#baz is my spouse

[lorelite333]

Baz Headcannons

I'm Baz's wife, so what I say is cannon. How do I know? Baz is my spouse <3 (Og Baz lvr :3)

Baz is a classic music lover; they were built on it. They appreciate the feeling of grace and the way that the music can just take control of things. However they do love the classics, from the 80/90's and you can hear them practically blare heavy metal in their office when doing paperwork. They say it helps them think.

They hate current pop. It's not that they find it disgusting, but rather it doesn't give the same feel as what they grew up listening to. They do like a few songs though. They find Paris Paloma very empowering.

Baz wears white and black gloves all the time.

Their favorite shows are the black and white ones, not that they're old, but they just feel more comforting.

Baz likes floral teas, not really a big fan of coffee or black tea due to their strong taste.

Onto the black and white films, they're hold on to a specific memory of them as a human. The black and white film playing in the background, it was midsummer and just a really hot day to all the windows and doors were open for the breeze to come in, tea was being made, and classical music was playing.

They never were one for comics, but in the 80/90's one of their favorites was the Marvel comics. Specifically Blade.

They don't like cinnamon as a topping, but they like if its added into things like batter or drinks.

They think it's unsanitary for people to drink from the wrist, they actually despise it if the person hadn't washed their hands AND WRISTS before allowing them to feed-

They hate putting in eye contacts, it makes their eyes feel weird

They love classic literature, like Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, any Edgar Allen Poe book (they liked the dark grim poems), The Great Gatsby, Little Women, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, The Iliad, etc.

They love architecture, specifically the roman amphitheater. I think if they could've gone back in time for a day, they would love to see a play there, but they know that ppl were treated differently than they are now

I think Baz would love Spider Lillies, and admire them for their meaning

Baz adores talking in flowers, having been a person to write letters (and still does), they tend to add a flower on their wax seal to express secret messages

Baz typically schedules meetings at their clan house, because you never know what ppl can have hidden up their sleeve in their own home.

One rule that they keep with them is that if they would rather stay and fight in their own home than be in the enemy territory with no layout of the land.

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

Hi, hello, hola! And a happy mid-Erotic Grope Fest to you all!!

Editing Ch. 2 of my EGF fic, Good morning, good night, good morning, continues apace! I was going to share a bit of that, but instead I found this tiny, completely unrelated story (a drablet?) when I was looking through editing notes:

Simon: (pauses in the middle of making out) Are we dating now? 

Baz: (falls out of bed) 

Baz: (slips on a banana) 

Baz: (tumbles down the stairs) 

Baz: (stands up) 

Baz: (smooths back hair) 

Baz: (puts on a suit) 

Baz: Yes. 

(tags & more writing blather behind the cut)

I'm at that Weird Point in editing Chapter 2 of my EGF fic so many times that I have lost perspective. Random thoughts will drift across my mind: "Is this funny? Why did I ever think this was funny?" and "This is 5K and yet it feels like nothing happens??"

I feel well-adjusted enough (at the moment) for this reminder to kick in: "My job isn't to judge whether the thing is good or bad. My job, right now, is just to edit." Writing Do Be Like That. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In other fun news, I found some notes from when I was editing Chapter 20 of Jelly Babies and my spouse (known on the internets as Earlobegreytea) was peeking over my shoulder:

Earlobegreytea: Was there kissin’ in this chapter? 

Me: No

Earlobegreytea: Was there kissin’ in the previous chapter? 

Me: Also no 

Earlobegreytea: No kissin’ Earlobegreytea: Just thinking about kissin’ Earlobegreytea: Just thinking about kissin’ a little Earlobegreytea: Keep ‘em in suspension 

And then he kept muttering about kissin' while he went to pick up milk. 😘🐄🥛

I've been up since six this morning, so I'm kicking off SSS with a long list of hello tags. Come out and play! (Or just rest and be cosy. Tha's cool too) @aristocratic-otter @artsyunderstudy @bookish-bogwitch @captain-aralias @confused-bi-queer @cutestkilla @dohrnaira @facewithoutheart @fatalfangirl @hushed-chorus @ionlydrinkhotwater @ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @imagineacoolusername @johnwgrey @larkral @martsonmars @moodandmist @nightimedreamersworld @onepintobean @raenestee @sailor-blossoms @shemakesmeforget @shrekgogurt @tea-brigade @thewholelemon @tectonicduck @technetiumai @theimpossibledemon @whogaveyoupermission @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

I wrote myself a permission slip to have fun and play this weekend, so I'm going to grab mini donuts and play pinball at an arcade called Phantom Amusements which is, sadly, not run by ghosts (as far as I can tell). Happy Sunday!

[aristocratic-otter]

Welp, I'm back to work next week, which means things will come slower. But Naked Next will be done by then, and most everything else below is in the last quarter of the fic, so maybe I'll learn my lesson and work on fewer at a time during the school year?

Nah.

Thank you to @ileadacharmedlife, @palimpsessed, @blackberrysummerblog, @wellbelesbian, @hushed-chorus, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @nightimedreamersghost, @larkral, @j-nipper-95, @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @prettygoododds, @whatevertheweather, @shrekgogurt and @artsyunderstudy for the tags this week. Y'all are enablers and I love you for it.

From my COTTA 2023: Snow Fox

Penny

Simon slips in and out of my life like the animal he’s been named after. I never know when he’ll show up, and, once he does, I never know how long I’ll get to have him around. 

We’ve been best friends from childhood, but I can’t help but feel that he’s leaving me behind. 

When my younger brother Pacey shows up in a continental army uniform, however, I’m ready to kick Simon’s arse…metaphorically. Maybe. 

“Why will he take a fifteen year old but not me?” I rage to my husband. To his credit, Shepard doesn’t bring up my gender or societal expectations. He’s known my feelings on the war effort since this whole thing started. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines and knit socks. I want to fight side by side with my best friend. 

And then, to enlist my baby brother!

From: The Naked Next (Final chapter!):

“Captain…I…I know I have limited time before this infection makes me lose all…function.” I know, looking back, I’ll be appalled at the manic giggles that escape me each time I lose track of what I’m saying. “Lieutenant Grimm-Pitch told you about the…virus…the effects…and cause?”

“Overheating, mania, impulsivity, lowered inhibitions…” she ticks off on her fingers. 

“Yes!” I shout, and again wince. Concentrating hard on controlling my volume, I say, “Like, for instance…right now…I find you very…very…but I need to focus.”

“You find me very what, Doctor?” she snaps.

