#have I mentioned that it's my favourite novel series?

[starpros-sunshine]

sometimes I check mdzs twitter and get reminded that there's apparently people who don't realize that ''a victim of circumstance'' is an option in discussing various questions of guilt regarding the characters

[imthebadguyyy]

The Alchemy

pairing : lewis hamilton x reader

fandom : f1

series : the tortured poets department

warnings : none. fluff.

a/n : one of my favourite songs on the album and it just seemed so fitting for lewis?!

this happens once every few lifetimes...

The faint smell of aged paper and fresh ink filled the air as you perused the shelves of your favorite, hidden-away bookstore. It had been your sanctuary for months, a place where the weight of fame and the constant scrutiny of the public eye couldn't reach you. You pulled your hoodie tighter around your face, hoping to remain unnoticed in this quiet haven.

You were known to the world as a dazzling pop sensation, your songs dominating charts and your name lighting up marquees. But here, you were just another book lover seeking solace in the written word.

As you wandered through the aisles, your fingers danced over the spines of novels and poetry collections. Lost in thought, you didn’t notice the tall figure turning the corner of the same aisle.

Lewis had always found a unique peace in bookstores, a stark contrast to the roaring engines and high-octane adrenaline of the racetrack. That day, he was seeking a quiet moment away from the world of Formula 1, hoping to get lost in a good book.

He glanced up and saw you—a woman with an aura of quiet mystery, your face partially obscured by your hoodie. Yet, there was something familiar about you. He watched as you pulled a book from the shelf, your eyes lighting up with recognition and joy.

“Excuse me,” he said softly, not wanting to startle you. “That’s a great choice.”

You looked up, startled, and then your eyes widened slightly as you recognized him. Lewis Hamilton, world champion, standing just a few feet away. You offered a tentative smile, your nerves betraying you.

“Thanks,” you replied, your voice a tentative whisper. “It’s one of my favorites.”

Lewis smiled warmly, sensing your initial apprehension. “I’m Lewis,” he introduced himself, extending a hand.

“I know who you are,” you said, your smile growing a bit more confident as you shook his hand. “I’m... well, you probably know who I am too.”

He chuckled. “I do, but it’s nice to meet you away from all the cameras and crowds.”

You nodded, your eyes scanning the shelves as if seeking comfort from the books surrounding you. “It’s rare to find a place where you can just be yourself, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely,” Lewis agreed. “That’s why I love places like this. It’s like stepping into another world.”

You fell into an easy conversation, discussing your favorite books, the pressures of fame, and the rare moments of peace you both cherished. For a while, the world outside ceased to exist, leaving just the two of you amidst the comforting silence of the bookstore.

As the conversation flowed, you discovered a shared love for poetry. You mentioned a collection by Rumi that had always resonated with you. Intrigued, Lewis asked if you would read a passage to him.

You hesitated for a moment before pulling the book from the shelf and opening it to a dog-eared page. Your voice, soft and lyrical, brought the words to life, and Lewis found himself captivated by the raw emotion in your reading.

“Beautiful,” he said quietly when you finished. “You have a gift.”

You blushed, the praise warming you from within. “Thank you. It feels good to share it with someone who understands.”

You exchanged numbers, promising to stay in touch and perhaps meet up again at this quiet sanctuary. As you parted ways, you felt a spark of something you hadn’t experienced in a long time—hope.

Lewis watched you leave, a smile playing on his lips. It was rare to find someone who truly understood the complexities of your worlds. In the quiet aisles of that bookstore, amidst the words of poets and authors, you had found a connection that felt as timeless as the books around you.

And as you stepped back into the world, you did so with a lighter heart, knowing that maybe, just maybe, you weren’t as alone as you thought.

i haven't been around in so long...

The cozy nook of the bookstore in Milan had become a secret retreat for you, away from the prying eyes and relentless pace of your public life. You were flipping through a collection of contemporary Italian poetry when your phone buzzed. It was a message from Lewis. Since that serendipitous meeting in the bookstore a few days ago, the two of you had been exchanging texts about books, life, and everything in between.

Lewis: Found another Rumi quote for you. "The wound is the place where the Light enters you."

You smiled at the message, feeling a warm connection. You typed back a reply.

You: Beautiful. Rumi always knows how to get to the heart of things.

Lewis: Speaking of hearts, how about we grab some coffee and gelato? I know a great place nearby.

Your heart skipped a beat. The idea of spending more time with him sounded wonderful. You quickly replied.

You: I'd love that. Where should we meet?

Lewis sent the location, and you made your way through the charming streets of Milan, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. You arrived at a quaint café with a picturesque view of a cobblestone piazza. Lewis was already there, waving at you with a warm smile.

“Hey,” he greeted, standing up to pull out a chair for you.

“Hi, Lewis,” you replied, taking the seat and feeling instantly at ease.

He ordered a couple of espressos and a selection of gelato flavors, and the two of you settled into a comfortable conversation.

“So,” he began, leaning forward slightly, “tell me more about your music. I’ve been listening to your albums non-stop since we met.”

You chuckled, a bit shy. “Well, I’ve got a mix of rock, pop, and ballads. My last single was ‘City Lights,’ a rock anthem, and before that, it was ‘Eternal,’ a ballad about love and loss. And there was ‘Midnight Echo,’ a pop track that’s just for fun.”

Lewis nodded, clearly impressed. “I love the range. You’ve got such versatility. Do you have a favorite?”

You thought for a moment. “I think ‘Eternal’ is my favorite. It’s the most personal one. But honestly, it’s hard being so exposed. Everyone scrutinizes every word, every note.”

Lewis’s expression turned serious, empathetic. “I can understand that. Being in the public eye is tough. Every race, every interview, it’s all out there for everyone to judge.”

You sighed, grateful for his understanding. “It feels like you can never truly be yourself, you know? There’s always this pressure to be perfect, to live up to expectations.

My whole life, people have been telling me I'm not good enough, my music is generic, I go out with too many guys, I'm just so sick of all the attention. People forget I'm still figuring my life out. I'm in my late 20s, I'm allowed to be a little lost you know?" You admitted, sighing and taking a bite of your raspberry gelato.

Lewis reached out, his hand gently covering yours. “I get it. There are days when I just want to disappear and be normal. But we have to remember why we started. The passion, the love for what we do.”

His words resonated deeply with you. “You’re right. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that when you’re caught up in everything. But moments like this, they make it worth it.”

Lewis smiled, his eyes meeting yours with a look that made your heart flutter. “Exactly. Finding someone who understands, who really gets it, makes all the difference.”

The chemistry between you was palpable, an unspoken connection that seemed to grow stronger with every shared word. As you finished your gelato, Lewis leaned back, his gaze never leaving yours.

“This has been great,” he said softly. “I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

You nodded, feeling the same. “I feel it too. It’s rare to find someone who truly understands.”

He stood up and offered you his hand. “How about a walk? There’s a beautiful park nearby.”

You took his hand, a smile spreading across your face. “I’d love that.”

As you walked through the sun-dappled streets of Milan, you felt a sense of lightness, a joy that had been missing for so long. With Lewis by your side, you realized that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to find balance amidst the chaos. And in that moment, with the city of Milan as your backdrop, you felt a connection that was as sweet and enduring as the gelato you had shared.

these chemicals hit me like white wine...

The sun was setting over Tokyo, casting a warm, golden glow over the city. You were at a rooftop bar with Lewis Hamilton and his friends—Miles, Spinz, and a few others. The air was filled with laughter and the sound of clinking glasses as everyone enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

You had been spending more time with Lewis since your bookstore encounter, and he had invited you to meet his friends. You were nervous at first, but their easygoing nature quickly put you at ease.

Lewis’s arm was casually draped around your shoulders, a subtle yet sweetly affectionate gesture that made you feel cherished. His friends were animated, joking about their latest adventures and teasing Lewis about his racing habits.

“You should have seen Lewis last week,” Miles said with a grin. “He tried to cook us dinner and almost set the kitchen on fire!”

Everyone burst into laughter, including you. Lewis playfully rolled his eyes. “Hey, I was experimenting with new recipes!”

“You mean experimenting with how to call the fire department,” Spinz quipped, making everyone laugh harder.

Lewis looked at you, his eyes twinkling with humor. “Next time, I’ll just order in. What do you think?”

You smiled, feeling a warm rush of affection. “I think that sounds like a safer plan.” You had to conceal a blush when he raised your hand to his lips to press a gentle kiss to the skin of your knuckles.

As the evening continued, you felt more and more comfortable. Lewis’s friends were genuinely welcoming, making you feel like part of the group. At one point, Miles turned to you with a kind smile.

“We’re really glad to see you feeling more comfortable in your own skin,” he said sincerely. “It’s not easy being in the spotlight all the time.”

His words hit you unexpectedly hard. You felt a lump in your throat as you tried to find the right words to respond. “Thank you,” you said softly, your voice wavering. “It means a lot to hear that.”

Lewis gently squeezed your shoulder, his touch grounding you. “You’ve been amazing,” he said, his voice filled with warmth and admiration. “These past few weeks, getting to know you, it’s been incredible.”

You looked into his eyes, feeling an overwhelming surge of emotion. “You’ve helped me so much,” you whispered. “Being around you, it’s like… these chemicals hit me like white wine. I feel so much lighter, happier.”

The group fell silent for a moment, touched by the sincerity of the moment. Then Spinz raised his glass. “To new friends and feeling good in our own skin,” he said, breaking the emotional tension with a heartfelt toast.

Everyone raised their glasses, and you clinked yours with Lewis’s, feeling a sense of belonging you hadn’t felt in a long time.

As the night went on, Lewis continued to be sweetly affectionate, his hand often finding yours or his arm wrapping around you protectively. You found yourself leaning into his warmth, savoring the feeling of being cared for and understood.

Eventually, the group moved to a quieter corner of the rooftop, the conversation becoming more intimate. Lewis’s friends shared stories of their own struggles and triumphs, creating a bond of shared experiences. You listened, feeling a deep connection with these new friends who had welcomed you so openly.

When the night finally wound down, Lewis walked you back to your hotel. The streets were quiet, and the city lights twinkled around you. He stopped in front of your door, turning to face you.

“Tonight was amazing,” he said softly. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Me too,” you replied, your heart full. “Thank you for everything, Lewis. You’ve made me feel so… alive.”

He leaned in and kissed your forehead tenderly. “You are incredible,” he whispered. “Don’t ever forget that.”

With those words lingering in the air, you felt a sense of peace and happiness you hadn’t known in a long time. As you watched him walk away, you knew that this was just the beginning of something truly special.

the worst sleep that I ever had...

The moonlight filtered softly through the curtains of your hotel room, casting a gentle glow over the room. You were tossing and turning, trapped in the grips of a horrifying nightmare. In your dream, the paparazzi were everywhere, their flashing cameras blinding you, their voices shouting questions that echoed around you, hounding you, drowning you, consuming you. No matter how fast you ran, you couldn't escape their relentless pursuit.

You woke up with a start, heart pounding and breath coming in rapid gasps. The terror of the nightmare clung to you, making it hard to shake off the feeling of being chased. You grabbed your phone from the bedside table, your fingers trembling as you dialed Lewis’s number.

