#our mutual friend 1998

[heatherfield]

My dear girl! My gallant, courageous, and noble Bella. You are my love? Well, I suppose I am, if you think me worth taking.

My Top Obscure/Under-Appreciated Ships [10 of ?] ↳ Bella and John, “Our Mutual Friend”

[nr1chaedickrider]

I can only be me when i'm by your side - i'm not a monster.

As time passes recovering, you've seemed to found your place in Jihyo's arms.

cw: fluff, smut, angst, petnames, virgin!reader, sweet girl!jihyo, popular but not so popular!jihyo, basketball player!jihyo, both are 18 but they are students, mentions of death, drunk confessions, they fall in love pretty fast, lwk rushed, lmk if there is more ^_^, ~ 4k words

if you're thinking "hm! i read this fic somewhere... yes! its my heeseung fic from my bg blog @adorwoo ! which i wanted to use for jihyo !^_^ hope you enjoy anyway.

men dni.

It's not your fault.

It's not your fault.

It's not your fault.

It's not your...

Is it really?

The rain beats down on your black umbrella, the lines from Dahyun's letter playing over and over in your head. It feels like you're trapped in a vicious cycle, not being able to think of anything else.

But why?

Why didn't she tell you?

Were all those conversations about the mutual trust between you two a lie? Was it just talk to keep you from worrying?

If someone had told you a week ago that you had to be at her funeral because she had killed herself, you would have laughed at that person. Dahyun was always the happiest person you've ever met.

Even if you had been told that a day ago, you wouldn't have believed it. Because in theory, it's the stupidest thing you've ever heard.

In his letter, she wrote about how much she loved you, how she enjoyed every minute and every moment with you, how it's not your fault that she's not here anymore.

She's probably right, not just probably. She's right, and you know it. But you can't stop blaming yourself. Someone has to take the blame. Someone is responsible.

You could have helped her.

You should have helped her.

Tears run down your cheeks as you stare at her grave. Her family, her friends, they are all gone. You stand here alone, not daring to leave.

'Kim Dahyun

Born on may 28, 1998.

A friend, daughter and lover.

She will continue to live in our souls.'

It feels like your eyes are glued to the writing, you can't look away. You try to regulate your breathing, taking a deep breath.

A sigh leaves your mouth as you place the white rose next to the gravestone.

You take one last look at her grave before turning and slowly walking away.

-

"I'm Y/n, nice to meet you all."

You look at the students in front of you, all of them giving you strange looks. Of course, you are a new student, but you feel uncomfortable under their gaze. The teacher smiles at you and tells you where to sit, next to a girl called Mina.

It's as if everyone has forgotten about you again as the teacher starts teaching. You sit down next to Mina and she smiles at you.

"Nice to meet you," she whispers. You smile at her.

You can't talk to her for long because she starts taking notes for the lesson. You look around at the faces of the others. It actually looks like a normal class, but your eyes land on a girl.

She looks shorter than you, her hair is brown as well as her eyes. She's wearing a white t-shirt.

"Have you laid your eye on someone?" asks Mina, laughing a little.

"No!" you answer, a little too loudly, and you put your head on the table as a few people look at you. "I was just looking at her," you whisper.

"Yeah yeah... that's what they all say" she says.

You slowly lose yourself in your thoughts as memories of Dahyun come flooding back.

Should you even look at other girls? Is it bad?

Would Dahyun hate you for trying to find love again?

It's been more than two months since she died, but you can't stop thinking about her.

Maybe it's normal, your behavior. Your overthinking of everything, maybe you're not the only person who feels this way? Maybe there is someone else who is just as lost in their thoughts as you are.

Maybe you are simply not alone.

However, your thoughts are interrupted by the bell and Mina.

"I can show you a few things here at school if you want," she suggests, and you gratefully accept her help.

You spend the whole lunch break running after her while she shows you around.

"Why did you change schools anyway? Your old one is a pretty well-known one, and much better than here," she asks, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

The question makes you wonder, and you think about whether you should just lie to her and say that you moved, or that you were somehow bullied at your school - but somehow it feels wrong. Because you neither moved nor were you bullied. No, everything was actually fine.

Actually,

Somehow everything changed after her death.

Your classmates started looking at you funny, and you still don't know whether they are looks of pity or looks of condemnation because they blame you.

"I don't know" is your answer, and somehow it's true. Sometimes you really have no idea why you changed schools, but Mina doesn't need to know the whole truth.

She just nods in response as she continues to eat.

"The girl you were looking at in English, her name is Jihyo by the way" she says.

What?

"Why are you telling me this?" you ask.

"Because you were staring at her a lot - you looked really interested in her" she replies with a little grin.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I wasn't staring at her..." you laugh a little, but can't hide your despair. Why does she think you're interested in her?

-

"Watch out!" someone shouts, but before you can react, a basketball hits you.

You fall to the floor, your head hurts and you feel slightly dizzy as you slowly open your eyes.

The girl from your English class is kneeling on the floor in front of you, looking at you, trying to see if you're okay.

It's like a cliché high school movie.

"Are you okay?" she asks, a couple of other girls come over, but she just tells them to get something to cool off and shoos them away.

The things that can happen when you want to visit the gym...

You nod slowly, after a few blinks your vision is no longer blurry.

Another girl comes back and hands Jihyo a cold pack.

"Here, take this," she says and puts it in your hand, her hand on your shoulder to support you.

You hold it to your head, biting the inside of your cheek slightly from the cold.

Before she can say anything else, she is called by his coach, at the same moment Mina comes to you.

"I was looking for you," she says and helps you up.

You watch Jihyo jogging across the field before you leave the gym.

-

New week, new luck?

Every day you tried desperately to talk to Jihyo somehow, but suddenly she was always gone after class and you were never put in a group together.

But it looks like luck is on your side for once.

"Here's the list of groups, you have to give a presentation in pairs on a play of your choice," your English teacher announces.

You look at the picture projected on the wall.

Chaeyoung and Mina,

Sana and Miyeon,

Jihyo and Y/n,

Jeongyeon and...

Wait, what?

You read the list again and once more you see your name and Jihyo's name next to each other.

"Jihyo and Y/n," you say quietly.

"Are you happy?" Mina asks teasingly with a grin on her lips.

"Are you happy that you have to work with Chaeyoung?" you ask back - Mina doesn't answer.

Before your teacher can give you any more homework for the break, the school bell rings and everyone rushes out of the classroom.

You walk (or rather, run) to Jihyo who is packing her things away.

"Hey, I was wondering when we should meet," you say, and she looks up at you and smiles. You feel your cheeks turning red.

She puts on his backpack and stands up.

"How about Friday afternoon? My place?" she suggests and you nod.

She takes a pen from her pocket, "Give me your hand," she says, you are confused but do it anyway.

She opens the pen with her mouth, the cap between her teeth as she gently writes on your hand.

Her phone number.

It feels like she's giving you an autograph.

"Text me and I'll send you my address," she says, and before you can answer, she walks out of the room.

You look down at your hand and see a little smiley face next to her number.

You can't help but giggle as you look at it.

-

You stare at your phone - up to her front door and back down to your phone.

You are 10 minutes early and don't dare to ring the doorbell.

"You know you can just ring the bell?" someone asks you, you look up and see Jihyo smiling at you.

"I'm early, that's why-"

"Not a problem," she interrupts you.

She lets you in and closes the door behind her.

Her house is beautiful, modern and yet somehow old-fashioned.

"My parents aren't here, so I thought we could study in the living room," she says, and you nod, leaning your backpack against the table.

"Water?" she asks and you take it gratefully.

You drink a little before she sits down across from you.

You both leaf through the books, take notes, talk briefly about certain passages, but otherwise no one says anything.

Jihyo decides to break the awkward atmosphere.

"I wanted to apologize again, for the basketball," she says, and you laugh a little.

"You don't have to apologize, things like that can happen," you reply.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" she asks, and instead of answering, you are completely silent, thinking.

Memories of Dahyun come back while Jihyo looks at you and waits for your answer.

"Yes, I did, but she died a few months ago," you answer.

She nods slightly, "Can I ask how he died?" she asks in a quiet, polite tone, as if she really wants to make sure that she's asking something that doesn't hurt you in any way.

"Suicide," you say, short and meager, without many details (whether you know many details at all is another question).

She looks at you with a supportive look, one that makes you feel like she's really listening and that she really understands you.

Maybe she understands you even more than you think?

She puts her hand on yours with a slight smile.

"Thank you for confiding in me," she says, your cheeks slightly flushed, hers too.

You both look at each other for a moment before she lets go and you both go back to work.

-

If only the work had gone on for longer.

After the one meeting, you saw her every day of the vacation. Always with the excuse that you supposedly "need to add something" (does going to the movies together add something to your project?).

It's been more than a week since you first met.

"You're in love," Mina says as she parks her car in front of Jihyo's house.

"I-"

"Don't even try to find an excuse, it's all good" she replies with a small grin.

You both get out of the car and walk to her house, the music so loud you can hear it several meters away.

How Jihyo, who is slightly drunk, hears the doorbell is also a mystery to you.

"Hey guys!" she greets you, she shakes Mina's hand and gives her a kind of high five, she gives you a hug.

You smile at her as the three of you walk into the living room.

"I'm going to Chaeyoung," Mina whispers, or rather shouts, in your ear before disappearing.

"Y/n, do you want to play a drinking game with us?" asks Jihyo, you nod.

Maybe it was a stupid decision.

Jihyo and her friends (of whom you only know Jeongyeon) only understand drinking games to mean taking shots and asking stupid questions.

Either answer - or drink.

You always chose the second option.

After about 7 questions (maybe more, maybe less - you lost count of that pretty fast) you get up and say that you need some fresh air.

Since you've been to her house several times, you know where the upstairs balcony is.

It's quite big, with a parasol and two folding chairs. You sit down on one and close your eyes, your head throbs a little.

"Are you okay?" someone asks after a few minutes.

To your surprise (not really a surprise), Jihyo stands next to you before sitting down on the chair to your right.

"Yeah, it's just the alcohol," you say.

You and alcohol, not really a good combination.

Especially not when you're sitting next to the girl you're in love with.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" you ask out of nowhere.

She shakes his head, "I thought it was obvious" she says and laughs a little.

"I love you" you confess.

She turns to you, but before he can answer anything, you keep talking.

"I know we haven't known each other that long... a month?? more? less? but-... I just have this feeling with you that I only used to have with her"

"I thought I'd never feel it again," you say, a tear running down your cheek.

Jihyo looks at you, her eyes slightly watery.

Is she crying too?

"Y/n" she says, interrupting your continued rambling.

She gets up, kneels down in front of your chair, and -

kisses you.

Her soft lips on yours.

She pulls away after just a few seconds and you already feel like you miss her lips.

"I love you too Y/n" she says softly.

You look at her in amazement.

"Really?" you ask.

"That's why I asked if you had a girlfriend" now it all makes so much more sense.

She pulls you up and takes you to the guest room. She tries to lay you down on the bed but you pull her with you and she falls on top of you.

You both stare at each other and laugh a little.

"You're drunk, get some rest," she says, kissing your forehead.

"I'll be here when you wake up"

-

And she really is next to you when you wake up.

"Good morning..." you groan as you rub your eyes.

She smiles at you, "good morning" she says, from the look on her face you suspect she woke up just a few minutes before you.

You pull her closer to you by her collar and kiss her, she kisses you back while her hand is on your cheek.

The kiss is just perfect, gentle, slow, a perfect way to start his morning.

But it can also be perfect in another way.

It gets warmer under the covers as you continue kissing, she kisses down your jaw to your neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses on it. You can't help but rub your thighs together a little.

"What about the others?" you ask.

"I kicked them out yesterday after you fell asleep" she says, continuing to kiss your neck, even nibbling on it, making you let out soft moans.

"Jihyo, I think you should know that I am a virgin" you say, your cheeks heating up a little in embarrassment.

She giggles a little, kissing you on the lips again.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about baby" she replies with a smile.

She gets on top of you, continuing to kiss you.

You think kissing Jihyo is the best thing in the world.

Her hands trail over your body, giving you a soft squeeze here and there.

"Can I?" she asks, her hand playing with the buttons on your pants.

"Please" you answer with a smile.

She complies and opens them, pulling off your pants and leaving you in your underwear.

You sit up a little, your hands on her waist, feeling up her muscles, especially her abs.

"Want me to take it off?" she asks, you nod.

She pulls off her shirt over her head, dropping it somewhere on the floor.

Your finger trails up his stomach to her bra, looking at her like she is a work of art (she definetly is one).

