#Also there are new ones I want to read and might recommend in the future because they look amazing
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Hi there! Hope you don't mind but I'm just wondering if you have any recs for fanfics of the skellies :D I typically love reverse harem trope ones racoonsinqueen & tyranttortoise my absolute favs but if you know any that are just one main pairing but the writing is still good, I'd love to know :D
OK, EVERYONE STOP THEIR HORSES, because it's fanfic appreciation time â¨
I've read my fair share of fanfics, most aren't finished or their authors disappeared but I'll mention them too because they still very much worth it and I. Just. Love. Themmmm!
Also I'll try listing by memory so this is probably going to be messy:
Bitty Hunt by RND_Injustice (SSLL but you're a bitty! Unfinished, has 33 chapters + 18 bonus chapters in here. 10/10 Already read it three times) My Favorite Red Scarf by RND_Injustice (Reader x UT Papyrus. Unfinished, has 34 chapters. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. 100/10 I want to marathon this fic with someone, if that makes sense) Fur a good time, Call by popatochisp (Reader x HT Sans. Finished, with extra chapters on Snips & Snails. Another favorite with a 100/10. Also want to marathon this one) Dirty Laundry by popatochisp (Reader x Swapfell bros. Finished. To be honest I don't remember much, that's why it's in my rereading list but it promise very good things and the feelings I get just reading bits are like-- kdjkdjkdj my heart!) On top of the Bone Pile by Lyrjok (Reverse Harem. Finished. Good writing, SSLL vibes but totally different and really good. 10/10. Rereading right now) A Mouse Among Skeletons by Duchess_Aquarius (Reverse Harem with more skeletons than the main 5 AUs. Kinda crazy, rlly, but I still ate it. Finished. Be sure to read the tags. Rlly good writing. You decide how good it is) Bones, Picked Clean by lulu-writes (Reverse Harem. Unfinished. 37 chapters. I don't remember much about it but I loved their Horrortale bros) The Skeleton Games by Poetax (Reader x UF Sans. On going, has 56 chapters by this time, SHORTY RED. I also love this one, another favorite hehe. Unexpected 100/10 to me) Aggre(v/g)ation by Llama_Goddess (Reverse Harem with UF/HT/UT Sans x Reader. Finished. Being honest again, I started reading years ago and haven't finished it for reasons that have nothing to do with the fic. I found it again and let's just say there's a reason why everyone worships this fic)
Those are ones that made my days the first time I enter tumblr. Now that i'm back, lets continue with the recent ones i've read:
House Next Door by BattleMaiden13 (Reverse Harem. On going. Has 130 chapters by this time but you're damned if you want to catch up because THAT AUTHOR IS FAST AF. I've started reading like a month ago and they already posted 25 chapters. Writing improves very fast as you're reading and there's so many things to enjoy. Delicious. 10/10) Saving Three Ex-cell-lent Skeletons by RecklesslyCaffeinated (Reverse harem with UF/HT/UT Sans x Reader. Finished with a second book on the works. ABSOLUTE BANGER. Another 10/10, made me heart bleed for skeletons and question myself) It's just a Game by Htsan (You x UT Sans. Finished. Unconventional. Read it if you like heavy angst and interactive games, and maybe hate your emotional stability... Really good, tho. 10/10. Made me cry so many times. Not gonna elaborate)
#And those are some of the longfics I remember#I'm sure there are so many more butttttt#I've been doing this for hours already#And have things to do#Also there are new ones I want to read and might recommend in the future because they look amazing#Most are hurt/comfort#They make me soft *sobs*#Good thing I left the oneshots aside#I mean the post it's not that long but this hurt to make lol#Also big shoutout to my bestie for recommend me Ex-cell-lent Skeletons and some others#She has an eye for amazing fics
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Happy New Year everyone!
Iâm delighted to announce that Interact-IF is officially back in business! I (Allie @allieebobo) will be taking the reins as the new mod, and Iâm very excited to get this blog up and running again!
First, a heartfelt thank-you to the original mod team for everything theyâve built. Interact-if has become such an invaluable resource and hub for interactive fiction fans and authors alike. Itâs a tough act to follow, but Iâll do my best to keep the spirit of this wonderful space alive :)
A little bit more about me: Iâm the author of two WIP interactive fiction games, @collegetennisoriginstory and @merrycrisis-if. Interact-if was one of the first blogs/places that I discovered almost three years ago now, and it led me to so many amazing stories, authors, and resources.
When I saw that the blog was going into archive mode, with a call for a new generation of mods, I wanted to do my best to help out. I reached out to the original mod team and worked out a gameplan for the future of Interact-if, which Iâd like to share with all of you today.
P.S. If you would like to join me, Iâd love to have you on the team! Scroll down to the section on âopen call for modsâ.
Without further ado, hereâs the plan!
My goal is to focus on retaining the aspects that made Interact-IF so special: spotlighting diverse authors, and creating a warm, inclusive space to talk about and share wonderful games.
đ˘ Active:
Game Updates & Intros: If youâre an author with a new game or demo update, or if youâre organizing a game jam or event youâd like to share with the community, simply tag @interact-if in your posts, and Iâll reblog them. It would also be helpful if you added tags stating the IF's genre (e.g. horror, romance), has a demo/no demo.
Themed Author Features: Iâll continue the tradition of spotlighting authors and games based on monthly themes (e.g. Pride Month, Disability Month). These interviews are such a great way of celebrating diversity and inclusivity in the IF community, and Iâd love to keep these going! Stay tuned for a detailed post on this soon!
Community Spotlight: Once every quarter, Iâll also do a call for reader recs around certain categories/themes (e.g. Fave RO, Fave Worldbuilding/setting, Fave plot-twist etc.) and compile these recommendations to share. Think of it as a bulletin of crowdsourced faves and a way of sharing a little note about an IF you love!
đĄ Remain open/active, but not modded:
Game directory: The Interact-IF repository of games (excel) will remain open for authors to update/list their games and/or readers to discover their next read. (Feel free to continue to update/populate the repository, though do note it will remain completely crowd-sourced/author-updated).
Discord: The discord will remain open and active for discussions, resource sharing, and casual chats, though again, this will not be officially modded (though I, and some of the original mods like roast, may be active from time to time)
đ´ Not active:
Asks: I will not be answering asks except for specific submissions (e.g. for author features, reader recommendations etc.). If you would like to ask for specific game recommendations, or have questions/just wanna chat, the discord channel is a great place to do just that! :)
Keeping track of events/game updates: As mentioned, Iâll rely on authors / readers to tag me in updates posts and/or flag any games with questionable content/anything that might need my attention, as I won't be able to search out update posts or do any extensive vetting.
Open call for mods:
Finally, Iâd love to have some company! If youâre interested in helping outâwhether with reblogs, interviews, or brainstorming new featuresâplease reach out. Having a small team would make this space even more vibrant!
Thank you for your support, your enthusiasm, and for being part of what makes Interact-IF such a special corner of the internet! :)
If you have any suggestions or ideas on how Interact-If can be improved, feel free also to drop the blog a direct message or an ask. I look forward to getting to know all of you better. Here's to an awesome year of interactive fiction (and many more!)
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â¨COOL THINGS I PLAYED/SAW/READ THIS YEAR, 2024!!!!!!!â¨
â¨MOVISâ¨
Knight of Fortune was such a delight. karl's wife is dead-- he has to go to the morgue. to see her one last time. SURPRISINGLY funny given the theme, and incredibly sweet. AND you can watch it in its entirety on youtube
youtube
american fiction! incredible movie that made me think. what does it mean to tell "our stories"? what does it mean to show "representation"? how authentic can you truly be about your own lived experience? funny as hell too
youtube
if you havent seen Monkey Man, quite frankly i dont want to talk to you. dev patel i will watch whatever you make for the rest of time
youtube
the rest under the cut because this list got long
playtime by jacques tati. just slapstick. oh my god this was so goddamn funny
youtube
yeah you know it. i was very strong the whole time and then the credits hit and i started sobbing uncontrollably in the theater
youtube
challengers and i saw the tv glow are tied in first place for my favorite movie this year. incredibly funny and SO WELL EDITED. highly recommend watching it with friends so you can scream "OH NO HE DIDN'T" together
youtube
â¨TV SHOWSâ¨
SHOGUN!!!!!! oh my god there is so much to praise in this show. the costumes! the actors! the story! how they integrated both english and japanese speakers in a realistic way! so good
youtube
korean reality shows are not fucking playing around. the editing and sets are truly top notch
youtube
â¨BUUKSâ¨
-Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah! what if black mirror was actually good. AND centered the stories of black people. highly recommend
-Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac! you probably were on twitter when The Whole Thing happened. maybe you dont know the exact details like i do. what if the details were worse i also dont read non-fiction very often, surprised at how fun this was to read!
-The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A.! I've been following their work since forever, and this was a delight to read as always! THE COLORSâŚâŚâŚâŚ. BITES BITES BITES BITES
-sad girl space lizard. hell yeah (18+ only!)
-Gritli - The Moth Diaries by Sophie Florian und Hanako Emden! this one was just so strange and fascinating. per words of the authors: "Taking on the voices of anthropomorphic animals, the authors write about labour, companionship and crushing."
â¨VIDY GAMESâ¨
skipping balatro, splatoon side order, fields of mistria and webfishing, because you probably know about those. uuuuh
i am too stupid for Void Stranger, but My God if you're smart this game will become your favorite game ever. 2D sokoban with so many secrets
marchen line!!! nth circle never misses. the visuals here are so fun!!! the UI! the plot! the almost-automatic-censoring when you see gore, as if your mecha body took a second to load!! hell fucking yeah
"adrienne, of the devil was this year" OH WORD? THEN EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY OF THE DEVIL'S FIRST EPISODE WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR
life after magic! magical girls are now adults, and magic is disappearing. what now? the art is so cute, and the story was very engaging. thank you for the additional episode with [spoilers]
i started nine sols and i think i might be enough of a gamer to beat it
shadow generations game of the year no contest. thank you for your time
you can also look at my massive list of stuff i played/watched/etc here. i am not posting this whole dang thing
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How To Find Cool Games: On Itch.io!
As I drift into a reduced posting schedule, I figured Iâd give everyone a peek behind the screen for how I cultivate ttrpgs for recommendations! Some of these tips might even help you find your next favourite game.
This is a long read so let's put most of this beast under a read-more. Keep in mind that many of these strategies work best when you're checking itch.io a little bit every week, and when you're engaging with the platform as more than just a store page. There's a lot of features that you can choose to engage with if you want to find the game for you!
browsing physical game recent releases. This helps me see whatâs new and happening, and it helps with a number of things. First of all, I get to see new games pretty much every time I browse recent releases. Secondly, I get a good sense of whatâs currently popular in the design space. Thanks to my weekly browsing, I recognize Cy_Borg, Shadowdark and Mausritter as games whose content shows up rather regularly - if you see a lot of products attached to one game at once, thatâs a good sign that thereâs a related game jam going on (in this case, Shadowdark), or that a game is really resonating with its player base.
sorting games into collections. I personally organize by genre, system, player configuration and (in Games That Intrigue Me) games that Iâm personally really hyped about. This works for me because of the nature of my work, but a few collections sorted according to level of interest or game style might work better for you.
Depending on the need, I might have a collection that works specifically for the request - Neon Lights & Cyber Nights is perfect for cyberpunk games, but I might also reference this folder for combat, inventory mechanics, resistance themes, or interesting tech rules. LUMEN is great for folks who want fast-paced games, folks who are looking for certain kinds of video games, or folks who want to feel powerful. If you follow other people on Itch, you'll probably also be able to see their collections, which is a great place to browse.
searching game tags. I donât typically use the regular search feature, although recently the website did update the toggles to restrict your results to physical games, video games, etc. Instead what I usually do is type what Iâm looking for into the url: so in this case, [deck-building]. I might use a couple different wordings, such as [deck-builder] and [deckbuilding] (no spaces). Youâre not going to find everything that includes the thing youâre looking for, but youâll definitely find places to start.
Game Jams! I find these either by looking at the âJamsâ tab (although you'll have to wade through video games here) or by noticing that a number of games being published recently have the âfor the _â jam in the description. Alternatively, I might be reading the page for a game and see the little âSubmissionâ badge in interaction buttons. Thereâs game jams for specific systems, game jams for various themes, game jams with special restrictions, and game jams that are titled things like âfinish your damn game jam.â
Bundles. I typically buy big-ass bundles and then sort through the games in my downtime. These games are sorted into collections for future reference, and if a game really pops out - into the Intrigue Me folder it goes! And the best part is that I already own it, so if I want to learn more, I can just download it and start reading.
following game designers that I like. This way Iâll get notifications if they release a new game, update an old game, rate someone elseâs game, or sort games into their own collections. I also get to see what other folks in the space are excited about - on the day I was browsing, Plasmodics by Will Jobst was really hot.
If you follow me on Itch, youâll get a notification every time I add a game to one of my non-private folders! Also - you can interact with designers on Itch by liking their updates, and even commenting on their posts, which is a great way to get involved in the design community - and also just make a designerâs day!
#how to#tabletop games#indie ttrpgs#itch.io#mint speaks#I don't think I can over-emphasize how much you can contribute to the game scene#simply by leaving a comment on a game or an update post#interaction on an itch page indicates that there's interest#which motivates designers to design#it tells us that our game is resonating with someone
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. . . THINGS YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE WILL NOTICE THE MOST (AND LOVE) ABOUT YOU + LITTLE ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP
hello! today's subject is future spouses, to the ones that seek a true love. take what resonates to you and leave the rest away. close your eyes, take a deep breath and choose the pic that calls you the most. feedbacks are always highly appreciated <3
PICK A PILE !
* i recommend you to listen to the song and read the lyrics after reading your pile for a more immersive experience in the vibe of your relationship with your future spouse !