“Hi darling” came his groggy but concerned voice on the other end. “What’s wrong?”

“Lewis,” you managed to say between ragged breaths, “worst sleep I ever had.”

“What happened?” he asked, his voice instantly more alert. “Are you okay?”

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. “I had a nightmare. I was being chased by the paparazzi, and I couldn’t get away. It felt so real, and I… I’m still shaking.”

Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Lewis said soothingly. “I’m here. Just breathe with me, alright? In and out, slowly.”

You followed his instructions, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, his calm voice helping to steady your racing heart.

“That's it,” he continued gently. “You’re safe. It was just a dream. No one is chasing you.”

Tears welled up in your eyes, the fear and relief mixing together. “I’m sorry to call so late,” you said, your voice trembling. “I just didn’t know what else to do.”

“You never have to apologize for needing me,” Lewis said firmly. “I’m glad you called. I want to be here for you, always.”

His words wrapped around you like a warm blanket, comforting and reassuring. “Thank you,” you whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’re stronger than you think,” he replied. “But you don’t have to do it alone. We’re in this together.”

You felt a wave of emotion surge through you, the depth of your feelings for him hitting you all at once. “Lewis,” you began, unsure how to put it into words.

“I love you,” he said suddenly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now. I love you, and I want to be here for you, no matter what.”

Tears of a different kind filled your eyes—tears of joy and overwhelming emotion. “I love you too, Lewis,” you said, your voice breaking slightly. “I love you so much.”

“I wish I could be there with you right now,” he said softly. “Hold you and make sure you’re really okay.”

“Just hearing your voice makes it better,” you admitted. “But I’d like that too. Can we meet soon? I'll fly over to London to meet you?”

“Absolutely,” he promised. “First thing in the morning. I'll book you a ticket too. Until then, try to get some rest. I’ll stay on the phone with you until you fall asleep if you want.”

You smiled, feeling a sense of peace settle over you. “I’d like that. Thank you, Lewis.”

He began to speak in a soothing tone, telling you a funny story from his childhood, his voice like a lullaby. As you listened, the panic slowly ebbed away, replaced by the warmth of his love and the comfort of his presence, even from a distance.

“I’m here,” he murmured as you started to drift off. “I’ll always be here. Sweet dreams, love.”

With those words, you finally felt safe enough to close your eyes, knowing that with Lewis by your side, you could face anything—even the nightmares.

i circled you on a map...

The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over your hotel room in New York. You had just finished a busy day of interviews and rehearsals when your phone buzzed with a message from Lewis.

Lewis: Hey, I've got something exciting to ask you. Can we talk?

You smiled and quickly dialed his number. His voice, always a source of comfort, answered almost immediately.

“Hey, you,” he greeted warmly. “How’s my favorite pop star?”

“Exhausted,” you replied with a laugh. “But happy to hear your voice. What’s up?”

“Well,” he began, his tone filled with anticipation, “I’m heading to Monaco for the Grand Prix this weekend, and I was wondering… would you like to come?”

Your heart skipped a beat. The idea of seeing him in his element, surrounded by the thrill of the race, was incredibly appealing. But a flicker of doubt crossed your mind.

“I’d love to,” you said hesitantly, “but you know how the paparazzi are. I don’t want to cause a scene or distract you.”

Lewis’s voice softened, filled with reassurance. “I circled you on a map, love. I want you there with me. You don’t have to worry about the paparazzi. I’ll make sure you’re safe and secure. We’ve got a great team, and they’ll take care of everything.”

The sincerity in his voice melted away your doubts. “You really want me there?” you asked, feeling a rush of emotion.

“More than anything,” he said. “I want to share this part of my life with you. Plus, my team is dying to meet you. They’re all huge fans.”

You chuckled, the image of Lewis’s team fangirling over you bringing a smile to your face. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll be there.”

“Fantastic!” Lewis exclaimed. “I’ll have everything arranged. You just pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable weekend.”

The excitement in his voice was contagious. “I can’t wait,” you said, your heart swelling with anticipation.

Two days later, you found yourself on a private jet to Monaco, the journey smooth and filled with excitement. As you landed, a sleek car was waiting to whisk you away to the racetrack, where Lewis’s team had arranged a private entrance to ensure your arrival was discreet.

You had made sure to wear all black and to wear sunglasses to be as discreet as possible, and you own security, Paul and Rio had insisted they accompany you too.

Lewis was there to greet you, looking effortlessly handsome in his racing gear. His face lit up when he saw you, and he pulled you into a tight embrace.

“You made it,” he whispered into your ear, his voice filled with happiness.

“I did,” you replied, smiling against his shoulder. “Thanks for making this happen.”

He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching yours. “Anything for you. Now, let me introduce you to the team.”

As you walked into the paddock, Lewis’s team greeted you with a mixture of excitement and awe. Engineers, mechanics, and support staff all gathered around, their faces lighting up with recognition.

“Guys, this is my amazing girlfriend,” Lewis announced proudly. “And yes, she’s every bit as incredible as you think.”

A very excited Toto walked up to you, pulling you into a hug and saying with a wink "glad to finally meet the woman who has stolen his heart" and you laughed.

The team members took turns introducing themselves, each one more enthusiastic than the last. One of the engineers, a young woman named Mia, was particularly starstruck.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Mia exclaimed. “I’ve been listening to your latest album on repeat. It’s incredible!”

“Thank you so much,” you said warmly. “I’m really excited to be here and see what you all do.”

Lewis kept you close, his arm around your waist, and you could feel the pride radiating from him. Throughout the day, he made sure you were comfortable, showing you around and explaining the intricacies of the race preparations.

During a quiet moment, he took your hand and led you to a private area overlooking the track. The roar of the engines and the buzz of activity seemed distant as he turned to you, his expression serious but full of love.

“I wanted you here because you’re such a big part of my life,” he said softly. “I love you, and I want you to know that no matter where I am or what I’m doing, you’re always on my mind. You’ve circled my heart, and there’s no ggoing back.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you smiled at him. “I love you too, Lewis. Thank you for making me feel so special and so loved.”

He leaned in and kissed you tenderly, the world fading away as you lost yourself in the moment. When you finally pulled back, the noise of the racetrack returned, but now it felt like a backdrop to your own private romance.

“Ready to watch me race?” he asked with a grin.

“Absolutely,” you replied, feeling a newfound sense of excitement and belonging. “Let’s do this.”

As the race began, you stood with his team, cheering him on and feeling a deep sense of pride and love. In that moment, you knew that no matter what challenges came your way, you and Lewis would face them together, stronger than ever

I'm making a comeback to where I belong..

The excitement in the air was palpable as fans gathered for your one-night-only concert in London. The venue was electric, filled with eager anticipation. This was a special show, and you had something unique planned for the night—dedicating some of your most romantic songs to the Speedster who had stolen your heart.

Backstage, you were a mix of nerves and excitement, knowing that Lewis and some of his closest friends, as well as a few fellow drivers, were in the audience. You took a deep breath, reminding yourself why you were doing this. It was for him, to show him just how much he meant to you.

The lights dimmed, and the crowd erupted into cheers as you took the stage. After a few opening songs to warm up the crowd, you stepped up to the microphone with a smile.

“Good evening, everyone,” you began, your voice carrying over the hushed audience. “Tonight is a special night, not just for you all, but for me too. I want to dedicate a few songs to someone very special in my life. He’s fast, he’s fearless, and he’s captured my heart. This one’s for you, Lewis.”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, and you could see Lewis’s friends nudging him, grinning widely. Lewis, in the front row, was blushing furiously, a shy but happy smile spreading across his face.

The opening chords of “Lover” began to play, and you poured your heart into the performance, your eyes finding Lewis’s in the crowd.

“We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January, and this is our place, we make the rules…”

The lyrics felt more meaningful than ever as you sang them, every word a testament to your feelings for him. You could see Lewis’s friends—Miles, Spinz, and some of the drivers—beaming and capturing the moment on their phones, clearly enjoying the sweet, romantic gesture.

As the song ended, you transitioned smoothly into “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” the crowd swaying and singing along.

“You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes, it's you and me, there's nothing like this…”

Lewis’s blush deepened, but his eyes never left yours, filled with admiration and love. The energy in the room was electric, each song drawing you closer to the grand finale.

The gentle, haunting notes of “Delicate” filled the air next, and you felt the connection with Lewis grow even stronger.

“Is it cool that I said all that? Is it too soon to do this yet? 'Cause I know that it’s delicate…”

The vulnerability in the song mirrored your own feelings, and you could see it resonating with Lewis, his expression softening with emotion. The audience seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of you in your own little world.

After the final notes faded, you took a moment to catch your breath and let the emotion of the night sink in. The crowd was roaring with applause, but all you could focus on was Lewis, standing there with a look of pure love and pride.

“Thank you, everyone,” you said into the microphone, your voice filled with gratitude. “And thank you, Lewis, for being my inspiration and my heart. This night wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Lewis, surrounded by his friends, who were clapping and cheering, looked both bashful and incredibly touched. You stepped down from the stage, making your way through the crowd to where he stood. The fans parted, giving you space, and you reached him with a radiant smile.

“You were amazing,” Lewis said, his voice full of admiration. “Thank you for that. I’ve never felt so special.”

“You make me feel the same way every day,” you replied softly, wrapping your arms around him.

His friends began to chant playfully, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” and you both laughed, the moment filled with joy and affection. Lewis didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and kissed you tenderly, his friends erupting into cheers and applause once more.

When you finally pulled back, you saw tears of happiness in his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice just loud enough for you to hear over the noise.

“I love you too,” you replied, your heart swelling with emotion.

The rest of the night was a whirlwind of celebration, with Lewis’s friends and fellow drivers gushing over your performance and congratulating Lewis on having such an incredible girlfriend. The energy was infectious, and you felt on top of the world, knowing that you had shared such a special part of yourself with the man you loved.

As the night drew to a close, Lewis pulled you aside, his eyes glowing with happiness. “This was the best night of my life,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity.

“Mine too,” you replied, leaning into him. “Thank you for being my inspiration.”

With that, you both knew that this night was just the beginning of many more shared dreams and unforgettable moments, united by love and music.

where's the trophy, he just comes running over to me...

The atmosphere at Silverstone was charged with excitement as the roar of engines filled the air. It was race day, and the tension was palpable as fans eagerly awaited the start of the Grand Prix. Among the crowd, you stood with Lewis's family—his parents, brother, and father—all anxiously watching as the cars lined up on the grid.

As the race began, nerves gave way to anticipation, each lap bringing Lewis closer to victory. The tension mounted with each passing minute, the air crackling with energy as the cars sped around the track.

Nicholas squeezed your hand as the cameras panned to your anxious face, the words "y/n l/n : Lewis Hamilton's partner" appearing on the screens, making you feel a little ooey gooey on the inside.

Finally, the moment arrived—the checkered flag waved, signaling Lewis's victory. The crowd erupted into cheers, and you felt a surge of pride and joy for him. His family cheered alongside you, their faces beaming with pride.

