#apple meets claudia

[tennant-davids]

i'm so overwhelmed meeting the real lestat i'm not even joking like what do you mean he retreated to new orleans where they were "a happy trio", after louis dumped him and claudia's death traumatised him, to try and heal something that would never, ever get better, what do you mean he tried to have faith that louis would "figure it out" at some point in an undetermined future and was just silently waiting but still didn't believe that day had come when louis finally arrived, what do you mean he's practicing piano through apple music and keys painted in blood on a plank of wood

[solarmorrigan]

No one looks like they did in high school forever (be kinda weird if they did, honestly). Changes catch up with everyone sooner or later. For Steve, it seems to have happened sooner.

Personally, Eddie is in favor.

It isn’t that he hadn’t thought Steve looked in good in high school – god knows it isn’t that (Eddie may have thought Steve had been an asshole at the time, but he’d been a pretty one). It’s just that high school had been a time of basketball and swim meets and carefully watching his diet and carefully curating his appearance to match what he’d thought other people would want to see.

The time since graduation has been spent putting on the type of muscle that would better facilitate fighting monsters and keeping a band of misfit children safe (because after three times around, Steve hadn’t quite been able to bring himself to believe that the Upside Down was really gone), being fed by a rotating cast of mothers who appreciate him being there for said misfit children, and in letting himself decide how he thinks he looks good.

The first time Eddie really gets a good look at Steve after he’s left high school, he’s gone from lean muscle and looks a bit closer to the tank that Dustin’s been insisting he is. The first time Eddie sees him in action, he decides he wants to climb Steve like a tree.

Broad shoulders, strong biceps, solid core, thick thighs, that ass—is it objectification if you’re dating the guy and also madly in love with him? Whatever—Eddie is of the opinion that the time since high school has been very kind to Steve, appearance-wise.

He’s startled to realize, then, that Steve does not always share this opinion.

It doesn’t happen often; it’s rare enough that even Robin almost misses it, and Eddie is a big enough person to admit that she’s a more experienced Steve-watcher than he is.

For the most part, Steve is comfortable in his skin; he knows he looks good, he knows Eddie thinks he looks good, he knows what he’s capable of, and he’s pleased with where he is. Some days, though – some days just aren’t good days.

There are times when Eddie will catch Steve lingering in the mirror, frowning over a shirt that used to fall differently, or a pair of shorts that used to fit a little more loosely. He might reach for one of the cookies that Claudia sent them home with after their last dinner over at the Henderson household, before faltering and grabbing an apple instead (or, sometimes, nothing at all). He might wear extra layers, steal one of Eddie’s slightly oversized flannel shirts, go on an extra run, or he might not be in the mood to cuddle up to Eddie in bed (in spite of the fact that Eddie knows how much he loves getting to be the little spoon, even if he still refuses to say it out loud).

Most of these things by themselves don’t really have to mean anything, but somehow, Eddie can always tell when it’s one of those insecure days.

(And if Eddie had ever thought when he was younger that Steve Harrington could feel insecure about the way he looks, about his body, he might have cracked a crass joke about King Steve’s obvious need to overcompensate for something. Now, though, he knows better. Also, he’s a tiny bit more mature than that.)

So when he comes into the living room one afternoon to find Steve practically crammed into the corner of the sofa, curled in on himself just enough to suggest that he’s trying to take up less space, Eddie decides that that will just not do.

Eddie loves Steve’s confidence. He loves the space Steve takes up in his life (metaphorically and literally). He loves Steve, and he sure as hell isn’t about to let him spend the day feeling bad about himself, so he ducks back into the bedroom for the book on his nightstand and then plops down on the other end of the couch.

He reads for a little while and doesn’t really have to worry about getting too distracted from his plan, because he always finds himself tilting towards Steve like a compass to magnetic north, whether he’s actively trying or not. So he reads, and he shuffles around on the couch a bit, and he lists to the side a little, and then he’s finally just close enough to Steve to plausibly ask, “Hey, d’you mind?”

Steve glances up from the magazine he’s been reading, brows furrowed. “Mind what?”

Eddie points to the way Steve’s legs are drawn up almost to his chest. “Stretching your legs out? I wanna lay down.”

And normally, Steve doesn’t hesitate – hell, normally, Eddie doesn’t even need to ask; it’s almost as if he can just tell when Eddie wants to rest his head in his lap and automatically moves to welcome it. Today, though, he rolls his eyes.

“We have pillows on the couch for a reason,” he says, jerking his head towards the throw pillows at the other end of the couch (as if Eddie could forget the throw pillows; they’d spent a goddamn hour at the furniture store staring at the choices and had walked out laughing about how boring and adult and great it felt to be decorating their apartment with fucking throw pillows – but that isn’t the point).

Eddie scoffs. “Why would I settle for a pillow when I could have something way more comfortable?”

“Yeah, there’s no way my lap is better than a pillow,” Steve drawls.

“Baby, your lap is the most comfortable resting place known to man,” Eddie states, so dramatically intoned that it makes Steve laugh, even though Eddie is fairly serious. “Now why would you deny me my favorite place to lay my head?”

Steve rolls his eyes again, but obligingly (if slowly) stretches out his legs and rests his socked feet on the coffee table to make space for Eddie.

“Thank you,” Eddie says primly, before flopping down on the couch and making himself comfortable with his head situated on Steve’s lap, then giving a demonstrative little wiggle to settle in. “Yep, that’s the stuff. Perfect.”

“Man, shut up,” Steve mumbles, turning back to his magazine.

When Eddie glances up to check that he hasn’t gone too far, there’s a bit of a flush high on Steve’s cheeks, but no real displeasure on his face, so he doubles down.

“I will not. Not until you acknowledge the perfection that is your thighs,” Eddie declares, pressing his head further back into Steve’s lap. “Firm, but with just enough give–” he reaches up and pinches the side of Steve’s thigh, smiling innocently when Steve jolts and glares down at him, “always warm. Perfect.”

Steve turns his eyes resolutely back to the magazine he’s got balanced on the arm of the couch. “Not perfect.”

“Well, sure, perfection is subjective, means different things to different people, blah blah blah.” Eddie waves his hand in a vague ‘et cetera’ gesture and accidentally smacks Steve in the arm before he turns his head (and his hair is absolutely going all staticky after being rubbed against the fabric of Steve’s sweatpants, which is going to be a nightmare later, but that’s a problem for future Eddie) and presses a kiss to the spot just above Steve’s knee. “But they’re perfect to me.”

For a moment, Steve is still. Then he shifts slightly in place, and Eddie has the feeling that if he were standing, he’d be shuffling from foot to foot.

“And I have it on pretty good authority that my opinion counts for something,” Eddie goes on. “So if you ask me—which you should—your thighs are one of your best features.”

Finally, Steve glances back down at Eddie. “You think so?” he asks, soft and a little hesitant.

