#this one is from 2021 I think 😬

[cove-simp]

I don’t think I’ll actually be able to fall in love with someone irl. Like… Cove and Our Life has WRECKED ME

[margareth-lv]

🗣️ It's a pretty low-cost show 🗣️

The number of people who are convinced that Caitríona and Mr McNoExistance are 'romantically involved' never ceases to amaze me. I will never understand it, never. So, here's a little brainteaser for you today. Just a quick comparison of two photos taken at different times and at two different events. Both feature the same person, Caitríona, and both are from fashion shows.

The first photo is of Caitríona with her coiffeur (the lovely Gareth Bromell).

[Caitríona at the Loewe Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on 3 March 2023 in Paris]

*** *** ***

The second one is of Caitríona with her alleged 'love of her life' and 'bone of her bone'.

[Caitríona at the Salvatore Ferragamo show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 on 25 September 2016 in Milan]

I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

(Although I can guess what those might be, so here goes 😬😬😬)

*** *** ***

If you ask me, she was breastfeeding Boo1 at the time the Ferragamo show took place. Just look at her curvier silhouette, rounded face (she was previously very lean with almost bony features), and her breasts are so full.

And her expression said it all: 'What am I doing here? I should be somewhere else right now'.

Those who believe in the idea of a cute little blonde vampire (and no children before 2021) will say that Caitríona simply put on weight during her trip to Italy. After all, that's the official version of summer 2016: a long holiday in Italy. She ate a lot of pasta carbonara and pizza capricciosa. And of course she drank many, many litres of Aperol Spritz - it can make you 'fat'! I, on the other hand, will say that I think it's a pretty poor show that doesn't take account of people's real lives. It is a complete and utter disgrace and it needs to be stopped.

[ 28 June, 2024]

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

i saw someone say somewhere that jenni left barca because the fans weren't treating her well, is that true? if it was why would they, she's a good player and i don't think she's done anything bad so😭😭

maybe it isn't true tho idk

no, that definitely wasn't the reason that jenni left barça, but certainly it didn't help things. you have to realise that 2021-22 was one of the worst seasons for jenni both professionally and personally.

plus you know what happens to a barça player when they hit their 30s...😬

anyway, she started off the season rupturing the external lateral ligament of the left ankle and was out about two months. then, we don't know for sure when jenni and alexia actually broke up but it was more or less during the start of the season/early fall 2021.

obviously, when you end a relationship of many years, it's not an easy transition, and jenni spoke in an episode with planet calleja how she often let what happened off the pitch affect her on the pitch. later, jenni definitely partied a lot that winter (had that fling with northwest) and ended up with covid too. and on top of that, we have a rumour that real madrid wants to sign jenni during the summer, which set off a storm of trolls and fans feeling betrayed, so it was a confluence of events.

there was criticism from fans all throughout the year on things jenni did both on and off the pitch, which she discussed in an interview with mundo deportivo.

jenni overall put up decent numbers on the year, but that spark was gone and she wasn't having a great back end of the season.

it culminated in a poor performance in the away leg against wob in the champions semi and then her being subbed off at the halftime mark during the champions league final against lyon.

so we know that at the end of the season, barça did give jenni the option to renew, but it wasn't anywhere close to the level of contract she got from pachuca and liga mx femenil.

and yes, she ended up giving an interview to mundo deportivo where she specifically talks about her reasons for leaving and the fan hate she received:

as for mexico, she spoke really highly of the league and how they were treating her:

and honestly, i think she just needed to get away from spain because it was just not the best situation for her, personally and professional. the fans didn't help, but they weren't the sole cause of her wanting to leave.

and now looking back, it really became the best decision for her. we know how barça treats players when they hit their early 30s, and jenni really had a renaissance and flourished at pachuca. now her adaptation to tigres isn't as seamless but i hope that team gets it together in the new season because jenni deserves it!

[laura1633]

Do you think that there is a chance that Max would go to Mercedes ?

I think there is always a chance that anything could happen in F1. I remember seeing the Lewis to Ferrari social media reporting and laughing thinking it was just gossip and that turned out to be true.

I have added thoughts after the cut but they are a little incoherent.

First and foremost Mercedes would have to show that they are more competitive than Red Bull. They have had some good races this year but it seems dependent on the track and temperature and there have also been some mistakes strategically etc. At the moment it is still looking like Red Bull will be more competitive in 2025 but there is a long way to go this season and I don't think Red Bull fully understand the RB20 or know which direction to go in development-wise which is a huge concern. These cars are going to follow through to next year so if they are struggling to get to grips with it then next year could be very tricky. I can't quite work out how quick the RB20 is because I do genuinely believe that Max is an exceptional talent and is getting more out of the car than it deserves. So for now I don't think Mercedes have shown anything to suggest they will outperform Red Bull in 2025. 2026 is a complete unknown though and could be more weighted to who can produce a good engine.

I think Max would prefer to stay at Red Bull. He has been there since he was pretty much a child and they do seem to adore him. I do think it would be rather sad if Max had to leave that team, especially when I think back to his radio after winning the title and how he asked if they could do this for another ten years 😭 I also can't imagine Max without GP so I think it would depend on if GP would be willing to move 😬

I just don't think Mercedes is any more attractive than Red Bull right now unless Max has concerns about the 2026 regs.

If Red Bull don't get their shit together and fall behind and Mercedes still aren't an attractive option then maybe he will decide to go and race in another series as I doubt he wants to be driving a car if it's not even capable of winning. He has so much talent. Ultimately I don't think he needs to win 7/8 championships, he will still be considered one of the greatest of all time if he retired today. Going and competing in a different series would cement his racing legacy further if he was at all bothered about that.

I think for now Red Bull are just about on the pace (although I think Max is making them seem better than they are) so no need to panic but they do need to show that they have a clear direction for the car going forward. I refuse to live in a world where Max goes back to the number 33 and Lando is driving around in car number 1 (sorry Lando fans absolutely no offence meant but I am a Max girl.)

Honestly I trust him to do whatever is right for him with the information he has and even if that means he ends up sim racing full time and having the absolute time of his life then so be it. He's worked hard since he was a child, achieved his ultimate goal of a championship and deserves to enjoy himself. I will still cry like a baby when he eventually retires from F1.

