#i will say good things of paris only once in my life and this is it

[otp-after-dark]

Nick Blaine and the cost of living two lives

Nick Blaine has always been my favorite character in this crazy Gilead verse. At this point, he's probably the only reason I'm watching these last three episodes. Because he’s not just the brooding, tragic-eyed emo love boy who makes eyes at June like she’s the only light left in the world —though, let’s be honest, that’s definitely part of it. (Praise be, Max Minghella.)

But it’s more than that. It’s because he’s the man who’s lived the entire series in the grey — a man who’s loved fiercely, compromised brutally, and sacrificed everything for the woman he can’t let go of.

That’s why he’s a fan favorite. Because he’s not a hero, but he’s not a monster either. Because he’s the guy who holds a gun in one hand and his heart in the other, trying to do the right thing in a world that punishes every good intention. Because he’s the one who’s always been willing to bleed for June, to stand beside her even when it meant destroying himself.

So when Rita asks him, “Don’t you want to be a man who does the right thing?” And Nick’s response is simple. Quiet. Devastating.

“I don’t get to have what I want.”

On the surface, it’s about June. About the woman he loves but can’t be with. The life he dreams about but can’t touch. The family he can never truly have.

But that line is doing so much more than that. Because Nick isn’t just mourning June. He’s mourning himself.

💣 The Double Life

Nick Blaine is a man caught between two selves. On one side, he’s a Gilead Commander — a man who holds power, commands respect, spills blood. On the other, he’s the man who loves June, the man who dreams of a life in Paris, the man who still wants to be good.

And in between those two selves? An impossible tightrope.

Because to keep June safe, he has to play the part. To survive, he has to become everything he hates. To keep breathing, he has to bury the man he once was.

Rita doesn’t realize it, but Nick has been trying to do the right thing for years — and it’s cost him everything. His soul. His identity. His sense of self.

💔 The Emotional Cost of Compromise

Nick isn’t just living a double life. He’s living a double death.

Every time he lies to Gilead to protect June, he loses a piece of himself. Every time he kills for her, he buries the man he once was. Every time he chooses survival over truth, he loses sight of who he wanted to be.

And that’s what he means when he says, “I don’t get to have what I want.”

It’s not just June he can’t have. It’s the man he thought he could be. The man who was good, kind, brave — the man she once saw in him.

😔 Why June’s Response Cuts Even Deeper

What makes this all the more heartbreaking is June’s response to Nick right now. Because she’s been where he is. She knows what it feels like to make impossible choices and hate yourself for them. She knows what it means to sacrifice pieces of yourself to keep someone you love safe.

And now? Now she’s looking at Nick like he’s a stranger. Now she’s holding him to a standard she couldn’t meet herself. Now she’s acting like he’s a monster for doing the same things she’s done a thousand times — but without the luxury of walking away.

She’s not seeing that every terrible thing he’s done —every lie, every drop of blood, every compromise —has been for her.

Nick never got to have what he wanted. But he tried to give her what she wanted. And now she’s walking away, as if she’s above it all.

🔥 What This Means for Nick’s Endgame

Nick has spent years making every choice for her. Every move. Every risk. Every betrayal. All for June. All to keep her safe, to keep her close, to keep himself in her orbit.

But now, she’s walked away. She can’t — or won’t — see who he really is. And for the first time, he’s being forced to ask himself:

What if June isn’t his purpose anymore? What if the man he once wanted to be — good, kind, brave — is still buried somewhere inside him?

This line — “I don’t get to have what I want” — is the turning point. Because it’s not Nick giving up. It’s Nick waking up.

If this arc is about anything, it’s about Nick finally learning that he has to stand for something more than June. Something that belongs to him. Something that can redeem him, not just in her eyes but in his own.

Because if he can’t have her, and he can’t have the life he once wanted, then maybe it’s time he fought for something else. Something that makes him the man he was meant to be — with or without her.

📢 Why I Don’t Think They’ll Double Down on the “Gilead Bad Guy” Arc

Let’s be real: These writers can't be that dense. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit but I'm crossing my fingers here. They know exactly why Nick Blaine is a fan favorite. It’s not because he’s perfect — it’s because he’s layered. Because he’s a man who’s always been trapped in moral grey and still managed to love fiercely, protect relentlessly, and stay soft for June in a world that’s tried to crush every last part of him.

Turning him into some one-note villain or Gilead loyalist? That’s a blatant disrespect to the source material, the character arc they’ve built, and the emotional investment the audience has in him.

Nick’s story has always been about redemption through love and the emotional toll of compromise. Making him the “bad guy” now not only contradicts everything we’ve seen but undercuts the entire point of his character:

That even in a place like Gilead, there are men who can’t be categorized as simply good or evil. There are men who are trying — failing, bleeding, breaking — to hold onto whatever scraps of humanity they have left.

Nick is that man. And that’s why he matters. That’s why we love him. And that’s why they can’t just rewrite him into something he’s never been.

Because he doesn’t get to have what he wants. But that doesn’t mean he won’t keep fighting for it anyway.

[goodobservationshirley]

[sailoryuns]

INAMORATA ─── PSH

genre. idol!sunghoon x model!f!reader | established relationship

warnings. angst, fluff (moreso towards the end), smut, accusations of cheating, hoon being lowkey toxic, cunnilingus, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, some mentions of crying, not proofread wc -> 1.5k

ps. the position i’m referring to is this (nsfw link), i usually hate vids but this was rly good imo.

“i think we should take a break...” you admit, voice growing shakier as you spoke. this was never something you wish to say in a million years, you wanted this relationship to work more than anything. but you were at your wits end with everything, talking to sunghoon was like conversing with the wall, never fully grasping any of your concerns.

you noticed the cracks beginning to seep in the midst of six months of being with him. he would often be dishonest of his whereabouts, saying he was out late due to “work” but was actually out drinking at some bar with jake or something. it made no sense for him to lie about such trivial things but he does it without even thinking. this was supposed to be a lovely vacation in paris together but lately you’ve grown tired of feeling like you’re unappreciated. a break from each other might be the best solution in getting his act together once and for all.

sunghoon felt his whole body turn limp as you uttered those words. not only was he blindsided by your decision, but you never indicated before to him that you were ready to propose such a drastic idea. “but why though? don’t you think this is a bit random? i mean this came out of nowhere y/n, i thought everything was good between us, why are you suddenly saying this now?” his thick, bushy brows furrowed in confusion, he wasn’t letting you off this easy and you know it.

“i just think it’s for the better right now hoon, we’re both so busy. we have a lot on our plate, especially you… and this relationship is just— it’s only putting more strain on everythi-”

“are you serious y/n? do you hear yourself? i knew what i was getting myself into the day i asked you to be my girlfriend. i’m well aware that i can’t be with you 24/7, and neither can you—however, i don’t expect that anyway. all i ever wanted was to have you by my side, i want to work through the hardships with you but if you’re so willing to give up like this then… i don’t know. i don’t even know what to say to this honestly..” sunghoon couldn’t help but cut you off, once his emotions take over, all sense of logic and reasoning is thrown out the window.

he was never one to question his worth in the eyes of his partner, but you were his longest relationship, he saw you as his first and only true love. it never occurred to him that he could lose you, the possibility of this break lasting long enough to make your love fade away was a scary revelation. there had to be a way he could fix this, he couldn’t bear to be without you.

“are you seeing someone else? maybe that’s why you’ve been so distant towards me lately…” he wanted to scream for saying that out loud but at least he got it off his chest. he knows how petty it sounds but he didn’t care, he wanted you to give him answers.

“no! i’m not seeing other people, i don’t have an interest in anyone but you sunghoon. i want to do this for the sake of us, we’re clearly not where we need to be and this break could help with getting us back on track and spending time apart could be beneficial.” you try your best to articulate your words properly but he remained unconvinced, he wasn’t on board with any bit of this.

how could you even be okay with something like this? spending time away from you drove him absolutely insane, he couldn’t fathom taking a break—not from someone as important as you in his life. he just needed to remind you that the love was still there, though it may be but a dull flame, he could ignite the spark again, with the little bit of hope he had left.

the foundation of your relationship was built from shared interests, since you both are part of professions that rely heavily on looks, you refused to see each other based solely off those superficial aspects. instead you got to know each other’s minds, your core values and beliefs, what mattered to you the most. you cherished every one of those deep conversations you shared together, it was a beautiful experience, an indescribable memory that shaped your bond forever.

so why is it now that you feel this way? was he really that oblivious to everything? he should’ve done more to prevent this but now he fears it’s too late. he’s faced with the conundrum of losing you and there wasn’t much time for him to stall or ask for a chance of redemption, he couldn’t waste another second.

“fuck that,” sunghoon angrily spat, his face contorting into a look of pure disgust. “you’re not going anywhere.” he reaches out to grab your waist before you could walk away, aggressively pulling you into his chest.

no matter how much you attempt to escape his hold, he’s not letting you go in the slightest. he’s much stronger than you, could easily lift you up without breaking a sweat. there was no use in fighting, you had no choice but to give in and let this conversation go. once his lips crashed into yours, everything faded to black. as if a simple kiss was the cure-all of mending this decrepit relationship.

sunghoon’s forehead pressed against yours as he pulled away, “shhh, lye down baby,” he hushes your quiet mewls, instructing you to do as he says. “gonna make you feel so good,” his hands slid under your skirt, gently rubbing over your clothed core “you’ll forget everything.”

* :.･ﾟﾟ･ ✿

“oh my- fuckk, sunghoon!” you cry out, almost on the verge of tears just from how skilled he is, rutting your hips upwards into his mouth as he devours you whole.

the pace of his tongue is relentless, roughly lapping up all your juices like he’s the most starved man alive. you’ve lost count at the amount of times he’s already made you come undone just from his mouth alone. your body’s buzzing with titillation, all you can do is scream and clench your pussy around nothing while he fiercely sucks on your clit.

you couldn’t stop twitching, feeling yet another orgasm approaching. your legs anchored over his shoulders, unable to think or speak coherent sentences as his face was fully buried into your sloppy cunt. he relaxes his jaw a bit more, going all the way from the bottom inching further up as he comes back in contact with your puffy clit. at any given moment it feels as if your heart’s about to stop.

“hoon-” your heads thrown back into the pillow, digging your nails into his shoulder blades from how overly sensitive you are. “n-need to cum.. can feel it. m’so close.” it surprises you when you’re able to even express such words.

a low grunt can be heard underneath, sunghoon loves hearing you— it’s arguably the best part about going down on you. the hand that wasn’t occupied went straight to gripping a fistful of his ebony hair, continuously moaning his name so loud that you genuinely feel bad for whomever the unlucky people that got to hear this.

just when you thought it couldn’t get anymore intense, he slips 2 of his slender fingers inside, making you gasp from the overwhelming sensation. flashes of white invade your vision, violently shaking as your lips form an “o” in the throes of ecstasy. sunghoon knows your body so well that this is nothing for him, he’s got it all down to a simple science. no one knows your body like he does, and especially no one can make you cum as hard as he can.

“go ahead, make a mess for me baby,” he strongly encourages, picking up his pace as his digits fuck into you faster. “just gonna clean it up with my tongue all over again.”

your eyes roll back to the depths of oblivion, feeling an out of body experience when reaching your climax. a string of curses leaves your shaky breath, limbs trembling and faint tears stain your flushed cheeks. sunghoon slows his movements, rubbing his thumb over your clit gently to make you even more sensitive. you love the way he calls you “good girl” and how proud the look on his face becomes while you ride out your orgasm on his fingers. he doesn’t stop showering you with compliments, only ramping up his affection as he plants fleeting kisses to your thighs, hips, and stomach.

once he’s finally come back up for air you grab his face to pull him into your lips again. moaning in his mouth while getting a taste of yourself was probably the hottest thing sunghoon’s ever witnessed.

“can’t believe this is all mine.” sunghoon whispers against you, gently massaging your aching thighs. “i love you so much, baby.”

“love you too hoon.” you instantly say back, feeling more at ease now that things are somewhat back to normal.

maybe a break isn’t necessary after all, how else would you be able to have such earth shattering orgasms?

- 完 ♡︎

[yamumsyadadd]

the shadow of alexia

At 4 years old my entire life changed. One day my dad was at home and the next he wasn’t. Things changed after that. Everyone was sad, lots of people visited too. Sometimes I got new toys when they came over. 

Alba was a scary teenager but Alexia. Alexia was my best friend and I was hers. She would take me to kindergarten and pick me up, she never missed a soccer game or ballet recital, she was always there. So was her special friend Jenni. Jenni was great, when I was little she used to let me colour in her tattoos, Everytime she got a new one, she’s get me new pens to colour on her. 

As time went on, Alba and Alexia started moving out. Alexia moved in with Jenni and started getting busy with football, Alba still lived with Mami but was busy with her friends and modelling. Mami did the best she could. She was getting older and more tired, she didn’t miss a game or my last ballet recital, she didn’t miss the disappointment in my eyes when Alexia or Alba didn’t turn up. They were busy, I understand. 

