#but like to wake up to news that rwrb 2 is in works is a good omen innit

[bi-moonlight]

.

[rockingtheorange]

Aneesh on IG live: (part 4, additional facts)

Amy's wife in the movie wasn't casted but she wears a ring, so it actually shows her married status

Matthew is a wonderful director: if he sees you struggling he'd help you asking "how can I help you reaching what you want to reach? Let's figure it out together."

Yes, Tzp and Nick are good friends (if it was necessary mentioning)

The RWRB cast texts even in private and she said she received texts from Matthew and Nick even the day of the live

Amy wasn't at the polo match (in case we get to see the extended version of it, she won't appear)

The night of the movie release everyone was super happy and waking up to the news of top 1 on Amazon Prime made all of them very proud

Everything was shot in London

The cast bonded a lot and they used to go out dinner (even before start shooting), Aneesh went to theater with Rachel and to a Filipino restaurant with Casey

David was a working dog so he couldn't be casually petted or played with but Aneesh was able to give him a little pet when she was allowed to

One thing she learned from playing Amy: be a badass and don't apologize for it

Aneesh wasn't on set the day of the cake scene but Matthew kept giving updates through texts

Just like movie Nora is a mix of book June and Nora, movie Amy ended up being a mix of book Cash and Amy because of time management (+ she didn't hide June in her pocket, it's just conspiracy 😔💔)

Uma Thurman is very sweet

Her favorite line was "No one in their right mind would ever give you a gun"

She read the book 5 times. 2 before even shooting and 2 in the process (the other one either before auditioning or after shooting was over, not sure). Now her book is full of tags and highlighted in lots of colors

If she could add a characteristic from book Amy, she wanted to have her knitting on the plane but the scene was already very full of elements and even if she discussed it with Matthew, they weren't able to implement it

She trained before starting shooting not knowing what the demands to play Amy were and weapons training was also discussed but eventually cut so she didn't have to go through it

The last day of shooting they had a rap party and Matthew gave a lil speech

She said she was going to post a video about her bangs and she did☺

Here for part 1, part 2, part 3

[anincompletelist]

rwrb christmas recs! ❤️

hi all! :D i wanted to rec some festive fics for the holidays for fic rec friday this week!

I'm sure that I've missed some and that some are still to be posted, which will be included in the january rec if so! but here are a few that I've particularly enjoyed reading this month -- the holidays can be a difficult time for many of us and fic - both reading and writing it - can be such a wonderful distraction!

I hope all of you are doing well and being kind to yourselves and to one another this season. happy reading, and as always be sure to spread the love with a kudos, comment, or reblog if possible. enjoy, and happy christmas! <3

+

fell apart (in the usual way) by @hypnostheory (E, 12k)

Henry is a mess around the holidays, and he's expecting to have a tremendously horrid time without Shaan. Fortunately, Alex has plans to make his Christmas both merry and bright. (Bodyguard!Alex Part 2)

When I Think About You by @clottedcreamfudge (E, 36k, wip)

Dream sharing is absolutely not a thing, even though Alex would very much like it to be. The magic of soulmates, however, means that someone you’ve never met – someone whose soul is tied to yours, in whatever way that manifests – can appear in your dreams, like an extra character who keeps popping up over and over again. They won’t be having the same dream as you, and you won’t actually meet, but whatever you remember from the dream can start to take shape in your waking hours; you can figure things out, bit by bit, dream by dream.

Gonna Give You Something (So You Know What's On My Mind) by @affectionatelyrs (E, 4k+)

With the help of a white elephant gift, Henry learns that maybe the whole being-in-love-with-his-roommate thing isn’t as one-sided as he thought.

Every Day's a Holiday (When I'm Near To You) by bleedingballroomfloor (E, 30k)

I know this is a long shot, but if anyone’s going to Texas/anywhere south for the holidays and is crazy enough to drive there instead of fly, I’m looking for a road trip buddy. We can split gas money and snacks if you pick good ones. DM me if you’re interested. And Henry knows he's about the make the most idiotic decision he's ever made in his life. [Or, Henry impulsively tags along with Alex on a road trip to Texas with absolutely no plan. Surely this won't backfire.]

