#truly the timezone experience

[the-multifandom-freak-show]

HALP THIS IS TOO ACCURATE KAKNFSKDNDJDJDJD

[arsenicflame]

Bonus round! Do you use a queue tag?

[scudevils]

land down under — OP81

pairing: oscar piastri x irwin!reader

warnings: swearing, possibly the most fluff i’ve ever wrote, oscar and lando trying not to embarrass themselves in front of the irwins, i tried to make it as accurate to australia zoo as possible (even watched a walkthrough 😭😭, but alas i’ve never been so nothing is 100%), mutual pining altho no too much because i can’t do that to myself, not proofread!!

synopsis: during a mclaren media appearance, oscar can’t help but find himself interested in the youngest of australia’s royal family [6.4k]

a/n: this came to me after seeing the robert irwin bonds ad, i’m also rusty af i haven’t written since december so bare with me pls. although fun fact i have actually had a corn snake around my neck before so i’m twinning with oscar and lando!

MASTERLIST

an irwin.

that's what you were, the name that you carried, the real australian royal family some would call you, the lasting impact of your dad's legacy was something you took pride in, how he and your mom raised you, robert, and bindi to continue his work after he had passed, the importance of protecting the natural world and the role that we all had to play in the conservation of wildlife.

it was ingrained in you since you were a child, continuing what your grandparents had started with the australia zoo, ensuring the effort to raise awareness and preserve wildlife and their habitat, would not end with them. it would endure generations, their work would be worth it.

whilst robert followed in your father's footsteps, crocs and snakes being his speciality, you preferred the calmer residents at the zoo. since it's opening on your 8th birthday, the african safari exhibit was where you spent most of your time, the unofficial name in honour of you, if you had to choose it was easily your favourite place in the zoo, something so enchanting about it that had you spellbound.

it had been built to recreate the serengeti ecosystem, exhibiting how these species lived in harmony with each other, giraffes, one of your favourites since you were young, zebras and white rhinos, existing how they would in the wild together. further up the exhibit were the cheetahs and across from them the tigers, your favourite of the big cats.

the elephants were your favourite to sit with, captivating to watch, their intelligence that only few were blessed to see up close with their own eyes, how they played with the zookeepers, truly gentle giants.

it was your idea of wonderland.

which was why when you were informed the zoo would be hosting the mclaren f1 team as a media appearance before the upcoming race weekend, there was no doubt in anyone's mind you'd give that portion of the tour, including the koala's and kangaroos experience as those were your areas of expertise.

bindi and robert were more into the sport than yourself, both of them occasionally staying up for races that weren't as unreasonably late, and of course, thrived when it came to the races in your own timezone, but you'd have to have been loving under a rock to not know that the team had an australian driver, it was impossible to escape him during a race week, his face plastered across adverts, despite the race not even taking part in the city.

you hadn't expected how many would show up, obviously you knew it was going to be busy, social media a buzz at the fact two formula 1 drivers were going to be visiting, although the number was easily in the thousands, only to be cordoned off from them anyway by the mclaren crew. that was slightly annoying to you, even if they all weren't there to see the zoo, at least they were buying tickets and would hopefully give them a chance to take a look at the work you were doing.

the camera's were on before you realised, filming the two mclaren drivers walking through the zoo entrance as if they were anybody else, your eyes first spotting the one on the right, whose face you'd seen all over the country the past week, and you couldn't help but think 'cuter in person', his calm demeanour making him appear more approachable than his teammate. they introduced themselves to your mother, bindi and robert, finally landing on you, oscar gave you a warm smile and lando, you'd learned his name was, sporting what you could already tell was going to be his signature cheeky grin.

"okay guys," robert spoke a mix to the two drivers and the camera, "we're so glad to have you here, any place you'd like to go first?" he asked them, a part of him having a feeling he already knew what they were going to say.

whilst the attention wasn't on you, you tried not to stare, really, but you kept catching oscar in your peripheral that it was hard not to, the papaya-coloured top was just so eye-catching, was what you told bindi when she caught you.

"don't know about you osc, but i'm just here for the crocs" lando answered with a short laugh and a smile, not that you were staring (you were totally staring), but you'd caught his teammate rolling his eyes beside him, lando nevertheless looking over roberts shoulder at the map of the zoo, trying to find where the crocodiles were on it.

from the walk to the first exhibit, you quickly learned lando was a people person, and it wasn't just for the cameras, his energy was almost infectious and you were laughing along to his terrible jokes as you walked beside him and oscar, who was definitely more eager to take in what your brother was telling him about the enclosures you were walking past at the moment in time, something about irwin's turtles and the komodo dragons, you'd heard it all before, and really, you should've urged lando to listen.

the sight of the first crocodile seemed to finally be the one thing to shut lando up, as he got out his phone to take pictures, oscar still stood beside you fighting every urge in him to copy his teammate, he had to keep it cool in front of the irwins, nicole had urged him in her text earlier in the morning, sunglasses resting on his head. "he's gorgeous, isn't he."

oscar looked down at you, a look as if you were crazy crossing his features before turning back to the enclosure in front. "you and i have very different definitions of gorgeous."

you smiled at his joke, there was truth to his words, growing up around all the wildlife made you appreciate the beauty they had, even the ones with big sharp teeth. "he jokes! thought your teammate was the only funny one."

he let out an amused scoff, taking a closer look at weipa the crocodile in front of him, tuning back into what your brother was saying to the group about him, how your father had saved him from a croc farm before transporting him here for conservation.

you took the time to appreciate the way the team-coloured shirt complimented his tan, the australian sun can do real damage to some people, but not to him, noticing the moles on his neck and face as he continued listening to robert rambling on. or one of the first times in your life you were glad he could talk for days. his eyes were soft, kind-looking, the type that you could spend hours staring into and never getting bored, the way they crinkle when he laughs was endearing, almost too endearing that you wanted to look away but couldn't. maybe it was creepy how you noticed how his eyebrows knitted together when he focused on what he was being told, occasionally looking back down at weipa to make sure he wasn't going anywhere then back to robert. you were staring. hard.

bindi bumping into your shoulder brought you back to consciousness, finding lando and robert looking back at you for an answer. "sorry what did you say." you could feel the warmth creeping up your neck, your heartbeat thumping in your ear, already thinking how you were going to blame it on the aussie sun when bindi teased you for it later. "right yeah, he's only about 10ft when the males are usually around 13-16ft, a short king." that brought a couple laughs from lando and oscar, and you were thankful to move on to the next enclosure.

the walk was minimal, only a minute or two up the trail and you were already at the next one. "this happy couple is graham and bindi, two more saltwater crocs," robert pointed the two of them out, graham half in the water whilst bindi was up on the banks. "these two were a bit mischievous together, and were brought in as part of management program in the 80s together."

another zookeeper gave you the bucket that you haded to lando, pieces of various bits of meat in it, encouraging him to throw in two bits for them, seeing the way his eyes lit up at the snap of their jaws. "her names' bindi? like your sister?" oscar asked, a light tone to his words, he was so easygoing it made you scared at how someone could be so relaxed in this type of situation unless you'd grown up with it like you all had.

"can't you see the resemblance." that earned a laugh from him, it was so infectious and warm, that you wanted to make him do it more, his eyes crinkling, you couldn't help but join him, not catching the glare bindi was sending you from beside lando, who was too scared to laugh instead it be directed at him.

lando handed the bucket over to oscar who looked back at you, nodding in his direction and he proceeded with caution towards where robert had instructed him, a safe distance away in case anything was to go wrong. "this is the original bindi actually, she's definitely got a personality on her." robert commented as her jaws snapped around the piece that oscar had thrown in. "and this big boy, is the only one who managed to get a piece of one of us, poor wes got bit in the backside."

you couldn't help but wince at his words, the reminder of the danger of your jobs, anything could happen in a split second, no matter how long they were rehabilitated for, they were still wild animals and nothing could break their spirit. "on that happy note, acco?"

robert nodded, taking the bucket from oscar and handing it back over to one of the zookeepers in the back, before leading the way to the last of the crocodiles they were going to see. you felt oscar walking beside you, the warmth radiating off him in the already 25° heat. "do you ever get scared?"

his question caught you off guard, no one had really asked you that before, and if they had it came from the kids during question time than someone like him. "do you?" you redirected the question, and he took a second before answering, before nodding his head, adding a 'sometimes'. "i've been around these animals my entire life, i've been scratched more times than i can count, bitten by a few cubs before, but at the end of the day they're still animals. if i get hurt, it's because i made the mistake, they're just reacting off their instincts." you took a breath, thinking back to the time when you were 11 and you were handling one of the cheetah cubs, young and inexperienced and obviously not reading its body language enough and it took a nip at you, it was sore of course, but it was a learning experience you needed if you wanted to continue working with them. "so yes i get scared, but not of them, of making a mistake that could get myself and them hurt."

"i get that fear too." he admitted, his stride slowing down slightly to match your own when you looked up at him, the brim of your hat obstructing your vision of his face. "i can make the smallest mistake out on track, and it can have severe consequences for not only me, but other drivers."

he wasn't entirely sure the reason he was confiding in you like this, a strange feeling of trust with you despite only meeting, and you felt the same, like you could spill all your secrets and not feel an ounce of regret, but it had to wait as robert interrupted you. "this massive guy is acco, just around 16 and half feet long," looking up at oscar, you were about to say something when you saw how his attention was completely on what your brother was saying, like he was actually trying to learn more about the wildlife and the efforts you were doing there, and that brought a smile to your face.

visiting acco always made you a little emotional, his enclosure being where your father had proposed to your mom, it was always like a little bit of him was there when you went.

"he was a bit of a problem child who had a bad habit of trying to attack people. when my dad tried to catch him actually, he sunk the boat that he was in, but he managed to get him and transport him here where he's been ever since." the two drivers were silent as they watched the crocodile moving around the enclosure, the speed of him despite being such a large animal catching them off guard.

and just as quickly as that part of the tour had started, it was already ending, bindi leading the way towards the reptile house, named after your brother, only a couple minutes away from acco's enclosure. "i hope you're good with snakes." bindi jested, gauging from their reactions that they were most definitely not.

"we're not gonna get anything trying to kill us right?" lando questioned, hoping her response to be the one that he wished for. he wish didn't seem to come true however when bindi just laughed off his question, his eyes wide as he looked back at you and oscar, then to robert behind yous. the camera's picked up on his reaction, and you knew that he knew they did.