In short, there is a chance that anything could happen but I think for now Red Bull is still the best option for him, they just need to keep pushing with the development and stop relying on Max (and the strategy team) to cover up for the lack of pace.

I also can't believe Max to Mercedes is an option after the way they talked about him in 2021 but things change and in F1 being in the right team at the right time is paramount.

I wish Ferrari could get their shit together because I would quite like to see him in red for a season (but Ferrari are still out there doing Ferrari like things)

Wow that was so long, I am so sorry.

[betterthanburrow]

Hi love! Could you do a Joe Burrow Instagram AU with a nurse!

Nurse Graduate - Instagram AU

(Bengals Quarterback! Joe Burrow x Nurse Graduate OC)

liked by yourinstagram, and 123,945 more users

Bengals: Our #NewStripes 2021 Tour 😤

NO FEES on single game tickets: Bengals.com/Tickets. Watch the NFL Schedule Release on NFL Network at 8 PM ET!

view all 69,713 comments

jomainmixon: Can we start already ⁉️

yourinstagram: i’m excited for this football season!

↳ username1: let’s hope and pray that your man doesn’t get injured again… we need our quarterback!

username2: this is the football season that the Bengals go to the Super bowl!

joeyb_9: 🔥🔥🔥

liked by mamaburrow, and 69,075 more users

yourinstagram: WE SURVIVED: Nursing School!

This entire journey felt similar to almost falling off of this wall… Looking at the workload, then looking at my best friends and thinking “oh shit!”

Sarah, Kayla, and Alexa - Thank you for ~carrying~ me through nursing school. The three of you are my biggest inspiration, and I love you with my whole heart.

view all 7,529 comments

nurseSarah: these past 4 years have been the best 4 years of my life because of you 💙

cincyproblems: oh wait, i didn’t know that Burrow’s girl is a future nurse?! … i know they have fun during his road to recovery from his injury.

↳ yourinstagram: i wouldn’t say Joe’s road to recovery journey from his left knee injury as fun… but i did learn a lot from his recovery journey.

↳ sam_hubbard_: i’m still surprised that you still want to be a nurse after being by Joey’s side all throughout his recovery these past few months 💀

nurseAlexa: I LOVE YOU 🤎

joeyb_9: i’m so proud of you and the girls!

nurseKayla: after all the chaos that nursing school has caused us… i’m surprised that we made it out alive!

liked by joeyb_9 and 125,860 more users

Bengals: Week 1 at HOME! 🏠 See you in Cincinnati, @.vikings!

📱: Our Schedule, Single Game Tickets on sale - 7:45 PM ET

📺: NFL Schedule Release - 8:00 PM ET on @.nflnetwork

view all 50,191 comments

lahjay10_: i’m ready for the first game of the season 🔥

username1: i’m happy that the Bengals’ first football game of the new football season is a home game.

username2: I’LL BE AT THE PAUL BROWN STADIUM!

cj_uzomah: 😈😈😈 let’s get it!

liked by joeyb_9 and 188,615 more users

lahjay10_: I’m out here working i’m not F’N off , It’s any day for me! #UNO

view all 91,583 comments

joeyb_9: the best wide receiver in the business!

pookawilliams1: Heard Dat Uno ♟️

yourinstagram: 🔥🔥🔥

liked by yourinstagram and 118,475 more users

Bengals: Another SunDEY closer to gameDEY 😁

(via @.phantomphotos_)

view all 40,316 comments

joeyb_9: we’re all countdown down the days…

username1: AND I WILL BE AT EVERY HOME GAME!

username2: 🔥🔥🔥

phantomphotos_: i can’t wait 🙌 thank you so much for sharing my photo!

yourinstagram: and another SunDey closer to my graduation from nursing school!

liked by joeyb_9 and 90,420 more users

yourinstagram: Bengals Quarterback’s Uber Driver.

view all 33,619 comments

cincyproblems: OH 👀 i guess the reports of Burrow returning to the football field this week are true!

joeyb_9: the best uber driver i could ask for!

↳ yourinstagram: so… what you’re saying is i should quit my nursing career and become an uber driver?!

↳ joeyb_9: you said it… not me 🤷🏼‍♂️

liked by yourinstagram and 222,740 more users

Bengals: Look who’s clocking in... 👀

view all 99,675 comments

yourinstagram: pretty boy on the football field.

username1: the Bengals are back in business!

lahjay10_: the best QB in the business is back!

username2: LOOK AT THAT NEW SMILE!

↳ username3: he’s grinning like a freshman in high school who just got their braces off 😬😭

cincyproblems: THE GOAT IS BACK!

liked by yourinstagram and 303,689 more users

joeyb_9: One day I’ll have a real beard.

view all 19,101 comments

jordanpalmer: na ah!

yourinstagram: and that day is not anytime soon because you WILL be shaving your facial hair before my graduation from nursing school.

↳ joeyb_9: alright… whatever miss nurse graduate wants, is what miss nurse graduate will get.

lahjay10_: 💀💀

liked by joeyb_9 and 110,559 more users

yourinstagram: finished my 4 year sentence in school.

view all 75,009 comments

mamaburrow: congratulations on graduating!

layjah10_: CONGRATS 🎉🍾

joeyb_9: congratulations my love! i’m so proud 🖤

↳ yourinstagram: thank you! i couldn’t have survived these 4 years without my future patient by my side!

↳ joeyb_9: i just returned to the football field… let’s not jinx my next major injury to happen anytime soon.

Author’s Note:

in honor of graduation season and the NFL schedules for the 2023-2024 season being released, i think this is a good time to post this Instagram AU.

if you have any requests for an Instagram AU, please send the requests through my Inbox and i will try to get the IG AUs published as fast as i can!

thank you all for the love and support! 🤍

[vsyrworld]

Serious question - who is more whipped for who: Charles for Carlos or Carlos for Charles?

interesting! Please don't get mad if I said both of them🤣 and this is going to be a long one.

