#something so incredibly soft in that particular photo

[not-so-rosyyy]

picture on the right is kinda my roman empire

[gorgonwrites]

wriothesley headcanons

NSFW below the cut! minors DNI. 18+

author's note: i'm BACK!!! and i am obsessed with a certain duke from genshin, good gawds. my best friend and i starting spitting ideas out about our fav genshin men, and i decided i wanna share these with you all. :) enjoy! <3

This man is covered in tattoos- he just tends to dress so they aren’t visible. He has a Cerberus piece that takes up his entire back, and he has lots of florals that cover his legs and arms and chest. That’s his secret little way of bringing some of the overworld down to him. 

Wriothesley is SUPER outdoorsy. He doesn’t make it a habit to spend a lot of time away from the Fortress of Meropide, but when he does go up to the overworld he’s most likely trying to soak up as much sunshine and fresh air as he can. 

He gets sunburned so easily, bless him. Even if he slathers sunscreen on, it's guaranteed he’ll come back to the Fortress burnt to a crisp. He never complains though. He took Sigewinne camping once, and his sunburn was so bad she was convinced he had sun poisoning when they got back home. 

He loves taking cheesy photos where he’s “holding” or “leaning on” landmarks, and is always super smug about the pictures if they turn out exactly like he wanted. 

Has a photic sneeze reflex. And on that note- the man’s sneezes are so fucking obnoxious. They echo throughout the Fortress when he sneezes in his office. He gets his feelings hurt if no one says ‘bless you’ though. 

To show love, Wriothesley gives physical touch and gifts. He loves seeing small things throughout his long days that remind him of his partner, and he wants them to know he’s thinking of them constantly. 

To receive love, he needs physical touch and words of affirmation. Trust is extremely hard for him, so having verbal reassurance is key to him relaxing and building trust with his partner. 

Is literally just a little baby. The man would melt into being cuddled after a long, hard day.

nsfw below<3

This man has a SERIOUS praise kink. He needs to know when he’s doing well and the reassurance drives him crazy. He’s also quick to give praise to his partners- the intimacy makes him melt. Will lose his mind if someone calls him a good boy. 

He also has a very mild degradation kink- he loves to tease his partners or slightly embarrass them. He can’t help that he’s fucking them stupid! 

T I T T Y MAN!!! 

Pierced nips because he likes the look of them. 

Obsessed with his partners riding his face. He just wants to be a tool for their pleasure, and in his opinion that's the perfect way to let them use him how they want.

He loves bondage, but more specifically, he loves shibari. He thinks it's beautiful, and the time spent tying his partners up in intricate positions feels incredibly intimate to him. 

He also has a bit of a sadistic streak- he loooooves predicament bondage too. 

Mild voyeur and exhibitionist kink, he’s a bit jealous at times though so he tends to lean more into exhibitionism. 

He LOVES edging. Giving and receiving- the delayed gratification of it all makes him feral. If he’s edging his partner, he wants to see tears and hear begging before he finally gives in and lets them come. If he’s on the receiving end, he tries to hold out as long as  humanly possible because he gets so lost in the pleasure. He’s usually crying out by the end, though. 

Generally, such a soft and tender lover. He’s very attentive and adapts well. He would most likely try anything at least once, and would say if he didn’t like something in particular. He expects the same from his partners. 

[cherrybeartoast]

Fluffy Firstborn - Seungmin x Reader

୨୧ a Cherry Fic ୨୧ inspired by a delusional dream and Seungmin's new hairstyle that's a little too golden retriever for my sanity to cope with.

Pairing: Seungmin x GN!Reader

Genre: Pure fluff (maybe the fluffiest fic I've ever written)

Warnings: None that I can think of!

Author's Note: I had the most delusional puppy love dream last night about Minnie and my own beloved dog, and I just had to write a fic about it so you can all experience it too. Sharing is caring, even if it's delusional!

“Y/N, there’s a dog in our backyard,” Seungmin said, standing in the open doorway leading outside. He’d just gotten home from work and came to snuggle beside you on the couch, but he’d noticed something outside and gone to look.

“Mm,” you hummed, covering your mouth with your sleeve to muffle your giggle. “That’s really weird. Is the gate closed? Maybe it got in somehow?”

“Yeah, it’s shut. I haven’t seen this dog around the neighbourhood, though,” Seungmin replied, stepping out onto the back porch. You followed him, trying hard to conceal your smile. 

You and Seungmin had moved out of his apartment and into a proper house a little over a month ago, both deciding you wanted a bit more space and a place to make your own. Although you’d been living together for over a year now, it still made your stomach flutter even more so when you woke up beside him each morning, his hand flopped across your middle, face shoved into your shoulder and soft hair tickling your face, sprawled in your bed like a giant puppy. He’d been wanting a dog, specifically a big one for ages, but he knew it wasn’t really practical to have a large dog while you were living in your apartment. When you went for walks around the city or in the parks, he’d stop to pet every dog, and would frequently dog-sit and walk Kkami and Bbama, his friend’s puppies, when they were away or busy.  After you’d moved to this neighbourhood, Seungmin had very quickly become well acquainted with every dog on the street, knowing their names and breeds within the first two days of living here. It was like a secret code, a way of referring to your neighbours. You didn’t call them by their names, you called them (insert dog’s name)’s owner. It was adorable and hilarious and so incredibly Seungmin.

When you’d chosen this house, Seungmin had talked about how he thought the backyard was perfect for a puppy. You’d agreed, clinging onto his jumper sleeve, imagining a golden retriever or labrador running around, flopping beside you on the couch, following you around the house. Essentially, a four-legged fluffy Seungmin. The idea made your heart feel so warm you thought it would melt.

A few weeks ago, your best friend’s golden retriever had a litter of puppies. Naturally, you’d taken Seungmin to meet them, and he’d fallen in love, sitting on the floor and letting them crawl all over him while you talked to your friend. Whilst he loved them all, one in particular, the largest and most awkward, a little shy amongst the others but oh so loving when in Seungmin’s arms had caught his attention. Your friend decided to let him give the dogs temporary names to distinguish them until they were adopted, and he’d named that puppy Mini, despite the fact that he was the biggest in the litter.

You knew he’d wanted to adopt Mini on the spot, but he was also practical. He knew it was the clunky first part of moving in together, and there was a lot to do. The bedroom needed to be painted, furniture needed to be set up, more than one IKEA trip was guaranteed. So he hadn’t pushed it, but the other night, you’d seen him scrolling through the photos of Mini on his phone in bed one night after you came out of the shower.

You’d laid beside him in bed, and he’d put his phone down, nestling into you the way he always did. “You really want a puppy, don’t you, baby?” you hummed into his hair, wrapping your arms around him.

“Yeah,” he replied, because there wasn’t much more to say.

You pressed a kiss to his nose. “I love you so much, you know that right?”

“I love you too,” he smiled, cheeks flushing. And as soon as he’d fallen asleep, you pulled out your phone, and let your friend know that you’d be there to pick Mini at 10am tomorrow.

“It looks like a golden retriever, I don’t think there’s any goldens around here,” Seungmin added, snapping you out of your daydream. He was sitting on the grass by this point, fondling the puppy’s floppy blonde ears and letting him lick his face. You melted at the sight.

“Yeah? Do you wanna check its collar, see if it’s got a number we can call?”

Seungmin nodded, hesitating a little. “I know it’s so bad, but I kind of…want to wait a little before calling its owner. It reminds me of Mini, and…it seems to like me a lot.”

“I know, Min, but you should check all the same. Its owner’s probably pretty worried about where their dog’s gotten to. I’m sure they love their puppy very much,” you reasoned with him, biting back a grin.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Seungmin replied sadly, looking into the puppy’s big brown eyes and rubbing its ears before pushing its long fur back around its neck and reading the fine print on the navy leather. “Huh, that’s so weird,” Seungmin paused, then looked at you with his eyebrows furrowed, a knowing smile on his face. “That’s my phone number on its collar.”

“That’s crazy,” you gasped, sitting down beside him and resting your head on his shoulder. The puppy came and pressed its face onto your leg, and you petted its head.

“The even weirder thing is…” Seungmin paused, eyes bright. “Is that the name on this collar is listed as Mini.”

“Wild,” you hummed. “Maybe he’s your Mini, Minnie.”

“Mini Minnie,” Seungmin chuckled, then looked at you with his eyes wide, and for a hot second, you weren’t sure whose puppy eyes were more dangerous, his or Mini’s. “But is he really ours? We get to keep him?”

“Of course he is, baby. I wouldn’t pull a prank like that,” you giggled. “I’m not that mean.”

Normally, Seungmin would have some kind of comeback or roast to your comment, but he was preoccupied by the pile of golden fur in front of him. Before you could realise what was happening, he jumped up, pulling you into his arms, ran inside and threw the two of you on the couch, all the while being chased by a fluffy blur. You landed in his arms and the puppy sprang onto the two of you, licking your faces lovingly.

“Puppy pile,” he murmured into your cheek, before pressing a long, sweet kiss.

“Two puppies,” you grumbled, feigning frustration. “How am I ever going to cope?”

Seungmin giggled and licked your nose, just as Mini licked your cheek, and you squealed, slapping him softly with your sweater sleeve before snuggling into his chest, Mini nestling on top of the two of you. 

“I love you so much,” Seungmin whispered. “And you too, Mini.”

“I love you too, both my Minnies,” you smiled, body warm, heart even warmer.

[marvelmusing]

Secret

A Glitter & Gold Drabble

Pairing: Darklina x Fem!Reader

Summary: As the three of you grow closer together, Alina wants to know you like no one else does.

Warnings [18+]: brief mentions of masturbation.

My Masterlist

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“Tell us a secret,” Alina demands.

Her hands wander over your bare legs casually, up your thighs to slide beneath the skirt of your dress. The eagerness of her touch flusters you, though the other people in the club don’t pay much attention to the three of you tucked away in a quiet booth.

“A secret?”

She nods, picking up her cocktail to provide you with a sip of the beverage as she holds it up to your lips. A small hum warms the back of your throat as you swallow it down.

“Something that absolutely no one else knows about you.”

Warmth burns over your cheeks, as a particular thought crosses your mind. Observing your flustered state, Aleksander smiles widely.