IF YOU CHOSE PILE 1 ...
wow, your meeting with your future spouse will be a soul connection. destiny will lead you to them so that finally, your lives regain balance.
this person will appreciate the fact that you're always willing to roll up your sleeves and solve your problems. your attitude and talent for dealing with difficult situations come from a long path of responsibilities and maturity. many times, you had to take the lead and handle situations for which you weren't prepared, with no assistance â just you and your survival instinct. however, this hasn't made you lose the part of you that wants to experience pure and true love, someone who loves you for who you are and takes care of you.
i see that this relationship will be very peaceful and kind, a new stage in both of your lives. you might feel like you've known each other for a long time, even from past lives. this sensation might scare you a bit at first because you might not be used to having someone who understands and responds to you and your ways as well as your future spouse, as your connection might be the strongest you'll ever experience with someone in your lifetime.
this person will be the one who admires the little things about you, from your most impressive talents to the sound of your laughter. expect many candlelit dinners, conversations under the moonlight, and someone who covers you with a warm blanket if you fall asleep first. they will watch you as you sleep and count each of your eyelashes, resisting the urge to trace your lips with the tips of their fingers just to touch you and make sure you're real. you will be a gift in each other's lives for sure.
cards pulled: 8 of pents, page of cups, strength, justice | the lovers, the moon | ace of wands, 2 of pents, knight of wands | ace of pents, the world | blood bond (connections)
IF YOU CHOSE PILE 2 ...
your relationship with your future spouse will be the model of the relationship you've always dreamed of. when you saw a couple with such a beautiful connection that happiness seemed to radiate from the people involved, and you wondered if you would ever have something like that, know that your relationship will be your ultimate standard.
one of the things your future spouse will admire most about you is your persistence and commitment to everything you set out to do, including your relationship. i see you as the one who takes care of things, who ensures that the relationship stays on track with your ability to always keep everything in its proper place. this person will find you very intelligent and coherent not only about life matters but also emotionally. you are someone in constant evolution who always seeks to be a new and improved version of yourself without losing your authenticity.
this relationship will make you feel capable of achieving anything when you're by this person's side. they will always encourage you to pursue your aspirations and cheer for you wholeheartedly. beyond that, they will be there with you in your victories, defeats, sorrows, and joys. you'll be able to lean on this person and open up your feelings to them because you know they'll understand you like no one else ever could.
your future spouse will love loving you and will also enjoy showing their feelings! it's as if this person wants to shout to the whole world how happy they are to have the opportunity to create a beautiful love story with you. expect them to take many photos of you to post on their feed, for you to be a frequent star in their stories, and also a significant commitment ring on your finger. after talking so much about how incredible you are to everyone, they have to make sure that everyone knows your heart already belongs to someone.
cards pulled: 4 of wands, queen of pents, page of wands, king of swords & king of wands | the sun & 6 of wands | the magician & 2 of pents | witches boots (stability)
IF YOU CHOSE PILE 3 ...
the relationship with your future spouse will sweep you off your feet. if you're the type of person who's afraid to show emotions due to past relationships and struggles with reciprocation, know that the universe plans to push you against the wall on this. your future spouse will gradually enter your heart and awaken a sentimental side within you that you never even imagined could (still) exist. they will revolutionize the way you express affection in all types of relationships you have in your life.
i see that this person will really appreciate your worldview and your stances. they'll want to know your opinion and value what you have to say; your ideas will matter to them. your future spouse will be someone who truly listens to you and cares about understanding how you see things. they'll admire how you engage with the world and how you showcase your personality through your clothes, the way you style your hair, your accessories and will notice every little aspect of your being and how it reflects in you, even things you thought no one else but you would notice.
your future spouse will want to heal your heart, and together you'll heal each other's souls. i see this person viewing you as a precious treasure and wanting to lay the world at your feet, protect you, and be a solid pillar for you to lean on during tough times. you'll both feel incredibly fortunate to have each other in your lives, and from this union, i see you both taking lessons that will help you evolve as individuals.
your future spouse will be someone who wants to take you on adventures and explore the world. visiting historical places like museums or art galleries will become a frequent routine in your lives. they're the type who'll want to take you to lunch at a quaint and charming bistro as you watch people pass by the window, trying to guess what they do in life, their purposes, and dreams. they'll love your sense of humor and how you present your ideas. expect them to gift you an album of photos containing all the memorable moments you've shared â it will be a quite thick album.
cards pulled: page of wands, 2 of wands, 9 of pents, the empress, ace of cups | queen of cups, 6 of cups & the tower | the lovers, king of cups, the emperor | queen of swords, ace of wands, 7 of cups | black kitten (inner child)
you can book a reading with me! a full analysis of your relationship with your FS + NSFW for just $30. an analysis of how would be a romantic relationship with your favorite idol is $25 and the NSFW comes with it as a bonus! check my pinned to know more!
#tarot readings#PAC#pick a pile#pick a card#free readings#tarot community#tarotblr#future spouse reading#pick a photo#â duckie notes ⪊âĄâި
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GOODBYES ARE BITTERSWEET | Sebastian Vettel âŠâË.â PART 5: I'LL NEVER LEAVE... NEVER MIND [PREVIOUS PART] [NEXT PART]
goodbyes are bittersweet masterlist | wattpad f1 masterlist | ao3 | ask anything or let's talk!
ferrari sebastian vettel x ex gf!female reader
word count: 4437
summary: after not seeing each other in almost five years, seb and y/n finally meet with just one purpose for her: telling seb they have a 4 year old daughter. will y/n be able to tell him?
warnings: mentions of sex. i think nothing else but i literally cried while writing this. i recommend that you listen to loml by taylor swift while reading this hehe
taglist: [ @saltycomicsanimalssalad @hc-dutch @mycenterfold @simplyamberj @spitesfvl-blog @jaydaaasworld @lottalove4evelyn @zoeyjadetice2010 @jehun @ferralari @cosmoscoffeee @mcmuppet @myescapefromthislife @sleutherclaw @youre-on-your-ownkid ]
a/n: i'm finally back! sorry you had to wait this long to get a new chapter but writers block had me going like crazy, as well as my mental health in general. i had something else planned for today BUT be aware of what I'm posting tomorrow since you might like it! christmas is coming soon and i have a surprise ready for you. let me remind you that feedback and reposts are truly appreciated. and also comment me your thoughts and theories on the story pls! missed you so much guys, thank you for everything, love you all <3
Š VETTELSVEE (2024). please, do not steal, copy or translate my works. thanks for reading!
May 15th Heppenheim, Germany
âY/N, remember that you need to be careful with what you say to Seb. I know you want to tell him about Emily, but also consider whether today is the right time. Imagine ifâŚâ
You stop listening to Hanna the moment her lips utter your daughterâs name. Instead, your mind started creating a thousand different scenarios about what could happen when you saw your ex-boyfriend today. Your gaze remained fixed on the mirror in your room.
You only returned home five days ago, but it felt like an eternity.
You knew perfectly well why, or rather, you knew perfectly well who was to blame for your distorted sense of time: Sebastian Vettel, of course.
The trip to London felt like a fresh start. While the main reason to go was your meeting with Capital Records to discuss what your near future might hold, you considered it as an opportunity to rethink what you wanted to do with your life from now on.Â
You had just turned 30, and the only thing you longed for was to start this new decade with a clean slate in every possible way. That, of course, included facing your past mistakes and recognizing your faults, one of which you might be about to commit today.
Hanna acted as some sort of mediator between you and Seb because, no matter how hard you tried, you couldnât bring yourself to send him even the simplest of messages. The driver seemed to understand, as he told Hanna not to worry, that he understood, and that all you needed to do was show up without standing him up.Â
Despite having agreed to meet at your house, you decided to dress up a little to present yourself in the best way possible. After spending far more time than youâd like to admit choosing what to wear, you settled on a light blue knee-length dress and white Converse sneakers, with a bracelet your daughter made (or better said your mother made, just Emily took credit for).
"Y/N, are you even listening to me?"
The reflection of your best friend in the mirror startled you. You turned towards her, trying to maintain the calm youâve lacked since returning from London. Exactly five days that have felt like five years.
Like the five years since you last saw Seb.
"Hey, cat got your tongue or what?" insisted the blonde. "Seriously, Y/N, I want you to be speechless, but preferably when you and Seb take the conversation from the couch to the bed and he makes you scream his name again just like he used to do when..."
"Hanna, for God's sake, shut up! Seb and I are only going to talk about..."
"I know, I know, I was just trying to make you laugh. You know I like to..."Â
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
If you were restless before, pacing back and forth in your room, checking that there was no trace of Emily in the house for Seb to find, now you were frozen like a statue.
You looked at Hanna, and she looked back at you. You shrugged, but Hanna just put her exaggeratedly unfriendly faces.
"Hanna, no..."
"It's Seb, Y/N! It's just Seb, for heaven's sake," she interrupted, and you cut her off just as fast.
"It's the Seb I haven't seen in five years!" you stammered, feeling the anxiety taking over. "Seriously, Hanna, this was a very, very bad idea. I donât even know why I asked you to tell him to come and..."
"Because he's the father of your daughter, and your only goal is to tell him!" she yelled, trying not to raise her voice too much but failing miserably. You hoped to God Vettel didnât hear that.
"Hanna..."
"Since I know you're not going to open the door, I'll do it myself. Stay here or come down, do whatever you want, but I'll tell Seb to come find you because clearly, you can't handle welcoming your guest," she declared.
Without saying anything else, she strided out of your room. You could only follow her, practically tripping down the stairs, legs trembling like a teenager on her first date. Your pulse was pounding in your temples, while your mind kept screaming at your body to calm down.
As soon as you stepped onto the ground floor, you saw Hanna opening the door. Her cheerful voice broke the silence, asking Seb how he was and, to your surprise, inviting him in.
You inched closer, not quite enough for them to notice you. Then you stopped, inspecting Seb from head to toe, as if you didn't already know every inch of his body by heart. Even though you were used to seeing him on TV and social media daily, it felt like you havenât seen him in all this time youâve been out of touch. He was wearing a slightly worn-out white t-shirt and jeans. His hair was perfectly trimmed, though a bit longer on top, and his beard, probably several days old, was what caught your attention the most, looking just the way you liked it.
But what really captivated you was the bouquet of yellow tulips he was holding, just like he used to bring you for dates or whenever it was a special day for either of you back when you were dating.
You swallowed hard, guilt washing over you as you thought, for a fleeting moment, about him handing you a flower bouquet before you told him you were having his baby.
"Hi..."
You thought your whisper was too soft to be heard, but it was quite the opposite.
Both Seb and Hanna turned to look at each other, then focused on you, still standing in the entryway. Your best friend tensed up slightly, but you tried to reassure her with a slight movement of your hands. The expression on your ex-boyfriendâs face seemed to light up at your small intervention, even if it was minimal.
âWell, Seb, I'll leave you with Y/N. I have a few errands to runâŚâ Your friend tried to excuse herself, though both of you knew it wasnât true. âSee you later for a drink guys!
She winked and quickly slipped out, shutting the door behind her before either of you could even say goodbye.
Now, it was just the two of you, alone.
Seb looked at you again, and you couldnât help it but get lost in the blue of his eyes. The situation felt strange. You used to cherish every moment of being alone together, but now you didnât even know how to say a simple "hello."Â
You once trusted him completely, and now you were unsure whether to offer him a drink or tell him that you have a four-year-old daughter.
âHi, sunshine,â he said, breaking the silence.
âHi, Seb.â
He took a step towards you, slowly moving closer. You noticed how his gaze shifted from the flowers to your eyes, as if he was searching for some kind of answer from you. His eyes reflected a mixture of nervousness and tenderness, stirring a whirlwind of emotions inside you.Â
He didnât have to say it, you could see it in his eyes. He was afraid of how youâd react to this gesture, this little detail that used to drive you crazy, but now⌠you didnât know how to feel about it.
You, on the other hand, were utterly stunned.Â
How, after all this time and how cold you ended things, could he still do this? How could he still remember?
âThese... are for you,â he finally said, his voice low and shaky. He handed you the bouquet, his hands trembling.
You met his gaze, and the way he looked at you was filled with fear, insecurity, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of tenderness. He didnât need to say it out loud because you knew him too well. He was afraid of how youâd react to this gesture.
âThank you,â you managed to say, taking your time to smell the flowers.
You couldnât hold it in. Tears began to blur your vision, and a wave of embarrassment washed over you.
He noticed. Even though you didnât want to, even though you didnât feel capable of getting close enough to give him a kiss on the cheek or maybe even a hug, Seb did it anyway.
âIt's okay, Y/N,â he whispered. âItâs okay...â
But it wasnât okay⌠it was far from okay.
Sebastian Vettel was here, once again, standing in front of you, and possibly back in your life. The boy you once considered your best friend, the best friend you fell in love with, the driver you always supported, and most importantly, the father of your child, was back in your life in such an unexpected way that it still felt surreal.
âI donât know...â you tried to speak, but the words wouldnât come out. âIt feels surreal that after everything, after such an empty goodbye, here we are, together again,â you confessed. âItâs weird seeing you in front of me in the flesh and not as pixels on a screen.â
âY/NâŚâ
âIâve missed you, Seb. So much.â
You knew your honesty didnât catch him by surprise, because he felt the same way. Thatâs what hurt the most.
âI missed you too, Y/N. I really did...â he said after a moment, wrapping his arms around you, and you pressed your face against his chest.
âSebâŚâ
âDonât overthink it, really,â he interrupted gently. âIâm not here to talk about the past or blame anyone,â he paused, letting out a breath before continuing. âI just want us to go back to who we were before we were together. But, if Iâm being honest, weâve been in love with each other for so long that I canât remember a time when you werenât my everything.â
Your lips trembled. The weight of his words was too much for you to handle, at least today, in a first encounter where you havenât even spent ten minutes together.
You felt awful. You felt shattered inside knowing that if you were in this situation, it was because of you.
âWell, Y/N, tell meâŚâ
âNo, no,â you quickly interrupted, grabbing his arm and guiding him to sit on the couch. Immediately after, you rushed to the kitchen to grab the drinks and snacks you spent all morning preparing. âYou tell me first. Even though Iâve seen you on TV, I know youâre very private about your life, you know... You never share anything with the media, and well, you donât even have social media so⌠How are you?â
He let out a short laugh as he picked up a bottle of water and a cheese-and-salmon toast.
âWell, to be honest, Iâm doing much better than when you left me,â he revealed. It didnât surprise you. After all, it was what you expected him to say. âYou must have had your reasons for breaking up with me, and after all these years, Iâm not going to ask why you did it. But I wonât lie to you⌠you left me shattered, Y/N.â
âSeb, Iâm sorry. I didnât mean toâŚâ
âI know,â he cut in softly, making a gentle gesture with his hand to calm you down. âLike I said, Iâm not looking for an explanation or an apology. I just want you to know how I felt. Mentally⌠damn, Y/N, you broke me, and I completely lost myself, but at the same time, thatâs what gave me the strength to win the championship in 2013,â he looked away from your eyes, shifting his gaze to the wall. Nervously, he started playing with his fingers. âAll I could think about was you and that, maybe, there was a chance you were watching...â
âOf course I was, Seb,â you said softly, trying to hold back the tears and keep your composure. âNo matter what happened, I never stopped watching or supporting you. Iâve always been, and will always be, your number one fan.â
He nodded, a bittersweet expression crossing his face.