I have to tell you that this ship is taking their time slowly to get close to each other. Their love bloomed like molasses on the ground after a dewy morning rain. Carlos -- he is an easygoing and humble person, who loves to tease, annoy, and banter. He said in an interview that Charles is easy to get along with too. With his humble personality, it would make sense to point out that Carlos would make a move first to introduce him, just like how Singapore 2018, he asked Charles first, not the other way around. It happens because Charles is a shy person but will open up and give all of his heart when he trusts the person. Remember post Seb Ferrari era? the mood was down and the team was split into two sides. Charles was stressed too, suffocated, he missed so many chances to be the world champion. Enter Carlos with his light personality, it gives Charles a fresh air.

I thought Carlos was bolder but somehow Charles also did his own games too. Once he gets comfortable with Carlos, he becomes playful too, he teases him, gives him pet names, asks him ridiculous unnecessary things, and so much more. Remember also that both C² boys are together facing the downfall of Ferrari, 2022-2023 was -I can say- the worst era. There are so many things behind the scenes that somehow they choose to keep it lowkey and not show it to the camera. They did sometimes, back in the day 2021 when they used a silly filter and posted on each other accounts. So bet, through the trial and tribulation as a Ferrari drivers they exchange many deep talks together, both of them are fights for each other, we never see them crash no? Unlike Seb with Charles, or Nico with Lewis, both respect each other, and both are not into mind games, yes Charles might be intimidating for Carlos since he is the golden boy, but somehow Carlos understands his burden to be il Predistinato, he is helping him through bad times. Carlos stated that he wish Charles become a wdc with Ferrari and he wants to help him. Carlos loves Ferrari and bleeds rosso corsa as much as Charles does. Watch Carlos 2023 press conference with the Estrella Galicia, where said his racing future plan A B C is drives for Ferrari, and he also pointed out how he annoyed by the fan who always make them hate each other. With that dedication Charles softens and trusts Carlos, he is having fun and he is down so bad for Carlos. The interview with Martin or the Singapore interview 2023 are the proves how close they are

With much aware, I do understand for whole this four year, fans always pitted them against each other. They beefing bcs there is no "dramatic" content between them. Yes they were used to dissing about strategies, but does it happen so great until it make the headline? No! Thats why fans are nosy about them and yet they are so undisturbed by that. Again, they keep everything so lowkey and yet from interviews, from instastory, articles, and even their personal project, they exchange everything. Charles doesn't like physical touch but did he avoids Carlos' touch? no i dont think so😬❤️‍🩹

[doulayogimama]

This post is super TMI 😬

Sooooo for the first time in almost exactly 3 years, we had unprotected sex. I was so terrified of the thought of doing this until the last few months. I remember the first 2 years PP, I was so scared that the thought of having UP sex and risking pregnancy literally revolted me. I can’t believe that at 3 years PP, even hours later, I’m hoping that we made a baby. That I’m excited to be back in this space, knowing everything I know about pregnancy, labor, and PP depression. Like… I really want this. It will be different in so many ways and whether I’m pregnant now or will be in the future, I’m excited.

Before I got pregnant with Sky (like way before) I dreamt of an Aries baby. She ended up being an Aries. For a long time, I’ve had this gut feeling this next baby will be a Sagittarius baby (if I am pregnant, due date would be in Sagittarius season). I know it’s so silly to some, but way back in 2017, I was in India and I got a natal chart reading. The lady told me I’d have 2 children, born in 2021 & 2024. I remember being low key outraged like… WHAT DO YOU MEAN???? I’m not going to wait that long to have a baby… but then we took another big trip, then we moved to NYC, and then it took me a year to get pregnant. (I got pregnant the literal month after I was told by my GYNO that all my fertility tests came back totally fine and truly believe stress kept me from conceiving)

I also remember thinking 2021&2024… kids 3+ years apart????? I would never do that, my kids are going to be less than 2 years apart … and the reader was very no nonsense, like… honey, this is what it is. I’m just reading what I see. I’m really hoping the lady is right 🥹✨(although I know I know, first time trying and getting pregnant is rare)

I’m going to go buy prenatals today and start taking those ASAP. I just have to pray for the best. I’m healthy, eat well, I’m back at my PP weight, and I didn’t overthink it. I just told Kevin I was ready and he obliged happily 😂🙈

I’m very familiar with FAM and track my cycle every month. Yesterday, before we had sex or knew that we would have sex that day, I wiped in the bathroom and was like WHOA — if I wanted to get pregnant today, pretty sure I would have a good chance. I was also having ovarian pain, which is my telltale sign that ovulation is gearing up to happen. After so many years of tracking with temps and OV sticks, I know my body very well. I’m very grateful that my cycle is consistent —every 25-30 days, I get my period. I checked my tracker app late last night and saw that I was on CD13 and due to OV in 1-3 days (can’t know for sure without BBT but once cervical fluid is dry, that’s how one knows OV has happened).

Ahhhh I just can’t believe it. I’m back in “not trying, not avoiding” and I’m excited. I want another little baby to hold and love. I want Sky to have her own baby sibling ✨🙏🏽🤍

[icouldntfindquiet]

if you were their new management what would you do? If you had full control over their next comeback (when everyone's feeling better ❤️‍🩹) what would your plan be?

My answer is long. 🙈

You best be sure we’re getting a statement!! It’ll go something like this:

A long, overdue statement.

First of all, we’d like to thank the fans for your continued support. We know communication has been poor and we sincerely apologize for all the frustration, inconvenience, and financial burden these cancellations have caused. We’ll try our best to minimize them and to inform you as soon as possible, but please keep in mind that we’re human and the risk of falling ill is always there. We prioritize the health and safety of the band and crew to ensure that we can keep playing for you for a long time.

As you already know, we have some new faces in the band. Johnny Bond and Bob Hall have decided to part ways with the band in 2021. Bondy was in the band for 7 years and Bob for 11 years. They’ve been a huge part of the band and we are sad to see them go. However, they’re both still making music so please support them and give their music a listen.

You’re all probably wondering what’s next. We’ve since made a new album we’d like you all to hear and we have some live dates planned. Please stay tuned for more news.

