#i draw art of characters being affectionate all the time without the intent to them dating

[why-am-i-hereagain]

I keep finding art i think is cute of character cuddling, hugging, or otherwise hanging out and sending it to friends and being told they dont like whatever ship. I didnt realize it was ship art??? I just saw them bein cute and vibin???

[ooffies]

ᴋᴀᴇʏᴀ, ᴄʜɪʟᴅᴇ, ᴠᴇɴᴛɪ, xɪᴀᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ ᴀꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ (ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀꜱ)

characters x gn!reader, modern AU

a/n: this wasn’t edited/proof read so I apologize if there are any errors

warnings: none

requested by no one

tagging @genshin-obsessed (heyyy pocket lmao- 🍷❤)

Tip jar

Kaeya  → the cool dad

He’s a very chill parent (pun intended)

Has rules but is very loose with them

Just cause he’s the cool parent doesn’t mean he’s not strict at times (he can be very strict if needed)

He’s a very affectionate and doting parent, always showering the kids with love and hugs

Spoils both you and the kids, he can’t help it cause he just loves you guys so much

All of your kid’s friends call him dad and constantly say they wish they had a cool dad like Kaeya

Always willing to drive the kids somewhere or take them out for a day if you need a break

He still makes sure you two get alone time together and takes you on dates frequently

Sneaks kisses whenever he can. A peck on your cheek or your lips, he also loves seeing your reaction to his surprise kiss

Family game night is a tradition for your family and Kaeya is the king of losing on purpose to make is kids smile

He absolutely loved playing with kids when they were younger and you still often find them playing fighting in the backyard when they come to visit

 He really tries to be the best father he can and sometimes puts way to much pressure on himself

Loves styling the kid’s hair and will let them play with his hair. Sometimes you'll walk downstairs and be greeted by Kaeya with a head full of bows, hair clips and mini ponytails.

Whenever the kids would have nightmares he’d go into their room and fight the “nightmare” monster. He’d come out of the room 3 minutes later and tell the kids he beat it with his super awesome sword skills 

Childe  → the tries too hard to be hip and trendy with kids dad

First off he is a very doting dad, he loves his children so much and calls them his precious babies and often says he cannot live without them

He’s very much a *ahem* malewife *AHEM* (don’t try to change my mind, it will not change no matter what you say). Even though he’s hella rich he wants to spend all the time he can with his kids.

He cooks, cleans, packs the kid’s lunches in the morning and makes sure to give you a kiss whenever you return home from work and say “How was your day at work babe?”

He really, and I mean really, tries to be cool with kids. Spends time looking into “the latest and hip’ trends that all the kids are hopping on. They thought he was the coolest when they were younger but now they call him cringe and say he’s trying too hard and that he’s cool just the way he is. 

It broke his old man's heart when they said it to him the first time and he cried for 30 minutes straight, you made them apologize to him even though you know they meant no ill intentions. Now calling him cringe is a family joke :)

Encourages the kids to learn something that will “help them wins fights and emerge victorious from all the battles they fight” 

You put a quick stop to that and told the kids that they can do any activities they want

He’s still very supportive of what they choose to do and will always be their number one supporter 

He’s a big cuddler and often initiates family cuddle piles. 

Venti → wine dad

Chill dad #2. He wants his kids to be free and be who they are. You still set some basic ground rules for them.

Very doting and affectionate and will always give you and the kids all his love 

Stopped drinking as much when they kids were born/adopted 

He acts like a wine aunt (hence wine dad)

LOVES reading the kids bedtime stories but this also became a family activity since you’d always accompany him. He’ll also sing them lullabies and he’ll sing you lullabies every night too

Even when your kids are older he’ll still read them stories and sing to them.

Doesn’t really like to do household chores but he’ll do them for you (He will complain though)

He does enjoy cook though and likes to help make dinner for special occasions/holidays

He will teach his kids how to play instruments and sing. He won’t force them into it but wants them to at least try it

Get’s pouty if the kids get taller him and will tell them to stop growing or he’s gonna steal their height 

Another family tradition you guys have is weekend picnics. Venti usually chooses the location because he somehow finds all the prettiest places in town. He would tell the kids it was his magic talent when they were younger.

Encourages the kids to go to summer camp so they can “build unforgettable memories and be closer to nature. (But really he just wants to have some alone time with you) 

Xiao → the emo dad

On the outside he seems cold and very un-affectionate but oh boy he’s quite the opposite

He’s willing to do anything for you and the kids because you guys are the most important things in the world to him

He’s also somewhat of a malewife too but it was completely his choice. He just wanted to take care of his family.

He doesn’t like it when you come home from work and start doing chores. He’ll force you to sit down and relax. He’ll say that he’s got everything under control and there no need for you to stress yourself over chores

The main way he shows you and the kids affection is through acts of service. 

Like I said before he’ll do the majority of the household chores, the kids also have their few assigned chores (and you help out with chores if he lets you)

He’ll help the kids with their homework, make them lunch, read them bedtime stories, brush their hair for them, take care of them when they’re sick, ect.

 Only shows a limited amount of affection in public. He’ll hold your hand and carry the kids but that’s about it

In private however he is willing to accept all the affection you and the kids give him

He often struggles helping his kids out when it comes to emotional problems/issues but he always does his best. He’s always there to a lend an ear

He’s not vocal about it or always showing it but he’s your guy’s number one supporter.

Evening walks after dinner is a family tradition you guys have had ever since the kids started walking. 

When they were young he’d let them sit on shoulders and would give them piggyback rides

He can be very strict and overprotective sometimes but that’s just cause he wants the best for his kids

Albedo →  the art dad

He may not be the best at giving affection but he is a very supportive and doting dad

He likes draws pictures for the kids, even when their older he still does because he said seeing their smile when he give his art to them is a very special and happy feeling that he never wants to go away

Helps out with household chores but absolutely despises mopping.

He’s always there to listen to the kids talk about their latest obsessions/interests 

He’s not very good at comforting but he really does try too

Makes you guys take family photos every so he can paint them later

Teaches the kids about art and alchemy if they show interest in either

When they were young he used to make kid safe experiments for them

Road trips are a family tradition. Albedo enjoys them cause he gets to draw the pretty scenery and thinks it’s one of the best to to spend quality time with family

 He wakes up like a mom so whenever the kids would wake him when they’d have a nightmare he’d get startled and almost launch himself out of bed with a high pitched screech 

Encourages the kids to have playdates with their friends often (he actually just wants more alone time with you)

He’s also the type of parent that draws on the walls with the kids when he finds them doing it. And yes he doesn’t care if they’re using sharpie he’ll still join in. Yes you’ve scolded all them multiple times and no they never learn their lesson, Albedo too. He always promises that he’ll “clean” it up which results in most of the wall in the house being murals cause his “cleaning up” is just him painting over it.

[kaimactrash]

eyy, i really wanted to draw some pride art of my lgbtqia+ ocs, but due to an odd nerve pain I've been getting in my drawing hand, i dont have enough time that i can draw, to draw full pieces of each, so instead i made them toon-y style minis of the characters!

I started with bisexuals cuz i love their flag, and in the year of our lord 2020, there needs to be more bi/pan  solidarity! So heres my contribution.

Top left we have Fulo, a foolhardy elder who is very affectionate, they love making friends and have a lot of talent in singing and voice control.

Bottom left we have Landon, the co-protag of my comic, and the only character to have a chaper about them so far! Hes shy and still very much discovering and understanding his sexuality when the comic begins, but he finds his way and his happiness.

next to Landon is Raleigh, an extremely unlucky fella, but with enchanted prostectic limbs and a lot of physical rehab, he gains back some of his mobilty in the years following the incident that caused his quadruple amputation from the elbows and knees down on each limb. He is very charming and tends to be a very flirty fella when it seems like the person being flirted with is into it, without a obviously postive response, he stops.

Next to Raleigh is Safaia, she begins as a bit of an antagonist, but she sees the light soon enough, she is passionate, fiery, and powerful, but she loves having fun and working out, shed like to be a vigilante one day.

bigging up Safaia, right beside her is Kitty! Shes got good intentions but her attitude, her efforts, and her words dont back this up well, but she wants to make others like her, she struggles against being a contrarian.

Next to Kitty is Lo, one of those dudes....mystery! but a very excitable and affectionate demon, they tend to perform a guise to get people intrested because they struggle to be intresting to themselves.

up in top right is Dulo, another elder demon, they are a very lazy and unmotivated person, yet they struggle to pay attention to anything unless theres multiple stimulation. absolutely obcessed with human culture but its all basically shallow stereotypes of earth life theyre being told of!

Happy pride bisexuals! And all others in the community!

[takadanobaba]

Jin Norizuki’s Birthday PriZoom 7/18/2021

Oh the things I do for Jin Norizuki

That was SUCH an experience. I had a lot of fun!! 

Main takeaway is that I am now acutely aware of when to YO in a song

(Okay so this is my first time attending a prizoom (or even any kinpri screening outside of Luna’s sss rabbit sessions!) so this is all entirely new to me and I can’t really compare it to much, but I figured that it’d be good to write up a report of sorts to fill in for Luna in a way!)

The prizooms are also accessible to everyone and don’t require any Japanese info confirmation!! If you’re interested in attending please go and support kinpri!!!

(Note: I think about Jin wayyyy too much and interpret them as nonbinary, so I use they/them pronouns for Jin. It’s just automatic for me at this point and feels weird otherwise haha so I’ll be doing that in this)

Jin is my all time favorite character and love of my life who I’m extremely delusional about so when a prizoom was announced for their birthday I went INSANE because I didn’t expect Jin’s birthday to be acknowledged AT ALL given how they’re usually excluded/treated like a side character (+ kinpri’s been putting out little to no content lately anyways....haha....). I was waiting in anticipation ever since it was announced (around June 6th) and even put in a time-off request for my work the day of its announcement just so I could attend!!!! ........ You can imagine my frustration at kinpri waiting until the very last minute to put out details about Jin’s prizoom ^^;

💙 💙 💙 💙 💙 💙 

Also!! I’m a complete ~ foreigner ~ and managed to get tickets perfectly fine with my American credit card (and putting in some very obviously Not-An-Actual-Resident-Of-Japan address info...)! So if anyone’s curious about attending a prizoom but worried about region-locking, it’s possible! Very possible! If you’re interested in it, please go! You don’t need to have a Japanese phone number/credit card/address/etc. to purchase PriZoom tickets on RakutenTicket! It’s such an experience! If you need any help buying tickets then I’d be more than happy to assist!! Please support the PriZoom screenings and help increase the demand for more kinpri content!!!!!!!!!!!! I will personally become a living prizoom advertisement

(Also if any kinpri staff find this: I’m sorry for not respecting rules this time but I just wanted to provide a detailed account of the prizoom event and encourage participation for other foreign fans! I won’t do this again!!!)

💙 💙 💙 💙 💙 💙 

I only attended the first and third showings (consisting of the first movie and Over the Sunshine!) because I wanted to see the new/not currently archived content (the second/pride the hero showing’s bonus was just Jin’s birthday video by Joji which I already revisit little too much ahaha). I also went to the chat-only rooms because I wasn’t very confident that I wouldn’t be awkward with my nonexistent cheering experience and intent to just observe what its like (despite knowing that the cheering rooms are more fun based on what Luna said haha). That, and I was planning on using the EXTREMELY OBNOXIOUS soundboard of ABSOLUTE CHAOS for everything since I have issues with voice dysphoria and figured it’d be good to stick to the room with that normalized as the one and only cheering method so participating would be a little less annoying to others, since we’d all have the same idea ^^;

I’m more active on twitter and follow/am mutuals with pretty much anybody who likes Jin enough to post about them, so it was cool seeing almost everyone there! At least half of them tweeted about this being their first prizoom haha. Jin’s birthday was also promoted as a good introduction to prizooms since the first showing was set at a price point of 718 yen instead of the usual 1,760 yen? So, lots of first timers attending! I guess most people had the same thought process as me about the whole insecure-about-not-being-used-to-proper-cheering/using-their-mic thing? Because most of my twitter following ended up in the chat-only rooms with me! Fun!

Also interesting how most people chose the male voice option for the cheering soundboard feature since there’s actually only 2 men who love Jin like that (I’m included in that number!!) in the Jin-obsessed twitter circle. I guess it was because it sounds kinda Joji-ish? and therefore fitting for an event dedicated to Jin! What with them being meant for each other and all.... Plus being Joji is just a fun way to play off having issues about using your own voice (I... project onto Joji a lot.)

👆 👆 👆

Okay I actually typed up all of the above during the second showing (since I wasn’t occupied attending that one) and everyone had the same train of thought and was definitely being Joji. You know that one “song” in Over the Sunshine- Glorious Schwarz- consisting of Joji just going wild infodumping for 3.5 minutes? Yeah EVERYONE who selected the male voice option was spamming 「おれもー！」/ “ME TOO!!!” during that (including me!). So it was like:

“I weighed 4646 grams at birth! ☆” 

“MMMMEMEEMEMMT MEE ME MEEE EMME ME   ME TOO M M ME TOO”

SO OBNOXIOUS. I LOVE IT. EVERYONE SHARING THE SAME BRAINCELL. THE JOJI BRAINCELL.

💙

The highlight of the prizoom  (in my opinion) was when some guy repeatedly hit よっ！/ YO! to the music in the first movie, which then led to everyone having a collective ~ Realization ~ 

After that happened, everybody joined in and started YO!-ing along in the other lives. Beautiful.

(Blurred recording of Dramatic Love and Showcase Night just so YO!u can see what I mean.)

(I only did those two to test screen recording after failing to archive the first Jin bonus while using the soundboard feature in the first showing, initially I didn’t intend to record anything but the bonuses and will not be doing that anymore. If you attend, don’t be like me or worse!!!! Please!! I’ll delete these if needed/after a few weeks. Also just wanted to mention that Koi no Royal Straight Flush is up there in Kinpri’s Most YO!-able songs)

I love this soundboard feature. Sounds like hell. Prizooms are truely a new form of art because of it. Amazing how cheering screenings have evolved over a pandemic. Music feels empty to me without the YO!s now. After this I ended up listening to the entire kinpri discography so I could determine the YO!ability of each song. Not sure if every prizoom is like that? But I really want to go to more showings just for the community experience! I’m morbidly curious as to how many people would try to YO! to Platonic Sword. I considered going to Rei’s because they’re showing Shiny Rose Stars, but I probably won’t though since money and sleep are things (They really should make tickets no more than 1,000 yen.... they’re zoom meetings with audio problems....THE AUDIO ISSUES ARE FUN THOUGH! YOU CAN SPAM “GANBATTE” WITH EVERYONE!!) Plus while I do like every kinpri character, none of the street boys are really my favorites and going to every showing regardless of character would be a lot. I assumed that I was only going to try attending Joji’s until they announced that they were gonna do something for Jin!! So if you want to see what it’s like PLEASE get tickets and experience it for yourself!! It’s so much more fun participating !!!! Relying on 1-2 people to post event summaries isn’t exactly consistent coverage of every prizoom either!

\ よっ！/      \ よっ！/      \ よっ！/

So much of this is a community experience that you just have to see for yourself! It’s really cool seeing people go all out for their favorites and just going wild. Notable participants include:

- Two separate people just working out the entire time (one of them doing “Prism Exercise” meaning very high effort full-body cheering and dancing? It was really impressive seeing them go all-out for such a long time!)

- Two (2!) Ai cosplayers!!! One attending the prizoom with a Jin cosplayer!!

- The lady who cosplayed Jin in their cute green pre-retirement prism star outfit WITH A HUGE JIN PUPPET IN THE SAME STYLE AS THE SHUFFLE PUPPETS IN THE STAGEPLAY!!!

- That one person who just had a Minato fish head on the entire time (?!)

- A Victoria cosplayer who showed off a really nice!! drawing of Jin they did during the participant showcase at the end of the screenings

- The person with a REALLY CUTE!!!!! homemade Jin plushie!!

- Two people who attended with 3D/vtuber style models of the Go Go Glorious! (YMT29 subunit) members: Noel Tokyo and Mikado Shibuya (who also had a model of Ai!)

- A really cute Joji vtuber model!

💙 💙 💙 💙 💙 💙

The bonuses were Jin’s birthday video from 2016 and a birthday message of sorts from Jin!

I actually didn’t manage to properly archive the first one as intended because things went horribly wrong so I ended up with nothing but just a terrible (said affectionately) little recording of the soundboard I linked earlier. But whatever I shouldn’t be doing that anyways. Hopefully kinpri includes that and the other prizoom bonuses in something later.... the thought of any content being stuck as lost media terrifies me. I don’t have a good enough memory or a high enough Japanese proficiency level to type it out but it wasn’t particularly analyzable or anything (telling that to myself to make me feel better about losing it). Just the usual Jin being dramatic and going on an evil monologue. Jin being evil ASMR. I lovingly burned another one of Jin’s evil laughs into my mind too so there’s that.

For the 3rd showing bonus however I did not fail though it’s arguably the less interesting bonus of the two since it’s unvoiced. I really love Jin’s voice. Big sexy. Actual dialogue is pretty similar to each other from what I’ve gathered (ending with one of Jin’s cute little アーーーッハッハッハッ！！！！！’s (the text effect for the unvoiced bonus was an appreciated detail!). 

