#grace x hayden

[inventlifes]

[heliads]

Unwind Masterlist

Connor Lassiter Masterlist

Grace Skinner

One More Game to Play - Based on this request: "grace and argent reunion? After the events of Unbound, Grace and the rest of the gang meet up and they’re all hanging out on some port. Grace and Argent bump into each other and hurt/comfort reunion ensues" Oneshot

Hayden Upchurch Masterlist

Lucas Lassiter

the brother of a god - Even with Connor taken away by the Juvey-cops, Lucas can’t stop himself from wondering about the brother he used to have. Oneshot

[haddonfieldwhore]

sparring partner - hayden christensen

hayden christensen x younger!fem!reader

summary: hayden helps you with lightsaber training for the ahsoka series

warnings: age gap implied (no age specified tho), that might be it? not edited

word count: 1.5k

“i can’t do it,” you resigned, frustrated and tired from trying the same move over and over and not getting it.

“try it again,” the choreographer suggested unhelpfully, and you exhaled in annoyance, mostly at yourself, before getting back in position. you doubted that the thirtieth time could possibly go any differently than the previous twenty nine attempts, but tried the steps again anyway; no luck. it didn’t look this complicated when you had first been shown the fight choreo, but for some reason you just couldn’t nail down this specific spin. you and natasha, who played sabine, were supposed to meet in about half an hour to practice the fight together before shooting the scene next week, and you had shown up an hour early to try and get your moves down. you felt like you hadn’t made any progress at all.

“take 10 minutes, get some water,” the choreographer suggested, and you nodded, wiping the sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand.

you sat down on the floor and leaned back against the wall, closing your eyes with a defeated sigh, your prop lightsaber clattering to the ground next to you. a shadow fell over your face and your brows furrowed slightly in confusion at the sudden darkness.

“hey, how’s it going?” a voice asked and you opened your eyes to see hayden standing in front of you.

“not so great,” you admitted. you hadn’t gotten the chance to work with hayden much yet while filming ahsoka, but anytime he stopped by the set to see how things were going, you enjoyed talking with him, and greatly appreciated any input or advice he offered. you had always admired him as an actor. hayden tried to convince himself that it was coincidence that every time he came by set you happened to be training or shooting that day.

“what’s wrong?” he asked, a look of concern on his face.

“i can’t get this one part of the choreography,” you admitted with a sigh, and he extended his hand to you, pulling you up off the floor once you slid your hand into his grip.

“show me?” he asked.

“i can try,” you laughed dryly as he got a prop saber of his own and stood next to you, giving you enough space to demonstrate the move as best you could.

you managed to get through the steps, although with the smoothness of a droid that had never been oiled and at about a quarter the speed they should be, but it was enough for hayden to get the general idea.

he slowly repeated the steps, with slightly more grace than you had, and then instructed for you to follow along with him. after a few tries and a great display of patience from hayden, you made it through the sequence and it almost looked good.

“how are you so good at this?” you asked, trying not to let the jealousy you were feeling come out in your voice, as without him you never would have got it.

“i’ve had more practice than you, that’s all,” he smiled reassuringly. “try it again on your own,” he instructed, taking a step back.

you fumbled through the movements again, and groaned in frustration when you made a mistake again.

“it’s hopeless,” you surrendered.

“come on, you can do it,” hayden encouraged, but you shook your head.

“i can’t, i’ve been trying forever and i just can’t get it.”

“i thought you wanted to do this,” he challenged, and you were slightly taken aback by his words.

“i do-“

“then prove it,” he said, his stance changing to invite a duel.

“hayden, im not going to fight you,” you sighed, though amused.

“why not?” he taunted. “afraid to lose?”

“you have years more training than i do-“ you stopped your complaint as you had to raise the saber in your hands to stop a swing from the man in front of you.

“now you’re just making excuses,” he taunted with a smile, and you retaliated with a swing of your own that he blocked with ease. you traded blows back and forth, the crew taking a step back as the two of you duelled back and forth. to no one’s surprise, hayden had the upper hand, and you ended up dropping your prop saber, and stared up to meet hayden’s eyes as he held the blade of his across your throat, hovering just centimetres below your chin as you both caught your breath.

“not bad,” he complimented, and you felt a sense of pride.

“thanks,” you smiled, your eyes flickering down to his lips, the corner on his mouth still upturned, and your gaze landed on his eyes again, which were still locked on you. your heart pounded against your ribcage as you put your hand on his that still held the saber at your throat, and lowered it gently before you took a step back.

“sorry,” he apologized, and you shook your head as if to say it wasn’t needed. “i knew you could do it though.”

“what do you mean?” you questioned, tilting your head to the side in confusion, which hayden couldn’t help but feel guilty for finding quite cute.

“the move, you did it,” he said like it was obvious. you realized that without even thinking, during the duel with hayden you had in fact successfully executed the move sequence that had been stumping you all morning.

“that was great,” the fight choreographer said as he approached the two of you. “it’s too bad you two don’t have a scene in the show, your chemistry is great.”

“thank you,” you both replied, and the choreographer offered you an extra five minutes to rest, since you had spent your previous break practicing.

“think you can do it again now?” hayden asked encouragingly, and you nodded, but you felt nervous. what if it was a fluke? you were annoyed enough at yourself as it was, and the added pressure of not wanting to embarrass yourself in front of hayden wasn’t helping.

however, you took a deep breath, and to your relief, managed the move with little difficulty this time.

“i did it?” you smiled, but it sounded more like a question, and hayden couldn’t help but laugh. “i did it!” you repeated, and couldn’t stop yourself from throwing your arms around his shoulders in a hug. you could feel his body tense in surprise, but he relaxed and circled his arms around your back, a chuckle shaking through his chest.

“i knew you could do it.”

“thank you,” you smiled. “i couldn’t have done it without you.”

you separated, though your eyes met again briefly, a thickness hanging in the air between you until you heard footsteps approaching. you turned to see natasha walking up to the two of you. neither of you had noticed how long she’d been watching the two of you duel, but she was impressed.

“nice moves,” she complimented, bumping your shoulder playfully. the two of you had grown close while working on the show, and you were looking forward to shooting this fight with her.

“thanks, i had a really good teacher,” you complimented, sending hayden a glance.

natasha noticed the way his smile lit up his eyes as he looked at you, and made a mental note to bug you about it later.

“i can’t take all the credit, it was all you,” he insisted, the two of you lost in your own world, and natasha wondered if she was suddenly invisible.

“well, you ready to practice?” she snapped you out of the trance you were in, and you nodded. “if you didn’t tire her out too much, that is,” she teased. hayden felt a blush rise to his cheeks, and he found himself grateful that you were looking the other way and therefore didn’t notice.

“let’s go,” you agreed, and she grabbed a prop saber and walked over to set down her bag.

“i’ll catch up with you later?” hayden asked, and you smiled.

“i’d like that,” you smiled, and he tapped your shoulder gently, his fingertips sending a shiver down your spine. “thanks again, hayden.”

“anytime.” with that he turned and walked over to some of the crew to talk with them as you met natasha on the other side of the room.

“was i interrupting something?” she teased, and your brow raised innocently.

“what do you mean?”

“you and hayden..?” she asked, like it was obvious. “you guys were having a moment when i walked up.”

“it wasn’t a ‘moment’, he was just helping me,” you disagreed, though you wouldn’t mind if it had been a ‘moment’, whatever that meant.

“hmm, okay,” natasha hummed teasingly, unconvinced. “is that why he’s still watching you?”

you casually glanced over to see that hayden was in fact looking your way, and he smiled when he met your gaze before continuing his conversation with the crew.

“that doesn’t mean anything-“

“if you say so. now come on, let’s practice.” she teased, and you rolled your eyes before she went on.

“loverboy will be there later.”

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned

[heartsandhischier]

stranger

luke hughes x reader

summary - 1k words. In an attempt to unwind during the All Star break, Luke finds himself captivated by a stranger in the club inspired by the song: strangers - jay hayden

author's note - I've been kind of obsessed with writing about Luke lately, I have tons of drafts I've already written... lol

warnings - mentions of alcohol

The club pulsated with energy, a kaleidoscope of lights and thumping bass. the sparkling lights casting an ethereal glow over the dance floor where bodies writhed and moved in perfect synchrony with the music. All in contrast with the hockey player's introspective mood as he tries to unwind during the All Star break. Amidst the vibrant nightlife of New York City, Luke and some of his teammates sought solace from the usual grind of early morning practices and back-to-back matches. Yet, the unfamiliar surroundings left Luke feeling out of place, longing for the familiar embrace of the ice beneath his skates.

His teammates were a blur of motion and laughter, their voices blending together in a cacophony of excitement as they raised their glasses in toast after toast. They were in their element, basking in the freedom of the moment, but for Luke, the scene felt foreign.

He longed for the familiar comfort of the ice rink, where the rules were clear, and his place in the world was defined by the swift glide of his skates. But here, in this crowded club, he felt adrift, his confidence waning with each passing moment.

Trays of drinks arrived at their table with alarming frequency, each one greeted with cheers and whoops of delight from his teammates. Luke tried to join in, tried to lose himself in the rhythm of the music, but it was no use. Without his stick and skates, he felt like a stranger in his own skin, disconnected from the world around him.

His eyes scanned the throng of dancers, searching for something – anything – to distract him from his growing sense of unease. That’s when he spotted her. A vision of confidence and allure amidst the chaos, she moved with a grace that mesmerized him. Clad in a sleek black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, she seemed to command the attention of everyone around her. She was dancing, moving her body without a worry, the music seemed to dance around her rather than the other way around. 

Luke felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched her, his heart pounding in his chest with a rhythm that matched the pulsating beat of the music. His teammates noticed his fixation and wasted no time chirping him mercilessly, their laughter ringing in his ears like a taunting melody.