"it's australia, everything's trying to kill you."

the lighting inside the reptile house was dark, gloomy, save for the bright blue, sterile lights that lit up each of the vivariums, a placard beneath detailing the species they held inside. "that's a big snake." lando blurted out, his eyes wide as he saw the olive coloured corn snake coiled underneath the heat lamp, the background made out to be the australian outback.

"she's actually one of our shorter snakes," bindi guided them over to the glass, unlocking it with one of the many keys she had attached to her belt, before sliding the glass open. "this is sally, she's super chill, she's even met chris hemsworth."

"she's more famous here than you mate." lando bantered, placing a comforting arm around oscar's shoulders.

"you wanna hold her?" bindi had already started lifting her out before they could reply, careful to support her head body with one hand and her head with the other, a loose grip allowing sally to move around freely in her hands without the chance of falling. "she's very friendly," she commented, admiring the way the snake was coiling around her arm, getting comfortable in its new surroundings.

"promise she won't kill me?"

"she won't kill you, lando," you reassured him, carefully taking sally from your sister's hands and into yours, before you slowly started to drape her around lando's shoulders, telling him not to move so much whilst she got comfortable, you could see the fear in his face disappear as she settled, replaced with a grin as he got oscar to take about 100 pictures of him with her around his shoulders, as if he was in his very own jungle photoshoot.

oscar stayed a couple of feet back, he got out of australia early enough he hadn't developed the nonchalant attitude towards the snakes and spiders that resided in his homeland. "you're insane." he shrugged with a laugh.

you looked back at him, the apprehension clear as day on his face, but behind that you could see he was curious, watching the way his eyes followed the snake as it moved around lando's shoulders. "want to try?" you asked, trying to read him an answer.

for the first time since bindi had brought her out, oscar took his eyes off of the snake, looking at you, an odd feeling of trust in them as he hesitated, finally letting out a breath and nodding his head, taking a step closer to you before stopping. "can you hold her with me? please?"

you remembered the way he'd confessed his fears to you earlier, how vulnerable he'd been with what was a complete stranger before today, and nodded your head, already lifting sally off of lando's shoulder, and carefully settling her across your own and oscar's shoulders, feeling the way his stiffened, as if you could feel his heartbeat racing, you placed a hand on the small off his back, bringing him back to reality as he relaxed, the sensation of the snake around his shoulder being forgotten and replaced by the burn of your hand on his back.

"see, told you it wasn't so bad." you chirped, turning slightly to face him, slow enough you didn't disturb sally, to find oscar looking down at you, breathing steady unlike yours, realising just now how close you were to him, and neither of you were doing anything to change that.

"you're far too persuasive." oscar laughed, shoulders more at ease now, comfortable with the predicament that you were in, even more so when he felt the pressure of sally on his shoulder easing as bindi attentively put her back into her habitat.

"and you're braver than i thought." you teased him, bashfully admiring the way his face lights up when he laughs, the sound captivating, you found yourself absentmindedly smiling at it, both of you falling in the back of the group as bindi took everyone to the next terrarium, the poison dart frogs standing out from the rest of the animals there.

"don't let their good looks fool you, these guys are one of the most poisonous animals around, like most guys." bindi jested, despite being in one of the happiest relationships you'd ever seen, allowing lando and oscar to get a good look at the colourful creatures. "this one is wanda," she pointed out the one closest to the front of the glass, black and red in colour, "and that one is buzz." motioning towards the black and yellow one hiding behind some of the leaves.

they watch the frogs with growing intrigue, "it's crazy how something so small can be so deadly." lando remarks, another frog coming out of hiding, a completely different colour scheme than the other two before it.

"everything plays a part in the ecosystem, that's the beauty of it." you hear robert say, and every day you swear he sounds more and more like your dad.

bindi showed them around a few of the other residents of the reptile house, the different species of lizards and the rest of the snakes weren't ones they could touch, holding too much of a risk, so the tour went rather quickly, oscar and you talking amongst yourselves for the majority of it, a complete 180 as now lando was doing most of the listening. "you're telling me, you had a snake as a pet growing up?" oscar looked at you, raising an eyebrow as if you had any reason to lie to him.

"that is what i'm telling you, my little coco." you reminisced, she was a gift on your 9th birthday, named for her rich chocolate brown colour (you weren't very creative as a child). "she was a little princess."

"a scaly, cold-blooded, princess," he muttered with a laugh, a grin forming on his pink lips. he was enjoying talking to you, getting to know you as well as he could the more as the tour went on.

"she was a cutie."

"freak." he jested, tone light and almost breathless as he shook his head again, you could instantly tell there was no malice intended.

you bumped against his shoulder, a shy smile making its way onto your face, and you almost caught yourself blushing at the proximity, the normality of it all, as if you'd known him longer than a few hours at most.

finally, bindi was finished showing around the reptile house, passing the baton on to you to finish the race. "are you guys ready to see the best part of the zoo?" you asked, raising an eyebrow as lando eagerly answered 'yes', like he was on a school field trip, and your eyes drifted to oscar, rolling his eyes as he nodded with an amused smile.

you were immediately hit by a wall of heat as you left the air-conditioned building, taking a couple of seconds to adjust back to daylight from the dark, mood lighting inside, the air had a faint scent of eucalyptus from how close you were to the koala enclosures, a short walk through the birdhouse and you were there.

the first enclosure you came across was the kangaroo walkthroughs, pointing out the animals lazing under the sun. "he looks like he could knock me out." lando eyed up a particularly buff-looking grey kangaroo who was hanging out in the back of the pack.

"he definitely could." you retorted, grinning at the brits insulted expression as you handed him and oscar the cone full of 'roo feed, stifling a laugh at the way they were instantly flocked around as they stepped inside the pen.

following in after them, you bent down to feed one of the kangaroos that had come over to you, recognising her from her distinct markings. "this little girl is teal, she's a sweetheart who loves her cuddles." as if she was listening to you, she nuzzled against your hand, scratching between her ears as he nibbled at the pellets in your hand.

oscar smiled, crouching down to your level as another kangaroo came hopping over to you, this time it was melman, and you knew he wouldn't be leaving without oscar giving him some scratches. he was apprehensive at first, letting the animal sniff at his open palm before gathering some pellets for him to eat, following your instructions as you told him to scratch behind his ears. "i understand wanting to do this every day."

"it's definitely a perk." giggling, you looked up to find lando having what was practically a stand-off with one of the joey's from across the enclosure. "he's not going to punch you," lando nodded at your words, although still, he kept his distance, listening to you as you told him to kneel down slowly, holding out his hands to the little joey before taking a handful of the food.

"this might be the best thing ever." lando's exterior damn near melted as the joey grabbed a couple of pellets with his paws, looking back at you with a grin.

"better than winning a race?"

"it's up there." he laughed, reaching out experimentally to give it a scratch.

the mclaren media team were having a field day with the content you were providing them, of lando and oscar with the snakes around the neck, although the latter looked a lot more uncomfortable, and now lando feeding and cuddling a baby kangaroo, you knew his fans were bound to go crazy over the pictures.

unapologetically, your eyes drifted again, finding yourself subconsciously smiling at the gentle kindness of oscar in front of you, his touch soft against melman, as if he would break if he was any rougher, and when a joey approaches him, he's offering her food with so much patience that it makes a saint jealous, his smile soft and effortless you're not even sure he knows he's doing it. you can't look away, his calm presence, the way he respects the space between them, it's pulling you in more than you'd wish to admit, disarming any type of defence you put up.

you blink, remembering where you are, that you're surrounded by a camera crew, and your brother and sister, and clear your throat like that'll shake it off. "alright, koala time," you say, a little too casually, handing the now empty cone back to one of the zookeepers, motioning ahead as you start walking.

oscar falls in stride beside you, still grinning, and you swear you can feel that glance he throws your way like a spark against your ribs, he's joking with lando about something, and when you look up you see how the light catches his eyes, as if he was carrying a little bit of the sun with him.

the closer you get to the koalas, the stronger the smell of the eucalyptus, and you swear you need it to clear your senses. trees branches stretch overhead, looming over and shading the area. as you approach the entrance of the enclosure, you could already see a keeper holding one of the fluffy animals, awaiting the arrival of the two drivers.

"this is tilly, she's our go-to girl for this experience, super chill and great with people," you explain, introducing her to them as they look back at the koala with wonder, lando quick to volunteer to be first to hold her.

carefully, you show lando how to stand to hold a koala; his hands clasped together forming a sort of bowl for her to sit in, telling him to keep as still as possible and to try not to make as much noise as possible.

"if i knew this is what i'd take to keep him quiet i would've brought him ages ago." you stifle a laugh at oscar's words, seeing the glare that lando was sending him, about to say something back before remembering he was to try and stay quiet.

you scoop tilly from her perch in the other keeper's arms, cradling her with practised ease, you'd been around koalas your entire life it was almost second nature at this point, and gently rest her in the bowl that lando had created with his hands. his eyes go wide, looking between you and the animal in front of him and a grin spreads across his, her soft fur warm against his shirt.

"feel how soft she is?" you ask him, taking his hand in yours and guiding it over her back, letting her settle into his arms, and he nods. "she's got super thick fur to keep her warm and dry, even when it's raining!"

tilly cuddles up against lando's chest, allowing him to gently brush one of his hands against her back, smiling from ear to ear as he gets his picture taken, not wanting to let her go. "what's the fine if i steal her?"

"lifetime ban from australia."

"i can still win the championship missing one race."

somehow, after he’d put up quite the fight, you managed to get tilly out of lando's grasp, showing oscar how to hold her, just as you had shown his teammate, and before he knew it she was being placed into his arms, soft against his exposed skin, already making herself comfortable as she moved in his arms, cuddling up against his chest.

oscar was a little unsure at first, hesitating slightly, but once she's settled in his arms, a look of awe washed over his face, glancing down at the animal below. he barely breathes, eyes wide, the corners of his mouth lifting in a slow, amazed smile. "she's... so chill," he whispers, as if afraid to break the moment. his grip is careful, respectful—he can feel the tiny claws and the steady, slow rhythm of her breathing.

"they're super chill animals." you smile, admiring the sight in front of you, he was such a natural even if he didn't know or believe it. "if you were going to be any animal, it'd definitely be a koala."

"a koala?" he echos your words, with a bemused smile glancing down at the one in his arms as if he was comparing.

