#and Liam was never considered charming

[lover-of-mine]

Per your post about Gale, I think it boils down to the fact that Liam Hemsworth is charmless. I remember that during the first Hunger Games movie era a lot of people really did like Gale and wanted to see him with Katniss, this was also right after Liam and Miley got engaged. But then they had broke up and a lot of people blamed Liam for Miley's "spiral" in 2013/2014 and the release of Wrecking Ball and all of this coinciding with the release of the remaining movies, his reputation never quite recovered so no one really had sympathy for Gale because he had the face of the guy that seemingly destroyed America's sweetheart. Not to mention this was also the height of Chris Hemsworth's career and between Liam and Chris, Chris is just more attractive and charming and Liam just looked like a dude struggling and failing to get out of his much more talented older brother's shadow, like a nepotism baby almost (even though Liam was the first of the two to really be "famous" because of his relationship to Miley.)

This makes a lot of sense, actually, the drama with Miley definitely didn't help and he really doesn't have Chris' charm (or talent) so things never looked good for him. I think there's also the way that even during the hunger games promo, Josh was such a compelling presence that his charm completely eclipsed Liam too. There was nothing trying to make us go for Gale. Not in the series or with Liam. I think you're right, he wasn't an appealing person, no matter how objectively hot he is, and things kept stacking against him.

[rosypenguins]

Hello I need to talk about these stinkers again.

Specifically, I need to talk about the fact that they are BULLIES. Because I feel like a lot of people (including myself) fall into the trap of ONLY focusing on either their dynamic with each other, or their dynamic with others in a world where everyone’s friends. Nothing’s wrong with that, I love focusing on those aspects as much as the next, but I also feel like the fact these 4 are bullies gets kinda glossed over, and it’s something I want to talk about. Because they’re stinky little shits. Who do stinky little things.

(FYI I do not condone these boys’ actions, but I will analyze the hell out of them because character studies are my favorite thing.)

Anyways with that out of the way I am now going to break down how they bully others, and why they bully others.

First, these losers. Their actions can be summarized in a single sentence: They act like Freshmen.

Anyone who’s gone to a public high school can hopefully understand what I mean. Freshmen boys tend to be the one’s who cause the most trouble. The ones who mess with people purely for shits and giggles. And despite Liam and Henry being Juniors, they’re so Freshmen coded it’s not even funny.

I feel these two lack the self-awareness to truly understand how their actions affect other people, so they’re constantly finding new ways to mess with people and get on their nerves. They don’t care if someone gets upset or uncomfortable. They don’t care about invading people’s privacy. They don’t care how their words affect others. Because it’s not hurting them. And as long as it’s not hurting them, it’s funny.

Drawing from my own experiences with Freshmen, I feel these two would follow behind strangers uncomfortably close. They’re the type to go up to random people and say ‘Hey, rate my friend.’ Or ‘Hey, my friend thinks you’re cute.’ But do not mean it in the slightest. They’re the type to throw random snack bags at kids purely for how they dress or act. Because they think it’s funny. And they don’t care what other’s think.

Now for Jake, the victim of bullying himself. Hot take: He’d be the WORST out of the four.

Because Jake knows what hurts the most. He knows how to cut deep, because other’s have cut him deep. He draws from his experience. He says stuff that he remembers other’s saying to him. And he’s does this all for the sake of his friends approval.

Because these are his first real friends. And without them, he’d go back to being a pathetic loner no one else wanted. He’s so desperate for the approval of his new friends he’s willing to abandon his own morals for them. But I do believe he has a limit. He’d never actively invade someone’s privacy. (Considering how he prevented Liam from doing so in the Comic Episode.) And I also cannot see him harming someone in any form. But other than that, Jake’s arguably the scariest out of the four.

I feel like this aspect combined with his charming playboy persona kinda gives him this ‘illusive bad boy’ reputation, even if that’s not who he truly is. So he’s essentially trapped parading around as someone he’s not.

Finally, Drew. Infamous for his ability to turn the word ‘freak’ into a slur.

I don’t view Drew as the meanest of the bunch, nor do I view him as some intimidating final boss either. To me, he’s more of a ringleader. Someone who controls the others, while doing very little himself.

He’s typically the one to instigate, then sit back and laugh as he watches the others do the rest. He’s eggs the others on occasionally, but ultimately, he’s more like an amused bystander. Consider the way he sat back and watched as Liam and Henry messed around in the clubroom in Episode 8, and consider the way he essentially did nothing but laugh as he watched Henry and Liam throw Hailey’s book around in the Comic Episode. Both times, he set the target on Hailey, only to sit back and watch as Henry and Liam did the rest.

However, Drew can absolutely be ruthless when he wants to, at least verbally. Because I believe what Zander said in Episode 2 holds a lot of truth to it: “They’re a walking reflection of their insecurities.”

I’ve already made several posts about Drew’s family issues, his codependency, and his overall lack of self-worth and loneliness, so I won’t be repeating them but my goodness is this boy an insecure mess.

He calls Hailey a control freak, yet is constantly shown trying to control Jake by pushing him away from the club. He tells Hailey to ‘get lost and know where she’s not wanted’ likely because he struggles feeling unwanted. He calls Hailey’s whole music concert worthless without Jake, because he feels worthless without Jake.

Drew and Jake are actually rather similar if you really think about it. Both are implied to have low self-esteem and abandonment issues, and both mask it by pretending to be more confident. But how they deal with their issues is where they begin differ, and this further reflects in their reasons for picking on others.

Jake is always changing himself for others, because he doesn’t know if he’ll truly be accepted for being himself. And the only reason he bullies others is because he feels he has to. Drew, meanwhile, finds ways to make himself seem like the best option. He’s constantly buying his friends expensive gifts, and talks down others to make himself look better by comparison. He does nothing to change himself, unlike Jake.

TLDR: Henry and Liam are Freshmen, Jake’s scary and I clearly cannot talk about Drew without spreading my Druffering propaganda. Have a good day. :3

[moriartyluver]

Can we get vampire william james moriarty x reader?🙏🏻

A/N: vampire liam is so 🛐 would let him suck my blood. Anyways, in honour of Halloween 🤭

Character(s): William James Moriarty x gn! reader

Prompt: Vampire William James Moriarty

Format: headcannons

Genre: miscellaneous/ mildly spicy

Warnings: blood, vampires, reader’s gender isn’t specified, mildly nsfw but it’s mostly me being silly. Vampires can see sunlight it just makes them feel a bit faint. Also they’re allergic to garlic but it doesn’t kill them for the sake of the fic

This man is so fine no matter what but as a vampire???? 🤭

When you first met, he wasn’t like Edward from twilight and trying not to devour you or something but you did attract his attention and smelt nice to him.

He was more attracted to your personality though, not so much the scent of your blood. Don’t get me wrong though, he’d love a bite but he’s a respectful gentleman and wouldn’t say that aloud.

He might keep an eye on your for a bit before you start courting, as a bat. You’d see this silly little bat appearing on your windowsill every night after your first meeting and all it does it watch you. Sometimes he watches you as you sleep considering vampires are a little nocturnal. I mean, he doesn’t sleep much anyways, vampire or not. And when a pretty girl is added to the equation? Yeah no chance.

He definitely has a very vampy appearance, but you don’t think much of it first, when you bump into the handsome stranger at a ball. He asks you to dance, so hesitant you might’ve assumed he was shy.

Dark red eyes and sharp teeth? Aswell as a very chiselled and slim face? Nah, just hot. Nothing to see here.

Obviously he charms you quickly, but before he can even bring up marriage (because that’s what you did back then when a girl was attractive. You asked to marry her after meeting her three times) , he doesn’t know whether to tell you the truth about his situation.

When he does, you don’t exactly care too much. Is it even a flaw at this point? Regardless, you still love him because it’s William fucking Moriarty, who wouldn’t?

Anyways, when you are in a relationship, whether it be betrothed or married, he tried to force a distance between the two of you, out of fear he may lose control and kill you

If he wants your blood, he won’t ask and try to survive off animals, but honestly, if you matched his freak, you might just offer your neck up.