This is all planning/prep before the next single is actually released. Ideally the next single will have a proper music video made. I’ll try to have the band in it but if not possible, I’ll hire actors or use new clips and not old ones. 😆 I also want to schedule an in-person interview with Steve Lamacq (I think he’s back). I’d like for them to talk about the album and for Van to walk through each song. I’ll probably release this interview a week after the album is out to give people time to listen to it. And ofc, Steve Lamacq will have the special privilege of being one of the first to hear the album. 🙂 I’ll also schedule a radio interview with Jack Saunders so Van can promote the new album and tour dates. This will be released after the new single is out.

Fast-forward to Nov/Dec. I suck at teasing new singles but I’m also done with the teasing! 😂 I’ll probably have them post a mysterious date on Monday and on Friday of the same week, we’ll just drop the next single, music video and all with no warning. 😆 After you’ve had the weekend to digest it, I’ll release that interview with Jack Saunders on Monday. We’ll start promoting the tours that’ll happen before the stadium dates and get tickets selling for that. We’ll announce the dates all at once (no slow dripping dates 😆) and support acts will be announced ASAP so fans can listen to their music beforehand. A photographer/videographer will be hired to follow them on tour and to provide content. I’ll have the entirety of one of the stadium shows filmed and available to watch for free.

When 3-4 weeks has passed, we’ll release the second single. I forgot to mention we’ll have a proper music video for that too and it’s the same thing where a date will be posted on Monday and the single will be out on Friday. The Monday after that, we’ll announce the album release date which is preferably before the tour starts but I realize the timeline might be tight. 😬 I want all shows here on out to have new songs played. The setlist will be reworked to include Showtime, the two new singles, and 2-5 more songs from the album.

All while that is happening, I’m going to hire an artist to re-design their merch. We’ll announce more tour dates and hopefully do some TV/radio appearances as well. And hopefully the band will agree to a photo shoot. 😁 Communication will be improved. And going back to Bondy and Bob’s departure, I’d personally like to thank them for what they’ve done for the band, even if it’s just sending them a quick message. I’ll keep it simple and be transparent about it with the band of course!

Thanks for the ask! This was fun to write out. If you were their new manager, what would your plan be?

[marengogo]

Rambling in INFJese - Part 9: Dear Future Baby Jikooker and Some Jikookers as well…

Listening to album D-DAY - by Agust D  ON REPEAT

[Music is a very big part of my life and I’m MOSTLY INCAPABLE of writing without music, so I just thought I'd share what I am listening to while writing this]

🐺 — 🐺 — 🐺—

Dear Future Baby Jikooker,

Here is a letter from me to you, who have just stepped into this curious neck of the woods, but also for Jikookers, who presently might feel lost, in this neck of the woods. This is going to be a long-ass post, ops 😬. In my defence, it could have been even much longer than it is, but let’s be real, there is only so much you might be willing to read at this stage and, at the same time, only so much I can write before I stray well out of topic. BUT let’s start with a welcome, shall we? A very big welcome to those of you who have decided, for one reason or another and we will touch on that to be “Jikookers”. Welcome and congratulations: you’ve officially picked the most fear-inducing, hate-provoking, blasted-ass ship, perhaps, in history but that is just my perception, admittedly, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony might have been good contenders, by the fandom they belong to and most of all shippers within the fandom as well.

SO YES, welcome welcome welcome to the Tumblr side of Jikook things! Now, before we dive deeper into what awaits in my post, and most importantly, into Jikook-world, it’s best we get one thing straight, right off the bat:

Mmm … you might have already known this, in fact you are probably looking at me like “You ain’t gotta tell me that, bitch, like …” but truuuust me when I tell you that this is not as obvious or as known a fact as it ought to be … chiiiiiile 😩. 

That being said, there are usually two main starting points for people who end up here, and by here, I don’t mean specifically Jikook-Tumblr, but Jikook-world in general:

You have been ARMY / BTS fans / JK and/or JM bias for a while and are thus familiar with all members in BTS at a level that is above avarage.

You have no clue about anything-BTS, but you heard that there is this “couple” in BTS, so the name of the other members is probably as much as you might know. 

As you are ultimately here because of a possible romantic relationship between JK and JM, whether you are 1 or 2 doesn’t make you any better or worse than being 2 or 1. What it does however, is that it will 100% influence and condition the experience you might/will have. That, in addition with the answer to the following question which I highly suggest you ask yourself before you fully step in: 

“Why am I here?”

… Perhaps “I believe Jikook is 100% real”, or “I wonder: is Jikook even real right now?”, or “I have reason to believe that Jikook might be, but actually …”, or “I’m not saying but I’m saying, Jikook?!”, or “IDGAF I just think they look good together”, etc etc etc. Trust me, there is a Jikook blog that aligns with any and all conscious and subconscious states of mind, beliefs and/or opinions. So as you proceed, you will or might not realise that some blogs simply want to find people who are like-minded, some blogs just want to rave, rant and talk about the boys to their heart's content, some blogs want to build a following/clout, and some blogs might be up to no good amongst these, some might not even realise that they are….

I, for one, got into the Jikook-world coming from type 1. BTS found me when I needed them the most and I just ended up loving all 7 of them, in different ways, but all 7 nonetheless AND as you might or might not know, I am indeed OT7. One day, as it happens to all of us, I stumbled on a shipping video on YT, it was a Taejin one: I clicked. To begin I was initially shocked that BTS would still have ships at the point in their career (this was around 2021) and I actually thought Taejin to be real … and then you see SOPE, Namjin, taekook, there were so many and all had their reasons etc. After a while I just found them all very cute and didn’t take them seriously at all. 

Eventually, somehow, a Jikook video by Made in Busan appeared, I watched it and that was it: … I felt something. But even though I did feel something, I tried to ignore it because as a queer person pansexual I mostly walk around with my invisible hope on my sleeves ALL THE TIMES. So it felt that, once again, for the one millionth time, I would end up wanting them to be so real that the disappointment would crush me, making me feel that once again, people like me are undeserving of love, or at the very least, African and Asian countries are never going to accept this. At this very moment a great part of the USA, and certain parts of Europe, are the only places where famous people and not can live being who they are. 

