#also i would love to meet lin-manuel miranda

[annymation]

The voices in my Wish Rewrite

I haven’t talked much about it, but in my Wish rewrite some characters would be recasted. I wanted to make this post just to show which actors I’d replace… And it’s pretty much everyone except Magnifico, cause ya know, Chris Pine is Magnifico, and Magnifico is Chris Pine, it’s just how it is.

So let’s get this started!

Asha- Denée Benton

Im absolutely OBSESSED with this woman’s voice, she sounds like an angel and carries so much personality in her performance, she sounds pure, youthful, hopeful but also strong, everything I imagine Asha as. THIS is what I imagine the 100th anniversary Disney princess sounding like. Not that I didn’t like Ariana DeBose’s singing tho, but I just love Denee Benton more, and hey, it’s my rewrite, so I get to imagine Asha’s voice how I please. Also I can totally see Asha and Aster singing this song.

Aster- Jordan Fisher

Oooooh this man, I love him so much. His voice has the perfect energy for Aster, sounding youthful and melodic like a prince, it had to be a literally other worldly voice, and I think Jordan’s voice is PRETTY DANG other worldly, like, this example I found on Spotify doesn’t even do him justice, go listen to his other singing chops on YouTube.

If you look up Jordan Fisher you’ll see the guy is DEEPLY connected with Disney in his career, from singing the song “Happily Ever After” 6 years ago, which is the theme song for the Magic Kingdom, to now being the main singer of 4-town in the movie Turning Red. And of course this one time he made a cover of “You’re Welcome”, the guy just lives and breaths Disney so WHY NOT have him as a wishing star? It just makes sense. But besides working with Disney he also has experience in a musicals such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd and more recently he became the new Orpheus in Hadestown… And by god I need a good quality audio of him singing “Wait For Me” more than I need air because that song fits Aster’s character SO WELL.

Magnifico- Chris Pine

Yeah no surprises here, you can’t have Magnifico without Chris Pine… But HIS SINGING VOICE IN THIS SONG THOUGH??? ITS SO GOOD!!! I listened to “Any Moment” ONCE and now I constantly go back to listen to it over and over and imagine young Magnus and Amaya meeting in the woods. I still haven’t posted about Amaya’s backstory BECAUSE IM TOO LAZY TO FINISH THE DRAFT I HAVE EXPLAINING IT- But let me just say her hesitating to start a relationship with him is VERY accurate to her character. And Magnus being like “May I kiss you” out of nowhere because he: 1- Sees himself as irresistible so he thinks she’d fall for him with just that and 2- he had 0 social skills before he met Amaya.

And then there’s the line “Life is often so unpleasant, you must know that as a peasant” ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This is LITERALLY something my Magnifico would say, I’m so freakin lucky!

My point is, my rewrite’s Magnifico sounds like THIS when he sings, with a deep, smooth and honeyed voice that makes you want to trust him… Take that high pitched voice Chris Pine did in “This Is The Thanks I Get” and throw it out the window. Disney wasted the man’s talent. I’m so mad.

Amaya- Emily Blunt

Do you guys see my vision? Do I even have to say anything? Like really, go watch a scene of the Mary Poppins remake, any scene with her at all, that woman has a voice that DEMANDS respect, while also being motherly, it’s practically perfect in every way. I’m using “Open Up Your Eyes” here as an example though because… Well, it fits her backstory… Ya know, the backstory I’m stalling to talk about 👉👈… But it also just simply fits her personality in general!

And no disrespect for her voice in the movie, Angelique Cabral… BUT ITS EMILY BLUNT AS AN EVIL QUEEN!!! Come ooooon! It’s just meant to be!!!

Also side note, since we’re talking about Queen Amable, THIS design that came from an deleted scene is how I’ve imagined her the whole time:

Like, I could not STAND her hairstyle in the movie, it simply didn’t fit my vision for her character, see, Amaya is sophisticated but she’s also… Practical and likes to feel comfortable, hence why in my rewrite her dress has no sleeves, she values her own comfort more than conforming to the social norms… AND THAT HAIR LOOKING LIKE HEADPHONES WITH THAT CROWN THAT MADE HER FOREHEAD LOOK LIKE A SQUARE DROVE ME NUTS!

So yeah, this is our Queen Amable, voiced by Emily Blunt, with a British accent, in all her glory, we’re moving on.

Valentino- Gregory Mann

This is just a bonus mention, since Valentino doesn’t even sing in my rewrite, he just speaks in like 3 scenes… And you guys have only seen one of them so far. But either way, let it be known he sounds like Gregory Mann, because Gregory Mann sounds adorable. That is all.

Thank You For Reading!

[felizusnavidad]

If I met Lin-Man, I’d be a combination of overwhelmed, star-struck, happy, excited, and shocked. My emotions would be all over the place. I would most definitely hug him so fucking tight while crying and probably word-vomit the most random shit, lol. I’d be very incomprehensible. 🥺🥹😭🥰 Maybe ask to take a picture with him. On the topic of meeting/seeing a celebrity, I feel I wouldn’t be star-struck so easily to be honest; like, it would have to be someone I, personally, really genuinely love and admire and respect. And Lin-Manuel Miranda is one of them.

(Highly irrelevant to him and your blog, but my reaction to meeting him would be the same if I met Idina Menzel (I feel the exact same way about her as I feel about him). Maybe (maybe) Hugh Jackman too.)

this 😭 like i already know it would be a disaster, because it's lin, for fuck's sake, i am losing my goddamn mind when i see him on my phone, let alone in real life hahaha. i'd also ask for a picture! & probably change my pfp on every social media app to this one, just saying.

i know what you mean by that, i think i would behave abnormally around every celebrity tho (two months ago my bestie & i had the opportunity to take a picture with one polish actor that i'm not even a huge fan of & still i was so awkward i don't even want to think about it, so I KNOW FOR SURE).

bestie, it's always relevant to my blog if it's something my mutuals want to share with me 🫡 it would be cool to meet idina as well! for me it's also taylor swift, but i've become very critical of her lately (i still love her music, don't come at me swifties), so at this moment i think i can say lin is first on my list.

[dragoonhooman]

Do you guys think William and Dakota call Tide at the exact same time every night except in different locations?

Maybe William is at the driver’s seat, feet propped up against the wheel and the blue light of the phone against his face and maybe Dakota is on the roof of the Winnebago, hugging his legs close to his chest and setting his phone on the space beside him, the ringtone spiralling up, up, up into the sky, perhaps even very faintly meeting the moon.

And the phone rings. And rings. And rings. And rings. And—

“Hello! This is Tide, if you’re hearing this message then I’m probably busy cooking beef stroganoff or forgot to charge my phone again. Anyways, please leave a message after the—“

[Beep]

And they both talk, about similar yet different topics. About chaos demons and cartoon dreams and new maybe-friends and accidentally freeing all the animals in the zoo and…

“Hi Tide.” William starts, low and soft as not to wake up the sleeping half-elf in the back. “I don’t know if you’re ever seeing these messages but uh—its been a couple days since I last checked in so I might as well sum up what we’ve been doing, right? So we met this lady—“

“—Her name was Minerva.” Dakota explains, lying down on the roof. I called her ‘On my nerves Minerva’ though, cause she was super mean and super SUS. But she let us go to Vyncent’s world though. Like his home dimension. And—It’s so SICK there—no pun intended cause it was all kinda dead there but like we also got all rpg, video game-lookin outfits and things. William looked like a wizard and made zombies just disappear and—“

“—We also met Vyncent’s mom. She was pretty cool, though apparently rats were a delicacy there? Like its not just a Vynce thing literally everyone did it. Steamed rats, boiled rats, raw rats. Oh by the way, we got the Greats out of Vyncent’s head there. As in all of them, Alphonse, Ram, Min, Chungus. We left them in the fantasy world, in their home, so Vynce can’t access his power anymore but—“

“—Now he has this sick as hell sword bro! Like it can glow and has a bit of the Greats’ powers in there too! Its so cool, man. I wish you could’ve seen it. After that we went to go and kill the Lich! He’s like the Overlord of that world! He—“

“—Was already dead. All the Lich did was use living things and kill them to fuel himself. It was a power source for him, and he was planning to invade Prime. Imagine if he did—Well he kinda did actually. Not like what you might’ve been thinking though. He got brought here, and we followed him so uh—that’s how we got back. We fought him some more, chasing him down into a play theatre. Did you know Hamilton was playing there? I saw Lin Manuel Miranda! I wanted to get an autograph after but well—“

“—We met these other heroes. Lightspeed and Wordsmith and Bookworm. Lightspeed was pretty cool, she helped me get my save back after Will and Vyncent literally DELETED IT. But then I almost got to kill the Lich and they STOPPED ME. Told us the Lich should get a trial or whatever then they’ll put him in jail. I don’t—“

“—Get it. The Lich came from an entirely different dimension! It literally killed things to keep itself alive and destroyed Vyncent’s world and they’re going to put it in jail?! Like that would ever work—It—It’s stupid. Just—I miss you, Tide. I miss your terrifying school alarms and your funny apron and all the beef stroganoff you somehow cooked even though we made sure we hid them all. I wish you’d answer me. I’m just—I’m just scared. I’m—“

“—Confused. Heroes are supposed to keep people safe and without killing them, right? But—I want to kill the Lich so bad. He sucks and he should be gone so he can’t hurt anyone else but—Wordsmith and Lightspeed say I won’t be a actual hero if I do that. But I am a hero, right? I don’t really know anymore. Wish you were here…dad.”

Then both, at the same time:

“Love you.”

And the message would end. And the phone would be clicked shut.

And the world became quiet again.

[fluorynn]

✧˚.❃ ↷¡ 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄 ! ˊ-

✧˚ I have a distinct name, I suppose you could say, so I rather be called Nyrr for short — pulled from my actual name, lol!

✧˚ I like who I like — no preferable label to be sincere !

✧˚ I was born on the 18th of July ( I am to turn 19 this year ), raised and born in Houston Texas (…it be hectic out here sometimes — weather is incredibly bipolar ) though I am Hispanic due to both my parents being from Mexico 🇲🇽!!

✧˚ I am the eldest child in my family, so the responsibility can be a bit much at times, especially with the youngest children. I adore my family despite the many times we’ve clashed against one another — I’d do anything for them :)

✧˚ Truth be told, I never thought there was a loving fandom that writes for Avatar — until I came across Tumblr and was bewildered but full of anticipation to witness this! I’ve watched from the sidelines for awhile, but now I think I’ve gained a bit of familiarity with Avatar, and my writing skills — so I really hope you enjoy what I give! I love meeting new people — so please don’t hesitate in asking/mentioning anything within my ask box!

✧˚.❃ ↷ ¡ 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 / 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 !

.❃ hobbies of mine : writing — wether it be stories or thoughts or poetries or little notes, going to the library, reading, reading reading! drawing ( I would say I’m slightly above an average artist, lol ) clay ! Analyzing, deeply thinking of quotes, poetry.

.❃ music artists I listen to on a daily base : Hozier, Stephen Sanchez, Novo Amor, Noah Kahan, QUEEN, The Weeknd, Kevin Karl, Rebecca Sugar, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ricky Montgomery, SZA, Backstreet Boys, Ainslie Wills, Montell Fish, Morgan Clae, Aventura, Darell, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs

.❃ films / series I have on repeat that perhaps is not healthy but it’s okay : Avatar ( 1&2 OFC ), HTTYD (every film, every series of it — besides the reboots —) Lo Que La Vida Me Robo, Bridgerton, The Book of Life, Hamilton, Steven Universe ( the film and the sequel series included ) Kubo and the Two Strings ( such an underrated film ) every single MARVEL film ( Black Widow & Guardians of the Galaxy especially…UGH ) Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War For the Planet of the Apes, Netflix’s YOU series, Strawberry Panic, Komi Can’t Communicate

.❃ Favorite emojis : 🪼, 🌌, 🌃, 🫧, 🌄, 🌆, 🌠, 🎆,🦕

.❃ Current favorite songs :

Gone, Gone, Gone [ Phillip Phillips ]

The Pool ( single ) [ Stephen Sanchez ]

Easy On My Eyes and Angel Face ( 2 albums ) [ Also Stephen Sanchez ] ( any song of Stephen Sanchez is the most purest, sweetest of words ever )

Abrazando a Ti [ Kevin Karl ] ( any song of his is so beautiful too— )

Like Real People Do [ Hozier ] ( he is LIVING POETRY GUYS, every breath uttered from this man is poetry )

Special [ SZA ] ( my beloved )

✧˚.❃ ↷ Tag System

*⁀➷ ŋყཞཞ’s replies¡! — 🎆 (replies to ask box!!)

ŋყཞཞ’ʂ recs¡! — 📖🪼 ( other amazing writer’s work!)

ŋყཞཞ’ʂ reblogs¡! — 🌌 ( reblogs!)

𝐍¥𝐑𝐑’𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐍 !*ೃ༄ ( my writing!)

ŋყཞཞ rambles¡! — 🫧 ( just random rants, lol )

— 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐙𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 :

❝ 𝘋𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴? ❞

— 𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚔

❝ 𝗪𝗲’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗜 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆: 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗲. ❞

— 𝙸, 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚗 ( 𝙸𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 ), 𝚑𝚘𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚛

[astra-galaxie]

“An elephant?! That’s so cool! I like penguins!” - Milagros Santiago

Biographical information

Full Name: Milagros Santiago

Nickname(s): Mila

Gender: Female

Status: Alive

Age: 6 (season 3)

Birth: 2010

Race: Human

Nationality: Puerto Rican-American

Origin: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A

Residence:

McMurdo Station, South Pole

Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A (formerly)

Profession(s): Penguin Enthusiast

Family:

Alondra Santiago (mother) (deceased)

Unnamed father

Camila Martinez (adoptive mother)

Unnamed grandparents

Carmen Martinez (aunt)

Sanjay Korrapati (cousin)

Affiliation(s): McMurdo Station

Profile

Height: 3’5”

Age: 6 (season 3)

Weight: 40lbs

Eyes: hazel

Blood: A+

Hailing from Baltimore, Milagros Santiago is a young girl with caramel skin, hazel brown eyes, and bouncy curls of long black hair. With her favourite colour being purple, she wears a dark purple parka with matching boots, black snow pants, a lilac hat, scarf, gloves and darker lilac earmuffs.

Synopsis

McMurdo Station’s unofficial penguin expert, Milagros, is the adopted daughter of Camila Martinez.

She is a curious young girl who loves asking questions to learn about new things. She loves science and learning about biology, physics, chemistry, and weather patterns. But she's also a big fan of fantasy novels and can easily get lost in an imaginary world as she reads her favourite books.

Milagros lost her mother at a young age. She doesn't remember much about Alondra, but she remembers her singing lullabies to put her to sleep and having princess tea parties with her and Auntie Camila. She's lucky to have recordings of her mother, and her favourite ones are the videos of Alondra singing and dancing with her as they reenact the dancing scenes from fairy tale movies.

After Alondra passed away, it was just her and Auntie Camila in their little apartment. The place seemed cold and empty without her Mommy, but soon, their family became bigger. She and Camila moved into a rental house close to Camila's parents, and Milagros loved visiting her new grandparents. Her Mommy's parents also visit from Puerto Rico, and while she only sees them a few times a year, she still treasures their time together.

A few weeks after her sixth birthday, Camila announced that she had been offered a job in Antarctica and Milagros was invited to come along. Despite the cold weather, the girl was ecstatic to move to the South Pole. She couldn't wait to see her newest favourite animal, penguins, and make lots of new penguin friends.

Several weeks after moving to Antarctica and befriending the penguins, Camila informed her that Auntie Carmen and her team would be visiting them. Milagros was excited to show Carmen and her friends around the station and penguin reserve but was even more excited to meet her new cousin Sanjay.

After Camila had been cleared of murder, she and Milagros took the Bureau out to visit the penguin reserve. Milagros introduced the penguins to the team by name and taught the humans everything she knew about the animal. While she might still have a lot to learn, she felt proud of herself as she saw everyone smiling and listening to her ramble.

But after a few days, Auntie Carmen, Sanjay and the Bureau needed to leave. Milagros didn't want them to go, but she knew there were bad guys out there they needed to take down, so she didn't try to stow away on the plane. But she still made Auntie Carmen and Sanjay promise to take pictures and get her souvenirs from everywhere they visited.

Months later, near the end of The Darkest Hour, Milagros and Camila returned to celebrate the defeat of SOMBRA alongside the rest of the Bureau's family and friends.

Story Information

First appeared: Death Below Zero

Trivia

Inspiration for her came from Encanto. Her name means miracle (miracle candle), and her Puerto Rican heritage comes from one of the movie’s (also one of my favourite) music composers being of Puerto Rican descent (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

Her stuffed penguin, Pip, was a gift from Camila when she told Milagros they were moving to Antarctica. Milagros sleeps with Pip every night and claims he keeps her nightmares and the cold away

When living in Baltimore, Camila takes Milagros on weekly trips to the cemetery to visit Alondra’s grave. Milagros updates her mother on everything that happened during the previous week and sometimes brings along things to show the grave

Once they return from Antarctica, Milagros plans to bring her scrapbook to her mother’s grave so that she can tell Alondra all about her adventures and penguin friends

She loves dressing up as characters from her favourite movies, especially princesses. Sometimes Camila will dress in matching costumes

Mila hopes that she'll be able to convince Sanjay to dress up with her for Halloween so they can get extra candy for their matching costumes!

