#and writes the magazine article snippets

[wraithsoutlaws]

i need to make a proper media for rattus rattus au ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

[thatneoncrisis]

are you comfortable sharing fic/nonfiction you’ve read for some of your fics? I remember you talking about dune for the john&harrow role swap fic

heres some of the books ive been sniffing at. mostly for preparing to work on orginal fiction. not for the purposes of reading fanfic i just like to read. but inspiration followed. or i heard about it after id started writing abs tge stiry mutated WHATEVER

dune

lolita

hans christian anderson/grimms brother fairy tales

journey to the west

carmilla

never whistle at night

stone butch blues

hijab butch blues

the last unicorn

earthsea

we have always lived in the castle

a pdf i found of quim issue #5, dyke magazine from i believe the london area. unironically i like it for the articles

i definitely need to add more nonfiction/actual research material to this. my primary focus is things written about fables/fairytales/ ect from north and east africa, the culture of morocco and egypt and ethiopia, something to get me more familiar with muslims, the lives of russian immigrants in the us during the 80s-late 2000s, how monarchy works in different parts of africa, anything i can learn about the kingdom of aksum, peoples history of the west indies, up to date information about intersex diagnosisand experiences, being butch/gender non-conforming and muslim, animals in different regions of africa.

whenever i do Research for fics uuh reading doesnt actually help!

more complexly put, the only Book i have to read to write the locked tomb fic is. the locked tomb. that tells me everything about the vibe and setting, all else that follows is based on media ive already read and like. the RESEARCH part is more me digging through online articles, videos and little snippets of the thing i want to learn about. i want to have harrow buy gideon a candy basket? i go online and google candy stores that deliver in the new Zealand area where they generally live. i want vampire cythera to talk about her relationship with loveday? i gotta dig though old historical accounts and summaries of maori relations with the first European colonizers that arrived in the late 18th century- what jobs were maori doing, specifically women, what taboo did they have about same sex relations if any, how common was missionary work at the time would a maori woman be convinced to follow the church. i want to write a fic where harrows in college, i dig through websites for universities with medical degrees in the area, how long do they take, what classwork would she have, how big is campus, can she avoid a freshman dorm. i want to write gideon at her moms funeral i fucking DIG UP a nz tv show about a maori owned and run funeral home and look for an episode focusing on tangihangas so i can accurately describe the proceedings and location

tldr prepping for a fic is completely different from prepping to write a book so the process of research should differ, and hopefully be more thorough because you actually edit a book and hope people will pay money to read it

[weddingchicken]

reviewing the ranma 1/2 fanzine i made when i was 12 years old.

i just found ranma 1/2 fanzines which I made in 1999 when I was 12 years old. here's a review of the zines - and an attempt at analysing what was going through the head of my younger self.

as professional looking as the 'ranma 1/2 herald' looks, i made these fanzines by curating a combination of pictures I found on the internet, my own art, and my own writing, organised into magazine format - all of which I cut up and pasted by hand onto master sheets and then photocopied to yield the finished product.

what's odd (or one of the many things odd here) is that I had only managed to obtain and read the first few volumes of the ranma 1/2 manga at this point in my life (perhaps only the first three volumes). i had never watched an episode of the anime, and as far as i know it wasn't available in the uk at that time - certainly not on public television (we didn't have cable). furthermore, i didn't have any friends who were interested in ranma 1/2 or even knew what it was or who shared any of my other interests. nevertheless, i wrote the zines in a style as if they would one day be read by other people.

my enthusiasm for ranma, and subsequently the contents of these zines, was driven by my imagination, and what i could find through my relatively new access to the internet, which in turn encouraged my imagination. youtube didn't exist back then, but i remember reading summaries of anime episodes and consuming related media in whatever way i could, e.g. listening to audio files with snippets of the anime dialogue uploaded to ranma fan sites.

the information in my fanzines - the ranma 1/2 herald #1 and #2 - are heavily supplemented with my own creative additions to the ranma 1/2 universe, including what i now realise to be fanfiction - or attempts at roleplay - my own creative original characters and stories, and something of an obscured view of our own world.

parts of the zines are written in what I considered to be the voice and from the perspective of ranma 1/2 characters.

really not sure what was going on with the alignment of the page numbers on the contents page...

the zines contained fact files on characters and various other elements of the story. again, as much as i was fascinated by the franchise, i was working with very little information here. so i didn't let a little thing like not knowing many facts prevent me from writing these fact files.

much of the zines were taken up with displays of images i'd found online which i thought were just rad.

some good old school microsoft word clipart included

let's take a moment to appreciate this image of shampoo and mousse which i made on microsoft paint (i could create better art with physical media, but doing it digitally seemed exciting). i had not even read any manga where mousse was introduced by this stage, but i had read about him online.

other content included a ranma 1/2 alphabet: i matched a to z with characters, themes, and concepts from the franchise. highlights include:

Q is for questionable conduct, as many characters in Ranma are known to prance around shamelessly naked - most noticeable of these people is Ranma. (tsk, tsk) V is for VIOLENCE! Z is for zeal, a common problem with those characters who would like to win the girl, but Ranma just can'tbe [sic] bothered

my exploration of what windows 95 had to offer was not restricted to microsoft word clipart - i found the esoteric fonts of "windings" and "animals" fascinating. i felt like i was translating my writing into Egyptian hieroglyphics and back.

i also seemed to want to use the fanzine to promote my own original manga series. this is despite the fact that my original manga did not exist outside of my imagination. this didn't stop me including a summary article of the background story of my manga, which i called Kung Fu City. i also wrote about something called the Ultra Tokyo Files which, as far as i can surmise, was a planned sub-series of Kung Fu City. i do remember being very determined that i would create my own manga series called Kung Fu City when i was a child, and must have had fairly developed ideas about this, given what i wrote in the zines about my original universe, original characters, and original storylines. as you can see below, the principles of the Kung Fu City manga are 1) very little actual conversation; 2) non-stop sound effects and violence; 3) a debatable amount of humour (i don't know what I was getting at with point 3).

