#the Maine’s ‘there are only 26 letters I can use just to tell you I won’t let go’

[nyaheum]

My Annual Eurovision List - 2023

Completely based on music videos until we actually see some staging. Don’t come at me.

37. POLAND

Solo – Blanka

LMAO fuck TVP. Jann would have been my winner.

36. LITHUANIA

Stay (ČIŪTO TŪTO) – Monika Linkytė

Bleh. I know some people really like this song, but...bleh. There’s nothing here that sticks with me. The song was over and I forgot what it sounded like. I don’t know, I’m used to more from Lithuania.

35. IRELAND

We Are One – Wild Youth

This is the point where I feel like too many bands are hurting this year. They would have been fine any other year, but comparing them to the other bands this year, they’re quite weak. I also expect them so sing “We are Young” every single time...what is fun. up to anyway? (hiatus, apparently.)

34. AZERBAIJAN

Tell Me More – TuralTuranX

Uh...it’s a song. Their name reminds me of Duran Duran. Remembering the name of Duran Duran was the main thing I did while listening to this song. I abolutely HATE spoken word, oh my god. And apart from that, this sounds like one of those songs from an average to slightly bad romcom. Not even the ending song, but the one from the middle, the part where the producers knew that they wanted to convey the passage of time so they simply chose to do a montage.

33. ALBANIA

DUJE – Albina dhe Familja Kelmendi

The guy singing in between is absolutely taking me out. Definitely would’ve liked this more if the chorus hit harder, like this it’s just...kind of sad? But not the good kind, the melodramatic kind (which I can appreciate, to a certain extent, but not to THIS extent.)

32. CYPRUS

Break A Broken Heart – Andrew Lambrou

Did you know that Andrew actually wanted to participate for Australia in 2022? Yeah. I googled this while listening to the song because it has nothing that pulls me in. It’s fine, don’t get me wrong, he has a great voice, but...eh.

31. GREECE

What They Say – Victor Vernicos

Why is he a child. I like the chorus, kind of, but that’s pretty much it. Very meh.

30. LATVIA

Aijā – Sudden Lights

Another song that really takes its time to build up to nothing noteworthy, which is a shame, because in its basics, I quite enjoy it. It’s just a little...frustrating when the chorus comes and goes and nothing in me has changed? Idk lmao.

29. SWITZERLAND

Watergun – Remo Forrer

This is my grandma’s favourite song this year, yay? For some reason I keep reading his name as Ferrero Rocher. The letters barely match, I think it’s just because this is Switzerland. (yes, ferrero is italian, idk.) Oh, the song? It’s fine. It’s not his fault he’s not Gjon.

28. ICELAND

Power – Diljá

It’s fine. Feels very generic, but doesn’t hit hard enough to justify it. Specifically considering it’s Iceland sending it.

27. ARMENIA

Future Lover – Brunette

Surprisingly good in theory, but in the end I only actually like the middle part. The beginning is well sung but a little too slow for me, and I don’t really enjoy the end in general? I’m very unsure with this.

26. NETHERLANDS

Burning Daylight – Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper

I don’t find any joy anymore either, dude. We’re so in synch, damn. Why does the first chorus do that thing where it teases a nice build up for half a second just to drop immediately? And then the second one doesn’t even properly redeem it. Ruined the whole song for me, genuinely. Not that I liked it a lot before, ehem.

25. DENMARK

Breaking My Heart – Reiley

I listened to this and kept thinking that it sounds like a song I already know, but...turns out it was just this song the whole time. Apparently someone at my local radio station really likes it. I don’t, really, I feel like I might be too old for this type of music. Talking about this...you’re telling me Reiley is OLDER than me? What the hell.

24. ITALY

Due Vite – Marco Mengoni

Second year in a row where Italy doesn’t really do it for me, damn. At least it’s a lot better than whatever was going on last year with Brividi. I still liked Supereroi a lot more and think it should have won. Meh.

23. SAN MARINO

Like an animal – Piqued Jacks

Certainly a song. All I could think about while watching this is one Youtube comment simply saying “He is a little hot” because...they’re not wrong? The song itself just doesn’t hit – but I have the fleeting suspicion that this might be fixed by having the sound mixing done by literally anyone that ISN’T San Marino. I don’t even dislike it or anything.

22. ESTONIA

Bridges – ALIKA

I know that everybody loves this, okay? It’s good enough. Perfectly good ballad. It’s not her fault I dislike most ballads. I do like the last minute though, it picks up a lot, I enjoy that.

21. AUSTRALIA

Promise – Voyager

I love how Australia is really going through the classic Eurovision evolution. My right ear also likes the song. I watched the music video, and I think the left one just didn’t get invited or something. It’s actually REALLY off-putting.

20. SLOVENIA

Carpe Diem – Joker Out

Please don’t come for me, but why does everyone love this SO much? Like, I like it a bit too, but not as much as everyone else seems to? I genuinely feel like I’m missing something here.

19. BELGIUM

Because Of You – Gustaph

This is so groovy, I don’t know why everybody hates it. (I mean, I DO know, but apart from that...it’s not that bad.) It’s not the best thing I’ve ever heard, and the aspect ratio of the official music video freaks me out, but it’s very camp – which is a good thing, obviously this is Eurovision after all!

18. UNITED KINGDOM

I Wrote A Song – Mae Muller

I had no expectations for the UK, mainly because I missed all of the teasing they did, so I’m completely fine with this...it just feels like a lot of songs this year sound similar to this? Maybe I’m going insane. But it’s nice to listen to. I wouldn’t turn the radio off if it came on.

17. GEORGIA

Echo – Iru

Imagine how much more this could have slapped if it was in Georgian. Just imagine. It’s fine like this too, and I’m sure it will be elevated by the staging, but...just imagine, honestly.

16. ROMANIA

D.G.T – Theodor Andrei

Okay, let’s ignore the performance for a bit, and just judge the song. I quite like it, actually. His voice is nice, it’s absolutely something different, and I always give a native language bonus.

15. MALTA

Dance (Our Own Party) – The Busker

The revamp did good things for this song. I like a good saxophone, and I feel like this is quite underrated in the community. It’s fun(ky), I think they will be great live, and the music video is definitely worth a watch while you’re at it.

14. SPAIN

Eaea – Blanca Paloma

I feel like I shouldn’t talk about this song without my lawyer. It’s growing on me, very slowly, but there’s still only select parts of the song that I really like, while the rest is just something I have to go through to reach them. Like the salad you get when you order a steak with fries. (I also just liked Agoney a lot more.)

13. PORTUGAL

Ai Coração – Mimicat

After a song I absolutely couldn’t stand last year, Portugal absolutely delivers again. Feels very authentic to Portugal, I really like her voice, it’s quite fast-paced, I really enjoy it.

12. SWEDEN

Tattoo – Loreen

It’s a song. I don’t know, I don’t care about it, it’s good, sure, but it’s absolutely not a winner for me. Also, the pre-chorus sounds so much like another song I know, but I cannot figure out which one and it’s driving me insane. (I have to admit though, rhyming pain and rain IS true lyrical genius, and whoever wrote that part should win an award.) I like the studio version more than the live version by the way. Yes, even with the performance. Don’t ask me why.

11. MOLDOVA

Soarele si Luna – Pasha Parfeni

I love that as long as we have Moldova, Eurovision will never be boring. This is genuinely nice, too, and fills the void Fulenn left in my heart last year perfectly.

10. FRANCE

Evidemment – La Zarra

C’est très...French. Obviously. Good French, but French nonetheless. Groovy, though. I can appreciate that it’s not really a chanson chanson.

9. UKRAINE

Heart Of Steel – TVORCHI

It’s completely fine. Quite good, even, but I just don’t think that it lives up to the songs Ukraine sent the past decade or so...which is understandable, not only because of their situation, but because the song sent by the winning country never really is. I still really appreciate it for it’s modern tone and the bass. (still preffered fiinka though sorry)

8. CROATIA

Mama ŠČ! - LET 3

This is my absolute guilty pleasure this year. I even rather like it musically, I quite enjoy it away from all the chaos. Of course, the chaos is the main reason I like it. What would Eurovision be without these songs, seriously? BRRRR, TRAKTOR.

7. ISRAEL

Unicorn – Noa Kirel

I know people don’t like this because it sounds like three songs mashed together, but I quite like it. Why? Probably because I listen to K-Pop, I’m used to the mashed-together-sound, and I quite like it. Apart from that I enjoy the song, of course, although I’m purposefully ignoring the lyrics.

6. SERBIA

Samo mi se spava – Luke Black

I listen to music like this quite a lot, so I obviously enjoy it...I’m just very afraid that it won’t really land at Eurovision, not with the juries and not with the televote. But I’ll be optimistic and delude myself into thinking that there’s no way it won’t at least make it out of the SF. (And I would absolutely believe it if it was in Semi 2 instead of Semi 1.)

5. NORWAY

Queen of Kings – Alessandra

She, Queen of the Hype! For good reason though, this is GREAT. Very Eurovision, very European in general, I love good party music.

4. CZECH REPUBLIC

My sister’s crown – Vesna

PLEASE PLEASE LET THEM BE GOOD LIVE. I can’t take another Austria 2022. This is SO good. I love it musically, I love the mix of languages, I might have a small crush on their rapper, please let them be good live. Please. I beg you. (I have a bad feeling, though. Especially the chorus just seems very hard to replicate life. I’ve seen the NF, I know.)

3. GERMANY

Blood & Glitter – Lord Of The Lost

I’m still so...in awe that we’re actually sending something good this year? Like, how did this happen? Who did we sacrifice for this? (Answer: Electric Callboy.) This kind of music just feels very German, even if they’re singing in English. My only critique is that I want him to growl more, but if their Eurovision stage is anything like their winners performance at the NF, I’m not worried.

2. AUSTRIA

Who The Hell Is Edgar? - Teya & Salena

No, seriously, who is Edgar? I only know Teya & Salena. This is such a bop – WITH a message, damn. Easily moved into my Top 5 immediately after it came out. Probably my most listened to song this last week. It’s REALLY addicting. What the hell, Österreich? Not both of us going through change right now, aww.

1. FINLAND

Cha Cha Cha – Käärijä

This song came out, I heard it once, and decided it’s my winner this year. Only Gladiator could have possibly challenged it, but we know how that went, so this is my undisputed first place. Please, juries and televote, do not rob our small king.

#eurovision #esc #eurovision 2023 #esc 2023 #list! #i love lists!!!

[anukulee]

Our Loki Variants

A/N: This is a summary of a conversation that I had with @five-miles-over. One we thought was a nice concept, thus I thought why not make notes (in case any of us might want to use it). So with that out the way let us get started.

The Playwright (Loki Variant Edition)

In Contributation with Five Miles Over (Tumblr)

Troupe: Anti-hero playwright Loki

Main Points: 

25 to 28-year-old TA or PA to Loki

Loki; is 39, almost 40, is a divorced playwright whose life seems to lead him to nothing. The only thing he has is his schemes through his actors, forced to give up his drinks and become a teacher. None of it helped when he must deal with his co-teacher in his class at the college.

He schemes to get what is needed to get done, but he does care for his actors despite his schemes. 

His wife divorced him years ago, wanting to get away from Loki’s type of chaos, not out of hate, but want for a more stable life.

His new love interest is a fierce women who won’t take any of his crap and knows what she is getting into. She is ready to deal and if need be tame the mischief that is Loki.

Conversation;

F: You know who'd be a cool variant of Loki? Loki as a 50-year-old, divorced playwright.

Me: Why 50?

F: *shrugs* it'd be fun to have a middle-aged antihero who owns his age.

Me: Yes, but the fandom would question it's sanities, depending on how fine the actor is. I mean if we did 40 or 45, they could have Mr. Hiddleston do it. I mean they can't say no since this Loki is around his age.

F: True, maybe 46 years old. Loki's a Midgardian, divorced playwright who enacts his schemes through his actors.

Me: Loki; is 39, almost 40, is a divorced playwright whose life seems to lead him to nothing. The only thing he has is his schemes through his actors, forced to give up his drinks and become a teacher. None of it helped when he must deal with his co-teacher in his class at the college. A 26 - 29 who seems to hold something he can no longer work for.

The aging may have him reach a crisis, make him wonder what his life is or we do his past, present, and future haunting him. Fearing what he is doing with his life?

F: Personality - He schemes and manipulates his actors and actresses working for him. Maybe he plays games with his muses to make them enact the images he wants to see

F: For a crying scene, he'll leave a note in their chair/seat from their S/O telling them they're breaking up and to never contact them. Or he'll write a fake letter from the university expelling them

F: Or for romance, he'll leave flowers and chocolates saying they're from a "secret admirer" He'd let them figure it out for themselves

F: The actors themselves have no idea, but it's sort of know that working with Loki = crazy shit happens in your personal life

Me: He could always say the pet was dying, only for the actor to be like wait I don't have a pet after the scene. Or he could say things, I mean break up notes is dark. But if I were them I would leave.

F: He does it to evoke the emotional reaction of his choice. But if shit really hits the fan, like his actors are threatening to quit, then he knows exactly how to motivate them.

Me: Despite his questionable methods, he still cares about the actors. He will let them have their sick days or mourning if they need it.

F: Oh, definitely. He even threw one of his actors a bachelor party.

Me: What do you think is the reason for divorce?

F: Reason for divorce: Maybe she couldn't take it anymore, and then just tells Loki one day she's pregnant. And it isn't his. It actually is Loki's, but she'd rather have him out of her life.

Me: if playwright Loki was real what would be his opposite? Could he be a teacher, perhaps to spot new talent?

F: Oh, love interest would probably be an aspiring actress, or if we're thinking out of the box - it could even be a dang on demigoddess of love (like a daughter of Venus) with a love of literature. Loki sees her on his way to the theater and decides that she will be his next muse.

Me: Goddess and mortal is interesting, and it would be older woman x younger man. I was thinking teacher, since if Loki is a playwright at risk of actors quiting. He might use classes as a way to spot new talent. She could be his new TA, the only one who will take him after all the others quit.

F: Ooh, nice angle! Her being the theater director's assistant and putting up with his nonsense. Reminds me of "Age of Loki" where the reader is Professor Hiddleston's TA.

Me: Exactly, she will be mid-twenties, not too young, but enough in life. Like where one might have a quarter crisis. Or late twenties, at least old enough to be a TA.

F: Well, if he has a TA, then that would mean he's a professor?

Me: Part-time gig, to make more money and scout out new talent for theater.

F: Ah nice. So he teaches acting on the side. And at night, he directs his own productions.

Me: Exactly, it's a win-win, and we can introduce a mid to late twenties love interest without it seeming sus. Or like he is a crib robber, too much of a power imbalance. For they are both equals for the most part. Sound about right?

F: That...yeah NGL (not gonna lie), that sounds much more likable than a young actress with wide eyes and innocence.

F: Sometimes I forget how problematic older, experienced man x wide-eyed ingenue trope can be

Me: Exactly, if people think the love is dubious they won’t like it. We have seen it happen time after time. In no fault to Mr. Hiddleston or the love interest acting, but due to the script. It forms on sexual chemistry lacking romantic. Or it has dubious nature, that makes you not want to ship the couple.

F: I think Hiddleston has yet to play an older love interest, the kind that's juxtaposed alongside an ingenue. (Think seasoned playwright x 20-year-old actress in her first major production) But yeah, I agree that some of his romantic pairings are just awful. Like Bill and Jewel just made me cringe all the time.

Me: I am saying at least mid-twenties, so it doesn’t look like a  mid-life crisis. With him sleeping with barely legal women. Plus his younger love interests in the past have been around the same age. If it were real the actress will either be at least 28 or Emma Watson age. 

F: Hiddleston himself would probably see something problematic if he were paired with a 23-year-old and be like, "uh...I don't know about this."

Me: Exactly, plus fans would look at the writer and be like why did you do this, a 20-year age difference is fine, but since neither party would be that old, it's different. Let's use Tilda and Mr. Hiddleston as an example, they had the exact same age difference. Mr. Hiddleston was 32, while she was 52.

F: But you've got a good idea to make her a mid-20s woman. Maybe she spent years working as a theater designer - or a waitress or an office worker - to get savings for drama school. And then, she applies, joins an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) program and joins a RADA-like institution.

Me: Or she came back and managed to avoid his classes. Or if she went to a different drama school, perhaps before he taught.

Me: You know what I just thought of?

F: Yeah? 😀

Me: Thor; Loki’s older brother and oldest friend, the one who stood beside him during the divorce. While he pretends to dislike him, perhaps as an actor, he sees the way Thor does things. Odin would expect both of his sons to go into acting at his school. Only for Thor to go into acting, while Loki went to directing despite his potential in acting.