“Absolutely. One of my favorite parts of you, on a rotating basis with every other part of you,” Eddie says, grinning when Steve scoffs, because this time Steve is smiling, too. “What? There are so many good features, I’ve gotta make sure I pay them all equal attention.”

And the thing is, Eddie does know that what got Steve into this mindset in the first place was spending so long seeing himself as valued only for what he can provide physically: a handsome face, a lean figure, a human shield, the Party tank – whatever it is. Most of the time, Eddie makes sure Steve knows what he loves about him as a person, not just about his body. He could gain one hundred pounds, he could lose all muscle mass and be as skinny as a rail, he could look like anything, and it wouldn’t matter, because Eddie loves him.

But that doesn’t mean Steve doesn’t also want a little reassurance now and then that Eddie loves his body, too – which Eddie does, and is happy to provide.

“And today, I’m paying attention to your thighs,” Eddie concludes.

“Stop saying ‘thighs,’ it’s starting to sound like gibberish,” Steve shoots back, but there’s a pleased tilt to the corners of his mouth now.

Eddie hums. “I especially love when you let me lay in your lap. Love having your legs under my head. Or wrapped around my head.” He waves his hand around his face, smirking up at Steve. “Just, in the vicinity of my head, really.”

Steve loses the battle with the laugh he’s been trying to hold in and it overtakes him, shaking with mirth under Eddie while Eddie smiles along with him.

“You’re ridiculous,” Steve says, once he’s gotten his breath back.

“I’m just putting it out there,” Eddie says.

Steve cocks one eyebrow at Eddie and turns back to his magazine with a smirk. “Uh huh. Well, I’m a little busy right now.”

“Oh, sure, me too,” Eddie says easily, bringing his book up over his face as if he’s going to continue reading, even though he isn’t even sure he’s on the right page.

They do settle after that, though, quiet and close and comfortable being draped over and under one another. Steve’s hand finds its way into Eddie’s hair and cards through it absently like he’s petting a cat. Eddie would probably purr like one if he could.

“Love you,” Steve murmurs, glancing down as he flips from one page to the next.

“Love you, too,” Eddie replies, tilting his book away just enough to smile up at Steve.

Maybe later Eddie will get to prove how much he loves Steve’s thighs wrapped around his head. Maybe not. For now, though, he hadn’t been lying – just this is perfect.

[Prompt: Resting your head on your partner's lap]

[roadthroughthewall]

"You love each other, you do, and there's the tragedy: it's not enough."

Claudia + Louis

"Deathless", Catherynne M. Valente / "On Fire", Beau Taplin / I Know, Fiona Apple / "Questions About the Father", Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers / "Initial Meeting", N.M. Sanchez / "The Pale King", David Foster Wallas / Die Your Daughter, Susannah Joffe

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/11/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast&Crew Sightings; Rhys; Wee John Wondays; Rosie; Vico; Kaimana; Vico & Samantha Rei; Claudia; Articles; S2 Rewatch; Relax I'm From the Future Watch; Articles; People of Earth Season 1 Watch Party Reminder; Apple Tv Valentine's Video; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika;

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

= Rhys Darby =

Our favourite Captain attended the 28th annual Art Directors Guild Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on February 10, 2024. He announced 2 of the winners and both those people weren't there to receive it! "This feels personal. What's so bad about meeting me?" NOTHING RHYS EVERY ONE OF US WILL COME MEET YOU DON'T WORRY. Thank you to @rhysdarbinizedarby for all the pics.

==Wee John Wondays==

Wee John Wonday's are back tomorrow! 10.30 PM GMT (5:30 PM ET, 1:30 PT) Looks like there's a Mystery Special Guest! Could it be Nathan? Or Matthew Maher perhaps? Someone cute!

== Rosie and Vico and Kaimana ==

Rosie also attended the Them Fatale last night! She got to meet up with Vico and Kaimana and it looks like everyone had an amazing time! These three are so adorable together.

Vico also met up with Samantha Rei! Check out their Live IG here

= Claudia O'Doherty =

Not OFMD related, but it's nice to see our lovely Claudia (Mary) out and about and being a goofy fun lady as usual.

== Articles ==

The Best New TV Shows to Stream on Max This Week

== Today's Rewatch Party / Relax I'm From the Future Watch ==

= S2 Rewatch Party =

Our friends @adoptourcrew had a Rewarch party with Q! today in honour of Season 2 being on iPlayer. Just some highlights for you folks not on twitter:

= Relax Im from the Future Highlights =

== Watch Party Reminders ==

Feb 12 - Feb 16: People of Earth Season 1

People of Earth is no longer on any streaming platform, but it is available for digital purchase (ex, on Amazon). If access is an issue, DM Me @gentlebeardsbarngrill (@iamadequate1 may be indisposed so I have access if you need it).

Season 1 watch next week from February 12th to February 16th. 

Skipping the week after in case people want to participate in the next Palestine strike. 

Season 2 watch from February 26th to March 1st 

Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST. Watch two episodes per day. Episodes are 21-22 minutes each. Use the following Saturday for the tags/watch if interested but not able to make this time.

Hashtags: 

#PiratesOfEarth 

#SaveOFMD 

#AdoptOurCrew

== Apple TV Valentine's Video ==

Some of the crew put together this lovely video for the Apple TV #WooAsACrew event! Check it out!

Vocals: twitter.com/ferventrabbit Video: twitter.com/Giulianaazr & twitter.com/ragsandmuffins

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SaveOFMD Crew (@saveofmd_crew)

== Love Notes ==

Alright lovelies, it's that time again. Covid brain is still pretty strong with me tonight so I hope I don't sounds like a raving lunatic. Over here in the US it's Sunday night. For those of you on the other side of the world it's already Monday. I hope you all got some good rest this weekend, you deserve it. You've been working so very hard at just living lately. It's tough I know, and it can really wear on you over time. You're doing great though, you really are. It's so hard to see how far we've come when we are living in this constant state of survival, but you know what's really cool? There's a past version of you right now that is so incredibly proud of you. If that you could see yourself right now, they'd be in awe at how far you've come, and how much you've grown. Where you are today will be that same person in a few months or a year, marveling at your progress. You are doing so very well, even on tough days. Remember that. The crew and I are so very proud of you lovelies, and we know past you is too (and hopefully present you, but I understand if that's harder to do). Get some rest and keep at it, you got this. <3

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

So for tonight, I have a serious question. How the HELL did I miss that Taika did a TED talk, in a goddamn suit vest? Holy Frijoles, someone please make him wear these more often, it's uncomfortable how good he looks in that. Ted Talk Src.

So, uh ya, tonight's vest themed, IDK it just needed to happen, I suppose.

