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prettymonegasque · 3 months

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cards and flowers

Charles Leclerc x fem!driver! reader

Summary: Love is found through many ways. Yours was through messy cards from an adorable toddler with a cute dad.

Warnings: SO.MUCH.CUTENESS. nothing else just fluff!!

Word Count: 1k

A very special fic inspired from my very first request <3

“Papa! We should give her Floppy. Floppy is a great doctor.” Theo held out his stuffed toy as Charles buckled the 3-year-old in the car seat. “Sure, mon amour. She would love it.” Charles chuckled and kissed his son’s forehead. He let out a deep breath and got into the driver’s seat.

His teammate had a nasty crash during the Saudi Arabian GP. She made it out alive but sustained some minor injuries and had to be hospitalised for monitoring. Charles always worries about everyone he loves. He cannot even fathom losing anyone, especially the girl he’s grown to love and fall harder for every second. He wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to you and never had the balls to confess his feelings.

The sound of Theo singing along to the radio shook him out of his thoughts. Charles looked at him through the rearview mirror and smiled. He couldn’t wait for two of the most important people in his life to meet.

‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫

“Theo, when we get in we should talk very softly okay? No yelling or running. You should be very gentle. Tu comprends?” (you understand?) Theo nodded as Charles gave him a soft smile and held the toddler’s hand guiding him through the hospital halls. He couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. You might not have met Theo before but Charles spoke so much about him that it felt like you’ve raised him. He lightly knocked at the door to your suit and heard a low voice asking him to come in.

“Hey. How are you doing?” Charles gently approached you. Theo clutched his father’s calf and shied away. You let out a small laugh, “I’m fine Charles. This must be the famous little Theo Leclerc.” The toddler replied with a mumble. “Désolé bébé. I didn’t catch that.” You cooed at Theo. “‘m not little. I’m three.” Theo confidently showed two fingers and gave you a toothy grin.

“Oh my! You’re a big boy, aren’t you? I’m so sorry sir.” You dramatically apologised and got out of bed. Charles immediately stopped you. “Don’t you dare get up. You’re supposed to be resting.” “Lord Perceval, as much as I love you dotting over me, they cleared me for Australia. In fact, I’m getting discharged this evening.” You ignored the eye roll from the Monegasque and kneeled before the toddler to level with him. “Nice to meet you, Theo. I’m Y/N.” You extended your hand which the toddler promptly shook.

“Papa talked a lot about you. He said you’re prettier than Rapunzel. But I think Rapunzel is more prettier.” Theo shrugged. “Did he actually say that?” You giggled and looked up to find a blushing mess of a man. “I do agree with you, Theo. Rapunzel is so much more prettier.” “Mon chou, don’t you have something to give to Y/N.” Charles tried to switch the subject before his little spawn revealed anything more. “We got you flowers. Papa said lilies are your favourite. I also made you a card. Papa drew everything but I coloured it. I’m very good at colouring.” He shoved the flowers in your hand and proudly showed you the card.

Your heart skipped a beat every time Theo mentioned that his papa talked about you. Does he always talk about me? A silly little thought entered your brain but you were quick to brush it off and continued your conversation with Theo. Unbeknownst to you, Charles was hopelessly falling in love with you and wondered how wonderful it would be if he could witness this every day for the rest of his life.

‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫

It’s been 3 years since that day at the hospital. Three championships, one champagne-and-sweat-covered confession and a lot of dates later, you and Charles sat on the island watching Theo giggling and running from the waves. After a successful yet hectic first half of the season, you relished the quiet moments you got with your little family during the break. You turned to kiss your boyfriend to find him staring at the void, deep in thought.

“Penny for your thoughts?” You nudged him, shaking him out of his trance. He gave a puzzled look. “Whatchu thinking about baby?” “Just you and how much I love you.” He leaned down and kissed you softly. “I love you too, Charles. Toujours.” (always) He smiled and then called out for Theo. The now 6-year-old came running into his arms at full speed. You started tickling him and cherished the giggles that erupted from him. After he calmed down, he looked at his dad and nodded. You were a little suspicious but let it pass.

“Theo, mon chou, don’t you have something to give Y/N?” Charles urged him. Your brows furrowed in confusion. “Oh yes. Papa and I made you a card. I drew and coloured it all this time. Look!” He handed you a white envelope. You were still confused, it wasn’t an anniversary or birthday why are you getting a card? But when you opened the envelope and read the card your confusion was replaced by disbelief.

You gasped and looked up to find your boyfriend on one knee while Theo tried to suppress his excitement. “Y/N, ma cherie. I’ve had the immense pleasure of knowing you for the past four years. And I’ve loved every second of the last three when I got to call you mine. The day Theo was born, I told myself I would love him like no human in this world could. But then you came into our lives and showed both of us a kind of love that is so pure and raw. I don’t ever want that love to stop shielding us. So will you do both of you the greatest honour and marry me?” You were full-on sobbing, snot and all. Charles was tearing up as well. Theo looked like he was about to burst from anticipation. “Yes” That one word changed your life forever.

‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫ ꒱‧₊˚ ♡ 𓈒 𔘓 ۫

I am very sleep deprived so if you see any plot holes or typos, no u didnt uwu

#charles leclerc #f1 imagine #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc fluff #charles leclerc fanfic #f1 fluff #f1 x reader

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yyouzip · 5 months

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༉‧₊˚🔭彡 newjeans career in 2024 tarot reading ~

this will include…

newjeans new music, new jeans as a group, new jeans members individual careers.

DISCLAIMER: this is all for entertainment and depends on the energy being read at the given time. the future is always able to change as we all have free will. this reading is done with the assumption that everyone mentioned continues to live how they are living without sudden changes, if that makes sense.

⤷ ୨🎐୧࿐

newjeans new music : KoC AoC 5oS KnoC QoP rx Justice

we might get music about self awareness and love or mv with an older figure with masculine energy acting as a guide or councillor of sorts. the music may take a more ‘spiritual’ route with things like angels or spirits in it. it’ll be pretty unique and creative. maybe the mc of the music video is new to love or the relationship ? it’ll have a dreamy and floaty kind of vibe. it may have to do w the mc going through some pain and trauma like bullying. i get the vibe of someone sort of running away from reality and ending up elsewhere, like Alice in wonderland. but to a dreamy kind of aether dimension. i think we will get an rnb song with the vibe or hurt, cool with you, or ditto. it’ll be very creative and fun to watch

we might see fans angry that there wasn’t more. it’s like ador is being stingy and hiding things from us. maybe there wasn’t enough music released? regardless, fans desperately want more. OR newjeans won’t really get the reaction fans feel like they deserved. maybe not enough streams or appreciation for this new music? and they feel like they didn’t get enough. still, fans will love the beauty and art of it and find it very imaginative and romantic (romantic as in beautiful and such). we might get a little controversy again, like with min heejin. fans might think there’s some dishonesty and lying and min heejin is running away from accountability for whatever the issue is. i think the issue may be about the aesthetics of the mv feeling inappropriate somehow. maybe it’s spiritual nature will have religious references that don’t sit well with fans. or it’ll be the aesthetic itself not sitting well with fans.

things that come to mind: cool with you by newjeans, mortue aesthetic, angels, crosses, suicide and death, rebirth and innocence, isolation, awakening, divinity, satanism and catholicism, the cold, all about lily chou chou, occult/metaphysics

new jeans as a group : the empress KoC 2oC

they’ll be a lot more unique and creative and bring a good flow of cash to ador. alottttt of creativity i’ll go into newjeans in 2024 they’ll be bringing in new things to k-pop just like in the past. a lot of respect for music as an art will go into newjeans 2024 and they’ll gain a lot of respect and admiration for it. their creative team will be respected alot. they’ll be respected by other idols and have a lot of collab opportunities sent their way.

new jeans members individual careers :

Minji : 8oC KnoP rx the emperor rx

she might get less appreciation despite her hard work and seem like she’s fading into the bg a bit. she might be overworked and busy 24/7 with ador acting almost like a tyrant. even though she’s being worked so much, she’s still not being appreciated the way she should be. she will have little to no self control with her professional life and feel very overwhelmed and tired. she's very unwilling to share so that's all lol.