The Christmas Guest by @omgcmere (E, 17k)

Alex is looking forward to a relaxing winter break catching up with his sister after her semester abroad, but June's gone and ruined everything by inviting her insufferable international student friend to stay with their family for a real American Christmas experience. Henry is irritatingly gorgeous with a completely obnoxious superiority complex, and Alex is prepared to hate every single second he's forced to spend in his presence. As Alex starts to get into the Christmas spirit, however, he finds that maybe there's more to Henry than meets the eye - and maybe, just maybe, this will actually be the best Christmas ever

❤️ and if you finish all of these or don't see something you like, be sure to check out this wonderful collection!

New Traditions: A Red, White & Royal Blue Advent Calendar Event

featuring so many beautiful and lovely works by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @adreamareads @lizzie-bennetdarcy @whimsymanaged @raysletters @sparklepocalypse @thinkof-england @littlemisskittentoes and more!

❤️ as well as a few rwrb holiday fic roundup posts I've seen floating around:

cricketnationrise's holiday fics / @cricketnationrise chamel's holiday fics / @cha-melodius railmedaddy's holiday fics / @rmd-writes allmylovesatonce's holiday fics / @three-drink-amy clottedcreamfudge's holiday fics / @clottedcreamfudge

❤️ and, last but most definitely not least, a wonderful and thorough rec from @roseharpermaxwell (thank you for all you do!)

RWRB FirstPrince Holiday Recs

+

happy reading friends! :D

xx

[amailboxlemur]

Three years ago today I watched Young Royals for the first time.

Story time/long post incoming. I wasn’t in a great headspace at the time, but let me try to set the scene.

Spring of 2021 was still pretty deep in the pandemic. My province had been on lockdown (number 3) since the beginning of April and I hated working from home. Partly because teaching online piano lessons sucks. But also I live alone, and lockdown is too much alone time no matter how introverted you are. I think that spring I went about 6 weeks without speaking to someone in person who wasn’t like a grocery store cashier.

I decided to go stay with my parents for a few weeks so I could get some human interaction. At the time, I was mooching off my former roommate’s Netflix that was still signed in to our living room TV, so I didn’t have Netflix access.

I also love Red White and Royal Blue, and all of a sudden in early July the fandom got flooded. There were gifs of two unfamiliar teenage boys all over my dash. Fanart of two boys who looked like Alex and Henry captioned “Wilhelm and Simon��. There were a bunch of crossover fics popping up on AO3. I was curious, but mostly I just wanted to get a feel for the characters so I could read said crossover fics.

July 12th was my first day back teaching in person. (Side note: the health precautions we had in place for those lessons were WILD). I came back from my parents place in the morning, taught in the late afternoon/evening and returned home around 8 pm. I made supper and figured I’d try watching an episode of this “Young Royals” thing. I started it and remember groaning when I realized it was in Swedish so I’d have to focus and read subtitles instead of watching mindlessly (I’m too pretentious to watch the dubbed version, but it had been a long day)

“Oh that’s a beautiful boy with a beautiful voice singing… I can keep going…”

“Ohhh they’re about to kiss… wait what? How does episode 1 just end there??? I have to watch another episode!”

“Yay they finally kissed!! But how will Wilhelm react?? It’s not even 11 yet, I think I can watch one more”

“Erik is dead. I knew this was coming because I saw the “beta read but Erik’s still dead” tag on AO3 but totally forgot! How will this affect my boys?? One more episode, just to see if wilhelm pushes Simon away again”

“Ok good, they’re together. August sucks though, I can see where this is going and why there seem to be so many comparisons to rwrb. But it’s past midnight so I’ll have to keep watching tomorrow… wait there’s only two more episodes?? Might as well finish”

Before I knew it, it was 2 am and I was crying on my living room couch. I NEVER get into new shows, I have tons of things I watched 1-3 episodes of and then quit, so I couldn’t believe I binged the entire thing. It was late so I went to sleep.

In the morning I woke up and the rabbit hole began. I read all the fics on AO3, I started following young royals stuff on tumblr. I googled the actor who played Simon and found out he’s an actual Swedish pop star? I think he was among the first artists I followed using my then brand new Spotify account. I followed both Omar and Edvin on instagram, along with Lisa (other actors followed later). I watched all the young royals promo videos on YouTube, including the Hillerska choir performance. That entire summer was spent diving down Omar’s back catalog of Foo vlogs. Some of them are in Swedish, but I remember watching them intensely, as if I would magically understand if I tried hard enough. I started learning Swedish on duolingo.

