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purplecoffee13 · 5 months ago
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Nemesis with Benefits* - Part 3
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Summary: “You go to your friend’s birthday party, and run into Harry. Naturally, the encounter doesn’t go very smoothly, and you are at each other’s throats in a matter of minutes. But the proximity transforms the anger into… some type of frustration.”
Wc: 4.7k
Tropes: enemies to lovers
Warnings: cursing, smut, dirty talk, (heavy on the)degradation kink, dom/sub dynamics
A/N: Hey y’all, I’m back with another NWB chapter! This took embarrassingly long to write. To be honest, I was in a bit of a rut, and then I was having too many ideas and thoughts at once, and not enough inner peace to sit down and write. But it’s all good now, I’m back, so enjoy!!!
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"Isn't it too much?" You ask hesitantly, staring at your dolled up reflection in the mirror of your vanity desk. Rebecca's head shoots your way, a deep frown on her face.
"Hell no! You look absolutely gorgeous, sweetie." She hurries over to you, putting her hands on your shoulder and crouching down to your level. She looks at you through the mirror, giving you a comforting smile, which eases your nerves a little bit.
"Listen, babe, this is your first real party since that troll cheated on you. It's your chance to show everyone that you are strong, and better than ever." Rebecca gives the pep-talk that you have been hearing seven renditions of for the past week. She turns you around so she can look you in the eyes. "Dylan was a deadweight. You are free of that imbecile and we're going to celebrate it by getting you laid."
You roll your eyes, stifling a laugh at Rebecca's mention of her mission for you. "I don't want to get laid."
"Girl... trust me, you need to get laid." Rebecca says as she picks up her purse from your bed. Your mouth falls open at the insult.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" A chuckle escapes your lips as you ask your friend the question. She turns around, a mischievous grin covering her face.
"You have been so incredibly tense the last weeks, especially today. Seriously, did you have a deadline today or something? You have been incredibly tense all afternoon." Rebecca questions, grabbing both of your jackets and handing yours to you.
Your eyes widen for a slight second, but you quickly regain yourself. You shrug your shoulders, which, now that she mentioned it, are feeling quite tense. You hadn't realized how much effect your stress had on your body today.
Ever since that almost... whatever it was with Harry earlier today, you have absolutely been on edge. It's been difficult to brush it off, especially because the harder you try to not think of it, the longer it stays on your mind. Even blasting rock music didn't get your thoughts off him.
There are just a lot of questions that accompany the events that almost occurred earlier today. Besides the typical, 'why did he even initiate such a movement?', there is also the question of 'why did you almost go along with it?'.
Maybe Rebecca is right. Maybe, you do need to get laid. You are not going to say that out loud to your friend, though, because you know you will never hear the end of it. So instead, you lie.
"Yeah, had a deadline today. But I promise, I'm ready to party." You say. Technically, it a half-lie. You did have a deadline for an assignment today, but it was only a matter of getting your reference list right.
"Alright, let's go then!" Rebecca exclaims enthusiastically, walking out of your bedroom and towards the front door of your apartment.
The frat house where Tyler's party is held is quite close to your apartment. You live extremely close to campus, and so you and Rebecca don't have to suffer through the cold breeze that dominates the night. You are glad, because your short, red dress and sheer tights aren't the warmest thing you've ever worn. You thank your lucky stars for the black knee high boots you paired the outfit with, as they manage to block the wind against your legs a little bit.
The change of temperature going from outside to inside the frat house is lethal. It smells of the standard odors that cover a party: sweat and alcohol.
You don't hear much of what Rebecca shouts at you over the loud music, but her pointing at Tyler tells you all you need to know. She grabs your hand and guides the both of you to your mutual friend.
Tyler grins like an idiot at the sight of you two, spreading his arms out before pulling the two of you into a bear hug.
"I'm so glad you guys came!" He exclaims, letting you pull away.
"We even got you a present." Rebecca says, and Tyler quirks up his brow.
"We think you're going to love it." You add.
Tyler's head flicks from Rebecca to you, and a sneaky smirk creeps up his face. In perfect timing, both you and Rebecca slap Tyler's arm before throwing some profanities his way.
"What?! You said it so suggestively." Tyler laughs, and you flick him on his forehead. He yelps out, and Rebecca and you chuckle at his dramatics.
"You are an idiot." Rebecca smiles sweetly at him, planting a kiss on his cheek anyway. She steps back and grabs your hand, nodding towards the kitchen. "Wanna get a drink?"
"Oh wait, come with me. I locked the good stuff upstairs." Tyler interrupts, and motions for you to walk with him. You look at Rebecca, and shrug before happily following him upstairs to his room.
You have been in Tyler's room plenty of times, one of which you almost ended up having sex with him. It was late and you were both high as fuck, and ended up falling asleep before anything really happened. You laughed about it afterwards, and besides flirty jokes, there is absolutely nothing between you and Tyler.
"Here we are..." Tyler turns around with three bottles of hard liquor in his hands. You and Rebecca cheer as Tyler pours some tequila into each red solo cup. The three of you make a toast to Tyler before downing the ridiculously large shot. You pull a sour face afterwards because you always seem to forget how nasty tequila is. It does the job of getting you drunk, though, so you don't dwell on it too long.
Tyler then makes you and Rebecca a rum and coke. You chat a bit about everything and nothing, but then Rebecca announces she has to pee, and leaves the room. You quite literally feel the air in the room changing as soon as the door is closed again. Tyler looks at you with sad eyes.
"So, how are you holding up?" He tries to be casual, but you roll your eyes because you know what he is aiming at.
"Stop it, I'm fine. He is a dick, and I am just fine." You say, sitting your self onto the bed. Tyler seats himself besides you.
"You can't blame me for asking, I feel like we haven't talked much since... you know. Just wanted to know if you're okay." He shrugs, and your heart melts ever so slightly. Tyler is a great friend, and he was right: you really hadn't spoke to anyone but Benjamin and Rebecca since the break-up.
And Harry.
"I promise, I'm fine." You say, but Tyler just squints at you. It makes you giggle a bit, getting nervous about idiocy. A short silence falls between the two of you, and you take a sip of your rum and coke.
"Rebecca said I should get laid." You confess, before taking a large gulp of your drink. You look at your friend, expectantly, wondering what his opinion on all this is.
"I mean, my door is always open—"
"Shut up!" You cackle, and Tyler laughs. He loves getting on your nerves. "But seriously, do you think that's a good idea?"
He shrugs. "If you're ready, then sure."
"Well, how do I know if I'm ready?" You ask him, your head tilted ever so slightly.
"You'll know." Tyler answer cryptically, getting up from the bed. You follow suit, knitting your brows at his vague words.
"That might just be the least helpful advice I've ever heard." You deadpan, and Tyler rolls his eyes at you.
"You're thinking about this too much. Just try and see if there is someone you feel attracted to, and just try it. If it's a simple hook-up, it's all about the physical attraction, nothing more. So don't overthink it."
You sigh, kind of bummed with the fact that his advice is actually really good and makes a lot of sense, because now you'll have to apply it.
"Now, let's go downstairs, because Rebecca is probably looking for us." Tyler suggests, and you nod. The two of you fill up your drinks before walking out of Tyler's bedroom. You're still laughing at a joke of his when you are met with none other than Harry standing in the hallway.
He looks surprised to see you, and the same can definitely be said for you. There is about a two second delay in his mood change from surprised to irritated, and the tension in your stomach stings.
"Hey bro." Tyler says, a bit unsure at how enthusiastic he can be towards Harry in front of you. You know they're actually good mates, but I think that lessened a bit since the break-up. Tyler is awfully loyal to you, in the littlest ways.
"Hey man, happy birthday." Harry greets Tyler and they do their little bro hug. You watch the interaction, a bit unsure of how to act in front of Harry now. Pulling out from the embrace, Harry turns to you. He greets you with the sole mutter of your last name.
"Styles." You say back.
You feel Tyler looking between the two of you, and you can tell that he is scared that you'll push Harry down the stairs at any given moment. You refuse to lose eye contact with Harry, however, and he seems to have the same idea. It takes about ten seconds of silently staring into each others' souls before Tyler speaks up.
"Y/N, shall we go downstairs? Find Rebecca?" He puts his hand on the small of your back. You silently cheer for yourself when Harry breaks the eye contact, his gaze shooting down to Tyler's arm, before looking at you again.
"Excellent idea." You agree, turning around and walking down the stairs without looking back at Harry. Your stomach is still upset and your mind is spinning; that was oddly stressful for no reason.
Once you've found Rebecca again, you both take to the dance floor. A typical party song plays and everyone starts to cheer and jump along. You and Rebecca dance with each other, laughing because of the alcohol and the guys who are dancing around you.
You try to scan the room for potential bachelors as much as possible, hoping there is someone who you find attractive. Unfortunately, you are a bit out of luck. You casually look further, but then your eyes fall onto Harry. He is standing against the wall, with a couple of other guys you know, but he is looking at you. You feel like you got caught, even though, technically you caught him looking at you. You don't have much to overthink it, however, because you quickly realize that Benjamin is one of the guys standing with Harry.
You pull Rebecca along and walk towards the guys. Benjamin shrieks when he sees you and pulls you into a hug that nearly chokes the life out of you. After pulling away, he goes and greets Rebecca. Your eyes float past Harry, who is so close to you that you can smell his perfume, but you quickly look away when you realize that, once again, his eyes were already on you.
Your chest feels tight at the knowledge that he is actively watching you, and you have to stop yourself from clenching your jaw out of the sheer stress it is giving you. Benjamin distracts you by asking if you want to go outside for a bit, and you nod, following him to the back yard.
But when you see Harry joins you, you make up an excuse that you have to go to the bathroom, and that they should just go ahead and you'll find them in a bit. The group agrees and begins walking outside, and you take it as your cue to hurry upstairs.
You enter Tyler's room, running over to his desk, where the liquor is still standing, and pour yourself another rum and coke. It is mostly rum with a splash of coke, but you really need it right now. You take a big gulp, sticking your tongue out as the bitter taste trickles down your throat.
"Hiding?"
You jump at the sudden voice sounding from behind you, and turn around to see Harry leaning against the doorframe. You take a deep breath when you realize it's just home, but then the tension settles in because it's him.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" You ask, irritated. It is mostly to mask the nerves he gives you, and Harry doesn't seem to buy into your pretending. He shrugs.
"Was trying to find a lighter. Tyler said he had one up here." He answers, looking around the room. His eyebrows raise when he sees one on Tyler's nightstand. He leans forward, holding it up in the air so you can see it, then puts it in his pocket. "What about you?"
Getting away from you, you think.
Instead of saying that, you shrug your shoulders. "Just— getting a drink."
Harry nods slowly, not entirely believing you. You stare at each other for a moment, and the heavy feeling in your stomach is beginning to shout to get out. You swallow, your risen heartbeat telling you what you are trying very, very hard to ignore.
"So..." Harry starts.
"So..."
"You and Tyler, huh?"
Your eyes widen at the words that leave Harry's mouth, and before you know it, a loud snort escapes you. You slap your hand over your mouth, shaking your head profusely.
"C'mon, you don't have to deny it. So, the moving on going easier than you thought after all, hmm?"
There is a slight condescending tone that hides between Harry's words, and it makes your smile fade away. You set down your cup at the table and stride towards him until you are right in front of him. You look up and meet his gaze.