In many other places in this world, particularly African and Asian countries, it is still taboo, dangerous and even life threatening and I am in-between these two types of worlds. So I rejoice everytime a queer couple publically comes out, because even though I know I cannot be them the maximum I can do is go to pride in my pink, yellow and blue outfit it makes me happy to know that had I been born in a different continent, within a different culture, that perhaps, it could have been me. Basically, it feels that happiness for people like me is attainable, even if not for me, if others can safely make it, it would be enough for me for now. 

I started from YT and WHAT A MESS IT TURNED OUT TO BE. I made the very big mistake of thinking that because jikook was so rare in the fandom, then people who believed in them were just like me trying to understand kindred spirits. I thought that we were in this to protect and potentially, if time ever would allow, to support what would have become a very influential gay couple. But as time passed, before I knew it, I found myself within the episode of the most toxic BL where, everyone heard voices, many betrayed each other for affection, all slept with each other to spite all, and some resorted to using fans in order to bully each other. The more accounts with this mentality started to appear, the more normal accounts started to disappear. It got to a point were I, a person whom in the meantime had forgotten was a OT7, started to believe that some members were indeed narcissist and any other non-self diagnosable trait. WHEN I REALISED I had to take a BIG-ASS breath,  slap myself out of fiction and get-out-style-ran myself back into reality: LIKE … WHAT THE FUCK HAD JUST HAPPENED?!

I had completely forgotten about who BTS were, I got entirely lost in the wrong side of the woods for me, basically I completely forgot why I was even there in the first place! When I then myself in the only youtube channel I trusted at the time, who also suggested we should check a certain blog on Tumblr, when I did, I found a kindred spirit and never went back to YT (by that time wonsummernight had left, Made in Busan, like MizGator, were all gone). There was no forced narrative, the logical consideration of events, the unexplainable emotion of others, it was up the alley I had wanted to be. It brought it back to me just supporting real maybe-queer people like me, rather than fighting over fictional characters in a drama that had nothing to do with me at all. 

I regained my rationality, and peacefully lurked, until I got curious about certain topics and decided to send in asks, or just wanted to send words of encouragement to other blogs I began to like and were constantly attacked. Eventually I realised my side of the woods was also thinning out, and because I felt like I had a lot to say as well I began this blog, to just talk, talk and talk. It was fun talking, revisiting Jikook moments with other people who thought alike or people who respectfully didn’t and still kept it at a healthy level. Speaking with other queer folk was also a perk. I literally had no expectations upon coming on Tumblr, I just wanted to keep up with Jikook, while keeping my sanity and rationality. Writing my thoughts about them also helped me lay out my opinions and, through educated speculation, maybe realise things about Jikook hadn’t before and so on and so forth. As things stand in this very moment, within my boundaries, I still believe there is something between them. Chapter 2 is what, surprising, turning out to be as I predicted it would be, to a T except for JK’s weverse, that I couldn’t predict not a single one, for shit it is all very interesting to be honest, and though I can know see things will only get harder from here on, it is okay. 

Even though this place feels like it is about to become another, YT, twitter, etc. It is okay. I never had any expectations to begin with, but the fact that I know where I stand in my Jikook neck of the woods, makes my anger towards some bullshit very well directed towards said bullshit, and never towards jikook, BTS or any unrelated parties. I like that when I log off my life goes on. I love that even though I have times when I miss them a lot, it is just that and I am not going crazy over it. In the same way I love that there is a chance that within this global powerhouse of a band there might be somebody that loves like me. In the queer way I, and many others, do. 

So my dear future Baby Jikooker, find out why you are here. Understand what it is you want. If it is being in delulu-land that is perfectly fine I also go there from time to time, I find it fun, and when things actually happen right from delulu-land it makes it even more fun! Just gotta trade carefully, that's all. If you wanna find friends, if you wanna talk, whatever it is, just be aware of your decisions, and possible consequences, and you will not be disappointed, hurt or disillusioned, in the long run. If you don’t like all the other members, at the very lease please respect them, because Jikook surely do love them.

If you find that this environment is becoming too much for you, protect yourself the best way you can, leave if you need to, you have the right to do so. As you keep exploring make sure to find the blog that is right for you, and if you feel like it is what you want, write your own. If something feels too good to be true, check sources, always, original content is always available. If you are okay for them to be too good to be true, then do you, it is your experience, just be mindful not to ruin it for others and I hope nobody ruins it for you.

So once again, WELCOME TO JIKOOK-WORLD. I hope you don’t get too lost and you find what you were looking for. I hope you come out of it alive, if at some point you decide to run away. And if you survive all the bullshit that might take place between now and their military service (MS), if you are still around, and Jikook just so happen to be who we think they might be; then I’ll see you on the other side, or if you want come holla.

Always respectfully yours,

Marengo.

[cha-melodius]

2023 Fic Year in Review

I've been doing these for three years now, and they always grow each year as I get tagged in other year-end posts that make the rounds. Feel free you grab it if you want to do your own review! And I’d like to add a hearty thank you to each and every person who’s read my fics over the years, y'all continue to make this a joy!

2020 Review | 2021 Review | 2022 Review

AO3 Username: chamel  My Page: Link  Active Fandoms:  Red, White & Royal Blue: 20 works The Man from UNCLE (2015): 8 works Loki: 5 works New Fandoms: None thank GOD Total Number Of Completed Works/Word Count  This Year: 33 works, 278k words  All Time: 113 works, 1.27 million words

This year a little movie that came out in August absolutely destroyed these stats lmaoooo. Most Popular One Shot (by kudos): This Year: Always Where I Need To Be (RWRB, Alex/Henry, T, 5.5k) All Time: Class(room) Warfare (RWRB, Alex/Henry, T, 7.8k words)

Most Popular Completed Multi-Chapter (by kudos):  This Year & All Time: Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood  (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 20k words)

Events/Challenges: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Gift Exchange 2023, The Brownstone Anniversary Fic Exchange, Halloween Huh?

More reflections, stats, and planned fics below the cut!