Danielle : 10oP AoW both rx the moon QoP AoS

this may be an unstable year for her professionally. behind the scenes might be a lot of loss of profit and disappointment from ador causing hesitancy, anxiety, and a serious lack of passion. we might see more vulnerability and emotion from danielle. there’s a lot going on behind the scenes though. there also is a lack of transparency from the company with a lot of things, fuelling her anxiety and confusion. this’ll be heightened by potential controversy surrounding their new comeback. still, among fans she’ll build a reputation of someone who is mature and composed. she’ll keep the same nurturing kind girl image she has rn and get positive attention. she may get praised for positive behaviour or go viral for a cute interaction with another idol. even though she’s anxious and nervous, she’s still ready for new projects and is willing to take whatever the world gives her.

Haerin : (tumblr like reset everything from haerins reading and what i had started after idk y:( i remember the message but not the cards. sorry.)

haerin will be taking up more leadership roles within the group. as well as sending messages outwards and communicating with fans in a manner that comes from the heart and from a place of true love and passion. she’s going to feel ready to take on what’s new and the creative directions the group is going to take. she’s going to use her love and connection to fans to elevate her career. she going to gain significant respect from people all around her. staff, njs members, and netizens alike. still, she’s going to feel as if something is missing. like newjeans aren’t getting the respect and appreciation they want and even though they work hard, this isn’t reflected in the way they’re being treated by the media and their underwhelming reactions. she feels like what they're making is great and she is working hard and intelligently, but the pay off is still low.

Hanni : PoC rx 7oS rx QoP

with PoC and 7oS both in rx, we might see hanni getting into some scandal or drama surrounding her negative and immature behaviour from the past. this may reveal more about her character and cause some uproar and sad/disappointed feelings with fans/netizens. REGARDLESS, ador and/or hanni will step up almost immediately and apologize to clear up the controversy. it may be a past classmate for friend making comments about her judgement and immature or rude behaviour. i don't see anything to the extremes of bullying though. it may also be a distasteful comment she makes. despite all things, hanni will work very hard this year and make sure she is providing well for fans.

Hyein : 2oS PoC 10oP rx the sun rx

she might be quiet or inactive online, feeling sensitive to netizens comments and hesitant to express reactions and feelings. she'll follow her intuition most of the time and she may experience setbacks with her sources of income like modelling and being an idol. it seems like newjeans won't be growing or gaining all too much this year, as some of the members (including hyein) seem to share the sentiment of disappointment regarding response to their music and creations. she'll feel like her expectations were too high, and she will be unable to appreciate the reactions given by fans and netizens. this may make her appear more silent and sad.

hope you enjoyed!

next up . . .

ive, bts, aespa, nmixx, and more.

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erosmutt · 2 months

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ᝰ.ᐟ ᴏᴄ ᴀꜱᴋ ɢᴀᴍᴇ : 𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓻𝓸𝓮

𖦹 ed mention, answers to this post

💭 Nina’s MBTI is ENFJ-T

🚗 Nina cannot drive, as her father will not allow her to learn

✈️ Nina loves traveling, and her favorite country to visit is Greece

🎮 Nina’s favorite hobbies are sketching, organizing, and online shopping

💍 Nina only has her ears pierced, considered getting a hand piercing but decided against it

🖊️ Nina does not have any tattoos

📚 Nina is about to graduate high school

🎻 Nina can play piano, flute, and cello

🩹 Nina has general anxiety, OCD, and anorexia with orthorexic tendencies

🩸 Nina’s blood type is AB+

🎶 Nina enjoys oldies, classical, and k-pop. Her favorite songs from each genre are: Emotions by Brenda Lee, Mazurka by Tchaikovsky, and Pied Piper by BTS

💯 Nina hates lizards, she prefers honey over syrup, she started learning Korean and gave up, then began learning again

💤 Nina is a light sleeper, and she repeatedly wakes up in the middle of the night due to anticipating her father will come in

🔱 Nina can swim, and enjoys doing it when she can

🔺Nina is afraid of weapons, and had never thought of using anything as one

🔶 Nina does not know CPR

🚫 Nina does not smoke, but she does drink on the occasion, when her father allows it. Things she’ll indulge in are: champagne, strawberry wine, and strawberry daquiris

🌈 Nina hasn’t ever explored her sexuality, but has always only been attracted to men. Her pronouns are she/her

🎄 Nina’s favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day, with Christmas as a close second

🐶 Nina doesn’t have any pets of her own, but cares for the stray cats around her neighborhood

🐈 Nina prefers to be alone, but when she’s out and about, she prefers to be with a lot of friends

🐷 Nina’s favorite animal is the ragdoll cat

🐉 Nina’s favorite mythical creature is Echidna

🍃 Nina’s favorite subject is English Lit

🌴 Nina most definitely enjoys gardening, and her favorite plant is the Peace Lily

🍎 Nina was born in Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, but she and her father moved to the United States when she was an infant. She currently lives in the business district of New York

❤️ Nina always keeps her promises, she goes out of her way to help others, and she’s very easy to get along with

🤍 she screws her dad lmao

💔 Nina blindly trusts everyone she meets, she can’t set boundaries, and she’s an airhead

💘 Nina considers her father the person closest to her

🧡 Nina prioritizes everyone before herself

💛 Nina speaks English, French, and is learning Korean, German, and Welsh

💚 Nina prefers to be outside

💙 Nina doesn’t have any special powers, as she’s human!

💜 Nina is 40% French and 10% Swiss (on her father’s side), 10% Maltese, 20% Polish, and 20% Dane (on her mother’s side)

🖤 Nina has never hurt anyone physically before, but has more than likely broken a boy’s heart without knowing by rejecting him

🎂 Nina’s birthday is December 26th. She’s 18 years old. Her sun, moon, and rising signs are: Capricorn, Libra, Libra. Her tarot card is ‘The Tower’, her ruling planet is Saturn, and her ruling number is 8.

🍝 Nina’s favorite food is Salade niçoise

🍰 Nina’s favorite dessert is cheesecake

🍦 Nina’s favorite ice cream flavor is Black Walnut

🍔 Nina is very good at both cooking and baking, but prefers to bake. Her favorite thing to bake is chou à la crème (cream puffs)

🥯 Nina’s usual breakfast is: one tangerine, one carton of soy milk

🥪 Nina’s usual lunch is: ½ cup of non-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup of raspberries

🍛 Nina’s usual dinner is: 4 oz silken tofu, ½ of a steamed yam, peach jam on the side

🍸 Nina’s favorite alcoholic drink is a strawberry daquiri

☕️ Nina prefers coffee, and her go-to order is a hazelnut latte

😊 Nina’s career goal is preschool teacher, but if that doesn’t work out, she would like to be a florist or veterinarian

😖 Nina is an extravert, and is way too trusting of others

🤔 One of Nina’s quirks is the more she talks, the more her words end up slurred. Another is she has an unhealthy obsession with strawberries, and if she doesn’t eat anything else, she’ll eat them - she considers them a ‘clean’ food. Another quirk of hers is she will brush her teeth repeatedly at one time in a specific order and has to do it 5 times before she feels her teeth are clean - this leads to her gums bleeding, and her father has ended up having to brush her teeth for her many mornings and nights to prevent this from happening.

