#but even then it had been 20 years since they’ve been home and they haven’t felt that feeling so they could just go shrug forgot about it

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for pointing out the fact that the groom’s family at my sister’s wedding were all wearing funeral clothes?

i (23NB) went to my sister’s (29F) wedding. not as part of the bridal party, i requested to be left out because she wanted her bridal party all in very feminine dresses and i present masc. but i helped with the floral arranging and paperwork so i felt like i contributed decently

my sister’s new husband (20M) is a nice guy, he’s very sweet to my sister. i think he’s a little young for her but our own parents actually have the same length age gap so i can’t really argue without causing other problems. tbh i have no issues with the relationship itself since she met him when he was an adult and he has been a very supportive partner to her

the wedding was at a christian church near us that our family “attends” but none of us besides our very religious aunt go to much anymore. it was a nice event, the colors were pastel yellow and peach. i helped set things up when i got there and then hung out with the groom’s party a little to see if they needed help on their end. after that i started greeting the arriving guests with our dad (48M)

here’s where i may be the asshole:

while my dad and i were shaking hands and directing guests around, i started noticing a weird pattern. a lot of our family were showing up in what i figured is pretty standard formal wear for a summer wedding at a church. lots of navy blue blazers, light pink dresses, tan/gray pantsuits, etc… a lot of random variation. but the groom’s family were by comparison all very much matching. in fact, at first, i thought maybe my sister had told them to dress in specific colors

they were all wearing black.

black suits, black dresses, black pantsuits… the only ones wearing any color were some of the kids who were wearing navy blue or gray. it got a little obvious when both his parents stood in front of us wearing black, dad and i wearing much more colorful attire. hell my own tie had pinky peach stripes to match the flowers

i didn’t say anything about it at first. i assumed there was something i didn’t know or that i was maybe just overreacting. but, as the event got underway, i noticed that the groom’s family were being a little distant. his sister (20s?F) in particular seemed to be stone-faced and didn’t return the greeting i offered, instead just staring at me and then huffing before she went to sit down. she was wearing a long black dress.

i haven’t met his family more than once or twice in the year and a half they’ve been together, but it seemed strange. they aren’t Addams Family types, black isn’t a standard color for them as far as i know. especially not the MIL (40s?F) whose home from what i remember is all pinks and florals

i finally decided to voice my confusion to my dad after the ceremony, when we were all sat down to eat before the dancing got started. he told me it was definitely weird, but to not tell my sister during the wedding. she definitely hadn’t asked them to specifically dress like that. i agreed i had no plans to tell her since it could stress her out

there were a couple more suspicious things like the speech that the groom’s brother (21M) gave where he made a pretty pointed cradle robbing joke and then the MIL leaving abruptly after the speeches… and i didn’t get talked to almost at all by any of his family besides his brother

during the party, i had a couple drinks and hung out with some of my sister’s bridesmaids. i off-handedly joked with one of them that it was weird to wear funeral clothes to a wedding, even though both take place in a church. she asked me what i was talking about so i, being tipsy and not thinking, explained everything…

i shouldn’t have been surprised that by the end of the night the gossip had made it to my sister and she was livid. she said some pretty hurtful things about me not being in her bridal party and “barely being [her] sister anymore” and we both left the interaction crying. i know she went too far and blew up at me, but i also think that she really is making a bad decision by marrying a guy so much younger than her, whose family seem to maybe even disapprove of it

i kinda hate that i noticed it and said anything but i also kinda hate my sister’s choices and what she said to me… AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[thepromptswhisperer]

Partner X You, & Your Friends Prompts

1. “I know we have plans, but I haven’t seen my friends in forever.”

2. Your friend tells your partner an embarrassing/etc. story about you.

3. You find out that your partner kept a secret from you – one that their friend helped covering up.

4. Your friends are so.done. with hearing you gush about your partner.

5. Your partner cannot fathom how you’re still friends with your ex.

6. (You feel like) Your partner spends more time with their friends than they do with you.

7. “So I’ve heard. [Your partner/crush] hasn’t stopped talking about you since [your date/etc.].”

8. You realize that your partner treats their friends and strangers better than they do you.

9. Your friend and partner (seem to) become best friends.

10. You are attracted to/fall in love with your partner’s friend.

11. Your partner becomes a different person when they are around their/your friend(s).

12. “I don’t mind you guys hanging out here, but could you tone it down a little? (It’s late and I have work tomorrow.)”

13. You’ve been with your partner for months now, and they’ve never invited you to come along to meet their friends.

14. Your partner and your friend have an argument.

15. Your friends test your new partner.

16. Your partner has a set day each week/month/year on which they meet their friends. It’s important to them, so you always try to make it possible for them to attend.

17. “They’ll love you. I promise.”

18. You tell your friends that you’re together with your partner.

19. Your friend gives your new partner the whole ‘don’t hurt them’ speech.

20. Navigating the aftermath of your breakup is difficult, as you and your ex-partner share the same friend group.

21. You couldn’t have made a worse first impression on your partner’s friends. (You try to rectify it when you meet them again.)

22. Your friends encourage you to ask out [your crush].

23. When you arrive home after having spent time with your friends, your partner is right there, waiting for you and eager to hear the newest gossip.

24. “Be honest. What do you think of them?”

25. Your friend and partner have both complained to you about someone. You didn’t know they were talking about the other, and they didn’t know the ‘someone’ was an important person in your life. Now, however, you introduce your new partner to your friend.

26. You told your friend/partner a secret and made them promise to not tell anyone about it. Later, however, you find out that they told their partner/friend.

27. You don’t like your partner’s friends.

28. After an argument with your partner, your friends cheer you up/give you advice.

29. Your partner cheats on you with your/their friend.

30. “Go. Have fun. I’ll be fine.”

31. You overhear your partner’s friends give them a stern talking to after they upset you.

32. You find out that your partner and your friend dated/had sex/etc. before you met/got together with the former.

33. After your breakup, you thought you’d never hear from your ex-partner’s friends again. You were wrong.

34. Your friends seem to like your partner so that you start feeling jealous. (They were your friends first!)

35. Your friend seems to immediately not like your partner, leaving you to wonder why that is.

36. You try to convince your partner, who intends to spend the evening/etc. with their friends, to stay with you (and use unfair methods to achieve your goal).

[physalian]

On the one hand I am sick and tired of nostalgia bait trying to make up for shit writing to convince you that the movie is better than it actually is, but there is something special about Deadpool & Wolverine, No Way Home, and DOFP that the rest of the MCU just doesn’t have (did not actually see DP 2 and haven’t seen DP 1 since it came out).

I think the obvious dividing line is that these cameos serve a narrative purpose they’re not just there tossed in with the kitchen sink. I know Spiderman’s movies were by Sony but they fit the same vibe as what happened with Fox—these movies can only exist because they’ve been re-cast and remade and rebooted so many times, and because of the nature of these characters, and when the writers understand that that is the essence of a comic book character, that their story will never end, there will always be a new issue, a new evolution of them, so let’s embrace it instead of trying to fit it into an adaptation that dismisses it, it just works so well.

NWH does ride the nostalgia train a bit too hard, but Toby and Andrew still treated their roles, getting to be on screen again, play these characters again after their dismissal from the canon, regardless of what the actual story was about, that was special. The heart and soul those two brought to those characters was special.

DOFP is still regarded as one of if not the best X-Men movie, and it goes beyond the “nostalgia” of seeing the original actors working with the next generation, that movie felt like a passing of the torch in a way that didn’t crack jokes at the OG’s expense, like so many Marvel movies have done—laughing at themselves before the audience can laugh at them and making themselves really insincere and unable to embrace the cheesy corniness of what comic books are.

You could have a movie where every single iteration of Batman comes back in some DCU multiverse of madness, but so many of his adaptations are grimdark and serious that the only movie that kind of pulled it off was Lego Batman, and those fourth wall breaks were just a couple jokes, not literally having a script with tiny Lego Batman on screen acting across from the Bale Batman.

Not only that, these three movies didn’t just bring in cameos and toss their actors a sack of cash for a couple days of filming. It really felt like all these actors, who’ve all had if not awful adaptations, but less than thrilling ones, and even some great ones, are getting the chance to show the world/Hollywood/whatever that they were given up on too quickly, that they still had more left in them—and Hugh Jackman acting his ass off in DP&W just goes to show it. Dude has played the same character I think more than anyone else in comic book history? If not, he’s very close, or at least spans the most years in his role. He could have phoned it in, showed up and did the bare minimum, but he didn’t, and he gave a version of Wolverine that is both so like the character we’ve seen on screen for 20 years, and something new, because this isn’t our Wolverine.

And of course all the other cameos—the oldest Fox movie I’ve seen is the first Spiderman. I recognized Wesley Snipes and knew that Jennifer Garner was important, knew her weapons were significant, but I didn’t realize who she was until they said her name. I just know that her movie was pretty bad. The meta narrative of a Fox send-off victory lap, giving these characters and actors one last chance to give it all they’ve got just felt like it was done from a place of deep respect for comics, cinema, and the legacy of these movies—X-Men ran so the MCU could fly. It didn’t feel like assembly line MCU schlock at all.

So while I really, sincerely hope that the higher powers at Marvel don’t look and go “oh so they do like nostalgia bait,” this felt like so much more than “nostalgia bait”. I do not need more of it at all, but if this was the send-off that Fox never got when Disney ate it, then this movie and the end credits BTS montage was, at least I think, the best they could have done with it.

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

I’m about to go to sleep but I need to ramble about Halsin and Majexatli

The thing about Majexatli and Halsin is starting out, Majexatli has such a complex relationship with him. They very much want to please him and make a good impression and essentially be on their A game and any fumble to them is horrifying. And it’s cuz like. Majexatli barely sees themselves as a Druid—at age 19 after an incident, they essentially voluntarily exiled themselves from their Circle out of shame and grappling with physical and mental trauma. And they had only became a Druid in the first place because they essentially were taken in by some Druids when they were living on their own as a young teen. After the Nautiloid, their companions just see them as a Druid right, it’s not like any of them are super knowledgeable about Druids, and even at the grove they didn’t worry that much because most of the Druids there already treated them with disdain since they’re a tiefling. But when Halsin starts tagging along with things, now Majexatli feels like a fraud. They’ve been given the Pale Oak and the title Faithwarden, but they feel inadequate and like they received it under false pretenses.

This is all to say, for the first bit of their traveling together Majexatli is nervous around Halsin, he’s an archdruid with a strong connection to nature and was called to being a Druid at a young age and Majexatli isn’t any of that, and they’re afraid that they’ll disappoint Halsin if they tell him the truth, that they haven’t been involved in their circle since they were 19 and that’s close to 20 years ago and they hadn’t been called to nature at a young age, they became a Druid by essentially being taken in as a teen by Druids because they were a runaway with no home so even once they became an adult they didn’t feel they had any place they could go other than the circle. And they do care about nature and are connected with it, and objectively they are a good Druid, but they don’t see it that way.

Meanwhile, Halsin has been impressed with Majexatli since the moment he saw them, they’re quite a sight to behold in battle with their use of wildshape. They saved his life, saved the tieflings, managed to talk Kahga into realizing she’s made grave errors. They are kind to children, they offer to help anyone in need. To him they have surpassed any expectations he had of them. He is glad to follow their lead, he trusts their judgment, he sees them as leader of their party. And that just is so hard for Majexatli to believe. They have to have a lot of interactions and opening up before Majexatli starts to actually believe it.

[shelf-care]

Well Hello

I would like to start off by saying things have been busy for the last two years.

Let me give y’all a list of things that have happened in my life, kinda like a news letter.

Everything is a list below of good and bad things that have happened in the last three years and the reason you haven’t seen me as a result.

I married the man I love

I got a corgi as well as inheriting my husbands dog. (I’m a dog step mom!)

I moved in with my husband (obviously)

I quit my 9-5 Job and became a stay at home wife to pursue writing and focus on my business.

Business failed within three moths of me trying to open it.

tried to open a service business (Cleaning/maid service)

Failed eight months in.

Tried to get a professional job (there are no jobs available in my area)

I have been taking certifications to become a signing agent on homes and houses

Business has been slow.

I wrote a book

My sister met a mutual online friend that I introduced her to over ten years ago

They’re talking about getting married

My best friend moved two states away to marry her now husband

My husbands truck broke down

the same week our 20 year old hand me down washing machine broke down and we had an outside water leak from a busted pipe.

My parents almost got a divorce and it shattered my image of them.

My husbands and my one year anniversary is in one week to the day and we’re still going strong.

-

Now then, I say all this not for you to feel pity for me because I know everyone is struggling and we’re all experiencing hardship in one form or another. I’m saying this because I feel like my life is finally getting back on track after almost three years of life altering events happening.

I guess I also wanna ask if anyone is still interested in my writing? and if you are I still wanna spend my spare time reading and writing like I used to because I genuinely miss it and I miss having a community to talk to that loves X-Men, Starwars, Current books, and a myriad of other things I love to talk about. Including a new obsession thanks to my Hubby which is DND!!

I’ll probably reboot my profile but I still want my Tumblr to be nerd focused and I’ll set up links to my past writing and new writing and let Y’all know when I eventually publish my book which is a huge accomplishment for me since I also found out I have ADHD! And now everything makes sense alongside the Dyslexia.

