#man i'll THRIVE this summer thanks to you!!!!!!

[worldwhampion]

hi i'm the (evil step)parent of @cosmordial's ocs (as they will all suffer a great deal) in our future fanfic!

also just casually dropping the fact null is a part of it too (along with artemis and apollo!!!!!)

[love-belle]

i want sweet revenge and i want him again !!!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ in which their post break-up era is them ignoring their feelings and making the worst decisions.

or

for when they will always be your summer love. ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

social media au // pierre gasly x fem!reader

sequel - you were my summer love ⋆·˚ ༘ *

warnings - language

author's note - posting this at 3am bc i have midterms from monday and it's very unlikely i'll post again this month 💔💔💔💔 i love u all so much thank u for reading <3

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liked by gracieabrams, charles_leclerc, conangray and 789,725 others

yourusername "get him back!" is finally out!!!! i wrote this song in my car after breaking down over the consequences of my own actions and getting yelled at by my twitter girlies <3 summer was fun i had fun we all had fun but the aftermath is not pretty so fuck them boys u all stay happy and thriving hydrated!!!! get ur sweet revenge and get him back!!!!! but fr pls tell his mom her son sucks ❤️

8,628 comments

username there's too much going on idk what to decipher first

username the caption omg 💀💀💀

username her captions never fail to blow me away like girl 90% of these things do not belong here 😭😭😭😭😭

username not her telling us to get our man back but also tell his mom that her son sucks

-> username top tier advice idc

username THE SONG'S A FUCKING BOP OMG

username those lyrics are so her and him coded like 💔💔💔💔💔

charles_leclerc don't call me weird

-> yourusername this is so unprovoked get out

-> username nah what the fuck is charles doing here 😭😭😭😭

-> username CHARLES????

username "bc everyone knew the guy was missing a screw" BABE LET HIM GO!!!!!!!!

username THE TEXT OH MY GOD

username i miss her and that dude ngl

-> username no bc they were so cute together 💔💔💔

-> username why do men ruin everything 😐😐😐😐😐

username "i can fix him" GIRL YOU ARE WORSE THAN HIM

-> yourusername UNCALLED FOR

username i fucking love her and her fans so much like the way we're all js best friends with her and she's sooooo in touch with her fans ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

-> yourusername not true u all js bully me

-> username bc u make stupid decisions

-> yourusername ://

username y/n having beef with 80% of her fans will never not be funny to me like wdym ur FANS bully u

-> yourusername i have proof and im not afraid to use it

-> username "proof" and it's literally just her being a dumbass and us having NORMAL reactions to it

-> yourusername FURTHER PROOF UR HONOUR

username so MUCH for summer LOVE and saying US cause u weren't mine to LOSEEEE

username this is sooo 2000s romcom coded idc

landonorris WEIRD??? ME???

-> yourusername GET OUT OF MY COMMENTS SECTION THIS ISN'T ABT Y'ALL

-> username what the fuck is doing on

-> username im so out of loop wtfff

username "i want sweet revenge and i want him again" unhinged behaviour fr

username every time we think she's healing she comes back and writes a song that's basically a BIG cry for help like girl pls we're getting tired 💔

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paddock.club rumours have been swirling around pierre gasly and his anonymous girlfriend, who's affectionately called 'augustine' by his fans, and their alleged break-up for weeks now. the said rumours were confirmed as gasly was seen out in monaco and he certainly wasn't alone — or with just one consistent company. "this may confuse some people but they were very different from each other," sources close to the couple claimed. "after summer break ended, it felt like so did whatever they had going on." this comes as a shock as despite knowing almost nothing about augustine, fans adored her and they're devasted about the end of their summer love. click on the link in our bio for everything that we know about their relationship.

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pierregasly you're trippin'

9,638 comments

username NAH THE AUDACITY OF M*N SOMETIMES

username BROTHER IM STILL RECOVERING FROM THE AUGUSTINE REVEAL SLOW DOWN

username HELLO???????? HE'S SEEING SOMEONE???????

-> username "he said i was the only girl but that js wasn't the truth"

username the fact that he used HER lyrics for his caption like..........im SICK rn

username when 😭 i 😭 told 😭 him 😭 how 😭 he 😭 hurt 😭 me 😭 he 😭 told 😭 me 😭 i 😭 was 😭 trippin 😭

username im actually in shock rn like my jaw is on the FLOOR

landonorris caption 😬

username no bc im here thinking like she called his friends weird 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 that's why charles and lando were so offended in the comments 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

username boy she's over there listening to summer love by one direction WHAT R U DOING

username that's not y/n in the last slide and im throwing up rn i need them BACK

username need this all to be a nightmare bc i cannot fucking do this anymore 💔💔💔💔

username it's on SIGHT when i see u on streets

username im so 💔💔💔💔💔

username y'all i feel bad for bullying y/n bc if i were her i too wouldn't move on from this man

-> username fr like we gave her sm shit for being in love with him and im like "girlypop same omg"

-> username real like i see what she saw

charles_leclerc nice choice for caption 👍 very strong words 👍

username here for charles and lando calling him out for the caption like yasss kings ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ do ur work ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

username y/n needs to be more cunty rn bc this is so wtf

username L caption 🤣🤣🤣🤣🫵🫵🫵🫵

username im gonna miss their summer love era so much like we were FED ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

username "and when he said something wrong he'd just fly me to france" WOW OKAYYYY

username something about his last post before this being all about augustine and their summer and now this one is basically shading her like 💔💔💔💔💔

username everyday we stray further away from good

username ripping my hair out why cant bitches be happy ffs

[breelandwalker]

hi, i'm currently potted plant witching as well (just planted my first crop of veggie/herb/flower seeds & got some more containers & soil today for more planting this weekend) and i would love to know more about your garden this year; would you be willing to outline your plans? any special herbs or projects? Thanks!! <3 love your blog!

🌿🌿🌿 HYPERFIXATION ACTIVATED. 🌿🌿🌿

OH I HAVE SO MANY PLANS, LET ME TELL YOU.

This is the first year that Ragnar and I are doing actual work and sweat equity with the yard at our new place. Last year things were just too chaotic and we didn't have the time or the energy to do much of anything. We trimmed occasionally and I harvest some wild plants, but that was about it.

This year, it's Go Time.

Last weekend, I finally busted out the gorgeous barrel pots we got for Christmas and spent my April market earnings on potting soil, garden tools, and seedlings. When we lived in the apartment, I had a pretty hefty window garden with herbs and flowers and a few vegetables, so I'm eager to recreate that in an outdoor space where the plants can really thrive. (I mean, I grew cherry tomatoes and three kinds of peppers in 10" pots indoors and they got pretty big, so I can only imagine being outdoors will go even better with fresh air and rain and pollinators.)

The potted garden has Napoli tomatoes, poblano and cayenne peppers, green sage, and rosemary, along with something I've never tried growing before - blueberries! I'm planning to add additional pots and more herbs later on, but I felt like this was a really good start. If I can manage it, I want to grow a huge planter of nothing but spinach and sweet basil so I can make pesto this summer.

We've also started clearing and tilling a space out in the yard proper for a raised-bed garden. Nothing too big or ambitious, just something we can try some larger veggies in. We're hoping to try the Three Sisters model with hybrid corn, snap peas, green beans, and kabocha pumpkins. I was also hoping to put in napa cabbage, but there are quite a lot of slugs in the yard when it rains, so perhaps not. I'm toying with the idea of planting some late crops for fall and winter harvests as well. I have sugarplum visions of strings of peppers and braids of garlic hanging in our kitchen with many jars of preserves and sauce in the pantry.

We might also try some other fruits if things go well, maybe raspberries or grapes, but that's more of a Next Summer project. The fence and the ground around it needs some work first and we don't want to overdo things the first year. (I'd really love to put in a little serviceberry tree, but that might be pushing things a bit with regard to space.)

There's also a side garden that's in need of some TLC where I'm vaguely tossing around the idea of climbing flower vines (clematis or morning glory or trumpet flower maybe? something local) and maybe some ground cover in the form of periwinkle. There's also a downspout that really needs a rain barrel, so that's next on the list.

There are sections of the yard that we've deliberately left wild as well, hoping to encourage native plants and pollinators. The clover patches are massive and produce lots of four-leafers and blossoms, so the bees are having a field day. There's also wild dogbane sprouting up now that the vetchweed is cleared and wild plantain (aka white man's foot) starting to come in along the walkway. If I have my druthers, I'll be planting more wildflowers this summer.

Have some pictures and tell me about your garden!

[fandomwe1rd0]

Wrote a fic about the ending of Auto Erotic Assimulaton!

TW for attempted suicide and suicidal thoughts under the cut!

Unity just dumped me. I really couldn't just be happy, could I? I couldn't just stay happy. I could get something close to that feeling for a little bit, only to get it ripped away. God, I was stupid. Of course I couldn't be happy. Happiness was a trap. I knew this well.

I went back to Beth's house. I walked in the living room "Hey." I was about to walk put but then Beth said "Dad." My stomach churned as I forced myself to look at her. Beth cleared her throat "Well uh Jerry..." Jerry gave her a disapproving shake of the head. Fucking parasite. As if his unemployed ass should have any say in what Beth does.

Beth took a deep breath "Jerry and I were looking for our weed whacker and found your subterranean lair...anddd your alien prisoner..anddd heeeeee got away...soo...I'm sorry to say this but uhmm..."

Beth fiddled with her hands and Jerry put a hand around her shoulder and smiled. Beth held onto his hand with a meak smile. Gross. She then took another breath and said "I..I can't keep sacrificing this family's safety just because I think- because I'm afraid you'll leave again so...no more alien prisoners under any circumstance and underground work without consulting us." I shrugged. I wasn't going to be here anyway so I didn't really give a shit "Okay." Jerry's eyes widened and Beth blinked "Okay..? That it's..you won't leave me again and never come back..." I shook my head, it wasnt a lie, I was going to kill myself instead.

