#Portugal Holiday Deals

[salemahn]

Leah Williamson

Part 2

First Steps ~ @russos-ventitre

1.7K / Fluff

Picnic ~ @russos-ventitre

1.4K / Fluff, Suggestive

Leah Williamson NSFW Alphabet ~ @gunnerfc

768 / SMUT

Winter ~ @p0orbaby

174 / Fluff

Nothing Sweeter Than My Baby ~ @mysunshinetemptress

1.8K / Fluff

I Almost Lost You ~ @outsideratheart

674 / Fluff, Angst

Lazy Mornings ~ @lvnleah

1K / Fluff

A Night To Forget ~ @outsideratheart

1.8K / Fluff, Angst

Mumma Williamson ~ @inuyashaluver

4.3K / Fluff

Sorry ~ @woso-dreamzzz

718 / Fluff, Angst, Suggestive

Plucky ~ @wileys-russo

1.1K / Fluff

Recovery ~ @russo-woso

724 / SMUT

So Highschool ~ @russo-woso

2.1K / SMUT

This Isn't A Good Idea ~ @russo-woso

1.1K / SMUT

Flare Up ~ @russo-woso

571 / Fluff

Mini Williamson (series) ~ @russo-woso

Fluff

Everything Will Be Okay ~ @afterglowkatie

1.6K / Fluff, Angst

New ~ @russo-woso

1.1K / SMUT

Lip Pumper ~ @mead-iocre

3.9K / Fluff, Suggestive

Uni Girl ~ @barcaatthemoon

392 / Fluff

Wimbledon Part 2 ~ @russo-woso

1K / SMUT

Bouquets ~ @leahsgf

683 / Fluff

Puppy Love ~ @alessiasfreckles

1K / Fluff

Love, Tears, and Laundry ~ @totaly-obsessed

2.5K / Fluff, Angst

You Could See The Best Of Me ~ @girlgenius1111

2.3K / SMUT

Secret Admirer ~ @afterglowkatie

1.4K / Fluff

Louder Than The Crowd ~ @lwwife

1.4K / SMUT

Movie Nights ~ @sunnyaelia

1K / Fluff

Struggles & Proposals ~ @sunnyaelia

2.3K / Fluff, Non-Sexual Nudity

Helpless To The Bass and Fading Light ~ @onsomenewsht

1K / Fluff

Parents ~ @inuyashaluver

2.3K / Fluff

Our New Beginning | Never Felt A Love Like This Before ~ @scribblesofagoonerr

921 & 1.9K / Fluff

Thunderstorm Cuddles ~ @lvnleah

965 / Fluff

Spend The Night ~ @mapiforpresident

354 / Fluff, Suggestive

Wined, Dined, and Dipped ~ @wileys-russo

3.5K / Fluff, Suggestive

Holiday ~ @woso-dreamzzz

Social Media / Fluff

Welcome Home ~ @zeezelweazel

640 / Fluff

Should Be Me ~ @barcaatthemoon

1.3K / Fluff

Homemade Love ~ @leahsgirl

1.2K / Fluff

Dancing in The Street ~ @wileys-russo

4.8K / Fluff, Suggestive

Face Masks & Horror Films ~ @wileys-russo

4.2K / Fluff, Suggestive

Small Intimate Interactions | Ficlet ~ @wileys-russo

4.7K & 1.6K / Fluff

Handyman | Ficlet ~ @wileys-russo

2.5K & 1K / Fluff, Suggestive

Insensitive ~ @wileys-russo

3.5K / Fluff, Angst

Spontaneous ~ @wileys-russo

2.8K / Fluff

Step by Step ~ @wileys-russo

2.6K / Fluff

Top Golfer ~ @wileys-russo

1.4K / Fluff, Suggestive

Teenage Love ~ @wileys-russo

1.3K / Fluff, Angst

Skin on Skin ~ @wileys-russo

1.2K / Fluff, Suggestive

Jorts ~ @wileys-russo

1K / Fluff, Suggestive

A Deal's A Deal ~ @wileys-russo

1.9K / Fluff, Suggestive

Heels ~ @wileys-russo

996 / Fluff, Suggestive

Work Wife ~ @wileys-russo

1.6K / Fluff

Lucky Charms ~ @wileys-russo

1.3K / Fluff

Sore Loser ~ @wileys-russo

1.8K / Fluff, Suggestive

Big Swing ~ @wileys-russo

974 / Fluff

Sidetracked ~ @wileys-russo

867 / Fluff

Garden Gnome ~ @wileys-russo

1.1K / Fluff, Suggestive

The Ick ~ @wileys-russo

1.6K / Fluff

Narcissist ~ @wileys-russo

1.6K / Fluff, Suggestive

Horror Movies ~ @wileys-russo

464 (Leah's section) / Fluff

Mrs Williamson ~ @wileys-russo

845 / Fluff

Mario Kart ~ @wileys-russo

694 (Leah's section) / Fluff

Hobbies ~ @wileys-russo

1.2K / Fluff, Suggestive

Early Mornings ~ @wileys-russo

1.1K (Leah's section) / Fluff

Tech Fleece ~ @wileys-russo

1.6K / Fluff

Mascot ~ @wileys-russo

1.1K / Fluff

Eight-Legged Attack ~ @wileys-russo

1.1K / Fluff

Two Wheels ~ @wileys-russo

722 / Fluff

3AM Serenades ~ @wileys-russo

1.6K / Fluff

Happy Gas ~ @wileys-russo

1.7K / Fluff

Bubble Wrap ~ @wileys-russo

1.6K / Fluff

Drill Sergeant ~ @wileys-russo

2.5K / Fluff

Mini You ~ @kyra-cooneyx

349 / Fluff

Sous Chef ~ @p0orbaby

746 / Fluff

Biggest Fan ~ @russo-woso

1.4K / Fluff

Far Too Gone For A Tuesday ~ @p0orbaby

1.4K / Fluff, Suggestive

Portugal Sunsets ~ @wileys-russo

2.2K / Fluff

Don't Pout ~ @wileys-russo

840 / Fluff

Why The Worried Faces ~ @wileys-russo

1K / Fluff

Left Unsupervised ~ @wileys-russo

1.4K / Fluff

4am Wake Up ~ @wileys-russo

1.4K / Fluff

Topless ~ @wileys-russo

1.4K / Fluff, Suggestive

Legacy ~ @wileys-russo

1.5K / Fluff

Behind The Scenes ~ @avaf00rd

1.1K / Fluff

For A Good Time Call... | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Epilogue ~ @p0orbaby

2K & 1.9K & 2.9K & 2.4K & 711 / SMUT

[pedripics]

Pedri via Residency - May 28, 2024

What is something you still want to accomplish in life? - " A lot of things. I am still very young or do you already want to kill me?"

Favourite teammate at Barça? - "I am close with the group in general but Ferran"

Do you play any instruments? or would you like to learn how to play one? - "Better not for the sake of the rest of the people. I like to listen to music but not much else" Favourite series or movie? - "Mi reno de peluche and the one about chapo guzman; favourite favourite is Prison Break and La que se avecina"

Do you know anything about Armenia? - "not too much, to be honest… but recently a very nice driver took me to a shooting was from there. His name was Ara"

Favourite moment of the season? - "It wasn't the best season. On a personal level, I would say the brace."

How do you deal with criticism? - "I try to stay out of it, although it's not always possible, of course... you have to try and keep going and keep believing in yourself"

How do you feel about being able to play for Spain after such a long time? - "Very happy. I haven't been able to play for Spain for a long time. Hopefully we will have great EUROs and also a great 24/25 season with Barça"

How did you feel after the brace? - "crazyyyyy"

"I always try to stop and sign, because I remember when I asked for signatures as a kid"

Plans for the summer? - "I hope to go on vacation, but in a month and a half… that will mean that we go far in the euro with the national team"

Have you eaten German food before? - "Yesss... a member of my marketing team is German and he made us German food a long time ago, with sausages and so on"

How is your English? - "I still have to improve a lot. Give me a few months and I will answer in English"

Do you miss doing anything in your daily life? - "I can't complain. I like to live in peace"

Would you like to go to China? - "Of course, yes. Althpugh in the season there is not really time for anything and during holidays I prefer to stay close and rest. Let's see if we ever have a tour in China"

How many trophies have you won? - "With Barça, La Liga, Copa and Supercopa"

Do you feel ready for the EUROs? - "Siiii"

5 UCL Trophies or a World Cup? - "I don't want to choose. I would like to win it all"

Would you like to play against Portugal in the EUROs final? - "Sure. As long as we play in the final, I don't care against who it is"

Pele or Maradona? - "Maradona... Because he played for Barça and my father told me about him when I was younger. I remember the day he died very well because it was my 18th birthday"

Have you been to New York? - "Yes"

Favourite team to play against? - "Obviously Barça" (he did NOT understand that question lmaooo back to duolingo it is)

Visit Uruguay? You have a lot of fans here - "Ronald also told me once... We'll have to listen to him, because otherwise he gets angry"

How was it going to the Spanish GP in 2022? Are you going this year? - "It was a crazy experience. I don't think I can go this year because it clashes with the EUROs"

Do you like going to concerts? - "I haven't been to many, honestly... I have yet to go to one of Quevedo's. And last year they invited me from Spotify to see Coldplay in Barcelona but in the end I didn't go and I regretted it a little. Teammates went and they love it" (who tf turns down coldplay tickets??? 😭)

Your dad is a great person. - "The best"

How do you feel about receiving so much love? - "Very proud and privileged"

Do you want to score for Spain during the EUROs? - "Clarooo. Let's see if I can make it happen, because I haven't scored for Spain yet"

Red or blue? - "Azulgrana"

Do you like to cook? - "I'm not very good at cooking... My brother and mother are much better"

Pedri or Pedro? - "Pedri... Pedro sounds strange to me. From a young age they already called me Pedri, because there was another boy in the team whose name was Pedro and it was to differentiate us... and everyone calls me Pedri"

What do you think of Alexia, Aitana and Marta? - "They are top footballers!"