as you can see, i imagined Kung Fu City into history. i described it as having started in 1989, when i was two years old. what's more, i claimed that it was an influential factor in nunchaku being banned in the united kingdom! what a feat! so, through my zines, i seemed to be creating an alternative reality - not just an alternative ranma 1/2 universe, as many makers of fanfiction and fan comics do, but an alternative version of the "real world".

furthermore, i included a promotional segment from Kung Fu City in the zines - presented as if it was a preview of material from the part-way through the manga run. except, i created these panels specifically for the zines. there was no Kung Fu City before this or after this. just this.

i could really go on and on about the idiosyncrasies of my fanzines, but I will finish by bringing up the conversations i "had" with the characters. this includes the interview i "held" with ranma. as in, i wrote an article about me interviewing ranma saotome, the fictional character.

unfortunately, 12-year old me made the unusual editorial decision to print out my article on dark blue paper before photocopying it as black and white. as such, the interview article is difficult to read. if this post gets any interest and people want to read my conversation with Ranma (it was um...something) then i will make a post with the contents of this interview.

i also had a letters page where I encouraged my hoped-for readers to write in. but not to me. i asked them to address their letters to the characters of the kuno siblings - kodachi and tatewaki kuno. i went on to write letters from imaginary fans to the kunos, and wrote responses to the letters in the voice of kodachi or tatewaki.

a one sentence response from the imaginary character kodachi kuno (aka. the black rose) to a letter from a fan (also imaginary). i'm sure this was normal behaviour from a 12-year old.

i recognise this now as ranma 1/2 fanfiction. what's more, I think this was roleplay. i didn't have anyone else to roleplay ranma with, so i roleplayed with myself. no one else read my articles or any other aspects of my zines. i think i would have wanted to share my passion with someone else, i just didn't have anyone to do it with. so, if nothing else, i made these zines for my own enjoyment. z really was for zeal!

i was a lonely 12-year old wannabe weeaboo who supplemented my lack of money to spend on the ranma 1/2 franchise and lack of access to the fandom with my imagination and creativity. some of the world i conveyed in these zines was bizarre, but it was creative. and maybe now - 25 years later - someone else will finally read my zines.

[taste-your-silhouette]

Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams

Pairings: Vic De Angelis xfem!reader

Contents: Fluff, SMUT

Summary: You're an up-and-coming actress, and Vic's best friend since high school. You have been friends and in love with each other for as long as you can remember. So when you have the chance to be together, it's magical.

Words: ~2276

A/N: Firstly, English isn't my native language, so pleeease forgive me if you come across any errors while reading. It's my first fanfiction, but I've planned it so so so much and I sincerely hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!

"Well, she is..." A torrent of reminiscences flooded your mind, evoking memories of your youthful days, your time together in high school, and the challenging battles you fought to progress in your careers, always finding each other and nurturing your affection whenever circumstances permitted. "the love of my life."

In that poignant moment, it felt as though the air itself froze in your lungs, while a profound chill coursed through your entire being, setting your stomach aflutter.

"So, enlighten us on the factors contributing to your current state of not being together," the interviewer probed.

"We're constantly in each other's company, you know, whenever we can orchestrate it," you responded with a chuckle. "We're currently living the pinnacle of our lives, I mean, career-wise, you know? Måneskin is rocking it worldwide and I've got a TV series and two movies in the pipeline. It's quite a juggling act. Therefore, we're doing our utmost, just going with the flow."

You and the journalist continued to engage in lively discussions covering various topics, including your professional journey and the prospects of your upcoming projects. However, it was the part about your personal life that made you the most jittery. You had openly professed your love for Victoria in an interview for one of the biggest magazines in the world. Not that you both had never expressed your feelings for each other before, but this was different.

"What is the projected publication date for the article?" you inquired of the journalist.

"In a fortnight. Why do you ask? Regretting any of your statements?" she inquired, with a touch of suspicion yet clandestinely relishing the notion of your potential regret.

"Oh, not in the slightest," you responded, chuckling. "Simply curious."

🎸

"Guess who's rocking the cover of Rolling Stone!" your publicist burst into the dressing room, where you were getting ready for a TV show.

"Finally!" You widened your eyes and asked for a moment to quickly skim through the article. Of all the topics discussed, the focal point inevitably became your heartfelt declaration of love for Victoria, as though you had never before professed your love to her.

As you read snippets of the article, your phone rang, and a snapshot of you and Vic materialized with her name.

"Ciao cuore mio," you enthusiastically answered the call.

"So, am I really the love of your life?" Vic responded, her smile palpable.

"Did you read the magazine? I forewarned you, they would exploit it shamelessly, akin to treasure seekers lusting after gold."

"I only read the parts that piqued my interest, obviously. You look absolutely hot in the photoshoot they did. I want a poster of each of those pictures to plaster on the ceiling of every hotel I stay at during our tour." You struggle to contain your laughter, but it's futile.

You both shared a laugh for a moment. You needed to get back to doing your makeup, but hearing Victoria's voice was so invigorating. You missed her immensely.

"I wanna see you. It's been far too long since our last encounter, I can't bear it any longer," Victoria whispered the final sentence, sending shivers down your spine.

You were aware that the band was in the midst of their tour, so if you didn't go to meet her, you wouldn't be able to see each other.

"I have a recording session today, but I'm available all weekend. Where will you be?"

"Hmmm, we'll be passing through Germany. We have a concert in Berlin today and another in Cologne tomorrow. I'll have Sunday free. Fancy a little adventure around Germany?"

"Only if I have a backstage pass for the concert in Cologne."

"You always do, Y/N," Victoria replied confidently.

"Deal, now I have to go, I'm running terribly late. See you there."

🎸

At 7pm, you strolled into the dressing room accompanied by the security guards. Vic, Thomas and Ethan were gathered in a room adorned with an array of intriguing items, and serendipitously, you entered just as Victoria enveloped Thomas from behind, insinuating an intimate encounter. The vibrant energy exuded in that moment reignited a sense of belonging within you.

"I can't believe I made it to this amazing gathering!" You exclaim boisterously, bursting into laughter.