[teecupangel]

I'm just here to stir drama, so here goes: Temple makes timelines go wroom, so a kid Desmond ends up in Renaissance Italy and gets mistaken for Ezio's bastard. Ends up being raised with Ezio as his father. Fast forward to journey to Constantinople, and using the disks drops both Ezio and Desmond into Crusades era, just after Altaїr becomes a Mentor. Now, the usual Altaїr/Desmond shenanigans start... But Ezio is being an overprotective dad.

Okay, say we have Desmond booted into Renaissance Italy around 10-ish years old. That would make him old enough to understand that he can’t return home and also give us a little leeway as this is a Desmond who probably don’t like training all that much yet still believed that the Templars are out to get them and is doing his best to make Bill go “good job son” at him which would make Ezio being a good father to him crush our hearts. Now, you didn’t specify which time in Ezio’s life we’re going to make him a surprise dad, I will assume we are going for Brotherhood as that is the most stable time of Ezio’s life. He won’t be too focused on his path to vengeance, and he has a good support system with his recruits, Claudia, Machiavelli, and La Volpe. Also, this way, Maria would be more ‘responsive’ than if we kick Desmond in AC2 timeline.

Also, also, making it set during Ezio’s time as a mentor in Rome would ensure that he gets to be with Desmond a lot. If we set this in AC2, Desmond would be left in Monteriggioni for his own protection and, while that would give us more angst moments, we want Desmond and Ezio to ‘grow’ together as father and son. Maybe even make Ezio be an overly protective father because he still sees Desmond as his baby boy no matter how old Desmond gets.

And now!

Here come the maths! (yey, math)

Now, since we want Ezio to have a stable-ish life so he would have time for Desmond, I propose we have them meet in 1503, specifically a few weeks or so after Ezio retrieved the Apple from the Borgias and has been a mentor for a month or so (maybe September-ish?). Anyway, this would mean that, by the time they get to Constantinople, it will be 1511.

If Desmond is 10 years old in 1503, that would make him, 18ish years old by the time they reach 1511 which means we’re safe!

AND! You did specify you want an Altaïr who just became the mentor so we’re placing this right smack in the middle of Bloodlines!

Yeah, let’s give 26-year-old Altaïr a bisexual crisis in a middle of a Templar occupied Cyprus. That sounds fun!

Also, since this is an Altaïr who hasn’t studied the Apple yet, he would be skeptical of Desmond and Ezio explaining to him that they had been transported by a power of an artifact similar to his Apple but he does believe they’re Assassins from another place, especially after seeing how they did not lose their finger even though they could use a Hidden Blade with such mastery (and Ezio DEFINITELY saw the way he held his son’s hand a litttlleee too long just to check the Hidden Blade). Also, since this is set in Bloodlines, Altaïr has no idea where the memory seals that supposedly transported them are from (since Altaïr only learned of them during his exile in Alamut) which means we have an excuse for them not to find the memory seals!

And now the Bloodline storyline gets shaken up because, let’s face it, Ezio would definitely push Altaïr into making a branch in Cyprus and there’s also the budding romance between Altaïr and Desmond that Ezio… Ezio has complicated feelings for.

Unorganized Notes:

Ezio thinks Altaïr is a good man and he can’t help but try to support him (and sometimes gets carried away and act like he’s mentoring his successor) BUT Desmond is his son, his baby, the apple of his eyes… He promised himself that he would be supportive of whoever Desmond wants to be with but, but, but… him? Really? Him? O dio mio, give him strength.

Altaïr starts as a bit cold to them. He’s trying not to be rude since this is an Altaïr that had went thru his AC1 character development but he’s used to working alone so it’s easier for him to lose his cool when Ezio questions his decisions. He also loses his cool whenever Desmond is nearby but for a very different reason.

Also, Altaïr is a bit jealous of Desmond because he sees how easy and happy his father-son relationship is with Ezio and he can’t help but wonder if he and Umar would have had such a relationship if Umar had lived. He can’t hate Desmond though because… it’s Desmond. Altaïr can’t explain it any other way.

Let’s remember that we are going for kid!Desmond so he doesn’t have any memories of the Animus or who Altaïr is. To him, Altaïr is the cool statue back in Villa Auditore. Seeing him in the flesh was pretty cool. Realizing he can be quite adorable is what made Desmond like him.

The first time Ezio heard Desmond call Altaïr adorable, he had to do a doubletake because… what.

Maria is in Cyprus too and she takes one look at Altaïr and Desmond and went “Oh.” When she learned Ezio is Desmond’s father, she looked at him with pitying eyes. Ezio just smiles.

Okay, Ezio isn’t totally against the whole thing (and it is pretty funny seeing Altaïr being incapable of standing against Desmond’s smile) but… well, he also knows how Altaïr’s life goes thanks to the Codex. He knows Altaïr is meant to fall in love with Maria Thorpe (who they’ve met) and he’s worried about how this entire thing would hurt Desmond. At the same time, he couldn’t help but support Desmond because this makes him happy. He’s giving Altaïr a hard time because of that fear and also because, as Desmond’s father, that is his right.

Desmond also knows about the Codex, btw. He’s just been raised with the Auditore audacity and doesn’t give a fuck about it. He’s been raised by Ezio and her Zia Claudia still has a lot of close courtesan friends so Desmond is putting all that ‘observation’ to use to… well… seduce Altaïr. Yeeeaaahhhh. Ezio thinks he’s pure and innocent, nope. Desmond is definitely trying to seduce Altaïr with the subtlety of a high-class courtesan.

Have I talked about how Desmond is Altaïr’s bidisaster awakening? Yeah? Altaïr gets the memo earlier on and, really, it’s more on the side of how he’s unsure how to act around dudes (or, in this specific situation, a specific dude) he likes.

Oh, the tragedy of not having Malik in this one. No one has to suffer thru Altaïr’s bidisaster awakening rambling. I mean, I guess we can go for Maria instead, and Maria’s just “??? Why are you telling me all this??? We’re enemies???” and Altaïr is just “Are we though?”, unintentionally making Maria question if she is even a Templar anymore which Altaïr sorta ignores because he’s having his own crisis at the moment, thanks.

Anyway, AltDes happens, Maria kinda joins the group as more of the reluctant ally, Ezio accidentally starts an Assassin branch in Cyprus and…

Malik gets a headache when he read Altaïr’s report.

Oh! And Ezio gets his retirement as the father of the mentor's lover. Happy ending!