"What? Are you trying to say that it's easier, because I wasn't that in love with Dylan, so in the end it wasn't all bad? That the drama was for nothing?" You growl, blood rising to your cheeks as you speak.
"I didn't even fucking say that—"
"No, but you thought it. If you're being a dick, just be upfront about it. Don't act all sneaky about it." You say, and Harry clenches his jaw at your remark.
"Okay, you need to get off that fucking high horse of yours. Not every fucking thing I say is a hidden insult to you, because the world doesn't fucking revolve around you." He barks at you, getting closer. His height is intimidating, but you keep standing your ground and look up at him.
"Can't blame me for thinking it. It’s not like you’ve got anything else going on your life." Your tipsy mind decides to go in for the kill and just start shooting straight insults at him. Harry laughs coldly.
"Yeah? You think that all I do is think about you?" He takes another step closer, your bodies now partly touching. You don't move an inch, mainly because you don't want to let him win, but also because you just don't want to. "You think I wake up and go to bed wondering where you are, what you're doing, who you're with?"
You don't say anything. Your nails dig into the palm of your hands as you clench your fists together. There is too much frustration in your body and too few ways to express it. Tyler's words hang in the back of your head, and they are getting harder and harder to push away. Harry leans forward, so he is on eye to eye level with you. His pupils are dilated and he looks just as irritated as you, if not more.
"Listen, darling. I meant what I said. You don't mean shit to me." Harry says slowly, his eyes never leaving yours.
You are not sure what brain cell lead you to make the decision, but in a matter of seconds, your lips are on his. There seems to be no surprise on Harry's side, because he leans into it immediately.
His tongue slips into your mouth without hesitation, and with a hand on your throat, he pushes you against the wall. All thoughts leave your mind as you kiss Harry, and 'not overthinking it' suddenly seems like the easiest thing in the world.
A sound leaves your mouth when Harry's grip on your throat tightens, and you find yourself arching into him. One of your hands is holding onto his shirt, and the other one to his hair, as you kiss the guy you hate most in the bedroom of your friend.
You feel the adamant bulge in Harry's jeans as the two of you grind against each other, in a desperate, pathetic need for relief. There should be at least a thousand different alarm bells going off in your brain, but there aren't. Not ones that give you enough strength to step out of this situation, anyway.
Your hand finds itself around Harry's throat as well, slightly catching him off guard. You take it as the perfect moment to push him onto Tyler's bed. By the time he's fallen back, you're already climbing on top of him, your hips moving against his crotch as your tongue re-enters his mouth.
It doesn't last long, though, because Harry has flipped the two of you around in no time. His hand back on your throat, and the other one's restraining both your arms above your head.
"Aw, you thought you were taking the reins? That's cute." Harry smiles patronizingly, tilting his head a bit as he scans your face. You clench your jaw, beyond irritated by the fact that he thinks he can just restrain you like this.
"Actually—"
"I don't think I told you that you could speak, now did I?" He interrupts you, his eyes raking up and down your body.
"I fucking hate you." You spit out the words, truly disgusted with yourself for being so incredibly turned on right now. You'd remind yourself to see a psychologist or something, this was not okay. Harry let out a  bitter laugh at your remark, the hand on his throat squeezing tighter as he leaned forward. It made your head spin and your panties soaking wet.
"You think I don't loathe you? Because I do. But for some reason, I can't get the image of my cock ruining your pussy out of my head." He growls, equally bothered by the tension as you had been since earlier today. "So I suggest, I fuck you right here, right now. Get it out of my system."
Those words shouldn't have made you crave for him the way you are at this very moment, but for some twisted reason it does, so you nod.
"Words, honey."
"You can fuck me," You say, looking him in the eyes. "but I still hate your guts."
"Right back at ya, sweetheart. Now, take off your panties, gotta be quick."
With that said, Harry's hand leaves your throat, and he got up from the bed. You do as he said as he closes and locks the bedroom door. You are bare and ready for him by the time he turns around, and the smirk on his face makes you realize how much he is relishing in the idea of it.
"No foreplay, let's get this over with." You say, glaring at his smug face. Harry looks down at your sopping wet cunt, cocking an eyebrow at you.
"Not that you'd need it. Sole sight of me got you so soaked, huh?" He taunts, crawling up on the bed and climbing over you. He leans back a bit, grinning as you unbuckle his pants and mutter profanities aimed at him under your breath.
When you pull down his briefs, you have to actively stop yourself from widening your eyes. That is going to hurt. It is a prospect you are looking forward to a little too much.
You lean back, watching Harry stroke himself as he observes your wet hole. As if reading his mind, you tell him: "I'm clean, and on birth control." 
"Y'telling me you want it bare?" He asks, and you shrug your shoulders. Harry shakes his head, chuckling at your nonchalance. Then, without a word of warning, he pushes himself into you.
"Dirty fucking girl... just wants to feel it all." He says, pulling about almost all the way before thrusting into you again. You shriek from the heavy mix of pain and pleasure it causes you, so much so that Harry has to cover your mouth with his hand.
"You need to keep quiet if you wanna come." He growls, trying to sound irritated, but you can tell he is enjoying himself too much to really feign annoyance. You watch as he finds a rhythm that drives the both of you crazy, closing his eyes as he takes in the great feeling of it all. Your hands find your clit and automatically begin to rub in circles as you listen to the small sounds of pleasure that leave Harry's mouth while he drives himself into you over and over again.
Opening his eyes, he arrogantly smirks at the sight of you getting worked up because of him. He leans forward, his free hand finding your breasts and groping them harshly. A stifled moan leaves your mouth at the feel of his sensitive yet hard touch.
"Look at you, hmm?" He taunts. "One minute you tell me you hate me, and the next you're begging me to fill you up with my bare cock."
Since you can't respond to his teasing, you decide to do the next best thing, bite on his fingers. Harry's hand shoots away from you, looking shocked for the entirety of one second before he's back on track. Then, he laughs.
"Oh, you are a fucking brat..." His hoarse voice mumbles, pulling his cock out of you.
In a flash of a moment, you are turned around onto your belly. Harry scoots your hips up, lining himself up with you again. You use your arms to try and get on all fours, steadying yourself, but you fall face first back onto the mattress as Harry grabs your arms and puts them behind your back. He holds them restrained, his other hand on your hip as he pushes himself back into you.
A muffled moan leaves your mouth as Harry practically screws you into the mattress. His pace is immediately fast, leaving no time for you to take a breath or even think about what he is doing. Your mind gets a bit fuzzy, and you aren't sure whether it is the sex or the alcohol, but either way you are in a different universe right now.
"Biting my finger, thinking you can catch me off guard with the pain. Well, guess what, I like the pain." He says, and you yell when his hand forcefully connects with your ass cheek. You still feel the sting of it when he slaps on your other cheek too, you whimper at the pain, ashamed to admit how much closer it has brought you to your orgasm already. "And so do you, apparently."
"Fuck— I'm..." you try to tell him, but it is hard with your face duh into the sheets and your brain all fucked out from his dick hammering into you.
"I know, I can feel you clenching around me." Harry assures you, then fucks into you harder. The sound of skin slapping against each other takes over the room, accompanied by your increasingly loud moans.
"You are so fucking predictable, falling apart around my cock. Knew you wanted it." Harry holds your hips steady with his hands, and your arch your back for him to hit a special spot.
"Just— this. once." You clarify, hoping Harry has caught your words.
"Hmm, we'll see about that. But fine, just this once, come for me then. Put me away wet." You can hear the grin in his voice, and it is precisely what makes you fall apart around him. With a string of curses and repeats of his name, the euphoric release washes over you.
Harry's grip on your wrists tightens, his fingernails digging into your skin. Slowly but surely, his thrusts become sloppier, and soon enough you hear a groan. His hips still as he comes inside you, filling you up with his seed.
You clench around his cock a few times more as he comes, the idea of his sperm inside you making you hornier than it should. It doesn't go unnoticed by Harry, as he curses under his breath at the feeling of your walls tightening around his cock.
After managing to catch your breath, Harry carefully pulls himself out of you. A whimper escapes you, not satisfied with the fact that you now feel empty.
"Don't pout, I filled you up just nice." He says as he turns you around so you are laying on your back. Your eyes meet his, and the reality of what you have done begins to sink in.
Oh my god, you just had sex with Harry.
Your hands fly over your face, shaking your head as you let out a shameful groan. You move your hands down a bit, so it covers everything but your forehead and eyes, and you observe Harry leaning down to grab your panties. You reach your hand out to take them from Harry, but he looks you dead in the eyes and stuffs them into his pocket.
"What are you doing?" You ask in a warning tone. He shrugs, waltzing towards the bedroom door and unlocking it. "Give me back my panties!"
"No, that's okay." Harry denies your request in the most casual way, turning around to look at you. "I'll hold onto them, for safekeeping."
"Harry!" You exclaim in frustration as he walks out the door. You quickly get off the bed, and follow him. He turns around, hand still in his pocket.
"Yeah, that definitely sounded less annoying when you were coming around my—" You intercept his stupid ass before he has the chance to finish his sentence, slapping your hand over his mouth. The sudden proximity makes your stomach tense up, but you keep a stoic face.
"I fucking despise you." You say lowly, glaring him down. You feel him grinning against your hand, but you ignore it as you let him go and walk towards the bathroom at the end of the hallway. When Harry calls out your name, your body automatically stills. When you turn to look at him, that exact devilish grin coats his face just right.
"What?" You ask, a slight furrow between your brows as you stare at him.
"You smudged your mascara a bit." He gestures towards his face, referencing to your own under eyes. You say nothing, merely flipping him off as you enter the bathroom. Upon taking a look in the mirror, your eyes widen.
Your mascara is indeed smudged, and not a little bit. There are lines of multiple mascara filled tears that streamed down the side of your face. The weird thing is, you don't even remember tearing up. But it is there, right in front of you, the proof of what you did. The mascara around your eyes, his cum dripping from your cunt.
You sit down on the toilet, taking a deep sigh. You cover your face with your hands once again, this time letting out a frustrated shriek. And you realize that—out of all of this—the worst thing is maybe not the fact that you had sex with Harry and that the proof of it is on and in your body. No, the icing on the cake is that Harry himself has the other proof in his fucking pocket right now.
Shit.