“Go on,” he encourages you. At some point he had draped your legs over his lap, giving Alina ease of access to your thighs.

Shaking your head, you hide your face with your hands in embarrassment.

“No, I can’t.” Alina nudges your knee gently in protest which has a small smile flickering over your features. “You’ll never talk to me again.”

Aleksander curls his fingers around each of your wrists, guiding them away from your face to reveal your expression to them both. Once again, you shake your head.

“Does it involve us?” she asks, her dark eyes sparkling with intrigue.

Closing your eyes, you nod. He ducks his head down, his nose brushing against your temple as he murmurs quietly,

“You can tell us.”

His eyes bore into yours as you turn your head sharply to look at him. He nods slowly in encouragement though he seems to notice the lingering apprehension in your eyes and the tension of your body between the two of them.

Alina squeezes your thigh gently which eases some of the discomfort at the thought of speaking your secret aloud. Aleksander strokes a finger along the length of your jawline, his thumb circling beneath your lower lip as your eyes bounce between them both.

Her gaze flickers down to your chest, rising which each breath you take and heat burns through your body.

“We won’t turn away from you,” Aleksander assures you in a whisper.

“I-”

Your eyes flutter closed.

“Sometimes, I-”

Squeezing your eyes shut tighter, you force the words out, features creasing together in anticipation of their reaction.

“Sometimes, I touch myself whilst looking at your wedding photos.”

There’s a long, frightening pause and you keep your eyes closed as you begin to ramble.

“I found them by accident, I promise. I was just looking at Alina’s portfolio for inspiration and then I found them and I just couldn’t stop thinking about them.”

Despite the desperate urge to shut your mouth and stay quiet, you continue speaking.

“It’s just that you both look so incredible and I can’t stop imagining you on your wedding night.”

Nerves bloom in your stomach at the thought of their reaction. Will they be flattered? Put off? Will they ask you to leave? You will have to make an excuse to Nik and Zoya about why you’re leaving so early in the evening. Then Aleksander breathes out a soft chuckle.

“You haven’t even seen the best photos.”

When you find the courage to open your eyes, you find Alina scrolling through her phone. She hands you the little device and your gaze falls onto the images on the screen.

“This one is my favourite,” she tells you.

“Oh my god.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jane-arthur @ilikefictionmen @budugu @watersquirtpewpewboomm @mysweetlittledesire @dhampiravidi @morrigan-crowmwell

S&B Tag List: @motheroffae @daddymaster21

Aleksander M Tag List: @nyctophiliiiiaaa @jazmin2211 @wooya1224 @seronsalk @veescorneroftheworld

BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny @two-unbeatable-beaters

[barbwritesstuff]

Around the language of fatness, I’m a different anon from the original asker but I wanted to try and offer an additional perspective on the discussion. I super don’t mean this to be a criticism or condemnation of you as an individual or as a writer, but I know that this is a conversation that can be difficult to break into for a lot of people if they’ve not experienced fatphobia personally or talked to fat people they know about it. This results in thin people in particular experiencing so much discomfort and anxiety when talking about fat bodies (because the word “fat” is so heavily stigmatized and is used derogatorily extremely frequently). I was a fat kid who became a fat teen and am now a fat adult, so I’ve spent my entire life listening to incredibly well-intentioned and well-meaning thin people (and some fat people as well, especially if they struggle with body positivity or body neutrality in their own lives) try to describe my body without calling it fat, from curvy to large to plus-size to chubby to plush and on and on. And it comes from a place of love due to the fact that the word “fat” is so often only ever interpreted as an insult and they don’t want to insult you (see the ever-classic “you’re not fat, you’re beautiful!”that every fat woman probably ever has heard from a loved one at least once). And this approach isn’t without merit: people are fat in different ways. Some people are fatter than others, some people have their fat distributed in different ways (ex. Shawnie is fat and curvy, which is different from how Sergi (who I believe is described in Blood Moon as “stocky” and compared to a lumberjack, which I’ve always interpreted to mean “fat and kind of barrel-chested” or kind of like those guys who compete in the Highland Games). It’s not wrong to want or use these descriptors for fat people.

I just think that it’s worth putting out there that it’s okay to describe characters as “fat” and that some fat readers may even prefer it. In my experience, there’s a kind of exhaustion that comes from constantly having to listen to thin people dance around talking about my body or bodies like mine when I know that I’m fat and I live in a world that never lets me forget that I’m fat. And I know that, at least for myself, it can be very validating (and almost healing sometimes) to hear the word “fat” being used to describe me instead of being used against me.

I don’t mean to say all this to try and target you or change the way that you write or anything like that. I’ve just always really admired how open you are about admitting you don’t know something (because we all have things we don’t know) and learning about different perspectives and how willing you are to incorporate feedback you’ve gotten from fans into your games. I don’t mean to speak for all fat people either as we’re not monolithic and don’t all share the same experiences or opinions. I was just hoping to maybe share a perspective you might not have gotten or seen before. Love the game and you’re doing amazing!! 💕

Thank you! I really do appreciate this sort of feedback. I honestly haven't thought about it enough and am really glad this has been brought to my attention. I thought I was being inclusive.

I described Shawnie as short and curvy. I described Sergi as stocky and broad. I described Freya as stocky and soft. These descriptions obviously weren't enough, and knowing that, I can now make them better.

Compounding to this, I'm really not very good at creating visual aids. It's hard to find good stock photos, and often I pick ones which don't 100% match characters. I tried making mood boards for Blood Moon but it was way too much work and was stressing me out. So, the misunderstanding could've come from that too.

[e-dubbc11]

Omg congratulations on 400 followers you so deserve it! Your stuff is amazing and always puts a smile on my face!

I’m not sure how this works exactly (plz let me know if this is wrong) but I’d be reallllllyyyyyyy excited to ready anything you’ve got!

I was hoping for a song request for Billy- Cruel Summer Taylor Swift

Something about the bridge just screams Billy to me

Butttttttt if TS isn’t your style I have a few other ideas

- Coming Down- Halsey, Hate That I Love You- Rihanna, Beautiful Mess- Diamond Rio

@pikachuondrugs thank you so much for sending this request in. You actually picked a Taylor Swift song that I like, she’s normally not my cup of tea but there are a few that I like and Cruel Summer is one of them.

Thank you for following me and being a part of my celebration. I hope you like what I did here ♥️

Safe with You

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: Drinking, tipsy reader, maybe a swear word? (I don’t remember, is that bad? 😆) fluffy bunnies and unicorns, love confessions

Word Count: 2.8k-ish

Summary: You meet your friends for a girls night out and have a little too much to drink so you call your boyfriend to come pick you up.

A/N: Loosely inspired by the bridge of Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift, book quotes from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. It’s one of my favorite books and one I think Billy would love also ♥️

As you watched the sun get lower in the sky toward the horizon, the colors of the sky turned shades of fiery red and orange with the colors of lilac and pink bordering the fluffy white clouds.

You recalled that saying “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning” and if there was any truth to that saying, it would be a nice day for your trip to the beach with your boyfriend tomorrow but tonight was about girls night out.

Your vanity sat next to the window so you could watch the sun go down while getting ready for the night. It had been awhile since you had seen your two best friends so you were excited about dinner and drinks tonight but it was your fault you hadn’t seen them in a couple of months.

They said they understood. “Hey, you have a really HOT reason for not hanging out with us at all this summer! It really is ok, y/n because he is super-HOT!” Sabrina had said.

She wasn’t wrong, Billy was incredibly handsome. They had only seen pictures of him, they hadn’t met him yet but they’d love him…just like you did but he didn’t know that yet.

You didn’t know it at that moment, but he would know exactly how you feel about it by the end of the night.

**********

The month of May had been unusually warm and that particular day you hadn’t even planned on going anywhere but it was such a nice day, you decided to go for a walk to get a cup of coffee and stop at the bookstore on your way back.

The bright early afternoon sun warmed the tops of your shoulders as you walked the crowded city sidewalks. People in business attire hustled past you, trying to get back to their offices after enjoying their lunch break outside.

You were thankful to be off from work on such a beautiful day.

Because it was such a nice day, you put on a flowy white tank top, jeans and put your hair up in a messy bun. You weren’t going to be out very long so you put minimal makeup on before leaving the house and headed out.

Sure, there were plenty of genres you enjoyed reading but you kept coming back to the classics which is where he first laid eyes on you. With your back turned, you sensed someone behind you before he said,

“And I thought I was the only nerd who still read the classics.” His voice was soft with a slight New York accent and you could tell he was smiling even before you turned around.

When you turned around, you saw probably the most handsome man you’d ever seen. He was dressed in a designer suit with dark brown hair, a well-groomed beard and eyes as dark as freshly turned soil. You suddenly felt underdressed even though you were just in a bookstore.

“What do ya got there?” He asked with a perfect smile stretched across his lips.

He gently touched your wrist to pull the books you were holding closer so he could see and heat rose to your cheeks as his long fingers wrapped around your wrist.

“The Count of Monte Cristo and The Things They Carried. Both fine choices.” He extended his arm and hand for you to shake. “Maybe I should have introduced myself first before snooping around your book choices, Billy Russo.”

You shook his hand, trying not to blush in the process. “It’s nice to meet you Billy Russo, I’m y/n. I’ve never met anyone else who’s read The Things They Carried before. My copy is old and falling apart so I needed a new one.” You said.

“The bad stuff never stops happening: it lives in its own dimension, replaying itself over and over.” Billy quoted. “Another quote I love is…’They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.’”

And at that moment, you were smitten with him.

**********

That was three months ago, you had spent your free summer nights going out on the most romantic dates with him and he really knew how to show you a good time but he wasn’t just a handsome face.

Billy was sweet, funny, well-read, smart and strong but also…guarded, stubborn, jealous and a little possessive. But with all his faults, Billy always made you feel safe which he said was the best compliment he could ever receive.

He was a little disappointed he wouldn’t get to see you tonight but he knew you hadn’t seen your friends in awhile.

A text from him came through while you were getting ready for the night.

Have fun tonight, beautiful. Be safe.

Just a text from him brought a smile to your face, you made sure to reply. Billy would get nervous if you didn’t text back.