F: Ooh, Thor as an actor? I don't think I've ever heard of that canon before :)

A/N: So that was our idea, what do you all think? Would you all think of anything, like any details you would add? Perhaps we could make a whole universe, what do you think??

Feel free to comment what you think and your thoughts below.

@muddyorbsblr @mochie85 @mochie85-archives @michelleleewise @mcufan72 @sserpente @smolvenger @sailorholly @simplyholl @lokisgoodgirl @lokisgoodgirlbackup @lokisbirdofhermes @lokisprettygirl @lokisprettygirl22 @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @villainousshakespeare @the--sad--hatter @holdmytesseract @evelyn-kingsley @chantsdemarins @queen-paladin @wheredafandomat @lotsoflokilove23 @lokibug @lokiburdenedwithgloriouspurpose @eleniblue @lokischambermaid @lokis-dirty-whispers @lokischocolatefountain @oliwrites @xorpsbane @aesonmae

#repost #reply #continued conversation #loki #loki friggason #ignoring canon #loki marvel #loki odinson #variants #loki variants #usual loki #tom hiddleston #loki is not a villain #loki is life #playwright loki #tagging game

[byemizumikahago]

Mizumi's Main Twitter (or X i guess now) account

Mizumi uses a variety of social media accounts to post her artwork online, such as tumblr, reddit, deviantart, instagram, and twitter (not calling it X because that's a stupid name). Specifically for that last one, mizumi uses both an art account, and a main, private account. You would assume that, because it's private, that mizumi wouldn't want anyone outside of very close friends to see it. Nope. She let me gain access to it through accepting my follow request. Yep. It was that easy. Because I know Mizumi lurks here, she will likely put two and two together and figure out who I am, and then subsequently block me. So, in preparation for that, I will be posting some of the more notable tweets from her account that I considered to be most important. So, without further ado, here they are:

1: A post she already crossposted to reddit a few months later 2: Arguing with Nagito stans, as usual. 3: A meme 4: Another reddit crosspost 5: The person she's tagging is an ex friend, so don't bother them. 6: Another meme. 7: Artwork that she crossposted to tumblr (unfortunately, the post is deleted and I can't find the link or an archive) 8: (Translated with DeepL) the text says; My pictures for the challenge "Draw cute animals" :) The first one is an OC of mine, seen that way. The second "fanart" And the last two, my cats at the moment. I think only the 1st and 3rd & 4th count then. ^^

So, overall, nothing too out of the ordinary. There are some memes and her replies to art posts sprinkled inbetween original posts, so yeah. nothing too out of the ordinary. Until I came across this:

(The image mizumi replied with is just a gif of that one scene from OHSHC where Haruhi's dad walks in on them and Tamaki)

Anyways, the person is 17 years old. 15 years old when these tweets took place. Mizumi is 26, and was 24 when she tweeted that.

Enough said.

[Onto another topic. Because Twitter is currently self imploding thanks to a certain letter-X-obsessed CEO, you cannot actually directly message people unless you're a verified account. I do not own a verified twitter account. So, if someone out there DOES, it would help a lot if you could DM the dropbox link in this blog's description to these two; mizumi's friends.

DO NOT go and harass these people. That still needs to be stated, because some people still think that's an okay thing to do. Whether you can dm them or not, still don't go out of your way to harass them. Just tell them about what mizumi has done (since they probably don't even know that she's a child predator), send them the dropbox link, and move on with your life. It's more simple to do that, than it is to spread more negativity.

(PS: once someone does that, I'll remove these people from the post, along with all the text instructing you to dm them. it wouldn't make sense to tell people to dm them about mizumi after they already know, after all.)]

#mizumikahago #mizumi kahago #link #reddit link #twitter #twitter post #twitter x #tweet #social media #reddit

[kookaburra1701]

WIP Wednesday - What Waits 'Round the Corner

Fandom: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Main character: Lucien Flavius Rating: T for violence Genres: Angst, Hurt/Comfort Summary: There's a reason Lucien only made it to Falkreath before deciding he really needed some hired muscle. Lucien Flavius is from the eponymous mod by Joseph Russell.

26 Sun's Height, 4E 201. Helgen, Falkreath Hold, Province of Skyrim, the Cyrodiilic Empire.

Dear Mother,

I have made it to Skyrim! You were right, the quality of the roads took a dramatic turn for the worse as soon as we were through the Pale Pass. I got out of the cart and walked a bit just to get a reprieve from the jolting. I am resting in a small town called Helgen, just on the other side of the Pale Pass. The town has rough fieldstone walls - not a right-angle to be found - and sits on a crossroads: one road goes East over another mountain pass, and the North and Western roads go down the shoulders of the mountain to a village called Riverwood and the hold capital of Falkreath, respectively.

The mountain is something to behold! I’ve included a sketch in this letter. I can see why it is called “The Throat of the World!” We climbed and climbed coming out of Bruma up to the pass, but I don’t think the mountain top ever became appreciably closer. There seems to be a blizzard up at the peak at the moment, so I guess I would not know. If the rest of the landscape in Skyrim is this dramatic, I think I’m going to be using up all my parchment on sketches!

The letter you wrote certainly helped in this leg of the journey. I was able to convince a Legion quartermaster on her way to Skyrim with supplies to let me ride with her, and the chap in charge of the gate said that his father served under you as a Cornicen in the Great War. Maybe you remember him, Atticus Quinilum. Anyways, the quartermaster’s name is Ranne Straight-furrow. I met some Nords in Bruma but my goodness do they grow them tall up here in Skyrim! She’s got to be a head taller than any of the Colovian-born soldiers.

I’m staying at the inn here, (and really it is just the largest house in town with a handful of extra beds in the loft), run by a nice Nord named Vilod. I won’t be staying long - Helgen is really too small and remote to use as a base of operations, and the Legion makes it more of a target for the insurgents.

I am planning on setting out for Falkreath in the morning; it will be a push to make it down the mountain in one day’s travel, but the road appears well-maintained. I will purchase supplies and send for my surveying equipment. It looks like a good place to set up a base of operations, as it has an inn, and the guards here tell me there is a plethora of Dwemer and Nordic ruins in the mountains. By the time you receive this I should be in Falkreath, so please send any letters there. Even if I move on, Skyrim’s towns are connected enough that I should be able to receive them. Give my love to Father.

Your loving son,

Lucien

“Here lad, I grabbed you some supper. Courtesy of the Legion.”

Lucien looked up from his letter. Ranne towered above him, setting a trencher of bread on the table before taking her own seat. Lucien moved his parchment out of the way of any crumbs and examined the meal. It was simple but hearty fare: some sort of salted fish on coarse brown bread, and a good portion of vegetable pottage to go with it. It was a far cry from the fine foods Lucien had been brought up with in the Imperial City, but after a day of trudging through a snowy mountain pass, his mouth watered just looking at the meal.

“Thank you very much, Ranne.”

Ranne was already tucking into her supper, dipping the trencher bread into the pottage and taking large bites. She grunted in acknowledgement and made a gesture with her mead tankard that Lucien decided to interpret as ‘You’re welcome.’

The experience of eating quickly with no utensils was new to Lucien, and he was nowhere near as efficient as Ranne. She was mopping up the last of the meat juices and pottage with the crust of her bread while Lucien was still working on his first bit of fish.

“Where are you planning to go next, Lucien?” she asked, taking a swig of mead.

“I’m going to Falkreath,” Lucien replied, trying and failing to keep an errant chunk of fish on his trencher. “That seems a decently large enough…settlement… to base my initial expedition out of, without being too expensive or far away from the border.”

Ranne nodded. “There’s a scheduled patrol that will go through Falkreath in two days’ time. I’m sure Captain Hadria will let you follow along so they can escort you down the mountain.”

“Oh, I will be leaving in the morning,” said Lucien. “I have too much to do and to set up, and I want to be able to establish myself and send for the rest of my supplies before the pass closes for winter.”

Ranne stared at him for a long moment before speaking. “I think you should wait. The roads aren’t safe for a lone traveler.”

Lucien looked up from chasing a legume of indeterminate cultivar with a bit of bread-crust. “Oh, nonsense. It can’t be more than four leagues away, all downhill. I should be able to deal with a mudcrab or two! I’ve got a dagger.”

“It’s the two-legged animals you have to worry about here in Falkreath. We don’t have any large wolf packs, but they’re not the only ones waiting for a good kill.” She stood. “I can’t make you wait, though, if you’re determined.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine. After all, it’s an Imperial road and those are safe for travelers.”

“That is certainly the Legion’s opinion,” Ranne sighed. “Be careful Lucien. Keep your eyes open. And… maybe write home before you set off.”

“Actually, I just finished a letter to my mother,” Lucien said. “Would you be willing to take it back to the Jerall View Inn? The innkeeper said he had a courier who makes regular trips to the Imperial City.”

“I’d be happy to, lad.” Ranne downed the last of her mead in one swig before gathering her tankard and now-empty bowl. “I’ve got a knapsack for correspondence on the wagon, just put anything you want sent in there before you leave. I’m heading for the barracks.”

“Good night, Ranne. And thank you again for the lift over the pass.”

Ranne waved off his thanks with another grunt and left the mess hall. Lucien turned his attention back to finishing his meal. After returning his bowl to Vilod, he threw his map case over his shoulder and climbed the sturdy but steep ladder to the loft.

There were several beds separated by hung hides and a few cots and bedrolls in a corner for more thrifty travelers. By the dim light of a few scattered candles, Lucien could see that several men were dealing out hands of cards and two of the beds were already occupied. The men looked up when he entered but turned back to their game immediately. The air hung heavy with the smell of soot from the hearth below and hay from the thatch above, along with the sour-sweet smell of yeast from the brewing vats.

Picking his way carefully through the beds, Lucien made his way to the alcove he had been given upon his arrival. His carry-pole was where he left it, along with the old Legion-issue loculus his mother had given him to use on the expedition. Lucien shed his doublet and opened the worn flap of the leather satchel. Briefly, he caught the strong scent of old leather and the hyssop balm his mother favored to soothe the aches and pains she had collected from her military career. An intense wave of homesickness washed over Lucien, his breath catching in his chest. Lucien was glad his back was to the rest of the room as he struggled to compose himself – he was being ridiculous; his adventure had only just started and here he was missing his mother like a child!

The tightness in his chest eased as the smell of home and family faded. While the furca was new and custom-fit to his proportions, the satchel was the same one his mother had carried during her service to the Emperor, and it was comforting to know that he was carrying a memory of her, and of home. After slipping off his boots, Lucien carefully packed his doublet, breeches, and cloak away in the manner she had taught him, and then placed the entire kit under the bed. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he settled into the rough homespun and furs, hearing her voice echo in his head: Always keep everything you possibly can in your pack, Lucien. You never know when you’re going to have to make a hasty exit. He rolled over, turning away from the candlelight from the other side of the loft. The furs were rough, and the worn tick mattress allowed musty hay to poke through the fabric, scratching any exposed skin. Lucien wondered whether he would ever get comfortable moments before the long climb and warm meal took their toll and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

#skyrim fanfiction #fanfiction #skyrim #tesblr #lucien flavius #wip-wednesday #the elder scrolls #custom follower #kb writes #fic: what waits round the corner

[lightlycareless]

chapter 26 driving me insane,,, such good good character building for the rest of the cast! so happy to see new updates!

hinata,, if theres anyone to be worried about when it comes to making y/n not want to stay, its not naoya i can tell you that. i wonder how she’d feel about y/n and naoaki?? she seems the type to not trust any of the zenin’s, no matter how much naoaki does to prove himself trustworthy.

also the LETTERS?? WHATS GOING ON. WHOS STEALING THEM?? unless i’ve misremembered severely, y/n sent one back but hasnt received one from hinata, which means someones intercepted hers? is the thievery ren mentioned connected or a red herring?? i gotta start detectiving this,,

1. naoaki: i don’t believe it. he would never. even if he were to get shady i don’t believe he’d intercept their letters. why? vibes. he’s just Not The Type 2 me

2. naoya: quite frankly i don’t think he’s smart enough for that kind of subterfuge. he’d rather get in her face about it and demand to know why she’s sending letters (aka “why aren’t you talking to me :(“) and thats presuming he even knows its happening- he’s had enough to deal with already. don’t think its him.

i don’t think any of the named characters so far would be both motivated and/or able to intercept them,,, someone new then?? b-plot? drama? im so excited

OMG HI!!!! How are you?? ❤❤❤❤

I'm so glad you liked the new chapter!! I was hoping to see your outlook on it actually 🥺❤❤❤ I always enjoy reading your asks 😭because they always leave me thinking 👀👀❤

Anyways, thank you for your lovely words! I really like writing Hinata, like allot.

Her perfect, righteous persona is just so fun (and a bit ridiculous) to write tbh, there's just something about the overprotective older sibling trope that I just love... to break hahahahah I needed to show Hinata a bit miserable, you know? She always seemed to be on top of things, but c'mon, her younger sister is basically kidnapped and her family is refusing to help her 💀 something must affect her one way or the other.

Ren is keeping cool, because he needs to. If he were to freak out I think it would only tense her even more than she already is 😭I also love portraying the overprotective sibling on him :> specially on him, but we'll see that later on.

As for the letters...

who knows? HAHAHAHHA

jk

I mentioned once in the previous chapters, I think on the one where Hinata visits Y/N, during the conversation with Naoya that there's an overall crisis going on in the jujutsu community (geto) which has them in a really tough position—there's allot of sorcerers acting against one another, some under geto's jurisdiction, other just because they can and want to use him as a scapegoat.

Amongst those actions, mail theft. It might not be that much, but considering how certain governments still rely on mailing official/confidential things instead of sending them electronically, I assumed jujutsu HQ would do the same. Meaning, there's a reason to intercept these letters: in order to get some juicy details 👀

I envision the main victims to be active sorcerers and important families, tho. Unfortunately, their letters can't be handpicked so some civilians might find themselves thinking "What happened to my parcels?!"

In other words, there have been different incidents across the country, and Ren (wanting to reassure himself and his sister before either snapped) wished to believe your "silence" had to do with that.😭

Now... let's also remember that the elders from the L/N clan really want this marriage to exist essentially forever, so even with Sumire's attempts... they might've just outsmarted her as well 🥴 It would only be natural to assume so, considering she's Y/N's best friend and there might be a stronger loyalty towards her vs them.

But if we want to kick it up a notch, let's include Eiichi into our list of suspects :> because he's been very willing to play along with the elders and has been doing nothing but keeping quiet. omg, imagine the kind of reaction Hinata would have if that was the case??!?! I would kill him ngl. Guess we'll just have to wait and see 🤭

Now, Hinata's reaction towards Naoaki is a pretty interesting one 👀 It reminds me of the halloween drabble I wrote, she was completely uninterested in Naoaki, but did not hate him, unlike Naoya 💀

But circling back to your point, you're absolutely right. She would have a hard time accepting Naoaki, he'd have to straight up do a miracle or something to be welcomed into her social circle. Maybe her perception on him would somewhat soften once she hears that he's been helping Y/N contact her, but she'll probably say something like "it's the bare minimum after what your family did" oof.

Well, he'll keep trying. But I fear that if Hinata keeps "attacking" him one way or the other he might be like "Y/N, I don't want your family to hate you for being with me... so it's better if we part ways" AND I'D CRY. Unironically, this might be the moment where Hinata is finally convinced he's not that bad hahaha

As for Naoaki, I don't think there's anything that could hint it was him having something to do with the letters, outside of sending them lol. I know he's done some rather questionable things (that one part where he's like: um, maybe you can convince Naoya to not have the twins as servants was 🤢🤮), and I understand why it was received badly, but he's done so many things to prove himself trustworthy too😭 and that's not something I can say about Naoya, if anything, he just gets worse and worse haha we also gotta take into account the kind of background he grew up in, he had everything and then he lost it, not only that, he was completely abandoned by his family. He kind of relates to Y/N like that (with her losing her family, freedom, and the abuse she suggested under his family), and it's more than obvious that he wants her to be happy. He's trying :( man, f the zen'in clan 😭

and omg Naoya 😭😭😭😭“why aren’t you talking to me :(“ HAHAHAH I laughed out loud for real. He's like "write all the letters you want, but at least write one to me :(" silly Naoya, the one thing Y/N should be writing up is a divorce and a lawsuit tbh. Once again, you're spot on! He's too... busy with everything that's happening in his life right now (oh boy imagine how the elders chewed him up after failing his exam ahahha MORE TO COME ON CHAPTER 28) and he relied on Junko to keep Y/N at bay, so yeah, he does not suspect a thing... he really trusts the clan that doesn't like him haha.