She enjoys visiting the beach to build sand castles, swim, play in the waves, and take the pets Camila fosters for walks

Whenever they have a new pet to foster, Milagros makes them a bow or bandana to wear. Each one uses a different combination of fabrics, so no two bows or bandanas are the same

Her favourite animals to foster are dogs, cats, birds, and lizards

She also likes when they get to pet-sit people's fish. It's fun to watch them swim around in the tank

She was born without the lower half of her legs from just below her knees. She has prosthetics to help her walk, run, swim and dance

Grandma Martinez makes her special socks/sleeves in fun patterns that fit over her fake legs to cover the boring metal and plastic

Her favourite ones are the flower pattern socks that make it look like her legs a wrapped in flowers and the sparkly ones because she likes the way they shimmer in the light

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad)

Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad)

Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad)

[ssadumba55]

so I was tagged in this by @multifandomsofficial last week and I missed it because I had a really bad weekend! but thanks for tagging me this was a lot of fun to do!

Meet the Writer Tag - Make this Picrew and answer the questions below!

I think this actually a pretty accurate depiction of me. also i appreciate there was a kermit shirt option.

Three Fun Facts About Me

I am currently working on getting my Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing and Publishing. I'll be going into my second year after this summer break.

My biggest writer idols are Rick Riordan, John Green and Lin Manuel Miranda. When I'm struggling with writing something I read/watch a lot of their content.

I like to collect physical media (VHS tapes, DVDs, books) and plushies/dolls! Bonus points if the dolls or plushies are a little worn because I love a good project!

Favourite Season: Autumn. I love how its cool and the leaves falling.

Continent I Live On: North America. It's not worth the hype /j

How I Spend My Time: When I'm not working at my part time job or focused on school, I like to participate in a variety of activities! Reading and writing obviously and consuming movies/tv show media, but also video games, puzzle building, thrifting, listening to music and modding several discord servers!

Are You Published: No! I have never actually written a whole original piece before, up until recently I have specialized in only fanfiction. But maybe that'll change soon.. *insert eyes emoji*

Introvert or Extrovert: Introvert

Favourite Meal: Pizza. Just pizza thanks.

Now the tagging part, this is always my least favourite part because it always feels weird to tag people but here we go, if you have already done this feel free to ignore. Anyone not tagged who would like to do this can feel free to use me as your tag as well!!!

@teeniegreeniebeanie one of my bestest friends, she doesn't usually use this blog for writing but I love her writing and I would highly recommend anything she has written

@sacredwarrior88 also not her writing blog, but she does write and she's a really cool person

@thatgrumpybxtch writes amazing stuff. I get so excited every time I see a post by them in my tumblr feed.

@sillysnack been a while since I tagged you in anything, but I am constantly stalking their ao3 account.

[identitiesyourself]

"Fill the world with music, love, and pride"

Born July 16th, Lin-Manuel Miranda has inspired many theatre fanatics worldwide, from theatre kids to critics. This incredible man has achieved massive success in the entertainment world since being a composer and actor has made him have many protagonist roles in his creations.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of having an online interview with him. So, in today's entry, I, Jp, will ask the questions that fans have been wondering about his impact on his fandom and overall fans.

Jp: Hello Lin! Thank you for accepting this meeting. We're very excited about the interview.

Lin-Manuel: The pleasure is all mine! Ever since IdentitiesYourself hit the internet, I've been dying to participate in this blog.

Jp: Thank you, we won't let you down! So, to start, you've become one of the greatest artists who has inspired a whole subculture. Did you ever think theatre fanatics would be so in love with your work?

Lin-Manuel: I have considered myself a part of that subculture since I was a kid. When I was 7, I saw Les Misérables performing onstage, the pure emotion deposited in the musical really left a mark on me to work in the music industry.

Jp: Musicals really are beautiful, many of your fans have connected emotionally with the songs you wrote. Hence, let's talk more about the musicals you made, what was your inspiration for them?

Lin-Manuel: Oh wow I love this question! Well, In The Heights was the first musical I ever wrote, it was released on broadway in 2008. It tells the story of the struggles of a Puerto Rican guy who got stuck in the economic problems of Washington Heights. I wanted to transmit Latin American culture through the cruel reality of immigrants, but also how things do get better with the right people and attitude, for we all live once and we need to enjoy it. As you may know, Puerto Rico is a place rich in music and dance so it has really grown in me during the years. That's how through dance, music, and vocals the In The Heights musical was made.

Lin-Manuel: Moving on, Hamilton. The story of one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton: the first secretary of the treasury of the USA. I was inspired by his biography written by Ron Chernow, from his life as a poor infant to being murdered by his best friend. I didn't want to project the musical as the life of a perfect man, but rather someone who struggled since his childhood to get to the top, hence why I used various musical styles to set the mood of the situation like rap for tense moments or ballads for sad ones. The set of characters was fantastic and everyone who worked in the parts really made the musical alive, it's something I'm really proud of!

Jp: Huh, who would have thought you'd have such a history behind it all! The lyrics, the dancing, the acting, everything is just glorious. Kids worldwide love your work, and school theaters are eager to perform the musicals you wrote. An example of this was the High School Drama Institute in Washington DC, where as you'd guess, they performed Hamilton and won the yearly national musical theatre competition! Lin-Manuel: Oh delightful!

Jp: Later on, they heard about the interview and asked some very interesting questions: "When will your next musical arrive? What would it be like? Will you write more songs? Will there be a collaboration with Disn-?" Lin-Manuel: Whoa! I think that's all the time I have, however, I will say a thing: Colombia will be enchanted with this... Jp: Ooooh okay, well thanks for the sneak peek, and thank you for joining us! I hope we meet again sometime and we'll see each other at your new musical premiere!

Lin-Manuel: Of course, the pleasure is all mine, stay safe everybody, and don't let anyone make less of your musical preferences!

~Posted by Juan Pablo Rodríguez

[justimagineok]

I was curious about the title on the masterlist and and saw the following information on the title :

“Dos Oruguitas” was written by Lin Manuel Miranda and performed by Yatra for the Disney film Encanto, which premiered in 2021. Yatra, a singer-songwriter from Colombia, appeared at the 2022 Oscars to perform a live rendition of the track following its nomination for Best Original Song.

I am curious in what sense did you choose the title?💕 Although I read the song's English lyrics,it's about two caterpillars in love and holding each other as they go through life ,the lyrics sure is similar to our 2:30couple ,like you could say if 2:30 couple's relationship could be represented through a song it would be this song

Gonna go and read the chapter,meet you after the chapter is done 😊😂.ily❣️thank you for keeping up with the updates also glad to hear we can always inquire about 2:30couple 😌💕💜💜💜💜

hey there 💕

I always listen to this song when writing the 2:30 chapters because I can see them in the full set... two people, in love with each other, with completely different views of the world and the people around them and whose biggest thing in common is their love for each other

even without understanding how the other sees the world, they fight to stay together as best they can, passing through the wind, the dawn and fighting to stay together in a world that keeps changing, like the song says

I see it in this way: that if they don't change in some way, don't adapt to each other in such crucial parts as communication itself, love alone won't be enough

At the end of the song, the composer says that they need to distance themselves to grow and come back, but is every relationship like this? is it always necessary to move away to grow?

I really like all this logic and the final question that it leaves and that's why I chose this name for that chapter❤️

I tend to get lost in words but I hope I managed to express what I wanted to say💗

[haileymorelikestupid]

if i had to pick a moment from tick, tick... BOOM! that describes me perfectly, it would be when scott is like “THAT WAS FREAKING AMAZING! WOO!” and is just absolutely and joyously in love with music and art and musical theater even though he is so clearly the outsider... i’ve never been a musical theater kid but everytime i’m exposed to something new i wish i was! i may be the scott in a room full of jonathan larsons, but dammit i’m gonna enjoy myself too! that was freaking amazing! woo!!

[mrsalwayswrite]

Sinners and Saints (Sihtric x reader)

Summary: One day you stumble upon your childhood friend, Osferth, whom you have not seen in years. Yet the more time you spend with him, the more you find yourself drawn to his companion, Sihtric….and the butterflies his dark eyes give you.

This is my contribution to @emilyhufflepufftlk 100 followers challenge! Congratulations again! I’m so happy for you! 

My prompt was - "Love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints." - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (in bold within the story)

Words: 5500

Warnings: A couple of swear words, fluff, my poor attempts at humor, Osferth being a good bro. 

Tag List: @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @flowers-in-your-hayr​

This gorgeous moodboard was made by @flowers-in-your-hayr​. All credit goes to her! 

"...so there she was, aye, and next thing I know, she flips 'er dress up and I see the most perfect set of…."

 "I'm going to be sick." Osferth mumbled to himself, trying to block out Finan's retelling of his prior night. To the laughter of his companions, he started to push away from the outdoor table at the alehouse. He was no virgin anymore, Finan and Uhtred had seen to that, but he still felt squeamish when listening to their stories of recent conquests. His mother's voice whispered in the back of his mind, things she had told him before her passing, about respect and love. Plus, he could not help but think that this idea of conquests, of women's worth derived from what pleasure a man could take from their bodies, was what brought bastards into this world….like him. 

 "Alright, Finan, we get it. You saw the arse of a goat and couldn't help yourself." Uhtred teased, slinging an arm around Osferth so he could not escape them- most likely to find a church and pray for their souls. 

 "Oi, lord! Ya know that was one time!" Finan feigned mock-outrage, making Uhtred and Sihtric laugh. 

 Osferth put a hand over his eyes as if that would somehow block the image from his mind. Something he desperately did not want there. 

 "How much longer are we here, lord?" Sihtric asked, changing the subject, while twirling a dagger between his hands fluidly. 

 Although Osferth would never admit it aloud, and God forgive him, it was hard not to be jealous of how easily his companions handled their weapons like they had been born with weapons in hand. They continued to tell him it was practice. Recently though, he decided it was a gift that he clearly did not have. 

 "Until I feel satisfied with the training of Lord Godwin's fyrd and his defenses." Uhtred stated indifferently, as if it was something he had to repeat to himself often. 

 "Ya think King Alfred knew how much of a horse's arse Lord Godwin is?"

 Uhtred glanced up, a tiny smirk on his lips. "Probably."

 "But he knew you were the man for the job." Osferth commented. Not necessarily to defend his father but to hopefully bolster Uhtred's confidence. "The men respect you, even if their lord fails to acknowledge his own respect."

 "The baby monk is right." Finan said. "What else needs to be done for the town?"

 Uhtred and Finan began discussing ideas and strategies, Sihtric adding an occasional comment but mostly just listening. 

 Osferth found his attention wandering, since this was an area outside of his expertise. His gaze drifted to the town and its residents who moved about to complete their duties under the midday sun. Their group had only been in this large town for two days and already Osferth was keen to return to Coccham. 

 From amidst the crowd, a familiar face caught his attention. The world tilted off its axis as his entire body went rigid, all his focus zeroed in on her. His heart hammered in his chest and the air whooshed from his lungs painfully. 

 "Y/n?" He muttered to himself, disbelief and shock clearly painted in his tone and on his face. 

 "Baby monk, ya alright?"

 Finan's words did even register, so consumed by the ghost before him. Rapidly, he slid off the bench, almost losing his footing when he went to stand, but pressed on, hurrying towards her. 

 "Y/n!" He called, an almost desperate tone in his yell. 

 When she did not turn around, he shouted louder. "Y/N!" 

 That time she paused, then slowly turned to find him standing still amongst those walking around him, a solid rock in a stream of people. He held his breath as he intently watched her expression, suddenly worried seeing him would not be as meaningful as he hoped. He could see her utter his name silently, eyes wide. Then in the next moment, she dropped the basket on her hip and ran towards him. He opened his arms just in time for her to collide with him, and with her embrace, a painful wave of nostalgia and guilt crashed over him with the strength of a tempest. 

 "It's really you." She finally whispered, peering at him in awe. 

 "Hi." He smiled, his own shock clouding his mind from forming coherent sentences.  

 Then to his surprise, she reared back and punched him in the arm. 

 "Ouch! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing the offended limb. 

 Throwing her hands in the air, they landed on her hips as her voice rose in anger. "For disappearing in the middle of the night without telling me!"

 "I did tell you."

 "That you were THINKING about leaving, not that you WERE leaving!" She reared back and punched him in the arm again, ignoring his pained cry as she continued to berate him. "I spent an entire day running around the monastery trying to find you only for Father Harold to finally pull me aside and tell me you left for Wincheaster." 

 And there was the heaping of guilt he knew he deserved. "I'm sorry….I just….I just knew if I didn't leave that night, then I never would."

 Her face softened at his quiet admission, understanding passing in her eyes. "I know. I wasn't truly surprised…. Just wish you'd have told me before."

 "I'm sorry."

 She sighed, all anger and frustration disappearing, much to his relief. She was a force to be reckoned with when truly in her fury. "So, what are you doing here?"

 "Ah, traveled here with the Lord Uhtred to assist Lord Godwin in his defenses….or something."

 "Uhtred? That Uhtred?"

 He smiled at her, catching the reverence in her tone. "That very one."

 "How did you find him? How did you join him? Wait! Are you a warrior now? We have a lot to talk about and you better get started." There went the hands on her hips again, making his smile widen at the image. Even as a young girl, when her hands were on her hips, you knew she meant business. 

 "Would you like to meet him first?"

 A shy look passed over her face that he was unused to seeing. "I'm…. I'm not presentable to meet a lord."

 He scanned her, noting the dried mud on the hem of her dress and shoes, the small smear of what looked like flour on her left temple. What he noticed most was how the years had made her even more beautiful. She had always been a pretty girl but now, she truly looked like a beautiful woman. A fact he was unsure of how to feel about. 

 He chuckled lightly after a moment. "Well, you certainly smell better than Lord Uhtred so I think it's fine."

 That caused her to tip her head back and laugh loudly, the desired effect of his comment. She gathered up her basket and walked next to Osferth, back to the table where his companions were. It was impossible to ignore their curious stares as they approached. 

 "Lord Uhtred, may I introduce y/n. Y/n, this is Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg." Osferth said, standing next to her at the end of the table.

 Uhtred nodded graciously, clearly wondering why this woman mattered and why Osferth was introducing her. 

 "Oh, it's an honor to meet you!" Y/n gushed, a bright smile on her face. "Uncle Leofric told us so much about you, but I never thought I'd ever meet you in person."

 "Leofric?" That caught his lord's attention, his gaze narrowing and eyeing her with renewed interest. "How did you know that turd?"

 "When he came to visit Osferth, he'd tell us stories."

 "Ah….all exaggerated, of course." Uhtred said with a cocky smirk. 

 "Wait. I think we're missin' the most important thing here." Finan leaned forward, dark eyes bouncing between Osferth and her, as he pointed a finger at them, hand still wrapped around his cup. "Ya said 'Uncle Leofric'....are ya related to Osferth?"

 Osferth answered quickly. "No, her family owned the farm next to the monastery, so we grew up together." Then he furrowed his brows as a thought hit him. He had been so amazed to see his childhood best friend (only friend really) that he had not realized that she should be back at the farm and not in this town. "Wait, y/n, why are you here and not at the farm?"

 Her face crumpled for a brief second before she was able to mask it into a neutral expression. She shrugged casually, but he could read the subtle tension in the action. "We lost the farm, so mother and I came here to look for work."

 "Ah." There were so many things he wanted to ask but could tell now was not the right time. If she lived here, he would have plenty of time to hear the full story later. Instead he decided to change the subject. "So, you know Lord Uhtred, the others are Finan and Sihtric…. And Sihtric is also a bastard." He added as an afterthought. 

 That made her face light up as she turned to look at the Dane. "Hey, another bastard! We really need to start a club. We can all rant about how awful our fathers are."

 "You're a bastard?" Uhtred asked, shock evident in his voice. 

 "Yes, my lord. My mother was a servant for a lord. Got pregnant. The lord's wife did not like that so sent my pregnant mother back to her family. Certainly, it was our Lord's Will because how else would I have been able to grow up with Osferth?" She asked, patting him on the cheek affectionately. He blushed and swatted her hand away, much to the other's amusement. 

 "I reckon you have quite a few amusin' stories of growin' up with Osferth, eh?" Finan smirked. 

 "I might….but I don't share secrets for free." She matched his smirk with her own crooked smile. 

 He slapped his hand on the table. "I'll owe ya a drink! I need to 'ear this."

 "No….oh no, no, no." Osferth said but knew it was a lost cause before he even tried to deter them. The rest were already deciding when and where to meet that night. "Lord help me."