"Done admiring me?" she asks with a teasing grin, to which you reply "never".

She leans down again, kissing your face as she starts to trail them down till he arrives at the waistband of your underwear.

"Can I?" she asks again, "yes" you answer, already out of breath.

She takes your underwear off, her hands placed on your thighs as she leaves kisses everywhere.

You can definetly tell that she has a thing for kissing.

When she places a kiss right on your clit though, you let out a small moan.

She begins licking and sucking on it, making you grab her hair with your hands as your fingers curl deeper into her scalp, leaving a delicious burn.

She drags her tongue down as she circles your core, slowly entering it a little.

You let out more moans as you turn your head to the side, moaning into the pillow.

Her tongue feels so good when you realise that you are closer and closer to your climax.

"Jihyo- I think I'm gonna-"

"Let it out princess" she mumbles against your core, the vibrations of her voice stimulating you even more as you cum into her mouth.

She smiles at you as he sits up, watching you coming down from your high.

You smile back at him as your cheeks turn red again.

"Can I?" she asks, her fingers trailing down your soft skin as her nails scratch you a little.

You look at her hand, a few veins poking out, her fingers thin but long.

You look at her again, nodding.

You pulled her closer as she rubs your clit with her fingers, you suck in your breath as she slowly pushes them in, the little stretch burning in a way that makes you even hornier.

She slips them in completly, you let out a moan in response. She takes your hand with her free one as your fingers intertwine.

She starts to slowly thrust into you, kissing you again as her tongue explores your mouth.

"You're so tight baby.." she mumbles into your mouth.

You can't help but let out louder moans when she starts to speed up a little.

Her fingers drive you crazy, it feels like she is everywhere, you feel her everywhere in your body as she exits and enters you.

"P-please jihyo- faster" you moan out, and who would she be if she wouldn't listen to your wishes?

She speeds up her thrusts, kissing down your neck again as her hot breath hits your skin.

Your hand grips the pillow your hand is laying on, moaning against your arm as you can feel Jihyo curling her fingers.

She thrusts into you again before you moan loudly, cumming as your thighs close around her wrist, panting heavily as she lets herself fall onto the spot next to you.

You both stare at the ceiling, the only sounds the heavy breathing from you.

You move her hand to yours and intertwine your fingers. She moves her head to the side to look at you, smiling.

You think seeing her smiling is something you can never get enough of.

-

Idiots in love, thats how you two can be described.

The next few months were full of love. Kisses here, kisses there. It didn't even have to be sexual, no, it was always romantic, no matter what you did together.

After a few months, she gave you a ring.

"One day I'll buy you an expensive, real diamond ring and ask you to marry me," she said, and since then you've both worn the matching rings without taking them off once.

If only it had stayed that way.

It's late at night, you're lying in bed reading a book when you get a message.

"I love you,

I'm sorry" - from Jihyo.

You sit up and stare at your cell phone.

"What's wrong?" you type and send the message, she replies,

"I can't take it anymore"

She can't take it anymore?

You feel a twinge in your head as you suddenly realize something.

It's too similar to Dahyun's goodbye.

"I can't live in this world anymore" she wrote in her text.

You look at her location, and without hesitation you walk, no - storm out of your apartment and run to her.

She's not far away, a bridge situated over a river only 5 minutes away, and you think you've never been so grateful for anything.

You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to see anything while your clothes get wetter and wetter, the rain completly drenches you.

Again it feels like a cliché love drama.

Only maybe this time you have the chance to have a happy ending.

Your legs are burning from all the running as you arrive on the bridge.

"Jihyo!" you shout, the rain pattering loudly on the asphalt, forcing you to shout even louder for her.

Her bike is right next to her, one leg over the railing, her hands gripping it tightly, as if she's...

Scared?

"Y/n?" she answers, her voice low and shaky.

"Please..." you say as you walk slowly towards her.

She doesn't stop you when you take her hand in yours.

"Why didn't you tell me?" you ask, she looks at you as a tear runs down her cheek.

"I-... I didn't want you to worry. I thought this feeling would go away if I didn't talk to anyone about it," she says.

Whether your face is wet from the rain or your tears, you don't know.

"Believe me, you have to talk to me, then it will get better," you say.

Her face comes closer to yours and, without answering, she kisses you.

You kiss her back, try to grab her so you can hold her closer - but she lets go.

Completely.

You slowly open your eyes, afraid of what you will see - but you see nothing.

No one.

The rain completely overwhelms you.

"No..." you whisper, looking down on the floor and picking up something shiny.

Her ring.

You look out over the railing and see the water turning slightly red.

It feels like you're trapped in a vicious circle, like you'll never find peace again.

You are trapped, with no way out.

-

While other people find the rain soothing, you find it to be more like torture.

While other people would stay indoors in weather like this, you're outside again.

Again in front of a grave.

But this time it's Jihyo's.

Everything feels too similar and you hate it more than anything.

"It's not your fault" is a sentence you started to hate.

You hoped so much that you would never have to hear or read it again.

"Why didn't you talk to me..." you whisper, as if she could hear you.

Your hand clutches the letter, it slowly getting soaked by the rain.

You don't dare to move.

"You knew what happened..."

All time does is passing -

"Why did you hide it from me..." Your voice is full of despair.

And all you ever do is grieve.

"Life without you is no way to live" the white flower falls on his grave -

just like her ring,

engraved with your name.

She helped you recover from Dahyun's death.

You just wish you wouldn't have to recover over her death alone now.

In another universe, you've seemed to found your place in Jihyo's arms.

In this universe, you're left alone,

again.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

March 25th

~*~

1. hi! y'all are really cool! A) are there any fics where a-yuan (raised by the wens/wwx) wields suibian when he gets older?

also, are there fics B) where jiang cheng dual wields suibian with sandu? @writeitinsharpie

1A)

Though one were strong as seven, he too with death shall dwell (For many times and lands) by sjyl_lotus (E, 148k, wangxian, WIP, Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, YLLZ WWX, LSZ is a Wei, WWX Adopts LSZ, WWX doesn't go to nightless city, WWX runs away with a-yuan and granny Wen, Little bit of angst, Wéi Yuan is an excelent son, WWX Doesn't die, people is people and overall JGY is JGY so shit will happen, JYL Lives, Wangxian Reunion, Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lanling Jin Sect, Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Gusu Lan Sect, Burial Mounds, granny wen is best, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Panic Attacks, supportive WSZ, Anxiety Attacks, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, MXY Deserves Happiness)

🔒❤️ kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (T, 75k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kid Fic, teen shenanigans, two a-yuans, Fluff and Angst)

1B)

The Twin Blades of Yunmeng by GhostySword, ofmindelans (T, 89k, JC & WWX, wangxian, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Yunmeng Brothers Reconciliation, BAMF JC, protective LWJ, Golden Core Reveal, Swords and Feelings, WWX Resurrection, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Embedded Images, Sect Leader QS)

~*~

2. Hi!

For the next itmf :

Looking for the fics that talk about NHS a) as the real author of the spring books he was distributing. Imagined and painted .

B) Or another version where he specifically was giving WWX spring books with gay sex or bi threesomes maybe

C) fics with focus on wwx browsing NHS spring books and doing some thinking about sexuality and self exploration

Thank you!

2B)

Fentao-laoshi’s Guide to Cut-Sleeve Pleasures by occultings (microcomets) (E, 31k, wangxian, canon divergence, pining while fucking, friends with benefits, first time, cloud recesses study arc, practice kissing, sharing a bed, jealousy, getting together, confessions, happy ending) could also fit 2C

~*~

3. hii this is for itmf!!

fics where lan yuan is still like a toddler!! or even an infant!!!

💖 The Simplest Way Forward by harriet_vane (E, 71k, wangxian, modern, accidental baby acquisition, slow burn, pining)

box your errors by mellowflicker (T, 42k, WangXian, Modern AU, single dad lwj, Domestic Fluff, Family Issues, Slow Burn, Kid Fic, let lwj have friends agenda, Hurt/Comfort, Pining)

🔒 so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92k, wangxian, Modern, Accidental Baby Acquisition, oh my god they were roommates, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, this fic is not about trauma, it's about the yearning, slowburn, some characters have a pretty strong bias against folks with drug addiction, (this does not reflect the author's opinion of people with addiction disorders!), none of the really grim abuse/drug use affects our main characters, and it takes place offscreen)

The stuffed bunny, the beautiful nephew, and other gifts from Lan Qiren by deliciousblizzardshark (G, 8k, LQR & WWX, wangxian, Modern, Single Parent WWX, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Uncle Acquisition, Found Family, Fluff)

Let's Play Pretend and Live Our Lives by Tassos (E, 50k, wangxian, Modern, On Purpose Baby Aquisition, Accidental Husband Aquisition, Idiots in Love, WWX Has Self Esteem Issues, Domestic Fluff, Kid Fic, Light Angst, the Lans and Jiangs make an appearance, NHS Gives Great Advice, Pining, Getting Together)

Magic Mishap by Regency_Bunny (T, 8k, wangxian, Modern, imbo LXC, Single Parent WWX, Kid Fic, Magic Tricks, Fluff and Humor, Child LSZ, Meet-Cute, Bunnies, Misunderstandings, Love at First Sight)

~*~

4. Hi, I'm in a mood for fantasy AUs with necromancer WWX ^^ Can also be modern w magic

Darkness Before the Dawn by Selenay (E, 64k, wangxian, Zombie Apocalypse, Modern With Magic, Necromancer WWX, Reunions, toddler A-Yuan, There Was Only One Bed, There are zombies but not graphically horrific zombies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Find a home in the middle of an apocalpyse)

all the bonds of nature by Anonymous (E, 68k, wangxian, MXY & WWX, MXY & LWJ & WWX, WIP, Modern with Magic, Romantic Comedy, Roommates to lovers, Pining LWJ, Pining, LWJ falls in love in roughly fifteen seconds, he's a mess what can i say, Necromancy, ethical necromancer WWX, Music Teacher LWJ, Fluff and Smut, a lot of meditation on the bullshit of being a public school teacher, musings on the nature of personal property and land ownership as one is wont to do, Ghosts, Urban Fantasy, Low Fantasy, wangxian are extremely weirdo4weirdo in this, Light Angst, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Rimming, Felching, Light Bondage, Virginity Roleplay, (just a little. wwx is not good at playing the virgin), Kink Negotiation, Praise Kink, BDSM, Developing Relationship, Dominant LWJ)

necromancy is a valid career path! Series by coslyons, Skadiseven (T, 41k, WWX & XY, XY & WQ, WN & XY, WWX & WN & WQ, LSZ & XY, LWJ & XY, wangxian, Granny Wen & XY, Modern with Magic, Seattle, Necromancy, Found Family, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Gardens & Gardening, Mathematics, Running, and other crimes against Teenagers, XY is a shitty teen, sometimes a family can be three mildly feral twenty-somethings and the extremely feral teenager that adopts them, Growing Up, The Mortifying Ordeal of Realizing Your Pseudo-parents are People Too, Big brother XY, A-Yuan is a little gremlin, WWX is a much larger gremlin)

~*~

5. Hi! 🤗

This one is for ITMF. I'd like to read new fics about WWX having a new golden core. No mordern fics or dark ones, please, I'm not in the mood 🙏. I want happy endings!

Thanks again! You make my days much better!!

