#but that was holiday night... which was 7 years ago and not like. 2020. anyway | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wherethingscomebackx · 3 years

Text

Top 25 Larry Fics of 2020

h 2020 was HELLISH. So thank you to all the writers, and I mean ALL of them, who kept us occupied as the world continues to burn.

You may be familiar with these lists:

Top 25 Larry fics of 2016

Top 25 Larry fics of 2017

Top 25 Larry fics of 2018

Top 25 Larry fics of 2019

We’re going on our 5th year!! As always, I read a lot of fic and the majority of it is Larry. I like making lists and I like Larry so I thought I’d do some minimal research of the top 25 larry fics published/completed in 2020 in order of least to most kudos (with links). All of these fics are top notch so you should all check them out!

25.) a trail of honey through it all by @yvesaintlourent (27k)

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

Or, the TPH fic we’ve all been waiting for.

24.) even the best laid plans by @falsegoodnight (25k)

“Anyways,” Louis stresses, narrowing his eyes, “just let me say it and then rate how terrible of an idea it is on a scale from one to ten.”

“Alright,” Zayn agrees, sitting up expectantly.

“I want to ask Harry Styles to take my virginity,” Louis blurts, holding his hands out for emphasis.

The way Zayn’s eyes bulge is almost comical. “Negative infinity,” he says, voice choked. “Negative infinity times negative infinity.”

“Technically, a negative times a negative is -”

“Really negative infinity,” Zayn corrects himself, shaking his head wildly. “Louis, what the fuck?”

Or, Louis wants to have sex with someone and decides Harry is the perfect alpha for the job.

23.) A Distant Hazy Light by @greenfeelings (76k)

Life’s pretty ordinary for Harry. He lives with his best friend, got into university just like he’s planned, and manages to support himself just fine for an unbonded omega. If he sustains that lifestyle by getting paid to help alphas through their rut every now and then, that’s nothing to be hung up on. Until he’s hired by an alpha that turns everything upside down.

Or, Harry’s working on taking Louis’ walls down, until he builds his own up.

22.) Ghost Note Symphony by whoknows (96k)

Louis is on tour when he first hears about it. It’s all over the news – Harry Styles Attacked By Fan runs in headlines for days. It’s not even just the gossip rags, either. Actual journalists are covering the story. It would have been impossible to avoid hearing about it. Technically, Oli is the one who tells Louis about it, but it’s not exactly being covered up. Harry doesn’t answer Louis’ text asking if he’s alright, but that’s not really surprising. They haven’t spoken for months, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve had a real conversation. The sting of the text going unanswered is still there, less painful than it might have been a few years ago.

It’s not that it’s easy to forget about, exactly. Louis has a whole life outside of One Direction now, though. So Louis goes on with his life, figuring that if Harry was seriously hurt he would have heard about it by now. He might currently be in the same country as Harry, but being on opposite sides of it puts enough distance between them that putting it in the back of his mind is easy. There’s nothing Louis could do, even if he thought Harry might want him to.

That’s why everything that happens next comes as a complete shock to him.

21.) Until by @allwaswell16 (38k)

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

20.) Strangers in Love by sweetums (42k)

Louis wakes up to find himself in a marriage with the last man he thought he'd ever end up with.

Prompt 51: An amnesia fic where louis and harry were enemies to lovers but after an accident, louis only remembers those memories that him and harry hated each other. now harry has to fix it. I think something like this less dark and less angsty compared to other amnesia fics and it could be funny

19.) A Long Way From The Playground by Pink_Sunsets (170k)

One Direction is broken up. They broke up five years ago. That should be the end of the story, right?

Harry is finished with One Direction. He now has a new life, one with two kids and a successful solo career. And he’s happy.

But a call one night from management flips Harry’s whole new life upside down, and he’s forced to face the life he had left behind.

As well as a certain blue eyed man who had left him behind.

18.) my love’s not simple (it’s fragile) by @falsegoodnight (27k)

“Can I take you out tomorrow?” he asks. “My shift ends at 7 but we can go for dinner at 8.”

Louis is silent for a few seconds and then, “Like… on a date?”

Harry swallows thickly. He hasn’t done this in years, hasn’t ever wanted to. “Yeah.”

He’s worried he’s misread things but then Louis raises his head to kiss Harry’s cheek. “Yeah,” he says easily. “Sure.”

Tension leaves his body swiftly. “Are you sure?” asks Harry. “I know we’re both so busy but I can’t not try with you, Lou.”

“Neither can I,” says Louis. “I think we can figure it out. I care about you a lot Harry. We’ve known each other for a week, but I already like you so much.”

Or Harry's new job is threatened by his impending rut. Desperate for a solution, he allows Niall to introduce him to Louis, an omega whose heat begins the same day. They click.

17.) Cocaine for Breakfast by @harryeatsburger (309k)

“It’s an easy job.” He continues, as if Louis wants to listen. “Like I said, a few trips. Parties, students, nothing dramatic.”

Louis gazes over to Harry. He’s looking thoughtful now, eyes on the green like he’s talking more to himself than Louis.

“Clubbing, drinks. Whatever, the business is just a side thing.”

That’s not how Louis remembers it to be, “You lying?” He honestly can’t tell.

Harry shakes his head slowly, meeting Louis' eyes.

“No,” He answers almost toneless. Harry clears his throat, “I won’t put you in any dangerous situation.” His voice is sincere, Louis can tell he means it, his jade green eyes glinting with truth.

or, - Louis Tomlinson is a drug addict, sent away from his beloved party-scene to recover. There, he discovers that small towns have just as much access to drugs as London did, plus something even better that he just can't get enough of. That something is a boy with green eyes and bouncy curls named Harry Styles. -

16.) Tastes like Strawberries by @sadaveniren (4k)

I’m stressed. I’m nesting and demand cuddles. Come over

Harry frowned and double checked who the text was from. Yup, it still said Louis - Grad, which meant it was from Louis from his grad school.

aka Louis texts Harry by mistake. It works out

15.) the way the storm blows by @rbbsbb (21k)

Louis doesn’t have a habit of thinking about Harry’s dick.

That would be weird, seeing as they’re best mates, and they share a flat, and they’ve spent holidays at each other’s family homes. Their friendship hasn’t ever risen to a point where Louis should want to see his mate’s dick, and he’s happy to keep it that way.

Except, all that Louis can think about is exactly that. The size of it. The shape. The amount of people it’s been in.

Maybe it’s the tequila talking, or the fact that Louis’ just recently walked in to an eyeful of Harry taking turns on some slags that he’s never seen before, but. Louis’ mind can’t stop obsessing over the idea.

14.) bruise you like a peach by @falsegoodnight (40k)

There’s two reasons Harry despises Econ.

The first is that it’s boring as fuck. The second reason is a bit more personal, a bit more focused in a way. As in it’s focused on one specific thing, or in his case, person.

His name is Louis Tomlinson.

13.) Watching The World Fall by whoknows (11k)

This segment has been going on long enough that Louis knows what’s coming before James starts in on it, trying to sell him on something he knows that Louis wouldn’t normally be buying. But there’s four cameras surrounding him, and an audience watching him expectantly, so if Louis wants to continue convincing people that he’s doing just fine, he’s going to have to go along with it.

“We have a whole host of single men backstage waiting to meet you, Louis,” James tells him. “We want to help you find love tonight, on Late Late Live Tinder. Is this okay? Do you want to play?”

It actually kind of makes sense that his first date after the break-up is going to be just as public as said break-up. Something like coming full circle.

“Alright, James,” Louis agrees, hopping down off his stool.

“Okay, come down to the stage,” James says. Louis can’t even tell whether the excitement in his voice is genuine or not. “Right now, come on down!”

12.) Quiet People Have the Loudest Minds by @2tiedships2 (38k)

Broadway shows were one of the few things that could keep Louis’ attention for a full two hours without needing to move about. But not tonight.

The alpha next to him was both infuriating him and practically turning him on at the same time. He needed to leave. The alpha, that is. Louis was staying.

Or the one where Louis is a nonverbal omega who has accepted the fact that he will never find an alpha that will treat him as an equal. On the other hand, he’s never met anyone like Harry.

11.) The Wrath of the Emerald Eyes by @purpledandeli0n (85k)

His chin is grabbed harshly, facing the two deep green eyes that have been getting on his nerves for the past ten minutes. The smirk on the man's face does not vanish. The grip of his hand on Louis' chin does not soften, his thumb at the side of his lower lip.

His smile widens as he answers Louis' question, ''My name is Styles, but you will call me Captain."

•

Pirate AU

10.) Canyon Moon by @eeveelou (40k)

For as long as Louis has remembered, he has been promised to be mated to Harry, his best friend and the future pack alpha. But Louis’s heart belonged to the forest and to the hunt more than he could ever imagine it belonging to Harry.

Then Harry’s father dies in a violent accident, and Louis’s future alpha disappears on the wind.

An A/B/O Lion King AU

9.) We Both Got Nothing to Hide by lovelarry10 (43k)

“Talk to me, Lou.”

“I can’t,” Louis mumbled, knowing he genuinely couldn’t say it. He couldn’t admit to what he was doing. “Don’t ask me to say it, because I can’t.”

“Then… I’ll try and guess. You’ve… got some stuff of Harry’s. Something of his to make it smell like him?”

Louis just nodded, eyes fixated on the floor. This was humiliating, but he knew Zayn wouldn’t stop until he found out what was going on.

“Okay. Like… a blanket, or a comforter or something?”

“Kind of…”

Omega Louis has a secret nest. Alpha Harry keeps losing his clothes.

8.) sleeping on our problems by @falsegoodnight (67k)

I’m in love with you, Louis thinks. He feels empty, weighed down by his sadness and the loss of Harry inside him just moments ago before his knot finally went down.

There’s moments where he’s sure Harry feels the same. Like now, when he’s gazing down at Louis with so much adoration and tenderness. It’s like they’re both on the cusp of something more, but neither of them ever say a word.

His confession is on the tip of his tongue ready to slide out like honey, and yet he remains silent. They both do, looking at each other and recognizing the reluctance mirrored in each other’s eyes. It’s then that Louis realizes they’re both scared.

Or Louis sleeps with Harry and they have more than just catching feelings to worry about.

7.) like it’s a game by @soldouthaz (32k)

there is little harry hates more than truth or dare.

and louis.

6.) before we knew by @falsegoodnight (39k)

“C’mon Lou,” says Zayn after a moment, He sounds even more exasperated than before. Louis sort of has a knack for exasperating people, especially people like Zayn who aren’t usually bothered by his brattiness. “Can’t you give this guy a chance? Harry Styles? Aren’t you curious about him at all?”

Despite his best efforts, Louis still flinches at the name. He really shouldn’t be so affected after all these years. He’s seen the name printed down the curve of his waist in obnoxiously and uncommonly large loopy letters every single day since his sixteenth birthday eight years ago. He’s very familiar with the name Harry Styles.

It sounds pretentious and Louis hates it.

He hates everything about his supposed soulmate.

He hates his large handwriting that stands out like a claim on his skin whenever he’s walking around shirtless. He hates his pretentious name. And now he hates his supposed curls and green eyes and dimples.

Or Louis has been skeptical of soulmates for years so it seems like fate when he finally bumps into the owner of the obnoxiously large signature printed into his skin since age sixteen: Harry Styles, a human rights attorney who is firmly against soulmates.

5.) Mine Would Be You by @crinkle-eyed-boo (114k)

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn't intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

4.) You’ve Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) by @harryrainbows (95k)

Harry was in the biggest boy band in the world. He was also one half of the best (or worst, depends on who you ask) kept secret relationship in the music industry.

Now, almost five years on, after One Direction has broken up, and Harry and Louis' relationship has as well, a video threatens to put everything at risk.

One determined Irishman, a massive publicity stunt and two begrudging exes are all it takes to bring One Direction back to life and maybe, just maybe, Harry and Louis' mangled love life too.

Or: Harry and Louis are forced to fake-date after an old video from when they were dating emerges.

3.) The Space Between by @lads-laddylads (39k)

Harry Styles is the alpha rockstar who can’t sleep and doesn’t know why.

Louis Tomlinson is the omega PhD student who helps him figure it out.

2.) Nothing But You On My Mind by @absoloutenonsense (83k)

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

1.) Collision by @tequiladimples (224k)

Mythology/Fairytale!AU in which Louis is a dainty fairy with a temper who wants to be intimidating and Harry hurts people. Naturally, they hate each other.

(Featuring Liam, the big and not-so-bad wolf who’s got a thing for humans, Zayn, a human with supernaturally good looks, and Niall, the cupid who just wants his job to be easier.)

#larry #larry stylinson #larry fic rec #harry styles #louis tomlinson #fic rec #one direction #1d #one direction fic rec #larry fan fiction #updated because I'm an idiot and added a zarry fic

967 notes · View notes

ohheyitsyouagain · 2 years

Text

EDIT: THIS FIC MASTERLIST IS OUTDATED AND IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED. PLEASE SEE THE NEW VERSION HERE

because uploading every fic I write on to two different sites is too much work, but also I want my dear mutuals to know that I actually write stuff.

will be reblogged and updated whenever I write a new fic, or update an existing one!

my ao3

Fandoms:

DuckTales 2017

Looney Tunes

Golden Treasure: The Great Green

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Helix Waltz

Venom

How to Train Your Dragon

Bugsnax

Deltarune

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Shall We Date?: Obey Me!

Ace Attorney

Archie Comics

Crossovers (fandoms listed on each work)

Original Works

DuckTales 2017

The First Chills of Winter

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen (optionally José Carioca/Panchito Pistoles)

Word Count: 322

Oneshot

Posted May 2nd, 2020

The aftermath of Panchito not knowing how snow works.

Can't shake these midnight thoughts

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 467

Oneshot

Posted May 14th, 2020

José remembered what his dad told him about magic. That using too much all at once took its toll. It makes you paranoid, anxious. You interpret things wrong, hear things that aren’t there. He didn’t need to worry. It was just his imagination getting carried away from a magic overdose.

The aftermath of the Caballeros' first adventure. Emotional turmoil included.

A Brood of Creditors

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 209

Oneshot

Posted August 30th, 2020

One morning, you hear a knocking at your door. Curious, you glance out the window. Three ducklings. Strange.

In which the McDuck clan is an organized crime family, and you're unfortunate enough to be a debtor in Duckburg.

It Makes an Ass out of You and Me

Rating: G

Pairing: José Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles

Word Count: 486

Oneshot

Posted October 9th, 2020

When you spend eleven years on the moon, you tend to make some assumptions about the things that have happened since you left.

Aka: Three related but unconnected oneshots of Della vastly overestimating Donald's romantic capabilities.

And Now I'm Home Again

Rating: G

Paring: Gen (ambiguously José Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles)

Word Count: 765

Oneshot

Posted December 21st, 2020

Donald was alone in his houseboat, as usual.

It usually didn’t feel so lonely.

In which I post an old fic that I thought was still kind of cute.

Servant of Evil

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Warnings: Major Character Death

Word Count: 1.5k

Oneshot, part 1/2 of the Servant of Evil series

Posted July 9th, 2021

“Della.”

She looked up from her writing, and did a double take when she saw who was standing in her doorway.

She laughed. “Oh, hey Donald!” He was wearing one of her yellow dresses, and his hair was out of its usual ponytail. “I almost didn’t recognize you!”

He stiffened, not even smirking at her statement. “That’s sort of the plan, actually…”

Regret Message

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 794

Oneshot, part 2/2 of the Servant of Evil series

Posted August 7th, 2021

Della Duck was dead.

She was killed in the uprising years ago, in a public execution watched by many a long-suffering peasant. It was practically a kingdom-wide holiday. At last, the daughter of evil had been vanquished.

That’s what everyone thought, anyway.

2. Choking

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 713

Oneshot, 1/25 part of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 2nd, 2021

Della wakes up on the moon.

4. Pushed

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 1.4k

Oneshot, part 4/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 5th, 2021

Donald was tired. Tired of being ignored, tired of everyone acting like their ideals were more important than his, tired of having to deal with his curse of loving a family that was in life-threatening danger on a daily basis.

Who knew that a brick being thrown through his window would change all of that?

7. Losing Control

Rating: T

Pairing: José Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles

Wordcount: 2k

Oneshot, part 7/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 7th, 2021

José's been acting weird. Panchito would question it, but he's a bit busy running for his life at the moment.

8. Definitely Just A Cold

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 1.1k

Oneshot, part 8/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 8th, 2021

Hanahaki doesn't kill. It's chronic, not terminal.

That doesn't make it any less of a pain, especially when your kids start worrying about it, too.

10. Hospital

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 1.4k

Oneshot, part 10/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 11th, 2021

Della pays Donald a visit at the hospital after the Moonvasion.

12. Begging

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 687

Oneshot, part 12/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 13th, 2021

“You need to stay awake, okay?”

The smaller duck clung to him with chilled, trembling fingers. “H-Huey, I don’t-”

“Please, Louie. Stay awake. So I know you’re okay.”

14. Beaten

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 423

Oneshot, part 14/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 15th, 2021

Louie's grounded and slowly going stir-crazy.

17. Please Don't Move

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Word Count: 708

Oneshot, part 17/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 18th, 2021

Theoretically, Huey knew how to set a broken bone, and he knew how to bandage one. But knowing how to do something and actually doing it are very, very different things. Especially when it was your little brother on the ground, sobbing in agony over a broken leg and not a training dummy.

20. Solitary Confinement

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 354

Oneshot, part 20/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 21st, 2021

Donald is stuck on a deserted island.

23. Pursuit

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 169

Oneshot, part 23/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 23rd, 2021

Magica tries to find her brother.

Looney Tunes

The Life and Times of Tizzy Duck-Bunny

Rating: G

Pairing: Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck

Word Count: 398

Multi-chapter, 4/?

Posted August 6th, 2020

Updated July 1st, 2021

A series of drabbles about my Baffy fanchild, Tizzy.

(includes some DuckTales crossover-ing)

Golden Treasure: The Great Green

Reflection

Rating: G

Paring: Gen

Word Count: 1.1k

Oneshot, part 1/7 of the Whispers series

Posted August 6th, 2021

Life seemed to hate Whisper right from the start.

Songs of the Great Green

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 600

Multi-chapter, 6/6

Posted August 4th, 2021

Updated August 13th, 2021

A series of Golden Treasure drabbles, all (very loosely) inspired by randomly-selected songs from my Spotify.

Awakening

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 938

Oneshot, part 3/7 of the Whispers series

Posted August 23rd, 2021

Whisper awakes from their first Great Sleep, and comes to a revelation about the Sun they worship so vehemently.

Empowered

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 307

Oneshot, part 4/7 of the Whispers series

Posted September 3rd, 2021

For the first time in their life, Whisper feels powerful.

Snare

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 2.1k

Oneshot, 2/7 of the Whispers series

Posted September 16th, 2021

Whisper finds a strange contraption.

1. Bound

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Warnings: Major Character Death

Word Count: 833

Oneshot, part 1/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 1st, 2021

Flare has an unfortunate encounter with a band of No-Tails.

11. Adrift

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 1.1k

Oneshot, part 11/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series, part 5/7 of the Whispers series

Posted October 11th, 2021

Whisper is caught in a flash flood.

13. Cauterization

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 246

Oneshot, part 13/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 13th, 2021

Spiritkeeper gets their foot caught in a Tailess' trap, and they get a little desperate to get it free.

19. Bitten and Bleeding

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 163

Oneshot, part 19/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 19th, 2021

A young Spiritkeeper finds a Stinkstrike.

It doesn't go well.

22. Cursed

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Warnings: Major Character Death

Word Count: 986

Oneshot, part 22/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series, part 7/7 of the Whispers series

Posted October 23rd, 2021

The end.

Reedlord

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 634

Oneshot, part 6/7 of the Whispers series

Posted December 24th, 2021

On their journey to strike down Spiritkeeper, Whisper arrives at another Kin's domain.

Five Nights at Freddy's

3. Who Did This to You?

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 100

Oneshot, part 3/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 3rd, 2021

The others didn't understand.

They didn't see how cruel children really were.

24. Revenge

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 269

Oneshot, part 24/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 25th, 2021

Springtrap wakes up, and decides he's not going down without one more addition to the kill count.

Helix Waltz

5. Broken Nose

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 433

Oneshot, part 5/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 6th, 2021

Maggie hated balls. Positively loathed them.

6. Touch-Starved

Rating: G

Pairing: Alan/Gonzalo Jorcastle

Word Count: 551

Oneshot, part 6/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 6th, 2021

Gonzalo's heart aches for a love he'll never have.

21. Blood-Matted Hair

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 224

Oneshot, part 21/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 21st, 2021

Alan breaks down after a battle.

Venom

9. Presumed Dead

Rating: G

Pairing: Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote

Word Count: 438

Oneshot, part 9/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 9th, 2021

The only thing worse than dying, Venom realizes, is to watch your loved one more when you never died at all.

How to Train Your Dragon

16. Aftermath

Rating: T

Pairing: Hiccup Hottendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson

Warnings: Major Character Death

Word Count: 319

Multi-chapter, 1/?, part 16/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 16th, 2021

How to Train Your Dragon, but Hiccup loses a lot more than a leg...

25. Escape and Flight

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 150

Oneshot, part 25/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 26th, 2021

If the definition of insanity was doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting the result to change, Toothless had completely lost it by now.

Bugsnax

18. Doctor's Visit

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 100

Oneshot, part 18/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Posted October 18th, 2021

The journalist copes with the fact that all food looks like a parasite.

Deltarune

Permafrost

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 625

Oneshot

Posted November 11th, 2021

Noelle has a bad dream. A really, really bad dream.

Luckily for her, dreams are only dreams. Nothing that happens in them could possibly affect the real world, Noelle tells herself. Now that she’s awake, she’ll never have to think about it again.

...right?

