#he literally lived in fucking europe before he lived here

[fae-queen54]

RANT BELOW i’ll prob delete later bc i’ll prob regret it and just wanted to get out some frustrations

anyone else’s autism make it hard on them to understand social cues only with people who act the same as you? bc like i spent most of my junior year english class talking to this guy whose super sarcastic and funny and grouchy but in a good way. and like we’d annoy each other and make ab how we aren’t friends and wish the other would skip a day or two so there would be peace and quiet. but we’d spend so much time in class talking to each other instead of doing work or ignoring each other.

the jokes however did my autism no favors bc like i want to be his friend but it feels super lame to refer to him as my friend if he doesn’t feel the same way. but i was super confused bc he’d act the same around his friends and i began thinking maybe i was taking everything to literal.

then on the literal last day of school (last day i went bc i finished my finals early) i made the comment “you’ll be happy to hear you have to see me the rest of the year. i take my last test next period” bc one walk to our separate math classes together. and we teased each other back and forth ab it bc he still had to go the rest of the week while i finished early. he made a joke saying he’d make sure i’d go the rest of the week by dragging me there himself. i told him that would be pretty hard since he didn’t know where i lived other than a general direction and he said he’d find a way. i just laughed and said “stalkerish much?” where his response is what is leaving me super confused. he said “yea i definitely don’t care that much. i only talk to you every morning in english” and i can’t fucking tell if he was also joking or being sarcastic or he was trying to say he thought we were friends. bc like he’s got other friends, esp in our english class.

now i’ve been out of school for like a week and this is literally all i can think ab in my free time. like i asked my family members ab it since it’s caused me so much confusion (for the longest time i refused to mention him outside of small pieces like “[he] wouldn’t shut up and kept poking my arm” or “[he] was snoring so loud today in class” bc last time i talked ab a boy they were convinced i had a crush). i asked my little sister(whose in no way neurotypical but is way better at understanding social cues compared to me) and she kinda made me think he was saying he thought we were friends. but then i realized my biggest mistake was talking to my meddling sister for advice. she offered to ask him when she saw him for practice later this summer and i forgot she would be a freshman next year and would be in show choir with him.

but thanks to all this and my not very good understanding of how to handle and cope with emotions i’m super confused. bc like i somehow made it through the whole school year basically trying to become his friend ig without getting his number or snap or anything and i rlly hope he doesn’t have tumblr or at least find this bc this would be all too much like the real events to be considered a coincidence in his eyes.

kinda just looking for advice bc i’ll prob see him over the summer thanks to my sister’s show choir shit and the only people i know irl that i’d go to for this didn’t help much.

[hitlikehammers]

on the radio

rating: t ♥️ cw: criminal-levels of softness, love beyond the boundaries of what it even meant to love before the spring of ‘86 ♥️ tags: established relationship, rockstar!eddie, teacher!steve, rockstar husbands, tour dates coincide with summer vacation because Eddie can't sleep without his Stevie thank you for your cooperation with this policy, soul-deep love, slice of life, softness

for @steddielovemonth day fourteen: Love is being late to work because you can’t ever say goodbye in a reasonable amount of time (@sharpbutsoft)

more codependent rockstar!husbands of the je ne regrette rien variety, you say? oh, well, I mean: I guess ♥️

Steve can fucking taste freedom, he swears.

He looks at the list of student records he needs to close out to transfer to the high school before he can pack away the last of his office and sign the hell off for the school year—and start the summer tour cycle with his husband through the Midwest, up and down the East Coast, and then they’re fucking breaking Europe, got signed on to a couple festivals, and Steve is goddamn vibrating with excitement and shit, just: are there parts of your heart that like, fit together? Like bones where they connect and shit, or is it all just one piece?

Steve thinks is more like one piece, but he is gonna go with that it’s more like stitched together or something, just so he can fucking say exactly what he feels, which is that his whole goddamn chest—heart and ribs and lungs and all the other fucking bones and shit there—all of it’s seriously bursting at the seams just with so much fucking pride, okay, because his Eddie’s goddamn made it. This dream of his isn’t just gold records; it’s a plane across an ocean to play for tens of thousands of people who don’t even all speak their language and that’s…that’s just like…

Steve’s so goddamn proud he’s split between wanting to scream about it from the top of the school and maybe sob about it with all kinds of sappy declarations peppered in as he messy-cries, so: bursting at the seams. Heart in his chest so full it’s primed to just explode like a goddamn confetti cannon.

Though time has kind of served as testament to the fact that that sensation’s less exclusively about Eddie’s music, or his success, and more just about Eddie.

Eddie, and loving him beyond the boundaries of any understanding Steve ever had about what it meant to love before the spring of ‘86.

He’s almost through the ‘V’s at the end of his alphabet of names when he notes the time—shit, he almost missed it.

He reaches for tiny radio in the corner of his desk that literally just lives there for the purpose of Eddie and the boys doing interviews on local stations every so often, and tunes it in 93.9.

…elcome to most of the infamous lords of midwestern metal, Corroded Coffin, the DJ’s introducing and good, Steve sighs and flips through his…fifth-to-last folder—just in time, he can listen to the interview the guys are squeezing in before hitting the road, then he can get home while the band’s getting their flight to the first venue in Chicago, they’ve got a couple of days there and he and Eddie are planning to look at some houses; Erica’s out of high school they’re ready to make the leap, and Steve will take the 6:10 flight and head straight to the show like the often do, it should work perfect; it’s great to have you guys back but Jeff, I gotta ask, the maybe most…colorful?

You can say obnoxious, Lenny, if anyone knows, we do, Jeff’s shooting playfully, and Steve snickers, distracted by closer folder-number-five and flipping open number-four.

I would never, the DJ gasps theatrically to laughter, and Gareth’s muted holler almost like he’s here! and then he continues on; that does open the line of inquiry, though: where’s your notorious frontman, Mr. Munson?

Steve’s hand slips on the folder; he barely catches it before it falls to the floor.

Eddie…Eddie’s not, not there?

Steve tries to talk down the adrenaline response that’s never wholly died at the idea of the love of his fucking life gone missing, and worse, the idea of something happening to him while unaccounted for: Jeff was playful. Gareth was teasing. They have to at least have known somethingabout Eddie’s absence, Steve talks down his racing heart to something just a little anxious as he listens for clues, and doesn’t have to mine little hints or anything even, it’s clear and plain:

Eddie’s got a sore throat, so like the diva he is, he’s resting it before showtime, Dougie chiming in and yeah, two points to that: one, the only reason Eddie’d have a sore throat would have been fine by sun-up, yeah, and it was, because Eddie was all sunshine and manic energy when they parted ways that morning, and then two: Steve actually knows these guys well enough to be able to tell when they’re talking out their asses.

And Doug is maybe the worst liar of the three on-air.

Steve’s chewing hard on his Bic, trying hard to keep a level head about this: if anything drastic had happened, he’d have heard, they all have his office number, they all know where he is, it would—

Steve startles when he hears rubber squeaking down the hall outside the office; as far as he knows, though, he’s the only person here—everyone else takes at least a week free from this place after classes end, but Steve has a timeline, and a flight to catch, so y’know: sacrifices must be made and whatnot.

He barely gets to turn in his chair to consider getting up to check when the culprit and his perpetually-trashed Reeboks skids to a halt in the doorway.

“Sweetheart,” Eddie beams at him, a little breathless, hair a fucking mess but smiling so big, those dimples popped so deep: shit, if Steve’s heart hadn’t been quick already, that’d fucking do the trick.

“Eddie,” Steve stands, and meets him in the middle where Eddie’s already crossing to him, kissing him immediately and hungrier than the maybe-five-hours since the saw each other really fucking merits. “What, you, why aren’t you at the station?”

Eddie’s eyes flick to the radio as he clocks the question and of all the reactions Steve could predict from him, the fake-sheepish grin with the glimmering fucking eyes?

Probably could have guessed that one.

“I forgot something.”

“You forgot something?”

“Yeah, something important,” he nods fervently and Steve frowns.

‘Babe, you could have called, I’m meeting you at the arena, I could drop it with security if needed to,” he offers, argues: but not really, and not like it fucking matters, because here Eddie is, and the boys were planning to run straight to the airport from the interview, both of which are in the city but Steve’s not, and Eddie’s gonna have to be fucking quick, here, if he doesn’t want to be late for his goddamn flight; did he already swing by the house for whatever it is he needs, it—

“Nope,” Eddie pops the denial like a bubble; “can’t leave it with security.”

Steve squints at him, because now it’s a puzzle. Now it’s Eddie being…kind of a little shit.

And Steve doesn’t even begrudge him the momentary panic before; he’s too adorable. Steve’s too fucking in love.

And now he’s curious.

“You kissed me goodbye.”

“Oh, always,” Eddies almost offended by the suggestion he could have forgotten that. As in: ever.

“Said you loved me.”

“Bigger than the universe,” Eddie says exactly what he came up with that morning, like he does every morning, some new outlandish way to describe the scope of his affections and Steve rolls his eyes but eats it up every fucking time; “and the universe is always expanding so I love you bigger than what it’s expanded to since this morning, too.”

Steve can’t help but kiss him for that, because; well.

Because.

“What the hell else then?” Steve asks, because Eddie has a fucking timeline here and then his husband’s grin stretches slow, and sly, and then he’s drawing Steve in, and kissing him deep, licking as far as he can reach and wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist tight, knocking him a little off balance by design and Steve goes with it, because he fucking loves it, and then—

“Goddamnit, Edward,” Steve growls between them into Eddie’s shit-eating fucking grin as he smacks Steve’s ass, again, and keeps his hand there to squeeze while he pecks at Steve’s lips with feeling.

“It’s good luck, baby, for the journey!” Eddie protests between kisses. “It would curse the whole shebang if I left without showing the appreciation duly accorded to a goddamn masterpiece,” and then he leans in and goes deep one more time, draws a moan out and drags it slow from Steve’s lips before breaking away to declare emphatically:

“Unthinkable.”

And Steve…Steve fucking loves this man bigger than the whole expanding fucking universe or whatever, so he kisses him back until Eddie’s the one moaning, then pushes him away, kinda hard.

“Get out of here, you fucking lunatic,” but then he’s quick to drag Eddie back for one last kiss to mouth against him: “have a safe flight, I’ll see you tonight.”

And Eddie smiles against him, and makes to actually listen, but.

Not before Steve slaps that ass as it makes its way out the door.

Turnabout’s fair play.

Or whatever.

tag list (comment to be added): @pearynice @hbyrde36 @slashify @finntheehumaneater @wxrmland @dreamwatch @perseus-notjackson

♥️

divider credit here

[alcestas-sloboda]

The last time I was genuinely happy was in the summer of 2021.

My grandad called me and told me to come outside so he could buy me some ice cream. We stood there discussing what I was planning to do in Odesa, and he joked about our grandmother being a hard woman to live with, but we loved her nonetheless. Five days later, I would lose him. Six months later, the full-scale invasion would start. Nothing would ever be the same again.

That could've been you in Bucha, you know that? they didn’t choose who to kill, they killed everyone on their path? Your luck, then, that you were born in the western part of the country. The only thing you lost are your childhood memories of Crimea, Melitopol, and Zatoka, not your home. But the war continues: your flat could still become the final destination of a hypersonic missile. Don't forget it. Hopefully, you won't hear the siren that night and will die in your sleep. Hopefully, they will find the remains. Hopefully, it will be the entire family, so you won't suffer without each other. Because at the end of the day, your death would mean nothing but pain for your loved ones. The world will keep on spinning; missile parts will be sent to Russia. People will still pity the Russians, but they won't pity you or your family.