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watchmegetobsessed · 10 months ago
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okay so hear me out: yn’s dad owes a hell lot os money to harry’s dad, not like in a maffia way, but its a serious situation. harry’s father comes up with an offer: if yn marries harry, he will let go of the debt. ofc yn’s dad refuses to sell his daughter but she wants to help her family so she ends up convincing her dad to accept it.
now, harry is known to be this grumpy, closed off loner, he has his own house with lands that he takes care of himself, he is doing his own business but he is known to be distant and doesn’t want anything to do with people. thats the reason why his dad wants him to marry someone, so that he might come out of his shell and start acting “normal”.
there is no wedding, they sign the papers separately and yn moves into harry’s house but they are just two strangers living together. harry ignores her most of the time, even tells her to stay out of his space and she can do whatever she wants as long as she doesn’t bother him.
but ofc they can’t avoid each other entirely so they have awkward encounters and run ins here and there, they even talk sometimes and slowly, i mean veeeryy slowly they get used to each other. but yn still feels incredibly lonely and homesick and one night harry finds her crying in the kitchen and he realises how awful she must be feeling so he tries to make her feel more home: he plants her favourite flowers in the garden, he repaints the window frames in the sunroom where she likes to read to her favourite color, he even attempts to cook for her… and slowly, she realises he is not the grumpy, mad guy everyone fears in town but a wonderful man who has been going out of his way to make her happy and ofc she is falling for him, just as hard as he is falling for her.
that is until he finds the emails she has exchanged with a lawyer about a possible divorce without fearing consequences towards her dad. he gets mad and disappointed and so sad, bc he felt like he found the person he could open up to but he was reminded that yn was only there to help her dad, not for him.
bc he still loves her, he gives her a way out: she can go back to her old life, they are getting a divorce and her father will remain dept free. she is confused about the 180 he just took, he is cold all of a sudden and she doesn’t know why. she convinces herself that he doesn’t love her and that she has to move on so she takes the deal and moves back home.
they start the divorce process, it takes about a month and they both suffer that time without each other, she realises he is her home now and he believes he will never love anyone again. they have to sign the final papers and so harry tries to make it happen without them meeting but she shows up at his place and says “i will sign these papers if you say you don’t love me, but if there is the slightest chance you have any feelings for me then im ripping these to pieces and coming right back where i belong” and he goes “feelings? yn i love you like i never thought i could possibly love anyone, i was just a shadow all my life until you came into my life and brought light and love and i will never be the same man again, not after seeing a glimpse of what life could be with you���
so ofc no papers get signed, their dumb asses realise they both been in love with each other so she moves back and they never let go of each other.
wow this was a long rambling lol
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smehur · 20 days ago
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Drarry fic recs #6
[podfic] Kill, Fuck, Marry written by @lettersbyelise and read by @timothysboxers
Malfoy leans toward him with a baleful look. “I do believe Pansy Parkinson, my best friend, paid you to spend the evening with me. It’s my birthday, Potter. So you’re going to get off your Gryffindor arse, and you’re going to dance with me. I want to dance. I want to win. I want that bloody trophy on my shelf before the end of the night.” Harry and Draco unexpectedly meet again on Draco’s birthday, years after their last encounter.
A delightful fic and a phenomenal reading! There are few things I love more than ex-rivals Harry and Draco discovering they actually enjoy each other's company, especially when it's done with such humor. The game of kill, fuck, marry was hilarious, and so was the dancing. And Draco's final birthday wish, well. 🔥 A phrase seen in many stories but rarely delivered with quite that much cheek. I'm all smiles and biting lips just thinking about it. 10/10 would read/listen again.
ready, able by @garagepaperback
“Well, even if we went through with it, it wouldn’t work. But thanks for the grand heroic rushing in. A certain element of purity is needed to break it." Malfoy licks his lips, "You’d have to be a virgin.” Harry keeps every muscle on his face particularly still, hoping it looks to Malfoy as absolutely blank as it feels to him. Half a minute passes. “No,” Malfoy, already doing a poor job of sitting normally on his chair, bends in half, nearly falling out of it. He’s laughing. “No, Potter, no. No- don’t- you’re twenty-five years old!” “And?” Harry asks, heat staining his face. - Malfoy has a problem, Harry wants to help.
Apart from being captivating, tantalizing and touching, this story is also an interesting (and, for this reader, unique) take on the fuck-or-die trope, which I'll generally read "for fun" but will only take "seriously" if it's somehow challenged and reshaped till choice reasserts itself. Like in this fic! Which, on top of everything, (spoiler alert!) ends with one of the hottest sex scenes in my HP reading so far. Truly exquisite. 👌
Savage by @marguerite26
In a post-war world that lives in fear and ignorance of werewolves, Draco Malfoy has taken every step to keep his condition hidden. When the delicate balance of his life shatters in a single moment, it is Harry Potter alone standing in his defence.
Another instance where excellent fic managed to sell me a trope I'm not a fan of: werewolves! It's a phenomenal story, with an interesting, political plot, excellent pacing, flawless characterization and steaming hot sex. What more could one hope for?
Virtuous by @heyjude19-writing
Draco is only sin inverted.
I loved this short piece down to the last word. It's so multifaceted! At face value, it's a confession of an unredeemed Draco, but is he? Is he really? Or did "fake it till you make it" work a little better than he expected? I'm fascinated by this because it touches on the question of whether a person can really change, which is, obviously, central to Drarry. Does a selfish motivation behind an act of kindness make the act less kind? I don't know the answers. But I do so enjoy fic that asks the questions!
Draco in Darkness by plumeria47
Following an accident in his seventh year, Draco loses his eyesight. After Harry elbows his way into Draco's dark world, both boys find themselves in a strange new friendship, and they each learn new ways to see each other … and themselves.
This story is very old and predates the canon ending of the series (thus missing out on a lot of canon Drarry content that would've made it even better). It's also a bit old-fashioned, compared to the fic I mostly read these days, and it triggered some of my technical pet peeves. Yet it hooked me within the first few paragraphs, and I grew to love it with a slow-burn passion. Draco's sudden disability is depicted in a very straight-forward, matter-of-fact, incredibly effective yet sensitive way; and his manner of coping with it is perfectly in character. Meanwhile, Harry is blind in his own way, which helps build the tension but never crosses the line of being too contrived. I had so many feels reading this. It's just beautiful, warts and all.
As always, my heartfelt thanks to the authors of these, and all other lovely stories shared within this amazing fandom, and to the readers helping spread the word. 🥰
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saintsenara · 4 days ago
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For the ship asks:
Walburga Black/Dumbledore,
Phineas Nigellus/Dumbledore,
Orion Black/Slughorn,
Orion Black/ Minerva Mcgonagall.
thank you very much for the ask, pal!
walburga black/albus dumbledore
i'm incredibly compelled by the potential carnage inherent in this. dumbledore is clearly a serial ghoster. walburga is clearly someone who can hold one hell of a grudge. he one hundred percent seemed really keen for all of three dates - and, whatever he says now, he definitely promised her that he'd come with her to alphard's experimental dance recital - before disappearing into thin air, owls unreturned, floo connection changed.
when they ran into each other a few months later, he said he'd been too stressed by trying to figure out the ninth use of dragon's blood to behave with human decency.
this is why her portrait is so riled up. she can handle having sirius back in grimmauld place. but not that dickhead.
phineas nigellus black/albus dumbledore
i also back this - but only in oil-paint form.
phineas, like all the portraits, has the opportunity to observe dumbledore without his mask in the months before his death, and therefore has seen him as the man he actually is, flaws and all.
as a result, we see in canon that he's not exactly deferential to dumbledore - which gives an interesting flavour to the dynamic - but that he is also, despite his inclinations to the contrary, nonetheless loyal to him. i quite like the idea of dumbledore finding himself tangled up with someone who seems even more wily than he himself is - otherwise known as the superior riddledore dynamic.
and i also just like the idea that the portraits have wild romantic lives which none of the castle’s living denizens ever bother paying enough attention to to notice.
orion black/horace slughorn
orion tries to seduce his way into the slug club. it fails [slughorn has a much prettier dark-haired slytherin to fill that role], but he is still forced to listen to slughorn describe a graphic sexual encounter he had with his father.
orion black/minerva mcgonagall
harry tells us in order of the phoenix that mcgonagall came to grimmauld place "looking very odd in a muggle dress and coat".
what he means by this is that she'd turned up at ten in the morning in this exact outfit:
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after all, she needed to remind walburga who orion always called the one who got away.
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gallifreyanhotfive · 10 months ago
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Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 11
The Second Doctor traveled with Jamie again after his departure while working for the Time Lords. The reason he doesn't remember this is because the Time Lords regularly erased his memory.
The Ice Warriors were originally created as a slave race to serve the Gandorans.
Strax carries dehydrated water in his first aid kit.
Homunculette and Marie are a Time Lord/TARDIS duo who consider each other "companions" and have incredibly intense feelings about one another.
The sexual attraction to humans by non-humans is called humanophilia.
On four separate known occasions, the Doctor has been to the Frost Fair. He took Vicki and Steven, River, Clara, and Bill.
When Missy broke into the Black Archive, she "liberated" a good portion of their inventory, including her "good friend" TOMTIT.
Turlough's great-great-great-great grandfather was part of Trion's royal court.
James Lethbridge-Stewart was the Brigadier's older brother. At a young age, he was forced by the Great Intelligence in an act of revenge against the Brigadier's future self to jump to his death over Golitha Falls. The young Brigadier was too short to retrieve his body. Their memories of James were later removed by the Great Intelligence.
After the year 12,000,000, some humans evolved into Homo solarians and lived inside the sun.
Oswin "Winnie" Clarence, a splinter of Clara Oswald, was a research graduate at Snowcap University in Antarctica. She saved the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald.
There have been many other splinters of Clara. A Constable Oswald filed a missing person's report on Susan Foreman in the 60s. Another was a member of the Happiness Patrol. Another was a Morestran. Etc, etc....
During an adventure with the Seventh Doctor, Chris Cwej had sex with a man named David Daniels. In doing so, he accidentally gave him a metagenic compound from the 30th century that acted as an HIV anti-virus. Harry Sullivan would later discover this compound in 2015 as a potential cure.
The Dragonhunters have a saying that "no Time Lord could be trusted."
The Doctor considered his cousin Arkhew to be inoffensive, gentle, and an unassuming. He said that such traits were "unusual for this family."
Arkhew had a pet scrubber, but his pet was eaten by another cousin named Owis. This made Arkhew hate Owis. Owis later killed Arkhew.
The Kithriarch is another important figure to a Great House. Unlike the Housekeeper, who is a medium between the sentient House and the family and responsible for the House's wellbeing, the Kithriarch is responsible for the social wellbeing of all family members.
The First, Sixth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Doctors all meddled in the Gunpowder Plot.
Magnus Greel told the Fourth Doctor that he had encountered a Time Agent in the 51st century. Unbeknownst to the Fourth, Greel was referring to the Fifth Doctor, who had posed as a Time Agent.
The Doctor studied under Hippocrates.
The Chancellery Guard is issued a Gallifreyan Army knife. The Doctor had one, but it is marked as property of Castellan Spandrell. He eventually returned it to Spandrell.
The Eighth Doctor once ran into the Seventh Doctor and Ace at the Festival of Britain in 1951 but did not recognize them because he had amnesia at the time.
The Fourth Doctor once became a taxi driver in order to learn about history first-hand.
Raine Creevey was a companion of the Seventh Doctor, who actually assisted in her birth by midwife-ing her mother.
Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
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blouisparadise · 11 months ago
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There are so many amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of December. We’re entering a new year feeling incredibly grateful for the amazing fics we got in 2023, and excited for the many we’ll get in 2024! Happy reading!
1) Say Yes To Heaven | Mature | 2818 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Ethan Hawke.
 Later when he’s back at the apartment with Oli, as Louis is somewhat dreamily waxing poetic about Ethan, Oli interrupts.- “Does he quote Shakespeare when you fuck?” he asks, poking at the sizzling eggs on the stove. Louis’ cheeks turn suspiciously pink. Oli peers at his face. “Oh my god, he DOES. I KNEW IT.” He triumphantly brandishes his spatula in the air.
2) Shut Your Mouth, Baby | Explicit | 3028 words
While fooling around in a closet at a New Year’s Eve party, Louis can’t seem to keep quiet. All he needs to do is hold off until midnight, when Harry will finally uncover his mouth and let him come at full volume.