"yeah, you know." you shrug as if that was enough of an explanation. "you both just have this calmness to you, but can get shit done when you need it."

his laugh reverberates around your head, hearty, warm, and real. "i'll take it, could've been an emu."

"nah, too cute to be an emu." the words are spilling out before you can stop yourself, and when you realise what you've said its too late to take it back, your eyes slowly find his, cheeks feeling hot and you can hear the rush of blood on in your ears. "i didn't just say that."

an expression you haven't seen before crosses his features, he's smug, a type of smile you want to wipe off his face forming on his lips. "yes you did."

"shut up." you quickly suggest moving on to the final part of the tour, carefully taking tilly out of oscar's hands trying to make the least amount of eye contact possible, and when you're successful, you're already leading the way back to the where you were getting the shuttle to the next part of the tour, the mclaren crew letting you know you had to wrap it up soon as they were running out of time.

the wait for the next bus isn't long, although it feels like an eternity, lando happily talking away in your ear and you politely nod, throwing in a couple of basic responses here and there and a laugh when appropriate, but you have other things on your mind. so now. as you board the shuttle bus, the atmosphere is thick with unspoken tension, what makes it worse is it's just you three and the mclaren media crew, robert and bindi resuming their duty at the zoo.

with the cameras and at least eight members of crew, it's slightly crowded, and when it comes to finding a place to stand beggars can't be choosers, you found yourself squeezed up against oscar and one of the mclaren photographers. he's holding onto one of the poles in front of him, arm stiff and silently begging lando to stop making jokes about the driver's questionable driving skills.

you glance up at him, your hand around the pole just beneath his. the shuttle bus hummed as as it wound its way through the lush paths of the zoo, sunlight dappled across the windows, reflecting back on his features, the fresh sunburn across his cheeks highlighted.

it was hard to tune lando out completely, you'd be a liar if you said he didn't have some funny jokes, but you wished he's stay silent for a few seconds, take a lesson from his much quieter teammate, who was either doing a great job of ignoring you, or was deep in existential thought.

the driver called your stop and you all huddled off, the warm air brushing against your face as the distant call of exotic birds echoed through the trees. lando and oscar are close behind, both of them looking around with the kind of wide-eyed curiosity that everyone has on their first visit to the exhibit.

"alright, welcome to the best part of the zoo." you say, grinning. "welcome to our african savanna, we imitated the ecosystem that exists here," you lead the way down the winding path, lined with acacia-like trees and tall grass, oscar finding his way by your side meanwhile lando is taking more pictures than a mom during a graduation.

the large, serengeti-inspired enclosure stretches out before you, a herd of 4 striped bodies grazing lazily under the sun, a duo of giraffes just behind them, eating leaves from a tree. lando leans on the railing, squinting, taking out his phone and getting more pictures. "mate, they look like horses in prison uniforms."

"i'd like to see you try and tame a zebra," you chuckled, lando making a promise you'd see it one day, and that you'd hold him to it. "the one that won't stop playing? that's lucas, he's easily the cheekiest boy we have, bindi says it because he's trying to impress gigi," pointing over to the zebra by the water trout, you couldn't help but giggle at the fact this was essentially just gossip with but animals.

"i hope he gets his girl."

their attention turns to the giraffes towering over the rest of the landscape, how calm they move with a sort of elegant rhythm. one ambles over to the edge of the viewing deck where a zookeeper offers visitors leafy snacks to feed them. "that's how tall lando thinks he is." the laugh fell from your lips before you could help it, feeling lando's glare from one side and oscar smiling at your reaction from the other.

"that's forest." you motion towards the tallest one at the back of the group. "he's actually the tallest in the world, and he's quite the lady's man, but he's such a sweetheart."

a zookeeper from beside hands you a bucket of fresh carrots sticks and leafy branches, hearing the soft clatter of hooves signalling the approach of the giraffes; tall, graceful, and curious. "yous wanna give it a try?" you ask, demonstrating as one of the female giraffe come up to you, zuri, steps forward, her long neck swaying gently as she eyes the food outstretched in your hands, her tongue snakes out, wrapping around the offering, and with a swift tug, it's gone.

lando's jaw drops, a slight look of disgust crossing his features. "did she just lick the branch out of your hands?"

"her tongue's nearly half a meter long," you say, taking a branch out of the bucket and passing it to him, giving oscar a few of the carrot sticks. "totally built for plucking leaves from tall trees."

oscar gives it a go next, reaching out cautiously and zuri leans in, eyes blinking slowly. the carrot sticks are flat against his hands as he holds his palm out straight, her tongue wrapping around the food and its gone. oscar looks back at you, then laughs, wiping his hand on one of the towels given. "alright, that's cool. slimy, but kind of awesome."

lando's practically itching to have a go himself and just as he extends his hand, a second giraffe swoops in from the side, gently bumping him with its head to get to the food first.

"oi! no need to fight about me," he laughs, steadying himself and you hand over another branch. "there's enough of me to go around, ladies."

you chuckle at his oblivion. "except that's zeus."

"oh." the giraffes continue feeding, taking the branches out of each of lando's hands, their calm, unbothered presence setting a peaceful rhythm for the end of the tour.

you can see the mclaren team signalling to each other behind the drivers, already beginning to walk back to where the shuttle had gotten you from, the enclosure fading behind you, sun a little lower in the sky than before casting a warm glow over the zoo, distant sounds of birds singing to each other and excited passersby.

it's only one stop on the shuttle that the fuss of getting everyone on doesn't seem with it, you’re off just as quickly as you were on, dropped off almost exactly at the zoos entrance, and the excitement in lando's jokes almost simmers out as he realises the tour was coming to an end.

the iconic australia zoo sign comes into view, bindi and robert already waiting for you as you get off the shuttle, and are thanking the mclaren crew for coming one by one before reaching the two drivers.

"thank you guys so much for coming, it was amazing to have you both here." roberts tells them with a grateful smile, lando and oscar match his energy as they thank you all for having them, letting them interact with the animals and for all the cool pictures they got, lando adding the last part.

they're coming in for hugs before you realise, feeling lando's arms around your waist and he's still cracking jokes in your ear, teasing you about oscar and you stiffen, if he'd caught you, then most definitely his teammate had too.

oscar shifts his weight a little behind him, looking almost bashful, then gives you this soft half-smile and says, "hey, uh... i was wondering—if it's not weird—and you can totally say no, can i get your number?" he glances down for a second, then meets your eyes again. "y'know... in case i've got more animal questions."

you pause, that was the one thing you weren't expecting him to say, anything from how he thought you were weird for staring at him from the very beginning, or nothing at all just a simple diplomatic hug, but not this. he takes your silence as an answer of its own, and is about to walk away when you hold onto his arm. "yeah, of course, in case you get any animal questions." oscar smiled and you blushed, taking your phone out of your back pocket and sliding it over to him, looking around to see if anyone had noticed, when you find lando with a smug smile on his face you can't help but roll your eyes.

"come on romeo!" you hear lando shout from a distance, looking over his shoulder oscar gives him a look, one that seems to keep him quiet for a few more minutes.

as oscar slips his phone back into his pocket, something shifts, a moment of soft, mutual stillness between you., it’s not awkward, it doesn’t feel like anything with him could be, just charged in the quietest, most natural way. the kind that lingers, sticks with people.

you step forward, almost instinctively, and say with a little smile, "guess i'll see you around then?"

his eyes soften the more he looks at you, a blush dusting across his sunburnt cheeks, and he nods, just once. "yeah. i hope so."

and before either of you overthinks it, you lean in, arms gently circling around him, he meets you halfway, pulling you in with that calm steadiness he carries on track, nothing rushed or overdone, just warm and sure. he smells like sunscreen and eucalyptus, maybe a hint of whatever cologne he didn't expect anyone to notice, but you noticed, the way it complimented his natural smell.

he lingers a second longer than he needs to, and when he pulls back, there's a quiet smile playing on his lips.

"for the record, i think you’re cute too,"

[darkmatilda]

𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: spencer knew the statistics about long-distance relationships—you knew he did, after all, he’d mindlessly mentioned them to you so many times, never realizing that every time he did, it felt like twisting the knife. but despite the initial struggles and the first tough month apart, it started to seem like they really didn’t apply to the two of you.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐰: glasses reid x bau!female reader, long distance relationship&timezones, reader struggling with loneliness and sense of gloom, reader attending interpol training in another country (in netherlands tho it doesnt have much impact on the plot), queen elle being their relationship therapist for a whole one scene straight <33

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 3.8k

𝐚/𝐧: requested by @mggslover but i'd write it anyway cause i missed my og beloved cutest couple xx

Click.

The light switch gave a soft snap, and light spilled through your apartment, letting you hang up your coat and bag. Odd—it didn’t feel at all like the weight of either had been lifted from your body.

Click.

Even such a small sound felt loud in the silence of your apartment. Always silent. When you tried to cover it up with TV or music, the place seemed to push those sounds away. To reject them, to refuse to let them seep into the walls and thin out the loneliness that clung to them.

You turned the light back off—you were heading straight to the bedroom anyway, not even stopping by the bathroom. But then something came to mind, something that made you freeze for a second.

Click.

You knew your boyfriend would freak out if he even imagined you crawling into the bed you shared without at least washing your hands after a full day out—at work, in that bacteria trap known as public transport. Okay, maybe freak out was a bit of an exaggeration. It’s not like he’d kick you out of bed or crash on the couch. You knew, though, that he wouldn’t feel comfortable with it. And that knowledge alone was enough to make you slip under the covers only after changing into clean clothes.

Well, your boyfriend wasn’t there.

Still, you made yourself go through that small ritual—one that, in its silly little way, let you pretend things were different.

It had only been a month since you moved to a different country, a whole different continent, for a training program offered by Interpol. A program that was, honestly, a great opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills. One you’d come to…genuinely enjoy. More than that—it gave you more fulfillment than your time with the BAU ever had. Before it started, you hadn’t even realized a job could bring that kind of satisfaction.

You were thriving. But that didn’t mean you felt okay.

Every time you came back to the apartment, the motivation you’d had during the day seemed to vanish. You’d remember you were in a foreign country, that everyone you loved was an ocean away, and when you stripped it all down—you were completely, fucking alone.

So every day, you came back to your four walls, reached for your phone—the one thing that helped you feel a little better, though only for a moment. Once the call ended, everything came rushing back.

You knew things would’ve been different if you’d tried to engage more—make new friends, go out, do something. By isolating yourself like that, you were missing the chance to truly experience the culture, and only making your state of mind worse.