The voice in my head laughed bitterly "Finally. You deserve it anyway."

It was right.

"It's your house." I said. Beth smiled and giggled "Great! Thanks Dad!" Beth gave me a hug and I tensed up. "You don't deserve this. She wouldn't love you if she knew what a big piece of shit you are. You complain about Jerry being a parasite but you're the exact same thing."

Beth stopped hugging me and still had a smile on her face. I began walking and Summer stopped me, she was always the more perspective one "Wait! Grandpa what happened with Unity?"

"Tell her you got dumped. Let her know what a big piece of shit her dear old grandpa is."

I can't.

"Coward."

"Well y'know Summer we're talking about an entity that thrives on enslavement..it's not cool."

"Oh don't act like you developed morals now, go and kill yourself already."

"Fun's fun but who needs it?"

"Kill yourself. Do it."

Fine. I chose my last words to them "I'll be in the garage." I took one last look at Morty. He was looking at me with those dumb wide doe eyes and his lips slightly parted "He won't miss you. He hates you. He'll be happy when you're gone." I turned my back on him and went to the garage.

I went to my workbench. I must have something in here that can finish the job. Wait. I knew exactly what to do. I opened the cupboard and found a laser. Perfect. This will turn me into ash. They won't feel any pity for me. I don't need it. I want them to think I left Beth. To see me as the asshole I am. I hope they have nothing good to say about me. What would they say anyway? I've been nothing but an asshole to them.

"You're right about one thing. Smartest man in the universe and you're only right about how big of an asshole you are."

I got an alien blob. I needed to test it. I put it under the laser. I poured orange liquid that would sync up every timeline on it and it started crying. In constant pain. I get it. I patted it, both creatures in constant pain, wanting to die. I had more in common with this alien blob than most. I attempted to comfort it but it just kept crying.

"As if anyone would be comforted by a wrinkly bastard like you."

Ha.

It was right.

I put it under the laser and it discentgrated. Perfect. I drank the liquid myself and sat in front of it. I closed my eyes waiting for it. This was going to be it. The end to my suffering. The end to infecting everything around me. A part of me was miserable, but there was never a part of me that wasn't. But the other part of me was strangely at peace. I think. I didn't know how that felt. It's been a while since I felt anything positive. The closest I got to being happy recently is Unity. And we all know how that went.

But at least I would stop ruin the lives of people around me. My family...they'll be fine. They already have Jerry, they don't need another leech.

I'm sure they'll be fine. Definitely.

"Of course they'll be fine. They'll be better than fine. They won't have a useless old man continually putting them in danger and making everyone else miserable just because since he can't be happy"

It was right.Either way it was too late to turn back now.The laser started up, and then I saw black and felt my head hit against the cold metal of the table.

I was awoken by a shaking on my shoulder. "Eugh what...?"

I saw Morty.

Shit.

It didn't work.

I didn't say anything and eventually Morty spoke "Rick...I saw what you were trying to do..." I stayed quiet "Rick...I saw that you tried to ki-" "Just go away Morty. It's none of your business." "Yes it is! You're my grandpa! It's all of my business!" "Just go!" "No!" I growled and grabbed onto his collar "You stubborn little shit!" Morty glared daggers through me "I wonder who I get it from." I gritted my teeth and threw him outside of the lab. He dove into my chest before I could shut the door. "I'm not leaving you!" I shoved him off of me "What's your problem?! You fucking suicide bomber!" "Says you!" I growled and shoved him, he slid across the floor."Look at you throwing a kid around like a ragdoll 10/10 person. How the hell were you a father?"I dont fucking know. "Leave or I'll make you leave." I hissed through clenched teeth. Morty looked down "You're just as selfish as always..." "He's right you dickhead." My fucking inner voice wouldn't shit up."How is me trying to fucking kill myself selfish?!"

"What would I do if you were gone!?"

"He'd be better of without you anyway." My inner voice sneered.

"You're overreacting you'd be ok!"

"No I would not! You're all I have!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"You're my only friend..." Morty cracked out, his voice shaky "I...I can't lose you..." I stayed quiet and put my head on my workbench, turning away from him. "Look, you don't need me. You'll eventually be fine.."

Just then I felt a pressure around me and tensed up, I looked to the side and saw Morty hugging me with tears in his eyes "Don't leave me..." "You don't deserve him. You're a shitty grandpa. You're not even his grandpa. This is Prime's grandson remember."Oh how could I forget with you so courteously bringing it up? Not like that was a fact I would want to forget, oh no. It's not like I'd want to forget that the only thing that consistently makes me feel closest to what normal people call happy is the grandson of the man who ruined my life. I would say he made me who I am today. But that wasn't true. It wasn't his fault I was a piece of shit. Well, at least not entirely. "You're a piece of shit because that's just who you are. You're broken, you can't be fixed. You can't be happy. You don't deserve it."I clenched my fist. I didn't say anything, and I just let Morty continue hugging me. Every minute felt like hours. I knew I didn't deserve this. But I just wanted to let myself have this. Even for just a little. I would remove Morty's memory of this. I don't want his pity. "He just feels bad for you. You got mad at Jerry for using pity to lure in his victims but you are doing the same exact shit."Why do you think I'll remove his memory of this brainiac?"Don't get mad at me just because I'm the only one that acknowledges how shitty you are. No wonder why nobody loves you. Who would love a pathetic old man like you?"My grip on my other arm became white knuckled. I shook Morty off of me and he looked at me confused then rubbed arm. "R-Rick...I know we don't really do 'love' but..."Don't. "I.."Don't you fucking dare."Lo-""Shut up!" I didn't realize that I screamed that out until I saw Morty flinch."You don't deserve to be loved."I know! I know I'm a fucking piece of shit that doesn't deserve it! Why do you think I told Morty to shut up?!

Morty blinked

"But Rick I..."

"Don't."

"I-"

"Please."

Morty stayed quiet. Then eventually spoke

"Please promise me that you won't do something like that again..."

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"Because I love you!"

"Don't fucking say that!" I growled out.

"Well it's true! Just promise me you won't do that again! Promise me!"

"Morty I can't-"

"Please!"

Slience fell over the room like a blanket. Well I was going to erase his memory anyway. I took the memory eraser out of my labcoat."Okay."I pointed it towards him."I promise."And with a click of a button and a white flash. His memory was erased.

[sitp-recs]

Hi! Ok so I'm in the mood for some drarry first recs. Like they are each other's first kiss, first dates, loss of virginity, etc. I'll take just about anything. Also dark!Harry recs. Where drarry are together and something bad happens to Draco (either he dies or ends up severely injured/in a coma) and Harry seeks out revenge on those who did it and turns evil. I know that's a lot but I'd really appreciate it. Please and thank you in advance!

Hello! I did a list for Dark!Harry a while ano but that might not be what you’re looking for - tbh I don’t think I’m familiar with fics where he goes evil to save/avenge Draco (would love to read those!) but I’m sure my followers can help. As for first times, here are some recs for you:

A world just for us by nerakrose (G, 2k)

Harry and Draco go flying and then…continue to go flying.

Draco at Nineteen by birdsofshore (E, 5k)

It's the middle of the night and Harry Potter is sitting on my bed looking distinctly weird. I've had some fucked-up dreams in my time, but this one... this one is something new.

Slip Into My Lover's Hands by @lqtraintracks (E, 6k)

Draco licks his lips. He shuts his eyes, because he doesn't think he can look at Potter when he says it. When he asks for it. "One finger?"

Night Changes by @writcraft (E, 10k)

Draco and Harry have spent years dancing around one another, but Potter’s straight and married. Until one day he isn’t.

The Eighth Tale by lettered (E, 12k)

Draco Malfoy tries to fix the past, but instead mucks it up some more. For Harry, it all becomes quite clear.

Welcome to the Broom Closet by incapricious (E, 23k)

Harry thinks he knows how his life will go: Become an Auror. Marry Ginny. Have a family. But then he sees an advertisement in the paper that no one else can see, and his life is turned upside-down. The Broom Closet: you can be anyone you want while you're there, but you won't remember it in the morning.

Speak (and may the world come undone) by @shealwaysreads (E, 26k)

The war is on in earnest, and the hunt for the Horcruxes has begun. Harry receives help from the least expected person, and must decide whether he can trust the enemy he knows best.

Your Place or Mine? by @l0vegl0wsinthedark (E, 26k)

"This person is so much harder to hate. And I’m supposed to hate Malfoy. How the fuck else am I supposed to limit this to just sex?"

Buds, Blooms, and Beards by @corvuscrowned (E, 27k)

Harry and Ginny have built an easy, happy life for themselves after the war. They run a thriving plant shop together, they have a great relationship, and they're definitely not gay.

I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor by birdsofshore (E, 28k)

Harry felt lit up from inside as soon as he entered the bar. There were blokes dancing together, their bodies close to one another, not keeping a wary distance as Harry was always careful to do when he was near another man.

Romp and Circumstance by @wolfpants (E, 35k)

Since the war, Harry Potter has gone from Saviour to Scoundrel—not that he’s complaining. With a schedule full of gorgeous men, alcohol, and late nights, why would he want to change? Enter Draco Malfoy: beautiful, sharp, and completely untouchable. When Draco comes to Harry with a proposition to help him attract an engagement, Harry’s up for it—after all, how hard can it be not falling for his former nemesis?