Amidst the celebrations, you caught sight of Lewis, his helmet off and his face a mix of exhaustion and elation. He climbed out of his car, surrounded by his team, and made his way to parc ferme, parking in the no 1 spot, pumping his fist in victory.

As he stood, the cameras flashed and the crowd roared their approval. And then, as if drawn by an invisible force, Lewis's gaze found yours in the crowd.

You watched as his expression softened, a smile spreading across his face as he made eye contact with you. And then, without hesitation, he leaped off the podium and ran towards you, his victory lap forgotten in the moment.

The crowd gasped and cheered as Lewis approached, his eyes never leaving yours. Cameras flashed, capturing the raw emotion of the moment as he reached you, his arms enveloping you in a tight embrace.

In front of the cameras and the paparazzi, Lewis leaned in and kissed you, the world fading away as the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. His family cheered even louder, their joy at his victory mingling with their happiness for you both.

The kiss was all tongue and teeth, passionate and fuelled by victory, so emotive and filled with so much as he tilted you down, and the crowd went even wilder.

For a moment, it was just the two of you, lost in the euphoria of the moment, united by love and shared triumph. And as you pulled back, breathless and smiling, you knew that this moment would be etched in your memories forever—a testament to the power of love and the thrill of victory at Silverstone.

a/n : fin!! this was such a cutesy fic to write and i hope you liked it! as always comments likes reblogs feedback etc is always appreciated!! love u guys!!

TAGS

ttpd series - @ateezseonghwanot @khaylin27 @imgondeletedis @jj-ever-lovely-jewel @stylestastic

f1 -

general - @roslastyles420 @hopefulinlove @bluesongbird-blog

TO BE ADDED TO THE TAGLIST SEND ME AN ASK OR A DM SPECIFYING WHICH FANDOM 🤍

[morallyinept]

Adrift With You - A Frankie Morales Series

Summary: Heading away on a work re-location, Frankie embarks on a flight, but unbeknownst to him, his life is about to change forever. For starters, he will need to fight for it; harder than he's ever fought for anything else before.

Marooned on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean, still recovering from an addiction, his chances of survival are bleak; but he’s not alone on the island, and soon he’s running towards a different kind of life - a life with fellow survivor, Jude, fighting right beside him every step of the way.

And if they can both survive the island together, they can survive anything, right?

Pairing: Frankie Morales x OFC Jude

Frankie is in his early 40's, around 42/43, Jude is in her late 30's, around 37/38. Jude has mid-length hair - other than that, I've tried to keep Jude as a blank canvas in terms of ethnicity/eye & hair colour. This is so you can imagine yourself as Jude, if you'd like to. If I miss anything, please kindly let me know. Images are for aesthetic purposes only, no direct reference to Jude.

Word Count: 120K - give or take... it's novel length. 👀

Scoville Smut Rating:🌶️🌶️🌶️ “You tell me I’m doing well, and then, you try to kill me.”

Check out my Scoville Smut Ratings here.

WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: Survival/mentions & descriptions of a plane crash/death/drowning/starvation/dehydration/malnourishment/injury/sickness & illness/depression/PTSD/drug use/drug addiction/mentions of loss/sorrow/angst/brief mention of miscarriage/bleeding/blood loss/cheating spouse - I promise it's not all doom & gloom.

EXPLICIT: Unprotected PIV (wrap up, folks!)/fingering/oral both M & F receiving/hand job/masturbation - all the good stuff.

NSFW. MINORS DNI! OVER 18’s ONLY. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU READ.☝🏻Don’t come at me; you’ve been plenty warned.

I write for me, and I share with you. If this story isn't for you, that's fine. Just slip quietly out the back door. No need to make a fuss. It's just a work of fiction.

Author’s Note: This is a story I wrote a long time ago, and have re-edited for Frankie. It's a story I have poured a lot of love into, and probably one of my favourite things I've ever written. I really hope you enjoy Frankie & Jude's story. 🖤

MAIN MASTERLIST | FRANKIE MORALES MASTERLIST

Enjoy! 🖤

Chapters including smut - 🌶️ Trigger Warnings will be highlighted red, if any.

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11 🌶️

CHAPTER 12 (Trigger Warning) 🌶️

CHAPTER 13 🌶️

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15 🌶️

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17 🌶️

CHAPTER 18 (Trigger Warning)

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

EXTRAS:

Playlist

The Island

Mood board by the amazing @sawymredfox 🖤

Frankie & Jude as SIM's characters by the wonderful @sir-thisisadndserver 🖤

Adrift Clip by the awesome @survivingandenduring 🖤

Mood board by the lovely @undercoverpena 🖤

TAGGING ISSUE <- Read if you want to be tagged.

This will probably be around 30-40 chapters or so, maybe less depending how much I bulk them out. I'll add chapters as I upload. New chapters will be added on a Sunday starting mid January 2024 - Please ensure you're following me and switch on notifications so you don't miss out on this story.

MAIN MASTERLIST | FRANKIE MORALES MASTERLIST

[finalfrontierpublishing]

So it's been a while since i posted any books - mostly because i've been hiding my progress like a little sneak.

I just finished this bind last night of The Desert Storm by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning, or really it's volume 1 out of like ??? 15, maybe. Please take whatever i say with a pinch of salt (I have had 0 sleep for more than 24 hours, and that tends to make me a little very sleep-deprivation drunk a.k.a. unhinged). Okay, on to thoughts! The Desert Storm was foisted onto me by @celestial-sphere-press who told me under no uncertain terms that I WOULD FUCKING LOVE THIS SHIT. Well, I did. This more than 1 million word epic about Ben Fuckin' Kenobi is pretty much god-tier fanfiction. It reads like a goddamn novel. I can never think of canon again without thinking that this good shit should be canon. I read it and then consumed half of it within a week, and I have zero regrets. @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning, i absolutely love you and love your writing. It is the best thing since sliced bread. It is better than sliced bread.

I also had the benefit of @celestial-sphere-press saying, hey would you want to use the typeset? MY GOD, i am grateful. I love this fic, i would have typeset it if it hadn't been typeset but Des did such a beautiful job that i am absolutely in awe and thankful that she and the author allowed others to use it. Look at it - it's so beautiful. I only had to think hey, i just gotta design the cover and et cetera and so the book happened.

Please also check out @celestial-sphere-press 's amazing post here and here, who is the only person i know who's started and is almost complete in fanbinding this epic, and is also making an author a copy of the entire series.

Some stats, if you will.

96215 words || 380 pages

Title font: Ghaomiec

I took some inspiration from starblight bindery's lovely desert scape as well as this amazing cover of Dune which i own. I love that the landscape emanates Dune vibes while being oh so Tattooine - just sand and heat, relentless loneliness and melancholy. This fic centres around Obi-Wan Infinite Sadness Kenobi so it needed SAD VIBES TM, which i tried to deliver in desolate landscape form.

Also thank the heavens for Renegade members, who in a masterful stroke of Group Buy Saves Money, managed to source extra-out-of-production colours of Colibri and help a fair number of us get really cool limited edition versions of bookcloth. I am now a proud owner of a lorge stash of Duo and Colibri of which i am now sitting on like a shifty dragon with a hoarding problem. Good luck getting your bookcloth now, Folio Society, ha ha (gloating)! This particular bookcloth is Colibri Copper which has been wholly stashed for The Desert Storm series. I am leaning on transitioning to Malachite for Rise and Fall when I get to it.

The front cover design was done with a stock image and converted to a PNG, which i then fiddled with and did some HTV magic with. It was remarkably easier to weed than expected. I tried something new and ironed the design on the naked bookcloth first before gluing it to the boards, which was a new challenge in making sure everything was aligned.

Endpapers are marbled endpapers (Renato Crepaldi) which I got from Hollanders, which perfectly fit the colour scheme of the bind. The only hiccup was as I was cutting, I realized the sheet was running in the opposite direction of his usual papers and half the size, and only yielded 3 A5 size endpapers and so my heart went noooooooooo. oh well. i guess i will use it for quartos.

Endbands are my favourite - silk in 3 colours in the french doublecore style (as i was binding this i did not have the mental capacity to handle the difficulty of 4 strands). the truth is i usually only can do 4 when I have higher brain function and am willing to spend 80% of my time unraveling it from getting tangled.

I also forgot to mention I had mild fuck-ups, I got glue on the front endpaper which I had to hastily remove with wet cloth, and the back square is preposterously bad but I'm ignoring it for now.

Anyway, i've actually managed to complete a few other binds which have not been mentioned here as they've all been gifts/ surprises or event books in some form. I am SO EXCITED, also because I am travelling in the latter half of July to San Diego and L.A. and I get to meet some bookbinding friends in the flesh. Renegade is fucking amazing y'all. I am ready to embrace these crazy lads who have enabled me for the last 1 year, even when i'm the solitary (1) weirdo from my country of origin in the server. Also... potentially bookbinding trip early next year??? I am enthused.

[whorejolras]

as promised: jess' les amis fanfic rec list ✨

this is mainly e/r, a little bit of e/r/c and a few courferre

This is just the stuff that was in my bookmarks on ao3 when I started writing this post (months ago lol sorry it took so long). Going through I was shocked to see so many of my faves weren't actually bookmarked so I will for sure do a part two when I find them again, and have also added heaps of new fics to my bookmarks since then, but for now 25 fics is enough 😂

many of these will be rated E and will have sexual content, some are straight up pwp ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ok first is my ultimate fave that isn't even on ao3 anymore, but thankfully is on the authors tumblr, and that's:

Gnomon by luchia

50-80k words (?) (bc it's not on ao3 i'm estimating)

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

terrorist/assassin Enjolras my beloved ever. My fave are the "charming young man capable of being terrible" fics obviously. This one is my #1 e/r like in my head this is it's own canon. & this series has my fave e/r smut scenes ever. I still daydream about a Gnomon tv show...

- trigger warnings bc it's not on ao3 so doesn't have tags: murder, gun and knife violence, bombs, conversations about the deaths of children. this is not healthy relationship fluff but it makes for a 🥵 dynamic that's for damn sure.

also linking the rest of the series which is up on ao3 still, even though it is officially abandoned and unfinished - i am going to break my ultimate rule right off the bat and link an unfinished series bc I like it so much.

stupid terrorist boys by luchia

series, 5 works

200k words

rating: M and E

here we have gnomon's prequels, two sequels, and some one shots in between 🫶🏻

if you're here for kinky pwp Senselessly Happy and Unsuspecting could be good stand-alone (but it's better when reading in order). I would say read Gnomon first on tumblr then read the rest in order on ao3.