It takes some convincing but he eventually gives in to his impulses and sucks a decent amount of blood out of your neck (wow that’s hot)

I feel like he’d be afraid of what would happen to him after you die. He’s immortal, and you aren’t. You might offer to change, but he doesn’t want to curse you with becoming a vampire.

I can imagine a sort of meeting in every life thing, with Liam. Like as if you keep getting reincarnated, he finds you every time, and then you eventually die.

He might decide to be selfish and let you be immortal with him, after all those times of having to watch you die whilst he continues to love you. It’s more worth it in his eyes to make you suffer with him than continue to watch you suffer for the rest of eternity. That’s when he finally turns you into a vampire. And you never get bored of him.

[meyhew]

I never understood the amount of hate that Liam got for the "the band was built around me" comment. If we know that Simon flew Louis out alone to give him a talking too, then there is also an extreme likelihood that they did the same to Liam too. Considering how he was seen as "dad" of the group I would not be surprised if they basically told him privately "We built this band around you, don't let them mess up or it all fall back on you". They put pressure on him when he was just a kid and the strain never left him

the thing is, that statement is literally true. he wasn’t being egotistic when he said that, we know that is what happened. things changed later on as the band dynamics unfolded and people responded differently to different members; harry always had a natural charm and charisma in front of the camera that the others simply didn’t. they grew into it while he had it from day 1. but it doesn’t change the fact that liam was told that the band was created with him at the center of it. and even if it wasn’t true, they were five kids who went into their auditions with the intention of being solo artists. if at some point they felt like they were cheated out of something, i couldn’t blame them. they were kids. i just wish people had more compassion

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have the fourth part to our enemies to lovers rec list! You can also find part one here, part two here, and part three here. If you enjoy our rec lists and would like us to continue making them, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word! Happy reading.

1) Say My Name And Everything Just Stops | Explicit | 5,089 words

Harry and Louis are enemies and their friends leave them behind on a camping trip to sort out their differences. In a short amount of time, they do.

2) It’s Hard To Fight Naked | Explicit | 11,189 words

Prompt 6: Louis and Harry are roommates, but they cannot stand each other. When Harry heard Louis moan his name while Louis was riding a dildo in Harry’s room (Louis thought he was alone at home), Harry couldn’t stop himself and so he ended up fucking Louis against the mattress. Happy ending!

3) Works Like A Charm | Explicit | 18,088 words

Ever since Louis joined the team in fifth year, a few facts have become set in stone. One: Louis is the best chaser in Hogwarts. Two: Harry is the best beater in Hogwarts. Three: They do not get along. So it’s really unfair of Liam to think that forcing them to spend time together as Louis recovers from his injury will make them the best of friends. The last thing Louis would do is get along with that git.

4) Uncomfortable Truths | Explicit | 18,125 words

Louis (a sophisticated asshole with a god complex, according to Zayn) is confident, bored out of his mind and in a desperate need of a challenge. Harry moves back to the city, ready to provide him one. Things go sideways. Obviously.

5) Angel Of Small Death And The Murder Scene | Explicit | 20,634 words

Ever since Louis read about the new up and coming Detective in town, he had immediately disliked the man, despite never having met him. So, naturally, it can only be the worst thing that could have happened to Louis when he gets stuck with Detective Styles trying to solve a murder during his supposed to be relaxing vacation over the seas.

6) Manners And Misjudgements | Explicit | 21,178 words

“Everyone you mention the Duke to raves about him, just like you are defending him now. But no one looks behind the façade he so ably maintains to deceive you all.” Liam sighs deeply. “You sound like a crazy man right now, Louis.” “I will prove to you who the Duke really is, just wait.”

7) Help Me, Help You Find Love | Explicit | 23,789 words

The one where they all attend a university for supernaturals and Werewolf Frat president and resident heartthrob Harry approaches on campus matchmaker Louis to help him find love.

8) Strong Enough To Get Us Wrong | Explicit | 24,289 words

Omega Louis have always considered the soulmate etching on his left thigh to be a curse. It takes a world tour, the bustling city of Tokyo, a hike to see Mt. Fuji, some hidden feelings, sea urchin sushi and the alpha he hates most in the world to change him.

9) Like It’s A Game | Explicit | 32,223 words | Sequel

There is little Harry hates more than truth or dare. And Louis.

10) Spoonful Of Sugar | Explicit | 42,900 words

Note: We'd recommend reading the prequel to this fic first.

Louis Tomlinson cares for his family above all else, a fact that’s led him on a twisted path peddling drugs to support them. Just as he’s made the decision to jump ship, Louis gets snared between the two largest crime syndicates in the city. To keep his family safe he’s forced to trust the man that failed to keep his promise two years ago, the resident drug lord he’s unknowingly been working for, Harry Styles.

11) From Dust To Lust | Explicit | 45,437 words

From the moment Louis set eyes on the gorgeous stranger across the airport terminal, he knew the guy was trouble, which was the last thing he wanted. He wouldn’t have thought spending two days cooped up in a car travelling from the Australian Outback to the East Coast would change his mind. It’s funny how things work out.

12) Catch Me If I Fall | Explicit | 47,099 words

Lovers when on the stage but bitter rivals as soon as they step off, Harry and Louis have butted heads from the moment they first met. Locked in a stalemate that they hope to ride out until graduation, things take a turn when Harry learns that Louis is hiding a secret.

13) Hold Me How the Deep Night Has | Explicit | 48,018 words

Louis Tomlinson needs a change. Stuck in a cycle of going to the job he hates, spending time with his friends, and avoiding the one man he hates most in this world, Louis' in desperate need of something new. So when he discovers an abandoned notebook on the way to work, the decision is easy to take it for himself and begin a journal amidst the empty pages. What can't be expected are the words that appear overnight directly beside his own, written on the same day 400 years in the past. What are the consequences of a magical connection between two men of different centuries? And who, among it all, is the mysterious E who only exists on the other side of Louis' journal?

14) Falling Without Caution | Explicit | 50,350 words

Louis Tomlinson, a wanted criminal, was captured by the FBI after years of chasing. Instead of being locked up in a high-security prison, he was offered a deal. What was supposed to be the end of a decade long chase turned into a morally grey circumstance for Agent Styles.

15) A Place With Skeletons | Explicit | 50,765 words

“I would choose anyone other than you,” Louis says, picking up his train of thought again. He feels a lot more cornered and defensive when they’re in Harry’s house, for some reason. It doesn’t really make sense, considering that this time, Louis was the one who couldn’t hack it any longer. He broke first. There’s something about being in Harry’s space, though, the green and earthy feeling of it. It should feel like open space with all the plants, but Louis has never felt more claustrophobic than he does when he’s here. Harry’s chest moves against his back, a sharp intake of air. Before he can open his mouth to defend himself, Louis keeps going, “If I had a choice in any of this, I would have been saved by that elderly security guard over you. I wouldn’t mind having to have the occasional cuddle with her.”

16) We Are But Dust and Shadows | Explicit | 51,468 words

Louis is part of a well respected Shadowhunter family, and Harry is the Mundane turned Shadowhunter who just can’t seem to get it right.

17) Lunar Waltz | Explicit | 56,795 words

Louis has to replace his (missing) twin brother and marry one of the most dangerous alphas of the kingdom.

18) The Luna of Which Pack? | Mature | 72,696 words

When Harry's wolves accidentally kidnap the intended Luna of Simon Cowell's pack, he must decide what to do with the irritating omega that does not want to return home. With the elders disagreeing with the new ‘naive’ pack alpha Styles, a war erupts due to his opposed decisions. And Louis finds himself right in the middle of it.

19) Echoes & Omens | Mature | 100,707 words

Echoes of the dead come in many forms. Their imprints forever tied to the ones who'd killed them. Louis Tomlinson is able to track the dead using their echoes, they call to him. He's used that gift to aid Scotland Yard in their investigations, with the hopes of studying Criminology at Cambridge University. He's lived a life of privilege and good fortune as a Marquess, son of the late Duke Tomlinson, with his life mapped out since day one. Until two terrible truths are revealed. One, he's adopted. Two, his biological parents are London's most notorious serial killers. Against his family's wishes, Louis travels to Chicago to uncover the truth of their incarceration. Much to his dismay, his biological mother's Lawyer, Harry Styles, wants to take his case. Together, they work to uncover what really happened all those years ago, but perhaps more is revealed than they could've ever anticipated. Trapped in a whirlwind of portents and omens, Louis and Harry find themselves pitted against an enemy they'd not foreseen.