From my Age of Sail AU:

I let myself drop back to the ground and close my eyes. For a few minutes, I think of nothing much. Instead I let my mind drift while my senses absorb this new world. I feel the sand, warm and gritty under my back. The sea breeze lifting the drying tendrils of my hair, which tickles my forehead. The ocean lapping at my heels every time a wave rolls in. I smell salt, much as I’m used to, but I also smell thriving plant life. I hear the crash of the waves on the shore, above all, but under it I hear tiny rustlings, creaks and chirps. Life, bright and vibrant, all around me. I let my lips turn up in a faint smile.

From Saving Simon Snow:

 I know for a fact that mage marriages don’t give a Normal partner any magic. I know because I asked Penny about it once. I had a sort of theory that one of my parents was a mage and the other parent left them, taking me with them. I figured that, then, if the Normal parent died, the mage parent would have had no way to find me. 

“Impossible,” Penny had said. 

“Why impossible?” I whined. I was desperate back then to prove that I did actually come from magic. That I wasn’t really a Normal. This was just one of many scenarios my brain came up with. Penny shot down every one. 

“It’s impossible, Simon, because a Normal could never have hidden you from a mage parent. No hiding place on earth is proof against a finding spell.”

She was right. In a last, feeble attempt to save my theory, I said, “maybe the magic of the marriage bond gave the Normal spouse enough magic to hide me?”

Penny scoffed. “That’s not what marriage bonds do, Simon.” And then she lectured me for an hour on all of the known marriage bonding spells and their exact effects. I gave up. My theory had been completely shattered by Penny’s implacable facts. 

But if marriage bonds can’t give magic to a Normal, what the fuck is going on?

From To Heal A Broken Mind:

Simon

Baz is quiet for the entire drive to mine and Penny’s flat. Too quiet. And he won’t look at me. He doesn’t understand that this is the best thing, the only thing. He’s got his work, and my lifespan might be measured in days. 

I took advantage of my time alone with Doctor Davies to ask him the questions Baz has been weaselling out of answering. 

The doctor told me I’ve got a three percent chance of dying on the table, and a sixteen percent chance of having brain issues after it. So, even if I survive the surgery, I might not be the Simon Baz  knows anymore. And if [redacted]…my chances of survival drop to thirty percent. 

I won’t drag Baz down with me. Better a clean break now than lingering heartbreak later. 

From Westward Son:

Snow does fine in the chill air. He’s layered a heavy coat over his usually homespun shirt and trousers, but after a few hours walking each day, he’s warm enough to unbutton it and let it hang open over his sweaty chest. He’s always run hot. 

I’m not so lucky. I’ve started piling on every sweater and jacket I own each morning, along with three pairs of trousers over my long underwear (the outer ones are Simon’s, because my own wouldn’t be loose enough). And still I shiver through the day. I can tell Simon is worried about me, but there’s nothing he can do while one of us has to lead the oxen. At night by the campfire, he can help by wrapping his wings around me, but the wings tend to frighten the oxen when he opens them, so he has to keep them folded under his coat during the day. 

I worry about him in turn because he’s thinner than I’ve ever seen him. I can see every muscle and tendon in his body because there’s no spare fat on him anywhere. I know why he’s so poorly; I’ve seen him sneaking parts of his rations to the children, and I love him for it.

Tags for Sunday, or just hellos! @bazzybelle, @bookish-bogwitch, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @chen-chen-chen-again-chen, @confused-bi-queer, @dragoneggos, @erzbethluna, @fatalfangirl, @facewithoutheart, @frjsti, @giishu, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @ic3-que3n, @jbrrring, @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists, @krisrix, @letraspal, @messofthejess, @martsonmars, @moments-au-crayon22, @moodandmist, @mostlymaudlin, @onepintobean, @prettylightsbigcity, @rimeswithpurple, @raenestee, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @theearlgreymage, @technetiumai, @tea-brigade, @thewholelemon, @thewriterxj, @upuntil6am, @whogaveyoupermission, @yellobb-old

[bcofl0ve]

Part 2. No one would dispute they have had so much tragedy. Austin seems to always have some sort of evil intent from others trying to bring him down and it’s all tied to Elvis. He is the kindest of souls so it makes so sense for there to always be someone after him. I sometimes worry about him a lot. I don’t really know what I’m trying to get at here. Does anything I’m saying make sense?

oh (re the first half of this) i 1000% believe that the presleys are in some sense, very unfortunately, cursed. did you know someone in the ‘bubble’has lost both a spouse or former spouse and a child ‘before their time’ 3 generations down? vernon losing gladys and elvis, priscilla losing elvis and lisa, danny losing lisa and ben.

part of my whole initial spiral when lisa first died was being so so worried about austin and baz and tbh everyone in the movie team feeling like they were now entangled with the curse that the family has always seemed to carry. i don’t say that to be woowoo for giggles either, as someone who *adores* the family it breaks my fucking heart. i can see a world where lisa didn’t die and austin remained maybe a littleee bit connected to the estate simply because they were close and i think austin would have crawled over broken glass for lisa and done absolutely anything she asked of him.

but we unfortunately don’t live in that world and i absolutely think it’s for the best, for his health, that he separates himself as much as he can. i worry about him too but i think he’s very self aware and that serves him well. i trust him to take care of himself and am glad he seems to have a good circle of people who care about him watching out for him. <3

[hushed-chorus]

I’m back for more! One Day at a Time for your WIP ask game

It's good to have you back, and thank you for the new ask!

One Day at a Time is a one shot I originally planned for Carry On Countdown. This is a post-canon fic that explores what would happen if Simon developed a chronic pain condition. It looks at Simon's learning to live with it, and how Baz copes. What is it like having a partner with a chronic pain condition when all you want is to make them better?

This one is kinda personal to me as I have fibromyalgia (I actually outlined this fic before I got my diagnosis). It draws upon me and my spouse's experience. It sounds sad, and I suppose it is, but it is also hopeful.

It's an outline at present, ready to be written. And one day, this will be exactly what I want to write. It's just a matter of time.

[blackberrysummerblog]

hii <3

2, 21, 23, 29 and 78 for the ask game. sorry if they're too many ^^'

Thank you so much for the ask @imagineacoolerusername! I apologize for not responding sooner, because I’m really excited someone took me up on the ask game (and it’s never too many, I love thinking more about what/how I’m writing).

2) Where do you get your fic ideas?

I’m similar to a lot of people on this one—my ideas come from things that I see or hear around me. It goes hand in hand with the first question in the ask list, which is “do you daydream a lot before you write” and I am a *huge* daydreamer. I generally do get an idea of a full story realized quickly enough that I don’t spend a lot of time dreaming before I write (haha…she says after literal months of WIP posts from the same unpublished fic, lol). I daydream constantly about my hyperfixations though, and I just let my mind wander wherever it feels like. There are stories in my head I would never actually post because they’ve become OOC and self-indulgent to a comical degree, but I get pleasure out of thinking about them and so I let my thoughts drift there when they want to. I often get some good material that way for stories that I actually do want to share with people.