Dwelling by aideomai (T, 83k)

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Reparo by amalin (E, 84k)

Voldemort's final defeat does not mean Harry Potter's troubles are over; far from it. In the aftermath of war, he returns to a Hogwarts that is fractured and divided, but this is no break that can be fixed with a spell. New owls, fading scars, surprising alliances—and along the way, the hardest task of all, to live with it.

Far From The Tree by aideomai (E, 112k)

The arrival of Harry Potter’s children—snapped back in time, the children themselves guessed, twenty or so years—was the most interesting thing to happen at Hogwarts for years.

A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587 (E, 234k)

Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. But Harry Potter is being weirdly nice to him, leaving Draco no choice but to play along.

[swiftie-erin]

Here's my first-listen review of TTPD and TTPD: The Anthology!

disclaimer: i broke down the rankings per album because trying to do them all together would've been a hell of a journey and would've taken more than one day / been more than just a "first listen." and per usual, take the songs at the bottom with a grain of salt because all of them are so close and even the ones at the bottom feel like they should be in the top ten

Overall review: wow, this was a lot to process. I keep trying to think about whether I like TTPD or TTPD: The Anthology better, but honestly I can't choose. so much heart-wrenching pain, such beautiful lyrics, and incredible reflections on love, loss, inner turmoil, what-ifs, and using writing as an outlet. this is absolutely going to be on repeat through spring and summer!

1. Fortnight - lowkey would've loved more Post Malone on this song but this is one of my faves!!

2. TTPD - I love the storytelling and I love the way Taylor says "TTPD" and "nofuckingbody" hehe

3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys - the imagery?? "queen of sand castles he destroys"??? omg this is one of my faves.

4. Down Bad - Love this song sonically and love hearing Taylor say fuck LOL. this is my fave song i think!

5. So Long, London - 🥺🥺 "i'm pissed off that you let me give you all that youth for free" gives me goosebumps, i love this song

6. But Daddy I Love Him - tbh good for you taylor, get em. your life is your own and only you get to tell yourself what you can or can't do, or who you can or can't love!

7. Fresh Out the Slammer - the lyrics are so good and the bridge transition is so beautiful!!!

8. Florida!!! - same bbg, we all need a dose of escapism once in a while (also i love the 🍃 mention hehe). fuck me up florida!!!

9. Guilty as Sin? - this is the song I pre-claimed and tbh it does not disappoint at all!

10. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? - the guitar, so good omg. the emotion in taylor's voice is raw and the female rage is palpable, love this song.

11. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) - love the ending and love the chorus!!

12. loml - ouchie. the lyricism and that last chorus, wow.

13. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart - we love a good depressive pop song!! "all of the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting 'more!'" and the click track!!

14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived - men ain't shit, taylor. what'd he do? I'll deliver your message LET ME AT EM-

15. The Alchemy - i'm so glad taylor is in a better place 🥹 it truly gives "karma is the guy on the chiefs coming straight home to me"

16. Clara Bow - such a beautiful song sonically, shows both the hope and hardships of wanting to be in the spotlight

17. The Black Dog - the second verse, OUCHIE. the bridge? i've died. i love this song more than i expected to.

18. imgonnagetyouback - i love the chorus and actually the entire song tbh

19. The Albatross - i'm very intrigued with the tale we're being told. people truly will read something about you, believe it, then crucify you for it.

20. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus - such a beautiful, sad song. what-ifs (especially for people like taylor and i who have anxiety) can be so, so much more heart-wrenching than knowing

21. How Did It End? - the lyrics. the sound. everything unspoken. how everyone wants to know what happened but she's not even sure herself.

22. So High School - so goddamn cute!!! i couldn't be happier that taylor is happy and thriving with trav 🥹🫶

23. I Hate It Here - "when they found a better planet, only the gentle survived" BESTIE i wish. i'm there right with you, girl. the world is awful and living in your mind often is easier and better. also, i too read the secret garden as a child hehe

24. thanK you alMee - omg, this song. taylor is truly coming to terms with what gave her scars and acknowledging it and moving forward. i'm so fuckin proud of her.

25. I Look In People's Windows - "i'm afflicted by the not knowing" ugh me too girlie. the anxiety, the contemplation, the fantasies; i'm glad neither of us are alone in knowing these feelings all too well

26. The Prophecy - i love this song 🥺 it's one of my faves. it reminds me of Foolish One, it's so desperate and hopeful at the same time.

27. Cassandra - i'm a greek/roman history slut so i love this already. i love the intertwined story that she creates, it's powerful.

28. Peter - bruh this song makes me want to cry. Betty has turned off her porch light 🥺

29. The Bolter - I love the way this song sounds! the first chorus sets the stage so well and the chorus is lowkey catchy

30. Robin - precious lyrics about keeping children innocent so they can enjoy their childhood while they have it 💗

31. The Manuscript - as a poet and writer myself, i relate to this song so much. writing truly is an outlet for processing emotions and at the end of it, all of those feelings are part of the writing and no longer yours. you're free.

[nancypullen]

Quiet Morning

I was up early today and decided to whizz through a bunch of chores. I popped in my hand-me-down Air Pods (I'm the Amish granny in this gadget crazed family and tech trickles down), picked a playlist and got busy. I unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned all the stainless appliances, gave every crack and crevice in the kitchen a fragrant spray and wiped it all down, took out the garbage, swept the floors, cleaned all of the downstairs windows, then went upstairs and cleaned bathrooms. After throwing a load of tea towels and bath towels into the washer I came back down to scramble myself some eggs. With John Mellencamp singing in my ears about the good ol' days, I paused and looked through my kitchen window.

That autumn scene stopped me in my busy tracks and I paused to soak it up. It's not a magnificent ocean view, I'm not overlooking rolling farmland, it's probably not the view of anyone's dreams - but the simplicity of that white picket fence and the multi-colored leaves gave me a moment of joy. Don't get me wrong, I'm a happy gal. I thank my lucky stars every day that the people I love (family and friends) are all healthy and thriving, that I wake up in a safe, warm home with full cupboards, clean, running water, and the freedom to do as I please. But sometimes when we're caught up in what must be done, it's lovely when the universe puts a speed bump in our way. The ol' stop and smell the roses advice, or in this case stop and admire the leaves. It's been a beautiful autumn here - vibrant color, cool temperatures, and of course, our wonderful trip to Ireland. I'm seeing more frosty mornings now and the bird and squirrel population is noticeably less active. Fall is winding down and as she waltzes out leaving a trail of scarlet and gold behind her, I hope Old Man Winter is mixing up some blizzards for us. I'm ready for a winter wonderland. I'm ready for thick socks, bubbling pots of soup, cozy nights with good books, and planning spring's garden. It's also time to rest.

That probably sounds crazy to say as we're careening toward busy Thanksgiving kitchens and all of the December madness, but it is a time to rest. The world does slow down in winter. Most mandatory chores are indoors now, and less frequent - I do a lot less laundry in the winter when we're not getting sweaty and dirty. My floors stay cleaner when we're not tracking stuff in from the gardens. I even tend to make more sheet pan meals or one-pot dinners. In the summer there are festivals, fairs, and barbecues to attend. In the winter, once the holidays pass, we socialize a bit less. It's time for everyone to retreat to their caves and hibernate.

That said, I'll be cooking like a mad woman for the next couple days. Matt is home for Thanksgiving (THAT makes my heart sing!) and I like to make it memorable for him. He doesn't get a ton of homecooked meals so I like to put all of his favorites on the table. None of us need a big Thanksgiving meal, but we all want it. I'm an enabler. Butter = love. I will nurture you right into a heart attack. In my defense I have planned healthy meals right up to Turkey Day. In fact, Turkey Eve will just be salads. I'm Jekyll and Hyde in the kitchen. After the feast, it is full steam ahead with decorating, wrapping, celebrating, and then welcoming the brand spankin' new year. Let's make everything sparkle and have a ball and then settle down for a long winter's nap. I will if you will.

I'm off to play with Matt. He's going to be thrilled to accompany me on a trip to Easton to buy wrapping paper. We're walkin' on the wild side, folks. I'm sending out love and loads of gratitude today. Stay safe, stay well, get some rest. XOXO, Nancy

[musings-from-an-elder-goth]

What It's Like Being a Goth in Florida

From time to time, folks who hail from colder climes will message me offering pity for the poor darkling stranded in The Sunshine State, or to simply inquire as to what herculean efforts I must undertake to avoid being burned to a crisp. These concerns are entirely fair and understandable - even I would never have guessed that a goth could survive in Florida prior to relocating here. I assumed my world was about to become profoundly limited and that I'd be the only shadow scurrying about in a futile attempt to dodge the sun, heat, and humidity. So, without further ado, here's something of a Goth Survival Guide to Florida. (Abridged edition.)

Sun & heat. Yes, those are a powerful pair of adversaries for any who dress the dark, especially in more southerly locals such as La Pascua de la Florida. First, you have to understand that most folks who live here have adapted to the heat and humidity to some degree - some quite a bit, others less so, but all of us more than someone visiting for a week from, say, Toronto. So the heat a northerner feels is much worse than the heat we feel (for example, I'm perfectly comfortable at 80 degree Fahrenheit, as long as I'm not in direct sunlight). Nevertheless, even those goths born here don't generally go outside during the day in the summer. However, it cools down quite a bit at night, and that's when you'll see us out and about. During the day, air conditioning is your bestie. Your home, car, and work will all have it and it will be blasting. We dash from one AC source to another during those dog days of summer, but that's just how it is here. I used to live in Minnesota and my life there was reversed - I'd stay inside all winter - so, pick your poison.

