#the boys and I have had long talks about the Barbie movie

[call-me-maggie13]

Things my coworkers said during the Barbie movie:

Carson (17) : “wait. Is Ken the OG incel?”

Jermie (22) : “where do I get those rollerblades?” Also “That little girl is kinda mean. It’s not Barbie’s fault the world sucks. She should punch a president instead of yelling at Barbie.”

Jalen (19) : “now I’m upset that horses don’t run the world.”

Ken (24) : [quietly, during “I’m Just Ken,” in time with the music] “Ken. Ken. Ken. Ken. Ken.”

Caleb (18, his first day was the same day we went to the movie) : “I always thought I would want Morgan Freeman to narrate my life, but now I want Lizzo to write a song about it.”

Nathan (22, dressed up as Allan) : “Midge is actually Allan’s wife. Did you know that? He’s not actually gay. I mean, he is because him and Ken definitely fuck but - ” [gets told to shut up by another movie-goer] [quietly] “some people don’t know the Barbie lore and it shows.”

Cody (20, brought his gf but made her sit alone so he could sit with us) : “I like the little old lady. She reminds me of my granny. Except less racist.”

Questions the boys asked after the Barbie movie:

Carson : “I don’t think I understood it. Why was Barbieland supposed to be better than the real world if the Kens were treated like objects.” [we all kinda explain it] “Wait. Maggie. You feel like a Ken every day? I’m so sorry.”

Jermie : “Why did the old lady not tell Barbie she could be real? Is that something I was supposed to understand?”

Jalen : “Was that Dua Lipa? Was she a mermaid? Also, Ryan Gosling? Margot Robbie? Kate McKinnon? Dude. I thought this was gunna be bad just because it had so many big Hollywood people. But it was - god. Greta Gerwig will definitely be mentioned in my next therapy session. Can we come back next week?”

Ken : “Did you cry? I didn’t cry. It was alright.” (he definitely cried. Twice. I sat next to him.)

Caleb : “Can we get matching I Am Kenough shirts?”

Nathan : “Can I write a letter to Greta Gerwig to both thank her and ask her to never make a movie again? I don’t think I’ll survive another Greta movie.” (He has seen Little Women (2019) and Lady Bird (2017). He claims to have not recovered from either of them as well.)

Cody : “What’s a gynecologist?”

[pucksandpower]

if requests are open, can I pls request baby vettel telling her brothers (the grid kids) she has a "boyfriend" when she comes home from kindergarten one day ??? if requests are closed, please ignore 💗 love your works so much !!

Grid Kids: Cooties

Sebastian Vettel x wife!Reader x platonic!drivers

Summary: the grid kids take being big brothers very seriously

Series Masterlist

“No.”

Max’s voice is firm, his face aghast.

Charles, sitting next to him, nods in agreement. “I thought we agreed that you’re not allowed to date until you’re 40?”

Your daughter looks up from her crayon artwork, her little brows furrowing. “But Tommy said we’re boy ... boyfr …”

Lance interrupts, “Boyfriend and girlfriend? No, no, no. Absolutely not.”

George chimes in, holding up a toy car, “Tell whoever this Tommy is that you’re too busy racing to have a boyfriend.”

Lando adds, “Besides, boyfriends mean cooties. Do you want cooties?”

She tilts her head, pondering the dire consequences of these so-called cooties.

Charles, trying to be the voice of reason, kneels down to her level. “Sweetie, you’re a smart, wonderful little girl. And Tommy is, well ... you can do better.”

Mick, watching the entire exchange, laughs. “Guys, she’s just a kid. They’re probably just sharing crayons.”

Lando looks scandalized, “Crayons today, hearts tomorrow. It’s a slippery slope!”

Sebastian, watching the overprotective madness unfold, turns to you with a smirk, “I think our daughter has a solid set of bodyguards.”

You laugh, wrapping an arm around him. “Good luck to any actual future boyfriends.”

Your daughter simply shrugs, scribbles something on a piece of paper, and hands it to Charles. “For Tommy.”

Charles reads aloud, “We can be friends. But no cooties. Okay?”

***

The next day after school, Max bends down to your daughter’s eye level, “Now, which one is Tommy?”

She points a tiny finger to a little boy playing with a toy car on the playground. He has sandy hair and an innocent expression as he makes car noises.

Lando claps his hands together, “Alright, mates, game faces.”

George rolls his eyes but can’t help his grin, “Really? We’re really doing this?”

Lance nudges him, “We have to ensure he’s good enough for our sister!”

As the grid kids approach Tommy, he looks up, wide-eyed at the small army of grown-ups marching towards him.

Charles squats down, “Hey there, buddy. You Tommy?”

Tommy nods slowly, clutching his toy car.

George, leaning down too, tries to sound stern, “We heard you’re, uh, dating our sister.”

Lando, animatedly acting out air quotes around the word dating, adds, “We just wanted to have a quick chat.”

Mick, clearly finding the whole situation hilarious, jumps in, “You know, about intentions and all.”

Tommy blinks, “Inten-what?”

Max clears his throat, “Look, Tommy, we just want to make sure you’re treating our sister right. No stealing her toys or snacks.”

Lando jumps in again, “And absolutely no cooties. We had a long talk about that.”

Tommy nods fervently, “I don’t have cooties!”

Charles chuckles, “Good to know. So, you’ll play nice with her?”

Tommy nods again, “I promise. I just wanted to show her my new car.” He holds up the toy proudly.

George pats him on the head awkwardly, “Alright, Tommy. Just remember, we’re watching you.”

***

“Operation Sneaky Sneak is a go. Over,” Lando whispers dramatically into his walkie-talkie from his hiding spot behind a bush.

“Copy that,” George responds, trying to peer into Tommy’s living room window from a tree branch, “They’re ... playing with dolls? Oh, and there are some cookies. Over.”

Lance, hidden behind a garden gnome, chimes in, “I hope they're chocolate chip. Over.”

Charles, from his spot on top of a garden shed, adds, “No visual on any suspicious activities. Just some Barbies about to get the worst haircut of their life. Over.”

Mick, wedged between two trash cans, mutters, “Feels like we’re in a bad spy movie.”

Max, crouching behind a car, counters, “Feels? We ARE in a bad spy movie.”

Suddenly, the back door to Tommy’s house swings open and out step his parents, chatting and laughing. The grid kids freeze.

George, panicking, whispers into the walkie-talkie, “Abort mission! I repeat, abort!”

Lance tries to slink away, “Going dark! Going dark! We have been compromised.”

But it’s too late. Tommy’s mother spots them. “Um, gentlemen? What are you doing?”

Charles attempts to play it cool, “Oh, you know, just ... birdwatching. Beautiful sparrows around here.”

Tommy’s father suppresses a grin, “In our backyard? With walkie-talkies?”

Lando, thinking on his feet, responds, “Modern birdwatching. Very high tech. Over.”

Mick gives him a look, “Did you seriously just say over out loud?”

Max tries to salvage the situation, “We just wanted to ensure the playdate went ... smoothly.”

Tommy’s parents burst into laughter. “You guys really care about her, huh?”

Before anyone can respond, there’s a rustling from above. Thunk! “Ow!” Thwack! “Not the face!” Crash! “My hair!”

Everyone’s attention is immediately drawn to George who has dramatically fallen out of the tree, hitting almost every branch on the way down.

Rubbing his back, George groans from where he’s splayed on the ground, “Guess I should leave the climbing to the kids.”

Tommy’s mother takes pity on the fully grown children masquerading as adults in front of her, “Would any of you like to come in for juice boxes?”

The grid kids exchange sheepish glances. “Yes, please,” they reply in unison.

[cottonconnielvr]

okayyy, another idea inspired by tt !

now this one, i can say maybe connie had the boys over even though he promised spoiled!reader they were gonna have a date day! no drops, no games, no boys, just her and con! so when she’s met with a group of men circled around the tv she rebuttals by walking around without any panties 🫣 you may continue my lady🫶🏾

I LOVE THISS

✩

“I know I know, i’m sorry princesa. we can just do it tomorrow,kay?” Connie’s thumbs move rapidly on his ps5 controller, his eyes not leaving the tv. You could hear a few laughs coming from his homeboys that were sitting too comfortably on your couch.

You did nothing but roll your eyes, his “boys” eyeing you up and down, staring at your ass a little too long. You stomped out of the living room, going into your room and closing the door.

You were genuinely upset with Connie. You were looking forward to your date night, you guys planned something simple; do a little shopping, have dinner, smoke n fuck, then have a barbie movie marathon.

But as you were preparing to get ready, Connie blessed you with the news “Some of the guys r gonna come over for a bit, just chill a lil bit” You immediately grew upset.

There were times where you felt as if Connie would always choose the streets, drugs, and money before you. He handles his business everyday, is one night away from it so bad?

Hours later, you could still hear the sounds of him doing stupid shit with his friends. You scrolled through instagram, feeling annoyed. Just then you came up with a very very smart idea! You knew the consequence you were gonna have to face after doing this but it was worth it, this would most definitely catch Connie’s attention.

You walked out of your shared room in an oversized graphic tee. You walked to the kitchen, grabbing a pack of gushers out of the pantry.

“SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU CAN’T STACK WITH THE SAME COLOR?” Jean yells from his spot on the floor.

“NOOOOO YOU STACK BY NUMBER!!” Ony yells back, slapping the side of his head.

You rolled your eyes, loud ass mfs in my house

You walked over to Connie who was smoking a blunt, his hand immediately curving around your waist when you sat on his lap. Your shirt covered your bare glistening cunt, Connie’s muscular thigh pressing against you.

You held up a gusher to his mouth, him mindlessly eating it, passing the blunt to Eren.

“Pay attention to meee” You whispered to Connie, kissing up and down his neck. “I promise I gotchu right after they leave okay?” Your face went straight. You sat on his lap in defeat, you’ve never had to experience someone practically dismissing you.

Suddenly you dropped the package on the floor on purpose. You’d told up before bending down, flashing Connie your wet slit. You mentally smiled when you heard Connie stop talking. You stood up, walking to the trash can as if you were innocent.

You could feel Connie’s eyes on you, staring holes into the side of your face. “Y/N go in the room” He spoke out loud, causing you to look up.

At this point all his homeboys were staring. You could hear Eren snickering. Everyone in the room knew he was about to fuck your shit up, but they didn’t know why.

“Why?” You replied with the most sass and attitude you could generate. Connie didn’t say anything, just staring at you even harder if it was possible.

You sighed before rolling your eyes, walking into your room. Once your back was turned you couldn’t help but smile. I’m about to get dicked down, you sang in your head.

You could hear Connie dismissing all of his friends, finally

Your nerves began to rise just a bit when you heard the door close and lock. You hear Connie’s footsteps approaching your room.

“Fuck is your problem?” Connie closes the door behind it, locking that as well. You weren’t gonna run anywhere

“Connie you cancelled our fucking date night and then you act like you can’t even speak to me just because your “boys” are here” You snap at him, rolling your eyes before plopping back on the bed with your phone in hand, scrolling through instagram.

Before you can blink, Connie snatches your phone out of your hand. “Watch your mouth. I get that you’re upset but that doesn’t mean you walk around with no fucking panties on!” You roll your eyes once again. “Stop rolling your fucking eyes before I get ‘em stuck” Connie’s tattooed hand wraps around your throat, daring you.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head as Connie harshly thrusts up into you. You can’t feel your legs and your arms are shaking, tired from holding up all your weight.

You found yourself in this position often but nothing could explain how exhausting it was. Connie stood in front of the bed, his hands on your waist as he dragged you back on him.

“I..i-m..mhm.. i’m so s-sorry” Your voice whined out, arms going limp as you fall face down on the bed. You can hardly breathe, your cunt tightening around Connie. “I’m sorry too…fuck! s-shit” Connie whines as he follows you down, his body practically on top of you.

He flips you over with one hand, his dick staying stuffed inside you. He looks at your dazed expression, your eyes glossy and lips pouty. “Gonna be good for me hmm?” Connie hums, his thumb rubbing at your clit.

“Y-yes!! I’m sorry…s-slow please” Your hand presses at his lower stomach. Connie only shakes his head, grabbing both of your hands and pining them above your head. His head finds home in the crook for your neck, licking and sucking all over your exposed skin.

His thrusts became more fluid, his hips moving harder against yours. You could feel him everywhere.

In the blink of an eye, you unexpectedly came around him. Connie winced as you squirted around him, triggering his orgasm.

He only fucked into you harder, your mind going blank.

“S-so good mami! F-fuck…” His voice trailed off, whiny and desperate. His thrust slowed to a halt, he looked at you. Your eyes were closed and your lips were parted.

“Always falling asleep” Connie thought to himself before kissing you awake.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Omg hey I woul like to request something ! Ken x Reader (male, if possible) where the reader teaches Ken about the real world and they're also very in love. Thank you very much !

When Ken returned to the Real World again, he had a vision similar to Barbie's--realizing his owner was nearby.

Instead of a child....it's you, an adult who (like Gloria) inadvertently projected your own insecurities onto him while looking at an unboxed Beach Ken doll in your attic.

When you were younger, you really wanted to play with it unlike other boys who had action figures and nerf guns...but you were sorta shamed into keeping it boxed, as your parents said it would be more "valuable" one day.

Similarly..Ken had been stuck in a box all his life, trapped in the role of Barbie's accessory until recently.

So there's an instant connection when you two meet.

To make a long story short, you're like "ohhh hey I guess I kinda fucked up your mental stability, bro...you wanna come over and we can talk about it, man-to-man?"

He was very eager to go with you and learn more about your world beyond all the patriarchy and toxic masculinity.

You tell him about using your "male privilege" for good, and one defining example was when a random woman taps him on the shoulder, looking terrified and almost in tears.

"H-Hi, um..this is gonna sound really awkward but can you two pretend to be my friends for a second? This guy has been following me-"

"Of course." You reassure her, before looking to the confused Ken and telling him to go along with it.

The creepy guy comes along and backs off when he sees you two standing there protecting this lady, and once he's gone, she thanks you with hugs before leaving.

"I think I did a good job." Ken turns to you for validation, eyes shimmering. "Was that good, [y/n]? I mean playing pretend is all I've ever done so-"

"Yep. You did great." You chuckle, patting his shoulder. "I'm glad she thought you were a safe person to approach."

He nods and is giddy the whole way back home, especially when you get into your car and show him the different mechanisms, with him clinging to every detail.

These life lessons you're teaching him, however, made him think back to the "Kendom"...and he admits to trying to reinvent patriarchy there and feels ashamed of how he treated the Barbies.

He didn't think he'd open up this quickly to you, considering he never had any "manly" talks with other Kens (besides beach-offs).

