#Dreaming in sci-fi Future worlds asking to be explored

[tobykurtzz]

Dreaming in sci-fi Future worlds asking to be explored, future stories to tell, future dreams to realize. We become our greatest selves when we’re reaching for a vision. Release the continent of your imagination. #aiia #aiartist #midjourneyart #mjv5 #conceptartwork #scifiart

#Dreaming in sci-fi Future worlds asking to be explored #future stories to tell #future dreams to realize. We become our greatest selves when we’re reaching for a vision. Release the continent of your imagination. ai

[cutiedwaekki]

I saw your requests are open so if I may humbly ask for feede chan!chanlix including stuffing/tight clothes/button popping? If you don't feel up to writing that it's totally fine!! If you do, thank you in advance <3

ITEM

summary : who would have thought that with a special mod on the Sims 4, Felix would change his life and that of his boyfriend?

contain : magical weight gain , intense weight gain , stuffing , button popping , tight clothes

Hey anon ~

thank you for your request I was so inspired honestly I couldn't not write about it. I took the liberty of adapting the scenario a little, I hope it suits you, don't hesitate to ask me again in the future, it will be a great pleasure

Enjoy ♡

(o'・∀・)o

Felix and Chan were souls who could be called "opposites", but who attracted each other like magnets. Felix was an avid video game fan, spending most of his free time in front of his computer exploring virtual worlds and creating epic adventures. Chan, on the other hand, was a sports enthusiast who liked to spend his time outdoors, running, cycling and doing all kinds of physical activities.

They met by chance at a video game convention. Felix, eager to discover the latest releases, found himself chatting with Chan, who was volunteering to help organize the event. Despite their obvious differences, they discovered that they had much in common, including their passion for music, travel and a certain love of 80s sci-fi films.

Over the course of conversations and shared laughter, a complicity grew between them, and soon this turned into something deeper. They began to see each other outside the convention, exploring the city together, sharing meals and moments of intimacy. Despite their different hobbies, they found a perfect balance in their relationship, each bringing a unique perspective to the other.

But it was like that, it was them.

(o´・∀・)o

One day, while sitting comfortably on the sofa, Felix and Chan were debating the best strategy for beating a boss in the latest trendy video game. Suddenly, Felix received a notification on his phone, telling him of a new message in his mailbox.

Felix skimmed through the message, ignoring most of the usual spam. But one subject suddenly caught his eye: "Sensational new mod for The Sims 4: customize your characters' weight!"

A flash of excitement crossed Felix's mind. A mod to change your Sims' weight? That could be fun... But deep down inside, he knew there was something else fueling this excitement. A secret longing, an unacknowledged desire, that he kept buried deep inside.

I could finally have my muscular but plump boyfriend in the game, just the way I like it, he thought with a hint of mischief. And who knows, maybe it could make our relationship even more... interesting.

A mischievous smile stretched Felix's lips as he quickly tapped his phone to download the mod. This small, seemingly innocuous choice would soon change their lives in unexpected ways.

(o'・∀・)o

Sitting in front of his computer, Felix smiled as he adjusted the character of his boyfriend, Chan, in the game. he had recreated it to perfection, from his soft dimples to his curly hair. he had even created their dog Berry who always seemed to be smiling and himself (he had also designed their apartment and added extra rooms because why not he had the right to dream of an apartment with a swimming pool and a room reserved for him and his games)

—"Let's see how it looks," he murmured.

He increased the weight of Chan's Sim slightly, watching with amusement the subtle changes in the virtual character's appearance.

By this time, Chan was in the kitchen, enjoying a cookie.

—"These cookies are so good, babe! How did a live without those pastries on my mouth ?" Chan said as he entered the living room with a plate full of cookies.

"I knew you couldn't even wait for it to cool down ," replied Felix, his eyes still glued to the screen with a bright smile. "But tell me, do you think your Sim still looks like you?"

Chan glanced quickly at the screen and laughed, "Maybe a little chubbier, but it's cute."

Felix continued to play, increasing the weight of Chan's Sim slightly again.Who would have thought that this would have a real impact?

(o´・∀・)o

A few days later, Chan looked at himself in the mirror, looking puzzled.

—"I've been feeling a bit bloated lately. Maybe I'm eating too many cookies," he said as he patted his round belly

—"Don't worry, it happens to everyone," replied Felix, a smirk on his face.

Chan aloso noticed that his jeans were slightly tighter around the waist. His well-defined abs seemed to be covered with a light layer of fat, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. If Felix said everything was fine so why worry?

(o'・∀・)o

Chan had always been very active, loving to run in the morning and work out at the gym. Lately, however, he'd noticed himself feeling more tired and craving snacks more often. He grabbed a candy bar from the cupboard.

—"I don't know why, but I'm so hungry these days," he said to Felix.

—"Maybe you're working too hard, remeber when Changbin hyung was bulking ? he ate almost an entire pizza in less than 10 minutes " suggested Felix, without mentioning the changes he'd made in the game.

Chan gave in to his cravings, allowing himself to eat snacks more frequently. Gradually, his eating habits changed, and he began to take larger portions at each meal. After all , Felix was right , he was working out so no worry about his new dier

(o'・∀・)o

One morning, as Chan was putting on his pants, he noticed that they had become tight.

—"It's weird, these pants have gotten a little tight. Maybe they shrunk in the wash," he said as he struggled to fasten them.

Felix watched him and noticed that Chan's well-defined muscles were beginning to soften, especially around his waist and hips. His pecs also seemed less firm.

—"Yes, that's probably it. Or maybe you've become even more irresistible!" joked Felix.

—"Very funny, Felix," Chan replied, laughing, but slightly concerned.

(o'・∀・)o

During an evening with friends, one of Chan's friend remarked.

—"Chan, you seem to have put on a bit of weight. Are you working out less these days?"

—"Oh, maybe a little. I've just been really busy," Chan replied, visibly embarrassed.

Felix, observing the scene from afar, began to wonder if his changes in the game really had any consequences. Chan, once so muscular and sculpted, now seemed a little rounder. His once toned arms were beginning to lose definition, and a slight roundness was appearing around his belly.

Chan continued to notice changes in his body. His once firm pectorals were becoming softer, and his flat belly was beginning to turn into a little buoy. One evening, after a long day's work, he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror.

—"I don't understand what's going on," he murmured, pinching his stomach. "I eat normally and I always exercise, but I'm gaining weight."

Felix watched him silently, feeling a mixture of guilt and fascination.

(o'・∀・)o

One evening, as they sat on the sofa, Chan confronted Felix.

—"Felix be honest with me , do you think I've put on weight?" asked Chan, looking concerned.

—"Uh... maybe a little. But you're still as handsome as ever," replied Felix, before cuddling his lover again .

—"I don't understand what's happening. I feel like I'm getting fatter for no reason," Chan said, frustrated.

—"Are you sure you're not eating more than usual?" asked Felix.

—"I'm eating normally, maybe i did have some binge eating sessions but i don't know. That's what's weird," replied Chan.

Félix returned to his computer, realizing that something strange was happening. He remembered every modification he'd made to Chan's Sim.

"What if... No, that's not possible. This mod can't have an impact in real life... or can it?" he thought aloud.

(o'・∀・)o

As the weeks went by, the changes became more marked. Chan, who once liked to wear tight T-shirts to show off his muscles, now preferred looser clothing. His once-muscular arms had become rounder, and his belly had transformed into a veritable paunch. Even his face had changed, with fuller cheeks and a softer double chin.

Chan began wearing baggy T-shirts and jogging suits to feel more comfortable. His thighs, once sculpted, were beginning to touch, and her back showed signs of extra fat. All this extra weight began to accumulate while his gait became more and more waddling

Félix watched these changes with fascination and a certain admiration.

—"Babe, why are you looking at me like that?" asked Chan one evening, as he helped himself to a third helping of pasta.

—"Chan, I think I've done something stupid..." began Felix.

—"What do you mean?" asked Chan, concerned.

—"That mod I used on your Sim... I think it has real-life effects," Felix explained, ashamed.

I didn't expect Chan to burst out laughing, bringing out his double chin and his dimples, which had become more pronounced. “Oh come on Baby, I know I got fat but it’s ridiculous”

(o'・∀・)o

Felix continued to play with the mod, further increasing the weight of Chan's Sim in the game. One evening, he added a sequence where Chan ate a lot of food. Strangely enough, in real life, Chan began to feel an insatiable hunger. He rummaged through the cupboards and fridge, looking for something to satisfy his hunger.

Chan found himself eating everything he could get his hands on: chips, cakes, leftover pizza, even canned fruit. Each bite seemed to fill him up a little more, but failed to satisfy his hunger. Chan's moans drew the attention of Felix, who came to see what was going on.

—"Channie, what are you doing?" asked Félix, incredulous.

—"I... I can't stop eating. I'm so hungry," Chan replied, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Felix looked at him with concern and fascination, wondering if his game could really have such repercussions.

(o'・∀・)o

As the days passed, Chan continued to put on weight. His shirts, once perfectly fitted, became tighter and tighter. One morning, as he tried to fasten his shirt, one of the buttons popped off with a loud pop.

—"Well, that's new," Chan laughed, but was visibly embarrassed.

Felix couldn't help but smile. "You've become too powerful for your clothes," he joked.

Chan, trying to put on a pair of pants, found the button on them popped off too.

—"I think I'll have to buy some new clothes," Chan sighed, looking down at his well-rounded belly and thick thighs. "I don't know how all this weight got there but I have a feeling it's not going to go away with just a little cardio"

(o'・∀・)o

One sunny afternoon, Felix had gone out for a walk, leaving Chan home alone. Being alone was rare for Chan, but he decided to make the most of it by preparing himself a feast.

