#i love love love these excerpts & needed to celebrate them

[dreamaze]

A collection of some of my favorite details in Minhyuk's vocal performances (studio & live) ♡

The Dreaming: all of this range but especially the gorgeous & fleeting lowest note One Day (No Limit Tour 2022 in Seoul): the one-note melody change in the final chorus (taking a higher note in the chord on 'I'm' — it's so good I'm devastated it's not in the studio version) Wildfire: the quick melisma on the 'in' of 'inside' thanks to a happy accident in the recording booth that became permanent Love Killa: all of this lovely melting tone in the bridge but especially the vibrato on the final note (we love thoughtful vibrato choices!) Beautiful Liar: the floating countermelody in the ending Rush Hour: that growl that only happens in certain performances Gambler: another (subtler) growl between 'calling me' that is unique to his interpretation (Kihyun doesn't do it in his earlier part) Gambler (It's Live, ft. Kihyun): because how could I not love him performing the upper harmony live with no backing track!

[acid-ixx]

I hope you don’t mind but I need to ramble this to someone, neglected Wayne reader right? The fam would forget to bring them to social events and whatnot right? So there would be very few pictures, articles and interviews or even facts about them, meaning that reader Wayne is a rarity. Still following me? Reader Wayne with a small but devout fanbase.

I’m talking they are trading the latest pictures and sharing links to the rare interview with reader in it, following any social media they have that isn’t private, they are just fascinated by this micro celebrity that seems to always be forgotten. Okay but also imagine one of the heroes developing a para-social attachment to reader. My money is on Conner Kent, mainly bc he can project his own issues with his dads onto reader and he can Dolores ~Encanto~ reader with his super hearing and develop a even bigger parasocial obsession with them

I hope you enjoyed this ramble, I will leave you be now, see ya later alligator! 🐊

omg another one of my asks that actually predicted a major plot point... this ask ties well with the last part written here. i'm thinking about having the reader get a love interest/s but i have already written an outline but one thing is for sure—

you have more than just your family interested in taking you.

major spoilers below the cut. — an excerpt from chapter xx

(name) wayne may have been a name forcefully deleted off of the face of the internet, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its conspiracies of its own. nobody knows who you are beyond the blurry, unsolicited pictures of you. it may have been a photograph of your back, or articles published in unknown websites and buried at the far end about a kid entering through the fancy gates of the wayne manor.

you are a product of a one-night-stand.

but they don't know who the mother is, don't know your age, or where you come from, and what business bruce has with the woman to guarantee your adoption at the instance she had disappeared without warning.

your existence was a mystery most would like to solve. after all, it was your picture that was plastered all over the newspapers and articles, it was your name that journalists whisper and it was a silhouette of your face that the underground knows by heart. every known information about you was shared discretely yet efficiently like some sort of virus.

you were a target for interest, a large sum of money if they will. and alfred had taken it in his hands to make sure there would never be a repeat of what had happened before.

it was a clumsy mistake, one that cost you your memories, and one he swears on his life he'll never make again.

the first course of action he needs to arrange, which may seem difficult for most; he needs to confront bruce.

after all, your freedom is your doom.

maybe this is out of the picture, but id' like to imagine you and connor having a therapy session where one comes out absolutely obsessed with the other, and it's not you.

connor's character for me is so, so good for an angst potential. it's like his personal struggles is a way for him to show you how absolutely you two are meant to be. and he may have met you through bumping into you (false) or maybe... he has seen you stalking through the shadows back when he visits the manor. using his superhearing, he can hear your voice from the kitchen begging alfred to relay a message to bruce, sounding so absolutely desperate. it's the way you tell alfred how you wished your father actually spends time with you, or how nobody seems to notice you— that he kind of just makes a silent promise that he will talk to you soon, he needs to know why this family seems so keen on ignoring and how hypocritical tim is for literally doing the same thing to you when he's aware of kon's past.

if he (or anyone else) should be a love interest (though he is a minor character in the series unless you guys want him to be a major one), i can already imagine the absolute hell you have to suffer not only from your family but from your own lover. just imagine the stockholm syndrome or the delusions you convince yourself with because you're finally loved by someone but that love restricts you from the very freedom you tried to build.

the batfamily would be so conflicted because why are you choosing some stranger over them...? then you slap them in the face with, "well, this "stranger" wants to kidnap me and lock me up, sure! but at least they actually looked at me for more than five seconds!" and you can watch how the color drains off their face, their conflict giving you the perfect opportunity to run away from both your ex-family and your soon-to-be-kidnapper-lover who thinks your comeback is a funny way for you to propose.

[f1cflcfic]

Won't Say I'm In Love (SMAU ft. Lando Norris) - part xi

pairing: lando norris x tennis player!reader (fem!y/n); past carlos alcaraz x tennis player!reader (fem!y/n)

summary: As a general rule, y/n does not date athletes. You've been there, done that - would not recommend. Besides, you definitely don't do love. There's no time in the world for complicated feelings when there's a career Grand Slam to be won. But what if your heart just refuses to listen?

genre: social meda/mixed au, friends to lovers

note: this is RPF and is obviously in no way, shape, or form reflective of real persons and/or events

series: part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi | part vii | part viii | part ix | part x | ...

bonus: one, two, three

June 2-3, 2025

[Excerpt: True or False with Babolat Ambassador Y/N L/N] True or False – you’ve never won Wimbledon or the US Open

True, for now! Trying to change it this year. I did get to the final of Wimbledon two years ago, so hoping I can at least get there again.

True or False – Your favourite tv series is Abbott Elementary

Oooh, favourite tv series ever? I don’t know about that, that’s really difficult. But I do love it as one of my favourite tv series that’s currently on tv for sure. Especially because it's funny and low-stakes, but also still very real and touching.

True or False – Every tennis player also is an avid watcher of tennis

Definitely false. There’s a pretty clear divide between those of us who watch tennis for entertainment, and those of us who cannot stand it – because you can’t escape your need to analyse every single millisecond of a match. I’ll leave it up to you to guess which category I belong to.

True or False – you had a small background part in the movie Challengers

Ha, I wish!

True or False – Using the right, fresh balls makes all the difference in a championship match.

That’s actually true. The more you’ve used them and hit them over the course of a match, even in as much as 20 minutes the balls degrade. And so does the quality. It means you have to adjust your hitting style constantly, and that takes a lot of effort. It also depends on the surface a bit. Clay is a lot more physical than hard court, for example.

True or False – If you hadn’t become a tennis player, you would have wanted to be a location scout for movies.

How do you guys know that? Yeah, I just think it’d be such a cool and creative job. You’d get to travel a lot, which I get to do now as well – but you’d actually get to spend time exploring the place with a purpose in mind. I don’t know, I think capturing what the world looks like is so beautiful. Sometimes we forget just how beautiful it is, and just how precious our environment is.

True or False – your celebrity crush is Sebastian Stan

True. Has been since I first watched him in Once Upon A Time.

True or False – Your favourite racket is a Babolat Aero.

Hmmm trick question! I actually have my own modified version as of this year. It’s now available for people to pre-order – the Babolat Aero Pro L/N. I’m so excited to bring the racket that I’m using this tour to stores. It’s been a very rigorous process of designing and developing this racket to suit me the best, and give me the most feel and spin control as possible.

True or False – Your dream holiday destination is Japan.

True again. This year I actually got to spend my birthday there. It was absolutely wonderful, and also a complete surprise that my best friend had organised for me. I don't think anyone's ever given me such a thoughtful gift. I thought I was being dropped off at the airport, and instead we drove straight to Niigata for Sakura. I'm pretty sure I'll never forget just how breathtaking it was to be surrounded by so much beauty, and to share that with such special people who mean the world to me.

June 4-5, 2025

[Excerpt Max Fewtrell Twitch Stream, June 5th, 2025]

"Yeah, he is in Paris right now. What a life he leads, huh? Terrible. No, as much as I loved the Australian Open - I won't be going to the tennis this time. I'll be back to support Lando during his next race though. We do have our own lives, I know it might not look like it, but we do."