(I’m not very confident in my ability to provide a good translation so I’ll just not embarrass myself)

“ AAAaAAaHAHAAHAAa ~ ! ! ! ! ! ! ! “

💙

Yes Jin I’ll support you in the future-!!! ヾ(>▽ <、 )

I’ll never not be obsessed but it’d still be nice to have more substantial content to gush about and do that with.... Kinpri come back and release an anime continuation.... give me the Jin plot development....kinpri come back my happiness is a little too reliant on you

After the showings you get an email asking for feedback which is cool! I’ve been waiting to complain about how 法月 is written as Noriduki instead of Norizuki for the longest time but I never had a chance until now haha. Makes it so painful for me to buy Jin merch. Also begged for an anime continuation. I wonder how much they take into account feedback? I guess I’ll see when/if they start writing Jin’s name how it’s supposed to be.

ANYWAYS

IF YOU WANT TO GO TO A PRIZOOM, DO IT!

Prism shows really are best experienced with a community!!! If you like kinpri it’s a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to experience what a cheering screening is like with the Japanese fanbase from the comfort of your very own home which is most likely nowhere near Japan!! Everyone should experience prism shows!!!! I have no regrets and I’m still so hyped from the prism sparkle!!!

ANYBODY CAN ATTEND AND BUY TICKETS EVEN WITHOUT JAPANESE INFORMATION!!!

 \\   GLORIOUS SCHWARZ!   //

[readerinsertfanfiction]

Exchange

Fandom: Ikemen Series

Prompt: Wow, did anyone expect this? I certainly didn’t. Anyway, @kamesama​ and I made a little deal and with that deal this exchange came to be. I also added a lil’ surprise, because I like surprises and one may even consider her victim #7.

For someone to deserve Kamemom’s attention the suitor needs to be someone a little more in tune with their emotions. Someone who won’t play (emotional) mindgames, or set unfair expectations. Above all it needs to be someone that can appreciate Kamemom’s duality of being a badass, confident and independent individual whilst also being sensitive with her insecure and childlike moments. Important is that Kamemom finds the comfort and room in her relationship to be herself, express herself, but that it also teaches her to be alright to slow down and not focus on growth and adulthood yet. That enjoying life is also something that can be done when older and that being free and yourself isn’t childish. A relationship that will encourage her intellectually and creatively is of importance as well, but one where she doesn’t feel like she is miles behind to catch up on. For this reason I match her with:

Ranmaru Mori

With the recent release of Kennyo’s route we have come to see more of this young male and his motivations. What moves him and what drives him. It is from there that we can draw the conclusion that he is devoted, attentive and someone who just wants to make his loved ones happy. Despite his youth Ranmaru carries a huge responsibility and task on his small shoulders, much like Kamemom does. It is in this similarity that I believe the two of them to bond over as friends first. Both are sharp in their intuitions and are a whole lot more sensitive from what they like to show themselves. In part, I believe this is what will draw Ranmaru to Kame, because she often tends to sacrifice herself for the happiness of others, or as she put it: she finds her own worth in the smile of another. Much in the same way does Ranmaru weigh himself.

Now imagine, two good beans coming together who just want to make their most precious smile and each other? It is wholesome and it is uplifting. Kamemom being a little shy and reserved in character is no border either, for Ranmaru is bubbly and bright, without being pushy in his friendliness and willingness to get along. He will be exactly what she needs to get coaxed out of her shell and to break open that absolute chaotic energy that she holds within.

They are by no means a perfect match, however. Though not manipulative, Ranmaru holds his secrets and they affect his confidence as much as his mentality. The chances of this being a tipping point in her trust for him could mean the end. His willingness to do absolutely anything to make Kennyo ‘happy’ can mean that he might turn his back on Kamemom believing that to be the right choice. Bright as the young man is, we cannot claim that he is wise, unfortunately. This path of self-destruction will be ultimately what can make everything fall apart. But never fear! The chances of it turning that dramatic are slim for the people surrounding Ranmaru care just as much about him as he does about them, even if he doesn’t realise it.

Date ideas: Visiting all of the candy shops and get high on sugar together, cuddlefests, long hikes to get rid of the excess energy gained from the sugar and sassing the rest of the warlords.

Scenario: The light step of his gait were contradicting towards the energy and excitement he excuded. Rounding the corner Ranmaru’s eyes lit up at the sight of Kame, his smile unconsciously widening even further from what it already was. 

“Just the person I was looking for!” he exclaimed approaching the female with a sway in his movements, “there is a new stand opening in the castle town and they sell delicious peach snacks, do you want to try it with me?” 

The invitation was easily extended, as if it was the most natural thing to do. Though, Ranmaru knew that the beat of his heart suggested otherwise as he felt his breath stall just for a second, as if fearing a rejection heading his way. 

SECOND MATCH: 

Keiji Maeda

In case the first match is not appreciated I luckily have a second proposal to pitch! He isn’t out yet in the English version, but soon shall be and from the stories I have heard I believe Kamemom and Keiji make an interesting match. Boisterous and confident Keiji is a force to be reckoned with, an older brother figure for many, a friend to all. Once more this affable man is friendly without being pushy and comes with the right amount of adventure to keep Kamemom on her toes.

However, just like Ranmaru this man has a hidden layer that he doesn’t like to show. A hurt child within that only few seem to care and pick up on. An attentive man that pays close attention to everyone's moods and adjusts himself accordingly because he wishes to make everyone smile. Yes, there is a pattern here. The Kamemom that loves to make everyone else smile and laugh meets her match in another soul alike. This wildchild is as much in need of someone who will make him smile just as much as he loves to make everyone else smile.

Now what concerns me the most in this match is the tendency of both to hide behind their masks. As common within these types they will recognise the behaviour, but not call upon it. The question thus remains if they will ever shed said masks. But I have faith that time will undo it all for the both of them, time and timing. The fact that they’re both known as equestrians gives them a shared activity to bond over with.

Date ideas: Horse riding/races, cuddlefests, art hours (poetry, music, everything), going to festivals and parties.

Scenario: Always on the move, always busy with something. Keiji knew how to occupy himself, but that did not mean he didn’t know how to enjoy life. Far be it for him as he lead two horses out of the stables. His trusty steed along with another. 

“We’re going out for a ride and after that I will take you to the festival. If you can beat me I will even treat you!” he had challenged Kame as he handed the horse over, though he already had all of the intention to treat her anyway. Just none in letting her win so easily. 

BONUS: Ikemen Vampire Match 

Charles Henri Sanson

Now, I have come to understand that Kamemom has been matched with this bean multiple times now and whilst this suitor isn’t introduced yet in the English version of the app I have been (suffering) all of the stories related to him. Anyway, Charles is a caring and affectionate young man with the magical ability to make friends with all! Eager to make everyone smile he is just one bundle of joy ready to share his sparkle with the world. And yes, there is a definite pattern here in my ideas of matching Kamemom.

Just like with everyone else Charles has a dark past and his secrets as well as his pain. Wishing to be a doctor, but denied to pursue it because of prejudices and a status as a pariah, he is catching up now on his dreams. This means that Kamemom and Charles can have study sessions together in which they can cuddle up and encourage each other to pursue the path they both are aiming for. All in the meanwhile they could cheer each other on with their bad days and make one another smile.

Admittedly, I don’t know enough about Charles to voice any legitimate concerns, but one that I have seen is perhaps his overly attached nature. Kamemom may be affectionate, but also may feel overwhelmed. She will have to draw clear boundaries with Charles, though I believe that Charles is more than ready to respect all and everything Kamemom is and wishes.

Date ideas: Study sessions, cuddlefests, playing tag, go around and cause mischief while playing doctor

Scenario: “Are you hungry?” the question sounded hollow through the large study hall the two of you occupied in the castle. Books spread out all across the long table along with notes and other curiosa as the redhead looked up at his studymate. 

“I can steal some strawberries for you?” he adds in with a twinkle in his eyes, though the both of you know that it might be better to grab a different snack. 

[to-read-or-not-to-read3088]

70+ disabled, neurodiverse and chronically ill authors COLLAB

This post is in collaboration with several other bloggers whose links are included here:

Artie Carden

Anniek

Hi! It’s been a while since I posted anything, but this post has been a month in the making. I have twenty books by twenty authors for my part in this collaboration, and you can check out the other parts of the collab with the links at the top of the post.

I haven’t read some of these books but almost all of them are on my to be read pile, and I did extensive research to make sure I got this right, but please let me know if there are any mistakes or if anything needs to be corrected.

1. Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

📷

Meet Cute Diary follows Noah Ramirez who thinks he’s an expert on romance. He must be for his blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem. All the stories are fake. What started off as the fantasies of a trans boy who was afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe. Noah’s world unravels when a troll exposes the blog as fiction, and the only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. That’s when Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place. Drew is willing to fake date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realises that dating in real life isn’t the same as finding love on the page.

The author, Emery Lee, is a kid lit author, artist and YouTuber hailing from a mixed racial background. After graduating with a degree in creative writing, e’s gone on to author novels, short stories and webcomics. When away from reading and writing, you’ll likely find em engaged in art or snuggling with cute dogs.

Emery Lee is nonbinary, and uses e/em pronouns, and e’s debut book, Meet Cute Diary, features a side character who is also nonbinary (and asexual!). Emery is also neurodivergent, and frequently speaks about what its like being a writer with adhd on twitter.

Meet Cute Diary is a book I only discovered last month, when it was published, but I’m excited to read it. It has representation of all kinds, and I love any book that has even a little mention of an asexual character because its so rare to see.

2. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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At Niveus Private Academy money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because an anonymous texter calling themselves Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light. Devon, a talented musician, buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Chiamaka, head girl, isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high school game.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, is the author of the instant New York Times and IndieBound bestseller, Ace of Spades, billed as ‘Get out meets Gossip Girl’. Entertainment Weekly has called it “this summer’s hottest YA debut”. She was born and raised in Croydon, South London, and Faridah moved to the Scottish Highlands for her undergraduate degree where she completed a BA in English Literature. She has established and runs and mentorship scheme for unagented writers of colour, helping them on their journey to get published. Faridah has also written for NME, The Bookseller, Readers Digest and gal-dem.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s book is one that I pre-ordered months in advance, after discovering that I actually really liked this sub-genre of YA, and although I still haven’t read it yet (sorry!), I’m still super excited to dive into it. From what I hear, it has some gay rep, which we all know by now is something I seek out in my books.

3. Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal

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Priya has worked hard to pursue her pre med dreams at Stanford, but a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease during her sophomore year sends her straight back to her loving but overbearing family in New Jersey and leaves her wondering if she’ll ever be able to return to the way things were. Thankfully she has her online pen pal, Brigid, and the rest of the members of “oof ouch my bones,” a virtual support group that meets on Discord to crack jokes and vent about their own chronic illnesses. When Brigid suddenly goes offline, Priya does something very out of character; she steals the family car and drives to Pennsylvania to check on Brigid. Priya isn’t sure what to expect, but it isn’t the creature that’s shut in the basement. With Brigid nowhere in sight, Priya begins to puzzle together an impossible but obvious truth: the creature might be werewolf – and the werewolf might be Brigid. As Brigid’s unique condition worsens, their friendship will be deepened and challenged in unexpected ways, forcing them to reckon with their own ideas of what it means to be normal.

Kristen O’Neal is a freelance writer who’s written for sites like Buzzfeed Reader, Christianity Today, Birth.Movies.Death, LitHub and Electric Literature. She writes about faith, culture, and unexplained phenomena. Her debut novel, Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses is based on her own experiences with being chronically ill. Kristen has two autoimmune disorders and “a number of other problems and issues” with her body. According to her website, she is doing much better than she used to, but still has flares somewhat regularly.

I cannot describe the feeling of seeing a published book with the best group chat name I have ever seen. Oof ouch my bones is absolutely something that I would be part of if it really existed, because its just such a mood, and funny at the same time. I pre ordered this book too, but like all the others, I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. I’m super excited about it though and cannot recommend it enough.

4. Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

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Will Tavares is the dream summer fling – he’s fun, affectionate, kind – but just when Ollie thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends, and Will stops texting Ollie back. Now Ollie is one prince short of his fairy tale ending, and to complicate the fairy tale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realises it’s the same school Will goes to…except Ollie finds out that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted – and to be honest, a jerk. Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship, especially since this new, bro-y jock version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts “coincidentally” popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening. The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again. Right? Right.

Sophie Gonzales was born and raised in Whyalla, South Australia, where the Outback Meets the Sea. She now lives in Melbourne, where there’s no outback in sight. Sophie’s been writing since the age of five, when her mother decided to help her type out one of the stories she had come up with in the bathtub. They ran into artistic differences when five-year-old Sophie insisted that everybody die in the end, while her mother wanted the characters to simply go out for a milkshake. Since then, Sophie has been completing her novels without a transcript. Sophie Gonzales tweets about her experiences with ADHD on her twitter.

Only mostly devasted is one of the few books on this list that I’ve read. I read the whole thing in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down, which is weird because I normally don’t read contemporary at all. I have recommended this book to literally everyone I know, and even bought my best friend a copy to convince her to read it.

5. The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones

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Seventeen-year-old Aderyn ("Ryn") only cares about two things: her family, and her family's graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meagre existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don't always stay dead. The risen corpses are known as "bone houses," and legend says that they're the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good? Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves.

Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California.

Another book on my to be read pile that I’m super excited to read, but still haven’t gotten around to. This one features disability rep, but because I haven’t read it, I don’t know much more, sorry guys.

6. Mooncakes by Susanne Walker and Wendy Xu

📷Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Suzanne Walker is a Chicago-based writer and editor. She is co-creator of the Hugo-nominated graphic novel Mooncakes (2019, Lion Forge/Oni Press). Her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld and Uncanny Magazine, and she has published nonfiction articles with Uncanny Magazine, StarTrek.com, Women Write About Comics, and the anthology Barriers and Belonging: Personal Narratives of Disability. She has spoken at numerous conventions on a variety of topics ranging from disability representation in sci-fi/fantasy to comics collaboration.

Wendy Xu is a Brooklyn-based illustrator and comics artist. She is co-creator of and currently draws the webcomic Mooncakes. Her work has been featured on Tor.com, as part of the Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion exhibit permanently housed at the Chinese Historical Society of America, and in Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology. She occasionally teaches at the Asian American Writers Workshop and currently works as an assistant editor curating young adult and children’s books.

Suzanne Walker suffers from hearing loss, something that she wrote into her graphic novel, Mooncakes, making Nova hard of hearing. I read this in a few years ago as an advance reader copy for Netgalley and it was honestly one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. The main characters are Chinese American, queer AND magic, which is an amazing combination of representation.

7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone… A convict with a thirst for revenge A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager A runaway with a privileged past A spy known as the Wraith A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, The Language of Thorns, and King of Scars—with more to come. Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Ninth House (Goodreads Choice Winner for Best Fantasy 2019) which is being developed for television by Amazon Studios.

Leigh grew up in Southern California and graduated from Yale University. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles.

In the acknowledgements section of Six of Crows, Bardugo reveals she suffers from osteonecrosis and sometimes needs to use a cane; this was a source of inspiration for one of the story's six protagonists, master thief and gang boss Kaz Brekker, who uses a cane.

I read Six of Crows a few years ago and I really loved it. I’m not going to pretend I managed to finish the whole Grishaverse series, because I haven’t even gotten close yet, but it really showed Kaz’s struggles with his disability, and his mental health. This is part of a duology, and the duology is part of a large series of books with another duology and trilogy, but Six of Crows can be read without reading the others.

8. Hyperbole and A Half by Allie Brosh

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This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So, I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book: Pictures Words Stories about things that happened to me Stories about things that happened to other people because of me Eight billion dollars* Stories about dogs The secret to eternal happiness* *These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

Allie is an American blogger, writer and comic artist best known for her blog in the form of a webcomic Hyperbole and a Half. Brosh started Hyperbole in 2009 and told stories from her life in a mix of text and intentionally crude illustrations. She has published two books telling stories in the same style, both of which have been New York Times bestsellers. Brosh lives with severe depression and ADHD, and her comics on depression have won praise from fans and mental health professionals.

Another book on my tbr that I just haven’t gotten around to but really want to.

9. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

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What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just must find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions...

Patrick Ness, an award-winning novelist, has written for England’s Radio 4 and Sunday Telegraph and is a literary critic for The Guardian. He has written many books, including the Chaos Walking Trilogy, The Crash of Hennington, Topics About Which I Know Nothing, and A Monster Calls. He has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the Costa Children’s Book Award. Born in Virginia, he currently lives in London.

Patrick Ness has written about OCD and anxiety in at least two of his books, inspired by his own experiences with the two disorders and how it affects him (The Rest of Us Just Live Here & Release)

10. Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire

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Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations No Visitors No Quests Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter. No matter the cost.

Seanan lives in an idiosyncratically designed labyrinth in the Pacific Northwest, which she shares with her cats, Alice and Thomas, a vast collection of creepy dolls and horror movies, and sufficient books to qualify her as a fire hazard. She has strongly held and oft-expressed beliefs about the origins of the Black Death, the X-Men, and the need for chainsaws in daily life.

Years of writing blurbs for convention program books have fixed Seanan in the habit of writing all her bios in the third person, to sound marginally less dorky. Stress is on the "marginally." It probably doesn't help that she has so many hobbies.

