#they’re meeting the people that came before them in the industry

[maxwellatoms]

In one of your last answers, you said “series reboots are usually pretty gross and sad”, and I was wondering if you could expand on that? Assuming “reboot” covers any kind of continuation of a currently cancelled or finished show (and maybe that’s the wrong assumption!), from the outside looking in it feels like a pretty mixed bag. On one hand, if I love XYZ Show, it’s cool that I get more stories with these characters and another chance to support XYZ Show and its creators. On the other, it definitely feels like a lot of ideas can only get funding if they’re tied to something already, meaning creatives are having to now tie whatever cool idea they have to some reboot/relaunch/retread, which can feel pretty disheartening if you don’t want to do a reboot/relaunch/retread. Is that a similar feeling from your side of the industry?

Thank you so much for all your answers and insight!

Usually reboots and spin-offs are just cash grabs. It happens a lot in animation. In fact, I would argue that the entire industry is just one big cash grab now. In the 80s, everyone complained that cartoons were just half-hour commercials for toys. And they were right. And we're right back there, but now that you can't legally push toys all day, it's just general "IP". Mugs, posters, more spinoffs, whatever.

I was offered three show running gigs over the pandemic. All reboots that I would consider unwise to pursue because they were "of a different time" and didn't (in my opinion) have anything more to say. Two of them were properties created by notorious sex pests, so there's also that. The animation industry loves to prop up its sex pests.

I turned all of them down, partially because I didn't respect the original creators but also because none of them had anything going for them except just being "more of the same".

I don't think any of those projects survived the intervening years, so in retrospect I maybe should've taken the job. I'd probably feel a bit gross, but at least I'd have floors in my house.

The entertainment industry is in a bad spot. The whole thing. I've had I don't know how many pitch meetings in the last few years, and they all start the same way:

"Hey! Before we start, we just want to let you know that we're not actively producing anything right now. We think maybe soon, but we won't be picking anything up today..."

And then later:

"The little we are doing is IP, so if you have a new take on our IP or a new IP you're connected to that you can bring in, that'd be great."

I always wanted to make original stuff. There came a time when I'd had my fill of Billy & Mandy and wanted to do something else new and original. That never manifested, and I was constantly being offered IP to produce. I turned too many of those down, maybe, before deciding that it was probably better that I run the IPs that mean something to me rather than having some hack do it.

But now those jobs have all gone to celebrities and fallen live-action writers, who are also slowly being eaten by the system. WB was hot for Scooby stuff a few years back, so I pitched some ideas. A few of them were turned down for being "off-brand" in a variety of ways. WB has now made (I think) all of those off-brand shows (or something close) with celebrity show runners.

I was going through a whole Midlife Impostor Syndrome thing recently where I was wondering if maybe I don't just suck. Like, it's weird that for a couple of decades I'd have people calling me trying to get me to run shows, and now nobody will call me back about the possibility of a design job.

Talking to some friends and realizing that they were in a similar situation helped me feel like I wasn't alone. That was nice. Talking to some of the most talented colleagues in my industry made me made me realize that those people weren't getting jobs either. That was unnerving. Talking to complete strangers in other parts of the entertainment industry now has me thinking that the whole house of cards is coming down. That's real concerning, yo.

It's hard not to think it's purposeful, when deranged billionaires own the entirety of our media and want to shape a society where they can't be criticized. We're letting wealthy tech bros firebomb the very heart of our culture, and it's weird that no one is talking about it. Because (for now) we still have that capability.

[heliads]

wouldn't you love to love her? - jack hughes

The New Jersey Devils have a new social media intern. Jack Hughes is determined not to care at all, except for the fact that he does.

masterlist

“We’re getting a new social media intern,” Luke remarks offhandedly.

Jack tries not to roll his eyes. He’s not sure he succeeds. For as long as he’s been at the Devils, there have been perhaps dozens of new social media interns, one after another in a chain of pretty girls shoving phones into his face. Every time, it’s always the same. Another girl, fresh from college or in between jobs, asking him and the others to learn dances or take part in trends. Luke will flirt with the intern. Dawson too, probably. Even Jack, when he gets bored. Then, the internship will be up in a month or two, and they’ll get another one. Prettier, maybe, or funnier. And the cycle will begin again.

It’s not like he can really blame them, either. The hockey industry is precious, even for people who aren’t playing. If these girls want in, an internship is a great way to start. Any entry post’s a good one if it gets you where you want. Only, social media’s a pain. Jack came here to play hockey, not be in a dozen new photos and videos a day. It drives him crazy sometimes, or all the time.

So, when his brother tells him they’re getting another intern, he really couldn’t care less. Luke, more prone to fits of passion over the latest girl in Devils red, is still staring at him wide eyed, waiting for a reaction, so Jack rolls his eyes and gives him one.

“Good,” he says dully. “It’s been too long since I saw a phone camera shoved in my face. Can’t wait.”

Luke groans. “Come on, man. They’re fun, don’t give me that bullshit again. Besides, I saw you trying to buy the last one drinks.”

Jack can’t argue with this. He had been trying. It was something to do. “Won’t do it this time. I’ll leave that for you.”

Luke heaves another dramatic sigh. Jack wants to do something to stop the oppressive judgment, so he does, snatching the hat off Luke’s head and shoving it towards his mouth. Luke, predictably, nearly falls out of his chair and starts squawking indignantly. Jack just chuckles and gets up from his seat, heading towards the door. They’ve been idling in one of the cafes in the massive arena where they practice, called there early for business stuff that ended up getting delayed. Meetings always run late, and now Jack has the rare feeling of tardiness not actually being his fault.

He heads down the hall towards the locker rooms, ready at last for practice. Luke follows a few paces behind him, still complaining, something about saving violence for the ice. Bullshit, obviously. Jack does what he wants, where he wants. Hasn’t Luke figured that out by now?

Jack steals a glance over his shoulder just to rub in the injury. Luke meets his gaze and glowers, still pissy from almost taking a nose dive off his chair, but all of a sudden his eyes widen at something in front of them. Jack whips around just in time to collide with someone exiting one of the offices.

It’s not an accidental almost-impact, either, this is a complete disaster. Papers go flying. Jack manages to keep his balance, but the victim of his distraction is worse off. He has to fling out both hands to steady them, catching at their arms at the elbow before they fall over. A dozen apologies rise to his lips, but Jack only gets through about half of them before he actually looks at the person he’s just bumped into– and look, indeed, he does.

Jack has just run into a girl his age, and a very pretty girl at that. He gets lost in her eyes without even meaning to, captivated by the way the light shines in them as she opens her mouth and says, “What the hell are you doing?”

Jack blinks in surprise, feeling like he’s just been abruptly pulled out of a dream. “Huh?”

The girl stares at him like he’s crazy. “Why are you holding onto me?”

Too late, Jack realizes he never actually let go of her when he was trying to steady her. He snatches his hands away, the sinking feeling settling in that he actually has no idea how long he was standing there, captivated. No wonder this girl thinks he’s insane. This random guy comes up, runs into her, then silently holds her in his arms for what’s probably more than just a second or two? Yeah, that’s crazy in anyone’s books.

“Sorry,” Jack says again. They look at each other warily for a moment longer, then collectively, both gazes drop to the papers spilled across the ground.

Immediately, Jack dives for them, trying to gather as many as he can. He springs up again, and, not trusting himself to say anything that isn’t stupid, just awkwardly holds out the papers until she takes them. The girl gives him one last disbelieving glance, then walks purposefully past him. Jack turns and watches her go, wondering why he feels vaguely disappointed that she hadn’t stopped to talk longer. He didn’t even get her name.

Raucous laughter breaks out the second the girl disappears around a corner. Belatedly, Jack remembers that Luke has witnessed the whole thing, which is just great. The last thing Luke needs is more ammunition for making fun of him.

“That was, like, the least smooth thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Luke chokes out. “What the fuck was that?”

Heat flares into Jack’s cheeks. “Shut up,” he says, turning back to continue walking down the hallway.

Luke, however, is unwilling to let go of the horrific blunder. He trots up to walk by Jack’s side, regardless of how much Jack tries to pick up the pace. “I mean, Jesus. Way to make an entrance. Poor girl’s probably going to log that with HR.”

“Shut up,” Jack repeats through gritted teeth. “I’ve seen you do worse in front of fans.”

“We’re not talking about me right now, we’re talking about you,” Luke says happily. “I’m so telling Quinn about this.”

“You are not,” Jack warns, but even after many threats of serious violence, he’s not entirely convinced that his older brother won’t hear about this.

Jack almost manages to put the whole thing out of his mind until he and the others are hanging out in the locker room later that day. They’re all dressed, but their coach wanted a few words before they hit the ice, apparently something bureaucratic that Jack can’t wait to forget.

Instead of being introduced to a new friend of the owner or some wealthy donor, however, Coach announces that they’ll be meeting their new social media intern. Online presence is crucial for sponsors, apparently, and the Devils need to up their game. So they say. Jack thinks it’s a lot of nonsense, and is fully prepared to treat it as such until their coach beckons the new intern into the room and Jack realizes he knows her. This isn’t a stranger, someone he can ignore without another thought. This is the pretty girl Jack just ran into earlier today, and she’s the one in charge of most of his Internet footprint.

Great.

Across the room, Luke is grinning ear to ear. This is so not what Jack wanted. The coach is saying something about how they’ll all be pulled one by one today for introductions and a few quick videos that can be parceled out during the next week or so. Usually, they would ask Nico first, captain rights and all that, but they need him to advise on some drills, so they go for the next best– Jack himself.

They’ll be filming TikToks or whatever a few halls over so as to not distract anyone, so Jack makes his way over with no small amount of trepidation. She hadn’t seemed so excited to meet him earlier, but maybe she’ll have forgotten who he was. It was a fast exchange. Maybe this means nothing at all, and they will have a great meeting, and he could even get her number or something. Yeah, not a problem.

The girl is setting up a phone on a stand when Jack shows up. She glances once at him as he approaches, then nods. “Oh, we’re starting with Mr. Observant. Cool.”

Jack feels his face turn a bright scarlet. “I’m not– I’m sorry about that. Honestly. I just didn’t see you.”

“That’s fine,” the girl says with a listless wave of her hand. “It was funny. I just thought hockey players would have more reflexes or something, I don’t know. Anyway, what’s your name, again?”

This is a simple question. It really is. Yet for some reason, Jack finds himself bothered. He’s been with the team for a while now, had that A on his uniform for a while now, and maybe he shouldn’t, but he’s gotten comfortable with his reputation. People know who he is. He’s recognized on the street, asked for photos while he’s getting coffee, all of that. And now this girl– this intern– is pretending like she doesn’t know who he is, and insulting his reflexes to boot?

“Jack,” Jack replies tersely. “Are you going to tell me your name, or should I just guess?”

“Y/N,” the girl answers him. “What do you do on the ice except run into people?”

“I play hockey,” Jack deadpans. “What else do you want me to say?”

Y/N just smiles at him, the picture of innocence. “Your position? This is supposed to be an introduction, isn’t it? I have to make sure I have a good picture of the team.”

Fine. Fine. Jack can be civil. He’s going to play along and then he’s going to leave and make somebody else deal with her.

“Yeah, position. I'm an alternate captain, a center. Left wing. That matters.” He feels like he’s rambling. This is stupid. He’s stupid. He never does this.

“Sure it does,” Y/N says, one eyebrow raised. “Do you have to tell everyone you’re cool or just the interns?”

“Huh?” Jack asks. “I’m not– I’m just talking.”

Y/N nods. “I’m sure you do. Talking and hockey, that’s impressive. I can see why the Devils wanted you.”

“Your team spirit needs some work,” Jack notes. “Why’d they hire you, your winning personality?”

“That, and I’m wonderful at making infographics,” Y/N informs him breezily.

“I bet they’re terrible,” Jack says on instinct. “Clashing colors and all that. Can you even draw a straight line?”

Y/N cocks her head to the side. “I don’t know, can you shoot on goal without getting injured?”

Jack takes a step forward on instinct before he remembers that he cannot fight social media interns and backs down. Still, the anger simmers in his head so bad he’s not sure if the red all around him is for the Devils or just the film of rage clouding his eyes.

This isn’t good for him. His team needs him out there on the ice with a level head, even in practice. Jack forces a smile and says, “I guess you’ll see at our next game, won’t you?”

Y/N meets his gaze with a mirror smirk, which bothers Jack more than if she’d tried to one-up him again. He grabs his stick with more force than necessary, making himself step past her and onto the ice before he does something he’ll regret. Once he’s out there, skating broad loops to warm up, Jack can almost put the whole exchange out of his head.

Almost. 

Luke finds him after practice, because of course he does. Somedays, Luke swears that little brothers must be born with an innate knowledge of how to stick their heads into other people’s business. Fleetingly, he wonders what Quinn would think about that, then moves on before that lesson can settle in.

“I love our new intern,” Luke says happily on the drive back to their apartment.

Jack scoffs. “Sure you do. You love rubbing this in my face.”

Luke glances at him, surprised. “No, honestly. I think she’s great. Super funny, too.”

Jack turns to stare at him with disbelief so abruptly he almost swerves the car into a telephone pole. Veering to correct course, Jack spits out, “Y/N? You think Y/N is great?”

Once Luke stops pretending like they’ve almost died– which they didn’t, by the way, Jack had everything under control– he calms down enough to say, “Yeah, I do. She was super nice to me. I need to ask if she’s local so we can hang after the internship ends.”

Jack feels as if he’s been dropped into an alternate reality. “You’re serious. You really do like Y/N?”

Now Luke’s looking at him like he’s the crazy one. “Like I said, yeah. Why, what happened when you talked to her? Was she still mad about earlier?”

“You could say that,” Jack grits out, knuckles white around the steering wheel.

Luke chuckles. “That’s kind of funny, actually.”

“It is not,” Jack mutters, but Luke remains in high spirits the whole drive back anyway.