 "It's not that bad." She teased, bumping his arm with hers. "The worst one is when we went streaking naked through the monastery."

 Osferth felt his face heat up like the flames of hell itself as everyone laughed. "It was your idea."

 "Yeah, yeah, so you like to remind me." She smiled fondly. "Now, if I don't get back home, my mother is going to think I've run off with some man or I've been kidnapped. Either way, she will raise the fyrd herself to find me. I will see you all tonight."

 The others said their goodbyes but before she could step too far away, Osferth gently touched her arm, halting her movement. 

 "Y/n….I'm….I'm glad our paths have crossed once again."

 She pulled him into a tight embrace. "I am too, Osferth. I've missed you." With that, she turned and walked away with her basket still on her hip; but not without glancing over her shoulder at the group before disappearing around some buildings. 

 Once out of sight, Osferth sighed and turned back to his companions, only to see them all still staring intently in the direction she disappeared. 

 "No….y/n is off-limits to you fornicators." He stated firmly, well as firmly as he could be. 

 "She's very pretty…." Uhtred declared, a playful grin on his face. 

 "Lord, no. All of you, keep your hands off of her."

 "Or what?" Finan chuckled, eyes alight with mischief. "You'll fight us, baby monk?"

 "I will if I must."

 "Alright. Her dignity won't be tarnished." Uhtred lifted his cup in Osferth's direction. "Your reputation might be tonight depending on what stories she shares." 

 Osferth groaned, sitting back down next to his lord. "I'm going to need a lot of ale."

 "That can certainly be arranged!" Finan laughed, jovial once more. 

 As discussion started back up again, they all missed the silent, longing glance Sihtric snuck one last time in the direction she walked away….

 *****

 Over the next several weeks Lord Uhtred helped increase the defenses of the town and instructed the guards and fyrd how to better defend against the Danes. 

 During those weeks, you found yourself frequently spending time with Osferth and his companions. First it started off with meeting them in the evenings for ale, laughter and good company. Within days, it became almost expected for one of them to purposefully seek you out. Most of the time it was Osferth and Sihtric coming to join you in whatever your tasks for the day because they were bored or unwanted in meetings. It was not difficult to tell that although they were certainly welcomed members of Uhtred's group, not everyone else saw them in such a positive light. 

 So the three of you often passed the hours away together, waiting until evening to rejoin Uhtred and Finan at the alehouse. Their presence became such a regular occurrence that your mother practically adopted them, they even had their assigned seats at your small kitchen table for meals. Somehow, they seamlessly slipped into your daily life in a way that seemed like they were meant to be there this whole time. 

 Even at the alehouse in the evenings, you usually found yourself nestled between Osferth and Sihtric on the bench. A place you certainly found yourself enjoying more and more….especially next to the Dane. 

 Over the weeks, there was something growing between you and the Dane. It gradually revealed itself with each passing day, growing like the roots of an oak tree. It was through the borderline flirtatious comments that you teased each other with. It was in the subtle touches that caused butterflies in your stomach to dance, from your fingers barely gracing each other when passing something, to the way you leaned your head on his shoulder when your eyelids threatened to close, to the way your thighs would touch under the table and away from view of the others. It was in the lingering looks when your gazes locked and you swore you never wanted to look away. It was in the consistency of being next to one another whenever you could, either sitting at a table or just walking down the street, almost like your bodies were magnetized to one another's. 

 Plus the more you talked to Sihtric, the more you desired to know about him. For he was like no other man you had ever met. 

 Almost a fortnight after you reunited with Osferth, there was one particular evening after staying out far too late with the four men and drinking a bit too much, Sihtric graciously offered to walk you back home. You knew propriety demanded Osferth should be the one to escort you but he was already passed out, head on the table and snores emitting from his mouth. Giggling at your childhood friend, you accepted Sihtric's offer and the two of you easily fell into step. 

 On the walk you learned more about his past, about going up in Dunholm and his cruel father. You had heard bits and pieces while with Osferth and the others. Maybe it was under the cover of darkness, maybe it was the extra ale flowing through both of your blood, but he confessed secrets to you he had never told another besides his mother. When you reached your home, before he could slip away, you clutched his arm and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. After, you bid him goodnight and slipped inside your humble home. 

 After that night, he always walked you home, sometimes alone and sometimes one of the others would join. But when it was just you two, when you were alone, you would bid him a goodnight with a kiss on the cheek or he would kiss your hand, locking eyes with you in a way that made a fire stir in your belly and your core clench. 

 There was definitely something between the two of you, but neither seemed able to verbalize it or take the next step. 

 *****

 "So, what is going on between you and Cedric?" 

 You turned your head to look at Osferth, who laid on the grass next to you, soaking in the heat of the early afternoon sun. "What?"

 "You know….that blacksmith. The one you were talking to the other day."

 "Oh." The memory hit you. You had stopped by to drop off your mother's damaged cooking pot for Cedric to attempt in fixing, although you personally thought it was a helpless cause. The dent in it was significant, but he offered to see what he could do. As you dropped it off at his workshop, the two of you began discussing an approaching saint's day and the celebration that would occur with it. 

 Several minutes later, you heard your name called and looked over to see Osferth and Sihtric walking towards you. You bid Cedric a farewell, promising to stop by the next day to come pick up the pot. After receiving his promise to try his best at fixing it, you headed off towards the stables with your fellow bastards. At the time, you had not thought the encounter significant but with it happening two days ago and Osferth now bringing it up, you wondered how long he had been ruminating on it. 

 Finally, you simply said, "he's a good man, and has been kind to my mother and I since we arrived here."

 "Is he….pursuing you?" Osferth turned his head to scrutinize you, his lips pursed slightly as if concerned about your answer. 

 You openly laughed at the notion. "No, that's silly. He is just a kind man."

 If anything, you had to fend off flirtatious advancements from some of the young men that worked under Cedric. Those same young men quickly learned to keep their eyes on their work and mouths shut. When one openly called out to you, and before you could offer a sharp retort, Cedric threw a hammer at him from across the shop. He bellowed that he did not allow heathens to work for him and if they chose to act godless then they needed to find a new place of work. Their blatant interest diminished after that and Cedric made a point to be the only one that conversed with you if you came to the shop. Although he was easily ten years your senior, you found him a likeable man with a quick wit and sarcastic comments that occasionally left you in stitches. 

 The idea of him pursuing you was an amusing idea. He was still a bachelor, never having married, claiming that his work and apprentices kept him far too busy for much else. 

 Your answer appeared to satisfy Osferth. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he opened his mouth as if to speak, but immediately slowly closed it and turned his head back to stare at the blue sky. 

 A stillness settled after your answer, only interrupted by the frequent bird song and the wind through the tall grass. You closed your eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth and just lying around relaxing on the hill outside of the town, away from the hustle and bustle and chores that demanded your attention.  

 "He was watching you like a man who wants a woman." Sihtric stated after a couple minutes of peaceful silence. 

 Startled by his sour tone, you shifted up to look over at the Dane. He sat on the other side of Osferth, one leg propped up and an arm casually slung over it, but his gaze was focused straight ahead, staring off into the distance. Now that you thought about it, over the past two days Sihtric had become more reserved and sullen than you had ever seen. Even his companions commented on it a few times to which he would shrug his shoulders or make an excuse and walk away. You had thought he just missed Coccham, the group having been away for so long, or something happened that made him introspective. It had also not escaped your notice how the prior closeness between you two had halted. Now you wondered if there was something more to his demeanor.  

 "Well, that is most unfortunate for him since I am not interested in him."

 "Does your mother not want you to marry?" Osferth asked, his voice deceptively neutral. 

 Sighing, you leaned back on your hands. Eventually you knew Osferth would bring up the topic, he was your friend after all and you were certainly of marriageable age. Actually far too old to not be married by some people's standards, but you ignored them. "She does but she has told me that she will not force it upon me. She said I should make my own choice….that if I am able, I should choose love."

 You knew your mother offered you that choice in hopes your life would turn out differently than her own. 

 "But if Cedric is a good, kind man….could you not love him….or someone like him?" Osferth pressed. 

 "Perhaps. There are plenty of men I have seen who the church would call a 'good' man but are cruel in their own home, and there are many men who are calloused but it's obvious they love their wife and children. My love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints. I would rather choose a man whom I know loves and cares for me than a man I know is 'good' but carries no love in his heart." You paused, the candid confession rolling off your tongue before you realized it. Sighing, you ran a hand over your hair before quietly saying. "I just….I just want someone that loves me….sinner or saint."

 Not a word was spoken as all three contemplated your statement, the silence hanging heavy like a brewing storm. Tilting your face to the sky, unable to meet the gazes of your companions, you chastised yourself for the candor with which you spoke. Osferth had asked a simple question initially and you chose to make it complicated. They did not need to know how you longed for love, how the hope for it in your potential future was what kept you going. It was foolish and you supposed after this, they would only see you as a silly girl with outlandish dreams of a storybook romance. 

 Finally, Osferth broke the silence. "Well, I shall be praying fervently for this man….hopefully he knows what he is getting into before he marries you."

 You laughed, appreciating his lighthearted comment. Reaching a hand out to smack Osferth's arm, you teased. "Keep that up and you won't be invited to my wedding."

 "Your mother will let me in."

 "Yeah, you're probably right." You glanced over in the direction of the town, regretting that your time away had to end. "I need to head back, those chores won't finish themselves."

 The three of you headed back to the town, quiet contemplation cloaking your group. Yet you feared that whatever spark lay between you and the Dane had been extinguished forever by your unexpected honesty. For still he refused to look your way, keeping his gaze focused forward. If your heart fissured within your chest, you swallowed down the pain. It was better for the spark to die out now then burn brightly only to be smothered later. 

 Or at least that was what you told yourself. 

 *****

 "What you said….about the sinners and the saints…."

 You whirled around, heart leaping into your throat with a silent scream on your tongue. In the small herb garden behind your house, you had thought you were alone. After the awkward conversation on the hill earlier that day, you sought solace in your chores. Thankfully Osferth and Sihtric headed back to meet with their companions on their own accord, leaving you to trudge through your muddled thoughts with all the grace of a newborn foal. 

 Now you found the very person who your thoughts centered on, standing just a few paces from you….and your heart began to race for a very different reason. 

 When his voice trailed off, those dark eyes that set fire licking through your veins dropped to the ground, you quietly stood up from where you had knelt, wiping the dirt from your hands, although you moved no closer. 

 "Sihtric?" You tried to prompt him. 

 "Is it true?" His piercing gaze lifted to meet yours, stealing the very breath from your lungs. "Your love doesn't discriminate?"

 "Yes." You breathed out. 

 He nodded silently before taking a step closer to you. "And what about….what about Danes?"

 Your chest pulled tight at his words, yet a coy smile grew on your lips. The flutter in your belly made your gaze drop for a moment as you tried to stifle the excitement making butterflies dance. Although this was no declaration, it was the closest the two of you had talked about what lay between you. Taking a steadying breath, you prayed this moment would not pass by without confessing the truth that you had harbored in your heart for weeks now. 

 "Not even towards Danes." You shook your head, the smile still on your lips. "And…. There is one I'm becoming quite fond of lately."

 "Yeah?" He took two steps closer, somehow moving cautiously but eating the ground with each determined step. 

 "But….do you think this Dane could be….fond of me?" You softly murmured, feeling as if your heart lay in the palms of your hands for all to see. 

 That last step separating you two disappeared almost before you finished asking your question. His hands ever so gently reached over to take yours, entwining your fingers together. The two of you stood so close, your chests almost touched with each breath you took. Your breathing seemed to cease under the intensity of his gaze and a shiver raced up your spine. Yet you had no desire to withdraw from him.

 "He would be a fool not to." He whispered, the barest hint of a tremble in his voice. "I'd bet you are constantly on this Dane's mind. That he cannot go a day without seeing your face and hearing your laugh. You are the first thought that he wakes to and the reason he falls asleep with a smile. That you have become the north star that it seems the gods have been guiding him towards for his whole life."

  As he spoke, everything faded to oblivion around you. The past and future vanished. Dane versus Saxon disappeared. The world narrowed down to this….this moment….this moment that you had dreamt of but never thought would come true. 

 The two of you continued to stand there, lost in one another's eyes with fingers intertwined. Your heart raced within your chest but a cooling breeze swept away the fears that plagued your mind. For staring at him, you knew he spoke no falsehoods. That he owned your heart just as much as you owned his. That very heart you could feel hammering away in his own chest. His eyes fervently held yours, a silent conversation, a confession, spoken only in looks but you both understood the language. His gaze dipped down to your lips, tracing them before slowly rising once again to your eyes. A curl of pleasure blossomed in your core as you witnessed the fire now in his eyes. 

 "If this Dane wanted to kiss me…. I wouldn't mind."

 A deliciously, sinful smirk teased his mouth. "As my lady commands."

 His head tilted, leaning towards yours. Unconsciously your eyelids fluttered closed. Then the briefest of touches made your knees weak and your mouth part open in a sigh. After a moment's hesitation, he continued to shower your jawline with kisses. Needing to touch him, your hands landed on his chest, feeling the tunic that covered his firm chest. Your hands moved upward to grasp the back of his neck, his pulse jumping for a second as your nails scraped his skin. His hands landed on the curve of your waist, bringing you even closer to him, erasing the unwanted space between your bodies. 

 As his lips began their ascent upward along the otherwise of your jaw, you moved. For the burning sparks in your body screamed if he did not kiss you, you would spontaneously combust. Shifting your face, you stole a kiss on his lips before he could place it on your skin. It was more of a gentle pressing of your mouths, but even then, you heard a sharp inhale from him. Before you could question him, his mouth returned to yours with soft, probing kisses that urged you to respond. Not that you would ever deny him. What started off as a gentle flame quickly became a roaring fire. Breathing became unnecessary, for how could air bring you life when your body craved Sihtric, when your lungs demanded to breathe him in instead. He led you in a drugging kiss that had you melting against him. Your lips drank from one another as if that alone could sustain you forevermore.  

 "THANK YA, GOD!!" 

 The passionate kiss abruptly ended as Sihtric and your gazes darted towards the side of your house. Only to be met with the sight of his three companions standing at the entrance in various states of smugness. 

 "Oh, for the love of Odin…." Sihtric mumbled. 

 You buried your face in Sihtric's chest, face heated in embarrassment but unable to stop the giggles that poured forth. So caught up in finally confessing your feelings and kissing the man who haunted your dreams, you forgot that anyone could walk by and see you. His arms tightened around you, keeping you within his protective, loving embrace….and you knew there was nowhere else you would rather be. 

 "Took the two of ya long enough." Finan continued, leaning against the side of your humble home with a shit-eating grin. 

 "Amen." Osferth had a small, teasing smile on his face. "Thought I would have to lock them in a room together before one of them finally confessed."

 Apparently, you and Sihtric were not as subtle as you previously thought. Now it made sense why Osferth was questioning you about Cedric and your thoughts on love and marriage earlier. Your heart flooded with gratitude towards your childhood friend, for without him you doubted neither Sihtric or you would have spoken up. Peering over, you caught Osferth's eye and mouthed a quick 'thank you'. He nodded, a simple joy radiating from his face. 

 "Lord?" Sihtric called over with a blank expression. "Permission to continue?"

 Uhtred chuckled. "I guess you've waited long enough. Go ahead." 

 Without waiting a moment longer, Sihtric tipped your face back up towards his and claimed your lips once more. You vaguely thought you heard laughter coming from the others but it all blurred away, like a faint sound while underwater. All you could see, all you could feel, all you could hear was Sihtric. 

 Just how you wanted it. 

 Suddenly you yanked your head back, your breathing labored and lips swollen. "My mother is helping at a nearby farm today. She won't be back until it's dark."

 He hummed against your skin trailing small kisses along your jawline and down your neck as if unable to keep his hands and mouth off you now that the dam had been released. 

 "I'm not as pure as Osferth thinks me to be."

 That statement made his actions stop. Carefully he raised his head to meet your gaze. "After dark?" He confirmed, voice rough in a way that sent a bolt of heat through you. 

 "Yes, she planned on having supper with them….so my home is currently empty….and I did just clean my blankets the other day…."

 He swooped in to give you a feverish, greedy kiss that left no doubt where his mind had gone. When he finally pulled back, you were surprised your legs could still hold you upright. Your whole body felt like puddy in his arms and he had only kissed you, albeit you doubted you would ever forget the way his mouth worshiped yours. 

 "You are certain? You want this?" He softly asked, staring into your eyes once more. "You want me?" 

 It was the last question, the vulnerable undertone, the hint of insecurity in it that sealed your decision. Letting your actions be your answer, you grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the door to your home. It did not take more than a second for him to come beside you, wrapping his arm around your waist. 

 With his taste on your lips, the future did not matter right now. It did not matter that he was Dane and you were not. All you knew was Sihtric was neither a saint nor a sinner, but simply a man deserving of love. The river of your love was pointing you directly towards him, and you silently vowed to never let it run dry. 

