#but like. so so compelling and gorgeously put together

[casualhedonists]

so saltburn was kinda phenomenal

[fahye]

book recs: feb 2024

(disclaimer: I have spent nearly three months languishing and sullen with post-COVID symptoms and have read, over dec-feb, eighty-one books. this is a ruthlessly streamlined list of recs that does not include, uh, all the rereading of sarah maclean and charlie adhara and georgette heyer books.)

AT FIRST SPITE by olivia dade - what if I moved in next to the man who ruined my engagement to his younger brother, and tried to ruin his life by playing monsterfucking audiobooks really loudly?? a heartfelt and lovely romance that also expertly sets up a great small-town setting for an ongoing series.

THE REFORMATORY by tananarive due - historical horror based on the existence of a real school for boys, clear-eyed and brutal in showing the the effect of racist systems in the 1950s american south. compelling as hell. even if you're not usually into horror, I'd recommend this: the ghost aspect is light-handed and really not as important as the horror of what humans do to other humans.

SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL by anita kelly - this is a m/m romance about walking the pacific crest trail which made me see the appeal of very long walks. a miracle! it's gentle and emotional and well put together; the characters really grabbed me.

THE BELL IN THE FOG by lev a.c. rosen - the followup to 'lavender house', and somehow even better?? a historical mystery series featuring a queer private eye in 1950s san francisco who looks into crimes against other queer people. amazing queer history! ACAB! I hope there are fifty more books in this series.

FEAST WHILE YOU CAN* by mikaella clements & onjuli datta - beautiful, greedy, terrifying small-town horror that is also a fucking fantastic, gorgeously written sapphic love story. this one IS for the horror fans. it gave me the absolute creeps but I couldn't put it down.

LADY EVE'S LAST CON* by rebecca fraimow - I described this on bsky as 'if you like Leverage, space opera, old screwball comedies, and dashing sapphics who are at all times spiritually wearing a leather jacket: this one is for you' and I stand by that. huge amounts of fun.

LONG LIVE EVIL* by sarah rees brennan - I will be screaming from here until forever about SRB's first adult fantasy book. if you like the isekai'd-into-a-villain-character setup and want it to be hilarious, genre-savvy and wildly angry and clever, you will roll around in this like a blood-stained mud puddle and then beg for more.

THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS* by melissa caruso - really clever and original fantasy about a woman on maternity leave who gets dragged into saving a cocktail party which is falling through increasingly murderous and bizarre dimensions. LISTEN, JUST GO WITH IT. it's a seriously cool adventure.

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY* by cat sebastian - yes, it's another m/m romance about queer history in the mid 20th century, this one between a baseball player and the journalist assigned to write a story about his slump. made me care about baseball. cat is a genius.

*I read these as ARCs, they're not available yet but consider preordering or keep your eye out for them!

[smillingcartoonist]

He is getting abducted by Spirits, She is getting possessed by Aliens (Dandadan)

Dandadan is a manga Written and draw by Tatsu Yukinobu, the story follows Momo Ayase and Takekura Ken, Nickname Okarun and called that the entire time (I honestly forget that is not is actual name) in their paranatural adventures, having more of an episodic arc structure, the main thread of plot is finding Okarun missing genitals !!!

In mine opinion, this one of the few recent mangas that are worthy of following, not that is a lot out there that is worthy the time any way, Dandadan is funny, action packed, gorgeously draw, it have a great characters, an interesting story, and it's a bit too tear jerky at times, honestly everything that you could ask in a comic, too bad it's first chapter fucking sucks !!!

I never seen this before, a comic with a really bad start and then the rest of it's pretty good actually, normally it's the inverse, it's start strong then it goes to shit, I found that MamaYuyu had this problem, it's first chapter being really promise then it quickly devolve into generic shounen stuff, maybe it was mistake to have such high hopes for it !!

But what' so bad about it ? well it's more the direction that it seem to go on after the chapter. The Story of Dandadan begins with a bad taste in my mouth at least, Momo and Okarun first meeting end on a dare to each, to each other prove that aliens and spritis are real, Okarun dares Momo to got to an Alien abduction hot spot, Momo dares Okarun to go to a spirit sighting hot spot, the both of them encounter said creatures, Okarun meet with the 100 km/h hag (Or Turbo Granny as it knows in the manga) that offers to suck his dick if he suck her tits, Momo meets the Serpo, odd looking aliens that abducted her and want to extract her genitals... so well, she gets nearly raped there, she is saved because her psychic powers awake there, and a possessed Okarun also appears through her cellphone, the spaceship that they are in crashes, Momo and Okarun escape, The turbo Granny that was possessing Okarun said that stole his genitals and dares Momo to get them back, giving the main thread of plot of the series.

After reading the first chapter I Thought "well that was crap, shame it's really well draw" I think i cut down a huge chunk of the stupid of it all in that resume, it's really bad, here it have another run of the mill shounen with more thoughtless ecchi elements to appeal to creeps, why would I lose my time on this ?? so I back out of it, well not really something compelled me to go back and read the rest, maybe it was the art !! well I do that. Second chapter follow the aftermath of happen, Okarun still possessed by the Turbo granny, Momo discovers that she can use her powers to contain the possession briefly, and it's kind of debt of help him out of the possession, returning to her home, both of them are attack by another alien that transport them to some pocket dimension, Okarun manages to control the powers of the turbo granny, even if briefly, so the both of them work together to defeat the alien. Well that was much better, and no ecchi shit !!! that's a big improvement !!

Fortunately the Manga continues this trough line, ending it's first arc with the defeat of the turbo granny, not really tho, she get stuck possessing a small cat doll for the rest of manga, and the return of Okarun genitals, not really tho, his mast is back back his balls still missing, as he puts it, and that continues the series as Okarun and Momo search for his balls, turned into golden magic balls, that contain the rest of the Turbo Granny powers. Other of the main Characters are introduce as well, such as Saeko, Momo Grandmother, Aira a smug and self important popular girl that quickly creates an aversion to Ayase and gets powers just like Okarun, Jiji (Enjoji actually, I forget that is his actual name) Momo childhood friend and the shrimp Mantis, an alien (That all you need to know)

But those the cringe elements from the first chapter get back, well yes, certainly there are some more cringy moments that come off more endearing then the first chapter, the third arc, has Momo Aira and Okarun fighting in a pocket dimension in their school while the place is slowly being submerge in water, Okarun end up naked for one reason and another and both of the girls are in underwear by the end of it, all that is not a sleaze as it sound, Tatsu manages to do all that without being all showy about it, or I'm to forgive because I like this comic at this point, no, it those all that and it's not an embarrassing ecchi cringe fest ! There is a running visual gag were Aira continue to block the view of her panties while she fights, that come off from Tatsu previous work, an oneshot where we have a giant girl fighting some kaiju while trying not to show her panties, is that joke stretch into 50 pages or something, he does a panties shot at some point In Dandadan and is rather hilarious.

Most of the comic centers around the dorky romance between Okarun and Momo, developing from silly encounter to silly encounter to Jealously of each other for literally anything, to genuine caring for each other, Okarun would jump in front of a bullet for Ayase as just she would for him, it is something that made scream "just kiss already" multiple times while reading this.

Of course I should point out Tatsu Yukinobu talent here, he is indeed an amazing artist clearly one the most visually interesting out there, not only does he have this clean art style, but he does manage to create incredible actions sequences, something that not a lot of mangakas out there can do it. And not to mention the certain bizarre horror imagery that he can create, most of it steam from references from pop culture with a Junji Ito flait to it, I mean if you gonna do horror then why not just use the most recognizable guy in business, and Tatsu does really emulate him well, creating the same uncanny imagery that Ito does.

I would say that one of it's major weakness is a lack of general direction to where the story is going, at the point that its is now we have that, but most of this comic is going from one situation to another without any major build up to anything, there is one at some point but barely comes ever again and I do wonder if Tatsu even remembers about it !!

There is an anime adaptation coming this October, I'm sure it be the same success that Dungeon Meshi was this year, I mean have you seen the type of stuff that is put out these days, it's a endless stream of boring isekai and pathetic harem anime target to incels, so it's no wonder when stuff like Chainsaw Man and Dungeon Meshi surge, it makes a bunch of success !! Dandadan I'm sure will be the same, I do wonder what the reaction of the first episode is gonna be like.

[fuckyeahaudiodrama]

REC: Clockwork Bird

“A philosophical horror podcast about a missing cyborg and the people looking for him. Robin Jaeger is the most synthetic man in the world. And he’s possibly been legally dead for over a decade. Shelly Croft is putting the pieces together, hoping the trail to Robin Jaeger will also lead to her finding her ex-girlfriend, who was obsessed with the company who made Robin’s limbs, and has also disappeared.” (x)

30 episodes / av. 15/25 mins apiece

this is genuinely one of my favorite audiodramas of all time. it truly makes the most of the medium, and the narrative is perfectly paced to allow each character to shine without distracting from the horizontal movement of the plot.

the overall balance of the story is admirable. robin is the fascinating center of the mystery, thoroughly haunting the narrative, but protagonist shelly really holds her own. she is not merely present as a means of unveiling someone else’s story; in fact, her personal drama is inextricably tangled in robin’s obscurity in a way that feels very natural — rather than forced — and provides a reasonable explanation for the risks that she continues to take. at no point should you find yourself skeptically asking “why is she bothering?” it’s clear there’s a compelling interest, and you will be dying to find out what it is.

additionally: my personal favorite part of listening to first-timer indie AD is when you get the chance to hear the technical skills of the creator improving over the course of the show. i find it so inspirational. this was a great example of that, and in fact, those improvements follow through to the creator’s next (unrelated) show, Spirit Box Radio!

the premise of this story alone raises a number of hairy ethical questions, and none of them are hand-waved away. to really appreciate this story you have to be willing to approach medical ethics including euthanasia, themes of suicide and self harm, and corporate usurpation of human bodily autonomy.

this story originated as a concept for a novel and you can tell just how gorgeously crafted it is. i for one cannot wait for creator eira to get published someday.

__

similar to: this story is unique in a very good way. other fragmented sci-fi mysteries like Janus Descending might tickle your fancy, or the ethical quandaries of Red Valley and BBC’s Body Horror. but i can’t think of another audiodrama that handles this brand of grief quite so poetically. feel free to point me to some.

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

your tolkien edits are always so lovely, do you have graphics editors that inspire you?

hey anon.. would you perhaps want to join me in a small and tumbledown cliff-side castle by the shining sea within whose shelter we can spend the rest of our days. circle yes or no

anyways!! tumblr is the school of athens and i am but a humble student sitting at the feet of greater talents, so here are a few of my biggest editing inspirations for your happy perusal:

@himemiyaaah / @tarninausta - probably my original editing inspiration back when i took my first waddling steps into making graphics myself! rosie just has such an amazing command of color, style, balance, etc.. her edits are so beautiful and harmonious, and i love her expressive use of text.

@miriel-therindes - also someone i discovered early on! i swear there isn't a form lyndeth hasn't tried her hand at and succeeded with in high style. her incredible sense and editing of colors and creative typography are just !!!

@arwenindomiel /@edwinas - the enormously talented mastermind behind tolkien south asian week! her edits are striking and have a real cinematic feel with bold, gorgeously cohesive color palettes (her dramatic shadows are spectacular) as well as innovative use of text and other graphic elements that just tie it all together each time.

@emyn-arnens - save me atlas of arda series atlas of arda series save me !! whenever i need inspiration on how to make dynamic edits that don't include people, i go to this master of her craft. her colors mesh so well together, her formatting is creative and refreshing, and her photo choices are on point. whence does her power flow.

@aredhels - so elegant and sleek! sari is so good at using all the parts of her edits to evoke the desired mood--for lack of a better word, everything she makes is just so aesthetic. i love her understated, low-text style and how she can make incredibly compelling edits just with her impeccable image choices and color editing. and besides all that she singlehandedly gave me the confidence to experiment with the eight-image picspam format yayay

@tilions - legendary user of non-text elements! i honestly have no idea how emily comes out with some of the image layering that they do. her edits feel professional-grade (hoping tentatively that this is a comparison that makes sense but who knows). she makes such bold color choices! it's easy to be scared off by bright palettes but apparently emily is immune to aesthetic fear. she also concocts these amazing silhouette edits that are like those 70s nasa posters and it's. so cool.

@russingon - i want to imbibe mayim's delicious color palettes into myself for real. something about them is so distinctive and pleasing! how much punch he can pack into a two-image edit never ceases to astound. i'm especially fond of their family/house edits (i love seeing their great faceclaim choices all together)!

@brighter-arda - toi is so endlessly committed to making the tolkien fandom a more diverse, inclusive, and accepting space, and i really admire all the work she puts in to uplift other creators. her own edits have really interesting and creative themes and formatting, and it's wonderful how she always incorporates meaningful elements of the character's culture.

@someoneinthestars - their use of darker colors is so evocative, and i love their latine tolkien series! they often align text to elements within the image, which takes such precision (i've only done it once, i think!), but when they do it it always comes out gorgeously.. awuagh.