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Never Been in Love (And it’s All Good)

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 3.1k

Oneshot, part 1/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted January 19th, 2022

Caspar has never fallen in love with anyone. Neither has his best friend, and somehow neither of them knew that until just now.

Camellias

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 2.5k

Oneshot, part 2/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted January 30th, 2022

Linhardt has Hanahaki. Which is already pretty bad, not to mention that he thought he was completely incapable of loving anyone in the first place.

Discounted Chocolates

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 957

Oneshot, part 3/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted February 14th, 2022

The day after Fódlan's Valentine's Day-equivalent, two aros discover there might be some merit to the holiday after all.

Dance Lesson

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 100

Oneshot, part 4/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted March 8th, 2022

The unexpected winner of the White Heron Cup attempts to teach Caspar how to dance.

A Reluctant Dance

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 1.5k

Oneshot, part 5/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted March 24th, 2022

Byleth hasn't told any of their students who's representing them in the White Heron Cup. What's the point of being a teacher if you can't mess with their heads a little?

Light Rain

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 545

Oneshot, part 6/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted April 3rd, 2022

It's the obligatory "Caspar is afraid of storms" fic.

An Unfortunate Antidote

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 868

Oneshot, part 7/7 of the Hearts of a Different Color series

Posted April 14th, 2022

Linhardt pricks himself on a cursed rose and falls into a deep slumber.

Caspar is the only one who can wake him up.

The only way to do so is with the most cliched, fairy-tale solution imaginable: true love’s kiss.

Shall We Date?: Obey Me!

The Devildom's Best Manicurist

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 100

Oneshot

Posted March 26th, 2022

MC gets a manicure, courtesy of the Avatar of Lust.

The Vast Minority

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 710

Oneshot

Posted June 25th, 2022

Satan makes an off-handed comment about demons and romance novels, and you lose your entire mind.

Ace Attorney

Foolish Frivolities

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen, minor Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright

Word Count: 3.5k

Oneshot, written for Aggressively Arospec Week ‘22, part 1 of AAW22

Posted June 19th, 2022

Valentine’s Day had always stirred up some rather conflicting feelings within Franziska.

The focus on romance soured the holiday quite a bit. But February fourteenth had another meaning for Franziska: it was the day she’d been born. And she couldn’t hate her own birthday, could she?

Archie Comics

Small Gestures

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Word Count: 200

Oneshot, written for Aggressively Arospec Week ‘22, part 2 of AAW22

Posted June 20th, 2022

Jughead gets a new pin to put on his beanie, one with a very particular color scheme.

Crossovers

Life is Like a Hurricane There on The Island

Fandoms: DuckTales 2017, ARK: Survival Evolved

Rating: T

Pairing: Gen (for now)

Word Count: 3.6k

Multi-chapter, 1/?

Posted March 15th, 2021

The last thing Huey could remember was going to bed last night, in his triple bunk bed back in the manor. Which was concerning, because as he squinted in the harsh sunlight and felt the itch of sand in his feathers, he realized he was on a beach.

The beach was littered with driftwood, boulders, and small palm trees. A few feet away was a forest that stretched as far as Huey could see. And out in the distance, he saw… beacons. Massive metallic pillars floating in the sky. One red, one blue, and the closest one green. And a few smaller ones of varying colors scattered around.

He wracked his brain for what kind of adventure led him to this place, what treasure they were looking for, what ancient culture built obelisks to use in some kind of sport or ritual, but everything came up blank.

Seatreader’s Song

Fandoms: DuckTales 2017, Tailchaser’s Song

Rating: T

Pairing: José Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles

Word Count: 2,785

Multi-chapter, 1/?

Posted December 12th, 2021

Donnil Seatreader leads a simple enough life. He lives with his sister, Detta Cloudslayer, and helps her raise her rowdy litter of kittens. It isn't much, but it's all Seatreader needs. His family, safe and happy.

Until Cloudslayer goes missing.

Seatreader will do anything to get her back. Though admittedly, coming face-to-face with eldritch cat horrors and a god long-thought dead is a little more than he bargained for...

Original Works

15. Delirium

Rating: G

Pairing: Gen

Oneshot, part 15/25 of the Darx's Whumptober 2021 series

Word Count: 552

Posted October 16th, 2021

Turns out, writing a full fanfic every day for a month straight makes you go a little stir-crazy.

42 notes · View notes

hwrryscherry · 3 years

Text

The one where Anne teaches Model Y/N how to make gingerbread cookies.

blurb: Model Y/N never baked gingerbread cookies before and she has no idea how to do it, so as Anne is teaching her Harry realizes how good the relationship of his girl and his mother is and also, he gives model Y/N her first mistletoe kiss later at night.

warning: fluff, smut and more fluff Harry because we love it.

word count: 7.2K

author's note: DAY 2 of Christmas Special is here!!!! What are you guys thinking so far? I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. Also, I must admit I’m a little nervous to post this because it’s the first smut I ever posted so yep, i’m a little nervous and I apologize if that’s the worst smut you’ve ever read lol, I just wanted to try. Anyway make sure you find the holiday spirits and start celebrating, I hope this helps♥️♥️

christmas song of the day: Like It's Christmas by Jonas Brothers.

December 21st, 2020.

After sleeping for a good number of hours from basically 7 AM until the current time that was 12:19 PM, you'd feel a sharp cold air running through your skin making you wake up, not fully, but enough to see that Harry had took all the blanket to his body leaving you uncovered. Neither of you actually had taken a shower or changed clothes when you arrived because the urge of laying in a bed was all you really wanted to do after traveling for 20 hours straight and the jeans were probably the one thing that kept you from waking up some hours earlier.

Anne noticed that you both were home when she woke up and saw that all brownies were gone. She walked her way carefully to the only room that wasn’t occupied when she arrived and came across you and Harry sleeping on the king-sized bed under that heavy white blanket extremely appropriate for the weather outside. Harry had his body very close to yours, by the way. The older woman admired the scene a little, she thought to herself that after some complicated relationships that generated the boy's music and also three Grammy nominations, he had finally found someone like you. Someone who brought him nothing but peace. She could see in the boy's eyes, in his voice and even in his appearance that he was genuinely happy. That he was excited about what life would bring him. Harry was Anne's little boy. It had always been like this and it always will be, he called her every day and they usually spend hours talking about how things were going. Harry asked about Gemma, asked about his family in general and she informed him with all the details, and then when she asked how you were, he’d spent a long time talking about you to her. And she adored you, she adored you for knowing that you loved and cared for her little boy but she also loved you for being an incredible person. And two Christmases ago when you met her you were so nervous, terrified would be the right word. Harry told you that you had nothing to worry about and that she already liked you, but how can you not worry? It was Anne. But being nervous about meeting new people was something yours. The first time you had met Gemma, which was on the New Year's trip to Ibizain 2017 that you and Harry had before you started dating, in fact Gemma told you that he was not being "just" friendly’’on that trip. Anyway, when Christmas 2018 came and you had to go to Holmes Chapel you were nervous to meet Gemma again. You previously knew her as your friend's sister, now you’d know her as your boyfriend's sister and that was a big thing.

Anne didn't stay long at the bedroom door, of course. And a few hours later when that cold wind ran through your skin and you woke up, you used your hand to try to pull the blanket over your body again but your tall and heavy boyfriend was completely wrapped around it like a cocoon.

— Harry! — You whined with your eyes closed as you tried to pull it, but the man didn't move, not even a muscle. At this moment, you already knew that you were wide awake and wouldn’t sleep anymore, so you decided to get up. You then put your two feet covered by cozy socks on that dark wooden floor and got up from the bed slowly. You passed both of your hands over your face as you approached the big glass window and could see the sky extremely clean and blue and all that white snow everywhere. On the ground, in the mountains completely covered with snow, on top of the roofs of other houses and even on top of cars that were left on the street and not in the garage. You really felt like you were in winter wonderland.

You took a deep breath and started walking to the suite bathroom and were amazed at how beautiful it really was. Like the rest of the house, it had the floor and walls made of wood but it also had some parts of the wall painted white. There was a long mirror on the wall of the sink that spanned the entire length of the counter, which there was a grayish blue color. It had a bathtub that was in by a window and in front of a painted picture of the mountains in the fall.

You walked back to the bedroom approaching your handbag where you took your toiletry bag and walked again to the bathroom. You placed the small bag over the sink and opened it instantly taking a hair clip inside it and then using your hands to join your strands of hair to be able to pin them with the clip. So you immediately brushed your teeth deciding that you would go into the shower and take a long and hot shower actually.

You had already undressed, but cover your body with a white cotton robe that you had brought for after showering. You were looking through your suitcase that was on top of the dresser next to the bathroom door open in front of you while you chose the clothes you would wear today for after you actually shower. As you took one of the baggy jeans, you had put in the suitcase. You felt a pair of hands on your shoulders, as you looked at them to see the little cross tattoo on his hand, you felt his hot breath close to your neck as he used his other hand to move your hair to the other side of your neck to give you a peck in it.

— Good morning, I can see you're rested — You'd say feeling the boy's warm lips slowing moving against your jaw and the spot under your ear that gave you goosebumps towards all of your body causing Harry to open up a smirk, which you could feel perfectly over your skin. He just knew, he knew your body so well at this point to know all of your sweet spots but he still is quite determined to find new ones.

— I am, but ye' look tired! — Harry whispered next to your ear as he started using his hands to slowly move the robe off your shoulders so he could see the skin of your neck, shoulders and collarbone exposed in front of him. You'd frown your eyebrows at his words trying to understand what he was trying to say and just when you were going to talk, you'd feel Harry's rough fingertips slide softly over your collarbone — And as I'm such a good boyfriend, I should relax ye', shouldn't I? — Harry would say, his voice deep and rough as he took his right hand up to your neck so he could hold your jaw to move your head to the side just a little to give him more space to kiss your neck again. Now moving his lips lightly as he used his tongue to suck on the sensitive skin, being careful to not leave any marks, even though he wanted to so much. He wanted to mark that pretty neck of yours, so everyone knew that you were his, and only his.

You'd roll your eyes at the feeling of your whole body becoming hot from the sensation he was gifting you to. You'd move your head a little as a successful try to free yourself from Harry's grip so you could turn around to face him. You'd kiss the boy's tempting lips immediately as you put your body closer to his feeling the boy use one of his hands to cup your face and the other one to your waist squeezing it as he brought your body even closer to his.

Once both of you accepted the heat of the moment, Harry would slide his hands to the back of your thighs lifting you up and carrying you to walk to the huge bed you had in your room. You'd cross your legs on his waist to hold you from falling as now disconnecting your lips to start kissing his jaw and then going down his neck feeling the small growing hair tickle your face a little because even thought he had shaved his beard two days ago it was already making its way back.

Harry’d put you lying in bed, just getting on top of you while he felt the wonderful feeling of your tongue sucking on his neck, maybe you weren't being as careful as him about the "no leaving marks" rule but at this moment Harry didn’t care, and he knew that if the mark shows up he would smirking show it around the house so everybody could know what you guys were doing earlier in the room.

You used your body to switch positions and now stay on top. Harry’s back was now on the mattress, while he took his hands to the band that held your robe, well, it held more or less since because of all the action it was almost out of your body now. He pulled the fabric and slid the robe out of your body, leaving you completely exposed in front of him. He would be stunned for a moment because it doesn't matter how many times he saw you naked. It feels like the first time, every time. He’d still admire any stain, any stretch mark, any cellulite, any part of skin that was present on your body because he finds you perfect just the way you are. Anyway, your knees would rest on either side of his hips, and your butt would be specifically on top of his now, growing boner that was covered on his jeans from yesterday. You'd feel him swallow hard when you'd pass your delicate lips over his throat and slid your hands to pull his goddamn shirt out of his body getting a perfect vision of his tattooed chest and arms. You'd softly run your fingertips through his butterfly tattoo to the two tattoos a little up the beginning of his jeans feeling his skin get chills under your fingers and feeling the urge between your legs get higher as you'd feel his boner getting harder under you and his big hands sliding through your naked back.

Harry would kiss your lips again, moving his tongue with yours feeling how your mouth tastes. He would suck and bite your lips as he teased you delicately moving through our body touching it slowly, as he caressed the sides of your body, the whole length of your back and hips feeling how incredibly hot you were now. Your body was on fire. He'd hold the back of your head's hair with one hand as his tongue would slowly circle on your skin as he dowered his lips from your neck, to your collarbone, your chest, until he'd get to your breasts where he’d kiss carefully the extension of your breast before sucking on your nipple putting it entirely on his mouth. You'd throw your head behind to let out a grasp and a low moan of his name as you felt his hot tongue around your sensitive nipple. "Harry", he likes it. He likes the way his name leaves your mouth, specially on situations like this when he could feel your breathing and your heart beating faster. Where he could feel the intimacy of being this close to you and to know that he’s the one who’s been touching you in places that nobody could and he planned that nobody else would ever do. Only him. He planned on being the only one to give you all this sensation, to be the only one to make you rolls your eyes of pleasure and shake under his body into yours. He’d wouldn’t give this intimacy away for anyone.

Harry's fingers would squeeze your hips harshly as he felt you unconsciously starting to move it against his boner. You’d hear a groan leave the boy's lips at the feeling of himself getting so turned on that his jeans were starting to tighten. He’d slid his hand down your stomach to your bare core, feeling how soaked you were for him so he’d take a finger and starts rubbing it slowly against your clit making you let out a confederative quite loud moan at the friction of his finger at your swollen clit, you needed more. You wanted more. Harry would look up to your red blushed face with closed eyes right before you’d lay your head on his shoulder to drown out the slightly pornografics sounds that left your throat.

— I can see ye' getting more relaxed, darlin' — He'd promiscuously comment with a smirk on his face feeling your hot breath on his exposed neck — You gotta be quiet, petal! D' ye' want everyone to know how good you're being on your relaxing moment? I'd think you'd rather keep it private. I'm very surprised — Harry would joke, then you'd guide your delicate hands to the buttons of his pants, unbuttoning as fastly as you could — Rushing, aren’t we? — Harry would say feeling a relief as you unbuttoned his pants and released its length. You'd stand up in the moment Harry'd say this indicating to him to take of his pants, and he did, throwing it at some corner of the room as you'd get back over the guy putting both of your hands on each side of his cheeks cupping them.

— I think you'll be the next one to be rushing! — You'd whisper as a smirk formed on your lips when you approached Harry's face kissing his lips roughly, full of passion and desire. You'd move one of your hands down the man's body playing for a while with the edges of his underwear until you took it completely off to see his hard length chilling on his lower belly. You'd carefully grab it with your hand with slow grinding twists, your thumb moving on his tip, and it’s Harry moaning your name lowly now as his head fell back on the pillow with closed eyes and parted lips over the pleasure you were giving him. He'd positioned his palms on either side of your hips trying to bring it down to give him any kind of friction that he desperately needed.

— Rushing, aren't we? — You'd now joke positioning yourself by the tip of his length letting out a grasp at the feeling. Harry'd chuckle at your words that was previously his. You'd slowly dig your hips into his length making your lips part at the huge pleasure.

He would use his hand to help you move your hips against him. And he’s not sure what he should focus on, if it's the feeling of your wet core moving against him, or how pretty you looked with blushed cheeks and sweat over your forehead.

Harry'd wrap both his arms around your exposed back and changes your position making himself be on top of you as he started to move his hips against yours at a quick pace washing your body in complete pleasure. His thrusts were deep and harsh as he continually hits your spot making it 10 times harder for you to keep it low. He positioned his one hand on gripping her right wrist above your head tightens it’s hold and he slid his other hand to your leg taking it to pull it higher to get a new angle. His grip on your legs tightens as he feels his abdomen starts clenching with the new sensation.

— Tell me… tell me how much you want this… — Harry would say as you let out low moans to the sensation washing all over your body. He can feel it. He feels your muscles shaking from pleasure under him, and he could feel you tighten around his length as the knot in your stomach continued to grow. Harry lets go of your wrist and moves his hand to your core to use his finger to stimulate your swollen clit increasing your pleasure.

— Harry — You'd whine taking your hand to the boys hair pulling it softly as you leaned ahead a little to distribute kisses through his broad shoulders — Pl..please — As you said that, sounding so desperate for him, his jaw locked as his eyes clenched tight making his entire body goes rigid, and his mouth to fall open while a deep moan left his throat as you felt Harry’s body to fall over yours as you tried to catch your breath and so did him.

— Did so good for me, darlin'. — He'd kiss your collarbone right before removing himself from you and you'd stay this way for a while. Just catching your breath as you reminiscing the moment, you both had until you sat on the bed making Harry see the view of your naked back to him covered by your long strands of hair, he would take his hand to your lower back and caress it gently.

— I'm going to take a shower, your mother must already be thinking that we died in here! — You said letting out a chuckle while getting up from the bed looking for your robe on the bedroom floor. When you found it closer to the big window next to the bed, you bent down to pick it up and hold it in your hands while you made your way to the bathroom leaving the door open.

— Look... I hope her room isn’t next door, if it is she certainly knows that we are alive. — Harry said with a playful tone also standing up from the bed walking to where you were in the bathroom.

— God, don't even joke about it — You’d say with wide eyes, and then looking at the sight of you in the big bathroom mirror seeing how sweaty your hair had gotten — I'll have to wash my hair again — You opened the glass door of the shower cabin by turning the hot water valve on the shower, walking back to the sink where you had left your belongings to get the shampoo and conditioner.

— Don't worry, I'll happily wash it for you! — Harry said placing a quick kiss on the top of your head with a smirk on his lips and soon after walking into the shower feeling the hot water fall down his back releasing any remaining tension from his muscles.

You would smile a little at the sight of it before agreeing and going into the shower with him. You would feel completely relaxed now after feeling the hot water fall on you, wetting your hair and your face. You would extend the big bottle of your shampoo to Harry, who’d pick it up by opening the lid and take the bottle closer to his nose to feel the relaxing and sweet smell of lavender invading his nostrils. He would pour some shampoo on his wide hands by rubbing them together and then on your scalp, later unintentionally pulling your hair a little causing you to gasp as you’d take your hand to touch his on your head.

— Oh my god, I said you could wash it and not get it out of my head! — You said with a playful tone making Harry chuckle and whisper a slight "sorry''. You turned around with the boy's hands still in your hair so you could face him. You could see that Harry was focused on your hair with his eyebrows drawn together and his lips squeezed into a line. You, on the other hand, ran your fingertips gently over his chest. Drawing the shape of his tattoos and then seeing the bonus nipples that he has.

— You know what, I think it's really cute that you have four nipples! — You said causing Harry to laugh out loud and you look at the boy's face focusing on his dimples appearing — What? — You’d say with a smile on your face, and then entering again with your head under the water after the boy's signal that you could rinse your hair now.

— Nothing, it's just not cute! It's weird actually! — Harry'd say putting a little of shampoo on his hair as well. His gorgeous hair, you could look at it all day long actually. When the Golden music video came out you freaked so much about how gorgeous his hair looked in it.

— It's just that I have peculiar tastes. You wouldn't understand. — You said with your eyebrows raised in the most sassy tone of voice you could do. That’s not true, not at all. It’s just that you loved everything about Harry, there wasn’t a universe or a time when you wouldn’t think he looks completely stunning.

— Oh yes, forgive my small brain for being unable to understand your deepest thoughts — Harry said returning your sass while he approached you to also rinse his hair now.

In general, you were grateful to have had many moments together this year. Moments where you could talk without interruption, where you could play and laugh without feeling that the world was watching your every step. Being a public figure and dating another public figure could be difficult at times but you and Harry have always managed to get through all the difficulties together. And let's agree that getting out of the shower wrapped in towels, with wet skin and hair, selecting the song Don't Stop me now by Queen in your Spotify app and dancing in front of the mirror was a moment to definitely cherish and never forget.

You prefered to keep yourselves comfortable when choosing which clothes to wear and you’d chose the baggy jeans you had chosen earlier, a white dress shirt and a red sweater over the shirt along with your white sneakers that you take everywhere with you just like Harry does with his vans. When you put your hand on the door handle, you’d feel Harry pull your other hand to get you closer to him. He cupped your cheeks as he leaned to give you a sweet kiss before you'd go out. It's not that he doesn't want to go out and see his family. He did; he missed those people and spending time with them would be more than he needed, but he was also reluctant to open that door and leave the comfortable and private space that you both created in that room. When he had moved your faces away, he’d sigh and remove his hands from your cheeks and collect them for himself.

— Okay, now I'm ready! — He’d say softly making you smile tenderly at him and open the door leaving the room. You both could notice that there was no one in the halls which made you deduce that they were all downstairs.

You and Harry would go down the dark wooden stairs paying attention to the details of the house that was extremely decorated for Christmas. Honestly, it looked like Santa's own workshop. Harry had an arm around your shoulders and you kept your arm around his waist. Like you, Harry was wearing a wine red oversized sweater, which was actually quite cozy and you could feel it just by touching the fabric.

Upon reaching the floor below, you could see Gemma and Michal sitting on the sofa in the living room doing nothing more than that thing where you put popcorn and some other candies on the string. Why were they doing this? You had no idea, but it was what they were doing for some reason. You quickly looked away at the clock over the fireplace trying to see the time, but you couldn't, it's very difficult to be a myopic.

Gemma would look away from the string to the two of you right after stepping on the first floor as she felt your presence in the room. She opened a huge smile on her face at the sight of both of you because you happened to not meet each other earlier.

— Look, the lovebirds woke up! — She’d say in a loud and lively tone with her strong and cute british accent as she got up from the sofa leaving her piece of string on the coffee table with Michal. You also saw the figures of your mothers leaving the kitchen with big smiles on their faces. Your mother and Anne got along very well and you even think that your mother's english improved a lot after they met, even though the two of you never spoke in English with each other. You’d remember that when she came to US with you, she could barerly say ‘’hello’’ and look at her now having full conversations.

