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#their first like. 3 albums ... were my teenage years...
seorikkun · 9 months
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stray kids x panic! at the disco
london beckoned songs about money written by machines
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elizaleclerc · 22 days
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Hello, I love your writing, can I request Charles Leclerc x singer!reader where they already knew each other back when they were teenagers but the reader moves to LA to pursue her career so they kinda feel off cuz of the long distance, so years later Charles decides to surprise her at one of her concerts and tries to shoot his shoot after all those years they end up together and it's all fluffy and cute.
Sorry if this doesn't make sense english is not my first language, thank you <3
love this!!! tysm <3
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birds of a feather ✿
charles leclerc x reader
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summary: fem singer!reader reignites an old teenage love with famous driver charles leclerc
songs: birds of a feather by b.eilish, the 1 by t.swift
author’s note: mostly cute and fluffy but had to add a bit of angst oops! inspo from billie’s new album obv bc that’s all i’m listening to rn. also some google translate involved so oops again if it’s wrong :)
word count: 4k
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In the luxurious city of Monaco, you and Charles were cruising along the winding roads late at night, a favored pastime for the two of you. The cool breeze tousled your hair as the windows were rolled down, filling the car with the scent of saltwater and adventure. You stole a glance at Charles in the driver's seat, his face adorned with that familiar boyish grin, his eyes sparkling just as they did on the day you met him.
The car zoomed down the winding road, its expensive engine purring like a contented cat. Despite its luxurious interior, Charles had no qualms about letting you put your feet up on the dash. The scarlet sky painted with streaks of orange and pink was the perfect backdrop for this drive at sunset.
One thing different about this drive at sunset was that one of your own songs was playing on the radio. At only 19 years old, your song “Birds of a Feather” was reaching the top of the charts worldwide. At any chance he got, Charles would blast it at full volume whenever the two of you were together. It only made sense considering the song was about him.
You and Charles had been inseparable since childhood, a bond that felt unbreakable and essential to your very existence. Over the years, you both had your fair share of romantic partners, but it seemed like none of them could compare to the connection you shared. Despite any ups and downs in your own love lives, you and Charles always found your way back to each other, like two ships anchored together in the stormy sea of life.
Of course, there were fleeting moments when you wondered if there could be something more between you and Charles. The thought would cross your mind as his hand brushed yours or when he made you laugh until your sides ached. But those thoughts remained just that - fleeting and unspoken. You both cherished your friendship too much to risk changing its dynamic.
But deep down, underneath layers of familiarity and comfort, there was a quiet longing that neither of you acknowledged. A shared understanding that there was something more between you than just being best friends. And although it was left unsaid, it was an unspoken truth that added a layer of depth to your friendship.
The bass of the song throbbed through the car, drowning out Charles' words as he spoke to you. You strained to hear him over the music, but all you could see were his lips moving in time with the beat. "What?!" you shouted comically with a grin, and he reached for the volume knob to turn it down.
"I said, it's only a matter of time before you're touring worldwide," he repeated with a small smile. You shook your head in amusement. Charles always had grand visions for your music career, dreaming of reaching the stars and achieving the highest goals even when you couldn't imagine them yourself.
“You’re only saying that to be nice,” you playfully bantered with him, knowing deep down he truly believed in your talent.
A wistful smile crossed his face as he replied, “I’m serious. Before you know it, you’ll be in L.A., living your dream and making music for the world.” His words had a bittersweet edge to them, causing your own smile to falter. There was truth in his statement - Charles had just signed with Ferrari and would soon be the busiest he's ever been in his career as a Formula One driver. You were endlessly proud of him and all that he had accomplished. It feels like just yesterday when you both were just kids with big dreams, but now here you are, actually making strides towards achieving those dreams. Even with a hit song on the radio and promising opportunities ahead, you still felt like you were ages behind in becoming someone big in the music industry. And the thought of possibly leaving your best friend behind as you pursued your dreams weighed heavily on your heart.
He noticed the solemn expression on your face, his eyes full of understanding and affection. "Ah, come on," he said gently, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. "You know I mean that in a good way." His voice was warm and sincere."L.A. is a hotbed for the music industry right now," he continued, his excitement palpable. "And haven't you always talked about wanting to go to the States?"
You nodded slowly, unable to contain a small smile at the thought. "Yeah, but...I can't even imagine us being apart for so long," you admitted with a hint of sadness. "We've never been separated for more than a week. And even then, you were blowing up my phone every day." You couldn't help but laugh at the memory.
His own laughter rang out, contagious and genuine. "So now you know that when you're in the U.S., you won't have to worry about us not talking," he reassured you. "Clearly, I can't get enough of you." His words made your heart swell with love and comfort. Despite any ridiculous or anxious thoughts that may cross your mind, you were always reminded that the bond between you two could stretch thousands of miles.
About a week later, you had hired a manager with the help of your parents and were looking at record labels to sign with. Your social media pages were blowing up with new fans anticipating and begging for new music. It was a rightful step for a singer who had just had a song blow up, to make more music.
After many phone calls and contracts, you decided on the best deal to sign with the record label you had always wanted. With a location in Los Angeles, Sony Music Entertainment was your new employer. 
As the days passed, the familiar childhood bedroom in Monaco slowly transformed into a maze of boxes and packing materials. The bittersweet scent of nostalgia clung to the air as you said goodbye to the people and places that had shaped you. It was early February, just before the newest Formula One season started, but Charles seemed to be swallowed up by his work, juggling the responsibilities of being their rookie driver. In those fleeting moments between racing events, he squeezed in time for you, knowing that soon you would both be consumed by your separate paths. On the last night together, you took a nostalgic drive around town, savoring every street corner and landmark. As the sun dipped below the horizon, you returned to your house - now empty and cold without all of your belongings. The silence hung heavy in the air as you sat side by side, cherishing these final moments together.
You both sat on your bed as you rested your head on his shoulder and asked, “How did this even happen?” 
“Your talent will always drive you towards success, how could it not happen?” He replied and it made your eyes water. You weren’t sure how you were going to adjust with your time apart. You’ll miss his advice and little jokes. You’ll miss your late night drives around Monaco with him, taking in the cool air.
As he turned to face you, his piercing eyes caught the glistening trails of tears streaming down your cheeks. His own expression shifted from concern to sadness as he took in the sight of your heartbroken state. With a heavy sigh, he reached out to gently wipe away a stray tear from your cheek and murmured, "Please don't cry." Your eyes met his with a solemn understanding, but your bottom lip began to quiver despite your efforts.
You couldn't help but notice the glimmer of tears in his own eyes, which only made your own tears flow even more freely. Together, you both sat on the edge of your bed, gripping each other's hands tightly as you cried until it became almost comical at just how much emotion was pouring out of both of you. In between sobs, he managed to let out a small laugh and said, "It's not even an actual goodbye, I'll see you again soon.”
You couldn't help but laugh along with him through your tears. "I know," you replied with a watery smile. "I'll see you before I know it.”
But as the night wore on and the hour grew late, the reality of tomorrow morning's early flight to L.A. began to sink in. Despite wanting to hold onto this moment for as long as possible, you both knew it was time to say goodbye. You stood up and shared one final embrace, his arms enveloping you in a tight hug while yours rested around his neck. The warmth of his body and the familiar scent of his cologne brought a sense of comfort amidst the pain of parting ways.
“Tu vas me manquer mon amour,” he whispered by your ear, which made you squeeze him tighter. 
“Tu vas me manquer davantage, Char.” You replied with a raspy voice, your cheeks still wet with tears. He blew you a kiss before walking out the door.
~ 5 years later ~
The electric energy of Los Angeles, California pulsed through the air as you walked towards the venue on the opening night of your highly anticipated second tour. Fresh off the massive success of your second album, fans from all over the world were eagerly awaiting your performance tonight. You could already hear their screams and see their signs, some bearing your name since the very beginning of your career. Your first tour had been small, just a few cities in the U.S., but now with your skyrocketing fame, this tour would take you to stages across the globe. The thought of performing for thousands of people in different countries sent a thrill through your veins. As you approached the entrance, excitement and nerves intertwined within you, ready to take on this new chapter in your music career.
As you nervously waited backstage, dressed in a stunning white gown for your highly anticipated opening night in Los Angeles, your mind couldn't help but wander to a familiar name: Charles. The two of you had been inseparable during your first year in L.A., constantly talking and supporting each other's dreams. But as time went on, his calls and texts became less frequent until they eventually stopped altogether. You found yourself relying on social media to keep up with him and were happy to see that he had found success with Ferrari, but also couldn't shake the feeling of hurt and confusion as to why he had suddenly disappeared from your life. You debated reaching out to congratulate him on his wins, but deep down, you knew it wouldn't make a difference.
The next years after that became hard, and you struggled to make genuine connections with anyone in the industry. You found that often other artists wanted to use you for their fame or publicity. But you had found one genuine person, your boyfriend. The two of you dated for two years, but two weeks before the opening night of your world tour, he broke things off. You were devastated, as he had become someone you loved dearly and could trust with your whole being. His reason was that he realized he couldn’t handle your level of fame and that it was becoming too much for him to handle. 
So here you were, backstage, reminiscing on your career up until this point. Your mind ran over the setlist a thousand times. “Birds of a Feather” hadn’t made the cut for this tour, and you stopped performing it all together once Charles had stopped communicating with you. You weren’t sure why he was on your mind so much for your opening night. 
As you stepped out onto the stage, a wave of excited nerves washed over you. But with each step and movement, your confidence grew until it radiated off of you like a second skin. The bright lights illuminated your white dress, making it glow against the dark backdrop. You knew this dress well, having spent hours upon hours rehearsing in it, mastering every twirl and flick of the sleeves. And now, as you sang and danced flawlessly, you felt like a true star. Every note was hit perfectly, every movement graceful and deliberate. It was as if you were born to be on that stage, commanding the attention of everyone in the audience. The familiar click of a metronome and the muffled directions from backstage played in your in-ears, guiding you through the performance like a well-oiled machine. You had become a masterful performer, honing your craft to perfection.
You wished you could remember every moment of this night as you went through the setlist. You performed “the 1”, a song from your most recent album. Fans speculated it was about the recent split with your boyfriend, but really in your mind you knew it was about Charles. Your fans mostly were unaware of Charles and the old friendship the two of you had. He rarely talked about you in the media, and you were never asked about him, even though the two of you were individually growing more famous by the day.
As the final song ended, you returned backstage, the sweat dripping down your face and your body heaving with exhaustion. This tour was more physically demanding than your last one, with intricate dance routines and high-energy performances. But it was all worth it as you heard the crowd's roar of approval after each song and saw their hands in the air, singing along to every lyric. The adrenaline rush and satisfaction of a flawless opening night kept you going despite the fatigue setting in.
You got a flood of compliments from your team and the crew backstage as you felt the dewy feeling of sweat on your forehead cool down. Your manager came up to and wrapped you in a big hug, congratulating you and updating you on the next steps for the tour.
“I know you don’t typically meet people after shows, but there’s actually a visitor here for you. He was pretty persistent.” She told you as you stood outside your dressing room. 
“Who is it?” You asked tiredly, not wishing for long interactions with people after the show. You were worn out, and typically napped or slept through the night after a long show. 
“He said his name is Charles Leclerc. Went on about how you guys were childhood friends. He showed his ID and credentials so we allowed it.” Your manager explained everything and as she was speaking your face became flushed. Charles was here, in L.A? And your management had allowed him to meet with you. You were partly in shock and partly frustrated with how easily he was able to persuade your team.
“Well…where is he?” You asked, and your manager pointed to your dressing room door. “He’s in my dressing room?” You questioned in a surprised voice, lowering your voice in case he could hear you.  
“We weren’t sure where else he could’ve waited. He made it seem like he needed to have a serious talk with you.” She explained further and you put your head in your hands. You couldn’t believe the words that had come out of her mouth, and thought that maybe she was joking. You thought that you’d open up your dressing room door and it would be empty, earning a loud laugh from her and a “Got you!”
As you slowly opened your door, still clad in your flowing white dress, your heart caught in your throat as you saw Charles sitting on the plush brown leather couch. The air was thick with surprise and a tinge of nervousness, evidenced by Charles' fidgeting hands rubbing against his pants. You could barely breathe as you managed to utter a breathless greeting, "Hi."
He stood up abruptly, his body language tense and unsure. “Hi,” he replied.
The silence hung between you like a heavy curtain as you asked, "What...um...what are you doing here?" Your fingers instinctively ran through your slightly tangled hair as you waited for his response, feeling both overwhelmed and curious about this unexpected visit.
As he stood before you, he seemed to struggle with his words, his voice catching and pausing as if trying to contain an overwhelming emotion. You gazed at him in awe, taking in every detail of his changed appearance. The dimple in his cheek still deepened when he spoke, the same crystal eyes sparkled with unreadable emotions. But now his shoulders were broader, defined muscles rippling beneath his shirt, and his neck had thickened with strength. It was clear that time had passed, but it had only enhanced his features instead of diminishing them. "I," he finally managed to say, his gaze never leaving yours, "I came here to apologize." You couldn't believe he was standing in front of you after so long. And in this moment, all you could think about was how much you missed him and how different things could have been if he had stayed.
“Apologize?” You repeated, awaiting further clarification. 
“I’ve missed you terribly.” He began to pour out, finally getting a grip on his words, “Every day we haven’t been together has haunted me. You’ve plagued my dreams, my every waking thought.” He took a swallow, “I see you online, doing amazing things, and I just feel this guilt that I’m not there with you.”
You could hardly believe the words he was saying. You felt the same, you missed him every morning you woke and every night you went to sleep. Yet you felt a tinge of resentment. He could have been there, he could have responded to your dozens of calls and texts. 
“I’m sorry, mon chérie.” He finished his speech.
Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion and your eyes watered with emotion, your face contorted with hurt. Your voice came out breathless as you spoke, "Char, why didn't you call?" Your heart ached with longing and you couldn't understand why he hadn't taken action to bridge the distance between you. The unspoken desire between you was almost tangible, making the current situation even more painful for both of you.
“My ex-girlfriend, once we got together she saw how often we communicated and told me that I couldn’t talk to you anymore. And I thought I loved her so much that I was willing to do whatever it took. But…it turns out…” He paused, looking you in the eyes. 
“What?” You questioned, waiting for him to spit it out. 
“It turns out as the years went on, that I just loved you.” He said as he stepped closer. 
“You don’t mean that,” You denied shaking your head, a single tear running down your cheek. 
“But I do,” he grabbed your hand, “I think I’ve always loved you.”
You broke out into a grin while tears still fell, and wrapped your arms around him, burying your head into his chest. “What took you so long?” 
“I’m sorry mon amour, I guess I was just too stupid to actually do anything. But I love you, I love you so much.” His arms wrapped around your waist, kissing the top of your head. 
You pulled back and placed your hands on his face, admiring his mature features. He took his thumbs to wipe off the tears on your face. “I love you too,” You told him and he grinned. “Will you finally kiss me?” 
His lips met yours in a gentle, yet passionate, kiss. As your heart raced and butterflies fluttered in your stomach, you couldn't help but smile as his lips moved against yours. It was your first kiss with the love of your life, a moment that you would never forget.
You had always known deep down that he was the one for you, but you had spent so long convincing yourself that a friendship was all it could ever be. But now, as you felt the warmth of his embrace and the intensity of his kiss, you realized that the love of your life could also be your best friend - the person who knows and understands you better than anyone else in the world. And in that moment, you were grateful for every step that had led you to this perfect moment with him.
Charles had to return to his Formula One season, but the two of you called every day. He made it to shows on your tour when he could, and when you traveled to France to play your home show, he was there for every minute of it. 
The crowd knew that this show was special, and fans had picked up on the new romance between you and Charles. Everyone was loving it, and older fans finally put the pieces together on the connection the two of you had. So for your home show, you played “Birds of a Feather” for everyone as a surprise, with Charles in attendance. The song had only changed meaning slightly, as you sang it with more love towards him than you’ve ever had before. Headlines were soon filled with your name along with his.
As the next year rolled around and January came, the two of you were inseparable at award shows, him proudly by your side for every one of your achievements. His smile lit up the room and his hand always found yours in the sea of people. Even when you won your first Grammy, he was there in all of your acceptance speeches, his eyes sparkling with pride.
As the year went on and you took a break from touring, you joined him on the road during his racing season. The roar of engines and smell of burning rubber filled your senses as you watched him race with skill and determination. The paddock quickly became like a second home to you, with fans flocking to meet the both of you. The Ferrari team welcomed you with open arms, treating you like family. It was a dream come true to be able to share this passion with him, and you couldn't imagine a better way to spend your time off.
Charles never dulled your shine; in fact, he basked in its radiance. He was not intimidated by your fame, but rather, he reveled in it. As you both shared stories about past relationships, Charles' understanding became apparent. He may have been known for different reasons, but he knew the highs and lows that came with celebrity status. Together, you formed an unbreakable bond of understanding and support. Life had become akin to heaven with Charles by your side, a constant source of love and grounding amidst the chaos of fame.
Together, you moved into a luxurious apartment in the heart of Monaco. The spacious living room had been transformed into your personal music studio, with instruments and recording equipment scattered about in organized chaos. The walls were adorned with posters from your past tours and handwritten lyrics. Charles stood by the window, looking out at the stunning view of the city below, while you strummed your guitar on the plush couch. The sense of security and stability he brought to your life was palpable - his presence assuring you that he would always be there, no matter where your music took you. As you played him your latest compositions, his fingers effortlessly danced across the keys of the piano, adding depth and richness to the melodies. Together, you created magic in that space - harmonizing not just in music but also in life.