I’m learning so many new things every year, picking up new habits and reading so many good books. I just hope I still have a place here.

-

So, these are my goals

I would love to introduce you to a few of my OC characters and make a tumblr exclusive series involving these characters.

I want to dip my toes into making a kindle vella series (Even though they’ve made a lot of changes to that platform)

I’ll of course make one shots for characters I love and have a new obsession with and just genuinely start learning to write again.

Well thats all for now, I’m terrible with ending news letters so I’ll keep it short and Sweet.

I’ll see you all very soon in the future! Good things are coming that is a promise!

[kittyball23]

Welp, happy 1-year anniversary to this movie! While not the best, it still exists 🤷 Honestly the best parts of it for me was seeing the Ericka and Mavis moments. I also was kinda hoping there would be a DVD out by now so I could complete the collection I have at home, but I’m sure whatever contract is needed for that is floating in limbo somewhere too. Anywho, I’ve put some of my answers to a 20-question game from the Amino App that was made for the first movie’s 10th anniversary (didn’t see that post until a couple of days ago, lol) under the cut in case you wanna know more about my thoughts on Transformania and also the rest of the franchise! :D

Thoughts on the franchise as a whole

Ah yes, Hotel Transylvania. To have sparked 4 movies, a show, shorts, some video games, and graphic novels, I’m guessing it was popular enough among folks xD For me, the movies are cute enough as they go, and entertaining with its cartoonish interpretation of classic horror icons. There are memorable moments and characters, maybe even good life lessons at times. Overall enjoyable films, and a fun watch :)

2) Favorite character

Ericka Van Helsing. She’s a bad@ss 😎

3) Favorite movie

3rd movie, hands down. A lot that had to do with how entertaining the Van Helsings were and also for giving us the Drericka ship ^_^

4) Favorite song

3rd movie had a lot of great songs, but if I had to decide my favorite it would be “Love is Not Hard to Find” from movie 4

5) Favorite video game

Don’t play video games, so N/A

6) Favorite actor/actress

Kathryn Hahn ✨

7) Thoughts on the TV series

Well, I only saw a handful of episodes from the TV series… and then stopped xD Idk, I guess it just wasn’t what I thought. Characters felt a little OOC, and just didn’t hold my interest :/ Honestly, what I would have liked would be a show taking place post HT1/HT2 since it takes place in about a 8-year time period give or take and could potentially have stories to tell with humans and monsters getting along, looking more into how they’ve each adapted at the hotel, and also just more of the characters we’re familiar with from the movies themselves

8) Favorite episode of the TV series

Like I said, haven’t been dedicated to watching the TV series, so can’t really say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

9) Favorite character from the TV series

From the episodes I did watch, I’d say Lydia was most entertaining

10) Favorite graphic novel

Motel Transylvania. I like the concept of expanding the hotel, and Johnny’s efforts in trying to make that happen xD

11) Genndy or Derrick (Director)

Probably Genndy

12) Adam or Brian (Dracula’s voice actors)

They’re both great, honestly

13) First impression of this franchise

The first movie came out when I was in like 6th grade, and I do recall classmates taking about wanting to go see it. But it didn’t really catch my interest, even when I did watch it for the first time in 2018. I felt it was too childish, and the fast movements bothered me

14) Latest impressions of this franchise

I think it’s kind of losing its steam a bit, because plot-wise 4 wasn’t the best it could be (which I guess was also part of the reason that led to the decline of the fandom…) but guess I can still appreciate what we have

15) How did you discover this franchise

My little bro got interested back in 2018 after seeing trailers for the third movie

16) Favorite zing

DRERICKA 💕

17) Favorite moment of all time

Transformania’s smoochy time scene (I mean hey, it’s pretty much the closest we got to an on-screen liplock from Drericka, plus I just can’t get enough of how clearly in love these two are with each other 😍 And how grossed out Mavis is as a result of that xD)

18) Did the finale satisfy you

Err… it was okay. Nothing more, nothing less. I do like the idea of Drac retiring and giving up the hotel to Mavis and Johnny, but the execution of the rest of the film’s plot I felt didn’t do it as much justice as it could have. I guess with all the switching around with the release date for this movie going further and further out, I was anticipating something worth the wait (also, January 14th?? The October release date I think would’ve been ideal since it’s spooky month. Even this January would’ve made more sense since it has a Friday the 13th in it)

19) Do you wish for more

At some point, yes, but maybe in 5+ years as a breather. If it does come back, I think an animated special of some kind would be cool, or a 2D show that takes place after part 4 with the brand-new hotel

20) Would you recommend this franchise

All in all, I would say yes! If you want just some silliness to pass time, with a mostly likeable ensemble of characters, then this is it :)

[lonelyrose]

Greymoon Lore/Important Info Part II: L. Faba

Okay, so here’s L.’s backstory/whole deal:

L. comes from a clan known as the Malum clan. The Malum clan is known for their purple hair and eyes, and are masters of mischief magic, but because of their close ties to magic, they can feel when spellcasters die. They also age more slowly than regular humans/spellcasters and live longer. Malums age about half as fast, so for example, when L. turned 20, she was actually about the equivalent age of a 10-year-old human child. When we meet her in the story, she’s in her 60s, which would place her in the 30s range for human years. Recall that when L. was having an argument with Simeon, she said “I’ve been around for a long time.” That’s basically referencing the slower aging. Even if her mental and physical state is that of a 30 year old, she’s lived much longer than that.

L. was a particularly gifted spellcaster from birth and earned her facial markings as recognition of her prowess, a tradition in the Malum clan. The clan held her in high regard, so she was sent to study under Imelda and Demetrius to become a sage when she was 28 (14 in human years). Of course, because of her mischievous nature, she often found herself in trouble for acting “out of line.” When Morgyn was born, L. was actually really fond of them and spent a lot of time with them, acting as an older sister. When Morgyn was still really young, L. would teach Morgyn pranks and they were sort of like partners in crime. One day, when Morgyn was around 5ish, the two of them pulled a particularly big (and funny) prank on some academy students. What the prank was isn’t really important, but Imelda had been steadily growing angry at L.’s “bad influence” on Morgyn, and this prank was the last straw. That day, Imelda put an aging curse on L. as a warning and punishment, which is why she looked so old in some flashbacks (when Imelda died, the curse went away, which is why she looked young when we first saw her in the story) (Morgyn has no memory of the curse; L. never told them about it, and since they were so little when L. was cursed, they only really remember her as being older, which is why they were so shocked when she looked young).

Even with the curse, L. still cared deeply for Morgyn and saw them as family, so she did what she could to protect them as they grew up. When Morgyn started training with Demetrius to become a sage, she noticed how horribly they were treated and hated it. One day, when Morgyn came back from training bloodied and puffy, L. got super angry and stormed into the Greymoons’ office, pleading with them to leave Morgyn alone. Remember that the first time we met L., she said, “Morgyn, I fought for you everyday. I tried to talk to them. They just decided that branding my arms with hot iron was more important than your wellbeing.” And yeah, that’s basically what happened. Imelda branded an illegible curse into both of L.’s arms, which as you can imagine was incredibly painful. She refused to go to Morgyn for healing because she didn’t want Morgyn to know what happened and why, so she tried to heal herself instead. Unfortunately, because of the curse, it backfired, and the brandings spread into painful scars that covered both her arms entirely, the skin raw and burnt. That’s when she started wearing arm coverings.

L. is, by nature, mischievous, kind, loyal, and incredibly stubborn. She cared for Morgyn like they were family, and while they were young, she refused to reveal any of the hardships she endured for them so that they wouldn’t worry or feel any kind of guilt. She persisted, even when she could have greatly benefited from Morgyn’s healing powers.

In the present-day, we haven’t seen her be the nicest person or have the best conduct, but she’s dealing with a lot. She left home at a young age and hasn’t returned since, she endured mental and physical abuse at the hands of the Greymoons for decades, and then the one person she cared for–Morgyn–left her for years, only to come tell her that they’ve started a new life without her. The first time she goes for a friendly visit, she sees them mingling with Demetrius, the man that caused both her and Morgyn so much pain in the past. When she understandably (though perhaps recklessly) reacts poorly, she ends up hurting not only Morgyn but their family as well (remember that baby Cass & Andy basically watched her beat up their grandfather). She has pretty much lost everything.

It’s after this point that Dirus attaches itself to L. It knows that not only is she a powerful spellcaster, but she’s also experiencing immense emotional turmoil, which are ideal qualities in a host for Dirus.

[mattspinksjoyblog]

All Are Included | Thesis #7

One of the biggest hurdles the church needs to overcome is our struggle with celebrating the beauty and glory of every person. We desperately need to see that Jesus includes all inside His very own Body!

There are many scriptures which seem to immediately contradict that. In Matthew 7, Jesus says that he will tell some people, “away from me, I never knew you.” In 2 Thessalonians 1, Paul writes that evildoers will be punished and sent away from the Presence of the Lord. (In some translations… 😜)

Since I began to believe some years ago that Jesus has saved us all, that Jesus has included us all, I get approached or questioned almost every week in some way about it. Well-meaning Christians don’t know what to do with these scriptures, or what they’ve been taught for so many years. And, really, that’s understandable… but, it’s got to change!

It won’t change until we see the other scriptures, the ones that give us the greater context. The most important part of scripture is that it reveals the Person and Work of Christ. And, yet, most of us haven’t heard the clearest passages on His person and work emphasized!

Rom 5:18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

2Co 5:14-16 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; (15) and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (16) From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We must take time to meditate on the implications of these lesser known passages.

The inclusion that we are promoting here is not one that denies that we had a sin problem. All of us had gone astray from God at some point. We all got lost! However, rather than emphasizing who has gotten themselves back in by some act, or even by having faith, we are emphasizing the Person & Work of Jesus!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who brought all 100 sheep back home.

Faith is important, but faith is merely the recognition of what Christ has done. Faith isn’t what makes it real. We can only have faith in something that has already proven to be real. We love because He first loved us. Our faith doesn’t make him include us. We have faith because He included us in Christ from the start!

“The secret of every man, whether he believes it or not, is bound up with Jesus” - T. F . Torrance

“During my first week of office as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland when I presided at the Assembly’s Gaelic Service, a Highlander asked me when I had been born again. I still recall his face when I told him I had been born again when Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary and rose again from the virgin tomb, the first-born of the dead. In other words, our new birth, our regeneration, our conversion, are what has taken place in Jesus Christ himself, so that when we speak of our conversion or our regeneration we are referring to our sharing in the conversion or regeneration of our humanity brought about by Jesus in and through himself for our sake. In a profound and proper sense, therefore, we must speak of Jesus Christ as constituting in himself the very substance of our conversion, so that we must think of him as taking our place even in our acts of repentance and personal decision...” - T. F. Torrance

Now, the Torrance family of theologians also make it clear that it is important for us to come to personal faith in Christ and have a conversion experience. But, they remind us that these are not what get us IN. Jesus included us, therefore we can believe.

The difference here is between subjective and objective realities.

Objective reality is what is actually real.

Subjective reality is what we believe to be real.

Objectively, everyone has been included in what Christ has done, and who He is. This means we are all insiders!

Subjectively, we need to come to faith in that so that we experience all the wonderful fruits. Like an insane person becoming sane, we need to believe that we are included so that we can live that way, and avoid the subjective hell that follows. But, objectively, everyone is already included!!!

As a church, we need to stop treating people as if they are only holy, celebrated, and beautiful IF… they meet some condition. The truth is that everyone is objectively included!!

“Nobody, in other words - not the devil, not the world, not the flesh, not even ourselves - can take us away from the Love that will not let us go. We can, of course, squirm in his grip and despise his holding of us, and we can no doubt get ourselves into one hell of a mess by doing so. But if he is God the Word who both makes and reconciles us, there is no way - no way, literally, even in hell - that we will ever find ourselves anywhere else than in the very thick of both our creation and our reconciliation.” - Robert Farrar Capon

This is the message that everyone needs! We need to know that our God never, ever, ever abandons us. As Dr. C. Baxter Kruger says, “Our Papa doesn’t do abandonment.”

We’ve seen it change the way we treat people, the way we do church life… it’s so refreshing and much needed. It doesn’t mean that we don’t ever confront issues, but it’s always from a place of, “You are a holy and beautiful child of God that will always be celebrated in Jesus!”

Every single person is seated at the table with the Trinity, forever! This is what Christ has done! This is our God, unconditional Love!

-Matt Spinks

____________

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[concerthopperblog]

The Summer Gods Tour: Third Eye Blind, Yellowcard & A R I Z O N A

In January 2024, Third Eye Blind revealed on their Instagram that they're embarking on another Summer Gods Tour with Yellowcard & A R I Z O N A. They've 35 dates lined up and have been rocking the stage since June 8th, kicking off an unforgettable tour. On the show's day, I was excited as I drove up to the venue. In the parking lot, fans were pre-gaming before the show, playing beer pong, dancing, and having a great time. We went down to the pit after getting checked in at the gates. It was challenging to navigate the limited space and decide whether to stand with the fans or move around. I want to shout out to the other photographers who also were in attendance shooting the show. We worked together as a team to get the job done.