"Now the Måneskin is complete!" Thomas bellows, thrusting his hands into the air as he approaches to embrace you.

"Mia cara amica Y/N, I saved some slices of pizza for you," Ethan chimes in, hugging you while holding his drumsticks.

Damiano appears, shouting something incomprehensible, and in an instant, you find yourself on his shoulders.

"She's the love of my life," Damiano exclaims, mimicking your voice and bursting into laughter. "I've loved her ever since I grasped the true meaning of love. So much love for her!"

You close your eyes and burst into laughter as Damiano playfully mocks you, creating a nostalgic atmosphere where you all feel like carefree teenagers once again.

Suddenly, Victoria appears, perched atop Ethan's shoulders, mirroring your playful stance. You lock eyes, and in that moment, the world seems to stand still, leaving only the two of you. Having been apart for several months, every reunion is an explosion of emotions. One particular phrase she shared with you after a year-long separation still resonates: "I wanna swim between your thighs” Not long after that, Victoria confessed that, inspired by the night you spent together, she wrote "For Your Love" in just 20 minutes.

Your train of thought was abruptly halted when Damiano playfully released you, allowing Victoria to seize your face with both hands. With a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, she examined your features before planting a passionate kiss on your lips.

Regrettably, the kiss was short-lived, as they needed to take the stage. You accompanied them backstage, assisting Damiano and Thomas with their attire. When you approached Victoria to lend a hand, she awaited you with a radiant smile.

"I promise, once we're finished, I'll be completely devoted to you," she pledged, punctuating her words with one final kiss before donning her blazer.

"Oh, baby, rest assured, I'll be right here, hungrily devouring every captivating moment of the concert, my desires ignited by your mesmerizing performance."

"Mmm, I can feel the exhilaration coursing through my veins, knowing that this time, those deliciously naughty cravings will surpass your wildest imagination and materialize into an intoxicating reality."

She gave you a mischievous grin and, before turning towards the stage, playfully blew you an air kiss.

The concert was absolutely mind-blowing. The four of them were rocking it harder than ever, and your heart swelled with pride, having been there since their very first dream of starting a band and supporting them through every phase. Whenever Victoria had a chance to come backstage, she would shower you with passionate kisses, leaving you breathless.

By the end of the concert, they were buzzing with energy.

"You guys were fucking amazing!! I love you so much, I missed you!"

"We missed you too!" Ethan shouted over the roaring crowd, and Thomas nodded in agreement.

"Now that you're a big-shot actress, it's rare to see you tagging along to concerts with us," teased Damiano, laughing and tousling his hair. "But enough with this drama, I know you and Victoria are burning up inside. So go on, go head to the hotel and have a blast!"

"Next time, I'll bring Giorgia along so you won't be bored out of your mind, alright?"

We were teasing each other while Victoria changed outfits, and when she emerged in a different ensemble from the one she wore on stage, you, Damiano, and Thomas attempted to mimic a challenging dance move Thomas had seen on TikTok. Ethan, on the other hand, dared you to perform the same dance while he evaluated and gave it a rating.

As soon as you laid eyes on her, she looked absolutely stunning, even more down-to-earth than she did just moments ago on stage.

"Alright, enough fooling around, I've won, and my prize is Victoria. See you later." You halted the dance, approached Victoria, and planted a kiss on her lips.

🎸

You hop into an Uber to head back to the hotel, chatting away during the ride. Conversation has never been an issue for you both—you always have so much to catch up on since your lives are jam-packed, leaving little time for heart-to-heart talks.

"Last week, I was in Paris, did you catch that? Y/N, I stumbled upon this incredible restaurant that we absolutely have to try together. It's right up your alley, with all your favorite things. The whole time I was there, I couldn't stop thinking about you," she confessed.

"Was that the day you called me, and I couldn't pick up?"

"Yes, exactly! I just wanted to hear your voice. Sometimes it sucks being so far away from you," she replied, her gaze lowered as her hand gently glided up your thighs.

"We've arrived," the driver announces, and you step out of the car.

The moments leading up to entering Victoria's hotel room were a whirlwind for you, consumed by thoughts of indulging in every inch of her captivating form.

As soon as she locked the door behind you, her eyes locked onto yours, a potent mix of desire and admiration shining through. You yearned for her, craving her presence in every imaginable way. With a seductive grin, Vic shrugged off her jacket, revealing a tantalizing hint of her confidence. Closing the distance between you, she extended her hand and deftly slipped the coat off her shoulders, letting it fall carelessly to the floor.

"Now you're all mine," she whispered, pressing her lips against your exposed shoulders, playfully nibbling at your neck.

"And you're all mine, just us here," you whispered, your voice laced with possessiveness and adoration. With a gentle caress, you twirled a strand of her hair around your finger, relishing in its silky touch against your skin. In that moment, the world faded away, leaving only the two of you entwined in a uniquely intimate bond.

With a daring move, she firmly grasped your hips, asserting her dominance. In one swift motion, she pressed you against the wall, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. A surge of anticipation shot through you as your back met the unyielding surface.

Driven by a heady mix of desire and control, her hands began their ascent. One arm encircled you possessively, drawing you closer, while the other embarked on a tantalizingly slow journey, inching higher and higher. The tension mounted, testing your patience, until at last, she cupped your breast, igniting a surge of pleasure that rippled through your entire being.

Vic pulled back her hands with a mischievous grin.

"Not yet," she said, slowly stepping backward toward her bed, still holding your hand, her gaze fixed on you.

She undressed you completely, leaving you completely naked. A triumphant smirk played on her lips as she pushed you onto the bed, delighting in the sight of her breasts bouncing.

"I missed you so much," she whispered.

Crawling on top of you, she captured your wrists, trapping you beneath her. Her lips crashed against yours, trailing down to your chin and neck. She ravished your skin, sucking and nibbling, leaving a trail of moist kisses in her path. Then, with purposeful motion, she positioned her knee between your thighs, pressing it against your moist center. A gasp escaped her lips as you instinctively moved your hips forward.

