#I am accepting recs btw

[petiolata]

Weird maybe but I rly love when characters are in their own private hell? Like possessed, cursed, etc to where they can't tell anyone about their suffering state so they can't get help.

Idk if there's a name for that specific trope but I'd love more stories (either original or fanfic) to read with that. I should come up with a storyline for that for some of my characters too.

[campingwiththecharmings]

asd;lsdkfs;ldkf oh to have rydal come along and fuck me into believing i'm pretty 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

this was spectacular, bb, i'm just gonna go think about it for a bit hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng. ty for sharing 😘❤️

body talk

Rydal Keener x f!reader

Part of the Oxford Comma series

Warnings: dirty talk, p in v, creampie, literally just smut really idk MDNI

Word count: 1.3k

A/N: @xbellaxcarolinax ty for being an absolute doll and reading this over for me bb, appreciate the hell out of you ❤️

It all started when you laughed at his compliment. 

Well, sort of.

—

It had been building for a couple of weeks, his lingering hands squeezing the soft parts of you longer and longer; his bottomless eyes watching you unabashedly. Your heart beat faster at the thought of it, but slowly you were getting used to it.

Then came his words.

“You look good like that,” he’d say while you were wiping your lip free from pasta sauce. 

“Eating… messily?” 

Then he’d laugh and call you adorable and change the subject. 

The next time Rydal left you feeling lost for words was when you started wearing the perfume he had gifted you. You weren’t surprised that he liked the way you smelt while wearing it, no, what surprised you was the way he’d immediately begin mouthing at your neck regardless of where you were. 

And when you told him to settle down and wait until you got back to his room?

“If you could see the way you’re looking at me, smelling like you do, you’d also want to fuck your brains out in the common room.” 

After that, he had taken to sprinkling kind words to you whenever he was near, words about how you looked that day, how your hair tied back drove him crazy, how the way you smiled at him made him lose his train of thought and miss the last ten minutes of the lecture, how you look too good in his clothes after he’d already fucked you senseless in his dorm, having picked up the closest sweatshirt from the floor. 

It was something you were trying to get used to, and some of it you were able to laugh off easily. He was supposed to say nice things, right? 

“Fuck, you look so beautiful right now,” Rydal said while sliding his hard cock along the outside of your wet folds, the tip of it grazing your clit teasingly. You could only whimper in response, insides melting at both his words and his actions.

How he could say these things to you while you were minutes away from crying and begging him to just stuff you full of him made no sense to you. Pupils blown wide and lips swollen and bruised, you were a downright mess.

So you ignored it.

“You don’t think so? Are you saying I have bad taste?” He began to push himself inside slowly, leaning forward to breathe in your personal space and press himself impossibly closer. “Huh?” 

Rydal was fully seated inside, nibbling at the dip in your shoulder. He rubbed his nose along your cheek, eyes not quite closed while watching your eyelids flutter at the intrusion. It might have been crude, but you could swear that he belonged inside you, tucked into the heat between your legs as close as he could get. 

This was your favourite place for him to be. 

“What, no, I-I can’t think—“

“You’re so cute when you’re cockdumb, c’mon tell me I’m right.” 

He didn’t wait for your response and pulled out only to swiftly thrust his hips again and again. Your eyes had shut and you were moaning lowly, desperate to focus on how he felt, not whatever argument he was trying to reference at the moment. 

“Not gonna tell me? You’re so fucking difficult,” he mumbled, picking up speed as he continued to pump his length into you, your hips pressed into the mattress.

The noises your bodies were making was obscene, sweet slick dripping out from your cunt while he didn’t let up, his pace never faltering. Rydal lifted one of your legs up higher to sit around his ass, hand wrapped around your thigh and pressing, opening you up wider. 

Your moans increased in volume, eyes still scrunched shut while he began thrusting into your pussy harder, the bed creaking with the force of his hips. Your walls were squeezing around him, desperate to keep him inside as he continued to fuck you open, mould you to his liking.

“You don’t agree?” He was huffing in your face. You shook your head so as to tell him to shut up, to drop it, this wasn’t the fucking time. “Why’s it always a fight when I’m trying to be nice to you?” 

The way you tried and failed to tell him to shut the fuck up and make you cum was embarrassingly obvious, your lips forming the first syllables before gasping on a particularly hard and well timed thrust. 

One hand crept up to tweak at your bare nipple, softly pinching the flesh until you cried out for him. Crying out on his cock while he bullied you seemed to be shaping up to be a pattern for the two of you. 

“Ry, please,” you gasped. It felt like he was in your goddamn lungs with the he was filling you up, pressing in and against you, stealing your very breath. 

Clutching his arms and digging your nails into his shoulder, you opened your eyes to plead with him. 

Your pussy fluttered when he laughed, a worry starting to build a furrow between your brows the same way the pleasure was rising in your belly. Was he going to continue this afterwards, too? Was this going to turn into something bigger or was he just, for lack of a better word, fucking with you? 

“I’m begging here, too, baby,” he said while lifting his body off your chest, rising to his knees to hit your cervix from a different angle. 

“I’m begging you to see yourself the way I do. Like right now, for example, so fuckin’ pretty. And when I do this?” He moved to press his palm into your hip, holding you down and resting his thumb on your clit. He didn’t touch it the way he knew you wanted him to, pulling a whine from the back of your throat. “Mmm, absolutely gorgeous.” 

“Shhhh—“

Was all you could manage until he leaned in swiftly and bit you above your breast, suckling the skin causing you to wail.

“Tsk, tsk, pretty girl. I’m not going to let you cum until you agree with me.” 

Lifting himself off you again, Rydal slowed his thrusts down to be able to drag his thick cock out with the sick intent of seeing you flinch before he slammed it back inside. You felt the pressure subsiding, almost slipping stealthily away and whined desperately at him. 

“Fuck! What do you want from me?!” You spit at him, fingers tense around his sheets.

“Say it, say you look the prettiest with my cock inside you,” he tried smiling but abruptly groaned when your walls clenched around him from his words. “F-fuck, honey, don’t do this just fucking say it—”

“Ahh, I-I look, ohh,” you moaned louder.

Rydal was thrusting the slightest bit faster, brows raised in a hopeful look and eyes trained on your face.

“Uh huh, I’ve got you, keep going,” he murmured. 

“I look p-prettiest with your co-ooock inside me,” you yelled, voice breaking on a moan. 

He groaned deeply, hips speeding up and snapping into yours. 

“Good, s-so good, fuck, all for me,” he planted his hands on the bed for momentum while he continued to plow your leaking pussy. “Gonna cum for me? Go on, cum for me like a good girl, did so good, baby.”

He wasn’t letting up and the rapid build up of his thrusts timed with his syrupy sweet voice and kind words catapulted you to the edge again quickly. Whining uncontrollably while he continued to talk you through it, you shouted into the room as you gushed around his thickness. 

