#Aaliya writes

[feral-ballad]

…your lips are / pomegranate

Aaliya Zaveri, ed. by Kate Rogers and Viki Holmes, from Not a Muse: The Inner Lives of Women: A World Poetry Anthology; “Sunday morning, greenwich village, NYC”

[harlowarchives]

𝟏. uncle 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊! ❝

❪ 𝐡𝐢 boo's i literally dreamt about this a few nights ago so i wanted to share it with you & make it a little more fun. i love you guys so much so i HOPE you enjoy bye 7̲ ⁺ ☽ ᵎ

Tomorrow is your older sister's anniversary so she called in a favor from you and Jack asking if the two of you could babysit for her while she & her husband were away for the week & of course, you accepted because of how well-behaved and sweet your nieces were but now all you had to do was convince Jack to tag along.

Strolling into the bedroom Jack sat at his desk humming an unfamiliar melody writing in his book after every note he hummed he’d write another word, you stared in admiration before he noticed your presence “Hey baby.” he said his eyes meeting yours the two of you smiled while you walked towards him, gently you trailed kisses down his neck & wrapped your arms around him “Jack… okay hear me out before anything! My older sister’s-”

“Going on vacation with her husband & we're sitting, I know.” He stood up walking to the closet which was filled with girls' toys “Nemo helped.” He added with a grin on his face as you ran towards him pulling him into your tight embrace.

ⁱ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 day.

You & Jack had finally arrived at your sister's house when two little girls zoomed toward the two of you “AUNTIE Y/N!” the girls squealed the smaller one with her arms around your legs & the larger one her hands around your waist “You guys have gotten so big, please stop growing for Tee-tee ok?” you said as the smaller one giggled.

“We can't do that Tee-tee.” The younger one said chuckling as you tickled her small body “Ok, ok. Well, I want you two to meet my boyfriend.” You smiled “Jack, this is Adalia.” You said pointing at the older sister as she stood behind you waving, “And, this is Aaliya.” you added pointing at the younger sister and lifting her off her feet and into your arms. “Hi, girls,” Jack said smiling at them.

“Do you guys like toys?” he asked as their eyes lit up eagerly nodding their heads. “Well, I happen to have some just for y'all.” He said popping the trunk and pulling out what looked like 100 toys “Whoa…” the girls said in unison as you & Jack laughed.

The girls grabbed the bags & ran into the house while you and Jack followed, you looked over at him & placed a kiss on his cheek and his face turned bright red. The girls sat in the family room playing with their toys all smiles of course, “Jack, I'm about to shower can you keep an eye on the girls please?” you said slowly standing up & walking away as he rolled his eyes. “Hey Jack, can you play with us? We don't have anyone to be Daddy Pig.” Adalia said as Jack stood up & sat down next to the girls “I'd love to.” He said smiling “Ok, so now Daddy Pig is going to eat a lot of food, and his tummy will hurt bad, Ok, Jack?” Aaliya questioned as Jack nodded.

“Can he eat Peppa?” Jack said furrowing his brows stroking his chin, “No Jack! That's silly.” Aaliya said giggling. “Ok, then can he eat the table?” Jack asked again making Adalia laugh. “No!” The girls said in unison “Why not?” Jack said frowning making a fake cry “No! Jack don't cry.” The girls said hugging him while giggling “Guys I think I have an idea.” Jack said sitting down the toy “I think I should eat… YOU TWO!” He roared chasing the girls and tickling them making eating noises. You stood in the bedroom eavesdropping & smiling at the distant giggles and squeals.

After you got out of the shower everyone proceeded to wash up & get ready for dinner but the best part of this dinner was that Jack was cooking it. You & the girls sat at the dinner table watching him rush around the kitchen and burn mostly everything, Adalia turned to you to ask “Tee-tee is your boyfriend Santa Claus?” you heard Jack stop dead in his tracks awaiting your response “Uhm, No. But he is very similar, he's very giving & he has a cute beard.” You replied giggling as he eavesdropped from the kitchen grinning. “Alright kiddos, food’s ready!” he said walking towards the table flashing a smile at you then passing out plates “Thank you, Jack.” You & the girls said in unison.

“You're very welcome girls.” He said with a smile. “Pleh!” Adalia said shaking her head “Jack this is nasty!” Aaliya added “It can't be bad girls stop-” you said before putting the hard pasta in your mouth trying to mask the disgust “Wow guys thanks a lot!”

“You can't be good at everything Jack,” Adalia said shaking her head as you laughed picking up his phone to order a pizza.

After dinner, the girls were in the bathroom brushing their teeth when Aaliya ran towards you & Jack who were cuddled on the couch. “Jack, is this your video?” Aaliya giggled showing You & Jack the Luv Is Dro video. As you just peered at Jack, shrugging your shoulders “No, that's my evil twin Jackman.” He added “How about you guys go back to Peppa?” he said pulling the iPad from her hand and playing an episode of Peppa Pig as two watched her small figure scurry away.