🥰✨ @wangxiansgirl

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, NHS & WWX & NMJ, canon divergence, golden core rebuilding, golden core tied to soul, angst w/ happy ending, not JC friendly) WWX meditates a golden core back

when you’re doing all the leaving (then it’s never your love lost) by tardigradeschool (T, 26k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Sharing a Bed, Sharing Clothes, Fix-It, the inherent eroticism of under robes, Golden Core Transfer) LWJ gives WWX a part of his own core

🧡 a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke ( M, 180k, WangXian, Arranged marriage, Canon Divergence, Hurt/comfort, Light angst, Canon typical violence) Technically not a new golden core, but a new core of a different type

The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts) WWX gets part of someone else's core transplanted into him

Ghosts Shouldn’t by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 15k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Righteous at a Cost by thunderwear (G, 21k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, no one dies, LQR finds out about WWX's core, WWX and LQR are friends??, In My Fic?, its more likely than you think, LWJ in the bg like whats happening?, Fluff, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal)

Can't Tell Me Nothin by natacup82 (T, 35k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Family Feels, Communication, BAMF Women)

🔒Away from Trouble by Ilona22 (M, 15k, wangxian, Alternate Universe, Not JC Friendly, WangXian Get a Happy Ending) This is one of my personal favorites, for the growth wwx goes through and what he accomplishes separate from the sects while regrowing a new core for himself. (However, the author doesn’t spend enough time on wangxian romance for it to not just feel like something they tacked on to fill that required box, so don’t go in expecting good wangxian)

What Is Left Over by Loriqod (T, 30k, wangxian, JC & WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Yunmeng brothers, Post-Canon Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Happy Ending, WangXian in Love, SO SO SO IN LOVE, bite-sized angst, Canon-Typical Violence, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Training Montage) This one’s WWX redeveloping a core in MXY’s body. It might not be quite what you had in mind, but give it a chance, this fic is ALL about him actually cultivating with the idea of making a new core, & it’s rare to find a fic with that focus. (Even amongst fics that are suppose to be all about that(for some reason people are allergic to showing WWX actually cultivate))

I’m Sorry & Thank You by Iamnotawriter (T, 12k, wangxian, post-canon, Canon Compliant, Golden Core, Canon-Typical Violence, LQR’s epipheny, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Bitter Plants Bearing Sweet Fruit by Kryal (T, 83k, wangxian, canon-typical horror elements, Worldbuilding, Desert, Misuse of Historic Setting, Original Character Death(s), Case Fic, aftermath of canon, Established Relationship, Nothing Explicit But Shameless Innuendo)

~*~

6. Alright everyone, give me everything you have where either: (A) WWX is an actual rogue cultivator at the start of the fic, or (B) he leaves the Jiangs (via Madam Yu banishment or getting fed up with them an leaving on his own) and spends time as a rogue cultivator. (I want to see my boy in the wild doing the wild cultivator thing) if he doesn’t have a core at the beginning of the fic, I would appreciate recs where he regains it at some point. I have a Wangxian agenda btw, so WX endgame plz. @omgnectarina

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending) WWX is sent back in time to when he was a child & doesn't get taken in by the Jiangs

We Meet at the Thousandth Step by Admiranda, Rynne (T, 258k, wangxian, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR & WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Different First Meeting, Night Hunts, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Everyone Lives AU, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, WWX's Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, WWX Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings)

Cultivating immortality by KizuKatana (E, 230k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Pining, Mutual Pining, WWX low self-esteem, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, not sure if this qualifies as fix-it but that was my emotional need/intent, Hurt/Comfort, unreliable narrator (wwx's self image is…), sect wars happening, Canon typical darkness, demonic cultivation descriptions in detail, self-indulgent exploration of the creation of demonic cultivation and how it changed WWX, JC and LWJ are reluctant (VERY RELUCTANT) allies, YZY & LQR are made to face up to their faults, JYL is badass (fight me) though not in terms of cultivation strenght, JC gets a chance to redeem himself, Found Family, First Time, novel canon relationship dynamics)

🔒 crying like a fire in the sun by Reverie (cl410) (T, 10k, wangxian, SL/XXC, JC & WWX, BSSR/LY, Runaway WWX, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives AU, rogue cultivator WWX, Angst, Post Cloud Recesses, Not YZY Friendly, Happy Ending, BSSR is WWX's grandmother instead of grandmaster)

Inchoate by Marinelifeclub (T, 20k, wangxian, Child Abuse, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Protective LQR, Protective LWJ, Rogue Cultivator WWX, YZY Bashing, JC Bashing, No Golden Core Transfer, Dark JFM)

A Thousand Things by tickertape (M, 108k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiāngs, Developing Friendships, lots of OCs because I can't help myself and I love them, most of the canon cast make cameos at some point, miscommunication and misunderstandings (they’re idiots your honor), Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Night Hunts, The Cloud Recesses Rabbits, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Slow Burn, like really slow burn, like if it was a bushfire it would take 8 years for it to burn through one (1) forest, the wangxian strangers to obnoxious best friends to obnoxious lovers pipeline, 'shitty cultivation world bureaucracy' is also a running theme, WWXHas a Fear of Dogs)

~*~

7. hello! I was hoping you could recommend fics where wei ying is taken hostage by people who hate lan zhan and lan zhan gets beaten up trying to save him. Maybe kind angsty and emotional? @ivybookworm

~*~

8. hi - for the next itmf, any fics that go on from that haunting almost last scene in the Untamed where LS, WN and LWJ all leave WY alone on the road. angsty ones that explore the idea of WY having no-one would be awesome. thank you so much for all you do! @oldoni

Story-Shaped by lingering_song (T, 13k, NHS & WWX, wangxian, Post-Canon, Chief Cultivator LWJ, Inventor WWX, Found Family, NHS needs a new hobby, And apparently that’s spoiling his Wei-Xiong, Mentioned Character Death, Alcohol, Protective NHS, WangXian Endgame, Not JC Friendly, Not particularly gentry sects friendly overall tbh) NHS finds WWX wandering about. Possibly not as angsty as requester is hoping for, but does address how bad an idea it is to let WWX wander alone

im reminded of a fic but cant recall the one. Wwx is travelling by himself, writing letters to LZ, he stays in a town and it ends up cursed. LZ and the juniors arrive to solve the case. Wwx is acting weird and hides his letters. The juniors read the letters and find out wwx is angry and full of resentment about how he's been treated. They find out the curse resonates from him. They talk it out to resolve matters. Any idea?

some good mistakes by Lise (T, 18k, WangXian, JC & WWX, JC & LWJ, Road Trips, (terrible road trips), Post-Canon, Rescue Missions, Hurt/Comfort, ish, Awkward Conversations, POV JC, JC & WWX Reconciliation, (ish they’re working on it)) link in #13

Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 63k, WangXian, WWX & JL, Post-Canon, Protective WWX, Protective JL, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Reluctant Matchmaker JL) similar to Story Shaped, but it's Jin Ling who finds wwx. // might fit the bill? It isn't overly angsty, but it does have characters remarking on how bad of an idea it is to let WWX go off on his own.

Judge Softly by Chrononautical (E, 32k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX, LQR & WWX, accidental voyeurism, non-consensual mind reading, oblivious WWX, bamf   WWX, genius WWX, post-canon Fix-it, angst w happy ending, LQR tries)

the soft animal of your body by howodd5ever (M, 21k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Getting Together, WWX has feelings about having a body, sort of a case fic, a little bit of epistolary goodness, graphic descriptions of wounds, Feelings About Death, WWX gets seriously injured, quoting chinese poetry at each other as a love language, Art Embedded, wound-tending as an act of love, Bathing/Washing, the mortifying ordeal of being asked to stay, Sharing a Bed, Finding home, WWX's canonical alcohol abuse makes an appearance a bit)

my age has never made me wise by idrilka (E, 63k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Part-epistolary, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Marriage Proposal, Homecoming, One Brain Cell WWX Strikes Again)

~*~

9. Itmf: what's a story premise/trope that's really hard to do well, and what stories have done them really well?

~*~

10. Itmf, what's ur fav story prompt/initial premise that you've seen, regardless of the execution(s) of it?

~*~

11. thank u for ur hard work! any fic recs of lan zhan hurting wei ying and he regrets it? thankss

Concord by Deastar (T, 41k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Gūsū Lán Sect Rules, Depression, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

我的皇后是農民 | sowing seeds in the cold palace by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Imperial Consort WWX, Farmer WWX, Angst, Romance, Wingman LJY, Wife-chasing-LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Best Boy A-Yuan)

Honesty is the Best Policy (Except if You’re an Asshole) by piecrust (E, 22k, wangxian, college/university au, porn w/ feelings)

~*~

12. ITMF like, historical perspectives. Like people in modern times talking about/teaching about/learning about LWG, WWX, and possibly others as historical figures

Historical Precedents for the Concept of Time Travel and Transmigration by meyari (G, 21k, wangxian, Fluff and Crack, dubious academic writing, Historical Research, it's practically its own character in this, vague college setting, Modern, Good YZY, Good Person SS, Reincarnation) It's the second part of a series, the first one takes place in canon era, and the second one is about modern Wei Ying researching about historical Wei Wuxian for his thesis! I recommend reading the first part first (or at least looking at the premise) for much-needed context, and also because it's so good!

DID YILING LAOZU REALLY EXIST???: a Thread [1/?] by el_em_en_oh_pee (G, 6k, wangxian, Academia AU, Social Media, Research, Cartographic Mishaps, HOW IS CARTOGRAPHIC MISHAPS AN ESTALISHED TAG. NO HAPS WERE MISSED HERE I ASSURE U, Folklore, LJY's Hot Takes, Procrastinating Your Dissertation Proposal By Writing A 104-Tweet Thread: The Lan Jingyi Story, Mixed Media, POV Outsider, this is kind of an AU - Modern and kind of not???, it's a modern academic/researchy exploration of canon lol) it's AMAZING

For 12, there's also the one where Wangxian are majoring in cultivation in University and there's a talk about the meaning of Hanguang-jun compositions with several one liner "titles" like fried watermelon rinds are terrible or something like that. Can't mine it on my AO3 history but it's there, I know it's there!

🔒 Night of the Living History (an edutainment special!) by Aerlalaith (T, 51k, wangxian, Modern with Magic, Workplace Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Museums, living history, the author's feelings about, the edutainment industry, museum workers, Some Plot, Slice of Life, Injury, a minor haunting, the stakes are low, unless you're on the museum board i guess, WWX does not get an employee discount)

~*~

13. Hi! For the next ITMF, could anyone recommend wangxian fics that also feature LWJ & JC not getting along/being hostile toward each other? I'm talking like anything from them having disagreements to physically fighting to just outright hating each other.

Untitled tumblr fic where LWJ punches JC in the face (sharing my reblog as writer seems to have deleted their blog & I can't find it on their Ao3)

the only way out by cafecliche (T, 12k, wangxian, JC & WWX, JC & LWJ, Post-Canon, this is one part character study, one part comedy of errors, and one part fix-it, WWX is a people pleaser in this essay I will, my event planning experience rearing its head again, Podfic Available)

Wei Wuxian’s Kidnapping Back and Forth Farce (Starring Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji) by misscam (M, 5k, wangxian, JC & WWX, Humor, Switching)

some good mistakes by Lise (T, 18k, WangXian, JC & WWX, JC & LWJ, Road Trips, (terrible road trips), Post-Canon, Rescue Missions, Hurt/Comfort, ish, Awkward Conversations, POV JC, JC & WWX Reconciliation, (ish they’re working on it)) should be noted that the Wangxian is background and the primary focus is on LWJ and Jiang Cheng having lots of emotions coming out sideways at each other

~*~

14. Hey, guys. Hope you're having a great day. ITMF some Wen Ning POV/Wen Ning-centric stuff @thispatternismine

🔒 The Moon Reflected Upon Two Springs by Rubberduckieassassin (M, 2k, Post-Canon, Fierce Corpse WN, WN-centric, Farmer WN, WN Needs a Hug, Gusu Lan Juniors Dynamics, Good Kid LSZ, Good Kid LJY, Wen Remnants Mentioned, Burial Mounds Settlement Days Mentioned, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Five Stages of Grief, Melancholy, Building A Home, Family Feels, WN is learning how to 'live' again)

🔒 do not go gentle by RoseThorne (G, 684, WN & WQ, WN & WWX, LSZ & WQ, Canonical Character Death, Spirits, Ghosts, LWJ Plays Inquiry, Song: Inquiry, Protectiveness, Grief/Mourning, Love, Acceptance, Family, Angst, Post-Canon, POV Third Person, POV Wen Ning)

Tea with the Unquiet Dead by treemaidengeek (G, 1k, SL & WN, Grief/Mourning, Post-Canon, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, finding healing in unexpected places, Fierce Corpse Friends!)