But besides you being his owner, there's something about you that just made him feel...secure enough to do so. Like he could tell you anything.

You listen and reassure him that acknowledging his mistakes was a great first step to unlearning those toxic mindsets.

With all of that finally hashed out, you decide to show him the simple pleasures of the real world. Like cooking, watching TV, playing video games, etc.

Just mundane things you regularly do, with Ken picking up on some of your habits/routines as well as having some independence of his own.

You two grow closer as a result over the next few weeks, and you began falling for him and his humor and his charming smiles-

Yeah, you're 100% smitten for this doll who crossed worlds to meet you.

But you're not sure if he felt (or even could feel) the same way, since he was made to love Barbie and was...clearly still getting over his "breakup" with her. So you left it be.

That changes when you show him some emotional movie where the lead male characters showed vulnerability (ie Good Will Hunting or Brokeback Mountain) and he unconsciously holds your hand as he stares at the screen, tears staining his cheeks.

While the credits roll, your heart melts as he looks at you with those pretty blue eyes, his watery smile persistent.

"Th-Thanks for showing me this, [y/n].."

"Of course, Ken. Now you know that us guys don't always have to pretend to be tough. We're allowed to have feelings." You rub your thumb across his knuckles, a sweet gesture which makes him blush.

On the subject of feelings, he realizes that the ones he has for you are...leaning more into romance than "bromance" (yeah you taught him that term and it's part of his vocabulary now).

He becomes uncharacteristically quiet when you ask him what's on his mind, before he leans in to kiss you on the cheek. Purely on impulse.

You're both flustered at what happened, yet he panics internally when you don't say anything, trying to get up to leave so you didn't see him cry over the stupid decision he made-

"Ken, it's okay." You take his hands, convincing him to sit back down. "I had no idea you swung that way, but I'm...actually glad."

"Glad? Y-You're not...mad or anything?" He sniffles.

"Of course not. I....was planning to come out of the closet sooner or later. I just didn't know when or how to bring it up, but....I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore, thank god."

"So...does this makes us boyfriend and g....boyfriend?"

"If you want it to be, sure. I wouldn't mind a handsome doll being the love of my life." You wink.

Ken mirrors your smile, relieved to know you reciprocated his feelings.

Then he gets stumped on something and his eyebrows furrow.

"Wait...what closet were you talking about?"

Oh boy.

You just chuckle and give him a kiss on the lips.

Falling in love with a Ken doll from Barbieland certainly wasn't on your bucket list....

But you're perfectly content with that.

[balioc]

Thoughts on the Barbie Movie

Hoo boy. Here we go.

This is long. Spoilers abound.

I

The movie is not, in any normal sense, a Barbie movie (like this or this or this or whatever). It is not a story of Barbie doing the kinds of things that Barbie does in stories. It is an endlessly postmodern and self-referential movie about Barbie, which is to say, about the Barbie franchise and its role in culture. Which is, at least plausibly, an interesting thing for a movie to be.

You probably knew all that already. But it does give us a baseline of "this movie kind of had to be political and discourse-y, one way or another." Or even, to be more specific: "to some large extent this movie had to be about feminism, explicitly, if it was going to exist at all." How could you talk meaningfully about Barbie's role in culture without touching on that stuff?

II

The evaluative TLDR:

Barbie is very ambitious, and in many places very fun. It is also deeply confused, and fragmented, about what it's trying to say and do. Often it raises genuinely interested problems/scenarios and then totally fails to address them, or else addresses them in ways that are incoherent. The text knows that it's doing this, and on several occasions kind of apologizes for it; a couple of times it more or less looks into the camera and says "sorry, we're not going to deal with this properly;" but, well, that's not a substitute for dealing with things properly.

There is also a streak of genuine political nastiness running through the film, in a place where the story really cannot afford it. It...doesn't match up, tonally or thematically, with some of the surrounding material. I have no background at all in cinematic stratigraphy, but I would be fascinated to learn about Barbie's editorial history, because I have the vague sense that a more-cogent (and more-interesting) story got hacked apart and then Frankensteined together into something much cheaper and worse.

III

The opening sequence of the movie is wild. You've seen most of it -- or you can, if you haven't, and you want to -- because it is the film's first teaser trailer. Girls are playing listlessly with baby dolls; a giant Barbie appears like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey; and then the girls enter a frenzy of destruction, bashing their baby dolls' heads against the ground.

I don't know whether I would have found it as disturbing as I did, if I didn't actually have a baby of my own. But speaking from the standpoint of a parent...yeah, wow, it's more viscerally horrific than most actual horror I've seen recently. The narration says some stuff about Barbie providing a new and more rewarding set of imagination games to play, but the visuals by themselves tell a message loud and clear, which is: Barbie will turn your daughters into infanticidal maenads. It wouldn't need any editing at all to be part of a shock-you-silly Reefer-Madness-y moral panic film.

Which is really good! And really interesting! It starts us off on an undeniable thematic note: there is something primal and powerful and very dangerous about Barbie.

IV

The very best part of the movie is probably the part that comes right after the opening, when we explore the movie's depiction of "Barbieland" by going through Barbie's Typical Day, before we get into any of the notional plot or metaphysics. It's joyful and charming in a consistent way. The gags are (mostly) great. The movie is in love with its base premise, and that love is palpable.

This sequence makes one thing very clear:

Barbie treats Ken like absolute dogshit. She is a bad girlfriend.

And it's taken seriously. I mean, it's played for laughs, almost everything in this movie is played for laughs, but...it's not mean-spirited, not here. It's not, like, "ha ha, Ken, what a contemptible loser." He's Pierrot, asking for very basic forms of affection and attention and respect, and getting the door slammed in his face over and over. It's honestly kind of heartbreaking.

That colors everything that comes later.

The movie doesn't forget this, or fail to acknowledge it. At the end, after everything, Barbie does apologize to Ken for her treatment of him. It's a halfhearted and supremely unsatisfying kind of apology, especially in context, but...it's there, in so many words! I'm not making it up! This thematic foundation was laid down, not-very-subtly, right at the beginning!

V

This movie, which is at least trying to be ambitious, is juggling a million themes. Many of them are dumb at their core, and have no real promise; many of them lack any kind of narrative synergy with the others. But there are at least two which, I believe, (a) are genuinely worthwhile individually and (b) work well together in a story.

One is: What does it mean to be a symbol rather than a person? To exist, not for your own sake, but for the sake of influencing the dreams and culture of entities that you don't know and can't really understand?

The other is: What is the proper ordering of the relationship between Barbie and Ken?

I've seen a number of Takes in which people say, essentially: Couldn't this have ended with the Barbies and the Kens just being decent to each other and treating each other like humans? Couldn't there have been equality and mutual respect, instead of the weird uncomfortable girlboss-supremacist stuff that we got? And I sympathize with that impulse tremendously, but the honest answer has to be: No. We cannot have simple equality and esteem between Barbie and Ken, not in a movie like this. That would be a lie. Because this is a movie about Barbie-as-symbol, and when you're looking at Barbie through that lens, it is true and unavoidable that Ken is an appendage and an afterthought. You can have toys for boys; you can have dolls for boys (even if you call them "action figures" or whatever); for that matter, you can have dolls of boys for girls, so that girls can tell stories centering on male characters; but that's not what Ken is, and never has been. There are no Ken stories, and no one particularly wants them. Ken exists to be Barbie's boyfriend.

(One of the most painful moments of the movie comes during the resolution wrapup. Ken wails to Barbie that he has no identity outside her. She says, basically, "you have to find one, because I'm leaving you." And he...acts like he's had an epiphany, and does a little silly celebration. But his "insight" is just literally "I'm Ken," there's absolutely nothing there, and of course it's the most hollow and awful thing in the world because he really does have no identity outside her.)

VI

The movie's metaphysics are not even slightly consistent. The nature of Barbieland, and the ways that it affects and is affected by the real world, are completely different in every scene. In large part because the film can't ever pass up a gag, whether or not it's funny, no matter how much damage it does to the narrative and the theming overall.

The worst part is that the movie is not capable of saying anything remotely coherent about the real world, because its version of the "real world" is as weird and fake as its Barbieland. Will Ferrell's CEO of Mattel character is more of an absurd cartoon than any of the Barbies or Kens. Mattel HQ is some kind of surreal labyrinth tower out of The Matrix. A random receptionist can handle herself like James Bond in a car chase, for reasons that are [handwaved in a gag].

VII

So. Yes. There is the sequence in the third act where Ken takes over Barbieland with the power of patriarchy. This is pretty much as bad as it can be. And I say this as someone who thinks that the movie probably did actually need a plot thread doing roughly that kind of thing.

Almost as bad as it can be. The wannabe-patriarch Kens are gleefully goofy in a way that you can't help but love, or at least, I couldn't help but love it. Which has something to do with the writing and something to do with the charisma of all the Ken actors. The main Ken, Ryan Gosling's Ken, really seems to believe that being a successful patriarch has a lot to do with riding majestic horses and wearing a giant fur coat without a shirt, and when he takes over Barbie's Dream House he names it Ken's Mojo Dojo Casa House -- that kind of thing.

But. Apart from that, it's real unfortunate. The justification for Ken's ability to conquer Barbieland with patriarchy, instantly and effortlessly, is -- in almost so many words -- they had no defenses against it, it was like the American Indians encountering smallpox. I...don't think I need to spell out the problems with that.

Worse yet, the whole sequence is soaked in, uh, let's call it "2014-era upper-middle-class social-status-oriented feminism." The real bad behavior on the part of the Kens, the stuff they do when they're not being adorably weird, is: mansplaining their extensive opinions about cars and movies, and wanting to show off how helpful and knowledgeable they are to "damsels" who are having trouble using machines or computers. Apparently that's the real problem at hand, the causus belli of the gender wars. The way that you deprogram a patriarchy-brainwashed Barbie is by...ranting to her about the stereotypical social irritations of upper-middle-class women (e.g. "you have to keep yourself thin but not act like you care about being thin," "you have to be a confident leader but also be nurturing and supportive," etc.) [note that the Barbies of Barbieland have never encountered these irritations, at least not at the hands of men]. And the girlboss victory montage consists of having the Barbies put on deceptive manipulative bimbo acts to stroke the Kens' egos, which sure is one way to depict girlboss feminist victory.

But the most unforgivable thing of all is the depiction of the patriarchy-brainwashed Barbies. They're lad-magazine caricatures, endlessly offering their Kens "brewski beers," dressing up as French maids, gazing on in cow-eyed adoration as their Kens mansplain stuff to them.

Barbie does, in fact, have a problematic history with the patriarchy. And it does not look like that.

VIII

@brazenautomaton:

Barbie isn’t someone who had to fight through the patriarchy to be seen as good enough to be an astronaut even though she’s a woman. Barbie’s a fucking astronaut because she’s fucking Barbie of course she’s good enough to be an astronaut.

That is...one aspect of the deep Barbie lore. It is the Barbie-nature that Mattel was trying to push, as far back as my own childhood; it's certainly the Barbie-nature that Mattel is trying to push in this movie. But there is another side to Barbie, even older and even more fundamental than Senator Astronaut Veterinarian Barbie, and you can't make a postmodern movie-about-Barbie without addressing it.

This is Barbie the fashion doll. The Barbie who is an icon of ultra-consumerist teenage girlhood, whose life is defined by her fancy clothes and her fancy car. The Barbie whose most salient traits are her hourglass figure and her long blonde hair and her feet that are always posed to fit into high heels. The Barbie of "math class is tough!" The Barbie who is kinda vapid and shallow and, yes, boy-crazy.

How can you tell a story about Barbie wrestling with the culture of patriarchy, and not talk about that? How can you depict Barbie falling victim to the patriarchy and have it look nothing like that?

...the movie does bring up the specter of Vapid Consumerist Barbie, briefly. When Margot Robbie's Barbie first comes to the real world and meets with the sullen teenage daughter character, she has a litany of That Thing thrown in her face, and it makes her sad. But nothing is ever done with it, and it goes nowhere.

IX

And it could all have fit together so well. That's the hell of it.

You can imagine the version of the story in which Ken conquers Barbieland with patriarchy, because the Barbies are actually vulnerable to patriarchal narratives, because Vapid Consumerist Barbie is the chthonic serpent that gnaws at the foundations of Senator Astronaut Veterinarian Barbie civilization. He successfully makes them all forget that they're senators and astronauts and veterinarians, and turns them into airheaded teenage fashionistas who think that math class is tough.

And this avails him, and the other Kens, nothing. Even within the "patriarchal" version of Barbieland, Ken is still an afterthought and an appendage. He still gets treated like dogshit, just in a different idiom.

Because the thing that has always been true of Barbie, though every age and every phase of her mythos, is: she is the main character of her own story.

This is what the movie was telling us all the way back in the horrific 2001-pastiche prologue, right? Even when Barbie was just a swimsuit model, the point was that she let girls tell stories about themselves (or idealized/aspirational versions of themselves), not about boys or babies. That is a truer, and more powerful, feminist message about the meaning of Barbie than any message the movie actually bothers conveying.

The gag scene practically writes itself: the brainwashed Barbies are sitting around in a giggly slumber-party huddle talking about how dreamy Ken is, and actual Ken cannot get a word in edgewise, he can't even get them to notice he's there, because even Vapid Consumerist Barbie is fundamentally centered in her own life. Her narrative is not about a boy, it's about the experience of being a girl (mostly engaging with other girls) who likes thinking and talking about boys. Which is very much beside the point, if you started out with the complaint that your girlfriend never paid any attention to you.

Patriarchy hurts men too, indeed.

X

The movie ends, as I've intimated, in a disappointing squidge of thematic confusion. Barbie announces that she never really loved Ken, and leaves him, because...well, because these days the smart-set target audience is allergic to romantic narratives that Produce the Couple, as far as I can tell. Then she goes to the real world and becomes a real girl, a move that means nothing and is nonsensical even by the standards of the Barbie metaphysics, because the storytellers don't know how to end her arc and Becoming a Real Girl is the sort of thing that feels like a meaningful conclusion.

The Kens...sigh...the Kens ask for equal rights in Barbieland, more or less, and get told, "nah, but we'll throw you some bones." And they're happy with this, more or less, because they're dumb and don't really care. The narrator says, approximately, "maybe someday they'll make as much progress as women have in the real world." Haw haw.

It's probably too much to hope for a movie like this to be willing to say something substantive about responsibility and kindness in relationships. It's almost certainly too much to hope for a movie like this to be willing to say something about the nature of love symbols and love narratives. But all the pieces really were there, laid out very conspicuously. The movie could have wrapped up with: Ken doesn't need to be more important than Barbie, he doesn't even need to be as important as Barbie, he just needs to be treated with human decency. And if little girls are going to play with Barbies, and fantasize about having cute guys hanging all over them -- maybe they should have functional models of romance and human connection in which to root their fantasies, and not terrible ones.