It went from seeing them a couple times a week, to once a week, to once a month. I learnt pretty quickly the only way to get Alexia’s attention was to either play football or to fuck up. Lucky for me I was good at both. School was boring, it was too easy, I understood it all faster than anyone else. The first time I skipped school, I was 14. No one noticed and no one cared. From there on out it became a routine. At least once a week I’d skip school and hang out with the others. 

I personally never did anything too rowdy, just tagged along to enjoy the vibes. The first time I got caught skipping school was by Virginia. She promised me she wouldn’t tell Alexia or Mami and she kept that promise. The next time was by Alba, she lost her shit. Yelling at me about how irresponsible I was being and how much trouble I would get in. The second last time I got caught was by Jenni, I hadn’t seen her in a while, I was mad at her because of that so when she tried to give me a lecture I yelled at her.

“Y/n, you can’t be doing this shit. If Alexia found out she would lose it at you! What would happen if the police got you? What would you do then?”

“Why do you care Jenni? Huh? You left, you haven’t been around. You fucked off to Paris and didn’t even say goodbye. Tell Alexia, I don’t care, at least then she would talk to me.”

“Y/n, did Ale not talk to you about this?” Her voice was incredibly soft. That was something I missed about her, the way she spoke, the softness that was hidden from most people. 

“She doesn’t talk to me at all. She doesn’t give a fuck about me.”

“Bebeita, we broke up. Thats why I left. we ended things and to be able to heal I had to leave. I am so sorry, she promised she would talk to you about it. I wanted to say goodbye to you myself but Alexia said it would be a bad idea.”

From there things spiralled. I didn’t want to talk to Alexia, I didn’t want to see her. I stopped going to her games with Mami, I would sneak out when I knew she was coming over. No longer did I look up to her, I hated her. I wanted nothing to do with her. 

The day I quit football, I felt free. No longer having to play to get my oldest sisters attention, I didn’t care for that anymore. I had more time to hang out with my friends, to be a normal fucking teenager. 

It took a week, it was quicker then I thought to be honest, but once Alexia found out, all hell broke loose. 

“Where the hell is she!” Alexia stormed through the house. Surprising Eli. 

“Who Alexia?” 

“The Idiota. Your mija?” Alexia huffed. Eli was surprised by the way Alexia was acting. 

“In her room with her friend.”  Before Eli could say anything else, Alexia was off. Swinging open the door and disturbing the peace between you and your girlfriend.

“You, get out.” 

“No Alexia. You don’t get to tell her to get out.” I got defensive fast. There’s no way she gets to come here and tell her she needs to leave. 

“GET OUT NOW!” Alexia’s ‘captain’ voice was something that always got people moving. 

“You don’t get to come here and act like you run the place. News flash alexia, you don’t fucking live here!” 

“¡Dios mío! What is happening! Why did Isabella leave crying?” Mami looked pissed. More so at alexia than me. 

“Alexia kicked her out. For no reason other than the fact that no one else is allowed to be happy but her.” 

“Tell her what you did!” When I was younger, the look she was giving me would’ve scared me, but now it did nothing. 

“I didn’t do anything alexia. Whatever your minions are telling you isn’t true. But hey, you wouldn’t listen to me anyway.” I tried to push past her, but she grabbed my wrist stopping me from moving. 

“Mami she quit football. She fucking quit. After everything I’ve done for her she throws it back in my face!” Rolling her eyes and scoffing at me. 

“Let her go now. I am aware she quit Alexia. She was only doing it for you.” Mami was mad, very mad. Alexia had come and disturbed the peace, making Isabella cry and screaming the house down. 

“Grab me like that again I’ll drop you on your ass. I don’t give a fuck that you are la Reina.” The words came out like venom. 

Everything is always about Alexia. I joined football to get close to her, I didn’t mean to get as far as I did, I honestly didn’t think I’d get past the academy. Being called up into the Barca B squad was cool. I enjoy the fitness side of it but genuinely couldn’t care less about actually playing. 

The same day I quit, was the same day I got called up for the senior team. It sent me into a bit of a spiral. Mapi found me in the corner of the physios room with my sketchbook, crying. 

“Oh nena! What’s wrong? Do you want me to get Ale?” 

“No! Not ale! Don’t tell her please!”

“Okay no Ale but can you tell me what’s got you so worked up?” 

“I got asked to join the senior team and I don’t want to. I only started playing so Alexia would be nice to me and talk to me. I don’t even like this stupid game! I just want to draw but that’ll never be good enough for her.”  

After that, Mapi and I would get coffee in the mornings, I would show her my new drawings and tell her my ideas. She paid me to draw a photo of her and Ingrid. I knew she could draw herself but it was nice to have her in my corner.  Mapi was talking more about to me Alexia, saying how good my drawings were and how much happier I seemed not having to play, she seemed to miss the confusion written all over Alexia’s face. 

 •———————————————————————•

Mami had a trip coming up, I knew about this, but what I didn’t know what she was going to make me stay with alexia. Isabella and I came home after the movies to find Mami, Alexia, Alba and some other chick sitting at the table. I mumbled a quick hello before trying to drag Isabella upstairs. 

“Don’t be so rude. Actually say hello.” Alexia spoke angrily. 

Scoffing I turned around “bite me Alexia.” 

“¡Dios mío! Isabella Mi vida, it’s time for you to go home. You can wait upstairs for your Mami.” 

“Mami no. That’s not fair. She doesn’t get to come in here and start bossing everyone around!” 

“It’s okay amor, I should go home anyway. We have that biology exam anyway.” 

“Now that your little friend is gone, sit down.” 

“No.” 

“SIT DOWN.” 

“Ale, Cálmate.” The mysterious brunette says as she places her arm on alexia’s. 

Fuck all this shit honestly. Turning as fast as I could I ran upstairs, knowing Alexia would follow quickly. I was right. I was barely able to push my dresser against the door before she tried to open it. I was not going to sit at that table and play happy families. 

After an hour of listening to Alexia curse, she finally gave up. It was peaceful until Alba climbed through my bedroom window. 

“Still got it.” 

“Alba what the hell!” 

“Hermana, I don’t know what happened between you and Ale, but if it’s the same thing that happened between me and you then you need to talk to her. She’s worried about you and scared. She doesn’t want to lose you.” 

“She only cares now that she thinks her precious imagine is going to get hurt.” 

“If you talk to her now, while Olga is here, it’ll be easier. She calms Alexia down and makes her think more rationally.” 

“Who the fuck is Olga?” Was that the mysterious brunette in the dining room?

“What do you mean? She’s alexia’s girlfriend? You’ve met her before?” 

“No I haven’t. I didn’t know she had a girlfriend.” 

“Yes you met her a dinner a few months ago? She comes to Ales games and on Fridays when we have dinner!”

“I wasn’t invited to that dinner, I don’t go to Alexia’s games and I certainly don’t go to Friday dinners!” The angry tears started. Alexia was my hero, my bestfriend, the person I wanted to be and now I’ve been pushed aside. I know nothing about her and she equally knows nothing about me. 

Alba pulled me in tight, letting me cry on her. It was weird doing it with her, she used to be the reason I cried and not the one to comfort me. But here we are, things change I guess. 

“Mami really needs to talk with you so we need to go downstairs.” Begrudgingly I let alba pull me down the stairs. It was obvious to everyone that I had been crying, mami’s face softening when she saw me, Alexia’s face frowning in confusion. 

“You wanted to talk so please do it quickly. I want to go to bed.” I tried to speak as respectfully as I could to Mami, it wasn’t her fault. 

“Mija, I’ll be away for a month, you know this si?” I nodded my head before she continued, “you’re too young to stay here for a month alone so you’re going to stay with Alexia and Olga. You can still see your friends and will go to school, but they will look after you.” 

“Mami no! I can look after myself!” 

“You’re 16 chica. You’re not an adult like you think you are.” Alexia scoffed from the other side of the table. 

“So what? You’re shipping me off to stay with Alexia, who won’t even been there half the time and a stranger? That’s safer? Some person that I’ve never met and sure as shit don’t trust!” 

“Stop being such a Perra! You have met Olga, plenty of times! She comes to all the games she can, and to dinners all the time.” 

“Ale stop” Alba knew what was coming and tried to stop it but it was too late. 

“Dios mío, your head is so far up your own arse isn’t it? I haven’t been to a single game in over 8 months, I don’t get invited to you stupid little Friday night dinners and I have never met your girlfriend! Up until an hour ago I didn’t even know you had a fucking girlfriend Alexia. Everything is always about you. You and your stupid football or your stupid knee. I bet you right now you couldn’t tell me anything about what I’ve done in the last year, can you?” 

“I know you quit football because you’re being a brat.” 

Her answer honestly made me chuckle “Okay Alexia, anything else?” 

Silence. She couldn’t tell you a single thing. 

“Yeah that’s what I thought. You know nothing about me and that’s how it’s going to stay. I dont trust you, I don’t like you and I sure as shit don’t love you. You’re not my Hermana.” With hot tears falling down my face, I stormed back upstairs. I text Isabella asking if I could stay over and once she replied with a yes, I was gone. Out the window like Alba had come in an hour earlier. I texted Mami to let her know, I wasn’t that horrible to make her worry. 

“Mami, you can’t let her talk to people like that! She’s incredibly disrespectful!” 

Alba rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Are you serious? That girl used to hang off you. She looked up to you. It was always you alexia and now she wants nothing to do with you. You don’t invite her places, you don’t care about her. I noticed ages ago she was pulling away and I fixed it. Did you know she has a girlfriend? Or that she’s taking senior classes because she’s the smartest there? Or the fact that people are paying her to make them art or buying the pieces she already has. She quit football because she hates it. She hates it because of you. You ruined it for her. Mami, I will stay here with her while you’re gone. It’ll be better that way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to drop her off at Isabella’s.” 

“No! It’s a school night! She cannot be going out!” It seems everything that was just said to Alexia, went in one ear and out the other. 

“Alexia stop it now. She is allowed to stay at her girlfriend’s house, she has an exam at 1pm. Maybe you need to listen to what people are saying to you. I am going to bed, I suggest you all do the same, at your own houses.” 

“Why does no one listen to me!” Alexia was annoyed, overwhelmed and tired. It had drained a lot of her energy being here tonight. 

“Ale, I’m going to say this one time, you need to listen to what everyone has told you tonight, really listen, because you aren’t. You need to fix things with her but you need to sort your shit out first.” Olga had stayed silent most of the night, listening to everything that was said knowing her girlfriend wouldn’t. You were right, you had never met each other. What Olga didn’t realise was that it was Alexia’s fault, not yours. She put it down to being a moody teenager who was too cool to hang out with her sisters, oh how wrong she was. 

•———————————————————————•

Two days before Mami was meant to go away, Alba rang saying she couldn’t stay over. She had gotten a modelling gig in Madrid and needed to go, that left Alexia and Olga. It would be the longest month of my life. Mami promised nothing would change just because I was staying here, she was wrong. Alexia was a bitch. 

The first few days were fine, alexia would drop me off at school and I’d make my way home after, I generally spend it was Isabella because Alexia wouldn’t let her come over. We go into the city centre, get coffee and do our homework then catch the bus home. We did this even when Mami was here so it wasn’t anything new but when Alexia found out she hit the roof. 

“You cannot be going into the city by yourself! Are you thick in the head?” 

“Jesus Christ alexia! I’m not alone. Isabella is with me. Mami lets me do it so I’m going to keep doing it.” 

“Is Isabella the reason you’re skipping school too?”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” I scoffed, storming off the guest bedroom and slamming the door so hard it made Olga jump. 

By the third day of me being there, Alexia had turned up to pick me up herself. I tried to completely ignore her but Isabella had other ideas. 

“Your sister is death staring me right now.” 

“No amor, not you but me. Oh fuck here we go, she’s coming over here.” 

“Get in the car y/n.”

“No. I told you yesterday that I’m allowed to do this. You’re not the boss of me.” 

“Bebeita, it’s fine. I’ve got chores to do for papa anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She kissed my cheek and then walked away, leaving me no choice but to get in Alexia’s car. 

The car ride was hell. Alexia was pissed, her hands constantly gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckle turned white. Neither of us spoke. To be honest, I didn’t know where we were going until we turned up at the training ground. 

“Why are we here?” 

“We have training. Get out.” 

“No alexia. I quit. What part of that don’t you understand.” 

“Get out now, or I will drag you out.” 

Knowing she would literally drag me out, I had to wait it out. She’d turn her back eventually and I could leg it. I’m faster than her and more willing to jump fences. 

The time came sooner than I thought, after entering the change rooms, she threw a set of clothes into my chest and walked off to the bathrooms. This was my chance and I wasn’t going to waste it. 

Throwing the clothes into her cubby, I legged it out the door. Running past Mapi, Ingrid and Ona who all had confused looked on their faces. As soon as I got out, I kept running, knowing i had to get a head start. I wasn’t really sure where I was going, I knew I couldn’t go back to Alexia’s, Olga would be there. I couldn’t go home because that’s the first place she’d go, I couldn’t go to Albas because she drag me back by my ear. There was only one place to go. 