Is it difficult to have a 'normal' life? - "It's not easy, but mine doesn't change that much because I really like to be quiet and at home"

Only fish or only meat? - "I prefer meat... but for nutrition, fish"

When you were a kid did you make trouble in class? - "I was more of a quite kid"

Who do you think will win the Golden Boy award? - "Well, I hope a Barça teammate. Lamine, and if not Cubarsi"

What inspires you to perform at such a high level on the field? - "I do what I like the most"

What do you think of your season at Barça this year? - "I was saying this the other day. It hasn't been an easy season and I hope the next one will be much better in every single way and we will win titles"

Have you ever wished to have a sister? - "My mother always wanted to have a daughter, but in the end she had to settle for Fer and me hahaha"

How do you feel for the EUROs? - "Very good. Better and better"

Blue or Black? - "Blue"

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Summer Fling Part 7/10

Part 8 and Part 9 are out on my Patreon for free!

Summary - Reader has landed a research job at a marine biology lab in Portugal. She is, therefore, staying with her sister and her sister's Portuguese boyfriend for the summer holidays. There she meets Ruben Dias who is on vacation with his friends after the 2024 Euros. However, the two meet under the circumstances in which Ruben believes that Reader is a prostitute.

Enjoy ☀️

Your sister had always been a wild child in her own way. Her view of life was naive but at the sametime she was well aware of what she wanted out of it. By that time the boys in secondary school were no longer up to her standards, Maki did what any girl would do, she went on to explore the likes of older men five, even ten years older than herself. This is where her needs were met, knowing the great lengths many of those men would go to please her, to keep her happy as she kept them happy. When you first heard of the likes of Diogo, this had been your initial thought. Your sister had found another pathetic male to finance her adventures abroad. Someone she could rely on for housing in exchange for partnership. Back then your sister was already drawing a thin line between a mutual relationship and prostitution. But you never thought she'd cross that line. Let alone, drag you across it with her. It was an unforgivable betrayal. One that made you sick to your stomach just thinking about it.

"Y/N?"

You flinched. Surprised by Gavin who approached your desk. However, his smile faltered seeing your tired face. "My God Y/N, have you been here all night?"

You nodded. "I thought I'd run some samples from the corals that were brought in yesterday."

"But all night?" His head shifted around  the empty lab. "Y/N, I know I ask a lot of you as a marine ecology major, but lack of sleep is never recommended, not even by me."

Your lips trembled, tears welling up in your eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" Gavin rushed to your side, pulling you in for a hug. Your arms wrapped around his waist, really needing that hug.

"Sorry." You said, after a few minutes of sobbing.

"Sssh." He hushed, pressing your body against his, a hand stroking your hair. "We all have our moments in life. It's okay to let your emotions show."

It was a bit overwhelming, these past seventy-two hours. Trying to do a good job at work was more wishful thinking if anything.

"Come on sweetheart, I'll take you home." Gavin drove you all the way to your apartment building, parking his car outside. "You know my offer still stands." He said, draping an arm around the passenger seat. "I'd love to take you diving off the coast. It might help you take your mind off things."

"Thanks Gavin, really. You wiped the last of your tears. "I just have a lot to deal with right now. Family matters."

"I get it. Family matters can be tricky. I haven't been back to Australia in years, God knows I can't stand my family."

"Really, why?" It's not like you couldn't stand your sister. It could never go that far. However, what she did wasn't easily forgiven.

"You know how it is." He waved dismissively. "It's complicated."

"It always is." You nodded.

Silence fell in the car.

Gavin's eyes searched your face, your lips to be exact. He leaned in to kiss you. But you were quick to pull back.

"Gavin I—"

"What?" He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling in the sun. "It's not like I'm your professor." He leaned in once more, parting his lips. You pushed him away, your free hand unlocking the car door. "I'm sorry Gavin, I can't do this."

You left his car and rushed back to your apartment, where your sister stood in the kitchen flipping pancakes.

"Y/N, you're back early!"

Her joy disgusted you.

"Here, have some pancakes." She said, making you a plate.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"What do you mean?" She stopped you from walking past her and into your room. "I thought you loved my pancakes?"

"Not any more." You bumped her shoulder, knocking over the plate in her hand.

"Look what you did, you idiot!"

"I guess we're even then."

She looked up from where she had crouched down on the floor, watching you eye her with such distaste. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you even say that?" She stood, now eye level with you. 

"I don't know Maki, perhaps because you haven't had the guts to tell mom and dad that you're a whore."

"Excuse me?"

Your heart pounded in your chest, fueling your anger. "Was it even necessary for you to waste their money on a psychology degree if all you were going to do with it was to shove it up some rich soccer player's ass?"

"Y/N, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You sold me." You emphasized, tears welling up in your eyes again. "You let your boyfriend sell my body for money."

"Y/N, I…" Your sister seemed lost for words, not expecting such an ambush, especially not from you. "I swear I didn't…"

"It doesn't matter." You snorted. "What else could I have expected from you?" You made your way past her, into your bedroom where your suitcase already lay on the floor since last night. There was only one thing stopping you from taking the next flight home. However with Gavin's recent advances you saw no point in staying for the sake of a job.

"I fucked up, okay!"

You stayed hunched over your suitcase, not bothering to give your sister the time of day. However, you could hear it in the thickness of her voice, she was crying. "I made a mistake, okay. But you have to understan—"

"Please get the fuck out of my room"

"W…what?"

You stood, contemplating pushing her out if it came to it. "Get. The fuck. Out." 

Your sister had never looked more pathetic, trembling her lips like some lost school girl. No wonder you mom and dad always held you to a higher standard although you were the youngest of the two of you.

"Do you need me to spell it out for you again?"

"Y/N, why are you doing this?"

"Maki, you literally let a man take advantage of me for money and now Ruben thinks—"

"Ruben?" Your sister frowned. "So all of this is over some guy? Since when have we ever let a guy come between us?"

"I dunno, since when did you start letting guys come in between your legs for money?"

A sigh as she rolled her eyes. "I can't deal with this right now."

"Yes. Run away like the bitch you are!" You followed her back into the kitchen.

"Oh so I'm the bitch?"

"Yes, it's literally what you do for a living."

"Well, sorry that we all can't be perfect little virgins like Y/N the marine biologist."

"Real mature Maki. I see you haven't changed at all since moving out of mom and dads."

She shook her head, regret in her eyes. "I fucked up, alright. I know that. I want to fix this and I can fix this. I just need some time and money so that I can finally get away from him."

"Who, Diogo? We can pack our bags right now and be gone by tomorrow, Maki."

"No, not Diogo. His boss...our boss. He's much worse and doesn't like it when any of the girls come off short. That's why Diogo insisted on bringing you on the boat. We made a lot of money that night, me and you. Money that made sure that my boss wouldn't come after me for quite some time. Believe it or not, but Diogo was just protecting me, he has always protected me. That's why I love him."

"How does this even happen?" You rubbed your temple, a headache coming on. "How did you end up in this world? And if you needed help, why didn't you call mom and dad, or me?"

"You?" She chuckled. "Y/N, all you've ever done is judge me. And I know that you don't believe that I can take care of myself. You've never done so."

"Well, you obviously can't."

She sighed, slumping down on the couch, covering her eyes with her hands. You watched your sister sobb for a minute or two. A sad sight indeed.

"So how much money are we talking about?"

"What?"

You joined her on the couch, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"How much money does it take for you to get out of this…lifestyle?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a hundred thousand euros."

"A hundred thousand— Maki?"

