#topics the ml fandom will not get bored of for the next year:

[iindigoeyed]

opening tumblr to see people debating Why The Season Finale Sucked or Why The Season Finale Is Actually a Secret Masterpiece or Secret Third Thing for the five thousandth time this month

[jlf23tumble]

Hei jen! How are you? I was wondering if you know of any hl fic where they meet as adults? (Like 30s but even older) and also if you have a rec for fics that are just mmm... warm? Idk how to explain it but just really nice and warm ? Because usually i find super fluffy fics a bit boring ( wjhfah sorry!) But i feel like you may have found some good ones!

Hello, and you bet I do! Sorry for the delay; too much work jumped up, and it’s about to jump again, but I can squeeze in a good old-fashioned rec or two! Let’s start with the older h/l fics...I actually did one on this topic a little while ago, but since then, OF COURSE, I found some more, so I’d add these to that list, too:

Took Me By Surprise, by QuickedWeen, louis/harry, 20k, M. Louis Tomlinson was on the brink of becoming the next MLS star. Until he blew out his knee. A decade later, he's the head anchor of the American version of Match of the Day and is raising the coolest nine-year-old on the planet. (I actually read this a while ago and only just realized that it fits this rec perfectly, derp)

taking tips and getting stoned, by alison, louis/harry, 24k, M. Louis drives a taxi. He hasn't seen Harry in eight years when they have a chance meeting. A lot has changed in that time. But not everything. (not a new fic, and not a first-time meeting, but it has album release vibes that had me thinking Things)

Not That Gone, by abrighteryellow, louis/harry, 61k, E. A few weeks after Louis and Harry, *ahem*, reconnect at their high school reunion, Harry temporarily moves back home. Louis isn't sure he has the emotional fortitude for a prolonged fling with the man of the dreams. (a sequel i never saw coming! you don’t need to read the first one, but still recommended all around)

Now for the warmth! This is a bit trickier because I read this ask as a soft, cozy, kind of comfy blanket of a fic, with a bit of spice...so that’s what I pulled for you! At least one of my faves is in the link to the earlier rec list, so I won’t repeat it here (cough, cough, Turning Page)...you’ll find I *do* repeat a lot of my faves below because I love that warmth:

Only Thing That Can Quench My Thirst, by eyesofshinigami, louis/harry, 6.5k, E.  Louis wouldn't exactly call it a thing, his newfound fascination with the curly trail that starts below Harry's bellybutton. (PUBE FIC THAT LAUNCHED A FEST, but it’s so sweet-n-hot, god, I love it so much)

So Much Left to Say, by myownspark, louis/harry, 7k, M. Harry and Louis play for rival high school football teams, and when they play against each other in the Homecoming game, someone has to lose. (like a warm blanket of snow)

call me anything you like, but my name is, by wishforwishes, harry/mitch, harry/clare, harry/mitch/sarah, 9k, E. Three mentors, two tea parties, one and a half recording studios, and a reference to Archie comics. (yes, it isn’t h/l, but JESUS this story sticks so hard right now, I’m obsessed with it on four levels)

Laundry Room, by beautlouis, louis/harry, 10k, E. Louis can't stop staring at Harry and he can't figure out why Harry consistently points out Louis’ inside-out shirts, and his untied shoes, and messy hair. (i space out and think about this fic anytime i see a laundry room picture)

Tan Lines and Some Memories, by twoshipstiedup, louis/harry, 11k, M. Harry Styles is the indie movie darling he’d been avoiding ever since Louis saw his movie at Cannes and harbored an unreasonable grudge against him. A unicorn t-shirt finally brings them together in person. (this one’s warmth comes from the dialog...so sparkly!)