If this was pre-failure, he would've been absolutely pissed, I dread to think what would happen with Y/N :( not even Ranta would be able to stop him (doubt he could anyways but... yeah).

But post-failure, when he's finally realizing that maybe he's the reason his marriage with Y/N is shit... who knows :>? Let's not forget Naoya literally returned as a curse because he was too stubborn to admit defeat by Maki (and her mother) 💀 soooooo.......................

In other words, we don't know yet what's up with the letters :( there's too many things to account for, Hinata being busy, mail theft, outside forces working against Y/N, to find an appropiate conclusion. It could really be everything and nothing at the same time.

But I do know that all will be revealed in time :)

Once again, thank you so much for your ask 🥺❤ I'm so glad you continued to support this story even after my hiatus, and for that, I'll be eternally grateful 🥺

Hope you have a wonderful week, take care, and see you soon ❤❤❤

#ask #ask series: first it hurts— #naoya zenin #naoya zen'in #naoya x reader #naoya zenin x reader #naoya zenin x your #jjk naoya #naoya zen'in x reader

[sleepymander]

DARCY TELL US ABOUT AOEDE....

!!! Thank you for asking!!!

Aoede is my Warrior of Light in Final Fantasy 14!! She's on Ultros in Primal. The main classes I play are paladin and machinist, although I'm also leveling up the other tank classes

I'll put info about her below but here's her adventurer plate portrait and a drawing I did of her with her the hairstyle she had in stormblood (I have not yet learned to gpose. but one day I will. then I will take Good Photos)

So! Aoede! To be honest, her name comes from me trying to make my character before my friend logged off for the night and I chose it without looking at the lore for miqo'te, but I've managed to work it into her backstory. I haven't really settled everything in her backstory yet as I'm still working through endwalker, but I'm slowly figuring things out. I've never actually explained one of my character's backstories before, so I apologize if it's a bit awkward;;

Aoede is a 26-year-old (24 at the start of ARR, I figure the story probably takes place over 2 to 3 years) adventurer hailing from Sharlyan; she's an archon with her archon tattoos located between her shoulder blades. She's half-seeker and half-keeper and does have fangs (even though I don't know how to mod and can't add them in the game); her family is originally from Ilsabard and they sent Aoede to Sharlyan so she wouldn't be forced to fight for Garlemald. She writes letters to them regularly, and for most of the story, I figured they were going to be fine because I wasn't really planning for her to have a tragic backstory but. I've gotten to a certain part in endwalker and I really don't think they had a radio. So they might not be okay.

She takes her last name "Labelle" from her guardian in Sharlyan, a middle-aged man named Pascal Labelle, who became a friend of her family when he worked as a gleaner before he became an archon (he's another oc of mine! he's just a nice dude). Pascal basically raised her for a good portion of her life and they have a father-daughter relationship, so she decided to primarily use his family name. Her full last name is Aoede Labelle-Lhellhethi, or Aoede Labelle for short. Her field of study is horticulture, with a specific emphasis on farming in unideal environments, such as places with poor soil or that are constantly snowing.

She took up the sword so she could protect herself while traveling, she never really learned how to use magic so instead focused on swordplay and eventually learning how to use a gun.

Generally speaking, she's a very kind-hearted person who trusts others too easily. She'll go along with almost anything if she thinks the person suggesting it has good intentions, which is sort of how she became a scion. She's naturally a very quiet person with an intense gaze and when she does speak she normally shares her opinion without thinking of the consequences. Aoede also rushes into things head first; she's the kind of person who tries to help others even when it costs her dearly. She becomes much more cautious and to a degree pessimistic after the events of ARR, but her mental health improves slowly throughout the other expansions, even though it does get worse for a while after several events. Out of the scions, she gets along best with Minfilia, G'raha, Krile, Alphinaud, and Alisae. She gets along well with the others, but she doesn't really mesh well with Thancred at times (she just doesn't know how to talk to him and he doesn't really talk to her much, they don't dislike each other).

There's a good bit more but this has already gotten pretty long! I don't think I explained her personality as well as I would have liked, but it's fine. Thank you for asking about her, I love her dearly and one day I hope I can commission some artwork of her.

also I have another ffxiv oc named Deimne Vervloet, his backstory is very very much a work in progress. the only thing I can say for certain is that he's a viera

#asks #personal posts are hard #apologies for the late response i was at work and wanted to add photos. I draw her a lot but there's only a few drawings I like #i'm still workshopping her backstory and I may change some things but right now i like where it's at! #after everything that happens in ffxiv I thought she deserved a mostly happy childhood #although being separated from her family is incredibly traumatic. #also! she's childhood friends with g'raha and krile and friends with moenbryda. she's also a student of baldesion :) #okay that's it for the rambling! i tried to keep everything as spoiler free as possible #also. I just remembered that maybe I should mention that aoede's relationships with characters don't reflect my feelings on them #I like thancred! I think he's a good character! I simply cannot see them existing comfortably in the same environment #aoede tag

[innestahtinen]

Been listening through all of Johnny Cash's albums. One of his early ones is 'Ride this Train', a concept album about trains, going between different locations and songs of peoples stories from the different places. My favourite is 'Going to Memphis' because it's: A. Quite good on its own, and B. Has chains as a percussion instrument.

But that's not really important, I'm up to 'The Rambler' which feels to me like it'll be the same thing, but with a car, which is really interesting to me as the progression of technology. It's been 17 years and 26 albums then, from 1960 to 1977. The point I'm trying to get to is that in the first narration he goes and talks to a fisherman, and specifically says that he 'doesn't really go in for fishing'. Which makes sense given his history, the only time I'm aware of him going fishing, according to his biography I bought this morning, his brother, who he admired greatly, got opened up by a table saw.

So I still feel bad for Johnny Cash, despite the setting fire to a national park, and the berating his then-partner via letter for feeling ill for having a drink at a party, despite him cheating on her in Germany and telling her. He suffered with addiction for decades, and still put out great music.

I don't know why I got into him, all the other artists I've done this with I've had former history with; my parents showed me Lior, Ben Folds and Tears for Fears, my friends showed me Neil Cicierega, and I kept stumbling upon Weddings, Parties, Anything on random wiki pages (cannibalism in Tasmania something, and Don Quixote in pop culture).

I'd heard a couple of his songs through pop culture, you probably know Ragged Old Flag if you live in the US, thanks to its association with the Super Bowl, and Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk The Line and Ring Of Fire are prevalent enough in pop culture. But I'm in Australia, and it feels like I just went 'Him, this guy that died 19 years ago, like 8 months after I was born, I want him' and I feel bad and stuff for liking him. Imagine my surprise when there was a song about Ned Kelly mixed in there.

Last week I was nearing a thousand liked songs on spotitifi and was listening through a couple of albums thinking 'yeah, this sounds nice' then looking at the lyrics and seeing that it's about his brother beating his wife, or the Confederacy.

Anyway, it's mostly I feel conflicted about him, which probably is quite a good state to be about him, given, well, him. Here's a pic of him in thigh-high waders

Here's my cactus, day 74

Looks pretty much the same.

The tattoo had a subquest, so I went back on the day of my appointment, sat down, showed my booking card, and was told the guy had gastro. I was also told to call them every day until he came back, so I could reschedule the appointment, so I didn't.

The next week, I checked Google again for tattoo places nearby, found one near-ish, went there, and it was shut, not even a sign, so I went to another one, my main goal was to not go into the city to get it. So I went to this second one, and the guy asked when I was available. This was a Tuesday, I get my rosters for the next week on a Thursday, so I got a Friday appointment, then immediately got in my own head about getting it, self-doubt, anxiety, you know how it is.

Got it, and immediately went in to work to buy paper towels, talked to a couple of people I know, and no one noticed it. I had shifts the next day and 2 people noticed, the ones I'd talked to about getting it beforehand. It took a month for the people I talk to the most to go 'hey, when'd'you get a tattoo?'

The good thing about it being a generic symbol is that I can lie about what it means. Give em a multiple choice, is it

It's A, trust me.

My work gave all the checkout people new hats with a company related registered name, and so I immediately wanted one, not to wear (hate wearing branded clothes, something something not paying to be a billboard something something) but to put on my skull I stole from there 3 years ago

#johnny cash #musician #tattoo #when I was typing in tattoo it came up with %sexy tattooed women #pretend the % is a hash #cactus

[theamazingannie]

Favorite specific music genre: songs where people are trying to express their love for their SO and singing about how no words exist to properly tell them how they feel

#the Maine’s ‘there are only 26 letters I can use just to tell you I won’t let go’ #faber Drive’s ‘like the perfect one word no one’s heard yet’ #the cab’s ‘there’s a million words I could say but none of them would do’ #these are just three bands from the pop rock genre so it doesn’t include everything obviously #but these are just the three I know best #idk I think it makes it even better cuz it’s not a typical genre for love songs #but you can Just feel the love and adoration in these songs #if anyone has any other recs please let me know

[fruitcoops]

I think it would be really interesting for leo and sirius to talk ab how they both didn’t go to college and how they both joined the nhl at 18 but had v different upbringings

Ooo, I like this one! I’m always down for some Cap and Knutty bonding. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for mentioned bad parenting

“Kinda weird, isn’t it?” Leo said, breaking the nighttime silence after many long minutes of just their breathing. Sirius hummed in question. “Starting all this so young.”

Sirius made a noncommittal noise and Leo shifted, never taking his eyes off the sky. There was too much light pollution to see the stars properly in Gryffindor, but the roof of the rink didn’t have a bad view; the planes flying overhead brought pinpricks of brightness to the indigo blur.

“Was it hard for you?”

He heard Sirius’ coat move. “Was what hard?”

“Starting the NHL at eighteen.”

There was a long beat of silence. “Sometimes.”

“I didn’t know if I would make it,” Leo confessed, still barely above a murmur. Nobody else was around, but it didn’t feel right to talk in normal voices. The whole world was muted, save for the noise of the city below them. “There was just so much to do.”

Sirius laughed softly. “I hate to break it to you, rookie, but that doesn’t change.”

“How do you deal with it?”

“Before, or now?”

Leo thought for a moment. “Both.”

“Before, I would go home and shoot pucks until I was too tired to stand up. Sometimes I would read.” It wasn’t a secret, but it still made Leo’s heart hurt to remember. Nobody as kind and hardworking as Sirius deserved that. “Now, I make myself some food, take a shower, and steal Re’s softest hoodie.”

Leo could hear his smile in the dark—it echoed his own. “Nothing better, huh?”

“Nope.”

“Finn’s fit me best,” he mused. “But Lo’s smell better.”

“Ah, he finally discovered deodorant?”

“Shut up,” Leo teased, elbowing his ribs. Sirius laughed a little louder; in the light of the streetlamps and the absence of his granite-hard focus, it was easy to remember that he was only 26. Leo had worshipped him as a kid, but now he just saw Sirius for what he was. His captain, who guided him through the playoffs even when his personal life was crumbling apart. His older brother, though Sirius certainly wouldn’t think of him that way. His friend.

“Really, though, it’s important to have those connections,” Sirius said when they both calmed down. “Being alone is good, but only if you know you have people to talk to when you need them.”

“Was it easier when you weren’t living with someone?”

“No.” The answer was immediate.

“Sometimes I want the apartment to myself.” Leo lowered his voice unconsciously, then sighed. “It’s not because I don’t want them there. I just need to be alone. Wash the dishes. Clean my room. Call my mom.”

“You should tell them.”

He turned his head slightly; Sirius was still scanning the sky. “Is that what you did?”

“It took a couple hiccups, but yeah. If one of us needs some alone time, the other will go to the grocery store or take a walk, maybe hang out with friends. You just have to make sure your boys know that it’s not personal.”

“You’re freakishly good at sage advice.”

Sirius snorted. “Merci, rookie.”

“I’m not a rookie anymore.”

“Yeah, you are.” He raised his hands, as if outlining a marquee. “The Eternal Rookie, starring Leo Knut.”

Leo stuck his tongue out, feeling rather petulant about the whole thing. “Watch it, Cap, I’m gonna sic Dumo on you.”

“My own father?” Sirius gasped dramatically. “How could you?”

“Did you ever get homesick?”

The question was out of the blue—he didn’t blame Sirius for faltering. Honestly, Leo was kicking himself for asking in the first place, though he had been keeping it in for ages. Unspoken rule of the Lions #1: Don’t ask Cap about his childhood.

“I…” Sirius fell silent once more.

“I’m sorry,” Leo apologized, and he meant it. “That came out of nowhere.”

“I missed Regulus,” Sirius continued carefully without acknowledging him. “But no, I didn’t get homesick. I didn’t have time, or a real reason.”

Alone in a new city, finally out of a horrible living situation, but desperately missing the little brother he left behind… Leo couldn’t even begin to imagine going through it when the NHL by itself was already overwhelming to his teenage brain. He scooted an inch closer until their shoulders touched. “I get homesick every couple of months.”

“You have a kind family.”

“Have you even met them?”

“At the party.” Sirius’ smile was practically audible. “Your mother was very excited to see me.”

“Oh, god,” Leo groaned. “What happened?”

“She—“ He broke off with a laugh. “She was very nice, I promise, but I think I surprised her because she squeaked when I said ‘hello’.”

Leo shook his head. “Did you sneak up on her?”

“I’m six two, I can’t sneak up on anyone!”

“You walk like a fucking ghost, dude! It’s creepy!”

“Okay, rude.”

“I swear, you and Loops need to be belled like cats,” Leo huffed.

They lapsed back into comfortable quiet for a few more minutes as a train rattled past on one side and the metro busses rolled down Main Street on the other. It had taken Leo a long time to figure out Gryff’s layout, and even longer to get used to the sounds of the city.

“What does it feel like?”

Leo blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. “What?”

“Being homesick.” Sirius shifted again and folded his hands over his stomach. “I didn’t notice much of a difference in practices when I started the NHL, and going back to my parents’ house wasn’t my exactly a highlight of my year.”

Curiosity overrode his tact and reasoning skills. “You never asked Logan?”

“Non. It was different, with him. He had already left to go to college before I knew him, and spent four years away from his family.”

“Right.” Leo forgot about that on occasion. That Finn and Logan might be five years older than him, but they had only been rookies a year or two prior. Not everyone went straight from their city select team to an official draft. “It’s hard to describe.”

Sirius made an understanding noise, but he couldn’t entirely mask his disappointment. Leo licked his lips and tried again.

“It’s like a piece of you isn’t where it’s supposed to be. And it keeps tugging on your chest, but you never know when it’s going to start and stop so you just… deal with it. You ignore it some days and you think about it other days.” He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “The hard days are when you remember you can’t go back to the way things were before. I don’t even call my mom sometimes, ‘cause I know it’ll make me sadder.”

“The way things were before?”

“Yeah, like—like all my classmates are in college, and I’m laying on a roof with one of the most famous hockey players in the history of forever.” That drew a light laugh from them both. “I’m gonna go back to my reunion in a couple years and have literally nothing in common with the people I used to be friends with.”

“Sometimes I wish I went to college,” Sirius said. “But I would have missed so much if I did. I don’t think I would have been happy there.”

“Finn and Logan get weird about college.” Maybe he shouldn’t be talking about it, but Leo had the feeling none of their conversation would leave the rooftop. “It was hard for them, with all their shit.”

“Re does, too.” He recognized the sad edge in Sirius’ voice; it was the same as his own. “For a different reason. It started good, and ended bad.”

“I’m glad I missed out on that,” Leo said, biting down the urge to scream at the universe for putting their significant others through so much hardship at an already-difficult time. None of them deserved the pain they went through. “Besides, it’s not like we need degrees to play hockey, and we’ll have plenty of money afterward.”

“I never thought about my life after hockey until my ankle.”

“My parents always pushed me to make sure I wanted to do the NHL instead of more school.”

“You’re lucky to have them.”

“I wish you did.”

The words hung suspended between them before Leo could swallow them back down, somehow dangerous and calming at the same time. It wasn’t like he had never thought about it before; he just hadn’t said it out loud. The first time he had seen Sirius’ parents across the rink had given him a case of the heebie-jeebies so strong he had to shower twice. All the times after that just made him angry.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Sirius’ voice was quiet, but not upset. “You’re not the first person to say it. I’m glad you feel like you can be honest with me.”

Leo frowned. “Well, yeah. Obviously.”

“I try really hard to not be an asshole captain, so it actually does mean a lot.”

“I don’t think you could be an asshole if you tried.”

The barking laugh that split the night startled Leo so bad he nearly jumped out of his skin; Sirius clapped a hand over his mouth, though he was still snickering. “Sorry, sorry, I just—holy shit, I forgot you didn’t know me before. Mon dieu.”