You & Jack had just finished reading three bedtime stories and setting up a movie & now the two of you were on your way to the guest room. You lay on the bed and turned on the tv as Jack laid beside you “Your nieces are nuts Y/N.” He said bursting out into laughter “Jesus they are just like me and Monaé, Lord.” You said shaking your head as he pulled the cover over the two of you “J, is that rain?” you asked “I think it is” he said looking as rain dripped down the window pain “Oh I'm going to bed then.” You were only going to sleep because when the rain came Adalia followed she was terrified of it because the thunder scared her you assumed nothing had changed and were you right you heard the bedroom door open indicating that Adalia had woken up after the lighting had struck.

You quickly tucked your head only the covers as small feet pitter-pattered into the room, “Jack? Tee-tee?” Adalia called out “Yea kiddo. You alright?” Jack questioned “Ah!” she squeaked running towards Jack in the bed after hearing the thunder. “Adalia, it's ok I'm right here.” He smiled as she tucked her body under his. “Can I call you Uncle… Jack?” Adalia says as he body shook “Sure can.” He whispered trying to mask his excitement listening to her small cries “Uncle Jack! The rain.” Adalia whined.

Jack began to run his hand over her soft coils. “Adalia, it's ok I'm right here.” he smiled “It's okay Uncle Jack’s here.” He added. As she began to rest.

ⁱ 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 day.

Today was the last day you & Jack would spend with the girls because their father's mom was going to sit for the rest of the week, “Morning Guys!” you smiled walking into the living room “Mornin' Babe.” Jack smiled not even bothering to look at you “What are you guys watchin-”

“SHH!” Jack & the girls yelled their eyes glued to the tv as they began laughing at Peppa Pig, a grown-ass man was laughing at Peppa Pig. You butted out & walked to the kitchen to start on breakfast & shrugged before hearing “Auntie can you make the pancakes like in Peppa?” Aaliya said looking over at the counter where you stood. “I can try Li.” You smiled.

“Uncle Jack can we watch your video?” Adalia asked “Sure.” He replied placing her on his lap “Ok here’s one.” He said adjusting in his seat the music played as you sung to every word humming while flipping pancakes the girls got up and started dancing as Jack pulled out his phone recording to post on instagram & caption “For the kids.”

The girls finished breakfast & were giving Jack a makeover while you packed up your belongings. You looked out the window and saw their grandmother in the driveway walking towards the front door, “Guys! Grammy’s here.” You called.

“GRAMMY!” The girls yelled running downstairs to hug the tall woman “Hi girls!” as they crashed into her “Did you have fun with Y/N & Jack?” Their grandmother asked waving up at you as you waved back. “Jack time to go!” You called as he walked out covered in glitter “Babe-“ you said with a look of concern “No. It’s my Glitter skincare routine.” He said glaring at me we grabbed our bags & walked down the stairs.

Walking towards your driver two voices yelled “Bye Uncle J! Love you” The girls smiled wrapping their arms around him “Wow no Bye Tee-tee?” you said pretending to frown then crossing your arms “No! we love you too Auntie Y/N!” Aaliya said smiling “Not more then Uncle Jack though.” Adalia muttered as Jack smiled “That’s my girl.” Lifting Adalia into his arms and stepping in the car waving bye. “Make sure you follow ur glitter regimen Uncle J!” Adalia shouted as Jack rolled his window down “Will do Kiddo!” He smiled.

⁺ 🏷️ 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒 ⁱ : @lexxtooshiesty4bae @iknowdatsrightbih @iheartharlow @livsters @honeyharlows @killatravtramp @jackmanduh

⁺ 🏷️ 𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐒 ⁱ : things i did & didn’t put in the book!

“Tee-tee is your boyfriend Santa Claus?”

“Can I call you Uncle Jack?” Adalia says at the dinner table “Sure can.” He replies trying to mask his excitement.

You & Jack take the kids for frozen yogurt.

“What are you thinking about?” Jack asked as you watched the girls “They are just like me & their mom.” You said.

“Ah!” she squeaked running towards Jack in the bed hearing the thunder.

“Uncle Jack! The rain.” Adalia whined as he ran his hand over her soft coils. “Adalia, it's ok I'm right here.” he smiled “It's okay Uncle Jack’s here.”

“Bye Uncle J! Love you” The girls smiled wrapping their arms around him “Wow no Bye Tee-tee?” you said pretending to frown then crossing your arms “No! we love you too Auntie Y/N!” Aaliya said smiling “Not more then Uncle Jack though.” Adalia muttered as Jack smiled “That’s my girl.” Lifting Adalia into his arms and stepping in the car waving.

