#(and beautifully described might I add)

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Ok so they play “Record Player” at my work and I love it so much that I never interrupt it with the mic. I just listened to it with headphones on for the first time and HOLY SHIT I feel like my soul is on the brink of leaving my body. Some astral projection shit right there

[lesinquietes]

Ok but what about Bandit Leader Shigaraki, who guides his league of villains from village to village with the intent to plunder, but he decides to take you as a war prize

Tw; hinted noncon, violence, yandere

—

He hates the world so much. That’s why he learned how to fight and swindle and take what he wants, because no one else is going to give him a fucking break, are they? No. He paved his own path. And now, the world is going to pay for how it treats the underdogs.

His league camps out on the border of defenseless villages. He makes the mayor hike taxes and collect other funds for the purpose of paying Shigaraki and his crew a security deposit. In exchange, they don’t wreak havoc or destroy the village. It’s only when the income ceases flowing that there becomes an issue.

He attacks your village when your mayor doesn’t follow through with the security payment. He’s happy to do it, just as he’s been happy to do it various times in the past in other locations; there’s a high that comes from the process of plundering that he can’t describe. He’s even made it into a game, of sorts. Old people are worth fifty points. Young people are worth ten — twenty if they’re annoying. Babies and children don’t count. It’s a simple mindset that keeps him amused.

But when he aims his gun at you, having slaughtered your family already, he finds his trigger finger hesitating. There you are, hands over your head, quivering and whimpering in the corner. You’re in a silk nightdress that accents your frame beautifully. Your hair is messy and loose. The tears streaming down your face only add to your appeal. Your image — albeit the portrait of a frightened soul — is captivating.

He stands there for a few minutes before lowering the pistol. He can’t shoot you; there’s something obliging him to do otherwise. He thinks you might have a better use than being dead.

“You’d be a waste as a corpse.” He snickers cruelly. “I think I have an idea of how you can pull your weight around camp, though.”

As he grabs a fistful of your locks and drags you out of your burning family home, he grins maliciously. One second, you’re screaming about him hurting you; the next, you’re begging him to let you go. You’re already proving to put up a fun little fruitless fight.

Shigaraki tows you over to his league, who lie in the centre of your ravaged village. They leer at you with hunger in their depraved eyes. Lately, his bed has been cold at night, without anyone to warm it. He realizes his men must feel the same way.

“Hope you’re ready to show us how much you want to keep your life.”

[gatoraid]

Anime recs for The Radiant Emperor enjoyers

I was watching the new Ooku anime on Netflix some weeks ago and I thought it hit that ”court drama dealing with gender roles and making me cry” spot that He Who Drowned the World has been occupying in my heart lately (even if it engages with some of these themes very differently).

Somehow that got me thinking about other anime that might align with the vibes and themes in The Radiant Emperor book series and eventually came up with this list.

Some of those themes include gender roles, queerness, disability, politics, oppression, rebellion, revenge, impossible and messy relationships and tragedy. Darker themes like war, violence, sexual assault etc are also often present. Please lmk if you agree or disagree with these choices and feel free to add more!

Dororo (2019)

Historical fantasy based on Osamu Tezuka’s manga classic from the 1960s.

An orphan who hides her gender in order to survive meets a young man who fights demons to claim back his body parts that his father traded away in a demonic pact. There’s tons of pain and tough moral questions and complicated family relationships, and the way Hyakkimaru deals with having lost and then slowly regaining parts of himself is super interesting.

24 episodes. Stream on Prime Video, Hidive

The Heike Story (2022)

Retelling of the historical epic Heike monogatari through the eyes of an orphan girl who gains the ability to see supernatural things after her father’s passing. Inevitability of fate, the impermanence of all existence, praying for your loved ones’ happiness in the next life, all of these things are beautifully woven in this visually stunning story. The story also hits different when you know that Heike monogatari was traditionally performed by blind musicians and singers.

11 episodes. Stream on Cruncyroll, Apple TV

Inu-oh (2022)

Historical fantasy. Two outcasts find each other and change the history with their music in this story that also pays respect to the Heike monogatari’s origin as a singing tradition. Focus on things like identity, disability, nonconformity, ghosts. Yes, the ghosts part is important. Also, the gender expressions and the bond between the two main characters is something I’ve seen a lot of queer/trans ppl relate to and Inu-oh is voiced by none other than the trans icon Avu-chan.

Movie. Stream on Hulu

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (2023)

Alternate history where most men in Japan have been wiped out by a mysterious disease. Very much a court drama centered in the Tokugawa shogun’s residence where men serve the woman shogun as concubines (and sometimes have relationships with each other). Also, one of the main characters is a monk who ends up giving up his vows! Based on Fumi Yoshinaga’s acclaimed manga that has also been adapted to various live action movies and drama series.

10 episodes. Stream on Netflix

Toward the Terra (2007)

Scifi classic with two main characters who are at the opposing sides but feel inexplicably connected. There’s just so many insane relationships and emotions here, I still have not recovered from the ”I want to kill you but I will also protect you with my own life” thing…… Based on the 1970s manga by Keiko Takemiya. Not to be confused with the movie from 1980.

24 episodes. Available on DVD

Devilman Crybaby (2018)

Apocalyptic fantasy with demons and stuff. Based on the classic 1970s manga by Go Nagai.

I don’t even know how to describe the story, it’s just the tragedy, the queer yearning, the ”I killed the one I loved and then it was too late”, the ”things will get bad and then they will get worse” vibe that I think is very fitting. This one has the most extreme violent and sexual content out of the series on this list.

10 episodes. Stream on Netflix

Banana Fish (2018)

Gang wars, mystery drugs and complicated emotions set in New York. Based on the iconic 1980s manga by Akemi Yoshida. Deals heavily with trauma and CSA.

You guessed right, this one is also a tragedy. If you love Ouyang and/or Baoxiang, you’re probably going to love Lee Yut-Lung. That’s all I’m going to say.

24 episodes. Stream on Amazon Prime

[mitamicah]

An aromantic autistic reading of Joker Out's "Bluza"/"the Blouse"

I have a few words about Bluza. The Blouse.

When I first heard the title, I felt a connection to this song yet in a very tongue-in-cheek way. Because I read the working title was a nod to the white holed sweater blouse (the slut shirt) Bojan forgot at Jere’s place last autumn. But then thanks to JokerOutSubs I realized that this song really speaks to me in another way.

Disclaimer: I am speaking about this from an autistic aroace point of view and as a person who has masked most their lives and doesn’t drink. I hope to explain why this matters in the post below.

The lines that especially spoke to me are these: Ja ko pijana budala Ali čaše nisam popio Jamislim da sam se zaljubio u tebe

I’m acting like a drunk idiot But I haven’t had a single glass I think I’ve fallen in love with you

As a person who has spend most my life being critical about what to say, do, and how I show of myself to people I see the drunkenness described here not as literal but as a form of unmasking. When you find that one person you feel so comfortable around that you know that they won’t leave you or care if you stop being presentable in the eyes of society.

The result is that you may seem drunk and out of character when you are close to them. Drunk as in unlike yourself but also much more yourself. You dare to be authentic and to be silly and vulnerable because this person next to you gets you. No alcohol you could consume would fill you with as much giddiness as being with this person does. There is something about this one person that just speaks to you and let you know that you are safe.

While not having been drunk myself this is what I expect is the feeling most drunk people are searching for: the experience of not caring about what other people might think about them anymore. They just exist outside time and space in a bubble of bliss.

