#and G is. a special lad

[lazylittledragon]

a word for word interaction i had with my boyfriend that i think about at least once a day

[wonderjinx]

happy birthday stevie g

[dpspcehntr]

I love all your writings on LADs!! I somehow imagine all the Lads having dick piercings (tongue piercing is even better) for some reason. It would be a great if you write it but it’s totally up to you!!

I hope you are having a great day today 🫧🌊🎧🕯️

Firstly, thank you so much 😭😭! I’m always worried my writing isn’t good so thank you so much! Secondly, your mind is a beautiful place to think of this and I’ll gladly give this a go! (Had to do a quick google search and I didn't know there were so many! I'm shocked!)

Warning: genital piercings, tongue piercing, smut, p in v, oral (f and m receiving), handjob

My ask box is open! Send me your NSFW head cannons/thoughts/confessions about the LADS main 4! I might even write some of them up!

Zayne

"I don't see what the issue is but yes I do in fact have one. It was during my more "adventurous" early 20s. Do you wish to see it?"

Zayne sat in the chair in front of you as you sat on the edge of his desk. His head resting on your thigh as you absentmindedly play with his hair. It was his down time during his night shift and he asked you to stop by to keep him company.

"I thought I knew everything about you. Of course I want to see it."

He blushes a deep shade of pink and clears his throat. He pushes his chair back and stands up. He's slow to take off his belt, hoping you'll say you're just joking but you stay silent as he finally takes himself out his boxers. You eyes instantly zone in on the pretty piercing on the head and reach out to touch it. He turns his head as you take in in your hand. Your touch is enough for him to blow his load but he tries his best to hold his composer.

"It's pretty. Does it have any sexual benefits?'

You muse as you pump him faster in your hands, his composer faltering. Without making eye contact he turns back toward you.

"I d-don't know. Maybe we can try it out."

He takes your hand away from him and pulls you into a kiss.

Xavier

Your clit throbs with over stimulation as he finally sits back up after being between your legs for what felt like hours. Edging you all night with his tongue and the piercing in it. Your legs shake slightly as he leans into you for another kiss. You swirl your tongue in his mouth, tasting yourself on him and moaning loudly into him.

"Just a little bit more, okay. I promise you'll get what you want."

He whispers into your lips as you tighten your grip on him. You feel him line himself up with your dripping entrance and slowly push in. The piercing on the head rubbing your walls deliciously as you clench down further on him. He groans into your mouth as he pushes further in.

"Just a little more, you're doing so well for me."

He bottoms out with a groan as you release onto him. The feeling overwhelming as he continues to thrust in and out of you, prolonging your orgasm. You thanked the powers at be he kept the piercing as your next orgasm begins to build up within you.

Rafayel

"Why did you get it?"

He looks over at you from his painting with a blush.

"It was a dare from a friend of mine in art school and uh well I let my ego win. Though I don't regret it, it makes things more fun."

You cross the room to stand right behind him. You wrap your arms around his waist and lean your head in the crook of his neck.

"Can I see it?"

Your hands slide lower and lower on his body as he tries his best to ignore you and finish his painting. It doesn't work, your hand is already sitting at the top of his pants waiting to slide into his underwear.

"Shit. Gimme a sec."

He sets the paintbrush down and unbuckles his pants. You slide your hand into his underwear and slowly rub him off, paying special attention to the piercing on the head. Soon enough you find yourself on the floor of his studio with him panting over you holding himself at your entrance. Feeling the ball of the piercing hitting your g spot sends a wave of unexpected pleasure over you. He lets out a satisfied grunt as you clench down on him just a bit more. You could get used to this.

Sylus

“Well I usually take them out before you get here, but I was in a bit of a rush today, kitten.”

You look down at the piercing on the head with curiosity as you finish taking him out of his boxers. Your mouth salivates at the idea of having it in your mouth and eagerly take in in your mouth. A hiss slips past his lips as he cards his fingers through your hair. The feeling of the piercing in your mouth and his own noise makes your head spin with desire. Your underwear already wet with your slick as you take him deeper into your mouth. The fingers in his hair tighten just slightly and you're seeing stars. You moan around him as you cum untouched, ruining your underwear and leaving a wet spot on your pants. You shiver as he pulls himself out of your mouth and gives you a look.

"Did you make a mess, sweetie?"

You can only nod as he places a hand under your chin to look up at him. He looked absolutely ravished and all you wanted was to make him cum.

"It's only fair that I clean it up. Turn around."

[muqingslover]

M A S T E R L I S T

Last time updated: 02/04/2025

ALL THE LADS MEN OR MULTI.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 LADS men and a break-up.

ᯓᡣ𐭩LADS men meeting your ex.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 LADS men and alcohol.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 LADS men with pets.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 LADS men top 3 kinks list. | NSFW

ᯓᡣ𐭩 LADS men sleeping habits.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 LADS men as fathers.

ᯓᡣ𐭩LADS men and their roles in a horror movie.

SHORT BUT SWEET

✮ His puppy eyes (NSFW) ft. Xavier

✮ Grinding (NSFW) ft. Xavier

❦ Under the blankets (NSFW) ft. Caleb

❆ His glasses (NSFW) ft. Zayne

☆ Xavier and somno | NSFW

☆ Cunt!Boy Xavier | NSFW

More coming soon...

𓅨 Morning with Sylus.

𓅨 What it means to be loved by Sylus

𓅨 Short angst headcanon series:

Part one | Part two

More coming soon...

𓆝 Rafayel, cannibalism and love.

More coming soon...

❦ Caleb NSFW Alphabet. | NSFW

❦ Caleb's Sleeping Habits (Extra)

❦ Caleb and strawberries.

❦ Caleb and your panties. | NSFW

More coming soon...

☃︎ Pregnancy Headcanons. | A bit of NSFW

More coming soon...

-----------------------------♡♡♡------------------------------

N A V I G A T I O N

About Me | Rules | Special Tags

[strwbrychffoncke]

"the most wonderful time of the year,, 1.2k words synopsis: you decide to surprise a certain doctor when your mission wraps up earlier than expected; quality time in the form of decorating takes place contains: lads greyson x reader (not lads mc but reader is a hunter!) ,v fluffy ,maybe ooc greyson (using what little screentime he has + characterization through others) , ,playful teasing/back n forths ,kisses ,hugs ,domestic feel(?) ,soft makeout ,he carries you ,ending might be suggestive (but doesnt have to be interpreted that way lol) ,thats mostly it :x note: (mostly edited! pls bare w me!) this one was simultaneously easy and difficult. the idea was there but w what little screentime greyson had i had to draw up character aspects from thin air sigh... i think it came out well? at some point i tried capturing the "warm, home-y" type feel that something like the holidays seems to bring w it so hopefully its conveyed well?

upon entering his home late in the evening, greyson notices a couple of things.

one, he absolutely did not leave music playing when he left, and certainly not the festive classics who's notes float their way towards the entrance, seemingly coming from the living room.

two, the boxes littering just at the end of the walkway were not there when he left for work this morning.

and three...

the special guest humming along to the music and scurrying around the living area was not expected for another day or so.

he haphazardly shrugs off his coat in realization, speedwalking down the short path towards the destination that would lead to you.

he was eager to hold you in his arms again, unable to stand another moment without you when you were right there.

. . .

upon finishing your two week-long mission earlier than expected, you managed to contain the excitement from telling your boyfriend or stopping by akso hospital (you did have some minor cuts and bruises, but figured it was too little to have greyson fuss over, thinking he likely had more important matters to deal with), instead settling to surprise him at his place when he got off of work.

though, when you got there in the early evening, the lack of decorations and the sight of a bare tree were too much for you to leave alone, deciding to dig around for any decorations you could find, and embellish the place while you waited for him.

. . .

something new you learned about greyson today: he had quite the amount of festive decorations.

you're looking around at the containers of decorations and ornaments you have out, checking to see that you have everything you might need when you're engulfed by a sudden weight.

you startle for a moment, not properly registering who it is before you both are quickly falling towards the ground.

in his excitement (and slight miscalculation of the actual distance between you two), greyson practically crashes into you.

in a split second, you're engulfed in his arms as he twists his body while tugging you, falling on his back with a small oof while cushioning your landing as you plop down right on top of him.

"g-greyson??!"

"sorry! are you alright?"

he's gripping your waist securely, looking up at you, automatically checking over you for any injuries.

you shake your head, hands on his chest, pushing yourself up slightly.

"i'm okay... what about you?? what was that?"

after assuring you're alright, he smiles.

"you didn't tell me you were back already. can you blame me for being a little excited?"

you let out a laugh, crawling off of him before offering a hand to pull you both to your feet, a sheepish smile overtaking your features.

"i wanted to surprise you, hehe... seems like it worked?"

"it definitely surprised me," he cups your face in his hands, and you instinctually nuzzle further into his warm hold.

"i missed you."

his voice is a little quieter, his honesty shooting straight to your heart, eyes shining up at him.

he doesnt let you respond, closing the distance and meeting your lips in a sweet kiss. your arms wind their way around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer to you.

after all, you missed him just as much, if not moreso.

after a minute the need for breath becomes too strong. you break the kiss first, eyes fluttering open, a quiet laugh escaping you as you watch greyson's lips chase yours for a moment before pulling back to look up at him, arms still around his neck. his eyes are bright as he looks back at you, thumbs caressing the sides of your face.

a playful look takes over your gaze before you speak.

"but you know, who knew the doctor greyson had so many christmas decorations?" you tilt your head, exaggerated surprise lacing your tone.

"even more, for someone who seems to like christmas so much, your tree is just depressing! so little time until christmas and the tree is as bare as it was when i left?"

you slip a hand from his neck to poke his cheek.

"for shame, doctor greyson" you finish, pouting playfully and shaking your head lightly.

a deep rumble escapes his chest at your teasing, gaze shining with mirth.

"well, you know how it is at the hospital," he moves in close again suddenly, noses centimeters from touching.

"and what can i say? i missed a certain hunter too much while she was away. how can i bring myself to decorate the tree myself knowing its your favorite part of the holiday?"

he pecks your lips, much shorter than the last before pulling back and booping your nose.

you feel your face warm at his honesty, gaze shyly darting to the side.

"w-well, in that case... would you like to help me?"

a bright smile overtakes his charming features.

"would i?"

-

you and greyson spend the next while sorting through the ornaments in the containers, thinking of a color scheme before deciding which ornaments to place and where.

"this one is too cute! let's put it in the center-"

"doesn't this one look better?"

"doctor greyson, i had no idea you had such a knack for decorating!"

"i'm not so sure id say that..."

playful conversation fills the living room, the music a quiet hum in the background as you both carefully assess and hang each ornament in place.

"oh! i brought some candy canes too, let me go find them~"

you scurry off to the kitchen, swiftly returning with a couple of boxes.

greyson's eyes widen at the treats in your arms.

"darling, i'm not so sure you know what the word 'some' means..."

you playfully gasp.

"well, i made sure to get the ones that you like and the ones that i like. plus, they were on sale!"