3) Bank Holiday Weekend | Mature | 4135 words
Louis Tomlinson is a twenty-two year old omega who doesn’t give a shit. The omega knows his heat is coming up but still decides to attend Reading and Leeds Festival with his nineteen year old alpha co-worker Harry Styles.
4) Walk In Your Rainbow Paradise | Mature | 4151 words
Louis feels emotional after he watched Harry told the interviewer about the fish in his latest music video, leading up to him thinking about their 'secret' relationship throughout the years. Harry comes home to his husband who's feeling pissed off and needy of his comfort and warmth.
5) One | Explicit | 4188 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Tommy Shelby.
When omega Louis Tomlinson becomes pregnant after an unexpected encounter, he decides his only option is to flee his pack. But Tommy Shelby, pack alpha of the Peaky Blinders, might not be willing to let him go so easily.
6) Dreaming of a Green Christmas | Explicit | 4226 words
Harry opens the wrong package by mistake and finds the sex toy Louis ordered for himself. That's not an opportunity Harry can pass up on.
7) Never Felt More At Home (Then When I'm In Your Arms) | Not Rated | 5361 words
Louis and Harry are on tour with the band when Louis is struck with an unexpected heat. He's always known in the back of his mind there was something between him and his best mate, and when opportunity strikes... well, it hits hard.
8) Cat Got Your Tongue? | Explicit | 5523 words
“Who the fuck are you?” Harry screeches and jumps back in surprise. The man drops the popcorn bowl on the carpet and stands up, raising his hands in surrender, “Hey, it's me.” Harry frowns. He has never seen this man in his life. He stares at the wide blue eyes and… holy shit. There's no way. Harry rephrases his question, “what are you?"
9) I’m So Drunk On You (Baby, You’re All That I Want) | Explicit | 5875 words
A lucid celebration yet of nothing in particular, and it was that he found alluring, begged to make himself a part of. "Come on, H live a little." Louis pleaded without care for the sigh that slipped his lips, for the smile that they both formed were proof enough he'd given in. So giddy within skips toward the centre where they gathered, the smaller carried Harry close behind to join the chaos.
10) Snow At The Beach | Mature | 7885 words
The little Matthew Styles had been throwing objects into his cute omega neighbor's yard only for the adorable blue-eyed boy to come to his house to return them and talk to his father. "I'm starting to believe that he does it on purpose just so he can hug you" Harry appeared behind them and Louis smiled at him. "I wouldn't complain if it were like that"
11) Don’t Let The Fire Die | Explicit | 8850 words
Harry makes a long trip to take back what is his.
12) The Box | Explicit | 8895 words
When the signal comes, Harry dips and slides into the box, settling himself on his back with his knees bent.  Louis lifts the side of the box to close it, and as he does so Harry goes to pull his jacket from behind his back a little. The last sight that Louis is presented with before Harry is gone from view is the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen arching his back, with his head thrown upwards, mouth slightly open. And fuck. 
13) Touch Me (Like Nobody Else Does) | Mature | 11459 words
The alpha’s grin returned tenfold, deep dimples popping into his cheeks. Holy shit, he has dimples. “No, I don’t mind at all. I know where to find you when I need it back,” he said with a chuckle before leaning back into his seat. Louis let out a small giggle before nodding. “I’ll be sure it gets returned to you…?” He trailed off, one eyebrow raised at the other man. “Harry,” he replied, amusement still shining in his eyes. “And you are?” “Louis,” the omega responded before leaning back into his seat averting his eyes once again. “Thank you, really, for the charger. You’re a lifesaver. I’m not sure how I would’ve made it through without my Netflix.”
14) Cause I’m Really Not Fine At All | Mature | 13679 words
Louis Tomlinson, one of the famous members of One Direction, is involved in a car accident that caused him to have amnesia, wiping all the last five years of his life from the memory. The interesting part is he may not remember that he has a girlfriend now, yet his mind seems to think that he has been in a relationship with one of the members, Harry Styles. Harry is baffled and shocked at the situation that's thrown in his face. He finds himself learning how to be a good boyfriend for Louis. It has to be easy.. 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?
15) Roommates | Mature | 18604 words
Louis and Harry are roommates. Harry had put up an ad for a roommate, and Louis moved in. Harry notices that Louis only survives on takeout out, and when he leaves for his shift, he cooks an extra plate of food for Louis with a note.
16) Play By The Rules | Explicit | 21835 words
“Okay,” Harry clears his throat. “Sit on the bed, um, slut.” A beat of silence passes between them as Louis raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “You want to try saying that like you mean it?” Harry pouts, jutting out his lower lip. “But I don’t mean it, Lou. I feel like I’m being mean.”
17) You Bring Blue Lights To Dreams | Explicit | 30177 words
A body slid up behind him and he tensed until he realized it was Jailen, “So… Louis’ pretty cool huh?” He whispered so Louis wouldn't hear from the other side of the barn. “I mean yeah,” Harry responded, brows furrowing together before he realized what Jailen was really saying, “Jailen no that’s not- no. Nothing’s going to happen so don’t meddle, I’m serious.” “I’m not doing anything my dear Harold, I cannot control what happens naturally. Come on Harry, I know you’ve been getting restless with the whole finding your soulmate thing, it might be time to just try and put yourself out there for a while.”
18) He's Driving Me Crazy... But... I'm Into It | Explicit | 56219 words
The boys are organising a holiday in France for Louis, and Harry is able to make the trip at the last minute thanks to Niall. While things seem to be off to a bad start between them, it seems that some of the behaviour is just pretend. And of course, Louis is annoying, and Harry is his usual calm self... But the others don't seem to understand Louis' feelings, and that's not something Harry will let pass. If they gain more than friendship, that's just a bonus.
19) Your Eyes Are Tired But Keep Them Open Cause You Wouldn’t Wanna Miss A Thing | Explicit | 137451 words
Louis is an omega in an abusive relationship everyone forced him into; he’s miserable until he meets his favorite student’s uncle, Harry, a gentle alpha with a big heart.
20) Sewn Into You | Explicit | 167485 words
Harry Styles thinks soulmates are a fairytale, or in other words-a lie. He has no interest in entertaining anything that has anything to do with the very name that had been etched along his collarbone since his eighteenth birthday. Louis Tomlinson won't be answering to another alpha for the rest of his life if he can help it. Fuck happy endings, his soul mate can choke on it. Problem is, Harry needs a personal assistant to save his family's business, Louis needs the cash to officially move off of his childhood best-friend's couch. They can manage. Surely, nothing will go wrong.
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.
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loneamaryllis · 3 months ago
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Snarriet Rec List - Long fics (100k+)
Certain Dark Things
by evejenson (rentachi). Rated M. Nearly 900k, WIP. Slytherin Harry. Wrong-Boy-Who-Lived. Mentor Tom Riddle.
They sought her out for conversation sometimes, cornering her in the garden or at the park, not that they ever had much to say. Really, Harriet thought snakes were rather dull.
---------
Harriet Potter has always been odd. Between having a shadow that moves on its own and chatting with grass snakes, learning she's a witch really isn't the strangest thing to happen to the bespectacled girl with a lightning scar on her neck.
Harriet attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she makes new friends, encounters a prickly Potions Master, learns about the Boy Who Lived, and meets the enigmatic Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Tom Slytherin.
Why I rec it: This is the best HP fic, period. A retelling of the entire series, where Harriet is sorted in Slytherin in a world where Voldemort won (but not overtly so). Incredible character work, dense world-building fed to us in perfectly-sized bites, clever foreshadowing, and really, really great writing overall. Plus, if you love Voldemort, you'll love what the author did with him in this fic. I can't recommend it enough.
Saving Snape
by @loneamaryllis. Rated E. 206k. Auror Harry Potter. Sentient Hogwarts. Courting Rituals.
Severus Snape is receiving death threats. The Ministry decides that Auror Harrie Potter should be assigned to his protection.
Why I rec it: A self rec! Someone is trying to kill Snape and Harrie has to protect him. There's a mystery, some angst, some pining, a lot of smut in the later half of the fic, and a sentient Hogwarts who ships Snarriet.
Carrying Atlas
by @hirukochan. Rated E. 126k, WIP. (Underage) Daddy Dom Severus Snape. BDSM Contract. Collaring.
On a late night walk Snape stumpled upon no other than Harriet Potter who was once again in trouble. How deep the trouble ran and why none of those close to her realised how badly she was taking the loss of her godfather would remain a mystery but Snape had sacrificed too much to let her give up now.
Or
Harrie tries to cope through meaningless sex with strangers and Snape decides in order to keep her safe from depraved men only wanting to exploit her he has to become one of them and make it worth her while.
Why I rec it: The Snarriet BDSM fic! Harrie enters into a contract with Snape as some sort of therapy. The smut is ultra hot, Snape is very respecting of Harrie's boundaries while having to deal with his own issues, and while there's angst, there are also a lot of fluffy moments. Plus there's not a lot of Snarriet fics where Harrie calls Snape Daddy so if that's what you're looking for, you're in for a treat.
The Blood of the Enemy
by @rose-colored-glasses7. Rated M. 154k, WIP. (Underage) Blood and Violence. Morally Grey Harry Potter. Toxic Relationship.
Cedric Diggory is dead. Following the terrible ending to the Triwizard Tournament, Emma Potter has returned to the Dursleys to mourn the death of her boyfriend. However, soon enough, an attack on Privet Drive leads to her arrival at 12 Grimmauld Place - the headquarters to the mysterious Order of the Phoenix. The blood wards have fallen. When frightful visions begin to consume her mind, Emma's forced to take lessons with her hateful potions professor. Cruel, sadistic, dark, by any right the lessons should make her hate him even more. Only, as the lessons continue, she finds herself more and more drawn to him... Lord Voldemort has returned. As the latest Defense professor wreaks havoc on Hogwarts, Emma searches for answers about the terrible connection between her and Voldemort - and why, exactly, he came after her all those years ago. The web of truth and lies is unraveling… and she begins to wonder if Emma Potter was ever really alive at all. With war looming on the horizon and the Ministry in firm denial of his return, Emma begins her worst year at Hogwarts yet. The question is, can she survive it?
Why I rec it: Emma Potter is a great take on a female Harry. She's a bit darker, a bit more cerebral, and her connection to Voldemort takes more place than in canon. Her relationship with Snape is wonderfully multi-layered and so tense!
Gravity
by SlytherinsQuill. Rated E. 268k, WIP. Violence. Trauma. Eventual Happy Ending.
What if Harry Potter was born a girl and known as Rosalie Potter? How might it change the dynamics of life as the most famous teenager in the Wizarding World? At the end of Rosalie Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts, war has broken out in the Wizarding World as a result the attack on Hogwarts. Forced to spend the summer at Grimmauld Place for her own safety, Rosalie learns more about herself and the people around her than she ever thought possible. Relationships form, friendships change and she learns just how much the people in your life influence who you are and who you have the potential to become.
Why I rec it: A great fic depicting the evolving relationship between Rosalie and Snape with the hunt for Horcruxes as a background. The smut scenes are so well-crafted, very emotional and both soft and passionate. Some scenes are so epic they'll stay with you for a long time.
The Never-Ending Road and its sequel No Journey's End
by @laventadorn. Rated M. 656k, WIP. Female Friendship. Protective Severus Snape.
AU. When Lily died, Snape removed his heart and replaced it with a steel trap. But rescuing her daughter from the Dursleys in the summer of ’92 is the first step on a long road to discovering this is less true than he’d thought. A girl!Harry story, starting in Chamber of Secrets and continuing through Goblet of Fire. Future Snape/Harriet. (OotP - DH will continue in a separate story.)