Seanan was the winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her novel Feed (as Mira Grant) was named as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2010. In 2013 she became the first person ever to appear five times on the same Hugo Ballot.

Seanan McGuire has an invisible disability due to herniated disks in her spine. She is slowly coming to terms with this, and talks about it occasionally on her twitter, and about the struggles she faces.

I loved this book, and so did my best friend. We both read it in one sitting and talked nonstop about it afterwards. Although short, its filled with amazing characters, plot, and representation (asexual character!!)

11. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honour they could hope for...and the most demeaning. This year, there's a ninth. And instead 📷of paper, she's made of fire. In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumoured beauty has piqued the king's interest. Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable -- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.

Natasha Ngan is a writer and yoga teacher. She grew up between Malaysia, where the Chinese side of her family is from, and the UK. This multicultural upbringing continues to influence her writing, and she is passionate about bringing diverse stories to teens. Ngan studied Geography at the University of Cambridge before working as a social media consultant and fashion blogger. She lives in France with her partner, where they recently moved from Paris to be closer to the sea. Her novel Girls of Paper and Fire was a New York Times bestseller. Natasha has a heart condition, and talks about her struggles with her health, and gives updates on her health and her books on twitter.

I’ve heard a lot about this book, but for trigger warning reasons it sadly isn’t on my to be read list. Everything I’ve heard about it says its an amazing book though, and the cover is beautiful.

12. Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

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Three friends, two love stories, one convention: this fun, feminist love letter to geek culture is all about fandom, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself. Charlie likes to stand out. She’s a vlogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet-famous cool-girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought. Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie—no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favourite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Jen Wilde is the YA author of QUEENS OF GEEK, THE BRIGHTSIDERS and GOING OFF SCRIPT. She writes unapologetically queer stories about geeks, rockstars, and fangirls who smash the patriarchy in their own unique ways. Her books have been praised in Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, Autostraddle, Vulture and Bustle. Originally from Australia, Jen now lives in NYC where she spends her time writing, drinking too much coffee and binging reality TV.

Researching for this collab was the first time this book popped up on my radar as something I might be interested in reading. Jen Wilde, the author, is herself autistic and suffers from anxiety, which gives the narrative “authenticity that is lacking in similar books” according to socialjusticebooks.org.

13. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

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Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So, she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful. Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back. There’s only one problem: Molly’s co-worker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Becky Albertalli is the author of the acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love, Simon), The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. She is also the co-author of What If It's Us with Adam Silvera. A former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens, Becky lives with her family in Atlanta.

Becky Albertalli has generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and has spoken about it in several interviews, which you can find online. She has also written several characters in her books who also suffer with anxiety. Her first book, Simon vs the Homosapien’s Agenda (or Love, Simon), is the only book of hers that I have read so far, and I loved it. It was the first contemporary book that I read and actually enjoyed.

14. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

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Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s current gift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows. Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. Then Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Divergent series (Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and Four: A Divergent Collection), the Carve the Mark duology (Carve the Mark, the Fates Divide), The End and Other Beginnings collection of short fiction, and many short stories and essays. Her first book for adult audiences, Chosen Ones, is out now. She lives in Chicago.

Veronica Roth suffers from anxiety, like a lot of the authors on this list, and talks about it in interviews. A quote from one: "I've had an anxiety disorder my whole life, so I've been to therapy on and off throughout, before books and after books. I went back and tried to talk through some of the things I was feeling and experiencing, and it was helpful."

I’ve never read any of her books, not even the hugely famous Divergent trilogy, though they’ve been on my radar for years. I’d love to get into her books at some point, but it might take me a few years.

15. How to be Autistic by Charlotte Amelia Poe

📷An urgent, funny, shocking, and impassioned memoir by the winner of the Spectrum Art Prize 2018, How To Be Autistic by Charlotte Amelia Poe presents the rarely shown point of view of someone living with autism. Poe’s voice is confident, moving and often funny, as they reveal to us a very personal account of autism, mental illness, gender and sexual identity. As we follow Charlotte’s journey through school and college, we become as awestruck by their extraordinary passion for life as by the enormous privations that they must undergo to live it. From food and fandom to body modification and comic conventions, Charlotte’s experiences through the torments of schooldays and young adulthood leave us with a riot of conflicting emotions: horror, empathy, despair, laugh-out-loud amusement and, most of all, respect. For Charlotte, autism is a fundamental aspect of their identity and art. They address the reader in a voice that is direct, sharply clever and ironic. They witness their own behaviour with a wry humour as they sympathise with those who care for them, yet all the while challenging the neurotypical narratives of autism as something to be ‘fixed’. This is an exuberant, inspiring, life-changing insight into autism from a viewpoint almost entirely missing from public discussion. ‘I wanted to show the side of autism that you don’t find in books and on Facebook. My story is about survival, fear and, finally, hope. There will be parts that make you want to cover your eyes, but I beg you to read on, because if I can change just one person’s perceptions, if I can help one person with autism feel like they’re less alone, then this will all be worth it.’ Charlotte Amelia Poe is a self-taught artist and writer living in Lowestoft, Suffolk. They also work with video and won the inaugural Spectrum Art Prize with the film they submitted, 'How to Be Autistic’. Myriad published Charlotte's memoir, How to Be Autistic, in September 2019.

Another book I didn’t know about until researching for this post, but I really want to read it because I haven’t read many books about autism, and practically none of them were actually written by someone who actually is autistic. Charlotte uses they/them pronouns.

16. Ask me about my Uterus by Abby Norman

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For any woman who has experienced illness, chronic pain, or endometriosis comes an inspiring memoir advocating for recognition of women's health issues In the fall of 2010, Abby Norman's strong dancer's body dropped forty pounds and grey hairs began to sprout from her temples. She was repeatedly hospitalized in excruciating pain, but the doctors insisted it was a urinary tract infection and sent her home with antibiotics. Unable to get out of bed, much less attend class, Norman dropped out of college and embarked on what would become a years-long journey to discover what was wrong with her. It wasn't until she took matters into her own hands--securing a job in a hospital and educating herself over lunchtime reading in the medical library--that she found an accurate diagnosis of endometriosis. In Ask Me About My Uterus, Norman describes what it was like to have her pain dismissed, to be told it was all in her head, only to be taken seriously when she was accompanied by a boyfriend who confirmed that her sexual performance was, indeed, compromised. Putting her own trials into a broader historical, sociocultural, and political context, Norman shows that women's bodies have long been the battleground of a never-ending war for power, control, medical knowledge, and truth. It's time to refute the belief that being a woman is a pre-existing condition.

Abby Norman’s debut book, ASK ME ABOUT MY UTERUS: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women’s Pain, was published by Bold Type Books (Hachette Book Group) in 2018, with advance praise from Gillian Anderson, Lindsey Fitzharris, Jenny Lawson, and Padma Lakshmi.

The book was praised by The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, The Sunday Times, The Irish Times, Literary Review, The Times Literary Supplement, The New Republic, Book Riot, Toronto Star, ELLE, Health Magazine, Undark Magazine, BUST Magazine, Bitch Magazine, Ms. Magazine, BBC Radio 5, and other international media outlets.

​In 2019, the paperback edition was published in the U.S. and the Korean translation in Seoul (Momento Publishing/Duran Kim Agency).

​Her work has been featured in Harper’s, Medium, The Independent, Literary Hub, The Rumpus, Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and elsewhere. Interviews and profiles have been seen and heard, including NPR/WNYC, BBC, Anchor.fm, The New York Times, Playboy, Forbes, Glamour, Women’s Health, and Bitch Magazine.

Abby Norman suffers from endometriosis, which was a large part of why she wrote her book, and why she advocates so hard for fellow patients at conferences such as Stanford University’s Stanford Medicine X and the Endometriosis Foundation of America’s medical conference and Patient Day. She is

Abby has served on technical expert panels including the National Partnership for Women and Families’ CORE Network (Yale University), the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid, The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), and Health Affairs.

​In 2019, Abby contributed to a paper addressing research gaps and unmet needs in endometriosis published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

This book is definitely one I will be adding to my to be read list, as someone who (unfortunately) also has a uterus, it is important to be informed. And Abby sounds like such a badass who wrote a whole book about her chronic illness to help others with the same condition.

17. Stim: Autistic Anthology by Lizzie Huxley-Jones

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Around one in one hundred people in the UK are autistic, yet there remains a fundamental misunderstanding of what autism is. It is rare that autistic people get to share their own experiences, show how creative and talented and passionate they are, how different they are from media stereotypes. This insightful and eye-opening collection of essays, fiction and visual art showcases the immense talents of some of the UK's most exciting writers and artists - who just happen to be on the spectrum. Here they reclaim the power to speak for themselves and redefine what it means to be autistic. Stim invites the reader into the lives, experiences, minds of the eighteen contributors, and asks them to recognise the hurdles of being autistic in a non-autistic world and to uncover the empathy and understanding necessary to continue to champion brilliant yet unheard voices.

Lizzie (Hux) Huxley-Jones is an autistic author and editor based in London. They are the editor of Stim, an anthology of autistic authors and artists, which was published by Unbound in April 2020 to coincide with World Autism Awareness Week. They are also the author of the children’s biography Sir David Attenborough: A Life Story. They can be found editing at independent micropublisher 3 of Cups Press, and they also advise writers as a freelance sensitivity reader and consultant. In their past career lives, they have been a research diver, a children’s bookseller and digital communications specialist.

I wasn’t even aware that there was an anthology out there by an autistic author, about autism, but now that I do I need to read it.

18. Chimera by Jaecyn Bonê

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Creatures unlike you've imagined before! Welcome to a world where myths and legends collide to create a new breed of monster. Savage and soulful, these monstrosities combine to form the mighty Chimera. In this anthology, talented writers weave 10 tales of fantastical beasts. Featuring stories by: Matt Bliss Jaecyn Boné Alexis L. Carroll Chris Durston Dewi Hargreaves Stephen Howard Samuel Logan Vincent Metzo Braden Rohl Michelle Tang

Jaecyn is a queer, non-binary, disabled Asian-American writer and digital artist fascinated by faeries.

Most of their writing involves wlw romance and faery-inspired creatures. Their first novel, Farzana's Spite is a 10-year-old work in progress and the first novel in The Faerth series. Other works include The Killing Song (novel) and Colour Unknown (short), both of which are also part of the Faerth universe.

Jaecyn's art can be described as a neorealistic pop art style with cel shading. They began their digital art journey with a 5-year-old refurbished iPad using their finger as a stylus and immediately fell in love. They do digital download commissions as well as sell prints of their artwork.

Jaecyn is the Co-Editor in Chief of the Limeoncello Magazine, an online Own Voices literary magazine which debuted its first issue on March 21st, 2021.

When not writing, drawing, or chasing after their two children, they can be found either gardening or practicing their ukulele.

None of Jaecyn Boné’s books are published yet as they are still in the stage of querying, but they contributed to the above anthology, along with nine other authors. I had no idea that this anthology existed, and now I’ll be closely following this author to see when their books get published!

19. Forest of Souls by Lori M Lee

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack 📷and kill her best friend Saengo. And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life. Unveiled as the first soul guide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soul guide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

Lori M. Lee is the author of speculative novels and short stories. Her books include PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents), FOREST OF SOULS and the sequel BROKEN WEB (Page Street), and more. She’s also a contributor to the anthologies A THOUSAND BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS and COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES. She considers herself a unicorn fan, enjoys marathoning TV shows, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family.

Lori struggles with anxiety, and the common symptoms like fatigue but she doesn’t let this stop her writing amazing books. I read Forest of Souls earlier this year, and it was seriously one of the best books I’ve ever read. I loved the magic, the characters, the world building. Everything about it, including the plot twist ending that had me losing my mind at 2am, was just so unlike anything I had read in any other fantasy before.

20. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown

📷

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition. When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?

Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. Writing was her first love, and she knew from a young age that she wanted to use the power of writing—creative and otherwise—to connect the different cultures she called home. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her journalistic work has been featured by Voice of America among other outlets.

On the publishing side of things, she has worked as an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing. Rosie was a 2017 Pitch Wars mentee and 2018 Pitch Wars mentor. Rosie currently lives outside Washington D.C., where in her free time she can usually be found wandering the woods, making memes, or thinking about Star Wars.

Roseanne is another author that struggles with anxiety and wrote one of her two main characters with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), despite it being a fantasy. I don’t even think I can name a fantasy that had a character with anxiety represented so well. This was a book I read around the same time as Forest of Souls, and I loved it. The cover was beautiful, the characters were brilliant, and I just loved the world building, the magic, and the plot. It was just different to the usual fantasy books I read, and I enjoyed the variation so much I’ve had the sequel pre ordered almost a year in advance.

So, this was my 20 books by 20 chronically ill, disabled or neurodiverse authors list. Blurbs and synopsis were compiled between Goodreads and author websites, and bios were found either on Goodreads, author websites or on amazon author pages. All the information about their chronic illnesses, disabilities or neurodivergence was found online, where they had either explicitly said it or written about it, but if I have something wrong, please let me know so I can fix it!

If you have any other suggestions or know any other books and authors that should be on this list, please let me know and I’ll do my best to add it to the list as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading 😊

[ficsandcatsandficsandcats]

YAY TH! 💛i was thinking plus size reader travels with Jaskier &Geralt, she's good friends with both but has always been in love with Jaskier She has notebooks she draws in & is so careful to never draw all of jaskier ON one page She's got pages of eyes, hands, chest, neck, hair, all the little parts of him she loves But she thinks he could never love her cuz she's not the typical kind of girl he goes with One day he finds her notebook he knows he shouldn't look she always swats him away 1/2

But he cant help it. He’s so curious and at first he doesn’t realize who it is, just thinks the art is beautiful. And then on the last page there’s an incredibly detailed drawing of a feild of buttercup flowers, maybe with Jaskier in the middle playing his lute in the sun. he talks to her carefully about it. Cuz she’s shy but she usually tells him everything, and he loves her too he just never wanted to make her uncomfortable. Then love confessions! Woo! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! (2/2)

Fandom: The WitcherPairing: Jaskier x ReaderWord Count: 1,836Rating: GTaglist: @heroics-and-heartbreak @whatevermonkey @mynamesoundslikesherlock @magic-multicolored-miracle a/n: This was a really interesting challenge for me. I’ve been plus size my entire life and I don’t think I’ve ever once written a character who looked like me. Writing this was really eye-opening for me and made me really think about how to portray a plus size character in a way that was positive while still acknowledging the very real insecurities and struggles. I hope this is ok and what you were looking for and thank you for the prompt!

Being Jaskier’s best friend was glorious.

He always got invited to the best parties and insisted on bringing you along. He knew the best tailors who made you dresses that flowed perfectly with your body. Growing up you’d been forced into clothes that were the same cut and shape as others around you, just larger, which somehow left you feeling both swamped and pinched by the fabric as it tried to force your body into a shape it simply wasn’t. But the tailors Jaskier took you to fit wonderfully and if they ever rankled at or felt challenged by your size you never knew because Jaskier would have slain them where they stood if they even breathed a word to that effect. Jaskier was fun and affectionate but also fiercely protective in a way that made you feel cared for even if it did sometimes make your heart ache a little. When he turned away the men who came to ask you to dance or tried to pursue you he always declared it was because he knew their “reputation” and they “weren’t good enough for you” but a small part of you – well, alright, a very significant part of you – wished he were doing it because he wanted you all for himself.

He called you his muse though creative partner was a more fitting title. Being a ‘muse’ implied you just sat there and looked stunning and words flowed through the artist. In truth the pair of you talked through his song dilemmas. You challenged near rhymes and even though he put up a fuss in the moment, later on he would always thank you and give credit to you for helping him ensure a song flowed perfectly. In turn you would work on your drawing as he composed. You’d catch him sneaking a glance every now and then and you always swatted him away, but you’d been extra careful to ensure that even if he did look he wouldn’t realize what you were doing. Only one picture, drawn up after an especially beautiful day where he’d taken you to a field of buttercups, woven you a crown and declared you Queen of Springtime, exposed your deep secret. But he would never see it because you were too careful about keeping it close and he did respect your privacy after all

—–

Jaskier knew he shouldn’t do it.

You always kept your notebook on you and when you saw him try to take peeks you swatted him away. He knew it was private and important to you. So much so that he almost became jealous of the damn thing. When would you gaze at him the same adoring way you gazed at whatever you drew? His heart churned with jealousy at the thought that you were drawing someone. Some man he hadn’t been quick enough to push away. He felt a tinge of guilt at that, knowing it wasn’t fair to keep you from finding a partner when he was too afraid to make his intentions known. But he would tell you one day. As soon as he got any sort of sign that the feelings would be reciprocated. Or, if he knew you were interested in someone else, he was gracefully bow out and never tell you. And perhaps his answer was waiting in that notebook. And perhaps that was reason enough.

As he flipped through the pages he admired your great talent. The craftwork in drawing the hands, long-fingered and held in different poses. Some were positioned as though it was holding an invisible instrument while others were gestured openly or clasped together. Some hair that swooped to an angle, thick and fluffy in some though she’d also taken the challenge of drawing it wet, dripping down the neck into the collar of an undershirt. Then there were drawings of eyes. Though no color was etched into them the eyes were gorgeous. Light and filled with a light that nearly gleamed off the page. A thick neck, craning at an angle that attached to just the barest edge of a strong jaw. A picture of someone that only showed the collar bones down to the waist, an undershirt left open long enough to show an etching of thick, dark chest hair. He flipped through the photos feeling an odd sense of familiarity but mostly immense pride, already trying to figure out how to tell her that she must begin selling her art or at the very least not hide it away from the world any longer.