[emilyhufflepufftlk]

Em’s 200 Followers Challenge

Wow! Can't believe I've reached 200 followers! Thank you so much for reading my writing and an extra special thank you to those who leave comments! 💜

To celebrate I have put together a challenge which is open to anybody and everybody, regardless of experience. If you've never written before, give it a go - I'm sure it will be great! Moodboards, edits and headcanons would also be awesome!

Rules:

1 - My main fandom is obvs The Last Kingdom, but if you'd like to write for Bridgerton, Peaky Blinders, Merlin, or Shadow and Bone, that's fine too.

2 - You may write anything you like, as long as it has appropriate warnings. If you don't write, you can make moodboards and edits, or even give headcanons a go.

3 - Send me an ask with the prompts you'd like to use from the lists below. One list has quotes, the other has AUs and tropes. You can choose as many prompts as you like. Once two people have chosen a quote I will cross it off the list and it will be unavailable, however there is no limit on the AUs and tropes.

4 - Please tag me in your wonderful creations and use #ems200.

5 - Please use 'read more' if it's long so it's easier to reblog.

6 - the 'deadline' will be 31st January 2022 when I will post a masterlist of entries.

Prompts:

Quotes:

“History obliterates, and in every picture it paints, it paints me and all my mistakes” – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton @maggiescarborough @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie

“Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit. I’m helpless. Down for the count, and I’m drowning in them” – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton.

“I knew you’d fight until the war was won, but you deserve a chance to meet your son. Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now ” – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton. @geekandbooknerd @fandomhopped

“And if you are gone tomorrow, what was ours will still be. I have something to believe in, now that I know you believed in me” – Jack Feldman, Newsies.

“I was alone. I was a frozen lake, but then you melted me awake” – Kevin Murphey & Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers the Musical. @solinarimoon

“I hope you miss me, wish you’d kiss me, then you’d know I worship you, I’ll trade my life for yours” – Kevin Murphey & Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers the Musical.

“You are a drug, you are a poison pill. I’ve got to kick the habit now or else I never will. I love the rush, when you hold me close, but you will not be satisfied until I overdose” – Kevin Murphey & Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers the Musical.

“Now she’s here shining in the starlight, now she’s here suddenly I know, if she’s here it’s crystal clear I’m where I’m meant to go” – Glenn Slater & Alan Menken, Tangled.

“So many things to tell her, but how to make her see. The truth about my past, impossible, she’d turn away from me” – Elton John, The Lion King. @magravenwrites

“My heart has wings and I can fly, I’ll touch every star in the sky. So this is the miracle that I’ve been dreaming of. So this is love” – Mack David, Jerry Livingston & Al Hoffman, Cinderella. @morosemagick

AUs/Tropes:

University/College AU

Soulmate AU

Harry Potter AU

Band AU

Time Travel AU

Pirate AU @flowers-in-your-hayr

Assassin/Mafia AU @flowers-in-your-hayr

Roommate AU

Cowboy AU

Coffee Shop AU @morosemagick

Arranged Marriage @geekandbooknerd

Only One Bed

Hurt/Comfort

Mutual Pining

Lake/River (for Lau😉)

Tagging some lovely mutuals who might be interested in participating (but no pressure): @morosemagick @lauwrite1225 @solinarimoon @93xdiagonxalley @maggiescarborough @magravenwrites @geekandbooknerd @for-bebbanburg @promenadewithme @mrsalwayswrite @osferth @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @flowers-in-your-hayr @fandomhopped @serasvictoria @aadmelioraa @trenko-heart @evelynshelby @unlockyourmind-wp @punkrocknpearls @naps4bats

[crowdvscritic]

round up // DECEMBER 21

’Tis the season for Christmas favorites and squeezing in potential Best of the Year contenders. This Round Up is shorter than usual since December is for rewatching lots of Christmas favorites—you can find some all-time faves in my Letterboxd list if you’re still in the Christmas spirit. (I still am!) 

The fun facts about this Round Up comes in threes…

There are two three-quels

There are three musicals

Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, and Lin-Manuel Miranda all make more than one appearance, and you can catch them all together in one of my picks

At least three of these movies will almost certainly make my Top 10 of 2021—check back in on my January Round Up to see which ones make the cut

December Crowd-Pleasers

1. Free Guy (2021)

Ryan Reynolds further proving he is a master of the comic facial expressions. Also, I just want Joe Keery to be a movie star! Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6/10

2. The Running Man (1987)

Before The Hunger Games (or Squid Game), Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a Stephen King adaptation about a life-or-death TV show in a future dystopia. It’s a spoof of consumerism and culture that wants us to entertain us to death; it’s also a solid ‘80s action-adventure. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

3. Double Feature - Absolutely Bonkers Sequels With Christmas Settings: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) + The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021)

Do you want Christmas movies that are shy on the schmaltz and heavy on the bonkers? These sequels are made for you! In Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10), much of the original cast returns, as do those evil little buggers with a knack for destroying everything in their path. It’s somehow even more bonkers than the ’84 original, and now features a Gremlin who can talk! In The Princess Switch 3 (Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 4/10), Vanessa Hudgens and Vanessa Hudgens and Vanessa Hudgens play a lookalike heiress, princess, and baker from Chicago, respectively. It’s the best kind of bad movie, full of over-the-top fashion, convoluted/poorly explained hijinks, and tons of Christmas decor. 

4. Spider-man: No Way Home (2021)

Some of the best cotton candy you’ll ever taste. You’ll realize later there was no lasting substance for the arc of Tom Holland’s Spider-man, but gosh darn it if it wasn’t the most delicious, spectacle-filled snack. Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

5. Encanto (2021)

If spending the holidays with your family has confirmed your belief that your family is both the most amazing and the most dysfunctional group out there, Encanto knows how you feel. Mirabel’s family can control the weather, grow flowers, shape shift, lift anything, cure any ailment with baking, and hear a pin drop between them. But, like all families, the Madrigals have some drama. Fortunately, we get to work through it with new music from Lin-Manuel Miranda and another solid story in the Disney canon. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

December Critic Picks

1. House of Gucci (2021)

Gaga! Driver! Pacino! Irons! Heck, I even loved Leto in this. House of Gucci was exactly what I hoped it would be—so much so it’s one of maybe 15 movies for which I would happily watch a 3+ hour version. This fashion-filled, Italian accent-overloaded, Macbeth meets King Lear drama of greed, succession, and murder rules. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 10/10

2. West Side Story (2021)

I wasn’t sure Steven Spielberg could pull off a worthy remake to one of my all-time favorite musicals, but this updated interpretation matched or exceeded the ‘60s classic in almost every way. (I did miss Russ Tamblyn quite a bit, though.) I suspect it’s even better when you don’t need to make an unplanned intermission for a tornado watch. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 10/10

3. I’ll Be Seeing You (1944)

Joseph Cotten and Ginger Rogers meet on a train over Christmas holiday and are immediately smitten, but secrets and a nosy cousin (Shirley Temple) threaten to ruin their vacation. A sweet but not-too-sentimental (and under-seen) Christmas classic. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

4. Double Feature: Being the Ricardos + TCM’s The Plot Thickens Season 3 (2021)

Guys, I’m all in on Sorkin, and I love Lucy—Being the Ricardos is for me. While it took a bit for me to warm up to Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem stepping into the pearls and coif I grew up watching in reruns, they won me over in their portrayal of all the drama behind one of the great sitcoms. Listen to TCM’s third season of their podcast all about Lucille Ball to learn how accurate Sorkin’s take on this season of her life is. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. tick, tick…BOOM! (2021)

Yes, this taps into my I’m-almost-30-and-what-have-I-actually-done-with-my-life anxiety, but Andrew Garfield and Lin-Manuel Miranda are affirming why they’re both big winners of 2021, and Jonathan Larson’s musical is full of music you’ll want to listen to again and again. Bonus: Vanessa Hudgens reminds me why I want the High School Musical squad in tons of musicals! Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

Also this December…

On SO IT’S A SHOW?, Kyla and I got smart with Get Smart in the season 5 finale of Gilmore Girls. It’s a a James Bond spoof that is still making us laugh today. So put down your shoe phone—unless that’s how you listen to podcasts—and join us for a discussion of spies, robots, KAOS, brainwashed dogs, switched briefcases, lots of apologies to the Chief, and a couple that likes to steal yachts for date night.

I checked out Finch and The Mitchells vs. the Machines in my quest to watch buzzy 2021 movies before the end of the year. They didn’t make the cut for my Round Ups, but it did inspire me to make a Letterboxd list of movies with notable St. Louis moments since my hometown appeared in both of those films. 

Photo credits: IMDb.com.

[theres-a-goldensky]

40 The Untamed Fic Recs

Thanks to these, the Pandemic Times, I’ve gathered enough good fics for The Untamed to make a pretty killer rec list, if I do say so myself. Most are Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, but I have ventured off into other wildernesses as well. Most notably, I’ve gotten very into my Yunmeng Trio feelings and love for the juniors. I’ll tag accordingly, so you know what’s what. 

As ever, feel free to reblog. 

Check out my other fic rec lists:

IT Chapter 2 fic parts one and two  - Reddie

Good Omens fic - Aziraphale/Crowley

Various BL Series fic (fandoms: Love By Chance, TharnType, 2Moons series, My Engineer, Until We Meet Again, 2gether, History3: Trapped)

You can also head over to my bookmarks on AO3.

(UPDATE: This rec list now has a part two featuring another 23 recs that you can find HERE and a part three with 23 more recs HERE) 

(All recs are complete) (I’ve noted pairings, length, and rating, but not any warnings or additional tags.)

** denotes personal favorite

WEI WUXIAN / LAN WANGJI - CANON-BASED (BOOK AND SHOW)

1.** hunters seeking solid ground by Attila - ~23,600 words, Explicit - Wei Wuxian has always had nightmares, but after his death and resurrection, they’ve only gotten worse. I want, this is not an over-exaggeration, 600,000 fics where Lan Zhan takes care of Wei Wuxian and makes him feel loved and safe. 600,000 might actually be underselling it? Anyway, this fic hit exactly the right spot. Lots of hurt/comfort and platonic sleeping together, then NON-platonic sleeping together.

When Lan Jingyi, Lan Sizhui, Jin Ling, and Ouyang Zizhen run into him months later, they have to rescue him from a group of fierce corpses that he’d normally be able to subdue one-handed and blindfolded. But his shaking fingers can barely hold Chenqing, his eyes are seeing double, all his limbs feel ten times as heavy as they normally do, and he’s practically resigned to getting himself killed in the stupidest, most embarrassing way possible when four yelling teenagers—well, three yelling teenagers and Sizhui—pile in and take care of the whole lot. He’d be happier to see them if Jin Ling would stop shouting ‘what the fuck’ and ‘are you an idiot’ and ‘do you think dying is fun’ over and over again, or at least if he’d do it a little more quietly.

“You really are just like Jiang Cheng.” The words come out helplessly fond, and Jin Ling chokes, sputtering and going completely red.

2. beneath six layers of silk by darkredloveknot - ~12,500 words, Explicit - Lan Zhan gets hit with a truth curse while traveling with Wei Ying. It is delightful to see to taciturn Lan Zhan forced to share all of the things he feels for Wei Ying. 

They eat in silence. Okay, so something is clearly wrong. He’s feeling chatty . It’s strange, the itch on his tongue to comment on the events of the day, to spill his thoughts about these months of travel, to explain what they mean to him. He pushes his lips together hard as he finishes his meal.

“Alright, I’ve been thinking,” Wei Wuxian says when his bowl is empty, too. “This curse…”

They speak at once.

“It’s trying to make me confess to you,” says Lan Wangji, eyes widening.

“It’s making you say whatever comes to your mind,” says Wei Wuxian.

They stare at one another.

3.  The Absolutely True Story of the Yiling Patriarch: A Manifesto in Many Parts by aubreyli - ~19,700 words, teen - The juniors decide to take it upon themselves to clean up Wei Wuxian’s bad reputation. They basically do to him what Lin-Manuel Miranda did to Alexander Hamilton, and it totally works. 

This is, without question, the best thing he has ever written: the true story of the Yiling Patriarch. It’s an unflinching exploration of the difference between perceived goodness and actual goodness, a scathing criticism of society’s tendency to be blinded by prejudice and fear, and a glowing acclamation of the strength that lies in unbreakable bonds of friendship.

If not for the fact that the mere mention of Wei Wuxian would send Master Lan into an immediate qi deviation, Jingyi would submit this masterpiece to be included in the Lan education curriculum, so that his words may guide the next generation down the path of truth and justice.

It’s that good.

“It’s just so romantic," Ouyang Zizhen continues. He clasps the pages to his chest and sighs, eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I always thought there was something between Wei-qianbei and Hanguang-jun, but to think that they have a twenty-year love story—"

“What?” Jingyi says. “What are you talking about? Hanguang-jun and Wei-qianbei aren’t in love.”

4. dream of a funeral; hear of a marriage by defractum - ~26,500 words, teen - I struggled with whether to put this in this section or the one for canon divergence. Decided to put it here, since the only real change is that in the years since Wei Wing’s death, Lan Zhan has promised to marry anyone who could take the Gusu Jade Token from around his neck. When he returns to life, Wei Ying is very confused about why people keep randomly attacking Lan Zhan and no one seems to care.

Wei Wuxian is in the middle of realising that the Lan disciples are taking him back to Cloud Recesses when their group is attacked. His dramatic flop onto Lil Apple's back goes almost entirely unnoticed as a flurry of pale green robes flies out from the trees that line their path, a sword glare slicing through the air towards Lan Wangji.

The stab misses. Lan Wangji flows out of the way like water, drawing Bichen in the same breath to parry the strike away. He draws the attacker – there is only one – up the path away from the group. None of the junior disciples follow. In fact, one of them even pulls the reins of Lil Apple close, as if to stop their progress. Wei Wuxian finds it curious. He doesn't expect any of them to be better than Lan Wangji, not if his swordwork is anywhere near as good as it was when they were young, but they don't even make a move to help.

"Not even a declaration of intent," mutters one of them. The others shush him.

5. To Wing Your Soul With Jasmines by dirtybinary - ~6100 words, teen - Wei Ying is away on his adventure and Lan Zhan is fulfilling his duties as Chief Cultivator, but that doesn’t stop them from communicating thanks to a tiny paper friend.

The flowers materialise in the night.

Fresh flowers, not quite a bouquet: two orchids, a blue carnation and a peony, laid out beside Wangji’s pillow when he wakes in the twilit hush before dawn. Certainly they were not there when he went to bed the night before, and these days the Chief Cultivator turns in a lot later than nine. The petals are bejewelled with dew—a little scuffed and bent, as if the flowers have been dragged over the ground and arranged by something smaller than themselves. A bird, or a beetle, maybe.

The wards around the Jingshi are unbroken. The rabbits are puddled together and drowsing in the warmth of their hutch, not fretful as they would be if they had been woken by an intruder in the night. No need for alarm. Wangji deposits the flowers on his nightstand, among the miscellany of his everyday: his seal; his coin pouch; a paper figure that occasionally houses the consciousness of one Wei Ying, whereabouts currently unknown, its stick-limbs creased and stained with soil.

6. This House of Ill-Repute by Jo LaSalle - ~13,500 words, mature - Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, out adventuring post-canon, find themselves caught in a rainstorm and sheltering in the closest available place.

They follow the madam up the wooden stairs to the second floor, where a few rooms seem to be leading off the main hall. “We only have the one room that is what the Young Masters must be used to,” she says, motioning to the sliding door at the end of the hall. “I’m afraid the other rooms are quite a bit smaller, but we do keep them clean, if one of you is all right with that.”

“The one room is fine,” Lan Zhan says.

She looks a little surprised. “I assure you, the other rooms are really not bad, and they are perfectly serviceable. There’s no need to share unnecessarily.”

“It’s fine,” Lan Zhan says. The hesitation in his glance at Wei Wuxian is probably only visible to those who know him well. “Isn’t it?” It’s been a recurring theme on this journey that Lan Zhan prefers not to leave him alone when they are amongst strangers in strange places, and since Wei Wuxian has spent more time alone than he cares to, this always suits him fine.

“For sure,” he says, giving the madam a wink. “He’ll just win if we draw for it and I don’t want to miss out on the nicest room of the house.”

7. from season to season by detention_notes - ~59,000 words, teen - Wei Ying and Lan Zhan exchange letters while Wei Ying is traveling the world. It’s very sweet and romantic, and somehow Wei Ying still manages to angst over Lan Zhan’s feelings when Lan Zhan is writing things like:

I confiscated your letter from the sleeve of Lan Jingyi, who thought interception from the mail carrier would be an enjoyable trick. His punishment was meager—after glimpsing the characters of your name, I felt such lightness that I could barely assign him an hour of kneeling.

Only you can draw a smile with such offensive letter etiquette. I can imagine your face tip from wide grin to shocked dismay at dinner’s spatter across your paper, and for whatever reason, that endearing carelessness brings me joy. Count yourself lucky in that regard. Mn, I suspect you’ll now strive to push that luck to its very brink--I look forward to your attempts.