As you laid in bed one night, your head rested on the pillow turned towards him, you caught him staring at you. You grinned, “What?” 
“Nothing, I’ve just never seen someone more beautiful before in my life.” He told you in a low voice, smirking at you. You rolled your eyes playfully, knowing you should’ve expected him to shower you with compliments. 
You placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, “Je t’aime chéri.” 
You both settled into bed, cuddled up next to each other. He kissed your temple, “Je t’aimerai toujours plus.”     
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jorjafrozen · 2 months
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trolls headcanons because i’m bored!! i have a couple other posts on my @obesessedwithjohndory account however im posting this from my phone and can’t get into that account on here but anyways enjoy the hcs <3
john dory and branch hatched early, bruce and floyd were late, clay was right on time
john dory is named after rosipuff’s husband/ the boys’ grandpa who died before he was born
john dory gives branch a pair of old goggles and he wears them whenever they go to events etc
the glasses branch wears in both ‘perfect’ scenes in the movie originally belonged to john dory when he was a baby
john dory is like spencer from icarly, they always tease him for never having friends his own age etc because he lives in pop village and hangs around with branch, floyd, poppy etc and they’re significantly younger than him
bruce’s favourite song is the copacabana
bruce loves seeing his kids play with their uncles
sometimes when critics come to review his restaurant he gets his brothers to come for support because despite them always leaving good reviews he always gets really anxious
bruce would love the troll version of gordon ramsay but would definitely not want him coming to his restaurant because he’d probably pass away
his kids didn’t believe he was in a band because he was very hesitant of putting brozone songs on etc
he teaches them the old choreography
clay has made his bedroom very cosy despite it being in the admin building of the golf course like it’s got fairy lights and photos of his bros + poppy & viva
clay has had a crush on viva ever since he first met her when they were little
he rarely brushes his hair, not because he doesn’t want to, just because he forgets because he’s busy doing his cpa work
clay has 2 sad book clubs, one for his friends (even though he calls them his associates) and one for his bros, viva + poppy
floyd has lots of piercings, eyebrow, lip, ears, nose etc
he was definitely wild in his teenager years, always partying, drinking and whatnot
he’s had A LOT of boyfriends in the 20 years they were apart, mainly pop or rock trolls
hes very rebellious for the first couple months after they all reunite, he’s always like “i beat death, what do you mean i can’t go skydiving?”
floyd and barb would be best friends
he’s the one to help his brothers stop arguing after a fight, it’s almost giving “don’t be like this, this isn’t like you” (☠️☠️)
branch has a lot of collectible items he found over the years when he was in his grey state
sometimes to have a laugh he’ll steal john dory’s goggles and hide them somewhere in the bunker just to see him stress out looking for them, and they’re always usually in an obvious spot like on top of a cupboard or something
john dory gave him an old photo album and he likes looking through it because he likes seeing all his brothers when they were younger
branch is a lightweight
sometimes when he’s with john dory, he’ll subconsciously rest his head on his shoulder and has fallen asleep a handful of times
and he has most definitely called john dory dad more than once
hope you liked these!!!! <3
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matttgirlies · 1 month
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Matt & Me 🎀
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a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.
fem! reader x singer! matt
disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.
warnings - age gap,, i think thats all
all of the songs and celebrities mentioned in here are from the time periods this was written if you are confused🩷
Chapter 1
It was 1956. I was living with my family at the Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas, where my father, then Captain, Joseph Paul y/ln, a career officer, was stationed. He came home late for dinner one evening and handed me a record album.
“I don’t know what this Matt guy is all about,” he said, “but he must be something special. I stood in line with half the Air Force at the PX to get this for you; everybody wants it.”
I put the record on the hi-fi and heard the rocking music of “Blue Suede Shoes.” The album was titled Matt Sturniolo. It was his first.
Like almost every other kid in America, I liked Matt but not as fanatically as many of my girl friends at Del Valley Junior High. They all had Matt T-shirts and Matt hats and Matt socks and even lipstick in colors with names like Hound Dog Orange and Heartbreak Pink referencing names of his songs. Matt was everywhere, on bubblegum cards and Bermuda shorts, on diaries and wallets and pictures that glowed in the dark. The boys at school began trying to look like him, with their fluffy hair and turned up collars.
One girl was so crazy about him that she was running his local fan club. She said I could join for twenty-five cents, the price of a book she’d ordered for me by mail. When I received it, I was shocked to see a picture of Matt signing the bare chests of a couple of girls, at that time an unheard-of act.
Then I saw him on television on Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey’s Stage Show. He was sexy and handsome, with his deep brooding eyes, pouty lips, and crooked smile. He strutted out to the microphone, spread his legs, leaned back, and strummed his guitar. Then he began singing with such confidence, moving his body with unbridled sexuality. Despite myself, I was attracted.
Some members of his adult audience were less enthusiastic. Soon his performances were labeled obscene. My mother stated emphatically that he was “a bad influence for teenage girls. He arouses things in them that shouldn’t be aroused. If there’s ever a mothers’ march against Matt Sturniolo, I’ll be the first in line.”
But I’d heard that despite all of his stage antics and lustful, tough-guy looks, Matt came from a strict Southern Christian background. He was a country boy who didn’t smoke or drink, who loved and honored his parents, and who addressed all adults as “sir” or “ma’am.”
I was an Air Force child, a shy, pretty little girl, unhappily accustomed to moving from base to base every two or three years. By the time I was eleven, I had lived in six different cities and, fearful of not being accepted, I either kept to myself or waited for someone to befriend me. I found it especially difficult entering a new school in the middle of the year, when cliques had already been established and newcomers were considered outsiders.
Small and petite, with long y/hc hair, y/ec eyes, and an upturned nose, I was always stared at by the other students. At first girls would see me as a rival, afraid I’d take their boyfriends away. I seemed to feel more comfortable with boys—and they were usually friendlier.
People always said I was the prettiest girl in school, but I never felt that way. I was skinny, practically scrawny, and even if I was as cute, as people said, I wanted to have more than just good looks. Only with my family did I really feel totally protected and loved. Close and supportive, they provided my stability.
A photographer’s model before her marriage, my mother was totally devoted to her family. As the oldest, it was my responsibility to help her with the kids. After me, there were Don, four years younger, and Michelle, my only sister, who was five years younger than Don. Jeff and the twins, Tim and Tom, hadn’t yet been born.
My mother was too shy to talk about the facts of life, so my sex education came in school, when I was in the sixth grade. Some kids were passing around a book that looked like the Bible from the outside, but when you opened it, there were pictures of men making love to women, and women making love to each other.
My body was changing and stirring with new feelings. I’d gotten looks from boys at school, and once a picture of me in a tight turtleneck sweater was stolen from the school bulletin board. Yet I was still a child, embarrassed about my own sexuality. I fantasized endlessly about French-kissing, but when my friends who hung around our house played spin the bottle, it would take me half an hour to let a boy kiss my pursed lips.
My strong, handsome father was the center of our world. He was a hard worker who had earned his degree in Business Administration at University of Texas. At home he ran a tight ship. He was a firm believer in discipline and responsibility, and he and I frequently knocked heads. When I became a cheerleader at thirteen, it was all I could do to convince him to let me go to out-of-town games. Other times no amount of crying, pleading, or appealing to my mother would change his mind. When he laid down the law, that was that.
I managed to get around him occasionally. When he refused to let me wear a tight skirt, I joined the Girl Scouts specifically so I could wear their tight uniform.
My parents were survivors. Although they often had to struggle financially, we children were the last to feel it. When I was a little girl my mother sewed pretty tablecloths to cover the orange crates that we used as end tables. Rather than do without, we made the best of what we had.
Dinner was strictly group participation: Mother cooked, one of us set the table, and the rest cleaned up. Nobody got away with anything, but we were very supportive of one another. I felt fortunate to have a close-knit family.
Going through old albums of family photographs showing my parents when they were young fascinated me. I was curious about the past. World War II intrigued me, especially since my father had fought with the Marines on Okinawa. He looked handsome in his uniform—you could tell he was posing for my mother—but somehow his smile looked out of place, especially when you realized where he was. When I read the note on the back of the picture about how much he missed my mother, my eyes filled with tears.
While rummaging through the family keepsakes I came upon a small wooden box. Inside was a carefully folded American flag, the kind that I knew was given to servicemen’s widows. Also inside the box was a picture of my mother with her arm around a strange man and, sitting on her lap, an infant. On the back of the photo was inscribed “Mommy, Daddy, y/n.” I had discovered a family secret.
Feeling betrayed, I ran to phone my mother, who was at a party nearby. Within minutes I was in her arms, crying as she calmed me and explained that when I was six months old, my real father, Lieutenant James Wagner, a handsome Navy pilot, had been killed in a plane crash while returning home on leave. Two and a half years later, she married Paul y/ln, who adopted me and had always loved me as his own.
Mother suggested I keep my discovery from the other children. She felt it would endanger our family closeness, though when it did become known, it had no effect on our feelings for one another. She gave me a gold locket that my father had given her. I cherished that locket and wore it for years and fantasized that my father died a great hero. In times of emotional pain and loneliness he would become my guardian angel.
By the end of the year, I’d been nominated to run for Queen of Del Valley Junior High. This was my first taste of politics and competition and it was especially trying because I was running against Millie Collins, my best friend.
We each had a campaign manager introducing us as we went from house to house knocking on doors. My manager tried to talk each person into voting for me and donating a penny or more per vote to a school fund. The nominee who collected the most money won. I was sure that this competition would jeopardize my friendship with Millie, which was more important to me than winning. I considered quitting but felt I couldn’t let my parents or my supporters down. While my mother was out looking for a dress for me to wear to the coronation, my dad kept reminding me to memorize an acceptance speech. I kept putting it off, certain I was going to lose.
It was the last day of the campaign, and a rumor began circulating that Millie’s grandparents had put in a hundred-dollar bill for their vote. My parents were disappointed; there was no way that they could afford to match that much money and even if they could, they objected on principle.
The night they announced the winner, I was all dressed up in a new turquoise blue, strapless tulle net formal that itched so badly I couldn’t wait to take it off. I sat beside Millie on the dais in the large school auditorium. I could see my parents with happy, confident looks on their faces though I was sure they were going to be disheartened. Then the principal walked up to the podium.
“And now,” she said, hesitating to heighten the suspense, “is the moment you’ve all been waiting for  . . . the culmination of a month of campaigning by our two lovely contestants: y/n y/ln  . . .” All eyes turned toward me. I blushed and glanced at Millie. “ . . . and Millie Collins.” Our eyes locked for a brief, tense moment.
“The new Queen of Del Valley Junior High is  . . .” A drum roll sounded. “ . . . y/n y/ln.”
The audience applauded wildly. I was in shock. Called up to the stage to give my speech, I had none. Sure that I was going to lose, I’d never even bothered to write one. I walked, trembling, to the podium, then looked out at the crowded auditorium. All I could see was my father’s face, growing more disappointed as he realized I had nothing to say. When I finally spoke, it was to apologize.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m not prepared to give a speech, as I did not expect to win. But thank you very much for voting for me. I’ll do my very best.” And then, looking at my father, I added, “I’m sorry, Dad.”
I was surprised as the audience graciously applauded, but I still had to face my father and hear him say, “I told you so.”
Being elected Queen was a bittersweet victory, because the closeness that Millie and I once shared was restrained. Still, to me that crown symbolized a wonderful, unfamiliar feeling: acceptance.
My newfound tranquility ended abruptly when my father announced that he was being transferred to Wiesbaden, West Germany.
I was crushed. Germany was the other side of the world. All my fears returned. My first thought was, What am I going to do about my friends? I turned to my mother, who was sympathetic and reminded me that we were in the Air Force and moving was an unavoidable part of our lives.
I finished junior high school, my mother gave birth to baby Jeff, and we said our goodbyes to neighbors and good friends. Everyone promised to write or call, but remembering past promises I knew better. My friend Stephanie jokingly told me that Matt Sturniolo was stationed in Bad Neuheim, West Germany. “Do you believe it? You’re going to be in the same country as Matt Sturniolo,” she said. We looked at a map and found that Bad Neuheim was close to Wiesbaden. I said back, “I’m going over there to meet Matt.” We both laughed, hugged each other, and said goodbye.
West Germany
The fifteen-hour flight to West Germany seemed interminable, but finally we arrived in the beautiful old city of Wiesbaden, headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in Europe. There we checked into the Helene Hotel, a massive and venerable building on the main thoroughfare. After three months, hotel living became too expensive and we began looking for a place to rent.
We felt lucky to find a large apartment in a vintage building constructed long before World War I. Soon after we moved in, we noticed that all the other apartments were rented to single girls. These Fräuleins walked around all day long in robes and negligees, and at night they were dressed to kill. Once we learned a little German, we realized that, although the pension was very discreet, we were living in a brothel.
Moving was out of the question—housing was too scarce—but the location did little to help me to adjust. Not only was I isolated from other American families, but there was the language barrier. I was accustomed to changing schools frequently, but a foreign country posed altogether new problems, principally that I couldn’t share my thoughts. I began to feel that my life had stopped dead in its tracks.
September came and with it, school. Once again I was the new girl. I was no longer popular and secure as I’d been at Del.
There was a place called the Eagles Club, where American service families went for dinner and entertainment. It was within walking distance of the pension and soon proved an important discovery for me. Every day after school, I’d go to the snack bar there and listen to the jukebox and write letters to my friends back home in Austin, telling them how much I missed them. Drowning in tears, I’d spend my weekly allowance playing the songs that were very popular back in the States—Frankie Avalon’s “Venus” and the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do Is Dream.”
One warm summer afternoon, I was sitting with my brother Don when I noticed a handsome man in his twenties staring at me. I’d seen him watching me before, but I’d never paid any attention to him. This time, he stood up and walked toward me. He introduced himself as Steven Wright and asked my name.
“y/n y/ln,” I said, immediately suspicious; he was much older than me.
He asked where in the States I came from, how I liked Germany, and if I liked Matt Sturniolo.
“Of course,” I said, laughing. “Who doesn’t?”
“I’m a good friend of his. My wife and I go to his house quite often. How would you like to join us one evening?”
Unprepared for such an extraordinary invitation, I grew even more skeptical and guarded. I told him I’d have to ask my parents. Over the course of the next two weeks, Steven met my parents and my father checked out his credentials. Steven was also in the Air Force and it turned out that my father knew his commanding officer. That seemed to break the ice between them. Steven assured Dad that I’d be well chaperoned when we visited Matt, who lived off base in a house in Bad Nauheim.
On the appointed night I tore through my closet, trying to find an appropriate outfit. Nothing seemed dressy enough for meeting Matt Sturniolo. I settled on a navy and white sailor dress and white socks and shoes. Surveying myself in the mirror, I thought I looked cute, but being only fourteen, I didn’t think I’d make any kind of impression on Matt.
Eight o’clock finally arrived, and so did Steven Wright and his attractive wife, Carole. Anxious, I hardly spoke to either of them during the forty-five-minute drive. We entered the small town of Bad Nauheim, with its narrow cobblestone streets and plain, old-fashioned houses, and I kept looking around for what I assumed would be Matt’s huge mansion. Instead Steven pulled up to an ordinary-looking three-story house surrounded by a white picket fence.
There was a sign on the gate in German, which translated as: autographs between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. only. Even though it was after eight o’clock, a large group of friendly German girls waited around expectantly. When I asked Steven about them, he explained that there were always large groups of fans outside the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Matt.
I followed Steven through the gate and up the short pathway to the door. We were welcomed by James Sturniolo, Matt’s father, a tall, gray-haired, attractive man, who led us down a long hallway to the living room, from which I could hear Brenda Lee on the record player, singing “Sweet Nothin’s.”
The plain, almost drab living room was filled with people, but I spotted Matt immediately. He was handsomer than he appeared in films, younger and more vulnerable-looking with his haircut. He was in civilian clothes, a bright red sweater and tan slacks, and he was sitting with one leg swung over the arm of a large overstuffed chair, with a cigar dangling from his lips.
As Steven led me over to him, Matt stood up and smiled. “Well,” he said. “What have we here?”
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I just kept staring at him.
“Matt,” Steven said, “this is y/n y/ln. The girl I told you about.”
We shook hands and he said, “Hi, I’m Matt Sturniolo,” but then there was a silence between us until Matt asked me to sit down beside him, and Steven drifted off.
“So,” Matt said. “Do you go to school?”
“Yes.”
“What are you, about a junior or senior in high school?”
I blushed and said nothing, not willing to reveal that I was only in the ninth grade.
“Well,” he persisted.
“Ninth.”
Matt looked confused. “Ninth what?”
“Grade,” I whispered.
“Ninth grade,” he said and started laughing. “Why, you’re just a baby.”
“Thanks,” I said curtly. Not even Matt Sturniolo had the right to say that to me.
“Well. Seems the little girl has spunk,” he said, laughing again, amused by my response. He gave me that charming smile of his, and all my resentment just melted away.
We made small talk for a while longer. Then Matt got up and walked over to the piano and sat down. The room suddenly grew silent. Everyone’s eyes were focused on him as he began to entertain us.