The person in the song is that for Bojan. His bubble of bliss – his safe space.

I’ve been lucky enough to have people like that too for small periods of time. And just like the next line I have felt very strongly connected to the person in those moments thinking “is this was love feels like?”. And here I don’t necessarily mean romantic attraction/love. I mean love as in a deeper, more profound level. The love that is outside of bodily desire. It is two spirits – two beings finding a home in the other person. A home where you can be giddy and drunk without having touch a single drink.

It is no secret that I love the idea of queer platonic love. When I read this, I read it as queer platonic. I read it as beautifully strange, brotherly, romantic, and platonic all at once.

The chorus kind of develops this feeling and adds and aromantic layer to it: Baš ja Koji nisam verovao Da za nekim biću lud

Yes, me who didn’t believe I would be crazy about someone

I read this as a very much an aspec experience.

You may have gone most of your life feeling othered for not experiencing those feelings of romantic attraction the world around you constantly tell you that you should.

Then this person comes along. This person that is your haven, that you can fool around with and open up around. There’s something that seems different, seems honest and so it brings you that feeling of bliss I mentioned earlier. That feeling the world around you have tried to tell you exists for years, yet you never believed would happen to you.

You may have believed yourself to be broken or maybe the world around you too much for seemingly being crazy about love. But now in this moment of bliss, drunk without having drunk, you get it. You want to be with this person, do all the silly things the media tells you are romantic. Not because you are forced to but because it would mean spending more time with your person. And every little second you can spend with your person feels like a blessing.

That is my take on the song at least. Thank you for reading.

[ticchina]

I watch this video at least once a month and never get tired of listening to these two describe sex and love so beautifully. Ngl, this might have been THE video where I fell for Mile and Apo, not just their characters for the first time.

Apo standing there with red cheeks and both of them having that after-sex glow, while being complete professionals discussing their art and thanking each other for being wonderful partners shows more chemistry than half of on-screen couples have in the whole industry.

I totally just made it sound like they were corn actors, unintentionally.

The way they share opinions to the point of literally finishing each other's sentences and the way they understand their characters so well, makes you want to see more of their work together and GOD I'M SO GLAD they understand how powerful they are together and are giving us "Man Suang".

Looking back at "KinnPorsche" bts videos just gets me more excited for the movie. I genuinely hope more people will give them a chance and support they deserve.

I also wanna add that, after all that talk about love and how sex is just another way of expressing your feelings, Apo adding "you also, don't HAVE to have sex, simple words are enough" was EVERYTHING. These boys are a treasure.

Add them to you stan list, like, right fucking now.

[rowniebow]

tone | matt murdock x gn!reader

summary: a day in the life of matt murdock and you, who's been wanting nothing more than to learn an instrument.

pairings: matt murdock x gn!reader

cw: it's not 18+ but it infers it a bit. read at your own risk!

word count: 0.6k+

an: short but i thought it was sweet

⭒

the ruined melodies sat between your jaw and clavicle. it echoed throughout the open apartment. it bounced off every wall and came back crashing into you: your learning mistakes on full blast.

your furrowed brow couldn't hold your bow in place for my longer than a beat. your posture fell, but your yearning for continuing to play and learn as fast as you could kept your tired arm high.

all you wanted to do was play the instrument beautifully.

"hey," a quiet voice broke through the silence that had been filled with your frustration.

"hi," your breathy greeting carried yourself down on to the bed, holding the instrument like a guitar instead. "i didn't know you were home. i'm sorry, this has got to be hurting your ears so badly,"

"no, no, not really," he shook his head from the door frame. he smiled in your general vicinity.

you stared.

"okay, maybe a little," he laughed lightly through your groan.

even if it hurt his ears, he gifted you the instrument. he wanted you to be able to learn it like you had been talking about.

"what's that called?" he stepped towards your sat frame. his glasses were off and his jacket was gone, as if he'd been home for a while. listening to you.

"what is what called?"

"when you," he thought for a moment on how to describe it. "wiggle your wrist like that?"

"ah, my sad attempt at vibrato." you looked up at his still confused but content features. "it supposed to help add emotion and musicality. and hide my horrible intonation errors."

he hummed, thinking to himself. "here,"

he gently grasped the instrument out of your hand and sat it on the bed next to you. he tugged on your loose shirt gently, nearly reveling your entire left shoulder.

"it's a muscle you have build - look," matt ran his fingers along the top of your shoulder. it was a whisper of a touch. "i can hear the muscle fibers tearing and-,"

he stroked his fingers along your skin. it vibrates throughout your body, clenching in and strangling your lungs.

"repairing themselves."

his hushed voice sent shivers down your spine. as if he were too afraid to interrupt the sound of your breathing.

he carefully (careful of both you and instrument) sat it back in the crook of your neck. he took his left hand and placed it on your cheek. the light touch brought the hairs on your neck up. he smirked at the sound of them. and slowly, gentle as ever, he guided your head to clutch the instrument in between your chin. "try that."

you stated up at him, charmed from the calm ocean of his touch.

he, however, felt your state and could hardly make out what it meant. his racing heart was louder than his scattered thoughts. even after all this time, you still managed to draw his mind to a blank.

"you can feel the vibrations better. it might help your- er- tone?" the stumbling of his words brought a repressed laugh out of you

"it's alright," you sat the instrument back down in its case. one that was filled with everything you could ever need by the man in front of you. "i think i'd like to do something else."

your hands found his cheeks. then travelled behind his neck. bits of his hair slithered between your fingertips like how the strings of the instrument did.

"yeah? what's that?" matt smiled leaning down for his lips to play in the beach of your neck.

you released a symphony of giggles into him as you fell back into your shared bed together.

[grapecaseschoices]

Beloved Grapes 🍇some questions from the fanfic hype ask!

(Also also before the questions: I adore your writing very much!! Even in your tags. There was a recent set of tags where you also wrote something like "I don't know how to word it/I'm not making sense because I'm tired" or something but you had worded it so perfectly beautifully. Anyway. I feel like you also use these really fun turns of phrase which are both unique and always perfectly suited. I still think about the "eye crinkle to eye twinkle ratio" which you wrote in a post about Nat and Kai! Anyway mwah I am eating your writing and your thoughts.)

Terrible OC (In terms of, like, villains. We're being positive today!)

Fic(s) you would/have forced someone else to read

A fun writer quirk you've noticed (Specific word(s) they repeat, detailed setting description, a lot of adjectives, trope they write really well, etc.)

hello pumpkin!

(haha i actually forgot what i wrote that so i am so flattered that you did! like that is really ... i guess touching? i mean i've made no bones that my memory is shit, so i forget even my own stuff. BUT THAT SOMEONE ELSE HOLDS LINES I'VE WRITTEN IN THEIR MINDS. i might tear up?? anyway ima stop before i embarrass myself. but ty <3 :-D)

1] Terrible OC (In terms of, like, villains. We're being positive today!)

okay, so i'm really shit about remembering to read shit on tumblr and i havent read ao3 fanfic in some time. so my answer here might not be satisfactory.

most of my time the past couple have been on rp, you know? but yall dont know my rp buds. [BUT I ENCOURAGE YALL TO GET INTO RP. IT IS SO FUN WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE!!! I feel it challenges your view of your character - an your own writing - in a way writing fic/an original story solo or playing IF doesn't. the collaborative aspect is fun and i love the planning, but there is so much you cannot plan. you will surprise yourself with what you write and what your characters will do. but that's another post]

BUT! i will say for fanfic oc, @ava-du-mortain Cecilia du Mortain. it's been a while since I've read Ceci so my memory is fuzzy -- or LIA, rather. And I wouldn't call her a villain ... but I wouldn't say she's just ~misunderstood~. There is a darkness to her I find intriguing that I feel echoes her sibling's, and Pap has linger without making her cartoonish but intense instead ... coming to my mind was a snippet she showed me between Nairuz and Lia.