The band Arizona, creatively stylized as A R I Z O N A, hails from the unexpected location of New Jersey despite its desert-inspired name. This talented trio comprises Zachary Charles, Nathan Esquite, and David Labuguen. Their music blends American pop-rock and electropop, reflecting a distinct and captivating sound. Signed to Atlantic Records, their debut studio album, Gallery, was unveiled on May 19, 2017, climbing to an impressive No. 4 on Top Heatseekers. I'd go see this band again. They're not my usual style, but I liked the vibes and tunes they were playing. During their set, they played 10 songs from their discography, including their number-one hit on Spotify, "Oceans Away", “Summer Days” & “Freaking Out”.

Yellowcard is a rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 1997. The band has released ten albums to date. In August 2023, Yellowcard began a nationwide tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album Ocean Avenue. Whether they are headlining or supporting another act, take a moment to listen to them if you haven't already. If you're a fan of Yellowcard, you can check out our coverage from their last tour here. Also, the band collaborated with the group Hammock to release a new album in 2024 called A Hopeful Sign. I couldn't miss seeing Yellowcard on this lineup, especially after catching them at their 20 Years Of Ocean Avenue show. The energy these guys bring is incredible. Sean Mackin jumping around playing the violin is a sight to behold, you can see the passion on his face as he plays with all his heart. They played various songs, including the new track "Transmission Home," and closed the night with the crowd's favorite, "Ocean Avenue."

Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. The current lineup consists of Stephan Jenkins, Brad Hargreaves, Kryz Reid, Alex LeCavalier, and Colin Creev. Jenkins has noted that The Clash influenced him, Jane's Addiction, and Camper Van Beethoven. The band gained popularity in the 90s with their song "Semi-Charmed Life" and even won a Billboard Music Award in 1997 for Best Modern Rock Track. I was shocked when I received the email saying I was approved to take photos. I did not expect a band this large to have such a lenient photo policy. We were able to capture their entire set, which was very exciting. The band started by staying together at the back of the stage, and once the show started, they slowly came out to the front with a blast of energy. Throughout the night, they played a total of 18 songs, including “The Kids Are Coming (To Take You Down)”, “Shipboard Cook”, and the classic “Semi-Charmed Life”. Drummer Brad Hargreaves had an amazing drum solo after playing the song “Jumper”. I'll see Third Eye Blind again. Their setlist has a great mix of high-energy songs and intimate acoustic performances, creating a fantastic show atmosphere.

Hey, music fans! If you love music and don't want to miss out on the best concerts and events, then be sure to follow Concert Hopper on Instagram and Facebook. If you love Yellowcard check out our coverage from their Celebration of 20 years of Ocean Avenue Tour in 2023 (Click Here). Stay updated on our exciting journey and be the first to know about the most popular music events and concerts. Say goodbye to the fear of missing out and join our community today. Immerse yourself in the heart of the action with Concert Hopper and be a part of an unforgettable music experience!

[the-last-concert]

Prologue- Before Set

The chilled air reminded me of them. How it was filled with pure nostalgia of camping, walks, and drive-ins. Growing up in a small town like Mystique didn’t offer much. But I met both of my best friends there. And since then… we became the trinity of inseparable destiny.

That was 9 years ago.

I received a letter from one of them. He invited me to a Paramore concert from their reunion tour. I was so busy job hunting, I didn’t even know they got back together. They were our favorite band growing up.

It’s been a long time since we all were together. I was at the Four Seasons hotel near Madison Square Garden. Back when we all grew up together, I was happy. I felt proud to have known them at a young age. They were fearless. It only made me want to be ….just as shameless.

After graduation from the great Mystique High School, Home of the Boars. We went our separate ways. I relocated to New York and studied at Columbia. I wanted to go into Art History. And they had dreams they wanted to chase. We ended up separating from each other a little under a decade.

Back in grade school, we learned a lot from each other. I wondered… What's changed ? Who stayed the same ?

I only wrote letters to one of them. I haven’t heard anything from the other. It’s like he faded into the background with no trace, whatsoever. Maybe he just wanted a clean slate from the overwhelming fame of being a prodigy athlete to Mystique. Just 20 miles outside of Milwaukee, Mystique was a town that was ran by them. Two overly ambitious athletes got all the praise from our quiet little town. But they won games. Brought back trophies. Almost went to the championship. But we didn't go because our rivals had a better season.

Back then, I thought I could never entertain the idea of falling in love with them. I did love them. But it was strictly platonic. Though a lot of our fellow classmates thought otherwise. They were seen as my brothers. I was an only child so it was fitting. They’ve only seen me as their youngest sister. They protected me. I was never bullied.

They ran most of the popular hangouts. Rosie’s. The Mystique Drive-In. And so on. No kid could ever cross them. They weren’t brothers, though everyone thought they were. They just shared the same age and same birthday. I guess that’s why no one could ever tell them apart. They were smart, but most of all kind. Different from the guys I ever dated. I knew no one would ever want to meet them, personally. Their intimidation was powerful. I talked about them, and it was a threat. Like every guy handled envy a little differently. I tried to tell them, there was nothing ever to be envious about. It never rang out. I guess my lips spoke their names too much. They tried to do everything to tune them out. It was then that I accepted, maybe I would fall for one of them. It was just all a matter of when. No more doubts.

Now, I’m looking off into the distance in front of a clear, blackened view of an open road. It leads to the last concert I would see both of them at. And I was riddled with countless questions of my heart having to split into. I didn’t feel as close to them as I did back then, I was scared shitless of what opinions waved in. How would they view me now? Would they see me as just as mature? Would they have an evolutionary perspective of the woman I am ? Am I appealing? Oh, and most of all, would they honor my feelings too? It was still too early to tell which one gripped my heart more, however, I knew I would have an answer, seeing them together.

I put my tea down on the crystallized glass table. I gathered up my wool jacket and headed out. The black concrete road was were I was going to face them. I fished out my gloves in my pocket and the hand warmers seeped through the seams. It was the transition of autumn becoming winter. The awful chill in the New York air nipped every breath and turned it into a spoken image. I didn’t care how cold my lips were about to feel, I wasn’t turning down this invitation. I desperately needed to see them. For a while, they were home. I guess I just missed how comfortable I felt around them.

I look up from the concrete and see him at once. He was walking ahead of me, a bit lonely. His shoulders hung low and his black wool coat wrapped around his lengthy torso. He stood about 6’5” tall. Even slightly hunched over, I noticed he had a better chance of reaching heaven than I did. I only stood at 5’6”.

He wore tightly darker jeans and the low Nike 1s in orange and blue traces. It was the only thing that brightened against the darkened concrete. I could always tell him from the other.

The nickname I gave him was so long ago. It was a ringing joke from him always losing races the three of us competed in. And so, we settled with Speedy. It was a double entendre. There was nothing speedy about him, but he still accepted it.

The way he drove his 1990 Dodge Challenger, was a different story. When he finally got behind the wheel, his car made up for the lack of full speed he couldn’t carry.

“Speedy,” I called for him. He came to a shrieking halt before he whipped around. Best greeting yet. He looked like he just saw a ghost.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Speedy said as we stopped under the flickering streetlight. The scar was still there, right under his eye. His freckles were spread out from across his nose and landed on each side of his cheeks. His eyes shined the brightest of amber. I only had a minute to take him all in, but my heart knew. I knew Speedy more than myself. I knew all his shortcomings and with each breath, memories flooded between the both of us like a flowing creek. Walks by the rivers. Building tree fortresses in the middle of the woods. Late night camp session readings that were often crashed by his counterpart. The other him. Pepper. A name we didn’t give, but his family did. But he was never bothered with us taking it on. And to them- I was Moggie. Some days-Mog. Short for Mahogany.

“You always had perfect timing huh, Mog?” Speedy looks toward me, hopeful. I felt a warm feeling in my chest.

I smiled up at him. “I always knew where to be.”

“That’s for damn sure.” Speedy rushes me and lifts me in the air. “God, you barely grew Mog. But I guess your height was never your best factor.”

I scoffed, hitting his shoulder to put me down. “Like speed was ever yours?”

“Ouch,” Speedy replied after we continued our walk. “Still witty as a bat, man… I’ve missed that.” Then, he paused in the cold air. “I’ve… missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” I responded.

We made it towards the checkpoint and we met Pepper right near the front. Pepper was shorter than Speedy by a few inches. But it didn’t stop him from having the biggest ego between them. Tonight, he looked as I remembered him. Dreamless eyes that were multicolored. The left side was brown. The right side was blue. Freckles were brown and gathered across his nose. His hair was shorter now and faded out to fine coiled lines. He wore a dark brown jacket and a white shirt underneath. His pants were black and skinny. Combat boots he wore were very spiky. Typical rockstar look for someone who is the most witty.

“Moggie… wow. Still a sight for sore eyes.”

Pepper stretched his arms toward me and I piled right in. His embrace was warm enough. His arms wrapped around me tightly like a protective shield. I didn’t think he would ring so much affection in our returned encounter. I was taken aback, but then again Pep always did things to surprise me. That fact wasn’t too surprising.

“Hey, Pepper. How you been?” I asked after we broke apart.

“Alright. Did Speed mention we work together now?” He replied, then put the yellow VIP lanyard around my neck. I touched it to make sure it was a solid hold.

“No, but I assumed from the invitation. So how is it? Working with artists?”

“Oh man,” Speedy joined Pepper in a conjoined laugh. They both still laugh obnoxiously. Feeling it with their entire body. Slapping each other’s shoulders and arms. “It’s been a hellish ride. But the work is worth the scores.” He held up their seasonal VIP passes laminated from the company.

“Imma go ahead and make sure the band is ready,” Pepper said. Then his eyes lowered toward me before he tilted his head. “You should come backstage… once it’s all over.”

“Great,” I smiled.

Pepper exits and isn’t planning on looking back. He was a head-charged man. And feelings never wore on his sleeve. He couldn’t even bring up the fact when he last saw me. It wasn’t the best day. We had gotten into a petty fight over where I was going to college. He wanted me to go to UCLA for him and Speedy. I just couldn’t. New York already accepted me in their arts program and there was no way I would change to accommodate. I couldn’t follow them. It hurt like hell. But I think the distance did us some good. I know who I am as an artist. And time apart showed me how successful they became without me. They didn’t need me… hovering.

“Should we head over to the bar?” Speedy suggested, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at his whimsical expression. I matched it. “Sure.”

As we stood waiting for our orders, Speedy broke the silence first. “You know, I don’t think Pep ever got over it,” he started, before leaning against the counter, his back toward the bar. “You not coming with us ... broke up the band.”

I swigged down the beer that just came in front of me before answering, “I know.”

Speedy’s eyebrows collided. “Do you hate him now?”

He had to be referring to the 9-year silence Pepper put me through. Then just now, hugged me like no time had passed. Hate… wasn’t a term for what I was feeling. I felt defeated. I don’t think our relationship could ever go back to normal, ever again.

“No… I just wished he understood,” I sipped my beer again. “That’s all.”

“I was the one who had to convince him to let you come here… before he moved abroad,” Speedy explained. “He was going to leave without a trace. It ain’t right.”

“He has a right to choose what he wants,” I told him. “I’m not the little girl that is going to lick his wounds every time he can’t understand something.” I gulped the last cold one and slapped it on the counter.

“Still Mog- you need an honest convo with him. Air shit out before you know-,” Speedy tried to convince me. I appreciate how big his heart was and how much he cared about the both of us. He never liked when arguments broke out between me and Pepper. And this … was a long one. So much resentment had built a wall between us. Where could I even begin tearing a brick out? Pepper’s mask would fall, eventually. And it’ll be me and Speedy that would have to pick up the pieces, again. I was tired of it.

I said this out of spite, “I’m not his mom.”

Speedy raised his voice towards me. He matched how angry I was. “I never said you were Mahogany, but damn! When is this shit ever going to end?” He threw a few bills at the bar and stormed off.

I was wrong. I knew Pepper’s mom passed away from cancer not too long ago. In that moment, I became a shitty friend. But, it couldn’t be helped. He always brought it out of me. He always picked at my shadowy side. He knew what buttons to light my fuse. Speedy’s words rang me as I moved lifelessly through the raging crowd forming before the band played. I thought about just getting it over with and heading backstage. But I needed to cool off. My rising anger didn’t match his carefree attitude. It never has. Speedy ended up finding me again and stood by me, arms folded. Not making any room for eye contact.

I let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry Speed. That was really shitty.”

“Yeah, it was,” he responded, still looking forward. “You knew the death of his mom just happened.”

“I know,” I turned to him, pleading for him to look at me. “I know, I just- and it’s not an excuse- but I’m just tired of him using me as an emotionless punching bag.”

His amber eyes widened as his head turned to me, “That’s not what he is thinking at all, Mog. He was-,” Then he caught himself, like he was about to reveal something he shouldn’t.

“What is it?” I edged him on.

He shook his head violently and gripped my shoulder. “You really need to talk to him.”

I huffed, and now my arms were folded. I knew by the end of the concert that this would be one of the hardest conversations I ever had to face with him. I didn’t want to think about any of it now. Not when our favorite band was about to take the stage.

“Later,” I finally said. “Looks like Paramore is about to go on.”