The beach. Yes, folks will try to get you to go to the beach. My advice? Spit in your hand and slap them. Kidding! I just say, "No, thanks," and tell them that the beach just isn't my thing. Which it isn't, so not even lying - I'm more of a forest kind of person. I've come across goths that like the beach at night, which is understandable. The temperature cools significantly once the sun sets and those pesky crowds also clear away. Perfect time for a small gathering around a little fire. Few drinks, good conversation, perhaps a ghost story or two. Not too bad, actually.

Clothing. Do I mostly wear black? Yup. Even in summer? Yup. The trick is to wear lightweight fabrics. Again, I'd never subject myself to the daylight during August, but once the sun sets, it gets much nicer. Goth gals still look lovely in light, breezy, black summer dresses and goth guys still look sharp in light black slacks and t-shirt. No one needs to break a sweat. Now, if you have to go out during the day in the summer, which sometimes just can't be avoided (graveyard photo shoot), be sure to wear a wide brimmed hat, slather on the SPF 100 sunblock, drink plenty of water, and try to stay in the shade. Personally, I've reached the point where nothing - absolutely nothing - drags me out of the AC in the summer during the day. Funeral for a friend? I'll send my condolences regarding his death. My co-workers wedding? I'll send my condolences regarding his death.

Critters. 'Aren't mosquitos attracted to dark colors?' Yup. 'So...aren't you plagued by mosquitos?' Oddly, no. 'What about poison ivy? What about Florida Man? Don't you live in terror of The Florida Man? And Skunk apes? And gators?' The flora and fauna hazards of Florida have been much less of an issue than the media had lead me to believe. Mosquitos certainly thrive here and I do get stabbed by one from time to time, but no more so than in other states I've called home. In fact, alligators, poison ivy, Florida Man, alien abductions, and skunk apes have all had minimal impact on my life here. I didn't say zero - just minimal.

Harassment from non-goths, i.e. The Normies. I genuinely thought I'd never see another darkly inclined person again when moving to Florida, but I was pleasantly surprised that not only are there goths here, but there are many goths here. One benefit of a large goth population is that the normies are accustomed to seeing us. They may not understand us, but at least they're used to us being part of the landscape. Thus, I've never been harassed or even lightly teased about being goth here in Florida. People don't even stare. I think they view it as just another character aspect, like being a sports fan or a serial killer. Additionally, many normies here are remarkably well informed about local goth culture. They usually know about the local goth clubs & sometimes about local goth bands. Many of them have even gone to the local goth clubs - for sure as a novelty lark - but they usually say they had a great time and would love to go again. Refreshingly different attitude from the people in some other places I've been.

Goth activities. "Do goth bands even play in Florida?" Wow, do they ever! I legit go to more shows here than even when I lived in LA. Bands playing for the first time here always say they're surprised at the large number of enthusiastic folks at the show and bands frequently return year after year, so as far as live music goes, we have an embarrassment of riches. If there's no live music going on, you can always head to a goth club for music and dancing on the weekend. Plus, there are various non-music events that usually interest most goths like horror conventions, vampire balls, oddity markets, etc. Just a couple weeks ago, I had to decide if I'd go to the Florida Bat Festival or a horror convention, so sometimes there just isn't enough time to do everything you'd like to and you have to pick and choose. (I went with the horror convention.)

So as you can see, no need to worry about the poor goths under the pitiless, Florida sun. We're managing quite well, actually. Because even in The Sunshine State, the sun does still set.

And the night belongs to us. 🦇🖤🦇

creaturesfromelsewhere 11-3-2022

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Small Stories Hour: Darkspace Portent

Yalisian Summer

↳ Warren glanced up from the bar and his cocktail as Guetry burst into the building, out of breath and holstering his still-smoking gun while his ankle-length duster settled around his legs. The tattoo cascading from his neck flashed erratically and the triangular scar on his temple emitted a quick purple pulse that possibly mirrored his own.

Guetry's eyes darted around the mostly-empty hut and settled onto Warren, then the pink drink in his hand, and his face contorted into unadulterated disgust, which Warren anticipated pretty much as soon as he entered.

"Shut the fuck up," Warren yelled before Guetry could open his mouth. "I'm on vacation and I'm a grown-up, I'll do what I want."

Guetry tipped his head in a "fair enough" gesture and shrugged the duster off, tossing it onto a stool before sitting next to Warren. "Speaking of doing what you want," he grunted.

"He's late," Warren said. "But I didn't expect him to be on time. Tournaltis keeps him busy. What are you doing here, by the way?"

"I visit Yalis once a year," Guetry said, throwing a patient finger toward the lenayan bartender and tapping the stone bartop. He said a few words in Yalis dialect.

"But what the hell were you shooting at? Is there a mob outside or something?"

"Actually yes." Guetry nodded in thanks at the bartender, who glided over to him with a clear drink in a strangely normal highball glass. He threw them a mostly innocuous wink before accepting the order. "Superfans of Skywaste."

Warren almost inhaled his drink. "Did you just murder them?!"

Guetry knocked back half of the glass in one go. "Not this time," he sighed wistfully. "Not this time."

The canvas flap leading into the building lifted open and Thrive stepped halfway inside, frowning at something unseen near the beach.

"He's not dead," Guetry said over his shoulder. "I went for the knee at the last second."

Thrive and Warren exchanged concerned and bewildered expressions across the room.

"Uh…hi?" Warren said, holding an arm out. "How was your trip?"

"Peaceful," Thrive replied, ducking down to indulge him in a quick, sweet kiss before taking a seat on his other side. "Perhaps I should take a break from keeping a planet running more often."

"That's literally everything I have ever wanted, man," Warren lamented. "Been trying to tell you that for months."

Guetry leaned forward to look at Thrive. "Where's your cape, old man?"

"At home. Despite it being a cherished gift, I don't like wearing it when I'm not working."

"Want sex on the beach?" Warren asked him cheekily.

Thrive eyed him, clearly unsure which direction to take in answering the question. "Judging by your grin I'm going to assume that doesn't mean literal sex on the beach." He paused, then lifted his eyebrows. "Though maybe it does."

Warren chuckled. "It's a drink. Well…it's called something different here, and the ingredients are a little more local, but it's basically the same thing. Not usually my kinda thing, but it's beachy and fun and it's making me hate the heat a little less." He held his glass out to Thrive, straw aimed toward him. "Try it?"

Thrive obliged, taking a tentative sip from the blushing liquid. "Hmm. Not very strong. Hints of…sea sugar. If I'm going to imbibe, I may as well do so with this."

Warren swung around to Guetry, who was already on his second drink. "That's not gin, is it?"

"Hell no. Think I'd be caught dead drinking gin after I almost literally got caught dead drinking gin? No."

Once Thrive got his drink and Warren got his second and last, he suggested they stretch their legs on the beach. Guetry tucked his entire glass under his arm and whipped out a mirror and a thin eyeliner pencil, touching up his liner the instant they stepped outside.

Warren and Thrive watched him with interest, impressed at the sight of him further taking an eyeshadow brush and blending the deep blue outer shade with the black inner shade, all without taking a single misstep on the coarse sand.

"Christ, dude," Warren laughed. "You've perfected the art of killing it on the go."

"Damn fucking straight," Guetry muttered, spinning around to get better lighting. He put the makeup away and sniffed, peering out into the horizon. "This place is something."

Warren stopped walking and sipped on his beverage, eyes roaming the vast green ocean and the faded moons on opposite sides of the sky, framing the gray sun nearing the water. "I could live here."

"I'm sorry Tournaltis has failed you somehow," Thrive said facetiously. "I can have your things moved here first thing in the morning if you'd prefer."

Warren smirked. "You can't get rid of me that easily, babe."

Thrive gave him a subtle look that made him question rejecting the idea of sex on the beach so quickly.

Guetry laughed. "Gross."

"Don't be jealous," Warren said.

"I love you guys so much."

"Yeah, we love you too, G." Warren wrapped his arm around Guetry's. "Let's get you sobered up before you start crying and ruin your hard work."

The three of them ambled down the beach and spent the evening chatting, enjoying the local food, and reminiscing on all of their adventures thus far. It hurt a little to go their separate ways, but it wouldn't be too long before they could join up again.

Pretty soon, it was an annual thing. Meeting at the bar on Yalis, walking the beach, and enjoying one another's company. And that went on for many years to come.

[shadowmaat]

worldbuilding for a horror novel

I recently read You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight, by Kaylynn Baron. It's a YA horror novel with an interesting twist on the summer camp slaughter trope.

The basic premise is that the Black protag and her fellow teens run a slaughterfest camp where they "reenact" stuff from a horror movie that was filmed in the same location. People pay to be scared and possibly "murdered" as they attempt to survive long enough to escape.

Naturally, of course, things go horribly awry and it turns out there's more to the camp than anyone realized. People start dying for real and things are no longer fun.

It's a fun story, but the background on the how's and why's weren't as robust as I'd hoped. Which is understandable, given genre and limitations and all, but as someone who can never leave well enough alone, I had to try and fill in the details for myself to help it make more "sense."

Spoilers ahoy for the book, so consider yourselves warned.

In the book there's a group of cultists called the Order of the Owl who go around killing people and performing a ritual in order to be granted fame, money, power, blah blah blah.

The book never really explains how the group was formed or how anyone knew the right incantations to say to make all their wishes come true. Again, time and story constraints, so it's understandable. That's where my imagination kicks into action.

Centuries ago, before the White Man came to the Peoples' Land, there was a tribe who lived in what is now upperstate New York. I'll call them the Hawoku since it's a made-up word that hopefully shouldn't offend anyone or tread on the toes of the People who actually live(d) in the relevant area. For Reasons, "Hawoku" meant "People of the Owl."