And then he flipped to the last page.

He almost missed it, skimming fast as the pages grew blank, but he saw a touch of color. He remembered the day he’d gifted you the colored pencils. Your face had lit up and you’d thrown your arms around him, pressing your soft, warm body against his and he’d taken the chance to hold you close for longer than your usual hugs, relishing the feeling of having you in his arms. That was the end of a perfect day. A day he’d almost told you, as he looked into your eyes, farmed by a crown of buttercups. He’d almost told you that even surrounded by the gorgeous blooms, you were the fairest thing by far. But his courage had failed him and so instead he’d found you the pencils, a technicolor declaration of love he worried he would never put into words. He’d wondered if you even used them since every drawing was in the same grey and white but there it was. A picture filled with color. And himself.

He sat cross-legged in the center of a wide expanse of buttercups, lute in hand. The same hands, he realized now, that he’d seen earlier in the notebook. The hands that held the book, trembling slightly as his heart swelled and took in the picture. You’d lovingly sketched every detail of his outfit from the cerulean of his doublet to the off-cream of his undershirt. His hair fell over his face slightly though did not obscure the brilliant blue eyes that gazed at the viewer of the photo much the same way he imagined he must be looking at it right now. His mouth was drawn open mid-song and he could even tell what lyric was passing through his lips. Your talent was truly spectacular. And you loved him. And he wouldn’t waste anymore time.

—–

When you returned from the market you were frazzled. You’d left your notebook behind and that was too dangerous. You’d practically run all the way back, arriving to camp winded and red faced. So much so that Geralt drew his sword, certain you were being pursued, and you had to convince him through gasps that everything was fine. And then you saw Jaskier walk into view, holding the notebook. Your heart sank and when Jaskier saw you he froze. He looked a little guilty but there was more there as well. You couldn’t place it, too anxious about your secret finally getting out. As he walked over to you, you began to try and form a lie that would cover it up and let things stay the way they were before.

“Geralt can we have a moment?” Jaskier asked once he reached you. Geralt opened his mouth to say something but Roach nickered and he sighed heavily and stood up, taking her reins and walking away without another word to either of you. Your heart pounded in your chest and you looked down at the notebook still in Jaskier’s hands.

“Y/N, I should apologize-”

“It’s fine just give it back,” you said quickly, reaching for the notebook but he pulled it away too fast.

“I should apologize, but I’m not going to,” he finished. Your eyes widened slightly and he held up a hand to staunch the angry tirade he could see welling up.

“Y/N, you’re amazing,” he said a little breathlessly, “Your art, your talent, it’s… it’s just beyond compare. I understand what it means, how important one’s creative works are and how personal, but please at least assure me that you aren’t hiding it away out of some misplaced sense of insecurity. Because you have nothing to feel insecure about, Y/N. Nothing.”

You fought back the tears that the words, hitting so close to so many parts of yourself you had never even told him about, brought to your eyes.

“Jaskier, how much did you see?” you asked, your eyes falling to the notebook.

“Everything,” he said, “I saw everything.”

“Fuck…”

“Y/N,” he tilted your chin up gently with one hand, raising your eyes to meet his. “I love you.”

“I know you do, Jaskier, we’re very good friends-”

“Y/N,” he said, cutting you off and gently resting the notebook on the ground so he could take your face in both of his hands as he stared into your eyes with his, brilliant blue and full of emotion, “I love you.”

The words resonated and even you couldn’t deny what he was saying. He wasn’t looking at you like a friend or a brother or anything but a man who was deeply in love and trying desperately to communicate it to the person he loved.

“But…” you began, and then bit your lip as you worried how to phrase it.

“What?” he asked, tenderly brushing away a tear.

“I’m not��� you usually… I’ve… I’ve seen the women you’re with,” you began.

He nodded and waiting for you to continue.

“They are all very lovely and all very similarly bodied. That is, they’re, well, oh for god’s sake – they’re thin, Jaskier. You’re always surrounded by lovely, slender ladies and I am-”

“Lovely,” he finished the sentence for you.

“And plump,” you said pointedly.

“And plump,” he echoed, “Lovely and plump and talented and caring.”

“I just don’t want you to love me in spite of it,” you said, an old wound aching at the thought that he was listing the things that made your body an acceptable compromise.

He frowned and then before you could try and explain further he pulled you in for a kiss, his lips soft and warm against yours. His arms surrounded you and you pressed closer into the kiss. He pulled back and began to pepper your jaw with kisses, moving down to the slope of flesh beneath your chin and back up to your lips.

“I don’t love you in spite of anything. I love you for everything that you are, no exceptions, no alterations. Every inch, every ounce, every day. If you’ll have me,” he said, realizing you hadn’t actually said the words to him yet. You smiled and felt a weight you hadn’t realized you’d been carrying begin to lift off your heart.

“I love you,” you said. Jaskier’s face broke into a smile you knew you would never capture on paper but would spend the rest of your life trying to recreate.

Being Jaskier’s best friend was glorious.

Because Jaskier’s beloved is beyond words.

[obsessedwithbbandsuju]

Finally

Since she opened her eyes in the morning, Son Taeyeon found that her breathing simply wouldn’t calm down. Her heart was pounding, her head was spinning, and adrenaline was constantly pumping through her veins. She was a calm woman by nature, had been that way since she could remember, but today, she was fidgeting, taking deep breaths, pacing, crossing and uncrossing her fingers, and all kinds of other tiny movements that she normally just wasn’t the type of person with the natural energy to constantly keep up.

Pairing: Son Taeyeon/Kwon Jiyong

Warning: Smut 

_____

oppa: a term used by a female to refer to a male, older than her, that she is close to

Since she opened her eyes in the morning, Son Taeyeon found that her breathing simply wouldn’t calm down. Her heart was pounding, her head was spinning, and adrenaline was constantly pumping through her veins. She was a calm woman by nature, had been that way since she could remember, but today, she was fidgeting, taking deep breaths, pacing, crossing and uncrossing her fingers, and all kinds of other tiny movements that she normally just wasn’t the type of person with the natural energy to constantly keep up.

It had been two years.

Two years since she’d last seen Jiyong-oppa. Two years since he’d taken her hands in his and kissed her forehead gently. Two years since he’d raised his hands to cradle her face and kissed her on the lips, with all the desperation that he was fighting to keep out of his demeanor for her sake. Two years since he’d told her he loved her and would be back soon.

Taeyeon had never been clingy when it came to dating – not during the one-and-a-half years that she had dated Jiyong-oppa (his time in the military excluded, of course). She believed in giving her partner their personal space, and was well aware how much that concept of personal space varied among different people. She could be and liked being affectionate, but she’d never felt the compulsive need to always see Jiyong-oppa. She knew she loved him, she knew he loved her, she knew that they completed each other so completely in a way that no one else could understand. That was enough for her to get by during the times they were separated, times that came, sadly, rather often in light of their careers. There were hard times, definitely, when she would curl up on the hotel bed and stare at photos of Jiyong-oppa stored in her gallery, wishing she could hear his voice and feel his skin under her fingers so badly that it ached. They called, texted, video-chatted, but it couldn’t replace actually being with him.

But those times had been easy, Taeyeon knew now, compared to Jiyong-oppa’s time in the military. And it felt like she was now going to have a hard time even watching him walk out of the room she was in, after the feeling of emptiness she’d experienced during these past two years.

She couldn’t call. She couldn’t text. She couldn’t video-chat. She couldn’t even send him letters when she wanted to. Almost all the contact she got with him, besides writing when they were allowed, was the very occasional news article. She’d forced herself to get by on old videos and songs and the memories they’d shared before his enlistment, and found herself regretting heavily that they hadn’t spent more time together. She had never cried about it – Taeyeon didn’t cry often, either, never had – but the seeming hole in her very being got wider and wider, deeper and deeper, more and more noticeable, with every passing second without him.

He completed her, she was sure of that now, and she missed him. She missed him so badly, terribly, that she felt that she could practically touch the lump of pure want that had been steadily expanding inside her since the day he enlisted. She missed his smile, the way his beautiful eyes narrowed as the corners of his lips turned upward. She missed his laugh, the way he would cover his face or dab at his cheeks when he was embarrassed. She missed talking to him, the sincerity and effort that he always put into responding to each and every person that addressed him. She missed his kisses, the care and tenderness that he somehow always put behind them. She just … missed him so much that she felt like she couldn’t take it.

And finally, today, finally – he was coming home.

And Taeyeon was nervous. She had no idea why and even suspected that no reason existed for her nervousness, but she was so nervous. Seeing him again …

Seated on the couch, she fiddled with the pencil in her hand. She’d spent the entire day trying to focus on refining the lyrics to some possible upcoming tracks, and normally, such things came as naturally as breathing to her. Taeyeon had never doubted her ability to express herself in her lyrics or put herself in the place of a character she imagined to vicariously experience situations through them that she had never been in in reality and express that through her lyrics. If she had to say there was one talent responsible for all of the things she enjoyed doing – art, reading, writing, composing music, and the like – she could definitely say it was her ability to express.

But today, for the first time since she could remember, she was having trouble. Her thoughts kept straying back to Jiyong-oppa, to the date, to the realization that he was going to be here in a few hours. That she was just on the verge of seeing him again. She couldn’t focus on the task at hand. Try as she might, it was impossible.

By this time, Jiyong-oppa had probably finished greeting his fans and was coming over. The thought sent her heart into a frenzy – well, more of a frenzy than it had already been in, if that was even a humanly possible thing.

Her gaze strayed back down to what she’d been unsuccessfully attempting for the entire morning, and she pulled the pencil back down to the paper, trying to clear her mind. It didn’t work. With a sigh, she put the pencil down and flopped back against the back of the couch. Her eyes closed.

The doorbell rang.

Taeyeon’s eyes flew open. She was on her feet even before she realized it, making a beeline for the front of her apartment, light and fast as a deer in full sprint. Reaching the door, she threw it open and was greeted by the person she’d been wanting to see most for the past two years.

Neither of them said hello, or, “How have you been” or “It’s been a long time”. Neither of them needed to.

Taeyeon drank in the sight of him like a parched animal, absolutely reveling in the beauty that was him. He had changed into simple clothes – a plain black T-shirt and skinny blue jeans, a pair of limited-edition sneakers. It was the pair that Taeyeon had gotten him for his twenty-eighth birthday.

She just barely had time to process those details before Jiyong-oppa just threw his arms around her and pulled her to him. Taeyeon heard herself sob, wrapping her own arms around his body and burying her face in the crook of his neck. She inhaled deeply, savoring his familiar, grounding scent. Somehow, as she took him in, all of him, she felt like her own existence was strengthening, bolstered by his presence here with her.

Jiyong-oppa was trembling. Taeyeon heard him draw in a shaky breath, and his arms around her tightened. “I’ll never leave you for that long again,” he whispered in her ear. “I promise.” Then his voice broke, and as for her, the power of speech had already failed her. They just stood there in the doorway, clinging onto each other as if their lives depended on it. Taeyeon undoubtedly felt like hers did.

After what felt like an eternity, they broke apart slightly to waddle inside the apartment and close the door in their wake. Jiyong-oppa kicked his shoes off and turned his entire attention back to her. The way he was gazing at her made her feel like the only star in their solar system. Taeyeon’s heart fluttered.

Without hesitating, she kissed him, and it was not her intent to be chaste or gentle. Jiyong-oppa more than returned her fervor, his hands going to her waist. In seconds, the kiss was deepening as they continued to stumble further into the apartment. Somewhere in the process, they ended up turning around, resulting in Jiyong-oppa leading the way into her home, walking backwards as he continued to kiss her hungrily.

Taeyeon pulled back, breathless and flushed. “Did you miss me?” she gasped as the back of Jiyong-oppa’s knees hit the sofa.

“Every single second of every single minute of every single day.” He sank back onto the furniture, his hands never leaving her waist, and Taeyeon eagerly followed so she was straddling him on the couch. Her heart singing with joy, she kissed him again, and he kissed her back. As he did, his hands found the hem of her sweater and tugged upward.

Breaking the kiss, Taeyeon raised her arms to help him shrug the sweater off of her body. Jiyong-oppa quickly followed by pulling off her shirt, leaving her in only a bra and leggings. Before he could get to those, too, Taeyeon gripped the T-shirt that he was wearing in her hands. She pressed another hot kiss to his mouth before darting back. “How much did you miss me?”

“Like I was missing a part of myself,” Jiyong-oppa breathed as she slipped the shirt off, revealing his army-trained body. His lean, lithe build was familiar, but the corded, wiry strength of his muscles, wound lazily tight but ready to spring into action at any second, was a change – a change, Taeyeon decided, that she liked. “Exactly how I felt, then,” she whispered, rewarding his response (and really indulging her own desires) by running her hands down the smoothness of his chest and stomach. Jiyong-oppa shivered and gripped her hips. Taeyeon gasped when he pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the curve of her breast. The heat pooling inside her began simmering.

It took only a few seconds after that for the rest of their clothes to come off, flung carelessly across the room and strewn on the floor. Without hesitation, Taeyeon began to gently stroke Jiyong-oppa’s blood-swollen organ. At the touch of her fingers, it twitched and hardened further. He gasped, his hips straining forward in response. Enjoying the reaction that was for solely her eyes, Taeyeon swiped her thumb over the head of his cock. Jiyong-oppa hissed sharply, his eyelids fluttering in pleasure.

She had a split second to feel smug before Jiyong-oppa’s hand crept forward, caressing her nipple without warning. Taeyeon whimpered at the sudden and stark pleasure, and those whimpers turned to whines as his other hand joined in, toying gently with her breasts, touching and gently pinching the buds at the center until they were hard and aching and she could feel dampness gathering at her center.

And then the warmth of his hand reached the folds between her legs. Taeyeon mewled as Jiyong-oppa’s fingers traced over her clit, sending electric bolts of pleasure arching throughout her entire body. When he inserted a digit inside her, sliding in easily because of how wet she was, she groaned, clasping her hands around his neck and kissing him deeply. His hand didn’t stop, even as he fully reciprocated the kiss, sliding in another finger and gently working at her core, and Taeyeon had to pull back for the moan that broke from her at the sensations.

“Oppa,” she whined breathily, her chest heaving as she began to instinctively grind against his fingers. She could feel tension beginning to form a knot inside her, that little ball that she knew exploded into fireworks when she reached release.

And she wanted that release so badly.

Jiyong-oppa sensed her impatience, and Taeyeon could tell that he wasn’t really in the mood for too much foreplay either. Fumbling with her movements from impatience, she reached toward the nightstand next to the couch, pulled out a condom, and rolled it down his length. Jiyong-oppa took a trembling breath at the touch of her hands at his absolutely turgid cock. He was standing at full attention, Taeyeon confirmed, eyeing the swollen organ in eager preparation.

He didn’t tease, didn’t hesitate. Instead, as she wrapped her legs securely around his waist, he gripped her hips in his hands and guided her down onto him, thrusting up at the same time to meet her halfway. With that swift movement, he was sheathed inside her, and she was utterly welcoming him into her depths. Taeyeon moaned, loud and long, as they began to move together, their hips undulating in primal, raw synchronization. She brought her forehead to his, cradling his face as they melded together on the sofa, no longer sure where one stopped and the other began.

The pleasure built steadily. At first, they were both stable, basking in the revelry of the moment but secure and firm against each other. Then from some point, their desperation took them over utterly. Hotter and faster and harder, they were writhing on the sofa, completely entwined in each other. Taeyeon’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as Jiyong-oppa buried his cock inside of her with powerful snaps of his hips. She was shaking and moaning around him as she finally reached her breaking point, the coil inside of her breaking cleanly. Her insides clenched violently around him, and all she could do was tighten her legs around his waist and moan in pleasure, helpless against the almost vicious onslaught of the sensations of her own body.

It must have been her high that triggered Jiyong-oppa’s, because he pulled her suddenly against him and clutched her fiercely there, a sharp, guttural moan ripping from his lips. Taeyeon didn’t fail to notice that glaze of ecstasy that glimmered in his eyes in that moment as she felt his cock twitching and spurting inside her.

Then, it was over; Jiyong-oppa pulled out and the two of them stilled. Completely and totally relaxed, sapped of any energy she might have conserved, Taeyeon was lax against her boyfriend, who was also flopped completely against the back of the sofa. The only sound that could be heard in the apartment were their panting breaths.

Sating her lungs somewhat, Taeyeon sat up, still straddling Jiyong-oppa, so she could look him in the eye. Now that the heat from earlier had dissipated, the realization that he was here, now, with her, was fully sinking in. Emotion swamped her, and she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t speak.

Jiyong-oppa saw that she was overwhelmed. He straightened, pulling her against him again. His arms around her were unspeakably comforting, and Taeyeon sighed, closing her eyes and surrendering herself to the warmth of his embrace.

“I’m here now,” Jiyong-oppa whispered. “It sounds cliché, but we’ll always be together now. I promise.” She could hear the tears in his voice, and didn’t need to look at him to know that he was crying, like she was.