8. Senseless by carolyncaves - ~6,800 words, teen - Wei Ying is going to leave for his big adventure any day now. Yup, definitely, just give him a second and he will head out of Gusu and on the road away from Lan Zhan.

Ah, well, Wei Wuxian thought fondly, as he stared into his cup of wine, it was an amusing diversion while it lasted, but it appears I really will be leaving you behind now, Lan Zhan.

Wei Wuxian awoke the next morning and dutifully gathered his belongings and saddled his faithful companion (well, as dutifully as one could be said to be doing anything at half past ten in the morning – in Wei Wuxian’s defense, he had already died once, and at this point in his second life he considered himself more or less retired). He made his way out from the stables of the inn house and on to the crossroads at the valley road’s end. He tugged Little Apple’s nose to the left, away from Gusu. Little Apple turned almost obligingly for once, and Wei Wuxian pulled him to a halt, wanting to savor this moment in this little place he would probably never be again. Ahead of him was everything and anything, the wideness of the world, places and faces enough to fill a lifetime. Here he was, at the very start of it. The paper was still blank in his hands, his journey still open for whatever he chose to fill it with.

He could only think of one thing, suddenly, that he really wanted to mark down.

He tugged sideways on Little Apple’s bridle, and the donkey slowly and grudgingly turned toward Gusu.

9. Grand Pianos Crash Together by etymologyplayground - ~11,400, explicit - Wei Ying and Lan Zhan manage six weeks apart before they both give in and meet again.

A month and a half into his duties, a letter arrives. Lan Zhan, it reads, I miss you already. Throw over your responsibilities and meet me at the western ridge at Qixi. Yours, Wei WuXian.

Lan WangJi reads it over and over, like a maiden with a love letter. That's what it is, right? A love letter, of sorts. I miss you. He tucks it into his robes and mentions it to no one. This year's Qixi is still only two months past; how is he supposed to wait the better part of a year before seeing him again? They'll be apart for longer than Lan WangJi had him back. But it's true that Lan WangJi will need those months to withdraw from the council, and he supposes whatever it is that Wei WuXian has been up to will take time to wrap up as well. So he accepts the date and begins to plan.

10. Lost and Found series by dea_liberty - ~36,000 words, mature - This series takes place post-canon. It’s an exploration of the way these characters start to heal, mend fences, and find happiness.

Lan Wangji dreams about Wei Ying dying.

He dreams about all the ways he fails to save him.

In the days, weeks, months that pass, he dreams of losing Wei Ying again and again and again.

Sometimes, he thinks these dreams are even worse than the sixteen years replaying the memory of Wei Ying’s wrist in his hand, of the blood that threatened to make Lan Wangji lose his grip – lose him – of Wei Ying shaking off his grasp – of the smile on his face as he slipped away – over and over and over again.

11. Content Warning: Romance by Ariaste - ~5900 words, mature - Wei Ying has some issues when it comes to getting compliments from his husband. Lan Zhan is working on fixing that. 

“I am warning you. I am about to say something nice.”

Wei Wuxian is instantly awake. “Shit. Fuck. Okay.” He braces himself. “Okay, go on.”

Lan Wangji looks at him, looks deeply into his soul from over the edge of his teacup, held neatly in two hands just like the Lan precepts dictate. “I love you very much and I will be thinking about you all day.”

Wei Wuxian groans and falls over in slow motion. “Lan Zhan.”

“I warned you,” Lan Wangji says placidly, sipping his tea. “As you requested.”

12.** The Hidden Source is the Watchful Heart by sombregods - ~11,000 words, explicit - Lan Zhan and Wei Ying fumble their way to understanding what they mean to each other and learning how to be together. Plenty of sharing a bed and Lan Zhan thirsting for Wei Ying.

It is a sober reflection—that selfishness. Where Wei Wuxian is concerned, Lan Wangji is intolerant of anyone else. Like him, he is absolute in his resolutions. There are few people in the world he truly cares about—his uncle, his brother, Sizhui, Wei Ying. Wei Ying is the sun, eclipsing his responsibilities, his burdens, his obligations.

He comes to wonder, now, if by setting him free at last he has failed to see what Wei Wuxian was doing himself: setting him free—oh—of himself? How long has Wei Wuxian been in Gusu, so near at hand, but refusing (that stubbornness of his!) to come distract Hanguang-Jun in his duties? It is a hideous thought, at odds with everything Wei Wuxian is and should be, and he shakes it away.

‘Wei Ying,’ he says. ‘Come back with me.’ Not forever. Only long enough to remember you there. ‘For the colder months. You don’t need to stay away.’ It’s only practical, after all: if Wei Wuxian is in Gusu, why should he not rest in the Cloud Recesses, until he is ready to leave again?

Something complicated passes through Wei Wuxian’s face. But he nods, and he says, ‘You’re too good to me, Lan Zhan.’

13. ** Long Way Home series by idrilka - ~104,400 words, explicit - On his travels, Wei Ying hears that Lan Zhan will be marrying someone else soon. He is heartbroken and also an idiot. 

He can hear Jin Ling scoff behind him. To his surprise, Ouyang Zizhen bows politely, but then fixes his expectant gaze above Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, waiting. “Senior Wei, is Hanguang-Jun not with you?” he asks once it’s clear no one else is coming.

Wei Wuxian frowns. “Lan Zhan? Why would he be with me? He has much better things to do back at the Cloud Recesses,” he says with a short, breathy laugh. “It’s not like he would take a break from his duties as Chief Cultivator just to indulge me and accompany me in my travels.”

Ouyang Zizhen exchanges a strange look with Jin Ling, then looks back to Wei Wuxian. “Right,” he says, sounding relatively unconvinced. “Of course, that would be unwise. But, Senior Wei, what are you even doing here?”

“What else? I’m visiting my dearest nephew, of course!” For a moment, Wei Wuxian enjoys the way Jin Ling’s face twists in a grimace, but then the familiarity of that expression hits him right in the stomach. He squashes the feeling deep inside. “But you still haven’t told me what you lot are doing here. Is the life of a Sect Leader so boring you snuck out for a night-hunt?”

14. ** i don’t wanna lose you (hope it never ends) by annemari- ~20,800, teen - Lan Zhan becomes ill. At first, Wei Ying believes it’s just a fever, but then it starts to get worse. It was nice seeing Wei Ying taking care of Lan Zhan instead of the other way around. 

"It's Hanguang-Jun," Jingyi says, and Wei Wuxian's stomach goes cold. "We think he's sick."

"Where is he?" Wei Wuxian asks. "What happened?"

"He's giving a lesson," Jingyi says. "He says he's fine, but he looks ill. Sizhui stayed to watch over him, and I came to get you."

"Ill how?" Wei Wuxian asks, and starts hurrying towards the classrooms, Jingyi in tow. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Jingyi says. "He's all pale, and probably feverish, but he wouldn't let Sizhui check. He looks like he's about to fall over. Sizhui suggested he should go and rest, but he just pretended like he couldn't hear him."

Wei Wuxian curses and quickens his pace. Lan Zhan has always been too stubborn for his own good.

15. Rabbit Hearts by Suaine - ~56,600, mature - Wei Ying takes off on his adventure but leaves behind a paperman to keep Lan Zhan company. Meanwhile, Lan Zhan is dealing with annoying cultivators at a conference in the Cloud Recesses. 

His resolve lasts for exactly the length of a song.

As the last notes of their song drift away from him, Wei Wuxian smirks at the landscape before him and bites his fingers to draw blood. The little paper talisman is an old friend, a good companion, a sneaky little bugger, and he wonders, as he sends the thing to fly on the wind toward Lan Zhan, how long he can manage to stay hidden.

He navigates the air with ease and lands on white robes with perfect form. Wei Wuxian draws his attention away to see how much is needed for his little paper man to remain animated. It’s surprisingly not very much, if all it needs to do is hold on. Even for someone like him, so depleted of spiritual energy that he can barely hold his sword, that should be sustainable for long periods of time. He crawls up toward Lan Zhan’s belt and tucks himself in, hiding from view and other dangers.

WEI WUXIAN / LAN WANGJI - CANON DIVERGENCE

16. ** come home to my heart by mishcollin - ~30,000 words, mature - Bodyswap! I repeat, we’ve got a bodyswap fic. I think that maybe the best part about this is Lan Zhan’s agony at not looking at Wei Wuxian’s body when it is just...right there, as well as his indignant frustration at Wei Wuxian’s obliviousness. 

“How do we fix it?”

“I don’t know.” Lan Wangji closes his eyes, seeming as though he’s wading through some implacable emotion, before he says, “Wei Ying.”

“What?”

“Your golden core.” A slight tremor shakes the composure in Lan Wangji’s voice. He closes his eyes, as though pained. “It’s…”

“You can’t tell anyone,” Wei Wuxian says, and Lan Wangji’s eyes fly open. “You have to swear to me, Lan Zhan, that no one can know.”

“Know what?” Lan Wangji whispers. His frame seems to be shaking; carrying him all that way must have really sapped his strength.

Wei Wuxian falls silent.

17. ** hope dangling by a string by KouriAshi - ~70,000 words, mature - In the cave, all the way back in the beginning, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying accidentally become psychically linked. It certainly clears up some confusion between them. And having that connection changes the entire course of their lives. It’s interesting to see the natural way that the narrative shifts because these idiots are forced to actually communicate with each other. 

When Wei Wuxian woke again, he was slightly more coherent, although his fever was still very high. Lan Wangji was doing his best to share his remaining spiritual power between them to keep Wei Wuxian stable. He was usually a little more awake after one of the transfusions, although he was still very weak. Lan Wangji knew things were not going to get better from here, as they went even longer without food.

That was at the top of his mind at the moment, because Wei Wuxian could not stop thinking about soup. A very specific soup, one his sister made. He was thinking that when he got home, he was going to ask her to make a pot so big that he could swim in it. What was the point of that, Lan Wangji wondered. Why would anyone want to swim in soup?

“It’s so I can taste it with every inch of my body,” Wei Wuxian said.

That didn’t even make sense. Taste buds were only in one’s mouth.

“It does so make sense. It . . .” Wei Wuxian’s voice trailed off. Wait. Is he talking out loud or am I hearing what he’s thinking? Or am I hallucinating? I know the fever is high but is it that high? Wait, was I actually thinking about swimming in soup? What a waste of soup that would be! It’s not like I would want to eat it after my disgusting feet had been in it. I would -

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can you . . . just stop, for a second?”

18. a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke - ~180,000 words, mature - Yes, you read the word count right. You’ll have to devote some time to this one, but it’s worth it. Jiang Cheng solves Wei Ying’s problems by arranging a marriage between him and Lan Zhan. Wei Ying, of course, believes that Lan Zhan is only being kind and trying to keep the peace. This story becomes a case fic that’s pretty fun to watch develop, even though the unresolved sexual tension and insane levels of pining between the two of them are always at the forefront.

“Wei WuXian.”

All three of them whirled around to stare at the fourth person who had spoken. Wei WuXian felt his stomach drop down to his feet.

“Ah, Lan Zhan, good Lan Zhan, Lan WangJi, Hanguang-Jun, I can explain,” Wei WuXian said, quickly putting down his empty bowl and smiling at him. “See these two young cultivators, they’ve seen a ghost plaguing Beiluo Bridge—you know how important that bridge is to civilians traveling through that area. We can’t let it go uninvestigated, right? After all, Hanguang-Jun has a reputation to keep up.”

The two young cultivators stared slack-jawed at them.

“Hanguang-Jun?” Guo Yi asked, though any cultivator would recognize him by looks alone. Apart from Lan XiChen, no man in the cultivating world could compete with Lan WangJi’s icey beauty. Even if they didn’t recognize his face, with the GusuLan robes and forehead ribbon, the guqin strapped to his back, and Bichen at his waist, there was no one else he could be. “Didn’t Hanguang-Jun just get married? If he’s Hanguang-Jun, then doesn’t that make you—you—”

“The Yiling Patriarch?” Liu FengYa yelped.

Wei WuXian grinned and reached over to pat him on the head. “Oh, don’t look so scared, FengYa,” he said. “You were just now yelling at me for finishing your alcohol, weren’t you?”

19. seldom all they seem by Fahye - ~25,000 words, explicit - Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are betrothed to each other from birth. Things go about as well as can be expected. Their connection changes their paths, but there’s still plenty of Lan Zhan desperately chasing Wei Ying. 

At first, Lan Wangji makes no connection between the marital principles and the personified annoyance that is Wei Wuxian. He’s too busy being incandescent with indignation that his betrothed would show so little respect: first he is careless enough to lose his sect's invitation, then rude enough to argue with the rules! Not only that, to actively flout them by bringing alcohol into the place!

Then Lan Wangji finds himself looking at Wei Wuxian down the length of two swords, fought to a standstill in a matter of minutes, and he is so busy being surprised by it that he has nothing with which to defend himself against the sight of Wei Wuxian's face, lit up by laughter and delight.

Oh, thinks Lan Wangji, as his skin tightens helplessly around him like a rope around the wrist.

WEI WUXIAN / LAN WANGJI - MODERN UNIVERSE AND/OR OTHER AU

20. i’d be alright (if i could just see you) by ThirtySixSaveFiles - ~17,000 words, teen - College AU where Wei Wuxian becomes immediately obsessed with Lan Zhan, but misses some pretty important things. Lots of obliviousness, lots of pining, more pen sharing than you’d think there’d be.

“For your next project,” he says, shuffling his papers together. “Your groups will be assigned by the tables you’re sitting at today. The assignment details are on the syllabus - I expect your papers and presentations in two weeks. Class time until then is set aside for this project. Good luck.” With that, he sweeps out the door, and Wei Wuxian thinks he sees Professor Xiao waiting on the other side but he’s already turning to Lan Wangji, grin stretching across his face.

“Lan Zhan! Aren’t you lucky, we get to be partners.” Lan Wangji doesn’t look at him, neatly storing his notes away, and the student sitting next to Wei Wuxian clears his throat.

“We’re here too, you know,” Su Minshan says, and across from him Luo Qingyang nods her head.

Wei Wuxian waves his hands. “Ah, of course, of course! We’re going to crush it, right team?”

No one at his table looks convinced.

21. Anginal Equivalents by fakeplasticlilly - ~23,400 words, explicit - Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are both medical residents who have known each other since childhood. Wei Ying thinks that Lan Zhan has no interest in him, but - SPOILERS! - he definitely does. Includes a bit of accidental eavesdropping, a bit of hurt/comfort, a bit of Lan Xichen playing matchmaker.

Backpack laid on the desk in front of him, he crosses his arms, resting his chin on his hands and watches Lan Wangji continue his talk as if nothing ever happened. “A-xian, you can’t hide away from your feelings forever!” he hears Yanli say in his head, and rolls his eyes.

He’s too old and tired for this anyway, whatever this is. It’s been twenty years of it, so he may as well just go with it.

His mind wanders as Lan Wangji continues to discuss the results of the study. That single lock of hair that has come undone from his bun is annoying him the more he looks at it. It falls straight, almost gracefully (what the hell? It’s literally hair—) kissing the smooth line of his neck and past his collarbone.

Eighteen years ago, that same lock of hair had come undone from eight year old Lan Wangji’s ponytail, and it had been Wei Wuxian’s doing.

22. resonant frequencies by chinxe - ~16,000 words, teen - Wei Ying lies as says that he’s dating Lan Zhan, who he is hopelessly infatuated with, in order to one-up Jiang Cheng. He ends up promising he’ll bring Lan Zhan to Jiang Yanli’s wedding. Whoops. Not his best idea ever. (SPOILERS - it actually does, in fact, turn out to be his best idea ever.)

Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath. Now or never, he guesses. “Lan Zhan, will you go out with me?” Lan Wangji’s eyes go very wide so, before he gets the wrong idea, Wei Wuxian hastily adds, “Not for real, of course! Just to pretend...I may have accidentally told Jiang Cheng I was dating you because he was bugging me about not having a plus one for my jiejie’s wedding, and he didn’t believe me, so I just need you to go to lunch with us to convince him, and then come with me to the wedding. That’s it!”

Lan Wangji says nothing for a few moments. When he does speak, his voice is very soft. “Pretend?”

“Yeah, of course! Don’t worry, Lan Zhan, it’s not like I actually have feelings for you or anything.” Wei Wuxian laughs in a way he hopes betrays nothing of the nerves twisting in his gut. Lan Wangji is probably going to say no. Even worse, he’ll say how disgusted he is at the very thought of dating Wei Wuxian -

“I will do it,” Lan Wangji says.

Or, he could agree.

“Yes!” Wei Wuxian cheers. “Thank you, Lan Zhan! I really owe you!”

Lan Wangji frowns. “No need.”

23. I want to stay up all night by feyburner - ~8500 words, Mature - At a house party, Lan Zhan shocks Wei Ying by agreeing to get high. The dreamy, floaty sort of atmosphere is perfect for this fic. 

