#why do i type the title and make a direct reference to ari and that EXACT song plays like soah

[diddybok]

Y’ALL!

i was just doing one of the skz texts (one that i haven’t put on the poll because i think imma drop that whilst you wait for the others etc etc etc shush keep a secret)

and i did an ariana reference, TELL ME WHY MY PLAYLIST THAT IS ON SHUFFLE IMMEDIATELY PLAYS THAT SONG AS SOON AS I FINISH THAT TEXT?!?!!!

like WOAH.

ahem anyways.

[theycallmebecca]

Can I request either Ari or Chris jealousy prompt “do you ever ask why I get this way? Maybe it’s because - y’know what, never mind”

Hey nonny! Thanks for this fantastic prompt! I wrote most of this the other day and I had another ending in mind.. but it just wasn't working with me... but oh well.

This Memorial Day weekend, I’m accepting prompts. The information (and links to stories written for it) are in this post.

Title: Secrets of the Heart

Pairing: Ari Levinson x female reader

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: language

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Usage Disclaimer: This work is for fans only. This author does not give permission for it to be shared, spoken of, referred to in any public manner (podcast, tv, online, etc.) that wants to either make a celebrity uncomfortable, mock fan fiction/fandom in any way, or the author themselves. Requests can be made, but it is unlikely the author will change their mind. If no response is given to a request then the answer is a solid no, not interested and the work cannot be shared, spoken of or even referred to, regardless of the manner or context. 

Women love Ari.

Ari loves women.

You love Ari.

Ari loves you like a best friend.

You sigh into your drink as another woman stops Ari on his way back to your table. You avert your eyes, not wanting to see the same routine they all do when they see him in a bar.

She’ll touch his arm.

He’ll flex his biceps.

She’ll giggle and coo over his “big strong muscles”.

He’ll give her a panty melting smile.

She’ll give him her number.

He’ll pocket the number and promise to call her.

She’ll go back to her friends, who will all giggle and steal glances at him.

He’ll come back to your table and drop into his seat like nothing has happened.

“What’s that face about?” he asks, picking up his beer and taking a swig of it.

“Just thinking,” you lie as you adjust your expression. He doesn’t know you’re in love with him and it’s better that way. Afterall, you are the opposite of his type, judging by the women he’s gone out with.

“Sounds serious,” he says, leaning forward. Then, because he doesn’t have a serious bone in his body, adds, “Tell Ari what’s troubling you.”

“I’m on my period and I have cramps,” you say, knowing that will make him uncomfortable. “So I’ve decided to go home.”

He cringes at the womanly stuff, but his expression turns to a frown when you say you’re leaving. “You haven’t finished your beer,” he says.

“I don’t need the calories,” you state as you stand up. “I ordered an Uber so you can stay and -” You motion in the general direction of the woman he was flirting with. “- do whatever.”

You don’t wait for him to respond as you cross the bar as quickly as you can. You have no intention on going straight home, instead, you plan to walk the two blocks to the ice cream parlor where you’ll get your favorite ice cream and eat it while you wait for the Uber to pick you up.

It’s still early in the evening, so you aren’t alone on the street as you walk to your next destination lost in thought. You know breaking ties with Ari would make your life a little easier, but the thought of not having him in your life is more heartbreaking than watching him flirt with nameless women in front of you.

You’re waiting for the light to change around the corner from the ice cream shop when an all to familiar voice says, “I thought you said you ordered an Uber.”

Spinning around, you stare at Ari in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with you,” he counters, pulling you out of the way as another group of people walk past.

One of the women in the group stops and looks at his hand on your arm before looking at you. “Are you ok?” she asks.

Ari smartly let’s go and takes a step back, but you nod and assure the woman that you’re fine.

She glares at him and then takes his picture of the two of you with her phone. “Just in case,” she says then she walks away.

Ari curses under his breath before turning to you. “Why are you acting like this?” he asks, his tone calmer, likely to avoid anyone else stopping.