But they were tears of joy now.

“I know,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around him too.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Hi! I wanted to ask for a match-up from Jojo and Assassinplease! Im 18 y/o gurl, bisexual, about 170cm tall with overweight. I really like to draw and write about very random stuff. Maybe not hard otaku but still fan of anime! In my free time I like to talk with my friends while playing games or drawing, watching silly stuff on the internet. With S/O I'm like them to be patient with my switching behaviour from really sad to goofy or angry, someone affectionate and with sense of humor. Thank you!

Sorry for the wait, darling! I literally have 3 exams one after the other from tomorrow on, and of course, I got too fed up with studying so I’m doing something more...Productive~!

---

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

I ship you with...

HIGASHIKATA JOSUKE

Okay so, when I first watched part 4, I literally was during my exam session, I had a high fever that lasted about 2 weeks, I was mega stressed and I literally binged 100 episodes of JoJo in less than 5 days, and compared to the first 3 parts, DIU seemed to me like such a goddamn easy going and chill troll part, after so much angst from before.

But hear me out - 

After I re-watched it again, as I wrote my Josuke story, I realised that - He’s actually such an adorable and charming boy and I judged him too harshly because of the chill plot and weird art-style.

As soon as I read your description, Josuke came into my mind, and I think he’d be perfect for you! ( Also, I think you mentioned not reading the manga, so I didn’t want to spoil, so I didn’t think of anyone from parts 6-8 <3 )

So, now that I got that out of the question, let me tell you this-

This boy is very vocal about how he’s only interested in meeting the love of his life, so he doesn’t care what you look like, he only cares what’s on the inside, he cares about your heart, about your kindness, about your sense of humour, and I’m pretty sure there’s nobody more affectionate in such a cute and innocent way like he is!

He’s already a gamer, so he’d love to play games with you, not even having to get competitive, just super chill and fun, and while at it, he’d love to cuddle with you and eat snacks in bed, covered by a blanket, while watching some anime or movie/tv series that you like, and when you’re done binging, he’s going to chat SO much with you about it, about his opinions, about characters, developments, choices, cliffhangers and so on.

Josuke is the type to shower you with compliments and kisses all over the face, whether you need reassurance about your looks or not, he is just that loving and feels the need to both show and tell you how much he cares about you.

He has an amazing sense of humour and he’s prone to laughing easily, so if you like someone funny and goofy, who’s also a pranksters and can get mischievous, you’ve got your guy - And he may or may not ask you to film him while he pranks Rohan or something.

In modern times, I think he’d be a viner or something, because he’d love to watch funny things on the internet with you, but he’s also friends with Okuyasu and Koichi, and he has Rohan hating him, so in such a little town like Morioh, you bet this 1-Braincell Trio would get internet-famous with their silly shenanigans.

Josuke is extremely patient and understanding, especially since he has his anger-issues problem regarding hair insults, and would appreciate you being by his side and supporting him, he would turn that back at you tenfold, as he needs to show you how much he treasures you, and no behaviour switch is going to keep him from loving and caring about you.

---

ASSASSINS CREED

I ship you with...

JACOB FRYE

He may seem like a smug bastard and a casanova jerk, but in all actuality, he fails at being a womanizer, and ends up being a goofy fool who makes you laugh with his antics, which, in a way, is definitely a win for him, even if his flirting attempts failed.

Jacob, in modern times, would definitely be the kind of guy to binge-watch TV series, like Peaky Blinders for example, but if you’d like to watch some anime with him, I bet he’d like Gangsta - Like, I can’t not imagine him trying to be as smooth as Worick, but failing badly.

I think he’d be a lot into fighting games, like Street Fighters or Mortal Kombat, and may be prone to getting a tiiiiiny winy bit competitive, but he has no ill-intention, he’s just silly and whiney. 

If he loses, he’d whine, pout, and throw his arms around you, telling you that the game is dumb or rigged, but if he wins, he’s gonna boast and do a little victory dance, then kiss you and tell you you’re the lucky Queen of a badass Gamer King.

Even if he won 1 out of 100.

You bet he’s gonna be the first to film himself when he gets into fights with the Blighters, kissing you after every win...And of course, wanting you to patch him up, but hey, he’s internet famous now, and you can laugh about him whenever you see him!

Despite not showing his love and caring in traditional ways, it’s obvious that he cherishes you dearly, and would make sure to give you his hat if it rains, his coat if it’s cold, would put the blanket over you if you fell asleep without it, would get you in bed, if you fell asleep on the couch, would make sure that you ate, that you slept enough, and overall, taking care of yourself, ‘cause if you don’t, even if he’s a huge baby, he’ll take care of you, whether you like it or not.

Jacob is one of the chillest people in the world, so if he loves you, he loves you, and got used to any little quirk that you might have, no matter what it is, or if it bothers you, or think that it bothers him - He’d be quick to reassure you and tell you that no, you’re not bothering him, he doesn’t need to have patience with you, ‘cause there’s nothing wrong with you, and he loves you no matter what.

[crazyscotsmanthe1st]

Outlaw King

It was my pleasure recently to watch the new historical epic, Outlaw King. As someone who loves Scottish history, and in particular the story of Robert the Bruce, I was very excited to see it and fervently hoped it would live up to expectations. The trailers hinted as much, with details of the clothing and weapons, snippets of scenes and dialogue all promising that the film would be much truer to history than previous historical epics (one in particular springs to mind).

As a misty-eyed storyteller rather than a strict historian, I've always appreciated that film is an art form, and that history is the inspiration, not the script. But in the case of stories like Robert the Bruce, history presents us with such rich and vivid characters and tales that surely not much embellishment or interpretation is required.

Indeed, I felt the challenge for Outlaw King may be that Robert the Bruce is too massive, too gigantic to fit into one film. Rather than casting about for inspiration, the filmmakers must have been overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of the character and the story. The historical novelist Nigel Tranter deemed it necessary to publish a trilogy. I couldn't help thinking that it may take a trilogy to properly tell the story on film too.

The filmmakers dealt with this by concentrating on just three years: 1304 – 1307. From the fall of Stirling Castle, which marked the final capitulation of the Scots at the end of Wallace’s campaign; to Bruce’s first major victory at the Battle of Loudoun Hill. In doing so, it covers the bleakest and most desperate part of Bruce’s reign. It’s a study of a man who becomes king, only to immediately lose everything and become a fugitive, then to become a guerilla fighter as he rebuilds his strength to the point he’s finally able to face his enemies in a pitched battle.

So there’s no Bannockburn - Bruce’s greatest triumph is not even mentioned. His duel with Sir Henry de Bohun, the Declaration of Arbroath, the launching of a second front in Ireland, the death of Edward II and the final peace treaty which ended the war and confirmed Bruce as king of an independent Scotland – all are left out of the timeframe. There is speculation that this leaves the door open for a sequel – and I do hope so. Bannockburn deserves to be depicted properly in film, and a battle of that scope and importance probably needs about half a film to be portrayed with any justice. So I’m glad it wasn’t squeezed or simplified into just a few minutes tacked on at the end.

Bruce himself is played by Chris Pine of Star Trek fame. As an American playing a Scotsman, there was inevitably much chat about how good his accent would be. For the most part, he pulled it off alright. There was the occasional errant vowel that those of us who speak with Scottish accents will pick up on, but the rest of the world won’t notice. He plays Bruce as strong and authoritative, but with a softer side and compassionate streak. His tenderness towards his daughter and the respect he shows his new wife endear him to the audience. We understand that this is a powerful noble with a claim to the throne, but also someone very human. I think he gets it spot on.

Edward I is played by Stephen Dillane, who most of us know as Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones. I’ve always thought that Charles Dance, who plays Tywin Lannister in the same series, would be the perfect actor to play this role – he has Edward’s height (hence the nickname Longshanks), and effortlessly projects an air of sinister authority. But Dillane does a very good job. He gets across the character of an ageing and battle hardened monarch, in a hurry to crush his enemies and tie up loose ends in the time he has left.

I’ll now go into detail about events in the film, and compare them to what really happened in history. So if you haven’t seen the film yet and you don’t know the history - SPOILERS AHEAD.

The film opens with Bruce on his knees, swearing allegiance to Edward and being accepted back into the fold after having rebelled against him. The dialogue gives us an immediate insight into Bruce’s complicated loyalties as Edward mentions that his father had once accompanied him on a crusade to the Holy Land. Bruce’s rivalry with John Comyn and their competing claims to the throne are also mentioned. A lot of information, all of it historically correct, is conveyed in that one scene – and it doesn’t feel rushed or forced.

We are introduced to the future Edward II – not a sniveling weakling as portrayed in that other historical epic, but a bold and impetuous young prince impatient to escape his father’s shadow. His demand to spar with Bruce and the energy with which he swings the sword immediately banish any lingering memory of that other version of the character. This is a dangerous and unpredictable man, and his daft hairdo signals to us that this is someone we’re supposed to hate.

There’s a brief introduction to James Douglas, who appears before the king to ask for his lands and title, which were stripped after his father resisted Edward, to be restored. He is unceremoniously rebuffed and thrown out of the tent. Here is a man with unfinished business.

Then we see War Wolf, the largest trebuchet ever built. As it took shape below the walls of Stirling Castle, the Scottish defenders had tried to surrender. But Edward refused to accept their surrender and told them to stay exactly where they were - he wanted to test War Wolf and see it in action. Again all this historically accurate information is gotten across easily in the dialogue, and gives us an insight into Edward’s sheer ruthlessness.

Having established the background and circumstances in which the story takes place, some time is then spent on Bruce’s arranged marriage to Elizabeth de Burgh. Played by the beautiful and talented Florence Pugh, she is quickly established as a strong and affectionate woman, keen to establish a relationship with Bruce’s daughter Marjorie from his previous marriage (his first wife died in childbirth). Bruce respects Elizabeth’s boundaries and does not attempt to force himself on her on their wedding night. As discussed above, this helps establish him as a caring and honourable character.

Those of us keen to see the historical plot move forward may feel this part of the film drags on a bit, but I understand it’s necessary for the audience to develop empathy with the characters. And given that the family will later be broken up and separated for years, this being a key part of Bruce’s personal trials and agony, it was important to understand these relationships.

William Wallace is mentioned a couple of times, but remains off-screen. An almost spectral figure, defeated but still at large. As John Comyn describes him, “not a man, but an idea”. That is, until his arm and part of his torso is tied to the Mercat Cross in Berwick.

It is the shock of Wallace’s brutal fate that prompts Bruce to break his oath to Edward and begin making plans for a second rebellion. This is where the film starts to take liberties a wee bit. In reality, seven months separated Wallace’s death from Bruce’s coronation. But I understand the film’s need to condense events and move things along.

Bruce meets John Comyn in Dumfries Kirk to try to enlist his support. History does not record exactly what was said in that meeting, so the filmmakers had a blank canvas. Bruce attempts to put the issue of who will wear the crown to one side and simply persuade Comyn to join him in raising an army. But Comyn will not be persuaded, and threatens to report Bruce’s intentions to Edward. This is what prompts Bruce to draw his dagger and stab him.

History records that Bruce then stumbled out of the church and said to one of his followers: “I think I’ve killed Comyn”, and that his follower said “I’ll make sure” and went back to finish him off. This is left out of the film: it is a single killing blow.

Bruce has murdered his rival, a powerful noble with connections throughout Scotland, in a church. In doing so, he has turned half of Scotland against him and ensured excommunication from the Catholic Church – which was a huge deal in the 14th Century. He’s in deep, deep trouble and his only way out is to immediately claim the throne. He has no choice now: it is all or nothing.

As the film faithfully records, he heads straight to Glasgow Cathedral (it’s a joy to see it on screen) to ask for the forgiveness and support of the Scottish bishops. They agree to absolve him of guilt for the murder and to make him king, in return for an oath of loyalty to the Scottish church. All accurate.

The coronation scene is beautifully filmed, and again the dialogue effortlessly explains that the crown jewels and Stone of Destiny have been stolen by Edward, but a simple gold coronet has been fashioned. This is placed on Bruce’s head by a woman, though we are not told who she is. She is in fact the daughter of the Earl of Fife, who traditionally crowned Scottish monarchs.

Elizabeth’s comment “Alas, we are but king and queen of the May” is actually a real quote. She is supposed to have said that.

The surprise night attack at Methven which destroyed most of Bruce’s army, did take place more or less as depicted, though followers of historical films always roll their eyes at the use of fire arrows. They make for a great spectacle on screen, but would have been completely impractical in real life. The battle took place in June, when the nights in Scotland are not particularly dark. The soldiers would have been able to see what they were doing without the use of fire.

Methven was a massive setback for Bruce. Fleeing with the remnants of his army, he sends his wife and daughter, in the care of his brother, to Kildrummy Castle where he hopes they’ll be safe.

But Kildrummy falls to the English. Bruce’s brother is hanged and disembowelled, and his wife and daughter taken into captivity. This is where the film starts to take liberties again. The future Edward II is seen leading the English forces and is the driving force of the action. In reality, I’m not aware of Edward II being anywhere near Kildrummy.

It’s clear that the filmmakers have decided that Edward II is to be the main hate figure for the film. While they’ve kept to historical events for pretty much every other aspect of the story, Edward II is allowed to rampage across the film doing whatever he wants. That just makes me hate him even more: whenever he appears, he’s ruining history.

Bruce’s band of survivors is then attacked by the MacDougalls at Tyndrum, making his plight even more desperate. This is depicted as taking place on the banks of a loch, when in reality it was a hill pass more similar to where we see Bruce’s first encounter with MacDougall.

According to history, one of the MacDougalls got close enough to grab a brooch from Bruce’s tunic. Bruce killed the man, but was forced to leave the brooch in the dead man’s hand. This particular incident is not shown, but Bruce is seen in the thick of the action. Throughout the film, he’s depicted as a warrior who leads his men into battle, and not an armchair general king. This is true to history.

Bruce arrives on Islay, and hears news of what has happened to his family. This is his darkest moment – thousands of his followers have been killed, his family dead or in captivity and his cause looking utterly hopeless. I feel the film could have done more to explore the depth of Bruce’s despair. You never get the feeling he’s on the brink of giving up or in the throes of a black depression. In reality, the man must have been utterly heartbroken and near suicidal.

The encounter with the spider in the cave is not shown, but is referenced: Bruce says at one point that he’ll be like a spider making its web. Although it’s disputed whether the incident with the spider ever took place, it is a powerful storytelling metaphor and surely a gift to filmmakers. I’d have used it – its inclusion would be much more forgivable than any of Edward II’s nonsense.

Bruce returns to the mainland and begins a hit-and-run guerrilla campaign against the occupying forces. Castles are captured by stealth and cunning, then burned to the ground to make them useless to the enemy. This is true to history – Bruce had no time for castles, and preferred to deny their use to the enemy by destroying them, rather than trying to garrison them himself.

James Douglas is given permission to take his own family’s castle with a small band of men. He sneaks into the chapel during a mass, where he promptly starts stabbing people and shouting “Douglas!” at the top of his lungs. Having taken the castle, he invites the local people in to eat the food and carry away anything of value. Then he torches the place. All of this, believe it or not, is historically accurate.

In building up to Loudoun Hill, the filmmakers decided to omit the Battle of Glen Trool. I was a bit disappointed about this – I’d have loved to see it depicted on screen. It’s a fairly simple battle – Bruce lured the English into the glen where they were strung out in a narrow line, while concealing his own forces on the hillside. At his signal, the Scots rolled large boulders down the hill, which smashed into the enemy line and broke their formation. The Scots then charged down the hill themselves to finish the job. Though it was a minor battle, it was Bruce’s first real victory and attracted more men to his cause – as well as the larger English force which he would defeat at Loudoun Hill.

Edward I decides to personally lead his army into Scotland to crush Bruce once and for all. But he collapses en route, and before he dies he orders his son to boil his body and carry his bones into battle with the Scots. Although this actually happened after Loudoun Hill, the details are correct – Edward did give those orders, and his son did choose to ignore them.

The tactics at the Battle of Loudoun Hill are correctly depicted, and would go on be used again at Bannockburn . The digging of ditches to trip the horses of the English cavalry and funnel their attack into a narrow front, and the use of boggy ground to deny them momentum – tactics first tested at Loudoun Hill. In this sense, it is the first of Bruce’s important tactical victories – it teaches him how to defeat a much larger force with heavy cavalry in an open field.

Edward II makes his final, biggest and most ridiculous historically inaccurate appearance here. Charging into the midst of the Scottish army to challenge Bruce to single combat, he eventually collapses exhausted and begins grovelling in the mud. Inexplicably, the Scots simply let him go. If the Scots had a chance to capture the king (or rather, heir to the throne) of England, there’s no way they would have passed that up. Bruce could have had his wife and daughter back in 1307, rather than having to wait another seven years.

This is easily the most ridiculous part of the film, and it’s a tragedy that it happens so near the end because it leaves such a bad impression.

In the final scene, Bruce is seen being reunited with his wife as text explains that she was released in a prisoner exchange. This didn’t happen until after Bannockburn in 1314, so the film has fast forwarded quite a bit – but I suppose it was necessary to provide the audience with a conclusion to their love story.

