#Super excited for Eurovision!

[radiates-confusion]

Quick little doodle of a boi in the Day 13: Zone, of stardom! Happy Eurovision everyone, have a great evening! May the best country win 😉

[eurovision-del]

And with that, all the national finals have been completed! Tonight has been good for me, with both results going my way! I couldn’t watch Melodifestivalen live, but I was happy to find out Marcus & Martinus will be representing Sweden, they were my pick to win! I think they’ll be a great host entry – even though the lads are technically Norweigian, Unforgettable as a song is very standard for Sweden, it’s a great slice of Swedish pop and I do enjoy it. The staging is a big part of it, I watched the winners reprise and it’s definitely weaker without the full staging, but I do think the song has merit, and in the end it’s the whole package that matters. They’ll put on a solid show in Malmö, and I think they’re a host entry that Sweden should be proud of.

Following Sweden, Portugal have also decided and iolanda will represent them with Grito! I’m thrilled with this result – she was just as good in the final as in the semi to my ears, and the song is really something special. I was very happy also to see João Borsch get recognition from the public with him winning their vote, and I’d love to see him back in a future year, but personally I’m glad it was iolanda who won in the end. On the surface it might fill a similar niche to Serbia and maybe even Ukraine’s entries which are competing in the same semi, but I think there’s more than enough space for all of them in the final. I really want to see Portugal do well at Eurovision with this song!  

[because-its-eurovision]

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[thisismyobsessionnow]

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[zoofzoofxx]

“OH MY GOD THAT’S JOOST KLEIN!”

(Pt. 2)

Pairing - Joost Klein x fem!reader

Summary - Following an attempt to ignore Joost and act as though nothing had happened, you both meet on a rainy day while waiting for the bus. He offers you a ride but first takes you out for a dinner and shows you the beauty of Amsterdam at night.

Genre- fluff, maybe little bit of angst.

Mentions - @dozcan123 , @multifilmfan & @mrschandlerbing

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About three months back, something went down with Joost Klein. We chatted at first, but then I got busy, and Joost wouldn't quit trying to get in touch. I brushed off his messages until I finally blocked his number. After that, he stopped trying to reach out on other social platforms. I felt a bit guilty, but I figured he probably moved on. Sometimes I thought about unblocking him and telling him how I felt, but when I saw he was into Eurovision, I hesitated. 3 weeks ago, he dropped a track called Europapa, and it blew up. The song brought back memories of Joost, making me consider going to Eurovision with my sister. Lost in thought, a message from my best friend Zofia interrupted me, signaling her arrival. We decided to grab a drink and catch up, with Zofia's unexpected entrance and our trip to a nearby bar helping clear my head.

⋆ ˚｡��୨୧˚ 3 hours later ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I checked my bus app to see when my bus will arrive. I still had 35 minutes left but the walk wasn’t short so basically I already should be on my way. I escorted my best friend to her place; she was completely wasted, and so was I. It was the usual routine - she'd get super drunk, I'd have to take her home, and then make sure I got back to my flat safely at night. I glanced at my friend before asking if she could at least get ready for bed and sleep. She agreed, closed the door, leaving me alone. I turned on maps to find the nearest bus stop direction, and just as I did, a few raindrops fell on my screen, signaling the impending rain. And sure enough, it started pouring. I began to run, and as I was about to cross the street, a car came speeding towards me, honking loudly, nearly hitting me. Shocked, I turned around, not knowing what to do. The car was already gone, so I tried to forget the scary moment and went to sit on the bench at the bus stop just a few steps away. Sitting there, rain pouring down on me as there was no roof over the bench, I stared at the ground, hoping the bus would arrive soon, even though I still had 10 more minutes to wait in the cold rain.

“Y/n?” A low male voice with a pronounced Dutch accent addressed me. I turned looked up to find a recognizable individual standing directly in front of me. I was taken aback by the sight of him drenched from head to toe, standing there as confused as I was.

"Joost?" I uttered, rising to my feet and adjusting my coat. An extended pause ensued, with neither of us certain of how to initiate this dialogue.

"It was you crossing the street? Please be more cautious next time," he began, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.

"I apologize." I glanced aside and then back at him. He appeared altered. His hair had brightened notably, nearly reaching a platinum blond tone. His demeanor was grave. It seemed like he wasn't content to see me, and frankly, I wasn't excited either.

"How are you?" Were the only words that escaped my lips.

"I'm good. Have you been drinking?" He inquired, moving a bit closer, though there was still a noticeable gap between us. I caught a whiff of his cologne once more. It was the same scent from three months back when he assisted me in zipping up my jacket.

"Tipsy, not drunk," I corrected him, settling back onto the bench, which was once again damp. I glanced down at my shoes, feeling embarrassed.

"I can catch a whiff of the alcohol from here," he remarked, and I simply pouted, unsure of how to respond. He moved closer and settled beside me. Our shoulders brushed together. In a sudden impulse, I rested my head on his shoulder, shutting my eyes and relishing the moment. It dawned on me how much I had missed Joost.

"Y/n, do you want a lift?" Joost interrupted my thoughts. I hesitated a lot, unsure if I should say yes or no.

