few), cursing, drinking/alcohol consumption, kinda insecure Spencer, Spencer is very overwhelmed for the first half or so, mentions of clawing off skin to describe feeling overwhelmed, no physical descriptions for R other than looking kinda dead inside, R & Spencer’s past is somewhat inspired by Trees & Trees II by McCafferty (but that isn’t really expanded upon in this, it will be later though), probably ooc, so many commas, I think it switches from third person to second person perspective but I’m pretty sure it works?, NOT PROOFREAD OR EDITED

A/N: This is my first time ever writing x reader and it kind of sucks so I’ll probably rewrite it someday but I had to create this storyline. I also haven’t written any fanfiction since I was in middle school so yeah this is kind of chaotic, a lot of this was written on notes app after chugging two monsters back to back and praying it turned out okay AND IT SHOWS. Also, I fully forgot about Ethan’s existence until I started writing this so there might be similarities but I did not intend them if they’re too close. And I know this was originally going to be a fic where they go to Vegas and the reader still lives there but I hated writing the case and it turned out really horribly so now it’s this. THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU ACTUALLY READ THIS THOUGH.

Word Count: 2169

Spencer hadn’t planned to go out the night after a week-long case. All he really wanted to do was go home and rewatch Dr. Who for what must have been the hundredth time, too exhausted to even read. However, the rest of his team had other plans and he was (somewhat) reluctantly dragged to O’Keefe’s to get drinks.

A few drinks in and he was already regretting coming with them. It was crowded and just a few degrees too warm and loud in the way that only a bar can be. The lights were low to the point that he had to strain his eyes just to have an adequate amount of spatial awareness. It was all just a bit too much, and for Spencer, a bit too much really meant he wanted to claw his skin off. He tried to sit through it a bit longer out of politeness, the stubborn nagging in the back of his mind that never quite went away telling him that only one wrong move and they won’t like him anymore. Logically he knew it was untrue, the BAU was his family, but going through high school and university in the formative years of his early teens still clearly had quite an effect on him. So he sat with the team at their table, fingers drumming on the side of his glass as he tried to pay attention to whatever escapades Garcia was recounting. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Someone a few tables over was laughing. Loudly.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. 

A man at the bar was yelling, too drunk to decipher his words. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Someone at his table was looking at him. Asking something.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. 

JJ laid her hand on his shoulder and it was just the last thing he could deal with. 

“Spence, you alright?”

He tensed immediately and he barely made out her question before he stood up jerkily, nodding slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, I think I just need some air. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Alright, do you want someone to come with you?”

Spencer simply shook his head and walked away, leaving no room for questioning. Dodging too-warm, questionably drunk people, he elbowed his way to the door, muttering hushed apologies when he bumped into people and fiddling anxiously with his fingers. When he pushed open the door, the cool bite of the autumn night hit him in the face, calming him only slightly. The fist clenching his heart loosened the smallest bit as he leaned back against the brick wall and closed his eyes, taking in the deepest breath he could manage. Despite the city sounds, he began to relax. Drinking when he was this exhausted had clearly brought his tolerance for anything at all down quite a bit, and the regret of going out settled deep in his chest. He tried to ignore it though. He might hate himself in the morning, but it was on him and his inability to say no. The dark of the night enveloped him comfortingly as he closed his eyes, resting his head back against the wall. Spencer still fidgeted with his hands, but not with the anxious fervor the action held within the confines of the bar, now in a soothing motion, helping him regulate his thoughts and feelings.

His peace was interrupted when a young man who had clearly seen better days stumbled out of the bar, muttering to himself in annoyance. Spencer ignored him at first, expecting him to go elsewhere. He did not. Instead, the man took his place by Spencer, slumping against the wall in an almost pitiful way. There were shadows under his eyes, the kind that comes not from a lack of sleep, but an exhaustion that makes its home deep in your bones, and there was a grayish pallor that had taken to his skin, only exacerbating the fatigued look that seemed to possess the man. Spencer attempted not to stare, but something about this guy was familiar. The slope of his nose. The shape of his lips. The colour of his eyes Spencer could swear he had seen in much closer quarters before. 

He fished out a packet of cigarettes, Newports, from his jeans, as well as a lighter. The man glanced at Spencer as he placed the cigarette between his lips, to which Spencer simply shook his head. The two men stood silently against the wall, only the flick of the lighter, the soft exhales of smoke, and the sounds of the city to accompany them. The longer Spencer looked at him though, the more he felt like he knew this man. Somewhere behind his ribs he felt that ache of the past, the one you get when you look at old photographs and realise you will never be that child again. He knew this guy, he was sure of it. 