[2004videovixxxen]

man oh man.... 

do i fall back on my word, to myself? like i read back on these posts sometimes and i use words like “never”, “hate”, “always”, “i don’t deserve” and as life continues to go on i see that i am operating off emotion alone. yes my mind adds plenty of overthought thoughts to everything i feel but i have to know and believe that with the bad comes the good, the light with the dark, something i talk about to myself. we as souls have a shadow side and it doesn’t make us bad people for harboring such qualities, we learn how to properly exert those parts of us. 

someone recently asked me “what are your red flags?” and the only thing i said was that when conflict arises i sometimes fall silent and don’t know how to deal with it by talking it through instead of allowing it to eat me alive. then i went home and when i woke up the next day, i thought more about my red flags. why did brandon end our relationship? and so i made a list and later that day i saw this person and after exchanging hellos and hugs, he brought up his own red flags and i laughed because it was the first thing i wanted to talk about. i told him that i’m very hard on myself because i’ve been living my life for others and wanting to please them, make sure i fit into the bubble they’ve created of me and therefore, i didn’t really learn to trust myself and be happy with the person i am regardless of whomever accepts me, even if it’s the people i thought “loved” me. he told me that based off of our conversation the night before that he could tell and then he embraced me, and in that moment i felt seen. i was exposed, but this person wanted to throw a blanket over me and make sure i knew that i’m safe.

i told him that i just got out of a relationship and i’m nowhere near ready to jump into another one. i just saw brandon the other day. we spent the day together and it felt... different. i can feel my lack of access to him, how he speaks is different, his walls are back up. even during sex, i could feel the lack of connection, that was the first time i’ve felt it and this might have been the 4th or 5th time it happened. when we were friends and started having sex it didn’t feel like this, there was a spark, something that just made it feel like the best shit i’ve ever had. and it still is since i haven’t had sex with anyone else, but do i want to keep doing this with him? i don’t know. maybe if there’s alcohol involved, lol. i also heard us joking a little and that was cool. i can appreciate that. i still want to be friends, but i can feel us drifting apart. i went to see him at a show he did the day after we hung out and it was kind of surreal because all of his friends/roommates came over to say hello, i honestly hadn’t seen anyone but i also wasn’t looking for them either, but what stood out to me is that they were more receptive to say hello and talk with me for a few more than brandon was, it was like he saw a ghost and then he walked away. that also has been weighing on the thought of not wanting to have sex because i don’t want to feel used by him. but i don’t plan on having a conversation about it anytime soon. i pray he’s doing well. he looks good, man. i recorded him at the show and i wondered if i should just delete it because why do i need to have that? but that was my petty thinking, if anything it’ll stay in my hidden photos with the rest of everything from our relationship.. damn, haven’t looked at those in a minute.

so my friend tells me, after i told him i’m not ready for this, about something really vulnerable, something that happened to where he doesn’t just date for fun or anything and that he respects where i’m coming from and i was looking in his eyes as he was telling me his story. i was feeling a lot of things in that moment but my main takeaway was this raw emotion i was getting from someone i literally only reconnected with that day after 20 years... i was also happy that he felt safe with me to share. and then i thought.. this is someone i want to get to know. and so we kissed, and we fucking kissed, his lips felt so good on mine, me in his arms.

maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan. i have a crush. he let me take some books from his collection to read while he’s away, that was the g’d damn cherry on top. 

and i wasn’t expecting to feel this way at all, anytime soon. but i’m not going to ignore it because of the idea that brandon might want me back. that if i become the woman he wanted me to be he’ll see that i’m serious about him. i have missed out on a few good men waiting on brandon to finally make me his woman, and we had a great relationship, but we couldn’t make it over the mountain and i can’t keep waiting for him to come find me before it’s too late. if i love myself then i know that i deserve someone who is going to climb the mountain with me no matter what we go through. he deserves the same. i could have been that person man, i was sooooo down for him!!! but not in the way that he wanted which i respect. anyways, really just wanted to talk on the fact that i have a crush on someone and i didn’t think that was going to be possible. life is funny and i appreciate it so much. thank you.

[keira-incognita]

Time After Time

Time and our perception of it, and memory, are such strange things in the era of Covid.

I’ve worked from home now for longer than I’ve had any other job.

I went four years between visits to home, and, other than my niece & nephew maturing, it felt like no time had passed.

I have friends that I met several years ago who moved to another state right before the pandemic hit. So they’ve been gone now for longer than they lived here, which just blows my mind. Are friendship has been mostly remote, but it doesn’t feel like that because of all the time we hung out together.

And the game store where we met moved to a different location about a year and a half after I started hanging out there. So it’s been in that new space much longer than it was in the previous space, but that’s the one that feels more familiar to me. It’s kind of my like my childhood home. I lived there for 20 years and haven’t lived there in over 20 years, but it will always be home to me.

Another friend, I realized I had met four years ago today thanks to a Facebook memory, but due to Covid, I haven’t seen her for three years. Our entire pre-pandemic, in-real-life friendship spanned exactly one year and has been online ever since. And that is just so weird to me.

These last three years have been such a damn blur. It simultaneously does not feel like it’s been three years and feels like it’s been a decade. Time is just like that now.

A year ago feels like last week. Five years ago feels like a year. Ten years ago feels like five. Twenty years ago feels like ten. I’m three years away from having graduated high school 30 years ago! What?! That’s crazy!

Anyway, time has lost all meaning, and our memories are biased. What even is reality?

[arklay]

i am indeed thinking again about the fact that ithrenil and farkas met as werewolves before actually you know. meeting. then the moment they helped out at pelagia farm, both of them were internally like (kazoo kid voice) wait a minute, who are you

[asterlark]

ok. samwell college of music au. i wrote all four years let's go babey

eric bittle is this lovely southern tenor (sounds kinda like mitch grassi or ben j pierce) who posts covers (& sometimes originals, but always with neutral or no pronouns because he can't post anything that says he or him ☹) on his youtube channel and has major stage fright but is very talented; he also plays ukulele

he got into samwell college of music on a voice scholarship and his dad doesn’t exactly approve but eric was never the 6′2″ masculine football player he wanted anyway so why not go for his dreams

he auditions for the very competitive samwell men’s contemporary chorus (there’s like 20 choirs; chamber choir, jazz choir, a cappella groups (lax bros do a cappella), combined choirs, etc- smcc does contemporary pop/rock music) and while he’s very very nervous and shaky as he auditions, directors hall & murray see a lot of potential in him (with major grumbling from student director jack)

(the rest of this ridiculously long au under the cut)

the group is small, for a chorus, because the point of the group is not a wall of sound but a focus on all of the very talented guys’ voices coming together in these gorgeous harmonies and basically they’re like one of the best choruses on campus and all the male singers want in

so there’s jack zimmermann, who of course eric knows because everyone knows who he is, he’s the son of bob and alicia zimmermann, both incredibly talented and famous musicians, and basically those genes were in his favor because he’s mega fucking talented

(jack was supposed to sign a recording contract to be in a band with his best friend kent parson when he was 17 but something happened between them and the pressure was too much and jack overdosed on something- there’s so many rumors no one knows what’s real- and kent signed solo in LA & went on to win grammys for his albums about a mysterious ex and jack disappeared for a few years to be a counselor at a music camp and reappears at samwell, knocking everyone’s socks off again like he’d never left, except with a renewed vigor and intenseness that freaks everyone out)

jack is a contemporary writing & production major, freaky talented and sings like a modern day frank sinatra, and he plays like 20 instruments and can read music like breathing air and writes songs like if he stopped he’d die; his music is folksy and mournful and he plays all the instruments on his tracks himself- guitar, piano, strings, drums- it sounds like a full band but nope. just jack. he’s intense

“we all get nicknames in this choir,” justin informs eric on his first day, “we’re those kinda guys.” so he’s bitty, which he finds vaguely offensive (bc he’s not that short!) but still cute, & the rest of the group is introduced to him:

“shitty” knight (voice like colyer) is a musical education major and an enigma of a singer with this awesome, earthy, raspy voice that’s really interesting to listen to and a very.... unique style & look; he writes cheesy but shockingly good raps about social justice topics and he will sing-lecture you if you’ve said something offensive (he also plays banjo)

justin “ransom” oluransi is a music business & management major with an angelic voice you can’t help but listen to; he’s sultry and has an incredible range and does runs like nobody’s business (with a voice like daniel caesar or leslie odom jr UGH)

adam “holster” birkholtz is a voice performance major, wants to be on broadway and it’s all he ever goddamn talks about basically, he’s a belter and has a lot of charisma and starpower and he’ll charm the pants off of you within one note; can also play piano and irritates everyone constantly because his regular volume is like a level 11 (voice like the frontman of my brothers and i combined w/ x ambassadors lead singer)

larissa “lardo” duan is at the local art institute because performing arts is not her jam and she’d much rather paint; she’s a barista at annie’s and supervises open mic nights and keeps the annoying choir dudes from driving away all her patrons

“i’m not even in your dumbass choir,” she says when the group gave her her nickname. holster just told her that she was an honorary member and then started sing-shouting a song at her about how good she is

bitty’s first year is hard because he’s talented and he works hard but he shies away when anyone asks him to sing outside the group and like, he can sing to a camera by himself but being on a stage with everyone looking at you and the sole responsibility of the song on your shoulders is terrifying and no thanks

jack does not. understand this. he’s been performing practically since he came out of the womb and he doesn’t really get performance nerves (what he gets is anxiety about how he did after he gets off stage that follows him home and makes it so he can’t sleep) - so he bothers bitty about it constantly like “you just need practice, you just have to sing by yourself a lot and then you’ll get over it” which like.... that’s true but it’s also hella scary and bitty’s like “no thanks!!!!”

but jack’s annoying and intense so he makes bitty do open mic with him every saturday night and it’s going okay and bitty loves his choir and loves his school and these new friends he’s making and he finally feels comfortable enough to come out to them during his second term

then during their spring choral showcase at the end of his freshman year bitty has a solo and he’s worked really hard on it and he’s feeling good- okay he’s completely freaked out but he’s trying to feel good- but when he gets up on stage there’s so many people and the stage lights are so hot on his face and he flips out a little and maybe he passes out from anxiety and stress right on stage and it’s terrible and he’s so embarrassed and ashamed that he ruined their set at the showcase

of course jack blames himself because “we shouldn’t have given you a solo before you were ready, i misjudged it, i’m sorry” - and they all feel kinda bad bc holy fuck they didn’t know his stage fright was that bad like they didn’t know someone could pass out just by being anxious to sing

he practices all the time over the summer and goes to his local open mic at jack’s insistence and it actually helps a lot because instead of a sea of strangers judging him it’s a bunch of people he knows and they’re all smiling at him and when he finishes his song they cheer for him and it boosts his self-confidence a lot

his sophomore year they have three new members- chris ”chowder” chow (voice like ieuan), an excitable music education major with impressive rapping skills, derek "nursey" nurse (frank ocean or leon bridges type), a songwriting major who can also play violin and guitar, and will ”dex” poindexter (like tom west), a production & engineering major who tried out with chowder bc he needed moral support and didn't expect to get in but impressed the directors with his voice

the year’s going pretty good, bitty’s still pretty scared of singing alone but more confident now and the open mic nights with jack haven’t stopped, so he’s getting better. and one night they’re hanging out at annie’s after closing waiting for lardo to be done so they can walk her home, and bitty suggests that jack sing with him one of these nights, and jack says he doesn’t know any of bitty’s songs and bitty says they can write one together half jokingly but then jack is like “yes.” with that Intense Look

SO they get together a couple days later in jack’s room at the house they all live in together (bitty moved in at the beginning of the year after previous smcc member john johnson called him- how’d he get his number?- and told him he could take his room if he wanted), jack with his guitar and bitty with his ukulele, and it’s a little awkward until bitty says jack should play him one of his songs

and, okay, he doesn’t really know what to expect because the only music jack ever released to the public was that one single he did with kent parson when they were 17 so bitty doesn’t even know if he has anything to play him, but he does- he starts playing these soft, sad notes on the guitar and opens his mouth and sings about being lonely and scared and unsure, about false starts and shaky ground and not knowing where you stand with someone, about expectations and lying awake at night and wishing so hard you were someone else, and bitty watches him sing and just kind of... realizes he’s head over heels for this boy and internally Freaks Out a little

he tries to put that aside and they start to write this song, at first it’s weird because jack’s like “all your songs are love songs i can’t really relate to happy love songs” and bitty’s like “listen... i’ve never even had a boyfriend i just write a bunch of sappy love stuff because it’s not about me it’s about whoever’s listening to it, they’re gonna project their own experiences on my music anyway so it doesn’t matter if it’s my real life or not” and jack’s like “alright while fake af that’s smart and i respect you” (what bitty doesn't say is that he writes about what he really wants which is to fall in love & be in a happy relationship)

they say they’re just gonna write this kinda vague sad song but they both secretly write lines about their actual lives so it ends up being really personal and real and raw for the both of them

they sing the song at open mic that saturday and the crowd at annie’s is never that big but they’ve never got a standing ovation here before, and some girl shouts “MAKE AN ALBUM” (it may or may not be lardo) and they both blush furiously and bitty’s like “... that was really nice, jack” and jack’s like “... yeah it was good good job you’re really getting some confidence out there nice work” (bitty: “THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT AAAAH”)

around this time jack’s really thinking about what he’s gonna do when he’s done at samwell, talking with his parents and his agent and looking into different record companies and deciding if he wants to sign with anyone or possibly start his own company- the head of a small company called falcon records in rhode island has been talking to him a lot, and jack talks to bitty about how he thinks it’d be nice to start small, and the record exec georgia and the producer marty had both been really nice and welcoming, and bitty’s so happy for him but also just... sad that he won’t be around jack every day after he graduates