For my crucible marriage AU, the idea came from a throwaway line in Carry On about Watford having possibly started as a mages’ settlement: I started thinking about an AU where that was still the case, and there would still be the school but it would start for students at a younger age than in canon. Assuming the kids mostly went home in the evenings, the crucible wouldn’t need to assign roommates, and instead could do another job like…magickally determining one’s spouse. That was the thought process, and because I am *feral* for arranged marriage/married-at-first-sight stories, the fic has been living at the front, middle, and back of my brain ever since.

21) Do you prefer writing chaptered fics or one-shots?

I don’t have a strong preference; it just depends on what the story requires. I’ll know when I begin writing if a story is going to be long and plotty enough to require chapters; in this fandom I’ve done entirely one-shots because I’m leaning heavily on soft vibes without enough conflict to need more than one post to tell. The crucible marriage fic will definitely be chaptered, though

23) Is writing the beginning, middle, or end of the story easiest? Hardest?

It depends where it starts in my head, i.e. the part I’m trying to get to. If the idea starts off largely in middle of the story I want to tell, then I need to figure out a beginning that can segue into that. It’s usually not super hard, but then again, I mostly enjoy doing domestic-style fluff and cutesy flirting, so it’s not an enormous exercise to intro that. I’m having a harder time with the current AU’s beginning, especially since at this point I’ve dragged it all out so long that I want it to be just right. The hardest part for me is almost always the ending, by which I don’t mean how it all ends up, but the last sentence. I’m pretty weak with last lines, and the *absolute fucking worst* at titles. I think both feel like high-pressure, sum-your-precious-baby-up-in-very-few-words situations to me. I am flat out disgusted with myself for some of the titles I’ve gone with after throwing up my hands.

29) What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

I like my dialogue. I think it flows pretty well and is often cute or funny. And I think I do a decent job with shoehorning my contrived plot points in. The example I’m thinking of is the field trip fic I wrote (I can’t even bring myself to namecheck the title, did I mention how bad I am at them?) where the entire story basically hinged on getting Simon to have to sit on Baz’s lap on the bus. It was easy enough to assign them as seatmates, and spilling something on the seat is a good reason for Simon to not be able to use it, but because it’s a magickal universe there really shouldn’t have been any reason they couldn’t spell the seat dry. Magic had to have been disallowed on the bus, which let me write a nice little bit about how Simon had gotten it banned on an earlier trip (and also to reflect on how few field trips he’s even been on, awwww). Anyway, I thought it was funny and just about killed myself when Baz quipped “here comes the not-so-magic-school bus” to humiliate Simon in front of the class. Pretty much everything that happened after that was just as contrived, and I thought it was hilarious.

78) What motivates you during the writing process?

It’s a compulsion for the flesh to become word. I write even the stories that I would never post because they’re too dirty or too personal or too badly conceived to share, because once they’re described in words it provides a kind of release for me.

There’s a short story by William H. Gass called “In the Heart of the Heart of the Country” and I really recommend it for achingly real and emotive lines, but the one I’m thinking of is this, said of the narrator’s neighbor: “Nevertheless, I keep wondering whether, given time, I might not someday find a figure in our language which would serve him faithfully, and furnish his poverty and loneliness richly out.”

I want that when I write, to find words that will mean something to myself and someone else, that will hold a moment or experience up in the light in such a way that it’s viewed tenderly and with generosity.

Thanks again for asking; I hope my answers weren’t too long winded! If anyone else wants to play you can reblog this post:

[childlikegoblinqueen]

Chapter 83 Notes:

Spoilers and actual history which inspired the last line within.

Chapter 83 had a considerable amount of fluff. I wanted to give the tense relationship between Hunter and Darius a reprieve.

What better way than to have Darius teach Hunter how to dance for his very first Grom?

Some inspiration for that came from the scene in book 3 of ATLA where Aang and Katara rework their Katas into a dance.

There’s plenty of examples of the correlation between dancing and fighting within pop culture and so many articles on it, but after an offhand conversation with @threegoblinart about Baz Luhrman’s Strictly Ballroom, I went a different route.

Also, fun fact! My spouse, whom I met in martial arts class was a competitive ballroom dancer when he was a teen. He was an amazing fighter too.

I loved the image of all of these adults whom Hunter was out at odds with under Belos taking on a nurturing role aside Camila and helping him figure out how to redirect the years of combat training into something like dance, so he could get to enjoy his first school dance with his girlfriend.

It felt like a sweet healing moment.

ThreeGoblin and I also agreed that Hunter would loose his mind over Swing Dancing, and the movie Swing Kids came to mind. Under the Third Reich, Swing Dance became part of a movement of youth who opposed the nazi party. Swing Kids was a simplistic look at the history of the movement, but not necessarily a bad place to start. I dropped a wiki article about that at the end of the chapter.

ANYWAY this is a perfect chance to drop info about a covert historical operation which VERY LOOSELY inspired the big reveal at the end of the chapter.

Please take into consideration that my refrain when asked about Darius’ deal in SCOM has always been that Darius has made a series of poor decisions.

That said, he is essentially the head of the CIA for the BI. Intelligence is the shadowy part of the military. Defense is the more front facing one. It’s not fleshed out by any means and in this story the two work together very closely, but if Darius was to answer Hunter’s questions with the classic,

“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” It would go very badly.

The concept of a current government working with former enemy scientists to develop weapons /etc is based on Operation Paperclip.

So Darius being directed to work with Kikimora to develop Miki- Ultra has a real world precedent.

Doesn’t mean he liked it or even wanted to do it.

Much less scope in the fic, of course, but information about this below.

[concerthopperblog]

Review: Karen Jonas- The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch

There's a duality in Karen Jonas' The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch that keeps things interesting throughout. On the surface, much of the album is an upbeat celebration of America's obsession with kitsch, a Norman Rockwell portrait of a '50s household. But beneath that is a commentary on the same consumerism bred in that era and the late-stage Capitalism that it bred in today's society.

The inspiration for The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch was Jonas' viewing of Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic Elvis. Listening to the album, it's no surprise that the “King” of American kitsch, the subject of a million tacky velvet portraits, was a major influence. A rockabilly core runs through many of the album's twelve songs.

The album's best song is the humorous “Online Shopping.” With a doo-wop backing vocal and snap percussion, the song is an ode to an introvert's favorite thing, e-commerce. Jonas revels in her awkwardness in every word of “Online Shopping.” “I don't think I wanna leave my bathtub,” Jonas sings, “have you seen the crazy shit that happens?” Later she faces everyone's worst restaurant nightmare, “the waiter told me to enjoy my food / I looked right at him and said 'thanks, you too.' / Now I'm eating takeout in the nude.”