He spoke up after some time, voice shaky with hesitation, “Sorry if this is a strange question, but have we met before? You seem extremely familiar.”

“Dunno, might’ve. I haven’t been living here very long,” He responded hoarsely around the cigarette, introducing himself with a slight nod and half smile, raising an eyebrow to ask Spencer to do the same.

“Uh, Dr. Spencer Reid.” Spencer smiled a hesitant, tight lipped smile, his heart beginning to race with an unfamiliar excitement as he realised he most definitely knew that name, which seemingly earned a small laugh from the man, a look of amused confusion gracing his features.

“No fucking way.”

“Sorry?”

“Spencer Reid? Really?”

“Yeah? Is- Is there a problem?”

“No, no, just- Used to know a Spencer Reid. Ages ago though, back when I was in middle school,” the man chuckled, breathing out a cloud of smoke, “He was in fuckin’ highschool though, but same age as me. Full on genius, swear to god. Shit, that’s- Wow, what a coincidence.” The man shook his head, a bemused grin across his lips as he took another drag.

Spencer paused, his face twisting together in a strange mix of joy, shock, and confusion. This man, this strange man who suddenly appeared at the same bar Spencer went to at least once a month with the team, was exactly who he thought he was. He knew him. He knew you. 

“You lived in Las Vegas, didn’t you?” Spencer tried to hide the elation he felt at this sudden reunion.

“How’d you know?”

Spencer simply smiled. He might not have been the greatest at social cues, but he knew you would know exactly what he meant. And you did. 

Looking at him now, you realised this stranger was most definitely the same Spencer you’d grown up with. He’d grown into his features, his eyes no longer buggy behind his glasses, his smile no longer crooked. His hair was styled neatly, no longer the whirlwind of misplaced strands he had as a child. He still fidgeted endlessly, just as he did when he was young, and he still possessed that kind nature that had emanated from him so freely years ago. Somewhat more hidden now, but there nonetheless. This willowy man was the same person as the boy you had rode your bike to school with. The same boy who helped you with your homework when you were too tired to study. Who held you when you broke down in sobs after you told him you liked boys. Who was your best friend until he wasn’t. Somehow, you couldn’t help but smile. You hadn’t seen him since you were, what? 14? A decade or so ago now. And all of a sudden he was in front of you. 

“Seriously?”

He nodded, still smiling.

“Holy shit. It’s been ages! What’ve you been doing, other than getting, like, a million PhD’s and all that?” You took the cigarette from your lips, letting it burn freely as you spoke.

“Well, it’s only 3 PhD’s, two bachelor’s,” Spencer corrected without thinking, earning a small huff of laughter from you, which left his face heating up slightly, “Um, I work with the FBI now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he continued, speaking with his hands, “I’m a profiler for the BAU, or the Behaviour Analysis Unit, which actually used to be called the Behavioural Science Unit when it was first created, and before that-” he cut himself off, pausing slightly as he became suddenly aware that he was starting to ramble, “Sorry.”

“Nah, I like hearing about ..stuff. That much hasn’t changed. So, what do you do as a ‘profiler’?” You said the word with exaggerated mysticism, waving your fingers slightly and grinning as his face lit back up.

“Okay, well, we analyse the behaviour of criminals in order to catch them. So, things like how they treat their crime scenes and disposal sites or even the crimes they commit can tell us a lot about what causes them to do what they do and with this we create a profile, hence the name profiler, where it will describe the suspect in aspects of appearance, past, relationships, all sorts of things, and we are able to find them and lock them up with it.”

“Oh, wow, cool. So, what are you doing here instead of doing… all that?”

“I’m here with my team, they’re inside, we just finished a case earlier today. Uh, what about you?”

“Haven’t been doing all that great recently so I wanted to drink until I wasn’t thinking about much of anything,” You sighed, punctuating your sentence with a small, bitter laugh before placing your cigarette back between your lips. For a moment, Spencer couldn’t tear his eyes away from your mouth. The menthol cigarette burning, the foul scent wafting around both men.

“You hated cigarettes when we were kids,” Spencer observed, crinkling his nose slightly, confusion in his tone. He knew people could change, of course he did, but you held such a disdain for cigarettes and their smoke as a child he hardly expected you to ever take up the habit.