THEN at a haus party celebrating their win of a local choral competition, who shows up but none other than pop star kent parson to Ruin The Fun

bitty sees the way jack pales when kent walks in, notices them disappear upstairs together and feels a little sick worrying about jack but chalks it up to the highly alcoholic concoction shitty and lardo had cooked up but nonetheless decides he’s sick of the party and goes up to his room and hears.... a little too much

and YIKES he’s standing right there and kent parson, pop star, two-time grammy winner, is looking a little rumpled and staring right at him and he puts his hat on and clears his throat and snaps at jack- “hey. well. call me if you reconsider. but good luck with rhode island. ...i’m sure that’ll make your parents proud.” and jack’s shaking, and bitty doesn’t know what to do but jack goes back into his room and bitty’s just kind of standing there like What The Fuck

so.... he kind of stews over winter break but tries not to think about it too much and he and jack text a bit and jack tells him to practice and bitty’s like “oh, you” and jack’s like “im serious” and bitty’s like “>:( it’s christmas”

spring semester starts and they're doing well in competitions and they go to semifinals and then finals for a prestigious collegiate choir competition and the pressure is mounting but they all are so optimistic and really feel like they're on the same page and bitty’s confidence is better than ever and then.... they don't win

jack especially takes it very hard, but then he also has signing to worry about, which everyone helps him with and he decides to sign with falcon records and start work on an album after graduation

speaking of graduation, shitty and jack graduate and it's hard for them but harder for bitty who feels like he's losing jack in a way, he knows how intense jack gets when he's making music and it doesn't feel like he'll have any time for bitty anymore so when they say goodbye bitty goes back to the haus and listens to his and jack's song and just cries

but, like in canon, dadbob has words of wisdom to impart and jack has an "oh" moment and races across campus to kiss bitty

they get together and the next few months are spent with jack working nonstop on his album (which tbh, he'd had many of the songs written already so it's mostly recording and producing) and texting bitty constantly and coming to visit him and playing him demos of all the songs

jack also asks bitty if they can record the song they wrote together & have it as a bonus track on his album & bitty says of course, so when jack visits they set up an impromptu studio and record vocals in the guest bedroom and this deeply personal song they wrote before they were ever together means so much more to them now

and bitty is so happy but so scared and sad too because jack is playing him these songs telling him "they're all for you bits, & a lot of them are about you" and he just doesn't know how he's going to keep all this love inside even though it feels like jack's career is at stake

he tries to shove it down and stay strong though, especially since he's now an upperclassman and they're taking on new members- connor "whiskey" whisk (voice like finneas or the male singer in valley), a music business/ management major who seems to hate bitty's guts and tony "tango" tangredi (like chaz cardigan), a jazz composition major who astounds everybody with his endless questions but also his ridiculously impressive composition skills & naturally perfect pitch (he can also play saxophone??)

i want ford in this au so fuck it she is a composition major with dreams to write scores for musicals and she stars training as a barista at annie's (aka training to corral the smcc)

the pressure of it all proves to be a lot and bitty and jack have their hi, honey moment where bitty's like i can't be this deep in the closet!!! and so they tell the smcc and also jack's label that they're together and that eases things a bit

jack's album comes out to much critical acclaim and shouting in the groupchat ("#1 ON ITUNES BRAHHHHH!!!!!!!!") and several months later, when smcc has already been eliminated from choral competition in an earlier round, jack is nominated for SEVERAL grammys including best album, song of the year, and best new artist

when the time comes he takes his parents and bitty on the red carpet which, everyone keeps being like "who are you here with jack?" and he's like "my family and my good friend :)" and yes it is awkward

jack wins... all three awards. it's the comeback everyone is stoked to see and when his third win is announced, he and bitty are so elated that they kiss before he goes to accept the award

his speech is basically just "um... wow. thank you. i just kissed my boyfriend on live tv. this is amazing and i'm so humbled. i'd like to thank my boyfriend and georgia and marty and my parents and my friends and my boyfriend"

obviously the press has a FIELD DAY with this but bitty & jack are honestly vibing and so happy that it doesn't matter untiiiillll bitty's mom calls and he has to tell her "mama i'm gay and i'm going on tour with jack this summer okloveyoubye"

the last few months of bitty's junior year pass quickly and he's voted student director which is a huge honor considering how much he struggled with stage fright and confidence & how he'll now be stepping into ransom & holster's shoes

r&h and lardo all graduate (the smcc basically crashes the art school graduation and all scream when lardo gets her diploma lmao), which is a bittersweet occasion and they all do a bit of tearing up

that summer bitty goes on tour across the u.s. & canada with jack and his touring band (snowy is a bassist, tater is a drummer and poots does backing guitar, he also brings nursey to play violin on a few songs) as well as georgia who's there to manage logistics

and tour is so fun & chaotic with many bi and rainbow flags in the audience that end up thrown on stage and draped around jack's neck and they spend so many nights in the bus drinking and laughing and fooling around on the guitars and bitty's uke and exploring new cities bitty has never been to before and it's the freest bitty has felt in a long time

summer ends though, and jack leaves for the uk/europe leg of the tour, and with the new school year brings a few new members- river "bully" bullard (voice like gregory alan isakov), a music therapy major who draws his own cover art for his songs, lukas "louis" landmann (like jr jr), an electronic production and design major with a penchant for EDM, and johnathan "hops" hopper (like keiynan lonsdale), a film scoring major who wants to write music for movies and video games

bitty meets and befriends some of the other student directors- shruti, sd of the women’s contemporary chorus; sharon, sd of the chamber choir; and edgar, sd of jazz ensemble (even chad l., sd of the all-male a cappella group)

senior year passes similarly to the comic; coach visits and sees one of bitty’s competitions, jack comes to madison for christmas, smcc does well in competition and goes to regionals etc

however… bitty keeps putting off and putting off gathering the songs for his senior recital

he has a hard time doing that because he’s so focused on the group and making sure they’re performing well and as they advance in competition, everything else starts to fall away

eventually the rest of the smcc has to lock away his uke and change his youtube password and FORCE him to choose songs for it and start preparing because he cannot graduate without doing this recital and doing well on it

he chooses (of course) a beyonce song, a few of his own songs, an ellie goulding song, and an adele song

with all that his breath hitches and his hands shake before he goes on stage, he does really well and his voice instructor prof atley tears up a little in the audience as does his mom

meanwhile smcc goes to semifinals, then finals, of the national collegiate choral competition they participate in

and i imagine bitty faces somewhat less homophobia in this au because i mean, he’s in the performing arts, but i think it’s still there and he also faces a good amount of classism from richer students and performers who think they’re better because they had the resources and money to be performing professionally from a very young age, and he has been practicing via filming himself on a shitty camcorder and posting it to youtube

but they still get there! and the national finals are fucking HUGE and a big deal and a little overwhelming

bitty’s stage fright is Present because this is the biggest stage and the biggest stakes he's ever had and he has a big solo in one of their songs so if he fucks up, he fucks up a national championship for his whole group and school

luckily though, when he steps on the stage with his best friends and sees his boyfriend and family and smcc alums in the audience and they perform their first song, a high-energy pop medley that always gets the crowd going, everything seems to melt away and it's just him living in this moment and singing his heart out

when it gets to the next song and his solo, he forgets to be nervous and belts it out, getting screams of approval from the audience when he finishes

(dex and nursey do have a duet together that they had to practice for many long nights in the practice rooms alone but that's neither here nor there)

their time on stage seems to last both hours and no time at all and then they're done, the crowd gives them a standing ovation and it's at least 30% r&h & shitty's hooting and hollering and jack's enthusiastic clapping that makes bitty & the others beam with pride

then it's just waiting, giddy and nervous beyond belief in their green room, for the judging to be over

after what feels like forever they're back on stage, arms linked together waiting and hoping for their name to be called and it is, they win and it feels like years have built up to this moment, and bitty tears up because years ago when he was fainting from anxiety at having to perform in front of people he never could've imagined that he'd do this, that he'd be the student director that led them to a championship

they get the trophy and a ridiculous amount of flowers from their loved ones and they all are just in giddy disbelief that this is happening, they're national champs!!! they are the best choir boys in the nation!!

they come home and the rest of the school year passes by so quickly that it's very suddenly graduation and bitty can't believe his college career at samwell is over 😢

(he and ollie and wicky take pictures together, o&w talk about how excited they are to devote full time attention to their band & wedding planning and bitty's just like wait you're gay??)

bitty got plenty of offers from record companies but he likes his freedom of creativity and he has a built in fanbase from doing youtube all these years so he decides to make an album independently (jack helps him produce & master it 🥰)

when bitty's album comes out about a year later, full of bops about being gay and in love and having struggled but come out the other side more confident than ever, it doesn't get any grammy nominations- and he didn't expect or need that.

what it does do is it resonates. it makes the rounds in youtube and queer internet circles; people his age reach out to him saying this is the music they wish they had as a kid and kids reach out to him saying he's a role model and they're so glad to have his music to listen to. his album is written about as an underrated gem that shines with queer brilliance and is sure to start a party when it comes on.

his parents may not fully understand the road he's chosen for himself but they're still so proud and promote the album as hard as any of his loyal fans (especially the one country-inspired song on the album that he wrote and dedicated to them).

and jack, jack who saw this album from its infancy to its release date, who took the film photo that ended up being the album cover, who worked with bitty to make sure his vision was realized exactly how he wanted it to be, is proud beyond words.

jack starts using his semi-abandoned twitter again to tweet "stream [album name]" every day and bitty retweets them sometimes, with just a "this boy. ❤"

and they're happy. they're good. they have come so far and they are reaping the rewards of all the hard work they put in to make the music that they truly love.

the end :)

[writer-akihiko]

Hello!

Can i request again?

So... Fluff really fluffy. Old Mc with Old warlords.

Please don't kill them. 😭

IkeSen Boys + Growing Old With MC

Note: The children of the warlords are taken from historical record, but please know that not all scenarios are accurate as I had named some children to fill in the children who were unnamed.

To be honest with you this is probably the longest ask I've ever done, over a period of 4 days of editing and characters so I hope you enjoy the fluffy family content! It's cut for length. Also... I couldn't add so many tags so please share it if you can!

Nobunaga Oda

You were excited for this particular day, since your oldest son, Nobutada was finally coming home from a skirmish he had settled. The Owari province was long handed over to your sons, as you and Nobunaga lived peacefully in the edges of Azuchi, away from the city.

You had waited a long time to see your children once again, although not all were in Azuchi. With 21 children in total, both adopted and from birth, most were of similar age. The only few that lived with you were your youngest daughters, Oushin and Ofuri who were adopted at the same time. Youngest was a stretch, considering they were both 19.

Your other warlord friends were due to visit soon, including Hideyoshi. Throughout your years, you never comprehended why no one interested Hideyoshi as a romantic partner. Although, your heart eased, remembering how Hideyoshi would care for your sons as if he were their own.

Your thoughts were interrupted by your husband, as he plopped next to you, taking in the serene view of the empty field. In his hand were a bag of konpeito. Hideyoshi would be angry, but you weren't so as you managed to control his candy-loving instincts. You took a few to nibble on yourself, as you leaned against your husband.

"What were you thinking of, my fireball?"

You hummed, wondering how to respond. "About the future perhaps?"

"Good," he said. "I've been thinking... I wouldn't change a thing. But..."

You leaned into him, tickling the hairs of his neck. He flinched away, peppering you in kisses in retaliation as he continued his thought. "I want to travel once again, with you."

"I won't say no... But why not travel for longer?"

The moment your friends gathered, you and your husband announced your decision. Your children were surprised but the older warlords weren't. Masamune also teased Nobunaga, saying how he grew tired of a tranquil life. It wasn't long before you contacted Motonari, and the Oda couple were due to sail to Portugal.

"My years with you gave me the greatest life, YN."

Hideyoshi Toyotomi

It was not long before the day of your 20th marriage anniversary with Hideyoshi, but you woke up to a missing husband. Hideyoshi, being the way that he is, never stopped working for Nobunaga. Years went by, and you and Hideyoshi had a family of two sons, Hideyori and Tsurumatsu.

Your oldest son, Tsurumatsu, welcomed you instead in the morning. Your oldest was the spitting image of Hideyoshi, except that he took your eyes. It was as if you were looking at a younger Hideyoshi, and you commented on it, "With a sword like that, you remind me of your father..."

Your son's attitude however, resembled Ieyasu more than anything. Well... Ieyasu was his favourite warlord uncle when growing up. Tsurumatsu denied any of the sort, and insisted he accompanied you around Azuchi. You were internally grateful that your sons took after your husband's gentleman-like attitude, although at times when living in an estate with all three, it could get overbearing...

As you looked over the local fabrics, your hands traced over a fabric that you thought would suit all three of your boys.