~*~

15. For the next ITMF, are there any fics where Lan Wangji comes to terms/wrestles with his darker sexual desires?

Come Back to Gusu… by AitchNKay (E, 90k, wangxian, WIP, Major Character Death, Fluff and Smut, Drama & Romance, Angst, Fix-It, Canon Compliant, Anal Sex, BL,, Switching, Bottom LWJ) Currently less than halfway through this one & it's a WIP so not sure how it goes, but has scenes of LWJ worrying about if his desires are too fucked up

💖 Magical Marriage Ribbons Series by starandrea (Varies, 1m, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Accidental Marriage, Fluff, Happy Ending, Telepathic bond, Kink Negotiation, Family Drama, Magical Pregnancy, Dual Cultivation, Shapeshifters, Modern with Magic, Immortality, Yilling Wei Sect) has LWJ continuously struggling to vocalize nearly ANY of his sexual wants even well after wangxian get together

~*~

16. Hi! ITMF your favourite recommendations with LWJ being petty and pouty (maybe bratty too?) - modern AUs and modern with magic are preferred. Thank you <3

Sorry! Just to add on to last ask petty LWJ ITMF ask --> Judgy LWJ reccs please.

the soft animal of your body by sysrae (T, 15k, wangxian, modern cultivation, Golden Core Reveal, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Animal Transformation, Shapeshifting, Getting Together, Confessions)

with you, I am home by tellthemstories (M, 47k, wangxian, Modern Cultivation, fake dating for reasons, Meeting the Family, There Was Only One Bed, Casual Domesticity, wwx is oblivious in more ways than one, 'this fic is like emotional edging’, this comment sums up the entire fic)

i really want to know (who are you) by Stratisphyre (M, 19k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Modern with Magic, Golden Core Reveal Single Dad WWX, Reasonable Authority Figure LQR, Allusions to violence and murder, Hospitalization)

The Twelve Days of Christmas, OR, How to Drive Your Brother-in-Law Insane by Following One Traditional Carol by Hobbsy3 (T, 3k, wangxian, Fluff, Crack Treated Seriously, Twelve Days Of Christmas, sending someone six geese and seven swans is definitely not an act of love, OR IS IT, Christmas Fluff, JC is So Done, LWJ is a Little Shit, Modern) Ooh! One more for 16 (it's a Christmas fic but features a very hilarious and petty Lan Zhan)

~*~

17. Hi Hi i'm looking for two sets of fics a) lan qiren time travel fics where he's good and actually likes Wei Wuxian or atleast let's their relationship happen b) kid fics where wwx and lwj have a lot of children adoption or birth or a mixture of both but just them having a lot of children. @thatperson0-0

17A)

Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing)

in stillness, clear water to the bottom by Stratisphyre (T, 40k, CSSR/LQR/WCZ, NHS's Mom/Sect leader Nie/NMJ's Mom, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Threesome - M/M/F, Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, Background WangXian, Everyone lives/Nobody dies, (mostly), (not you qingheng-jun), Family feelings, Minor NieLan, Madam Lan lives, references to past rape)

17B)

❤️ Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste for williedustice (T, 36k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Post-Canon, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Adoption, Family Fluff, Kid fic, Family drama, Fluff, 🔒[PODFIC] Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste by lunatique)

travelers through the empty gate by stiltonbasket (M, 107k, wangxian, royalty au, mistaken identity, emperor WWX, poor LWJ, forced marriage, (by LWJ himself), confused WWX, parenthood, misunderstandings, empress LWJ, fluff & humor, married life, angst w/ happy ending, WIP)

💖 Magical Marriage Ribbons Series by starandrea (Varies, 1m, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Accidental Marriage, Fluff, Happy Ending, Telepathic bond, Kink Negotiation, Family Drama, Magical Pregnancy, Dual Cultivation, Shapeshifters, Modern with Magic, Immortality, Yilling Wei Sect) link in #15

The Wei Family Series by Setari (T, 65k, wangxian, WWX & OCs, Kid Fic, Canon Rewrite, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Transphobia, Family Feels, POV Multiple, Next Generation Original Characters, Subverted Blame the Bastard Trope, Miscarriage Scare, Horny Teenagers, Hopeful Ending, Crack Treated Seriously, Oblivious WWX, Pining LWJ, Not As Dark As The Tags Make It Sound, 5+1 Things, set during the 13 years Wei Wuxian is dead, POV Original Character, Fix-It, Not Everyone Dies AU, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Work In Progress)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[mightymizora]

I don't often talk on here about that many passions outside of D&D but inspired by a very brief exchange by @plethomacademia I want to talk very briefly about my great love for period dramas.

I'm a particular fan of Georgian era and Victorian era (but you know, every gal of a certain age had their brain chemistry altered by the 1995 Pride and Prejudice as Greta Gerwig knows well) so I wanted to talk very, very briefly about some of my absolute favourites (and whether the adaptation or the book has my heart)

Poldark. The books and the 1975 version, not the modern version (I liked the Elizabeth, wasn't a fan of the rest.) Poldark man. It's the ONE. Incredibly romantic, but with a real political agenda too around landowners rights and the changing role of the gentry. The books were hugely formative for me - and there's LOADS, so get them from your local library and enjoy.

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. The book, and the delightful 1997 BBC adaptation. I love this book. It's one of those early novels where the narrator just fucking talks about whatever they want. And because it's set in the earlier Georgian era where people did whatever they wanted, it's super sexy. Tom is basically fucking his way through the West Country and London.

Vanity Fair. The book, I've not liked any of the adaptations I've seen. Becky Sharp, beloved. The first real antihero I read. I love her to the ends of the earth. All adaptations try and soften her too much for my liking but the 1998 and 2018 both have good strengths.

The House of Mirth. The book and the 2000's film. Just sublime.

Anna Karenina. One of my favourite books. Western adaptations of Russian novels never quite hit the mark but I have to give a shout out to the 2000 version with Helen McCrory because she really sold the sexual obsession to me in a way others didn't. Man, she was the GOAT.

North and South. The book is great. The adaptation really is superb. Probably the best on the list, one that I would rank just as highly as the novel.

Wives and Daughters. The book was unfinished so they filled in a lot of gaps in the 1999 adaptation starring Justine Waddell (who incidentally was in EVERYTHING for a while? Like every period drama cast her, it was bizarre, and then she just disappeared. This also stars Keeley Hawes who was also in everything, including the very underrated Our Mutual Friend.) I know this one isn't the best, but I'm very fond of it.

Middlemarch. Listen, the book is the greatest book of all time to me. You have to read it at least once. The 1994 adaptation does a great job but it will never be the book, whose strands come together so perfectly, which teaches us so much about the intricate webs of being human.

The Crimson Petal and the White. The book is extraordinary, and the 2011 adaptation tries its best but suffers a bit from some odd casting. Still it's very worth the watch.

I Claudius. Curveball lmao. But it's perfect. Utterly perfect. The cultural impact of the 1976 adaptation can't be understated. A masterpiece.

[ofsappho]

Hey y’all

I’m asking my followers, friends, and mutuals to please share this gofundme (and donate if you can).

Lina is 25 years old. She was born in 1998. She’s married to Youssef.

She’s 9 months pregnant with a baby boy and due any day. Gaza right now is practically a concentration camp for pregnant women and she NEEDS $5000 to get across the Rafah Crossing into Egypt to deliver her baby safely. She’s sheltering in a hospital with no medical supplies and no anesthesia.

She and her husband are raising funds for the costs to get her into Egypt, and once their goal has been met, for her husband to join her.

She told me she wants to name her baby Omar - inshallah. If Allah wills it. IF she gets the chance to meet her first child, the baby she’s kept alive inside of her though 3 months of uninterrupted humanitarian crisis / genocide of her people, the baby that if she were anywhere else in the world, she wouldn’t have any doubts that she’d get to hold him in her arms…

His name will be Omar.

[eighthwholove]

A few promo shots of Paul McGann as Eugene Wrayburn, from Our Mutual Friend (1998) that I have stumbled across...

[paracosmic-murdock]

Tell me what are my words worth ; Benedict Bridgerton x Reader

Chapter 16: "Danser est un jeux dangereux"

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary: It has been two years since your secret was exposed and you had to leave London. Two years with deep buried misery and in which you missed everything you used to have. However, neglect, novelties, and letters made sure to give you more than one reason to return to claim someone who is as rightfully yours as your estate and your people: Benedict Bridgerton.

Warnings/tags: idiots in love, eventual smut, mutual pining, (kinda???) enemies (fake, this is just pride) to lovers (surely), bisexual benedict bridgerton, feminist themes, historical inaccuracy (for the sake of the plot), inspired by mulan (1998), song: the lakes (taylor swift), other tags to be added

Chapter summary: The Queen's Ball finally arrived, and with that, another encounter with the Ton. Unwanted or not, quite the encounter: Benedict, a friend from the past, and, of course, Miss Prince... However, this time you had a plan that would give you the upper hand for long enough.

Word count: 2.4K

❁ Series masterlist

❁ mila's paracosm (main masterlist)

"It is…"

"Absolutely stunning."

"Indeed." you agreed.

You and Lady Danbury were in your bedchambers as you tried on the ballgown the Queen had sent for you.

"She certainly is rooting for you and Mr. Bridgerton."

You chuckled. "She is quite invested. There is a high likelihood that she is more invested than us altogether."

"It would not surprise me," she mentioned. "The Queen wants a victory for herself and something to do in that lengthened free period of time in her hands."

"I suppose our interests have aligned this one time."

"Very," Lady Danbury added. "You look fabulous, my dear."

"Thank you for saying that," You smiled. "Is it enough, you think?"

Lady Danbury nodded, approaching you with an apprehensive glance. "If Mr. Bridgerton makes you feel like you are not enough for him to like you, then he is the one that isn't enough."

"With all due respect, my Lady, it seems like something easy for you to say," You sighed. "You are an accomplished woman, you have lived a life, I am certain, but I… I am on the verge of having nothing. If it does not work with Benedict, I must find another husband before-"

She noticed you stopped yourself and frowned. "Before what?"

You sighed. "Before my Grandfather tells the King of France about what I did. Then, he will forget all about my Father's will, say that he would be disappointed in me; I will be sleeping under a bridge in a heartbeat right after that happens."

"My child, I am so incredibly sorry that this is happening to you," She pursed her lips. "But do not dare believe we will ever let you sleep under a bridge!"

"Figure of speech, I think," You gave her a thankful smile. "It means so much to me to know that I have your support."

"You will never not have it, dear."

You entered the venue next to Lady Danbury, your arms intertwined. A graceful walk, characteristically yours, accompanied your presence and caught the Ton's attention.

"All eyes are on us."

She chuckled. "On you, my child. Leave me out of it."

"Is this what abandonment feels like?" you chided.

"It might as well be."

You shook your head with an amused smile.

"My apologies for the intrusion," the gentleman said, giving Lady Danbury a respectful glance and you a comforting one. "May I have this dance?"

You looked at Lady Danbury, and she nodded, letting go of your arm. You took Cortez's hand he was offering you and followed his lead.

"It is nice to see you again."

You sighed. "Likewise."

"I'm sorry for the scrutiny you have gone through," he commented. "I met you both ways, and I can say first hand that you deserved better than being exposed so ruthlessly. You are a very talented artist, regardless of your gender."

You felt your cheeks go warm. "Thanks, Mr. Cortez."

"Lord," he corrected you. "My Father, he passed."

"I am so incredibly sorry, my Lord," You looked at him with sympathy as you danced. "I wish for everything to go well at your home. How are your Mother and your siblings?"

"We are all fine, it was almost two years ago," he replied, letting out a small laugh. "In other circumstances, Antoine would have been getting drunk with me and talking about the cycle of life."

"As long as chaperoned, Lady Y/N can do that as well," you offered. "We were… friends, right?"

He chuckled. "Very good friends. I would have trusted you if you had told me it was a lie without question, and I would have kept the secret without hesitation if you had confided in me."

"I am thankful for that, and I hope we can remain friends."

"You will always be welcome in our home," he promised. "One of my sisters, Maria, advocated for you fiercely. As if she knew the whole situation; I am sure she would love to meet you someday."

"I would be more than pleased to," you answered. "Would you have introduced her to Antoine?"

"Oh, absolutely not." You both laughed.

And once that dance was over, you saw him leave with a smile.

You returned to Lady Danbury's side, then.

"How did it go with Lord Cortez?"

"Well enough, my Lady."

"Did you know him from before?"

You sighed. "He was both my suitor and friend from the Academy."

Lady Danbury laughed. "My child, you have one of the most coveted gentlemen of the Ton wrapped around your gloved finger."

"What?" You frowned.

"That man will come to my house the day after tomorrow at the latest with flowers for you and an invitation, I assure you."

"No way, he will not!" you exclaimed.

"Shall we place a bet?"

You nodded. "We shall."

Both you and Lady Danbury laughed until a collective presence joined you. You smiled politely.

"It is lovely to see you all tonight." you greeted them.

"Us as well," Anthony replied. "You two ladies look absolutely ravishing."

"Why thank you, Lord Bridgerton." Lady Danbury smiled.

Colin approached you with a knowing look. "May I have this dance?"

Your eyes met Benedict for the first time that night, and the look of disapproval in his face made you smirk internally.

"Of course, Colin." You smiled, taking his hand and following his lead.

"I've not gotten a chance yet to let you know how glad I am that you're in London again."

You nodded. "I am most thankful, Colin; and I am glad to be back as well."

"Did you miss me?" he joked.

"Of course I did," You laughed. "Now, did you miss me?"

"I believe that, only second to Ben, I am the one who missed you the most."

"Eloise would beg to differ."