@outofangband - the attention and research nelyo puts into their environmental edits could power three mid-size cities and i have nothing but respect for them and their dedication. honestly i think they know more about the ecology of middle earth than tolkien himself did when he made it (and he also never made edits about it, so another point to nelyo)!

anyways, this is only a cross-section of the plethora of amazing and talented people i get to share this community with, but i hope it was what you were looking for anon! many many thanks for giving me the ever-welcomed opportunity to kvell a little over some of my favorite creators, and as always, many many thanks to those creators themselves for sharing their spectacular works ♡♡♡

[blueywrites]

Girl, I'm practically studying your writing because I want to write like you so bad 😭 I'm a horny goblin so I've got the smut part down no problem but I struggle so much with adding actual substance to the story. Love a good ol' porn without plot fic, who doesn't right? those are always a good time but then I see such gorgeously put together works like TKYM and TD&TC and even the naughty nights ficlets, and I'm just like, oh god I wanna be able to do that too! the way you presented those characters, exploring their many layers, understanding their motivations and hangups making them grow and develop, warts and all, was so gripping and compelling to read. And don't get me started on the smut because I might be here for a long while if I do 😂. I feel so surface level with my own writing if you get what I mean. Very lacking and I hope I'll be able to crack through and really get into the meat and bones of my characters and stories as I continue to learn. Just wanted to let you know that you're a very big inspiration to me and I've loved your blog ever since I started following it about two years ago now I think. Always a Bluey fan that's for sure 💙

babe 😭😭😭😭😭

thank you SO much for the compliment. I'm so happy to inspire you with my work. readers like you make me wanna keep going even when it gets hard 🩵🩵

in terms of fleshing out your characters, just keep writing AND keep reading! also, write from what you know. make your reader characters similar to yourself, or include some of your own experiences to draw from those emotions. I don't do that intentionally with all my writing, but I'd say each piece has just a little bit of me in it in some capacity. also, just experiment! don't write what you think will be popular, just write what you wanna read, and that passion will come through ☺️

much love xx

[celiabowens]

Adult SFF edition

High/Epic Fantasy

The Lies of Locke Lamora: heist fantasy following a band of misfits! It has morally gray characters, fun banter but heartwrenching moments and a pretty complex plot. It’s a classic to say “if you liked Six of Crows and want to try adult SFF try this” and it’s probably true. 

Kushiel’s Dart: a political fantasy tome loosely inspired by Europe in the Renaissance. Pretty heavy on romance and erotica (with BDSM elements) as it follows a courtesan navigating the political scene. It has an amazing female villain.

A Darker Shade of Magic: probably the easiest way to approach adult fantasy. It has multiple Londons and a pretty unique magic system and concept, plus a crossdressing thief, knives and great banter. 

The Poppy War: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome.

The Sword of Kaigen: if you liked The Poppy War you could like this one. The Sword of Kaigen is an Asian-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

The Priory of the Orange Tree: high fantasy, featuring dragons, a F/F romance and pretty complex world building. The author reuses typical fantasy tropes and roles in a fresh way. Very readable in spite of its length.

Empire of Sand: inspired by Mughal India, this one focuses on culture and religion and has great slow burn romance (TW: abuse, slavery). It’s pretty slow paced, but the payoff is great. Also a good "YA crossover”.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: first book in a companion novel trilogy, following a young woman who finds herself at the center of a vicious political struggle, as she’s suddenly become the heir to the throne. 

Black Sun: first book in a new series by Rebecca Roanhorse, inspired by pre-Columbian societies and cultures. It mainly focuses on religious and political conflicts. TW for abuse, mild body horror and suicide (not very graphic). Nice inclusion of lgbt rep across the whole cast + one of the main characters is blind. Great world building!

Historical Fantasy

The Night Circus: perfect transition from YA to Adult for a reader, The Night Circus is a gorgeous historical fantasy romance. The author’s writing is amazing, the descriptions and the subtlety of the main characters’ relationship are to die for.

The City of Brass: political/historical fantasy tome featuring Middle Eastern mythology. It follows younger MCs (honestly another series that could be a good way to approach adult SFF) and has great character growth throughout the series. The first book has some more trope-y elements, but the payoff is worth it. 

The Golem and The Djinni: historical fantasy (if you loved The Night Circus you could like this one), following two mythical creatures as they navigate New York in 1899. Slow burn romance, rich descriptions, fascinating combination of Jewish and Syrian folklore.

Gods of Jade and Shadow: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. Another great way to approach adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human.

The Ghost Bride: set in Malaya in 1893, it follows the daughter of a ruined man as she receives the proposal to become a ghost bride. Lovely setting, rich in culture and extremely atmospheric.

The Bear and The Nightingale: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. Another great way to start reading adult SFF: it’s very atmospheric and fairy tale-like. Also frost demons are better than men.

Queen of the Conquered: first book in a fantasy duology(?) set in an alternate version of the Caribbean at the time of Scandinavian colonisation. It follows Sigourney, a biracial woman (her mother was a slave, freed by her father) and the only islander who is allowed to own and use kraft and therefore has a position of privilege, which she constantly abuses, while telling herself she’s doing it for the islanders’ benefit. The book is hard to read, because the MC is no hero and her POV can be quite challenging to get through, but if you’re up for it I’d totally recommend this. (TW: slavery, abuse, death).

The Lions of Al-Rassan: this one has minimal fantasy elements, much like other Kay books, as it reads more like an alternate history. Using Moorish Spain as a template, it deals with the conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians. Much like Under Heaven and most of his historical fantasy it shows common people being swept up in dramatic events. 

Urban Fantasy

The Divine Cities trilogy: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Also, slow burn F/F romance.

Jade City:  a wuxia inspired, gangster urban fantasy. Great family dynamics, very interesting political and economical subplots. 

One for My Enemy: sort of a modern Romeo and Juliet, but set in New York, starring two magical gangster families. The female characters are to die for.  

Trail of Lightning: inspired by Native mythology and the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. You could like this if you liked the Kate Daniels series.

American Gods: a classic of the genre, pretty much brilliant in how it reuses old mythology in a modern setting.

Retellings

Spinning Silver: a very loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, with a gorgeous atmosphere. It mainly follows female characters from different social and economical backgrounds and reuses the original tale to challenge the antisemitic ideas around the role of the moneylander.

The Queens of Innis Lear: fantasy retelling of King Lear, very atmospheric and gorgeously written. Slow paced, but very satisfying build up, lots of backstabbing and miscommunication. (heads up though, one of the MCs is coded as aroace and I found the rep pretty bad on that. The book does feature casual bisexual rep though, which was great)

Lady Hotspur: genderbent retelling of Henry IV, set in the same world as The Queens of Innis Lear. Lesbian and bisexual rep. Heavy on political subplots, features ambitious women growing into their roles.

Deathless: sort of a retelling of Koschei the Deathless set in the first half of the 20th century. Brilliant reuse of Russian folklore to weave together politics and history. It does have pretty brutal descriptions of war, morally gray characters, unhealthy relationships and overall a lot of mindfuckery.

Space Opera

A Memory Called Empire: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn F/F romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks).

Ninefox Gambit: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault).

The Light Brigade: militaristic space opera set in a not-so-defined future in which corporations rule Earth and space in general. The book follows a newly enlisted soldier as they go through gruelling training and experience the side effects of being broken down into atoms to travel at the speed of light. It’s a heavy book, featuring raw descriptions of war, and quite difficult to follow (non-linear timelines...) but it’s also an amazing critique of capitalism and political propaganda (TW: death, mass shooting).

Gideon the Ninth: pretty much lesbian necromancers in space. Very loose world building, but a fun mystery full of banter. Can be quite confusing in the beginning, but a relatively easy and fun way to approach science fiction.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. Also features a F/F romance. 

Science Fiction-Fantasy that I can’t fit anywhere else

Vicious: college roommates put themselves through near-death experiences to obtain super powers, only everything goes wrong. Follows a great band of misfits (and pretty much everyone is morally gray).

Middlegame: a brilliant and complex tapestry of alternate timelines, following telepathically connected twins trying to escape the alchemist that wants to use them to obtain godhood (TW: attempted suicide).

Piranesi: the long awaited return of Susanna Clarke, Piranesi is an odd, mysterious book set in a house with infinite rooms and endless corridors, apparently inhabited by only two people. 

Bonus Novella recs: novellas are amazing and don’t sleep on them!

The Empress of Salt and Fortune: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella, it gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed.  

The Black God’s Drums: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. 

The Haunting of Tram Car 015: alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It has a compelling mystery, starring a great lead.

This Is How You Lose the Time War: epistolary set during a time-travel war, F/F romance and gorgeous prose. 

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate: an incredibly heartwarming and yet meaningful novella about research and the meaning of it. It’s the tale of 4 astronauts on a crowdfunded mission to explore space, to observe and report without conquering. It’s written in lovely prose and is very casual in its lgbt rep.

The Deep: very good novella set in an underwater society built by the descendants of African slave women that were tossed overboard. It’s not an easy read at all, as it deals with trauma, both personal and generational ones. 

Bonus short story collections recs

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: 16 short stories featuring myth, legend and faith, that mainly focus on women reclaiming their agency. 

The Paper Menageries and Other Stories: features plenty of different fantasy and science fiction subgenres. The Paper Menagerie in particular is an extremely moving tale.

Conservation of Shadows: science fiction-fantasy short stories that focus on topics like colonisation and the role of art and language. 

Graphic Novel

Monstress: series set in an alt 1900s matriarchal Asia, following a teenage girl who survived a war and shares a connection with a monster that’s slowly transforming her. (TW: slavery, death).

[colderthancoldest]

@flybi91 I LAUGHED OUT LOUD FOR LIKE A FULL MINUTE LMAO

She's not wrong tho

Here's my (softer) take:

-

Kisses

Synopsis: The Doctor's never understood why humans enjoy kissing so much- but that doesn't mean he's not willing to learn

10&Missy, fluff, soft kisses, ect

[I'll add an ao3 link at some point]

-

The Doctor was slowly getting used to being kissed. It wasn't a conscious decision he had made- to suddenly and inexplicably be so kissable- but once it began to happen the Doctor made no attempt to stop it.

He liked humans, and always had a natural curiosity about the human-y things they did. He liked to learn about them and their brilliant minds. He liked their adaptability and their inventions and their culture- and he saw kissing as simply an extension of that.

If a human kissed him, that meant they liked him. And while the Doctor didn't exactly understand the feeling that compelled them to do such a thing, he did enjoy the rush it gave him. It was nice, if not a little overwhelming at times, how freely humans expressed their affections- so the Doctor did his very best to reciprocate them as well.

It was strange, learning about such an intimate gesture from such abrupt experiences. Back home, kissing was an incredibly rare gesture. So rare, that the Doctor couldn't actually name a time he'd seen anyone do it. Usually the most intimate gesture of physical affection was hand holding or a forehead tap. Time Lords were physically linked, after all, so opening the gateway between minds was as intimate as any being could get. For two minds to become one was special in a way words couldn't do justice.

By his nature, the Doctor still preferred the gentle touch of hands to his face and another's forehead pressed to his rather than a rough kiss, but he was slowly learning. Slowly adapting the way humans did.

He was usually the one being kissed, in a quick 'thank you for saving my life' or 'we're probably going to die' kind of way, but he was working on learning how to respond. Human kisses were like a parallel branch of affection to the one he had grown up with. It was similar, a desire to be close, often with hands cupping his jaw, and the Doctor found it pleasant- and yet, despite his best efforts, it was never the same.

Human affection lacked the right flavor, and Gallifreyan affection was insufficient. Neither ever felt quite right.

At least- not until one night.

The Doctor had been out on the town, dropping ginger candies into his glass of water at a quiet, mostly empty bar, waiting hopelessly for them to dissolve. He was still staring at his untouched glass, patiently waiting for a drink that would take the edge off everything he was currently upset about, when a strange woman slid herself onto the stool next to him.

"Hello," she charmed him with a mysterious smile.

She ordered some elaborate drink and- like the Doctor- subsequently ignored her order.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she said smoothly but with a clear scottish accent to her words.

The Doctor scanned her over. She was naturally gorgeous, but overdressed in a playful kind of way. She had thick, dark brown hair that was combed up in a perfect bun atop her head and wore dark swipes of purple eyeshadow as if it was stage makeup.

She was dressed up, in an almost Victorian style, in a coat that puffed out at the shoulders and a long skirt that fell to her ankles. There was an umbrella over her arm and thick, tall boots with a slight heel on her feet.

The Doctor wondered how she could possibly navigate Earth dressed up in all that.

The candies were mostly dissolved in the Doctor's drink by now, enough that they might give him a hint of the buzz he was searching for, but this stranger was far more captivating. Anyone in their right mind would ignore their drink for her.

"Have we met?" the Doctor asked as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

It felt like they must've, but at the same time there was simply no way. He wouldn't have forgotten someone like her so easily.

"Not yet," the beautiful woman gave a soft but confident smile and fixed a single strand of her otherwise flawless hair.

She looked away before the Doctor could properly catch her eye in a way that looked... sad. She perked up a moment later, as if the glimpse of something darker had never been there at all.

"Would you be so kind as to walk me home?" the intriguing woman requested gently. "I need to be getting back, but I'd rather not go alone at this time of night."

The Doctor found himself immediately agreeing. He'd rather be doing anything other than wallowing in this old restaurant alone.

"My pleasure!" the Doctor nodded.

The woman slid far more cash than her drink cost across the counter and stepped down from the tall bar stool with almost surprising elegance.

The Doctor left his own seat as well, and the woman took his arm with hers in a manner nearly as outdated as the way she dressed. The Doctor walked her to the door, but it was clear that this stranger was leading the way.

There was something about her that the Doctor simply couldn't put his finger on. As the Doctor held the heavy door open for her, and they stepped out into the bright moonlight of the clear autumn evening, the Doctor still couldn't pinpoint what it was.

He never got a perfect look at the stranger's eyes as she looked about the clear night. The silver moonlight and auburn street lights mixed on the still-damp pavement from a brief rain earlier in the day. It was a gorgeous night, and so was this stranger, and the Doctor couldn't figure out what was so different about her.