“Am I following the tournament? Yes I am, though I must say the atmosphere in a stadium is hard to replicate through a screen. It's such an intense sport. Really rooting for Y/N L/N of course.”

“If I have a favourite for the men? Ohh I can't really say. Let's first see who gets into the final, because it does take a while with tennis.”

“What else is coming from Quadrant? Quite a lot actually. It’s been very exciting, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes for a while. So just have to be patient for a little while longer chat, but I promise you it’ll be well worth the wait.”

June 6-8, 2025

A/N: omg so much has happened irl between previous chapter and this one, podium wins, the MET, there's a new pope, and i now have a new laptop woohoo. Next up in WSIIL: get in, we're going shopping with an increasingly unraveling y/n and loverboy lando :) :)

next part available now here

♥ likes, comments, reblogs and asks are always very much appreciated - i love chatting and hearing your thoughts! ♥

taglist (open): @linnygirl09 @julesbog @midnight-and-books @sarx164 @obxstiles @freyathehuntress @vhkdncu2ei8997 @berrnuu @lightdragonrayne @glow-ish @batsratswrites @blushmimi @colmathgames2 @esw1012 @sadiemack9

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice

I'm in the home stretch of my 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in PDX THIS FRIDAY (June 20) at BARNES AND NOBLE with BUNNIE HUANG and at the TUALATIN public library on SUNDAY (June 22). After that, it's LONDON (July 1) with TRASHFUTURE'S RILEY QUINN and then a big finish in MANCHESTER on July 2.

Margaret Killjoy writes fantasy stories of relentless tension, boundless wonder, thrilling adventure…and completely radical, unflinching anarchist politics. Her 2024 YA novel "The Sapling Cage" is a queer coming-of-age epic that motors with all the narrative energy of a genderbent Conan epic:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/24/daughters-of-the-empty-throne/#witchy

Today, Strangers In a Tangled Wilderness Press publishes The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice, a collection of three linked short stories set in Killjoy's celebrated Danielle Cain series, which Alan Moore called "ideal reading for a post-truth world":

https://www.tangledwilderness.org/shop/p/the-immortal-choir-holds-every-voice

Danielle Cain is a freight-train-hopping, anarcho-queer hero whose adventures are shared by solidaristic crews of spellcasting, cryptid-battling crustypunk freaks and street-fighters. In Immortal Choir, the action opens with Danielle and a motley band around a campfire in a dark Idaho woods, surrounded by the night-screams of some distant demonic presence. It's Samhain, and the veil between the realm of the living and the dead is as thin as it gets. Bad things are stalking the night.

To save themselves, they must court their own dead, welcoming them to their circle. They pile a camp-plate high with food for the dead to eat, build the fire up, and begin the tell the stories of their dead comrades, summoning them as a defense against the monstrous forces that stalk the All Saints night. This is the setup for the three linked short stories that make up this short book.

This is a great setup: a group of endangered comrades, huddled together against the darkness without, telling tales to buoy up their bravery. It's the framing device that makes The Decameron an enduring classic after 800 years and counting. In Killjoy's hands, it sings.

The first story is "The Troll King's Court," a ghost story about a Norwegian troll cult that came to America in a failed Manhattan-Adjacent Project to create a mystical superweapon with which to win WWII. It's ultimately a story about how the competent people who have their shit together in our lives are just as broken as the rest of us, and about the many ways that release, fulfillment and actualization can take place. It's spooky as fuck.

The middle story is "The Fairies of the Spring," which summons up the old, mean roots of the Fair Folk, the cruelty behind their beauty and merry laughter. Pratchett did one of these (Lords and Ladies), and so have many others – but no one's done it where the resistance comes from a motley band of queer punk club-owners in a rural town, who team up with local shitkickers to hunt the elves and banish them to their realm.

The final tale is "The Battle of Miami," a story about a streetfighting anti-globalist battle. It's a tale of Black Bloc tactics and true queer love, that lights up with joy.

Killjoy's really onto something with this series. She's tapping into the deep roots of fantasy – maybe the socialist parables woven into William Morris's stories. She's also connecting with the roots of urban fantasy (I was delighted to see a reference to Terri Windling's superb, absolutely amazing Borderland series).

These three tales stand alone, so there's no need to read the previous volumes before diving into this one. But you should read the other two, because they're great:

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion (2017):

https://reactormag.com/excerpts-margaret-killjoy-the-lamb-will-slaughter-the-lion/

The Barrow Will Send What It May: (2018):

https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-barrow-will-send-what-it-may-margaret-killjoy/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/06/18/anarcho-cryptid/#decameron-and-on

[akawifeyy]

lovelorn | smau pt.1 (AKA12)

description: kimi antonelli has known you ever since you were little, and he's always kept a safe distance. but it's getting harder and harder to deny the chemistry, and that he's head over heels in love.

tropes: best friend's little sister, childhood friends, one-sided love, ob87 sister!reader

face claim: daniela avanzini

trigger warnings: suggestive content, swearing

| note: i need kimi holistically... also this is part 1 / 3 fics!

pt.1 pt.2 pt.3

@ yourusername: snapshots from the past few days 📸

tagged: @ olliebearman, @ f1

comments (752):

@ user1: captivating

@ user2: IDK if I wanna be her or with her

-> @ user3: sameee

@ olliebearman: It was nice seeing you again, lil sis

-> @ yourusername: i'm younger than you by three minutes, be so fr ✋🏻

Text messages between Kimi and Y/N (2025):

@ kimiantonelli: Grazie Miami for everything! P1, can't believe it. Thank you all who helped make this a reality.

tagged: @ f1, @ mercedes

comments (1938):

@ yourusername: incredible driving skills, maybe you aren't just a pretty face

-> @ kimiantonelli: The pretty face is all you

-> @ user4: HELLO???

@ kimiantonelliupdates: TBT baby kimi, i can't believe he's all grown up and winning GPs

tagged: @ kimiantonelli, @ aka12lover, @ forzakimi & 3 others

comments (124):

@ user3: HE'S SO SMALLL AWEE

@ user5: yeah yeah baby Kimi's cute but did anyone also catch him flirting with Ollie's sister?

-> @ user6: They've known each other since childhood, we shouldn't be speculating on a romantic relationship that might not even exist. It's an invasion of their privacy, let them flirt and leave them alone

@ aka12lover: sooo cutie 😍

Interview with Kimi Antonelli (excerpt):

INTERVIEWER: So, you've known Ollie Bearman for quite some time, since your years together in Prema Racing?

KIMI ANTONELLI: Yes, we've been friends for years. I'm grateful, he's stuck with me through a lot of things.

INTERVIEWER: The Internet is abuzz with rumors concerning the two of you. You may have heard?

(Kimi Antonelli shakes his head.)

INTERVIEWER (clearing throat): Many fans think that you might be secretly dating Ollie's younger sister, Y/N. What would you like to say to them?

KIMI ANTONELLI: No, no. (laughter) If I were dating Y/N, I wouldn't hide it. She does not deserve to be kept like a secret.

INTERVIEW: So the rumors are false?

KIMI ANTONELLI: For the time being, yes. Unless she decides otherwise.

Text messages between Kimi and Y/N (2025):

@ yourusername: oh how i love imola 😇

tagged: @ kimiantonelli, @ olliebearman, @ f1

comments (356):

@ user7: orange looks so pretty on her 🥵

@ olliebearman: Thanks for leaving me halfway through celebrations. I know where your loyalty lies now

-> @ yourusername: sorry i had to piss 😭

-> @ olliebearman: Sureee 🙂‍↔️

@ kimiantonelli: Photo credits?

-> @ yourusername: my bad kimi

@ kimiantonelli: P3 in Imola! Lucky and thankful to be here

tagged: @ yourusername, @ f1, @ mercedes

comments (985):

@ user9: hello why did he tag Y/N 😣

-> @ user10: I'm gonna crash out if they're dating

-> @ user9: but remember the interview? why would he lie

@ olliebearman: Congrats mate!!