2] Fic(s) you would/have forced someone else to read

again, i am so bad with this fandom! and i havent been on ao3 a minute my brain is tired.

but, off the top of my mind, not to be egotistical but @lalizah's gift to me for the .... i forgot what it's called. but yall can read it HERE!!

And here is my ao3 bookmarks. Don't at me. I know. What is it I know? I just. Know. lol.

3] A fun writer quirk you've noticed (Specific word(s) they repeat, detailed setting description, a lot of adjectives, trope they write really well, etc.)

I really wanna add rp peeps! But hrm. My first thought was @evilbunnyking So, I'll go with that! Love the way with words, the way characters and characters actions are stated/described. I'm such a sucker for that when it isn't just adjectives but essence? does that make sense? no.

i'm tired. lmao

[malinaa]

2023 WRITING REVIEW

tagged: no one i just wanted to do this and i forgot about it soz </3 tagging : board of directors i'd tag u here but this is mostly fic-based so sorree... anyway if u have already done this my b.... i wld like to see ur post tho @evcndiaz | @brimay | @usignedupforthis | @seek--rest | @posallys | @dustorangeheartssnowman | @adhd-merlin | @queerofthedagger

number of stories posted to ao3: 34 ±1 bc i updated a fic from a while back <3

word counted posted for last year: 90k... a feat (i wrote more but it was ofic so add like maybe 10k to that)

fandoms i wrote for: alex stern series, merlin, house md, pjo, spidey, hunger games, doctor who, & the grisha trilogy

pairings: merthur / arwen / mergwenthur / mergana, darlingstern, hilson, percabeth, petermj, everlark, tenrose, malina

stories with the most KUDOS: jealousy, jealousy (house md) with 522 <3 BOOKMARKS: except my life (merlin) with 137 <3 COMMENT THREADS: rip current (pjo) with 38 <3 *technically the answer to all of these is tested with torment but that's a fic i updated so i don't reallyyyyyy count it

work i'm most proud of (and why): thread of gold (arwen, bbc merlin) because i don't exactly post 2nd person fic and tbh most people HATEEEEE 2nd person fic AND i got people to enjoy it. HA!

work i'm least proud of (and why): coffee drinker (gen fic, bbc merlin) because it was just a promptfic and i didn't even really feel like posting it but i wrote it so i might as well yk?

share or describe a favorite review you received: any review that quotes a line but this one from judas kiss (arwen, bbc merlin)...

THIS. IS. WONDERFUL ❤️❤️❤️ *creates bookmark with gusto* I LOVE that you dug into what it might have been like for Gwen while she was under that enchantment! It was so creative to have her past memories blurring with glimpses of the present during the enchantment. I *felt* her disorientation, and it *hurt*. I felt so bad for Gwen all over again! 😭😭😭 That aspect of this story could have been a fantastic standalone one-shot in its own right, but noooo, you raised the bar and KEPT GOING and made it even better!!! I love that you showed Gwen and Merlin staying friends after Gwen becomes queen, and I love how she confides in him and how he immediately drops everything to go look for the offending piece of jewelry. The bit about Arthur’s incredulity at Merlin’s method of testing the enchantment was a great dash of humor, and I love that you fleshed out the concept of the enchantment to be something the others could experience so that they could truly *know* that Gwen had been innocent. And don’t even get me started on how much I love Arthur’s “Forgive me.” I love how he doesn’t think twice about humbling himself in front of everyone because his focus is solely on Gwen, consumed by the urgency of doing the right, honorable, and loving thing in that moment. You write Arthur and Gwen’s relationship so beautifully. 💕 Well done; I hate you (/affectionate) for all these feels. 🥰🫂👏

a time when writing was really, really hard: august through october... idek why i was literally in agony not writing

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: writing jj in spider-man: homewrecker because i've NEVER written him before (in my memory) and i was like. Hello .

a favorite excerpt of your writing: cannae lie i have a few favs so... killing is a love language (mergana, bbc merlin) Heartbreak snakes up his throat, constricting him at the sight of her. Morgana’s beauty is incontestable even like this, but her hatred wore her down to her bones. Gone were the full cheeks and rosy lips, the perfectly combed hair, the wardrobe that would put princesses to shame. Now, her face is sunken in, her hair a curled storm, her dress is merely black rags at this point. thread of gold (arwen, bbc merlin) Your father’s presence is larger than life. Larger than love. It looms. It casts shadows long enough to hide every hope and dream you’ve ever had for yourself. the boy and the girl (malina, the grisha trilogy) Memory fractures into shards. Real or not real? There’s Mal in the meadow. Mal buried beneath the hanging tree. Mal cold in her palms. There’s a sky darker than night. Her hands bloodied. A knife lodged in his heart. Her knife. His blood. Her fault. She killed him. She loves him. Her fault. Rest her head on his still chest. Her fault. No heartbeat. Her fault. No warmth. Cold light spilling from her palms. She killed him. The Saint’s only true worshipper martyred.

how did you grow as a writer last year: my hopes from last year was that i finally finish a multichap fic.... 😭 does a short 3-shot count. besides that i wrote more consistently and i'm finally Used to my writing style. i think.

how do you hope to grow this year: hell if i know if i could write something longer than 20k that'd be great 😭😭😭😭

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): the board.... @rosesau / @bipercabeth / @stellwood fnh...... i'd tag katie but she absconded from tumblr smh. anyway hi freaks n geeks

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: oh i don't even know. nothing ig

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: bro idek the more i write the more writing becomes fundamentally so hard to talk about ... sorreeee

any projects you're looking to starting (or finishing) this year: IF I DON'T FUCKING MAKE PROGRESS ON MY PLAY I WILL BASH MY HEAD INTO A WALL. THIS CAN'T KEEP HAPPENING. ATLAS AND VIVIAN YOU WILL BE WRITTEN ON THE PAGE INSHALLAH

[simizzy-writes]

take as directed

𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕠 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖. 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕦𝕝𝕝 𝕞𝕖 '𝕥𝕚𝕝 𝕀'𝕞 𝕠𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕕.

Pairing: Trafalgar D. Water Law x f!Reader

Warnings: 18+. smut. language. medfet. masturbation.

pic is my edit. 

“You know, one of these days you’re going to actually get sick, and I won’t feel very inclined to believe you - or treat you.”

“That seems a little sadistic for a doctor, Law. Then again, you’re called the ‘Surgeon of Death’, so I suppose it fits.”

He scoffed at your grin, clearly unamused. Spinning around in his chair, he reached for his pristine, white exam gloves. He stretched them over his hands, fingers flexing to fill them in. To add flourish, he snapped the gloves against his wrist. You liked it when he did that, but whether he did it because you liked it, or it was just a habit, you weren’t sure. Law probably wouldn’t tell you if you asked, either. 

Moving to stand, he fixed his gaze on you. “And what exactly seems to be the problem this time?”

You shrugged, swinging your dangling feet from the examination bed back and forth. “Can’t quite put a finger on it, doc. I mean, I have this ache but I don’t know how to get rid of it.”

“Have you tried being less of a brat? Might help.”