Suddenly, you realize that you no longer believe in what you believed before. Do you believe in something good? Well, your small, naive inner child is still alive then. Barely. What? You thought those institutions were meant to maintain peace? That's funny. Probably, that peace is more needed in expensive restaurants hundreds of kilometers away from the frontline.

I genuinely don't know why I'm writing this post again. Is it to be seen by the same 10 people? I know they feel the same. We just sit here together, slowly going mad, hoping someone will finally react. Maybe someone who reblogs your fandom post will find some sympathy. But sympathy is not what I need; I want to be heard.

Fuck you watched "Don't Look Up" with an ironic smile on your lips. And now, you are the main character.

All of you here preach about giving voice to the oppressed, but are you really doing it? The moment you become uncomfortable, it suddenly becomes not your business - "keep ___ out of politics." God, I would've loved that. I would've loved to not know anything. Not to know the names of military equipment. Not to understand that your life can literally depend on the presidential election in a completely different country.

I'm so tired of fighting for my right to be heard. I'm so tired of having to prove my right to live, to speak my own language. "Your country doesn't exist," "Your language is artificial; speak human (Russian)." Don't be too emotional. Don't hate Russians. Don't wish them anything bad. Don't open your mouth. Don't call out organizations. Just shut the fuck up or die.

No one will care if the biggest country in Europe disappears. No one will care if millions die. If your culture will finally be dealt with, if Russia will finally succeed in doing so. A thousand years of history can burn down in just one night. No one will bat an eye.

The world will keep on spinning.

[inchidentally]

Crown Prince Lando AU idea based entirely on his appearance today in Italy for his trophy and Lawrence writing about how every team is courting Lando

okay so I wrote this rly fast on the work laptop and you have to just ignore the weird interpretations of how royalty and inheritance etc works. and completely fucking with how things went down in F1 history. it's an absolute mess and possibly unreadable but I literally couldn't stop myself.

if you're a fic author then pleaaaaase have a look and see if you can take this and actually make anything out of it even if it needs a lot of changes.

Crown Prince Lando has been fought over by nations since he was seventeen years old. His parents had retired from royal duties to live quietly in the countryside but a series of deaths and lack of heirs resulted in Lando living most of his life being prepared for ascension to the throne. His parents did as good a job as they could to keep Lando humble and "normal" while having to live a kind of sequestered monastic existence.

As he grew so did his future subjects' love and adoration of him. They loved his humor and his cheeky treatment of the solemn institution surrounding him. As he grew into being a beauty the country took endless pride in him and watched his exploits as a touring royal closely.

Fernando Alonso was the first to pledge his troth to Prince Lando because he could see the promise in Lando of one day becoming a truly beloved ruler - a quality he himself had found wanting in his own slow gathering of power. However he was persuaded early on by his advisers and Lando's parents to withdraw due to his 'already advanced age'. Lando's debut at court was postponed by his parents to prevent any other establishment attempting to lay their claim before Lando felt comfortable and ready.

The powerful Sainz Vázquez de Castro family swooped in next and arranged a series of public meetings between Prince Lando and their wicked (meaning "experienced") and devastatingly handsome son Carlos Jr. His charisma and dark eyes charmed Prince Lando immediately and a wedding date was set for the following year. Lando's debut at court was hastily arranged to happen mere days prior. Probably should insert something here about Lando being made to live this period of life in a guarded tower and attendants being present whenever he was with Carlos because chastity being required for marriage. And the only way to keep Carlos' dick out of Lando was the threat of a priest's guard cutting it off. But lbr they manage to sneak around well enough to do everything else.

Unfortunately the royal courts of Europe were shaken by a quick series of upsets: Sovereign Prince Lorenzo of Monaco abdicated the throne in search of a quieter life - his heart had never been in it since his father, the former sovereign, had become ill and abdicated. This left Lorenzo's unwed brother Charles to be hastily crowned Prince Regent at the tender age of 22 (and unable to become sovereign himself due to being a second son, again my weird rules). As a result Charles suffered the loss of his long-time suitor, nobleman Sebastian Vettel, who couldn't bear the thought of being sovereign let alone of a land that wasn't even his own.

Enter the Sainz Vázquez de Castro elders siezing the opportunity and negotiating a deal with Monaco in private conclave with the Papal State (??) to wed their son Carlos to the Prince Regent. Carlos is ashamed at giving in to the temptation… to not just be King Consort but to be Sovereign Prince, to rule over the vast wealth of Monaco and by extension the Holy See, to have the coveted beauty Charles in his bed. So he agrees to be spirited away to Monaco and the ugly business of dissolving his betrothal to Lando is left to members of church and state.

But Carlos experiences a complete conversion when Charles is on his knees in the cathedral - looking up at him with docile green eyes as Carlos' fingertips touch the warm red roses of Charles' lips as he holds the chalice of holy wine for Charles to drink. Carlos was almost hard beneath the ermine and velvet robes in a house of God when the crown was on his head and Charles next to him - and slightly below - smiling up at him with filaments of gold hanging from pendants on his chaplet, framing his achingly beautiful face. If Carlos feels his immense happiness and prosperity darken whenever he sees Lando's picture or encounters him at one of the courts then no one need know.

Prince Lando is of course too heartbroken to consider other suitors and his court is demoralized by their own failure to seal his future. Only brash American tycoon Zak Brown keeps the faith that Lando's appeal as he grows will land him a better match than any Euro old money looking to aggrandize themselves and take advantage of Lando's youth to displace his rightful future as King.

A stroke of genius is the arrival of commoner Daniel Ricciardo whose rise up the ranks of society has hit more than a few speedbumps over the years. He's in the perfect position to act as placeholder and a sort of 'playmate' for the young Prince Regent. Daniel does the job of squiring Lando around and cheering him up beautifully. So beautifully that Daniel begins to see in his charge's wide eyes a future that he had only ever let himself dream of before. He begins to publicly push the boundaries of propriety with Lando like holding hands, embracing him from behind, dancing scandalously close together. The dam begins to break when Daniel opens a public social media account and begins posting adoring and fairly intimate videos of Lando that prove to be a massive hit with the public… and that fan rumours of the Crown Prince breaking with tradition and marrying a commoner.

Exeunt Daniel Ricciardo.

(Yes I know this isn't remotely his role but go with it) Newly appointed Lord Chancellor Andrea Stella proposes that only a candidate the same age as Lando - or ideally younger - should be considered to ensure that his claim to the throne be safeguarded. Because Lando hasn't spent the intervening years doing nothing but swooning over a succession of suitors, he's perfected his role and learned his court and won over the hearts of his people. He's effected harmonious relations with rival kingdoms seemingly effortlessly. The royal coffers have never been so full and trade is booming. Lando and his court all know that Lando could easily rule alone. But the fire that the now King of Monaco had lit inside him refused to go out. It begged to be fueled and to burn brighter.

Then one day Andrea hears a murmur of controversy happening in the middling levels of the aristocracy. The scoundrel Alonso had construed a match between one Oscar Piastri and Frenchman Esteban Ocon as a means of effecting his (Alonso's) escape and aggrandizing the Alpine dynasty. There were further details about a drama between Ocon and countryman Pierre Gasley but all that interested Andrea was that young Piastri had ordered a direct pronouncement be made against the match and any further association with Alpine. He had already rejected the opportunity of being presented at court and clearly had plans for his own future that would not depend on the protection or condescension of any other power but his own.

Imagine Andrea's surprise when Zak Brown announces at the next privy council meeting that preliminary arrangements had been made with young Piastri to be the Crown Prince's companion for the following season. A pretense at Piastri having an interest in royal politics was to be given to everyone, including Piastri himself. But Andrea and Zak shared a knowing look across the mote-stained light straining through the high windows of the old chamber. The Crown Prince barely even hears the details as he wearily signs off on the public notice along with the other endless papers at his elbow. He doesn't even dream that a wildcard is being played for his future happiness.

The eldest son of the prominent and noble Piastri family from Tuscany is suitably beautiful with the characteristic straight brow, fine pale features and soulful deep amber eyes of his people. He is tall and still growing with an effortless regal bearing despite his youth. The first few meetings between him and the Crown Prince are cordial and with a promising warmth. Andrea is encouraged by the pink that rises high on Piastri's pale cheeks whenever he shares smiles with Lando but he's even more encouraged by the steady intensity of his gaze when Lando isn't looking.

For the first few months, Piastri remains a faithful but distant part of Lando's royal retinue. They interact often enough and clearly like each other. But it also comes at a time of unrest in Lando's kingdom as a result of the ascension of an ambitious and possibly ruthless young King in the Netherlands. Lando proposes a visit to Castle Toro Rosso and asks Piastri to accompany them due to the Italian affiliation with the Dutch royal house. Something about Piastri's calm and quiet confidence helps stabilize Lando and he needs all the support he can get.

The visit is strained and the Dutch court is intimidating - and rather grating - in it's brash opulence and show of dominance. The young King is more of a mystery, seeming cold and aloof but flashing a wry smile at Lando's well-known charm and humor. The tide turns entirely in Lando's favor at the tourney. Lando has been barred from jousting following his formal presentation as crown prince due to some finicky archaic British law and it eats away at it him to have to sit and watch while the Dutch King was allowed to ride for himself. More than once Lando moodily pushes at the circlet that keeps slipping over his curls and can feel himself being increasingly bratty and short with his attendants.

Piastri was already reknowned for his prowess in jousting and was automatically given the seat to represent the Crown Prince. When he appeared mounted on a blood bay charger that gleamed almost golden and black in the hot sun (MCL colors kinda??) Lando has A Moment when Piastri tips his visor open and addresses him formally and those intense brown eyes behind the cold armor make him look so much older. Lando causes a stir when he descends from his seat and gives Piastri his favor in the form of a ribbon from one of his full sleeves. They have one of Those Looks between each other before Piastri turns to take his place. He bests every one of his opponents and isn't unseated once.

Then the Dutch King Max Emilian appears and strangely shuns any pageantry associated with a knight's entry, let alone a king's. His Lady sits in his place flanked by both her own and the King's powerful families and court. Lando finds himself suddenly flooded with fear because what would happen if Oscar lost? What would happen if Oscar won? When had he become 'Oscah' and not just Piastri?

The collision unseats both King Max Emilian and Oscar and they draw swords. The fight is precise and clinical and breathtaking. Perhaps it was because of having more to lose or perhaps it was the press of the Crown Prince's lips against the silk ribbon he gave as tribute but Oscar suddenly anticipates a step too far ahead for the young King and a unified gasp is heard when Max Emilian's body hits the dirt. It's instinct that has Oscar's sword held at the King's throat. But when Max Emilian throws his visor back his bloodied mouth is stretched in a wide toothy grin. He barks out a series of high cackles and ceremonially begs mercy. Oscar breathes out in a rush and claps his armored hand around the King's and helps him to his feet. Max Emilian flicks Oscar's visor open for him and lifts his hand declaring Oscar's well-earned victory. Lando forgets himself and leaps up yelling and cheering as his court smiles ruefully over at the stiff, formal "celebrations" coming from the stands opposite.