“Kay.” Wei Ying thought for a second, holding Lan Zhan’s hand to his chest, over his heart. Jin Zixuan’s fuckass cousin was out back, so that was a no-go. “Mm…. I’m gonna do it in the bathroom, Mianmian’s cool with it as long as the smoke goes out the window. I’m guessing you wanna stay out here?”

“I….” Lan Zhan’s dark, pretty eyes were focused on their hands. But he didn’t pull away, so Wei Ying didn’t let go. “I’ll come. If that’s alright.”

“Ah?” said Wei Ying, startled. “Okay, yeah, for sure. C’mon.”

He led Lan Zhan out of the kitchen and past the living room, warm light and their friends piled onto the couch, sitting on the floor around the coffee table, laughing and drinking and passing around snacks. A memory surfaced, wavering like sunlight on water: the only time Wei Ying had ever seen a drunk Lan Zhan, back in undergrad at an otherwise boring CASA mixer. He’d walked Lan Zhan home to make sure he was okay, and the moment Lan Zhan unlocked the door to his little flat just off-campus, he’d gone to the kitchen and fired up both the kettle and the rice cooker. Wei Ying had stood back until Lan Zhan grabbed an apple and a carving knife; then he'd been forced to intervene. He’d said, ‘Lan Zhan! Go sit down! If you’re hungry I can make you something!’ and Lan Zhan had replied, ‘I’m not hungry. You are.’ And Wei Ying had said, ‘You’re very sweet, but what exactly are you trying to make with… rice and an apple?’ and Lan Zhan had blinked, stared at the apple like it had personally betrayed him, and said, ‘It was meant to be an onion.’

24. Grace and tender hand by feyburner - ~4,000 words, teen - Lan Zhan and Wei Ying go on their first date, and it does not go at all as planned. Wei Ying has the flu, but he still makes himself go on their date because he was so excited. Lan Zhan takes him home and takes care of him.

“Wei Ying. Can you open the door?”

A second pause, even longer. “Yeah,” Wei Ying said defeatedly, and unlocked the stall door. He had been kneeling in front of the toilet, but now he slumped sideways, sitting on the grimy bathroom floor. His skin was ghostly pale, a faint sheen of sweat on his face, hair clinging in sweaty strands to his temples. His eyes were glazed over, his lips colorless.

Lan Zhan let out a sharp breath. He slipped into the stall, crouching down beside Wei Ying and putting a hand on his shoulder. Wei Ying was shivering slightly, tremors running through his whole body. The toilet bowl was empty, but everything smelled faintly sour. “You’re sick?”

25. from me to you by Ceta - ~14,600 words, teen - A social media AU where Wei Ying is an actor and Lan Zhan is a musician. It’s outsider POV, but still manages to convey the insane amounts of pining that they’re doing for each other. Also contains matchmaker Lan Xichen, which is forever my favorite.

Wei Too Cool ✓ @wei-wuxian

correct me if i’m wrong but i’m pretty sure that’s a love song @LanWangJi #AtFirstSight

wanjiplzmarryme @ih3artlanwangji

@wei-wuxian you think so too?!?! i’m legit shaking because it’s sO BEAUTIFUL OMG THANK YOU @LanWangJi FOR BLESSING ME WITH YOURR VOICE

Jiang Cheng ✓ @jiangwanyin

@wei-wuxian you literally think everything he comes out with is a love song. To you.

Wei Too Cool ✓ @wei-wuxian

@jiangwanyin you come into my house and accuse me of these lies. what have i done to you to deserve this

26. Walk the Circle in the Other Direction by notevenyou - Wei Ying and Lan Zhan become friends in high school and best friends by the time they get to college. Wei Ying knows that Lan Zhan is gay and wants to support him in the best ways he can. Those ways range from joining an LGBTQ campus group to just plain beating up any bullies. It takes him a while to realize there’s more there than he thought.

Out of Wei Wuxian’s fellow students there was one who made all the nonsense of the Wen Academy worth it - Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian’s first impression of Lan Wangji had been that Lan Wangji had the same air of monied comfort around him as all the other students, maybe even more so. At first, Wei Wuxian had wanted nothing more than to dent that comfort, just a little, to get a reaction from Lan Wangji. This had turned out to be much more difficult than Wei Wuxian had expected.

If there was one thing that Wei Wuxian was good at, it was getting reactions - usually negative. Not to brag, but he could be very annoying. And yet, despite Wei Wuxian’s best, most irritating efforts, Lan Wangji seemed impossible to ruffle. Lan Wangji’s insistent calm should have been only frustrating, but Wei Wuxian was drawn to that pool of stillness in the same way he was drawn to an unbroken snowfall. Wei Wuxian had only wanted even more to get a reaction out of Lan Wangji and he was willing to go to almost any length to get it.

27. ** Love wakes me by dea_liberty - ~43,000 words, explicit - In my old age, I’ve grown sick of coffee shop AUs, but this one is just so lovely. Wei Ying gets kicked out of his home and pushed away from Lan Zhan and ends up living with the Wens and making a home with them. Nine years later, Lan Zhan happens to walk into the coffee shop. I love that we get to see Wei Ying’s family dynamic with the Wens, but also with the Jiangs. And Lan Zhan overcompensating for losing Wei Ying by being incredibly attentive and protective is my kink.

“Wei Ying.”

His hand started to shake. He forced himself to finish the slightly-less-than-perfect piece of latte art, plastered on a smile as he handed it over to the girl – and then, very, very slowly, he turned to the door.

He was still staring at Lan Wangji – Lan Zhan – standing there, framed by the rainbow faux-stained glass of Yiling’s front door, eyes wide with surprise, when Lan Zhan said again, “Wei Ying.”

And Wei Wuxian smiled, bright and brilliant, pushing away any other thoughts – any other memories – to just bask in the happiness – the improbability – of actually seeing Lan Zhan again – of Lan Zhan being here, in a university district, in the middle of the city.

“Lan Zhan,” he said, laughing, shifting to wipe his hands on his apron and come around the counter towards him. “Oh my god, it’s really you. What are you doing here?”

“I… getting tea?” Lan Zhan said, the inflection in his voice making it sound like a question. Wei Wuxian laughed again, reaching over to take his hands and squeeze them softly – Lan Zhan, here, in his shop! – before letting go quickly. Lan Zhan had never liked to be touched – not by strangers, in any case. Wei Wuxian didn’t think he’d fit into Lan Zhan’s exceptions anymore. He'd lost that particular right years ago.

28. ** Out of the Bin and Into Your Heart by Alaceron - 27,700 words, teen - A university AU where Wei Ying convinces Lan Zhan to fake date him in order to escape the attention he’s getting from being number three on the bachelor rankings. He is predictably oblivious to Lan Zhan’s feelings (SPOILERS - Lan Zhan really likes him!), and predictably charmed by the sight of Lan Zhan teaching ‘baby kungfu.’ 

“Okay, so,” Wuxian says, taking a refreshing gulp after speeding through an explanation of his request and the events leading up to it (getting even faster every time Lan Zhan’s frown deepens, which is frequently ). “I had no idea that there’d be such a difference between being at number three and number four, and Lan Zhan, it sucks balls. I honestly don’t know how you’ve survived being at number two for so long. What are you telling people when they ask to date you?”

“There’s someone I already like,” Lan Zhan says, and Wuxian nods approvingly.

“I wish I’d known to go with that,” he sighs. Boy, how does he wish that. “But the first one caught me off-guard when she asked me if I was interested in anyone, so I said ‘no’, and word must’ve spread. I guess,” he says thoughtfully, tilting his chair back and righting it again with a grin when Lan Zhan’s expression turns disapproving, “I could just say that I’ve changed my mind, but that still leaves a risk that they’ll keep asking until I give them specifics.”

29. ** Always Knew You Were Magical by jeyhawk - ~25,200 words, explicit - Takes place in a modern university where cultivation still happens. Wei Ying doesn’t know about any of it, but he comes to Lan Zhan when he gets cursed. 

"I told you. I told you," Wei Wuxian cries, digging his fingers into Lan Wangji's back. "I'm mad. Are my feet smoking? Tell me. Are they smoking?"

They are. Thick black curse residue swirls around his feet and curls sinuously around his ankles. Lan Wangji waves it away with a hand behind Wei Wuxian's back and the pressure in his chest eases a little bit. It's a curse. Curses he knows how to deal with.

"They're not smoking anymore," he says. "Look."

He thought it would make Wei Wuxian happy, but it just makes him cry harder, hiding his face into Lan Wangji's shoulder.

"I saw them," he wails. "I saw them smoke."

"Shhhh. You did, but it's okay now," Lan Wangji tries, carefully patting Wei Wuxian's shoulder blades. Wei Wuxian smells like Lan Wangji's sandalwood shower gel, and despite all his worries, he can barely deal.

OTHER PAIRINGS OR GEN (MAY HAVE WWX / LWJ BACKGROUND)

30. ** Resolutions series by incendir - multi-story series, ~190,000 words, explicit, Wei Ying / Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan & Lan Sizhui, Wei Ying & Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying & Jin Ling, Wangxian & the juniors, Lan Jingyi / OMC - This series is... a lot. It’s the only thing on this list that isn’t finished, but each of the stories in the series can be pretty much read on their own, so I’m allowing it. The author does an excellent job exploring the various relationships on the show, with a focus on Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, but with detours for plenty of others. The OCs in this story are really great too, and I found myself inexplicably into the romance that blossoms between Lan Jingyi and Yi Renshu, the handsome and roguish Nie disciple. You can start at the beginning or jump right into a story that looks interesting.

“If you keep questioning the laws of our clan,” he says, clearly irritated because Sizhui has not moved on from the fifth rule, out of twenty, that he needs to get done today before the cultivator can stop overseeing him, “you’ll be set out of Cloud Recesses for the evening for punishment and then the Yiling Patriarch’s ghost might get to you!”

It sounds as if it was meant to be said in the same tone that Sizhui has once had the Lan Sect juniors, who raised him early on, when he refused to eat certain vegetables—teasing and playfully threatening, using wolf monsters and vengeful ghosts. Instead, it comes out truly angered and impatient and Sizhui freezes up, palm sweaty around the handle of his calligraphy brush.

The doors slide open in that precise moment, and both Sizhui and the lower cultivator’s heads whip around to see Hanguang-jun breezing in, expression cold as ice.

The lower cultivator immediately scrambles to his feet, visibly shaking, as he brings his hands together and bows low. “Hanguang-jun, you’ve returned earlier than—”

Hanguang-jun brushes past him and leans his sword against the wall, folding himself smoothly down onto the cushion beside Sizhui. “Gather your questions for the end,” he says, without so much as a glance to the lower cultivator. His eyes are calm and solemn, always steady, as they meet Sizhui’s gaze. “I will answer them once you have finished.”

The lower cultivator gapes. “Hanguang-jun, I—”

31. For Great Justice by aubreyli - ~9,000 words, gen - This is a sequel to The Absolutely True Story of the Yiling Patriarch: A Manifesto in Many Parts, but it’s so unconnected to it that I thought it deserved its own rec. This story is about Jin Ling deciding that cultivator bureaucracy sucks. He becomes a masked crusader for great Lanling justice and brings his friends along for the ride. This is great, read it, read it.

If only there was a way he could still help people, but not have anyone know that he was the one doing it! But he's no longer just another kid running around Jin sect; these days, people would recognize him.

Unless…

He gets up abruptly, dislodging Fairy, who whines questioningly as Jin Ling goes to his wardrobe. Most of his clothing is the heavily embroidered gold brocade he wears for official sect business or the less embroidered but still extremely golden silk he wears for day-to-day affairs. But hidden away in the back are a few sets of plainer robes from when he was just a young disciple.

They’re a little short at the wrists and ankles from his most recent growth spurt, but they fit well enough. He shakes his hair loose and rebinds it into an untidy topknot, like the disgraced but virtuous heroes of his favourite wuxia novels.

32. GusuLan Library Archives: Love, Romance, and Related Matters by Kimblydot - ~33,400 words, explicit, Lan Sizhui / Lan Jingyi - Hello, pairing I didn’t know I needed in my life until now. This is about lifelong best friends falling in love. It’s full of pining and tenderness and attempted courtships and obliviousness. The characters are aged up a few years, so they’re adults here. 

“Jingyi, what do you think?” Sizhui asks, holding up a comb.

Jingyi knows little about the art of woodwork but from what he can tell, the comb looks well made, fine-grained wood sleekly polished and gleaming under the glow of the stringed lanterns hanging above them. The intricate undulations of the stem give way to subtle patterns of flower petals, no small feat of craftsmanship.

“It’s beautiful,” he says. “Are you going to buy it?”

“Do you like it? You mentioned the one you have was getting worn,” Sizhui says.

Jingyi can’t remember when he made such a comment, but he must have at some point for Sizhui to bring it up. “Uh, yeah, it’s nice. You don’t have to get it for me, though.”

But Sizhui’s already paid the merchant by the time Jingyi’s done talking. He smiles at Jingyi and presses the comb into his hand. “Too late.”

33. The Lose Cause by KouriArashi - ~19,000 words, teen, gen - This is a canon divergent story where Nie Huaisang befriends Jin Guangyao early and manages to forestall all of that nasty murder and betrayal business. Or, well, there’s still a little murder, but only of the people who really deserve it. I need more crafty Nie Huaisang fics in my life. Imagine how much better things would have been if he’d been in charge from the beginning.

“Everyone is like that,” Meng Yao said. He talked about this more frankly with Nie Huaisang than he did with anything else, because Nie Huaisang was no threat to him. Nie Huaisang was no threat to anybody, really, and would have been the first to proudly admit it. “The opinion is quite common.”

“That doesn’t make it less stupid,” Nie Huaisang said. “I mean, how strong you are, how smart you are, that’s not a subjective fact. They can’t just decide you’re less than you are. You are exactly as you are. Deducting points because of your mother is just factually incorrect.”

Meng Yao laughed quietly, looking genuinely amused. “I suppose that is true in a way, Nie-gongzi. But I don’t mind. Sometimes it’s no bad thing, being underestimated.”

Nie Huaisang thought that was probably true.

He didn’t think about how true until he saw Meng Yao shed his timid demeanor and soft smile and murder the master of swords in cold blood.

34. Four Days In Lanling by halotolerant - 21,000 words, explicit, Jiang Cheng / Nie Huaisang - Hear me out! Hear me out! Don’t leave yet. This is an excellent, bittersweet story about Jiang Cheng just...trying his best. He falls for Nie Huiasang’s witless ploy once, but then figures him out after the events of the show. He then tries to get his help in protecting Jin Ling, since Jin sect leaders haven’t had very long life expectancies in recent years.

Nie Huaisang looks at him. ‘You are confusing me, Clan Leader Jiang, perhaps I misunderstand, but…’

‘You didn’t misunderstand. You don’t misunderstand. You understand all of it.’ For six months Jiang Cheng has been mulling this over, and now with Nie Huaisang in front of him he can’t figure out if he most wants to knock him down or kneel at his feet. What he does is try and breathe. Clench his hands at his sides. ‘And now I am going to ask you to do something for me. You have to do something for me. You have to help Jin Ling.’

Nie Huaisang blinks, eyes wide and vacant. ‘Pardon?’

‘I don’t care how you do it. I don’t care what you want from me in exchange. Jin Ling is going to be safe. Jin Ling is going to be the first in his family line to survive to a prosperous adulthood and die safe in his bed with those he loves around him!”

35. Ajar Hearts by Inrainbowz - ~7,400 words, all audiences, Lan Sizhui / Jin Ling - Jin Ling was cursed with his father’s total inability to talk like a normal person to the one he likes. After laughing himself sick about it, Wei Ying decides to help.

“What’s the matter?” Wei Wuxian asked, getting a little worried now, even if Jiang Cheng looked more annoyed than alarmed.

They heard footsteps and voices coming closer, Lan Sizhui polite tone’s and Jin Ling’s brasher one easily recognizable as the young men approached the Frost Pavilion. Lan Jingyi was following, silent as he only was when he was too annoyed at Jin Ling to even answer him.

“Observe,” Jiang Cheng said under his breath.

Puzzled, Wei Wuxian obeyed, and watched the three cultivators walk the path in front of the pavilion.

“It’s nice of you to come visit us at the Cloud Recesses,” Lan Sizhui was saying, sounding honestly pleased. It warmed Wei Wuxian’s heart that his sort-of son liked his difficult nephew – Jin Ling needed more friends.

“I have important matters to address. I didn’t come to see you!” Jin Ling retorted.

Ouch.

36. Exposure Therapy by Lise - ~6,300 words, teen, Jin Ling & Wei Ying - Jin Ling decides that he’s going to help Wei Ying get over his fear of dogs. This story is so soft. Jin Ling just wants his uncle in his life and is trying his best to hold the family he has left as close to him as possible. But he’s Jin Zixuan’s son, raised by Jiang Cheng, so of course it all comes out wrong.