Colin chuckled. "My sister, she doesn't truly count."

"How so?" you asked with a smile.

"She just does not, no reason at all."

You shook your head in amusement and turned around, catching sight of Benedict and her.

Her.

You despised her with every inch of yourself. You did not want her near him, for Benedict was yours, was he not? He made sure you knew that, he told you he was yours in more ways than one… He did by making love to you once and twice, he did by telling you he loved you, he did by asking you to be his wife. He was not hers, even if she were to be his wife instead of yourself, Benedict Bridgerton would always belong to you and you only. And even if you were to spend the rest of your life by someone else's side, you still would have been his. He is yours and you are his, always and forever.

That must be why you parted from Colin's side before the dance even ended and rushed to join them. The smile you dedicated to Miss Prince was theater-worthy, you knew.

"Isn't this evening lovely, Miss Prince?" you asked politely, giving Benedict a longing stare.

She nodded. "It sure is, my Lady."

"Quite lovely," you repeated, looking around. "I, uh… I have heard you are the novelty of the town, am I right?"

"I am, yes." she confirmed.

"I sort of am, as well," you mentioned, seeing how Benedict rolled his eyes beside you. "This morning I thought of it, Miss Prince… You and I are in almost a similar position currently, so it is barely logical that we stand together."

"Y/N…" Benedict muttered under his breath, apprehension joining his voice in delivering the message: don't you dare.

You could not possibly care less.

Eloise watched from afar beside her mother and Lady Danbury.

"Is she being friendly to Miss Prince?" the youngest questioned.

"She is such an unstoppable force," Lady Danbury noted. "What on Earth could she have in mind?"

Lady Bridgerton sighed. "She certainly is a determined young lady."

"I agree!" Miss Prince exclaimed, excited to maintain relations with a figure like you.

"Would you like to join me as I pace around the ballroom?" you offered. "I should greet the Queen and thank her for having us tonight."

Benedict let out an annoyed sigh.

"Oh, I'd be honored!" she replied, being it hard to believe for her that you could greet the Queen just like that. For the sake of her curiosity mostly, she agreed and walked beside you after nodding at Benedict to inform him that she would take her leave.

"Are you and Benedict close, Miss Prince?" you asked, swallowing the discomfort it would cause you to hear the answer.

"Quite," She blushed. "I am sure we will be engaged to be married before the end of the month."

You nodded. "I hope everything goes well between you and Ben," you added, using the nickname that denoted closeness you had never said before. "He is the sweetest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Trust me, there is nothing more enchanting than the look of longing in his eyes. The spark of light his loving smile turns on in your heart. His assuring words full of adoration, the enamored stolen glances… If you have all of those you are most fortunate."

Miss Prince frowned. "H- how… how do you know that?"

"You surely cannot believe you are Ben's first round," you warned her. "If you are curious enough, why don't you join me at the modiste tomorrow afternoon to help me pick a new dress? I shall tell you meanwhile."

She nodded. "You know him very well, do you not?"

"You couldn't imagine, Miss Prince," you replied. "Why the question, if I may ask?"

"I was wondering if you think he would make a fine husband," she said. "Could his art be enough to provide for me? For our children? To have a nice home where we could host balls and dinner parties?"

You frowned. "Well, Miss Prince, he is a Bridgerton. I am not sure whatever you could be looking for that makes you believe he would not be enough…" You looked her up and down, making sure you were sending the corresponding message. How could she even dare speak that way about him? "... for you."

"I didn't mean it like that…" she was quick to defend herself, however baseless her arguments would be.

You hummed. "How did you mean it, then?"

"Uh, I might as well tell you tomorrow over pretty dresses, right?"

"By all means," you said. Cynical. "A fair amount of time to make up your mind. I respect that, Miss Prince."

Your mood changed as you approached the Queen.

"You look absolutely astonishing in that dress, my child," she smiled widely. "It certainly suits you very well, it is one of my best presents to date."

Around you, everyone heard the Queen's words and looked at you, the Queen's protégée.

"I am most thankful, Your Majesty," You smiled. "Certainly the most beautiful dress I have ever tried on."

"It suits you gracefully!" she exclaimed. "No one apart from me looks nearly as breathtaking as you!"

"Oh, I could never dare be compared to your gracefulness, my Queen," you commented. "Thank you for saying that, nevertheless."

She smirked. "Enjoy your evening, my Lady."

"Well, the Château de Germolles is owned by my cousin, but every other property that belongs to the Dukes remains mine," you said, sipping your champagne. "The two of you are most welcome to stay in any of my homes… As I am aware you enjoy the countryside, Anthony, allow me to offer the Château du Clos de Vougeot."

"The vineyards are there if I'm correct."

"They are indeed," you confirmed. "I would be honored to welcome you at home."

"Only if I am guaranteed wine for dinner." Anthony joked and Kate rolled her eyes.

You laughed. "For breaking the fast, even."

"When can we go?"

"Right now if you wish."

"What are you laughing about?" Lady Bridgerton interrupted your conversation as he reached you along with Benedict.

"Oh, Y/N was inviting me and Kate to spend a season in France."

"There are enough rooms for each Bridgerton to sleep in... Eight is perfect if we include Daphne and Simon, so all of you are welcome."

No one paid real attention to the calculations except for Benedict, who frowned.

Each... Mother, Anthony and Kate, himself, Colin, Daphne and Simon, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, but how about Hyacinth?, he counted.

"Aren't you undercounting?"

You shook your head with a suggestive smirk. "I guarantee you I am not."

Realization hit him, and he suppressed a smirk. You meant he wouldn't need a room.

"You know what? I will honor that offer, if you allow me to join you once you return to France." Violet interrupted the suggestive conversation everyone was starting to comprehend finally.

Anthony and Kate looked at each other with a knowing smile, trying not to laugh at your suggestion of sharing your own room with Benedict.

"Of course!" you shrieked. "I shall show you the entirety of France."

"We should all join you, actually," Kate smirked, looking at Benedict, who was staring at you without an ounce of shame as his brain took your commentaires in. "Don't you think, Benedict?"

He was taken out of his trance by the mention of his name, not knowing whatever Kate meant or anything else that was mentioned during the conversation. So he only managed to say yes.

"That is wonderful!" Lady Bridgerton grinned. "You know what? You two must dance."

"Uh, Mother…" Benedict tried to deny, but you were quicker than him.

"You are right, Lady Bridgerton, dancing would be suitable."

He pursed his lips reluctantly, but ultimately took your hand in his and walked somewhere you could dance.

"Wasn't dancing a dangerous game?" he asked after clearing his throat.

"Well, I like taking my chances. Plus, we're supposed to have a conversation, don't we?"

"Not like this, no." he whispered.

"Then how?" you questioned him. "This is a perfect opportunity."

"I shall visit you tomorrow morning at Lady Danbury's so we can speak privately."

You looked each other in the eyes when he said privately and you let out a soft sigh, one that showed your mind had taken a turn, and, judging by the whimper you let out, Benedict could guess the question he would ask had a response he would enjoy, especially after what you had implied about him not needing his own room.

"What are you thinking about?"

You gave him a suggestive glance and kept dancing with him, and once the dance was almost over, you replied in a whisper, so close to his ear that your hot breath caused goosebumps. "About all the things we used to do in private."

taglist: @yentroucnagol @crimsonincursive @czarinera @uwumd @omgnctchina

[sjofn-lofnsdottr]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers (ू•‧̫•ू⑅)♡

Hmm.

#1: My husband. I met him back in ... I believe it was mid-1998 because I wasn't 21 yet (my birthday is in December) and he informed me I was Young. I found that both funny and very rude, given he was ... all of 24, it's just that I was the same age as his little sister AND in the half of the year where we're four years apart instead of three. In any case, we met on a MUD (go look it up, I'll wait) and just ... really hit it off immediately, clicking in ways big and small. When I finally met him face to face in early 2000, I remember thinking it was a shame he lived in California (I lived in NJ, but was out here visiting my aunt and decided on a whim to meet him too) but uh ... well, by August 2001, it wasn't a problem any more, and we got married in 2003. Now that I'm in my forties, that timeline sounds insane to me, but I promise, it made perfect sense at the time.

#2: My family. It's true, I'm a tumblr user that actually gets along with her family really well, and I'm always happy when I get to visit them. My (boomer!) parents raised us to be people, rather than treating us like their belongings, and my three siblings and I have always gotten along really well (teen squabbling aside, of course, but even that was relatively mild compared to some of my friends). I love my in-laws too! I've always felt extremely lucky when it comes to family.

#3: My cats!

I mean, duh.

#4: My online knitting circle. I have a group chat in Discord in which we nerd about our various nerd things, FFXIV being one of the primary things (but not the ONLY thing by any stretch!). I tend to think a lot about The Writing in stuff I consume, and I very often have Opinions I like to Assert, and I'm so glad I have a private place to do so, because it is a containment zone for my less-kind opinions that the internet at large is better off not hearing about, but I still need to get out of my system. They also tolerate me barfing half-formed headcanon thoughts all over their shoes, which I appreciate.

#5: Taking Screenshots. There are so many other things that could go here instead, but this is my snap decision! I have been doing crime-aided gposes for a few years now, but I still feel very new at it sometimes, and the sense of satisfaction I get when I put something together I really like makes me very happy indeed. (And then @petitfarron helps shut up my anxiety about showing anyone else what I've done, and that technically makes me happy too, showing people stuff!)

Thanks for the ask!

[harrietvane]

I absolutely ADORE "Our Mutual Friend"!! So happy to find someone else who does as well. :D (And I'm very grateful I have the DVDs.) I loved reading your tags on that reblog. Your Costume Drama Sundays sound so fun!

OMF is such an underrated Dickens! It’s the Persuasion, in a way: not the big crowd-pleaser on first sight, but has a depth of feeling in its somber mood that takes you by surprise. And the 1998 adapt is still my favourite filmed Dickens - so wonderfully cast at every level!

The Lightwood and Wrayburn double-act! Bella so pert and decided but still so vulnerable and genuine! Wegg and Venus, every conversation a delight! David Morrissey as Headstone legitimately, physically makes my skin crawl, what an astonishing performance! Amazing performances all round though, there’s no part that has me wishing to get back to the ‘main’ story, they all feel like the main story.

And I highly encourage Costume Drama Sundays - I’ve gotten so used to smashing a full 6 hour miniseries in a go, but it sort of telescopes the experience into a compressed time which isnt always that enjoyable for every story, tbh. I’m really enjoying enforcing my own slow-release format for TV-designed stories that were created by the adaptor and directors to be a weekly episode, with then time to consider it, and then a wait-for-it anticipation for the next one. Small delights are delights nonetheless!

[shezamaverick]

25 Years of Black Sails

Into and Out of the Sunset

By: Davey Havok

Not long before the final tour of the A Fire Inside EP, a mutual friend asked Mark what type of AFI record he planned on writing to follow our third full-length. His earnest reply: “Unlistenable. Something everyone will hate.” Though this was the type of chaos I would have certainly supported, he never said this to me. He’d stopped speaking to me sometime in the fall of ‘98. Jade took his place shortly thereafter.

The first time I wrote with Jade was in my room beneath the stairs at the defunct frat house that AFI lived in at the time.* That evening in 1998, promptly at our scheduled hour, a knock came upon my thick wooden door. I opened it with an anticipatory smile and nod. “What’s up man?” Jade walked into the shadows of my ill-lit room carrying his acoustic guitar. My mattress and boxspring, set under the flight of stairs leading to the third floor, was the only place to sit. Our new guitarist sat on its edge. I sat on the floor with my microcassette recorder, facing him. The room was scented of cheap vanilla candles. Peter Murphy stared at me from a poster behind our new guitarist. I was excited. Jade was then and is now one of the greatest songwriters I’ve known. My band of seven years was about to begin its metamorphosis. “So, I was thinking,” he offered. “I miss the melodic stuff in AFI. How about we add some of that back in? Nothing crazy, just a bit.” As genuinely ready as I’d have been for Mark’s repellant HXC vision to take AFI down a path that forked toward cacophonous supernova (or 2024 Taco Bell commercials?) I felt Jade’s as well. Limiting myself to screaming limited my abilities of emoting and evocation as well. It was becoming unfulfilling and suffocating.