âThat year, everything I did was with the thought in mind that you were watching and, somehow, it helped me move forward. But⌠2014 was when everything fell apart,â he admitted. âRed Bull wasnât the same anymore, or at least, I didnât feel the same way. I wasnât winning, Daniel was beating me⌠I felt like I had lost everything, including you and, with time, I started to feel like I had no reason to stay with the team or maybe even in Formula 1. Until Ferrari offered me the contract.â
You remembered it like it was yesterday. Unlike any regular sports fan, you found out through Heike when you were out for a walk with Emily.
âWhen I was given the chance to sign with Ferrari in 2015... Y/N, really, thatâs when I realized it wasnât the end. Thatâs what I needed to move forward. I think I mentioned it to you on WhatsApp, but I donât know if you rememberâŚâ
You swallowed hard. Of course, you remembered. He told you just before the news became public, before his mum told you, but you didnât know how to answer him or if you really should do it. The demons in your head made you think it was a joke, even just an excuse to get closer to you. And you also felt that if he did sign with Ferrari, it would open a door you had closed because you werenât ready to face the truth.
Just like you were doing now.
âI remember, yes,â you murmured, unable to look him in the eyes.
âWhen I didnât get a reply from you I decided not to push it. Thatâs when I realized you didnât want anything to do with me. Yet I kept sending you stuff as you might knowâŚâ
âThatâs not itâŚâ You could barely speak. You were as broken as he was. âI read the message, Seb, but⌠I burst into tears and didnât have the strength to reply. I didnât want to give you false hope when I wasnât ready to⌠I didnât want to hurt you more than I already had,â you confessed. âI knew that if I spoke to you again, Iâd hurt you again. And Iâd hurt myself too. I couldnât do that to you, Seb.â
He nodded, looking for some kind of affirmation in your gaze.
âAt first, I felt really out of place on the team, you know? And I felt that way for a long time,â he revealed. âIt was completely out of my comfort zone, and I felt like Iâd never fit in. But little by little, Kimi, Maurizio, and the team made me feel like family. Itâs strange to think about it now, but I canât imagine being with any team other than Ferrari.â You agreed with him, from what you had seen on TV, it was clear he felt that way. âFighting for the world title with them this year and having a real shot at beating Mercedes⌠I never thought Iâd get to this point.â
You looked at him with a mix of admiration and nostalgia. This was the Seb you knew, the Seb with ambition, who always desired more and more. The Seb who never gave up.
The Seb who didnât break down, even when he had every reason to.
âIâm so proud of you, Seb. Iâve always been, and I always will be. Donât forget that.â
âOf course, Y/N,â he looked uncomfortable. Quite a bit, actually. âWell⌠enough about me. You know I donât like talking about myself⌠What about you? What have you been up to all this time? My mom told me a bit, and Iâve seen you a few times, butâŚâ
More than not knowing what to say, you sensed he didnât want to intrude too much into your life.
You swallowed, trying not to get more nervous than you already were, because now, you supposed, was the moment to tell him about Emily.
âWell, not much has changed, really,â you started, unsure of what to say. âIâve been in Heppenheim the whole time, except for a couple of trips to Berlin, but nothing unusual,â you tried to smile, but your mind kept circling around the fact that you had to tell him you had a daughter. âIâve been working at the bar and writing music. To be honest, since we broke up Iâve had a lot more inspiration.â
And since I gave birth to Emily, you thought.
Seb didnât say anything. You figured he understood. After all, he had thrown himself into his career to cope, while you had poured your emotions into writing songs about the story you shared to cope with grief.
âNow things have changed a bit,â you continued, trying to sound more upbeat to push away the painful memories. âEver since Red went viral⌠I swear, I uploaded it without expecting anything, but the reactionâŚâ
âThe song is amazing, Y/N. Of course it went viral.â
âIâve been offered a record deal,â you blurted out. âA few years ago, I met Niall Horan at the bar. You know, the guy who was on that band, One DirectionâŚâ Seb nodded, his eyes wide, encouraging you to continue. âHe told me he was traveling to find some inspiration for his solo career, and I guess Heppenheim seemed like a good place for him to visit.â
âWait, wait⌠a record deal?â
âApparently, Niall told his label that I was the voice behind Red, and, well⌠Capital Records offered me a contract,â you explained. âThey called me to have a meeting in London, which is why we couldnât meet up last timeâŚâ
His face was calm, unreadable, though his mouth had curved into a big smile. He didnât seem surprised, and you knew there was a strong chance Hanna had told him everything.
If that was trueâŚ
âI hope you accepted, Y/N.â
âWell⌠actually, I didnât. I turned it down.â
His smile faded for a moment, and his expression became completely serious.
âYou turned it down? Why? Sunshine, this is an opportunityâŚâ
âYes, I know itâs an amazing opportunity, but I canât accept it. Not right now.â
You figured this was the moment you should tell him the real reason behind rejecting such a big deal, which included a tour if you sold a certain amount of CDs.
Sebastian kept staring at you, which only made you more nervous. You tried to gather your thoughts, searching for the right way to tell him you had a four-year-old daughter, but you couldnât find the moment.
You couldnât just drop it on him now, after all, this was your first real conversation in almost five years.
âY/N, darlingâŚâ
âI canât take the risk when the only thing Iâve managed is to get one song out of all the ones I sent to the label to go viral,â you half-lied. It was true that you didnât want to talk about it yet, but you were also insecure about your music. âAs much as Iâd love to have an album, to fill stadiums and have people singing along to my songs, I canât take that risk.â
âBut, Y/NâŚâ
âIâm not sure all the songs on the album would be successful, Seb.â
âY/N, you have no idea what youâre going to regret if you let this go....â
âNo, Seb, I know exactly what Iâm doing, really,â you shook your head, firm in your decision. âThis is the best thing for me.âÂ
And for Emily too, though you didnât say that out loud.
Seb remained silent for longer than you would have liked, as if trying to process what youâd just told him. Then, he stood up, crouching down to your level, and taking your hands in his, he said:
âAlright. If you think your songs arenât good enough, sing one of them to me.â
âWhat?â you asked, confused.
âIf you turned down the record deal because you think your songs arenât good enough for the world to hear, sing one of them to me.â
His tone, though calm, was direct and insistent.
âSeb⌠I canât. Iâm too embarrassed,â you laughed nervously.
âCome on, Y/N,â he said, gently rubbing your hands with his thumbs, just like he always did when your anxiety was at its worst. âItâs just me. Iâm still the same after all these years.â
You sighed, knowing he wasnât going to let it go until you gave in. It was Seb, and he always got what he wanted from you, even when you didnât want to. In the end, you gave in, carefully standing up from the couch and heading towards the piano at the back of the room, gesturing for him to follow you.
You carefully slided the bench back, lifting the lid as you sat down. You positioned your hands, starting to play the first few chords to warm up, ensuring your memory flawlessly recalled the piece.
âThis is song number 5, like your driver number... It's called loml.â
You continued playing, finally giving way to the song.
Who's gonna stop us from waltzing  Back into rekindled flames?  If we know the steps anyway  We embroidered the memories  Of the time I was away  Stitching, âWe were just kids, babe.â  I said, âI don't mind, it takes time.â  I thought I was better safe than starry-eyed  I felt aglow like this  Never before and never since.
Your voice shook as you began to sing, but you kept going, holding on to what your ex-boyfriend had told you about how he knew it was about him. As you settled into the song, you started feeling more comfortable, just like you did when you used to sing for Seb. Though you couldnât look at him because you were absorbed in the key, your fingers delicately moving over it, you could feel his eyes on you.
You shit-talked me under the table  Talking rings and talking cradles  I wish I could un-recall  How we almost had it all  Dancing phantoms on the terrace  Are they second-hand embarrassed  That I can't get out of bed?  Cause something counterfeit's dead.
Tears started falling from your eyes as you approached the final part of the song. Memories of your shared history flashed through your mind like a movie. Your vision was completely blurred, and you felt a tightness in your chest that was overwhelming, making it hard to breathe, almost impossible to keep singing. Somehow, though, you fought to hold it together, just as you did the day you said goodbye to the man now sitting beside you.
Oh, what a valiant roar  What a bland goodbye  The coward claimed he was a lion  I'm combing through the braids of lies  âIâll never leaveâ... âNever mind.â  Our field of dreams, engulfed in fire  Your arson matches your somber eyes  And I'll still see it until I die  You're the loss of my life.
Silence filled the room as you played the final notes. With your hands still resting on the keyboard, you looked at Seb. Once again, you didnât know what to say to him, and you knew he didn't either. He was motionless, running a hand through his hair, probably trying to process what he just heard.
Y/Ni, this song... itâs about us, isnât it?â
âIt might be,â you admited, unable to lie to him, at least not about this.
He sighed. You could tell he was affected; you knew it the moment his tears began to form, just as yours continued to flow.
âYou should rethink the contract,â he said firmly. âThis song deserves to be heard by more than just me, your parents, and Hanna.â
âI canât, Seb. I just canâtâŚâ
âCan I sit next to you?â
You looked up and saw him gesturing to the bench. Confused, not sure what to do or say, you shifted a little, making space, and he sat beside you. Seb didnât hesitate to wrap an arm around you, offering a comfort that felt wonderful but also caused you to crumble a bit more inside.Â
You surprised yourself by resting your head on his shoulder.
âWhy are you so determined to convince yourself you donât deserve this opportunity?â His tone was soft, just like the way he stroked your hair. âDo you really think you're not good enough to be a successful singer?â
âItâs not about being good enough, itâs that Iâm not,â you whisper,ed your throat tightening. âIâm not a good person, Seb, and itâs only a matter of time before I screw up again and hurt someone, just like I hurt you.â
âDoes this⌠have something to do with the second date in your YouTube channel username?â
You stood your head up, staring at him in confusion while trying not to panic.
âWhat are you talking about?â
âYour username,â he repeated, moving closer. âI figured out that the numbers represent two dates. I know for sure that one of them is June 15, 2006, the day we started dating, but the other one⌠I donât know what January 12, 2014 means for you because we werenât talking by then, but it must be important. And based on what you just saidâŚâ
Your eyes widened in shock. You were paralyzed, not knowing how to react.Â
How could he have noticed something so⌠insignificant? How had he connected the dots and figured out the dates you had in mind when you created that account?
You thought this would be the perfect moment to tell him that the second date marks the birth of your daughter, the daughter you had together; that on that day, while you were in labor, he was at the hospital waiting for some exams results and he was talking to your dad, who couldnât contain his excitement about his granddaughterâs arrival and had to keep it a secret from him.
But you couldnât. Not yet. You need to regain his trust first. You and Seb needed to rebuild the kind of relationship you had before you became the love of each otherâs lives.
âSebâŚâ you trailed off, unable to continue. âI swear, on everything that matters to you, Iâll tell you, but right now⌠I just canât.â
He looked at you for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. You knew him better than you knew yourself, and you knew he was persistent, that he needed an answer, but you also knew he was respectful and wouldn't push you.
âThatâs okay,â he said finally, a bit resigned. âI understand, itâs fine. Iâm not asking you to tell me now if youâre not ready, but I want you to know that when you are, Iâll be here to listen.â
You looked at him, grateful, and nodded without saying anything else.Â
You both sat at the piano bench for a while, in silence, listening only to the sound of your breathing and the melody of the song replaying in your mind, as intrusive thoughts overwhelmed you.
âIf I waited almost 19 years of my life to be your boyfriend, I can wait a little longer, it doesnât matter the time you need, for you to tell me,â Seb finally spoke, and his words broke you a little more than you already were. âLetâs be friends again, what do you think?â he offered, giving you a small smile. âLetâs take things slowly, like maybe we should have done when we first started dating. You knowâŚâ
âSlowly, no problem,â you repeated, smiling back at him.
You felt a weight lift from your shoulders at his words. Maybe you were not at the peak of your relationship, and maybe youâd never got back there, but at least you were working together to turn your story into something new.
âYou know what, Y/N? Iâve always felt like our story wasnât over. I donât just mean that romantically, but in a broader sense,â he said quickly. âWe have a whole lot of history, and now is when weâre going to start writing our second book.â
âI know, Seb. Iâve been thinking the same thing ever since I said goodbye to you,â you confess. âThat day, goodbyes were bittersweet, but I knew it wasnât the end and that Iâd see you again.â
Before the year ends. Iâm telling Seb Emily is her daughter before December 31st.
#formula 1#f1#sebastian vettel#f1 x reader#formula 1 x reader#f1 fanfic#f1 fic#formula 1 x female reader#formula 1 x you#formula 1 x y/n#f1 x female reader#f1 x y/n#f1 x you#formula 1 angst#sebastian vettel one shot#sebastian vettel x y/n#sebastian vettel imagine#sebastian vettel fanfic#sebastian vettel angst#ferrari#sebastian vettel fic#formula 1 imagine#max verstappen x reader#f1 imagine#sebastian vettel f1#sebastian vettel x female reader#sebastian vettel x you#ferrari f1#ferrari seb#goodbyes are bittersweet series
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Soulmates 2
[Here's a sequel of sorts to my previous story Soulmates (you don't need to have read it to understand this story). With thanks to @guytransformedforever, @beardobession, @tf-vigilante, @maletransformationlover, @clevertreephilosopher, @scorpionofredsand, and @maletffanatic for providing the photos used as inspiration.]
Hello, my name is Tyler. This is me:
And this is my roommate, Dylan:
Now look, I donât have a problem with gay people. My cousin is a lesbian. And Dylan is a great roommate. Stays out of my way when weâre not gymming together, but is always down to hang when I need someone to talk to. I just wish he would be less in my face with all his gay shit. Rainbow flags everywhere, blasting Ariana Grande at all hours, constantly bringing new Grindr hookups back to the apartment but giving me side-eye when I ogle women. Itâs just⌠too much for me.
Hereâs the thing. I might actually be able to change that. I have this friend Evan, who Iâve wingmanned for on a few occasions over the past year. One night, when we were getting drunk together, he shared his secret with me. He has a magic gift. He clasped my hand and said âtomorrow, you will wake up and have this magic too.â And sure enough, the next day I could feel a tingle coursing through my veins, and I automatically had the knowledge of how to channel it.