Thank you, handsome. I will.♥️

As the evening sun was setting, it cast long shadows on the ground as you walked to meet your Uber, you were ready for an exciting night.

After fending off some rather aggressive bar patrons, three karaoke songs, and a shot of tequila, you and your friends were able to catch up with each other’s lives but mostly laugh with each other and they wanted to hear more about Billy.

“Is he good in bed?” Sabrina asked.

Your jaw dropped which turned into a loud burst of laughter.

Valerie slapped her on the shoulder. “That’s a dumb question! Do you really think y/n would still be with him if he wasn’t?”

You shrugged your shoulders and nodded. “Val’s right, I wouldn’t have stuck around if he wasn’t.” You said, taking a sip of your drink.

“Do you love him?” Asked Sabrina, changing the tone of the conversation for a minute.

The corners of your mouth dropped and your lips pressed together in a straight line before letting out a long exhale. You gave them both a warm smile before saying, “I do…I really do but I haven’t told him yet. I’m scared to but hey if we keep drinking, that could change. Cheers!!”

The three of you reminisced of when you all used to work together, you missed it but you needed a job that paid better, they eventually left too, also maybe it wasn’t a good idea for three best friends to work together. You were convinced your boss threw a massive party after the three of you left.

“…Even separating us didn’t work, remember?” You said through fits of laughter.

After a few more rounds and many, many laughs later, the three of you decided to call it a night but you felt a little too drunk to even get in an Uber and get safely home.

“H-hey, w-will you guys ride in the Uber with me? I might fall asleep before I get home.” You asked with slightly slurred speech.

Sabrina and Valerie exchanged a look with raised eyebrows like they were hatching a plan telepathically.

“Whyyyyyyy don’t you have your boyfriend pick you up?” Valerie asked, exchanging another look with Sabrina. “We’ll wait with you until he gets here.”

“G-good idea!” You exclaimed, pulling your phone out of your purse and pushing the “call” button.

Billy answered on the second ring.

“Hey sweet girl. Everything ok?” He asked.

“Hi handsome! I-I really h-hate to bother you buuuuuut, can you come get me? I’m afraid I might fall asleep in the Uber.” You asked.

Val leaned in to the phone. “Hiiiiii Billy!!!” She yelled into the phone followed by a cackle.

Then you started laughing. “Oh my god, what is wrong with you?!” You said with your mouth away from the phone, Billy could still hear you though by the way he was chuckling.

“Baby, just text me where you are and I’ll be there as soon as I can, ok?” He said.

“Shut up, guys!” You said, followed by more laughter. “Ok, b-baby. I’ll t-text you as soon as I get off…he-he…get off.”

“Real mature, y/n!” Sabrina yelled.

Billy tried to stop himself from laughing but couldn’t, all he managed to get out was, “I’ll see you soon, beautiful.” And he hung up.

You were waiting for about 20 minutes when the balmy summer air hit the back of your arms. You were facing away from the door when Billy walked in and your friends pointed him out that he was there.

“Somebody is here for youuuuuuu!” Val exclaimed.

You turned around and watched him walk over to you, he had on jeans and a black t-shirt.

Sabrina “whispered” in your ear. “How is he even hotter in person?”

“You’re n-not w-whispering, ya know.” You giggled. “Billy, these are my friends, Valerie and Sabrina.”

Billy flashed his perfect smile at them as he wrapped his arm around your waist. “Nice to meet you ladies, I’d love to chat with you more but I really should get her home.” He said.

Valerie shooed the two of you out of the bar. “Go on, get outta here you crazy kids. You guys would have beautiful babies, by the way.” She said.

“What?!” You yelled.

“What?! Who said that?!” She said. “Ok, goodnight! Love youuuuuu! Nice to finally meet you, Billy!”

“You too.” Billy said with a warm smile, opening the car door. “Wanna lay down in the back, baby?”

“Y-yesssss, I do.” You slurred.

Billy had been driving for about 10 minutes when he asked, “You ok back there, beautiful?”

You sat up and stuck your head in between the front seats. “Oh y-yeah, I’m good!”

Billy just smiled and shook his head back and forth. “That’s good, baby. I’m glad you had fun tonight. I know you haven’t seen them in awhile but that’s my fault. I’ve been monopolizing your time and I’m sorry.” He said.

“But I love spending time with you, Billy. Actually, I-I t-told my friends a s-secret earlier.” You whispered. “Sssshhhhhh!”

Acting surprised, Billy chuckled and responded with, “Oh really? And what secret did you tell them, baby?”

“Well I can’t tell youuuuuu, cuz what if?” You trailed off and suddenly tears welled up in your eyes.

Concerned, Billy asked, “What if what, y/n? Ya know there’s only room for one emotionally stunted person in this relationship and that’s me. Tell me, baby.”

A single tear streaked down your cheek and Billy wanted nothing more than to catch it but he was driving and he couldn’t. You wiped the tear away and whispered, “I-I t-told them that I’m in l-love with youuuuuu.”

You thought you saw the corners of Billy’s mouth curl up into a sly smile in the reflection of the rearview mirror.

“I knowwww, I know you p-probably don’t feel the same way…Imma go back to sleep now, night night. Just shove me out onto the sidewalk when you get to my apartment. This is so embarrassing, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Billy never did relationships but he couldn’t stay away from you. It was easy with you and it was the first time in a long time, or ever, that someone had told Billy he was loved.

You felt the car come to a stop and the engine turn off, you must be home.

“How ya doin’, beautiful? Can ya walk?” Billy asked sarcastically.

You narrowed your eyes at him as you sat upright and he winked at you in the rearview mirror.

“Yes Billy, I can walk. I’m d-drunk but I’m not THAT drunk.” You said.

Billy exited the car and opened the door to the back seat for you. His hands were chilled from the air conditioning and felt cold against the warm skin of your wrists, more than likely because of the alcohol. You felt his lips plant a gentle kiss on your forehead which made you smile and caused your stomach to flutter.

He really did care about you.

“C’mon baby, let’s get you to bed.” He said softly against your ear.

Swaying a little as you walked toward the entrance of your building, you grabbed a hold of his t-shirt and held onto him for balance, with his hand wrapped around your waist and guiding you into your building.

Once inside your apartment, you tossed your purse and keys onto the table and headed straight for your bedroom, leaving Billy to lock the door behind him.

He knew for the most part you were ok to change by yourself and get into bed so he went into the kitchen to get you some water and pain reliever.

Listening carefully, he heard the water from the bathroom sink running. You were brushing your teeth and washing the makeup off of your face. Billy found you curled up on your side, nestled under the blanket, waiting for him to come in.

“Ah, ah…before you close those beautiful eyes of yours, sit up and take these.” He said in a slightly scolding tone.

“Alright, alright. At ease, soldier. You don’t hafta yell at meeeeee. But it is pretty sexy when you do.” You said with a half-smile on your face.

Billy chuckled as he watched you swallow the two pills he gave you. He sat on the edge of the bed and moved a stray hair away from your eyes while you inched closer to him.

With your hand resting against his cheek, you started to gently brush his beard with your thumb, he kissed the heel of your hand and gave you a warm smile.

“Thank you for coming to get me tonight, Billy.” You said softly.

“Anything for you, baby. Now get some sleep, ok?” He said.

Nodding, you easily rested your head against your pillow and immediately felt your eyes get heavy and the last thing you saw before falling asleep was Billy’s handsome face smiling at you and felt him gently drawing circles on your back with his long slender fingers.

Yes, you were very much in love with him.

**********

Rays from the early morning sun shone into your bedroom, warming the side of your face that wasn’t resting against Billy’s chest.

He stayed with you…he didn’t have to do that, but it warmed your heart that he did. Lifting your head slightly to look up at him, you thought about everything you said to him last night. You didn’t have any regrets, you meant it when you told him you were in love with him.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Said Billy, still with his eyes closed.

“Hey there handsome. You stayed with me.” You said.

His agile fingers danced up and down the exposed skin of your arm. “Of course I did, sweet girl. So, did you really mean what you said last night?” He asked.

You propped yourself up on one arm and gazed into his endless brown eyes. “Yes I did, Billy. I am very much in love with you. That wasn’t exactly how I wanted to tell you for the first time but, well, I can’t take it back…and I don’t want to take it back. I-I love you Billy.”

Billy had a stoic look to his face for a brief moment which felt like time was standing still waiting for a reaction before a warm smile crept to his face and his lips collided with yours.

Suddenly, you were pinned underneath him as he kissed you aggressively, all teeth and tongue before tracing his lips down the hollow of your throat and the side of your neck. The bristles of his beard tickled your skin which caused you to giggle and playfully call out his name.

He stopped and gazed down at you with slight sadness in his beautiful dark brown eyes that looked like two pools of black ink. Billy closed the gap between your bodies so he could rest his forehead against yours.

“I love you too y/n, very much. Ya know, I find myself staring at your picture when you’re not around, I smile when I see that you text me, I love how you say hi to every single dog we pass walking down the sidewalk, you make me laugh which isn’t easy to do, and I probably fell in love with you when you told me that…that you felt safe with me.” He said as he gently pressed his lips to yours.

His words sent shivers down your spine causing you to let out a long exhale.

“Billy, I never feel safer than when I’m with you.” You said with a warm smile, cupping his cheek.

“You’ll always be safe with me, baby.” And he kissed you again. “How do you feel this morning?” He asked.

A big smile played across your lips, a feeling of warmth flowed over your heart, it was beating so rapidly you thought it might beat right out of your chest, and you desperately did not want that feeling to go away.

Yes, you loved him.

“Never better, my love. Never better.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705

Others that might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[savventeen]

you glow pink in the night

pairing: non-idol!the8 x fem!reader rating: G wc: 1.7k prompt: none, i just wanted to post something for minghao's bday <3 summary: you and minghao are in a long-distance relationship, and minghao returns to his apartment after meeting you in person for the first time. he finds a surprise you left for him in his luggage warnings: none tags: fluff, just pure romantic fluff, long-distance relationship, Yearning™️, talks about kissing, they are so in love it's insane, love letters a/n: i wanted to break my angst streak and post something soft for minghao day. also, while it's not explicitly stated, i wrote this as the reader being a transwoman! if that bothers you in any way, please do not interact, thank you 💜 (this was originally a sapphic minjoon threadfic that i'd posted on twitter) a/n pt. 2: there are two theme songs for this fic — can't help falling in love cover by ingrid michaelson and pink in the night by mitski

The apartment is quiet as Minghao enters.