"you know I'm not picky..." he shakes his head, "but thank you for thinking of me."

you open the boxes before you respond plainly.

"im always thinking of you."

greyson's cheeks color a pretty shade of pink as he feels his heart skip a beat. he's not even sure if you've realized what you said, working to free the candy cane's from their confines before you hand him his.

what is he going to do with you? he thinks.

. . .

candy cane's in hand, you inspect the tree for a moment.

"do you think they'll all fit...?"

"i'm sure they will- there's still a considerable amount of space. see?" he says, placing one closer to the top.

"pfft, you only say that because you're so tall."

"i can always help you up here, too" he offers.

you ponder for a moment.

"if i can't find anymore space down here, i'll let you know."

he giggles, nodding.

"sure."

(you did end up taking greyson up on his offer, and he gratefully lifted you up to place your remaining candy canes closer to the top of the tree. when he gently placed you back down, you wondered aloud how you would get them down later, to which he replied "you'll just have to ask me, of course!" a little too proudly, but given your sweet tooth, you know he'll have the full-power to deny you of fulfilling your craving when the time comes. you couldnt help but shudder at the thought).

-

in just a couple of minutes, when every ornament and candy cane is hanging in place, you take a step back to admire your masterpiece, pausing before a question bubbles up.

"do you think the candy canes throw off the color scheme?"

greyson backs up to where you are, looking at the tree for a few moments before answering.

"nope. if anything, it gives it even more character, don't you think?" he shoots back, gaze wandering to you.

"yeah, you're right," you look back up at him. "and we did it together," you smile gratefully.

together.

yes, you did this together.

he nods before suddenly closing the distance in one step, engulfing you in a warm hug.

"greyson?"

"can we stay like this for a bit?"

you wrap your arms back around him, returning his loving embrace, breathing in his scent.

"of course."

he was so grateful to have you to spend christmas with, excited to do whatever you wished so long as you were both doing it together.

arms still secure around you, he pulls back enough to take a look at your face. you look up in question, parting your lips to speak before he dives down, silencing any words with the answer of his kiss, both your eyes slipping shut as your lips easily melt into his, returning the love and yearning he's pouring into them.

neither of you keep track of how much time passes like this, christmas tree lights twinkling on your silhouettes as it casts embracing shadows on the wall, festive music a gentle ambiance in the otherwise silence that engulfs the space, hearts laid out for each other in a soft warmth, words unnecessary in the loving gestures that you share.

-

extra.

you place a hand on his chest, pausing him from diving back in as you lift a hand to cover your mouth, letting out a yawn.

greyson's eyes crinkle.

"are you tired?"

"i guess so," you lower your hand. "what time is it?" you reach for your phone, but greyson is quicker, reading the time from his watch.

"its... 11 pm?"

greyson almost laughs at the way your eyes shoot open in surprise.

"what??! i didn't realize how much time had passed..."

"should we get ready for bed then?"

you give a sleepy nod before you're startled again as you feel yourself being lifted up.

"greyson?!??"

he hums in acknowledgement, making his way towards the bedroom.

"what are you-"

"my lovely miss hunter is tired, so im carrying her to bed," he states matter-of-factly. "is that a problem?"

"no its just..."

his gaze is soft at your sudden shyness, pushing the door open with his shoulder.

"you deserve some good rest for all of your hard work," he speaks quieter, placing you gently on the bed. "allow me to spoil you, miss hunter."

and spoil you he did. you think this is the best sleep you've gotten in the almost fourteen days you'd been away from him. how ever did you manage that long without him, you aren't even sure yourself.

-

a/n: had to keep replaying greyson voicelines in my head n read it in the dialogue i looooove his deep voice heheheh dr greyson marry me ? i wanna write for him more he's soooooo cute yet attractive at the same time?? i<3 him i can only hope i did him justice sigh

[lathalea]

The Shrieking Monster

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ This is a gift for @babe-bombadil as part of the @whiteoliphaunt 2023 exchange. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Happy New Year everyone! 🥳

Relationships: Thorin Oakenshield & Dis & little Fili & Kili Rating: G Warnings: family fluff Author's notes: A story set in the Blue Mountains about Thorin trying to be both a ruler and a good uncle at once. Young Fili and Kili are making it a tad difficult in their own cute way. Special thanks to @naryaflame for your linguistic help with a name :) If you prefer, you can read this fic on AO3.

Khuzdul: Thorinuldûm - Thorin’s Halls, the settlement of the refugees from the Lonely Mountain in the Blue Mountains Amad - mother

1. 

It was a perfect morning. Thorin stretched and yawned, settling himself on his favourite chair in the kitchen. The air that whiffed into the dwarven stronghold from the outside felt warm on his cheeks and smelled like spring. As he sipped his morning tea, that strong, aromatic blend Dori bought in Bree, his sister appeared at the threshold. She gave Thorin a bright smile and, seeing her steaming mug on the table, she sat next to him. The lazy silence of the early hours of the day was soon broken by the appearance of two dishevelled pebbles, one with a thatch of golden hair, the other – with his hair as brown as a bear’s fur in winter. After the mandatory morning hugs, Thorin readied breakfast while Dís prepared her sons for the day, humming to herself. Thorin could not stop himself from smiling. His sister was probably already thinking of her visit to the market. She adored going there in the morning, especially on the days when the merchants arrived with new goods – and today was one of those days. Thorin sighed. As much as he wanted her to have a very much needed moment of respite – his sister-sons were quite a handful, to put it mildly – he was painfully aware of what it was going to mean to him. Half a day of having his eyes around his head and his ears pricked up for any unusual noises they may create… or worse – the ominous silence. In the past, there was only a handful of moments when he and Dís realised that the boys went completely silent. It never bode well. 

This day, however, started with the pitter-patter of the boys’ bare feet, chatter and laughter, and the clatter of their bowls as they ate their oatmeal. Dís reminded them to behave while she was gone, and left for the market. Fíli seemed very content about this state of things, knowing well by now that staying with his mother’s brother meant visiting various places in these halls, like forges, or assisting Thorin in other exciting ways. It was different with Kíli – his loud wails of protest at being so cruelly abandoned reverberated against the walls of their home. Thorin imagined they must have followed their mother through the corridors of Thorinuldûm for a long while. Her Little Bear, as Dís called him, was still too young to understand the connection between Mommy leaving, and the sudden appearance of candied rhubarb or his favourite cream toffees.

Distracting Kíli from his misery was not easy, but Thorin managed it by offering to take the boys for a new adventure. Their big blue eyes shone as he told them they would be going to the lower levels of the city together. It was a real treat – Kíli had never been there before and Fíli visited them only a handful of times.

Thorin had a mind to visit the Engineers’ Quarter and show the lads around while discussing some technical issues with one of the water engineers. And so they began their adventure. As they descended down the wide stone stairs Kíli stumbled and yawned, so Thorin decided to carry him the rest of the way. Soon Little Bear began snoring in his arms, and Thorin attempted to ignore the fact that his own tunic was becoming gradually soaked through with his nephew’s saliva. He also started suspecting that the moniker “Little Bear” must have surely come from the fact that Kíli seemed to weigh more and more with every step, like a true bear.

“At least he is not crying,” Thorin muttered to himself, and kept on walking. Thank Mahal for silver linings.

As they arrived at their destination, however, the situation got worse. The Engineers’ Quarter was a crowded place that smelled like tar, coal, and burned leather. Not minding the much larger adult dwarves in their soot-stained clothes who carried – or carted – their wares from one place to another, curious Fíli began rushing between them, oblivious of the chaos he was creating. He took a look at the wheelwright’s workshop here, and then he had to see the toolmaker’s booth there; he then insisted on seeing how parchment was being made, and attempted to find the place where they manufactured those shiny cogwheels. If not for his golden mane, Thorin would have lost his nephew at least a couple of times. Brór, the water engineer he had a meeting with, joined Thorin in the chase for the high-spirited boy. Instead of looking at the water supply pipeline blueprints and trying to fix a problem with water pressure, they ended up unwillingly playing a hide-and-run game to the delight of the onlookers. Seeing your own king running back and forth through the great cavern with one giggling pebble strapped to his chest while chasing after the other one must have been very amusing… for anyone but him, Thorin thought with resignation. His resignation grew even more when he noticed Fíli climbing onto a tall work table… and jumping down onto a heap of coal.

When Thorin finally caught the runaway, they were both out of breath. Although it was rather Fíli who caught his uncle – the boy ran into him and clung to his left leg as if a throng of orcs chased him.

Fíli raised his teary-eyed face to Thorin and sobbed out, “A monster wanted to eat meeee…”

“A monster? Here?” Thorin’s brow furrowed.

It took him a while to reassure Fíli that no monster was going to eat him. In turn, Thorin promised to get rid of the said monster that apparently lurked in a nearby chamber, and shrieked at him. He left his nephews in the care of Brór who tried to look solemn, but his twitching lips betrayed him. Thorin grunted and entered the chamber, carefully looking around, adjusting his eyes to the dark surroundings. And then he saw two glowing points of red. And heard the shrieking.

2.

When Thorin returned to Brór, Kíli was fast asleep once again. Leaving Little Bear in the engineer’s care once again, he took Fíli’s hand and led him to the entrance of the dark chamber. When they opened the door, they both heard the continuous shrieking now. His nephew stopped and refused to walk inside, covering his ears and closing his eyes.

“There are no monsters here, Fíli.” Thorin reassured the boy. “See for yourself.”

“Nnoooo…” muttered Fíli, hiding behind his uncle.

“Do not be afraid,” Thorin added. “Nothing will hurt you here. I promise.”

On the bench by the door stood a lantern. It took him a moment to light it. With the lantern in hand, Thorin crossed the threshold and approached the nearest lantern that hung on the wall, and then another, and another. Soon, the whole chamber was bright as day, each lantern giving off a pleasant yellow glow.

“You can come in now,” Thorin smiled encouragingly.

With his ears covered and his eyes set on the shrieking, wobbling entity in the middle of the chamber, Fíli shook his head.

“This is not a monster.” Thorin stepped towards the huge bulbous shape that made so much noise. He placed his hand on the top of the strange shaking thing and added, “This is a washing barrel.”

Fíli blinked and took a good look at it. The two red glowing points did not look like a pair of evil eyes any longer. Those were two ball-shaped lanterns standing on top of the… thing. That shrieking noise now seemed to sound like a couple of cogwheels that needed a bit of oil, and not like a monster’s screech. And the arm that seemed to reach out to grab him before, turned out to be a cast iron lever.

“A… barrel?” Fíli looked at his uncle and took one uncertain step towards him and the strange contraption.

“Correct. A barrel that washes your clothes,” Thorin explained in an even voice and at the same moment the shrieking stopped. “Look, it has just finished the washing cycle. Let me show you how it works. First, you open this hatch, like so… Watch out for the water! These clothes are clean, they only need to be wrung out and dried.”

As he spoke, Fíli slowly started closing the distance between them, his eyes becoming wider and wider.