[shinyzango]

Just curious, opinions on the different nutcrackers that you know of from all kinds of media and stuff?

Sorry if anyone asked this before I wouldn't know

Love your art and characters by the way keep it up!

Hohohohohohohoho, we be opening the Pandora Box here. Not that I'm complaining~

So, this is going to be a very long post as I've seen a lot of the movies. I also have a couple books which I can give my opinion, and I'm familiar with various apparitions in videogames and such. So yeah this is going to be a loooooooong post.

So buckle up, grab a drink and enjoy the ride into my personal madness o7

[ CAREFUL, VERY LONG POST UNDER THE CUT ]

So, let's start with movies as those are easier to grab and talk about for me. I'm gonna go with their year of release ot keep things organized.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Shchelkunchik (1973)

Small silly dramatic guy, I like him! The animators did a great job animating his design and make him incredibly appealing. As for his human appearance, eeeeeh I don't really care for him. Definitely a shock the first time you see it lol But yes, adorable silly guy

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nutcracker Fantasy (1979)

Li'l guy. It is Sanrio so it's bound to be on the cute side. The Nutcracker itself doesn't do much in the movie, but as for Fritz himself, I... honestly don't care about him. He looks pretty, but personality wise he needs to work on it pff Idk he just comes out as plain and a little arrogant... Still a fine fellow, though.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986)

One of the two ballet-based movies I've seen, and definitely the better one of the two imo. And good lord I love this guy. He may look terrifying but good lord if he's silly. And I actually don't mind his human appearance as simple as it is. Silly man, this one.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker Prince (1990)

HIM. MY BELOVED. THE GOOD LAD. Definitely my favorite, and not because this was my most beloved childhood movie. He is such a sweetheart with a hint of awkwardness but who can still kick your ass. And the final scene in the castle in the Italian dub is just *chef kiss* 10/10 lad.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker (1993)

The other ballet-based movie... it's just Macaulay Culkin. And his nutcracker costume looks hideous lol. Nothign to say. Surprisingly, he's not the worst one.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)

Ripoff Ken. He is incredibly dumb, and a tiny bit of a freak, but could be worse honestly kdjng They did Barbie before Barbie did it lol that's p much it.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)

THE OTHER GOOD LAD. I love Eric so much he's such a sweetheart wanting to fix his mistakes. It's so easy to root for him. As for his human appearance... he's just Ken skjngf 10/10 lad #2

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker and the MouseKing (2004)

Oh boy what to say about this one. Very hateful in the first half. At least he learns and becomes bearable at the last third of the movie. But I do like the nutcracker form, they made the blocky design work as well, like later on it's actually very nice to see him move. Still, horrible personality. Needs a slap in the face.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nutcracker in 3D / Nutcracker: The Untold Story (2010)

Hellspawn. Nightmare fuel. Abomination. Who the hell approved to that design?? And why did they pitch up his voice like that?? At least the kid playing human NC is not as bad, but good lord. 0/10 Just burn that puppet with fire, please.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

This one just pisses me off. This one had so much potential, and the actor is actually good. It's just the way his character was written that is dog awful. They made him basically a dumb side character who barely does anything despite everyone in the movie treating him like he's a big shot. And the the fact that this was made by Disney just makes this worse. Just so much lost potential.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker (???)

I actually don't know who made this movie or in which year, but I do like this one. The movie is comedic so he's a bit silly, but he's still quite enjoyable. And for some reason he reminds me of Waluigi.... Still, silly guy.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

That's all for the movies. There are a bunch more that I've missed or that I can't find anymore so my list of opinions on them is not complete. But one day...

---

As for other medias, hm... I have a couple books that are just the original story by Hoffman and the retell by Duman (of which I don't have much to say) and the graphic novel by Natalie Andrewson.

He's just a li'l guy, silly kid but enjoyable.

---

Lastly, while there are no actual nutcracker based games, I do want to mention a few skins and characters I am aware of for the hell of it. I'm pretty sure I will be forgetting some but eh.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Terraria

Silly guy that speeeens. I wish I didn't have to kill them skgjfn.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Overwatch

As much as I now despise Overwatch for many reasons, I still love Zenyatta's nutcracker skin to death. Look at this silly guy. Definitely my favorite skin in the game.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Saints Row IV

SR4 had a Christmas themed DLC, and among all the xmas reskins of the enemies, one was the terminator-like enemies being turned into Nutcrackers. And their design look so sick.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Fortnite

I don't play Fortnite, but I do have to admit that the nutcracker guy looks neat. The crazy look fits the look quite well. If I would ever get in there (I doubt it but still), that would definitely be the skin I would use.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lethal Company

I don't play LC neither but I've seen videos of the nutcracker enemy in action, and yeah he looks silly. I love how he moves around.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

That's all of the apparitions that I can think of. I'm also aware of the point-and-click game made by Big Fish Games, but I have not played it myself. I really should do that one day...

---

Aaaaaand that's a wrap. I'm definitely forgetting a nutboi or two somewhere but these are all the ones I can think of at the top of my head that are officially published and all.

If we start talking about folks in social medias I've come to know over the years... I'm gonna be here for 3 months trying to talk about them dkjfgn

Well, hope you enjoyed this personal spiraling into nut madness :V

[slvt4em1lyprenti2s]

and.. ACTION! - Margot Robbie

Pairing - Margot Robbie x fem!reader

Fluff, angst and homophobia (happy ending), implied NSFW

Word count: 2.7k (didn't mean for it to be that long lmao, it's juicy though)

!!not proofread!!

(reader is a film director)

Margot POV: 

I've just stared working on my new set for Barbie and it's taking a bit of getting used to because there are 2 directors for this movie Greta Gerwig and Y/N Y/L/N, and don't get me wrong they're both amazing directors but it's just new having two. 

At the minute we're on break and I'm sitting with Ryan, America and Y/N. I've grown close to everyone in this cast, we're like a family but I have gotten especially close with Y/N I don't know what it is about her but ever since the first time I heard her say "and.. ACTION!" I've been having these feelings for her. I can't really put my finger on what the feelings are though, I thought at first I just wanted to be her friend because she was cool and endearing but now, I'm thinking it might be more. But, I'm straight so it can't be right? Yeah, it can't be Margot you're being delusional. (we're all a bit delulu sometimes xx)

"Hey, you okay? Lost you for a second there." her soft voice snapped me out of my trance. "Yeah no, I'm fine. Just thinking." I replied tripping over my words a bit, I always seem to get nervous around her maybe it is.. no it can't be.

"You sure, you seemed pretty focused, I don't want you to worry you're pretty little head about things okay? You can talk to me if stuff is bothering you, you know that right?" and there she goes again, making me blush. Is she flirting with me or just giving me a compliment? Either way, I can't help the crimson blush that invades my face. She's always been so caring, always making sure I'm okay. I don't deserve her. Looking down now, slightly embarrassed I reply "Yeah I know, and we'll uhm- there is-" I fumble over my words now second guessing myself "isn't anything so don't worry about me, I promise okay?" I hold out my pinky so she can link her own around mine. "Okayy, if you say so but my offer still stands I'm always gunna be here." 

I give her a warm smile and suddenly the moment is ruined by Ryan walking in and telling us we're needed on set. "I'll see you later?" she asked with the cutest smile ever on her face. "Of course." I replied.

Okay, yeah. I like her, in the same way I normally like boys. Wow, this is new. 

Y/N POV:

We've just got off a back to back shooting day, hardly any breaks apart from the quick 5 minutes that I shared with my favourite person. Margot, obviously if that wasn't clear. I don't even think she swings this way but, a girl can dream right? Anyway, she's joining me and my parents for dinner tonight and, well, they're not the most supportive about my sexual orientation should I say. So, she offered to be a buffer, you know, soften the blow a bit when they throw insult after insult my way. I mean I could just bail the dinner but, they're my parents I owe them certain things so, I have promised to always make an effort to go see them, no matter what. So that's how I ended up here, walking to Margot's trailer and knocking on the door.

"Ready to go endure around 2 hours of relentless condescending comments from my parents?" I said to her as she opened the door.

"Of course I am, it's my favourite hobby." She replied sarcastically. I giggled and offered her my arm which she willingly took. 

On the walk to the car we had polite small talk about how our days had gone, as we hadn't seen much of each other even though we're on the same set. She was in the Barbieland set while I was on the real world set with America and Ariana. 

We get in the car and I start driving. I'm lost in my thoughts worrying about all the ways this could go incredibly wrong. Margot's soft voice snaps me out of my trance.

"Are you okay? And don't bullshit me Y/N you've got worry written all over your face." I sighed deeply and she put her hand on my thigh. I blushed deeply at the contact but didn't let that stray me from answering her. "I'm just really dreading this night, it's the first meal we've had together in about a year so, i don't know what to expect really." 

"Hey, normally i'd say look at me but you're driving and that probably isn't smart but," i chuckled lightly at that comment "you don't need their approval about every single aspect of your life, because it's your life. Also, who cares if they don't agree with your sexuality? It's none of their business who you bang." 

I genuinely laugh for the first time this evening at the last comment. I briefly glance at Mar and smile. "Thank you for that, really. It helps to hear it." 

"No problem okay? And if at any point during the meal you're just thinking 'I need to leave like, now' then just tell me and I'll act like my apartment had been broken into or something so we can leave. I'm an amazing actress you know?" There's an evident smirk plastered across her beautiful face and I giggle at her sarcasm. "I'm fully aware and I'll drop you a text if it gets too unbearable." 

"Good." She says smiling as she turns back around so she's facing the road again. The car ride continues in a comfortable silence and Taylor Swift playing in the background. 

Time skip to when they're at the house 

Margot POV: 

"Okay we're here." I hear y/n/n say as we came to a stop outside her parents house.

"Hey, you've got this." I say as I take her hand and give it a light squeeze. "Yeah, I hope so." She responded anxiety prominent in her voice. 

We walk up to the front door and knock. Not even a second later it swings open revealing a short woman who appears to be in her sixties and a man who appears to only be a tad older behind her. "Oh my goodness, y/n/n it's been far too long." After saying that she instantly pull the y/h/c into a tight hug. "Hiya mum." She says back awkwardly patting her back,   y/n is not a hugger. Any parent should know such a small detail like that about their kid. I internally roll my eyes because I can see the stiffness of her body as her mum squeezes even tighter. "Ah, you must be Margot?" Her dad says from behind the mother and daughter. "Oh, uhm, yes that's me." I say extending my hand for him to shake which her returns politely. Her mum has now fully released her grip on y/n and extends her hand so she can shake mine while saying. "Hopefully not girlfriend." My face goes flat. No emotion, just plain hatred for this woman already and I haven't even stepped in the house. I clear my throat and say, "No, I'm not but I don't think it would be an issue if I was." Both her parents just shared disapproving looks but beckoned us in none the less. This was going to be a long night.

Time skip to them eating tea (dinner) 

Y/n POV: 

So far nothing about the comment earlier nor the subject had come up so it had actually been a really fun night so far. So far. I knew it was all going downhill when we sat down at the dinning table because that's when topics like politics and live life come up. I was not excited to say the least. "Guys 'cmon foods ready!" my dad yells from the kitchen. Me, my mum and Margot make our way to the dinning room where there is a gorgeous looking Sunday roast laying in the table waiting for us. "Dad that looks amazing." I say to him. 

"Just wait till you taste the stuffing I got some new herbs from the garden and chucked them in, it's really tasty." We all went to our respective seats on the table my parents opposite me and Margot. As soon as my mother opened my mouth I knew it was all going to go horribly wrong. 

"So y/n/n any news?" 

"Like what mum?" 

"Oh well, I don't know, a boyfriend?"

Margot shot daggers at my mum but she didn't take any notice. 

"No." I say, trying to be as blunt and cut off as possible. 

"Oh don't worry dear, a nice man will make his way into your life soon enough." My dad chimes in.

"Yeah, and then you can settle down and have a proper life with children and a proper man not any of that 'lesbian' nonsense you've been talking about." *you can change that to whatever your sexuality is but i just chose lesbian bc it fits* 

I sit and stare at her with a flabbergasted look in my face. "For the last time, I. Am. A. Lesbian. I'm not going to find a nice man because I'm not interested in men, just because you don't understand that doesn't mean that you can't accept it. Also I'm not being funny but it doesn't matter who I end up with, my life is 'proper' and as long as I love the person I end up with, which I will; very dearly it doesn't matter what their gender is, but I'm just letting you know it will be a girl. And, I don't give a flying fuck wether my children are adopted, if they're IVF or anything! Okay?! Because at the end of the day they'll be my children and I'll love them unconditionally so, that's all that matters. And I'm not being funny I shouldn't of even come tonight because every single time I come it's the same thing over and i over again, you are both like broken records!" By the end of my rant I'm practically yelling at them and at some point in my rage I stood up from my chair. I look at them both, waiting for some kind of comeback. 

"Never speak to me or your father like that again. You are a worthless piece of shit dyke and no child of mine!" She yelled at me and by this point there were tears rolling down my face. She then continued, "Imagine what Margot thinks of this, huh? You arguing with your parents and speaking to us in that manner? She also must be appalled that you're a, a- lesbian." she held so much disgust in her voice when she said that it made my blood boil and when Margot instantly rose from her chair I could tell it had the exact same effect on her. 

Margot POV:

"Well Mrs Y/L/N-"

"Please call me Claire."

"Okay, Claire. Do you want my honest opinion on this topic?"

"Yes dear I would, please knock some sense i to this girl."

As soon as those words left her mouth I turned to y/n/n and thought to myself 'well it's now or never' and I put on arm around her waist and the other behind her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. It was a sweet innocent kiss and we pulled away rather quickly because we were obviously still in front of her parents. As we pulled apart she was beaming and so was I. Her face was a light pink now and it made me feel good knowing I did that to her. I wa brought back to reality when her mother chimed in again. "How long has this sinning been going on for?" Y/n head snapped round to mine looking panicked but I just scoffed loudly and said "This loving, caring relationship has been going on for 6 months, since we started filming together." I saw her mother roll her eyes but now it was her dads turn to stand up. "That's it! I've had it with you!" he paused for a second and I glanced at y/n and tears were rolling down her eyes because we both thought that she was about to get practically disowned for the second time tonight. "Claire, why can't you just be happy for our daughter, she's in love for christ sake! I don't care if she's gay. I care that she's happy,I care that she's loved. I don't understand your inability to do such things!" Me, y/n and her mum looked just as surprised as each other when those words left his mouth. Choking back even more tears y/n said "Thank you dad, really. It means a lot l." Her dad then walked around the table and stopped before her went in to hug her. "You don't like hugs do you?" he said

"No, but I guess I can make an exception." 