"I know, I know. But you must know, the captain pays for everything. This house, my car, even—"

"The Captain?"

"That's what he wants us to call him. All the girls do it."

There was no way you could recover from extracting such amounts of money from your bank account. Those were money saved up for future research funds. However, there might be another way.

"I think I know where we can get the money."

"You do? From where?"

"From who." You corrected. "But if I do this you have to promise me that we'll hop on the next plane back to Sydney, got it?"

"But Diogo—"

"Promise me Maki." You were not playing around. You'd go great lengths to save your sister, the greatest of lengths. But this time you were forced to go beyond what your heart could take and for that you need her reassurance.

"I promise." She nodded.

"Good, now pack your bags. We're leaving as soon as we've paid your boss that money."

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Part 8 and Part 9 are out on my Patreon for free!

[easternmind]

Last year in classic games

For motives I cannot expand on with much glee, I found a little more time than usual this year to reduce my seemingly endless backlog of classics. Despite all the fine new releases 2023 has greeted us with, I was able to finally dive into this eclectic handful of games I gathered over time. It is perhaps no coincidence that I reached out for more direct game experiences than story-driven ones. I find myself increasingly drawn to games designs that are mindful of the player's time as a commodity not to be carelessly squandered.

One note, if I may: I would like to inspire my readers to progressively discard the use of the word retro this year. We are all of advancing years and wisdom, I trust. The introduction of the term retro to the videogame vernacular was a gross mistake furthering the abhorrent notion that games were as ephemeral in their nature as fashion. It is a purely commercial designation by which to profitably repackage old software as a category of its own, originating from the same minds that considered games as mere novelty trinkets of limited marketable lifespan.

It is up to the player to individually decide on an older game's appeal, whether they may be discovering it for the first time or revisiting it for the umpteenth one. This is not only an appeal for those of you who write about games in any capacity, rather to anyone who takes videogames as a serious interest and communicates with others about this the object of their predilection. Thank you.

This loose cart came with a Famicom bundle auction I won in 2009, if memory serves. I turned on the Famicom and tested it merely to verify if it was still in working condition and found myself engrossed in that trademark Pajitnov/Pokhilko elegant approach to game design. As per the cassette's label, Hatris was originally a concept developed in collaboration with ParaGraph, a Russian studio that went on to develop specialized professional software, a year before the Bullet-Proof Software licensing deal. They produced a few games in the turn of the decade that were rather unusual and, some would say, even visionary. I recommend that you look up their story, if you're curious.

The only entry from the group that isn't of Japanese provenance - though it is a Japanese edition - I played it for purely nostalgic motives, perhaps a yearning for a certain pixel, palette and parallax that resoundingly evoke a time I was fortunate enough to experience, first-hand. If I may be honest, I purchased the game for the visual value of its unique cover art, which I deem superior to the US edition's. In saying that, I must highlight that the original Amiga game box art was quite accomplished.

In the Summer of 93 while on holiday at the beach, there was a French Nintendo magazine for sale whose purchase I could not resist. It was very common to find Spanish, English and French publications at the time in Portugal. This edition had a striking four page preview of this Jaleco gem, Ikari no Yōsai, or Operation Logic Bomb as it was named in the West. For years I searched the PAL version in vain, then ultimately decided to import it on account of - you'd never guess! - the superior box art. Playing it this year at long last, I was instantly reminded of an old Game Boy favourite, Fortified Zone, which I now know to be its prequel. Most top-down shooters are best played in co-op. Ikari no Yōsai is strictly and single-player affair and not once did I miss the absence of a friendly companion.

Keio Flying Squadron 2 first came to my attention via an infamous Saturn demo disc, which came into my hands through circumstances I have since forgotten about. I use the word infamous because the entire game code was available in the disc and the level select cheat code enabled me to unscrupulously play the entirety of the game for no additional expense - at only the cost of missing out on the colourful Studio Pierrot anime FMV interludes.

Having played the sequel first, I was somewhat disenchanted to learn the original game did not feature any platforming segments, it being a pure scrolling shooter in the same whimsical vein as Parodius or, say, an AirZonk. Still, a jolly good time with the old three buttons.

For reasons that will not be immediately apparent to younger reading audiences, I pride myself in having completed most Shinobi games, The Revenge Of and GG being my preferred ones. Shin Shinobi Den, or Shinobi X in Europe, was a game not readily available from my usual game dealers. I eventually borrowed the PAL version once, though not nearly long enough to master it. I finally saw it through this year, mere days before SEGA announced a new episode. While the live action clips looked a tad maladroit in the 1990s, they came to acquire that nice patina I now look for in classic games.

Omega Force was known to take the sporadic breather from producing some of KOEI's most cherished and profitable series. I distinctly remember enjoying Destrega quite a bit in its day, a game quite unlike any other. What their 1998 Enigma lacks in consistency and originality, it more than amply makes up for with its own bizarre concepts, extravagant characters and unexpected genre fusions. Of all the titles in this post, this was the one whose pace felt the most sluggish, and needlessly so.

Microsoft Game Studio Japan release schedule plans were not at all kind on this, their first production, Magatama. Earlier this year I praised this era for its highly inspired H&S action adventure titles and even spent a few days delighting myself with the likes of Blood Will Tell, Nightshade, Bujingai, or Chaos Legion. This most unusual creation, developed by the aptly-named Team Breakout - a group composed of many talented ex-Square employees - is one among the finest of the era. Sadly, it did not do enough to persuade players at the time that it was a better purchase than Otogi or its sequel. Playing it with my mind and heart set back in time to 2003, I can say that this misguided consideration may not have withstood a second thought.

I've long wanted to write an extensive article on Japanese firefighting games. In fact, I have the structure laid out for a Japanofiles entry gathering moss in my Tumblr drafts for over a decade now. For a brief period this year I convinced myself I could finally fulfil this aspiration and resumed Sakurazaka Shouboutai as research. Developed by Racdym - later Racjin - for Irem, it is every bit as good as Firefighter F.D.18 or Hard Luck, and in many ways more inventive from a conceptual standpoint. While Konami and Spike found a way to have their games released in the west, Sakurazaka's poor regional sales performance clearly accounts for Irem's reluctance to bear the cost of an overseas ticket.

[possiblyunhinged]

Being autistic, mentally ill and poor is very not ideal right now when lefties on the internet turn into raging dickheads during an election campaign... And I am a lefty.

I don't think I've ever felt this negative about everything... and I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 6.

I AM A FUN LITTLE GUY, OKAY?!

I've been in a four-day funk where I literally can't cope with external stimuli. I'm a boring person. I spend far too much of my life reading up on stuff, and usually, I'd be all over the election coverage, but I'm just done with everything...

Not in a 2008 emo way, in an I'm autistic, and my brain feels like it's on fire right now kind of way.

There are many threads of injustice weaving through everything right now, that my silly little ND can't cope anymore. Which I know sounds deeply petulant. I am a BABY... but I think for me, if a problem isn't solvable in my brain, then it just kind of sets fire to it on the way out.

It's been in England right now when you're working class, especially over the past three or four years. I'm not talking about losing your annual holiday, the last time I went abroad was when I was 10 years old. I have never been able to justify a holiday nor save because just keeping my head above water financially has been a fucking ballache.

Knowing that over 4 million families are living in poverty right now and having the lived experience of how that experience obliterated my childhood and indoctrinated my brain with a shame that has never left me absolutely breaks my heart.

I don't even have a quip to follow that.

I can't cope with those in power's complete lack of regard for what they have done. And when these children need help, whether that's psychological or otherwise, the likelihood is they'll just be stuck on a fucking waiting list.

I don't have space for rhetoric that generally only exists in University lectures for a reason... because it doesn't translate into real life with all of its complexities.

Unless it's a tactical vote, you can shove your Green Party where the sun doesn't shine. A blessing is that Labour will push for proportional voting and before the LaBoUr HaVe BaCkPeDaLlEd On EvErYtHiNg... wait and see, hey?

Let people feel a modicum of fucking hope for one second, because guess what... being someone who deals with suicidal ideation in a world so desperate to destroy people's hope is sehr stressig.

Beyond being a wretched bitch, I've pretty much been sick most of my life. And I have never found it more difficult to live with my brain.

I've existed in poverty since the age of 8. I'm 28 now. I don't have savings. I haven't worked for years because I had a nervous breakdown when I was 24 after being sexually assaulted. I tried CBT, beta-blockers, and a myriad of anti-depressants, guzzling on mushroom powders, but ultimately, I very much became a homebound agoraphobic once more.

I was diagnosed first with agoraphobia when I was 14.

I swear, I'm not an absolutely miserable cunt...

Well, not fully anyway.