He sang “Rags to Riches” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and then with his friends singing harmony, “End of the Rainbow.” He also did a Jerry Lee Lewis impersonation, pounding the keys so hard that a glass of water he’d set on the piano began sliding off. When Matt caught it without missing a beat of the song, everyone laughed and applauded except me. I was nervous. I glanced around the room and saw an intimidating life-size poster of a half-nude model on the wall. She was the last person I wanted to see, with her fulsome body, pouting lips, and wild mane of tousled hair. Imagining Matt’s taste in women, I felt very young and out of place.
I glanced up and saw Matt trying to get my attention. I noticed that the less response I showed, the more he began singing just for me. I couldn’t believe that Matt Sturniolo was trying to impress me.
Later, he asked me to come into the kitchen, where he introduced me to his grandmother, Minnie Mae Sturniolo, who stood by the stove, frying a huge pan of bacon. As we sat down at the table, I told Matt I wasn’t hungry. Actually I was too nervous to eat.
“You’re the first girl I’ve met from the States in a long time,” Matt said, as he began devouring the first of five gigantic bacon sandwiches, each one smothered with mustard. “Who are the kids listening to?”
I laughed. “Are you kidding?” I said. “Everyone listens to you.”
Matt seemed unconvinced. He asked me a lot of questions about Fabian and Ricky Nelson. He told me he was worried about how his fans would accept him when he returned to the States. Since he’d been away, he hadn’t made any public appearances or movies, although he’d had five hit singles, all recorded before he’d left.
It felt like we’d just begun talking when Steven came in and pointed to his watch. I had dreaded that moment; the evening had gone so fast. It seemed I had just arrived and now I was being hurried away. Matt and I had just started to get to know each other. I felt like Cinderella, knowing that when my curfew came, all this magic would end. I was surprised when Matt asked Steven if I could possibly stay longer. When Steven explained the agreement with my father, Matt casually suggested that maybe I could come by again. Though I wanted to more than anything in the world, I didn’t really believe it would happen.
a/n - thoughts on this story so far? all the fashion and technology and things is still based in the time period its set in but i promise it gets better as the story goes on! i know the age gap is crazy but back in the day it was normal and its the age gap in Priscilla’s book so i just stuck with it. I in no way support this at all🎀
Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd.
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anyarose011 · 3 days
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December Never Felt So Wrong {Angus Tully x Reader}
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Summary: You didn't want to go anymore; not after what just happened in your room with Angus. Still, you had to. In the end...well, happy birthday, Jesus; sorry your party was so lame.
Part 6 of ?? (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)
Warnings: Swearing, in depth discussions of grief, mention of character death.
The song is for you theatre kids; yes, there is a Christmas album of the cast of Hadestown. While I love the original, the one with Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada hits different. I think this was my favorite one to right so far; especially with the interactions with Mary and Elise. Also, lol, possible interpretation of reader's character having a thing for Elise? Again, it's all up to you, but just wanted to say that. Also, part 3 of not being able to escape being an awkward/moody teenager because it's a fanfiction. Anywho, hope you guys cry, but it'll be worth it :)
Word Count: 6.1k
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You dared not look at Angus the whole drive to Miss Crane’s house. Even when getting into the car, you avoided his gaze like Lot did Sodom and Gomorrah. There was no way, after he was more than likely going to kiss you (or you him), could you even acknowledge his existence.
But why did you stop yourself from kissing him?
No matter, as your father drove all of you to Miss Crane’s house, you managed to block out that question which clawed at your mind. The door was unlocked when you four arrived at seven, and you filtered in. The house was still heavily decorated in Christmas paraphernalia like you had seen it days ago when you were with Elise. Yet, with how many people were gathered on just the first floor alone, it almost felt as if you were entering a stranger’s house.
Well…not exactly.
Truth be told, this was neither you nor your father’s first Christmas party with Miss Crane. You went with your mother to only one before she passed, and even though Miss Crane would still hold out invitations for you and your father…neither of you ever went. Elise and her aunt would understand of course, especially in the first years after your mother passed; Christmas is always a complicated time after the death of a loved one.
“You made it!” Miss Crane’s voice of gratitude and her gently clutching your arm broke your thoughts. “Welcome. Oh, I’m so glad you’re here!”
She had looked at Mary once you nodded with a smile, and Mary mirrored her. “We’re happy to be here. Where should I put these?”
Miss Crane lifted the cover of the brownies Mary was holding at and gasped before taking the tray. “Those I’ll be putting on my bedside table.”
Mary laughed. “Oh, you’re a wicked woman!”
“You have no idea.”
“Certainly a lot of people here!”
Leave it to your father for that to be the first thing he says. Still, Miss Crane took it in stride.
“Yeah, yeah, some family, friends from town. Only you guys from work.”
She spent her time pointing out all of her family members (some you remembered, most you had no idea who they were), and you were honestly blanking out. Up until you saw a familiar face.
“Elise!” You cheered as if she was your guardian angel. You hadn’t even noticed Angus wandered off to stare at a snow globe until you saw him visibly flinch upon your exclamation.
Your friend laughed as you embraced her. “Nice to see you too.”
“It’s been forever!”
“It’s been two days.”
The adults around you merely chuckled, and once again, it was Miss Crane who spoke up. “This is Angus Tully, he’s one of our students at Barton. Angus, this is my niece, Elise.”
Neither of you had pulled away from each other during this whole introduction and were merely still wrapped in each other’s arms as if it were normal. Still, it did not escape you how, once Elise and Angus’ eyes met, it was as if you weren’t there.
“Niece Elise.” He nodded, smiling. “Nice.”
And it seemed like he felt the same. So, there you were, between them in a strange physical and emotional sense. Of course, you were selfish, so you couldn’t revel in the discomfort for long.
“You must forgive him.” You said to Elise but loud enough for everyone to hear. “He’s so simple minded, he finds rhymes to be most intriguing.”
She giggled, shaking her head, and Angus rolled his eyes. “Can you go one night without being mean to me?”
“Fitzwilliam,” you smiled, pulling away from Elise. “you’re asking me not to breathe.”
Your father intervened. “Alright you two; no need to fight when we’ve barely gotten through the door.”
Miss Crane tapped his shoulder, looking back at Elise. “This is Mr. Hunham. He’s one of our finest teachers. History, right?”
“Ancient Civilizations.” He said.
It seemed like her words fell on deaf ears to you, Elise, and Angus. The way they were looking at each other…how Elise would glance at everyone only for her eyes to land back on Angus, and how it was the same for him too…
Neither of them ever looked at you though; only at each other.
Miss Crane called your name, and then Elise’s. “Why don’t you take Angus to the basement and introduce him to our family tradition? Do you remember?” She asked you.
You were honestly so discombobulated, you could only huff. “Good lord, it’s been years.”
“Oh hush, you remember.” Elise teased. “Come on.”
She led you and Angus down to the basement, and you both followed. It was almost frightening how much whiplash you’d gotten just from taking one step down the stairs and was immediately met with Holly Jolly Christmas and the smell of glue. Several kids, as young as five and as old as eleven, sat down at the tables you sat at only once, creating what they deemed to be works of art.
“This is what you wanted to show me?” Angus chuckled.
It was normal for someone to laugh at it. Hell, you knew he was laughing with it, but this was the most he had been on your nerves all week (for many reasons you were too bothersome to list).
“I grew up playing down here during my aunt’s parties.” Elsie smiled, tilting her head to you. “She was only here once, but I still think the pieces we’ve made should be hung in the National Gallery, don’t you agree?” She said your name.
You put on a smile. “For sure.”
“I think it’s kind of cool.” She said. “There’s a purity to it. I mean, every child is an artist. The problem is remaining an artist when we grow up. Picasso said that.”
She could study Art History, perfect her French, move to Paris and work as a tour guide in the Louvre. That was a dream she told you she had ever since you were children; but yet there she was, throwing it all away to flirt with a boy she had just met.
One who wasn’t even attractive at that (not the first lie you told yourself that night).
“Picasso’s cool.” Angus immediately said. “I saw Guérnica once. You know, the big mural, with the horse?”
He attempted to pose like the painting you wish you could see, and it was so dreadful you didn’t know which one was worse; that or him and Elise’s incessant talking about the stupid painting at the stupid Museum of Modern Art in stupid New York City. So, to spare yourself, you immediately ducked into a small table of little girls; something you thought you would do only if you were held at knife point.
Still…they were actually sweet, surprisingly. You all would ramble about meaningless things, which perhaps made it all the more meaningful when you would laugh at the stories they told you; whether it was something tame that happened in kindergarten, or what a third grade girl said to you.
“Boys are stupid.”
You nodded. “That they are. Although, I’ve found that a few of them are nice.”
“I said they’re stupid, not mean.”
“Well, they can be. But again,” you reiterated. “they can be sweet.”
“Not like my daddy.” A six-year-old girl spoke up, drawing on her paper plate with a purple crayon shorter than your temper around some men. “Mama says she ‘put him in the doghouse’. Which is weird, we don’t even have a dog, why would we make a house for him?”
You fought every part of yourself to not laugh. So, you merely smiled politely. “That does seem rather unusual.”
“You talk funny.” One of the older girls said.
“So do you.” Was your reply.
“Do not!”
“Do too.”
“Do not!”
You were about to continue the ridiculous chain until you heard Elise laugh. Your head immediately snapped to see how she and Angus were hunched over some paper with their hands completely covered in paint. It was like the aftermath of a car crash; you couldn’t look away no matter how much you knew deep down it would only hurt you to keep watching.
She had that look in her eyes you rarely ever had with boys, and although you were practically on the other side of the room from them, you could cut the tension with a knife if you had one; and proceed to stab yourself like Juliet.
Then, like you knew she would, Elise kissed him.
That’s what made you tear your gaze away, and you took your father’s advice from long ago: once you felt sick, you ran away.
Your chest was constricting by the time you got up the stairs, and you wanted to say it was because of going up them so quickly, but it wasn’t. Hell, it wasn’t fully because of seeing them kiss, it was a little, but there was something else; what, you had no idea.
This was all your own fault anyway; you told her from the start you didn’t like him (you didn’t, what’s made you change?) and that she’d probably like him (they’d be good for each other too; she’s sweet, he’s not, they’d balance each other out).
Taking a deep breath to calm your racing heart, you decided that whatever was weighing on your shoulders, you weren’t going to let it ruin the rest of your night; Angus and Elise be damned. You decided to people watch to soothe our worries and create imaginary stories for each and every person that passed your way; a game you and your mother played whenever you went out.
There was an older man with his wife, both perhaps in their early nineties. They met in Boston by chance, he had grown up there, she was from Wyoming perhaps and wanted to experience a city to the east that wasn’t New York.
A woman just a little older than you sat by herself with a drink in her hand. She told herself and everyone else she’s content with just sitting against the wall, watching the room be full of life, and she genuinely meant it.
Your father…oh! He was talking with Miss Crane, and it seemed to be going well.
So, to give him privacy, you decided to further wander around the house. All seemed well as Christmas carols played throughout the halls, until you reached the kitchen.
There, hunched over in the corner with her shoes off, was Mary Lamb, trembling. You felt your soul leave your body, and your eyes met Danny (you hadn’t even known he was there until you saw him move towards you).
“I…” He began. “Do you want to try to talk to her?”
All you could do was nod, approaching her. “Mary?”
She shook her head, not saying a word. You stood beside her and saw as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Your breath shuttered with hers; you already knew. Even without her having to tell you, you already knew.
“Do…do you want me to get my dad?” You asked meekly.
Mary didn’t say anything. You just looked at Danny and nodded. Turning on your heel, your chest wasn’t constricting, but you felt like there was something rotten within your stomach. Something so rotten only a parasite would find it delicious and decide to eat every part of you.
Which is of course when you would quite literally bump into Angus Tully coming back up from the basement.
“Hey,” he greeted with the biggest smile on his face. “thought you got lost, where-?” Just as he saw your fallen face, his did as well. “Are you okay?”
You swallowed thickly, feeling tears spring into your eyes. “Where’s my dad?”
“What happened?” He softened his voice and it only made you want to tear him apart.
Shaking your head, you asked again. “Where is he? I…”
He said your name, repeating his question. “What happened?”
Taking a deep breath, you only said. “Mary…”
Angus nodded, not needing anything else. “I’ll go find him.”
You turned back to the kitchen, waiting with bated breath and arms crossed. Your father and Angus came in soon after, seeing Mary the exact same way you saw her over the kitchen counter.
“Mary?” Your father asked gently. “Mary, are you all right?”
“Just leave me alone.” She grumbled.
Danny placed a hand on her back. “Want me to take you home?”
“Back off!” She hissed, turning around. “Back off.”
Your father shut the door as she cried, and you felt shame that you couldn’t even pick your gaze up from the floor while it all happened.
“He’s gone.” She sobbed, and that was all it took for everyone to decide to go home.
Your throat was clogged with emotion the whole time, and you felt bad for asking to say goodbye to Elise as Mary clung to your father and Angus.
“Just make it quick.” Your dad said, and you didn’t even take time to nod, sprinting back to the basement.
It was as if nothing changed, and she smiled up at you once you came down the stairs.
“So?” Her face was all aglow as if you had something good to tell her.
“I…” you swallowed. “We have to go.”
“What?”
“Mary uh, her son…well…” Why couldn’t you just say it?!
Elise nodded. “Oh…I’m sorry.”
“No, no,” you shook your head. “I’m just sorry we have to go; I was having fun.”
She tilted her head to the side, her gentle smile being a dead giveaway, she knew you were lying. But, to not bring that up, you tried another tactic.
“So…Angus.”
Elise shook her head, laughing. “He’s nice and smart too; I can see why you’re friends with him.”
You cringed. “I wouldn’t really say that.”
She said your name, a little more serious. “I know something’s bothering you. I don’t know if it’s with Mary or Angus, but please just tell me.”
It was a lot of things; not being able to go to Copenhagen, Teddy Kountze and Jason Smith being sorry excuses for men, the damn letters, Angus Tully telling your father about the damn letters, Angus Tully in general, the stupid Christmas party and…and…
“I’m…I’m glad you like him.”
No, it wasn’t that but that’s all your mouth could form.
She nodded. “I do, but now after meeting him in person,” she shrugged. “just a friend. Not even really, I barely know him. I don’t know why you’d think he’d be my type.”
“You kissed him.”
“Yeah?”
“What do you mean ‘yeah’?!” You cried. “Don’t lie to me and say you didn’t even have the tiniest crush on him.”
“Like how you’re lying to me right now?”
That was uncalled for (in your mind at the time, in actuality, yeah it was called for). “What?”
“I asked you what’s bothering you, but you’re not telling me.” She looked annoyed now, and that was worse than if she was fuming. “Look, unless you like killed someone, it can’t be that bad.”
Swallowing thickly, you took a few moments to try your best to recover yourself. Saying hesitantly. “I…I think I’m being stupid.”
“That’s impossible.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Why are you stupid?”
“I don’t want you to leave me for some dumb boy.”
She stared at you, and you were surprised how quickly she responded despite the astonished look on her face. “First of all, not going to happen-.”
“-You say that now.”
“Let me finish, please. Second of all, you’re not stupid because of that; not for anything, mind you.”
Taking a deep breath, you shook your head and leaned against the wall of the basement, Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in your ears. “I don’t know why I’m making a big deal about it.”
“It’s normal.” She leaned with you. “Half of my friend group back home ditched me to spend more time with their boyfriends. What’s funny is that some of them have a new one every month.”
“It shouldn’t be normal.”
“It shouldn’t,” She shook her head. “and for the record, I meant it’s normal to freak out about it. I want you to know thought that I won’t do that, and you better not either.”
“Never.” You chuckled. “Besides, a boy has to like me first for that to happen.”
Elise grinned as if she was the Chesire Cat from Alice in Wonderland
“What?” You gave her a look.
“I think you should talk to him.”
You already knew who he was, but your heart still stopped. “I…I…him?! Which him?”
 “Just talk to him.”
You stood absolutely still…What the flying fuck were you supposed to do with that information?! Before you could utter another word, Elise hugged you tightly. “Merry Christmas,” she said your name so sweetly before pulling away but still holding you at arm’s length. “if you need anything, just come over; I’ll be here until after News Years.”
All you could do was nod, wishing her a ‘Merry Christmas’ and then having her walk with you up the stairs and out the door. Everyone was waiting for you in the car, and you somberly entered the other side in the back.
“Are you okay, baby?” Mary, to your surprise, was the one to ask.
“Uh huh.” Was your immediate response, nodding.
The rest of the car ride back to Barton was silent, and it began to snow.
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It was the second time (two too many) you lied to Mary that winter break; you weren’t fine. You laid awake deep into the night despite the fact you couldn’t hear your father snoring anymore. You not being able to sleep only caused you more stress, which caused you not to sleep.
After tossing and turning for perhaps almost an hour, one thought made you sit up in bed.
You forgot to lay out Christmas cookies and milk.
You also forgot to make the Christmas cookies.
So, not having anything else better to do, you slipped on your shoes, stole your father’s flashlight, and snuck down into the kitchen.
You only needed the flashlight in the darkened halls, because to your surprise, the kitchen was completely illuminated. If that wasn’t enough, you saw Mary sitting at the main counter, smoking a cigarette. You stopped in the doorway, almost hiding behind the corner like you were a little girl again when you first met her.
She glanced at you, not that surprised. “What’re you doing up?”
You pursed your lips. “I wanna make Christmas cookies.”