🧐 Nina is very emotional

🤓 Nina is very chatty, loves meeting new people and making friends, and gets comfortable with others quickly

🤩 Nina is a planner, and makes a to-do list every morning. She won’t let herself do anything leisurely before she completes her to-do list

😥 Nina gets overwhelmed easily, which leads to stress, which then leads to her crying

😓 Nina is very open-minded, and she’s curious. Her father has compared her to a kitten due to her always venturing off to investigate things that catch her eye

😞 Nina attracts other people, and has many friends, though she only spends time with them at school

🤒 Nina is very prone to sickness due to her less-than-strong immune system - a side effect of her eating disorders

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 There is only one person in Nina’s immediate family: her father, John. She’s never known her mother, and her father always dismisses her when she inquires about her family on either side.

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benkyoutobentou · 3 months

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31 Days of Productivity Reading: Day fifteen

Before: Happy Ides of March! That reminds me, I've been meaning to sharpen my kitchen knives...

After: It took me a while to actually get around to reading today and I started off with doing JPDB for about an hour. Slowly getting through my back list of 1500 reviews yaay. But! I’m in the 1300s now, so we’re getting there slowly but surely.

I think I’m struggling a bit with 独り舞. My favorite kinds of books are the ones that are more subdued, have meandering plots, and often fall at least a little into the side of pretentious. However, in Japanese, these books are often really hard for me to get through because there’s not a fast plot pulling me through the difficulties and they often use more advanced vocabulary. 独り舞 is exactly this kind of book. I’m finding more and more that I’m dreading picking it up instead of looking forward to it, and I really only enjoy it if I let a lot of the unknown words just slip by, because otherwise I’m just looking up too much to enjoy myself. I want to say that a lot of this is just because the musical I’m playing in right now is taking up too much of my energy (the end is near, please let me out) but I think I might set this down for a while and either focus some more on plowing through some manga volumes or start 憎らしい彼. I don’t plan on permanently DNFing this, especially since I had such high expectations for it, I just think I’m not in the right headspace to read something so difficult right now.

Remember that update where I talked about how this book mentioned another book that I owned? Well, it just mentioned a movie that I’ve been meaning to watch (All About Lily Chou Chou) so I guess the real meaning of me picking this book up was to get me to read and watch what I’ve been meaning to. I’ll make a point to watch Lily Chou Chou soon.

Remember at the beginning of the month when I took those job related tests? Well, I got the results today. And I passed! I’m employed (kinda lying)!

A lot can change in a day. Today, I read 45 pages! I didn't get a chance to time each time I read, but I clocked an hour and forty minutes, and when I had checked my reading pace about an hour in, it was around four minutes per page. This is kind of what I expect for a straight-through reading pace, looking up as few words as possible (which was how I was reading today). At this point, I'm visibly past the halfway point and only have seventy pages left (that's about 2/3 through the book), so I doubt that I'll be putting this to the side. Instead, I'm just gonna plow through and try to finish it this week, hopefully within the next few days. Being able to see how close I am to the end always gives me a lot of motivation to finish, which is part of the reason why I love physical books so much. Anyways, this book is definitely one that I'm going to want to revisit in a few years when my vocabulary has expanded.

#benkyou posting #30 days of productivity #langblr #studyblr #language learning #polyglot

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djservo · 1 year

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hiiii <3 big ask big answer is what i'm expecting would LOVE to know your top 5/faves across various media that are new(in release or just new to you) this year! so: shows, movies, games, books, songs/albums, new artists you've discovered etc

this is separate from the big book ask that's also coming this month <3

omg it was like pulling teeth narrowing everything down to just 5, I feel like in the past couple months alone I've encountered so many new (to me) films/albums that I now consider favorites BUT OK —

shows

let’s not even try 🤚

films

Shortbus (2006) dir. John Cameron Mitchell

All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001) dir. Shunji Iwai

Hush! (2001) dir. Ryosuke Hashiguchi

Plan B (2010) dir. Marco Berger

Law of Desire (1987) dir. Pedro Almodóvar

**honorable mention to xavier dolan bc I can't choose between the 3 of his I watched 🙄❤️‍🔥

books

Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table by Ruth Reichl

Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin

Either/Or by Elif Batuman

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron by Daniel Clowes

Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men in the Diaspora by Martin F. Manalansan IV

music

(was gonna cheat and do 5 artists/5 albums/5 songs but this is long enough so i'll condense it to 5 I kept returning to In General)

albums: Bavarian Fruit Bread by Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, Oncle Jazz by Men I Trust

artists: my little airport, Lali Puna, CFCF

**honorable mentions to Broken Social Scene + the Yeah Yeah Yeahs bc I saw them both live in concert this year (separate but equally magical/life-changing occasions) and it made me go back n burrow deep into their discographies like I was a teen again ❤️‍🩹

#I was gonna gush about each of these but that would turn this into a novel i shant subject you all to #thank u for asking I love reflecting on these types of things at the end of the year ❣️💭#asks #cheesehair

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laikagohome · 1 year

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freestyle 2022~2023 list

Freestyle Magazine put out a list recently for their recommended manga from this past year. I figure since it is a bit more similar to the stuff that I would normally read, I’d give my personal opinions about it.

1.いしいひさいち「ROCA 吉川ロカストーリーライブ」（（笑）いしい商店）

it was a bit surprising to me to not see this on kono manga’s list considering the hype this had in the twitter sphere that i follow, but at the same time, there are a lot of reasons why it might not have. it was published rather late into the year, and kono manga’s list has a cut off of like september or something. Also, the availability of it is still rather limited, and kono manga’s list generally has a lot of people running bookstores and so on voting on it. It’s not too surprising that something doujin that doesn’t have a wider distribution isn’t on the list.

This work is something that I think has way more of a niche appeal than works that you would generally see on a best of list. It’s primarily a 4-koma gag comic, but it is drawn with an artistry that allows it to exceed the usual limitations of a 4-koma. In this way, the author not only shows his mastery of 4-koma and humor but also of his ability to capture poignant moments through contrast. It’s something that feels pretty “Japanese” to me in the sense that a lot of people will often talk about wabisabi and hetauma when talking about Japanese aesthetics, and this work does a good job of displaying those aesthetics while also working them into the story. It’s a very coherent and consistent work in that sense -- the formal elements and the narrative elements of the story all support each other. The sudden ending leaves a little to be desired, but is also fitting in a way considering that it marks the curtain closing on the main relationship in the work.

I had some people ask me about how I felt about this work since they knew I had read it, and they also knew about how much hype was surrounding it. They wanted to know if it was worthy of the #1 spot here... I don’t know if I would call it my #1, but I think that is something where I just dislike ranking things. While it might not be my personal #1 for the year (and it could be if I were forced,) I think it’s placement on freestyle’s list as #1 is justified.