“Hey Luke, what’s got you all hot and bothered over there?” Dawson jeered, nudging him with a playful smirk.

“Yo Luke, check out that hottie on the dance floor! You gonna make a move or what?” Alexander chimed in pointing towards the woman swaying her hips in the middle of the crowd.

Dawson again, playfully nudged Luke with his elbow, “Yeah man, you’ve practically drooling at the sight of her. Time to put on your big boy pants and go talk to her.”

Alexander chuckled at his comment as he made his way towards them from across the table, drink in hand. “Come on, Luke, what’s the worst that could happen? She turns you down? At least you’ll have a good story to tell.” 

Their encouragement spurred Luke on, with each passing moment, his confidence grew. Finally, Luke built up the courage to push himself out of his spot, he took a hold of his drink downing it in one big sip as a form of liquid courage, before making his way towards the confident stranger.

As he approached the captivating stranger, his palms grew sweaty, his nerves threatening to get the best of him. But then she turned to face him, her eyes meeting with a playing glint, and suddenly everything else faded away.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice barely audible above the music. “Mind if I join you?”

The stranger's smile widened as he looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before she spoke.

“Depends,” she replied, her voice teasing. “Can you keep up?”

Luke felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he met her mischievous gaze, every nerve in his body suddenly nowhere to be found as a sense of determination washed over him.

“Only one way to find out,” he said, returning her smile with a confidence he didn’t know he possessed.

She playfully smirked as her hands snaked up his chest sending shivers down his spine. She took a hold of his arms gently but confidently placing them on her hips, before resting her own around his neck. Lost in the rhythm of the dance, the world around them seemed to blur into insignificance. With each sway of the hips pulling them closer and closer together. The energy of the club, the throb of the music, all of it paled in comparison to the current crackling through the small space that separated them. 

Then, as if drawn by a force greater than either could resist, they found themselves closer still, the tension between them sparking with the promise of something more. It was in this charged atmosphere that Luke, emboldened by the moment and the undeniable connection he felt with her, made his move. Their eyes locked, a silent agreement of lust passing between them, and then their lips met in a kiss that sent shockwaves through them both.

The kiss was electric, a fusion of longing and passion that seemed to stop time itself. Around them, the music and the crowd faded into a distant hum, the only reality that mattered was the feel of her lips on his, the taste of her, the way she seemed to melt into him as if she belonged there. It was a moment of pure exhilaration, a confirmation of the attraction that had been simmering between them from the moment they'd locked eyes.

But as quickly as the moment came, it was torn away. The stranger was suddenly pulled back into the sea of dancers, a playful wink her only goodbye before she disappeared into the crowd, leaving Luke amidst the pulsating lights and music, his heart racing and his lips still tingling from their kiss.

The abrupt end to their connection left Luke reeling, a mix of euphoria and confusion swirling within him. The kiss had been real, the sparks undeniable. Yet now, as he stood alone on the dance floor, her absence felt like a sudden chill, the warmth of their encounter a memory that left him yearning for more.

[mosaiclobster]

Pecking Order (Farmer x Hayden)

I haven't posted fic on tumblr before, but people have been so unexpectedly lovely about this silly fic on AO3 so I thought I'd share it here too 🐔🐣

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

House chickens must wear many hats. To Henrietta’s relief, those hats were figurative; she never much cared for the indignities of clothing. Ribbons were another matter, especially ones bestowed on award podiums. She wore those with pride.

But Henrietta was more than a show chicken. She was a house chicken, and that meant she was a pest controller, a therapist, a taskmaster. A friend.

Well, not a friend to all. Hayden was her person, and she didn’t see much need for the rest of them. At least Ryis had a healthy admiration for birds - she let him pet her, on occasion.

The others were hopeless. Balor, Valen, and Errol gave her a wide berth, which was respectful, but none of them ever bothered to bring her treats. Celine did, but she was too nervous to feed Henrietta by hand now.

She hadn’t meant to peck the girl. It was a simple misunderstanding, one a flattened palm would’ve solved.

March was the worst of all. He didn’t address her by name, only as “chicken.” When she pecked him, she meant it.

But then, there was this new person. “The Farmer.”

Henrietta considered the nickname an impertinence. Hayden was the farmer in Mistria. His people had worked this land for generations.

Henrietta Jubilation Featherbottom knew something about legacies. She was a part of the most award winning lineage to ever grace chickendom. She’d raised a whole brood of blue ribbon birds, and she had Hayden to thank for that. Any affront to his honor was an attack on her own good name.

Hayden didn’t seem to mind the other farmer, though. He even let the interloper join game night. He broke the news to her over a bowl of popcorn, as if it was only natural to include this fraud. “Used to be an adventurer before settling down here. Imagine the stories!”

An adventurer indeed. Sounded like a rootless, chickenless existence - more of a rogue than a farmer, if you asked her. When their new guest arrived, Henrietta clucked with all the derision she could muster.

In return, she received a handful of wild berries. Palm flat, and steady.

“Nice to meet you, Henrietta.”

Well mannered. That was a surprise.

Hayden gave Henrietta an encouraging pet. “Isn’t that thoughtful?”

She kept a wary eye on the stranger while she plucked and pecked at the ripened fruit. Hayden rubbed at the back of his neck - a nervous habit.

Why should he be nervous? Henrietta studied his kind face, the one she’d known since she broke out of her egg. He was blushing.

“Ah, she’s made a bit of a mess. Sorry about your hand.”

Henrietta trilled, indignant. She was a dainty eater. Juice stains were to be expected, and his embarrassment degraded them both.

The so-called farmer smiled at Hayden, and gave him a rakish wink. “Better berries than monster blood.”

The cheek! But Hayden seemed quite charmed - he hardly noticed their other guests arriving, and the color never quite left his face. Valen even asked if he was feverish.

Amusing jokes, exciting anecdotes, nice manners… by the end of the night, Henrietta had to concede that this new human was well socialized.

Over the next few weeks, a routine took shape. Sweetwater was the fastest route to the museum from the other farm. On the way, offerings were made: berries for Henrietta, and coffee for Hayden. Not every day, but close. Henrietta often joined them at the kitchen table - gossip was her secret joy, and there was plenty to go around. Apparently, Valen was spending an awful lot of time with that witch who ran the bathhouse.

Hayden took a sip of coffee. “Good for them. Life’s meant to be shared, isn’t it?” Henrietta watched his warm brown eyes widen. Hayden coughed, and set his coffee down so hard that it sent a spoon flying. The clatter ruffled Henreitta’s feathers, but she smoothed them for his sake. Poor Hayden was blushing enough already.

“That’s why ranching is so rewarding. I’m glad you decided to get a coop - how are the girls doing so far?”

“They’re great. Thanks for setting up the see-saw, it’s been a big hit.”

Henrietta had met the girls once, under Hayden’s watchful gaze. It was clear they needed a strong matriarch, but Hayden scooped her up before her beak could do its work.

That was alright. Henrietta could be patient - they’d be joining her flock soon enough.

After all, Henrietta was nothing if not perceptive. She knew a courtship when she saw one, even if it lacked the usual dropped wing and dizzying dance. The gifts, the fleeting touches, the lingering looks… honestly, she couldn’t understand what they were waiting for.

Once the leaves began to turn, Hayden confided in her. Not just her - Ryis and Valen were there too. They didn’t equal her in wisdom or tact, but such gatherings were good enrichment for humans. She listened politely, and cooed in agreement when Ryis stated the obvious: “Hayden, we know. Everyone knows. You’ve been attached at the hip all summer.”

More blushing. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Valen shrugged, and swirled her glass of wine. “What’s there to say? We all thought you were already dating.”

Hayden rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, we aren’t. I don’t think so, anyway.”

They all laughed. Or clucked impishly, in Henrietta’s case. Once Ryis recovered, he put a gentle hand on Hayden’s shoulder. “You’d know. The next time you’re together, just speak from the heart. Trust me.”

The four of them were halfway through a fiendish jigsaw puzzle when Errol burst through the front door. Henrietta dropped the piece she was nibbling on and nearly fell off the table in shock - such an entrance!

The man’s face was as white as his beard. He looked absolutely stricken. “Please, come quickly. The mines -”

Henrietta trilled in alarm. Only their semi-retired adventurer would be so foolish. So brave.

The others charged off without her, leaving Henrietta sick with worry. She tore open a bag of premium treats, but the tasty morsels did little to soothe her.

Finally, Hayden returned with Valen and the intrepid patient. Henrietta was ready with a lecture about the dangers of monster hunting, but she received no promises of hanging up the blade. Just a pat on the head, and a crushed berry.

“As your doctor, I can’t advise you to hand feed livestock right now. You’re more prone to infection if she-”

“-she won’t. Here you go, Henrietta. I plucked this off a bush as they were dragging me out of the narrows.”

It was the nicest one she ever tasted.

Naturally, Henrietta was an accomplished nurse. She set to work, nestling at the patient’s feet on the couch while Valen gave Hayden instructions.

“This one has to be taken with food, twice a day. Something simple, like toast.”

Eggs and toast, surely. Henrietta began to doze.

When she awoke a while later, she wasn’t surprised to find another set of feet to warm. The two of them were laying in each other’s arms beneath her favorite checkered blanket.

They were mindful not to disturb her, but Henrietta allowed them their cooing and preening and kissing. Humans were such soft, silly creatures.

And now she had two to look after. Henrietta drifted back to sleep, and added another figurative hat to her collection: matchmaker.

[luminoustarlight]

— ANAKIN SKYWALKER MASTERLIST

©️ luminoustarlight // i do not give permission for my work to be translated or posted on any other platforms.