“Yeah,” you huffed, exhaling a cloud of smoke before putting out the cigarette on the wall behind you, “Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologise, it doesn’t really affect me, but it is horrible for your health. Which you undoubtedly know already. Drinking as a way to forget things also isn’t healthy. It actually has detrimental effects on the mind and body in the long run-”

“Yeah, I know, Spencer,” you sighed, pushing away from the wall, “Well, I only came out to blow off some steam and to smoke, so I’m heading back in. You gonna stay out here or go back in with your team?”

He paused for a moment, usually it took him a bit more time by himself to fully relax, but surprisingly enough, your presence had seemingly worked just as well. Just as it had all those years ago. 

“I’m gonna go back inside, I think,” Spencer confirmed, following you back into the bar.

You nodded, and the two of you made your way back inside. Before you split apart however, you stopped him. 

“We should get together sometime. Actually catch up.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah.”

“Uh, here,” you muttered, grabbing out a pen from the same pocket that held your cigarettes and lighter, promptly grabbing his wrist and scrawling out your number on his hand, “Call me sometime. Sorry if you still have, uh, that thing about touch.”

Spencer didn’t respond, he simply watched bewildered as you slipped away into the crowd. A moment spent silently standing in the crowd made him realise just how much he had missed you, the few moments you had shared already leaving him wanting more time. As far as he knew, you still lived in Nevada, but he hadn’t spoken to you since you had started highschool. The last time you spoke, you were doing.. worse than before he left for uni, but you had always refused to elaborate, all he re was a lot of rants about wanting to drop out. He always regretted not keeping in touch, but you hadn’t exactly made an effort either. It was strange though, how quickly you slipped back into such an easy familiarity in a short time span. He wondered briefly what brought you here, what made you leave Nevada for Virginia of all places. He was jolted out of his train of thought when he heard his name called, his attention dragged back to the table the rest of the team occupied where a clearly drunk Penelope was waving him over, giggling about something or other. When he sat back down, he noticed the amusement on the others’ faces.

“So,” Penelope began, wagging her eyebrows suggestively, “Who was that?”

“What?”

“The guy you were with, who was he?” She clarified.

“Oh, just an old friend. I knew him back when I lived in Vegas, believe it or not,” he explained, pursing his lips in a half smile.

“An old friend, huh?” 

“Please don’t make this weird,” he groaned in half-annoyance, half-amusement.

A/N: Thank you all who read this, it really isn’t very good but I really love the character I’ve created for R and am really excited to expand upon it. The next installation of this will follow Spencer and R as they slowly build up their friendship again, and start to actually notice their feelings, and all of that good stuff.

[squidsquidsquidsquidsquidgame]

hellooo!

can i request a fic wherein the reader is a soloist, then jiyong and her got featured in a music video since they collaborated to sing for a k-drama ost? after its release, fans noticed their chemistry on-screen and began shipping them. :)

💜Super solo💜

Character: Gdragon/Jiyong X fem!reader

Summary: Above✨️✨️

Warnings: none!

You weren’t expecting the collaboration to make waves.

Sure, it was a G-Dragon feature—so it was bound to turn heads—but this was just an OST. A dreamy ballad with delicate harmonies, meant to underscore some epic slow-burn romance in a hit K-drama. Not… this.

Not you and him.

The MV dropped on a Friday night. Soft lighting, a slow pan across a rooftop, city lights twinkling behind you as you and Ji-Yong exchanged glances over a shared lyric.

It was acting. It was just acting.

But fans didn’t buy that.

Within hours, your names were trending. Edits popped up on Twitter and TikTok—clips of Ji-Yong brushing a stray hair from your face, you laughing off-camera between takes, that one lingering eye contact in the final shot. Comments flooded in:

“They HAVE to be dating.” “I’ve never seen chemistry like that in an OST MV before???” “Someone check if Dispatch is on this already.”

You should’ve been embarrassed. But mostly, you couldn’t stop smiling.

The next day, your label scheduled an interview. “Talk about the song. Mention the drama. Be professional.” The usual.

But Ji-Yong wasn’t helping.

He showed up late, looking like he stepped out of an art book—loose button-down, tiny earrings, sleepy grin. “Hey,” he greeted, like this was casual. Like you hadn’t been rewatching the MV all night wondering if he meant any of those glances.

“Nice of you to join us,” you teased.

He smirked. “Was just giving fans time to cool down before they saw us together again.”

You flushed instantly. “Please don’t read the comments.”

“Too late.” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Apparently, we’re married now. And expecting our third cat.”