Can Cuyás Golf Culb was the best place to hide. Sure someone might see me, but it’s easy enough to pretend to be lost. 

The first thing Alexia noticed when she came out was the lack of you. Then the clothes she had given you, thrown back into her cubby. 

“Have you seen y/n?” She asked as she turned to the girls in the locker room. 

“She ran past us like 5 minutes ago?” Ona spoke up. 

“Did she say anything?” 

“No she was in a bit of a hurry Ale.” Mapi rolled her eyes at her best friend. 

“Fuck sake.” Alexia exited the locker room, walking through the facility to try and find you. Slight panic kicked in when she wasn’t able too. Deciding to call Alba first, knowing you’d been closer to her the past few months. 

“Hola Ale, to what do I owe this pleasure?” The sarcasm dripping from her voice. 

“Have you seen y/n?” 

“No why? What happened?” Panic arising in Alba. 

“I picked her up from school and bought her to training. Gave her clothes to change into and I went to the toilet and came back and she was gone. She fucking ran off.” 

“Why the hell would you try and make her train Alexia! She quit. She doesn’t want to play anymore!” Alba quickly became anger with the oldest Putellas. 

“She is too good to throw it all away! She’s being a stupid child about all of this!” Quickly becoming defensive, not enjoying the way Alba is talking to her. 

“You’re unbelievable. I haven’t seen her, I will try and find her. Don’t you worry, put your football above her like you always do.” 

“Alba-“ she hung up before alexia could get another word in. There was one person left that Alexia had to call. 

“Hola amor, why aren’t you training?” Olga’s sweet voice sounded through the phone. 

“I’ve lost y/n. Can you please let me know if she comes home and if she does then don’t let her out of your sight.” 

“What do you mean you’ve lost her Ale?” 

“I bought her to training and she ran away while I was in the bathroom.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, Alexia already knew by the silence on the other end that Olga was trying to not yell at her. 

“Alexia-“

“No I know okay. I already got an ear full from Alba. I have to go but I’ll call you later okay. I love you.” Slowly it started to creep in the fact that she had fucked up and caused you to run away. Training dragged on for Alexia, hoping that you had been found or made contact with Alba or even Olga. 

Meanwhile, after hiding at the golf course for an hour, i decided to head to Isabella’s house. Knocking on the door, Isabella answered, still buttoning up her shirt. Eyes wide when she realised I was at her door. 

“Wh-what are you doing here?” She closed the door slightly, so I could no longer see into the loungeroom. 

“I ran away from Alexia. I was hoping we could hang out like normal?” 

“Now’s not really a good time. I have someone here.” Isabella spoke quietly, not wanting to allude to the fact that the person inside wasn’t just a friend. 

“Baby come back, we weren’t finished.” A guys voice yelled out. 

“It’s not what you think y/n!” 

“I think that guy wants your attention. I’m guessing that’s the reason you’re half dressed. Enjoy your time with him, we are done.” Tears welling in my eyes. 

“I’m sorry y/n!” 

“Go fuck your self Isabella.” sadness turned into anger real quick. 

Isabella was my first girlfriend, my first kiss, the first person I had sex with and she goes and fucks a guy? While we are together? This is literally the last thing I wanted to deal with. 

Unsure on what to do, or who to call I found my way to the beach. My throat and eyes hurt from crying so much. The pain in my chest was getting worse. Pulling out my phone, ignoring all the messages and calls, I rang the one person who would calm me. 

“Hey Calabaza? What’s up?” Jenni’s voice rang through my ears. Unable to form a coherent sentence, only sobs coming out of my mouth. 

“Hold on Bebé” I could hear her moving around, the voices of her teammates getting quieter, “talk to me. What happened?”

“I ran away. I ran away from Alexia and I went to Isabella’s house and she-she was cheating on me. With a guy. A fucking dude. She broke my heart Jenni. It hurts so much.” 

“Oh babé. Where is Ale now? Where are you?” 

“I don’t know. She’s probably at training. I’m at the beach where Papa used to take us. She’s going to be so mad at me.”

“Can you tell me why you ran away from her?” The way Jenni spoke so sweetly was something I missed dearly. 

“She got me from school and took me to the training grounds. She was trying to make me train but when she went to the bathroom I ran away. I don’t want to train, I don’t want to play. I hate the game and I hate her. She doesn’t listen or care about me!” I could feel myself getting upset again. 

“Okay okay, just breathe. You’re okay. I’m not going to tell her where you are but I need to tell someone. Albs has messaged me and so has Olga. You can pick who I tell.” 

Pondering the options, Alba would tell Alexia but she’d also be just as angry and upset. Olga would tell Alexia but she’d be calmer and softer, that was what I needed at this moment. 

“Olga. But tell her not to bring Alexia.” 

“Okay bebé.” After a few moments she spoke up again, “she’s on the way. She promised no Alexia. Do you want to stay on the line with me until she comes?” 

“Yes please. Can you tell me about Mexico?” Sniffling and wiping my face, I got up, walking towards the road to wait for Olga. After 25 minutes, Olga pulled up. A sad smile and worry on her face, she put an arm around me. 

“Is Olga there now?” Jenni asked. 

“Yeah she is. Uh thanks Jenni. Sorry for disturbing you.” Embarrassed about haven taken her time. 

“No bebé, you don’t need to thank me or apologise. We are hermanas no matter what okay. You call me tomorrow when you’re feeling better. I love you.” with that she hung up. Reality slowing sinking it. 

“Let’s get you home yeah? Are you hungry?” Olga smiled sadly at me. 

“No thanks. Just tired.” I mumbled out. 

The drive back to Alexia’s was quiet. When we pulled up, Alexia’s car wasn’t there, meaning she wasn’t home. That was good. Very good. 

“She’s at Albas house. I told her you had messaged me but that I didn’t know where you were yet. It’s a small lie, but I’m sure it’s worth it.” 

“Alexia hates lying.” I said lowly. Thinking back to all those times as a small girl that she yelled at me for lying. 

“I know Pequeño. Do you want to tell me what happened today?” 

“Everyday Isabella and I go into the city and have coffee and do our homework, but today Alexia came to school and got me. She drove us to the training grounds and said I had to train. But I-i quit. I don’t want to play anymore, I don’t enjoy it and only did it for Alexia but it was never enough. Nothing I do is ever enough for her.” Olga grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze for me to continue. 

“I went to Isabella’s house and she had someone there. A guy, a guy that she was fucking. She was cheating on me for god knows how long. I thought everything was good with us. She was my first girlfriend and my first kiss. I lost my fucking virginity to her and she goes and fucks someone else? It just hurts. So much. Everything is hurting so much.” 

“Oh pequeño. Come here.” Olga held me tight, my tears slowly soaking her shirt. 

“Why doesn’t she love me like she loves Alba? I don’t understand.” 

“Alexia?”

“Mhm. Nothing I do is good enough. I just want her to care about me more. Why can’t she?” It broke Olga’s heart hearing me say that. She didn’t know what was happening but she knew Alexia needed to fix it and fast. 

After slowly showering, I thanked Olga and excused myself to bed. I didn’t think I had any tears left to cry but after crying for a while, I managed to pass out. 

 •———————————————————————•

After you went to your room, Olga texted Alexia, telling her she was here and safe. Alba and Alexia both rushed back to her home. Angry and worried at you, ready to both give you an ear full. 

“Where is she Olga?” Alexia came in loudly. 

“Keep your voice down. Both of you.” Olga was very firm. 

“No she’s in trouble. She doesn’t get off lightly, we have been so worried about her.” Alexia sooke back angrily, usually she’d listen to her girlfriend but this had sent her into a rage. 

“Really Ale? You’ve been worried? So worried you couldn’t train right? That you spent all night calling her friends or going to her favourite spots to try and find her?” Olga had had enough. 

“Amor that’s not fair.” 

“No you know what’s not fair? The fact that neither of you have been listening to her. She doesn’t want to play, she did it for you Ale. She wanted to make you proud of her. She hated playing but you wouldn’t know that. She loves to draw, and she’s really really good at it. She showed me all her work.” 

Olga walked to the couch, extremely disappointed with the two women standing in front of her. 

“Her girlfriend cheated on her. She found out this afternoon. She rang Jenni and Jenni messaged me. That’s how I found her. She was at the beach, heartbroken. Then when we got home, she asked why you didn’t love her Ale. She thinks you don’t care about her. That girl may have broke her heart tonight, but you broke her heart first Alexia. You’ll need to live with the fact that you were her first heartbreak.” Olga was exhausted. Neither Alexia Or Alba said anything. Both sitting in opposite ends of the lounge room, tears silently falling. 

Olga excused herself to bed, leaving the older two in the lounge room to mull on their thoughts. She promised herself after your heartbreaking confession that she would have your back through this. Whatever tomorrow held, you would face it together. 

[formulakracing]

a weekend in buffalo — d.r.

pairing -> fem!driver reader x daniel ricciardo

word count -> smau

warnings -> none really, just some gossip accounts, some softness, and photos of a couple making out, internet hate/slut shaming, cursing

a/n -> life has been overwhelming but the idea of gg with daniel makes me want to write. for now my brain came up with this. i hope y’all like it <3

liked by f1fangirl, f1daily, alex_albon, and 73,029 others!

f1teaspill it appears that daniel ricciardo has been spotted out and about in buffalo. but this time, he has company…. ☕️

user9229 guys are we sure this is real

f1teaspill these photos were sent to me through dms by fans. i cannot confirm nor deny the validity of the photos. i only share what is shared with me! ☺️

redbull4ever so what you’re saying is that there may be a chance these pics are fake…

mercgirly420 MIND YOU IT HAS ONLY BEEN A FEW MONTHS SINCE SHE BROKE TOTO’S HEART‼️

williamsstan girl we don’t know the full story about that so let’s be mindful of criticizing someone for moving on…

mercgirly420 girl stfu we all know this girl is a slut and only used toto to gain an advantage at a better team. she basically said that herself at the press conference at cota. that’s probably when she and daniel started to [more]

williamsstan respectfully, i’m not reading all of that 🤍

goldengirlforever we don’t even know if that’s our golden girl so you need to shut the fuck up 🤍

f1fan03939 HELLO⁉️ ALEX LIKED THE POST⁉️

user820 ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE⁉️

f1stan636 uhhhh … is that… golden girl?

mercfan67 i think so. the height, hair color, stature, all match.

user45 guys i'm going to the game this weekend. i'll keep an eye out for gg and daniel! 🫡

f1fangirl2003 this is going to be an insane weekend for the daniel and gg truthers if this proves to be true

dannyfantom i am going to lose my shit (in the best way possible) if it's true!

user2004 these pics are so grainy tho.. we can't really be sure it's her!

user1999 ew what a slut. can't believe she emotionally cheated on toto.

user2001 ugh he deserves better than that home-wrecking whore 🤢

goldengirl posted to her story!

danielricciardo just posted!

liked by maxverstappen1, goldengirl.jpg, joshallenqb, and 932,002 others!

danielricciardo another great weekend in buffalo

view 2,204 comments

joshallenqb who is that beautiful man wearing the hard hat? 😩

danielricciardo your bf

maxverstappen1 it's nice to see you enjoying yourself in the states mate! 😆

danielricciardo thank you! ☺️ i can't wait to see you at cota!

dannyricstan how do i like this post more than once?

user1998 wow i love paris this time of year

f1fan19972 daniel pls tell me you're not dating that slut from the states...

user45 screaming crying throwing up how is a man so beautiful

f1girly is this gg's burner cause...

yukitsunoda0511 i see this post made it to the wrong side of instagram 🙃

oscarpiastri what a man!

danielricciardo nah that's you sugar 😘

f1fan2023 why are you and gg both in buffalo?

f1user2005 yeah let's talk about that!

f1user05 praying that the rumors aren't true 😔

danielricciardo i fear that you have more important things to worry about

dannyric09 ummm so what's going on?

f1teapage no one knows atp

goldengirl.jpg just posted!

liked by danielricciardo, alex_albon, maxverstappen1, and 15,037 others!

goldengirl.jpg alexa, play this is the life by two door cinema club

danielricciardo slowly but surely indoctrinating you as a bills fan

goldengirl.jpg josh allen is a pretty cool guy!

maxverstappen1 nice to see you two enjoyed the weekend! 😄

alex_albon i say we get tix to a raiders game when we’re in vegas 🙂‍↕️

goldengirl.jpg brb running to check their schedule

goldengirl.jpg as long as we can invite my daniel i will be happy to go

goldengirlstan HELLO⁉️ “my daniel”

user7273 ISTHISAHARDLAUNCHICANT

gg939 GOLDEN GIRL X DANIEL TRUTHERS RISE UP‼️

lilymhe ugh stop it you look soooo good in the red + blue combo

lilymhe brb searching up how to be as gorgeous as golden girl

lilymhe also can't wait for the debrief. lmk when you're back home plssssss

landonorris love u both

landonorris mom n dad

goldengirl.jpg ugh love u son <3

oscarpiastri honorary parents

f1user2006 WHY IS NO ONE POSTING ABOUT THIS‼️

f1fan2004 YEAH I AM WONDERING THE SAME THING

mercedesfan2005 ew

georgefan2003 this is atrocious. you break toto's heart and now you're prancing around with this washed guy? unbelievable.

ggstan is this toto wolff's burner?

franscisca.cgomes AHH CUTIES!

lewishamilton so refreshing to see you on my feed again. missed you! 🤍 (p.s. great song choice)

carlossainz55 such a beautiful couple! 😀

alex_albon okkkk facebook mom!

jallen96 love you both! go bills!

hailee.jpg ugh imy already sweet girl

goldengirl.jpg ugh imy more. maybe i'll come down one weekend for girls night

danielricciardo my beautiful girl, everyone

f1teaspill is this a confirmation? check your dms!

f1gossip pleeeeaaasseee check your dm!

f1teadaily we need the tea girl!