Tuxedo Dress-Up, by blake, louis/harry, 11k, E. Louis is an aspiring song writer by day, a make up artist for drag queens by night, and masquerading as a full time real estate agent for his third most famous (and first most handsome) client Harry Styles. (I LIVE AND DIE BY THIS ONE, FRIENDS)

burn this flame, by rainbowninja167, louis/harry, 13k, E. When Harry gets invited to play in a celebrity charity match with Louis Tomlinson, Manchester United's star player, he's determined to impress him with brilliant football skills. (this is a great representative of my love for footie!louis)

Grenadine Sunshine, by objectlesson, louis/harry, 18k, E. He wants to show him everything he knows, even though he doesn’t know anything about this, about kissing boys or flirting with them or doing their makeup or even showing them it’s okay to want to wear makeup in the first place. (the response to wankerville’s call, GORGEOUS and dare I say it, totally canon)

Sing You Butterflies, by objectlesson, louis/harry, 22k, E. Harry’s a clumsy unicorn who accidentally stomps on a witch’s garden and is turned into a human as punishment; fairy-tale-fine Louis has to teach him how to live as a human and stop him from eating soap. (so HARD to choose between this and the mermaid fic, but I love allllll of phoenix’s canon and AUs so much)

If You Asked Me if I Loved Him (I’d Lie), by allyasavedtheday, louis/harry, 26k, M, needs ao3 account. Or the one where Harry and Louis eloped but neglected to mention it to anyone. (what is it with me loving part 2 of a story more than part 1??? both are amazing, but this is a nice spin on a familiar trope)

Nothing You Can Do (But You Can Learn How to Be You In Time), by Teumessian, louis/harry, 28k, E, needs ao3 account. Louis braids Harry’s hair. There are good times, bad times, fancy houses, supportive bandmates, secret boyfriends, small rebellions, bigger revolutions, some nail varnish, ribbons, cute clothing, and a Pinterest. ([lights up voice] do you know who you are????)

hush., by wankerville, louis/harry, 41k, T. “I don't like you like that, Harry.” “See,” Harry starts, Louis can hear the smile in his voice, “that's where I think you're lying.” an au where small towns suck, louis is losing it, and harry’s just too perfect. (goddddddddd, this story, it kills me, it’s so beautiful and cozy and warm)

Harry Styles Cooks..., by sunsetmog, louis/harry, 52k, E. Louis owns all of Harry Styles’ cookbooks, and he never intends to cook a single thing out of any of them. (I ascend every time i get the nota that this wip has updated)

To the Ends of the Earth, by stylinsoncity, louis/harry, 68k, M. During a yearlong hiatus, Louis visits Harry at his cabin in Idaho, where long-buried feelings ignite like the fire keeping them warm. (if you haven’t read it in a while, check out the updated epilogue!)

knock knock, i love you, by beautlouis, louis/harry, 86k, E. Harry and Louis get kicked out of a statistics exam for passing a knock knock joke note, and subsequently fall in love. Harry's a virgin, there's a cat, a hot cocoa date, a lot of sex, even more knock knock jokes, and everything is lovely and happy. (pure fluffy hot coziness, dreams really do come true--this was a wip for 2 YEARS)

Untangle Me, by suixcene, louis/harry, 100k, E. It’s not like Louis can pinpoint the exact moment in time when him and Harry fell out of sync. There wasn’t really one at all. It had been a gradual slip, like the tide wearing away at a sandstone cliff. Chipping the solid foundations until there was nothing left to stop the structure falling to the waves below. or the one where they finally get it right (listen, there’s a lot you have to sort of take with a grain of salt for the sake of the story, but this one owns my heart because it was the first big one i read in this fandom? yah, YAHHHHH)

[project-ml]

HAPPY NEW YEARS FROM THE PROJECT: ML TEAM!

(art by: @baedrien-agreste​)

This year has been a blast and we’re super thankful for all of our supporters, both new and old. We’ve had our ups and downs, and some very long nights, coupled with some ridiculous voice chats. We may have had a few members leave, but we’ve had quite a few join in on the fun as well. Not only that, whenever we’re working on new content, we always wonder how you guys will react, how much will you freak out over something, or if you’ll notice something a little extra we toss in. But regardless of all of that, we’re always excited and elated to see your guys’ reactions and responses to the things we make for the fandom. After all, the foundation that this group was founded on was one of fun and to just create together for the fandom.

And just like some of you guys, we do have an aim, or New Year’s Resolutions, for 2018: to continue making great projects, to bring joy to the fandom, and simply to have fun while helping others.

Thank you so much for supporting all of us. We wish you all a happy and amazing 2018!

Nathalie’s Resolution

Written By: @pateatsaburger

Beta’d By: @the-bored-bookworm

Word Count: 1915

Summary: It’s New Year’s Eve and Adrien wants nothing more than to celebrate outside as Chat Noir but he’s stuck at home with Nathalie with nothing to do. Maybe he can sneak out. Or maybe he should stay and talk it out.