Gemma would accelerate her step as she got closer to you and instantly wrap you in a strong hug.

— Hi! — You'd say hugging her back tightlyand then you and Harry would alternate hugging and greeting everyone. When you hugged Anne, she hugged you so tight, like she was showing all of her love for you in that hug. She would be stroking your hair and inhaling the perfume that Harry bought for you yesterday in New York. When you’d step back, you would basically run into your mother's arms that was shorter than you, wrapping her tightly in your arms while you heard Anne hug Harry calling him "mommy's little boy", which he was.

— We apologize for being late, there were technical problems! — You’d say referring to the situation where you and Harry overslept and missed the flight without specifically explaining why you missed it.

— Exactly! — Harry said, holding his laugh because only you both knew the despair you felt that morning when you realized that you were extremely late, but it was quite an adventure. Harry’d take a deep breath, running his ringed hand through his strands of hair, throwing that stubborn streak of hair away from his forehead — We’ll tell you the details later, now explain to me what this is all about! — Harry said turning around pointing to all that popcorn that Gemma and Michal were giving their attention to a few minutes ago, causing Anne to laugh briefly.

— We’re cooking now, we didn't want to go out and do things without you! — Anne said taking a few steps back and pointing to the kitchen, which made the curious asses of you and Harry to walk next to her seeing the kitchen yourselved. You could notice that they were cooking from the dishes on the sink and from the ver pleasent scent that you could smell coming from the oven. You’d put a lock of your hair behind your ear and then look at the group of people again.

— Uh, and what are you cooking? Can we help or is it an activity only for those who arrive on time? — You asked ironically making fun of yourself.

— It is an activity only for those who arrived early! — Gemma'd say with her raised eyebrows, mocking you and Harry, which made the girl's brother look at her with the most falsely offended look he could peform now.

— She’s joking. Gemma! — Anne would say scolding her daughter even though she was joking and she knew it because Gemma loved you, and you two had a great relationship. You always called each other and exchanged messages and when you were in person together you’d always go out to do something fun and have a girls' night which even made Harry a little jealous sometimes but in general he was very pleased knowing that his sister loved his girlfriend — Well, your mom was teaching me how to make brazilian chicken pie and then we were going to make Christmas gingerbread cookies. You both should come with us!

— Sure, but I have no idea on know how to bake gingerbread cookies! — You’d say softly looking at the shorter woman and then at Harry as he’d say that he also didn’t know how to. The woman looked shocked, not about you, she understood your case because baking gingerbread cookies aren’t a thing in Brazil but Harry? She felt offended. She was quite sure she'd taught the boy before even though he claims that she didn't.

And after some minutes of argumentations on wether she taught him or not, you'd finally make your way to the kitchen. And you'd confess it was one of the prettiest kitchens you'd ever seen, and you could actually say it because the kitchen is your favorite place in every house so you've seen plenty of them. And yes, you and Harry were there in the morning but you couldn't actually pay attention to the details because all you could think about was a long sleep on a comfy bed. You'd pay attention to the big glass window now. The window that reflected the sun's light on the large navy blue island and stone based wall. It was stunning, completely stunning. You would slide your right hand to the stone on top of the island and then lean in on Harry's chest as you felt the taller guy standing behind you. He'd wrap his arms around your waist resting his head on top of your head as you both watched his mother getting all the ingredients herself and Gemma and Michal entering the kitchen.

— I wouldn't mind not helping... — Harry'd whisper as he leaned his lips next to your ear as you felt his hot breath against your skin — I wanted to watch all Home Alone movies and then pretend like it's the first time! — He'd complement making you let out a low chuckle over the boy's argument. The thing is, you and Harry created a tradition for christmas, and thinking now, you'd have a lot of traditions for a lot of things, but anyway, you both have the tradition of chosing one day of christmas week to watch all three Home Alone movies laid on the couch wrapped on cozy blankets, eating some snacks and actually reacting to the movie as it was the first time you'd watch it because I mean, we can all agree that Home Alone is the best christmas movies and it should be treated as its prize, and honestly, every year when you'd watch it, you'd probably notice something new that you haven't noticed on the past times.

— We can watch it after the cookies! — You'd move your head a little to the side as you whispered to him back to him. You’d positionate your hands over his to play with his big cold rings on his fingers.

— No, love. You're not getting it — Harry would say with a very straight face as you tried to control yourself over your boyfriend's drama. It's not like you won't watch the movies, you'll just postpone it but he loved the drama — I wanted to be in the couch now. It's cold in here — He'd say fake shrugging a bit from cold making you give him a big smile while shaking your head

— It's not cold in here, there's a heater in the house! It's just you — You'd argue looking directly at his emerald green eyes that looked extremely green today by the way. It’s the little details for you.

— Exactly! — Harry’d whisper a little bit louder now with his eyebrows raised as he tried to expose his point — If we were in the couch now, I wouldn't be cold because we would be cuddling, please understand my point.

— You're such a drama queen. I promise we'll watch it. We can even watch it with everyone on the living room, but I want to eat the cookies and I’ll feel bad to not help your mom — You'd say moving your head to the side a little so you could peck the boy on his lips. His sweet, small and cute lips that you loved to admire whenever he talked.

— Alright kids so... — Anne would start saying as she turned around finishing to put all of the ingredients on the island being interrupted by Gemma when she’d notice both of you actions.

— HEY! — Gemma would shout at you and Harry making both of you to immediately part your lips and look at her — No kissing on the kitchen, focus on the cookies...Jeez, get a room! — She'd tease both of you. She's probably you guys biggest shipper in the world and her heart melted when she'd see moments like this where she could feel the love and happiness in the air. — I want the cookies to be done in a few hours and this will distract you guys.

— You know what they say, right? Bake with love! — Harry'd say with a smirk on his lips as he loosened his arms around you so you could walk to be beside Anne’s now, looking at all the ingridients on the counter thinking to yourself that even though you both are great bakers this could go really wrong.

— Yes, bake with love not bake while making love — Gemma’d say with a sweet smile on her face as she winked an eye at you both when she’d hear you laugh. It was mostly a nervous laugh. Is her room beside yours? Honestly, you didn’t even want to think about this now because you’d blush and wouldn’t focus on learning how to make the cookies.

Anne grabbed her glasses and a small paper from her recipe book as you

you gathered all your hair on the top of your head and with the help of a hair tie tied it in a ponytail. Anne had a specific notebook full of loose leaves with some amazing recipes that you loved and would often ask her for a picture of some recipe that you wanted to try and then you guys would probably face time each other as she’d give you instructions on the recipe and it’d usually be really nice to spend this time together.

It was 1:55 PM now and you saw it this time when you took your phone off your pocket and gave Harry asking him to put it the big dinner table that it has in the kitchen. In the recipe, it said that it would take around four hours and thirty minutes to complete the recipe so the cookies would be ready by the sunset probably. You walked to the sink, where you rolled up your sweater sleeves and washed yourr hands while looking at the view of the snow-covered mountains through the window in front of you. When you’d turn around, you’d see Harry sit on the table with Gemma and Michal scrolling through his phone as he asnwered some texts in it.

— What the hell? You’re not helping? — You’d ask him placing your palms on the bench bringing Harry's attention to you as he immediately stopped typing. He’d be silent for a few minutes trying to find a good excuse as to why he was too lazy to help.

— Well, no — Harry would say calmly while looking at your face — But see, I won’t help because I think that not having my help will help you to have a nice moment with your favorite mother-in-law.

— Do I have another mother-in-law that I’m not aware about? — You’d ask after letting a chuckle out causing Anne to laugh and ask her son if he had any other lost mother walking around.

— Y/N, focus on the cookie and the nice time with your mother in law! — Harry’d say laughing at himself and turning his attention to his phone again while Anne handed you an extremely cute personalized Christmas apron that she had brought from London and helped you tie it to your body.

— We should put some christmas songs to give that christmas spirit — Gemma said as she fiddled with her own phone.

— Wow yes! Michal, can ye’ please take the Alexa I brought from my room? — Harry asked his sister's boyfriend who agreed and got up from the table asking him where the device was — Oh, it's in Y/N’s bag, the bag that is on top of the dresser, other than the suitcase — Harry would give him the instructions and then focus on his phone again as the man left. It didn't take long for Michal to return with the small device though, and then Harry asked Alexa to play his christmas playlist that started with ''Santa Claus is Comin 'to Town' 'by Frank Sinatra.

— Alright my dear, let’s start! Take that small bowl over there for me please — Anne would ask, and you’d start to make it. In a small bowl, she’d tell you to whisk together the perfect amount of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and then cloves until well blended. Later, you’d take a large bowl and add the beat butter that she made while you were whisking the dry ingredients together. You’d add brown sugar and egg on medium speed until well blended. While you continued to blend it, she’d add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended. Gradually, you’d stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth. She would let you divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and then tell you that you’d have to wait at least two hours so the dough could be ready.

While you were waiting for the dough, Gemma took the UNO cards she had brought and you all started to play together. Of all the things you did to kill time, your favorite would probably be playing UNO. Even if there was a lot of shouting when someone forgot to say '' UNO '' when it was just holding a card left, or when someone told the other person to add four more cards to its deck. The point is that probably with the number of times that you played this game, you added thirty more new rules that were not in the original rules of the game but it was these new rules that were fun and made you laugh out loud while playing. You were very good though, and you always finished your cards first which made Harry faithfully believe that you cheat in the game in some way and that would make him indignant.

You would play faithfully for two hours without even noticing that time has passed and then when Anne returned to the kitchen saying that the two hours had passed, you put your cards on the table and went back to the counter while they continued to play, but Harry didn't pay as much attention to the game as he did when you played alongside him.

Anne would preheat the oven to 375 deg while you’d prepare the baking sheets by lining with parchment paper. She would place one portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle flour over dough and the rolling pin as she’d give the rolling pin to you. As you rolled the dough, Harry paid attention to the way his mother carefully taught you and how you’d take her advices so openly to learn, if he didn’t know both of you, he would tell that you were mother and daughter because he’d never had any of his girlfriends to get along so well with his family before as you did and that’d honestly warm his heart. With so many years on the public eye, Harry learned the importance of his family and how important it was for him to receive their support in everything he decided to do and he’d in moments like this where he can see how his family loves you, the sensation that you were the one for him only grew more on his chest. He would smile openly at you when you show him the cute gingerbread man that you just cut with the dough. He’d appreciate your smile and how such little things actually made you the happiest.

In the past months in quarantine, Harry has been thinking about taking the next step in your relationship. You both would celebrate your 3rd anniversary on January 8th of 2021, and he’d feel like it’s the right time to do it because even though he knows that you don’t really believe that a piece of paper saying that you were married would change your relationship, he wanted that. He wanted to go around town being able to call you his wife. He couldn’t wait for a time when this would be a thing for both of you and that’s why later on that night when you’d finish baking the cookies and probably eaten way too many cookies and completely fall asleep on his chest while you all were watching Home Alone in the couch, he’d talk to his mom about how he’s been feeling and he’d be very content about the support she’d give him. ‘’She’s the one, my love! Do what your heart tells you to do’’, she’d tell him.

You’d wake up a few minutes later, though, when he tried to take you to your room. This time, when you turned the corridor out of the stairs to walk to your room, you would notice nothing more and nothing less than a mistletoe hanging from the wooden beam above your head and would stop walking immediately while Harry continued, and then he stopped and looked at you with a curious look on his face.

— What you’re doing? — He'd ask by releasing the door handle and walking closer to you.

— It's a mistletoe! — You said pointing upwards without taking your eyes off the mistletoe above your heads.

— Oh, it is! I hadn't noticed! — Harry said raising his head so that he could see the mistletoe you pointed with your finger.

— Did you know that I had never kissed under the mistletoe? — You would ask, now looking at him with a smirk on your face and he would then look at you with a wide smile and raising his eyebrows understanding exactly what you were saying.

— Oh, really? But that has to change. The mistletoe is magic of Christmas! — Harry said as he cupped your cheeks with his palms and approached you giving a tender kiss on your lips that had a smile formed in it. And at that moment Harry decided he wanted to kiss you for the rest of his life, whether you were under the mistletoe or not.

#harry and y/n #harry styles and y/n #HARRYxMODELY/N #HARRYxMODELY/NxCHRISTMAS #harry x reader #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles imagines #harry styles imagine

207 notes · View notes

daisylincs · 3 years

Text

Today is, officially, the last day of 2020 - so it's literally just in time that I'm getting to @aosrecweek's amazing challenge. But that does go to show the nature of this crazy year a little bit, right? Time has just been INSANE, and I honestly cannot believe it's so close to over.

That said, I want to put it out there that everyone - absolutely everyone - who created something in this mad year, is a SUPERHERO. Like. We could have hidden away in dark corners, curled into little balls, and lost touch with our creativity entirely - but instead, we made some of the most fantastic content I have ever seen. And, excuse the language, but that is fucking amazing, of each and every single one of us. We're bloody INCREDIBLE, you guys. We really are.

Now, the rules of this challenge dictate that I've got to start with some of my own things, then repeat with the same number of creations by other people. So I'm going to do that, and I apologise for the sheer length (and self-plug-iness) of what is about to follow - but, bloody incredible, remember? I really mean that. 💜💜💜

My Own:

you could call me babe for the weekend - 19k of Spideychelle being oblivious, mutually pining IDIOTS while being snowed in. And, you know, fake dating. (This thing was SO MUCH FUN to write and though, yeah, it got completely out of control, as evidenced by the 19k, I still really love it.)

'tis the damn season - my first attempt at writing a multi-chap, and, yeah, it only has one chapter as of now, but I really love said chapter. Basically, it's Daisy and Mackelena being friends, and honestly just the BEST friends - I adore the style I managed to achieve in this thing. Plus, the Skimmons I have planned up next is going to be da bomb.

the closest thing - Philindaisy plus fake family. Also; amusement parks. And for a fangirl like me - well, it was pretty much a dream come true to write!

oh valley of plenty - in this fic, I basically told myself, so AoS won't give us Huntingbird in the finale? Fine. I'll just do it myself then - in the fluffiest way possible. And that's exactly what I did - making them, and their kids, be best friends in Perthshire.

maybe life should be about more - a very angsty Skimmons and Daisy-centric AU, focusing on the internalised homophobia Daisy has experienced through her life, and shaking it off (and eventually, y'know, getting together with Jemma.)

and it's dark in a cold december (but i've got you to keep me warm) - Fitzsimmons just make such a supreme pairing for hurt/comfort, what with how insanely well they understand each other and care about each other, so I'm really glad for the Fitzsimmons Secret Santa giving me the chance to write this! Basically, this follows our science duo through a stressful mission on Christmas Eve (so yes, it's a mission fic!!) and realising that the two of them can do anything together.

july second - ahhh, one of my personal favourites to write! Daisy birthday surprise fluff will always be top-notch for me, especially for all the team-as-family fluff you can add in, especially especially that this is set in Staticquake times! Also, it's from Hunter's point of view, which will forever be the most insanely fun thing to write, I do think.

i just wanna be with you - man, I'm such a big royal fan, so getting the chance to write a modern royalty AU for my OTP was nothing short of amazing!! This is Princess Daisy and her fiancée Lincoln Campbell at their official engagement interview

see the line where the skye meets the sea - shameless season 1 bby Bus Kids fluff, featuring movie nights, singalongs and... so much fluff your teeth will rot. Also I'm really freaking proud of the pun in the title okay

'cause all that you are is all that i'll ever need - Huntingbird waking up together fluff (because, fight me, Huntingbird in their sweet moments is one of the sweetest things you will ever get to read or write.) This is also my, fluffy, take on the origin of the Franny's Saloon keychain.

we love you, we love you (and we hope you love we too) - aha, my first polyship fic! Also my first try at some actually fancy HTML formatting (forever thanks to Kat for explaining.) Both of these things combined to form a fic that even I think is ridiculously fluffy and funny, and kinda amazing, at that.

and man I don't know where the time goes (but it sure goes fast like that) - Another Bus Kids movie night fic, but this one set post-season 7, and reflecting on how far they've come. A little bit more hurt/comfort-y than it's pure fluff prequel, but still super fluffy and soft. And, of course, with a happy ending.

she shares my dreams, i hope that someday, i'll share her home - snowy Fitzsimmons fluff, complete with them falling in love at the Winter Olympics, as you do.

then you walked in and my heart went boom - 16k of Dekesy for the wife, and remarkable for that, because literally a month ago from this, I hated Dekesy with my entire soul. Then I started reading Kat's fics, and, well, fell in love with them... so much so that I wrote sixteen thousand words of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, bed sharing holiday fluff for them.

a love like that - a Fitzsimmons Cinderella AU, featuring my two favourite science babies, in true science bby style, falling in love over science and how stupid the whole courting thing is. Also, Daisy makes a brief appearance, and she's the freaking best.

ever after - ah, probably the one single fic I'm proudest of. A post-season 7 Daisy character study focusing on her emotional rollercoaster re: losing her family/things never being the same again, which just achieves... an emotional level that I have never managed to replicate again. I was full-on sobbing while writing it, and, guys, it also part-holds the Closest To Making Kat Cry prize.

blue - Daisy character study spanning snapshots of seven seasons, and before - but tied together by something blue in every moment. Researching for this, and finding all the blue moments, was very interesting, and immensely satisfying, especially since all the moments where a little bit of blue was present actually combine to chronicle Daisy's journey on the show remarkably well.

who is that girl I see - the one time I decided to write straight angst, and straight angst with no happy ending. Melinda May post-Bahrain, folks.

take my hand, take my whole life too - aww, the first thing I wrote that I really and truly loved. A Staticquake and Fitzsimmons Actors AU, featuring a proposal on set and INCREDIBLE amounts of fluff and softness.

hold out your hand, 'cause friends will be friends - the wife's favourite, and, as second fics go, pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. It's a Soulmates AU for Staticquake and Mackelena, with the focus being on DaisyMack friendship, and lots of denial, angst, and guilt about finding their soulmates. (They figure it out eventually, don't worry - it's me, of course I made them happy.)

Fitzsimmons + Fake Dating moodboard - Fake dating will always be FAB, and picturing it out in a moodboard - especially for my clueless bby best friends in love - was the best, and super satisfying.

Staticquake + Orange moodboard - One of the cooler ideas I had for Trick or Treat (which I still have not finished, heaven help me) was to make a series of moodboards for my OTP plus different colours. This orange one is just so light, and cheerful, and happy, and honestly I kinda adore it.

This Philindaisy + Family Moodboard - making moodboards can be insanely frustrating when you just can't find the photo that fits exactly right. With this one, however, I found all the pics I needed pretty insanely fast, and, better, the whole thing just worked, and really nicely so, too.

This Bus Kids + Baking Cookies moodboard - there's absolutely NO faults to be found with tiny, adorable Skye, Fitz and Jemma concocting choc chip cookies - but I'm actually doing a tiny cheat here, because, cute as my moodboard here is, the accompanying fic by my love @eowima is the SWEETEST and best thing you could ever wish for!!!

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - Day 3 of Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week focused on an emotion, and I picked confidence and power, because honestly, it's nothing short of amazing how confident and powerful our gorgeous girl has become.

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - One of the times I wish I could gif, because this quote about struggling though never giving up just suits Daisy perfectly. The photos I found are cool, though, and I mean, it's Daisy, so that's already absolutely fabulous.

Other People's:

I managed to find twenty-six of my own things that I liked enough to put up there (because, yes, I'm that big a dork, 26 things for me being 26 is the way to go :D) Anyway, now that gives me the amazing chance to spotlight twenty-six of my favourite creations by my FANTASTIC mutuals! 😍

To start, my wife - Kat said I couldn't put everything she's ever written on here, so, ugh, I guess I'll just do my top five then. *grumbling* Everything by Kat is on here in spirit, though!!

Chasing Cars (even after the story ends) by @aleksandrachaev - the epic Dekesy roadtrip AU and incredible Daisy character study itself, which, I do believe, finishes today!! Words aren't enough to describe how freaking AMAZING this thing is, or how spectacularly well characterised. Just: if you haven't read this yet, you are missing out. You will laugh, you will groan, you will want to wrap Daisy in a very tight hug, and you will probably cry, too. This fic just has it all, really!

there goes the maddest man this town has ever seen by @aleksandrachaev - the post-season 7 Deke-crashes-the-Framework-Zoom-call fic I didn't know I needed (but spent the next two weeks rereading every single night.) It is absolutely INCREDIBLE, with all the Deke & Team feels we missed in the final outro scene, and honestly just the most fantastic writing. I cannot recommend it enough!

To Box It Up And Start Again (everything must go) by @aleksandrachaev - bloody hell, this BROKE me. Deke never really got to say goodbye in canon, but Kat gave him the chance to do it here. And, my freaking GOODNESS, she made it so incredibly bittersweet and heart-shattering. 10/10

i am a leaf on the wind by @aleksandrachaev - a little bit of a stretched-out, reflective moment in the season 7 finale. As Daisy lingers on the edge of death, she reflects on all the lives she could have had - and, man, what a study in bittersweetness!! This entire fic is utterly incredible, and something I think all Daisy fans should read.

Falling Into Place by @aleksandrachaev - here's a tiny cheat from me (sorry, babes, lmao) because technically this isn't one fic, but a series of three. Way too amazing to miss out on, though!! Set mid-season 7, this has the Chronicoms go after a young Mary Sue Poots to kill Quake before she can become a problem for them. They stop the Chronicoms, yes, but not without a TREMENDOUS dose of feels and hurt/comfort. There's also a wonderful little dose of Dekesy friendship, and then an adult adoption (!!) that honestly made my entire day to read. Actually, that's true for the entire series - I really canNOT yell about it enough!!

destroyer of worlds by @bobbimorseisbisexual - a study in incredible parallels between Jiaying's daughters. Utterly breathtakingly done, this will give you ALL the feels for this small and complex Inhuman family.

