#Kurt being adorable trying to figure how to work a flip book

[kate837]

Inspired by this ⬆🆙⤴

Flipped

Jane has always had amazing artistic talent. But one week Jane had discovered how bad creative blocks can be. She couldn't draw ANYTHING! Every time she tried it just didn't work out. So kind of out of the blue, Jane decided to start making flip books. But not ordinary flip books. She decided to make flip books of events that actually happened.

She named them 'Flips'. Most times she would make her flip books about the cases that her and the team enjoyed. And ahead would never tell him but those were always the one's where Rich was in the field with them, or cracking jokes over comms.

Jane's Flips we're always incredible detailed. When you flipped through it it was more like watching a movie then looking through a sketchbook. It was absolutely incredible. Jane never told any of the team (including Kurt) about her Flips.

Eventually, Kurt had found her sketchbook while cooking. Jane was still at the NYO finishing paperwork, so Kurt had planned to come home and cook something for her and then head right back to the NYO. He was soon distracted by the sight of Jane's sketchbook on the coffee table. Since his dish was far from done he went, picked up the sketchbook and started studying the inside.

Jane often let him look in her sketchbook so he didn't think that it was private. But Kurt didn't know about the Flips. At first he really confused. He hadn't really heard much about flip books so it took him about fifteen minutes to figure it out. But once he did he couldn't have stop himself from flipping even if he had wanted to. He was fascinated by the detail. He actually laughed when he came across Rich calling Patterson Patty and her immediately smacking him upside the head.

Pretty soon, and definitely faster than he intended, he got to the last Flip.

Instead of funny moments and cases with the team this Flip was about the day Mayfair died.

Jane had told him about that day but not into too much detail. He watched-uh flipped in horror and sadness. He watched it like a movie. He watched Jane's emotion change from shocked to panic to anger to anguish. He watched as she started to put the pieces together in her mind, when Weitz was presenting the evidence of MayFair's conviction.

She even included flashbacks of the pen, the GPS chip, and the flash drive. He watched her walk to the abandoned parking garage to meet Oscar. He watched her rage as she said "Oscar it's over! " He also saw Jane's face turn to panic as she saw Mayfair come out of the shadows. Kurt actually gasped when he saw her, he looked about as shocked as Jane was. He saw Mayfair raise her gun at Jane. Then he saw Oscar shoot her. When he got to the picture of Mayfair being shot he temporarily stopped flipping. The detail of her face was incredible. It looked like she was staring right past him.

Obviously Jane has a photographic memory but this is more than that. She even remembered Oscar's look of malice along with some shock as he killed her. As he started to flip again he had started crying. He watched as Mayfair fell to the floor and Jane trying to put pressure on the wound. He watched as Mayfair still tried to "Protect her team". He continued to watch as Jane told Oscar to leave, he watched as Jane sobbed when Mayfair spoke her final words and finally died. Jane was broken, with MayFair's blood on her fingers. He saw how Jane stayed with her for a while after she died, just sitting next to her. Grieveing.

The Flip had ended with Jane staring at Mayfair on the ground. Kurt had finished the flip but couldn't bring himself to move. He stared at the page for another minute. Then got up took his dish out of the oven, put in a plastic bag for Jane and walked out the door. Once he arrived at the NYO he almost ran to the elevators. He got off and started walking towards Jane's desk. When he walked over to her she immediately noticed that he looked like he had been crying. She also so how thoughtful he was to have brought her food.

She got up to hug him as soon as he was within arms reach. He set the food down behind her, on her desk, and hugged her forcefully. He was still in the mindset of the Flip. He couldn't get it out of his head, it was like it just kept replaying in his mind. Jane's voice broke him of a trance that he didn't even realize that he had been in. "Why do you have that? " Jane said. Kurt (puzzled) looked around to see what she could be talking about when it donned on him that he still had her sketchbook in his hands. He started to wonder how in the world he could have drove with both hands if that never left his hands but that would have to wait. "It was on our coffee table so I picked it up" Kurt said but one look at Jane and he knew that that explanation wasn't doing him any favors.