Why I rec it: An epic retelling of the series, starting at Year 2. My favorite thing in this fic are the description of Snape's eyes. Intense and so poetic! The world-building is great, and the relationships between the characters are well-developed.
Wearing Only a Sneer
by pluperfectsunrise. Rated E. 100k, WIP. Slow Burn. First Time. Love Confessions.
With the war finally over, Harry Potter is dead set on losing her virginity. What will happen when she decides that the perfect candidate for a partner in this endeavor is Severus Snape?
Why I rec it: I love the way Harriet slowly convinces Snape to get in bed with her. The smut is so tender and also so hot! Also the only Snarriet fic to feature Harriet pegging Snape, to my knowledge.
Grey Hours
by @spicedlantern. Rated M. 101k, WIP. Time Travel. Angst.
She'll need to put them in various boxes in her head to cope - constant reminders of where they end up, no matter where and what they are in her present - no matter what her eyes see. Lily Evans - murdered. James Potter - murdered. Sirius Black - murdered. Albus Dumbledore - murdered. Remus Lupin - alive - alive with a son, and that, at least, she has to hold on to -
Severus Snape -
Traitor.
--
Or: In June 1999, a group of rogue Death Eaters led by Bellatrix Lestrange breaks into the Ministry. They steal six "true" time turners.
In August 1975, Auror Harriet Potter appears in the middle of Albus Dumbledore's office. He offers her a job.
Why I rec it: Another one of spicedlantern's excellent fics. An original plot, some truly great tension between Harriet and Snape, one adult Snape, one teenage Snape, and a Lily who gets to shine as a lot of chapters are from her POV. The author weaves a plotty tale with deliciously smutty moments once the Snarriet happens.
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aziraphales-library · 11 months ago
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Heya!
I've read a LOT of GO fics in my time, but I can't remember if I've seen crossovers/AUs of the following movies with Aziraphale/Crowley, can you help please?
So my favourite rom coms of all time are the following, and I'd love GO versions (if they don't exist I may have to write them)!
French Kiss (Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline)
You've Got Mail (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks)
When Harry Met Sally (Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal)
Runaway Bride (Julia Roberts and Richard Gere)
Never Been Kissed (Drew Barrymore)
I won't bother asking about Pretty Woman because I've read so many versions with either of them in either role lmaooo (and I have loved Every. Single. One.)
Or basically any late 80s/early 90s rom coms with Meg Ryan (except Sleepless in Seattle because I find it incredibly boring) or Julia Roberts!
Thank you so much for everything you do! You've helped me discover so many amazing fics and writers and it is much appreciated!!! 💖💖😇😎
Hello there!
Did you know there is a whole collection from the Good Omens Rom-Com Event that was run a couple years ago? You might find what you're looking for there! (Some of the fics are unfinished so keep that in mind)
We have previously recommended a bunch of You've Got Mail/She Loves Me fics HERE, so check those out.
As for the other ones you've asked about:
French Kiss AU:
A Bit of Crumpet by Fyre [E]
With a handsome, successful fiance and a respectable home in Manhattan, Aziraphale Fell thought his life was more than adequate. He never expected to be jilted in a long-distance telephone call and so he sets out for England to find out exactly what's going on and gets a lot more than he bargained for.
When Harry Met Sally AU:
it had to be you by curtaincall [M]
“What I’m saying,” said Aziraphale, looking fixedly ahead, “and please don’t take this as a personal insult in any way, is that an angel and a demon can’t be friends.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” said Aziraphale, firmly. “It’s against the order of things. You’re supposed to tempt. I’m supposed to thwart. We can’t go being friends.”
*
A canon-divergent AU inspired by When Harry Met Sally.
I don't know of any fics with your two last wishes but there is also:
Notting Hill AU:
Soho by Lurlur [E]
Aziraphale lives a quiet kind of life, running a quiet specialist bookshop in one of the liveliest districts of London. He's content with his lot, happy with his friends, tolerant of his probably-human housemate, living vicariously through the gossip pages.
One day, a chance encounter with Anthony Crowley, lead singer of wildly successful rock band The Demons, threatens to turn his whole world upside down.
Music and Lyrics AU:
pop! goes my heart by attheborder [E], WIP
When has-been musician Anthony Crowley is recruited by pop singer Anathema Device to write a song for her new record, he jumps on the chance to resuscitate his career with a hit. There's only one problem: he can't write lyrics to save his life.
But a chance meeting with a stranger by the name of Aziraphale, with a poetic streak that's a perfect fit for the song, changes everything for Crowley. Together, they'll create something beautiful, fight the forces of the music industry, and perhaps even find a way back into love...
A Music and Lyrics AU for the GO Rom Com Event, complete with all-new original songs written and recorded by the author!
Kate & Leopold AU:
Until by Nadzieja [T]
“I don’t want to go home.” Half-asleep Aziraphale murmurs into his ear and Crowley's heart clenches. His grip tightens reflexively around the warm soft body in his arms, around the smell of old books and sandalwood.
“Then don’t.” He’s trying not to sound like he's pleading, but his throat is tight and his voice hoarse.
*
Crowley lives his average life, working in a high-end advertising company at London that pays just enough to get him a room in a shared accommodation. That's just his luck that he ends up living with a literal witch. One day she brings home an even more eccentric man that has a taste for 19th century fashion, as if Crowley didn't have enough things to worry about. Little he knows that the man will turn his world upside down. Literally. And that's just the beginning of his problems.
~Mod N
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sitp-recs · 6 months ago
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Hello! Thank you so much for all you do! I’ve been stalking your page since I found you and read so many good fics because of it!
I’ve been on a Dronarry kick lately thanks to all the incredible works from the fest this year! I’ve looked back at past fests and searched the tag on your blog, but I’m wondering if you’ve got any particular recs for the pairing that are older than this year or last?
Hello friend, welcome to the amazing Dronarry world! I’m so happy that you’ve been venturing into one of my favourite triads. The Dronarry Fest is indeed an excellent starting point with many of my personal favourites (here and here) but I definitely have a couple more to add, in fact Tacky’s Aim for my Heart was my official Dronarry initiation and it remains one of the best fics I’ve ever read, period. Enjoy!!
It's as simple as that by @cibeewastaken (T, 1k)
“So you’re just taking the piss,” Ron said, and he wasn’t sure if the lump that dropped from the base of his throat was due to relief or disappointment. “About your crush on me.” “Hm?” Draco said. “That? Oh, I’m serious about that.”
Holding Back by p1013 (E, 2.2k)
"I know what you really want." Weasley's mouth ghosts over the collar of Draco's shirt. No lips to skin, just breath and anticipation. "Don't think I haven't seen you staring in the common room. You're always watching, Malfoy. And something tells me it's not because you hate me."
Come Harbour a.k.a the Not-a-Metaphor Sailing Association: a story of friendship, sex, and beautiful water-based metaphors (not puns) by @dictacontrion, @gracerene and @lol-zeitgeistic
After Harry, Ron, and Draco are suspended - for something Ron had absolutely no part in whatsoever - they must take a forced holiday in Majorca to learn to work together. Which they do.
Aim For My Heart by @tackytigerfic (M, 3.4k)
Harry's in love, Ron's in control, and Draco just wants a nice lunch. They say three's a crowd, but Harry doesn't always agree. Not when he gets to be in the middle, anyway.
Close Encounters Of The Casual Kind by digthewriter (E, 3.4k)
They were going to do this—and it was going to be fine.
Complementary To Green by digthewriter (E, 7.6k)
When Draco had started The Malfoy Fix, he'd expected plenty of fashion-disaster(s) clients and had figured having an open-door policy was good for business. Although, catering to celebrity-Aurors Harry Potter and Ron Weasley was not on the agenda.
What It Takes by jad (E, 10k) - endgame Drarry
If Ron had been on time, Harry never would've realised what he was missing
The Taste of Țuică by @fluxweeed (E, 15k)
It’s quite one thing for your best mate to casually tell you about all the sex his boyfriend wants to have. It’s altogether another to have him bring up the time you snogged him in a shitty Central London park.
Things They Get Up To series by bumble_Bree (E, 23k)
In an attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry and Draco show him just how much Draco loves being taken.
Tiny Home by @wolfpants (E, 30k)
Harry and Ron left the Aurors years ago to travel the world and make up for lost time. When they finally decide to settle roots back in England, together, building a tiny home in the Lake District by hand seems like the perfect plan. What they don't realise is that Draco Malfoy already lives on the plot of land that they choose to build on.
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gurugirl · 2 years ago
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i dunno if i missed but have you ever written anything exploring how was stepdadrry and yn's first encounter? like her mom bringing him home and yn being 😶🤯🥸 and harry being 😌🤫😈😈! it would be fun to read
A/n: Thanks for the idea anon and sorry this took me so long to get to! chipping away at these requests slowly! Hope you enjoy! 2k words
Warning: Stepdad!harry being inappropriate, inappropriate thoughts, light smut, guilt
Stepdad!Harry Masterlist
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The first time you met Harry your mom had been dating him for a few months already. You had very little information about him. You didn't care too much really. Not that you didn't care about who your mom dated, but most of the guys you never met.
But you definitely got to meet Harry.
When he rang the doorbell, your mom was in the kitchen finishing up dinner. She'd made lasagna and her special tiramisu dessert which was your favorite. You kind of wondered if she was trying to butter you up or something. Or perhaps this Harry guy just liked the same things you did.
"Will you grab that, hon? Thanks!" Your mom shouted from the kitchen.
You pulled the front door open and what you saw was not what you expected. There was no way this was Harry.
"Hi. I'm, Harry," he stuck his hand out to you to shake.
So this was Harry.
You reached your hand out and smiled, "I'm, Y/n."
You just stood there with your hand in his for a moment. Looking at the incredibly attractive and young man your mom was dating. He was dressed casually and his hair was dark with thick curls. He had light eyes and a handsome face...
You gulped and suddenly your mom was behind you, her hands on your shoulders, "This is Harry!"
She squeezed at you and then moved herself to grab Harry and pulled him in for a hug, "Thank you for coming."
You stood with your mouth dropped open like an idiot. Still trying to wrap your mind around this moment. Your mom was gorgeous, but she was quite a bit older than Harry. Harry couldn't have been more than five years your senior. But that meant he was a good decade or more younger than your mom.
Setting the table, you listened to your mom and Harry flirt and laugh in the living room. You were feeling strange about the whole thing, especially with how attractive Harry was. It made you feel differently about your mom even, but you couldn't quite place your finger on what it made you feel. Was it jealousy? Were you impressed by it? Were you grossed out? Maybe all of the above?
Harry was polite and he was good at holding a conversation. He kept looking at you and smiling, quirking one side of his mouth up and it made you feel warm. His smile was nice.
"So, where did you two meet again?" You raised your brow and looked from your mom to Harry.
Your mom sat her fork down and put her hand down under the table, probably on Harry's lap as she looked at him, "At a bar. Harry was playing a gig with his band and afterward, I went up to him to chat and tell him how good I thought he was, and well, the rest is history."
Harry smiled at you as your mom spoke about they met. There was something in the way his eyes traveled over your face that confused you a little. Made you feel light headed.
"So you're in a band?" You questioned and stuffed a forkful of food into your mouth.