"Princess YN?"

"Lord Mitsuhide!" Your son quickly bowed to the other warlord, but Mitsuhide gave him the respect to get up. The sudden appearance of the two bachelors, one older than the other, caused an uproar of the unmarried women of the market. It got you to think why Mitsuhide never settled down...

Your trip with your son ended in the front gates, where your younger son Hideyori and your husband Hideyoshi stood. Hideyoshi welcomed you wholeheartedly.

Hideyoshi escorted you around town, and you held onto his arm as you did before, and you two reminisced about the memories you had in the town together.

"20 years married..." You muttered. "Time flies huh? The boys have the townswomen swooning over them just like you did back then..."

"I only had eyes for you, YN..." He said. You huffed, teasing him about how he was in denial about his feelings the entire time. Hideyoshi grew red at your teasing, with you pulling him down to your level, kissing him on the cheek.

"For these 20 years with me YN... Thank you for telling me to live and staying with me."

Mitsunari Ishida

Your life never slowed down despite Mitsunari's calm approach to life. It was a joyous occasion for the Ishida clan throughout the years as you and Mitsunari had a wonderfully, large family of you both and 6 children.

Mitsunari still worked under Hideyoshi, with your third son Sakichi following in his footsteps. The week was busy, with you preparing for two weddings for your second and third daughter.

All your 6 children followed in the steps of Mitsunari in terms of worshipping Ieyasu. It was so much so, that one of your son-in-laws was Senchiyo Tokugawa. The warlords were long gone with their aggressions, so you were surprised when Mitsunari and Ieyasu arranged Kennyo to officiate the marriage.

Kennyo had been a neutral force after the birth of your first son Shigenari, as he even offered to bless your child. Kennyo himself never settled down, but he focused on rebuilding the temples instead. Mitsunari was quite the supporter, but Hideyoshi let an insight that it meant a lot to him since before Mitsunari studied in a temple.

You and Mitsunari returned home after a long shopping trip with the two oldest sons, Shigenari and Shigeie. Mitsunari nowadays forgot his things more and more, but his hatred for carrots continued. Your sons disappeared somewhere else to eat their carrot snacks, as you sat with Mitsunari in his study.

"You've never changed, Mitsunari..." You said, preparing some tea for him.

He reached out to your own hand, helping you pour. "I'm sure I'm improving on my tea manners!"

The silence never settled between you two, as no matter how much time had passed, you two never ran out of topics to run out of. You comforted Mitsunari as he confessed how sullen he felt about your daughters leaving.

"If anything... YN, in my time with you... Thank you for marrying me."

Mitsuhide Akechi

You moved to Tanba permanently, and you gave up your rank as Princess. With Mitsuhide gone for his missions, you'd answer to the other warlords. Somehow, it lead you to the title of 'Lady Akechi'.

It wasn't long before your first daughter, Tama, was to come of age. Mitsuhide was a private man, so it was only to be held with the other warlords and your entire family. You and Mitsuhide had a small family, but they were equally cherished by the others.

Yoshimoto arrived at Tanba earlier than expected. You had become fast friends with him, despite Mitsuhide's dislike. You had reassured him multiple times that Yoshimoto had no interest in you, but at times you had questioned why Yoshimoto never married...

"Tama! Yoshimoto is here!" You called out for your daughter. She was most likely with your youngest daughter... Yoshimoto had agreed to come and help Tama put together her hair, with the accessories he had collected.

It was not long before your daughter was finished, and by that time Mitsuhide with your eldest son, Mitsuyoshi, returned. No matter how many people were in the estate, your husband kissed you on the cheek, as it was customary to do.

Mitsuyoshi made faces, but was silenced by his much more mature, younger sister. Yoshimoto was quick to escort the three siblings outside, where Kyubei was waiting to bring his Lord's family to Nobunaga's Castle.

"Mou... Mitsuhide, the children are waiting... It's Tama's day today..." You muttered, as he continued to kiss you.

"Our children are adults, YN..." He said, holding you close. "Let your husband indulge in you for one more kiss... For now, and all our coming years..."

Ieyasu Tokugawa

In celebration, you decided to throw a banquet for Ieyasu as he announced he was stepping down from work. It was lively at home, with 16 children and a small army of rescued deer over the year helping you to decorate the house. You and Ieyasu, besides the deer, adopted children over your 20 years of marriage who soon became close with your 6 biological children.

You hurried to prepare the grand hall, but before you could fully lift the box full of tapestries, it was quickly carried away.

"Mama... You're not allowed to carry heavy things anymore," A blond man told you off, as two other men carried the vases away.

"Nobuyasu... Ogimaru... Hidetada..." You smiled at your three eldest sons. Ah, your heart warmed at how considerate they've become. It made you feel like a proud mother... "You three returned from Kenshin's lessons?"

The gap between the Oda and Uesugi-Takeda forces closed, and Kenshin grew close to your family. He never had children of his own, so you were enthusiastic when Kenshin treated your eleven sons as his own, even taking some to learn the sword by him.

"Mama! Don't be distracted! Let us fix you up!"

From behind you, your five daughters swarmed you, wrapping you up in a cloth you sure you bought this week... and it was untrimmed...

"Tokuhime! I haven't trimmed that cloth!" You turned to your other daughters, who were also holding makeup paints and hairpins. "Kamehime! Ichihime! You don't have to throw your jewellery to get my attention!"

"Mou... Mama, Father will be so happy to see you dressed up~" Your third daughter, Furihime chimed.

Matsuhime, the fourth daughter, joined in. "Without our help, your kimono might be too old fashioned Mama..."

Oh... Things were lively with all your children back at home... Your sons finished decorating the hall, and as a token you decided to do your daughters' hair to match them to your hairstyle.

You were last to enter the hall, as the boys wanted to greet their father first. Your daughters entered next, and all Ieyasu saw through them was you, and the way you raised them made them blossom into the people they were today. When you entered... he swore he stopped breathing.

"YN... My wife..." Not much was said after, but the blush on his face was enough to show how much he loved it, as well as his hand gripping onto yours tracing every finger of it.

Masamune Date

You would like to think that your life grew much more peaceful, but with a chaotic husband like Masamune, and four equally chaotic children like him. The Date forces as a whole were also chaotic. It was safe to say that Lady Date was one who took care of them all, no matter how big or small.

It gave your husband the great idea of planning a surprise birthday party for you with his children. As a warlord, he was not Ishida Mitsunari but he could still plan a well thought-out strategy...

"Irohahime, Muuhime, you are to distract your mother at the market. Kojuro will give the signal when we're ready."

They nodded. "Yes Dad."

"Hidemune, Tadamune. You know when to start the fight," He reiterated.

"Yes Da-"

Ieyasu, who came earlier as a guest, spoke up. "Why am I a part of this?"

"YN will only break a fight if it involves people outside our family," Masamune explained, flexing his arm. "She knows we're tough as nails..."

Ieyasu Tokugawa remained a bachelor, although he never explained why he didn't. Masamune had a little bit of a hunch, but he isn't one to pry. Ieyasu was an undeniable favourite of his daughter Muuhime, who gained an affinity for medicine.

"Tough as nails?"

Your family was dumbfounded that you stepped in the decorated hall, with your husband and children, with Ieyasu in the corner with a bowl of spicy soup. Kojuro had kindly lead Lady Date into the hall, despite of the plan as no one in the Date palace dared to defy YN LN.

For a room full of adults, your family at the moment were not acting like one. It was typical, but you had to wonder what the fuss was all about. Tadamune, the closest to you, was someone who couldn't lie to you, and told you the truth. It ended quite simply, as you insisted to help prepare.

In the kitchen with Masamune brought back memories. The whole time you and your husband were cooking, you played around with the ingredients as you did back then.

"My wife... you have a little flour on your face. Should I wipe it with my fingers or..." He wrapped his arms your waist, brushing his lips on your ear. "Kiss it away myself?"

Ranmaru Mori

You and Ranmaru decided to leave the Oda forces once you both got married. Ranmaru was mainly the reason, as he wanted to keep a neutral stance for your safety.

Ranmaru grew much taller over the years, but he wasn't as towering as the other warlords. You didn't mind as much except for the period of measuring out new kimonos for him. You both lead a quaint life, with Ranmaru working as your courier for your sewing work.

You and Ranmaru never had any children of your own, instead opting to become foster parents to other children whose parents were in war efforts or children that were orphaned from incidents.

Many children came and went, some of them leaving and never returning but there were the few that stayed. Ranmaru was still actively talking to the other warlords through letters, so you weren't surprised when he said that he intended to take you back to Azuchi for peach season.

It was no surprise that Hideyoshi gathered the entire town of Azuchi to welcome you both. It was nice to meet friends you had missed, as well as the daughters of the warlords you worked for. They awed at you, but to you it was as if you had adopted many, many girls resembling your friends.

"YN-hime! Etto... Do we call you YN-hime?" Tatsuhime, the oldest daughter of Mitsunari, asked.

"Of course! Even if she's not in Azuchi Castle, all our uncles say that she's the best princess!" Tokuhime, Nobunaga's oldest daughter, chimed in. "I may be Azuchi's princess but I can't fathom comparing myself to YN-hime!"

You shushed the girls, getting overwhelmed easily by the compliments and praises showered on you. You gave a peak to Ranmaru as a plea for help, but he added the cherry on top to the compliments instead.

"YN, YN... You know you're the best princess in my eyes!" He said, kissing your hand.

You were sure Ieyasu's daughters poked at their father with teasing of following Ranmaru's example. Others, like Mitsuhide's and Masamune's daughters, began to swoon that Ranmaru was more romantic than their fathers.

"I think that's enough Ranmaru... Let's save the romantic lines for our walk in the garden..."

Keiji Maeda

Oh what memories you had with Keiji over the years... For one, you were glad that the allegiance between the Oda and Uesugi-Takeda worked out, as you and Keiji decided to live together during that time.

You were shortly married after, with Keiji inviting Naoe as well, which lead to Kenshin being invited... plus Sasuke and Yukimura... not to mention Shingen as well... In the end it resulted in another gathering between the Oda and Uesugi-Takeda which you were glad didn't turn out violent.

Keiji was quite the family man himself, for after 20 years of marriage you had raised 10 children together, with 4 biological children and 6 adopted children. They had all grown up, married off to someone they love, leaving the once rowdy house now empty and quiet.

Keiji never stopped supporting Nobunaga, working almost as much as Hideyoshi on some days. You lived quietly, occasionally accompanying the wives of the other warlords as you never gave up your title as Azuchi's Princess, but it was obvious that you missed your entire family.

Keiji was always good with knowing your mood. Much to your surprise, you came back to an empty estate... but there were voices? One roaring voice sent you running to the main hall, where you opened the doors and there were your children, sitting around their father as he told more of his old war stories.

Overwhelmed with emotion, you shed a few tears as each of your children went up and hugged you.

"It's been so long my children..." You said as you hugged your two daughters.

"Mom, don't cry! If you cry... I'm gonna cry too!" Your first son, Keita wailed. He was taller than his father but it was quick to see that Keita, and much of the large boys of the family treasured you as their mother.

"Hoi hoi you rascals!" Keiji called out, getting up to walk to you. "Your monstrous heights would crush your mother!"

You moved into a hug with your husband, feeling Keiji lift you up. "My dear... they wouldn't," You grinned, finally laughing. "Keiji... Thank you for bringing our family together."

Kenshin Uesugi

Being crowned Lady Uesugi, you and Kenshin got busier and busier every year. It was an occurrence for the scribes of Kasugayama Castle to trail your relationship with Kenshin, as by the end of the day, it was a habit of his to take you on a stroll with your many, many bunnies.

There was not a soul in Echigo that did not hear of your marriage, Many were welcomed, but at the time no one thought that there would be a larger party than this. That was... until it was announced that you were pregnant.

It was an uproar, especially with Kenshin going around to everyone, saying how you were with child. To your surprise, your family of supposed three become a family of four as you were blessed with twins.

Kasugayama Castle was the home of your twins, Kagetora and Kagekatsu. Kenshin was proud of them, and they grew up to follow in their father's footsteps to take over the Uesugi clan... or that's what you thought until you realised how stubborn your husband was. He was making them work hard for it in their teen years when they expressed their interest in it.

Ah, but of course... Your three boys would always recharge with you, talking about their day. If one thing, they never learnt to share...

"What? You're drinking tea with Mama? But I wanted to show her the fabrics the merchants showed me!" Kagetora yelled at his older twin. Besides sword fighting, he grew up with an interest towards strategy, which was under Mitsunari's influence. He visited as often as he could, but you wonder if someone would ever catch Mitsunari's eye...

"An oaf like you wouldn't know how to brew tea like this for Mama..." Kagekatsu retorted, setting the pot down. He gained an interest for elegant arts similar to his father, and of course his favourite uncle is Yoshimoto.

Both glared at each other, but it was not long before the God of War entered the garden, with his many bunnies. "And why are you bothering my wife?"

"Father! Don't talk as if we're strangers! We're your sons and we wanna spend time with Mama too!" Kagetora retorted.

Kenshin drew his blade, challenging his sons that the winner gets to spend the afternoon with you.

"Ehem!" You coughed out, folding your kimono under you. "Boys, what's my number one rule in the garden?"