She showered your body with kisses, leaving love bites on your sides, hips, and thighs. Her gentle touch caressed your heated skin, sending shivers of delight through your body. Vic reveled in teasing you, savoring the sound of your moans. At last, she focused her attention on your most sensitive areas, her mischievous grin fueling your excitement.

Her fingers embarked on a tantalizing dance, teasing your folds and stroking your clit. As she slid two fingers inside you, she lowered her face, nestling it between your thighs. Vic's warm breath against your skin sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body. With deliberate slowness, she lavished your clit with a long, languid lick, her tongue pressing firmly against it. Your moans filled the air as you instinctively reached out, tangling your fingers in her blonde locks, pulling her closer to you.

Vic increased the speed of her fingers, skillfully exploring every inch of her pulsating pussy, creating a symphony of juicy, tantalizing sounds. She eagerly sucked on your clit, simultaneously thrusting her fingers in and out with rapidity. The intensity heightened, your muscles tensing, and your body edging closer to the precipice. You couldn't help but let out loud moans, the pleasure intensifying within you.

And then it happened. Your climax crashed over you like a wild wave, and you couldn't suppress the loud scream that escaped your lips. Waves of ecstasy engulfed you as you experienced the euphoric release.

Vic continued to bestow attention on your sensitive folds, indulging in a few more licks of your pussy before planting a gentle kiss on your thigh, a silent sign of satisfaction.

"I missed you so, so much," she whispered, her mouth and chin still glistening, soaked with anticipation.

"Well, now it's my turn..." you whispered, a mischievous grin spreading across your face as you pulled her down, aligning your eyes with hers.

You pressed your lips against hers in a passionate kiss, and then shifted on top of her, reversing roles. This time, you took the lead and embarked on fulfilling her deepest desires, transporting her to euphoric heights just as she had done for you.

[foxspirit1928]

Miss Fisher Snippets (231)

Not until I recently re-watched this episode did it dawn on me that Bert and Cec must have stationed at Aunt P’s place before Arthur’s passing, and they spent time with him singing “There’s a long, long trail a-winding”. Seeing that it cheered Arthur up, Aunt P tolerated (and even appreciated) their company. It’s a wonder that Bert was able to bite his tongue the whole time without giving Aunt P a piece of his mind about what he really thought about Dr. Samuel and his outrageously expensive “doctoring”.

Speaking of music therapy, according to the American Music Therapy Association, the earliest known reference appeared in 1789 in an article in Columbian Magazine titled “Music Physically Considered”. In the 1800s, more writings on the therapeutic value of music appeared in medical journals, including the first recorded music therapy intervention in an institutional setting. After WWI (and later WWII), community musicians of all types, both amateur and professional, went to Veterans hospitals to play for the veterans suffering physical and emotional trauma from the wars, and the profession formally began.

Since music therapy was still at its infancy in 1928/1929, no wonder Bert and Cec were skeptical of such practice, especially when excessive dollar amount was associated with it. Was Dr. Samuel a pioneer or a charlatan? I guess it depends on who you ask. Regardless, nowadays the benefits of music therapy (e.g. improving sleep quality, coping with stress, increasing cognition and slowing the deterioration of memory loss for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, etc.) have been recognized and generally accepted. What’s more, research studies of music-based interventions (i.e. music therapy) do not show any negative effects per NIH (National Institutes of Health), except that listening to music at too high a volume can contribute to hearing loss.

Have you any personal stories to share about the benefits of music therapy?

(Posted 22-Feb-2025)

[nauticalparamour]

Sneak Peek 2 | Falling Into Place

This Marcus x Hermione will be posted on 5/1. Listen, I've been dealing with the absolute worst vertigo and haven't been able to write anything at all, so please enjoy this snippet of the story to come!

Flint, it seemed, was offended by her statement. “Listen, it’s not like I was out here looking to be your soulmate either,” he groused. “I just thought it was going to be a laugh. I didn’t realize that I was going to be stuck to you. Literally.”

Hermione sat down at the breakfast table. “He’s right. Even if the spell thinks that Flint and I somehow are soulmates, the magazine doesn’t say absolutely anything about us being bound together by some sort of proximity spell,” she said, her eyes roving over the article that Warrington had provided. “And it doesn’t explain this new jewelry that I was given.”

If she had been looking up, she would have noticed Pucey’s face going sheet white. “Oh Salazar,” he whispered, pressing his hands to his cheeks, before pulling her hand across the table to look at the blue colored runes.

Hermione grimaced. “Do you recognize them?” she asked, curious. “I thought it might be some dialect of Elder Futhark.”

“Not Elder Futhark,” Pucey said, swallowing thickly.

“Oh look! Marcus, you have one, too,” Warrington said brightly, apparently oblivious to the worry that the other three were facing.

[heyjude19-writing]

hello! i've got some writing questions! Do you outline? what's your writing process like? any writing advice? any books about writing or dialogue or plot that you would recommend? thanks! love your fics <3

hello there! i love writing questions.

1.) I do outline! it's actually my favorite part of the writing process. every writer probably has a different preference for outlining, and mine is on the more chaotic end, i think. it's chronological, but mostly bullet points and dialogue snippets, half-formed scenes that excite me, etc. i feel the most free, creatively, at this point. anything i think up gets thrown on here and then when i feel like there's enough of a story to pursue, i go in and write right within that outline to flesh it all out and string it together.

2.) my writing process involves a lot of daydreaming and thinking through scenes ten different ways before I go write them down. I make a story playlist. I dig into the vibes i want to feel while reading and writing this story. then, per my outline response, i go into my outline and see what excites me about the story and where i'd like to focus my energy. i generally won't fully commit to a story idea unless i have a beginning and an end i want to work towards.

3.) writing advice: find what works for you and throw the rest out. for me, writing sprints are a HUGE motivator for me to get words on a page. i also dont always write a story chronologically, but skip around my outline based on what interests me. i have to have music. don't box yourself into a particular method or style just because it works for one writer. you may need complete silence, or a designated spot in your home to work, or maybe even a schedule. try out some routines and see what sticks.