@ yourusername: as someone i know once said, "photo credits"? 🤨

-> @ kimiantonelli: Sorry, tesoruccia 😞

-> @ user11: LITTLE TREASURE??? guys i don't think they're kidding anymore

Text messages between Kimi and Y/N (2025):

Text messages between Ollie and Y/N (2025):

─── ୨୧ ─── THE END ─── ୨୧ ───

[aroacearborvitae]

happy pride, here's some excerpts from The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide: Making It Work in Friendship, Love, and Sex, which I just finished reading and highly recommend. "relationship" here refers to any relation we seek out with other people- friendship, qprs, sexual relationships, nonamory, romance, etc.

plain text under the cut:

Why do we need a book like this? Too often as ace and aro folks, we are asked to change ourselves in order to be worthy of connection. Whatever we week-romance, love, companionship, sex, friendship, community-is dangled in front of us like a carrot on a stick while we're told, "Sure, you can have what you. Just be different. Just be something other than you."

We are told, from the moment we recognize our ace or aro identities, that we less worthy of our "no." We are told that our aspect identity is either a brokenness, proof that something is faulty in our makeup, or is an absence, proof that we are missing something essential that everyone else has. We are told that since we come to the table with less, we are entitled to less, and that even if we want to say "no," we should defer, should forfeit our "no." But we deserve our "no." The things you want as an aspec person, the things you choose, the things that come from the wholeness of who you are and that express that wholeness are not less than.

In the introduction to his book Cruising Utopia: The Then and Now of Queer Futurity, late queer artist and scholar José Esteban Muñoz presents what I believe is a really beautiful idea of what queerness is. Muñoz describes queerness as something on the horizon, something we have no yet become. Being queer, Muñoz describes, is taking the experience we have as queer people in the present, warts and all, and using it as fuel to drive our dreams of a future. "Queerness is not yet here," the book begins. But we can see it. We can imagine it. And we live queer lives inside that imagining. For Muñoz, queer is something we are always in the process of becoming. Queerness is something we are always creating. He squarely puts us in the driver's seat of that process. We are imagining the queerness we want to inhabit. I love Muñoz's conception because it centers the act of imagining-imagining the lives we want, imagining the world we want to inhabit. It prizes the way we want to be seen, respected, treated, loved. In this view of queerness, we design the space our aspec identities occupy with our relationship partners, as well as the place we want them to inhabit within us. This imagining sits in contrast to what we often do now. Aspec people are always asked to reshape our aceness or aroness into the world as it exists now: into our own sometimes-liming expectations, into society's always-limiting relationship expectations, into social structures and social norms. We don't do much imagining in this present. Instead, we try to fit ourselves into contexts that don't imagine us. And that's definitely to our detriment. The beginnings of new relationships don't have to repeat the disappointments of the past. They don't have to reinforce the cultural norms that diminish our asexuality or aromanticism. They don't have to be reiterations of relationship norms that want to hide, limit, and render invisible our aspec experience. They can, instead, be a moment for imagining-and building-something different. You deserve to have the kinds of relationships and the affirming spaces within them that you can imagine. What does an affirming relationship look like? What does a safe relationship look like? What does a joyful relationship look like? Whatever you imagine can be what you ask for. We can ask for ace- and aro-affirming relationships that aren't just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic of social norms. We can ask for relationships that celebrate who we are.

When you're rejected for the kind of relationship you want, don't think, "Well, that's more proof that being who I am and wanting what I want is messed up and wrong and bad and shameful." Instead, think, "Yes, they rejected me, but that tells me they can't give me what I need. That tells me they aren't right for what I want. That tells me they aren't right for me." While the ways other people respond to our aspec identities can hurt us, other people's responses are not statements of our worth or value. Other people's responses aren't statements of the worth of what we want. They're just other people's responses. We are always deserving of the lives and relationships that we want.

In all things about ace and aro relationships-from beginnings to endings, from what they're based on to what they develop into, from whom they contain to whom they impact-what matters is the expansiveness, imagination, and courage of the people who create them. The world is not interested in the relationships we want. The world does not want us to have the relationships we want. And in that resistance of the world is, for us, a kind of freedom. To have what we want, we must imagine things beyond what is offered in the world. That can be anything we want it to be. We can imagine ourselves into the expansive relationship types that already bloom everywhere. Or we can push ourselves to imagine whatever kinds of relationships come next. If we can see that as a freedom instead of a hurdle, we not only open ourselves to a wide world of relationships, but we open ourselves to a wider view of ourselves. And every person we touch with our bold, imaginative, courageous expansive aspec self changes the way the world thinks about aspec people. Each relationship you inhabit is an aspec relationship, and you're writing the story of our communities in every single one of those relationship. That's the power you have. That's the power of you in relationship in the world. Use your power. Use with care. And build a better world for all of us, one relationship at a time.

As aspec folks, along with every other person under the overarching queer umbrella, we move through a world that denies us care. The systems that govern our world don't account for our needs. The messages that pervade our world call us sick, broken, immature, afraid. Laws get made that actively ignore or harm us. The media doesn't depict us or give us equal space to tell our own stories. Our communities only support us when we follow social scripts that aren't made for us. Everywhere we turn in the world sends a single, clarion message: "The care we have to provide is not for you." To be aspec and demand care is a revolutionary act. To be aspec and provide care is a revolutionary act. To stand in the face of a world that refuses to imagine us and say "I am here. I deserve care. And I will still give care in the absence of receiving it" is a powerful assertion of our validity, our worth, and our possibility.

[roguishcat]

Augustarion Day 7 – Underwear

Day 1 -🍓, Day 2 - 🌊, Day 4 - Mythologies, Day 6 - Cream, Day 14 - Protective, Day 15 - Shirt that goes hard

Pairing: female reader (You) x Astarion

Tags: fluff with a tiny bit of angst

Excerpt: “Astarion, my love,” you began in a deceptively light tone as he approached your bed, “Quite coincidentally, I was just going through the lovely collection of underwear which you have gifted me since we got to the city. And seeing as you embroidered every single thing with such meticulous care, I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful work that you did. Every piece of lingerie with my name, embroidered in elvish. How sweet.”

Astarion felt a chill run down his spine, the treacly sweetness of your voice making him want to run. You couldn’t have possibly found out, right?

Word count: 1.9k

A/N This was supposed to be smut, but ended up being feels.

Astarion was in an excellent mood. Everything was going according to plan as you bagged a win after win, defying all odds.

You managed to obtain the second Netherstone, proving yourself to be a strong leader and brilliant strategist, confidently leading them into battle against the cultists. You defeated Orin and rescued Lae’zel, although Astarion still couldn’t understand why the githyanki didn’t just kill the shapeshifter herself.

Honestly. For such a formidable warrior she was quite good at letting herself be the damsel in distress. Not that he would ever say that to her face. He quite liked his head to remain on his shoulders and was sure that a thoughtless comment like that would be all the reason she needed to reach for her sword.

Of course, his fantastic mood was not the result of rescuing the githyanki. Lae’zel was no fun, as she barely tolerated his antics even on a good day. No, what had Astarion excited was the delicious promise in your eyes when you brushed past him earlier.

The others decided to celebrate their victory with a drink or ten, but you pulled him aside and whispered that you were waiting for him upstairs, giving his biceps a squeeze before sauntering off. Seeing as it would be just the two of you not getting sloshed, Astarion had a strong inkling that he knew exactly how his evening would go. And he had a little something that he picked up at Facemaker’s Boutique that he couldn’t wait for you to try on!

When Astarion entered the shared room at Elfsong, he could see that you were already there and scantily clothed. So far, an excellent start! He smirked and closed the door behind him.

“Darling, you look ravishing. But why don’t you put this lovely set on instead, hm? The pearly beads on the front gave me all sorts of exquisite, wicked ideas," he dropped his voice and all but purred as his eyes travelled up the length of your legs.