Additional Random AO3 Stats

By number of fics: 85% one shots, 15% multi-chaps

By word count: 52% mult-chaps, 48% one shots

Ratings by number of fics: 48% T-rated, 33% E-rated, 15% M-rated

Musical artists contributing highest number of titles: Jeff Tweedy (Tweedy/Wilco) & The New Pornographers, tied at 3 each

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?  Somehow I topped my word count from last year by 10k, which I was not expecting. That said, this year was right about average.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?  God this is a hard question this year because I wrote a lot of fics I really really love. For one single fic I'll go with Nova, Baby, because I love the story and I've got a lot of lovely feelings about it.

Did you complete your writing goals from last year?  The Goal: I want to complete a few large multichapter fics, which will probably mean my one-shot production goes down. I completed one long mulitchap, and then a few mid-length (~20k) multichaps. I think I wrote more of those than I have any other year. Surprisingly, my one-shot production wasn't super significantly decreased.

Do you have any writing goals for the New Year? Ok, I gotta come up with something. My goal is to have a similar mix of fics as least year, and also to write my first collaboration with @cricketnationrise, which will be a long multichap.

Did you take any writing risks this year? Wrote on a topic outside my wheelhouse (therapy 😬) and also posted a fic in a fandom where there weren't a lot of fics in similar genres (action/spies). Now that's no longer true, but at the time it was really freaking nerve-wracking.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Every fic I write in a fandom that's not RWRB? 😅 It's hard to complain too much, especially considering what happened to my numbers this year.

Most fun story to write: All the Old Showstoppers, Will You Brie Mine?, You're the Perfect Gift for Me. Silly RWRB boys being silly, basically.

Biggest disappointment: Again, I feel like it's hard to complain when I have a fic that's closing in on 4k kudos. The goalposts keep moving, don't they, though? I still live in fear of pouring my heart into a multichap and having what will count as "lukewarm" reception, when before this year I didn't have a single fic above 1k kudos.

Biggest surprise: Most definitely Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood. Like I figured it would do pretty well (I hoped, since I put so much into it), but holy shit?? I still can't really believe it's on page 2 of the tag by kudos? And honestly also Always Where I Need To Be, this little one-shot about David stealing glasses.

Coming soon/planned for 2024:

False Dichotomy (RWRB You've Got Mail AU)

Kissed Out (RWRB pro-pool players AU)

RWRB 1940s noir AU

RWRB conductor/piano soloist AU

RWRB hockey AU (with cricket)

A shitload of prompts from my fandom fest

Extremely delinquent MTH fics

TMFU art thief/gallery owner AU

Thank you for the tags on your end-of-the-year fic reviews @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @kiwiana-writes, @rmd-writes, @lizzie-bennetdarcy, @indestructibleheart, and @welcometololaland!

[angelmelon]

so GAP is your version of leasebound, huh? Is that...short for anything? Why is it called that? (I think your redesigns and rewrites are really cool, by the way)

Thx for asking!! Within the original Leaseboundverse, there is a women’s only club (which, cool) except it’s a TERF bar with only TERF staff and it’s called Yonique

my plot of the rewrite is to pretty much rewrite the interaction with the trans girls from chapter 3 of Leasebound at Yonique to be more realistic

the original comic portrays the trans women as attackers, when more often than not, they are the victims at places like this

GAP is the name of the sex positive, trans positive club which in my comic they will proceed to fight to get opened after the incident, and eventually, in modern day (2024, I’m writing that The Incident takes place in 2021, which was a very TERFy time.)

the comic in general will follow a structure of different arcs where the experiences of different queer people are brought to light

for example, one of the characters, Integra Divine, or Auntie Gram, is a woman who owns a music store nearby the two clubs, and had a record stolen from her by the TERF club owner any years ago. Like, in the way of like “yeah I’m borrowing this for abit” and then waiting out until the last possible second (when it is broken) to return it. So that arc is going to talk about how TERFs throw queer women of color (and older women of color in general, quite frankly!!) under the bus and eventually getting justice for Auntie Gram

and GAP itself is basically a switching around of the original “fandom name” for the trans girls in Leasebound, which was “AGP Gang”. And if you know what AGP means!! ☹️😬 dear god

[spiffysoultarot]

Find a troll, pick it up, all day long, you have good luck 🪺 —> Pick a Troll

Sorry #3, I started this reading a year ago and never finished it and finally decided to post it cause I didn’t wanna waste effort😬

Pile 1: Spiffy the Sailor//Light Seer’s

🫖 I pulled a tea quote, a quarter and then a movie quote to feel out Pile One’s vibe today:

The quarter is Utah and their state bird is a California Gull aka a seagull.

—> Q1: how does pile one give their power away? King of cups (R)

—> Q2: what can help balance out pile one’s emotions? Annunaki (R)

🦤The seagull is Utah’s official state bird due to saving the State during the katydid (Mormon cricket) devastation of 1848, according to Utah’s website. (https://onlinelibrary.utah.gov/utah/symbols/bird/) The pests were destroying the crops but the seagulls ate the crickets, saving the crops and the town. (

🧺Similar to Tommy Boy in that everyone kinda doubted him. Maybe it was different in 1848 but I know where I grew up, seagulls were sort of looked at as pests. They did not cause harm but were greedy and could pester folks outside.

👯‍♀️ The dynamic between Tommy and Richard is coming to mind. Richard is a “smug, unhappy little man who treats others as if they were idiots” - paraphrasing of course. Tommy is a jovial albeit slightly immature college graduate who has come to work at his fathers company. They went through secondary school together in their small town and were at opposite ends of the social spectrum, and thus sort of did not exist to each other.

⚖️ Ultimately they balance out each other nicely though: Richard has the rigid pragmatism Tommy lacks, and Tommy had the ruthless optimism Richard lacks. 👌🏻Some damn good character chemistry of buddy comedies, if you ask me, but I’m not the remaining 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience is at a 90% though. Most of the pull comes from nostalgia undoubtedly.

9️⃣ The ‘90s is one of the most sought after decades of recent times. I find it interesting that in the 1890’s a similar thing happened and would eventually lead to people referring to that time as the “gay” era in some way as in happy. That is extra interesting because 9’s represent an ending.