He headed for the kitchen and began preparing all his favorite treats: sandwiches, cakes, fruit and even a little ice cream for dessert.

Chan feasted, savoring every bite as if he hadn't eaten in days. The food was so delicious that he couldn't stop, indulging his cravings without restraint. He'd always had a good appetite, but lately it seemed insatiable.

As he ate, Chan began to notice changes in his body. He put his hand on his belly, feeling the softness and roundness he'd acquired.

—"Wow, I didn't even realize I'd eaten so much," he murmured, a mixture of surprise and satisfaction in his voice.

He turned his attention to his butt, noting that they had become fuller and rounder. "My ass have become really generous," he observed, a smile forming on his face.Chan continued his examination, leaning over to observe his arms. He noticed that they seemed fleshier, less defined than before. "My arms have grown too," he observed before flexing them , surprised but curiously satisfied.

Then he brought his hand to his chin and gently caressed the beginnings of a double chin. "A double chin... I guess that's the icing on the cake," he murmured, mingling amusement and acceptance.

Chan shook his head with a chuckle.He felt both surprised and intrigued by these changes, but more than anything, he felt good about himself. His new curves gave him a charm and confidence he'd never felt before.Chan carefully removed his jacket and placed it on the back of a chair, before returning to his delights, knowing he still had room for a few more bites. After all, there was nothing wrong with indulging once in a while, especially when it brought him such happiness and satisfaction.

(o'・∀・)o

One day, Felix, caught up in his daily activities, left the game running without realizing it. Chan's Sim continued to eat and grow exponentially. When he returned to the computer, he was amazed to see how much Chan's character had changed. He had become enormous, with a prominent belly, massive thighs, thick arms, and a neat double chin

while he was enjoying this view, the sound of his boyfriend's heavy footsteps made him take his eyes off the screen and turn towards him. “he become huge” he thought

—"Felix, I don't understand what's happening to me. I feel like I can't control my hunger. I'm getting fatter and fatter, and I can't stop eating," said Chan, with tears in his eyes.

This is where the realization struck Felix

—"Chan, I think this is all my fault," confessed Felix. "This mod I installed... it has effects in real life. I don't know how it's possible, but every change I make to your Sim seems to reflect on you."

Chan looked at him, shocked. "You mean... it's because of the game that I'm like this?"

Felix nodded. "Yes, and I'm really sorry. I didn't know this would happen." he approached Chan and hugged him tightly where he could still put his hands around him.

After a moment's silence, Chan sighed and smiled weakly. "Well, at least that explains a lot. And you know what? Even though I've gained a lot of weight, I feel loved and accepted by you, and that's the most important thing."

Felix smiles, relieved. "Chan, I love you no matter what you look like. You're still the wonderful person I knew, and I'm sorry I put you through this. I'm going to uninstall the mod and try to figure out how to reverse these effects."

—"No need, I think I started to like this body" confided Chan with a sweet smile, before placing two kisses on the forehead of his lover

(o'・∀・)o

Despite his apologies, Felix couldn't help but appreciate Chan's new appearance. Every day, he noticed new details: the way Chan's belly moved gently as he walked, how his thighs grew thicker and touched as he moved, and the gentle roundness of his arms and face.

One evening, as Chan helped himself to a third helping of pasta, Felix couldn't help but smile.

—"What?" asked Chan, between bites.

—"Nothing, I just think you're very cute like that," replied Félix, laughing.

Chan rolled his eyes but also smiled. "You know, despite everything, I'm feeling pretty good. Maybe it's just a new phase in my life."

(o'・∀・)o

However, before he could uninstall the mod, Felix inadvertently left the game running once more. This time, the effects became even more pronounced. Returning home after a long day's work, he found Chan devouring a huge meal.

Chan, who had put on even more weight, could barely move without feeling out of breath. His belly had become enormous,

How big could Chan get? why was he so attractive and sexy so full?

(o'・∀・)o

While Chan was enjoying a feast in the kitchen, Felix settled down on the sofa, accompanied by Berry, their dog. Berry, a cheerful furball, seemed to notice the changes in Chan's body and reacted in unexpected ways.

The little dog rushed over to Chan, jumping onto the sofa with joyful agitation. Without hesitation, Berry snuggled up against Chan's bouncing belly, finding soft, squishy comfort. Chan, surprised but touched by this gesture, briefly stopped eating to gently stroke Berry's head.

Felix, watching them with a tender smile, felt his heart swell with warmth. He couldn't help teasing Chan gently: "You see, even Berry is enjoying your plump new body. Maybe it's just the right weight to be a comfortable pillow!"

Chan, laughing softly, replied, "very funny. But seriously, honey, even without the mod, I like this weight on me. It makes me comfortable and... I feel good."

Félix smiled, touched by Chan's answer. He took her hand tenderly and whispered, "You're beautiful to me, no matter how much you weigh. I love you just as you are." They kissed tenderly, showing all the love they had for each other before being interrupted by a bark from Berry who seemed to tease the kissing couple.

Just as they were immersed in a sweet, comforting moment, the chair Chan was sitting on emitted an ominous creak. Felix and Chan gasped, their gazes meeting with a gleam of amusement in their eyes.

—"I think it's time to consider sturdier furniture," joked Felix, as Chan laughed, the sound filling the room warmly. This moment, though tinged with a hint of surprise, strengthened their connection and complicity, helping them to overcome together the unexpected challenges of their new reality.

felix for once was grateful not to have thrown this spam out of his mailbox

#weight gain #my fic #my fics #skz chubby #chubby skz #cdrequest #this is perfect #chubby chan

[archie-the-menace]

Welcome to my Universe!

I’m Archie (they/them), a nonbinary artist and writer! My current WIPs include “The Antlion Crew,” a sci-fi/fantasy webcomic that’ll be posted on WEBTOON!

I love designing characters, stickers, and doing crafts. I also like to write and come up with ideas for fantasy worlds! I love space and bugs, and enjoy watching cheesy movies and cartoons.

I plan to share my OCs and fandom-related work here, but mostly I’m here to goof off with my friends. Please feel free to ask any questions in my ask box though, as long as it’s appropriate.

My lore and multiverse is open and can be used for writing, OC creation, and tabletop gaming as long as no monetary gain is involved and I receive credit for my world and species. My dream is to build a community around my comic and universe. Feel free to use any of it as inspiration!

-⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—

The World of Obscoria

Obscoria is the world where my WIP takes place. It was originally developed as a setting for a sci-fi and fantasy tabletop game. Most of the lore is stored on a Discord Server, but I talk about it a bit here as well. If you want access to the lore server, please ask!

Obscoria is a planet in the Alexandrian Galaxy. It is home to humans, elves, teuflin, dragons, and other fantasian people. United under one world government, the people of Obscoria live in unstable peacetime where humans seem to reign supreme. The people of Obscoria have learned to harness magic and discovered space travel. Wizards and Spacefarers travel the galaxy, assisting all in need of their help. Obscoria is also the newest member of the Galactic Exploration Conglomerate, and often sends its people out to explore the cosmos and interact with other alien species. Massive Space Stations like Midway offer a sort of home away from home setting for spacefarers and citizens alike, housing hundreds of thousands of people of all species. The universe is also populated by Daemons, Celestials, and other beings who enjoy toying with mortals. Ancient Eyeless gods created the multiverse long ago, for all to enjoy. Obscoria may have a dirty history, but it seems to have a bright future ahead full of technology and knowledge.

-⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—⭐️—

Other Socials

Instagram: @archenemy404

Artfol: madman_archie

WEBTOON: Archenemy404

Shop!

Redbubble: Archenemy404 (Pride Stickers, Dragons, and more!)

#artists on tumblr #oc #original character #digital art #character design #human artwork #support human artists #art #meet the artist #nonbinary artist #asexual artist #lgbtq writing #lgbt characters #queer writers #queer oc #worldbuilding #oc artist #webtoon canvas #webtoon #web comic #sci fi and fantasy #writers on tumblr #writeblr #writerscommunity #digital artist #queer artist #independent artist #autistic characters #neurodiverse artist

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 21st July

LOOTERS New Audio RPG! LOOTERS is an actual play, sci-fi western, Table Top RPG using the Stars Without Numbers gaming system. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2181771 RSS:https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2181771.rss

Levian New Audio Drama! After his sister’s betrayal forced him into exile, Lord Valentin Tellari must now face the deadly ocean that rages against the Drumming Isles. But neither storms nor leviathans will smother the vengeful fire that burns within Valentin. He will not know rest until he has reclaimed what is rightfully his. https://hughouse.productions/podcasts/levian/ RSS:https://pinecast.com/feed/levian

This Spells Disaster New Audio RPG! Table Top Role Play Game podcast where a bunch of film nerds play Dungeons and Dragons! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dnddisasterpod RSS:https://anchor.fm/s/e28bfdd4/podcast/rss

The Wild Hauntings on the Moor - A Dream of Death.mp3 New Audio Drama! A Dream of Death - “Can you feel it calling, the violent invitation of the wild? ”Welcome to Haworth 1823. To live here now is to brave the ghosts. After a fitful and troubled sleep, a lone wanderer seeks solace in the Moors but finds herself venturing into a dream of death. Accompanied by her voice (and map), walk with our wanderer through the veil and answer the violent invitation of the wild, discovering what spectral figures may be lurking in the distant heather. Running time: 40 minutes SOUNDLANDSCAPE: The Wild Hauntings on the Moor is a dual narrative audio theatre production which can be experienced self-guided on Haworth and Ilkley Moors. A Dream of Death can be enjoyed on its own, or with its companion piece Shadows on Shadows in either order. https://bronteparsonage.podbean.com RSS:https://feed.podbean.com/bronteparsonage/feed.xml

MAGE The Novel New Audio Book! An award-winning action-adventure story that asks: what if we could feel the future before it arrives? When disaster survivor Ambra Lightstone is confronted by an otherworldly stranger, she is set on a collision course with the vengeful heir of a hidden civilisation, and must prevent him from unleashing a terrible force that will change the face of the earth - and to safeguard a technology that could save it. From the canals of Venice, to the far northern Arctic, to remote outback Australia, MAGE explores the depths of our outer and inner worlds in relation to one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. https://magethenovel.podbean.com RSS:https://feed.podbean.com/magethenovel/feed.xml

#audio fiction

[utilitycaster]

So… What do you think about Susan Calvin? And do you have any recommendations for people who like to read robot stories (assuming what everyone knows about Asimov already.)