-ˏˋplease reblog writing to support writers and their hard workˎˊ- 

i do not have a tag list. if you’d like to stay up to date with my writing, please follow @luminous-library and turn on post notifications!

organized from newest to oldest // last updated nov 29, 2023

— Sweet Everythings | fluff, 1k

Admissions, cuddles, and kisses.

— As Fate Would Have It (chapter one)* | smut, 3.7k

Anakin Skywalker gets a new assistant, who also happens to be his favorite OnlyFans performer. *see series masterlist for more parts!

— Love Bites, Love Bleeds | smutty themes, >1k

vampire!anakin thoughts

— Saccharine | smut, 5.3k

What do you get when you mix a college Halloween party with beer and a pretty girl wearing a pirate costume?

A jealous Anakin Skywalker.

— Practice | smut, 2.4k

Playing with Anakin’s hair leads to you practicing your dominant side.

— Passionfruit | smut, 2.1k

Ingesting a foreign fruit leaves you and Anakin feeling strange.

— Your Eyes Only | smut, >1k

You leave Anakin a special recording on his tablet.

— State of Grace | fluff/comfort, 1.3k

Anakin finds comfort in you when he can't sleep.

— Had It Up To Here | smut, 4.6k

After argument, Anakin's patience for you has grown thin.

— So It Goes... | smut, coming soon

As a worker at a sex club on Coruscant, you've seen your fair share of characters. However you never imagined a Jedi Knight would be waiting for you in a private room. Anakin's indulgence at the club leads to some complicated feelings for the both of you.

— Good Things Come to Those Who Wait | smut, coming soon

Anakin teaches you a lesson in delayed gratification.

— Devils Roll The Dice | smut, coming soon

“Whatever number I roll, that’s how many times I’m going to make you cum.”

multi-part

— As Fate Would Have It | modern!au, dilf!anakin x onlyfans!/assistant!reader

— Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince | modern!au, high school!au

drabbles/blurbs

dad!anakin x dancer teacher!reader

dilf!anakin’s new assistant is his favorite onlyfans performer - now a series under the title "as fate would have it"!

anakin when he's sick

sin saturday drabbles

◂ main masterlist ▸ other hayden characters

requests are open!

[forever--darling]

Hi sweet girl , I want to tell you that your me & the devil fic is one of my favorites and one of the best I'm reading. For me Anakin x reader is perfection 💗.

I don't know if I'm being too ambitious but in blurb ideas I have one for Hayden and one for Anakin. I would like it to be fluffy.

From Hayden it could be something like : How is an outing with him ? ( I love how homey he is ) . Cooking together , watching movies in his living room while cuddling . Him giving that charming smile he has .

And for Anakin I love the idea of how he comforts his girl . Hugs , nicknames , cuddling together .

summary: a night staying in, resulting in getting high, has you unable to focus on the idea of sex when you're too busy laughing & realizing the extent of your feelings

pairings: hayden christenson x young!reader

word count: 1.0k

warnings/notes: age!gap (reader in mid-twenties), mention of weed/getting high, fluff, honeymoon phase af, mentions of sex, mentions of anakin skywalker

p.s. to whoever requested this, I will be doing your second request as well sometime soon.

masterlist

Blue pupils stared back at you, up through the dim lighting of the bedside lamp. Slightly blown out, from the weed in his system or you, you weren’t sure. You couldn’t know as this wasn’t something the two of you ever did often, yet the sudden fire beneath your skin and the precious need to press your body close to his was something you craved. Perhaps, it was the way his lips felt along your collarbones, the sides of your neck, or how his warm hands, calluses in all, felt along the bareskin of your sides. Maybe it was just him in general, how much and how quickly you had found yourself wanting him. 

Or maybe it's just the drugs. 

The way they seemed to warp your senses, filling the air with some sort of stamina that left the particles buzzing and your breath astray. The music sounded quieter than it really was, but perhaps it was masked by the soft giggle that poured out freely. 

“What? What is it?” Hayden sighed, almost disappointed, his head lifting up from where his lips had been attached to your collarbone, kissing softly.

A quirk appeared in his brow, a teasing look in his eyes as he took in the way you appeared so perfectly pinned underneath him. His body on top of yours, legs parting yours, his weight light as they pushed you deeper into the mattress. 

Your laughter quit but only for a moment as you tried to explain just what was so funny to you in the first place, something that wouldn’t have been nearly as funny if you hadn’t smoked as much as you had. For not having done it in a while other than the edibles you had at least once a week, you had forgotten how much to inhale. 

“Nothing,” you said, trying to appear as serious as can be, a smile forming in a fine line as you met his stare. 

Your laugh burst out again, though, and your eyes crinkled shut, unable to stop the way the hormones attacked the neurons in your brain. 

“Right,” Hayden replied, narrowing his eyes playfully, the redness in them no doubt matching your own. “Clearly, it’s nothing if it has you laughing as much as you are.” 

You shook your head, hands automatically wrapping around his strong shoulders, fingers carding through the back of his hair almost like they had a mind of their own. The softness of the short curls had your heart bursting if that was even a feeling. 

“Seriously, tell me.” 

“I can’t.” 

“And why not?” he demanded, thumbs rubbing soft circles across your hips. 

“Because…” 

You were laughing again, and his head was falling, meeting your chest with ease, a sigh filtering out of his lips. 

“Baby,” he mumbled, lips pressed along your collarbone again, but this time no longer gracing them with the kisses you had come to love so much. Almost too much. 

“Fine, okay,” you gave in, laughter diminishing again to nothing but a soft chuckle, tears pricking your eyes as you tried to get the words out, “I was just thinking…” 

“Yeah?” 

“When you’ve hooked up with girls in the past, have they, ever, you know. Asked you to like dress up in costume?”

A deadpan look appeared on his face as his head lifted, eyes finding yours again, “What do you mean?” 

“Like, have they ever been mid-foreplay and straight out asked you if you can dress up as Anakin or Darth Vader?” 

“Where is this coming from?” he chuckled, too, lips lifting into that smile that somehow had convinced you to leave all the guys your age in the past. 

“Or have they asked you to pull out your lightsaber?” 

“Y/N,” he shook his head, mouth forming in an ‘o’, almost in surprise as you continued to laugh. “I’m trying to initiate sex here, and you’re laughing about if other girls have asked me to make their Star Wars sex fantasies a reality?”

“Well, yeah,” you replied, the tone almost accusatory tone as if it was something you would be asking, especially five hits later from the joint that was now stubbed out in the bathroom. 

“You’re ridiculous, you know that,” he laughed then, too, “Why, is that something you want? Do you want to know about my lightsaber?” 

“I mean, yeah, who wouldn’t,” you retorted, laughter falling away to complete seriousness.

 Staring down at him, you felt the silence lull, almost swallowing you whole as the realization appeared again, almost like a car hitting you out of nowhere. The realization that you had fallen for an older man, a man you hadn’t expected to ever want you back, to notice you the way he had. Worse, to love him as you did so quickly, so immensely was too much, too much to understand, to accept. 

Yet there you were, pinned beneath him, heart so full, so well-kept, hoping that it would stay close within his palms for the rest of time. 

That charming smile appeared then on his face, his eyes crinkling slightly, a certain sort of contentment appearing as if he had had a revelation of his own. Words were not enough in that moment, so evidently as he leaned up, connecting his lips with yours, softly, deeply as if he was trying to pour his very own breath into your being. 

You loved this man; that was inevitable. 

After a few seconds, he pulled back, only enough for his lips to depart from yours. That smirk of his still firmly sat along his face. “So, what are you saying? Do you want me to go grab my wardrobe from set? I’m sure you would really have something to laugh at then, wouldn’t you?” 

You loved this man, and you wanted him like this forever.

“Yeah, I would.” 

[hacked-by-angel-of-the-night]

Hayden's characters and the oc's I made for them.

James Kelly X Natalie Grace (Brooke Shields)

Aj X Brianna (Megan Fox)

Lorenzo Di Lamberti X Mallory (Sidney Sweeney)

Clayton Beresford X Lana (Adriana Lima)

Stephen Glass X Elisa (Ana Paula Arósio)

[inventlifes]

Candid moments took by Hayden

[inlovewhithafairytale]

I think we lost her part 2

I'll be good

Theo reaken x reader

never meant to start a fire I never meant to make you bleed I'll be a better man today

I'll be good, I'll be good And I'll love the world, like I should Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good For all of the times that I never could

My past has tasted bitter for years now So I wield an iron fist Grace is just weakness Or so I've been told I've been cold, I've been merciless

But the blood on my hands scares me to death Maybe I'm waking up today

Yn slammed the door of the truck and started walking toward the MCcall household yawning. She walked toward the door and furrowed her eyebrows when she heard some yelling from the inside and someone angrily walking toward the door.

Malia appeared with her face into a decuided frown and stalked past her berely giving yn a hello.

"Well hello to you too bestie" yn muttured and walked into the house closing the door shut behind her. Scott inmidiatly appeared and his eyes widened in shock when he saw her.

"Yn.. uh what are you doing here?!"

"I told her to come" liam answered scott before yn had the chance to. Scott looked as if he would kill is own beta and liam lifted his hands up in defense "Idont think is fair that we lied to her and shes one of my best friends! She was literally going to kill herself!"

Yn raised an eyebrow at the alpha and the beta wondering what had gotten into them"you guys" they both turned around to face her "I am very confundida, and why does this even have to do with me?"

Scott started to say something to probably send her home when Yn heard a voice she though she'd never hear in her lifetime, a voice she could only hear in dreams.

"Yn?"

She rushed between liam and scott and into the kitchen and saw theo pushing himself to stand, blood falling from his nose.

His eyes widened when they met hers and yn drew in a sharp breath looking around, but scott liam and hayden were all looking between the both of them.