“Buy” is the album's shortest song and it’s most catchy. With a folksy acoustic guitar strum, Jonas details everything she sees in magazines and movies and finds herself inspired to buy. But the impulse to buy comes at a price, as her domestic life suffers from her daydreaming (“there's dishes on the counter / there's dishes in the bedroom”). A friend tries to get her into therapy for her problems but she decides instead to “buy a Lazy Boy to sleep away my day.”

There are some moments of pure unfiltered kitschy fun on The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch. “Plastic Pink Flamingos” is three and a half minutes of honky tonk ode to every trailer park's favorite lawn ornament. “Let's Go to Hawaii” channels not only Elvis in his movie period but also a major Jonas influence, Jimmy Buffett. With an island stroll, Jonas plays the part of a neglected vintage housewife trying to convince her workaholic husband to take an adults-only trip to Hawaii. “I'll wear a bikini,” she croons to her spouse, “let me pour you a drink.”

The spoken poem “American Kitsch” is Jonas' one shot at our societal need to buy that doesn't wrap itself in a veneer of positivity and vintage kitsch. It details the tendency to follow trends, piling more and more stuff up that is “forgotten, but not gone.” Later she says “Consumerism is our national religion” and it's hard to argue with her.

Elsewhere on The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch, Jonas goes full rockabilly on “Four Cadillacs,” tries on tinges of Southern gothic on “Shake Bump and Grind Show,” and explores the darker side of Elvis' story with the cautionary story of a pill mill on “Dr. Nick.” The album covers a lot of ground, dark and light, without ever losing its sense of humor.

[novemberthewriter]

oc rambles: [dex/jo], [jo & baz]

the 1st is a very casual thing i rattled off in response to a writing club prompt for star wars day 2 weeks ago. dex & jo proving yet again why rick ross - hustlin' should be their theme song

the 2nd is the beginning of a short story that i need to rebuild from the ground up, but i like this scene by itself sm that i wanna preserve it. this one is jo & baz' initial bonding moment in a convenience store

-> dex & jo are are the same characters (black girl n redhead guy) from my finished flash piece 'blank'!

-> baz is my delightful faith evans-lookalike oc who gets a girl crush (and eventually a Crush crush) on jo lmao

-

STAR WARS [dex/jo, 150 wds]

You fumbled the bag, Dex says.

How so? Jo’s incredulous, sounding that way she always does when she’s convinced she can do no wrong. Which is most days. Dex is used to it.

You missed the window.

Fuck you, i missed the window. Isn’t today that nerd thing? May 4th. I put stuff on sale just for it.

You don’t put things for a special on the day of – well, you can if it’s a flash sale, but you don’t do a unannounced flash sale on a major holiday–

/Why/, Dex, get to the point–

He rolls his eyes, keeps counting the money. You advertise sales AHEAD of time JoJo, I didn’t think I needed to tell you some 101 on how to fleece nerds.

It’s not Comic Con, hubby, you really think a extra couple hours –

--If I didn’t think it makes a difference I wouldn’t have brought it up!

Boy, I am thiiis close to taking a damn. Aggrieved spouse tax out on that shit. Interest out the wazoo. Won’t have any coins left to get a STAMP of a lightsaber.

2. FAWN [jo & baz, 600 wds]

Baz met Jo in a mirror. 

It was the chrome dome in the low ceiling by the liquor aisle. Baz was out of high school graduation before her cap hit the ground. She’d peeled out of the parking lot in her junker car with the broken A/C and had completely sweat out her baby hairs by the time she got to the corner store. As she fixed them – craning her neck and squinting at her reflection while she gelled synthetic blonde edges back into submission – a tall girl came up beside her and started primping too. 

The girl broke the ice before Baz could even get the bad anxiety hot flashes. 613 gang, she said, nodding at Baz’ bent glass image and fussing with her own jet black high pony. She did it one handed; the other hand cradled a liter of Grey at her bony hip. She noticed Baz noticing. Got the Goose by the neck, she said. The Black lovechild of JLo and Jolie. Smolder eyes, pillow lips. Swan neck. Fat ass. Rocking Matrix chic just like Baz.

The good anxiety hot flashes came on and Baz was saying way too much about finally leaning into years of Faith Evans comparisons with the 613 platinum wig. The girl listened like Baz was a Normal Person and then talked about another famous blonde, one Ms. Barbara Eden, whom she was always trying to channel with hair style if not color. Then she explained that that was just her go-to bullshit response to years of I Dream of Jeannie jokes. If it’s one thing about Jo James, she said, it’s that she will not be leaving the house with her hair down, okay? 

I dream of Joey with the jet black hair, Baz thought. 

I’m Baz, she said aloud. 

What’s that mean? 

I don’t know if it means anything by itself. Baz slicked down the last of the errant edges. She put her brush and gel back in her purse without looking away from Jo in the mirror. But it’s short for Basilica. People say it’s pretty and I swear they’re lying. 

Jo kept looking right back. Baz is pretty too. 

Jo finished her hair (which hadn’t looked undone to begin with, in Baz’ eyes) and pulled Baz down about six more conversational rabbit holes that culminated in the two of them exchanging socials. They both had to look away from the mirror to find and follow the right accounts.

Then they faced each other. 

Jo was a dark sun and Baz was the overfed flower trying to take in the weird, lovely rays. They stood in silence. Jo suddenly seemed to register Baz’ blue grad gown unzipped over her outfit.

Hey, she said. Congrats.

She slipped out the store the back way.

Baz let herself be dazed for a few moments before she finally went about picking up her graduation presents to herself. Precious snack cakes and Slim Jims cradled in one arm like Jo with her vodka. Used the other hand to point out the Swisher Sweets she wanted behind the clerk’s counter. Carded and checked out by one clerk while the other worked on a midshift count.

By the time Baz left (out the front way, like a Normal Person), the clerks were bickering about the count. 

Baz was on the road before she realized the till was short the exact amount of a liter of Grey Goose plus tax. 

[the-invisible-queer]

Thoughts on the Jonas Brothers and their spouses' met gala looks?

In the past? I doubt any of them are showing up this year because Nick has the flu, Pri is still in Europe shooting and Joe is going through his life changes

Has Kev and Dani ever gone? I couldn't find any pics and I feel like I've only seen Prick and Jophie in the past

But yeah I'll share my thoughts on their looks

Idk what year these looks are from and don't feel like looking it up out of laziness and idk if I got every year they've gone but I tried.