The Hawoku had a custom of bleeding their kills on the shore of the lake and feeding a piece of the animal's flesh to the water. It was done to show respect to the land and give thanks to the animal. They spoke words of gratitude and expressed hope for the health and wellness of their people and the continued thriving of the land.

When the colonizers settled nearby, things were a bit tense, but the Hawoku did their best to ignore the interlopers and hoped they'd be given the same courtesy in return.

Alas, the colonizers wanted what the Hawoku had; they hated seeing the way the People prospered while their own crops struggled and sickness ran rampant through the population. It's worth noting that this was because the Hawoku knew what they were doing and had been working this land for generations. They knew where to plant, what to plant, and how to tend what grew there. They also understood the value of proper sanitation and how NOT to spread disease. But clearly it had to be some kind of magic, right? How else could a bunch of "primitives" thrive in this horrible place?

Some of the colonizers cozied up to the locals, pretending that they wanted to "learn their ways." The Hawoku were skeptical, but willing to try and help the white idiots.

Unfortunately, between translation errors, arrogance, racism, and a bunch of other crap, when the Hawoku tried to teach the colonizers their way of respecting the land, the colonizers decided what they really meant was that it was a magic ritual to gain power over the land. Short-sighted of them, but maybe these [slur]s were onto something.

Naturally the first attempts by the colonizers to try and make themselves rich and powerful didn't work. This is because there was no magic involved, but the colonizers decided it was because the Hawoku were lying to them and trying to keep all the power to themselves.

This ended the way you would expect: the wholesale slaughter of the Hawoku as the invaders tried to learn their "secrets."

This didn't work, either, though the colony leaders made notes about everything... right before the whole village was wiped out by disease or possibly a bitter winter.

The next group of colonizers to arrive on the scene found the notes left behind and the abandoned village and assumed the obvious: the ritual needed human sacrifice in order to work and all the previous residents had clearly ascended as a result of that ritual. The new group settled right in, learned the absolutely bastardized Hawoku words of thanks power, and formed a group called the Order of the Owl in honor (HA!) of the Hawoku whose "noble sacrifice" had led their betters into power.

Now. In the book, there is some actual magic involved. It's implied that the (white) locals had known about this "ritual" since the 1800s and had been successfully performing it until one stupid kid ruined all the fun by killing too many people and drawing so much attention the Order felt the need to lay low for a while.

There's more than one path to "magic," though. If you want to go a Christian route then perhaps the demons the colonizers brought with them awoke and seized the opportunity to sow evil in fertile new ground. If you want to go more naturalistic, perhaps the land itself grew twisted in the attempt. Oh, they could have money and power, but at an ever steepening cost. Or it could be the fae, lured in by the unchecked atrocity. Or something else entirely. However it happens, there IS some magic involved, but of a very bad kind.

Centuries pass. The Order of the Owl grows arrogant and greedy. The more they ask for, the more they are required to sacrifice. Sometimes the sacrifices work and sometimes it doesn't; there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, though the Order declares that only the "worthy" will find their prayers answered.

The events of the book take place and the Final Girl is left standing at the side of the lake. She's made her own sacrifice to get what she wants (she has sacrificed so much already that the life of one traitorous jackass means very little.

She gets her wish, too. The girlfriend she lost to the traitorous killer has been restored to her. The ending of the book is very ambiguous, but it's entirely possible it was meant to be a Came Back Wrong situation. Especially since it's been a year since her death.

I, however, prefer more encouraging endings. The magic poisoning the land might have been born of evil, but she severed the last thread in that particular tapestry, so now there's a chance for balance to be restored. And hey, for all that evil exists, so does good. Maybe this time, good wins.

Final Girl gets her girlfriend back, whole and uncorrupted. The girlfriend has been changed by her experience, but beyond the trauma she's still the kind and loving person she once was. They leave hand in hand, ready to start a new life together far away from the camp.

Nature will continue to reclaim the buildings, swallowing all evidence that humans were ever there, and peace will once again settle on the Hawoku land.

For now.

[mermaidsirennikita]

What are your favorite self-made hero books? Thank you!

Lisa Kleypas is kind of the archetypal working class/self made hero HR novelist right now, so I'll start with hers:

Dreaming of You--probably the best one, Derek Craven was born in a drain pipe, he named himself, and he built a thriving gambling empire based off the cash he made as a literal gigolo.... bless

Marrying Winterborne--Rhys Winterborne is a Welshman who came from nothing and made like this big fucking department store; they also literally fuck in the department store

Other Kleypas self made hero books: Secrets of A Summer Night (Simon Hunt, man of industry), Suddenly You (Jack Devlin, publisher), Tempt Me At Twilight (Harry Rutledge, owns hotels), Mine Till Midnight (Cam Rohan... does stuff for Sebastian St. Vincent? Runs his shit?), Scandal in Spring (Matthew Swift, protege of the heroine's soap company-owning father)

Other include:

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt--I consider Harry this, as he's the steward of the land the heroine inherits and super competent. He's also... hot as fuck.

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt--Charming Mickey O'Connor, river pirate king (of my heart)

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt--Asa Makepeace, runs a pleasure garden, masturbates on command

When A Rogue Meets His Match by Elizabeth Hoyt--Interesting case as the hero, Gideon Hwthorne, has lifted himself up from nothing by doing the dirty work for the heroine's evil uncle; he tries to break away from him, but ends up doing one last job for him in exchange for the heroine's hand in marriage.

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne--I feel very strongly like this counts, even though Dorian Blackwell like................ fully is self made through a criminal empire, and there are some caveats. I feel that he worked VERY hard for it.

Seducing A Stranger by Kerrigan Byrne--Cutter Morley was a street urchin and became like, the chief of police or something. I mean, ACAB but we love a Cutter Morley on this blog.

Wicked and The Wallflower/Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean--The heroes of these books are half-brothers and the illegitimate sons of a duke; they were cast out of their father's good graces and ended up running a criminal empire.

The Uptown Girls Trilogy by Joanna Shupe--Set in the gilded age about a trio of rich, rebellious sisters. One hero is a lawyer, two are in the criminal underworld. All are hot.

[swiftl0ck]

taylor swift x characters

john and sherlock x peace

bbc sherlock

folklore - taylor swift

i think this song works so perfectly for john and sherlock, the beautiful relationship they have and how they fit together like puzzle pieces, they are truly the best team and totally lost without each other.

Our coming-of-age has come and gone Suddenly the summer, it's clear

sherlock and john meet at a time in their lives where they have grown up. they have lived separate lives and have both assumed that they are fine on their own. then 'summer comes', they meet and it becomes clear that they have more growing up to do, they push each other to change and be better.

I never had the courage of my convictions As long as danger is near

this line is john speaking, sherlock has never had a lack of courage in his convictions, he speaks his mind and john respects him for it. john has been away from civilian life for some time, he has less experience in standing up for his values when it really counts, but sherlock pushes him to.

And it's just around the corner, darling 'Cause it lives in me

sherlock thinks he is dangerous, he believes he is unfeeling and logical and he hurts people when he is trying to help. he has been told this so much he accepts it as truth. sherlock thinks he is inherently dangerous to know, because, despite his deep understanding of how humans work, he doesn't know where he fits into that. he keeps causing people pain when he doesn't mean to, so he warns them against him.

no, I could never give you peace

this is the truly beautiful message of the song. sherlock needs danger, he thrives off cases and mystery, without it he loses the will to live and spirals. John loves to investigate with him, this has been made clear as he comes back to work alongside sherlock time and time again, however, he does not NEED it as sherlock does. in the chorus, it truly shows how sherlock is telling john that a life with him, can never be peaceful.

but I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm

what better metaphor to describe sherlock holmes than a fire. he blazes around london, bright and powerful, once set off there is little point controlling him but he channels his energy towards burning out all evil he can find. john is struggling until he meets sherlock holmes, the fire to make him feel alive again and warm his brittle heart, toughened by years in a war.

if your cascade ocean wave blues come

all these people think love's for show but I would die for you in secret

sherlock ruined his whole reputation, died a fraud and a traitor, to save john, lestrade and mrs hudson. the man who once scoffed at the weaknesses of human emotion finally understands how powerful it is and truly dies for them in secret.

the devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me would it be enough if I could never give you peace?

the devil really is in the details for sherlock holmes. his head runs round with theories and deductions and observations. "it's always you john watson, you keep me right". with the swirling mess inside his head, it's watson's constant presence that keeps him from losing his sanity to the devil of unending thought.

your integrity makes me seem small

despite his intelligence and incredible abilities, sherlock often loses sight of what matters to normal people. i believe there is no time that sherlock feels smaller than when john is yelling at him for being unfeeling. especially as sherlock often does not know what he has done wrong, he feels superior to john in every way apart from emotions. in that he feels inferior.

you paint dreamscapes on the wall

a dreamscape is "a landscape or scene with the characteristic of dreams". both sherlock and john have dreams of what life could be like, but, as the show goes on, they each become happier with their reality, raising rosie in 221b, even if it isn't perfect.

however, the dreamscapes could also be about sherlock's mind palace, because what better way to describe a mind palace than a dreamscape of information.