Positives: the cast gave brilliant performances, particularly Chris Pine, Florence Pugh and Stephen Dillane. Scotland looks utterly gorgeous throughout, and many of the scenes are beautifully filmed. History is, for the most part, respected.

Negatives: I’d have liked to have seen a deeper “despair to determination” arc in Bruce’s character development, perhaps utilising the spider. And Edward II ruins everything.

In conclusion, a story carefully and delicately told. Some liberties are taken, but that's inevitable in film. They say the darkest hour comes before the dawn, and this film captures that moment in Scottish history. Bruce’s darkest hour was also Scotland’s, but ultimately he and his kingdom rose from the ashes and triumphed. It’s a story of survival, hope and victory. And it’s all the more inspiring because it’s true.

It’s a story I’ve known all my life, and always been keen and happy to share with others. Now millions around the world can share it. Flawed and imperfect, it is nevertheless as faithful a retelling as we can hope for in the form of a big-budget movie.

As the years go on, Outlaw King will become a true classic. It deserves to be.

[neewtmas]

{#31} i’m her boyfriend // newt au (part ii)

fandom: the maze runner

pairing: newt x reader

word count: 1,7k words 

warning: idk if this counts as a warning, but spoiler for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phönix (but if you still don’t know what happens you either lived under a rock for the last twenty years or you’ re just not interested lol so i guess this warning is unnessecary) 

request: by @coconcovers

summary: y/n and newt go back to join the others and their friends want to know all the details of their ‘relationship’, so newt tells a story of how he fell in love with y/n

part i / part iii / part iv

masterlist

You turned around and tried to open the door, but Newt laid his hand on your shoulder. “One last thing.”

You looked at him. “What?”

He quickly gave you another rather passionate kiss. “Now we can go.

He opened the door and let you step through, following close behind and grabbing your hand in the process, intertwining your fingers with his.

Your friends were engrossed in an animated discussion, but everyone stopped talking the moment you two entered the room and turned their heads simultaneously in your direction.

You shifted uncomfortably under their gaze, but Newt squeezed your hand in a soothing manner and led you to the couch.

“Y/N, a number between 1 and 5?”

You tilted your head and eyed Thomas confused: “What?”

Thomas shook his head impatiently, “Just give me a number between 1 and 5”

“Well, ok…..4?”

He smiled and stuck his tongue out to Minho. “I told you she would choose the right one!”

“Ok…what did I just choose?”

Thomas shrugged and pulled out one of the movies from the pile on the coffee table, “Just which movie we’re gonna watch now. And you chose the movie I wanted to watch”, he spoke and held up Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

“My choice would have been better, I tell you”, grumbled Minho, and nodded towards the kitchen. “You two didn’t sit down yet, so you’re gonna bring us some snacks.”

You pulled Newt with you quickly, not wanting to risk any comments from your friends. It would go to be awkward enough after watching the movie. You didn’t even want to think about all the questions.

“But don’t get lost or something!”, Minho yelled after you, “and don’t forget: snacks are in the kitchen, not in the bedroom!”, he added, snickering, causing you roll your eyes at his behavior.

“Minho is unbelievable”, you huffed, tearing the cupboard open you knew Teresa stored the snacks in. You reached out for two bags of chips and some chocolate cookies, turned around and stuffed it in Newt’s arms, who watched your little outburst with confusion.

“You ok?”, he asked, mild concern lacing his voice, “we can leave every time if you want.”

You shook your head. “It’s ok, Minho’s just annoying.”

“As usual.”

“As usual”, I agreed, stood on tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Bring the snacks in already, i’m gonna get some drinks.”

He gave you his signature sweet smile that let your heart flutter and left the kitchen.

You searched in the drawer for some coke, before you followed your … boyfriend? friend? What were you right now? Yes, he had said he wanted to kiss you for a long time, but this didn’t imply that he wanted you to be his girlfriend as well. What if this was just a cruel joke?

But you shook your head to get this thought out of your mind. Newt would never do this to you.

You walked through the dining room into the living room, where the movie had already started, and your friends sat lined up on the couch, stuffing their faces with the snacks Newt had just brought.

Careful not to drop anything and cause a total mess, you put down the drinks and then scanned the room for a place to sit.

The couch was packed, no possibility for you sitting down without being totally uncomfortable.

You quickly decided to just settle yourself down on the floor, but before you could even think further about it, you could feel Newts warm hands on your waist, pulling you gently yet firmly down onto his lap.

He planted a soft kiss on your cheek and mumbled in your ear:“ Don’t think i’m gonna let my girl on the Floor, love” You felt the heat rising to your cheeks and the butterflies in your belly going haywire at the words ‘my girl’ and you lowered your head in an attempt to hide your blush behind your hair.

You can almost feel Newts satisfied smirk as he pulls you even closer to his chest and starts playing with your hair, gently untangling the strands and causing you to hum contently.

Everyone followed the movie intently, not noticing Newt planting little kisses on the back of your neck, drawing little imaginary pattern on your arms and thighs and just generally being really affectionate, to the point where you couldn’t follow the movie properly anymore and just closed your eyes, concentrating on his touch and the the little sparks of electricity his gentle fingers left on your body.

Time flew by and you had almost reached the end of the movie and the scene you hated the most by the time you opened your eyes again.

The battle in the Department of Mysteries had started, green and red curses got send through the air, and you tensed up, anticipating the death of your most favorite characters of the whole series.

You had watched the movie and especially this scene countless times, but every time it got you like it was the first.

Newt noticed this, grabbing your hands and drew little circles on your palm with his thumbs, an attempt to calm you down.

When Sirius stood on the rock, fighting Lucius, only to get hit by Bellatrix’ Avada Kedavra only seconds later and you saw the look of utter horror on Harry’s face, you winced and squeezed your eyes closed, hiding your face in Newts chest.

He held you close, littering the top of your head with little kisses and not once stopping the soothing figures he drew with his hands until you regained your composure and could continue watching the movie.

After the end credits rolled off the screen, a content silence laid over the room as always after you watched a good movie, before everyone got up slowly, starting to clean up the mess they’ve made during the last two hours.

But since you hadn’t even one handful of chips, you not really felt compelled to get up and help. Also because sitting on Newts lap, his hands securely around your waist and your head on his chest, able to hear and feel his steady heartbeat was just too comfortable, you ever wanted to get up again.

Newt seemed to share your opinion, since he made no attempts on getting up, just lazily watching the rest of your friends cleaning up.

Soon the living room was clean again, and Thomas dropped down on the couch next to the two of you.

His gaze fell on your intertwined hands. “You two are sickeningly cute, you know that? Since when are you together?”

“And even more important: Why didn’t you tell us until today?”, Brenda added curiously from your other side.

“Eh..well..”

Shit. Just now you realized that you hadn’t a single idea of what you should tell them as a backstory to your “relationship”. Maybe you should have considered this beforehand, but now… too late.

You nervously turned to Newt and asked in a high-pitched voice, which you were sure displayed your nervousness way too openly: “Why don’t you tell them?”

Newt smiled and squeezed my hand reassuring. You just hoped he came up with something decent.

“Well, we are together since - I think it’s 5 weeks now, right love?”, he asked you and you just nodded, not wanting to ruin his made up the story through anything you might say.

“Why we didn’t tell you? I guess the right moment just never was there? But now you know it so it doesn’t matter anymore, right?”

Teresa ignored his last sentence and asked the next question: “And how did you come together?”

“Well, we were walking home from school together and then… I don’t know, there was this moment and… I just kissed her - I wanted to do this for a long time actually - and later we went on a few dates and now we’re a couple.”

Teresa nodded like some kind of interviewer and immediately shot Newt the next question: “And when you say 'for a long time’, what do you mean?”

Newt glanced quickly at me before he answered: “I always felt kinda… different towards her, but when I realized I loved her… that was in 8th grade I think.”

He love dme? Since… 8th grade? This can’t be true. He probably just made this up, this isn’t possible.

“Mhm.. ok.” Teresa eyed us suspiciously, she probably didn’t quite believe us.

“But speaking of time - didn’t you say you had to be home by 7, love?”, Newt asked, glancing at the clock on the opposite wall.

You nodded, even if your parents never mentioned something like this, but it was obvious to you that Newt wanted to leave as soon as possible, avoiding further questions about you non-existent relationship.

“Yeah, I guess i’m leaving now. See you tomorrow, guys”, you said, getting up from you comfortable place on Newts lap and stretching your arms above your head.

“I’m gonna walk you home, love”, Newt said and stood up too, following you out of the room after everyone said their goodbyes.

He held the door open for you and you started walking through the darkness, the cold air hitting your heated cheeks.

A comfortable silence laid over you, as you could feel Newt’s hand feeling for yours and slowly intertwining your fingers. Only now you realized how perfectly your hands fit together.

“Is it true?”, you finally broke the silence, your voice sounding through the clear air, after debating with yourself whether to ask him or not. It would break your heart if he would now tell you if was just something he made up for the satisfaction of your friends.

“What?”

“That you… loved me since 8th grade”, you answered, your stomach forming into a tight knot in anticipation of his answer.

“Yes, that’s true. Why should I lie?”

You shrugged. “But why did you never tell me? You know how bad I sometimes felt for not having a boyfriend? And how often I told myself that you would never love me back?”

He turned his head in your direction, surprised. “You feel the same?”

You shrugged again, kicking some little stones off the sidewalk, then smiled up at him. “Since 7th grade, yes. But I think I made this pretty clear, didn’t I? I mean I kissed you. And I usually don’t kiss people I don’t have feelings for.”

“Well, this is…good to know”, he rubbed his neck somewhat awkwardly,“ but you should never feel bad about not having a boyfriend, that doesn’t define you as a person. But I don’t want you to feel bad anymore, so - would you like me to be your boyfriend?”

You had stopped walking, now facing each other. “If you would like me to be your girlfriend?”

Instead of an answer, he just leaned down and pulled you into a passionate kiss, one hand behind your neck, the other on your waist, pulling you close to his warm body.

thanks for reading:)                                  want to request something?

[yourbestmasks]

can i request akira,ryuji, ann and makoto, dealing with a blind s/o? like those little things that we see in movies the blind person slowly touching their face to "see" them, and this s/o is also a phantom thief, but they can see because of their persona who works like a sonar(you can think of mitsuru on p3) and the format i want is hc ok?

I decided to combine these two requests together since they’re talking about the same topic!

I’ll be having fun with this one, time for some fluffiness and possibly epicness from the blind S/O.

I spent a bit of time researching more information on the blind, I hope this is accurate!

NOTE: I wanted to write S/O’s awakening to their Persona first since I won’t write new awakening scenes with each character.

NOTE2: THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG, GRAB A SNACK MY BOI

S/O’s awakening:

Even though they’re blind, they were able to and actually had a cellular phone of their own.

They mostly had to memorize the layout of the keypad. with some assistive technologies and built-in accessible functionalities, they were able to use the mobile phone to a certain extent.

It’s no surprise that this S/O knew the Phantom Thieves already, not their true Identity, but just them as “friends”. they wouldn’t reveal themselves to anyone else.

One day, S/O received a message.

They weren’t able to read what it said without some kind of technological advanced A.I. reading it for them.

“Mementos.” The message said.

They could feel the change in the atmosphere approaching, the air feels different, their body feels heavy, the sounds of people talking were replaced by eerie gushes of wind.

They had no choice but to shout out and call anyone, it seems they’re getting no reply.

The phone doesn’t seem to be working, they can’t find the keypad and all the built-in assistive technologies they prepared doesn’t seem to be functioning anymore.

They were walking around, they could feel the marble tiles underneath, mixed in with what seems to be.. veins..?

They slipped and hit the ground underneath, where they could feel the texture of rails.

“I-is this a station..? It’s awfully quite..”

They were walking around the place endlessly, S/O completely lost their common sense.

They couldn’t understand why the rails would have so many turns and dead-ends, and they could’ve sworn there was something similar to a large, locked metal door.

They kept shouting names, calling out to someone who would be out there. but all they were greeted with were faint sounds of humans screaming.. or was it singing?

Before they heard a growl from behind, they were frightened.

They screamed as the growl grew harder, they could feel the pressure of heavy footsteps the unknown entity was making, breaking through the wind and making a run for S/O.

That’s when they heard a voice in their head…

“You’ve made me wait long enough.”

“Darkness serves a purpose, to show us that there is redemption through Chaos.”

“But you mustn’t keep your eyes closed evermore.”

“You are only as blind as you want to be, we only see the world as we are, not as how it is.”

“Now, open them. see the world as I perceive it!”

S/O tears the mask at this point, and when they open their eyes, they can see what they thought was someone else, but it turns out it’s them.

They couldn’t believe it, they were seeing the world from their persona’s Eyes. but could still feel their actual body.

That’s when they screamed, seeing the hideous scenery around them.

They decided to confront their friends about the message in their phone, that’s when the others revealed their true identities. and S/O joined the Phantom Thieves as a secondary Navi.

Akira:

He first met S/O at Leblanc, who came in for a hot cup of coffee.

They were walking with a crane, examining the surroundings and listening intently to the sounds around them.

Sojiro helps S/O sits down, and grabs them a cup of coffee without asking what they’d like to have.

Akira figured Sojiro knew the customer, and when he questioned him about it after they left, he replied: “They’re blind”.

Akira made a note to pay extra attention the next time they visit.

When they did, he’s the one who rushed to help them.

Gently grabbing them and helping them find the way without talking.

“You’re not Sakura-san, are you?” They said.

“How did you know?” Akira replied.

“When you pay attention to your other senses, you can recognize anything almost immediately. the way you walk, the way you held me, your touch.”

Akira was fascinated by how perceptive S/O was, and offered them a free cup of coffee, it’s all on him.

He introduced them to the Phantom Thieves after a while, they all were very friendly and welcoming, which made S/O feel at home.

As the days went by, he paid them much attention. helping S/O get in the coffee shop and memorizing the time-period of their visits.

S/O grew comfortable around him, and they were able to recognize him just by a touch of his hand.

Akira questioned the way he behaved around them, he knew it wasn’t sympathy that drove him to do all these things.

Plus, he believes a disability is not something you should pity people for, it’ll only make them feel worse.

He knew he had loved them, and to his surprise, they were the same.

S/O would gently feel his glasses, take them off and wear them as if they can see. Akira loves it when they do that.

he thinks they look cute with glasses.

and even though S/O’s vision is almost dark, they were able to catch glimpses of his face. how beautiful Akira’s face is.

The only time they’re truly ever able to grasp the beauty of Akira’s face is in the Metaverse, where they can see him clearly.

He always smiles at S/O’s Persona whenever they do something outstanding, knowing that S/O’s the one who’s gonna see it.

Ryuji:

This baby boy met his S/O during the training back in the track team.

He’d notice an odd person sitting on the grass fields while he and his team were running around.

He had no Idea what they were looking at, sometimes, they seemed to look intently at him, following his traces. and other times, they just looked at some random point in the sky and smiled.

They were there day after day, even the days he wasn’t training. he couldn’t help but wonder “What the ‘eff is up with them?”

So one day, he decides to confront them. and to his surprise, they weren’t looking at him while they were talking. when he asked what they’re doing here every day, they simply replied with “I enjoy my senses.”

He was confused but realized there’s something wrong with their eyes.

S/O giggled quietly, and proceeded to say “I’m blind if you’re wondering.”

That’s when it hit him, he felt embarrassed for doubting a blind person of having a crush on him or something.

It was actually the opposite, he was the one who grew a crush on them.

No one had to confess, they both felt love for each other and before they even know it, they’re already in a relationship.

He’ll always be extra careful when it comes to S/O, He’ll carefully help them find the way. 

But more than anything, he enjoys carrying them on his back.

He’ll work extra hard on his body, making sure that he’ll always be strong enough to protect S/O.

S/O likes feeling Ryuji’s face, they feel the strong jawline of his. and his smooth but hard cheeks. They’ll touch his face slowly until they’re satisfied. but somehow the heat from his face progressively gets higher.

We all know the boy is blushing.

He enjoys S/O’s gentle and affectionate touch, caressing his cheeks softly.

even though S/O sometimes gets annoyed by Ryuji’s constant attention, they can’t help but let him be.

Ryuji understands that they don’t need him because they’re independent, but when he’s around them, he’s insistent on doing everything for them.

In the Metaverse, he couldn’t get used to fighting without looking at them.

Sometimes, he gets hurt just because he took a glance and “checked on them”.

The other Phantom Thieves scold him for being so worried about them, and keep reminding him they can see with their Persona in the metaverse

He’ll always talk to S/O directly, and they can see him through their Persona. sometimes, they wish they’d just take a long good look at his face from the front.

Yusuke:

Their blind S/O was an artist, but not your ordinary type of artists.

They’d touch, hear, and feel the things then proceed to draw them on a canvas as to how they perceive it would look like.

Their paintings were very abstract, but they always get rejected by the museum or the art exhibit. saying the art is too basic or too bad.

Yusuke couldn’t help his curiosity, he went on to talk to them about why they’re so persistent on drawing.

That’s when he figured out they were Blind, which just made him far more interested. These paintings looked good, especially for someone who’s completely blind.

He tried his best to help them get into the art exhibit but to no avail.

He kept contacting S/O until they came on terms as working on partners, or even something more than that.

They accepted each other and loved each other to death.

He promised to help them create a piece that could get a place in a museum. 

he sympathizes with the fact that they cannot see the beauty of this world but envies them by how self-aware they are, and how their senses are on a superior level.