"I was cooking" He said and points to the bag of food on her desk. "And I saw it on the coffee table out of the corner of my eye so I got curious and started reading it, and I know that I should have asked you but you didn't mind me looking through it before so I just thought that it would be okay" Jane nods with understanding so Kurt continues. "It's amazing! I have never seen anything like it. I looked through all of it. I personally love the "Jane's Flips" " He says and winks at Jane, and Jane starts to laugh.

Jane then asks "Did you look through all of it? ". Kurt says yes and starts to tear up again. She now realizes why he had looked/been so shaken when he first walked in. She taps her desk for him to sit down, so now they are both sitting on her desk in an empty SIOC. She turns towards him, as does he. Jane sighs. "Kurt there was no way for me to ever get the picture across of what happened to Mayfair with just words. What I told you may have seemed like I withheld information from you now that you saw my Flip but I swear to you that I told you as much as I possibly could. " Kurt looks at her then realizes that she's...... Apologizing?? "Jane, do you think that I'm mad at you? " Kurt asks. Jane nods so Kurt takes her hand. "Jane your master piece gave so much of an insight into that night that even if you could tell me I wouldn't have been able to fathom it. You. Are. Amazing. And I love you. " Jane stares at him incredulously at first but then she stares at him in awe of how amazing HE is. "Thank you Kurt. I love you so so so much."

A night to forget.

(Blindspot Season 1, Episode 22 - If Love a Rebel, Death Will Render)

[kurtty-drabbles]

Postwoman au (Part 5)

N/A: So, here we go. I have this idea that Krampus is unintentionally stalking Kitty-well, he did a background check on Kitty. Just to be safe- while it was for professional reasons...Kitty is stalking Krampus for her own reasons. Anyway, this idea is based on a Krampus´s fics I read. I used 2 times the plot "Kitty dated a teacher" so I´m subverting.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @djinmer4 @bamfoftheundead @everykurt @muninandhugin

The envelope is has a light tone of pink as the handwriting- obviously not make by human hands as no one could perform such type of signature so perfectly- is being held by her cold fingers absently. One can see the name addressed to Kitty Pryde( Katherine Anne Pryde) and how she is cordially invited to a social gathering- the words are sophisticated, but, the meaning of those words are simple to see- know as a wedding. And Kitty can´t help herself by letting a mirthless grin graces her face. 

Peter Wisdom and Sarah Malloy will officially be a couple and Kitty is beckoned- that´s the word used. The invitation doesn´t like to repeat words- to such occasion. And Kitty fingers could rip the letter in half in no time, yet, she can´t help to notice some little things in this story.

Peter and Sarah dated for 5 years. Kitty and Peter meet each other 5 years ago- she was a student at university. She was a student in his class- and 5 years ago Peter made a proposition to Kitty...and she refused as much she wanted to say yes...one little fact rules out any possibility for Kitty to say yes. Being a teacher´s pet is one thing. Date one is another entirely.

(She still caught herself thinking in what-ifs. As harmful it is. And Kitty still holds the letter)

"Will this be like Jean and Scott´s wedding?" Kitty asked to no one but herself- a student near her listen and made the shush sound as he´s back to his book rather annoyed and perplexed. The pile of books to his side and the bags under his eyes paint an obvious picture here- and Kitty chastised herself for this thought. She can be better than this. 

She puts the envelope in her bag and leaves the table where she was and ignores the student who was picking another book in a desperate fit as some papers ended up falling to the ground - the student is now muttering something relates to equations and maybe he wasn´t as silent as he was hoping since someone made the shushed sound. Kitty is heading to the librarian with some books in her arms.

The librarian flashes a kind smile. A beautiful woman and Kitty bite her inner check as she notices her pretty face and eyes- she gentle shakes her head making her ponytail flipping around like a cute tail- "Uhm, hi...I think I´m having some trouble" she begins and the librarian- her name is Amy Lestrange. And she has a heavy German accent that is somewhat familiar- and she should show the books but instead, Kitty holds them closely and looks over her shoulders.