[ilikekidsshows]

As someone who grew up in poverty, the pretence that Chloé was never a victim of abuse because she’s rich sounds so incredibly moronic to me for two reason.

First, privilege cushions oppression and abuse but does NOT erase them. In my life I’ve had to deal with a lot of tone-deaf rich kids whose petty complains screamed first world problem, but guess what? None of that was about being abused and neglected. No I don’t want to hear about your daddy refusing to buy you a new car. YES I want you to speak out if they’re neglecting and/or emotionally abusing you. Children as a class are severely ignored. They do not have agency even if they are the richest people on the planet, because that money belongs to their parents who can take it away from their child at any given moment. This is also the reason why André being lifted of any responsibility for the way Chloé was raised is such bullshit, but I digress.  

Now to reason number two – I’m under the impression ML pats itself on the back for its supposedly eat the rich message. This is part of a bigger problem which is the inability of the writing crew to show rather than tell. Marinette life is SO normal, right? She only happens to go to school with the richest kids in town and to be the daughter of the people who run the most appreciated bakery in Paris and to be in touch with several famous people and—

You get it. You cannot “This is just a kids show!” your way out of this because either ML teaches important lessons or it’s not supposed to be taken seriously. You can’t randomly decide which is it based on what’s most convenient to you. That’s not how it works. So yeah, sure, Chloé (and Adrien and Kagami and Félix) is rich, but the other characters are never shown to struggle financially and are if anything the sons and daughters of pretty important people. The only time Marinette has money trouble is when we find out her parents were saving up to send her to Shangai, but that’s pretty normal. A normal family can’t just think “Sure, let’s fly to another continent” and do that the day after. ‘Cause you know, money. 

That still doesn’t mean Marinette is struggling financially. She has a lovely home and a perfect family – that’s so much more many people, me included, can account for. So what, Marinette’s trauma doesn’t account for anything because she’s privileged? Is this the logic the ML fandom was fed and thought “Yeah, sounds pretty good to me!” What is this show’s problem, really. 

---

Miraculous wants to have its cake and eat it too in terms of many things. The writers often include contradictory elements into the show, which is why every detail is important to the “larger picture”, unless it isn't, in which case the show is really simple and there's no need to pay attention to details and fans are just overthinking things. There's a reason actual media analysts avoid this show like the plague now; there's no reward for paying attention because the writers arbitrarily contradict themselves in several episodes, often more times than once in the same episode even. The whole “Adrien apologises to Marinette for what happened with Lila thing” is extra confusing because of the constant contradictions.

The crew are also incredibly cowardly when it comes to actually saying something. We have a blatant allegory for racism when Roland opposed Tom and Sabine’s interracial marriage because they used “rice flour” in baking, but the writers deny this was an allegory when people bring it up. The crew are only comfortable saying something “political” when it's the most milk-toast, fence-sitting take imaginable. As I’ve pointed out before, their idea of a “green episode” was the mayor shooting trashcans into space, which was basically the show going: “don't litter!” Poison Ivy in the nineties was bolder.

That said, of course Miraculous isn't going to tackle the complexities of privilege in any meaningful way. In their eyes, you're privileged and evil if you're telling your rich parents to buy you stuff. Ignore Marinette getting a whole-ass scooter and a trip to Shanghai, because she didn't ask for those things so she isn't privileged. She's a good girl who deserves nice things, unlike Chloé, who's mean so her dad buying her expensive gifts to make up for neglecting her emotionally makes her privileged and evil. The writers want the no-care life of being well-off for all their cast, and even play around with the glamour of wealth several times, so any attempt at a "eat the rich" angle is ultimately insincere.

In addition, the writers still insist on vindicating the rich white men who even create the problems in the green episode, which just makes this mess even more confusing. Because the writers are stanning Gabriel and André, we get the actual businessmen intimidating anyone beneath them socially, the ones who actually own the wealth, treated more sympathetically than a teenaged bully whose dad buys her nice things, sometimes after she asks but often without her asking. Of course, considering Gabe's from rags-to-riches background (wildly exaggerated, considering his parents are still small business owners), you could think the creators are only critical of "unearned" wealth, if it wasn't for the Marinette Exception.

There's also the aspect of how the writers seem to only count wealth as a privilege after it passes a certain threshold, and otherwise they ignore the topic of wealth completely. Considering there isn't a single character in this series that's shown financially struggling even temporarily, there clearly isn't anything definitive (read: potentially upsetting) to be said about class privilege. Frankly, I think Chloé is the primary target of the "eat the rich" angle specifically because no one can argue someone who's never worked using her father's money to one-up her peers and screw people over is not privileged. It's, as I put it, the most milk-toast, fence-sitting take on wealth privilege imaginable. "Being a jerk about being wealthy is bad!" No shit, Sherlock. Good job, clown crew.

There's also the element of Marinette's special treatment, of course, since we still can't argue Marinette is working for the money she's spending since the people spending money on her are her parents, grandmother and boyfriends, while Marinette never mentions using her potential commission/babysitting money for anything (although I don't think they even discuss her payments for these jobs which just proves how meaningless they are). Marinette is never shown spending her own money on screen, but we repeatedly see other people use money for her benefit. Chloé is the only other character shown to get paid for like this, but for her, it's a sign of her undeserved privilege and being spoiled, while, for Marinette, it's more of a perk that she totally deserves.

The way Marinette's exception is presented reads like Miraculous is trying to sell you on the notion of "inherent goodness". If you're a good enough person, everything you do, is good or a forgivable mistake. This is the double standard they apply to Marinette when compared to anyone else, because only Marinette is good enough to reach "inherent goodness" levels. She is the goodest kid in the world according to Santa Claus himself, the greatest Ladybug ever according to Jeanne d’Arc and the best version of herself according to Sublimation. All of this means that Marinette is inherently good so she can never do anything that's really that bad and she deserved all the perks and praise.

[luvfy0dor]

“I Still See it All ♡⁠˖” Chuuya Nakahara x Reader ੈ✩‧₊˚

warnings; drinking, angst, death, may seem ooc, reader is (was) fighting Fyodor with the ada, I only proofread the first 2 paragraphs and I pumped this out in about 57 minutes so it might not be the best lmao

description; The memories of yourself and Chuuya were almost palpable in your mind as your torso leaked thick, crimson blood. It felt as though you could reach out and grab his hand again, kiss him again- feel him again. You watched the cloudy and hazy scenes in 3rd person, as if you were an onlooking spectator on the sweet moments between the two of you as your life slipped through your fingers.

a/n: hey guys I'm sad cuz I got too scared to rizz the huzz at my last swim meet of the school year so now y'all gotta be sad with me LMAO

You were still in a state of shock as Fyodors blade ripped back through your torso just as quickly as it moved when it impaled you. Your brows knitted together as you watched the blood seep through your shirt, your lips dropping down into a scared frown when two and two finally clicked. You were still high on adrenaline, but aware of what was happening. Your body felt stiff and it was hard to move on your own- every thing was slowing down and becoming shaky and foggy as your eyes welled up with tears. The balance that had once been stable and distributed in your body was now gone, and you couldn't stop yourself from falling backwards onto the hard ground. You hit your head and winced, slowly closing and opening your eyes, blinking back your tears and redirecting them from the center of your waterline to stream down the sides of your cheeks. The more your tears fell, the clearer you could see. A couple feet infront of you, you could see Fyodors tall, slender, form approaching with a cynical grin plastered on his thin, pale lips. You could tell they were moving, but you couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. You shut your eyes once again and tried to take a deep breath. The longer he hovered over your bleeding body, the colder you felt. His frame blocked the sun from hitting your face and allowing you to feel that natural warmth, but once he finally got out of the way and walked in the opposite direction, it felt even better than before.

It brought you back. All of a sudden, you were under the same sun, dancing on the bricks of public walkways with Chuuya in Paris. He held your waist and one of your hands, a smile on his face as the two of you spun and stepped together. The summer heat made the both of you sweat, but it didn't stop you from having a good time. You didn't even recall how you ended up there, but you didn't have the energy to try and remember. You could only remember the memories with him, the sound of his voice and laughter- him in general. After dancing until your feet were tired, you both stumbled into the grassy patches next to the street, your laughter never stopping. "Chuuya, where'd you learn to dance?* You asked, your speech a bit slowed from your earlier alcohol consumption. Chuuya was the same way, if not worse. "Mmm, I dunno babe- think I was just born with the natural talent." As he said this, his nose scrunched up and he spoke with his lips turned upward into a smug, proud grin. You giggled and playfully slapped his shoulder. "You should join talent shows as a side hustle." You slur, resting your head on his shoulder and gazing up at the Eiffel tower. "Maybe, but only if you're my salsa partner." You huffed. "I could never." Your eyelids grew heavier with each moment you say idly. If you didn't want to sleep, you'd have to move. "Mm, Chuuya, let's go see the river!" You say, standing up and pulling him along with you. He stumbled to his feet and follows you down the street, under the Eiffel tower to the railings that overlooked the water. "Do you think there's fish?" You asked, looking over to Chuuya with wide eyes. He huffs in disbelief. "Ofcourse there's fish, dumb dumb." You rolled your eyes and shrugged. "Well I dunno...I'm not an expert in...fishology..." You murmured, folding your arms over the railing and leaning against it. "I can tell."

The two of you occupied yourselves with conversation for God knows how long, and it was some of the most enjoyable time you'd spent in a while. You were so immersed in the subjects and the only time your thoughts drifted elsewhere was when you couldn't help but think about how happy you were to have met him and got to have this experience. You were both so into talking that you didn't even notice the change in the clouds until you felt the rain droplets splash against your head and nose. Over the time, the both of you had come closer to full sobriety. "We better get back to the hotel." He said with a sigh, adjusting his hat. "Yeah, good idea- in not really looking to get soaked." You huff, grabbing chuuyas hand as you started walking back. It wasn't a very far walk, but the rain was coming in quick, so you had to make it fast. The quicker the rain started to downpour, the faster your speed walking got, which ultimately backfired because you soon slipped and fell on the bricks. "Woah, are you alright?" Chuuya asked, bending over to make sure you were good, a hand on your shoulder. You stared at him for a moment before nodding and giggling. "Yeah, I'm alright, thanks babe." He offered his hand to help you up and you gladly took it, using the opportunity to pull him into a quick peck on the lips. "Aw man, im pretty wet anyways now." You groaned when you pulled away, but started to accept it because it was really all you could do. "Yeah, you gotta be more careful next time." He says. "Wouldn't want you to break a tailbone or nothin'."

Hah. If only he could see the position you were in now. Your memories cut out like radio static when you hear Atsushi scream out your name. You couldn't have been on the ground that long, but memories of Chuuya made you feel like you could live another lifetime with him before the blood loss could kill you. "Atsushi..." Your whisper of his name was like a phantom on your lips, slowly disappearing into the atmosphere without reaching anyone's ears. Your eyes slowly closed. Your heart was beating in your ears and your head was pounding. Your midsection was burning and sore and you couldn't tell if your next breath would be your last or not. You tried to lift your head from the ground, but in the moment it felt like one of the most physically taxing things you could do. Your vision started to blur again, and all the noise muffled. The beating in your ears was already slow enough, and with each passing second it just became slower. "This is it," you thought. "This is how I die. And I can't do a damn thing about it." The idea made you internally panic, but it took too much energy to show it on your face or act on that feeling of fear. "Chuuya?" You whimpered out, calling for your boyfriend, only for it to fall upon deaf ears. Your lips drew into a tight line and you whimpered, your tears falling even faster now. Ever since you met him, you wanted to die with him by your side, looking down at you with love as you went and passed over into the afterlife, but now all you had to stare at was a bright blue, slightly cloudy sky. "It kind of looks like his eye color." You thought, before exhaling quietly and closing your eyes, one last time.

A/n: yk that one song our last summer from mamma mia? Yeah that's this. Again I'm sorry if it's kinda cheeks the only thing I've been writing lately are school essays and responses, but I had a conversation with Eli before I wrote it out discussing how I kinda wanted it to go and originally this was gonna be a fyodor x reader fic but I changed my mind

[nonbinarylocalcryptid]

This is how I think Astyanax would know react to being told what happened at Troy.