He’ll describe the object to his best abilities, using the more advanced vocabulary out there. Assuming S/O knows of shapes.

He’ll grab their hands and move them around the canvas, telling them to fix that and do this.

S/O likes grabbing his hands, they’re smooth to the touch.

With time, S/O gets used to hand movements, and are now moving them around as if Yusuke was with them.

He’d waste more of his tight budget to secure their happiness, and the phantom thieves end up paying for his food.

In battle, He’s actually glad they could finally see.

The two of them occasionally go to Mementos, where they paint.

and he shows them the paintings they’ve created while they’re blind.

He’ll treat them the same he treats normal people, just with slightly more gentleness, he doesn’t want S/O feeling shame from their disability.

Ann:

She definitely was friends with S/O ever since they were little.

She never abandoned them and defended S/O whenever someone made fun of their disability.

She enjoys how profoundly detailed they are when it comes to tasting desserts.

It’s as if they have some kind of super-sensory powers.

They’ll critique the flavor, the texture, and all the other factors in extreme details. and they’re always accurate.

She feels they’re as insulted by overcompensating kindness, as by judgment. so she refrains from being too kind.

She speaks to them in a normal language, using her body to visualize and connect with them. even though they can’t see, S/O can feel Ann’s constant movements.

S/O enjoys being spoken to in this manner, Ann makes them feel completely “Normal”.

She appreciates how aware they are of their environment, and how much they can feel her love for them.

When she kisses them, they describe how that felt in profound details.

She can’t help but blush, they completely changed her insights on how life is. and she realized losing your sight makes you appreciate what you have left.

She’ll always think of S/O when she models, she feels empowered by the idea of showing emotions and giving off a positive Aura instead of looking good.

She’ll always show S/O her model pictures, and describe them to her best abilities. she succeeded in getting this far thanks to them after all.

In the Metaverse, they were quite surprised by how sexy good looking she is.

She couldn’t believe they could finally see her, and she’ll always depend on them & Futaba when it comes to navigation.

She always gets freaked out by the Idea of having your eyes on another body, hence why she compliments S/O for being so brave. It’s not their choice.

Makoto:

Being the honor student in the school, and the president of the student council, She is obligated to help each and every student.

One of the students, in particular, was a Blind one, and Makoto had to help them study many of the subjects.

A lot of teachers and students spread rumors about them, a delinquent, a criminal, and now a blind? Where is this school going to?

After hearing all that, Makoto did her best to be there for S/O. she was always ready to help even outside of school.

she’d read the texts for them, and inform the teachers to go easy on them behind their back.

She’d ask if S/O needs help, instead of forcing it on them.

She’d be completely honest with them, if they made a mistake she’ll scold, so they won’t repeat it again.

But she’ll be reassuring when scolding them, she doesn’t want to be too harsh. she loves them after all.

she understands they are as responsive and as engaging with the environment as any other human being.

If they succeed, she’ll congratulate and celebrate with them in an enticing way, but that doesn’t mean S/O gets to relax.

Soon after, she’ll start working hard with S/O towards achieving greater things, one of them being the perfect relationship between them.

In the metaverse, she’ll lecture S/O about how things work almost every time. It became a habit of hers.

Any mistakes S/O makes will not be tolerated. They can finally see and sense in extraordinary levels thanks to their disability fused with their Persona’s capabilities. And she’s afraid they might get injured.

In battle, she will accordingly wait for S/O’s opinion on the matter.

She’ll be trusting them very much, and she’ll do anything they say. no matter how reckless it may be.

She believes in the blind’s judgment, sometimes, she feels like their disability made them a better person than anyone else.

[franeridart]

after watching the new episode i was wondering if it possible for TodoBaku or is there moment that show Bakugou doesn't really mind about Todoroki in the later chapter ? and what's your opinion in TodoBaku ? how do you see their relationship ? Thanx :)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh what a good great unexpected question - personally, I don’t ship it romantically one bit, but it is one of my favorite dekusquad/bakusquad relationships - I guess you might consider it something similar to an accidental sort-of-friendship neither of them seem to actually have noticed yet? It’s definitely a unique relationship for either of them, at least… they make it clear more than once that they Do Not Give A Fuck about the other’s personal struggles, I just can’t see them talking and finding sympathy in each other, but that just ends up giving them a kind of blunt and no-bullshit relationship that doesn’t stop them from working together when needed. I don’t know how to properly explain it, honestly, but they’re fun! 

I don’t know how much spoilers you want so I’ll keep this as vague as I can, but they do happen together more than either of them would like, and their relationship is a really amusing one for me - Todoroki actually cracks jokes with Bakugou around, though always with his neutral face and making fun of Bakugou himself when he does, and the way he has of just straight out ignoring Bakugou’s insults and fire-spitting and answering as if they were having a civil conversation is weirdly entertaining tbh

I wouldn’t say that Bakugou “doesn’t mind Todoroki”, but he does end up having way more important things to think about than his one-sided rivalry with him, and once he starts settling things with Deku the narrative mostly moves to push in that direction, which means that every interaction he has with Todoroki is either on neutral grounds or in the middle of forced cooperation, pushing any antagonism they might have to the background, really - also, the more the story goes on the more Bakugou becomes civil with the rest of the class, so there’s that too! Anyway, they’re fun to me, I wish to draw more of them in the future tbh

Anon said:I do laugh at Bakugou’s reaction on the podium bc visually its animated funny. But u r right that the whole thing is fucked. How is that even appropriate to do to him? And it takes until after his fight with deku many arcs later for All Might to say “we maybe sort of neglected this kid’s mental health.” Like wtf. It upsets me sometimes to think just how much All Might just doesn’t even *see* Bakugou. So much is wrong about this, from putting Bakugou on display to forcing the medal on him.

Blessed words all of them - it’s why I’m such a fan of the idea of Bakugou without even noticing switching his role model to Aizawa, actually? Aizawa’s the only adult figure in the whole manga who’s constantly been there for Bakugou, he has his future and mental health and reputation constantly in mind and works his ass off to try and help him along as much as possible, he takes note of everything Bakugou goes through, every switch in mood and worsening in personality and interpersonal relationships, and he’s always incredibly fast in nudging him towards the right path again - and Bakugou noticed. He trusts Aizawa to know him, follows his directions and accepts his advices, believes he’ll have his back without an ounce of doubt, that’s the tutor/student relationship Bakugou deserves 

I understand that All Might has a lot of problems of his own and he’s just learning to be a teacher anyway, but he found it in himself to be there for Deku, while Bakugou has been obviously staring at his back for the whole length of the manga and it took All Might 120 chapters to notice, that’s just plain sad

Anon said:What’s your favorite Bakugou headcannon?

BOI I have a lot! One is mentioned in the ask up there, actually haha but generally you can see most of them in my art? I like the idea of him being an artist a lot, given how both his parents are into it, I like to think he’s a rock-music type of kid, I have weird headcanons about his dorm room all including too fancy-looking designer furniture and one too many hero figures stuffed under his bed - he might have a fire extinguisher or two in there as well. Also, he’s a restless sleeper (more like a fighter sleeper) and never wears socks ever

I like to think most of his clothes are black because it’s the color on which the soot from his explosions is the least noticeable, and that he unironically honest to god thinks skulls are the coolest thing ever and can’t stop himself from buying every piece of clothing with them on it (first time he entered Tokoyami’s room he died what a cool place he never wanted to leave ever again); that he really doesn’t like the sea - or taking long baths/showers - because water washes his sweat away and he feels defenceless and it’s horrible, and that rain makes him useless like it does to Mustang from FMA (haha)

He names everything after fire arms (has an extensive, nearly to the point of being uselessly detailed knowledge of those) be it his special moves or his pets or his toys when he was a kid or every and each of the pokemon he’s ever had in any game he’s ever played - he’s a gamer! Mostly into fighting games, though they frustrate him because now and again he blows the controller up without realizing and he’s forced to stop playing, but he also likes strategy-based rpgs a lot (all his characters are called King Of Explodo-kills. All of them)

He talks in hyperboles most of the times, means a thing but uses a word fifty times stronger than necessary to express it instead, and he’s so not used to positive emotions that the first time he feels them it takes him a while to figure out exactly what it is that he’s feeling - he’s an affectionate friend, though he has weird ass ways of showing it, and this part of him is new to him as well since it’s just coming out now that he’s got the squad (he was nearly sure the kids in middle school were his friends, but what kind of friend leaves you to be saved by Deku when a villain attacks?) (meeting the squad made him realize he’d never actually had friends before, it was a bittersweet feeling)

………..okay enough, you asked for my fave and I just blabbered half an hour. I don’t even know which one’s my fave tbh hahaha

Anon said:as much as I like the anime, seeing the sports festivals always makes me sad because bakugou is still an angry kid, but at that time thats pretty much the only thing people see, while after in the manga, yes hes still angry but hes softer? in a way? idk he grew up so seeing him back at the first point makes me sad (sorry for the rant I have a lot of feelings abt this lmao)

He HAS grown, hasn’t he! I hadn’t realized just how much until I saw him back at the beginning of this season yelling at Todoroki the he should stop thinking about Deku and start worrying about him - it’s? Painful? He’s in a constant fight against the whole world, while now you see him way more with his guard down and just… existing. I’m so proud of him and all the good great amazing relationships he’s built ;u;

Anon said:What episode 12 needs is the bakusquad getting angry at how Bakugou was treated because you can’t convince me they were okay with that.

Hmmmmmmmmmm boy I would love that, but all things considered at that point, given how Kaminari and Mina and Sero reacted to Bakugou’s fight with Uraraka, I can kind of safely assume they didn’t think much of it cause they honestly thought Bakugou would flip and destroy the world if not restrained - Kirishima might have found it eccessive, possibly, but in that case too his relationship with Bakugou was just being formed, he didn’t know Bakugou enough to be sure he wouldn’t just lounch himself at Todoroki as soon as he was free

What I can imagine is all four of them some months in the future thinking back on it and going, man, fuck, that really was messed up, what the hell, and for a whole week Bakugou’s highly confused and kinda creeped out by how nice they’re being to him (at some point he starts thinking it’s a quirk) (they stop and go back to normal once they realize he’s honestly trying to figure out a way to unmake it)

Anon said:have you ever thought about…. ojinari (denki and ojirou) beings best buds or just hanging out? and i always liked the idea that baku and kiri get a little jealous whenever denki fawns over ojirou’s soft tail

I have!! It’s also pretty much canon, they’re seen interacting a lot - I don’t know about jealousy tho, mostly because I like to think Baku and Kiri enjoy Ojiro’s friendship a whole damn lot too haha Ojiro’s probably the only one who trains just as much as they do, really, he must be a great gym partner

Anon said:Holy mother of–the medal around Bakugou’s neck is just–I have no words but it’s such a really thoughtful and beautiful way to represent just *waves hands* I can’t explain it but it was really perfect and you’re such a great artist aND BAKU DESERVES BETTER

Holy smokes thank you!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!! ;;;A;;; I’m so glad you liked it, oh b o i and yessssss at least he deserves a lot more respect than he ever gets from anyone that isn’t his friends ;~;

Anon said:I know the chains and muzzle were probably(?) for comedic effect like “hahaha he’s so angry we had to restrain him” but dang I’m with you that was just wayyy too far. Crossing into inhumane territory there

;-; I’m so glad I’m not the only one that feels like this about that

Anon said:Okay…. but have you considered in the recent chapters….. platonic kirideku….. (please, I need more of their pure friendship)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I have, they’re pretty cute and pure and Kirishima’s a ball of excitement and fighting spirit as usual and Deku is kinda there trying to keep up all wobbly smiles and good intentions (he’s not used to the hype people poor child *pats his head*) which is amusing, I don’t mind their relationship at all! But as of now I still haven’t found anything about it unique and interesting enough to make me want to draw it? They’re cute! But they feel… sorta superficial? Like, Kirishima’s friends with everyone, and Deku’s friends with everyone, so of course they’re gonna be friends with each other too! But that’s about it right now. I dunno, maybe it’ll develop more in the future and I’ll decide I want to draw it, who knows!

Anon said:Have you seen that vine with the drunk guys recording singing backstreet’s back? The guy recording is kiri the guy angrily carrying the other drunk guy is baku and the guy being carried is kami

Oh my god this is the best thing I’ve thought about all day, bless you anon hahaha I can’t stop laughing send h e l p the angry look is just so Baku how did they even get him to carry Kami rip

Anon said:I’m sorry if this is annoying of something (mostly bc it’s not a question really) but I REALLY needed to tell you your art is awesome and you made me giggle like a little girl (especially at your kiribaku stuff), and I spent hours at it. You’re amazing!!

It’s not annoying at all!!!! Oh my god, thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Sero giving Bakugo some kind of tape corset is just… omg Fran.

It’s not easy keeping the explosive friend at bay, but someone gotta do it (usually it’s Kirishima) (Sero works well enough when the target of Baku’s yelling is Kiri himself, tho)

Anon said:I just wanted to let you know that bnha has been all over my dash forever but the only reason i’m watching it is you. I found you through your haikyuu art (the bokuku.roteru comic to be specific) and I was sad that you don’t post much hq anymore, so I figured I would watch bnha so that I could enjoy your art to the fullest 😅 I’m only 8 episodes in but i like it so far!

I’m!!!!!! So happy you’re liking it, holy smokes!!!!!!!!! *O* thank you so much for deciding to try it out only for my art, oh myyyyyy ;u;

Anon said:Okay so… This is going to sound honestly terrible but… If Suneater needs to eat something to get his abilities, what would happen if he ate a human with a quirk? Would he be able to use it too?? Gosh. This is so morbid. Sorry for the ask.

DON’T!!!!!!!!!! worry anon this is a home open to every and each speculation as far as quirks go I live for this shit - also I might or might not have thought about this too (I have) and I guess as long as quirks are classified as physical attributes then he would gain the quirk? Mutations, for sure, but stuff like Bakugou’s sweat works too (he can use the venom in the animals he eats so nitroglycerin sweat is fair game) and probably body-shifting like Kirishima would work as well… I’m not sure about stuff like Shinsou’s quirk, but if there’s a gene or an actual mutated part of his body that can make him control people, then probably it’s be okay too

Please Jiki don’t ever eat anyone, tho lol

Anon said:I also am weak for the need vs want. I’ve actually said that to people. Don’t need you, I want you hahaha love you, Fran!!

Anon said:OMG Fran the comic !!! the soft kiribaku !!! and i love that Bakugou can still live without Kirishima but his live will be colourless, just LOVE IT !!!!!!

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH OH MY GOD!!!! I’m super glad you liked it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vorthosthewillis]

Finn short story: Mask of Remembrance

So... I have to admit, when a simple question appeared, asking who wanted to punch Heliod in the face, I had no clue it would lead to being up at 12:45 at night uploading a short story of mine to Tumblr. See, my younger sister is going to school to be an art teacher, and as I was designing Finn,I asked her if she would be willing to draw him for me. She graciously agreed, so I sent her a simple character description, which included the following sentence: “ He wears a mask, possibly of Esper or Kaladesh origins “ When she got back to me a week later, she showed me the amazing picture on Finn’s bio page, which you can find here: https://vorthosthewillis.tumblr.com/post/161608252927/my-fanwalker-finn Several people asked me about the mask, and even demanded a backstory to it (I’m looking at you, @nantukohunk ). So, I started writing, and well... now we’re here. One thing of note: the Finn of this tale is different than the one in The-foxwolf’s saga, and that’s on purpose. After you read the bio and this, you’ll understand why. No more delays! Here we go!

He was… alone.

    The first thing he noticed was it was cold. The furnace level was always hot, and over time Finn got used to it, but suddenly that familiar heat was missing and all Finn could feel was a biting cold wind. He opened up his eyes and found himself… actually, he had no idea where the hell he was. He was on some sort of mountain, covered in white, wet flakes of some sort. The longer he sat here, the colder it got, the living copper strands in his right arm causing that entire arm to go numb. Shelter. He needed shelter. Then he could figure out how he got from the furnace level to outside all by closing his eyes.

    After nearly ten minutes of walking, Finn found a small cave, where he collapsed and slept the rest of the day away. He awoke with a rumbling stomach, but a far greater issue forced it's way into his mind like some charging leveler. When the etched monstrosity ripped through the front lines of his scouting group, something snapped inside, and for the first time ever, Finn accepted defeat. He closed his eyes, despaired, and found himself on a cold mountain. The issue was simple: he got here once, if he get back and then bring others with him, then maybe they could escape. The furnace level was lost, pure and simple, but maybe not everyone in it. This could work.

    It took nearly thirty tries, but it finally worked. Finn was in the furnace level, not too far from where he left. He moved quickly and quietly. It was only.. a day, maybe, since he was last here but there was evidence of significant activity recently. Dread gnawing on him, Finn slipped past one of the smaller Phyrexians with a simple illusion and a little bit of strategic planning,  and within a couple more minutes made it to the base.

    Well, what remained of it.