Silence Is the Speech of Love by lady_ragnell

50k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire, background Courfeyrac/Marius/Cosette

Enjolras is cursed for speaking out against the gods, Grantaire is there for him.

will I ever shut up about this fic? Never. fave fave fave. the world building, the mythological/religious system, the writing, the "I love you" "I don't think you do, actually" scene URGH!!!! I think of this fic every time i hear chopsticks. Everything happening with courf/marius/cosette, and the genius inclusion of social worker Fantine my beloved. This is one of those "could be it's own novel" fics.

and the sequel from Enjolras' pov 😭 - Left Unsaid

World Ain't Ready by idiopathicsmile

185k words

rating: T

Enjolras/Grantaire

yes it's the top fic yes everyone probably knows it but it's good for a reason. THE fake dating high school au fic that I broke all my rules for back in 2015. I refused to read unfinished fics, let alone T rated high school fics, yet I remember waiting for the updates for this one as it came out, messaging mutuals on the day the last chapter was released. and every time I reread I remember why. Brilliantly written, the pining, the angst, the miscommunications. All the Joly and Bossuet scenes.

honourable mention to the scene where Joly is so excited for the battle of the bands, then next scene starts with "I think it's more of a sitting night today" the realest simple yet most gut punching illustration of chronic pain that gets my ass every time.

Lovesickness by idiopathicsmile

11k words

rating: T

Enjolras/Grantaire, Joly/Bossuet/Musichetta

(we're gonna see a fair bit of idiopathicsmile on here)

this is one of my absolute favourites. not only bc I quote "hit by a truck full of shirts" all the time. a Joly pov fic!!!!!! my beloved!!!!! I'm a BIG JBM fan (they are essential to me when I'm writing grantaire) and love fics that stay true to his friendship with Joly and Bossuet. also I love when Enjolras is a giant dumbass who thinks his feelings for Grantaire is a mystery illness 😂

Still the Same by The Librarina (tears_of_nienna)

74k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

ok ok ok. listen. Yes. in this fic, Enjolras IS an fbi agent... and u know i'm the first and last to scream acab always...

that being said this is fully still one of my fave e/r/c fics. Enjolras and Combeferre are married & Enjolras needs to work with art thief Grantaire (fave) on a case. also that one bit at the end when Grantaire *redacted* 👀🫣

cupbearer by illuminate*

*this one is locked, you need an account to view

series, 4 works

124k words total

ratings: T, M & E

Enjolras/Grantaire

this series!!!!!! VAMPIRE ENJOLRAS!!!! thrall Grantaire!!!! canon era AND modern au! REINCARNATION!!!! i'm eeeeaaaaattiiiing 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

More Than Just a Game by ecaitlin

36k words

rating: E

Courfeyrac/Combeferre

Fake dating courferre 😭 this one is so good for the desert scene alone 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 one of my fave courferre fics

Good Intentions by ecaitlin

95k words

rating: E

Courfeyrac/Combeferre, background Marius/Cosette, Joly/Bossuet, Bahorel/Feuilly, and Enjolras/Grantaire ofc

THE les amis hogwarts au. 95k of Courfeyrac pov is always a treat for the system. in their last year at hogwarts, Courfeyrac decides to play matchmaker for all his friends. shenanigans!!!! fuck jkr, but whenever I wanna reread harry potter again I read this fic 🫶🏻 fave courferre ever, and also fave background e/r

if you remembered me by nightswatch*

*this one is locked, you need an account to view

40k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire

one thing about me is I love an amnesia fic! Enjolras loses his memory and Grantaire helps him recover 👀 this one's for the hurt/comfort and miscommunication/not being upfront about shit fans. also there's some past Grantaire/Combeferre and i'm always a fan

Beautiful Music Together by lady_ragnell

31k words

rating: E

Courfeyrac/Marius/Cosette

a rare Courf/Marius/Cosette fic for your palette. established Marius/Cosette need a little help from their good friend Courf with their sex life 👀 while the three of them also work on a musical assignment together 😭 prequel to You Dance Dreams kinda 👀

You Dance Dreams by lady_ragnell

61k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

(you can tell when i've found a writer who has a fair few fics and just gone nuts lol, lots of lady_ragnell too)

BALLET AU I LOVE YOU!!!!!! so set in the same universe as Beautiful Music Together, Combeferre ropes everyone into working on his opera, a Midsummer Night's Dream sequel. Grantaire dances as Puck alongside Enjolras singing as Oberon 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

In Defiance of all Geometry by idopathicsmile

51k words

rating: T

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

this is a top fave E/R/C fic and a top fave les amis fic of all time! Them living in a co-op and all the little details of how they make it work is sooooo real and anyone who wants to see accurately written community organising in les amis fic it's here! now for the ✨romance✨ - Grantaire moves in to the amis co-op and starts crushing on both Enjolras and Combeferre, who have both been pining for each other for years.

Years Since It's Been Clear by lady_ragnell

10k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

Enjolras offers his spare room to grantaire - or the one where enjolras chases the sun across the living room floor like a cat. That image has lived rent free in my head for and I am not exaggerating here, 10 years.

Gonna need (a spark to ignite) by FinditAgain*

*this one is locked, you need an account to view

47k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire/Combeferre

soulmate au! soulmate au with E/R/C!!!!!!! enjolras and combeferre are soulmates who lost their bond as children. when combeferre and enjolras find each other as adults, enjolras is already in an established relationship with grantaire 👀👀👀

secret agent man by goshemily

30k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

yes another cop one haha 😭 bc if ur not able to contradict urself with the media u like are u even a person? but also I wouldn't recommend if it wasn't a good read for the stairs scene alone 😅 Enjolras and Grantaire need to go undercover as a married couple in a small town.

Leaves in the Void by myrmidryad

16k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire

this is one i've found since rejoining tumblr late last year that 😭 fully broke my heart bro 😭 space au, enjolras writes letters to everyone when he's accidentally isolated on a ship for what to him was eight and half months but was two hours for everyone else.

Blame Delicate Artemis by hyenateeth

22k words

rating: E

femslash Enjolras/Grantaire

posting omegaverse on main? more likely than you think!

this is porn with a tiny bit of plot, but also one of my fave for femslash e/r and also..... girl dick. that's all.

omega enjolras alpha grantaire canon era lesbians.

that's enough description to find its right audience I feel

Eyes to Serve, Hands to Learn by myrmidryad

94k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

Grantaire runs into Enjolras at a kink club. enter 94,000 words of bdsm porn and pining. mostly dom Enjolras and submissive Grantaire, mostly.

Never Be Satisfied by torakowalski

15k words

rating: E

femslash Enjolras/Grantaire

dental dam mention! win!

Grantaire gives Enjolras some advice, lends some toys, and then offers some hands on help when she learns Enjolras has never come before 😏

potentially lovely, perpetually human by myrmidryad

20k words

not rated, does contain smut

Enjolras/Grantaire

lots of myrmidryad here too lol

two of my favourite tropes here. 1: supernatural Enjolras who's in control of his abilities except when it comes to Grantaire (see cupbearer series) and 2: nonbinary Grantaire my beloved!!! Enjolras has psychic empathy triggered by physical touch, so he refuses to touch anyone: until his touch starved ass accidentally touches Grantaire and feels what they're feeling 🥹

Witchboy by tothewillofthepeople

series, 8 works

84k words

rating: T, M

Enjolras/Grantaire

this one is a more recent recommendation that I loved, the world building and magic is so good, there's some great background eposette and patron minette which I'm always a fan of.

i'm not the moon (i'm not even a star) by serinesaccade

40k words

rating: M

Enjolras/Grantaire

amnesia fic and fake dating 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 this time we've got Grantaire losing his memories and waking up in a world where he has a really hot boyfriend, but apparently his 1.5 year relationship with Enjolras isn't what it seems 👀

and let's round this out with a classic

Thirty-Two Times by Ark

7k words

rating: E

Enjolras/Grantaire

the bottom R canon era bible 🙏🏻

i'm sorry i feel like my emoji use is very millennial. jsyk 👌🏻 is me clicking with my nails ok bye 😘

if you want more i'm whorejolras on ao3 go nuts 🙌🏻

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Neil. I just finished reading Mike Ford's "Aspects." Thank you so very much for the recommendation. What a unique reading experience; i don't think i've ever begun a book knowing that it was unfinished. My feelings about that bounced back and forth frequently over the course of reading: frustration over knowing I would not get to learn how things turned out (either for the book or for the imagined series), enjoyment of the beautiful writing, and so on. I think knowing that there woudn't be a "payoff" at the end in the form of resolution/denouement allowed me to just sit back and be immersed in the masterfully constructed world and get to know the marvelously nuanced characters in this unhurried telling. I do wish it could have gone on even longer. Sort of a "pure" reading experience, if you will. It sounds like he was a lovely man and wonderful friend. Which of his other books would you recommend first to someone who was unfamiliar with his writings until you mentioned "Aspects" on Tumblr?

Everything Mike wrote was different. His two Star Trek novels are astonishing (one is a comedic musical, one a First Contact novel), The Scholars of Night is a wonderful thriller with Christopher Marlowe at its heart and The Dragon Waiting is my favourite alternate history Richard III with vampires in it novel. All of these books (and the others) are brilliant.

[howlsmovinglibrary]

Top 5 Books of 2023!

I don't know if this blog even counts as a book blog anymore, but this year I read 60 books, which is twice as many as last year (and therefore also double my 2023 Reading Goal). I'm so pleased to have overcome my three year reading slump that has plagued me since Covid, and wanted to celebrate by... yknow. Actually doing a book blog post lmao. So here are my five favourite books of 2023!

1) Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Not only was this book written Specifically For Me (faeries, rivals-to-lovers, academia), I just think it's a really good example of a cosy fantasy that is well-written and well-paced. The vibes are wholesome and fanfic-adjacent, but that doesn't mean that nothing happens. I'm not a fan of the new 'cosy' subgenre generally, but I think this book combined the right amount of comfort with action.

2) The Thousand Eyes by AK Larkwood

I read the Serpent Gates duology this year, and while the first book was good, the second book was just overwhelmingly brilliant. I loved the way this author manages time and character development - we follow all the characters for decades of their lives, so the final heroic triumphs in each of their stories just... hit different. It was such a wonderful book series, that left me feeling inspired to write.

3) The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

I love Shannon Chakraborty's writing generally, but it was really fun (after the slowburn pining of the City of Brass books) to give her a far less pious and brazen heroine that resulted in an entirely different tone of story from her previous trilogy! I loved the narration and plot of this novel, also obsessed with this pirate milf and her demon boyfriend.

4) A House With Good Bones by T Kingfisher

I love T Kingfisher but I've never been able to get all the way through one of her horror books before - idk why, I just don't tend to vibe. But this book, which leaned more towards Gothic horror, twisted to fit a modern setting, was so gripping - I read it all in one sitting. I love the funky little bug archaeologist protagonist, who's first sign that her house is haunted is the fact that there are no insects in her mother's garden.

5) You and Me On Vacation by Emily Henry

I went on a beach holiday for the first time since Covid and proceeded to devour every single fucking book Emily Henry had ever written. Although I loved all of them, You and Me On Vacation was the one written Specifically For Me, which was surprising given that the other two most popular releases by her are about books (oh well...mutual pining, my beloved).

Special Mentions:

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

I read all of the Tiffany Aching books for the first time this year, based on a diagnosis from a pal that Wintersmith would be 'my' Terry Pratchett book. Reader, she was right... (which says more about me as a person than I'd like).

If anyone wants to give me any recs for good books they read this year, feel free to reply to this post!