Holy god I've written way more than I meant to but let's have it finish off with Lando whispering to gain access to the tent where Oscar is undressing and cleaning his wounds. Perhaps his armor has been removed down to the hips the way driver's drop their race suits down after a race. Oscar startles when he sees Lando alone with him and rushes to kneel to him. Maybe Lando puts his hand under Oscar's chin and tells him to rise up and oh maybe seeing Oscar sweaty and dirtied with a cut to one cheek and a few bruises on his body makes him forget himself. Maybe he surges up and kisses Oscar and maybe Oscar is shocked but also feels exactly the same way and kisses him right back. Then probably Oscar decides to make his boldest move yet and says that if Lando doesn't want him then he'll quietly go away - but if Lando does want him then Oscar would welcome the title King Consort, would be proud of it in fact to be in service a king like Lando one day.

Then Lando either passes out because he's been in blue ball hell since Carlos and years worth of arousal hit him all at once or maybe he just whimpers a little and starts wondering how fast a royal wedding can get planned so he can Get That Dick ASAP.

Fin.

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 27

Eminem x FemReader Fanfiction

Summary : Reader reunites with Em in Amsterdam, six months after their breakup.

Tags : Fluff - SMUT

MARSHALL’S POV 

He couldn’t take his eyes off Y/N. He couldn’t believe she was here, that it was actually her, standing in front of him. She was smiling, looking shy. 

Hey, she whispered softly. Happy birthday. 

Unable to reply, he immediately pulled her in a warm embrace, engulfing her in his arms. He needed to touch her, to make sure it was real and he wasn’t hallucinating. He held her tight and her face was buried in his chest that was still damp from the shower. 

Is this real ? He whispered, his eyes closed. 

Very real, she said softly. 

Fuck. 

He felt a tear roll down his cheeks. It was more emotions than what he could handle : touring for the first time in ages, performing and connecting with the fans, his daughters flying to Europe to surprise him for his birthday and now, Y/N. He had dreamed of this moment for six months, of the time he would finally get to see her. He wanted to fly to Paris to see her after the tour. There was no way he could be on the same continent and not try to see her in person. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not but he had to try. But obviously, she had beaten him to it and she was here. Actually in his arms, her skin against his. For the first time in six months, he felt able to breathe. She looked up and stared at him with watery eyes. 

Sorry, he said as he wiped the tears from his cheek. 

Is this ok ? She asked as she caressed his cheek with her hand. 

Yes, he said as he closed his eyes. 

He thought her touch would wake him up from a dream or that, perhaps, he would pass out. But it didn’t happen. He was just met with her soft touch, the sensation bringing him to his knees in a literal sense. He dropped to his knees and held her tighter than ever. In six months, she had gotten even tinier and it felt like he was holding a small doll. He heard people come in the corridor and he suddenly became very aware that he was half-naked, just out of the shower. He got up and pulled her in the dressing room before closing the door. 

You’re actually here, he said in disbelief. What… I mean… How ? 

Your daughters flew me in, she said with a smile. Happy birthday. 

His eyes opened wide. His daughters had arranged for Y/N to come for his birthday ? Even Hailie ? It was the greatest present ever. Suddenly, his faith in God and whatever birthday genie that granted wishes was renewed. Not to mention his gratefulness for Hailie, Alaina and Stevie. 

I don’t know what to say, he said, still amazed that Y/N was here. 

I do, she said shyly. Marshall, I… I am so sorry that I left. I ruined everything and I am sorry that I put you through hell. And I’m here because… Well because Hailie can be really scary and convincing, but mostly because I love you and I cannot live without you. In the last six months, I have learned that I can stay sober through a lot of things, but one thing I cannot do is stay away from you. I need you, Marshall, because I think you might be the love of my life. 

Once again, he found himself speechless. The only thing he was able to do was to pull her in for a deep kiss, holding her tight. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. He needed to make sure she was here. She kissed him back with passion. He firmly grabbed her and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the couch. She was straddling his lap as he kept on kissing her. 

I love you, he whispered. God, I missed you so much. 

I missed you too. 

He ran his fingers through her hair and admired her lovely smile. The same smile that had haunted his dreams ever since he had last seen her. They intertwined their fingers, kissing again and again. He was usually spent after each show, but he felt more energetic than ever. 

Did you watch the show ? He asked. 

I did, she said with a smile. God, you were incredible. No wonder why you have so many groupies. 

None of them matter, he chuckled. You are everything, right now. 

I’m yours, she replied softly. If you want me, of course. 

Of course I want you, he said as he pulled her closer. I will never not want you. I love you so much. 

He kissed her softly and stroked her cheek. 

Are you sure, though ? He asked nervously. I don’t want to deprive you of anything… 

I am, she said. I’ve done a lot of thinking and… Even though I’m a sucker for the white, picket-fence, cliché thing… You’re the one thing I cannot sacrifice. I think that what I want more than anything is stability and safety. You’re my safe space, Marshall. You. Yourself. And this means more to me than anything else. 

I love you, he said. 

They spent a while cuddling, hugging and kissing as they caught up on each other’s life. He told her about the album reception and the tour and how it was the only thing that had prevented him from drowning in the past six months. 

I’m not myself when I’m away from you, he said. If it wasn’t for my girls and music, I would have gone crazy. I hate to admit it but… For the first 6 weeks after you left, I was a vegetable. I barely slept, barely ate, barely showered… 

I’m so sorry, she said sheepishly. I never meant to hurt you… 

I know, he said softly. I got better. I had Jamal and Talia take care of me. I stayed at their place for a few weeks after you left. Talia basically force-fed me. 

They didn’t mention that, she said as she squinted. 

I told them not to, he shrugged. But yeah, I owe them a lot. 

So do I, she said. They’re the best. And I am so thankful that they took care of you. I just want you to be happy. 

I’m alright, he said with a smile. Much better now that you’re here, obviously. 

He kissed her forehead. Having her in his arms felt like everything was alright in the world. She was his medicine, the answer to his prayers. In this instant, he made a secret vow to himself. Whatever it took, he would never, ever let her go. As they cuddled some more, she told him about her life in Paris and how depressed she’d been. His heart sank as she talked about the dark thoughts she had, how tempted to use again she’d been. But thankfully, she had managed to stay sober. This made him proud and impressed. In the same situation, as early in her journey, it was almost a miracle. Or at least, he wouldn’t have been able to prevent himself, had the shoe been on the other foot. He looked at her with love and admiration. 

You’re so strong, he praised her. You can be proud of yourself. 

It’s only because I thought of you. You kept me sane, she said softly as she pointed to the sobriety pendant. It’s the thought of you that kept me safe. 

I love you, he said emotionally. 

Knowing that she had never stopped thinking about him gave him peace of mind. In the six months they’d been apart, he had imagined her with other men countless times. He imagined her being courted by every motherfucker in Paris. He thought that, in no time, she would forget about him. Thankfully, he was wrong. She remained his. He whispered sweet words in her ear as he stroked her hair. There was no way he would ever get enough of this. Time seemed to have stopped. However, they were disturbed by a knock on the door. 

Marshall ? He heard Paul’s voice say. Time to go back to the hotel. 

Coming, he said. Give me a minute, I’ll meet you in the car. 

He kissed Y/N one last time, his forehead resting against hers. 

Do you have plans for tonight ? He asked. 

You’re the plan, she said with a giggle. I have a room on the same floor as you, in case you want me out of your hair, though. 

No way, he chuckled. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Everyone’s having dinner in my suite. What do you think ? Do you want to join ? 

Sure, she said. It’s your birthday after all. We can do whatever you want. 

One word of you, though, and I’m kicking everyone out, he said. 

It’s your birthday, Marshall. You should celebrate. 

I already celebrated with the girls this morning, he shrugged. And I have the most amazing present right here. I don’t care about the rest. For all I care, we can ditch the whole thing. 

I’m fine as long as I’m with you, she said. 

So you’re staying with me ? He asked. 

As long as you want me to, yes. 

Forever, then. 

He kissed her and got up in order to find a tee-shirt and a hoodie. He was on cloud nine. He usually had the biggest endorphin release after a show but this time, it was even bigger. As soon as he was ready, he got his things and grabbed his girl by the hand as they headed to the car. Everyone was waiting for them next to the cars that would take them to the hotel. He spotted his daughters and gently let go of Y/N to go and hug them. 

Happy birthday, Dad, Hailie said with a smile. 

Did you enjoy your present ? Alaina asked with a huge grin. It was either that or a tie… 

You’re absolutely incredible, he told them. I don’t deserve such amazing daughters. 

Of course you do. You’re the best Dad, Stevie said. 

I love you, je chuckled. Thank you so much. 

We love you too, Hailie replied. 

He chuckled and grabbed Y/N’s hand again. At that moment, it didn’t matter that the whole crew was watching them. For all he cared, they could snap pictures and sell them to the press, nothing could keep him from her. Everyone got into the cars. He rode to the hotel with Paul, Y/N and his daughters. His daughters were talking as he simply enjoyed Y/N’s presence next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder as their fingers were still intertwined. He caught Paul staring. 

You could have told me, his manager said with a smile. 

Well, Paul, there’s a shit ton you don’t know about, Marshall replied with a grin. 

Good to see you again, Y/N, Paul said politely. 

You too, Paul, she smiled shyly. 

He shook his head and chuckled. Paul had never failed to show his disapproval of Y/N, especially from the time they were photographed together. On a number of occasions, he had also voiced his concerns about her suddenly coming into his life and taking a lot of space. It was probably his job, as manager, but Marshall did not care one bit. Paul would have to find a way to be ok with Y/N, because she was here to stay. 

When they met everyone back at the hotel, he introduced Y/N to everyone. Obviously, there were a lot of people on the team she had not met yet. She made small talk but she was obviously shy. Knowing her, he didn’t expect otherwise. He gently stroked her back, trying to put her at ease. She seemed a little starstruck by Skylar. He knew she liked her music. 

She doesn’t bite, he said softly. 

But she’s such a star, she whispered. I can’t be normal ! 

So you knew her music but not mine ? He asked, falsely offended. 

Shut it, she said as she playfully rolled her eyes. It’s been a year and a half. I know all about your music now. 

You’re even in it, he chuckled. 

I still can’t believe it, she said. And it’s a track with Skylar Grey ! 

He chuckled and kissed her hair. She was absolutely adorable. He was happy she liked the track, too. He had put his heart and soul in it, it was raw and intimate and it was by far his favorite one on the album. It seemed to be a fan favorite, too. 

So I finally get to meet Marshall’s girl, Skylar said as she sat next to them. Hi, I’m Skylar by the way. 

Hi, I’m Y/N. I don’t want to be weird or anything, but I have to say I’m a big fan of your work. 

You’re adorable, Skylar replied. Dude, how come you never told me you had a girlfriend ? 

I have my secrets, he said in an enigmatic voice - of course he was not about to spill the details about their relationship. 

Did you enjoy the show ? Skylar asked Y/N. 

It was amazing, Y/N said softly. It was my first time seeing him perform. You were incredible, too. Especially for Track 12. 

First time hearing your song live, he chuckled. 

Wait, you’re the muse ? Skylar asked in excitement. 

Shit, he had said too much. 

Well, I-I don’t know about that, Y/N said awkwardly. 

Don’t worry, I don’t mean to pry, Skylar chuckled. But seeing as he’s been a tyrant about this song, I was wondering who else was to blame. 

A tyrant ? Y/N mused. 

Oh yes, Skylar giggled. We recorded it at the last minute. I’d heard that the album was done, but I got a call from Marshall in the middle of the night, asking if I could be in the studio in Detroit the next day. I was about to tell him to go fuck himself, but he sent the lyrics via text and, when I read them, I knew I had to get on this, so I hopped in a plane. He was an ass in the studio because he had a very specific idea of how he wanted it to sound, but I’m happy with how it turned out. 