To the great amusement of his younger brother, Jack and Y/N continue to be at odds the next time the Devils have to film social media videos, and the next time, and the next. Even when they start off a meeting on relatively stable ground, something will happen to have them sniping again, and they’ll be at each other’s throats by the time they leave the building in the evening.

What makes it worse is that Jack is apparently the only one suffering from Y/N’s cold shoulder. Everyone from the captain to the rookies seems to have gotten along just fine with their newest social media intern, yet Jack feels like he walks around with a target on his back every time she’s in office. They’ve started to ignore each other instead of purposely tossing insults, but that’s as close as he’ll ever get to a truce.

Jack has started counting down the days until she leaves. He would love some peace and quiet. Maybe the next intern will be normal, or they’ll all be poisoned forever just because Y/N L/N showed up and changed Jack’s life for good.

God, he feels like she’s crept into every part of his world. He’ll be scrolling on his phone and the videos she filmed will appear on his For You page out of nowhere. Jack swears he can sense her in every quick cut, every box of text, every song selection. Walking through the arena, he sees her everywhere– ducking into a meeting room, discussing potential videos with some of the PR agents, tucked into the bleachers so she can watch them practice and snap some shots. Jack is starting to seriously wonder if there has ever been a time when she hasn’t been wound around him like a loose thread come undone from his favorite coat.

Even now, he can see her. Jack has finally left a late-night practice, breath fogging up in the cold evening air. He’s glad for the warmth of his car when he slides in. Luke went back with some friends, but Jack had wanted to hang around a while longer to practice some skills before the next game.

Y/N must have been working late too, because he can see her now, walking out of the parking lot and towards the sidewalk leading into town. Jack assumes she’s waiting for someone to pick her up, but Y/N’s steps don’t show any indication of slowing down. Is she actually walking on a night like this? Jack is cold just thinking about the weather outside. Y/N has a coat on, but it won’t be enough to discourage the bite of the wind.

Before he can even think about what he’s doing, he’s pulled his car alongside her. Y/N looks panicked when he comes to a stop, but relaxes somewhat when Jack rolls down the window and calls out to her. “Are you waiting for someone?”

Y/N shakes her head. “No, I’m walking back. Have a nice night.”

She turns back to the sidewalk, evidently expecting him to keep driving. Jack also expects himself to keep driving, but he doesn’t. “It’s awfully cold to be walking. How far is your apartment?”

“Not far,” Y/N says. “Twenty minutes, maybe?”

That settles it. “You’re not walking twenty minutes in the freezing cold,” Jack decides. “Besides, I thought you were dropped off. Isn’t someone coming to pick you up?”

Y/N pauses oddly, and it occurs to Jack that he probably shouldn’t be noticing how she gets to and from work each day. Still, when she speaks again, he’s pretty sure the annoyance in her voice isn’t directed at him, for once. “I was dropped off, but my friend canceled on me. Hence the walk.”

Jack’s mood immediately sours. That’s a shitty move for sure, and even if he doesn’t always see eye to eye with Y/N, he’d never leave her out here, shivering even after a few minutes of walking. And he won’t tonight, either.

“I can drive you, if you like,” Jack offers abruptly. He’s not sure why he does it. He never has before. They’ve never been in a position like this before, and maybe they won’t either. Still, he doesn’t take it back.

Y/N, apparently heedless of the gravity of this offer, just smiles and shakes her head. “That’s alright, I’ll just call an Uber. Thanks, though.’

Jack blinks and stares at her. It had taken such a rush to get the words out that it honestly didn’t occur to him that she would just say no. “Is this because you’re mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you, Jack,” Y/N laughs. “I’m walking. You should get going soon, you’re going to disrupt traffic.”

“Fuck traffic, you’re cold,” Jack says disbelievingly. “Get in the car, Y/N. Please?”

She looks like she’s going to argue, but a particularly frigid gust of wind rips through that thin jacket and a moment later, Y/N is settling into his passenger seat. She turns to look at him, and Jack looks back at her, just a few spans apart. They’re close enough that he can see the flutter of her eyelashes as she blinks. Close enough that he could reach out and touch the slow bloom of cold on her cheek if he just tried.

“So?” Jack manages to pull himself together long enough to ask, “What’s your address?”

Y/N blinks, evidently startled out of some reverie, then pulls it up on her phone. Jack follows the directions, fingers drumming absentmindedly on the steering wheel. The car is quiet, and it weighs on him like a burden until he finally blurts out, “Why do you hate me, though?”

Y/N looks baffled. “I don’t hate you.”

Jack snorts. “Of course you do. You get along with every single member of this team but me, it’s a little hard not to take that personally. Come on, just tell me. Is it because I ran into you that first day?”

Y/N laughs again. It’s one of the few times it’s with him, not at him, and Jack lets the sound wash over him like sunlight. It’s a good sound. He wouldn’t mind hearing it again, maybe.

“That was funny. No, it wasn’t that. It’s just–” Her voice drops off, suddenly serious. “Do you remember Emma? She was your social media intern last summer. She’s the one who suggested I take this program, actually.”

Vague memories appear in Jack’s head. “Kind of? We’ve had a lot of interns.”

“Yeah, well, she’s one of my best friends, and the most important piece of advice she gave me before I started was to stay the hell away from you.”

Jack almost misses his turn. “What? Why?”

He risks a glance away from the road and towards her, but Y/N is keeping her head perfectly straight, not allowing herself to look at him in the slightest. “Something about you breaking her heart. She seems to remember you flirting a lot, buying her drinks, then dumping her for someone more interesting the second the internship ended.”

Jack winces. “That does sound familiar, actually. Sorry. I didn’t mean to–”

Y/N interrupts him with a wave of her hand. “Yeah, no, I get it. I love Emma, I really do, but she’s got a habit of moving quickly. Still, she was really hurt for a while. I figured anyone who could do that to my friend and not even remember was someone who didn’t need me to be nice to them.”

Guilt starts to pool in Jack’s stomach, icing him down to the core. “Still. I was a dick.”

“You still are, on occasion,” Y/N says, smiling slightly, “But I’ve been bad too, I think. I wanted to get revenge for my friend, but I’ve been more mean than needed. I’m sorry too.”

Jack comes to a slow stop in front of one of the notoriously long red lights of their shared city. As the scarlet of the traffic light washes over them, Jack takes advantage of the stopped traffic to hold out a hand to her. “How about a truce, then? If we’re both sorry?”

Y/N considers his outstretched hand, then nods at last and shakes it. “I’m good with that. Let’s start over.”

“Let’s start over,” Jack repeats. 

Her hand is still a little cold in his, even after the few minutes they’ve spent talking. It occurs to Jack that he could probably sit here for a while longer, warm her hands up with his, and then Y/N nudges him in the side and Jack realizes the light has turned green. He drops her hand hastily, turning back to the road in the hopes that she won’t notice the slow flush of heat to his cheeks.

The rest of the drive back is uneventful. Jack offers to walk Y/N to the door of her apartment complex, which Y/N jokingly calls creepy then smiles for real when he insists. They part with a promise to try harder next time, and Jack doesn’t think his feet have ever felt so light on the walk back from practice. He goes to bed that night like a little kid, practically giddy at the thought of the day ahead.

Looking back on it, Jack isn’t sure what he expected to happen with them after that. A celebration, maybe some fanfares? Or just a normal conversation in which she expressed how glad she was to see him and Jack could do the same? He doesn’t get any of that. In fact, they hardly see each other for most of the next few days. This isn’t too unexpected; although they love to complain, the players and media don’t see each other that often unless someone’s sworn on live TV or otherwise messed up their online presence.

Still, by the time Jack’s path finally crosses with Y/N’s, he’s really hoping for something special. He’s sort of crazy the whole time they’re filming videos, all raised eyebrows and hopeful glances, but instead of seizing the opportunity to make fun of him, Y/N just giggles a little and goes on with her life. It’s not bad, all things considered, but Jack– Jack wants more.

When hasn’t he, after all, wanted more? He wants to be better at skating. He wants to score more goals. He wants to stop getting brushed off by the commentators. He wants, more than anything, for some reason, for the pretty girl interning for their media department to do more than just look at him with a faint smile every now and then.

The sheer wanting starts to consume him. Jack goes out of his way to be exceptionally funny, astoundingly clever, practically fantastic in every way, yet nothing seems to wow Y/N. They’re just talking, which is certainly more than he had a few weeks ago, but Jack doesn’t want to just be talking to her, he wants to be back in his car again, with her leaning over and laughing at his jokes, her cold hands in his, telling him that maybe she’d misjudged him after all. Jack doesn’t just want more, he wants her, and that is making him insane.

Worse still is the fact that he doesn’t have her. Jack has spent his whole life, it feels like, hating the ‘pretty boy hockey player’ persona. He’s certain it’s cost him deals or trades or something over the years with the way people refuse to take him seriously. Yet now, Jack isn’t cursing its existence, but rather wondering why the hell it hasn’t worked. He’s still the same guy, same face. That stubborn acne patch on his chin has been clear for weeks now. He got a haircut, and people said it was good this time. Everything should be in his favor, looks-wise. So why doesn’t it seem to have a single effect?

It’s baffling, honestly. Jack cannot stand it. Worse still, the internship period is starting to slip away, and soon enough Y/N will be gone for good, leaving Jack to reel in her absence and wonder why he couldn’t make her like him enough to stay.

His mood sours whenever he thinks about it, which is often. Like now, even, in between Jack’s hours on the ice. They’re swapping out players in shifts, and Jack won’t be on for another five minutes or so. He’s sitting on one of the metal bleachers, hoping that watching the others will help keep his mind off things, but it’s not working too well.

Someone sits down right next to him, and Jack is about to start asking why they couldn’t pick anywhere fucking else to sit when he realizes it’s Y/N.

“Oh,” he says, trying desperately to sound cool and not bone-tired from practice, “Hey. D’you need another TikTok or something?”

“No TikToks,” Y/N says, smiling. “We can do a bonus one if you want, though, I know how much you love them.”

Jack chuckles. “They’ve been growing on me.” No reason why.

Y/N grins like she knows exactly what he’s thinking. “High praise. I hope you carry that spirit to the next social media intern, too.”

Jack sighs plaintively. “Do you really have to go? You fit in well, you know. You might as well stay a little longer.”

“That so?” Y/N asks, one eyebrow raised.

Jack looks away. “I don’t know. I heard some of the guys saying–”

Y/N cuts him off, lips twitching up into a smile. “I don’t care about the guys, Jack. What do you think?”

“I think you should stay,” Jack mumbles. He still can’t look her in the eyes. “With me.”

As soon as he says it, he knows it’s true. It doesn’t have to be through the Devils or not. He just wants Y/N with him for a while longer, to tease him when he’s being stupid and cheer for him during the games. He wants to hear her laugh longer than just the next few days. He wants to get coffee and buy flowers and match outfits and do a hundred things that would be special because he’d be doing them with her. That, more than anything, is what he wants.

A soft pressure on his hand; Jack looks up to realize Y/N has put her fingers over his, and squeezes slightly. He squeezes back by instinct.

“I want that too, Jack,” she tells him.

The smallest spark of luck is creeping back into his veins. “I thought you didn’t go for hotshot hockey players,” he says. “Especially not ones that flirted with the interns.”

Y/N rolls her eyes, but she’s laughing slightly, so they’re okay. “I wasn’t supposed to do that. The idea was that I would try to avoid it.”

Jack grins. “How’s that working out for you?”

“Surprisingly badly,” Y/N confesses. “I’m not too mad about it, though. Something tells me we’re going to make this work out.”

“It will,” Jack promises. He’s going to make sure of it. Looking at Y/N, the light in her eyes when she smiles, Jack knows that he’s going to do everything in his power to keep her. He rubs his thumb over her hand, still in his, and cannot help but think about how lucky he is.

Y/N looks like she’s going to start blushing. “Let’s talk about this when all of your teammates aren’t watching,” she says suddenly.

Jack glances up and realizes that he’s on the receiving end of quite a few curious looks from the Devils still on the ice. Luke, especially, looks like he has several questions he wants to ask. Jack groans, mentally preparing himself for the absolute nuisance his little brother will become on the drive home.

Still, it doesn’t faze him for long. “How about we talk about it this Saturday?” Jack asks. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Y/N is breathtaking when she smiles at him. Jack might have to keep looking forever, just so he remembers. “I think that sounds alright to me.”

Jack opens his mouth to say something stupid like how he can’t wait, but the coach blows a whistle to usher him and some of the others back onto the ice, and Jack is saved from himself. “I’ll see you then,” he repeats somewhat needlessly.

Y/N nods, and Jack turns to leave. He’s still got most of his senses intact, despite evidence to the contrary, and Jack does know better than to kiss Y/N in front of his whole team and coach in the middle of practice, but– well, there’s a difference between what Jack knows and what Jack does, and today, he kisses her anyway. It’s good. Really good. Good enough to deal with the teasing when he finally makes it down to the ice. Good enough to keep him hooked until their date, and the next, and the next. Good enough for forever.

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[art]

Creator Spotlight: @66sharkteeth

66 is a comic artist and the creator of City of Blank, a WEBTOON original series. They worked in the game industry at companies such as 2K Games before entering the field of comics. They began their career in comics at Tapas, where they worked as an editor and lead typesetter, before being signed to create their own original series on WEBTOON.

Check out our interview with 66 below!

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

The short answer is yeah, I’ve definitely had one. Overall, I feel like doing a lot of style studies during that time and trying to use new brushes helps a lot. In addition, because I’m a comic artist, I feel like writer’s block is in the same field, and with that, I’m really fortunate that I have an editor that I can work with, who helps me a lot there. Whenever I am stuck at a plot point in my comic, I can always go to my editor, who helps me hammer things out.

What medium have you always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

Animation. Of course, everyone loves animation. I went to school for game art and design and even did some animation courses, and I am just not cut out for it. I don’t enjoy the process, and I am not good at it. Animation is beautiful, and I admire people who can do it. I’d love for my work to be animated some day, I’m just not capable of being the one to do it haha.