“You weren’t that bad,” Leo protested. “Pots said you used to be grumpier, but that’s it.”

Sirius shook his head, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “I was such a dick. There’s not a single picture of the whole team where I’m smiling for about two years and I was such a stickler for the rules.”

Leo gaped at him. “You followed rules?”

“To the fucking letter. It was awful.”

“What happened?”

Sirius shrugged. “I got friends. Idiot friends who did things like showing me the easiest way onto the roof. Pots used to drag me up here every Friday.”

“Really?”

“Ouais.” Mischief flitted over his face. “He skipped date night with Lily once on accident, and she tracked us up here like a bloodhound. It was terrifying.”

“What did you do?” Lily was one of the nicest people Leo knew, but he knew better than to get on her bad side.

“Lied to her face while James hid behind that strobe light.”

“Did it work?”

“Are you kidding?” he snorted. “She called me a liar and suggested getting a better best friend. That was after she told James he’s better have something nice planned for their next date if he ever wanted to get in her pants again.”

“And yet you didn’t listen to her.” Leo tsked. “Of all the people on the team, you chose the hot mess.”

“Trust me, rookie, James had his whole life figured out compared to me.”

“Did you…” Leo trailed off and but his lip. He had pushed his luck a lot already; who knew if one more question would be the tipping point? “Did you ever think about coming out? Even just to Pots.”

Sirius didn’t hesitate. “After every single game.”

“For seven years?”

“Up until the day those pictures were leaked. Even more after Re and I were together.”

“How old were you when you knew?”

“13. You?”

Leo exhaled slowly. “I’m not sure. I think I had an idea of it as a kid, but didn’t really get it until I was in high school. My parents were even more worried about the NHL after I told them.”

“They worry a lot about you.”

“Only child, and I was going for a wildly unstable career path with no guarantee that I would ever see the ice.”

“They’re proud of you. More than you know.” Sirius’ watch beeped. “It’s ten o’clock. Are you supposed to be home?”

“I should probably make sure my boys haven’t burned down the apartment.” Neither of them made an attempt to move. “Can we do this again sometime?”

“Of course.”

You’re like a brother to me, he wanted to say. I don’t know who else I can talk to like this. “Thank you.”

“Any time. We don’t have to do extra practice beforehand, either.”

Leo nudged him gently. “You’re the best captain ever.”

“You’re the best rookie, rookie.”

“I’m not a rookie.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Yeah, I am, he thought as they laid side-by-side in silence once more with the past behind them and the future ahead. And if I end up like you, it means I did something right.

#leo knut #sirius black #coops #oknutzy #finn ohara #logan tremblay #sweater weather #lumosinlove #my fic #fanfic #friendship #cap and rookie

[admiral-alby]

bob fic recs galore

here’s the fruits of my labour. a working fic rec master-post containing multiple bob ships and many, many amazing fics. the writers in this fandom are absolutely incredible and their talent astounds me every time I read a new fic. all the kudos to y’all. keep on keeping on!

this is a long post. recs and some general notes are under the cut :)

(04/13/21) I’ll do my best to keep this list updated... or I’ll make a part 2 depending on length. if anyone has any recs that are not already listed in this post, please please message me! this is no way an exhaustive list and I’m sure I missed some fantastic fics out there - to get started I mostly just plucked from my bookmarks. I’d be happy to add on new fics for ANY pairing, rare-pairs included. I don’t really have much for rare-pairs in this rec because I haven’t read much yet but that will change soon when I have some more time on my hands to get into them  :)

if you are an author on this list and you would like your work removed from it, please just message me. no explanation necessary I will take it off asap.

I’ll make the disclaimer that while I tried to include some general information about each fic, I did not include tags/warnings. so if you choose a fic, read the tags and proceed at your own discretion.

 @capsparkyspeirs   you’re a lovely human being and this is probably not what you were imagining when I said I’d be happy to rec some fics for you. I admit it got a little out of hand but there’s so many great fics out there I couldn’t stand to choose just a couple to send your way... so you get them all! you inspired me to do this, so this is for you and anyone else who wants to read some great fics but doesn’t know where to start <3

WINNIX (RICHARD WINTERS/LEWIS NIXON)

Long Ago and Far Away (Canon Winnix) by churchkey (Series) Rated T-E / Canon Era / 18013 Words (Total) / 4 Parts / Not Complete

Summary: “A few scenes exploring how Dick and Lew became the timeless cosmic lovers they were born to be.“

*Each part can be read as a stand-alone!

It Happened One Night by raquelelpillo Rated M / Groundhog Day AU / 7704 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Nixon gets the chance to do the day before the big jump over and over and over (or, Every Fandom Needs Groundhog's Day Fic).”

Finding Our Way in the Dark by rilla Rated E / Canon Era / Soulmate AU / 8477 Words / Complete

Summary: “After Dick and Lew share their first kiss in Austria, they open their eyes to find a golden thread binding their wrists together.“

Mutual by miss_grey Rated G / Canon Era / 2105 Words / Complete

Summary: “Dick couldn’t help wondering to himself when exactly Nix had decided that Dick’s personal space had become their mutual space.“

Let Me Be Close by armyofbees  Rated G / Canon Era (Post-War) / 8679 Words / Complete

Summary: “Five things Nix loves about Dick, and one thing Dick loves about Nix.Or,The thing about Nix, Dick is beginning to learn, is that he doesn’t love in halves. Nix loves with everything in him, and sometimes that means moving to the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania for Dick. Sometimes it means making spaghetti with him because Dick came to New Jersey and planted tomatoes, of all things. Sometimes it means telling without saying.”

Let’s Start the New Year Right by slightlytookish Rated G / Canon Era (Post-War) / 10523 Words / Complete

Summary: “Nix had always been able to pick Dick out of a crowd, even when he was lying on his belly in the dirt two hundred yards away, squinting through binoculars at an entire company of men wearing identical uniforms. It was easier to spot him in the crush of people inside Penn Station, even out of the familiar uniform: the same tall figure, the same bright hair, the same way he always seemed to find Nix just as easily and turn towards him, like an arrow on a compass.”

Lancaster County by raquelelpillo Rated T / AU / 31500 Words / 17 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “Nix is born later. Dick is there. (AU). Set in the summer of 1942 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.”

**It is part of a series with the other works being small ‘extras’ set through the story. This is the main work. It ends a bit ambiguously.

SPEIRTON (RONALD SPEIRS/CARWOOD LIPTON)

The Desolate House by Howling_Harpy Rated E / Canon Era (Post-War) / 26672 Words / Complete

Summary: “It's been fifteen years since Carwood has last seen or spoken to Speirs when they reunite suddenly at an Easy Company reunion and have both recently relocated back to the US. Carwood has promised to his mother to finish packing and cleaning the family's boarding house that's about to be put up for sale, and on a whim invites Speirs to help him. He didn't expect him to actually show up.”

and you on my mind by seabright Rated E / Canon Era (Post-War) / 11081 Words / Complete

Summary: “’You say that you don’t want any of Easy to know that you’re in Boston but you give me your address.’  Following a relationship through the end of the war and beyond.”

Of Soldiers and Secrets by nanuk_dain Rated E / Canon Era / 62988 Words / 26 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “A series of moments in the life of the Easy men, from Foy until after the war, focussing on the development of the relationship of Carwood Lipton and Ronald Speirs.”

Erasure by Howling_Harpy Rated M / Canon Era (Post-War) / 15255 Words / Complete

Summary: “Carwood takes time off from work to visit his mother to get away from his lonely life in Boston. Ron is deployed to Korea and has been for a long while, and after spending a year alone and even longer lying to everyone, Carwood is not sure he wants to live like this anymore.”

Fluences by masongirl (Series) Rated T-M / Canon Era / Soulmates AU / 12818 Words (Total) / 5 Works / Complete

Summary: “ Soulmate AU in which soulmates can sense each other's emotions if they are close enough.”

**Mainly Speirton centric. Part 2 is Winnix & Part 3 is Shifty/Tab.

A Thousand Kisses by Arwen88 Rated T / Canon Era / 1993 Words / Complete

Summary: “ A late night in Hardigny brings Carwood to the room where Ron is dealing with paperwork, but even with a comfortable bed, he can’t find his peace. Late night chats have Ron showing a side of himself that Carwood had not expected.”

stop the world by languageofthebirds Rated T / Canon Era / 3001 Words / Complete

Summary: “The way his hair fell in mussed waves over his forehead made Carwood want to reach out and run his fingers through it. He was sin personified, in that moment.”

**Did I throw in a shameless self promo? Sure did.

WEBGOTT (JOSEPH LIEBGOTT/DAVID WEBSTER)

rivers always reach the sea by bitchbutter (Series) Rated E / Canon Era / 40790 Words (Total) / 2 Works / Not Complete / Last Updated March 17, 2021

Part 1 Summary: “Joe breaks things off with Web in Austria. Of course, nothing with them is ever that simple.“

Part 2 Summary: “The end of the war could be the end of a lot of things. If Joe could let it be.“

if i know you at all, i know you’ve gone too far by starblessed Rated T / Canon Era / 2654 Words / Complete

Summary: “How many stars d’you think there are, Web?” Joe asks after a moment.David has no damned clue. “A lot,” he answers confidently. “Millions.”“Millions,” echoes Joe. The glittering stars are reflected in his eyes, like black pits sending each beam of light back outward. It’s almost hypnotizing, the way they flicker. If he stares too long, David knows he will get lost in them...  and that doesn't seem like the worst way to go.”

Teller of Tales; Song of Songs by thedastardly Rated E / Canon Era (Post War) / 8352 Words / Complete

Summary: “He hopes that he dreams about the mountaintop tonight. He isn’t in the mood to dream of the water, the shore, the everything after, again.”

the only noise beating out is ours by lakehymn Rated M / Canon Era (Post-War) / 3470 Words / Complete

Summary: “Over the next couple weeks, Webster realizes that Liebgott has effortlessly invaded every corner of his life. Even on the days when he barely sees Liebgott at all, he can always find comic books or packs of cigarettes lying around somewhere. It’s almost disconcerting how ordinary it’s beginning to feel to stumble upon someone else’s belongings in his own house.”

push and pull by LT_Aldo_Raine

Rated T / Modern AU / 4115 Words / Complete

Summary: ““got hands like an ocean, push you out, pull you back in” And David Webster never could resist the ocean. OR: Webster snorted, a sardonic sound that echoed across the hotel room. “You don’t know the first thing about what I need.””

hang in there, baby by rilla Rated M / Modern AU / 3116 Words / Complete

Summary: “Written for the Kisstober prompt 'upside down Spiderman kisses'. '“I don’t know what I was expecting when I asked you what your top fantasy is,” Web says, “but it wasn’t this."'”

In His Wildest Dreams by Impala_Chick Rated E / Canon Era / Dream Sharing AU / 3891 Words / Complete

Summary: “While David is in the hospital, he starts sharing dreams with Liebgott.“

Black Ink on Some Blue Lines by thelastfig Rated E / Canon Era & Post War / 10185 Words / Complete

Summary: “It’s been sixteen years since the letter was written, but it never found its way to the one it was intended for. The thing about secrets is they eat away at you, not all at once but slowly over the years, and you begin to wonder, to play out the what if scenarios in your mind. Instead, David buried it away and pretended like it never existed. He should have killed it, he thinks to himself, not buried it while it still had breath in its lungs. In which David remembers his evolving relationship with Joe over the course of the war and decides to deliver a letter.”

LUZTOYE (GEORGE LUZ/JOSEPH TOYE)

The best laid plans by masongirl (Series) Rated G-E / Modern AU / 52652 Words (Total) / 15 Parts / Complete

Summary: “Modern AU in which Joe and George find each other as college students and build a life together.“

each and every day (of the year) by bruce_the_shark Rated M / Modern AU / 21630 Words / 2 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “Joe grins, lifts his hand from George’s hip to grip him by the chin, twists his face around to catch his lips in a bruising kiss. George relishes in it, likes how the taste of Joe’s preferred brand of liquor mixes with the taste of his own on his tongue. He grins against Joe’s lips, knows it’s going to be a good year.”

Babysitting and Other Rationales by aces_low Rated T / Modern AU / 3267 Words / Complete

Summary: “George Luz is a god damn saint, or at least some kind of kid whisperer. And Joe's just trying to keep his head on straight.”

who let the dogs in? by starblessed Rated T / Modern AU / 1869 Words / Complete

Summary: ““And he heard me shouting and I guess it inspired him or something, cause he full-on charged at me, Joe, and before I could even slam the door, he was just —“ George cuts off with an incoherent noise, gesturing grandly to their front door. “In! And then he was running, and sniffing everything, and exploring our shit, and he peed —““Not on my damn couch,” Joe growls.“No, on the nice carpet. Marking his territory, y’know? Except it’s our territory, but I guess it’s his now, because he won’t freakin’ leave.”

BABEROE (EDWARD HEFFRON/EUGENE ROE)

Call me sweetheart, please? by mariamegale (Series) Rated G-E / Modern AU / 95865 Words (Total) / 12 Works / Complete

Summary: “A not-relationship in the making.”

**Each part could be read as a standalone I suppose... But it’s so worth it to read the whole series!

between the walls by CountlessStars Rated M / Canon Era (Post-War) / 2275 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Eugene decides to paint his living room. It should be easy, it really should, but it doesn't go as planned (in more ways than one).”

Walking Wounded by papersky_pencilstars Rated G / Canon Era / Magic AU / 3501 Words / Complete

Summary: “Prompt: Canon-era; Either Gene or Babe have magic, or both. Maybe magic is known or maybe they need to hide it.”

JOHNNY MARTIN/BULL RANDLEMAN

they don’t know about the up all nights (they don’t know I’ve waited all my life) by PotofCoffee Rated T / Canon Era / 22010 Words / 3 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “ Johnny and Bull throughout the war, in a slow meandering dance you might just call love.”

All My Love to Give by Muccamukk Rated E / Canon Era / 8852 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Johnny wants to screw around to pass the time. Bull wants to show Johnny how he feels without having to risk saying it”

The Red String by Arwen88 Rated M / Canon Era / Soulmates AU / 1834 Words / Complete

Summary: “He had to wrench his gaze away from the sickening sight, from the machine that was probably moments away from killing his soulmate. He would’ve thrown himself under that tank if that meant saving his lover, but he couldn’t do it. He had to take care of his men, and so he forced himself to stop looking, to order his men to retreat, to see that they did what he was screaming at them.“

Over Where You Began Muccamukk Rated E / Canon Era / 2949 Words / Complete

Summary: “ The way Bull saw it, Johnny was mad at him now, and Bull had no idea what he'd done wrong. Maybe it was better to just let it lie, let Johnny come out of whatever angry mood he was in on his own, instead of kicking an ant's nest.”

Simple as a Glass of Chocolate by ThrillingDetectiveTales Rated E / Canon Era / 2600 Words / Complete

Summary: ““It was supposed to be syrup,” Johnny muttered darkly. “Says right there on the can!”“Reckon it started out that way,” Bull shrugged, biting his lip against a smile when Johnny narrowed a glare over his shoulder.(In which Johnny and Bull try to sweeten up their sex life and it doesn't go exactly as planned.)”

CHUCK GRANT/RONALD SPEIRS

to Babel, in ruins by captainkilly Rated T / Canon Era (Post-War) / 5114 Words / Complete

Summary: “Chuck knows recovery isn't a linear event. Knows there are times when words will leave him and the night will place him back beneath the dirt. Knows there are things he just can't speak about.Captain Speirs hears him anyway.”

pulse by captainkilly Rated T / Canon Era  / 4706 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Ron Speirs knows how to kill. Knows how to hurt, how to twist, how to maim. He doesn't think he's figured out how to love, not really, not where it counts the most, but the touches he reserves for Chuck Grant beg to differ.. “

AUTHORS

there are so many authors on this list that have written tons of amazing works for one or multiple pairings. as much as I would have loved to, I couldn’t rec all of their works... I had a hard enough time keeping it down to 3 or less works from the same author! similar to fics, I’ve only linked authors that I am familiar with/know have written multiple fics, so feel free to send me more people to add to the list :)

churchkey - is a sweetheart. has multiple amazing winnix works. she has recently gotten into super rarepair toye/malarkey. godspeed I’ll see you there when I read those fics.

ThrillingDetectiveTales - writes for multiple pairings. all of their works are fantastic! every time I see their name as the author I go !! and know it’s going to be good.