20) Where I Burn To Be | Explicit | 143,346 words

There were very few people who managed to get under Louis’ skin as effortlessly as Harry had, and even fewer who had done it in only a day and a half. It was quite an accomplishment, really. They’d only interacted a handful of times and yet Louis had the insatiable desire to slam the locker into that frustratingly well-defined face that never seemed to hold any expressions other than contempt and arrogance. “That’s right. I do own the skies. And you wanna know why?” he sneered. Without his boots on, Louis was a fair bit shorter than Harry, his eyes pretty much level with Harry’s chin and his socked toes bumping into the boots of the other man, close enough that Louis could make out the tiny scar on Harry’s brow and the individual shades of emerald in his irises. He was handsome, but that only made Louis hate him more. Heart thumping heavily against his sternum and his hands balled into fists, Louis lifted his chin defiantly and plastered a coldhearted smirk across his lips. “Because I’m the best goddamn pilot here.”

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[fantastical-euphoria]

this was me at a one direction concert back in 2014. had myself a blast (besides the last half bucketing down rain). little did i realize just how much this band was going to shape my life, and my tenure on this wonderful place called the internet.

i became massively obsessed over all the boys, harry especially. i thought they were always wonderful people, sunshine and happiness all around. just straight up good people.

i always put my faith in harry, louis, and niall. fan testimonies were off the charts, always stating how amazing they were. zayn i questioned for only a time, but i know now that i was reading too much into it and the golden rule has always been to never fully trust anything you read on the internet. i’m wary of this and have been a sceptic in many, many cases/articles.

now, what i never questioned or considered was liam. he was kind of a wild card for me. i initially thought that he, too, had the same wonderful lovely demeanor as the rest of the boys. they’re british lads, young, so typically you’d stereotype them as innocent charming bucks that are too easy to fall head over heels over.

just these past couple years, that image i had formerly painted for liam has since been tarnished. i feel safe in saying that liam did it to himself. he was the igniter of his own downfall. it wasn’t the fans. *it wasn’t maya.* did his former management and current management play some type of role in it? possibly and probably.

still, i’ll echo what millions of others are typing at the moment, this was far too sudden, far too soon. i didn’t expect any of what was being published on the internet to get to his head that fast, let alone that much. the mental toll that this, *all* this, has taken on him, coupled with addiction torment that he has clearly been battling for a few good years now, is probably the most lethal combo out there. it can lead to what the articles were describing. aggression. that’s not the liam that so so many of us knew. it was the drugs. it was the alcohol. it was the mental drainage. still, we know that the past cannot be erased and his actions are still irreversible, and abuse/assault can never be forgiven.

i cannot imagine the weight that’s setting in on his whole family, and his young son who now has to grow up without a father figure in his life. i cannot imagine how his management is feeling right now. but most importantly of all, i cannot imagine how the boys are feeling. they just lost a brother. they will always remember/commemorate him as their lifelong brother. i cannot even BEGIN to imagine them in tuxes at liam’s funeral… if they even decide to show up. i highly doubt zayn or harry will. if anyone, louis and/or niall, because they’ve been the more actively and vocally supportive of him. i expect all of them to post at least some little thing about this, however, knowing their history of being respectful.

as the days, months, weeks, and years pass, we are slowly watching this grim reality of a disintegrating childhood and, at least for me, teenage-hood unfold before our eyes. this definitely has been one of the more devastating blows. as much as i somewhat anticipated it… i never expected it to come so soon.

i know the fact that this will never become a reality will forever haunt us. if one direction hasn’t been scarred enough in their tenure, this will definitely feel like a gaping gunshot wound.

i’m still reeling, and i’m still processing this. for those who have checked in on me, thank you. for those that i’ve checked on, understand that i’ll still be here, with a hand extended, and an ear to listen. we’re all in this together, grieving over such a devastating loss, not just to the one direction community/fanbase, but to the entire world. liam touched a lot of people, not just fans.

if you have any further thoughts on this, feel free to sound off in the comments. this is a safe space for everybody. ❤️

[glorious-spoon]

The kiss prompt had me feeling too much like a kid in a candy store, and I couldn't pick. I managed to narrow it down to three, hopefully one of them sparks joy?

…as a suggestion.

…after a small rejection.

…because they’re running out of time.

for buddie please 🩶

:D thank you! i went for 'a kiss after a small rejection', hope you enjoy!

-

Buck has been extremely supportive of Eddie's dating woes, in his opinion. He has been a good friend about it, listening sympathetically to the post-game of every date that fizzled out and every connection that failed to manifest. After Marisol, there was Raquel, and then Marta, and María, and Janelle. Then, maybe less shocking than it would have been a couple of years ago, there was Daniel, and Liam, and Álvaro. Eddie told him about the first of those dates with a glint in his eye that dared Buck to comment, so Buck didn't.

But it means that they're currently in this weird holding pattern where Buck knows that Eddie likes men, and—maybe more relevantly—is willing to consider dating a man, and they still haven't actually talked about it.

That's a conversation that should probably happen. Buck just doesn't know how to bring it up without immediately blurting everything out, without begging Eddie to consider him as an option. And if he does that, there's no coming back from it. If he does that, and Eddie says no, he doesn't know what'll happen. The world will end, or he'll die of mortification and disappointment, or something else unspeakably awful will occur. Maddie keeps telling him that he's catastrophizing, and he knows she's probably right, but that doesn't mean he can just make himself stop.

He's working on it.

Right now, Eddie is flopped across Buck's new couch—brown leather, wide and squashy and comfortable. Natalia helped him pick it out, and he feels a little weird about keeping it now, but the truth is that the couch turned out to be a better fit than the relationship. It's big enough for the two of them to sprawl on while they drink their beers and Eddie grumbles about his most recent date.

"I mean, you know, it was fine. Whatever," he says, with a huffy little shrug. Buck loves Eddie in every mood, but there's something especially charming about him when he's being petulant like this. Maybe because it's such a contrast to the calm, in-control face he presents to the rest of the world. Buck's not the only person who gets to have this part of Eddie, but he is a member of a select group.

"So no second date?" he asks, trying not to sound hopeful.

"He said I was 'a nice guy, but he didn't feel a connection'," Eddie says, with sarcastic one-handed finger-quotes. He takes another sullen pull on his beer.

"That's not so bad," Buck offers. Eddie's dates don't usually crash and burn the way Buck's have a tendency to, or did back when he was actually trying to date. People like Eddie. He's polite and kind and thoughtful, and reserved in a way that comes across as mysterious and fascinating instead of aloof. And that's without even getting into the fact that he looks like a fucking model, but most people know that part before they go out with him. Buck has no idea how anybody could go on a date with Eddie and not immediately fall head over heels in love with him, but he is admittedly a little biased.

"Yeah, I know," Eddie sighs. He pushes himself upright and tilts his head back against the couch, cradling his beer between his palms. "I know, it's not like I really wanted a second date either. It's just…"

"Rejection sucks?" Buck offers.

"That too. Mostly I'm just wondering how long I'm going to have to keep doing this before I find somebody I can have a connection with? Like, with Shannon, it was—"

"—bolt of lightning out of the blue?" Buck asks, because that was how it felt for him, with Eddie. That moment outside the ambulance, Eddie's blinding smile and warm handshake and the way something in him cracked wide open then and never really went away.

Eddie huffs. "Kind of. But—we were friends first. We already had that connection. You know? And then one day I looked at her and I felt like—"

He stops abruptly. If Buck wasn't already watching him, he'd probably miss the way Eddie's eyes flick toward him, and then away.

His stomach feels suddenly like he's on a rollercoaster, in giddy freefall.

"Like you were seeing something completely new?" he asks. He folds his hand tight around his beer, but he can feel it trembling.