He didn't see humans the way most humans saw each other. Their physical beauty was nothing to the gorgeousness of a brilliant mind in the Doctor's eyes, and still, he could see an incredible amount of both in this woman. The way she moved felt... hauntingly familiar.

But she remained blocked off from him, never letting him get a direct view of her face. The Doctor wondered why, but it would be impolite to press.

They walked quietly, peacefully, down the street.

Their leisurely stroll was over far too soon as they reached an apartment complex and the lady stopped in front of it.

"I should thank you," she smiled warmly to him.

"It's nothing. I've enjoyed your company," the Doctor found himself saying.

He swayed a little awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly as the strange woman let go of his arm. The Doctor found himself missing the familiar warmth of her grasp.

He looked off at the ground in the distance, trying to put words to what exactly it was. He wanted her to stay for some strange reason. He wanted to talk to her, to learn more about her and why her company calmed him in a way he hadn't known in ages.

She was brilliant. He could see it written all over her and could feel it in her unyielding confidence. He wanted to walk around the whole city with her and debate philosophy and morality and recall the myths the constellations above were named after with her. He couldn't say why, but he knew she would have a wonderfully interesting perspective.

Before he could say anything, he felt the familiar feeling of hands to either side of his face and lips pressed to his. He felt her warm palms press against his skin in a way he thought had died along with his home planet. He felt lips press to his in just the right way he enjoyed by humans. The Doctor felt a rush of both an old, recognizable mental connection and the new, foreign physical reaction- both fit perfectly together through the stranger's gentle touch.

This lady, whoever she was, sent the perfect mix through the Doctor's systems in a way he'd never felt before. There was something in the perfect position of her hands that brought out something old and unmistakable from his youth, and yet something new that gave him a thrill from the kiss itself.

Furthermore, she did something different from anyone who had kissed the Doctor before. She pressed her face to his, her forehead and lips both against him, their noses getting in the way and still fitting against each other in the most perfect way.

It felt right- in a way that neither other gallifreyans nor humans had ever felt right to the Doctor.

The Doctor's eyes were still closed as he gasped for breath when the lady finally allowed him up for air. She kept her forehead to his and her hands at the Doctor's face in a wonderfully comforting way. The Doctor found his hands around the lady's forearms in a failing attempt to keep himself steady.

The Doctor lost himself in the moment.

"Hello," the woman chuckled, her warm breath hot against the Doctor's lips in the cold night air.

The Doctor's eyes slowly opened to stare into hers. They were a gorgeous shining brown in the moonlight.

"Who are you?" the Doctor finally thought to ask. He was still baffled and breathless, but something deep in his hearts felt strangely content.

The lady smirked pridefully.

"And ruin the surprise? I don't think so," she teased.

She gave him another soft kiss.

It didn't last nearly as long as the Doctor would have liked it too, but he was more than happy to receive it all the same.

She pulled him down even lower to her level, gave him one last peck on his forehead, and then let her warm hands fall away from his cheeks.

The Doctor had a hundred things to say, a thousand things to ask, but he let her slip away from his reach once she was done.

"I'll see you again, won't I?" the Doctor asked as the strange woman stepped away.

She spun on her heel with a smirk and looked at the Doctor's blatantly lovestruck expression over her shoulder. He was still breathless with blissed out eyes, shimming in the low streetlight nearby.

"Yes, you will," the strange woman smiled. "And there will be plenty more kisses in your future, don't you worry."

The Doctor breathed a weak, awestruck breath.

"Kisses like that?" he asked, with an air of hopefulness he hadn't meant to display so obviously.

The stranger smirked knowingly.

"Not at first, but we get plenty of time to practice," she promised enticingly.

The Doctor didn't quite know what to say to that.

"O... Okay," he simply breathed.

"I'll be seeing you, love," the stranger promised as she strolled off.

After hesitating a second to drag himself back to the real world, the Doctor followed after her. He was baffled yet again as he turned the same corner the stranger had- only to stare down an empty street.

There wasn't a single soul in sight.

The Doctor lifted his hand to his cheek to protect his own, still-warm skin against the cold night's breeze.

The Doctor was slowly getting used to being kissed.

He was learning about it and adapting to it as humans did.

He still couldn't say he quite understood it- but after a kiss like that, he was starting to understand its appeal.

[glenngaylord]

OUTFEST 2020 FILM REVIEWS:  The Rest Of The Fest

As the curtain closes on another Outfest, this one presented under extremely unusual circumstances, I sit in awe of the filmmakers and of the staff who put together not only a great group of films, but managed to creatively bring them to its audience online and at drive-in screenings.  Typically, you find yourself having to choose one film over several others, but with this new format, you have a great chance of seeing everything you want.  In past years, I found myself lucky if I saw 15 films.  This year I saw 23 features and 4 shorts programs out of the 160 on the schedule.  

As it’s impossible to get full reviews submitted for everything while the festival is still chugging along, I wanted to write capsules of the remaining films not covered at TheQueerReview.com .  Please visit the website for all the other reviews I wrote as well as those by my colleagues.

THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON ★★★★★

Melding a Groundhog Day-style concept with police violence against black people, this stunning film could not be more prescient and emotionally overpowering.  A black gay teenager relives his moment of murder over and over again, with slight shifts in the narrative taking us to someplace unexpected and earned.  Director Ali LeRoi directs his first feature as if he’s been doing it all of his life and has interpreted Stanley Kalu’s ingenious script with a great cinematic approach.  Gorgeously framed, beautifully acted, written, and directed, this is one of the most powerful films of 2020.

TWO EYES ★★★★★

I can’t form sentences here so I’m gonna vomit out words:  Instant classic. Glorious. Set over three centuries seamlessly melding a triptych of stories about gender identity.  I’m a blubbering mess.  Fantastic and very funny last line.  Travis Fine is a very gifted filmmaker who screams love child of Terrence Malick and Kelly Reichardt.  Heartbreaking. Inspiring. Unforgettable.  Montana is so beautiful.  Barstow is not.  A perfect film for anyone who wants to find their place in the world. I wouldn’t complain if TUNDE and TWO EYES both received Best Picture Oscar nominations.  

DRAMARAMA  ★★★★

Theater nerds rule in this incredibly endearing, early 90s set film about a group of high schoolers discovering themselves in one night at a ridiculous Murder Mystery-themed party.  Hilarious script, vivid and wonderful performances, and the opposite of a “Coming Out” movie in the best possible way.  Jonathan Wysocki has given us The Breakfast Club for air-kissing, mid-Atlantic accented freaks and geeks. 

CICADA ★★★★

What happens when a traumatized, bisexual man who has more sex partners than any standard montage can contain slows things down to concentrate on one kind but also traumatized young man?  This elliptically told film has a fun, flirty side but carries its heaviness with great ease.  A terrific feature debut for director/writer/editor/lead actor Matthew Fifer. 

THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES) ★★★★

From Chile comes this sexy, moving story of two men at cross purposes who form a beautiful bond.  Set against some stunning scenery and mining the chemistry between its two leads for everything it has, I am half-jokingly calling it Brokeback Andes.  It’s so much more than that trite, hackneyed comparison.  

MONSOON ★★★1/2

Director Hong Khaou’s followup to Lilting sets its sights on modern day Vietnam as Henry Golding’s character visits to find a suitable place to distribute his mother’s ashes.  It’s a terrific mediation on a gay man finding a sense of belonging in a place he’s never been and Golding proves himself to be a subtle, compelling actor.  Perhaps a little too quiet and reflective, the film makes up for what it lacks in narrative drive with its awe-inspiring cinematography and immersive qualities.  

P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE ★★★★1/2

What an unexpected surprise.  Michael Seligman and Jennifer  Tiexiera’s documentary about a treasure trove of letters dating back to the 1950s brings us into the world of drag queens from almost 70 years ago.  With many of its subjects not only alive but in fine form telling their stories and the dishiest voiceover readings ever to grace a film, I was not only thoroughly entertained, but I didn’t expect to weep like Laura Dern at the end.  Oh, this is so so so so good. 

MINYAN ★★★★

Eric Steel’s feature debut has its own unique tone and a star making performance by Samuel H. Levine, a spitting image of a young Al Pacino/Sylvester Stallone hybrid.  With its 1980s Jewish Brighton Beach backdrop, this powerful yet subtle film about a young man coming to terms with his sexuality as well as his place within his religion, it’s a stunning debut.  Ron Rifkin is stellar as Levine’s charming grandfather and Alex Hurt (William Hurt’s son) has his father’s intensity.  Fantastic, lived-in production design which feels like its decade without resorting to the usual candy colored tropes and a evocative score makes this a memorable experience.  Reminiscent at times of On The Waterfront, this film puts a fresh new spin on a coming of age tale and finds so many moving moments from first sex to an elderly gay couple hiding in plain sight.  A must-see. 

SHIVA BABY ★★★★

Writer/Director Emma Seligman must have studied Rosemary’s Baby quite a bit with this angsty story set mostly at a memorial service.  Rachel Sennott is fantastic as a young lesbian who moves from one cringe-worthy moment to the next in an attempt to avoid as much conflict as possible.  The great supporting cast includes Polly Draper, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon, and Jackie Hoffman, all note perfect.  Less a comedy and more of an emotional horror story, Seligman knows how to make the best of a cramped space and throw up an endless variety of obstacles.  You just want Sennott’s Danielle to get her goddamned bagel with lox and cream cheese, but the fates have something else, something better, in store. 

COWBOYS ★★★★

Steve Zahn gives a career best performance in this moving story of a father with mental health issues and his trans son escaping into the Montana wilderness.  Sasha Knight makes an impressive debut as Zahn’s son and Jillian Bell expertly walks that fine line between villain and empathetic character.  Its comparisons to Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid are not coincidental.  Not perfect by any stretch, it may feel fairly conventional, but it’s tackling a vibrant subject matter.  Extra points for giving Ann Dowd a role where we don’t hiss at her. 

BREAKING FAST ★★★

Solid romcom with a Muslim backdrop, this very tight, deceptively simple script provides just the right amount of sparks between its charming leads, Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy.  While structurally not breaking new ground, the entry point into a world we don’t see enough of on screen coupled with food porn for days makes this a fun, funny, goes down easy delight.

ASK ANY BUDDY ★★★1/2

Q: Daddy!  Daddy!  What were the 70s like down at the Piers in NYC?   A: Oh shut up and watch this movie.  

An experimental collage of vintage gay porn and archival footage from the disco, pre-AIDS heyday gives this film a mesmerizing, museum installation quality.  While technically without a story, you feel like you’ve gone on a journey nonetheless.  Would pair well with William Friedkin’s Cruising. 

DRY WIND ★★★1/2

Slow cinema meets voyeuristic gay porn in this one of a kind Brazilian exploration an arid small town, a workers’ union crisis, and a man obsessed with the Tom Of Finland drawing come to life who motors into his life.  Overlong and a little too obtuse as it goes along, it’s worth watching this Alice In Wonderland takes a quaalude, gets a very hairy back, and has a lot of sex in the dirt. 

NO HARD FEELINGS ★★★★

This year’s Teddy Award Winner at the Berlin Film Festival, Faraz Shariat’s film uses its backdrop of a refugee camp in Germany to tell the story of Iranians and Irani-Germans searching for a better life.  Its three leads bring a spark and youthful energy to a story with devastating undercurrents.  A wrenching glimpse into the emotional effects an oppressive culture has on its people, yet told with a driving pulse. 

LILY TOMLIN: THE FILM BEHIND THE SHOW ★★★

A look behind the scenes as Lily Tomlin and wife Jane Wagner workshop their legendary 1980s Broadway show, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe.  It’s great to see these two at the top of their game and get a glimpse of their creative process, but this documentary is almost devoid of incident and feels more like a sweet gift to the fans than a fully realized film. 

SHORTS: WHAT A BOY NEEDS ★★★1/2

A mixed bag here of people searching for excitement, I found a couple of gems here nonetheless.  Not to take away from the shorts I don’t mention, I want to single out two exceptional films. Ruben Navarro’s Of Hearts And Castles looks great, has a beautiful vibe, and shows us a lovely connection forming right before our eyes.  Kiko’s Saints proves highly original as we follow a female Japanese artist on assignment in France become obsessed with a gay couple who have a lot of sex on the beach.  Combining animation with fairly explicit sex, I loved seeing the male gaze from a female perspective. 

THE CAPOTE TAPES ★★1/2

I love Truman Capote. I grew up at a time when smart authors found themselves on talk shows and were treated like superstars.  I’ve read his books and always have been in awe of his ability to be himself.  Featuring never-before-heard tapes of Capote’s friends being interviewed by George Plimpton, unfortunately, I don’t think this repetitive documentary gave me anything all that new.  It’s still touching at times and for the uninitiated, this is a great overview of his life, but I was watching the clock. 

OUT LOUD ★★★1/2

A moving look at the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles as they prepare for their first public performance.  With its ticking clock storyline, director Gail Willumsen expertly interweaves storylines of its founder and members.  As such, you really learn what’s a stake and what it means to them.  I was lucky enough to see the chorus perform David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust a few years ago and basked in the power of its mere existence…and was also ridiculously entertained. 

TWILIGHT’S KISS (SUK SUK)  ★★★1/2

This quiet charmer form Hong Kong shows us something we almost never get to see on film - two elderly gay men meeting and falling in love.  The fact that both have been married to women doesn’t stop them from exploring their feelings.  A little to gentle by half, I still was in awe of this rarity.