2.高妍「緑の歌」（KADOKAWA）　

Being in Taiwan right now, you can see a lot of Gaoyan’s art featured in other independent magazines and stuff. We’re all very proud of her, and it’s easy to see why. Her art is technically very impressive and what you could easily call beautiful. My copies of Midori no Uta are actually back in the US as I didn’t finish reading them though. This description may tell you how I personally feel about the work. For people who like having Murakami referenced and seeing Happy End in their works, they might really enjoy this stuff. But for other people, they might find those things a bit tired. Like, I already went through that Lily Chou Chou phase 20 years ago. IMO there’s maybe a slight appeal to that quaintness of asia, which reads to me a little as orientalism, when you use those references. It may sound strange to say that considering the primary audience is already in the East, but I think it’s basically something where you mention those things as a way to gain artistic cachet. I would wonder if such a thing is not influenced at all in the rigid way that a lot of Chinese literature is composed. That being able to work in literary references to other cultural monuments is considered something that makes a work better in a way. But who knows, maybe Gaoyan is just a little homesick since I’d assume she’s spending most of her time these days in Japan. I know I’m not being fair to the work, considering that I haven’t read the majority of it, and I’m just criticizing it on a very surface level, but it feels to me like it’s appealing a little too much to those aesthetic norms.

3.岡田索雲「ようきなやつら」（双葉社）　

I read this collection a week or so ago. I was actually following the author on twitter before and had read one of his short stories (the cat one.) It was quite interesting, but it didn’t actually cause me to buy the book at the time. I heard his other stories have also gone viral a bit. In my opinion, the strongest short story is the one in here about kappas since it manages to combine a somewhat serious topic with some very fantastical humorous depictions. The short story collection is very topical and deals with themes of xenophobia, sexual assault/harassment (me too,) mental illness, the Kantou massacre, among others and combines them with youkai. I think the trouble with combining youkai with such serious themes is that you risk making light of real life issues. While it’s clear that the author is trying to be respectful about the topics, I feel that it is done to varying degrees of success. The me too story feels a bit too surface level for example. The Kantou massacre story, though, features a lot of first person accounts quoted in it, and it feels like the event is treated with the respect it needs when combining it with something fantastical like youkai. The extra story feels like a total throwaway, but it’s kind of understandable. I feel that I will definitely be keeping my eye on this author in the future, but I wonder how he will do under futabasha...

4.やまじえびね「女の子がいる場所は」（KADOKAWA）

This was imo the biggest disappointment for me. I think this work is also a bit hard to criticize without looking like a misogynist or ass because of the content of the work. While the messages of the work are of course important, the execution of the work feels really flat to me. Perhaps because the stories are written with children protagonists, the usual depth of character that i’d expect from Yamaji Ebine’s characters aren’t there. It feels a bit artistically lacking in anything interesting, original, or creative... This, to me, reads like a work where the editor saw an esteemed woman creator and wanted to do a work that would be very award-baity, and they succeeded in that sense. While the art itself is very nice, that’s about maybe all I can say about this work. I’m sure the work will probably speak more to other people, and it would be great if girls in those areas of the world feel represented and seen and find inspiration in these stories, but I think from the lens of a comic, this work just doesn’t feel good enough for its high placement in this list.

5.松本大洋「東京ヒゴロ」（小学館）　

I haven’t read the second volume yet, but I think the first volume’s high placement on lists last year was justified.

6.藤本タツキ「さよなら絵梨」（集英社）　

Tatsuki is a pretty divisive figure these days. If my personal rankings is either like top 10 or 10-20, then I think he probably deserves to be in the top 10.

7.たかたけし「住みにごり」（小学館）　

I actually didn’t notice this before, but I had read some of this author’s stuff before in his previous series about a woman selling english lessons. Their stuff is hilarious and also somewhat uncomfortable with a somewhat unusual art style. While I don’t think their work is like technically great, they are very good at telling an entertaining story.

7.エティエンヌ・ダヴォドー「ワイン知らず、マンガ知らず」（サウザンブックス社）　

I haven’t read this one.

9.タイザン5「タコピーの原罪」（集英社）　

I think Takopi is a bit high on the list. I’d maybe give it top 20 of the year, but I think it wouldn’t sneak in a top 10 list for me.

10.とよ田みのる「これ描いて死ね」（小学館）　

He’s always drawn really cute comics, so It doesn’t surprise me to see him on this list. I haven’t read this one, but I’m sure it’s as good as all his others. It’s, again, another work I’d think would be top 20 worthy, but without reading it, I wouldn’t think it’d be top 10 worthy. My general feeling about his stuff is that it’s always pretty good but has been never amazing to me.

11.トマトスープ「天幕のジャードゥーガル」（秋田書店）　

I honestly feel this work is probably better than Ebine’s while touching on similar topics. It also feels more creative and original to me.

12.エイドリアン・トミネ「長距離漫画家の孤独」（国書刊行会）

I honestly find tomine kinda boring

13.ソン・アラム「大邱の夜、ソウルの夜」（ころから）

I think it’s very good to see korean representation on this list. I’ve been meaning to read english translations of korean works that I know D&Q have put out and will probably look into digital versions of it soon.

14.高橋聖一「われわれは地球人だ！」（双葉社）

I’ve read some of this author’s stuff before in a previous series they had licensed. It was fun, but it was lacking something that really made it better than just decent. It seems like they’ve figured it out. I’ll probably check this out sometime.

15.衿沢世衣子「2年1組うちのクラスの女子がヤバい」（リイド社）

This work is credited to leed, but I think all torch’s work are credited under leed.I haven’t read this particular work, but I’m not surprised by a torch work placing in the top 20. Their editorial staff is some of the best rn imo.

16.山口貴由「劇光仮面」（小学館）　

typical yamaguchi insanity about a topic like real tokusatsu. the story is still developing too. it’s quite an interesting read.

17.坂月さかな「星旅少年」（パイインターナショナル）

I’ve seen this around, but haven’t read it.

18.panpanya「模型の町」（白泉社）　

It’s hard to know what to say about ppy’s recent comics. While they always manage to hit the same highs, they do not feel as creative as the stuff that he was trying in ashizuri and before in comitia. Perhaps this is just generally how he feels about more “professional” comics and that having this kind of stable style and themes is fine, but I feel like it’s a little limited in some ways. I think a lot his fans find it slightly stagnant tho, and I’d love to see him just go for something totally out there.

19.菊池真理子「『神様』のいる家で育ちました」（文藝春秋）

I talked about this book with a few friends, and they convinced me to read more of it despite me forgetting about it after just a few chapters. I have again forgotten about it after a few more chapters. The stories really do the heavy lifting in this work, and the work is based on accounts by real people, and because of that, it feels like... I almost could’ve just read an article or listened to the recording of the interviews the author would’ve had to do. In that sense, the art doesn’t feel like to me that it lends a lot to the work. It’s not that this stuff isn’t worth reading, it’s just that when you make it into a comic, I feel like you want to do things that justify that. In that sense, I found the work lacking.

19.とあるアラ子「ブスなんて言わないで」（講談社）

I haven’t read this one, but I’ve seen it around.

Works I felt were overlooked:

EVOL: If Tatsuki can make top 10, I think EVOL should be on the list.

Chi: Chi ended in 2022, and I think it would deserve to be in top 20.

Bun-chan: this also ended this year. i think Natsujikei has been pretty overlooked these last few years.