“Astarion, my love,” you began in a deceptively light tone as he approached your bed, “Quite coincidentally, I was just going through the lovely collection of underwear which you have gifted me since we got to the city. And seeing as you embroidered every single thing with such meticulous care, I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful work that you did. Every piece of lingerie with my name, embroidered in elvish. How sweet.”

Astarion felt a chill run down his spine, the treacly sweetness of your voice making him want to run. You couldn’t have possibly found out, right?

“Except, Shadowheart was kind enough to translate for me. Most considerate of her, isn’t it? Making sure that I know exactly what is stitched across my butt.”

Astarion laughed nervously and backed away, feeling that there is very little he could say in his defense. Perhaps if he got away from you for a bit and gave you time to calm down, you would both laugh about it in a day or two. One could hope. Without breaking eye contact, he felt for the doorhandle, but it wouldn’t budge.

Shit. Arcane lock on the door. Apparently, he was in very hot water and this conversation was happening.

“Let’s have a look at what do we have here, hm?” you spoke with a smile, humming as you selected a delicate, pretty blue pair.

“Do sit,” you said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Astarion swallowed nervously and reluctantly did as he was told, sitting on the opposite side of the bed with a pout. He knew this whole relationship idea was bad news from the very beginning.

“Cheeky pup,” you read without looking at him.

“You have to admit, darling, it’s not that bad-”

“If you can read this, I’m going to kill you,” you went on, picking a silk pair next.

“Well, I suppose that it is open to interpretation.”

“If found, return to Astarion,” you snapped your head in his direction.

“Well,” he gave a nervous laugh, “you do have a tendency to get into scrapes. And this way you-”

“The one that got lucky,” you lifted your eyebrows.

Ah, yes. He didn’t have anything to say in his defense here.

“Sucked dry.”

Astarion did some mental gymnastics as he tried to come up for some justifiable excuse to his actions.

“It’s not going to spank itself.”

Your honor, he had nothing.

“Best meal,” you pinched the bridge of your nose, not sure which one of these you found the most ridiculous.

“And, of course, there is still the pair that I’m wearing now. Which, if I recall correctly, you said was your favourite,” you crossed your arms and gave him a hard look. Astarion tried to seem visibly chastened, like a man ready to repent. You didn’t fall for it. You saw the way his lips twitched as he tried to fight back a smile.

“Do you know how stupid I felt when Shadowheart asked me why I just took what you said at face value? I wouldn't mind it if it was us having an in-joke, although some of these are just terrible, but why did you lie? Was it to laugh at my expense?” You threw the scrap of fabric at his chest, Astarion catching it with a quick, smooth movement.

“No, nothing like that!” he assured you passionately, hating that he made you feel this way. “It’s more of a- I don’t know,” Astarion groaned and ran his hand through his curls, not really sure how to explain what he was thinking at the time. Perhaps he wasn’t really thinking at all.

“I suppose I’m still getting used to- to whatever this is,” he admitted with some reluctance, looking down at his lap. “To having someone to share my thoughts with. To not being punished for stepping out of line. This whole being myself thing… It’s new.”

Your eyes locked with his as he looked up at you. Astarion could be a very believable liar, but he did have his tells. Such as playing with his fingers when he got nervous, worried or a little too vulnerable.

In spite of still being annoyed, you hated seeing him looking this dejected.

“Oh hells, I can’t stay mad at you when you pull out those eyes,” you smacked his arm.

“I know, my sweet,” he took your hand into his, placing a kiss onto the underside of your wrist, his tongue darting out to give it a quick lick.  

“But this was so childish!” you tried to keep your voice steady as he kissed his way up your arm. That was cheating. He knew what made you weak at the knees a little too well and was not playing fair.

“I know, punish me as you see fit,” he pulled you closer until you all but fell into him. “I will accept my fate without a word of complaint.”

“Without complaint? Now that would be something to see,” you chortled, pushing him away as you sensed that he was about to pounce.

You were not really angry. Just exasperated and annoyed at having to constantly figure him out. But now that Astarion gave you an explanation, however limited and disjointed, you were not really sure what to do. Perhaps you could have a little fun, though.

You plucked ‘the lucky one’ pair off the bed and waved it in front of his face with a grin.

“Put these on?”

“My love, this is a punishment. Say it with more conviction, more authority,” he growled and gripped your thigh tightly.

“Now,” you commanded, eyes flashing, chin lifted defiantly.

“Of course, my lady. Right away,” he gave you a shallow bow, making quick work of his clothes and then shimmying out of his underwear. You looking away with a blush was met with a self-satisfied chuckle. Astarion still delighted in the fact that even after all the times you were intimate, he still had the ability to fluster you with little effort.

“And you have to spend the whole evening in these,” you reminded him as he put his clothes back on.

“Hardly a punishment for me. It is you who will have to spend the whole evening imagining me in these. Do try to keep your composure in public. Wouldn’t want to find myself thrown against the wall in an alley and ravished as your hunger trumps reason. Now, allow your humble servant to assist you with your wardrobe, my lady.”

He got your clothes out and lay them on the bed, coaxing you out of your bathrobe and taking his time in dressing you, fingers gliding against skin as he delighted in hearing your breath hitch whenever he touched a particularly sensitive spot.

“Dearest,” Astarion lifted your chin with his finger, “I hope you didn’t feel the need to strip for Shadowheart to translate what is written on the underwear you are currently wearing.”

“No, I just assumed it was something silly and juvenile. Why?”

“No, nothing,” he answered a little too quickly.

“Astarion, just tell me.”

He took his time folding up your bathrobe and putting it away, not looking at you. And it could be a trick of candlelight, but you could swear that the tips of his ears were tinged pink.

“Mrs. Ancunín,” he mumbled and cleared his throat.

You did not react immediately. And apparently you not saying anything was worse than you rejecting the idea outright.

“I suppose it’s just wishful thinking on my part,” he gave a small, humorless laugh. “We don’t know if we can survive whatever horrors await us in the near future. And I am not exactly the best choice, far from it. There is very little I can offer and-”

You put your fingers on his lips and pecked his cheek, making his eyes fall shut as he savored the feeling.

“I’d love that. Truly. But I think that you are right. The next few weeks are going to be a lot. And if you still feel like asking at some point in the future, though I will love you no matter what you decide, I'm open to having this conversation. ”

He kissed your hand and then pulled you into a bone-crushing hug, letting up a little when he realised that breathing was a necessity for you.

“Can’t believe that you sort of proposed to me with a message on my butt,” he heard you mumble and laughed.

“You knew what you were getting yourself into,” he retorted as he heard the door unlock behind him, the spell no longer in place.

“Yes. I guess poor judgement was a prerequisite for entering this relationship?”

“Quite.”

And so the evening went on delightfully, if not quite in the way Astarion expected. You smiled and laughed with your friends. Astarion cheated at cards and won a small fortune, grinning widely as he swept the gold off the table and pocketed it. Occasionally, you saw him hover close by as he tried to listen in on your conversations in a way that would seem inconspicuous if you didn’t constantly catch him staring. From time to time, he frowned and shifted.

“Comfy?” you grinned, catching on to what was happening.

“No, these are terrible! How do you bear it?” he hissed through clenched teeth.

“Well, they are cute and I like them. And to be fair, they were not made for comfort.”

“Tomorrow we are getting you the ugliest and most comfortable pair of granny panties which I will rip off just as enthusiastically come nighttime as any lacy number.”

You snorted and almost chocked on your wine.

A/N I imagine Astarion reclaiming his autonomy and learning how to be in a relationship is quite a learning curve, seeing that during the 200 years in servitude anything and everything could result in him being punished. The 'If you're reading this, you managed to bed or behead me. Either way, you got lucky' embroidery on his underwear was such a cheeky way to rebel. Brave too, all things considered. I imagine that it would take a while for Astarion to not hide something from others because hiding has been almost instinctive to him for so long.