Chest heaving over your fresh pleasure, the aftershocks were still coursing through your body meanwhile Rydal kept fucking you through it. His hair fell into his eyes as he stared at where you were joined, watching the white ring around his dick as it plunged into you before everything tightened. On his last thrust, he stilled as he shot his load inside you, groaning with his eyes closed. 

You scoffed watching him. He was utterly gorgeous. 

“Do you believe me now?” 

“You’re a dick, you know that?” 

[blindingliqhts]

over the past few days i've been totally falling down a trans neil rabbit hole thanks to some AMAZING fics i've found on ao3

i am cis btw, so i know that trans neil probably does not mean as much to me as it does to a lot of other people but still! thinking of neil having to go through his life on the run, and his mother not letting him transition, so by the time he meets the foxes, he's only been on hormone therapy for around 6 months to a year is just 😭😭😭 not to mention how beautifully these people are writing andrew's acceptance of neil

anyway if you have any trans neil fic recs pls let me know, and same if you want me to give you the ones i've found !

[yntaro]

Let’s talk about Romance Mangas!

My say to those I have read and loved: (not ranked)

1. This Manga hurts my heart. I read it while on high school and it kinda hit me with how lonely I am because I never had an Ayane-chan and Chizuru-chan, and Kazehaya-kun to downright change my life to better. But I did enjoy those time because I had romance manga to begin with. Kimi Ni Todoke might be the one that get me into read romance mangas. I liked it because I somewhat relate to Sawako, being outcasted and all. I grew to love their story, and found myself hoping that maybe love will come to me too.

Kimi Ni Todoke (From Me to You)

2. In this spin off featuring Kurumizawa Ume (a character from Kimi Ni Todoke) and Sawako’s cousin Eiji Akahoshi, my hope for meeting love blooms even greater. They were soulmates as the title suggests so they were literally speed, but then I haven’t read the latest chapters yet because I can’t find them (if anyone know, pls let me know). As I was saying, they literally skipped the slow burn but still works because we can now root for the former second leads. (Yes, Eiji is from another romance manga from the same author: Crazy for Love)

Kimi Ni Todoke: Soulmate

3. What do you do when you accidentally married a man twice your age?? Some may not want age gap romance, especially when the age gap is 20 years, but you might change your mind reading this manga. It’s wholesome and you can actually find yourself smiling and rooting for their relationship to work. This manga has been going on the internet, it’s popular so you may had heard of it, it’s where I heard of it, so I think I don’t have to had any say except I enjoyed it and I am finding or accepting manga recs similar to this.

Gomashio to Pudding (Sesame Salt and Pudding)

4. WHOLESOME IS THE WORD. This manga is fresh breath of air. I’m pretty sure most of you guys have heard of it as it’s one of this month’s anime. I just love how cute they are in each chapter, even the other couples. And I thoroughly enjoy Himuro’s monologue. :)) If you guys were bothered by random pacings, you should watch the anime instead. They swept up the plot.

Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague)

5. Wahhhh this is really addictive, I can’t stop myself from thinking that the whole time I am reading. A combination of slice of life, comedy, and romance genre, huh. Who knows it will all work beautifully as in this masterpiece. (Also, Sousuke Shima’s character design reminds me a bit of Miura Kento from Kimi Ni Todoke)

Skip and Loafer

6. HOT. I have no other words. Some may misunderstand though. But it’s what I think of it, like will you look at them!!! They’re attacking me. I hope we got to see how their relationship progress soon. Btw, I’m all in for Ichi, I’m sorry dear Oji.

Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki (In the Clear Moonlit Dusk)

Aaaand I just rumbled my thoughts on the last part. I may edit it for a more serious discussion later. Thanks! :)))

[songmingisthighs]

i'm gonna do a brief summary of me going mia.

fyi, i am being a bitch here so skip if you don't wanna get confused

> i stupidly sent an ask to a network i'm in about an admin who had been abusing his power/position to smear my name and reputation by introducing me to people as an abuser and i've seen texts okay this admin encouraged network members to block and just avoid me on top of calling me an abuser and called me annoying and when i was plagiarized by dally he literally called me annoying and on another plagiarizing incident, said that i "went off" but it was /neg like dude i got my shit stolen why do you think i got mad ?? and this admin had gone to another network to shit talk me with someone so openly so like wtf ?? mind you this admin used to be a friend but even when he was a friend, he had been running a smear campaign since as early as late october 2022 so imagine the betrayal and he convinced people to join in on hating me and even make it seem like a group activity and even went like "OOO WHO SHOULD WE INVITE NEXT INTO THIS HATE SMT GROUPCHAT" and it took one person to say "are you seriously inviting people in to trash talk someone you had personal beef with?" For him to be like "lol okay whatevs" but still continue. need to note this admin had participated in the desolution of 3 communities and each implosion happened after he established a "romantic relationship" with the members + gathering boob pics from others

> i was approached by an admin who at first was like "oh i'm just letting you know we're on your case. but ykw this this this this and this didn't happen the way you said, it actually happened like this" and this admin ended up labeling the shit show that i was shoved into as "personal vendetta" in a network announcement and even gaslit me. she kept saying like "aren't you tired of this? he decided to move on and he seems genuine, you could move on too" but her version of moving on was just me pretending like he didn't do anything to me because he decided that it was time to pretend like he hadn't ran a year long campaign talking shit about me to people i don't even know. like holy shit people actually came to me and apologized for believing him and what he said about me after he was done using these people too but yea sure i'm the asshole. she also said "if he came to you and apologized would you accept?" And i was like "hell no?" And she was like "SEE HOW IS THAT YOU MOVING ON" and g0rl you should've seen my face because how does not accepting the absence of accountability that had been hidden in the guise of a 2 second "i'm sorry" text = me not moving on ? he did his crime and i'm within my rights to say "lol okay so?"

> the other admin was no better bc she said "you should've sent those screenshots months ago like i told you" which btw she knew i couldn't bc i was trying to not stir drama and unlike that admin, i don't want to make another community implode. and she also said "i'm tired being in the middle of this" like g0rl i haven't been the one who brings up this issue, isn't it possible you feel like you're in the middle because you're within that asshole admin's vicinity ?

> then the network posted an announcement about the admin's "punishment" and said admin "apologized" but even in that apology the admins were still covering his ass because there were no accountability of the slanderous bullshit he told people, the manipulation, the actual emotional tornado he had put DOZENS of people in (not just me), there was nothing sincere because he only apologized after i gave a formal complaint to the network. it was theatrical which is so fitting since he likes theatres so much. esp musical ones.