[cuntylestat]

heyy do you have a loustat fic rec list? would you mind sharing some faves?

yes of course! i haven't delved deeply into everything so i'm sure there's more out there, but i really like these. they're a mix of show fic (starred) and book fic.

begin again In which Louis and Lestat clobber each other with their respective baggage, argue in various locales, and make their own happy ending.

and back to the river* Fucking hell, Louis thinks.

the long way home Louis has a secret, something he’s never told anyone since childhood. Lestat has just moved into Pointe du Lac when Louis receives a mysterious letter. And now he’s on the brink of losing it all. Set after Louis’ turning when he and Lestat are living at Pointe du Lac, canon divergent.

go fetch god* He falls in love with a man. He loved the man because he answered a prayer Louis had been sketching in the dark, on his knees, hands down his pants that he couldn’t look at for fear of loving. Dying too, but mostly loving. They don’t go calling love fool’s gold for nothing. The very apple of Eden had a sheen to it.

objects of devotion 1999. After months on the run from the Talamasca, Louis just wants to spend Christmas in New Orleans with Lestat. Will either of them ever manage to say what they actually mean? Featuring religious imagery and a trip to Montgomery Ward.

tinderbox (or: a history of fire in colonial new orleans) [wip] 1794. Pointe du Lac lies in ashes. Lestat, desperate to keep Louis with him at any cost, tries something he's never tried before: he talks.

the devil's in the details Claudia is never turned into a vampire. Instead, Lestat and Louis end up raising a human child. A study on age and family life.

the souvenir 1908. Louis and Armand are traveling through Europe. Louis seduces a young man who reminds him of Lestat.

fear death by water (what the thunder said)* Louis puts down the knife. Claudia leaves the nest. Lestat endures.

dress up Seven scenes across canon. Costumes: what they hide and what they don't.

all our yesterdays New Orleans, 1985. Lestat, struggling with change, comes home to Louis and an unexpected gift.

the house of atreus [wip] In the summer of 1860, Claudia raises her knife to kill Lestat. This time, Louis makes a different choice.

reading between the lines “Yes?” Lestat interrupts, savoring the noise of frustration Louis lets out. “Would you have me promise to spend eternity by your side? Is that what you want?” Louis looks away sharply, but Lestat won’t have that—he grabs Louis’s jaw and turns his face, dragging those pretty eyes back to meet Lestat’s gaze. “Is it a horrible thing to want?” Louis whispers. “Don’t you want it?”

there's vertigo in my soul at your name* Louis, in all his self loathing, convinces himself that the bite never happened. It's all a nightmare but the real nightmare is the life he wakes to and just how much he hates himself. AU from season 1 episode 1, when Louis and Miss Lily leave Lestat's home.

these devils of yours, they need love too* “Kill her,” Louis demands as his furious eyes burn into Lestat’s. He wants to melt those eyes and the look of them, to turn them into nothing but a memory to be forgotten. “Do it. Prove to me how much you love me, Lestat." Louis finally does what he's wanted to for years: He asks Lestat to kill Antoinette.

on brûlera toutes les deux en enfer, mon ange* In that exact moment Lestat's expression shifted. He stopped, narrowed eyes scanning Claudia's face, then running up and down her body. 'They dared…' Lestat's voice changed as well. Instead of the mocking tone from before it was cold with fury. So cold that Louis could actually feel the temperature in the room dropping. 'They dared to hurt what's mine.'

the visit* Lestat’s mother drops in for an unexpected visit to Rue Royale. This leads to all kinds of new emotions in the Du Lac-Lioncourt household. A coming of age tale from Claudia’s perspective featuring the one and only Gabrielle de Lioncourt.

retour à vous Although he’d overseen its restoration over the past few months, it still shocks him each time he sees the New Orleans apartment again. It truly looks like their old home — the environment of their happiest days together recreated with all of the modern comfort of the present era. What truly makes him stop in his tracks each time, however, is the feeling that for the first time since Claudia twisted the knife in his heart, this place they so long called home is free of ghosts. Besides, no lover of his will live in some rundown Garden District house overflowing with vines and insects. Lestat loves the Queen’s Wreath and bougainvillea as much as the next man, but he won’t have Louis continuing to dwell in that dark little place. No, it’s time that they had a home again. A home together.

parce que c'était lui, parce que c'était moi* “So,” Daniel says, huffed on an exhale, and the book makes a telltale thump as it's placed on the nearby coffee table. “You finished burning the body. Then what?” Then what? Then we left, he wants to say. We took our bags and we walked out of that courtyard and we boarded the train and then the steam liner. We left that city, that life, behind to seek freedom and answers across the Atlantic. We didn’t look back, he wants to say. He does not say it.

i clutched your arms like stairway railings, and you clutched my brain and eased my ailing* Lestat and Louis in December 2022, working through their many problems one day at a time, while trying to enjoy life, and love, together.

[problematicturtle]

Ugh this episode:

The show is a masterclass in toxicity and abuse. Lestat, six years of love bombing. Six years. Finally breaking through with one small, perfect thing. Is it the vampire bond? Is it love? Can Louis still not say he loves Lestat? And why? Would that make that crawling sensation that he’s complicit in all the misery heaped upon him more real? Maybe it would.

When is a monster not s monster? Oh, when you love him.

But they are all monsters here: they care nothing for human life, nothing for someone like Antoinette. Poor Antoinette - even if she wanted to leave Lestat, leaving him would mean she’s outlived her usefulness, and Antoinette seems very much like she wants to not die. No one cares about her though. Not Claudia, not Louis, certainly not Lestat. She’s a pawn in the grand game of chess they’re playing. How perfectly awful to be her. At least Louis gets the dubious distinction of being the one Lestat actually loves. But what do you get for that love to he heaped relentlessly upon you.

He had a way about him. Oh, I’m sure he did.

Sam Reid is excellently cast, perfectly played. He’s charming and ruthless and vicious and soft and pretty and you understand why Louis keeps going back. Unable to handle Claudia’s sternness during the making up conversation: looking to Louis, how dare she? Louis not being able to meet his eyes because Louis won’t be able to make those demands. But also: Lestat finally relaying the cruelty of how it was he was made. What horrors he went through. Alone and victimized and made into a killer against his will: how did you end up here, Lestat, making prisoners of your own. Do we all end up like our makers? Maybe we do. How tragic for everyone involved, then.

Also the cloud gift, and asking if Lestat had anything to do with Paul’s death. That’s pretty hurtful to hear, I imagine, for a lover to hear that. But you did throw him off a cloud, Lestat. He should have died, the same way Paul died, falling. Does Louis think of Paul when he thinks of falling now, or of Lestat.

Claudia reacts to being caged with disdain and spite, and a plan to free herself. Louis retreats into his own cage and removes himself entirely from the situation.

Are you happy, Lestat? You get a shell of the man you claim to love. Louis dreams of falling, surely, your face looking down at him as he hits the ground.

Poor Claudia too. She isn’t allowed to leave, just like Antoinette. But Lestat doesn’t even give her a choice In that matter: hey, I checked in with that guy that raped you, man he really enjoyed it. Thinks of you often. How terrible for you, sweet Claudia. Disobey me and I will do worse.

Of all the awful little things in this episode, this hurt me so bad.

But also: Louis couldn’t pick an apple.

I mean, where is the lie.