I LOVE Susan Calvin, more so because I'm pretty sure her appeal now (or in the early 2000s, when young me first read I, Robot) is mostly unintentional. I truly love Asimov's writing, I think he had a lot of fascinating ideas, and even his nonfiction essays are worth a read, but he was, as many science fiction authors of the time were, Not Great Towards Women. He designed Susan Calvin to be brilliant...but unattractive and brusque and unpleasant, while the recurring male characters like Powell and Donovan get to be cool and brave. And yet, by making a woman who was in defiance of what a sexist man would find attractive he made one of the most compelling women in classic sci fi. She is married to her work. She is a huge asshole. She's real and complex because he actually had to put thought into her as a character rather than being like "ah yes the woman scientist is a blonde bombshell who echoes all of my own feelings", and I love her and honestly, a lot of my thoughts about Dancer are probably influenced by Susan Calvin - a weird, smart loner who is horrible at interpersonal relationships but actual has a great deal of respect for robots.

The thing is...the part of robot stories I love is more the society around them and how this responds. I'm not actually that invested in robots as the main characters, so the robot stories beyond Asimov's positronic brain stuff/The Bicentennial man that I know of (that was what I was referencing in my tags, incidentally; if you read a bunch of Asimov you will be fine) are mostly also really popular: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (and Blade Runner); Battlestar Galactica (everyone should watch the 2003 BSG because it's fucking phenomenal and it's also a very good companion to everything I've said about pacing, lately, namely, you can have utterly fucked pacing as long as the characters are deeply of this world and given enough space to breathe); The smattering of Star Trek: TNG I've seen indicates that's pretty good. But yeah, it's not actually an area I tend to personally explore.

[this is directly related to the above but it is not what you asked, letting you know so you can bounce if you're not interested.]

What I do think people should do though is 1. Read a shitload of Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin specifically and 2. Go to their local library (might need to make a trip to the central one, actually, for this) and find the battered sci-fi short story anthologies from like, 1972. I read SO MUCH OF THAT as a high schooler, and on the one hand this means that I'm cursed with many memories of stories I will probably never be able to find again (shout out to someone on a weird forum who was able to identify The Silk and the Song from my fragmented memories); but on the other hand I think it just gives you a grounding in classic sci fi you cannot otherwise get. Science fiction meant short stories for a good portion of the 20th century, and a lot of the most interesting and weird stuff that really engaged with modern and near-future technologies is in there.

TBH that is what I'm getting at with recommending classic sci fi short fiction just...in the abstract. I think a whole lot of it tried to engage with the idea of "what happens to our society if this happens" in a way that modern sci fi sometimes does not (for a huge number of sociological reasons and because the immensity/political implications of nuclear and space technologies being obvious in a way that the internet was not). I brought it up in reference to FCG because...look, there's still a lot I feel could have been done better, and that's a separate post, but FCG's presence in the world is fascinating. It's asking the question of "imagine a world where no one even has a proper conception of artificial intelligence - and where you can summon a low-level fey or celestial and require they do your bidding - but there's a bunch of mindless automatons. Ok imagine one of them has a soul now." The people who react most normally to FCG are the people most ignorant of automata! Anyway, I think reading a shitload of shortform classic sci fi is the most efficient way to rewire your brain to automatically go "ok but what is the baseline of this fictional society and what is the change this story is exploring and how would people of various types respond" with speculative fiction in general, and I think it's such an important part of analysis! Also it's fun! If you come across a moderately humorous story from the 60s or 70s where people keep messing with the timeline and keep not realizing they've done so please send me its title because it pops into my mind now and then and I haven't been able to find it in like 15 years!

#in all seriousness I credit reading compass rose by le guin like 5 times through in high school #with why i have good opinions about the kryn dynasty #i have a short fantasy anthology out of the library now actually and I am going to go read it this evening thanks anon for reminding me #tbh when i'm home for thanksgiving might go to my old library and be like. i have no card i just need to look at your books for 3 hours

[sugalaritae]

harrow's november reads

hello hello,

here are a few fics that i read this month because my job sucks and i read between calls. as i wrote in a previous post, a lot of these are from one author that posts solely on AO3 because i just decided to read everything that they had written. i also re-read one of my favourite fics of all time. the summaries of each fic are the author's.

delta by sharpa - myg x jhs, myg x jhs x knj, pjm x jjk, ksj x kth - idol!au He was the last person Namjoon expected to hear from - thought he was dreaming when he saw the email in his work inbox. It was short and simple, typical Hoseok. Just: We saw what happened. We’re so sorry. If you need get away for awhile, you’re always welcome to come stay with us - JH. He wonders now if Hoseok was surprised when he said yes. If Hoseok only extended the invitation because he didn’t think Namjoon would actually come.

(Or: Namjoon chose a solo career and left Yoongi and Hoseok behind. Seven years later, after being outed by a Korean tabloid, he ends up on their couch in Queens, trying to face an uncertain future. And confront feelings that have persisted for nearly a decade.)

everything is sound by sharpa - kth x jjk, myg x jhs - non-idol Kim Taehyung has been head-over-heels, ridiculously, disastrously in love with Jeon Jungkook for three and a half years.

Now, if only he could actually tell Jungkook that.

slowly drifting toward you by sharpa - myg x jjk - sort of idol!au A stranger argues with him over cat ratings on his own damn blog, and Yoongi wasn't expecting it to be the start of a friendship, but here they are.

(Or: Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi run a travel blog, Yoongi's been running for three years, and Jungkook is lonely in Seoul.)

the astronaut by @herecomessatvrn - idol!au Jin has a precious secret that he finally wants to share with the world.

the planets bend between us by sharpa - sci-fi au Taehyung often feels like magic, the stardust in his atoms closer to the surface than anyone else’s, and sometimes the planets they visit seem to know that and just … bloom for him.

Kind of like Yoongi does.

(Or Yoongi and Taehyung are researchers exploring the far-flung reaches of the galaxy, and very much in love.)

home by @vyduan - bts x reader - supernatural Uh, the OT7 supernatural filth but like cozy and middle-aged with a passel of children that no one asked for. Blame Park Jimin’s Folio Teaser (even though he’s not even in the scene) but like fuck him and fuck me.

as the shadow grows by spudcity - myg x jjk - fantasy Yoongi promised to never leave Jungkook.

And then he did.

Ten years later they’re reunited at the Ascendant Court, where ambition rules and nothing is as it seems. Yoongi is cold and deceptive, and Jungkook finds himself questioning everything he’s ever known.

teardrop by @hesperantha - myg x reader - non!idol facing an uncertain future, you and an old friend take off for a trip into the relative wilderness

#harrows recs #bts fanfiction #harrow reads #griddles recs #griddle reads

[weaselle]

thoughts on a theme on a scene on a dialogue too fast!

to write it is to halt its flow, sitting here with a blank document open i’m overwhelmed by a three-trilogy, nine book series worth of socio-economic /socio-political explorations set in a sci-fi fantasy crossover universe. Like, i’d have to commit to writing at least two hours a day most days of the week to .. hm, actually.

OH MY GOD I’M ALREADY BORED OF IT

now i want to sculpt the bone creatures my grandmother haunts me about

what i really want is like, the mad-scientist’s-lab version of a creative space

with like paints and clay and 3D printers and tools and musical instruments and recording booths and microphones and cameras and computers and a stage and circus gear and props and costumes and a green-screen room, a big kitchen and a workshop.

Like, a really nice gym but for creativity instead of fitness.

Because if i had access to that (and a budget of some kind) i could jump in and stay in, just do it as i feel it, wake up like:

 “i want... toys, i want to film like dinosaurs and cars in a pre-history to far-future City of Alltimes we make as a setting for some stop-motion shit. Okay we’ve done some of that i want to make a song, hold on, let me write lyrics to a song about that, cool, okay now let’s pick a vibe to build on and get some music going, this is going to become a music video featuring the dinosaur and car stuff we were doing, I think it’s going to be an awesome part of the choose your own adventure video tree i just thought of...”

oh yeah, “we were doing”, because in my fantasies about this it’s always with a group or a team of some kind

The dream is, we all wake up and have a nice breakfast and morning time, some of us eating together, some doing quiet solitary dawn greeting or whatever; anything each person likes (ideally there’s, like, a sauna and hot tub and viewing lounge with a nice view and a coffee station. Hey, if i’m dreaming, might a well dream big)

And then after our morning routines, we congregate in the creation lab

First I ask if there is anything the group wants to do, like if people sort of “song? anybody feel like songs” “how about a cooking video?” “i kind of want to do something in the workshop today” “yeah, let’s build something” “that sounds nice let’s do things with tools” “yeah building stuff” 

okay so it sounds like a lot of us want to build something in the shop, let’s do that, any ideas on what we should build

 Or maybe someone has a specific thing they have an idea for, a mural or something, and everybody else gets hype about it.

