#how much more poignant and unexpected to find your beginning at 34

[indelicateink]

this 10yo 100K-note post articulates more clearly than I ever could why i love the idea of lestat being 34 and not 21.

guy doesn't get to go on his big hero's journey for another 13 years. whether he's stuck in Auvergne or doing the starving artist thing in Paris (I like to think the former; how relatable), I want to know that story

[sitp-recs]

Do you know of any fics under 10k that aren’t too angsty? ❤️

Hi anon, I most certainly do! Thanks so much for sending this ask, I was super excited when I saw it because I’m always happy to celebrate short fics - they could use more appreciation! I’ve wanted to do a proper shorts reclist for a while so I indulged myself and went big, hope you don’t mind! Putting this together was quite hard - going through my bookmarks I realized that I usually go for angsty shorts 💀 so I tried my best not to include anything too extreme, I hope these are okay!

This became a lil monster with 40 recs (and I have lots more hehe) so I decided to sort them by genre - the last category includes light angst (more on the contemplative side) because I can’t help myself. Shout-out to @tackytigerfic for giving me a 2nd opinion and helping me polish this - and for being a darling in general. Happy readings!

ROMANCE/COMFORT

1. Sun Stroke by @peachpety (2020, E, 3k)

Warm, sexy and wholesome, this fic makes my heart soar with the magical beach setting, amazing friendship dynamics and the sweet get together with a delicious side of smut!

2. oxygen [Fic & Art] by @maesterchill (2020, T, 4k)

Tentative acquaintances become something more over a shared smoke at the balcony. Sexy, mature, deliciously atmospheric and full of promise - plus Healer Draco is always a treat!

3. Catch the Snitch (No, Catch My Heart) by @prolix- (2020, E, 4.5k)

Gorgeous bath fic where Harry and Draco just... take care of each other. The raw emotion packed here! Lush and vivid build up with stunning body worship, hot and intimate and breathtaking.

4. Thermodynamic Equilibrium by DorthyAnn (2017, T, 5k)

This quiet comfort fic gives our boys some well deserved healing through physical touching and late night companionship. Love the 8th year atmosphere, soothing and familiar.

5. Blue Sky Is Living Here Today by ignatiustrout (2018, G, 5k)

The loveliest kid fic you’ll see today - real characters, gentle longing, soft understanding. It’s a joy to watch dad Draco through Harry’s smitten eyes, as he realizes there’s no rush to live that love.

6. Gravity Centered by @carpemermaidtales (2019, E, 6.7k)

Possibly my favorite Quidditch fic, this has an original premise and amazing Drarry dynamics, casual and organic, sassy and familiar, with a perfect lil twist at the end!

7. Up The by @shiftylinguini (2018, E, 7.5k)

One of the funniest PWPs I’ve ever read, clever and charming with easy banter and delicious smut. A sweet and sexy glimpse into the Drarry married life! Cw Mpreg

8. And a Malfoy in a Pear Tree by lauren3210 (2015, E, 8k)

Sweet sweet coffee shop Christmas romance! Love the light and fun atmosphere, the easy banter and cute wooing while supportive Ron cheers in the background, what a treat!

9. Ice Snakes, Glow-worms and Wolverine Stew by khalulu (2015, M, 8.4k)

Khalulu writes the softest Drarry, it never fails to put a smile on my face. This has a gentle and sweet get together, with lovely slow burn, a gorgeous San Francisco setting and matchmaker Kreacher 💗

10. Life goes not backward by @shealwaysreads (2020, T, 8.8k)

This delicate comfort fic has a special way to tug at my heartstrings - a gorgeous tale about found family and the unexpected wonders of life. Gentle, magical and breathtaking in its simplicity.

HUMOUR

11. in charge by @bonesliketambourines (2020, E, 2.4k)

The ultimate brat Draco, bossy and confident and absolutely gorgeous with his long hair and impossible snark. Charming and funny, this packs so much character and domestic bliss under 3k! Perfect spoiled Draco is perfect.

12. The Morning After by birdsofshore, capitu (2015, M, 5.3k)

This is hysterical and so delightfully creative - Draco exploring Harry’s kitchen and charming a prudish appliance is the kind of cute, silly endeavor I need with my morning coffee!

13. The Spoiling of Sex From Enthusiastic Ignorance by @cibeewastaken (2020, E, 6k)

I’m impossibly enamored with Cibee’s drama queen Draco and his passionate missions! This time he’s decided to get some good diq, and the dialogue and mutual pining will make you smile from beginning to end.