My heat swelled at the scene playing out before me, her mother storming out the house and y/n/n and her dad making up. I was incredibly sweet. 

As they pulled away her dad said "I know this hasn't exactly been the ideal evening but, I'm happy for the both of you okay? Now go home and get some rest sweetheart, and it was lovely meeting you Margot and just in advance you have my blessing if you ever want to, you know pop the question. Just to put it out there I'm only saying that because I know people like to ask the dad and I just thought you might be a bit too worried to ask when the times tight because of her mother so, I thought I'd tell you now so, no pressure but uhm- yeah." He said it with so much sincerity and love in his voice it made me instinctively pull him into a hug. "Thank you Mr y/l/n" I said tears pricking my eyes. "Please, call me John." 

"Thank you John." 

Y/N POV:

I just set there still crying, but more tears of joy at this point and observed the two most important people in my life at the minute share the most sickly sweet moment ever. I was amazing.

Time skip to once you drive Margot home (still reader pov)

"So, 6 months huh?" I said teasingly as I walked her to the door of her house. "I don't work well under pressure, okay?" I laughed at her response and then when she got to the door she looked at me straight in the eye. "I mean I wouldn't be totally objected to the idea of being with you for 6 months." she trailed off getting quieter at the end of her sentence and looking away nervously.  "You know, neither would I." Her eyes instantly found mine again and she looked down at me since she's slightly taller. "Really?" 

"Yes Margot, really." 

She grabbed my face and pulled me into a bruising kiss. Our lips moved in perfect sync, her teeth grazing my bottom lip and slightly biting  it causing me to let out a small moan. Her hand that had snaked around to my waist pulled me in closer at that action. Her lip grazed over my top lip asking for entrance which I happily granted her, she pushed her tongue into my mouth instantly and started exploring causing me to move my hands from her hips to around her neck pulling her in even further. We continued until we needed to pull away for air. "You wanna come inside and continue?" she asked suggestively. 

"Definitely." At that she picked me up and i wrapped my legs around her torso and we resumed our previous actions. As we got to her room she layer me down on the bed and got on top of me. "Good thing we don't have set tomorrow because I don't think we'll be getting much sleep tonight darling." 

And just like always, she was right.

[fencecollapsed]

I have some opinions about the Barbie and Ken dynamic,, let me know if I'm out of line here but like I wish they were friends

I know it was supposed to be abundantly clear that Barbie is uninterested in Ken romantically, and believe me I'm all for that. but she didn't seem to like him much at all, and I feel like that was kind of a missed opportunity?

I believe that Ken's arc is partly supposed to resemble watching a boy you grew up with and trusted and were close to becoming an alpha male misogynist seemingly out of nowhere, I see that intent and it's good. I personally didn't really feel that in the movie though because I don't super believe that Barbie considered Ken a friend. if Stereotypical Ken was Stereotypical Barbie's very best friend - which he definitely isn't - him turning on her would've hit harder

it could've given more to explore with their relationship overall. unrequited romantic love between best friends tends to be portrayed as sad for the friend who's in love, but what about the friend who isn't? in middle school I had two guy friends who I considered family, they were like brothers. I thought they were great and I really liked being around them. both of them ended up asking me out, and when I turned them down, our relationships changed. one of them got distant and jealous, and the other stayed my friend but every now and then would still try to convince me to date him. it sucked, and on both occasions I felt bad that I didn't feel the same way they did. I missed how things were before

going deeper into that dynamic with Barbie and Ken could've added an extra layer to the movie. they used to be so close, things are different now, they love each other, but Ken loves Barbie romantically and Barbie loves Ken like a brother, and they both know it. lately she's spending more time with the girls and less time with him because things are awkward and she feels bad, without realizing she's starting to disregard him entirely. Ken feels lonely and dejected and falls into the patriarchy and starts believing that Barbie not loving him the way he loves her isn't just unfortunate, it's wrong, he's entitled to that. all the Kens are entitled to that. if she doesn't love him how he wants her to why should she get the respect she doesn't give him?

their little talk at the end could have more weight and them going their separate ways could be more bittersweet because they do love each other. they'll miss each other so much, they've always been best friends. but they've been hurting each other too much for too long without realizing it, and it's better to say goodbye now than to hold on until they end up hating each other

also I wish Ken apologized to Barbie. I know, I know it was definitely intentional, it was about the man hurting the woman and the woman still feels the need to apologize to him, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!! if Ken's arc was supposed to be remotely sympathetic he should've said he was sorry!!!

[kkurades]

HEART TO HEART ━━━━━ bad kisser

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

NISHIMURA RIKI never would have thought that being a demon meant he’d be summoned by you on a late tuesday evening begging him to make your p.e teacher disappear for a day just because you didn’t want to run during class the next day

p r e v | m a s t e r l i s t | n e x t

“and make sure to put on some sunscreen every two hours!” jongseob called after you as you skipped to your bike.

“yeah, yeah, i will!” you promised over your shoulder while climbing onto your vehicle.

the ride to the crossroad near the school wasn’t very long and you arrived only a few minutes later.

as you placed your bike against a wall you noticed a tall figure standing a few feet in front of you who you quickly recognised to be riki.

a smile made its way to your face as you quietly creeped up behind him before tapping him on his shoulder. the sudden movement made him jump up a little before he turned around so quick that you almost missed it.

riki’s face immediately lit up with a nervous smile as his hair fell in front of his eyes slightly while he looked down at you.

the boy couldn’t remember a time where he had been more nervous than now. his hands were almost shaking and he was sure that he going to vomit at some point.

during the time that the two of you spend together talking through your phone he managed to fall hard for you with no way going back and now he could only hope that you would feel the same way.

“hi,” you suddenly exclaimed when riki just stared at you with wide eyes and his lips slightly parted.

“hey,” his voice slightly cracked when he spoke which made butterflies erupt through your stomach and your breath hitch.

seeing him physically in front of you did something to you and you weren’t sure what those feelings were. perhaps you were getting sick? or maybe you were slightly sleep deprived from all the band practice and your late night talks with riki?

“so- uhm- what- where do you wanna go?” riki stumbled over his words which you found adorable.

unfortunately for you though you forgot that the boy in front of you was a demon which meant he had inhumane abilities including mind reading.

and while he attempted to keep all thoughts away yours was very loud so he heard your exclamation of him being adorable which made a dark blush cover his face as he thanked you shyly.

you looked confused for a second before you realised what just happened and in turn your face turned into a matching red color.

you realised the two of you must have looked like idiots to passer-by’s standing as stiff as sticks and looking like so red as if you had been sunburned.

eventually you managed to discuss as to what you were going to do now and started walking towards the movie theatre.

you were quietly walking beside him with your hands brushing against his every once in a while until riki picked up the courage to take your hand into his which once again made the both of you turn red.

the rest of the afternoon went great, you found a topic to talk about on the way to the movie theatre. when you arrived there, riki bought you literally everything that you glanced at before he carried it all to the movie room that happened to play your favourite movie of all time.

during the movie he connected your hands again and shuffled to sit as close as possible to you. his hand occasionally grabbing a few pieces of popcorn while whispering to you about some story that he suddenly thought about.

and while you usually despised it when people talked during movies you were more invested in him than the movie.

eventually your hang out which looked more like a date had to come to an end despite your disappointment and you were walking back home with riki’s arm wrapped around your shoulder.

you had been telling him about which barbie movie you preferred but you stopped walking which in turn made him stop when you remembered your bike.

“yn? what’s wrong?” riki worriedly asked as he caressed your back.

“my bike, i forgot my bike!” you exclaimed loudly which made the boy beside you bite back his smile at the way your face scrunched up.

“don’t worry about it. i teleported it back to your house,” he comforted you as you turned in his arms that were wrapped around you to look at him.

“you’re so cool riki,” you blurted out as the demon smiled shyly at you before he quickly leant down to kiss your cheek.

“come on, let’s get you home before it gets dark,” he quickly mumbled before pulling you along towards your house while you were still frozen at the feeling of his lips on your skin.

the rest of the walk to your house was quiet and you eventually arrived at the front door of your house.

“i- uh- i had a lot of fun today. we should do it again,” you said while glancing at your intertwined fingers.

riki hummed as he watched you with adoring eyes and when you looked up you noticed that he was standing far closer than you thought he was.

your mind was filled with thoughts about how beautiful he looked in the early moonlight and you failed to notice how his face seemed to move closer to yours until you could feel his breath on your face.

“can i?” his lips almost brushed against yours when he whispered the words out and you couldn’t do anything except nod.

the moment you gave him consent to kiss you he connected your lips and you wrapped your hands around his neck to steady yourself while his were wrapped around your waist.

his lips were warm and soft against yours and you had never imagined to be kissing someone like him.

he was everything you needed, everything you searched for in a person so you were glad that he was your first kiss.

eventually the two of you had to separate but you stayed in the same position for a few seconds until riki started panicking again.

how could he have done this? he wondered. this was the first time he hung out with you and he was already kissing you after he cornered you with the threat of being a demon.

so he just disappeared. one minute he stood there looking at you with parted lips and blown out eyes and the other you were just looking at the bushes behind him with his scent lingering in the air.

are you really that bad of a kisser? you didn’t want to know the answer and just stormed inside with tears gathering in your eyes.

NOTES — this was so hard to write & idk why 😭

TAG LIST — @sserafimez , @neohyxn , @smh-anon , @redm4ri , @stopeatread , @yourfavoritefreakyhan , @saiewithakatana , @kyuupidwrites , @i-dont-know-me-either , @aestheticsluut , @certainyouthpeanut , @deadgirlwalking3 , @4imhry , @1-800shutthefuckup , @moonshoon , @tzuyusluv , @j-wyoung , @strwberrydinosaur , @soobiverse , @astrae4 , @ensrfm , @kimipxl, @imasimplol , @vlvtrkii , @enhafika , @maerijw , @arizzu , @txtmetonight , @dimplewonie , @catryu , @wonyoungsvirus , @haewonluvr , @artstaeh , @softpia , @witzys , @run2seob , @beomgyusonlywife , @st4rfiles, @txtmetonight , @ilovewonyo , @yumilovesloona , @ghostiiess , @noonaslvr , @ahnneyong , @ineedaherosavemeenow , @ryomenswife , @wildesreblogs , @kissezfornamjoon , @lomlyeonjun , @jhopesucker ( closed )

[woodandwaxwings]

Behind Blue Eyes

"He couldn't help but look at him and search for those familiar blue eyes he had come to love only for them to be not there, for doe brown eyes to be in the place of his favorite watercolor blues."

Warnings: PTSD attack towards the end. loosely described though.

Y/n sighed as the bus he was taking stopped outside Jericho's bus stop. Now he had to commit to leaving Florida and the other peculiars he had grown up with, went to war with. Now he was in Vermont in a small town nobody but peculiars and outcasts would give more than half a shit about. Y/n smiled as 'you can tell she's a princess' from some Barbie movie he had never bothered to watch came from his phone, garnering odd looks as he picked up the phone. "Hey, Claire. I see you've finally learned how a phone works." Claire laughed on the other end, "Shut up! Are you there yet?" Y/n could almost imagine her twisting the honey-blonde curls she let grow out between her fingers. "I just got off the bus in Jericho. Do you know how far Vermont is from Florida? Really far." Y/n walked down the streets of Jericho, probably looking like he had just escaped an old film with his luggage bag he'd had since 1939 before being sent off to Miss Peregrine it was garnered in stickers Abe had sent with his letters to Emma. His outfit didn't help much despite Jake taking him shopping not long after arriving in Florida. With his flare jeans and corduroy jacket, he looked like someone had let one of the characters from That 70s Show loose in a mall. And his tattoos of course didn't help the strangers in small town Jericho from staring.

"How's school in Florida?" Y/n asked Claire as he entered a small coffee shop. After all the traveling, he was thirsty and tired and could go for some coffee. "Oh my bird, it's awesome! I've made so many friends..." He let Claire rant as he ordered a coffee from a long-haired brunette boy behind the counter. Y/n smiled and gave the boy a "thank you," as he handed him his coffee. He heard someone yell at Claire over the phone as he set down in a booth facing the entrance of the coffee shop. "Hey, Y/n, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, ok? Remember, don't be weird. Mwah," He smiled as he shut off his phone after she hung up and drank his coffee to regain the energy he had lost from the travel. "Where'd you come from?" Y/n looked up from his coffee to see another brunette boy with short hair. "Florida," Y/n spoke, her German accent pushing through his words making the boy laugh as he sat across from him uninvited. "Diese Schlampe,"(this bitch) Y/n murmured to himself. "Doesn't sound like it," The boy across from him said.

Y/n rolled his eye as he looked at the clock, "Ich habe keine Zeit dafür."(I don't have time for this) He said as he stood up and grabbed his bag, the boy across from him standing as well. "No seriously, where'd you come from." "Germany, then Wales, then Florida." He said as he pushed passed the boy in front of him, leaving the coffee shop and the annoying boy behind. He had only been there for about 30 minutes and he was already starting to hate this town, but a promise is a promise. He watched a different bus stop at the bus stop and several kids in uniforms exit. He knew he was supposed to get on that bus but as he looked for the driver's eyes, only for them to be concealed by dark sunglasses he decided right then it would be a better idea to walk to Nevermore. He'd take possible haunted woods over wights any day. He began to walk in the direction that the bus had come from, his fingers shaking as he had to turn his back to the man, mentally preparing himself to trigger his peculiarity hollows be damned.

"Well, look who decided to step out of the 40s." Y/n turned on his heels as he recognized the voice from behind him. "Yoko, hallo." She and the girl on her side walked up to him. "Was machst du in Jericho?" (What are you doing in Jericho) She asked him. Y/n vaguely remembered Yoko from his early years in the children's home before it became his loop. Her fathers were friends with Miss Peregrine. "Wieso bist du nicht tot?"(How are you not dead) She asked as she looked him over, noticing that he was 17 and not 13 or dirt. "The library is gone." He answered in English, noticing Yoko's companion's confusion. "It's real?" Y/n shrugged, "Was real." Yoko noticed his eyes darting back to the bus behind them. "Er ist ein Mensch." (he is human.) Yoko said and watched as his shoulders relaxed. "Benutzen Sie den Bus. (use the bus) It's faster than walking." Y/n nodded as he walked past them and got on the bus. "Another bus ride," Y/n thought to himself as he sat down and the bus began made its way back to Nevermore.