It was stupid. Even if Santa existed, he wouldn’t bother with a stupid school, so why keep putting out cookies and milk only for you or your father to always be the one eating them and making a joke out of it Christmas morning?
Because why not?
“Okay if I help?” She asked.
A hint of a smile spread upon your lips. “If you don’t mind.”
You and Mary could tie your own aprons, but whenever you cooked together, you liked tying each other’s. You didn’t argue as she told you what ingredients to grab, and soon, after mixing together the wet and dry ingredients, then rolling the dough out, you were placing down several upon several different cookie cutters.
It all seemed well, working with only limited amount of talking but still smiling, and then, the thought that loomed in the back of your mind came forward.
“You alright?” You looked up at her and nodded without saying anything. She sighed, saying your name. “I know you’re not; and I know you weren’t after talking to miss Elise. Now, what is it?”
“Tell her.” your thoughts urged over and over again.
“I…” You sucked in a breath. “Can I ask you something? And you can tell me to fuck off if it’s-.”
“-Hey,” she interrupted. “baby Jesus is being born in half an hour, don’t use that kind of language; but yes, what is it?”
You surprised yourself by laughing briefly, then asking. “What was he like? Like…before I met him?”
Mary looked up, and for a moment you thought she was going to break down again, but she shook her head, returning back to cutting the cookies and placing them on the baking sheet. “Not much different from when you were nine and he was ten.”
“He always teased me for being two years older than me until he realized my birthday was before his,” you smiled. “then he wasn’t so old for a while.”
She nodded. “I think that was the only thing he was competitive at.”
“What was the first thing he wanted to be when he grew up?”
“Fireman.” She answered without having to think.
You grinned. “And what’d you think of that?”
“I knew he’d grow out of it.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“What was little Mary like?”
She huffed, a jesting smile on her face and that was enough for you. “Young, in love, could be freer than a bird one moment, and then quiet with her nose in her Bible the next.”
“How’d you meet Curtis’ dad?”
“School,” she peeled the last residue cookie dough off the cookies. “we were in choir together.”
“Wait a minute,” You giggled, picking up one of the sheets of cookies. “you never said you were in choir!”
She took the other one, and you both walked to the preheated oven, and she opened it. “I thought that was obvious when I took you and Curtis to church?”
“We were too busy plugging our little ears.”
“Hey!” She scolded after sliding in her sheet.
“Because of Old Lady Washington!”
“I understand if her singing was like a dying cat, but she was a good woman, God rest her soul. So, you say a prayer for her right now, you nasty, rotten creature.”
Sighing heavily, you take one hand off the tray you were holding to make the sign of the cross, and mouth a prayer.
“That’s better.” Mary nodded. “You want me to put the cookies in for you?”
“I’m a big girl.” You stated proudly, but as you bent down to slide the baking sheet into the oven, you hesitated, feeling the heat already burn your fingers.
You gave it to Mary yet felt no shame doing so.
“You wanna frost them?” She asked, and you both sat down at the table, waiting for them to bake.
“No.” You shook your head. “Too tired.”
“Thank you.” Mary said. “It’s…it’s good to talk about Curtis. I think I miss you both being little the most; don’t tell your dad I said that.”
Chuckling, a memory came to mind; one you thought you would take to your grave but…perhaps it was a good time to share it.
“You know…” you trailed off, a hint of sudden uneasy but joy lacing your insides. “Shit, I’ve never told anyone this before. But…he and I were each other’s first kiss.”
“Oh, I’ve known that.” Mary answered nonchalantly. “It was the first thing he told me when he got home that night.”
“Are you kidding me?!” You laughed.
“Hey,” She said playfully. “keep it down; the men need their beauty sleep.”
Shaking your head, you couldn’t help your giggling. “I mean, fuck, it meant nothing; we weren’t even teenagers, we just watched it in movies, saw my mom and dad do it like once, so of course we were curious. No, no, you wanna know the best part?” Sudden laughter filled your lungs, and you could barely make a coherent sentence. “I-I had a crush on him from thirteen to fifteen, and he had a crush on me when he was ten until he was, God I don’t actually remember. He enlists months ago, not even a full year, and before he goes that’s when he tells me had liked when we were kids. It-It meant nothing, he just wanted to let me know and-!”
Mary’s hand on yours never grounded you faster. Your whole world stopped, and when you looked at her, seeing her eyes that were both concerned, but not at all shocked, your heart did as well. You dropped your head in shame.
“I’m sorry.”
“Never be.” She squeezed your hand.
“I…” you suddenly lost your voice for a second. “I think I…I think I miss him.”
What a stupid way to say it. Of course you did, you had been ever since your father woke you up in the early morning to let you know. Still…what you knew the whole night, what the most bothersome thing that had been festering within you was:
“He’s really gone.”
“Me too.” She said softly, pulling you into a hug.
You couldn’t cry. You wanted to, God, you wanted to. You teared up this time around, but somehow, despite realizing everything all at once…no cathartic outburst, no weeping and screaming without a care in the world…
Just you and Mary Lamb, holding each other for only God knows how long.
“Oh,” Mary’s voice took you out of the peacefulness, and turned to see what she was looking at. “another one.”
 There, in a white shirt and plaid pajama pants, was Angus Tully; hiding behind the corner just as you did.
“I’m surprised you managed to make your way through the school without bumping into anything.” Mary stole the comment you would’ve made if you weren’t frozen already.
Angus leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and smiling. “I’m surprised neither of you heard it. What’re you doing up so late?”
He was looking at you when he asked, and you wanted to take the butter knife off the counter and gouge out his eyes to get him to stop.
Instead, all you said was. “Christmas cookies.”
“Nice.” He nodded, and the kitchen was left in a silence colder than the air outside.
Mary looked in between the both of you, before pursing her lips and untying her apron. “Well, I’m off to bed.”
“But-.” You began.
“-Angus, you’ll help take the cookies out of the oven, won’t you?” She asked him. “Little Jane Bennett’s always been scared of getting burnt.”
“Mary.” You warned, both about exposing your irrational fear, and also leaving you alone.
He nodded, grinning from ear to ear, and you wanted to throw him out an open window. “For sure.”
“Alright,” she sighed in relief, then walking past him to her room. “Merry Christmas you two, and don’t stay up too late.”
“No promises.” Angus joked, turning his head. When he looked back at you, you stood a little taller as if trying to compete with his height. He stuck his hands in his pockets. “Hey, I actually wanted to tell you-
“-Would you like some hot chocolate?” You sputtered out.
He blinked, taking in your question. “Yeah…yeah that sounds great. I don’t know where they keep the packets-.”
“-No, I’ll make you what my mom made me.”
…Was this your way of telling him you liked him? It could be worse; you could’ve said: ‘You’re so pretty, I want to throw a rock at you.’
Still, he smiled. “Alright then, what do we need?”
Technically, high quality chocolate, but you were at Barton; which would spend its funds on fancy buildings and overpriced textbooks, but not chocolate, which was complete bullshit.
So, the two of you stood over the stove, milk in a saucepan, a small tub of vanilla, salt, half a bag of M&Ms (courtesy of Angus Tully’s payment for waking you up the week before), whipped cream, and a full jar of milk chocolate chips.
“Why are we putting salt into hot chocolate?” He asked as you stirred the milk.
“It enhances the taste, besides, it’s just a pinch. Okay, pour in the chocolate.”
“All of it?”
“No, just…you know, my mom eyeballed it, so just don’t do all of it.”
He nodded, and you moved aside as he poured in half of the jar. You stirred it in as it quickly melted, then poured what you guessed to be a tablespoon of vanilla in. Your stirring was hypnotizing, so of course you zoned out, and didn’t even realize it until Angus brushed your bare arm.
You jumped, gaze immediately snapping to him. “What?”
He gave you a look; not one of annoyance like you expected. Well, there was a hint of that, but you quickly found out it was to mask concern. “I asked you what you thought of the party before Mary.”
“Oh…” you blinked. “Yeah, it was nice.”
Angus nodded. “You ran off at one point, what happened?”
“Bathroom; girl stuff.” You hoped that was enough to throw him off your trail, which it was.
He visibly tensed. “Oh…”
“Yeah.” you dropped your gaze back to the hot chocolate.
The only sound was the whisk hitting the saucepan as you stirred, then pulled it out to let it sit.
“So uh, is that why you’ve been acting weird this whole day?”
You slammed the whisk on the counter. “How fucking dare you!”
He flinched. “What?!”
“Is pissing blood the only good reason why I’d be like this?”
“Well, if I was, I’d be a bit impatient too.”
“You-,” you laughed, exasperated. “you’re a piece of shit.”
He clenched his jaw. “So then why are you upset?”
Avoiding his gaze, you mustered up the only other truth you could tell him. “I can’t find one of my books.”
Angus scoffed. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously!” You gritted your teeth. “My dad read it to me all the time as a kid, and I couldn’t find it when packing last week, so I’ve just been-.”
“-Bullshit, it can’t be that good of a book.”
 “Fuck you, it’s The Little Prince!”
“Look,” He hardened his tone. “I’m not buying it. And if it’s not you being a girl that apparently makes you hate me so much today, or really any day of the week, than what is it?”
The egg timer went off with a loud ringing. You quickly shut it off, having to stop yourself from slamming it back on the counter. You took the oven mitts and opened the oven, reaching in for one of the baking sheets.
After placing down that one, you turned to get the other only to see that Angus, with a washcloth in his hand, held the other. He placed the sheet down by yours.
Throwing the oven mitts off, you sighed heavily, rubbing your temples. Once you found an ounce of calmness, you said. “I know you told my dad.”
You didn’t even say what he told him, he already knew. His face fell, and it was the first time you wished it didn’t. You wished he denied it, got angry at you, hell, blame you for it somehow like so many other boys could have.
But he didn’t…he was ashamed.
Angus tucked his hands into his pockets, avoiding your gaze. “I…I was worried about you.”
Your heart stammered. “Why?”
“It…” he was confused. “What do you mean ‘why’? Some guy who your family isn’t friends with anymore was telling you to take pictures of yourself-.”
“-That’s none of your business.”
“It was for a while; not now, but that’s why I told your dad.”
You swallowed thickly, the emotion of the party, missing Curtis, and now threatening to fully break you. You shook your head. “I’m not angry at you; I’m…sorry I treated you weirdly, but…I don’t know.”
He took a deep breath. “I get it.”
You were both left in silence once again. You took a spoon out of one of the drawers, preparing yourself to taste test it. Then, to fill the empty air, you asked the only thing on your mind.
“So…Elise.”
He looked at you, then down at the counter. “What about her?”
“She’s sweet.”
“Yeah…yeah, she’s nice.”
“So,” you dragged out the ‘O’, almost having fun with teasing him about a girl as if you didn’t know how he felt about you. “do you like her?”
He furrowed his brow. “What, like, like like her?”
Giggling, you said. “Well yeah, you immature asshole.”
“I’m not immature.” He fired back, trying to hide his smile.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”
“And for the record, no, I don’t like her like that.”
You nodded. “Not even when she kissed you?”
His lips thinned into a line, and you never saw a man look more uncomfortable from your own doing (besides when you alluded to him not being able to pleasure a woman only yesterday when he dislocated his arm). “Yeah, even when she kissed me.”
You smiled even though you felt strange. You took the spoon and dipped it into the hot chocolate. “Was that your first?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t know what’s the matter with you.” You teased, bringing the spoon up to your lips. “You closed your eyes, and when you opened them, you realized a pretty girl kissed you.”
“What if I wished it was you?”
You brought the spoon away from your lips instantly; both from how hot it was, and from what he had just admitted.
Immediately, he realized what he said, and stumbled over his words. “I-I uh, shit I didn’t-.”
“-Hot.” You interrupted, your mouth burning. “Yeah, yeah, it’s hot.”
“Oh.” He jumped back. “Uh, do you need water or-?”
“-No, no, I’m fine.” An idea (a horrid and dreadful one) came to mind when you turned off the stove and took the sauce pan off the burner. “Um…do you want to taste it?”
Angus nodded, wanting to do anything but acknowledge what just happened. “Yeah, yeah sure.”
He turned to grab a spare spoon off the counter behind him, but you took his face into your hands and brought your lips to his.
There was a delay in his reaction, but soon, his arms wrapped around you, and he pulled you in impossibly closer. Even if it technically wasn’t either of your first kiss, you acted as if it was; well…perhaps it actually was, at least a real one. It was sloppy, there wasn’t a rhythm (you didn’t even know you needed one to properly kiss apparently), and you were torn between keeping your hands on his face or trailing them through his hair.
Which is why you pulled away as soon as you felt it started. Angus, still with his eyes closed, leaned back into you at the loss, but soon snapped out of it once you backed away, catching your breath.
“Are…” he was catching his too. “are you okay?”
“What?” You asked, almost out of it. “Yeah just, needed to breathe.”
“Yeah-yeah, me too.”
It should’ve been uncomfortable; the most uncomfortable you’ve felt the whole night…but then, after you both could breathe normally, and looked at each other, you started laughing.
“How-how was it?” He asked in between snickers.
Your face hurt from smiling. “My lips are burning.”
“Really?”
“I mean, from the hot chocolate but-.”
“-You’re mean.” He shoved you playfully.
You scoffed. “And you’re just a baby. So, how’d it taste?”
His teasing halted. “…What?”
“The hot chocolate.” You asked innocently. “Did it taste good?”
Still being thrown through a loop, he took a longer time to respond before quite literally shaking himself out of it. “Uh, yeah-yeah. I uh-don’t add anything, it’s good.”
“Nice. Hand me some mugs, top shelf to the right.”
He followed without complaint, and you served up the hot chocolate, then drowning both of them in whipped cream before crushing up the M&Ms and sprinkling them on top.
The cookies were cooled by then, so you shared them as well while drinking your hot chocolate. Just as you spoke with the little girls at your table, you spoke about things that, to anyone else, would be meaningless; stories from childhood, school, books, the list went on. Still, for the first time in many days…it felt like there was no tension of any kind between you.
When all was said and done, you cleaned your dishes, then set out cookies and milk.
“For Santa?” He asked.
“Who else?” You questioned.
And this was when you knew Angus Tully was a good person. Despite the opening for overbearing teasing, and how you wouldn’t have minded it at all, he didn’t do anything of the sort. He simply smiled.
The two of you walked hand in hand back to the infirmary, taking extra care to be quiet. When you were in the doorway of your room, you turned to Angus.
“Merry Christmas.” You grinned, feeling your heart do somersaults the way he looked at you.
“Merry Christmas.” He said back, smiling as he cupped your face and kissed your cheek so tenderly.
Your face could’ve lit up the room once he pulled away you were smiling so much. You both uttered another ‘goodnight’ to each other and made your way to your beds.
You didn’t sleep much that night, but instead of it being from grief, it was from excitement. Excitement of finally letting something good happen to you.
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awildeternity · 1 month
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Kendrick Lamar vs Drake, my own little rant
FIRST OFF, THIS HAS CREATED SOME OF THE MOST IMMACULATE MUSIC I'VE EVER LISTENED TO. I AM VIBRATING AND NOT MANAGING TO CALM DOWN, SO I'M GOING TO RANT ABOUT IT. There's so much background to this. Drake was the one to originally put Kendrick on the world stage. Kendrick was literally an opener for one of Drake's tours back in 2012. That was before Section.80, which was Kendrick's first real studio album, and even then it was more of a mixtape at the time. So, Drake and K-dot were always basically involved with one another. However, while I don't know all of the background to it, I'm pretty sure Drake has been taking shots at literally like half of the rap game for the past few years. Future, A$AP Rocky, Kanye, and obviously Kendrick a couple of times. Saying that his first big hit was basically because of Drake, and that he kept doing features with big artists like Rihanna (LOYALTY.) and SZA (All the Stars). This all leads to a lot of bullshit recently. I'm not EXACTLY sure on the timeline (Feel free to correct me if there is anything wrong), but there are a couple of notable events, notably Drake using a *AI VOICE OF TUPAC* in a song (which led to him getting a cease and desist and a LOT of heat because, well, obviously.) Kendrick accuses him of being a culture vulture, basically trying to appropriate the Black US culture that he did not grow up with. LET'S REMEMBER DRAKE WAS ORIGINALLY BORN IN A GATED COMMUNITY FOR WHITE PEOPLE IN TORONTO. HE HAS NEVER BEEN "HOOD", NEVER LIVED THROUGH GANG VIOLENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HE STEALS ACCENTS TO SEEM LIKE HE BELONGS AND BASICALLY APPROPRIATES THE CULTURE LIKE A BITCH. I'm pretty sure J.Cole also dropped a song that called himself, Drake and Kendrick the "Big 3" of the Rap Game, to which Kendrick responded in Like That by saying "Fuck the Big 3, [] it's just big me." which obviously means that he considers himself a step above both of them. That's basically when we get to the most recent stuff, and the MEAT of the topic. Drake drops Push Ups. It is some tame shit, let's be honest with ourselves. That song calls out the fact that Drake "handed" Kendrick his first number one hit, which, yeah, he kind of did, but whatever. There's picks at Kendrick's height, his foot size, the fact that his label TOP DOG takes 50% (Hence the lyrics "drop and give me 50" and the push ups title, dropping a song and giving TPE 50% of the profits) Also calling K-dot "wiped down" by more popular artists like SZA, Travis Scott and 21 Savage. Also weirdly enough taking a shot at Metro, a producer that had worked with Kendrick on Like That, but like, why??? AND THEN. FOR A FEW WEEKS, KENDRICK SAYS NOTHING. ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, THOUGH, HE DROPS THE ABSOLUTE BOMB THAT IS EUPHORIA. Euphoria is the title of Drake's show he co-produced that got a bunch of heat for having some weird sexualisation of teenage girls, which is already a pretty good hit, but the LYRICS THEMSELVES. KENDRICK LITERALLY CALLS OUT DRAKE ON SO MANY THINGS. Talking about how he's not a rap artist but a scam artist that wants to be accepted (culture vulture, again), talking about the Tupac shit with "I'd rather do that than let a Canadian [] make Pac turn in his grave", once again calling out Drake being fucking CANADIAN and trying to appropriate the culture. Also making a reference to YMW Kelly and calling Drake and J.Cole his "friends" (YMW Kelly murdered two of his friends, hence why that is a diss and not a compliment.) I have to comment on the absolute HATE FEST too. "I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct We hate the bitches you fuck 'cause they confuse themself with real women And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'"
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tip-top-cloud-surfer · 11 months
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The Forgotten Nest (Part 5) - Rooster
Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw / Mitchell!OC (Cora)
Word Count: 3.9k
This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only
Warnings: Past Unplanned Teenage Pregnancy; Angst; Absent Father Figures; The 'He Didn't Know About the Pregnancy' Trope; Repeating Trauma Cycles; Crying; Arguing; Verbal Altercation; Named Mitchell Daughter OC (Cora) and Named Mitchell-Bradshaw Son (Nickie)
Summary: Cora and Nickie talk. Rooster and Maverick argue.