Howling_Harpy - has written so many fics. many different pairings. lots of speirton. they’ve ripped my heart out and made me cry but then gently kissed my forehead and put my heart back. I think that’s praise of the highest order.

masongirl - another fantastic author who has written so many amazing fics. tons of speirton and other ships too. also has made me cry and then quietly wiped my tears away.

mariamegale - baberoe queen. that’s all I have to say. I was tempted to just rec all her baberoe fics. check them out!

Muccamukk - another multi ship, multi works writer. i had a hard time only choosing a few of their fics to rec. they’ve got so much to offer!

Impala_Chick - writes lots of great webgott and other pairings too!

captainkilly - if i could rec all her fics I would. there’s some rarepair pieces that are fantastic. I didn’t list it here because it’s more of a character centric piece with an OFC and a little bit of ron/chuck dashed in mostly at the end, but read her form & void series. seriously. read it. I have nothing else to say because her work speaks for itself.

Arwen88 - another writer for multiple pairings with multiple works! love to see it. some great rarepair stuff and also fantastic popular pairings.

LT_Aldo_Raine - love their work! they write for multiple pairings.

#band of brothers #bob #fic rec #winnix #speirton #webgott #baberoe #luztoye #richard winters x lewis nixon #carwood lipton x ronald speirs #joseph liebgott x david webster #eugene roe x babe heffron #george luz x joe toye #charles grant x ronald speirs #bob fic rec #i did it #i only cried twice in the making of this post #or rather remaking x2 #thanks to tungle.com #but i persevered #j posts #long post #i'm so happy #when I work on this instead of my assignments #shhhh #I sure hope all the links work properly #😅😅

[thewitcheress2389]

Prompt List

Prompt List Part 2

Prompt List Part 3

Felt like trying to redeem my main blog, so here’s I prompt list I use for my other blogs💖 to get my ducks in a row, I will write for The Witcher 3′s Eskel, Lambert, Geralt, and Dandelion. Also, for the Netflix Witcher series Geralt and Jaskier.

#1 “Good morning to you too.”

#2 “You are quite interesting.”

#3 “Could this even work between us…?”

#4 “I am so in love with you.”

#5 “I want to take care of you!”

#6 “Please, marry me.”

#7 “I won’t let anything hurt you.”

#8 “Why are you crying?”

#9 “Here…come closer.”

#10 “You should smile more often.”

#11 “You deserve so much more than what I can provide you.”

#12 “You aren’t alone. I’m always here with you.”

#13 “Let’s make our own story.”

#14 “You are my family.”

#15 “Please don’t be scared. I’ve got you.”

#16 “Do you understand how beautiful you are.”

#17 “It looks good on you.”

#18 “I could teach you.”

#19 “I love the feeling of falling asleep beside you.”

#20 “You made me food?”

#21 “You saved me.”

#22 “Dance with me.”

#23 “Can I get a kiss?”

#24 “Can you stop being so adorable, I’m trying to be angry!”

#25 “Is it that hard to believe that I love you?”

#26 “Pregnant? Are you sure?”

#27 “I want a baby.”

#28 “Thank you for giving me a family.”

#29 “Nine months pregnant and still looking lovely.”

#30 “Is this a date?”

#31 “I’m not jealous.”

#32 “Are you able to forgive me?”

#33 “ I wanted to surprise you.”

#34 “You are the best thing to ever happen to me.”

#35 “Quite embarrassing me!”

#36 “Can I braid your hair? I practiced just for you.”

#37 “I love the feeling of your hands in my hair.”

#38 “Are you hurt?”

#39 “I’m going to make sure you get better.”

#40 “Show them that your mine.”

#41 “You are glowing brighter than the stars.”

#42 “Just take my hand.”

#43 “I’ll protect you, so don’t be afraid.”

#44 “I made this for you.”

#45 “I think I’m in love with you.”

#46 “I don’t know how to describe this feeling.”

#47 “I can’t lose you.”

#48 “Don’t worry, I’m all yours.”

#49 “That was kind of cute.”

#50 “Cuddles?”

#51 “Kiss me goodnight.”

#52 “The nightmares can’t get you when I’m here.”

#53 “Can’t we just stay in bed for a while longer.”

#54 “I’ve missed you so much.”

#55 “You said you didn’t have feelings for me?”

#56 “Why are you avoiding me?”

#57 “Please be careful.”

#58 “You’re the strongest person I know.”

#59 “You need to take a break.”

#60 “I made dinner for us.”

#61 “Revenge will only end up killing you. And I can’t let that happen.”

#62 “How come you always end up under my blanket?”

#63 “You getting flustered is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”

#64 “Is it fair to say that you read the love letter and that this means ‘yes’?”

#65 “I want to ruin our friendship”

#66 “Did you just kiss me?”

#67 “One last thing before I go, you really didn’t notice all those signs I gave to you?”

#68 “You’ve always been more than a friend to me, I just didn’t had the courage to admit it, and now I’ve lost you.”

#69 “Every time I look at you I feel my heart breaking, because I need you, desperately, and you never notice.”

#70 “Don’t cry, you don’t need to hide your feelings, I feel the same.”

#71 “I’ve been waiting forever to hear that.”

#72 “Did you just… wait, you love me?”

#73 “Are you really blind enough to not see the sparkles in his eyes when he’s staring at you?”

#74 “If you tell anybody that we hugged and held hands, I’ll kill you.”

#75 “Your father/mother will kill me.”

#76 “I could never have a life with them. It wouldn’t be fair.”

#77 “I would like my good morning kiss now.”

#78 “I’m sorry, I really am, I love you, but this could never happen.”

#79 "Come here, I’ll carry you.“

#80 “I wanted to say that without stuttering but that failed.”

#81 “Wait. You’ve seriously never kissed anyone before?”

#82 “I think I’m in love with you and it terrifies me.”

#83 "I don’t want you to die for me, I want you to live for me.”

#84  “Go back to sleep.”

#85 “We could…take a nap together?”

#86 “Never thought I’d say this…but I’m pregnant.”

#87 “Get back in bed, you’re sick.”

#88 “Guess who’s going to be a father?”

#89 “Your pregnant, that’s all. You’re beautiful.”

#90 “You’d be a great dad/mom.”

#91 “They lied about morning sickness–it’s all the time.”

#92 “I’ll get him/her, you go back to sleep.”

#93 “Being a parent is hard.”

#94 “He/she is walking!”

#95 “It’s your kid, too!”

#96 “I want to have your child.”

#97 “Here, take my blanket.”

#98  “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. Just breathe.”

#99 “It kills me to think about you having a life with someone else.”

#100 “You wouldn’t understand how shy you make me.”

#the witcher #the witcher imagine #the witcher x reader #prompt list

[timelyowl0]

Brittana/Faberry Fic Recs

Hi! Here’s a list I compiled of some of my all time favorite Brittana and Faberry fics! I was originally going to separate the list by Faberry and Brittana, but many of the stories have both, so instead you can just read the pairings listed for each. They are sorted by multi-chapter complete, multi-chapter incomplete/in progress, and one-shots. Each title is a link you can click on to take you to the fic. All credit goes to their respective authors :)

Also, here’s a quick rating guide in case you needed to know:

GA/PG - General Audience

T - Teen

M - Mature

E - Explicit

NR - Not rated

That’s all, I hope you enjoy!

Multi-chapter (complete):

Between The Lines (T) - 19 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana and Rachel/Quinn - Rachel invites Brittany and Santana to a sleepover. Brittany/Santana with a healthy side of Rachel/Quinn

The Only True Paradises (M) - 20 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - The tortuous evolution of Santana's feelings toward Brittany. See also "Pas de Deux," a companion piece from Brittany's point of view.

Pas de Deux (M) - 20 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Companion piece to "The Only True Paradises." The evolution of Santana and Brittany's relationship from Brittany's perspective.

Faithfully (T) - 5 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - "That moment when Santana had sworn, even though she and Brittany were standing at opposite ends of the raised platform…that she could still feel Brittany's energy zinging toward her, like they were connected on the same current." Brittana, Seasons 1 through 5, as told in five increments.

My Girlfriend's Sister's Keeper (T) - 13 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Brittany isn't the only Pierce that has Santana wrapped around her finger. Santana's life with her two favorite people.

Mariposa (M) - 5 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Like a butterfly, Santana's journey out of the closet occurs in stages. From the first time she heard the word gay to the first time she flew free from her chrysalis, she can remember everything.

time passes, in love and in seasons (T) - 4 Part Series - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Brittana, from the end of junior year and throughout senior year, told through the seasons. Mostly follows Season 3 canon.

Brittana Shorts (GA) - 8 Part Series - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - A collection of Brittana-centric short stories

it’s nice to have a friend (T) - 8 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - They're six when they first meet. It's the first day of school in a crowded classroom and Santana finds herself drawn to the new blonde girl. OR The story of how Brittany and Santana meet and all the significant moments in their lives following the first time they see one another. - sequel

A Matter of Miserable Time (T) - 10 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - "His voice was deep, quiet, and sure, so calm compared to the last words they had exchanged. Her voice was only a faint whisper as she questioned the man she hadn't spoken to in three years.'Papi.'"

Influence (M) - 26 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Brittany is perpetually cast as the dumb blonde, but the reasons behind her demeanor are more complex than that. She looks back on her childhood, her relationship with Santana, and the life-altering effects the decisions of her youth had on her future.

It’s Not Like I Wanted This to Happen (T)- 101 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana and Rachel/Quinn - Quinn takes a very drunk Rachel home from a party...encounters the Berrys…and herself. This story contains a huge amount of Brittana and a lot of Puck.

Rough Beginnings (M) - 44 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Quinn decides she needs to end this obsession once and for all, but life doesn't always work out the way we want it to. Sometimes it's so much better. Faberry.

Never Asked to Feel Your Halo (T) - 45 Chapters (1/2 in series) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - The thing was, neither of them wanted this-whatever it was, but since when did the Universe care about what Rachel or Quinn wanted? Their cards had been dealt the moment they'd entered that shower together. Now it came down to how well they played them.

Standing on the Edge Dancing in the Flames (M) - 34 Chapters (2/2 in series) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Life isn't all singing and dancing, not even in Glee club. And what if being on top of the pyramid just gives you further to fall. When everyone feels like a frienemy and fathers and faculty and babies and boyfriends complicate EVERYTHING, how are you ever supposed to get anything right? (Book Two of the 'No Halo' series)

The South Side of Anywhere (M) - 47 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Sometimes you fall in love with your eyes closed, and when you open them, the person is someone you never thought it could be. It started with letters, and turned into Faberry.

Somewhere in Between (M) - 77 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Imagine if Faberry happened instead of Finchel. This is a re-telling of every episode as if Faberry were cannon. Each chapter will chronicle each episode starting at the very beginning. Some things will change and some will remain the same. Longer description in first chapter. Also side Brittana. As well as Quinntana friendship, and Puckleberry bromance.

Didn’t See it Coming (M) - 63 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana? - AU HS. After a devastating breakup, Quinn turns to Rachel in need of a friend, and ends up with so much more. - "If, one day, someone asks me how it all started; I'll have to say it was a granola bar that finally did me in." Faberry.

Bet You Didn’t Know That (T) - 19 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Faberry. What she doesn't know, she doesn't need to find out.

Take Me As I Am Seasons 1 & 2 (T) - 48 chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana and Kurt/Blaine - The incredibly true adventures of Quinn and Rachel, starting from Sectionals Season 1. It's just like watching the show, if Faberry were the central couple and everything revolved around them! Brittana & Klaine co-star in supporting roles.

Take Me As I Am Season 3 (T) - 26 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana and Kurt/Blaine - The continued adventures of Quinn & Rachel as the starring couple of Glee. Some integration of canon events, but mostly this is the story of Faberry and their world! Klaine & Brittana co-star in supporting roles

Blink and You’ll Miss It (M) - 31 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry discover they like each other. Against all odds, will they be able to get together before they tear each other apart?

You’re All I Need (M) - 17 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - A Faberry romance story, set when they are both single but I haven't specified when as I'm not even sure myself but most of the events are from series 3. Points of view will change every few chapters. And that's probably the worst description you've ever read but yeah I can't be bothered to change it.

quarantining or how quinn might lose it, once for all. (T) - 8 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - It starts like the worst horror movie ever but instead of being trapped in the basement of a creepy 50-something year old, Quinn finds herself being trapped in Rachel Berry's basement.

Once More From the Top (T) - 22 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana and others - Here's what you missed on Glee: McKinley's Glee Club reformed under the direction of Will Schuester. Rachel tried to recruit the Cheerios but that ended up being a total disaster. It's cool though because she heard Finn Hudson sing in the shower and he's actually really good. She successfully recruits him and now the Glee Club has enough members to be a real thing.And that's what you missed, on Glee!

Outside Hearts (M) - 37 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Rachel Berry's world is about to be turned upside down when one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actresses, Quinn Fabray, abruptly and mysteriously leaves her fame behind, moves to Ohio and tries to have a normal life while attending McKinley High. (Faberry w/ some Brittana)

I See That Ragged Soul Take Flight (M) - 44 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana, Mike/Tina, Kurt/Blaine and Sam/Mercedes - Ensemble cast piece exploring what happens after Season 3. Rachel, Santana and Kurt are in New York together. Quinn is at Yale. Explores adulthood, friendship and long-distance relationships. Eventual Faberry. Also contains, Brittana, Klaine, Tike and Samcedes content, plotlines back at McKinley, and frequent use of Santana POV.

All The Best (T, but I would rate M for descriptive scenes of suicide, eating disorders, rape, etc.) - 80 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - After spending the entire summer away, Quinn is eager to get back to normal and make the best of her junior year. Excited to put everything behind her and start fresh, she struggles to establish a new normal. But when she's least expecting it, Quinn finds support in the most unlikely places and is forced to confront the very feelings that landed her where she is in the first place.

take these broken wings (M) - 4 Part Series - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana and Kurt/Sam - Begins in Season one and follows Quinn through her life should she have chosen to keep Beth, realize she is gay, and fall in love with Rachel Berry. The main romantic relationship will be Faberry, with a bit of Hevans and Brittana, but apart from Faberry it will be very heavy on friendship and Quinn&Beth oriented.

the state of dreaming (T) - 3 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - Rachel couldn’t help the guilt that bubbled in her chest when she watched Quinn get a prom photo alone. Determined to make it up to her, she invites Quinn over for a sleepover. It becomes a routine. Set immediately after 2x20 (Prom Queen).

Enough to Believe (T) - 2 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - Years after Shelby ups and disappears from Lima with Beth, a blonde girl shows up on Rachel and Quinn's doorstep, armed with a lot of questions, and very familiar cheekbones.

you and her loathing this cruel world (M) - 3 Chapters - Pairings: Quinn/Rachel, minor Kurt/Quinn and Kurt/Sam - "Of all the girls he had to have sex with (which really, were none), of course it was someone with a painting of Jesus above her bed, so he knows that his only hope in hell that this will go away is in a negative test result." Season 1 AU; Kurt is pretty sure he's gay, but would like to make sure. Quinn Fabray has similar questions running through her mind. They put their theories to the test, with very much unintended consequences. - sequel

I’ve Been Trying to Reach You (T) - 25 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana, Santana/Puck, Rachel/Jesse and Sam/Tina - After falling pregnant in sophomore year, Quinn Fabray plummets from the top of the teen hierarchy at McKinley High to the very bottom. In an effort to give her a chance to start over, her parents transfer her to Carmel, a private school in the area with a blossoming arts program. It's supposed to be a new beginning, but what she doesn't count on is immediately becoming enemies with the most popular girl in school: Rachel Berry, co-captain of Vocal Adrenaline.

The Lopez Manifesto (T) - 8 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - santana starts writing a rachel/quinn fanfic for everyone at McKinley. it’s also extremely popular as everyone awaits her weekly updates. (usually based on what the girls are doing that week.) quinn is the last to find out and is… pissed.

my heart’s a leather jacket I am waiting to give to someone sweet (T) - 15 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Brittany is McKinley’s resident broody rebel who doesn’t see much point to high school, and who, completely incidentally, just so happens to be kind of a math genius. Santana is Lima's golden child, the perfect and unapproachable only child of public figure Dr. Lopez. She’s also the high school’s enigma; no one actually knows anything about her aside from the fact that she’s cold, distant, terrifying, aloof, and willing to eviscerate anyone who looks at her the wrong way. Unfortunately for her, Brittany is about to get a crash course in the complete mystery that is Santana Lopez when she is asked—or, more realistically, forced—to be Santana's math tutor.