But it was the same as with every other vicious cycle. Hard to break, even when you know it’s leading nowhere. Or somewhere—but nowhere good.

Finally, in your bedroom, you let yourself sink into the mattress for a brief moment—as if testing whether it could still offer the same comfort it once did. Back when you used to wait for this exact moment after long, exhausting days at work: that soft collapse into the sheets, the burying of your face in the pillow, letting your body relax and your eyes close.

It hadn’t felt that way since you left.

Lately, you’d even fallen asleep in a stiff armchair and barely noticed the difference. The only thing that still brought you comfort—the one thing you actually looked forward to—was reaching for your phone.

You did just that. But before starting the call, you turned on the front camera, studying your expression closely. Trying to brighten your eyes a little, lift the corners of your mouth just enough. With a seven-hour time difference, you didn’t get many chances during the day to really talk. So you didn’t want to ruin this one with your gloom. 

When you were sure you’d managed it, you curled up on your side in bed and began the phone call. Spencer picked up almost immediately, used to your special time—just the two of you. His face stretched across the screen, your cheek pressed into the pillow, the whole thing reflected in the lenses of his glasses.

“Hello, Handsome,” you greeted, laughing almost immediately at his reaction.

Though he had gotten used to the pretty boy nickname, handsome still made him blush just a little. You knew it was only a matter of time before he grew accustomed to it, and then you'd have to find something new. But for now, you decided not to worry about that.

Spencer was silent, patiently waiting for you to stop laughing, but there was nothing hurried in his gaze. On the contrary, he seemed to be listening intently to the sound, his head slightly tilted.

"Every day, the same," he sighed.

"That’s because you look handsome every day. I’m just stating a constant, unchanging fact. If I were hosting the news, I’d start with, Ladies and gentlemen, Spencer Reid looks incredible today, as always. Now, let’s move on to today’s events…"

Often, due to exhaustion, nothing you said made sense, but it never seemed to bother him.

"But when I tried to state a fact the other day and told you that you looked beautiful, you scoffed at me," he complained.

"That was after I came out of the shower, silly. I looked like a wet rat. There’s no universe where that could be a fact and not, I don’t know, something you said because you kind of like me," you replied.

Spencer’s eyebrows shot up.

"Kind of like you?"

"Slightly"

"So, according to your logic, I deeply hate everyone else around me?"

You shrugged lightly.

"Can’t read your mind, Spence."

For a moment, he was silent, and to your surprise, a genuinely worried, or at least thoughtful, expression appeared on his face.

"I hate that you think that," he confessed after a while, pressing his lips together for a moment before adding, "I mean, does that mean I’m telling you that you look beautiful just because you're my girlfriend, like it's some sort of obligation? In the universe I live in, I’d think you’re beautiful even if you were a wet rat."

Spencer Reid, the expert at giving compliments. After a moment, even he realized what he had just said and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Can…can we pretend I didn’t say that? I just called you beautiful, not mentioning anything about rats."

"Nope. I’m taking that compliment to the grave” 

He sighed softly. You began to feel your eyelids growing heavy, and you almost had to force them open wider. Had you been talking for only ten minutes? You hadn’t even asked about him, realizing that you had spent that precious time, which you didn’t get to share much, talking about whether or not you were beautiful—and now, you felt a bit silly.

"So, how was your day?"

His voice only deepened your sleepiness, but not because what he was saying was boring. It never was. The whole problem was that listening to him with your eyes half-closed allowed you to imagine that you were truly close to each other, faces inches apart, in the same bed, not just on the cold phone screen. He couldn’t see it, nor could he feel it, of course, but your thumb gently traced a path across his forehead, cheek, lips—lips moving as he spoke.

You didn’t even notice when you had switched off. Spencer, however, did.

“I’m sorry,” he suddenly said, pulling you out of your not-so-happy thoughts. “It’s late for you, you must be tired, and I’ve been rambling…” 

“No, it’s fine,” you quickly reassured him, waking up. “I mean, we’ve only been talking for…”

“There’s no specific amount of time we have to talk. If you’re tired…”

“I’m not,” you stubbornly repeated, though it came out a little harsher than intended. If you were upset, it was only at yourself, for not having the energy to carry on a proper conversation with your boyfriend.

"Okay," he replied with a sigh that seemed to give way. "Alright, if that's what you say."

For a moment, silence settled, and you expected him to ask you something, to check on you. Ask about what he'd been talking about, if you had really been listening. But he wasn’t like that. He didn’t need to test your honesty.

You both started talking a little lighter, lazy chatter that, strangely, caused some pressure in your stomach. There were probably so many things he wanted to tell you, but he had held them back so as not to overwhelm you at this hour. If you were together, it would have been different. He could have told you at any time of day, whispered it in your ear while you were drifting to sleep, because you would be lying down at the same time.

Phone conversations have a way of letting you sense when they’re coming to an end. For you two, it always came with a moment of silence and that one simple, repeating assurance.

 "I miss you," he said.

You stared at his face on the screen, feeling your throat close up. You couldn’t speak, not because you didn’t feel the same way. Of course, you did. It was just that feeling that stole your words; you were so tired of telling him how much you missed him.

"I miss you too," you replied after a long moment, softly, barely forcing your lips to move.

You might have felt bad, but you couldn’t imagine not answering him.

Before the conversation came to an end, Spencer looked at you for a moment longer, and you could see a faint, sad shadow in his eyes.

*

JJ laid her cards on the table, immediately raising both hands in a victory gesture.

Defeated, Morgan tossed his cards aside. Spencer, on the other hand, simply shook his head with a sigh, gathering all the cards to shuffle them for the next round. Although, he hadn’t decided yet if he even wanted to play. He’d lose anyway. He was too lost in his thoughts, worries, to focus.

“No offense, gentlemen, but beating you doesn’t give me any satisfaction,” JJ declared, pressing her back against the seat backrest on the jet. “None at all. Oh, at times like this, I really miss her. My only worthy opponent.”

At the sound of your name, Spencer almost let the cards slip from his hands. He had been thinking about you, and when it was spoken aloud, it caused that funny collision between reality and what was going on in his mind. And he had been thinking about you mostly because of your conversation the day before. During which, something had clearly been off, but he had no idea what. You seemed a bit down, but he didn’t know how to ask about it. At some point, he had rambled on too, which might have just seemed tiring to you.

"Elle, maybe you’ll join us?" JJ asked her teammate.

Spencer turned over his shoulder. Greenaway was sitting behind them, alone, with her laptop open, almost blocking her face.

"Hm?" She lifted her head, her brown eyes scanning their faces as she looked around thoughtfully. It took a moment for her to realize what the question was about. "Oh. No, sorry, but I'm busy with another game right now."

To prove her point, she turned her laptop around, showing them the chessboard on the screen.

"You're playing chess online?" Spencer asked, surprised.

He stood up from his seat to sit across from Elle. He hadn’t even known that was an option, but something about it immediately didn’t sit well with him. He couldn’t imagine playing chess without sitting across from his opponent, analyzing their expression and the subtle, carefully hidden but still somehow slipping reactions.

"You know, I’d play with you if you asked."

Elle didn’t glance at him, fully focused on her virtual chess game. To his surprise, however, a mysterious smile appeared on her lips.

"Who said I wanted to play with you?" she asked. "But seriously, maybe next time. Right now, I have another opponent. You know her, by the way."

Spencer blinked in confusion, utterly unaware of what she was talking about. He’d never played chess online, so he had no idea who any of her internet opponents could be.

"I thought your girl would be much better. Maybe you could help her improve. Or maybe you’re not doing that on purpose so she doesn’t beat you?"

“You’re playing with…”

Elle nodded before he could finish. His mouth parted for a brief moment, in surprise. Okay, now it made sense. It also made sense why the chess opening on the screen seemed to tickle his memory, feeling strangely familiar. 

For a while, Spencer just watched their game, imagining your lips pursed in concentration as you hesitated over what to do with your queen. But then he shook his head, pushing the vision away—it reminded him too much of how much he missed that sight. Missed your lips in general. Missed you.

A fleeting smile crossed his face when you beat Elle.

“Could I talk to you about something?” he asked once the game was over, lowering his voice slightly so the rest of the team wouldn’t hear.

It felt strange to bring this up even with her. He rarely reached out to anyone for relationship advice—both of you had always operated under the rule that there was no problem you couldn’t solve together, just the two of you. Then again, that rule hadn’t accounted for this many miles apart for this long.

Elle looked at him closely, immediately sensing something was up.

“Sure,” she said slowly. “What’s going on?”

Spencer took a deep breath.

“I’m a little worried about her,” he admitted. “And about our relationship, but mostly about her.”

“Why? Has she been acting strange?”

 “A bit? I mean, we’re still talking, things are generally okay, but she seems kind of down. More withdrawn, and sometimes…sometimes I get the feeling she’s forcing herself to talk to me because she thinks she has to. I don’t know, maybe something happened that she doesn’t want to tell me about. And I know I shouldn’t be asking, you don’t have to say anything if it feels wrong…but has she mentioned anything to you?”

His friend stayed completely still and silent for a moment too long. Reid felt a strange tightness coil in his stomach, making it hard to breathe. The longer the silence dragged on, the more convinced he became that his theory might actually be right. And if that part was true, then so was what he was about to say next.

“We both agreed to this,” he continued quietly. “I mean, to being long distance. Not like we had much of a choice, but…you know what I mean. We could’ve just…ended it.”

Just saying that felt wrong in his mouth, like a sour taste. He didn’t want to imagine a world in which they’d chosen to let go.

“And…I just keep wondering if maybe she regrets it. Maybe this is harder for her than it is for me—because she’s in a completely new place, and maybe she’d rather focus on her life and her work there, instead of forcing herself to keep talking to me…”

“Spencer,” Elle interrupted him gently.

She rarely used his first name, and hearing it now carried a quiet kind of tenderness. Her lips pressed together for a moment as if she were carefully choosing her words. Eventually, she sighed.

“Spencer…first of all, I have to tell you—I don’t think I know anything you don’t. Let’s start there. And second…” she exhaled slowly, “we both know her. So you know how much she tends to keep to herself. Especially when it comes to things that worry or upset her—she doesn’t want anyone else to carry the weight. And usually, you can tell by watching her…but now? You can’t. You only have phone calls. So yeah, I’m guessing a lot is slipping through the cracks. And maybe she doesn’t want to tell you everything, not because she doesn’t trust you, but because—okay, I’m guessing here—you two probably don’t have much time to talk. So when you do, she’d rather spend it enjoying that moment with you, instead of unloading all the heavy stuff. You get that, right?”