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Twenty-two more minutes.

Only twenty-two more minutes left in the year and his father couldn’t be there for them. Adrien slumped in his chair, rolling his empty champagne flute glass between his fingers. The still unopened champagne bottle waited on the coffee table. The night had started with such promise. His father had made an extra effort to have all his year-end responsibilities for the Gabriel fashion company tied up so the two could do the countdown together. However, like every other holiday, something came out of nowhere. Some big emergency that absolutely required the attention of the always working Gabriel Agreste and could not wait twenty-two more minutes.

It was times like these that Adrien often donned his Chat Noir persona and took to the city. A freeing flight across the rooftops always made him feel better. Unfortunately, this time, his father had ordered Nathalie to stay by his side until he returned. The woman sat professionally in the armchair next to him. She was a perfect statue with an almost bored stare pointed at the live broadcast of the huge celebration being held at the Arc de Triomphe. The announcer’s voice echoed across the gigantic living room, reminding Adrien just how empty this mansion was.

“You don’t have to watch me, Nathalie.”

Her half-lidded gaze remained on the screen as she said, “Your father asked me to stay.”

He crossed his arms, “Why? I’m not a little kid.”

“It may have something to do with you running away last week only to be brought home by a complete stranger,” she said in a tone that suggested her theory was more of a fact than a guess.

“Hey, that Santa was a very kind man.” That Christmas adventure had cost Adrien a lot of his already restricted freedom. His father had made him sit in his office every day so he could ‘keep him safe’ while he worked. Adrien was grateful that there were no Akuma attacks in those days. “Besides, it’s not like I’m planning to jump out the window as soon as your back is turned.”

Nathalie didn’t respond. She only turned to face him.

“Okay, maybe I was.”

She muted the TV, “I understand you want to spend time with your father, Adrien, but this is not the way to get his attention. He tried his best to be here tonight. He’s just a very important man.”

“And I’m not important?”

“He loves you.”

Adrien bit back his next words. He knew what Nathalie said was true. Despite how little time he and his father spent together, those few moment were always filled with a kind and gentle warmth that could only be love. Was it selfish to want those days to last longer? Should he give his father a break? These were the kind of questions that he could stop thinking about when he was Chat Noir. Again, he had the urge to say the magic words and disappear into the night. Maybe he could join the crowd at the Arc de Triomphe.

They’d love to have their hero there.

They wouldn’t have to leave last minute.

They’d actually have time to spend with their family.

Family…

“Nathalie… why are you here?”

For the first time in their conversation, her bored, inexpressive face cracked. It was a simple eyebrow raise, but it was something. “Your father asked me to watch you.”

“No, I know that, what I mean is...” he stood up and observed her as if for the first time. “Why are you here? It’s New Year’s Eve and you’re here. In fact, you were here for Christmas, too. Doesn’t my father give you days off?”

The stray eyebrow returned to its previously straight form, “Of course he does, Adrien.”

“So?” he pressed. “Why are you spending the Holidays with us? Why are you sitting here with me on New Year’s?”

The question went unanswered for what felt like a full minute before she picked up the remote and opened the TV settings, “Perhaps a video game could help take your mind off things.”

Adrien was struck. His father’s assistant had always spoken in a calm, formal manner with direct, straight to the point answers. Even the prospect of telling her boss that he was wrong didn’t frighten her. It was the main reason she was hired. She had never, as long as he could remember, avoided any topic. He was almost afraid to ask but his curiosity was burning, “Nathalie, why aren’t you with your family?”

The TV turned off. Nathalie put the remote down and excused herself from the room. The boy was left in the empty silence. Multiple unguarded windows waited for him to slip through. Paris on the other side shined with promises of excitement. However, the drive to go was long gone. Instead, Adrien felt a crushing need to follow Nathalie.

He found her at her desk, of all places, typing away at the computer. The click-clacking of the keyboard filled Adrien with guilt. Clearly, he had overstepped his bounds and touched on something sensitive. “I’m sorry, Nathalie. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Your father loves you very much, Adrien,” her fingers never stopped moving. “I haven’t seen such love and dedication to both work and family. Not many can manage that. To achieve such a career, most would have to… lose touch with what family they have, if any. Not your father, though. He makes an effort to be there for you.”