> then another issue arise when someone put my dragon!hwa fic on a fic rec post and also put the au source in the same post and that writer threw a passive aggressive tantrum that called fic rec posts stupid, accusing me of "taking", how it is not fair that "others" get more attention when they don't put in the same amount of effort, how it's not her fault she couldn't write 10k fics which made me feel like it was pointed at me so i approached her and asked if she wanted me to take the fic down and she does and it BROKE me. she wanted me to delete one of my best works because she thinks i don't put in as much effort as she does when writing that and that it's unfair that fic got more traction than her works which only get "likes and likes and likes and empty reblogs" and i was considering deleting the fic but i'm changing my mind because she didn't even have the GALL to approach me and voice out her concern and she made unfair insinuations about me and possibly other writers. those are the main reasons because g0rl she really did make me want to delete my blog.

> i was gone this whole time because i felt like i've caused so much negativity on tumblr and her words made me feel nauseous whenever i open tumblr. it didn't help that i was already dealing with the issues from the admins from that network and work which had been so fun and my family where it's all shit but because of dealing with this, i've been so drained to the point that my sinus got inflamed which affected the nerves on my teeth and i've been nursing the same hammering headache since last wednesday (5 days) and i honestly felt like death on a stick and i just wanted to be happy here again. i love the people here esp my readers and ghawd how much i love seeing tagged reblogs. i felt inadequate most of the time like everytime i post a chapter it's like playing uno with loki and betting on my ability to cope with shitty humor like fuck man but i decided to come back because the several times i lost hope in life, the times i felt like people in my real life don't need me and would rather not have me around, i know that i have people like bunni and ren and that there's a group of strangers who appreciate what i have to offer no matter what i think of myself and i'm getting emotional now and i gotta pee and idk how to end this so bye

[acheemient]

So... I'm sorry for what is about to happen.

bent to the very earth by Ark:

Use me, please, Crowley had said, so Aziraphale takes him at his word.

the yet unknowing world by Ark

A half-step is all it takes to get Aziraphale close enough to murmur into Crowley’s ear, “Put the light out when you go to bed, and I’ll come to you.”

these furious passions, these chances by Ark (there may be a pattern here) - This is one of my favorite stories in the entire fandom. If you have not read it, do so IMMEDIATELY!

Jesus fucking Christ, he’s in love with Crowley.

Find Me There (Amongst Your Ruins) by hollybennett123

“Good heavens,” Aziraphale tuts. “Carnal temptations and a vulgar mouth. Whatever will I do with you, my dear?”

Crowley’s mouth opens, but no words come forth. “Absolutely anything you like,” he rasps at length, blinking up at Aziraphale in a wonderstruck sort of way.

The One in Which Crowley Discovers Wanking by for_autumn_i_am (one of my very favorites. It's extremely in character and fun and even charming! Also hot!)

It began, like most memorable events in Crowley’s life did, with a bad decision; like most bad decisions, it involved poor impulse control and copious amounts of alcohol. The Antichrist had been born, and he put on lipstick and kitten heels to deal with it, but knew that the clock was ticking, and at times when time was slipping away, it helped to hold onto a bottle of gin.

The Angel of My Dreams by IneffableToreshi

Crowley is blissfully unaware that he sometimes talks in his sleep. Aziraphale doesn't bother to bring it up until one night when the demon falls asleep in the bookshop and says some rather...interesting things.

Strange Flesh and All That by FortinbrasFTW

Crowley laughs. He can’t help it. And the wine is very good.

“What’s funny?” Aziraphale asks.

“Are you joking?” Crowley tilts his head to look at him over his glasses. “No, nothing at all, this is all perfectly normal. Very dull conversation really.”

Aziraphale smiles back. “What’s funnier, dear boy? That I’ve considered it or that you haven’t?”

Well Versed in Wanting by hollybennett123

Aziraphale has never met anyone else who can so eloquently convey the embodiment of a nonchalant shrug with a quirk of their mouth alone, but Crowley succeeds in doing just that before getting up and sauntering off into the sitting room. Goodness, the sway of his hips when he walks is so unnecessary. A distraction that frankly shouldn’t be allowed.

He lasts thirty-seven minutes before rescheduling their ‘evening’ appointment to ‘imminent’ and informing Crowley there’s been a change of plan.

(or: Crowley stumbles upon Aziraphale’s private book collection, and revelations are had of the non-biblical kind)

For the Longest Time by darlingred1 (locked)

“You…” Aziraphale sounded baffled, and suddenly quite sober. “You liked that? But, my dear, you said it was torturous. ‘Six thousand years of torture,’ as I recall.”

“Yeah. Yeah, but the anticipation, and the yearning, and…and how every moment with you was so maddeningly intense, and…”

And what else could Crowley say? How could he expect Aziraphale to understand that after six thousand years of torture he’d actually got a bit used to it? That he’d felt like a band strained further and further, and now he found himself permanently stretched, flopping about with too much slack and no way to hold on to what he’d been reaching towards for so long?

(Crowley kind of misses the pining when it's gone. Aziraphale comes up with a solution.)

let the rivers fill by focusfixated

Weakly, Crowley’s eyes flickered down, and he saw the angel blushing, as if now, suddenly, of all things, he had succumbed to reticence. He was sat back on his knees, and the soft accordion folds of him were dewy with sweat and moonlight.

Or: as in all things, Aziraphale indulges.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight? by snae_b

A bench. A handshake. Lingering fingers. A little shiver and an angel and a demon are returned to their proper bodies.

And that’s about where all hell broke loose. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Hell has, of course, been loose for quite some time.

"Just, you know…” Uncontrollable horniness? An erection you should probably consult a doctor about? “…feelings?"

"You don't, you know. Have any... after effects? From the swapping thing?"

"What kind of after effects?"

Crowley has some residual effects from his body swap with Aziraphale. Some very distracting residual effects.

Angelic Doesn't Mean Innocent by strummerjoe

“What do you think about sex?” Aziraphale asked.

Crowley almost choked on his wine. In 6000 years of knowing each other, they’d never had THIS conversation

puttin’ on the ritz by moonyinpisces

Must he spell it out for him? “You could…” Aziraphale looks him up and down, then cocks his head towards the poncy fellow up on the balcony, raising his brows pointedly. “You know.”

Possess him? Crowley frowns and asks, “You think so?”

Aziraphale nods, eyes wide. The visual alone has instantly vaporized any alcohol content in his body.

“I—well.” Crowley considers it, then winces. “I haven’t actually poked inside someone since… oh, gotta be 71, I think. Antoine Gay. Bollocksed that one up.”

Aziraphale blinks, taken aback. In his (admittedly frequent) imaginings of Crowley in bed, he never envisioned him as the ‘poker’, necessarily. He seemed like he’d much rather enjoy getting poked instead. Repeatedly. Passionately. Perhaps up against an opulent pillar.

A Kind of Magic by equestrianstatue

The first time it happened was an accident. No, honestly. It really was.

Not a Mounted Dildo but a Fuck Machine by NaroMoreau and summerofspock (Human AU, but Jesus Christ, I had to include it!)