[pasdecoeur]

so after watching the old guard, what are your thoughts? (i am just asking because i had no one to rant at about my own and would like to hear about yours)

ummm you SHOULD rant at me though, i love it when people scream and submissions have no word limits xx

i feel like i should preface this by saying i really, really loved the old guard a lot. it’s a very good, very fun, very well-written action flick.

theron is a very convincing immortal, she has very strong james mangold’s logan vibes and that’s always sexy as fuck. 

also! andromache the scythian! what a baller name!!!! 

joe and nicky as a romantic couple are wonderful, and that fact that they met in the crusades is *chef’s kiss* gen-u-ine perfection. what i LOVE is how they fight together though — in the final action sequence, you can catch all these gorgeously shot bits where they never even have to make eye contact to be fully in sync, it made my heart all fuzzy. 

nile is BABEY, she needs HUGS and PROTECTION, she just wants to hear her mummy’s voice 😭😭😭 i was soft. 

i love the choices they made - booker as the judas, keane as generic action guy #4, v good, nordic dead eyes lady as the evil scientist.

ejiofor’s character’s incredibly compelling redemption arc was cool, 

the ceo dude did an impression of jesse eisenberg via lex luthor the whole time which was GR8. 

ummmmmm but like. that aside, the bootlickation of the military-industrial complex was REALLY SOMETHIN. “you come from a family of warriors”???? had me going for a whole minute.

narratively, i understand making nile us military. it was the easiest way to make her an immediately effective member of the crew without tossing in a six month training montage set to like. run the jewels or whatever. but, uhhh, that bit of narrative logic is the same logic actual irl white supremacist militias employ when they encourage young men to enlist: so they can put in their 20,000 rounds of target practice on uncle sam’s dime. so that was. intensely creepy. 

the old guard suffered from the same problem i had with black panther? which is like. i dont agree with the motivations of the hero. i agree with the villain. not in execution and not the LITERAL TORTURE PLANS but like. the ideology. i hate that the throughline of the story seems to be “people should die”. why. why should people die. because its the natural order of things? fuck the natural order of things. the entirety of human civilization has been a progressive march AWAY from the natural order of things!! there is no cosmic balance to nature!!! there is no justice built into the framework of the universe!!!! the world is as fair as we make it. and if you have the opportunity to eliminate disease, completely, forever, don’t you have a moral obligation to see it done? doesn’t evil only triumph when good men do nothing?

besides which, immortality is the next OBVIOUS logical step in biological research. telomere extension is ALREADY being researched RIGHT NOW. and okay, if you believe in. life after death or whatever, fine. you can meet your maker after the heat-death of the universe! YOLO sluts. (unless you’re hindu/buddhist, i guess. which — do you really want to waste time being reincarnated as mint????)

also, quynh’s entire arc gave me VIOLENT nagini flashbacks — and i didnt even watch that goddamn movie.

[urirealvibekiller]

✵ ˚ : ·this is an overall ship for @ex0tic-vgh​​ with nct !! you are so freaking gorgeous bby <3 hope you enjoy your ship bby !! 

-----------

✵ ˚ : · i ship you with...

yuta !!

i feel like this got spoiled a bit with that shipping tag game ahahah

but listen i kid you not; i genuinely do think you and yuta would be so compatible 

he was the first person that came to my mind when i saw your pictures and i felt even more certain when i read your description. 

a close second is doyoung, mostly because of your hardworking nature and love for beauty/beautiful things

but overall, i’m more compelled to choose yuta for you <3

i think yuta is drawn to people based on their energy and personally, i think you give off a very strong yet lively energy that he would be so so so attracted to. 

but with that being said, you guys look so stunning visually too and together it would be explosion of gorgeousness. you both have these very sharp features, very alluring and intense gazes, and look intimidating yet so attractive. 

i did mention this to you but i think you’re very mature especially for your age and he would love that because i think he sees himself settling down with people who are more on the mature side. 

he would also love and admire your ambitious and independent nature. he would be so weak for a boss lady such as yourself. for something long-term, i think he would settle for someone who takes their career seriously.

 i don’t think he would be fazed by you being initially intimidating. in fact he probably faces the same problem and he would understand it. i think he is mentally mature enough to know that the first impressions are not all that there is to someone and he would be willing and put efforts to get to know you more. 

once he does find the softer and more romantic side of you, he would adore that and even find it cute. he would love your kind and humorous side because he does also love having a good laugh so to have someone funny as a partner would be gold. he’s very humorous himself and his sarcastic/sassy nature is sure to make you laugh too which is he loves. he would love humor in a relationship as it gives a sense of light-heartedness and not serious/intense all the time. 

to touch more on your independence, i think he would really love that because he wants a sense of balance in a relationship; both partners being successful and capable individually but even more powerful when together. power couple behavior. 

now, yuta is not exactly the textbook romantic type but he takes romance quite seriously and may love in a very straightforward and passionate way. with that being said, he is also very affectionate and sweet with those he cares about ( as we have seen a lot in nct videos ) 

also, he’s protective and so caring. he would love and understand that you’re hard-working and you strive for the best but he would also help you relax and take the edge off of your perfectionistic nature. the boy might be intense sometimes but he’s also very soothing and comforting imo. 

he would be very vocal with his feelings for you too like always praising you, complimenting you, lifting you up with words. augh. 

he would also admire your art pieces and would show genuine interest in them. he would also be very honest about his opinions on them and would be so encouraging and supportive. 

i see a lot of dates in the nature. he knows you love beautiful things and nature and so does he so he would take you on picnics in gorgeous parks or night walks by the river. 

i honestly see there would be a very deep connection between you guys even from the start. i imagine this as a very powerful relationship but also filled with so much laughter and pure love for each other. <3

-----------

thank you so much for requesting !! have a beautiful day/night <3

[exsequar]

I am 2/3 through my third viewing of The Old Guard in 24 hours (interrupted only by Hamilton, which, whew it's been an emotional day). I love this fucking movie. Here I wrote a novel that was supposed to be a list of a few moments I love (SPOILERS FOR WHOLE MOVIE) (this is all from memory so forgive any omissions):

.

.

.

Nicky and Andy's warm, coming-home hug when they reunite 🥺

Joe and Andy's joyous, twirling hug when they reunite

Joe wiping his SWORD off on the pants of the guy he just killed 😳

Nicky and Joe locking eyes after they come back to life the first time

Nicky's steady confidence that they are doing the right thing, with the right intentions, and they must continue. His heart 🥺🥺

Nicky and Joe spooning on the train 🥺🥺🥺

Joe's gorgeous art!!!

Nile putting in headphones and Frank Ocean to try to calm her freakout

Andy's tired annoyance when Nile rolls out of the truck and she "has" to shoot her in the head (!!)

Andy's thrill when Nile lands a solid punch. She comes ALIVE in that moment, for almost the first time in the movie

The actual first time was the BAKLAVA. PRECIOUS FAMILY

THE WHOLE FAMILY DINNER UGHHH. We met in the Crusades! We killed each other! Many times! (I need that fic PLEEEASE)

Nicky and Joe claiming destiny is what brings them together 🥺🥺🥺

Booker retorting "more like misery loves company" and the incredible amount of heavy character lifting that single line does cause HE AIN'T JOKING

Nicky gently taking Nile under his wing ughhh NICKY

The whole family jolting awake ready to fight. Nicky being the lil spoon again but also having a gun immediately to hand. Joe's hand on Nicky's waist 🥺😩

The whole story about Quynh and Andy 🥺🥺🥺 Andy's face as she listens! Quynh and Andy's faces as they smile at each other in the most horrific conditions!! We stan immortal ladies in love!!!

Nile's concerns and fear being given proper voice and respect instead of her just jumping into the fray

THE WHOLE ARMORED CAR SCENE OBVS!!!!! I mean the epic speech is the most fucking romantic thing of all time. But the pièce de résistance? Joe and Nicky straight up MURDERING ALL THE ARMED AND ARMORED GUARDS WHILE THEY'RE UNARMED AND HANDCUFFED???? 😱🤯🤩 BURY YOUR HOMOPHOBES AM I RIGHT???? And that's just like, a joke moment??? They don't even get an escape out of it, just satisfying murder of violent homophobes??? HERE. FOR. IT.

The way Nicky is sitting after said murders!! All insouciant and sexy!! "I don't suppose there's any way to get these chains off us?" Has some serious "I do not suppose you could speed things up?" from Inigo in Princess Bride energy?? Idek it's just ADORABLE AND SAUCY

And then Nicky's all excited about the plane! There's a tv Joe! Joe wants to know if there's champagne! I love saucy immortal murder husbands in love oh no 😭

Ahem can you tell what my favorite part of the movie is

Booker's speech to Nile is really something. The actor kills it, and so does KiKi in her reaction

Andy and the goth French pharmacy clerk!! In the store room!! Movie queerness intensifies!!! But honestly this is such an elegant, quiet moment, the woman speaking of the importance of kindness and how it pays its way forward. It sets up the emotional climax of the film gorgeously. "we are not meant to be alone" 😭 This also resonates with Booker's speech, as well as his fate. Wah.

Joe and Nicky in the whole scene with asshole Dudley Dursley/Martin Shkreli/Merrick whatever - they are EVERYTHING. Their mild annoyance/disgust at his abuse of Shakespeare. Joe's headbutt. Nicky's lunge when Merrick stabs Joe 😭 The gentle head touch to check in!!! Oh no oh my oh no. And their genuine fear when the paralytic is brought out - they put on good faces, but they have already told us they are terrified of eternal cages, and that is step one 😭😭😭 my children!!

Joe and Nicky flirting sweetly while they're being EXPERIMENTED ON. what happened in Malta?? Malta is the new Budapest! And much more compelling imo! BRING ON THE FIC!

Nicky challenging the scientist in his calm, certain way. Calling her immoral. And saying he's heard her justification many times before. The way she freezes is fascinating - I wish there had been payoff for that moment (she could have helped them escape). But even more fascinating is the implication that they've been caught this way many times before. My babies 😭

Andy's abject, heartbroken horror when she realizes Booker crossed her. Charlize is - whew

Booker's own horror when he realizes she isn't healing 😩

Nicky telling Merrick his time is coming!! "As is yours"!! Son!!!!! That steadiness of his is....... I really really love him

Nile shooting herself in the foot to prove herself to Copley 😂😂😂 She's still working on the brain cells thing

Copley's creepy obsession wall being actually wholesome. Chiwetel was such a perfect choice for this tricky role. ❤️ him

"Wasn't your gift to give" that's right Nile!!

Nile going in solo to save her new family 🥺🥺🥺

And bringing Andy's weapon for her 🥺🥺🥺

Joe raging at Booker from his bed, Nicky trying to calm him 🥺

Booker's position is honestly relatable - what if you had to watch two people be cosmically in love for two centuries (since he joined them) while you had to be utterly alone in the world? Oof.

The whole climactic fight!! Competence kink everywhere!! Nile shielding Andy! Nicky handing Joe the gun without even looking!

😩😩 Nicky getting shot in the mouth 😩😩😩

Joe's abject terror and abject relief when Nicky does wake up 🥺🥺😩🥺

Nicky reaching back to hold him 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Did I mention Joe and Nicky???? YUSUF AND NICOLÒ A LOVE STORY FOR THE MILLENNIA

"You shot Nicky. You shouldn't have done that." JOE!!!

Andy the NON-IMMORTAL saying fuck this shit and storming in alone lol

Andy and Nile teaming up with a call back trick to take down Merrick ❤️❤️❤️

Nile yelling ohhh shiiiii- on the way down RELATABLE

The whole team gathering around her like mother hens 🥺🥺🥺 family 🥺🥺🥺

Nile reaching out to Booker with empathy, wah

Andy and Booker's goodbye on the beach 😭 likely the last one 😭 and his punishment is to be alone?? When being alone even with his family is what caused him to go down this dark path in the first place??? Seems unwise!!

Joe gently touching Andy's back to soothe her

Quynh oh shit!!! WHY ISNT THIS A TV SHOW I WANT MORE NOW

Whew I honestly did NOT expect that many words to come out of me but boy I love this movie and my new children!!! I have known my immortal murder babies for one (1) day but I am already so grateful to have them in my life!!! Thank you Gina Prince-Bythewood for this work of art 🥺❤️

[o0o-chibaken-o0o]

Communal 2018 Drarry Rec List

IT’S HERE, EVERYBODY!!! And it’s long! Thank you so so much to everyone who sent in their favorite fics written in 2018! To make this easier to navigate, I’ve created categories that make sense to me based on this collection of fics — obviously many fit into multiple categories, but I tried my best to place them accurately! I had so much fun looking through these and talking to everyone about their favorite fics, and I’m already super excited to do this again next year!! :D

Note that all recs were written by the person who submitted each fic, and they are in no particular order within their categories :) 

ENJOY! 

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EIGHTH YEAR

The Nightmare Club by Elle Gray / @diligent-thunder (85K)- Hermione and Ron are going back to Hogwarts to do N.E.W.T.s, Ginny isn't. Harry hasn't decided, until he has, in front of the Wizengamot and now he's responsible for Malfoy as well. A tale of enemies who learn to get along, get it wrong and get it on. Everything is purple, some things are on fire and no-one is sleeping properly. But don't worry, there's tea! Wishing you could curl up on a purple couch in an eighth year common room stocked with hundreds of varieties of tea and eavesdrop on our favorite Hogwarts kids as they attempt to adjust to a normal school year? If you love awkward miscommunications, snuggling, open minded acceptance, kind-hearted friends, and—of course—mutual pining, this fic is for you. 

Sex and The Art of Castle Maintenance by birdsofshore (15K)- "Come on, boys," Zabini drawled. "You’re only delaying the inevitable." Trouble always had a way of finding Harry, and eighth year was obviously going to be no exception. The antagonism, tension, and heat leaps off the screen, and I could NOT put this story down. 