Eddie takes a deep, visible breath, then nods and leans forward to set his beer down before turning back toward Buck.

"Yeah," he says quietly, and Buck is almost completely sure that they're not just talking about Shannon anymore. Eddie's face is open, his gaze clear, but Buck knows him well enough to detect the faint hint of nerves there.

That's the thing that finally gives him the courage to do what maybe he should have a long time ago.

"Can you just, uh." He clears his throat, then sets his beer down too. "Tell me if I'm totally misreading this?"

"Yeah, okay," Eddie whispers, but he doesn't pull back. Not when Buck shifts closer on the couch; not when he reaches out to settle a hand on Eddie's cheek, and not when he leans in to press a chaste, careful kiss to Eddie's lips.

It lingers softly for a moment, and then he pulls back and opens his eyes. Eddie blinks a couple of times, then smiles, sudden and bright.

"You're not misreading it," he says, and leans in to kiss Buck again.

(for these kiss prompts)

[grotesquehorse]

Red, White and Royal Blue (2023) is a tragedy, but not for the reasons that people who hate the book on principle are talking about. It's not just a bad adaptation, it's a bad movie. There is nothing redeeming about it except the casting of Sarah Shahi as Zahra.

First of all, I want to say, that the book DOES have depth. Just because a book is a romcom doesn't mean it doesn't have depth. And I'm sick and tired of seeing the criticism from people who didn’t read the book say "people are complaining that the movie doesn't have depth but the book didn't have depth either, so what were you expecting". It fucking has depth. And I have a right to be upset that the movie absolutely fucking butchered it.

The Casting

The casting, although it has been criticized, has not been criticized for the correct aspects. Nick and Taylor have enough chemistry to be passable for a romcom - it's not great, but at least it wasn't Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant in Two Weeks Notice.

The casting for Alex was not good. I have nothing against Taylor, but his thousand-yard stare had nothing behind the eye(lashes) and actively hindered any and all of Alex’s interactions. Nick was better; Henry is a more subtle character (as he has to be), and this was portrayed much more convincingly.

Nora was fucking annoying and her actress was bad. Uma Thurman does not belong in this movie. Stephen Fry, although the funniest possible actor to put in that role, shouldn't have been in this movie either.

Alex, as a character, was butchered. He should have a Type-A, bouncing off the walls, undiagnosed ADHD, horny but anxious confidence about him. Movie Alex was entirely wrong. I would call him suave, but I don't find him charming. The audience is supposed to think he's suave, maybe, but this is the wrong character trait to give him. He is supposed to be confident and charming, but not suave. There is nothing going on in his head, and this is especially detrimental when Book Alex’s main personality trait is that he overthinks everything at every possible angle.

The Alex and Henry Relationship

The first kiss between Alex and Henry and the scene preceding it are all wrong. Movie Alex is kissing multiple different women and Henry is much more isolated than in the book. Alex’s first line in the confrontation is supposed to be "what are you doing out here?" not "did I do something wrong?" when Henry leaves the party; it's supposed to be more nuanced. Henry should be feeling "of course he's straight, he can't want me, I can't want him" not "betrayed because Alex kissed someone who is not me". Alex is not supposed to know that Henry is upset. Alex is not supposed to think that he is the cause of Henry being upset. The movie cuts any of the depth between them. Another core personality trait of Alex, is that he is selfish. He forgets to text June back about dinner, he gets wrapped up in his own head, he doesn’t understand his friendship/relationship with Liam. He doesn’t understand that he may be the cause of Henry’s emotions.

The camping scenes touched on Alex being selfish, but again, in all the wrong ways. He starts talking about how they could be out as a real couple after the reelection, but he fails to consider that Henry is a prince of England. Truly baffling writing choice, considering Alex is supposedly intelligent and political and, while selfish, extremely aware of the politics surrounding his and Henry’s relationship. Book Alex would never have suggested that they come out the way that Movie Alex did. Movie Alex is a fucking idiot, and didn’t do much to even try to convince me otherwise.

Although I hoped that the movie would be more romcom and less political/royal drama, I’m still dissatisfied with how the movie executed this. There was no journey watching Alex and Henry become friends. There was no "I’ve been in love with you for years" from Henry. There was no "you obsessively looked at his picture in a magazine" from Alex. A large part of the animosity between them, for Alex, is that they are constantly compared in the media. They are uniquely perfect for each other because they are both in very specific spotlights. This aspect of their relationship is completely absent from the movie.

My friend wouldn't let me skip the sex scene, but just know that it was fucking uncomfortable.

The Implications

The combination of Liam and Rafael Luna into one journalist character is a twofold character assassination. You can't take a high school hook up and a gay political professional (who Alex looked up to) and combine them into a journalist. It doesn't work. Miguel, the journalist, acts like a villain immediately - sunken eyes with a scorned lover attitude. He's a joke. There's no nuance in taking two crucial pieces of Alex’s sexuality journey and mashing them together to create an evil gay guy with no explanation.

It's implied that Miguel leaked the emails, but this ignores the actual triple agenting that Rafael Luna was doing. This movie is rated R, but we can't talk about a man attempting to sexually abuse another man because we can't talk about sexual assault amongst the LGBT community; that would make the gays look bad. But we can diminish two characters and create an evil gay journalist archetype who just wants to out Alex and Henry for his own professional gain (and maybe get back at Alex for refusing to hook up with him again). So, you tell me, which gay representation is "worse" for the gays?

Miguel had to be created to be the villain so that Richards, the republican candidate running against Alex’s mom, the one who abused men and attempted to sexually assault Rafael Luna, couldn't be the villain that he is in the books. Because that would alienate the republican audience. Because the republican audience is so crucial to the marketing of what is considered the first mainstream gay romcom.

The Technical Aspects

The social media editing was bad. The way the emails were done was bad. There was no version of this movie that would be successful. There's too much reliance in the book on texts and emails, and you can't build a relationship through technology in a movie. It's always unsuccessful.

The cinematography is Hulu-original bland. The directing was incompetent. The script was incoherent at worst, and over written at best. "trouble you no longer" is a bad line. "he grabbed my hair in a way that made me understand the difference between rugby and football." what the fuck are you talking about.

I hate that the movie was bad, but it was bad. I don't know what fucking movie these other people are watching, but Red, White and Royal Blue (2023) is fucking unwatchable.

[n8-shaw]

who: open when: early on during the thanksgiving dinner where: the commons

There were few events Nate went to at Ogden College without dragging his feet, complaining the entire time. And while this was certainly no exception, he was at least mildly more willing to attend the thanksgiving dinner. He had attended all four years so far, looking for any reason to avoid seeing his family, and honestly, the food? Fucking good. Rich ass school with cash to spare must've figured they could spare some effort for the misfit students left behind on campus for the holiday.

But this year...was different.

He hadn't totally anticipated it, hearing families were invited and not thinking much, considering it didn't change his situation either way. As always, he texted his younger sister (and only his younger sister), confirming he'd be staying on campus for the holiday, and that he'd see her at Christmas (a lie, hopefully, if he could manage to find a way to stay away from the Shaw family again). So when Nate walked in, the sheer amount of families that were there caught him a bit off guard.

Not nearly as off guard as the person currently walking towards him, though.

Nate stood his ground, even if he was slightly blocking the entrance, hands shoved in his pockets while his face grew stormy as he stared at his older brother. "What the fuck are you doing here, Liam?" he said through his teeth once his brother was close enough, making no pretense that he was happy to see him.

Liam offered him a mocking smile, reaching up to clap his younger brother on the shoulder in greeting. "Good to see you too, little brother," he chided, glancing at the person entering the hall behind Nate, brushing past him due to the Shaw brothers currently blocking the entry way, his smile turning charming in a way Nate's never quite managed. "D'you know where we can get a drink?" he asked them conversationally, even potentially flirtatiously, clearly already aware Nate would not be forthcoming with any information.