Aziraphale and Crowley have lived together for three years when lockdown goes into effect. When Aziraphale meets a nice girl on Tinder who he thinks is his perfect match, he's delighted. There's just one hurdle: that pesky virginity thing. Lucky for him, Crowley has always been there for him. He's helped Aziraphale with every other problem through the years, why not this one?

Earthly Pleasures by AstroGirl

Aziraphale has always thought that human sex looks like a great deal of fun. Perhaps now it's something he and Crowley can enjoy together.

Let Sleeping Demons Lie by chamyl and entanglednow (I'm gonna flag this one as dubious consent due to lack of communication and misunderstandings, so take heed)

The demon makes a long, pained noise, and Aziraphale makes his decision. He sinks hurriedly to his knees beside the sofa, oddly reluctant to move his hand from the well-loved, rarely touched warmth of Crowley's skin. But, if he’s going to do this, he needs his full concentration for it, he doesn't want to risk becoming distracted.

After an evening spent drinking together, Aziraphale is disturbed to realise that Crowley cannot be woken up from his nap.

He'll need to make a decision about how far he's willing to go to retrieve his best friend.

circumstance will decide by sabinelagrande

Crowley can resist anything but temptation. Aziraphale's temptation, to be specific.

Victori Spolia by chamyl and entanglednow

“You’re the nice one, obviously. You’re the one I’m supposed to menace, as a demon. You’re the one that’s supposed to be about peace and love and - and - heart-warming stories of animal friendship.”

“I believe I’m also the one that’s supposed to thwart your wiles, and I did a fine job of it too.”

“Yes, but we’re adversaries, aren’t we? Duality of nature and all that, opposite sides. I figure one of us has to be the predator. I know you’ve seen Hell, wouldn’t last there long if you were prey, angel.”

In which Aziraphale and Crowley try to settle an argument.

Come-Fuck-Me Hips by AgentStannerShipper

Crowley has had a fantasy about Aziraphale for centuries now. Too bad the angel would never take him up on it.

Except, as it turns out, he absolutely would.

Aaaand I'm done! Please heed all tags and warnings posted. Give kudos, and leave comments for all these lovely artists who didn't have to share their writing with us but do so for free. They are the backbone of fandom and deserve to be celebrated!

Okay, byeeee!

you can't find any good azcrow smut?? in THIS fandom???? do you want recs

Yes pleaseee I need recs🥲 im too dumb somehow to find the good stuff 🤣

[msmargaretmurry]

would love to know which romance novels you’ve enjoyed!! i feel like we share a lot of “standards” so it would be pretty likely for me to enjoy anything you recommend.

p.s.: have you read any emily henry books? i feel like you might like those. <3

i have not read emily henry but i've heard pretty good things! i actually have a copy of beach read on my shelf that i am hoping to get to this summer. thank you for the recommendation! <3 will talk about some romance novels i've enjoyed under the cut. i am always accepting recs btw!!

my platonic ideal of a contemporary romance novel is evvie drake starts over by linda holmes. the setting feels real, the characters feel real and have real problems, the emotional stakes are proportionate and believable. bonus points for the portrayal of baseball and the main guy's relationship with baseball feeling normal and real. linda holmes's books (i also really enjoyed flying solo, tho not as much as evvie drake) are so character-driven that it almost feels like the romance arcs are secondary to the character arcs, which is ideal to me personally!!

i read a lot more historical romance than contemporary because i find it easier to get over the "that's not how that works!!" of it all in historicals, for reasons not worth elaborating on here. i tend to enjoy kj charles because she's very good at having a strong exteral plot in addition to strong characters! think of england is my fav of hers. for het historical romance i really liked courtney milan's brothers sinister series (esp. the countess conspiracy) and tessa dare's girl meets duke series (can't remember which one i liked best but i listened to them on audiobook at work and i do remember having to stop during a sex scene because i was like oh my god this is actually hot i can't listen to this at work LMAO). i have read every bridgerton and they're all a little dated and some are more mid than others but the francesca book, when he was wicked, is the best one imo.

i liked bringing down the duke by evie dunmore but i did not like the sequel so i haven't read more of hers 😅

it's not structured quite like a traditional romance novel but i really loved peter darling by austin chant, a gay trans peter pan retelling.

i do want to give a shoutout to a romance novel i did NOT think i would enjoy but wound up actually liking a lot, canadian boyfriend by jenny holiday. i was going to skip it because i don't like alternating first person pov but my coworker who loved it told me joshua jackson does the male pov chapters in the audiobook and i was like. fine i will listen to joshua jackson. and i had plenty of quibbles with the book (for one thing i thought the whole book could have been done without the central "fake canadian boyfriend" premise and might have been better for it, lol) but i was surprised by how moved i was by the male lead's complicated grief as a widower and i thought the hockey parts felt realistic and good. going in i was also like urgh ough hockey player/ballet dancer romance is gonna go so hard on the big strong man/tiny dainty woman of it all but it DIDN'T, and i thought the female lead's relationship with dance was nuanced and interesting. i don't think i could have read this book with my eyes due to the povs but the audiobook with alternating narrators worked nicely. and definitely not a perfect book (if i were to rate it on goodreads i'd probably do like a 3.5 rounded down?) but i liked it so much more than i expected to and i feel like i need to demonstrate that i am NOT a hater by default and i CAN be a generous reader when i think a book has earned it 😂

[loderlied]

hey i just went through the gort and zeke tag (AGAIN) (looking for a template) and. i saw you say gortash forces zeke to wear handpicked outfits, what kind of stuff does he make him wear?

also love love love monk gort it’s so real to me However i have been imagining. gortash wielding a halberd recently. (because halberds are sexy.) and flying around doing vault kicks with that flair that he has.

this is a vault kick btw ⬇️ you can’t tell me that’s not sexy.

(also for future reference is my rambling all in one ask okay or would you rather i send them separately? because now that my Song Rec Obsession has worn off i Will be asking questions)

(first of all ramble asks are completely ok!! send them however you like!)

so, before they met zeke was exclusively wearing a massive stolen trenchcoat and genuinely nothing else, no shoes, etc etc. zeke doesn’t enjoy wearing clothing at all, but he‘s a child prodigy detective and you can’t exactly uhm. do that when accepting clients and pursuing your targets and so on, so, when he does wear stuff, he needs it to be big and spacey and give him lots of breathing room. he also has a lot of sensitivities to certain fabric types and so on.

gortash takes zeke’s favourite coat away at the first chance he gets (keeps it for his horrible trophy collection though.) and since zeke doesn’t really have a stable source of income to buy himself his own clothes thanks to gortash, he’s sort of forced to accept whatever gortash gives him. zeke doesn’t even know how to dress himself before gortash teaches him. to make something horrible and creepy a bit more lighthearted, i’d imagine it’s sort of like forcing a cat into little outfits in the beginning haha. straight up does not know how to function, and while he eventually learns to bear it, it is never comfortable. but that’s exactly gortash’s intent. in fact, i think he enjoys zeke’s discomfort quite a bit. eugh.