When season 2 was released, I fully quit all social media for WEEKS to avoid spoilers. I spent 3 days carefully messing up my sleep schedule so I could wake up and watch it at 3 am. When season 3 was released I was such an excited puppy dog that I didn’t sleep at all. I watched it at 3 am and spent the whole rest of the day amped up and on tumblr.

I remember all kinds of fun and significant days in the fandom: Rockbjörnen 2021, musikhjälpan 2021. The lead up and release of Mi Casa Su Casa. The release of OMR. Omar gave me a birthday present in 2022 when he performed “breathe” on Nyhetsmorgon on my birthday. Gay gala 2022 but especially 2023. Both boys have done incredible sommarpratar. So many other galas and performances and photoshoots I’d be here all day listing them all out.

Becoming an Omar fangirl was also surprising. I don’t listen to or follow pop music (my definition of which is incredibly broad so yes, Omar’s music qualifies). Like, I’ve never had a favourite artist before? One who’s work I actively follow and whose releases I know about in advance and look forward to?

Omar announced his concert at Cirkus in November of 2023 and it fell at the end of a semester break from work. I could go without needing to refund or makeup any missed lessons. It felt like a sign. That week was genuinely one of the best in my life, words can’t even describe it. A transatlantic flight, a week in Europe. I got to see Kaggeholm. I met Omar at Lyko. I stood in general admission 3 rows back from the stage and heard Omar sing live and sang along with other fans. It was surreal. Shout out to @yrblogbaby @the-words-we-sung @crownedwille and @omarsimp, wow you’re all amazing. There was a queer joy to hanging out with y’all that weekend that I don’t get too often irl.

Since then, I’ve tried to internalize a little bit more the idea of community in fandom. I’m still not super out there, but I try to interact more. I lurked in this fandom (and so many others) for years. I made this account in something like 2011 and until recently I probably had less than 50 posts.

So yeah… saying this show changed my life feels dramatic but also accurate. Hopefully here’s to more years to come, and more good memories when I head to New York this fall!

[rapha-reads]

Gods, I only have 5 days before my thesis is due and I still need to entirely write the last chapter and the conclusion and proofread the second half of chapter 2, I have so little time, but I'm here re-reading RWRB already and saving all the quotes that tear my heart open and split wide up the atoms of my souls, and trying not to drown in my emotions.

Like this:

But he thinks about Henry, and, oh. He thinks about Henry, and something twists in his chest, like a stretch he’s been avoiding for too long. He thinks about Henry’s voice low in his ear over the phone at three in the morning, and suddenly he has a name for what ignites in the pit of his stomach. Henry’s hands on him, his thumbs braced against his temples back in the garden, Henry’s hands other places, Henry’s mouth, what he might do with it if Alex let him. Henry’s broad shoulders and long legs and narrow waist, the place his jaw meets his neck and the place his neck meets his shoulder and the tendon that stretches the length between them, and the way it looks when Henry turns his head to shoot him a challenging glare, and his impossibly blue eyes—

Or this:

He watches Henry lather up and shave, put pomade in his hair, put on his Burberry for the day, and he catches himself wishing he could watch it every day. He likes taking Henry apart, but there’s something incredibly intimate about sitting on the bed they wrecked the night before, the only one who watches him create Prince Henry of Wales for the day. Through his throbbing hangover, he’s got a suspicion all these feelings are why he held off on fucking Henry for so long.

This, and the entire chapter at the lake house, that makes me want to cry so much:

They chase each other around the pier, race down to the lake’s shallow bottom and shoot back up in the moonlight, all elbows and knees. Alex finally manages to catch Henry around the waist, and he pins him, slides his wet mouth over the thudding pulse of Henry’s throat. He wants to stay tangled up in Henry’s legs forever. He wants to match the new freckles across Henry’s nose to the stars above them and make him name the constellations.

This, and why does my heart hurt so much:

He thought he was reckless before, but he understands now—holding love off was the only thing keeping him from losing himself in this completely, and he’s gone, stupid, lovesick, a fucking disaster. No work to distract him. The tripwire of “Things Only People in Love Say and Do” set off.