"Your'e here?"she whispered

"Hey baby" he answered giving her a small smile eyes full of tears.

Yn gave a breathy laugh and ran toward him wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso.

Theo held her tightly against him chuckling "oh god youre here, youre here, youre not dead"yn repeated aginst his neck as she held tightly onto him.

"Im here princess. And i dont plan on living any time soon" theo murmured aginst her hair and then kissed her cheek. Yn let go and theo set her down on the floor putting a hand aginst her cheek. Both their eyes were full of tears as they both chuckled happily. Then theo bent down and kissed her, putting both his hands against her face, lips fitting perfectly together moving in slow motion.

Yn pulled away after a moment and looked up to him smiling "I thought you were dead"

"Well not exactly "

"But scott said-" yns words hitched and she whipped around to face Scott. "You lied to me?" She demanded.

Scott blinked and nodded"yes, because i knew-"

"Where on earth has he been this past 3 months?"

"On hell with his sister" scott answered

Yn pursed her lips in a tight line and shook her head "how could you?! Scott ive trusted you with my life and you just couldnt keep the only person ive ever loved safe?"

"Yn hes KILLED people, he killed his own sister, he killed ME, he hurt your dad-"

I though you were the true alpha"yn snapped"i though you were the one with the heart of gold, the one who belived in second chances! The one who actually cared!" Yn swallowed down the tears that were threatening to fall" I gess i was wrong"

"I did what I had to do to protect the pack" scott said defended himself.

"Dont you think I know!" Yn screamed her eyes flashing their signature violet " I would do anything for the pack, to keep everyone safe, Im the one who tries to keeps everybody safe. But when it comes down to it YOU couldent keep the Only person I've ever loved safe, ive never asked for anything scott. Not once. Why on earth did you lie to me?"

Scott couldent find the right words he knew yn was angry, and he also knew she would do anything to protect the people she loved "I knew you'd raise hell if necessary to bring him back" he answered

"Yes I would!scott i tried to kill myself because i felt a gaping whole on my chest. I had constant nightmares and you saw me go through all that because you tried to keep the pack safe?because yo knew ill bring him back?!" Yn squintedher eyes dangerously "i genuinely despise you scott MCcall"

"Yn listen im sorry-" scott said trying to apologize

"You could have said that around 3 months ago dont you think?"

Yn turned reached for theo's hand who had been staying silent through all the conversation as well as the others. He took her hand and let himself be gided toward the door.

"Were are you going?" asked scott blocking their way

"Im living and theo is coming with me, try to stop me and I WILL raise hell" yn threatened

Scott moved out of the way and tried to look at his betas for help but hayden only shrugged "shes right" and liam went to follown them, katana in hand.

"Yn!" Liam called before they could exit the house

Yn turned around to face him and liam extended the katana for her to take"you would problay want this" he tould her

Yn gave him a small smile as she reached for the katana" thanks liam"

Liam nodded and looked at theo who gave him a silent thanks by giving him a nod wich he returned.

When they exited the house and theo saw his truck he gave her a small smile " you kept it"

Yn shrigged and gave him a tighed liped smile"its yours, it just felt like the only thing i had left from you." She reached the keys out to him " you drive"

"Nah give me a few days to adjust on being back"

Yn gave him a small nod "ok" she walaked toward the deivers side as theo got into the passangers.

Yn turned on the ignition, and once theo was in started driving home.

"Why did liam let you out?"

"He thought i still had Josh's power" he kept his gaze on the road " but I didnt"

"You dont have it anymore?"

"No, Joshs or tracy's im back to good old me" he answered giving her a sad little smile

"Thats great, I like old you" she spared a glance at him with a smile" its actually my favorite you"

Theo laughed and took her hand giving it a smalla squeez. Then as if he caughed a smell of something he opened small compartment between the seats.

"Uh dodnt open that" yn said trying to stop him but he just gave her a puzzled loom and pulled out a bottle of vodka half empty

"Or do..." yn said pursing her lips on a tight line and kepping her eyes fixed on the road.

Theo looked from the bottle to her eyebrows raised "didnt know you drinked"

" I didnt."

"Does this have to maybe do with the fact that you said earlier you almost killed youself" he asked her quietly. Knowing he was walking on thin ice." Uh.. yeah" she answered her eyes till fixed in the road

"What happened?" His voice full of concern

Yn took a minute to answer "You were gone. You were Dead. And i just wanted to forget everything. Everybody was sympathetic but i knew they didnt even mean it. Everybody hated you" yn looked at theo who nodded at her to continue "so i took the bottke my dad kept hidden and downed it. I felt awful the next day. And thats an understatement, but just for a minute you know. I felt fine. I didnt feel anything anymore. So I took your truck and started driving every night to the look at point and sometimes malia found me there. Completely wasted. And thats how it went for 2 months. I went to school, locke myself in my room and do homework. Hit the shit out of my punch bag. And then drive to the look out point. Till one day i got in a fight with stiles and i decided that i didnt want to live anymore. So i downed a bottle of sleeping pills with vodka"

Theo drew in a sharp breath as he heard how much he actually meant to yn. How much she loved him, and it startled him. Be ause he thought he wasent meant to be loved.

"Dad found me in my room half an hour later and rushed me to the hospital were i spent 1 week in a bed"yn continued "it was awful. Dad made me promise him id never do it again. I actualky felt bad for everyone. They were all so worried. Stiles didnt live me out of hes sight till. Well you know.. got taken."

Once she parked the car in the driveway she spared a glace at theo.

He had tears in his eyes as he looked at her. Her hand securedly in his.

" Im so sorry" he whispered

"No oh god no theo" yns hand quickly went to his face " baby its not your fault, i shoulent have told you now"

"No, im glad you told me" he said swallowing down his tears " do you really love me that much?"

"To the point were i would kill myself to be with you, YeS" yn aswered lokking into his eyes " yes theo I love you, and i would do anything for you. dont. You. Ever. Doubt That.:

"I love you too yn. I love you so much" theo said gently squeezing the hand he held in his." Don't doubt that'

"Trust me. I don't " yn answered with a breathy laugh.

Theo rolled his eyes at her and then gave her a peck in the lips." So what do you plan on doing with this" he asked taking the bottle and lifting it

"Just live it in the car,dad would kill me if he knew I had that"

"Right" then he bent down and slided the bottle under his seat"there you go"

Yn chuckled and opened the door climing out of the car "so dads at work wich means we wont have to undergo akward questioning" she informed theo as they walked toward the doorway. Yn opened it and stepped in theo behind her. "Are you hungry? There's pasta. I can heat it up real quick"

"Uh no thanks, liam bought take out" theo answered smiling down at her.

"Kay" yn grinned back at him and took his hand leading him toward her room.

"Take a bath. You kind of smell" she said as they walked in, scruching her face into a smile

"Geez so hard" answered theo in mock pain. Yn just laughed and walked toward her drawer. Bent down and opened the botton one and pulled out one of theos shirt and pants.

"Here you go" she said straightening up and handing the clothes to him.

"I dont want to know?"

"There are clean towels in the bathroom "yn said ignoring him.

"Thanks mom" he jocked and kissed her cheek as he walked past her.

Yn stood there for a moment till she heard the water running with a big smile on her face.

He was back. Theo was finally back and alive. And soon they would get everyone the ghostriders took and everything would be alright.

Then she took off the taktop she had and her bra and pulled on an oversized shirt. And since she already had her pajama pant on climed to bed. Resting her back against the pillows.

She bent forward and retrieved a book next to her bedside. She was resting back comfortably when a notification rang on her phone. She 5ook it from the night table and ooened it to see it was Liam.

"Hey baby, liam asks where do we need 5o meet to get to the power thing"yn called

"Oh you mean the generator? Tell him its in the reserve" he answere from the bathroom.

"Okay...... uh, he asks 10 or 11 am, 11 right?

"Yeah" theo opened the door pulling on his shirt

Liam

Ok then

Wear protection ;)

Yn

Liam. NO

Yn turned off the phone chuckling at tye antics of the teenage werewolf

Theo sat down in the bed next ro her his back against the headboard.

"You look cute with your hair all wet" yn commented smiling up at him.

"Hmm"hummed theo nodding giving her a small smile"what are you reading?"

"The hunger games" yn answered lifting the book up.

"I saw the movie but never read the book"

"Youre welcome to read them anytime. This is actually the second book but the firt one has to be somewhere in my bookshelf."

"Ill take you up that offer" he muttered.

Then he gently slapped his tights gesturing her to come over" come here" he told her, more like a question that something else.

Yn smiled and sat on his lap. Her legs to one side and her head below the crook of his neck. She took one of his hands in hers and started playing with his fingers, while he ran his fingers through her hair with his other one. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head breathing her in, finally feeling as if he was finally home whit her in his arms.

"I never meant for you to get hurt" he whispered closing his eyes

" what do you mean?"yn softly asked him running her thumb softly on the top of his hand.

"I never meant it to be like this love, i never meant for you to get hurt. Ill be better yn. Ill be good" he muttered resting his chin on top of her head. yn could hear him sniffle as a tear rolled down his cheek "ill be good. I will try to be better. I will try to make things right. I shouldent have done what I did. I shouldent have hurt them. I shouldn't have been what ive been all this years. Ive been so cold. So heartless. So mercyless" he choked out tears falling. Yn held his hand betwee both of hers tightly. Letting him pour his feelings out." but yn. It scares me. All the blood in my hands terrifies me. And maybe. Maybe im waking up. Today. Ill be good. Ill be good" he sobbed. yn lifted her head ane put her arms around his neck letting him cry into her neck " I'll love the world like I should. I promise ill be good, for everyone I've ever hurt. For everything good ive ever doubted. For all the pain ive brought to you. For everything ive done all this years. For all those hipes and dreams ive killed. And for ever doubting you" he sobbed. Yn held him close as a few of her tears fell into his shirt. "Ill be good, I"ll be good" he repeated again

"I know you will theo" yn whispered " and promise ill be here. I promise I will always be here"

Theo snuggled his face into the crook of her neck and rounded his arms around her waist holding her close.