Jophie trigger warning for those who need it

Joe & Sophie

So THIS is what I think of when I think of Joe at the MET Gala because the image of him with his hand on Sophie's pregnant belly gets me every time. 🥺

Despite how things ended their love was still beautiful while it lasted and their love gave us two beautiful girls

Their fits are good. I LOVE his cape(?!?) or the tail of his jacket. Could do with more chest hair but that's just ME

His hairrrr 😩 and the facial hairrrr he could get me pregnant if he wants

Sophie's dress is simple but still pretty. I know I kept reading about her wearing flats - hence why they're almost the same height for once. But I mean who expects a pregnant woman to be in heels all night?

Her hair and makeup is giving AU Morticia Addams - which they did do Morticia and Gomez for Halloween one year and it lives rent free in my head

Then we have what might have been their first MET Gala together? Maybe. Like I said I'm not sure.

Joe is wearing my favorite color which looks *chef's kiss* on him. Always love seeing my guys

Sophie's dress is gorgeous and looks so fucking good on her

And then we have whatever the fuck this was:

They both look incredible as expected. I mean they're both hot as fuck.

I like her bodysuit more than his turtleneck.

Can't not mention how short my guy is next to her in those heels I'm lowkey obsessed with it

Nick & Priyanka

Nick wasn't with Pri yet.

I believe this was the year they got married but they had a very quick and short romance. Like they went on one date and then he proposed and they got married a few months later ALLEGEDLY

I love this fit. Simple, elegant and it looks good on him. Though I don't like the shoes.

I wish his hair was better so I could use this for Lip but Lip would NEVER cut his hair that short.

Was this the religious theme year? The one when Chadwick and Rihanna won the whole night

I don't know what was going on. What the hell was the theme?

But hi bald 👋

I really love his jacket. It's giving me Baz Luhrman Gatsby aesthetic.

I have a love/hate relationship with her trench coat dress with a train. Like she obviously looks incredible. But also why? I'm not mad at it. Just confused.

LISTEN

This is one of my least favorite Nick looks and I cannot pinpoint WHY!

It's not the stache because we learned I'm like the only person besides Pri who didn't mind the Bruno stache. Could be the eyeliner which I usually find hot on men but I guess he's the exception. Sorry, Nick. 😔

She's giving the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland. Reminiscent of Iracebeth in Burton's Alice in Wonderland with the hair.

I love her fit. I hate his.

NOW

The photo of them looking at each other makes me want to throw up in a good way. I love how in love and obsessed with each other they are. It's one of my favorite photos of them.

Probably my least favorite look of Pri's for the gala. The dress is gorgeous and I love the gloves, but the outer layer looks like a giant sleeping bag with drapes.

Not a fan of her hair either. HOWEVER she still looks hot as fuck. Like there is no possible way she could ever look bad.

Nick looks good. Like the leather jacket and the tie with the broach(?) shaped like a dragon(?). Simple but it works for it.

I'll be the first to ADMIT Nick doesn't need much to look good because he looks good in most fits. He's handsome and most clothes look good on his form.

[bookish-bogwitch]

This was so fun and the prints came out so well. Even my linocut-skeptic spouse was like wow, those are really good.

Stamps are on the back of my shirt because the front is Baz's Favorite Shirt by @krisrix. If skee ends up doing commissions, hit her up!

Had a little printing party with @bookish-bogwitch and @ileadacharmedlife a few weeks ago. Here are the results!

Would anyone be interested if I made patches to sell? Or if I made a printing commission available on my Etsy? I don’t really feel like buying a bunch of shirts and making stock, but I’d be open to printing on clothes people mail to me maybe

[facewithoutheart]

Wayward Son, Alternate Ending

Aka what if Penny didn’t come home right then and sweep the boys off to America?

“Baz,” I say. I sit up and set down my can of cider. (Baz hates cider, even the smell of it.)

He’s standing by the front door. “Yes?”

I swallow. “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”

His eyebrows furrow. “Snow, what are you—“ They fly to his hairline, then settle back down in a arrow to his nose. “No,” he growls.

Sweeping across the room in a show of vampiric speed I didn’t know he had, he grabs the cider off the floor and upends it on my head.

I sit up on the couch, fizzy alcoholic apple juice dripping down my face. Like some alternate universe version of tears. “What the fuck, Baz?” I sniff and accidentally inhale a drop.

“No. You do not get to break up with me quoting Maya Angelou. You and me are endgame, Simon. Just because you stopped playing doesn’t mean I don’t get the happy ending I deserve.” He stands up straighter, hair haloed by the fluorescent lighting of my flat. “Look, I know things are hard for you right now. That you’re struggling. But I’ve loved you through worse. I have loved you hopelessly.” He shrugs. (That’s what I’ve done to the Pitch heir. I’ve debased him to shrugs.) “What’s a little less hope?”

Though he’s still standing tall, I can see the tension in his body. From toe to tip, Baz is a line of protection against me.

I don’t want to be the reason he can’t hope.

I scrub my curls, wincing when my fingers hit the sticky crunch of cider-crusted hair. “I don’t want you to love me hopelessly.”

“Then,” he kneels down, hand outstretched but not touching, “give me a reason to hope.”

I stare at his offering. I think about his request. When his arm starts to droop, I catch his hand before it falls.

I look into the silver pools of his eyes. “I don’t know what I have to give anymore. I don’t know who I am anymore.”

He relaxes his hand as if to pull away. Before I can second guess myself, I tug him into my arms. He collapses against me, all his tension bleeding out. “Simon,” he gasps, his voice catching.

I don’t know what I have to give. I don’t know who I am. But I want this. I want Baz, in my arms, defenses down. Open. I want Baz, loving me with hope things can get better. Maybe it’s not something I can give, but maybe it’s not something I have to give.

“Maybe I don’t have to know right now,” I whisper.

He nuzzles into my shoulder.

“Maybe… maybe I just have…” to what? To hope with him? To believe in the ending he sees for us? I can’t do that. Not yet. But maybe I just have, “to try.”

“You just have to try?” He snorts, and somehow I’m smiling. Like a spell’s broken. “Crowley, Snow. Don’t overwhelm me with your effort.”

I slap him playfully on the shoulder, then rub away my swat though I know it can’t have hurt him. “Shut up,” I joke.

He pulls back a little, eyes wide. Pleading. I don’t know what he wants so I kiss him on the nose. His eyes close, one tear escaping. I capture it with my thumb. “Come here,” I command.

He curls up beside me on the couch so fast I think he’s used his vampire speed again. (And if he thinks we’re not talking about how he’s held that back from me, he’s sorely mistaken.)

Pressed shoulder to hip against me, I feel Baz’s muscles relax even more. I bring one hand up to his shoulder, then slowly wrap my arms around him. My tail snakes over his thigh to curl around his wrist. I gently rub his back. Pause. “I can’t believe you poured cider on my head.”

He huffs a laugh. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

“I can guess.”