I talk shit with my friends it's like I'm wasting your honour

john perpetuates his friends' general opinion that sherlock is cold and has no feelings when he knows that isn't true. he makes jokes at sherlock's expense when it is clear that sherlock is not emotionless, he just doesn't show emotions in the same way.

and you know that I'd swing with you for the fences sit with you in the trenches.

sherlock and john are with each other in the highs and lows in life, when they solve cases and save lives or when they lose the ones they love most. they may drift apart but they will always come back to each other. the wartime imagery of trenches could also reference john's army history.

give you my wild, give you a child

this line is so perfect, in the last scenes of the final problem, john and sherlock are seen raising rosie together. she may not be sherlock's child but john is entrusting him with her care as they raise her together. i think this is a really beautiful conclusion to their story, especially because of how much john struggles to trust sherlock after the six thatchers. it clearly depicts that the trust there is stronger than ever as john allows sherlock to be such a big part of rosie's life.

give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

the understanding between john and sherlock is unmatched. the amount of communication that goes unsaid throughout the whole show is so intricate and detailed and yet they both understand the other one very clearly. a level of connection that allows them to be so incredible at what they do.

family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother

Is it enough? But there's robbers to the east, clowns to the west

sherlock and john can never relax, they have made too many enemies over the years, there are people everywhere who are angry at them and nothing can change that. but they don't let that come between them, they fight their robbers and clowns together.

I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best

sherlock wants to be his best self for john, so many times we see him trying to change something in his life when john asks him to. sherlock truly values his opinions. however, sherlock also always attempts to only show john and those around him his 'sunshine', he struggles to be vulnerable and open with others.

but the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me

john and sherlock both know that life would be easier for john if he didn't stand with sherlock, but he does anyway, and I think that is such a powerful thing.

Thank you so much for reading!

written by iona

listen to peace here:

[gracefulweather]

hello ! it's been quite a long time since i last sent an ask 😅 sorry fam !

once i pull an eric pc it'll b over for me :") but i got my friend a maverick album and she pulled the sunric pc lmao ! i also got a nice collection of sunwoo photos from a friend and i ordered a sunric photo strip 😳😳😳

hyunjae 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅 stay away !!! jk i love him

UR SUNWOO FIC !!! IS SO GOOD !!!! IM OBSESSED WITH IT FR 😭😭😭 the way u write is so beautiful and how everything connects, it's so effortless and detailed ! i love it sm, seriously 🥺 the plot and the characterization is so amazing !! u did so well, truly one of the best fics i've ever read

hahahaha lovesick ..... . its a journey tbh, it always takes me a while to decide...so we'll see ! i've changed the plot so many times too lol but hopefully it'll stay interesting and i'll actually find the inspo to write it haha !

YES YES YES i was hoping for atz to release the kingdom ver. of the songs i'm so glad they did ! i wish all the groups would make official releases and hopefully tbz will give us that spicy monster cover 👀 AND THE ROCK VER. OF THE STEALER WE NEED IT !

i started watching 'our beloved summer' ! rn its like enemies to lovers to enemies and i like it !! PLS i thought we were promised goedam in like august :"( wait hyunjae's drama was cancelled??? i watched the first episode i thought it was fun :")

THE WAY THEY ALL GANGED UP ON ERIC LMAO IT WAS SO FUNNY

oohh i see ! i find that i am v uncreative in letting my mind wander :( and i rewrite and recycle the same plotlines a lot lol but it def helps for me to go out and like.. do stuff to get inspo ahaha 👀 omg the hj etl !!! i am excited

DRINK IT THE AUDIENCE WANTS DRINK IT ICE TEA ENTERTAINMENT ARE U LISTENING

yesss i feel like hoon's hair color has changed a lot recently ! but its so cute !! HYUNJAE >:( why does he looks so good all the time

what if !! we get hypnotized at the GDAs ?

WORLD. TOUR [!(#*#)! O H MAN .... i cannot do that, hopefully they come to somewhere near me 😭

hyunjae is literally unhinged lmao his sense of humor is amazing i love it

also we finally got the milsun live 🤩🤩🤩 the fucking part when sunwoo said he likes hotdogs at the movie theater and hyunjae was like those r for kids and sunwoo made those fucking faces PLEEEASE a comedic duo 😭😭😭 and also sunwoo going tf off abt loud chewers in movie theaters hahHa

today i saw sunwoo promising to do some sort of ab reveal and then i closed twitter i can feel my eye twitching as i type this rip my sanity

my exams ended and i surprisingly didn't fuck em up too much ☺☺☺ all i've been doing is working so far and dealing w my uh 😅 kinda rude boss lol anyway !

HOW IS 2022 SO CLOSE LIKE WHAT WHERE DID THE YEAR GO????

i hope u are thriving and doing well and resting !! what else have u been up to???

HII BESTIE HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 🎉🍾🎆✨ did you do anything fun? any resolutions? anything you're looking forward to this year?

oooh rooting for an eric pc for ur next pull hehe but that sounds like a nice collection of sunwoo!!! do you have like a shelf in ur room that's just for ur kpop stuff? HAHA i did the pc in clear phone case thing for a bit but then got a new phone case so put sangyeon back on my shelf :')

adklfjk ty for ur comments really 🥺🥺🥺 i spent most of the writing process hating it so i was pleasantly surprised to have it turn out well in the end!! wrote way too many versions of it too LMAO but ahHHH thank u for ur support 🥺💖

ohhh how much of ur smaus do you plan before you start posting? i've tried writing series a few times in the past but i always need to like.... get the whole thing done before posting otherwise it'd never get done 🤡 i hope u find ur inspo soooon ahh i'm excited for whatever u decide to do with lovesick!!

omg yes the tbz monster cover and now ROCK VERSION OF MAVERICK TOO!!! are they rlly never gonna release them tho 😭 but omg did you hear about how the person who arranged their upcoming ost is the one who arranged the reveal/checkmate mama 2020 stage and stealer rock ver??? is this who we go talk to... (ง'̀-'́)ง

ohhh is that the drama where exes have to film a documentary or something? i've seen it around and it looks like fic inspo 👀 is it good? but omg enemies to lovers to enemies LOL. ikr what happened to goedam :(( and i guess hyunjae's webdrama didn't do well enough to be continued? although.... it's supposedly.... the most popular thing on that youtube channel LMAOOO

i am also very uncreative omg sometimes i read other people's fics esp if it's a fantasy or magical realism kind of world or has a cool concept and i'm like.... how do you come up with this??? nothing wrong with cliches tho!! but yeahh going out and doing stuff deffs helps with inspo haha

oooh do you like hoon's long hair? kinda miss his black hair now LOL. hyunjae..... we don't speak of him 😶 WAIT GDA that's this weekend..... they're performing?? i've lost track of all the award shows already but hypnotized would be amazing (drink it... would be too... BIG SIGH 😔). i'm gonna rely on jacob and kevin to pull some strings and get them to canada for the world tour hehe

SUNWOO'S FACE AT THAT PART WAS SO FUNNY AKDFJKFL i laughed every time i saw it on my tl!! and yeah i also read about that ab reveal thing 😶 sangyeon once made that promise but never kept it... so maybeeeee you'll be safe 👀

oooh that's so good go get that 4.0!! i believe in u!! but ur rude boss :(( props to u for handling school and work and everything tho!! and ikr the year went by so fast... i saw a post that said '2021 is proof that time flies whether you had fun or not' HAHA think it's accurate 🤡 the holidays felt way too short tbh, i was stressing over this fic exchange and gifts the entire time so not much rest but that's ok!! LOL

[yhmisun]

*//𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆: introducing 𝐘𝐄𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐍!

hi petals 🥰 i'm so thrilled to be here with you all and bringing you this gullible little lioness!i promise i'll get to all ims soon, but my alias is penny, my pronouns are she/her and i'm in the est tz! this is my bby misun - the very soft-spoken principal of kwangsook academy. despite the shady way she ended up with it, she quite loves her job, as well as all the students and faculty at kwangsook :D i will have her full bio up sometime soon, but for now, you can find some relevant links and some bullet points under the cut! if you'd like to plot something out, feel free to hit the heart so i know and i'll come buzz you in ims! tw - brief mentions of death cw - workplace affair

statistics. // bio. // headcanons. // plots. // musing blog. // pinterest.

━  ❖ (kim ahyoung “yura,” cis female, she/her) hey thank you for coming to town hall to update your information yeo misun! you’re a citizen correct? good to know! are you enjoying yourself around yunhwa? you’ve been staying here two years right? i’m glad! remind me, are you born on 14/12/1992? we’re so lucky to have someone so dedicated around as a principal at kwangsook academy even if sometimes you can be credulous. hope to see you around the house #3034, hwesakgu!

born and raised in busan, the city was imbued in misun's veins. she was in love with how the highest skyscrapers mingled with the clouds on overcast days and how life always seemed to be racing by. her childhood was a happy one, as she gained a younger brother and sister along the way.

her mother was a science teacher and her father a commercial fisherman at the local dock. it wasn't uncommon for him to be gone for weeks at a time in order to bring an income into the household, so misun was often left in charge of her younger siblings. it was something she thrived at honestly, as she'd always had this nurturing way about her. she didn't even argue with her siblings much, she mostly just played peacekeeper when they fought amongst themselves.

she ran through the typical cycle of dream occupations as any child would. she had a particularly tight grasp on astronomy for awhile, but she also always appreciated her mother's work in the field of education.

misun could be be rather mild-mannered, but she loved to run free in the yard, as if the fence that boxed it in existed in another realm entirely. as she grew older, she picked up several hobbies that always seemed to lend to a tranquil state of mind, as it was her favorite feeling in the world. painting and surfing were two of her favorite things to do, once she learned the basics of them. some of her most cherished memories of her father were the trips they took to the beach whenever he was home for the week so that he could see what she had learned for himself. she'd never forget the proud smile he wore.