Jade picked up his acoustic, strummed some chords, and in falsetto sang, “We all begin to burn…” He’d come prepared with these parts and I was immediately hooked. Working from the scratch lyric intended to act as a gang callout, I expounded with conceptual responses and so came the rest of Malleus Maleficarum. I believe some weathered copy of the tome itself had been lying about my room—if not, some witchy text that referenced it. Malleus was the first song we’d ever written together. I can recall our writing of Clove Smoke Catharsis and God Called in Sick Today in that tiny dark room as well. With those tracks, I felt certain our next record was going to be well beyond anything I’d ever thought I would have been capable of being a part of. I was utterly inspired. In our latest writing sessions together, 25 years later, I’ve felt beyond this. What a luxury.

During that late '90s East Bay winter Jade, Hunter, Adam and I put BSITS together in our tiny Oakland practice pad, off 20th, then tracked it with Andy at the Art Of Ears in Hayward. I shredded my voice during my allotted two days of time, screaming out 15 tracks that defiantly sat steadfast at the top of my range. Oh, but to have my 23-year-old healing powers back.

Weeks later, I pulled the advanced master from the mail and squirreled to my parking space by the dumpsters behind the frat house. Sat in the faded burgundy upholstery of my driver seat, I slid the cassette into my ’83 Accord’s silver player and depressed the play button. Click. Adam’s ominous preface to Strength Through Wounding began. The gang of Skinhead Rob, Fritch, and our buddy Dan followed the warlike beat. Then came the impure chant, ominously brooding through my crackling speakers with all the blasphemous piety I’d hoped. I was so happy with what we’d made.

When Dexter Holland, singer of The Offspring and owner of the label we were on at the time, first heard Black Sails in the Sunset he told our A&R guy, “I don’t get it.” Commercially, this wasn’t a great sign. Artistically, it was affirming.

Be they pretty fly, or even barely fly, BSITS did alienate a lot of fans (as had Shut Your Mouth and every record thereafter), but with it we gained more fans who were ready to join us on the ever jagging sonic journey we’d begun. My look at the time was arguably even more confronting than the relatively unorthodox sounds of Black Sails. The rigid regulations of the extremely masculine ’90s hardcore scene didn’t make much room for a singer in whiteface, black lipstick, fishnet, and PVC. Philosophically this remains unacceptable to me. Our fierce and fabulous ancestors gave us our glitter. I’ll leave you with one of the more delightful heckle memories from the unparalleled Life on the Ropes Tour with Sick of It All, Hot Water Music and Indecision:

INTERIOR: a compact second story theatre, packed with hundreds of hardcore kids. AFI is onstage somewhere in the midwest. Clouds of fog spill over the carmine valance as Jade begins the opening riff to their final song. God Called in Sick Today whispers to life as your author crouches in the crawling billows, his vinyl pants reflecting red light into the baffled eyes of dreadlocked white boys in capacious corduroy JNCOs and commodious VOD tees. They impatiently await the NYC legends, SOIA.

A heckle bursts through the gentle riff. “Let’s go, Trent Reznor!”

Your author rolls his heavily shadowed, lined, and mascaraed eyes. How elementary, he thinks. The opening riff continues.

“Come on, Peter Murphy!”

Begrudgingly impressed by the boor’s finer reference, your author’s plucked brows slightly raise with imperceptible surprise. He gives the heckler no acknowledgment, remaining in the song. The opening line of the verse is seconds away when the boy barks,

“Ok, Count Chocula!”

Grinning, your author chuckles for the first and last time ever before singing, “Let’s admire the pattern forming…”

25 years later, the pattern continues to shift.

[whatsnewalycat]

Just Dumb Enough to Try

Chapter 14: Savior Complex

Word Count: 5k

Pairing: Javier Peña x F!Reader

Rating: Explicit (18+ only)

Tags / CW: swearing, cheating/infidelity, smoking, alcohol use, domestic abuse, nightmare, mutual masturbation, PIV sex, fluff, making out in public, banter, attempts at jokes, made up a middle name for Javi, movie nerd shit, angst, deep talk, argument, crows?

Chapter Summary: Our heroes share secrets, take pictures, and get some drinks.

Notes: Chapter title from "Savior Complex" by Phoebe Bridgers. I'm done with my summer classes so I'm celebrating like a fucking dork and putting this out today (in addition to a chapter on Sunday). Just a heads up since I gave a warning last chapter, there will be some domestic violence scattered throughout this series until... well, when you know you'll know. But I probably won't mention it again in my notes unless I feel the content warrants an additional warning. OK THANKS FOR READING!

[ First Chapter ] [ Previous Chapter ] [ Spotify Playlist ] [ AO3 ]

151 Fir St N, Laredo, TX July 1, 1998

“I’m just saying, you’re lucky you didn’t break your goddamn hand,” Javier observes, leaning on the doorway of your bedroom. He’s watching you with curiosity as you apply makeup at your vanity.

I’m sure his watchful eye has nothing to do with the fact that I’m only wearing a robe.

“I’ve been wanting to punch him for a very long time, he just gave me a reason,” you shrug, dabbing a sponge around your face with your bruised hand, “Although, I would have preferred breaking my hand over listening to Dan and his fucking dad scold me about it.”

“Scold you? For what, standing up for yourself?”

“Dale had to call and convince Mark not to press charges. Plus it caused a scene,” you scoff, “Whatever. Then Dan cut my allowance in half as a punishment. I feel like a fucking child.”

You don’t even want to get into the way that Dan yelled at you after you got home from the party. How he called you a psycho, unhinged, and forbade you from attending parties until further notice.

“What am I, fucking grounded? Like a teenager?”

“If you’re going to act like a teenager, I’m going to treat you like one. You’re fucking insane. Starting a fight with my friend at Greg’s party? I can’t fucking believe you would embarrass me like that. You’re sick, you know that? Always have to make it about you. Everyone was having a good time and you had to make it about you. Selfish bitch. You’re lucky I love you, nobody else could.”

The argument reminded you of fights with your dad. They both have a scathing way of making you feel one inch tall when you fuck up.

“Your allowance?” Javi raises an eyebrow and pushes himself off the doorframe to step closer.

“Yeah, he gives me money for groceries and stuff around the house, whatever is left over is mine to use however I want,” you explain while sifting through your makeup bag for blush.

“Do you have access to money other than that?” he asks, brow furrowed, arms crossed, making eye contact with your reflection in the mirror.

You frown and shake your head, then flip open your blush compact, “I had a bank account when I worked at the school, but we closed it after I quit.”

“And that money is…?”

“In his bank account.”

“How much does he give you in your, uhh, allowance?”

Your heart starts pounding. Why does he care?

“Usually $100 a week. Well, $50 now,” you tell him timidly, frozen with your blush brush against your cheek, “Why?”

“It’s just… odd,” he purses his lips and sets his jaw.

Is he mad that I haven’t been paying for myself on our dates?

“I- I can pay for myself tonight, if you want,” you frown, continuing to apply blush, “I’m sorry for assuming that you’d pay for me, I shouldn’t-“

“No, no, that’s not-“ he sighs and puts a hand on his hip, “I just don’t want him to take advantage of you.”

Your shoulders slump as you try to process this, “I know it’s a lot less than what I was making, but it’s enough to do what I need it to.”

“Sure, but it’s not enough to save money, right?”

You shake your head and pause, thinking about this further, gears turning slowly in your head. It’s always struck you as annoying and micro-managerial, but he told you that he’s just better with finances than you are, so he’ll take care of the money. He kept bringing it up until you eventually agreed to it, convincing you that you don’t spend your money wisely. A knot twists in your stomach as you realize that this might not be normal.

He is trying to trap me, isn’t he?

The nightmare you had last night plays in your head. 

You’re entrenched in the void. Can’t see anything. Rope digs into your skin when you try to move, rubbing against lesions that haven’t yet healed, pulling a sharp yelp from your throat. It’s muffled against a gag.

Creak

You shake your head back and forth in a panic. Try to scream out, HELP ME, HE'S HERE, SOMEONE PLEASE- the sound is muffled and your throat is raspy and sore, like you’ve already been screaming for hours. A coughing fit cuts your pleas short, and you gasp for air behind the thick, wet gag stuffed in your mouth. Your blood pressure spikes so fast you get lightheaded.

Creak

He’s close now. Your heart is pounding so hard you can hear it. Get the fuck out get the fuck out. You try to thrash around desperately to no avail. 

Creak

Louder. Right beside you. Your eyes clasp shut because you don’t want to see you don’t want to see you don’t want-

Back in real life, Javi calls your name. You flinch away from the sound and realize you’ve been staring at your vanity.

“Are you ok?” he asks, eyes wide.

You shake the dream out of your head, “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

After inspecting yourself in the mirror, you decide you just need some mascara and lipstick and you’ll call it good. He frowns, “I just… I worry about you.”

“I know, baby,” you tell him with your mouth gaping open as you coat your eyelashes with mascara. He sits down on your mattress and continues to watch you. Desperately wanting a subject change, you make eye contact with him through the mirror as you close the mascara tube and put it away, “Do you like my bed?”

“It’s very comfortable,” he observes while pulling his legs up and laying his head on the pillows.

He looks fucking good there, sprawled out so casually. Like this is his bed, not the one you share with your fiancé. You spin around your swivel chair to face him, biting your lip, looking him up and down. He raises an eyebrow at you. Yearning sparkles deep inside you. You drag your seat closer to him, next to your nightstand, then cock your head to the side with a sly smile, “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course you can,” he answers, then rolls onto his side and props his head on his hand so he can see you better.

“Where you’re laying right now…” you lick your bottom lip, “I’ve fantasized about you so many times while laying there.”

All of the breath leaves his body. His gaze melts into a smolder. He looks you up and down while rolling his tongue across his lips, “Tell me more.”

A mischievous grin spreads across your face as you open your drawer and take out your vibrator and a bottle of lube. The vibrator is hot pink, curved, and about 7 inches in length. His eyes are burning into you as you handle the toy, “I usually use this to help me.”

“Show me,” he rasps.

You tug at your robe’s sash until it falls open and exposes your naked body, then kick one of your feet up onto the table, letting your legs spread wide open. Something akin to a growl emits from him.

“I want to tell you about the first time though,” you advise, then set the vibrator down in favor of the lube.

“The first time?” he asks, unable to take his eyes off you as you pop the top open, squeeze some into your palm, then set the bottle down.

You rub your hands together and then spread the lubricant all over your tits, teasing each nipple with little tugs and rubs, “The first time I masturbated with you in mind.”

Never in one million years did you think this was something you would tell another soul, let alone the subject of your desire. But the confession is making you so hot, you can’t stop now.

“Y-you remember that?” he lifts his puzzled gaze to your eyes to ask you, “How?”

“Because it was the night I met you,” you tell him, squeezing your tits together. His eyes are on your cunt, watching you get wet. One hand trails down to skirt through your bush, then you spread your lips open so he can get a better look, “I was already so fucking horny, nobody had touched me in months. Then I saw you. I wanted you.”

His eyebrows draw together in an expression that’s almost remorseful. The moment you saw each other for the first time wasn’t magical. It wasn’t cute. He probably doesn’t even remember it. He completely blew off your existence and went home with your roommate. You suspect if he could do it over and go home with you instead, he would. But it doesn’t matter.

“When I got home, I heard you fucking her,” you bring your middle and ring finger to touch your opening, then drag your slick up to start gently massaging your clit, letting a moan fall from your lips. You look up at him and notice how strained he is, specifically in his pants. You purr, “baby, take your clothes off.”

He nods and sits up, unbuttoning his shirt as he listens intently, eyes glued to your pussy as you draw circles around your swollen clit. The shirt comes off, then he starts working on his pants.

“I heard you fucking her and I couldn’t distract myself. It was driving me wild,” you grab the vibrator. Javi lays back down on your bed and squeezes some of the lube in his hand, then starts stroking himself. Clicking the vibrator on, you watch his face as you press the toy to the inside of your lips, whimpering at the change in sensation. The vibrations radiate all the way into your molten core and make your heart pump faster.

You moan as lust fills your body, then start to grind against the toy, confessing to him between whimpers and pants, “I-I touched myself… while listening to you fuck her. I went in my room- and and I fucked myself against the wall.”

The thrill of this repentance, paired with the waves of vibration against your cunt, have you on a different fucking planet. Your mouth falls open as you pleasure yourself in front of him. His cock looks so slick and good and you just want-

“Holy fuck, baby, come here,” he groans and grabs at you the best he can. You jump up so fast, it’s a wonder you don’t collapse on the fucking ground before clamoring on top of him. As soon as you’re straddling him, he bucks up into you. You let gravity take you all the way down, causing both of you release a strangled moan. You start rolling your hips, gasping at the pleasure of his cock filling you just fucking flawlessly on each thrust. The vibrator is still going in your hand, so you press it to your clit.