But then, for times when people were willing to create but didn’t have a specific idea, i would be there, with my ten latest greatest ideas and we could pick one to sort of let me conduct it like an orchestra meets mad-science experiment.

Anyway, the entire dream is that, but expanding the projects from purely creative to also include things like creating programs to help local homeless people, and looking at school charters and social messaging and local political projects that could help the next generation get the education they will actually need to accomplish what humans need to get done for ourselves sooner rather than later, in terms of turning climate collapse and politico-economic corruption into global peace and world-wide sustainable prosperity.

And maybe running a couple home businesses to fund it all.

So just, a tight crew, facilities, a budget, and getting up every day and making something happen that we want to happen, because no matter what that thing is, it’s going to happen faster and bigger and better with a highly-cooperative group than with individuals. 

and that’s how i want to live.

[unnecessary-gadgets-you-need]

Tech Temptations: The 2024 Guide to Unnecessary Gadgets You Can't Help But Want

In a world brimming with breakthroughs that blur the lines between necessity and luxury, "Tech Temptations: The 2024 Guide to Unnecessary Gadgets You Can't Help But Want" unveils the latest gadgets that, despite their questionably practical value, have become the objects of our desire. These are not just gadgets; they're the siren calls from the tech world, luring us with their innovative allure and promising to redefine the boundaries of our daily lives.

Imagine holding in your hands a device so advanced, it seems to have leaped straight out of a science fiction novel. Now, imagine that this gadget, while mesmerizing, isn't something you genuinely need. Why, then, does it feel so irresistibly essential? It's because these gadgets tap into our deepest desires for the new, the novel, and the next big thing. They're not just tools; they're trophies. They whisper the age-old promise of technology: to make our lives more interesting, if not always more convenient.

But here's the catch - as we stand at the crossroads of innovation and indulgence, a voice inside us questions the practicality of these purchases. "Do I really need this?" it asks, echoing the practical concerns that temper our excitement with a dose of reality. Yet, the heart of our inner tech enthusiast beats stronger, fueled by curiosity and the joy of discovery. It's a tug-of-war between the sensible and the sensational.

This guide isn't just a showcase; it's a journey into the heart of our tech-obsessed culture. It's about understanding the magnetic pull of gadgets that we yearn for, despite our better judgment. As we delve into the world of 2024's most unnecessary but undeniably fascinating gadgets, we invite you to explore this paradox with us. What makes these gadgets so compelling? How do they reflect our values, dreams, and the relentless pursuit of innovation?

Stay tuned as we unravel the mystery behind each item on our list, revealing not only their features but also the stories they tell about us and our relationship with technology. Prepare to be tempted, intrigued, and maybe even a little enchanted. The journey through the most captivating gadgets of 2024 begins now, and who knows? You might just discover the unnecessary gadget you can't help but want.

your curated list of the most exciting, unnecessary, yet irresistibly desirable gadgets of the year.

1. The Holographic Alarm Clock

Gone are the days of the mundane beeping alarm clock. The Holographic Alarm Clock projects the time, along with your day's schedule and weather updates, in stunning 3D right above your nightstand. While no one needs their morning reminders floating mid-air, the sheer cool factor of starting your day like a sci-fi movie hero is too tempting to pass up.

2. Smart Scent Dispenser

Imagine walking into a room that always smells like fresh rain or your favorite café. The Smart Scent Dispenser syncs with your smartphone to release scents based on your mood, the weather, or even the time of day. It's unnecessary luxury at its finest, transforming your living space based on a whim.

3. The AI Personal Chef

This countertop gadget is the future of home cooking. The AI Personal Chef can suggest recipes based on what's in your fridge, guide you through the cooking process with step-by-step holographic instructions, and even order groceries for you. It's an extravagant solution for meal planning and preparation, catering to those who love the idea of cooking more than the act itself.

4. Wearable Mood Rings

Taking a nostalgic item and infusing it with modern technology, the Wearable Mood Ring changes colors not just based on body temperature but also by analyzing your heart rate and emotional state through integrated AI. It's a conversation starter that offers a glimpse into your psyche, providing insights or just a fun way to express yourself.

5. The Robotic Plant Caretaker

For those who love plants but lack a green thumb, the Robotic Plant Caretaker is here to save the day. This gadget can water, provide light, and even play music for your plants based on their specific needs. It's a nifty device that guarantees a thriving indoor garden, making plant care effortless and engaging.

6. Smart Mirrors for Fitness and Fashion

These aren't just mirrors; they're gateways to a better you. With options for both fitness enthusiasts and fashionistas, Smart Mirrors can critique your workout form or help you choose an outfit by superimposing digital clothing on your reflection. While completely unnecessary, they offer a futuristic twist on self-improvement.

7. Virtual Reality Art Gallery

Bring the world's greatest art to your living room with the Virtual Reality Art Gallery. This gadget allows you to walk through virtual renditions of famous museums or curate personal exhibitions. It's an art lover's dream, providing immersive experiences that are as unnecessary as they are enchanting.

As we conclude our journey through the wondrous world of "Tech Temptations," it's clear that the future of gadgets is not just about utility but about the thrill of innovation, the joy of discovery, and the pleasure of owning something truly unique. These gadgets, while not essential, offer a glimpse into a life enhanced by technology, where every day is an adventure and every moment is an opportunity to experience the extraordinary.

But why stop at imagining? The future is here, and it's accessible with just a click. Temu is your portal to this dazzling world of unnecessary but utterly captivating gadgets. Whether you're drawn to the elegance of a Holographic Alarm Clock, the convenience of an AI Personal Chef, or the novelty of a Smart Scent Dispenser, Temu has something that will enchant, entertain, and maybe even change the way you live.

Don't let the future pass you by. Dive into the extraordinary, and treat yourself to something spectacular. Visit Temu now and discover the gadgets that you didn't know you needed but will soon wonder how you ever lived without. It's time to turn your tech fantasies into reality. Embrace the temptation, and let the magic of these gadgets transform your world.

Click here to explore Temu's collection of 2024's most exciting gadgets. Your next great tech adventure starts now. Let innovation lead the way to a future where every gadget tells a story, and every purchase opens the door to a new possibility. Happy exploring!

#ai #gadgets #temuapp #temu code #shopping #ecommerce #ai generated

[sciencestyled]

When Atoms High-Five Crayons: A Whacky Odyssey of Science Meets Art

Greetings, Earthlings and fellow universe-dwellers! Strap in, buckle up, and let's blast off on a hyperdrive journey through the kaleidoscopic galaxy where the binary stars of science education and creative art not only collide but also tango in zero gravity.

Picture this: Einstein wearing tie-dye lab coats, Picasso with a telescope, and your physics textbook is suddenly a graphic novel illustrated by Banksy. Confused? Intrigued? Perfect! That's the first sign you're ready to dive into the rabbit hole where quarks and quirks mingle.

Let's start by yanking the old dusty curtain off the stage. Science, that majestic beast of logic and reason, often seen as the Spock in a world of Kirks, is not just about cold, hard facts. It's the ultimate plot twist in a universe that's more bizarre than any sci-fi flick. And then there’s art, the wild child of human expression, splashing colors and emotions everywhere like a toddler in a puddle of intergalactic goo.

So, how do these two seemingly mismatched playmates get along? Like peanut butter and jelly in a sandwich designed by Salvador Dali, that’s how! The fusion of science education and creative art isn't just beneficial; it's a necessity, like Wi-Fi or memes.

Consider the case of the humble bumblebee. Scientists once thought its flight was aerodynamically impossible – enter artists, who asked, “But have you seen how cute their fuzzy little bodies are as they zoom around?” This led to a re-examination, and voilà, science meets art in the dance of the bees.

Take the VR Van Gogh exhibit, where you can literally walk into "Starry Night" and trip on those swirling skies (metaphorically, of course). This isn’t just art; it's a full-blown sensory science lesson in perspective, light, and color theory.

Or consider the world of educational video games. Once upon a time, "educational" meant as fun as watching paint dry in slow motion. Now, we've got games that are like if Fortnite and Bill Nye had a digital baby. They're teaching kids quantum physics and making them laugh at the same time. Who said learning about Schrödinger's cat can’t involve epic battles and cool sound effects?

And let's not forget those mad scientists-cum-artists who use CRISPR to make glowing plants. That's right, folks. Glowing. Plants. It’s like if Mother Nature went to a rave. This isn’t just science or art; it’s a bio-luminescent dream.

But wait, there's more! The future is even wilder. Imagine schools where art class includes sculpting your own mini-mars habitat. Science fairs where holographic displays are the new cardboard tri-folds. Universities where your thesis is a virtual reality simulation, and your professor is an AI with a sense of humor drier than the Sahara.

So, why does this madcap mashup matter? Because the world's problems aren’t going to be solved by single-minded thinking. Climate change? We need the logic of science and the empathy of art. Space exploration? Math to get us there, and imagination to dream up what we'll do when we land on Mars or Titan (or that weird planet made entirely of diamonds, because why not?).

In conclusion, my fellow cosmic voyagers, the intersection of science education and creative art is more than a beneficial alliance; it's a whirlwind romance that’s redefining what it means to learn, to create, and to understand our place in this wacky, wonderful universe. It’s a universe where atoms high-five crayons, black holes are the ultimate abstract art, and the only limit is our imagination.