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Not a poll request (so don't worry if you don't want to answer on the blog) but - could we get each of the mods' top 10 horror movies? (: I'd be so interested in hearing them!

Long post!

Mod Z:

*long sigh* *opens letterboxd*

2. Beau is Afraid (2023)

K-12 (2019)

NOTE: Yk what imma just leave this here

NOTE: a masterpiece i probably won’t rewatch for a long time but since i’m an ari aster truther it deserved this spot

3. Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

NOTE: Yes

4. The Crow (1994)

NOTE: Awesome ass movie. Awesome ass soundtrack. An absolute classic. I have the graphic novel it was based on and it’s one of the best things I have in my library

5. Carrie (1976)

NOTE: Stephen King’s the best at writing real characters <3

6. The Craft (1996)

NOTE: As a wicca myself, accurately depicted teen witches are my jam and this film did the best job at it

7. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

NOTE: The only reason this isn’t in the top 5 is because i haven’t seen it in a while. If u had asked me in early 2023 i would’ve put this in second place for sure

8. Cam (2017)

NOTE: So underrated. Go watch this on Netflix now while u don’t know anything about it

9. Frankenweenie/Nightmare before Christmas/Edward Scissorhands

NOTE: CHILDHOOD (lumping them together cuz i couldn’t decide which tim burton film to add)

10. Smile (2022)

NOTE: okay wait this scared me shitless at the theatre and i just convinced myself this movie was bad to stop myself freaking out but this is a genuinely good and scary movie i’ve made up my mind

These are subject to change and Invisible Man (2020) definitely deserves an honorable mention but I haven’t seen it in a while to check if it still holds up

----

Mod L:

The Thing (1982)

Absolute masterpiece. Perfect marriage of cast, visuals, music, and script. They (audiences in 1982) hated Jesus (John Carpenter) because he told them the truth.

2. Ravenous (1999)

I love social horror more than life itself, and this is a pitch-perfect example. I recommend Atun-Shei Films' Overanalyzing Ravenous, if you haven't seen it yet.

3. Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)

See above re: social horror. I never stop thinking about how this series was inspired by rising incidents of domestic violence in Japan - how the contagion of violence in the home spreads to anyone who comes in contact with it.

4. Demon (2015)

This would pair amazingly well with my next pick, which is:

5. La Llorona (2019)

To quote a friend of mine after we watched Demon, "there is no society without memory."

6. Black Christmas (1976)

Truly ahead of its time as a slasher, as well as in its politics. Ladies, never date a Peter, and DON'T trust the Toronto Police.

7. The Devils (1971)

Nobody was doing it like Ken Russell, and nobody ever will again.

8. The Changeling (1980)

This movie understands the greatest horror of all: Joseph Kennedy Sr.

9. Us (2019)

My favourite Peele to date, no I will not be budged on this point.

10. Peeping Tom (1960)

An extremely prescient film about the male gaze and the medium of film.

(Mod Sus releases their own once they get the braincells rubbing for more than 5 movies)

[pomrania]

I want to talk about some books I've read recently, "Penric's Travels" and "Penric's Labor" by Lois McMaster Bujold.

First, that author is always a treat. When I saw those books by her at the library, ones I hadn't read before, I didn't even bother to check the back cover for their description; I knew I'd enjoy them, simply based on the author. And I was correct. (Also it turns out that the back cover didn't really give any useful information about the stories therein, so it wouldn't have mattered.)

I don't know how to best describe what I like about how she writes, but I'll try. Her stuff is very character-driven, with… it's not right to say "low stakes", because the stakes are very high indeed when you care about the characters things might happen to, but it doesn't have the super-high stakes you normally see in fantasy or science fiction. The characters and the relationships feel mature; the three main couples I can most remember offhand, from three different series set in three different 'verses, one half of the couple had been a widow/er, and the other half had had previous relationships of their own. (The Vorkosigan saga does admittedly start with a "young male protagonist", but it follows him as he matures.) And she's very adept at worldbuilding, which is honestly my favourite thing in SFF. If this sounds like the kind of thing you want to read, I recommend checking out her work.

Now, the specific books I mentioned at the start. They're more properly collections of three novellas each, written so they could be read in any order; which is good, because my library didn't have on the shelf the book which collected the earlier ones. Each novella is like 100-200 pages long, which might be a benefit over a novel-length story because it provides an obvious stopping point with a resolution for what's happened. Those books also include a 'reading order' at the end, for pretty much everything the author has ever written; I of course hadn't followed that, having gone by the time-honoured method of "whichever book I could get my paws on first", but if that's not how you do things, that guide might be of interest to you.

Finally, the reason I wanted to talk about these books (stories, more properly) specifically, and it's that the magic system is almost everything I've ever wanted in fiction; and it's so perfectly worked in with the religion/theology of that world, which itself is done way better than I normally see in fantasy. (Which, I suppose I hadn't mentioned it earlier; these stories are in the fantasy genre.) There is a REASON why somebody can't kill using magic; or, to be more accurate, they can do it, once. There's magical healing which isn't just "it's magic", but requires knowing what you're doing with each structure, and sometimes things just can't be healed. And there's the converse as well, using that same "healing magic" offensively; but with greater creativity than "burst someone's heart", since it must not be used to kill; the titular character's main method of disabling an assailant is "temporarily shut down the relevant nerves, very carefully". There's a cost for magic, in both "disorder" and "friction". It's just really good.

I won't try to give a comprehensive list of content warnings. However, I will say that if you're sensitive to "healthcare worker's burnout", you should avoid the novella "The Physicians of Vilnoc" entirely, as that's a major element in that story. (Also in the main character's backstory, but I don't know if there's a story which goes into depth with that.)

[kozachenko]

Finished reading Forbidden Scrollery! As I mentioned in my little post about it before, I would make a full review on it once I finished it, so here we are now!

(Also, sorry I haven't been posting as much art recently, life's gotten busy for me and I haven't really had the time to work on anything big, but I hope to get back into drawing soon)

And honestly? Best Touhou manga I have read so far. Full review under the keep reading tag. Also, spoilers if you want to read it.

The writing first of all, was really good, the pacing is perfect (only helped by the actual paneling and layouts being top notch), the character writing was my favourite part of the manga, and the actual story was actually pretty smart.

So, something I love about this manga is that it all revolves around a core idea, that being, the relationship between Humans and Youkai. While each chapter is episodic in nature, it still feels like those little episodes actually have a purpose, it isn't just filler. There's not one major problem they have to resolve like in CDS, but at the same time the events aren't disjointed from one another like in Lotus Eaters. The way that we see Kosuzu slowly get more and more involved with the Youkai of the human village. I also really like how we learn more about the human village and how it operates, as well as learning more about how the Youkai play a part in it. In each chapter we see a different way that this core theme is expressed, like in chapters 20 and 21 where we see how outsiders like the residents of Eientei contribute to the human village, and in chapters 30 and 31 where we see how humans help Youkai out via their fear of the unknown. And of course, you have the infamous chapter 25, where the most memorable moment from there also happens to be the most flanderized (I'll get to that in my paragraph about Reimu, because her character writing in this manga is the best that I've seen in the Touhou mangas so far). The best chapters that demonstrate this theme are probably all in volumes 6 and 7, where things start to get more intense.

Now onto the writing, and boy while this may be whiplash from reading CDS, the writing in this manga was amazing. Each character has their own unique voice, which ends up making the events in chapter 38 even funnier. Since Mamizou has a very distinct way of speaking, it makes it even funnier watching her be disguised as Reimu and accidentally slipping into her own way of talking.

Of course, this scene is visually aided by Moe Harukawa giving "Reimu" the little cat mouth she gives Mamizou, and also the very obvious signifier of the leaf, but establishing Mamizou's way of speaking early on in the manga helps emphasize the comedy of this scene (that being, a sassy old woman trying to impersonate someone in their early 20s with a very different personality to them).

What's even funnier about this scene is that as soon as Mamizou gets what she wants, she just gives up on trying to speak like Reimu and dips (which is the punchline to the setup of Mamizou almost calling Kosuszu "Little Missy" and then correcting herself)

Also, credit to the English translators for finding words and phrases like, "The real Mccoy" and "Reckon," with how different the Japanese and English languages are (and how tricky it can be to translate between the two) they ended up hitting the nail on the head with the localization and translation.

The actual narrative itself is really well paced, with all the events actually feeling like they happen consecutively to one another, only helped by the little bits in the dialogue where the characters mention previous events in the story. For a manga in a series where upholding status quo is the norm, a lot of changes happen in this manga, like Akyuu starting to write novels under a penname, Kosuzu starting to attract the attention of more and more important people in Gensokyo, and Kosuzu eventually being added into Reimu's friend group. The manga also does an excellent job of tying the events of the games at the time into the story, like we're seeing the behind the scenes or aftermath of a particular incident, especially so with the Urban Legend Incident, where we see Reimu and Marisa get more and more concerned about rumors like "The Story of the Bull Head" and the end of the world speading too far before they can do actual damage. I also like the tone that this manga has, it's inviting at first with how cute and lighthearted it is, but it slowly gets more and more serious we begin to see the truth of the human village, and by proxy, Gensokyo as a whole. Also, the set up and payoff with the parade scroll was really well excecuted, with it acting as like a ticking time bomb in the background as the series goes on. I also really like how each chapter feels different from each other in terms of plot beats, it's not really formulaic like Lotus Eaters was, which helps make the manga a lot more exciting to read, despite it not having a grandiose overarching plot.

Now onto the character writing. As you can probably see, I am turning into a bit of a Mamizou fan. She's one of the most well written characters in the manga and perfectly strikes the balance of being hilarious, yet intimidating at the same time. She's a pretty smart character despite her goofiness, and she's always such a joy to watch (or.. well... read, but that doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely (well actually fingers since I'm typing this, but again, doesn't roll off the fingers as nicely (yipeeee I used a phrase correctly). Also, I really like seeing her relationship with Nue as that of a grandma and her grandaughter who's a chaotic scene kid, but despite these differences they get along perfectly. Aya is also one of my favourite characters to read about in the manga, and I was so excited to see her again. She's always such a delight to see, and also captures that sense of goofiness + coolness. In a way, it's kinda the embodiment of Youkai in Touhou itself. Fun and charming yet supernatural and menacing at the same time. In your usual manga/anime series, it's more likely that characters will lean one way or the other (and anytime they step out of their ascribed personality, it's for a gag and is considered an oddity, wheras with Touhou it's commonplace), so it's a really unique writing thing in Touhou that I don't really see other things, which is really cool. Marisa is also written really well in this, she's really funny and plays off of Reimu really well. Kosuzu herself is also fun to read about, as her childlike view of Gensokyo slowly begins to crack as more and more influential youkai begin to interact with her. I also like how the manga doesn't tell you in the beginning that she's a young, naive kid, instead, it shows you little details like her having a curfew, her parents calling her for dinner, her general outlook on life in general. All of that is contrasted with Akyuu, who, while bit pretentious, was also very fun to read. She plays off of Akyuu's naivete well with her wisdom from her past lives and her knowledge on Gensokyo. She acts like how you would expect a teenager with memories of their past lives to act, with maybe a slight dash of maturity in there.