“I- I made myself cum listening to the two of you- fuck - the other side of the wall, wish- wishing I was her,” you sputter between labored breathes, “Ssso many nights I’ve wished- holy fuck- you were with me while I fucked th-this toy. But it doesn’t compare. N-nothing compares.”

He groans and grabs your face, pulling you in to kiss you with urgency, velvet tongue exploring yours. He draws back to pant against your mouth, “That’s so fucking hot. You’re so- you fuck me so good, babygirl- take me so well.”

“So good, daddy, so goood,” you mewl. He grabs a fistful of your hair and uses it as leverage to expose your throat, where he brushes circles onto your pulse with his tongue. Your mouth falls open and you lose control of your vocal function, sputtering and gasping out guttural noises, letting your body act on impulse, chasing the climax roiling inside you. With your free hand, you grab his shoulder and dig in your finger nails as you ride him faster now.

“You’re fucking incredible, baby, perfect. Sh-should’ve taken you home- I’m a fucking idiot,” he breathes, releasing your hair so both hands can move to your waist and hold you there while he starts slamming up into you faster, babbling now, “Pussy is fucking perfect, n-nothing compares, you’re right, nothing fucking compares-" he pulls you back down to kiss him as his hips stutter and he exhales a shaky moan against your mouth, then he cums inside you.

His praise liquifies and sinks down into the same molten core that’s being fed by his twitching cock, the vibrator, and it brings you over the edge. Your whole body quivers with ecstasy; you cum so hard you literally see stars at the tippy top of the orgasm. You cry out, not giving a single fuck that the neighbors can probably hear you through your open windows.

You collapse on top of him, absolutely glowing as you catch your breath. He hums and groans in satisfaction, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you in for a lazy kiss. Then you roll off and spread out beside him, flushed body covered in sweat. He turns and faces you with a smile, chest heaving, “Was that true?”

Now you finally start blushing and bury your face against his arm before squeaking, “yes.”

“Fuck, that’s hot,” he chuckles, scooping you up from your hiding spot to pull you closer. You rest your head on his chest, then start drawing arbitrarily in his belly with your fingertips. He brings his hand up to play with your hair. And you’re both content to do this… forever, it seems. It’s heaven in this peaceful bubble of affection.

“What time is the movie?” he rumbles into your hair.

From your very snug position nuzzled into his side, you mumble, “5:00. Is it time to go?”

He plants a kiss on your forehead and hums in the affirmative. Reluctantly, you both roll out of bed to get dressed. You slip on a short-sleeved babydoll dress adorned with light pink and lavender flowers. Javier is still buttoning his purple shirt up when you emerge from the closet, and you can’t help but notice the charming smile that spreads across his face.

“What?” you giggle while looking for the right color lipstick.

He saunters up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, making eye contact with you through the mirror, “I think this is the most color I’ve ever seen on you.”

You spin around and clasp your hands behind his neck, meeting those gorgeous brown eyes that make you melt inside, then blush as you admit, “I wanted to wear it because it matches your shirt.”

His smile widens, flipping your stomach upside down. You get up on the balls of your feet to capture his lips in yours, then arch into him as his tongue sweeps against yours, sending a shiver down your spine. Your bodies fall so easily together like this; everything about being with him is natural. You pull back and meet his gaze again, “Ok I really do think we have to go now.”

“Hey we would be there already if you’d stop distracting me,” he jokes, throwing his hands up defensively.

Despite the “distractions” you make it to the theater with time to spare. After getting pop and popcorn, you start off to find the theater playing Armageddon, when you come across a photo booth. You stop outside of it and ask, “Can we…?”

He raises his eyebrows and smiles at you, “You want to? Sure.”

He snatches the popcorn from you and sets it down next to his pop on top of the machine, then puts a dollar into it. You clap excitedly and climb into the booth. Javi sits down next to you before closing the curtain.

You get the machine going and it starts taking photos as you both smile into the camera. Javi wraps an arm behind you then tickles your side, making you jump and start laughing like a hyena, which in turn makes him laugh.

“You’re the worst,” you grin. He tilts your chin in his direction, leading your mouth to his for a kiss, just something small and sweet at first. His languid tongue rolls against the seam of your lips and you pull on his shirt to bring him against you harder, meeting his tongue with yours. You get lost in him, entranced by the way the two muscles slide against each other, pausing periodically to breathe, then reinvigorating the kiss anew.

He paws at you while your hands roam from his hair all the way down to the top of his thighs, stopping at the fly of his jeans to press down on the bulge in his tight jeans. He groans quietly into your mouth and grabs the inside of your thigh, sending a shudder across your body. You instinctually spread your legs for him to get closer. His thumb starts skimming across the most sensitive part of your body, catching friction on the black lace underwear, making you whimper and arch your back towards him.

A knock comes from outside of the booth and it’s like you’re violently ripped from the lala-land of living with rose colored glasses on, enjoying heavy petting with your boyfriend  back into the boring reality land of sitting in a photo booth, now get your shit together, what are you, 16?

You both snap your legs shut and sit up straight, dazed from the whiplash of this teleportation. Javi pulls the curtain back, where a theater employee is staring at the two of you with her arms crossed, not amused at all.

“Hi, so sorry,” you smile sheepishly, entire face heating with embarrassment when you emerge from the booth after Javi.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, “Just… keep it in your pants until you get home, ok, kids?”

“Yes ma’am,” you nod obediently. Javier is finding this all very entertaining, suppressing a boyish grin.

The two of you are so out of it, you start to walk away empty-handed, until she beckons you back, “Y’all at least gonna take your stuff?”

A burst of laughter escapes you while Javi has to double back to grab the pop, popcorn, and photo strip. You snatch the photo strip away from him as soon as he catches up with you. There are four photos on the strip: cheesy smiling, laughing, smiling at each other, hot steamy kissy kiss. It’s very cute and it fills your heart with so much happiness it could burst at the seams.

“Which two are you going to take?” you ask, kicking your feet up on the back of the seat in front of you. The images are still in your clutches as you commit them to memory.

“Can we just take them again and both get one?” he asks after a long contemplative pause.

You raise your eyebrows and gape at him, “I don’t think we’re going to be allowed to go back in there.”

He groans playfully, “First Nico’s, now this? You’re getting me into so much trouble.”

“Oh my god, you started it, Javier,” you pause your bratty attitude to sidebar, “what’s your middle name?”

“Ferdinand”

This… rocks your world for some reason. If you were given infinite guesses, you never would have guessed correctly.

“Shut the fuck up, your middle name is not Ferdinand,” you howl with glee, a little too loudly, earning some side eye from patrons around you. Which… is fair.

He starts laughing, “It is, though,” and leans forward to take out his wallet, where he shows you his driver’s license, which, indeed, states JAVIER FERDINAND PEÑA.

“That’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” you smile from ear-to-ear, then clear your throat and resume your scolding, “Anyway, you started it Javier Ferdinand Peña, so don’t tell me I’m getting you into trouble.”

“Whatever you say, cariño,” he winks, then grabs a handful of popcorn and tosses a few kernels in his mouth. After swallowing, he points to the photos and tells you, “I want the bottom two.”

You beam at him and nod, fold the strip in half, then tear the flimsy photo paper in two. He puts his half of the photos in his wallet before returning it to his back pocket; you put yours in your purse.

Armageddon is entertaining. It’s full of clichés and kind of silly, but regardless, the ending makes you cry. You’re right in the middle of hoping that Javier doesn’t notice, when he grabs ahold of your hand, stroking his thumb against yours on occasion until the credits roll.

After the movie, he takes you to the Pour House. You’re grateful that the Wednesday night crowd is light and there aren’t any familiar faces present. Sometimes you forget that he’s your paramour. It doesn’t ever feel like that’s how it should be. You secretly wish he could take Dan’s place.

Javi approaches the bar and orders a whiskey from Gina, who grabs a glass.

“Can I get one, too?” you ask after pondering briefly.

Gina raises her eyebrow, but gets it for you regardless.

“I don’t usually drink straight liquor, except shots when I’m shitfaced, but you do it and it looks cool… so, I want to try,” you explain to Javi, who must think you are an extraordinary dork by now.

This makes him chuckle and shake his head at you in admiration. Gina returns with your drinks. Javi sits across from you in a booth and watches with amusement as you take a sip and grimace, “What the fuck, why do you do this to yourself?”

“Well this whiskey is… not great, first of all,” he takes a long sip, you suspect it’s just to show off, then continues, “But I’m more used to the taste so it’s probably just not as…” he trails off, trying to find the right word.

“Gross?” you offer.

He raises his eyebrows appraisingly and shrugs, confirming your word choice, “Gross.”

“Will you show me what ‘good whiskey’ is, then?” another sip passes through your lips and burns the whole way down into your belly. You gag.

He smiles and nods, “I’d love to.”

After you go back to Gina and ask her to add some ginger ale to your whiskey, she agrees, and barely gives you shit about it. Sliding back into the sticky booth, you ask Javi, “What did you think of Armageddon?”

“I liked it. Kind of cheesy, but fun.”

You agree, nodding, “A little bit predictable. But… obviously it got to me.”

“The romance was grossly cliché,” he admits, then waits for your thoughts. He lights a cigarette and offers one to you, which you accept.

“Why?” you frown.

“So there’s one woman on an oil rig and she just happens to find a soulmate in her dad’s protégé?,” he shrugs, “I just think if there were more women it would be different. Resource scarcity.”

You take a drag, twirling the words around in your brain to figure out how you feel. You sigh, “I don’t know. I mean, I guess there’s no way to know. Maybe it was fate that they both ended up being on the oil rig. If we’re subscribing to the idea of soulmates, we can subscribe to the idea of fate, right? To me, at least, they both sound too much like destiny to be coincidence, ya know?”

He furrows his brow, nodding thoughtfully, then leans forward across the table and swallows hard, “Do you ever feel like it was fate that we met again?”

You’re feeling dangerously open and vulnerable, so you throw caution to the wind and tell him, “I do. I think it was in San Antonio, too. The first- erm, well, second time I talked to you, it was like,” you snap your fingers, “instant. I felt comfortable with you immediately. That doesn’t happen for me with anyone.”

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat and looks down at his drink, “There’s so much bad that came before this. So many bad things I’ve done, things I’ve seen. I don’t know how… my life could lead to anything good. Why would it? That’s unfair for good people. I don’t… I don’t deserve good,” his gaze turns up to meet yours and there’s so much pain in those warm eyes, “But you’re good. You’re so good. And it doesn’t make any fucking sense. That is, unless the universe is chaos.”

These words sit in your head for a minute as you absorb them, trying to understand and formulate a response. You could point out that you're not so good, for a plethora of reasons. However, you understand that you're drawing conclusions about yourselves and each other based on heavy biases. That being said, you cannot comprehend him being anything but wonderful.   

Finally, you take a deep breath and say, “I refuse to believe it’s all happenstance. I… I wish you could see how good you are. I don’t think there’s a deity keeping a score sheet of your decisions, tracking their moral judgments on everything you do. Everyone deserves love and belonging. You do, too,” you take a sip of your drink, drag of your cigarette, then continue, “And besides, the bad that you’re talking about… don’t you think you’ve learned from it? You don’t work for the DEA anymore, and you tried your best to rectify the situation when you were still in it, which are pretty big indicators that you did learn from your mistakes. And you’re a better man for it-“

“Yeah, ok,” he scoffs, then juts his jaw and glares at his whiskey, “While I sit here and revel in the fact that I’m a ‘better man’ because I ‘learned a lesson,’ there are people that are fucking dead,” he bites off. You flinch back like he spit in your face.

The words hang in the air for a moment before you react, snipping at him, “Yeah. They’re fucking dead. What can you do about it? Didn’t you already do what you could?” He says nothing, just sulks and signals for Gina to bring more drinks. You stare at him sternly, hard eyes searching his face as he looks around at anything but you, “You can’t do anything else for them, Javier. You don’t need to make yourself fucking miserable for them. Why keep punishing yourself?”

His eyes snap to yours. You just stare at each other and marinade in the wake of this spat, eyes slowly softening as your tempers go from a boil to a simmer. Gina sets your drinks on the table and walks away. Your hand extends across the table to him, then he releases his breath and reaches out to hold it. As your eyebrows knit together, you search his face and tell him earnestly, “You’re not that person anymore. You’re good, I know you are. And you deserve good things.”

He squeezes your hand, neither of you realizing that it’s the injured one until you yelp in pain. Apologies pour out of his mouth as you assure him you’re ok. The two of you sit there for a while, lost in thought, not really paying any attention to the fact that your hands remain intertwined across the table.