"Sure." I say standing up. He stood up as well, and I just followed him. It was a 1-minute walk until we arrived at the car I almost got hit by. I sat in the passenger seat and inhaled the scent, Joost's specific cologne mixed with cigarettes. I yawned, leaning on the window. He started his car, and we drove through the city. There was complete silence between us until there was a loud growl. I covered my stomach with my arm and started to daydream about what I would eat when I arrived home.

“What are you doing?” I inquired as Joost made a sudden right turn.

“I’m starving, do you like McDonalds?” He asked and I furrowed my brows.

"I suppose so, but I've got some food at home, so I'll decline," I replied, earning a chuckle from the blonde guy.

"Ha, that's totally a classic mom move: 'We've got food at home,'" he mimicked, leading to a moment of silence as we both pondered our next words.

"It's on me." He stated, breaking the silence as he parked his car in the parking lot and switched it off.

"Please," he uttered, casting me those identical pleading eyes as during our initial encounter. Exhaling deeply, I release my seatbelt and unlatch the car door.

"Macdonalds around midnight just hits differently," Joost remarked as he savored his first bite of the Big Mac.

"Would you like some?" He inquired, flashing me a comforting smile.

"Thanks, but I'm good," I replied, smiling back, enjoying my chicken nuggets. I noticed Joost eyeing them, so I pushed the box towards him and nodded, signaling he could give them a try.

"May I?" He inquired, gazing at me. He looked very handsome. His beautiful blue eyes peered through his thick-framed glasses. He wore a Burberry scarf around his neck. His sharp jawline was what made him truly attractive.

"Sure," I replied, looking down, aware that I was blushing intensely.

"You know I've never tasted chicken nuggets," he remarks as he takes one, slyly snatching the sauce I was using. He sampled the nugget while I indulged in some French fries that I also relished. I glanced out the window; it was entirely dim outside. Then I shifted my gaze back to Joost.

"Why did you block my number?" He inquired out of the blue. I sat upright, unable to provide a response to his query.

"I was occupied," I replied curtly, feeling a bit anxious that this conversation might escalate. He simply nodded, unsure of what to say. After a moment of contemplation, he finally broke the silence.

"Occupied with someone?" He inquired, prompting me to tilt my head slightly. I needed a moment to ponder and craft a thoughtful response. I wasn't preoccupied with anyone. I was simply engrossed in self-care, focusing on my mental well-being, striving to improve my life even just a little. My daily routine felt monotonous - waking up, having breakfast, heading to work, eating dinner, sleeping, and repeating the cycle. I grew weary of this routine. I longed for my parents, my younger sister, and the carefree days of childhood.

“No.” I replied dryly, as I took my final sips of coke. Joost had already pushed the box back, but I nudged it back to signal that he can have the last nuggets. He accepted the food, pondering his response before blurting out something foolish.

“So you were occupied with…?” He prompted me to complete the sentence. I simply sighed in response.

"My mental health," I respond, causing his eyebrows to shoot up in surprise.

"You could have informed me that you were having a tough time. I would have been there to support you," he says, gazing at me with concern.

"I just needed some time to myself," I say, hoping to end this conversation.

"You know, I felt foolish when you blocked me. You could have simply mentioned you weren't interested in me, and I would have backed off," he says, sitting upright, with a hint of remorse in his eyes as he gazes at my hands. I was fidgeting with my sleeve.

"Feeling tense?" He asks, taking hold of my hand. I wanted to say no, but deep down, I knew I could only answer yes.

"No. Not really." I respond, attempting to avoid the eye contact he's seeking.

"Do you desire any more food?" He inquired, and I simply shook my head to decline.

"Let’s go then." He suggests, gently patting my back. We exited the building together.

"I can walk home from here," I say, glancing at him. He was tall and had a very masculine appearance.

"Can I accompany you home?" He questioned, and unsure if it was a wise choice, I sensed it might be our last meeting for a long time, or possibly never again. Nevertheless, I nodded, and he grinned. We began walking towards my house.

"I like your scarf," I mentioned, breaking the silence. He didn't say anything but gently removed it and wrapped it around my head.

"It looks much more flattering on you," he remarks with a smile, reaching out to grasp my shoulder, drawing me closer to him. Suddenly, he makes a wrong turn.

"That's not the route to my place," I mention, furrowing my brows. I was nearly sober.

"I know. There's a spot I'd like to take you to," he mentions as we reach the bridge. The wind was strong, messing up Joost's hair. He tried to fix it quickly, but it didn't really work. I couldn't help but laugh, and he rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue in response.

"Hey, what's so funny?" he says playfully, giving me a gentle push.

"Nothing," I uttered as he drew me closer once more, and I simply relished the moment. It dawned on me that I was thoroughly enjoying the time with the tall Dutch gentleman. A quiet interval ensued until we reached a bridge. It was truly a sight to behold, and I couldn't resist capturing it in a photograph. Stepping back, I ensured Joost was also in the frame. He glanced at me, posed with a smile, and shaped a heart with his fingers.

"Aww, adorable!" I say with a smile, and he approached without a word. I tucked my phone away, and Joost simply embraced me. No words. No sounds. Just two individuals embracing at the bridge. Two hearts beating in unison.

"I deeply yearned for you," is the only utterance he managed.

"I missed you as well," I reply softly, maintaining the embrace. We linger in the moment before eventually deciding to head back home as the chill of the evening sets in.

"When do you plan to depart for Sweden?" I inquire purely out of interest.