"Sorry for scarin' ya' kid." Y/n looked away from the window and to the bus driver. "You're not the first peculiar kid to try walkin' to Nevermore instead of getting on my bus." Y/n nodded, "Sorry for assuming." The bus driver shook his head as he stopped at the school, "Never apologize for being safe." Y/n nodded as he got off the bus, "Thanks for the ride." The bus driver nodded, "Just doin' my job." Y/n gave the man a smile as he walked through the front entrance of Nevermore. He sighed. If only Victor was here with him if only this was 20 years ago. "if only"s could go on forever, but here he was alone. "Hi," He looked down at the boy who spoke to him. "Hi," He looked the young boy up and down, he could only be about 14. "I'm Eugene Ottinger, peculiar. Principal Weems thought you would be more comfortable with one of us leading you around, and I was the only one available." Y/n nodded as he ranted he reminded him a lot of Millard. "I heard you came from a loop. Is that true? I've never been in a loop before. What can you do? I have a psychic connection to bees," Y/n followed behind him as the young boy guided him around the school. He suddenly stopped, "This is Weems's office. She'll get you enrolled and show you to your dorm." Y/n nodded as he knocked on the door, Eugene leaving him behind.

"You must be Y/n L/n." A tall blonde woman, who Y/n assumed was Principal Weems, said as she opened the door. "Come in," She pulled the door further open, letting him walk into her office. "Very rarely do we ever get peculiars here." Y/n nodded, "Most of us stick to loops instead of school." Weems nodded as she sat behind her desk. "School doesn't start for another 3 days so you should have plenty of time to get situated." She said as Y/n looked around her office. "Do I have to buy a uniform or are they provided?" Y/n asked as he finally sat down on the other side of her desk. "They are provided." Principal Weems set a paper down facing him, "You've already registered so no need for any mindless paperwork. I'll give you you uniform before showing you to your dorms and then your roommate can give you a tour of the school." Y/n nodded as Miss Weems stood and grabbed a purple box that was set off to the side. "Nevermore's welcome package," She said as she handed it to Y/n. "Shall I show you to your dorm room now?" She asked but it wasn't really a question as she opened the door to her office and gestured for him to exit.

"Nevermore prides itself on being a diverse learning environment for all of it's attendants." Weems began the welcome speech spiel. "You'll find that all of our outcasts intermingle well," Her words were said in a tone that screamed 'behave'. "And that is something our school would like to continue to pride itself on." Y/n nodded as she walked down the dormitory halls, "You'll be rooming with Ajax Petropolus." Weems said as she opened the door to one of the dorm rooms, "Who does not appear to be here," She mumbled under her breath as she let Y/n into the room. As Y/n set his suitcase and "welcome package" down on the bare twin bed on the right side of the dorm a boy rushed into the room. "Sorry," He said to both him and the principal as he fixed his beanie. "Hi, Ajax," He stuck his hand out for Y/n to shake and that's when he really got a look at him. Shit, he was screwed. The universe must hate him because he couldn't help but look at him and search for those familiar blue eyes he had come to love only for them to be not there, for doe brown eyes to be in the place of his favorite watercolor blues.

"Y/n," He finally said when he realized he was staring, hesitantly shaking his hand. "Cool," Ajax said, seemingly oblivious. "I'll leave you to get situated," Weems said as she left, shutting the door behind her. Y/n then stepped back and walked back to his side of the room, "What happened to your previous roommate?" He asked as he opened his luggage bag, placing the framed picture of him and Victor face down on his bedside table. "He graduated," Ajax said as he sat on his own bed. "So what's your deal?" Y/n paused in his unpacking, turning to face his roommate, "What?" Ajax shrugged, "Y'know, what's your thing? Are you a psychic? Werewolf?" Y/n nodded, "Oh. I'm peculiar." Ajax shrugged, "Well I wouldn't say peculiar, but you do dress a little weird." "Bist du dumm?" (Are you stupid?) Y/n asked as he shoved his clothes into the dresser drawer that also seemed to be a table. "Excuse me?" Ajax shook his head. "I'm peculiar, as in that's my thing." Ajax just gave him a confused stare. "Forget it. Aren't you supposed to give me a tour of the school or something?"

The gorgon shot up from his bed, "Right! Sorry, forgot." Y/n felt almost disoriented as he watched Ajax. Everything about him was exactly the same but so different to Victor, like the reflection in a distorted mirror came to life. "So this is one of four dormitory halls. There are two girls' dormitories and two boys' dormitories." Ajax begins as he exits the room, expecting Y/n to follow him and he does. "Nevermore was founded by Nathaniel Faulkner in 1791, the dormitories being added on in 1840 and were renovated in 1940." Y/n nodded as he followed Ajax down the stairs to the courtyard. "I'm not going to have to memorize any of this, am I?" Y/n watched as his brown eyes went wide like a deer in the headlights, "Huh? Oh, no. It's just a bunch of crap." Y/n looked around the courtyard to find it almost barren. "I figured there'd be more people here." Ajax looked over the courtyard as well, "Yeah, most people will be showing up tomorrow to get unpacked and stuff. Oh yeah, um, this is the courtyard. Mostly everyone eats their meals here." The two walked around the courtyard to an Edgar Allen Poe statue. "This is our statue in tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, I'm like 90% sure he was like an alumni."

"I don't give a shit about Edgar Allen Poe," Y/n said as he looked Ajax up and down. "Do we have to wear our uniforms all the time?" Ajax shrugged, "I mean most people tend to wear theirs while on campus." Y/n nodded. "So is that a no? yes?" The two stared at each other for a moment, and then a short blonde girl approached them. "Hey, Ajax!" She spoke excitedly. Both boys turn to face her as if being snapped out of a trance. "Oh hey, Enid. " Ajax looked between the two people in front of him. "Enid this is Y/n." HE pointed to Y/n and then pointed to Enid, "Y/n this is Enid. She's a werewolf." Y/n nodded and stuck his hand out for the girl to shake. Enid shakes his hand but doesn't let go of it. "Oh my gosh!" She turns his hand over so the back of his hand is facing upward. "I love your tattoo! Is it real?" Y/n could practically imagine a tail wagging behind her. "Yeah. A friend of mine chose it for me. She said to just use my peculiarity with it whenever I miss her."

Ajax furrows his brows as he leans to look at the thickly lined butterfly. "What can you do?" He and Enid asked almost in sync. Y/n smiled a cheeky smile as he placed his other hand over the top of the one Enid still had a tight grip on. "Wach auf."(Wake up) He whispered before removing his hand to reveal a live black and white butterfly sitting on his hand where the tattoo was. Enid giggled as the butterfly flew up to her nose, following Y/n's eyes as he mentally guided it. "Cool," Enid mumbled as it sat on her face. She jumped as Y/n swatted his hand out to grab the insect and the two watched as the tattoo faded back onto his hand. "Sweet. It's kinda like Xavier's powers." Y/n nodded despite not knowing who they were talking about. There then was a sudden boom that resembled a cannon being fired or a boulder falling. Y/n's heart picked up as he squeezed his eyes shut and slammed his hands so hard over his ears that they began to ring. Memories he wished he did a better job at pushing down came flooding to the surface as he grew lightheaded.

[folklore-girl]

‧₊˚✩ — clearing the controversy around the barbie movie and the modern expressions of feminism

note. this isn’t blind criticism and neither is it me just gushing about the movie—it’s my take on how & why the barbie movie affected its audiences the way it did + what we need to learn from the movie’s message. a bit long and descriptive though, so read at your own risk!

i watched the barbie movie in the theatres for the first time, and enjoyed it too—in fact, i loved how it handled sensitive topics such as feminism, depicting the cons of patriarchy masterfully. recently, i watched the breakfast mv by dove cameron, and was thinking along the lines of art and the modern expressions of feminism when realized the deeper meanings of the barbie movie, which most of the audience missed in the first glance.. don’t get me wrong, it’s just my opinion about the movie and everyone’s interpretation of art can be different. so, shall we?

first and foremost, barbie focused on themes of feminism and women empowerment, but what it actually depicted on-screen was matriarchy with an element of humor, not feminism.

now, what is matriarchy? in simple words, it’s the exact opposite of a patriarchy. a world where women have all the power instead of the men, and in all aspects—social, political and economic.

what the barbie movie did (initially, at least) was showcase a world where women had all the say, economically, socially and politically—since the barbies held all the positions in the government and had high-paying jobs, while the kens didn’t even own a house! and while barbieland fits the textbook definition of matriarchy, it wasn’t completely a matriarchy in the sense that it still appealed to the female viewers, and didn’t feel wrong at all.

what i mean by that is, that they did not challenge the viewer’s morals and make them really think about why this society wouldn’t be favorable to the men who watched the movie. instead, they focused on making it somewhat of a comedy for women, especially with the scene where all the male employees and the ceo of mattel were chasing barbie and america ferrera (if you know what i’m talking about). and by doing this, the movie again transformed barbie as a beloved character, even if only in the minds of the female viewers.

a good example of matriarchy, would be dove cameron’s breakfast music video, which reverses gender roles perfectly, showing us the cons of any gender being in complete control whilst spreading the message to the male viewers as well. while the main themes of the music video revolve around the roe v. wade overturn back in 2022, it also handles such sensitive topics with care.

back to the movie, while they appealed to the female audience with the humor, the male viewers definitely did not find it funny. hence, it’s obvious that the movie was made keeping female audience in mind, which is somewhat wrong, but the only way they could have catered to all the viewers is by showcasing a pure matriarchy. but doing that would, in a way, villainize barbie and put her across in a negative light. since that does not fit well with the general idea of barbie and her sweet girl next door image, and doesn’t undo the harm that pop culture inflicted on her (by bimbofying her, etc)... i’m guessing they scrapped the idea completely.

anyways, barbie has always been perceived as a popular icon of girlhood and feminity, so i guess it was never meant to be a movie for the guys.

in the movie, when the kendom came into existence, viewers were left frustrated (me included) with the scenario on-screen, what with our beloved character, stereotypical barbie having a mental breakdown when she realises nothing can be done fix the mess, giving up at last.

this scene (and america ferrera’s monologue!) highlighted why patriarchy was harmful to women, and the particular scene where ken said to barbie that they have a boys‘ night, every night, was the scene that made me realise the opening scenario of barbieland wasn’t favoured by men at all.

so i believe what our society needs is balance—where both the genders have equal control, again, in all aspects of life. and that, my friend, is what feminism is all about. it’s not about propagating a culture of man-hating and neither does it promote women to restrict men’s fundamental rights, in any way.

sadly, we haven’t achieved that dream yet, but hey! we’re halfway there already. women do hold important positions in our political systems, and get paid the same salary as men. and in some places, women are afforded the same respect as men too. isn’t that what you call positive change?

[justwritedreams]

I want to read dad baekhyun and his 3 little daughters. 😭 What will be the fourth one 👀

Ok so why not take advantage of exo as dads series to talk about baekhyun, right? RIGHT!

EXO AS DADS SERIES | BAEKHYUN VER.

Xiumin Ver. | Chen Ver. | Yixing Ver. | Jongin Ver. | Chanyeol Ver. | Kyungsoo Ver. | Suho Ver. | Sehun Ver.

Word count:  Author: Maari Summary: A series of what exo would be like as a parent, from discovery to growth

First of all, good luck to the future s/o because you will be a rabbit!

I can clearly see Baekhyun as a girl's father but trying at all costs to have a boy

And that's how he got to the 4th daughter 🤣

And of course he already knew because after all, they had been trying for another baby for a long time.

In fact, I'm pretty sure he'd be like "Are you sure that you're not pregnant yet?"

"Honey, I already took two pregnancy tests."

"One more reason to make a third."

And then all of a sudden one night his s/o would be throwing up and he would already know it's the baby!

I don't think the daughters would have a big age difference because

I really think he likes having a baby at home

There's something about seeing that tiny baby sleeping soundly in his arms that is 😍

And I think he's the kind of playful father who takes things seriously when he has to much like my father is

But he's the best friend of his little girls!

Seriously, there is nothing they wouldn't say or ask him for

Helping with a school homework he has no idea what it's like? He will learn just to teach them properly.

Daughters want a different hairstyle to go out? He will do it.

Watch Barbie movies and sing along? It's his favorite part of the day!

Talking about where babies come from? … Oh, well, that he probably won't be able to say without laughing from sheer nervousness 🤣

But you got my point, right? Ok

So when he and his wife found out that another baby is on the way, he was ready to tell his little daughters.

And I think it would be the best and cutest conversation ever 🥺

He would do it in a natural way that wouldn't make the girls jealous of the attention the baby will receive but rather excited that another baby is coming soon.

And he'll probably have to hear every day when the baby is coming

Because his enthusiasm rubbed off on his daughters 🤣

But I imagine him together with his daughters making drawings for the new baby 😫

They wanting to help the father set up the baby's room

And probably making him give up in the next 15 minutes because they are making him more tired than the crib he has to put together.

And if you thought of them helping to paint the room, then you thought right because so did I!

In the end, everyone knows it would be a paint war and his wife would probably have to arrive to end the game and tell everyone to take a shower because there's even paint in their hair

Family shopping!!!

Him choosing clothes for the baby together with the girls oh my god I'm going to die of cuteness

"Dad, I think this one is prettier."

"But I liked that one, dad"

"Only this one will suit better!"

"You know what, let's take them all!" and that's how he came home with more bags of clothes than he had planned 🤣

But most importantly, he would make sure he was paying attention to all the women in his life.

He would take all the daughters to their beds in one night, when everyone else was already asleep in the living room.

And his s/o too!!

Because there is no more important woman in the world than her 🥺

"Love, I don't think you're going to be able to carry me to the bedroom."

"What kind of husband would I be if I let my tired pregnant wife walk around with those swollen legs?" he would say, while trying to arrange the best position to hold her in his lap… But her belly wouldn't let him. "Yeah, I think that it's better if we just sleep here!"

Would wake up early to prepare breakfast for everyone!

He'd take the girls to school, and he'd probably cry in the car when he realized how big the little girls actually are.

The priority would be his family!

Even though he was working, recording new songs, during breaks he would call his wife or turn on the home camera on his phone to see if everything was alright

Even tired, I'm sure he would make his daughters help put away the toys they spread around the living room or bedroom.

He would teach his daughters to sing to the baby in their mother's belly why am i doing this to myself? 😫

But make no mistake, even though experienced with sudden baby arrivals and births

He would be a nervous wreck for the birth of his fourth daughter!

I would be so nervous that I wouldn't know who to call first, the parents, the in-laws or the members 🤣

He would definitely pass on the view that he is a first-time father

But not fainting during childbirth, as happened with the first daughter

I think he would cry holding his newborn daughter in his arms!

And the wife seeing this would be like "are you crying for real?"

"She's just so beautiful! She has my nose."