what gortash makes him wear doesn’t exactly seem special on first glance, but it’s what’s considered neat and proper by society’s standards. simple dress shirt, pants and shoes, a tie and a leather belt with suspenders is the outfit he most commonly puts zeke in. it is however important to gortash that his ‘work’/the scars he inflicted on zeke are always visible to some degree.

this is really all about is once again that conquest. removing the parts that make zeke zeke and crushing them. have zeke look in the mirror and recognise only ruin. humiliating him, actively hurting him even. picking these fabrics that zeke loathes feeling on his skin. i’d imagine that gortash makes the clothing himself, even. that man knows all his exact measurements. perhaps even sews his initials into every piece. similar to giving him piercings made out of metal & zeke’s own bones. these smaller parts of the conquest are still just as important and divine in that grand scheme of his.

also that vault kick is sick as hell and i am now thinking about it way too much…

[not-poignant]

Pia! I need some advice. There's a writer on ao3 whose fics I really like (well, 'love' would probably be a better word) but I've just found out they are a TERF 😭

I had no idea because they don't post anything personal or political on their main tumblr and they don't write fics that reflect these views but I found their side blog and its full of terf and redfem stuff

Now I'm feeling guilty for enjoying their work and also sad because a part of me just wants to keep reading their works despite this because they really are a good writer and have kept their personal views out of their stories but...... UGGHHHHH TERF 😭😭😭

What should I do? Should I stop reading? Should I block them? Or should I separate the artist from the art and just enjoy the fics?

I am not cis btw so I feel really selfish for just wanting to ignore that stuff and keep reading.

Hi anon,

I'm sorry you've found yourself in this situation. There's no point feeling guilty about something that you could never have possibly known until this moment, though I understand that the guilt still happens, it's not like you can be expected to know this stuff when you're just trying to enjoy fics on the internet, y'know? The main thing is you know now. Guilt is a good feeling for getting us to stop and pay attention, and now you're doing that.

As for what happens next, I can't really answer this for you, but I can talk around a few points which might be worth considering re: continuing to read the fic/s or not.

Separating the 'artist from the art' is almost always hugely misinterpreted, and it often doesn't mean 'pretend the artist doesn't matter so I can keep enjoying their content.' Ultimately you have to decide for yourself what you will or won't accept, and that will be down to your personal ethics or values, and how you express those ethics or values.

If my favourite fanfic author was suddenly revealed to be a TERF (unlikely as they're trans, but y'know, it could happen), I personally couldn't enjoy their writing anymore. I wouldn't be able to escape into their stories or characters, knowing the person who wrote this thing I love doesn't believe in my right to exist as I am, and wants to constantly debate my human rights. I can't suspend my disbelief that much.

But then, on the other hand, I can still watch the films of Harvey Weinstein, a horrible fucking human being and scum on earth, and justify this by knowing that many of the people who made that film are not horrible fucking human beings and he is not the only person to consider. Some people would disagree with my choice. Others will understand.

That's me, but everyone is different on matters like that, and so then it comes down to how you show support. If you continue to read this author but never give them a platform, never like their fic, comment on the chapters, interact with them in any way, rec it to another person (not without 'you should also know they're a rabid transphobe'), be a 'silent consumer' etc. and consider this the way that you demonstrate that you don't support this person's beliefs/views, that's also valid. You still express your values by lending nothing to this person that they can then benefit from. This is how some trans people still consume the works of JKR - making sure she never sees a single cent or benefit under the proud flag of piracy - for example. There are going to be other trans people who disapprove of this, or don't like this, who even make good arguments against it, and tbh, I'm on the fence about it myself, I can just understand why people come to this place with it.

Some of those expressions of our values can be problematic - paying for the work of someone who is transphobic (which you're obviously not doing in the case of fic) directly benefits a transphobe who is publicly transphobic. That's just...straight up harmful. That doesn't really express your values. In fact it may express opposite values. Reccing the fics of this author for example, knowing other trans readers might find the side blog one day and feel deeply wounded and betrayed, expresses opposite values - this would be problematic.

You might be someone who sends them a message anonymously or similar, to let them know that their views are hurtful/hateful and ask how they feel knowing that trans people are reading their stories, and see if they respond to you. Maybe they've never thought about it before. But you don't owe them that kind of labour. You may also want to consider naming/shaming them, to at least do fellow folks in your community the courtesy of avoiding a transphobe. The fact that you've gone out of your way to protect their identity even in this anon, is not something you owe them.

There are going to be different ways you make peace with this situation anon, and don't be surprised if they change over time, depending on how you feel about it. People can only tell you what they would do based on their values, and you must sit down with your own values and decide which actions support your values, and which go against them. We don't all express these things in exactly the same way. As long as you're not expressing harmful or opposite values, you're generally going to be okay, and there is sometimes room in that to still enjoy the fic, if that is something you're able to do.

(Please see the tags since I address this in a bit more detail - although the tl;dr there is - have you considered that instead of continuing to be entertained by the works of a transphobe, maybe if you stopped reading them, you'd find someone you liked just as much, if not more, who will replace them? Sometimes the harm we do is simply in giving our time and energy to someone who wishes we didn't exist, and is actively protesting against our existence - when we could look for others to entertain us who don't expect horrible ethical quandaries from us just to enjoy what they're creating).

(Also, for the record re: other folks reading (I kind of wish I hadn't been forced to respond to this publicly lmao and I'm still in two minds re: whether I'll keep it up), I'm also trans, so I feel like I can talk about the grey area more in this specific issue. I am not advising or advocating for example that white people actively read and engage in the fanfiction of known racists. This is very much - I am talking about this one thing, from a trans person to a trans person, about transphobia in the community and in the works of creators we might enjoy - and I very much want to stay focused on that).

[gentil-minou]

Hi Bushy! I'd like to ask how did you get into k-dramas/ c-dramas and what are your favorites? I'm currently watching Love between fairy and devil and I'm so into it!

oh man i've been into asian dramas since I was a little teen. like while all my peers were into anime i gravitated toward jdramas, before eventually getting into kdramas and more recently this past year cdramas. I think I love the stories and that they're shorter overall than western tv, so I don't have to keep being engaged over the years.