The interview went smoothly. You both talked about the song, your “surprising but natural” vocal chemistry, and how honored you were to sing for such an emotional drama.

But as the cameras turned off and the crew packed up, Ji-Yong lingered beside you.

“You free after this?” he asked, fiddling with one of his rings. “There’s this café that has a private room. No cameras. No fans. Just… us.”

You blinked. “For… another project?”

He laughed softly. “No. Just… to see if our chemistry’s real off-screen, too.”

Your heart fluttered, completely betraying your calm expression. “Okay,” you said. “But if we are getting a cat someday, I get to name it.”

He grinned like you’d just handed him a Grammy. “Deal.”

[tryandbehappy]

When depression becomes the third person in a relationship and it’s still love (about season 3 of Ginny & Georgia)

I just finished season 3 of Ginny & Georgia and honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s one of those rare shows that gets deeper and stronger with every season.

On the surface, it may look like a light teenage dramedy, almost shallow but underneath, it tackles some really serious themes:

• depression

• alcoholism

• growing up with a deeply traumatized parent

• self harm

• teenage pregnancy

• and real love, without the fairy tale packaging

What really hit me this season was the relationship between Ginny and Marcus (of course, I’m always inspired by LOVE )

I’ve always liked them, not in a super fangirl way, not enough to rewatch scenes or make an edit — but this season, their story hit different.

What I love most is that there’s no love triangle here.

The writers went deeper. They made the obstacle not another person, but something internal. Depression. And that turned out to be way more powerful, raw, and honest.

(Yes, they introduced Wolfe, the guy Ginny hooked up with but it was clear from the start it wasn’t serious. And honestly, it felt very real: when you truly love someone, you can’t just love someone else the same way. At most, it’s a distraction and you know it.)

Marcus didn’t leave because he stopped loving her. He left because he couldn’t cope with himself. Because he was afraid he’d hurt her. Because he knew he was spiraling and didn’t want to drag her down with him.

He still loves her. But he stays away. And that’s such a painfully true depiction.

For years, media has shown us that men in love stories are supposed to be strong, stable, saving someone all the time. No room for breakdowns, no permission for being lost.

But here Marcus is broken. He’s hurting, not okay. And that doesn’t make him less lovable, it makes him human.

And Ginny… she grew up.

Where she used to lash out or shut down, this season, she chooses acceptance. She says: “I love you. With all your uglies. I don’t need you to be perfect.”

And it’s not codependency. It’s maturity.

Even when he’s in a humiliating, terrifying moment like wetting the bed. Even when he can’t be with her. Even when he pulls away, she’s still there.

Some moments I really loved

• When he tells his sister to stop talking about Ginny behind her back with others

• When he shows up to fix the broken window (wow that was powerful really)

• When he comes to hospital to be there for her and never judges her (it’s like wow, she got pregnant with another guy, he must have been really hurt but he was so soft and supportive with her ♥️)

The whole drama of the season was that he tried to keep his distance and she respected that. But in the end, they both realized: they can’t stay away from each other. No matter the obstacles.

She said it to him straight: “I love you. I still love you. Even if you don’t love me, I love you.” And he said it back. “I love you too. I lied.”

And now I’m really curious to see what’s next for them.

How he’ll go through rehab. How Ginny will deal with the guilt that’s about to hit her, after becoming the monster this season and pushing her little brother to betray his father and throw him under the bus (god, that’s sooo fucked up)

There’s so much emotional weight and complexity ahead. But that’s what makes this story so good.

Also… the poem scene!!!

He’s sitting in the car. Reading her words. Crying.

Because someone still believes in him. Someone reminds him who he used to be and tells him he can come back. That’s what real love looks like.

Not the kind that magically fixes you but the kind that gives you strength to want to fix yourself. That whispers: you’re not alone. That reminds you that there’s someone out there who sees you, even when you can’t.

I really loved this season.

“I’m here. Even if you can’t be here with me. I believe in you. Even if you can’t believe in yourself. I’m not trying to save you but I haven’t left. And I won’t.” Beautiful

Did you watch the season too? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[seaadc]

sshshshshsh heyhey could i have some uhh aqua hoshino x streamer!reader

I feel like such a genius for thinking about this my third eye has been opened

status | aqua hoshino x streamer!fem!reader

a/n: THIS IS SUCH A UNIQUE REQUEST??!!!??? THANK U SM ANON!!

summary: aqua being madly infatuated with you ever since he had saw you streaming.