"My manager mentioned they're counting on me to be at the hotel tomorrow," I respond, nodding in understanding.

"Are you not keen on joining me?" He inquired. He had already asked me this question during our meal.

"I'd be happy to join, but I need to find a way to make some money," I respond, to which he pouts in disappointment.

"I comprehend. Please inform me if your decision changes," he states, and I offer a smile. Upon reaching my residence, we bid our final farewells. He mentioned I could keep the scarf but requested something in return. As I lacked valuable items, he noticed my bag and a small keychain, a fluffy pink heart. He inquired about exchanging it, to which I happily agreed, asking if he desired anything else, but he declined. We shared a parting hug, and he mentioned he would text me. After he left, I unblocked his number but never received a message from him again.

A/n - guys I’m so sorry this is so shitty 😭 I feel like I made so much grammar mistakes. English isn’t my native language so if you see any mistakes please contact me 😘 BY THE WAY I DONT KNOW IF YALL NOTICED BUT Y/N’S BEST FRIEND IS ACTUALLY ME 😍😍😍😍😍THANK YOU SO MICH FOR 60 FOLLOWERS ILY! leave a comment behind please it gives me a lot of motivation ✌🏻 I’m actually thinking if I should make a part 3 but idk lmk 😊 PEACE OUT 😇✌🏻LUV U GUYS 🥰❗️💋💋💋💋💋

[mylifestylearedilfs]

⇢ ˗ˏˋ joost klein x friend (with benefits)!reader ࿐ྂ

ੈ✩‧₊˚ LUNCH : not smut ; a bit of angst (but not really) ; fluff ; imagine ; all is fictional ; english is not my first language

part two

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_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ YOU WERE FRIENDS with joost for few good years, you two met at the set of his song ‘ome robert’, since then you became inseparable. you never thought that this acquaintance would last for that long and you also never had in plans to care that much for this crazy little dutch guy. sometimes other people was saying that you two were clones, who shared the same sense of humour and even the same clothes from time to time. long story short you were acting like an old sweet couple.

you have always founded each other attractive, at first it caused some awkwardness, even if you both tried to ignored by typical for you jokes. but after one party, when you both were a bit of drunk, but still capable of thinking rationally, you finally decided to do something with that sexual tension that was between you. that was the moment when he proposed you to start kind of friends with benefits type of relationship.

, , ,

right now we are in the present times, when joost was chosen to represent the netherlands. you were extremely proud of him, you knew the whole story, about how he watched eurovision because of his parents. that’s why you also wanted to make this whole event special and memorable for him, and with help of apson and martijn by your side it was super easy to achieve.

you always thought that the whole contest wasn’t that exciting, because people who worked as their social media management wasn’t that creative. that’s why all of you wanted to make it a bit more interesting, because let’s be honest, all the contestants were great people and they had such a potential to advertise eurovision with their personalities not only with their songs.

it was you who recorded all iconic joost’s clips, sometimes you even were taking part in some videos, as a ‘interviewer’ for example. it was a lot of fun for not only you, but everyone; by other contestants and of course by viewers. people quickly became interested in your persona, because you have never been active on social media, that’s why when you finally started getting more attention online, joost’s fans were simply curious who you were and what kind of relationship you had with dutch man.

it was a moment when you started to ask yourself, who you really were to joost. of course you were aware that you both cared for each other, but officially it was in friendly way. on the other hand let’s be honest, in privacy you didn’t acted like friends more like a lovers. but the truth was that you were tired of being just friends (with benefits but still friends). you wanted to be officially couple and the fact, that his career was developing in unbelievable fast way, wasn’t helping.

you understood that having casual relationship was convenient for him, because he didn’t have to worry about how busy he sometimes was. but you started to feel that sex that you shared, wasn’t that sweet and special, it was kind of opposite you felt that he only treated it like a stress reducer, which hurt your feelings. you weren’t selfish though, that’s why you kept it all for yourself, because right now it was about joost and eurovision, there wasn’t room for unwanted drama.

but maybe someday he will find out that you didn’t want to be just friends anymore.

, , ,

⇢ ˗ˏˋ thank you for attention! do you guys want a part two?

[oodlenoodleroodle]

So Eurovision is tomorrow and all of Finland is super wild about the Finnish competitor, Käärijä. Like, his look with the green bolero and a bowl cut is extremely meme-able, and the song is catchy as hell.

On first glance it's like a typical macho drinking partying song, but it has this like, subtle undercurrent of criticising that idea in Finnish drinking culture that you have to be drunk out of your brain to break out of your shell.

And then halfway through the song there is a transformation: it goes from heavier rap to more melodic pop and. And the video has a crucial visual transformation: the macho hulk-arms guy is wearing a long blonde wig.

And in the end, it is not the toxic-green hulk-arms that are lifted in victory in the ring, it's the blonde that wins.

And something that I picked up on when looking through stuff he says himself (esp. on his social media) is this very Lil Nas X-ish vibe of being just, y'know, a cool guy. Positive and excited and like, yeah his English is very accented (people call it rally English because rally drivers often have heavy Finnish accents when they speak English) but he's not like embarrassed about it or refusing to speak English for fear of being not good enough, etc...

And aside all of the actual stuff going on with the song and the performer: young boys in Finland love him. And like, Finland has an Andrew Tate problem as much as everywhere else, so Käärijä is a much needed alternative voice for kids to hear.