“Well, I think you might be giving him a little too much credit.”

“He’s not the first millionaire CEO I’ve worked for. But he is the first one to let a crowd of people he never met into his house, including a street Santa, so his son wouldn’t have a lonely Christmas.”

Adrien’s eyes widened as he recalled the wonderful Christmas he celebrated with his friends only a couple days ago. True, Nathalie was the one who called them over but it was his father who allowed them to stay. After thinking his son was kidnapped, he could have easily felt justified in not letting any of them in and yet he had… for him. Adrien could see why his father relied so heavily on Nathalie’s blunt nature. Her words seemed to bring to light what mattered most. Still, he could’ve sworn he had heard a stumble in her usually calm voice.

“Is that what happened? Did you… ‘lose touch’ with your family?”

She stopped typing. Her scrutinizing look locked on whatever she had been writing.

“Sorry!” backpedaled Adrien. “I just said I shouldn’t have asked and I did anyway. That was wrong. I’ll go to my room and leave you alone.” The ashamed boy bolted for the stairs. His legs only stopped when his ears caught a whisper.

“If I wanted to be with them... I would.” He turned to find Nathalie looking up at him from her desk. Her stare had softened. “I choose to be here.” This threw Adrien for a loop. He was no stranger to the concept of a family member leaving to take care of work, but his father wanted to be near him. He was forced by his job to leave. Someone choosing work over family was… unthinkable.  As if she could read his thoughts, Nathalie heaved her shoulders with a sigh and explained, “As one gets older, Adrien, one gathers regrets. One makes life decisions they wish they hadn’t. Most of all, though, one can come to feel embarrassed by their job.”

“Embarrassed?” Adrien couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You work for the biggest fashion company in France. You’re Gabriel Agreste’s personal assistant!”

“That is not what I set out to become.” She stood and marched back towards the living room, “It doesn’t matter. Your father asked me to watch you until he returned and that’s what I must do.” She held open the door and looked expectantly at Adrien. The boy slowly obeyed the unspoken order.

As he took his original seat before the champagne bottle, he considered the woman with newfound interest. There wasn’t a day Nathalie wasn’t by either his or his father’s side. No woman worked harder and yet she was embarrassed by her work. Adrien didn’t really know what he wanted to become. Modeling was more for his father and it didn’t feel right to charge the public to protect them as Chat Noir. Still, whatever he became, he imagined his father would make his opinion very well known. He didn’t want to disappoint him. And with that thought, Adrien believed he understood. Not entirely. Just enough to grasp the reason behind Nathalie’s actions.

He grabbed the bottle and the flute glasses and handed her the one meant for his father. “If you really want to leave, Nathalie, Father won’t stop you. New Year’s is about making resolutions. Goals to make this year and your life better. And if that means working somewhere else, then… I’ll miss you.” Adrien didn’t really know where he was going with this. The words seemed to be pouring out on their own at this point. Sounded right, though. “But if you’re happy here, then I think that’s all that matters and your family should respect that.”

He held his face in a resolute determined fashion as Nathalie stared down at him. The moment was definitely awkward, however he needed to let her know the she had a choice in this. She wasn’t by any means trapped. Finally, he could’ve sworn he spotted the faintest hint of smile. “Well, it seems I’ll have to inform your father of his mistake.”

Adrien blinked.

“His son is certainly not a kid.”

A half-laugh burst from Adrien before pops and blasts of fireworks erupted in the distant sky, signaling the end of the old and the start of the new. He opened the bottle and filled each of their glasses. They both held them up in a toast. “My New Year’s resolution is to not run away as much.”

“As much?” she quirked an eyebrow.

“Um, uh… You know what I mean.”

They clinked glasses.

“Happy New Year’s, Nathalie.”

“Happy New Year’s, Adrien.”

Her boss carefully closed Adrien’s bedroom door after having checked on his sleeping son and turned to his assistant, “I have another emergency meeting after lunch tomorrow. See that Adrien is taken care of.”

“Of course, Mr. Agreste,” she solemnly answered the already departing man. She watched him make his way towards his room to catch what little sleep he could before the sun rose. She took a deep breath, “Sir?”

“What is it, Nathalie?”

“If at all possible, could I have next week off?”

“Next week? Rather short notice, but I should be able to get someone from the office to cover. You’ve more than earned the days. Enjoy them.” He left her without another word.  