“... but if you want to wash your clothes,” Thorin continued, “you need to put them inside, here, and add some soap suds. Then you close the hatch, pour some water here, crank this lever a few times, do this, like so, and wait for the washing barrel to finish its work!”

Thorin kept on talking until Fíli seemed to be completely in awe of this new piece of machinery, his fear completely forgotten. He peppered his uncle with tons of questions: how many cogwheels were there, how many times one should crank the lever, what the barrel was made of… and so on, and so forth. When they left the chamber, there was a big smile on the boy’s lips instead of tears. 

On their way back home Fíli exclaimed, “This was the bestest adventure ever!”

Thorin thought that sometimes being an uncle happened to be quite rewarding. Even if his tunic was still wet from Kíli’s sleepy drooling.

***

His attitude completely changed less than half an hour later, when his nephews disappeared. Both of them. At once.

Stumbling over several painfully angular wooden toys, Thorin searched the boys’ bedroom. Nothing. He even looked under their beds (twice!), but there was no sign of the boys anywhere. They weren't sitting in the common kitchen nor searching for snacks in the pantry. Nor in Dwalin’s rooms where Kíli liked to play hide-and-scare with the big warrior. There were nowhere to be found – not in the rocking chair by the fireplace, nor even in Balin’s study by that large desk where Fíli liked to play so often. Thorin closed his eyes. If he did not find his nephews before Dís returned from the market, his sister would have Thorin’s own head on a spike. The wrath of dwarf-women was ten times fiercer than the one of dwarf-men. In the case of his little sister, the number was much higher, at least a hundred times. And Thorin would do everything he could to avoid being on the receiving end of it.

There was no time to lose. He recruited Dwalin, Óin, and Halkatla, Balin’s wife, to the task of finding the boys, but they returned empty-handed. No one had seen the boys since their early lunch. Then, they were supposed to take a nap, and Thorin remembered their yawning as they closed the door to their bedroom behind him.

And now they were gone. Kidnapped? — No, impossible, Thorin thought. Dwarves cherished their children like the greatest treasures they were, and no one else was allowed into Thorinuldûm. There were no goblins nor other dangers here either. It felt as if the boys magically disappeared in a puff of smoke. Thorin looked around the wide corridor he stood in, but he found no traces of the missing boys.

“Have you checked all of their favourite places?” Halkatla asked, her red-and-silver braids clinking as she turned her head towards Óin.

“Aye, we did,” he nodded. “Not a sign of them.”

“Those wee rascals! I bet they are up to somethin’.” Dwalin said. “They remind me of us. Remember that time, Thorin, when we were around their age or so, and half of Erebor was lookin’ for us all day long?”

“It would be difficult to forget it,” Thorin admitted. “We wanted to avoid another boring lesson with our tutor…”

“...and instead we went to explore the mines! What a shame we lost our way,” Dwalin grinned and nudged him. “It was fun!”

“Aye, fun on an empty belly. If only you had not forgotten our food,” Thorin replied, relieved that his nephews had a proper meal at least.

“If only ye had not forgotten that map ye were supposed to borrow from your father’s desk,” Dwalin chuckled.

Before Thorin could form an adequate riposte, a mousy-haired dwarf approached him.

“M’lord, Master Brór says that the pipeline is fully functional again,” the messenger bowed.

Thorin gave him a nod of thanks. At least he brought a piece of good news. Master Brór was a skilled engineer, and the way he handled Thorin’s own sister-sons…

“Either way,” Dwalin continued, “we had a real adventure on that day, hadn’t we, Thorin?”

A thought appeared in Thorin’s mind. Master Brór. An adventure.

“There was one place where we have not searched yet,” he turned to his companions.

“I am listening,” Halkatla tilted her head, reminding him of a curious raven.

“The Engineers’ Quarters.”

***

Master Brór was more than happy to receive words of thanks from Thorin in person for fixing that pipeline issue once and for all. Despite Thorin’s hopes, he had not seen Fíli or Kíli since they left the Engineers’ Quarters with their uncle earlier that day. Dwalin muttered a curse under his breath.

“Well, that’s it. I’m goin’ to check the workshops,” the warrior said.

“I’ll take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right,” Halkatla followed him.

“Let’s go,” Dwalin replied, his voice trailing off as he walked away. “And those wee cave bats would better be there or I swear…”

Master Brór addressed Thorin, “I will spread the word as you requested, my lord. Someone must have seen them, I am certain of it. They could not have simply disappeared.”

Thorin agreed with him and began his own search. The rocks could not have swallowed them whole! Magic was out of the question as well, there had to be a logical solution to this! Thoring pulled at his short beard in frustration. Wandering through the area and looking for any signs of his nephews in places they visited earlier that day, he wondered if Óin had any luck. The healer was waiting at their home in case Fíli and Kíli returned there on their own. Perhaps the three of them were already sitting by the fire, with Óin telling the boys countless amusing stories, while Thorin and his companions were checking every nook and cranny on the lower level, going out of their minds with worry. He raised his head, listening to a peculiar sound and trying to figure out its source. It sounded like… shrieking. It was not at all difficult to recall Fíli’s eyes shining with fear, awe, and then curiosity at the sight of the washing barrel.

Without thinking, Thorin turned his steps towards the chamber that housed the “monster” Fíli had been so afraid of not so long ago.

When Thorin arrived at his destination, the door was ajar. Thorin could hear the shrieking very well, but there were other sounds too. Very familiar sounds.

He took a deep breath and shouted, “Dwalin! I found them!”

***

When Thorin stepped inside the chamber, the sounds became even clearer. One of them he identified as uncontrollable giggling, and the other one, slightly muted, sounded like: “Woooo! Woooo! Wooooo! A carousel! Woooo! Faster, Fíli! Woooo!”

Thorin breathed out a sigh of relief only to be struck by a pang of dread a moment later.

Fíli stood by the washing barrel, cranking the lever, grinning from ear to ear, and laughing. Kíli was nowhere to be seen, but his enthusiastic shouts seemed to be coming from inside of the barrel. Inside, not outside. Thorin swallowed; he considered screaming in terror, but something told him that this was most definitely an example of behaviour unworthy of a king. It took him a moment to melt the ball of ice that was forming in his stomach. He closed the distance between him and the barrel in a blink of an eye.

Thank Mahal, the hatch was open. Inside, Kíli sat with his back against a wall of the large metal container inside the machine, surrounded by various articles of laundry, with a happy grin on his face, and a stray sock on top of his head. A wave of relief washed over Thorin.

“Uncle Thorin! Uncle Thorin!” Fíli exclaimed. “We’re playing carousel! Want to jump in?”

Thorin did not.

“It is time to return home, boys,” Thorin simply said, taking Kíli out of the barrel. His clothes were damp and he smelled like those violet flowers Dís liked so much, but other than that, he looked happy, and what’s more important, he was in one piece – just like his older brother.

“But uncle...” Fíli started.

“Your amad will be home soon. Do you not want to see what she bought at the market?”

“A sugar horse? She promised!” The boy recalled his favourite treat.

Holding Kíli firmly against his chest with one arm, Thorin held out his hand to Fíli.

“Let us go and see,” he said with a smile as his nephew’s tiny hand grabbed his.

There would yet be time for scolding and for a conversation about not sneaking out anywhere alone, but for now, the only thing that Thorin wanted was to safely bring his little rascals home.

He only hoped they would manage to reach their halls before Dís returned.

***

When Dís crossed the threshold of their home later in the afternoon, she was greeted by complete silence. Her sons were nowhere to be seen, which was very suspicious. They were always the first ones to run to her and see what she brought them this time. She expected Thorin to welcome her and help her unpack her basket, as usual — but he was not there either. Was this that ominous silence she dreaded so much whenever her boys were executing another of their silly mischiefs? Not really. It seemed as if their home was empty… until she heard a familiar sound coming from a nearby chamber. Dís put the basket on the floor and tiptoed deeper into their halls.

The picture that unfolded before her eyes was the last thing she had expected. Her brother was half sitting, half lying on the sofa, his legs stretched out in front of him, his head resting on the backrest, his eyes closed. Fíli was cuddled up to his uncle’s side, his hair tousled, making her think of a skein of golden yarn. Kíli lay on the opposite side of his uncle, his head resting on Thorin’s lap and turned towards her. He had his thumb in his mouth. Dís could clearly see the darker stain of drool on her brother’s trousers and stifled a giggle. 

All three of them were asleep, of course. And all three of them were snoring in perfect unison. If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine that she had a working sawmill in front of her.

This scene was too adorable for Dís to interrupt it, so she decided that she would let her three boys sleep a little longer. There was no harm in a little nap, after all. Besides, she was tired, and there was still some space left on the sofa…As she drifted off to sleep beside them, her last conscious thought was: “Why do all three of them smell like my lavender laundry soap?”

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[mimisempai]

The kisses that belong only to you

Summary

A reunion with their friends on Wickber Street is another opportunity for Aziraphale to blow Crowley's min

Notes

As always just a little fluffy thing

On Ao3

Rating G - 384 words

Crowley walked a few steps behind Aziraphale, amused each time the angel was approached by a shopkeeper or one of their friends. Each in turn would pull him in for a hug, a kiss, or simply an informal exchange of news.

Since the first Wickber Street Merchants' Ball, as it was now officially called, a few years ago, it had become an annual event. Even now, when Aziraphale wasn't really part of the Wickber Street Shopkeepers Association anymore, the angel and the demon had received an invitation to the ball by mail. Crowley, though obviously not thrilled, had accompanied Aziraphale anyway, and they had come all the way from the South Downs to attend the ball.

Knowing the angel's benevolent and generous nature, it was obvious that many people were happy to see him, and the greetings were more affectionate than usual.

Aziraphale didn't seem bothered by these displays of affection, which was not the case with Crowley, at least as far as he was concerned. The good thing was that people knew him well, too, and knew better than to make such displays of affection, so even if their greetings were just as warm, they didn't go any further.

Now it was Mrs. Sandwich who came to embrace Aziraphale and plant two hearty kisses on his cheeks, trying to make him promise to come more often accompanied by his good lad.

As he and Crowley walked side by side to the next group of people, Crowley leaned over and whispered in Aziraphale's ear, "Save me some, Angel."

Aziraphale turned his head in his direction, raised an eyebrow, and asked, a little confused, "Some what?"

Crowley continued to whisper in his ear, "Some kisses."

He hissed the end of the word and couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction in seeing the slight shiver that ran through Aziraphale as a result.

But the demon's smile quickly faded as Aziraphale lightly pressed his mouth to his in a soft kiss, then ran his tongue fleetingly over his lover's lips before answering cheekily, "These special kisses are only for you, my love, all others are of no importance." 