Dead Girls Don’t Sing (T) - 39 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Quinn, Kurt/Blaine and Tina/Mike - S3 AU. Brittany doesn't believe in unicorns anymore, Rachel's dreams are as dead as the world, Santana is no one's hero…and Quinn? Quinn's just trying to breathe. The world as they knew it is gone -now all they can do is survive. Zombie Apocalypse. Faberrittana Friendship. Slow Burn Faberry. Character Death. COMPLETE

Simple Parts (T) - 13 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - That awkward moment when you travel thirty years forward in time and find out you're married to your high school nemesis? Yeah, it totally sucks...except...maybe it doesn't.

The Lateness of the Hour (M) - 12 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - "Brittany has much less to lose. She always has."

half of me (T) - 4 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - a run-in (quite literally) at the bookstore, two broadway tickets, and a seven-year-old in a plaid catholic-school uniform. what has rachel gotten herself into? future AU where quinn has beth and rachel makes it on broadway.

April Fools (T) - 10 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - Santana recruits - forces - Rachel to help her prank Quinn. All she has to do is pretend that a love potion has caused her to fall madly in love with the cheerleader. Simple, right? Wrong. Faberry.

Stars & the Moon (M) - 15 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - In the midst of dealing with Beth's adoption, Quinn ends up working on a summer community theatre production with Rachel. Hilarity ensues. Just kidding.

Love Me Any Less (M) - 25 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Junior year becomes the beginning of something no one expected, and maybe the beginning of something a few can't understand how they ever lived without. Starts mild but progresses to M rating. First fic ever! Faberry.

Better Where It’s Wetter (M) - 10 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - Rachel and her dads are going on a LGBT family-friendly cruise for the summer and Rachel's told she's can bring a friend. Who else to bring but Quinn?

Like a Seal Upon Your Heart (M) - 20 Chapters - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana? - Quinn Fabray is Daddy's little girl and the perfect Christian. She CAN'T be gay. But then her friendship with Rachel Berry starts to change...

Somewhere in Brooklyn (M) - 47 Chapters - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Santana and Brittany have been trying to get pregnant for a year without any luck. What happens when a teenage foster child and positive pregnancy test land in their laps on the same day? A unique journey of motherhood ensues.

Multi-chapter (incomplete/in progress):

Everyone's Gonna Know Now (T) - 8 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - 3/4 in series - When Santana confronted Finn about outing her, his response was, "The whole school already knows." That was pretty much true. This story is about the first moment or incident in which each member of Glee - and a few others - discovered Santana's secret.

Be Okay (M) - 2 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - “Kurt doesn’t know why he does it. It’s not as if he and Santana had ever had anything resembling a friendship, but he feels drawn to her, feels connected to the anguish in her voice as she realized that her biggest secret in the world was about to be revealed.“ This is the evolution of Kurt and Santana’s friendship taking place over a series of one-shots.

looks like a girl but she's a flame, so bright she can burn your eyes, better look the other way, you can try but you'll never forget her name (M) - 5 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - santana lopez writes down the story of her life for a reunion project set for the glee club by none other than rachel berry. aka, a deep dive into santana's life told through her eyes. very santana/brittana centric.

No One Left to Blame (M, read tags) - 30 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Quinn Fabray is well-versed in keeping the truths of her family and her past firmly hidden away. But, her efforts prove to be moot when Rachel Berry, armed with her own secrets of the past, arrives at Dalton Academy and manages to turn both their worlds upside down - or, perhaps, right way up. Faberry. Trigger Warnings.

I’m not breaking, I won’t take it (M, read warnings) - 2 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and minor Quinn/Santana - Santana gets up and starts toward her, “Jesus, what happened to you?” she mumbles, but she's softer than she was moment before. It's obvious that she’s concerned. Quinn chokes down a sob and then admits, “There’s something wrong with me.”“Hey, listen. Whatever it is, you’re going to be fine." Santana is still not getting it, but she’s rubbing soothing little circles on Quinn’s shoulders. There really must be something wrong with her too, because then Quinn is lunging forward and then she’s kissing Santana. Quinn feels her freeze, but then Santana relaxes and she’s kissing her back. or, a study in quinn fabray.

no love like your love (T) - 5 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana and Blaine/Sam - Following the death of her mother, Rachel Berry assumes guardianship of her six-year-old brother, Daniel. After a cross-country move for his sister's job, the first friend Danny makes is a soccer-playing, lucky fin having, firecracker of a girl named Beth.

Song of Mine (M) - 18 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Santana Lopez, the new Music teacher at a religious private school in Indianapolis, meets Brittany Pierce, the resident Math teacher. A love story with a happy ending. Promise.

Girls Over Flowers (NR) - 14 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana - Dalton Academy—a school of prestige, refinement and the country's wealthiest students—houses the famous F3. When "commoner" transfer student, Rachel Berry directly offends F3's leader, Quinn Fabray, she becomes their target. Mayhem ensues.

we were built to fall apart (then fall back together) (T) - 8 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - Rachel and Quinn haven't seen each other for seven years and neither thought they'd see the other again. They certainly didn't see themselves starring together in a Broadway musical, as each other's love interests.

A Different Life (E) - 33 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Brittany/Santana, Finn/Rachel and Kurt/Blaine - Canon!Divergent Brittana. Santana and Brittany move to New York after high school. Everything is going perfectly until Brittany gets a phone call that changes everything. Seven years later, Santana has a daughter and she and Britt haven't seen each other...Canon until 3x16ish. No Louisville, no second senior year.

you get too close you’ll get a royalty high (so breathe it in to feel the love) (T) - 9 Chapters (Incomplete) - Pairings: Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Quinn, Sam/Mercedes, Mike/Tina, Kitty/Artie and Kurt/Blaine - "Alright," she began uneasily. "I'll do it. I'll go to the dumb school."Her parent's smiles beaming back at her were almost enough to make her think this could possibly be a good idea, but the nerves surging in her stomach said otherwise. Boarding School/Royalty Brittana AU

One-shot:

Tattoo (T) - Oneshot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - "She soaks it in for a few seconds—this night, this place, these friends, this family room floor, this girl—before she says it back." Post-3x11. Brittana.

Eden (T) - Oneshot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Brittany and Santana teach Joe about love. 4K

Riding in Cars With Girls (M) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - After Quinn quit Glee club and joined a band Rachel feels the gap Quinn has left and sets out to get her back, whatever the cost. But what happens when Quinn's only condition involves her car and Rachel's lips on hers every day at five? Punk!Quinn

and things we’re all too young to know (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Five vignettes set after the point when Brittana become girlfriends. Not too many people would guess it, but Brittany knows that loving Santana is the easiest and best thing in the world to do; Santana is just the best person to love.

My Friends Say That I’m Falling In Love (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Brittany and Santana spend the week leading up to Valentine's Day giving Mercedes grief about her date. Brittana romance, Brittanacedes friendship. Mouseverse. One-shot.

And What Would You Say If I Wrote the Whole Thing Out for You? (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Some things have changed a lot since Sam left McKinley and some things haven’t really changed at all. Set circa 3x08.

The Landslide Brought Me Down (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Our girls’ story. Sweet lady kisses, Landslide, their separation, the night of Prom Queen, Songbird, Santana’s Abuela’s rejection, the night after Santana learned about the political ad, Brittany’s senior year falling apart, the lights of New York, and other scenes.

seven (GA) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - A companion piece to 'it's nice to have a friend'. Takes place after the first scene in the second chapter - can be read separately to 'it's nice to have a friend'. Basically just childhood fluff that examines their friendship and the items they connect to their friendship.

baby you don't gotta fight (i'll be here til the end of time) (GA) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - She sees red for all of last period, a strange twinge of pain in her chest because all these people think they know Santana but they’re all wrong. or: three times Brittany tells people they've got Santana all wrong and the one time she tells Santana

The Unicorn Tapestries (NR) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - We lie on our stomachs on my pale blue sheets, a book lying open in front of us that we bend our heads over, sunlight all over the page and bringing bits of gold out in your skin..

But You Could Sing (NR) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Why am I always the one who tells bedtime stories? Because your stories are prettier, BrittBritt. But you can tell real ones. Like what?

Colors (NR) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - The sunlight in my room shines from the south. The way I know: when I lean far out my window, the sun rises on the side where I can feel my heartbeat, and sets in the direction of my writing hand.

You’re Something Else (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - 'Quinn gets the impression she and Rachel are finally on the same page about what may or may not be happening between them. All she really knows is that it's colourful.'

Raising the Bar (M) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and minor/implied Brittany/Santana - Quinn never expected that the best matchmaker would turn out to be a lumpy pullout couch.

the one with the friends reference (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, minor/implied Brittany/Santana and minor/implied Kurt/Blaine - "You can see it. Quinn standing in front of you, as close as she can get without touching you and saying, 'Are you attracted to me?'" Faberry. Post-season six.

Blame it on the Alcohol (or the gay, whatever) (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and minor/implied Brittany/Santana - “I can’t believe what you did to my body, I used to have abs!” - In which one sentence is totally incorrect and causes chaos and havoc and Faberry feelings to happen. Also known as drunk Rachel is kyoot and Finn is stoopid.

could you pass in love? (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - “'Quinn Fabray, I will divorce you, don’t think I won’t!'” In which Rachel and Quinn get married, sending them into a possibly out-of-character feelings frenzy . Season Three. Faberry.

Do You Wanna Know How This Story Plays Out? (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - It's not her fault that you feel the way you do about women, you know that, and you knew that then, too. But you've been angry at Rachel Berry for making you feel things you wanted to lock away for years, and it was far too easy to put all of the blame on her to avoid dealing with your own feelings. It wasn't and isn't fair, but it was about protecting yourself and it makes it a little easier to bear. - OR - After everything implodes with Finn, Quinn moves in with Rachel. They make out a lot without ever talking about how much more it means to both of them. Introspective Closeted!Quinn POV from second-person.

you succeed at being mine (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Kurt/Sam - Sequel to 'you and her loathing this cruel world'.

This Must Be The Place (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - Santana is eight years old when her Tio Carlos joins the Army. Or the less-cracky-than-you-might-expect Glee/The Losers crossover where Cougar is Santana's uncle. (If it tells you anything, i nearly titled this 'Ohana Means Family.')

This Modern Love (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Brittany/Santana - "How do you know when you're dating someone?"

Beth’s family tree (GA) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - "Now that being said, my family tree is composed by both my biological family and my adoptive family" Beth explains easily enough as she clicks the mouse. But then the next slide appears and the teacher gapes at all the information, names, colours and arrows in the diagram.

pictures of you, pictures of me (hung upon the wall, for the world to see) (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn and Brittany/Santana - "Quinn looked around her room again. She'd never noticed it before, but she had a lot of pictures of Rachel." or: a faberry oneshot set between seasons 1 and 2 where Quinn reflects on a series of moments with Rachel that led to where she is now

anything could happen (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - She stared down at the test in her hand. The line was faint, disappearing depending on the angle. It was possible she was just seeing things, but still. She pulled out her cell phone, tears running down her flushed cheeks. It felt like the earth could open up at any second, just swallow her whole. The line rang. Once, twice, she cursed quietly. She sucked in a breath as she heard a click signifying the call had connected."Hello? Rachel?" Her voice cracked. "Quinn. I need your help." A Faberry-centric rewrite of Rachel's season 4 pregnancy scare

Frannie’s View (T) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - When Frannie was a child she did everything she could to make her father happy. She was a daddy’s girl through and through. She was quiet and never disrespectful. She went to church every Sunday with her mother and father and prayed every night. Frannie had a lot of friends at school and was popular and well liked. She did very well in school though her participation grades were always low. Daddy told her women were supposed to be quiet and always treat their husbands with respect. She was a princess and he was the King. He ruled the house. Frannie absolutely hated the way her father treated her little sister. Frannie desperately tried to change Lucy. She thought if Lucy could be better then their father would be happier, nicer. OR A journey from Frannie's perspective of Lucy/Quinn and Quinn's sexuality and later feelings for Rachel.

According to Judy (PG) - One-shot - Pairings: Rachel/Quinn - How Judy Fabray deals with Quinn's infatuation with Rachel.

#brittana #faberry #fic rec #brittana fic #faberry fic

[melodyalanaroster]

Dear @chinomiko,

When I first started playing My Candy Love on New Year’s Day in 2013, I was simply a 17 year old girl who was starting the second half of my Senior Year in High School. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and I certainly had no idea where I’d end up. At the time, I was just looking for a new anime style site to call my internet home after the destruction of TinierMe. In my search, I stumbled upon your site. I had never played a dating simulator before, and I fell for your art style, so I decided to give the site a shot. It didn’t take me long to bond with Nathaniel... He was a kind young man, who loved to read, and had a tortured home life... Even though the torture at home was different between him and me, I still felt like I had found a character I could recognize... Hell, I did the same thing with Ken... My bond with Nathaniel was just so much deeper... 

Then I graduated High School... I had no college prospects, and no idea what I even wanted to go to college for (still entirely don’t know).... My issues at home were getting worse, my love life was far from perfect, and living in Texas can be kind of ruthless on those who aren’t following the status quo... Even with going to the United Kingdom for 5 weeks, things still didn’t get better... And of course, the death of my childhood cat, Luna, in 2014 made things worse... So, I started focusing my free time on the game.... Working like crazy to get up to date with the episodes and bonus episodes, editing pics, and even writing fanfics... It became my escape from real life.

That did not change when I met the love of my real life in 2015. Despite entering into a relationship that is still going strong, I needed an escape from the hell my abuser was putting my family and me through, from the shitty job that I had gotten (and still have as of this letter), and from the hell that a really rare disease that had kicked on in my mother’s immune system had begun to put her and my family through. No amount of talking to people in my inner circle in real life helped... And there were times where it felt like the only emotions I knew were anger, sadness, and fear... It was during this time that my main MCL OC, Melody Alana Roster, came to life as what she is today... A strong, smart, beautiful, powerful, woman who goes through some of the worst hell imaginable and ends up living a life of peace with the man she loves (Nathaniel).... When my abuser’s time in my family’s and my life was ending and she was going “all out” on me? I thought of what Alana and Nathaniel would be doing during the newest episode of the game. My job putting me through mental and physical hell (it’s a very demanding job)? I daydreamed about Nathaniel and Alana. My mother’s disease progressing and making my mother put my grandmother and me through hell? I would go in my room and write a section of my story or edit a pic when I could. Hell, My Candy Love became so prominent in my life as an escape that when my abuser’s daughter came back at me (this time with my boyfriend’s ex friend), one of the things she’d say to me was “All you do is sit in your room and write fanfiction.”... I needed something and My Candy Love and it’s fandom was something I enjoyed that kept me in my room (where I felt safe)... To this day, my boyfriend understands why I’ve put so much time and effort into it... Why I’ve spent so much money on it (AP, Gold, commissioned pics, and items)... It was a light in what felt like a sea of darkness in my life...

Now, I’m going to clarify something here... What is written in the last paragraph took place over the course of 5 years... Of course, when I get to the point of 2020, its easy to guess some of the reasons why I continued to focus on My Candy Love... However, I have an added reason.... Not only did the pandemic bitch slap Texas mid March, but about a week before that happened, on March 10th, my mother succumbed to the secondary infection brought on by her disease... And I had to grieve... Of course, when the pandemic hit about week later, I was told by society that I didn’t have time to grieve... As I am a grocery store worker... Which, I still tried to use My Candy Love as a means of escape... It felt like life was going “Yeah, you’re free from your mom’s disease, now here’s one that YOU could bring home to your grandparents and kill them with simply by going to work!”... Because, I’m sure even you know how poorly America has handled the pandemic... And Texas is one of the worst states when it comes to that...

I’m not saying this to make you feel sorry for me... Not in the slightest... I’ve leaned on my family, friends, and boyfriend for everything, so it’s not JUST My Candy Love that got me through all of this... I’m telling you this because My Candy Love and what I’ve done for it has helped me with it all immensely. I thought I had lost my passion for writing while I was still in school, even though my favorite teacher was encouraging me to continue... And here I am still writing my MCL fanfiction... Not only am I still writing my fanfic, I’m getting it turned into 1 copy of an actual book for my shelf when I’m done... When I took photography in High School and wasn’t good at photoshop, I thought it would never be a skill I’d use... And, yet, over the course of my time with MCL, my photo editing skills have improved DRASTICALLY... Sure, I can’t really edit real life photos... But I can make stuff for MCL avatars and such...

I mean, if someone had told me 8 years ago that I’d be so invested in this game that I’d have a body pillow of my favorite love interest, a folder of commissioned art, a blog with over 1,300 followers, an Instagram with nearly 300 followers, a custom plushie of my favorite love interest, a Discord Server with around 200 people in it... That I’d be the Vice President/Club Photographer of the US version of a fan club... That I’d make friends throughout the world in the fandom... That my editing skills would become as good as they are now... That I’d be working on the biggest writing project I’ve EVER worked on... And that I’d cry at the last episode the same way I cried during the Season 8 finale of Scrubs, the series finale of iCarly, Matt Smith’s regeneration in Doctor Who and the ending of Deathly Hallows Part 2... I would have told them that they’re crazy....