Warm tones or cool tones?

It really depends on the scene! Especially in my comic, I really go with both of them, just depending on the moment in the comic. There was a major character death, and that scene was almost black and white. But normally, the comic is very vibrant, and people really like it, so when I switch it to a more cold tone, it makes the scene that much more impactful.

What is a recent creative project that you are proud of?

Honestly, my current comic, City of Blank, takes up 100% of my time. But recently, I did a plushie campaign where I worked with Makeship through Webtoon to design the plushies and do a little bit of marketing for them. So that’s fun and different from what I normally do!

When planning a comic or a story, what do you do first, character design or character outline?

Normally, I have a design, and I fall in love with the character design, and then I find a role for them. That’s how a lot of my characters have started. Also, that’s how I’ve been tackling new projects that I want to work on after City of Blank. I just came up with a character, and I’m trying to make a story around them.

What is a convention experience that has stuck with you?

Meeting readers and realizing how much my work means to some of them. Some of them have started their own comics, having been inspired by mine. Learning that I’m part of the reason they started their own comic journey, the same way I looked to other inspiring comic artists to start mine—it means the world that I’m in that position now.

Top tips on setting up an Artist Alley booth?

Let’s see…bright, sparkly colors! I think just trying to make sure that the booth is eye-catching. I ended up making a big shiny banner for New York Comic Con, and I know many people stopped by because it caught their eye and they’re curious about what it is. I know a lot of people are selling merchandise of popular media. Even just a banner of your brand to get them curious about who you are and maybe interested in seeing what you make and taking a business card so they can look you up later. It’s better than someone just buying a pin and forgetting you exist. Lastly, put out a tip jar. You never know just how generous your fans are feeling.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

I’m mostly involved in the webtoon sphere! I am definitely inspired by my fellow Webtoon creators, @lark-wren, who created the series Woven. I love their work and seeing them interact with their readers on Tumblr. Same with fellow Webtoon creators, @miranda-mundt-art and @astrobleme-enterprises, who created Lovebot.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing, 66! Be sure to check out their Tumblr blog over at @66sharkteeth and follow their webcomic, City of Blank, over at WEBTOON.

[iliketangerines]

Raiden and Kung Lao with a reader that looks like this?? Like she works at madam Bo’s and comes from outworld. Shes fast with her work and now’s the boys orders- tehe

made to order

a/n: can't gang know i fw encanto (i cried during the rewatch of the movie)

pairing: raiden x reader x kung lao

warnings: xenophobia

Raiden and Kung Lao stare at you from their table as you effortlessly put down two waters on the table while taking their order in your other hands at a customer’s table

when Lord Liu Kang had opened up the barrier between Outworld and Earthrealm, there was a never ending flow of people coming from Outworld to explore Earth

people also loved going from Earthrealm to Outworld and last either of them heard, some corporate bigwig was trying to make a tourist industry out of it

but Kung Lao and Raiden supposed it wasn’t so bad as they watch you finish greeting a table with a loud smile and gentle laugh

you glance over at the two of them, tucking a stray strand of water behind your ear, before coming over to them with a big smile

Raiden clears his throat as you ask them how they’re doing today and that you can take their order, and Kung Lao flashes you a smirk, opening his mouth no doubt for a bad pickup line

Raiden elbows Kung Lao in the ribs, trying to do it subtly to stop him, but you catch the action as Kung Lao grunts and shoots a glare at his friend

you just smile and ask if they need any more time, and Raiden quickly says no, saying that they’re just a bit tired from picking cabbage all day

he puts in his order, saying it’s what he usually orders, and Kung Lao quickly puts his in, adding on that hey come here a lot to Madam Bo’s

you snap your fingers together on one of your many hands, and you exclaim that they’re Madam Bo’s prized students

Raiden raises his eyebrows at the statement, Madam Bo talked about the two of them?

Kung Lao just takes the chance to lean in closer to you, saying that yeah they were those students, learned everything they knew about fighting from her

you smile and cock your head, tapping another hand on your chin before you ask them to meet you after your shift, if they're willing

you want to test your skills, and Madam Bo had told you that they were the best fighters in this side of China

they glance at each other, answer already clear in their heads as they both say the same thing in unison: yes

you beam at them with that gorgeous smile and walk away with a wink, putting their food orders to the kitchen

both Raiden and Kung Lao chat, watching you out of the corner of their eyes as you flit around the restaurant putting down plates and pouring glasses of water and taking orders

your arms certainly came in handy for sure

finally, you serve them their meals as you pour them new tea, and you tell them to enjoy their food

Raiden gives you a polite nod, thanking you for the speedy service, and Kung Lao gives you a large smile and tries to say something flirty

except he misjudged where to place his elbow as he leans his head on it and ended up slamming his forehead into the table

you place a hand over your mouth, stifling your giggle, and you nod your head at them before disappearing to serve the next table

Kung Lao rubs his forehead and Raiden ruffles his friend’s hair before going to eat his meal, a casual conversation easily rising between the two of them

several minutes pass, finishing their meal, and they hear a small commotion and look over, finding you looking rather irritated as a man too red in the face points at you

they spot the empty bottles of alcohol, how the spittle flies from his mouth, and then they see how his hand grab onto one of your wrists tightly

the man is shouting insults about how Outworlders don’t belong on Earth and that they should all go home, and Raiden rises up to help

but then, they watch you grab onto the man’s wrist with your other hands, easily pushing his grip out of yours, and bend his wrist back so far they’re surprised the bone hasn’t broken

they hear the man howl in pain, kneeling down to try and relieve the pressure, but all you do is bend his wrist further back with a cold smile on your face

you ask him to repeat his statement, asking if he really wants to test you right now, and he sobs out an apology, begging you to spare him

sighing, you let go of him and tell him to get out of the restaurant, but not before paying

he scrambles, leaving his wallet on the table, and you pick it up, fishing out a generous amount of money and counting through it as you walk over to the counter

you hand over some of the cash to the lady at the register and then pocket some of it for yourself before noticing how Raiden and Kung Lao stare at you

walking on over, you give them a slight embarrassed smile, saying you really wish they didn’t have to see it, but the both of them reassure that it’s fine, that they can’t wait to fight against you

you give them a relieved chuckle and ask them to just stick around a little longer, that your shift is almost over

you take their empty plates away, handing them the check

but not before sending them a flirty wink as you walk away, sending both Raiden and Kung Lao’s heart stuttering

[sopiao]

Hiyyyyyaa, how would the 141+könig react to military y/n being a goth girl? But they didn't know because she doesn't wear her piercings or makeup due to stranded military rule regulations, until they all meet up at the pug. Please and thank you. Take your time.

EHEHEHHE I LUV DIFF STYLE REQS LIKE THESE ^^

i tried my best 😭

Being apart of the task force was probably the best decision you made, you like the people, you have fun, and it pays good. Only downside of having to take off each of your piercings each time, especially if their fresh or barely healed, which could be dangerous (don’t do that kids) but rules are rules.

You never really told them about your style or anything since you didn’t really think it would be important, or if it would even matter.

When Soap reaches out to everyone and suggests to all meet up at a pub, you were more than willing to come. You had more than a handful of missions together and spent quite some time with them, but have never seen your teammates out of work before.

You’re the last to arrive since your time management is shit, you were stressing and messing up your makeup, but hey, at least you came. Parking your motorcycle and kicking the stand, leaving your helmet on the handle. At this point you realize that none of your comrades has never seen you in your attire, with all of your piercings in.

Entering the warmly lit and semi-busy, you saw them at a wooden table off to the side, laughing and talking about whatever has been going on in their lives, you see six drinks assuming they bought one for you. You decide to fuck with them since this’ll be the first time they see you in the full get-up.

“Boo!” At first their startled, then confused. Soap interested, he’s never been with a goth girl before, he’ll try anything— or anyone— once. Gaz is the first to realize who you are

“[NAME]?!!” Gaz shouts, making everyone look at him then to you, all making the same conclusion at the same time, Soap a little slower, but that’s normal. You chuckle, smiling as Price scoots to the side to make room for you, pulling out the chair next to him. It’s regular for him to want to sit next to you, he even had his jacket draped over the back rest to save it for you.

“You look sick” Gaz smiles, it soothed you. At first, you were worried how they’d think of you looking like this, but seeing his genuine expression eases you a little more. They wanted to say something, a comment or compliment, but they didn’t know how to say it properly without making it sound weird, not wanting to make you uncomfortable.

“Oh! We got you a drink” Soap slides over your drink, a fruity strawberry Cosmopolitan. It was all new to them but familiar at the same time. They always kinda pictured this look on you but never thought they’d actually see it. In a way it kinda reflected how you are in the field.

“Did it hurt?” Ghost speaks up from beside you. Of course it hurt. But you were glad that he was interested, especially because he is almost never interested in anything.

“Some more than others” You shrug, hands resting in the pockets of your DIO sweater. Ghost leans forward, arms crossed and resting on the wooden table, slight nod of the head signaling for you to continue.

“Top 5?” Price asks, his arm wrapped behind you to rest on the backrest of your chair. You’re surprised that they’re even this interested, you kinda expected them to just accept it and move back into the conversation.

“Uhh.. I guess the first would be these. Took a while to stretch these out” Turning your head to show the others, poking the tip of your finger through the hole of your gauges. Chuckling awkwardly until you heard oohs and aahhs from them.

“Industrial is second, couldn’t sleep on my side for a couple months” Turning your head to the other side to show the metal bar coming between the shell of your ear.

“But this put me through hell, couldn’t talk or eat for a while. Lived off of smoothies for like forever” Sticking your tongue out to show the small metal star on the center of your tongue. Ghost’s eyes slightly widened, he had one too (i luv referencing my other stuff) but didn’t wanna mention anything yet.

“This hurt, but after a week I didn’t even feel it” Twisting the metal bar of your bridge, careful not to smudge your makeup.

“Didn’t even feel this, my lip was a little swollen for a while though” You pull your lip down to show off your snake bites. You didn’t really notice this until now, they were intently listening, not just hearing you but actually listening. Not expecting them to be this interested since people either were a little weirded out or just a dick about it.

“Wow… And I’m too scared to even get my ears pierced” König chuckled nervously, hand unconsciously coming up to lightly pinch his smooth and un-poked ear lobe.

—

“It was nice seeing you guys again” Grinning warmly as you all stood outside of the pub. The snow made you wanna leave already, but the company of your friends made it bearable.

You give Gaz a kiss on the cheek. A simple and platonic act of affection. Forgetting you had black lipstick on, seeing the black mark on his cheek made you embarrassed. Especially with Soap’s teasing.

“Hey, give me one, too” He bent down and tapped his cheek, with a cheeky grin. Laughing it off as you planted one on his cheek. Price leaned in too, wordlessly asking for one.

König was still not ready to lift his mask up that high yet, but he still wanted a kiss. So you just settled a smooch on the back of his hand like and prince would do to his fair lady. After you left a kiss mark on each of them they all looked at Ghost, waiting for him to lift his mask up for one.

He looked around with a shrug, then shaking his head with a sigh, as he uncrossed his arms and lifted the side of his mask only up to his nose. Making sure to press with a little more pressure with him since there was less lipstick on your lips since it was faded.

—

Extra:

Omg. Imagine like showing off cool but weird tricks. Taking off one of your lip piercings and showing off how you can squirt out water from the opening. Soap wondering if you could slurp spaghetti through it.

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 1: Stuck

Birmingham, England, 1919

Much like America, it is an empire of industry. Giant factories tower over the slums and shacks, with drunks, thieves, and whores alike all sulking in the shadows. Smoke and ash cloud the sky and block out what little sun there is, as well as fill everyone’s lungs with foul air. With sparks flying everywhere it’s a miracle nothing catches fire. The gloomy and dreadful atmosphere is enough to make anyone faint, vomit, or lose hope altogether.

But I’ve got something these folks do not. 

I am an American.

While that may not be astonishing to some, to me it means that I’m independent, as well as rambunctious and a bit of a rebel even for my culture. My family always says I’m too rash and stubborn, and that it will diminish any chance of me finding a husband and settling down for a proper life. But I’m in no mood to marry, so sue me for actually enjoying my life.

However, at the moment I seem to be in a bit of a pickle. You see, I don’t travel much. Yes there’s the occasional trip out of state, but never in a million years did I think I’d ever go to England. Of all places, my family chose to vacation in Manchester, England. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful country with gorgeous countryside views and polite accents… that is until you reach the deep city. Then it gets bustling and dangerous, which is how I came to be where I am now. We decided to travel by train, stopping in Birmingham on the way to London before we headed home. Lord knows why I decided to stray away and get a better look at the intriguing shops, but after an hour of desperately searching for my family it finally sunk in that I was, quite frankly, alone. Talk about a dumb-headed move on my part. I passed back and forth through the train station for hours as night fell, growing more and more worried about what kinds of danger Small Heath, Birmingham has hiding in the darkness. 

Right now, people are giving me mixed looks of pity, confusion, and judgment. I know I’m not much to look at, with my messy blonde hair stuffed under a simple hat and my slim figure dressed in a gray dress with black heels. I probably look much richer than I really am, which makes my fear of criminals spike even more.

“Might I help you, young lady?” A sinister voice calls out.

He's a drunk, I’m sure of it. A man in a ragged overcoat staggers over, and he’s reeking of alcohol.

“No, I’m waiting for someone. Please leave me alone.” 

“Oh, no. You’re all alone? Perfect…” He licks his lips and starts reaching his hand out-!

“Back off! She’s with me.”

I look over and see an older man wearing a trenchcoat and bowler hat. He’s got a simple mustache, is smoking a pipe, and carrying a briefcase. Is he a cop?

“Says who, old man?” The drunk slurs.

But instead of answering, the man slugs the drunk in the nose and ushers him off. When he turns back to me the bowler hat man extends a hand to shake.

“Excuse me, miss. I’m Inspector Chester Campbell. Who might you be?”