Spencer didn’t nod, didn’t say anything at first—but he understood. He understood perfectly; everything Elle had just described fit her so well it almost hurt. And yet, it still didn’t answer the one question that had been gnawing at him the most.

“But what should I do?”

“Well, I doubt this’ll shock you, but…talk to her,” she replied with a small, quiet snort. “Like, really talk to her. Let her know it’s okay to talk about the hard stuff too. But Reid…I can’t speak for her, obviously, but I really don’t think she wants to end things.”

He studied her face, trying to see if she truly meant it—or if she was only saying what she thought he needed to hear, just to keep him from walking around miserable all day while they were supposed to be focused on the case.

“You really think so?” he asked softly, a note of hope creeping into his voice.

“What I think,” she said, “is that you two are actually made for each other. And you can handle a lot more than just some time apart. Seriously, Reid. Just…make sure you talk it through. For real.”

He was quiet for a moment, a small, grateful smile playing on his lips.

“Thank you, Elle.”

“Don’t mention it. And if that’s all, then stop bothering me. It’s time for a rematch with your girlfriend…”

*

“You know, I didn’t suggest it to you earlier,” you began, pausing as you settled more comfortably on the couch with your laptop on your knees. This time, you could only see your boyfriend’s face in a tiny window in the corner of the screen—the rest was taken up by the chessboard. “Because I didn’t think you’d like it. Considering the fact that you’re… well, you’re…oh, no offense, but you’re kind of a huge technophobe sometimes.”

He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again, thinking over your words. Then, with a small, defeated nod, he conceded.

“You’re not wrong. But I’m starting to come around. To technology, I mean,” he clarified with a soft sigh. “For you.”

“Ah, that terrible girlfriend of yours, forcing you to adapt to the modern world,” you muttered, shaking your head in mock disapproval.

“Ah, that terrible yet absolutely amazing girlfriend of mine who always has a sarcastic comment ready and just can’t resist teasing me,” he shot back in the same tone, matching your expression perfectly—except for the soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips. You mirrored it when you noticed the subtle movement of his throat as he swallowed. “Before we start the game…can we talk for a bit? Just…talk?”

You frowned slightly at the clear note of request in his voice. You both had the day off, finally a chance to spend more time together, to really enjoy each other's company—and had naturally decided on a game (or a few) of chess. You’d been feeling unusually good that day, and it seemed like he had too. You were expecting a cozy afternoon, just the two of you, which is why his gentle question made a small knot of worry form in your chest.

“Sure,” you said, dragging the word out just a little. “Nothing’s wrong…right?”

"I don't know," Spencer admitted, to your surprise. "Is it?"

You shook your head slightly, brows furrowed, not quite understanding him. He suddenly sighed, adjusting his glasses on his nose in a nervous gesture.

"Sorry, that came out wrong. What I really meant to say…" he hesitated, closing his eyes for a moment. "You know you can talk to me about anything. Anytime you need to."

You blinked at that, not quite an admission, but more of a reminder.

"Yeah, I know that," you admitted, swallowing. "I’ve never...never felt any differently. Not with you."

To your surprise, again, he didn’t seem entirely convinced.

"I have a different feeling," he confessed after a moment of silence. You completely forgot you were supposed to be playing chess, your eyes fixed entirely on his face on the screen. "Something’s going on, and you don’t want to tell me because you don’t like when people worry about you. But what worries me more is that I don’t know what’s troubling you. I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s how it feels."

You suppressed a sigh, feeling, in a way, cornered.

"Nothing’s happening, Spencer. I just feel so lonely, that’s all. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to falling asleep alone, but it’s not something you can really fix right now, so I didn’t see the point in telling you."

You felt his gaze resting on you, and you lowered your eyes to the keyboard of your laptop, struggling to respond.

"You see?" you began, forcing yourself to shrug indifferently. "It’s really nothing serious. I’m probably overreacting. It’s only been a month, and I’ll get used to it soon. I probably shouldn’t even be telling you about this..."

"But I’m glad you did," he interrupted. You finally allowed yourself to look up at his face, immediately meeting the warmth in his eyes. You involuntarily felt a bit teary, causing you to blink more often. "It’s not overreacting. You have every right to feel lonely, lost, being there on your own. I just wish you would talk to me about these things. Now that I know, I can...I don’t know...try to reach out to you more often." He trailed off, as if both of you had thought of the same thing. No number of phone calls could replace the real contact of being with someone, standing face to face, and the touch. "I’m sorry I’m not there."

Something tightened in your chest, though a soft laugh escaped your lips.

"Spencer, you can't apologize for something like this."

He nodded slightly.

"I know. But...I think I have an idea on what to do to make you feel at least a little better. Well, at least in this one regard."

That night, you lay down in bed with your phone next to you, listening to his gentle voice. It only seemed like a conversation for a brief moment, as sleepiness soon overtook you and you stopped responding. However, the phone call remained uninterrupted, and his words stayed with you as you drifted off to sleep. Because, as you had realized once, with your eyes closed, you were capable of believing in a lot of things.

[jokeroutsubs]

[ENG SUB] Joker Out's album premiere reportage on Val 202 (14.11.2024)

On the 14th of November 2024 Joker Out presented their third studio album 'Souvenir Pop' for an early-listening party with Val 202's host Andrej Karoli and 50 chosen fans. In this reportage, fans share their favourite lines and first impressions about the new songs, while Joker Out say what touched them the most.

The original audio can be found on Val 202's website.

Transcript and translation by @chaosofsmarty, review by drumbeat, proofread by @flowerlotus8, subtitles by @vesdagrem

Translated into:

🇷🇸 Serbian by IG marija_rocen

🇮🇹 Italian by @vesdagrem

📝Full transcript and video below the cut! 👇

❗If you are quoting the transcript below, make sure to properly credit by linking back to this Tumblr post!

Transcript:

‘Novi val’ intro

Fan: I think the first song I heard was 'Gola' on a random Spotify playlist. And I was like "Okay, it's some Slovenian band, I guess, okay" and then there was more Joker Out in the playlist, and more and more, and now we're here.

Fan: My favourite line is from 'Metulji' "Za roko te držim, a se ne dotikava".

Fan: I have a tattoo, so it's "kupim karto do vesolja, če zemlja pregori".

Fan:  Mine is maybe "Igra sovraštva je za vas, hvala lepa, ne računajte na nas" because it's, I feel like, a deep message in a pop song.

‘Novi val’ snippet

Bojan:  There we go.

‘Novi val’ snippet

Fan: I can't wait to hear the other songs, because currently the ones we know are really good, so... I can't wait.

Fan:  I'm also very excited and... yeah, I'm looking forward to the new songs. The first experience of this sort, to be able to hang out with musicians, who are also known around the globe. So I'm very happy about this. I really like that we can have experiences like this within Slovenia, or opportunities, where it can happen. And yeah, I'm very excited.

‘Novi val’ snippet

Bojan:  Thank you very much!

From the release of their previous album, 'Demoni', 806 days have passed. After several months away touring abroad, they've now returned to their local audience with a new album 'Souvenir Pop'. Last night, approximately 50 of Joker Out's biggest fans heard the premiere of five songs from their album, with the most dedicated already knew the lyrics. Bojan Cvjetićanin:

Bojan: I really enjoyed watching how, with the songs that have a very unexpected plot twist, the plot twist looks on someone's face. That was actually my favourite part. I also saw a few tears, which was beautiful.

Jure: It was especially nice to see that people already knew the lyrics, and were already singing along to them.

Bojan: A few of them, A few of them, we have to tell you why, used a VPN and went to countries in a timezone...

Jure: That's it.

Bojan: where the album was already out, so we saw, a couple were singing all the lyrics and we were like "how come?"

Jure: "Where did they get them from?", “Were we hacked?”

Bojan: “Did we leak them?”

Reporter: Truly truly dedicated and resourceful fans.

Bojan: Yes, very. very, very, very, very. Always have been.

The album is a mixture of both languages and genres, and the first song was, despite the more serious theme, a favourite for some.

Andrej Karoli: I had the honour, and took the right to pick the order in which the new songs will be played. And before the first, I just want to say that all the band members said "Why?" The title is 'Sonce'.

‘Sonce’ intro

Bojan: Yeah, 'Sonce' is a story where a son after his passing speaks to his mother back in the land of the living. It was directly inspired by the current situation in Palestine.

‘Sonce’ snippet

Fan: Yes, 'Sonce' is definitely a tear jerker, I know it was created because of the war in Palestine, I myself work with orphans from Ukraine, who came to us because of the war, and I really feel, like it embodies all these children's feelings, who are maybe two to three years old, and they've already lost their parents and had to move to a completely different country, and there's still a war raging in their home country.

‘Sonce’ snippet

Fan: I was really touched, maybe also because of the fact it was the first song played. And I was really like "Wow, this is really music!"

Reporter: In what way did it speak to you, what did you think of when you listened to it?

Fan: Maybe really about the situation that's going on, how it's unfair and nonsensical, in a way, and I'm very happy that Joker Out decided to speak out about it, put it into music and yeah...

‘Sonce’ snippet

Reporter: What was your favourite song and why?

Fan: 'Sonce'. I don't know, it's really from... the heart. Yeah.

Reporter: Were there any tears?

Fan:  Yes, of course. At the start of... of... of...

Reporter: Hard to describe, right?

Fan: Difficult, yeah, you can't, sorry...

‘Sonce’ outro

Bojan: I think that our fans, people who listen to us, generally think in a very similar if not the same direction as we do, so I think it's not the target audience that wouldn't be emphathetic enough or that wouldn't be able to hear these messages in the way they were meant to. There's been plenty of sociocritical, plenty of calls for help written, from much more famous names than we are, with a lot more listeners, and we see where we are today. So... while I think that you should never give up, it's hard to get to those who aren't even willing to hear the message.

An evergrowing fanbase is a source of inspiration and motivation to the band for future creating, especially when the most honest, but unfortunately not always the brightest moments happen. Kris Guštin:

Kris: Right now I can think of maybe not one moment, but a few of these moments, where some listeners have come to say that we've helped them a lot during a very difficult time. I know that it was even said once or twice that they thought they wouldn't be here anymore if they hadn't found our music. So that stays with a person, I think. And... I find it nice everytime, it's really beautiful to hear that each time.