He tenses up again so I press a kiss against his forehead. The stress melts. Apparently I do have something to give. Christ, I didn’t realize I only had to give Baz so little to effect so strong a response. I grip him tighter; maybe this is who I am, now. Someone who loves Baz. Maybe in loving him, I can learn to love myself.

That doesn’t seem so overwhelming, somehow.

Loving Baz feels like the one thing I can manage.

I release a deep sigh, and in that exhaled breath I feel freed from the weight of a million expectations I never wanted. I let them go.

I let him in.

And feel free.

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

Hi, hello, hola! Thank you for the tag today, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe! Instead of six sentences, today I bring you "six somethings" - six places I'm excited to eat while I'm in London (March 24-April 7)!

If anyone has any recommendations for favourite places to eat in London, PLEASE let me know! 🍽️😋

I'll tag up here because this post is a long boi. Hello hello hello to a buncha folks! @aristocratic-otter @captain-aralias @cutestkilla @thewholelemon @dohrnaira @ebbpettier @facewithoutheart @hushed-chorus @ionlydrinkhotwater @imagineacoolusername @larkral @raenestee @onepintobean @theimpossibledemon @whogaveyoupermission @tectonicduck

6.) Pret (Heathrow)

I know Shepard loses his tiny mind over the sandwiches from Pret, but. I dream of their Chocolate Moose. I have an absurd amount of food allergies, so finding a Chen-friendly, ready made chocolate mousse is a dream come true. So excited to cram it into my face after I clear Customs.

From My Good Egg, Good morning, good night, good morning:

“All right.” Simon goes back to fiddling with Bunce’s phone, and then he says to Bunce, hopeful, “Any chance you brought the rest of my baguette from Pret?”

Bunce says, slowly and carefully, “Simon. I do not know the whereabouts of your airport sandwich. I was rather busy figuring out where you had disappeared to.” 

5.) Borough Market

I have very fond memories of Borough Market from the first/last time I visited London back in 2018. I remember sticking my head in a jar full of dried truffles and just inhaling all that amazing, savoury, umami truffly goodness. (Like, you know, the way that normal humans do.)

From What's Left by @cutestkilla:

I’ve been hanging around Borough Market quite a bit, and I’ve had everything from cheese and croissants to chorizo and balsamic vinegar (in small sample portions only). I think, though, that my favourite thing so far was a fresh buttered wild garlic scone that I bought with some of my stolen money after trying a sample.

4.) MotherMash (Covent Garden)

I also had a good time with a pal at MotherMash years ago - I think instead of pie, I had bangers and mash with gravy, and a tiny, perfect apple pie. My spouse has never been here, but he does frequently say, "I would like to eat a whole pie," and now he will be able to eat TWO pies - one for his main, and one for dessert.

From A cake with your name on it:

Baz was still fuming about the tasting when we met up at his flat for dinner. We had takeaway from MotherMash, and Baz kept stabbing his steak and Stoutheart pie instead of eating it. 

“I’ve never met such an idiot,” he said. “A bumbler. A fool. An absolute nightmare.” 

“Okay,” I said. “We still have that list from my mother with three other bakeries.” 

Baz whipped his head around to stare at me. 

“No,” he said, loudly. Too loudly. He was oddly flushed. “I don’t care if I have to murder and then resurrect him - Simon Snow is making our wedding cake.” 

3.) Brick Lane Beigel Bake (Shoreditch)

I asked my spouse, EarlobeGreyTea, what he wanted to do or eat or see while we're in London and all he would say, over and over again, was "Bagel." He is a remarkably easygoing travel companion.

From an earlier draft of My Good Egg, which ended up getting cut/changed:

They get to Brick Lane before Baz can embarrass himself any further, and he waits outside of a bagel shop until Simon comes out with a salt beef bagel crammed into his mouth, and a very full paper bag. “This one’s for you,” he says, holding out a salmon and cream cheese bagel to Baz. 

Baz takes it, but doesn’t bite into it right away. “Thank you,” he says, slowly, thinking that maybe offering food is one of Simon’s love languages as well, along with killing things. The rats seem to be a lucky intersection. 

2.) E Pellici's (Bethnal Green)

I think my favourite full English breakfast that I ever had was at Pellici's, which is tiny and and owned by an Italian family. The owner spent most of the time I was there embarrassing one of his teenage employees and a girl who was interviewing him for a school project. The owner high fived me when I bought a t-shirt and he went slack-jawed at my powerful, resounding high five. It was great.

From an unpublished bit of My Good Egg:

In the car, Baz passes both slices of fruitcake to Simon, and Simon practically dances in his seat. 

“Are you sure?” Simon asks, “like, really, really sure? Cause I’m telling you, this is really fucking amazing fruitcake, and you can’t buy it most of the time unless you order it special - they don’t even have it on the menu anymore.” “They’re yours, Simon,” Baz says. Honestly, Simon Snow is impossible. He was ready to kill a man for Baz, or not kill a man for him, and now he’s beaming at Baz because of some fruitcake. He needs to pin Simon to a mattress and keep him there — with handcuffs, with a collar, with a ring.

1.) Dishoom (King's Cross)

Dishoom is like... truly magical. That house black daal is no joke. I lack words to describe how amazing the food is - just check out their site (but honestly, it will make you hungry). Everything I've ever had there was fucking delicious and the place and the atmosphere is so gorgeous, just lush and colourful and immersive.

I shared another snippet before about Dishoom from My Good Egg, but here's Simon on the phone with Agatha right after he's ordered takeaway:

“Hey Ags. How’re you – no, I’m not bleeding or throwing up or on fire. I – yeah, I know you said not to call you when you’re at work unless I was bleeding or throwing up or on fire, but this is an – look, it’s not for me this time, all right? Or Penny. It’s for a friend – okay, rude, I have friends other than you and Penny!” Pause. “Yes, Agatha, we’re friends, even if you – yeah, I know you said you would never do another house visit, but you said that the last time, too!” 

Baz leans back so he can catch Bunce’s eyes, and mouths, What the fuck?  

Bunce just rolls her eyes and shrugs, like, He’s Simon, what can you do about it?  

“Well,” Simon says, triumphant, “we already ordered the daal for you, so there!” Pause. “Yeah, love you too. Bye.”  

RIPs & Honourable Mentions

Cinnamon Soho (also mentioned in "A cake with your name on it") - They closed down during the pandemic. But they had a delicious Indian afternoon tea 🥲

Cereal Killer Cafe - This place was rec'd to me by one of my British co-workers (his seven kids were mad for it), but sadly, they closed their storefront during the pandemic and went online. (In my headcanon, this was where Winifred from My Good Egg wanted to go for her(?) first(?) birthday)

Fortnum & Mason - I WILL be going here to buy tea and biscuits (and to replace one of my favourite tote bags, LOL), but not for high tea or afternoon tea. (We have a few other places lined up for that, including The Swan at the Globe and Tea House Theatre). Sorry, Daphne!