Being reliant on the NHS for help my whole life has been nothing but a fucking nightmare. CAHMS was a joke, and it's only in recent years I started looking into the amount of people who were abused in that system. People didn't know what to do with a hyper anxious girl who could not simply slot in to a system of which worked for the majority. I next exceeded 20% attendance in a school year, despite the very helpful threats from social services.

I struggle to see how things have changed, frankly.

And I mention all of that to say that I've never felt more shame about my situation. I've never felt more scared about my future, especially when I am so reliant on my Mum, who is ageing like milk that's been left out on a patio in Portugal, and I don't know how I'm going to be able to help her as she gets older. My friend's lives are all falling into place, and mine has never felt so glum.

I was just curious to see if anything had indeed changed from when I was a child, and I saw a statistic of how more children are being submitted to A&E with self-harm injuries. And I can't help but ponder how shoving them on a waiting list for years and offering 6 sessions of CBT is going to help. I mean, two people I love attempted to take their own life and were just told to go back to their GP.

I don't feel all that positive right now.

I don't know why the fuck I think writing this on the internet is a good idea. However, people who play politics for a personality don't get that they make people who are struggling feel like debate fodder.

People are really fucking struggling, and if they get fucking 2% better, I'm sure most would take it. This incessant need to shit on anything that resembles some kind of hope is actually gross. And in fact, I think it's cruel.

Is 2% better the dream? No, obviously fucking not.

But am I going to fucking bite at the next middle-class person who goes on the internet or pops up on a TV panel and tells people who are struggling what to think? Yes.

I'm sharpening my teeth with an emery board as we speak.

Now, while we all sit on NHS waiting lists trying to convince ourselves that life just might one day get better, it'd be nice if more lefties on the internet would stop being such insufferable cunts.

[lovelessthan]

I arrived late in Helsinki on the 5th of January. During the last leg of my 11 hour bus ride I remembered that January 6th is a public holiday in many countries; it is not in Portugal, while it is for our neighbors Spain, so it really varies from place to place and is never a date that's at the forefront of my mind. Nevertheless, my flight back home was on the 7th so I decided to check and sure enough, the 6th is a public holiday in Finland. Since my number one mission during my last days in Helsinki was to visit Aikuisten Lelukauppa, Kari Valo's famous shop, I DM'd their instagram account asking whether it would be open the next day.

Thus began the saga that leads us to the concluding chapter of our story, The Finland Chronicles Part 3: Aikuisten Lelukauppa Oy, and Finland Moi Moi

I got a response from the person who runs the shop’s instagram account the next morning, while I was getting ready, saying that they weren’t sure whether Kari would be coming in. I decided to risk it anyway and headed over there, only to find that, alas, the shop was indeed closed.

Feeling a bit deflated, I decided to just walk into the restaurant next door and the events that unfolded upon me stepping inside were heartwarming. The place was a very small and simple Thai restaurant, run by just one man, who I at the time assumed was Finnish. I made casual conversation with him and informed him of what had just happened, to which he replied that he had seen Kari lock up not long ago and head to the cafe down the road…so I had just missed him! I proceeded to order food, since I hadn’t really had breakfast, and he made me a dish of fried salmon, rice, and pickled vegetables. It was delicious, and I'm pretty sure the blurry corner in the picture above is from my lens fogging up with how hot it was.

After bringing me the food, this sweet man proceeded to turn the entire restaurant upside down looking for Kari's phone number, which he had written down on a slip of paper; he did in fact have a smartphone but informed me he didn't have time to be saving people's numbers in it, dontcha know. 😂 He said there was a possibility Kari could come back but it wasn't looking likely. Eventually, a girl who worked at the café next door came over, since she helps write the signs and menus for the restaurant due to her impeccable calligraphy, and gave him the number. He dialed it, hit call and a few seconds later we heard a voice identical to Ville’s say (I assume), "Kari Valo speaking." The restaurant owner explained that someone had come *all* the way from Portugal just to see him and handed me the phone. So I got to talk to Kari a bit. He told me he'd locked up for the day and asked me why I hadn't come earlier, and when I said I was considering extending my trip a bit he responded, "I'll be waiting for you every day." Ville wasn't kidding when he said he got his verbal acrobatics from his dad, huh. Sidenote: I thought I'd headed out pretty early, all things considered, but now you know, the early bird gets the Kari, especially if it’s a public holiday.

Heartened, I hung up and got on my own phone to make the arrangements to extend my trip, intending to return to the shop without fail on Monday the 8th. A part of me felt a little silly, but that was overridden by the feeling that my time in Finland wouldn’t really have been complete without a visit to Aikuisten Lelukauppa. Luckily, it was pretty cheap and dealing with that left me with time to relax, enjoy the rest of my meal, and talk to the man who had gone out of his way to make sure I got to speak to Kari. It turned out his name was Pedro, he was originally from Spain but had been living in Finland for 45 years, and had learned to cook Thai food from his second wife. Upon finding out he was from Spain, the conversation promptly switched from English to Portuñol, and he told me all about his family over Thai coffee after I'd finished my meal. I left the place after some time, feeling warm and fuzzy at the fact that complete strangers had gone above and beyond for me, but not before laughing at the fact that as quickly as Pedro had reobtained Kari's number, he then proceeded to lose it for a second time and was once again turning the place upside down looking for it as I headed out the door.

In all seriousness, if you're planning on including Aikuisten Lelukauppa in your Helsinki itinerary, consider stopping by Pedro's place as well. It's literally right next door, so it's impossible to miss, the food is great, and the hospitality, well...if you've read this far then you've probably figured out it's second to none.

Afterwards I took the time to explore the city a little more and went to see Helsinki Cathedral and check out the other sights around Senate Square. Extending my trip also allowed me shop more leisurely for family and friends before heading home for the evening.

Sunday was a day dedicated to doing absolutely nothing, which I felt I had earned, and fun fact: my Airbnb hosts were the proud owners of eleven (11!) cats, including the four kittens pictured above. All this while having a spotless home with almost exclusively white furniture. Why would you want to leave the house? I only realized long after the fact that I could have used my Sunday to take the ferry from Finland to Estonia and spend the day in Tallinn's old town, but I think the fact that it didn't even cross my mind just shows it wasn't meant to be. You can't fit everything in on one trip and you have to stop to rest at some point. All in all, a Sunday well spent.

Then the fateful day arrived! I got up, got ready, headed out the door, and took the bus to the stop nearest to the street where Aikuisten Lelukauppa is located. In the few minutes left where I was walking up to the shop, my heart started pounding and I was pretty sure I was gonna act completely starstruck but...it was fine. More than fine. There was only one other customer there when I walked in, and they left almost the minute I entered. I said hello and told Kari that I was the person he'd spoken to on the phone the other day, and he apologetically explained that he'd had responsibilities other than the shop to attend to that day which resulted in him leaving early. What followed was me getting almost 2 hours of his time just chatting, as it had been over a week since Helldone and there weren't many fans flocking to the shop. He truly is a gem of a person, he seemed more than happy (and I hope he truly was!) to discuss his interest in cars, the movie Taxi Driver, how he acquired a lot of the memorabilia around the shop, how he got involved in this particular line of work, the state of taxi drivers these days (NOT good, he’ll have you know!), some of the shows he'd seen on the Neon Noir tour, and asked me about myself as well. Thanks to Kari I learned about Aki Kaurismäki, a Finnish director who has lived in Portugal for over 30 years, and now have some new films on my to-watch list. He also provided me with some tips for things to do around the city, including enthusiastically telling me I should go swimming (eherm, maybe next time) and to visit Temppeliaukion kirkko, a Lutheran church that was excavated directly from solid rock.

I would be remiss not to point out a significant moment in my visit. Kari received quite a few phone calls while we were chatting, and most of the time the phone ringing would prompt him to cry out, "Perkele!" One of the calls, however, he simply answered without any fuss. I could hear a man's voice but since the conversation was in Finnish, I distracted myself with my phone. Once he'd hung up, Kari turned to me and asked, "Do you know who that was?" to which I replied, "Who?" and he exclaimed, "Ville!" then burst out laughing and grabbed my shoulders as my jaw dropped. Then he told me that Ville had called to ask a question about Kari's car (the famous Checker Taxi, I believe) and implied it was being used for some sort of project? We shall have to wait and see. It was a very cool moment anyhow. I got a photo with him as well and asked him to sign my Neon Noir CD booklet, which he decorated with his famous doodles and catchphrases, most notably "Kari Valo, Boy's Father."

A visit to Aikuisten Lelukauppa naturally demands that you buy some merch so I bought a new tshirt for myself with the alternative design (as a friend had gotten me the more well-known version during her visit a few months prior), merch for friends, and stickers, but also left armed with several Finland/Helsinki guides that Kari provided me with, and a map where he wrote down the name of the rock church. Cutest of all, he just up and gave me some vintage Moomins stamps, which I will cherish forever. After all this, I said I’d be heading out as I did not want to take up any more of Kari’s time but it was a highly memorable first visit, and while I seriously doubt he will ever come across this post I nevertheless feel like I have to express my gratitude to him for his time, his ear, and his generosity. Kiitos paljon Kari! ❤️

.