The language of love isn't just French, it's also Slovenian, English and Croatian, said Bojan Cvjetićanin at the presentation. The song that was most musically and lyrically exciting to the listeners is nostalgic, titled 'Muzika za decu'.

Andrej Karoli: And now, my almost favourite, all of us are someone's children. Joker Out, 'Souvenir Pop'. 'Muzika za decu'.

‘Muzika za decu’ snippet

Fan: I literally only thought about Cvetka¹ and how I'll just be jumping and screaming there and yeah, I can't wait to finally be at their concert again, like I've already told them, Slovenia loves you loads and misses you.

¹Cvetličarna venue in Ljubljana.

‘Muzika za decu’ snippet

Fan: Rock-and-roll. There.

Fan:  I feel like it's going to be a fan favourite.

Fan: 'Muzika za decu', because it's so very... I feel like I can just scream along to it, and yell all my emotions out.

‘Muzika za decu’ snippet

Fan: I'm a teacher and I actually care for the next generations, and I feel like it's really a song of "Don't worry too much, it'll be okay, we've got this, we've got the power, don't stress too much, we are who we are".

‘Muzika za decu’ snippet

Fan: I was listening to the lyrics, I tried to focus on every word, I feel like it's because they make fun of Joker Out as a boyband for children, with their nine year old fans and their mothers behind them, and they made the most rock'n'roll, hyped up, hardcore sounding song possible about how this is supposedly music for children. What a move. Genius.

‘Muzika za decu’ snippet

Fan: An awesome experience, I'd definitely do it again, thank you.

Fan: I can't describe it, just... I like the album, it exceeded expectations.

Fan: They promised they'd surprise us, which they definitely did, but it still has the feeling of being Joker Out. Because it's a true reflection of them, and they are themselves. They aren't fake, they're real.

‘Muzika za decu’

Reporter: Mojca Jevšek collected the impressions of yesterday's 'Souvenir Pop' album presentation, which is already available on all music platforms. For this sunny Friday outside we'll now enjoy a previously mentioned bit of energetic nostalgia from it, 'Muzika za decu' and... And Joker Out.

[fordtato]

Hi. I finished your new video essay yesterday, after two sittings. Had to split it, because it came out in the late evening in my timezone, and my roommate was already sleeping - I was super afraid of waking her up with my loud, uncontrollable bursts of laughter (your sense of humor never fails me). I was so, so excited about this video for many months (I almost dropped my phone when I saw your runtime post), and, as always, you managed to completely amaze me in every possible way. 

As always, of course, the backgrounds and decorations, the whole setup - were stunning. I LOVED the stained glass - is this a pattern now? I want this to be a pattern, you have a gift - and the wax wings, and the nonchalant way you glued them together throughout the video. Your shirt-vest combo was also what made it so good as a whole and also made me want to rob your wardrobe. Beware. 

Ford's faults (and "faults") you mentioned and your arguments against them were something I've been deeply convinced of myself for years now and expected to hear them from you as well. It was deeply, deeply satisfying to hear them ALL, even the smallest, most ridiculous ones, out loud, for the first time ever. It was truly a freeing experience, and I can't thank you enough. You took all of those allegations - from the lack of a better word - that people have been coming up with since 2015 and pointed their lack of logic, thought, and attention to detail, or sometimes just plain stupidity and ignorance, out. And did so with style. 

I could ramble here for a really long time about my thoughts on the character of Stanford Pines and how, for years, I observed people interpreting him in a way that's been completely different from mine. About how it baffled me, angered me, made me sad. But it's no use for me to do so because you've said everything I've ever wanted to. You saw all the same things and pointed them out in a way no one else in this fandom could. And it healed something in me. It made something click back in place. Thank you for that, from the bottom of my heart.

The thing that I DO need to point out specifically is the ending. Something that I think always angered me the most in Ford's canon story. How after everything that happened, after everything he's bern through, he doesn't see himself as a victim of Bill, a victim of abuse and manipulation that ruined his life. He sees an Icarus metaphor. And it is the way the narrative wants us to see him - it wants us to see Ford as a man that fell because of his "pure ego", overachieving behaviour, because of his refusal to listen to the voices of reason, because of him isolating himself. His happy ending in the series is bound to being remorseful, apologising to everyone he's ever hurt and changing, and then getting the forgiveness and happiness coming from it. He's made a lot of mistakes, of course. Some of them he made completely on his own, because of his flaws, personality, and ways of perceiving the world. But others (and I would say the biggest ones, the ones getting pointed out the most) are a mix of both his personality, and, majorly, abuse and trust being broken over and over again. And in the end, it doesn't get acknowledged, not really. He doesn't say, "I am a victim of abuse." He says,"I was wrong. I was cruel. Please, forgive me." And shows ends it on that note, making it the final conclusion. And it's a thing that always has been the root to Ford's tragedy in the series to me. And I've never seen anyone mention it, talk about it, even amongst Ford's defenders. And you pointed it out perfectly with the Icarus metaphor in the end.

I don't know how many too-long-for-my-own-good-and-probably-yours-too asks I will have to write again, but I know that as long as you continue to make your "little" masterpieces, I'm going to watch them on the same day, and then think about them for weeks after. And in many of those cases I feel the need to inform you of my constantly growing amazement. I hope you don't mind. I hope you know your work is admired by many, many people, and I just happen to be one of them. I hope you get some well-deserved rest. And for the last time here - thank you so, so much.

I've had this sitting in my inbox for a while and I've struggled to find the words to respond, but I'm very glad the video resonated with you so much. And I'm honored that you enjoyed it like this.

[redvexillum]

Hey there my sweetest, beloved Vexi ♡

I just wanted to share something personal with you that you can then share with others because I know that they feel the same.

Writing has always been my passion. It's been the one thing that has kept me afloat in my life. Regardless of whether people love my writing or hate it, I would continue for the sake of continuing because it is my life.

But when I rejoined fandom spaces, I was terrified after hearing stories of how the culture had changed significantly. Interaction is lower, and hate has unfortunately always made its home in these communities. Given I share fanfiction solely to share with the aforementioned communities, I found myself afraid that I would get hate messages. I was afraid I wouldn't have a community that would stand up for me if that were to happen. While it would never deter me from what I love, I was scared that friendships and positivity were long dead in this space. Fandom felt lonely.

You know what though? I have met wonderful person after wonderful person. And then I met you too. There you are, getting some of the most horrendous messages I've ever seen sent to another human being, and you continue to push for positivity - smiling and laughing with us about how much you just want to see people happy.

Then you went on to start share some of the wonderful messages you recieved throughout that ordeal, only to begin writing positive affirmations and thoughts for us. Once upon a time, I struggled to accept this sort of positivity, I will admit that. When I was having a rough time, I would often see messages like that as 'hollow' for a lack of better words. I would be angry or bitter that others could think like that when I struggled so much to feel like those words should have meant something to me.

While time has passed since I was that person, I still remember the feeling of hopelessness, yet that doesn't deter from the fact that people like you - and countless others - single handedly restored my faith in these communities.

People like you remind me why I cling to my ideals of treating everyone with kindness no matter what. To try to understand other people. To help others. These are all things that bring us closer together. People like you, @silva-daemonium, @fraugwinska, @macabr3-barbi3, @chrisemrysfics, @melodyonthewireless, @dewdropdinosaur, @xalygatorx, @kewpikayo, @jurijyuu, @jalicecookie, AND SO MANY MORE do so much to support those around you.

All of this came about because I wanted to say thank you for posting those short little messages of encouragment. I know that I have appreciated them. Sure, they might seem a little cheesy to me on a morning when I'm tired - but they really make me smile, and prepare me to tackle whatever the day gives.

You're the beating heart of positivity.

It's a fairytale ending to the horror stories I expected.

I know that other people will see this too, so I just wanted to wish everyone that sees this a relaxing morning, afternoon, evening - timezone in general! You're here, and you've worked hard to be here all this time. Everything you've needed to do to achieve that, you've done. That's huge. I'm so proud of everyone, and my DMs are always open to anyone who might be struggling or just wants to talk. I'll always aim to help my community in the same way that Vexi has demonstrated.

Love to you all, and again, thank you for your messages, Vexi!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Cirice, I honestly don’t have the words to fully capture how much your kindness means to me. You are truly one of the most thoughtful, beautiful souls I’ve ever had the honor to meet, and I can’t thank you enough for your words. Knowing that something I’ve done has made even a small impact on people like you is still so surreal to me. I’m just deeply grateful that you’re part of this community.

You and so many others are the reason why I’ve stayed here longer than in any other fandom. It’s been the most heartwarming experience. This community, especially people like you, has genuinely transformed my perspective on what fandoms can be: a space filled with compassion, creativity, and connection.

Thank you for sharing your story, for giving me (and others) a piece of your heart. I hope your words reach others, inspiring them to create, to feel they belong, and to understand how wonderful it is to be part of something like this. Knowing we’re all here together, finding meaning in these connections, it makes the world feel a little less lonely and a lot brighter. 💖

Also tagging the people that didn't get properly tagged because tumblr is broken: @dewdropdinosaur @xalygatorx @kewpikayo @jurijyuu @jailcecookie

[yourlittlettoy]

Hi Cece, hope your week has been kind to you 😊

I have chickened out of asking this on three separate occasions today lmaooo so I'm just going to send this ask now before I become Terrified Guy™ again.

How does one begin exploring this kink? I really do want to start figuring these things out about myself (since there are a lot of things I don't have a clear picture on) but I have no clue where to begin 😩 like there's so many things I don't know; What resources are available? Who are the appropriate people to tell? So many questions and I don't know any of the answers 😟

(Please tell me if there are more appropriate people to ask about this I am so lost 😭😂)

Genuinely so scared that I'm about to delete all of this writing so I'm just gonna click Ask now before I do 🤣

Hope your timezone is good to you wherever it may be 💛

Hey pal!!! Ooo great questions!

By “exploring this kink” I’m assuming you mean real life participation? :’)

If that is in fact what you meant, biggest suggestion would be to start putting yourself out there in real life based kink events!

Fetlife is a great place to find local munches, play parties, and events that are open to the public. Although there’s a lot more general kink events than there would be t-word specific events in any given area, it’s still a good and accessible way to start meeting other open minded individuals and break the first event jitters in a place where you’re still relatively close to home!