A.N. There are references to a previous unplanned teenage pregnancy (between two eighteen-year-olds) in this fic. There won't be any flashback scenes to the pregnancy, but the references are still there, so if that makes you uncomfortable, please do not read.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Epilogue
Master List
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Nickie grabbed his doorknob and slowly turned it didn’t make a sound. His mom called him out of school and although she offered to take him somewhere special, Nickie told her that he just wanted to be left alone. And for the whole day, his mom didn’t bother him. And he was hoping that she didn’t come up for the next hour or so.
Opening the door slowly, Nickie glanced down the stairs to see if his mom heard him, before sliding down the hall. Nickie quietly entered the small room at the end of the hall. Carefully rifling around, Nickie slid out two plastic boxes that were covered in dust and all the way at the back. He carried them back to his room and shut the door behind him softly.
Nickie opened the first box and started looking around for any information that he could find on one person—Bradley Bradshaw. His father. DNA donor. His mom’s ex? Nickie didn’t really know what to call him at this point.
Sifting through all of the random papers and photos, Nickie pulled out a thick photo album. Setting it on the ground, he flipped open the cover. He vaguely recognized the handwriting scrawled there, and when he saw the first set of photos, he quickly identified the author.
Carole. Carole Bradshaw. His grandmother.
Whenever Cora talked about Goose or Carole to him, she always talked about them as if they were his grandparents, which Nickie didn’t really think meant anything. He called Ice ‘Pops’ just like he would Maverick, after all.
Nickie knew he was named after Goose—Maverick told him back when he was probably six or so. But Nickie just always assumed that it was because his mom and grandfather been so close with Goose and Carole, not because his mom was honoring his actual grandfather.
Flipping through the photos of a young Carole, Goose, and Maverick, Nickie paused when he saw a set of wedding photos. Goose stood in his dress whites, waving happily at the crowd, while Carole wore a simple white lace dress that did very little to hide the prominent baby bump that she was sporting and seemed to be giggling with glee.
Did young unplanned pregnancies run on both sides of his family? Suddenly his grandfather’s very stern lecture just a few months ago made more sense to him.
After the wedding photos, there were a few more of Carole pregnant, before Nickie flipped the page and saw a photo of his . . . of Bradley as a newborn in the hospital. Goose and Maverick were in several photos with Goose holding Bradley in just about every other one.
Twenty-three hours later. Baby Goose was very stubborn, was what Carole wrote there.
Nickie flipped through a few more pages of baby Bradley Bradshaw, subconsciously picking out the similarities between the two of them, until suddenly there was another baby in the photos. Cora. His mom. And though there were individual photos of both Cora and Bradley, the vast majority of the photos involved both of them.  
Cora and Bradley really had known each other for their whole lives. And that, in the back of Nickie’s mind, made Bradley’s decision to leave and never look back all that much worse.
Nickie kept flipping through the photos. Goose and Maverick popped in occasionally but Nickie assumed that they were busy being deployed to be pictured often. Flipping to another page, Nickie paused when a simple set of dog tags and a funeral card were preserved.
Carole’s note read: The day that my heart died. July 29, 1986.
Gently pulling out the funeral card, Nickie flipped it over to see a photo of his grandfather. Goose. The man that he never got to meet. The man that his mom admitted that she barely remembered. She had only been three or so when he died, after all. And Nickie had to wonder if it was some kind of Bradshaw curse to grow up without a dad.
Not that he was a Bradshaw. He was a Mitchell. He was Nicholas Peter Mitchell.
Shaking his head, Nickie put the funeral card back and pulled out the set of dog tags. Goose’s dog tags. Running his thumb over the thin metal, wondering about the man that he was named after, Nickie suddenly looked up when he heard his mom’s footsteps on the stairs.
“Nickie? Did you want dinner?”
“Just a second, Mom!” Nickie yelled back, hurrying to shove the dog tags back into the album.
Carefully putting the photo album back into the box, Nickie scrambled to hide them. But before he could do anything more than haphazardly shove them behind his bed, his mom knocked on his door.
“Nickie? Are you alright?”
“Just a second!”
Nickie hurried over to his bedroom door. Yanking it open, he tried and failed to act casual, earning an immediately concerned look from his mom.
“Hey, Mom.”  
“Why are you covered in dust?” Cora asked immediately, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m not . . .” Nickie started to say before he noticed that his shirt and shorts were very much covered in gray dust, “. . . covered in . . . dust.”
“Nickie,” Cora sighed, looking completely concerned about him, “what are you doing?”
“Just . . . cleaning.”
“Well, you missed all of the dirty clothes on your floor,” Cora stated without missing a beat. She didn’t even need to look into his room to know that. She could just sense it. Resuming her concerned mom expression, however, Cora tilted her head to the side. “What’s going on?”
Sighing, Nickie stepped to the side and let his mom into his bedroom. Cora stepped further into the room until she spotted the two plastic boxes full of old memories that she tucked deep into the closet for a reason. Cora slowly turned back to Nickie with a resigned expression.
“Did you want to talk about it?”
Silently, Nickie sat on his bed and Cora sat down next to him. Reaching into the box, Nickie flipped to the page that he had been on, causing Cora to look all the more depressed at the sight of Goose’s dog tags. She specifically tucked in there after Carole died so that they didn’t set off Bradley or Maverick.
“I know that you always told me that Grandpa Goose died young, but . . .” Nickie trailed off quietly.
“He died at Top Gun. While he was training there with your grandfather. Maverick,” Cora stumbled over her words. “There was a training exercise and they flew into some jetwash and there was a mechanical failure during the ejection and . . .”
Turning to her son, whom she had named for the second father that she lost out over the seas that were not that far from her now, Cora swallowed thickly.
“His ejection failed and he hit the canopy and . . . that was it.”
Cora turned back to the photo album and slowly pulled the dog tags out. Grabbing Nickie’s wrist gently, she placed the dog tags in his hand.
“They’re yours, if you want them,” Cora stated, causing Nickie to nod slow. “Just try not to show them off around your grandfather when he’s . . . you know, when he gets—"
“—I won’t,” Nickie promised, placing the dog tags on his night stand.
Silently, the mother and son flipped through the photos. Cora would point out certain events or little secret memories to her son, who listened intently to every little bit of information that she had for him. Coming to the page for one of Bradley’s birthdays, Cora couldn’t help her soft smile. Bumping Nickie with her shoulder, Cora looked up at her son.
“Remember how when you were small and I used to put little random drops of food dye in the cake and mix it all together?” Cora suggested, causing Nickie to nod along. “Well, that was one of Carole’s old recipes. She’d make it for me and for . . . Bradley for our birthdays all the time.”
Cora flipped through a couple of the photos herself, getting lost in her own memories of the happier times when Carole was alive and well. It was hard to not think about how life would have turned out if Carole never got sick.
“Most of the baking recipes that I have are from her,” Cora mumbled out, lost in her thoughts.
“She was a good cook?”
“The best. She never let anyone leave her home hungry,” Cora replied, turning back to her son with a soft smile. “She was a tough woman. A strong woman. And she had a bigger heart than most of the population combined.” Flipping to another page, Cora choked back some tears as she cupped her son’s cheek and rubbed it with her thumb. “You got her smile.”
“What happened to her?” Nickie asked quietly, causing Cora to nod and look down again.
“She got sick. Cancer,” she stated softly. “They caught it late and . . . there was nothing that anyone could do.” Discreetly wiping a tear from her cheek, Cora sniffled before turning back to her son. “She went very fast. Very fast. It was only a few months between the diagnosis and . . . and the end.”
“Was . . . should I get checked?” Nickie inquired curiously, causing Cora to turn to him quickly.
“Oh, honey, no, no you’re fine. It was ovarian cancer,” Cora explained softly, resting a hand on Nickie’s shoulder. “You and . . . and Bradley . . . you’re both fine.”
“Where’re they buried? Goose and Carole?” Nickie asked curiously after a few moments of silence. “I don’t remember visiting them.”
“They were buried out east. Virginia. It’s where your grandfathers were first stationed out of flight school. It’s where their house used to be.” Turning to Nickie with a sad smile, Cora offered him some strength. “Did you want to go and visit them one day?”
“If we can.”
“Yeah, we can go one day,” Cora agreed, staring down at the photo of Carole, herself, and Bradley.
“Do we . . . is there still family out there?”
“Not very close ones,” Cora replied honestly, wracking her brain. “Both of your grandparents were only children. And both their parents died long ago, so . . . no, I don’t think so.”
“So, Bradley . . . he had no one else to go to . . . except you and Grandpa?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Cora responded, nodding along.
“Then why did he leave? Did he really want to be by himself that badly?” Nickie asked, trying to put the pieces together.
It didn’t make sense in his mind. If Bradley was raised alongside Cora and with Maverick as his stand-in father, why did he leave? When he had nowhere else to go? Why did he leave Cora in the dust like that? Was he just that big of an asshole?
“No, Nickie, he was just . . . angry,” Cora sighed, smoothing down the fabric of her pants.
“Why?”
“Him and your grandfather had a fight,” Cora began, staring down at the floor. “A big fight.
“About what?”
“About . . .” Cora sighed, rubbing her face with her hand. “About the Navy.”
“What about the Navy?” Nickie pressed, anxiety suddenly lacing his features.
“Your grandfather, he . . . Bradley . . .” Cora cut herself off and started over. “Ever since I can remember, Bradley wanted to go into the Navy. Your Grandpa Goose went to the Naval Academy and then to flight school and Bradley wanted to do the exact same thing. He wanted to carry on his dad’s legacy.”
Nickie sunk a bit more into his bed, looking at the floor as his mom continued with the story.
“And your grandfather . . . Maverick, he—I don’t know how he did it—but he ruined or pulled or did something to Bradley’s application to the Naval Academy and because Bradley was a legacy and a Gold Star kid, he should have gotten in. So, Bradley went digging, called the school, and somehow figured out that Maverick messed with his application and then . . ."
Cora sighed, holding her head in her hands for a moment, remembering that awful night and all of the words that got thrown around. She cried so hard after Bradley left in a fit of rage that she threw up. But, then again, maybe there was another cause behind that.  
“And then he left,” Cora stated softly, picking her head up again.
“Gramps pulled my d—Bradley’s application to the Naval Academy?” Nickie asked quietly with his voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes. It’s what they’re still fighting about to this day,” Cora responded honestly.
And your existence, she thought, though she never would have said in a million years to her son.
Nickie sat back on his bed, lost in a train of thought. Cora gave him some time to process, assuming that he was emotionally exhausted from the last few days. And while that was true, that was not the main reason behind Nickie’s sudden silence.
He knew that his Grandpa Mav didn’t like the Academy. And he knew that Maverick wouldn’t have exactly been thrilled with Nickie’s desire to go there? But did Nickie ever think that his grandfather had it in him to actually pull someone’s application? No.
That didn’t justify what Bradley did, but holy hell Nickie was starting to feel scarily close to the man.
What was it that Ice always told him?
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.
Cora looked away from her son when her phone started to buzz. Pulling out her phone, she spotted the Kazansky name. Cora gaze Nickie’s shoulder a tight squeeze before standing up and moving to answer the call in the hallway. Nickie was still caught up in his own thoughts for a moment, but snapped his head up when he suddenly heard his mom cry out.
“Mom?” Nickie called worriedly, getting up from his bed. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
Nickie raced out of his room, causing the dwindling sunlight to rest on a photo of Maverick and Ice holding Nickie as a baby and Goose’s dog tags, which Nickie had just placed on his nightstand.
~~~~~
Bradley was stewing, absolutely stewing, in a mess of emotions in the ready room.
He swore that he could still hear the explosion echoing through the comms after Phoenix and Bob’s plane burned in. The clear edge of fear and panic that entered Phoenix’s voice when she yelled for Bob to eject from her backseat. Maverick’s screams for Coyote rattled around in there too, along with the altitude warning systems.
Bradley had never lost a wingman before and now he nearly lost three in one day. One right after the other. And, of course, Maverick was the only aviator up in the air when shit hit the fan that seemed to walk out of it unscathed. Like he always managed to do.
And don’t even get Rooster started on the emotional toll that was still weighing on him from yesterday.
Bradley hadn’t slept and he barely ate since that confrontation at the Mitchell house. He briefly fell asleep on the floor by his door, after crying out every last bit of moisture that his body could expel, but it wasn’t much. If Phoenix or any of the other Daggers noticed the dark bags under his eyes, they didn’t speak about it.
But honestly, right now, it was the silence that killed Bradley.
The silence let his thoughts run wild and untethered. He had already run through at least a thousand scenarios about how the situation with Cora happened and none of it made him feel any better. They all made him feel sick to his stomach.
It still didn’t feel real. It still didn’t feel possible. And yet it was.
Cora was pregnant when he left. But that wasn’t possible, he argued with himself. Except it was. It definitely was. It was so possible that Rooster wanted to smack his head through a wall for being dumb enough to not think about the risk back then. Jesus Christ, how could he have been so stupid? How could they have both been so stupid?
And Nickie—his son—how did he not recognize him at the Hard Deck? How did he not feel some kind of instinctual pull towards his own son? And hell, the kid was a walking sign that screamed ‘Bradshaw.’ All that he was missing was a mustache and a Hawaiian shirt. And his name was Nickie, Nick, Nicholas—whatever—after his dad. After Goose.
God, Bradley could have laid there for hours and cried about that. He did, actually.
And Cora, Jesus Christ, he blocked her number early. The night that he left after she tried calling him about twenty times. And by the time that he even thought to unblock it, she had probably given up on him already.
She raised Nickie by herself. Without him. With Maverick probably standing right there, waiting to swoop in and talk about how Bradley wasn’t ready to be a dad. How he wasn’t good enough or strong enough or prepared enough.
The door opened behind Rooster and Maverick—the son of a bitch—stepped into the ready room. Maverick took a few steps into the ready room, but Bradley didn’t acknowledge him. Not right away. He didn’t deserve acknowledgement after what he did, in Rooster’s opinion.
“They’ll keep Phoenix and Bob in the hospital overnight for observation but they’re going to be okay.”
Bradley nodded, but otherwise refused to acknowledge Maverick. Bradley was concerned that he would knock Maverick’s lights out if he did. His anger with Cora was still there, but it was more hurt than any anything else. Guilt, overwhelming and all-consuming guilt, and pain. He felt a stab in the gut every time that he thought about her, about the struggles that she probably went through without him. 
But with Maverick? That was all rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.
“Rooster?”
Standing up from his chair so quickly that he threw the chair back onto the floor, Rooster spun around, almost rabid. Maverick was sickeningly getting used to receiving death glares from Goose’s son and slowly widened his stance, as if he was expecting Rooster to charge at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me about my son? Huh? You didn’t think that I deserved to know that I had a son!?”
“We tried to reach out to you,” Maverick stated, keeping his voice calm and his gaze steady. “Cora must have sent you a hundred—”
“—I’m not talking about her! I’m talking about you!”
Bradley took a few steps forward and Maverick steeled his expression, ready to take the brunt of Rooster’s wrath. He was more than prepared to take it.
“You used all of your favors with the Navy to pull my fucking Academy papers, but when it came time for you to get in contact with me or track me down to tell me that I had a kid that I didn’t know about, you just said fuck it and didn’t look for me? Didn’t try to get to me through that!?”
“Cora didn’t want me to do that,” Maverick stated calmly.
“That’s bullshit.”
“What’s bullshit is the fact that you blocked her in the first place,” Maverick snapped back, some of his own frustration coming to the surface. “I understand why you were mad at me after the whole Academy papers incident, but why the hell did you ever take it out on Cora?”
“She took your side that night and I wasn’t thinking straight!”
“And what about all the other days since then?” Maverick demanded, causing Rooster’s eyes to flash. “Because there’s been a couple.”
“You son of a bitch,” Rooster cursed, shaking his head at Maverick as he clenched his fists at his sides. “You think that you’re some kind of saint, Maverick?”