🍿 Look at the majority of popular films in the last decade — are not a good portion of them remakes from the 90s?

👹Upright the Annunaki quite literally speaks of how their people created a hybrid workforce that “was smart enough to follow directions but stupid enough to rebel” (Mystic Martian Oracle Deck © Lisa Porter, Rockpool Publishing, 2021) The Annunaki are in alignment with the Alpha Draconians and Reptile Beings mindset, sort of like Emperor reversed energy— power, control, black-and-white thinking, disliking those that mess up the conformity and the audacity to question their authority.

🌅 Reversed Annunaki speaks of cooperation, fairness, compromise, unity, open-minded, progressive thinking. The belief that everyone is equal and deserves to be treated equally. What might help is seeking out like-minded people and/or organizations with similar values.

🚙 Similar to Tommy Boy! I would totally say he’s a 9. Kinda like Amity vibes from Divergent too.

🍷King of Cups Reversed energy can speak of someone moody, temperamental and hasty with others feelings —> Richard in a nutshell, right? It can also speak of old wounds, which he likely carries from childhood. He sort of unfairly treats Tommy due to jealousy from not having the caring, loving father he did.

💍 Fun fact: Sea gulls typically mate for life, equally caring for their chicks. However, sometimes it does not work out between the pair. Afterward they are typically seen as less attractive and left alone for a few nesting seasons as a “sea gull divorcee.” (Source: https://www.birdspikesonline.co.uk/Blog/Understanding-the-seagull-and-its-behaviour)

📕Honesty and being genuine is key here. Patience may be necessary too, especially if you’re resonating more with the Richard side. A need to believe in yourself if you’re doubting.

🌏The Annunaki are from the planet Nibiru, a distant planet that enters our solar system every 3600 years and was thought to have caused the great deluge, according to the Mystic Martian Oracle deck (© Lisa Porter, Rockpool Publishing, 2021). I looked up what the great deluge was and according to Wikipedia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_myth ), it was a flood sent by a deity to destroy civilization in means of divine retribution. I wanted to share the image:

Pile 2: Bunny troll//Rider-Waite

What do you want to talk about pile 2?

Romy and Michelle quote —> one of my personal favorites

Moral of the story? Missouri quarter

Missouris state bird is a cardinal — Missouri and six other states.

Second arch signification today. Utah had an arch in pile one. Arches signify new opportunities or phases in life.

What does pile two need to know?

Five of wands clarified by fourth house

Past energy: four of pentacles clarified by queen of cups

Present: four of swords reversed

Future: Empress clarified by Ace of Pentacles reversed

Hidden money matters can sum it up.

Five of wands actually signifies great wealth and is like a play fight this is the overall context gold, gain, opulence, the competition and search after riches…. And fourth house

I find it funny that Venus came out on the dice for the present energy and that the Empress came out with the Libra dice because that quarter I have is ugly af. I thought that I put the shiny, pretty Missouri quarter back but apparently I put the dark, ugly one in - I had duplicates.

Something is not as it seems here and absolutely hidden. The fourth house talks about hidden matters, death, parents, home.

Given that almost every single card on the spread is associated with finances (except queen of cups), I am going to say this has something to do with money.

The past signifies a fair, honest upbringing that may have appeared nice on the outside. Either material struggle was present or a vital support was missing. Neglect can be emotional too — ignoring your kids and just placating them is sort of cruel because you are not actually seeing them.

The fact that Venus rules Empress and the Libra dice clarified it, is a very good signification. Venus rules Libra so it’s in its domicile. Ace of Pentacles (R) actually speaks of great riches. So the future to this outcome is great. It’s supported on both “ends” too:

5 of wands to left speaks of affluence as does the ace of pentacles (R) so it is confirmed.

Be sure to watch out for the small details to ensure you aren’t being deceived, possibly by promise of great riches.

All that glitters isn’t gold, and not everything is what it seems. Remain vigilant in the present, focusing on loving yourself and doing what brings you joy.

With the taking of the burger (when it’s Romys favorite lunch day!) was unnecessarily cruel and petty in the film Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. I see you moving AWAY from this energy.

Four of swords reversed can signify a need for greed but also speaks of precaution and discernment.

In Romy and Michelle, they have each other they can trust each other. The queen of cups dynamic is present within them, they have their friendship but not riches.

I am honestly not one to try to fill my audience with false hope to simply garner likes. The cards have spoken, I listened and relayed the best I could.

[me-and-my-sloth]

Fic Search!! Buddie Time Travel

It was from rough trade from 2021? I'm hoping someone knows the author..

So Eddie is dead, and Chris lives with his grandparents who deny him independence; he's wheelchair bound and miserable. I think someone appears before Buck, and he time travels. One thing he changes is taking Isabel and Christoper to Disney. He gets an extricate chair for Isabel and encourages Chris to ride it to prevent him from getting over tired and sore.

The day of the tsunami Buck shows up on the pier, ready to help people when it hits and sees Isabel, Chris, Denny, Harry, May, and another girl? Who is an oc's child, I think? Anyway, he rushes them to the fire engine and throws Isabel on top to save her, and she breaks her hip. That's all I remember 😬 Please help!

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

hey! can you tell what happened with Gio at Barcelona? I know she was playing there when she was young but I don’t know how she left. I read during the Olympics bunch of tweets from the Brazilian fanbase about how they lost respect to Alexia after her position as a captain towards the incident of her departure and how awfully she went along with the club and remained silent even tho they are known for treating Brazilians badly (I think they were referring to the current Roque situation which I unfortunately understand)

yeah, there's no love lost between gio and barça, nor between gio and culers 😬

(and i'm sorry but this has nothing to do with brasilians.😂 if barça can treat messi and spanish club legends on the women's side the way it has done, then no one is safe!)

anyway, gio joined barça back in 2020 and left in 2022. she was technically part of the first champions winning team in 2021. in 2022, she accused the club of abusive behaviour, following her first call-up to the brasilian wnt, specifically due to the club's covid quarantine protocols.

she claimed: “after completing the quarantine imposed, i received authorisation from fifa to join the brasilian national team in the united states, with the full knowledge of the club. before traveling and during the concentration period, i carried out several pcr tests, always with negative results. when i returned to barcelona, they called a meeting with the club director. at that meeting, i was accused of having committed serious indiscipline and that, therefore, i would be removed from the team and suffer serious consequences."

she then accused barça of punishing her after that incident and created an atmosphere ‘work assault and psychological violence against women' and said that the club subjected her to illegal confinement by the head of the club’s medical services.

barcelona then responded by saying:

and most culers took barça's side after all was said and done and accused gio of breaking covid rules and wanting special treatment. but some barça fans view gio as a problematic player, and with her stint at arsenal and not being able to be registered last season and the murkiness surrounding her agent interfering or what not with an earlier loan, who knows? the truth is always more muddled.

and alexia has nothing to do with anything. why are brasilian fans dragging her into this?! literally alexia is blamed for all the problems in the world when this was a decision by the club medical staff during a global pandemic.