You nudged his leg with your foot in indignation. “Hey! Play along, Law,” you whined. “That’s not a very professional thing to say.”

“You come into my office with the expectation that I’m going to fuck you, and you want me to be professional?” Law taunted. “Maybe I should just refer you to a different physician.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Of course he wouldn’t. No, Law enjoyed this too much. This game that you played with him was too deliciously sinful for him to refuse. It was taboo, sure, but that was part of the thrill. Doctors shouldn’t be attracted to their patients - and they especially shouldn’t fuck them.

“Describe your symptoms.”

Humming thoughtfully, you leaned back onto your palms. “Well, I start feeling hot, and then I start feeling excited. It feels good, but then it starts to get overwhelming. Like I need to do something about it.”

“Where is this ‘ache’ located? Show me.”

Law didn’t really need to be shown what you were talking about, but he enjoyed watching you strip for him too much to skip this part. You would deliberately entice him, removing articles of clothing slowly, bending over for him as you wiggled your pants and panties down your legs. His favorite part about you getting naked were the little ‘mistakes’ along the way. Sometimes the clasp on your bra would get stuck, so you would blush in embarrassment as you tried to get it undone. Or the way you would lose your balance as you stepped out of the pile of clothes at your feet and stumbled into him. You would giggle and attach yourself to him in a hug and a kiss, perhaps in a way to cover up your embarrassment, but he didn’t care about the ‘mistakes’. It was endearing and sweet to him, and he loved it. You were you, and nothing was more delightful to him than that. In a passing thought as his hands reached out to caress your naked body, Law wondered if he was good enough for you. But he closed the door on that intrusive thought, and switched his mind to the role-play at hand. 

Law’s exam room was chilly, and your nipples hardened against the cool air. Chasing off a shiver, you situated yourself back onto the exam bed. You leaned back against the angled bed, legs spread in front of your captain. From what he could tell, you had been aroused for a while before coming to him about this ‘mystery ache’ that needed urgent attention. Your labia was beautifully flushed and glistening from the leaking wetness of your vagina. He could see your clitoris, slightly swollen from arousal, peak out from under its hood. Memories of your tight pussy milking his cock as his fucked you played in his mind. The phantom taste of your sweet pussy made his mouth water. As deeply as he wanted to dive into you, it wasn’t part of the fantasy. Not this time. 

“Right here,” you mewled pathetically as you wiggled your hips at him. Your fingers spread your labia apart, showing him every part of your sex. “I don’t know what to do to get rid of it.”

His gray eyes fixated on your pussy. It was hard to resist the growing erection pressing against his pants at the sight of it. He reached out, his thumbs on each hand pressing against your labia and spreading it further apart for you. The entrance of your pussy tightened, and the small whimper you let escape your lips made his cock twitch. Law knew it excited you to have yourself exposed to him like this - completely vulnerable. It also made you quite shy, ironically, although he couldn’t tell if it was genuine or part of the play. Nonetheless, he enjoyed watching your meek attempts to cover yourself as he examined you thoroughly.

With two fingers, Law inserted them into your pussy. The palm of his other hand pressed down on your lower abdomen where he knew your uterus was situated. This may have been a mutual medical fetish, but he was still a doctor, and he still checked for anything abnormal. He was familiar enough with your insides to notice a change, to say the least. 

“Tell me when this ache starts,” he said. Gray eyes still fixated on your pussy, he watched as his gloved fingers fucked your wet hole slowly. Law curled them, pressing them in the spongy spot that made your toes curl. The thumb on his opposite hand stroked your clit, dipping into your pussy to gather more of your slick when it was starting to drag uncomfortably. You were taking a while to answer - probably distracted by the way he was scissoring your cunt, if he had to guess. That was so like you, so easily distracted. Pushing the hood back on your sensitive clit, he withdrew his fingers from your pussy just long enough to flick your sensitive little bud. “Focus.”

The little yelp that sprung from your lips was so cute. Your legs flinched at the brief moment of pain he gave you and tried to close on instinct. Not that you were successful - Law’s arms bent, elbows pressing into your thighs to keep them open. Wet, gloved fingers went back to working your pussy and he reminded you to tell him when this pathetic ache started.

“I-It starts when I think about you,” you said. Your quivering lips looked so delicious, and he was tempted to take them between his teeth in a passionate kiss. Instead, he added a third finger to your tight, juicy cunt. 

“Yeah? What about me?”

The wet squelch of your pussy getting finger-fucked made your mouth water. Being the ever so good patient for your doctor, you opened your legs further for him, hips rolling against his palm. “You’re so hot, I can’t help but think about you. I-I - “

You stopped short as Law worked a long, lewd moan from you by adding a fourth finger, pressing deep into you. He smirked a little in pride at how you were able to take him down to the knuckles. Maybe one day he’d be able to fit his fist in you. That was an interesting thought. 

“Keep going,” he instructed.

“I-I think about you kissing me and touching me,” you purred. Your cheeks were so rosy and sweet. God, he would never admit it, but he was a such a fucking sucker for cute things. You looked so good and cute when you talked about how much you wanted him. “I want to fuck you all of the time, L-Law.”

“That’s pretty naughty, don’t you think? You shouldn’t be fantasizing about fucking your doctor.” His smirk was devilish and proud. Bottoming out his fingers into your pussy one last time, he yanked them from your pussy. You whined pitifully, but yelped again when he flicked your clit once again. It amused him to see you flinch like that, but still keep your pussy exposed to him for more. “What do you do to alleviate this problem?”

Your body was warm and flushed with excitement. Your curious eyes followed him as he removed his gloves, the black ink of his tattoos contrasting against his tanned skin. Your pussy tightened, the sensation of his ministrations lingering inside of you as you watched those hands of his. “I touch myself, doctor.” Biting your lip to mask a smile of pleasure, you couldn’t help but feel amusement at the way his eyes closed in pleasure at the way you called him ‘doctor’. 

“Masturbation, huh? Sounds like you’re just horny more than anything else.” Law took a seat in front of your spread open cunt. With amusement, he instructed you to show him how you masturbate. “Show me. Show me how you fuck yourself.”

This was a first, and for a moment you felt genuine embarrassment. “I…I-I’ve never done that before. With someone watching, I mean.”

Fuck, his dick hurt. It twitched and throbbed against his pants, and he had to adjust to alleviate the pressure. This was a new suggestion on his part, as he usually just fucked you as a mock-prescription with whatever fake ailment you bounced into his office with. Not this time. Maybe it was just another fetish of his, but Law was curious to watch you masturbate. The slight power-play behind him instructing  you to do so got him off, too.

He called your name and his eyes darkened at the way just saying your name made your pussy quiver. “It’s possible you’re not receiving adequate satisfaction on your own. There’s only one way to know, so show me.”

You nodded slowly, bashfully. Doing your best to relax, you let your eyes flutter shut as your hand moved to your pussy. Fantasies played in your mind of you and Law. All of the positions he’s fucked you in, all of the ones you’ve yet to do… The way he looked at you, the way your name tasted on his tongue. It was all sublime imagery and it ignited your desire once more. Your fingers worked your pussy in the practiced way you were used to. Slowly, you became so lost in your pleasure that it was like Law wasn’t there. But Law wasn’t a forgettable man, and the sensation of his hands on your skin again made you mewl in bliss. With great effort, you opened your glossy eyes and looked at Law. 