4.) im not one for books on writing, so perhaps others can weigh in on any that might have helped them. i will say that for dialogue specifically, listening to transcripts has helped me a lot. pay attention to speech fillers when you hear real conversations and don't be afraid to have your characters speak imperfectly (bc you want them to sound like real people, right?). also one of the best dialogue tips i ever read was the 'pass the potatoes' tip. basically, if you're having a meal scene, it probably makes sense to have some of the conversation revolve around the setting, to make it feel more natural/immersive and less like your characters could be talking anywhere.

even though i don't read technical books, another tip would be to read widely and pay attention to what writers you admire do in their work. im constantly impressed by writers who are skilled at leaving narrative white space, or who can master large character casts, so i focus on what i want to improve and look for that when im reading novels/fics/magazine articles.

i hope some of this helps you on your writing journey, always happy to chat about writing 🥰

[sophie1973]

Seven Sentence Sunday

Hello lovelies ! I was tagged this week by @onthewaytosomewhere

@wordsofhoneydew @stellarmeadow and @firenati0n

Here is a snippet from chapter 3 of 'Wait for me (to come home)" which will be posted Friday 11.

The first 2 chapters can be found HERE

He doesn’t find much at first, or at least nothing recent. The Mountchristen-Windsor Hotels empire doesn't quite reach the echelons of royalty or celebrity that typically garner constant media attention. The only reason why they made some headlines in gossip rags along the more specialized magazines, was because Mary’s only daughter had married Arthur Fox. For a time, Arthur and Catherine had managed to shield their children from the public eye, but Arthur's death seemed to have opened the floodgates of media scrutiny on the three siblings.

There was not much on Philip, who seemed to be, as Henry told him, a workaholic with an otherwise dull life, at least to the public. This leaves Beatrice - whose struggles with addiction became fodder for sensationalist coverage - and Henry, who was still relatively young when the media spotlight turned his way. Unable to find any substantial controversy surrounding Henry, the tabloids seemed to have latched onto speculation about his sexuality. Alex's stomach churns as he scrolls through malicious headlines and articles, all based on stolen snapshots from what were clearly private gatherings. “Jesus fuck,” he mutters as he keeps reading.  The vitriol spewed by these British tabloids, whether on Henry or his sister, leaves Alex feeling nauseated. The blatant invasion of privacy, the baseless speculation, the thinly veiled homophobia - it's a stark reminder of the relentless pressure Henry has been under, with apparently, not a hint of support or defense from Mary.

Tagging with no pressure @kj-bee @swoonoveryou3 @caterpills

@thighzp @iboatedhere @tailsbeth-writes @reagcdfox

@priincebutt @theprinceandagcd @myheartalivewrites @whoevenknows-things

@thesleepyskipper @miss-minnelli @bitbybitwrites @blueeyedgrlwrites

@suseagull04 @14carrotghoul

[kookygranger]

Hi!

I'm so late!

But I'd love to know about HF!E

for the wip game!

Thank you, Betty! ✨

HF!E stands for High Fidelity!Eddie. It isn't a HF au it just takes place in a record store and I didn't have a name for it. It was an idea for a one-shot inspired by this playlist featuring gothic/spooky songs before goth was a genre.

It made me think about Eddie who just moved to Chicago with Corroded Coffin and is slowly being accepted by the scene. Reader works at a record store and is playing this mixtape over the speakers and Eddie very much falls in love.

I started writing it and then didn't really like it but here's a lil' snippet:

“What the fuck are you listening to anyway?”

“I made a pre-Halloween mix. Music that lead to goth before goth was a thing.” You frown as you try to unstick a bright red sticker from the price gun you’d been tapping on the pile of vinyl.

Eddie smiles to himself as he continues to pretend he’s browsing and not tuning into your conversation.

“Are you going to The Allied tonight? There’s some new band from Indiana or something playing, apparently they do a sick cover of Master of Puppets.”

Eddie pauses in his faux perusing for a second as he awaits your reply.

“I wasn’t really planning on it, no.”

The guy huffs, “No? What was your plan, going home to sulk to The Velvet Underground?”

“I don’t sulk–“

“You do when you listen to The Velvet Underground.”

“What do you want me to do? Pogo to Heroin? Anyway, I was gonna work on an article actually.”

“Why don’t you write about this band tonight? Tim says they’re pretty good. He saw them a couple of weeks ago at the Metro.”

“Tim said that about that god awful noise band that played at De Salle’s. It was the worst four hours of my life. I thought my ears were actually going to bleed.”

“Whatever, you say that like you’re not currently playing the most depressing German synth music that nobody in their right mind would listen to.” He points out the new song playing from the speakers behind you.

“First of all, this is David Bowie’s Low. And if you knew as much about music as you claim to, you’d know that this was his seminal work in his Berlin era and an ambient soundscape masterpiece. Secondly–“

“I like it.”

Both of your heads shoot up at Eddie’s interruption. He blushes and clears his throat as you catch his eye and the corner of your mouth quirks up. “Sorry, I just–it’s a good mixtape. I like the theme.” He frowns and shakes his head at himself, he doesn’t know what came over him. Who is this guy that’s bothering you, anyway? You have amazing taste and he’s pretty sure you’re the most angelic thing he’s ever seen. You gesture in his direction and look back at the guy that’s teasing you.

“The customer is always right, Simon.”

Eddie moves quickly to the B section and finds the album you were talking about before heading over to you.

“Did you find everything you need?” You smile at him sweetly as you hop off the counter and take the record from him. “I’m sorry, I should’ve asked before. Customer service isn’t exactly my strongest skill.”

The guy, Simon, snorted. Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off the way your face lit up quietly when you realised what album he picked.

“What are your strongest skills?” That was such a weird question Munson, what the hell?

You looked up at him a little taken aback, before a small smile crept up on your face.

“Talking about music…or” you shake your head in contemplation, “writing about it actually.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Maybe it’s not so much a skill, more like an obsession.”

“She’s actually kind of good.” Simon butts in with a shrug and you roll your eyes.

“Such a high compliment cuz.”