And fucking this, and it kills me that when it boils down to the heart of it, what they both want more than anything is just fluffy, simple, ordinary domesticity and intimacy:

It drives me nuts sometimes that you don’t get to have more say in your life. When I picture you happy, I see with your own apartment somewhere outside of the palace and a desk where you can write anthologies of queer history. And I’m there, using up your shampoo and making you come to the grocery store with me and waking up in the same damn time zone with you every morning.

... Huh. Wait. Hold that thought. I'm having ideas for my thesis.

[eusuntgratie]

Writer asks 4, 6, 7, 13, 14, 29, 34 🤩

4 & 6 answered here

7. What's the story or fic that you're most excited to work on or share next year?

hands down a million percent its my messy rwrb rpf fic. i'm gonna give this one a working title since i've started posting about it - we'll call it disaster for now. this tasty little idea grew legs and carried me away, and now i've got 20 fucking chapters plotted. WHO AM I. i've only got about 3k written, but i've done a lot of prep work, so i'm hoping to start posting this one in january or february but it really depends how much time i have to write. i won't finish it before i start posting but i want to have a LOT of it done, and i'm a long ways off from that. if anybody is into this pairing or actor rpf in general feel free to come scream at me about it this fic consumes at least 50% of my waking thoughts.

13. What story haunts you when you try to sleep at night?

i'm not sure how to interpret this question. the fic i can't stop thinking about, brainstorming, visualizing scenes is disaster. every commute, when i'm trying to go to sleep, etc etc... i'm thinking about this fic and coming up with a new little thing i want to throw in there.

the fic that haunts me because i never wrote it is the buddie fic i was planning to write for the buddie big bang in 2022, shadow, but we ended up moving halfway across the country instead, and i never came back to it. it's plotted, i love the central idea, but i'm not sure i have the motivation to write something that long for buddie, at least not right now. but never say never. there's some snippets and teasers and even some incredible art in my #shadow tag.

14. How many wips are you taking into next year?

2 that i am currently actively working on (disaster and firstprince exes). i've got 2 tknp fics that i've worked on recently that i think/hope i'll finish. we'll leave it at that for now 😬

29. What was the funniest comment or piece of feedback that you received?

hmm i did love this one: OH YOU'RE SICK from @bigassbowlingballhead and you yelling at me for NOT running into a hot hockey player in an airport and hooking up in an airport bathroom despite the promises made by be cool. all the feral screeching about didn't think i liked cowboys was pretty fun too 🤣

i DO have an all time favorite comment although i think its from last year but i can't find it right now. it's someone trying to scream JESUS CHRIST at me but just its a mess of keysmashes and half words it's so great 🥰

34. What's the weirdest thing you researched for a fic?

probably all the obscure saints i researched for forgive me, father. all the oc's have saint's names bc i went HARD on the catholic trauma in this one :)

Fanfic Writer End of the Year Ask Game

[cricketnationrise]

Fragment Friday (actually on a friday!)

So @indomitable-love tagged me last week and I was insanely busy and then @cha-melodius tagged me this week and I am less busy so here we go! The first three are from active wips, and the last two are eventually going to get worked on, so get pumped to see some of these relatively soon!

i'm tagging @weneedtotalkaboutfic @parvuls @the-lincyclopedia @clottedcreamfudge and @everwitch-magiks because i'm nosy 💜

RWRB Mummy AU:

“Face it old bean, if we don’t find someone in the next ten minutes, I’m going back to the hotel. There was an angel masquerading as a bartender and I’ll be damned if I miss my shot because you were skulking around looking for a guide to Hamunaptra.”

“Would you keep your voice down? We don’t need everyone in the nearest square kilometer to know what we’re up to.”

“Absolutely not. My voice is the perfect volume for every situation!” Pez booms, ignoring the dirty looks of the market vendors he had drowned out. 

“I’m deadly serious, Percy,”

“—oooh, full name—”

“—we need to find a guide to the City of the Dead, today, or this whole expedition—”

“You’re looking for the City of the Dead? Why on earth would you want a guide to a fucking myth?”

2. OMGCP March/April snowed in prompt:

She reads the email canceling classes and makes the decision to ignore her inbox for the day, and goes back to sleep for another hour.

Well, she tries to.