They sat there, holding each other. Till in the end yns eyelids closed without her consent, and she dozed off.

Theo felt her breath deepened and knew she had fallen asleep. He cautiously, trying not to wake her, rearranged the pillows. He leaned over and turned off the lights, and layed her in the mattress, tyen he laid down his front pressed to her back and rounded one of his arms around her waist.

"Mhh?" Yn hummed sleeply"sorry i just didnt sleep last night" she apologized sleeply

"Hey, its all right" theo cooed and yn turned around rounding one arm around his torso, snuggling closer and buring her face into his chest.

And there. They finally felt happy, like some part off them had finally returned. They felt like home

Ill edit this when I can but here it is!!

[rosepetals1]

Holiday Shopping

Book: Perfect Match

Pairing: Hayden Young x F!MC (Arielle Park)

Word Count: ~690

Rating: General

Tagging: @choicesholidays: "I'm so thankful for you." @choicesflashfics Holiday Prompts: "Look, there's mistletoe. We have to kiss, it's the law." @choicesficwriterscreations: Holiday Event

Summary: Arielle & Hayden go shopping for Christmas décor as they get ready to celebrate their first holiday together.

Arielle stood in the aisle, squinting at the snowglobe she was holding in her hands, turning it around and inspecting it as if it were an otherworldly object.

"Hmm, not sure about this one. Hey, Hayden, what do you think?"

She turned to the man beside her and held up the snowglobe to offer him a view. Hayden put down the nutcracker he was looking at, and took the snowglobe from Arielle, chuckling as he did so.

"I'm pretty sure this is the seventh snowglobe you've shown me since we came in here. Have you even looked at anything else?"

Arielle crossed her arms defensively. "Of course I have!"

"Like…?"

"Like…" she paused, finding herself at a loss.

"A lot of things, okay? You just didn't see. Now, please tell me if you think this snowglobe is cute enough to be in our living room or not."

Hayden shook his head in amusement, then gently plucked it from her hands, and placed it into their shopping cart.

"I think it's perfect. Now, come on, let's move on from the snowglobes before you give yourself an aneurysm, alright?" He teased, lightly bumping her shoulder with his.

She sighed, "Alright. Fine. I just… want everything to look splendid, you know? After all, this will be our first official Christmas together."

"And I am very much looking forward to it," he leaned over and planted a loving kiss to her lips. "You have nothing to worry about, believe me. With all the goodies we got already, our place is gonna look like the very definition of Christmas!"

Hayden suddenly paused, a thoughtful look gracing his features. "Although, I guess technically this is going to be my first Christmas in general, considering…" He trailed off, his expression slightly falling.

Arielle immediately knew what he was talking about.

"Honey, come on, let's try not to think about that. The important thing is that I'm going to be with you, we're going to be together, and so will all of our friends too. That's what really matters."

Hayden was silent for a moment, then he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for being such a downer. The most important thing is the here and now."

Arielle nodded. "Exactly. So, right now, let's continue looking for that giant nutcracker you kept pestering me about. Even though I still think it's going to look weird next to the Christmas tree."

"Hey! I'll have you know, I'm the master decorator! I know what I'm doing, thank you very much."

She laughed. "I'm sure you do. Now, come on, let's keep looking."

As they walked throughout the store,  they picked up various decorations along the way, slowly filling their cart to the brim with Christmas adornments. They continued searching the aisles until they finally found the aforementioned nutcracker, which Hayden effortlessly picked up and placed onto their cart.

"..And, that should be all! I think we've gotten everything on the list." Hayden grinned as he looked down at the nearly bursting cart.

"You sure about that, honey? Because I think we're missing something very important." Arielle purred, suddenly holding up a mistletoe.

Hayden raised a brow. "Oh, yeah? I wasn't aware that was on the list. Not that I'm complaining."

She simply smiled at him, then raised it above her head, and feigned a look of surprise. "Look, there’s mistletoe! We have to kiss, it’s the law."

He laughed. "Oh, it's the law now, is it?"

"Yes, it is. Now, come over here, handsome." She beckoned him with a finger.

"As you wish, my lady."

He wiggled his eyebrows as he walked towards her, grabbing her by the hips, and pulling her close. Their lips crashed together passionately as soon as their bodies collided.

Arielle responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Once they broke apart, they pressed their foreheads together and softly gazed into each other's eyes.

Hayden smiled, "I'm so thankful for you."

She smiled back at him, and gave him one last kiss. "I feel the same way. I love you, Hayden."

"And I love you, Arielle. More than anything."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[autistpride]

How many of these famous autists do you recognize? And this isn't even a complete list!

So many amazing wonderful people are autistic. I will never understand why people hate us so much.

Actors/actresses/entertainment:

Chloe Hayden

Talia Grant

Rachel Barcellona

Sir Anthony Hopkins

Dan Akroyd

David Byrne

Darryl Hannah

Courtney Love

Jerry Seinfeld

Roseanne Barr

Jennifer Cook

Chuggaaconroy

Stephanie Davis

Rick Glassman

Paula Hamilton

Dan Harmon

Paige Layle

Matthew Labyorteaux

Wentworth Miller

Desi Napoles

Freddie Odom Jr

Kim Peek

Sue Ann Pien

Henry Rodriguez

Scott Steindorff

Ian Terry

Tara Palmer -Tomkinson

Albert Rutecki

Billy West

Alexis Wineman- Miss America contestant

Athletes:

Jessica- Jane Applegate

Michael Brannigan

David Campion

Brenna Clark

Ulysse Delsaux

Tommy Dis Brisay

Jim Eisenreich

Todd Hodgetts

John Howard

Anthony Ianni

Lisa Llorens

Clay Matzo

Frankie Macdonald

Jason McElwain

Chris Morgan

Max Park

Cody Ware

Amani Williams

Samuel Von Einem

Musicians:

Susan Boyle

Elizabeth Ibby Grace

David Byrne

Johnny Dean

Tony DeBlois

Christopher Dufley

Jody Dipiazza

Pertti Kurikka

James Jagow

Ladyhawke

Kodi Lee

Left at London

Red Lewis Clark

Abz Love

Thristan Mendoza

Heidi Mortenson

Hikari Oe

Matt Savage

Graham Sierota

SpaceGhostPurp

Mark Tinley

Donald Triplett

Aleksander Vinter

Comedians:

Hannah Gatsby

Robert White

Bethany Black

Scientists/inventors/mathematians/Researchers:

Damian Milton

Bram Cohen

Michelle Dawson

Carl Sagan

Writers:

Neil Gaimen

Mel Bags

Kage Baker

Amy Swequenza

M. Remi Yergeau

Sean Barron

Lydia X Z Brown

Matt Burning

Dani Bowman

Nicole Cliffe

Laura Kate Dale

Aoife Dooley

Corrine Duyvus

Marianne Eloise

Jory Flemming

Temple Grandin

John R Hall

Naomi Higashida

Helan Hoang

Liane Holliday Willey

Luke Jackson

Rosie King

Thomas A McKean

Johnathan Mitchell

Jack Monroe

Caiseal Mor

Morenike Giwa- Onaiwu

Jasmine O'Neill

Brant Page Hanson

Dawn Prince-Hughs

Sue Robin

Stephen Shore

Andreas Souvitos

Sarah Stup

Susanna Tamaro

Chuck Tingle

Donna Williams

Leaders:

Julia Bascom

Ari Ne'eman

Sarah Marie Acevedo

Sharon Davenport

Joshua Collins

Conner Cummings

Kevin Healy

Poom Jenson

Amy Knight

Jared O'Mara

David Nelson

Shaun Neumeier

Master Sgt. Shale Norwitz

Jim Sinclair

Judy Singer

Dr. Vernon Smith

Artists:

Miina Akkijjyrkka

Danny Beath

Deborah Berger

Larry John Bissonnette

Patrick Francis

Goby

Jorge Gutierrez

Lina Long

Johnathan Lerman

Julian Martin

Haley Moss

Morgan Harper Nichols

Tim Sharp

Gilles Tehin

Willem Van Genk

Richard Wawro

Poets:

David Eastham

Christopher Knowles

David Miedzianik

Henriette Seth F

[twinsunstars]

Thoughts on Ahsoka Episode 4 - Fallen Jedi - A Discussion Post

Luckily, this week's episode was a bit longer than last week's, and there was a lot that shocked us. Let's go explore!

Hera defies orders and leaves with Jacen, Chopper, and a few pilots to help Ahsoka and Sabine fight. Nothing will stop her from helping her family, and having a chance to find Ezra and stop Thrawn from starting another war.

Sabine faces off with Shin, and Ahsoka faces off with Marrok. Marrok had kept Ahsoka busy with his blade, but it didn't last very long. I don't think anyone expected Marrok to turn into dust once he was struck with the lightsaber. They really got us thinking with all those theories about him being Ezra only for him to turn into dust and die. Sabine fights as a Mandalorian with her gadgets, but once the helmet is thrown off, she grabs her lightsaber and fights with all her strength. Shin tells Sabine "You have no power", but that doesn't stop a Mandalorian like her.

Ahsoka meets Baylan face-to-face, who states that "Anakin spoke highly of you." I love the fact that Baylan has met Anakin and he talked about Ahsoka to him. (Anakin loved his padawan so much it hurts.) The two engage in a graceful yet forceful fight.