I think if we’re opening the list up to prestige comics across the world, anna haifisch deserves to be in top 20

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tenjiiku · 1 year

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do u have any movie / song recs atm 🥰?? i wanna be inspired to write like you do... but not in that sense if ykwim haha!! i just really love the way you write !! so im looking for inspiration,, if thats okay with u ofc ☝️

Heyyy lol ofcc I love talking abt media I love! Tbh I do not watch a lot of movies but I do have a lot of book recs some of which have movie adaptations.

Movies/Books;

The Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins. Katniss and Peeta invented love and romance. I can go on about these two forever, but I will simply mention the beach scene b/t them in Catching Fire. That changed me fundamentally, altered my brain chemistry permanently, etc etc. Also of course the critique on capitalism in a Western society and how despite the violence such a system can breed Love will ever and remain forever as long as hope prevails.

Strange Weather in Tokyo, Hiromi Kawakami. I love dialogue, and this story has so much of it. And also I adore stories of the mundane. The fact that the protagonist is a woman in her late 30s brings such a refreshing perspective on the woes and joys of life. I read this book last Fall when it was a particularly rough time for me and I was going through a lot of changes. This really grounded my feelings.

Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami. I know Murakami gets a lot of shit for how he writes female characters but I adore the female characters in this novel, particularly Naoko and Midori. I love how he describes their emotions through dialogue. It is so cut and dry at times it hits straight to my gut. The conclusion and resolution left me thinking for months.

Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes. Until recently I just discovered this was a required reading in a lot of American schools, which was a surprise because I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and quite frankly most of my assigned readings in school were not as interesting. I really really really enjoyed learning more about the character of Charlie through diary entries. And how his style of writing changes as he goes through so many trials and tribulations to only end up back to where he started. Really a think piece for me.

Snow Country, Yasunari Kawabata. I absolutely adored the imagery in this novel. It also left me thinking for days, and I still cannot articulate myself properly to describe it. Wonderful read.

Bones and All, Camille DeAngelis. I hold Maren so near and dear to my heart. The idea of using cannibalism as an allegory for coming-of-age brings such a unique and powerful perspective to girlhood, something I had been searching for in so many novels but never quite received. Maren and Lee’s relationship is both sweet and tragic. The movie is also wonderful.

All About Lily Chou Chou. I first watched this movie when I was 14 or 15, which I should not have done lol. Its subject matters are so dark, and I feel so badly for all the female characters in this movie. The message it sends is so simple, but the cinematography is both beautiful and haunting.

Artists/Songs;

Ethel Cain. By far my number one inspo lol. I do not use Spotify regularly besides to create playlists but I feel like she would be my number one listened to. I adore her ep Inbred, particularly the songs Michelle Pfeiffer and Crush. They are such yearning songs, and describe how I love so so personally. Of course, Preacher’s Daughter is a masterpiece of an album. Strangers and Family Tree are my favourites

Mitski. I honestly do not know how to express how much of an influence she has been on everything I produce. I’ve raved about her so much. Puberty 2 will always, always, always be the soundtrack to my highschool life lol it is honestly concerning how much I was listening to her in year 9. Bury me at makeout creek will always inspire me to write romance. It just gets me into the mood to both drown and create.

Gracie Abrams. I love the simplicity of her lyrics, and some of my works are written honestly based on one lyric that I might find out stuck out to me for many of her things. I find her music so universal and open to interpretation, and I love that! I think that it leaves a lot of room to think, it can apply to so many people and touch so many topics. I particularly love songs from the deluxe version of her album Good Riddance (405, Two People, Unsteady) I listened to Two People writing the hanshin expressway lol.

Beabadoobee. I love Beatrice, I have been listening to her for so long. I love how she is so expressive with all of her songs and genres and lyrics. Honestly, I love her entire discography. Like I do not think I do not have a song of hers I skip.

Japanese Breakfast. I love Michelle. Her songs all feel like warm hugs! And also some of them want to make me dance! I listened to her so much taking the train home back from uni when I needed a pick me up lol.

#inbox #I went kind of crazy here but I loveee consuming media and discussing abt it!!

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wind-it-up-p21 · 1 year

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TDA prediction

Las Vegas

Mini top 3 - Elsie sandal ellary day lily Anderson

Winner - ellary/lily first TDA tie ( generally think this could happen )

Junior top 3 - kelsie jacobson Kira sun (if she’s there) savannah Manzel, Fiona wu

Winner - savannah m

Teen top 3 - keira redpath Izzy Howard crystal huang Isabella lynch

Winner -Generally can’t pick

Orlando

Possible top ten/twenty mentions - Nyla Mcarthy, Olivia Armstrong

Mini top 3 - camila gilardo, Lucia piedrahita ( if she’s there),

Winner - no idea

Possible junior top ten/twenty mentions - regan, cali, zoe Flores, carrigan, Berkeley

Junior top 3 - esme chou, braylen, Kya massimino, Elizabeth Scott-linear

also maybe both or one of the k twins

Winner - Kya

Possible teen top/twenty ten mentions - Maya laurerio, Kendal fay, Angelina Elliot, aayliah Dixon, Stella, Rylee young, Anya igner

Teen top 3 - cami, Gracyn French, Sophie Garcia,

Winner - cami

wow these are really good predictions. Others have said this but idk how they'll choose between lilly a and ellary day, that's crazy. And I would loveee to see the k twins in the top 3! I'm sad abt diana not being able to do radix but she could do great at tda this year

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socialanigirl · 2 years

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Let's talk about MOVIES, specifically Tokyo International Film Festival... wait, don't go yet! I can recommend some cool movies from the event that you may have the chance to see over the next few months, but you have to stick around!

I also have an article I wrote for Little White Lies at the bottom of this post if you wanna check out more on this or other movies I mention here.2

Egoist (Director, Daishi Matsunaga; Planned JP release: February 2023, International release TBC)

This is a wonderful gay love story between a fashion editor and their personal trainer. Without diving too deep into spoilers, this isn't the happiest ending for their love story. However, I don't think I would say the film is necessarily burying our gays or diminishing the love story at the core with the direction their story takes, as it broadens its scope to more broadly discuss what it means to love and give everything to another person and be accepted for that love. It's going to make you shed a tear, but it's a heartfelt story more than worth checking out!

Brats, Be Ambitious (Director: Adachi Shin; Planned JP Release: 24th March 2023, International Release TBC) This reminds me heavily of a Japanese take on Stand By Me set in 1980s Japan, as a small group of kids in a rural town on the cusp of adolescence find a way to exist and take on new adventures and steps forward in life amidst broken homes, bullying, social anxiety and more. Superb long-takes put us directly into the kids perspective at a world that makes no sense as they find their only outlet to being themselves by lashing out at what's around them.

I ai (Director: MahiTo The People; Planned JP Release, 2023, International Release TBC) The best film of the festival, and perhaps the year. This is a metatextual film discussing the power of music and the people around us to influence us, and how the memories of the chance encounters and people we meet stay with us even after they're gone. It's about a life, but one which reminds us not to be passive observers as it directly places its characters in the audience in the opening moments and expects us to consider this story after the credits roll in its stunning finale. A haunting film with the rare status of doing something I've never seen another movie do before... and if you want to make a movie about music, who better to handle this than an actual musician?