Context: Odysseus and Astyanax are trapped in Calypso's island. Unfortunetely, Zeus is bored, so he sends a message (maybe a letter? Maybe he just sends Hermes and call it a day?) to fuck things up a bit and mess with Odysseus. It works wonders. Nine years old Astyanax reacts poorly.

Here's what happens when Odysseus finds him after receiving the message.

The sun was about to set, filling the silence with the sound of the waves hitting the beach. Only Odysseus had the audacity to talk.

"My son..."

That wasn't welcome, not anymore.

"Am I?" Asked the boy. He was trembling, but not from the breeze. "Your son?"

For once, Calypso didn't try to insert herself in the conversation, even the chatty goddess was speechless.

"I always wondered, why we don't look alike at all? I was adopted, I knew, but I thought I was your nephew, even a cousin".

"Son..."

Odysseus was interrupted

"How can you call me that? My family, my whole country... it's gone, and it's your fault".

The man took a short breath.

"I'm not going to ask for forgiveness..."

"Good", Astyanax was done, "because there's no forgiving you. Tell me everything that happened, tell me about what went down that night".

He stared at the older man while he shook his head.

"Astyanax, save yourself that pain, the endless pain of the war shouldn't be a child's warden".

"But it is!" Bursted out the kid. "You decided to spare me on a whim!"

"That's not what happened."

"Then what?" A desperate question. "Am I a warprize?"

"Don't call yourself that." It was soft spoken, like a prayer.

Astyanax was no god.

"What am I supposed to think?"

Trying to descalate the situation, Calypso spoke.

"Maybe what your father is trying to say..."

Any other day, the goddess' inside was welcome, as she was Astyanax's friend. Today he was having none of it.

"SHUT UP NOBODY ASKED YOU-"

"HEY", Odysseus stopped him, "don't yell at her. You want to know what happened? Put your emotions aside, and sit with me by the fire".

They did so, and Odysseus told him. About the Trojan war, about ten years of slow killing, about the ressiliance of Troy. He told him about Achilles and Patroclus, about Paris and Helen.

He told the story of the wooden horse.

About longing to go home.

Diomedes led the charge. Agamemnon flanked the guards. Menelaus let the men through the gates. They took the whole city at large. Teucer will shot every ambush attack. And Little Ajax stayed back. Nestor secured Helen and protected her. Neo, avenged his father, killing the brothers of Hector.

About a mission, to kill someone's son, someone who wouldn't run, someone who could only be dealt with right there and then. About a baby in a cradle. About Zeus' prophecy. About him.

About someone who was just a man.

Troy fell.

The Ithacan fleet sailed, hoping to reach home.

They never did.

When he was done remembering the past, he looked at the boy, who was sitting at the other side of the flame, hands covering his face.

It took a long time for Astyanax to even look at him, let alone spoke up, but he finally did it.

"I don't know what to say." He confessed, bathed in the fire's light. "I hate you, I do, I'm so full of rage right now...but I love you, and I hate you so much. You should have killed me when you had the chance, why didn't you?"

The answer came easyly to Odysseus's lips.

"Mercy". He dared to say, the blasphemy of it haunting them, with only the fire and the waves as witnesses. "You haven't done anything, you were a child who had only known love. What was the point?"

"Zeus told you to do it. One should not defy the gods".

A dark laugh came from Odysseus, startling the kid

"That's all we have ever done since we met." Odysseus spoke the truth, and Astyanax hated him for it. "A god ordered a child's death. Where's my free will? Your right to a peaceful life? They're supposed to protect us...and look where we are now because of them."

Astyanax looked at him, right in the eyes, before saying his part.

"I hate you."

Odysseus sighed, tired, defeated.

"I know." Resigned.

"I have one more question."

Just one question? Odysseus would have give him anything he asked for. A question he could do.

"Go ahead."

Like a dreadful night, so many years ago, he thought he was ready. He wasn't ready.

"Do you even love me?"

Tears came to his eyes when the boy asked that question. How many times can a heart break until there's nothing left?

"How couldn't I? To love my children it's the easiest thing I've ever done."

Whatever was the veredict, he would take it, he owed Astyanax that much.

And then Astyanax got up. There was no emotions in his voice when he talked

"You are without doubt, a cruel man, Odysseus of Ithaca."

He walked away, letting a crying man behind.

[doloresdisparue]

Since I've had some clown in my mentions claiming Nabokovs intent was to present Dolores as equally culpable echoing the good old "but what about her TEEN SEDUCTRESS powers to CONTROL MEN" let's collect some of what Vladimir "Strong Opinions" Nabokov said about the book and Dolly in particular:

"Some simply haven’t read the book or don’t understand it. It is not obscene; it has none of the dirt of many so-called realistic modern novels. “Most critics have failed to stress the pathetic side,” said Mrs. Nabokov. “It’s really a tragic story. Here, in the hands of this maniac is this poor girl—.” “And a very ordinary girl—” Nabokov put in…." (What Hath Lolita Wrought? Ithaca Author Distressed by Some Reactions,” Elmira Telegram, Dec. 14, 1958. )

"In Lolita, who’s the most likable person for you? It’s Lolita. It’s with her that the good reader should become friends. American readers, generally, talk of her as an unbearable kid, but you pity her as you would pity any kid. There’s something touching in her." (“While Lolita Travels Around the World, the Entomologist Nabokov and the Agronomist Robbe-Grillet Exchange Pawns on the Literary Chessboard”), Arts (Paris), October 28–Nov. 3, 1959, 4.) 

"She came entirely out of my imagination. Critics, in general, find her odious; I pity her: an orphan, alone in life with a demanding forty-year-old. When I wrote about her last meeting with Humbert, I cried, like Flaubert at the death of Madame Bovary. “She cries every night, and the critics don’t hear her sobs,” said Mrs. Nabokov." (“Nabokov Without Lolita”, Nouvelles littéraires, Oct. 29, 1959, 1–2.)

"But she’s also a very touching character. Toward the end of the book, the reader and the author pity her, this poor child who has been sacrificed on the altar of motels. It’s very sad." (“The Good Mr. Nabokov: Lolita’s Father Forsakes Nymphets for the Sake of Pushkin and Robbe-Grillet”), L’Express, Nov. 5, 1959, 32–33.)

"Is Lolita amoral? On the contrary. It has a very moral moral: don’t harm children. Now, Humbert does [...] And Lolita, isn’t she a victim and not a little slattern….After all, haven’t I indicated the evil of all this, in giving Lolita a stillborn child?" (“Conversation, Vladimir Nabokov: He Likes Humor, Tennis and Proust. He Hates Communists, Sade, Freud”),  L’Express, Jan. 26, 1961. )

"How, then, do you explain the “Lolita cult”? How do you explain all these girls who move, act, dress, and talk like Lolita? I wouldn’t know. Perhaps it is a result of the way the popular press has distorted my poor Lo. It has come up with something that has absolutely nothing to do with the book or Lolita the character. Lolita is the story of a sad little girl in a very sad world. The “Lolita cult” is something completely different." (“Love Today: How the Author of Lolita Sees It”), L’Europeo, June 23, 1966, 28–33. )

"Humbert Humbert is a vain and cruel wretch who manages to appear “touching.” That epithet, in its true, tear-iridized sense, can only apply to my poor little girl." (Paris Review, The Art of Fiction No. 40, Issue 41, Summer-Fall 1967)

"Lolita isn’t a perverse young girl. She’s a poor child who has been debauched and whose senses never stir under the caresses of the foul Humbert Humbert, whom she asks once, “how long did [he] think we were going to live in stuffy cabins, doing filthy things together…? [...] It is equally interesting to dwell, as journalists say, on the problem of the inept degradation that the character of the nymphet Lolita, whom I invented in 1955, has undergone in the mind of the broad public. Not only has the perversity of this poor child been grotesquely exaggerated, but her physical appearance, her age, everything has been transformed by the illustrations in foreign publications. Girls of eighteen or more, sidewalk kittens, cheap models, or simple long-legged criminals, are baptized “nymphets” or “Lolitas” in news stories in magazines in Italy, France, Germany, etc.; and the covers of translations, Turkish or Arab, reach the height of ineptitude when they feature a young woman with opulent contours and a blond mane imagined by boobies who have never read my book. In reality Lolita is a little girl of twelve, whereas Humbert Humbert is a mature man, and it’s the abyss between his age and that of the little girl that produces the vacuum, the vertigo, the seduction of mortal danger. Secondly, it’s the imagination of the sad satyr that makes a magic creature of this little American schoolgirl, as banal and normal in her way as the poet manqué Humbert is in his. Outside the maniacal gaze of Humbert there is no nymphet. Lolita the nymphet exists only through the obsession that destroys Humbert. Here’s an essential aspect of a unique book that has been betrayed by a factitious popularity." (“Apostrophes: Bernard Pivot Meets Vladimir Nabokov”), live television interview, Antenne-2 (Paris), May 30, 1975.)

And let's close with my blog title:

"Lolita is an indictment of all the things it expresses. It is a pathetic book dealing with the plight of a child, a very ordinary little girl, caught up by a disgusting and cruel man….But of all my books, I like it the best. " (Author of Lolita Scoffs at Furore over His Novel,” Niagara Falls Gazette, Jan. 11, 1959, 10B.)

Thanks for coming to his TED Talk

[themuseinthewoods]

Headcanons for the men of Troy (2004) falling in love with a princess

Ok, so @nymphfever I didn't feel like I could properly flesh out the priestess idea just yet so here's one with princess instead! Ty for trying, it's very much appreciated.

F!reader who is a princess. Scenarios/headcanons I guess?

Curse words are the only warning, and I was half asleep when I wrote this.

As always, my Troy 2004 work is loosely based on the Iliad as well because I'm a huge nerd lol.

Enjoy!

Achilles this gif kills me

Oh boy

okay, so let's say you are Nestor's daughter because I actually really love the guy in the Iliad and Odyssey

You take after your dad

Lets say your a bit rough-n-tumble, being raised by a dad and all brothers does that my friend with all boys in her house told me those lol

Nestor is canonically a very smart, wise, kind, old king. You probably remind him of youth and joy he keeps you at his side so he can remind himself that everything he does shall effect your future and the future of every young person in his kingdom

So, how is Achilles gonna get near this beloved daughter?

....

Idk what your expecting, he fucking asks

He's a flirt, but

He also has to get married doesn't he? And what better then marrying a princess

A very beautiful princess who isn't afraid to give him an ego check every once in a while

Will call you by your title, even if you ask him not to

Loves that you can manage the political side with him, he'll sit by you and look threatening and you will handle it

good cop/bad cop anyone?

good god he's so in love dress pretty to party's with the spoils of war he brings back for you? he will dance with you all night if you wish

Patroclus (ik I use this gif alot but there aren't many of him)

Oh this sweet angel

Undecided who your parent is for now

He falls quickly, dreaming that someday he shall be your hero and you his beautiful princess.

but wow, you love him back?

isn't the luckiest?

does his level best to make it the perfect fairytale romance for you

Even if you don't want to be treated like a princess, he'll treat you like one anyway

sorry, I don't really have anything else for this boy

Hector he so beautiful, I'm so lonely he's my type

ok, so even though its kinda expected that he should marry another royal or someone in a high station of life but just because others expect him to doesn't mean he does

Hector, especially in this movie, seems pretty humble.

And a beautiful princess who is looking to him to be her handsome Prince finds that prince in him.

You see that gif? that's how he looks at you! <3<3<3 (I personally would faint of this man even looked at me that way)

He's so happy because you'll understand his duties, and you can support each other

he will do his best to help you with yours and if you help him with his own responsibility's? his heart may melt

he's so happy that he can give you the life you were used to, if not a better one, even if you aren't the kind of person who likes that

god I'm so single

Paris

believes he's the luckiest man in the world

i mean, he's not wrong

another sweet lad to try and give you your fairy tale romance

he's so poetic in the movie

call him your sweet prince

do it

he will actually swoon

the sweetest prince who could have fallen for a princess like you

cannot believe your in love with him

Odyessus

i mean

he's a king, so it's kinda like, expected?

at the same time, he's still very happy

you can understand his station and his duties as king and he can bring you up to the station of queen

honestly, I'd highly recommend falling in love with him

he'll call you his princess and then later his queen

finds joy in the simple things as we know but will give you anything your taste desires

loves it if you dress up for him

[otp-after-dark]

“I love you. I know you love me too.” —Nick Blaine, 6x06

This is the Nick Blaine episode we’ve been waiting for. He’s done hiding, done waiting, done assuming he doesn’t deserve her. After everything that happened in 6x03 — the hug, the heartbreak, the “see you later” — something in him shifts. Now, in 6x06, he finally believes it: She loves him too. And this time, he’s not walking away. He’s asking her to come with him *to Paris*?!

We open on another favor. Another call. Another quiet ask. But this time, Nick doesn’t answer with silence.

“I need to talk to you.”

And from that moment, it’s clear — Nick has made up his mind. Since the last time they spoke, since "see you later", he’s been playing it all over again in his head. And he’s ready.

He’s ready to burn it down. To choose love. To choose her. To stop being afraid.

He goes to her. And he’s already unraveling.