To Hurt and Heal by @cassisluna (21.5K)- They say that everybody who gets out of Azkaban comes out a little mad. After the war, Draco Malfoy spends three months in Azkaban. He just wants to go insane in peace, but Harry Potter finds that he, inexplicably, still can't leave Draco alone. I went into this expecting angst, but by the end I got Eighth Year fluff and a whole lot of eating breakfast. Can't say I didn't love it.

Orbit by HenryMercury (52.5K)- "The classical problem of celestial mechanics, perhaps of all Newtonian mechanics, involves the motion of one body about another under the influence of their mutual gravitation." *They don't like each other. They're not friends. There's not even a ceasefire of any sort because they're fighting as much as ever—but there's definitely something different about it. An added layer of self-awareness they don't dare identify, but which colours every Scared, Potter? and Do your worst; each You wouldn't dare and Then prove it. 8th year fic that does such a fabulous job of bringing Harry and Draco together, that makes their pairing so realistic, even non-drarry shippers would be able to see the appeal. 

Once Upon a Time by @fantom-ftnoise (12.5K)- This is the story of Hansel & Gretel - er, that is, Harry & Draco. A wonderful retelling of Hansel and Gretel, with amazing (and delightfully creepy) sensory descriptions, humour, nail-biting tension and a glorious happy ending. 

Eighteen Kisses by tigersilver (10K)- Harry is being targeted by a very determined and wily Malfoy, a Malfoy with sly hands and a sweet, sweet mouth. The story features adorably fluffy Draco and insanely flustered Harry, with chocolate and sweet kisses 

It takes 36 Questions to fall in love by @gnarf (14K)- After returning to Hogwarts for their 8th year, Harry and Draco can't seem to stop fighting, much to the irritation of staff and students alike. Their last fight escalated and Harry and Draco are forced to room together by a pretty angry Headmistress. They will have to stay in their new quarters until they overcome their differences. But it wouldn’t be McGonagall if she didn’t have a plan. To help them achieve this goal (and to save everyone else from going crazy because of them) she gave them a charmed parchment that will ask a series of personal questions. Over the next couple of days they'll learn much more about each other than they could ever have imagined. A precious they-finally-start-understand-eachother story that left me feeling fuzzy and happy 

Oblivious by lealamalfoy / @gregqoyle (17.5K)- Harry doesn't believe his Amortentia's scent is correct, and starts questioning the potion and his feelings. Of course Malfoy, of all people, is the one to answer these questions Harry's lack of communication with the female population and Draco's lack of communication with Harry is infuriating to new levels

Heart of Silver/Heart of Gold by @lettersbyelise (54.5K)- Draco Malfoy, a young demon specialising in school bullying, has lived hundreds of uneventful lives. Until his world is turned upside down by his newest assignment a few days before Christmas: to get rid of 8th year classmate Harry Potter, Defeater of Dark Lords and thorn in the side of all things evil. Trouble is, Draco’s world has been upside down for a while… ever since he started having very human feelings for a certain bespectacled Gryffindor. It’s a slow burn fic where Draco is a demon sent to torture and kill Harry buuuuut feelings are involved; also there’s a Niffler names Jeff and some very amusing Ron moments! 

AUROR(S) / CURSE BREAKER(S)

Ten Thousand Reasons Why Not by @lqtraintracks (8.5K)- Harry and Draco are stand-ins for the usual witch who gives the workplace harassment and sexual consent talk to the Auror trainees. Amazingly funny and sexy fic, featuring public UST, great dialogue and banter, and smut to die for.

Changeling by Obscurus343 (86K)- The assignment seems to be an excuse to get the Boy Who Lived away from the press for a while – Head Auror Savage is human, after all. But when they arrive to Barebone Castle, Aurors Potter and Malfoy realize that something sinister may indeed be going on. It's terrifying. It's cursed. It's some next level freaky shit that nobody can explain. But not to worry! Two lovestruck idiots are on the case. warm and funny, with a wonderfully crafted cast, spooky mystery and more handholding and cuddling than your heart can take

Cold Like Fire by @queenofthyme (12K)- Head Auror Harry Potter had no problem with mandatory consent training for his team. He’d actually been looking forward to it, that is, until he discovered who the teacher was. Now, he had no idea how he was going to get through the training without throwing a hex at Draco Malfoy. Or a punch. This fic is absolutely hilarious and full of so many wonderful drarry-y moments! 

The Partner, the Rival and the Very Big Case by oceaxe (24.5K)- When Harry and Nott are paired up to go undercover as fake boyfriends, Draco is disappointed not to get the assignment. It's just professional jealousy that's making him feel so upset. Obviously. He's engaged to be married to Astoria, after all.But when he walks in on Nott kissing Harry for 'practice' and has a wild magic outbreak, he starts to think that something else might be going on. Is Nott right? Is Draco a homophobe? Or is there... just possibly... another explanation? Funny as hell and sexy too, it features a Draco grappling with his attraction to Harry, his jealousy regarding him, and his own sexuality, when their partnership gets split up for a case. 

Cabin in the Forest by @justdrarryme (23K)- Of course Harry would get partnered with Malfoy when Ron leaves the Aurors, nothing in his life could ever be easy. What he hadn't counted on though were his feelings for the other man. Or, Harry and Draco get trapped in a Bundling Bed and are forced to work their shit out. The art that this fic is based on (by ano-ka-ba) is incredible, and the way these two get out of their predicament is hot as hell. 

Still Catch The Tide by @dwell-the-brave, art by Razielim and Apriicat (57K)- When a ravaged body is found on Blackpool beach front, newly partnered Aurors Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are sent to investigate. This is a make-or-break case for Harry - solve the case and not scare his partner away, or risk his career. But when another body appears, and another, this mystery goes far deeper than either of them could have imagined. from Big Bang, this Auror partners casefic has suspense, rich writing with a thread of melancholy, and gorgeous art.

In Our Blood by @secretsalex (38K)- Draco is an accomplished pure-blood curse breaker, and Harry is tasked with accompanying him on his latest job—cleaning up the Van Boer mansion, which has been under a devastating fertility curse for seven generations. reading this is like watching a gorgeously shot, terrifying horror film. Don't let that scare you off - it's compelling and will leave you thinking about it long after you close the tab. 

COMING OUT / LGBT+ THEMES

Little Compton Street (One Rainy Night in Soho) by @writcraft (65.5K)- Draco is lonely, Harry hates the press and it won’t stop raining in London. Harry discovers a magical street that’s close to disappearing forever and Draco realises he’s one rainy night in Soho away from finding everything he’s been searching for. This fic is a BEAUTIFUL ode to LGBT culture and community, and was so so moving in addition to being an extremely entertaining read with a great relationship between Harry and Draco

Rookie Moves by Elle Grey / @diligent-thunder (60K)- So the war's over and Harry's a Rookie Auror, and everything seems... fine? I mean, he's single, his life is mostly work and he hasn't been out in ages and he's tired and annoyed most of the time, and he should probably be a bit more social, but the last time he kissed a girl he had to Obliviate her... but that's normal, right? And then Robards throws him a file, yells at him a bit and he finds himself guarding Malfoy of all people, and maybe that little feeling in his gut he thought he'd disproved as indigestion once and for all.... maybe was something else. Something lots gayer. A tragically under appreciated coming out fic that legit made me laugh so hard I cried.

Around You Moves by ignatiustrout / @dracomalfoyofficial (29.5K)- Harry knew Draco was gay when he invited him to move in. He’s never had a problem with this. So why does he feel so weird about Draco bringing men home all of a sudden? a fabulous fic in which Harry thinks he’s homophobic when he hates seeing Draco with other men ... and then he realizes a few things about himself ;)

Harry Potter and the Bisexual Awakening by @writcraft (23K)- Harry is perfectly content being single, heterosexual and living in Godric's Hollow with his very clingy rescue dog, Snitch. When Draco Malfoy turns up on Harry's doorstep demanding that Harry teach him how to drive, things quickly become a lot more complicated. Funny, sharply-written and sexy, HPatBA has everything I love about reading drarry (snark and UST, fantastic prose, emotional connection and hot sex) but brings an awesome new perspective to coming out, in queer fic.

When You Kiss Me (What a Lovely Way to Burn) by @femmequixotic (22K)- A drag fairytale of New York in which Draco wears red lipstick and Potter can’t get enough A fantastic piece of writing that explores a genderqueer Draco, working at a drag club in New York, where he sees Harry for the first time in years. (note from chibi: THIS FIC IS SO BEAUTIFUL IT WILL GIVE YOU A SEXUAL AWAKENING AND I WANT TO HOLD IT CLOSE FOREVER)

DANCING/CLUBBING

Kill, Fuck, Marry by @lettersbyelise (12.5K)- Malfoy leans toward him with a baleful look. “I do believe Pansy Parkinson, my best friend, paid you to spend the evening with me. It’s my birthday, Potter. So you’re going to get off your Gryffindor arse, and you’re going to dance with me. I want to dance. I want to win. I want that bloody trophy on my shelf before the end of the night.” Harry and Draco unexpectedly meet again on Draco’s birthday, years after their last encounter. Incredulity, banter, witty conversation, gin and tonics and impromptu dancing ensue. It’s only natural, of course, that Draco would expect his birthday night to finish with a bang… Perfectly in-character dialogue and great heat during what starts as an awkward, unintended date between Draco and Harry.  Two Truths and all those Hidden Lies by @keyflight790 (7.5K)- It didn’t matter whether Draco knew about the Polyjuice or not; nor did it matter what face Harry deigned to hide behind in the club. Draco could spot Potter a mile away. Polyjuice could change his face. It could change the way his hair sat along his scalp, and the color of his eyes, and the shape of his lips. It could change his height and the way his muscles rippled beneath his shirt. It could change the swell of his arse, the length of his... Not that Draco was thinking of that. The fact that Draco can recognize Harry even without his awful glasses and stupid scar warms my heart every time. 

Brick by Brick by @agentmoppet (8K)- There’s something between the two of them, something that builds beneath the smoky lights of the club and grows stronger during midnight conversations held on a rooftop high above the streets of London. But Draco wants to wait. deals beautifully with consent and all the waiting the two men go through to build something that is not just sex. 

ANGST & HURT/COMFORT

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered (154K)- Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him. “You’re crying over that fan fiction about the children again, aren’t you.” -my husband

I could be wrong, I could be ready by @harryromper (57.5K)- (...) Harry Potter left Britain after the war and didn’t look back. Ten years later, when Gringotts discovers a vault containing his parents’ belongings—including their badly spell-damaged wedding rings—he’s forced to face up to friends and family who’ve grown in ways he could never imagine, a wizarding London rebuilt beyond his expectations, and the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the entirely unforeseen problem of Draco Malfoy. Featuring pureblood wizarding traditions, ancestral magic, open mic nights, marriage equality, a diner in Brooklyn, and the return of Fleamont Potter. I am like ......so overwhelmed by how this fic is so amazing like my goodness

Chocolate and Pastry by @agentmoppet, art by @anemonensblog (50.5K)- When Pansy bets Draco that there is no chance he and Harry could carry out a genuine romantic relationship, he and Harry form a plan. But as their fake relationship progresses, Draco sees a side of Harry he never expected. Harry is struggling with something, pushing it far down inside him where he doesn't have to acknowledge its existence. Draco starts to worry, and then he starts to care, and then... horribly... he starts to fall in love. Fake relationships are always fantastic, but this one just hits you right in the feels, and is so beautiful!!

Things You’ve Told Him All Along by thirdeyeblinkings (19K)- Anonymous fire calls, blind dates, awkward run-ins, and kissing in the d-a-r-k. But besides all that, a story about hiding, coming out, and starting over (and over). It is so wonderfully written with artist!Draco and it tackles mental health issues just beautifully.

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (20.5K)- When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want. He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try. This fic is wonderful and devastating and one of the best I’ve ever read. I think I cried 5 times while reading this but it’s worth it because it’s so beautifully written.

Antlers and Ivy by @violetclarity (19K)- The thing is, Draco has always known he wouldn’t be able to marry his soulmate. Finding out his soulmate is Harry Potter shouldn’t change anything. Or: soulmarks, a masquerade ball, and gratuitous use of The Daily Prophet as a plot device. A beautiful examination of the soulmate trope, filled with longing that made me ache and a resolution that made me want to cheer. 

That Which Marks You by @belleslettres-love (8K)- After the war, Harry is struggling… He knows his heart should be aching from the loss of his loved ones. Instead, he feels nothing. Draco feels everything… cold, hunger, pain from being forced out of the Wizarding world… forced to be a beggar—or worse—just to survive. When Harry sees Draco, shivering on a street corner, he knows one thing: Draco Malfoy is the only one who can make him feel. It starts with dark!Harry which is not my thing usually, but it devolves into cute relationship that we all love.

SLOW BURN

Charming Chocolates by @fantom-ftnoise (100.5K)- The summer following the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter visited his parents' graves and disappeared in a mysterious attack. His wand was recovered but the trail soon went cold and the world moved on. Twelve years later, Remus Lupin discovers James Charming, of Charming Chocolates, a mute man with no memories before July of 1998. James Charming, father of identical twin boys and loving boyfriend to a Scottish Muggle named Monty, is ripped out of his comfortable life and forced to rediscover Hogwarts, magic, and a whole world of past memories. His Mind Healer helps him to balance his new life with his old memories. A rift is formed between James and Monty, and he finds himself wanting to spend more and more time with Healer Malfoy. Meanwhile, Auror Weasley tries to solve the mystery of who is out for Harry Potter's head before it's too late. A breathtaking, heart-warming, story that explores trauma, disability, dysfunctional relationships, family, bravery and love.