“Go to bed guys!” You commanded as they ran away with their Ipads.

You & Jack take the kids to the deli. ( 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦! )

Jack tries his best to make dinner & Aaliya says:

“Jack you can't be good at everything.”

Jack puts the girl on his shoulder.

Jack admits his love for Peppa Pig.

“Jack, is this your video?” Aaliya giggled showing You & Jack the Luv Is Dro video.

[badedramay]

my issue with the fairytale fandom as someone who does personally enjoy the drama is that people try to extend it beyond the genre it’s emblematic of. there’s these constant complaints about how fairy tale isn’t taken as seriously nor is umeed as a heroine (in comparison to say umera ahmed heroines or more recently kuch ankahi’s heroine aaliya) and it’s like. obv there’s not going to be much of a comparison between the female lead of a realistic fiction drama and the female lead of a romcom drama lol. the stakes are starkly different and subsequently the depth and complexity of the conflicts tackled will be different as well. as nice as fairy tale is i’m not watching it to be anything beyond entertaining and cozy and that’s fine. it’s a sweet romance with easily resolved conflict and inoffensive humor and i understand why that appeals to people. nothing wrong with that. but i don’t get the need to constantly compete with dramas where the stakes are higher and the scope is broader. it’s not misogynist for people to be more invested in narratives where women are tackling real world problems rather than simply navigating a harmless romance with some silly drama. i feel like bc people are so used to seeing women suffer in dramas they’ve attached themselves to umeed as a reactionary measure (which, again, is totally understandable) and started to view any display of women struggling in narrative as regressive or uncomfortable to watch. and i get where that comes from but i also think it’s a bit shortsighted to act like people are misogynist if they don’t readily identify with a girl who doesn’t have to struggle much at all. we have a drama industry that has thrived on creating near insurmountable conflict for its characters. maybe that’s something we need to move away from to pursue somewhat healthier storytelling not held hostage to conservative religious and cultural notions but even in the most progressive world it’s not like women won’t have to deal with hard problems or have complicated responsibilities to navigate. and sometimes for people the struggle is appeal. as much as escapism is a comfort so can be the story that shows us we can survive the hardships we’re living. it’s fine to be tired of that and enjoy fairy tale as a respite from it. but it’s also fine to prefer the harder narratives and i don’t see why these defensive arguments that are clearly driven by an inability to respect genre preferences continue to persist. sometimes people just aren’t going to gel with a show bc they want more from it than the constraints of the genre would ever afford

Uffff...itna saccchhh!! fandom mein na bol dena haters ki line lag jayegi xD

there's one criticism I have of the larger PakDrama fandom is how the genre of the drama and more specifically the canon of the drama is disregarded completely when fans engage with it. yes yes I get it how fandom allows transformation of the media to better represent what they want the media to cover but shouldn't that be limited to fanfictions and fanart only though? when making meta analysis or criticism of the piece of media one cannot completely ignore the canon and proceed to then write essays which sound more wish fulfillment fantasies than providing any meaning to the media which is hidden. FT fandom does that.

I dropped FT completely as a show in the 4th episode when Umeed complained to her father that he didn't earn big money like his peers did. and when her father retorted that all his peers undertook illegal and unethical methods of making money, Umeed only rolled her eyes and defended their actions while criticizing her father of not doing the same. additionally, the written gareebi that Umeed lamented about all the time which 100% didn't make considering the visual ameeri of the show was enough to tell me that this show is not made to be a faithful representation of the reality I am more interested to see stories in. so, I bid the show adieu. it took me a quick binge of 4 episodes to realize what the genre and setting of the show was just by that knowledge I understood the directions the show was going to to (and I was completely right in my guesses) and all of that was not my cup of tea. so it continues to baffle me STILL how such a large fandom for the show still hasn't realized that this show is a wish fulfillment escapist fantasy with no real representation of any real life character neither empowered nor realistic. it's an idealistic world as all the worlds of romcoms are. there are no lessons to be learned of from here because of the very apparent contradiction of the world as the audience sees in the drama vs the world they are living in. you take this utterly harmless and inconsequential world away from the characters of FT and put them in a more faithful representation of the real world and they will not be able to survive a day. how then are these characters an embodiment of "empowerment"? surely, a truly empowered character will not be relying so heavily on the plot armor and the bubble-wrapped edges of the world.