    “No, no, no…” the words slipped out of his mouth, uncontrollable as he raced between tents, desperate to find someone, anyone alive. The tents were ripped, torn down, or just gone. No one was left, alive or dead. Finn’s legs gave out as the despair came back, an elephant on his chest. They were lost, like his friend Saria the auriok was lost, like his mentor Whittlin the vedalkin was lost. Tears dried as the pain turned hot, hotter than the furnaces. His fingers brushed against something, and he looked down to see five small darksteel amulets laying on the ground. He grabbed one and stared. These… These belonged to Purto, the moriok kid. He played a little game of flip rocks with them. The pain inside Finn turned molten. He scooped up the amulets and this time, left the furnace level without having to close his eyes.

~*~

    Kaladesh, this place was called. Finn thought perhaps it needed to be called land of the hopelessly optimistic. He wasn’t going to stay long; another planeswalker, as he was now apparently called, told him of the place and how to get there. It was strange to see humans, or anyone really, as a fleshling, but the human woman with the fire red hair seemed friendly enough… though there was something about her he couldn't put his finger on. In exchange for a small favor at some point in the future (which was shifty, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers) she gave him instructions to several worlds, and even jumped with him here to make sure he understood. Her name was… Ithora? Surprising he couldn't exactly remember, he was usually good at that. Could that burning molten core that had been his heart be the reason? He didn’t have time to deal with that. No, he was going to be in and out.

    This world, according to Ithora, supposedly had a special, unique metal. The metal here was supposedly affected by aether, a sort of liquid magic, and though Finn wasn’t sure how it affected the metal, he knew enough to know that it must have some special property to it, even if it was hidden.

    Finn moved through the community quickly,  heading towards what looked like a weapon smith of some sort.  As he got closer though, he realized with surprise that the little humans manning the smithy (dwarves, he thought they were called?) were not making weapons, but… tubes? They must be making the pipes that the liquid magic flowed through. Metal was metal though, he reasoned. This would do.

    Someone earlier already questioned Finn’s green skin and living copper (the person called it an “amazing implant idea”) so now that he knew where he would go, he found a good place to hide and wait for night. The person earlier, who actually looked like an elf but without the green skin, caused a spike of anger in Finn that took a minute to squash, so he decided it wasn’t worth it to try and bargain for the metal and have to interact with more people who could comment on his weirdness. If the last few months on Mirrodin taught him anything, it was that he had to do what was needed to survive.

    As he waited in the small alleyway for nightfall, Finn questioned his mission once again. Why did he need the metal? The urge to gather metal, not just any metal but only the best from any world he could find, didn't make any rational sense because he couldn't think of an end goal. He pulled out one of Purto’s amulets, staring hard at it. If the eventual goal was to make a weapon, well… Finn wasn’t a physical fighter, not that he really wanted to be one, nor did he know anyone to give it to. Everyone was gone.  Even if he was to use the metals to build something, you couldn't break down darksteel. Remold it, sure, but not break it down, and these five tiny amulets weren't exactly enough to make anything bigger than maybe a tiny knife. The lack of an end goal bugged Finn, but perhaps this had to do with coming to terms with Mirrodin’s fall. He put away the amulet, and turned his mind to other thoughts.

    That night, as he walked through the metal stores in the back of the weapon smith, a fear overtook him. None of this metal felt right. That sounded strange to say, and it was; this entire breaking and entering thing wasn’t his best moral decision. Perhaps for that reason, he couldn’t bring himself to grab any of the metal. He continued through the room, sighed in defeat,  and turned to leave when something in the corner caught his eye. A small lump of a dull gold, almost brown metal in the corner twinkled in the moonlight from a nearby window. It… it somehow reminded him of a time on the razor fields, early on in the war against the phyrexians. He was hurt and running, when a group of auriok and vulshok surrounded him. That was the start of the alliance between that topside resistance group and the furnace level group, and where Finn met Saria, an ally he wished he had time to make a friend. Finn picked up the small lump and put it in a pocket. This would do.

~*~

     The first world Finn ever walked to, known to its few residents affectionately as Stawthese, vanished as Finn walked to a world known to many as Ravnica. The giant city world appeared, and even though Finn was warned of it, he couldn’t stop gaping for a second. He instantly missed Stawthese and its lack of big cities, but hey, at least he got this sweet coat to remember it by.

    There were so many people here, it amazed Finn. Also slightly unnerved him, not because it was people but because it was people who could call him out, try to force themselves into his life. A thought like that wouldn't have bothered Finn before he first walked, but that Finn had allies, had friends… had a world. Despite people being all around him, Finn felt utterly alone, and a growing part of him felt more and more comfortable with that fact.

    It took a while, but Finn now had enough metal to do… whatever drove him here to Ravnica. Each metal, each world, reminded him of home in some small but meaningful way, which was the only method to stop the ever growing molten core from overtaking him. It was rather insidious; as he gave in and become more angry, rash, isolated, he began to become more and more comfortable with it. It didn’t bother him as much anymore, though a small voice inside was scared shitless of his growingly dangerous emotions.

    Finn wandered randomly through the streets, keeping his head down. It was easier to hide here with so many different species, but Finn was already used to hiding his skin with his clothes and now this coat. It was easier this way. The area he was in reminded him a little of Kaladesh, with fancy blue and red tubes and gadgets all around. He passed a few goblin children running down a backstreet and smiled despite himself. He knew a few goblins back on Mirrodin but none of them well, and beside, not anymore. People pissed him off, but at least kids seemed to still be ok.

    Finn found himself following the children down the path, and before he knew it was lost in the dark alleyways. He turned around, intent on finding his way out and finding a place to sleep. A noise behind him was the only warning, but it was the only warning he needed. As a small fireball flew at his backside, he waved a hand, concentrated, and the fireball flew over his head instead of into his shoulder. He spun around in time to see two goblin mages, eyes intent on fighting. “Listen, I’m sorry, but maybe you should put up a sign if this is private territory,” he said with a smirk, and one of the goblins flashed lightning at him. Another whisper, and the spell missed. He scanned their minds, and created a quick plan. “You’re not gonna be able to target me with your fancy spells,  so let me go or help me,” he exclaimed. “Help you?” one of the goblins asked, while the other looked at the first and nudged him. “Yah,” Finn began,”I need a metalsmith. Someone who can work quiet, and willing to let me infuse spells into the metal as he or she works. I’m willing to pay, and pay well. Got it memorized?” The words surprised him as much of the goblins, but as he said it, a ghost of an idea appeared in the back of his mind.

    It took many more negotiations, and people pissed on both sides, but Finn finally got what he wanted. The mob the goblins were a part of had a metalsmith who worked jobs on the side,  as long as they were lucrative, and Finn already… acquired some fancy looking gadgets earlier that the goblin’s metalsmith took as payment. He outlined the idea to her slowly and carefully, drawing it on a piece of paper for her. He then swore her to secrecy before revealing the various metals, and their properties.

    The metal of Kaladesh, the dull gold that looked brown, touched by liquid magic.

    The metal of the region Esper from Alara, grey like quicksilver, known as etherium to Esper’s inhabitants and used to replace body parts.

    The metal of Stawthese, stark white, naturally frozen in its tall, snow-covered mountains and permanently cold because of it.

    The metal of a dark, dying world Finn never did learn the name of, dull grey, almost lifeless itself, that seemed to suck in magic like a sponge.

    And five small darksteel amulets, once owned by a dead kid.

~*~

    The goblin metalsmith began work on the project two days later.  Early that day she closed the shop, ushering Finn in via a small backdoor, and once more Finn and the goblin talked over the plan.  Then she began by placing the metals in the fires and Finn focused in on himself, gathering mana from the land around in preparation.  This part of his magic, taught to him by his mother, was seemingly unaffected by his molten core. If anything, it seemed more at peace with the pain than anything else… small favors indeed.

    When the metals were hot enough, and Finn was holding as much magic as he could, the goblin metalsmith began. The metal molded, remolded, fused together, all piece by small piece. Finn began his part slowly, channeling simple hexproof spells into the metal. He could feel the magic leaking off of himself though… he needed to go harder and faster.

    He needed to pour himself into that metal.

    Finn stopped thinking of the Ravnica, of Stawthese, of the building he was in and even the goblin on the other side of the room. It was him and the metal, and he thought of Mirrodin. His early years, his training on the Quicksilver sea,  the fight against the phyrexians. As the magic flowed, he thought of Saria, of Thrun, of Whittlin, of all the people he met and watched fall. Of little Purto, the moriok with the lopsided smile and little amulets he used for his game. The pain he felt flowed into the metal, and the despair and rage. The molten core that was his heart burned stronger and faster, like one of the moons on his dead world. It hurt, knowing it was gone, knowing he was the only one left. It hurt so much, and the worse part was he couldn’t do a single thing about it. Mirrodin was dead, everyone was dead, and weren’t coming back. Nothing could bring any of it back… NOTHING.

      He was alone.

      But he could remember them.

~*~

     The mask laid on a table beside Finn, and he could feel the magic of it. It made sense, it was purely his magic, but still it surprised him.  The goblin metalsmith had let him sleep in her back room for the night, but he couldn't sleep after that. He thought about running right then,  taking this mask and trying to wipe the mind of the goblin... but mind magic, other than simple illusions and mind-reading, wasn’t really his thing, and she deserved better than that.

    The entire experience was eye-opening, in a way. He was still mad, the molten pain still there, there was no denying it. But despite that, it didn’t hurt anymore. It was a part of him, like his skin and copper. It was who he had become. He would leave Ravinca, head back to Stawthese or some other backwater plane, and live alone. His rage wouldn’t have to hurt anyone else.

    Finn lifted up the mask slowly, looking at it. There were no eye or mouth holes, but with his magic that wouldn't be a problem. The metals fused nicely together, but kept their distinctive colors, creating an intricate and almost delicate design, with the five small pieces of darksteel on the edges of the mask. It felt cool, a product of the Stawthese metal no doubt, but honestly Finn didn’t mind that. He put it on slowly, using small straps on the back and his blue headwrap to keep it in place. It felt like it had always been a part of him.

    Finn, the Mirrin freedom fighter was dead. But this new Finn, this planeswalker and his mask wouldn't forget him or any of the others. That, he promised. @baldore-of-the-boros @foilmountain @actualborossoldier  @gigaguessmtg @flamefox13  Let me know your thoughts and critques!

[the-film-bitch]

Nocturnal Animals (2016) ★★★★

OSCARS: 1 Nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Michael Shannon).

Amy Adams’ face fills the frame, pupils dilated in fear, her mouth half-open as if she can’t take her eyes off whatever terrible thing she’s staring at. Superimposed over her face is a full image of a man – Jake Gyllenhaal, standing. The visual metaphor is vivid: he is in her head, under her skin.

This is the poster image, unequivocal in purpose, for Nocturnal Animals, Tom Ford’s Gone Girl-esque psychological thriller. Every other visual from the film proves just as painstakingly calculated; it has the look of an over-budget perfume ad, stylised to the last inch in tone, texture, timbre and composition. Shot on film by Seamus McGarvey (Atonement, Anna Karenina) and with a swelling orchestral score by Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man), designer-director Tom Ford’s latest has shades of Blue (Velvet, that is) and harks back to Hitchcock-era Hollywood without feeling derivative of any one big name. 

Built on the central premise of Austin Wright’s bestseller Tony and Susan, Nocturnal Animals is Ford’s full-time thriller, part-time critique of artful, empty lives. Amy Adams plays the book’s titular Susan Morrow, a married art gallery owner who feels like she should be happy with her pristine life, but can’t move past the cracks: her ‘handsome and dashing’ husband Hutton (Armie Hammer) is distant – a cinematic tipoff for an extramarital affair – and she’s much less satisfied with her work as head of an art gallery than everyone else seems to be. So when ex-husband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) sends her a manuscript of his latest novel (titled after an affectionate nickname he gave her in happier times), she seizes the opportunity to distract from her malaise for a little while. There’s even a deliberate ego trap on the first page to entice her: the dedication reads ‘For Susan’. Attempting to open the package, she gives herself a papercut that draws much more blood than it should; a visual clue that the innocuous-seeming packet of papers is, in fact, capable of grievous harm. 

Soon, the book’s brutally violent events and its scathing sense of contempt (delivered by analogy) take over every waking moment for Susan, of which there are many (she often complains of insomnia). Chapter after chapter, ‘Nocturnal Animals’ acts like a chisel to each of the fault lines in Susan’s life, turning chip to gaping rift and fragmenting what little peace she thought she had left in her beautiful washout of a life.

Edward’s novel turns out to be the literary manifestation of all the messy hurt left over from his breakup with Susan, more details of which we learn in later flashbacks, which are indicated by warm lighting and a youthful sparkle in Adams’ eye. It’s part-therapeutic exercise – or exorcise – part-revenge piece for Edward, with Ford gesturing as much through a little scene at Susan’s gallery, where she does a double-take at a piece of artwork: the word ‘REVENGE’ arranged in staccato form. ‘Where did this painting come from?’ she asks, before Jena Malone’s caricature of the LA art world, clad in what looks like a gladiator sandal for the torso, reminds her that it was a purchase made by Susan herself some eight years ago. Edward’s novel has given Susan fresh eyes; like anything anxiety-inducing, it renders the familiar foreign, and forces Susan to take stock of the illusions in her life, exposing them for what they really are – or for what Edward (and Ford, in an interesting, though much too cursory suggestion) thinks they are. 

The critique is clearly intentional here, but it feels underdeveloped throughout the rest of the film, like an inspired, but half-formed, idea forgotten about mid-production. Nocturnal Animals wants to tell us something, but it shouts over its own voice, all at once warning us about the dangers of betrayal, of falling into false complacency early on in life – its discordant voices speak of regret, selfishness, masculinity, anguish, and of the scars that make compelling art. This is the most frustrating thing about the film – that it can’t decide where to stick the knife in – instead pricking at us in an inexact, half-hearted sort of way when it has the potential to deliver a direct stab to the heart.

Ford is more successful in cutting to the quick elsewhere. As writer-director, his overhauling of the original story is bold and ambitious, deftly tweaking finer aspects of the original story to give the film a sharper psychological edge: the gothic appeal of Texas as the scene for violence replaces the book’s more chaste original setting of Maine, for example, while female lead Susan is promoted from housewife to professional aesthete to put more sting in the film’s tail.

This last amendment gives Amy Adams a role starkly different from those we’re used to seeing her in. As high-fashion, high-flying Susan, Adams moves in a way we haven’t seen her move before: calculatedly, as if she knows she’s being watched and wants to project confidence and grace – almost as if she was starring in that perfume advert instead. And when Edward’s novel shocks her out of that carefully-poised composure, Adams skillfully produces a changed Susan, convincing us that the damage is real.

Casting also works excellently in analogising the novel’s characters with the film’s: Tony and Edward are both played by Jake Gyllenhaal, while the former’s red-headed wife (Isla Fisher) and daughter (Ellie Bamber) bear uncanny resemblances to Susan herself. What the fate of the book’s women suggests of Edward’s post-breakup feelings for Susan is left hanging in the air. Instead, Nocturnal Animals more deeply explores the emasculation of a man jilted through the analogy of a man bereaved, with the fictional Tony experiencing in action what Edward went through in feeling.

This is no better exemplified than in what is by far the film’s stand-out scene – in which Tony takes a quiet, nighttime family roadtrip through a moonless Texas night before being set upon by a group of juiced-up menacing locals. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays their leader, Ray, in an astonishing performance (remember Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging?) that deftly captures the surface charm, erraticism and underlying menace of a serial killer. Indicating deep cinematic instincts, Ford has us watch the entire roadside meeting from behind our fingers as its nerve-racking disquiet steadily builds to the full sinister end that we dared not imagine. A few faltering moments for Tony, and the power dynamics slide away from him; his later tearful exasperation at the complete loss of his control over the situation is achingly palpable, because a small part of us agrees with him when he says, ‘I should’ve stopped it’. Perhaps all those Taken movies have set us up to see Edward as a father-failure here. But Michael Shannon as gravelly Detective Bobby Andes underscores this sentiment onscreen with his quizzical questioning of Tony, implying his bemusement at the latter’s passivity: ‘It’s my understanding these fellas didn’t have any guns?’ and when Tony confirms as much, ‘Hmm. Alright…’.

As you’d expect from someone whose day job is as fashion designer, Ford’s detail is immaculate; perfectionistic. Every aspect of the mise-en-scene is purposeful: when a portrait shot swings wide to reveal a classic Pontiac on window display, it’s to remind us that we’ve seen it before – in the novel’s fictional world, where it seemed to run on Ray’s testosterone. There are plenty of these interesting totems appearing in both Susan’s life and the book to indicate a parallel; twin items that remind us that Edward’s story is very much stocked with his memories of Susan.

At first glance, Nocturnal Animals might be on par with 2009’s excellent A Single Man. Looking for longer, though, it gives itself away as the flashier, less eloquent teenage equivalent of its grown-up brother. There certainly is plenty to marvel at here: its packed tight with stunning design, intricate plot weaving and a bolt from the blue performance from Aaron Taylor-Johnson – and with Tom Ford’s meticulous attention to detail, there will still be much to discover in a second viewing. But seeing the film again won’t clear up that vague sense of not quite getting the gist – does it want us to leave the cinema more protective of our youthful, romantic voice – the one Susan ignored? Or is its principal message about the nature of art, or the hollow happiness to be found in capitalist pleasures? In either case, Ford doesn’t pay these themes enough attention, dropping them in and then forgetting all about them soon after. It gleams, but Nocturnal Animals only goes skin-deep.