Nero su bianco by zuzallove (35K)- September 1997. Hogwarts is under the regime of Voldemort and the Carrows. Finding himself alienated by both his friends and his supposed enemies, Draco puts quill to parchment, and writes letters. He addresses them to the only person he can think of, as Hogwarts rapidly falls into chaos and ruin: Harry Potter. He goes to great lengths to ensure the letters are never discovered, and he’s pretty certain he’s done a great job. Until the day of his trial. Its heartbreakingly sad, beautiful and funny at the same time featuring Trial!Draco required to reveal his feelings/true self in front of the Wizengamot

It actually hurts by @parkkate (52K)- For years, Draco has tried to avoid Harry Potter. He just knows he’ll make a fool out of himself if they spent more than five minutes in a room together. Unfortunately, Potter suddenly seems intent on becoming Draco’s friend, but neither of them are prepared for the inevitable consequences... There is so much love and emotion in this, so much body-positivity and so much pining - it’s simply beautiful.

Never Grow a Wishbone by ShanaStoryteller (65K WIP)- She almost smiles, and true alarm starts to build in his chest. “I’m afraid I’m not here for something so small. Professor Roberts has resigned.” “Good,” Draco says honestly, “Would you like a list of suitable alternatives? I know a number of competent potions masters abroad, but then of course you’d have to hire another teacher to act as the Slytherin head. I’m afraid you’ve dried up all the half decent Slytherin Potions masters.” “Not all of them,” she says quietly. [...] a hogwarts professor au which consists of a lot of world building and lore

CREATURE FIC

Soup-pocalypse and the Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats (104.5K)- Eleven years after the war, Draco Malfoy leads a quiet, boring, and perfectly respectable life, thanks very much. Or, at least he does, until a sudden and very unexpected veela awakening causes him to throw soup all over Harry Potter in the middle of the Ministry cafeteria. This is a fantastic take on the classic creature fic, which plays into some Veela tropes and turns others on their heads; very funny and warm and realistic drarry, too. 

Hush, Darling by @magpiefngrl (23.5K)- Draco is in trouble. To get out of it he needs to seduce Harry Potter. One of the coolest, most original creature fics ever, featuring Draco as an Incubus who's tasked, under threat, with getting something from Harry -- who he makes the mistake of falling in love with. 

In The Red by @bixgirl1 (45.5K)- When Harry goes looking for a vampire at a Creature club, the second-to-last thing Harry expects is to find Malfoy working there. The last thing he expects is to fall in love with him. It's so beautifully written I gasped, so hot I died, and so damn good I'm going to reread it for years to come.

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE(S)

Tangiers by @magpiefngrl (4K)- The one where Harry and Draco are archaeologists, ex boyfriends and seeking the same priceless and possibly cursed object. Featuring a revolver, the spirits of dead monks and a bed they can hardly fit in. Adventurous, sexy and highly relatable, the AU of AUs, ladies and gentlemen, a masterfully crafted tale that feels simultaneously fantastical and down to earth, that includes a substantial backstory that left me wanting more, that presents a version of Harry and Draco that is incredibly true to the characters and kept me on my toes every second. 

Purple, Peach and Vibrant Green by @queenofthyme (3.5K)- Draco Malfoy has a waiter pretend to be his date to impress an ex. Of course, it helps when that waiter is exceedingly attractive and happens to be Harry Potter. Solid fic. 5/10. (note from chibi: @jadepresley is very rude to her friends but she actually loves this super cute fic and so will you) 

Men Who Love Dragons Too Much by fencer_x, art by @danasauurrr (479K)- [Extensive re-telling of Deathly Hallows] As in Half-blood Prince, Draco is charged by Voldemort with killing Dumbledore—only instead of trying to do his best with the challenge, he realizes he’s been set a futile task and focuses on finding a way to save both himself and his parents. He eventually decides to spend his sixth year studying Animagecraft, convinced it's his best shot at escaping the impossible situation he's found himself in. But just his luck, his Animagus form turns out to be a dragon, and a rather randy juvenile at that, intent on finding its mate: one Harry James Potter. from Big Bang, an inventive and unique story with Draco as a dragon animagus, and a retelling of Deathly Hallows. With art! 

Every Me and Every You by @bixgirl1 (69.5K)- Harry liked his life just fine, thankyouverymuch — so it was bad enough when a sly fairy cursed him to leap into alternate realities. But seeing Malfoy in all of them? Definitely way too much. And worse yet: needing the bastard's help to figure out how to get out of of it. It was a disaster waiting to happen, really. Well... probably. Fabulously written, stunningly complex and multi-layered, with sizzling tension between H/D, LEGILIMENCY SEX (and other hot, hot sex), inventively plotted, perfect in every single way.

survival is a talent by ShanaStoryteller (219K WIP)- In the middle of their second year, Draco and Harry discover they're soulmates and do their best to keep it a secret from everyone.Their best isn't perfect. a soulmate au that starts in 2nd year, when harry and draco find out that they’re soulmates - my favorite fic ever 

FAMILY / KID!FIC

All I Want For Christmas (Is For You To Stop Talking) by @femmequixotic and @noeeon (163K)- The Niffler's Garden is the most prestigious wizarding nursery school in England and has been for the last century or more. Harry Potter's boys are both enrolled as pupils at the Garden. When he volunteers to assist with the Yule pageant, he has no idea that he'll be working closely with another parent, Draco Malfoy. Although they haven't seen each other much since their own school days, Harry faults Malfoy for not being a hands-on dad to little Scorpius. Will the intense weeks of preparation fan the fires of enmity or something else entirely? This is the most perfect holiday fic ever with children and a pageant and amazing side characters and tons of lovely winter feels! 

Sunshine, Fresh Air, Telly, and Time by frnklymrshnkly (32.5K)- Immediately following the war, Andromeda and Harry must look after Teddy. But who will look after them? a wonderfully loving and bittersweet tale of Draco, Harry, and Narcissa living with Andromeda after the war—all raising Teddy as they grieve and heal together. 

Failed Application of Thought by RuArcher (67K)- Draco sighed, knowing he would live to regret his next words, “I’m willing to do anything it takes to get Scorpius the life he deserves, even if that means pretending to be madly in love with you, you intolerable buffoon.” This is a fabulous fake dating fic filled with all the feelings you could ever desire, and it has one of my favorite Dracos ever-- I just want to wrap him up and protect him and Scorpius forever! 

papa says harry potter helps people by jilliancares (10K)- Draco Malfoy is reintroduced into Harry's life when a little boy enters his shop, lost. The same little boy upends all his bookshelves, which Draco holds himself responsible for. It all kind of escalates from there. contains very adorable Scorpius moments, Harry running a book shop, and Draco and Harry slowly falling for each other. 

POST-HOGWARTS

Ynys Afallach (I will give my Love an Apple) by @femmequixotic and @noeeon (42.5K)- Professor Waverley Root's tutorial in the history of magical food is something of a legend at Flamel College. Draco Malfoy wants to apply it to his work in sustainable wizarding agriculture. Harry Potter's taking it for his interest in historical overlap between the magical and Muggle worlds in the West Country. When Root pairs them together, the fireworks (and the apples!) fly. Now if only they can find something original, perhaps they'll make it through to complete their degrees on time. Okay this fic is highly underrated and needs 5x the current kudos- it has university students!drarry, sexual tension out the roof, amazing use of arthurian legend, brilliant magical theory, and is just all around brilliant as fuck!!

Silver Soul by @dracoismytrashson (75K)- It's about a year after the war, and Draco is a bit of a London hipster working at a record store. Harry is lonely and confused about what to do with his life so hanging out with Draco and listening to shoegaze records to pass the time seems like a perfectly viable option. one of my favorite Draco in the Muggle world stories ever. Misunderstandings, softness, snarkiness, shoegaze. 

Tell Me the End at the Beginning by @harryromper (36.5K)- St Mungo’s is the last place anyone wants to spend the festive season. Harry finds himself there anyway. Or: Harry's an Auror suspended from duty, Malfoy's wearing the hell out of three-piece suits, Hermione is entirely over everything, and Kreacher just wants to be left alone to decorate for Christmas. Draco Malfoy wears three-piece suits. Like, if that's not enough to convince you, I don't know what is. 

Chasing Treacle Tart (and Draco Malfoy) by xErised (23K)- Malfoy, who is sentenced to work as a dinner lady in the Ministry canteen, has an annoying habit of withholding desserts from Harry. Harry puts up with it, but when Malfoy stops him from getting his beloved treacle tart, Harry is determined to do something about it. And Ron? He's really just there for the awkward flirting. This fic is funny, sexy, compelling, and just all around delightful :) 

Castle on the Hill by tsundanire/@breathofmine (1.5K)- Based on Ed Sheeran's "Castle on the Hill"Harry takes a "road trip" back to England after spending a few years in Romania working with dragons. It had been 10 years since Harry left, and the honest and pure relationship he built with Malfoy over letters is gorgeous. They both just hope that meeting again after all that time will be just as wonderful. (and it is) 

Highly (in)Compatible by @gracie137blogs (37.5K)- Draco’s been shagging The Prat Who Lived on and off for a few months when his soul mark starts to change. Draco’s had to accept a lot of adjustments to his life, but accepting that Harry Potter could be his soulmate is one step too far. It can’t be true? Can it? One of the best takes on soulmates I’ve read with excellent magical theory and an exploration of free will, and which includes a wonderful cast of characters and lots of humour and banter; Draco’s voice here is fantastic.

The Kitchen Thieves (and the Kitchen Herself) by @potteresque_ire (Pie) (67K)- In a deserted cottage miles away from Hogsmeade, two young spirits waited for a new owner to call the place home. One day, Auror Harry Potter bought the cottage. One evening, farm wizard Draco Malfoy showed up to spend the night with Harry...and steal a pepper shaker from the kitchen. Maybe Kate can tell you all about them? She’s the spirit who looks after the kitchen, and she’s got quite a bit to say… Pie took the sentient houses trope and ran with it; utterly unique fic, with incredible rich characterisations and an emotional arc that had me reading the last part through copious (happy) tears. 

SMUT

In the dark, the light by Phrynne (32K)- ‘Potter… It’s Malfoy. Do you still want this?’ It started like that. Malfoy’s breath on his ear, his voice low, hot against his skin. Harry shivered, though he could feel the heat from Malfoy’s body just behind him, too close, but not touching him. Even if he could. For the rest of the night, he could do whatever the hell he wanted with Harry. The best bdsm I’ve EVER read.

Whole New Kinds of Weather by @lower-east-side (2.5K)- She’s just as compelling as she’s ever been. Incredible UST, perfect dialogue, scorching, fabulous sex, and Draco as genderqueer: a fic not to be missed.

Kettle by @magpiefngrl (3.5K)- Draco likes to put up a fight. The most tender exploration of hardcore kink within a loving, committed relationship that I've ever read, and hot as hell, too.

In Deep by @lqtraintracks (9K)- Harry isn't sure when he went from hating Malfoy's snide, smug mouth to wanting that mouth all over his cock. Gorgeously hot exploration of BDSM kink in a new relationship that manages to be tender and sweet at the same time.

DEFIES CATEGORIZATION (by me at this time)

Love Him More by @bixgirl1 (17.5K)- A love story. Several of them, really. Delicate, bruising, and uplifting all at once. 

The Drarry Sestina by @julcheninred (<1K)- Sometimes I dream I’m bleeding from my scars... This gorgeously written poem took my breath away and left me haunted but ever hopeful for Draco and for the both of them 

Dwelling by aideomai (83.5K)- Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better. The most mind-blowing fic I read this year, a story that allows the reader to see how much it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, besides giving us a delightful relationship development and some seriously hot moments, all wrapped in a glorious package of plot and overall awesomeness.

A Holiday in Provence by @dracoismytrashson (32K)- Harry Potter is turning 50 years old and feeling lonelier than ever. Divorced, retired, and learning he’s not quite as straight as he thought he was, Harry reluctantly accepts a birthday gift from his friends for a week’s stay at an idyllic French vineyard. Too bad Hermione and Ron neglected to mention that the owner of the winery happens to be a certain quick-witted blond Slytherin… The world-building and the dynamic between the characters in this is nothing short of magical. 

Memories of Draco Malfoy by ImmortalAcorn (14K)- “He had to live, I knew. Without him there would not be much to see. I guess the world would be just ashes and smoke and blood - that's at least how I imagined it. He had to live. Whatever it would take.” a series of short poems (I guess) about Draco and their relationship. There is another one, from Harrys perspective. They are short but perfect. Angst is real and sooooooo good.

‘Til Our Compass Stands Still by china_nightingale (9K)- "It was an unconventional relationship, if one could call it that. It was the way it had always been - bodies colliding while lips stayed closed, dueling and caressing and ripping one another open while hearts stayed locked safely behind cages covered in bruises from curses and kisses. There were never many words spoken. If they talked, chances were that ugly things would tumble from their tongues like they did so easily during their Hogwarts days." Harry and Draco eventually realise that things don't always go to plan, even if it's a plan they've been carefully crafting to keep themselves safe from each other. a little harsh and gritty, but so full of unspoken love <3 

Thank you again to everyone who contributed!!: @dracothecupcake @ebbet @keyflight790  @bixgirl1 @magpiefngrl @hogwartsfirebolt @amrame @bonzicatgirl @lillyevans @harryandhislittledragon @hermionejeangranger @lower-east-side @jadepresley @findingsilencetheymadelove @lqtraintracks @queendomcosplay @threeh plus several anons!  <3<3<3

I’ve done my best to tag all the writers whose tumblrs I could locate, but if I’ve missed anyone, please let me know so I can tag them!