FT is often called a "kdrama coded" show and I agree. the tropes and characters are similar to how most kdrama romcoms work. again, romcoms. South Korean entertainment industry has managed to present a utopian image of the society via its colorful cheery romcoms but it takes one simple google search to realize how under all that glitter just how deeply gloomy the actual society of the country is with its myriad of social, economical, and political problems. there's a reason why there are recurring instances of the "internet favorite kdrama of the year" being completely different than the "critics favorite kdrama of the year" because the former is judged by an audience that either willingly or by ignorance chooses to fully buy in the fantasy world of the drama and the latter is chosen by the people who actually live in the country and are more interested in seeing a more faithful representation of the bleakness they are surrounded with in the stories. Chaebols aren't busy falling head over heels with a ditzy intern working at their company; they are far too busy controlling the economy and misusing the law to get away with atrocious deeds. but you won't get that in A Business Proposal (a show I most absolutely adore)

it’s not misogynist for people to be more invested in narratives where women are tackling real world problems rather than simply navigating a harmless romance with some silly drama. i feel like bc people are so used to seeing women suffer in dramas they’ve attached themselves to umeed as a reactionary measure (which, again, is totally understandable) and started to view any display of women struggling in narrative as regressive or uncomfortable to watch. and i get where that comes from but i also think it’s a bit shortsighted to act like people are misogynist if they don’t readily identify with a girl who doesn’t have to struggle much at all.

struggle is etched on the very skin of women. there's simply no denying it. there's struggle big and small practically ruling our lives. sure, our narratives often exaggerate the struggles but the inflation happens of existing struggles. there's nothing to imagine here cuz the struggle is not an mythical dragon. it's our reality. heck, even Umeed isn't devoid of struggles. except her struggles are that she doesn't have a wardrobe full of new clothes that gets updated every month vs the struggle other FLs face in other dramas ranging from fighting for their agency or livelihood. as an audience I am more interested in realistic struggles that come with realistic solutions. I remember how bloody impressed I was by how Sabaat chose to show Anaya's struggle after her marriage with Hasan specifically when she and her mother are left to fend for themselves after her father's death. the very little plot point of Anaya with the help of her friends opening a home-bakery service to make ends meet till her delivery left me teary eyes because THAT'S what I want from dramas when I saw I want them to be socially responsible. not to preach lengthy monologues about social issues but to show actual, practical ways of bringing an improvement in one's lives. walk the walk. i don't know why Kashf Foundation didn't do it with Kuch Ankahi (or if they did i completely missed it as I didn't see it mention anywhere) but in their previous shows Udaari and Rehai they used the platform of the drama to also promote the services the foundation provides to needy women by teaching them life skills that would enable them to stand on their own two feet. that's empowerment. not getting a fat cheque of crores from a gameshow that the FL then proceeds to waste on frivolous things under the guise of "she's a realistically flawed character". child..that's a fool. a fool that was still spared the consequences cuz hey, there's a convenient young hot rich single billionaire to fall in love with her and spare her from any trouble.

having a respecting green flag ML is great and of course I want more of them but FT isn't the only drama to give us that. green flag characters have existed in dramas for years. but because those characters exist not in the romcom/sitcom genre they are allowed their moments of weaknesses and flaws cuz real world is not black&white. and that's okay. having frivolous materialistic FL is also fine. it's great if fans are enjoying and celebrating a FL that is not in the business of being miserable and has an assertive and devil may care attitude about the things she wants to achieve in her life. however, any person with any real life experience will know that such characteristics don't yield long term fruitful results in the real world that we live in except in rare rare rare RAREEEE cases if any at all cuz the real world is not like a fairytale. this isn't me being misogynistic. why would I want to wish misery on a character willingly? no no. but c'mon. Umeed is not me. Umeed is not any woman around me. Umeed is not any woman I know of close or distant. for me she's an alien and I don't find it smart to make an ideal of an alien. why am i getting hate for that?

[secretsinthedarkthepodcast]

Bollywood’s Love For Man-Child Lead Characters Is Showcased Yet Again In Jawaani Jaaneman

This was such a fun article to write for me because I was absolutely myself in this one

Saif is a man-child, Tabu is sensible and Aaliya F in her debut is bubbly and chirpy. Jawaani Jaaneman makes you wonder if you’ve stepped right back in 2010! Saif is a man-child, Tabu is sensible and Aaliya F in her debut is bubbly and chirpy. Jawaani Jaaneman makes you wonder if you’ve stepped right back in 2010! I don’t know where to start with ‘Jawaani Jaaneman.’ So I’ll start with the basic…

[arablit]

From the RAIN Issue: Mohamed Makhzangi's 'The Water Cords'

This short story appeared in the RAIN issue of ArabLit Quarterly, which you can order through Gumroad, Amazon, and at select bookshops, including Aaliya’s Books in Beirut. You can listen to the story, narrated by Inas Nassar, or read it below. The Water Cords By Mohamed Makhzangi Translated by Enas Eltorky It will be a small miracle if you receive this letter of mine, which I’m writing on a…

[wordssometimesfail]

And that’s how Galo Thymos comes to stand in the middle of the Burning Rescue breakroom, surrounded by his teammates and the generals of Mad Burnish, pointing an accusing finger at Lio Fotia, and declaring: “Lio! I gave you my first kiss on the Parnassus—now, what are you gonna do about it?”