First, there are the soft thumps of his sneakers when he toes them off in the entryway. Then, the jingle of keys as he drops them onto the countertop, the acrylic frog keychain you had gifted him clinking softly against the tile, followed by the low whirring of wheels across the wood floor as he drags his suitcase behind him to the bedroom.

The springs squeak as he flops face down onto his mattress with an exhausted grunt, and then — silence.

He's never been a huge fan of silence. Don't get him wrong, he loves the quiet — soft moments in nature or normally bustling parks.

But silence, pure silence, the kind that feels like it compounds in on itself until it feels like you're completely ensnared in it — it always leaves a little too much room for unwanted thoughts to flutter to the forefront of his consciousness, swirling and uncatchable like dust motes in the afternoon sunlight.

This particular silence echoes a little louder than usual, though. The absence is felt a little more keenly — the yearning leaning a little bit more towards unbearable than not.

He really should have expected this — a crash, one that would inevitably come after such an incredible high.

And oh, what a high it had been.

He had saved and managed and planned and saved some more until finally, finally, the stars had aligned, and he'd been able to take time off of work and school and book a flight to New York — to where the other half of his heart lives.

To you, his long-distance girlfriend of two years and the woman he planned to marry someday.

For an entire week, you'd gotten to live in each other’s pockets, gotten to never be more than an arm’s length away instead of thousands of miles. Gotten to be face-to-face, heart-to-heart, (lips-to-lips), instead of screen-to-screen.

It had been heaven.

And like all things, the good and the bad and everything in between, it had come to an end.

So here he lay, a fourteen-hour flight and an hour-and-a-half bus ride later, in a space devoid of the warmth of soft skin and high-pitched giggles that he'd just had the privilege of getting to hold in the palms of his hands.

His surroundings had so swiftly gone from hallowed to hollow, and he releases a shaky sigh into his pillow.

He doesn't want to sink any further into that line of thinking, so he rolls over and pulls his phone out of the pocket of his oversized hoodie, turning on his playlist full of swooping orchestral music and blasting it at full volume.

He tosses it beside him and goes to get up and start unpacking before realizing he almost forgot to do something important.

Snatching his phone back up, he holds it up above him as he's lying on the bed and turns on the front-facing camera.

Before he can overthink how tired he looks, hair falling all over the place and bags under his puffy eyes, he snaps a quick photo and sends it to you. He follows it up with a few quick texts letting you know he made it home.

to: y/n ❤️✨🌻

made it back to my place in one piece (but just a little emptier) (my heart is still with you, my love)

The melancholic yearning starts to creep up his spine once more, and before the vines can root themselves too deeply, he flings himself up from the bedspread and starts making a mental checklist of all the things he needs to get done before he goes to sleep.

First on the list: unpack his suitcase.

He looks to where his mint green hardshell luggage sits innocently at the end of the bed and stares down one of the anthropomorphic bonsai stickers that cover it.

Pointing a faux-threatening finger at it, he states, "You're up, bubs."

He expects unpacking to take no longer than ten minutes — all he needs to do is fling his clothes into the dirty laundry pile in the corner of his room, tuck his accessories away in their respective places on the dresser and in the bathroom, and then carefully put the few books he took with him back on the bookshelf.

Easy peasy. Except, when he kneels on the floor and opens the suitcase, he's not sure how much time he loses just staring at the sight before him.

Instead of the chaotic pile he'd carelessly tossed in the night before his flight back, everything he'd brought with him sits folded and rolled neatly, perfectly in place.

What catches the breath in his lungs and causes his heart to tremble, though, is the large envelope that sits atop everything, addressed to him in an elegant, curling script and sealed with a kiss the exact shade of coral he knows is your favorite.

"Oh, y/n..."

And he could probably blame the way his eyes are already watering with tears on the exhaustion from travel, but he knows that's only part of it.

The real reason is that even now, after two years of loving and being loved by you, he still isn't used to how you're able to fill his heart more and more each day.

With a slightly trembling hand, he picks up the envelope and brings it up to his nose, catching a whiff of vanilla and something sugary sweet — your perfume — before clutching it to his chest for a moment.

"Jagi, you're too precious, please," he pleads to the air, not sure what to do with the affection swelling up inside his chest like a helium balloon.

For a few moments, he lets himself bask in the glow of the feeling blossoming between his ribs — one that's always blossoming when it comes to you, over and over with new and more beautiful blooms.

He takes a deep breath in and releases it, slow.

Minghao tries to open the envelope as carefully as he can, but he has to stop and run to the kitchen for a pair of scissors so he can open it without tearing anything.

But soon enough, he's back in front of his suitcase with a beautifully hand-written letter in his grasp, and he dives head-over-heels into the elegant script.

My dearest Minghao, My love, my hope, my heart — this last week has been one of the happiest of my entire life. Never before have I felt so wholly myself, and never have I ever felt so wholly loved. Minghao, my beautiful moon, I feel so blessed that I got to bask in your light — that I got to see those wonderful little craters you call dimples up close and personal, that I got to press kiss after kiss onto them in the hopes that one day I might come close to filling them. Hopefully, someday soon, I can try again. Ever since I got to know you, you've been such an inspiration to me, in so many wonderful ways. One of the best (and sometimes worst) things I've learned from you is how to be present in each moment — how to let myself feel every joy and every pain, and to hold on to the things that matter. Not by force, but by faith — faith that the good things will keep coming back, and that they are worth putting into things other than just our memories. And so that's what I tried to do this last wonderful, unforgettable week: capture the memories in something besides my full-to-bursting heart. And because all I have will always be yours, these little pieces of me — of us — are yours as well. I hope they bring a little bit of relief to what I know will be a hard separation for both of us. Just know that someday we will get to hold each other again, and the next time I have you in my arms, I'm never letting go. I love you, Xu Minghao. More than any words could ever express. But since words are all I have, I will never cease to give them to you. I love you. As surely as the waves kiss the shore, I love you, I love you, I love you. Yours, always and forever, y/n

It takes Minghao a while to get to the end of the letter, only because he has to keep stopping to wipe the tears from his eyes.

And then he has to put off unpacking for another fifteen minutes because his heart is just so full — the blooms in his chest threatening to burst out past his ribcage, growing and growing and making him feel like you captured the sun and tucked it away just behind his sternum.

And the feeling only grows as he starts to unpack and finds dozens of slips of paper tucked into and between all his belongings — scrap paper and napkins and even the backs of a few receipts all falling victim to your elegant hand.

I can't believe you're here. We held hands for the first time today, and I can't stop thinking about how your fingers tangled so perfectly with mine.

You smile at me, and I feel like my heart has melted and pooled in the center of my chest.

The barista made a teddy bear in your latte, and it made you so happy I wanted to lasso the universe if only to give you the stars.

Minghao, light of my life, you are so brilliant. Buy my god, you can be stupid. (I love it though. And you. So much. Don't ever change.)

I watched you bite your lip, and I have never been so desperate to kiss someone. To be kissed by someone. To be kissed by you. Kiss me, Minghao. Kiss me, and don't ever stop kissing me. Kiss me until the world has ended and we've returned to stardust. Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.

And like a river flows, surely to the sea, Minghao knows with every fiber of his being, that some things — the moon, the stars, you and him, together — some things are meant to be.

[discluded]

#Apovision and the Photographer’s Treatise – aka A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words 

An oft-repeated axiom about photography as an artform is that primarily, photography is about the relationship between the the photographer and the subject.

Emphasis on relationship.

Photographers have a relationship with that subject even when that subject is inanimate, like a scenery. For example, the height of the photographer affects the position and angle of the shot they take. A photographer who is taking pictures of a new city will have a different perspective about what is interesting to shoot vs. a photographer who is of that place and may choose to find inspiration from the mundane.

Models as photographers are an interesting breed. A good photographer has a success rate of approximately 10 percent of shots -- the job of a model, in a professional setting is to increase the odds the photographer’s success rate. It’s why I find it so fascinating to watched MileApo as experienced models working. The way they shift their expressions, angles of their faces, tilts of their head between shutter clicks. Modelling is not just about being attractive and showing up and being a blank slate, a clothes hanger. It’s about precision in control of one’s body and one’s facial features.

I could write a entire other treatise on why I think Mile was so good as Kinn when it was his first acting role, primarily due to having such precise control of his microexpressions. The delivery of the lines are important, but what convinces us about characters are the expressions they have as they say -- or don’t say -- these things. Kinn is so complex; one of the reasons Da*mi originally facecast Mile as Kinn is because they noticed from model photos he was able to convey both the arrogance and the softness and sweetness that the character required. Kinn is so intense; that level of intensity can fall flat. And Mile is not Kinn, but there is no part of Kinn that isn’t Mile. You cannot create something from nothing.

Before I get too distracted singing the praises of Mile as an actor and model, I want to bring it back to #apovision. Apo is also a phenomenal model, but I want to specifically talk about Apo-as-photographer and his relationship with Mile-as-subject. Models are not shy about being directed for photos, and Mile has been beautifully photographed by by hundreds of professional photographers in a professional context at this point. And the shots are beautiful.

Apo is also an experienced photographer. His shots are gorgeous and evocative. 

In particular, he has a great sense of angle (perspective), composition, and lighting.

The human cornea is one of the most complex lenses in the world. Our ability to adapt to intense brightness and lightness, focus and zoom in on specific while not physically moving is incredible. This has a lot to do with shape of the human pupil, but it’s genuinely extrodinary.

So when photographers play with shadow and lighting, it’s with an understanding of the limitations of the camera lens in comparison to what human eye lens can capture, and making use of that limitation.

It’s easy to take beautiful pictures of beaches, of sunsets. It’s easy to take pictures of a man as beautiful as Mile Phakphum, who is also a model and is himself experienced in physically moving his body to take advantage of of lighting. The difference here is Apo and Mile’s personal relationship.