Louis, you lay down in your misery and leave others to rescue you or suffer in defeat; Again, this is not a life, Louis. Depression is crippling, to be sure. Louis has lost everyone and everything, and is not made to be a vampire, this is true. But life doesn’t always give you want you want; it is what it is. Louis still wants Lestat, for all that he has done. Does his overwhelming love make you feel alive, Louis? Is this how you live with that decision you made in that church? But how much choice did Lestat give you in any of it, Louis?

How much choice does Lestat give anyone in his life.

Maybe Louis doesn’t want to say he loves you because you are not worthy of his love, Lestat. Maybe being casually cruel and a brat to the people you claim to care for isn’t the way to get the love you so desperately crave. Maybe telling the man you claim to love you will do what it takes to make the relationship work while refusing to end it with the woman he explicitly told you to end it with, and want him to find out about it because you can’t stand having limits set on your behavior, isn’t how you become someone worthy of love.

I want Lestat to burn. I also love him deeply, like Louis, and. I want them to be together forever.

So then, burn. And maybe in rebirth, maybe he can actually get his act together and be a vampire worthy of their love.

Also: young Daniel *and* present day Daniel / Louis, 100 percent would read. Daniel thirsty for Louis two minutes after they meet is I mean, you know. Not unexpected. Everyone wants Louis, is probably the main problem with Louis.

Rashid is a vampire, to no-one’s surprise.

[dotster001]

Enemies to Lovers part Nine, can't even say out of how many it takes for my coworker to Love Vil cause we're almost done

Summary: All hope seems lost with Vil being in the hospital wing.

Part: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Ten Epilogue

Epel and you were running to the mirror chamber faster than you'd ever run before. Epel was trying to get a hold of Rook, and finally got him to pick up  as you ran down the final hallway.

"Where are ya guys? We're coming!" He listened for a moment. "Geeze! Ya shoulda said that the first time!" He hung up and skidded to a halt.

"They're in the NRC hospital wing, since Vil's still a student," Epel said breathlessly. Both of you changed direction and began sprinting there.

When you arrived you were met with a small crowd that included Rook, Crowley, Crewel, and…Malleus? That caused your heart to stall for a second. Considering he was also supposed to be at an internship, this boded ill.

You could see Crewel and Malleus hovered around a hospital bed, as Rook attempted to calm a sobbing Crowley.

"Why do bad things happen to good headmasters? Do you know what'll happen if this gets out to the public? I'll…." 

Rook cut him off when he noticed you and Epel.

"You've arrived!" He ran to both of you and greeted each with a peck on the cheek. Then he made grim eye contact with both of you.

"Roi de Dragon is looking over him right now. But when he is finished we can…"

"There's nothing I can do," Malleus boomed out with a heavy sigh. He noticed you and gave a sad smile. "It's unfortunate we had to meet under these circumstances, my child of man. I've missed our walks dearly."

"Malleus, what's wrong with 'im?" Epel burst out finally.

"Schoenheit has been placed under a sleeping curse," Malleus said. "A powerful one at that. Nowadays, there is many a loophole you can take advantage of, but this one…he can only be awoken with true love's kiss."

"What loopholes?" You spoke up.

"Loopholes like familial love, friendly love, even fanatic love," Crewel said. "But it appears we are unlucky. This curse requires mutual true love. And Vil isn't in love with anyone, nor is anyone in love with him the way we need."

"Can we see him?" You whispered.

Crewel gave a nod and stepped aside, revealing Vil lying peacefully in the hospital bed. If you didn't know better, you'd have believed he was only sleeping, his chest slowly rising and falling, his breath blowing a strand of hair out of his face, a slight peaceful smile. Even now, you felt yourself struck with how beautiful he was, and how much of a crime it was now that the world was robbed of his visage, his laugh, his smile, his kindness his…

You realized you'd been reaching out to touch his hair and pulled away, crossing your arms so the instinct would be suppressed. 

….

Claudia. The woman from the awards ceremony. She'd snapped, and given him a cursed slice of apple pie while he was at his internship. She'd been taken into custody almost immediately as Vil was rushed to NRC to hopefully avoid the paparazzi. 

Rook explained that she had hoped to prove something to Vil, but had overplayed her hand. After that, she'd doubled down, insisting if she couldn't have him, no one could.

You felt your stomach churn just thinking about it.

….

You'd thrown yourself into your managerial duties the next several weeks. You hadn't visited Vil since that first day. It was too much to see him lying there knowing he'd never open his eyes again. 

There was talk of building a "tomb" of sorts where they could let him rest. He wasn't dead, but he wasn't alive. And the hospital wing couldn't protect him forever.

The second branch of the Mostro lounge was having a very busy night. Well, every night was busy here, which was why you were able to not think about your problems, but tonight even you had had to help wait tables, do after cleaning, and after all the rest of the staff, remained behind to finish closing paperwork and inventory.

When you thought everyone had left, you heard someone give a light knock on your office door.

"Yeah?" You called, not looking up from your calculator.

"Hey Shrimpy," you looked up and Floyd was leaning against the door, grinning.

You smiled back. Floyd was the consistent calm helper in your life right now, believe it or not. It was like he'd noticed how down you'd been and put in the extra effort to make things better.

"Saw you were working late, thought I'd help ya out. Cause otherwise, Jade's gonna make me help clean his terrariums," he said with a grimace, making you laugh.

"I'd appreciate that," you said. "Can you look at this last bit of paperwork, while I finish with the deposit?"

He nodded, and pulled up a chair next to you, both of them working in silence. After a while, you felt a soft caress on your cheek.

You looked up, and felt your face warm as you realized Floyd was staring at you, with his head resting on his hand.

"You look really cute when you're all focused like that, Shrimpy," he said softly. 

He moved in slowly, and soon his lips were on yours. He nibbled your bottom lip, making you gasp so he could deepen the kiss. Your eyes fluttered closed, as he threaded his hand through your hair, and your first thought was….

"I wonder if Vil would kiss like this"

With that thought, it was like a dam had been destroyed, and you couldn't stop thinking about Vil. How beautiful he was. How intelligent he was. How deeply he cared for his loved ones. How deeply he cared for you. How he'd do anything for those he loved. How he'd do so little for himself. How his eyes lit up when you spent time together. How his laugh could light up a room.

As Floyd pulled away, searching your face, you whispered, "Floyd, I think I…"

"Don't say it," he said with a sad smile. "I already know."

He gently caressed your face one more time, before pulling back.

"Go save Betta fish, Shrimpy. I'll finish things off here."

You hugged him tightly, breathing, "thank you" and ran off to the NRC hospital wing, hoping that Vil had retained his feelings for you after all this time.

A/N: I feel a little mean putting this out on Floyd's birthday, so I'll probably write him something after this 😂 (I'm sorry baby please don't leave me)

.....