Doing a little fic-boost for myself! I have no clue why it's taken me 2 fucking years to write anything for this fandom, Promare rocketshipped itself to one of my favourite movies of all time... pretty much 5 minutes into my first viewing.

[crop-bound]

“cherry! you’re back! how was zuzu? it’s been ages since we’ve seen each other—and your hair’s gotten longer! it’s really pretty!!” —maple-springs-farm

mailbox | @maple-springs-farm

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Warning: canon-typical implied underage sex, mentions of past abusive relationship

Gif from here because I haven’t made her header yet

“Ali,” Kevin said softly, “you might want to see this.”

Aaliya took the playbook and immediately knew what he was showing her. Right there, right at the top of a very full page, was her name. Aaliya Andrews: Bulldog Bicycle.

“Graham Frank,” she read, trying not to cry. Her very first boyfriend; she’d been a freshman and she was in love, and she thought that it was mutual until she got dumped a week after giving him her virginity. And she’d since realized how unhealthy the relationship had been, how controlling and possessive he was, how the way he used to hit her was never a mistake, never because she just didn’t listen, never got any reason other than that he was an abusive piece of shit who’d thankfully graduated the year before.

Still, it hurt to see his name at the top of the page.

“First blowjob, plus five,” she continued. “Graham Frank again. Virgin, plus five. Graham Frank, repeat, plus five. ‘I love you,’ ten point bonus.”

“Aaliya,” Betty said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Aaliya shrugged her off and kept reading. “Chuck Clayton. Oral, two point Vixen bonus. That’s not even—” she looked at the date beside his name. “For god’s sake, nothing even happened. He and Jay were going to Sweetwater, remember?” She asked Cheryl. “They dropped us off for a sleepover after the game, that’s literally it.”

“Ali,” Cheryl tried, but her best friend kept reading.

“Reggie Mantle,” she read, “River Vixen, plus two. Anal, plus ten. Miss Priss, plus five. We were in the closet together at a party last year. We didn’t even kiss but I told him that it was fine if he told people that we did because he cares too much about his reputation, but whatever. Asshole.”

Her voice caught her throat when she reached the next name, but she took a deep breath and kept reading.

“Jason Blossom,” she said, ignoring the way that Cheryl choked on her breath. “Redhead, plus three. River Vixen, plus two. Miss Priss, plus five. Jason Blossom,” she repeated, “five point repeat bonus. Jason Blossom,” she repeated again, “ten point repeat bonus. And lots of, sometimes true and sometimes bullshit, repeat claims from Graham and Jay.”

She slammed the book shut, shoving it into Betty’s hands, and pushed past Kevin and Veronica. Cheryl was by her side, like always, and entwined their fingers when Aaliya turned back to look at the other three.

“There’s your proof, Betty,” she said, voice thick with unshed tears. “ Use whatever you need, just... just let me talk to dad and Archie first.”

Betty nodded, and the two reheads left. They made it to Cheryl’s iconic red convertible before the tears started to fall, and Aaliya let herself sob, wrapped tightly in her best friend’s arms.

[halliewriteshockey]

Heeey anyone here up for a SpiritAssassin reincarnation fic?

[wordssometimesfail]

Currently editing: NEW! Same great robot taste, now with ethnic diversity and a tighter plot!

Currently plotting/worldbuilding: Slutty space prince attempts to solve murder with mixed success. 

Et tu, @greymichaela, @aleatoryw, and @annie-thyme? 

The lovely @mrsvioletwrites tagged me to badly explain my current WIP in one sentence!

Two people who struggle with the darkness within them and family issues are forced to eat a lot of food and spend a lot of time together.

(The Last Shot)

I shall tag, with no obligations and anyone may play along: @aionimica, @shmisolo, @spacedarcy, @thrawnisbae, @persimonne, @hothisforlovers, @mollymatterrs, @thewayofthetrashcompactor, @mnemehoshiko, @kuresoto, and @punkeraa! <3

[moonlight-prose]

School Days (Pt. 2)

A/N: Part two of School Days! I am still debating on making it a four part series, but I feel like it would simpler at three. Who knows I might extend it cause 50s Peter is very entertaining to write.

Word Count: 2,079

Summary: Peter is determined to gain your attention and you are the same way. While both of you like each other, you would rather worry about how you think of each other rather than try and talk it out. 50s Peter Parker AU

Part One

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Warnings: Characters being OBLIVIOUS, Fluff (I think that’s it)

Song: Sh-Boom - The Chords

(credit to owner of page breaks)

      Engines roared around him as he sat trying to focus on the textbook in front of him. Men laughed about their stories of women they were going steady with and others talked of women that were just for one night. He tried to ignore it all. Y/N words rang in his head about how her parents wouldn’t like her coming home on a motorcycle and Peter didn’t know why it bothered him so much. Normally he wouldn’t care, but it drove him to do the one thing he never did. Study.