Now I have the ability to change somebodyâs future. I canât fiddle with anything thatâs innate or has already happened to them. Like, I canât just make Dylan straight. But I can shape his future decisions or actions, and my magic will make alterations to speed the process along. Like if I made him decide to work out more, he would basically become a muscle beast within the week. Not that Iâd do that. I still gotta be the alpha here. I just want to make him a little more⌠palatable. Someone cool to kick back with all the time, even if he sucks dick. Letâs see... I think I know what will work.
TOMORROW, DYLAN WILL BECOME OBSESSED WITH SPORTS
âââââââââââ
Hello, my name is Dylan:
Sports are my LIFE. I never cared about them much growing up, but about a month ago I felt the urge to join my local queer volleyball team and never looked back. It became my everything. Itâs been great exercise, but on top of playing volleyball and getting totally jacked off of it, Iâve loved the sense of camaraderie. I love my team. So much so that I even pierced my nipples on a dare when we lost the semifinals. My teammate River also recommended I stop dyeing my hair, and I think the look is really working for me. For some reason, even though itâs only been a month, my hair has grown out significantly since then. Was the red dye stunting its growth or something? Anyway. I also feel like my roommate Tyler and I have really bonded. Weâve been watching baseball games together and I think he appreciates how into it I am. He says heâs excited to bro out while watching football together in the fall.
I love Tyler, but hereâs the thing. Maybe I love him too much. Iâve always had this huge crush on him, and no matter how many random Grindr hookups I try to distract myself with, I just canât stop hoping that one day heâll give up women for good and decide he loves me. Especially now that weâre spending all this time together, bumping chests when our team wins and shit.
I know us getting together is never going to happen, but I have this⌠temptation. I was born with a gift. Or maybe I wasnât. Something my twink friend Paul told me made me think maybe he had something to do with it. Anyway, I have the ability to reshape someoneâs past. I change just one thing about their past, and everything about their present just ripples forward to reflect that change. Itâs a delicate art. Changing something big can have huge effects that are totally unpredictable. Itâs a major temptation to make Tyler gay, but who knows how heâd turn out. Plus, I think thatâs just too invasive.
But⌠Maybe I could change something small about him. Something that would make him less my type, and allow me to move on and focus on finding a boyfriend who would actually be into me. Iâm into nice guys. I really love how kind and caring he is. And come on, heâs a FIREFIGHTER. So maybe I can tryâŚ
TYLER GREW UP SELFISH AND SPOILED
âââââââââââ
Whatâs up, Iâm Tyler.
You dig the jacket? Yeah, Iâm still a firefighter, Iâm just off duty. But babes dig whatever look I rock, you know what I mean? I get what I want, and what I want is a lot of one night stands. I know how to get âem, too. Iâm so glad I made the decision to grow this beard out a year ago, itâs opened so many doors for me. And opened a lot of legs.
Iâm getting what I want from Dylan, too. Finally, I have a roommate whoâs willing to grab brews and watch the game with me. But I think I fucked up when I changed him. Queer volleyball isnât exactly âsports,â at least not in my book. I thought heâd come out like a linebacker or something! I mean, nipple rings were never part of the plan. The gay guys seem to really go for them, too, so heâs got an even steadier stream of Grindr hookups coming in and out of the place.
On top of that, Iâm a little sick of his shit. Heâs always giving me lip about stupid stuff like leaving my dishes in the sink or dropping my unwashed uniform on the bathroom floor. He says itâs unsanitary. Like his parade of twinks arenât dying to sniff that shit anyway. He just doesnât get it. I think his volleyball teammates are a bad influence too. Theyâre all so obsessed with aesthetic and anti-hetero rhetoric. I still canât make him straight, but I can definitely make him less⌠annoying.
TOMORROW, DYLAN WILL START HANGING OUT WITH MORE STRAIGHT PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP HIM STOP WORRYING ABOUT STUPID SHIT AND BE LESS PRISSY, WELL-GROOMED, AND UPTIGHT
âââââââââââ
Yo, Iâm Dylan.
Yeah, I cut my hair shorter than the last time you saw me. The upkeep was just getting to be too much, yâknow? A couple weeks ago, about the time I dumped that lame-ass volleyball team I was on, I just got bored with shaving every day, too. I invested in a trimmer and now I rock the stubble look, and itâs working for me. Iâve gained a bit of weight since then, and itâs all for the better because I joined my local football league. Having a few extra beers with my new buds afterward just adds to my potential as a linebacker, anyway.
I thought hanging out with more straight people would make me get used to their vibe and kinda inoculate me against Tyler, but Iâm still totally obsessed with him. Heâs more of a bad boy now, but Iâm finding that less unappealing than I used to. Plus, heâs still parading around in his uniform all the time. I canât help it! Iâve jerked off more times that I can count to his Mr. June photos in the local firefighter calendar.
Whenever I see his mom, sheâs constantly going on about how, out of all his Tonka toys growing up, the fire truck was always his favorite. She thinks thatâs why he grew up to be a firefighter. Maybe I can change that core memory into something a little more⌠disreputable. That would definitely make him not my type anymore. I hope.
TYLERâS FAVORITE TOY GROWING UP WAS A TONKA MOTORCYCLE
âââââââââââ
Fuckinâ A, man, Iâm Tyler.
God, I love my hog. Sheâs a beaut, ainât she? My parents wanted me to grow up to be a doctor or a lawyer or a firefighter or some shit, but all I ever wanted to do was ride my hog. Chicks want to ride my hog too, and I let them. As long as they donât go near my bike! Hahaha, get it? Fuck, I love life. Let me take another drag on this stogie real quick.
Where was I? Oh yeah, my roommate, Dylan. I wish I didnât have to room with anyone, but my boss at the garage keeps refusing to promote me. I should knock him around one of these days, see if that changes his mind. Anyway, sure, Dylan isnât so much of a priss anymore. He doesnât give me shit if I leave my grease-stained clothes on the couch or light up when weâre watching a football game.
But I wanted him to be straight-acting, you know? I tried to train him up as my wingman but he wore a super gay shirt with all these see-through holes to the party, and all the chicks kept their eyes on him the whole time! Fucker. Why canât he be more like his brother? Iâve seen pictures. That dude is a full on redneck slob, got a Confederate tattoo and everything. I know they had the same backwater-ass trailer trash upbringing, why canât he be rougher around the edges? You know what⌠maybe he can!
TOMORROW, DYLAN WILL REALIZE HE WANTS TO EMBRACE HIS WHITE TRASH UPBRINGING
âââââââââââ
Hey yâall, Iâm Dylan.
Hoo-ee, life has been good lately. I dunno why I resisted my good olâ boy roots for so long. This goatee really makes me look rugged, dunnit? Also the chest hair. So grabbable. I decided to stop shaving my body, and poof! There it went. A full rug, within like two days I reckon. Like a sign from God. This is how I was always meant to be.
I know I was trying to push away my crush on Tyler by making him not my type, but whatâs the fuckinâ point? I need someone who can handle me, and this hot as fuck biker dude Iâve created might be the only one who can handle me at this point. I ride âem rough and bareback, just like the horses back home, and weak city dudes just canât handle it.
Will he be the same if heâs not straight? Maybe not. But as long as he can take my eight inches, Iâll keep him around. I vaguely remember having some sort of compunction about changing him so drastically, but Iâm too horny to remember what it was.
Fuck it.
TYLER WAS BORN GAY
âââââââââââ
Uh⌠hi. Iâm Tyler. Who are you again?
Sorry, Iâm pretty forgetful. Daddy Dylan says I donât gotta remember shit though, as long as I let him ride me as rough and as long as he likes. Heâll do all the rest for me. He tells me where to go, what to do, who to do. There are so many nice, hot guys who are willing to pay our rent if I turn a few tricks. I love it.
Iâve been like this as long as I can remember. My mom and dad kicked me out when I was 18, in my senior year of high school. I was caught sucking my English teacherâs dick behind the locker rooms. I never went to college after that, but itâs not like I was getting good grades anyway. Sucking Mr. Brentmonâs cock wasnât for my health, you know. He had a nice juicy one, too. I still dream about it sometimes.
What was I saying? Oh yeah, I took up with this biker gang for a while after getting kicked out. Iâve always had a thing for bikers. But once they got through using my ass, they got bored. It was hard for a while, but now things are oh, so easy. I get all the dick I could ever want. I have a roof over my head, and no job to worry about. All I do is go to the gym and eat and fuck and I never have to think. Dylan said he might take me out muddinâ sometime too. I donât know what that is, but anything Dylan does is fun. Fuck, I love the way his goatee tickles my skin when he kisses me, so rough, so manly. Way manlier than Iâve ever been. Itâs so fucking hot. I love how he takes care of me.
I really have no complaints. I wouldnât change anything about my life, even if I could remember howâŚ
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Hi, I was wondering if you had any jedi oc centric fic recs? I've had cravings recently and your recommendations always manage to scratch an itch
Hi! Ooh, this is an interesting trope but I suspect I'm going to need a little help here, so I'm doubly asking anyone who might have Jedi OC-centric fic recs to jump in! But I can also get you started! I tend to read fic that usually has the canon characters in a central role as well, but searching through my recs, I believe these ones should also be centered on the OCs enough to scratch that itch: âŚÂ Lucida by markwatnae, obi-wan & oc & anakin & ahsoka & bant & feemor & satine & garen & caleb & mace & cast, 75k After the start of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi chooses his second padawan. He meets her by chance, but the Force insists that he take her as his student. This decision turns out to be one that will change the course of the Order's future.
âŚÂ Found Clan by silvergryphon, boba & ocs & obi-wan & anakin & cast, 25.3k wip After the Battle of Geonosis, a Jedi Healer discovers young Boba Fett mourning the loss of his father. Not about to leave a ten-year-old boy on his own, she promptly adopts him with the full collusion of her Padawan.
âŚÂ then leaf subsides to leaf by The_Last_Kenobi, oc, ~1k You are a Jedi, and this is what that means.
âŚÂ No Rest for the Weary by orphan_account, obi-wan & anakin & ocs, 61k Needing a break from life at the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, visit a Jedi AgriCorps settlement on the Midrim planet of Helia. There they encounter new friends, new enemies and have new adventures, all while attempting to navigate their sometimes turbulent relationship as Master and Padawan. [Note: This one is probably going to be the least on-target for your request, as it's probably more an Obi-Wan & Anakin story than it is about the OCs, but I remember the OCs being nicely fleshed out and important in the story, so I'm including it on a chance.] âŚÂ The Quickest Way by SingManyFaces, anakin & ocs, 1.2k They say the quickest way to personâs heart is through their stomach, something that holds true for the Jedi as well.
I know I'm missing a ton and I love Jedi OCs, I love Jedi worldbuilding through the OCs and I love seeing slice of life or epic action plots or giving a familiar character a new Padawan (GIVE ME ALL THE OBI-WAN & A NEW KIDLET TO TRAIN STORIES!!!), so if anyone has more, gimme! Also, I swear there was a Jedi OC-centric fic that was being posted on a forum somewhere that came strongly recommended from the JA discord server, but I cannot find it again. I think it might have been the spacebattles forum? If anyone has a link, please send it because I want to find it again very much. (For memory, I think it was in its second story and was a couple hundred chapters long and people really liked it...?)
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August 2024 Mini Messages đ
1. 2. 3.
Like that Taylor Swift song right?
I intend that everyone has a good month regardless of the astrological weather.
To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at [email protected]
Services Offered
Reviews
Thanks for the tip â¨
Picture 1
You'll be diving in deep into your subconscious this month even if it means wanting to isolate from people and places for a while. Suddenly everything seems So over the top', right? And nothing and no one is phasing you anymore. This month is the first page of a big journey you're about to take so if you don't have a journal already I'd highly recommend you start logging down certain things for the purpose of accountability, gratitude, planning, manifestion, learning as well as progress. I'm letting you know, whatever you're about to do for yourself will make you stand out and you might feel a certain responsibility upon yourself as you end up inspiring others as well. You may be a person with more independent way of thinking and doing things so it'll feel strange when you end up becoming someone who leads by example. You might find yourself breaking out from a restricted environment, mindset or lifestyle. It is likely your financial situation improves as well. You might feel a bit eccentric this month with your ideas and thrist for knowledge and experiences that shape you as a person.
You might just block out the things that don't serve you and fixate on what you want deliberately. You're too engrossed in your own world and your own untouched potential to consider anything else that is eating up too much of your valuable focus. You have decided to become a version of yourself that you have chained up for long and you will become it.
Picture 2
Your entire focus and drive has shifted to your career and public image. You've decided that even if you have to go at it alone, you will gO at it alone. But this month you'l likely learn that you aren't as by yourself as you thought you have been. Be mindful of doing anything impulsive or taking on more than you can chew or over exerting your body. Some of you may also find a healthy outlet for the emotions you have been putting a lid on. You might make new friends or deepen your relationship with existing ones. There will be moments of joy and celebration too when you least expect it. Deep down you have this inner knowing that things will go smoothly or will work out if you simply have just a teeny tiny bit more faith in yourself. You might be making travel plans too that will likely take off in September. You will also be building up your confidence this month and might also be learning a new skill, taking up a hobby or language. Thing is, you will be forced to take a pause in between or simply slow down and when that happens you might wonder okay how long is this going to take? Or you might assume your progress has halted which is far from the truth, you're in for a sweet victory consider it a reward for your persistence and your mindset.
Picture 3
There's a need to go off the radar and keep certain things private to the public eye. You might feel uncomfortable and untrusting towards a lot of people maybe you're right too, some of them aren't as reliable and don't really have your best wishes at hand. You might also consider investing in something privately for yourself for future use or you might get a return on an investment you had made. A lot of you may have been dealing with resentment, grief or some kind of fear, maybe past actions of someone towards you or how you had been with them. However. you'll find clarity and make peace in regards to what you're going through. You'll overcome something that has been hovering over you like a dark cloud for months. Some of you might also be manifesting love or end up manifesting a connection that earlier felt impossible to have in your life. You may also consider making business plans this month that you will likely launch by the end of the year. You may also consider cutting chords and might feel a sense of guilt doing so, but you'll feel much lighter and you'll find love and wealth and overall mental peace flowing into your life much easier. All the weight you've been carrying is itself begging you to let go of it, it no longer has anything to serve in your life.