Apo is not shy about admitting how he finds Mile handsome. Many of us do. But what he’s sharing with the world is a version of how he sees Mile. (that he thinks Mile is “super sexy”. I mean. *coughs*)

Apo already has said they have a ton of “couple photos” they don’t share. That might not necessarily even be photos that Apo is in the same frame as Mile. The last photo Mile shared with us on Instagram? People knew it was Apo not just because of the framing, but also because how intensely he exists in the photo. Remember: A photo is primarily defined as the photographer’s relationship with the subject. And the subject’s relationship with the photographer. Specifically here: the comfort, the intimacy.

It’s a glimpse in How Apo sees Mile. How beautiful and evocative. A sliver in time in how Mile is when he’s with Apo, in their little world.

And it’s incredibly humbling we’re able to witness any part of that.

[carolinanadeau]

In Praise of Sally Ann Howes

As I've made it one of the purposes of my blog to share photos and songs and general positivity about the wonderful English actress Sally Ann Howes, I thought I'd make a post to talk in much more detail about all the great things about her and why I adore her so much!

This classy English beauty possessed a highly expressive face and eyes, an astonishingly powerful soprano, a great sense of humor, and the world's most charming laugh. One thing I cannot stop saying about Sally Ann is that she did not and does not get nearly enough credit and recognition for her immense talent and prolific career, and it's precisely for that reason that I'm here to do my part in giving it to her!

This overlong rambling post is a combination of biographical information and my personal fawning over her performances... whatever I felt I most wanted to put out there in the world and what I'd like people less familiar with her to know.

Click on Keep Reading and I'll take you on a journey!

As she preferred to work on the stage and didn't really pursue a film career, the catalog of Sally Ann's work that can still be viewed today is unfortunately small - though you can find almost all of her early films on the internet if you look hard! In her early film days, mostly made before she was able to pursue her true passion of musical theatre, her extraordinary singing talents weren't utilized by the producers at all.

However, we were fortunately blessed with exactly one musical film role from her, and it's an iconic one: the aptly-named role of Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), the golden-haired, golden-hearted candy heiress who falls in love with and eventually marries Dick van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts after joining him and his children on a madcap adventure. She's a sweet, intelligent ingenue with hidden depths and one of my favorite sorts of character arcs - the uptight, lonely woman who becomes more and more warm and open as she discovers newfound freedom and joy in life and falls in love.

There is something about Sally Ann that just glows in every scene of Chitty, and it's not only that bright blonde hair! The way she widens her eyes sometimes, the way she raises her eyebrows, her gentle and soft presence in the happiest scenes, and the particular airy lilt she has to her speaking voice are all so distinctive and appealing, and I can't take my eyes off her. And her smile! When I say she glows it's barely even a metaphor, the woman just emits light. 

(Funnily enough, I started to realize that many of the laudatory quotes I've found about her also refer to her in this way, like this quote from a 1965 TV Guide article, from playwright Sidney Kingsley: "She's luminous as an actress. I mean that literally. In Brigadoon she really lit up the stage.")

For me, I'm weak for any actress who can do the defrosted-ice-queen trope so incredibly well. Truly starts out as closed-off and prim, and nearly reverts to that state when she and Caractacus have a Big Misunderstanding near the end, but in the scenes where she's happy and carefree, the warmth just radiates off of her.

She also has the most adorable chemistry with Dick van Dyke in an annoyances-to-friends-to-lovers relationship that absolutely shaped my young brain. Whenever Sally Ann and Dick glance at each other, whether with irritation and frustration early in the film or with warmth and affection later on, their chemistry is obvious and natural, and there's so much expressed in each one of those glances. One has no difficulty believing that these characters are going to be very happily married.

(Here's a cute on-set interview where she talks about, among other things, how easily she and van Dyke clicked.)

While I acknowledge that the character of Caractacus Potts was absolutely originally planned to be an actual Englishman, Dick van Dyke played him with an American accent, and to me they will always be an adorable English-American couple. It's a whole part of the charm of this pairing to me!

Sally Ann also had a great relationship with child actors Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley who played Jeremy and Jemima Potts, and did her best to help make them more comfortable and happy during the many very long days on set. Having been a child film star herself, she knew a great deal about how difficult and alienating it could be. The genuine affection the three of them shared is obvious in their scenes together, especially in the extremely adorable "Truly Scrumptious" number, and it really makes the developing mother-child relationship between the characters so believable.

The beach scene, where so much of the relationship between Truly and Caractacus and the Potts children is developed, is incredibly cute and heartwarming, and a lot of that rides on Sally Ann's performance and how her previously prim-and-proper character shows herself to be warm and loving, once she (literally) lets her hair down. We've already seen how happy the Potts family is together; now we see how Truly fits in perfectly and makes them all even happier.

Look at her! Literally glowing!

(One thing I should mention: I think both the plot and the love story of CCBB are greatly improved if one just treats the "dream sequence" as real events, which was possibly the original intention anyway, so just note that is always the perspective I'm coming from here. It's the only way to make some things make sense and for the characters and their relationships to fully develop.)

"Lovely, Lonely Man" is Truly's big solo moment, and was probably the least comprehensible part of the movie to me as a kid (lol), but is now indisputably one of the very best parts to me as an adult. It's an exquisitely beautiful love song, especially the bridge, and I somehow love it more and more every time I rewatch it. Sally Ann's dreamy, graceful movements and the way the whole scene is shot make her look like a princess, and the slow build of the song is masterfully done. She has this distinctive crisp way of articulating her words while singing, especially the closing consonants like N and M, that I just love to listen to. The string section and the building countermelodies are so beautiful it makes me want to weep. Everyone involved in creating this scene and song deserved an award, I'm being so serious. While it's not the highest of soprano songs and doesn't fully show off Sally Ann's astonishing range, she shows an incredible amount of vocal control here through the many diminuendos and crescendos, and she's mesmerizing to watch and listen to. One of her "glowiest" scenes, for sure!

While I've seen people call this song irrelevant to the plot, I strongly disagree - the romance is part of the plot, of course, and while I didn't fully understand the meaning as a kid, this song establishes how much Truly's outlook on life and hopes for the future have already changed since meeting Caractacus, and how much happier she is with the poor Potts family than she's ever been in her life of luxury. Plus, now we know for certain that she's head over heels for Caractacus, but he doesn't know... increasing the dramatic irony of the pining and yearning to follow!

In the reprise of "Hushabye Mountain", which was sung in a much earlier scene by Dick van Dyke alone, Caractacus loses the will to continue the song because he's overwhelmed with emotion thinking of his children being held captive. Truly comes in to aid him with the final verse - another pivotal moment in the developing romance - and Sally Ann's singing here is nothing short of breathtaking.

And of course, I can't neglect to mention the "Doll on a Music Box" number, where Sally Ann, who was not a trained dancer and in fact considered herself to be "appalling" at it, performs an incredibly precise, incredibly impressive clockwork song-and-dance number while on a spinning turntable! She practiced it so well that she managed to successfully complete the shot in a single take, prompting the stage full of extras to burst into applause.

This is another important character moment for Truly, though it's disguised in a diegetic performance: though it's another thing that went over my head as a child who only got to see the movie once, the lyrics about being trapped up on a music box and longing to be freed by love pretty clearly symbolize how trapped the real Truly's high-society life makes her feel, and how she yearns to break free from class restrictions and live happily-ever-after with Caractacus, as it's only with him and his family that she really feels free.

Then there's that incredibly warm romantic look that Truly and Caractacus share at the end of the song when she silently acknowledges the love confession he's just made while singing in counterpoint with her, though they're still in a dangerous situation and can't give themselves away by appearing too human and breaking their disguises... sadly this vital moment is cut off on all the Youtube videos of the scene I can find, because none of the people who clipped it understand that that's the whole point of it all, apparently. But here's a gif!

The character of Truly doesn't exist at all in the original (quite different) book by James Bond author Ian Fleming - surprising, I know, given her name! - and, honestly, the fact that Truly and the romantic subplot of this movie exist are why it had such a strong impact on me as a child, and very much why I fell in love with it again as an adult. Even though the score is wonderful anyway and the story is charming and magical, I can confidently say that I would not have become as completely enchanted or had such a strong desire to revisit it again and again if there'd been no Truly and no love story. The fact that Sally Ann's performance makes Truly so loveable is, obviously, a pretty crucial factor there.

Sally Ann's delivery of "Well, Mr. Potts... now you'll have to marry me!" after Caractacus kisses Truly... that slide from prim mock-outrage to the playful, warm, you-can-hear-the-smile-in her-voice conclusion is flawless. Not even exaggerating when I say that this was the moment that made me into a hopeless romantic as a 9-year-old child. Sure, this wasn't the first movie I'd seen where two people fall in love and live happily ever after, but I distinctly remember that this was the first romance story that had me in a giggling, kicking-my-feet, "I ship it so hard" state of mind. And after revisiting it as an adult for the first time last year, I have confirmed that yes, child me already had great taste in fictional romances!

Oh, I could say so much about the difference in her body language between the two scenes where Caractacus carries Truly out of her car that's become stuck in a pond. The first time, Truly is affronted and extremely embarrassed by the situation, holding herself so stiffly and awkwardly to avoid an accidental embrace that she causes him to nearly lose his balance and drop her. The second time, when they're in love and they know it, she snuggles right up into his arms without hesitation and it's the cutest thing ever. Sally Ann was 5'6" but looks so tiny in that scene!

(And that kiss! Maybe I'm getting off-topic here in terms of strictly focusing on Sally Ann's contributions, because Dick van Dyke deserves tons of credit for making this kiss so good... but wow, the kiss. Several times I have called it "the Most Kiss they could have gotten away with in a children's movie." Again, giggling, kicking my feet etc.)

While Truly's costumes and hairstyling are rarely historically accurate (the film is set around 1910), the stylized nature of her fashion is iconic and memorable in itself. Sally Ann also completely pulls off playing a fresh-faced ingenue who is 12+ years younger than her actual age - and I do wonder if the aging-down of Sally Ann is at least part of the reason why Truly wears her hair loose throughout most of the movie! Either way, it works perfectly and I was shocked when I first learned how much older she was than her character. (If you watch her in The Admirable Crichton, where she is also in Edwardian costume and was closer to Truly's actual age, she really doesn't look all that much different. If anything, I think she looks even more glowingly beautiful in Chitty!)