Muscle Memory by @robotgort and @bobbimorseisbisexual - a Huntingbird!! Bones!! AU!! And also a collaboration between two of the most fabulous Huntingbird authors in the fandom - honestly, what more can you ask for?! This will make you laugh, and gasp, and wince, and keep you guessing at each new plot twist (and also screaming at your screen for Hunter and Bobbi to get their acts together and TALK ABOUT IT.) In short: it's completely and utterly amazing, and I cannot, cannot recommend it enough!!

You Belong Among the Wildflowers by @libbyweasley - a freaking incredible Scis & Spies Regency AU! I only just started reading, but I was hooked all the way through, especially on the way Libby writes all four characters' complex relationships (and their attraction, and their history!) Everything about it is just completely stunning, and I for one cannot WAIT for these beautiful idiots to figure out they all belong together.

Family Snapshot by @tomatobookworm - if it's family fluff you're after, especially Staticquake family fluff, look no further! This tremendously soft and utterly amazing fic follows a day in the lives of a pregnant Daisy and her husband Lincoln, and their not-so-little family of Inhumans, both adopted and biological. There's also shopping with Grandma May, lots of feels, lots of shippiness, and just AMAZINGNESS all the way through!!

Best Day Ever by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - Jemma and Daisy want to adopt a pet, and make a very special trip to Wisconsin to do it. Also, whether he knows who he is or not, Jemma has an important question to ask Cal - and just, AHHHH, everything about this is utterly stunning! For starters, Aubrey's writing is FANTASTIC, and the scene she sets is absolutely beautiful, and so very bittersweet. I was actually misting up a little with happy tears towards the end of this - really, I cannot recommend this enough, to any Skimmons fan.

so why don't we go somewhere only we know by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - more Skimmons (platonic this time, though), more hurt/comfort, and, yes, again, more absolutely INCREDIBLE writing. This one is canon compliant, following a shaken Jemma struggling to sleep after Maveth, and how Daisy finds a way to help her out. Incredibly sweet, tender and BEAUTIFULLY written, this one was an instant favourite the moment I read it!

Unspoken by @anxiouslynumbme - a birthday fic for yours truly, and, honestly, one of the most STUNNING Staticquake introspectives I've read. It follows Daisy and Lincoln in a beautifully tender missing moment in season 3, with them both realising their feelings, and just... AHHHHHHHH, everything about it is utterly incredible!! I cannot, cannot recommend this gem of a fic enough

the thing about water droplets and ruffled hair by @que-mint-tea - here's another fic that proves, once and for all, how good Kat's Dekesy is, because it managed to convert T to write some Dekesy smut. And, oh my GOSH, what Dekesy smut - so goshdarn angsty, but so FANTASTICALLY characterised and written that it leaves you more than a little breathless, and gaping at your screen. The first chapter initially left us on the most HORRIFIC cliffhanger, but then T fixed it, and it's just... this thing is really a whole new level of emotional writing, raw and gripping and intensely perfect for both of these characters. My haw still drops whenever I think of this thing, and how utterly AMAZING it was, so yeah. Fic rec!!!

beautiful stranger, there you are by @justanalto - I do believe I still owe Serena a long and very gushy comment on this thing, because, MAN, does it ever deserve that!! Pipsy and fake dating, with the most HILARIOUSLY incredible writing, plot and characterisation, and honestly just a giddy "askhdfkhsfh" whenever I think back to how much I enjoyed it. Yup, it was that good.

Jumping to conclusions by @eowima - a very special one, because it marks my love Océane's first venture into writing AoS fic! It's an AU of 1x06 (the Fitzsimmons episode of s1) where Fitz does actually jump out of the plane to save Jemma. Realisations of feelings, and some of the most genuinely FANTASTIC Fitz characterisation I've read in a while, follow - and, yup, I was shouting at my screen for them just to get together already. Amazing stuff, really!!

Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit by @eowima - okay, this. This. Another gift for me, and one that I will probably treasure forEVER, because it is just?? so?? utterly?? perfect?? Just for starters, the title is a Hamilton reference - and then the theme of Hamilton references continues into the fic itself, I'm delighted to say. There's also the most BEAUTIFUL, playful Skimmons friendship, and teasing, and then of course the bet about who can make out with their crush first... Staticquake & Fitzsimmons perfection. And all rendered in Océane's delightful, best-thing-ever-to-read writing!! I'm going into a giddy keyboard smash just THINKING about this, so yeah, cannot recommend it enough.

lullabies and clear blue skies by @springmagpies and @bobbimorseisbisexual - okay, I never thought I'd catch myself shipping FitzBobbi, let alone shipping it this hard, but... wow. Maggie and Al teamed up to completely blow me away, and MELT MY WHOLE ENTIRE HEART with the sheer cuteness of this!! It features Fitz, Bobbi and adopting two daughters, and it's just the most tender, beautiful development through that little family - I love it so, so much.

We made all the wrong choices by @browneyedgenius - the winner of the AoS Angst War 2020, how could I not include this one? It is such a well-deserved win, though, whoa - I was sobbing, full-on sobbing, at least twice while reading. It follows the season 5 team through the events of the time-loop, after they failed to save the world - and, oh my gosh, it ripped my heart right out of my chest, but beautifully so. Everything about this fic just hits so hard, and it's written so well - yeah, really a most AMAZINGLY deserved win, for an utterly SHATTERINGLY incredible fic.

I threw stones at the stars (but the whole sky fell) by @nazezdha321 - this is Z showing us all how to write a backstory for a minor character, and write it so well that everyone's hearts break all over again when she dies. This one is about Victoria Hand, and it builds a stirring and profound childhood for her, also making her rise through the ranks of SHIELD and just her entire character mean so much more. Really, fic-wise, this is goals, and I take my hat off to you, Z, 1000%, for writing it.

in which the universe is put together by @besidemethewholedamntime - Rebecca's emotional writing, particularly Fitzsimmons' emotions, is incomparable, and she proves it all over again in this fic. If follows Fitz and Jemma before, after and during the bloodwork, and I just... wow, honestly. The emotion!! And the characterisation!! Absolutely stunning, and honestly all I could wish for in a we-had-time fic.

Agents of SHIELD Season 8 by @egumal - THIS. This, this, this, oh my gosh - as fix-it fics go, this has to be the most spectacular one I have ever read. What it does is find a way - a potentially canon compliant way, too - to bring back Lincoln Campbell, and reunite Staticquake. Basically: just about as season 7 finishes, the Astro Ambassadors get an unexpected visitor from another timeline, who asks them to come help out against Hive. Case in point, Daisy meets her lost love again (... but he has no idea who she is) and also has to relive the Fallen Agent drama. It all gets even more complicated when Kora restores Lincoln's memories, and Daisy meets the full team Deke has assembled around him in the 33 years (for him) that they've been apart... in short, this is one of the most thorough, well-written and downright SHOCKING plot-twist-wise fics that you will ever read, and honestly, saying "I can't recommend it enough" is an understatement. This thing is thd BEST, plain and simple!

Black Roses aren't real (but you and I are) by @ohwriteiforgot - ahhhh, a fic that will always have an incredibly special place in my heart, because it introduced me to one of my best fandom friends. The main focus is on Clintasha, it's true, but it's also a crossover with AoS in the sense that Clint was adopted by Coulson and May. Also, Daisy is his little sister, and their bond is gold. Also - there's Staticquake!! And flower shops!! And rivals to friends to lovers!! All I'm going to say is, what more can you ask for?!

A book to shield my story by @maybebrilliant - Staticquake High School AU, ahhhhhhhh!! There are only two chapters out so far, but the way this is shaping up is making my DAY - with Daisy as the new girl who meets Lincoln and his group of friends, and, though her foster parents are absolutely shit, starts to find actual happiness in a school for the first time in her life. Also - THE REFERENCES. Guys. I'm crazy for those, and in this book, so are my favourite dorks, Daisy and Lincoln - and let me tell you, it's nothing short of the best thing ever.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @heysteverogers - AoS really has been the most INCREDIBLE journey through the years, but what's really made it special is the company - and that's summed up perfectly in this gorgeous gifset. Also, the graphics on this are just, ahhhh, stunning - I'm in awe, and I've spent very long periods of time just looking at this thing in a state of heart-eyes.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @jemannesimms - combining Auld Lang Syne and the final scenes of my favourite show was a raw emotional - but utterly brilliant experience - for me. It's just so absolutely beautiful, and perfectly suited to the team, and their goodbyes!! Breathtaking editing work here, too.

This Daisy as Peter Parker and May as Tony Stark moodboard by @agentsofcomedyandchaos - ahhhh, a crossover of two of my favourite fandoms!! And what a lovely one, too - the colour scheme, quotes, and just the whole FEEL of this is absolutely genius, and I am guilty of being inspired by way too many fic ideas by it. Stunning stuff!!

And... whoa, that was long, but I really do feel that we deserve a bit of a proper pat on the back after creating such magical content in such a messed up year. So that's the note I'm going to leave you with for 2020, my friends: hell-year or no, look at the absolute beauty we were still able to create!! We really are freaking amazing, guys.

#aos best of 2020 #fic rec #massive fic rec list #and honestly; WHAT a list!!#despite this utter hellstorm of a year #we as a fandom have still been nothing short of INCREDIBLE #and honestly; I am SO proud of us #💜💜💜

33 notes · View notes

victoriareyloficlists · 3 years

Text

Single Parents

Updated 10 November 2021

Rest of the Masterlist.

A Beautiful Mess by MizuPhoenix (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 5 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben/Kylo is a new dad, left with a baby and note from a one night stand. Rey is his flighty loud neighbor, who always has way too many friends at her house and doesn't make things easy on his new lifestyle. They argue relentlessly, until one day an emergency calls for her help with the baby and spawns them into the path to something heated in a different way. ) Baby Fever by HerSistersKeeper (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, 6 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben Solo is fine staying single, even if he does find Rey, the teacher who lives a floor up from him and his son, attractive and charming. His toddler, Matt, has other ideas.) Baby Shark by Melusine11 (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire can handle a lot. Fights over who is the leader in line for the day, crying over not getting the right color crayon they want, puke after gym time, but the one thing that consistently raises his blood pressure is one damnable song.) Bearers and Builders by AverageEpaulet (AO3 2021 Rated E Complete, 10 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: In which Rey needs a nanny for her daughter Hazel and Ben happens to be the just right for the job. TW: previous infant death.) Butter Crisp Sandwich by DarkMage13 (AO3 2021 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: “Mr, I insist you join me for a tea party today, at precisely noon. My teddy will be there.” Ben glanced at the boring clock on the wall. Ten minutes until noon. He swallowed in fear. There was no escape. Or: Ben Solo cannot say no to an adorable hazel-eyed little girl's request for tea.) Choreae Lucis by Shestoolazytologin (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo takes his daughter to her ballet classes and forgets his heart there.) chosen dreams by blessedreylo (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben Solo is struggling with a fussy baby that won't stop crying. Ben's new neighbor Rey hears the crying and knocks on the door to see if she can help.) Close Enough to Kiss by Somewhere_overthe_Reylo (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey's daughter comes with her to take a final exam. Dr.Solo ends up being soft for babies.) Expanding The Family Tree by WaterlilyRose (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 9 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Life didn't turn out exactly the way Rey imagined but she never imagined she could be this happy. Ben and herself were a good team with their daughter and proved themselves to be good parents.So if it worked once... why not again?) Father Knows Best by American_Punk_1990 (AO3 2016 Rated M Complete, 20 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo is doing all he can to be the best single father that he can but he is in desperate need for a good baby sitter. Rey needs a new job and the absurdly tall, kind of goofy looking guy with the world's cutest baby seems to have a perfect solution.) Go And Catch A Falling Star Chapter 17 by Ayearandaday (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: As a child, Rey is mesmerized by ballerina Leia and grows up to become one. Single dad Ben and his daughter Stella fall for Rey.) Goodnight Moon by LittleAndikin (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben's 3 year old daughter Lily won't go to sleep without listening to the library's podcast reading of Goodnight Moon. When she's in the elevator with her father & a neighbour, she recognises Rey from her voice as the person who reads to her every night.) Halloween Wishes by danceinmystorm (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo tries his best to make sure that his daughter gets to trick or treat and get candy for Halloween. Just as the night feels like a bust, their next door neighbor invites them in for a fun surprise.) Have My Everything by MotherofScavengers (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: After months of convincing, teacher Rey is at last dragged by her friends to a strip club and gets gifted with a lap dance. When she's alone and waiting, she finally meets the dancer: Usually shy Ben, the single father of her favourite student. ) Hot Cocoa and Cinnamon by ABeautifulBreakdown (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When a trip the the park leads to her child wandering off Rey is left in a state of panic. Distraught and over run with emotions she hunts down her little boy only to find him standing with a strange man who upon closer inspection doesn't actually seem so strange.) i found love where it wasn’t supposed to be, right in front of me by Lutrosis (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben’s the sweetheart nanny to Rey’s twin daughters. When her new boyfriend is frustrated that he’s lower on her list of priorities than her children, he dumps her. Rey texts Ben and comes home early to find her kids tucked in, and Ben, ready with ice cream.) I need a teacher by kyoloren (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad and photographer Ben Solo sets up to take photos of fashion model Rey at her place and accidentally stumbles upon her massive dildo collection. Rey, forever sexually unsatisfied, decides that maybe she should try the real thing…) I Was Lost (For You To Find) by LadyReylo (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 19 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: “On Friday we received a visit from a man and his lawyer.” Mr Kenobi opened the folder on his desk. Rey instantly recognised it, her eyes widening, dread filling her. “What... what do you mean? What is going on?” She said, her tone firm. Whatever this was, if it involved her son, she needed to know the truth now. “His name is Benjamin Solo. And he claims his son was illegally put up for adoption eleven years ago without his consent.”) In Full Bloom by deedreamer (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When high school teacher Rey Kanata gets flowers with a cryptic message, she freaks out, thinking she's being hit on by one of her students. On a mission to find out who sent the flowers, she meets Ben Solo -- single dad and owner of the little florist down on Main Street. When the flowers turn out to be a delivery error, Rey knows her job's no longer at risk. But what she doesn't know is that she's about to fall head over heels for the man who keeps sending her flowers day after day because he's a goner for her, too...) In the Bleak Midwinter Came a Rey of Light by Reylo_of_light (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey's luck had run out. No purse. No phone. And now her car had broken down and her toddler is crying. Lucky for her, her knight in a shining Tesla is about to pull up. Perhaps there are miracles at Christmas.) Island Holiday: A Reylo Christmas Story by Rey_KnightofRen (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Violinist Rey Niima is traveling to Hawai‘i to perform in her best friend Finn’s destination wedding the week before Christmas. She’s supposed to be playing a duet with cellist Ben Solo. Although Rey and Ben were rivals back in college, several years have passed since then and Rey discovers that Ben is now a VERY attractive and VERY eligible single dad. She starts to hope that her suitcase isn’t the only thing she’ll be bringing back with her from Hawai‘i…) Liam's Friend by Lady_of_Haven (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Neighbor Maz watches Rey’s son Liam while she works and goes to school. Maz pushes him in his pram at the park everyday at 12, which is when Ben walks his dog Kylo. Little Liam loves Kylo and Ben. One day, Rey is out with Liam at a coffee shop when he recognizes and reaches out for Ben.) Lizzy Solo by Hellyjellybean (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Its bring your kids to work day and little Lizzy Solo meets Rey for the first time. "Are you the same Rey that my dad told Uncle Hux he was half in love with?") Locked Out by INTPSlytherin_reylove97 (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single mom Rey has never accepted help from her neighbor Ben. But when she gets locked out of her apartment with a crying toddler, Ben is there. And Ben wants to continue to be there for them.) Love is Strange by SpaceWaffleHouseTM (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 7 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Or the one where Rey lies and tells her coworkers she has a loving husband and a son. Now the annual picnic is coming up and she needs a fake picture-perfect family. Fortunately, her friend Ben fits all the requirements.) Love's Mystery by Hartmannclan (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, 14 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo only needs one lady in his life; his daughter, Hope. So he is surprised to find himself intrigued by the masked woman who just spilled a drink down the front of his costume. Maybe this year the company Valentine's day dance won't be so boring after all? And what happens when he has to leave suddenly.....) lunch thief by thisismelodrama (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 34 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: In which Rey’s son steals Ben’s daughter’s lunch and chaos ensues.) maybe we're from the same star Chapter 4 by INTPSlytherin_reylove97 (AO3 2018 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Living together was supposed to be easy. Another person to help with the kids, they already spent most of their free time together anyways.) My Dad Will Not Date Miss Palpatine (But Maybe He Can Marry Her) by AnneAnna (AO3 2021 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Annie Solo is perfectly happy with her Dad and brother and the last thing she needs is her dad's high school sweetheart coming to town and ruining everything. But maybe just maybe Miss Palpatine will be far better than she expected.) Neighborly by Blueyedgurl (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey and her son move into a new apartment and meets her new neighbor Ben and his cute dog.) Now I'm In It by crystanagahori (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 6 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: So Rey might have accidentally told her boss that she was bringing her loving husband and sweet two year old son to the fundraiser. She does not, in fact, have either. She does, however, have her neighbor Ben and his two year old son Noah.) Off guard by TheReadingNook (AO3 2019 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: The last thing Rey is looking for is love. As a single mom, her plate is as full as she wants it to be, but her son seems to think otherwise. And when he sets out to fill that void, they learn some interesting things about life, love, and the bonds of family and friendship.) Our Karate Kids by Theyna_Shipper (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When Rey drops in on her daughter's karate class for Halloween, she meets Ben Solo, another single parent, and watch their children spar.) Overboard by Biekewieke (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 10 Chapters, Overboard AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Organa-Skywalker is a rich snob who hires her to clean his party barge, making her life difficult and fouls her mood. After a freak accident throws him overboard and Rey ends up saving his life. When he wakes up, it turns out he has amnesia. Rey sees it as the ultimate answer to all her prayers. She gets to take his arrogant ass down a peg or two AND she has someone to help around the house and with the kids for a while.) Please be my Daddy! by erney007 (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, 5 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Raising a child while having to do such demanding job is hard. Rey, an ICU nurse, accidentally finds out that her asshole neighbor, Ben Solo, is quite good at babysitting. After plaguing her child with Elsa obsession, Obiwan starting to call him “Papa”. And Ben kind of likes it.) Raincheck by Hormonal_Trashbag (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben's 7 year old son tries to ask out his teacher Miss Rey on behalf of his father.) Rey's Braids by Magdalane (AO3 2021 Rated M Complete, 6 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben's little girl falls in love with braided hairstyles. He watches video from the popular YouTube channel in which Rey teaches different braiding techniques. After weeks of failure, he DMs her on Instagram, desperate...) Say It With Feeling by amybeegood (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 18 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Meet Rey, the Maid/Escort who really needs a solid day job and Ben, the reclusive, virgin billionaire who doesn't have a clue about real life or how to hire household help.) Something About November Chapter 18 by SpaceWaffleHouseTM (AO3 2019 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When Ben's adopted daughter finds a box of love letters he wrote and never sent, she decides she wants him happy for Christmas. With help from her Aunt Gwen, she sends her the letters.) Something Missing by Hellyjellybean (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: An angst-free AU where Ben takes his kid to work and loses track of him only to find him eating contraband candy with Rey from IT.) Take Me Out To The Ball Game by empirestrikesben (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey is sitting with her daughter next to Prince Ben at a baseball game. Her daughter sneaks popcorn while her mom's distracted. The video goes viral and Queen Leia invites Rey and her daughter to the palace.) that's where you take me by blessedreylo (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben asks his daughters nanny Rey to live with them during quarantine so she can help take care of her while he works remote. Lots of domestic proximity and mutual pining ensues.) The Ties That Bind by Telcontarian (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Professor Ben Solo rules the classroom with an iron fist and he is not generally known for his kindness or for his understanding. However, when Rey approaches him to ask for help with her daughter, Kira, Rey finds that Ben is more gentle and caring than she originally thought.) To Play Pretend by SuchaPrettyPoison (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben Solo is tired of being hit on by some of the mums from his daughter's kindergarten class. He asks his friend Rey to come with him to pick up his daughter as his pretend fiancée.) To Say Good Night to You by dawninthemtn (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben is living a lonely quarantine when he gets a FaceTime call from a random toddler. He makes friends with the child, and eventually, her mother.) Violet Solo Turns 5 by hellocienne (AO3 2021 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Little Violet Solo is Ben’s entire world. His daughter is the most precious person in his life, and he is adamant about doing anything it takes to keep his little girl smiling. Despite Violet’s obvious charm and charisma, not even one of her invited classmates went to her 5th birthday party, and she is about to get an intense meltdown that not even Ben—super dad extraordinaire—could keep under control. Enter Rey Niima—Ben’s coworker who he might or might not be in love with for the last three years. She’s Violet’s (other) favorite person in the whole wide world, and this woman will truly do anything for Ben’s precious little girl. Even if it means sending a group text to her friends who all live in different parts of the city, and inviting their children to attend a spontaneous birthday party.)

#reylo #reylo fanfic

23 notes · View notes

kate2kat · 3 years

Text

5 fics

I was tagged by @earlgreytea68 (waves from way over here)

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5(ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

When I first read this, I thought, oh well, I haven’t written 5 things this year, because I have been very consumed with 2 long fics, but then I checked, and it turns out I have posted 7 things this year.

1. I think my favourite -- for just how fizzy it made me feel, and because it was this gorgeous chain reaction sparked by a comment by @amysnotdeadyet on a tumblr post and resulting in the gift of some lovely art -- is Red in which Eames gives Arthur a fabulous Alexander McQueen suit to wear to their wedding.