“APRIL WE HAVE A SNOW DAY APRIL SNOW DAY!” March’s yells are loud enough to wake the dead, not to mention the rest of the volleyball house. Giving up on the extra sleep, April heaves herself out of bed and yanks the door open.

“Oh good you’re up!” chirps March. “Get dressed, I have a whole plan for us today.”

“It couldn’t have waited an hour?”

March just grins. “Absolutely not, I’ve been planning this since the season ended.”

3. RWRB sentient brownstone AU:

It’s a very odd sensation, having half of It’s occupants not present half the time. Sometimes it’s like part of The Brownstone is missing – original flooring pulled up during a renovation. Sometimes it’s like part of It is numb – a nursery closed up before witnessing new life.

When Alex is here, The Brownstone feels like It’s foundations have just been poured, like the bricks just got repointed, like a fresh coat of paint in every room. Henry and Alex fill It’s rooms with laughter and kisses and piano music and Mexican aromas and sex and comfortable bickering and celebrations and comfort and books and just – love.

But inevitably, Alex has to leave and It and Henry are left alone again. When Alex is gone, The Brownstone feels every one of It’s one hundred and fifty-two years pressing down. His absence feels like warped floorboards, like crumbling grout, like peeling wallpaper.

4. Tortall/Emelan Kel/Daja Tattoo AU:

As she pushed open the door, Kel was greeted by a welcome rush of cool air and soft tones from a wind chime just inside the door frame. The lobby was vastly different from what she had expected from a tattoo parlor. It had honey-colored wood floors, seating covered with cozy looking blankets, a huge tapestry of a thunderstorm behind the counter, and plants on every available surface. The counter itself was a piece of art: at least two different kinds of metal that had been painstakingly worked and twisted to look like the roots of a giant tree, and a dark walnut wood top, polish gleaming under the lights. In any other space it would dominate the room, but somehow everything seemed in harmony. Kel instantly felt at home, lingering nerves about getting a tattoo leaving her as she moved further into the space. 

“Hi there! Welcome to Winding Circle Tattoos, how can I help you?” asked the blonde girl behind the counter. 

“I’ve got a consult with Daja Kisubo? I’m Keladry Mindelan.”

5. OMGCP offseason 🍑 🍆 series zimbits (Explicit):

“Crisse, Bits,” Jack pants, “I think I’m dead now.”

Bitty giggles helplessly and hides his face in the crook of Jack’s neck. “That would be a shame, sweetheart, we haven’t even started on your wish list yet.”

Jack groans and Bitty can feel Jack’s dick twitch in interest, still inside him. “If I hadn’t just come, that would have done it.”

Bitty snickers and carefully lifts himself off Jack’s cock, cringing a bit at the empty feeling. He grabs a few wipes from the nightstand and starts cleaning both of them up. He knows he’s the one who brought it up, but Bitty’s definitely going to need something to do with his hands to get through this conversation.

“Lord knows you gave me that list and I sort of just pounced on you once I got to the end, but we should probably have a real conversation about it.”

“And you picked now?” Jack asks, incredulous.

“Well, I guess we can at least shower and get dressed before gettin’ into the gritty details of the highly kinky off-season sex you want to have.”

“That’s the least you can do.”

[m-oana-archive]

tagged by the lovely, hilarious bri @czynchs

on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now? 2

describe yourself in a hashtag? #taylorswiftwasright

if you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be? this question is inappropriate young Harrison Ford

if your life was a musical, what would the marquee say? sorry for the country music 

what’s one thing people don’t know about you? most people aren’t aware that I struggle from social anxiety 

what’s your wake up ritual? let out my doggie, shower (sometimes), get ready, make breakfast & coffee, and go to class 

what’s your go to bed ritual? shower if I hadn’t, go on TikTok/Tumblr or read, set an alarm, remember embarrassing things that happened a long time ago, almost fall asleep but then get anxious about my alarm not working, check my alarm, go to bed

what’s your favorite time of day? I LOVE mornings, like 10 AM, delicious  

your go to for having a good laugh? John Mulaney specials :) 

dream country to visit? England or Greece 

what’s the biggest surprise you’ve ever had? getting tickets to Taylor’s Red tour for my birthday 

heels or flats/sneakers? sneakers babey 

vintage or new? vintage!