[angelofberlin2000]

Keanu Reeves May Be Pure, But He's Not Oblivious  

America’s most memeable actor is back in John Wick: Chapter 3, a movie that's in on the joke of our obsession with Keanu. He might be too.

Alison Willmore

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Posted on May 17, 2019, at 10:40 a.m. ET   

For a guy without any official web presence or expressed interest in things online, Keanu Reeves goes viral a lot. He's spawned memes when he's looked sad and other memes when he's looked happy. There's a Twitter account, 198,000 followers strong, devoted to "Keanu doing things" like wearing a fedora or hanging out on set with Sandra Bullock. Creepshot footage of the actor giving up his seat on the subway or rattling around the Bakersfield airport after an emergency landing has racked up thousands of delighted views. Reeves may have risen to fame as a Gen X movie star ("the most soulful while being the most stoner-bro," as the New York Times recently put it), but it was millennials who carved out a permanent place for Keanu in the internet boyfriend hall of fame, as an embodiment of inexpressible melancholy and a figure too pure for this world.

The fact that the actual Reeves — like any living, breathing human — is likely a lot more complicated than that has never gotten in the way of how he's been enshrined in the popular imagination, in part because Reeves has never seen fit to fight it. Reeves works hard onscreen, while barely seeming to notice the eyes (and cellphone cameras) that remain trained on him when he's off it. Where other stars attempt to actively sculpt and control their public image, Reeves submits to the sometimes intrusive attention with bemused acceptance, aware of but apparently unbothered by the fact that there's an outsize version of himself living in people's heads. When questioned about it, he tends to be kind: "Yeah, I guess that’s like an invasion of privacy. They didn’t ask me," he told Uproxx of the bus video, the existence of which seemed to be news to him. Then he added, "They were nice people. We were in it together. We had a nice car ride."

When Reeves went viral again last week, it was for something he definitely knew was being recorded. He was on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, doing promo for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, the preposterously enjoyable third film of the action franchise that's come to define this period in his career. Reeves, sporting some “I'm-between-roles” facial hair, talked up the stunts and how he was set to reprise his role as world-saving slacker Theodore "Ted" Logan in a third Bill & Ted movie, nearly three decades after the last one.

All of which led Colbert to coyly ask Reeves what he thought happened when we die — a ludicrously weighty question for the average talk-show exchange, but a perfect one for the bodhisattva of showbiz. And Reeves did not disappoint, answering simply that "I know that the ones who love us will miss us." It was both a perfectly shareable aphorism and a poignant reminder of his own experiences with losing loved ones, which are real and terrible and which were also outlined in a Facebook video that blew up to the point that the fact-checking site Snopes felt compelled to put together an entry on it, judging it to be "Mostly True."

Reeves is now 54 years old. The inhuman splendor of his youthful beauty (seriously, have you seen My Own Private Idaho lately?) has gradually softened into a more manageable gorgeousness that shows the touch of time while remaining a little unreal. The fact that Reeves isn't a kid anymore is, in fact, the whole point of the John Wick trilogy, which puts the actor in the eponymous role as a retired killer yanked back into violence after an arrogant Russian mob scion kills the puppy gifted to him by his late wife.

The John Wick franchise is the creation of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, stunt coordinators turned filmmakers whose elegant action sequences make clear how often it's really Reeves there doing the work, having a swordfight on a motorcycle or slowly sinking a blade into a struggling foe's eyeball. His physicality is front and center, and it's both impossible (John should be dead a thousand times over) and extremely human (John bleeds, staggers, reels with grief). Like Reeves himself, John is at once larger than life and extremely to scale.

Reeves is famous for action. His biggest films are the Wachowskis' Matrix trilogy, those landmarks of bullet-time choreography and heady stoner philosophy for which his flat affect was perfectly suited, as well as Speed and Point Break. But he's always harbored a romantic streak too, even if it hasn't always been showcased well by leading roles (like his in 2006's The Lake House) that leave him looking lost. He's better as the losing corner of the love triangle in Nancy Meyers’ 2003 rom-com Something's Gotta Give, despite the grievous injustice of Diane Keaton throwing him over for Jack Nicholson. The John Wick films work so well not just because of their fight sequences and increasingly arcane assassin mythology, but because of the degree to which they're romance-adjacent. They're heartfelt films about grief, with John as a man lamenting the death of his love and losing pieces of the life they built together in each subsequent installment.

The further the John Wick series has gone on, the more it's curled around Reeves' own persona. The first was a comeback vehicle for Reeves that also happened to be about a hitman's comeback from normal living, and the second was a riff on contractual work obligations. By the third, John is as beset by admirers as Reeves was at that Bakersfield bus stop, only in the film they're affectionately trying to murder him. When he faces down two henchmen (played by Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian of the Raid series), they thank him for the honor of fighting him, and maintain a running commentary on his performance in Indonesian during the sequence. "He's getting slow," muses one as John peels himself off the floor, while the other points out that he is recently out of retirement.

The main antagonist in the new movie, at least physically, is a striver and self-declared fan named Zero (Mark Dacascos), who’s a devotee bumped up to the assassin big leagues. "I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time!" he declares. "And so far you haven't disappointed!" Zero is a surprisingly funny creation who owes something to Sonny Chiba in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, in how he's introduced, and something to Anne Baxter in All About Eve, in how he's ready to destroy his idol and take his place.

But Zero and his team also feel like a meditation on modern fandom at its most intense, where people need the person they admire to live up to the image they've formed of them, with an implied threat as to what might happen if the object of their obsession doesn't manage this feat. Most of the characters in the John Wick movies are bewildered by John's efforts to get out of the game and live like a normie, but they treat him as a fellow professional. The baddies in John Wick 3, on the other hand, are fans who feel a sense of ownership over John because they've tracked his career so closely.

Reeves may have the most even-keeled relationship with celebrity of any A-lister working today, but in the beleaguered looks he shoots at his foes in this new movie, there's a hint of wry self-awareness. It doesn't feel accurate to describe Reeves as a reluctant movie star, not when he devotes so much of himself to what he does, and when he gamely participates in every aspect of the process. But in playing this reluctant killer, the actor does offer a glimpse of himself as someone who's aware that there’s a finer line between being loved by the public and being devoured by it than anyone would like to think about.

There’s a thrill watching Reeves in this role that’s related to how delightful it feels to see him turn up as what looks like himself in the trailer for Netflix's upcoming Always Be My Maybe — the rom-com loser and internet boyfriend all in one, mashing his face into Ali Wong's while muttering, "I miss your taste." We may like to treat Reeves as a kind of holy innocent, but just because he avoids artifice doesn't mean he doesn't know what's going on. ●

[potter-loves-malfoy]

4 for smut?

4. “Are you trying to turn me on right now or are you really just that oblivious?”

(This turned into a full-blown ficlet so I decided to give it a title, also thank you so much @cubedcoffeecake for the beta, I love and appreciate you)

Sugar Quills And The Chosen Prick

When the Wizengamot let him stay out of Azkaban—on the condition that Draco both returned to Hogwarts for the new Eighth Year and shared a room with Harry Potter—he’d thought it was a miracle.

Now, Draco thinks he’d prefer rooming with Greyback in Azkaban over being here with Potter. It isn’t that Potter is being hostile towards him or anything; that Draco knows how to deal with. No, it’s much worse than that.

Potter is being friendly and polite and calling him Draco, and Merlin, it’s making Draco lose his mind. There’s also the fact that he keeps sauntering around their room half-naked—at best. It’s not even a month into the school year and Draco has seen much more of Potter’s chosen arse than he can handle. It is getting to the point where Draco thinks that Potter somehow found out that Draco’s gay and is doing this on purpose to punish Draco for his war crimes.

Right now, for example, Potter is lying face down on his bed, shirtless and in his pants, sucking obscenely on a sugar quill. Draco has had sugar quills countless times but never once has he felt compelled to make sounds quite like the ones Harry is making.

Draco wants to say something—a snarky comment about how that’s probably the most action Potter’s ever got—but he can’t bring himself to look away from how Potter’s lips close around the quill-shaped sweet and his tongue wraps around it as if it’s…

The thought is distracting enough that Draco fails to notice how Potter’s eyes are no longer fixed on his Advanced Transfigurations book but on Draco instead.

“Draco, is something wrong?” Potter says, bringing Draco out of his trance. “You’ve been staring for a while now.”

Draco feels his face heat up and wills his skin to stay it’s usual pale colour. “I-I’m fine, Potter.” Draco stumbles over his words, internally cursing himself for it. “I was just wondering how you can eat something so sugar-filled. You’re not eleven anymore, though your actions suggest otherwise.”

Bloody Hell, why do insults no longer come to him naturally? The worst part in all this is that Potter actually seems concerned.

“Are you sure?” he asks. “You seem a bit flushed, do you have a fever?”

With that Potter sits up and fucking crawls to the edge of his bed. He raises his hand up towards Draco’s forehead. The moment that Potter’s fingertips touch Draco’s forehead, Draco jumps back and walks backwards into the bathroom they share, tripping over his feet ever so slightly. He yells about being fine all throughout.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Draco walks into the showers after the “friendly” game of Quidditch between the eighth years —they aren’t allowed on the house teams because they’re not actually in their respective houses anymore.

Flying against Potter had always been a thrill but that was never because Draco was thirsting over Potter. That is, until now. Draco wonders how he ever survived games against Gryffindor—Potter—before. It should be illegal to look so good in quidditch leathers. Now that Draco thinks about it, maybe this is why Slytherin almost always lost against Gryffindor: because Draco couldn’t be a functional human being when Potter was in Quidditch gear.

Draco’s thought process is stalled by the sound of a shower turning on. Apparently, Draco didn’t wait long enough to be alone in the showers. Draco huffs, about to walk back out of the showers and head to his room, when he hears it: a moan, followed by a content sigh.

Draco halts. No one would be relieving themselves in the communal showers, right? Another moan cuts through the silence and Draco turns toward the source of the sound because it sounds familiar. He walks silently to the last stall, where he sees the Chosen Arse yet again.

With Draco’s luck, he really shouldn’t be surprised that it’s Potter. Alas, he is and he once again can’t do much more than stand there and gawk at his roommate’s arse. Of course, Potter chooses that exact moment to let out another salacious moan, his hands roaming over his chest and back. Potter isn’t doing anything essentially sexual, but Draco thinks that Potter couldn’t be more erotic if he was having the wildest wank ever.

Draco must make some kind of noise then because Potter whips around, eyes blown wide. Potter flushes, and Draco knows that his own face must look very similar to Potter’s rapidly reddening one. “I wanted this shower,” Draco explains––lies––trying to keep his eyes from wandering further down Potter’s body, “but I can see that it’s occupied so I’ll see you later, Potter.”

Draco practically runs out of the showers. He doesn’t slow down until he gets to his shared room with Potter. And if he’s caught a glance of The Saviours cock before running out, he tries not to think about it.

He fails.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Draco is certain that Harry Potter is trying to kill him. They’ve been roommates for about two months now and Draco feels that he’s about to die of sexual frustration at any given minute. Potter’s taking a shower and while Draco is really trying to pay attention to his Potions essay, he can’t seem to think of anything but the day he walked in on Potter in the showers.

Draco’s seen Potter’s arse many times—both before and after that day—but Merlin, he keeps thinking of how it looked that day. Every time he closes his eyes, he sees Potter’s bloody perfect arse with drops of water trailing down and disappearing in the crack. Bloody hell, Draco needs to get a grip.

He wishes Blaise or Pansy or Goyle were there so they could knock some sense into Draco.

Draco drops his quill and rubs at his temples, as if that would help get rid of the mental image of Potter and his Chosen Arse. He stands up from his desk and starts pacing the room.

He has to do something to fix this. He doesn’t know if he can take this another day, let alone for the rest of the school year. He supposes he can talk to McGonagall and ask if he can have a room transfer without the Ministry finding out about it, or ask if they could put like a divider in the middle of their room or something. He doesn’t know how he’d say “I’m too gay to function with Potter around” when asked for his reasoning though, so maybe not.

“Draco!” Potter calls to him from the bathroom. “I forgot my towel. Can you bring one in for me?”

Draco blanches. “You’re a wizard! Why can’t you just summon one? Or cast a hot air charm on yourself?”

“I don’t have my wand,” Potter yells back. “I’ll burn myself if I try to do that wandless.”

“I could probably manage an Accio though,” Potter says, swinging open the door to the bathroom and Draco’s jaw drops. Because Potter is standing at the door in all his naked glory. Drops of water are falling down his too long hair onto his sculpted chest, travelling down to his soft-but-still-quite-impressive-in-size cock and Draco can’t––doesn’t really want to either––look away from it.

Potter raises his hand and waves it once, murmuring the incantation. A fluffy white towel comes flying into Potter’s hands. He uses it to wipe his face and rubs it at his hair carelessly, not bothering to cover himself. Meanwhile, Draco is still gawking at the Chosen Prick.

And then, before his brain can catch up with his mouth, Draco speaks. “Are you trying to turn me on right now or are you really just that oblivious?” Draco’s eyes widen as he realizes what exactly he’s said. “I-I mean, put some clothes on, Potter, you’re highly indecent.”

Potter takes a big step towards Draco, towel still not quite covering his parts. “Well, that depends. Are you turned on?” He takes another step closer. He’s less than half a metre away from Draco now, and Draco has half a mind to step back. “If you’re not,” another step forward, another step back. “Then I have no clue,” another step. “What you’re talking about.” Draco’s breathing is heavy as Potter takes yet another step closer to him and Draco falls back on Potter’s bed. “But if you are…” Harry trails off, leaning over top of Draco, his face mere centimetres from Draco’s.