#free readings#tarot community#divination community#pick a card#pac#pick a picture#spiritual community#tarot readers of tumblr#monthly tarot#tarot readers#monthly tarot reading
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Now That We Don't Talk | Frank Castle x F!Reader
BONUS FIC
See this post for more information on my Valentine's Day Special & Follower Celebration, but these fics can be read separately!
Read Is It Over Now? for better clarity.
Pairing: Frank Castle x F!Reader (past Matt Murdock x F!Reader)
Summary: You go home with the guy from the bar, and he makes you forget about your ex.
Warnings: SMUT (18+ MINORS DNI), oral f!receiving, use of "attagirl", slight Dom!Frank, song references, unprotected p in v, dirty talk
Word Count: 2.9k
A/n: You wanted a part 2, so you're getting a part 2! Anyway, I don't write Frank often, so I hope it isn't too bad. It's also not as spicy as you probably expected, but I wanted this to fit the vibe of the previous fic (link above). You don't need to have read it to understand this, but it is highly recommended because some references might confuse you. Thank you all for taking part in this event!
You believed that your life had ended when you lost him. He painted your world in the brightest colors, but by breaking your heart, he took them away. All that was left to see was a boring shade of gray in a sea of sadness.Â
Matt told you from the start that being with him wouldnât be easy. You were willing to try. He needed someone, and you wanted to be that someone to him. You accepted him unconditionally.Â
In the end, giving everything wasnât enough. He chose her over you, and the castle you two had built came crashing down on you while he stood idly by.Â
Youâre not a bitter person, you have never been, but he made you fall for him; he made you believe that there was hope for the future and that you would grow old together. He stole years of your life in which you were trying to save him from himself. In return, he took the best care of you, but that doesnât matter much now that he has taken your heart and shattered it like a glass of red wine on a white cloth.Â
When you left him, you thought the distance would kill you. You truly believed that this was the end of everything, not just your relationship with the man you thought was the one but yourself as well. âThis isnât what it looks like!â he said the day you found out the ugly truth.
âI trusted you,â you remember saying. You couldnât even cry. The pain burned brighter than the sun, and it dried your eyes before they could even shed a tear. Â
He argued with you that, âIt was just a kiss,â but you not once believed him.Â
âAre you sure about that? âCause if I ask Elektra, Iâm sure she will tell me the truth.â
âNo.â
It was at that moment you lost all of your trust in himâin what could have been or should have been the two of you, foreverâand it was also the moment that Matt realized he had lost you.Â
You believed that he took everything you ever were that day because your life revolved around him, and only him.Â
You remember him opening his mouth, having the audacity to apologize. âIâm sorry,â he said, begging you not to leave.Â
âFuck you!â you had never sworn at him until that day.
You still remember the way the necklace with his initial felt when you tore it off your neck and tossed it at his feet. He knew you better than anyone, and you felt like you finally belonged somewhere. That necklace was a symbol of your undying love, or so you thought, anyway. Now you know that he may have known you to some extent, but you didnât matter enough for him not to climb into bed with his ex-girlfriend.
You couldnât even look at the necklace. He told you, âThis is a piece of my heart,â when he gave it to you on a snowy Christmas Day three years ago. You cherished it the same way you cherished his soul. He was broken, but he was your broken man. He was everything to you.Â
Matt Murdock was your moon, your son, and your entire universe. It all seemed far away that you could ever feel about anyone this way again.Â
You saw a future with him. Married, a house in the suburbs, and working with Foggy and Karen in their new law office after everything theyâve been through. You were a hopeful person back then.
Karen told you that he went to a party a couple of weeks after you separated. He didnât look like himself. You wonder if he felt anxious, knowing his only source of comfort was no longer there. You wouldnât know until you asked him, but you refused to answer his calls.
Part of you felt euphoric, knowing that he was broken too, but you also felt angry because he was the reason you found your heart beyond repair as he stepped on it like a burning cigarette, and in your mind, he had no right to feel this way.
Youâre a fucking traitor, Matthew Murdock! I wish weâd never met.
âAnother one for the lady,â a voice says beside you.Â
Your empty glass of tequila disappears and a full one slides in its place. In your drunken haze, you see a head of brown hair, and his smirk makes you wonder if thereâs more to him than he lets on.Â
âThank you,â you murmur, tipping your glass to the stranger.Â
âNah, donât thank me.â He gets up from his seat and sits down on the empty bar stool next to you. âYou look miserable,â he says.
âWhat if I am?â
âIâd tell you I know the feeling.â
You huff but offer the stranger your hand. You introduce yourself.Â
He smiles. Your name rolls off his tongue effortlessly. âFrank,â he introduces himself in return. âCastle.â
âNice to meet you,â you say.Â
You thought nothing and no one could pull you out of the dark hole your breakup tossed you into. You believed yourself dead and long beyond the point of redemption. You accepted it. You swallowed in your misery, giving up on finding a new purpose in your life because the one great thing you had was no longer yours. He fell into a grave that he dug for himself, and he dragged your relationship down with him.
Looking into Frankâs eyes now though, you no longer feel like a corpse. And you realize that you are not dead, not at allâyou are very much alive.Â
The door almost breaks off its hinges when Frank shoves you into his apartment and back against it. The decision to come back to his place was fueled by a lot of alcohol and the way he looked at you. You were desperate to feel something other than the hollow ache that has consumed you every day for months. His eyes told you that he may be able to give you just what you need, no strings attached.
The way he kisses you breathes new life into your mangled soul. He swallows your mouth and your needy moans with his own, and his tongue forces itself down your throat as your teeth clash in a fight for dominance. Youâre both tipsy, but he seems to know just what heâs doing.
His calloused fingers burn against your skin. In the back of your mind, Matt is still so present. His hands are the ones you canât help but compare him to.Â
The way he used to kiss you before fucking you into the mattress for hours on end, switching between tasting and fingering you until you were whimpering and begging him for release might have screwed you up forever. He told you one night that he wanted to ruin you for any other man. Back then, you both still believed that you would grow old together.
It is truly ironic how fast things change when you are truly happy and believe that nothing can burst your bubble.
Frankâs large hands brace against the door on either side of your head. His lips disappear from yours. âWho is he?â he asks, his voice rough like gravel.
You meet his eyes, unsure of what to say. Your mind is everywhere but here, and yet it is right with him. Whether it is alcohol or self-loathing, youâre not sure.Â
âWhat?â you whisper.
âYouâre trynna forget someone. Who is it?â
He is a lot more perceptive than you thought.
You swallow, blood rushing to your head. âIâm sorry, I didnâtââ you didnât what? Think? You feel utterly pathetic.
Instead of throwing you out though, like you expected he would, he reaches out to caress your cheek. His eyes soften as they gaze at you. âWhoever he is, he obviously didnât treat you right,â he says. âIf you want to go, Iâm not stoppinâ you, but if you wanna forget whoever is fuckinâ with your head, Iâll make damn sure you forget his name by the end of tonight.â
There is something excitingly terrifying about the look in his eyes. A shiver runs down your spine, and your thighs clench at the thought of feeling his hands somewhere other than your face. Somewhere other than your hips and thighs. His kisses knocked the air out of your lungs. You want more, you need more, but you donât know if you can take it. Not himâeven though youâre also not quite sure if you can take himâbut also the offer he is presenting to you. As lucrative as it sounds, fuck, you are not over Matt. And youâre not sure if you can ever forget him.
You want to though. You have to. And you want to be thoroughly fucked into the next day and forget the name of the man that makes you so fucking angry. Â
âTalk to me,â Frank coaxes your head toward him. âDo you wanna forget the useless bastard that made you feel this way?â
âYes,â you manage a breathless whisper.
âDid he hurt you? Break your heart?â
You nod.
âYou deserve better.â His grip tightens, and his hand slowly slides to your neck. âIâm not, but Iâll fuck you so hard, youâll forget his name and scream mine loud enough for this fuckinâ city to know whoâs making you feel good. âs that what you want, hm?â
Heâs dangerous, but that has never turned you off, even when it should have.
And when you finally open your mouth and tell him, âYes, please. Make me forget,â the switch inside of him flicks completely.
He takes his time to worship between your thighs. His tongue buried in your pussy, his lips sucking on your clit without mercy. He eats you out roughly but sensually, keeping you spread wide open for him with both of his hands and a force unmatchedâlike a five-course meal, and he has all the time in the world for you.Â
Youâre lost in the throes of pleasure. You want to buck your hips against his mouth because no matter what he does, youâre on fire and you just canât get enough, but he is so powerful that you canât fight him. He has you at his mercy, your body in his hands, and all the control in the world over you.Â
You pull at his hair, moaning helplessly as he feasts on your pussy. Youâre going mad, youâre sure. Heâs doing this on purpose, driving you to the edge before stopping the wave. Frank waits until your orgasm is just far enough for you to last a little longer, kissing the inside of your thighs, and then he dives right back into your wet folds. He thrusts his tongue into your hole, licks up to your clit, and then sucks on the swollen bundle until your legs are shaking in his hands.Â
âJesus, Frank!â you moan out. A trail of sweat runs from your temple down to your breasts.Â
Your hands search for something to hold onto, tangling in the sheets and the pillow behind your head before pulling at the fabric. You tried pulling at his hair, but he wouldnât let you.Â
âThatâs right,â he growls. âCome for me.â
Your back arches off the mattress. His name leaves your lips in a desperate shout as your orgasm crashes into you.Â
âAttagirl.â
Your brain is hulled into an endless fog, but Frank doesnât stop.Â
Soon, youâre on your stomach, gripping the headboard as he pounds into you from behind. He is long and thick, and with every thrust, he forces your face deeper into the pillows. Your eyes have rolled back into your head. He hits that spongy spot inside of you whenever he pleases, and the gurgled moans from the pit of your throat spur him on to speed up, change the angle and thrust even deeper.Â
He pulls out all the way, thrusting back into you with full force until he is completely sheathed in your pussy. Your heat consumes him, and he sees red. But so do you. He has reduced you to a few incoherent thoughts, babbling his name in the wake of the drool that is dripping from the corner of your mouth.Â
And when you come this time, it is pulled back straight against his chest with his fingers rubbing circles over your already abused clit. You come with a scream of his name, and nothing else matters but his cum in your cunt and the unbelievable depth of the feelings he is eliciting within you.Â
You drop to the mattress like a wet towel, covered in his and your cum, and your sweat that has mingled with his. His smell lingers in the sheets as you bury your nose in it. He collapses on top of you. The crushing weight of him offers a sense of comfort that almost makes you cry. And he holds you as though you mean more to him than a One-Night stand he picked up to help forget a man who broke her heart.Â
âWhatâd he do?â Frank asks into the silence later that night.
You are lying on his bed, covered by only his thin sheets. Heâs sitting on the other side, nursing a glass of Bourbon. He held you, he cleaned you up, and he offered you some clothes, which you denied. He is kinder to you than you thought he would be, and it warms your heart in a way you can only deem utterly dangerous with how vulnerable you are. Broken people make dumb decisions, and you do not ever want to go through the same pain again.Â
At least you know that you are still desired. That youâre not dead. Perhaps, there is still hope for a better future. You made Matt Murdock your life for the longest time, and maybe, as you realize now, that was a mistake. There is more to life than him, and you can live without him. That it took fucking a stranger after weeks of being miserable baffles you, but some things are just meant to happen. Maybe it was destiny, after all.Â
You look at him when Frank repeats his question. âWhatâd the bastard do, hm?â he asks.
Where do you even start?Â
When you last checked in on him through your mutual friendsâyou know it wasnât the best choice, but you couldnât help itâthey told you that grew his beard, and he last had a haircut when you were still together. It suits him, apparently, but you couldnât bring yourself to look at a picture of him.
Foggy told you that he isnât taking home girls when they go to a bar, even though he could have all of them. Heâs sad. He drowns himself at work and beats his fist bloody every night. The old you would have jumped up to help him. And it is true that you will probably always love him, in a way, but you refuse to crawl back to him.
The more you gave, the more he took, and at the first chance at getting a woman he claimed to no longer love when she came back into your lives, he took her. He couldnât have wanted you as badly as he claimed if that was enough for him to flush years of loving each other and going through hell together down the drain, knowing it would break your heart into a million pieces. That is probably the worst part about all of it.
You take a deep breath. Frank is still staring at you intently, waiting for an answer. âHe fucked his ex,â you finally confess. âFour years of being together and it still wasnât enough.â
His grip tightens around his glass. âWant me to pay him a visit?â
You chuckle, but you know that he would. âNo. But thank you.â
Matt was fading long before you left. Even if you did choose to forgive him, you couldnât be his friend, so things are better the way they are now. You paid the ultimate price for sacrificing your heart to a man who had too many struggles to deal with himself.
In the silence, you find a little light. âAt least I donât have to pretend to like Jazz anymore,â you say.Â
Frank takes another sip, asking, âJazz?â
âYeah, Jazz. He loves it. HeâŚHeâs special. Well, he was to me, anyway.â
âSpecial? Fuck, the guy did a number on you, huh?â
You scoff. âYou have no idea.â
The only way back to your dignity is to learn how to be without him. You have to turn yourself back into a mystery and learn how to trust someone again before your fragile heart breaks again.
âYou still talk?â Frank asks.
You shake your head. âNo. Itâs over now,â you say. âWe donât talk anymore.â
âTold ya. You deserve better.â
âNah.â You reach for his glass, taking a sip of the bitter liquor that you used to despise. Looking up at him through hooded eyes, you stretch his leg toward him.Â
You need to keep forgetting Mattâs name, no matter what it takes or the reminiscing will surely kill you.
âRight now,â you murmur with an irresistible smirk that makes him leap at you as soon as the words pass your lips, âI just need to forget he ever existed by screaming someone elseâs name.âÂ
Frank captures your lips in a bruising kiss, leaving you speechless and breathless all the same.Â
Matt chased you, he caught you, and then he lost you. And now that Frank has you, you never want to look back.Â
Now that you don't talk.
I don't have a tag list for Frank, so I'm just leaving this here.
#frank castle x reader#frank castle x female reader#frank castle smut#frank castle#the punisher#matt murdock#matt murdock x reader#matt murdock angst#matt murdock x f!reader#matt murdock x you#frank castle x you#daredevil#charlie cox#from the vault#bonus fic#inspired by: now that we don't talk
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đ§A Guide to the TGCF Audio Dramađ
With the release of the new season of the fabulous TGCF audio drama, I wanted to make an updated guide on how to make an account, purchase, and listen (with English subs) to it! Hopefully, this will help more people enjoy it and join in on the fun!