“I- I’m Verena, Verena Steenstra.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Verena. I’m here for private matters, sent by Churchill on account of a BSA munitions robbery. I am here to weed out prime suspects and possibly recover some stolen items that belong to the Crown. You wouldn’t happen to know an Arthur or Thomas Shelby, would you?”

I shake my head. “Sorry, can’t say I have. I’m new to these parts, just having arrived from America yesterday.”

He nods. “Well it’s best if you don’t, miss. They’re ruthless, the lot of them. Gangsters, bookmakers, racketeers. The gang they’re part of call themselves the Peaky Blinders. You best be getting indoors instead of wandering these dreadful streets at this hour.”

When Campbell sees my uneasy expression he frowns. “You do have a place to stay, right?”

“Actually sir, I was… left here by mistake. My family left hours ago and I’ve been here ever since.”

Campbell’s eyes soften a little. “I’m sorry to hear that, miss. If I knew the area I’d find you an inn or hotel, so the most I can do is guide you to the desk clerk in the train station.” He gestures for me to follow him and leads me over to the back desk, where a middle-aged lady is typing. “Hello, would you happen to know where this young lady might find any lodgings?”

The lady gives me a once-over and tilts her head. “Maybe ask Harry at the Garrison. That’s a local pub nearby. You can’t miss it. Just ask for Harry.”

We thank her and head back outside, where it’s starting to get dark.

“I’m sorry to leave you here, but I’ve got my own appointments to attend.” Campbell grips his briefcase and waves to signal a passing cab. “You’ll be alright?”

I try to give a convincing nod. “Yeah, as good as I can I guess. Good luck with your investigation.”

“Best of luck to you too, miss. You’ll need it if you want to survive this wicked city.”

And with that, the inspector climbs into the cab and is driven off. Leaving me, once again, alone. But at least this time I have an idea of where to go and what to do. I tightly grip my small suitcase and begin walking down the bustling streets, trying my best to ignore the… less than Christian crowd that hovers around. 

“God does not care if you live in a slum or in a mansion!”

A man’s voice draws my attention, and I look to find the source coming from down the street. He sounds Jamaican, and seems to be a minister of sorts. 

“God does not care if you are rich or you are poor!”

I approach slowly, not wanting to interrupt. “Excuse me, sir? Where would I go to find the Garrison?”

The man frowns at me, confused. “What’s a lass like you doing in this part of town? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

“I understand that. I’m looking to find a place to stay, so I’ll ask again. Where can I find the Garrison?”

The man looks at me as if I’ve signed my own death note, then points to the building down the street. “There. But God be with you if you want to persevere with what kind of men go in there.”

I thank him and walk towards the building. It’s definitely a pub, because there’s drunk men staggering out and vomiting everywhere. 

“Look out!” Someone shouts.

Without warning, a small person plows into me and sends us tumbling into the dust.

“Dear God, what on Earth…?” I gather myself up and get a look at the person, or should I say kid. He’s a young boy with a conservative haircut, wearing dark pants, a white shirt, and gray vest. One might say he dresses just as professional as any stockbroker. 

“I’m sorry!” He says in a worried manner and looks as if I’m about to slap him. “I didn’t mean to, I swear!”

I gotta say, seeing this boy speak in an English accent is downright cute!

I kneel down to seem less intimidating and hold out a hand. “Hey hey, it’s alright, kid. It was an accident. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

He nods and shakes my hand, now looking at me differently. “You sound different.”

“I’m American, from New York. Now what was it you were running from?”

“Oh, right!” He points to the alley he just ran from. “I’m playing hide-and-seek with my aunt.”

I frown. “And you’re out here, in the dark, at this time of night? It may not be my place to say, but you should probably go back inside. Where’s your aunt now?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well that’s not going to get us anywhere. You got a name?”

He smiles and nods eagerly. “I’m Finn, Finn Shelby. I’m 10 going on 11!”

“Wow, that’s old! So Finn, how about you head inside with me and we can find a way of contacting your aunt? That sound alright?”

“Finn! We were looking for you!” A man comes walking up, wearing dark clothes and a cap. When he sees me next to Finn, the man’s eyes darken. “Who are you?”

I ignore his question and look at Finn. “Do you know him?”

“Yeah, he’s my brother John.”

Now I know that I can trust this man. “I’m nobody. Just a lost tourist who’s looking out for Finn.”

The man looks confused. “Why? You don’t know him.”

“That doesn’t matter. I’d look out for him as if he was my own child because no kid should be wandering around at this time of night.”

He scoffs. “What are you, some nun or midwife? Doesn’t matter. Come on, Finn.” John takes the boy’s hand and starts walking away. 

“Nice to meet you!” Finn calls before they’re out of sight.

“Goodbye!”

Now to get back to the task at hand. While being as inconspicuous as possible, I sneak past the gruff men and enter the strangely quiet bar. I gotta say, it’s surprisingly clean. Compared to the filthy world outside you’d think the king himself would eat here. But I know better. I can tell this place has seen its fair share of violence, but I give credit to the barman for keeping it spiffy. Gruff and sketchy-looking Brits sit scattered all over the room. Murmured conversations ghost around the room, confirming that this is yet another place I shouldn’t be at. A few turn their heads, but seem uninterested… for now. I hold my suitcase close and discreetly make my way to where the barman is standing.

“You don’t know me, but the desk clerk at the train station said to ask for someone named Harry.”

The barman, just like everyone else, seems to think I’m a fish out of water. “I’m Harry. What do you want?”

“She said you could tell me where to find a place to stay. I’ll pay what I can, I swear. I just need somewhere to sleep until I can find a way to get back to America.”

His face changes. “America? You mean you’re stuck here?”

“For the time, yes.”

First Harry goes to say something but then seems to look over at someone behind me. This changes his demeanor and he gestures for me to sit.

“Can I get you anything?”

I shake my head. “I don’t drink.”

“I do,” a woman’s voice says behind me.

A dark-haired woman wearing a gray suit sits up next to me, her face being shielded by a hat.

Harry nods respectfully at the woman and pours a shot of whiskey. “On the house, Polly.”

She gladly takes the glass and downs it, looking at me with calculating eyes.

“Name’s Polly, love. Polly Gray.”

“You seem to be a woman who knows what she’s doing, and how to conduct authority,” I reply.

“And you seem to be a woman who has nowhere to go. Am I right, love?”

I look away and become more interested in staring at the table. “Yes, ma’am. I’m currently homeless, jobless, penniless, and on the verge of hopeless.” I look back up. “But I’ve got a song in my heart and a gleam in my eye, so that’s all I can do for now.”

Polly laughs and twirls the shot glass in her hand. “Well a song and dance isn’t going to take you far, love. It’s best if you come with me.” She stands back up and starts pulling her coat back on.

My thoughts freeze. Did I hear that right? This person, this complete stranger who has no inkling of who I am, wants me to go with them? Where? And what for? Inspector Campbell said to be careful.

“Wait- what? What do you mean?”

Polly walks to the door, unfazed by my questions. “I saw you interacting with Finn. You treat him as both a child and an adult, which is something I respect. You’re not too sour but still know when to show a firm grip. I’d like to hire you as his tutor. He needs help studying, as well as someone to make sure he doesn’t shoot his eye out.”

My jaw drops. “Shoot his… But how-?”

“Don’t ask. I have to deal with the most ridiculous idiots this side of England, you have no idea!” She scoffs as I follow her back into the inky night. “The fact is that I need a tutor, and you need a roof over your head. So, do you want the job or not?”

I try to form words but all that comes out is a babbling mess. My thoughts are fried! What reason do I have to even trust this Polly character?

“You’re conflicted,” Polly states plainly. “I can understand why.”

“Yes! Because- because I’m alone! I- I have no one to help, but everyone says I can’t trust anyone here, and then you happen to be passing by… I don’t know what to make of it!”

Polly puts a hand on my shoulder. “Love, one of the things I always go by is my faith. If fate had it so you would be here to help Finn and get my attention, then God has spoken. My trust is not so easily won over, so I suggest you consider this chance very seriously.”

She’s right. Everything’s led to this. Besides, she’s right. I need a job.

“Yes, I accept your kind offer.” I hold out a hand and we shake. “Thank you, Mrs. Gray.”

“I may be your employer but there’s no need for that formality. Polly’s fine, love. And yours?”

“Verena Nora Steenstra,” my name flies right off the tongue. 

“That’s Dutch, I’d imagine?”

I nod. “Yes, after my great grandmother. My father’s Dutch, my mother’s Irish.”

“Ah yes, you Americans and your mixed heritages.”

She doesn’t seem upset by it, and I’m glad she doesn’t inquire further. My family isn’t cruel, but we’re not exactly the most wanted people in New York. My uncle on my mother’s side is part of the Irish mob in Brooklyn, so our reputation is a bit strict.

Polly leads me through the dark streets and people seem to be aware not to test her. Crowds scatter away to let us pass, not even daring to meet her eye.

“You have authority here?”

“Of sorts. People know better not to start a quarrel. Here we are.”

The house itself is simple-looking on the outside, something I admire. Polly opens the door and shows me inside, which displays a traditional cross hung in the hallway. I follow her past a kitchen and into a small room near the back, one containing a simple bed and vanity as well as a single window.

“Bathtub’s down the hall. I’ll leave you here to settle in, I trust the lads will guide you through the house. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must attend a family meeting. Finn’s around here somewhere if you wish to chat.”

I set my suitcase on the bed and look at Polly with sincere gratitude. “Thank you so much. You really saved me from a tight pickle, and I promise I will do everything I can to repay you.”

Polly smiles and, to my uttermost surprise, comes over to give me a hug. “No problem, love. You seem like a decent girl, even if you are American.” She snickers and goes to walk out, then turns to say: “One more thing: when you meet Thomas, just know he’s a bit rough around the edges.”

I squint in bafflement. “Thomas? Who’s-?”

But she exits before I can finish. So just to be clear: Now I need to teach a boy from a family I just met and am expecting to meet someone who’s ‘rough around the edges.’ Yay?

[eemcintyre]

All Eyes On Us (Tom Cruise)

Another addition to the "Something to Talk About"/"One More Night" series. And yes, the title is a subtle reference to "So It Goes..." by TS bc that's the vibe. I hope you all enjoy this as much as me; I have been on that grind

TW- none

Summary- Oscars night finally arrives and you and 90s!Tom make your official debut as a couple. You are overwhelmed by the attention, chaos, and some invasive interview questions, but Tom is there supporting you through it.

At several points over the course of the plane ride home, Tom had to peel Y/N away from the entertainment shows and newspapers. He noticed that she kept trying to check to see what the outlets were saying about them, and it was making her visibly distressed. Each time he would lean toward her, snatching the paper from her hand or switching the television off.

“Honey, this isn’t good for you,” he would say, and she would begin to pout until he took her mind off the subject by bringing her into a kiss instead. “This is a much more productive use of our time. But think of how exciting it’s going to be- we don’t have to sneak around anymore, and I get to show you off at events.” He hit her with a playful, encouraging grin.

“As soon as we get home, I want you to start looking for a dress. I know you’ll pick something incredible.” Y/N perked up somewhat at that idea, toying with the buttons on Tom’s shirt. “It’ll be fun, you’ll get to meet everyone I’ve told you about- Cameron, Renee, Cuba… they’re a really fun group, you’ll like them.”

~

“Are you sure I look okay?” Y/N whispered, eyebrows furrowed, glancing up at Tom with anxious eyes.

“Are you kidding? No one is even going to notice that I’m there,” he grinned, shaking his head in amusement as he admired her gown. It was a sleek nude dress with a plunging neckline and ruffled, flowy short sleeves, encrusted all over with matching gems. Tom had opted for a classic black tuxedo with slightly elongated, silky lapels.

Tom gave Y/N a last kiss on the forehead, accompanied by a reassuring squeeze of her hand, as the limousine rolled to a stop. They had reached the drop-off point for actors and their plus-ones at the Dolby Theater- the location of the Academy Awards. She sucked in one last deep breath before it was time to exit the vehicle and face the intimidating wave of photographers preparing to descend. Gripping her clutch purse and a fistful of her dress in one hand, Tom took the other in his as he helped her from the limo.

They were immediately surrounded by a claustrophobic perimeter of camera lenses, flashing lights, their accompanying photographers, and other attendees. As Tom guided her along a path through the crowd, it took everything in her to focus on not tripping over her gown at the same time as she was trying to smile for the cameras. Fans in the distance behind a barricade started to scream when Tom came into their view and he waved, smiling broadly. Y/N followed his lead, squeezing his hand in a vise grip. He then caught her off-guard with a kiss to her cheek, bringing a genuine smile to her face as people’s cheers grew louder.

“How about her, huh? Isn’t she something?” Tom called, gesturing to Y/N before they continued on their way inside, waving goodbye to the onlookers.

Before too long, interviewing time commenced. Between briefly circulating the arrivals as Tom introduced her to former coworkers and industry friends, they traveled from television host to host, from the likes of E! News to ABC and CBS. Each interview was fairly similar and went something like this:

A TV host, wearing something resembling a prom dress, would announce them with maniacal enthusiasm after they ascended the stairs to a slightly raised platform on the red carpet.

“Aaaand now we have with us tonight, Tom Cruise! And his wife- Y/N! Now let’s see this ring…” she asked, and Y/N shyly raised her hand into view of the camera, blushing. “Oh my God,” the reporter gushed. “You must feel like a lucky woman.”

“I am,” she replied, trying not to look directly into the camera. “He’s a wonderful guy. I still can't believe any of this is real. And I’m so proud of him tonight, whatever happens.” She referenced his Best Actor nomination.

“Aww… and who is it that you are wearing tonight? You look fabulous,” the reporter gestured dramatically for emphasis.

“I know, isn’t she a knockout?” Tom agreed, squeezing Y/N's waist.

“You two are adorable,” the reporter exclaimed, maintaining the same forceful enthusiasm. “Now, you guys have been very secretive about your relationship; no one even knew you were dating and now you’re married- what is that about?” The interviewer’s voice took on a subtly harder tone as she brought her microphone in closer to her interviewees.  