14. All Tied Up by MyNameIsThunder (2020, M, 6k)

This is a secret relationship delight! Sneaking around gets so much better when dramatic Blaise is losing his shit to protect the Council of Serpents’ integrity! A+ faux-drama, super fun and sweet.

15. Luckiest Fucking Size Queen Alive by @l0vegl0wsinthedark (2016, E, 6.2k)

My favorite brand of thirsty and chaotic Draco; being inside his mind is such a crazy ride and you won’t stop laughing for a second. Amazing dialogue and insanely scorching smut as per loveglows’ usual 🤤

16. Sex Ed for Aurors by curiouslyfic (2010, M, 8.7k)

This is a Harry triumph, so fun and charming! Here he’s the one chaotic and thirsty, for a change - I’m obsessed with his internal ranting under the lust potion. Brilliant narrative and top notch characterization, a classic!

17. Ferocious Determination, Insufficient Deliberation, and a Slightly Wrong Destination by Faith Wood (2012, E, 9.5k)

Drunk Draco has never been so absurd and I LOVE it! This goes from hilarious to vulnerable and sweet in a heartbeat; pining Draco is a precious thing and Harry’s gentle persistence made my heart swell.

18. Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (2018, E, 9.7k)

This fic could definitely use more appreciation - I had a blast with Draco’s hilarious voice and their cute married banter! The plot is quite original and I love the 8th year domestic vibes.

19. The Full Monty by @magpiefngrl (2017, E, 9.8k)

The calendar fic we deserve 👏🏻 this is ultimate thirsty Draco being completely obliterated by Harry’s casual attractiveness but mostly by his kind heart and big smile. One of my favorite comfort reads, hilarious, sweet and so damn sexy, the full monty combo is here!

20. Aural Gratification by birdsofshore (2014, E, 10k)

This fic is a classic, charming and hysterical with an adorable Harry thirsting over Draco’s smooth voice. Such an original concept and engaging read, not to mention the rewarding shade of smut!

SMUT

21. Tense by Faith Wood (2013, E, 3k)

Me, reading smut for the dialogue? It’s more likely than you think 😂 this fic is hilarious and hot all at once, with perfect banter and clever dialogue, really a smut triumph!

22. Under Your Skin by @p1013 (2020, Explicit, 4k)

Great premise and the sexiest build up, ugh so much teasing and anticipation as pierced Draco takes Auror Harry’s control away 🔥kudos at the A+ twist and promising ending!

23. The Slytherin Urn by @icmezzo (2015, E, 4.6k)

This fic’s geniality slaps me in the face, what a fascinating concept! Redemption kink and magical theory walk together as Harry loses his mind over competent Draco doing some badass curse-breaking ritual.

24. Once Bitten by Frayach (2012, E, 5.6k)

Still one of the hottest things I’ve ever read, lush and raw and absolutely breathtaking. Dark and tender at once, it explores biting kink with unapologetic precision and I love that!

25. Matched Set by astolat (2016, E, 5.7k)

One of my faves by the genius astolat, this is a perfect mix of hot size kink, A+ dirty talk and a brilliant and nuanced plot showing how Harry navigates his post-war reality. A must-read!

26. Teeth by @amelior8or (2020, E, 6k)

This fic is an emotional rollercoaster and goes from light-hearted and casual to vulnerable and tender in a second. Hot and intimate feat scorching wall sex, gut-punching lines and enthusiastic consent🔥

27. Born Slippy by @dracoladon (2020, E, 8.3k)

My favorite clubbing fic ever, clever and sensual, a master class in UST including the drunk haze confusion and panty kink as a treat! I can’t even talk about this fic without blushing 😳

28. The Page Eleven Wars by fireflavored (2010, E, 8.5k)

Competitive boys fighting for dominance both in bed and at the gossip column’s first page This is peak enemies to lovers: witty banter, hot smut screaming switching rights and feisty stubborn idiots finally getting over their asses.

29. The Things They Never Say by @bixgirl1 (2017, E, 9k)

Angry porn with (many) feels, this feels like a punch to the solar plexus. The explosive Drarry chemistry gives way to something quieter and gentler and full of longing, ugh but it aches so good. Absolutely exquisite!

30. Sweet Indulgence by @the-sinking-ship (2020, E, 10k)

The title says it all; this is a lush and charming read, with chaotic but nuanced Draco pining over authoritative, edgy Harry 😳 steaming pent up tension that culminates in glorious semi-public smut, is your body ready?