PS The video has English subtitles.

[thisis-an-original-name]

Here is where I stand with the Global Conflict this week (no one asked lmao)

1. The top priority for me is stopping the genocide in Gaza, and, immediately after that, establishing a Palestinian state/two state solution.

2. Hamas isn’t going to peddle any kind of solution/compromise. Hamas essentially took their “We want to kill Jews” treatise and replaced “Jews” with “Zionists” but nothing has changed. If you can’t see that, you’re dangerous and probably stupid.

3. The hostages need to be freed (if they’re still alive, which let’s be realistic, they probably aren’t.) If Netanyahu actually cared about freeing the hostages, he would have done it by now, and a large number of Israelis recognize that.

4. Recognition of the hostages/ October 7th and recognition of the genocide/ deeply awful conduct of Israel can and SHOULD coexist.

5. Joe Biden is a useless little bitch. Having him as President again would still be better than four more years of Trump.

6. The Met Gala was not orchestrated by Big Zionism to distract from the invasion of Rafah and saying that it was is just blatant antisemitism. That being said, the Israeli military does frequently carry out large strikes on nights like the Met Gala and the Super Bowl when they know that the American news cycle will be focused on something else. Both things can be true. Also, the Met Gala is inherently a stupid thing to get excited about I’m sorry.

7. Student protestors do often fall into traps of antisemitism and say shit that could potentially harm Jews. What else is going to happen, when you gather a bunch of 19 year olds and tell them to yell as loud as humanly possible? That being said, I do have to believe that a vast majority of college protestors have good intentions AND, most of all, even if they don’t, censoring them and spraying pepper spray in their eyes is draconian behavior that the history books will not look kindly upon.

8. I’m so on the fence about boycotts, especially Eurovision. Because on one hand, banning Palestinian flags and keffiyeh’s from the performance is wrong. And I don’t think that Israel should be allowed to compete considering everything that the government is doing, like Russia was banned in 2021. That being said, it does make me sad that this 19 year old girl wrote a song about losing friends and family on October 7th and in response, she’s been booed and told to stay in her hotel room lest the angry mob tears her apart.

9. I do think that celebrities have some level of responsibility to use their platforms for good. That being said, this is such a complex issue that I almost don’t fault some people for not making a 250 character Twitter statement. I don’t think the dying children of Gaza care much if you block Zendaya or Olivia Rodrigo on Instagram. It also gets ridiculous when you go in the comments section of creators with like 100k followers and you see people posting Palestinian flags like yeah I’m sorry that blorbo from my shows isn’t personally flying to Gaza to punch Netanyahu in the face.

10. If you punctuate every single acknowledgement of the genocide with “but what about the hostages!!” or GOD FORBID “it’s sad that Hamas made Netanyahu do this” you have been propagandized by your local Hillel. No one made Netanyahu do this except Netanyahu. There’s no way you don’t know that by now. Wiping out Hamas: another thing that Netanyahu probably would have done by now if he genuinely wanted to.

11. Whenever I see lists of “here are the celebrities/professors/writers/guy on the street to block and throw rocks at because he’s a Mean Scary Zionist” I am reminded of the lists of synagogue goers that Nazis used to track down Jews and their families during the Holocaust. Seriously if you’re peddling lists of “Zionists” ripe for demonization you might want to ask yourself what you’re REALLY doing, and why.

12. Fun fact about me: I actually consider myself a Zionist. I do think, historically speaking, that Jews do need a safe place and a homeland to prevent us from being killed again like we seem to be every few centuries or so. I just don’t think that place has to be Israel, and I DEFINITELY don’t think Palestine should be subjugated for it to happen. But whenever I hear “Zionism = BAD” I just cringe a bit because… you keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means

[lamenweek]

Hey hey hey!

How are you all?

I hope you are all doing well! ❤️

Lamen Week will start in less than a month, and I'm super excited about it!

Before we can start, let’s just make a few rules clear!

Lamen Week Rules :

The week will run from the 21st to the 28th of June 2023.

The prompts are:

Day 1. Summer Palace

Day 2. Rooftop/Balcony Kiss

Day 3. Fluff

Day 4. Heroes & Legends

Day 5. Charls

Day 6. Nightmares

Day 7. Eurovision

Day 8. “It was one kingdom, once”

You can create any kind of content! Fanfics, fanarts, edits, headcanons, cosplay, tiktoks whatever your imagination suggests you, everything is welcome.

Remember whatever Social media or platform you'll publish things in, use the hashtags #Lamen Week and #Lamen Week 2023 and if you will use tumblr remember to tag the blog. I’ll be very happy to reblog all your creations!

You can write in every language you feel more comfortable writing in.

You can post following your own time zone, no particular time zone to follow.

If you have any questions, just ask me, I'll be here to answer!

Last but not least, HAVE FUN!

[copperbadge]

Some Discourse On Fictional Chefs

I collected up all the discussion of Simon’s potential love interest in the Shivadhverse (and one about Twelve Points) and threw it in a post :D 

katestamps

If it is realistic at all, I’d love to be able to hand 12 Points to my musician daughter when she gets home from college around the 18th of May. That’s also the week after Eurovision. No pressure, I’m just excited for her to read it!