Yet... Here I am... I’m turning 26 years old in July... And all of that has happened... In real life, I’m still dealing with the pandemic, I’ve celebrated my 5 year anniversary with my boyfriend, and I’m even preparing to move in with him... Yet, online, I’m still VERY invested in your game. I’m still a long way from finishing my OC’s story... I still want to edit pics for Nathaniel and Alana... And I’m going to be contemplating playing the new game for a while... I’ll still play events... As long as Nathaniel is around, I’ll be there to greet him with a smile... But I don’t know about your new project...

All that being said.... There’s one MAJOR thing I’d like to say to you, Chino....

THANK YOU!

Thank you for everything! For all your hard work in this story... It’s far from perfect, but I still enjoyed the majority of it... For creating Nathaniel, the holder of my 2D heart.... Seriously, thank you for creating him... I have anime crushes, but I don’t love them as deeply as I love Nath.... Thank you for your art! Its amazing! You’re in my top 3 favorite digital artists... The others being Drachea Rannak and Marco Albiero... Thank you for all the work you continue to put into the game that a lot of us have, kind of, grown up with.... I wasn’t really a kid when I started playing, but I do consider myself to have “grown up” with it... Thank you for all of the other love interests... For Castiel, Kentin, Armin, Lysander, Priya, Rayan and Hyun... They’re not the ones I love most, but they’re all interesting characters... Thank you for Candy... While she and Alana greatly differ from each other, Candy was the heroine in a story that gave birth to Alana... Candy is far from perfect, but I’m glad her story ended well.... Thank you for creating the game that brought this fandom into existence... While the fandom can be VERY toxic at times, there are a lot of amazing people in it... They have become some of my dearest friends...

While the entire My Candy Love team at Beemoov deserves my gratitude... I feel like you are the most deserving of it... Because, without you, My Candy Love would not exist.

I look forward to seeing My Candy Love’s future... Either from the sidelines, or from the middle of it... I will see it’s future...

Thank you ChiNoMiko.

All my love and respect,

Melody Alana Roster

#my candy love #my candy love university life #my candy love love life #mcl #mclul #my candy love high school life #mclll #ChiNoMiko #amor doce #amour sucre #sweet amoris #Sweet kiss #sweet love #Sweet flirt #sweet crush #Corazon de Melon #corazon de bombon #cdm #cdmu #slodki flirt #dolce flirt #chinomiko appreciation week #thank you for everything Chino #beemoov #beemoov games #i cried while writing this

[marindram]

Transcript of Ximena's journal from Omega Mart

welcome to ximena's journal

July 3, 2014-By-Fork

I'm trying to remember the farm. It's been 6 years since my parents sold it, and for the first time, I miss it. I was excited when they sold it but I was only 6. I thought it meant we were moving to First Earth.

There was the main house. When you came in through the front door, there was a staircase that went upstairs. The kitchen was to the left. The living room was to the right, down the hallway. My mom called it a "shotgun house," like if you were standing in the front door you could shoot a shotgun out the backdoor, because it was the end of the hallway. It was an old house.

Up the stairs was where our rooms were. My parents had the actual bedroom. My room used to be some kind of storage room, the ceiling was shaped like a triangle and I had to duck down to get to the edges of the room. The floors were wood and scuffed. The curtains were old and moth-eaten. I loved my room.

There was a shed out back I never went in because I was scared of spiders. There was a barn, but we only had chickens and a couple dogs. My mom says they had goats before I was born.

There was a little stream out beyond the pastures, and that was my favorite place in the world. The water was clear and cold, and there were crawdads in the shadows.

I've never had a journal before. I never really felt like I needed one. I still think diaries are stupid, which is why I've made my own. At least here in Seven Monolith Village the internet is better.

Anyway, the farm is all gone. There's a factory there now. My mom says the money we got from the sale will send me to college. In First Earth!

But I miss the farm.

Logging off.

November 14, 2016-By-Fork

Well I built this journal, I guess I should use it.

My parents are designing another damn house. We've barely moved into this one. My mom says Seven Monolith Village is a "shit hole" so now we're moving to another Forked Earth town. I keep asking her why we can't just move to Forked Earth, but she says something about contracts and Dramcorp and I just don't care.

My HTML has gotten so much better! I feel like it's the only thing I'm really good at, and we're not even taught it in "school" aka Rose or whoever else has time to teach us this week. I need to learn CSS next, but I'm intimidated by it, it seems complicated. But I know it will make this journal look better... and someday I might be able to get a job doing it in First Earth.

I keep walking in on my parents working on the blueprints for the new house and I get really annoyed. I'm annoyed we don't live in the farmhouse anymore. I'm annoyed the farmhouse got bulldozed. I'm annoyed the factory has destroyed the stream I used to play in. I'm annoyed st everything!

Charlie has an old stupid computer in his gross gas station that I hacked so that he can't access the internet anymore. He keeps going on about all his stupid conspiracy theories. Old people shouldn't be allowed on the internet!

Logging off.

January 4, 2017-By-Fork

So it turns out that CSS is really easy and I love it! It's like writing a magic spell. I type it. And there it is! So as a result this journal looks sooooo much better.

You know what looks like shit though? Our old farm. Or rather, the totally distorted piece of land that was once our farm and is now a Dramcorp factory. I can't not look at it everyday. It's right there! It makes me so angry!

My parents are fighting about the stupid new house. Money is a curse!

Logging off.

May 26, 2017-By-Fork

I can tell from my website analytics someone(s) is/are looking at this journal. Hello! I hope my code pleases you!

And whoever you are, don't tell my parents that I sent a protest letter to Dramcorp telling then they're fucking up our village! My parents LOVE their Dramcorp money!

Speaking of which, we're moving into our new house next week. Once again, all my stuff is packed up in boxes. I'm so sick of packing and unpacking that I think I'm going to throw away most of my stuff when we get there. I've outgrown all these stupid stuffed animals and toys anyway. I just want my computer, and the photos of the farm. I miss the farm.

Logging off.

December 24, 2017-By-Fork

It's Christmas Eve, and my parents are fighting again. They're always fighting over this stupid house.

I've never said this out loud, and I've never typed it out either but... all I want for Christmas is a friend. An IRL friend, I mean! I like my internet friends, but I can't hang out with them. I've never had an IRL friend, but I've read about friends in books, and I think I'd like it. My mom says I spend to much time on the internet but that's where my internet friends are. Is this what they call a catch 22?

I'm reading over the last entry. The photos of the farm got ruined in the move. So now all I have is the memory.

Logging off.

March 9, 2018-By-Fork

Today I got bored and walked down the highway back to Seven Monolith Village. I ran into Lora, and we actually had a fun conversation! I'd never really talked to her before, I thought she was kind of a bitch, I mean she's like always in a bad mood, but it turns out she's pretty cool. We exchanged email addresses. Maybe I'll send her the URL of this journal! Is this what having a friend feels like?

Honestly, I've been thinking that it's time to move back to 7MV. I spend most of my time there anyway, and besides, my parents are designing ANOTHER NEW HOUSE. I refuse to move with then again. I won't do it! If I'm moving, it's somewhere that I, ME, want to go. They're calling their new "estate" Dire Creek, The Terrace at Nula Ridge Estates, Vista Hill Estates, which, ugh. No thanks.

(But then I get to thinking about moving and I keep asking myself, why not just leave the Forked Earth entirely?? Why 7MV when there's an entire, NORMAL Earth where the sun rises and everyone isn't messed up in runoff all the damn time? I mean it's not like I'm ever going to find a job in 7MV, so... . !!!?!??!?!?!)

Logging off.

October 12, 2018-By-Fork

I have a secret. I'm going to hide it.

Yesterday Lora and I went to First Earth without telling our parents. We took a bus to the Strip and walked around. She showed me an Omega Mart, the store owned by Dramcorp, and when we went inside Lora stole something!!! She took a compact off the shelf and stuck in her pocket, and she said who cares, Omega Mart sucks anyway. I've always been a rule follower, but, I don't know. We walked right out of there and no one stopped us. It felt exciting. I liked that feeling.

Logging off.

February 19, 2019-By-Fork

I found a flyer in our trash can for a protest against Dramcorp and the Factory... and I went! I didn't tell my parents, they would probably be pissed if they knew I went. But there were a bunch of people there and we all gathered outside the Factory and someone even gave me some posterboard and a marker and I made a sign! It said "THE FACTORY DESTROYED MY HOME." I didn't tell anyone that I meant that literally, I think they just thought I was talking about the Desert in general. But it felt so good to be somewhere where my anger felt justified and nourished, and I got to yell, and everyone else felt the same way. Eventually Dramcorp security chased us away, but the protest still felt really important! The group invited me to another protest next month, and I'm going to go. My parents don't need to know.

I started doing some odd jobs for a few of our neighbors, and with the money I'm making I'm building a new computer! This one is so old and slow, I can barely do anything with it anymore. Maybe I'll make a website for the protest group!

I want my new computer to be as powerful as possible, so I joined a forum for people who do their own builds. There's one person there who's legit a hacker, and I'm tempted to reach out to learn some things...

Logging off.

May 28, 2019-By-Fork

The new computer lives! Oh yeah, it's fast.

Been hanging out with Lora lately. I took her to a protest in Las Vegas against Dramcorp, and I guess protesting isn't her style. She did tell me that she wants to help me fight them, but she doesn't think protesting is that effective. Like... ok, she has a point. I think protesting is more a "for me" thing than a "this is actually going to change the world" thing, but everytime I look at the Factory... I GET SO GODDAMN ANGRY. I just think about the little stream, and... ugh. It's hard.

Lora introduced me to Marin, who I sort of know through Rose but never really talked to until a couple of weeks ago. She's nice, but wow, if you could design a human being who is my exact opposite, you'd get Marin. Weirdly, she's somehow part of the Dram family?? I didn't bring I think Charlie is her uncle or something? I didn't bring up the Factory or the protests with her, I thought that would be weird.

So I guess I have IRL friends now? It was easier than I thought it would be! I still hang out on the forums, though. Oh, and that hacker? We've been in touch. I've been thinking about what Lora said, and I'm starting to think there's a more... direct way to disrupt whatever it is Dramcorp is doing.

Logging off.

June 24, 2019-By-Fork

Today I helped Marin clean up her blog. I like her, she's sweet. She's super excited to do "computer stuff" and I'm excited to help her!

So it turns out that Marin's mother is Cecelia Dram. I was hanging out in 7MV a couple weeks ago and I saw her. I so badly wanted to say something to her, to use some of the language I learned with the protest group, to tell her about the farm and the stream... but I chickened out. I couldn't do it.

Marin introduced me to Jesse, who is crazy, and I like her. She can weld, which is super cool. I'm awful at doing anything with my hands that isn't typing, so yeah, I'm impressed.

I told Lora about the hacker person, and how I'm learning how to do it, and how I want to plan something that's better than protesting. She's interested. I feel so scatterbrained. I want to do something big and important, but sometimes I look around the Desert or Seven Monolith Village and I feel very small. Like, who do I think I am? I'm nobody. I'll be trapped in this weird place forever. There's no way one small nobody trapped in the Forked Earth can make a difference in the world. But then I think, in the last year alone I've made a bunch of friends and I've learned so much. So maybe I'm onto something.

Logging off.

December 31, 2020-By-Fork

Wow, it's been over a year since I've written. I'm bad!

I'm writing this from my new home in 7MV. I'm living with Lora, and Jesse says she's going to move in with us soon. The place is small, but it already feels more like home than anywhere else since the farm.

Tomorrow is a new year. Tomorrow is a new me. No more planning. We're taking action. Last night I hacked into the library computer system and erased all my past-due debts. Don't worry, I'll donate to the fund drive. But... I'm getting better. Soon, I'll be able to handle bigger systems. Bigger security.

Here's to 2021!

Logging off.

January 5, 2021-By-Fork

Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I like to go outside in the middle of the night and just lay on the dusty ground and watch the sky. It's so weird here. It's always shifting colors. Sometimes I take it for granted. Sometimes I take the weirdness and the silence and the wideopenedness all for granted. I don't want to do that anymore. We live in a bizarre but special place that's worth protecting. It's worth it to fight the people that threatened it. It's worth it to fight for your rights and the environment's rights. No one is going to do it for us. We have to do it ourselves.

Logging off.

January 7, 2021-By-Fork

I'm looking at my analytics again, and there are even more people reading this journal now. Hello, strangers! Join us! Help us, uh, "inconvenience" Dramcorp! Help us free the Source! There wasn't always a big ugly wall around it. Once, not that long ago, the Source sustained the Forked Earth and this place was beautiful and everyone thrived. We can make that happen again, But we need your help! Join us!

Ok, I'm done proselytizing to internet strangers. Jesse wants to check her email, and Marin is literally throwing paper airplanes at my head.

Logging off.

January 12, 2021-By-Fork

Something happened. Marin is missing. Jesse is freaking out. I keep trying to figure out what happened but no one seems to know. Jesse said Marin went to the Source with Cecelia and someone else, some old man, and then only Cecelia came back.

Jesse keeps saying that there was something weird about Marin, something about her lucid dreams or something, and that's why Cecelia wanted to hurt her. I don't know anything about that, but Marin is definitely missing. We all went out last night to look for her, but we didn't find anything.

Something is up, and I'm certain Dramcorp has something to do with it, and I'm even more certain that I could find some answers on Cecelia's computer.

Logging off.

January 14, 2021-By-Fork

We still haven't found Marin. No one has heard anything. But, we found something in her room that seems like it could be a lead. She had a pamphlet for Cecelia's Leadership Ascension Track, and she'd written some notes on it, stuff about how the LAT steps seem like what she goes through when she's "glitter dreaming?" Next to the section for "Harmonizing With the Essence" (omg @ this bullshit jargon) she wrote, "I feel like I'm harmonizing with something unknown in the glitter dreams!! Like the vibrations of the harmonization are tearing something open, and I could jump through it if I wanted, but I'm scared!!!"

And then, next to "Come To Peace With the Infinite," she wrote, "I feel like if I could do this then I could wake up during dreams and actually... I don't know, jump through??"

What worries me is that it seems like the point of the LAT is to... not have a body anymore?? This seems like some truly batshit stuff, but then I'm starting to think that it's not batshit... it might be real. Back in November, Cecelia gave a LED Talk. We were there, to protest, but... there was someone on stage with her, someone invisible, and now everyone is treating the LAT like its real, and I'm afraid it might be.

Marin, what did you know? Where are you????

Logging off. Don't know when I'll be logging back on.

February 11, 2021-By-Fork

Dear Cecelia Dram,

Have you found my little journal? I hope so. I want you to understand me, and my friends, and our home. I want you to understand what you've done to hurt them, and to hurt the Forked Earth.

You didn't think word of your little stunt at the Source would get out, did you? You genuinely thought you would get away with it, didn't you? Well, guess what? Marin is one of our own. We're going to find her, and we're going to make sure your tenure as CEO is short and painful.

Oh, and that little Factory of yours? The thing that's been twisting and distorting our home for the last 14 years? That's my land. And I'm going to get it back.

You better change your passwords, Cecelia.

Logging off.

#omega mart #omega mart lore #wooow i forgot how long these can take. this one was 2.5-ish hours

[josefavomjaaga]

By the end of November, Eugène, finally back in Milan with wife and daughters after the campaign of 1809 and that pesky revolt in the Tyrol, receives a curious letter from his imperial stepfather

November 26, 1809:

My son, I desire, if no major impediment prevents you, that you leave Milan so as to arrive in Paris on the 5th or 6th of December. Come alone with three carriages and four or five persons of your service of honour. Pass through Fontainebleau. This is assuming that major events do not prevent you from leaving.

For comparison: at the end of this post I’ve quoted the letter that Napoleon wrote four years earlier in order to … invite Eugène to his own marriage (»twelve hours at the latest after receiving this letter, you will depart with all speed [...]«). Let’s just say, this is an unusually timid and hesitating tone for Napoleon’s correspondence (it almost sounds as if he has a bad conscience). And because it is, I imagine that on this November day in Milan, not one but two heads are leaning over the paper, looking rather perplexed. Until Auguste claps her hands in excitement.