You were cousins. He still had a shot.

“You write for magazines?” Eddie asks.

“Zines mostly,” you point to a stack of xeroxed pamphlets on the counter, “but I’ve published a few reviews with Spin and The Face.”

Eddie raises his eyebrows, “That’s pretty cool.”

You breathe out a laugh and take the cash he hands you, collecting his change. “Thanks.”

“Wait, you're Eddie, right?” He turns to Simon, almost forgetting he was there. “Your band’s playing at The Allied tonight? I met your drummer Gareth at a show last week.”

“Uh yeah that’s me. We’re called Corroded Coffin.”

“Cool name.” You smirk and hand him his record wrapped in paper. Eddie tucks it under his arm, his dimples showing as he smiles back at you.

“Thanks.”

“You’re from Indiana then?” You call back to Simon’s earlier statement, as Eddie doesn’t make a move to immediately leave.

He rubs the back of his neck as he nods, “Yeah. Just moved here a couple of months ago with my band.”

“Welcome to Chicago, Eddie.” You smile and introduce yourself, “Let me know if there’s ever anything I can do for you…vinyl wise I mean.”

“Thanks,” he scratches the stubble on his jaw before stepping away from the counter. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight at the show?” He tries to keep his voice casual, but there’s a hint of hope in there.

You bite your lip and shrug, “Yeah, maybe you will.”

Eddie nods and takes his queue to leave, the bell jingling again as he steps back out into the cold.

“Yeah, maybe you will.” Simon mocks you in a breathy imitation and you roll your eyes. “So now that you know the singer is cute are you coming?”

“Obviously! You better get me on the door list, or I swear to god I’m telling Aunt Carol about the stash in your underwear drawer.”

Okay, there were a lot more High Fidelity references than I remembered. Fun fact: I have read the book and watched the film and HBO reboot so many times I could quote word-for-word. I also dressed up as Zoe Kravitz's Rob for an office Halloween party once, complete with the Wings Over America live album that she talks about in that scene with the misogynistic cheater. Only one girl got it because she was a fan of Zoe Kravitz lol.

[not-fitzwilliam-darcy]

SNIPPET????

It's September and I'm a little excited, so here's a little snippet from my submission for the Alpha Louis Fic Fest, "Good-Old Fashioned Lover Boy" because why not?

Harry Styles has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth.

In the sense that six months ago, he couldn’t help but volunteer when no one else did, to go to Stronbeg to write an article of the “Miracle Island in the middle of nowhere”. But it was his own decision to resign from his post as the editor of a prestigious magazine in order to move to the said small island to work remote as a part-time writer and editor while working eight-to-four at the town’s bakery. He couldn’t help but fall in love with the small community and the azure blue sea, and seldom does he regret that his two-week stay at the island had turned into a ‘foreseeable future’.

It wasn’t much of a putting of a foot in his mouth as it was an undeniable urge to be righteous even in occasions he wasn’t prvy to, though it must be acknowledged that Harry’s tendency to fix things sometimes did lead to his own demise.

That same habit which brought Harry to his current predicament.

Harry had somewhat made a routine for himself, one that included his weekly visit to the town’s only bookshop-slash-library, The Labyrinth. The owner was a quiet, albeit a bit grumpy alpha called Louis Tomlinson, whose conversations were limited to nods and stuttered sentences. Their first meeting had resulted in a pile of books on his foot, for which Louis didn’t stop apologizing until Harry left.

As Harry stepped into the quaint, old bookshop that day, he could make faint noises of a heightened conversation. For a moment, he debated if he should return at another moment, but his schedule was packed; he’d have to wait another week if he wanted to get a new book.

Deciding that he would just quietly browse his books and make his way out, slipped in-between the bookshelves, looking for something for weekend reading.

He was nearing the counter when he heard it.

“Can’t believe you’ve got a thing for Styles.”

🌻🌻🌻

[scotianostra]

The Great Hall, Edinburgh Castle.

I read about our history almost every day, someti,es wee snippets, other times more in depth historical articles, in the main I take bits and pieces from all these to build the history posts that you see, keeping the majority short enough to keep your interest, longwinded posts can be a bit daunting, I leave it up to the readers if I have interested you enough to get you wanting more, hence sometimes I post a link with more info.

Yesterday I unearthed a pic of Edbrgh Castle's Great Hall and searched for others picking up a few things about the castle, as a tourist attraction, along the way. The pics date from 1895 an 1896, the first two, then 1913, and up to how it looks now.

In 1818 Walter Scott helped rediscover the Honours of Scotland, our Crown Jewels, it was after this that visitors were first allowed inside the castle to visit. In 1919 the first ordinary folk were invited to see the crown jewels, it would cost you One Shilling, and the only way to get a ticket was to write to Robert Cameron, Stationers at Number 2 Bank Street. At this point they set a limit on the num,ber of visitors, only 150 a day were graned admittance! At this point in time, visitors were only allowed to visit the Crown Room to view the Scottish Regalia. The rest of the castle remained off-limits. Why? Because the rest of the castle was still an occupied military base.

Slowly through the years more and more was accesable to the public, one being St Margaret's Chapel, which up until 1845 was bit of a mystery. The earliest surviving building on the Castle Rock, tmay have been built by David I in memory of his mother, canonised as St Margaret in 1250.

The building was much altered during use as a magazine and munitions store from 16th-19th centuries. In 1845 the Chapel (then a storehouse at the W end of the 18th century garrison chapel) was rediscovered as such by the antiquarian Daniel Wilson. Surrounding buildings, including the garrison chapel, were demolished, and a simple restoration carried out. The stained glass was added iuntil n 1922 by Douglas Strachan.

In 1861 a feature was added that to this very day is a massive draw for tourists. The One O’Clock Gun had arrived! Initially the Time Ball had been set up on Calton Hill in 1852. This would drop at 1pm so the sailors in the Port of Leith to set their chronometers in order to navigate accurately at sea. As Edinburgh is not known for its fantastic weather, an audio signal was added in 1861 so sailors could hear the time signal if not see it.