This was the rest of my afternoon: a visit to the famous Cafe Regatta, which was very cozy, following Kari's advice and visiting the beautiful, peaceful Temppeliaukio Church, and finishing my visit off with an early dinner at a traditional Finnish restaurant, where I had the piniest tasting G and T of my life (I love the smell of pines, not so sure how I feel about drinking them). Couldn't have asked for a better last day in Finland.

The next morning I had to be up at 5 to catch a flight to Frankfurt and then Lisbon, but the discomfort of a super early flight paled in comparison to the happy, floaty feeling of discovering a new place to love and come back to. Thank you so much Finland, you were a dream! I hope to come back sooner rather than later and potentially write another Finland Chronicles, maybe in warmer temperatures! Moi moi for now, though!

And to finish this off, here's a little Aikuisten Lelukauppa haul with all the things I mentioned above, as well as a small Helsinki/Helldone haul, since I didn't think to do one for the very first instalment of this series. It includes a VVgram beanie, an eyebrow pencil and two eyeliners from Finnish brand Lumene (conspicuously absent was their Nordic Noir range, I wonder if Ville bought it all up lmao), and face wipes. Yes, face wipes, because they saved me multiple times when the snow settling then melting on my eyelashes would cause my mascara to melt and smudge all around my eyes. Pro-tip ladies: have some wipes in your bag when experiencing Finnish winter, or just snowy winters in general. Or maybe just wear a more resistant mascara than the one I use.

Thanks to anyone who read through these posts, and apologies for how much longer they got with each update. Nevertheless, I hope it was an enjoyable read and maybe even useful to those of you considering visiting Finland. Much love and here's to hoping 2024 brings many more adventures! 💙🤍

[f0point5]

I think the break up rumours are silly and I usually ignore wag related stuff but have Kelly and Max even seen each other since the summer break started I just noticed now that she’s on another trip?

Idk if Max is with her on the trip or it’s a brand trip. Could be a group holiday. It seems Victoria and Jos went to see Max in Monaco/South of France but we don’t know if they’re still with Max.

Kelly definitely didn’t go straight from Brazil to Portugal because P is back in Monaco so she’s been home.

Regardless, they haven’t seemed to have spent a lot of time together the past couple of months. I personally don’t think this has to do with a break up or even relationship strain, I think it’s more likely professional strain. Whatever is going on with Red Bull is very likely taking a toll on Max, and Kelly hasn’t been to a lot of races since Japan. And I think that’s mainly because the environment is not as comfortable as it used to be over there.

If she’s on a brand trip it’ll only be a couple of days, and Max may still be with his family (we know Kelly and Jos keep a safe distance generally) and they’ll see each other when they’re both done with that. But it seems they’ve both been prioritising family the past couple of weeks, which is normal at times.

I don’t think they’ll break up any time soon, but I also think Max is dealing with a lot in his life and he may very well be appreciative of the space right now. People will make that into a bad thing but it’s not necessarily, ebb and flow is pretty normal in a long term relationship

[debbietheslut2]

THE ADULT CLUB THE ADULT CLUB

The idea for The Adult Club came from a delegation of ladies from the village. They were keen to see the old ways restored, which included re-establishing the Swingers Club, which had closed when the owners moved to Portugal and its easer approach to sexual things. The Swingers Club had been run from the Old Rectory.

Monday 27 May was a public holiday in the UK and we chose it to open The Adult Club. Been many months in the planing, to say nothing of the amount of work that was needed to re-model the Old Rectory. The previous owners were just a little excentric and had used gloss paint on most of the walls over the wallpaper. The desecration of the lovely Victorian building went on and a great deal of hard work was needed to return it to its former glory.

Monday afternoon/evening, was on reflection, a success. Shaky start, it was all new to everyone after all. But as the time went by and all the invited guest started to relax, thanks mainly to our slaves willingness to suck cock and lick pussy. The 6 bedrooms were all used and not always with the partner they arrived with. Our slaves often adding to the mix.

Tuesday morning saw all the guests leave with big grins and a confidence of wanting to return soon

[hikarry]

What's your most irrational fear? Don't you dare say "death"

Okay, listen, this is stupid, but

In Portugal, there are these puppets people wear during Carnival called "Cabeçudos" (if you want to know what they look like, Google it. I wont) and I can't look at them or be around them cause I start having panic attacks

I don't know why, but I've always been scared of them since I was a child

Last time I was around one it was during a carnival festival and it activated my fight or flight attack so bad I let go of my date's hand and ran to the outside of the park to lock myself in the car and have a panic attack right after

I left the poor girl behind without an explanation. She probably thought I had lost my mind

But really, I can't deal with them

Or masks, in general. Masks that cover the whole face also scare me. And that's why I'm not the biggest fan of Carnival

Ironically enough, Halloween is my favorite holiday so, make it make sense

But yeah. I'm way too scared of them. If you want to see me freak the fuck out, just get me around one. I will cry and either run away or hold you like my life depends on it while hiding my face on your neck so I don't look at them and pretend they are not there - usually doesn't work

[inestheunicorn]

Hi! I love your art and I'm also from Portugal. Jobs in my area for artists are, put nicely, dismal or nonexistent. Do you think it's possible to make a living through art or is it always better to have a supplemental income? I left my retail minimum wage job and started freelancing on character art, but I'm having trouble making my social medias grow and I'm not sure where to start. Do you have any advice? Thank you for reading and happy holidays if you celebrate!

Hi dear Anon! Brace yourself for a huge wall of text, but here we go: Portugal can be really demotivating when it comes to finding creative jobs and it’s super competitive since there are so few companies. Freelancing is a great option if you like to work with different clients and projects, specially if you hate to be stuck on a job where you do the same thing every day. It can be hard to find Portuguese companies willing to pay you the fair cost for a project, so it’s always good to reach out to potential clients from other countries as well. Another thing that makes it challenging for a freelancer in Portugal is our astronomical and absurd taxes. What keeps me motivated here is undrestanding that having to pay more taxes also means I’m earning more. It still hurts and I always cry in a corner every month, but it’s not as bad if that makes sense 😂  About having some extra income. I still live with my family and I was lucky to had saved enough from previous jobs and freelance gigs, so I was able to quit my job and go full-time freelance. But if this isn’t possible for you, first I recommend you save enough to survive for at least 6 months (I had saved for a whole year tho) and then try to grow your online presence, portfolio and plan your business in the meantime. I definitely recommend you try out the business model canvas. This might sound like something shady entrepreneurs or crazy marketing dudes would use, but I promise you it makes a huuuge difference when you’re just starting out and have no idea which direction to go. You’ll get the chance to figure out which type of clients you’d like to get, what your values are, plan income streams and ways to reach out to potential clients and so much more. There’s lots of guides out there and it’s free, so I really suggest giving it a go. When starting your freelance adventure, it’s super important to have everything planned, grow your online presence, portfolio and learn about all the taxes and legal stuff, so you’ll have to deal with a lot of boring and stressful stuff in the beginning. So you can deal with this stuff while you’re still on your day job and saving to go freelance. If you’ve already quit and are finding it hard to make ends meet, you can always try to get a job or a part time that doesn’t leave you exhausted at the end of the day, so you can work on your art career when you’re free. I’m still on my 2nd year as a freelancer and only now I’ve noticed I’ve learned enough and things are starting to get better, so keep in mind these things take some time. I hope this giant text helps you somehow!! ♥ Wishing you the best of luck and a Happy and Brilliant New Year!! ~~ <33

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

'When Calls the Heart's Erin Krakow Leads Hallmark's April Movie Premieres: See the Schedule (Exclusive ETOnline)

HALLMARK CHANNEL'S "SPRING INTO LOVE"

All premieres are at 8 p.m. ET/PT. 