Sabine watches Ahsoka fight with Baylan, which ends in Ahsoka falling off the cliff. Sabine gets angered and is ready to destroy the map with her blaster, but Baylan had a few manipulating tricks up his sleeve. He brings up Clan Wren, who has apparently died back on Mandalore. This was truly a shocker, and I want to know what happened on Mandalore that led her family to die. Sabine is alone, no one there to hold her back from making the wrong decision. But she has the chance of finding another one of her family again, and she does not want to give it up. I loved Natasha's facial expression in this scene; Sabine knows it's wrong, but it's the only way to get Ezra back home. At the end, Baylan destroys the map with his lightsaber, ensuring that no one else finds the coordinates.

The Eye of Sion spent the episode calculating coordinates and getting the hyperdrives ready for departure. At the end, with Sabine captured, Morgan and her crew descend into hyperspace, ready to find Thrawn in the other galaxy. They leave Huyang behind, alone and clueless to where his friends have gone. Sabine's helmet lays in the grass, left behind.

Hera and Jacen watched the Eye of Sion launch into hyperspace, destroying a few X-wings in the process. Hera manages to get the Ghost stable, and Jacen tells her he has a "bad feeling". If Jacen, the son of Kanan Jarrus, knows something's wrong, then something's wrong. Hera has this look of fear on her, potentially feeling that something isn't right either. She has no idea what has happened to Ahsoka, and where Sabine has gone.

Ahsoka wakes up in the World Between Worlds, a setting that was first and last seen in Rebels when Ezra had pulled her out. She stands, wondering how she got here. All of a sudden, she hears two words: "Hello, Snips." She turns to see her master, Anakin Skywalker, standing in front of her with a smile. I am so happy of how Hayden Christensen has come so far as Anakin Skywalker, coming back for Kenobi and being loved by all the fans. He truly deserves everything.

This week's episode really got me thinking critically and dropping my mouth open in shock. I am really excited for next week's episode, as Dave Filoni has directed it. It is now likely that Ezra may come home next week and we could see Thrawn, but still not trying to get my hopes up too much. Just in case, let's be ready to celebrate.

[lizzybeth1986]

Saffron Sugar, Turmeric Spice

Book: Perfect Match

Pairings: f!Hayden x poly m!MC (Basil Park), f!Hayden x f!OC (Nilukshi Sigera). Implied Sloane x MC.

Summary: Sage and Basil have been in an open relationship since that moonlit chat in Berlin. He's a free agent - so is she. It's an arrangement she's grown to love...but is Sage ready to to fall in love with more than one person?

Word Count: 3,720 words

Note: I mention a comet named "Comet Hasegawa" in the second part of the fic. This is a fictional comet modelled on Comet Nishimura (C/2023 P1) which was spotted this month and won't be seen for another 400+ years.

Old Fashioned Ice Cream, the sign reads, a fairly-large four leaf clover gracing the right corner. Mashti Malone's is practically an institution here in LA - with its pastel interiors and its quaint, old-world charm and the heady, rich, floral scents of Persian bastani. Sage can't resist taking in a deep breath everytime she enters this place. Although today...today she does it less for the pleasure of all these sweet scents, and more about keeping herself calm.

It feels like only yesterday that Basil brought her here for the first time, two years ago. To will away a bit of their nervousness about catching hold of Winona Johnson, he'd said.

And it did help. Every fear they'd had that she would laugh in their face, would throw them out, would never even listen...all of it melted away when the delightful coldness of French Lavender ice cream hit her tongue. Basil had playfully swiped a tiny spoonful of his orange blossom scoop on her nose. You could almost taste the promise of so, so many honeyed nighttime kisses in their laughter that day.

Mashti Malone has been their most-visited place in LA, ever since. Sometimes with the Candy Bombs (Damien, Alana and Khaan still grimace collectively at the name), sometimes with Sloane and Kim. But more often than not, it's just the two of them. Her spending an extra three minutes at the counter, taking in the rainbow-range of colours and gleefully tasting samples; him sitting back on his chair to watch her, ice cream sandwich in hand and a twinkle in his eye.

This is a place Sage never tires of exploring, and she always leaves it with a different flavour. It was Persian cucumber the last time, a burst of freshness that soothed and invigorated her sense all at once. And before that, the crystal glow of rice noodles against creamy, rose-scented vanilla, their signature faludeh. And way before that, the treacly unctuousness of date ice cream, so rich she had to take a full pint home.

Basil's order has always remained the same. Bastani Sonnati, offered to him the minute he shows his face at the door. From time to time they take bites of each other's ice creams; the smell of saffron and rosewater is familiar, and divine. This man sticks to his favourites - a principle he applies only to food, Sage thinks to herself, giggling quietly.

Today she finds herself in need, desperately, of the sunny-hued comfort of Basil's bastani. She wants to crack the wafers of the sandwich open, watching as the ice cream stretches and pulls apart. She wants to breathe in the floral scents of rose and saffron, feel the pistachios break in a satisfying crunch between her teeth. At this point when she wants to tell Basil her wish to explore the unknown, she finds herself seeking the comfort of the familiar. So she orders her own Bastani Sonnati.

"Baby," There's a teasing fondness in Basil's tone, as if he knows she has something in her mind that she's struggling to tell. "Something's up. You haven't said a word since we've got here."

Warmth creeps up her neck. Basil knows her too well for a man she's been dating for just two years.

"Um." Sage begins, fake-clearing her throat, " remember that time you and Sloane went to DC to visit Kim, and I took up that rock climbing tour at The Gunks?"

Basil grins. "Yeah...six months ago, right?" She nods as he continues to speak, finishing off the last of his wafers. "That may have been the first time I heard you gushing about Dr Madison Eckhart, but it sure as hell wasn't the last."

She smiles and mock-punches him on the arm, shaking her head as he steals a bite of her bastani sandwich. "You would, too, if you'd seen her normally sweet mouth come up with the most creative ways to shade a cocky guy," Sage tells him, giggling at the memory before she mimics Dr Eckhart's lilting but remarkably steely voice, "Get your head out of your armpits and listen to what I'm saying for once, Greg you asshole!"

For a minute, she almost forgets what she was intending to say, simply basking in their shared laughter. But then the strongest memory she has of that excursion resurfaces - silken brown hair whipping around a weatherbeaten face...almost like a reel in her head that she has watched too long on loop - and the warmth climbs up her neck again.

"So...uh. I met someone there."

"Oh?"

Basil tilts his head slightly, his eyebrows raised in an expression of mild interest. She searches his face for any traces of doubt, or judgement, or jealousy, and finds nothing but curiosity and...a brief flash of excitement? Either he's a very good actor or what she's clearly about to say doesn't sound as transgressive to him as it has to her.

She's been worried that he'd ask her - like he did two years before when she'd moved to her own flat - if her feelings for him have changed. Whether she's lost interest. Basil has identified himself as polyamorous for years, and she and Sloane have had his version of "The Talk" more times than they could collectively count. Don't be ashamed of wanting to be with other people. Openness is key. Honesty is key.

Back then they'd listened carefully, sincerely, but neither understood why any of that needed to apply to them. Sage and Sloane will always love Basil - for all he is and for all they've learned from him - but personally, they could never envision any sort of future with anyone else. And that was fine.

But now Sloane has started to show a sliver of interest in Alana, and as for herself...well.

"Earth to Sage." Sage can barely hear Basil's soft, laughing voice over the clamor of her own thoughts. It sounds like heaven, now more than ever.

All through this little trip, Sage had taken care. Touches. Kisses. The nicknames they use only on each other. An admission like the one she's making today could be taken the wrong way...and never, never, not even in a million years - not even after they are dust particles and rusted metal beneath six feet of earth - would she want Basil to ever believe the impossible. That her love for him would stop.

She puts what remains of her ice cream sandwich down, and steals a glance at him. Crinkles of laughter around his eyes, a corner of his mouth tugged upwards. A corner she will always want to kiss.

So he does know. He does trust her.

"There's a picture of her from that trip," Sage says, biting back her own smile, "You wanna see?"

"Mmm," he puts a hand over hers. "but let's get home first."

The trip back to Nadia's friend's place takes fifteen minutes but feels like hours, and they both drop with a thud on the couch rather than actually sit.

Sage has to slide the lockscreen upwards to unlock her phone. They both share a secret smile: the picture on the lockscreen is a silhouette of two people kissing, against the backdrop of a moon so abnormally large and golden that you would assume it was photoshopped in, if you didn't know what supermoons were. Only they (and Sloane, who gleefully clicked this picture just minutes before Sage took a similar one of her and Basil) know that it was real, that it was taken last year, that it's them. In this cozy, slightly messy sitting room - much like the one they own at home - Basil's hand moves from the small of Sage's back to cup her shoulders, and his head leans against hers.

The picture she shows him doesn't seem like much: a young woman, long brown hair loosely tied back, her dusky skin taking on a golden glow from the light of the afternoon sun. She's still wearing her climbing gear, her helmet on the rock beside her, her smile both tired and full of mischief. It reminds Sage of the very first time she looked at the woman - windswept hair whipping around her face before she tied it up and put on her helmet - and fell head over heels in love.

Sage had felt the gut punch of that realization the minute their eyes met - knew it was love with a terrifying certainty that was at once not at all like the way she fell for Basil, but also exactly like that.

Basil studies Sage's face for longer than he looks at the picture, his smile soft and knowing. "What's her name?" he asks as she flips through her gallery in search of other pictures, lacing the fingers of her other hand with his own.

"Nilukshi," She finds what she's looking for - a picture of the both of them against the backdrop of a stage. Sage sitting over a crate strumming guitar, Nilukshi singing, her hands spread out and her feet apart, her face a portrait of pure joy. Even here, in this quiet, cozy living-room sofa, far from the chaos of that stage, Sage relives the moment she realized they were both auditioning for the same play, just two weeks after that excursion. How their eyes locked for several skips of a heartbeat once they were done. "Small scale production for Rent. We were jamming on Seasons of Love backstage."