The palms of his hands mapped out your thighs and hips, eyes fixated on your pussy with reverence. He watched the way you worked your pussy with fascination. Admittedly, he hadn’t taken the time to just watch this kind of thing before. It was his turn to feel an ache, but this was painfully real. Law’s cock strained against his clothing. Precum was undoubtedly leaking from his pulsing member. It needed to be in your pussy. It demanded it. Soon, he thought. Soon. 

“Law,” you mewled, fingers hastening their pace. You craved him so pathetically it drove you wild. His gaze never broke away from your pussy, and you dipped your fingers into your pussy a little deeper, scissoring them as you pulled them out. It spread you open so that he could see your wet hole, and he groaned in pleasure. Law’s thumbs reached out again to keep it spread open. 

“Such a good pussy,” he murmured more to himself than to you, but his praise still pleased you. 

“ ‘m close,” you whined. “I wanna cum -”

“So cum,” Law said. “Show the good doctor what a slut you are for him.”

God, what a filthy and taboo thing to say. The nerves in your body lit up in arousal, shivers rippling from head to toe in you. You couldn’t draw it out anymore, so you doubled down and worked your pussy in just the right way to make yourself cum. Pleasure blossomed and spread to your fingertips. You called out his name, eyes closed in bliss. Your pussy fluttered and pulsed as you rode out your orgasm. Sinful nectar leaked from your wet sex, dripping down your ass and onto the exam table.

It took everything he had to not lick it up. 

Law couldn’t wait anymore, so while you were floating on post-orgasm clouds, he stood and unzipped his pants. Rolling his shoulders in relief, he let his cock bounce free from its restraints. It pulsed, throbbed and swelled in excitement. So, so close to being buried in your pussy again, it couldn’t wait. Law couldn’t wait anymore. 

Lining his cock up at your soaking wet hole, he dragged the swollen head of his cock up and down your pussy. You mewled and gasped from the sensation. Your pussy was so sensitive now,  and yet you still couldn’t wait for his cock to be buried balls deep in you. Your mouth watered at the sight of his thick cock, your eyes going hazy with lust. The smirk on his lips couldn’t be helped as you wiggled your hips in anticipation.

“Seems rather simple to me,” Law said. “The problem, I mean. You need a little extra satisfaction fucked into you. Let’s get your treatment plan started, yeah?”

a tip, if you feel so inclined. thank you for reading 💕

[redgoldsparks]

November 2023 Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Frankisstein by Jeanette Winterson read by John Sackville and Perdita Weeks

This book has three different story lines, one of which is much stronger than the other two, which is making it hard for me to figure out how I want to rate the book. The opening story line, and my favorite, is about Mary Shelley during the period in which she wrote Frankenstein. These scenes especially in the audiobook are beautifully read and atmospheric, damp, melancholy, introspective, with engaging characterizations of Byron, Percy Shelley, and the other guests of the house. The second story line is about Ry Shelley, a trans doctor living in post-Brexit Britain who becomes entangled romantically and criminally with Victor Stein, a researcher focused on AI, cryogenic preservation and reanimation, and training robots to detect human diseases. Ry is fairly genderfluid, and is often described as both a man and a woman, or a boy who is a girl who is a boy. I appreciated having a trans POV character in this book, but wished Ry had more of his own ambitions and plot- he seemed to exist primarily to have conversations and sex with Victor, who insisted over and over that he wasn't gay even after falling for and sleeping with Ry. Ry also interviews and then is repeatedly misgendered by Ron Lord, a Welsh entrepreneur in the sex robot industry- there is a lot in this book about sex bots, including huge chunks of uninterrupted dialogue by Ron Lord that got fairly repetitive in audio. Ry is also the victim of a bathroom sexual assault near the end of the book that felt thematically unnecessary and punishing. I can imagine a different version of this book where Ry was the one conducting the research that Victor does in this book, and his love interest is a modern version of Percy, which might have interested me more. There's also a third partial story line about Mary Shelley meeting a man named Victor Frankenstein who claims to be the character from her book; these didn't add anything for me. Would I recommend this? Hard to say. It's a complicated queer remix of Frankenstein and I was engaged while listening to the majority of it but there were also pieces that fell short of my expectations.

The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin 

High school senior Mari is woken from a nightmare about voices calling to her from a pit in a cave to learn that her grandmother is dead. Mari, her mom, and her little sister drive back to Estrella Roja, their small mysterious Texas hometown. Meanwhile, Kat, a college freshman who runs a podcast about the paranormal with her best friend, receives an anonymous email tip about the "devil lights" of Estrella Roja and decides to solo road trip to investigate it over her spring break. Kat can't find anyone in town willing to to talk to her... except Mari, who is both sad and bored, and can't seem to connect with any of her close-mouthed relatives. The two stumble across something in the desert that was spooky enough to make me wonder if I should be reading the book before bedtime. This story weaves a queer meet-cute with a dark family history into a very effective YA horror tale. The inking and coloring are absolutely gorgeous. Scary, but not too scary for me, a known scaredy cat!

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock L Eide and Fernette F Eide 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has dyslexia, is parenting a young person with dyslexia, works in education at any level or is just in general interested in how differing brain structures effect things such as working memory, 3D visualization, problem solving, and other areas of cognition. I've known I was dyslexic since I was about 8 years old, but I had never picked up a book on the topic. I found this very interesting and very easy to read (its printed in a san-serif font with large page margins, and also short well-structured chapters). It contains many real-life stories of people with dyslexia rising to the very pinnacle of their chosen fields as well as a good section of layperson's neuroscience of brain structure and some of the latest research on memory formation. The authors do an excellent job highlighting how so many of the things that are cast as weaknesses or drawbacks in dyslexic students' early education are often reshaped into strengths later in life. Multiple times the authors emphasized that while dyslexic students should receive extra instruction in reading in early childhood, that they probably won't catch up their peers until later in life, often in high school or beyond and that one of the most important things is never letting the dyslexic student give up on their own ability to learn, thrive, and succeed. Most dyslexics are late bloomers, but as the book says, "time is on your side."

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross read by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk

Set in a kind of fantasy WWI, this story follows Iris, a young woman who had to drop out of high school after her brother enlisted and her only other relative, her mother, fell into depression and alcoholism and lost her job. Iris begins working at a newspaper, vying for a regular columnist position against her office rival, handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt. Iris has a magical typewriter, and she writes letters to her brother regularly, even though she's never received one back from him. She slips these letters under the door of her wardrobe and in the morning they are gone. What she doesn't know is that the letters are making their way into the bedroom of Roman, who also has a magic typewriter. They begin a correspondence and a budding friendship. But a series of misfortunes befall Iris and she decides to enlist at the front as a wartime journalist. Will Roman follow the woman he's beginning to fall for? Will he ever tell Iris than he is her penpal confidant? This story was fast paced and interesting throughout, but at the end I was left with some critiques. Primarily, the way the book simplifies war by making the cause of war a divine conflict outside of mortal responsibility. It felt like an extremely watered down version of a wartime romance, with none of the political questions that would have plagued the characters had the book been set in actual WWI or WWII. The book also has a cliffhanger ending, and sets up a plot twist that will probably delight some readers but which unfortunately falls into one of my LEAST fantasy favorite romance tropes. So I will not be reading the second one unless someone else reads it first and spoils some of the plot for me!