For a second I was like “If the book is realistic? Well, it kinda is, I’m working on that now” and then I realized you meant datewise :D I hope it is -- the book’s in final edits but a few of them are taking some time. I have to finish the edits, typeset, design the cover, upload, order proofs, approve the proofs, and then the thing can go out, which is not NOT doable by May, but it’s slightly iffy only because my April is super hectic. But most of the delay is usually in ordering the proofs (they take longer than they used to, to print and ship) so if I can get shit done BEFORE the hectic, we should be good. 

And now on to the chefs. I was a little amused, admittedly, because I didn’t vocalize clearly what I was asking about when I asked what people would like to see -- I was thinking more in terms of gender, sexuality, disability, race, etc. but I didn’t specify that, so instead I mostly got fascinating ideas for backstories and character aspects. Which is so fandom! I love it, I’m not mad or dismayed, it’s just also really funny. :D 

dignitywhatdignity

Are you thinking someone from Eddie's TV Chef circles, or more along Simon's own, more classical background?

spaci1701

A protégé of Eddie's who has taken over his show comes to do a special on the Country that Stole Our Star and had gotten a little big for his britches?

1968bullittmustang

It's probably too close to Eddie's character, but... What about one of those chef's that travel the world cooking the most awful (or best) local dishes with home chef's. Or maybe just a National Geographic photographer in country to do a piece on the 'One Highland' 😁

I’d like them to be a native Shivadh, only because most of the books to date have involved either total foreigners or expats returning, and both Royals/Ramblers and the football novel will as well. I’m hoping for someone who has moved to Fons-Askaz from the rural backcountry, but the idea is that Simon comes into conflict with someone who has a much less “fancy food from a classical background” style -- part of the conflict comes from each of them initially assuming the other has the inferior way of cooking. So -- more on Eddie’s line BUT not one of Eddie’s folks, because whoever this person is, they’re relatively local. 

Mind you, I do like the National Geographic angle. And I do kind of like the idea that someone else took over Truly Tasty. Eddie said that might happen. And that’s something I’d need to work into Royals/Ramblers so hmmm, making a note. 

dignitywhatdignity

(Or you could steal from the foodieverse! A classically trained hipster with a Michelin-starred food truck! A chain pizza scion with a flair for molecular gastronomy!)

Actually nicking some from the Foodieverse might be helpful -- maybe taking and twisting around Steve’s plotline from that universe a bit, though that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a Hot Male Hipster. But perhaps someone who trained classically and then decided it was all bullshit. 

spinningprincess

It's in my brain because it's what I'm writing, but I bet someone who's a little bit New Agey and leans hard into the symbolism of EVERY dish, whether from a "traditional foods of XYZ culture" standpoint or a "historically used for $magickal effect" standpoint, and like, talks about the energy of the kitchen, would be a great and interesting counterpoint to Simon's lack of that. And it's such a GOOD romance trope. (to be clear, I'm writing two different stories right now where no one ever cooks a food because they're hungry and want to eat A Food, it's all "well, basil is good prosperity magic, but cabbage is good prosperity magic and also the traditional food of my people, and...")

On the whole it’s an idea I like, but I’m not sure it’s fitted to this particular plot -- might be something to revisit with another character at some point, though. 

I’m discovering just how difficult it is to write hippie/new-age characters with Royals/Ramblers in part because so much of that mythology eventually traipses around towards anti-Semitism. Not necessarily food symbolism, and not ALL new age stuff is that way, but it really is a razor-fine line at times. 

knottahooker

My first thought was that terrifying lady chef from Ratatouille, she was fantastic. Someone with her personality, maybe? Cactus with a heart of gold who will absolutely stab you anyway.

My instinct is along those lines, at the least someone who is a trifle confrontational, but I feel like so much of it depends on other aspects of who they are, which is what I’m struggling to pin down. 

robinade

it would be funny if Simon's "nemesis" was, like, lactose intolerant or something so they have objections to French cuisine (so heavy on cheese and butter) but Simon doesn't know this at first and is mortally offended

musegaarid

What if Simon falls for a bodybuilder or a ballerina or someone on a really restrictive diet? If they were older and getting ready to retire, he could reintroduce them to good food.

I like both of these -- I think there’s particularly something to the idea of an athlete who has eaten a restricted diet, since that’s something that can alter more easily than allergies. But to make the story work they really do need to be a fellow chef. Which, there’s no reason they couldn’t have dietary restrictions AND be a chef, but I’m not sure I’d do either side of them justice that way. 

katestamps

Ooh, I just had the thought of Simon’s nemesis as a French chef which was actually an espionage cover. Think Julia Child, Cold War edition. (I also think of Simon as 5-10 years older than Michaelis which may or may not be accurate.)

Man, there is something to the idea of a spy. I’d say from Galia, but I don’t think Ofelia either wants or needs someone to spy on Fons-Askaz for her, she could just like, ask Alanna if she needs to know something :D Might turn this over in my head a bit, although it would again mean someone coming from outside the country. 

Simon is actually a trifle younger than Michaelis -- Michaelis was around 34, 35 when he hired him, and Simon and Hugo were both in their twenties. It still puts him in his fifties -- I do enjoy writing romances for older people, especially because there is something of a dearth of romance novels specifically featuring older men (they do exist but you run face-first into the “daddy” trope a lot, and “older man” in romance-speak often clocks in at “definitely under fifty”). Older women as the POV character are more common, I would imagine because older women are a huge target audience for romances. 

annechen-melo

Thinking about the love interest for Simon, someone who Absolutely Does Not Have A Media Presence beyond their cookbooks, and there is a Very Good Reason for that. That reason may be anything from an acerbic personality whenever someone points a camera in their direction to being just not good at Peopleing. Hmm. How international is the idea of Witness Protection Makeovers?