The Librarian. Amy. Is paying attention to her movements. Kitty looks adorable right now.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Let be know that Krampus doesn´t go head straight to torture. He did mention to Kitty how he was spies, but, sometimes the man himself likes to see with his own eyes. A request made by an old friend prompts Kurt to disguise himself and investigate a wizard who is fumbling with things he shouldn´t. So far, Kurt has a 90% certainty of his guilt. He will only act when he has 100%.

Amy´s face or the idea for this mask was based on one of his old flings- a pretty witch who made a deal with Krampus a long time ago- and well, the dead can´t sue him. The disguise work like a charm- he almost laughs at this silly pun- when his eyes noticed the silhouette of Kitty Pryde trying her best to hide some books from public view.

Krampus is too curious to end the rouse now. Her words let him even more curious and well, Kurt sees no harm done to continue to be Amy. "And what the problem would?" he asked coming a bit closer to her face- Kitty has brown and doe eyes. Full of secrets and something else-noticing her blushing. 

Kitty still hides the book and looks one last time behind her shoulders to see if anyone would peep tom on her choices of book, once proving all the others are too focused on other projects, Kitty puts the books in the balcony.

Kurt is half amused. Half embased as well. A bit of Fremdschämen 

"Uhm, do you want more hardcore porn?" Amy asked in a professional tone. Erotic is no longer a taboo theme, at least not anymore, so if Kitty wants to read something more "spicy" Kurt won´t judge her- he´s a bit flatter, to be honest- and Kitty blushing again is cute. Her checks have such lovely color.

She should blush more often!

"Ok, no, of course not!" she all but shout in a low tone. And clears her throat as her eyes notice some eyes on her figure. "I mean, really serious research" she looks too focused in a way he often has when she is doing one of her courier´s functions. "And well...those books are a bit useless" and then her face closes off, not literally. Kurt has seen people literally closed faces before.

"I want to know things about Krampus...not which Disney Princess he fucked" and she raised the book as if this is the proof of everything wrong in society.

Ah, I remember those series...

She bites her lips cutely. She can be really cute sometimes. "I don´t need to know what Elsa, Krampus, and Anna do at Christmas" she looks peeved and embarrassed. Amy is professional. Kurt is inwardly amused.

"Why the interest in Krampus?" a fair question. People who sought Krampus have two reasons to do this and Kitty is not the type who would ask for revenge or a kinky fuck...or is she?

Kitty puts a lock of her hair behind her hair. "Is a project" she replies confidently. Amy arch one eyebrow. "And is not because you´re working for him? Look, I´m a witch and we, witches, have a way to know about things...especially Germans witches" to be fair on his part, he´s not lying. Kitty´s job is not a secret.

Kitty then tries again. "Look. Yeah, I work for him...and I can´t help to feel as if he knows details about me and ...that´s not really fair" and ok, Kurt can see her side. He did look upon her past. Still is amusing she wants to know his past in this way instead of just asking.

"Well, I can give a summarize of Krampus, if you want" and she comes closer again. Kitty smells like strawberry and is a sweet aroma if you ask Kurt. Kurt can´t help himself by smiling like this- really, he can´t. Kitty is making this too easy- "Or Krampus take your kids or your wife" and Kitty blinks at this and picks a book with a dark cover.

"Like this story?" and she frowns. "I didn´t like this idea. Yeah...I can totally believe he likes sex. A lot" she blushes again and let her finger trace some of the other books. "but this one here paint him as a hypocrite...and I think he´s not ..."

Kurt can be moved by this declaration if nothing else.

"Well, many stories often show his bad side or make him a cartoonish villain..." Kurt recalls the time Hollywood makes a movie where he was cartoonish evil and was in a love triangle with the Easter Bunny...Easter Bunny was not pleased.

"So, there´s to have more about him...he can´t be just...take your kids ...and your wife...like, how old is he?"

Amy smiles. Not entirely professional.

"Old enough to not be called Krampus"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Brian Braddock is a man who used to drink a lot- to cope with his sister´s death and then resurrection- but after he made an ass of himself 2 years ago...the British man enter into AA and never touched alcoholic beverage ever again. So, right now, Brian is completely sober as he watches something that it must be a dream...or a nightmare.