      “Are we in an alternate reality?” Peter looked up to see Steve standing in front of him, a wrench in his hand and a towel draped over his shoulder that was covered in grease.

      “What?” Peter asked.

      Steve gestured to the book on his lap. “You’re studying. You never study.”

      “I study,” Peter said a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

      “No, you don’t.” Steve moved over to grab a beer from the cooler. “What’s her name?” he asked.

      Peter shut the book and took the beer Steve offered him. “Who’s name?”

      “The girl you’re trying to impress.”

      Could they read him that quickly? Steve always seemed to know what went on in his garage and especially in Peter’s life. After his uncle died, Peter got a job in the garage working for Steve to keep food on the table for him and his Aunt May. Steve however now saw Peter as his responsibility because of how young he was.

      “I’m not trying to impress anyone,” Peter said hoping Steve would buy the lie. He didn’t just like every time Peter tried to lie.

      A smile spread across Steve’s face. “Okay. She must be something special if she’s got you trying to impress her with school.”

      Peter stopped him before he could leave. “Was it like this with you?” he asked.

      “With Aaliya?”

      Peter nodded. “Did you want to impress her?”

      Steve laughed and took another sip of his beer. “I did everything to impress her. Good grades, getting into a fancy college, and even changing who I was for her. She still said no. You know why?”

      “Why?” Peter was hanging off his every word. He wanted to impress Y/N, but she barely even looked at him the other day and if she wouldn’t look at him, he didn’t know what else would work.

      “I was getting ready to leave for that fancy college and she came up to me and said that if I had just been myself to begin with, she would have said yes. But I spent so much time trying to get her to like me that she never got a chance to get to know me,” Steve explained.

      Peter looked down. “I don’t know if she’ll like who I am.”

      Hearing his name Steve turned and shouted something back. “Listen kid. If she doesn’t like you for who you are then, is she worth it?”

      Peter nodded quickly. “Yes, she’s worth it.”

      “The choice is up to you. But I know if I didn’t get my head out of my ass and buck up then I wouldn’t have my girl today,” Steve said before leaving Peter to continue studying.

      “He probably thinks I hate him,” you said your voice muffled from your head being shoved against the pillow.

      Lucy was raiding your closet for her date that night and she wanted to know what happened between you and Peter. You told her of what happened and immediately she started telling you everything you did wrong. Not looking at him before you left was the biggest mistake.

      “How about you just tell him you want to hang out?” Lucy asked.

      You shifted to sitting up. “I told him my parents won’t like him and then ran Lucy! He will never speak to me again.”

      She shook her head. “Y/N, you didn’t see the way he was staring at you yesterday in the diner. I’ve never seen Parker look at anyone that way. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t like you.”

      Something flickered in your mind. “What if he just doesn’t like who I am?”

      Her eyebrow went up and confusion clouded her face. “I’m not following.”

      “Me, the person who studies constantly, who never goes out, who has a curfew. What if he doesn’t like those things?” you ask.

      She threw the skirt she pulled out of your closet onto a chair. “Are you saying you want to change everything about yourself for some guy? Sorry not just some guy. The leader of the Spiders!”

      You nodded meekly, the idea now sounding utterly stupid the longer you thought about it. “I don’t see how it could go wrong. He’s always going after girls who like to ride motorcycles and hang out at Steve’s garage.”

      “What if he wants something different this time Y/N?” Lucy asked.

      You looked down at your hands. “If he didn’t like me a week ago as just me, then why is he going to like me now?”

      She placed her hands on your shoulders. “I’m sure he likes you just the way you are Y/N. But if you’re so sure you want to do this. I can call a friend of mine who may be able to help.”

      Jumping off the bed you hugged her. “Thank you!”

      The bell rang signaling the end of class and you grabbed your bag shoving the papers that were handed back to you in the bag. You were meeting Lucy’s friend today to talk about what you could do to become a girl that Peter liked. Something in you screamed that this was the worst idea you could make, but you pushed it down ignoring it.

      People were jumping all over the halls, the new topic being the football game this Friday. The pep rally was over lunch and you were in the unlucky position of standing across the field watching as the Spiders hung out at their motorcycles in the distance. You chose to talk to Lucy to keep yourself busy and once again being completely oblivious to how Peter looked your way every five minutes.

      You pushed open the doors of the school and headed to where you were supposed to meet Lucy but stopped in your tracks at the sight of Peter leaning against his bike. He looked up as you came out a small smile spreading on his face. Feeling your cheeks turn a bright red you ducked your head to hide it and moved to walk down the front steps of the school.

      “Hey darling,” he said coming to stand in front of you.