So, let's mix those test tubes with paint tubes, swap lab coats for smocks, and see what happens when we let science and art go on a blind date. Spoiler alert: they’re going to fall madly in love and have bizarre, brilliant baby ideas that’ll change the world.

Remember, in the cosmic comedy that is life, the punchline is always a surprise. Keep laughing, keep learning, and never stop wondering what happens when atoms high-five crayons.

#science #science education #art #education #science art

[space-ship-earth-crew]

It’s been an interesting, inspiring and harrowing weekend! Started with my trip down to the 60th anniversary March on Washington. I had no idea how to use the Metro, but thanks to a new friend I made named David, going to the march too, he helped me avoid ending up Maryland rather than the Lincoln Memorial.

The beautiful thing about this rally, were the deep connections you make with complete strangers, like a woman who offered me a snack, even though I unwittingly walked into a region of the rally that required press passes. And another three students I met from Florida State University, who drove all the way up from Tallahassee for the march.

They were curious about my signs, so I was able to explain the idea behind them, which they resonated with and asked to take pictures of. (Last powwow videos described from Sunday event below)

My first sign was designed using Midjourney and Adobe Photoshop. I call it “Honorary Captain’s Chair of Spaceship Earth,” and it’s imagining a new Martin Luther King monument in San Francisco, the future birthplace of the Federation and capital of Earth in Star Trek.

There is a strong connection with MLK Jr and this science fiction juggernaut that some may not know about. King was actually a famous early fan of the show and helped persuade Nichelle Nichols to stay on, when she was considering leaving.

The most striking similarity between MLK and Star Trek; it imagines a future Earth where King’s Dream has been realized and humanity is United in peace and prosperity, while their differences are not a source of racism and hatred, but of delight, where infinite diversity in infinite combinations on Earth and in the universe are treasured and celebrated, or as expressed at the rally; is our greatest strength or “superpower,” not weakness.

The Enterprise in Star Trek can be seen a symbol for our spaceship Earth and King’s Dream Reborn, where diverse crew members across the globe have joined forces to explore, not wage world war. The bridge of this starship is a sacred meeting space for the crew, where we learn about our place in the universe while family bonds are created that transcend biology! Not only are humans from every race and corner of Earth represented here, (like a future Earth capital) but even diverse alien beings from other worlds, work side by side with their human brothers and sisters.

The 2nd poster I created with Midjourney and Photoshop, was inspired a couple months ago, (scroll to post below this one) after Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on my door wanting to talk about the future. My response to them was, “You want to talk about Star Trek?” They weren’t amused and only wanted to talk about the Bible. Eventually they left when I tried to tell them more about one of my favorite sci-fi shows of all time. So this experience got me thinking, “I wish Star Trek people showed up at my house as alternative to Jehovah’s Witnesses, to talk about another kind of future I could get behind, where we work towards Martin Luther King’s Dream Reborn and the Star Trek vision of a United Earth. We may not be ready for first contact and a United Federation of Planets, but the people of the world are ready now to start building a United federation of nations.

So I wanted to imagine what that might look like, with a beloved community of diverse human beings embodying King’s Dream, showing up at your doorstep in Star Trek uniforms, to talk about this future. And to also see them as alternative to Jehovah Witnesses in every major city, with a more hopeful message, where we rewrite the Star Trek Timeline of nuclear annihilation in 2026, to instead build a future and a Starship without the World War. And in doing so, perhaps inspire Christians and Muslims to do the same, rewriting their End Times nightmare of Revelation and Armageddon requiring saved and damned, so we can get to heaven without first having to endure the hell.

This march was also a place I reflected on the nature of impermanence of this life. Having just lost one of my childhood friends; Constantin, I wanted to honor him and all my other friends and family who have crossed over to another realm, who we all eventually join in this journey of the unknown. While I’m still alive, I want to honor their memory, while seeking to embody the highest human aspiration to which we are all heirs; to make this world a better place for the next generation, waiting in the wings for their chance to experience a life closer to heaven than a living hell.

Martin Luther King Jr. Has played a big impact in the way I relate to this unknown, which is constantly hijacked by dogmatic religious extremists. I even saw them at this rally, trying to spread their message of fear salvation and damnation. In the works I’ve read from his life, King embraced possibilities that transcended dogma, by connecting with a higher power of love, offering up perfect freedom which is our only true salvation.

Ironically, on my way back on the Metro, A Christian fundamentalist was sitting across from me and started asking questions about my signs, and he was dismayed by my answers that challenged his Biblical dogma. I gave him an alternative perspective that I hope might lead to his opening up to the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr., and Star Trek. And that the Return of Christ is not something to be taken literally, but seen as metaphor for a greater universal truth of life, that we all eventually return to as the source at death, and Christian extremists mistakenly try to turn into an exclusive commercial for their faith.

And then on my way home, my life was saved by the power of my car, where I was able to speed up in time before a reckless driver smashed into me from behind on the highway.

The next day I attended the Pequot powwow with my dad, another place of beautiful human diversity as window into King’s Dream that I take delight in seeing every year, showing us a glimpse of the beloved diverse community, where our beautiful differences as a species are celebrated instead of being demonized. Taken together with Martin Luther King’s Dream Reborn, the Native American Beloved Community is a powerful antidote to the rise of Christian Nationalism, disease of white supremacy and religious extremism, threatening America and the world’s future. This antidote represents the best alternative we have in transforming a trail of tears into a road of redemption, that can save the soul of America, while propelling US towards our destiny of a United Earth, and a future like Star Trek! 🇺🇸✌🏽👁️🌎👁️🚀✨🌘✨🟠✨🪐✨🌟

#ExploreNotWorldWar

#Martin Luther King Jr. #Native Americans #Powwow #Star Trek

[nsk96]

hi, 4, 6 & 16 for writer ask 👀

AKDLAFDLJF ahhh thank you for the ask 😊💙💙💙

4. This one was a hard to decide on. I'm caught between comedy and Sci-fi/fantasy, but I've adored sci-fi my whole life, so I'd say that one is my favorite genre to write. I always got my head up in the clouds dreaming of far off places, planets, dimensions, and futures.

6. A topic I would love to explore in my writing would be redemption. I'm a sucker for epic redemption arcs and hope to write my first one very soon as an enemies-to-lovers fan fiction (which would also be my first time writing enemies-to-lovers. I've had the story planned out for almost two years, but now I got Dishonored on my mind so it will have to wait a little longer💀). Just something about characters turning their whole life around for the better gets to me. Or characters who lost themselves on their journey and later realize the damage they've done and try to fix it. Or characters who decide to change because they are loved which is something they never had previously. It gives me hope when so much wrong is being done in the world.

16. Where I find the inspiration to write? Movies, video games, and most of all...dreams. I get some of the weirdest dreams, often apocalyptic or weird realms and voids. (Also, just having romantic interest for specific characters really gets my imagination going because I like to imagine many different scenarios/journeys with them. My Dishonored fan fic WIPs came from this. Marisa, the mc's mother, is literally a self-insert🤡)

#ask game #writer ask game #writer

[oscopelabs]

Isn’t Everything Autobiographical?: Ethan Hawke In Nine Films And A Novel by Marya Gates

When asked during his first ever on-camera interview if he’d like to continue acting, a young Ethan Hawke replied, “I don’t know if it’s going to be there, but I’d like to do it.” He then gives a guileless shrug of relief as the interview ends, wiping imaginary sweat off his brow. The simultaneous fusion of his nervous energy and poised body language will be familiar to those who’ve seen later interviews with the actor. The practicality and wisdom he exudes at such a young age would prove to be a through-line of his nearly 40-year career. In an interview many decades later, he told Ideas Tap that many children get into acting because they’re seeking attention, but those who find their calling in the craft discover that a “desire to communicate and to share and to be a part of something bigger than yourself takes over, a certain craftsmanship—and that will bring you a lot of pleasure.”

Through Hawke’s dedication to his craft, we’ve also seen his maturation as a person unfold on screen. Though none of his roles are traditionally what we think of when we think of autobiography, many of Hawke’s roles, as well as his work as a writer, suggest a sort of fictional autobiographical lineage. While these highlights in his career are not strictly autofiction, one can trace Hawke’s Künstlerromanesque trajectory from his childhood ambitions to his life now as a man dedicated to art, not greatness. 

Hawke’s first two films, Joe Dante’s sci-fi fantasy Explorers with River Phoenix and Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society with Robin Williams, set the tone for a diverse filmography filled with popcorn fare and indie cinema in equal measure, but they also served as touchstones in his development as person drawn to self-expression through art. In an interview with Rolling Stone’s David Fear, Hawke spoke about the impact of these two films on him as an actor. When River Phoenix, his friend and co-star in Explorers, had his life cut short by a drug overdose, it hit Hawke personally. He saw from the inside what Hollywood was capable of doing to young people with talent. Hawke never attempted to break out, to become a star. He did the work he loved and kept the wild Hollywood lifestyle mostly at arm’s length. 

Like any good film of this genre, Dead Poets Society is not just a film about characters coming of age, but a film that guides the viewer as well, if they are open to its message. Hawke’s performance as repressed schoolboy Todd in the film is mostly internal, all reactions and penetrating glances, rather than grandiose movements or speeches. Through his nervy body language and searching gaze, you can feel both how closed off to the world Todd is, and yet how willing he is to let change in. Hawke has said working on this film taught him that art has a real power, that it can affect people deeply. This ethos permeates many of the characters Hawke has inhabited in his career. 