A beautiful woman with long blonde hair and an hourglass figure is staring at him with a beaming smile and shining eyes. She´s beautiful. She´s innocent and she´s not real. She can´t be.

"Hello, my name is Meggan Puceanu. I´m a succubus" she says those words too calmly. And Brian is too sober for this. SO is 100% real.

"I never touched a drink again...and won´t do now" Brian states to a confused Meggan who congratulates him even if she´s missing the point. "So, are you here to kill me? Cause death by sex is as wonderful and terrifying as it sounds" he tries to joke about it. Tries.

Meggan blinks at this. "Oh no, I´m well feed, thank you, no...I´m here cause I heard you are after Shadow King...I want to help"

Brian opens his mouth and closes again and again.

"Ok. Welcome to Excalibur"

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine one-shot “Synced Up” (Rated NC17)

It's a morning of heartbreak for poor Kurt Hummel. After spending a magical night with a man he knows he's never going to see again, he loses his brand new phone. But things go from bad to worse when he discovers someone has found his phone ... and is taking pictures with it. (2345 words)

Notes: This is a variation of a K*urtbastian fic I wrote for an old Klaine Advent Drabble prompt 'cloud'. If you've read the original (Hidden in the Cloud) this one is completely different. But it's also inspired by real events (that didn't happen to me), Sex and the City, and, to a small degree, Cinderella xD

Read on AO3.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Kurt grumbles as he storms off the elevator. He stomps down the hallway to his office and drops his bag on his desk, kicking his chair and the waste paper basket a la his stepbrother Finn Hudson as he goes.

“Language, Mr. Hummel,” Isabelle scolds playfully, following her cursing employee into his work space.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve lost my fu---” Kurt blows a breath between clenched teeth, stemming another tide of four-letter expletives. “I’ve lost my phone!”

“Oh, no!” Isabelle switches to serious mode, giving Kurt’s predicament the appropriate amount of gravitas considering how excited he was about upgrading. Kurt loved his new phone. He bought a Burberry case for it, spent the better part of one afternoon configuring it to perfection. Now three short days later it was already gone. “Do you have any idea where it might have disappeared to?” She watches Kurt root through his bag, pulling out the contents and laying them on his desk. She bites her bottom lip at some of them – an extra pair of underwear, balled up socks, a toothbrush, deodorant, a wad of condoms, and a bottle of lube that would choke a Rottweiler. She doesn��t know if he realizes what he’s revealing, if he’s just that comfortable around her, or so upset over the loss of his phone that he honestly doesn’t care.

Either way, Isabelle knows Kurt enough by now to know that he doesn’t normally carry those items in his bag.

Which means, despite losing his phone, someone got lucky last night.

“No.” Kurt shakes out his bag, sending the last scraps of old receipts and miscellaneous wrappers to the ground. When he reaches the bitter end with no phone in sight, he surveys the mess on his desk. “This is the seventh time I’ve been through my bag and nothing!”

“I just hope you lost it at home and not on the subway over here.” Isabelle sympathizes, but she’s also fishing for information on where her protégé spent his night.

Kurt plops down in his chair, holds his bag open at the edge of his desk with one hand, and sweeps his things back into it with the other. He doesn’t mention anything about the spare clothes or the condoms, but he doesn’t look embarrassed by them, either.

“Either way, there’s nothing I can do about it now.” Kurt closes his bag and shoves it against the wall.

The day is shot, and it’s only nine in the morning.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Isabelle offers, squeezing his shoulder.

He puts a hand over hers and pats it gently. “Thanks,” he says. “I will.” He flips open his laptop, preparing - albeit unenthusiastically - to get down to business. His computer comes out of hibernation, and already he has an alert in the bottom right-hand corner of his screen. Kurt glosses over it, but Isabelle notices.

“What’s that?” she asks, pointing a long, blush-painted nail at the tiny rectangular icon. Kurt’s gaze follows to the narrow box.

“That’s my Cloud alert. It shows up when my phone syncs to my computer,” he explains, positioning his cursor over it with a long, disappointed sigh. He clicks on it, and a larger box pops up. Kurt reads it, confused. “A new photo has been uploaded to my Cloud?”