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang read by Eunice Wong

What a delicious book, in many senses of that word! The unnamed main character is a Chinese-American chef from Los Angeles who is stranded in London by natural disaster. A toxic gray smog envelopes the majority of the world, killing most crops and animals. Countries close their borders as their populations being to starve. The chef is offered an unbelievable job in a billionaire's small private country, a mountaintop in Italy which still has access to some sunlight and caters to a set of unbelievably wealthy residents who bought their way in. The chef lies on her resume, padding it out a fictional degree from a French culinary school and experience at closed Micheline start restaurant. The chef is granted access to the country for a probation period and re-encounters a lush array of ingredients she thought were extinct from the world: fresh berries and greens, rich cream and butter, unpreserved meats and fish. Under the cold eye of her cruel employer and his charismatic and ambitious daughter the chef tries to prove she can cook dishes that will astonish the 1%. Little does she know she was hired as much for her skill in lying as her ability to cook well. This book had more queerness, more speculative elements, and more hope for a world destroyed by human greed than I was expecting. The descriptions of food, flavors, textures, and the intersection of appetite with pleasure are rich, powerful and evocative. I really enjoyed this and I particularly recommend the audiobook.

The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht 

Watterson's first offering in many years is a strange little picture book. This fable opens with a kingdom surrounded by a deep dark forest. The people are fearful of mysteries which live in the forest, so the king sends his knights into the forest to capture a mystery. Most return empty handed, or do not return at all. One knight captures a mystery and it is not what the people expected. The art is quite elegant, black and white photographs of dolls posed in blurry but evocative settings. The story is very slight, and I'm not sure it delivered on the depth it seemed to be reaching for. Maybe check this one out from the library rather than buying it.

Everything is Beautiful and I Am Not Afraid by Yao Xiao 

I've been following Yao Xiao's work online for several years and I'm really glad I finally made time to read the collection! The brightly colored pages are full of small, poem-like comics that circle and return to multiple themes: self-esteem, coming out as queer, being a Chinese American immigrant living in the US, trust, taking up space, trusting in one's own strength and the love of friends and community. The artist draws themself as a small character with orange hair and a black elf hat and moves like a spite through urban landscapes, clouds, dreams, gardens, hopes, fears and other elements of the unconscious. There's no overarching narrative, but the many small experiences add up to a greater sum than their parts.

Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb read by Nick Taylor

This book begins 15 years after the end of the Farseer trilogy. Fitz, the bastard son of royalty, trained as an assassin, who survived torture, a war, a coup, multiple attempts on his life, a long dangerous journey, deadly magic, and the death of his king and close friend, has retired to a small cottage near the sea. He lives a small peaceful life there with his old wolf, Nighteyes, his adopted son Hap, a pony, some chickens, and a garden. He's working on his memoirs. Then the world turns up at his door again, demanding as much of himself as he has to give, again. Kettricken's son, the Farseer heir, is missing and no one knows if he was kidnapped or ran away or something more sinister. This story was EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE! One of the best books I've read this year, a rich, emotional, satisfying return to the Farseer world. I love how this book deepened and complicated Fitz's relationships from the previous book: with Chade, Starling, Nighteyes and most especially with the Fool who is once again living at court in a completely new guise. Every character in this series feels so real, so grounded, so impacted by the events of the world, and the consequences of their own choices. I've been disappointed by a lot of the fantasy I've read this year, but this one not only met but exceeded my expectations- especially because I read this book once before, when I was 16, and didn't love it then. Now I am obsessed with it. I think I just wasn't ready to read a book about adults and the uncaring passage of time as a teenager. Literally thirty minutes after finished the audiobook of this book I started the sequel because I couldn't wait to find out what happened next!

[stealingyourbones]

DPXDC Playlist: Anger Management

Anger Management (Jason/Jazz)

Cover Art by StealingYourBones (me)

Requested by: @amygdalaragdoll06 , @suppengott , @gilbirda

Description: DPXDC Playlist. Goal was to give this one a more "feral murder couple ready to wreck shit at a moment's notice."

Songs I want to clarify why I added:

Through the Fire and the Flames by Dragonforce: This is the PERFECT energy I'm going for. A couple ready to throw hands. They stay with each other through the thick and the thin. Simply imagine this song playing in the background as they beautifully in sync beat the shit out of a couple dozen goons.

Short Skirt / Long Jacket by CAKE: Sadly I'm not into rap so I really couldn't add any songs from that genre that would fit but I can still definitely imagine Jason listening to this song in the car with Jazz.

She's An Angel by They Might be Giants: This song is about an absolutely wild first meeting with someone that you instantly fell for and the nervousness of talking to that girl you fell for. Do I need to say more?

I.L.B.T.'s by Joe Walsh: I have no good defense to having this song. This is Jason's thought process AND Jazz's thought process all at once in the .01 seconds where they first make eye contact (I mean have you SEEN how they draw Jason?! The dude has some honkers.)

Bad Romance by Halestorm: I was recommended to add this song to this playlist so I did! It has the right vibes I'm going for. Sure their romance ain't toxic as this song describes but It's hard to find guitar-y romance songs without it being about toxic situations.

The Masochism Tango by Tom Lehrer: This one is quite simple: Jason wants to get stepped on.

Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) by The Hollies: This one is also simple: It's a song about a tall woman. Tall Jazz has consumed my entire being. Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar: These two flirt by fighting change my mind.

[eanul-rmbl]

new poetry lovemail just dropped, abt Hypnos becos Hades 2 I'm impatient.

It's a sonnet, which deals with love nature truth beauty and there's not much truth in it, but it's lovemail and he's described beautifully and I relate him to a part of nature at the end.

I know titles are the most important part but idk man I sort of just couldn't think of one. I'll add a title when I post it to my poetry comp on Ao3 (fundamentally unlikeable)

Hair like clouds bounced gracefully up above.

One with stars and stars of one, he shone bright.

With golden eyes he flew high as a dove.

He knew not the sun, nor of his warm light,

for eyes ever closed knew little at all

but night and star and cloud and dying might.

Milk and honeyed voice, one can't deny call.

The more without it, the harder it seems

To deny in wake and put up a wall.

Yes, that sleep who shepherds all of one's dreams

who's kindness flows constant, humble; a stream

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Who's is That Face in the Mask?

So, it's rare when I pick up a book on the strength of a YouTube video, and honestly even rarer that I enjoy books selected based on that criteria. However, since Marie Brennan is one half of MA Carrick and the book is often described via *that* quote from The Princess Bride (and no, I'm not specifying even though Princess Bride is all *that* quote depending on context), I had hope. After all, I loved the Lady Trent memoirs and The Princess Bride. And folks, this book did not disappoint. Let's talk The Mask of Mirrors.

What do you get when hundreds of years of colonization mixes with a rogue vigilante for the oppressed population and a con woman who sets out for money but comes up with found family? Youu get some stunningly well written characters, intrigue that I frankly preferred to A Song of Ice and Fire, and just beautifully nuanced worldbuilding.

Ren--or Renata Viraudax or Arenza, depending on the day and location--grew up as a dirt-poor half-Vrazenian kid who was completely disconnected from her mother's people in a city colonized by the Liganti. She was a gang member under the objectively abusive Ondrakja until she watched Ondrakja beat her brother to death. Next thing we know, Ren has poisoned her Fagin and made off for another country with her sister, Tess. They end up serving in the household of Letilia--a disgraced member of House Traemantis.

Fast forward a few years, and Letilia being an absolutely irredeemable human gives Ren the idea to con the remaining members of House Traemantis in Nadezera. Mother and daughter are sufficiently estranged that Letilia won't out Ren, but other actors in the city might.