He’s fraying from every angle — Wharton, the Eyes, the Guardians, the memories. But mostly? The weight of finally wanting more.

He asks her to spend the night with him. Takes her hand. And then, the truth spills out of him — tender and raw:

“Sometimes I think you’re the only good thing in my life.”

He hugs her like he can’t breathe without her. Because he can’t.

And then, the flashbacks.

This isn’t just memory. It’s longing. It’s grief. It’s hope clinging to the edges of everything they never got to have.

Season 1. The first time. When everything was still soft. When the world was already burning, but somehow they were still untouched.

June in the light. Nick’s hands careful, reverent. A moment stolen in the wreckage — not for survival, but for love.

And now, years later, Nick closes his eyes. Because he’s there. Not in the moment physically, but spiritually, emotionally — in every cell of his body.

He’s back in that room. With her.

And then — Paris.

“I wish I could take you to Paris.”

That’s not a joke. It’s not a line.

It’s a life. A version of them that was never allowed to exist — walking through gardens, drinking wine, raising their daughter under a different sky.

A Nick who could hold her hand on a sidewalk without dying for it. A June who could breathe freely without looking over her shoulder.

And you can see it on his face — how much he’s imagined it. How much it means to him. It’s not fantasy — it’s what he’s been holding on to to survive.

And then she says it.

“You’d be you. Good. Kind. Brave. And very, very handsome.”

She says it like it’s obvious. Like it’s always been true. Like it doesn’t need to be earned — just seen.

And for Nick —that’s everything.

Because all this time, he’s believed he wasn’t enough. Too tainted. Too compromised. Too dangerous. Too Gilead.

He says it himself earlier:

“I wasn’t anyone. You wouldn’t have noticed me.”

And June just… stops that thought. Dead in its tracks.

“You’d be you.”

What she’s really saying is: I see you. I always have. I love the man you were, and the one you became. Not because of Gilead — despite it.

And this? This is the moment Nick finally believes it.

That she loved him then. That she loves him now.

It’s why he kisses her like he’s starved. It’s why he says “I love you. I know you love me too” not with doubt, but finally with certainty.

Because in those flashbacks, he’s not just remembering. He’s reclaiming something. He’s saying: That was real. It was always real. And it still is.

Meanwhile — the Serena chat.

It’s not all truth. But it’s telling.

June admits she wondered if Nick would come with her to Alaska. That she assumed he wouldn’t. Because of Rose. Because of what he said in Season 5.

But that assumption is already unraveling.

Because she knows now: Luke is not the one. She doesn’t mention him. Not once. Because this isn’t about Luke. It never really was.

Jezebel’s. The fallout.

He does what she asked. But nothing in Gilead comes without a price. He thinks he got away clean — but Wharton is waiting. Pressing him. Watching him.

“These lies are going to end you on the wall.”

Nick isn’t just risking his life. He’s risking hers, too. If he doesn’t play it right, they’re both gone.

And so — he gives Wharton just enough. Not betrayal. Survival. The cost of trying to love in a world that kills love on sight.

And then. The moment.

Nick storms in. Not quiet, not composed, not careful. He doesn’t knock. He doesn’t wait. He needs her.

All fire. All heart. All clarity.

“I love you. I know you love me too.”

It’s truth. It’s everything he’s been holding back finally ripping through.

Because Nick Blaine — the man who’s always held back, who’s kept his love quiet and his distance loud, who’s lived in fragments and shadows — is done waiting.

He knows. Not thinks. Not hopes. Knows.

Because she didn’t say goodbye in 6x03. Because she still comes to him.

This isn’t an affair. It’s not a secret. It’s a life. The life they were never allowed to have.

And for the first time, Nick asks for it. With his hands. With his eyes. With everything.

The kiss is a free fall. Desperate. Messy. Alive.

Nick murmurs “mhmm” into her mouth like he’s trying to memorize the shape of her. Like he’s finally breathing after years underwater. Like if he lets go now, he won’t survive it.

He kisses her like this is it. Because it is.

And then — June asks about Rose. Not Luke. Never Luke.

Because they both know Luke isn’t in this room. He hasn’t been in this story for a long time.

“You’re it. It’s always been you.”

It's always been June. That’s not a line. That’s his soul. That’s every moment he stood in the shadows. Every time he stepped back so she could move forward. Every time he let her go because he thought it was the right thing — even when it broke him.

But now? He’s not letting her go again. Not without telling her what’s real.

He’s not asking for a maybe. He’s not asking for another in-between.

He’s asking for forever.

And June?

She leans in. She chooses him.

She kisses him back — not tentative, not confused — but sure.

And in that kiss? She says yes.

Yes to them. Yes to the life they dreamed of in Paris. Yes to the man who never stopped choosing her. Yes to being his, again — finally.

Nick smiles. Really smiles.

That soft, boyish, wrecked smile we haven’t seen since season one. Like the weight of years has finally lifted.

“You’re crazy,” she says, breathless. He says, "I know."

Because they are. They both are.

But that’s what makes it real. What makes it theirs.

Because this love? It was never safe. Never clean. But it’s true. And in this moment, they both believe it might be enough.

Even just for one night. Even just for now.

Final Reflection:

Nick and June’s love was never built for a clean world. It was born in fire. Forged in survival. Built on stolen moments and desperate choices.

And 6x06? It isn’t the end. It’s the first time they both admit what’s been true all along — out loud, with no hiding, no half-measures.

“I love you. I know you love me too.” “You’re it. It’s always been you.”

They both choose it. They both want it.

That matters. That changes everything.

What happens after — the "betrayal," the chaos that follows — it’s not about Nick giving up on her. It’s not about June walking away from him.

It’s about the brutal reality of the world they’re still trapped inside. The forces bigger than them. The enemies closing in. The ways survival demands sacrifices that love alone can’t always fix — yet.

But the difference now? They’re not pretending anymore. Not to each other. Not to themselves.

They know where they stand. They know who they would choose if the world let them.

And someday —they will choose each other for real.

Because Nick isn't just some tragic side love. June isn't just some unreachable dream.

They are each other’s home.

Always have been. Still are. Always will be.

Love like this doesn’t die. It just waits. And one day, it will finally have room to breathe.

[mirandyficlists]

Hi hi! I’d like to know what your Top 10 Holy Grail fics are? Like I’m talking about fics you would reccommend in a heart beat, fics that you feel are written extremely well that they feel like they should be published or something, fics that have really good pacing, right amount of fluff, angst, or smut. Or even ones that are just silly and fun. It would be cool to read some of your favs!

Hey Nonnie

First my standard answer to the top ten query...10!!! 10!!! You think i can narrow it down to 10!! LOLOLOL

Secondly, I'm flattered you want to know my preferences as a guide...but then that's what my spreadsheet is all about I guess. lol

Okay I did manage to keep myself to 30 fics and I will say I would live quite happily if the first 10 were all I was ever allowed to read for the ret of my life. Just saying. Heh

I've also included my reviews of each fic from my Spreadsheet of 2250+ Mirandy fics to explain my love for the fics.

If you want the fics that are no longer online just message me privately with your email and I'll send my zipped file of deleted Mirandy fics your way.

Happy Reading Nonnie

All the Breast

XVNot15

Top ten and why?

The Lady And Her Dragons by Bearblue https://archiveofourown.org/works/21738811/chapters/51860098

(WIP) OMG!!!!!!!!!!  So amazingly wonderful and magical and well just damned hot!  Full of myth and magic, Miranda and Cruella are real Dragons and Andy is their Lady. Magical machinations and battles ensue. The story is compelling and Bearblue controls the content of magical information absolutely beautifully, you're interest is captured, but you're not over whelmed with more information than what is required for the story she is telling.  Again it has to be said. OMG!!! I have now read this fic over 500 times…and I mean that! Have read it once a week and sometimes 2 or 3 times a week for more than a decade.

Truth and Measure by Telanu https://archiveofourown.org/works/779826/chapters/1468543

The downfall of my anti Mirandy life that dragged me kicking and cursing into the heart of the Mirandyverse. This is what I call a Simchat Torah story. Much like the holiday in which the last chapter of Torah is read and then the first chapter immediately afterward to start the cycle again. And that's just what I did with this one. Miranda discovers after the separation with Stephen that she is pregnant and as she copes with that Andy helps her and eventually Miranda proposes a mutually beneficial relationship...which Andy then proceeds to turn on its head almost immediately. Excellently written and adored the characterisations of both women.

It’s All Relative by Hawkbehere https://archiveofourown.org/works/5884348/chapters/13561771

OMFG!! This is an amazing story. Well written and excellently paced as well. Post Paris H/C piece where Miranda is shot and Andy runs to her side to help and care for her.. A very complex and interesting characterisation of both M and A. The hints at Sub/dom with true love and respect were pitched absolutely meltingly perfect And the passion of Miranda's need for Andy is mind blowing.

Small Favors Series  by Chillyflame https://archiveofourown.org/works/2793701/chapters/6270377

Andy wins a press award and sees Miranda. They talk and Andy acknowledges her feelings to herself. Andy sends a lily as a thank you. Hot first kiss in the conference room at the Mirror. The girls are very supportive as the relationship develops. INTERLUDE - Hot late night quickie in Miranda's office.  BEAUTIFUL THINGS - sees the development  of the relationship through some early rough spots. They're outed by Miranda's PR firm. Loved the twins with their pudding balloon bombs. HERE TO STAY - GOOD FORTUNE –

Fur No Thanks I’d Rather Go Naked by Writtensword (Deleted but I have the fic and can send it.)

Ooooooooooo so totally wonderful this story read it 3 times one after the other. Miranda is magically turned into a Mink and only Andrea can hear her speak and she takes care of her as they try to undo the spell. The characterisation of Mink Miranda is sooooooooooooooo terrific I want more Mink tales. heh  Lovely denoument when Miranda turns back to her human form.

Like Andrea Series by Ginstan https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940092

Ooooooooooooooo romance, mystery, intrigue and damn fine writing! Loved this fic! Andy is alerted to the fact that Miranda needs help when Runway does an edition where every single model looks like her. She comes to Miranda's rescue and their relationship develops super fast and super beautifully..  And beautiful mini FOL crossover! heheh I adore the characterisations of a vulnerable Miranda and a very soft butch Andy.

A Failure to Communicate by thelastgoodname https://archiveofourown.org/works/5300144

Miranda decides to Marry Andy and is busy dictating the plans to Andy just one problem... She hasn't actually asked Andy out on a date yet or anything else.  Cue a very confused Andy and a backpeddling Miranda. Ohhh my aching sides!!!! This is just soooooooooooo funny and sooooo well written.It's just brilliant!

Admiration by Punky_96 https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936337

Swooooooooooon!! Total romance and way HOT sex too! Miranda has a secret (not to us though) admirer who is leaving her daily gifts and notes. She becomes smitten and isn't quite sure until the big reveal.  Beautifully written and I loved it, but it ends rather abruptly.

The Brutal Truth by Redcharcoal (Removed as it was published…both are AWESOME! FF is available in the FB Mirandy Group and in my deleted fic file.)

Wonderfully well written piece. Miranda claims to only want the Brutal truth and ends up having a bet with Andrea that she can't get an exclusive interview with a famous designer and the stakes are one day of absolute honesty for Andrea and one week for Miranda. Andy outs Stephen as a predator and Miranda fires her...but then she gets the exclusive interview with the Deuchamps and they become her friends.

Miranda’s Runway series by Jehc https://archiveofourown.org/works/1242412/chapters/2552452

Oh the joy of a well written and well crafted characterisation piece.  Love this 4 years post Paris piece with Andy having a daughter she has actually named Miranda but who she calls Mandy who is somehting of an artistic prodigy. Andy has written a series of amazingly successful books on fashion but remains anonymous until she trades her privacy to foil Irvs latest almost successful coups against Miranda.  Things follow on from there, when little Mandy meets Randa and they fall for each other as hard as Miranda falls for Andrea.  Amazing fic.

The Fall and the Landing & 90 Days to Glory by Brithna/Ash_Mountain https://archiveofourown.org/works/481161

Warning: Character Death. My God almighty what a powerful piece of writing! This is not fanfiction, this is life, this is the most skillful playing of all that it is to be human, fragile, and to hold friendship and love as the reward for the pain and challenge that those prizes intrinsically bring with them. Have tissues ready, and be prepared to read with your heart and know that love is the force that truly connects all life.

On a Tractor by Bearblue https://archiveofourown.org/works/11696331/chapters/26333922

OMG! Absolutely brilliantly written long post Paris piece. Andy lends up inheriting a farm which she decides to run and she becomes quite the nature photographer as well. Miranda wants her farm for a photoshoot and goes out to visit and things take their natural course. Bear's writing is incredibly fluid and tinglingly evocative. Love the characterisation of Andy in this one. A Simchat Torah - immediate re-reader.

Break it Down With Joy by Winter156 https://archiveofourown.org/works/1394080

A drabble that is sheer perfection. A and M are friends, Andy has declared her love but Miranda has stated that they will never have a physical relationship, Andy stays anyway, suffering the pain of incompleteness, until that moment of decision. Excellently written, and soooo poignant.