This is just a few of the films discussed very briefly out of the over 14 films I saw at the festival. From queer romance to hard-hitting coming-of-age tales, Japanese cinema is strong. I attended this event in a press capacity, and if you want to read some more complete thoughts, you should check out the article I put together for Little White Lies

And I have a Letterboxd, with a list of all the films I've seen this year and brief reviews of all the films I've seen at the festival as well, that you should totally check out

#movies #film festival #tokyo film festival #film #cinema #gay cinema #movie review #movie journal #I wanted to share some cool movies I hope you like them ahhh #this is a first post so its probably a mess #life is a movie #we are merely actors #opinion #freelance journalist #movie journalism #journalism #article

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oliverfinalmajorproject · 2 months

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Final Major Project - Thoughts 3

If I were to change my idea I would explore music within the shoe gaze genre. It aligning within my current taste in music but also to my last project where I explored All About Lily Chou-Chou and the soundtrack which is considered a shoe gaze & pop fusion.

I have explored the genre within this project when considering the music that would inspire the design of my type. I was led to Death Metal within a discussion within a tutorial and I sort of just ran with it even though I am not really interested within the genre of music. This is why I feel to have lost interest within the project as it pivoted into a very different direction.

If I were to change my project I would explore a range of albums however right now I am heading towards I Am Not Shinzo Abe by Xinlinsupreme which is one of my favourites and holds a very strong message.

Mentioned within the name Shinzo Abe was Former Prime Minister of Japan. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, serving for almost nine years in total. On the 8 July 2022 Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara.

On Xinlinsupreme's website they say: There was no other prime minister like this who was such a liar and dictator. Shinzo Abe emerged with his tough stance against the North Korean affairs, etc. and took office as the prime minister in 2006. He called for the creation of a 'beautiful country' by departing from the postwar regime to amend the Basic Act on Education, etc; however, he resigned the following year to take responsibility for defeat in the Upper House election as well as for health reasons. In December 2012, Shinzo Abe returned as the prime minster upon the LDP's substantial victory in the Upper House election. Claiming the necessity of nuclear power for Japan, he declared promotion to resume operation of nuclear power plants and raised the basic philosophy of constitutional amendment onthe premise of 'asserting foreign policy' on the axis of the Japan-U.S. alliance, education rebuilding by focusing on public spirit and moral senses, and maintenance ofthe self-defense forces; however what gathered attention at the time of the Cabinet's inauguration was the economic policy known as Abenomics. Departure from deflation was attempted with 'three arrows' of fiscal stimulus, monetary relaxation, and growth strategy, aiming at renewal of the Japanese economy.

The Nikkei Stock Average recovered to the20,000 yen level with Abenomics, and the business recovery of large corporations became evident in particular. On the other hand, the actual wage of workers decreased, domestic consumption cooled, the number of public assistance recipients continued to renew the record high, temporary employment increased even more than the beginning of Abenomics, and disparity and poverty expanded. Especially, 40% of females earn two million yen or less per year with which economic independence is supposed to be difficult, comparing with approximately 10% of males who earn two million yen or less.

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits intimidation with military power or use of military power as a method to resolve international conflicts and was interpreted as not possible to exercise military power for purposes other than defence of one's homeland.

The postwar Cabinet in the past had prohibited exercise of the right of collective defence that uses military power to protect other countries, and only allowed military power as the right to individual self-defence to protect one's homeland under the Constitution; however in July 2014, the Cabinet of Shinzo Abe made a cabinet decision to change interpretation of the Constitution and approve exercise of the collective defence under certain conditions.

On July 15, 2015, bills relating to national security including approval of exercise of the collective defence were railroaded through the Lower House special committee.

A Japanese record label canceled the production of Xinlisupreme`s works and terminated the contract with Xinlisupreme because Xinlisupreme created a protest song 'I Am Not Shinzo Abe' to criticize Shinzo Abe, a prime minister of Japan. It has now become a taboo in Japan to criticize Shinzo Abe in music and other creative activities. In 2015, Southern All Stars, a popular band in Japan, was made to apologize for publically ridiculing him on TV. Also in 2016, there were fierce repercussions on the internet against the appearance of Aki Okuda, a leader of SEALDs, a student group to protest against Shinzo Abe, in the Fuji Rock, the biggest music festival in Japan. Even the phrase 'Do not politicize music' became a top trend on Japan's twitter. We all have the right to freedom of expression when criticizing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an extreme right-wing politician who allows discrimination, social gaps and nuclear power plants.

With this Album, Xinlisupreme want to criticize Shinzo Abe and also change the atmosphere of the Japanese society which does not allow music to become political. Xinlisupreme hope is that this album will stimulate a discussion for the change.

I believe that the album is really powerful and designing for the album would be an interesting topic to explore.

#fmp

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arcueidbrunestud · 5 months

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3, 4, 8 and 10 for the end of year asks?

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

Sayonara Ponytail! Their songs are so cute, it's a very special mood

4. Movie of the year?

Oh I watched so many good movies this year... Kizumonogatari is three movies so that's probably cheating...well there's no rules so it's either that or All About Lily Chou-Chou

8. Game of the year?

I played a lot of games this year... I'm picking Chaos;Head Noah with a honorable mention to Soundless

10. Something that made you cry this year?

I'm a crybaby so there's plenty to choose from, hm... I'll go with the most recently memorable which is the Mayoi Jiangshi arc(can you tell I'm typing these answers while looking at my Shinobu figure. Can you)

Thanks for the asks, anon! Have a happy new year ^_^

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olivermspecialistpractice · 7 months

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Editorial Design - Experiments

Font exploration seeing what I feel works best for the project. These two stood out to me the most.

Here is what I had done for the layout. I opened up with a quote from the director reading: “We have to make movies that appeal to them and reflect the world they live in.” as I feel this is an important thing to mention for the project and film. From this I opened up the book in an experimental way taking the quick moving elements that appear at the start and throughout the film to set the scene. I utilised both photoshop and illustrator to create these elements.

I think this takes this idea / experiment from just a book on 'All About Lily Chou-Chou' to an experience on the film, this is something that I hope to convey if developing it further.

I think that this has created a really immersive opening and has set the scene of the film perfectly - this is something I know how to continue if I return to it.

The book was created to be a5 as I like the idea of a pocketbook something that can easily be carried around and showcased.

#viscom #specialist practice #ISTD #experiment

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mumintroll · 8 months

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hi!!! 12 and 18 for the movie ask?

12. Which movie has your favorite soundtrack?

probably all about lily chou-chou :) + honourable mentions to call me by your name (sorry) émotion dir. nobuhiko obayashi and anything joe hisaishi did the music for

18. What film do you think has the coolest poster?

off the top of my head i loveee this poster for spirited away i have it next to my bed

#thank you!!! <333

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villanevehaus · 1 year

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(still letterboxd anon LOL) we love so many of the same movies, so maybe youve seen these, but if you havent!! some i definitely recommend are everything everywhere all at once (!!!), shutter island (not horror but not not horror?) all of jordan peeles movies ESPECIALLY us and get out, y tu mama tambien, minari, suspiria, all about lily chou chou, fallen angels, being john malkovich, thoroughbreds (!!) single white female, whiplash, and palm springs (kinda stupid but light and gave me a chuckle)

HI LETTERBOXD ANON!

ouh out of those ive seen shutter island, us, get out, and i actually saw thoroughbreds TODAY!!!! it make me fucking crazy bananas i think it rearranged some of my braincells. sometimes a movie is two weird teenage girls planning to murder a fuckass stepdad

suspiria, everything everywhere all at once, y tu mama tambien, being john malkovich, and whiplash are all already on my to watch list!! i obviously gotta get on that, and I've added the other ones you've mentioned :D