- “If the world was against us, then I’m against the world.”

You are definitely in for a treat, definitely.

Before Aqua had met you, he was not that quite.. expressive? He had a cold demeanor, You can call him stern, but not too quite.

When Aqua was silently working on the little short trailer of a video that the team he was working with in “Love now” was gonna post, He came across you in the internet.

You were streaming in youtube, Your hair looked good and it looks recently brushed. You were talking to your fans since you were popular— heck, you even knew Mem-cho! You were slightly more popular than her which caused you to have a lot of viewers.

The girl was talking about her life and desires, how she’d want to be an idol someday. Aqua narrowed his eyes at the screen, staring deep into your galactic eyes.. How mesmerizing. He wouldn’t admit that

You were acting all so bubbly and giddy, showing your viewers some stuff in your room. And, to be honest, Aqua enjoyed watching you. Or was he just tired? He was tired from editing the short clip, he just laid his head down the table and using his arms as support while he looked at the laptop, gazing into your eyes that wasn’t even staring into his own.

He then sighed and closed the laptop, standing up while he went outside to grab the juice Yuki was going to gave him.

Aqua went out, Mem-cho went inside and opened the laptop, checking if the video had gotten more popular but she was greeted by a familiar face.

“Oh! It’s [Name]!” The blondie muttered to herself, wondering what was the tab doing in the laptop.

“Huh.. Aqua left the room last.”

Aqua decided to take a stroll outside the building, not too far but not too near. He was walking down the sidewalks when he felt like he should get a snack. He went to the nearest store and went inside, the bell on top of the door ringing.

Aqua sighed to himself and grabbed some chips, To his surprise there was a girl next to him.

She looked up at the shelf and grabbed the same chips Aqua had got but a different flavor, The girl smiled brightly to herself and adjusted her cap.

Aqua looked at her, He was 2 inches taller than her if he could presume.. She looked oddly familiar.

“Miss… Uh.. Have I seen you somewhere?” Aqua asked softly, his eyes narrowing at the girl’s cap which was colored white.

The girl looked up at him, Aqua widening his eyes at the realization it was the streamer had come across earlier.

“Well that’s interesting. People can still recognize me?” You mumbled, sighing in disbelief while you headed over at the cashier and placed your chips down at the counter.

Aqua hummed and followed, right behind you while he waited in line. It was awkward.. The only sound you could hear was the cashier’s machine clacking and doing such beeps.

The girl turned and looked at Aqua, smiling warmly. “[Name], At your service.” She introduced, and left while the bell rang.

Aqua stared off into the door, following your figure until it has dissipated. He looked down at the chips and put it down the counter.. Somehow, He felt.. attached. He couldn’t explain why, It was definitely not the universe playing tricks on both of you… right?

Ever since Aqua met you in real life, He couldn’t stop. As in, He couldn’t stop checking your profile everyday to see if you have a new video or stream. Truth be told, He watched every single video you had made and streams. Even if they were past streams, He still persevered to watch it.

Aqua felt comfortable and satisfied whenever he would rewatch a video of yours when you won’t post due to lack of motivation, but he would always check. Everyday, Everynight.

One day as you set up your computer, You thought of the fair blonde guy you met at the shop. You smiled at the thought, knowing it was the same guy you supported in the show “Love now” and the upcoming Tokyo Revenger live action.

You started streaming and viewers rushed in the stream, waiting for other viewers to arrive while a certain username joined.

“AquaHoshino… Are you a fan or the guy himself?” You chuckled, the viewers commenting of how cute and adorable your smile is while the user you had mentioned didn’t reply.

Meanwhile, through the other screen, Aqua couldn’t contain himself when his tongue slipped out of your mouth. He kept staring at your face, He didn’t know why, but the word that fits to what he kept on doing for the past few months was definitely ‘Infatuation’.

Considering he was a doctor before, ‘course he knew what this thing was. But it took him quite a long time to accept that he was inlove with you. A streamer who makes money off it.

Aqua just entered Strawberry Productions since Miyako called for him, only to find out that you, yes you, had signed a contract. Turns out Mem-cho had invited you and both of you were conversing with eachother on the green couch.

Miyako smiled and walked up to Aqua. “We have a new member.” She spoke with a soothing voice. Aqua flinched when he saw you, You both held eye contact until you smiled.