Sorry for the long author's note. Hope you enjoyed the story!

💖 Tag list 💖:

@ninty900, @ayselluna, @dajeong, @ravenswritingroom,

@misscrissfemmefatale,

@clazberryk, @anukulee,

@preciouslittlebhaalbae,

@sh3rl0ck, @mellowenthusiast2299,

@fleetstreet78, @starlight-rogue,

@obsessedwhyyes, @arzen9

[drdemonprince]

i was on NPR talking about Autism shit two weeks ago, and i have the book sales figures from that week and that national media appearance had.... absolutely zero relationship to sales. on the typical week these days, 1,400 to 1,500 copies of Unmasking Autism will sell. The week that I was on NPR there was a slight dip; only about 1,300 books were sold.

i have done a lot of press for my books. For Laziness Does Not Exist I did easily a 100 damn podcasts and radio shows and newspapers and excerpts in magazines. none of it corresponded to a noticeable bump in sales. the biggest "get" my publicist found for my latest book was the Glennon Doyle show, a booking she and her team celebrated and then spent months clamboring excitedly for... it, too, had no obvious relationship to sales.

Unmasking Autism became a bestseller because some other guy made a tiktok about it, and then a bunch of tiktokkers made videos about it too. all on their own. without any prodding from me, or any relationship to me. it was completely organic, passionate, and sincere, and rooted in the book's true merits and usefulness to other people, and that's why it inspired lots of sales. and continues to more than a year and a half later. all the press I did for Unmasking Autism prior to the release of that tiktok did relatively far less. NPR, Goop, the LA Times, Lit Hub, Jacobin, Huffpo, the New York Times, the Financial Times, MSNBC, Business Insider. Didn't matter. at least not much. so why do i bother?

publishers really ride your ass trying to make you give lots of interviews and show up for lots of events but it's all based on the worship of traditional media and magical thinking that it will somehow convert listeners into buyers. and that's just not how it works. the truth is 95% of books never sell more than 5,000 copies, and most people don't buy books or read them. i love reading but i dont think this is itself some terrible loss, as most books are padded-out commodities made for sale more than a work of true artistic passion or scholarly merit, and sometimes listening to a 90 minute interview with an author tells you the bulk of what you need to know.

it's freeing to know that the effort i put into getting my books out into the world have almost zero relationship to the books' success. marketing just does not work. it's a relief. unmasking autism did fabulously because it's actually both good and useful. laziness has had a long life span because it speaks to real problems in people's lives and gives them a message they are desperate to hear. but no amount of thirsty ass online shilling will make somebody realize that and it's maddening to try. you just gotta focus on doing good work, work that you enjoy making or need to make and that you feel good about, let things flop if theyre gonna flop, and keep on living your life.

which is all good news because i really do hate a lot of these fucking interviews. how can i stomach being on npr or in the atlantic or whatever these days given how complicit nearly all major media outlets are in justifying this genocide. like who fuckin cares about them, who wants their approval. who needs it. it's of no value

[chock-and-bates]

rules: tagger gives a word, then for each letter of that word you share an excerpt from your WIPs that start with that letter.

tagged by the incredible @carbonmono ❤️

the word i was given was MAIL and the word i’m passing along is SIP.

M (untitled dark medieval au)

Max looks thoughtful as his gaze drifts back to Charles “Well, they did hide my most precious possession from me. Do you think I can let that go unpunished, Fernando?” “Of course not, your majesty.” There’s a scary gleam in the Spaniards eye that sends a shiver of revulsion down Charles’ spine. “Don't you dare hurt them,” Charles snaps, panicky and furious, "It was all me. They didn't do anything wrong." “I already told you that you are in no position to make demands of me, love,” Max looks amused, before his eyes flicker down to Charles' mouth again “What are you willing to do to save them?”

A (hit it like rom-pom-pom-pom)

“Are you asking me to be your trophy wife,” Charles questions, raising an eyebrow. Max’s stomach gives a funny sort of jerk at the choice of words. He bites his lip and squeezes Charles’ ass again. “I’m asking you to help me out,” he says, “Be my pretty trophy? Stay with me? Help me celebrate?”

I (sparks fly)

“It’s quite common for true mates to report a high sex drive after imprinting, and I see that you and Mr. Leclerc indicated on your charts that you have already been sexually active with another,” she says matter of factly, “If you two are engaging in knottings, it’s important for you to know that true mate pairs experience exceptionally high fertility rates, so unless you are already family planning and hoping for Mr. Leclerc to become pregnant, you may need stronger precautions.”

L (crumbled cathedral)

Later, in his driver's room, he stares blankly up at the ceiling. He had seen Verstappen stop by to steal his usual pre-race kiss from Charles. It’s a ritual that Charles had resisted at first, but Max had worn him down, insisting it gave him good luck. Now they kiss before every race. Carlos doesn’t really know why Charles would willingly give their competition luck, but he supposes that’s not really his business. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t change the fact that he had seen Max cupping Charles face in the doorway to his driver’s room as he pressed a lingering, sweet kiss to his teammate’s lips. No matter how quickly he had averted his gaze, the image was still burned behind his eyes. He is still picturing it when the lights go out at the start of the race.

no pressure tags for @summerhalder @usedtobetam @sixteenhearts @chandelier-s-notebook

[defenseur-des-opprimes]

20th of Prairial - a memory of a beautiful day

If you are pure enough to long for a God, you will find one in your heart.

Dear Citizens,

it is the 20th of Prairial again, and therefore allow me to remind you of the day that should have been the most beautiful for our republic. The celebration of the Festival of the Supreme Being.

Perhaps you think that such celebrations are no longer necessary in the afterlife? But the very fact that I can still speak to you through your hearts and minds is proof of the immortality of the soul. So, come again, and unite in joyful celebration. Because...

Every institution, every doctrine which comforts and elevates souls should be welcomed while those that degrade and corrupt them should be rejected. Bring back to life and raise up all the noble and great moral ideas which people have tried to erase; bring together, by the joy of friendship and the bonds of virtue, those who were being separated.

The concept of the Supreme Being and of the immortality of the soul is a continuous call to justice, which makes it both social and republican.

Since both liberty and virtue are from the bosom of the Divinity; neither can exist amongst men without the other. Do you, the great-hearted people, wish to crush all your foes? Then practice justice and offer the Divinity the only acceptable form of worship. Let us today, under His gaze show our genuine happiness. Tomorrow we will again combat vice and tyranny, today we demonstrate to the world what republican virtue is, and so honour the divinity even more.

Wisdom is what our enemies wanted to banish from the Republic. Being of Beings we have no need to offer you false prayers, you know your creation, neither their needs nor their most secret thoughts are unknown to you. Hatred of bad faith and tyranny burn in our hearts together with the love of justice and of our country, we shed our blood for mankind; this is our prayer, this is our sacrifice this is the faith we offer.

Cherish Liberty, bought at the price of the blood of your brothers; use the power which nature has given you to spread republican virtue.

Give us virtues, talents, enlightenment, Love of our duties, respect for our rights, Pure freedom, and protective laws And morals worthy of our laws.

(OOC: The colorful excerpts of the quotes are from the book Robespierre and the Festival of the Supreme Being by Jonathan Smyth)

[moonydustx]

So I have this thing...

I need more Law x Reader fics pleeeaassee (；ＴДＴ)

Anyway...

May I ask a reader (up to you what gender) reacting to law proposing to her? Which I doubt canon law would even do but I guess since it's fanfiction, who cares if it's Canon, right???

OMG, this is incredible, hold my hand and I'm with you on this, thank you so much for the request. In my HCs on the Law (I will still post them) I think if it was important for him to do it without even blinking. Surely it would be something more discreet, a small ceremony between just two? I don't know, I might be rambling too much.

Apologies because I didn't have much time to review and maybe I got carried away writing it. I hope you enjoy!

Important: italics are for flashbacks and character readings aloud.