The corner of Tom’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and his eyes narrowed, although the charming smile didn’t drop. “I mean, I think I’ve always been a pretty private person. I’ve made it clear that my personal life doesn’t exist for ratings and reviews.”

Y/N looped her arm in his protectively as the host pressed on. “Are you concerned, maybe, about what your exes or the public might think? Y/N, does it bother you that Tom's already been through the motions a couple of times? I mean, when he moves on, he moves on...”

Y/N’s mouth fell open, and her raised eyebrows created a wrinkle on her forehead. Too disoriented to answer, Tom swiftly chimed in.

“Um… well, I don’t know where you heard that because it’s just not true. I’m on good terms with my former partners.” Tom cocked his head to the side, slipping a hand into his pocket as his posture stiffened and his smile faded. “Besides, all of that is in the past, and no one’s business but my own. I love this woman, and she’s my wife. Are we going to talk at all about the movie I’m nominated for?” He made a visible effort to relax his stance and expression.

The rest of the exchange, which was mercifully brief as time ran out and it was the next interviewee’s turn, was almost unbearably awkward as the host returned to softball questions about the experience of working on Jerry Maguire. As they walked away, Tom fumed, and though Y/N’s palms were shaking and sweaty, she was also angry on his behalf.

“You’d think with how much you’ve done for the industry they’d show you some respect,” she muttered when they stopped off to the side of the milling crowds to regain their composure. She softly brushed a runaway strand of his hair back into place, and he grinned sweetly at her, grasping her shoulders and rubbing them.

“It’s okay, I’m used to it. Comes with the territory, unfortunately. But you do know I love you? You know I’m not going anywhere?”

Y/N shook her head and chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Relax. I don’t treat the E! channel like gospel. And you know better than to leave me for someone else anyway. I’d take the cat, and I’d kick your ass.”

Tom laughed. “On the bright side, it’s almost time to sit and eat. I think there’s gonna be cake.”

Y/N made an exaggerated gasp, although genuinely excited by the prospect of a good dessert. “Well, then let’s get on with it; what are we waiting for?”

[chcrryade]

posted by justbcmb⠀⠀⸻⠀⠀July 3rd, 2O21.

So.  Here we are.  I’m assuming you’ve all seen what I have—and if you haven’t,  then what I’m referring to is an article explaining a little about the members of the JAGUAR boy group that’s coming just next month:  CHERRYADE.  I can taste it a little already.  Most people have no idea what’s going on,  (and I don’t blame them,  seeing as the last sign of life we’ve seen from JAGUAR was the BONSOIR disbandment notice from back in May 2O2O)  so I’ve decided to take one for the team and provide to you all a slightly omniscient-sounding  (but only because I do my thorough research,  and have my inside sources!)  complete run-down of everything surrounding CHERRYADE—including their managing company,  all the artists that came before them,  and the groups they’re primarily going to be forged out of.

PART i. the company.

“All press is good press,” says the company that is more used to attracting bad reviews than good. Known primarily for housing a whole host of outspoken and authentic personalities, attempting to pull off outrageously ambitious ventures that almost never go to plan, and generally biting off more than they can chew, JAGUAR has risen to (what some may call) infamy from where its headquarters stands proud in the centre of Gangnam. When you step inside their walls you’ll find great minds, good music, and an admirable work ethic—just don’t look too much further into it. Prodding around into things unknown never ends well, after all.

JAGUAR is a fictional South Korean entertainment company, founded by current CEO Ae Seungdae in 2003. They started off as a PR firm, working the media for their clientele—that mainly consisted of struggling actors, those who had either not yet found their breakout role or those that had gone through something that had sent public opinion of them into the red—and quickly making a name for themselves as a reliable service, one that had yet to majorly fail. It was something of an open secret within those who had hired them and the industry in general that while they were not always the most ethical in their methods of dealing with the media, they were always effective, and so nothing more than a few rumours were ever brought against their name. 

Their work in the PR business continued until midway through 2006, where Seungdae made the (correct) assumption that there was much more money to be made if they began to work within the industry, rather than simply managing the front of it. And so, by the beginning of 2007, they had fully jumped ship and rebranded into the entertainment company that they’re known as to all today. 

The first act to be released to the public was the co-ed duo JUST4U, attempting to cater to both young male and female audiences straight off the bat with the appeal the respective members had. They struck gold pretty much from the get-go, shooting upwards in popularity after the release of their first single ‘DBL TRBL,’ and from there it only got better—for the two members and for the company.

The first sign of decline was shortly after their second mini album in 2012, where allegations of a physical fight breaking out between the two arose after a performance on a music show. They were put on a year-long unofficial hiatus after the incident, but it seemed their fanbase wasn’t at all deterred, because after their long-awaited return in 2013 with a whole full album they were met with nothing but love and support. The first (that was known to the public, anyway) fight seemed to be the start of the end for the duo, though, as only three years later in 2016 they would meet their end after yet another vicious argument that got through to the press, and that appeared to be the breaking point—as they both cut their contracts with the company not long afterwards, and JUST4U ceased to exist. To date, their seven-year run marks them as JAGUAR’s longest lasting group.

That didn’t leave JAGUAR with no-one to run their show, however, because in 2012 they debuted a male soloist named YOON, a heartthrob that was again met with massive success not long after the release of his first mini album ‘ON: YOUTH.’ He continued after JUST4U’s demise as JAGUAR’s reigning king until late 2018, where he was found to have taken his own life in his penthouse apartment. Both the public and the company were rightfully devastated by the loss, but after theories began to crop up speculating on why exactly he committed suicide, it was clear they needed to do some damage control.

So, just under a week after the news officially broke of YOON’s passing, along came the release of ‘MAYDAY’—a pre-debut single from what was (then) the four-membered group BONSOIR. The release was clearly timed to take the attention away from the death, but to JAGUAR’s credit it worked fairly well and most theorists were now more interested in the new trainees, a fanbase quickly building from the abundance of content that JAGUAR were now putting out focusing around BONSOIR.

This pre-debut promotion would continue until mid December, shortly after struggling actor Ahn Jaehee would decide to put his career of background characters to rest and continue down the idol pathway, instead. By the time of their October 2019 debut with mini album ‘BETTER IS MORE,’ it was revealed that Jaehee was an official part of their lineup—but the original four didn’t seem to be the most excited about this fact. In fact, there were constant rumours and stories of fights they would get into with the new maknae, and this was what would eventually come back around to bite them. In March 2020 an article was released that told all of the things Jaehee had gone through at the hands of his bandmates, and all things BONSOIR abruptly fell silent. The last thing they got was a quiet disbandment notice in May 2020, and after that JAGUAR as a whole seemed to fall completely quiet. No announcements of an upcoming group, no nothing. They were a ghost company. 

Until July 2021. A surprise announcement was made, of a new boy group set to debut at the turn of the very next month. CHERRYADE, they were called, and the word being spread was that their lineup consisted mostly (with the exception of two) of members from groups that had met the same fate as BONSOIR—that was to say, disbanded after one scandal or another (or simply the lack of interest) and left to rot. To this day they remain active, and although they’ve gotten themselves into a fair amount of hot water, they’ve yet to scald so bad it spells out their end. They all even appear to semi-like each other, which is always a bonus. But that’s not to say there isn’t something career-threatening on the horizon. It’s all just a waiting game.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀JAGUAR

TYPE⠀ㅇ⠀PRIVATE

FOUNDER⠀ㅇ⠀AE SEUNGDAE ( 애승대. )

FOUNDED⠀ㅇ⠀FEBRUARY 23, 2003

BASED⠀ㅇ⠀GANGNAM, SEOUL, SK

PART i. (2) the staff

i.⠀애승대

With big dreams & a bigger smile, Seungdae only ever wants the best for his employees. Fully supportive of whatever they do in their endeavours (as long as it doesn’t involve publicly dragging JAGUAR’s name through the mud, of course), he’ll happily encourage any less-than-tasteful actions they decide to indulge in if they think it’ll help them climb to the top that much faster. Scandals aren’t so bad if they make heads turn and lips move, fights can be swiftly moved past, and the press can be silenced completely if you know the right people to do it for you. He’s a glass-half-full type of man.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀AE SEUNGDAE ( 애승대. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀JUNE 2, 1978

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀CEO

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀NAMGOONG MIN

ii.⠀심효주

Seungdae’s unwillingly pessimistic right-hand-woman, Hyojoo is really just trying to keep her head above water. When she got the job back in May 2003, back when JAGUAR was simply a quiet little PR firm in the centre of Gangnam, she had no idea what she’d end up being, what the company would go on to turn into. She is of the complete opposite opinion of the CEO—she thinks everything should be moral, and everyone should at least keep it civil until they’re behind closed doors. Unfortunately, her mission of attempting to keep everything above-board failed long, long ago.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀SIM HYOJOO ( 심효주. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀MAY 11, 1981

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀COO

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀NAM SANGMI

iii.⠀오지태

If there’s a bad idea, one that’s full of too much flashing lights and more sparkle than substance, then chances are it came from Jitae. He’s a kid at heart, just wanting things to look cool rather than there to be any significant meaning behind it. While he always means well, is always filled to the brim with grandiose visions far beyond himself, putting those ideas into practice is another matter entirely. The only thing that usually stops him during his board meetings full of over-expressive arm movements and explosive sound effects is Hyojoo giving him a look that says none of them will ever come to light. So he sits back down.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀OH JITAE ( 오지태. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀AUGUST 4, 1982

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀CAO

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀KOO KYOHWAN

iv.⠀최은희

As the younger sister to the now-deceased YOON, Eunhee has a lot to hate about JAGUAR and everyone in it. But she stays on, if only to look after her younger cousin Hasun and glare daggers at any former BONSOIR members she passes in the hallways. She runs a right ship and is cutthroat in her ways, unafraid to point out every single little thing she finds wrong with ideas brought to the table or thought-to-be finished products placed in front of her. Stragglers are the one thing she won’t tolerate, the things that have no use to her, and she’s unafraid to do all things necessary to cut them loose.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀CHOI EUNHEE ( 최은희. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀APRIL 19, 1995

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀CREATIVE DIRECTOR

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀PARK JUHYUN

v.⠀임수미

Sumi has every single one of her priorities completely straight, all lined up in a neat little row that she refuses to let get knocked astray. She likes to think of herself as one of the only ones with her head screwed on right, the only one with proper drive and ambition. A Lady Macbeth of her time (without the suicide—she’s not going out like that). The act of her reaching the very top, whether that be within JAGUAR or any other company she may decide to jump ship to, is something she feels is inevitable. It is going to happen, the only question left to answer is when.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀IM SUMI ( 임수미. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀NOVEMBER 26, 1981

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀DIRECTOR

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀KIM SHINROK

vi.⠀도성기

Running primarily on spite and too much caffeine that is strictly healthy, Sungki is slimier than he likes to think of himself. Loyalty is a fickle thing for him, something that will change with the tide and who hasn’t wished him a good morning that day. He’s not particularly pleasant, however harmless he might look, but even he himself is oblivious to how much he’s disliked at times. His trust can be bought, as well as.. Well, everything else about him. There isn’t much he’s not willing to do if the digits climb high enough. He has some redeeming qualities, it just might take a while to name them.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀DOH SUNGKI ( 도성기. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀MARCH 13, 1987

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀CHOI WOOSHIK

vii.⠀봄규리

Kyuri is a passive-aggressive, slightly manipulative, and always-put-together-looking ray of sunshine. She won’t let a strand of hair come out of place, and won’t let a single person that’s crossed her know a single day of peace. Her number one belief is that one can get anything they want if they’re charming enough—a belief that, in her case, is one that works every time. All you have to do is put on a shining white smile and grip their hand a little too hard, and she finds that everything she may want falls straight into her lap. She could do with seeing a little less of a number of her colleagues, but she’d never breathe a word of that to their faces.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀BOM KYURI ( 봄규리. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀SEPTEMBER 29, 1983

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀MARKETING MANAGER

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀PARK MINYOUNG

viii.⠀문영식

Simply trying to get by, trying to make a living to support his quiet little life, Youngshik has seen more than he ever really wanted to when he first got the job back in 2004. Trying to keep a leash on two firecrackers with their fuses lit was something that got his pulse racing on a good day and left him feeling at risk of a heart attack on the bad ones. A week of peace per year was the standard he slowly found himself getting used to, and despite all of the screaming and the fighting and the throwing things, he found himself missing the pair when they reached their limits and left.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀MUN YOUNGSHIK ( 문영식. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀JUNE 28, 1984

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀MANAGER for JUST4U (FORMER)

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀LEE JEHOON

ix.⠀황한비

If there’s anything Hanbi hates, it's everyone else. She says she would’ve been better off never even coming near the company building in the first place, would’ve been much further on in both her life and career if she had never set eyes on any of them at all—but despite this, she never makes any sort of move to leave. Some think it’s because of the cheques being written out for her, some think it’s because of the dirt they speculate she has on them concerning their treatment of once-superstar (and now dead) YOON, and some go on to make the harsher comment that, even with all her criticisms, without JAGUAR, Hanbi would just be another face in the crowd.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀HWANG HANBI ( 황한비. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀NOVEMBER 24, 1992

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀MANAGER for YOON (FORMER)

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀CHOI SUNGEUN

x.⠀홍재영

Ever bored, never having a nice thing to say, and a bit of an alcoholic, it’s common knowledge that Jaeyoung only really got the job because of his shareholder father pulling a few strings when he decided it was best for his son to try and handle a big-boy job for once. He’s holding on by a thread, but it’s not so clear as to whether he’s particularly worried about the status of his employment. His strongest bonds are formed through swapping contraband for excuses about what he’s been doing all day instead of managing the groups that were put under his care, and there may be a few DUI’s he’s shoving under the carpet.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀HONG JAEYOUNG ( 홍재영. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀JULY 30, 1993

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀MANAGER for BONSOIR (FORMER), CHERRYADE

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀KIM DONGHEE

PART ii. act one: just4u.