Then, ignoring Crowley's astonished look, the angel took the demon's hand and walked to the next group. Crowley obediently followed the angel, who never ceased to baffle him.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

South Downs cottage series : here

Ineffable fan fictions Masterpost : here

[sweet-s0rr0w]

day 9 of @hprecfest - a WIP

Tales from the Special Branch, by @femmequixotic - E, 1.2 million words (yes, really), 2017

Summary: When Gawain Robards asks him to form Special Branch seven-four-alpha, Harry Potter knows they'll have to work outside the confines of the law--even though they are the law.

Excerpt:

The Centre's empty when he reaches it. Unsurprising, given the hour, but Draco's still relieved. He makes his way to the Auror showers, feeling less anxious than he has since yesterday. With a cheerful whistle on his lips, he pushes open the door to the locker room.

Potter's there.

Naked. Lying on a bench, legs on either side, his towel beneath him, eyes closed. His glasses are on top of a pile of folded clothes, his dark hair's still damp and curling from the shower. His cock is soft, curled between his spread thighs.

Draco draws up short, his hand still on the door, holding it open. Fuck, his mind says, and, judging from the shiver that goes through his body, it agrees, perhaps not in the same way.

Potter's eyes open at Draco's sharp breath; he turns his head. "Hi," he says, but he doesn't bother to cover himself.

"Sorry," Draco says with a stammer, and he turns to go. He can't do this. He won't. He needs to get out. Now.

"Wait."

Draco hesitates, then looks back at Potter. He's sitting up now, broad shoulders hunched just a bit, cock still on display between his thighs. His dark hair's falling across his forehead, into his eyes. "What?" Draco asks, doing his best to sound as imperious as he can. It's not enough; Potter's mouth twitches to one side.

"Just so you know, your stealth charm is shit," Potter says, and Draco stills, horror seeping through him. "I mean, relatively speaking. You were still better than most of the lads out there yesterday, but you can't really hold it entirely when you're…" Potter hesitates, then smiles, a bright flash of teeth. "Otherwise occupied."

I was so torn about having my excerpt be a sexy one, because it felt kind of reductive with a series that is 1.2 million words so far (longer than the actual HP series!) and full of incredible lore, worldbuilding and some of the best character exploration I've ever read. BUT, it's also femme, which means there are also countless delicious smoking hot sex scenes (hello, Midsummer's Eve al fresco sex scene that's lived in my head for five years), and the bottom line is that I want you all to read the fic, so. Basically, this series follows an Auror Special Branch, headed by Harry Potter, now senior in the force, and otherwise comprised of Draco, Pansy and Blaise. There are many side characters, including the delicious Jake Durant (a Legilimens from MACUSA, and Harry's long-distance boyfriend at the start of the second fic) who you'll end up shipping so hard with [redacted] that you're as excited for that as for the Drarry. The getting together is exquisite, with Harry's seniority at work and the need to keep it a secret adding extra tension and bite to the relationship. The first fic in the series is 15k, and works excellently as a one-shot, but hopefully will whet your appetite for more. The series is on hold at present, but don't let that put you off - stopping after the third fic works pretty well, imo, though femme's posted some hopeful recent updates, and actually I loved the fic so much that I just feel grateful to have been able to read what's already posted. HUGE rec. Anyone got a spare month coming up, this is totally what you should do with it :D

If you read it, and if especially you love it, please do let me know! And as always, please do take the time to leave the author a kudos/comment <3

day 1 - first fic you remember reading

day 2 - a fic rated G

day 3 - a fic not on ao3

day 4 - a comfort fic

day 5 - a romantic fic

day 6 - a fic for a ship you don’t normally read

day 7 - the best of your OTP

day 8 - a fic that was recced to you

[witch-oftheflowers]

Previous

The next morning. When she woke up, when her body remember every ounce of their heated intercourse.

Her eyes snapped open. Softly looking around as she noticed his room was coated in black smoke. It was as if imprinted into the walls. The amount of times the both of them unleashed their abilities. The room showed it

Getting up, she quickly slid into her clothes. Smoothing her hair back the best she could even. She was getting ready to leave. Till he reappeared into the room. Two mugs in his hands, and he wore his everyday mask. The skull seems cold but his eyes seem gentle.

Setting it besides the nightstand. He sat besides her as he looked down

"Do you... regret it?..."

She blinked as she stared at him

"I don't... Do.. you?"

" Heavens no."

They both stared at the other as she tugged on her shirt a tad.

"I hope...you know...that the others also..."

"I told 'hem I claimed you last night... I'm not losing my mate..."

"mate?...Ghost aren't you partially dead?"

"Aren't you 'oo?"

"I am..."

" 'm claiming you as mine Ximena... 'M not sharing... 'M not losing you when you're 'his close." He blocked her in with his arms. Pinning her back into the bed.

His body pressed into hers as she felt a shiver up her spine. Her submissive behavior seeping in as she met his gaze.

"I like that idea... But the others..." She stopped as she was thinking.

"I'm... Supposed to be the lads breeding machine..." She whispered softly as she finally revealed her purpose here.

His eyes soften as he heard those words. His finger caressed her cheek as he was thinking.

"I... Know why we went looking for you... And 'M sorry it was for such a selfish reason..."

"It's hard to find fertile monsters... I didn't know I still was..."

"Special case... Even for a spirit in between..."

"Like you."

"I know... I don't think I can give you children anyways..." His voice was softer as he realized it. Knowing if she did want children... It would be from the others. His hands turned to fists as she sighs.

"We... Can always try?" She suggested,her eyes wishing to seek into his. But his shut eyes made her worry, her palms to his mask covered cheeks. She noticed him stare back finally.

He seems so calm to her words as he snickered. His eyes showing his emotions well, now that she got his close to see em.

"Always worth trying right?... 'M not gonna hold back..."

Her legs were thrown over his shoulders. His nth load seeping into her squishy pussy. Her walls clinging to his hard length as he was curled forward on her.

Soft groans left her lush plush lips. Softly swollen from the amount of bites he left, and the amount of sweet kisses.

"Again-" his voice was low. Hot breath against her ear as he demanded the task

Her thighs felt like they were burning. The way his girthy cock split her open. The way his curves tip bullied her aching womb.

Softly wiggling her toes as she whined in pain

"To much-"

"Hush it. Again. I need to keep you full of MY seed." His voice was trembling. Softly his hard cock was shoved further into her core.

A struggle gasp left her lips as she whimpered out. The size difference between them was clear. She was so tiny and he bullied himself inside.

The way he leaned back. Holding her ankles as he pulled his ten inch cock almost out. His tip coated in his seed as he watched her pussy gush his ten load out. Her ass was coated in it. He didn't care, he wanted her to smell of him. Her body to remember his scent and his seed only.

"Look at the waste..."

He slapped her throbbing clit. A whine left her lips, softly she came as she felt him rub her pussy. Slapping it a bit as he smirked at her weak attempts to move

" 'M going again... Come on sweet girl. One more load. One more time for me?" He coaxed her in as he rubbed her plush large thighs. The way her stomach rolls tucked and showed as she was like a real woman before him.

He slid in more. Stretching her out again as she cried in bliss. Her pussy was making lewd noises as she whined in bliss

"Ghost...Ghost...." She called his name out as she rolled her head back. Her neck exposed, showing all his purple and black marks he left. Lip and hand wise.

His cock bottom out. A groan left him as he sighs. Softly rocking his hips as she whinpers

"more...."

"Anything for you .."

As he snap his hips back and forward again. She whined as he was brutal. Chasing his own climax not hers.

He was quick as he rocked into her body. Pressing her firm into the mattress. Keeping her legs spread wide. A free hand went to her throat as he silenced her. Making her gag as she let lewd noises leave her lips

"Like that? Mmm yeah? This pussy. This body. All mine." He stated as he kept up his pace. Her eyes rolling back as she arches her body off the bed.

Ximena's eyes shut as she cried in bliss

"Ghost!" Soft mumbling sounds left there hips the best she could. Even as his hand tighten leaving a mark on her.

" 'M close.... 'M close. I'ma make you so swollen." He whispered the words as he snapped his hips one more time.

Black smoke spread from him as he climax hard. Pumping her abused pussy with his nth load again. His eyes turned black as he felt his body shake from his final one

"Oh fuck..." He sighs as he reeled it back in. Seeing her with tears down her face and a happy smile to her lips.

He released his grip on her throat. Seeing his smoke infected her a bit

"No no no no..."

"Mmm ok..." She croaked the words out as she sighs. Catching her breath, her legs felt like jelly, easing them off his shoulders.

Her brown eyes sparkled as she wiped the wet tears away. Her hands shook a bit as she reached out and grasped his cheeks

"I'm ok..." Her voice was so meek. Soft and vulnerable as she stared up at him

Ghost stared down. His brown eyes soften as he leaned in. Giving her cheek a kiss as he hums in acknowledgement

"Good girl for me.... I won't hurt your anymore" he spoke as he let himself slip out. Her voice whined at the sudden emptiness.

A deep chuckle left his lips as he watched her wiggle from being empty

"Don't worry, you'll be full all day-"

As the team geared up. Needing to handle a murder of crows, all hybrids.

Rushing through the woods as they split up.

Unlucky for Ximena or lucky maybe. Soap transformed halfway through the haunt.

Her hair was in twin braids. Her red eyes shined as she heard the crows bicker in rage.

"You lead them here! Squak~"

"I did not! Shut up they'll hear us!"

Ximena quickly signal for Soap in engage. Letting him run loose as he bit and caught each one.

A total for five hybrids laid on the floor. Blood soaked the snow floor. Her eyes watching it pool as she radioed in

"Bravo team. We got our marks. How copy?" She spoke as she got closer. Helping Soap discard the bodies into the river near by.

She smiled to the wolf as she gave his chin scratches

"Good boy mi puppito" she praised him as she kissed his cheek.

His tail thump the floor as he nuzzled closer to her. His eyes meeting hers as he beamed

"No. No you can't do this right now during a mission"

She tried scolding the wolf. But Soap didn't care. His muzzle nudged her arms away from her. As his nose boop her nose

"Soap no..we.need ..." She blushes as his tail wrapped around her a bit. Rubbing over her body as she shutter

"Soap no..."

His eyes met hers as he whined. Puppy eyes as he licked her face down to her chest

"Nehh nooo" she whined as his nuzzle rubbed into her breast. Softly she pants as she didn't hear the lads radio in.

Her comms accidentally pressed on as she let a moan out

"Soap~"

The three men froze as they heard Ximena only.

"Blood fuck he shifted. Couldn't even wait." Gaz chimes in as he flew up. Trying to locate the pair

Price sighs as he huffed smoke from his lips.

"Ghost go find them. We haven't finished this mission yet. They'll both need to be punished after"

Ghost stared at him as he simply nods. Heading deeper into the forest

Ximena was on a tree. Her half bent over as Soap's knot was buried into her aching pussy. Cum already leaking out as she whined

"Soap....Johnnnyy~" her moans were pornographic as she wiggles her hips

"Come on hurry- Aahh!" She was shoved forward as he was brutal. Stretching her wide as she whimper from the burn

"Johnny hurry~ it hurts!" She spoke those words. But her cunt was fluttering around him. Getting wetter as Soap kept going. His front paw pushed her down into the floor more. Her ass in the air as he took advantage of her.