During the victorian era there were major resorations, part of these included attempts to make it look more medieval, the Great Hall, where I started this wee hunt on facts, was restored in 1891, but for some reason there was a fallout with the Army and he refused to hand over the keys. It was eventually opened in October of 1892.

Remember all these buildings, up until the public access being allowed were used by the garrison stationed in the castle.

The last visitor figures avaible were from 2022 when 1,356,168 visited the castle, this was down from the prepandemic numbers of over 2 million, equating to around 10 thousand per day, not all the numbers are available but I did find out that one day in November 2020 during the pandemic there were only 148 visitors to the castle.

To this day the Crown Jewels are still the most popular attractions, nowadays there are queues, not only to get in there, but right down the esplanade to get in the castle itself. One thing that really annoys me is that you can't get close to the building, just to take pics of the statues of Wallace and King Robert without having tickets, or applied for entry into the building.....

[siobhanhazel]

🏳️‍🌈20,000 words Draco-centric M/M fic. 🏳️‍🌈 My friend pointed out that since this is a Draco coming out fic, I might show it off here on tumblr for Pride Month. Hope you enjoy it, I had a lot of fun writing, here is a snippet from Chapter 1:

Deep in the quiet loneliness of night, Draco lay awake, unable to shake thoughts of his wooden box. Peering around the dark dorm room, he noted that the hangings around the other boy’s beds were drawn.

Draco slipped off his bed, crept to his trunk, and dug through it. Returning to the safety of his sheets, he only opened the box after tightly cinching the green velvet curtains. Safely inside, he retrieved the thick envelope. Cold unease washed over him as he examined its contents.

Draco’s carefully selected collection of magical photographs flickered, animated under the orb of Lumos. It had been so enjoyable to choose and clip them. He couldn't recall when he began clandestinely sliding them away inside this mislabelled envelope. That very act rendered the photos so incriminating.

The wisest decision would be to vanish the lot without hesitation and resist any future temptation to collect more photos. Frustratingly, Draco was tempted to take one last look. Carving the images into his mind before burning them was simply the most rational course of action.

He carefully splayed the paper clippings over his bedspread. Most were from Quidditch Quarterly and other sports magazines. There were some images he had magically duplicated from books and a few clipped from the Prophet.

Nevertheless, weeks after Draco began hiding them, he dimly realised every athlete was a man, despite the even gender mix represented in the league. Both wizards and witches received even coverage in Quidditch Quarterly, after all.

Handsome, dark-haired wizards with carefree postures smiled up at him. Some were shots taken post-game when they were sweaty and had peeled off their outer robes. Wizards grinned at him in the haze of post-victory euphoria, sipping from water bottles and glancing at the camera. Friendly blokes posed with their brooms for interview scoops.

Although Krum was his favourite player (everyone’s favourite, surely), Draco hadn’t clipped many photos of the Bulgarian Seeker. The only one from a magazine was a shot with his arm around Todorov, the star Chaser of their national team. As he admired the photo, he abruptly realised he'd been captivated by the friendly, blue-green eyes of the Chaser fellow, not Krum’s stoic sharpness.

The more recent clippings were from the Prophet: the ones from the Triwizard articles. There were a dozen photos showing combinations of Krum, Diggory, Potter and Delacour. He kept the individual portraits of the three boys but had overlooked saving the Veela girls’. His jaw tightened with the weight of realisation. It was vital that he dispose of the whole collection.

Except…

Hesitancy enveloped him as he stared at a solo photo of Harry, shuffling and smiling awkwardly up at him. It was printed large and in colour, typical for coverage of the Boy Who Lived. Printed in muted forest ink, these green eyes were nowhere near as dazzling as the real thing. Draco was caught for a long minute before he lost all heart. Groaning, he swept the other photos into a neat pile and slipped them safely inside the envelope.

[astradyke]

wait, I know they hardlaunched in big but what are the other two?

in 2023, Dan was interviewed for this magazine; the link goes to a tumblr post which links to a tweet that contains the full contents of the article. towards the end of the article Dan and the interviewer have an-- admittedly confusing, at parts-- exchange about his relationship with Phil. the interviewer refers to Dan's relationship with Phil as being like a "normal gay relationship"; Dan responds "basically, yeah."

(i've talked in the past about some concerns people have about this snippet and ultimately why i still choose to take it as a hard launch: TLDR, Dan is a seasoned professional in the industry he's in and has been both an interviewer and interviewee enough times that I'm confident he could dodge a question if he desired.)

in any case, that answer -- as i recently realized -- explicitly parallels "Basically I'm Gay" with the use of the word basically, implying that the conclusion is correct-- the conclusion here being that they are in a romantic relationship-- but that there's more of a story there. which we all already knew.

the other hardlaunch is the leaked video originally filmed in 2010 and leaked twice in 2011 and again in 2012, known as the valentine's day video. i hate to bring it up so much because it's considered taboo for reason-- as i mentioned in the long post, some of these hard launches weren't exactly desired-- but it is what it is and it is important context when it comes to overall meta. but i also entirely understand why some people prefer not to think about it; in typing my QPR response i originally wrote that they had hard launched twice, and only went back after writing the entire thing to amend it with the allusion to this video.

[aeolianblues]

Goddd, love my luck that whenever I start up some project that is actually important to me and that I'd want to do well, SOMEHOW all my links and redirects get broken. No clue how. I had the most timepass wordpress blog in the world back in my teens, its SEO is so tip-top that you could google certain snippets from it and it would still show up as the top result. I had a secret poetry blog I hid from everyone bc cringe right. It's still the first search result when you look it up. I was like 'say what you will, wordpress' SEO works.'

Then I made the music magazine! You could literally put the entire site URL into google and you'll never find it. You might even find tumblr posts linking to it! My tumblr is literally set to 'discourage search' bc I don't want IRL people finding me here, but what do you know! SEO on it is TOPS. You can find the IG account telling people to go read it, though lord knows why Instagram decided links were anathema and outlawed them. But crucially. You cannot go to the site from Google. i.e. the way most people GET to things. (I asked in the wordpress forums, no one can help with it. The Search Engine Moves In Mysterious Ways.)