That’s amazing, Y/N said. I thought you had written some of it, too. 

Not a word. He wouldn’t let me make a single suggestion. It’s very unlike him, you know ? He usually lets me pitch a few ideas, but this time, it was all him. 

Well… Me and you, Y/N, he said with a wink. 

She blushed and he smiled as he kissed her temple, momentarily forgetting that other people were around. Obviously, his friends didn’t wait long before pointing out his unusual public display of affection. 

Is that what turning 52 does to you, Em ? Porter chuckled. 

Shut up, man, he said as he rolled his eyes. It’s my birthday, I’ll do whatever the fuck I want. 

Whatever dude, his friend said. It’s great to have our Y/N back. I’m happy for y’all. 

I missed you too, Porter, she said with a smile. 

They enjoyed dinner and conversation in the suite for a while and some of the team decided to go for drinks to celebrate the end of the tour. They had planned on staying in Amsterdam a couple more days in order to rest and enjoy the city. At some point, he was left with Y/N and his daughters, chatting and resting in the living room area. He kept the PDA to a minimum with his kids around, but he was still mindlessly playing with her fingers as she was talking to Stevie. 

We should let the two of you enjoy your evening, Hailie said with a smile. See you tomorrow ? 

Sure, he said. What’s the plan ? 

Well we were planning on doing some shopping and visiting museums while you rest and enjoy with your girlfriend, Alaina said. Of course, the two of you are most welcome to join. 

You should do it, Y/N told him. I’ll stay at the hotel and let you enjoy it. 

You can come too, Y/N, Hailie said. 

Are you sure ? 

Well, we did have you come all this way, his daughter said with a smile. But whatever the two of you decide to do, you just have to be at the hotel’s restaurant tomorrow at 7PM sharp. 

Why ? He asked. 

Because it’s your birthday, Dad, Alaina said. Y/N, we’re counting on you. And please make sure he wears something decent. It’s your job now. 

Everyone chuckled and he rolled his eyes. He hugged his daughters and thanked them again for the surprise. He was left alone with his beautiful girlfriend. She looked a bit tired. 

Are you alright, beautiful ? He asked. 

Yes, she said shyly. It’s a lot of emotions, that’s all. 

Agreed, he chuckled. Now, how about we go to bed ? Let me cuddle the shit out of you, alright ? 

Sure, she said softly. I’ll go to my room and get my things. 

She left the room and, after a few minutes, he was overcome with anxiety. What if she didn’t come back ? He was staring nervously at the door for what seemed like ages. Thankfully, she came back after a while, looking somewhat troubled. 

Are you sure you’re alright ? He asked. 

Yeah, she said. I’m sorry, I think I’m just a little overwhelmed. 

What’s wrong ? He asked as he took her hand. 

I’m just awfully nervous, she said. I mean… It’s you, you know ? I’m so happy to be here and to be with you but my brain can’t quite process the fact that it’s real. And there were a lot of emotions. I mean, I saw you on stage, and the song, and seeing everyone again after so long… 

Come here, he said as he took her in his arms. I’m so thankful that you are here. And there’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s just me. You know I don’t bite. Well… Unless you want me to, that is. 

She giggled and shook her head. 

I think we just need to process, he said softly. How about we start with a warm shower ? 

Ok, she said shyly. 

He led her to the bathroom and he undressed while she stood there. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

Don’t you want to get in ? He asked. 

Yes, she said. It’s just that… uhm… 

What is it ? 

I’m going to be naked, she pointed out. 

Well, yeah, he chuckled. So ? We don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, you know ? 

No, I want to, it’s just… You haven’t seen me naked in a long time. And my body has changed a little. And… I’m shy, she said as she ducked her head down. 

My body’s changed too, he said. But no matter how much your body has changed, I still think you are gorgeous. I won’t stare if you don’t want me to. If you want, we can even shower in the dark. I don’t care, really. I just want you close. 

She nodded and slowly undressed herself. He tried hard not to look, even though he definitely wanted to. She got in the shower and he turned on the water before taking her in his arms. Being skin to skin with her for the first time in forever was absolutely amazing. Clearly, he was meant to be with her. It was the only explanation for how good it felt. Hot water was pouring over their bodies, as they embraced in contentment. They lovingly washed each other and he got to enjoy every inch of her skin, taking his time. He was in love with all of her and he wanted nothing but to take care of her for the rest of his days. When they were done, he wrapped her in a robe and hugged her. 

How do you feel, my love ? He asked. Better ? 

Yes, she nodded. So much better. 

I’m glad, he said. Now, bed ? 

She nodded and went to put her PJs on. He couldn’t help but think it was a shame. He would greatly enjoy being skin to skin with her. Plus, if she was cold, he would gladly warm her up... However, he understood that she was a bit nervous and self-conscious, so he didn’t want to rush her. He put on a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt and they got into bed. They laid next to each other in silence. He found himself nervous, not knowing if it was him or if her nerves were rubbing off on him. Perhaps it was also the fact that he had gotten used to sleeping alone again. He hadn’t been this nervous in bed since his first time sleeping with Kim, more than thirty-five years ago. 

I’m so glad you’re here, he said softly. 

Me too, she replied. Can I come in your arms ? 

Of course, baby, he said with a smile. Come here. 

She curled up next to him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying her presence. 

It feels like I’m home now, she whispered. 

So am I, he whispered back. I can’t believe how lucky I am. You’re my girlfriend again. 

I am, she chuckled softly. I can’t believe we’re public, too… 

Shit, he said as he suddenly realized. I’m so sorry… I didn’t even think twice. I didn’t even ask you if it was ok. Fuck. I’m so sorr-

It’s fine, she giggled. I meant what I said. You’re the love of my life, so I don’t care who knows about us or not. I’m proud to be your girlfriend. 

And I’m so proud to be your boyfriend, he said. You have no idea. 

Are you ? She mused. 

Of course. I’m in awe of you and everything you do, he said. You’re a fucking doctor. And you’ve come so far with your sobriety. And you’re here. And the fact that you exist, being as beautiful inside and out, is proof that there is a God and that he is good. Your existence is as marvelous as the galaxy and you are as amazing as the stars. 

Oh my God, she whispered. That’s the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever said to me. 

She kissed him. At first, it was soft, but as seconds went by, it became more passionate. He was kissing her bruisingly, hungrily. He gently put a hand underneath her tee-shirt, stroking her back. He needed to feel her skin, to touch her. He needed her. 

Let me show you how amazing you are, he whispered. Let me make love to you. 

Ok, she whispered shyly. 

He took his time undressing her and caressing her body, getting acquainted with it again. She had gotten skinnier but she was just as beautiful. He kissed every inch of her, worshiping the goddess that she was. He kissed her passionately as he positioned himself at her entrance, ready to make her his again. 

Wait, she said suddenly. Do you have condoms ? 

Shit, he said. No. I’m clean, though. Are you ? 

Yes, she said. But I stopped taking the pill a while ago. 

Fuck, he groaned in frustration. 

I’m sorry, she said sheepishly. 

It’s fine, he said. I can wait. 

Hold on, she said softly. 

She took him by surprise by pulling his arm and had him lay on the bed as she straddled him. They were rubbing against each other as she explored his body with her hands. She was running her hands across his chest, gently scratching it. He wasn’t actually in her but the sensation of intimacy was incredible. He gently massaged her small breasts, teasing her nipples just the way she liked, causing her to moan. She was rocking her hips, rubbing against him. He was rock hard and, if she kept on going, he might very well come this way. She started kissing him, from his neck to his chest, to his hips, to his shaft. She gently stroked him, looking at him in the eyes while doing so. He was mesmerized by the vision of her going down on him. Six months without her touch was too much. Nothing else compared. She slowly started licking him, taking her time. His hand was lost in her hair while he was completely dazed. Maybe it was the emotions of the day, the fatigue of the show, his undying love for her or the fact that she gave blowjobs like no one else, but nothing had ever felt this good. He gasped as she took all of him in her mouth and started sucking. 

I’m not going to last long, baby… 

Come for me, she said softly. I love you. 

As soon as the words left her lips, he could not control himself. He came all over her pretty face and chest. The sight of his cum on her was extremely hot. Still, he felt a little bad. 

Shit, I’m sorry ! 

It’s fine, she giggled. 

She playfully took some of the cum on her chest on her finger and started licking it. He didn’t know he could be so aroused by this sight, but it drove him absolutely crazy. He pulled her on the mattress and kissed her passionately. She was incredibly hot and he needed to make her his, one way or another. He wanted nothing more than to make her scream his name. He pulled her to the edge of the bed and kneeled between her legs. He kissed the inside of her thighs, asking for permission to go further. He could feel how damp she was. He had missed her scent, the softness of her thighs… He couldn’t resist placing a bite on the inside, causing her to gasp. He chuckled and started licking her, relishing in her taste he had missed so much. He may have had a slice of cake at dinner, but she was the real dessert. Her moans were music to his ears and they only got deeper as he slid a finger inside her. Seeing how wet she was, he immediately added another one. To be fair, he could probably fit two more. He was fingering her as he sucked on her clit, encouraged by her noises. Her thighs were wrapped around his neck, preventing him from going anywhere. Not that he wanted to, anyway. He could feel that she was on edge. He worked his tongue even faster, giving it all he had until she exploded, coming all over his face and chest while she screamed his name. He had to forcefully spread her legs to finally be able to get some air. He chuckled as he saw her face. She looked almost shocked. 

You alright, babe ? he chuckled. 

God you’re incredible, she whispered as her head hit the pillow. 

So I still got it ? He asked with a smirk. 

You know you do, she giggled. 

I love it when you scream my name, baby, he said with a hint of pride. You’re mine. 

Yours, she said softly. 

He kissed her forehead and took her in his arms. Both of them were sweaty and messy but he couldn’t care less. She was his. He kissed her gently. 

Don’t, she groaned. I think I still have cum all over my face. 

I don’t care, he chuckled. You could be covered in dirt, it wouldn’t prevent me from kissing you. 

Mmmmh. Still. I don’t want to be messy.

God you’re such a princess, he said as he playfully rolled his eyes. Come on, let’s take a bath. 

He went to the bathroom and drew a bath, adding some epsom salts he usually used to recover from shows. With time, he had built his own routine to make it easier on his body. It also worked wonders for post-sex baths. She joined him, looking all disheveled, causing him to chuckle. He engulfed her in a hug and kissed her hair. 

I missed this, he hummed. 

The sex ? 

No, he chuckled. I mean, yes, obviously, but I meant I missed your post-sex face. 

I missed you so much, she whispered. 

You won’t miss me anymore, he said with a smile. Because I’m going to make sure we’ll never be apart again. 

They got in the bath and he sighed in pleasure. Before her, he hated aftercare, but he had obviously missed this. Bathing and showering with her had become one of his favorite activities in the world. Not necessarily because they could have sex, but because he truly enjoyed their intimacy. He gently cleaned her and massaged her back as they soaked in the water. 

Thank you for taking care of me, she whispered dreamily as she nuzzled his neck. 

From now on, I swear, I will spend my life taking care of you, he said softly. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I’m not letting you go ever again.

[burnt-scone]

Oh no, seeing the traumatized and injured people of Gaza makes you uncomfy?

We can't have almost 60, if not more, family trees being wiped from existence, making you uncomfortable. No, we can't have that. Those bloodlines, generations burned off the face of the planet, how rude of of people lifting their voices, because you feel bad.