And now for Reimu, who I think is at her best in this manga. There were times when I legit went, "HOLY SHIT REIMU'S SO FUCKING COOL OH MY GOD-" instead of just going, "Ha ha, Reimu's such a dork." Like, she actually knows her shit in this manga, and it explores the "shrine maiden" side of her character in far more detail than we have ever really seen it before (except in arguably Silent Sinner in Blue, which I still need to re-read, yes I will also be making a full review for that as well once I do get around to it). I use this panel from chapter 27 as my example because she genuinely looks so cool here.

Reimu very frequently uses her skills as a shrine maiden to get to find the answers she needs, and she's not afraid to get her job done. As seen in the now iconic panel of Chapter 25...

This is probably what the manga is most well known for, and when I mentioned how this moment is flanderized, I'm more so talking about how people tend to look at this moment in isolation, and to be honest, Reimu isn't helping herself by saying this a moment before she does this guy in.

Which is then sort of contradicted when Reimu says this after she does the guy in.

So if she has a legit reason for why she did this, why the heck did she call it needless then? I feel like the best way of answering this would be that yes, she didn't need to do it, but from her perspective she had to. It's her job to do so, as she says so herself. Another thing to mention that contradicts the initial reading of that earlier line is just how seriously she takes this whole ordeal. During the pages leading up to this moment, we see Reimu as being uncharacteristically serious about this,

And when she finally arrives at Suzunaan, we get this really good reaction shot of her eyes, and it really says a lot about her mental state at the moment,

and she also gets very serious during her initial confrontation with this fortune teller guy.

Another thing that contradicts the "needless killing" part is how she handeled that one rich guy becoming a Youkai in chapter 37

Reimu is just ruthless when she needs to get her job done in general. Sure, she didn't need to kill the rich guy, she could have just let him go and not do anything about it, but she it's not about what she needs, it's what Gensokyo needs.

In the same chapter where she kills the fortune teller, we get this bit of narration.

Honestly, I feel like this is a kind of "Reimu knows more about Gensokyo than she lets on" kind of situation, because we never really learn exactly how having a human become a Youkai would screw up Gensokyo, but I have heard theories where if a human-who-became-a-youkai were to still try to be human, then it would be cause for concern because then it's like putting a radioactive rock in the middle of a small elevator with a lot of people (ok I know that doesn't make any sense whatsoever but I can't think of another way to put it). .

Putting that can of worms aside, I really like this manga's version of Reimu. Sure she has her dorky moments, but that's not the entirety of who she is, and I really like that. I really like it when characters have vastly contradicting sides to their personality, it makes them more interesting and also more fun to think about. There is so much more that I can say about Reimu in this manga, but I'll just end off this segment by saying that Reimu is now one of my favourite Touhou characters now and she is in my top 5 list of favourite Touhou characters.

Ok now it's time to finally talk about the artstyle and OH MY GOD THE ART FOR THIS MANGA IS GORGEOUS I WANNA EAT IT SHKGAGSLHSKGSAKJDGHKSLDJGHLAHDGLJH;SLGHKDJAH;GKGHDJK;HFGKADHG;J-

Seriously though, I really want to do a style study for this manga because I love it so much. It's expressive, the cross-hatching gives it this really nice and tactile feeling, and the designs the artist came up with for each character are really good. My only critique would be to maybe give Mamizou more wrinkles, or something more to communicate her age, (and I still like the way Mamizou is drawn in this manga). In my previous post on FS I brought up how good the layouts are, and that still holds up to when I finished this manga. Good manga paneling takes advantage of the fact that it's a manga, and uses that medium to it's fullest. I won't go into any more detail here as I have already talked about how good it's paneling is in a previous post, so go read that if you're interested. I feel like we all know what makes Moe Harukawa's art so good, so I'll just leave this segment at that.

Now, I would normally end this segment here, but really, there's one surprise I haven't talked about

One character who steals the show in this manga

A character so good, I had to write an entirely new segment on him

That's right, it's a dude, and it isn't Rinnosuke.

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MAN,

THE MYTH,

AND MOST OF ALL, THE LEGEND.

ANXIOUS

MUSTACHED

VILLAGER!

THIS MAN, RIGHT HERE, THE GOAT OF ALL MANGA AND ANIME! BEST CHARACTER IN ALL OF EXISTENCE! ABSOLUTELY INSPIRING STORY THAT DROVE ME TO TEARS! BEST CHARACTER ARC IN THE ENTIRE MANGA! GET THIS MAN TO NUMBER ONE IN THE 2024 TOUHOU POPULARITY POLL LIKE HE DESERVES!

Ok in all seriousness, this manga is amazing, (I mean, it has anxious mustached villager in it) I see why people regard it so highly in relation to the other Touhou mangas. It was a blast to read, and it's my favourite Touhou manga now, and is also one of my new favourite mangas in general.

Ok I'm gonna end the post here now, bye byeeeeeee.

[tybaltsjuliet]

Favourite pieces of Weird Girl media? That uquiz has me Thinking (along with that gothic heroine dress up game, might revisit the concept of a gothic romance I came up with some years back)

any and every alice in wonderland, of course! my all-time beloved.

so weird. this was a show that ran on disney channel in the ’90s. the protagonist, fiona, has paranormal adventures and encounters while traveling all over on her musician mom’s tour bus and writes about them on her fantastically ’90s webpage. fi is a True Believer and her family and friends largely think she’s a lunatic. her father died under Mysterious Paranormal Circumstances that haunt and vex her. this show made me who i am today and as my rewatch last fall can confirm - a lot of the scary stuff holds up!

speaking of cute and spooky disney Weird Girl properties: gravity falls and halloweentown. on any show besides GF i think mabel pines would have been a total joke, but the show loves her SO MUCH and SO DO I. (it helps, i think, that a lot of her was inspired by the creator ’s real-life sister.) halloweentown gets extra points from me for not being one of those annoying Magical World stories where the protagonist gets kicked back to her boring, ordinary life with extreme prejudice in the end.

pan’s labyrinth. for the most discerning and sensitive Weird Girls, and those who also got into trouble for putting strange and occult items around the house as a child.

coraline. ESPECIALLY the book. the movie is cute and fine but has absolutely nothing on the book for spookiness and strangeness.

labyrinth. a classic, obviously.

the secret garden. give a listen to the marsha norman and lucy simon musical adaptation, too, which comes not only with all of the Weird Girl delights of the novel - “the girl i mean to be” is a Weird Girl anthem - but bonus Tragic Gothic Romance for the adult characters!

emily of new moon. i know that anne shirley is many people’s go-to LMM-written Weird Girl. these are people who have not yet met emily byrd starr.

true grit. the 2010 one. now, mattie ross is a little different to the others on this list, but this American West subspecies of Weird Girl checks out.

a series of unfortunate events. another one i do not see cited often as Weird Girl media, which is a slight on everything violet and sunny (and isadora and fiona, for that matter) have done for us.

and a few honorable mentions for Weird Girls who are slightly older than the typical and/or not main characters of their media, but nevertheless were formative and inspirational to me as a Weird Girl-Child:

christine daaé; katrina van tassel in the tim burton sleepy hollow; and luna lovegood who deserved better even before HP went radioactive.

[ashwithapen]

⚠️ this post is edited and updated regularly! last edited: 31 march 2024

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ᯓ☆ rentry!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

hi, my name is ash! here are some things about me...

⤷ 18 ⤷ autistic, adhd, osdd-1b (system sideblog) ⤷ agender, greyromantic, bisexual, & queerplatonic ⤷ intp, aquarius, hufflepuff, 5w4, etc.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

some things i do...

⤷ write! i'm an author :) (prose, poetry, plays...) ⤷ compose music (i use musescore) ⤷ film & edit videos (check out my youtube channel) ⤷ play guitar and write songs

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

im SUPER into soundtracking & symbolism in music as well as abnormal psychology!!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

link to my creative portfolio with writing (fiction, nonfic, poetry, plays), music, video editing, and photography

recently: i wrote an original soundtrack for a book

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

i hope you enjoy :)

— ⭑

below the cut: tags, WIPs, fandoms & interests, and more!

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ᯓ☆ tags!

#drabbles: shorts

#poetry: poetry

#life writing: life writing

#creative non-fiction: creative non-fiction

#fiction: fiction

#get wipped lmao: anything about my WIPs

#ash writes (as well as any of the above tags): original work

.　　. 　 ˚　.

#ash.txt: for when i have stuff to say

#ash answers: where i answer asks take a wild guess

#don't give me ideas: writing ideas & prompts

#write that down: things to come back to/reference

#oo shiny: stuff i liked a lot

.　　. 　 ˚　.

#composing: i write music scores sometimes

#insane mashups: sometimes i combine songs and create monstrosities and that's okay

#music!!: where i yell about songs/artists i like & other music stuff

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ᯓ☆ WIPs!

heart beats fast; colours and promises

Viva La Ávila

tales, second edition

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ᯓ☆ fandoms & interests!

ranges from obsessed, to involved, to generally liking. listed alphabetically. i will probably post/reblog about mainly the ones in bold as they are my current 'favourite' interests, but anything is free game.

13 reasons why (show, haven't read book)

abnormal psychology (neurodiversity)

ASMP (minecraft rolepay series)

avengers + avengers adjacent (mcu, haven't read comics)

avpm, avps, avpsy (musicals)

bo burnham (musician + comedian)

c418 (composer)

circe (book)

cream crew (content creator group)

crywank (musician)

dream smp (livestream series; i don't support dream/dream team)

e7i (musician)

generation loss (interactive livestream + adjacent media)

good will hunting (movie)

hamilton (musical)

harry potter (fuck jkr)

hazbin hotel (tv show)

heartstopper (show, haven't gotten to read the graphic novels yet)

heathers (musical and movie)

heroes of olympus/percy jackson (books, still watching series)

how to train your dragon (movies + show)

how to train your dragon soundtrack

hozier (musician)

jacob collier (musician)

james marriott (musician + streamer)

john powell (film composer)

magnus chase and the gods of asgard (books)

modern baseball (band)

mom jeans. (band)

nimona (movie, haven't read graphic novel/web-series)

rainbow kitten surprise (band)

sherlock (bbc show)

sleepy bois inc. (content creator group; fuck wilbur soot)

song of achilles (book)

soundtracking & symbolism in music

star wars

studio ghibli (movies by the animation company)

the 1975 (band; i don't support matty healy)

the star and the sun (book; still reading)

the oh hellos (band)

toby fox (music, haven't played his games yet)

qsmp (livestreamed minecraft server)

why don't we (band; old fan, not in as deep as i used to be)

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ᯓ☆ extras!

⤷ as mentioned, i'm the host of an osdd-1b system @ourstarsys ⤷ my co-host, Misty, also has a side blog @wolfdogmisty ⤷ i also own @jesterjac (agere)

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[beamycomet]

You pump out these updates so fast! It's really impressive, but I hope you're doing okay!