“We’re talking about Wei Wuxian’s dog problem,” he said. “I’m sick of dealing with it. I’m sick of having to send Fairy away every time he’s around.”

“I still don’t see where ‘we’ comes into this,” Lan Jingyi said.

Jin Ling ignored him, keeping his focus on Lan Sizhui instead, who paused and then said, “he has a point. You’re the one with the dog.”

Jin Ling had been told, on occasion, that his scowl was very reminiscent of his uncle’s. He wasn’t sure if it was meant to be a good thing or a bad thing. “I know that. But-” He stopped, expression pinching. With great reluctance, “I don’t know what I should do.”

“Ah,” Lan Jingyi said. “So this is Sect Leader Jin Rulan asking for help.”

That earned another glare. “If you’re going to be like that-”

Lan Sizhui shifted. “It seems like you should start small,” he said.

Jin Ling looked dubious. “Like with a puppy?”

37. The Yunmeng Accords by cafecliche - ~16,000 words, teen, Wei Ying & Jiang Cheng (Wei Ying / Lan Zhan) - This is a story about the Yunmeng brothers trying to slowly mend their broken relationship. There are some stops and starts, but they just about get there in the end. 

Jin Ling stomps across the training hall then, giving the poor shidi an opening to run for his life. “Get up,” he says. “Uncle’s preparing a guest room for you.”

Wei Wuxian raises his head and squints. At the moment, Uncle is not preparing anything. Uncle is still in the next room, watching the two of them through narrowed eyes. But when he catches Wei Wuxian looking, he disappears down the hall.

It’s fair enough. Jiang Cheng can, by Jiang Cheng standards, have a civil conversation with Wei Wuxian now, at least as the husband of a prominent cultivator. Asking him to be nice to his sweaty, potentially contagious former shixiong seems like a bit much. He gave his hospitality, albeit grudgingly. There’s nothing else to expect.

38. some good things by Lise - ~18,300 words, teen, Jiang Cheng & Lan Zhan (Wei Ying / Lan Zhan) - Wei Ying is missing and Lan Zhan reluctantly asks Jiang Cheng for help finding him. Jiang Cheng is definitely, totally, for sure not concerned himself, but he goes anyway.

There was an uncomfortable, uneasy prickling in Jiang Cheng’s stomach that said something’s wrong. It reminded him of the days after he’d come down from the mountain after - after, and found no sign of Wei Wuxian, no word, like he’d simply evaporated into thin air.

Wei Wuxian was not quiet. He was not unremarkable. He was a presence, intrusive and dramatic, always sticking his nose into other peoples’ business, an eternal plague.

And he cared about Jin Ling. And about Lan Wangji. When he attached himself to people, he did not easily abandon them.

Jiang Cheng wasn’t worried. It was just...worrying. Like a potentially destructive child, it felt safer to know where he was.

Here he was, Jiang Cheng thought irritably, once again, spending too much time and energy thinking about Wei Wuxian. He had other things to do. Other matters to consider. Not your problem, he kept repeating to himself. None of your business.

39. All That Dazzling Dawn Has Put Asunder by sealdog - ~10,300 words, all audiences, Jin Ling / Lan Sizhui - Jin Ling decides he’s going to court Lan Sizhui, who isn’t quite sure how he feels about the whole situation. The Jin Ling-Lan Sizhui-Lan Jingyi triumvirate might actually be my favorite. 

“I know, it’s the worst,” Jin Ling grumbled, though there was no heat in his voice, just reluctant pride. He eventually turned away, to face Sizhui, and gave him a swift, almost awkward glance-over. “You- you look nice, by the way.”

Sizhui glanced down at his own formal robes, the cloth embroidered with palest blue in cloud patterns, the edges lined with heavier embroidery, the wide belt, made of a stiffer material than his usual sash. He rarely had a chance to wear such a formal outfit, and the extra layers were a stifling reminder of the need for propriety.

“Thank you, Sect Leader Jin,” he said warmly. “You’re looking very dashing yourself.”

40. ** A Civil Combpaign series by Ariaste - ~31,000 words, teen, Jin Ling / Lan Sizhui (Jin Ling & Wei Ying) - What starts off as Jin Ling believing that Lan Sizhui would make a good political match for marriage turns into Jin Ling falling in love and finding himself helplessly out of his depth. The second fic is the story from Wei Ying’s perspective, as he deals with a nephew in love and a husband who doesn’t want to lose his son.

He reviewed his list. Obedient, kind, likable, of good family, a talented cultivator…

He thought of a face, a name--and blinked. Could it have been that easy? Was he missing something? He didn’t think so...

He set down his brush and sat back, looking at the page before him.

Lan Sizhui. He met all the requirements. Loyal, yes--he had called Jin Ling friend within days of meeting him. Obedient, principled, a talented cultivator--all of that was true too, practically guaranteed by his surname, and speaking of carrying the weight of Lan : Good family, good breeding, well-spoken and well-educated.  

Besides that, Sizhui was… very kind. Kind enough to have embarrassed Jin Ling on more than one occasion, kind like it cost him nothing to care about the people around him, kind like it came as naturally as breathing. He’d had Jin Ling’s back on more than one occasion while night-hunting, and they’d saved each other’s lives a dozen times; he could be counted on to do the same in politics. And he was pretty, which was nice. Jin Ling didn’t have many friends, but he supposed Sizhui was one of them.

Jin Ling nodded. A perfect choice, really. That was too easy.

THE UNTAMED FIC REC LIST PART TWO THE UNTAMED FIC REC LIST PART THREE

Find this useful? You can buy me a ko-fi.

[ramp-it-up]

Some Nights

Pairing: Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: Minors DNI, Explicit language, SMUT, explicit hetero sex, same sex explicit sex (f x f), oral sex (f giving/receiving), alcohol induced sex, feeble alcohol hitting, sex under false pretenses, drinking, cheating, lying. All the relationship revenge type angst.

A/N: This is supposed to be a sweet little “breakup to make up” smut prompt ask.  My mind took this waaayyyy left and... well here it is. This is a mess of broken hearts, rebounding, and revenge sex. Please do not read if this is triggering. This is not smut lite.

Also, I know the timeline is wonky, but in this AU In the Heights does not interfere with Lin and Chris touring with FLS.

I MUST thank @einfachniemand for the invaluable advice on the Billie love scene. Could not have done it without her. 🥰

------

8 months later, March 2012

You were with Lin on the rooftop, one of your favorite low key, low cost activities, and the late March air was cool.  The moon was full, and the music from your iPod was right.  Lin-Manuel was keeping you warm in his arms and a blanket that he’d brought.

It was so romantic.  All was right with the world. You thought.

“I’m going to miss you when you are on tour, but the month will fly by and before you know it, we’ll be back up here.” 

You smiled up at him as he held you, trying to keep a brave face because  Lin was leaving in the middle of the week for Barcelona.

“Yeah… about that…” He sat up, moved away from you and cleared his throat.  Then, he looked at you. 

“I think we need to take a break.”

You weren’t sure you’d heard him correctly when he said it.  The smile on your face was frozen in place.

“What?”

“Well, I was talking to Chris...and… Well, I’m not sure that I want to shut myself off from the possibilities in Spain…”

You took a second to process, then you got it. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.  

“Chris told you to dump me so you can go be a hoe in Spain?”

Lin shook his head and frowned.  

“No, no… it wasn’t like that. Chris loves you.  He just asked me some very tough questions about us being apart for a month, and I- I don’t want to hurt you…”

You got up, and grabbed your bottle of wine.

“Might as well do it now, instead of later, hunh?” 

“I think it’s for the best. I’m sorry….”

You were numb. 

“I can’t believe I stuck by you through all the starving artist bullshit, rooftop dates instead of going out, streaming movies instead of seeing shows....”  

You stopped, because you were getting heated, and when you got heated you cried, and you refused to cry in front of Lin.

“To expect you to stick by me for four weeks while you’re in Spain is too much to ask. I guess..” 

You straightened your spine and held your head up.  

“I guess I know that this wasn’t what I thought it was.”

“Have a nice life Lin. When you leave, do not knock on my door. Just go straight to hell.”

-----

Fuck Lin Manuel Miranda

His damn hair, fucking long eyelashes, the little dimples he gets when he gets that little smirk on his fucking stupid beautiful face.

The view from beneath him. Those goddamn lips.

Mutherfukin Lin Manuel Miranda.

You’d let him charm his way into your heart and into your pants. And damn, what he had in his pants gave you so much joy. 

The fact that you were crying was not for Lin.  You were crying for being too trusting and too liberal with your heart.  

You weren’t going to let anyone have a chance to break it again. 

Yes, that was the reason. 

You didn’t miss Lin at all.

-----

Mayra gave you the long weekend to be pitiful, and then you had to get back on your grind, and moving on with your life without Lin.

Your best friend since middle school felt guilty because she’d introduced you to him, a friend of a friend, one night at a bowling alley.  

You and Lin had hit it off immediately. Very immediately, in fact, and were inseparable for a solid 8 months.

But despite feeling bad about it, Mayra wasn’t about to let you mope around and waste your life missing him. And she was right.

Lin left for Barcelona on a Wednesday, and by Saturday night, you were out with Mayra, mingling and meeting new people. 

Mayra’s scene wasn’t your scene, but everybody was nice, fun, and attractive.  You weren’t really with it, but you’d be damned if you were going to wither away in your room.

You had just finished dancing with Mayra and her friends and you needed to sit this one out. 

The 6-inch heels you were wearing and the blazer over lingerie top look was not a good combination for vigorous dancing.  

You were hot and your feet were killing you.

You nursed your drink and watched your bestie having fun, when someone approached you.

Gorgeous lips, caramel skin and stunning brown eyes sized you up. 

Why is it always the eyes? You felt something that you weren’t too sure about.

“I like the way you make that pink push up bra look intellectual.”

Curious and amused, you looked into the brown eyes and laughed.

“I’m Billie.”

She extended her hand and you shook it. You knew what kind of bar this was, but you weren’t expecting this. 

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Oh.  I’m, I’m not…”

Billie flashed a gorgeous smile at you.

“Relax. You’re cute, but I can tell, you ain’t ready for this yet.  I just had to come say hi, though.  Drinks....As friends?”

You accepted and spent the night dying laughing at your new friend’s witticisms.

----

The next week, you were chilling with Billie at the crib, along with a bunch of other folks that Mayra had invited over.  

You were on the roof, telling her all about Lin, and you started to cry again.

“...And then he just, breaks up with me because he wants to go to Spain and fuck Spanish FLS groupies…..”

It was about the 10th time that you’d cried about it. You were tired of hearing yourself.  Billie just rubbed your back and listened. 

“I would never put up with that from a man. And you shouldn’t either.”

 When you started sobbing, she apologized. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s…... okay….”  you gasped, trying to calm down.

She hugged you, rubbing your back and pressing you close.  

You felt some kind of way and pulled back.

“Bill… I don’t want to lead you on.”

Billie just smiled that gorgeous smile. 

“It’s cool. No stress. I’m just here to listen. Let’s go back downstairs.”

You nodded and rejoined the party, feeling more comfortable with Billie than before, partly because she was giving you some space.  

You couldn’t help but sneak glances as she mingled with everyone at the party and when your eyes met. Whew.

Who knew?

----

The next week, you were in your apartment with Billie again, this time, alone.

You’d invited her over, because she was quickly becoming the person you most liked to talk to and you hadn’t really talked in person since the previous weekend.

You gave her a glass of wine and settled down onto the couch, comfortable in your tank top and sweatpants.  Not seductive at all.

Billie looked cute as always in button down blue silk shirt and jeans with her hair up. 

“I want to apologize for last week. I just vomited my emotions all over you and you were nothing but amazing about it.”

Billie laughed. She was so damn beautiful.

“I told you no worries!”

“Can I ask you a question? Why are you doing all this for me?”

Billie took a drink and set her glass down on the coffee table. She leaned back on the couch.

“Do you mean do I have any ulterior motives?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, no question that I think you are attractive, and that I would love…”  

She shook her head and straightened up.

“But, I’ve fallen for enough straight-but not so straight women to know that I should let you make the first move.”

She bit her lip and you put your wine down because it was making you warm.

You reached for and grabbed her hand. You shifted it to entwine your fingers with hers.

You kissed her palm and drew her closer to you, her hovering over you on the couch. She didn't move, forcing you to bring your neck up to kiss her lips tentatively and softly. 

You wrapped your arms around her waist and brought her body down to rest next to yours on the couch and looked into her eyes. You ran your hand down the side of her body, feeling all of her curves. And you moved to kiss her again. 

This time her soft lips opened to accept your tongue and you played hide and seek, exploring.

You pulled back to look at her again, giggling now, a smile plastered on her face. 

“I’ve been waiting for you to do that for two weeks,” Billie whispered in your ear before kissing your neck. 

Her fingers rubbed teasingly at the skin where your tank top had ridden up, and rotated around to your ass, fingers slipping into the back of your sweats. 

You moaned softly as she tugged your earlobe between her teeth and then kissed along your jawline.

You wanted to feel her, so you brougt your hand up her side to feel her breast over her shirt, and found it warm and soft to the touch, except for the hardening nipples that you gently played with.

Looking into her eyes, you saw the desire there and leaned over to kiss her again. She kissed you back harder, pushing her hands deeper into your sweats and cupped your ass with both hands, kneading your flesh tenderly.

You wanted her to touch you at your core, but her teasing fingers never seemed to get there. 

Next, she moved one hand from your butt to pull up your tank top, exposing your nipple to the cool air of the room.

She took your breast in her hand and squeezed it, thumb running lightly over your nipple. You moan and leaned back while putting your hands in her hair.

Billie moaned and ran her thumb over your nipple and teased them until they were achingly hard and sensitive. 

When she leaned down and kissed the top of your breast, making her way slowly, oh so slowly to your nipple, it caused your pussy to ache and throb while soaking your panties.

You groaned in frustration as she continued to tease you for a while before her mouth reached your nipple, moaning around it and sucking gently at first before picking up intensity. 

Her hand moved to the front of your pants, tracing your wet lips through your panties but applying no pressure. 

You were a moaning, quivering mess as you rocked against her fingers, trying to get what you needed.

Billie separated from you to take off her shirt, smiling at you as you shed your clothes. 

She looked over your body and brought her eyes up to yours, smiled into them, and took your face in her hands.

Next, those hands roamed down your body, circling slowly, grasping gently here and there, teasing you to a soaking wet mess on the couch cushions.

“Please!” you whispered, squirming in agony.

Billie chuckled and held your gaze as her hand finally rested in your core, lightly pinching your clit between her fingers. She just played with it as you moaned beneath her.

“I love watching you like this,” she whispered as she teased you some more. “Do you like it?”

She looked so cute as she asked, but all you can do is nod and bite your lip.

She smiled at you and lowered her head to your skin while you watched intently. She kissed and sucked at the skin on your stomach and thighs, looking up to establish eye contact again and again.

You whined and tried to keep still as she neared your core and gently opened your thighs. She looked at you for the longest time before her mouth met your pussy and finally licked through your folds.

You shuddered, already almost cuming as you waited for more.

She kept eye contact with you as she sucked your clit gently, humming while you quivered in her mouth. She then traced her tongue around your entire cunt, kissing and sucking those lips gently, but expertly.

Finally, she manipulated your clit with her tongue, and alternated that with inserting it far inside you as she could go.

When she sucked hard at it, you came, feeling like you never had before.

Somehow, you wound up on the floor in her arms. 

And the night had just begun.

 -----

May 2012

You walked home slowly from the subway, trying to think of a good reason not to get there. 

You felt like throwing up, knowing that Lin would be there on your rooftop with the rest of FLS. You did not want to face him.

It had been almost two months since you last saw him and you were having fun with Billie. She stopped you from wondering just who you were. The love you had for her was real.

But there was some reason, which you did not want to name, that caused you not to want to see Lin. 

You saw his face often enough when you awoke, in that space between dream and reality.  That was sufficient torture, aside from having to see him in person at an event that was supposed to be fun.

But Mayra had started to harass you two weeks ago.

"Come on! You've got to be there on my birthday. I’ll make sure Lin doesn't bother you, but UTK won’t come without him and I’m trying to get that D again.  I need it to survive. Don't you love me?” 

She pouted at you and when that didn’t seem to work, she resorted to outright threats. 

“I’ll never speak to you again if you don't come.”  

This continued every day until the party.

Being trapped on a rooftop with Lin for three hours wasn't your idea of fun. 

Anymore. 

And to top it off, Billie had to work tonight. This sucked big time. But you had decided to be there for your friend.

"She better know I love her, " you whispered to yourself as you stepped out on the roof.

You were greeted by Chris almost as soon as you arrived. He enveloped you in a bear hug. You stiffly hugged him back. You still felt some kinda way.

He held you away from him. 

"You look good, girl, long time no see!”

You nodded at him stiffly. “How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, promoting and stuff. The Spain trip was good."

You nodded again and looked around the roof.

“He told me he would stay away from you.”

You looked back at Chris. “Who?”