      Getting yourself under control you were finally able to look up at him. “Hello,” you replied quietly.

      He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Would you like a ride?”

      Peter didn’t know what to do. Steve told him to be himself, but he could see how you kept looking around you instead of at him directly. He wondered if you really didn’t like him and he was just bothering you. Yet he couldn’t form the words to ask you that question. Somehow, he went from being the biggest player in the school to a boy who got nervous and shy around the girl he liked.

      “No that’s okay.” You wanted to hit yourself for acting this way. Here he was wanting to spend time with you and there you were turning him down. Again.

      Peter’s face fell. “Oh.”

      “Thank you though.” Silence fell over the both of you.

      You wanted to tell him that you liked him. That you thought about him all the time and that he was the one who made your heart jump out of your chest, but the words wouldn’t come to you. Instead all you could do was blush again and rush off to go find Lucy. Stupidity is sometimes the number one attributes people gain when they were around their crush and you seemed to have been gifted with a bucket load of it.

      Peter watched you walk away again feeling his heart drop to his stomach. He tried to be himself, tried to talk to you and still you left him behind. Perhaps you really didn’t want him as who he was, the leader of the Spiders. Straightening his posture, he got back onto his bike and headed towards the one person he could go to for advice. He just hoped they would be willing to give it to him.

      Lucy shoved the pin in your hair as you sat at her friend’s vanity. Her name was Natasha and she met her when they were on a college tour together. Apparently, Natasha was going steady with Sam, but you weren’t sure who that was until Lucy pointed him out to you. Natasha was a part of the Howling Commandos the biker gang Steve led and while Peter became head of the Spiders, he also happened to be apart of the Commandos.

      So, there you sat with red lipstick on your lips and your hair up in curls that were wild, the nerves sitting at the base of your stomach. Every second you looked up in the mirror you doubted what was happening and only hoped it would work. Lucy only added onto the doubt in your head as she continued to tell you to be yourself, but you needed to try. Peter didn’t fit in with your crowd and you knew he didn’t want to, so you wanted to try and be a part of his crowd.

      “I like the look,” Natasha said from the doorway a coke bottle in her hands. She wore her own leather jacket with her red curls in a similar style to the way Lucy put your hair in.

      “Will he like it?” you ask once more feeling stupid for doing all of this for a guy.

      “Parker? He’ll swoon.” Natasha took a sip of the coke before going back downstairs.

      You slipped on the black heels and the leather jacket before looking at yourself in the mirror. A completely different version of yourself stared back at you and while it made you feel confident in a way you hadn’t before, you also felt awkward. Almost as if you were wearing a Halloween costume.

      “Ready to go?” Lucy asked. Steve was hosting a small party at his house and you were invited courtesy of Sam and Natasha. Lucy had thrown her own leather jacket on having borrowed it from MJ. You didn’t realize they were that close to where she was borrowing the biker’s jackets.

      “How do I look?” Peter asked feeling ridiculous for asking that question.

      MJ stood in front of him pursing her lips as she stared at the clothes Peter wouldn’t normally be caught dead in. The school letter-man jacket he bought as a joke was on him instead of his comfortable leather jacket, and he wore chucks instead of boots. He looked completely different, like the school athletes.

      “You look different Pete. Are you sure?” MJ asked. “She might just be shy.”

      Peter shook his head. “She didn’t even look at me MJ.”

      “But changing yourself for someone Peter? You’re going to go that far?” She was ready to slap him with how oblivious he was being. Y/N didn’t look at him because she was embarrassed, any person would notice the signs of a crush. Except Peter Parker apparently.

      “She likes normal guys MJ.” It sounded like Peter was trying to convince himself.

      MJ rolled her eyes. “How do you know? Have you asked her?”

      That forced him to pause slightly. “Just let me do this and if it all goes wrong and she really doesn’t like me then you can yell at me for being dumb later.”

      MJ felt the annoyance at her best friend’s antics grow, but also felt slight relief. He’d never been this way for anyone before and after spending a few days around Y/N he was ready to do what it took to grab her attention. Lucy and MJ spent the afternoon talking about how oblivious Peter and Y/N were being thinking they needed to change, but they didn’t bother to stop you or him. You would both come to your sense sooner or later.

      “Ready to go?” MJ asked.

      Peter glanced one more time at the mirror loathing the varsity jacket he wore, but shook it off and nodded, following MJ out the door.

School Days Masterlist

Masterlist

[rest-in-being]

THE BLESSED SEAL OF THE NAQSHABANDIA AALIYA

The blessed Seal of the Naqshbandi Aaliya Sufi Order was written by the holy order of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Grandshaykh Abdullah AI Faiz Ad Dagestani (may Allah sanctify his secret.) put a pen in his hand and went to sleep.