CONTEMPLATIVE/SOFT ANGST

31. Sharing a Pack by sugar_screw (2016, E, 2.7k)

A fully fleshed-out love story in less than 3k, with complex characters and powerful feels. Raw, poignant and unbelievably romantic.

32. Still Life by orphan_account (2019, M, 3k)

A superb and gut-punching story where Harry realizes all the little things that make Draco so very different from him - and falls in love anyway. Powerful in its simplicity and concise elegance.

33. Harmony (Left-Handed Melody Remix) by mindabbles (2010, M, 5.8k)

Draco finds his way post-war and Harry meets him in the middle. Aching and bittersweet but also hopeful, with a delicious side of coconut cake, Harry in black robes and Romeo & Juliet as soundtrack.

34. Let Me Have You and I'll Let You Save Me by Frayach (2012, M, 6k)

Enemies to lovers deluxe version! Come and feast on this original narrative, amazingly clever, rich and detailed, telling us an unlikely but inevitable love story.

35. A Pain of Our Choosing by @lqtraintracks (2020, E, 6k)

Broken boys fucking through their issues and healing together during the post-war is so my jam! A+ LQT goodness, this fic is evocative and quietly devastating, but full of feels and hope.

36. Our Little Life by @tackytigerfic (2020, M, 7k)

I’ve screamed about this brilliant fic recently; inventive, poignant and utterly romantic, this fic shows all the ways in which Harry and Draco find each other across space and time.

37. the keys to your kingdom by thistle_verse (2016, E, 7.5k)

A beautiful love story packing an impressive amount of character, conflict and emotion. We are invited to witness as work partners Harry and Draco finally take a leap of faith and grow out of their casual arrangement.

38. Clear As Mud by scoradh (2005, M, 9.8k)

Subtle and heart-wrenching, the sharp and clever narrative creates fascinating dynamics between this brilliantly written Draco and poor oblivious Harry trying to make sense out of it. An all-time fave. Cw: infidelity (not Drarry).

39. fine i'll hold my breath / til i forget it's complicated by teatrolley (2015, E, 10k)

Fucks buddies gone wrong but make it soft so we get to watch as pining Draco patiently waits for Harry to get the memo. Sweet and intimate, with lots of late night talks and comfortable silence.

40. Tidings of Comfort series by @blamebrampton (2012, G, 10k)

Quietly cathartic and atmospheric, this fic is a poignant balm to the soul; such a beautiful tone, such lovely interactions! A must-read for those who enjoy church settings, honest talks and redeemed Draco. All-time fave.

[gyrlversion]

How novelist Elizabeth Gilbert ended up with late lovers male pal

They could be any loved-up couple celebrating the joy of new romance with an impromptu selfie to share on Instagram. 

She gazes up into the camera with a dazzling smile, while he wraps her in an embrace, nuzzling her blonde hair.

But as her millions of fans know, nothing is quite so simple in the complicated, unconventional and rather topsy-turvy love life of best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert.

Three years ago Elizabeth Gilbert stunned her followers by leaving her second husband of ten years, Jose Nunes (left) — the handsome Brazilian ‘Felipe’ whom she fell in love with at the end of her Eat Pray Love travels — for a woman, her gay best friend Rayya Elias

Ever since she set off on a solo voyage of self-discovery across the world following the collapse of her first marriage 15 years ago — her 2006 memoir Eat Pray Love became a publishing phenomenon selling more than 12 million copies — Gilbert has continued to surprise her readers with myriad twists and turns.

Three years ago she stunned her followers by leaving her second husband of ten years, Jose Nunes — the handsome Brazilian ‘Felipe’ whom she fell in love with at the end of her Eat Pray Love travels — for a woman, her gay best friend Rayya Elias.

Now, 15 months after her lover’s tragic death from cancer at the age of 57, Elizabeth Gilbert has fallen in love again — this time with a man. The object of her affections is British photographer Simon MacArthur, 60, who was for years one of Rayya’s closest friends and a former flatmate.

Indeed, it was Bristol-born Mr MacArthur who took one of the last poignant photographs of Elizabeth and Rayya together — a beautiful black-and-white portrait of the couple — before the Syrian born-musician and documentary maker passed away.

Now, 15 months after the tragic death of Elias (right) from cancer at the age of 57, Elizabeth Gilbert has fallen in love again — this time with a man

But this week in an Instagram post, Miss Gilbert, 49, introduced her new love to the world with the following words: ‘Please meet my sweetheart, Mr Simon MacArthur. He’s a photographer from the UK. He’s a beautiful man who has been a friend of mine for years.’