Tag list- @stygianoir @da-disappointment @shytastemakerthing @iruiji

[raayllum]

writing claudia & aaravos' dynamic for the first time and

Now she was in a meadow with a bench and a tree, not unlike her favourite spot to read back in the castle. Red apples sat ripe and round among the branches, but Claudia soon forced her gaze downwards. She was standing, yes, one leg whole and in her dark pants under the more skirt-like flap of her tunic, but the other was constantly shifting from the knee down, black shadows obscuring whatever was letting her stand in the first place. It reminded her almost like smoke wolves. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you, little mage.” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and when Claudia lifted her gaze again, Aaravos was sitting on the bench across from her. Or at least, she had to assume it was Aaravos, judging by the deep familiarity of his voice, strange elven horns and hair, and the gaping hole in his chest that otherwise would’ve been the perfect picture of the Star primal, if upside down. She could even see a little of how he resembled Sir Sparklepuff, although he was broad and handsome where the homunculus was scrawny and grotesque. His dark eyes glittered with amusement. “What is this place?” Claudia said. “Minds are like stars,” he said. “Pinpricks of light. But sometimes, you can be drawn into the darkness between them—a more neutral meeting place, shall we say? Each realm is different, depending upon the dreamers.” “Are you dreaming?” “I do not need sleep.”

[beardedmrbean]

FIRST ON FOX – Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., is demanding answers from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul regarding former senior aide Linda Sun, who was recently indicted for allegedly being an agent for the Chinese Communist Party. 

Tenney penned a letter to the Democratic governor this week, and inquiring about how Sun had influenced the state's government and economy, as well as possible links to reported secret Chinese police stations operating in the Big Apple.

"These allegations are deeply disturbing and call into question your judgment in hiring, and listening to, such an individual. I urge the appointment of a bipartisan panel to investigate you and your administration's actions, and the full impact of Ms. Sun's influence on the New York State government and economy," Tenney wrote to Hochul, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested on Tuesday in connection to a federal indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York accusing her of acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government and wielding her influence as a deputy chief of staff in the New York State executive chamber to covertly promote People's Republic of China (PRC) and CCP agendas. Prosecutors say the scheme, which allegedly also involved them laundering millions of dollars for China and using kickbacks to buy themselves properties and luxury vehicles, directly threatened national security. 

HOCHUL AIDE ACCUSED OF WORKING FOR CCP USED POSITION TO PROMOTE 'EQUITY' POLICIES IN RESURFACED VIDEO

Tenney, in her letter, called into question Hochul's judgment in hiring Sun. Hochul told reporters on Wednesday that she found the allegations against Sun "absolutely shocking" but was still "confident in our vetting process right now," which includes "very high levels of background checks." 

The congresswoman's letter said the allegations against Sun "call into question numerous policy decisions by your administration," and asked "what influence, if any, Ms. Sun had on these decisions."

"For example, numerous reports have detailed that the CCP operates secret police stations in New York City to monitor, intimidate, and control Chinese New Yorkers and New York State has yet to take serious action against these stations. Did Ms. Sun play any role in the decision to allow these police stations to operate?"  

Last year, two people were arrested in New York City for allegedly operating a clandestine police station in Manhattan's Chinatown for a branch of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. The U.S. Department of Justice said in the complaint at the time that the defendants had worked together "to establish the first overseas police station in the United States." 

In her letter, Tenney encouraged Hochul to "wholeheartedly apologize to our Taiwanese partners for this detrimental impact that Ms. Sun's actions have had on the relationship between Taiwan and the New York State Government," noting how the federal indictment alleges that Sun frequently screened anti-CCP or pro-Taiwan rhetoric from New York State officials' remarks, fraudulently used New York State resources to assist CCP officials to enter the United States, blocked meeting requests from anti-CCP or pro-Taiwan organizations and leveraged her position for private material gain. 

"While these actions have only recently come to light, we still do not know the full impact that Ms. Sun's actions have had on the New York State government or economy," Tenney wrote. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

[kradogsrats]

Ardent for Some Desperate Glory (Fic)

Part of the “Neither Crows Nor Eagles” AU (previously the “Single Mom” AU) where Lissa stays in Katolis to raise her children after Viren dies healing Soren, but takes place much later. Lissa’s baby boy is growing up and intent on a life lived by the sword, to her great sorrow. There’s some mentioned vague Soren/Callum.

—

Lissa is doing the dishes when Soren tells her he wants to join the Crownguard.

“They take the year’s recruits during the king’s birthday celebrations,” he says. ”I’ll be of age, then.”

It’s early fall. A pleasant chill creeping into the air heralds a bitter winter, but for now the sun shines red-gold and warm in the crisp blue sky, and the apple tree in the garden hangs heavy with ripening fruit. She can smell it, through the open window—the rich sweetness rising over the scent of fallen leaves and wind.

She lets the pot she'd been scrubbing sink back below the surface of the sudsy water and looks at him. It still startles her, sometimes, how tall he has gotten—not yet sixteen and already matching her in height, when it feels only days ago that he wasn't even up to her hip. He's grown up broad-shouldered and lithe, with a wide, sharp jaw and high cheekbones just beginning to cut through the youthful softness of his face.

Some days, he looks so much like Viren that it hurts her to breathe.

But he’s still so young yet, her boy. His hair has only barely started to darken from childhood's gold toward brass, and his pale eyes are still river-clear, holding none of an adult's secrets or guile.

"You promised you wouldn't enlist," she says, wiping her hands on her apron. “Back when I let you start the cadet training.”

He has the decency to look guilty, but it was a promise made by a child. She can't fairly hold him to it, and they both know it.

He’d been thirteen, and Claudia had just begun her magic studies—a little envy was natural when your sister was getting special lessons, coming home for supper every evening overflowing with excited talk about the grand mage she’d one day be. Soren had needed a future of his own to grow into, and he’d begged for months to join the teens training for eventual placement in Katolis’s army. 

He'd already well surpassed the basic sword skills she could teach him, and was begging more lessons from any guard at the castle who'd suffer him. She couldn't deny him the life he wanted, any more than she could Claudia.

She still can’t. No matter how much it hurts, to have tithed one child to magic and now face handing the other over to king and country.

“It’s not the same,” Soren protests. “I wouldn’t be going to one of the border outposts, or off to the Breach with the Standing Battalion. Just the castle.”

She sighs. 

“I’ll come visit all the time. For real—not like Claudia. I promise.”

She almost expects him to affect the wide-eyed, pleading expression that swayed her so many times when he was small, but instead he meets her eyes seriously. She sighs again and pulls a chair from the kitchen table to sit.

They’re both silent for a long moment. 

“Is this because of Callum?” she finally asks.

They still spend a lot of time together, her son and the prince. She’d expected them to grow apart without Claudia, the gap of years between them too wide to maintain their bond without her to bridge it. Instead, they’d grown nearly inseparable—Callum trailing after Soren’s long strides, and Soren slowing his pace for Callum to catch up.