Auguste: »Oh my God! I think I know what this means!«

Eugène: »You do?«

Auguste: »He’s calling you to Paris in order to make you his heir! His heir to the throne of France!«

Eugène (who has already heard lots of rumours in Vienna, awkwardly): »Err… no, darling. I really don’t think so.«

Auguste: »No? But then surely he will finally make you King of Italy! You have done such great work here and you’ve helped him so much in the last war, he must reward you somehow!«

Eugène (forced smile): »Y-yes. That’s probably it, honey.« (gulps)

***

In the meantime, on the evening of November 30, Palace of the Tuileries, Paris. Dinnertime. Lots of people in fancy clothes standing in a half-circle. Emperor and empress are sitting at a table, occasionally poking at their plates, staring blindly ahead. Silence. A clock ticking in the background.

Napoleon (muttering): »What’s the time?« As nobody answers, a bit louder: »The time!«

Somebody answers, Napoleon stands up, so does Josephine.

Napoleon: »I need to talk to you, madame.«

Emperor and empress disappear through a door into Napoleon’s cabinet. Everybody else heads out of the room, except for Bausset, who is on duty and remains in the anteroom.

More clock ticking. Bausset yawns.

A piercing female scream from behind the closed door. Bausset whirls around. The door opens wide, Napoleon stands on the threshold, white as a sheet and utterly shocked.

Napoleon: »Bausset! You gotta come! The empress! Unwell! Help!«

Bausset and Napoleon hurry back into the room. Josephine lies on the carpet, motionlessly (and very decoratively draped, of course, because Josephine).

Napoleon (close to panic): »I just told her that I was going to divorce her.  And then she kinda … dropped down. To the floor! Unconscious! Why do these things always happen? I had talked to her daughter before, she was supposed to have prepared her! And now she doesn’t move! What do we do now, Bausset?«

Bausset: »How about we take her downstairs to her own rooms, Sire?«

Napoleon: »Good idea! Then her ladies can take care of her. We’ll use the private stairs so nobody sees us. Let’s go. I’ll grab the legs, you take the upper half.«

***

A narrow, poorly lit stairwell. The steps are steep. Napoleon, his arms wrapped around Josephine's knees, impatiently carries his spouse down the stairs. Behind him, Bausset, not exactly slim and rather clumsy, struggles with Josephine's weight and his sword of honour, constantly scraping the wall or catching on the banister. Both men are puffing from exertion and agitation.

A look at Josephine's face. Her eyelids flutter imperceptibly.

Josephine (hissing softly): »Bausset!«

Bausset (stares open-mouthed).

Josephine (whispering): »Don't squeeze me like that!« (»faints« again).

Napoleon: »Are you doing all right back there, Bausset?«

Bausset (startled): »Oh, yes yes. All fine, Sire.«

***

A couple of days later. Young Louis Tascher, a relative of Josephine and aide-de-camp to Eugène, has been sent to the Tuileries from Italy in order to report on the progress made in pacifying the Tyrol. He has himself announced, is called up and steps over the threshold into Napoleon's audience chamber.

Napoleon (enraged): »Aha! Did Eugène send you to spy on me, eh?«

Tascher (flabbergasted): »Actually I was supposed to talk to Your Majesty about that Andreas Hofer guy, Sire ...«

Napoleon (embarrassed): »Oh. Oh, right. Anyway, that's not important now. Have you seen your cousin yet? I mean the Empress.«

Tascher: »N-no, I've only just got out of the carriage, the one still down there in the courtyard ...«

Napoleon: »Then see to it that you visit her at once!«

Tascher, utterly perplexed, is led through the Tuileries to the empress's appartment. The door opens, revealing a dozen richly dressed ladies, Josephine and Hortense among them, all of them sobbing into their handkerchiefs.

Tascher (uneasy): »Hello? Your Majesty? I've come from Milan, from Eug...«

Polyphonic sobbing.

Josephine: »Where is he? Why doesn't he come? Has everyone left me? Oh, I am the most unhappy woman in the world!« (More crying all around.)

***

Meanwhile, Eugene writes to his wife from the hospice on Mont Cenis that they are stuck in absolutely terrible weather. And that Caroline Murat has already crossed the mountain, headed for Paris, a couple of days before him. Not a good sign.

***

Again a little while later, in the Tuileries. Hortense has gathered around her those few members of the family still reasonably in tune with their senses: Tascher and Lavalette.

Hortense: »So, we are agreed. We absolutely must intercept Eugène and groom him before Napoleon gets hold of him and talks my dopey brother into this divorce at a bargain price. We don't know which road he'll take, so we split up. Tascher, you go to the right, Lavalette to the left, and I'll cover the main route via Nemours. Off you go!«

***

Next day, Nemours. Eugène's coach rolls into the courtyard of the local post station, where Hortense's carriage has already pulled up. The Queen of Holland and the Viceroy of Italy both step out of their respective vehicles, admired by some dozen teary-eyed spectators. It's the very first meeting of brother and sister after a separation of almost five years, there's hugs and air kisses all around, cheering and happy sighs by the audience. Then queen and viceroy both board Hortense's coach, and as soon as the door is closed and the carriage moving, they can start their conversation.

Eugène: »So. Is it good or bad?«

Hortense (wailing): »Baaad. It's the worst. It's the divorce.«

Eugène: »O god. - How does Mum take it?«

Hortense (exasperated): »Why, BADLY, of course!« (subtone: You insensitive dimwit of a brother!) »She's crying all the time and she says he can't do that to her and that she has been married in church and that the Pope will never allow it and that he at least must pay her debts and make you king of Italy and that she wants to keep her diamonds and that divorces aren't even allowed in the constitution, she has looked that up herself - and besides, if he gets to divorce our mother, why can't I also divorce Louis, huh?«

Eugène (staring into the off): »Sure, sure ...«

Hortense: »You must tell him, Eugène! You must tell him that he needs to give Mum at least a pension of some millions or she'll always be in debt, which of course she most likely will be anyway but do not tell him that, and he must give her Malmaison and a house in Paris and she also wants to keep her parrots and her dogs and go to Plombières every summer and if he really does this to us then the least thing he can do is to let me get rid of Louis. Do you understand?«

Eugène: »Uh-huh.« (mutters in despair) »How the hell am I going to explain this to my wife?«

___________

That’s the story of how Eugène learned about Napoleon’s decision to divorce Josephine, if you combine the memoirs of Hortense and Bausset and add some details from DuCasse’s publication of Eugène’s letters (and a little malignancy from myself). Unfortunately, it ends here, as there are no outside witnesses for the actual negotiations between the three Beauharnais and Napoleon, so we only have the official story of noble self-denial and generous renunciation. But I would have loved to be a fly on the wall during those discussions.

#napoleon #eugene de beauharnais #auguste of bavaria #josephine de beauharnais #hortense de beauharnais #bausset #louis tascher

[jimmys-zeppelin]

ghostin'

chapter fifteen

(table of contents)

(chapter fourteen)

june 26, 1976

"We're here today with Miss Ellie Saunders, singer and writer of the newest song going up in the pop charts, Songbird! Would you like to say hello to our audience, Ellie?"

"Hi, everyone! Thank you so much, Bill for having me on."

"Pleasure's all mine. Last time we had you in the studio was...two years ago with your single, Dreamer, isn't that right?"

"Very much so! Since then lots of things have changed." Ellie chuckled, reflecting on the past for a split second.

"Yeah, you were just a wide-eyed kid who had no idea what the business was like or where you were going. Nice to see you settled down. Now, you're with Led Zeppelin's guitarist, Jimmy Page, right? How's that working out with their constant touring?"

Ellie visibly tensed. If they were there to talk about Jimmy, they should have just called him on instead, but alas she was polite and answered the question. "Yes, Jimmy and I are together," she chuckled nervously, "Well, we manage our time pretty well. He's currently away doing his stuff and I'm working on my new album, but we find time to get a phone call in before bed...middle of the night," she laughed, "we find a way."

"Adorable, you two are. So this album of yours? Got a title yet? And what kind of songs are we going to see on it?"

"Not yet," Ellie answered, but quickly saved herself, "we have a working one, but even that's under wraps for now. As for songs, they're mostly just your regular old love songs I guess. The experimental piece was actually one I plan to release soon. I really hope my fans enjoy it. It took a lot to write it."

"And the title?"

Ellie looked over to Carolyn, who sat across the room puffing on a cigarette. The brunette nodded at the blonde, allowing her to speak on the song, "Well the song is called Sign of the Times. It's about seeing a change in someone you love and having to accept it. It could be with a wife, husband, lover, friend; anyone you hold dear who you just...can't help but worry about." She explained, getting lost in her own words as she thought about Jimmy. "As you can see I'm still a bit raw about it," Ellie lightly rubbed at her watering eyes.

"Do you miss your person?" Bill asked, suddenly becoming quite sincere.

Ellie met his gaze, nodding, "I do." she said, thinking of what lie to tell people to convince them she wasn't talking about her lanky, dark-haired boyfriend.

"Well, now onto what you're here for. Tell me about Songbird, then."

"Um, well...there was a slight bit of a rough patch lately that affected me a bit. I decided to get my trusty notebook out and spew out all the words that would come. And Songbird came out of that."

"Some beautiful acoustic on there, who did it?"

"I did! Jimmy's not the only one who's well-spoken in the ways of a guitar in this relationship. Although I did want him to come play on it for me, our schedules just didn't line up." She shrugged.

"Incredible. Well, here it is, folks. The new song by Ellie Saunders: Songbird." Bill said, fiddling with some buttons and getting his turntable ready before removing his headphones, "you can take those off now." he said.

Ellie removed the bulky headphones from her hair and held them idly in her lap as her song played out to the broader Los Angeles area. She knew it wasn't the first time a station had played the song in the week or so that it'd been out, but it was different knowing that she was right there while it was playing out to thousands of people. It was daunting if anything.

"Ellie that was great. Thank you so much for coming on!" Bill said, standing to shake Ellie's hand. The singer mirrored his actions and went in for a handshake, returning the favor.

"Thank you for asking me to come on. It was a pleasure. Maybe I'll come back when Sign of the Times comes out." She said with a wink.

"Of course," Bill replied, "tell me. In confidence; off the record. Is there a title for the new record?"

Ellie contemplated her honest answer, then exhaled through her nose in a laugh before answering, "No, actually. I have no idea what it's called. I've been so focused on writing songs that...I just haven't had time to think of a title, honestly." Ellie laughed as she spewed the honest truth.

Bill laughed out loud at the comment, giving Ellie a pat on the back, "Seriously, Ellie, come back any time. New song, new album, or if you just wanna chat with me for the morning segment. It would be great."

"Thank you so much, Bill." She repeated as she started picking up her bags. Carolyn put out her cigarette in an ashtray near the microphones and gave Bill a firm handshake. The women left the building shortly after.

After they'd been settled in the car to take them back to the studio, they finally got a chance to take a breather and relax. Things had been moving at a touch and go pace since finishing the two bigger singles. The rest of the songs still needed more, Ellie thought. It often occupied her mind just what she wanted to add to each song. That and Jimmy.

Not only was she concerned about him, she found herself getting increasingly more discouraged when she spoke with him. Like she was walking on eggshells when it came to a conversation with him. If either of them said the wrong thing, the other would get set off. Ellie found herself as more of the latter. She hated arguing while they were away from each other, but she couldn't help comment about his activities. He knew her disdain of it and it seemed there wasn't much else to talk they had to talk about since their days were full of nothingness lately.

☆

Andrew came over late that night. One more song on the album had been finalized and he deemed it enough to celebrate. Five of twelve songs completed, in case anyone was counting.

"Cheers to another amazing song by my best friend." Andrew said, raising a glass of some old whiskey Ellie had had hidden in her house since she'd moved in. The blonde could hardly remember who had given it to her. It seemed it just was a part of the house at that point.

They clinked glasses and each took a sip, both inevitably coughing and gagging at the taste and giggling at their reactions. Their conversation carried on until Ellie's eyes wandered to her stack of mail. Since getting home she hadn't had much time to give it a look so she gave each letter a once-over before focusing on Andrew again. That was the plan, at least.

However, a postcard caught her eye and she couldn't help but pick it up.

'Sunset Strip, Hollywood, California' Read the front as it was decorated with a photo of the infamous Sunset Strip at night. Ellie flipped over the postcard, her eyes quickly darting past the words that had been scrawled onto the paper.

'I recall you saying something about the Sunset Strip calling your name when we went out for dinner. How about we go out again sometime soon? You can be a Dreamer about life again. Call me when you get this. 213-xxx-xxxx

Hugs, Roger

P.S. Did you get the reference of your song that I used?

P.P.S. Ask for Simon Ferocious'

The blonde furrowed her eyebrows, but was delighted at the prospect that Roger would send her a postcard. She reached for the phone, starting to dial the numbers.

"What's up?" Andrew asked, taking another sip of the blasted whiskey, to which he exhaled sharply only seconds later. He set the cup down in disgust.

"It's Roger. He's in California. Told me to call him." Ellie replied, handing the man the postcard as his hands reached out for it. The line rang while Andrew exhaled through his nose, laughing at the corny jokes made in the letter.

"Ritz Los Angeles, my name is Angela. How can I be of service to you this evening?" The woman on the other line said. Ellie was taken aback slightly at the discovery of the Ritz's hotel having been the main point of contact for Roger.

"Uh, hi. I'm calling for a Simon Ferocious staying at your hotel." Ellie said, trying to hold back her laughter.

"And who's asking?" She asked.

"Say it's Mrs. Page. He'll know who it is."

"I'll put you through."

"Thank you."

Silence came through the phone before the Hold music shortly began. An ear-raping jazz number made Ellie put the phone down as soon as the music started.

"Simon Ferocious?" Andrew asked, having come back into the living room with a near-empty bottle of blush wine Ellie had been keeping in the fridge along with two flutes. She shrugged as he poured the rest out for the both of them as the infernal jazz finally came to an end.

"Mr. Ferocious for you, ma'am." The woman said.

"Thank you," Ellie paused waiting for the clicks before Roger's familiar rasp came through.

"Mrs. Page, hm?" Roger asked.

"I heard we weren't giving out our real names." Ellie laughed, twirling the phone cord around her finger. Her eyes followed Andrew as he walked over to her record collection beside the turntable.

"Well, I had good reason. I'm staying on the down low."

"Is that it? Who's Simon Ferocious, then?" she asked as the sounds of a song she couldn't quite place by Led Zeppelin came flooding through the speakers. The song was from a  special release pressing Jimmy had gifted her when Physical Graffiti was released the previous year. Close friends and family received them. Ellie had been honored to say the least.

Roger chuckled, "A guy looking to take you out to a show. Someone there with you?"

"Just Andrew. He's my best friend—"

"And I'm gay!" Andrew shouted across the room.

"Nothing to worry about." Ellie smiled, and though Roger couldn't see it, he could sense it.

"Right. Simon Ferocious is something Fred called Sid Vicious because he was bothering him one day in the studio," Roger laughed, "Ask him about it one day, he'll get so cross about it."

"I think I might. Feel like you're not doing the story justice." Ellie chuckled. "So is Mr. Ferocious going to take me out to a show?"  She asked as Andrew returned to his seat on the floor across from the singer, munching on a cracker that was sitting on a plate.

"I was hoping to today, actually. Then I heard you on the radio this morning and thought you might be busy."

Ellie apologized for the delay, "I got your postcard yesterday, I just didn't bother to look at my mail because it was all mixed with bills and other junk that it got lost. I'd ditch Andrew for you any night."

"Bitch!" The aforementioned man exclaimed, slapping Ellie on the shoulder with a push. A bubbly, hearty laugh left her throat as she fell back onto the floor.

Catching her breath, she confessed, "We're getting a little tipsy." she giggled. "How much longer are you in LA? I'll make it up to you."

"I leave on the 5th of July. I have to be back in London so we can start the new album."

"Well let's go to a Fourth of July celebration! I think my record label's throwing one. They're usually on top of some pretty rooftops. It'll make for a great view."

"It's a date then. Keep me posted on this...roof party."

"Didn't I give you my phone number, Rog?"

"..."

"Hm?"

"I dropped the slip of paper in a puddle on the day I got here. God's honest truth, El. Which is why I sent you a postcard."

"I'll entertain that story for a while...." she joked, "I can give it to you again, if you'd like."

"Yes please." Roger said sheepishly; a shuffling audible in the background.

"626...."

---

masterlist | playlist

Taglist: @diaryofafan17 @tophats-n-lespauls @witchesdust @jonesyjonesyjonesy @paginate54 @hejustsatisfiess @salixfragilis @princesspagey @reincarnated70sbaby @rebel-without-a-zeppelin @kyunisixx if you want to be added to the list lmk!

#I really liked this chappie I hope you guys like it too! #jimmy page #fanfic #fanfiction #ghostin' #big things are coming....*maniacally rubs hands together*