“Why are you following me?” you counter. “I told you I was leaving so you could go home with that wannabe model.”

Ari lets out a satisfied noise. “And there it is,” he says in a sarcastic tone. “The real reason you left the bar.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” you demand.

“You always do this,” he says, throwing his hands up. “It’s Thursday, our night. Yeah, I flirted with her, but I wasn’t going to ditch you for her. I don’t even know her.”

You roll your eyes. Not knowing a woman has never stopped him from taking her home.

“You know what, fine,” Ari says. “Leave. Go home. I’ll see you later.”

“Do you ever ask why I get this way?” you call after his retreating back, the words coming out of your mouth before you can stop them. 

He pauses and turns to look at you, his face unreadable.

“Maybe it’s because -” His eyes roll, obviously expecting another dumb excuse and you get control of your tongue. “- y’know what, never mind, fuck you, Ari Levinson.”

Taking advantage of the green light, you race across the street, embarrassed that you almost spilled your secret to that asshole.

A series of honks makes you turn and you see Ari running across the street, traffic lights be damned.

“Because why, damn it?” he demands once he reaches you. “I fucking need to know.”

“Ari, please, don’t,” you beg softly. “I -”

“Because I can tell you why I go home with those wannabe models,” he says. “Because I can’t be with the one person I want to be with.” He tilts your chin so he can look you in the eye. “You.”

Your heart skips a beat as you stare at him. “What?” Your brain is too stunned to say anything more.

“It’s always been you,” he says. “Just you. Perfect you.”

“But I’m not your type,” you state.

“You are my type,” he argues. “I only date the wannabes because they don’t look like you, don’t act like you… because they aren’t you. If I can’t have you, I don’t want a substitute. For the longest time, I’ve just been your best friend and I accepted that fact. But I want more, I need more. I want you, all of you.”

“You do?”

“I do,” he whispers. “But the question now is, do you?”

“Yes,” you say, on the verge of tears. “Ari, yes, always.”

“Thank fuck,” he says before he pushes you up against the brick wall of the closest building and kisses you, ignoring the cat calls and the ‘get a room’ comments from people passing you on the street.

That first kiss is better than you ever imagined it would be. The second kiss is even better than the first.

Pulling away, Ari rests his forehead against yours and says, “How about we get some ice cream then go back to your place. I think the rest of this conversation would be better in private.”

"Yes," you reply, looking down at your hand that clasped in his. "Ari."

His eyes meet yours in question.

"I love you," you say, needing him to know the full extent of your feelings for him.

"I love you, too," he replies.

[everywhereanytimetravelwithme]

Did It First

If you have been playing guess the artist using my article titles, then you might be a little confused on this one. There aren’t any lyrics because, technically, this one is more so of a quote. 

In the words of Soulja Boy, “I been did it... I did it first”

Welcome back to “Ethel’s Book of Revelations” 

What does it mean to be ghetto? The word ghetto is flung around today like a hot potato, but what does it even really mean to be “ghetto.” A quick Google search will show that the word ghetto itself refers to a part of a city, usually the slums, occupied by a minority group(s). Simple enough. 

Urban dictionary goes into a much deeper definition of ghetto; “’Ghetto’ is a derogatory term used towards individuals who lack the standards of manners and ethics... is normally directed towards black individuals... is how an individual looks at the world and acts accordingly to the ‘ghetto’ belief... is how one represents themselves in how they dress, act, and speak that acquires itself from the poor conditions of a ‘ghetto’ upbringing.”

All in all, being ghetto refers to the way non-affluent minority groups, who lack resources, dress, act, and speak. 

I hate when people refer to things as ghetto. 

From the long acrylic nails to the hairstyles, down to the overflow of gold jewelry, black women were ridiculed and called ghetto by everyone. The acrylic nails were too long for their comfort, the excess gold jewelry was too much for them and the hairstyles were not professional enough. According to the rest of the world, it was down right ghetto!