Narrowing down my faves is soooo hard but for folks who want to get into kdramas my recs would be (under a read more because I used a lot of gifs):

Coffee Prince - all time fave, just the best characters and sweetest story. The ending was meh but I adore them all so much, this will always have a special place in my heart. Also the OST still SLAPS. Also also I know I used the term my best girl a lot but Go Eun Chan IS ACTUALLY the best girl she is like my dearest friend

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon - MY BEST GIRL (yes i know what i just said) and my best pathetic man, adore them and this story. Kdramas have this fun genre thats basically romcom with a side of murder and I eat that up. Also two of my favorite actors ever

Twenty Five Twenty One - I have to rec it because those first 12-14 episodes were the best episodes of any drama I've ever seen. Just phenomenal. Might break your heart but worth it tbh

When the Camelia Blooms - see: romcom with a side of murder genre. also just adore everything gong hyo jin is in

Healer - it's got its problems but the identity shenanigans are top tier just YEAH

Extraordinary Attorney Woo - I know western fans might not be so impressed with the fact that the actress herself is not on the spectrum, but I thought the portrayal was very well done and considering how this is the first kdrama depicting ASD characters as the hero, it's an incredible first step. Also it's just so adorable and wonderful I even put up with my hatred of legal dramas for it. Also whales.

Her Private Life - prettiest main couple ever i could stare at them forever. i'm not a fan of the childhood connection plot but i accepted it for this, also Sian my baby boy

Goong - SO DATED NOW but it's my first kdrama so i gotta rec it omg. But arranged marriage enemies to lovers YESSS AND MODERN MONARCHY YEAHHHH

Moonlight Drawn by Clouds - the crossdressing trope is a big one in kdrama and i always enjoy it look im a simple gal okay. also i adore the female lead so much

A Business Proposal - kookie fun, just so much fun djkfhsd. Wonderful friendships and romance. Thank god this aired while 2521 was on air cause i don't know how i would have survived tbh

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo - JUST THE CUTEST MAIN LEADS LIKE GOSH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

Those are the ones off the top of my head I have to admit I am BEHIND and i don't always finish a drama, because tbh it's really a mixed bag and they can be good or absolute garbage but depends on your interests. I tend to gravitate towards romance genres but theres a lot of intrigue and mystery and action and melodrama there's really something for everyone. And not everyone will agree with each other on it but still

I'm new to cdramas but I really loved Love Between Fairy and Devil, stellar throughout. I gotta rec The Untamed because my best boys but it might not be for everyone. I'm still working on New Life Begins but it's very cute and feel good.

Give me more recs btw! I love them!

[kendochick-moor]

thank you so much for responding and considering about it. I could link you to the ss month prompt if you want but there’s no specific prompt from there I was referring to. I just had a thought because since I’m a multisaku shipper, I’ve read all types of sakura ships but I notice that ss fics are usually vanilla with some angst and just tame in general. They don’t really have dark sexy fics like madasaku, or other sakura parings you have written. In ss fics, Sasuke is usually just written as someone that is a considerate partner and doesn’t take advantage of sakura. but we need a dominant Sasuke that takes what he wants and not ashamed of it, just like sakura likes being submissive to him. I just thought ss need a good explicit fic and the first writer I thought of is you. I love your writing btw❤️

The MadaSaku fandom have a particularly significant foothold on the darker and explicit fic, I agree (and am grateful for it, hahaha)! Challenge issued and accepted, though I can't guarantee exactly when it will be posted (unfortunately it likely won't be too long a story but perhaps someone else will write more dark!SS fic, now that there's a public desire for it)!!

In the meantime, if anyone has some really delicious, darker/explicit SasuSaku fics, could you please rec them to me by sending me an Ask or replying/reblogging this post??? <3

[one-strugling-bean]

DSMP Fanfic Rec List because I’m bored - part 1

(IF YOU READ ANY OF THESE, DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT - even a simple "great work" or "this was a lot of fun" suffices, just  comment)

Manburg vs Pogtopia Era (lots of Manburg cabinet, Pumpkin Duo, and Schlatt studies)

depressing final moments for an equally depressing man by cottageaddict

Your chest aches, a twinge you can’t quite place shooting through your ribs, and all you can do is sigh and lift the bottle to your lips once again.

“Are you- Are you drinking?!”

-

I’m a big fan of 2nd person narration and this particular work delivers it beautifully. I also adore the way they wrote Schlatt - the fear of death, the understanding and semi-acceptance of all the wrongs he’s done to everybody, and his response to it all being just Well fuck *proceeds to drink more* - he’s so very much in character.

That very specific, and honestly pretty fucking sad implication at the end hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting too, actually-

___

I Will Sing No Requiem by Rjeealdleyr 

"Fundy wouldn't cry for Wilbur."

-

#cfundydeservesbetter

I second the author by saying we don’t have enough Fundy fics in this fandom, so here is one. Be prepared for angsty angst!!

___

Exorcise My Fat Old Heart by orojiratsu

On the day you die the sun is beaming.

OR: The death of a villain.

-

More of Schlatt’s POV for November 16th and more 2nd person. This one is written so tragically and in such short sentences, it feels like a poem. Needless to say, I like it a lot.

___

Welcome Home, Theseus. by orojiratsu 

Schlatt is their president, and they will stay by his side. 

-

Aka, an AU where Schlatt tries to get over his alcoholism with the help of those around him and the Manburg Cabinet actually works out. Sooooooo, basically S1 heaven for me.

You get it all: functional pumpkin duo, dadschlatt with Tubbo and Fundy, Tommy getting away from Pogtopia!Wilbur, a happy, hopeful ending- 

When I say that in the DSMP, Schlatt is the character that could have had it all and changed the course of the the story towards a much brighter future, this fic is what I mean.

That last chapter always gets me, i swear-

___

The Nation That Got Better by lb1412 (WIP)

In one world, L’Manberg is no more, its citizens are divided and its enemies reign supreme.

In another world, however, there is still hope.

In another world, a traveller comes with a message, a warning, an omen.

In another world, everything depends on Schlatt.

And maybe, just maybe, there is hope left for him too.

Come, gather around, everyone, for I am about to tell you the tale of the nation that got better.

-

OR, Schlatt gets a visit from a certain time traveller the night before the election and that changes a few things in the lore’s future.

Basically, it's just more Manburg Cabinet working out, although slightly differently and taking longer. I love the broship that Pumpkin Duo has in this.

The lack of heavy angst in here is a real breath of fresh air for me, btw.

ALSO, kids are treated as kids! I repeat, kids are treated as kids!

___

Swagtopia AU by PrincessLunaLover 

It was supposed to just be a secret rescue mission. Tubbo was going to get his father free from prison and let him run into the wilderness, voter fraud charges be damned. But then Fundy found out about the fake charges, and went to Quackity for legal advice.

It wasn't supposed to end with Wilbur publicly executing his own son.

-

Ahhhhhhh Swagtopia AU, my beloved :,)

The title speaks for itself no? An AU where Wilbur cheats to win the elections and it’s all dandy and good until Fundy finds out and decides that justice should prevail.

Schlatt and Wilbur basically switch roles and with them, lots of other things change. (I love this idea so much.)

Dad!Schlatt is a thing and the Pumpkin Duo dynamic reminds me a bit of an edgier Happy Duo - that married couple who can't stop bickering. They’re great.

Fundy gets a lot of spotlight, Quackity is really intelligent and gets to show it, Techno and Schlatt are old friends, and Sweater Duo angst is a thing, so really, what else could you want??