"Yeah. Just a little fun thing. We do shows here and there. Not really that good to be honest," he laughed and looked over at your mom.
"He's being humble. His band is good," your mom smiled at Harry and they leaned in to kiss. You turned away.
The three of you cleaned up the kitchen together. It was actually nice to have an extra set of hands to help clean up. It made things go a lot faster.
Plus, you kind of liked the eye candy. Even though he was not yours to look at, you couldn't help it. You felt especially bold as well because he was noticing you too. He didn't do anything inappropriate but you were aware of the look. When your gazes would meet, Harry would grin and keep his eyes on yours for a beat too long.
And somehow, deep down, it pleased you. You were the younger, hotter version of the woman he was dating. You looked nearly identical to your mom so it wouldn't surprise you that Harry might find you attractive.
Harry and your mom settled onto the couch with some movie playing and you called your friend and went to the backyard. You needed some air. Harry's eyes on you were intense and that smile... you needed to clear your mind.
Your conversation with Cassidy did help you get your mind off what was going on inside your house.
But you couldn't help it when you finally brought him up, "My mom's boyfriend is closer to my age than hers."
Cassidy was invested in hearing all about the hot mystery man. You began to joke around and kept turning to make sure no one was coming to join you in the backyard. You didn't want your mom or Harry to hear what you were saying about him.
"God, I know, Cas. Maybe I'll try to sneak a picture and send it to you so you can understand my turmoil."
You both laughed.
"Plus, I can tell he's like... packing. The front of his jeans have this like, bulge and I kept looking at it while we were cleaning up. I couldn't stop it and I know he saw me! Ugh... I hate this too. Because that means he and my mom... I don't want to finish that sentence!"
You could hear Cassidy laughing through the receiver but then you jumped when you felt a hand on your shoulder and a deep voice in your ear, "You don't want to finish saying what?"
You turned and saw Harry standing behind you. You squeezed your eyes closed and cringed, "Uh, I gotta go, Cas."
You disconnected the call and Harry let go of your shoulder. You couldn't make eye contact with him. You were too embarrassed.
Harry walked toward the pool and looked around the yard casually and then turned back toward you, his hands on his hips, "Tell me, Y/n. What is it that you think I'm packing? Hmmm?" A smirk on his face.
He walked closer to you and lowered his voice, "Tell me."
You huffed out a breath and looked down at your feet and shook your head, "No! You weren't supposed to hear me."
Harry laughed and his knuckles brushed over your wrist as he walked to your other side, like a predator circling his prey, "I did catch you looking. You're right about that. That was very naughty of you."
You looked up at his face and frowned. You were totally busted.
"Don't look so sad. It's only natural when two adults recognize there's an attraction," he was still wearing that damn cocky smirk. You swallowed and looked toward the house.
"Your mom is getting the dessert ready. Should probably go back in now, don't you think? Or did you need more time to ogle my package?" He snickered as he walked back into the house.
The fucker.
Dessert was awkward. You only wanted to go to your room and forget the day ever happened. Harry was definitely on to you but he'd also sort of admitted to finding you attractive in return. It was confusing and exciting. But wrong. So wrong.
The moment you finished your plate, you excused yourself.
You kept yourself locked away in your room. You could hear your mom and Harry laughing and talking but you couldn't hear exactly what they were saying. You felt like you couldn't relax or settle as long as he was in the house. Your heart was pounding and his deep voice with that damn British accent was sending chills down your spine even though he was in the living room and you were in your bedroom.
Eventually, things got quiet. You finally decided to leave your bedroom so you could wash your face and brush your teeth. But that's when you heard it.
Your mom's bedroom door was closed but there was a light coming from under the crack at the bottom. Harry was in there with her. You could hear his voice, but they weren't having a conversation. The rhythmic sound of the bed moving was unmistakable.
You ran back into your room and slammed the door closed, your chest heaving. You did not want to hear that and you did not want to think of Harry and your mom... nope...
You turned on your radio and increased the volume so you wouldn't hear anything else.
Once again, you weren't sure how you should feel about it all. You hated yourself for finding him so attractive and you were a bit curious as to what he was like intimately. But your mom was the one who was getting to have that, not you.
And the worst part was that you were slightly turned on. Not to the image of your mother, no you shoved that thought far down and away from any corner of your mind, but just the idea that Harry was in the room down the hall with his broad shoulders and muscled arms, that deep voice, and what is probably a big dick getting off. You were in serious trouble with your thoughts.
You climbed under your covers and heard a thud and then another. You decided to pretend it was you under Harry. That his attention was on you, his hands, his mouth...
It was the dirtiest you'd ever felt. Embarrassing. Shameful. A secret you'd take with you to your grave as you rubbed yourself to the image of your mom's boyfriend doing to you whatever it was he was doing to her.
Those dark curls getting sweaty as he fucked himself into you, those big palms on your tits, on your neck... Maybe he'd spank you. His eyes were on yours as he penetrated your virgin body for the first time. He'd feel how tight and wet you could get for him.
He'd groan and bite his lip to keep quiet so your mom couldn't hear.
You gasped when you imagined how deep he'd get and much he'd stretch you out. His lips on yours. His hands in your hair. Your fingers in his. Your body being rocked up and down with each of his deep thrusts...
Your orgasm was shameful. It felt delicious but so bitter. You swallowed your moan and felt disgusting.
And now you were a mess and needed to go to the bathroom to clean yourself. Despite not wanting to hear anything. But there was no choice.
You rushed to the bathroom and cleaned yourself up, washed your face, and brushed your teeth. You suspected they were done doing whatever because it was quiet again.
When you opened the bathroom door Harry was leaning against the wall outside of the bathroom. That damn smirk on his face. You gasped and paused as he stepped in toward you.
"This is cute," he pulled at the hem of your t-shirt and you couldn't respond as you kept your eyes on his.
"So is this," he brought a hand up to your bottom lip and pinched it between his fingers, "pink and puffy... was all I could think of just now. Call me perverted but this is what I got off to. Just imagining these lips... Mmmm..." Harry tucked his lips into his mouth and let go of your lip before walking past you and closing the door to the bathroom behind him.
You stood like a statue in the hallway. Unmoving, unbreathing, unblinking. Had that really just happened? Did he just say he thought of your mouth while he...?
You shook your head and just before you could step past the threshold of your door your mom popped her head out of her room, "Hey... uh... Harry's gonna stay the night. Is that okay with you?"
You were still too stunned to use actual words so you just shrugged your shoulders and nodded before closing your door behind you. Safe in your room away from your mom's eyes. From her scrutiny. Could she see how flustered you were? How fucked you were?
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duplicitywrites · 1 year ago
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Hi Duplicity! I’m asking you this with no intention to cause offence, and because you’re a creator in this fandom I like a lot, but how do you balance your content with JKR Rowling’s views ? I keep seeing people say that we should all stop consuming and producing Harry Potter content, because despite the intention, or Hc-ing it to suit our views, any engagement with the source material is bringing it to attention, and thus bring her and her hateful views against Trans people to attention, furthering her platform by ensuring her works remain in the collective mind of many people instead of letting it die out and somehow contributing to her legacy. I know you’re very very supportive of LGBTQ+ folks and seem like a very kind person, and I’m not insinuating at all you support JKR herself, but how do you deal with that implication and the unintentional effects your fanfics may have ? Just because it is somewhat true that fandom fuels popularity that fuels profit and yada yada. Please don’t take this the wrong way! Thank you and bless you for your writing ❤️
no offense taken! i hope you'll take my response the same way 💗
to be blunt, i think people who say that we should cease any engagement with the source material are wrong. the equation of content consumption with someone's personal morals is reductive and ultimately harmful.
this (often literal) armchair activism disrespects and disregards the very real efforts people make on a day to day basis -- whether that be through volunteer work, charitable donations, or simply serving as support to friends/family who are a part of those very minority groups that those naysayers claim to advocate for.
jkr is extremely vocal about her garbage opinions -- why are people not directing their ire at her instead of the random strangers they encounter on the internet? well, strangers on the internet are easier targets. it's easier to get a response. it's easier to ostracize and bully someone who doesn't have the security and following that a public figure like jkr has.
it's concerning to me how the concept of "doing the right thing" has shifted more and more towards "attacking the 'wrong' people". who is the target in these situations? is it actually a transphobic person who is being criticized, or is it someone who just likes harry potter? because in most situations i've seen, it's the latter. moral policing in fandom spaces has only gotten worse as the internet slowly morphs into one homogeneous corporate blob, and this is just another example of it taken too far.
harassing someone for liking harry potter doesn't miraculously make them a good person -- it doesn't make them morally superior. it just makes them someone who likes to attack others to feel better about themselves, someone who often looks for 'acceptable' excuses to do so. i'm secure enough in myself that i don't let this bother me, and i certainly don't accept anyone who thinks this way as a 'better' person than me.
i know i am not responsible for the opinions and actions of my readers. it is insanity to claim my writing harry potter fanfiction is making transphobes be transphobic, just as it is equally ridiculous to claim that writing about murder will turn people into murderers.
personally, i believe the best step is to not financially support harry potter as a franchise. this means not paying for official merch/content. but that's my own business -- i won't judge, insult, or attack the people who do, and that's because it would be hypocritical to hold anyone to this standard.
what about disney? what about walmart, or amazon, or any other company that profits off of the misery of minorities and the disadvantaged? people will say there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but that is just another black-and-white approach to an incredibly nuanced topic.
the world we live in is flawed, with "problematic" humans involved at every level of society. there is no clear answer for every situation, so at the end of the day, i can't and won't tell you what to do or what to think, other than encourage you to make these decisions for yourself.
as individuals, the best thing we can do is take responsibility for ourselves. think critically about the actions we take and the impact these actions have on others. live the best life we can under the circumstances we've been given.
(much better than dunking on someone for putting their hogwarts house in their social media bio.)
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torchlitinthedesert · 1 year ago
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Elton John, John Lennon
We began spending a lot of time together, whenever I was in America. He'd separated from Yoko and was living in Los Angeles with May Pang. I know that period is supposed to have been really troubled and unpleasant and dark, but I've got to be honest, I never saw that in him at all. I heard stories occasionally - about some sessions he'd done with Phil Spector that went completely out of control, about him going crazy one night and smashing up the record producer Lou Adler's house. I could see a darkness in some of the people he was hanging out with: Harry Nilsson was a sweet guy, an incredibly talented singer and songwriter, but one drink too many and he'd turn into someone else, someone you really had to watch yourself around...
But I genuinely never encountered that nasty, intimidating, destructive aspect of John that people talk about, the biting, acerbic wit. I'm not trying to paint some saintly posthumous portrait at all; I obviously knew that side of him existed, I just never saw it at first-hand. All I ever saw from him was kindness and gentleness and fun, so much so that I took my mum and [Elton's stepfather] Derf to meet him. We went out to dinner, and when John went to the toilet, Derf thought it would be a great joke to take his false teeth out and put them in John's drink: there was something infectious about John's sense of humour that made people do things like that. Jesus, he was so funny. Whenever I was with him - or even better - him and Ringo - I just laughed and laughed and laughed.
Elton John, Me (2019)
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wearingaberetinparis · 10 months ago
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I love your fics so much! Jily is amazing, and you write it brilliantly. I wanted to ask what you think of their canon relationship in that James once tried to blackmail Lily into going out with him? Like ethically, what's your thoughts about that? And do you think it ever came up later - how can she trust him without talking about those things kind of talk?