The crazy part is that today, those same people who labeled this fashion as ghetto are now claiming it and calling it an aesthetic. 

To me, majority of things deemed as “ghetto” was really creativity that was misunderstood. Misunderstood until the “right” person came along, saved the day and made it alright.

Take grillz for an example; they were always seen as something that people in the hood wore, ghetto. It was not included in main stream fashion and you definitely did not find any affluent people wearing them. Overtime, these fashion trends slithered their way into main stream culture through white (and lighter colored) celebrities. Now, although for the most part grillz are not seen to be professional, they are more widely accepted and have become a fashion statement. 

A lot of things that are called ghetto today are aromatics of creativity, in my eyes. There was one celebrity by the name of Ari who posted a video on her social media frying chicken in an aluminum pan filled with oil. There was social media outrage where everyone and their mothers were calling her ghetto. Aside from the fact that she can afford pots to fry her chicken in, there are so many people who actually cannot afford pots, so they came up with this method of frying their food. This may have been a habit that she picked up while she was growing up.

And if that is not innovation, then I don’t know what is!

We have already established that people who live in the ghetto are highly under resourced, hence why they have to think of ways to maintain a “normal” lifestyle. If there are no pots available to you, the next best thing would be the aluminum pan, granted it may not be the safest, but it will get the job done. 

Calling such things ghetto downplays people’s creativity. By people, I mean (mostly) black people. The “ghetto” narrative was created and maintained in order to limit black people in their power, aka their creativity. Back when slavery was legal, one of the ways slavery was justified was through treating the black man and woman as if they were something a part from human, something that couldn’t feel pain or possess enough brain power to be creative; that was reserved for white people only, but I digress. There is so much creativity born and bred within those six letters. Instead of elongating it to mean what it really is, innovation, creativity, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, it is instead compressed into a two syllable word.  

“Ghetto-ness” is more than someone’s creativity; it leaks into survival. It is about the ability to “figure it out” no matter what the circumstances are. Due to a lack of resources, they have always had to “figure it out,” in order to simply live. It may not be the style that elitist have in mind, but it is unfair to downplay it; it is mentally and creatively depriving. 

The way you view the world is a direct reflection of your past experiences and who you know yourself to be. 

So the question now is, why do I care if someone calls something ghetto. 

Well, for starters, I am a black woman and this directly impacts me. But, also because I resonate so much with the whole idea of “figuring it out.” I am very much a “I’ll figure it out and make it work” type of person. That being said, I do not like to ask for help. It is not that I do not like it, but more so that I am hesitant to do so. Everybody needs help, whether they want to admit it or not because, let’s face it, nobody knows what they are doing, we are all just winging it. I don’t typically ask for help, but when I do, I am always let down. Either they really cannot help me or they can help me and choose not to. I am also the kind of person who likes to help people. I grew up in a household where helping one another was always encouraged, so when someone I know comes to me for help, I will always help them, even if that means putting myself in slightly compromising positions. 

PSA: do NOT do this! Please put yourself first (I mean, we all have our demons)

Back to the subject at hand, when I am let down, I kick into my “I’ll just do it myself and make it work” mentality. 

It is unfair to judge people based on circumstances that were out of their control. If they grew up frying meals in an aluminum container, and you deem it as ghetto and unacceptable, one, it is really not your business, two, if it concerns you so much, why not provide them with the correct instruments to do so, and three you need to check your privilege.

So next time you see something that is not normal to you, don’t knock it, take a step back and try to understand it from a different perspective. Don’t be so small minded. Some trends and habits may not be for you, but watch in a couple years, when that thing they call ghetto, that usually, a black woman did, will be a trend and considered cool and apart of mainstream fashion. 

We are the designer. We are the blueprint.

Exhibit A: 

About a year ago, this woman came up with a unique, never seen before fashion idea, where she used sneakers to make a corset top. When she posted this picture, it went viral, not because of the originality behind the corset design, but because the public deemed it as “ghetto” and were making fun of her design. They threw dirt on it and said it looked wack. 