What do you get when you mix a country boy who hopped on a train the second he’d graduated to the big city and never looked back—only to resort to sleeping rough and stealing wallets when he realised his dreams of hitting it big were going to be a tad more difficult to achieve than he’d initially thought—and a born-and-raised big city girl—not spoiled nor particularly rich, but with certainly enough spite in her veins to rival both—who spends her days shoplifting and slacking off at her gig at the local noraebang? JUST4U, is your answer, after they were scouted on the street by an overexcited Jitae who had made his decision with just a singular look at them.

JAGUAR’s very first pet project, the members street casted by Jitae himself after wandering the highstreets of Gangnam pretty much aimlessly, JUST4U was a fictional co-ed South Korean duo made up of members Yeseul and Insu. Appeal was their core concept from the very start—in every meaning of the word. Sex appeal, endorsement appeal, musical appeal; they were trying to hit it all straight from the start line, likely wanting a boost after the recent rebrand from a PR firm to a full-blown entertainment company. To JAGUAR’s credit, though, it was an aspiration that was met both fairly well and fairly soon. Their debut single ‘DBL TRBL’ in September 2009 rocketed upwards in popularity and put their names in a lot of people’s mouths barely a week after its release, and it seemed like JUST4U could be the next big thing if JAGUAR played their cards right. They continued to be plastered all over the place, the company doing their best to grab as many publicity stunts as they could for the pair as the months passed by. The hype was well maintained, and many stuck around for the next release: the first mini album named ‘DIZZY,’ released in June 2010. From that point onwards JAGUAR felt it was safe to assume the attention wouldn’t take a nosedive into nothingness if they laid off the promotions, and relaxed a little, giving the members a little room to breathe.

The duo’s success was constant, never failing to gain headlines and interviews and more and more wins, more recognition, more of their names being passed from mouth to mouth. They were breezing through things, enjoying every second of the attention and the (monetary) awards they got from it. In fact, it was all a little.. Too good. While everything was doing more than fine on the music front, the relationship between the Yeseul and Insu was rocky at best, and had been since the start. They hated one another, point blank. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t trade favours and light each other’s cigarettes and lie about whatever the other may have needed them to lie about, but it did mean they couldn’t go a week without another screaming match about some petty thing or another. Maybe Insu had left his straighteners plugged in and on the countertop in Yeseul’s bathroom. Maybe Yeseul had left Insu’s earrings in her top drawer. Whatever it may have been, they made sure to fight about it multiple times over.

The media were none the wiser until August 2012. Another fight, but this time backstage at a music show—and it escalated to the point of throwing things, breaking things, bringing innocent staff members into it. Rumoured to have even been off the back of a drug-fuelled high, following leaked photos of empty baggies on their dressing room floor. What they’d just done was taken their own squeaky-clean image and set it alight—but, to be honest, neither really cared. JAGUAR stepped in to release a statement denying the claims, but in the same breath announced that all public appearances would be ceased for the time being, until everything had calmed down. The word ‘hiatus’ was never uttered, but it was clear as day to everyone who had read it that that was what it was. JUST4U spent their year off doing exactly the same things they’d been doing before it, although this time much worse. They wouldn’t come back until October 2013, when they dropped the full album ‘FEELING SWEET’ and convinced everyone they were better than they’d ever been, when the reality was that they were just getting crazier and crazier.

The fights continued, the sex continued, the drugs and clubs continued—the year off had really done nothing at all, and neither had the media. Yeseul and Insu continued to do whatever they wanted, and argued every second doing it. Maybe some would have thought JAGUAR would’ve stepped in after the 2012 fight to see how they were doing, and maybe even offer them some help, but the truth was that Seungdae thought JAGUAR’s artists should live their lives however they saw fit. Drugs and drink be damned, as long as they weren’t publicly dragging the company’s name through the mud, he found it to be none of his business—and advised his staff to follow his lead.

They carried on making their music and their impact (good or bad, it’s more up to you to decide) until 2016, where they finally began to crash and burn. One last fight, so loud it made their throats burn, snapped the final piece of string holding them together, and on that night in October they decided they were finally done—Yeseul going about cutting her contract the very next day, and Insu following suit not long afterwards. At seven years, they’re the longest group JAGUAR has housed to date, and will forever be known for never having a moment of peace between them.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀JUST4U

LABEL⠀ㅇ⠀JAGUAR

DEBUT DATE⠀ㅇ⠀SEPTEMBER 13, 2009

GREETING⠀ㅇ⠀FOR YOUR EYES ONLY! WE’RE JUST4U!

FANDOM NAME⠀ㅇ⠀ONLY1’s

ACTIVE FROM⠀ㅇ⠀2009—2016

PART ii. (2) the members

i.⠀나예슬

She’d say she was only in it for the money, but after a while Yeseul did grow to enjoy the rush of performing, the thrill of seeing the hordes of fan after fan screaming her name and waving lighters and phone torches and lightsticks in time. It was just too bad she had to share all that fame and attention and utmost adoration from the thousands, the millions, with someone she couldn’t stand—that person being Insu, of course. The only chemistry between them was physical, and apart from that the only time they could tolerate each other was when they were either blackout drunk or having to pretend to be best friends for all the cameras that thought them to be.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀NA YESEUL ( 나예슬. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀JANUARY 9, 1989

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀LEADER, VOCALIST, DANCER

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀KWON YURI

ii.⠀최인수

Insu came to Seoul with the highest of expectations, and not a singular one of them was met. It wasn’t as if he expected fame and fortune (or even a stable job) to fall into his lap, but sleeping in saunas at eighteen was a nightmare—and got pretty cramped, too. When he was scouted he took the chance purely for the idea of the cash that came with it, even despite the years of training he undertook before it. Life as an idol was one that met most of those stupid and too-high expectations he’d set for himself as a naïve teenager, but there was just one thing that ruined it, just a little bit—Yeseul. Trying to get along with her was worse than any nights spent sleeping rough.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀CHOI INSU ( 최인수. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀JULY 16, 1989

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀RAPPER, VOCALIST, DANCER

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀JANG WOOYOUNG

SEPT 2009⠀DBL TRBL⠀(FROM SINGLE: “DBL TRBL”)

JUN 2010⠀WANNA⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “DIZZY”)

FEB 2011⠀TELL ALL⠀(FROM FULL ALBUM: “GO”)

DEC 2011⠀SHOW YOUR LOVE⠀(FROM SINGLE: “SHOW YOUR LOVE”)

AUG 2012⠀BETTER STOP⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “HOW U FEEL”)

OCT 2013⠀MAKE ME (CRAZY)⠀(FROM FULL ALBUM: “FEELING SWEET”)

SEPT 2014⠀RENDEZVOUS⠀(FROM SINGLE: “RENDEZVOUS”)

MAR 2015⠀FAR AWAY⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “LONG WAY”)

DEC 2015⠀TAN SKIN⠀(FROM SINGLE: “TAN SKIN”)

AUG 2016⠀OPEN YOUR DOOR⠀(FROM FULL ALBUM: “MORE THAN DREAMS”)

PART iii. act two: yoon.

Here’s a boy. One with what some would call a natural talent for music, a knack for flipping a switch that turns him into someone able to light up the room with a few jokes and a smile. What do you do? The only answer is to recruit him, obviously, but the one obstacle in the way is the fact he has zero interest in ever becoming a performer like all the star-studded ones you see on television nearly every night. So what then? The only answer for Jitae (because, really, who else would it be?) is to pester. To beg would be the real word, but pleading for a 12-year-old to join your company when you’re 11 years older than him is more than embarrassing. Whatever you want to call it, it finally worked in the end, and after four long hard years of training, YOON was what rose out of the ashes.

The only soloist to date that JAGUAR has ever debuted, YOON was a fictional South Korean singer, songwriter, and general performer. Birth name Choi Yoonhae, he was much more interested in growing up and getting a normal job than ever being an idol—but Jitae had passed him by one day and was eager to try and convince him to join them, to help them fulfil Jitae’s latest vision of a moody soloist that would capture hearts all across the country (after a few years of training, of course—debuting freshly-turned-teenagers wasn’t really their thing). Yoonhae was reluctant, but after a long, rambling conversation and a business card tucked into his pocket, he took it home and began to reconsider a little. He went back in the end and put on a more than worthy performance, and was accepted not long after that. Four years spent in the practise room day in and day out later, and YOON finally debuted with the hit mini album ‘ON: YOUTH’ which (similarly to how it had gone with JUST4U) brought in a reasonably large fanbase pretty quickly. Next was the mini album ‘RHYTHM’ in January 2013, and from there it all continued to go uphill for the singer.

There was only one problem for all his fans to pick at over the years. He released music, sure, but it was all singles—one notable one being a collaboration with JUST4U, in September 2013, after which he seemed to become much better friends with the duo—and mini albums. No full projects in sight, even as every anniversary of him being active creeped closer and closer. Some defended the choice, saying that maybe it was Yoonhae himself that didn’t feel he was ready for a full album, but most of his fans were angry on his behalf, practically demanding a longer release from JAGUAR. In reality, Yoonhae himself was sort of on the fence about the prospect. He wanted to do it, sure, but he didn’t want it to send him crashing back down to earth after he’d been enjoying a comfortable high for years at that point. So he continued to agree to the mini albums and singles that were set forward to him and thought over the album all the while.

Besides, he had other things to worry about other than putting a whole album together. He had to watch out for his recently-employed younger sister, had to keep an eye out for his younger trainee cousin every once in a while and make sure he was holding up fine. Other responsibilities to handle, other relationships to maintain, other bad habits to feed. He avoided putting out a full album until he really couldn’t any longer—which, in a stroke of good luck for him, lined up with a time he felt he finally had enough songs to put forward for an album anyway. March 2018 marked the release of YOON’s long-time-coming first (and, tragically, last) full album: ‘NO DRAMA.’ But, just as he’d been so worried about before putting it all together, the reception went in the opposite direction of what he’d hoped—what everyone had hoped. It tanked. Fell to the bottom of the charts, sales practically nonexistent. It didn’t even grow organically after a couple months, staying forgotten by all; including all the fans that had been begging for it only weeks before its release.

This kickstarted Yoonhae’s decline. It sent him spiralling, and the only thing he could do to stop the landing from hurting too hard was self-medicate—by day-drinking, by sleeping through schedules with his phone turned off and hands over his eyes, with empty pill packets piling up in his bathroom bin. Nobody could reach him, no matter how hard they tried. He disappeared from the public eye, ignored all the company’s calls, and on occasion skipped town to do god-knows-what in other ones. Gone was the country’s brooding heartthrob, and in his place was a washed-up star who was reaching his wits end. People thought he’d just cut his contract like JUST4U had done before him and live the rest of his life as a normal man, but Yoonhae proved them all wrong—in what was probably the worst way possible.

November 2018. Police were called to his high-rise apartment, and a few hours later they quietly left it with a body bag in tow and tape around the doorway. It wasn’t as much as a scene as you’d expect it to be, but JAGUAR did everything in their power to not let the news spread to the media for another three days—presumably to give them ample time to get all their plans for afterwards in order—before finally announcing it to the press. YOON had passed away, for reasons undisclosed. But ‘undisclosed’ never meant anything to anyone, not when you had hundreds and thousands of fans desperate for the real truth. So they did some digging, some sorts less legal than others, and not two days after the announcement the real reason was leaked. Suicide. By one of his own silk ties. Sleeping pills in the system, a bottle of white wine knocked over on the coffee table. It was the complete opposite of what JAGUAR wanted, and so they did the first thing they could to take everyone’s minds off of it—release a new boy group. BONSOIR’s predebut single dropped later that same November, and worked exactly as intended. YOON was a tragic tale for all involved, one that started high and ended.. Well. Six feet under, would be the blunt way to put it.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀YOON

LABEL⠀ㅇ⠀JAGUAR

DEBUT DATE⠀ㅇ⠀APRIL 5, 2012

GREETING⠀ㅇ⠀WE’RE IN IT TOGETHER NOW! I’M YOON!

FANDOM NAME⠀ㅇ⠀C-U-SOON’s

ACTIVE FROM⠀ㅇ⠀2012—2018

PART iii. (2) the member

i.⠀최윤해

Notoriously private, Yoonhae was one that kept himself to himself both when it mattered and in general. He knew how to play the part of the idol everyone wanted to see pretty much perfectly, but as soon as he was off the clock it was like he was a completely different person. Reserved, blank—not exactly cold in how he acted, but certainly not the most friendly either—and all in all a pretty hard person to get a read on. He was just.. Yoonhae. Not much of a threat, not someone you should be particularly worried about having in the same room as you while you spilled all your secrets (which, for a few people, would be a large mistake on their part). Just there. Maybe that was why no one noticed the signs of him slipping further and further away, until one day he wasn’t there all all, anymore.

NAME⠀ㅇ⠀CHOI YOONHAE ( 최윤해. )

BORN⠀ㅇ⠀MAY 21, 1993

POSITION⠀ㅇ⠀VOCALIST, RAPPER, DANCER

PLAYED BY⠀ㅇ⠀OH SEHUN

APR 2012⠀LONELY⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “ON: YOUTH”)

JAN 2013⠀RHYTHM⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “YOU GOT IT”)

SEPT 2013⠀DON'T KNOW ft. JUST4U⠀(FROM SINGLE: “DON'T KNOW”)

JUL 2014⠀CONSOLE ME⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “FORGET”)

FEB 2015⠀SPEND THE NIGHT⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “MAKE UP”)

NOV 2015⠀ALL OF ME⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “ROT”)

APR 2016⠀U&I⠀(FROM SINGLE: “U&I”)

DEC 2016⠀APPETITE⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “NO LIMIT”)

JUL 2017⠀EYES⠀(FROM MINI ALBUM: “BODY & SOUL”)

MAR 2018⠀FABULOUS (DANGEROUS)⠀(FROM FULL ALBUM: “NO DRAMA”)

Well.  I think that’s enough for part one.  I was going to cover BONSOIR here,  too,  but then I realised a three-in-each-part format would probably make more sense  (and make it all a little more balanced).  Second and final part will be up soon.  Have a nice night!  I’ve been justbcmb,  thanks for sticking around.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Because I know few people will see this and it’s getting late and the dash is crazy

Just a reminder that a certain someone (like someones in the past) also chose a public kind of life. To the supernova extreme that Taylor’s is, no, but this is the industry they chose as their vocation too, and this is the partner they chose to love from the outset.