I also wanted to ask, considering I found out about Love and Legends (and Lovestruck by extension) like, a week ago: what was the original app like? How many routes were there? Which one's your favorite, and why is it Helena? (/j)

Sorry if these are weird questions, I'm just really interested and curious about this project!

First of all, welcome to Lovestruck! I'm glad that more people are finding and experiencing Lovesruck despite the game being dead for almost 2 years at this point.

Anyway, Lovestruck was probably the most unique visual novel app I have ever played not only because of the app's unique artstyle and charm but also the huge amount of LGBTQ+ representation the app has included during it's run. The stories are played out differently compared to other VN apps as well where the story is completely different depending on the route you choose.

Now I'm not 100% sure how many routes Lovestruck included but I think it's over 70+ routes across 19 different series and you can choose to romance male, female and non-binary characters.

As for my favorite routes, obviously one of them is Helena because the writing for her route is incredible, but some of my other favourite routes in no particular order includes Juliette from Villainous Nights, Xenia from Reigning Passions, Emeril from Sweet Enchantments, Medusa from Astoria Fate's Kiss, Vivienne from Queen of Thieves and Vanessa from Havenfall. There is a few other routes that I enjoy other than the ones that I mentioned, but I'm going to be here forever listing all of them!

If you want to check out some of these routes for yourself, then I strongly recommend checking out the LS Salvation Squad YouTube Channel as they have recordings of every route from the Lovestruck app. Watching a recording of someone playing the game is not the same as actually playing the game for yourself but it's the closest thing we have right now to actually experiencing the app.

[cockslutpadalecki]

Book of Revelations (And A Side of Coffee)

Summary: You love Sam. He loves you. But both of you are too chicken to do anything about your feelings, until matchmaker Dean Winchester (aka Cupid) steps in.

Characters: Sam Winchester x F!Reader, Dean Winchester.

Words: 1.3K.

Warnings: pure unfiltered fluff, some mentions of sex.

A/N: Formerly a Patreon exclusive. Beta: @princessmisery666 but all the genera bullshit is entirely mine. While likes are gold, feedback is golden. Please support our content creators by sharing our work.

You drop a handful of chopped onions into the pot on the stove, giving the bubbling liquid a quick stir, when you hear Dean’s voice sound behind you.

“Hey,” he starts, “what would you say is your perfect date?”

You rotate on your heel, narrowing your eyes at the older Winchester standing in the doorway. “Are we talking about some Miss Congeniality deal or like... a genuine date? With a person?”

“What Miss Congeniality deal?”

“Y’know, the bit with Cheryl,  April 25th,” you explain with a little laugh, but the quizzical and confused look still on your friend’s face is not lost on you. You let out a little huff. “C’mon De, I thought you’d seen it.”

“I might’ve stumbled across it once or twice,” he defends, “but I don’t commit every second of a film to memory.”

“Oh please. What about the All Saints’ Day series? You can quote all of them off by heart.”

“That’s because they’re classics.”

“Are you saying Miss Congeniality isn’t a classic?”

“It has its perks-”

“Like Sandra Bullock?”

“She’s in that movie?” Dean laughs, giving himself away.

“Jackass,” you shake your head as you allow a small smile to break across your  lips. “Anyway, why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Dean shrugs.

“Have you been reading my Cosmo mag on the can again?”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to find out how to achieve the perfect orgasm,” he reacts with fake offense. 

You scoff mockingly. “Did you come across a map on how to find the G-spot?” 

Dean’s face drops. “I’m serious, just answer the damn question.”

“Ooh, I hit a nerve,” you laugh, but Dean doesn’t share your sentiment. “Well, um, I guess, it’d be nice to go to one of those vintage book shops, y’know, the ones with the little cafes inside.”

Dean nods, and you reluctantly continue.

“Spend a couple of hours talking about our favourite novels over a coffee or two.”

“What about after that?”

“Like, sex you mean?”

“Yeah.”

You screw up your nose. “I wouldn’t put out on the first date.”

“Not even on your perfect date?” he asks as you shake your head. “What if it was with Sam?” Dean cajoles, flashing you a wink.

“Dean!”

It’s no secret that you’ve been harbouring feelings for the younger Winchester for a while now— except maybe to Sam, and Dean takes whatever opportunity he can get to tease you for not making a move. You’re far too shy for that.

“C’mon, you wouldn’t want to come back here and y’know?” Dean wiggles his eyebrows.

“Why’d you always have to be so crass?” you tut with a small roll of your eyes.

“Jeez, you two really are made for each other,” Dean mutters under his breath, but you don’t hear him, your attention already back on the sweet smelling bolognese cooking away in the saucepan.

-

“Meet me at Bradbury Books, 8pm.”

That’s all the instruction you get from Dean a week later. You reply asking if it’s related to a case you’ve not been made privy to yet, but he fails to respond, leaving you in a curious state for the rest of the day. What could Dean possibly want with you at a bookstore, of all places?

You trundle inside the quaint little shop at 7:56, eyes darting back and forth through the aisles, trying to see if he’s hidden away between them, to no avail. Eventually you give up, walking down to the cluster of tables tucked neatly away at the back of the store. A few delicate red and pink decorations adorn the wall furthest from you, but you think nothing of it. But your attention is finally drawn to the handful of balloons with the words, “Happy Valentines Day,” emblazoned across them in swirly white writing that softly sway to the steady hum of the A/C.

Of course. Today is February 14th. 

Great. Always a joy being single at this time of year.

The cafe section is practically empty except for the cashier leant over the counter— head buried in an extremely well-read paperback version of The Shining. Then there’s a couple by the window staring lovingly at each other over two steaming mugs of coffee and… Sam.

Wait, Sam?

There’s a closed copy of The Marvelous Land of Oz on the table next to him, while his hands are curled around a cup of what you assume must be herbal tea from the green liquid, almost murky against the stark contrast of the white ceramic. You’re sidetracked momentarily, thoughts drifting to fantasies of those large hands on you, pawing at your ample flesh. They’re so big that they easily overlap where they meet around the sides of the dainty cup, the fingers from his left hand entwined within the fingers of his right.

He doesn’t notice you until you’re almost at the table, eyes widening when he finally looks up, confusion etched on his features.

Your name oozes from his lips as he questions softly, “What are you doing here?”

“Dean asked me to meet him,” you explain, sliding into the seat opposite. You suddenly feel incredibly underdressed— your ripped jeans and oversized t-shirt are perfect to meet up with Dean to discuss case details, but if you’d known Sam would be here too, you would’ve made more of an effort.

“That’s weird, Dean asked me to meet him too.” Sam leans back in his chair, thumbing inside his pocket for something before pulling his cell free. “Lemme give him a call.”

“Maybe he’s just late?” you offer as Sam puts the device to his ear, waiting for his brother to pick up.

“Oh, hey, where are you?” Sam asks Dean, placing the phone onto the table as he presses the speaker icon, giving you a chance to listen in on the conversation too.

“Just at a bar over in Burr Oak,” Dean tells them. “It’s 2-4-1 cocktails night and there’s a bachelorette party that’s just walked in. One of the bridesmaids is in clear need of my assistance,” he adds with a knowing laugh.

“But you asked us to meet you here at 8,” Sam replies tersely.

The line is silent for a moment before you hear Dean chuckle. “Oh yeah, about that,” he elaborates. “Figured you two should spend Valentine’s together considering you’re both head over heels in love with each other.”

You almost choke on your own tongue at Dean’s words, feeling Sam’s eyes trained on you as your entire body flushes hot at the admission.

Dean has to be joking, right? Sam? In love with you?

“Dude, what are you-” Sam starts at the same time as you try to interject. “No Dean, don’t be silly-”

“Hey!” Dean shouts down the line. “Cut it out, both of you. I’ve seen the longing looks you give each other, and all that awkward small talk. God, it’s exhausting. Just admit your feelings and fuck all that sexual tension out like adults, okay?”

“Dean,” Sam protests through gritted teeth, quickly flashing an apologetic smile toward the couple by the window who catch Dean’s crude and less than subtle attempts to bring you together.

“Look, enjoy a cup of coffee and talk about old books, or whatever it is you two do, and then the Bunker is all yours,” Dean continues. “Even though you both said no sex on the first date, I really think ya would make an exception for the other. Just don’t do it in the kitchen, y’hear? That’s just unsanitary.”

The line suddenly goes dead. Both of you sit embarrassed in silence momentarily, not wanting to look at each other until he clears his throat and you glance up through thick eyelashes. 

Sam smiles, dimples in full effect. “So, I guess he asked about your perfect date too then, huh?” 

***

SPN: @akshi8278​ @cluz1babe​ @deanwanddamons​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @flamencodiva​ @fanfictionandfluff​ @hobby27​ @hoboal87​ @jensenswinchester​ @jc-winchester​ @katelyn--renee​ @mrswhozeewhatsis​ @peachyafshawn​ @ravenclawfitzgerald​ @spnbaby-67​ @sammykb1994​ @sucker-for-dean​ @treat-winchesterswith-kindness​ @thoughts-and-funnies​ @waywardbaby​ @winchest09​

4EVS: @amirra88​ @andreasworlsboring101​ @b3autyfuldisast3r​ @cheesyclaire​ @chibijusstuff​ @callsignrambam​ @dangertoozmanykids101​ @daughterofthenight117​ @doozywoozy​ @foxyjwls007​ @geekofmanyforms​ @heyyouwiththeassbutt​ @i-opened-the-chamber-of-secrets​ @ilovefanfic86​ @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay​ @letsby​ @letsdisneythings​ @labella420​ @mogaruke​ @maliburenee​ @notyourtypicalrose​ @nik2writes​ @obsessivelycapricious​ @patrick-hockslutter​ @princessmisery666​ @phildunphyisadilf​ @sage-writing​ @sea040561​ @sweeterthanthis​ @slutformarvelmen​ @smokeandnailz​ @stoneyggirl​ @stoneyggirl2​ @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91​ @thegirlnextdoorssister​ @unfortunate-brat​ @wayward-dreamer​ @warriorqueen1991​ @xoxabs88xox​

[profiterole-reads]

2023 Favourites

In no particular order. This is content I've read and watched in 2023, not necessarily content released in 2023.

Books

1. Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans: fantasy with some m/m. The protagonist travels to other planes for alchemical ingredients and ends up having to learn greater workings. I love the Byzantine vibe of the worldbuilding.

2. The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai: fantasy with some f/f. Two women, a waterweaver and an earthweaver, join a women's rights movement. I love the Egyptian-inspired worldbuilding.

3. Reforged by Seth Haddon: m/m fantasy. This King/Paladin novel has a surprising plot. The magic system is very original as well, I especially like the music part of it.

4. The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan: urban fantasy with some m/m (YA). The hedgewitch protecting the town teams up with a boy cursed to forget his true love and another one trapped as a bondservant.

5. [Spanish] Lazos de Sangre by LR Jeffers: m/m urban fantasy (erotica). This is a series about werewolves and big cat shifters, usually angsty and hot.

6. [French] Meute by Karine Rennberg: urban fantasy with some m/m + another protagonist is aroace and uses sign language. This is a novel about building your own werewolf pack. I think this is my first time encountering 2nd-person narration in French and it works surprisingly well.