[tw:death] she was fourteen when her father's boat sank in the korea strait, he and all of his crew being lost in the tragedy. they were at least able to hold a funeral for him; and misun always knew it was something that could happen in the logical side of her brain - but that was rarely the side she wanted to agree with. it was extremely hard on the family for his already too brief presence to have lessened to nothing, and it was years before any sense of normalcy was felt. [end tw]

it was fortunate that misun was so prone to being a parental figure in the household, as she was able to help her mother with her brother and sister while the woman grieved. it was simply in misun's nature to forego her own feelings to give another what they needed.

there was a desperate need for the lost income to be restored in some way, as her father had been the primary breadwinner for the family. her mother's salary as a teacher simply wasn't going to hold four people afloat in the city for very long. misun spent years juggling her workload in school along with working part-time, putting her all into not only bringing home good grades that her mom could be proud of, but helping to keep the family's bills paid, as well.

by the time she graduated, misun had excelled so much in her studies, that she was offered two different scholarships, both of which would have easily covered the expenses of attaining her degree, a miraculous offer for the family who had no way to afford college for any of the three children in it.

the college experience was everything misun had hoped for; a chance to better herself, find herself and take a bit of a break from the full workload she'd been carrying for so long. she still worked part time, so that she could slowly add to the college funds of her brother and sister while she attended school herself, but it was nice to have such a heavy focus on her studies.

she'd come to find that she wanted to go beyond teaching. she enjoyed the thought of administrative duties in the school system; fighting the good fight so that students could always have the help they needed to prosper. it wasn't just about filling their brains with meaningless facts they'd forget over a summer anymore - it was about making sure they had the tools to make it in life.

while she did receive some brief classroom training as a teacher in her initial transition, once misun got her master's degree, she was able to fill the position of principal at one of the schools in the city. she fell in love with it immediately, as it fit right in with her facilitating nature. she had a knack for keeping the peace around the school and making sure things ran smoothly so that all the teachers and other faculty could do their jobs properly.

she even had a positive working relationship with the local school board and her superiors, one of whom seemed to have taken quite a shine to her. he'd find any opportunity to speak with her, even about the silliest things. it was quite odd for misun to see him go back and forth from a very personable man to a very stuffy superintendent on an almost weekly basis, but there was definitely something charming about him.

before she really knew it, he'd swept misun off her feet entirely. suddenly they were sharing their lunch breaks at romantic cafes and making excuses to see each other during inconvenient times. misun always saw the best in people, and the things she saw in him made her feel love on an intense plane. she felt special with him; wanted. she might have said he'd broken down all her barriers, if she'd ever bothered to put them up.

as sweet as the feelings were, she supposed she knew the relationship was inappropriate considering that he was practically her boss. still, she didn't want to let go of the happiness she felt, and that she thought he had felt to.

it wasn't long before he informed her of his suspicions that some of his co-workers had an inkling he was having an affair with one of the school faculty members in the area. he seemed to know it was only a matter of time before the truth would come out, so he would cover his tracks. he would make sure no one ever found out.

initially, they were only meant to 'cool things off' a bit so that the suspicion would die down. admittedly, if word got out about them, misun knew it would be quite the scandal, and he may have to step down from his position. it seemed like the logical thing to do to lay low for awhile.

she didn't see the next part coming, though; apparently it had been decided that she would take the hit entirely, in order to save them both. her superintendent had crafted the brilliant plan to transfer her to kwangsook academy out in the small town of yunhwa and away from the city that she'd always known and loved. she wouldn't have to worry, he'd told her. the job was all but hers after the glowing recommendation he gave her. 'thank goodness, right? now you won't have to face any humiliation.'

she was confused, hurt and more angry than she had ever been in her life. as lovely as yunhwa was, it wasn't her home back in busan. it wasn't her school district. why was it her life that had been uprooted, and hers alone? was he suffering any undesired changes in his life in the city? did he even care at all that she was gone?

still though, misun's resilience remained steadfast, even after her heart was broken. as bitter as she was about the forced move, she'd been given a job to do, and she was going to going to do it right. getting used to the small town lifestyle has been a major adjustment for her, but she's not really one to complain about her circumstances.

two years on, and she remains in yunhwa, functioning as the head of kwangsook academy. as lost as she'd felt initially, she's come to fit in at the school at last. she's a rather amicable person who gets along well with the other teachers and staff members. she's always willing to lend a helping hand when it's needed, and is extremely dedicated to making sure the school has everything it needs in the way of funding, materials, healthy lunches and meaningful extracurriculars. as unassuming as misun can be sometimes, she's very protective of her students!

[mhawithtaste]

Shared Afflictions part 1

You find out you share a similar ailment with an unlikely stranger.

Warnings: Mentions of blood and itchy, peeling skin.

Character Focus: Shigaraki Tomura

From the author: Questions? Comments? Shoot me an ask. Feel free to send in any concepts or ideas you find interesting and I might write something based off it if you want. <3

It was summer when you first bumped into him in the corner store, looking for an emergency lotion to tie you over until your dermatologist was able to refill your prescription. You were standing in your pajamas, searching the various lotion brands for something that could offer even a bit of relief to the constant itching and buring and tingling and peeling—

A little sigh slips out. Your week, month... hell, the last year had been busy. College. Work. Mental health. Family. It all just crashed together and never seemed to stop from the moment you were old enough to understand what "Time lost is never found" actually meant.

And then your skin condition had flared up. You'd always had a bit of an issue with your skin, but it really seemed to flare up when you were stressed or anxious. And, well, suffice it to say this last year saw your stress and anxiety thrive. Typically, you could deal with it; wait for it to go away or you could relax a bit and let it die down. Only lasts a month, usually, maybe two.

It was 6 months of constant itching and burning that pushed you to your limit.

20 minutes of google, a visit to the doctor to get a recommendation to a dermatologist, and two separate trips to the dermatologist to get a professional confirmation of what google had shown you; seborrheic dermatitis. "Or just seborrhea if you want to be casual." Your dermatologist had said it in what could only be described as a cartoon salesman's voice, laughing at his own joke as you realized your insurance wouldn't cover the cost of the $200 lotion to give you the relief you need. Constant drying up of your skin, burning as it peels and you scratch it away so that your skin stops tingling, meant that this wasn't something you could put off.

So you dipped into your savings jar and practically cleared it out.

A 12 ounce tube. You'd make it last, you had said. And you did. Now, it had run out and you had just gotten off an eight hour shift and you couldn't sleep because the skin of your face and head felt like ants were crawling beneath it...when it wasn't burning like someone was taking a torch to it.

Absent-mindedly you reach up to the back of your neck, where your hairline just starts, and lightly brush your fingers against the patch of peeling skin just forming. The slight touch makes your skin tingle uncomfortably and without meaning to... you start scratching. It takes longer than it should but eventually, finally, the itch is sated. When you pull your hand back you don't check the nails on that hand, knowing exactly what you'd find under that fluorescent lighting. You could feel the slow drip of blood rolling down the back of your neck and sigh.

You'd been doing so well, thanks to a mix of specially prescribed lotion and a buildup of self control. The exhaustion made it easy to fall back on old habits, though. Wiping the blood on your nails on the fabric in your pants pocket, you finally find something for sensitive skin with aloe vera and none of the chemicals that your dermatologist had warned you against. After turning the bottle over in your hands a few times, you nod to yourself and glance to your left down the dingy aisle to see if the cashier was still loitering behind the counter.

Then you nearly scream when you see the tall, looming figure shoving lotion bottles around on the hunt for something. You'd say he looked suspicious in his all black clothing but, in all honesty, he looked too...gangly to be much of a threat. Still, shouldn't you have heard him approach the aisle?

It's belated that you realize you've been itching at the skin beneath your left eye. The skin hasn't broken, put it is peeling and the burning has set in. Glancing back at the man, you shrug lightly to yourself.. You were caught off guard at his presence...yet you couldn't blame yourself for not noticing him. You had a lot on your mind after all.

So you go to slip around him when he lifts a hand and starts to aggressively tear at the skin of his neck. You watch it peel, break, and the blood starts saturating his nails. You can practically feel the burning yourself.

And then he glances over at you through oily blue hair and you finally get a glimpse of his face. Dry skin, peeling and red, over scars that must burn in the sun. Without thinking, you point at the spot the lotion had been. Red eyes follow your gesture and you see the scowl form on his face. Without meaning to you mirror the look, feeling your lips press tightly together and eyebrows draw low. You turn to look, ready to clarify which bottle you meant, when your eyes land on an empty space on a rickety shelf.

Ah. Well. Shit.

He's scratching the skin on his face now, much harder than you ever do; surprising, considering your parents have compared the way you tear your skin to taking a grinder to a stone. You see his skin break and can feel the momentary relief that shows all over his scarred face before it morphs. He's grinding his teeth and tensing his jaw because the relief has shifted to burning. He doesn't need to tell you because you know.

It's a split second decision, one born of empathy. You offer the tube in your hand to him. He looks at it, looks at you, and narrows his eyes. It feels as if cotton has been shoved in your mouth from anxiety as you realize how strange you must look, clad in only pajamas and trying to hand off a bottle of lotion to a stranger in a corner shop. Hell, he must think you're a weirdo. You sure as hell would if the roles were reversed.

"Wh—"

"I'll—"

Great. Now you were talking over him. You feel yourself scratching at the skin beside your ear; a place where you'd already made the skin raw. Then you see him mirror the action, scratching at his neck where the skin starts to peel. So you stop scratching.

"Look," You pat your free hand against your shirt from nerves at having to actually talk to someone. "I've been looking for something would stop the itching and burning and peeling for, hell I don't know, like 30 minutes? You're not going to find anything that works that doesn't make your face feel like it's on fire or dry you out even more." If possible, his eyes narrow further. Then they widen, scan your features, and you see him lower his proverbial hackles when he takes note of your cracked and peeling skin.

You hold the bottle out again and he snatches it away like a feral cat stealing food from someone's plate, afraid they'll take it back if a single moment is spent hesitating. With one more look at you, at your face, he turns and stalks away. Another sigh as you turn and look at the lotions, knowing that there's nothing there for you.