Isabelle gasps. “That means someone has your phone!” she says, anxiously shaking Kurt’s shoulder. “And they’re taking pictures!”

“What the … no!” Kurt exclaims, opening his Cloud account to check. He knows this is his fault. How many times when he activated his phone did it ask him if he wanted a face recognition, pattern, password, pin, or some sort of swipe thing-y to unlock his phone, and he repeatedly pushed no? In fact, he was mildly offended that his phone would have so little faith in his ability to keep it safe. Obviously, the thing was right. “Oh, please be at home. Please just be Brian …” he mutters, praying that his phone slipped out of his pocket when he raced home to change and ran back out again, that it’s lying on the floor in his kitchen and that his cat took a selfie. Because if it’s not at home, it might be on the subway being violated by strangers. Or …

There’s only one other place he can think his phone might be. He doesn’t want to mention it, because he’s equal parts not entirely proud of it, and disappointed that he won’t get a repeat performance.

He may have left it at the apartment he stayed at last night.

An apartment not his own.

The apartment of a man he met at a bar, and then went home with.

A man he agreed to a one-night stand with before he realized – after dinner, drinks, and a lengthy conversation about school, work, books, movies, musicals, and future aspirations - this was a man he wouldn’t mind seeing again … a lot.

And the sex …

Kurt had heard of toe curling sex before, but had yet to experience it.

Ever since he moved to New York, he’s been waiting for his Sex and the City moment. He figured that, working for Vogue, it would come eventually. But five years had gone by, and not even so much as a pivotal Jimmy Choo sale.

Last night, he took a chance at going to the grand opening of a piano bar in The Village, some tackily decorated, wannabe “gin joint” with an obnoxious name to boot – Tramp Stamp Granny’s. He figured he’d do a write up on it for Vogue, that way he could get away with charging his drinks to his business account.

A foot through the door, he’d already decided he wasn’t going to enjoy himself.

But he saw a guy sitting alone, and they had a moment. The man bought him a drink, then he asked Kurt to dance. Kurt didn’t think it would turn into anything.

He was wrong.

He’d always pictured himself as a Carrie, and last night, he found his Mr. Big.

Kurt shakes his thoughts of the man from his mind. No use crying over spilt milk, or however that saying applies.

They agreed to one night, and that’s all he’s going to get. They hadn’t even exchanged numbers.

Which makes it fitting that Kurt lost his phone.

Kurt opens the picture.

No such luck on it being his cat.

It’s a picture of a hand (tres originale) wearing a black leather glove, and holding a parchment wrapped pastry - a cronut, he believes. Kurt has yet to try one since they became the newest, hottest trend in “expanding one’s bottom line”, not even when Vogue posted a review and Dominique Ansel, the chef who created them, sent seven dozen to the office. Too many carbs, too much sugar, too many empty calories. Yes, they smelled amazing, and yes, Kurt wept as he watched each and every one walk out the door with not a single bite of their flaky deliciousness entering his mouth.

He didn’t regret his decision to abstain, however, when he slipped into his Armani trousers later that night and they were a cinch to button.

But God, does it look good!

His stomach thinks so, too, because it growls loudly, reminding Kurt that he has yet to break into his morning bottle of kombucha.

“I know, right?” Isabelle agrees, putting a hand over her own groaning tummy.

Another alert box comes up on the screen and Kurt clicks it. A second picture opens, this time of a random Lord Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

“Awww,” Isabelle coos, leaning closer to the screen. “Cute puppy!”

“Yeah,” Kurt scoffs. “At least we know that the jerk who has my phone saw a dog today. Lucky him.”

A third alert box appears. Kurt stabs at his mouse pad to open it. He wants to be bitter, wants to be completely furious that this man, whoever he is, is having the day of his life in New York, and taunting the hell out of him with it, but the next image takes him aback.

It’s of the same gloved hand, but this time, holding a beautiful red rose.

Kurt examines the picture thoroughly, hoping to find out where this stranger is. But the frame is focused entirely on the opened flower, the gloved hand a blur in the background. To the right and left, up and down, not an inch of scenery can he see.