“You know who.”  You just smiled tightly and looked down.

“What’s up with you?” His voice was suspicious.

You looked up and stared him straight in the eye, not wanting to be intimidated.

“I don’t know Chris? Just maybe you told my boyfriend to break up with me so he could hoe around Europe with you guys. That was a little annoying.”

Chris raised his arms in self defense.

“Wait a minute, Missy.  I did not tell him that.  What I told him was that if he could not definitely, without a doubt, be true to you, that he needed to be straight with you. If he had any doubts at all. That you deserved better.”

You just look up at this big, sweet man and willed yourself not to cry.

“Oh.” That was all you could say.

“But maybe I shouldn’t have said anything because he fucked that whole conversation up and wound up sulking the entire trip. All of his freestyles were about you, you know.”

“I don’t care Chris, because you’re right.  He did fuck up. I’ve moved on.” You held your chin high.

Chris smiled at you. “Too bad for Lin. Your new man is a lucky guy.”

You smiled back. “My new woman is a lucky girl.”

“Oh.” That was all he could say. He recovered quickly however.  “Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Thanks friend.” 

You smiled and gave him a hug, feeling better about a lot of things. Lin Manuel Miranda was a world class idiot.

You grabbed a red solo cup full of something and stood at the railing looking over the city.

"Heyyyy, what's crackin'?" 

You turned around to see Utkarsh  standing behind you. You smiled at him.

 "Hey UTK! What it do?"

"Well, give me a hug. I’ve missed you, too. Mayra won’t let me near you since we’ve been back, I don’t know why.”

You knew why. You hadn't really wanted to see any of the FLS guys since you and Lin broke up.

You hugged him. "She’s probably jealous of our love." You smiled at your friend.

“Right.” Utkarsh smiled at you. Then he frowned. 

“Wait, why would she be jealous?  She said she and I were just friends…” 

You laughed at his back as he went to find Mayra.  Well, you’d manage to wingman without even trying.  Your job should be done for the night. You turned around to leave, running right into Mayra.

"Happy birthday, Bitch!" You squealed and hugged her.

"Thank you, boo! I didn't think you would actually come! I'm so happy!"

"You mean I had a choice? I seem to remember some very specific and lethal threats if I didn't get my ass on this roof tonight."

"No, it's because you love me." Mayra made a face at you. 

"But seriously though. The roof is big enough that you don't have to be near Lin if you don't want to. Try to have a good time."

"Girl, I'm going to have a blast! As long as there is booze and music, I'm good to go." You lied to your bestie.

"Okay girl, do you want me to stay with you so no one will bother you?" 

You knew what she meant.

"No girl, I don't need a bodyguard. Have fun, mingle, be a good hostess. I'll be fine."

You pushed Mayra away from you.

You sighed and walked toward the bar. Before you made it there, you were enveloped in Shockwave and Jelly Donut. They both hugged you, making a sandwich.

"Guys, I can't breathe!" 

They released you, laughing. Shockwave got right to it.

“You know It killed Lin when you two broke up. He was a bitch in Spain."

Your heart clenched. 

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it. I'm just here to have a good time for Mayra. Can we just chill with all that?"

"Okay, okay. I had to try. I know he's an idiot, but..." Sully barreled on. Andrew started poking him in the side. 

"What???”  Andrew gave Sully a look and he was chastened.

“Sorry love. We'll let you go mingle.”

"Yes, thank you." 

You felt like getting good and drunk. You looked at your phone and saw that there were two and a half hours left of the party. Might as well start now. You downed your drink and went to get another.

You ran into Arthur. He winked at you as you apologized. 

"No worries, you better eat something if you are going to drink like that. You can't hang with the big boys like me."

You rolled your eyes and finished the second drink. 

“You’re skinnier than I am, tuh.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about when I say big boy.” 

You looked at him in shock, and then burst out laughing. You loved these guys. Too bad Lin got them in the break up.

You sighed and began working on your third drink.

--------

Lin spotted you when you first stepped on the roof. He moved out of your line of sight and watched as Chris talked to you.

Geez, you were fine as hell. The dress you were wearing was everything and the heels made your ass pop. Damn.

He went and got a drink, still watching you. He felt like a stalker. Chris came over.

"I tried to get her to talk to you, but she wasn't having it." 

They both watched you and UTK talking. 

"Man, you are an idiot. You're lucky you're my brother, or I would kick your ass for letting that go."

“Thanks, my guy.” Lin’s reply was dripping with sarcasm.

“Any time. Next time listen with your big boy brain before you do something that dumb.” 

Lin was ready to fight. Luckily, Chris left. Then UTK came up, talking shit.

"Lin, you douche! How could you be so dumb, man?” 

They watched the Jelly/Shockwave/You sandwich.

"Leave me the fuck alone." 

Lin moved to the other side of the roof where Sully came up to him.  Lin put his hands up.  

“Before you say it, I'm going to stay out of her way. I'm not trying to ruin Mayra’s party. Just about two hours to go."

“Good, because you have fucked this one up royally.” Sully shook his head as Lin stalked off.

----

After some drinks, you started to loosen up and have fun. You danced with Mayra and all of FLS minus one.

You thought you saw Lin a couple of times out of the corner of your eye, but when you looked, he was gone. Every time that happened, you went and got a drink.

By the end of the night, you were looking at the sky and trying to sober up.

"The sky is beautiful tonight."

You jumped. Lin was there, watching you. You just looked at him and started back downstairs.

"Don't leave, please. Let me talk to you."

He followed you down to your apartment.

"You said all there was to say. I'm done."

You put your arms around yourself. All of a sudden you were cold. You stared Lin down, but he didn’t budge.

"What do you want, Lin?"

He sighed. This isn't going to be easy, he thought. He looked into your beautiful eyes and decided to go for it. There was nothing left to lose.

"Honestly? I want you back." His heart was in his throat as he said it.

You closed your eyes. You couldn't go there. No matter what your heart was doing in your chest.

"No. No, you do what you did and you want me to come back? To trust you? You promised you wouldn't hurt me. I can't with you Lin, I just can't."

His heart actually hurt.

"I'm so sorry…. "

You didn't let him finish. 

"Please! Don't give me the same tired old clichés every dude gives their girl when they fuck up!"

You were far from cold now. 

"If I took you back, what's gonna happen the next time you go on tour? I am not a yo-yo Lin!"

Lin reached for you. "It's not going to happen again, I've learned...."

"Don't fucking touch me! You have some muthafuckin nerve!"

Lin kept moving toward you.

"Back the fuck up! Don't come near me! Get off of me!" 

You began hitting him when he took you in his arms.

"Tell me that you don't want me to hold you, that you don't want to be with me. Tell me you don't miss us, this. Tell me that you don't want me to and I'll leave you alone."

Lin pressed himself against you, and you stopped fighting. You melted on the inside. The alcohol had you loose. Suddenly you had a thought.

"Fuck it. You're right. I have missed you." 

You moaned as he put his lips on your neck. You wanted him so badly. 

"Let's go in here." You nodded toward your bedroom.

Lin's heart leapt and he gladly followed you.

You attacked him when you got inside. 

"Whoa, hold up...."

"No, let's do it. Don't say anything or I will change my mind." 

You turned around, pulled your dress up, got on the bed and bent over, ass in the air. 

"Fuck me, Lin. Please."

Lin was confused. One minute you were fighting him, next you were begging for it. But he wasn't going to argue. He wanted you too bad. He moved your panties to the side, took out his hard cock and quickly and roughly entered your warm, tight goodness.

The stretch hurt a little, but it was welcome. It had been a while since you had taken a cock and Lin’s was your favorite. 

You became wet rapidly, and although you wanted Lin to hurt you as a sort of penance, it felt amazing.

"Ohhh, you feel so good. Shit! I've missed this. So tight for me…” 

Lin moaned through his dick wanting to explode.  He hadn’t had anyone else since you, for about three months.

"I said don't talk!" 

You were trying to blank your mind of what you were doing.

Lin felt like right now he was in heaven, and heaven was you. Lin shut up and started giving it to you harder, just like he knew you liked. He smacked your ass, hard.

"Yes, yes, yes. Oh yes!" 

You quivered, especially when he smacked it. Forceful Lin was one of your favorite Lins. Damn. You savored the contact as Lin, all of his manhood, hit your spot. 

It felt so damn good after so much emotion and time.

To Lin, all that mattered was you right now. He fought not to come until he felt your body pounding with your orgasm.

Almost as soon as it was over, you turned around and looked at him. He looked up from buttoning up his pants and smiled. You could tell that he was thinking this was the beginning of your reunion. 

You leaned in and gave him a good, long kiss, preparing to give the greatest acting performance of your life.

"Goodbye, Lin. That was just what I needed. Have a good life."

His goddamn adorable face registered confusion.

"What? What do you mean?"

"This was closure. “

The way his face changed broke your heart.  But he’d broken yours.

Lin was stricken. "But,I love you. That's why I...."

You interrupted him. 

"It's not you, it's me. I needed that to get you out of my system. "

You looked at him coldly, a mess on the inside.

"That's not all we have. We love each other!” Lin was trying to make sense of the situation. 

“You're telling me that after this you don't want to get back together?" He couldn't believe what you were saying. 

"As far as getting back together, we're not. This didn't mean anything; I am drunk off my ass and I had a lapse in judgement. It's not going to go any further."

"But you love me, I know it." He reached for you.

You moved out of his reach and toward the door.

"I told you, I can't, I won't let my guard down again with anyone. I can't love anymore." 

Lin was looking at you with his mouth open.

You straightened your dress and left your room, ignoring the fact that Lin was calling your name. You were ready to be alone.

There, outside your door, was Billie.

-----

Tagging:  @theatrenerd86 @sebastianabucknettastan @imatyoursurrvicesurr @riiyy​ @ivycomet @sillyteecup  @ohsoverykeri  @theselilwonders  @lonelydance @jbrizzywrites @curtainremote @delaber @honeysucklechocolatedrippin​

[inkofamethyst]

January 20, 2022

Update: math actually sucks and I’m glad to be done with it.  I can say “oh I love problem solving and applying things I’ve learned to new situations” till I’m blue in the face but my true feelings are hiding just beneath the surface and make themselves known as soon as I encounter a problem that is ever so mildly more difficult than anything I’ve done before.  [my sister needed help with test corrections and they were hard (I mean I eventually figured it out but only after giving up lol)]

Okay but,,, Lin Manuel Miranda, am I right?

Listen.  That guy has such a talent for writing musical lines that go on top of one another and build with each other and are separate but flow into and out of one another’s orbits and it’s just kind of incredible.  You can switch between listening to each line individually like changing television stations or you can have them all going at once like you’re listening to four different youtube videos simultaneously but they all line up at certain parts.  Like, I remember doing that one song before the Big Fight in West Side Story and thinking that was cool.  Two summers later I heard Non-Stop for the first time and haven’t been the same since.  We Don’t Talk About Bruno?  Incredible.  I’m sure In the Heights had an example of this too but I can’t recall specifics.

What’s interesting is that concert band/orchestral(/chamber choir too, apparently) music does this type of thing all the time, but the tricky part is the addition of words.  In band, different instruments have different voices, sure, but adding words can make things muddy (I have personal experience with this through singing warmup rounds at choir practices last sem ugh).  Miranda’s music is clean.

Anyway I’m gearing up for next semester (yknow, setting up Notion, clearing out Notability, etc), and I have a look at my schedule and come to find out that I’m taking the less favored prof for both biochem 2 and physics 2 which is lovely (I can tell based on who has the most seats left open lol).  Frankly, I chose to stick with the same phys prof because even though he can’t teach I a) don’t want any classes before 11a this sem, b) want as many of my classes as possible to be back to back instead of having a gaping 2-hour hole between them, and c) got an A in his class last sem despite being frustrated and fed up the whole time so it probably will be annoying but at least it’ll be annoying in a way that I expect.  The only reason I’m taking that biochem 2 prof is because the other one conflicts with my anth class.

Speaking of anth,,,,, I’ve been stressing over the past few weeks bc I couldn’t figure out exactly when the right time would be to send the anth prof an email checkup of like “heyyy I know I’m supposed to TA for you,, are we still cool for that?” because I didn’t wanna be too forward but then it got to the point where I’d waited too long to follow up in my opinion and I was also stressing bc I’ve got the whole imposter syndrome thing climbing up my throat again like bile (you know how it is) and it’s been absolutely paralyzing and the first day of his class is this Tuesday and then today he just goes and sends a casual little email today and is all like “excited to have u as a uta :) also meet ur co-uta she’s been working with me for a bit :)” and honestly that made me feel a little bit calmer.  That’s what I’m thankful for today.  That my fears were unfounded (and that, so far, everything seems to be turning out alright), as they so often are.

Last thing: It’s a crazy thing to be involved on campus.  Over the past few days I’ve received emails from almost all of my major orgs about kickoff meetings and jazz and it’s kinda wild.  That said, seeing the email from the orchestra reminded me that there was one primary goal which I did not complete at all: practicing the concert music.  Not once.  I completed the waistcoat and walking skirt (which I took out for their first spin today actually and it was fabulous (if I get some American Duchesses the skirt length will be perfect)), started on another top instead of the mauve one bc I need to figure out sleeve length stuff (might be able to finish it before I go back), finished my mom’s dress, started Ni No Kuni and Shadow of the Colossus pieces, and started working on my summer plans.  So while I didn’t complete everything, I did do quite a bit, and I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish.

[keepingupwithlinmanuel]

In The Heights' Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast break down new trailers and movie's long journey to screens

It’s been three years since the In The Heights cast spent a summer in Washington Heights filming the big screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit. In all it’s been almost 20 years since Miranda first envisioned a musical that represented the world he grew up in. “No one was was writing parts for people like him, so he wrote them,” In The Heights’ film director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) told reporters this weekend ahead of the release of two new trailers. “No one was writing parts for his community, so he wrote them.”

...

On adaption the beloved stage musical for the screen

Quiara Alegría Hudes: I want to take it as an opportunity for people who already know and love musical to discover even new things in it, as opposed to try to make the same experience. Keep the heart and soul and add to it, and go new and surprising places too, so that you can have an even deeper experience if you already know it. Lin-Manuel Miranda: I have to say, Jon, I think, dreamed bigger than any of us in terms of the size and scope of this. We spent our summer [of 2018] on 175th St. and Autobahn. You know, he was committed to the authenticity of being in that neighborhood.... And then also, when it comes to the production numbers, dreaming so big, I mean this is a big movie musical. I think we’re so used to asking for less—just to ask to oscupy space, as Latinos. Like, let us make our little movie. And Jon, every step of the way, was like, ‘No. This is a big movie. These guys have big dreams. We’re allowed to go that big. And I’m just so thrilled with what he did because I think it’s bigger than any of us ever dreamed.

On the universality of the story

Lin-Manuel Miranda: When we’re first generation kids and we come from somewhere else, we always wonder what it would be like if our parents had stayed. You know, those questions of home being real personal. Like, what does home meant to me? And every character is sort of answering it in a different way. For some people, home is somewhere else. For some people, home is the block there. And so, you know, that’s that’s worth singing about. That’s worth celebrating in a movie this size. Jon M Chu: I was so lucky to be invited into [Lin’s and Quiara’s] homes, literally—they’re all in Washington Heights. To meet the block, meet the people who they get their café con leche from, their piragua guy. All those things, I got to witness. And it reminded me, [as it did] when I saw the show on Broadway years and years ago, of my own upbringing—even though I was not from Washington Heights. I’m from the completely other side of the country, a Chinese family and a Chinese restaurant. I recognize all the love. I recognize the characters. I recognize the aunties and uncles who raise you and say, “I love you” by their food. And you have to decode everything that they’re putting on you from their own baggage, but then you have to pick up your own and make your own path. And I love that this story that they’ve created has no villain. It’s everyone’s internal struggle on the path they want to make to their future. And to me, that’s really what home is. This is not a destination. It’s the people around you on your journey, and everyone finds their own way and finds what home means to them in their own way. And all of that is okay.

...

On writing the female characters in the film

Quiara Alegría Hudes: It’s so fun and so thrilling. You know, growing up, the beauty standard I saw in magazines did not reflect the beauty standards I saw in abuela’s living room on the block, which had all different body types, all different hair textures, all different skin tones. And we would just celebrate it. And you would own it, who you were. I was it was the plucking, and the spraying, and everything. And it was also about just the spirit of celebration as you were getting ready or getting dressed, and the fun of that. And so, the opportunity to really say, “Well, here’s another notion of beauty that’s more expansive, and here’s how we take up space as we’re getting ready for the day.” It was so fun.

On making Carla and Daniela’s relationship a romantic one for the film

Stephanie Beatriz: Quiara and Jon really expanded on what Lin and Quiara originally created, and now they’re partners–and not just work partners but they’re life partners. And what was so gratifying to me, as a person who is queer, is to see this relationship in the film be sort of just part of the fabric of their community, and be normal, and be happy and functioning, and just part of the quilt that they’ve all created.