7. Cascade by Rachel A. Rosen: science fantasy with mlm and wlw protagonists + no romance. An ecological disaster has freed magic. In Canada, the Party works with a wizard in order to try and save humanity. I love the intricacies of the plot, which skilfully mixes politics, science and magic.

8. Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell: m/m science fiction. Telepathy, my favourite trope, done by one of my fave authors! It was even better than I expected.

9. The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei: science fiction/murder mystery with several non-binary major characters. 80 people from all around the world embark on a one-way interstellar voyage. As they're all required to get pregnant, they're obviously afab, but several are non-binary, with mentions of a trans man.

10. Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick: f/f romance (YA). This is a very romantic novel about two girls dating in secret until one gets amnesia. I enjoy this trope a lot.

TV shows

1. Good Omens: fantasy with queer protagonists + some f/f. I love the book and I love the adaptation. Season 2 is original content, but it's faithful to the spirit of the novel.

2. Shadow and Bone: fantasy with some m/m (YA). This successfully mixes the Shadow and Bone trilogy (that I haven't read) and the Six of Crows duology (that I have read and enjoyed).

3. Warrior Nun: fantasy with some f/f. Nuns literally fight against demons.

4. The Power: superpower fiction with some f/f + a trans woman and an intersex man. Teenage girls start developing an electrical superpower, which makes them safer from men.

5. Nü Er Hong: GL wuxia. This c-drama is a quick watch, with 27 episodes of 2 minutes. I love that these short webdramas always have more or less the same actresses.

6. The Devil Judge: dystopia/thriller with BL vibes. This k-drama has a tight plot and fascinating characters. There's a girl in a wheelchair and the rep is well done.

7. Naughty Babe: BL romance/murder (attempt) mystery. This Thai drama is the sequel to Cutie Pie, except that they switched up the main pairing and the secondary pairing. I think it's possible to watch it on its own.

8. Wedding Plan: BL + GL romcom. This Thai drama has mlm-wlw solidarity, which I hope to see more of in the future. There are also cameos from the BL couples from Love in the Air.

9. Oh! My Assistant: BL romcom. This hilarious k-drama is about a het porn webtoon creator and his assistant. Despite this topic, the drama is not explicit.

10. Welcome to the Lesbian Bar: GL contemporary fiction. This k-drama is a quick watch, with 5 episodes of 6 minutes. In each episode, 2 customers come have a drink and chat with the owner.

Movies

1. Barbie: fantasy that is so gender! This was such a big surprise coming from Hollywood.

2. Nimona: fantasy with a protagonist who is a trans/enby allegory + some m/m (YA). I haven't read the graphic novel, so this was more depressing than I expected (it deals a lot with discrimination), but still an excellent movie.

3. Wingwomen (Voleuses in the original French): action movie with a sapphic protagonist + f/f vibes between the other two. I love heist movies all about women.

4. Kill Bok-soon: action movie with some f/f. This Korean movie has interesting cinematography. Note that it's very violent, though.

5. Red, White & Royal Blue: m/m romcom. I love the book and I love the adaptation.

6. Anything's Possible: m/f romance with a trans female protagonist (YA). This is a very positive movie, about love, art and nature.

7. Fanfic: m/m romance with a trans male protagonist (YA). This Polish movie is sometimes dark, sometimes fun.

[orionsangel86]

Subtext Glorious Subtext! A Dreamling on Netflix analysis in The Sandman - Part 5

1789

How romantic it is to be defended by ones love!

My favourite century! This is where the show starts deviating more heavily from the comic and upping the heat on the subtext (probably why it remains a popular century in fandom especially for gifsets).

Firstly, the show makes some good choices by changing certain elements in order to increase character likeability, which I think were necessary tbh. In the show, Hob mentions getting into a “new trade” regarding shipping and slavery. He describes the process to Dream and is immediately scorned for it via the “poor thing” line. In the show, it is implied that Hob’s involvement in the Slave Trade is something new for him. Dream is immediately dismissive and judgemental of this (as we would expect any decent person to be). Hob initially defends himself “It’s just how its done.”  but agrees to consider Dream’s advice.

This is not how either the comic or the Audible audiobook go and honestly, I was surprised.

In both comic and audiobook, Hob brags about the slave trade. He talks gleefully about actually having a hand in starting it 200 years back. He’s proud of this. He’s completely repugnant in both comic and audiobook and it makes you want to punch him hard. Dream only makes the following comment: “You take pride in treating your fellow humans as less than animals?” but he is otherwise not dismissive or disgusted by these things. He is not judgemental, just curious and surprised. When Hob dismisses this question as it being “business”, Dream drops the topic. It isn’t until the very end of the scene after Johanna’s interuption that Dream tells Hob its “a poor thing...” and that is where both comic and audiobook leave it without giving Hob’s reaction to this line.

You can see why the show made the wise decision to change these things. I think it is another example of where the show is taking the story and characters in a softer, kinder, and more likeable direction. We have to remember that the show versions of Dream and Hob are NOT their comic counterparts. Both comic characters are unlikeable at times and Hob in particular is just generally a pretty shitty person. It is difficult to marry the two versions of Hob sometimes because Ferdie gives SUCH a likeable, warm, engaging performance. Yes, Show!Hob is still a slaver for a short while, and yes, that is absolutely not forgiveable and fandom would be wise to ensure that this is never downplayed or ignored, but I think it is worth mentioning that the show has made the decision to lessen his involvement in the slave trade compared to his comic counterpart. But we shall see where they decide to go with this particularly nasty part of show!Hob's history in future episodes.

I think the show in many ways is taking a more classical view of the Sandman characters - here are your good guys and here are your bad guys, here are the people we want you to love and root for, and here are the ones you should love to hate. The comic tends to keep the majority of characters in the middle ground of morally grey. They have a rather cynical viewpoint imo that works for a gritty graphic novel about a depressed eldritch entity. But that viewpoint wouldn't work so well in a high budget fantasy drama series with a desire to draw in as big an audience as possible.

Anyway, back to 1789. Aside from Tom and Ferdie acting like they want to climb each other all the way through this scene (the sexual tension is through the roof throughout), all of fandoms favourite elements here are new.

Whilst Hob does ask for Dream’s name again here in the comics, there is no response or reaction from Dream given before Lady Johanna interrupts them. In the show, it is clear that Dream is about to give an answer - Hob almost gets his name. This is - tropey. The interruption may be comic canon but the almost response to the answer you’ve been craving for 400 years isn’t. A brilliant little addition. The audience is on the edge of their seats wishing Dream would just tell Hob who he is dammit! It adds to the expectation that eventually Hob will get his name. Dream's identity reveal at this point is basically a Chekov's gun. Hob will get it, even if we don't see it happen.

Then we get the fight. There is no rambling from Hob about some Jack Constantine he knew, instead he is calmly making flirtatious jokes at Dream right in front of Lady Johanna’s salad. “I look terrible, you look worse.” The terrible drawing from 1689 is new for the show, as in the comic it is simply a description of the 1689 meeting that Johanna found. Making it a portrait instead gives the characters something to react to, and I do love how bad the caricatures are in the drawing. Though sorry Hob, but anyone can see that Dream absolutely does not look worse than you, and your teasing flirtations are kinda obvious.

The two characters share catty side eye glances in silent communication as Lady Johanna talks which indicates how close and comfortable with each other they have become by this century.

When Hob jumps up to attack the thugs, he goes for the one with the knife at Dream’s throat first. Hob gets to be an action movie star for a short moment whilst Dream looks up at him in subtle delight. It’s glorious.

AND THEN Dream ONLY makes a move once he sees Lady Johanna has her blade at Hob’s throat.

In the comic, the minute the thugs get their blades out and Lady Johanna threatens them, Dream is like nope! Magic sand! Poof!

But the show, oh the glorious, brilliant, creators on the show, decided this was going to be a “partners defending each others lives” scene. They want to protect and defend each other! They care about each other.

And then we get this:

GIF by ghorestes

Dream. Darling. Sweetheart. He may not have needed to, but you enjoyed it nevertheless.

“Clearly. Still, I didn’t want to be drinking here alone in 100 years time.”

GIF by mrskillingjoke

(Thank you to all gifmakers by the way I am kissing you on the mouth for the gifts you give us)

LOOK AT HIM. We all obsess over these little moments I know, but this is CLEAR flirtation.

If there is a better example of *eye fucking* anywhere outside of a season 4 Destiel scene I have yet to come across it.

It doesn’t even stop there. Because right after the best example of *eye fucking* I have seen since season 4 Destiel is an honest to god proposition.

Hob: "So do you want to find another pub tonight?"

Dream: "She may have told others about our meeting. It wont be safe for you."

Hob: "Im perfectly safe. I can't die remember?"

Dream: "Aye, but you can be hurt or captured. We must be careful"

Hob: “Always.”

NONE OF THIS IS IN THE COMIC.

So what new info has the show given us with this scene?

On a surface level, Hob wants more time with Dream. He wants to find another pub to continue their date.

On a subtextual level, Hob is full of adrenaline from the fight and the mystery man he’s been obsessing over for 400 years is looking at him like he wants to jump his bones. He wants to find another place so they can continue their date, and possibly fuck until the adrenaline has worn off.

On a surface level, Dream cares about Hob’s safety. He doesn’t want them being seen together together outside of the tavern to draw attention to anymore of Lady Johanna’s goons.

On a subtextual level. This is 1789 Hob and they hang men for doing what you very clearly want to do, and it’s not safe with the additional attention Lady Johanna and her goons have put onto you. If I go with you now, they could follow and find us in more compromising positions. Don’t risk it.

In the comic at this point, I would argue that Hob is still nothing more than a curiosity to Dream. He does not show him any real affection or care, and certainly doesn’t comment on his safety at any point. Whilst comic!Hob at this point is clearly itching for more info on Dream, he doesn’t ever push for it, and he is never as focused on Dream as he is talking about other people he’s met and interacted with. They are barely friends.

But by 1789 in the show, we have genuine care for each other, camaraderie, a growing friendship, and arguably sexual attraction.

The other point to note is something I only realised after answering this ask the other day. Comic!Dream has never had anyone else truly care about him enough to rescue him or come to his defence since Alianora (and he basically married her). When Hob defends Dream in the show, its so impactful to Dream because this is a version of Hob who truly cares about him enough to endanger himself (a trait comic!Hob never shows). No wonder Dream looked so pleased and acted so coy about it. He really was ready to pounce!

Basically 1789 is the turning point century. The point at which the show starts to lean heavily into homoerotic tropes and increases the tension. In this century we get:

An almost name reveal followed by an unwanted interuption

Amused side eye glances at each other sharing unspoken communication

Flirtatious jabbing over a bad drawing

Defending each other from harm

Putting themselves at risk in defence of the other

A thinly veiled proposition

Genuine concern and care from a character that never appeared to care previously

Ridiculously over the top eye fucking

All of which adds up to further the audiences investment in the continued development of this relationship whether romantically or platonically and which therefore makes the break up in 1889 even more impactful.

The analysis continues for 1889 in part 6!