As a quick reminder, the audio drama is based on the revised version of the novel! It's a very faithful adaptation, but if you're a new fan, that might throw you for a loop! If you need an overview of the different versions of TGCF, check out this post first!
Part One: Making an Account & Purchasing
The process is a lot easier than you may expect! The site where the audio drama is hosted is "missevan.com," also known as "MaoerFM." They are one and the same!
Check out these infographics to create an account and buy the audio drama. (Due to tumblr compression, they may be difficult to read. If this is the case, please view these images in full-screen and preferably on a web browser for best quality!)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General Info:
It costs 319 diamonds for the first season, and 359 diamonds for the second season of the TGCF audio drama. This was less than $5 USD, for each season. Future seasons will likely be similarly priced.
Episodes typically release weekly. Mini-episodes/bonus content releases intermittently, and often continues after the main season "ends."
This guide will work for any other audio dramas you want to purchase and support (such as MDZS)! They obviously have different costs, but the process of buying is pretty much the same.
Account/Registration Info:
If you do not see your country/region code listed when making an account, it is unfortunately unavailable there. I do not know any workarounds at the moment, apart from asking a friend/relative in a different country to help you out! If anyone does know other options, please let me know!
Step One of the guide is technically optional, as logging in on the app for the first time will automatically create a new account, if thereâs not already one associated with your mobile phone number. I recommend doing that step anyway, as it will ensure that you have a password linked to your account. Several people in the past have reported that they sometimes cannot receive the verification code to log in. (Especially from South America and SEA for some reason.) Having a password bypasses this, if it happens to you.
Unfortunately, it seems that you MUST register with a mobile number to begin with.
Otherwise, you can use an existing Bilibili/QQ/WeChat/Weibo account if you have it. They all require a number for registration too, as far as I know, so you may run into the same problem. They may still be worth trying if you have no other options! Once again, if anyone is aware of other workarounds, do let me know.
Additionally, itâs possible to link your account to an email AFTER you register with a mobile number. (Thereâs no escaping that, from what I can tell.) You can then use that to log in.
It seems useful to have your email and a password associated with your account, especially in case your country code gets nixed from availability -- which has been known to happen without warning in the past.
The mobile browser seems to prefer you log in with a number/email and a password, rather than a verification code.
LINKING AN E-MAIL TO YOUR ACCOUNT (Optional)
This must be done via web browser, or with your mobile browser set to desktop mode. Itâs VERY easy if you use a browser with an auto-translate feature like Google Chrome:
(These images are the MTL translated versions!)
Unfortunately yes, you will need to receive a verification code via mobile number to enable this. The second verification code gets sent to your email, though! (Try not to lose your password, because I'm pretty sure you'll still have to use your phone to verify and change it.) Don't forget to check your spam folder if you don't see it. It will be from "çŤčłFM."
Once again, this is optional! I just wanted to include it as an extra avenue for people who may struggle with the verification codes, as they can be finicky. And it happened to me while I was making this section, so I knew I had to....
Part Two: How to Enable English Subtitles
First things first: there are no official English subs for the TGCF Audio Drama. Though I'm fairly sure this applies to all dramas on MaoerFM.
However, there are Chinese (Simplified) subs for each episode.
OPTION ONE: MTL
The main method that non-Chinese speakers have been using to understand the Audio Drama is via MTL (machine translation) on those subs! Browsers like Google Chrome not only have auto-translate, but it works in real time as you watch/listen to the episode.
Make sure that it's turned on and that you've selected English -- or your preferred output language!
Be aware there are TWO types of subtitles on MaoerFM. There are the official subs, and the temporary subs.
At the bottom of the audio player, there is a button labelled "ĺĺš," which is circled in purple in the image below. If it is there, it means that episode has official subs available, and you can toggle them on/off. Meanwhile, the "ĺźš" that the green arrow is pointing to is known as the "barrage." That's the scrolling text that you will see filling the screen. It's other fans screaming and crying in chat. You can turn it off if it feels overwhelming!
New episodes may take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two to be officially subtitled. (The bonus episodes don't have official subs for whatever reason.) In the meantime, there will be subtitlers working on adding temporary subs! I'd advise waiting a little while before listening to a new episode so they have more time to work, and you'll have better coverage!
While official subs are entirely separate, the temporary subs are part of the barrage. So you will have to keep the barrage turned on. (Notice how there is no "ĺĺš" button next to it yet!) Unlike the rest of the barrage, the subs will be stationary, color-coded, and at the very bottom of the window -- so they're easy to differentiate.
However, since the barrage can be a lot if you aren't used to it, there is a way around it.
Hit the settings menu (blue circle) and block the scrolling comments. You can also turn off the top ones, but just make sure not to turn off the bottom ones -- because those are the subs!
DO NOTE that this all works best on desktop! If everything's gone correctly, you should have something like these:
Right -- regular view, temporary subs Left -- full-screen, official subs
It's possible to get this to work on mobile if you enable desktop mode in your Chrome app. You will probably need to refresh a few times after that, or open the page in a new tab to have it work properly. Then it's the same steps as above!
You should have something like these:
Right -- landscape mode Left -- portrait mode
The scaling on mobile can be troublesome, and I have noticed that the auto-translate is slower than on desktop. It seems to take an extra second or two to work on each line -- whereas on desktop it's pretty instant -- and that can get annoying, especially in fast-paced scenes.
Additional Info:
This does not work for the mobile app! It is for the website ONLY!
If the translation stops working, refreshing usually fixes it.
There are potentially other options to using Chrome. Any browser that has an auto-translate will work, assuming it's as quick as Chrome's. If anyone has tried other browsers and seen success, please leave a reply!
OPTION TWO: FANSUBS
TreasureChestSubs here on tumblr have been doing high-quality fansubs for several audio dramas, including TGCF as of recently! However, at the time of making this guide, their TGCF translations currently only cover the first few episodes of season one. You will need to request an invite to their Discord server via the form in their posts. Please do check them out if you're interested.
I don't personally know of any other fansubbers who are actively working on the audio drama right now. But I do want to mention that Xyra_Rei on twitter has a Discord server where they share some translated snippets from various episodes. There are other great resources by fellow fans, too. Links and more info about the server can be found in the pinned post on their profile!
Part Three: Enjoy!!!
I hope this updated guide helps more people experience the wonder that is the TGCF audio drama (or really, any audio drama)! I cannot overstate how good it is in every aspect, and I think every TGCF fan deserves to be able to hear it for themselves! đ
#tgcf#tian guan ci fu#hob#heaven official's blessing#tgcf audio drama#guide#nyerus.txt#yes fellas this is my only use-case for chrome and tbh... lmk of other options please lol#anyway the TGCF AD has my entire heart and soul PLEASE LISTEN TO IT
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Shoutout Sunday
I just wanted to collect some of the most memorable Astarion fanfics I've read so far and to give them and their authors a big ol' shoutout. These are some of the fics I strongly suggest others to check out, if you haven't yet.
Also, please feel free to comment and recommend your favorites as well! And, if you know of some of these authors on tumblr, lemme know, so I can add them too :) I'm not too good with words, so I'll be slapping some of the authors own words as descriptions (for now). Oh, and do be mindful of tags etc etc... Here goes, in no particular order:
Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth by howlsmovinglibrary (@wetcatspellcaster) "The Vampire Ascendent has crossed a line. Eleven years after making the biggest mistake of her life and losing the man she loved, tiefling wizard (now Archmage) Rosalie decides itâs time to put this Astarion in the ground for good. Hopefully, both her head and her heart are strong enough to see this awful task through to its end."
An Honest Lie by howlsmovinglibrary (@wetcatspellcaster) "Astarion and Rosalie think they understand each other perfectly, but they have each fallen prey to the otherâs mask. As they both go forward with their adventure, will either of them dare to be honest?"
A Crooked Touch by eyes_of_the_lamb "If you want to read a story where Astarion is sweet from the start and Tav is here to fix him, this isn't the one. If you want to read about two terribly broken men spending a good long while making each other worse before they make each other better, this might be for you. If you thought the in-game romance was a little too easy and it should have been ten times more painful and difficult to convince Astarion he's worthy of love, this is definitely for you."
Perfect Slaughter by Imagineitdear (@imagineitdearies ) "Tyrus, a low-born drow with aspirations for necromantic wizardry, finds none of the hospitality he expected from his new noble patron, Cazador Szarr. Quickly he loses his life and future, his hopes and dreamsâonly to find something new to fight for in the unlikely arms of Cazadorâs least favorite spawn."
A Novel Experience by meanboss (@meanbossart ) "Initially just an epilogue for my own game campaign with my big meaty dark urge drow, turned whole story which I accidentally deleted and am now reuploading, my bad LOL
Hope you enjoy!"
Carving Through The Dark by skitter "The realm is safe and the story is over.
Wren and Astarion descend into the Underdark in search of a new purpose, and learn a few things along the way. Namely, that healing isn't linear and sometimes love takes the long way round."
Blood In The Weave by gingealish "There is no need to breathe, but I miss it all the same. The suffocating silence, the desperate darkness have encapsulated me for I donât even know how long; It could have been tendays or years. Iâve long since accepted my punishment, stopped trying in vain to crack the seal of my tomb against the onslaught of panic and hunger. Now I lay here, thinking of the friends Iâve lost, the lover who turned on me, and how to finally get even.
Astarion is the new Big Bad Evil Guy. Spawn Tav is rescued by a familiar face. "
When Heâs all but Forgotten How to Love Again by bg_brainrot "You saved Baldurâs Gate almost 300 years ago. You died 150 years ago. On a new life now, you find that memories from your past lead you to a specific silver-haired man. Who was he, and why won't he leave you be? tldr; An Elf-Tav reincarnation story where Tav dreams about Astarion in their nightly reveries and eventually seeks him out once they reach maturity. Things definitely totally go well."
More Than Any Words by mataglap "They have saved the city and possibly the world. All is great and everyone is happy... except Astarion has been banished back into the shadows, and Tav is stuck in an uneven battle with his own oath. He's losing the fight. He knew he would from the moment he fell for Astarion. But he can't lose yet, not before they find a way for Astarion to walk in the sun again."
Inexhaustible Oil by homeward_bound "This is the absolute opposite of a redemption fic. A post-canon, fall-from-grace, "I can make you infinitely worse" kind of story, in which there is no simple happy ending. But there's mystery on the way. And dragons. True love, even. So if you're fine with that, come aboard. It's going to be a wild ride."
#astarion#bg3#shoutout sunday#astarion fanfics#astarion fanfic#astarion fanfic writers#astarion fanfic recs#astarion fanfic recommendations#astarion fic#bg3 fanfic recs#bg3 fanfic#bg3 fanfic writers#astarion fic writers#mine#fanfic writer appreciation#fanfic appreciation#astarion x tav#spawn astarion fanfic#ascended astarion fanfic#astarion x female tav#astarion x male tav#astarion x oc
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bestie i'm new to the world of fics and it would be great if you could recommend me some good iconic stories to read đĽ°pleasee â¤ď¸
OHHH WELCOME BABY! đđ
Hope you'll find the great comfort they offer to all of us too!
I'm thrilled to do this so I'm gonna start immedietaly! Don't know what's your taste is so I'm gonna recommend many different stories I have loved! đ
A Toast To The Future by @narryffdreaming is one of my favorite stories ever and I truly believe it's one of the most beautifully written stories I've ever read. đ The way Dani approaches the past experiences of the characters and their emotions is impressive. I am always fascinated by stories that are authentic and the way that story is written makes you feel seen even if your experiences are not exactly the same as the characters. đ (can't wait to read the next part)
Maisy and Harry are just friends (except they aren't) by @narryffdreaming again because I just love her work! Friends to lovers trope (i loooove this trope sm) and it has everything: angst, fluff, romance, softness, smut, everything! Everything just flows so nicely!
When Y/N dates someone, they find their soulmateâŚitâs never her by @jawllines is super cute and lovely and made me giggle and blushing! It's such an unique concept and I just loved it!
Harry and Y/N are in the same ballet class, and they hate each other by @jawllines again and what can I say? Pure enemies to lovers story that has you in a chokehold. Everything about it is perfect! đ
Daddy Issues by the amazing @fkinavocado is jaw dropping, I mean it! It's one of the first long stories I read in here so it's special to me. đ Dreea delivered the great combination of spicy and softness with this story.
Sex Tutor by @gurugirl ! I really liked the way she wrote about this topic and it felt like she did it with so much respect (as she always does) and I just really had a great time reading it.
404 by my pookie @freedomfireflies đis one of my favorite stories ever and I feel like I have to tattoo this to my skin at this point. đ It's enemies to lovers and you can feel the tension from a mile. Also 404rry is the most annoyingly adorable characher ever and I just adore him. đ¤đ
Teach Me by miss @freedomfireflies again and let's just say that this series is on FIRE. A friends to lovers story that makes you feel things. One thing I love about this story is that the two characters share a deep love and respect for each other and I feel like it's such an important point.
Grumpy H and
You're my Last Shot by @cupid-styles are so cute and I had a great reading them! The flow is amazing in both of them and they are so well written.
Old Grudges ,
Just How Fast the Night Changes ,
The Sun Will Rise and
Valerie by @watchmegetobsessed are litterally amazing! Loved these stories so much! I come back to them from now and then and I have the same feeling every time I read them. đĽ°
Harryâs a dick, and Y/N hates him for it. by @harrys-titties is so HSHJSHSSJ I just loved it! So beautifully written and it has everything: tension, angst, smut, romance!
Hawthorn by @adorebeaa is so beautiful! I enjoyed it so much! It is not finished yet but it is worth it! Again it's an enemies to lovers story and it really plays like a movie in your head! đ
I got carried away a little bit hehe and I'm sure that if I continue I won't be able to stop lol. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did! đ
P.S Τhere are many other great authors that I didn't include in this post because I might just forgot them at the moment (sometimes when you need to remember something specific you just can't, your mind is just stuck ugh) or because I might not have come across their work yet so I don't want anyone to feel bad. Your work is always appreciated. đ
Byeee xoxo
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Pink Onyx AU- An Analysis and Theory Post, Part 1
[Part 1- You are here!] | [Part 2] | [Part 3] | [Part 4] | [Part 5]
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Howdy! Those of you who have followed me for a while have probably been seeing my reblogs of the @pink-onyx-au comic made by @ceephorsshitshow. Well, today I wanna share with you something a little different than my usual SU meta⌠because today Iâm gonna analyze this really cool fan work with the same level of seriousness as I do canon. (Like. Seriously. This first post alone is really, really long. I put most of it under a cut.)