He had known from the moment he saw the name on the box, that it would be spectacular. But he hadn’t known exactly how.

He has some astonishing suits from Alexander McQueen, but this one is beyond his imagining.

Suitp*rn (TM) is my absolute favourite thing to write for Arthur and Eames, and I think clothes can tell a lot about a person, not just the one wearing them, and a lot about a relationship.

2. I posted two longish instalments in my Good Omens series: Now we both together I think has some lovely moments during the time when Crowley and Aziraphale have to try to imagine what their lives can be like now that they are out of their old jobs, and also have to rethink (Crowley especially) their understanding of their places in the grand scheme of things.

And of course, the taking off of many layers of clothes features too (it’s a pretty bulletproof thing of mine):

Crowley pushes Aziraphale — gently, firmly, relentlessly — back into the mound of them and leans down over him and kisses him intently. And then he straightens up and undoes Aziraphale’s many buttons: his waistcoat and his shirt and his old-fashioned trouser flies. “So many buttons,” he grumbles, but Aziraphale just smiles, he knows Crowley likes the fact that the many buttons draw this part out and out and out, filling them both with delicious shivery anticipation.

3. Inception’s many challenges are a great way to write things you might not of thought of yourself, and for Eames Stupid Cupid I was lucky enough to get a prompt from @oceaxe-ifdawn, giver of the very best prompts, that really make me think. This one was no exception: “distemper” -- an illness and an old-fashioned kind of paint. I imagined Eames (in particular) growing sick of dreamshare and wanting A new life, which I pictured in the sort of sleepy French village that I have dreamed of living in. I am not nearly good enough at investing to afford such a thing, but Arthur is.

“What are we doing, Eames?” says Arthur as he drives back down the track, concentrating on the ruts.

“Thinking of buying a farm?”

Arthur laughs. “Well, we are retired.”

“You’d consider it? It’s not just the sort of holiday dream you allow yourself after a bit too much wine?”

“Not bad wine, either,” says Arthur.

Eames looks over at him and Arthur takes his eyes off the track long enough to meet his smile.

4. I wrote a little thing on New Year’s day, partly because few years ago I spent Christmas day writing a really good Christmas for Bob, who hadn’t until then had many really good Christmases. Rainy day isn’t a seasonal fic at all, just a bit of quiet reflection on how things change and get better.

Much later, after they’ve been and done the shopping and they’re on the sofa watching football, Bob lying with his head in Dave’s lap, not really watching, he was never that interested in football, really, he says: “When I woke up early this morning, the rain was hitting the window and it reminded me of the first time I stayed here. I was so bloody scared, when you asked me to stay, did you know how scared I was?”

Dave says, his hands on Bob, in his hair, on his shoulder, keeping his eyes on the screen like Bob is: “I think I guessed a bit.”

“I’m glad you made me stay, imagine if you hadn’t?”

“We’d still have worked it out, I think.”

“Yeah, probably. But I’m glad I took the second chance then.” He turns his face up to look at Dave, and Dave’s looking down at him. “We know each other so well now, I know what you like, and you know me. I love that. I love it.”

5. Which brings me to the fic that has consumed me for the last six months to the exclusion of everything else. I have never posted a WIP and god, the stress! I don’t think I’ll do it again in a hurry.

Nocturnal Creatures sprung out of the mood that Bastille’s album Doom Days gave me, listening to it in the car driving home form the office (when we still went to offices) late at night. It’s got nothing to do with the story that the album is telling, but the idea of Eames as a vampire who hates being one, meeting Arthur, who is in dreamshare, and daring to hope he could escape his dark existence took hold and wouldn’t let go. So when the Big Bang came around I proposed it. But I hadn’t actually outlined much of it at the time, and it grew a mind of its own and the posting date came and the story was (I thought) not finished but maybe nearly done? Haha, I’m still writing it. I promise it really is nearly finished, anyone who is still interested (but I have said that several times before, I admit). Anyway, here’s a bit from the last chapter I’ve written, which is not posted yet, but will be soon. I’ll put it under a cut.

Arthur sits up, placing a hand on Eames’ chest, keeping him on his back. A frown flits across his face, as if he is debating something with himself. Eames relaxes his hands at his sides, palms up, quiescent, and Arthur smiles, bending down and kissing him. “I’m in your hands,” Eames says.

Arthur nods, and positions Eames’ arms above his head, spanning both wrists with one strong hand as he leans in again, biting softly at Eames’ mouth, and then harder, pushing in as his other hand moves down, pressing at his throat just hard enough to make Eames swallow, feeling the resistance. And then Arthur’s hand has moved on, down his chest, brushing across his nipples, tweaking one, and when Eames arches into the touch, pinching the other harder. He chases Arthur’s mouth when he ends the kiss, sitting up.

He leans over to the nightstand and Eames lifts his head, trying to see if he is retrieving the lubricant, but in Arthur’s hand is his dark red tie, the tie he gave to Eames.

“May I?” he asks.

So there we have it, for anyone who is still reading. A year of writing in a very weird time. The pandemic doesn’t feature at all.

I will tag @amysnotdeadyet, and @oceaxe-ifdawn (I don’t know if you have written anything this year but you have made some fabulous videos), and @my-citrus-pocket

#writing #my fic #writing meme

3 notes · View notes

purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1128

[created by: pinkchocolate]

When was the last time you were surprised, in a pleasant way? Wednesday when Bea had food delivered to my house. One of our clients was hosting a roundtable session and our task was to order food to be delivered to the attendees’ house, and it turns out she snuck in an order for me as well.

It was super touching and I tried to do a nice deed yesterday by getting food for her as well; but as I mentioned on my previous survey, I got paired with a scammer delivery guy instead who ended up stealing my order...that I already paid for... :( It was such a flop and I ended up having to give away the surprise to Bea since I had to check if she received it, and that’s when I learned she never got anything. I’ll try again next week or whenever I get my money refunded, hahaha.

What color was the last fruit or vegetable that you ate? Green (green onion).

Is there a compliment you've received, that sticks in your mind? I like it whenever I’m told I write well, since that’s my main talent and it’s always nice to be complimented on my skills.

The last time you received a gift, what did the wrapping paper look like? I have no idea but probably red/green and holiday-themed since it most likely had been a Christmas gift.

What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? Not reading anything.

If so, what did you specifically like about it?

Anyone you haven't talked to in a while, that you'd like to hear from? Not really. It’d be cool to hang out with Sofie again because I haven’t seen her since our little trip to Nasugbu, but I’m not necessarily waiting on a message from them.

When you were a kid, did you own any accessories with your name on? Probably a bracelet.

Do you own any items of clothing that you haven't yet worn? Yup. I got a yellow romper from one of my aunts for Christmas, but I haven’t had the chance to wear it yet. It’s short and airy, so I’ll probably pull it out once the climate gets warmer again.

Were you awake before 8am today? Yeah, I got up at 4:30 earlier even though I fell asleep at like midnight. I think my body understands that my brain wants me to get as little sleep as possible during weekends so I can maximize my free time, so it woke me up by then.

Is there any food in your house at the moment, that you're looking forward to eating? I still have some of the chicken wings that Bea ordered for me. She got such a huge order and it’s taking me forever to finish the damn box of wings lol.

Is there anyone you know who dislikes the Internet, technology etc.? My grandma refuses to learn how to use a phone or laptop. Which confuses me because usually she’ll ask my mom to relay a message to one of her friends who are on Facebook, and my mom ends up playing messenger. Like pls just get at least a Facebook account if you want to keep keeping in touch with your acquaintances anyway :(((

Name any item in your bedroom that is blue. Trying to remember what’s in my room since I’m currently staying in the living room...and I think I have push pins that are blue.

Is there an ice-cream flavor that you strongly dislike? Which one? Rocky road and Double Dutch. Marshmallows and/or nuts in my ice cream is a big nope.

Are there any cat cafes in your hometown? There could be but I’ve heard little of them. I’m more aware of existing dog cafes.

Do you own any books with an image of a cat on the front cover? I doubt it.

Does anything you own have an image of a bird on it? It’s possible, but again I’m not in my room to check if that’s the case.

Do you know anyone named Abigail? Yes, my mom.

Do you ever use flavored lip balms? I don’t use lip balms at all.

^ If you do, what flavors do you like the most? Kate once had a peanut butter lip scrub that I loooooved to borrow. Other than that, the strawberry ones are nice too.

Does anyone you know own a spaniel? How about an Irish setter? My great-aunt once had a spaniel. Not sure about Irish setters.

What are your plans for the remainder of today? I wanna eat at La Creperie and spoil myself a litle bit, but we’ll see if I’ll have the energy to drive to the mall today. I’ll also have some work to do since we have a presentation on Monday :(

[created by: pinkchocolate]

Have you met somebody that you want to spend the rest of your life with? Yeah, ideally that would’ve been the case but they thought differently. I admittedly still feel the same, but I’ve also since been able to move on and move forward. If that makes sense.

Who was your closest friend when you were 7 years old? Do you still speak to that person? I actually met Angela when we were 7. And yes, we’re still the best of friends. I just shot a birthday greeting video for her mom last night.

Who was the last male you talked to? Does he have facial hair? Technically it was Cooper, but the last male person had been my dad. He does but for the most part he keeps it to a stubble.

How many times does the letter 'R' occur in your full name? Twice; in my first name and in my surname.

Is there anyone you love, whose name starts with 'S'? Sure, I can think of a couple of relatives whose names start with S.

What color is your TV remote? I haven’t used a remote in ages lmao, but if I remember correctly ours is mainly black.

When was the last time you went to a wedding? Who got married? 2007. My uncle and his then-girlfriend, who of course became my aunt when they wed. We’ve since had relatives who got married after that period, but for all those occasions only my parents received an invitation. It’s understandable though, I know they want to save up on costs and stuff.

Name a band you like, that starts with the 2nd letter of your name. One Direction is the only group coming to mind.

Have you ever dressed up as a Disney character? Which one? My 7th birthday gown was inspired by Cinderella’s, but it wasn’t the same exact dress as it was orange.

Have you ever played chess? If so, are you good at it? No. I’ve never been able to understand the rules.

If I wanted to buy you a chocolate bar, what kind should I NOT get? Mr. Goodbar has always been the least exciting chocolate to get hahaha.

Of all your close friends, who have you known the longest? Angela.

Do you own anything that has an image of a butterfly on it? Again, I could. I can’t think of any particular item, though.

Has anyone told you recently that they miss you? Yes, orgmates for the most part.

What was the last song you heard, that made you feel emotional? HYD by Hayley Williams.

What color are the socks you're currently wearing? I’m not wearing any socks right now. < Me neither.

How many friends do you have whose name starts with the letter 'R'? Just Rita.

How many vowels are there in your first name? One. Two if you count y.

When was the last time you took a selfie? Last Saturday, I think.

Name someone you know who has curly hair. Andi.

Have you ever worn orange eye-shadow? Never tried.

Name a song that reminds you of someone close to you. Be Alright by Dean Lewis.

Has anyone ever walked out of your life with no explanation? Yeah but they tried very poorly to keep in touch. It ended up being detrimental to me more than anything else so I took the initiative to be one step ahead and cut ties altogether.

Do you know anyone else with the same first name as you? I can think of one Robyn and one Robin.

Think back to 10 years ago. What TV show(s) were you into? Wrestling programs were all I watched as a 13 year old.

Do you have a favorite T-shirt? What color is it? Yes, one of my wrestling shirts. It’s predominantly white but it has some black and red on it as well.

As a child, did you ever have any scented gel pens or markers? Yessssssss. I spent more time sniffing them than writing with them too, lol.

Name an alcoholic beverage that you dislike. I find whiskey pretty nasty. I hate beer as well but sometimes I gotta drink it, especially when socializing.

Do you own anything that previously belonged to someone else? I wouldn’t say I own them; they do belong to the original owner and I’m just still borrowing them.

Who is the 8th contact in your phone? How did you meet them? That would be Angela haha; we met when we got assigned to be seatmates in 1st grade since our surnames were arranged alphabetically in class.

Is there anyone who sends you messages to say good morning/night? No.

Can you recall the last time you were on a dance floor? March 2020, at a club with mostly Hans’s friends.

Have you ever let someone go, and then regretted it? No.

Do you own any color changing mood jewelry? Nope and I don’t believe in those either so I don’t see a reason why I should get my own.

[created by: pinkchocolate]

Was there anything that you planned to do today, but didn't? It’s only 7:06 AM so I’ll refer to my plans yesterday instead – I wanted to continue working on a Google Slides presentation by nighttime, but I was so tired from my shift yesterday and even got a migraine that I never got around to it. I’ll have to work on it this weekend instead.

Is there anyone you interact with often on social media but not in person? I mean, hasn’t this been the case over the last year with the pandemic? I communicate mainly through social media now, if not through IM apps like Viber.

What color box does your favorite cereal come in? Don’t really like cereal. The closest thing I have to a ‘favorite,’ Cookie Crisps, comes in a white box, though.

Do you have any plates, dishes, mugs etc. with pretty illustrations on them? Nah, don’t really like printed stuff. Angela had a customized Friends-themed mug made for me but I wouldn’t call it an ~illustration, since the main design is just my name styled in the Friends logo.

Does anywhere on your body currently hurt, or feel sore? I actually took a break from this survey to take Cooper for a walk, and I think I can confirm that I definitely have some kind of allergy to grass. My legs were super irritated the whole time and my skin has since turned reddish.

What is your favorite snack to eat with a hot beverage? Croissants.

Is there any advice you have been given, that sticks in your mind? “Let your healing take time,” from Andi. He also accompanied it the advice with an anecdote about this basketball player who insisted on playing even while he was still dealing with an injury, and playing only aggravated that injury so he was forced to sit out for an even longer time than what was initially set for him. That was really helpful and I keep it close to me to this day.

What's the nicest advice you have ever been given about love/relationships? Know when it’s enough and when to leave, and be kind to yourself.

Do you own any adult coloring books? What kind(s) do you like? Yeah, I have like three thick ones. I just haven’t gotten the chance to touch them because for the meantime I only have cheap coloring pencils that start to get dull after a few strokes. I’ve yet to buy a more premium set of pencils.

When was the last time you got some new headphones? Headphones would be 2013 when my dad got me a pair of Beats. Not a big user so I haven’t felt the need to get new ones.

Is there a lamp in your living room? What color is its shade? No but my mom has wanting to get one for a while. She just can’t seem to find one that she likes.

Do you know anyone whose name starts with the letter X? I went to high school with a Xenia. Super nice guy; we were close friends for a while since we were seatmates, and our friend groups also overlapped.

Have you eaten any rice or pasta today? Not yet. I will definitely be eating rice though, because Philippines.

Name a food that you dislike the texture of. I don’t like rice pudding at all, or oatmeal. But those are also taste issues as well as texture issues. < Oooh, oatmeal is a good one. I also could never enjoy marshmallows in my ice cream.

Which of your friends do you confide in the most? Angela.

Have you ever fallen out of love with someone? I wouldn’t say that. There will still always be a part of me that has some sort of feelings for my exes. But the extent to which I love them/care about them fades over time, thankfully. < Yeah, exactly.

^ If so, why do you think that happened?

If you have pets, do you talk to them? Sure.

Are there any TV shows that you strongly dislike, but others seem to love? I tried to get into Grey’s Anatomy or Glee on Netflix, because they were “popular”, but I tried a few episodes, and just couldn’t seem to get into them. < OMG same again, especially with Grey’s??? I tried watching it a couple of weeks ago but I noped out as soon as I heard how poppish the theme song was. I’ve always thought it was a serious drama show but it turned out to have so many teen show elements to it that I was definitely taken aback. The script and some of the acting also kind of sucked, so that was a letdown.

Is there anything you haven't done lately, that you'd like to do soon? Coloring.

Do you own any T-shirts with brand logos on them? Yes, my dad got me a Vegemite shirt from his last contract abroad hahah. He was staying in Australia and I asked him to get a jar of Vegemite so I can finally have a taste, but I think he was scared that I’d hate it and end up throwing out the whole jar so he just got me a shirt instead lol. I’ve also got a Nike shirt somewhere in my closet.

Have you experienced any kind of food cravings lately? Surprisingly not. I’ve been longing to eat at La Creperie again but I’m not craving for anything particular.

Have you watched or read the news today? I watch the news every weeknight since we have it on during dinner.

Describe the cover illustration of the book closest to you. Can’t see any books near me.

Are there any take-away or fast food places close to your house? There’s a McDonald’s literally beside our village, and beside it are a Shakey’s and a Dunkin’ Donuts. There’s also a Burger King right across. If you drive for like five more seconds, there’ll also be a Starbucks.

^ If so, do you ever order food from any of them? Only from Starbucks. I don’t really get fast food anymore.

Is there anything happening tomorrow, that you're looking forward to? Nothing yet so far.

#survey #surveys

1 note · View note

catsvrsdogscatswin · 4 years

Text

Higurashi Month 2020, Day 7: Eternity

Hinamizawa was gilded and frosted with ice, a wonderland of glittering snow and gleaming white that furred the thick pine branches and piled in enchanting heaps all along the mountainside. Rika Furude, a little girl of only nine years old, sat at her windowsill, swirling a goblet of wine in hand.

Her parents had been killed this summer, and she waited with all the quiet, weary patience of the immortal for the next summer, when Satoko would move in and she would not live in this empty shed alone.

Rika took a sip of her wine. If he kept to his usual schedule, this would be very soon.

Sure enough, a breeze, cold and icy, whisks across the yard, and she continues to gulp, seeking the warmth that spreads from her core when the alcohol hits it.

“Uh, is that wine?”

Rika looks up as she lowers her glass, and sees a strange sight.

There is a boy sprawled along a thick branch opposite her window, cheek propped up on his hand, elbow against the branch of the tree, his whole skinny body lying lengthwise along the branch. His other arm dangles down, holding something that looks a bit like a European shepherd’s crook, the bark veined and glittering with ice in its every crease. His simple blue hoodie, his brown trousers bound at the ankles by string, all of it is caked with more frost, sprawling in patterns around his shoulders and dusting the folds near his feet. His hair is a pure, glimmering white, and his eyes are shocking blue.

“You’re a yōsei.” she says calmly, raising a single brow.

He blinks a little, like he always does. “Uh…yeah. Yeah, kid. Er, well, I am now.”

The white-haired boy shifts a little, swinging his legs down to sit upright on the branch like it’s the most comfortable thing in the world, clutching his staff with both hands as he idly swings his feet.

“I’m kinda new around here.” he explains, like he always does. “This place has got a ton of folk spirits, so, well, you guys don’t really need me. Not yet, anyway.” He abruptly holds up his hands, one spread open like he’s held at gunpoint as the other grips his staff. “And I, uh, I don’t want to step on any toes. You guys have so many people here, I’m still trying to get names straight. Yuki, er, Yuki-chan keeps everyone in line, more or less, at least as far as the seasonals go, but, uh…”

He trails off and lowers his hands, leaning forward a little as he abruptly refocuses on what Rika is doing.

“You do know that’s bad for you, right?”

“I’m aware.” Rika replies flatly, swirling the wine in her glass a little. “And you are?”

“Oh!” The boy hastily stands up, then performs a sweeping, fluid, overdramatic bow atop the branch, which doesn’t even quiver under his weight. Rika has good reason to believe he doesn’t have any. “My name’s Jack Frost. As far as Westerners are concerned, I’m the Spirit of Ice and Snow, Herald of Winter, and Guardian of Childhood Fun. And you are?”

“Rika Furude.” she says. “Priestess of Furude Shrine, last daughter of the Furude branch of the Three Families, and alleged reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama.”

Jack frowns a little as he straightens up from his bow, eyebrows wrinkling in an oddly birdlike expression of puzzlement.

“Haven’t met anybody like that here yet. What does Oyashiro do?”

“Oyashiro-sama is the local deity.” Rika explains, and he “ah”s softly, just like he always does.

“That explains it.” Jack Frost says to himself, nodding slowly. “Local. Not a nature spirit? Nothing to do with the seasons?”

Rika shakes her head.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have met ‘em. I’m still working out if someone else does my job here or not, and I figured, hey!” He sweeps his arm out at the glittering, picturesque landscape with a wild, lazy grin. “Best way to do that is to do the job myself, right? Looks cool, huh?”

He bends his legs and jumps, and an abrupt blast of icy air carries him until he is perched on the windowsill right next to Rika, turning to point excitedly with his staff down the mountain slopes. From this close proximity, the temperature around them plummets, even as Rika curls around the fragile bubble of alcohol-infused warmth at her core, legs scrunching up closer to her chest. Frost crystals creep outwards from his bare feet where they are carelessly braced against the sharp divots of the window frame, uncaring of physical discomfort, and Rika’s breath is clouding the air even more sharply as she sees more feathery patterns creep down the glass in his proximity.

“You wanna go out and play? I promise we won’t wake anyone up.”

“There’s no one to wake up.” Rika says, and watches his shoulders tense, just like always.

“…oh.” Jack Frost says as looks at her slowly, just like always. In his inhumanly keen blue eyes, there is a quick flicker of guilt: his expressions are always as clear as crystal, so fluid and easily to read. Everything he thinks rises up in those expressive eyes, and Rika hates it as much as she envies it. “Uh, here.”

He reaches out, and Rika sighs a little as his free hand gently cups around her goblet of wine, frost-flowers blooming downwards on the glass as the deep red liquid freezes solid. Jack gently tugs it out of Rika’s hands, and she lets him, watching as he hooks his staff around the lip of her window and leans back into her room, his slender frame stretching with weightless impossibility as he contorted to reach out and, upside-down, set the glass on a table, before pulling himself back to sit upright.