“No,” Maverick replied immediately.
“You were barely there for Cora when she was growing up! It wasn’t until my mom got sick that you ever stuck around! So, stop rubbing it in my face that you’re some kind of perfect father!”
“I’m not a perfect father!” Maverick shouted out, letting some of his own emotions show. “I let my teenage daughter get knocked up by some dumbass, selfish kid under my own goddamn roof because I was more focused on my career! I let my daughter suffer and stress and agonize over raising her son by herself for sixteen years when I really should have tracked you down and given you the biggest kick in the ass of your life!”
Maverick paused, glaring daggers at Rooster for the first time in . . . ever, really.
“Do you have any idea what you took from her? I love Nickie. I love my grandson with every last bit of my soul and I would do anything for him. I wouldn’t trade him for the world. But do you know what it was like watching Cora struggle? Watching her have to put off college? Watching her go for days, weeks, months with about two hours of sleep a night? Be degraded? Shunned?”
“Why did you pull my papers?” Rooster demanded, causing Maverick to narrow his eyes again. “If you didn’t pull my papers, if you just let me—”
“—I shouldn’t have pulled your papers,” Maverick interjected, causing Rooster to straighten up. “That was wrong and I regret it.” Tilting his chin up slightly, Maverick narrowed his eyes slightly at Rooster. “Do you have any regrets, Bradley?”
“Not with you,” Rooster stated evenly before grinding his teeth together.
“That’s fine,” Maverick replied calmly with narrowed eyes. “But make it right.”
“I don’t need any help or advice from you, Maverick,” Rooster snapped defensively. “You’re the one who pulled my papers and set this whole chain of—”
“—Stop with the fucking excuses, Bradley!” Maverick interjected, losing his composure. “Your dad knocked your mom up and you know what he did? He married her! Bought her a house! He was there with her in the delivery room! He changed diapers, did feedings, all of that! And you couldn’t even open a single goddamn letter or answer one fucking phone call from Cora!”
“So, what?” Bradley scoffed, shaking it off as his emotions got tucked back into that pocket deep in his chest. “You going to tell me that he’d be disappointed in me, Maverick? That my mom would be disappointed in me? Is that what you’re going to do?”
“No,” Maverick stated, staring up at Bradley. “I don’t need to tell you what you already know.”
“Yeah, well, they trusted you, Mav,” Rooster returned fire, flames burning in his belly and in his eyes. Or were those tears? “And look where it got them.” He straightened up to his full height, towering over Maverick. “I won’t make the same mistake.”
The silence after that exchange was absolutely deafening on both sides as Rooster and Maverick simply glared and each other with hurt and anger and heavy emotions ripe in the air. But then the door to the ready room opened and Warlock broke the tension, calling for Maverick.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Epilogue
Tags: @xoxabs88xox @eternallyvenus @mygyn @kmc1989 @thegoddessc @midnightmagpiemama @badasspizzalover @praline357 @oatmealisweird @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby @abaker74 @avengersfan25 @yogabigooby @daisydaisygoose @sgt-barnesveins @angelbabyange @percysaidnever @artemissunn
(If I forgot you in the tags, don’t be afraid to ask again because I’m definitely scatterbrained when it comes to that but please have a reference to your age somewhere on your blog (bio, pinned post) or just message me!)
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starstruckmoony · 1 year
Text
call it what you want.
masterlist
pairing - remus lupin x fem!reader
summary - final part of my shitty little social media fic!
trope/tags - band/celeb!au, instagram/social media!au, modern!au, fluff, terrible humour
word count - 798
warnings - language
part 1 / part 2 / part 3
yourusername added to their story
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yourusername
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❤ liked by ev.rosier, vance_emm, pandorasbox and 2,956,211 others
yourusername lover <3
tagged rjlupin
67,008 comments
rjlupin i didn't even realise you took that
yourusername you were too busy staring at my face
rjlupin because it's pretty
bartyyy you look like a minecraft youtuber
rjlupin is this a hate comment? geniuenly can't tell
mmmckinnon pookie
yourusername meow meow
rjlupin why?
user766900 LOVERRRRRR
user141410 he's so cute pls
user657755 AHDUQUXUQHS
user276432 CUTIE
user400987 I AM JEALOUS
yourusername
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❤ liked by mmmckinnon, lily_evans, casmeadowes and 2,499,216 others
yourusername just dropped moonlight, go stream it
tagged maraudersofficial, mmmckinnon
56,452 comments
rjlupin album of the year.
yourusername is it cause you're on it?
rjlupin no, it's cause it's yours
yourusername </3
rjlupin my girlfriend is very talented everyone!!!!!!
yourusername PR PR PR
rjlupin someone better start paying us
yourusername waiting for my check fr
rjlupin i love you
yourusername are you obsessed with me?
rjlupin definitely
yourusername lol i love you too
pete__ exactly stream it #selfpromotion
yourusername everyone's favourite drummer
prongsyboy stan peter stan talent
mmmckinnon you sound like a kpop stan (don't come for me i like kpop)
marymacdonald IT'S SO GOOD Y/N I LOVE IT
yourusername i love you more
pandorasbox on repeat already
yourusername 🤍🤍
casmeadowes TRACK 5 IS MY FAVOURITE
mmmckinnon I KNEW IT
starmanblack I JUST LOST 10 QUID
user556727 SCREAMING CRYING
user444488 THE BONUS TRACKS HDJQJDJQJS WTF
user033460 I WAS RIGHT IT WAS A COLLAB
user911444 i didn't clown oh my fucking GOD
user838383 marlene x marauders x y/n!?!?? am i dreaming!?!?!??!?
user227676 dead i'm DEAD
rjlupin added to their story
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rjlupin
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❤ liked by xeno_lovegood, pete__, pandorasbox and 2,299,357 others
rjlupin y/n thought this was funny
tagged yourusername
55,990 comments
yourusername i still think it's funny
rjlupin i think i'm funnier
yourusername lol
rjlupin you loled so that means i'm funny
lily_evans prongsyboy pissed himself laughing at this
prongsyboy WHY DID YOU TAG ME I'M GONNA PISS MYSELF AGAIN
marymacdonald what in the teenage boy humour 💀
vance_emm MY KIND OF HUMOUR
mmmckinnon the absolute irony above me
user724422 HAVE Y'ALL SEEN REMUS STORT WITH Y/N'S CATS DJQHDHAHSHQ
user866551 i giggled a bit ngl
user688289 you two istg 😭
user017777 i was gonna laugh but then i saw the prices and cried
yourusername added to their story
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yourusername
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❤ liked by rjlupin, mmmckinnon, prongsyboy and 2,882,633 others
yourusername art gallery dates>>
tagged rjlupin
61,939 comments
rjlupin and microwave dinners after>>
yourusername microwave dino nuggets just hit different
rjlupin mOIST
yourusername LEAVE RN.
starmanblack the art is arting
mmmckinnon you use tiktok too much
ev.rosier this made me have standards again
bartyyy BABE
yourusername EVAN
user163125 oh to be happy and in love
user022377 pretty
user299666 best celeb couple fr
user001111 not evan bullying barty in the comments 💀
celeb_gossip
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❤ liked by yourusername, rjlupin and 69,076 others
celeb_gossip our favourite rockstars, yourusername and rjlupin, spotted together once again, and for the first time after making their year long relationship public. what do you think of this couple? 👀 we're obsessed. 😌 leave your thoughts in the comments 😘
6,322 comments
rjlupin we're famous my love
yourusername this such a dream come true
user009292 their comments-
user222778 HELP ME
user355627 "we're obsessed" we can see 😃
user664521 HELP I LOVE THESE TWO
user790003 THEY COMMENTED I'M DISSOLVING
user489992 boy let them live 😭
user366210 they're having so much fun with this
starmanblack
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❤ liked by xeno_lovegood, ev.rosier, marymacdonald and 2,779,661 others
starmanblack WE GOT SIRIUS' PHONE HFFJSXJQJ
57,990 comments
starmanblack I HATE BOTH OF YOU
mmmckinnon LMAOOO I'M SO HAPPY IT WASN'T MINE THIS TIME
casmeadowes LMFAO
bartyyy the quality is taking me out
pandorasbox AHHH CUTIES
prongsyboy did you take this photo with a calculator?
user110200 HELP
user929390 I WAS SO CONFUSED
user120001 tbh never been more obsessed with a celeb couple
user273700 NOW WHAT IS THIS
user929929 sirius don't delete this we trust you
yourusername
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❤ liked by mmmckinnon, pete__, casmeadowes and 3,009,882 others
yourusername bass lessons <3
tagged rjlupin
69,678 comments
rjlupin i should start charging you
yourusername the best you're getting is a kiss
rjlupin sign me up
vance_emm lovely pose tbh
xeno_lovegood for free?
rjlupin yes but she's special
starmanblack is there a strange innuendo here or is it just me?
mmmckinnon definitely just you
starmanblack did not ask
lily_evans ngl now i'm thinking about signing up for some
prongsyboy i can teach you
lily_evans ...
pete__ the silence is loud mate
user701006 I WANT FREE BASS LESSONS
user446224 never break up with him
user278755 i want this i need this
user333833 MAKE ANOTHER SONG TOGETHER PLSSSS
user188256 i am so lonely
user002010 me and you both
user188256 wanna be the y/n to my remus?
user002010 yes, so when's the wedding?
tagging some moots! <3
@diorgirl444 @goodoldfashionedluvergirl @nyxxxxxxxx @mrs-lupin-blog @masivechaos @friendly-neighborhood-boricua @incorrectwolfstar @hpotterwhore @littlemissscarlettwitch @withastrangerheart
*some of you may have noticed i changed the fancast from matt hitt to bobby keating since i found out that matt isn't comfy with being fancasted buuuut we move on and pretend that it was all bobby from the beginning.
302 notes · View notes
Text
Babe wake up laurelicious has returned with more modern au headcanons 🥱 thank u to everyone who loves on these posts and adds their own silly things to it!!! Y’all make me very happy and I’m glad we can share this goofy universe!!
Previous sillies:
1 2 3 4 5 6
See yall unda da cut 😼😼😼
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-little miss Unnamed Marston Daughter has absolutely been blasting Olivia Rodrigo’s new album around the house
Everyone complains but John finds himself quietly murmuring “seeing u tonight… it’s a bad idea right??” While he’s brushing his teeth
Abigail tries to be supportive and plays it while she drives the kids to school, now she and Jack know all the words to Vampire and listen to it once they’ve already dropped UMD off
-both Marston children always dress as something weird for Halloween
John and Abigail stay up late making the costumes for their weirdo children bc they love them :)
On a similar note when John and Arthur were kids they were little matching power rangers and if you bring it up to Dutch he WILL cry over it bc he loves his babies
-the entire Marston family takes Halloween way too seriously to be completely honest
Abigail and John are the cool family in the neighborhood with the really good candy
Dutch and Hosea have now graduated to the old person level of giving out full sized bars but the window of opportunity before they turn in for the night is SMALL so all the kids in their neighborhood sprint to their house first
Charles and Arthur give out tootsie rolls and milk duds. That’s it.
-the following are songs John cried to as a teenager:
Fall for You by Secondhand Serenade
Miserable at Best by Mayday Parade
Scars by Papa Roach
Disenchanted by MCR
-John and Javier were absolutely bffs in middle/high school, they kissed once at a party then never spoke of it again
Javier is now the cool childless uncle that they all see once a year and brings the kids cool gifts
-when Arthur was a teenager he got caught sneaking back into the house after curfew, he was grounded for a month
John was the asshole little sibling who was super excited that his brother was in trouble
-Arthur wears slippers, Charles wears fuzzy socks. I’m right
-Charles uses nice shampoo/conditioner and Arthur is always hovering around on wash days:)
-Arthur has broken every single toe like. 5 times at least.
-Charles and Arthur love corny ass reality TV
They started watching the bachelor to make fun of it, but now they tune in every single week and have their favorites
Tell me Arthur wouldn’t love the masked singer. He goes nuts every single time (“Charles!!!!!! They opened it up and it was KERMIT!?! That’s too good!”)
-Because Isaac doesn’t live with them full time these two go absolutely bananas when he comes to stay with them, Charles is scrubbing down the house while Arthur clears out the grocery store of all his favorite snacks :)
Before he visits Arthur is texting Eliza like “what drama should I know?? Any new friends? A girlfriend? A boyfriend?!?” Just so he’s up to date
-Arthur loves Raisin Bran/Corn Nuts/other old man cereals
-we’ve touched on this before but Charles’ mom absolutely adores Arthur and when she comes over she’s basically shoving Charles out of the way like “my baby darling Arthur how are you!!!🥰”
-Isaac plays baseball and Charles and Arthur are full on sport dads in the best way possible
They bring snacks for the team, they’re sitting in those little fold up chairs, they’re cheering louder than everyone else in the stands, etc.
Arthur ‘sentimental ass’ Morgan keeps a little box of all the memorabilia from baseball throughout the years :)
This was a particularly silly batch, methinks. As always if anyone wants me to add other characters into this universe lmk😼 alsooooo I have started writing little oneshots/drabbles/etc expanding this if anyone would be interested in reading them!! No promises on when they’d be done but I think it would be a good time hehe
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chiarrara · 3 months
Text
the authentic 2011 indie kid playlist
"real 2011 pandora radio recreation: the songs that always played on my hypercurated matt and kim radio, is this it radio, and pumped up kicks radio a.k.a. the authentic 2009-2012 indie kid playlist (ft. my actual authentic 2011 facebook profile pic)"
including full liner notes (typed out below the cut for readability):
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- for @justrustandstardust <3
Daylight - Matt and Kim: one of the most iconic songs of my teenage years. I feel like me and Michael based our life off this song. Matt and Kim is one of the bases for the radio stations I picked for this playlist (the ones I listened to constantly). There will be more Matt and Kim on this playlist, but not enough. You really should listen to this whole album (this will not be the last time I say this)
Kids - MGMT: everyone knows electric feel. I picked the underrated classics I was obsessed with after I loved electric feel
Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: a staple. so silly, but so iconic
Midnight City - M83: the first of the songs that I only listened to on Pandora & never learned the names/artists. also, became car commercial songs. banger
Is This It - The Strokes: you simply must listen to this album. half of it is on the playlist, but still you must. This album is the second base of a radio station.
Automatic Stop - The Strokes: listen, there's gonna be a lot of Strokes on this playlist. I fell in love with them listening to this radio station.
Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second - STRFKR: the second of the Pandora exclusives. why is it named that? so iconin
Float On - Modest Mouse: as classic as classics get
Hard to Explain - The Strokes: I found this album at the library and picked it up based on the album art alone. this was back when I got all my music from the library & burned cds onto my computer to make mix cds, listen in windows media player, or upload to my ipod nano
Flourescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys: we're in the pre "AM" era! their back catalog is so fucking good, and this is one of the best examples of that. I love this song
Soma - The Strokes: it's gonna be a lot of Strokes. trust me, it's authentic to the experience
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand: ICONIC BANGER.
Breezeblocks - alt-J: (so groovy) another Pandora exclusive. mainstay on the channel. like these songs would play every 30 mins & I loved it
Song For No One - Miike Snow: ah! Miike Snow my beloved! never listened outside of Pandora for some reason but SO iconic. they were so popular
Loud Pipes - Ratatat: the beat just gets into your body with these ones
Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings: Icons! defined the era. watch the music video.
1901 - Phoenix: we played this and the next Phoenix song so. fucking. much. goin hey hey hey hey hey hey hey!
40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: when you thought of indie, this is what you thought of
Skinny Love - Bon Iver: jk jk this is what you thought of. This was hipster before it got picked up by Hot Topic
Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare - Matt and Kim: full volume, windows down, 100 mph screaming <3 (I love this song sm)
Intro - The xx: another Pandora exclusive car commercial song but listen, I was obsessed. hearing these songs again is like waking up dormant genes
Lisztomainia - Phoenix: this song and 1901 are a bonded pair. do not separate.
Lessons Learned - Matt and Kim: it was so impossible to pick from this album it's all so good. let it turn your love into a coming of age movie
Sleeping Lessons - The Shins: The SHINS bro THE SHINS. every indie movie had the Shins on their soundtrack. They're so good.
Here (In Your Arms) - Hellogoodbye: listen I didn't want to pick their most popular song but it's so definitive I had to. I saw them live like 4 times. This album is so important to me. All my love songs for my 13 yr old relationship came from this album
Crystalised - The xx: not a listening session would go by that I wouldn't hear this song
All My Friends - LCD Sound System: he's so good
Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend: THIS ALBUM IS SUMMER 2011. it was one of 2 or 3 go to CDs in my first car. I listened to it over and over and over again. it always brings me back to my ugly brown 2001 Chevy Malibu outside Michael's house, or driving down to the lake. I seriously couldn't pick songs from this album it's all one big song to me. formative. what else can i say.
Time to Pretend - MGMT: I'm feeling rough I'm feeling wrong in the time of my life. underrated classic
Cough Syrup - Young the Giant: a late addition but I know every word
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear: THE Pandora radio song. I would listen just to hear this song eventually
We Used to Vacation - Cold War Kids: One of my favorite bands ever. Their first two albums were on repeat. This song is my favorite. It just rips something out of me
Rhinemaidens - The Envy Corps: The Envy Corps have made their entrance! I've seen them more than Hellogoodbye. The epitomal hipsters. and some of the best music of all time. They're absolutely foundational. (listen to the album!)