"No fighting and no swords..." Kagekatsu muttered.

"That's right," You said, taking a cup for yourself. "Now, why don't we all just sit down and have some tea?"

Sasuke Sarutobi

You and Sasuke didn't rush your lives in the Sengoku, since coming from the future meant a busy livelihood. You both agreed that when you both grew older, you would relax a little and not worry about the larger things in life.

Sasuke kept you in Echigo, as you stayed close to him and his other friends. You both had no intention of moving, but you did have an idea to own an estate to yourselves. There was no intention of children from both of you, so you decided to become foster parents to children with majority of their families at war.

You had only fostered about 3 children, but similarly, they too had extended families that they stayed with instead. The both of you learnt how to let go, ever since staying here, but that was something you both grew from. Finding out you both let go of the children you cared for, Yukimura had asked if you were interested in taking in his nephews and niece.

Yukimura himself never married, and you never asked, but he was a dear friend that you and Sasuke would sacrifice a lot for. Yukimura's orphaned nephews and niece were quickly known as your children, and Sasuke would always read them Physics Theorems as a bed time story...

It was a joyous occasion whenever those three would come back, and sooner by that time you realised you had gotten older. There was a small room where you and Sasuke kept your modern items, coincidentally was the room you would often have tea in.

You sighed, taking another bite of your bun. "Sasuke... I know we've lived quietly, but I've wanted to know if you ever wanted to return?"

"There's nothing I would've changed, YN... Not a single thing." He smiled, brushing his hand over yours. "Maybe... maybe there's another timeline, but you're in this one so it's where I am."

Kanetsugu Naoe

He continued to serve his years under Kenshin's reign, but then it was a moment of realisation of how time passed when you told him you were pregnant. It was a moment of stress for him, as he wasn't knowledgeable on the process.

It was recorded by the scribes of Kasugayama Castle that when Azuchi's Princess gave birth, Kanetsugu shed tears as if it were raining. That is to say, he cried a lot. You had a son, Kanetsuna. Much like his father, your son grew up to admire the line of Kenshin Uesugi, becoming close friends with Kagekatsu and Kagetora Uesugi.

Those three went off adventuring so much, it often worried you. Kanetsugu, with his curt self, would reassure you in his own way. It wouldn't help you much, since Kanetsugu would also talk about how helpful Kanetsuna was being towards the Uesugi family line.

You always busied yourself with your sewing, so you often used your son as a model to model your kimonos after. Kanetsuna never had an interest in fashion, but he would always walk up to women in the streets to go and buy your kimonos whenever you would open the shop.

Needless to say, most thought you were available for a marriage interview instead. Kanetsugu was surprised to see you carry home so many letters addressed to your son. Somehow, he was proud but wary.

"How did our son even resemble Shingen's charm? I'm aware he has my looks, but this is a bit much..." He adjusted the glasses he wore, taking more letters off your arms.

"Our son is of age, Kanetsugu and don't flatter yourself too much," You said, setting the letters aside. "You weren't a charmer but you steered clear of women..."

He turned red when you brought up his past self. His blush went away the moment you kissed him cheek, wrapping your arms around your husband. "It's alright, my husband... I certainly fell hard for you."

Shingen Takeda

How you lived in bliss with Shingen... It was not long before Kai was returned to Shingen, and he worked hard to build it up from the state that it was left in. Shingen created a loving community in Kai, and it was no question a homely place for you and him. Nobunaga claimed that the crops he gifted on your wedding were a gift, and you thanked him for that. Despite the time that passed, Nobunaga never took a spouse, so you wondered when he would marry too.

The whole community was in joy when you were with child, which prompted Shingen to throw an entire festival to bless your first born. Years went by, and you bore four sons for Shingen. Kai was now famous for its festivals, since Shingen insisted on one for every child you both had.

Kai, in turn, had a festival for every season and every son, with each having their birthdays in a particular season. Katsuyori was in the summer, Harukiyo was in the spring, Nobuchika was in Autumn and Yoshinobu was in Winter. The particular festival this time around was for Nobuchika, your second son and his 20th birthday.

You sighed, remembering the times the boys were younger. How they would run around, and how Shingen would swing them around hanging off his biceps. It was about 20 years of marriage, so you could still attest that he had the biceps, but your sons were far too tall to swing off their father's arm.

"Remember how they would swing on my arm?" Shingen said to you, taking a bite of a sweet bun.

"Mhm... Katsuyori would always fall off..." You replied, sipping your tea. The both of you watched as the new generation of the Kai people set up the tents, and raked the leaves off the walkways for the guests. "But Nobuchika was very stubborn..."

"It was always adorable how you'd panic, my Goddess..." He teased, pulling you close. "Not like I minded... Ah, and how Yoshinobu would sleep on Koro's back..."

The teasing was uncalled for, but Shingen couldn't stop swaddling you in his arms, relishing you in his kisses. You laughed, and your gleeful smile is one he'd always want to see on you.

Harukiyo, the youngest, nudge his other brothers. "Hey... Do they know that we're still here?"

The other three shook their heads.

Yukimura Sanada

Throughout the years, you and Yuki had 11 children together, with a mix of adopted and biological children. You were surprised that Yuki even had the confidence to take care of so many children with you, since Yuki wasn't exactly a paternal type either...

Another thing was, out of 11 children, you only had four sons... with very similar names that you can't help but give nicknames to them!

"Yuki! Dai! Help your sisters carry this heavy pot!" You yelled. In a rush, four young adults plus your husband came from their training, spears in hand, at your call to the garden.

You always wondered why Yuki insisted on naming two sons Yukichika and Yukinobu and the other two Daihachi and Daisuke. It always confused the others, especially Shingen when he couldn't tell them apart.

Besides that, all of your children had gained a love for some kind of weaponry. The only exception was your oldest, Kiku, who decided to become a healer instead. You fully supported their interests, but you still had to lay down some ground rules about weapons...

It wasn't long before three of your girls came back with Sasuke. Sasuke continued to be a favourite of the Sanada family, especially with the triplets, Okane, Oshobu and Oume, who had an affinity for throwing stars and knives. The last three girls, Ichi, Naho and Akuri were fans of archery instead, which their father taught them as well.

Speaking of Sasuke, you were glad that he treated the children as his own. You never asked why he never did adopt a few, or get married, but you were sure it wasn't right to pry.

It was always a big dinner with the Sanada family, but after dinner Yukimura would always take you somewhere else, be it the study or the garden, for his alone time with you.

"Time passes by huh..." You muttered, reaching in the tiny jar of fish snacks.

Yuki hummed, stroking Muramasa's coat as he listened to how your day went. No longer did he insult you as often as he did, but that boyish attitude of his never changed.

"Oh by the way... I arranged a marriage interview with Kiku and Katsuyori!"

Yuki spat out his drink. "T-Takeda Katsuyori?"

You hummed. "Kiku really likes him, and the feelings are mutual so-"

Not a word was to be said about what Yukimura screamed. Except for the fact that you replied with, "Kiku is 23 years old."

Yoshimoto Imagawa

Yoshimoto wasn't someone you'd imagine wanting a family, but then you realised that Yoshimoto really wanted to pamper any children you had. It was a slow process, but over the years, you both had 5 children, with 4 daughters and a son.

Your four daughters were well-known for their beauty, especially with mentions of their lineage as the phrase of 'Elegance of Imagawa and Beauty of Azuchi's Princess' was repeated several times over. Yoshimoto would not stop gushing over his own children, no matter how old they were.

Your only son, Ujizane was much more interested in becoming someone like Yukimura but he was also famous for his calligraphy works. It was an understatement how many pieces were commissioned by Kenshin and Masamune.

Yoshimoto however, has no concept of approaching romance when it came to his own child. He so happened to eavesdrop your conversation with your second daughter, Reishou.

"Ah! I can't look at him Mother! He's... He's very charming!" The usual stoic Reishou hid her face in her hands, her body swaying back and forth.

"Now... did you send him that letter I told you to do?" You said, patting her on the back. "Yoshinobu was it? He's a nice man..."

"But... But... the messenger accidentally sent it to Harukiyo Takeda! He mixed up the wrong brother..." Reishou told you, tears coming from her eyes. You wiped them away, hugging her close, and telling her it was going to be alright.

"Father? What are you doing in front Reishou's room?" His first daughter, Chotoku, asked, a hand to her hip in wonder. She wasn't as quiet as her father, her mannerisms and voice loud and clear. The 'eep' from the room was enough for him to bow down in shame as he saw you exit Reishou's room.

You ushered Chotoku to comfort her younger sister, as you dragged your husband somewhere else.

"Now Yoshimoto... you should apologise to your daughter," You said, finishing your lecture about why he shouldn't listen in. He pressed his head to floor as he listened, bowing to you as you went on about how he should be supportive.

"I... I understand my wife. Thank you..." He said.

"With that said... The five of you can come in now. I'm done with the scolding..."

Oh, the embarrassment he felt...

Kennyo

He was embarrassed to tell you that he had planned out his future with you when you found him pacing around about names for your future children. You and Kennyo lived in the reconstructed Honno-ji Temple as a wedding gift from the Oda forces.

There was no further issues between Kennyo and the others. After all, they were getting older and no one would want to make you upset. You were still friends with many of them, especially with Ranmaru. He was someone who would deliver the gifts from the warlords to you, especially when you were with child.

Kennyo was ecstatic when you were pregnant, but he was scared. Looking back then, Kennyo would get shy whenever you'd bring it up. You however, would tell him not to worry as he was a great father to your three sons.

Kyounyo, Junnyo and Kenson followed in their father's footsteps, specialising in several different aspects of the religion. Kenson, the youngest of all three however, was the most interested in travelling, most likely from the stories he'd hear from Ranmaru and Motonari.

Your three children easily mingled with Motonari's, but you always wondered why Ranmaru never settled down. He was still doing his own work, which worried you enough as he was almost a workaholic like Hideyoshi.

Kennyo's birthday rolled around, so you decided to make a special party for your husband. As you focused on the food, you tasked your three sons with work to distract their father as Kennyo's other subordinates helped with the preparation.

"Father! I wanted to ask you about this text!" Kenson carried papers about a sermon to his father, as he saw his father exit the main temple with a package in hand.

He held out his hand to his son's head, ruffling his hair. "I'm afraid not today, my son. I have to see your mother."

"Wait, but father-!"

One by one, they all failed and the surprise was ruined, but Kennyo wasn't aware of what he had done. He was so focused on giving you the said package. He only notice what he did when he saw the disappointed face of his wife, a face he was indeed weak to.

"YN-! Apologies my wife... I'll pretend as if nothing happened..."

"Father... Father has a one track mind huh..." The sons whispered amongst themselves.

Kichou

You never imagined finding a place where you and Kichou belonged. After all, your relationship in itself was out of place from your other friends. That was, until Motonari asked if you both wanted to travel around the world. You were on board, and after much prying, you and Kichou were travelling around Asia.

Most of your post-wedding years was spent with Kichou travelling to many places, although you would say that you both found a place in what you know today in modern Japan as Shikoku. The Island was not far off Motonari's reach, so you had some familiarity with it.

There was no rush to start a family straight away, especially considering that you moved away from the friends you were accustomed to. Kichou's work wasn't interrupted at all, but he did ask Motonari to help you out with finding what suited you. Somehow, someway, the assistance popularised your kimono work not to mention your fans from Azuchi and Echigo travelling to commission your work.

It was smooth sailing financially, and sooner down the line, Kichou asked if it were alright to adopt children. You agreed, and you found yourself raising a pair of twins with Kichou. They were fraternal twins, but they were quick to adapt to you and Kichou's home.

Kichou enjoyed the family life much more than he thought he would, and he realised it the moment you said your son expressed an interest in marriage to one of the village girls.

Your son, Yoshitatsu, bowed to his father as Kichou listened to his appeal. Kichou was loving but at the same time, he was strict with the twins.

"Father! Please let me marry this girl!" He bowed deeper, pressing his palms to the floor.

Your daughter, Myoinni wasn't around since she decided to be a part of the Uesugi army. Your son instead focused on business, which you assumed was where he met this girl.

Kichou was silent, but a soft nod was enough for your son to jump with glee. You rubbed your hand over his, giving him a kiss on the jaw. You felt him lean into you, so of course you praised your husband. "Kichou... You did well."

Motonari Mori

He was someone who you thought wouldn't be one to settle down, but Motonari was much more attentive than you thought. He knew that one day, he'd have to stop but he'd want to make sure that you were alright with whatever landing spot you chose to stay at.

After much deciding, you and him reached an end point of perhaps moving to the Aki province, his hometown. At first, he was uptight about it since he didn't want his family to meddle with you. He wanted to keep you away but the way you loved his hometown... He couldn't help it.

He had to gain control of his clan before he brought you in... Although it was a faster process than expected since you were pregnant... Which was not planned...

It took about a year for Motonari to accomplish it, but by his will he was going to make life comfortable for you and your first son, Takamoto. It was great for you and Motonari then on, and most in the Aki Province knew you as Lady Mori. You and Motonari may have also adopted a few children, totalling your children over the years to 12.

There wasn't much to complain about... except for the fact that Motonari had a naming gig... Which made things difficult...