Does that mean this someone deserves hate or harassment from her fans? No. Even if he had done something truly heinous which there is no indication of yet. But to also act as if he or any of her past partners are shrinking violets plucked out of obscurity as truly private citizens and her fame was a noose around their necks is completely disingenuous. These are not accountants or teachers or doctors who relinquished privacy upon meeting her. These are professionals in the entertainment industry who are seeking a level of public life to further their careers, in the sense that they have work in film and music and modeling and sponsorships and public appearances in service of those careers. Should commenters online be civil to any of these subjects when interacting with them? Absolutely. But let’s not pretend they haven’t chosen part of this life, and a certain public life would be an expectation of any they chose.

To act like Taylor’s dedication if not outright embracing of some of these aspects for her own career is a loaded gun is hurtful to her. (And to women in general in the industry.) I said this the other night, but Taylor has been mega-famous for over a decade; even if she were in a lull post-1989, that was still more attention than any human will ever experience in their lifetime. Choosing to jump into a relationship with her is an inherent acceptance of that, and forcing her hand in an effort to remove that — the intensity of which she for the most part has no control over — is unfair, and no wonder she’s pissed if it came down to that. I used an analogy that it’s like choosing to date someone with kids: they’re a package deal and by choosing them, you’re also accepting the full package. If you can’t handle it at that point of your life, the greatest kindness you can offer is to move on gracefully before everyone gets more hurt. Taylor’s life is no mystery in this respect, and choosing to date her but reject the core parts of what make her her — the appearances, the performances, the collaboration, the constant churn of projects to keep the creative juices flowing, etc. — truly could be death by a thousand cuts. Especially if for every inch she gave the person took a mile.

What I’m trying to say is: people shouldn’t be flooding these subjects’ social media accounts and dragging them, or harassing them on the street or whatnot. But, these are all grown ass men. Part of them (yes, even that one) want parts of this kind of life. If not, they would stick to plays in the west end or truly indie flicks, and not starring in leading roles in hyped tv shows or chasing after Hollywood movies with Oscar-darling directors. Or attending promotional events or participating in ad campaigns. They have agents and publicists and managers and all the trappings of celebrity. Everyone deserves their privacy absolutely, and I certainly sympathize with that level of intrusion because it seems unbearable to a dull normal like me. But, the parts that are a fundamental foundation of your career — performing, networking, supporting each other at events — shouldn’t be weaponized against Taylor because she’s at least honest about wanting it. We really don’t need to be protecting these men for the things Taylor is villainized for. These men may not admit it, but they chose to do the same kinds of events Taylor does, albeit on a much smaller scale.

I’m not saying it isn’t awkward that Taylor may be airing some dirty laundry in her upcoming music. But, for all we know, she may have reason to be pissed. And again: this isn’t new behaviour for Taylor. She’s always written music about her life. If someone isn’t comfortable with that from the outset, maybe they should have rethought their motivations. I don’t want to make assumptions, but thoughts are definitely thinking.

In short, stop babying men who choose this life to take down the women who embrace it.

[yokohamapound]

Hiya I was wondering if you can do hc of Dazai and Chuuya with a fem! s/o who nit only works with them but also skateboards?

I've never ridden a skateboard in my life and you can probably tell from these headcanons buuut I hope you enjoy them anyway~

Characters: Nakahara Chuuya, Dazai Osamu

Contents: gn!reader

Dazai Osamu

Dazai thrives on information, so he naturally learns all there is to know about the people he’s interested in. It’s very hard to hide anything from him, so even if you decide not to disclose your hobby/sport/favourite form of transport to your colleagues at the Armed Detective Agency, Dazai’s going to find out about it anyway. 

When he first meets you, he’ll notice how well-balanced you are and how good your spatial awareness is. This can come about from several things, but there’ll be more clues as he goes alone. 

If he’s bored, he might just straight up follow you around one day. (Listen, it’s not creepy when Dazai does it, because it’s Dazai.) His suspicions are confirmed when you stroll into the local skate park and greet the other people there like you know them, like they’re your friends. 

He doesn’t really seem to be into sports or much in the way of physical activity—just enough to keep himself fit and agile enough for the job—but he’ll happily lounge on a bench and watch, glancing up now and then from his favourite book. 

That said, he might wheedle you into letting him have a go on your board. He wobbles at first, throwing out his hands to steady himself. It’s all an act, of course, since he’s a fully-trained martial artist, but he does always tend to clown around. 

Dazai gets going, building up momentum as he rattles down the park pathway, building up speed—

It’s only then that you notice he’s heading directly for the railing that blocks off the river, a beatific smile on his face. 

Splash.

Nakahara Chuuya

Koyou might have managed to turn Chuuya from a gutter punk into a well-dressed Mafia executive, but at heart he’s still that street rat kid who likes fast motorbikes and leather jackets. He still rides the bike Albatross gave him, though he only does it off-duty because he feels like he needs to hold up the dignity of being a Port Mafia executive.

Maybe you’re like him, and you only take your skateboard out when you’re off-duty and you don’t have to worry about the opinions of your colleagues in the Port Mafia. If you’ve got subordinates, you don’t want them gawking at you when you stack it and eat dirt—not that you aren’t skilled, but everyone falls on their face now and then. 

How he finds out will depend on if he finds out before or after you start dating. If it’s before, then he likely noticed you had some kind of injury and that you were being cagey about it. Seeing a cast on your arm or a bandage taped to your face is enough to get him demanding answers. (It also reminds him of that idiot, Dazai, which also just feeds his temper.) People get hurt in the line of duty to the Mafia, but he’s already taken you under his wing, and he’s protective of his subordinates. 

If it happens after you started dating, then he probably spotted your skating gear when he came over for the first time. If you’re really into your sport, you might have old, painted and sticker-strewn boards mounted on the wall, bits of repair kit lying around. A Sk8 the Infinity poster on the wall, who knows.

So, what does he think of it?

Well, I think you just found yourself a new skating buddy. Even if he wasn’t into it as a kid, he gets FOMO from watching you. His gravity control lets him master quite a few tricks very quickly, which can be a little annoying when you’ve been practising for god-knows-how-long to improve. However, he’ll make it up to you by using his gravity manipulation to let you skate around like the Silver Surfer. And you never have to worry about falling.

He’ll probably want to skate with you down by the river or somewhere industrial, rather than the local park. Those little baby half-pipes aren’t enough of a challenge.

[giantchasm]

So I've seen a lot of people posting their Kirby fankids recently...

And so I figured I should finally try and post some of mine! I've had them for a while now, but I've been too lazy to talk about them on Tumblr. Let's change that by making a post about my favorite out of all of them... my special little princess... my beautiful skrunkly.

Everyone, I'd like you to meet Peony!

She is, of course, my Taransusie fankid. She came into existence because I was playing Tomodachi Life and I got attached Taranza offhandedly mentioned that it would be nice to have a family one day and Susie just kind of nodded along but her internal reaction was a strong 'ABSOLUTELY NOT.'

This reaction... unnerved her, to say the least. She didn't understand why she felt so strongly about this. It's not that she didn't like kids. She liked Kirby plenty! And so why...?

Oh stars, it had to do with her dad, didn't it?

Her own unfulfilled childhood. Her resentment for her father. A fear that inevitably she'd fail as a parent in the same exact ways he did.

Realizing this was what was holding her back, Susie proceeded to get extremely angry. Why the hell was her dad still influencing the decisions she was making? He was long gone! She wouldn't let him make her hesitant or boss her around. She wasn't afraid. She could do WAY better than him. In fact, she would make a great mom! She'd show him.

The next thing she knew she was holding a baby she'd grown in a test tube.

Susie pretty much immediately realized she fucked up the minute this thing started moving. She didn't have anything to take care of her. Not even a blanket to bundle her in. What was she THINKING? Did she seriously make a living being out of spite? Maybe that would have been acceptable during her ‘Yeah, sure. I’ll do whatever evil thing I want’ era. But now? It was pretty apparent she made a mistake that she couldn’t take back.

Thankfully Taranza was… mostly understanding? I mean, he was surprised, of course, and he had to be like “SUSIE. Never do something like this again. ESPECIALLY without talking to me about it,” but when she explained he understood why she reacted the way that she did. Plus, as unexpected as this all was, he pretty much instantly fell in love with little Peony.

Which is to say nowadays they’re a pretty happy family! Peony is 8ish and things are going great. That is… except for one teensy, weensy, SLIGHT problem.

There was an incident wherein Peony almost died, and following it, she’s started seeing ghosts. This would be alarming under ANY circumstances, but with her family especially?

…Hoo boy.

Further explanation under the cut, since this is long enough as is

First of all, I figure I should probably explain the circumstances of Peony’s near-death experience. It was all sort of a freak accident. One day, Susie had to perform some inspections at the Works Company, and no-one else was available to watch Peony, so she was just like, “Well. She’s a well-behaved kid. I’ll bring her along. What’s the worst that can happen?”

The ‘worst that could happen’ was her child being fed to an industrial meat grinder. All it took was looking away for ooooneeee second. Peony leaned a little too close to one of the company’s machines, fell, and the next thing Susie knew, she heard screaming.

She. Was. Horrified. She scrambled to shut off the machine, but it was too late. Peony was already hurt. Really hurt. She pulled her broken body from the machine, but there wasn’t much else she could do. She pretty much just had to call Taranza, explain what horrifying thing happened, and then wait for him, a person with actual experience using Soul and healing magic to get there before it was too late.

I cannot explain enough how distressing this was. Susie is someone who isn’t used to feeling helpless. She’s in control in pretty much every situation. But sitting there, holding her actively dying daughter, she had none of that usual control. Despite herself, she couldn’t let her mind wander back to that person. The one that she was thinking about when she first made Peony. She said she’d do better than he did, but…

If Peony were to die now, they’d be the exact same.

Even once Taranza arrived, they weren’t exactly out of the woods. He completely panicked, presented with the idea of losing another loved one, and his attempts to stabilize her were sloppy and desperate. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to find her spirit to tether back to her body with his magic. Was it… already too late?

That’s when it felt as if something was passed off to him. Her spirit practically shoved into the metaphorical hands of his mind’s eye. It didn’t make any sense— it felt as if someone had intervened, but he didn’t question it. He took the stroke of luck as it came, and just barely he was able to stabilize Peony.

…She was hurt, but alive.

When she came to, her family was relieved, but she revealed something strange. When she was on the brink between life and death, she swore she was helped by two mysterious strangers. They comforted her, helped her calm down, and helped her get back to her body.

She described them as a ‘pretty lady’ and a ‘funny old man.’

Taranza and Susie weren’t sure what to make of this. It… couldn’t be, could it? But from thereon out, Peony continued to see these strangers, as well as develop more spectral powers.

You see… Peony is half Neumann— the same species her mom is. Her mom doesn’t have any magic abilities thanks to her cybernetics, but archetypically the species is susceptible to being… overloaded with a certain type of magic, especially when in life or death situations. Look at the Mage Sisters, for example. When on the brink of death themselves, they ended up becoming one with the elements that nearly killed them.

It was the same for Peony. A perfect storm, really. The Arachnid’s predisposition for Soul magic combined with the Neumann’s ability to soak up magic made for a very unique set of circumstances. And so when her dad used Soul magic to heal her, and some spirits perhaps stepped in to save her life…

Peony was overwhelmed. She developed an unnatural connection to the dead.

That said, Peony’s ‘guardian angels’ weeereeennn’t exactly supposed to do what they did. The rules of life and death are very strict. Particularly powerful spirits are allowed to remain wandering if they have unfinished business, but they are NOT to mess with mortal lives.

The arbitrator of life and death was outraged. It said it should whisk the two of them to Hades for their audacity! But this, too, was something Peony overheard, and she rushed to intervene. She begged Morpho Knight not to punish the mysterious strangers who helped her. If if was her who was supposed to die, shouldn’t she have been punished instead? She said she’d take their place.

…She didn’t know they were her granddad and her father’s long lost friend at the time. She just knew they’d helped her out, even though they didn’t know her. She had to return the favor.

Morpho Knight tested her conviction. It made it seem as if it was really going to go through with reaping her, but when she didn’t back down, it relented. It… couldn’t whisk away an innocent child. Perhaps all the time spent watching over Kirby was making it go soft. It allowed Peony to have her way. Truthfully, with the abilities she developed, the boundary between life and death for her family was already going to thin anyways. It would watch and see where this went.

Nowadays, Peony and the ghosts are best friends. She’s learned of their origins, and given a bit of an ego boost from her unlikely survival, she’s promised one day she’ll bring them back to life. This is something that is NOT going to happen, but at the moment she’s convinced she’s invincible— that she has unique, unmatched power and can do anything she wants to.

Her parents are… hardly sure what to make of all this. It’s difficult to believe, really. But the more Peony talks about her brand new friends, the harder it is to deny her uncanny knowledge. And that means old wounds are reopening as they grapple with the complicated implications of the very flawed people they lost not only entering their child’s life but, in a way, reentering theirs.

…But that’s a story for another day. I figure I’ve probably talked enough. All you need to know is god complex spirit medium spider girl. I hope everyone else likes her as much as I do.

[cocainegirlsnblunts]

Smoothies In 1991

Jack Harlow - Officially meeting Jack

Interviewer: So can you two tell us where you first met and what were your first impressions on each other.

you started cracking up thinking about that day.

10/27/21.