Here, let me fluff your pillows in your nice, warm, and safe bed. Do you need a snack, a glass of clean water. Poor you. You must be so uncomfortable hearing about all those people who are now the last person in their family, the last person who lived on their block. The children, all alone, hurt and scared. They understand horrors you couldn't even handle the sight of through a screen. Must be so upsetting to look that 6 year old in the eye as all he wants is his mommy and daddy back.

Poor fucking you. I hope you're uncomfortable. That's a good thing. That's that crumb of empathy deep down in your empty soul. It hurts for the people in Gaza even though you don't want to because you ride the dicks of propaganda. You fear picking up a fucking history book.

And no, it's not antisemitic to be against a corrupt government funded by other historically corrupt governments. It's not antisemitic to be against Genocides. Stop trying to weaponize morality.

"Oh, (Palestinians) are everything anti-(Jews/Israel), we should get rid of them. They're not even human. In the name of G/d, we should eradicate them. They brought it on themselves."

Now, isn't that argument familiar? Replace "Palestinians" with "Jew" and "Jews/Israel" with Germany or literally Europe. That was the argument Hitler made. He convinced Germany and the church to start the Holocaust. He claimed Jewish people were corrupting Germany and the Christian way of life. They were causing the stock market to crash, and they caused the Great Depression.

Obviously, that was wrong. It was obviously excuses to commit ethnic cleansing and Genocide. And that's what's happening now in Palestine.

Hamas is not in the West Bank, which is fact, but that isn't stopping Israel from murdering thousands. Every heinous air strike on a school or hospital that try and say "Oh their were like 5 members of Hamas on the roof."

Bullshit. You don't need an airstrike on a few guys on the roof of a hospital. Especially if you aimed for the lower levels of the building.

I am Jewish, and I am not antisemitic. I do not see this as a Judaism vs. Islam situation. This is a corrupt power-hungry colonies government vs. innocent people.

We were not supposed to even be settled there yet. No messiah = no return to Jerusalem. This is just a fight over power and land, and I'm tired of the excuses being "Jews," "Judaism," "Jerusalem," "Judea," "Antisemitic," etc... because that's a stupid and horrible excuse.

How often throughout history has religion and culture been the excuse to try and kill us, to keep us in ghettos, to make us carry identification to show we are Jewish. Do you not realize Israel turned around and did the same thing to Palestinians? Before and after WW1, Jewish people lived peacefully in Palestine alongside Islamic peoples and Christian peoples. During WW2, Palestine protected Jewish people. But then, after everything England and the Israeli Colony pushed 20,000 Palestinian peoples into a tiny space (basically a fucking Ghetto) and to enter Israel they have to carry papers and Identification to show they are Palestinians.

I don't understand how people don't see the sad irony in all of this. It's heartbreaking. And I'm so tired of excuses.

Those children didn't provoke anything, it is Palestinian's home, it was colonization, and it's not religious or civilians' fault. It is those in power, it's those with too much power, too many funds, and too many weapons.

Free Palestine, free the children before there are none.

[the-roo-too]

maybe! -> 0.3 the bluebeard’s wife

-you’re really stuck with the coven, no matter how you look at it. and that one witch seems to hate your guts. or does she?

this mana print doesn’t appear noticeable to you, no matter how much you look yourself over. you don’t get to question chaewon nor eunchae about the matter as both witches don’t appear until later in the night.

before they do though, you get to meet a couple more exciting individuals. the first one of them quite literally falls on you as she appears just a couple centimetres above the couch you’re occupying. with a loud shriek, she lands on you, knocking you over with her. she rants something about some spell and sneezing and mentions some other names you don’t recognise, before actually acknowledging your presence.

“oh, you’re the potato’s pick! eunchae said he was really excited you know? last time he was so happy to bring someone over was when that neighbour got a mouse and-“

“uh, i’m y/n. it’s nice to meet you…?” you interrupt her another rant, which she doesn’t seem to mind. her face brightens and she introduced herself too.

“i’m sakura! although it’s mostly kkura around here. oh god, i feel on you!” she only now realises. “i’m so sorry! i was trying that stupid teleportation spell again. you know how simple it is? even eunchae does it freely! god, it’s embarrassing. if my mother saw this back in the day…”

“oh, i get you. sometimes simple things appear really hard.”

“yeah, exactly! that spell is like, the easiest thing after creating light? simple as quantum entanglement.”

“quantum what now?”

“mana print? yeah, it’s normal in this area.” eunchae is the one to finally talk to you after you met sakura. she at first looks taken aback by your lack on knowledge on that matter, but explains it nonetheless.

“it’s the ley lines. we live in a powerful area, you know? to recharge and all.” although the explanation seems acceptable, you still can’t understand why chaewon said it was dangerous for you to leave.

“uh, i don’t know if you got that part, but most of the people aren’t the biggest fans of supernaturals- especially witches for some reason? and priests make those weird campaigns like in medieval europe, go hunt and burn us cause apparently god says so?”

“okay, but i’m not a witch?”

“but you stepped into a area influenced by our presence. the power from ley lines gets kinda twisted here and it sticks to you. we know how to hide it, otherwise the local priests would dump holy water on us- i hear it works like salt on snails- or something equally terrifying.”

the idea of people chasing you with holy water isn’t that bad, but the medieval witch methods don’t seem as applying to you. you ask eunchae if they can just mask your print, cause it shouldn’t be that much of a problem, right?

“no, you got me all wrong. only you are able to hide your mana print.”

to sum it up, you are fucked. apparently hiding the mana print is a thing witches are born with. the first spell that they don’t have to learn.

but you’re no witch.

“well… if you think about it, you brought this upon yourself by helping potato?”

“you’re not helping, eunchae.”

“i know, sorry.” the younger girl lowers her head and ponders for a bit. “i’ll look for the books i had when i was younger. maybe i’ll get something there.”

and she disappears with the cat, leaving you alone to your thoughts.

somewhere in between thinking about your current situation and scoffing at how stupid it is, you fall asleep. a couple times you get woken up by someone speaking, but you don’t stay awake long enough to find out who it is. only the last time, you can make out what the voices are saying.

“should i apologise to her?”

“for bringing her in or being mean.”

“…oh shut up.”

you’re not surprised when eunchae doesn’t bring you good news about the mana print. no matter how you look at it, you’re stuck with the coven. and with the kinda mean witch, chaewon.

she seems to hate your presence, for a reason you can’t really comprehend. first you though she just doesn’t like humans. heck, there are no other humans at their house!

but now… you just don’t know. you got a cozy place on the couch, where potato loves to sleep. every time you wake up, chaewon is giving food to potato and when her eyes find yours, she frowns.

then again, she’s a witch. maybe you’re not meant to understand her.

“my unnie likes you.” you almost snort out water with your nose at the phrase. as you start coughing, eunchae pats your back reassuringly. “i know, i know. she doesn’t want to admit it herself.”

“then… how do you know that?” it’s not that you want chaewon to like you, you’re just curious (keep telling yourself that).

“unnie talks a lot in her sleep.” the younger girl shrugs, as if it was obvious.

“…what am supposed to do with this information?”

“ask her out? duh, i didn’t take you for the slow type..”

and that’s how you find yourself standing above poor sleeping chaewon a couple hours later. eunchae is standing by your side and keeps smiling encouragingly.

“just do it!”

“it’s embarrassing if you’re here to see it!” eunchae rolls her eyes at your whines, yet backs away obediently soon and disappears from the room with a small wink. you almost get a heart attack when she teleports away (damned witches).

you’re alone with the older girl again. looking at her sleeping face. it kinda makes you a creep, doesn’t it?

you lift up your hand to gently touch her shoulder when she starts murmuring in her sleep.

“no… unnie, i don’t like her… no, she’s potato’s!” you stifle a chuckle at the monologue. then your hand makes contact with her shoulder.

the witch’s eyes fly open and she almost twists your wrist with how fast she grabs it. “oh. y/n?”

her grip on your hand loosens a little. “yeah, it’s me.”

“what are you doing here?”

your eyes meet hers and you hold her gaze. “do you like me?”

“what?”

“do you?”

she looks lost in thought for a second. her gaze falls to the floor and as much as she’s sleepy, she’s also thinking hard.

“…yes.” you weren’t expecting her to actually say it.

“huh?”

“can i kiss you?” she doesn’t wait for your response, her lips landing on your softly.

maybe (just maybe), you can get used to living with the witches.

[notyouraryang0dd3ss]

Omg that ask you received about marginalised swifties ‘Turning their brains off’ to fawn over their fave fascist is SO REAL.

Ur ask box says come here to rant so I’m NOT holding back lmao sorry if this is a long one.

One of my friends is like this but he doesn’t even have Taylor Swift as an exception to his political opinions/ the standards he sets for other celebrities. Instead he will try to the best of his ability to justify EVERYTHING she does. Even if he literally said the opposite five minutes ago.

He loves Greta Thunberg and thinks carbon credits are just rich people shite?? Actually no Taylor is trying her best!! 😭😭 did you know she bought carbon credits so really she’s mitigating climate change.

He is against racism (AS A WHITE ENGLISH BOY) And thinks all celebrities should speak up against it?? Well, if she speaks up she and her fans could be hurt! (In THIS crowd?? 💁🏼‍♀️ 👩🏼👩🏼👩🏼👩🏼‍🦱👩🏼👩🏻‍🦰👩🏼👩🏻👩🏼 Bitch WHO?).

He is against homophobia (dude is literally gay) and any cishet celebrity who doesn’t immediately condemn homophobia is trash and morally bankrupt (his own words- which I agree with)?? Well yk she did make that one song! Wdym it portrays the poor rural working class as the homophobes and the rich educated people as great allies who have never been homophobic nor the ones passing homophobic and transphobic legislation?? No it’s actually a metaphor (for what? Her being classist? Not much of a metaphor when it’s fucking obvious).

That’s the context, so here’s The Story 😸😸

I remember late last year (a few weeks before Taylor Swift donated the wild wild sum of £250 dollars to see a comedy show raising money for Palestine) me and my friend were talking about how it’s morally bankrupt for celebrities to not talk about Palestine and this delulu little swiftie was like “yeah!! You guys are so right!” Until our friend was like “esp billionaires cz they could make so much of an impact just by speaking up once but don’t because they care more their money and have probably never spoken to a brown person darker than a paper bag”

And lemme tell you this about this mf. his face dropped immediately like 😊😟 and he starts waffling on like “uhmm well she’s on tour it would endanger her fans! Like the Manchester terror attack!! And she’s not a politician or anything so it wouldn’t do nowt.”

(The way he was insinuating her fans might get bombed in a ‘terror attack’ is a little 🤨 considering Isreal wouldn’t bomb a white US American woman and her majority wealthy white western fanbase in a western zionist county because that demographic makes up the majority of their supporters, and esp not in a terror attack... unless he’s aware of the fact that she’s probably a Zionist but just doesn’t want to say it LMAOO)

So me and my friend share A Look like what is this english boy (derogatory: inbred racist) on? And he immediately goes on the offence and I will say again; he is a staunch leftist. He is a gay guy in the Uk, esp considering the northern (aka fucked by the government, quite bigoted and really deprived) working class (he is the richest of our friend group but tbh that isn’t saying much lmao) area we live in. He is ALWAYS talking about social justice and how he, who is on average the most privileged person in our friend group, wants to use his privilege to help the less fortunate.

So! He turns to our friend: queer brown girl who’s family are catholic and from Maharashtra (India), and me: queer white girl who’s family are (mostly) Jewish and from Eastern Europe. And he says (I SHIT YOU NOT) extremely loudly so that many people nearby can hear cause we’re in our school’s canteen:

“Well, at least MY ANCESTORS didn’t murder hundreds of Hindus during partition! And at least MY BROTHER isn’t in the IDF!!”