Also, as for Truly wearing her hair down... it may just have been an intentionally anachronistic stylistic choice, but in-story, I think it actually contributes to her character by showing a willingness to flout convention and pursue whatever will make her happy instead of what's expected of her, which happens to be a key theme of her character arc.

Another thing that led me to adore Sally Ann as a person as I learned more about her over the last year: in the 1960s, she appeared as a panelist in quite a few episodes of the game show To Tell the Truth (as well as a few episodes of Password), and these can be found on Youtube. I really adore how her personality shines through - she's unfailingly bubbly, witty, self-deprecating, and a bit quirky. Just listening to her speak is a delight and she has one of the best laughs I've ever heard. Here is one of my favorite little moments that I clipped. 

By all accounts, she was a delightful person to know and work with, witty and clever, very professional, and very serious about her craft. She also always maintained a great affection for and pride in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and her role as Truly, which is always a wonderful thing to know about an actor in a beloved role.

Another bonus: here is a super charming interview with her after a backstage disaster at What Makes Sammy Run? on Broadway.

She was also, along with Twiggy and Diahann Carroll (as Julia Baker), one of the first three celebrities to have her likeness made into a Barbie doll.

Two of her earlier films I recommend are the comedies Fools Rush In (1949) and The Admirable Crichton (1957), if you can find them (hint-hint, you can.) You may also be able to find the 1966 TV movie of her reprising her Tony-nominated role of Fiona in Brigadoon with Robert Goulet, and although I feel like the oddly close-up way the film was shot kinda does a disservice to the actors at times, it's still amazing to be able to see and hear her in a role she performed on Broadway.

Richard Rodgers once called Sally Ann "the greatest singer who ever sang on the American musical stage." Now, I don't quote this to claim this superlative as some kind of objective fact. If you know anything about me, I am very, very strongly opposed to pitting women against each other and all the Golden Age sopranos are absolute queens who deserve crowns, no matter how much mainstream success or present-day name-recognition they have/had. I just think it's phenomenal that she received such high praise from a man who worked with many of the best musical theatre singers who ever lived... and to think, many people today have never even heard her voice. Without her performance as Truly Scrumptious, it's possible almost nobody would in the future! I am so glad that Sally Ann's lasting legacy was ensured by such a beloved film role.

Sadly for us, many of the theatrical roles which she originated (and thus, for which cast albums featuring her exist) were in shows that either flopped quickly or at least did not enter the theatrical canon, so she never achieved the level of mainstream recognition she clearly deserves. But Sally Ann also played such legendary and challenging roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon (for which she received a Tony nomination), Maria Rainer von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and, much later, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. She received great acclaim for all of these performances and, judging by what we know of her process on My Fair Lady, was excellent at making roles distinctly her own and never merely imitating another performer.

Even in her iconic original role of Truly Scrumptious, you don't get to hear the true full power of Sally Ann's extraordinary soprano. For that, I highly recommend listening to "Another Time, Another Place" from Kwamina (1961), and "Something to Live For" from What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). I'm always sad that we don't have any recordings of her in her "fiery" star turn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but you can at least hear her do a Cockney accent, be silly, and sing "With a Little Bit of Luck" with Bing Crosby here!

If it weren't for the enduring success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, few people might have even heard of Sally Ann Howes today, and that would be a terrible loss. I cannot overstate that I am so grateful that we all know who she is because she played this role and we get to see her give this radiant performance of a character that's all her own. Maybe this sounds strange, but I think the fact that this was Sally Ann's only musical film role (and the ONLY role most people will ever see her in) makes it even more precious, and makes everything she brings to the character that much more distinctive and unique and special.

Both for all of the talent and charm she brings to the role itself, and everything else that I and many other fans have been able to learn of so much of her otherwise-obscure work because of it, the world is incredibly lucky to have the lovely Sally Ann Howes immortalized as our Truly Scrumptious, and I wouldn't have it any other way 💖

[ingravinoveritas]

I don’t think it’s fake tan I think it’s a god awful thick foundation. That’s not a criticism of David, he is very gorgeous and photographs really well. I had the joy of seeing him in GOOD and up close at a con late last year and his skin is beautiful and soft looking with lovely freckles. Really wish they would stop putting thick orange crap on his pretty face.

(This is referring to this post, for those who might've missed it.)

Ahh. Thank you for the clarification, Anon. (Also, so thrilled for you that you got to see David in Good and at a Con! I'm hoping I'll have a chance to see him on stage or meet him myself one day...)

Initially, I was leaning toward thinking it was foundation, but it didn't make sense to me why they would use that shade on him because of how garish it looks. It's giving Donald Trump, like where you can see the spray tan wasn't applied around his eyes, and why any makeup artist worth their salt would ever want David to look like that is beyond me.

I agree with you that he is gorgeous and does photograph well, but the continued pattern of putting this awful makeup on him is confounding to me. These are two of my favorite pictures of David ever:

And the reason I love them so much is because we can see his freckles. No makeup, no concealer or foundation...just 100% gorgeous David. So it feels incredibly distasteful to me that the shows and projects he works on repeatedly insist on covering those freckles, especially when there is no real reason to do so.

It makes me think of David having to do an RP or English accent for so many roles, most notably the Doctor. Again, I think it's one thing when we're saying the accent is part of who the character is...but when that choice is made just for the sake of it, it starts to feel like the message is that there is something wrong with David's natural accent. That it's not that the Doctor isn't Scottish, but that the Doctor can't be Scottish because for some reason, that is unacceptable (and yes, I know Peter Capaldi got to be Scottish as Twelve, so the irony is not lost on me).

Likewise with the freckles, the idea there is that having or not having freckles has nothing to do with the character, but rather that freckles are somehow inherently bad and have to be covered up. I just can't help but think of what kind of message that sends, and especially what it makes David feel about himself. He's mentioned his insecurities about his appearance in the past, and it's unfortunate because his skin truly is beautiful and deserves to be seen in all its natural glory.

So yes, like you, I also wish these people would stop putting such ugly foundation and other products on David's face. I'm hoping it was only for that particular photo shoot, and that he won't be wearing it in the show itself. Fingers crossed...

[glindasbubbles]

Could you please write a fanfiction of Loreen and fem reader meeting after a greet and meet and loreen laying an eye on the reader inviting her in hervdressing room talking and ending up having a intimate time?

Loreen had just finished the last show from her Tattoo tour. As she exited the stage, she felt a rush of adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment. It had been an incredible night, and she couldn't have been happier with the way things had turned out. 

To celebrate the end (and success) of the tour, she and the crew decided to do a meet & greet with the fans. It's been a while since the last one and she was really excited to do so. She loved these moments, getting to know the people who supported her music and hearing their stories. As she walked backstage, a feeling of contentment washed over her. However, one fan in particular had caught her eye amongst the others. 

Y/n waited in line with other fans outside the venue, her heart raced. She had practiced what she would say to Loreen a thousand times, but now that the moment was approaching, her words felt inadequate. As fans were ushered in one by one, y/n was struck by how stunning Loreen looked in person. She had always been beautiful in photos and music videos, but in real life, she was radiant.

It didn’t take too long until y/n was talking with Loreen, "Hi there darling," Loreen said, breaking the silence that had settled between them "What's your name?"

“Y/n” she stammered, her voice barely audible.

Loreen couldn't help but be captivated by y/n's enthusiasm and the genuine sparkle in her eyes. She signed y/n's CD and took a moment to chat with her. The connection was instantaneous, and their conversation flowed effortlessly. Loreen noticed y/n's infectious laugh and the way she seemed to light up the room.

After the meet and greet, as Loreen retreated to her dressing room, she couldn't get y/n out of her mind. There was something about her, a magnetic pull that left Loreen wanting to know more. She knew she had to see her again, so she asked her assistant to find out if she could be brought back to her dressing room.

A little bit of time passed and y/n was standing before Loreen once again, this time in the privacy of the dressing room. Loreen couldn't help but smile, her eyes fixed on the young woman. "You know, y/n," she began, her voice taking on a sultry tone, "there's something about you that's simply irresistible." Y/n blushed, her heart racing at Loreen's words. The singer leaned in closer, her lips just inches from y/n's ear. "I hope you don't mind, but I have a weakness for people who catch my eye."

Y/n's face flushed with desire, and she met Loreen's gaze with a mix of anticipation and excitement. "I... I don't mind at all, Loreen."

Loreen's lips curled into a mischievous smile, and she leaned in to brush a soft, lingering kiss on y/n's cheek. "Good," she whispered, her warm breath sending shivers through y/n’s body. "Because I plan on getting to know you much better." With that, Loreen leaned in and captured the young woman’s  lips in a passionate kiss. The room seemed to spin as their connection deepened, and y/n melted into the embrace. It was a moment of pure, electric attraction, and they couldn't resist the magnetic pull between them any longer. Loreen pulled y/n closer, and the dressing room filled with the harmonious sounds of a different kind of melody, one that was written by two hearts that had found each other in the most unexpected of places.

[sunniebelle]

Haywire- Chapter 2

The Doctor and Rose wander the fairground in search of a meal.

Nine x Rose, Captain Jack Harkness

AO3- Chapter 1, Chapter 2

TSP- Chapter 1, Chapter 2

In her periphery, Rose could see Jack being his usual charming self, smiling invitingly at anyone who caught his eye. When she smiled up at the Doctor, he seemed to be ignoring their flirtatious companion. He was too busy educating her about the history of Phoenix and the surrounding communities, the food and some of the game stalls they passed. She let his words flow over her for the most part, letting it all just soak into her as they walked along.

One thing Rose noticed as she, the Doctor, and Jack went to find something to eat, is that the festival grounds were quite clean. The times she had been to a festival or carnival on Earth, trash from irresponsible and lazy humans was everywhere; however here on Phoenix, the isles were clean and the people wandering around were pointedly holding onto their trash until they found a receptacle.

Rose had only been to a fair ground a couple times. The first time was when she and her mate Shareen had won tickets from a lottery. The other time she had gone with Mickey; she'd coerced him with the vintage car they apparently had on display near the grounds. She went to look around the festival, while he ogled the car to his heart’s content.