"Johnnnyyy~ Oh God please fill me up already!" She moaned the words out. The sound of his hips snapping as he gave one more thrust. His knot buried in her as he dump load after load inside her.

Her legs shook from the weight and pressure. She softly cried from how deep he was, feeling like her insides her rearranged.

A clear and stern cough pulled the two from their thoughts.

Johnny transforming back as he was nude before Ghost.

"Lt. It's not hat-"

"Shut your trap McTavish."

Both stared at the upset Ghost. Seeing his eyes narrowed as he helped Ximena up. Her legs shook, bits of cum dripping down her legs as she met his gaze. Tears in her eyes as she was in pain

"Both yous are in trouble. Back on the helo, we'll handle you two when we're back."

"But Lt she didn't do a damn-"

"Do. I. Make. myself. clear?"

The pair nods their heads as they run off.

Johnny slid clothes back on in the helo. Watching Ximena sit, seeming in pain as she couldn't stand still

" M sorry Bonnie. I promise I didn't meant to hurt ya."

"I'm not hurt... It feels good Johnny. But. But the lads might punish us-"

"Might? More like you are gonna be punished."

Captain Price boom as the two stared at him. Ximena lowered her head a bit as she tried to sit still.

The other two walked in as they tossed the two suspects they needed in. Locking them to their seats.

Price walked over to Ximena as he rubbed her head. Her curls swaying a bit as she stared up to him

"You stupid whore. Letting just anyone touch you"

Her eyes widen as she didn't know how to respond. Simply letting her head hang low as she whimper at the comment.

She was a bit peek as she knew the pair were in for a lecture

" Cap'tan, she didn't -"

"Shut up Soap!" Price roared the words at him as he was glaring down to the two. He was letting smoke out his mouth as he watched them

"You both were reckless! We were in a middle of a mission and you both acted like this!"

Soap flinched a bit at his voice. Looking down as his tail stiffed

Ximena fidget with her hands as she seemed scared. Fearful to get sent back or harmed for her own mistakes. Her eyes wonder over to Ghost and Gaz. The pair staying back as they watched the two.

Gaz gave her a small apologetic smile. Feeling bad for the pair

Ghost was different. His eyes piercing behind his mask as he stared them both down. He was trying to control himself from attacking Soap.

"And you!" Price whipped to Ghost.

"I told you to not let them be together. I especially mentioned to keep them apart! You knew he was close to his cycle."

Ghost flexed his hand as he twitched a bit. Feeling annoyed by the situation

" 'M only responsible for her. He's not my lap dog"

Price glared at him as he spoke up.

"You three will be reprimanded once we get back. Do I make myself clear!"

Loud moans and whines filled the barracks.

Ximena was laying on the floor as she was worn out. An extensive session of the four as they were pushed passed their limits.

She shut her eyes a bit as she wanted to sleep. Ghost came besides her as he was nude.

An arm wrapped around his waist as he lifted her over his shoulder. Giving her arse a nice smack

" 'M not done with you"

"Simon no....no more..." She whined out as she clung to his shoulders. She had cuts and burns on her body from the session with Price

She felt exhausted from being a rag doll today.

" I ain't saying more sex..." He mumbled as he took them into his room. Laying her on his bed as he turned the light on. Black mass was on his hands as he was still upset with earlier.

"I'll run a bath..."

He walked into, letting the water run. As he came back noticing she was asleep.

His hand rested on her waist as he noticed she had a small bump.

That...Wasn't there before...

He got her into the bath after. Easing her in as he let her sleep. Allowing her to get pamper from the heated day they had.

Ghost was actually careful as he ran soap through her hair. Brushing and taking care of his curls.

He's taken a liking to her. Just never wanted to admit to it.

As he dab the burn marks on her body. Careful as he tended to her claw marks on her back.

Damn two couldn't be careful...

He sighs as he got her out. Applying burn cream on her. He lifted her up as he rested her naked body into his bed.

Pulling the blanket up as he covered her. He could feel her body was changing. And he was fearful for a moment.

If she was changing. Would he too?

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … January 13

915 – Born: Al-Hakem II, Caliph of Cordoba. Numerous important men in Islamic history, especially the rulers and poets, are known to have had male lovers, or celebrated male love in their poetry. Al-Hakem II, Caliph of Cordoba in Spain, is an example - just like his father before him.

In his youth his loves seem to have been entirely homosexual. He was known to have openly kept a male harem.This exclusivity was a problem, since it was essential to produce an heir. A resolution was reached by his taking a concubine who dressed in boys' clothes and was given the masculine name of Jafar.

Successor of Abd-al-Rahman III, who had kept both male and female harems, Caliph Al-Hakem II in year 965 built the largest castle in Europe (446 m long, 89 m wide and 1,200 m in perimeter) at Gormaz (close to the road that goes from Aranda de Duero to Medinaceli).

His rule assured a long period of peace to Andalusia. He was devoted to books and learning, and the Muslim library reached up to 400,000 volumes. (this was sacked in the Berber siege of Cordoba in 1100). He even sent his agents to purchase 'first edition' books from the Muslim east, such as Kitab al-Aghani (Book of Songs) by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani.

During his reign, a massive translation effort was undertaken, and many books were translated from Latin and Greek into Arabic. He formed a joint committee of Arab Muslims and Iberian Mozarab Christians for this task. By mid tenth century most of existing Greek and Hellenic works were translated into Arabic. He enlarged and beautifully decorated Cordoba's Mosque.

1834 – Horatio Alger, American author, minister, born (d.1899) a 19th century American author who wrote approximately 135 "dime novels." Many of his works have been described as "rags-to-riches" stories, illustrating how down-and-out boys might be able to achieve the American Dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, determination and concern for others.

This widely-held view involves a significant simplification, as Alger's characters do not typically achieve extreme wealth; rather they attain middle-class security, stability, and a solid reputation — that is, their efforts are rewarded with a place in society, not domination of it. He is noted as a significant figure in the history of American cultural and social ideals, even though his novels are rarely read these days. As bestsellers in their own time, Alger's books rivaled those of Mark Twain in popularity.

In 1866 Horatio Alger moved from Brewster, Mass., where he had been a Unitarian minister, to New York City. The experiences gained in his effort to improve the condition of street boys in that famous city of "lights and shadows" became the raw material of his books that he wrote for boys. By leading exemplary lives, struggling valiantly against poverty and adversity, Alger's heroes gain wealth and honor. His juvenile fiction, particularly the Luck and Pluck and Tattered Tom series, was amazingly popular and left a strong mark upon the character of a generation of American youth. What no one knew at the time, however, was the reason for Alger's arrival in New York, not to mention an interesting correlative to his atavistic concern for boys. Back in Brewster, a special parish investigating committee of the Unitarian church had charged their minister with "gross immorality and a most heinous crime, a crime of no less magnitude than the abominable and revolting crime of familiarity with boys." Considering what Alger had been accused of doing to two lads named John Clark and Thomas S. Crocker before he hightailed it out of Brewster, is it any wonder that his first boys' book was called Ragged Dick?

1934 – Rip Taylor, American actor, born (d.2019); an openly gay American actor and commedian. Taylor was known for his high-voiced yells, zany hair (which is a toupée), and bushy handlebar moustache over a perpetual toothy grin. He always entered a venue tossing handfuls of confetti from a paper bag onto his audience and laughing hysterically, while the band played his theme song, "Happy Days Are Here Again." Taylor's comedic style included horrible puns, often in conjunction with props (for example, holding up a plastic fish full of holes and exclaiming "Holy Mackerel!") and miming along to novelty records (including the works of Spike Jones). If he got little or no reaction following one of his jokes, he would stop for a moment and yell at the audience: "I don't dance, folks! This is it!" Or, "Hello? Can you people hear me?"

In 2006, Rip Taylor publicly came out of the closet , not exactly shocking colleagues and fans. Prompted by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton —who questioned why the allegedly hetero comedian was spending so much time cruising the bars in West Hollywood— Taylor released a statement confirming he was "a gay man, and proud of it."

"It's such a relief to finally unload this burden," said Taylor, 72, following in the footsteps of Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris. "I've been living a lie so long." His tongue was set firmly in his cheek at the time. Taylor's contemporaries said they supported their friend.

David Felcher, a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, applauded Taylor's courage. "It takes a lot of guts for someone with his visibility to admit to the world that he is homosexual," Felcher said. "So many people will benefit from this, people who are struggling with the decision to come. But if someone like Rip Taylor can do it, so can they."

Taylor said he'd been fielding numerous offers since his announcement, though he was wary of being typecast. "I can still be a romantic leading man," he said.

1950 – Today is the birthday of the British MP Clive Betts. Born in Sheffield as Clive James Charles Betts. Betts was made an opposition whip under Tony Blair in 1996, and after the 1997 general election entered the government as an Assistant Whip. He was promoted in 1998 to full Whip, with the title of Lord Commissioner to the Treasury, but like the majority of whips at that time was dropped from the government after the 2001 general election. Since 2002, Betts has been a Member of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee. Since the 2005 general election he has also been a member of the Finance and Services Committee. He was outed by a newspaper in February of 2003.

In 2003 Betts was suspended from the House of Commons for 7 days for irregularities involving the employment and visa of Jose Gasparo, a Brazilian student with previous experience as a male escort. The Telegraph newspaper reported on 10 July 2010 that Betts' partner, James Thomas, had tried to edit this fact from Betts' Wikipedia page in an attempt to cover it up. Betts was found guilty of breaching the MPs' code of conduct, with the Standards and Privileges Committee stating that he had acted "extremely foolishly" and had risked damaging public confidence in the integrity of Parliament. Particular concerns involved Betts' failure to disclose Gasparo's background to Parliamentary authorities and the fact that Betts had knowingly photocopied an altered document on Gasparo's behalf. Betts apologised unreservedly for his behaviour.

He lives in a farmhouse on the Derbyshire border with his partner James Thomas, who is also employed as his parliamentary assistant.

1959 – Kid Ramos is an American electric blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Ramos has released four solo albums since 1995 on Black Top and Evidence Records. He has worked with James Harman, Roomful of Blues, the Big Rhythm Combo, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Mannish Boys, Bobby Jones and Los Fabulocos.

David Ramos was born in Fullerton, California, United States, with both of his parents being professional opera singers. After playing at the parties of friends and at local nightclubs in his teenage years, he turned fully professional when joining James Harman's band in 1980. He stayed playing his guitar for Harman until 1988, when he briefly helped out with Roomful of Blues. However, at this point, Ramos took a break from music to raise a family, and worked as a water delivery man.

In 1994, Ramos joined forces with Lynwood Slim to form the Big Rhythm Combo. Ramos' debut solo album, Two Hands One Heart, was released the following year. Ramos had joined The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1993, following an invitation from their singer, Kim Wilson. As well as regularly recording and appearing with them up to 2002, Ramos also continued to release his own albums, with Greasy Kid Stuff (2001) being his most recent.