They could also just be crap at social media -- I’ve come to realize that every social platform EXCEPT tumblr is basically incompatible with my brain, and even the ones marginally compatible like Reddit, I just don’t find a ton of value in them a lot of the time. Which would be a nice foil to Simon starting up a recipe blog at the same time. 

strix-alba

I wish for Simon's love interest to be a salt-and-pepper-haired butch woman *shakes the genie's lamp*

There’s definitely a salt-and-pepper butch woman coming into the Shivadhverse at some point. :D I had her set for a later book, and not sure that’d be right for Simon, but I’m not ruling it out -- a fairly mouthy, fairly masc woman about Simon’s age is one of the strong potential characters I’m considering. 

Anonymous asked:

Shivadhverse: Concerning Simon’s love interest: would you consider someone like Catherine Bordey, owner of La Kaz,  from “Death in Paradise”? Or possibly even a French POC like her daughter? I’d really love 💕 to see a character who is both French and a POC. 😊

I’ve seen an episode or two of Death in Paradise but I don’t think I’ve encountered those two characters! I’ll have to see if my folks can educate me on them, they love that show. I am trying to figure out how to work more racial diversity into the books, so that’s a thought. Not necessarily French, but French-Shivadh; they do share a border. 

Anonymous asked:

maybe not a fit but I'll try anyway. what i'd like in a chef character is someone who tried something, really got into it, then backed out of it so hard. like the foraging culture, which could net you a research hole into local greens. what if they believe it's now too polluted to forage safely? and yet they have an encyclopedic knowledge of the seasons and life cycles of sidewalk dandelions. tl;dr cursed knowledge

As an aspect of the character that could work, although it gets difficult because like...the deeper someone is in something, the more I have to learn in order to put it out there :D I was looking at something along those lines, or at least something similar that might make them a bit brusque. Lots to mull on overall, anyhow. 

[loreensdarling]

eurovision song contest and gay panic

LOREEN ANTIS DNI; MEN DNI, MINORS AND AGELESS BLOCKS DNI; HOMOPHOBES DNI

PART ONE (?)

Plot: You're a singer for this year's Eurovision Song Contest. You're in for Poland in the Semi Final, and you are super hyped, competing in Eurovision at a young age and all by yourself is pretty exciting. With everything being already pretty exciting you didn't think you'd run into a certain Swedish singer that you've had a crush on for a while...

content warnings: afab!reader (important for possible part two), flirting, age gap (reader is 24, loreen is 39), use of nicknames (darling, honey), gay panic, all in one it's a lot of flirting and maybe some smut in part 2 if i can write something decent

writers warning: english is not my first language and I've never really written in English and outside of RP before, so I apologize if this is weird 🙏 I hope there's demand for one shots of our mother

---------

You are standing behind the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest semi final, watching the other participants through the huge curtains that separate the backstage and the actual stage. You are almost hyperventilating, nervously flapping your hands towards your face to attempt to cool down. You are sweating, more because of nervousness than of hotness.

These are the semi finals, your last shot to actually get into the finals. Even though you are pretty positive that you could get into the finale to represent your country, you are still very anxious. Everything up until here has been a fever dream basically, and getting to perform in front of thousands of people was amazing, but never before had you been so nervous in your life.

You'd only done concerts a few times before applying for ESC, and they were pretty small concerts, but since you got into the final contenders, won against other polish competitors and then was chosen to represent Poland, your fan base has grown a lot. People seemed to love you, and you loved the music and making music, so this was amazing.

Nervously you brush a strand of hair back behind your ear and check your makeup in a small hand mirror, before you look back outside. There are only three acts before you have to compete for a place in the finals. You sigh.

"Come on, Y/N. You can absolutely do this, you'll proudly represent your country in the finals.", you say out loud to yourself as you turn around - and bump right into someone. As you struggle to keep your balance, you can feel your cheeks flush red in embarrassment.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry, I didn't watch wh-", as you begin to rant down an apology immediately, are cut off by a rough, smoky voice. "Oh, it's alright, Darling.", the gorgeous, raven haired woman in front of you said in a low tone, her hand on your biceps to stop you from falling. You look at her, eyes widened.

You recognize her immediately. It’s Loreen. Admittedly one of your celebrity crushes ever since you saw her in 2012s Eurovision. And she has her hand on your arm. Her low, raspy voice, that accent. You don't know what to do, you're frozen in place, cheeks flushed red and your eyes anywhere but her face. It’s like your brain is frozen as you scan her over almost automatically, looking everywhere but her face.

Her outfit is hugging her body perfectly, and you can feel her hand on your biceps. Your brain is empty and your lips are parted as you breathe heavily. It takes you a few seconds to snap back into reality and if your face can heat up any more, it's probably doing that right now.

"I-... I'm really sorry, I'm a big fan, I didn't expect to meet you like... This.", as you manage to bring this out you bite the inside of your cheek. This sounds so stupid, why can't your poor gay brain bring out coherent sentences for once?