“Are you sure you don’t know who has your phone?” Isabelle asks, a secret smile on her lips, wondering if the underwear, the toothbrush, and the condoms might have something to do with the mystery man taking pictures with Kurt’s phone. “Because it seems to me like he might be flirting with you.

“I … wha---?” Another box pops up before Kurt can come up with an answer, and he opens it quickly. It’s a difficult image to decipher at first - the same gloved hand, index finger pointed, but the object hanging off it doesn’t register.

Until it does, and Kurt x’s out of the image in a snap.

Isabelle snickers. “Was that a pair of handcu---?”

“I know who has my phone,” Kurt interrupts, eyes wide as his boss doubles over with laughter.

“Shame on you, Kurt!”

“Shame on me why!?”

“You weren’t going to tell me about your friend with the metal jewelry?”

“Maybe. Eventually. Yes. I just …”

The phone on Kurt’s desk rings, and they both go silent. Kurt and Isabelle look at it in confusion, as if it’s never rung before. From the light blinking on the panel, he knows that whoever it is didn’t call his line directly, but had to be transferred by the receptionist. Most of the people who call his office are looking for Isabelle, so they know his extension.

Which makes the caller on line 8 an enigma.

Kurt reaches across his desk for the receiver and answers it.

“Kurt Hummel’s office. Kurt speaking.”

“Blaine Anderson,” a smooth, newly familiar voice informs him. “From the bar last night?”

Kurt grins. Okay, a cat selfie would have been adorable, but this outcome is so much better! “I remember you.”

“I found your phone.”

The sound of that voice, coupled with the last picture Blaine sent, makes Kurt blush all over. “I can see that.”

“I’m heading your way to deliver it, if that’s alright.”

Isabelle, sitting on the corner of Kurt’s desk and eagerly listening in, squeezes his shoulder again, nearly digging her fingernails straight through his shirt in her excitement.

“Thank you. You’re a life saver.”

“I was originally going to hold it hostage in the hopes of convincing you to have dinner with me, but I figured an important Vogue employee such as yourself might need his phone.”

Kurt fist pumps the air. Isabelle offers him a mimed high-five, then discreetly tiptoes out the door.

She’ll let him have his privacy.

She can grill him about how his missing phone relates to his night out - and that pair of handcuffs - another time.

“And you would be right,” Kurt says. Once Isabelle’s out of earshot, he adds, “But I thought you said you only do one-night stands?”

“So did you.”

“True.” Kurt bites his cheek. This could go one of two ways. He’s hoping it’s a way that leads to a second date with this interesting, gorgeous guy. “But, you know, it’s not a hard-and-fast rule. I’ve been kind of re-thinking it.”

“I have to admit, so was I.” Blaine chuckles. He has the kind of laugh Kurt can feel. It reaches through the phone, finds it way under his skin. “Maybe we can talk about it. Do you have time for a bite? I’m carrying a cronut that’s been calling your name.”

“Has it now?”

Blaine’s mention of a bite has Kurt’s toes curling again. If he remembers correctly, Blaine left him with a bite mark last night, somewhere in the vicinity of his left upper thigh.

“Yeah,” Blaine says, his voice low. “We seem to have that in common.”

Kurt bites his lips together hard to keep from squealing and making an ass out of himself. “I think I may have a few moments … for the sake of that poor cronut.”

“Hmm. Just for the cronut?”

“That, and to thank you for returning my phone.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Possibly turning our one-night stand into a one-night, one-morning, with-the-possibility-of-dinner-later stand?”

“That’s … uh … kind of a long title.”

“I thought of that,” Kurt says, his attention pulled by the sound of the elevator down the hall pinging as it stops on his floor. “Shortening it might not get my message across. And I wanted to be very clear.”

“That makes sense. Well, a morning stand with the certainty of dinner later it is then,” Blaine says, and God! Kurt can hear his voice coming from the hallway!

“Sounds like a date.” Kurt plants his feet flat on the floor to keep from leaping out of his seat the second Blaine walks in. He has to maintain some illusion of cool, calm, and collected, even if he’s vibrating like a teenager in heat. To that end, he turns his chair, putting the back to the door. His desk chair has a high back. Faced this way, no one can even tell if he’s in the room or not.