In Dead Poets Society, Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) tells the boys that we read and write poetry because the human race is full of passion. He insists, “poetry, beauty, romance, love—these are what we stay alive for.” Hawke gave a 2020 TEDTalk entitled Give Yourself Permission To Be Creative, in which he explored what it means to be creative, pushing viewers to ask themselves if they think human creativity matters. In response to his own question, he said “Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about poetry, right? They have a life to live and they’re not really that concerned with Allen Ginsberg’s poems, or anybody’s poems, until their father dies, they go to a funeral, you lose a child, somebody breaks your heart, they don’t love you anymore, and all of the sudden you’re desperate for making sense out of this life and ‘has anyone ever felt this bad before? How did they come out of this cloud?’ Or the inverse, something great. You meet somebody and your heart explodes. You love them so much, you can’t even see straight, you know, you’re dizzy. ‘Did anybody feel like this before? What is happening to me?’ And that’s when art is not a luxury. It’s actually sustenance. We need it.” 

Throughout many of his roles post-Dead Poets Society, Hawke explores the nature of creativity through his embodiment of writers and musicians. Often these characters are searching for a greater purpose through art, while ultimately finding that human connection is the key. Without that human connection, their art is nothing.

We see the first germ of this attraction to portray creative people on screen with his performance as Troy Dyer in Reality Bites. As Troy Dyer, a philosophy-spouting college dropout turned grunge-band frontman in Reality Bites, Hawke was posited as a Gen-X hero. His inability to keep a job and his musician lifestyle were held in stark contrast to Ben Stiller’s yuppie TV exec Michael Grates. However in true slacker spirit, he isn’t actually committed to the art of music, often missing rehearsals, as Lelaina points out. Troy even uses his music at one point to humiliate Lelaina, dedicating a rendition of “Add It Up” by Violent Femmes to her. The lyrics add insult to injury as earlier that day he snuck out of her room after the two had sex for the first time. Troy’s lack of commitment to his music matches his inability to commit to those relationships in his life that mean the most to him. 

Reality Bites is also where he first positioned himself as one of the great orators of modern cinema.” Take this early monologue, in which he outlines his beliefs to Winona Ryder’s would-be documentarian Lelaina Pierce: “There’s no point to any of this. It’s all just a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know, a quarter-pounder with cheese, those are good, the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter become a cackle, and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt.” 

Hawke brings the same intense gaze to this performance as he did to Dead Poets Society, as if his eyes could swallow the world whole. But where Todd’s body language was walled-off, Troy’s is loud and boisterous. He’s quick to see the faults of those around him, but also the good things the world has to offer. It’s a pretty honest depiction of how self-centered your early-20s tend to be, where riding your own melt seems like the best option. As the film progresses, Troy lets others in, saying to Lelaina, “This is all we need. A couple of smokes, a cup of coffee, and a little bit of conversation. You, me and five bucks.”

Like the character, Hawke was in his early twenties and as he would continue to philosophize through other characters, they would age along with him and so would their takes on the world. If you only engage with anyone at one phase in their life, you do a disservice to the arc of human existence. We have the ability to grow and change as we learn who we are and become less self-centered. In Hawke’s career, there’s no better example of this than his multi-film turn as Jesse in the Before Trilogy. While the creation of Jesse and Celine are credited to writer-director Richard Linklater and his writing partner Kim Krizan, much of what made it to the screen even as early as the first film were filtered through the life experiences of Hawke and his co-star Julie Delpy. 

In a Q&A with Jess Walter promoting his most recent novel A Bright Ray of Darkness, Hawke said that Jesse from the Before Trilogy is like an alt-universe version of himself, and through them we can see the self-awareness and curiosity present in the early ET interview grow into the the kind of man Keating from Dead Poets Society urged his students to become. 

In Before Sunrise, Hawke’s Jesse is roughly the same age as Troy in Reality Bites, and as such is still in a narcissistic phase of his life. After spending several romantic hours with Celine in Vienna, the two share their thoughts about relationships. Celine says she wants to be her own person, but that she also desperately wants to love and be loved. Jesse shares this monologue, “Sometimes I dream about being a good father and a good husband. And sometimes it feels really close. But then other times it seems silly, like it would ruin my whole life. And it’s not just a fear of commitment or that I’m incapable of caring or loving because. . . I can. It’s just that, if I’m totally honest with myself, I think I’d rather die knowing that I was really good at something. That I had excelled in some way than that I’d just been in a nice, caring relationship.”

The film ends without the audience knowing if Jesse and Celine ever see each other again. That initial shock is unfortunately now not quite as impactful if you are aware of the sequels. But I think it is an astute look at two people who meet when they are still discovering who they are. Still growing. Jesse, at least, is definitely not ready for any kind of commitment. Then of course, we find out in Before Sunset that he’s fumbled his way into marriage and fatherhood, and while he’s excelling at the latter, he’s failing at the former. 

As in Reality Bites, Hawke explores the dynamics of band life again in Before Sunset, when Jesse recalls to Celine how he was in a band, but they were too obsessed with getting a deal to truly enjoy the process of making music. He says to her, “You know, it's all we talked about, it was all we thought about, getting bigger shows, and everything was just...focused on the future, all the time. And now, the band doesn't even exist anymore, right? And looking back at the... at the shows we did play, even rehearsing... You know, it was just so much fun! Now I'd be able to enjoy every minute of it.”

The filming of Before Sunset happened to coincide with the dissolution of Hawke’s first marriage. And while these films are not autobiographical, everyone involved have stated that they’ve added personal elements to their characters. They even poke fun at it in the opening scene when a journalist asks how autobiographical Jesse’s novel is. True to form, he responds with a monologue, “Well, I mean, isn’t everything autobiographical? I mean, we all see the world through our own tiny keyhole, right? I mean, I always think of Thomas Wolfe, you know. Have you ever seen that little one page note to reader in the front of Look Homeward, Angel, right? You know what I'm talking about? Anyway, he says that we are the sum of all the moments of our lives, and that, anybody who sits down to write is gonna use the clay of their own life, that you can’t avoid that.”

While Before Sunset was shot in 2003, released in 2004 and this monologue refers to the fictional book within the trilogy entitled This Time, Hawke would take this same approach more than a decade later with his novel A Bright Ray of Darkness.

In the novel, Hawke crafts a quasi-autobiographical story, using his experience in theater to work through the perspective he now has on his failed marriage to Uma Thurman. Much like Jesse in Before Sunset, Hawke is reluctant to call the book autobiographical, but the parallels to his own divorce are evident. And as Jesse paraphrased Wolfe, isn’t everything we do autobiographical? In the book, movie star William Harding has blown up his seemingly picture-perfect marriage with a pop star by having an affair while filming on location in South Africa. The book, structured in scenes and acts like a play, follows the aftermath as he navigates his impending divorce, his relationship with his small children, and his performance as Hotspur in a production of Henry IV on Broadway. 

Throughout much of the novel, William looks back at the mistakes he made that led to the breakup of his marriage. He’s now in his 30s and has the clarity to see how selfish he was in his 20s. Hawke, however, was in his forties while writing the book. Through the layers of hindsight, you can feel how Hawke has processed not just the painful emotional growth spurt of his 20s, but also the way he can now mine the wisdom that comes from true reflection. Still, as steeped as the novel is in self-reflection, it does not claim to have all the answers. In fact, it offers William, as well as the readers, more questions to contemplate than it does answers.

The wisdom to know that you will never quite understand everything is broached by Hawke early in the third film in the Before Trilogy, 2013’s Before Midnight. At this point in their love story, Jesse’s marriage has ended and he and Celine are parents to twin girls. Jesse has released two more books: That Time, which recounts the events of the previous film, and Temporary Cast Members of a Long-Running But Little Seen Production of a Play Called Fleeting. Before Midnight breaks the bewitching spell of the first two films by adding more cast members and showing the friction that comes with an attempt to grow old with someone. When discussing his three books, a young man says the title of his third is too long, Jesse says it wasn’t as well loved, and an older professor friend says it’s his best book because it’s more ambitious. It seems Linklater and company already knew how the departure of this third film might be regarded by fans. But it is this very departure that shows their commitment to honestly showing the passage of time and our relationship to it. 

About halfway through the film Jesse and Celine depart the Greek villa where they have been spending the summer, and we finally get a one-on-one conversation like we’re used to with these films. In one exchange, I feel they summarize the point of the entire trilogy, and possibly Hawke’s entire ethos: 

Jesse: Every year, I just seem to get a little bit more humbled and more overwhelmed about all the things I’m never going to know or understand. 

Celine: That’s what I keep telling you. You know nothing!

Jesse: I know, I know! I'm coming around! 

[Celine and Jesse laugh.] 

Celine: But not knowing is not so bad. I mean, the point is to be looking, searching. To stay hungry, right?

Throughout the series, Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke explore what they call the “transient nature of everything.” Jesse says his books are less about time and more about perception. It’s the rare person who can assess themselves or the world around them acutely in the present. For most of us, it takes time and self-reflection to come to any sort of understanding about our own nature. Before Midnight asks us to look back at the first two films with honesty, to remove the romantic lens with which they first appeared to us. It asks us to reevaluate what romance even truly is. 

Hawke explores this same concept again in the 2018 romantic comedy Juliet, Naked. In this adaptation of the 2009 Nick Hornby novel, Hawke plays a washed-up singer-songwriter named Tucker Crowe. He had a big hit album, Juliet, in the early ‘90s and then disappeared into obscurity. Rose Bryne plays a woman named Annie whose longtime boyfriend Duncan is obsessed with the singer and the album, stuck on the way the bummer songs about a bad breakup make him feel. As the film begins, Annie reveals that she thinks she’s wasted 15 years of her life with this schmuck. This being a rom-com, we know that Hawke and Byrne’s characters will eventually meet-cute. What’s so revelatory about the film is its raw depiction of how hard it is for many to reassess who they really are later in life. 