Nando's - I suggested to my spouse that we should get cheeky Nando's and have top bants and he gave me a dead-eyed look as if his soul left his body

Again, if you have any recommendations of favourite places to eat in London, please let me know!

I mean, I suppose I'll be doing other things besides eating, like hanging out with my beautiful friends, going to stationery shops, visiting the flower market, seeing shows and things... but really, food is the main draw. 😂😂😂

Happy Sunday!

[sagesolsticewrites]

“i could have missed the pain, but i’d have had to miss the dance” | Austin Butler x reader

A song reminds you of your past relationship with Austin.

a/n: just a little thing I thought of after listening to The Dance by Garth Brooks. Also slightly inspired by the end of La La Land.

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: angst, swearing, a breakup, I think that's it? As always, please let me know if I missed anything!

Please like/rb if you enjoyed! 🤍

Masterlist | add yourself to my taglist!

You looked around the room, alcohol and music flowing through the space. You and your spouse had been invited to an afterparty following the premiere of one of your friend’s movies, and you were trying to have a good time, but truthfully all you wanted to do was go home and see your children.

“We’ll just stay for a little bit, then we’ll head home with some dessert for the kids,” your spouse had assured you when you arrived, but they seemed to be having such a good time and you hated to drag them away. You turned your attention to the music in an attempt to distract yourself, but you soon realized your mistake: bittersweet memories flashed through your head as you heard the soft chords of “Love Me Tender” begin to flow through the speakers.

September 2019

“Austin, the food’s gonna burn!” you protest as he attempts to pull you into a slow dance around the kitchen of your shared house in California.

“Don’t worry about the food, baby,” he laughs, moving in time to “Love Me Tender” playing through the speaker on the counter. He sings along softly in your ear as you relent, easing into his arms.

It’s been almost two months now of nothing but Elvis media in your home: music, movies, anything Austin could get his hands on to prepare for the role of a lifetime. You’d think you’d be tired of it by now, but you love seeing how devoted he is to this role, and you know he’ll be phenomenal.

“I love you,” he whispers in your ear as the song comes to an end, before releasing you back to tend to the pasta that’s almost boiling over.

“I love you, too,” you smile, squeezing his hand before releasing so he can go set the table.

January 2020

You fiddle with your necklace as you wait for your laptop to light up with a video call from Austin. You were devastated that you couldn’t go with him to Australia, but there was no way your boss would let you take that much time off, so you tried to content yourself with frequent texts and calls. You yawn, glancing over at the clock that reads 4:08 am. If your math was right, it would be around 9 pm over in Queensland. You frown. Austin was supposed to get done with filming around 8 tonight, and he usually texted to let you know if they ran late. This was the third time this month he had been late for one of your scheduled calls with no explanation. Just as you’re considering going to bed and getting what little extra sleep you can, sound rings out from your laptop, and the screen lights up with a picture of your boyfriend on one of your picnic dates. You quickly click to accept the call.

Austin’s face fills the screen, a tired smile on his face. “Hey, baby!”

You’re too tired to try to hide the frown deepening on your face. He wasn’t even going to try to explain what happened? “Hey, where were you? Did filming run late?”

His smile fades as he seemingly remembers what time it is. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry, Baz wanted to reshoot some things today and it took a little longer than we thought—“

You shake your head, “It’s fine, just… would’ve been nice to know, is all. How was it today?”

The two of you make small talk about your days, but the mood is clearly off, and you end the call early claiming you want to get a little more sleep before work.

February 2020

The same pattern happens as filming continues. Austin is late to, or misses entirely, more and more calls with no explanation or warning text beforehand, and you’re getting tired of it. The two of you hardly talk anymore, you might as well not even be in a relationship.

You freeze as that thought crosses your mind. You had never thought about it to that extent but the more you ran through everything in your mind… it broke your heart to admit it, but it made sense.

You run through every possible way to try and fix your relationship over the next couple weeks, but all of them seem to start with Austin actually making the effort to try and call more, and despite you having made it clear how upset you are when he misses a call, you just don’t see that happening anytime soon with his schedule while he’s away. On top of that, you’re not sure how much longer you can stand him being away. You thought you could do long-distance, but that’s clearly not working out for you two.

Need to talk to you. Important. you text him a week after you come to a final conclusion, and he calls you immediately. It’s clear he’s just gotten home from set, smudges of eyeliner still present around his eyes.

“Hey, you needed to talk? Is everything okay?” He asks, concern evident in his voice and expression.

“I, um… I’ve been doing some thinking,” you begin, reaching up to fiddle with the charm on your necklace.

“Okay…” Austin replies, “about what?”

“Um… us?” you say hesitantly, then hurry to explain at the perplexed look on his face, “Look, I thought I could do long-distance but… it hurts that you’ve been gone for this long. I know this is an absolutely incredible opportunity for you, and I’m so, so proud, but… I miss you. A lot. And I know we said we’d do calls every night, but you’ve missed so many of them, most of the time with no explanation, and… look, I know you’re busy. I know that. But we hardly talk anymore and it’s like…” you swallow nervously before concluding softly, “it’s like we’re not even together anymore.”

“Y/N… baby, no, come on,” he pleads, “I know I haven’t been great about it, but I promise I’ll call more, I swear—“

You shake your head, giving him a sad smile, “You’ve said that before, Austin. But it’s the same thing over and over again and I… I’m sorry, I just can’t do it anymore,” you choke out as tears spill onto your cheeks. “I love you, but it hurts too much.”

He wants to protest, to fight for you, you can tell. But you can see the moment his heart shatters, tears welling up in his eyes as he realizes you’re not going to change your mind. “I’m so sorry, Y/N. I neve wanted to hurt you,” he says, voice tight, “This is, uh…” he chokes out a watery laugh, “This is really happening, huh?”

“Yeah,” you nod sadly, offering him a watery smile.

“What— I mean, where will you—“

Where will you go? Is what he’s asking, because it’s not like you can stay in the apartment that’s technically his.

“My friend’s roommate moved out a little bit ago, and they’ve been looking for a new one,” you explain around the lump in your throat, “I’ll move my stuff over to their place, and I’ll see if I can find a place of my own at some point.”

He nods, and there’s a moment of silence as he absorbs what’s happening. Finally, he looks up into the camera, the sincerity clear in his eyes. “I love you so, so much. And I’ll be forever sorry that we couldn’t make this work.”