Oh shit, That was the best thing he ever saw. (except Ai’s smile) His heart melted, feeling it race like a sports car. Aqua cleared his throat and turned away, trying to hide the redness creeping up to his face while Mem-cho merely giggled. “Your so charismatic, [Name]-chan.” Mem-cho teased to which Aqua sighed at, He left the area to not get embarrassed any further and went to his room, leaving a very confused [Name]. and he would probably sabotage things a bit because he doesnt want you to be an idol, being a streamer is already making you tired and he doesn’t want that.

And since then, You would always talk to him with the most giddy-est personality ever. He would reply in short answers but he enjoyed your company, he wasn’t going to say that straightforwardly to you but might as well include it.

He would enjoy the peaceful silence you both shared in benches, school cafeterias, living rooms, and so many more places!

Aqua would probably be clingy to you in private, He isn’t a fan of PDA but he would gladly let you if you would do the first move or if he’s.. ehem.. jealous.

He once saw you conversing too much with a male employee at the cinema counter since you asked to join him in the mall which he couldn’t decline at. Only to find out another person was going to spend all your time with him.

Aqua approached with the popcorn he had bought and gave one to you, glaring at the employee. You thanked him while he simply nodded.

He took your hand and intertwined it with his, which made your heart pounding like some sort of wildebeest in a stampede.

And you both enjoyed that day.

bonus:

Aqua had confessed, inside the store you both first met. The cashier looked very amused while imaginary stars appeared beside her.

“W-what..?“ You stuttered, blushing a pink hue at the sudden confession Aqua had made, since he just kind of.. said that so fast.

Aqua sighed with the tip of his ears were flaming red while his cheeks were red too. “I’m not repeating that.” He blurted out, looking away while he kept a blank expression though the color of his cheeks say otherwise.

Being his girlfriend made you realize how hard is life is, how he would risk anything just to get justice for his mother. Which he told you after a few not a few months of dating. He got comfortable around you and you would always be there to comfort him during his nightmares, And he would always be there for you whenever you get a hate comment that gets you really insecure.

To be honest, You would probably wake up one day and getting the news of the person who kept on hating on you suddenly so quiet… I wonder what your lovely red flag boyfriend did.

[aromanticbugyuri]

I am still on tlok phase to no one's surprise, I've noticed something about Bolin after rewatching and actually paying attention to the scenes...he just gets objectified a lot, maybe it is just me but back and forth he is always seem as a "the lovable idiot" by others.

[Gif ID: A gif of Bolin from the legend of Korra, he is leaning his face on his hand, with a relaxed smile while blinking. End of ID.]

To get to my point I am gonna go back to his backstory, his parents died and Bolin became homeless alongside his brother, normally children in these sort of situation are easily exploited by adults which is what happened.

Bolin seemed more naive than Mako, he is younger and Mako probably sheltered him, basically becoming the "parent" in the situation, incredible traumatic and it lead him to developing a rough exterior towards others because he knew that people like him and Bolin would be taken advantage by others.

This leads me to how Bolin views himself, he fights for a living and it might have lead him to develop a complex, Bolin is the "naive one" to contrast Mako being the "tough one", he holds the responsibility his father or mother should have but neither of them have that luxury.

[Image ID: two images from the legend of Korra, both featuring Bolin wearing his NukTuk outfit. The first one is a black and white image of Ginger and Bolin, she is holding into him while staring at the viewer, meanwhile Bolin has a fierce expression on his face with one hand raised, pointing at the viewer. The second image is Varrick, whose only hands are featured, doing a camera gesture at Bolin, with a confused expression. End of ID.]

Him becoming an "actor" made me think that all those years of being a fire ferret really did something to his self esteem, dressing up as a stereotype of a water tribe attire that shows off his body, like that isn't bad per say, Bolin knows he has a good body because that's a "tool" for him to work.

Years later that scene finally makes sense. All his story arcs didn't truly make sense to me at first because it felt like Bolin was being tossed around, now it made sense because he would allow himself to be tossed around by others if that meant he received the validation and love that he lacked as a child that got his childhood taken away from him.

Deep down Bolin just wants validation for others, he just wants to be liked for something and maybe deep down he knows he is being exploited by others but that's literally how he grew up, by being exploited. He sees this as a normal thing, so to Bolin being wanted or liked means being exploited.

[Image description: three screenshots of the legend of Korra. The first one is Bolin with a sad expression holding a flower bouquet with Pabu on his shoulder, watching Korra and Mako kiss. The second one features Bolin and Opal beifong, she's kissing his cheek while he looks surprised. The third one features Eska and Bolin standing next to each other. End of id.]