Ramos appeared at the 2005 Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival, playing along with the Mannish Boys. He also formed the roots quartet, Los Fabulocos, who released their debut album in 2008.

In 2010, Ramos came out in an interview on radio about his past homosexual relationships. A well known member, supporter, and activist for LGBT rights, Ramos has given a lot of time back to the community.

In August 2012, Ramos was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, and underwent chemotherapy treatment the following month. He was expected to require radiotherapy, surgery and further chemotherapy during the course of the next twelve months and a medical appeal was launched to assist with the costs of his treatment. Kid Ramos received the Orange County Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award on March 7, 2014. At the event he announced that he had completed his treatment and recovered from the cancer.

1965 – Today is the birthday of the American actor, comic and producer Jason Stuart. Born in the The Bronx, New York and raised in Los Angeles, Stuart has many productions to his credit including the albums "I'm Jason Stuart...Jealous" and "Gay Comedy Without A Dress" (2001) and appearances in various films including "A Day Without A Mexican" (2004), "Coffee Date" (2005), and "Ghosts Never Sleep" (2005).

He is openly gay, and is the chair of the Screen Actors Guild National LGBT Actors Committee. Stuart has performed at top comedy clubs and comedy festivals and hundreds of gay events and prides, colleges and universities, and even on Broadway. Since Stuart makes such a strong connection with his audience, he is in high demand by corporate programs with his lecture, Coming Out In Hollywood, on being openly gay in the workplace.

Stuart has used his talents as an openly gay actor and comedian to support the community by performing at countless benefits for issues from AIDS to the homeless. He is the chairman of the first ever Screen Actors Guild LGBT Committee, and also chairs the comedy shows for Lifeworks Mentoring Program.

1970 – David J. Glawe was the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence from January 2017 to May 2020 and is currently the President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Glawe was born in 1970, and grew up in Davenport, Iowa. He graduated in 1992 from the University of Northern Iowa with a B.A. in Behavioral Science in criminology and certificate from the Harvard University in 2015.

Glawe started his law enforcement career as a police officer with the Houston, Texas and Aurora, Colorado Police Departments. He served as a federal agent with the United States Postal Inspection Service and then as a counter-terrorism special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2007, as an FBI Supervisory Special Agent in the Counterterrorism Division, he served in Iraq and Africa.

In 2012 he became Deputy National Intelligence Manager for Threat Finance and Transnational Organized Crime at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2015 he was appointed to serve as the Assistant Commissioner and Chief Intelligence Officer at United States Customs and Border Protection.

He was appointed as the acting Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis by the President Trump on January 23, 2017, and was unanimously confirmed to that position on a permanent basis by the United States Senate on August 3, 2017. He also served briefly in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. He was the longest serving Senate-confirmed official in DHS.

As the Chief Intelligence Officer and Under Secretary he oversees the intelligence capabilities for an organization of approximately 250,000 personnel. He is charged with the strategic and programmatic oversight to integrate the intelligence capabilities from 22 DHS component organizations such as: the United States Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, US Secret Service, FEMA, Transportation Security Administration and the newly created Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency. He is also the senior U.S. Government official statutorily charged to deliver the technical and programmatic infrastructure to drive the bi-directional dissemination of intelligence and information sharing with: state, local and private sector partners through the DHS Mission Centers.

On June 1, 2020, David Glawe became the President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

He became the highest ranking openly gay US Official in United States history as the Under Secretary for Intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security. On 28 June 2017 during his televised Senate confirmation hearing he introduced his husband and two children.

1983 – Julian Morris is an English actor. After appearing in the British television series The Knock (1996) and Fish (2000) during his teenage years, he had his first starring role in the American slasher film Cry Wolf (2005). He subsequently had supporting roles in the thriller Donkey Punch (2008), the historical drama Valkyrie (2008), and another slasher film Sorority Row (2009).

Morris has also appeared in American television as a series regular on Pretty Little Liars and Hand of God, and had recurring roles on Once Upon a Time and New Girl.

Morris was born in Crouch End, North London, and grew up in Muswell Hill. He is the son of South African-born Glen and Zimbabwean-born Andrea Morris, and spent a lot of time in both countries growing up. He is from a Jewish family.

Morris began acting at the Anna Scher Theatre in London. It was there, when he was 13, that a director on the British drama series The Knock spotted him and asked him to play a boy pushed into the drug trade. Morris continued his intensive training under Anna Scher for the next eight years. In this period more opportunities arose, and after appearing in several television shows, films and commercials, he went on to spend three seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, working with directors such as Steven Pimlott, Tim Albery and Elijah Moshinsky, and alongside actors like Simon Russell Beale, Samuel West and Roger Allam.

Morris with boyfriend Landon Ross

Morris publicly came out in a December 2021 post on his Instagram account celebrating his 18th anniversary with his partner Landon Ross. “18 years together, and they were the best ones because they were with you. I love you,” Morris, 38, wrote in the post, tagging his longtime boyfriend.

1992 – Out Magazine begins publishing with a test issue. The first issue on the newsstands is dated Summer 1992.

2009 – On this date New York Knicks star center Eddy Curry was hit with a sexual harassment and racial discrimination suit by his former chauffeur who claimed the basketball star had approached him in the nude and solicited him to engage in sex with the athlete.

[johannadc]

Li'l Greg Gets a Football

Look, Sherlock gave me a football! Now I can get out for a match with the lads.

Gregory... (Mycroft takes Greg's hand) I urge you to let me have any gift of Sherlock's thoroughly inspected and disinfected before you touch it. You know how he is.

True. He'd probably think being covered in blood at a crime scene made a gift more special.

Later...

M: Now, before you go out on the ... is it called a field?

G: Sure, that's fine.

M: I insist you eat a light but healthy meal. Here's a charcuterie platter, plenty of protein, and a green salad.

G: Aw, Myc, you take such good care of me.

G: But what's this over here? Biscuits! Lots of types, too.

M: Of course you want to eat dessert first.

G: I insist we share. Here's a heart-shaped one from me to you.

[aziraphales-library]

Hey lads! I honestly appreciate what you're doing with this blog, it's super cool and helpful. Anyways I wanted to ask if there are any fics where Aziraphale tries to keep up with modern fashion? Like trying on modern clothes and Crowley being head over heels by his new look? Thank you 😊

Hi! We have fics like this on our #clothing tag. Here are some more...

Suzanne Somers And The Village Walking Club by JonsiGray (G)

Crowley is away in London for one night--one! When he returns home it's to Aziraphale taking a stroll through the village with a group called the Tortoise Strollers wearing none other than a leotard, tights, pink leg warmers, holographic trainers, and head and wrist bands. Crowley tries to talk Aziraphale back into his senses but Aziraphale believes his ensemble is modern and stylish. “You were wearing, that!” said Crowley, pointing to the offending clothes. “I know it’s a bit modern,” conceded Aziraphale. “Modern! It’s thirty-some years past its sell by date.” “But it looked good on Suzanne Somers,” said Aziraphale, a little hurt.

comfort zones by sometimeseffable (T)

"Will you please just come out here?" Naturally, since the fashion of Egyptian nobility suited Crowley’s tastes far more than Aziraphale’s, this led to some problems. “Alright. But no teasing!” -- Crowley convinces Aziraphale to try a change of wardrobe. Inspired by the art by WhiteleyFoster

A Rearrangement of Styles by pilatesandpinot (E)

When Aziraphale and Crowley attend the wedding of their friends Anathema and Newt, they end up tempting each other with their guest attire. Fic featuring Crowley in a kilt and Aziraphale in a much more modern suit but with a special surprise underneath ;)

A Grand Gesture by PinkPenguinParade (T)

“Crowley?” he called. “Yeah, angel?” came from the other room. “...What am I looking at, here? It appears to be a suit in my wardrobe, that is not my suit and not your size.” “Oh, that.” Crowley appeared at the doorway, one hand behind his neck in what Aziraphale was learning to recognize as shyness, something he’d never expected from his demon. “Was s’posed to be a surprise, but... guess that’s knackered, now.” Crowley has a special night planned for his angel.

Tokens of Love by southdownsraph (T)

When Aziraphale asks Crowley to take her shopping for a wardrobe update, she has a little wobble about her shape, but after some comfort from Crowley, she feels confident enough to finally confess how she feels.

- Mod D

[toothworxx]

What kind (like color and breed) of kitties do you have and how many 🙏 mayhaps pictures if you’re comfortable /g /nf

OKGHG IM SO HAPPY YA ASKED-

i have TWO cats- theyre tha cutest ever they should win an award for bein tha babiest babies ta ever baby

THIS lil lad is Jekyll!!

i dont think ive ever seen a cat with his exact patterns so im not sure what breed hed be other than like maybe a tabby/calico mix?? hes white with gray spots but his spots have stripes in them!!! hes dainty and cuddly and always loves to be held and kissed and pet!! he ALWAYS wants ta lay on or around ya no matter what!! (no matter how much ya clean his eye boogies though he always gets another- hes allergic to like.... EVERYTHING- poor boy... hes also got a bladder disorder so hes prescribed medical grade urinary care food because hes a lil special but i dont mind it! its worth keepin his sweet lil self healthy!)

and THIS young man is Hyde!!

hes a big ol black cat with a siiingle white patch on his belly! hes a lil moodier than jekyll but he still LOVES attention ta tha point of knockin yer phone out yer dang hand an walkin all over yer face an stomach ta get it- hes so silly and prefers attention on his own terms rather than all tha time- hes also tha chunkiest cat in tha world- think like garfield level chunk- hes muscular too- very strong lil man despite how lazy he is!

theyre both my lil sweethearts and i love them so much!!!!! i always make sure they get kisses on their lil baby heads whenever i can!! even when i was in tha hospital fer a week i made my family take polaroid photos of them kissing my cats on tha head so id have concrete proof they were being taken care of well

[themculibrary]

BAMF! Peggy Carter Masterlist

Agents Carter (ao3) - justanotherStonyfan steve/bucky/peggy M, 7k

Summary: When he comes to her, he’s kneeling. Hands behind his head, eyes down, he’s kneeling in the middle of her office floor and there she is, gun in hand, pointing a weapon at something that looks a lot like someone she used to know.

“You have five seconds,” she says, “and then I’ll be required to redecorate.”

Always a Knockout (ao3) - momentofchaos peggy/daniel G, 1k

Summary: “Word is that Carter and Thompson are fighting in the main gym sir.” He stuttered it out, staring at his shoes while Daniel sighed.

“Not again.” The Chief murmured under his breath before dismissing his agent who practically scampered down the hall towards the gym. At a slightly slower pace Daniel followed, internally rolling his eyes and mentally preparing to deal with the both of them.

Or: Daniel is done with them both

A Refrain of Disjointed Time (ao3) - sonatine peggy/jack, steve/bucky T, 11k

Summary: The SSR agents encounter the Winter Soldier in the early days of his deployment. Forty years later, at a benefit in New York City, Peggy Carter and Jack Thompson are visited by this ghost from the past — although this time, they can see his face.