She continues: ‘Even more touchingly, Simon was a beloved friend of Rayya’s for decades. They lived in London together over 30 years ago, and they adored each other like siblings. This, as you can imagine, means the world to me. Of late, Simon and I have found our way into each other’s arms. And now here we are, and his heart has been such a warm place for me to land.

‘I share this news publicly, despite the fact our love story is so new and young and tender, for a few reasons. For one thing I just want to say: If you see me walking around with a tall, handsome man on my arm, don’t be buggin’. Just know that your girl is happy and following her heart.’

As for Mr MacArthur, who is believed to have recently split from his American wife, his Instagram reply to a surprised friend’s query ‘Really?’ suggests that he is as stunned as Miss Gilbert’s fans by this sudden and unexpected turn of events.

‘I hardly know where to begin. Liz and I have been friends for a couple of years. A few months ago the stars seemed to align. We were both out of relationships, both believing that we were destined to be alone for the rest of our lives,’ he writes.

‘But Liz has had strong feelings for me for years and kept those under wraps. A few weeks ago she revealed them to me and we’ve found an incredible love here … We’re madly in love and planning our future together so, watch this space. We’re in the throes of introducing all our friends to each other.’

The object of Elizabeth Gilbert’s affections is British photographer Simon MacArthur, 60, who was for years one of Rayya’s closest friends and a former flatmate

Born in Claverham, Bristol, New York-based documentary photographer and ‘environmental portraitist’ Mr MacArthur describes himself on his website as ‘a globetrotter, intensely curious about the way the world works and how best to pass on that curiosity to others — always looking for what’s around the next corner’.

He continues: ‘A friend told me my photos have all the hallmarks of a humanist. I think it fits. I am an ardent animal rights advocate and avid scuba diver, campaigning for the end of the use of plastics that are devastating oceanic life.’

A graduate of Gwent College of Art and Design in Newport, South Wales, he has travelled the world capturing arresting images of people and nature in black and white. His subjects range from Welsh dry dock welders to fishermen in Mombasa.

‘Why do I shoot solely in monochrome? The answer is because I want my work stripped bare of everything but cause and emotion,’ he writes. ‘As an emotive human being, I need to feel what I’m shooting, to feel as though I’m almost an integral part of everything I shoot … ideally, interacting with my subject, in their skin.’

As for Miss Gilbert, in her Instagram post presenting her new sweetheart, she offers the following advice to others mourning a loved one — it’s OK to fall in love and feel like a ‘dumb and crazy and excited and insecure’ 16-year-old again in middle age.

‘Do not let your gorgeous loyalty to the deceased stop you from experiencing the marvels and terrors of your short, mortal, precious life. It’s OK to live, and to love.’

Born in Claverham, Bristol, New York-based documentary photographer and ‘environmental portraitist’ Mr MacArthur (left) describes himself on his website as ‘a globetrotter, intensely curious about the way the world works in how best to pass on that curiosity to others — always looking for what’s around the next corner’

Certainly the intertwined lives of these three New Yorkers — who for years were nothing more than just good friends — would make a remarkable third memoir for Gilbert, whose follow-up to Eat Pray Love was called Committed and explored her ambivalence towards marriage.

You could argue it has all the hallmarks of another Hollywood blockbuster, sequel perhaps to the 2010 film adaptation of Gilbert’s bestseller (it’s been translated into 30 languages) starring Julia Roberts as Gilbert and Spanish actor Javier Bardem as ‘Felipe’.

But will this new romance give Elizabeth Gilbert’s fans the neat happy ending they thought she’d found with Brazilian gem trader Jose Nunes, settling down to married life in a $1 million dollar Italianate Victorian mini-estate in the artsy, rural village of Frenchtown, New Jersey? For Gilbert’s voyage of self-discovery captured the zeitgeist. Described as ‘a Shirley Valentine for the yoga and quinoa generation’ and compared to Sex And The City’s Carrie Bradshaw ‘cut loose from New York’, Gilbert’s story struck a chord with women dreaming of escape.

Some followed in her exotic footsteps, enjoying pizza in Italy (Eat), finding spiritual enlightenment in Indian ashrams (Pray) before travelling on to Indonesia hopefully to fall into the arms of their own sexy ‘Felipe’ under the Banyan trees of Bali (Love).