Love in the Maldives  Starring: Jocelyn Hudon and Jake Manley Premieres: Saturday, April 1 Rae Parker (Hudon) has a very fabulous, single life that attracts thousands of readers to her monthly travel column, “Reservation for One.” Rae is surprised when her editor wants to send her to the world’s most romantic vacation destination -- The Conrad Maldives. She’s an adventurous spirit and staying at the luxurious Muraka makes it difficult for her to find the type of experiences she needs to write an article worthy of her column. It doesn’t help that Rae is terribly afraid of the open ocean and a hotel that floats in the middle of it. After a few failed solo attempts, Rae realizes she needs some guidance and support to undertake some of the challenges outside of her comfort zone. The Conrad’s guest experience expert, Jared Joseph (Manley), steps in and makes it his personal mission to give Rae the adventure she’s looking for… 

The Professional Bridesmaid Starring: Hunter King and Chandler Massey Premieres: Saturday, April 8 Years ago, Maggie Bailey (King) realized she had a particular skill set for being an ace bridesmaid -- and she went pro. Now she uses her talents to help brides navigate the tricky emotional and social dynamics that go along with planning their big day in addition to the practical. Her latest client, Alexis Shepard (Francesca Bianchi), is the daughter of Columbus’ mayor who is up for re-election. Alexis’ wedding promises to be the event of the summer with lots of scrutiny, so the mayor’s team hires Maggie to join the bridal party and help keep everything on track. But no one can know that Maggie is a hired bridesmaid, so she is introduced as Alexis’ old friend Maisie. Unfortunately, Henry Whittington (Massey), an ambitious local reporter assigned to the society story is sniffing around hoping to get close to the mayor for a scoop on the pending development  of local park land. To pull off her assignment, Maggie must coordinate three unhelpful bridesmaids and keep Henry focused on the wedding while hiding her identity, even as she begins to grow closer to him. 

The Wedding Cottage Starring: Erin Krakow and Brendan Penny Premieres: Saturday, April 15 A wedding guide creator (Krakow) must convince an uninspired artist and owner of a special wedding cottage (Penny) to renovate the rundown cottage to host a contest-winning couple for their dream wedding.

A Pinch of Portugal Starring: Heather Hemmens and Luke Mitchell Premieres: Saturday, April 22 When a celebrity chef walks off his show, prep cook Anna (Hemmens) must step into the spotlight and make the show her own, with the help of her Aussie cameraman (Mitchell) and Portuguese location scout.

The Spin Cycle (working title) Starring: Erin Cahill and Marco Grazzini Premieres: Saturday, April 29 Hazel Miller (Cahill) is a top publicist in New York City looking to build her empire. Diego Vasquez (Grazzini) is a top MLB pitcher who froze during Game 7 of the World Series. He also happens to be the guy who shattered Hazel’s heart in high school. When Hazel is tasked with spinning Diego’s image, it might be her biggest challenge professionally, and personally, as she takes him back to their hometown in Ohio to deal with what they've both left behind. 

HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES

All premieres are at 7 p.m. ET/PT. 

The Blessing Bracelet (DaySpring movie) Starring: Amanda Schull and Carlo Marks Premieres: Sunday, April 9 Dawn Spencer (Schull) approaches the Easter holiday trying to balance being a single parent while working to get out of the debt left behind by her ex-husband. Feeling overwhelmed, Dawn unearths a bracelet she made years earlier and stored away. She created it using four beads with the intention of using each one as a reminder to count the blessings in her life. As Dawn begins to focus on the good, her faith is renewed, and her life takes a positive turn. Thanks to the support of Dawn’s church community and the encouragement by Ben (Marks), who recently came into her life, the blessing bracelets help take her down a path she never could have imagined. 

Spring Breakthrough (Mahogany movie) Starring: Keesha Sharp, Demetrius Grosse, Rhyon Nicole Brown and Akono Dixon Premieres: Sunday, April 30 Single mother Monica Rollins (Sharp) excitedly waits for her daughter, Vivian (Brown), to come home for spring break, their annual tradition. Days before, after years of tireless dedication to her job, Monica is unceremoniously fired. To make matters worse, Monica is dealt with a second blow when Vivian announces her surprise engagement to Shawn (Dixon), someone Monica didn't even know existed and travels to The Gulf Shores for the engagement celebration. En route, she meets Clark Randall (Grosse), who also happens to be Shawn’s godfather, at the airport and an unexpected flirtation ignites. 

Click on this LINK to read the full article and see some pics at ET Online. 

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Fics Named After Colors (2) Masterlist

part one

Black Blood - howellester8791

Summary: Dan is a vampire hunter, one of the best in the entire London, and he has to solve the mistery of the “Blue-eyed vampire of Haze”. But when he meets the vampire, something in Dan changes and he’ll find out that the enemy is not this pale, dorky, black haired and blue-eyed vampire named Phil.

Blue (ao3) - melancholymango

Summary: au where everything is black and white until you kiss your soulmate.

Blue And Green Sheets - scifiphan

Summary: Phil’s in the shower but Dan’s horny.

Blue Cars - lesteresce

Summary: Dan isn’t special. He’s not. And he’s ok with that, he thinks.

Blush - jilliancares

Summary: Phil tries to make Dan blush.

Brown And Blue - fakecouple

Summary: Dan’s wings prove to be sensitive.

Brown Eyes - rosewoodpirate

Summary: Phil is drunk at a party and spots a certain brown-eyed boy across the room.

Burning Blue - waveydnp

Summary: prompt: An amaaf timestamp of them in Portugal

Curly Brown Hair, Cute Little Dimples, And Sparkling Blue Eyes - hiddenphangirl

Summary: Phil loves to do dumb things when he’s drunk, but maybe somewhere in there he’s got the right idea.

Golden Glow - theshyauthor

Summary: Dan is a musician without a heart and Phil the idiot that returns to his hotel room whenever he calls.

Gold Hoops And Silver Linings (ao3) - PoisonedMind

Summary: Look. He noticed the comments. He read them. He just wasn’t going to give the fans what they wanted this time. p>Or the 100% unfactual truth behind why Dan Howell doesn't wear those goddamn gold hoops (in public).

Green Tea And Cherry Blossoms (ao3) - CapriciousCrab

Summary: Japan is lovely in the spring...

There's no sense of time here. No urgency, no rush. Nothing but peace and serenity as they sit together under the blooms and look out into the gardens.

Of Clear Blue Eyes and Broken Dragon Rides - manchestereyes

Summary: What happens when a roller coaster breaks down in the middle of Harry Potter World? It sparks the unlikely meetup of an operator with striking blue eyes and a terrified teenage boy who just wants to make his way off without dying. But what happens once they reach the ground?

Rainbow Graffiti - secretlywritingstories

Summary: Detective Phil Lester’s first case as lead detective is nothing like he had imagined. This criminal’s targets are all rich and powerful and the thief always only takes one possession from their homes and leaves behind messages to them in bright and expressive rainbow-coloured graffiti. Phil quickly discovers that while this person might be a criminal, every crime is done with good intentions. It’ll take him some time to wrap his head around that one.

running you with red (ao3) - waveydnp

Summary: dan and phil are a&e nurses

Yellow - ohsophan

Summary: Phil goes on holiday leaving Dan home alone, he begins to miss Phil so decides to wear his Jake hoody.

yellow acacias - rncloughlin

Summary: The five times Dan gave Phil acacias, and the one time he didn’t have to.

Yellow Curtains (ao3) - omgdatphantho

Summary: Dan feels like an outsider looking in; an alien in his own skin. He’s starting to question his sexuality and that’s made more complicated by meeting Phil. Nothing worth having comes easy; especially love.

Yellow Love - botanistlester

Summary: The deal is to make bamf!Dan Howell want to date Nerd!Phil. But how can he go through with it when Dan’s eyes are the colour of chocolate and he has a dimple that makes Phil’s knees weak? He decides he can’t go through with it because he’s too afraid of falling in love before Dan ever will.

Yellow Roses (ao3) - FoxyAtlas

Summary: Dan has a wife who just loves the bouquets of flowers he keeps getting for her. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know about the attractive florist who sends hidden messages with each bouquet that her husband might just be falling for.

[ao3feed-ineffablehusbandz]

Trusting Who We Are

Trusting Who We Are

by Fire_Traveller

Disclaimer: if you haven't read the previous stories in the 'Per Aspera' verse, this will likely not make that much sense...

After the most recent events, Aziraphale and Crowley have decided to take a (well-deserved) holiday trip. They put Anathema and Newt in charge of taking care of their South Downs cottage, while they themselves eventually end up on the sunny coast of the Algarve in Portugal, simply enjoying some time with each other...

Words: 3981, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 14 of Per Aspera ad Astra - to the Stars

Fandoms: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Good Omens (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M, Other

Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens), Anathema Device, Newton Pulsifer

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)

Additional Tags: Per Aspera ad Astra verse, Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Wings, He/Him Pronouns For Aziraphale (Good Omens), He/Him Pronouns For Crowley (Good Omens), holiday trip, Fluff, wing-grooming and dealing with previous trauma, Sequel, Post-Canon, Post-Almost Apocalypse (Good Omens), Crowley Was Raphael Before Falling (Good Omens), Crowley taught Heaven's healers, No Beta - We Fall Like Crowley, Canon-Compliant...for now at least, Ineffable Partners, Ineffable Spouses, ineffable husbands, Summer Holidays, Aziraphale and Crowley Live Together (Good Omens), i'm SOFT, Romantic Fluff, Established Relationship

From https://ift.tt/tXz0QRM https://archiveofourown.org/works/46738027

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Summer Fling Part 8/10

Part 9 is out on my Patreon for free!