Jack Frost looks at her again, and those deep blue eyes are utterly without guile or patronization.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Mechanically, Rika does. She tells him about her dead parents, her despair, her resignation, and Jack Frost listens with a furrowed brow as he always does. She has always wondered why this always seems like the first time to him, the first winter of 1981, when in nearly every cycle so far, she has stayed up this one particular winter’s night and waited for Jack Frost to sweep through by chance in his whirlwind patrol of the region.

It’s just as annoying, in different ways, as it is with her friends. She can’t count the times she’s told him her problem and he’s promised to fix it, to talk to North, to Father Time, to anyone, and she can’t count the times she’s woken up in a new fragment and waited –in vain– for his news. Jack Frost would come a winter’s night, drawn to her belief, and he would see her with new eyes every time, and he would not even know her.

But he can understand. At least Rika can speak with others: Jack Frost lived 300 years as a voiceless ghost, and even now, children can only rarely see him. On the evenings they meet, Rika and he talk about things, and a strange, brief bond grows between them before Rika dies two years later and the whole world is turned back to the beginning. They are eternal, and unlike Rika, Jack Frost does not have a promised end. He will go on, forever, because he is winter now, and winter cannot be killed.

That is something he explains to her, in one fragment. How he and the other spirits were now part of the natural world, immortals in truth instead of reincarnating as she was. They would persist, forever, in one form or another.

He explains, they could be bound, as his archnemesis turned begrudging-ally Pitch Black had once been bound, fixed in the bowels of the earth by a dagger made of crystalized tears thrust through his heart for countless centuries before humans had even evolved.

They could be subsumed, he explains, as the Sandman was enveloped by Pitch Black in his mad grab for power.

They could be forgotten, he explains with a shiver, forgotten completely by humans and slowly by their fellow spirits, until they became a voiceless, invisible ghost even to their own kind.

But die –no. No, they could not die.

Faint, flickering, and fading as it may be, Rika does have a light, an end at the end of her tunnel. Jack Frost would endure forever, and the weight of those oncoming centuries, millennium sinks his shoulders down sometimes when they talk, when she explains the weight of her own time and his eyes turn towards the future.

Theirs is an odd sort of friendship, but it is a friendship built on mutual experiences and shared suffering, and that is why Rika indulges in this conversation cycle after cycle, even though she had long ago decided that there would be no help from the spirits of childhood.

AN: Feeling very much on a Rise of the Guardians kick, so here we are.

To the best of my very limited knowledge, Japan does not have an analogue to Jack Frost in the sense of a seasonal spirit that brings or evokes winter. There’s Yuki-Onna, of course, but she’s more the disastrous consequences of bad winter weather and being unprepared for it, not a harbinger of winter itself. Since Rise of the Guardians is heavily American mythology-biased, I am making the gentle assumption that all spirits are either universal unless otherwise explicitly stated and Jack Frost is Jack Frost, and Grandfather Frost (Russia), Father Frost/Jokul Frosti (northern Europe), Frau Holle/Old Mother Frost (Germany), and any other herald-of-winter spirit associated with ice and snow across the world, or spirits only have influence in areas where humans have a cultural belief in them. So for example, Jack could be every spirit of winter in the world, except the ones in areas that don’t have snow and ice, and he just uses or was given different working titles in different areas, or he is only one winter spirit among many and they all work in areas that humans believe in them. Or it could be both: a highly holiday-biased, cultural spirit like the Easter Bunny might not be universal, but someone who’s a force of nature (which is universally experienced) like Jack may be.

The assumption of this fic is that now Jack has stabilized his power and belief base, he’s slowly spreading his influence across the world and checking each new place to make sure there isn’t a winter spirit there already, to see where he’ll be needed.

Yōsei also essentially means “bewitching spirit,” and is generally considered synonymous with the English fairy. Rika is using it in the modern sense, which indicates a spirit from Western folklore.

#Higurashi Month #Higurashi Month 2020 #Higurashi no Naku Koro ni #Higurashi When They Cry #Jack Frost #Rika Furude

2 notes · View notes

thisweekingundamwing · 4 years

Text

This Week in Gundam Wing 24-30 November 2019

Here’s this week’s roundup!

Remember to give your content creators some love! And join in on the events at the bottom!

(Looking forward to all the Unorthodox Undercover Work Mini Bang entries going up this next week!)

~Mod Hel

Fanfiction/Snippets/AU Ideas:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb

Encounters with Heero (Ch. 12 & 13) https://archiveofourown.org/works/21385951/chapters/51360610

F/M, Heero Yuy/Reader

Heero Yuy, Reader, Relena Peacecraft, Duo Maxwell, Hilde Schbeiker, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei

Romance, Drama, Fluff, Friendship

This man oozed danger. Nonetheless you are attracted to him and you grow closer to him than anyone has ever before. Being nice to a stranger was what got it all started.

Burn to a Cinder (Ch. 7) https://archiveofourown.org/works/18781273/chapters/51374644

F/M, Zechs Merquise/Reader, Treize Khushrenada/Reader

Zechs Merquise, Treize Khushrenada, Lady Une, Mariemaia Khushrenada, Relena Peacecraft, Chang Wufei

Romance, Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Violence, Reader-Insert

Your path had been laid out for you from an early age, allowing you to move into the higher circles of society and catch the attention of one of the most powerful men in the Earth Sphere. As Treize’s mistress, you watch his rise to power and the disastrous war breaking out on Earth and in Space, putting your loyalty to the test. You are torn between your duty to His Excellency, and your unquellable lust for one of the top soldiers under his command. And when he rises to power in Outer Space, there is nothing you can do but stand back and watch them tear each other apart. This is no game of hearts, but yours is at stake, and the consequences can be felt for years to come. Labeled as OZ’s whore, you struggle to find your way, only for things to fall apart around you again. But then there is still Zechs, and the undeniable way he makes you feel…

@doctormegalomania

Your Body’s Poetry (Ch. 7) https://archiveofourown.org/works/20438891/chapters/48490382

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei/Original Female Character(s), Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker, Relena Peacecraft & Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell/Original Male Character(s)

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Sally Po, Relena Peacecraft, Lucrezia Noin, Zechs Merquise, Hilde Schbeiker

Past Relationship(s), Slice of Life, Post-Break Up, Slow Burn, Developing Relationship, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence

Long after the wars, long after peace is established the Gundam Pilots discover one immovable fact: Relationships are hard work.

@duointherain

The Hidden Cherry (Ch. 1) https://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/189338568519/fic-the-hidden-cherry-1

Intersex Duo, disabled Heero

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Duo wanted to think that the stress in his voice made him sound like an asshole and that would motivate the person on the other side of the phone. The space he was in was small, like 3 meters by maybe 5. His cigarette lighter had given him enough light to see the space, but it was back in his pocket now. “I need an analyst. It’s fucking Wednesday. There is an analyst in the office.”

@janaverse

Stickies from Heero (Ch. 26) https://archiveofourown.org/works/19796581/chapters/51374212

Chapter 26: ‘circumnavigating the simple truth’ is now on AO3. It was nice to actually get another story written for this odd universe!

Duo reads Heero latest note and fallout ensues.

Rough https://janaverse.tumblr.com/post/189270598643/drabble-day-38-adult-themes-rough-heero-stood

drabble - day 38 - adult themes

Consider it done https://janaverse.tumblr.com/post/187883433878/consider-it-done

So this is the follow up to my short fic ‘something to consider’ which I posted about a week or so ago. You can find it here: https://janaverse.tumblr.com/post/187689757828/something-to-consider or here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20669474 in case you have not read it yet. this fic will make infinitely more sense if you have!

pairing: 1X2X1

warnings: unholy amounts of sap and lovey dovey stuff. please take this warning seriously! lol this is THE sappiest thing i have ever written!

Heero had entered the house first, taking off his soaked shoes and leaving them out on the front porch beside the door. Duo had followed suit, noticeably shivering once inside the house, and headed toward their bedroom to get changed. Heero had only removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack inside the front door; opting to start a fire before getting out of his wet clothes and into something dry.

@ransomedbard

Clipped Wings (Ch. 3) https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360976/chapters/51500641

Duo Maxwell, Hilde Schbeiker

Preventer!Duo, Criminal!Hilde, 2+H, Adventure, Kidnapping, mild violence, Crime doesn't actually pay

Time has a funny way of turning history on its head. Two years after the Eve Wars, former rebel Duo Maxwell is now a member of the secretive anti-terrorism unit Preventers, while Hilde has been living on the wrong side of the law on Earth. When he makes a visit to attempt to salvage their strained friendship, he’ll uncover just how much their paths have diverged, and end up getting caught up in her life on the run from a gang that wants revenge.

Fanart/Gunpla/Photo Manips:

@animethingsandstuff

https://animethingsandstuff.tumblr.com/post/189231234100/w-night-by-%E3%82%80%E3%81%86%E3%81%9F%E3%82%8D-posted-with-permission-please

The G-boys and posing... and flowers.

Photosets/Gifsets/Screenshots/Manga Pages:

@vegalume

https://vegalume.tumblr.com/post/189361489995/i-immediately-thought-of-heero-but-this-could-be

Before leaving the house, Heero does...

Fandom Discourse:

@amberlyinviolet

https://janaverse.tumblr.com/post/189290275628/i-am-here-for-the-giving-of-the-happily-ever-after

@noirangetrois, @janaverse

About the struggles of all GW characters.

@incorrectgundamwingquotes

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189326495789/unpopular-opinion-despite-the-horrible

Unpopular Opinion: FT had good points.

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189326409984/for-unpopular-opinion-not-on-the-series-itself

Unpopular Opinion: 1X2 is overrated.

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189326308699/i-dont-know-if-this-is-actually-an-unpopular

Unpopular Opinion: EW was not that great.

@lifeaftermeteor

https://lifeaftermeteor.tumblr.com/post/189380639699/life-after-meteor

LAM has a website now!

@ransomedbard

https://ransomedbard.tumblr.com/post/189357520583/thank-you

Fandom loves you too!

@terrablaze514

https://terrablaze514.tumblr.com/post/189258275567/wing-zero-episodes

Wing Zero Episodes (Who flew it better?)

My opinions on Wing Zero and the impact it plays. Borderline meta I guess, and excuse the occurrence of Trowa and Zechs muses.

Quotes:

@incorrectgundamwingquotes

https://gwminorcharactersrpblog.tumblr.com/post/189313789527/quatre-why-is-your-back-all-scratched-up-trowa

Quatre & Trowa

With additions made by @gwminorcharactersrpblog

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189293229002/texting-duo-hello-duo-are-you

Duo & Trowa

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189298062910/quatre-you-should-be-nicer-to-people-heero

Quatre, Heero, Duo, Trowa, & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189326315129/zechs-you-played-me-like-a-fiddle-duo-oh-no-i

Zechs & Duo

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189333739266/duo-whyre-you-ignoring-relena-heero-im

Duo, Heero, & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189338458478/trowa-handing-duo-some-pills-here-take-four-of

Trowa & Duo

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189342871815/heero-ill-worry-about-that-bridge-when-i-get-to

Heero & Quatre

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189358288319/heero-dont-correct-me-wufei-dont-be-wrong

Heero & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189397723234/duo-uh-its-salt-wufei-thats-what-i

Duo & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/189377500808/une-about-mariemaia-you-cant-give-her-that

Une & WuFei

Calendar Events:

@gundamzine

Rhythm Generation: Shooting Stars, Celebrating 25 Years of Gundam Wing

Zine Content https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/186791784139/rhythm-generation-shooting-stars-is-an-unofficial

Pre-orders Open! https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/189370843928/gundamzine-pre-orders-are-open-rhythm Open until January 11th!

Q about Free Merch https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/189215831466/are-you-really-giving-free-merch-i-am-kinda

@gundam-wing-bingo

Gundam Wing Bingo is here!

Come and sign up for a card here: https://gundam-wing-bingo.tumblr.com/post/185466400076/gundam-wing-bingo

@gwcocktailfriday

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompt for Friday, December 6th! https://gwcocktailfriday.tumblr.com/post/189390586070/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-december

For those going to Pillowfort, find us here.

If anyone has ideas for prompts, PLEASE send them in! Our ask box is always open.

In need of Winter prompts!

@thisweekingundamevents

Gundam Wing Holiday Gift Exchange 2019/2020

https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/188113410410/holiday-gift-exchange

Schedule: 5-11 January: Post your Gifts!

Holiday Exchange Q & A: https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/188824081840/some-holiday-exchange-q-a

Criteria and Schedule Reminder! https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/188943007445/holiday-gift-exchange-reminder

Gundam Wing Unorthodox Undercover Work Mini Bang

Posting starts today!

Here’s everything you need to know to post! https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/189346329635/gw-uuw-mb-posting-again-lol

For those artists who haven’t a story, if you finished your piece, feel free to post it up on tumblr. Remember to tag us and I’ll get you in the End of Event Roundup anyway! ^_^

Posting Dates: https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/189405682420/posting-dates-gwuuwmb

Note! There is also a Gundam Wing Discord Meet-up going on right now! See @lifeaftermeteor for details and a discord invite if you aren’t in it already!

#Gundam Wing #This Week in Gundam Wing #Weekly Roundup #24-30 November 2019

11 notes · View notes

btsjo1286 · 4 years

Text

Through The Lens - Jimin Fic

Hello, welcome. BTS has ruined me, so naturally I had to create a separate BTS fan account just to post this fic I started working on. I had this idea brewing inside for a while, and after 2 sleepless Bang Bang Con nights, I couldn’t wait to put my thoughts to paper since JIMIN RUINED MY LIFE. This one is called Through The Lens.

Through The Lens - A Jimin Fic

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.

Rating: M, NSFW (later chapters)

Friday, April 10th, 2020 Seoul, South Korea

If there were any nagging doubts about whether or not I had made the right decision to uproot my entire life back home in New York City to pursue something of a magnitude I never knew was possible, they all seemed to disappear into thin air the moment I walked through the automatic doors of the Incheon Airport. It must have been sometime between 8 and 9 in the evening in South Korea, and the night was clear and full of stars, as if the universe was telling me that I belonged here, in this moment. I closed my eyes for just a second, taking slow and steady breaths, a process I’d come to understand was my coping mechanism whenever I was feeling anxious. My head was clear, all my doubts, fears, and past mistakes left behind in NYC. I was starting a new life, I could be anyone I wanted to be, create a new story for myself.

The odd silence was calming. This was Seoul after all, a city where the nightlife was just as rich as its history, and I was expecting the airport to be just as loud and crowded as Downtown. I took one last calming breath, opened my eyes, and started to walk towards the Taxi Terminal, my suitcases in tow. My Korean was grade level, my “guidebook” consisted of some measly notes I took while researching the city I would call home for the next few months, so I was a bit worried, as one would be, about getting to my apartment Downtown.

“Oh, Joey, don’t worry, plenty of people in Seoul speak English! You’ll get by just fine,” Anna reassured me a week before I was set to leave for Korea. We’ve been best friends since birth, our families having lived next door to each other back home in Brooklyn. When I told her about this job opportunity, Anna couldn’t have been more ecstatic, the supportive best friend that she is. Anna spent an entire week grilling me on information about Seoul, having spent 4 years studying abroad there in college. “I’m no expert by any means, but we definitely don’t need you embarrassing yourself in front of the hottest band this Earth has ever seen!” She had fluttered her eyes mockingly as she said this, knowing things like this made me cringe.

Back home in New York, I made my living as a tour photographer. It’s been my passion since I could remember, and through the years I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph some of my favorite artists, always grateful for the opportunities presented to me, even though most of the time I knew I wasn’t worthy of them. My last gig was photographing Taylor Swift’s north American Reputation tour, and I’m forever grateful for having experienced something so incredible. It was supposed to be my last gig for a while, as I had decided to go back to school to study Criminal Justice because, in the words of my dear mother, “Photography is a hobby, what happens when people stop requesting you for jobs, what will you do then?” My mom is a doctor, my dad a lawyer, and my sister a nurse, so in the obvious course of things I took the creative route in life. And even though I was somewhat well respected and well known in the industry, my mom was right, as much as it pained me to admit it. There is always the fear that there will be someone younger, more talented, with a fresh look for the world and everything in it.

But then a few weeks ago I got a call from my dear photographer friend Aline, who had spent what seemed like a lifetime on the road photographing the likes of The Rolling stones, Aerosmith, Celine Dion, just to name a few. She had a new job opportunity for me in South Korea, and I guess you could say I was somewhat intrigued when she called.

“Jo, I love you, so very much, you know that. Which is why I didn’t think twice about calling you for this. You remember Jeff at Republic Records? The creepy one from the Holiday part last year that tried to take me home in his gaudy as hell Porsche – I mean who drives a Porsche in New York City! – anyway, well he has a friend over at Big Hit Entertainment over in South Korea who is in desperate need of a photographer for an upcoming tour. Apparently, this tour is going to be HUGE and they need someone ASAP so Jeff reached out and I called you right away!” Aline had a way of making even the smallest things seem like an over-exaggeration so I took this information with a grain of salt.

“Are you allowed to let me know who the artist is?” I asked her, slightly weary.

“Oh my god Jo, it’s BTS!!! Only the hottest K-Pop group this world has ever seen!”

I laughed at her enthusiasm. You had to be living under a rock not to know of BTS, who had seemingly taken over the world and the hearts of millions of girls and women alike overnight. This would be a dream job for anyone. But at this point in my life, my mind and heart weren’t fully in it anymore.

I pressed her, “and you told Jeff that I would do it…? Aline, I haven’t done anything big since Taylor, I’m not really sure I would be the best for the job considering I don’t usually photograph more than 2 artists at a time, let alone 7 different personalities…”

I wasn’t lying, it’s one thing to photograph Taylor Swift and make sure you capture her every angle, every emotion, every amazing moment on stage with the pressure of a thousand industry people down your back. To photograph 7 different artists all at once under what I am sure is even greater pressure would be a whole other story. A job I am not sure I could handle at this point in time. A month out of the game and you lose some of that passion.

Aline persisted, “You’re insane, you’re one of the best photographers I know, and Taylor absolutely LOVED you, which is why I already submitted your portfolio to Big Hit and they are sending over a contract tonight. You’ll start with their tour in South Korea and Japan, and if they are impressed, you’ll be retained for Europe and the US legs-”

“Aline, you did what?! Without my permission? Are you crazy?!” I cut her off, suddenly feeling very dizzy. Closing my eyes, I took a few slow and steady breaths to calm down. My mind was running rampant and I couldn’t believe Aline would go behind my back like this.

Aline continued, “Oh come on, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s not like you have much of a life in NY. You live alone, pretending you’re happy with your boring life, studying to follow in your dad’s footsteps when you know that life was never your thing, wallowing in your own sadness when I know you’ve been dying to get back out there…seriously, Jo, what have you got to lose?”

And that was it. A month later, I packed up everything I owned into two suitcases, boarded a 15-hour flight to Seoul, and hoped for the best. Big Hit had paid for the trip and the apartment I would be staying in - because God knows I would never be able to afford a $5,000 deposit on such short notice - and in a day’s time I would be meeting BTS and their management.

Was this the biggest mistake, or the greatest career opportunity of my life? It would take a 25-year-old boy named Jimin to answer that question for me, and nothing in my 29 years on this Earth would have prepared me for the effect he’d have on my life, for better and for worse.

#jimin #bts #jimin fan fiction #bts smut #bts fan fiction

1 note · View note

penguin-writes-books · 5 years

Note

Yo PLEASE do a fake date for holiday gathering for tyrus! PLEASE

Cyrus held his breath as the phone rang, praying for TJ to pick up. With a light crackle on the line, TJ’s answered the call.“Hey, Underdog! What’s up?” TJ greeted brightly, and Cyrus could hear him flipping through the pages of a book.“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I interrupt? I’ll just call ba-”“Cyrus. What’s going on? It’s fine, I swear.”“…Fine. I need a favor,” Cyrus admitted.“Oooh, what kind of favor?” TJ asked excitedly, sitting up in bed.“Oh, I wouldn’t get so excited.”

“Remind me again why I’m doing this?” TJ asked, standing in front of Cyrus’s mirror. Cyrus stood behind him, rising onto his tiptoes to rest his chin on TJ’s shoulder.“Because Goodman New Years bashes are pretty much Great Gatsby level. We go all out, and then some. And if I don’t show up with a date this year, I might be disowned, then banned from all of our parties.”“How big is this going to be, exactly? Bigger than your Bash-Mitzvah?” TJ asked, adjusting his dark blue button down and champagne colored suit jacket. He’d ditched his contacts a few weeks before, and was donning un-gelled hair and black-rimmed glasses.“Much, much bigger,” Cyrus assured him. His outfit nearly matched TJ’s; they were both in navy blue shirts and no ties, but Cyrus’s suit was gray, not the color of sparkling champagne. “We’re talking major blowout. It’s Roaring 20s themed, since we’re ringing in 2020. Did you not hear the Great Gatsby reference?”“You were serious about that?!”“As a heart attack,” Cyrus replied. “It is legitimately insane. I’ve been going to them since I was 10, but I think my being nearly 16 officially requires a date.”“That’s ridiculous!” TJ laughed. “Why?!”“That’s just how these parties are. Alright, come on. We’re gonna be late.”“But it’s like 4:30!”“And we have to meet my parents there at 5!” Cyrus insisted, pulling him down the stairs and into his car.“So this is a seven hour party?” TJ asked, causing Cyrus to giggle slightly.“No, no no. The party doesn’t start until 8, and people don’t usually leave until about 4 or 5 in the morning,” he responded. “I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s really really fun. One year people didn’t leave until 9:30 in the morning. My parents and I always stay up until like 7 and then sleep at the mansion, which you’ll have to do also. You know, hence me telling you to pack a bag.”“You so owe me. Where is this party, anyway?”“You know the Shadyside bowling alley?”“Yes?”“Yeah, it’s not there,” Cyrus laughed. It’s in the Hudson Mansion about 20 miles out of town.“ TJ stopped scrolling through his phone abruptly, turning to face Cyrus. The Hudson Mansion was the most coveted (not to mention expensive) party venue in the American midwest. It was a four-story white building spanning nearly 275,000 square feet, excluding the huge patio behind it. The patio sported a fountain in the center, and was about 50,000 square feet, overlooking a dramatic hill of grass that led to a pond about as large as the patio itself.Needless to say, everything about the Hudson Mansion was larger than anyone should ever need unless in need of a space to house all of France. It was decorated extravagantly, and looked like a scene torn directly from a movie."You guys got the Hudson Mansion?!”“Every year,” Cyrus said with a nod, eyes trained on the road. “All four of my parents are really great so they’re very highly paid, and we have a deal with the owners for like 30 or 40 percent off because we rent it annually.”“That’s one hell of a deal,” TJ chuckled, glancing at Cyrus. He was focused on the road, one hand on the wheel as he drove. The other was resting on his gear shift, lying maddeningly close to TJ’s.“Well, my parents are very interesting, and very stubborn, people,” Cyrus agreed, nodding. His glasses slid slightly down the bridge of his nose as he did, and TJ instinctively moved to push them back up with a small smile.“Sorry, pet peeve.”“It’s all good,” Cyrus assured him. “I appreciate it.”He tore his eyes from the road in a rare moment, turning slightly to meet TJ’s eyes. As he did, TJ could swear he saw fireworks behind Cyrus’s head, outlining him in angelic white light that he knew wasn’t really there. It was suddenly all too clear whom he wanted to kiss at midnight, and the thought of pulling Cyrus into a warm, gentle kiss as they rang in the new year terrified him to no end.