Otherwise, I am definitely a huge advocate for all of the t-word gatherings I’ve been to as well! Truly never met a kinder warmer community than our T-word community 😭🩷‼️ in my experience, it can take a little bit to get settled in our vibrant in-person community, simply due to the new environment jitters alone, but I promise the results are always worth it 🥰.

Beyond those two things, there’s always making online friends here too and maybe one day the stars align for a meeting! Online friend meetings has always been a magical experience for me! My one advice for this approach tho is to definitely make sure you know your boundaries before hand, if you have any at all, since in the moment can move pretty quickly in the excitement of seeing besties in the flesh!

I hope this helped! Keep it up pal, I believe in you!

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson to Livestream FOR EVERY QUESTION WHY Mexico City Concert

Louis will be the first male solo artist to headline the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez venue, which is the home of the Mexican F1 Grand Prix.

By: Josh Sharpe | May. 20, 2024

In a landmark event for fans around the world, British singer/songwriter Louis Tomlinson is set to perform one night only at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez - Curva 4 in Mexico City on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Louis will be the first male solo artist to headline the venue, which is the home of the Mexican F1 Grand Prix.

As part of his 'Faith In The Future World Tour’, the show is the culmination and the final stadium show of two back-to-back world tours that have sold over 1.5M tickets and taken Louis to 47 countries across 5 continents. Louis Tomlinson - For Every Question Why: Live and Direct from Mexico City will air LIVE on Veeps, offering fans around the world exclusive access to the first concert Louis has ever streamed in front of an in-person crowd.

The livestream will be directed by Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning director Sam Wrench, who has earned wide acclaim for his work on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour film as well as Billie Eilish: Live at the O2. Individual tickets are on sale for $16.99 HERE. To cater to the timezones of a truly global fanbase, there will be two opportunities for fans to gather on the streams — a livestream direct from the show at approximately 8pm PDT / 9pm CST (Mexico)* on Saturday, June 1 and an encore broadcast on Sunday, June 2 at 6pm BST / 7pm CET.* The encore broadcast will include exclusive backstage and bonus footage not included in the first livestream.

Louis will be partnering with War Child UK for the livestream and donating a portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold. War Child UK is committed to ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. With 30 years of experience, they work with local communities and governments to protect, educate, and support children in war zones, aiming to reach them quickly and stay long after the crisis has passed. War Child creates safe spaces for children to play, learn, and heal, advocating for their rights and amplifying their voices.

Veeps and Louis have partnered a number of times since Veeps’ inception, each time crafting unique and heartfelt experiences for fans tuning in — from his 2020 Live From London lockdown performance that brought together 160,000 fans for the biggest livestream concert ever held by a solo male artist, to an airing of his feature-length documentary All of Those Voices coupled with a live red carpet cross and intimate Q&A. (In a show of the closeness of Louis’s fans, the stream generated an enormous 30,000 chat messages amongst those that tuned in.)

Louis’s journey from global superstardom with One Direction to solo success has been marked by a series of bold, creative choices, kicking off with his debut album, Walls, which has sold over 1.5 million copies. Its 2022 follow up, Faith in the Future, went to No.1 in the UK, Spain and Belgium, and Top 5 in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe. In 2021, Louis was listed in the Guinness Book Of World Records for breaking the record for the most live streamed concert by a solo male artist, hosting one of the biggest live stream concert events ever held, selling over 160,000 tickets to fans in over 110 countries and raising funds for several important charities.

This month, Louis unveiled a surprise live album, LIVE, with the digital version comprising a collection of 15 songs, all released live for the very first time. Each song was recorded in a different city, at a different show, spanning the past 3 years across Louis's two global world tours which have seen him perform over 170 shows to date. LIVE will also be released on CD and LP on August 23 with 3 additional tracks exclusive to the physical formats only. Both are available now to pre-order. The CD includes exclusive live versions of “High In California” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” while the LP includes exclusive live versions of “High In California,” “Only The Brave” and “Kill My Mind.”

As Louis wraps up his tour, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez - Curva 4 will provide a dynamic backdrop for a livestream performance. As one of the biggest artists for new fans on Veeps, this concert is not just a show; it's a global event, bringing together fans from all corners of the world to celebrate the music of one of the most influential artists of our time.

Tickets to Louis Tomlinson - For Every Question Why: Live and Direct from Mexico City will be available for $16.99 at https://veeps.events/louis-tomlinson-live-from-mexico. The show will air live on June 1, 2024 at 8pm PDT / 9pm CST (Mexico), with the special encore broadcast airing at 6pm BST / 7pm CET on June 2.* The stream will be available exclusively on Veeps for 12 months after the original airdate, with a 7-day rewatch window for individual ticket purchasers.

[factorialsotherfandoms]

I... was going to take today off, but then I was watching a mix of Decked Out and old Hermitcraft videos and while this isn't a build-build, I don't think he counts as anything else...? We can call the build the workshop in Decked Out, if we have to (even if Netherception is my true beloved)

TBH while I'll add it to the au list when I ao3 it, probably, this one is very much more canon than the others.

I also decided to start writing this at 1am on the 19th in my timezone so um sorry Cleo I will be writing you soooo tired tomorrow. It is also very tiny ficlet.

Rusty is old. An outdated model, and in poor condition at that. After years more service than he was designed for, he truly lives up to his name - rusted, chipped, cracking and a little charred.

His Master laughs when golems burn, cackles in unrelenting glee as he watches his other creations be destroy.

And yet time and again Rusty gets to continue. Where he gets to exist varies, but again and again he is repaired, and again and again his Master gently puts him back together, even as he creates/experiments on/destroys/torments all of the rest.

Golems are only good for their iron, and yet Rusty - and no others - is allowed to persist.

Time and time again, from world to world and long after the Titan is obsolete and his Master is no longer a God of Iron- Still does Rusty persist.

Not live, because golems are not alive, they do not think or feel, just exist and be.

But persist. Rusty persists, and exists, and will continue to be.

These day Rusty's Master is no longer the God of Iron, dethroned as he turned to other endeavours, but he is a Master of Frost, of a Dungeon, of a Game. His Master's friends come and go, and still Rusty exists - falling apart for he is much older than a golem ever should be, but still there.

And then, they learn; the one with the mask Rusty sees the most of, but many of his Master's friends come and go. Some come, see, and leave, others bring with them repair kits and take a little time to fix him once again.

His Master will never admit it, but as the Dungeon's Master, too, he rewards them. Coins and crowns and embers for those who fix Rusty, who help his Master keep up with the unending job of fixing him.

When the Dungeon closes his Master visits him, fixes him up as well, if there is any damage left at the end of the day. He sits with Rusty, giggles in glee when there is no damage to fix - those same giggles he makes when he kills other golems - talks to him about the dungeon and his plans and the world outside, where his Master's friends live.

In a tube nearby, a newer golem burns in acid.

On the table, another lies hacked apart.

There will never be a reward for fixing anyone else.

[vultursvolans]

ok listen, all of tumblr knows this already i fear, you're stuck in the back of my mind. it's an intricate design, it's warm and bright, totally not your colours, it's nothing you would pick for yourself, but it's what my mind associates with you / how i think of you because you brighten up my days and you've kind of brought things to my existence, not only on tumblr but my life as well, that i didn't expect in 2024/2025. that is why i associate warmth, sunshine, and all the many tiny details of this piece with you because it reflects perfectly the chaos, the fun, the brightness i experience with you KSADJASKLDASKL I PUT THIS OFF BECAUSE THIS IS MAKING ME SHY BUT I TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE

i have two that made me think of ryuyan as well >\\\<

i was totally expecting to wake up grumpy and grouchy this morning because i was tossing and turning all night and i have a big of work today but… waking up to this has just completely saved the day i love you so much 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

you say i won’t personally pick this out but you know my emo chamber on tumblr is about as emo as i get irl. this is totally something i’d pick!!!!!! i’m pretty sure you’ve seen my room, IT WOULD GO SO WELL WITH IT OMGIE. ITS BEAUTIFUL.

anyways, i don’t think people understand that reconnecting with you since 2021 (it still mindfucks that we knew each other back then) has probably been the best thing that’s ever happened to me because well, simply, you are the light of my life!!!!!!!!!! so understanding and patient and istg it’s so hard for me to express the love and appreciation i have for you because it’s always tenfold of whatever i have to say. it actually genuinely upsets me how much our timezones work against us because istg i would be blowing up ur phone all day, otherwise.

ANYWAYS AGAIN, THIS ISNT WHAT THE POST IS ABOUT HAHAGSHSHSHSHSHSUSH IM SORRY. I JUST LOVE YOU WINTER BERRY. ID BE SHAKING LIKE A LEAF WITHOUT YOU. AND AFTER THIS HOT SHOWER IM RUNNUBG RIGHT TO OUR MSGS

[lenasai]

a lil confession from a guy who used to like blaseball. going to preface with i absolutely loved it, the culture, the community, the characters and setting and all. i made art, wrote fics, bought the albums. but as someone who wasnt usamerican, who lived on the opposite side of the world in fact, i always felt a little left behind. joining late contributed to the feeling of lockout, timezone mismatch meant that i slept through events like voting, and the finale.

and… the communal character building. sometimes i felt like i had to force myself to use a usa-centric lens to see what everyone else saw. the deicide jokes were funny, but not when my actual rl faith started being teased and challenged as well.

i think i'll still always keep a shard of blaseball near and dear to my heart. the good parts of it really were amazing. but sometimes when i see people say they miss it, i think, i wish i could miss it as fiercely as you guys do too.

hey, i wanna say thank you for sharing this with me. i think it's an important perspective to put out there. i debated on whether i wanted to maintag it since i don't have a way to reach out and ask if it's okay to do so, but i really think other people should see it. (you can always send me another message if you want me to delete it and i will do so asap)

blaseball, as a game and as a community, was wonderful and overall a net positive, but it was by no means perfect. it had its flaws like any other community, in this case driven by the fact that its active fanbase was largely white and centered in the united states. there were a lot of people who felt ostracized by a community that was supposed to be welcoming to everyone - and whether it was people not knowing how to keep a bit contained to the circumstances of its universe or shutting down discussions about problems in character writing, there were people who got hurt. we cannot and should not pretend that never happened.

and of course, as you mentioned, the game was designed in a way that mostly centered the united states. i think there were attempts to fix this during coronation with planned events at different times, but we never got to see that play out. hell, you could even see it in which locations got to be represented by teams. i'm not personally sure how i feel about the fact that a lot of the teams that were represented outside of the us were prehistory teams. it feels like they took a step in trying, but those are all teams that wouldn't ever see active play, so it rang a little hollow to me.

at least from my perspective, it seemed like there were dialogues happening about this and that there was progress being made to fix those issues, but then the game ended and we didn't get to see anything come out of it. i really don't want to see that all be for nothing. i hope that everyone who learned something from this community will take those lessons and apply them to how they interact with other communities.

thank you again. i am truly sorry we didn't get to have the same experience.