Flames We Never Lit (ao3) - roboticonography T, 75k

Summary: Peggy Carter is frozen in 1946 and awakened by SHIELD in 2012, where she reunites with Steve Rogers.

That's only the beginning of the story.

Flowers (ao3) - includewomeninthesequel steve/peggy E, 91k

Summary: She was light, warmth, and life.

She was everything he wasn’t, and everything that he didn’t know he wanted - needed - until this moment.

A Steggy love story inspired by the myth of Hades and Persephone, with more than one twist along the way.

From Sky's Edge at the Horizon to the Streets of Brooklyn That We Call Home (ao3) - TigressJade steve/bucky, peggy/daniel T, 31k

Summary: AU. Steve Rogers is discovered in 1945 by the Russians and held behind the Soviet line as WWII continues to rage. An invariable mistake leads to a quick escape enacted by the one person who has always managed to get Captain America out of trouble, with a well-placed right hook and a sniper's careful eye.

Haven't You Done Enough? (ao3) - a_boy_and_his_dog T, 18k

Summary: The Commandos go missing after a night on the town.

International Incident (ao3) - linascribbles steve/peggy E, 112k

Summary: Peggy Carter rose through the diplomatic ranks in the midst of the Incident and in her short career already stablished herself as a skilled and well-connected negotiator. Stationed in the Washington DC embassy, she's right on the front lines of the fallout of Project Insight. Governments get purged, new and unexpected doors open, and Peggy Carter is nothing if not resourceful.

As she gets plunged into a world of spies, mad scientists and superheroes, familiar faces start to pop up. Particularly one pesky Captain America, who seems to have no idea what international law entails and considers country borders mere suggestions.

Just a Charlie Foxtrot (ao3) - TheReviewess steve/peggy, peggy/angie T, 47k

Summary: Steve Rogers was not the second person to have the Super Soldier Serum. He was the third. The second person was a woman. This is her story.

Just One of the Lads (ao3) - Professor_Marvelous pre bucky/steve/peggy G, 23k

Summary: Over the following quarter of an hour, their plan took shape. And, it amounted to nothing more nor less than her showing her ability to meet or exceed the special skills of each individual member of the Howling Commandos. Someone else might have argued that their demand was unbelievable. It was certainly unreasonable. But, Peggy was all too able to believe.

“So I must show that I am, in myself, equal to the combined skills of all the men of Capt. Rogers’ team.” She raised an eyebrow and gestured expansively. “Well, and why not? After all, we know that women can do… well, everything better than than men.”

Peggy stood.

“Gentlemen,” she nodded perfunctorily, more dismissal than acknowledgement, and made herself stride confidently from the room even as, under it all, she seethed.

In which: Peggy proves she can do anything the men can do and that sometimes the rules are meant to be ignored.

Come for Peggy’s badassery; stay for Howard and the Howlie’s antics and the team-as-family vibes!

Lovers in War (ao3) - Shatterpath steve/peggy M, 13k

Summary: There is so much more to the tale of Peggy and Steve; their tale of love and war, of laughter and loss, of pleasure and pain. The more I watched their movie, the more I saw. That seeing became this.

We pick up with our heroes on the night after Steve has returned to camp with the liberated POWs. Hold on tight!

never, maybe, and for certain (ao3) - maundering peggy/steve, peggy/daniel T, 23k

Summary: Peggy Carter is never getting married. It’s simply not compatible with the life she wants, and she crafts for herself a flawless porcelain mask that she’s certain no one can break—just in case it wasn’t already clear she was a notch above the rest.

Peggy Carter: Code Name Polaris (ao3) - flyingfoxtopus E, 11k

Summary: Steve ‘Captain America’ Rogers had a job. Stop Hydra and the rest of the Nazi’s taking over the world. It was a hard job. Which was why it wasn’t Steve’s job to deal with the home front fallout of his plans. It was Peggy’s. And she was very good at her job. At least she had been up until now. This time Steve might be asking for more than even she could manage.

Steve wanted ‘Polaris’. The only problem was ‘Polaris’ wasn’t technically cleared to go to the front.

Peggy had questioned the code name when Steve had first given it to her. At the time it had felt more like a pet name than a proper call sign. It still felt like a pet name sometimes, even now that it was clear she really was guiding the Howling Commandos through everything.

There’s no denying, at least in Peggy’s mind, that she could help the boys out of whatever mess they’ve gotten themselves into. If Command will just let her… Or if it comes right down to it, if she manages to sneak out to them without official help.

Peggy Carter is a Howling Commando (ao3) - The_Marauders_Daughter steve/peggy M, 19k

Summary: It's 1944, and Hydra is giving the SSR a very hard time. Sometimes Captain America isn't enough for a mission. Sometimes what the mission needs is Peggy Carter.

Preserved (ao3) - Domenika Marzione (domarzione) steve/peggy N/R, 72k

Summary: After the rescue of the 107th, Steve Rogers cashes in all of his favors and makes what deals he can to get Bucky a medical discharge from the Army, sending him home to Brooklyn and far from enemies and curious scientists both. But Steve's war goes on until it ends badly, in an exploding plane over the Black Sea. Captain America is presumed dead, his shield recovered and returned to a grieving America while his body remains undiscovered.

Seven years later, a new danger is threatening to unbalance the already-roiling Cold War: a Soviet assassin let loose from behind the Iron Curtain. Peggy Carter isn't sure she wants to believe that the assassin is a super-soldier because of what it could mean, but she does know that whoever it is, she'll have to break her promise to keep Bucky Barnes far from danger.

So I Took A Faithful Leap (ao3) - odetteandodile steve/bucky T, 19k

Summary: Bucky doesn’t fall and Steve doesn’t crash. The Howling Commados take out the remaining Hydra bases…and then they go home, just like all the other allied soldiers. Throughout the war, they discuss what each of them would do if they make it back again. The only person Steve doesn’t ask is Bucky. He’s afraid of the answer.

Steve himself isn’t sure if he knows how to do anything but be a soldier and a weapon anymore, but remembering the promise he made he vows to try to be just a good man again.

He buys a farm in Washington state, and tries to relearn how to be at peace.

(Featuring: Steve as a bearded farmer, two rescued puppies, badass Peggy Carter speaking truth, the Howling Commandos doing the same, an apple orchard, soldier homecoming angst, and two dumb boys waiting way too long to talk it out–but don’t worry, they do.)

The Woman with the Shield & The Man with the Plan (ao3) - CaptainJimothyCarter steve/peggy G, 11k

Summary: “You followed us,” Steve observed instead of answering her question. He held his bruised hand out to her, slender with long artist fingers. “Steve. Steve Rogers, ma’am.”

There was that smile again, softer this time as she shook his hand in a firm grip. “Agent Peggy Carter, and yes, I did follow you."

This Ghostly Business (ao3) - Atisenia T, 5k

Summary: Peggy and Jarvis join forces again to find the last of Stark's inventions still causing problems in the criminal world. They chase after ghosts, tease each other and combat harmful assumptions.

tony and peggy's big day out! (ao3) - orphan_account G, 6k

Summary:

She presses on the communication device in her ear. “Mister Jarvis, do tell me you’re nearby.”

His answer is immediate. “I am but four blocks away, Missus Carter. What is it you need? A coffee, perhaps?”

“Oh, nothing of the sort,” she says, panting slightly with her rush. The screams of civilians ache in her ears, set her stomach rolling. She tries to find breath, force it into her lungs. Someone slams into her shoulder and she stumbles. Tony grips her hand doubly hard. She grabs him in a smooth motion, an arm beneath his bottom and a hand on his back, and his arms go around her neck impulsively, his nose pressing into the side of her throat. “Perhaps a pickup, if you’re not too busy?”

“Why, never for you,” Jarvis says. “What’s happened this time?”

“Just a bombing,” says Peggy.

“At three in the afternoon?” says Jarvis. “Frankly, how rude.”

[muqingslover]

WELCOME!! I hope you enjoy your stay here 𖹭

A B O U T M E

🪽 Call me Dove! | She/They | INTP | 18 ↑ | Caleb and Xavier lover

🪽 English is not my first language! mistakes are bound to happen so please be kind.

🪽 SAKURA CARDCAPTOR LOVER AND FOREVER ENTHUSIASTIC!!!

🪽 Procrastinator with a capital P.

🪽 Fun fact: I don't actually play LADS (anymore) and just follow the lore (im a lore enthusiastic)

🪽 I'm involved in a lot of fandoms, but I (try to) keep my blog as organized as possible*sweats*

🪽 Latest obsessions? SPN, Homicipher, Yohaji, ALNST, The Secret Lady, Palia.

🪽 Usually writing for LADS, but occasionally posting for other fandoms. Please read the rules before requesting!

N A V I G A T I O N

Rules | Masterlist | Special Tags

[cliperry]

WHO WE ARE

In this special extract from their amazing new book, the ID boys tell all about what it’s like to be in one of the world’s biggest bands. Swoon!

DOLLY STAR

VANS RE ELITE ONY FO

So much happens to One Direction all the time that we barely get a chance to catch our breath. It’s been like that since The X Factor days and it’s still like that now. Everything goes so fast it can be hard to comprehend or take it all in. Even now, as we write this book and play the first shows of our stadium world tour, it’s still difficult to register everything that’s taken place.

Writing this book has given us all a chance to press ‘pause’ for a moment, to reflect on what’s happened and enjoy it all. And because so much goes on all the time, there seems to be so much we want to talk about.

There are quite a few consequences of the fact that, from day one, our fans have been absolutely instrumental in our success. We all know that without you guys on social media, things might have been very difficult for this band. Another key consequence is that all our fans know pretty much every detail of our lives: what we’re doing on any particular day, who we’re hanging out with, where we are recording or travelling to—all that stuff, instantly. You also know our back story.

Books, magazine and radio interviews, TV shows, documentaries, even our own film, have told you the tale. There’s so much you know about us. You know our dates of birth, how many siblings we have, where we recorded, who with, when we toured, all our chart positions—all the details of being in One Direction. In one sense, it’s a challenge to write a book you find revealing or an eye-opener.

Because of all this, we have not used this book to list every award, every gig, every chart position, and statistic in our career. There’s no point doing that. What we’ve tried to do is explain how we feel. We want you to get an insight into what our emotions and thoughts were at various stages on the way. To expand a little on how this journey has felt for us five lads, from inside the world of One Direction.

Liam will hear band news and go, “Well, how mad is that?” That’s his genuine reaction. Hopefully, this book will tell you more about how we react to the events that make up life in One Direction.

We’ve tried to be honest with our feelings, so when we’ve had a difficult time, we’ve said exactly that. Fortunately, One Direction are a band that’s enjoyed a big amount of success, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when one of us might be struggling a little bit. That’s true on tour, when we’re thousands of miles from home and maybe weeks away from being able to go back to our fantastically supportive family and friends. That can be hard. It would be ridiculous to pretend otherwise.