The proposal - favorite moment (part 01)

Part 02 - Part 03

Law counted the minutes until night arrived, it was one of his favorite moments. That was when you would sneak around the submarine and end up knocking on the door on it. In most of these situations, you didn't get out anytime soon. He's not much of a follower on the calendar, celebrating each month together - and come to think of it, everything happened so naturally that it was decided on which day it started to be difficult for you to be a boyfriend.

Like so many other nights, you found yourself doing what was one of the only things Law could name as a hobby. You were nestled between his legs, your body resting on his chest as you attentively read another book. He found himself leaning against the wall, one of his hands resting on his body while with the other he tried to leaf through one of the new editions of Sora comics that he had picked up on the last island he visited.

He had already lost count of how many times the two of you had wasted hours tangled up in his bed reading and something else he was used to hearing you sniffle at something, like you were doing this time. His eyes looked away from the painting and went straight to where you were reading, just out of curiosity. The other times you were sniffling, he had found you reading about some character who died, some reunion, some couple who got together. This time, from what he could see, it was a marriage proposal.

He already knew it was an important topic for you. He also knew that if he had to choose to spend his entire life with someone, it would be you. Law had thought about the hypothesis a few times and when reading the small excerpt from the book, he let himself think about the idea.

"Wow." your feet were planted in front of an immense showcase. Dresses were stacked side by side in various sizes and textures, some with huge trains and others full of silk.

"Don't tell me you're one of those marriage freaks." Ikkaku planted himself next to you, next to Bepo.

"They are beautiful." the bear confirmed, touching the glass.

"Not freak…" you tried to find the words, you really didn't want to sound like a crazy person. "I mean, marriages are two people coming out in love to the world, to the government, to whatever god they may believe in or to no god at all, as if nothing could intervene or separate them."

"Okay, insane then." Shachi appeared behind you, mumbling.

"Actually, that's a nice way of thinking." Ikkaku replied to him, watching you just shrug. "And I won't deny it, they are beautiful dresses."

"Time to go." The captain's voice echoed closer than you imagined, as if he had been there the whole time listening.

Seeing the crew members move forward, agreeing to the captain's request, Law took a few seconds to evaluate the display that had distracted everyone. He could just be daydreaming, but one day you would look incredible wearing a dress like that along with the new name you would carry. Ms. Trafalgar.

From that day on, the idea of ​​proposing to you never left his mind, Law just needed to find the perfect opportunity and it appeared before his eyes.

"Okay…" your choked voice took him out of his reverie. "That's enough tears for today and I'm getting sleepy." you closed the book, turning towards him and snuggling even closer against Law's body.

"Do you mind if I keep reading some more?" he asked and you just mumbled no. His hand got tangled in your strands of hair and it didn't take long for unconsciousness to take you away.

Law gave himself a week to put the plan into practice. The small room at Polar Tang was tidier than usual however you could notice Law more tense than usual behind his back.

"Everything is fine?" you asked, quickly turning to face him. Law seemed distracted from the book in his hands.

"Everything amazing." his lips quickly touched the top of your head. It was now. All the other battles he had faced had not even come close to the anxiety he felt at that moment. "That book you were reading last week?"

"Ah, it's this one. I'm almost done. It's a period romance, princess, knight and all the little things that involves." you laughed, knowing that from your description he would hate the book. "There's no point trying to convince me to read Sora, this one is much cooler."

"So cool you were crying the last time you read it." he said in a teasing tone.

In a casually planned way, even if it went unnoticed in your eyes, he placed the comic he was reading on the bed.

"It's because he was so sweet to her, made an amazing statement."

"Really? Let me see." He moved even closer to your back, looking for space on your shoulder to follow the written words and find the perfect cue.

"Here. Can I read it?"

"Please." he asked, feeling his hands sweat cold.

"Of all the countries I've visited, I don't think I've ever found a home except in you. You've been my home, my safe haven." You started reading, already feeling yourself melting with those words. At the same time, Law took out a small box hidden behind one of the pillows. "So let me be the sword that protects you, the heart that loves you infinitely. I thought happiness would only find me in the next life until I found myself lost in you. What do you mean by that, my love? So, the The knight fell to his knees, the wounds of the battle he faced seemed not to bother him, not when Annya's eyes rested on him. Annya then heard the four words that carried a lifetime of promises…"

"Would you marry me?" Law's voice echoed alongside yours.

Before you could ask what he thought, a small black box appeared in your field of vision. Inside it, a golden ring with a small heart symbol glittered. The book fell from your hands, finding your lap, as you turned to your boyfriend.

"Law?" at that moment, your voice was not the most reliable. As shaky as she was, your vision was blurred by what you suspected were tears. Your hands covered your lips, still not believing what you were seeing.

"Maybe my sword heals you more than defends you, but that doesn't mean I'll let anyone hurt you in this world. You're my home, my safe haven and I can't wait for you to be my wife. I'd even kneel, but It's a little complicated." he smiled, seeing you still paralyzed on top of him. "So, would you marry me?"

"Yes." the first time came out as a whisper. "Yes Yes Yes!" with each new time the word left your lips, you allowed euphoria to take over your body.

Law took your hand, placing a small kiss before putting on the ring and repeating the gesture, as soon as the jewel was in the place where it belonged. His hands pulled you so your legs were around his waist.

"That's…" you even tried to speak, but it was impossible to put everything you felt at the moment into so few words. You saw him pull out a ring that was the same color as yours, without all the details. "Let me do it."

Before he could put it on his own finger, you took it from his hand and repeated the same thing he had done to you. He placed a small kiss between the tattooed fingers and let the jewelry take its rightful place.

"I don't believe." You looked at your hand and then at him. "Law, that was so amazing."

"You're incredible. I can't wait to see you become Mrs. Trafalgar. My beautiful, smart, a little crybaby…" he wiped away your tears, bringing a laugh from your lips. "My dear wife."

"I love you so much." you cupped his face, taking his lips to yours.

Even though it was full of emotions and promises, it was a calm kiss. Law, like you, wanted to record every second of that moment, every inch of skin kissed, every touch.

In the end, Law was also a marriage nut - just with his dear Lady Trafalgar.

----

Little extra:

Law was never a big fan of public displays of affection, but that morning he had made an exception. Seeing you happy, showing off your new ring and the promise of marriage, ideas of what to do on the date, honeymoon suggestions. He couldn’t deny it, it was amazing to see how happy you were with the whole situation.

His happiness was short-lived when he saw three sullen faces - one of them looking like a bear - sitting in front of him.

"So Law, my friend." Penguin began.

"Shut up, it's me."

"But I'm his best friend." Bepo grumbled.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to understand what the three were discussing so much

"Which of the three of us will be the best man?" Shachi warned and Law watched the three in front of him cross their arms and wait for a response.

Before he could respond, Law felt two arms slide and lock around him.

"We haven't decided that yet guys. We can talk about it later." you asked and watched them begin to argue among themselves who would be what.

"Thanks." Law muttered, making you laugh. You bent down to his ear level.

"And you, I'll be waiting for you in the room. I got someone to cover my duties today, now I want to continue feeling what my dear fiancé can do for me." In contrast to the whispered and sexy voice that left your lips, you left a chaste kiss on Law's cheek and left towards the dorms.

[f1cflcfic]

Won't Say I'm In Love (SMAU ft. Lando Norris) - part ix

pairing: lando norris x tennis player!reader (fem!y/n); past carlos alcaraz x tennis player!reader (fem!y/n)

summary: As a general rule, y/n does not date athletes. You've been there, done that - would not recommend. Besides, you definitely don't do love. There's no time in the world for complicated feelings when there's a career Grand Slam to be won. But what if your heart just refuses to listen?

genre: social meda/mixed au, friends to lovers

note: this is RPF and is obviously in no way, shape, or form reflective of real persons and/or events

series: part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi | part vii | part viii | ...

bonus: one, two, three

May 10 - 18, 2025

[Transcript excerpt: Serena Williams & Y/N L/N's "Athletes on Athletes"]

"So, Serena. You've had an amazing career in tennis - to me, you are the Greatest of All Time. But what would you say is the one sacrifice that people might not expect you've had to make?"