[angelasscribbles]

Cordonian Royal Family (A Bad Romance Extra)

I wanted to share these images because they're fabulous. I didn't make most of them, I suck at these things, but I love them and felt like they should be seen by others. Of course, me being me, I wanted to give information about each character but if I'm doing that, then it needs to read like an article in the Cordonian Star so here we are. Enjoy! The article is under the cut.

These images were all generated by the AI art app Wonder. For anyone interested, you may see my AI art disclaimer here.

It’s been one year since the death of His Royal Majesty Constantine Arthur Augustus Hector Rys in an unfortunate ceiling collapse at the palace just days before the current king announced his engagement to the queen.

King Constantine was married three times, sired two sons, and fostered three other children. Here is a look at the royal family today.

Photos by Ana De Luca.

His Royal Majesty Liam Nicolai Ulysses Augustus Rys

King of Cordonian, Duke of Stormholt, Duke of Bellmede, Duke of Valtoria, Earl of Alriel, Earl of Ennan, Earl of Lykos, Baron of Throngate, Lord of the Isles and Commander in Chief of the Cordonian Royal Forces.

From Spare to Heir. Never meant for the throne, this second-born son of royalty was thrust into the role of leader when his older brother abdicated. Many believe he was always more temperamentally suited for the role. Indeed, after a rocky start, Cordonia has thrived under his leadership.

Tied romantically to only a small number of women in his youth, (and one alleged man), King Liam’s younger years were as devoid of scandal and impropriety as his brother’s were full of them. He received good marks at the prestigious, elite Wellingford Academy and later Epton College.

He managed to stay out of the spotlight for the most part until his eventful social season. Marrying a commoner and a foreigner, changing the laws of succession for his children, and legalizing gay marriage, he has a track record as a progressive and is viewed favorably by the majority of Cordonians.

Her Royal Majesty Riley Catherine Brooks Rys

Queen of Cordonian, Duchess of Stormholt, Duchess of Bellmede, Duchess of Valtoria, Countess of Alriel, Countess of Ennan, Countess of Lykos, Baroness of Throngate, Lady of the Isles and Champion of the Realm.

Rumored to have had a contentious relationship with the late king, this last-minute addition to the present king’s social season was a long shot. As an American and a commoner, she reportedly was not King Constantine’s first, or even second, choice for his son.

Always King Liam’s favorite, however, she was a front-runner from the moment she set foot on Cordonian soil, her beauty, charm, and grace captivating the nation. Meeting at a bar in New York where she was his waitress, their whirlwind romance seemingly ended in scandal, accusations of infidelity, and the king’s engagement to another woman.

Their love endured despite the obstacles and in an astonishing turn of events, not only was her name cleared, but the king made a move as historically unprecedented as it was shocking, breaking a council-approved political engagement and marrying for love.

Prince Leonardo Tiberius Constantine Fabian Rys

Prince of Cordonia, Duke of Abanthus, Earl of Ebrimel, Baron of Auverneen.

Born into privilege and wealth, he threw it all away in what many consider a selfish and short-sighted move led by the vagaries and hubris of youth. Other interpretations range from the young prince simply recognizing that his brother was better suited to rule; to unsubstantiated rumors that he was pressured into stepping down by his father.

Prince Leo bounced around between elite boarding schools, both domestic and abroad before making barely passable marks at Epton College. Dubbed by the media as the Playboy Prince of the Mediterranean, he has been romantically linked to the likes of Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, Princess Margot of Auvernall, and American actress Victoria Fontaine.

Abdicating both as Crown Prince of Cordonian and Duke of Stormholt, he retains the title of Prince as well as holding the titles Duke of Abanthus, Earl of Ebrimel, and Baron of Auverneen while living abroad. The Playboy Prince is still unattached.

Captain Drake Nolan Walker

Lord Commander of the Queen’s Guard, Knight Protector of the Realm.

Born to commoners, he and his sister were taken in and raised by the royal family after his father’s death in service to the crown. Having lived in the palace since the age of six, he became a ward of the crown at age fourteen and received the same basic upbringing and education as the princes.

Unlike the princes, he dedicated his life to military service, later following in his father’s footsteps by transferring to the Royal Guard. During King Liam’s social season, Captain Walker was charged with killing a man. All charges were eventually dropped, and he was exonerated when it came out that he was acting undercover on the king’s orders as a de facto member of Queen Riley’s security detail.

He currently serves the crown as captain of the Queen’s Guard, lives at the palace, remains close friends with the king, and is by all accounts deeply devoted to the queen.

Her Grace Savannah Evangeline Walker Beaumont

Duchess of Ramsford.

Like her brother, the duchess became a ward of the crown after the death of her father when she was twelve years old. She retained the title of Lady until the advent of her marriage to the Duke of Ramsford, Bertrand Beaumont, raised her status to duchess.

Scandal rocked Duchy Ramsford when it was revealed that the duchess had a child out of wedlock. She left Cordonia, taking the heir to Ramsford with her. She lived abroad for a year before returning and reuniting with the duke. They were married in an elaborate ceremony a few months after her return.

Unidentified sources close to the couple report the marriage is strained and often rocky.

His Grace Bertrand Atticus Beaumont

Duke of Ramsford, Leader of the House of Lords, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.

Taking on the role of Duke at a young age, he, along with the rest of the world, was shocked by the return of his presumed dead father, the late Duke Barthelemy Beaumont. His Grace relinquished control of the duchy to his father only to pick up the mantle again a few months later when the late Duke of Ramsford was killed in a head-on collision on his way home from a meeting at the palace.

He currently serves in the House of Lords as The Lord Leader, a position he has held for the last five years.

His ties to the monarchy are many and varied. His marriage to Savannah Walker made him a de facto member of the royal family, as did making the queen an official member of House Beaumont as part of his sponsorship of her during the king’s social season. His younger brother, Lord Maxwell Beaumont serves as the queen's top advisor and personal assistant. Prince Leo is a close friend, was the best man at his wedding, and is godfather to his son.

Lord Barthelemy Jackson Beaumont

Future Duke of Ramsford.

As the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Ramsford, young Lord Barthelemy is the heir to the duchy, nephew to the Lord Commander of the Queen’s Guard Captain Drake Walker, and to the queen’s personal assistant, Lord Maxwell Beaumont, has Prince Leo as a godfather and is treated as a grandchild by the queen mother.  

Her Grace Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis

Duchess of Lythikos, Counsellor of State.

Also a ward of the crown, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis lost her parents in a tragic car accident when she was five years old. The late Queen Eleanor sent for her, and she was raised and educated at the palace, taking over control of Duchy Lythikos from her aunt at the age of sixteen.

Lythikos has thrived under her leadership, and she is beloved by the people. A suitor in King Liam’s social season, she has also been romantically linked to his brother, Prince Leo. Sources close to the duchess report that her participation in the social season was out of courtesy and duty as she and the king have always enjoyed a close friendship, but nothing more.

She currently resides at Lykos Keep, sits on the king’s small council, and divides her time between Lythikos and the capital.

Her Royal Majesty Regina Beatrice Amaranth Rys

Queen Mother, Dowager Duchess of Stormholt, Countess of Loutreo.

Born in Krona, her father was the younger brother of the late Duke, Karolos Amaranth. The current Duchess of Krona, Adelaide Amaranth, is her cousin. A countess in her own right, she became queen when she married King Constantine after a lengthy courtship.

She was the late king’s third wife. Marrying later in life, she had no biological children of her own but was instrumental in the upbringing of both her stepsons and the other three children entrusted to the monarchs’ care.

Now a widow, the queen mother continues to live at the palace, advises the queen, and works with the various charities she has championed over the years, notably Hope Haven a nationwide organization that works with homeless youth, and The Empowerment Zone a nonprofit helping single mothers. 

Her Royal Highness Eleanor Elizabeth Hana Olivia Rys

Crown Princess of Cordonia.

Born just six days ago, Cordonia’s newest princess has already captivated the hearts of the nation. The king and queen have retreated to the queen’s estate in Valtoria while they adjust to new parenthood, taking with them, among others, the queen's personal assistant, Lord Maxwell Beaumont. No nannies are yet in residence, but Duchess Hana Lee, the queen’s best friend and official Master of the Household, is.