One Direction are not some perfect pop bubble. We argue sometimes. Things don’t always go to plan. But being in One Direction has brought so many positives. We feel fortunate and grateful for the opportunities this has given us.

THE STORY OF OUR LIVES

We started this band with a naive and innocent view of the music business—and also of life in general. We make no apologies for that. We were a bunch of kids who thought it would be a good idea to stand in a queue for a TV show and see where it took us. Looking back, that naivety fuelled us through the mad first few months of this band. We were just throwing ourselves at whatever was put in front of us next, and we had an energy that seemed to be well-received and popular.

As the youngest member of One Direction, Harry openly talks about this naivety, and it’s something we can all now look back on and see ourselves. Obviously, a few years down the line, we’ve all become more experienced with our jobs, but we have also matured and grown up as individuals. So we can’t say we’re exactly the same people as those starry-eyed kids who got that break on TV way back in 2010.

However, we think that thousands of miles flying across the globe, hundreds of TV shows and gigs, and thousands of interviews and photo shoots should never be allowed to change who you are as a person. It sounds like a typical pop cliché, but it’s true. We’re still the same. Older, wiser, and yes, we now have a few life lessons under our belts too, but we are just the same. At least, that’s how we feel.

We’re under an intense spotlight, and that’s certainly not a problem for any of us, but we’ve tried to explain how that can feel. At times, it’s a little uncomfortable; at other times, it can provide the maddest and most insanely brilliant moments.

Niall explains inside the book how he thinks he’s one of the worst celebrities in the world, and we all feel that way, pretty much. Obviously, One Direction are a band with a fairly high profile, and we have been lucky enough to sell a good amount of records and tickets and all that. But that doesn’t make us celebrities—whatever that word means, anyway.

It certainly doesn’t make us any different to anyone else you see in the street. Yes, we might be recognised if we go out and about, but that’s just a superficial and unavoidable part of what we do. None of us wants to be called celebrities. Why would we want that?

OUR FANS SERIOUSLY ROCK

As a band, we try to maintain as close a relationship with our fans as possible. It can sometimes be harder than it used to be, but we’re all very conscious of the huge role you fans have played in this band becoming as successful as it is.

You can see from this that there’s one overwhelming emotion that repeatedly catches us out: amazement at what you guys do for us day after day after day.

WE’RE STILL THE SAME.

OLDER, WISER AND WE HAVE A FEW LIFE LESSONS UNDER OUR BELTS TOO, BUT WE ARE JUST THE SAME.

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DOLLY STAR

It’s easy for people to be cynical and say that we don’t mean what we say, to snipe that we have lived inside a bubble these last few years and that we can’t actually be in touch with our fans. But in our opinion, that’s just wrong.

Even though the band has progressed from those five naive lads who made it to the last three of The X Factor to playing stadiums all around the world, we’re still constantly amazed by the support we get from the fans.

This support shows itself in all sorts of ways that we find hard to compute: the albums doing so well, breaking records, thousands of people turning up to events like book signings or the Today show in New York, or just to an airport or hotel where we happen to be, and our own movie being a really big success. The list of the ways in which you fans have backed us all the way seems to be endless.

Although, the ultimate culmination of all of you as a group championing One Direction is selling out our stadium tour. That tour is, clearly, the biggest series of shows we’ve ever done. Some of the venues—in fact all of them!—are just massive. Yet, at the time of writing, even after playing a few of the early shows down in South America, we have all noticed the intimacy that we have with our fans is still there.

Once you lose that intimacy, any band is in serious trouble. But to us, it still feels like we are all just meeting up for a great night out.

We’ve always gigged hard, and we enjoy playing live so much. That’s the case whether it’s one of our own tours or a one-off like the Olympics. You will also see in this book that we still find it amazing that so many people come out to see our own shows.

Zayn explains it blows his mind when he sees so many faces, and he tries to think of all of the individual train or car journeys, the time off work, the effort, the energy that has been involved in getting to the show. That pretty much sums up how we all feel.

Just because we’re in a band that sells a lot of records doesn’t mean we don’t care about our fans and what they’re doing and feeling.

So that is also why the release of Midnight Memories meant so much to us and why it was just so important that you fans enjoyed that record—because we had been so heavily involved in the songwriting. Because we’d poured a lot of our thoughts and feelings into it. We really wanted you to lock into that, to ‘get’ that record.

It was proof that we still have that closeness with our fans. Great songs are such an important part of this band. In fact, rather than grow more distant from One Direction as each year goes by, we’ve all found that our desire to write songs and be more and more creatively involved with the music has pulled us into the band even further.

MORE THAN THIS

Obviously exhilaration and excitement are a pretty constant feature of our story. We are not going to pretend that One Direction hasn’t been the most incredibly exciting time of our lives.

But there’s also a whole other bunch of feelings we’ve experienced, such as surprise, a lack of confidence, bafflement, homesickness, sadness, nervousness, being star-struck, nerve-wracking uncertainty… we’ve been through so much together!

Some nights your head hits the pillow and it’s just so hard to process everything that’s going on. As Louis repeatedly mentions in his chapter, the best way he has found to deal with that has been to just ‘keep on keeping on,’ trying not to over-analyse things and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride this whole experience has been! When this book was published, it was still less than four years since we all auditioned for The X Factor.

Some bands take that long between albums. Most kids spend even longer than that at secondary school. So in many ways it isn’t a long period of time. Yet in other ways, those auditions are a lifetime away.

Maybe because so much is compressed into each and every single One Direction day, it means we feel like we’ve lived a whole life in those few short years.

Three albums, two world tours, a million memories. Hopefully, this book will give you a glimpse of what we were thinking and feeling as life happened to us and, of course, your role in that amazing story.

This is who we are.

Eight Things We Learnt from 1D’s Book

1. Every time Liam does something ‘cool’ like hitting No.1, he buys a watch. “I thought about getting a tattoo each time, but as we have been lucky enough to have so many hits, I’d be covered,” he says.

2. They don’t spend much time at home—Niall says one year he only spent 26 days at home!

3. Before 1D formed, Zayn had only been on a plane once. The boys were flying to LA and were teasing him, saying, “The plane is gonna loop the loop,” and he freaked.

4. When does Niall get nervous? When he’s performing on TV! He gets so tense he’s close to puking.

5. Famous director Martin Scorsese met the boys backstage at their Madison Square Garden gig because he’s such a massive fan.

6. Zayn has an intolerance to Vitamin C, which caused him to be a hyperactive child.

7. Marvel Comics based their new version of Ghost Rider on Zayn when he had blonde in his hair.

8. Liam wrote with Pharrell Williams in the US! They’re now such good pals that each time they see each other, Pharrell gives him a hug. Jealous!

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ADDITIONAL WORDS: NATALIE BABIC. PHOTOGRAPHY: AUSTRALSCOPE, GETTY IMAGES.

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ONE DIRECTION: WHO WE ARE

OFF DEF YAH THE BOYS

Harry, Liam, Niall, Zayn, and Louis talk about songwriting, the buzz of performing live, and how ideas can hit them at any time—even when they’re in the car!

LIAM:

“People are always curious about what happens when we’re not at work. There are many amazing elements of being in this band, and songwriting is up there as one of the most important and enjoyable. Along with performing, songwriting has become something we really enjoy. It’s also another way that we get to be creative and feel like we can communicate directly with the fans.”

NIALL:

“It’s the guitar that got me into writing songs. I started playing guitar as a kid, although I didn’t have a knack for songwriting. It was more playing around with chords and trying to learn to play songs I liked listening to. I did tend to enjoy playing singer-songwriters’ tunes more, though. I love The Eagles—they’re my favourite band. Their songs have some of the best melodies, and that’s definitely influenced how I write.”

ZAYN:

“I was madly into the performing arts at an early age. Obviously, having roles in musicals and later discovering R&B and rap, I started to think about how these songs that I liked were created. The creative spark involved in songwriting has always really fascinated me.”

LIAM:

“Do any of you lot remember the first song you ever wrote?”

HARRY:

“I have it! I was about 15 when I wrote it. There are a couple of songs I did at school that are funny. One I did with the band I was in, White Eskimo, was called something like ‘Luggage.’ The chorus was pretty much something about going away for a week or two:

‘I don’t need jackets or shoes, the only luggage I need is you!’

If you hear that on a 1D album, that was my idea…”

LIAM:

“In terms of writing for 1D, I was nervous about suggesting ideas. We were just kids starting out.”

LOUIS:

“I didn’t feel as involved at first; there was a lot of people in the room at each session—there was a lot going on. Songwriting can be so personal, which is why I prefer smaller sessions.”

ZAYN:

“I think ‘cos I’m a bit quieter, my shyness meant I was initially holding back on song ideas that were coming into my head. We couldn’t shout up on the first album because we didn’t feel we had the experience to do it.”

LIAM:

“Gradually, I noticed even some really successful songwriters will just mumble a few lines or a lyric, or hum a rough melody just to get the idea out into the open and start the process. Sometimes you’ll all laugh if what they or you suggested sounds daft, but after that, you play around with the idea and usually something crops up as a result. I used to be too scared to speak up, but now I enjoy putting ideas out there.”

HARRY:

“It feels more appropriate that we put our ideas forward these days. There’s a bit more justification behind them, partly due to the work we’ve put in with the band and also because some of our own songs have been enjoyed at gigs too. I now have nine little books full of lyrics and poems! I love the freedom that comes with the whole process. Even if you’re writing something you really like and want on your iPod, hopefully other people will want it on theirs too.”

LOUIS:

“I never really saw my obsession with songwriting as developing. I always liked the idea of writing but it kinda just happened. I tend to write a lot with Liam.”

LIAM:

“Song ideas can hit you at any time. I’ll be in the car driving home and think of an idea for a song and I’ll hit Tommo up. We work like that quite a bit.”

LOUIS:

“We put in a lot of extra hours to write the third album. And the fourth. I like the sense of achievement you feel after you finish a song—that’s amazing. Then it fuels your next writing session.”

HARRY:

“I’m glad we did it in the way we did. We took our time and gradually involved ourselves in the writing process. When you listen to amazing writers, hear a great album, or listen to a fantastic song on the radio, you’re always learning.”

LOUIS:

“When I listen to music, I get in the same headspace as the writer—it’s powerful. We love the idea of our fans feeling the same way. That’s why it’s so good to be writing. It feels like such a great sense of achievement to have a musical influence on the band and have contact with the fans through our music.”

LIAM:

“We’re slowly putting the pieces together as our fans grow up so that the music grows with us all. On my rare days off, I can’t wait to get writing. Someone once said to me that songwriters want to get up early just so they can write. That’s bang on. Now, I’m proper addicted.”

NIALL:

“Speaking of being addicted, along with songwriting, the biggest buzz you will get from this band is performing live. Just after The X Factor, we were getting a massive buzz from performing. Now, as we write this book, we’re just starting the stadium tour… and the buzz just seems to get bigger and bigger.”

One Direction: Who We Are: Our Official Autobiography ($24.99, HarperCollins) is out now.