(Wish this was in an English literature exam cause I could analyse the fuck out of it)

All it took was people insinuating his favourite celebrity wasn’t a good person. We didn’t even fucking name her. And he weaponises his privileges against those with less than him. Even if what he said was true it is fucking disgusting to use that against minorities, esp his friends, esp because we live in an area where so many people fall prey to politics scapegoating minorities for all the UK’s problems, and esp because he pretends to be against this stuff??

But no it gets worse, because let me explain the actual truth of that he said.

Our friend’s family were originally Hindu and converted relatively recently and AFTER partition so they wouldn’t have been killing Hindus. And saying murder is just pretty ugh. Also HUNDREDS?? The only people with that much blood on their hands after partition are the English and that’s a fucking fact. And from what I know most of the conflicts within Maharashtra were not religious but ethnic-based?? I might be wrong but of course this guy wouldn’t know regardless. Also it should be noted that the majority of Indian kids at our school are from a different state with a different language + culture and our friend already feels alienated from them along with being treated like shit by a select few. So literally announcing her family fucking MURDERED theirs isn’t helping at all!

Then there’s my bit lol.

First of all it’s not my brother, it’s my half brother. And he’s not in the IDF he is just a Zionist. Which is still really awful and uplifting a system of apartheid. But not the same.

Now the thing is. The only reason this guy knows this is because THREE YEARS AGO i entrusted him as a friend and vented about issues in my family: that my half brother is a Zionist and wants to join the IDF when he’s older and I’m really ashamed that he has interpreted our religion in a way that perpetrates genocide. Also like my entire family are arguing about it and it’s really stressful. A month later (still 3 years ago) someone spread rumours around school that I was a Zionist and hated Muslims (what really happened was that someone was making Holocaust jokes saying ‘I gave them permission to do it’ and I called them out, so that was their revenge.). This guy was my friend all through that and KNOWS how much it upset me and esp because there were at the time no other Jewish people in our school.

To this day I’m still hesitant to tell people at school that I’m Jewish because I’m paranoid something like this will happen again.

But this guy didn’t care. He made up a lie about my friend not only demonising her to her own community but also to outsiders. Blaming mass bloodshed that his own people perpetrated onto her and her family. Then he lied about me and my family- bastardising something I told him years ago as a close friend with the trust he wouldn’t use it against me years later. But he did.

Of our little trio (we do have a bigger friend group but we were the only ones in that convo), he is the one who has done the least for Palestine. We have been fighting for fucking years and he’s only opening his eyes know which is still good and better than never of course. But to speak with such authority when literally all he has done is tell us he’s against Israel (better than Taylor but still spineless). Bro isn’t even an activist because there’s nothing active about what he does. He just passively hangs around and through association with us, other people and being already a minority (queer) isn’t assumed to be a Zionist.

AND!! Ironically he is actually quite disliked at my school- not for being a scumbag, but for the fact that he’s gay. We are some of his only friends but he’s willing to jeopardise our relationship just to uplift an insanely wealthy bigot half a world away.

Anyway yeah that’s it lol.

What he did was racist and antisemitic and fucking AWFUL. He has done stuff like this before and since- never always go the same extent though- and I think this story takes the cake.

When you said leftist swifties will just ignore their values for her. You were right to an extend but also kind of wrong. Turns out they will also weaponise everything they claim to be against just to protect their precious little blonde billionaire. Hooray 🤩🤩

Anyway thank you so so much for not only calling out Taylor swift and swifties’s BS but also issues within the anti community (sigh. Jewishbarbies) and standing up for what’s right. Free Palestine and fuck the colonisers 🇵🇸🇵🇸❤️❤️

As a side note you said you wanted to listen to more Indian songs n you probably already know it cause it’s Bollywood and really popular but CHAMMAK CHALLO by Akon is a lifestyle <3 I might not be here much but I’d love to be 😻 anon if it’s available (or the REAL Jewish barbie if you feel like it lmao)

please drop this guy. this is not your friend this is someone who hangs out with you because (as you said) no one else likes him.

nobody with his alleged politics would ever think let alone ACCUSE you and your desi best friend of racist lies (STRAIGHT UP ACCUSING YOUR FRIENDS FAMILY OF MASS MURDER?) and zionist ties (blaming you for your brother wanting to join the idf?). this is not a good person.

i’m sorry this behavior is so abhorrent. nobody who genuinely respects, likes, cares and KNOWS the both of you would ever think of saying this in your face. and all in the defense of a WEALTHY WHITE CELEB WHO PRIDES HERSELF IN BEING A FEMINIST CONTINUING TO STAY SILENT 9 MONTHS INTO A GENOCIDE. he is showing you that he would rather side with/defend a (privileged) white person rather his own marginalized friends if he likes them more than you. this is not someone not committed to their own politics.

this is what i was saying about further left identifying swifties is that their leftist politics are just aesthetics for them. if you can disregard your politics for your favorite celeb you are not committed to the ideology you claim as your political framework. also i noticed how you used homophobia and greta thunberg as examples, which explains his behavior as self serving meaning he’s a leftist only because he’s directly impacted by his issues. (if he calls himself anti racist tell him to stfu especially after what he said to your desi bff bc wtf) this is not a good person who’s own personal politics regarding palestine are passive at best. he isn’t even committed to palestine’s liberation.

ugh. what a disgusting human being. i am so sorry your “friend” said this disgusting shit to you just because HE felt threatened you guys were holding his fave accountable. he went fully mask off and spouted bigotry because HE felt threatened. if this is not the first or last time he’s done this, he’s told you multiple times who he is and you have no obligation to continue being his friend because he does not deserve to be.

fuck all the zionists in the tag and SHOW UP FOR PALESTINE. go and get involved in your actions, reshare and donate to gfm’s, actively educate yourself (haymarket books has free book pdfs to download about palestine), post online and above all REMAIN STEADFAST IN YOUR COMMITMENT TO PALESTINE.

death to all colonial powers, land back to all indigenous peoples, and reparations and return of all stolen resources and artifacts to the decolonized peoples. fuck israel and death to the white settler colonial state!

[goffilolo]

Adramelech theory time

Does anyone want to know a theory I have? no? Well, that's too bad you're getting it anyway.

Based on demonology Adramelech tried to gain worship as a sun god, alongside his sibling Anamelech who was considered a moon diety.

Does that sound familiar? Does that sound perhaps like Spade's royal family magic? Am I implying that all royals are shit regardless of the country and have a hobby of boosting their own power by stealing it from others? I sure am.

So here's the situation. Grinberyalls pulled the exact same shit as Silvamillions, except with devil magic. It's implied that the spade people know more about devils than they initially let on, Ciel included, so I wouldn't be surprised if they did some fuck ass ritual to steal Adramelech and his brother's attributes specifically.

But wait, you may say. Haven't we seen in canon that Adramelech can resist Lucifero's gravity and still has supreme devil levels of magic? He sure does and here's the catch. What he initially lost is an ATTRIBUTE, not mana itself. Kinda like Ladros who was born with no attribute at all.

Also the timing of WHEN the Grinberyalls became the ruling family with their magic is a little unclear. I'm even willing to go out on a limb and imply that it was around the time of when the first Qlipoth happened. Either they caught Adramelech and his brother during the 2nd gate opening and obtained his magic then OR the first Qlipoth was the responce to having their supreme devil's magic stolen by humans sometime before.

(Also not fully related to this theory, but I imagined that the first Qlipoth failed because it was sabotaged from the inside by Astaroth, who did not wish for human's extermination).

How does any of that relate to Adramelech working with Lucius? Well what if Lucius promised him to get rid of all of Grinberyalls in his grand plan, knowing that Adramelech and Anamelech would not get their full attributes back until the last Grinberyall is dead and thus the attributes can no longer be passed on to any further relatives?

My other idea was that Astaroth is tied into it more closely than initially shown. Maybe even having initally contracted Lucius, allowing him to use the power of prophecy as much as he pleases, on the condition that he can arrange the sun and moon magic to be returned to their original owners. If that is the case, then the spade coup may have been orchestrated by him before his disappearance, as killing all royal family members would release the attributes.

This brings me to my final point, the one that I think will result in Yuno stans hunting me down for sport, but here we go. Yuno is like the british empire, the culmination of stolen shit.

Wind magic? doesn't belong to him, it belongs to a soul of dead half-elf fetus that sits in his body and I'm pretty sure Bell was asleep for so long because she was supposed to be guardian spirit to that fetus when it grew up, but instead was in time out for 500 yeas until a twink shows up who just so happened to have the fetus soul living in him rent-free.

Star magic? Literally a result of stealing 2 devil attributes, followed by centuries of royal incest to ensure the celestial magic stays in the family. Sorry to burst your bubble, all royals are inbred, yes even your favourites. If Tabata wants to play loose canon with borrowing vague references from medieval Europe, so will I.

And you know what? From storytelling perspective it would be hysteric! The dude beloved by mana? The skinny legend that is stacking up magical buffs like a jenga tower? To reveal that all of his 'blessings' were not in fact blessings but came at the expense of somebody else? ALL OF THEM? This would be delicious. This would finally give us the relevant narrative parallel to Asta who has acknowledged long time ago that the power he wields is not his and did not even hesitate to try and give his grimoire away to the original owner.

[oatflatwhite]

HI LIZ plz may I trouble you to share any thoughts at all about mota 🎤

OF COURSE

ok so we're only a couple eps in but i am already <333 about so many of the characters. bucky and crosby especially my beloveds. i really love all the comparisons being drawn between bucky/nix buck/winters and crosby/webster but i also love how the mota boys are distinctly their own characters. i don't want to say they're cocky and full of themselves because like... some of the easy boys are too lmao. but it's a very different dynamic between the characters than i'm used to seeing in the other hbo war shows and i am living for it

on that note i was a bit wary about most of our main charas being officers but after 2 eps i don't mind a bit! honestly sometimes it's hard to tell rank with all their goddamn fleece lmao but i love how despite being a literal honest to god major bucky is still so chaotic. bless him. the singing scene took me out, and the bike race when they crashed and he and buck were like pulling at each other's clothes to try and get in the lead before the air raid siren went off..... cinema.

can't believe they called out the heavy petting <3 the raf boys are just like me fr <3

crosby is such a silly goose thank you for the silly goose representation. he really works as the narrator and i love him bc he is genuinely so relatable, my overthinking bestie. also him still being starry eyed over his wife signing her name mrs jean crosby oh my word.......... it's giving harry dragging his reserve chute halfway around europe for kitty's wedding dress <333

i also really love the variety of characters/roles in the war they're showing! there's obviously more scope to do that than in bob but also it's a different television landscape and i am so excited to see ncuti on my screen <3 i hope we get a lot more of lemmons too! i can't remember who made the post but someone compared him to doc roe and i was like OH that's why i liked him so much uh huh uh huh. so true. also NINETEEN YEARS OLD?

i had a hard time adjusting to austin butler in ep 1 but he really pulled through in ep 2 for me and i'm very keen to see where he takes the character! and i have LOVED callum turner since channel 4's glue (which i watched a fucking decade ago but still think about bc of how powerful it was and he was in it) and he is absolutely killing bucky. it's giving nix without impulse control. honestly all the cast are amazing, the only one i really struggle with still is isabel may as buck's gf......... i literally cannot see her as anyone but katie from alexa and katie, so in my mind she's literally still a 15 year old girl. but who knows, she could win me over in the future

the score and title sequence are so good too!!! the pacific still has my absolute fav opening titles and band is second but even though the score is obviously new it still feels a bit... nostalgic, i guess? similar vibes to the other shows and i am HERE for the way it makes me feel <3

there's like so much more but that's all i can put into words rn. cannot WAIT for the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[anonymous-dentist]

can I still ask for a fun fact :3c

Europe has always been among the cringiest places on the planet, and uh.