“I wish you all the best,” you reply softly, wiping tears off your cheeks, “You’re going to be amazing in this movie, and I really do look forward to seeing where you go from here. I love you,” you end with a whisper as the two of you exchange sad, accepting smiles, and end the call. You go to bed that night wrapped in one of his t-shirts one last time, burying your face in your pillow to muffle your sobs.

Fast-forward about a month, and you’re living with your friend, the two of you stuck in quarantine. They help you recover from the breakup, and encourage you to try some dating apps. You’re hesitant at first, and you find there are some weird people out there, but eventually you find someone who seems genuinely nice. The two of you have great conversations, and those butterflies that you’d hadn’t felt since Austin begin to come to life again every time the two of you video chat. You keep talking throughout quarantine, and even organize an in-person meetup once it’s safe. The two of you just just click, and it’s honestly wonderful.

The premiere of Elvis rolls around, and the media is abuzz with the news that Austin and Vanessa are apparently back together, proven by pictures of them on the red carpet together. You’re almost surprised to find yourself, instead of envious, genuinely happy for them.

Present Day

You jolt back to reality, the soft, swirling lights of the party leading you to catch a flash of blond hair and a familiar freckled smile across the room. You glance over and suddenly lock eyes with Austin, standing next to Vanessa as she chats with someone nearby. He offers you a small smile and nod of acknowledgement, and you do the same as your spouse comes up with a to-go box of dessert in one hand and your coat in the other.

“Ready to go?” they ask.

You turn, smiling, “Yeah.”

You take your coat from their hand, replacing it with your own, intertwining your fingers as they lead you out to the car.

“You’re awfully smiley.” They note, teasing, “that happy to be out of there, huh?”

You shake your head, “No, just… saw an old friend.”

You truly thought you’d marry Austin back then. But you’re grateful for the way everything turned out— you had wonderful times together, experiences you’d never forget, but without leaving him, you’d never have met the person who would someday become your spouse. All in all, you think as they close the passenger door behind you and slide into the car to begin the drive back home, you wouldn’t change a thing.

Taglist: @queenslandlover-93 @anangelwhodidntfall @austin-butlers-gf @butlersluvbot @killerqueenfan @kittenlittle24 @beauvibaby @kingelviscreole @justjacesstuff @sweetheartlizzie07 @coldonexx @londonalozzy @kaycinema @annamarie16 @adoreyouusugar @djconde58 @mirandastuckinthe80s @luke-my-skywalker @tubble-wubble @apparently-sunshine @kisseskae @whotfatemywaffles @gyomei-tiddies @friedwangsss @shynovelist @sassy-ahsoka-tano @she-is-juniper @eliseline @yourselenite @hallecarey1

[forabeatofadrum]

God it’s another fucking Wednesday, my dudes. Thank you @martsonmars​ for the tag and today I am changing it up. No Time After Time/“damn Baz, you live like this?”, but a sneak peek of my new MCD fic.

What MCD? Matt Christopher Davis, name courtesy of @mostlymaudlin​, @raenestee​ and @aristocratic-otter​, with the idea to use MCD as initals from @facewithoutheart​. What is this MCD fic about? Well, it’s about Matt being just some guy. That’s it. That’s the story.

In more seriousness, it’s a cracky (hopefully) fic about Simon and Baz’s eight years at Watford, told from the outsider perspective of someone who doesn’t give a shit. Matt just wants to learn magic, graduate one day, find his dream girl, and hang out with his roommate aka Check, Please!’s John Johnson.

It’s based on Niamh straight-up not knowing who Baz is and the book The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.

Year 1

To be honest, I can’t quite believe I am finally at Watford. My parents give me a final hug before it’s time for them to leave.

“You’re going to have an amazing time,” mum says as she pets my hair.

I shrug. It’s not as if there’s going to be anything interesting happening in my life. You could state that I am the most generic person ever, and that is fine by me. Not everyone needs to have a grand adventure, and that is definitely what I realise when I see Simon Snow walk around the Great Lawn.

Of course I know about the Chosen One. Of course I know that the Chosen One starts Watford in the same years as me, but I don’t really care about him. I’m here to learn magic, make friends, and maybe meet my future spouse, which is a must for the World of Mages.

After all, I am just some guy.

Tagging @quizasvivamos @blurglesmurfklaine @coffeegleek @esperantoauthor @otherworldsivelivedin @bookish-bogwitch @caramelcoffeeaddict @thnxforknowingme @facewithoutheart @sillyunicorn @wellbelesbian @artsyunderstudy@bazzybelle @urban-sith @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @dragoneggo @takitalks @tea-brigade @captain-aralias @ivelovedhimthroughworse​ @confused-bi-queer​ @cutestkilla​

[carryonsimoncarryonbaz]

UNSUNG HEROES

Thanks for the tag @bazzybelle

post your three most under-appreciated bookmarks! fics you love that may be flying under the radar!

1. Recapture The Magic by rainbowbaz

This is an older fic and I’m honestly surprised it doesn’t have more hits. I know some people have read it but it you haven’t check it out!! It’s one of my early favorites and one I come back to again and again.

Summary:

“If you don’t meet your spouse at Watford, Penny says, you could end up alone – or going on singles tours of Magickal Britain."

Ten years after Watford, Simon is lonely and magic-less, and ends up doing exactly what he vowed he would never do - going on a singles tour of Magickal Britain. The only problem is that out of all the mages in England, he's been matched with Baz Pitch, who seems just as moody, rude and annoyingly attractive as he used to be.

2. Wings by @aristocratic-otter

This is a post-Wayward Son fic that imagines the gang back at Watford after their return from America. It tenderly confronts the idea that Simon retains some residual magic, explores his Salisbury family connections, and gives such a lovely snapshot of this found family, and the depth of love between Simon and Baz. It’s a very healing fic. Canon divergent now that AWTWB is out but oh so worth the read. Just lovely.

Summary:

Simon may not have lost his magic after all.

3. Written in the Scars by half_a_numpty

Ok, full disclosure, I am so fond of reading domestic fluff and this totally hits the domestic fluff buttons, but it also is a very healing fic to read? It’s like an epilogue to AWTWB. It addresses some of their past Watford-era conflict and it features body worship and intimacy and just go read it! (Also, it’s this author’s first fic in the fandom and I’d like to see more from them.)

Summary:

A night at home a week after events of AWTWB. Simon and Baz in bed. An exploration of scars. Memories of their time at Watford. Confessions. Boys in love. Mostly fluff but a little hint of more. AWTWB spoilers.

I’m sure everyone’s been tagged but just in case I’m tagging @midnightbluskies @fight-surrender @penpanoply @meenawrites @makedonsgriva @angelsfalling16 @otherworldsivelivedin @amphipodgirl @ladymac111 and anyone else who would like to add their under-appreciated favorites