[blackcrystalball]

So I finally got the chance to watch Damien's stream on twitch today and it was wonderful.

I normally don't catch them because of timezones and he literally started just as I finished registering for my university classes this semester, honestly today was a pretty great day.

And the stream was wonderful, the clever coup are so nice and generous, fizzthepup even gifted me a sub, which was crazy. I've never used twitch before so this was such a great first time experience. It was so fun and light and sweet and I really enjoyed it.

One thing that will haunt me until next week at least is that I completely forgot that my twitch was still under my old username. I like to have the same username across all my accounts, I completely forgot to change it and when he said it, I disintegrated. Partially because hearing an American man say "pengblackgirlorjustlexi" sounded insane and was funny as fuck, but also because I created when I was 16 as a reference to a song(that I do still like but certainly not as much).

I don't know why, but it felt like having my (nonexistent) diary read out loud. Truly 'Peng black girls' was the song of the summer at my school. And it is good, I legitimately love it, but it also does not feel like me anymore.

Anyway, that's all to say, I will be watching every Sunday stream from now on. Under my correct name. And it will be fun as hell I'm sure.

[starisaidso]

❝ RP AD♡꒱ (01/25)

omg first rp ad of 2025?!?!?!? lol anyway.

hello!! im currently in search of an rp partner for a few fandoms!! mostly Sonic and Mouthwashing tho ! so lets get into some info about me!!

⋆˚࿔ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ .ᐟ

My name is Onyx! I'm a 20 yr old, cis fem (she/her). I've been roleplaying and writing fanfic for a little over ten-ish years now! I love roleplaying and writing, and the thought of collabrating and putting our thoughts together to make a storyline is just so cool to me! I am in the EST timezone within southern USA! Due to the experience i have with writing, when i am in charge of writing starters i tend to break not just the basic character limit in discord but also the nitro character limit. No way do i expect you to mimic that length!! It is a starter which (in my mind) means length isn't 110% needed to be matched! When it does come to replies though, I don't have any sort of set expectations. As long as i see you replying with effort, I don't mind!! I always try my bestest to mimic my partner's reply length and style! Triggers n such ; I don't have many? I mean.. I do, but its something I can often work through if it's relating to the plot. I am a victim of SA so like I do my best to avoid that so I don't do dubcon, noncon, ect. and stalking puts me off too considering I have history of that too. Again, I don't know if these are truly triggers if I can work through them if it's plot-related or completely goes with the story we have. Things off the table though are incest, stepcest, skat/piss kink, weird ass age gaps (15+ yrs), & things that fall under those umbrellas. What do I work with? Well, I mostly enjoy focusing on OC x CC! Obviously there can be CC x CC but just not as the main focus. Since I'm interested in OC x CC, I would love to double up! A I scratch your back, you scratch my back type exchange! I also do NSFW stuff but I'd rather the plot mostly be focused on a plot rather than anything NSFW related! But the option is there! I work with all genders too !

๋࣭ ⭑₊ ⊹★

Here is where I will list all my fandoms! I will put the ones i am always in search of after and then fandoms i am super into as of right now after those!

𖥻 ⋮ anime ᵎᵎ ⟢ buddy daddies ⟢ chainsaw man ⟢ dr. stone ⟢ jujutsu kaisen ⟢ one piece (live action) ⟢ oshi no ko ⟢ spy x family ⟢ the case study of vanitas 𖥻 ⋮ games ᵎᵎ ⟢ fnaf (game & movie) ⟢ honkai: star rail ⟢ mystic messenger ⟢ our life: beginnings & always ⟢ twisted wonderland ⟢ detroit: become human ⟢ sonic the Hedgehog ⟢ mouthwashing

-

✦ ⌇ always rp ！ ▸ chainsaw man ▸ dr. stone ▸ jujutsu kaisen ▸ one piece ▸ mystic messenger ▸ our life: beginnings & always ✦ ⌇ super into ！ ▸ mouthwashing ▸ sonic the hedgehog (movie, IDW comics) ▸ chainsaw man ▸ buddy daddies

If anyone is interested, please like this post & I'll contact you!! If you'd rather contact me before I contact you, feel free to do so! DMs are always open!! :D

[zsakuva]

Hello! Good Timezone! Well, I certainly didn't think I'd be asking any questions, but my curiosity got the better of me and here we are. After looking through (or in this case LISTENING through) your characters, I took notice of how excited you get everytime you work on The Noble Trials and Zaros and its great! Im always ready to tune in for more as the story unfolds. I am aware you like the Fantasy genre especially with LOTR and your other inspirations. Even inspired me to write a Fantasy-focused story just for fun amongst my other stories. I'm curious, what made you interested in writing Fantasy actually? This was kind of a long Segway into this question....

Do you mean writing fantasy with my audios or just in general?

If you mean in general, then it's a genre that I've always gravitated towards. I particularly love high fantasy settings, so stories told in completely different worlds are ripe for escapism! I can lose myself to its laws, physics, magics, histories, cultures, creatures, and all other manner of mysteries!

Naturally, I wanted to create something similar to that, and I dove head-first into making a world of my own!

If you mean with audios, then it was all about experimenting with something new. Romance wouldn't be at the forefront, and I could explore different themes in a world that was solely my own. I didn't need to conform with the rules of our world, and I could indulge in some freedom from the usual content. Of course, the romantic vibes of the 'boyfriend experience' is what my channel revolves around, but fantasy, adventure, flawed characters, and a good story is where my heart truly lies.

[bleachbleachbleach]

My co-blogger and I watch anime together as a social activity, so I kind of figured that I'd never read the Haikyuu manga--despite the fact that we rewatch all of Haikyuu and Engeki Haikyuu every!! year!!--because who has time for that? (Middle and high school me, that's who.) But 2025 me is like, if I'm going to spend time reading manga, it's going to be Bleach!! And we all know what my pace is on that count.

But!

Our home county library system has all(?) the Haikyuu volumes available digitally. And I'm mooching off my dad's library card so I can borrow things from that library system on Libby, as well, because, frankly, I live in the middle of nowhere and our county+regional library systems are limited. So I was like, well, it IS probably doable to read the Haikyuu manga... IF it comes in self-contained forms and includes strict due dates, instead of just being this mass of hyperlinks that stretches into some ambiguous eternity. What if???

The wait time for Haikyuu Vol. 1 was TEN WEEKS, but I've done it! I've read it! I checked out Vol. 2!

At first I thought that reading manga on my phone was going to be the world's dumbest experience, because I have an iPhone 12s, which is small in the realm of modern smartphones (on purpose... I want a small phone...) but it turns out it's actually ideal for zooming in on everyone's stupid little facial expressions and reading panel by panel rather than scanning page by page. And it's so nice to just like, sit in the car after you've arrived somewhere hideously too-early and read a chapter for ten minutes.

LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS. BABY:

At my previous job, one of my colleagues at had a high school-age daughter who enjoyed Haikyuu, in a genuine but also kind of ironic way where she took great pleasure in making fun of "the power of friendship." Which I always thought was kind of funny, because I never really got that vibe from the series. (NB: I say that as someone who routinely forgets that Food Wars has any ecchi material at all, despite this being what it is literally primarily known for. LOOK, THAT CONTENT DOESN'T SERVE ME. I FORGOT ABOUT IT.) I mean, Haikyuu is definitely about forming bonds and friendship and working together, but, for one thing, I think it is also really and truly very much about volleyball. Like, it's not "sure, the skin is volleyball, but it's really about--." It is really about volleyball. These kids are 80% volleyball and 20% anxiety. Anyway, the way the characters interact with each other feels a lot more interesting to me than your boilerplate "power of friendship" schtick, even at their most emotionally ridiculous.

I feel like the manga might actually be a little more "power of friendship," if only because the narrative relies a lot more on laying things out verbally, because it can't rely on the profundity of the sound of squeaky shoes on waxed gym floors alone.

But it's really nice to be able to sit with scenes and process them at my own pace, because stuff happens pretty fast in modern anime, and due to timezones whenever we watch anything it's egregiously late on my end and I am probably asleep for half of it, rip.

But something I've always really valued about Kageyama in both the manga and anime is his particular manifestation of the shounen manga bread and butter, Red Guy vs. Blue Guy. You know, the cool, probably kind of angsty, dickish rival who needs to learn how the power of friendship works.

I love that Kageyama essentially starts the series already trying to distance himself from that idea, and actively wanting to be a different person. He is self-motivated to change, even if he has absolutely no idea how to do that and is, despite sometimes being cool, and being pretty good at volleyball, the world's most awkward person. And is, even if he perceives Hinata as a baby, just as much of a baby with his little milk cartons and such.

(I also love that despite Kageyama's angery rep, while he was middle school teammates with Oikawa, Oikawa's dramatic rivalry with him was basically all in Oikawa's weird, weird head [said with UTMOST love]. Meanwhile, bb Kageyama is over here offering him tissue packets and calling him senpai.)

And his Angery comes from such a specific place. It's partly being lost in the sauce of his own prodigious talent, sure, but it's really him being a serious-ass person and wanting desperately for people to take things seriously--well, to take volleyball seriously--for the sake of volleyball itself, even if you don't have to in order to procure the result you want. People half-assing things because they can get away with it is upsetting to him, and you know what, same, man:

And I LOVE THIS LINE: "How am I supposed to display something vague like a sense of being teammates?"

HE'S SO REAL FOR THAT TOO. And like, Daichi knows this is kind of silly, but he's guessing Kageyama will not, and will take it very seriously, and he does. But I think this goes back to my whole thing about "the power of friendship" [but interesting], on one hand, and on another is such a great aspect of Kageyama's personality. What is a guy even supposed to do with that directive but agonize over defining its terms. I love him.

And then there's the hi-jinks, from Tanaka's ACE facial expression here (lollllll)

and Hinata and Kageyama being two idiots speaking offshoots of the same onomatopoetic language:

I actually hope I don't feel compelled to write a whole post about every Haikyuu volume, because again, who has time for that, but why not spend some time in Kageyama appreciation mode, for enrichment.