Yup. Now he’s the picture of total nonchalance. What a brilliant plan.

Before he can change his mind, spin his chair back around and find a more natural way to sit, he hears the door to his office shut with a soft click. Footsteps stop behind his chair. His cell phone materializes on the desk in front of him, followed by a white paper pastry bag, that beautiful red rose … and Blaine’s silver handcuffs.

A strong hand caresses his arm. Warm lips dance over his jaw, Blaine’s cheeky grin undeniable.

“I can hardly wait.”

[problemsofabooknerd]

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell (Review)

Pride day 12!

Check out the intro to my Pride project here.

Anthologies have been all the rage in YA for a little while now, and I know that there are many more on the horizon. But All Out is the one that means the most to me, and the one I have loved the most out of the many I have read. It is a collection of stories all about queer teens living, loving, and being happy, written by a variety of queer authors. I figured today I would share my full, detailed review of the book, and encourage all of you to pick up a copy of your own!

For those of you who don't know, I have been anticipating All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through the Ages since the very first Publisher's Weekly announcement almost two years ago. Since that time, I have read more books by more of these authors, worked shortly for the agency that represents many of them, and generally fallen into a rabbit hole of anticipation that I can't believe I've finally pulled myself out of. It has been a long journey. And now I'm thrilled to talk more about each of these stories and my overall thoughts on this collection. ♡Story Reviews♡ ♡ Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore: 4/5 This was a brilliant start to the collection, and only solidified the love I have for Anna-Marie McLemore's writing. There is something so fierce and unyielding about her characters, and even in a few pages she was able to craft a deeply moving story full of characters and a world I instantly understood. I really appreciated her writer's note giving more context to the story, but overall I felt fully absorbed in the collection from page one. ♡The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker: 2.5/5 In concept, this is brilliant. Two women run away from their husbands on the day of their weddings, steal boats, and happen to run into and fall for each other. However, in execution, I wasn't as big a fan. The story felt rushed, the romance uncompelling, and I was already forgetting it by the time it was over. ♡And They Don't Kiss at The End by Nilah McGruder: 3.5/5 I love stories set in the 70s, and this definitely delivered on that aesthetic element. The main character was sweet and I really liked the inclusion of a story with a character on the ace spectrum. It was a really nice story with a great setting, and I will 100% be on the lookout for more of Nilah's work. ♡Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee: 4/5 McKenzi Lee sure does know how to make me fall for an m/m pairing. This was hysterical and adorable, and without a doubt delivered on what I was expecting from this author. While I didn't love Gentleman's Guide, this renewed my confidence in Lee's writing and hyped me up for her book coming out in 2019. Seriously, blushing art boys falling in love softly with little bits of embarrassment thrown in? Exactly my cup of tea. ♡The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley: 4/5 I will be the first to admit I have a huge weakness for palace drama, and I'm so glad at least one story in this collection gave it to me. While I have had my bouts in the past with queer characters in period palace shows and movies, this was finally what I've been looking for. The romance wasn't rushed, and the setting was excellent. I'm thinking I may have a particular fondness for Robin Talley when she writes shorter fiction, and I can't wait to read her story in Toil & Trouble after enjoying this as much as I did. ♡New Year by Malinda Lo: 3.5/5 So it turns out this is only part of what will be a full book by Malinda, which I suspected based on the summary of her next release, and I think that showed in the story itself. While it was nice, and I loved the setting of 1950s San Francisco, it felt incomplete and I'm excited to eventually read a deeper, more fleshed out version. ♡Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler: 4.5/5 This was (I think?) the shortest story in the collection, but it absolutely blew me away. I mean.... Kurt Cobain? Best friends harboring secret crushes? Drama? I live for it all, and I can't believe this is the only thing I have ever read by Dahlia. My new goal is to read more of her work as soon as possible. ♡The Coven by Kate Scelsa: 3/5 I kind of expected more out of this story considering it was set in the 1920s, one of my favorite time periods to read about. I did love the witch element, and the setting, but it fell flat considering how many of my favorite things it was trying to deliver simultaneously. I will say I liked the very end of the story the best, though, and I think it made