Hi anon! Thank you so much for your question! Obviously, I love Jily and I am glad you like my interpretation of them! ❤️
In all honesty, I think that all of us make mistakes and James Potter was an infatuated, teenage boy who did something he should not have done in an attempt to ask out the girl he fancied, while also not wanting to lose face in front of a crowd of people, seeing as he was “the cool guy”.
This does not mean that his behaviour is excusable and I certainly think this is something that he and Lily would have addressed. Personally, I imagine that James would have apologized for his action, very badly right after - which did not necessarily help him, because she would have been fuming still - and - after some reflection and conversations with his parents and maybe some of his friends too - in a much more mature and aware manner.
Clearly, I am very fond of both James and Lily, meaning that I wear rose-coloured glasses around them a lot of the time, but I am also a teacher and see this exact demographic of teenage boys and girls every day. Not to mention, that adults are as fallible and make tons of errors too.
I think the important thing - when doing something you should not have - is that you take accountability and recognize that you should have handled things better. What I know from canon is that James Potter was a Gryffindor, that he was a Quidditch Captain, that he was appointed Head Boy, that he was an intelligent young man, that he would rather die than betray his friends, that he became an Animagus to help his suffering werewolf friend, that he was there for his outcast best friend, that he married (Muggleborn) Lily - who always saw the best in people, but also recognized their faults - was a loving father to his son and died protecting two of the people he loved most, facing their enemy without a wand, knowing that he would not survive this encounter.
Rather than looking at his teenage errors, I would like to look at his growth and admire the fact that James Potter - as a very young adult - is incredibly brave and must have loved both Lily and Harry more than he did himself, his final action being the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes of stalling Voldemort enough to save their lives.
This - even though this was not the point of this ask - in juxtaposition to Severus Snape who wanted Lily all to himself and did not care if the people she loved most would die, as long as he could have her.
What I thus see is a true, loving and heroic redemption arc, which leaves much to the imagination, something I am incredibly grateful for.
There is no such thing as black and white, the grey area in between is what makes our characters interesting, but I do believe that James and Lily were inherently good people who chose light and love over darkness and hate.
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maddieautobot273 · 7 months ago
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Silk & Cologne (56)
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A Miguel O'Hara x OC Fanfic - link to AO3 (X)
Chapter 56: Support - previous chapter (X)
Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Female !Spidersona OC
Words: 3K+ words
Warning: PG for brief flashbacks
Summary: Miguel and Lisa both struggle figuring out what to do next.
////////
Miguel’s P.O.V. 
“Anything yet, Lyla?” 
Miguel was scouring every inch and corner of the Web of Destiny, the map that outlined every link and dimension of the multiverse. After multiple attempts of waiting for her to contact Lisa again and interviewing multiple other Spiders he knew of who had interacted with her in the past, Miguel still couldn’t find any trace of Madame Web’s whereabouts. Before he was getting frustrated, now he is becoming increasingly irritated. 
“Nothing,” Lyla shook her head in dismay before falling flat on her back, hovering in the air, appearing exhausted. “It’s like she’s a ghost!”
Miguel scowled, a frown on his face as he scratched off another sector of the multiverse, or as he calls it the arachno-humanoid poly-multiverse, or the spiderverse as Lisa once called it not too long ago. The corner of his lips curled upward at the memory, but it was short lived as he deactivated the projection of the webs. 
He watches as the webs retract and turn back into branches, shriveling back as the beautiful white tree that sprouted shrinks down to the floor and the spot flickers like a drop rippling in a pond. As it’s happening, one of Lisa’s questions echoes in Miguel’s mind and it only seems to fuel is irritation. ‘Why hasn’t she been helping you with all this anomaly stuff?’ 
He hated that he didn’t know, and he hated that he felt like he couldn’t tell her. 
He hated that he couldn’t communicate with Madame Web like some of the other spiders could, because it reminded him how different he was from the others. 
He hated how she hadn’t reached out to him, wondering if she couldn’t connect with him because he wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider or simply because she didn’t want to see him. 
Especially after their first and last fateful encounter just over a year ago. 
He still recalled doing one of his gizmo test jumps. Stumbling into her hub, her throne room. He still got shivers crawling up his spine thinking about it, and that slick, thin, smile. 
“Miguel?” Lyla’s voice plucks Miguel’s thoughts back to the present and only then does he realize that he had been squeezing his fists a little too white before he relaxed them.
“I need a break.” Miguel sighed deeply, turning to leave. “I’m gonna go work out, blow off some steam.”
/////////
Lisa’s P.O.V. 
“Your muffins don’t have the little sugar cubes on top?” Spider-Woman Canada gasped, the eyelets of her mask widening as she slipped off her fur-hood in surprise. 
“Did your Ice Caps at any point taste like peanut butter?” I asked her in turn. 
“Um, no?!” She recoiled, hand over her chest. “Lord have mercy, what happened?”
“An American company bought the company and changed the recipes.” I shrugged in defeat before stuffing a Tim-Bit in my mouth. 
“I think that sounds pretty tasty.” Hobie grinned over at me. 
“Not when your nation is having a peanut allergy problem.” I retorted. 
I was hanging out in one of the secluded gymnasiums of the training center with the usual gang. Gwen, and Hobie chilled while Spider-Woman Canada came by to say hi and brought me a little get well gift. A bag full of goodies and signature ice cappuccinos from her dimension’s Tim Horton's. 
After Spider-Doc cleared me to walk again, I’ve been visiting HQ a lot more now. Although I have yet to be cleared by Miguel for active duty. There hasn’t been any activity from Earth-1997, by either Harry Osborne, Dr. Octavious, or any of their goons, but Miguel had been playing it safe these last few days. Incredibly safe. 
As much as I was happy to be able to see all my spider friends on the regular again, I missed helping them out. I wanted to start going on missions again. I wanted to contribute to protecting the multiverse, Miguel’s glorious purpose. 
One day, when Miguel lightens up a bit. 
All of us were watching Pavitr as he rehearsed some dance steps as the music played softly from a boombox. I made conversation with Spider-Woman as I watched him, until he fumbled a step and huffed in frustration, stomping his foot. “I mess up on the same step every time!”
“Whoa, whoa, it’s okay, Pav,” I reached a hand out, gently reassuring him as I stood up from my spot on the floor and approached him. “Run it by me one more time.”
Earlier today Pav texted me via gizmo that he wanted my help practicing a dance. It had come off as a surprise to me because as much as he enjoys music, I didn’t peg Pav for a dancer. Until he explained why he needed my help. 
“I keep coming in too fast on the spin and messing up,” Pav groaned, anxiously running his fingers through his luscious hair. “I’m never going to get this dance right for Gayatri!”
Gayatri was Pavitr’s MJ back in his dimension of Mumbatthan. She was an honors student at their high school, Visions Academy, and was a well known teen model. A ‘classy teenager’ according to Pav’s description of her. 
“Easy, Pav, try not to stress too much,” I gently soothed him. “Other than figure out that step, you’re still doing great, fantastic, even!”
“Can’t you just enchant me with your power and make me do the dance perfectly so I don’t embarrass myself?” Pavitr asked, pointing his fingers together like an innocent kid. 
I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a disappointing glare. “Pavitr!”
“I don’t know what else to do!” Pav slouched, appearing defeated. “The dance is tomorrow after school!”
“Why don’t I try dancing it with you so we can figure it out together?” I suggested. 
“Please! I will literally get on my knees and beg if you don’t!” Pav clapped his hands together, pleading desperately. 
“Alright, alright, let's take it from the top.” I gently patted his shoulder, ushering him back into starting position. “Gwen?”
“I got’cha.” Gwen reached for the remote of the boombox, restarting the song from the beginning. 
“My man, you got this!” Hobie exclaimed, raising an encouraging fist to his young friend. 
“Deep breathes,” I nodded in agreement as I glanced over at him. 
Pavirtr smiled softly at me as he took a breath and then the music started to play. 
[Lyrics: English translation of FLOWER by Jisoo of BLACKPINK]
Fingers snapping along with strong cords of a bass vibrated our bones as we moved. 
“Eh-eh-eh-ehEh-eh-eh-eh~”
I moved with the beat, changing poses, and then Pav followed and copied me. I shot him an encouraging grin and then the two of us started to move in sync. 
“A-B-C, Do-Re-Mi
I was as nice as that.” 
Pav’s movements were so fluid and smooth. Whenever I’d be practicing my powers and sparring with him, I’d learn about his fighting style, a technique that is inspired by Kalaripayattu, an Indian martial art. He had great balance and synergy, all he had to do was practice and apply that same technique to dance. 
“That’s it, Pav!” I smiled with strong words of affirmation. “You’re doing great!”
“That view has changed completely perhaps
This is also a side of me~” 
Pav showed me some photos of the costumes that they’d be wearing for their stage performance prior to starting our dance practice. I noticed ribbons and cute flower ornaments on their hands and wrists, so I tried suggesting moves that made his body move more gracefully and to move basically with the same flow as the ribbon. Like a flower blowing in the wind. 
Our friends cheered and offered their own words of encouragement, Hobie even snapping his fingers to the beat to help Pav stay on tempo. 
“I fly away like a blue butterfly
It's all on you, you didn't hold on
Even the times that we were in full bloom
To me were a lie, lie, lie!” 
As that last verse ended, our hands descended down with the rhythm of the words. Then when the chorus started to kick in, my footsteps were light as I stepped out of the way, allowing Pav to take center stage. Briefly, we were like ballerinas as we took our places. 
“You and I, crimsonly burned down
I'm okay, would you be as well?
On a beautiful day without a single cloud–” 
This was where the dance would really kick into high gear. It was also coming up to the part where Pavitr kept fumbling. I glanced over at him, seeing his chest beginning to rise and fall heavily as he took deep breaths to keep himself focused. Then he bowed his head. 
“There was nothing left but the scent of a flower~” 
We both shot our hands out, our fingers stroking the air left and right as if they were flower petals as our hips swayed to the beat. Then we sidestepped and twirled before reaching out and guided our hands in a delicate pattern as if we were holding and twirling a ribbon. When we made it to twirl again into the next step, I instead twirled out of Pav’s line of sight and knelt to the floor and watched him as he continued the dance by himself. 
The young teen looked like he was glowing. He took the steps in stride, and when he did the last spin, he planted his feet on the ground, nailing it as he shot his hands up. There was a bright smile on his face as he registered hitting the move perfectly as Hobie and Gwen cheered him on, Spider-Woman Canada applauding while holding a donut. 
Pav struck a pose as the chorus ended and the music faded. 
“There was nothing left but the scent of a flower~” 
We all cheered him on as the song ended. Pav had a bashful flush on his cheeks as he looked at his friends, and when his gaze fell upon me and realized I wasn’t dancing with him, the flush of his cheeks turned darker. “What are you doing over there?!”
“I was letting you have the spotlight.” I grinned.
For a brief moment, my vision flickered and I felt like I was back in the dance studio back in my dimension. I missed seeing Kasey, Hannah, and the twins, Toya and Touga. I missed dancing with my friends. I hated that I had to fake my injury for another two weeks to appear as a normal person without spider powers and an intense healing factor. 
My vision blurred again and suddenly I found myself in the past. I sat in my practice uniform, in one of the practice studios of the idol company I stayed with in Korea. I looked out at the faces of the other aspiring idols and trainees. Some were smiling, others were sizing each other up. 