This exclusive photo, which originally appeared in The Cordonian Star yesterday, is the only public photograph of the crown princess, who was named after her grandmother, the late Queen Eleanor.  

[archiveikemen]

Harrison Gray Main Story: Chapter 2

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

❥･• Warnings and FAQ

Harrison: Kate.

Harrison: This is the kind of evil world you walked into.

Harrison: You don’t want to get hurt, be in dangerous places, and see scary things anymore, do you?

Harrison: In that case, why don't you just sit back and do nothing?

I finally managed to force myself to speak in a hoarse voice.

Kate: … Nothing?

Harrison: Victor’s condition for keeping you alive was “keep the secret for one month”.

Harrison: Giving you a job as a fairytale writer is just a plus-alpha request in order to test how trustworthy you are.

(... That's why.)

Kate: That’s why you’re suggesting I “sit back and do nothing”.

Harrison: Yeah. You can shut yourself in your room for the whole period of one month, then go back to where you came from.

(He has a point, but…)

Kate: That’s possible. However… I’m not that cowardly.

Harrison: It’s pointless to pretend you’re strong, only to end up dead.

Harrison: Oh well, whether you live or die doesn't concern me.

Harrison: But if you can offer me something in return, I might consider helping you then.

Harrison laughed with an unreasonable facial expression and glanced at the corpses laying in pools of blood.

Harrison: You did it in a flashy way again, Liam. These will be hard to get rid of.

William: Liam, show your face.

Liam: Mission complete.

Liam: I couldn't control my excitement at the thought of Kate watching.

Liam casually wiped the blood off his face and winked at me as if nothing happened.

Harrison: …

Harrison got down on one knee in a pool of blood, and closed the eyes of one of the dead men.

It was as if he were paying his respects to their deaths.

Harrison: Will, leave the rest to Liam and I. You go back and report to Victor.

William: I’m counting on you, Harrison and Liam. Come with me, Kate. Let’s return to the castle.

Kate: … Alright.

Liam: See you later, Kate. Next time, how about going on a date with me instead of a mission?

Liam waved his hand at me, with a charming smile unsuited for the situation.

Harrison was standing next to him, and I couldn't tell what he was feeling.

…

The smell of blood became distant, I was seated face to face with William in the swaying carriage.

As I gradually regained my composure, I started getting mixed emotions.

(Those men died because they did something evil.)

(But I don't know if it was really necessary to kill them…)

There were laws and police in England. Taking lives is a “last resort” no one should ever take.

Kate: … William, can I ask you a question?

William: We’re still quite far from the castle. You can even ask more than one.

Kate: Why did you decide to punish those men from the start?

William: Those men have committed similar crimes previously, and the police took care of them.

William: They were seemingly well-behaved while in prison, and thus they were released early as model prisoners.

William: — However, they repeated their crimes. They broke the promise they made to “never doing bad things again”, almost instantly after they made the promise.

William shifted his blood coloured eyes and looked out of the window.

William: Was their promise fake or did they have a change of heart? This is something only they would know, right?

William: However, Her Majesty judged their actions to be sinful and ordered for their execution. As Crown, we agreed with her decision.

William: “The murderer who killed 4 men” is still at large and busy trying to dispose of the bodies.

(... That’s Liam, right?)

William: That’s a crime, right?

William: The answer is—... no.

The eyes that turned to look at had not even the slightest hint of hesitation.

He stared quietly at me, like a still pool of water with no ripples.

William: “Conquer evil with evil”, we’re evil no matter where we are.

William: The things we do are not and can never be justified.

(William and the rest of Crown are prepared to carry out their missions and live in the darkness.)

I was the only one unprepared.

William: In this darkness, you will encounter many things that will cause your values to waver.

William: You will feel shaken, disturbed, sometimes distressed, and even hopeless.

William: During those times, Kate, it’s your free choice to either close your eyes or keep them open.

— Because you are your one and only master.

…

Liam let out a heavy sigh as he cleaned the bloodied floor and disposed of the bodies.

Liam: Hey, Harry. Kate's facial expression looked stiff when she was about to leave, do you think she’s scared of me now?

Liam: What do I do… I don't want her to hate me…

Harrison: That’s why I told you not to get too carried away. Oh well, if it makes you feel better, things can't get any worse than this.

Liam: Are you trying to console me or speak ill of me? Geez, Harry, it’d be great if you would be nice to me once in a while.

Liam: Oh, but that’s rare.

Harrison: What is?

Liam: It’s rare for you to voluntarily get involved with other people, like how you were talking to Kate just now.

Liam: My, my. Does she happen to be your type?

Harrison: You’re overthinking. It's just…

Liam: Just…?

Harrison: I’m suddenly craving something sweet. Do you know any restaurants that are open at this time?

Liam: I do, but in these clothes…? If you call the police, I’ll go with you.

Harrison: … I’m going home.

Liam: OK. You just changed the subject. Hey, are you even listening? Harry?

The smell of blooded faded away into the night, and I could only catch a few moments of shallow sleep before morning came.

…

Staring at the sun that had just rose, I tried to pull the gloomy feeling out of my chest.

– Flashback Start –

Harrison: Did you ask to come along, thinking that would help you earn our trust?

Harrison: Or was it because you're obligated to do so as a fairytale writer?

– Flashback End –

(I did that out of responsibility for my role and to earn their trust. What I said to Harrison last night was genuine.)

(And yet…)

(When Harrison told me to “do nothing”, I couldn't respond.)

(I deserved to have him say that to me. I thought too highly of myself, despite not having a strong enough resolve.)

Without any resolve, however desperately I tried to open my eyes wide would be no different from keeping them closed.

I shifted my gaze towards the typewriter on my desk.

My former job as a postwoman was to deliver letters and parcels filled with people’s thoughts and feelings. That was what made me choose that job.

A person’s emotions can hurt them. But, at the same time, emotions also serve as a source of motivation in their lives.

That's right, that was what I thought.

(I was afraid, so I didn't try to understand the way Crown thought.)

William said that I had the freedom to decide whether I wanted to close my eyes or keep them open.

(In that case, I’ll—)

…

Victor: Now, what will happen if you touch the leftmost glass on the third shelf from the top?

Kate: What’s going to happen?

Victor: Go on, touch it.

Kate: Wah…!

The moment I touched the glass, the shelf shifted to reveal a wide variety of lethal weapons.

Kate: It’s a hidden arsenal of weapons. There's so many of them.

Victor: Amazing, isn’t it? I’m quite an obsessive hoarder, so there's no stopping once I start collecting. Oh my— there’s so many of them.

Victor grinned as he opened a modified umbrella that turned out to be a tranquiliser gun.

Victor: Only the members of Crown are allowed to use these weapons. … Anyway, why are you suddenly asking me to teach you how to defend yourself?

Kate: I thought things through again, and decided that I want to get to know and understand everyone at Crown better.

Kate: I need to prepare myself in order to do that… and at least be able to protect myself.

Victor: …

Kate: Victor…?

Victor stretched his arms wide but put them back down, as if holding himself back.

Victor: My goodness…! You are so wonderful, Kate. Fabulous!

Victor: I was so moved by your beautiful heart that I almost wanted to give you a tight hug!

Harrison: I’m going to report you to Her Majesty and have you charged for harlotry, you perverted Aide to The Queen.

Kate: Harrison.

Victor: Perfect timing! Listen, Harrison. It’s about Kate.

Harrison: I already know. Roger heard you.

Harrison: It’s too noisy for him to focus on his experiment, so be quiet. Especially you, Victor.

Victor: Oops, sorry. Roger, can you hear me? S-O-R-R-Y!

Kate: I don’t see Roger anywhere, though…

Victor: Ah, Roger’s curse ability is his “ears”. He can pick up sounds from a distance.

Victor: He apparently can deliberately divert his attention away from those sounds, so you don't have to worry about him listening in on your private conversations. Rest assured.

(I see. The curses have many different abilities.)

I was in awe, and my eyes met Harrison’s. He was leaning against a wall and appeared genuinely troubled.

Kate: Harrison.

Harrison: What?

Kate: Last night, you asked why I wanted to have anything to do with Crown.