Loreen chuckled softly, looking you up and down for a second. "Are you alright, Darling? You look quite nervous", she remarks, slight concern in her voice. "Oh, Honey, is it the contest? It's your first time with a crowd this big, isn't it?", she asks. 

You nod, frowning slightly. Is it that obvious? Or did she check out every competitor that she would possibly be up against in the finale? Not that she'd have that much competition, you think. At least not from you. You notice that her hand is still on your biceps as she watches you with concern. With your brain so mushed, you can't even process the nicknames she was calling you.

As you finally lift your eyes to meet her concerned gaze you feel like you´re going to explode, so you look away again quickly. The close proximity is making you even more nervous. "Well, I'm confident you'll make it. I've seen your local finale, your performance is powerful, Darling."

This is it, you feel like your knees are going to cave in at any given moment. Loreen is encouraging you, and you don't know how much more of this you can take before your legs give in. This woman doesn't even know the power she has over you with that little crush that you have on her. Although, that crush is growing by the second. You're spiraling deeply in a gay panic.

"T-Thank you-", you croak out as your name is announced. You take a step back, quickly checking your microphone. "I need to go-", while you turn away, you almost stumble from how weak your legs suddenly are and you are pretty sure you must be redder than a tomato. Your cheeks are super hot, from embarrassment and from being turned on. God, the older woman is so attractive. And she probably knows that. 

You decide to quickly shake it off as you climb the stage, throwing the people a nervous smile. Her low, smoky voice is burned into the back of your head as your song starts to play.

"Your performance is powerful, Darling."

And oh, that little nickname keeps you going. It's burned into your brain, keeps you going through your performance, the way she said it and her voice, oh god, her voice. And oh, you deliver. By the end of your performance the people are cheering and screaming for you, and you throw them a smirk and wink at them. They go wild.

As soon as you leave the stage your knees buckle and you quickly hold on to the wall, taking a deep breath. "Shit.", you mutter. All the adrenaline that was rushing through your body during this performance was leaving your body all at once and you realize you are shaking, from excitement and stress.

You really did this. You went out there, and you have a big chance of being able to perform in the final for your country. Looking around, you take another deep breath and let go of the wall with a big grin. You need caffeine and a nap now, you decide. As you turn around to head for your booth, you spot Loreen. She is preparing for her entrance and as you look at her, she looks back at you for a second and smirks. You happily throw a grin back as you blush again.

Sitting down in your spot you mentally prepare yourself to see your idol, your crush, on stage. Then the lights go out and her performance begins. You aren't able to pull your eyes away from her for most of the time, she's gorgeous. And oh, she knows that, she notices your looks and winks at you. Or, in your general direction. The people go wild again, they don't care who this was directed at.

Somehow you manage to almost choke on your own spit when she winks in your direction and you have to turn away for a few moments, almost dying from a gay panic attack on the spot. If you thought your cheeks had been burning before, you've now been proven wrong, you're redder than ever. One of your friends and background dancers pats your back, laughing.

"Oh, you're so fucked.", she comments dryly. "Someone's in love." "I'm not!", you protest, but it comes out quiet and a little too defensive. Of course you're not in love, but your crush on Loreen is getting more and more severe by the minute. Your gay panic is so huge that you don't even notice the raven haired singer getting off the stage after finishing and heading in your direction.

You only notice when she suddenly bends over you, her hands on your thigh. She smirks at you, her nails digging in your thigh. You'd be embarrassed to admit it, but this turns you on, your brain is mush once again and you cannot form a coherent thought. You look at her in shock for a few moments, your lips slightly parted. How does breathing work again?, you think.

"I knew you could do it, Darling.", she whispered, her mouth directly next to your ear. Ungodly shivers run down your spine. You're a hundred percent sure that if you open your mouth now, you'd moan out loud. You don't even have the time to reply before she pulls back and heads back to her booth to wait for the results.

Breathless, your eyes follow her figure. Your cheeks are burning and there are so many emotions going on in your head. Was she actually flirting with you or did you interpret too much? You probably interpret too much, you think, how could a woman as gorgeous, breathtaking and talented as her flirt with someone like you? 

You are just some random singer competing for your country and she is a goddess. She’s not just out of your league, but you’re probably way too young for her liking. And surely not her type, you think, sighing quietly as your gaze lingers on Loreen.

You are snapped out of your thoughts and pull your eyes away from her and back to your group when your friend grabs your hand and squeezes it in excitement. You're about to learn your points from the public votes. Will you make it? You have to, you have to compete for your country in the finals.

Then, finally, your points are announced. You take a moment to process the amount of points you'd gotten, then you squeeze your friend's hand hard and squeal. "We did it!", she yells at you and you excitedly scream back. “We’re in!” 

You're in the finals, you'll be competing for your country in a few days.

You throw a short look back at the raven haired Swedish singer. She's smirking at you and mouths something. 'Well done, Honey', is what you understand, at least you're pretty sure of it. You give her a big, excited grin and then you're being pulled into a tight hug with your background dancers.

[eurovision-del]

Finland have definitely become one to watch in recent years, so going into Eurovision season they were one of the countries I was most excited for! With UMK happening this weekend, here's my ranking of the competing songs:

Mikael Gabriel & Nublu – Vox populi

Sini Sabotage – Kuori mua

Jesse Markin – Glow

Cyan Kicks – Dancing With Demons

Sexmane – Mania

Sara Siipola – Paskana

Windows95man – No Rules!