"I think a lot of people immediately think of family, and having Olympia and Adira. It wasn't easy, and I did have to think at one point - do I want to really win another championship, or do I want to raise my family and be present. But there's also a lot of other sacrifices you make along the way. I've had times where family members were sick and I couldn't visit them, because I was playing a tournament. I think about the friendships I lost, because I didn't have time to invest in them. And there are a lot of the things I couldn't experience with my peers. Of course, I also gained a lot of things by not doing others. It's more so a choice perhaps, a trade-off, than a sacrifice."

"Yeah, I resonate with that a lot. I'm feeling that now with my niece having been born. And I'm so lucky that my sister is willing to plan her wedding around my schedule, which is insane of her but I love it, too. I think having a family isn't really on my mind at the moment - but I would love to be in love. I just think that it's really difficult for anyone to measure up against the love I have for tennis. And so it doesn't necessarily feel like a sacrifice to put that first. Tennis is my first and forever love. I would want a partner to understand that. My biggest nightmare is not being able to play anymore. Only after that comes being alone."

"Yeah. I think it's about perspective and priorities - and those shift over time. You live and breathe tennis, but it's not all that you are. As long as you've got a solid foundation of people around you who lift you up, but who also keep you grounded and can remind you of that, then you're going to be good. You'll land on your feet. That loyalty we feel to tennis, it's the same loyalty you need from your team. And I think that perhaps that's the hardest choice to make sometimes. When you have to say goodbye to someone you've been on a journey with for so long, but they no longer fit."

"I think that's so hard. It's difficult to know when you need the comfort and stability to perform at your best, or when you need to be challenged to perform at a new best. I'm still figuring that out. But a solid group of friends, I have, thankfully."

May 19 - 25, 2025

[Transcript excerpt: McLaren's Teammate Challenge video]

"For this next bit - we will write down the answer we think the other person's going to give."

"So it's not necessarily what I think is the right answer, but what I think Oscar is going to answer."

"Indeed, Lando."

"Alright then. We'll start with a few easy ones. What is my favourite cuisine?"

"Easy indeed, I've written down Italian."

"Well done Osc, that's true. You go next."

"What is my middle name?"

"Pssh. Done. It's Jack. My turn then - who's my celebrity crush?"

"I've gone for Y/N L/N."

"Wrong - I don't have one."

"That's unfair! We all know the ansewr is Y/N. He can't just make up a new celebrity crush."

"Of course I can? She's my actual friend now. Celebrity crushes are for people you admire from a distance."

"And what if you admire them from up close?"

"I think we should go to the next question."

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘ ∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘∘•···············•∘

author's note: well, it's 1:15 AM and officially King's Day in the Netherlands, but wanted to get this up finally as promised! Next part should be up a bit sooner as it's pretty much finished already and involves some big moments and realisations for y/n at the French Open :) :)

next part is available here

♥ likes, comments, reblogs and asks are always very much appreciated - i love chatting and hearing your thoughts! ♥

taglist (open): @linnygirl09 @julesbog @midnight-and-books @sarx164 @obxstiles @freyathehuntress @vhkdncu2ei8997 @berrnuu @lightdragonrayne @glow-ish @batsratswrites @blushmimi @colmathgames2 @esw1012

[harmonic-intervention]

Arrogant boy, love yourself so no-one has to

Tommy wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t have daddy issues. No, no, it wasn’t that easy. He had mommy issues. Evident from what had happened today.

Happy bucktommy first kiss anniversary, my loves! In celebration, I present to you one of the earliest bucktommy fic ideas I had, as well as my first ever Tommy headcanon that I never finished.

Word count: 14,184 - future fic, emotional hurt/comfort, reconnecting with estranged family

Excerpt:

Tommy wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t have daddy issues. No, no, it wasn’t that easy. He had mommy issues. Evident from what had happened today.

It had been an honestly crazy day. They had been called in for aerial support for the LAPD in a hostage case. A young woman, pregnant, had been kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend and was being held hostage on one of the top floors of a huge apartment complex. Negotiations were going nowhere, and technically, Tommy, Tracy, and Carl were only there in case the victim needed medical attention immediately and needed to be airlifted to the hospital. But in the end, Tommy made his own decision.

It wasn’t the first time. It wouldn’t be the last. Captain West loved calling Tommy crazy and clinically insane and a lunatic and a maniac, and he wasn’t all wrong with those. There was a running joke at Harbor that Tommy was the reason their Captain was already fully gray in his early sixties. And true to his reputation, Tommy did something crazy.

First, he landed the helicopter on top of the apartment complex. He told Tracy and Carl to stay there and be ready, then he climbed out and broke the door open that led him into the staircase. He knew which apartment the perpetrator and the victim were in, and he made his way down quickly.

The door wasn’t fully closed, so Tommy didn’t have to break in. He stayed quietly outside for a moment, peering through the small space left open.

He saw the guy, dressed all in black, ranting and raving while waving a gun around. The young woman was sitting on the floor, crying and whimpering quietly, flinching every time the gun came close to her. It took a while until he finally had this back turned to the door, and Tommy took the opportunity.

The woman saw him immediately as he quietly moved into the room. He lifted a finger to his lips, and she quickly averted her eyes, seemingly steeling her nerves.

And then, she spoke to the guy. Tommy waited with bated breath, realizing she was keeping the man’s attention on her. Tommy didn’t allow for him to grow suspicious, came up behind him, and disarmed him before he even had the chance to realize what was going on.

He cleared the gun and threw it the other direction. The man was on the floor, groaning from the chin-hook Tommy had given him with his elbow, and the woman, still whimpering, scrambled off of the floor and right into Tommy’s arms.

“He was gonna kill us,” she gasped. “Thank you, thank you!”

“It’s okay, you’re alright, but we have to go, right now, come on.” He looked at the man who was already pushing himself up.

She nodded, and he took her hand, leading her out of the room. Soon as they got into the hallway, they took off in the direction of the staircase.

“What’s your name?” he asked her.

“Alina,” she said, voice still nasal from crying. “Alina Hudson.”

“Alright, Alina, I’m gonna need you to be as quiet as possible. He’s gonna follow us, but if we’re quiet, we can lose him.”

He knew that with the time it’d take him to get up and follow them, they wouldn’t make it up to the roof. He’d hear them in the staircase, and with them being slowed down by the fact that Alina was eight months pregnant, Tommy was sure he’d catch up with them.

“Are you a cop?” she asked.

“No, I’m a pilot,” he said, nearing the elevators next to the stairs. “But this isn’t the first time I’ve done this sort of thing.” Wouldn’t be the last time, either.

[continue on ao3]

[the-sparkling-diamond-satine]

IT'S MY MOULIN ROUGE-IVERSARY!!!!!!

one year ago today, i posted my first ever mr! fic!!! in the past year i posted EIGHTY FICS with a total of 296,495 WORDS!!!! insane. unhinged. i need to be stopped. or perhaps i deserve to be celebrated!!! therefore i wanted to make a post celebrating MY favorite things i've written in the past year!! obviously there are the fan favorites and i love those endlessly, but setting those aside for the moment, i wanted to highlight my faves that i feel were underrated! this rouge-iversary day, it would mean a lot to me if you (re)read my fics and left a comment or three on your favorites!! enjoy my list, may it be a trip down memory lane for you as well!!

darling, dearest, dead: Reflections on loving and being loved, on losing and being lost, on words spoken and words left unspoken, on shared experiences and differing experiences.

without a doubt one of my fave things i have ever written. i love this fic so much. i am proud of how this turned out and that isn't going to change, but tbh i had expected it to get more attention than it did. that could be said about most of the fics on this list so i'm not gonna say it again haha

countdown: On December 31st, as the rest of the world prepares to ring in the New Year, Christian sits with his wife in her final moments.