Nathalie attempted to settle her loudly beating heart as she drew out her phone. She swiped down her contacts until she reached the one she was looking for. If she calculated the time difference correctly, they should be waking up soon. She pressed call and held the device to her ear. The automated ringing noise was her entire world as her mind shuffled through the multiple ways this could go, the hundreds of questions she would be bombarded with, the infinite choices on how to even start. Then she heard a voice she hadn’t heard in years.

“Hello?”

And the doubts left her. “...Hi, mom.”

[ivinv23blr]

COMM 3P18 WEEK 9: Media Fandoms and Audiences

This week lecture focuses on the Media fandoms and audiences and how they decode the content that is provided to them. To start off what does it mean to have or to be a Media Fandom? Media fandom relates to work produced by a fan based on their interest such tv shows, movies, sports, games etc. How an individual shows their support and opinion on the subject matter that they are a fan of. Also monitoring on specifics on how does this fan show the support through the use of technology. The whole thought process of media fandom comes from a person becoming a fan of the media content that they are engaged in, as Sullivan says it is people who are “emotionally invested in their favorite media by thinking deeply about the plots, characters, and messages of those texts” (Sullivan, Ch 8).  A fan can be created easily depending on the content they are consuming, also there are multiple things in the world a person could be a fan of because getting emotionally invested is easier than you think.

I fall under media fandom just as much as anyone else does and I take that fandom spirit to my social media as well. With the millennial generation we are made to show our support of what we believe, in any way possible and what better way is there to spread awareness than social media itself. Just as much as I gain information from the internet I also share my inputs and ideas on the things I believe and support in. Sports in on big criteria in my life that I can think of where I can relate to the topic of Media fandom. This is something I grew up with, from watching to playing to getting involved as much as possible I try to do it all. I remember in high school I was more invested in sports more than my education. This energy into playing sports relates back to my involvement with watching and keeping up with major league sports such as NBA, NFL, CFL ,MLS, FIFA. I have invested so many man hours into learning the sport that it became a second nature for me and I had to keep up with the daily news that was happening for each of my favorite teams or players. Instagram is one of the biggest platforms where you could see my involvement into sports, if you were to scroll through my feed I can guarantee you 85% of the content I consume is sports related, whether it is teams trading or drafting players or individual sport players promoting their sponsors or even if it is just a day to day team training, you can see it all on my feed. What is my involvement in media fandom? I am the type of person that likes to share information for the public to see regardless of them being a fan or not. The reason I share is mainly for the purpose that I am huge fan of this team and secondly my viewers that are not big fans can still keep up to date with their basic knowledge. For example the most recent post I have shared was one when the quarter back named Patrick Mahomes was offered one the biggest record breaking contracts in the NFL that has never been done before. To see a young player get a max contract of $500 million for 10 years is just mind blowing information that I feel like everybody should know about because these are not consistent occurrences. By sharing this on my story I am practising media fandom and sharing my thoughts and opinions on the matter. Secondly the most recent post I have had was Lebron James extending his contact to a 2 year deal for $85 million. For those who don’t Lebron is the King when it comes to basketball and the NBA fanbase wants to know this hot news on when might he be retiring or what is his plan next. So by sharing this post I can let my viewers know my involvement in the sports and Lebron James as a person.

As Sullivan mention in his article  “Media fans are members of subcultures in the sense that they adopt their own linguistic codes (specialized ways of talk for example) and symbolic forms (including styles of dress) that delineate them from the rest of the population” (Sullivan Ch 8). This is something so common that I have noticed amongst people. Member of subculture do talk in their coded language that an outsider cannot understand or make meaning of what is being said. For example let’s stick with sports, my friends and I are always talking about the sport’s updates and we have a group chat with the girls in it as well. So when the guys get to talking about the sports we start using sports terms that are used in games and will only be understood by those who watch the games. For instance basketball has terms such as travelling and charge, to those that do know basketball we can say that travelling is called when a player holds the ball and takes more than two steps without dribbling it and charge is when a defender takes a hit from the opponent while standing in still motion. These terms can switch up for individuals that are not so involved in basketball and the conversation gets confusing if not boring for them.

References 

Sullivan. (2020). Media Audiences: Effects, Users, Institutions and Power. Second Edition. Sage Publications Inc., New York, NY.