You’re zoning out, wondering if maybe there’s something you said that was out of line. Probably. You gave unsolicited advice and dove too hard into aspects of his life you don’t have any right to discuss. And then… he snapped at you. He raised his voice. Is this when he starts to realize he doesn’t want you anymore? When it dawns on him that you’re a fun plaything whose allure has faded? Safe to use temporarily but will attach itself if used too frequently?

I’m catastrophizing. Javi isn’t that kind of a person.

The sound of Javi calling your name pulls you out of your thoughts. You shake your head like an etch-a-sketch, “Sorry, what?”

“I’m sorry for getting upset with you,” he sighs, takes a sip of his drink, and admits, “It’s… it’s difficult for me to find myself deserving. To forgive myself.”

You nod knowingly, “It is hard. I struggle with it all the time.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you say quietly, stomach churning while you try to decide if you should delve into it further.

Is it too much? Am I revealing too much?

“What’s wrong?”

You frown and look down at your free hand, then start picking at your nail polish, “I just… never really know if I’m getting too much into things people don’t want to talk about with me. I don’t know when to stop. Then I go too far, like I just did, past peoples comfort zone and…” you gesture to him, “that happens. Then I sit and ruminate on it for… days. How I shouldn’t have said anything. I should mind my own business. Shut the fuck up,” you scoff at yourself, then sigh, “Anyway, yeah, I know how it feels to not find worth in yourself. How hard it is to forgive yourself. It’s fucking hard . Easier said than done, am I right?”

He nods, mumbling in agreement, “Easier said than done,” then he frowns and looks up at you, “Me blowing up wasn’t about you stepping over a line, cariño. If I don’t want to talk about something, I won’t. And… as someone who has been told to shut the fuck up, I don’t know, hundreds of times,” he chuckles, causing your spirits to lift and a smile to crack across your face, “please don’t shut the fuck up. I want you to feel safe… to be exactly who you are. I adore you.”

I adore you.

“Ok,” your smile widens until it can’t anymore, “Ok, I can do that. You’ll regret it when I talk at you about crows for an hour straight though, I promise.”

He clicks his tongue, “I’m sorry, when you, what now?” he laughs, tilting his head at you with curiosity.

“Like how, for instance, I have crows that visit me every day, and I feed them, so they bring me shiny gifts.” you inform him, rubbing the back of your neck.

“Wh- why do they do that?” he leans in towards you, taking the bait.

You clap excitedly and lean in, too, “Well, see, the thing about crows is…”

[ Next Chapter ]

[goingonanadventuremaybe]

The thing that scared me the most as a kid was David Morrissey in the 1998 Our Mutual Friend. Rewatched it and holy crap that performance still makes me want to hide. O_O

[opalstream]

Prayer

May the Divine Friend guide and bless each one of us.

And May He inspire within us

a strong determination to help one another,

to treat one another with understanding and mutual respect -

and above all, may we have constant inspiration

to seek the Divine beloved Friend behind all human relationships,

first, last, and always.

God bless you all.

-Sri Daya Mata

Make the World a Little Better

The devotee of God applies only constructive criticism. He does not go through life finding fault with everybody; he does not constantly criticize conditions. If he has a suggestion to make, he expresses it constructively to the people who can do something about it, or he remains silent and concentrates upon bettering himself and his conditions. Yes, sometimes it is our duty to resist wrongdoing; I am not referring to that. I am speaking of those who forget that primarily we are here not as a gift from God to change others, but to change ourselves and thereby leave the world a little better for having been here.

-Sri Daya Mata, The Godward Life, SRF Mag Summer 1998

*It is human nature to notice the faults of others and to complain about external conditions such as the weather. But if you are becoming overly critical and dissatisfied, it is time for a spiritual reboot. As a soul traveler, every person you meet and every experience you have can lead to a deeper awareness of the Soul within all. Look for the positive. Associate with cheerful people. Serve those in need. And dedicate extended periods of time to devotional chanting and prayer. Finding God within will lead to discovering Him/Her without, in all people and all circumstances. OmLove, Annie

*Learn to Meditate through Home Study - Share this with your friends who might like to learn:

https://yogananda.org/lessons

[greenelectricsky]

Hi everyone! I'm GreenElectricSky and this is my blog, mainly about Cats. Also my earlier posts about flowers and every other stuff I liked are here. Now, what is not related to Cats will be published/rebloged on @violetskyatnight :) Because it's become problematic I also made a blog only for my fanfiction and Cats Scenes, so if you like to see them go to @moonyskyallthetime :)

Those are my main OCs:

Cysiek and TuśTuś:

Cysiek is more my OC when TuśTuś is more my catsona, as they are more similar to me:) They are Tugger and Munku's twins.

My Cats Scenes are tagged #i think im funny. I'm doing them almost daily from 12.07.2023, so it's a solid number now :) Also, now they are linked together, so have fun. And my writing is tagged "my writing" ;) It can happen I post here links to my other fiction too.

Although, because it was a problem a few times, I want to say one thing loud and clear: PERSONALLY I DON'T SHIP INCEST AND CHILD/ADULT. It doesn't mean YOU can't - if you like it, it's your fun, not mine, and definitely I don't judge you because of that! If I ship someone you think they are siblings or kittens, in MY headcanon they are NOT. (I have a lot of ships, so when I write tuggerstrap they aren't brothers - funny thing here. I know Cats from 1998, film and other shows, and I never saw them as a brothers. Only after I joined here I was enlighted that some people see them like this. So stop telling me it's disgusting, this ship lives in my head longer than some of you! - but when I write tuggoffelees, then yes, there is a big chance Tugger and Munku are brothers, etc.) I hope it's clear now :)

This blog is LGBTQIA+ friendly. It's also friendly to everyone who behave respectfully to others. I don't want to be part of any kind of war in fandom, I'm too old and peaceful for this shit. Pro-shippers, shippers, non-shippers are welcomed here.

I hope we all can have fun together, be fans and show our love for Cats in every form we like!

If you want to ask, then ask, I would love to respond to your questions. Also about my OCs to Cats (TuśTuś, Cysiek, Mirage, FinFun, FanFanGrace, Cream, Tango, Papyrus, Sky, Silenia, Jemmysweets, Adonis, Star, Sun, Moon, Shyny, Haze, Oranglow, SpicyJuice, Amberlina, FlowerFlow, EarthyRose, HoneyTrap, AlmonDisco, Vanilliarity, Bumblee, Tikku. More about them here) or any other things you like. If you want to just be friends I also love to know you better, start a talk, don't be shy :) But please, don't send me anons with luck chains or other things like "and tag another ten mutuals/blogs" because it's... Creepy? From anon I can take the real question because someone can want to know but is shy or something, I can understand that. Chains only from not anons, please :)

P.S. My pronouns are they/them here, he/him. Please, not girl, she/her!!!

P.S.II (08.12.2023) I wanted to do something for less appreciated pairings/ships, other relationships too and started to do it in my advent calendar (now with tag #advent calendar and #cats advent calendar). If you want something with them or any other pairings/ships I didn't write send me a prompt, ship and tag (or at last two of them) and you get something! HERE (another update 16.04.24, 16.02.24, 07.01.24, 28.12.23, 25.12.2023) is a list of pairings/ships/ and other kinds of relationships (with tags) I'm making (here or somewhere else like my published/no published fanfiction). If there isn't your ship - don't worry, I can write it too and even add it to that list :) One thing - I'm not doing abusive/toxic relationships, because... well, because just no.

2023! Achievements!!!!!

Lovies!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[rabbitcruiser]

International Firefighters’ Day

Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save our lives, loved ones, homes, and even forests and cities, so give them the thanks they deserve.

The role of a firefighter in today’s society–be it urban, rural, natural environment, volunteer, career, industrial, defense force, aviation, motorsport, or other is one of dedication, commitment, and sacrifice–no matter what country we reside and work in. In the fire service, we fight together against one common enemy–fire–no matter what country we come from, what uniform we wear or what language we speak. -  LT JJ Edmondson, firefighter, and creator of Firefighters Day

Nobody could have put what it means to be a firefighter as well as this courageous woman did. Most of us would risk our lives for those we love—family members, friends, pets. But could you imagine risking severe injury or even death for someone whom you don’t know at all? Could you imagine going into a burning building to rescue a stranger, knowing you may not come out?

Could you imagine climbing a tree in a burning forest just to save a defenseless animal too frightened to come down on its own? These are things firefighters do every day, and though we likely see them as acts of pure heroism, for firefighters, they’re just part of the job. Few people deserve to be celebrated as much as these heroic men and women do, so let’s all make sure to celebrate Firefighters Day in their honor!

History of International Firefighters’ Day

The first organized professionals whose job it was to combat structural fires lived in Ancient Egypt–however, at the time, firefighters worked for private companies that provided their services only to those who could afford them. Later, in Ancient Rome, Ceasar Augustus revolutionized firefighting by calling for the creation of a fire guard, called the Vigiles, that was trained, paid, and equipped by the state.

Firefighters Day was created in 1999 after 5 firefighters died tragically during a wildfire in Australia when the direction of the wind changed suddenly and engulfed them in flames. It is celebrated on May 4th because that is Saint Florian’s day, and Saint Florian, who was said to be one of the first commanding firefighters of an actual Roman battalion and saved many lives, is the patron saint of firefighters.

The incident that led to the creation of this date happened on the 2nd of December, 1998, in Linton Community, Australia. The event was so tragic that it shook the entire world. Linton is a populated area in Victoria, Australia, and firefighters at the time were tackling a massive bush fire. They called for mutual aid. This resulted in the Geelong West Fre Brigade coming to the scene. They did not know the tragedy and despair that was awaiting them.

Matthew Armstrong, Jason Thomas, Stuart Davidson, Chris Evans, and Garry Vredeveldt all loaded into a truck. They were sent to help extinguish the flames as part of a strike team. However, as they made their way into the hot zone, the wind switched direction suddenly, which resulted in the truck being engulfed in flames, with all five members losing their lives. It was an extremely tragic event, and it resulted in the birth of a day to celebrate firefighters and everything they do for us. After all many other firefighters have lost their lives in the field.

The symbol of International Firefighters’ Day

The International Firefighters’ Day has a significant symbol associated with it, and this is the blue and red ribbon. The ribbon is cut precisely to one cm in width and five cm in length, with the two different colors join at the top. Blue and red were selected by JJ Edmondson because of the symbolization associated with the colors. Blue is designed to represent water whereas the red represents fire. Not only this, but the two colors are also recognized around the world as a symbol for the emergency services. Therefore, it was decided that there was no better color choice!

The ribbon is typically worn on the fold of the fabric on a shirt, i.e. the lapel. However, it is not restricted to a certain spot. You can wear it wherever you feel appropriate, be it a different part of your shirt or your cap, for example. A lot of people also place them from their car mirrors or windows, as well as the trees in their garden. No matter whether you decide to place these ribbons, they represent a simple yet effective way of showing your support for firefighters all around the world.

How to celebrate International Firefighters’ Day

There are many great ways to celebrate firefighters on this day. Most of all, this day is about showing our appreciation for their service, risks, and sacrifice, so find a way to make sure your local firefighters know how much you value them! As always, it’s the thought that counts and small gestures go a long way, so even bringing a cake down to the fire hall would be a nice thing to do. You could also consider donating money to one of the many firefighter charities out there, some of which help firefighters injured in the line of duty get the medical treatment they need and return to health.

Other firefighter charities help retired firefighters live comfortable lives after years of risks they took for others. You can also raise awareness about the dangers firefighters bravely face every day by wearing a red and blue ribbon—the colors of water and fire, respectively. There are also a lot of different craft projects that you can enjoy on Firefighters Day that are based on the symbol of the day. Wearing a ribbon, baking a cake or donating a few dollars to a charity may not seem like particularly impressive gestures to you, but they will likely mean the world to those who work tirelessly for their communities.

You could also use this time to educate yourself about some of the heroic acts of firefighters, whether in your area or around the world. All you need to do is a quick search on the Internet and you will be able to read about some amazing heroic firefighter stories. This includes heroes who have risked their lives to save newborn babies from burning buildings, as well as the firefighters who have been involved in high-profile incidents that have happened around the world, with the tragic Grenfell Tower fire and the Australian bush fires being two of the most recent tragedies. Pay tribute to the amazing firefighters as well as those who have tragically lost their lives.

Show the firefighters of the world a little gratitude and celebrate Firefighters Day with us!

Source

[capaldiera]

i know paul mcgann was the 8th doctor and that chap from withnail and i but to me he is eugene wrayburn from 1998 bbc mini series our mutual friend adapted from the charles dickens novel of the same name. what's he doing talking to an american cop..