#asks #letterboxd anon #fr tho thoroughbreds is fantastic #the chemistry between the leads the camera work the weird score the entire premise #like it fucks so hard #its so Effective too like i felt so captivated the entire runtime #also there was Definitely something lgbt going on between them #like weird we both feel Something between us as childhood friends but we don't know what it is and its scary so we had a weird falling out #like lily is clinging so hard to her prescribed life whereas amanda is Not #ALSO the american opulence aspect... ogh #[being normal about media]#and the like #The Shot on the couch #with the blood and the gloves and the crying.................#<3

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awanderingdeal · 3 years

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Hello there! Would you please consider writing a fic where maybe Leo or a fan wears a dress or paints his nails or something else feminine and gets bullied online so the entire team then starts wearing dresses out in retaliation? I think Leo is the perfect example of flipping the V to normative gender ideals

Hi! Thank you for this ask. I hope you don't mind, but I kind of took this as inspiration and ran with it. I used Finn just because it fits my own personal headcanons that he would be the one that would be a bit more adventurous fashion wise, although I definitely agree Leo is the nail painter in that relationship! I hope you like it!

Apologies for the excessive use of italics in this fic!

CW: food mentions, some swearing, implied Instagram bullying and a child with very mild illness (hay fever).

Rating: T

Let me know if you think I missed anything or need to change the rating.

All characters in this fic are from Sweater Weather universe and belong to @lumosinlove

“Are you going to take that dress off?” June asked, blowing on the undercoat she’d just applied to her nails. Finn’s eyes dropped from the TV screen to the black fabric draping over his body. He brushed his fingers over the material, enjoying the texture of the sheer polka dots that decorated the dress. From afar, they were difficult to see, but at this distance they shined. His own little secret.

“No,” Finn replied, the word slipping from his mouth felt foreign, as if he hadn’t chosen to say it. “ Is that okay?”

“It’s generally considered polite to ask before you borrow people’s clothing, but sure, why not?” A loud cheer erupted from the TV notifying Finn the score on the basketball game he had been watching had changed. He desperately wanted to check it, but he continued to hold June’s gaze. “The Knicks,” June offered and Finn breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you going to wear it out later?” She didn’t wait for his reply, proffering two bottles of polish for Finn’s perusal, a redcurrant and a mauve.

“The red,” Finn decided after a beat. “No, I think I’ll get changed before we go to the theatre.”

“Alright then,” June hummed, glancing at her cell. “Logan is trying to call you, by the way.”

“Yes, my cell, I know exactly where that is,” Finn muttered to himself, stabbing at the remote to pause the TV. It took a few minutes of searching, the device hidden between the folds of the bean bag he was lounging on, but eventually Logan’s face was filling all 6.1 inches of the screen. “Lo!”

“Hey.”

Finn loved the greeting on Logan’s tongue, one of those that he never seemed to be able to stop his accent dripping through. Finn thought perhaps the sentiment was painted on his face, Logan peering at him curiously through the lens. “Isn’t that June’s dress?”

The dress. Finn had forgotten all about it. “Yes.”

He hadn’t meant for the reply to be said with such abruptness, but it felt good, all the tension coiling in his chest being released in the word.

Logan’s expression was challenging, similar to that June had given him earlier. “I was just going to say you look better in it.”

“Oh.”

June unfurled her legs from beneath her, throwing herself into view of the screen, her left hand held awkwardly in front of her. “I’m right here, Tremblay!”

***

“Love, you need to get out of the kitchen. You’re being very distracting.”

Finn frowned at Leo’s statement. “I’m not doing anything?” And for once, he wasn’t. He wasn’t trying to guess the weight of irrelevant objects. He wasn’t playing with the stray bits of dough Leo had left aside for decoration. He wasn’t even relaying facts about his current favourite interest. Finn was just watching.

Sometimes he liked to do that. He liked seeing Leo’s long fingers curled around the handle of the knife, his movements fluid and confident, his expression soft with quiet concentration. Occasionally, he’d cock his head, humming contemplatively and Finn could take the opportunity to offer his taste buds.

“It’s not a you problem, it’s a me problem,” Leo chuckled, setting the knife down on the chopping board. “I keep looking up and you’re just -” Finn followed Leo’s gaze as it wandered down to the exposed skin between Finn’s t-shirt and his skirt. “- I’m trying to meal prep and it’s going to take all week at this rate.”

The t-shirt had belonged to Logan, an old Harvard hockey throwback that had managed to make it through several wardrobe purges, so, whilst it was wide enough for Finn, the length was awkward. He hadn’t really considered his boyfriend’s reactions as he’d cut the item to fall several inches above his belly button, the crop looking far more purposeful than it previously had.

“Oh this old thing, I just threw it on,” Finn smirked, as he pushed off the counter he'd been leaning on. He rounded the island, stealing a carrot as he passed, until he planted himself in front of Leo. "Do you want help? It'd be quicker?"

"Now we both know neither of those things are true." Leo raised a critical eyebrow, his laughter smooth and sweet. He turned to face Finn more fully, his hand reaching to pass the forest green material of Finn's skirt through his fingers. "I like this colour on you."

"It has pockets! I totally get why Lily's always shouting about them. They're very convenient." Finn shoved his hands in the well-concealed pocket, pulling his cell from its depths. "See."

"Nice," Leo said, his smile making the edges of his face crinkle. "How about you let me finish up here and then we can find Lo and get his opinion on this outfit?"

"Fine," Finn groaned, resisting the temptation to draw Leo in a hug, and perhaps something more. "I'm gonna go and look over that report the accountant sent over. Do you want me to check yours over too?"

"Please," Leo nodded, his smile growing wider. "You're the best."

"You feed me, I make sure you don't get arrested, that's what relationships are all about, right?"

"Right," Leo ran his fingers over the skirt one last time and stepped back to put some space between them. Finn turned to leave, barely getting a few paces in before Leo called him. "Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"Just one kiss now would be okay."

Finn shook his head, letting Leo draw him back in with a chuckle. Leo's hands, always warm, settled on Finn's waist and he leaned down to press their lips together.

***

Finn winced as Aveline sneezed again, the forceful burst of air covering his sweater in droplets. He felt sorry for her; she was struggling with a bout of hay fever that was making her red-nosed and irritable, but the sweater was one of Finn’s favourites. A vintage, hand knitted blue thing he’d found in a thrift store in Cambridge for an absolute steal. Back then, it had been the scene of Bambi and his friends on it that had grasped Finn’s attention, however, he’d come to love it for its perfect fit and the fact it never failed to spark a conversation.

“Harzy, thank you. You’re a lifesaver.” Finn tried not to let his relief show too much seeing Kris’ approach, his arms outstretched to gather his daughter. “I can’t even put her down to go to the bathroom at the moment without her screaming.”

Finn chuckled, holding a wriggling Aveline tighter to stop her launching herself before her father was close enough. “Papa!” she cried, the exclamation melded neatly into a large yawn.

“Come, mon chou,” Kris soothed, letting Aveline bury her face into the crook of his neck and playing a gentle pattern with his fingers over her back. “Let’s go and see if Vroom-vroom has any magic up his sleeve, ey? He always knows what to do.”

“Vroom-vroom?” Finn whispered the question.