Ah.

There's a ding as the door to the shop is opened and you hear the cashier shouting about needing to pay for that lotion.

Well.

It takes a moment to realize that the man you had so kindly just offered your salvation had stolen it.

Shit.

[barbitone]

HELLO!!!! i'd just like to tell you how thankful i am for everything you've written for capri ;____; berencel is my ride or die ship (aside from lamen of course!) and i've reread so many of your fics – which is why i'm reaching out to you now, since i JUST reread your space au and am currently going to start on your ballet au, which i'm sure i'll enjoy. uhhh that's it!!! i hope u are safe and healthy in these trying times! :)

Thank you so much for the lovely comment!!! I’m glad you’re enjoying re-reading fics :) Hope you like the ballet AU!

In light of the quarantine, I figured I’d share the beginning of my latest fic, which is a sort of regency AU and is basically an excuse for Berencel to just... flirt a lot, I guess

The cool night air on the patio was a relief after the bustle of the party inside. Berenger leaned against the railing, closing his eyes as he breathed in the fresh air and the blissful silence while he waited for Parsins to bring the carriage around.

If it were up to him, he’d give all such events a pass. Alas, his status did not permit it. He had to show his face sometimes, if only to remind the other scheming aristocrats that he was still their liege-lord.

He winced when he heard the door opening and schooled his features into a neutral expression as he listened to the approaching footsteps, resolved to ignore their owner. No doubt some merchant or minor nobleman come to try and win his favor, or try to wheedle out a trade deal, or an extension on their tax payments, or-

“Do you have a light?” a lilting voice asked.

Berenger sighed inwardly, annoyed. He’d already put on his riding gloves and wasn’t about to take them off to accommodate some boorish dandy who couldn’t be bothered to carry their own lighter. He’d meant to say as much, turning. 

“I-” he started and was immediately drawn up short by a vision of a man dressed in a fine green satin jacket. Even in the moonlight his hair was red as flames, and his plump lips were pursed in a smirk that wouldn’t look out of place on a siren, luring sailors to their deaths. He was certainly as beautiful as one, and probably no less dangerous.

He was holding a cigarette between his pale elegant fingers.

“-certainly,” Berenger finished, pulling off one glove before slipping his hand into his pocket to retrieve his lighter. He lit it and cupped the flame with his free hand, offering it to the young man and watching with bated breath the way his dark eyelashes fluttered when he leaned in.

“Thank you,” the stranger said with a faint smile. “Would you care for one?” He offered a silver cigarette case and Berenger shook his head before forcing himself to drag his gaze away from the man’s lips, wrapped sinfully around the cigarette. He put his glove back on as the stranger took a deep drag.

“You don’t like parties?” the young man asked. He turned to look out into the garden, the moonlight catching on his emerald earrings. Nobles rarely wore such lavish jewelry, and the lower classes couldn’t afford it. Berenger knew instinctively what the young man was. A high end rent boy, no doubt on retainer for one of the rich widows floating around back in the hall. 

He was the prettiest Berenger had ever seen; generally he’d found the widows preferred a more masculine sort. The young man was certainly the most well spoken, even though Berenger could detect the hint of a lower-class accent in his speech.

“Not as such,” Berenger said, turning to look into the garden as well. “And you?”

“I find it all quite exhilarating,” the youth said. “The food and drink, the lavish surroundings, the entertainments.”

“Oh yes,” Berenger said with a wry smile. “And the company, I’m sure.”

The youth laughed, taking a drag off his cigarette and blowing out a thin stream of smoke that dissipated slowly into the night air. “In truth,” he started, leaning closer and lowering his voice, “I find the company a bit tedious.”

“Do you really,” Berenger said, amused. “And that’s why you’re out here. Escaping.”

“Perhaps,” the young man said with an enigmatic smile.

They were standing quite close- close enough to invite scandalous rumors. Berenger found himself not caring overmuch. As a dedicated bachelor he was quite used to rumors, and this was a far more pleasant situation to spark them than most he’d been involved in.

“Is it working?” Berenger asked.

The stranger laughed, shifting so their shoulders nearly, almost, brushed together. “So far I’ve found the company out here to be far preferable to what I left behind,” he said, holding Berenger’s gaze as he flicked his cigarette butt into a rose bush below.

“The grounds keeper won’t be well pleased to find that come morning,” Berenger murmured, smiling despite himself.

“I don’t imagine so,” the young man said with a wicked grin. “But I think I’ll get away with it this time. Unless you intend to tattle on me?”

“Heavens forbid,” Berenger said, utterly enchanted even though he knew he shouldn’t be. “Even if I wished to betray you so terribly- I don’t even know your name.”

“Maybe we should keep it that way,” the man teased. “A guarantee that my crime will remain undiscovered.”

“Ancel!” someone cried out and the stranger- Ancel- let out a put upon sigh.

“Alas,” he murmured. “The jig is up. And so terribly soon.”

“I’d been wondering where you’d- you’d-” an older portly man said, coming closer and setting his hand low on Ancel’s back. His eyes fell on Berenger and his speech came to an abrupt stuttering stop. “Lord Berenger!”

Berenger regarded the stranger cooly. He was some third rate horse merchant, not one that Berenger was well acquainted with. Luis? Leon?

“No!” Ancel said with a gasp, widening his eyes in a decent approximation of surprise. “Not the Lord Berenger!” 

“The very same,” Berenger said, tightening his lips so he wouldn’t smile. He was certain now that Ancel had known exactly who he was from the start. This was some sort of ambush, and Ancel its lovely architect.

“What an honor to make your acquaintance,” Ancel said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “And what a fortuitous coincidence.”

“I’m sure,” Berenger said.

“Why, my cousin Louans here has been been talking about you non stop!” Ancel continued.

Cousin, Berenger thought, barely containing a snort. It seemed Ancel was an entirely different sort of rent boy than what Berenger had initially taken him for. It wasn’t an uncommon arrangement between men of certain inclinations. The faint veneer of familial relation served as a way to justify why a gentleman might suddenly acquire an attractive housemate. 

Still, it didn’t make sense for someone of Ancel’s caliber to waste his time on a man like Louans. Ancel was clearly expensive, and Louans was just a merchant.

Berenger found himself looking at Louans with fresh appreciation. Maybe the quality of his goods had gone up and his business was thriving...?

“Lord Berenger,” Louans said. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you about a lucrative investment-”

Ancel laughed brightly, cutting the older man off. “Oh, cousin,” he said sharply. “Surely you don’t mean to bore Lord Berenger with business matters. This is a party, after all.” He smiled and leaned in to set his hand on Berenger’s arm, just above the elbow. When next he spoke his voice was low, seductive. “Forgive my cousin,” he murmured. “He tends to get ahead of himself.”

Ancel was flirting with him, and right in front of Louans. Berenger revised his opinion of the merchant once more. However he’d lucked into an arrangement with Ancel, it wasn’t because he was suddenly smarter or richer than he’d been before.

“Lord Berenger,” came Parsins’ pinched voice. “Your carriage is ready.”

“Thank you,” Berenger said, not taking his eyes off Ancel, still watching him. Louans made a small badly-concealed noise of dismay. Ancel smirked.

“What a terrible shame,” he said, lowering his eyes demurely. “And we were just getting to know one another. Perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later time?”

“Perhaps,” Berenger said, taking a step back. Ancel’s hand slipped from his arm and he found himself already missing the heat of him. But he knew better than to pine for what he could never have. “Farewell,” he said before turning to follow Parsins away.

“Lord Berenger,” Ancel called after him.

Berenger couldn’t resist the call, stopping and turning back.

“Have you given thought to where you’ll be summering?”

It was a trap of some sort, a trick. He didn’t care, so long as Ancel gave him an excuse to see him again.

“I have not,” Berenger lied. He’d intended to to spend the summer working, as he always did, splitting his time between Arles and Varenne.

“Lord Rouart has opened his summer villa to a few select guests,” Ancel said, raising his eyebrow suggestively. “They say there’s good hunting in the forest, and beautiful riding trails. The grounds are said to be quite lovely as well. Perhaps you’ll join us?”

Berenger hesitated even as he practically felt Parsins scowling behind him.

“Just for a week or two?” Ancel asked with a pout. “It would be such a shame if our paths never crossed again.”

“Has Rouart authorised you to hand out invitations on his behalf?” Berenger asked.

Ancel laughed. “Formalities,” he said dismissively with a flick of his fingers. “Please. Won’t you consider it?”

Berenger smiled wryly. “I’ll consider it,” he said at last. “Farewell, Ancel.” He nodded politely and made his leave.

When he was alone in the carriage he managed a quiet chuckle. What had he been thinking? Letting some enchanting rent boy wrap him around his finger? It wasn’t just that he was beautiful, it was everything. Even the fact that he belonged to someone else made him all the more enticing. Berenger let himself entertain the fantasy of stealing him away, seducing him, being seduced. He could spirit Ancel away to Varenne and lay him out over dark satin sheets, drape him in jewels-

He let out a deep breath and let the notion go, looking out the window at the dark countryside passing by. It was foolishness. Getting involved in whatever Ancel’s scheme was would be utter foolishness.

It wasn’t until he was back in his study having just finished packing his pipe that he realized Ancel had masterfully outmaneuvered him. He reached into his pocket for his lighter and instead drew out a single emerald earring.

He held it up, watching the way the lamplight played over the jewels. It was nothing to Ancel’s wicked smile, his striking red hair, his hand, warm on Berenger’s arm. The emerald wasn’t nearly as lovely as Ancel’s eyes.

But it was expensive, and now Berenger had no choice but to return it.