By Heart by Chillyflame https://archiveofourown.org/works/2673044/chapters/5976851

Swooooooooooon, mushfest!! With lovely hot sexiness too. A H/C tale where Andy ends up with a broken leg on a ski weekend and Miranda cares for her in their cabin as they get snowed in for a couple of days and the heating fails heheh. But there is a fireplace and while 'keeping warm' one thing leads to another.

Basic Black by Beachbum https://archiveofourown.org/works/29045490

Brava BB, a lovely piece set post Paris. Nigel who has stayed friends with Andy decides to play matchmaker for the two women in his life. The description of Andy's suit was totally droolsome. And the love scene, wow, took my breath away. Loooooooooved the ending, god Miranda in nothing but a white dress shirt, but still so totally confident and in control of the situation. Yowsa!!

Disarming Athena by Politic X https://archiveofourown.org/works/11921940/chapters/26942895

Wonderful but sometimes distressing psychological exploration that occurs between Miranda and Andy. Many of the interactions take place in the elevator. Miranda appears to be torturing Andy with invitations and demands for her to touch her clothes but not her. Then she fires Andy and this behaviour continues as Andy works her notice.  Eventual happy ending.

Hidden Yet Bright by needled_ink https://archiveofourown.org/works/97340

Swoooooooooooooon, a beautiful and well written short of a developing friendship gently shifting into more but without strings. Loved the chartacterisations of both Andy and Miranda.

In Some Quite Casual Way by Winter156 https://archiveofourown.org/works/621060/chapters/1120824

Holy mother of mountains what a fic. From a request for a story that involved a character with wings. Miranda is a fallen angel of sorts and saves Andy when she falls out a skyscraper window. Declarations of love, and serious sweaty snugglebunnies followed by major storyline and escellent denouement. Gret writing, amazing story, just amazing.

Lost Treasures by Jazwriter  (Removed as it was published…both are AWESOME! FF is available in the FB Mirandy Group and in my deleted fic file.)

  Wow! Andy works as a sales clerk and then a Window dresser in  a small boutique. Her window designs cpature Miranda's attention and fascination. She takes Andy under her wing and mutual attraction sparks. Great little fic.

Objects and Space by Stormashke https://archiveofourown.org/works/15126698

Absolutely Stunning!!!!  Compellingly written with just the right meter and timing. Wonderful internal dialogue from Miranda's pov in an established relationship. She travels through the different rooms of the house noting the evidence of Andy's presence that still bug her…but also noting their indications of Andy's space in her heart and the twins heart and the things she will live with in that space of love.

Rebellious Lock & When Locks Get Locked by Quiethearted http://ralst.com/RebelliousLock.HTM

Ohh soooooooo funny!!!! Miranda's hair has a mind of it's own and it's concentrating on one particular brunette. This is comic writing at it's best. I'm still chuckling.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee, sequel!  Woohoo, Miranda's hair has awakened an interest from Andy's hair and all is set for the clash of the tresses. Oh soooo wonderfully funny, I so hope this series continues, I want postcoital follicle frolics. Heheh

Sharp Relief by chillyflame https://archiveofourown.org/works/2672990/chapters/5976701

AMAZING fic!!!!! Wow Andy gets a call reporting that Miranda has died in a car crash on her way to her weekend cabin. She goes into shock and faces the fact of how much she loved her. She helps with the twins and stays at the townhouse until there is another call that send her and the girls out into the night chasing a hope agaisnt hope.  So amazing this.

The Lily and the Crown by Telanu (now published) https://archiveofourown.org/works/750438/chapters/1400746

Andren is the reclusive daughter of one of the Empires most capable Station Masters. Assistant - her new slave is the dread space Pirate Queen Mir. Seduction, debauchery, abandonment and redemption in this Space Swashbuckler.Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Gaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwdddddddddd!!!!!!!!!  Wow!!!! Fluids!!!!!!! This is just soooooooooooo wonderfully hot and romantic and hot and well good god I loved it. Okay, perhaps the Andren character was a little bit tooo clueless, but perhaps wonderfully evocative of another time. Still it was a great story and really interesting.

Unexpected Grace by Silverie https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9092005/1/Unexpected-Grace

Amazingly well written fic starting with amazing dream sequances of ancient days and a Goddess/priestess Miranda, perfectly mirrored in a waking world of events. Andy expands her life into music when she comes to own a beautiful guitar decorated with a dragon...linking to her desire for a certain dragon lady.  Lyrically written. Brilliant!!!!

A not exactly storybook romance by writetherest https://archiveofourown.org/works/923207/chapters/1793725

An AU where Andy is independently wealthy and owns a book store which Cassidy starts to visit daily as Andy befriends her. Eventually Miranda and she meet and after a bad decision it's a wonderfully sweet love story. Absolutely wonderful romance done here, adore the shier sweeter Andy.

Farsighted by emeraldorchids https://archiveofourown.org/works/6129537/chapters/14047437

Excellent mid length piece. All from Miranda's pov, chronicling how she and Andrea slip into a wonderful and easy friendship after Paris, that several months later morphs into more. What I love is the realness of Miranda in this fic as a full fledged human being all balance and counter balance with strengths and weaknesses.  And I enjoyed the reality check and stunned Miranda after Andy kisses her. As well as the gradual exploration afterward. The upshot with the page six comment picture in bed is a perfect ending.

Four Corners by Chillyflame https://archiveofourown.org/works/1039309/chapters/2073686

Truth be told, this is a ten star effort. I looooved it! A phenomonally wonderful piece, well written and amazingly characterised. All told from Cassidy's pov as she lives her parents divorce, the advent and demise of Stephen and the new and wonderful inclusion of Andy in her mother's and the twins lives.

Caught Between the Moon and New York City Series  by Punky_96 https://archiveofourown.org/series/1027544

Brilliant story of Miranda as a werewolf and pack leadercaptured by a secret research facility that captures and studies paranormal creatures where Andy works.  Grat adventure unfolds as they escape and Andy's true nature is discovered. Excellently written and intriguing backstory.

After Dark by LiteraryAssasin https://archiveofourown.org/works/20560673/chapters/48807857

A wonderfully characterised slow burn, friends to lovers fic. Well written and engaging of course, from an excellent bard. Andy grows a backbone in the best and most proactive way…almost swapping some of her softness for some of Miranda’s firmness so that they can both balance themselves and each other. I adored Miranda’s oh so careful way of helping Andy while trying also not to overwhelm her with that help.  A nifty little sub pairing of a mirrored couple is so seamlessly done it’s just amazing.  Also touches on an idea I’ve had for quite some time…may have to dust that one off.

If and When by Kamuraskan https://archiveofourown.org/works/12821418/chapters/29271045

WOOT!!! No greater love hath a Bard for another Bard than to make an offering in a completely unfamiliar fandom. (Thanks Gin.) Most wonderfully well written and amazing Disaster/survival fic. Andy uncovers a terrorist plot to blow up the EC building the night the VP is attending a party there. She isn't believed by Homeland security so she approaches the new CEO of EC...Miranda they manage to evacuate the building but are still on the 20th floor when the bombs go off....suspense, love and amazingness commence.

[bullet-prooflove]

New Year's Bingo Card 2024: Fireworks - Terry Silver x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @thedeadsingforme @mia1653 @kimbergoldess

Companion piece to:

Paris - Your entire world changes when you meet Terry Silver on your birthday. 

Pont des Arts - You and Terry stroll along the Pont des Arts.

Yours (NSFW) - Your first time with Terry starts with a seduction.

Adventure - Terry asks you to come on an adventure.

Stand By Me - Terry realises he's planning a life with you.

After spending Christmas in Prague, you and Terry ring in the new year in Sydney. You dine at a restaurant in Cockle Bay, drinking champagne before the fireworks display starts above the water in Darling Harbour. You watch from the railing on the veranda, your head tilted back towards the sky as Terry lingers alongside you.

You’re completely captivated by the eruptions of colour, the brilliant shapes they weave in the vast darkness. You want to commit this moment to memory, to immerse yourself in it because you know there won’t be many more after this.

These past six months with Terry, they’ve been a whirlwind of experiences and you’ll treasure every single one of the memories you’ve made together but like all good things, it must come to an end and in a week’s time you’ll be returning back to the reality of your life, one that seems so small and inadequate compared to the one that Terry leads.

When you get back home he’ll still be a billionaire and you’ll still be you, an artist struggling to make ends meet. You have nothing to offer a man like him and you know he’ll realise that once you return to the US.

“You look sad.” Terry murmurs from alongside you, his voice almost drowned out by the boom from the fireworks above. His palm comes to rest on your lower back, his thumb tracing soothing circles in an attempt to stave off whatever’s upsetting you.

“Just wistful.” You say as you incline your head towards him.

He looks so handsome in the light cast by fireworks, the colours splash across his face like neon lights, highlighting his features and you wish you could take a picture of his moment, that you could paint this version of him.

“Georgia…” He murmurs as he looks into your eyes and you know what he’s about to say  next. “I-”

You steal away his words with a kiss, your hands threading through his hair as you reach up on tiptoes and claim his mouth. He responds to you with an urgency you feel deep down in your bones, his arms caging you in against the railing, his firm body pressing against you.

The fireworks erupt once more with vigour. They’re louder this time, their concussive energy rocking through your body before Terry draws away. You whine at the loss of sensation as he cradles your face between his hands.

“I love you.” He whispers against your swollen lips. “You need to know that before we go back to LA.”

“Terry…” You begin and he shakes his head.

“You don’t have to say it back.” He tells you and in that moment it’s like he sees into the depths of your soul, that he understands those stupid little fears that whisper in the back of your mind. “You need to know that nothing changes my love, that I just want you and only you.”

Love Terry? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[apomaro-mellow]

Matchmaking Harringtons 1

After a nice, hearty breakfast the Harrington family packed into the car and drove off to the mall for some shopping. They didn't have any set summer plans yet but that could always change. In fact, Steve's parents were formulating some schemes while he busied himself looking through a rack of shorts.

"He could always meet people on a cruise", Diane suggested.

"True, but Steve would need his own suite", Jonas said.

"Well we would've given him one anyway."

"What about a trip to Paris? The most romantic city in the world."

"And get his heart broken by one of those flighty Europeans? I think not", Diane vetoed.

Jonas shrugged. "It's a summer romance."

"There's a difference between a summer romance and a summer fling."

"....There is?"

"And besides, didn't we say we wanted him to get serious with someone?"

"True. A nice fella to settle down with", Jonas said, almost with a dreamy sigh as he thought about his son NOT being in the rumor mill for once.

"I didn't mean that serious", Diane said.

"Well all of this means nothing if we can't find anyone."

"Are you guys still talking about my love life? Which I remind you is none of your business?", Steve asked, chosen shorts in hand.

"Actually, we were talking about our love life", Jonas said before pulling his wife close and kissing her cheek.

It got the desired reaction from their son, a groan as he averted his eyes. After getting a couple of things to spruce up their wardrobe, Steve thought he could break free, but they truly planned to make a day of the trip.

His mom wanted some new sunglasses and his dad spent an inhuman amount of time searching for a new wallet. When he was younger, his parents rewarded his patience with an ice cream cone or something to that effect.

Now that he was older, he preferred other things. But his folks still knew his tells well, so it only took him glancing at the music store before Diane was leading them towards it.

"If we take a road trip, we need something to listen to. Pick something good."

She said this to both her husband and son, but Steve was the one moving, slowly towards a standee in the store.

"Holy...I can't believe it!"

"You like this guy?", Diane asked. The standee was of a man, with what must be their latest music in cassette form.

Steve looked at her like she was living under a rock. "Mom, you don't just 'like' Bon Jovi you...This", he picked up one of the cassette tapes, "Is something to be treasured."

"So you really like him."

"Not just him!", Steve said quickly, his face getting a little pink. "It's a whole band not just one guy."

While Steve was talking to his mother about what was apparently a well-liked music group, Jonas was having a moment of enlightenment. Because he saw the standee and then he saw the cashier. It was like the two of them were cut from the same cloth. Like they had the same mold.

Jonas wasn't crazy about the long hair and ripped jeans, but at least the t-shirt with the store's logo was clean. And he was wearing a nametag too. That showed some level of professionalism. He spent probably a little too long looking at him because the guy looked up as if he could feel eyes on him.

Jonas tried to meet his wife's gaze and bless her, she met his eyes right away. He sort of gave a nod towards the cashier and she looked, her lips widening into a smile as she regarded both the flesh and blood man and the one made out of cardboard. They were both thinking the same thing.

He's perfect.

Moving in sync, Diane kept Steve busy looking at other musical selections while Jonas stepped up to the counter.

"Sooo", Jonas started.

"Sooo, you ready to check out?", the cashier, Eddie said.

"I'm not actually purchasing just yet. But speaking of checking out...", Jonas turned slightly and to turn the attention to his son. "What do you think of him?"

"Umm..."

"He's a handsome fella, right?"

"Iiiis this entrapment?"

"Oh! Oh god no, don't worry, I'm his father."