This particular comic is a very special one for me to watch unfold, because itâs evident that a lot of deep care and attention to detail has been poured into its creation. Thereâs fascinating bits of expanded character development to chew into here, as well as plenty of mysteries and lingering questions for us readers to muse and theorize over. If you follow me for Steven Universe and havenât read this AU yet I highly recommend you check it out. The most basic pitch is that it explores what a fusion between Steven and Jasper might look like, and does a LOT of deep-diving into the similarities and differences of both of those charactersâ psyches.
Hereâs the episode masterpost on tumblr.
And you can find it on Tapas, too!Â
(Note: For the purposes of these posts, I was given permission by the comic artist to post screenshots of various pages where relevant in this discussion. For each frame used I will list the episode and page number for easy reference. Additionally, this post and all future ones on the topic will contain full spoilers for the comic thus far.)
Now with all that introductory stuff out of the way, here we go!
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So, on the final page of the most recent update, we get one hell of a visual plot bomb for Steven as olâ Onyx unfuses:
(Episode 9: Page 22)
Heâs now visually expressing remnants of his corruption, where before he was not.
And itâs this mysterious plot point in particular that got me wanting to analyze this comic more deeply in the first place. This is completely new for him in this story. Thus far, heâs never expressed any of these remnants when heâs just himself- not in the way Jasper does. So it made me wonder⌠how might this shift in his appearance play into the ultimate trajectory of the plot? How does Steven suddenly showcasing corruption scars integrate into the larger story that is being spun here about him and Jasper and how they relate to each other?
Well, thereâs a lot of comic details and story lore we need to unpack first before I can take my best theorizerâs stab at this. Letâs dig right in.
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Prelude: The analystâs treasure is in the speech bubbles
Anyone whoâs been a fan of this comic for a while has probably noticed these fun visual details already, but Iâm going to take a moment to break down what I believe each speech bubble style signifies for folks who may not have context. Itâll make some of my analysis later a bit easier, too, ahah.
So. Speech bubbles. What kinds do we have here?Â
(Episode 1: Page 6)
Style number one: Solid with black text
This style is standard for non-fused characters, and is also utilized when a fused character is speaking whilst in a state of internal harmony.
Steven is pink and Jasper is orange, of course. Onyxâs speech bubbles are a distinct darker pink, and the main three Crystal Gems get their own colors as well. More minor characters get white bubbles.
(Episode 1: Page 10)
Style number two: Scribbly pink lettering overlaying black text
Whenever you see this type of speech bubble, itâs a sign that there is some level of internal discord going on within Steven or Onyx that is related to their diamond side. It usually shows up when one of the two is in pink mode, but from what I can tell this is not a solid rule.
(Episode 2: Page 12)
Style number three: Pink/orange mixed bubbles
This is how we see Onyx talking for a good portion of the early comic. Their speech bubbles are a clean mix of Stevenâs pink and Jasperâs orange. And most vitally, the color on the top and the tail signifies which of them is âfrontingâ at that moment.
(Episode 3: Page 11)
Style number four: White bubble with solid pink text
So far, this style has only been used to represent dialogue that is being spoken by Stevenâs gem half exclusively. Which makes things very interesting, as in Stevenâs own remembrances of shattering Jasper on the very first page of the comic, the line âI have been holding back!â is shown in this specific style, instead of the scribbly pink lettering that signifies internal discord.
There is one additional sub-style here- and this is the one moment where we get Onyxâs mixed bubble but WITH the solid pink text.Â
(Episode 3: Page 11)
I believe these two styles pretty much mean the same thing⌠only, the white/pink text is either viewed within memory or a metaphoric fusion mindscape where we the viewer are actually âseeingâ Stevenâs instability, and thus can âseeâ his gem half as a separate entity there. While, in reality, this is an argument Onyx is having with the disparate pieces of themself.
(Episode 4: Page 9)
Style number five: Pink/orange tye-dye mixed bubbles
When you see that darker shade of pink start dappling into the standard mixed bubbles, this indicates that there are small whispers of Onyxâs true personality beginning to surface, instead of them constantly being wrested back and forth between Steven and Jasperâs conscious control.
(Episode 4: Page 16)
Style number six: Pink/orange mixed bubbles, but with a darker pink tail
From this page onwards, Onyxâs speech bubbles always have their darker pink shading the tail no matter who is fronting. Sometimes there are little lines of another color etched out of it, and sometimes the tail is solid dark pink. I like to believe that when itâs solid, it means that Onyx is just a little closer to reaching a fully harmonious state than when itâs not.
(Episode 9: Page 6)
Style number seven: Onyx speech/thought bubbles with a hint of pink/orange underlying
This style seems to signify moments where itâs still Onyx fully in control of themself and their actions/words/thoughts, but theyâre taking subtle influence from their components or accessing their memory a bit.
These are all of the distinct styles I have caught so far, but quite honestly, it would not surprise me if I am missing something. All of this to say⌠pay close attention to the speech bubbles. They can tell you a lot about Onyxâs state of mind throughout the story.
Now with all this established, Iâd like to finish off this first post with my first big discussion point.
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Question One: What does Jasper actually know about Stevenâs âmeltdown,â if anything?
The AU author recently solidified this comicâs placement in the SUF timeline in an ask response, saying that the first episode takes place just a week after Stevenâs corruption event.
Iâm glad this point was clarified, because it was super vital information which deeply influenced the way I analyzed Stevenâs actions and responses in my recent re-read⌠it means this experience is still super raw for him. This is VERY important and weâll get back to this in more depth later in future posts. But first, letâs explore what Jasper knows of this event.
The full extent of her knowledge is unclear-
(Episode 1: Page 6)
In Episode 1, Steven briefly alludes to his corruption as seen above⌠referring to it as â[his] meltdown.â Notably, Jasper does not seem to ask any questions about this stray comment. This COULD suggest that she knows what happened to him a week prior via hearsay, but given the context of the rest of the scene and the fact that sheâs as isolated as she is out here I genuinely wonder if she thinks Stevenâs so-described âmeltdownâ is his shattering of her.
This idea would make a good deal of sense, as she doesnât start to make any commentary on the topic of corruption at all until theyâre actually fused- with Steven bringing it up first.
(Episode 2: Page 14)
On this page, Steven takes note of Onyxâs very visible spikes (which are Overtly in the same placement as his own when he was corrupted), and initiates the musing upon his own corruption himself.
With the way Jasper phrases her response, the vibe I get is that she somehow gleans a bit of ambient shared knowledge about what happened to him through their fusion.
(Episode 2: Page 15)Â
âThat human form you wear must have been hiding your markings.â This quote is SUPER vital. Weâll come back to this later on in this post series, too.
(Episode 2: Page 15)
Itâs clear that Jasper doesnât REALLY understand what he went through or what caused it, since she then outright mistakes the casual woes and body pains of organic life as corruption. (As seen above.)Â
(Episode 8: Page 4)
But later on, she outright relates to him over their shared experience of past corruption, so she must at least know enough from mere ambient thought-sharing by this point to recognize it happened. Â
Itâs obvious that sheâs barely scratched the surface on fully understanding her fusion partner, though. Neither of them have. Itâs gonna take a lot of fusion, comedic mishaps, and genuine conversation to get there. All in good time, Iâm sure.
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Please do join me tomorrow at 7am PST for the next post in this series! This has been a blast to write up and muse upon.
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"Tbh I was starting to feel a bit down about my blog and what I was putting out ( the eternal crisis on how to give full answers and opinions without being stupid, boring and annoying lol)"
OMG no way! Your blog is one of the best here! What i love the most is reading the analysis and meta from the users, there's always more information and good takes, and yours are always quite deep and insightful.
I would love if you share your opinions about Stuart as well. I feel like he is obviously more sanctified that he should be since he died young (like that insane quote from his mom saying that Brian told her that Stuart could have been the Beatles' manager, no way lol) and i feel his memory has been used to attack Paul, sometimes in a very unfair way. Like, i don't deny the teenage drama and jealousy that Paul felt about him but he *was* a shitty bass player and the band was Paul's future, he was allowed to criticized him not only for being John's new bestie. I also think John played with them both but i lack of your eloquence so i will love to read your take about it.
Hi anon! And the other anons!
Thank you again and to all the other messages I got, they were extremely sweet and really made my day. :)
From my inbox, it's clear you guys want to know about Stu and his role in the Beatles legacy. Well you asked for it and a novel you shall have. Be warned this might be the longest post I've done so grab like a drink or something.
A few disclaimers: I wish and had intended for this to be more of a deep dive into Stu as a whole person rather than just his relationship with John and Paul. Unfortunately I just didn't have the space to do it. If you want to know more about Stu I would highly recommend @eppysboys' blog which is the source for all things Stu Sutcliffe and where I got a lot of this info. Please check their stuff out. Also, I'm going to be a bit blunter on this than maybe I usually am because this topic has been irritating me for some time. Oh also Iâm trying my best to answer a lot of asks in one post so please forgive if I donât fully answer your specific ask about this!
Stu in a perfect world should be a fandom darling: an exciting cipher, a handsome artistic talent that died way too soon who had a major influence in the early Beatles style. It's like thereâs this secret other James Dean looking mf Beatle hidden away to uncover, that's cool and he is cool! The problem is that heâs sort of becomes radioactive to talk about in a normal way due to how he's been portrayed and utilised in some biographies and fandom spaces, particularly those that have been infected by John Lennon aspirational boy bestie syndrome. As those types of spaces cannot seem to exist without tearing down Paul to prop John up as their special lil guy, Stu as John's other best friend has become the ideal heavy object to hit Paul McCartney over the head with. It's like a corrosive element, the minute Stu hits a Beatles bio, the biographer suddenly loses all training in objectivity and source work and starts waxing lyrical about 100 percent reliable never biased or wrong Saint Stu of Hamburg who died for our condom arson sins and that Paul McCartney should feel bad about every day of his life for not worshipping Stu and not accepting his own âplaceâ in life as John's just-some-guy placeholder best friend. Iâve personally seen so many posts and forums where Stu being mentioned leads to a legion of comments about how Paul could never have been Stu (correct both ways) and how John would never have even glanced at Paul for much longer if Stu had been alive. Sidenote: If you seriously think that the musical savant from down the road whom John went on to produce the most prolific song writing partnership in history with couldnt have kept his attention for long then I'm begging you on hands and knees to get your head out of the arse of your John Lennon body pillow and be serious. But anywayâŚ
This boy bestie battle royale approach has in turn lead to a reflex reaction where Stu gets studiously ignored by other sections of the fandom as a precedent has been set that shining a light on him diminishes Paul and John's relationship with Paul. It's frustrating because if people weren't so keen to cut Paul out of his own story then we would get a much better nuanced view of every single person involved.
So let's put aside all of our defenses, cut the John Lennon loved one ranking system bullshit and lets look at the actual question here which is what was John and Stu's relationship really like and what did he mean to John?
John and Stu met at art college a year or so after Paul and John met. Up to that point John and Paul had their fun little codependant thing going on but Stu quickly became a huge fixture in John's life. Stu had things that Paul couldn't really offer at that point in time. John was at his heart a musician who aspired to be seen as an artist (he would later express surprise that he didn't become an artist). Stu was the passionate artist who knew tons about the art of the period that could teach and inspire John. Their creative leanings meant they could work on projects together and share art notebooks and poetry. (Including yes the one with anti-semitic story which I mention again as I believe it's an important thing to remember when it comes to both John and Stu and the culture of the time.) Stuart by the sounds of it was even writing a novel about John at the time of his death. They were fascinated and inspired by each other.
So, creatively they fired each other up but more importantly perhaps, Stu and John were peers. It's funny to think about when you see the Beatles later but at the time Paul and George were the kids in their school uniform coming to see their cool older friend at art school. That's an important divide. When Paul and George's parents insisted their kids do their homework and go to bed, John and Stu could stay up and talk all hours of the night, which they did. They also could rent a place together and spend long hours chatting (despite John moving out later after realising electricity cost money lol.) There's a different dynamic that the age similarity offered as well. Whilst Paul would later somewhat grow into this role, Stu could act as an authority figure to John as well as open up to John in a way you can really only do with your peers. Stu was the person John opened up to throughout Stu's life:
How long can one go on writing and writing like you. I now donât really know who Iâm writing to or why itâs quiet peculiar. I usually write like this and forget about it but if I put it in a little part of my [almost?] secret self in the hands of someone miles away who will wonder what the hell is going on or just pass it off as toilet paper. Anyway I donât care really what happens because when I think about it, itâs so bloody unimportant â but what is important who has the right to say that this letter is not important and this is a something any way â anyway â anyway â yeah! I wonder what it would be like to be a cretin or something. I bet itâs gear. & how are you keepin Stuart old chap are you as ok â is life as good â bad shite, great â wonderful as it was or is it just a thousand years of nothing and coolness on and on and on. I think this is it Goodbye Stu donât write out of â er what is it? well not because you think you ought to write when you feel like So goodbye (from John you know the one with glasses) ANYWAY BYE BYE see you soon I donât know why I said that I remember a time when everyone I loved hated me because I hated them so what so what so fucking what I remember a time when belly buttons were knee high when only shitting was dirty and everything else clean + beautiful I canât remember anything without a sadness So deep that it hardly becomes known to me so deep that its tears leave me a spectator of my own STUPIDITY + so I go rambling on with a hey nonny nonny nonny no
Extract from a letter to Stuart Sutcliffe from John Lennon, 1961
By lots of accounts Stu was gentle but firm when it came to telling John he'd gone too far. John references this aspect of Stu to Hunter Davies:
"I looked up to Stu. I depended on him to tell me the truth. Stu would tell me if something was good and I'd believe him."
The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (Hunter Davies)
In this way I kind of see Stu as a proto-Yoko. John was so insecure and uncertain about his grip on the world and reality that he relied on Stu to be his point of reference and guide. Paul did this too later and I think in Hunter Davies John mentions this, but not at this time period and not as much due to their competitiveness. This may be why some people saw Stu as the person that really understood John at this time period:
"During the turbulent adolescence that prefaced a turbulent manhood, hardly anyone knew Lennon as intimately as Stuart Sutcliffe. If they weren't exactly David and Jonathan, June Furlong, one of the life models at Liverpool's Regional College of Art, had "never seen two teenagers as close as those two."