They were among only a few other cars when they pulled into the parking lot of the Hudson Mansion, thus guaranteeing them a perfect parking spot. “You ready for this?” Cyrus asked, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding from the car.“Given the way you talked it up, not a chance in hell,” TJ laughed, taking Cyrus’s hand to step out of the car.“You’ll do great, Teej. Don’t worry about it.” Cyrus looped his arm through TJ’s, taking a deep breath before making their way up the long path toward the mansion. TJ opened the door for Cyrus, who followed him inside with a marveling gasp.They walked into a massive ballroom with marble floors and white walls, decorated in white, navy blue, and gold. The party hadn’t started yet, but servers and various staff were rushing about to finish preparing.“This is one hell of a Roaring 20s party. Are Buffy and Andi coming to this thing too? Who are they bringing?” TJ asked.“Yeah, they always come! They’re coming together, as per usual.”“They’re together?”“Nah, they come as friends every year. I used to be part of their singles group, but then a few weeks ago, I was not so subtly reminded by my Aunt Helen that I’d yet to bring a girlfriend to one of these. I got the hint pretty quickly.”“Cyrus! Over here!” Cyrus’s mom called from where she’d been speaking with the caterer frantically. He and TJ quickly made their way toward her, TJ still marveling at the decor around them.There were fountains of chocolate, buckets of ice holding champagne on every table, and a large space for a band, as well as another for a DJ.“God, they were planning on pushing all the hors-d'oeuvres at once, can you imagine?” Leslie said, turning to the boys. “Oh! Hi,TJ. Did I know you were coming? Cyrus, did we put him at your table with Andi and Buffy? Gosh, I hope so!”“Mom, TJ’s my plus one. He’s my boyfriend.”“Oh. Oh! I’m so sorry, my head is just a bit messy on New Year’s Eve. It’s lovely to see you again, TJ.”“And you, Mrs. Goodman.This party is incredible,” TJ gushed, looking around.“Oh, thank you! I think we’ve outdone ourselves this year, but then again, it is a Roaring 20s party.”“I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” TJ replied, to Leslie’s delight.“Mom, is there anything you need, or can I show TJ around the mansion?”“Of course, of course. Is he staying the night?”“Yeah, we only brought my car.”“Alright, you two can stay in the third floor master bedroom, Sharon, Frank, Norman and I will stay in the two on the fourth floor. Andi and Buffy can pick their two rooms.”“Got it. What room’s ours again? Sorry, that was a lot of information,” Cyrus chuckled.“Third floor master. But no funny business, got it?”“MOM! We’re leaving now!” Cyrus shrieked, pulling TJ toward an elevator on the left side of the room.“C'mon, I’ll bring you up to our room so we can drop off our bags. Then I’ll show you around,” he said, stepping into the elevator and pushing the third button. They stepped out after a moment, and Cyrus tugged him down the hall to the very end. “Sorry about my mom.”“It’s fine, Underdo… Whoa,” TJ trailed off as Cyrus pushed the heavy double doors open to reveal an expansive bedroom, a king bed dressed in pale pink bedding and silk sheets and pillowcases in the center. “I’m sorry, what the hell kind of bed is that? It’s like 9 feet long!”“It’s an Alaskan king,” Cyrus laughed, plopping his bag on the bed. “All six bedrooms have either one Alaskan or two California kings. Well, the three masters have one Alaskan, and the other three have two Californias. Oh, I hope you don’t mind sharing a bed! If you do, you’re welcome to a different room, it’s only us, my parents, Buffy and Andi.”“This place is insane! And no, it’s fine. Plus I feel like switching rooms might raise a few eyebrows.”“Fair enough. Not to mention the fact that like four of us could sprawl out on this thing without touching,” Cyrus said. “What exactly do we do with the next three hours?”“Well, after your tour, I was thinking we could go up to the roof and watch the stars come out over the pond? It’s really pretty, and I try to catch it every year.” TJ smiled, reaching forward to take Cyrus’s hand.“I think I’d like that.”

“Alright, let’s start on the first floor,” Cyrus said, pulling him out of the elevator and across the ballroom.“Where to?” TJ asked, following Cyrus toward large white double doors.“The kitchen,” Cyrus said, pushing through the doors to reveal an expanse of marble countertop and stainless steel.“Where are all the servers?” TJ asked, glancing around.“Other kitchen,” Cyrus mumbled, opening the fridge and shoving things aside in a vain search.“Ignoring the fact that this place has more than one kitchen, what are you looking for?”“There’s usually… Ha! Here you go!” he chirped, sliding TJ a can of ginger ale across the marble island.“Thanks, Goodman,” TJ said, looking around the kitchen as he cracked the can open. “God, the things I could cook in here.”“You cook?”“Kind of, it’s a family tradition type thing. My mom’s side of the family is heavily Italian, and my dad’s is German, so Amber and I have some serious shoes to fill.”“Well yeah, naturally. There are sausages to be made, Kippen!”

“This is beautiful,” Cyrus breathed, looking out over the lake from the rooftop. It sparkled with the reflections with a thousand stars, and as TJ turned to face him, he saw the same stars dancing in Cyrus’s warm eyes.“…I’ve seen prettier,” he teased, watching Cyrus gasp.“Name three things prettier than this,” Cyrus challenged, turning to face him. TJ took a deep breath, before speaking.“Easy. Your eyes, your lips, you.” Without thinking, he surged forward and captured Cyrus in a kiss, melting against him after a moment.“…Thank you,” Cyrus said when they pulled apart.“Any time, Cy. So, not such a fake date after all, huh?”“I- um, would you want to be my boyfriend? For real, this time?”“I’d be honored, Goodman.”

TJ and Cyrus jumped away from their kisses when one of their phones buzzed. Cyrus huffed, pulling it out of his pocket.“Oh! Buffy and Andi are here! We should go get them,” he said, starting to stand up before being pulled back toward his boyfriend- God, he’d never get tired of calling TJ Kippen his boyfriend.“One more kiss?”“…Okay,” Cyrus conceded. He pulled TJ into one last kiss, before standing up. “Now we actually have to go, before they come looking for us. Does my hair look okay? Well, I mean, is it a mess now?”“Cyrus, I don’t know how to tell you this, but no amount of fixing that hair is going to prevent it from looking like we just made out on the roof. Unless we can stop by the bathroom?”“How about I tell them to meet us in our bathroom, then they can actually help us fix our hair? We clearly have no idea what the hell we’re doing and it’s not like they’ll tell anyone,” Cyrus offered.“Do they have any secret keeping skills whatsoever?”“They both kept my sexuality, not to mention their own, a secret for like two years!”“Good enough for me, let’s go.”Cyrus texted them to meet him in the third floor master bathroom as he and TJ walked toward the elevator, and they got it so quickly that both pairs stepped off elevators on opposite ends of the third floor simultaneously. Cyrus and TJ beat them there by about a couple of minutes, given the fact that the elevator they’d taken was next to their bedroom, whereas Andi and Buffy’s was by the library on the opposite side of the mansion.Thus, naturally, they passed the time wrapped in a careful kiss, Cyrus jumping backward onto the countertop to bridge their height difference.“Whoa, okay. it is too damn early for this,” Buffy huffed, shielding her eyes as she and Andi walked into the bathroom.“It’s like 8 pm,” Cyrus said, moving to the side so TJ could turn around and sit next to him on the cool surface of the counter.“Let me rephrase: it is always too early to walk in on my best friend and literal former rival making out in the bathroom,” Buffy huffed. “Since when are you two even together, anyway?”“…It’s a long story. Long story short, we need you to fix our hair so my dad doesn’t murder TJ,” Cyrus said. Andi and Buffy glanced at one another, shrugging, before turning back to Cyrus.“You’re lucky you’re our best friend.”

They stepped out of the elevator and into the ballroom as guests started to fill the room. TJ took Cyrus’s hand, and was led through a sea of sequined party dresses and champagne toward their table. After a few minutes, everyone had found their way to their respective tables, and all four of Cyrus’s parents had taken their places on the dance floor, each holding a glass of champagne. Cyrus quickly poured a glass for himself, TJ, Andi, and Buffy, who looked at him with raised eyebrows.“Oh, come on. Don’t actually drink it! It’s just for the toast, then we’ll switch to sparkling cider for the rest of the night,” Cyrus laughed, gesturing to the servers’ carts, each of which was adorned with at least one bottle of sparkling apple cider. “It’s just kind of customary to toast with champagne.”“This is such a weird party,” TJ whispered. “It’s just a series of rituals.”“I mean, fair enough,” Cyrus agreed, shrugging as his parents started talking.“Friends, family, we’re so excited to share this New Year’s Eve with you,” Leslie started.“We still can’t quite believe how long we’ve known many of you, or how old our son, Cyrus has gotten,” Norman continued, gesturing to Cyrus’s table.“But in any case, your friendship and company over the years has been invaluable,” Sharon said.“So, without further ado, a toast to the new year!” Frank exclaimed, holding his glass in the air.“May it be filled with love and happiness,” Leslie said.A chorus of ‘hear hear!’ rang through the crowd as each table toasted, a resounding clink of glass echoing across the ballroom.“What happens now?” TJ asked, setting his glass down and accepting one of sparkling cider with a grateful smile.“Now, we party!” Cyrus exclaimed, taking a sip of his cider before standing and offering TJ a hand.“And that constitutes…?” TJ asked, standing up and intertwining their fingers. Cyrus smiled mischievously, tugging his boyfriend onto the dance floor.“Lots of dancing.”

“Ten! Nine! Eight!” The crowd’s countdown to midnight rang loudly through the room, overtaking the band’s playing. TJ took Cyrus’s hand, turning to face him.“What are you doing?” Cyrus asked as the crowd counted down, now at four.“Kissing you,” TJ whispered, pulling Cyrus forward just as the crowd yelled a jubilant 'happy new year!’. As they kissed, silver balloons and confetti from God knows where rained down over them, marking the beginning of 2020.“Happy new year, Kippen,” Cyrus said, grinning when they pulled apart.“I think I’m going to like 2020 quite a lot.”

#andi mack #tyrus #tj kippen #cyrus goodman #buffy driscoll

300 notes · View notes

mattyslittleworld · 3 years

Text

dead mans coffee

July / 2020

Just woke up in my front seat, at a rest stop in Tennessee. First thing I saw was my ALL WILL SUFFER tattoo on my leg. A constant reminder of a different person. Tomorrow I’m getting coffee with Skrillex’s right hand man in Nashville, and I’m nursing a cold coffee in the heat watching this crazy lightning shoot across the skyline. It looks like the end of the world. Or some fucked up Lucero song. I must’ve pulled over for a second and closed my eyes and just dropped dead for hours while parked, I’m on the way to my hotel.

I am sitting in a diner on broadway in Nashville, TN. Nursing another shitty coffee booking meetings. As the texts come in I ignore them because they are covering the screen and distracting me from reading and studying how to properly sell my soul to the devil at the crossroads In Mississippi.

Clarksdale, Mississippi

12:30 am

Where Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, and now, Matty Carlock, sold their souls to the devil.

December / 2020

Sitting in my home, in Hollywood, CA. I have the window open, and I hear the subtle sound of LA breathing, cars passing on the boulevard, sirens off in the distance, and a vinyl record of mine spinning at the lowest volume possible for me to still hear yet ignore it. I feel calm and at peace, although, it seems like a parallel feeling is war, confusion, imposter syndrome, abandonment, and skeptical. How could these two umbrellas of emotion coexist? Its very interesting. Ive been recording so much music that has nothing to do with my artist project. Its been liberating to put that aside for something greater. A new focus. Leaving artistry a vessel solely for extreme self expression and cathartic release.

July / 2020

Winding the day down, 10:30pm. With an open tab that reads “Tigers Jaw holiday show” - on pause. I open my Mac book on my couch, ready to go through stems and ratchet strip club beats, and it catches my eye. I press play and it leads me down a rabbit hole. I find myself watching “Never Saw It Coming” right into “Chemicals” / live in Boston. Like lightning it struck through my entire body. Maybe it was the 2 hour long conversation with Andy? And the memories we were trading. The bond we have over hard times, innocence, violence, literal blood on the pavement, years of freezing in the winter....nowhere to go. The people that were around - we made forever memories to these two songs. I right away, made a playlist that consists of “The Sun, I Saw Water, Chemicals, Never Saw It Coming, and Planes”. On top of that I found the live acoustic set they recorded and put out. When I was young on DIY tours, sleeping on floors, dirty as shit, poor as shit, a human being at the very best.....the uncertainty of my near future was so bleak. I remember Title Fight came out with their record “Shed” - and the song “where am I?” would lay me down on long drives, or on the floor. I’d watch white lines pass one by one by one into the abyss of nothing.

The line

“Another floor

A different ceiling than the night before

Where am I?

While you’re back home”

Missing my girlfriend at that current time, leaving, and just laying on a strangers floor thinking where am I while you’re back home? What am I doing? Maybe there’s nothing only this moment?

On the tigers jaw live EP they covered this acoustic and it’s everything right now. I am fortunate to live a block away from the sunset strip - and I grabbed my skateboard and just bolted into the night.

This SO SPECIFIC FEELING of these songs. That nobody in this environment will ever understand. It’s so beautiful. It’s so real. It’s so raw. It’s exactly what I need right now - as the past 3 weeks I’ve been living here have moved faster than the past 4 years. A loss of identity easily awaits you. It’s like you fight your whole life for that moment, to get to where you dream of, to get a shot. Scrape and crawl. And then reset. Since I’ve been living in Hollywood my day to day has been a huge mirror for me. The parts of myself I’ve been trying out run have caught me. Maybe all of this could coexist?

March 2nd / 2021

Spring is here. Its 75 degrees in LA and theres this new thing I noticed while driving around…..the overbearing smell of flowers in the air. It sounds like a movie. Its fucked up cause It felt like a funeral in my car. I was like what the fuck is happening? It smells like a small funeral in here….are my dreams dying? Am I dying? Is punk dead? Okay its just a Ryan gosling movie out here I guess. Whatever lets go. Here’s some hatrebreed. But the windows are down. My mood is different. My spirit is lifted, which ive been desperate to say. I automatically get punched in the guts with the feeling of driving so fucking fast, and blasting title fight. Skateboarding. Looooooooooong drives with fucked up friends to out of state shows no one will be at. Im listening to Stab by Title Fight - off the Shed LP. What a specific time in my life this brings back. That I usually talk about on this little throw up blog often. Spring is such a pivotal time in my life every year. Since covid shows stopped - human decency stopped - community stopped - my natural habitat was taken from me, and all of my friends and family. I remember living in New York in 2011. At the New Yorker. I was studying at the Institute Of Audio Research to be a janitor in my home town. Because that’s what they teach you. Instead of studying compression, and listening to washed up hacks talk to me about music, I would walk out my building onto 8th ave. B Line it Penn Station. Get on the LIRR and ride that shit right into the best LI shows every night I could. Id meet all my friends from Jersey / NYC / Philly and even Baltimore because it was so common to make it a priority to no matter what, drive hours on end to support a hardcore shows and to not lose touch with the hundreds around the country that you call family. Drive to Richmond for a shows on a Monday night, go off, hit a diner after with your new found tribe, then drive home, be back at 6 am, and just stumble into your bullshit job with a black eye or scratches all over you. It was all worth it. Probably quit that job anyway to go on tour with your friends band and live as gypsies for the entire summer too. Spring embodies this spirit for me. Church parking lots in Doylestown, PA - full of kids from all over the country, who left their problems in their hometown, to just get on the road with their best friends and basically start a new life. It is just amazing how formative those years were for a lot of my friends. I have people I met at shows from all over the country messaging me always checking in, and supporting, and sometimes it feels like I know them better than my first cousins, aunts and uncles. We were at war together. We fought against the world together. We found ourselves together. We created shit from nothing. Determination and passion. Oh no….Planes by Tigers Jaw just came on. You know the vibe. This shit just hits so different now as a pop / hip hop producer. This PA scene, mixed with NJHC, just stood me up and gave me confidence to have my own voice, my own thoughts, and to fight back. Something about being in a shitty car and it smells like dirty vans and like…..axe to cover up the smell. BELTING Basement and car moshing and almost driving off a bridge. Listen. I know every single blog is about this. But fuck you fight me. ITS CALLED SELF EXPRESSION GRANDMA. SO STRAP INTO YOUR BOOT THINGS AND ENJOY THE RIDE TO NOWHERE. Its been crazy living in LA. I live directly on Hollywood BLVD, on the Walk Of Fame. Where I was almost killed two weeks ago over someones gang that my ass is not in. My guy looked at me and said YO YOU MATTY? And I was listening to Taylor swift in my headphones walking back from Starbucks and it was so funny how different my energy was. I was like bro can you kill me already dude because these Taylor tones are so good that they gunna just end up killing me anyway. So perfect timing. I think the guy was mad at my friend to say the least lol. But every night its loud 808’s, the sounds of the city, amazing energy, and neon lights shining in from lit up billboards off the BLVD. Its such a culture shock for me. I feel like im too aggressive just from being east coast. But its just what it is. It took me a little to adapt to being in sessions and meetings with seasoned people in this industry who have major cuts and recognition. But I just learned to double down on myself, and be as authentic as I possibly can be. Theres nothing like crushing writing sessions in the pop realm, then turning off my shit, unplugging, and run into the night with my skateboard and old punk records. It’s almost like my own secret that is becoming my blood. I haven’t been communicating with the ones who like my music, have interest in what im doing, come to my shows etc - since I touched down here….I just unplugged….started writing HEAVY and decided to dedicate months to getting better, learning, becoming smarter, discovering a vision that’s much broader than what were sold, finding myself, making sure my wisdom is parallel to my age - if not wise beyond my years. A lot of artists and bands SING, PLAY, PERFORM, PROMOTE. But I have decided to WATCH, ATTEND, and LISTEN. Everynight I sit down with tea, unplug, and spin records on my turntable…in the dark, in my living room, alone….all kinds of records. From The National, to Springsteen, to Title Fight, to Hendrix, to the rare Troublemaker LP and 7” I have…..Sharon Van Etten, Jesse Malin…..ugh. Its just bliss. Pure bliss. Right now im drinking coffee and bouncing from listening to Into It Over It and American Football. I spent all last night rapping my ass off, mixing, and singing ref vocals for other people. It was so fun. Im finding a lot of my new material is this spirit im talking about - but over hip hop production. I want to tell my life story and combat the stereotypes of modern rap and pop music with true intentions and unique tones of untold stories that press, radio, and this market usually doesn’t get fed. Ive also realized a lot of music I was promoting over the past year to come out (prior to the pandemic) hasn’t come out….and I know people are questioning that….what is happening? So before covid I had German solo dates booked - and then I was going to the UK right after. I have a bunch of single drops lined up with music videos. Some you can guess with who. And then the pandemic hit and I canceled everything and decided to pivot my focus into my passion for songwriting and production, instead of sitting around “waiting for shows to come back.” I pretended that shows were never going to come back and doubled down on my career as a producer, that at the time, still is, moving forward at a faster rate than my artist shit. So I packed my shit after offers, and opportunity presented themselves. Touched down on a Tuesday, with meetings that Friday. Off to the races. In sessions that following Monday. Fast forward here we are. Hungry, learning, learnt, turned 30. Looking at the next decade like Mcgregor at the weigh in. Fight ready. Ive learned so much since the fall that all of the music I had planned on releasing, I loaded it back up, tore it apart, and re built it. So its not stale, so its not expired, so its not “then”….so its NOW. Which im so glad I did, and im doing. I don’t think ive been in the booth more. My mind is so stimulated by this wave im on. And its got me in a good place. Now that the spirit of spring is here, my mental health is going to be taking a big leap as well and im going to do everything I can to just flood all of this content. I think Never Meant by American Football is the best song ever made. Me and Mike were talking about doing a song together a few months ago and that would be such a trip for me.