Fast-forward a year later... 

It is not shown in this screenshot, but the post got over 29.5k likes and 6,800 retweets. 

Like Soulja Boy said, “I did it first.”

I rest my case. 

[thefabelmans2022]

@prettyboyderogatory tagged me to do this 30 questions tag (ty 💖), basically the rules are answer these 30 questions and tag people

i can't put the questions under the cut bc i'm on mobile and i can't figure out how to do it so i apologise <3

name lauryn

gender female

star sign taurus sun/aries moon/taurus risijg

height 162cm

current time 6:29pm

birthday 14th may

favourite bands/groups if i had to pick like a top 3 it would probably be queen, the beatles, and one direction fall out boy

favourite solo artists taylor swift bruce springsteen carly rae jepsen hozier

last movie i started watching the dig on netflix but i got bored bc they kept trying to make it about the interpersonal relationships and some fucking romance subplot when there is literally an ancient anglo-saxon burial mound RIGHT THERE and i'm WAY more interested in that than in whatever's going on between lily james and what's-his-name you promised me a dig SHOW ME THE DIG

last show you binged i watched five came back the other day but idk if that counts, so i'll just say i rewatched derry girls again

last book you read the historian by elizabeth kosova!! it was so good i loved it. i also just read the novella wylding hall which is fucking fantastic but again idk if it counts

when you created you blog like 2013 and everyday i wish i could just nuke everything from before 2019 <3

what do i post whatever i feel like i just follow my heart <3

last thing you googled 'influence synonyms' bc i've been writing an essay and i can't stop using the word influence lmao help

why i chose my url it's a reference to the format of the title of friends episodes. also i am lauryn and i have a blog.

other blogs @incorrectamericanvandalquotes but it hasn't been updated in a very long time. i also had to make a blog for an assignment i did earlier this year and i still have that but it just has a short essay type thing about wuthering heights on it

top three fictional universes i love the idea of living in the 11/22/63 universe bc i too would like to save jfk's life, middle earth (oh to be a hobbit living in a hole in the ground), narnia

do i get asks sometimes!! mostly it's just my friends when i leave desperate tags on reblogs of ask games

how many people are you following i don't know and frankly i'm scared to find out

how many followers do you have i don't know and frankly i'm scared to find out

average hours of sleep it fluctuates between like 3 and 7

lucky number 14 bc that's my birthday ♥️ and troy bolton's basketball number ♥️

instruments i own a bass, a guitar, and a ukelele and i can't play any of them

favourite food aahhh idk i'm gonna say cheesecake

favourite song 😳😳😳 it's impossible to choose one favourite song but rn i'm obsessed with ivy by taylor swift #ivyhive

dream trip everywhere europe and/or america

what im currently wearing a led zeppelin sleep shirt, leggings, and mchappy day socks <3

dream job slightly eccentric but well-regarded professor

nationality australian

i'm tagging @distortedfractals @retrospective-gardenias @kaspbrak @childoftheegg

[k0mmentary]

November Playlist

In no particular order, here are the 20 songs on my November playlist (with a few thoughts thrown in). Any song recommendations for me? Let me know!

WAVE - Limesoda

I found this song through mera’s video and fell in love right away. It has this sort of melancholic quality I really enjoy in gg music in particular, and the “no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-more” has been stuck in my head for weeks.

Bad Idea - Moonbin & Sanha

Now this is a proper sub-unit! The song is so good (let’s go funky guitar!), the styling was immaculate, and these two paired together really nicely. I wasn’t waiting for the rest of ASTRO to pop out any moment, and I never felt like Sanha or Moobin overpowered the other. 10/10 comeback (or is it a debut?).

Why Not? - LOONA

Why Not? is what I wanted So What to be. Especially the last section post-bridge, the instrumental develops a really nice momentum and a layered-quality that makes the emptier beginning of the song feel worth it. I have no clue what is going on in the LOONAverse but I like this musical direction for them. Plus Yves is hot. 