Despite being just seven songs, this was a super hard selection to rank – honestly you could ask me tomorrow and I’d probably switch them around again. This is a very even competition in my eyes - every song is good in its own way and I enjoy them all, but there's no standout. I was in a weird position after my first listen through all these songs when they were released where I felt really positive about this selection, but then struggled to recall any individual song. A couple of weeks to get familiar with them all has definitely helped.

Right now, I think my favourite is Vox populi. It’s a super fun track, their style of Eurodance with the slightly rockier guitars and drums creates this fantastic energy – it’s great pump up music. It’s also pretty cool that it’s bilingual, with a rap verse each in Finnish and Estonian. In fact, we’ve got a fair amount of rap and hip-hop here which I love to see, since I feel they're genres that go underrepresented in Eurovision and national finals in general. Even better, they’re all very distinct from each other. Kuori mua is another rap track, but it couldn’t be any different, with the attitude it exudes and its super slick beat. I love the sharpness of it all, and how it mixes in the piano in the second half to create a more positive sound, lifting some of the tension but keeping all the energy.

The overall production level in all these songs is great – this whole selection is high quality and just sounds good to my ears. The one slight exception is No Rules, which I feel goes a bit too heavy on the fake eagle screeches, although it very much fits the overall tone of the song. This one slight annoyance, and the fact that I preferred Vox populi when it comes to Eurodance, was what made it end up at the bottom of my list, but I honestly feel bad about it – it’s still a very fun song and does what it’s doing  well. I didn’t want to rank any of these songs last!

Because the songs are so even, I couldn't even suggest what deserves to win this Saturday. It's going to all depend on performance for me. Finland are never going to do better than last year's Eurovision result, but UMK has honestly become one of the best national finals over the past few years, and I hope this is enough to keep up the qualification streak they're on.

[anxious-witch]

Hello! I don't write fics but I do love reading them, and since I have experience in writing outside of fics I sometimes imagine the stories I would write based on what I'd want to read. I'm super excited because the new fic you're describing seems like exactly the plot I was imagining last night! (Although I dunno how similar they'll be because my idea was inspired by the whole angry bokris sex theme that people were talking about a couple of weeks ago...and imagining them being exes, Kris getting jealous of Jere,and then super hot passionate angry sex in some Eurovision storage closet or something lol) anyway just wanted to let you know because I thought it was a fun coincidence, I'm so excited to read!

I am super glad you like the idea! This fic won't be *quite* like that, it was actually inspired by one if @reserved-fruit 's anons that mentioned bokris with the trope of second chance romance, aka them dating as teens, breaking up and then getting back together when they are older. I rly lived the idea so I asked her if she'd be cool with me writing it as well and...yeah! I hope I've done it justice, since this is my first bokris fic

[ayshahutton]

Måneskin in Roma, Italia (21 July 2023) playing “Le parole lontane”

This was such an incredible experience and it still feels surreal that I got to see them live in this lifetime. I will treasure this memory forever and I hope that even when I’m old and I get Dementia I will still be able to remember it. I feel honoured to be a part of what they called their “best show ever” (even if they probably didn’t even notice me in the audience, but I sure as hell noticed them) and I hope to see them again at least one more time before I go into the light (lol, getting super dramatic here). Maybe next time I’ll be able to make eye contact with Damiano, who knows? 😂 Until then, I’ll be listening to their albums on repeat and maybe in 2025 we’ll get Teatro d'ira - Vol. II, just saying 👀 (Må, if you’re reading this, you know what to do). I’m excited for whatever projects they have next and I will continue to support them through thick and thin (looking at you, Eurovision 😤) and hopefully I will get to experience more wonderful shows like this one in the (near) future. If not, I’m content with meeting one of my favourite bands ever, some dam lyrical geniuses and four of the most talented, inspiring and koolest (kids) musicians in the industry of all time.

Vi amiamo, Måneskin! You made my life with this performance and I hope to see you again!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹x

[betweenblackberrybranches]

Hello! 10 and 13? : D (thing you're excited for, and comfort food)

Hiii

10:whats something you are excited for?

Its a little embaracing but i am really excited for the eurovision song contest as i am every year... eventhough its in may i am already all giddy thinking about it

For my family its just eating snacks and gossiping about the music numbers its great

If there are any esc fans out there of people who wanna talk bout it hit me up i could talk about it for hours

13: what's your comfort food?

Oh thats a hard one but i think just plain noodles with butter and salt n pepper is a big one and hot milk with honey i get super eepy from hot milk with honey tho so i dont drink it often i am like a small child aparently

[whinlatter]

What's the update situation for the next chapter of Beasts? Super excited for it! Also, I realized Harry still has the Marauder’s Map right? Is he still checking in on Ginny while they're separated for her 7th year? (I feel like the answer is YEEEEESSSSS.)

Hi anon! Thanks for asking. I'm loosely committed to doing an update per month (got to write that PhD too, ya know). So hoping to share chapter five with you by the end of May. This chapter’s been a little slow to write (lots of moving parts, new cameos…) but I’m having a ton of fun with it. Currently, though, I'm at my desk trying to write my way out of an absolutely crippling post-Eurovision hangover. Pls send strength and healing vibes

On Harry and the map… all I can say is 👀👀👀