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People: The third and final base for a radio station is this song. That's how much I listened to it. One of those songs that just got into my bones. Forever favorite song it never gets old. also, listen to the album. so good
Animal - Miike Snow: the Miike Snow song. One of the first songs I ever discovered on Pandora <3
Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John: iconic. I don't know what to say
The High Road - Broken Bells: Michael was on the hs radio station senior year & he played this whole EP straight one day
Call It What You Want - Foster the People: BANGER ("what's your style and who do you listen to" WHO CARES <3)
Walking On A Dream - Empire Of The Sun: I did not know the name of this song or the band or even recognize the cover art but I know this song. They put them in car commercials because they're good
What You Know - Two Door Cinema Club: this and the other two door cinema club song came up all the time. bops.
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend: (ay! ay! ay! ay!) most iconic riff of all time! can't understand a damn word but I was screaming them anyway (100mph)
Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells: (Pandora Exclusive!) iconic! can't help but groove to this song. the mood of this song is so representative of this lane of music
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club: the opening to this song gets me so hype! I know you'll like this song
Dragon Queen - Yeah Yeah Yeahs: you know Heads Will Roll but did you know this underrated banger? they're awesome, their other songs should get more attention
Don't Slow Down - Matt and Kim: 100mph dancing like a maniac lol look I should not have been allowed behind the wheel of a car. Don't slow down (listen to the album!)
All I Want - LCD Sound System: he's just really good idk
That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings: we were obsessed with them. this song was everywhere
Story Problem - The Envy Corps: for the longest time I didn't know any names to Envy Corps songs because I mostly listened to them live, on a mix cd, or someone else was playing them. so i always got surprised by each song like, oh! I love this one! to be honest I still don't know the titles lol but every song is so damn iconic. at the concerts they would split the audience in half and have half of us do the "dada dada dadada da da da" part and the other half do the "oooooh wa oh wa oh" so you were singing your part throught the end of the song while they played. it was so magical <3
All Time Lows - Hellogoodbye: underrated banger. this album is like the definitive electronic indie sound of the mid-aughts
Somebody Told Me - The Killers: incredible song, incredible band. mainstay. they're so much more than Mr. Brightside
(starting the list over bc of tumblr's character limits. add 50)
Reptilia - The Strokes
Someday - The Strokes
Under Cover of Darkness - The Strokes: listen, this is accurate to how often they would play on that station. just Strokes back to back. and I loved it. their discography is just that deep. they don't miss.
Fell In Love With a Girl - The White Stripes: had to get some Whte Stripes in here. had to.
New Slang - The Shins: this song and Caring Is Creepy just, so iconic. they're so good
The World At Large - Modest Mouse: gonna float on maybe would you understand. ah ah ah ah ah ah aah (dashboard by modest mouse should also be on here but i couldn't find a spot for it :( played all the time) my thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth <3<3<3
Black Balloon - The Kills: does anyone remember the kills? I wanted to be them so bad. this was the era of iconic indie duos (ting tings, matt & kim, white stripes, she & him...)
When Did Your Heart Go Missing - Rooney: one hit wonders, my beloved
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You - Black Kids: I'm convinced no one listened to this song but us. that's not true, and thank god cuase it's such a bop but we felt like we were in on a secret or something. the true 2010 hipster experience lol
Kid Gloves - The Envy Corps: I would literally put this song on a t work and walk around like I was a manic pixie dream girl in an indie movie. unironically amazing song tho (listen to the ep)
Henrietta - The Fratellis: there should have been four more of their songs on here. broke my heart to cut them
Phantom Limb - The Shins: I don't think I've said listen to the album on this one yet. the way this song just vibrates in you
Naive - The Kooks: another underrepresented band. She Moves In Her Own Way, Ooh La, Seaside!? all staples. I mean... if you need another album to listen to... im just sayin
Finer Feelings - Spoon: a bop. fun song <3
Mardy Bum - Arctic Monkeys: this was my first Arctic Monkeys song <3<3<3 forever. the coda is everything. god I love this song
Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine: listen, the original song by The Postal Service is so so so good and we listened to it just as much as this cover. this cover had us in a chokehold. go listen to the original tho. and the whole Postal Service album I promise it's so fundamental
Janglin - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: the last of the three iconic ES&TMZs songs. This is like the progenitor of Stomp Clap corporate indie. everyone wanted to be them
Tighten Up - The Black Keys: the opening base notes on this song make me go feral. there should be way more Black Keys on here but if you have to pick one this is an easy choice.
Last Nite - The Strokes: the most iconic Strokes song. try not to scraem the first words. you can't. Last Night!
Australia - The Shins: time to put ear covers on! just makes me smile :)
All These Things That I've Done - The Killers: got us screaming "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" (are we human or are we dancers is also the killers. icons of the era)
Two Weeks In Hawaii - Hellogoodbye: I felt so bad when your mom caught us eating ice cream in your room at three in the morning. the best parts of my adolescence consolidated in this incredible song. the first of this type of album closing song to deeply affect me (followed by only in dreams by weezer in college). coming back to this album was part of me coming out of my depression last summer. my inner child just lives here, and I love her so much <3
A Certain Romance - Artctic Monkeys: I don't know, this song just gives me warm feelings. I know every shape of this song. I'm pretty sure it's about how America is a cultural wasteland lol. over there there's friends of mine, what can I say I've known em for a long long time, and it might over step the line, but you just cannot get angry in the same way, no not in the same way.
Daylight Outro (Remix) - Matt and Kim: back where we started. thx for listening <3
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cordial-imputresco · 11 months
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One of the most aggravating things in the chonny jash fandom is the feminization and infantilization of heart. If you're my mutual or if we talk a lot you already know where I stand about this but I just need to talk about this with a wider audience before I go insane. Also thanks for 50 followers I promise I'll draw more when I'm not halfway across the globe.
First off, there's no fucking reason to infantilize heart. Genuinely. I think in the album he's only treated like a child when mind called him a boy and a kid. There's no other "proof" other than when MIND LIES ABOUT HEART, and still people write heart like this insolent little kid who cannot do anything for himself.
And, I don't know if these two things are truly related, but as someone who's physically disabled it grinds a particular gear when people make the canon disabled character (anyone who thinks otherwise literally. Why do u want to take rep away from disabled people SOO BADLY) act like a child. I understand it's probably not that for some people but again, why is it so hard to imagine a disabled person who can stick up for themselves?? Heart might rely on soul or mind for certain things since he's blind but he's also his own person. Blindness effects everyone differently but one thing any physically disabled person is sick of it's infantilization and this is still true for fictional characters as well. It's genuinely never okay no matter the context.
Heart is emotionally mature. I'm sorry he is, Heart isn't a 12 year old and Heart has delt with the brunt of the body's emotions for his entire existence. He thinks logically and genuinely makes good points which are rooted in truth while mind makes outrageous claims, constantly makes heart seem like the lesser one and is genuinely so emotionally immature that it's insane. The moment he's given control over their emotions he kinda loses his shit and cannot handle it (the end line of tha and the two songs between THA and TME prove this) and yet people think heart is worse with emotions. Be so honest and give me proof of this other than when he was CONDEMNED TO APATHY.
And if u want proof for that PLEASE just listen to the bidding. Or TSE. Or literally any song that isn't about heart wanting to end his life. He sticks up for himself and specifically he talks back to mind which some fic authors genuinely just forget about?? And I get it write characters how you want to but god am I tired of seeing heart and mind argue and heart could just be replaced with a doll who says the same 3 things. "That's not true :((" "you do that too :(((" and "*sniffle* ur wrong >:((" WHYYYY ARE YOU SO INSISTENT ON MAKING HEART DEPENDENT ON OTHERS THAT HE CANNOT EVEN TALK BACK TO MIND OR SOUL. Heart harbored anger and hate but it seems like some people ignore that and just place him into this box EXACTLY LIKE MIND DID. Why did the mind gaslighting work on you /ref .
Also, since heart is "the emotional side" people lovee to make him feminine and small and it's so upsetting. First off, this idea that emotions r feminine pisses me off because it's just regurgitating misogyny and I'm sick of pretending like it's not. People fucking. Yaoi-ify (only word I can think of right now sorry) heart and mind by making mind this trad masc tall guy with a strong jaw while heart has a softer jawline and is usually smaller. It's so aggravating to me that fanon heart is this soft boi with no genuine fight to him while canonically we have SEEN HIM TALK BACK AND BE MEAN TO MIND??? I get this fandom has a lot of teenagers in it but holy shit can people not do the same shit we were doing 8 fucking years ago with tomtord.
And just one last thing, stop trying to aggressively masculinize mind just because he's emotionally immature and has a deep voice. He's not this intellectual genius debater who is dishing facts towards heart and the few things he does say that are true he says alongside actual lies about heart. Write what you want and draw what you want but please understand the irl implications of your works and understand what type of ideas are you peddling by doing what you're doing.
TLDR: stop being fucking weird about heart and treat him like a grown ass man. He's not a child.
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themultifandomgal · 4 months
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From 2010- Before
2012
Part 21
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3 Weeks Earlier
“I miss you” I say into the phone as I walk into the studio
“I miss you too. I’ll see you soon though” Alex replies
“I know” I sigh “how’s collage going?” I ask sitting down on the sofa
“It’s alright. I honestly have no clue what I want to do though once I leave”
“You could always come be a roadie” I joke making Alex laugh
“Don’t tempt me. How’s the song writing going?”
“It’s not. We have to write boyband love songs”
“But your not a boyband?” Alex sounds confused over the phone
“Oh I know, but we have an image for teenage girls and a few teen boys. Some times I regret my decision. If I knew it would be like this then…”
“Hey don’t think like that. Have you spoken to the others?”
“Not yet. I will, but they just seem to be having the time of their lives”
“What’s your contract say?”
“We have to release songs to SYCO for at least another 3 years”
“You can do this. I believe in you”
“Mornin’” Harry shouts walking into the studio
“I’ll let you go. I’ll see you soon ok?”
“Yeah”
“I love you”
“I love you too” I put the phone down and give Harry a small smile “hey. Where’s the others?”
“Gone to get snacks. You know I’m here for you, we all are”
“How much of that did you hear?”
“A fair bit. I wasn’t ease dropping on your conversation, but I just didn’t want to interrupt, sorry”
“No it’s ok”
“From now on you talk about issues that your dealing with ok? Your not going through this alone ok?”
“Thanks H. Why don’t we start writing while we wait for the others” I suggest getting a pen and note pad out of my bag.
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1 Week Earlier
“What’s up Uncasvill!” Niall yells into his microphone and the fans all scream back “now we have a little secret. YN care to tell everyone”
“Do they deserve to know the secret? What do you think guys shall we tell you?” I ask then point my microphone to the crowed who all yell once again “ok ok” I hold my free hand in the air “shhhh ok. We may be working on album number 2” this causes everyone to scream again with excitement
“m’not sure tha’ they’re tha’excited YN”
“No me either Harry” I say shaking my head “let’s try this again shall we? Who’s excited!” I ask yelling causing everyone to scream “ok now with that announcement out of the way the next song were going to sing is Up All Night”
During the song Harry jumps on Louis back making them fall on to the floor which causes me to miss my cue. Thankfully the crowd sing along which makes it easier for me to jump back in.
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48 Hours Earlier
“Shit” I grumble seeing all the flashing lights outside our hotel
“Hey your ok, we’ve got you” Niall says placing his arm over my shoulders
“I’ll go first ok?” Louis says looking at me. I give him a nod and the doors open. I walk behind Louis with Niall while Zayn, Liam and Harry are behind us
“Get back!” Paul shouts at the paparazzi
“YN have you and Alex broke up?”
“Harry are you dating Taylor?”
“Louis does Eleanor trust you and YN?”
“Zayn has Perrie come to any shows yet?”
It’s question after question, making my head feel fuzzy. Thankfully Niall doesn’t let go of me
“YN how good are the boys in bed?”
“YN look over here!”
“Turn this way!”
“Move!” I once again hear Paul say when I feel someone grab my arm. I turn to see who it is, but I’m meet with a camera in my face. Zayn is quick to pull the guy away while I’m ushered into our car. My breathing rises while there’s ringing in my ears. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing
“You good YN?” I hear Liam ask. I give him a little nod grateful I’m now in the safety of the car.
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24 Hours Earlier
24 hours to go till Alex arrives, 24 hours and I’m in the arms of the man I love. I finish getting myself ready for the show when my dad comes over to me
“I think you need to speak to a doctor” he says
“I’m fine”
“No your not. You’ve been having these panic attacks for a few months now. Maybe you should stop performing”
“What!?” I yell facing my dad
“I don’t mean forever, but maybe just for now while you get all of this under control”
“Dad it’s just part of fame. I’ll have to get used to it”
“I’m just worried that something could tip you over the edge”
“Dad I promise I have it under control. How about this. We have just over a month left of tour, once it’s over I’ll speak to someone”
“Fine but you have one more panic attack and I’m taking you home”
“Deal”
“And don’t think I won’t ask the boys to tell me if you do” my phone then pings letting me know I have a text. I look down and see it’s off Alex
‘Can’t wait to see you tomorrow’
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blouisparadise · 1 year
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Here are some amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of May. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!
1) Seven, Seven | Explicit | 1877 words
“Hello, baby girl,” Harry says as soon as the nurse places the bundle of joy into his arms. “We’ve been dying to meet you.”
2) A Sunny Afternoon | Explicit | 2002 words
Harry gets together with friends to celebrate life and uses the occasion to announce that he officially has an album finished.
or the celebration of Harry's House before it became what it is now.
3) Five Zero Five | Explicit | 2502 words
Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.
“So,” says Harry, and his fingers trail on Louis’ jaw, over his exposed neck. “I heard your cover tonight. Arctic Monkeys, really nice.” His fingers linger on Louis’ neck, stroke the Adam’s apple.
4) James Corden’s Lap Better Than Mine? | Mature | 3133 words
James takes Louis onto his lap, and Harry is furious. He cannot wait to get home and punish his kitten and show him Louis his.
5) Where The Water Touches The Sun | Explicit | 3400 words
Prompt #63: L&H in an established relationship where Louis is 5 months pregnant and the pheromones have made him horny as hell, it gets even worse when he wakes up and walks into his kitchen and sees his sexy husband fixing her sink with his shirt off. Maybe he has a fetish for men fixing things. Hot and kinky smut please. Harry calling lou a sexy milf while doing it and obviously the pregnancy kink stuff with h telling l about wanting to keep him full of his babies.
6) Student Teacher | Mature | 3901 words
Request: Louis is... 19 ish and Harry is 24 ish and umm So! Harry was like a student aid for one of Louis's classes in his Senior year of high school and Louis's friends always secretly teased him abt his crush on Harry. it wasn't that good of a secret bc Harry found out about it, he was 23 at the time and found it really funny. Anyways it's a couple of years later and Louis is a freshman in college and runs into Harry at a park while chasing his dog... coco, whos one of those white crusty alleyway dogs. (I love them.) Harry just hears a voice yelling and sees a dog running so he like catches the dog Louis catches up to Harry and he's all like. "omg." Harry looks Louis up and down and he's like "Oh you haven't grown." Louis pouts and then Harry ends up asking him out Louis gets scared and says no, but Harry gets his number anyways and they hang out at Harry's house (haha) as "friends" but they end up fucking on Harry's kitchen island instead of finishing decorating the cupcakes for Harry's goddaughter's bake sale fundraiser?
7) Ahora | Explicit | 4684 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Taylor Swift
Dom Taylor is tired and stressed after one of her shows at the Eras tour. Soft, sub Louis is waiting for her backstage. Rough sex ensues.
8) The Changing Season In A Messy World | Not Rated |8649 words
Prompt #35: H&L alpha son starting to get the teenage moody alpha hormones. One day he release all his anger on his sweet mother when he tried to talk to his son & harry don't really appreciate that. "He might be your mom, but he is my wife first & nobody talks to my wife like that"
9) Hide And Seek | Not Rated | 9808 words
Louis is 14 years old when his father dies and he's 19 when he meets General Styles.
10) Roommates | Mature| 13202 words
"I'm so happy I could kiss you! Thank you so much." Louis smiled up at Harry, who looked back with a daring smirk.
"Then why don't you?"
Louis blushed at that comment and leaned up pressing a gentle kiss to Harry's lips, it was soft and sweet. Something Harry hadn't experienced before.
"Happy?" Louis asked and giggled.
"Very." He answered.
11) Captain Cupid | Not Rated | 15331 words
“Right,” Niall started, finally getting the opportunity to unleash his horrible plan. “Well, as you both know, I’m an excellent matchmaker. A human Cupid.The best of the best at finding one's mate. And I’ve decided it’s time to make money doing it.”
“Oh, God no,” Louis groaned, picking up his empty plate and placing it in the sink. He needed to escape as quickly as possible.
Or the one where Niall enlists his friends to help start a speed dating side hustle. Things don't go as planned... or maybe they do?
12) After Hours | Explicit | 16707 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Pedro Pascal.
Louis Tomlinson is many things. A dancer, a barista, a one time con man. He's rarely experienced a good romantic relationship with a man but that's all about to change when he starts working at a nightclub in Texas.
13) The Mess We Created | Explicit | 21099 words
An innocent one night stand changed into something more than that.
14) Help Me, Help You Find Love | Explicit | 23781 words
“I help people hook up, not fall in love Styles”
“Think you can make an exception for me, Tomlinson?”