wept openly while i wrote this one. another absolute fave. i love this universe FOREVER!!! give it a read if u feel like crying

understudy: Nini knows the part. Canon-divergent AU in which Satine succumbs to her illness backstage, before what was to be her last performance begins.

y'all. Y'ALL. read this one. i'm begging. i still think about it on a weekly basis. i upset myself with this one. cried as i wrote it. wtf. i know it's angsty unrequited satine/nini but there's background c/s if that is a requirement for u

out of the darkness, into the spotlight (everyone's waiting in the place where you belong): Baby Doll gets ready for her first performance at the Moulin Rouge. Months later, everyone gets ready for the second performance of Bohemian Rhapsody. Well, almost everyone. There's one notable absence.

i know platonic pairings may not be your thing but i love this one so much. we have baby doll x satine. we have nini x baby doll. we have baby doll getting to say "mama satine"!!! i am never forgiving broadway script for cutting that. i missed boston bd and satine so much I WROTE THEM MYSELF. pls enjoy

broken mirror: The Duke gives Satine a present. She uses it for a purpose other than the intended one.

self-harm satine. fucked up and angsty but i love how beautiful it turned out

rotten: Two best friends, a walk home from school, and an ever-growing chasm of secrets between them.

check the trigger warnings on this one. exploration of modern satine's childhood trauma. i love her forever, my tragic girl

trial triptych: An incidence of being assaulted by an ex, as told through excerpts of documents from the resulting trial.

one thing about me is i love trying new formats

entanglement: Christian wants more than what they have currently for both himself and Satine.

a glimpse into a high school cs affair

yet to be born you're already dead (follow it through to the obvious end): Christian's thoughts while in the Duke's apartment.

trans!christian ANGST

thank you for being a fan of mine (especially if you read all of these words haha) and i look forward to continuing to share this fandom with each of you!!!

[desertfangs]

The City Never Sleeps - A Lestat/Daniel Story

Today is the TWO YEAR Anniversary of The City Never Sleeps, one of the best fics I've written IMHO.

In the Court Era, Lestat shows up at Trinity Gate to find that Armand is not home, so Daniel has to entertain him. He decides to give Lestat the Daniel Molloy Tour of New York City Circa 1979. They talk, they angst, they make out a little. Armand is very much present in their minds.

It's 3 Chapters, 13,024 words, originally published 2 years ago today on April 4, 2023. I know Lestat/Daniel is kind of a rarepair but I really enjoy their dynamic together and this fic was months in the making. I wanted to celebrate it now because I'm still so proud of how this fic turned out and because of how older fic gets lost in the shuffle. Also it was, at the time, the longest fic I'd written!

It's kind of dialogue-heavy but hopefully funny, entertaining, and heartfelt and there's a hot make out scene. There's angst! There's flirting! There's a lot of talk about Armand!

If you want a fic that explores Lestat and Daniel's bromance with benefits, here it is!

Thanks for letting me celebrate this milestone!!

Short Excerpt:

Inside, books lay discarded on the large oak table and a figure lay sprawled on the reading couch, a velvet green monstrosity. Lestat wore black pants and a elegant silken long-sleeved shirt with a ruffled collar, as if he’d stepped out of the 1800s. His feet were clad in leather boots and were propped up on the arm rest on the left side of the sofa, while he reclined the against the right side. His blond hair was loose and cascaded down around his shoulders. He held a book but didn’t appear to be reading. He wouldn’t have looked out of place on the cover of a romance novel. 

Daniel looked down at himself. He was in travel clothes—worn jeans with a few tears and a sweatshirt with fraying cuffs, the sort of thing Armand would discreetly throw in the trash when he thought Daniel wouldn’t notice. His own blond hair was messy and unkempt and his purple chucks were dirty. 

Lestat turned his head toward Daniel in the doorway. “Ah, finally, signs of life! I was beginning to think to this place had been abandoned.” 

“Yeah, you know Armand, loves to build massive estates and then leave them to rot and ruin.” Daniel joked. “What are you doing here?” 

Lestat sat up and tossed the book on the table next to the sofa. “Is that the sort of hospitality Armand taught you? Are you going to evict me next?” 

Daniel snorted. “As if Armand would ever kick you out. I just thought you were busy at Court.” 

“Am I not allowed a break? I agreed to be the Prince, not a hostage.” 

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Just asking. Besides, I thought Louis went there to visit you.” 

“He had to make a trip to Paris. I believe he had some business regarding his flat there.” 

Daniel highly doubted Louis had left Court for business reasons. He suspected they’d had a fight of some sort. But he decided to leave that alone for now. 

“Where’s your Maker and his brood?” Lestat asked. 

Daniel pulled out his phone. No messages. He shot Armand a quick “Back home. Where are you?” text and then slid it back into his pocket. 

“Don’t know. They’ve been following this band on tour sporadically. Or maybe they went to Court. That’d be ironic, huh?” Daniel smiled. Lestat huffed out a breath. “Did he know you were coming?” 

Lestat leapt to his feet. “Of course not. I intended to use the element of surprise to my advantage.” 

Daniel’s phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket. Armand had texted back. He read it over. “Bad news, Big Guy. They’re in Seattle til Friday.” 

Lestat didn’t quite pout but he was on the verge of doing so. 

The end of Armand’s message read, “Unless there’s an urgent matter I need to attend to.” A plea for help? Daniel smiled. Armand loved Sybelle and Benji, but Sybelle’s infatuation with this band was intense. 

Did Armand want him to invent a reason for him to come back or was he merely letting Daniel know that he could? Daniel replied: “No emergency, but Le Prince is here. He wants to see you.” Daniel added a winky emoji. There. If Armand wanted to use that as a reason to cut their trip short, he could. If not, he could ignore it. 

“Looks like it’s just me and you for now,” Daniel said. 

Lestat’s face shifted, and Daniel saw a hint of something—Disappointment? Hurt?—before his signature winning smile returned. He clapped Daniel on the back a little too hard, making Daniel jolt forward and nearly drop his phone. “Then let’s make the most of it. What do you do for fun around here?” 

Read the Whole Thing on AO3

[cemeteryangel725]

Naked in Malibu, a Good Omens Actor AU by CemeteryAngel725

Good Angel: I really should work on my existing WIPs. I don't need any new ideas to distract me.

Evil Angel: *slips delicious plot bunny into brain*

So here you go, a brand new actor AU oneshot featuring a very naked Crowley!

Rated E, 7,609 words

Read more on AO3!

Summary:

Crowley is an A-list actor who has just arrived at his home in Malibu unannounced after production on his space opera unexpectedly shut down. He's excited to relax alone in his space and let it all hang out.

Aziraphale Eastgate, an interior designer, has never met his famous client. But he has a code to the house and he just needs to pop by for a few hours to make some sketches.

They're both about to get more than they bargained for.

Excerpt:

“Oh, good lord,” Aziraphale couldn’t help gasping, feeling as if his heart might burst.

Aziraphale had been running his business for seven years now, and he had had a number of celebrity clients. He had learned that sometimes, a star who seemed incandescent on screen was shy and awkward in person, someone you wouldn’t look at twice if you saw them at the grocery store. But there were others who almost glowed when they walked into a room, drawing every eye with their good looks and charisma and charm.

By this standard, Crowley was a supernova.

He was long and lean, probably a few inches taller than Aziraphale, with strong, slender limbs and a smattering of russet hair across his finely muscled torso. Praxitelean, Aziraphale thought, picturing the work of those Greek sculptors at the end of the Classical period who exchanged the compact body proportions of Polykleitos for sensuous S-curves and willowy limbs. Give Crowley a bundle of grapes and he could be Hermes teasing the infant Dionysus. Or more accurately, Hermes about to smite Aziraphale into oblivion. Crowley was advancing on him, his eyes blazing, his hands clenched into fists, stark and lovely and terrifying and —

Oh, fuck. He had a truly enormous cock. Despite his mortification, Aziraphale’s mouth watered.

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?” Crowley thundered. “AND WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE???”