I wanted to talk about my recent trip to Joshua Tree. I was invited by Christopher Thorn from Blind Melon to live at his studio for a few days to write together. I didn’t really know what to expect. I met him once or twice thru Clinch, and just around the Sea Hear Now circle back east, and I was familiar with No Rain (his hit). We got on the phone, picked a weekend where it’d work for both of us, got some covid tests, and boom. Packed my shit again (right off a flight back from New York, where I shot 3 music videos, and did 1 remote session in 2 fucking days), and drove out to the desert. There is no address so I had a map. It was epic. It was in the desert desert. Like THE DESERT FAM. Coyotes at night, snakes and shit. The air was so dry, your lips would get chapped to let you know death was right around the corner so you better man up baby boy. Beforehand - from all the traveling and flights, and burning myself out on videos and sessions, I found myself listening to a lot of acoustic Nebraska Springsteen type shit. John Moreland, or even like acoustic bayside, Lucero, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits…..just pure music with no samples, not gridded, not sold, no machine, no click, just real live country music inspired by the human condition….of the earth. It was just speaking to my soul…..so when we booked this to get in the room together….man was I ready. I don’t think ive had an experience so fruitful to the soul. And ive played shows in Slovenia, and sipped espresso on a bridge that looked like a painting, staring at subtle mountain tops off in the distance like I was a character in some book. We started working at night and ran it up till like 3 am. As the sun came down the lights off in the distance miles and miles away were so clear because we were just the only life form around….and it would just shine into the studio windows and reflect on the perimeter making it seem like we were surrounded by New York City. It did a lot for my soul to play drums, acoustic, sing, play piano, shred electric, even mix a little. I felt like I made a very fast lifelong friend. Its been a minute since I got on with someone like that. We talked a lot about growing up touring. And wed finish each others sentences regarding topics that ONLY people like us would know. Like Subway being a life line for DIY touring, or the weird strange feelings of comfort from rest stops in the middle of nowhere at 4 am, the rest stop coffee that you get to just make the next 2 hours of the drive into town bearable. But then you see your boy from your band in the other aisle so you throw shit at him. Then you all stumble back into the van/bus and just disappear into the night. This shit was so needed for me. When Id wake up, id make espresso, and just sit out front and listen to Joe Rogan, at this random chair that was behind his studio, facing the mountains. Just endless property waiting to leave you 6 feet in the ground. I sat there and sipped my espresso, and just reflected on the long journey of my career. How many random moments like this ive found myself in since I was 15. In the middle of the desert where Springsteen hangs out with my heroes, off the strength of my songwriting. Or in Romania drinking coffee, fucked off, on a bench far from the venue, by random train lines in the pouring rain by myself. The farthest from humanity I can be. Or the random VFW hall in my head that I don’t even know where it is, with my little punk crew, who all smell like complete shit and cigarettes and soda, fucked off god knows where, just to finger point and sing along to this band we found on myspace that were in OUR hometown the weekend prior singing to our band. Theres just an endless string of memories that can go on forever, with stories that just fulfill a lifetime, of conversations that just make the white lines on I95 move faster. Or just everyone is quiet - reading a book - texting - exhausted from the night prior - and you just ABRUPTLY turn on teenage dream by Katy Perry SOOOO LOUD - take your shirt off and start dropping it like its hot from the passenger front seat, and catch a mid afternoon front flip stage dive into the backseat. From those youthful days of this underground spirit, to existing in a realm of pure monsters of my craft, I truly believe this next decade could co exist and be one for the books. Damn I feel good. Also me and Sasso started a book club called BSU and you can’t be in it because you probably read books and the only rule for our book club besides not speaking about book club is, you can’t read books. Okay im going to go buy a bike right now so I can ride It to Mexico and get abducted by the cartel and sold for bitcoin. FAREWELL EARTHLINGZ.

0 notes

theliterateape · 3 years

Text

I Can't Drive 55 | Lessons Learned in the 55th Year

By Don Hall

In my thirty-second year I felt incredibly sorry for myself. I was getting my first divorce, was living in a one-room studio in Uptown, my theater company was imploding over ego-driven bullshit. I drank myself into a state of suicidal yearning. It was a rough year.

I called my mom. Mom is that voice of reason in good and bad times.

"This has been a really shitty year. Maybe I should move back to Kansas."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-two."

"And in thirty-two years you've lived on the planet, how many of those years were bad?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Really bad? Two. No three. Three years. Why?"

"Well, three out of thirty-two is a pretty solid track record. Seems to me that you weathered those other bad years and had good years to spare. Maybe you decide to quit wallowing in how bad this year has been and get to work on next year because based on your experience you probably have another cluster of good years in store."

Some have the Dali Lama. Others have a priest or a shelf of self-help books. I have my mom.

My fifty-fifth year (or the specter of 2020) was a rough year for so many people in the world it's almost a joke. The whole year has been covered in shit—from the campaign to unseat the least capable and most destructive president in my lifetime to three months in a pandemic shutting down the planet and economic hardship most of us have only read about in Steinbeck novels—2020 looks like the toilet bowl moments after a morning constitutional from a night of White Castle and rum.

Sure, the act of comparing one's life with those around is a narcissistic self-loathing experiment best suited for recently jilted lesbians and Instagram junkies, but while the entire world has been burning down in both literal and figurative ways, fifty-five has been a damn good year for me.

In January, I was well into my year and a half managing a casino on the corner of I-15 and Tropicana. I had done my due diligence in training and had hit the sweet spot of knowing enough about the business to be an effective leader on the floor. I knew my high rollers and had figured out the best approach to dealing with the meth-addicts and prostitutes. I could fix 90 percent of the machines and could process a jackpot inside of four minutes consistently.

Then came the pandemic and the economic shutdown of Las Vegas in March. Most were laid off and in free fall but I had stumbled into working for one of two gambling corporations in Nevada that committed to keeping the payroll rolling despite losing millions per day.

The three months of closure saw me coming in to work every day, cleaning the bar and the machines, and hanging out to make sure no one ransacked the place while it was closed. I did a lot of writing in my office during that time.

In terms of personal tragedy, my nineteen year old nephew overdosed in a parking lot in April and, virus be damned, Dana and I flew out the next day to help my sister.

We re-opened the casino in June.

Seven months of balancing life in a pandemic with idiots motivated to gamble, arguing with people about the necessity to wear masks, and submitting essays to everyone. Getting paid to write (even in small increments) was a genuine drug.

Over the summer both Dana and I were asked to write for an anthology of essays. Las Vegas writers writing about Las Vegas. It was a boost, man. Don't get me wrong, the casino gig was solid and, for the most part, enjoyable. Getting paid to write words and sentences was fucking delicious.

The book came out in October launched with a Zoomesque gathering.

The casino gig, while solid and simple, was becoming dull. Rote. Combining the fact that my best (and meager) talents were not usable during a pandemic in a struggling casino, I told my General Manager that I needed more money for such routine grind and that I’d start looking aggressively for something more in tune with my skills that also paid a bit more on my year-and-a-half mark.

Six days after I started the search, I was hired by a Denver-based firm as a Senior Copywriter.

Turns out I’m pretty good at it. Getting a salary for writing words and sentences is sweet and working from home as the pandemic continues to rage on is smart and comfortable. No longer a slave to the swings shift, my schedule is my own.

I can, for the first time in my life when asked what I do for a living, answer “I am a writer.” In a career path marked by ten year gigs followed by "gotta pay the bills" gigs, it looks like Casino Manager is the latter and "Writer" is the former. Now it’s time to write some books, yeah?

It’s been a year, my friends.

Here are the lessons that landed in my 55th annum.

Always Leave ‘Em Wanting More

Over the course of my bizarre career as a “Writer. Teacher. Storyteller. Consultant.” to refer to my donhall.vegas website, I’ve had a tendency to overstay my welcome.

Instead of leaving circumstances on good terms, by the time I was ready to go, I was all Fuck these people! What a bunch of dickseeds! and at least a few of the people were Fuck him! What a dickseed!

I stayed one year longer than I should have as a public school teacher. I stayed at least a year too long in my second marriage and, despite some incredible shows toward the end of the WNEP Theater years, I stayed too long with that company. I should’ve left WBEZ at least a year earlier and I waited until things got weird in the storytelling scene before leaving Chicago.

With the casino, I left long before things become too rote or sour. I found the new gig, jumped on it, and was told if it didn’t work out, I always had a place to land. That I was a part of the Station Casinos “family.” My staff bought me booze and when I swung by just to see them, they are happy to be seen.

Hell, the GM even gave me one of the chairs from the Craps Table for my home office!

As I get older, recognizing the signs that perhaps it’s time to go is an essential skill. At fifty-five, maybe I’m finally into that.

Family is Always More Important Than Work

Last year, working the first 24/7/365 job in my life, I was told I had to work on Christmas. It was the first Christmas in decades I hadn’t spent with my family in Kansas. It wasn’t bad—Joe flew in from Chicago, he took Dana and I to see Penn Gillette at Rio, Kelli joined Dana and Joe on the casino floor while I worked.

This year, especially after the death of my nephew, it became obvious that family had to come first. Months before I landed the writing gig, I let my GM know I was taking the week of Christmas off, COVID be damned. I was clear that if the company couldn’t pay me for the time off I understood and if I was to be let go because of it, then that was fine, too.

The casino was incredibly cool about the request that wasn’t really a request. In fact, even though I gave my two week’s notice before the Christmas vacation pay would kick in, my GM allowed me to be paid for it anyway (see that first lesson again).

It was in every possible way the correct call. My sister needed me. I needed my mom and dad. We got to reconnect with a cousin I hadn’t seen in years. Turns out she’s a professional copywriter in Austin, TX. It was a soul-filling holiday and I’ll never miss Christmas in Kansas again.

It’s Pointless to Argue with Zealots

Maybe it’s in part due to my new-found desert surroundings or my distance from the increasingly Woke Chicago Arts scene but this last year of Trump and the ridiculous nature of angrier social media has pushed me closer to Left Center than Full-On Progressive.

As a younger man I decided that religion was simply not for me. Too emotionally charged without a sense of rationality. At the distance Nevada gives me I can see how irrational both the Extreme Right—the overtly white nationalist taint with the individualism bordering on sociopathy—and the Progressive Left—the quasi-religious circular logic of white privilege, erasure of women as a category, and focus on tribalism over all—have become. Or maybe they were always this way and it took some time away from a major urban center to see it.

Whichever the case, arguing with either side has become synonymous with filing my teeth with a dremel. Besides being as productive as screaming into an Amazon Box, taping it up, and shipping it to Congress, it’s fucking annoying.

If there is a resolution I’m attempting to adopt in the latter half of my fifties, it is this: find common ground with everyone and if I encounter someone so far into conspiracy territory that I cannot, walk away and don’t look back.

Social Media Enables the Very Worst in Us (and Me)

I can’t remember if I shed myself of Faceborg, Twitter, Instagram, and the host of social media this or last year but I’ve spent most (if not all) of my fifty-fifth year absent the noise and it was an excellent decision.

Mobs of imbeciles canceling professors, trolling J.K. Rowling, threatening violence to strangers, and organizing a breach of the Capitol all using tools for communication that should be extraordinary made me hate people I had never met. This cannot be a good ‘chicken soup for the soul’ arena to spend time in.

I’ll admit that I do feel left out of the mix some yet I’m happier for it. I jumped back recently with a new LinkedIn account (which is sortof like social media but with jobs) and the only good thing about that has been being able to message with Rob Kozlowski.

I’m a Social Distancing Jedi

Five years ago, Dana threw me a birthday party and there was a room full of friends in attendance. This year, I’ll be lucky if even Dana remembers my birthday.

The culling effect of both getting rid of social media and the pandemic has been like a hoarder finally ridding himself of boxes of empty Altoid tins and those square plastic bread ties. Always a bit of a misanthrope, this year has cleared out so much noise and my new gig at home has me isolated from the wash of the unwashed.

Turns out I’m good with this. My interactions with people are more intentional rather than surface level and while life has made me more cautious when it comes to whom I genuinely trust, those whom I do choose teach me things I wouldn’t know and enrich my dwindling time on the planet.

Your Reality is Dictated by Your Optimism

Optimism isn’t merely hope. It isn’t happiness or a cheery disposition.

Optimism is an act of resilience against the brutal harshness of living the existential crisis.

It’s darkest just before the dawn implies that there will be a dawn. What if there won’t be? What if it’s just more darkness? If the implacable timpani of human greed, a self correcting planetary environment, and the algorithm that defines our modern interaction has no end, should that result in giving in to the despair?

As optimism is a breeze when things are going your way, despair is the path of least resistance when things turn to shit. Seeing through the mist at a better future takes effort and commitment like a solid marriage or a massive novel you’ve committed to writing. It’s a project to be managed not a feeling to languish within.

One cannot truly call himself an optimist who refuses to see the horror. Pretending that people are essentially kind and generous is stuffing the ostrich head in the sand. People are apes with higher brain functions and follow the rules of the jungle. Tribalism, essentialism, war for resources, the history of brutality of all humanity goes far beyond Hannah Jones 1619 Project. Taken in whole, we aren’t a very enlightened and forgiving species.

Further, optimism is an individual choice. It’s not something that can be enforced but it is something that can be inspired. The American Experiment, despite its many missteps and flaws, is grounded in a belief that humans can govern themselves justly and effectively. Given the larger picture, belief in democracy is only slightly more delusional than the guy playing slots so he can pay his rent. The odds are astronomically against success and yet the choice to persevere is made.

When you see someone who has one of those death camp tattoos on their arm you are witnessing a genuine, tried and true, bona fide optimist.

Optimism is hardest when things turn to shit but it is then when it is most necessary.

Becoming Antique is a Journey

For the first time I see that more of my life has been lived than I have left to live.

I recognize that I wish I could give the years I have left to my nephew because I have done a lot in my five and a half decades and he didn't get the chance. I wonder, absent the obsessive drive to achieve I had in my younger days, what I have to offer in the next ten years? What value does my existence provide to others and how do I manifest that value in pragmatic terms?

Like an old car or a pair of worn-out shoes, we all must acknowledge a certain sense of obsolescence. The pandemic has up-ended so many of the fictions we lived with up until this point and finding North on the compass is a challenge these days. Becoming irrelevant is like that boiling frog—slowly and without even recognizing the boil—we all find ourselves as vintage.

Perhaps that's what I've become. Not the rusted Coca Cola sign in the corner but the "like new" vinyl Def Leppard album with slightly tattered and stained liner notes.

In my next ten years (if I have that much time in store or more) I'd like to read more. Write a lot more. Listen to more live music. Be a better husband. Become that cool old man on the block with good advise and a snort of rye in case it's a little chilly. Christ, I already smoke a pipe.

There is so much more to learn that, in order to avoid feeling useless, I need to learn more.

In a Pandemic, Look For the Simple Things to Keep You Sane

A really well-made sandwich

A cold beer in 115˚ weather

A road trip with your Soul Mate

A book by a new author

A slideshow of you and your Soul Mate doing things together

A long walk

Recognizing that you have a Soul Mate

Sometimes I wonder if there’s anything else. I wonder if I’d miss anything important if I simply ceased to breathe on the couch I bought back in Chicago as it sits in Nevada.

In those moments of melodramatic existentialism, I remind myself that the experience of living is this annual letter to you. A summation of the things I’ve learned and the life I’ve lived.

If I had finished this race last year, my mettle wouldn’t have been tested by a pandemic. I wouldn't have found my sister again. I wouldn’t have seen Trump slink away to Florida. I wouldn’t be sitting in a Craps Chair in a home office of my design.

I wouldn’t have learned anything at all (you know, because dead people stop moving forward).

Here’s to another year and what adventures I will have!

#Fifty-Fifth Birthday #Birthday Lessons

0 notes

onemansbaddatinglife · 3 years

Text

November 29th 2020 - Twist and Turns of life

So starting this story out, I’ve been seeing “Christian Girl” for awhile. On and off. After a few months of seeing each other she admitted to falling in love with me. However she didn’t want to ‘be with me’. Which hurt but I stuck around hoping she’d change her mind. A few weeks ago while prodding her to understand why she would say she’s in love with me but wouldn’t be with me, she explained that she doesn’t feel like I’d make a good father. A bit of background, my father passed away when I was 6, and I’ve spent most of my life dreaming of being a father one day. Maybe it sounds stupid, but I desperately want to be the father to my kids that my dad wasn’t given the chance to be. Don’t get me wrong, he was an amazing dad, but he was taken too early on and didn’t get to watch us grow up. So that’s always sort of been my goal. Anyways. I last saw Christian girl, who my friend group now refers to as “Simba” (Read August 2nd) on November 24th. She came to my house after everyone left for work and while I was working from home. We spent a few hours snuggling, kissing, and whatever else ended up happening. On Wednesday she sent me a text “Missu” and sent me a selfie of her in bed. Something seemed off though. So I sent her a text saying good morning and trying to talk to her. No reply. As the day went on I’d send a few more text, but never receiving replies. On Friday, November 27th, I called her phone at like 5am. Usually she woke up early for work and would text me so I figured she’d be awake. She answered and acted weird. I asked why she had ghosted me and she danced around the question for awhile. After an hour of talking she admitted that the next day she started talking to her exboyfriend from college’s best friend that tried getting with her after she had split with her ex. (This would’ve been like, 10ish years ago). She said she “doesn’t like talking to multiple people at a time and felt like he’d be better for her” or some bullshit. I spent the next day or so extremely depressed because I foolishly thought she was going to get over the drama and finally officially be with me. My mistake. So Saturday night comes around. Another girl I had matched with and casually texted with told me she had just gotten home from Ohio (drove) and had some edibles for me. She said if I’d like, I can come over and get them and stay the night with her. Since I’m heartbroken and wanting to get over Simba, I agreed. I drove an hour out to Denton, Texas and went to her apartment. She sat across the room from me for a few minutes which was odd, then got a call from her sister asking her to pick up her (sisters) kids from their dad because she (the sister) was still at work. The girl asked me if I wanted to come, and then said “errr wait you probably shouldn’t. I don’t want my sister to find out I’m talking to someone and tell my family and make things weird.” Then asked if I’d stay at her apartment until she returned. I figured since I just drove an hour in a wild ass storm (if you’re from Texas, you know how crazy our ‘storms’ get) that, yeah fuck it. So I laid on her bed and scrolled through my phone and waited for her to return. After half an hour the girl texted me again that her sister needed her to babysit the kids and that she’d be gone awhile and asked if we could just reschedule. I was pissed that I drove all that way to basically get ditched and told to leave. So I told her don’t worry about rescheduling, we can text and see where things go from there. Then proceeded to drive an hour home. Once I got home, another girl I had been casually texting said that she was free tonight and wanted to see me. I was iffy at first because I had just dealt with one girl I really like ghosting me, and another girl I was trying to see inviting me over then bailing and texting me to leave. But I said whatever fuck it and went. So now I’m driving another hour, in the same big ass storm, to the opposite side of Dallas, Texas to a city called “Terrell”. I go to a Holiday inn, check in and get a room, and go upstairs. The girl comes in and she’s a bit awkward, but its whatever. We snuggle for a bit, then she goes into the restroom to shower and ‘freshen up’. While she’s in the shower, I order some Applebees because the restaurant was so close you could see it out of our window. When she comes out of the bathroom, we snuggle for a bit more and wait for my order.. After over an hour of waiting, we decide to say fuck it and start making out. We eventually fuck and after, I check my food status because I was like “where the fuck is my food?” Doordash finally tells me “yeah we can’t find anyone to deliver. Do you want a refund or we can give you $36 “Doordash credit”. (The food I had ordered was like, $41). So I’m annoyed and ask for the refund which apparently takes 5-7 business days. Annoyed, I ask the girl if she’d like anything from Whataburger or if she’d like to come with and she declined. She said she was exhausted and wanted to sleep. I put my clothes and shoes on and walk out. As I walk down the hallway, I notice another girl, looked to be about 16, sitting outside of her door with her head in her arms. Something felt a bit off so as I approached (headed for the elevator), I asked if she was okay. She looked up and smiled and said “yeah I’m just fighting with some friends.” I noticed she had some tear spots on her dark red shirt. So I said “Okay.” and kept walking. I pressed the elevator button around the corner and waited. As I waited, I couldn’t help but to feel bad for the poor girl. So I leaned around the corner and said “Hey, I’m gonna go get food.. did you want anything?..” at which point her face lit up and she said she’d appreciate that as she hasn’t eaten. I walked over an exchanged numbers with her so she could text me what she wanted. I texted her a little bit on my way to Whataburger, and found out she was from a neighboring town, and we made small talk. When I got back to the hotel I walked up to her and handed her a drink and a bag of food she had requested. She thanked me and I made sure to let her know that if she needed anything, she could text me. I proceeded back to my room, and ate. I couldn’t get her out of my head, so I sent her another text and asked if she had been kicked out of the room. She replied she had. I offered to rent her a room for the night. However she said that her friends came out after I went into my room (I guess because they heard me talking to her) and let her back in. I told her that regardless, if she needed anything, text me asap and I’ll help out. She never texted me. --- Despite the shit week I had, and the fucked up way the night had started out, I feel good about what happened. If Simba hadn’t ghosted me, again, and if the other chick hadn’t changed her mind and asked me to leave, I wouldn’t have met up with this other chick, in another city, and wouldn’t had been there for the girl crying in the hotel hall. And even though I didn’t do anything insane for the girl, the fact I was willing to stop and check on someone and buy them food, despite them being a stranger, sits warmly in my heart. We live in an age where so many people would’ve seen a crying chick and walked by thinking “That’s not my business”, or would’ve asked if she was okay, but would’ve accepted “yes I’m fine” as a valid response. Even though we all know that “yes I’m fine” is a reflex response because we’ve learned over years that sometimes it doesn’t matter how you feel, no one cares. But I promise you sometimes people do care, and not doing anything to help will eat away at them. I didn’t do anything spectacular for the girl. In fact, I’m aware I was at the hotel sort of being a douchebag by seeing multiple chicks in one night after being ghosted by another chick I was seeing. Regardless, I saw someone that needed a friend and I wanted to make sure I could help in whatever manner the girl felt comfortable accepting help. Give your heart but keep your head.

0 notes