"That doesn't make this any less awkward", Eddie said.

"Let me explain. My son...We want him to find someone special. And my wife and I think you might be a favorable suitor."

Eddie looked to Steve again, checking him out just a little. "And he's uh, you know, open to being courted? By someone like me?"

"Pretty open", Jonas nodded, keeping his voice low so their conversation remained as private as it could be in such a public place.

Eddie's hands were braced against the counter as he tilted his head and looked at Steve once again and Jonas could tell when someone was interested, even if they played for the other team.

"What the hell, I'll go for it."

"Perfect." Jonas beamed and moved away from the register.

After pretending to peruse for a bit more, Jonas sent Steve with some cash to buy the music they'd all picked out. He put an arm around his wife as they watched him approach Eddie.

"Well? Do I know how to pick 'em or what?"

"You got lucky", Diane said, annoyed but fond. "So, what's he like?"

"....I don't know."

"Jonas!", Diane hissed in a whisper and smacked his shoulder. "You sent our son to go flirt with a stranger and you don't even know what kind of man he is?"

"He looks like Steve's type. And he seemed nice. Has a stable job-"

"You're not a fan of the hair, are you?", Diane clocked her husband.

"It's a little lengthy. Not quite marriage material. But maybe he'll cut it before proposing."

"Who's talking about marriage?"

Jonas gave her a look. "He's a man now. And we said he needs to get serious."

"You'd let your son marry a bad boy?"

"You did", Jonas grinned.

Diane kissed his cheek. "You were barely a miscreant. And you mellowed out in your old age."

Jonas was about to say something back when Steve returned to them, music bought and bagged up.

"So uh, that cashier was somethin' huh?", Jonas said.

"What? Yeah, I guess."

While Steve was walking out of the store, Diane and Jonas shared a worried look. It had looked like he was having a fine talk with Eddie but maybe they had been mistaken. But even if they had miscalculated, they could still course correct.

Part 3

Tag Team

@tartarusknight

[marinettesaltprompts]

Prompt by @kawaiichibiart

I wanted to expand on one of my first prompts I shared, which was the class/school transfer but instead of Marinette it's Adrien. Marinette Salt, implied Akuma class salt (implied because I feel like you could leave it out and the story will still work). Deceptive Gabriel Sugar (you think he's being nice but it's all part of his plans to get the miraculous).

--------

After being told he knew about Lila the whole time, the Akuma class turns on Adrien. It starts with ignoring him and not inviting him to things. The only reason he shows up for band practice is because of Luka.

It then evolves into badmouthing him and some of his old classmates even go as far as bullying him.

It gets to be too much for him that he starts ditching and eventually, in that extremely rare "good dad" moment, Gabriel pulls him out of school.

The two sit down and talk about what happened to let things get to this point, and Adrien tells him what he knows. Lila lying, how he thought it was just for attention, the highroad, how Marinette told their classmates he knew Lila was lying but didn't tell them anything else, like how Lila was threatening her, something he kinda figured out on his own when she got Marinette expelled, or well, he assumed Lila hurt Marinette someway...she made it seem like he was okay with Lila lying when he wasn't. He just...didn't know how to stop her or how to get people to listen without any proper evidence.

And Marinette just, threw him under the bus. He thought she was his friend. That he and his classmates were friends. Maybe, maybe Gabriel was right. He never should have gone to school.

Time for extremely rare "good dad" Gabe to strike again: in a two birds one stone moment, Gabriel suggests Adrien lives with his aunt and cousin in London. They can find a good school for him to attend if he still wants to attend one in person. It'll also keep him safe from Akumas, he still thinks about Gorizilla and how he could have lost him (and also this way he didn't have to worry about Adrien potentially being the one he has to akumatize. Once he wins, Adrien will be able to return home to his mother).

Adrien agrees and moves in with Amelie and Felix. And because they honestly feel like it, the boys literally become twins. Felix and Adrien Graham de Vanily both attend a private school where they can focus on their future careers.

We skip a bit forward in time and DuPont is now in London on a field trip. They're getting a tour of one of their biggest private schools. They're able to see students working on their schedules, each one differing from one another due to the difference of career paths. And once they enter the labs, they see Adrien and Felix.

The twins are working on experiments together when the DuPont students arrive. Some of them try to talk to Adrien, but Felix blocks them, speaking over them or shushing them. As part of their trip, they get to attend the school for a few days. During this time, they try to reconnect with Adrien.

But either their schedules don't align, Felix gets in the way, or Adrien remains civil but isn't interested in mending bridges.

Some of them understand. They hurt him. He moved on. They messed up and lost a friend.

Others don't. He had to be exaggerating his hurt feelings. He was always so forgiving with Chloe. What made them different??

The worst is Marinette. Not only is Adrien ignoring her, he literally told her to not speak to him. To stay away from him. She didn't do anything wrong. She didn't mean any harm when she said he knew about Lila. Why can't he forgive her?!

"I'm trying to be nice!! I've forgiven you for that bullshit advice and you decide you're too good for me?!"

"Ha, "too good." Sure."

"I'm not talking to you. Adrien-"

"Doesn't want to talk to you. But I, on the other hand, have some words for you. Stay away from us. Go back to your petty filled life in Paris. You say you "forgive" my cousin for the advice he have you. Advice you willingly took, no?"

"Well, I-"

"Or am I missing the part where my favorite cousin made you take that advice. Advice can be given but it doesn't have to be taken. You taking the highroad, was ultimately, you're choice. You made that decision and got someone else hurt. But it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Felix-"

"It doesn't matter so long as you end up on top. As long as you aren't the one being pushed around and ignored and hurt. As long as you win."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!!"

"We both know it is. If it wasn't, you never would have let things get as far as they did. You would have told the entire truth. Not held things back. You would have accepted responsibility for your part in what your class did to my cousin, no, to my brother."

"I already said I was sorry!! What more do you want?!"

"I want you to leave."

"Adrien-"

"Leave, Marinette. I have nothing to say to you."

"You heard him. Get. Out."

some additional points I couldn't work into the prompt:

• Adrien is still Chat Noir, but he's no longer Paris's hero. Chat Noir is active in London. Costume and name change are optional.

• Of his old friends, he only speaks to Luka, Kagami, and occasionally Chloe.

• Felix and Adrien played "rock, paper, scissors" to determine who's birthday they would use. Winner also got to be the eldest twin. Felix won.

• Felix switches between referring to Adrien as his cousin and his brother.

• This isn't a requirement but if someone can manage to work it in, get Felix his miraculous (the peacock) early. I love the cat bird duo.

• Marinette still has a crush on Adrien and expected him to beg for her forgiveness, which she would give him after he groveled for a while, so she's surprised when he cuts contact with her entirely.

• Possible rare "good dad" Gabriel moment four: he tells the public a shortened version as to why Adrien left, which is his son was being bullied and he worried that that would cause him to be akumatized. Not wanting to risk it, he sent him to live with his aunt and cousin in London. And once everything was over, he could return, hopefully happier and safer. Which, sadly, means Adrien won't be modeling for Gabriel for the foreseeable future. But that's a chance he's willing to take if it means his son isn't hurt or targeted.

It's his way of showing the public he's just a concerned father who had the means to send his child somewhere he could be safe. It's something other parents had considered and some also decide to go through with the idea.

• Of his past classmates, the ones Adrien is a bit more welcoming to are: Juleka, Sabrina and Nathaniel. This is mostly because they just stayed on the sidelines the entire time. Something they regret but acknowledge can't be taken back. So, while the bridge hasn't been mended, the distance isn't big enough that they have to worry about falling and drowning.

[lenalenouilleisblogging]

2024 feminist movie retrospective ~ day 8

It's RAPID FIRE REVIEWS TIME !! ROUND 1

The full reviews are quite long to write so I'm taking a break today! I'm gonna do a few posts like this. I don't have enough to say about these next films to write full reviews, but i still want to mention them, these are some of the ones i watched in January/February/March of 2024.

Dreamy and ethereal original soundtrack, such a joy to listen to. Great designs (that lady bird? 😳 I'm free on friday ma'am), wonderful animation, unexpectedly ambitious and interesting ending. So many great ideas. The age of the two sisters and their relationships made this feel like a french Tonari no Totoro. The acting was so-so but mostly good. There was a kid who was really hyper at the showing, and he was almost as entertaining as the film itself lol.

Les francophones, si vous cherchez un truc à montrer à vos enfants ou vos cousins de 5 à 13 ans, ils vont bien manger avec ça :)

trailer

I went into this already hating it because the only other Wim Wenders movie I've seen is Paris, Texas. One of my all time least favourite films. But I got got, this is exactly my kind of film. It's slow and contemplative, the acting is great, the story is subtle and interesting. It's also in big part a movie about music, and me and the main guy have the same taste apparently so i jammed. It's just a movie about living your life and doing everything you can to enjoy it. I love how much is left unsaid or is just hinted at about these characters, they felt so real and they'll stay with me for a long time. When I left the theater I took a deep breath and thought "maybe things aren't so bad." One of my best movie watching experiences this year.

trailer

Soooooo beautiful. In every sense of the word. Amazing photography, so well shot! Great camera work! The story is fascinating all the way to the end, the characters are interesting and feel very real. The main actor deserves all the accolades he got. He also sings for the OST and it's a banger. Amazing project. Pretty brutal tho, not for the faint of heart. I'll only do this once in this retrospective: I'm not recommending this film, I DEMAND that you watch it. Watch it. Recommend it to people.

trailer (ewww what happened here... so many dislikes and the comments are turned off..... i smell racism)

Nothing crazy at all, this might as well be a TV movie. But some of the performances are really great. Not badly made at all! Just nothing of note really. Pretty sweet and simple. If you want to see a film about women, their life, what unites them no matter the time and culture, it's effective. More thoughts here.

trailer

Damn I'm outnumbered with this one 😬 I loved it... In the end it depends on whether or not you enjoy the Matthew Vaughn style. Personally I'm a big fan. It's silly, it's fun, it's over the top, it's total nonsense but with some genuine and sweet moments. Some really ugly effects at some points but it didn't ruin it for me. Some of the twists genuinely got me. I've always had a thing for Bryce Dallas Howard (her acting AND everything else 😳🏳️‍🌈) and she's the most stunning she's ever been in this. And since my mom has a crush on Sam Rockwell, we BOTH had a great time lol. Too bad it flopped, I want 10 of these!! (⁠ノ⁠｀⁠Д⁠´⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

Also it's so great to get a main female protagonist who's not bone skinny!

trailer

Absolutely incredible film-making. If this world was just, THIS would get 5 oscars, not Anora 💀 I'm a huge, HUGE fan of Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin and was eagerly awaiting this one. Incredible cinematography. The image has a very specific feel to it. I don't know enough about technical stuff to know how this was achieved but it looks so interesting. So unique, so purposeful. Great music and sound. Terrific performances. Definitely a new take on Holocaust cinema. Very thought-provoking. LOVED the ending. Such a great idea. A perfect film I think.

trailer

Highkey made me want to kill myself 😃 desperately sad. THE melancholic film of the year. Beautifully real romance. Great photography and even greater performances. Andrew Scott is definitely one of the greats. Jamie Bell remains one of my favourite actors.

Also, interestingly, contains a scene where the two gay men (who are from different generations) discuss labels. The older one refuses to be called "queer" while the younger one reclaims the term for himself and is more uncomfortable with the term "gay". Slurs are so prevalent in everything that it's notable that this dialogue exists at all. Will definitely appeal to those of you who love stories about the authentic complex lives of SSA people, and those of you who hate being happy.

trailer

One thing that retrospective has not shown a lot about me is that I'm a big documentary lover. I see them in theaters as often as possible. None of the others I saw this year would have been interesting to review on this blog, but I expect this one fits the radblr audience well. Director Lina Soualem explores the story of the women of her Palestinian family. She goes back to the village her mother left decades ago to become an actress in Europe (some of you will recognise her as Marcia from Succession) and it's so moving. It's female centric, it's very emotional and educative, it's subtle. I was engaged from beginning to end. One of the best docs of the year.

trailer

An incredibly stressful and frustrating watch, but that's by design. Felt like a 2 hour long panic attack. Amazing performances, including from all the kids. Great dialogues. Very well shot. Fascinating story. One of the best dramas of the year maybe

trailer

Similarly to Lee, this is a beautiful, slow, quiet film about a modern hero my uncultured ass had never heard about. And like Lee, it works great. Great performances all around. Anthony Hopkins's old British charm works so well here. Helena Bonham Carter is perfect. This story is so intense and the film depicts it so well. Real world heroes don't need a crazy final confrontation, they're real, regular people who, with enough patience, kindness and determination, get shit done. And oh boy, did he get shit done. This one will stay with me for a long time. My mother cried during the whole thing.

trailer

There are films I saw in January/February/March 2024 that I will say nothing about because frankly I don't have anything interesting to say X) if for whatever reason you wanna know wether I recommend them or whatever feel free to ask. I saw Aquaman 2, Priscilla, Wonka, La Ferme des Bertrand, May December, Immaculate and Wicked Little Letters.