Harrison: Yeah?

Kate: At that point of time, I only cared about wanting to return to where I came from. I wasn't ready to face all of you.

Kate: … I’m truly sorry for that.

Harrison: ...

Kate: I will perform my duties well, and earn everyone’s trust by observing Crown with my own eyes.

Kate: I will learn how to protect myself. Therefore, may I get to know all of you better?

I nervously held out my hand, and he slowly wrapped his hand around it.

At the exact moment I felt relieved, my hand was tugged—

Kate: Wah…!

I flew right into Harrison’s arms.

Harrison: … Are you really able to protect yourself like this?

He whispered in an alluring voice, and I quickly put some distance between us.

Kate: Y-Yes, I can protect myself. I’m determined to do just that.

Harrison: Hmm? Oh well, that’s none of my concern. Do whatever you want.

Victor: … Hm.

Victor: Hey, Kate. Harrison too.

Kate: Yes?

Harrison: What?

Victor wore a wide grin and his eyes were sparkling, he looked like he was up to something.

Victor: I just had a brilliant idea…—

[ficsyoumayhavemissed]

🏳️‍🌈 Moths and Butterflies — LadyAj_13 / @ladyaj-13

1.363 words / Harry x Louis

It seemed like such a good plan a week ago. It had seemed like fate, for the town’s Pride parade to fall at the very same time when work sent him there to charm some clients. Who was Louis, to sniff at a higher power? It was exciting, a week ago. Now he’s here though, in the thick of it, and he thought it would feel freeing but it doesn't. It just rams home how he doesn’t belong.

This is a lovely fic for anyone who has ever questioned whether they are queer enough to belong in the queer community. You are, and this fic will remind you of it whenever you need it.

🏳️‍🌈 Quite the Pickle — @lululawrence

1.455 words / Grimmy x Harry x Louis

Nick hated pickles. It was an entire thing for him and he used to get into arguments all the time when his mum insisted he could just remove them and the sandwich would be fine without them. She never seemed to understand. The flavor was still left behind because of the juices. The scent was still there. The pickle was never fully removed. Not successfully. And now one was sitting on the plate, almost touching his perfectly pickle free sandwich, all whilst leaking it’s flavor and scent all over his chips. Good thing there happened to be a pregnant man with a craving nearby.

An adorable, cozy meet-cute between a couple and a stranger, this fic has so much goodness in so few words. From the struggle of pregnancy cravings to the unexpected pleasure of finding people who will accept you as you are, it’s a fun little roller coaster you don’t want to miss. 

🏳️‍🌈 Over The Heads Of The Crowd — DancingOnCapitals

3.232 words / Harry x Louis

Harry attends a fandriven LGBTQIA+ event to support the queer part of his favourite band's fandom and probably also some members of said band when he spots the most beautiful person he's ever seen.

Love at first sight it’s always nice, but gay love at first sight is something special in itself. A meet-cute fic where they share a bed... What else could you ask for?

🏳️‍🌈 Courted in Cabos — @alphalouis 

5.511 words / Louis x Oli 

Oli's spent his whole life with Louis Tomlinson. More accurately, he’s waited his whole life for Louis to pop the question. When Louis invites him to Los Cabos, he thinks this will be it. So he waits. And he waits. Eventually it becomes clear Louis won’t make the first move. He decides to take matters into his own hands.

Absolutely adorable! Friends pining on each other is always such a nice trope to read. Seeing the development of their relationship was really cute, and this fic is more than worth a shot, considering Niall’s special additions. 

🏳️‍🌈 falling in love with the stable boy — @sup3rbloom

5.620 words / @1dreversebang / Harry x Louis 

Louis is the son of King Tomlinson, and now that he's older, he's interested in learning horseback riding. King Tomlinson assigns Harry, the kingdom's stable boy, to train him. It's love at first sight for Louis, and this wouldn't be a problem if being gay wasn't wrong in the kingdom.

This fic is a little heartbreaking, considering how Louis' own family might reject him for something he doesn’t have a choice in, however it was extremely cute how Harry, Zayn and Liam were there to always protect Louis. 

——

As always, support the authors by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Since it's Pride Month, we want to bring attention to our other three related tags and past recommendations:

COMING OUT;

GENDERQUEER;

LGBTQIA STORIES;

PRIDE REC

And to take the opportunity to mention that the @projectotb is back this year and also running a drabble fest, and give a shoutout to the @1dpridefest which is currently happening, so don't miss the chance and support all the amazing writers and creator participating!

If you love a fic that has gotten less love than you think it deserves, submit it to us so we can check it out and perhaps add it to one of our recs! — FYMHM xx

[rosypenguins]

Day 9! Something I like/dislike about the Jomies!

I LOVE the JOMIES!!!

Genuinely I cannot express how much I adore these four! They’re my little scrimblos, my goobers, my sillies, my stinkers even!! (I’m so fucking cringe.)

I think my favorite thing about them is how well they all work as a friend-group. Because I feel like you wouldn’t really expect these four to be friends at all.

I mean, you got a charming little heart-throb, (Jake) the classic mean, grumpy rich kid, (Drew) some milf-obsessed dude, (Liam) and a very excitable weaboo, (Henry).

It’s a pretty random range of characters, yet they all play off each-other so well. They all have fun little dynamics with one another, yet they’re all separate characters perfectly able to stand on their own. I mean, it’d be pretty easy to just make Liam and Henry nothing more than Drew’s lackeys, but they’re not. They have depth to them. They have their own little personalities and quirks and they just so happen to go along with Drew.

And because of their dynamics with one another, it’s so much fun writing about them and imagining different scenarios involving either some of them, or all four of them. They’re just so awesome. They’re such a fun little group.

(And the mental image of Drew watching Liam, Henry and Jake be absolute crack-heads while wondering who’s medical bill he’ll have to pay next will never not be funny to me. I love this dynamic so much.)

I genuinely need to do an in-depth analysis about the dynamics between these four, but for now, I should probably move on to something I dislike.

If I’m being honest, I had to think about this for a while. Because, I mean, there’s not much I particularly dislike about them. I considered saying something about how them being bullies, but in all honesty, I don’t actually hate that about them.

I mean, that’s their job. They’re the antagonists of this show for a reason. They’re supposed to be mean and cause conflict. And if they didn’t, well, we’d have no show. (And that’d be lame.)

This isn’t to say I support their actions at all. (In fact I was seething at them in the Comic Episode.) I’m just trying to say that I can’t really bring myself to dislike them when they’re only fulfilling the role they were created for. (And they’re also characters outside of that role and those characters I really like.)

I think the real thing I dislike about them is ACTUALLY THE FACT THAT THERE ISN’T A TMF SPIN-OFF THAT FOLLOWS THE JOMIES DURING SUMMER VACATION PRIOR TO THE SHOW.

GIVE ME JOMIES BEACH EPISODE GIVE ME EPISODE WHERE THEY GO TO THE BEACH AND PLAY VOLLEYBALL AND DREW INSISTS ON BEING ON A TEAM WITH JAKE ONLY TO LOSE AND GO AND SULK UNDER THE UMBRELLA. GIVE ME HENRY TRIPPING IN THE SAND AND FREAKING OUT ABOUT CRABS. GIVE ME HENRY AND LIAM BUILDING SAND CASTLES WHILE JAKE’S OUT IN THE WATER AND KEEPS GLANCING BACK AT DREW WHO’S STILL ALL UPSET. GIVE ME JAKE DRAGGING DREW INTO THE WATER AND SPLASHING HIM AND THEY START SPLASHING AROUND TOGETHER AND HENRY AND LIAM JOIN AND-

Anyways I think my only real complaint is that they all lied to Drew. Makes me sad.

@31days-of-freakblr

[justcallmefox89]

Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty-Two

An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.

Masterlist

Callum and Liam battle it out and Drake chooses a side.

“Drake, I want you to consider moving to New York after Liam’s wedding.  To moving in with me.  To being with me.  Only me,” Callum says calmly, speaking to Drake but staring directly at Liam.

********************************************

A crimson flush creeps up Liam’s neck and he scowls at me.  “You cannot possibly be -”

“Ok.”