This time was completely different, not only because she was on another planet, but because the Doctor was with her, holding her hand, lecturing her in his rather sexy Northern brogue about the history of the autumn festival and how certain games, rides and events were established.

Rose had long since overcome her awkwardness at seeing so many aliens and differences in culture; instead seeing the beauty and wonder in every new landscape she came across, or learning how different cultures reminded her of something from her home planet.

It was an incredible feeling, bubbling up inside her and she turned to face the wonderful man that was making it possible for her to experience another fantastic adventure. Rose couldn’t directly pinpoint the moment she knew she was in love with the Doctor, but regardless of when or how it happened, she felt her deep love for him swell inside her until it burst forth in a joyful laugh. She relished the tender smile he sent her way. His icy-blue eyes—so often intense, calculating and able to cut an enemy to the quick with a single glare— were now soft and twinkling merrily at her, obviously feeling chuffed that he could make her happy.

The paths were not too crowded, but enough so that the Doctor kept her close to his side, not allowing passers-by to split them apart; and she certainly wasn’t going to complain about being so close to him or how his hand wrapped protectively around hers.

Rose’s stomach chose that moment to make its empty state known, but even as she searched more intentionally for something to eat, she couldn’t help but let her attention be drawn to all the sights and sounds around her. This was what she loved and why she kept traveling with the Doctor; seeing things no one in her world could scarcely imagine, now right before her eyes!

One particular smell suddenly captured her attention and she turned to find a quaint stall that had many different types of baked goods on display. Still holding the Doctor’s hand, they made their way over to the stall, and Rose’s mouth began to water at the delicious smells wafting about her. She looked up at the Doctor, as he was glancing over the selections. He smiled at her, giving her a nod. She couldn’t help but beam at him, knowing he was telling her the food was safe for her to eat.

“Hello there, dearie. What can I tempt you with on this fine day?” asked the proprietor, a pleasant, grandfatherly gentleman with a twinkling eye and wide smile. He reminded her of her own grandfather, Granddad Prentice; though she was too young to have memories of him, other than the stories her mum told and the pictures in the photo album. This man had silver hair and a lavender tint to his skin; a rather eye-catching look. With his cheerful and buoyant demeanor, he endeared himself to her at once.

“Hi! I’m Rose, and this is the Doctor,” she smiled, up at the Doctor, who seemed to be looking at something behind them with an exasperated roll of his eyes. “And this is Ja—.”

She turned to where Jack had been mere moments before, now seeing him introducing himself to a couple, who were seemingly in a familiar state of dazed interest.

“Well, looks like your friend has other things on his mind than food,” the man chuckled, extending his hand to Rose.

“I am Jurrop, owner of this fine bakery. A pleasure to meet you and your husband. May I tempt you with one of my baked goods, all fresh baked today. I have be’rn batons, trelan aquanauts, keuts meat pies.”

Jurrop gestured to each item he named off, some looking similar to earth foods, like various pies and fruit dishes, and other items that looked so alien she couldn’t even begin to guess what they were or might taste like. But she knew from experience not to let the look of something put her off trying it. One might be pleasantly surprised, as she often was.

“Oh, it all looks so good. I don’t know what to choose.”

She deliberately chose to gloss over the man’s presumption that she and the Doctor were married, cutting off the Doctor’s likely ready rebuttal, seeing his mouth close and his head turn to look at her quizzically. She was tired of correcting people and receiving strange looks when they refuted such claims. Though she couldn’t help the thrill she got whenever she entertained the idea of being the Doctor’s wife, impossible as it was.

“What would you suggest Jurrop?” She asked the proprietor.

“I’m pleased you asked, my dear. This,” he said, pointing to a small danish-looking item with a light brown center and white something-or-other drizzled on top, “is a ke'etti torte, a recipe handed down through my family for five generations; a delight to the taste buds, for sure, if I may be so bold to say so.”

“Mm, looks very good. What do you say, Doctor?” She looked up at him, teasing him with a tongue-touched smile. “Want to try a ki—, uh, ket—… one of those with me?”

“Looks as good as anything else I suppose,” he shrugged, studying the item in question.

Rose chanced another glance at him, but he had his guard up, and though she could swear she had seen a tiny smile on his lips a minute ago, it wasn’t there now. She gave an internal sigh, wishing the Doctor wasn’t so difficult to read.

“We’ll take two of those, please, Jurrop. Oh, do you have tea? Could do with a cuppa right about now.”

“Well, I do have this Nelertoni. A smooth, spice flavored brew that is popular with many travelers. I have it quite often myself.” The older man gestured to a box of tea bags, next to a steaming teapot which sat under something resembling a hot plate.

She felt the Doctor lean closer to her and whisper in her ear, “That’ll taste a bit like an apple-cinnamon latte. Might taste good with that treat.”

Rose felt a shiver run down her spine as the Doctor’s warm breath tickled her ear, his face close enough she could feel his aquiline nose barely brush her skin, sending a tingle through her.

“Yeah,” she whispered breathily, before clearing her throat and agreeing more loudly for Jurrop’s benefit. She sent the Doctor a side-eye glare as he stood up straight, chuckling softly. The git, he’d done that on purpose.

Rose turned her attention to Jurrop, watching him pour hot water into two white ceramic mugs and dunking a tiny canister, presumably holding the tea blend, into each one. She made small talk with the grandfatherly gentleman, asking about his family and business while he set two of the sweets into a small oven-like device, stating they tasted best when warm. He seemed quite pleased to answer her queries, bragging about his children and grandchildren and the many people he got to meet with his business.

When she noticed the Doctor looking at her, with an expression she’d seen before, yet still struggled to name—pleased, proud perhaps, though she wasn’t sure why that would be—she gave him a bright smile, then returned her attention to the proprietor and the meal he was now handing to them.

Rose noticed the loss of warmth as the Doctor released her hand in order to present his credit stick, and accept the tray holding their meal. She accepted the credit stick back from Jurrop and slipped it into the pocket of the Doctor’s jacket.

Jurrop directed them to a set of tables and chairs he kept outside his stall, thanking them and giving Rose a pleased, tender smile when she thanked him for chatting with her and for the food. Moments later, Rose was seated next to the Doctor at one of the two small tables built into the side of the food stall.

Rose's first bite of the danish-like item was pure bliss. The sweet and tangy flavors burst to life on her tongue. She couldn’t suppress a moan of enjoyment as her eyes closed in rapture.

When she opened them again, she found the Doctor staring at her with an odd look on his face. She couldn’t help but laugh. He looked puzzled, until she used her thumb to wipe the crumbs from his lips.

Just as she pulled her hand back, his tongue slipped through his lips to remove the crumbs. She felt a shiver run through her body as the tip of his tongue brushed the sensitive pad of her thumb. She felt her face flush brightly as she tried to keep her mind from diving straight into the gutter.

The tops of the Doctor’s ears grew red and Rose found herself drawn into his gaze, unable to look away from his irresistible, intense blue eyes.

She felt herself lean forward, her head tilting up, her eyelids growing heavy. She saw the Doctor’s own heavy-lidded eyes glance down at her lips and back to her eyes. He turned back to his meal, rather abruptly, and the heat of the moment was broken like shattering glass.

Rose turned back to her own food, confused and trying not to feel rejected; also trying to get her mind to think of other things than how badly she wished she could just say, “To hell with it!”, and kiss the Doctor passionately, with all the desire and longing she had pent up for over a year.

But he obviously wouldn’t want that. If he did, he’d have taken the opportunity to kiss her just now…right?

She took a big swallow of her tea, letting its soothing warmth distract her from all the swarming thoughts and emotions that were plaguing her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Notes:

I hope it wasn't too terrible, and please don't hate me for that ending. I promise, this story has a happy ending for the Doctor and Rose!

Now, I don't know when the next chapter will come out because it's still being written, but I have a general outline for this story and hopefully it will go well and the muse will keep coming!

I would love to hear from you, even if it's an emoji; I read every comment and treasure them all! Thank you for reading!

(Tagging @doctorroseprompts and @doctor-rose-events)

All rights for Doctor Who and its characters belong to the BBC.

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Biweekly Media Roundup

- Wednesday (TV) - I’m enjoying this so far. I’m pretty much always down for any premise revolving around a monster school, the mystery is pretty interesting, I like the overall aesthetics and costume design, and I do think the writers did a pretty good job with most of the central cast’s characterization. I have some complaints on the overall monster design and on Wednesday herself, who I think is fine as far as entertaining characters go but is callous to the point where I genuinely don’t understand why any of her peers would ever want to spend time with her, but as far as first seasons go it was solid, and there's always room for improvement later. It definitely stands on its own as a little murder mystery drama mini-series, though I do desperately want to watch the movies again now.

- Defunctland (Youtube Channel) - I don’t normally include Youtube videos here as I watch too many to count but Defunctlands latest documentary on the Disney Channel theme somehow made my cold heart feel things so here it is. 

- Chainsaw Man (Anime) - Finally caught up with the anime and uh. Holy shit. Makima was already a stand-out in a great cast of likable weirdos with her soft spoken voice and androgynous drip but seeing her full abilities in action was really something. Horrifying, well executed, adds so much mystery and intrigue to the show, an excellent addition all around. I am seeing why this series was so hyped up, as while it wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be I’m definitely having a lot of fun with it. Excellent animation, a little bit of introspection, and some very cool monster concepts, I can definitely see this becoming one of my faves in the future, though it’s raunchy/occasionally gory nature makes it a show I wouldn’t recommend to everyone withought knowing their tolerance for those things first.

- Spy X Family (Anime) - Glad the tennis arc is over, I don’t hate this new love rival character but her and her schemes are far less interesting than Anya’s school issues and everything Yors got going on so I’m excited to get back to that.

- Mob Psycho 100 (Anime) - Not much Mob left, gotta savor it while I can.

- Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun (Anime) - While I adore these characters, I’m not really liking this season as much as the last ones, I hope we get to a new arc soon and maybe get more background on the adult cast or get to see the kids just hanging out more. For this series I want more wholesome comedy not prolonged action tactics- there's nothing wrong with the latter but it’s just so much better at the former.