Also my radio show podcast is on Acast but CANNOT BE FOUND BY ACAST LISTENERS. Incredible. The internal discovery DOES recommend my show to people who like similar stuff automatically, but the link is then BROKEN. Fun times. They've found my show but can't listen to it. I've asked customer support and heard chirping crickets.

So idk, I'm just fucking annoyed at my luck. These were the things that mattered to me. These were the projects I want to like, build a career on. It's so crushing that it's happened twice. I don't know what to say. The discovery section is so important for a small journalist (media producer? Music journalist? 'Creator'? Bleh) to be able to find any audience at all.

You know what's so interesting in light of all that, is how much being on Tumblr has oddly helped me 'grow'. It's sort of just been about finding likeminded people and we all just enable each other, don't we? Surprisingly, me doing no promotion at all has been the thing that's found me the best music fellas. Though obviously I understand why bigger shows cannot hope to build a sustainable following off of that.

Anyway, I'll be here ranting, I'm just going to try and polish up a few more articles that no one can google and I'll try and send them to a real magazine and see if I can write for them in my town. They get federal grants, so I can try and pull them up over their lack of coverage of our city's music scene. let's see.

In the meanwhile, if you are someone who has previously seen and liked my music takes, maybe just organically follow along?

Here's the correct link to the podcast, it's available on a bunch of streaming platforms. There's a show Spotify playlist (and Bandcamp links if you want to buy an album) for every artist played on the show, and the part of the show I can include in podcast form (copyrigiht stuff around recorded music prevents the actual songs from being in there) is centred around telling you all about the fantastic artists I play, same as I do here but in audio format once a week. Check it out if you like what I yap about here.

Embedded link if you listen on Spotify

And well, there's the music magazine that you won't find on Google. We'll have to word-of-moth it. I've also got @soundslivemagazine here, which, would you believe it? Shows up on Google.

Here's the magazine

[donnyclaws]

Idk why posting my actual writing feels like vivisection but I'm ripping thr bandaid off about it, this kinda summary note scene hybrid with weird words and bad grammar feels very right on my brain. With tiger crawl home especially I feel like I need to turn a valve release the pressure and stop getting hung up on forcing it into something more polished when it should just be this lmao. Anyway these r just notes but hatchfiend will b like this and have illustrations peppered in between. Tiger crawl home is probably gonna be nested pages and pages if snippets and faux magazine articles. Whatever I'm feeling, my world my tuoys get it.

< disorientated

[imnotfunnysblog]

OK so I'm really excited because I'm finally writing Slytherin's heir again! So here's a little sniping from chapter 30! The next few chapters have been really kicking my ass so let's hope this motivation/ spite for my outline lasts lol.

Snippet:

My face was officially Weasley red, Oh fuck. In all technicality, there was nothing wrong with this article. Perhaps it was a bit iffy for her to look in on our conversation but she didn’t do anything particularly wrong…

On the other hand, I could already see the consequences of this article. Hannah looked like she was brushing off the scattered comments about her relationship with Neville but I could see the deep pink that was settling on her face. I could also see Neville was slowly shrinking into his seat, his eyes fixed on some undetermined point. I didn’t know if I should laugh or feel bad for them, at least they had already gone on a date. It wasn’t like a secret crush had been revealed. I tried my best to justify it but I just felt horrible, I was the one who said his name after all. Marcus had a hand over his mouth, looking like he might explode with laughter, he certainly was having fun. 

But it wasn’t them I was worried about, Daphne’s whole body was completely frozen. My mind rushed to her parents and all she had told me about them. I wrinkled my nose, they’d think her wish to have a relationship is improper. Words I’d heard her use before. If they didn’t speak to her after she won the first task I don’t want to know what they’d do when they found this. I could practically hear the howler that was coming. This was what I was trying to avoid. 

That thought came to a screeching halt as I reread the section about myself- the original reason for the expletive. Oh, no, nope, no, no one but them was supposed to hear that! At the time it was just a rambling mess of nonsense words but put onto paper it sounded so sappy. Marcus had said as much when it first tumbled dumbly out of my mouth. 

Ginny and Harry were staring at me with identical bewildered looks, the twins were as predicted laughing. Their favourite of the stuffed animals they stole clutched in their hands as they cackled. I cringed looking around at the people around us. None of them seemed to focus on their breakfasts. As my eyes roamed around I found Lavender and Pivarti clutching the magazine, Lavender's eyes met mine and I practically watched her swown. Oh fuck no. I looked away. 

“Did you actually say that?” Harry asked as he flipped through the long article. I had said it, and I’d meant every word. I just didn’t mean for people to hear it. 

“What did Hannah mean by her?” Hermione’s voice broke through and any answer I would give Harry. I froze that little detail not on my mind, I turned to Hermione slowly feeling like a cornered animal.  

“Ron?!” A voice interrupting the tense question, Neville who had been sitting a few seats down with Saumus and Dean (both of whom were trailing him with questions and laughter) was now standing right behind me waving his arms, “Please tell me you didn’t know Hannah liked me before I did?” I looked at Dean and Saumus who were both whispering questions about Hannah to Neville who was showing them off. 

I chuckled, “I’ve known since about the start of the tournament but she told me the day before the first task,” 

Dean and Saumus began cackling at the look on Neville's face, and as the twins realized what was happening they did as well, “And you didn’t tell me!” Neville agonised looking like he was going over some embarrassing memory. 

“No,” I said firmly thinking of how upset Hannah would have been if I shared, “Not my secret to tell, I’d be fucking pissed if someone told the girl I liked that I liked her without my permission,” I did not add that Hannah is also very scary and would kill me if I had done so. Neville looked peeved but he was going out with her now, he had no room to complain. I may be friends with him but I was also friends with Hannah. I chuckled thinking about Hannah’s response to my comment, he would definitely be more red if that had been included in the article. Dean and Seamus ushered him away asking questions about the date rather loudly. 

“So there is a girl?” Hermione questioned stopping the scattered laughter.