Do you see a pattern in those relationships Bolin had with women? He always tried to impress them, seeking for their validation, everyone likes validation but on Bolin case there are patterns to it, he doesn't notice how Korra isn't interested nor how Eska was being controlling towards him(I do say that Opal may be the exception to the bad pattern thing but my point stands).

Conclusion:

I wanna study him under a microscope byee<33

Edit: Let's not forget that there was a INCREDIBLE unnecessary scene of Bolin kissing Ginger against her consent and it was played for jokes. It was extremely out of pocket and I felt very out of character (to me at least), it sucks.

[liloinkoink]

I'm sorry. I just watched Tibby's video quizing you and how. 18 times. 18 TIMES. The most I've rewatched something is four times that being Ouran Highschool Host Club. I haven't watched third life yet (I started with Wild Life and have watched at least one POV from every other series), so what did they put into third life that got you hooked? Cocaine? Opioids? Why? What made it so good that you came back 17 times??

[the Tibbycaps video I was in about my Third Life obsession]

okay to be clear i have seen Grian’s Third Life 18 times. if you also count other povs i have probably watched Third Life like… off the top of my head ive seen Martyn twice, Ren twice, Scar twice, Etho twice, Joel, Cleo, Impulse…. i’ve seen Third Life at least 29 times, assuming i didn’t miscount any of these

as for what they put into it: short answer, loyalty dynamics

long answer? i love duos where one character is hopelessly devoted to another person. my entire personality was formed at age 13 when i read One Piece chapter 485 and watched Zoro toss aside everything which previously mattered to him and beg for a chance to save his captain’s life. this one scene gave me a horrible illness for devotion pairs which i have yet to be cured of

Third Life has many of these pairs. it was actually why i decided to watch it in the first place

for Grian’s pov: after accidentally killing Scar in session one, Grian swears to stick with Scar until Grian loses his own green life. despite complaining endlessly about being “stuck” with Scar and wanting to leave because Scar has gone mad (and despite the fact Scar offers him an out early on, which is cut from Grian’s POV), he is loyal to Scar. he stays in the desert not only until he loses his first life—something he says repeatedly he can’t wait for and will bounce immediately after it occurs—but even after, constantly returning to Scar without acknowledging his promise to leave and saying he “can’t let [Scar] die.” he returns over and over again to Scar’s side all the way until the last moment of the series. i’m deeply compelled by this sorta dynamic, so watching this it was just like, immediately over for me

on top of that, Grian also has a very fun, engaging editing style! he’s a very funny and charismatic creator and i love watching his videos, Life Series or not. as for why i rewatch it, i think his 3L POV is great for a new LS viewer, with a self-contained storyline that wraps up in a satisfying way, so i often show his videos to new people i want to get into the Life Series—probs more than half the 18 watches i’ve seen of his POV have been me showing a friend. his vids are also shorter (compared to some creators who do hour long eps), which i tend to prefer. he’s very popular for a good reason, and basically always one of the first POVs i watch every new season. he’s also just a nice dude from my limited interaction with him :’)

additionally, plot aside, Grian and Scar are a great team who bounce off each other really well, and it’s just really fun to watch them hang out and cause problems! Scar is a really smooth talker, a great liar, and a really fascinating person/character in this series, so it’s neat to watch him from another pov (tho Grian misses a lot of my favroite moments of his!)

there are also a lot of things i like about the rest of the series outside of Grian’s POV—namely that despite Grian being my favorite Third Life POV, my favorite team is actually Ren and Martyn. that pair is also a loyalty-based duo with an arc about learning/earning trust, with the bonus of a royalty aesthetic and a King/Hand thing, which is deeply appealing to me as a fantasy/royalty aesthetic enjoyer. i could go on about them, but this post is already long enough

i’m trying to keep this all very brief and not go into Too much detail while also offering Enough detail to answer the question, so i think i’ll cut my answer off there. but there’s a lot of things that make me like watching/rewatching Grian’s Third Life! if you haven’t yet seen it, i really recommend it

(also, fun fact: Third Life is my second most watched season, after Last Life)

[jelloapocalypse]

First of all, I wanted to say incredible work on the anime op video - I really like the art and editing and I think you did a good job explaining VMCTJ. It's in my top 3 videos on your main channel along with Skypirate Gfs and Are you ready to buy.

I also wanted to ask: do you have opinions on any of the Apothecary Diaries openings?