He can feel Potter’s breath on his lips. He can see the flecks of orange in Potter’s gorgeously green eyes. He could probably count the lashes on Potter’s eyes, but he doesn’t think he can focus on numbers right now. He doesn’t even think that he can remember his full name.

Potter leans in the slightest bit more, leaving barely any room between their lips. Draco registers it as a challenge. He’s normally not one to back away from a challenge but Potter’s so close and their breaths are mixing together and he can feel Potter’s arms next to his own keeping him from leaving—-not that Draco really wants to try to anyway. Potter is naked and wet and on top of him. He’s on top of Draco and he’s wet. And naked.

Draco lets out an involuntary moan when he just can’t take it anymore. He pushes up ever so slightly on his elbows, latching his lips onto Potter’s. They kiss fervently for what feels like ages before Potter pulls away, leaving their foreheads touching.

“I was wondering when you’d finally crack. I was starting to think that you were straight after all,” Potter says with a smirk, making his way onto the bed. Draco wants to feel the smirk on Potter’s lips on his own and make it disappear.

“Shut up, Potter,” Draco says, wrapping his arms around Potter’s neck and pulling him down by his still-wet hair.

“Call me Harry,” Po- Harry says, just before meeting Draco’s lips once more. Draco thinks he might as well start calling Potter “Harry” if he’s going to keep snogging him. And really, Draco has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

[dreadhaus-literature]

{February Collection} #3

Eager

“Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.”

How does one prepare for the meeting of a soulmate? It would be reasonable, logical to assume everyone might prepare differently.

The Van Canns were a small family; they only numbered three, silver-haired twins as the younger brothers, a dark-haired older brother, and that was where their bloodline began and that was where it had been heading to end--until Fintan Rivershire called a company meeting that changed the course of their lives. The Triquetra, a mighty empire of black market dealings and a fist wrapped around the beating heart of the world--they’d reached the end of the conquerable world but right when boredom and complacency were threatening to settle in, there was a new country breaking on the horizon with new opportunities for growth, and Fintan didn’t just mean financially. The hundreds of men who proudly bore the mark of the Triquetra on their flesh all knew who Fintan’s brother-in-law was, the infamous Chieftain from the wilds of Africa, and with his release from prison came cause for celebration but it also marked the end of an era and the beginning of another. Atamu had extended invitation to Fintan to join the relocating Tribe in New Senzannini, to merge with the likeness of the Alcari crime family, and the Rock ‘n Rollers. The Triquetra kept their finger on the pulse of the world; they had to, that was how they stayed at the top, and they knew the names being dropped to sweeten the pot. It made financial sense to move the multi-billion dollar company but what mattered even more than the bottom dollar was the heart at the center of the deal.

Felina Frenzy, inheritor of her family’s Syndicate, was presented to the Triquetra not as a prize to be won but as incentive to forget everything they thought they knew of family and the sweet promise of true love. To the men of these ranks, this was the first time they’d stopped to consider true love and what it meant to stare into her bottomless green eyes and know one day she’d be staring back. They were professional criminals, some of them professional murderers, and Greyson Van Cann stood tall among those right alongside his younger brother Sebastian. Only Nighyingale Van Cann was spared the bloody work of the empire, the one soft thing about the Van Canns and now that the move was through and now that it was time to set aside the work and begin to prepare to meet their soulmate...Nighyingale, for the first time in their lives, was the one who knew best what to do.

“I don’t...know if you should be using...blood?” Nighyingale ventured in his native Russian hesitantly--not out of fear, but in that he never liked to dampen another’s spirits. Everyone deserved to have a good day! It was just...

“You told me to do something I’m good at.” Sebastian may be Nighyingale’s twin but the two sounded absolutely nothing alike. Nighyingale was named after the songbird, the nightingale, and he had a lyrical voice that could compel anyone to do anything he asked--that was not an exaggeration. Sirens would sound like squawking parrots in comparison to the dulcet song of Nighyingale’s voice. Sebastian, on the other hand, had a voice like a gunshot. It was curt, powerful, and penetrating. He was not one to be ignored and not many argued with him as a result. At the moment, he was trying to stop Nighyingale from arguing with him, because he’d made up his mind as he turned back to the white canvas stained red with careful strokes of his paintbrush. “I’m painting her portrait.”

“And...I think that’s wonderful,” Nighyingale sweetened his tone when he paid the genuine compliment, moving a little closer to his twin. The painting was beautiful; Sebastian only had one eye, but it was an artist’s eye all the same. It was just...his preferred medium was blood. He only ever painted in different shades of blood, from fresh to coagulated, and the bitter tang of copper stung Nighyingale’s nose the closer he drew to the easel. “It’s simply, most use paint to...paint?”

“Most would not be able to capture her beauty.” Sebastian snipped the argument with his usual curtness, dipping the brush into the cup with the freshest blood. He wanted to use the bright crimson for the curve of Monica’s cheek; he’d studied all the pictures of her in the Family database with his eye for detail and he found he was in love with her bone structure. This had to be perfect. “She is a vampire, Gale. Why would she not enjoy this?”

“...I...” Nighyingale faltered; Sebastian did have a point. The younger twin put his hands on his slender hips, exhaling in a sigh but it wasn’t disappointed. No one could be disappointed looking at Monica; Sebastian had painted her gorgeously, all swirls of crimson from deep maroons to almost pink caresses of his paintbrush. It was obvious Sebastian had put thought and effort into this, and Nighyingale could see his Triquetra issued tablet beside the easel, cycling through pictures of Monica for him to use as reference and inspiration.

Nighyingale stepped around Sebastian’s side, drawn like a moth to flame at the sight of Monica and her smiling radiance. His world shrank, narrowed, until even the sweep of Sebastian’s brush against the canvas faded to the backdrop. It’s a peculiar thing, finding a soulmate. Nighyingale was the only one out of his brothers who believed she was out there; Greyson had never believed for he had a heart of stone, and Sebastian was so jaded at the prospect of love he sneered openly at it. Nighyingale was the only one who kept his desire for a soulmate, held it against his heart night after night in the belief if he kept his hope, one day they’d find her. He knew she would be the same person for all three of them; the Van Canns were a close family and they shared everything--all three, not just Nighyingale and Sebastian, and Nighyingale knew their soulmate wouldn’t be any different. Now, looking at Monica’s picture, Nighyingale felt his heart flutter like dove’s wings and he knew all his hoping, wishing, his fantasies and daydreams had been for a reason. He’d been preparing on how to meet his soulmate since he was a little boy sitting too close to the TV, soaking up fairy tale princes and princesses like a sponge. Greyson and Sebastian had their specialties, their hands were rough and always stained with blood but Nighyingale knew this world better than they did and that was why he was in charge of helping them prepare to meet Monica. They wanted this to go as well as he did, and they trusted him to guide them. Nighyingale had been preparing for this, for Monica, his whole life. He wouldn’t let her down.

Nighyingale only turned from Monica’s pictures on the tablet when he heard the door open and he turned; Sebastian didn’t, he didn’t need to. Both boys knew it was their older brother returning from doing what Nighyingale had instructed--they both needed to do something from the heart to present to Monica so she knew they were meant to be together. A grand gesture of love, a showing of forever and how excited they all were--

“Greyson...what is that?”

Greyson Van Cann regarded his youngest brother with the full weight of his odd, yet powerful stare. His eyes were a radiant sapphire purple, nearly luminescent at times, and it was wildly speculated what he could see with those eyes of his. At the moment, all he was seeing was Nighyingale’s disappointment.

“You told me to do something from the heart.” If Sebastian’s tone was curt, Greyson’s was like stone. It dropped heavily into a conversation and there was never any argument to it. Greyson spoke matter-of-factly, bluntly, and he never minced words. That...much was apparent at the slip of paper he was holding. It read, in very bold script--

You are mine.

Sebastian turned from his easel, read the single sentence, snorted in amusement, and turned back his portrait. “I like it.”

Greyson nodded, feeling accomplished but when he turned back to Nighyingale he could tell that this wasn’t what Nighyingale had intended. The youngest Van Cann had his thin arms folded, and it wasn’t often Nighyingale stood up to Greyson but he felt very passionately about what they were doing today. Today had to be perfect! You only get one first impression with the love of your life!

“It is from my heart.” Greyson insisted, though his tone never changed.

“I can see that,” Nighyingale nodded, ever encouraging, but he raised his pale brows as he pressed the issue. “But it is very plain, big brother. Sebastian’s gesture is very grand, isn’t it?”

“It’s blood.” Greyson replied.

“She’s a vampire,” Sebastian sniped from the corner of his mouth. He had no patience to begin with and he was quickly growing tired of having to defend himself and his gift choice to his brothers.

“And see, this is what I’ve gotten her.” Nighyingale stepped away from Greyson to show him a large, brilliant bouquet comprised of whites, pinks, and reds resting on the coffee table. “They are night lilies, and when I sing to them, they blossom and will fill her bedroom with perfume so she will have sweet dreams!”

Greyson didn’t move a single muscle, but all he could think was that was a very fitting gift from Nighyingale. He had a voice that could bring people back from the dead, of course he could make flowers bloom--and Sebastian’s gift choice made sense, too. Sebastian dealt in blood every day of his life for the Triquetra as part of their clean-up crew, and though he was an artist how he chose to express himself was all his own. Greyson was not an artist and he did not have a pretty voice. He was a hitman, dealing in bullets and serrated blades and broken bodies. He didn’t know pretty, flowery words and he didn’t understand the point of them. The slip of paper he held in his hand was exactly what he wanted to say to Monica because it was what she needed to know. His family was not a family without her; this was something they all realized the moment they’d seen her picture and she was the reason the Triquetra was here. Atamu had requested giving her a year to adjust to the Tribe, he’d asked the Company to wait a full year before claiming Monica the same way the Dreadful’s had and that year was finally, finally up. Greyson felt he hadn’t slept the entire year, so close and yet so far from his soulmate and now that it was time to meet her, now that it was the Van Cann’s time to personally greet Monica, he was simply anxious to get this underway and cement their ties. Greyson was a lot of things but one thing he would readily admit was that he was a selfish man; as the older brother of younger twins he’d had to shoulder a lot of responsibility and sacrifice much to give them a life. Now that they were all grown up and apart of the Company, life was much easier and Greyson was of the belief that was the reason the universe gave him Monica. He’d paid his dues, kept his brothers alive and happy, and now that his soulmate was here he was entitled to her. Grand gestures wouldn’t get in the way of that, at the root of it all, she was his and would be for the rest of their lives.

“Hm...you are insistent on giving her that note?” Nighyingale could read the determination on Greyson’s chiseled features and he nodded, once, to confirm. “Then we need to think of a way to make it a little more...sentimental.”

“Do women not like pretty words?” Greyson asked.

“They do, yes, but that’s just a single sentence and it’s a little aggressive.” Nighyingale laughed a little airily. “Why didn’t you word it, ‘Will you be mine?’ or something?”

“Because I am not asking her. I am telling her.”

Again, Sebastian added, “I like it.”

“If I were not such a supportive brother, I might be worried you two are going to ruin this for me,” Nighyingale looked between his twin and his older brother with an exasperated smile, before looking down at the slip of paper. “...Well, then, do you still have your old stuffed bear? From when you were a little boy?”

Greyson nodded.

“Then go get it, and we’ll pin the note to it and she can have your bear and the note.” Nighyingale nodded with his bright smile returning. “She will find that to be very sentimental, to have a piece of your youth!”

Greyson turned without saying a word, stalking out of the sitting room to go collect the bear from his belongings in his room. Nighyingale, feeling that crisis was averted, glanced at the clock before making a noise of surprise and moving to slip his cardigan back on. All three of the Van Canns were dressed up, wanting to look their best, and Nighyingale smoothed his cardigan in the mirror on the wall before fussing with his hair a little. His pale silver locks were unusual but he shared them with Sebastian--who usually always wore his in a low ponytail. Nighyingale’s hair was often free, fluttering like wings in the breeze; that was partly because his hair was surprisingly thick and difficult to tame.

“Are you near finished, Sebby?”

“You are not to call me that in front of her.” Sebastian responded immediately, without taking his eye off his canvas.

“Why? You call me Gale.”

“Gale is a name. Sebby is not.”

“It’s your name!”

“It is not.”

“Are you finished?” Nighyingale turned, long fingers smoothing his bangs over his forehead. “She’ll be here very soon!”

“Stop fussing. I’m finished.” Sebastian hung up his paintbrush and palette, putting the cap on his ‘paints’ before picking up his tablet. He made certain to save the slideshow of her photos, for...personal reasons, before taking a step back and a fresh look at his canvas. “...What do you think?”

Nighyingale moved to stand beside his twin, his smile easy and genuine. “I think she is going to love it.”

“...Hm. Good.” Sebastian set the dark tablet down, then added. “She will love your flowers, too.”

That perked Nighyingale up further, and the twins turned as Greyson stalked back into the room, holding a stuffed grey bear with a note pinned to his chest. It also appeared Greyson had run a brush through his dark hair, something that made Nighygale’s cheeks hurt from the width of his smile and Sebastian cocked a slight smirk. Sebastian plucked his painting from the easel and brought it to rest, propped up beside Nighyingale’s lilies and Greyson placed the teddy bear on the opposite side. With the gifts prominently on display, the brothers moved in unison in a move practiced time and again; the trio moved to the adjacent couch to sit, with Greyson in the middle, the twins on either side of him. A few moments later there was a timid knock at the door, and three sets of eyes lifted to greet the woman they’ve been waiting for all their lives.

It was reasonable, logical, to assume everyone prepares for their soulmate differently but one thing that unites the stoic and the affectionate alike is the eagerness with which they prepare for their one true love.