But I think the most exciting moment for him would be when his daughters go to the hospital to meet their new sister.

He would probably be able to hold back the tears and look with a twinkle in his eyes with so much pride for the family he has 🥺

Will fight and die for his family!

He will be the attentive, helpful father who will talk to his daughters about how they need to keep their voices down when the baby is sleeping

He will let the daughters help change the diaper, bathe and rock the baby because he also wants to capture these moments with good photos!

I really think he would be an extraordinary father, devoted to his daughters and only thinking about what's best for them.

For example, I'm sure he wouldn't expose any of them to the media or anything like that.

Because he wants to preserve all of them as much as possible and if one day they want to be artists like him, there will be no one who will support more than him!

But deep down he hopes they follow other careers 🤣

One day, when all the daughters are napping together in the afternoon, he would hug his wife and look at her as if she were the most special jewel in the world.

"We are very lucky parents, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are!"but the wife would know that he was going to say something, because that little smile of someone who is going to do something is there "We are not having another baby!"

"How about a dog then?"

[v--143]

-Dms Request: …can you pls write a fic felix as a lee and lee know and hyunjin as the lers 😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔 i need that so bad-

Absolutely yes yes yes Lee! Felix has my heart always YES 🫶🏻 not to mention he’s danceracha’s maknae 🥹

Warnings: Slight Barbie movie spoilers..? Kinda😅

< Awkward >

[Lee! Felix]

[Ler! Minho + Hyunjin]

———————————————————————————

Danceracha often planned hangouts together, despite most of them never leaving the groupchat. They typically loved to just hangout together in any ways they could, spending time outside of the practice room and whatnot. Today they decided on watching a movie at one of their houses together.

It was dark already when they had started, and they all decided on Barbie. It was a hit movie and doing amazingly well everywhere, so they figured it must’ve been good.

They were all in the basement sitting on a couch watching Barbie. Felix was in the middle with Lino and Hyunjin sitting to his left and right.

“Ken is an idiot” Felix said as he put some popcorn in his mouth, “I mean, did he really think he could just steal the dreamhouse and get away with it?!”

“Somebody’s passionate” Minho teased.

“I just think it’s dumb!” Felix argued.

“Well… it is Ken.” Hyunjin said.

They all kept watching the movie and all was just fine.. until a scene towards the end. Will Ferrell had arrived to ‘Barbieland’ and was talking about how much easier it would be to not have to do work. Specifically… how much easier it would be to just “tickle each other” instead of worry about stuff.

When they proceeded to actually begin doing it to one another, Felix’s ears turned red.

He didn’t know what it was… but that concept specifically had him so flustered and shy. He typically talked during scenes like this, but now he was dead silent. He began looking towards the floor as the scene went on and the other 2 were laughing at it.

“Ouuuu looks like Lix didn’t like it” Hyunjin said.

“What?” Felix said.

“You usually have something to say during these kinds of scenes. And, actually, wait- are your ears red?!” Minho noticed.

“What?!” Felix said again as he began to scoot away from him when Hyunjin suddenly grabbed his ear.

“Oh yup they’re red” Hyunjin said as he teasingly blew in Felix’s ear.

“ARGH- Stop that”

“OooOooOooo did that scene get our Lix flustered” Lino cooed, “did it not.. tickle your fancy?”

Hearing that word again was getting to Felix’s head, but there was no way to get them to stop. If they knew how much it embarrassed him, they’d just say it more, so he had to suck it up best he could.

“No it was fine it just got a little boring” Felix said cooly.

“I dunno, I thought it was kind of a true concept, right Hyunjin?”

“Oh yeah, seems like a much easier life that way”

“What are you two eheven talking about” Felix giggled nervously.

“Don’t you agree? Just being tickled instead of having to worry about things? Just doing that all day long? Like a job? Like we all just ti-“

“Okay!! I get it! It’s clever, yes” Felix spat out.

Minho and Hyunjin looked at each other with glints in their eyes.

“So you agree?” Hyunjin asked.

“No! I don’t know! I don’t know, it’s weird” Felix said while trying to desperately imagine himself anywhere else but there. His face only kept getting red.

“Awww don’t be so EMBARASSED” Lino yelled out the last word as he dug his hand into Felix’s stomach and scribbled like crazy. The younger began swatting at him with both hands while squirming away.

Minho suddenly grabbed both of Lix’s wrists and dragged him towards him on the couch. He slammed Lix down on his stomach and lifted both of his own legs, then shoved Lix’s arms fully under them. He then put his legs back down atop Lix’s arms and now had a red-eared boy under him looking up with wide eyes.

“Do NOT. NOHO. Let me go.” Felix demanded as he tried his best not to giggle.

“His ears!! Oh my goodnesssss and his neck wow that scene must’ve really gotten to you” Hyunjin teased.

“Why’d it fluster you so much Felix? Hm?? Tell me and I’ll let you go” Minho said.

“It didn’t! Get ohoff of my arms!!”

“Wrong” Lino said as he poked under both of Lix’s arms. It was easy since he held his arms fully stretched out under his legs, so he had full access.

“ARgh- stohop!” Felix said when he continuously poked there.

“Why’d you get embarrassed then?”

“I don’t KNOW” Felix squealed, “because it was awkward?!”

“Wrong again” Minho began to use all five fingers to scribble beneath his arms slowly.

“Ahhaha mihi- MIHINHOO HYUHANG” Felix screamed as Lino began to pick up the pace.

“Tell me the right answer!”

“I dohon’t knOHOW IT!!!” Felix screamed.

“Yeah, I figured. There isn’t one. You’re just easy to fluster because you enjoy physical touch, aka- tickling.”

Felix’s entire body flushed crimson as he screamed louder to drown out that dreaded word.

Minho was laughing hard and doubling over at Felix’s reactions. With his face practically dug into the couch, his screams were lost down the separated cushions, making it seem 10x funnier than it was. It was like he was screaming down an abyss.

“HAHA look at him” Hyunjin said while pointing at his red neck. He decided to sit down on the back of Lix’s calves as Lino did with his arms and intertwined through scribbling at the back of his knees and feet.

“AAAHAHAHA WAHAIT! WAHAAAAA” Felix squealed and laughed out loud. He had the biggest brightest smile on his face as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to repress the feelings over his body. Although.. it was more enjoyable than he expected…

“Awwww is our Lix even more embarrassed now~” Minho cooed in his ear.

“YOHOU’RE SO AhahanOYING!! AAAAAAAAAHAHA STOP Whahat is UP with yohou both todahahe!!”

Lino began to dig two fingers between each of Felix’s ribs and underarms while Hyunjin did the same but with his knees and feet. The poor boy was being driven insane already.

“AHAHA- AAAHHAHA- STOAHAHAP” Felix screamed out taking short breaths between each laugh, when he sucked air in he made the cutest crinkly noise with his throat similar to IN’s laugh.

“Yaaaah I didn’t know knees could be this ticklish” Hyunjin said as he scribbled the back of them again.

“STOP. STOHOAP STAAHAHAHA-“ Felix yelled, moreso because of the word he used.

“Aaaand DADADADADADA” Lino teased making cute noises as he spidered his hands all over Felix’s back and sides, arguably one of his most sensitive spots.

Felix was going ballistic at this point, unable to move or defend himself in any way. He could not believe that they found out how he was feeling because of his reaction to a single scene. It just embarrassed him! It’s not like he wanted it or something… right?

After a few minutes Felix was able to get one of his hands out from under Lino’s legs and he quickly squeezed at his knee. Not expecting that, Lino lifted his leg, allowing his other arm to be freed.

But what Felix forgot was that Hyunjin was still sitting on his calves.

Hyune quickly got off his calves and grabbed both Lix’s sides, quickly dragging him into his lap and locking his arms behind his back while he secured one of his arms around his waist holding him down securely.

“That was stupid” Hyunjin laughed. Lix was already giggling and yelling in anticipation, his tear stained face and panting body couldn’t take much more.

“STOHOP! DON’T COOOME” Lix whined.

Lino was still on the opposite side of the couch. He slowly made his way over to Felix while saying sweet teasy nothings to him, only causing him to roll his eyes and get a darker shade of crimson. His heart beat faster with every crawl closer Lino took.

He was evil, darting his hands at Lix’s stomach quickly, eliciting screams from the younger. He would cover his eyes with one of his hands and not do anything for a few seconds, then dive into his ribs the next. This went on for a few minutes until Felix’s neck (that Hyunjin kept teasing and blowing on) was wet with tears.

“I CAHAHA I CAHAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! PLEASE!”

Lino, also laughing along with Hyunjin at Felix, rested his hands on Lix’s hips. He was panting hard with a big toothy smile on his face, his eyes glistening wet and shiny with both joy and exhaustion.

When Hyune let go of Felix’s locked arms and took his hand away from around his waist, Lix fell limply forward into Lino’s lap.

Lino looked at the younger fondly as his head rested on his thighs. He pet at his hair as Lix continued giggling at the ghost touches left behind on his body.

“…So was that more flustering to you than the movie scene orrrr”

“SHUT. Up.” Felix said out of breath.

Minho and Hyunjin laughed as they began scrolling on their phones. The end credits to Barbie were still rolling and a very happy Felix was still laying on Minho’s lap. He continued to giggle every now and then, partly because of the ghost tickles, but also because of how unexplainably enjoyable those minutes were. He was so thankful for his friends.

And for the fact that he knew they’d do it again in a heartbeat.

———————————————————————————

I. Love. Felix. So much 🥹🥹🩷🩷🥹🩷🥹🩷

[venusvity]

The pink carpet at the “Barbie” premiere in Los Angeles on Sunday night was riddled with self-proclaimed Barbie Girls, but five dolls and their seven Kens got heads turning and the internet talking.

Despite their massive popularity in the States, it's been years since VENUS has had proper US promotions. After their contracts were bought by Flowerbank Entertainment, the girls began making their way back into the western market releasing an English single "Wasabi", performing at Coachella, and now being featured on the Barbie soundtrack alongside rapper Flo Milli with the track "Pink Playhouse."

The group appeared on pink carpet dressed in custom-made iconic dresses from Barbie movies. Dressed as Odette from Barbie Swan Lake, Chloe stunned with platinum blond hair with bleached brows, her dewy makeup giving her an ethereal and unforgettable look. Yoonah stood in the center dressed in an iridescent pink dress, paying homage to Clara of Barbie and The Nutcracker, dawning new blond hair as well. Jiah and Sena caused "The Princess and the Pauper" to trend on Twitter, posing hand in hand in their coordinating dresses and pretty smiles. Jiah dressed in blue as Erika the pauper and Sena as Princess Anneliese. Eldest member Aki was dressed in a long blond wing and purple gown, embodying Barbie Repunzle,

"Did you all dye your hair blond for this?" A Vogue reporter asks the girls, causing them all to giggle amongst each other. "No! Just me!" Chloe would answer, flipping her blond hair playfully before patting her roots to prove that her hair is dyed.

"We're so excited for this film. We're such a Barbie group. Our Jiah has been our Barbie for years now," Yoonah would go on to say, accent dripping from her words as she motions towards Jiah, who smiles at Yoonah and then nods at the camera.

"We're for the girls and Barbie has always been for the girls," Jiah comments as she leans towards the pink microphone.

The highly anticipated premier of VENUS's latest project had fans and fashion enthusiasts buzzing with excitement. However, the VENUS girls weren't the only ones making waves that night, as their brother group DeepDive made a memorable appearance by their side. While DeepDive preferred to stay low-key, allowing VENUS to take the spotlight, their outfits sparked a flurry of discussions across the internet.

Showcased from left to right: Jisung, Blue, Noah, Kiwoo, Woojin, Jacob, and Finn. Fans and fashion lovers alike were divided in their opinions, either loving or hating the ensembles.

Social media was abuzz with tweets expressing their thoughts on the outfits. "Do y'all think Jacob dressed himself?" one fan questioned, igniting a playful debate. Another chimed in, saying, "He's giving off country club Ken vibes. I don't know, but I kinda like it." However, it was Noah and Finn who managed to capture everyone's hearts, earning accolades for their impeccable "kenergy" during interviews and for their gallant acts, such as assisting their VENUS counterparts and even holding their purses.

During an interview, Finn casually remarked, "I'm just here as arm candy," flashing a charming smile. The interviewer couldn't help but laugh at his confident delivery, while the camera caught his shrug, adding to his undeniable charm. "Being a Ken is such an honor," he continued, captivating the audience. "I'm glad to have that title."

When asked about their outfits, Noah took the opportunity to shed some light, asserting, "He dressed everyone," as he pointed to Woojin, who modestly smiled, offering a shy bow and a wave to the camera. Woojin concurred with Noah's statement, gently placing a hand over his heart.

"I like pink. More boys should wear pink," Woojin explained, his radiant smile capable of making anyone weak in the knees. His words resonated with fans, who found his confidence and support for breaking gender norms utterly swoon-worthy.

The premier night was truly a spectacle, with VENUS and DeepDive making a lasting impression. As the discussion about their outfits rages on, one thing remains certain: this collaboration has left an indelible mark on the hearts of fans, and the fashion world will be buzzing about it for days to come.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  ...     FAVORITE MOMENTS !

a video taken by chloe of aki freaking out after meeting ryan gosling. all the girls are laughing at her as she freaks out against a wall, covering her face. "oh my god, i can't believe he's real." aki groans into her palms, shaking her head dramatically.

a fan taken video of finn holding the tail of sena's dress to help her walk with two different purses on his shoulder. despite being busy, he still smiles and waves to fans, looking like a prince as he does so.

jiah getting caught staring longingly at margot as they pose for a picture together.

jisung and yoonah posing for a picture together. they broke the internet with their visuals <//3

venus x flo milli group photo!! they all looked so happy to be together again, giggling and hugging one another when they reunited.

sena and dua lipa doing the flower challenge for venus' tiktok! sena would go onto say she was so excited to meet dua and still can't believe she knew her song.

a fan taken video of noah going "dude, is that ice spice?" with the most shocked expression on his face when he saw the woman herself. he managed to get a selfie with her that he would later post to his Instagram with the caption: "it's blurry bc i was shaking lol :)"

greta gerwin talking animatedly with jiah. nothing they said could be heard but fans would speculate that greta was trying to recruit her for her next movie. other constellations would make joke fake captions of the video.

yoonah gasping "karol g?!" when being told by a reporter that karol would be on the carpet. the pair would later take a photo together and yoonah would go onto say her dreams came true that night.

deepdive pulling out pink lemonade caprisuns for the whole group. no one knows where they kept them but they had one for all 12 of them.