Personally, I think the first one is the weakest, while the third one does a good job showing the themes of palace intrigue, the history of the palace etc (also it's the only one where we get to see someone concocting medicine/poison), but they implemented some visual effects in that one for seemingly no reason except "this looked cool".

As for the second opening, I thought it did a good job of showing the relationships between the major characters and that one part with the person playing Go in context with the preceding and following shots gave me the Jennies (no this is not Arim's sock puppet account, Go just happens to play a role in that arc of the show).

The credits are fine I think, a little boring but they don't like obscure the characters faces.

Anyways, wether you have opinions on these openings or not, good job having opinions on other stuff.

The first Apothecary Diaries opening came out at the very tail end of our list and it was showing up everywhere. I remember asking Amy what she thought and she was like "Oh. This one. Yeah this is like aggressively mid. No chance." I just rewatched it and it's such a good example of an opening where like 70% of it is nothing and you're just waiting for the drop on the money shot. And then the money shot is just like... sparkly colors. Popular in the anime community in a very "jingles keys in front of a toddler" sort of way.

I just watched the 2nd and 3rd OPs now (could only find creditless versions unfortunately). Hard to have a concrete impression after just one viewing. I do think both of them are better than the first one because they show some kinda something going on and there's a few cool shots here and there where you're like "oooh, what does that mean? What's the square hanging picture with a cloth on it in front of that guy?" That's pretty neat. The songs are pretty boring imo tho.

Tag yourself, I'm the shot of a datura flower in OP2 where it sits onscreen and nothing happens for ten seconds.

[astralhope]

This is a little project that I worked on in the last weeks, and I finally finished it.

The Japanese dub is my favorite, but the Italian one was the one that made me discover Zexal, and I used to watch the show in Italian until the third arc.

I watched the episodes from the first two arcs in this dub many times and I'm still very attached to most of the characters' Italian voices.

This dub is very dear and nostalgic to me, so I wanted to share some Astral's clips from it on my blog.

But I didn't want to put a bunch of Italian clips here without any kind of subtitles, so I decided to do the subtitles myself. But what should have been just a few clips became all Astral's scenes in the first two episodes, and it took me more time than I anticipated.

Just a few things before you watch the video:

- I tried to do this translation more literally possible (so I apologize if some lines sound weird), but with some phrases and expressions I had to translate them in a not literal way to keep their meaning.

- The edit of the video is a little rough because I favored the audio over the video and I tried not to cut the lines too much. And since I only used Astral's clips, some transactions between scenes are not very smooth, I apologize about that.

- I hope that the subtitles are easy to read, I never did something like this and I did my best to make them readable and not too fast.

- I rewatched it several times to check it, but it's very possible that there's still some errors or/and weird phrasing, so I apologize in advance for any errors.

After all those premises, here is the finished work:

Astral's clips from episodes 1 and 2 of Zexal in Italian dub (with English subs):

(I'm sorry for the bad quality, but not only the original videos were in a low quality, but I also had to lower it even more to upload it)

[sorry-not-feeling-it-right-now]

Rewatching clips of people playing Slay the Princess and I had realised that we’ve only seen Smitten and Cold interact with each other with animosity (mostly from Smitten’s side) and never did we see them talking to each other on normal terms (the routes where all the voices are there doesn’t count)

The only way I could’ve imagined Smitten appearing without animosity towards Cold is if we got Cold first and Smitten second, but considering Cold is…well, Cold, I don’t know if it’s even possible to get there (There’s always fanfiction teehee)

What would it even look like if they interacted normally? Like the “full of feelings and acts according to their feelings” Guy and the “I feel nothing and nothing matters” Guy feels like they’re complete opposites of each other, more so then Smitten and Skeptic, which balances each other out despite them never interacting once within the game aside from routes that has all the voices together

Would Smitten see us deciding to change our ways as redemption? Would he forgive Cold for what he saw as a horrible act towards the Princess, since to him he saw it as a change of heart? That we had decided to open up our hearts instead of numbing it down? Cold probably did it simply because he wanted to see what happens if he goes through another option, but what if it was our own choice that made the third chapter possible? Would it be a chapter about showing vulnerability? Or would that just be repeating themes that were already talked about?

(Speaking of Smitten and Skeptic, I feel like the reason they weren’t paired up together in any routes is that they would be too powerful of a duo but I’m just yapping (or maybe it’s because of how blind devotion and doubt are seemingly opposite but ultimately similar themes that we didn’t have to see them interact to understand how similar they really are? Idk))

(Edited to have this cause I have a stupid idea. Ignore this)