Duncan is stuck as the self-obsessed, self-pitying person he likely was when Annie first met him, but she reveals he was so unlike anyone else in her remote town that she looked the other way for far too long. Now it’s almost too late. By chance, she connects with Crowe and finds a different kind of man.

See, when Crowe wrote Juliet, he also was a navel-gazing twentysomething whose emotional development had not yet reached the point of being able to see both sides in a romantic entanglement. He worked through his heartbreak through art, and though it spoke to other people, he didn’t think about the woman or her feelings on the subject. In a way, Crowe’s music sounds a bit like what Reality Bites’s Troy Dyer may have written, if he ever had the drive to actually work at his music. Eventually, it’s revealed that Crowe walked away from it all when Julie, the woman who broke his heart, confronted him with their child—something he was well aware of, but from which he had been running away. Faced with the harsh reality of his actions and the ramifications they had on the world beyond his own feelings, he ran even farther away from responsibility. In telling the story to Annie, he says, “I couldn’t play any of those songs anymore, you know? After that, I just... I couldn’t play these insipid, self-pitying songs about Julie breaking my heart. You know, they were a joke. And before I know it, a couple of decades have gone by and some doctor hands me... hands me Jackson. I hold him, you know, and I look at him. And I know that this boy. . . is my last chance.”

When we first meet Crowe, he’s now dedicated his life to raising his youngest son, having at this point messed up with four previous children. The many facets of parenthood is something that shows up in Hawke’s later body of work many times, in projects as wholly different as Brooklyn’s Finest, Before Midnight, Boyhood, Maggie’s Plan, First Reformed, and even his novel A Bright Ray of Darkness. In each of these projects, decisions made by Hawke’s characters have a big impact on their children’s lives. These films explore the financial pressures of parenthood, the quirks of blended families, the impact of absent fathers, and even the tragedy of a father’s wishes acquiesced without question. Hawke’s take on parenthood is that of flawed men always striving to overcome the worst of themselves for the betterment of the next generation, often with mixed results. 

Where Juliet, Naked showed a potential arc of redemption for a father gone astray, First Reformed paints a bleaker portrait. Hawke plays Pastor Toller, a man of the cloth struggling with his own faith who attempts to counsel an environmental activist whose impending fatherhood has driven him to suicidal despair. Toller himself is struggling under the weight of fatherhood, believing he sent his own son to die a needless death in a morally bankrupt war. Sharing the story, he says “My father taught at VMI. I encouraged my son to enlist. It was the family tradition. Like his father, his grandfather. Patriotic tradition. My wife was very opposed. But he enlisted against her wishes. . . .  Six months later he was killed in Iraq. There was no moral justification for this conflict. My wife could not live with me after that. Who could blame her? I left the military. Reverend Jeffers at Abundant Life Church heard about my situation. They offered me a position at First Reformed. And here I am.” How do we carry the weight of actions that affect lives that are not even our own? 

If Peter Weir set the father figure template in Dead Poets Society, and Paul Schrader explored the consequences of direct parental influence on their children’s lives, director Richard Linklater subverts the idea of a mentor-guide in Boyhood, showing both parents are as lost as the kid himself. When young Mason (Ellar Coltrane) asks his dad (Hawke) what’s the point of everything, his reply is “I sure as shit don’t know. Nobody does. We’re all just winging it.” As the film ends, Mason sits atop a mountain with a new friend he’s made in the dorms discussing time. She says that everyone is always talking about seize the moment—carpe diem!—but she thinks it’s the other way around. That the moments seize us. In Reality Bites, Troy gets annoyed at Lelaina’s constant need to “memorex” everything with her camcorder, yet Boyhood is a film about capturing a life over a 12-year period. The Before Trilogy checks in on Jesse and Celine every nine years. Hawke’s entire career. in fact, has captured his growth from an awkward teen to a prolific artist and devoted father, a master of his craft and philosopher at heart. 

#ethan hawke #boyhood #before trilogy #before midnight #before sunset #before sunrise #reality bites #first reformed #dead poets society #a bright ray of darkness #film writing #film essay #musings #oscilloscope laboratories

[onlydylanobrien]

Director Christopher MacBride must relish in screwing with people's minds. His previous film, 2012's The Conspiracy, found two documentary filmmakers drawn into the world of conspiracy theories and wondering what was real... or not. His latest endeavor, Flashback – formerly entitled The Education of Fredrick Fitzell – is another head trip.

The movie follows Fred (Teen Wolf's Dylan O'Brien), a 30-year-old man suffering from violent flashbacks that harken back to his youth. Brutal and scary, the visions lead him on this journey to uncover the truth surrounding the mysterious disappearance of his high school classmate, Cindy. To get answers, Fred hunts down his former teen drug buddies. One night, they end up at a crazy drug-den party, where these strangers are all strung out on the substance Mercury. Everything spirals out of control from there, as past, present and future versions of Fred come into play.

SYFY WIRE has been following the film's progress throughout production, visiting the set as far back as 2018, where we chatted with the cast. As the film gears up to finally hit theaters, and in the wake of a delay caused by the pandemic, here's our chat with MacBride from that set visit in Toronto. The director sat down with us to discuss the project's bigger themes, high-concept science fiction, monsters, and casting O'Brien.

The original title of the movie had "education" in it. What does Fredrick learn along his journey?

The "education" definitely has multiple meanings. One of them is exploring the idea of how a human being is educated in a broad sense. How do we learn basic building blocks of life that affect us 30 years later? Experiences you have as a kid, as a child, how do those basic educational building blocks that get instilled in you. How do they then influence you when you are a grown man? Another part of it is a chunk of the story is about growing up. There's a coming-of-age aspect to it. Fred is a guy approaching 30. He's on the cusp of full-blown adulthood, in a lot of ways. He's in his first serious relationship. Is he going to commit to his girlfriend? Is he going to give up his dreams of becoming an artist and take up an office job? Is he going to become a responsible adult? His mother is also on her deathbed, which is another rite of passage when you are no longer a child. So, the education is about how to be an adult, but it's also him learning about the forces in his life that control him.

Can you talk about infusing the science-fiction element into this narrative?

Sci-fi is my favorite genre. The type that I gravitate towards most is the Philip K. Dick-type mind-bending science fiction. I love stories like that, whether it's novels or movies… high-concept, brain-teasing sci-fi. Flashback is definitely influenced by Philip K. Dick. The idea of not understanding your own identity is really interesting to me. Mind-bending sci-fi is such a great way to explore these themes of identity. A Scanner Darkly is a great example. It's stuff that could be pretentious or not fit in a straight-ahead drama. But in sci-fi, it gives you license to explore it in that way.

Where does Flashback's shapeshifting creature come into play?

The creature is a mystery in the film. I wanted an antagonist that wasn't a conventional antagonist. It's not a horror monster that is trying to gobble you up or kill you. It's something the main characters perceive when they are on this drug, that seems almost godlike. It seems to be everywhere at once. It has a Lovecraftian vibe to it. He often has creatures referred to as "you can't fathom what they look like, and you would lose your mind if you did." This is my attempt to build something like that, that looks and moves and acts like no other monster in any other movie. We are still in the process of putting it together, so we will see how it ultimately comes out.

Are the effects practical or computer-generated?

A combination of both. Audiences have seen every kind of CG monster. No matter how good the technology gets, there's always that uncanny valley where you always know it's not really there. I like things that have a Cronenberg, sticky-tactile nature to them. I want the creature to feel like it's made up of something that you don't understand, and it moves in a way you don't understand.

How did casting Dylan O'Brien as the lead come about and what did he bring to the table?

When we started casting, we wanted a good actor. But we also had certain criteria. We needed somebody who could be 17 and 30 realistically, which is tough. One of our producers, Russell Ackerman, brought up Dylan O'Brien and asked what I thought. I said, "Yes," and I went and watched American Assassin. I could see how he had formed a real character in the movie. I could see it had boundaries and limits. I could see he was a real actor. We met and he got the script. He not only got the role, but he got the whole story, so I was really impressed.

Flashback premieres in select theaters and VOD on June 4.

#dylan o'brien #flashback #christopher macbride #flashback press

[insomniac-arrest]

Future Novel

Hi all! This is a post to help me figure out what writing project you’d like to see next from me. Right now I am working on The Waitress and the Werewolf which will be released sometime in early 2021 on Tapas.

However! It’s always good to have a few pots on the stove, so this is to help me figure out which serialized novel to work on next. I’ll be moving my novel work from Tapas to Patreon from here on out. My main consideration is whether people would be willing to monetarily support the story since I’d like to start supporting myself with my work.

Here are the three novels I’m considering:

1. The Faceless Masquerade

Genre: High Fantasy

Rating: Adult

Summary: Amy Barker lives in a small town where she takes care of her aging mother and is largely ostracized by the other residents for being a horribly failed witch. However, everyday life screeches to a halt when something called “The Faceless Masquerade” comes to town-- sometimes referred to as the Red Plague that brainwashes people into their terrible endless dance.

The Faceless Masquerade breaks through the town defenses and steals the identity of all the residents, except for one. Amy Barker is left with only the pieces of her life after surviving the night, but ends up meeting that last Lady of the Wild Hunt who is sworn to defeat the Masquerade and destroy the last of the wild plagues of their world.