[multicharablack]

Pretty Golden

( FITE!Mikey x reader )

—,,—

Inspired from this @sha-biest post,I saw it and almost bunked my head while trying to get my phone to write this,this actually have some similar things with my ‘Famous in the end-time’ AU for the boys,but Ehh,it was an old AU and it featured the boys being singers/influencers/actors (I remember discarding it because I already have so many AUs,should I continue it though?).One of the reasons why it’s also not in the ‘All my creations’ list,it was so old I think it was one of my first ever AU for the Rottmnt fandom.

I am so unwell for Mikey especially for some people who draw him so gosh dang handsome *fans myself*.I’m a Donnie and Leo Stan but Mikey…he makes me feel things that shouldn’t have existed,so anyways,have my actual AU of Mikey being an actor/model/influencer etc x Reader,enjoy little birdies~

—“—

Note:

I’m no model nor actor expert so,this may have inappropriate information about it and I’m just making things up,feedbacks are welcome unless negative or hurtful

—,,—

Clicking sounds was the only thing that was heard inside the studio,photographers taking as much pictures as they can get as the model posed in each second passing,making sure their hips swayed and hair flared for extra dramatics,a little too much but it seems to make the people happy.

Mikey was an ‘Ehh’ kinda happy

He can’t judge nor be a judgmental person,he isn’t that harsh and isn’t really him.He was friendly with his coworkers mostly and always talk with sweetness and friendliness that makes him a favored personal on the fashion industry each day he entered for work,but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t find some ill or annoying in some instinct.

His snout scrounged in pity judgement as the model in front still kept doing flashy moves like in a Barbie movie,he knows the full instinct of doing something dramatic to get more likes as a model but damn…it’s more childish and prideful then actual determination as he sees it,years of past familiarity making him a bit more knowledgeable in this whole ‘fame and game’ thing,still,it makes him shake his head as he just waits for his turn with a drink in his hand,bored out of his mind.

Self-build apparel had become the world’s top 1 fashion industry the universe has ever seen -plus with matching hand flares when Donnie said it in his meeting,so dramatic and flamboyant as always- ,a tacky un-creative name but he can’t judge but smile since it’s his older brother that made this company,as weird as it is,it still had a huge investment just five months after its first opening.Very ironic since Donnie also had a company dedicated for technology and ‘vision of the future’ that only grow viral after,counting with his fingers,a year and half.But Donnie’s smart business skills weren’t the only one that gained the two companies popularity in the whole world,maybe with a little bit of Leo’s and April’s help,it might also been Mikey’s little doing.

As many had mentions him before,Michelangelo was the crown jewel in the company as many say it multiple times now,he was good looking,he won’t doubt he is.Shiny black long locks of hair that flows down the ground like silk,yellow and orange threads decorating it like he dyed it permanently only to know that it was just the effects of overuse mystic and ninpo magic,smooth green skin even with his age -(he isn’t old,he just turned 25)- ,round face but with a mature chin to even his maturity,golden and blue rusted eyes that twinkle and shine,beautiful yellow spots in his face and body like golden tear droplets,and a perfectly mixed ‘masculine plus feminine’ body -(similarly like Leo but at least he wasn’t always called a ‘woman’ so many annoyingly times,good for him)- .Out of every model in the company,he was the most favored -not because he was the brother of the founder,which would have been bias- and most liked out of the public,fame rose quick and steady with just his first few real debuts.

And not only is he seen in magazines and advertisements,also in movies and TV shows as a minor character,turns out you could also be an actor with just showing a few talents of acting while still juggling your model career.Many people already demanded that he plays a more leading role or a major character in a film but he turns them down,being a background character is good enough so his life won’t be too hectic.

His career went smoothly nice in the first couple of months.Fancy parties,talk shows,big meetings,tentative offers.Designer clothing soon filled Mikey’s closet till he needed to buy two more,suede shoes and even some heels,and some other trinkets he gets from his shopping or fan mails or generally some things that were gifts from his family.The rest of his brothers did their own thing.Leo became of a known actor and singer,thanks to his incredible acting skills and vocal range that he can do and take,his ego was being feed in the daily bases but at least he didn’t abuse it that much then Mikey thought.Donnie was an in and out actor,influencer and model,since he is already busy keeping his two companies check and steady running so he doesn’t really have much time to indulge on the fame part,but he still is a pretty well-known dancer after debuting on a dance competition,people went wild after that.And Raph is starting to be a well known action movie star,boxer and a gym fitness guide for all three of them since he still sees that they need to stay healthy as possible 

And Mikey?

Busy being a pampered model and privileged actor that his time of doing his favorite hobbies,like painting and drawing and even cooking,was barely any hobby anymore.His brothers did too,but at least they had a little bit of more time.He could only do it in his free time,which would only be once to twice a week or less.He doesn’t even need to be taken care of,a sole reason why he didn’t ask for a assistant,even if Donnie insisted it to make his schedule more clearer and free,his starting to regret it.

(Ahh,so this what fame feels like?,wonder what would have been if he was a famous chef instead?)

“Ughh So boring,why is it taking so long?”He groans,taking a long sip in his pineapple juice to cool down his steam,heart-shaped ice clinking together as he dawned half the drink,it worked its charm but the coldness slipping down his throat was a little too much,maybe he shouldn’t drink something this freezing too much.

The cat yokai behind him just hums,”Im sorry sir,The boss needs as much pictures as he can get so he could post the magazine next Monday”

They say with the usual polite tone,taking the now empty drink in Mikey’s hands before offering another one.He glanced at it before smiling,taking it one hand as the other was still supporting his chin placed on top,the armrest creaking a bit from his weight.

“Well,at least make it quick so I won’t have to wait the whole afternoon ruining my makeup”He kindly demanded,still haven’t abused his power of being the brother (again) of the founder of the actual company even if it was tempting,they only nod.

Uggh,another long day

—-•—-

“Help?”

Mikey spoke curiously,standing up straight were he once was leaning casually in the leather sofa.He was now in Donnie’s office after finally being done with his photo-shots,resting in the placed sofa that was put there from his request,and from Donnie also so he could have some time with him if he can.

He was tired till his bones but he still managed to have some energy to be curious,even though he only wanted to sleep and pass out.

The said purple turtle just nod and looked away from his computer one second before returning to clicking in a fast pace,taking a few silents before he answered back.

“I’ve noticed how your getting tired lately and your schedule being unorganized,I’m starting to wonder maybe you should have an assistant with you to help you on your activities”

Those were words of worry and concern,even if it was monotone and serious in the mouth of the source.And that was quite sweet.

“I appreciate your concern Dee,but I don’t need it,I can handle this myself”Mikey just waves off his offer with a shake of his head,being truthful with his words but only made Donnie frown,looking at him fully as well as stopping on whatever he was doing.

“Don’t be ridiculous,You need it and besides,an assistant is what you need to keep your schedule free and clean”

His words were tempting,making the orange turtle imagine the possibilities of having more free time then before,maybe he could finally have time to cook and paint again,that idea made Mikey’s eyes bright.

“You really mean it?”He spoke with a squeal,tiredness leaving and instead came childish excitement and that made Donnie chuckle lightly,already sensing his eagerness to have so much time if he does agree.

“Yes,I really mean it”

Another happy squeal,but Mikey cough once to keep calm and acted mature again,his childish excitement in his eyes still remains though.

“Well,Sure,I guess”He spoke nonchalantly

“Good,You’ll meet them tomorrow”

—-•—-

To be continued~

—-•—-

So Umm…The story is quite weird as I reread it and still deciding if I should make a part two of it,which would obviously happen since I left you guys a cliffhanger,whoopsie daisie

Anyways,I hope you enjoy 

Will this go a little bit mature and spicy?Yes,very much

I will also post other oneshots dedicated to the same AU here if I resurface it again from its grave,maybe if I have some more ideas I could salvage in my brain 

[huggybug]

better together - matt boldy

word count: 4.6k words

requested?/inspired by this! my first time writing for boldy🫣 i hope it’s good enough lol and if it is.. i officially write for matt boldy!

You had gone through a lot in your life. A statement your brothers would call you dramatic for saying but you always argued that you had a point. It was tough enough growing up with three brothers, two older and one being your twin, but with all of them being top prospects, you seemed to fall through the cracks.

The Hughes family was America’s favourite. They adored your brothers, of course, and your parents as well. You stayed out of most interviews, only ever being mentioned but not for long, not before it was forgotten in favour of Jack’s newest record.

Growing up, Quinn was always the one who stuck up for you. He made sure you were included or that Jack and Luke weren’t teasing you too much. Quinn was the one who helped clean up the scrape you got on your knee when Jack pushed you aside in order to get the ball in whatever silly game you were playing, he was also the one who wiped away your tears when Johnny, your grade 6 boyfriend, found a new girlfriend at his summer camp, leaving you in the dust.

And it wasn’t that Jack and Luke weren’t good brothers per say, they just didn’t exactly realize that you were different since you were a girl. You wanted to play dress up and barbie’s while they wanted to play hockey and wrestle. It didn’t even matter though because eventually, once you all grew up, it was much easier to hang out and be friends with each other.

However, that wasn’t the case until a couple years ago, things actually shifted when Jack started playing in New Jersey. Before that, things were just different, you were just Jack Hughes’ little sister and that’s exactly how everyone treated you.

2018

“Can I come?” You asked hopefully.

“Uh no… you’re too young” Jack said, leaving you out of plans as per usual. It wasn’t like you desperately needed to join in on their plans. They were going to a movie, one that you could just watch at home but… you hated to be left out.

“But Luke is going, we’re literally twins” Jack just shrugged and you looked around helplessly at the group, hoping one of them would feel bad for you and coax Jack into letting you come. Trevor and Cole just looked at you, smiling pitifully before grabbing their coats. You whined as the left with Luke following after, not even sparing you a glance.

“I’ll bring you back some sour patch kids” Alex smiled, patting your head as he left. Alex was definitely your favourite.

And if Alex was your favourite, Matt Boldy was your least. He was actually the person who came closest to you despising. Matt was supposedly a nice guy, that’s what your mom said at least. ‘He’s such a sweet kid’ if only you had a dollar for every time you heard that.

If Matt was a nice kid, he sure liked to fool you. He laughed at every joke made at your expense, usually by Jack. For the most part, Jack’s friends were nice. Cole would always say hi to you, even ask how you day was sometimes. Patrick and Trevor would talk to you whenever they came over and you appreciated it, even if they were only doing it to be polite. Alex was the only one who spent time with you, probably since he actually lived in your house. The two of you would have movie nights and you were working your way through Brooklyn 99 together; Alex was your friend, maybe not as much as he was Jack’s but you still claimed him as a friend anyway.

Every memory you had of Matt Boldy was a sour one, he had never explicitly talked to you, maybe the odd comment but he usually just ignored you which you used to hate but now, you considered yourself lucky.

“Y/n’s going out with a boy” Luke laughed as he clamoured down the stairs while you chased after him, yelling for him to keep it quiet. It was bad enough that he found out about your date but now he was running his mouth to Jack? It was so against your twin code.

“No she’s not” Jack snickered and you crossed your arms when you rounded the corner to find him and his friends sprawled out on the couches.

“Oh yeah, that Max guy from my team. They’re going to the movies” Luke sang, teasing you while you pouted, marching over to sit next to Alex who shoved Trevor over to make room for you.

“Baby Hughes got a date?” Matt asked in a tone that made it sound absurd that you actually found someone to go out on a date with you. I mean, if you could even call it that, you were only 15 so your mom still had to drive you there, it was hardly a date.

“Baby Hughes is all grown up” Trevor says despite only knowing you for a few months.

“Is this some sort of bet or something? Emma was telling me about a book where they made a bet that he couldn’t make the weird girl fall in love with him…” Matt asked but was cut off when Alex threw a pillow at his head.

“Dude are you still talking?” Alex Turcotte, everyone. You smiled gratefully at Alex who patted your head in response, he reminded you of Quinn, that’s definitely why you stuck around him.

Long story short, Matt Boldy hated you and you hated him for it. Sorry, you strongly disliked him, your mom didn’t appreciate you saying you hated people.

2019

When Jack’s friends all returned to Michigan for their second year of the program, you had vowed to be a changed woman. You still spent time with Alex and when Luke was busy with hockey, you found yourself spending more time with Jack, something you hadn’t expected. However, Quinn told you that it was because Jack realized he would be leaving soon so he was trying to get all his ‘baby sister time’ in now.

You didn’t mind, you loved it actually. More time with Jack meant more time with his friends and you weren’t upset about that either; Cole and Trevor were actually nice and you accredited it to you being older but they seemed to want to talk to you now. In spite of that, your relationship with Matt didn’t change , not that you wanted it to. He didn’t make the jokes anymore but that was probably because you were closer with the rest of the boys now so they wouldn’t laugh, only tell him to knock it off which ruined the fun for him.

“I don’t understand how you don’t like him, he’s so nice” Quinn said one day over lunch. You went to Ann Arbor with Luke and your mom. They went to look around the campus or something but you decided to go see your oldest brother instead.

“Not to me” You huffed.

“Maybe he has a crush on you” Quinn was laughing before he even finished your sentence. You weren’t sure if it was because of the twisted face you pulled or just the sheer idea of Matt Boldy liking you… both were equally ridiculous to you.

“Quintin please, I’m trying to eat here”

2020

The first year that Jack played in the NHL was weird. It was weird that it was only you and Luke left in the house, Quinn had been gone for a while and even if he was only in Ann Arbor, he was still out of the house. The only sense of normality in 2020 was when everyone gathered at the Hughes lake house.

After being quarantined and many, many tests, everyone was finally able to fly in and since they all arranged for their training to be together, the lake house was full again.

This summer, you got even closer with some of the boys but Matt didn’t let up, especially when he found out about Josh.

“Quinn met Josh last week” You told Alex.

“And? Did he get Huggy’s stamp of approval?” He asked a bit louder than you would’ve liked.

“Did who get my stamp of approval?” Quinn asked as he sat down next to you.

“Josh, ‘boyfriend Josh’” Alex used air quotes, making sure Quinn, and everyone else sitting around the fire, know exactly who he was talking about.

“Ohhh yeah boyfriend Josh is quite the guy” Quinn nodded, taking a long sip of his beer.

“You said you liked him!”

“Wait… who’s boyfriend Josh?” Jack asked.

“Well I think… I think he’s Y/n’s new boyfriend” Trevor grinned before Jack smacked the back of his head.

“Y/n has a boyfriend?” Matt smirked and you rolled your eyes, huffing as you fall back into the couch, annoyed that your relationship has now become a point of conversation with your older brother’s friends.

“Jealous?” You smile smugly which makes Matt grimace.

“Anyways… why haven’t I met boyfriend Josh?” Jack turns to you.

“Can we stop calling him boyfriend Josh?” You groan.