who do you want to write your obituary? someone who knows absolutely nothing about me for a good surprise factor

style icon? honestly every girl in the English and Dance departments at my school, they’re thriving 

what are three things you cannot live without? music, books, something to write with 

what’s one ingredient you put in everything? pepper (I KNOW it’s not a *spice* but I do be loving pepper)

what 3 people living or dead would you want to make dinner for? Taylor Swift, Toni Morrison, Maggie Steifvater 

what’s your biggest fear in life? never being loved

window or aisle seat? window!!!  always window 

what’s your current tv obsession? Merlin! (which is the biggest queerbait I’ve ever seen, Merlin and Arthur are in love I will NOT be taking critiques at the moment) 

favorite app? Tumblr, tho it is a shitshow

secret talent? I can make up random facts on the spot and say them convincingly enough people believe me

most adventurous thing you’ve ever done in your life? go to school out of state 

how would you define yourself in three words? positive, empathetic, liberal

favorite piece of clothing you own? this yellow/pink/grey floral sundress I have that has POCKETS 

a must have clothing item that everyone should have? comfy shoes that are also stylish 

a superpower you would want? being able to never stub my toes again 

what’s inspiring you in life right now? rereading old books 

best piece of advice you’ve received? you can’t just write your feelings into a journal, you have to talk to people, too 

best advice you’d give your teenage self? it’s going to be okay!!!

a book everyone should read? Beloved by Toni Morrison 

what would you like to be remembered for? dismantling the system 

how do you define beauty? intelligence, passion, empathy and any guy with curly brown hair and glasses that plays the guitar 

what do you love most about your body? it works!!!!  Which I am so so so grateful for!!!!  I also have always liked my collarbones 

best way to take a rest/decompress? a sweet treat while watching a comedy special 

favorite place to view art? I’m a fan of bookstores 

if your life was a song, what would the title be? She Wants To Be In Love (Again) 

if you could master one instrument, what would it be? guitar 

if you had a tattoo, where would it be? a solar system down my back a solar system down my back a solar system down my back a solar system down

dolphins or koalas? dolphins but only because I love whales and they’re closer to whales than koalas

what’s an animal that represents you? golden retriever 

best gift you’ve ever received? fucking friendship my dude.  That shit is good

best gift you’ve given? I gave my sister an avocado once 

what’s your favorite board game? SO MANY!!!!  But mainly Avalon and Villainous 

what’s your favorite color? pink, baby blue, yellow

least favorite color? I’m not a big fan of green 

diamond or pearls? diamonds (but not clear) 

drugstore makeup or designer? it depends on the product 

pilates or yoga? yoga

coffee or tea? coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee!!!!!! 

what’s the weirdest word in the english language? any words that are janus’ (words that mean their own opposite) 

dark chocolate or milk chocolate? dark, 60% or above pls 

stairs or elevators? stairs for less than 3 floors, elevators for all else

summer or winter? winter

you are stuck on an island, you can pick one food to eat forever without getting tired of it, what would you eat? pasta 

a dessert you don’t like? flan 

a skill you’re working on mastering? loving myself the same way I love other people 

best thing to happen to you today? I took a three hour nap that really really slapped, also I might be able to use my TA position to waive a requirement for my minor which is great 

worst thing to happen to you today? my inability to fall asleep until 3 AM this morning 

best compliment you’ve ever received? that I made someone want to be a better version of themself

favorite smell? pink sands from Yankee Candle, freshly baked bread, freshly brewed coffee, old books

hugs or kisses? HUGSSSS!!!!!  

if you made a documentary, would it be about? poetry 

last piece of content you consumed that made you cry? my reread of RWRB 

lipstick or lipgloss? lipgloss

sweet or savory? sweet 

girl crush? Taylor Swift 

how do you know you’re in love? when I make excuses for the person because I want everyone to see them as good 

a song you can listen to on repeat? "There’s Still A Light in the House” by Valley 

if you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? Matthew Gray Gubler (I WANT THAT KIMONO COLLECTION) 

what are you most excited for/about this time in your life? to get the results on getting into my major and to see if I got the job I applied for 

tagging @siriuslyimmoony @beskarjedi @finnofamerica @carolinesbookworld @swellwriting @woakiees @theboywhocriedlupin