Crusades? Yeah. Let’s talk about the Third Crusade aka the Kings’ Crusade, but specifically about how it started out because ooooooh boy

So the Crusades, for anyone unfamiliar, were basically a bunch of wars between Western Europe and the guys living in what they called the Holy Land, aka modern-day Israel and Palestine and the areas around there. See, Jerusalem was being held by an Islamic empire, and Europe fucking HATED that, so they got on a bunch of boats and went to terrorize the Middle East because that’s white people’s historically-proven cultural pastime

The Third Crusade came off of the Second Crusade, which the Zengid Dynasty wound up winning. The Europeans were pissed, so they headed off on their third attempt at retaking the Holy Land

Our first king is Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. He had a pretty good run, all things considered, getting all the way from what we now call Germany clear to what is now Turkey at the ripe old age of 66. He won several battles, lost a few, fucked with the Byzantines, and devastated Turkish forces.

That sounds like a win, right?

Well, it was, but then his horse slipped in a river somewhere in Turkey and he fucking died. His son, another Frederick, was so bad at getting his dad’s bones to Acre and everything that he had to outsource help to this dude called Conrad of Montferrat, who was technically the King of Jerusalem, but he himself would get assassinated by the Assassins (and they were assassins) literal days before his crowning

Our second king is Philip II of France, who is legit so unremarkable in terms of the Crusades that most of his involvement in them is him leaving them after getting dysentery and almost dying after being Very Bad At Crusading

Our third king is the only semi-competent one, Richard I of England, aka Richard the Lionheart, and he’s technically our fourth king because it was the king before him, Henry II, that tried the whole Crusade Thing before dying in a tragically British fashion. So we’ve got Richard, and he’s the only king here who actually managed to get to the Holy Land.

At first, Richard and Philip were at war. And then they said “hey wait let’s go just beat up Muslims instead”. And then they said “I hate you more than Muslims actually” and they started beating each other up, hence why Philip ended up leaving in the end.

Drama Happens! There’s some whole bullshit regarding marriage and then that dude from earlier, Conrad, because, guess what? Richard might’ve been the one to send the Assassins after that dude. Omg!!

But honestly? Not much to say about Richard. He did his (terrible horrible racist) job, and he won the Third Crusade. Sort of.

Well, Europe didn’t end up taking back Jerusalem. They would not, in fact, get Jerusalem back… ever! They had it for like two minutes during the Sixth Crusade, but they still don’t have control over the Holy Land to this day, much to their obvious annoyance

What happened with the two living kings? Well, they went back to war, of course! Richard would eventually die in an extremely comical and tragic and British fashion, getting killed by an arrow fired by a literal child. Philip would eventually die of Being Too Hot because he went traveling in the middle of summer while being pathetic and middle aged and French

[navree]

Why do people (especially here in tumblr) hate Tyrion so much?

I mean, from what I've seen, quite a lot of people like Tyrion, considering he's a well written character and his storylines are both some of the most compelling and the most central to one of the two core plots (the politics side of ASOIAF, while Jon's the one most central to The Others side). I think we also need to divide it up into show Tyrion and book Tyrion, because the reason people dislike show Tyrion is that he turned into a little idiot once D&D had to actually write out his plans himself and it's incredibly frustrating to watch him continually be such a fuck up but the narrative still treating him like he's in the right. Also his issues with Dany make no sense even before The Bells, which is also a heavy factor.

For book Tyrion, I mentioned it in a prior ask, but Tyrion's chapters can be genuinely hard to read. Tyrion is incredibly misogynistic - I don't consider this a flaw in the writing, GRRM is being incredibly purposeful with it and it's there for a reason and a lot of his actions are understandable, and Tyrion where he is in the books right now is in the midst of a darkening downward spiral for the furtherance of his arc - and even ignoring his actions, his constant thinking about how he wants to be violent towards various women he dislikes or sexually assault them (him constantly talking about wanting to rape and kill Cersei for thinking that he killed Joffrey when he knows she genuinely believes it, unlike Tywin who was using it as an excuse to get rid of him is particularly galling for me) can literally be draining. For me at least, it can be an actual trial to get through some of Tyrion's chapters, not just because the misogyny he exhibits is so constant, but also because this isn't a way of thinking that's isolated to ASOIAF.

The series tackles very real world issues, but still within the confines of a world and system most readers are never going to experience. It is highly unlikely that most of the readers are going to experience what it's like to live under a feudal system modeled on Middle Ages Europe and all the issues that entails, but men who feel that women owe them sex just cuz they're having it with another man (like Tyrion says to Cersei in ACOK), men who hit a significant other for saying the wrong thing (like Tyrion does to Shae in either ACOK or ASOS), men who take their own anger at their misperceptions out on other women (like Tyrion killing Shae in ASOS), men who immediately feel sexually violent when angry at women (like how Tyrion thinks about Cersei in ADWD), men who still have sex with women who are clearly not into it or in a position to consent because their pleasure matters more to them (like Tyrion with the slave in ADWD)? Those are very real men, that any female reader of ASOIAF can run into or have in her life.

There's also other stuff, I don't know how popular these reasons are but this is from my perspective, that Tyrion does that sometimes make me roll my eyes, mostly just things like not realizing that summarily banishing Janos might read badly to the general populace, or his tendency to be kinda rude to people who serve him like Pod (he's highborn, it's not unexpected but still aggravating), or even the fact that, for as smart as he is, he's nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is, especially when it comes to interacting with other people. Again, all of these are purposeful parts of Tyrion's character, they're not being done accidentally, but if I'm looking at Tyrion as a person, separate from a character constructed by an author (which I do generally try to do, since I think there's a difference between liking a character as a character and liking them as a person, similar to how I can find certain historical figures interesting but still dislike who they were as people), these also aren't things I particularly like about him.

I've said this before, but I don't think Tyrion is all bad. There's stuff I like about his arc, about how he's written, about what he means as a character and the things he does, and his place in the narrative, but as a person? No, I don't like Tyrion, and the reasons I don't like Tyrion are reasons that other people do share. It can be tough spending time in his head, what with all the aforementioned misogyny, and that can be enough of a turn off for people, especially socially conscious readers or female readers who have to deal with the real life misogyny Tyrion's is inspired from. That doesn't mean that no one likes Tyrion (most people I know actually do like him quite a lot, and he's an incredibly popular character, as well as the author's personal favorite), or that someone's a bad person for liking him, but there are reasons for the dislike some people have, and for me at least, these are mine.

[cee-grice]

Hello! I'm getting caught up on all your amazing asks here... But here's my pre-emptive Ask for Storytelling Saturday for next week:

Describe your WIP in bullet points so my ADHD brain gets it quickly!

hey hey Belle!! oh man, I also have to clean out my inbox, it's getting a bit embarrassing haha... I know you said this is a pre-emptive STS ask, but!.. I saw it and got excited lol, so you're getting it answered Now

so! my current WIP, When White Crows Cry, described in bullet points:

(this is gonna be long)

it's a science fantasy?? only instead of robots and space we have chemistry and pathology lol

also dark academia vibes

set in a secondary world reminiscent of 19th century-esque europe, only with modern advancements in science

the magic system is science-based - essentially, if you wanna manipulate the fabric of reality, you gotta. understand said fabric of reality

so, to cast a believable illusion you need to perfectly understand color and light and depth and all that (so you gotta be a kickass realism artist lol)

or, to change a glass ball into a gold one, you gotta understand the molecular composition of each material and know how to manipulate it so it would change forms

there's one tiny teensy issue with magic, though - it is a limited resource ahaha

ANYWAY that's the gist of it

main character - Quil, an exceptional transmutation mage who got exiled some years ago for performing human transmutation (very bad very taboo)

(he, of course, continues doing human transmutation)

(despite the Trauma)

the second most important character - Endra, who has this nasty magical parasite slowly eating away at his body and mind, and his only hope at a cure is... human transmutation

you can see where this is going

anyway so that's the Past timeline - Quil trying to figure out what's going on with Endra's body and finding a way to fix it

(this is also the Romance timeline lol)

we also have the Present timeline

and that starts with Quil getting revived a year after his death in the country he'd gotten exiled from

:0!

(that's literally the first chapter so it's not a spoiler lol)

anyway he gets offered a Deal - help his ex-mentor with her project that could potentially save magic, and in exchange he'd get amnesty

the issue? he really, really hates his ex-mentor

and he would have really, really preferred to stay dead

this whole magic dying thing is Not his problem, either lol

counter issue? the project concerns the same magic parasite that Endra had (has?), so it could put him in danger, and Quil quite literally would die again before he let that happen, so.

he agrees

(so that he could sabotage it lol)

but also! Quil doesn't know what happened with Endra post his death, so that's something he works on figuring out as well

(he gets far more questions than answers. where IS this guy)

anywayyy that's the gist of the story

now for the lightning round

this would be for you if any of this intrigues you:

highly questionable academic and medical ethics

characters forsaking morality to get what they want and losing sight of what truly matters

So Much Interpersonal Drama

no physical fights - a Lot of verbal fights

dealing with the horrors of resurrection

dealing with the horrors of facing your loved ones after they'd mourned you for a year

a cast of eccentric scientists

an obsessive, codependent queer romance between people who don't know how the other looks like

a lot of fucked up queer characters in general

an incredibly spiteful trans protagonist who just wants to be left the fuck alone but everyone insists on dragging him into their shit, so instead he's gonna Make them leave him alone

everyone wanting you to live apart from You

magic biology! magic chemistry! magic science! nerd shit!

anyway oof idk if this helps but omggg is it hard to explain a fantasy story quickly ahaha....

(this is the general tag for this wip so u can check out more stuff about it that's explained in a more cohesive manner lol)

[effervescentdragon]

A (extra?) scene from possibly Pirate AU Sequel (i still dk the name of the original much less the sequel my god) for @singsweetmelodies bcs of the terribly, horribly British conversation we've had 😹💖 thank you for being so inspiring 🥰

"I don't care for tea much," Pierre says, and Charles rolls his eyes at him, settling more comfortably in his lap.

"That is because you are a heathen, mon amour."

He pats Pierre on the cheek condescendingly, and watches his eyes narrow, just as he knew they would. "You drink coffee, which is just vile." He shudders. "Ugh, the taste."

Pierre grins. "You do not mind the taste of it when I -"

"Okay, lads, that is quite enough, thank you very much!"

Charles turns towards George, whose face has two bright red spots high on his cheekbones. Charles will never understand how, after everything they've gone through, George is still so terribly uptight about the matters of the flesh. Charles has lost most of his inhibitions around the first time Pierre fucked him so good, he couldn't remember his own name, and somehow never had the same sense of modesty again.

It is much more freeing, being like this. He prefers it greatly to how it was before. He leans down to press a soft kiss to Pierre's brow, and Pierre squeezes his waist in response. He also puts his hand on Charles' ass, grinning in satisfaction.

Charles adores him more than he thought was ever possible.

"You are so painfully British," Alex says from where he's leaning back on the double-seater, his shirt half-unbottoned, his legs stretched out before him. "You bloody colonizer."

Charles giggles just as George groans.