Raised on a Christmas tree farm in Connecticut, Gilbert was a moderately successful writer when, aged 34 and reeling from a painful divorce, she set off on her solo odyssey across three continents to try to make sense of her life.

Gilbert and Elias held a non-legally binding commitment ceremony in New York prior to her death. Gilbert and Elias had been best friends for years but their relationship turned romantic after the cancer diagnosis

Writing on the tenth anniversary of the bestseller which turned her into a multi-millionaire, Miss Gilbert wrote: ‘The woman who went on this trip was exceedingly lucky …Who has 12 free months to spare, just to kick around the globe? Who has the freedom or the money?’

She continued: ‘One of the reasons I was so free that year was because I was such a mess. It was easy for me to leave everything behind because I didn’t have much to leave behind.

‘I had no property because I’d lost it all in my divorce. I had no romantic relationships, because I’d exploded them. I had no job because I’d quit. Everything was in turmoil, everything was in flux and I was so bloody sad.’

Reflecting on the tangled love life which triggered the odyssey, Gilbert wrote in 2015 with disarming honesty about her past romantic failings, under the heading Confessions Of A Seduction Addict.

‘Seduction was never a casual sport for me; it was more like a heist, adrenalising and urgent. I would plan the heist for months, scouting out the target, looking for unguarded entries,’ she wrote.

‘Then I would break into his deepest vault, steal all the emotional currency and spend it on myself. If the man was already involved in a committed relationship, I knew that I didn’t need to be prettier or better than his existing girlfriend; I just needed to be different.

Gilbert announced in September 2016 that her marriage was over and that she’d found love with her best friend of 17 years —Rayya Elias — a musician, writer, film maker, recovered drug addict, ex-punk rocker and former hairdresser whom she’d first met when Elias staged an ‘intervention’ on Gilbert’s hair (Above: the pair pictured together in 2014)

‘The trick was to study the other woman and to become her opposite, thereby positioning myself to this man as a sparkling alternative to his regular life.’

Although Miss Gilbert set off on her voyage, swearing she will ‘never, ever, under any circumstance, marry again’, in 2007 she did marry her exotic, older lover ‘Felipe’, Jose Nunes.

Together they set up an Asian imports emporium in New York called Two Buttons, and for ten years the glamorous couple seemed blissfully happy, living in Frenchtown’s most expensive house — built for New Jersey’s first native-born governor. ‘My marriage has been pretty f****** nice. Pretty steady,’ she said shortly before their shock break-up.

‘I always think about how, at the very beginning, he said: “Can you please be gentle with me?”, and I remember thinking: “You, sir, have come to the right place.” ’

In a long Facebook message to her fans, Gilbert announced in September 2016 that her marriage was over and that she’d found love with her best friend of 17 years —Rayya Elias — a musician, writer, film maker, recovered drug addict, ex-punk rocker and former hairdresser whom she’d first met when Elias staged an ‘intervention’ on Gilbert’s hair.

‘Rayya and I are together. I love her and she loves me,’ wrote Gilbert, adding that she realised the depth of her feeling for Rayya only when her best friend was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer.

‘Something happened to my heart and mind in the days and weeks following Rayya’s diagnosis,’ she continued. ‘Death — or the prospect of death — has a way of clearing away everything that is not real and, in that stark and utter realness, I was faced with this truth: I do not merely love Rayya; I am in love with Rayya. And I have no more time for denying that truth.’

Jose Nunes has never spoken of his divorce from Gilbert. Their Frenchtown mansion was listed for sale for $999,000 dollars, the New York shop sold and last October the couple’s two-bedroom apartment on a Wellness resort in Miami, Florida was listed for sale for $2.3 million dollars.

In an interview with a lesbian magazine about inspiring same-sex couples, Rayya Elias revealed she and Gilbert were ‘very happily not married’ but had gone through a non-legally-binding ceremony of their commitment to one another.

Describing their ‘slow burn of passion’ after ‘almost two decades of the deepest foundational friendship you could ever imagine’, Rayya said: ‘It took a long time. Then I was diagnosed with cancer, and that did it. There was no more time to waste. The truth had to be spoken.’

After Rayya’s death in January 2018, Elizabeth Gilbert posted this tribute: ‘She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star … and my baby.

‘I loved you so much, Rayya. Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It has been the greatest honour of my life. I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know you always found peace boring. May you rest in excitement. I will always love you.’

Today, a happy new chapter now appears to be opening for Elizabeth Gilbert — with the friend of the late best friend whom they both loved.

No doubt, her fans will be eagerly awaiting her next surprise.  

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