(Also, this fic is finished, I'm not sure why it’s marked as WIP, but it might have to do with the hints to a possible sequel that just never came to be.)

Think thats it for now - happy readings :>>>

[rollercoasterwords]

hiii, substack guy here just wanted to say that i absolutely love rob horning and little dog, my beloveds. zombies are also my favorite monster!! so ill definitely check and then i woke up, and am so accepting more zombie recs if you have any to give (btw i love your zombie apocalypse AU). Hmm what else. i fangirled so much over one of your girls (esp the music video) as someone who's been following troyes career since blue neighbourhood. Oh, and the haunted ~experience~ seems so fucking cool. we dont really do halloween where im from so the most im doing is some movie marathons and parties, which are super cool but seeing the pic you took got me yearning for some more elaborate celebrations. hope you're doing well!!

hi substack guy <3 another rob horning fan omg!! his essay "social media is not self-expression" is a fave of mine (although the title is maybe overstating his point a bit lol) so i was soooo excited when i found his substack. & yeah on earth we're briefly gorgeous kinda wrecked me ngl...i understand why everyone was raving abt it now...

+ a fellow zombie fan omg fun <3 unfortunately i do not have many zombie book recs bc. well most of them r bad i will not lie...unless we're talking nonfiction in that case i really like zombies and sexuality: essays on desire and the living dead. fiction-wise and then i woke up is probably one of my fave "zombie" stories i've read; i'd recommend severance by ling ma as well although it's not really a zombie story in the classic sense...i still kind of think of it as adjacent 2 the genre. if ur looking 4 movie or show recs tho...hmu happy 2 share my faves...

i have not actually watched the music video for 'one of your girls' yet lol but i'm loving the song!! + yeah i grew up watching troye sivan on youtube + went 2 see him live during the blue neighbourhood tour so it's really cool 2 see how his trajectory as an artist has progressed <3

haunted experience WAS so fun omg it was super elaborate...it was like on this big outdoor park/complex/event space + divided into 4 different sections where u essentially followed these hiking trails through the woods, but each section had a different theme w all these scary sets + props + lights etc. & scare actors in full costume + makeup jumping out + shouting + trying 2 scare u...i've been 2 similarly elaborate haunted houses before but never an outdoor one where ur on hiking trails (outdoor-wise i've only ever been 2 haunted corn mazes...which i will be doing at the end of the month <3). hope ur doing well as well + enjoying ur own halloween celebrations movie marathons + parties sound v fun <3

[sometimes-she-becomes-it]

do u have any Uucest fix recs? i cant find any good ones idk why

Ohhhhh boy. Oooohhhhh do *I*. *Do I*.

Yes. Yes I do.

Most of these are on ao3, btw!

First I have to start with my Absolute Favorite Uucest Fic Of All Time. This fic is so good folks! Like so very very good. It is awesome!!!! This fic is what made me actually *like* Uucest, what led to me being as obsessed with it as I am and not just being "eh I guess it's fine". This entire blog? Is because of this fic. All the drabbles I've written, the stuff I've reblogged to keep in my personal archive. All of it. Everything Just because of this one fic. But gog is a hell of a fic!

Onto the stuff I like about it! It has a more work less healthy Uucest dynamic. Like, they're on even grounds, instead of it being purely submissive Callie/Dominant Caliborn as I usually find it. This fic shaped what I would consider a healthy Uucest dynamic to be. But it doesn't *just* have Uucest! It also has Hal+Callie interactions which I think are very much worthwhile! It involves Callie and Cal playing Sburb together. I won't spoil too much, but it is very very good. Although the ship starts out seemingly unrequited on calliope's side, there still seems to be a glimmer of hope by the ending.

Seriously, this fic is so good guys. Also check out the author's fanfictions too. Even if that fic isn't to your liking, they have other pics about other characters which I absolutely adore and might be worth checking out.

Now, in no particular order!

Next is Alternate, a fic about Alternate Caliborn after his death at the hands of Alt!Calliope. I like this one bc it goes a bit into the ideas of cherub culture and such? Which I think is very very interesting I love exploring cherub culture way more people should do it. It also has some dirkuu in it? But it's mostly cherub stuff for now. It does have gore and... Well, the general stuff one would come to expect from a Caliborn centered fic. I still think it is very good tho.

GIVE ME A HAND (NOT LIKE THAT YOu DEGENERATE) is also one of my favorite fics. It's not *directly* Uucest, but it involves caliborn """asking""" (ordering) dirk to do sexual roleplay as calliope so caliborn can jack off to it. So I think it counts? I come back to reread it every once win a while. It is very good. Also has an exploration of how caliborn perceives his and his sister's hatefulness dynamic to be? It's just a few lines but still. Good.

calthisisUs.PNG by mouserato. Basically the two siblings playing a game where caliborn asks Callie questions about her ermmmm redder fantasies. And then he jacks off to the answers. Told through pesterlogs but you can still feel the sheer tension between these two. The comments also have some insights on the author's writing thought process in case that is something you might be interested in!

Actually just read everything by Mouserato. Their fics are very very good!!! Here, lightning round on their fics and why I like them

Acceptance I have read this fic like 5 times already. show no signs of stopping. It involves caliborn in his session struggling to progress, and slowly dealing with his grief over what he did to calliope. I like focus where caliborn needs Callie as much as she needs him, so I enjoy this one quite a lot.

June 28, 1998 technically a flashback fic for another work but it works well enough on its own without context from the other fic. It deal with caliborn's slow rising attraction for calliope as he deals with puberty. I do not want to give off spoilers though, but I would recommend you read the tags very carefully, alright? Thank you.

The Task hadn't been updated in a while, but I like the way Callie acts in this fic. Just two chapters tho which is unfortunate. Seems discontinued.

There are other pics they have but those are Emy favorites!

Onto other authors-

A Different Kind of Game is a strip chess fic and ummm. The tension here??? Like, I'm asexual as the day is long but this is sooo well written!! At least in my opinion.

Red is just. A very good fic. I like how Callie behaves in this one. It is a bit short though, so not much to say.

I am a bit tired rn so I might reblogs this later with more additions, but those are the ones I can think of at the current moment.

[foxonrollerskates]

Hello! I finally listened to the songs you recommended me! (Well, almost. I still have to listen to the ones from Beyond, Beyond, Beyond, but I already listened to Scars and Bitter Medicine without knowing those were The Crane Wives songs, lmao. I really, really liked them).

To be completely honest I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy their songs, since their sound isn't really my thing, but I ended up quite surprised. After a few songs it started to feel familiar, and even though is not entirely of my liking, it was a joy indeed. Something new and interesting to try for sure!