“Sergei,” Kris explained with a gleeful smile despite the tiredness etched into his face. He shifted Aveline into a more comfortable position. “Thanks again for holding her.”

“Anytime.”

Finn had barely been alone in the Dumais’ second living room for a minute when Katie came crashing in. He wondered briefly if he should redirect her back to the other room where everybody was gathered, the thought quickly interrupted by Katie tugging on the hem of his skirt. “Can you spin again? Please?”

Unable to resist her large doe eyes, Finn twirled for her, his skirt swirling and billowing around him until he began to go dizzy.

“Encore! Encore!”

Finn didn’t need Logan around to translate that for him, he’d seen enough Broadway shows to understand the request.

“No more, Katie Belle. I’m going to puke,” Finn laughed, lifting Katie into his arms. “You’re growing too quickly! I swear you were only this big the last time I saw you,” he teased, spreading the thumb and index finger of his free hand a few inches apart.

“I’ll be as tall as you soon!” Katie giggled, patting Finn on his head.

“Then you can carry me,” Finn teased. He was just reaching to bop Katie on the nose when the unmistakable sound of a camera shutter closing grabbed his attention.

“Logan!” Katie gasped, struggling in Finn’s arms for a second like little Aveline had done. “Put me down.”

Finn obliged, watching Katie run toward Logan with a fond smile.

“Did you fix it?” she asked, her voice hopeful.

“Ouais,” Logan nodded, “I gave it back to Maja.”

“Merci, merci, merci!” Katie wrapped her arms around Logan’s hips in a hug before running off, presumably to find Maja.

Finn crossed the room, opening his arms for Logan to walk into. He rested his chin on Logan’s head, breathing in the familiar smell of his shampoo. “What were you up to?”

“Just taking a photo of two of my favourite people,” Logan mumbled into Finn’s chest.

“Can I see?”

“Oui, it’s very cute. ” Logan stepped back, pulling the photo up onto the screen. It was a nice one, both Finn and Katie’s head tipped back slightly with bright laughter. Finn tracked down the photo, Katie’s legs clinging to his waist where the faux leather skirt started. He breathed in, filling his lungs with air and then expelling it quickly.

“Post it.”

Logan looked at him, eyes wide. “Are you sure?”

“Not really, but I’m fed up with changing my clothes all the time and I’m surprised I haven’t been papped anyway. I’d rather do this on my own terms. It’s a fucking skirt, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

“Tell me to do it again,” Logan reached out a hand, squeezing gently as Finn took it.

“Post it.”

***

“Stop reading,” Leo sighed, plucking Finn’s cell from his hand.

Finn matched his sigh, burying his head into his hands. He didn’t need to look at the screen anyway, the words burned into his eyes. How anybody had looked at a photo of two people, one of whom was a child, laughing and had churned out hatred was mystifying to him. Finn had been expecting that though, he’d been around long enough to know there were some assholes out there. When he’d replied to one of the nicer ones he hadn’t really considered how he would feel about that going viral. About becoming the face of something he hadn’t really asked for.

Roaringlion17: Harzy! This fit is spectacular, I love the skirt <3 I just wanted to ask if you are trans and what pronouns you would like us to use?

OfficialFOHara: @roaringlion17 Thank you! He/him pronouns are great! I’m not trans. I just think it’s dumb that boys can’t wear skirts. Or dresses for that matter. I like clothes, not boxes.

The reply had now been featured on every gossip column possible and was beginning to filter into more esteemed news too. One of them had even called him, the face of a revolution, which had made Finn cringe. He supposed it was better than the hateful slurs his PR team were battling to keep off the photo.

“Hey,” Logan took the seat next to Finn where he’d slumped himself at the dining table. “Look at me.” Finn lifted his head, meeting Logan’s eyes, the deep green something he wanted to get lost in right now. He thought Logan was going to ask for the thousandth time if Finn wanted him to delete it, but all he got was the fierce, determined gaze Logan sported on the ice. “This is going to pass. Tomorrow, somebody will cheat on somebody and you will be old news. Do you want to see something?”

Finn nodded. He didn’t know what he was consenting to, but he trusted Logan to make it something that would make him smile. Leo dragged another of the chairs around to sit on Finn’s left hand side, setting his confiscated cell in front of him, the Instagram app open to Thomas’ profile. Logan leaned forward, tapping on the latest photo.

Thomas’ smile was wide as he sat on a window sill, kicking out the long zebra print skirt cloaking his legs. The caption underneath read ‘You’re just jealous that I wear it better than you! #boyswearskirtstoo’

“That’s -”

“Wait a second,” Logan reached for the phone again, setting it down with a picture of James’ visible. He was wearing an ochre coloured corduroy skirt that clearly belonged to Lily, the fabric straining on thighs. I’m feeling myself in this, tbh. Please hold whilst I order one in my size #boys wearskirtstoo.

Finn snorted, the sound wet with the tears he was struggling to hold back.

The hashtags kept coming.

Cap and Loops in their respective jersey’s tucked into pleated skirts. These Lions know fashion is not gendered #boyswearskirtstoo

Ollie in a shimmering gold knee length piece. Shine bright! #boyswearskirtstoo

Nado, Kuny, Smitty and Kane, arms slung around one another's shoulders, all wearing varying shades of pink. On Wednesdays, we wear pink #boyswearskirtstoo. Finn would bet good money that Kuny was behind that caption.

Dumo, Sergei and their wives, alongside their troupe of children, each one of them wearing a different coloured tutu. Dumo had opted to just include the hashtag, or rather his social media team had, because the man himself most definitely did not know how to upload the photo.

Kasey and Natalie looked effortlessly cool dressed in white tennis skirts and floral bomber jackets. I’m not sure what all the fuss is about? #boyswearskirtstoo

Alex was wearing a very similar black skirt to Finn's in his photo. Who wore it better? #boyswearskirtstoo #thatsmylittlebrother

“He’s an idiot, but I love him,” Finn laughed wetly.

“There’s more,” Logan smirked as he tapped at the screen again, almost brimming with an excited energy. He placed the cell back down, leaving his hand to block the next photo a little longer. Finn grabbed the device as soon as Logan revealed the image.

It was perfect.

Leo and Logan lounged on the sofa, a little further apart than they would normally sit. Leo clutching his favourite mug and Logan with sketchpad in hand. They both looked easy in their outfits, as if the skirts were a part of them. Leo’s was long, hitting just above his ankle, a navy lining coated in a tulle that was embellished with celestial bodies. Logan was looking at the camera, his eyes just visible under the brim of his cap. His skirt was shorter, the denim flaring over his thick thighs. In this house we respect people’s right to wear whatever the fuck they want #boyswearskirtstoo

Finn stopped trying to fight the tears, letting the moisture well in his eyes. “Thank you,” he choked out, pushing himself from his chair. Leo and Logan had their arms around him before he could ask. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.” He couldn’t seem to make the words stop, his body shaking with sobs, his boyfriend’s arms remaining sure around him until Finn wiped at his face and muttered an apology. “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologise for.” Leo swept his thumb over Finn’s cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “What can we do? What do you need?”

Finn let out a heavy breath, leaning into Logan’s hold. “I think I want to send a thank you to the group chat and then snacks and cuddles? I can deal with the world tomorrow.”

“Okay then, snacks and cuddles. We deal with the world tomorrow.”

#finn o'hara #leo knut #logan tremblay #rating: t #cw: food #cw: implied bullying #cw: swearing #cw: minor illness #sweater weather #lumosinlove

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