Summary - Reader has landed a research job at a marine biology lab in Portugal. She is, therefore, staying with her sister and her sister's Portuguese boyfriend for the summer holidays. There she meets Ruben Dias who is on vacation with his friends after the 2024 Euros. However, the two meet under the circumstances in which Ruben believes that Reader is a prostitute.

Enjoy ☀️

It was early in the morning. The beaches in Quarteira lay abandoned, yet infested with tourists and their families. Ruben agreed to meet you there, on the beach. Where his presence wouldn't distract you as much since the sweet scent of him would get lost with the ocean breeze. 

"Are you sure about this?" Your sister asked.

"Yes." 

"Alright then. Do you need me to come with you or…?"

"No. I'll only be a minute."

"Okay, I'll be right here if you need me."

The plan was simple. Take the money and leave. Nothing complicated about that. Still, your heart deceived you by beating like a drum. You took a deep breath and made your way down the beach. You could see Ruben's figure in the distance, growing taller and taller as you approached him. So did the small figure standing beside him. Simba, held tightly in a leash.

"Hey, Ruben. Thanks for meeting me here." You came forth in a matter of business.

"Y/N? What's going on?" Ruben asked, his voice filled with concern. He was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, his hair still tousled from bed.

"Please," You raised hand. "Don't make this more awkward than it already is. You know why I'm here. You owe me payment for my services."

Ruben's shoulders withered, his gaze lost for a minute. "Right." He muttered. "I just thought you said that you didn't…."

"I don't." Your breath hitched, hiding the tremble of your vocal cords. "But you thought I did, meaning you owe me."

"Y/N I…"

"Don't Ruben."

He stiffened, stopping himself from reaching out to you.

"Let's just settle the deal and forget that anything ever happened between us."

He nodded, reaching for something in his pocket. "Here, I think that's everything you asked for."

You were quick to snatch the bundle of money from his hand, hiding the trembling of your own. This would have been it, the end of the exchange, the end of you and Ruben had he not been careless with Simba's leash, allowing the dog to jump up your leg, happily wagging its tail wanting to be petted. 

"There." You cooed, reaching down to pet the dog. "Such a beautiful boy, aren't you? Such a beautiful, beautiful boy." Unwanted tears ran down your cheeks. 

"Y/N?" Ruben's voice was gentle, patient even. "I want you to tell me if you're in any kind of trouble."

"Please, Ruben…" You laughed, a wet laugh. 

"Y/N...if there's anything I can do to help then tell me."

"No!" You stood, challenging his height. Ruben's expression softened at the sight of you. The sight of your bloodshot eyes. "Y/N, I'm sorry if what I said the other night —"

You groaned in frustration. "Will you just forget about that, about me? You obviously came to Portugal for a good time and I'm not judging you for that. I on the other hand came here to work, not for some stupid summer fling, okay? Let's just end things here, alright. Let's just forget that the two of us ever met."

The sound of crashing waves surrounded you and somewhere in the distance the first tourists made their way to call dibs on the tanning beds closest to the sea.

Ruben shook his head. "No."

"No?" You frowned.

"No. I don't want to forget about you and you don't want to forget about me."

"Excuse me. What makes you think that you can—" What ever you were going to say went over your head, or better yet, into your mouth. Ruben closed the gap between you, completely invading your space. Even if you wanted to pull back, you couldn't. Ruben's hands on each side of your face brought you forward, drawing you in until all that was left was the taste of his lips. He kissed you mercilessly, with no intent to let you catch your breath. He kissed you to the sound of squeaking seagulls and an overjoyed pup, running circles around your legs.

"Ruben please." Your lips were numb against his. "You have to let me go."

He smiled. "Not until you tell me why you need the money."

"Ruben." You wiggled out of his grip, almost tripping over the leash around your feet. 

Ruben caught you with his hands on your waist, his forehead knocking against yours. "Let me help you Y/N. Why won't you let me hel—"

"I'm leaving, that's why."

Ruben pulled back, his eyes batting obliviously. 

"My sister and I are going back to Australia."

"When?"

"Once my sister pays her debt to the guy she owes money to."

"Y/N," Ruben rubbed his aching temple. "Doesn't this sound like a matter for the police?"

"The Police?" You laughed. "My sister is a sex worker, not to mention a citizen of another country. Why would the Portuguese police ever favor her when clearly this sort of business has been going on at that Beach Club for years? You even said so yourself."

Ruben didn't have a comeback. Involving the police was simply a bad idea. "I just don't want you to get hurt." He mumbled, with a look that made it hard for you to turn your back on him. However, you had to.

"I can take care of myself. Goodbye Ruben."

It was with a heavy heart that you made your way back up the beach, your footsteps dragging in the sand. Maki stood waiting by her car, her hair blowing in the wind. 

"How did it go, did you get the money?"

"Yeah, I got it." 

"Really?" She chuckled. "Men, how stupid they are." The two of you hopped back into the car. "Where to next, the beach club?"

"Yes and then straight to the airport. We're buying a one way ticket back to Sydney."

"I dunno Y/N, with all this money that your boyfriend just gave us we could just—"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"I bet he wants to be."

"No, Maki." You shifted in your seat, revealing your glossy eyes. "Ruben was never my boyfriend. He never even liked me as a person and I blame you for making me believe that he did."

"Come on Y/N, that's not—"

"We're done Maki, you hear me? Once we get back to Australia, you and I are done, got it?"

Neither of you thought It would come to this. As sisters you had accepted your differences, like fire and ice. However, despite belonging together the two elements ultimately canceled each other out. 

*************************************

"I'll go tell Diogo. Wait for me here."

You made it to Albufeira. Where Maki would hand Ruben's money over to Diogo, who could pay off her debt to The Captain. It was the consequences of her own actions, meaning you felt no sympathy for your sister who was also leaving someone she cared about behind.

"Y/N?"

You stood waiting by the docks, refusing to go near the beach club, when suddenly you felt a tap on your shoulder.

"Gavin?"

He was surprised to see you, shifting his head to see if you were by yourself. "What are you doing here?" He asked with a half hearted smile.

"I'm waiting for my sister, we're running errands." You lied. "What are you doing here?" 

He looked nothing like the lab rat you had gotten to know. The students at the marine station, including yourself, were used to Gavin strutting around in board shorts and flip flops. Now he appeared before you dressed in gray khakis and a white linen shirt with the top buttons undone. He looked elegant and stylish, a side of him unfamiliar to you.

"Is…is everything alright?" You asked, seeing Gavin a bit low in the way he regarded you..

"With me?" He chuckled. "I'm the one who fucked up considering you didn't come into the lab this morning."

"I…" You admit that it was a bad way to announce your resignation. However after everything that was going on in your life, including Gavin's kiss. You didn't really give second thoughts on how your studies might be affected by your swift departure from the country.

"Y/N, trust me," Gvin said, stepping up to you. "If I can take back what I did—"

"It's okay." You nodded. "I was vulnerable and needed a shoulder to cry on. I can see how that might have given you the wrong impression."

"I feel like I've taken advantage of you."

"You haven't. Trust me. My sister's boyfriend on the other hand ...."

"Diogo?"

"Yes, that's his name. He…wait. How did you—"

"Capitão."

A large shadow was casted behind you. You turned around and found yourself face to face with Diogo, frowning at the sight of…"You?" He grunted. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I'm...where is Maki?"

His nostrils flared with your question, a clear tension between you. "She's safe." He said. "You should go to her."

"I was just about to—" You turned around, wanting to say goodbye to Gavin. A proper goodbye, since it might be the last time you saw him. You gasped however, as Gavin with narrowed eyes held up a gun, pointing it straight to your face. "Do as I say and this doesn't have to get ugly."

"Ugly? Gavin what the hell are you—"

"Do as I say Y/N!"

"Capitão," Diogo stepped forward, shielding you by putting his body between you and the gun. "As meninas não têm nada a ver com o razzia ao seu iate. Podia ter sido qualquer um." (The girls had nothing to do with the razzia of your yacht. It could have been anyone.)

"Como você?" (Like you?)

You screamed. 

The gun shot rang in your ear as if lighting had struck. Gavin had fired his gun at Diogo, who went down like a tree before your feet.

"Now…" A shiver traveled down your spine, the tip of the gun poking you in the back. "Get on the boat." Gavin said, shuffling you ahead of him, towards a large fleet, one you recognized.

"You?" You stammered. "You're him, you're The Captain?"

You imagined Gavin's smirk behind your back, a smirk like the one he had displayed in his car, moments before his attempt to kiss you. 