After 2019 you weren’t so much in the spotlight, only because you chose too. You liked to be as private as possible and your work already got the recognition it deserved. Plus you’ve already done a few interviews here and there.

You were struggling with a lot at the time and the only option you had was to take a break from your career. You stayed lowkey, stopped posting, and anytime you were in a picture or anything it was RARE.

But anyway, 2021 you started to plan your comeback and so your friend Cole posted you on your Birthday

@colebennett ✓⃝

liked by madisonbeer, chanteljeffries, mariahthescientist and 238,595 others

colebennett happy 22nd birthday twin

And Cole has worked with many people, including Jack Harlow. Who you didn’t even know really but Cole had the amazing idea to take him to the Birthday Party your lovely Best Friend, Kali Uchis was throwing you.

Your Birthday is in late October so you always have a Costume Party. This year it was a Jazz Club/Old Hollywood themed.

Many people that you’ve worked with or have a bond with came. Here are some of the people who attended.

As you’re talking with friends, Cole approaches you with some people you’ve never met and didn’t really recognize.

“Yo Arlette” he yells.

“Cole Hey!!” you say noticing there’s some people behind him.

“Look I just wanted to introduce you to my boys here, you might know some of em, this is Jack, Jack Harlow.”

the world stopped spinning when you looked into his eyes, and you damn near lost your breath when he reached for handshake.

“Happy Birthday.” he says

“nice to meet you☺️☺️” omfg. LIKE WHO IS THIS???!??? you were screaming on the inside, last person you were geeking over was Jordan. (playboicarti)

“And then this is Urban and Druski” Cole continues to introduce you.

you greet them all with a smile and a nice to meet you, because like we mentioned earlier we aren’t so aware of the people poppin at the moment😬 but some knew you

“Hey I really love your work dude, New Choppa was insane” - Urban says

“Thank you so muchhh!” you say with a smile.

Fast forward the night, you took some pictures with your friends and everyone, including Jack because Cole insisted.

Cole posted it on his story and everyone was going crazy because this was your first appearance since 2019. (yk how we freak out when we see frank ocean, this is how everyone was reacting to you)

You: So yeah to break it all down, I wanted Jacks fine ass since the day I met him.

Jack’s Pov

At the time I was on the rise of my Career. The song I was featured on with Lil Nas X was the #1 song in the world. Got Nominated for hella stuff, got hella awards. I was really accomplishing my dreams.

My friend Cole Bennett, creator of Lyrical Lemonde, fucking legend. I’ve worked with him for the music video of What’s Poppin my first hit ever.

He had this friend, and I had known of Arlette because she was a big help in the artistic side of this industry and uh, Urban has mentioned her name to me before when he’d show me some album covers, or a music video but, i never knew the face behind all that was arlette’s beautiful self.

So it’s October, all these halloween parties are happening and Cole had hit me up and said, “Yo I have this friend, Arlette Viotto she works in the same category as me. I don’t know if you’ve heard of her but, she’s having a birthday party today at 9 PM they’re always really sick, i’d love for you to meet her man.

And me like I said I never even seen what she looked like, but I looked her up on google and I was sent to a whole different dimension looking at how beautiful she was. I was also appalled reading everything she was behind like damn I never knew. But I hit Cole back I said I am going to that party, we invited more of our friends and walking into this lil jazz club, they were playing that techno shit, it got turnt.

And I’m walking around I see hella people here, some people are coming to greet me ya know telling me congrats on being number one all that. Cole brings me to go meet this Arlette Viotto. And man was she even prettier in person.

Meanwhile Urban was over here fangirling, i remember. That shit was hilarious, but yeah I used my skills of eye contact and smooth talking. It was love at first sight.

okay first of all sorry for taking forever on this. I have gotten so unmotivated on like everything i been wanting to write about but here is what i have of this Jack Harlow series im attempting to do. I hope you love it and there’s more coming, trust and believe!!

[berzahoes]

ahhh can you do a spike x reader where there’s an age gap and she feels nervous or insecure or something like that??

lovesong | spike jonze

summary: spike didn’t care what people said about your age gap, he loves you and he’s happier than ever.

an: named after my favorite song by the cure <3 not my best work :( didn’t really feel motivated but i wanted to finish this one🫶🏼

warnings: age gap (reader is in their mid twenties)

you weren’t in the entertainment industry, but you knew plenty about it. you attended several events, met incredible actors and visited sets when you had time and it was all thanks to spike, who you met when he bumped into you at your job at a record store. you were working late and he and a friend came in. after asking you what your favorite album was, he picked it out and purchased it. after that night, he came back several times just to talk about music. then he finally asked you out and ever since then you two have been together.

it was obvious you weren’t the same age. he was around your parents age and you were in your mid twenties. your age gap didn’t concern you one bit until you took spike to meet your extended family at your grandparents house. that was your mistake.

“i like it here,” spike said as you two sat on the porch swing. the sun was beginning to set and spike wanted to watch it with you. “we should get a house like this.” he turned to you.

“that would be nice,” you mumbled as you started to run your hand through his silver hair that you love so much. “i have to use the bathroom, i’ll be right back.” you didn’t want to get up but you needed to.

“we’re getting a house just like this, i promise you.” spike placed a kiss on your lips before you got up.

“if you don’t, i will be so disappointed.” you replied and walked to the front door. as you passed by the kitchen, you heard three of your aunts whisper talk to one another. you didn’t mind it until you heard your and your boyfriend’s name coming out of their mouths.

“you would think she would go for a younger guy. that spike guy is older than me. and what kind of name is spike anyways? ridiculous.” one of them scoffed.

“why do you think she’s even with him? he’s rich and old. i bet the day they got together, she quit her job and uses all his money.”

“what a stupid girl! dating someone old enough to be her damn father. i am not surprised if he gets mistaken for her father or grandfather when they’re out.”

you never liked them, all they did was bitch and be miserable. after hearing their comments, you didn’t even feel like going to the bathroom anymore. you didn’t want to be in this house anymore. you walked back to the front porch where spike was taking a picture of the sunset on his phone.

“we’re leaving.” you said.

“what? is there a problem?” he asked concerned since you were in a good mood.

“i just don’t want to be here and you have that early meeting.”

“if you want to leave because of my meeting tomorrow i can always cancel or move it.” spike replied.

“spike, let’s just go. i don’t want to argue anymore. . . please.” you pleaded.

“okay. we’ll leave.” spike nodded and grabbed your hand. “don’t you want to say goodbye to your family?”

your silence answered his question.

on the way back home, you two remained silent. the sweet sound of the cure was all you could hear coming from the car radio. it was in the middle of ‘lovesong’ when spike decided to speak.

“i know something is bothering you.” he said as he looked at your for a moment then back at the road.

“it’s stupid.” you replied.

“did someone say something to you?”

again, silence.

“do you feel happy with me? i mean genuinely happy.” you asked. your question clearly caught him off guard. you’ve been together for a while and he was the happiest he’s ever been.

“what makes you think i’m not happy with you? you’re always so supportive even with my hectic schedule, you’re the first person i tell all my ideas to, you’re funny, you’re a dream, why wouldn’t you make me happy?”

“so me being younger doesn’t bother you?”

so that’s what was bothering you.

“i love you so much. you’re stuck with me, baby.”

“that doesn’t sound too bad.” you cracked a smile.

“does me being older bother you? i mean the silver hair.” he pointed at his hair that you love so much.

“i think it’s hot.” you grabbed spike’s hand that was on your thigh and held it.

“yeah?”

“drive faster?” you suggested.

spike did so.

[adviceformefromme]

Hey girl, love your blog💕. Question for you - how do you surround yourself with like-minded people?

I have big dreams and am finding a lot of my friends to have very “lazy” ambitions. A lot of them don’t want to move up in their careers, drink all weekend and have no other hobbies or interests. They’re amazing people and I have so much fun with them, I really do. But it can get tiresome quick. Especially when I have things I need to do to get me closer to my goals.

I feel guilty sometimes saying no to hangouts or leaving early becuase I don’t want to be hungover and unproductive the next day. How do I balance this?

I’ve looked at networking events in my city and most of them are in the tech/ finance sector- I work in the apparel/ creative industry. I’ve also thought of using social media as a way to connect but I’m very Instagram shy and don’t really know how to go about this. It feels a little foreign to me to reach out to like-minded strangers on social media, especially if I don’t have a large online presence myself.

Do you have any advice on this? Thank you💕💕

Hey Sweetie, this is a great question.

Firstly, I would suggest setting the intention. Set the intention and get clear on the type of women you want in your life. Make a list, script or journal. Make some time to figure this out.

The next step is to think about the things you would be doing with these friends, is it eating in cute cafes? Going on trips together? Discussing business ideas? Start making these arrangements for yourself. Get comfortable with leading the life you want to live with your new friends before they arrive.

Be innovative, I remember wanting to write more and connect with more writers, but also loved spending time in fancy hotels... So I setup a writing club in a sleek Arts Hotel (I booked a table for food/ drinks and we used the space to write and drink tea). Only a few women came, it was free but it was an opportunity for me to pour into my passion and connect with likeminded women. If there is something you are passionate about, a way you can bring women together, connect with other women...be brave and dive into this. It's the perfect opportunity to connect with potential new friends.

Make your existing friends work for you, instead of being a slave to their plans and ideas. You decide the socials you want to do that elevate YOUR life and you select friends to join you. For example, you want to catch up with friend A but are done with the boozy saturday nights, you let your friend know you want to see her and the options are, visiting an art exhibition you've been dying to visit, attending the hippie cacao ceremony, or the 10km hike on the scenic nature trail. It might seem selfish, but this is the way you get to enjoy your friends on your terms. Not only will you be more fulfilled, but you'll also expose yourself to meeting new women.

I hope this helps! Xoxoxo

[sarkos]

To this day, these churches still draw from the spiritual legacies of Christian missions and receive funding from off-reservation congregations under that definition. Global Ministries of the United Methodist church spent over $11m in 2022 for missionary services. Wels spent $661,018 just for the Apache missions and over $23.5m for all missions, as laid out in its most recent report, from 2023. Wels first came to Arizona in 1892, five years after the Dawes Act. When it was clear that exterminating the Apache people would not be possible, the federal government engaged Christian denominations working with the military to force the assimilation of the Indigenous people. RH Pratt, the superintendent of the first “industrial” boarding school under this policy, coined the term that embodied the philosophy behind these institutions: “Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.” pews and stained glass Federal boarding school policy allowed the military to forcibly remove Apache children from their families and send them to industrial schools in an attempt to militarize and alter their identities. They were forbidden to practice their religion or speak their language, and reports of physical and sexual abuse were common. Many children never returned home. If an Indigenous child was found outside during school hours, Indigenous police were appointed to snatch the child and deliver them to a school under the US military’s jurisdiction. If a parent sought to hide their child, they could be imprisoned or cut off from food and other necessary daily supplies. Apache children were kidnapped and taken as far as Pennsylvania, where they were forced to fully assimilate into Anglo-Christian society. Their clothes were burned, their language forgotten. Many children died of disease, neglect or abuse. And while the number of deaths is not yet known, it is believed that Apache children comprise a quarter of the graves at Carlisle Indian Industrial school. To think that 1800s attitudes towards Apache children have changed would be a mistake. Outside of the Wels mission, volunteers of other denominations drive around in colorful buses and still pick children up throughout the reservation, whether on the side of the road or other public areas. They take them to play games and learn about their version of Jesus and then drop the kids off again where they found them hours before. Parents are not always told or asked permission.

They took part in Apache ceremonies. Their schools expelled them for satanic activities | Native Americans | The Guardian

Great-Grandad survived Carlisle. In his words, “It was a hell of a way to meet Jim Thorpe“

All of this is why my reaction to someone telling me they’re Christian is the same as “Would you like to hold this blue-ringed octopus?”

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

Hi, I wanted to ask you what you thought about the latest allegations against Neil Gaiman. I’m pretty disgusted with him if they’re true tbh and gutted for the women involved , but I’m also emotionally invested in Good Omens and really want s3. Does this make me a bad person? Will the cast even still want to be involved if there is a season three? Do we want them to want to be involved? What would you think if David or Michael defended Gaiman?

Sorry about all the questions, you don’t have to answer I was just venting I guess.

Funny, I actually answered an ask earlier this month also concerned about being a bad person for still liking Good Omens.

I definitely think they're true and that he's a major asshole who's dangerous to women. I think the fandom has an obligation to cut him off from the work as much as possible (so not tag his name in any posts about the show, for example), not support him as a person or financially, not invite him to any conventions, and to spread the word, especially to young women who might not know, want to meet him at a convention or something like that, and could potentially be victimized. I heard of some people thinking of organizing like a fandom fundraiser to RAINN, which is a good idea.

No, wanting a show you really like to have its final season does not make you a bad person, and keep in mind that the season was greenlit and the scripts were finished months ago, before the accusations came out. The wheels were already put in motion before anyone knew about any of this, and to my knowledge, it's not like the victims are calling for the show to be cancelled, either. It'd be different if you were angry at these women for coming forward because you care about the show more than real world violence, but that's not the case here.

As for the cast...I mean, I don't intend to sound cynical, but do you know how few movies and TV shows would get produced if actors stopped working for things written or produced by bad people? I would genuinely be surprised if one or both of the leads said they were quitting the project out of some kind of moral dilemma; also remember that there are a lot of people in the production crew on shows like these, who would lose out on this job the minute the lead actors stepped back, and I think people who work in the entertainment industry take them into account, as well, at least sometimes. For Sheen and Tennant as people, I'm not invested in them at all tbh, never really have been, but it would be wrong on a moral level for them to defend Gaiman. They could release a statement saying they condemn his actions, support the victims, and "we're going to finish this project because Good Omens now belongs to all of us, and all of the fans" or something like that. Who knows? I guess they'll say something at some point.

It sucks, no one wants to hear that someone who created something they love is a piece of shit, but bad people create good art sometimes, and given that the quality of the art is often independent of the morality of its creator, it makes sense for you to still enjoy that art.