the whole thing feel like it had a solid landing. ♡Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake: 3/5 Oh, how I have tried to love Elliot Wake. His writing is very, very flowery and metaphorical, which was something I knew back when I read Black Iris. But while I know a lot of people love his writing style, it ends up being sort of a slog for me to get through. The story underneath heavy-handed writing was fantastic, though. I love a good retelling, and a m/m retelling of Robin Hood with a trans Robin as the love interest was just a fantastic concept. ♡Willows by Scott Tracey: 2/5 I'll be honest, I don't have a very full idea of what happened in this story or what the particular queer rep even was. I think it was possibly going for a gender fluid or non-binary main character, but the entire thing was unnecessarily confusing. ♡The Girl With the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe: 4/5 Can I get a "hell yeah!" for prairie vibes, bringing it back to the historical fiction I consumed constantly as a kid? Honestly, this was fantastic. Clearly I was a fan of the setting, and the fantastical element was really well done. I'm usually not a fan of anthologies that aren't fantasy having stories with fantasy elements, but I loved this. The f/f romance was great, the writing was solid, and this is a story I would love to return to in the future. ♡The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez: 4.5/5 I can't even fully describe why I love this story as much as I do, but even after just a few pages with the main character I got a little teary at the end? I do love the setting of a scorching porch in the summer and a stranger just wandering through who happens to catch the eye of a main character. I mean, I know that's a specific trope, but I love it. This wasn't a romance so much as a romance-to-aid-coming-of-age-narrative situation, but it was soft and quick and it just made me smile. ♡Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger: 2.5/5 I'll be honest, I had to flip back to this story later because I completely forgot what it was about, and that is the biggest problem. The romance doesn't feel earned, and the entire thing is just sort of a there-and-gone situation that I at no point felt particularly invested in. ♡The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan: 3/5 First and foremost, I'm not that old so it was weird to read about a date I remember experiencing in a historical fiction collection? I mean, I was at a New Year's Eve party in December 1999. I know what that was like. But beyond that, I thought this story was nice. It didn't blow me away, but it was sweet and I did really like the New Year's Eve element. ♡Three Witches by Tessa Gratton: 3.5/5 I've upped my rating by half a star since I read this! There are multiple f/f witch stories in this collection, but I think this one is a bit stronger. The romance was wonderful, and I thought the magic was really off-kilter in a way that charmed me. I think the final POV kind of unsettled the rhythm of the story, but overall it was super enjoyable. ♡The Inferno & The Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson: 5/5 My absolute favorite story in this collection. As someone who lovesThe Prestige more than I would care to admit, the fact that SDH made it gay is??? Overwhelming??? I can't believe it?? I mean, battling magicians is great, but put a m/m romance at the center of it and my heart is completely yours. I want this to be a full novel. I would cry. ♡Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia: 4.5/5 An incredibly solid conclusion to this collection, and it blows me away that Tehlor doesn't have a novel out yet. I know one is coming soon (and!! she's writing one with Anna-Marie McLemore!! I'm not even kind of ready wow!), but I'm anticipating it even more highly after this story. There was so much work done here that it felt like I got the content of a full book in only a few pages. It was profoundly emotional, and there is a deep connection to family and tradition, with this through-line of respect and romance that pulls the whole thing together. Overall, fantastic. ♡Overall Thoughts♡ Like any anthology, I would say this had its ups and downs, but it was a really solid collection that allowed me to read some incredible stories by authors I already love, and some by authors I can't wait to read more from. I do wish, like many other reviewers, that more stories would have been set outside the United States and Europe? I think it would have offered a greater variety in storytelling and really opened up the potential to see so many more stories of queer teens. But beyond that, I really had no complaints, and I feel like my months and months of anticipation were met with a beautiful collection of queer characters living their lives throughout time.

And that’s it for my review! Check out some of my other favorite reviews of this anthology by Elise, Kav, and Destiny. Also, add this book on Goodreads or purchase a copy of your own. Also, bear with me for the next couple of days of posts because I am about to get on an international flight to Australia, so I might be a tiiiiny bit scattered.