Amy, despite being both a failed witch and now town-less, decides to join Lady Jocasta and her squire, the last luck witch or Prince of Cats, to defeat them and restore peace to their lands.

2. The Artist’s Pin Up Girl

Genre: historical wlw steamy romance

Rating: Adult

Summary: A struggling actress and a cynical artist team-up to create pin ups during the World War II era. 

Frances moved to LA in order to achieve her dreams of becoming a movie star on the silver screen. Unfortunately, after falling on hard times she must start doing odd jobs. In an attempt to pay her rent she responds to an ad requesting models for pin up art by a reclusive female artist.

Frances is wary of the young woman, Lada Zagorsky, holed up away in her art studio with nothing but cigarettes and nude drawings to keep her company. Nonetheless, she starts to befriend the eccentric artist just as they begin to explore the art form of the pin up girl and something else sparking between them.

3. Whales Aren’t Real

Genre: sci-fi wlw soft apocalyptica

Rating: Young Adult (YA)

Summary: A chosen Earth Restitution Team (ERT) from an above-planet satellite goes diving into the ocean to look for what remains of ocean life. A young ERT member finds one of the few humans who adapted to the destruction of the planet, she asks her if whales are real or not.

A sci-fi love story about two girls, the mystery of megafuana, and a soft sort of apocalypse.

HERE’S A POLL

thank you again for helping me!!

#IA talks #poll time

[richincolor]

New Releases for the Week of April 5th

We have six titles on our release calendar for this week. There is quite a variety with fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary romance, and even nonfiction represented. Are any of them on your TBR?

The Cost of Knowing by Brittany Morris Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short.

It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life.

And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes.

With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet Laekan Zea Kemp Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

As an aspiring pastry chef, Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans — leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican-American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she’s been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho’s who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she’s been too afraid to ask herself.

Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that — a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his new found family and himself.

Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong — both within their families and their fiercely loyal Chicanx community — in order to save the place they all call home. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Infinity Courts (The Infinity Courts #1) by Akemi Dawn Bowman Simon Pulse

Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.

The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.

When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.

As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human. From award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes an incisive, action-packed tale that explores big questions about technology, grief, love, and humanity.  — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan Scholastic Press

Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a pediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family’s dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years.

But one day her tormentor, star football player Tyler Benson, takes things too far, leaving a threatening note in her locker, and gets suspended. As an act of revenge against her for speaking out, Tyler and his friends vandalize Zara’s house with racist graffiti, leading to a violent crime that puts Zara’s entire future at risk. Now she must pay the ultimate price and choose between fighting to stay in the only place she’s ever called home or losing the life she loves and everyone in it.

From the author of the “heart-wrenching yet hopeful” (Samira Ahmed) novel, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali, comes a timely, intimate look at what it means to be an immigrant in America today, and the endurance of hope and faith in the face of hate. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Oculta (A Forgery of Magic #2) by Maya Motayne Balzer + Bray

After joining forces to save Castallan from an ancient magical evil, Alfie and Finn haven’t seen each other in months. Alfie is finally stepping up to his role as heir and preparing for an International Peace Summit, while Finn is travelling and revelling in her newfound freedom from Ignacio.

That is, until she’s unexpectedly installed as the new leader of one of Castallan’s powerful crime families. Now one of the four Thief Lords of Castallan, she’s forced to preside over the illegal underground Oculta competition, which coincides with the summit and boasts a legendary prize.

Just when Finn finds herself back in San Cristobal, Alfie’s plans are also derailed. Los Toros, the mysterious syndicate responsible for his brother’s murder, has resurfaced—and their newest target is the summit. And when these events all unexpectedly converge, Finn and Alfie are once again forced to work together to follow the assassins’ trail and preserve Castallan’s hopes for peace with Englass.

But will they be able to stop these sinister foes before a new war threatens their kingdom? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition by Anton Treuer Levine Querido

From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike. Ranging from “Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?” to “Why is it called a ‘traditional Indian fry bread taco’?” to “What’s it like for natives who don’t look native?” to “Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?”, and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.

Updated and expanded to include:

• Dozens of New Questions and New Sections—including a social activism section that explores the Dakota Access Pipeline, racism, identity, politics, and more! • Over 50 new Photos • Adapted text for broad appeal — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

#new releases #sci-fi #fantasy #contemporary #romance #YALit

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph, you’re amazing at what you do. I just want to know from a true connoisseur, which 3 fics do you think you’ve read and re-read the most number of times? As in, 3 ultimate comfort fics.

Hi Nonny!

Ooof, I’ve been asked a similar question here a couple weeks ago, but hmm, this is actually something I never really had to think hard about! EXCEPT CAN I GIVE YOU 5? Because 5 immediately came to mind. Is that okay?? OMG I’m so sorry. Plus 5 is a number I like better than three, sorry :P Another weird tic of mine. 

No surprise which is my first, hahah:

A Promise Made to Be Broken by PlantsAreNeat (E, 37,018 w., 7 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Pining, Slow Burn, RST, Eventual Relationship, POV Sherlock) – A young John makes an ‘if we’re still single at 40, we’ll get together’ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won’t let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to ‘have’ John, but not keep him.

It’s just such a joy to read every single time, and I never skip any parts at all. Start to finish EVERY TIME. 

Next:

Iris by slashscribe (E, 11,948 w., 1 Ch. || Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Post-S3) – Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock's perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness.

This was my first Parentlock fic I read and it’s why I now do read Parentlock. Still one of my favourites, and it’s short enough to read in one sitting. It’s just so sweet, and Sherlock is SO precious, and GAH I LOVE it. Another start-to-finish. Which then brings me to this one:

Albion and the Woodsman by Glenmore (NR [E], 54,437 w., 50 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post S3, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst, Family, Drug Use, Depression, Sherlock POV, Light Humour, Reconnecting, Declarations of Love) – Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world … and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

I REALLY like this fic because it’s Sherlock POV and it’s him learning about his feelings for John. THOUGH I feel bad admitting that lately, rereads usually start around Ch. 30, because I love John showing up all BAMFy in Ch. 34 and essentially tells the social workers to piss off. And Sherlock is RIDICULOUSLY adorably in love with John so much in this fic. I’ve reread the whole story enough to know what happens before Ch. 30, and all the smoopy stuff happens after that. BUT DON’T think I don’t love this story. I DO. A LOT. I just... Sometimes need certain parts of a story RIGHT now, and that one singular scene is one of them, and I always just keep going from there. :P

Next:

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w., 4 Ch. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice, Escort Service) – Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

I just really love this one. It’s painfully sweet and OH GOD I love how much they fall for each other and HARRY IS TWINSIES AND SHE’S AWESOME. Love it. It’s such a feel-good fic with a great ending. Love it.

And:

Corpus Hominis by mycapeisplaid (E, 47,709 w., 12 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Case Fic, Fluff, Romance, Frottage, Angst, Anal, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Spas / Massages, Shampoo, Jealousy, Fake Relationship) - John knows the human body intimately. He’s had plenty of opportunity for study as a doctor, soldier, and lover. There’s one particular body, however, he knows very little about. When Sherlock launches himself head-first into a new obsession and they get sent on a case in an unlikely location, the pair discovers each other’s bodies with confusing yet delightful (and sometimes hilarious) results.

THIS FIC. GUH. Just, the way John pieces together how much Sherlock pines for him is ACHINGLY beautiful, that all comes together in a really tender scene in a pool. It’s the pool scene we should have had. UGH. AND SHAMPOO. And best friend Lestrade essentially telling John he’s a moron, LOL. LOVE this fic. I’m SO glad I finally remembered this one was the one with the Shampoo and the spa day.

-----

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY not my only always reads. In fact:

Top 30 Read-Again Fics (March 2019)

Top 30 Read-Again Fics Pt. 2 (Sept. 2019)

And I could TOTALLY do another 30 EASILY. The second one, I remember whittling it down quite a bit, LOL. These are just the first five that came to mind right away. I could also add these five:

a good old-fashioned happy ending by darcylindbergh (E, 32,731 w., 26 Ch. || Christmas, Frottage, Comfort, Est. Rel., Fluff, Insecure Sherlock, Frottage, Nightmares, Sleepy Sherlock, Marriage Proposal, Humour, Fluff, Dancing, Cooking, Happy Ending) – For Christmas this year, Sherlock wants to get John something special: something every fairytale deserves. Part 2 of things fairy tales are made of

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

Perdition's Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Treklock AU, Est. Rel, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe

Shatter the Darkness (Let the Light In) by MojoFlower (E, 109,683 w., 23 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Genie/Djinn AU || Magical Realism, Kidnapping, Genie Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Case Fic, H/C, Angst, Clubs, John Whump, Mild DubCon, Hand / Blow Jobs, Torture) – Fairy tales are for those who remember how to dream; not John Watson, broken and hiding from his bleak future in a beige bedsit. But then he discovers a lamp and finds himself in the dangerous riptide of an enigmatic man whose very existence is unbelievable, murder charges against his sister, and the growing pains of feeling alive once more.

Midnight Blue Serenity by BeautifulFiction (E, 151,907 w., 19 Ch. || Friends to Lovers, Gay Bar / For a Case, Drugs, Pining, Case Fic, UST) – When Sherlock infiltrates a club in order to track down a serial killer, his altered appearance is enough to make John question his assumption that Sherlock is beyond his reach. However, is he the only one who appreciates his flatmate's charms, or is Sherlock at risk of becoming the next victim?

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OKAY I NEED TO CUT HERE or I will go on and ON and ON. Hope this answers your question alright <3

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs #read again fics #fave fics #Anonymous