Liam whips around to face Drake.  “What?”

I can’t help the smirk that creeps across my face at Liam’s outrage.

“I think that maybe Callum is right,” Drake says, taking a deep, calming breath.  “You’re going to be starting a new life with Madeline, and you’ll eventually be having kids… so maybe it’s time for me to start putting myself first.  Doing what’s best for me.”

“And you think Callum is what’s best for you?” Liam demands.

Drake meets his gaze head-on.  “Callum puts me first.  I would have a future with him, a real one, with a family and kids and little league and not having to hide.  With Callum I would finally be enough.  So yeah… maybe he is what’s best for me.”

Liam’s outrage is palpable, so thick in that air that I can practically taste it.  And it is fucking delicious.

He clocks my grin and scowls at me.  “You’re loving this, aren’t you?  Driving a wedge between me and Drake?  Forcing him to choose between us?”

I rock back on my heels and snicker.  “I’m harder than astrophysics right now darlin’, can’t lie.”

“You are such a bastard,” Liam hisses, slamming his palms onto the countertop.

“Ooh… let it all out Your Majesty; tell the class how you really feel.”  I can feel my grin turn a little sharper and my eyes narrow.  This fight has been a long time coming and I’m more than ready.

“You have always been selfish,” Liam spits out.  “Never willing to compromise, never willing to give an inch because you were always convinced you knew best.  All you had to do was swallow a little bit of your pride, but you clearly didn’t care about me enough to make even the most basic sacrifices - ”

I bark out an incredulous laugh.  “You, you of all people, are going to try and lecture me about sacrifices?  About compromise and caring enough?  You spoiled little shit; when have you ever sacrificed anything in your entire life?  Tell me two things you have ever sacrificed for me and Drake?  Go on, I’ll wait while you think.”

Drake gaze flicks worriedly between us.  “Maybe we should take a time out and get some rest before we get into all this,” he says soothingly.

“I have greater worries than mere feelings; a literal country depends on the choice of my future spouse,” Liam says, talking over him.

“Don’t try to make this about Cordonia,” I scoff.  “This is about Constantine and what he wants.  You would be a perfectly capable king no matter who you married.”

“Given your gene pool I understand that you probably don’t know what it feels like to have an accomplished father with high expectations - ”

“Keep talking and I’m gonna punch you in the fucking mouth,” I warn him.

Liam rolls his eyes.  “Charming.  I don’t know what I thought it would be like to finally be back with you again, but the more time we spend together make me think that whatever relationship we had before was a mistake.”

The barb stings, working it’s way into my heart like an insidious shard of glass.  “Get out of my house,” I say quietly.

“Callum,” Liam says, taking a hesitant step towards me.

“I said get the fuck out of my house!” I scream, my eyes burning with the tears I refuse to let fall.

Not in front of him.  Never again.

“Fine.”  Liam stalks towards the door, stuttering to a stop when he realizes Drake isn’t behind him.  “Drake?”

Drake moves next to me, taking my shaking hand in a show of solidarity and support.  “I’m staying with Callum,” he says quietly.

Liam clenches his jaw, his fury evident.  He turns his back on us and storms out, slamming the door behind him. 

Drake winds his arms around my waist and rests his forehead against my shoulder.  “I got you,” he whispers.  “I got you.”

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

Rare(ish)-pair Yuumori ideas that I may or may not ever write (but they're like, bottom of my ideas list, so if anyone is inspired by these have at it, I can always do my own versions later lol. Tag me tho, I wanna read stuff!)

(These are for the most part absurdly off-canon and varying degrees of cracky. Roll with it.)

Bond/Albert in which Albert is a virgin and Bond has never had sex post-transition. Bond tops. It's like a very affectionate friends-with-benefits deal where they're learning new things together.

Billy and Louis friendship fic where Louis expects to find Billy annoying because he's kind of boisterous and overly familiar and whatnot, but instead finds himself surprisingly charmed and then they're buddies.

Billy and Bond fic where they bond over being Americans who faked their deaths and changed their identities. They may or may not kiss, idk.

Jack Renfield/Queen Victoria 😂😂😂😂

Mycroft and Miss Hudson have an incredibly tame, mature, and vanilla romance that is absolutely fascinating to everyone around them because they're all crazy people (affectionate). They do gentle missionary for the first time on their wedding night and have a baby precisely forty weeks later and everyone claps.

Mycroft/Moran. Has anyone done this? I literally have no reason for it other than that I was playing around with the character profiles trying to see which people might actually have anything in common based on age etc, and huh. I could find a way to make this work. They never have sex beyond handies because they can't agree on who would top. 🤣

John and Moran fic. Probably just a friend fic. Frankly this should be considered more in general in Holmes adaptations: these two are foils of each other, each the loyal soldier at Holmes' and Moriarty's respective sides. They should be drinking buddies in the Yuumori-verse, but in everything else they should be enemies with belligerent sexual tension.

Mycroft/William set in between A Scandal in the British Empire and The Final Problem, in which they have a lot of technically very good but very miserable sex while pining over each other's brothers and picking apart each other's brains brutally.

William/Billy thing where William after the coma is still working things through and is kind of emotionally distancing himself from Sherlock because he's still not Okay, and Billy is there for him. (Vermissa gets pushed later in this.) They get quite emotionally entangled in bonding over their similarities, but nothing actually comes of it, and Billy is the one to ultimately give William the push he needs to open up to Sherlock. It ends on a bittersweet note with the implication that Billy is more than a little in love with Liam, but knows Sherlock is who he should be with. Sad gays.

Bond/everyone where he's at the center of the most successful polycule in recorded history. 😂

[moongurl95]

Story time! I've had this blog for years (and lurked in many a fandom) but inspiration had never really hit me as hard as contributing fanfiction to Hogwarts Legacy - and in almost a year since I've started with my longfic, I've actually been distracted here and there to also write some one-shots for the fandom. So this is me updating my Pinned post and let's see how many more ideas get to tickle my sudden awakening in fanfiction writing! ✨

7 Times the Charm

Rating: General Audiences

Status: Oneshot ✧ Complete ☑️

Summary: It was no secret that the Three Broomsticks can also be considered a social gathering for the latest news, and Sirona Ryan, the owner was at the neck of it.

Or, a glimpse of a blooming relationship she'd observed since that Troll Attack in Hogsmeade.

Read on Tumblr ✧ Read on AO3 ✧ Read on FFnet

My Chaos and Revelry

Rating: Teen

Status: Oneshot ✧ Complete ☑️

Summary: “But, daddy, I love him!” I tried to make him hear me out –

“A mere boy from your school could never –“

“I’m having his baby!”

You’d be able to hear a pin drop at the ensuing silence that followed.

In which Sebastian is our wild boy and MC is just tired of all the bitching and moaning.

Read on Tumblr ✧ Read on AO3 ✧ Read on FFnet

Hogwarts Legacy: Read the Unwritten

Rating: Teen

Status: Longfic ✧ Ongoing 📜

Summary: This is a story we've all heard before— a Hero's Journey— one where it was all supposedly uneventful on the surface, until we meet our mentor, before we're then called on an adventure of a lifetime. But there isn’t really just one perspective to a story, and a single good deed doesn’t instantly make one a Hero.

So here’s a different take on the side quests that molded us as our characters, along with a rather sentient Field Guide, and an expectedly sad past that forged a young student to stomach the trials she had to endure.

Read on Tumblr ✧ Read on AO3 ✧ Read on FFnet

Headers and Dividers I've discovered from this amazing account here on Tumblr, you are a gift OP! 💕

MC / OC List

Currently a work in progress, at the moment of writing this, I have yet to get around to birthing a boy Hufflepuff and a girl Gryffindor 🤣 i'll get around to creating Character Charts for my other babes one way or another 🥹

One thing to note is that my MCs exist in different universes from each other but my OCs coincide with their respective House MCs:

Beatrice Hayes (MC)

Anthony Reinhart (OC)

Cerestina Anguis (MC)

Ehsan Kama (MC)

Phoebe Fidelis (MC)

Liam Kyteler (MC)