And Callum is a sweet boy—not only a quiet complement to Soren's boistrous energy, but curious and caring and more clever than he realizes. Every bit of trouble Soren's impulsiveness has gotten the two of them into over the years, Callum's ingenuity has gotten them right back out. He's the dreaming head to Soren's acting hand, a pair of fatherless boys forged into brothers.

It was hard on Soren, when Claudia left. Harder still, when it became clear that she wasn’t coming back—that she had a new life that he wasn’t part of. He’d join the Crownguard, to keep the same from happening with Callum.

“No.” He reddens. "Not—not like that.”

He frowns, searching for the words. “I want to protect my home. But my home isn’t just Katolis.

“The home I want to protect isn't a place, with borders or walls. What makes Katolis home is Callum, and Ezran, and—and King Harrow and Queen Sarai.”

“And me, I hope?” she interjects wryly.

“As if you need protecting,” he teases back. “You can take care of yourself way better than I ever could.”

And others—Callum—can’t. It goes unsaid, but hangs in the air between them.

She reaches her hands out to him and he takes them, sitting down beside her. His hands are warm, sword-calluses already forming on the soft skin at the base of his fingers—she wants to hold on to them forever. Here and now, while afternoon sun glows gentle and hazy through the curtains and the harsh clarity of winter is far away. While her son is still with her. 

“Mom, I—,” Soren begins, but stops when she shakes her head.

"You've become so much like your father," she says quietly, squeezing his hands in hers. “He was always ready to do anything and everything to protect what he loved—Katolis, King Harrow and Queen Sarai, Claudia and you.

"He would be so proud of you. Of his son, the Crownguard."

Soren whoops and jumps to his feet, dragging her up with him into a spinning, dancing hug. He wraps his arms around her, and she holds him tight in return. “You won’t regret it, Mom. I’ll make you proud, too.”

“You know I already am,” she says, and lets go.

[sunnyanddumb98]

Take notes

The unknown has always been good to me; it's always a new friend, a new view, things that have always been there, like colours in a bubble, but I had never really noticed. There is so much to do and so few hours. The unknown has always been kind and patient with me. When I learn it, I look forward to meeting it again and again.

But the unknown today, at twenty-five years old, sitting in this sand-filled bunk bed the size of a coffin, which I paid thirty euros to share with eight other people; it was all that mattered, everything necessary, everything worth asking for, everything in the immediate future. All I'm aware of is what I'm not, what I lack, that is the unknown.

The unknown, my friend, wasn't hiding in dark alleys at night leading to hidden bars, nor in a bottle of tequila on a group of guys' couch. It wasn't the shadows I wasn't allowed to explore when I was ten, nor the countries from some foreign movie I watched when I was sixteen. The unknown wasn't anyone who crossed my path, it wasn't anything I had in mind.

It was everything I used to be sure of: where I would sleep, what I would eat, which project I would work on, whether I would laugh that day, my friends, my face, my skin, the color of my hair, and my taste in movies, music, books, and how I spent my free time; it all blurred into a great mystery that I didn't care to solve but wanted to have resolved.

I hope the unknown appears as it used to, that child who approached me on the playground, lifetimes ago, various stage changes and cast members before. What I didn't know wasn't something to think about; all I saw, sitting at the foot of the slide, were feet in front of me. He stopped and looked at the blood on my knee, blocking the sunset from my face. With my hand extended, I asked for something he gladly gave: help.

A friend is a moment of extended contemplation over time. You look, notice an entity that isn't you or your acquaintances, and realize how different and foreign it is. You compare things you didn't think to compare. That contemplation stretches over time, and you don't want to let it go; devise plans, techniques, and tricks to make it last.

I've been walking domesticated for a few years, extending the contemplation until we all became equal. In the meantime, I've been desperately searching, Manic Panic apple green in my hair like bait. All those who fell for the trap were already tamed.

They didn't know who my next boss would be, my next hair colour, or even my favourite colour. They knew things like who Claudia and Felix's next boss would be Peeta and Katniss's favourite colour, and where Peralta and Santiago would sleep tonight, but not much about me.

They knew my current hair colour; just like I knew who my last boss was and how they simply appeared, how I used to have a favourite colour, one day I saw it and wanted to recreate it forever, and how I used to sleep in a bed that I'm a hundred percent sure I didn't buy.

What? Where? When? And even why got lost in the timeline, a hundred frames to the left with no rewind tools. I didn't take notes or pay much attention to how things unfolded. And now, I don't know how to get to know the unknown, my kind friend who was always there, disappeared.

The unknown wasn't these faces I passed by, nor in random tarot cards; maybe it was lost. So I opened the door and ran to find it. The unknown wasn't anywhere, not in any signs I passed, not in the shop windows. Where was it? It was always so easy to find. The unknown wasn't even in that church, praying to be found soon by me.

I lifted all the carpets where I had hidden dust and opened all the curtains and doors in my path. The soles of my feet burned; I had been searching for days. I watched as every statistic on my phone went up and then down: my step count, my sleep time, my heart rate, my calorie intake, and the time I spent staring at that screen itself.

Maybe the unknown wasn't close; perhaps it was trying to hide on purpose. If only I knew how much I needed it. So I asked every profile picture I knew, 'Hello! It's me. I hope you're well. I was wondering if you've seen it. Maybe you have it. Please, if you find it, give it back to me.'

Everything I knew was falling apart as if this were a race where each day had more distance to cover than distance covered. Every day, more questions with no one to answer them.

Breathing heavily, congested nose and watery eyes, I realized I knew nothing. I couldn't even read the street name where I stood through the tears. Finally, my legs gave way, and I fell to the grass.

I took off my shoes to see my bleeding feet, surprised I hadn't noticed. I stayed there for a long time, just thinking about the pressure in my chest and the sound of my slow breath.

The sky was blue, the leaves rustled in the light autumn breeze, and suddenly, a bubble floated by. I knew everything about beads; I learned from them when I used to chase them around.

The benches were made of wood, wood painted red, red faded by the sun and cracked by the time. I had never been here before but I could read the street names. And if I wanted to, I could perfectly live here. But I don't like the humidity or the dirt.

In that way, one certainty after another returned. I got to know everything in my sight again. This time, I made sure to remember and take note of how everything happened. That way, the next time I lose the unknown, I can dismiss what I already knew.

[gladdyator18]

Sorry for the late upload! School just started for me again. My cousin helped me with color palette. Again, his class/weapon of choice wouldn’t be possible without @giggly-squiggily!

Point of reference/inspiration

Meet Quinton Edric Lochan, former heir to House Lochan. Quinton is the son of Duke Adrien and Duchess Emmeline. Quinton is very serious young man who happily lives up to his parents’ expectations. He’s good-natured and has a kind yet deceitful heart. He’s also very observant, so if he views you as an accomplice or friend, you will see his kind and friendly side, but if he sees you as a potential thorn in his side, the script flips on its axis. Quinton is well-seasoned with many weapons but he prefers to fight with his lance atop of his trusty stallion.