[esther-dot]

Hey, what do you think about the musical version of the Tourney of Harrenhal possibly spoiling certain upcoming book plots? It looks like the play might be out before WOW, and I wonder how that might play out? I feel like fans are going to lose their minds when their theories are or are not confirmed.

I’m still so incredulous about it I always have a “WHAT?!” reaction even though I know there's a play in the works. 😂 I first heard of this a couple years ago now (2021 with an expected 2023 debut) and they’ve switched the name from Harrenhal to the Iron Throne which made me wonder if they’re shifting the focus of the story, but then I realized, that’s prolly just a name recognition issue? You need something that says “GoT-related” as soon as you hear it, and they didn’t do enough with pre-canon stuff for the general public to immediately recognize Harrenhal. Although, I don't remember reading it was a musical. Do you have a source for that?

Your thought was my first reaction to hearing the news: THE SPOILERS.

But my second was, fuck me. GoT must have given enough way re: Rhaegar and Lyanna that Martin isn’t afraid to green light this. 😬 Obvy, I don't buy the complete whitewash they gave Rhaegar in GoT, but I def think we're not getting Robert's version of events. This was the official description I saw in 2021:

"The play will for the first time take audiences deeper behind the scenes of a landmark event that previously was shrouded in mystery. Featuring many of the most iconic and well-known characters from the series, the production will boast a story centered around love, vengeance, madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now." (link)

A very reasonable description as yeah, I do think we will be getting Lyanna's (short-lived perhaps) infatuation and decision to run away with Rhaegar. I mean, technically, the secrets and lies could be about Jon's identity? It's hard to know what all they’ll be covering, but the fact that they include the “madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy” bit should alert people to the fact that they aren’t getting the completely romanticized version of R/L either.

Here was Martin's July update:

Last week we had a great meeting with the producers on THE IRON THRONE, the stage play we’ve been working on the past few years.  The scripts for that one are coming along well, and it’s got me very excited.   (link)

Martin's December update:

And since we are talking theatre… one of the meetings I had in London was with Dominick and Duncan, the director and scriptwriter of our own stage play, the one we have been working on for the past few years. Originally we were calling it HARRENHAL, but we have now settled on THE IRON THRONE as a title… until we think of something better. Regardless, things are coming well, I think, and we are hopeful of being able to open in late 2024. Maybe. But you never know. There’s still a lot of work to be done. (link)

I don't think any camp will be particularly happy because I believe Martin has a more sympathetic view of Rhaegar than someone like me (I’m guessing he views this more as a genuine tragedy rather than my “fuck Rhaegar” stance), but the hardcore Targ fans aren’t gonna be thrilled either.

I’m not sure how seriously people will take it though. As in, GoT happened and most of the fandom rejects parts or all of the ending as coming from Martin, so I’m not sure that anything other than TWOW will shake anyone’s conviction. And for some, that won’t be changing their minds either 😂

[destinyc1020]

Confession:

I check N's account every now and then. My parasocial self thinks she still have something for Tom. She often post stories whenever T or Z go viral. Few things I remember:

1. Her posting being at Soho House (I think in London) in 2023 when Tom celebrated his birthday in Soho House (US) with his family and Z.

2. Her posting on Sept 1 or 2 2022 (depending on the timezone) and captioned it Good old goods. Well what I see on the post is she wants to show that she's out and happy (nothing wrong about that but girl, why sept 2 of all dates?)

3. When Tom went viral because of fixing his girl's door, N posted a story about his current boyfriend being a handy man or something to that effect (well I admit I may be overthinking this one and my understanding of British humor could be wrong)

4. Shared a story about attending Dorian Gray opening night which happened the same day as Dune 2 premiere in London (and TZ went viral that day as expected)

Sorry for the rant, just need to let it out..

Thanks Anon for your confession....

I'm just going to be honest here since that's what I usually am on my blog lol. I'll give you my honest opinion. 😅

I'll first be honest and admit that I really haven't paid much attention to N (if at all) since 2021 lol.

Once it became apparent that Tom dumped her to get back with Z, and he and Z were starting a relationship back up again, I really didn't see the need to follow whatever N was doing tbh.

I mean, maybe you might be on to smthg? But my honest feeling is that you might just be reading a little too much into innocuous things. Just because N posts on the same day as smthg going on with TZ doesn't automatically mean she's not over Tom or over a breakup.

She and Tom barely dated each other... 👀 It's not like they dated each other for years upon years, or even went out on dates like a regular couple (most of their time together was spent indoors during the Covid-19 shutdown).

Honestly? It's 2024. If she were still pining after a guy that dumped her almost 4 years ago back in 2020, I'd say that it's time for her to go to therapy and figure out what's going on there, coz that's not normal. 👀😬

With that said, I personally doubt N is still holding a torch for Tom. It was pretty obvious when she was throwing shade re: their breakup, but after 2021, I haven't seen her behaving in that manner. I also kind of get the feeling that she made peace with the whole thing long time ago.

Sometimes, I think fans forget that Tom was actually her rebound from Stanley. Tom himself was also still rebounding (imo) when he dated N. 🤷🏾‍♀️

I really don't think it was as serious as some fans made the thing out to be tbh.

Last I checked, N seems perfectly happy with her new beau. ☺️