The one where they all attend a university for supernaturals and Werewolf Frat president and resident heartthrob Harry approaches on campus matchmaker Louis to help him find love.
15) Until The Pearls Get Lost | Explicit | 25519 words
London, 1933. Harry Styles, alpha, elusive bachelor and happy third wheel to his coupled friends, receives a visit from one Liam Payne, begging for his help.
Liam’s childhood friend Louis is about to become the talk of the city; left at the altar because the mating bond was rejected, Louis will spend the rest of his life in an institution unless Liam can find someone to take him in and care for him as he recovers. Most omegas with failed bonds are never the same again.
With rumours swirling around about the reason for the rejected bond, Harry gives in to Liam’s pleas. He hasn’t the slightest idea how that decision will shape the rest of his life.
16) Fetish For My Love | Explicit | 27388 words
Louis has too many worries to even think about a moment of peace in the days that now exhaust him and become a complete rush for him. Fortunately, Harry doesn't take long to take care of the matter as he knows that he has wanted it so much, finding the solution in a particular sheet full of colored stickers.
17) And When It Rains, You're Shining Down For Me | Explicit | 37081 words
“This is Harry, he’ll be your patient,” Liam gestured politely.
Harry froze when Louis’ eyes met his own once more. He felt himself getting lost in those eyes, so much so that he didn’t notice Niall and Liam leaving the room quietly but the sound of the door shutting behind them brought him out of the trance.
“Hello, I’m Louis,” the omega said, extending his hand for Harry to shake. The alpha could still sense some nervousness in his stance but decided to ignore it.
“‘’m Harry.”
Or the one where Harry is a grumpy boxer who gets injured and Louis is the lovely physiotherapist hired to help him, but getting pregnant wasn’t exactly in his recovery plan.
18) Hold Me How the Deep Night Has | Explicit | 48018 words
Louis Tomlinson needs a change. Stuck in a cycle of going to the job he hates, spending time with his friends, and avoiding the one man he hates most in this world, Louis' in desperate need of something new. So when he discovers an abandoned notebook on the way to work, the decision is easy to take it for himself and begin a journal amidst the empty pages. What can't be expected are the words that appear overnight directly beside his own, written on the same day 400 years in the past. What are the consequences of a magical connection between two men of different centuries? And who, among it all, is the mysterious E who only exists on the other side of Louis' journal?
19) Letters | Explicit | 58346 words
Louis lost his Alpha and mate in a deadly accident a year ago. Since then he has been writing letters to better deal with the grief and loss. But suddenly he gets answers from Harry Styles, an Alpha who himself is looking for meaning in life besides his career.
20) Oh, To Be Vulnerable | Mature | 63429 words
Disgruntled nurse Harry is, what some would call, a bit of a loner. Aside from work, he spends most of his time alone, either taking trips to the Boston library or going for walks around Quincy Market, or wallowing in his own sadness. He doesn’t seem to mind too much though. He takes his job seriously, and he likes it enough that he shows up every day, so what could be worth threatening his peace that he has worked so hard to create?
Louis, an overly-chipper and easily excitable orthodontics resident, can’t help but instantly fall for the boy in the photo that Niall shows him. With his education soon coming to a close, he is ready to get back into the dating game, and what a wonderful sight to begin with. The relationship between Harry and Louis has all the highs and lows that typical relationships do, but will Harry learn to trust Louis enough to let him in? And will Louis be able to manage his life turning every which way while also figuring out Harry?
21) LOUIS. | Explicit | 72202 words
“Oh, by the way Harry Styles, my name is Louis, Louis Tomlinson!” And with one last bright smile towards Harry, Louis was gone and out of his sight.
You’re who I've been searching for my whole life.
It's You.
22) You're Umami Baby | Mature | 87427 words
Umami: The essence of deliciousness.
Harry is a chef who never experienced umami until he meets his new dishwasher, Louis.
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.
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ghost-of-you · 8 months
Note
Ima hop in talking to throw my two sense about this major break that’s coming up for 5sos, anonymously as someone who runs a anonymous 5sos confessions blog.
There’s a lot of new people in this fandom who’ve never experienced a 5sos break, and still have trauma from either 1D or other bands who took a break and then disbanded before the reunion. Or are fans of bands who are also in a limbo and are worried about what’s going to happen. (Looking at 1975 fans, I wish the best for yall)
And I’m a mixture of both! I was here for the first break, but drifted into other music genres during it, and kinda forgot about 5sos for a while, but came back within the last 3 years.
Plus for those who were here for the first break - there’s a lot of different factors that add into the uncertainty this time, like Michael becoming a dad!
There’s a lot of feelings being thrown around in the music industry of what happens before/during breaks that adds to what a break means now vs when the first break happened. It’s just… a lot.
Okay, look, I'm nice and I'm understanding but right now I'm gonna sound like a bitch and I don't care. Whatever experience anyone has with any other band doesn't matter. What happened with one direction is different from what is happening with the 1975, that's different from what happened with big time rush, that's different from what happened to why don't we, that's different from what happened to the Jonas brothers, I can keep going but you catch my drift. They are different bands, formed by different people, in different ways, with different believes and way to make music. No one thought backstreet boys were ever gonna come back and they just did a world tour, NSYNC was seen together just last month for the first time in YEARS, bands can take breaks and reform and regroup and move on if they want. I think this expectation that you're owed content all of the time is crazy. Album cycles shouldn't be just month long things. They should be allowed to work on something for longer. They should be allowed to not tour every 6 months. 5sos released 5 album in 10 years. An album every 2 years is a fucking good number. But even if it takes them another 2, 3, 5 years, it's their right as humans to take as much space as they want. I understand why people might be scared, but no one has the right to demand anything from anyone. Maybe Luke and Ashton will release more solo music, maybe they'll go on a tour, maybe Calum will drop a poetry book, maybe we won't see them for 5 years and then they'll announce the announcement of a new song. They can do whatever they want. You can't honestly expect to have access or content or tour at all times. They are grown men with lives and families who worked hard to learn how to exist outside a band they started when they were teenagers.
And yes, Michael is gonna be a father, but one, he's not the first musician ever to have a kid so that doesn't mean anything, but you also can't expect him to not be there for his daughter. Baby girl Clifford should be his priority but in nowhere is stated that you can't be a father and a musician.
And to compare 5sos to one direction is not a fair comparison, one direction was formed in a reality show by people who only wanted to explore them. 5sos were friends first and they are still friends first. Maybe they won't drop an album every year anymore. Maybe they won't make a tour with 101 concerts in less than 8 months. But that doesn't make them any less of a band, it they are doing shorter tours and longer album cycles.
Also, if they break up, they broke up, we can't force them to stay a band.
But I stand by the fact that these men went through quarantine, lost a whole record with calm due to an internal error, dropped their label, their management, both Ashton and Luke released solo albums, with Luke signing a 3 record deal if I'm not mistaken , Michael got signed as a dj and a producer, and they still released a whole album independently that was made the way they wanted. If they were gonna stop being a band they would've done in it in 2020. They're allowed whatever breaks they want or need. They are real humans. And they are not one direction.
But this break they are taking is something that they planned around it, or do you think it's an accident the tour ended just in time for Michael to be back home for the birth of his daughter? This tour wasn't scheduled, they could've not done it. But they chose to do it. But to look at them and accuse of being about to breakup and lying about it because they are taking a break for a very specific and unbelievably valid reason is bullshit.
I don't care about whatever trauma you may have about other bands. What happened to other bands happened to other bands. You can't make a different situation about them because it's never gonna be the same because there's different people involved.
Is their life. Their choice. We're just along for the ride. It's a hell of a good one so far and if this is it so be it. It's their choice.
And honestly, if you're actually this affected by one direction breaking up and this is not just some exaggeration for the bit or a joke, get help.
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the-marron · 5 months
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Shipper Tag Game
Tagged by @forerussake , thank you 🥰
1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care about anymore?
Hmmm, a hard question right off the bat, because even if I am no longer actively seeking the ship content out anymore, usually I retain a lot of fondness for it, so there are precious few ships I used to be into and that I am simply meh about now, but I think it would be ShikaIno, from Naruto. Canon came at me hard, so while I have some fondness for it, it is what it is, and I am not that much into Naruto anymore either way, so it doesn't hurt much.
2. Which ship would you consider your first one?
Simba/Nala? Lol 😂 but in all seriousness, I think it would be BatCat. Or Aragon/Arwen, I am very hazy on the details when exactly I imprinted on those, the timeline is not clear
3. Your first fanfic was about which couple?
Read or written? Read: no idea, I think it might have been some self-insert into Inuyasha universe? Written: Sirius/Remus
4. Do you remember the first couple you saw fanart of?
Nope. When I discovered the internet I discovered all of it at an alarming pace, but my bet would be on either Sirius/Remus or some couple from W.I.T.C.H
5. Have you ever gotten into ship discourse?
I try not to. I have opinions, yes, and I like discussing them with friends, but I try not to make it anyone's problem - everyone will ship what they want to ship and find different dynamics compelling, so I don't think it necessary to crusade one way or another because one ship is superior to another. It's all very subjective.
6. Did you use to have any NOTP or have one currently?
I have quite a bit! Funnily enough I have some canon ships I absolutely dislike and can go off about whenever I catch a poor, innocent victim to listen to my rant.
But my general rule is that I don't like OT3s. In any fandom, in any form, it's just not for me at all. To make matters worse, I am a monoshipper at heart, which usually means that I have a dynamic/ship that I like with characters A and B, and it makes me lose interest in all the other configurations with them. So maybe not an active NoTP but very unlikely for me to read A/C if I committed myself to A/B.
Special shout out to Weilanzun, because this is my most recently acquired NOTP.
And to Batman/Talia Al Ghul which is my longest reigning one.
7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?
Zhou Ying/Bai Ling from Tai Sui 🥺 my poor white half-demon, hopelessly devoted to his prince... And so few fics with them ;_;
8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?
Plenty. I don't abandon old ones, I just collect them together in my jar of ships and rattle it from time to time, to see how they sparkle together.
But from my most recent and long-term commitments: Weilan, Luolin, Heixie, Luo Qingeng/Jiang Yang (do they have a name???) and BatCat, forever and ever
9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?
Well, the story is a story, so as long as it makes sense that these characters do not end up together, then I am okay with it, that's what we have fanfiction for, right?
BUT
I am still not over that wedding stunt DC Comics pulled with BatCat. Months of teasing, of promising the wedding, the freaking wedding albums being released and then the WEDDING DIDN'T HAPPEN. They broke up instead because Batman has to be the dark, sad, lonely something something and you can't be a hero if you have a wife. 50 years and DC Comics is going backwards in this regard :/
10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?
Not sure? Nothing comes to mind. But I am very open to being pulled into/converted into ships as long as they are not on my black list, and even then I try to keep an open mind, in case something clicks.
11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, would've been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?
Hah, a lot, because I got into shipping as a teenager. So reading romances about other teenagers felt normal and all but now I don't feel the need to revisit them.
12. What is your favorite crack ship?
Ha. Not today, Satan. One moment I am joking about a crack ship and the next I have 10k words written about it and like 3 sad headcanons and a shipping chart ready.
13. What is the couple you read the most fanfics about?
Oh wow, good question. If I like a ship, then I tend to read through the entire Ao3 tag of theirs, sometimes more than once because what if I missed some gem in the first go? So it would come down to the sheer numbers of fics, I think. So that would be either Sterek, Stucky or Eames/Arthur (fun fact: this is also the first fandom that introduced to me the concept of derivs)
14. What do most of your ships usually have in common?
Devotion. Very often the conflict between their feelings and their duties/ loyalty towards something they cared about before they met the other.
I like both sides of the ship to be competent at their respective fields and torn apart by their own choices and priorities. The 'I love you but do I love you enough to abandon everything I am'?. I like both answers more or less equally: both the 'yes, it's us against the world now' and 'I hope we won't meet on the battlefield' are set ups I enjoy immensely. But I also like smart-asses annoying each other into marriage one witty comeback at a time.
15. What you absolutely hate in a ship?
Imbalance of attachment. If the ship seems terribly one-sided, like one character is putting in all of the work and tries and tries, and tries while the other mercifully sometimes acknowledges them, then it's a no for me.
Same with the 'if you patiently wait for this person to like you, even though they told you 10 times they won't, then they eventually will' trope, like someone's love is what you earn through steadiness and hard-work.
I like both parts to be equally unwell about their partner, one way or another. They can be sickeningly domestic and gushing, or they can be crazy in that 'no one defeats him, but me!' kind of way, but they have to be in balance on the insanity scale. I like when characters grow into their relationship and both affect one another, falling more and more in love with each other as they go, but not when one person is a prize the other has to win/outwait/earn.
Thanks again for the tag, that was a nice bit of soul-searching there, very fun 👌😌
Tagging: @baiyubai , @babischlong-six , @mjsakurea, @mejomonster, @elenothar
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moononmyfloor · 2 months
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In the 1st Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...
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1. The Hope
Nothing can be better than a Zhang Ruoyun drama to start the year with. One of the best High School shows I've seen in the recent years, it had an amazing balance of explosive emotions of youth and jaded realism. It would appeal to viewers of all age ranges and I felt so so much nostalgia and relatability from beginning to the end. It was funny, it was smart, it was beautifully acted down to every minor role. (I pretend that last 30 minutes didn't happen, though)
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2. Wang Qiang (as Li Ran from The Hope), Zheng Hehuizi as Yang Caiwei from In Blossom)
LOOK at that babie😭🥺. Don't you want to pinch his cheeks? One of the most darling characters I had pleasure of watching recently, I wish a bright, bright future career for Wang Qiang. He portrayed the classic outwardly-prickly, marshmallow-inside teenager archetype with amazing nuance.
And Yang Caiwei oh Yang Caiwei.... as one of the shows and characters that created quite the buzz recently, I don't have anything more to add to the discussion. I can only say: lady, thank you for taking up a role that is FINALLY convincingly scarred, unkempt, dirty and not strikingly goddess-y from the first glance, and playing her with such gusto the true, genuine beauty of the character was drawn out with no external effort at all.
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3. The Hope
This drama utilized music so beautifully than 99% idol romance dramas ever would. Atmospheric music that elevated the scenes with lyrics that fit, not to mention writing three whole songs to be FULLY performed in-drama for character purposes. It felt like a musical at times. Talk about dedication.
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4. Pan Yue's, from In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li (Only few)
I mean
How many costume drama wardrobes can top these embroidery and visibly high quality fabric? Not to mention they actually look wearable in daily life, and not just ornate for "main character's costumes" reasons. They are actually quite simple, if you think a bit- but immensely tasteful. AND
My FAVORITE thing about not just his, but all costumes in this show that I've rarely seen other dramas do is: They repeated the costumes! Many times! Almost all of them! And that added so much to the groundedness of the character. Rich young master having a runway-worthy wardrobe? Nothing new. Him wearing them again and again because that's what a normal, reasonable person does? I'm sold.
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I loved the plain but in an elegant and carefree way styling of the two leads of Shen Li whenever they were having recluse times. *This* is exactly how I imagine immortals too- just vibing and not decked in gold from head-to-toe because they are simply beyond it. Whenever the show changed to the typical bejewelled guzhuang garb in heaven scenes, it immeadietely visually reduced the show to just another xianxia. First Till the End of the Moon and now this😭. Guys, pick a consistent style and rock it proudly! A signature look is very important especially if you are aiming to create an impactful all-powerful character! I see no reason the gods couldn't do all the grand court and fight scenes in these robes either, honestly that would've served drive home the nail that the gods function on a different wavelength than humans.
(Also Wtf was even that Shen Li in a Greek goddess like getup? [last image] Not that it's not pretty BUT *waves hands around helplessly..)
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5. In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li, The Hope, Baking Challenge
In Blossom posters had a perfect balance of traditional Chinese ethereal elegance mixed with gothic horror mystery vibes.
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I LOVED the "how I imagine the peaceful cottagecore fairytale like life of my great-grandparents" vibe of Shen Li posters. It's giving lore.
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Really liked the "hooligan teens on retro album cover" aesthetic of The Hope posters too.
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The whimsical food posters of Baking Challenge were also fun.
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6. Detective Chinatown 2
I didn't even know a Detective Chinatown S2 was even coming like...until it did and it was like a second new year because I LOVED that show and it was the most unexpected pleasant surprise of the year- especially when almost all the main cast members were returning. And the first few eps were amazing too and didn't do a disservice at all to the previous season and I got my hopes up thinking we'll get to see a continuation of the Roy Chiu-Janine Chang arc too... only for the show to pull the rug and did the exact same thing as the previous season- the main character withdrew from the story by midpoint. Oh my gods. I want to find this show's creators and give them a good shake. Have some Janine jiejie pics from first season though just for the nostalgia's sake.
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7. Baking Challenge
If you aren't deterred by barely-legible machine subs, give this one a try. It's a fun little food drama that doesn't take itself seriously yet has a lot of heart. And for The Untamed fans, there's our Lan Sizhui (Zheng Fanxing) in it, and he's still the same cutie pie!
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8. Pegasus
I watched five episodes, it's a solid show, fun too, it's just that I'm not very into racing AND Hu Xianxu is still a baby in my head😭😂 To convince me that he's a rich CEO with his own romance and adult problems will take at least 20 more years!
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I see him parading like this and couldn't help but want to laugh hysterically lol. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. He's an amazing actor! But still..
I hope he doesn't try to force-rush his shift to adult characters, either.
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