"Alex," he says, fiddling with the boiling kettle. "That joke is getting old."

"It's not a joke, Georgie, it's the most honest statement of fact." Alex catches Charles' eye and winks. "That exact tea you're making? Oolong? That was stolen by your colonizer ancestors from my country."

George turns to look at Alex incredulously, and Charles hears the muffled snort Pierre hides in the material of his shirt. He doesn't move his face away, and Charles feels goose-bumps on his skin by the delicious scratch of Pierre's beard right at his collarbone.

"You were literally born in Port --, Alex," he deadpans. Alex grins.

"Ah, Georgie, it's about the ancestry. You have taken everything from me, really." He pauses. "Including my heart."

George looks extremely flustered as he pours the water over tea-leaves and coffee beans. Alex is watching him with a rogue smile, and Charles is admittedly somewhat distracted by Pierre's soft kisses on his neck, contrasting with the roughness of his beard.

"Here you go," George says, bringing two mugs to Charles and Pierre. "And will you please cease molesting Charles in public, Pierre?"

"Why? Your delicate British sensibilities cannot take open expression of my love for Charles?" Pierre asks, but moves a bit away, careful not to spill the liquid. "How - what's that word he likes to use, cher?"

"Quaint." Charles supplies, keeping his face neutral. George, who knows him, rolls his eyes pointedly, then takes the other two mugs and kicks Alex's legs, handing him the coffee amd sitting next to him. "Merci, George."

"Yes, thank you Georgie," Alex says, and the blush on George's face gets even brighter. Pierre chuckles into his coffee.

They busy themselves with blowing on the hot coffees and teas for a moment, but Charles knows neither Pierre nor Alex are done with screwing with George.

"Do you not like tea at all, Alex?"

Charles hides a grin behind his mug, because the tone Pierre is using is the one he uses when he wants to deliberately provoke someone for fun. Also, everybody knows Pierre and Alex spent years with each other, living out of each other's pockets, and that the question is a deliberate bait.

"Why yes, I do like my ancestral drink, Pierre, thank you for asking," Alex replies, and George groans. "Do you like tea, which the British colonizers have taken from my country and spread through Europe?"

"Not really," Pierre says. "I prefer coffee."

"My favorite tea is jasmine," Charles chimes in the most innocent tone. "What about you, George?"

George is sat ramrod-straight, and Charles really wants to laugh at the tight expression on his face. He inhales sharply, then breathes out, his whole body sagging.

"Oolong," he says . "This one. Can we please drop it now?"

Alex ignores him completely, talking right over him, a huge grin on his face.

"Well my favorite tea is -"

He cuts himself off abruptly, and Charles sees his eyes widen in some realisation that, by his looks, is very unfavorable to him. Pierre notices the same thing, and he pauses, thinking. Then he looks at Alex and bursts out laughing.

"Oh, oh that is - that is - mon Dieu," he says through his laughter, and Charles feels how his whole body shakes and raises his own tea cup, so as not to get burnt as he's being bounced on Pierre's lap.

"What?" Him and George ask at the same time, glancing at each other.

"What, Pear?" Charles asks as Pierre's laughter dies down.

"Alex?" George asks, and Alex groans. "Love, what is it?"

"If you don't say it, I will," Pierre says with a grin.

Alex flips him off, the murmurs something into his cup.

"What?"

Alex turns to George, his face pained and a bit red.

"I said, my favorite tea is," he closes his eyes "Earl Grey."

There is a moment of silence in the room before George's face splits into a delighted grin.

"Alexander," he drawls, and Alex groans again. "How very - British of you."

Charles can't hold back his giggles anymore. Pierre's arm clamos around his waist, holding him steady, as Alex looks into George's pleased face.

"I will just escort myself out," Alex says pitifully.

"Why? It is good tea," Charles asks, a giggle escaping him. Alex narrows his eyes.

"It's the principle, Charles," he says. "I hate myself on principle."

"Well," Geirge says haughtily. "I think you have wonderful taste."

Alex looks at him, and George doesn't look away, even as his cheeks flush again.

"Well, I picked you, didn't I," Alex says, and his smile is soft. Charles can feel himself smile, too, when George nods, a bit awestruck. Alex leans in slowly, and Charles watches them kiss tenderly and feels only happiness for his sworn god-brother and friend.

"I knew you were an exhibitionist, darling, but a voyeur," Pierre says into his ear, and Charles shivers.

"Shut up, you asshole," he says back in soft French. "They are adorable."

"Mm, and so are you," Pierre says. "I like seeing you happy."

Charles looks st Pierre, and smiles.

"You make me happy."

Pierre's eyes shine, and when he leans in to kiss Charles, his kiss is searing hot and terribly soft at the same time.

Charles smiles, and kisses him back.

[itsagrimm]

Master of Winter

I am fighting my own perfectionism here by publishing it as drafts and excerpts bc I have been working on this for months and I am starting to get desperate. Also I need this to reference it in the 'He Who Comes from Under The Water' Series and even after the 7th rewrite it's not hitting like I want it to. So let's all collectively say fuck it and ask ourselves the most important question: What if Santa fucked?

John Price X OC

CN: mentions of sexual themes, mentions of pregnancy and failed pregnancy, found (?) family, wanting to have kids, John Price becoming a dad weird folklore edition

Masterlist

One

The Master of Winter, some call him Ded Moros, others call him John Price, wanders back home. After bringing the cold and the frost down south to the people, he returns back to his Ice Queen residing in the Castle up on the north pole. He missed her greatly - her piercing blue eyes, her unforgiving voice, her sharpness and beauty.

As he returns, she happily embraces him. But some changed between them and Price finally decides to ask her about her sorrows.

***

The snow was bright under the polar day, reflecting the sunlight. Ice was towering up high into the arctic sky. Somewhere far away it was summer – past the ice and great tundra steppe where the trees grew again and not the mighty ice castle as the only thing reaching up high.

Jonathan Price did not care about that. He was sitting before his castle, staring into the endless white. He had returned home a few weeks ago. His queen had welcomed him as always. Like countless times before he as the Master of Winter, the Ded Moros, had travelled south to bring the cold. And like all those countless times before when he had returned, he had expected his wife to be joyful and happy to see him.

But she was not.

Looking at him with sad eyes, burning with a cold passion he adored.

“Love, what is it?” He had said. “Are you not happy to see me, dear?”

“Husband.” She had cried falling against his chest. “I am. But my winter had been lonely, so I had travelled down to find you. Instead, I found humans, living together in their tiny houses huddled around the fire as it could keep the cold in their bones away. I found animals hibernating under the snow, pressed close to each other for warmth. I found words of hope for a future after winter and when the sun would rise again.”

Price knitted his eyebrows as he embraced his wife. “My Queen, did the presence of fire, warmth and summer disturb you that much? Did I bring not enough of the cold to keep our kingdom safe?”

She shook her head.

“No, my dear. I do not ask you for more cold to keep my ice body and this kingdom in pieces.”

She looked up, searching for something in his eyes before reaching up and kissing him.

“What I wish for-” Another kiss from her cold, addicting lips. “-is a child. I want a family. I want to be a mother and hold our child like the humans did in their huts. I want it to curl up against us in their sleep, feeling for us to be close, I want to show it the beauty of our world in the never-ending day.”

“We are a family.” Price whispered weakly. His queens’ words were making him as drunk as her lips.

“We are. But we could grow into a different one.”

***

Cultural References:

Ded Moroz can be understood as Soviet Santa Claus. However, he is based on an older, pagan entity. Since as always the source material for pre-christian traditions and believes from Eastern Europe and central Asia are sparse to nonexistent, we can only guess how exactly this entity was perceived. Some argue the Ded Moroz (literal translation father or grandfather Frost) is a kind of evil winter spirit. Others argue him more akin to a snow wizard.

In the Soviet Union religious traditions were frowned upon and oppressed, especially all non-christian believes and practices. The Jolka as a substitute Christmas celebration was introduced as an alternative to various winter festivals, most importantly Christmas. This Jolka festival included Ded Moroz, who brought gifts to the kids.

The snow queen comes from a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It has little to do with the movie Frozen. In the tale the snow queen kidnaps a boy and his friend Gerda travels up to the north pole castle to get her friend back from the Queen. There is a very cool Russian animated movie The Snow Queen (Russian: Снежная королева, Snezhnaya koroleva) from 1957 and it's fairly known classic. You can watch it on youtube with english subtitles.

@queenquazar

[bunniesbearsandadventures]

Might delete later RANT:

I fucking hate summer depression

Like

I've been sitting on my ass for a month just watching TV and doing nothing and I feel like shit all the time

But I cant fucking go out and enjoy myself because I live in the fucking USA which means everything is far away, I can't walk anywhere, and everything costs an arm and a leg to have fun.

I literally went to the mall Wednesday and I had fun with my friends yes, but I literally spent all my paycheck on like four things and now I have to wait two whole ass weeks to have fun again because now I am broke and have like twenty dollars to my name.

I can't just work full time to make more money because if I do then I have zero free time to spend that money

But if I don't work enough I only make like 200$ every two weeks and that barely gets me anything.

Finding a new job isn't the solution no matter how many times people want to blame me for not getting a new job.

Fuck you it isn't easy.

I cant just waltz into a place that pays more and demand for a job. It already took me months to secure this job so finding a new job before the summer ends is a joke. And that doesn't guarantee the job will pay me more immediately. The hours might suck, the co workers could suck and the environment might be horrible to.

At least when I stick with this one I know what I am getting out of this.

All my friends can't hang out anymore because they have the same problems too. They work and they can't just stop working either and they don't get paid alot so everything is expensive and we can only hang out once a month. I feel like shit for complaining all the time and getting sad but what am I supposed to do?

Its either I sit on my ass all day and do nothing and feel like shit

I go out and have fun but then all my money is gone because everything is expensive if you aren't working full time and get paid a lot. Literally going to the mall cost me my whole paycheck and I got four things out of it a pair of pajama pants, one t shirt and two little decor pieces for my room. Which isn't bad its better than nothing but its like I can't keep doing that every week. Again I now have to wait TWO WEEKS of my already short summer to have fun again.

Or I can work full time and make a lot of money but then I have zero free time to go out and spend it. Like one of my friends is working full time and he is running into that problem. He has money but he just can't hang out with us anymore.

I want school to start again but at the same time I get depressed from that in my own right. On top of burnout and exhaustion. I feel like shit for sleeping in all the time now. I can't even sleep properly yet I can't convince myself to stay awake at night because I have nothing to do besides watching more TV.

I don't know what to do anymore.

Its like my life is constantly

Gets depressed at school because I am over worked, have no free time, is burnt out

Gets depressed in summer because too much free time, broke and can't go out and do things, sits on ass all day and be unproductive, watches everyone go out and have fun amazing summers and here I am wasting it.

Idk its dumb and I am being dumb.

I'll get over this I guess I am just ranting for ranting sake now.

Edit:

Not to mention I literally feel like shit for ranting to my partner all the time.

He doesn't deserve that bit I literally can't talk to him anymore about anything.

I DONT DO ANYTHING I HAVE NOTHING TO SHARE.

He's sick of hearing it I know he is.

I just can't anymore. I've tried looking online for things like

"Top 200 things to do over summer bla bla bla"

And its the same bullshit

Its either a bunch of child activities like finger painting or playing at the park or walk neighbors dog

Or for adults like

DRINK GO OUT AND DRINK, SPEND MONEY ON ZIPLINING, GO TO EUROPE GET A TATTOO VISIT FLORIDA!!!!