- The S Classes That I Raised (Webcomic) - Too bad this has such a small Western fandom, as I’ve been thinking about these little guys quite a lot this week. Han Yoojin’s mom energy is just incredibly endearing and the webcomic designs of Moon and Riette are very ...woman yes good musclular  strong arm woman I love mhhmm. I think I’ll make a compilation of Peace photos to put over on my monster blog as the artist really captures the adorable + chaotic little gremlin energy well with the little flareon-thing. This series has now joined my ‘constantly checking for updates’ list for the near future.

- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Video Game) - I haven't played this game, but I have been enjoying the character designs. Rika in particular has great casual butch energy. 

- Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Webnovel) - This has been here for a good chunk of the year but thanks to an audionovel version I’ve been catching up on it a lot. Just got a bit past the “Incarnation Kim Dokja will be killed by the one he loves the most” arc which sure made me feel things oh boy. I plan to binge read the whole novel over the holidays and let it break me like I know it will.

Listening to: Red Flags by Tom Cardy, Tot Musica by Ado, Shout Out to My Ex by Little Mix, Stay by Reinaeiry, People Watching by Conan Gray, Happy by P!nk, Comatose by Skillet, Fallout by Marinas Trench, All the Boys by Panic! at the Disco, Lent by Autoheart, A Good Song Never Dies by Saint Motel

[hotlink907]

Which idol has your favourite:

Eyes

Face

Bust

Arms

Midriff

Thighs

Legs

Butt

Side profile

Overall body

Eyes: This is a difficult one for me to start with. From an aesthetic standpoint, I love eyes. I love closeup face shots during photoshoots. When I write, I often use those kinds of photos as inspiration (for both smut and regular fiction). I typically like soft, expressive eyes the most. I don’t think I can just pick one for eyes, so I will list several. I like Kim Lip and Olivia Hye both have very expressive eyes in general, which I find quite beautiful. I also find Giselle’s eye shape to be unique--she always looks like she is hiding a secret that only she knows. But on the other hand, I love Soyeon’s eyes. They’re nearly cat-like, very sharp, and you can tell how intelligent she is just by looking at them--even when she isn’t wearing makeup. Barefaced Soyeon takes up a lot of real estate in my brain for sure.

Face: This isn’t an easy decision, and I have to give honorable mentions to Kim Lip and Rosé, who each have an incredibly gorgeous face. But overall, I would say Miyeon. To me, her face is seriously one of the most stunning I have ever seen. Honestly, she looks like someone that could have been a muse to an ancient sculpture. She is certainly classically beautiful, but there’s also something unique to her appearance that makes her stand out. And her smile makes me melt every time I see it.

Bust: Truthfully, bust isn’t something I pay that much attention to. But there is one idol that currently has been grabbing my attention with her bust. And that’s Shuhua! She really has been confident lately, both in styles and in the way she carries herself. The shot of her in the green dress in NXDE really has been living in my head since the premiere.

Arms: There’s one answer that popped into my mind for this one, and it has to be Heejin. My goodness. Intimidating and beautiful. You can really tell how much work she puts in. This isn’t a trait I always notice, but it’s impossible to not notice on her.

Midriff: This is difficult, because there are so many good choices for it. But I think I will go with Soyeon, my ult. Lately, she’s been wearing a lot of outfits that show off her belly, and the only word I have to describe it is… well, it’s pretty much perfect. She works extremely hard and it shows.

Thighs: This one is pretty easy for me. Giselle, definitely. I am absolutely a leg appreciator, particularly thighs, and she has some of the nicest I’ve ever seen. She has a wonderful body shape overall, but I do find myself paying particular attention to her legs. Honorable mention to Soojin for this one.

Legs: Like I mentioned before, I definitely really appreciate legs. That means it’s too hard for me to pick one! So I’ll give you a few. Sorry if this is cheating ^__^ First of all, I have to mention Joy. My goodness. That woman’s legs go on for days. And of course, as before, Giselle. It’s one of her most noticeable features for me. Then there’s Rosé—she doesn’t always show them off, but when she does… wow. It’s extremely noticeable! I could go on about this for days though… there’s a lot of idols with perfectly maintained legs.

Butt: Another difficult one for me. The immediate answer that popped into my mind was Hwasa. I admire Hwasa’s body greatly, and her “I’m a B” video does a great job of explaining why. But Jennie has also caught my eye recently, especially in some of her recent video appearances. I think if I had to pick though, I would go with Hwasa.

Side profile: I have two for this one. First, is it cheating if I say Miyeon again? Seriously, I know I said it before, but I genuinely think she is one of the most stunning women on the planet currently. She really fits the word statuesque. Second, Kim Lip. She has a similar air to Miyeon—a kind of otherworldly, ethereal type of beauty. Really, look up Kim Lip’s side profile. Her photos are art.

Overall body: Oh goodness. What a difficult one to end with. My first thought is Soyeon—she’s my ult, and I love how she can be so small, yet use her body in such a way as to become so absolutely powerful. When she dances and performs, she utilizes her body so perfectly.

My two follow-ups would be Hwasa and Giselle. I have a huge appreciation for long-legged aesthetics, especially someone like Hwasa with a bit of curve to her.

That being said, Soyeon is still my ult, my number 1, and an absolute queen. We stan.

What a fun question! Thank you again for asking. I love answering stuff like this. I have another that I’ll be working on hopefully tomorrow. Feel free to ask more!

[dreamsinombre]

Delightful haul from a wonderful local fiber festival yesterday. I got to spend some quality time with one of my favorite people, drink mead, get sheep kisses, and squish a lot of yarn.

I got a skein of Jacob, two alpacas, and a sw merino that was (somewhat) locally botanically dyed (the one I got was dyed with orange dahlias).

The brown/grey alpaca I'm pretty excited about because I got another skein of the same type (different vendor) last year, and now I definitely have enough to make a whole sweater! Debating making another version of an original sweater I'm working on now, or designing something new for it.

The chocolate/black alpaca was just too lovely to pass up. It's hard to capture in the photos but the colors are just so incredibly rich. Not sure what I will make with this. Might just keep it to touch constantly.

This particular skein of grey jacob called to me, but I have no idea what I'll make of it. It just called to me the first round we made of vendors and then I came back to it immediately and so I got it. I've got a dark jacob/alpaca blend that I inherited from my mother, so I might pair them. We'll see!

Last, but not least, the botanically-dyed sw merino is going to a different home! I'm participating in a yarn swap (partners kept secret about who is sending their package), and I wanted to have a couple local yarns to send to them, since they are in a different country. (They don't follow me here, so I feel safe in posting about it before they get it.)

In perusing the wide array of yarns at the festival, I find myself gravitating more and more toward not only non-superwash yarns, but also diving into breed-specific yarns beyond the usual merino. I'm really enjoying feeling the difference in fiber across different breeds (even the identified blends, like the jacob/alpaca I have) and just seeing the divergence in softness and loft and look and so much more. It's also making me really looking forward to finishing spinning up the dyed fibers I have and moving onto the undyed fibers I have: shetland, jacob, corriedale, and bluefaced leicester.

I enjoyed crocheting a lot over the summer, and have transitioned to working on knit sweaters during the transition into autumn, and I am anticipating feeling a pull toward spinning once it's winter and we fire up the wood stove for the season again.

[pynkhues]

Top 5 of your own plants AND top 5 dream plants to own

MEGAN, asking me to choose between my plant children is basically criminal at this point, haha. At last count, I have over fifty of them, which is - - y'know, a lot of plants.

It's kind of a wild thing to me, because I had about three at the start of the Melbourne lockdowns, but I found they were just something that helped me feel really connected to the world during that 263 days of isolation. It sparked such a passion for gardening and plantcare that I don't think I had before - just getting to nurture these little slices of potted life and watch them grow and change during a period of my life that felt drawn to a halt was very special, and it's been something I've really gotten to take out of a few very challenging years.

But yes, haha, my plants! Top five in no particular order:

(All of my) Peperomias

I have about six peperomias, a few of them are cuttings of this lady right here, but I have a few other sub-species of her too. Peperomias are great because they're so easy to look after and have such great shapes to them. They also have SUCH fascinating flowers which you can see on one of my other ones here:

The flowers are these long, spindly soft-green stem extensions, and this picture doesn't really do them justice in reality. They're beautiful, hardy plants though, and I love them a lot.

My snake plant

She just keeps growing and she has such height to her, which you can only kinda see in this pic, haha. Anyway, I love her, A+ lady.

My monstera

I've posted about this one before, but I've had her since she was about 10cm tall, so the fact that she's now up to my sternum is bananas. (Yes, I know I need to buy her a new moss stick because the one she has is way too short, and better tuck her aerial roots, but in my defence, she grows very fast).

My crucifix orchid

She's not flowering at the moment, but I still think she's a megababe. Plus I think aerial roots are sexy and any home gardener cutting them off is WRONG. Embrace the wild things your plants do! It's their world, we're just living in it, etc etc etc.

My rubber plant with bonus Oreo

A terrible photo of my rubber plant, but Oreo loves to hide under her leaves, and this is the best photo I have of that, so I hope you get the gist anyway, haha.

Top Five Plants I Want

My dream these days is to have a proper native garden to provide sanctuary to native wildlife, particularly native bats, birds and bees (the three B's!) I'm pretty passionate about decolonising gardens, so even though I love a lot of non-native plants (including virtually all of the ones above), I do think that our gardens should prioritise native flora and try to restore our natural ecosystems.

I rent, which is a big part of why most of my plants are transportable, but I'm hoping soon I might be able to start fostering a native garden.

In that, five of the plants I'd want would be:

Lemon Myrtle

I adore lemon myrtle, both as a plant and as food. It's delicious, beautiful, and just this incredible plant? I love her.

Waratahs

Gorgeous showstoppers!!

Kangaroo Paw

Kangaroo Paw's are probably one of my favourite native plants period, and I did actually have one for a long time, but I'd planted her out into the backyard and the soil at the place I live isn't very good quality, and despite trying to treat it, she died, which is a bummer. I'm hoping I have better luck next time!

Native Bluebell

We have a whole lot of these in the park near my house, and I just think they're really pretty. Tumblr's not letting me upload a pic, but you can see them here.

Wattle

Yeah, okay, she's Australia's national flower, but I am in love with herrrr. Golden Wattle still takes my breath away when I see her in full flower, and the idea of having that at home is magic.

Ask me about my top fives!