The Gospel According To Lennon by Alan Clayson
Now this person likely never met John and Paul together but this is only one of many similar quotes and even Julia captain of John and Paul's friendship boat seems to agree there was a period where Stu dominated and Paul 'kept his distance' from the John-Cyn-Stu 'menage-a-trois'. But the friendship wasn't perfect and his position as John's ultimate best friend was never iron clad. This is best outlined by the shit they pulled when John convinced him to join on Bass for the Beatles.
Despite being John's best friend, Stu was teased and bullied:
"They argued as usual amongst themselves, but most of all they picked on Stu, the newest member of the group. John, George and Paul had been with each other long enough to know that rows and arguments and criticism didn't mean much. If it did, you just argued back. "We were terrible," says John. "We'd tell Stu he couldn't sit with us, or eat with us. We'd tell him to go away, and he did." At one hotel they stayed at, a variety show had just left. There had been a dwarf in the show and they found out which bed he had slept in and said that would have to be Stu's. They certainly weren't going to sleep in it. So Stu had to. "That was how he learned to be with us," says John. "It was all stupid, but that was what we were like."
The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (Hunter Davies)
Why John encouraged this I have no idea, maybe jealousy over Stu's looks and wanting to play people off each other? Things were tense in both Scotland and Hamburg, especially between Stu and Paul. As I said in my last post, the girls were fighting and it was mutual. Paul was mad for both fair and immature teenage-boy reasons. Stu could not be bothered with the bass most of the time and couldn't really play well and was only there as he was '(John's) best friend' (ouch for Paul). Paul conversely had given up higher education to be there and was sending lots of money back home. He also was dating the girl Paul fancied. Stu was popular with the new group and also did mean things like help John steal Paul's money when money was really tight for him. Paul in turn was a passive aggressive, jealous and mean. It all came to ahead in the punch up onstage which according to Spitz came about from Paul wanting money back and saying that Stu could borrow some from Astrid. Stu goes for him and reports vary from full-on bust up to embarrassing scuffle. Stu then goes to where Astrid and Paul's gf Dot are, demands Dot leaves and goes on a rant about Paul. Now all of this must be framed in the context of Stu receiving increasing brain damage from his condition that seemingly lead to mood swings and anger. Nevertheless, the mutual needling and anger, as well as John's refusal to do/say fuck all about it, especially given how protective John was of Stu, suggests that it wasnât straightforward and/or John may have been playing some games to make both feel threatened. This would also make sense as to why we hear conflicting accounts of John and Stu being the centre of everything and everyone else in orbit AND John and Paul being the centre and everyone else playing catch-up, as well as John giving Paul the lead to take him round the Reeperbahn when John got dressed in the gorilla costume. (I know Paul may have just been the closest there but that always gave off bestie behaviour to me.)
(I did get an ask about how John and Paul's friendship survived it, I think it was damaged by Hamburg. When Paul got back home he got a job at a construction site and there's just a vibe of everything being a bit on tenterhooks. John also acts a bit weird at the period, not talking to anyone for a few weeks then making a lot of weird demands from Paul. I'm really not sure what to make of it.)
Even when he's back in Liverpool, John still writes long letters to Stu and vice-versa. I can't find it at all but Iâve read a really sad interview with John saying he missed his best mate and it's a shame that he's not with them. He had no idea at that point that Stu had already died of a brain hemorrhage at 21.
John is said to have gone into hysterics when he found out Stu had died. A lot of people who've spoken about this time (Aunt Mimi, his sister Julia, the Exsis) concur that at this point Stu was his best friend and the death shattered him. He even told Astrid he wished he could give his life for Stuâs. This is backed up by the fact that John never forgot Stu and his shadow lingered for the rest of John's life:
Stu was recalled in In My Life
Years later, after John composed the first of his truly poignant and heartfelt Beatles songs, "In My Life"âwith its lines about "friends I still can recall/some are dead and some are living"âhe revealed to me that the two people he had had uppermost in mind were myself and Stuart Sutcliffe. And then he stunned me with a statement that I'd never heard him address to anyoneâleast of all to another man. "You know, Pete," he said softly, "I do love you. But," he quickly added, "I loved Stuart as well."
Weird that Paul isn't mentioned surely you think that he would be mentioned if Pete was there too okay, okay my tin hat is going away this isn't the time
Pete Shotton, Nicholas Schaffner, John Lennon: In My Life
In 1965 John drew Stu on a postcard
He apparently said this about Stu prior to sending the postcard, prompted by an article about Stuart.
The card had been sent from Genoa mid-way through the Beatles' Italian tour. [...] But the conversation had become maudlin when I reminded him that he was going to talk to me for an article about Stuart. [...] In that sad telephone conversation before they set off for Milan, I asked him if he was happy: 'I'd be a lot happier if Stuart was still part of us,' he said, 'The Beatles would be complete.' And before he rang off he said 'Ill send you something.'
He also appears on the cover of Sgt Pepper
As mentioned, Stu gets mentioned in Hunter Davies in terms of wistfulness and guilt AND he gets a mention in John's insane 'if I were a homosexual' ramblings in early 70s. According to Yoko, John also wanted Yoko to write letters to him and didn't think it would be strange because Stu wrote letters to him.
I have a pet theory that as with a lot of things for John, his unresolved grief over Stu really came to the fore in the late 60s now that he had actually had a chance to sit down and think about things. I believe it was partially why he wanted Yoko to write letters and why he gets mentioned in the early 70s as a collaborator/best friend and not in 1980 where John only gives that credit to Paul and Yoko. I think with the cracks with Paul, John had started to think back on his old friend and guide and what advice he would give.
Stuarts presence is still felt throughout the seventies:
âHe told me everything. He loved to talk about Hamburg. There were no secrets. It was the kind of life I never knewâŚ. It meant total freedom. At his side always was Stuart, sweet Stuart. There wasnât a time in Johnâs life when he didnât think about Stuart. He spoke always of his love and respect for Stuart.â
Yoko discussing Stu in When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatlesâ Rise to the Top by Larry Kane
Coming to grips with his death is also present in Skywriting
SEAN OâHAIRE: What happened to Stuart Cliff? DR. FISCHY: What happened was a full exchange of energy where it was not needed within the expression of your own self or in the energies involved around and about you. We cannot call it a happening. Weâll say it is an awakening, for in that way it has served an expression from the past to the present and to the future to where there shall be more of that incomplete vibration expressed to you in a more fuller understanding.
Skywriting by Word of Mouth, John Lennon
This isn't exhaustive but I think from all this it's pretty clear that John adored Stu, John grieved Stu and kept grieving Stu. Stu had a specific place in his life as a confidant that he tried to recreate with Yoko. At the time of Stu's death, he was John's best friend, probably slightly over Paul. Stuart had been able to be both a friend and paternal presence, a confidant and an artistic collaborator. His presence and loss was one of the foundational points in John's life.
But as we've been asked to play this stupid game and so many bios like to make a hoopla about it, were they at their closest ever as close as John and Paul were at their height?
No.
How do we know? Because John told us so:
" He [Paul] still is the closest friend I've ever had, except for Yoko, so I'm still close to him whatever goes on."
John Lennon to an interviewer, 1971
But Walrus! John just says shit! How do we know he isn't leaving out Stu because the press don't know Stu. Well true John does just say shit but this is at a time where John isn't the most glowing about Paul and he's had no problem mentioning Stu in this time period ('one of my best friends ever' would have made a similar point).
But Walrus again! If John picked Stu over Paul when they were young why wouldn't he be the boy bestie of all time, and why would John say that he was closer to Paul? Well, because of the environment and timings. Stu's death happened near the beginning of John and Paul's major bonding moments. If you look at their personal timeline, Paris, the Nerk twins, and getting signed happened just before Stu died. That's missing the major years of Beatlemania, Key West, LSD, Paul growing more into being John's peer and a load of other huge moments in their lives. It's like how John writes to Cyn in 1962 about wanting the house to themselves and not have Paul around all the time. Would you say because he feels closer to Cyn then that John in his overall lifetime loved Cyn more than Paul? No, because relationships change over time and theirs were no exception. (One thing to consider as well is that we don't yet have many letters between John and Paul during their Beatles years and earlier, probably because they were spending so much time with each other. We know a couple exist that Paul considers too personal for publication but I'm sure there are others. It's easy to understand what John felt for Stu as we have the letters, I think we would also have an easier time understanding what John felt for Paul if we had the equivalent of those.)
At the end of the day Paul was the man he believed he had a psychic bond with, the man he couldnât shut up about, the man whom heâd conquered the world with with their endless collaboration, the man with a twin personality to him and according to John spent more time with throughout the 60s than he had with Yoko ever. To be frank if Paul had died in 67' I don't think this would have been a conversation.
As mentioned early, in early 1970s John elevates his partnership with Stu to his collaborations with Paul and Yoko but by 1980 heâs pretty clear that Paul and Yoko are their own category.
"I was saying to somebody the other day, âThereâs only two artists Iâve ever worked with for more than a one night stand, as it were. Thatâs Paul McCartney, and Yoko Ono.â And I think thatâs a pretty damned good choice!!"
John Lennon interview with DJ Dave Sholin, 1980
There are of course the what ifs. Would Stu still being alive mean that John was not as close with Paul? Maybe, highly doubtful though as the Beatles experience was so intense. If Stu remained a Beatle would John be as close with Paul? If Stu remained a Beatle he wouldn't be Stu so no. At the same time who knows what it would have been like if Paul and John were peers from the off? I said this to @the62ndbugsfan when it comes to Stu vs Paul (hi girl sorry i've made our chat a whole ass post lol) but to go a bit Wuthering Heights, soulmates are made as much from the earth as they are of the stars. What binds us is our experiences just as much as our personalities. There may be a universe where Stu and John took on the art world together or became inseparable bffs again after the Beatles disbanded, but it is not our universe. In this universe Stu tragically died and John and Paul chose to become Lennon/McCartney and artistically unite themselves forever.
Even going back to Stu's lifetime, I've said it before and I'll say it again I find it interesting that not only did John choose to go to Paris with Paul rather than pay to meet up with Stu somewhere but that they arranged to meet up with Juergen and nobody told Stu until they'd already gone. Stu was shocked and didn't know if it meant the end of the Beatles which is a pretty big thing for him not to know about. Why didn't John tell him if they're apparently still writing long letters? Was it because he really wanted to do this with Paul and didn't want to hurt Stu's feelings? And that's really the point I want to make here. Due to his trauma John was preoccupied with reinforcing ranking of relationships within his life. But the thing is friendship rankings are made up guidelines and the reality is far more complicated. You can have a designated best friend but feel closer to another friend at times, you can want to do one thing specifically with one friend and not the other for various reasons. You can (as I do) have more than one equal best friend. Friendship as with most relationships are in a constant state of flux and each friendship you have will give and mean a different thing, even if they are of similar value to you.
Paul may have ended up closer to John than Stu had been, but that doesen't make John's relationship with Stu any less special. Nor does Stu negate the significance of Paul. Whilst both fit into John's pattern of intense relationships and demands related to that, both had unique positions and meaning to him. Considering what I've gone into about John's closeness to Stu, it actually says something deeply, borderline unnervingly, intense about John and Paul that Paul pipped Stu to the post. Maybe it's time Beatles bios accept the fact that John Lennon just wouldn't be into them like that, stop using a tragically prematurely deceased young man as a prop in their jealous psychological warfare against Paul McCartney, stop perpetuating one of the most damaging games that John did to his loved ones and allow both relationships the space to shine and showcase the amazing talent that was the Beatles and those that surrounded them.
#if I wanted to be truly truly tin hat#I would say that Stu is the friend he recalls and still loves#but Paul is the one he loves more#but THATS TINHATTING NOTHINGs BEEN CONFIRMED ABOUT THAT SONG#Iâm just side eyeing it respectfully#but donât let the weird biographers win#donât make two girl bosses fight like this#John had two hands you know?#john and Stu#john and Paul#really long post sorry#Submarine postbox#Ask#anon#ask me anything#Please look Stu up heâs super interesting#And more than just Johnâs tragic friend#Though bless him he was not meant to be a writer#That prose is PURPLE#Stu Sutcliffe
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Queer Book Recommendations
Every once in a while I like sharing some queer book recommendations on here as I read a lot and I get requests to share some of the books I love, so here we go!Â
Tell Me I'm Worthless: Three years ago, Alice spent one night in an abandoned house with her friends Ila and Hannah. Since then, things have not been going well. Alice is living a haunted existence, selling videos of herself cleaning for money, going to parties she hates, drinking herself to sleep. She hasnât spoken to Ila since they went into the House. She hasnât seen Hannah either.
Our Wives Under The Sea: Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home.Â
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty: Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.Itâs been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and sheâs almost a new person nowâan artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists itâs time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isnât ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.
Silver Under Nightfall: Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remyâs father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost.
Disintegrate/Dissociate: In her powerful debut collection of poetry, Arielle Twist unravels the complexities of human relationships after death and metamorphosis. In these spare yet powerful poems, she explores, with both rage and tenderness, the parameters of grief, trauma, displacement, and identity. Weaving together a past made murky by uncertainty and a present which exists in multitudes, Arielle Twist poetically navigates through what it means to be an Indigenous trans woman, discovering the possibilities of a hopeful future and a transcendent, beautiful path to regaining softness.Â
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower: As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a polite young ladyâor a bawdy old man. Sheâll do whatever it takes to solve the cases her family takes on. But when Tommyâs beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady sheâs secretly smitten with, more than her mission is at stake . . .Â
It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror: Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropesâsuch as the circumspect and resilient âfinal girl,â body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closetâspark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world.Â
Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture: Everything you know about sex and asexuality is (probably) wrong. The notion that everyone wants sexâand that we all have to have itâis false. Itâs intertwined with our ideas about capitalism, race, gender, and queerness. And it impacts the most marginalized among us. For asexual folks, it means that ace and A-spec identity is often defined by a queerness thatâs not queer enough, seen through a lens of perceived lack: lack of pleasure, connection, joy, maturity, and even humanity.
#refusing compulsory sexuality#it came from the closet#the perks of loving a wallflower#disintigrate/dissociate#silver under nightfall#you made a fool of death with your beauty#our wives under the sea#tell me im worthless#queer book recommendations#queer books#lgbt books#queer history
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