I didn't dislike any song, that's for sure. I just feel like I need to let them grow on me, marinate for a bit, wait for the right time to listen to them with more attentive ears. Whatsoever, there are a few songs that really did struck certain cords bithin me, and I want to talk about them, so here is a list (the order is less to more impactful songs btw):

Metaphor: This song really made me want to write. Not sure about what, or why, but it was like an urge. Incredibly. It's on the list just because of that. So I can remind myself to listen to it and daydream the story that I know is somewhere in there, lmao.

The Wolf: Same with the last one. I felt like writing something, like with Metaphor, but in a more subtle way. Don't know what or why but yeah, the feeling is there.

Take me to war: Here because I liked the song generally, but didn't really click for me. It's a good song and I liked the lyrics. I feel like I have to let this one "marinate" as I said before, to truly grasp and feel the song.

Here I am: Just like Take me to war, with Here I am I think I'm not in the right space of mind to enjoy it completely (like I did with Never love an Anchor, for example. That one clicked way too well...), but I liked the lyrics a lot and I realized there were some things that really resonated with me. Let's this one marinate too.

Tongues and Teeth: I love the title, and I like the concept of the song and the lyrics too! Marinating already, since this was one of the first I listened to, back when you first send me the list of songs.

How to Rest: I liked the verses “Cause you'll miss the sun/The warmth of another's embrace/You'll need room to run/And something to chase/And that thing you fear will coax you out of that unholy place/As all you've ever wanted is an escape” and “Darling, when you've tired/You will see/There is no safe place, no sanctuary/It's all just child's play, a game of hide and seek/Don't make it harder than it has to be” (this last one maybe is because of bias, since i love the word sanctuary, but idk).

Hollow Moon: I LOVED THIS SONG. Omg, I never thought I could find I song like this, in the sense that I've been struggling with going to sleep or staying in bed, intrusive thoughts and shit like that and this song was head-on regarding my experiences. “I won't be sleeping/There's too many monsters in the backyard/And I feel them creeping/Closer, closer, closer” FELT. “But if I made my bed/Did I make the demons in it?/Set 'em free from my head/Did I make the demons in it?” UGH. Anyway. Kind of unwell about this song.

Ribs: Religious imagery, self acceptance and independence, and really soothing beat and vocals? Amazing stuff. This is one of my favorites, actually. Really fan of the “it is mine” and the “how lucky we are/you are” through the song.

Hard Sell: Literally me rn.

The Hand that Feeds: reminded me of my father.

Never Love An Anchor: Genius.com says is about a mother-child dynamic but idk. I got so emotional with this song, I almost cried. Made me think of my little brother and oh well.

Honorary mentions: Canary in a Coal Mine and The Moon Will Sing.

Thanks for the recs!!!

Ho hohohohohohohoho

I'm glad you enjoyed them, since it was a list of all my favorite songs 😅 I wasn't sure how you would like them since I didn't know how much you fw that folk-y sound(fun fact, they grew up in the same state as me so our accent is similar).

You're welcomeeee! (I thought you would like Ribs, so glad I was right.)

[ghostreviewer]

Maxton Hall Series by Mona Kasten

5/5 ⭐️

CW: spoilers, mentions of stroke leading to parental death, near drowning, and abusive parents

OMG I LOVE THIS SHOW!! I know I haven’t reviewed any shows yet (welcome to the first) but I just finished this last night and at was so good? Like, I got attached after 2 episodes! It’s a German TV show based of a book series (also in German) so I watched it in German with English subtitles. Whole reason I even found this show is because I’m doing an exchange right now and am in Germany and my friends host family introduced it to me and then me and my person watched it. Anyway, should probably actually start the review and not just ramble about how I found it. (It’s on Prime Video btw and season 2 is already in the making)

Anyway, haha, I seriously loved this show. It’s rivals to lovers and James (MMC) was a dick at the beginning to Ruby (FMC) but than they fell in love and it was so cute. It’s rich boy poor girl and it’s just, aaaaah I love it. Ruby‘s family is so cute and they have such a great relationship with each other and it’s just amazing. James‘ family, on the other hand, isn’t that great. He has his sister Lydia and they and so close it’s amazing. Ruby accidentally catches Lydia with one of their teachers (Graham [the first same of the teacher] and Lydia started dating before he got the job at the school and than once they realized it they broke up and the scene Ruby walked in on was as Lydia says “a relapse”) and James is ready to pay so much money to keep Ruby from telling anybody but Ruby was like, no thanks, and turned down I think 5 million Euros. It was insane I love Ruby. And she doesn’t even tell anybody at all. James thought she told somebody and ruined the welcome party Ruby planned (dick move right there) and then they’re forced to work together on a different one.

And they learn so much about each other it’s insane. And they learn to care for each other and just aaaaah it’s so cute. Ruby’s dad is paralyzed from an accident with a boat trying to save Ruby from drowning and then at a party some kids push Ruby into a pool and she obviously starts freaking out and James saves her (!) and Carey’s her bridal style out of the party and she cry’s and explains everything in the car and it’s so cute. That scene was by far one of my favourites. And then they have the gala where James is supposed to be at a press conference but him and Lydia try a twin swap but it fails and holy hell their dad is pissed and he literally smacks James across the face. I hate their dad so much like, I can’t even put it into words.

Backtracking a little bit, one of the goals of the party was to get the principal of the school to write Ruby a letter of recommendation to Oxford because a letter of rec from him would be insanely valuable. So a lot of what’s going on in this show is working their way to Oxford. And when she gets accepted and goes to the school for the interview process it’s so cute but also heartbreaking because while Ruby and James were dating, James’ dad threatened to ruin Ruby’s family if James continued to talk with her so they broke up. Have I mentioned I hate his dad? Anyway, so then they see each other again because their dorms are right across from each other and it’s so cute. And Ruby does so well in her interviews and the two make up and it’s amazing. We also found out that Lydia is pregnant with Grahams kid and omg was that unexpected but also she loves Graham so much and already loves the baby’s and she’s grown so much from the start of the series and I’m so happy for her. But then it’s back at the houses. Ruby is celebrating with her family and it’s so cute and I love them all so much. But James and Lydia are not having that great of a time.

The ride back was quiet, probably expected but we got the like, forwarning music and knew something was up. Especially because Lydia had just tried to call her mom to tell her about the pregnancy and it went straight to voicemail. So they get home and their dad tells them to sit down, Lydia does but James doesn’t. Then he tells them their mom had a stroke and died and it’s was so heart breaking because while she had her major expectations she was still better than the dad and just I’m so mad that they killed her. And then James just shoots up and starts hitting his dad and I’m sitting here like, oh yeah this is so deserved I wish it was him that died and not the mom. And then he goes and sees Ruby and her family being all happy and it just hits you in the feels and then the season ENDS. It’s like, excuse me I was still watching this give me my baby’s back.

It was such a great show and I loved it so much. 100% would recommend to anybody who loves romance shows and rivals to lovers and just, literally anybody honestly I loved it. 5/5 best thing I’ve seen in a hot minute.