When he woke up, he was in a vision, his hand was writing.

As it was writing it was writing in a circle.

What he wrote is the ruqya that we use.

That is protection from effects of jinn and any harm that we face.

That was a ruqya given to our Grandshaykh Abdullah AI Faiz Ad Dagestani (may Allah sanctify his secret.) for his followers.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, said in that vision,

"There is no way that a jinn can interfere with that person.

If he has difficulties then they will be getting better and better.”

[aaliya-deighton]

“I’ve been writing all day, celebrate this momentous occasion with me,” Aaliya tipsily giggled.

[skinks]

it’s dark now, nobody’s looking

isn’t it weird how much good can come from a movie you hate?

the air’s so thin with dark and silence at 4am that it’s easier to tip forward and gaze at my own navel. I could write some giant personal essay about IT and its significance to my adolescence, but right now I don’t think the air could ever be thin enough for me to post it. saying personal things always feels like you’re asking people to care, it’s horrifying

so this is the condensed version, I guess

I’ve loved this story, its themes, and these characters for the 10 years that have passed since I read the book, when the only way to find content was to google “It Stephen King Richie Eddie slash fanfiction” and read the tiny handful of whatever was posted to LJ or ffnet (one of which has, I think, since been crossposted to AO3).

I didn’t think about them much in the intervening time until Chapter One reminded me. Until 3 years ago they were just another rarepair, and it was like activating a sleeper agent. Oh yeah, I thought, it’s them. The tragic boys in the clown book from 1986.

But this last year - this last single exact year since the night I saw It: Chapter 2 - has been different. I started writing, and stopped feeling depressed. I quit my job of 6 years, and flew to the other side of the world to travel alone for 6 months, got caught in a global pandemic. I got home, I moved out, I moved in with my friends.

It’s been the single most momentous year of my life, and all of that has been buoyed by, and played against a backdrop of engaging with a piece of media to a degree I never have before. Writing is still new to me, sharing ideas and discussing meta regularly is new to me, being proud of things I made is new to me. It’s fun! I’ve made so many new friends! I don’t want it to end yet, especially not when I’ve got 10 years’ worth of love for these characters stored up.

I love Chapter One so much. I actively dislike Chapter Two, and yet it’s the latter that ignited my own drive to create again. It’s a weird dichotomy but that’s how these things work - when there’s renewed excitement for something you can be easily carried along in the current. Sometimes you’ll disagree with takes or trends in fanon, or you’ll see people insisting “the fandom’s dead!”, but I don’t think any of that matters.

If you love something, talk about it. Find other likeminded people who want to talk about it, write the fics/meta/headcanons you wanna see. I’m grateful to anyone who’s sent me a message this last year, because I still love talking about IT too! I’m only sorry I’m so untimely with my answers, but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate that people still love this story, and want to talk. I’ll answer them all, even if it takes me another year

Y’know what, it is the one year anniversary of the day I saw itch2 in cinemas and I feel like I have a lot to say but maybe I’ll do it later, in the dark

[wordssometimesfail]

Rating: M

Categories: M/M

Fandoms: IT

Relationships: Reddie

Content Warning: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hotels, Sloppy Makeouts, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Recovered Memories, Childhood Memories

Summary: Mike can't get ahold of Richie. Thankfully, his next show is in New York, and Eddie's there to drag him back to Derry... if he can bring himself to face him at all.

[ambidextrousarcher]

Daisy, hyacinth, cherry blossom - flower ask

Daisy: Hugs. Someone reaching out to me. Both of these things make me smile  a lot.

Hyacinth: Haha, everyone is asking me hyacinth, Aaliya akka! Anyway, I guess you’ve already seen it, but it’s me enacting scenarios in my head and out loud whenever I’m free.

Cherry blossom: Um, I’m a student. So, ah, work for me, is college, I guess? I wake up between 4:30-6:30, depends on whether it is exam time or not. If I wake up a 4:30, I study till 7. I get ready by 7:30, and am in class by 7:50 for the 8 am class. I have class till 1, then lunch. I listen to music/read while eating, and am in lab by 1:50 for the 2′o clock class. We’re generally left by 4. Then I go to my room. I take a nap if I woke up at 4:30, otherwise, I hit the gym for 30 min after getting fresh. Then I come back, chill till dinner. I talk to my parents and family after dinner. By 9-9:30, I start studying/completing records, till about 11:30, if I woke up at 4:30, otherwise I sleep by 12-12:30.

Holidays: I wake up latest by 8:30. It’s not really structured. I catch up on writing and reading novels, study randomly, talk for hours with family and friends, eat, watch videos, sleep. Sometimes I go to the mall, or to a hotel, mostly order from Swiggy/Zomato.

Quite a boring life, I guess. But I’m happy, so hey.

Thanks for the question, @ruminationsofaraven!