“No pouting!” Luke yells at you as he walks into the room and you roll your eyes, wiggling out from under Alex’s arm to sit up straight.

“No we can’t because then Josh will get confused and think we’re talking about him” Trevor pointed out, motioning over to Josh Norris who’s head raises from looking at his phone.

“I think Josh can pick up on context clues”

“Hold on… our Josh or boyfriend Josh? See? This is already confusing” Trevor shook his head and his question made all the boys start laughing.

“I hate you all” You groan and Quinn throws his arm around you, pulling you into his side.

“Boyfriend Josh is very nice and he’s good for Y/n/n… let’s drop it so that Trev doesn’t strain his brain from thinking too hard”

Jack met your boyfriend later that summer, everyone did actually. You had a few friends come to the lake house for your birthday in August.

“So he is real” You were already regretting this decision and Josh had only been here for five minutes.

“Guys, this is Josh” You took a deep breath, as soon as you uttered the words to Jack and Luke, you head ten sets of steps coming down the hallway.

“Boyfriend Josh!” Trevor exclaimed.

“I didn’t think he was real” Matt mumbled and Patrick elbowed him in the ribs.

“I’m sorry in advance” Alex stepped forward and gave Josh a little bro handshake. They met over facetime a few times, only because you were too scared to tell your brothers at that point.

“Josh, good to see you man” Quinn gave him a little handshake as well and you smiled, it made you happy that Quinn liked him.

The rest of the guys introduced themselves and you only rolled your eyes once when Matt made an off handed comment but Josh squeezed your hand to insure you that it didn’t bother him in the slightest which did help you relax. Other than the pest, the guys were more than welcoming to Josh and despite still calling him ‘boyfriend Josh’ throughout the week, they actually seemed to like him.

2021

This year, you were fresh off a graduation and there was nothing standing in the way of your last summer before college. You were going to the University of Michigan, of course, and you finally didn’t feel like you were that much younger than the rest of your friends.

Josh came back to the lake house this summer, a year into your relationship and it was stronger than ever. The guys welcomed him back and you were glad it seemed to work effortlessly. There were a few girlfriends in attendance this year which you loved, more girls to hang out with was always fun and it also helped keep some of the boys in check.

You spent most of the summer laying around in Josh’s arms, talking about your futures. It was the perfect summer of doing absolutely nothing.

“We should just stay here forever” Josh mumbled and you smiled.

“I’m sure Quinn would love that” Your group had now migrated from your family’s lake house to the new one Quinn and Jack bought together in Michigan. It was much bigger and much fancier, making it obvious that it was the product of two NHL salaries.

Josh laughed, “But seriously, I don’t want to leave you” He was going to Duke for basketball, something you both knew was happening but had chosen to ignore for the past year.

“I know, I don’t want to either” You sigh loudly.

“But we’ll always have this right? This summer was just for us” Josh mumbled and you nodded. This year was the first summer that wasn’t ruined by Matt.

2022

“So, where’s boyfriend Josh?” Trevor asked as he shoved Mackie’s arm away from your shoulders and replaced it with his own. This year, you and Luke’s friends (aka his hockey team) made it to the house and it was definitely a change of pace for you compared to your last two summers.

“Ex-boyfriend Josh” You said quietly.

“EX?” Trevor yelled and all heads turned your way. “When we’re you planning on telling us?”

“I didn’t realize I had to send out a notification to half the league that my boyfriend dumped me” You scoffed.

Eddy came up and pulled you away from Trevor, putting his arms around you protectively. “Y/n/n is better off without him” You smiled while patting his arms. Eddy was your best friend at school which meant he practically went through the break up with you.

“Did he hurt you? Because I swear-” Cole started but Jack’s laughter cut him off.

“Dude what are you going to do?” Patrick asked, “Plus I don’t think Y/n/n needs even more guys to defend her” He motioned to Eddy who smiled happily.

“Nothing happened. He’s at Duke and… I don’t know, long distance sucks” You shrugged. There wasn’t a sad, terrible story. That was it, he moved away and as hard as you tried to make it work, it just wasn’t in the cards for you two.

“Well fuck that guy!” Trevor yelled.

“Yeah, hot girl summer, right?” Alex asked, sending you a smile.

“Don’t ever talk about my baby sister having a hot girl summer, Turcs” Quinn said, a shiver going down his spine.

“He’s not saying she has to fu-”

“Nope! We’re done, let’s go Y/n/n” Quinn pulls you away and you’re laughing loudly.

…

“Where’s… what’s his name? Boyfriend John?” Matt asked as he sat in the lounger next to you, looking at you instead of the lakefront view that your brother’s house offered.

“What is everyone’s obsession with Josh?” You groaned. To be fair, he did just get here a couple hours ago, clearly missing the whole boyfriend update conversation.

“God… sorry for asking” Matt huffed sarcastically.

“No it’s fine… we just broke up so no more boyfriend Josh” You were too busy staring down at your hands to notice Matt’s eyes flicker over to you quickly.

“Oh uh sorry”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to do that” You brushed it off, “I’m not heartbroken or anything”

“I know” He said simply, “You’re not the type to be heartbroken over some guy, let alone a basketball player” Matt made himself laugh and while you weren’t exactly laughing as well, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t chuckle.

“Hey there’s nothing wrong with basketball players” You defended weakly, not like there was any reason to put up a fight anymore.

“Yeah okay” Matt snickered. You weren’t even sure why he was sitting out here and talking to you since all of his friends, that he hadn’t seen in months, were inside but yet he chose to sit out here with you, the girl he’s hated for years now.

“Are you going to stay out here and make fun of me all night or..?”

Matt laughed, “Nah I’m going don’t worry” You watched as he got up and grabbed his phone off the chair, “Just to be clear, I’m not making fun of you, I never was” You didn’t have time to answer because as soon as his words registered he was gone, the door already sliding closed behind him.

The energy shifted over the next few days, Matt was a lot more tolerable and even though his teasing had lessened over the past year or so, it was odd. He would stay quiet, even passing up the easy chirps that would wouldn’t necessarily mind. He also started talking to you more, although anything more than a sentence would be considered ‘more’.

It didn’t go unnoticed either. When Matt chose the seat near you during the fire, Alex raised an eyebrow at you, questioning what was going on. When you were the one who was ordered to grab more drinks, Matt offered to help which made almost everyone wonder what was going on. Luckily, no one said anything.

Everything was going fine. You and Matt weren’t friends but you also weren’t fighting, something Quinn and Alex claimed was a good thing.

Maybe it would’ve been, if you didn’t go and screw it all up during his last week in Michigan. He was one of the first ones to leave, having to be back in Minnesota earlier than usual. The boys weren’t going to let him go without a party though so the whole week leading up to his departure was spent getting absolutely shitfaced every night, not like that was different from any other week.

You should’ve turned away the tequila shots Trevor was bringing around, or maybe the concoction Eddy mixed for you was the thing you couldn’t recover from but whatever it was, you should’ve stopped long before you did.

“Matthew!” You drunkenly shouted, pointing at Matt who was smiling carelessly.

“Don’t call me Matthew, Y/n”

“I’ll do what I want” You pouted dramatically.

Matt laughed, “What’s up?” He fell down onto the patio couch beside you, landing a little closer than originally planned but he blamed it on the alcohol.

“Why do you hate me?” Alcohol made you very forward.

“I don’t hate you”

“Okay… why did you hate me”

“I never hated you” He smiled, “I don’t think anyone could ever hate you”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You’re pretty sure your words were running into each other, coming out as a slurred mess but Matt still understood.

“You’re Y/n Hughes, that’s what that means” It didn’t make sense but he was too drunk to try and explain it any further.

“You’re so stupid” You laugh, throwing your head back onto the back of the couch but it actually ends up on Matt’s arm since it’s extended behind you.

“Let’s go be stupid together” Matt whispered, almost quiet enough that you didn’t hear him. You weren’t sure how the conversation went from 0-100 so quickly but you also didn’t really mind.

A beat of silence passes before you think of anything to say, “Fine… but you’re making me breakfast tomorrow” It was your drunken compromise but Matt accepted it without hesitation.

“Yep, let’s go”

…

You woke up in the morning with the alcohol gone from your body, as were your clothes. Well, the clothes weren’t exactly gone, they were just strewed around Matt’s bedroom along with his.

You weren’t sure what your plan of attack would be. If you should pretend to be sleeping or just sneak out of the room. Although you weren’t exactly sure what happened last night so staying ‘asleep’ might be your best option; you didn’t exactly feel like getting chirped non-stop at 9 in the morning while Matt slept soundly.

You felt him move and then his arm tightened around your waist, pulling you into him which made your eyes bulge. You squirmed which must have been enough to wake him up because you could feel him moving around more now.

“Oh fuck me” He groaned as you winced.

“Pretty sure I took care of that already” You whispered and you heard him sigh. “So…”

“Ugh Jack’s gonna kill me” Matt moved around some more and his voice sounded muffled so you assumed his face was shoved into the pillow.

“Seriously? We’re in bed and the first thing you think of is my brother?” You scoff, rolling away from Matt but he pulls you back even faster.

“Sorry, hi how’s it going” You twisted around to face him just to find his little smirk present and it made you want to roll your eyes.

“How’s it going? Really?”

“You’re a pain in my ass” Matt groaned and you smiled.

“That’s not very nice Matthew”

“Don’t call me Matthew” He said quickly which made you grin.

“I believe I was promised breakfast Matthew” You flipped around, moving away from him. He said something under his breath but got up anyway. You reached for your phone, scrolling through some notifications while you waited for him to come back. You weren’t even hungry really, you just didn’t want to be the first one to leave the room and… you wanted to see if he’d actually bring you breakfast.

Matt returned a while later with two bowls in his hands. He kicked the door closed and jumped onto the bed, passing you a bowl of scrambled eggs.

“I hope you enjoy those, I went through a lot for them” You raise an eyebrow at him, silently prompting him to explain. “Alex and Trevor were in the kitchen… they had some questions”

“Ew please don’t tell me you told them” The thought of Jack’s friends knowing about your night with Matt was so gross.

“Well no… I-” He was interrupted by the door banging open.

“Yo lovebirds, we’re leaving in 5 let’s go” You glared at Trevor who was grinning at the door. “Oh and Jack wants to talk to you” Trevor skipped away, skillfully dodging the pillow you threw at him.

“I’m dead, totally dead” Matt groaned.

“I can handle Jack, don’t worry” You took your time getting ready before pulling Matt downstairs with you.

“Jack is going to kill you” Alex said when he saw the two of you entering the kitchen.

“Dude, I was drunk” Matt complained and it made you freeze.

“Is that all it was?”

“Well… yeah, isn’t it?” Your mind blanked as heat flushed your entire body.

You backed away, feeling your heart pounding harder with each passing second. “You know what? I’m not gonna go out today, I’m not feeling great” Your eyes darted from Matt to Alex who was now giving you a sympathetic look. You couldn’t stand it so you spun around and sped out of the kitchen and back upstairs, locking yourself in your room, leaving a confused Matt and furious Alex alone in the kitchen.

“What the hell was that?” Matt asked, looking to Alex for answers.

“Bro…” Alex trailed off, leaving the kitchen while shaking his head.

…

Matt spent all day thinking about it. About you, about what he said. It wasn’t just a drunken hookup, he liked you. He had liked you for years now and he finally thought it was time that things could work out for the two of you. At first, you were too young, you weren’t looking for a boyfriend, let alone your brother’s friend who was two years older than you. Then you started dating boyfriend Jason… John… Josh! Yeah boyfriend Josh was a problem for a couple years and now that you were finally single, Matt thought it was perfect timing.

But then he opened his big stupid mouth and ruined everything. You were still in your room when they got back from the lake and you didn’t come out for dinner. Quinn went up to check on you and deliver some food but nobody else had seen you.

“What happened?” Quinn asked when he came to sit next to you on you bed.

“I slept with Matt”

“Okay…” Quinn was still waiting for the details that made you spend a perfectly good day of summer locked inside.

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? You’re an adult, you can do what you want”

You laughed, “Barely, I’m not even legal”

“You’re 19, that’s how old Jack was when he moved out and you’re way more responsible than he was” You wanted to correct him and remind him that Jack was only 18 but you didn’t think it was important.

“True”

“So what happened? Did he do something?”

“No, nothing like that” You could see Quinn visibly relax, “I just… I thought it meant something, I don’t know. Then he told Alex this morning that it was just because he was drunk but really I only have myself to blame because it’s not like he even liked me, it was just in my head and now I feel stupid” Quinn let you ramble, patiently waiting for you to finish before starting his lecture.

“Don’t feel stupid, I understand what you’re saying but also think about it from his side. I’ve been in this type of situation and after I hooked up with this girl-” You interrupt him quickly.

“Ew, Quintin!” You equaled, covering your ears in attempt to shut out his gross hook up stories.

“Shut up, let me finish” He laughed, pulling your hands down. “As I was saying, we had a bit of a miscommunication after and it ended up that we wanted the same thing so really it was all for no reason” Quinn tried to explain as best he could without sharing too much. “I think you should talk to him, have a grown up conversation about it and see what he has to say”

“Okay” Quinn was always right. You trusted him with anything really so when he gave you advice, you always followed it.

You went down to find Matt later that night, slipping out of the house to grab him from the patio where he was sitting with Cole. “Hey” You lightly touched his arm to get his attention and his head whipped around to look at you.

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked with concern filling his eyes.

“Yeah… can we talk?” He nodded and got up, following you back inside to the empty living room, sitting down next to you on the couch.

“I’m sorry” You both said and the same time which made you laugh quietly.

“You first” Matt motioned for you to go ahead.

“I freaked out when you said that it meant nothing to you because… I thought it did but I should’ve asked you and not just assumed you felt the same way. I’m sorry, it wasn’t really fair and it was really immature”

“It did mean something to me. I just said that it didn’t because I didn’t think you wanted it…” Ugh why was Quinn always right?

“Really?” You asked, wanting to make sure he was telling the truth.

“I’ve been crazy about you for a few years now so yeah, really” You bit back a smile when Matt grinned widely at you.

“A few years?” You ask and he nods, “Cradle robber” Matt laughs loudly. “I’m kidding Matthew, don’t worry”

“Stop calling me Matthew” He complained which made you smirk.

“Never” You leaned forward to kiss him quickly but his hands found your waist and held you there for longer.

“Gross, get a room” Quinn teased as he walked into the house. Matt’s eyes went wide, scared of what your brother would say or do. Quinn noticed his expression and laughed, “I don’t care Boldy, just worry about Jack” Quinn walked to the kitchen and returned with a new beer, “But don’t hurt my baby sister…”

“Don’t plan on it” Matt smirks, kissing you again when Quinn leaves.