"I like the way you said that." He snarled. "How about you step onto my boat and I'll show you exactly what type of Captain I am."

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Part 9 is out on my Patreon for free!

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As I'm currently indexing this blog or, rather, meta-tagging posts in my new version of it on the Blogger website (I will post proper link as soon as it's finished), I decided to compile a list of all the women who feature (or receive a mention however fleetingly) within it. I have tried to trawl the blog ''with a fine toothcomb'', but I'm bound to have missed a few names - oh well! Here is the list as complete as I can muster. The women appear in (broadly) alphabetical order by first name. *** NB it is still a work in progress ***

VOCALISTS & MUSICIANS

Alice Waterhouse (flute) * Amy Winehouse * Angel Olsen * Annie June Callaghan * Ari Up & The Slits * Be Good Tanyas, The * Billie Holiday * Bjork * Black Belles, The * Cait O’ Riordan (Pogues) * Calista Williams (Bluebird) * Cindy Wilson & Kate Pierson (The B52s) * Cistem Failure * Clementine Douglas * Cosey Fanni Tutti * DakhaBrakha (well, 3/4 of them!) * Debbie Harry * Edith Piaf * Elizabeth Morris (Allo Darlin') * Holly Golightly * HoneyLuv * Katy-Jane Garside * Kelis * Kim Deal (Pixies & Breeders) * Maxine Peake * Maxine Venton & Mimi O'Malley (Captain Hotknives) * Meg White * Melanie Safka * Nico * Nina Simone * Patti Rothberg * Penny Ford (Snap!) * PJ Harvey * Rhoda Dakar (Special AKA) * Seamonsters, The * Siouxsie Sioux * Suzanne Vega * Tray Tronic * Trish Keenan (Broadcast)

VISUAL ARTS

Annegret Soltau * Anne Ophelia Dowden * Artemisia Gentileschi * Barbara Regina Dietzsch * Beverly Joubert * Camille Claudel * Clara Peeters * Dale DeArmond * Doreen Fletcher * Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale * Élisabeth Sonrel * Elisabetta Siriani * Elizabeth Mary Watt * Ella Hawkins * Evelyn De Morgan * Frida Kahlo * Gertrude Abercrombie * Helen Martins * Kate Gough * Laura Knight (Dame) * Leonora Carrington * Lily Delissa Joseph * Liza Ferneyhough * Magdolna Ban * Mandy Payne* Mary Delany * Miina Akkijrkka * Ndidi Ekubia * Pamela Colman-Smith * Paula Rego * Rachel Gale * 'Romany Soup' * Sarah Vivien * Shirley Baker * Siirkka-Liisa Konttinen * Sofonisba Anguissola * Sonia Delaunay * Tish Murtha * Vali Myers * Vanessa Bell

COMEDY, DANCE & DRAMA

Alicia Eyo & Carol Morley ('Stalin My Neighbour') * Claire Foy * Daisy May Cooper * Gabrielle Creevy & Jo Hartley ('In My Skin') * Isadora Duncan * Jessica Williams ('Love Life') * Lesley Sharp, Michelle Holmes & Siobhan Finneran ('Rita, Sue & Bob Too') * Michaela Coel ('I May Destroy You') * Morgana Robinson * Samantha Morton * Yasmin Paige (Jordana Bevan in ‘Submarine)

WRITERS, JOURNALISTS, SCHOLARS & POETS

Agatha Christie (MBE) * Andrea Dunbar * Anaïs Nin * Angela Thirkell * Anna Funder * Anna Wickham * Edith Holden * Elizabeth O'Neill * Enid Blyton * Harriet Beecher Stowe * Helen Castor (Dr.) * Hilary Mantel * Janina Ramirez (Dr.) * Jeannette Kupfermann * Jenny March (Dr.) * Jenny Wormald (Dr.) * Lia Leendertz * Mary Oliver * Orna Guralnik (Dr.) * Rachel Beer * Susie Boniface * Virginia Woolf

HISTORICAL FIGURES

Anne, Queen of Great Britain * Anne Boleyn, Queen of England * Anne of Cleves, Queen of England * Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni * Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes * Catherine de’ Medici, Queen Consort/Regent of France * Catherine Parr, Queen of England * Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England * Catherine of Valois, Queen of England * Christine de Pizan * Cixi, Empress of China (aka  Empress Tz'u-hsi ) * Eleanora of Austria, Queen of France * Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France; Queen of England; Duchess of Aquitaine * Eleanor of Castile * Eleanor Talbot ("The Secret Queen") * Elizabeth I Queen of England * Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort of England * Elizabeth of York, Queen Consort of England * Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia * Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt *Hildegard of Bingen * Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen of France * Isabella I, Queen of Castile * Isabella of Aragon, Princess of Asturias * Isabella of Portugal, Empress Consort of Holy Roman Empire and Queen Consort of Spain, Germany & Italy * Isabella of France, Queen of England * Jacquetta of Luxemburg * Jane Grey (Lady), Queen of England for Nine Days * Jane Seymour, Queen of England * Juana (aka Joanna), Queen of Castile * Katherine Howard, Queen of England * Louise of Savoy, Regent of France * Margaret of Anjou, Queen Consort of England * Margaret of Austria [check which one] * Margaret Beaufort, Lady * Marie Antoinette, Queen of France * Mary I, Queen of England * Mary II, Queen of England, Scotland & Ireland * Mary, Queen of Scots * Mary of Austria [check which one] * Mary of Burgundy, Duchess * Matilda, Holy Roman Empress * Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem * Sophia of Hanover, Electress * Tatya Betul, Empress of Ethiopia * Theodora, Empress of Byzantium * Victoria, Queen of England & Empress of India

SAINTS & BIBLICAL/CHRISTIAN REFERENCES

Anna (wife of Tobit) * Apollonia (Saint) * Barbara (Saint) * Catherine of Alexandria (Saint) * Ecclesia * Eve (the first woman) * Felicitas of Rome (Saint) * Genevieve (Saint) * Godeberta * Jael * Jezebel * Judith * Lucy (Saint) * Margaret of Scotland (Saint) * Mary Magdalene * Rahab * Rose of Lima (Saint) * Synagoga * The Queen of Sheba * Thérèse of Lisieux (Saint) * Virgin Mary, The* "Whore of Babylon", The * Ursula (Saint)

MYTHOLOGICAL

Anat * Asherah * Astarte * Atalanta * Aurora * Baba Yaga * Circe * Chhinnamasta * Clio/Kleio * Demeter (Rmn: Ceres) * Dido, Queen of Carthage * Durga * Elaine of Astolat * Europa * Eurydice * Hathor * Hesperides * Io * Isolde/Iseult * Isis * Juno (Gk: Hera) * Kali * Kriemhild/Gudrun * Kudshu * Lakshmi * Persephone (Rmn: Proserpine) * Radha * Sabine Women, The * Sati * Sedna * Sirens, The (half-female, half-bird) * Three Graces, The * Valkyries, The * Venus (Aphrodite)

WIVES, MUSES, CONSORTS & SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

Anastasia Romanovna (wife of Ivan the Terrible) * Anne Hyde (1st wife of James, Duke of York; she did not live long enough to see him become James II) * Anne Lovell (wife of Sir Francis Lovell) * Anne of Denmark (wife of James VI of Scotland/James I of England & Ireland) * Bella Chagall (wife of Marc Chagall) * Catherine of Braganza (wife of Charles II) * Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Queen of England as wife of George III) * Clementine Churchill (wife of Winston Churchill) * Diane de Poitiers (royal mistress to the French king, Henry II) * Emma Hamilton, Lady (mistress of Lord Horatio Nelson) * Evelyn Pyke-Nott (wife of John Byam Shaw) * Françoise Gilot (partner of Pablo Picasso) * Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk (mother of Lady Jane Grey) * Henrietta-Maria (wife of Charles I) * Lady Martha Temple (wife of Sir William Temple) * MacDonald sisters, The (Alice, Georgiana, Agnes and Louisa) * Marguerite of Navarre/Angoulême (sister of French king, Francis I) * Mary of Modena (2nd wife of James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, and Ireland) * Mary Shelley (mentioned as wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, though a renowned author in her own right) * Mary Soames (daughter of Winston Churchill & wife of Christopher Soames) * Mary Stuart (daughter of Charles I and mother of the future William III) * Mary Watts (wife of George Frederic Watts, and designer and artist in her own right) * Olga Khokhlova (1st wife of Pablo Picasso) * Portia (wife of Brutus) *

2OTH CENTURY & MODERN DAY

Christabel Pankhurst * Emily Wilding Davison * Emmeline Pankhurst * 'Gulabi Gang' * Hannah Hauxwell * Helen Keller * Hilary Clinton * Liz Truss * Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll * Mata Hari * Melina Mercouri * Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe * Rahima Mahmut * Sylvia Pankhurst *