Those actors include Grey Serrado, captain of the Vigil (read police force) and Vrazenian slip-knot (read traitor to his people because he assimilated into Liganti society. He is running himself ragged trying to sort out why street kids keep dying of insomnia, track down the mysterious Rook, and running petty errands for the Liganti nobility. He does not get help from the rampant vanity and nepotism in the Vigil ranks, nor the racism of most Liganti hawks. Add to that his deep grief for his brother's recent murder and Grey needs a hug and a paid vacation.

Then there is Vargo Derossi, crime lord extraordinaire with an eye toward becoming too powerful to be ignored and choosing to pretend to go legitimate to achieve the dream. He is charming and deadly all at once, has someone else in his head, has a pet spider named Peabody, and some serious germophobia. Whether he is caught in Ren's con or she is caught in his web is an open question for most of this book. Vargo is 100% unanswered questions, and every single one is dangerous to ask and even more dangerous not to know the answer to. Especially since he is also SUSPICIOUSLY competent at numinatria...

We of course cannot neglect Donaia, Leato, and Giuna Tremantis. This remnant of a once proud family are an unusual bunch, but they're also different enough that watching their personalities mesh and clas ended up being one of my favorite things about this book.

Beyond the character work, the worldbuilding in this book is first-class. The Vrazenians and Liganti are culturally and visually distinct at a glance, and then for those who care to stay and look harder, there is depth and nuance. Both cultures feel real and vibrant, which makes the all-too-clear harms of oppression and colonization, as well as the messiness of navigating mixed-heritage identities, all the sharper.

It also highlights the different magic systems, religions, and ways of knowing and relating to your community based on those cultural differences. Patterning and numinatria are both valid, but neither quite likes the other and thy don't cross cultural lines. The Rook is a folk hero to the Vrazenians and a half-mythical, pain-in-the-ass vigilante to the Liganti. Even fashion is sharply divided.

Overall, the Princess Bride comparison is apt, but perhaps also mixed with some Leverage and some Batman. I loved this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two.

[eclipsebyler]

BYLER FIC RECS PT 2

Okay, so I'm here with another part! Compiling all my recent favorite reads (with commentary this time because I'm very normal about byler fics...) Anyway, sharing is caring because my bookmarks are becoming longer. So here you go.

• We Will All Go Together When We Go by perexcri

The Apocalypse, romcom Byler fic! Ongoing, chaptered, 30k words so far. I know I've rec this in a recent post but I'm including it here again because I LOVE and enjoyed everything in this fic, down to Byler's characterisation, esp Mike's, and their playful yet tensioned dynamics. It's so chefs kiss. There's enough amount of they-get-stuck-in-the-upside-down suspense, comedy, and slow burn fluff. Highlight of this fic is that Will has a gun and Mike has a flashlight. That's all you have to know to give it a read.

baby, we're perfect by bookinit

A fresh take on established byler relationship! Oneshot, 16k words. I don't know how to describe this glorious fic without it being a spoiler so you just have to read it. The Fluff and Angst are both in extremes, you've been warned. It made me cry, for real. Had to stare at a wall for a few moments because of some scenes. Like the title says, it was PERFECT. A devastatingly beautifully written work I owe this author my life for what they did in this fic.

i'd make a deal with god by smoosnoom

A fix-it fic for vol2 featuring Castle Byers and Rain kiss. Will attempting to rip the bandaid off and Mike not letting him. Oneshot, 15k words. Anything by this author has me in a chokehold and a puddle of feelings, seriously. Their fix it series is a MASTERPIECE. The way they write Will's POV here absolutely destroyed me. It encompasses his story so painfully and beautifully and just everything about him is so— I badly want it to be canon he deserves the BEST. And might I add that the way they showcased the Byers-Hopper family bond here is everything I adore. Please if you haven't read this, you should.

make me your future history by andiwriteordie

Byler through the years, childhood friends to lovers fic! Oneshot, 10.9k words. I am absolutely a sucker for childhood promises being fulfilled (and broken) till they grow up so I ADORE this fic so much. Not to mention this author is one of my favorites and they carry the byler ao3 tag on their back and always deliver the BEST fics. There's a lot of angst and also a lot of fluff and it's something I can just reread again and again and again and won't get tired of it. It deserves more reads and love!

Gotta Be A Strange Twist of Fate by PoeticPatron

The fantasy D&D Byler fic! Oneshot, 26k words. Another fic I'm rec-ing again because it deserves more recognition. I really, really enjoyed and adored reading the adventures of the party in a fantasy action setting and the way the author incorporated the D&D lore here was so good. This fic was so wonderfully written and sweet in all the right amounts for friendships and romance. The Paladin and the Cleric being soulmates against all odds and prophecies? Say no more!

A Darker Timeline by egg98

The au where everyone stopped believing Will was alive and he was stuck in the Upside Down for three years and only came back to the real world in Season 4 timeline. Ongoing, chaptered, 24k words so far. Like the title says, it's A Darker Timeline, can't emphasize that enough, so much trauma and horror is delved in this work especially for Will, but also the party. The author's writing style is so hauntingly captivating- every chapter leaves me at the edge of my seat. I am so hooked with this 'what if' scenario and this unique, creative concept because it opens a lot of possibilities and changes to the characters and the plot! Will especially with his UD abilities and his personality.. beware of a grim and more badass Will plus emotionally scarred party. It's written so WELL so you should give it a try! (It's more on the psychological horror side though, the romance aspect is very slow burn.)

the boyfriend problem by RomeoWrites

The fic where the Wheelers (especially Ted) thinks Mike and Will have been boyfriends since forever. Oneshot, 15k words. Who would've thought I'd read a fic where Ted of all people don't have a heteronormative view of romance? I very much enjoyed reading him embarrassing Mike every chance he gets, this fic gave me so much JOY it was such a funny and sweet and fluffy read! If you're looking for some lighthearted, family dynamics and eventual getting together of two oblivious gay teenagers— this is the fic!

The Dad Who Stepped Up by MagikMask

Hopper and Will bonding fic (and of course, Hopper being protective of Will especially when it comes to one Michael Wheeler). Oneshot, 7.8k words. I've been enjoying every Byers-Hopper or Wheeler family dynamics fic there is and it's even more enjoyable if Byler gets tangled up in it. This fic focuses more on Hopper trying his best to be a good dad to Will, but the Byler and Hopper parts of this fic gave me healing, so I have to rec it!

r/byler by danteapot

Mike Wheeler if he's on reddit, social media fic. Oneshot, 5k words. This fic was so fun and amusing to read and the social media aspect fitted so well, I could totally imagine Mike oversharing his problems online and asking for advices lmfao. Trust him to always talk about Will on every spaces and still not realize he's in love with him. He's just so oblivious and I love him for it.

i hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this). by blackdeathmamba

Post S4 college roommates Byler and miscommunication trope fic! The miscommunication in question is just them accidentally kissing all the time and having different thoughts on it. Three chapters, completed, 16.8k words. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's one of the best and funniest work I've ever read. Byler are so disgustingly in love but they are also painfully oblivious about it. It's a competition on who's more of an idiot between them while you read through their POVs and it gave me immense joy and pain reading through it. I swear to God, these bitches are so gay, and this fic just showcased that. Please read it to brighten your day.

i need you more than anyone darling (you know that i have from the start) by friendstolovers

Instead of Byler getting murrayed, this is Byler getting Jonathaned fic (In a gentler and more subtle way as the tags says). Oneshot, 5.7k words. Mike finally comes to his overdue realisations (thanks to Jonathan) and attempts to climb bedroom windows to be romantic. They finally talk and confess and it's just the cutest and sweetest thing ever I swear.