We Lost the Summer - Tomorrow x Together

I found this pandemic song to be charming and genuine rather than empty. I’m not a high school student, but I do work with teenagers (and just graduated uni spring of 2020), so I could relate to this a lot. Plus I appreciate the dichotomy of the funky, summery instrumental and the lyrics. 

I CAN’T STOP ME - Twice

I pretty much like every Twice title track, and this was no exception. I wish they had committed a little more to the retro aesthetic, and the denim outfits were personally offensive to me, but this song has nice energy and flows well from one section to another.

positions - Ariana Grande

I don’t particularly care for the lyrics or message of this song, but the melody is perfection and Ari’s voice is beautiful. 

Kill V. Maim - Grimes

This song got me through the more stressful moments of the US presidential election. I found it from a WWX edit on twitter (if u know, u know...) and that makes the listening experience 10x better, ngl. 

Grow - HOAX

I think I found this on Tik Tok? But the lyrics (”don’t you want to go outside?”) have felt relevant in my darker quarantine moments. 

ALIEN - Lee Suhyun

Her voice is so, so lovely, and this song has that melancholy quality I won’t shut up about. I also really appreciate that this doesn’t sound like an AKMU reject and let’s her establish an identity as a soloist. I loved the styling and the MV, too! 

BETTER - Twice

Twice’s earlier Japanese releases were major no’s for me, but everything from Breakthrough until now has been exactly to my taste. BETTER sometimes feels a little disjointed or rushed, but it has all the qualities of a Twice song I will enjoy, so...

Maze in the Mirror - Tomorrow by Together

This remains my favorite TXT song, so it’s pretty much always on my monthly playlists. I find this song to be soothing and easy to listen to but not without momentum (I am generally not a fan of slower or acoustic ballad-y songs). The more stripped-down production highlights the vocal blend of the members well, and I think the song builds to a satisfying conclusion. 

Black Mamba - aespa

I was pleasantly surprised by this song! I think the girls’ vocals are nice and the chorus is satisfying, especially when paired with the visuals of the choreography or music video. I’m not super compelled by the whole avatar concept, but I’m excited to see where SM takes this group nonetheless. 

So Bad - STAYC

I love this song. It took a few listens for me to get into it, but now I cannot stop singing the chorus. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about this song or the concept, but it’s a pretty classic gg formula executed well.  

Blue Hour - Tomorrow x Together

Okay I promise I didn’t realize how much TXT was on here until I started typing it out. More on this here.

How You Like That (Cover) - A.C.E

If you haven’t heard this cover, literally stop reading this and go listen to it right now. If there’s one thing A.C.E is gonna do, it’s sing. Donghun is one of my favorite vocalists in kpop (important video for reference), and the harmonies they hit in this cover...oof. HYLT is one of my least favorite Blackpink releases for a whole host of reasons (and this cover didn’t really do a lot to change my perspective on the original) but it is such a rare display of killer vocal technique and actual singing uncomplicated by choreography or complicated stage manoeuvres. This cover actually made me bust out the old YouTube to mp3 converter, that’s how good it was.  

MAGO - Gfriend

They are hot, disco is fun, bury me in any of their stage outfits this comeback. Also Yuju on the pole???? hello???????

Blue Orangeade - Tomorrow by Together

This is just embarrassing at this point. This song is pure serotonin tho and let’s be honest...we need it.

Sorry Mama - DKB

This is an early 2020 release I only recently stumbled upon. The MV is perfectly passable, and the chorus lyrics do feel a little silly, but the juxtaposition of whoever is singing the backing vocals and the tense, almost growled delivery by DKB’s members is great. This instrumental isn’t overly full, either. 

Dis-ease - BTS

My favorite track from BTS’ most recent release, this song is a little like Why Not? in that the second half makes the first half worth it. I love BTS with all my heart but haven’t been compelled by a lot of their recent stuff; this song was a pleasant surprise upon first listen and has only grown on me since then.