Quinton has two younger sisters, Rosalind and Lilibeth, who he dotes on. Whenever his sisters call upon him for something, he would drop everything to help them. This is the only time when his heart isn’t deceitful. When Quinton and his family heard about the prophecy and found out that Quinton was the prophesied child, the young nobleman started growing closer to Claudia, the Imperial princess however, his feelings towards the Imperial princess are false. If anything, Quinton despises and loathes Claudia with a burning passion. He’s only pretending to like her in hopes of one day ascending the throne and leaving her for dead. This is where we get to see his deceitful heart come into play. There is nothing about Claudia that Quinton views as “worthy of his love and time,” but he’s playing it off like Claudia is the apple of his eye, only to stab her in the back when he ascends the throne. He knows that her brother, Kayden, is always on high alert around him, but Quinton knows how to shut him down.

I had a lot of fun with his backstory. When I had Claudia made, I knew that the prophesied child would try to grow close to her to overthrow her and the empire, so yeah!

More art coming soon, hopefully, so stay tuned!

[cocktailsfairytales]

#ClaudiaBurgoa #NewRelease #ImpossiblyPossibleDuet #GabeDecker #FriendstoLovers #SecretMarriage

What does forever mean when it's built on a foundation of pain and loss?

The Lies About Forever, an all-new gut wrenching, friends to lovers, billionaire romance and the first book in the Impossibly Possible Duet from USA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa is now available!

Lightning can strike the same place more than once.

The first time, it robbed me of my high school sweetheart.

Shattering our forever.

I was just sixteen.

Too young to understand the medical jargon that meant she was gone.

Too naïve to see that forever was nothing but a fairytale.

Now, years later, I meet Ameline.

I tried not to fall in love, but it was impossible.

She gathered all my broken pieces and put me back together.

I knew the only way to keep myself intact was never to love again.

But I fell for the illusion of forever once more.

At least until I lost her.

Now I'm left questioning everything.

What does forever mean when it's built on a foundation of pain and loss?

How do you move on when lightning keeps targeting your heart?

Why bother believing in forever when tomorrow isn’t guaranteed?

The Lies About Forever is book one of the Impossibly Possible duet that ends on a jarring cliffhanger that will break you into a million pieces.

Start reading today!

Amazon ➺ https://geni.us/TLAFAmazon

Amazon US ➺ https://amzn.to/3uQvMb7

Amazon UK ➺ https://amzn.to/3OSJ1ip

Amazon AU ➺ https://bit.ly/3wrkwmc

Amazon CA ➺ https://amzn.to/3ON6x0c

Apple Books ➺ https://geni.us/TLAFApple

Nook ➺ https://bit.ly/TLAFNook

Kobo ➺ https://bit.ly/TLAFKobo

Google Play ➺ https://bit.ly/TLAUGoogle

Add The Lies About Forever to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/48SoNg7

Pre-order The Truth About Us, book 2 → https://geni.us/TheTruthAboutUs

For more information about Claudia Burgoa and her books, visit her website:

https://claudiayburgoa.com/wp/

#TheLiesAboutForever #HighangstRomance #DeckerFamily #ClaudiaBurgoa #NewRelease #ImpossiblyPossibleDuet #GabeDecker #FriendstoLovers #SecretMarriage

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

 NEW RELEASE

We are excited to celebrate THE LIES ABOUT FOREVER by Claudia Burgoa is LIVE!

#1ClickHere

Amazon https://amzn.to/3vURafr

Apple https://apple.co/3HNRijF

Kobo https://bit.ly/3Oc9PKf

B&N https://bit.ly/3HxXvA6

Google https://bit.ly/491MJOF

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa once again hits readers with an inspiring and gut-wrenching love story duet.

Lightning can strike the same place more than once.

The first time, it robbed me of my high school sweetheart.

Shattering our forever.

I was just sixteen.

Too young to understand the medical jargon that meant she was gone.

Too naïve to see that forever was nothing but a fairytale.

Now, years later, I meet Ameline.

I tried not to fall in love, but it was impossible.

She gathered all my broken pieces and put me back together.

I knew the only way to keep myself intact was never to love again.

But I fell for the illusion of forever once more.

At least until I lost her.

Now I'm left questioning everything.

What does forever mean when it's built on a foundation of pain and loss?

How do you move on when lightning keeps targeting your heart?

Why bother believing in forever when tomorrow isn’t guaranteed?

The Lies About Forever is book one of the Impossibly Possible duet that ends on a jarring cliffhanger that will break you into a million pieces.

Pre-Order Book Two The Truth About Us:

Amazon https://amzn.to/3Of55DG

Apple https://apple.co/42sD80O

Kobo https://bit.ly/3SbtmeT

B&N https://bit.ly/3Of4OAE

Google https://bit.ly/48b8Voi

[uneasylisteningradio]

The Kids Just Don't Understand January 24, 2024

Image: The Urinals listen to the show!

Carole King - Pleasant Valley Sunday (Demo) Checkpoint - Checkers

Piece War - Dead Bodies Taqbir - Tfou 3Lik Pere Ubu - Humor Me Grazia - Cheap Melanie - People in the Front Row Klapper - Primitive and Proud

Corker - Distant Dawn The Faction - Let's Go Get Cokes Vic Woodward & Claudia - Hippie Yippie Low Wormwood - Farewell Let's Never Meet Again Predator - Ripped Jeans Urinals - Black Hole Cress - One Jumbo - He Goes Bla-Bla

Becky & the Politicians - Motel 6 Warm Exit - Concrete Fascination The Cult - Back Pay (Part 1) The Trees - Psalm 45

Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark - This Is Helena Screaming Urge - Mercy Beat PURA MAN​Í​A - EL MUNDO AL REVÉS The Dirtbombs - Maybe Your Baby 1-800-Mikey - My Room Alicja-Pop - Shining Apple

Sweet - Blockbuster Tv Neats - Was I Dreaming Again Ženevski - Dekret Sadašnjost Fugitive Bubble - Contemporary Restoration The Cheifs - Tower 18 Naked Hippy - Love Song

Virvon Varvon - Google It King Sporty & Der Mer - Fall Out Fighter Squad - Ah La AUS - LSD Public Interest - Residue Sin 34 - Join the Race

Accidente - Atajos Grisaille - Blessures The Standells - The Peppermint Beatle Slaughterhouse 5 - You Might As Well Live Terry - Gold Duck The Living - No Thanks

39 Clocks - Psycho Beat Ambrose & His Orchestra - Shoo the Hoodoo Away Mutating Meltdown - Six Days Underground

Pinch Points - Copper