"Moto! Help me with this-"

6 boys... and your husband... came running... Then you had to choose which one to help you and it wasn't even all of the children. "No no... I only wanted Motoaki to help me..." You said.

The other boys and your husband made protests about it, asking why you wanted that specific brother.

"What? Is it because Motoaki's good at arithmetic?" Motoharu asked.

"Like you could ever do arithmetic..."

"Shut up Motoyasu!"

"Oh yeah? Fight me Motomasa!"

"How undignified..."

"Don't try to be the proper one here Motokiyo!"

Motonari was the one who could break up the fight, but he didn't want to. You sighed, going back inside where your three daughters were as your nine sons and Motonari battled it out...

"Girls, let's go out to eat..."

[wherethingscomebackx]

Top 25 Larry Fics of 2020

h 2020 was HELLISH. So thank you to all the writers, and I mean ALL of them, who kept us occupied as the world continues to burn.

You may be familiar with these lists:

Top 25 Larry fics of 2016

Top 25 Larry fics of 2017

Top 25 Larry fics of 2018

Top 25 Larry fics of 2019

We’re going on our 5th year!!  As always, I read a lot of fic and the majority of it is Larry. I like making lists and I like Larry so I thought I’d do some minimal research of the top 25 larry fics published/completed in 2020 in order of least to most kudos (with links). All of these fics are top notch so you should all check them out!

25.) a trail of honey through it all by @yvesaintlourent (27k)

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

Or, the TPH fic we’ve all been waiting for.

24.) even the best laid plans by @falsegoodnight (25k)

“Anyways,” Louis stresses, narrowing his eyes, “just let me say it and then rate how terrible of an idea it is on a scale from one to ten.”

“Alright,” Zayn agrees, sitting up expectantly.

“I want to ask Harry Styles to take my virginity,” Louis blurts, holding his hands out for emphasis.

The way Zayn’s eyes bulge is almost comical. “Negative infinity,” he says, voice choked. “Negative infinity times negative infinity.”

“Technically, a negative times a negative is -”

“Really negative infinity,” Zayn corrects himself, shaking his head wildly. “Louis, what the fuck?”

-

Or, Louis wants to have sex with someone and decides Harry is the perfect alpha for the job.

23.) A Distant Hazy Light by @greenfeelings (76k)

Life’s pretty ordinary for Harry. He lives with his best friend, got into university just like he’s planned, and manages to support himself just fine for an unbonded omega. If he sustains that lifestyle by getting paid to help alphas through their rut every now and then, that’s nothing to be hung up on. Until he’s hired by an alpha that turns everything upside down.

Or, Harry’s working on taking Louis’ walls down, until he builds his own up.

22.) Ghost Note Symphony by whoknows (96k)

Louis is on tour when he first hears about it. It’s all over the news – Harry Styles Attacked By Fan runs in headlines for days. It’s not even just the gossip rags, either. Actual journalists are covering the story. It would have been impossible to avoid hearing about it. Technically, Oli is the one who tells Louis about it, but it’s not exactly being covered up. Harry doesn’t answer Louis’ text asking if he’s alright, but that’s not really surprising. They haven’t spoken for months, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve had a real conversation. The sting of the text going unanswered is still there, less painful than it might have been a few years ago.

It’s not that it’s easy to forget about, exactly. Louis has a whole life outside of One Direction now, though. So Louis goes on with his life, figuring that if Harry was seriously hurt he would have heard about it by now. He might currently be in the same country as Harry, but being on opposite sides of it puts enough distance between them that putting it in the back of his mind is easy. There’s nothing Louis could do, even if he thought Harry might want him to.

That’s why everything that happens next comes as a complete shock to him.

21.) Until by @allwaswell16 (38k)

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

20.) Strangers in Love by sweetums (42k)

Louis wakes up to find himself in a marriage with the last man he thought he'd ever end up with.

-

Prompt 51: An amnesia fic where louis and harry were enemies to lovers but after an accident, louis only remembers those memories that him and harry hated each other. now harry has to fix it. I think something like this less dark and less angsty compared to other amnesia fics and it could be funny

19.) A Long Way From The Playground by Pink_Sunsets (170k)

One Direction is broken up. They broke up five years ago. That should be the end of the story, right?

Harry is finished with One Direction. He now has a new life, one with two kids and a successful solo career. And he’s happy.

But a call one night from management flips Harry’s whole new life upside down, and he’s forced to face the life he had left behind.

As well as a certain blue eyed man who had left him behind.

18.) my love’s not simple (it’s fragile) by @falsegoodnight (27k)

“Can I take you out tomorrow?” he asks. “My shift ends at 7 but we can go for dinner at 8.”

Louis is silent for a few seconds and then, “Like… on a date?”

Harry swallows thickly. He hasn’t done this in years, hasn’t ever wanted to. “Yeah.”

He’s worried he’s misread things but then Louis raises his head to kiss Harry’s cheek. “Yeah,” he says easily. “Sure.”

Tension leaves his body swiftly. “Are you sure?” asks Harry. “I know we’re both so busy but I can’t not try with you, Lou.”

“Neither can I,” says Louis. “I think we can figure it out. I care about you a lot Harry. We’ve known each other for a week, but I already like you so much.”

-

Or Harry's new job is threatened by his impending rut. Desperate for a solution, he allows Niall to introduce him to Louis, an omega whose heat begins the same day. They click.

17.) Cocaine for Breakfast by @harryeatsburger (309k)

“It’s an easy job.” He continues, as if Louis wants to listen. “Like I said, a few trips. Parties, students, nothing dramatic.”

Louis gazes over to Harry. He’s looking thoughtful now, eyes on the green like he’s talking more to himself than Louis.

“Clubbing, drinks. Whatever, the business is just a side thing.”

That’s not how Louis remembers it to be, “You lying?” He honestly can’t tell.

Harry shakes his head slowly, meeting Louis' eyes.

“No,” He answers almost toneless. Harry clears his throat, “I won’t put you in any dangerous situation.” His voice is sincere, Louis can tell he means it, his jade green eyes glinting with truth.

or, - Louis Tomlinson is a drug addict, sent away from his beloved party-scene to recover. There, he discovers that small towns have just as much access to drugs as London did, plus something even better that he just can't get enough of. That something is a boy with green eyes and bouncy curls named Harry Styles. -

16.) Tastes like Strawberries by @sadaveniren (4k)

I’m stressed. I’m nesting and demand cuddles. Come over

Harry frowned and double checked who the text was from. Yup, it still said Louis - Grad, which meant it was from Louis from his grad school.

aka Louis texts Harry by mistake. It works out

15.) the way the storm blows by @rbbsbb (21k)

Louis doesn’t have a habit of thinking about Harry’s dick.

That would be weird, seeing as they’re best mates, and they share a flat, and they’ve spent holidays at each other’s family homes. Their friendship hasn’t ever risen to a point where Louis should want to see his mate’s dick, and he’s happy to keep it that way.

Except, all that Louis can think about is exactly that. The size of it. The shape. The amount of people it’s been in.

Maybe it’s the tequila talking, or the fact that Louis’ just recently walked in to an eyeful of Harry taking turns on some slags that he’s never seen before, but. Louis’ mind can’t stop obsessing over the idea.

14.) bruise you like a peach by @falsegoodnight (40k)

There’s two reasons Harry despises Econ.

The first is that it’s boring as fuck. The second reason is a bit more personal, a bit more focused in a way. As in it’s focused on one specific thing, or in his case, person.

His name is Louis Tomlinson.

13.) Watching The World Fall by whoknows (11k)

This segment has been going on long enough that Louis knows what’s coming before James starts in on it, trying to sell him on something he knows that Louis wouldn’t normally be buying. But there’s four cameras surrounding him, and an audience watching him expectantly, so if Louis wants to continue convincing people that he’s doing just fine, he’s going to have to go along with it.

“We have a whole host of single men backstage waiting to meet you, Louis,” James tells him. “We want to help you find love tonight, on Late Late Live Tinder. Is this okay? Do you want to play?”

It actually kind of makes sense that his first date after the break-up is going to be just as public as said break-up. Something like coming full circle.

“Alright, James,” Louis agrees, hopping down off his stool.

“Okay, come down to the stage,” James says. Louis can’t even tell whether the excitement in his voice is genuine or not. “Right now, come on down!”

12.) Quiet People Have the Loudest Minds by @2tiedships2 (38k)

Broadway shows were one of the few things that could keep Louis’ attention for a full two hours without needing to move about. But not tonight.

The alpha next to him was both infuriating him and practically turning him on at the same time. He needed to leave. The alpha, that is. Louis was staying.

Or the one where Louis is a nonverbal omega who has accepted the fact that he will never find an alpha that will treat him as an equal. On the other hand, he’s never met anyone like Harry.

11.) The Wrath of the Emerald Eyes by @purpledandeli0n (85k)

His chin is grabbed harshly, facing the two deep green eyes that have been getting on his nerves for the past ten minutes. The smirk on the man's face does not vanish. The grip of his hand on Louis' chin does not soften, his thumb at the side of his lower lip.

His smile widens as he answers Louis' question, ''My name is Styles, but you will call me Captain."

•

Pirate AU

10.) Canyon Moon by @eeveelou (40k)

For as long as Louis has remembered, he has been promised to be mated to Harry, his best friend and the future pack alpha. But Louis’s heart belonged to the forest and to the hunt more than he could ever imagine it belonging to Harry.

Then Harry’s father dies in a violent accident, and Louis’s future alpha disappears on the wind.

An A/B/O Lion King AU

9.) We Both Got Nothing to Hide by lovelarry10 (43k)

“Talk to me, Lou.”

“I can’t,” Louis mumbled, knowing he genuinely couldn’t say it. He couldn’t admit to what he was doing. “Don’t ask me to say it, because I can’t.”

“Then… I’ll try and guess. You’ve… got some stuff of Harry’s. Something of his to make it smell like him?”

Louis just nodded, eyes fixated on the floor. This was humiliating, but he knew Zayn wouldn’t stop until he found out what was going on.

“Okay. Like… a blanket, or a comforter or something?”

“Kind of…”

//

Omega Louis has a secret nest. Alpha Harry keeps losing his clothes.

8.) sleeping on our problems by @falsegoodnight (67k)

I’m in love with you, Louis thinks. He feels empty, weighed down by his sadness and the loss of Harry inside him just moments ago before his knot finally went down.

There’s moments where he’s sure Harry feels the same. Like now, when he’s gazing down at Louis with so much adoration and tenderness. It’s like they’re both on the cusp of something more, but neither of them ever say a word.

His confession is on the tip of his tongue ready to slide out like honey, and yet he remains silent. They both do, looking at each other and recognizing the reluctance mirrored in each other’s eyes. It’s then that Louis realizes they’re both scared.

-

Or Louis sleeps with Harry and they have more than just catching feelings to worry about.

7.) like it’s a game by @soldouthaz (32k)

there is little harry hates more than truth or dare.

and louis.

6.) before we knew by @falsegoodnight (39k)

“C’mon Lou,” says Zayn after a moment, He sounds even more exasperated than before. Louis sort of has a knack for exasperating people, especially people like Zayn who aren’t usually bothered by his brattiness. “Can’t you give this guy a chance? Harry Styles? Aren’t you curious about him at all?”

Despite his best efforts, Louis still flinches at the name. He really shouldn’t be so affected after all these years. He’s seen the name printed down the curve of his waist in obnoxiously and uncommonly large loopy letters every single day since his sixteenth birthday eight years ago. He’s very familiar with the name Harry Styles.

It sounds pretentious and Louis hates it.

He hates everything about his supposed soulmate.

He hates his large handwriting that stands out like a claim on his skin whenever he’s walking around shirtless. He hates his pretentious name. And now he hates his supposed curls and green eyes and dimples.

-

Or Louis has been skeptical of soulmates for years so it seems like fate when he finally bumps into the owner of the obnoxiously large signature printed into his skin since age sixteen: Harry Styles, a human rights attorney who is firmly against soulmates.

5.) Mine Would Be You by @crinkle-eyed-boo (114k)

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn't intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

4.) You’ve Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) by @harryrainbows (95k)

Harry was in the biggest boy band in the world. He was also one half of the best (or worst, depends on who you ask) kept secret relationship in the music industry.

Now, almost five years on, after One Direction has broken up, and Harry and Louis' relationship has as well, a video threatens to put everything at risk.

One determined Irishman, a massive publicity stunt and two begrudging exes are all it takes to bring One Direction back to life and maybe, just maybe, Harry and Louis' mangled love life too.

Or: Harry and Louis are forced to fake-date after an old video from when they were dating emerges.

3.) The Space Between by @lads-laddylads (39k)

Harry Styles is the alpha rockstar who can’t sleep and doesn’t know why.

Louis Tomlinson is the omega PhD student who helps him figure it out.

2.) Nothing But You On My Mind by @absoloutenonsense (83k)

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

1.) Collision by @tequiladimples (224k)

Mythology/Fairytale!AU in which Louis is a dainty fairy with a temper who wants to be intimidating and Harry hurts people. Naturally, they hate each other.

(Featuring Liam, the big and not-so-bad wolf who’s got a thing for humans, Zayn, a human with supernaturally good looks, and Niall, the cupid who just wants his job to be easier.)