He chuckles. "Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes...how do you measure, measure a year." His voice is pitch perfect, as usual, and Sage has to bite back the urge to finish the verse with "Measure in love, sweet love". This is not the right time for an impromptu acapella.

But he turns serious a minute later, adjusts himself slightly to face Sage. His brows furrow in that way they do when he asks a question they both know will have answers that scare the shit out of you. "Does she know you're..."

"Yeah. I told her about Eros. It...didn't go as badly as I thought."

He sighs in relief. "Does she know about us?"

"Yep." It was funny how that was the harder conversation to have. Nilukshi's face had been studiously blank when Sage told her about her boyfriend, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. At least for the first five minutes. But the words "open relationship" loosened her up for some reason, and suddenly her gorgeous, long, artist's fingers were stretched out in front of her, eyes laser-focusing on them as if checking out her brand new manicure was the most important task in the world. Cool, she'd said, her voice almost squeaky, cool.

Basil's other hand lightly rubs her arm, encouraging Sage to sink into his embrace. "Did you only realise you wanted to date her now?"

She shakes her head, flushing. "I wanted to believe it was just a crush, not gonna lie. I just didn't think having my feelings returned was possible till now."

He frowns, almost like he's going to say it isn't like you to lack confidence in your charms, Sage. "Why not?"

Sage sighs, slowly inching forward and kissing a corner of his mouth. She looks down, training her gaze over their fingers tangled together.

It hasn't been easy, reliving the last five months of pining and awkwardness and just...the tendency to get ten times clumsier in Nilukshi's presence. Or reliving the last five months of tension and worry and (maybe misplaced) guilt, hoping against hope that she wasn't doing her relationship with Basil an injustice by getting even one step of this revelation wrong. But she'd still do it all over again - for him and for Nilu. For the two people who own her whole heart, the one that doesn't even physically exist in her body.

"Didn't think she'd be interested. Thought it would be a thing I'd tell myself to get over at some point. I'd have told you straightaway the moment I thought I stood a chance." Her eyes are darker and more shadowed as she raises them to meet his. "I did okay...didn't I?"

She feels the rumble of soft laughter from against her as he pulls her closer. "Oh honey. You did better than just okay." Sage sighs softly against his mouth as he draws her closer. "You were perfect."

His hands cup her face, his nose nudges softly against her own, making her giggle. The flavour of the ice cream they'd just shared half an hour ago lingers on his tongue. A bouquet of saffron and rose and clotted cream, coating her palate and making her feel like she is lying on a bed of flowers, sunlight streaming in rays of butter-yellow down her hair.

--

Two weeks later

Nilukshi is here before time at Brooklyn Bridge Park: binoculars, mat, amateur astronomy 101 booklet, backup garbage bags and snacks at hand. Chose tonight because of the new moon, she whispers excitedly. Even in the pitch dark, Sage can see her eyes light up as she approaches.

Comet Hasegawa is best seen in the early hours before dawn, where the sky is dark and unfettered by the thick veil of New York smog, preferably with no moonlight to obscure the intense glow of the stars. It was discovered only last month, by the Japanese scientist it was named after, and they have just this month to capture it in its full, emerald-green glory. This Saturday is the last time it will appear in the night sky. It'll take another 500 years for anyone on Earth to ever catch sight of it again.

Sage knows this because Sloane told her. Because Sage and Basil may have joined her in her backyard stargazing sessions, her trips to the planetarium, taken turns gazing into her humble home telescope just for the smile that lights up her face afterwards...but somewhere along the line they started to look forward to stargazing. Cherish it. Treasure it. It had become their thing.

Nilukshi had stared blankly at Sage the first time she'd yapped on and on about space - something stupidly jargon-y bullshit about Mercury's greatest elongation and seeing Jupiter at opposition. It got so embarrassingly obvious that she was confusing her crush that she'd apologized and backed away, whispering to herself since when did you become such a fucking nerd, Sage!

Nilukshi knows the basics. Orion. Meteor Showers. Total solar eclipses that make the sun look like an enlarged diamond ring; a nighttime sky at noon. She's the kind that would sit out even the major astronomical events because she's so used to city skylines veiled in smog. She, of all people, wouldn't have the time to squint at the night sky searching for constellations and planets.

And...and she set this up. Probably looked up this month's (maybe even this year's) calendar of astronomical events on Google, checked out amateur stargazing clubs, did her research, figured out the perfect timings, the perfect place, even the perfect gear. Chose a suitably dark night where they would need only binoculars. Sage has been through enough of these kinds of trips to know how much work goes into one like this.

And the way she sneaks glances at Sage, from underneath those impossibly long eyelashes of hers, you could tell that the success of every minute of this picnic will hinge on what Sage's own face gives away.

Nilukshi did this. For her. Dove headlong into this...this thing that she barely knew much about before they met, for her.

Goddamit. It should be criminal for that hum beneath her skin - the one that usually tells her that everything in her body is in tip-top shape - to keep running this...this normally. Not when her brain and her soul and her (mechanical) heart feel so out of whack.

Ignorant of the way Sage's thoughts are running riot, Nilukshi rummages through her backpack, not stopping until she takes out a ziplock bag filled with crispy, yellow, star-shaped snacks.

"Koki," her teeth gleam in the darkness. "Amma made these for me when she came over to visit last week."

Sage nods. She remembers Mrs Sigera from the first time she'd come with Nilukshi to the backstage area of the theatre, meeting the cast, clicking poloroids of them all on her cute pink FujiFilm. Sage can almost imagine Nilukshi's features maturing out to look exactly like her mother's when she reaches that age - warm brown skin with faint lines showing, fine crinkles around those wonderful brown eyes, streaks of grey peppering her dark wild hair. She shouldn't hunger for that sight the way she does now - the way she did when she first imagined Basil and Sloane and herself, rocking gently on armchairs, their wizened gnarled hands on her still-youthful ones, watching sunsets - but she does. She does. She wants all of those images to combine and become the truth of her future.

The rice cookies break apart in a satisfying crunch against her teeth, before dissolving into a sweet-savoury blend of coconut milk, and turmeric, with the slightest hint of red chili. The turmeric is perhaps the most prominent flavour - peppery and bright, slightly bitter and earthy and balanced out perfectly with a bit of sugar. If she were to guess, it's the turmeric that gives the koki its distinctive yellow glow, pretty much the way saffron stains Basil's favourite bastani this exact golden hue.

They sit together in a silence that feels both comforting and way too heavy, pretending to focus instead on the emerald glow of Comet Hasegawa, Earth's guest for only a few days before it disappears for another half-millennium. Sage points to the constellation of Leo it passes across; they both smile, recalling the surprise birthday party Dr Eckhart and her team threw, mid-August, for Nilukshi at their rock climbing gym. The comet looks like a streak of glow-in-the-dark phosphorus paint, brushed against the canvas of the sky.

Nilukshi has packed more food than that - maybe too much for this trip - but it's the kokis Sage keeps coming back to, their sweet-saltiness and that mild nuttiness that likely comes from the sesame seeds hidden beneath the surface. She eats slowly, conscious of Nilukshi's expectant gaze.

"Man," Sage whispers, "I could eat my body weight in these, they're so good. Don't tell your mom."

Nilukshi tears her gaze away from her, swallowing as she gazes again at the comet. "Amma only makes them for special people in our lives...and we don't have that many. She'd be pissed if I gave those kokis to anyone else..."

If Sage had any ability to think before she said that, it disappears completely when she hears what Nilukshi says next. "...if I didn't give them to the girl I've fallen so hard for." Fuck. Fuck. Holy shit. She'd been hoping and wishing and terrified of this moment and now it's... "The girl I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Nilukshi says the last one in a terrified whisper. She looks down now, at the grass. Her fingers tremble as they fiddle with a loose thread on the mat.

"Since when?" Sage can barely breathe.

"Since the minute Dr Eckhart dragged Greg Jones' arrogant, trip-sabotaging ass, and then someone let out a belly-laugh that made me think it was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard."

Slowly, swayingly, as if they're both in a dream, Sage inches herself towards her, whispering her name like it's a prayer. Balances herself on her knees, cupping her left cheek, making her look up so Sage can bask in the mixture of desire and fear in her eyes. Her fingers have combed through Nilukshi's hair often enough in her dreams that their softness against her fingertips feels like coming home. Sage feels Nilu's breaths turn shallow as she traces a line of kisses, from temple to jawline to corner of mouth, before covering lips thinner than her own. But the moment Sage's tongue brushes hers, Nilu sighs and almost sinks into her. As she is ready to be absorbed into the pores of Sage's skin, if that's what it takes to get closer.

On Nilukshi's tongue she tastes the creaminess of coconut milk and the slightest dusting of sugar, the light heat of the chili powder and the welcome, golden bitterness of turmeric. She tastes like heaven.

Sage can't bear to move away - even as their lips part - so she keeps her forehead against Nilukshi's and her hands buried in her hair.

"You too?" Nilukshi breathes.

"Goddamit, Nilu. Since the minute we met."

"What about..." Nilukshi flushes and looks away.

Sage understands perfectly, smiles softly at her. "Basil knows. He'd probably cuss me out if I didn't stop moping over you and actually do something about it. I bet he'll get along with your mom like a house on fire."

Nilukshi lets out a watery giggle, then gasps as they stop talking altogether. They kiss again, and again, and again, moaning as Nilukshi catches Sage's lower lip with her teeth, as Sage grabs fistfuls of her dress so she won't fall over.

In the sky above them, Comet Hasegawa is close to completing its journey across the constellation of Leo, ready to continue its path across the universe and out of the solar system. Neither Sage, nor Nilukshi, nor any of the people Sage has loved or will ever love in the future, will see such a sight again in their lifetime.