without heart by aceoflanterns

Will Byers and the Upside Down (the mysteries between his connection to Vecna and his powers) fic. Completed, chaptered, 31k words. I am once again rec-ing this because I can't help go back to this fic when I need to read complex takes on Will surrounding vol2 and possible S5 plot! The author's writing style is one of the best and my personal favorites. It's art, a masterpiece, everything about it — down to the plot, the conversations, the characterisations, the family and friendship and romance dynamics. Even the Upside Down horrors with Vecna and the Mind Flayer and Will. How much Will's love for Mike and his love for everyone helped him (and their love for him, too.) Personally think this had lots of fresh creative takes, an interesting theory written in a fic. It's long and a worth it read! Totally in awe of this work.

i’d love to see me from your point of view by unidentifiedblackthorn

The fic where Byler gets high together and they let loose their disaster gay feelings. Oneshot, 8k words. Got me giggling, blushing, kicking my feet in the air, for real. The amount of cuddling, flirting and kissing this fic had made me sick (in the best way). I think Byler in Season 5 deserves a moment like this because of their decade long pent up feelings and pining, these gays deserve a break and just... be gay together. Anyways this fic was such a wonderful read! If you want to drown in fluff read this. (Also brb this author just posted a sequel to this fic, gotta read 🏃Probably gonna be a part of my next fic rec thread lol).

So that's it for now. Enjoy reading, everyone. And please if you guys have some recs feel free to drop me some, too! I need more fics to read.

[wickedcriminal]

you’ve made me want to get into fma where should I start

Oh dear that's a tough one hdhdjsksabha. So personally, I watched 2003 first, then watched Brotherhood, then read the manga, and I would recommend that! But that's not the only way you can do it!

The cool thing is that there's no wrong answer, here! You can consume the three versions (the manga, the manga-divergent 2003 series, and the manga-accurate 2009 series) in any order, because they're all complete stories. The fandom is of course split on what version tells the story best.

Me personally, I have no preference, I love them all equally. However there are definitely different strengths to each medium that might make your experience better!

The manga is best at pacing, imo. There are certain story beats that both anime revealed a bit quickly that were better told in manga slowly over time, as well as certain scenes that were taken out entirely that were supposed to enhance the story and characters (particularly the Ishvalan War in Brotherhood's case). It's also the full story that Arakawa wanted to tell, which includes its fair share of comedy, angst, philosophical introspection, and moral dilemma. ALSO you get to read all the omakes from the manga. I cannot stress enough how funny Arakawa is, I highly recommend them.

2003 is best at character!! 2003 breaks away from the manga's story around halfway through (and the fandom is still mixed about the ending), but in return it explores its characters in an extremely profound way that enhances the source material, which makes you care a whole lot more when bad things happen to them. It's also a lot darker and more morally gray than the source material, and it gets pretty heavy at the end. I've heard several people describe it as closer to a seinen than a shonen (though im not versed enough in anime genres to say for sure). Personally I found the philosophy and moral nuance of this one to be my favorite of the bunch.

Brotherhood (2009) knocks it out of the park with presentation!! It's the manga accurate adaptation, but it does cut some of the beginning chapters from the manga to speed past the things that were already explored in 2003, which makes it kinda clunky. Eventually though it does slow down and get really good in its delivery. The fights are amazing, the character wardrobe is varied and fun, the music (especially the OPs and EDs) are phenomenal, the voice acting in both sub and dub are brilliant, the colors are bright, it looks great and the story just doesn't stop moving. It also adds in a few details that weren't in the manga to make certain scenes hit that much harder.

So, which one first? There are multiple ways you can do it! You can follow the order in which it came out; manga first, then 2003, then Brotherhood. This is probably the most effective way to do it, because it's the way the anime producers have expected you to do it while they were still coming out! There are patterns you'll pick up easier in this order.

If you don't want to read the manga, you could still watch 2003 first and then Brotherhood second and still get the same experience! (Some people even suggest watching up to the divergence point in 2003, and then pick up Brotherhood from the beginning, which contextualizes the stuff Brotherhood cut, but that's only if you're not interested in watching 2003 in its entirety, which I'd personally recommend.)

And if 2003's more melancholy and bittersweet tone just isn't doing it for you, that's alright because even by itself Brotherhood is a brilliant watch and it along with the manga is more optimistic in nature. Brotherhood by itself tells the manga's story beautifully, if a bit fast at the beginning. You can always go back to the manga later if you wanted to catch up on the story beats Brotherhood cut. It's up to you!

While I'm here, this is my chance to tell Brotherhood Only's that if you haven't seen 2003, I'd definitely give it a chance!! It really does enhance the source material with its different perspective and exploration of the characters!! Also the animation and soundtrack are absolutely gorgeous and really set the tone for the a very profound anime. Really, don't knock it till you've seen it.

[jeremy-hillary-boob]

I love the new video for Here, There, and Everywhere because it's pretty and fun and very beatle-y, but also because it reminds me so much of paul's comments (I can't find the original quote at the moment, if anyone knows what I'm talking about please add on) about "making up some feelings" to write a song and @zilabee's thoughts about that which pop into my head constantly. short version: I love how this video takes a song that is facially about an individual human subject and instead makes it a love song dedicated to inspiration itself. it becomes a song about the warmth and creativity shared by the group. given the fact that paul apparently wrote this song in john's backyard while waiting for him to wake up AND given paul's special fondness for it as a song john told him he liked*, it's a more accurate interpretation!

there's this imaginary nebulous "she" in the video that is the ostensible object of the narrator's affection, but she's just a symbol or a pleasant hallucination. she's a personification of art and love. she's The Muse. she and the crowds are faceless; the only "characters" with faces and identities are the beatles themselves. when the action directly matches the narration of the song, it's usually referring to what the beatles are doing, not what The Muse is doing - the most literal example would be "changing my life with the wave of her hand" over a shot of the beatles waving at the crowd; a more figurative one might be "knowing that love is to share" over a shot from A Hard Day's Night of the band playing together informally. The Muse's actions in the lyrics are the beatles' actions on the screen.

the scenery is ephemeral and shifts around the group. in the scene copied from Help! where they're playing cards; they stay in a fixed position while the room changes, from one hotel to the next, with different cities visible out the window of the room. they pass from room to train car to press conference to stage, morphing into one another between scenes while also remaining the only unique, clearly defined elements in the story. everything is a hazy and nonspecific dream except for the four of them, the only real things in the room.

and they can only see or be affected by The Muse when they're together! she appears to paul when they're sitting in the studio control room, she appears in the crowd when they're traveling, she appears to george when the four of them are in a hotel room, she moves between them when they're playing on stage. when they're recording, she no longer appears in the shape of a woman and instead her essence takes over the whole studio. she can impact them only when they create her collectively.

what is this song about? nothing and no one, apparently (paul has very little of substance to say about it in The Lyrics, I checked). there's no specific external inspiration for the feelings described by it, but it's paul's favorite of his own songs, because he just likes it, and because john liked it. what about this song is "real?" not the apparent subject. what's real is the band, and the inspiration they create with and for one another.

*which makes this SUCH a delightful companion to the video for I'm Only Sleeping. related side note, I love that "each one believing that love never dies" plays over an image of the four of them sleeping in the back of a car. it ties in beautifully with the other video, the entire theme of which is john dreaming (but don't worry, he's only sleeping). implicitly related pairs of lennon/mccartney songs, my absolute beloved