In their minds, that comet has already passed, already streaked its way through their orbit and faded in relevance. All that remains is starlight and quick gasps and hushed kisses and the taste of spicy-sweet kokis.

Tomorrow, Sage promises herself. She and Nilukshi will need to talk, once this afterglow has faded and they have to think about the reality of their situation.

This is a first for Nilukshi, just as the relationship with Basil had been a first for her. Like Sage, there are going to be things that will scare Nilu. And like Basil, Sage will need to take on the lead a bit. Will need to ask the right questions, say the right words to reassure her, read her body language and listen to her voice and understand at least a little of what Nilukshi's boundaries are. Will need to ease her into the realization that as long as they're honest, as long as they trust each other...this will be okay. They will be okay.

Sage breathes in the smell of fresh grass and rice-coconut cookies, smiles at the stray thought of Basil looking at her, with that proud grin, raising his mug of coffee to her like he's making a toast. Baby, you did perfect.

Tomorrow, Sage promises herself, as the comet they came to watch slowly inches its way, half-seen, out of their orbit. There will be other starlit nights, other fantastic things to see and experience together. They will have so much of tomorrow left to savour.

For tonight, the kisses they share will be magic enough.

--

References:

Basil is my polyam MC, and he dates everyone in the group. Sloane and Sage, too, wind up having other relationships and the three of them live together in the current timeline of this fic. Sage is the Adventurer Hayden (Mysterious, Rebellious, Humourous and Impulsive) but she sometimes showcases opposing traits due to the Double Ripple Effect.

Mashti Malone - A Persian ice cream shop, v popular in LA. I used this video about them as a reference

Bastani - Iranian ice cream which is golden and made with saffron, rosewater and pistachios. Bastani Sonnati is the same, sandwiched between wafers.

Faludeh - A traditional Iranian cold dessert similar to a sorbet. It consists of thin vermicelli-sized noodles made from starch in a semi-frozen syrup containing sugar and rose water.

Koki - An all-time favorite Sri Lankan deep-fried snack made specially during festivals such as Sinhalese and Tamil new year, weddings, and ceremonies. The basic Kokis batter is made of rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, and coconut milk.

Sage's lockscreen in this fic (of Basil and Sage's silhouettes against a supermoon), is a reference to the next fic I'm writing, Harvest Moon

Yes the Dr Eckhart I mention here as the rock climbing professional trainer is Madison from The Freshman. I HC that she went on to do her PhD in Volcanology and runs adventurer courses. 😄

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW, and @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 for Day 14: Poloroid Picture/Clicking special photos of S/O(s) and @choicespride for Bisexual Awareness Week

Tagging @haydenyoungappreciationweek and @sazanes for HYAW 2023 for Day 2: Relationships

[greaseonmymouth]

It is not 7 am anymore but top 5 books read this year? 😄

I have read 44 books so far this year and most of them were very good so I don't know how I'm supposed to pick just 5 :'''D

in reverse chronological order

THE DEATH I GAVE HIM - EM X. LIU

this is an utterly unhinged locked room sci-fi murder mystery retelling of Hamlet in which Horatio is an AI and he and Hamlet have a deeply co-dependent and sexual relationship. This book is exactly the kind of thing tumblr would eat up with a spoon, so tumblr pls get on this. The basic plot is: a deeply depressed and suicidal Hamlet (Hayden) is working on a formula that can make one immortal. He is obsessed with beating death. Then his dad is murdered and the labs go on lockdown and more people die because *gestures* Hamlet is Hamlet even when his name is Hayden, and Horatio the AI does his best to keep Hamlet alive and also be a voice of reason except he's too biased. By happenstance I had read this Hamlet/Faust crossover fic (Hemlock & Wine) before reading this book, and in this fic Hamlet is obsessed with necromancy and Horatio is trying to save him. it set the mood nicely. 

You know how in Hamlet everyone dies and at the end Horatio is the only one alive with Hamlet dead in his arms? What if I told you in this book it's reversed?

WILD AND WICKED THINGS - FRANCESCA MAY

Dark, witchy, historical fantasy - set after WW1 on a fictional island off the Yorkshire coast, very 20s glam with a dark undercurrent. Witchcraft is banned, but Annie is a witch. when her father dies she inherits his house on Crow Island and goes over there to sort that out and rents a house next to what turns out to be a Den of Iniquity, not just because of the lavish parties with illegal (magical) substances but because it's queer. Then follows a dark plot involving a blood debt and necromancy and power hungry men (well, one power hungry man) and fragile old and new relationships and dark secrets and also Annie and Emmeline get accidentally magically bonded to each other (but also are in love/lust with each other) and look, I could not stop reading. 

DRAGONFALL - L.R. LAM

listen I LOVE dragon books and I've read and loved everything L.R. Lam has written so when I heard an epic dragon fantasy was coming? I WAS STOKED. this is the first in I think a trilogy and it ticks all my boxes:

sentient dragons with their own history, language, society, etc

sexy dragons?? i didn't realise i needed sexy dragons until I read Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen trilogy or the Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman, but hey. SEXY DRAGONS

queernorm world! our second protag Arcady is nonbinary and uses any pronouns, thank u for your service L.R. Lam

very cool world building and magic system 

BETRAYAAAALLL 

I can't wait for book 2

PORTRAIT OF A THIEF - GRACE D. LI

look this post will explain everything. suffice to say: pretentious college students steal priceless art.

THE BEAUTIFUL ONES - SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA

This is a kind of historical romance but it's fantasy and it doesn't follow conventional romance novel structure (I was SO nervous it wouldn't end happily because I didn't know what to expect from the narrative I was being given, but THANK GOD IT DID). it's very fantasy of manners. it makes a lot of pointed commentary about colonialism and colourism. it's absolutely lush. I love this book a lot, it was so engaging and gripping. the characters are allowed to be flawed and assholes and complex and weak and kind - it's very similar to sprawling historical/saga books with a large cast of people with conflicting wants and needs and scheming and tragedy and love and all that, but distilled into a neat compact package focusing on three people. It's not a long book, it's quite a slim volume for what it is, but it's perfectly paced so you don't notice that you're not actually reading a 900 page family saga.

other standalones I read this year that I think are WELL worth reading:

CAMP DAMASCUS - CHUCK TINGLE

YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY - AKWAEKE EMEZI

YELLOWFACE - R.F. KUANG

HONOURABLE MENTIONS GO TO:

two series I read this year that I also absolutely loved

THE SEVEN DEVILS DUOLOGY - ELIZABETH MAY & L.R. LAM

you know this post right?

[image id: post by worflesbian on july 4 saying 'sci fi is when women in tank tops are covered in grease and sweat and are shouting at people and racing against time to save lives' reblogged by leafcrunch on july 13 with a screenshot addition of the tag #half a jumpsuit!!! you forgot half a jumpsuit!!!!']

this is that series. it is rebels in space overthrowing an evil space empire. it's all the worst bits of imperialism and colonialism and patriarchy distilled into one evil empire and all the best bits of firefly and star wars distilled into the rebellion. there are cool scifi science bits. this would be amazing as a two season series by competent tv makers, it's very cinematic in scope, but the characters are what give this life.

THE WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY - KATHERINE ARDEN

this is a family saga of a kind, set in medieval Russia during a time when Russia was being Christianised. I don't know how to explain this series because it's so complex and so rich. There is a main character - Vasya - but other characters also get POV sections. the first book takes quite a while before we even get to Vasya in 'the present' so to speak, this is a trilogy that isn't afraid of taking its time to tell a story. Vasya is a witch who can see/communicate with Russian 'folklore' spirits, these spirits are fading with the coming of Christianity. There is an unhinged priest, the winter king Morozko whom Vasya has an intense relationship with, Vasya's brother (a monk, based on a real person), Vasya's sister (married to the Tsar, a real person), and just...god, I don't know. I loved everything about this trilogy, the way it humanised historical figures, the way it didn't demonise either the folklore spirits (who are allowed to be non-human beings devoid of human morality! so refreshing) or the Christians, but rather conveyed how a time of upheaval like this had to have been very scary and tumultous. an absolute treat.

I did also read the entire Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles including the spinoffs, which I really enjoyed.

[agayprince]

Yearly Book Wrap-Up 2023

This is my first time posting on here when it comes to anything personal or related to my interests. Considering this was a big year for me, not only in books but in other areas of life as well, I figured I'd share my book-wrap up for this year.

Ever since finishing my bachelors degree I'd started on my book journey once again. While it had continued during college, it never really felt the same, not until I had graduated. Slowly, year by year, I started to read more book. It had begun to feel how it felt in high school, constantly reading and enjoying myself as I did so.

This year's goal for me was: 40 Books

This year's read count: 55 Books!

I surpassed my goal by 15 books, an achievement I never imagined I would reach. This year I truly felt I was a voracious reader and I could not be any happier.

Under the cut you'll find the books I read this year in order, along with my rating. No reviews as I like to move on to the next book. But if anyone has any question or wishes to talk feel free to on this post in any way or my asks are also open. I hope other's can findthis post for their own enjoyment as well.

Without further ado -

My Book Wrap-Up 2023

January

Space Boy Volume 1 by Stephen McCranie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Flash Fire by TJ Klune ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tell Me It's Real by TJ Klune, art by Jakky ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

February

Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

March

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hardcore Self Help: Fuck Anxiety ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn ⭐⭐

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

April

Dragon's Reign by Raythe Reign/X. Aratare ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Comic Book by Leighton Gray et al. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The HItchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

May

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An Unexpected Kind of Love by Hayden Stone ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sun and The Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

June

Gentleman's Club by N.T. Hergott ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sparrow Rising by Jessica Khoury ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