“How would you feel about flying down to Korea for a few days? To see him?” 
My mother’s question rattled my mind as I shook my head and I found myself back in the present. 
Pavitr laughed softly as he rubbed the back of his neck, that bashful flush still evident on his cheeks. Hobie and Gwen got up from the floor and approached Pav, congratulating him on his practice. I watched them all with a proud smile, and then I suddenly got the urge that we were being watched as I looked over to the archway of the gym. 
Miguel stood against the entryway, arms crossed over his chest as he looked on with a ghost of a smile. When his gaze landed on me, the smile brightened ever so slightly. He offered me a wink before pulling away from the arch and disappearing into the hall, most likely heading for his afternoon workout.  
I hadn’t really seen him all day, and suddenly had the urge to follow after him as I felt an ache in my chest seeing him leave. 
He looked stressed, the wrinkles on his face and along his forehead being more apparent than usual and his eyes looked a little tired. Had he been working more again? I should go check on him. 
“Miss Lisa?” Pavitr’s voice snapped me back into reality as he stood before me, offering a hand to help me up. “Would it be alright if we did the dance again but can I record it on my phone? So I can look at it later for practice back home?”
I offered Pav a sweet smile as I took his hand, allowing him to help me up. “Sure thing.”
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Miguel’s P.O.V. 
After running laps and lifting weights, Miguel was still  feeling tense from his failed attempt at tracking Madame Web. He needed to do something more. So he started doing pull ups on a bar that was connected to a dangling ceiling platform a couple feet from the floor, and when he thought it was too easy, Petra, Cyborg-Spider, helped him tie a chain around his waist and wrapped a tire at the bottom of it. 
“No pain, no gain!” Petra cheered with a deep booming voice. 
Miguel could feel his body struggle a little as he continued the routine, feeling how the muscles of his arms pulsed, the veins popping. This was exactly what he needed. He got himself into a rhythm, taking it steady to not overwork himself but his eyes flickered from the spot he was focusing on the wall when he detected movement below him. 
Before it was Cyborg-Spider and Jess watching him and his heart hammered when he took in Lisa’s figure as she approached them. 
“Hey,” She offered the duo a friendly wave. “Busy today are we?”
“Boss man is really ‘pumping the metal’ as they say.” Petra beamed proudly, even going so far as to saluting Miguel. “It is inspirational!”
“Inspirational is certainly a word to describe it.” Jessica grinned as she crossed her arms over her chest. 
“How long has he been at this for?” Lisa asked her. 
“Up there? Just about 10 minutes.” Jess nodded. “He refuses to come down unless he’s drenched in sweat.”
“I’ll come down eventually!” Miguel groaned in a partial teasing and annoyed manner as he did another pull up. 
“Old habits die hard it seems.” Jess shot a glance over to Lisa, rolling her eyes as she stepped away. 
“Do you want to take a break?” Lisa called out to Miguel as she turned to look up and face him. 
Take a break? 
Take a break from the work out, or take a break from finding Madame Web?
“In a minute,” Miguel huffed, taking in a breath as he spared a quick glance down at her. “I’m barely breaking a sweat yet.”
“What did I say about you taking care of yourself?” Lisa gently reminded him. 
Shock, I’m in for it now. 
Lisa uses her web sling to yank herself up to the bar, grabbing hold of it facing Miguel whose face reeled back in surprise. “Dios mio, Lisa, what the shock are you doing?!” - My god 
“You said this wasn’t challenging enough. So I’ll help you make it challenging for you.” Lisa grinned, her mind reeling as Miguel could see the gears turning in her head as she thought of a plan. 
“What are you— Oy!” Miguel looked upon Lisa, stunned as she wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, securing her grip on him by wrapping her arms around his shoulders for support. 
His face blushed a light shade of pink at the sudden contact. Feeling her warmth clash of the heat that radiated from his body, feeling the way she clung to him. The icing on the cake was her faint smile and the tightness of her legs around his waist. 
There’s a pulse of warmth in his lower body as Miguel quickly blocks out the ungentlemanly thought that was creeping into his mind. 
“Go on, do a pull up.” She encouraged with a side tilt of her head. 
Miguel narrowed his eyes curiously at Lisa before his muscles bulged as he did a pull up. With Lisa’s combined body weight along with the tire and metal chain, it did add more weight for Miguel to work with, but he was still able to relatively do a pull up with ease. His head pulled up above the bar and Lisa’s head followed suit on the opposite end. “Satisfied?” 
Without saying another word, Lisa leaned forward and pecked Miguel’s lips with a soft and sweet kiss. His cheeks flushed and for a second his grip on the bar wobbled. Lisa’s lips curled into a smile. “Every time you do a pull up, I’ll reward you with a little treat.” 
Oh shock, karma, the universe, whatever deity is listening to me, what did I do to deserve her? 
Miguel’s face morphed into an eager and playful expression as his gaze sparkled, a cocky grin on his lips. “Game on.” 
They were up there for over half an hour before Miguel finally came down. He kept Lisa secured with one hand, while he freed himself from the chain with the other. His lips tingle and more puffed than usual with a playful smile as he looked down at Lisa. 
“You cheeky little minx.” Miguel pecked her lips again.
“Feeling better now?” Lisa asked him as she adjusted herself slightly, straightening her back. “You seemed a little stressed?”
“Much better, in fact,” Miguel’s smile turned as his other arm wrapped around her to hold her closer to him. “I’m gonna keep you right here with me while I finish the rest of my work.”
Lisa’s eyes widened, gasping a little. “Miguel, you’re not seriously–”
“Yep!” Miguel is already on the move as Lisa squeals in surprise, her grip tightening around her. 
“Miguel O’Hara, put me down!” She laughs softly. 
“In due time, mi Mona Lisa.” Miguel smirks as he carries Lisa out of the training center, not even bothered by the looks of the other spiders watching the spectacle as Lisa hides her flushed, embarrassed face into his neck. 
A welcomed distraction. 
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denimbex1986 · 2 months ago
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'We live in a world, it seems, where every single thing anyone ever does gets criticized and argued about no matter how absolutely fantastic and incredible things are. No matter what a company or someone does, there’s always going to be someone upset, irritated, annoyed, or whatever about the product and why is X getting a release but not Y and so forth. The conversation is simply exhausting, especially when it’s about Criterion, who have released 80+ 4K titles so far (93 by the end of the year) and not a singular release has been a miss. So, whether it is the incoming 8 ½ (1963) that is getting the 4K treatment or one of the very best of 2023 in Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, let’s just celebrate the excellence that Criterion puts out and celebrate one of the most beautifully heartbreaking films of the twenty-first century which boasts some of the best extras in a Criterion in *ages*...
The film focuses on struggling screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) while he finds a new outlet to grieve over losing his parents 30 years ago. He is drawn to his childhood home to process the loss while writing his new screenplay and sees the ghosts of his parents, Mum and Dad (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell respectively). While working on his screenplay, dealing with the grief, and revisiting his childhood home, he has a chance encounter with Harry (Paul Mescal). The two of these characters live in the same apartment complex and, during a fire alarm, start a budding relationship, one that takes off in an unexpected way. Truly a way to capture the chances of meeting a love in a chance encounter, their relationship blossoms as Adam tries to navigate his new screenplay, seeing his parents through his writing and mind, and balancing his new found relationship with Harry.
There is something simplistic and beautiful about their relationship and character builds that just strikes the heartstrings in more ways than one. However, as the film progresses, the script penned by Haigh (Lean on Pete) based on the novel by Taichi Yamada not only breaks the audience it, completely shatters them. With every word spoken, and every action taken, All of Us Strangers wiggles its way into one’s heart, nestles in there for the rest of your life, then explodes from the inside, shattering one’s heart into a literal million pieces. This movie hits the audience like a ton of bricks, and nothing can prepare audiences for the emotional devastation.
Now we dive into the nitty gritty. I first saw this as a screener provided by Disney at home, and was completely immersed and taken aback by how gorgeous this film was. I was so blown away, in fact, that I went with a friend to see it in theatres so I could audibly sob and disturb people around me with my emotional devastation. The theatre presentation was absolutely stunning and an equally immersive experience, and that was just in the small VIP (needing massive renovations) auditorium. Then, what hit me falling piano, similarly to the movie, was that this was never going to get a home release. It was a Searchlight presentation and, since their acquisition by Disney, home releases were never certain. I even *almost* bought the UK 4K because I knew I needed this in my collection, but as I was about to check out, I found out that All of Us Strangers was getting the Criterion treatment and I needed it, immediately.
The 4K on this is presented in Dolby Vision HDR and absolutely shines; astonishingly the best it has looked across all three of my watches. I know that sounds a little silly on a 2023 release, but the colors and vibrancy of this film truly shine with the warm 4K digital mastering. Another thing Criterion excels at is their bonus features, and the essay from film critic Guy Lodge may be the best essay, or at least one of, that Criterion has ever put out. If you’re not a fan of reading the essays, I cannot highly recommend enough reading this specific one. Moreover, there is more than an hour of special features on this edition, and between the conversations between Haigh and Michael Koresky and the interview with the cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay (See How They Run), every faucet of information is tapped here. Combine that with the behind-the-scenes documentary and featurettes and everything one could want to know about the making of All of Us Strangers is truly answered.
The 4K criterion of All of Us Strangers is an absolute hands-down must for anyone who appreciates Haigh’s quintessential masterpiece. There is no question that this is the best the movie has ever looked, and not relying on a streaming service to have the movie available to watch at your leisure is the ultimate deciding factor. There is so much love, heart, and soul placed into this home release that it truly is a no brainer to have this incredible movie in your collection. Do not wait, do not stop, just go to your closest computer or store that sells physical media and assure yourself that you will obtain and own one of the best modern romantic, heartbreaking movies of all time in All of Us Strangers...'
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galacticdrift · 18 days ago
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My BigBadCon2024 games/PCs
The Expanse RPG (Phoenix Wu, pilot): This was a good intro to the Expanse RPG system! We played a fun module where our transport ship encountered an automated SOS and checked it out, only for things to go horribly, horribly wrong… I think the system is, hm, not really for me all in all, but I still enjoyed getting hands-on exposure to it!
Dread (Jeanette Harris, stagehand): There was no way I was letting BigBadCon go by without playing some Dread, and happily I got into TWO very different but great scenarios. The first one, The Phantom of Off-Broadway, was mostly a black comedy, and had fictional scenes and songs for the fictional stage show that started going off the rails when the leading lady was found dead -- by yours truly, the stagehand. I had a funny, weirdly mutually-respectful dynamic with the overbearing scenery-chewing elder statesman actor playing the role of the ghost in the play -- not to be confused with the actual ghost(s) haunting the production.
Abyssal (Charlie, bartender/The Haunted): Honestly I don't generally tend to vibe so well with the Blades in the Dark style dice pool systems (as compared to the 2d6+X PBTA ones), but Abyssal does feel like Lara & Ash sanded off some of the ways that those grate on me, and having Lara herself run the game was of course wonderful.
At one point while we were on break I made the comment that any time any game focuses on my character (our goal was a casino heist in 70s Vegas, to fund Charlie opening her very own bar), I'm like 'wait, hang on, there seems to have been a mistake, shouldn't we be paying attention to someone else right now?'
Anyway I do love Charlie and her ghost raccoon buddy Lo Mein though, and I genuinely wish that oneshot would turn into a whole campaign.
To me there's something INCREDIBLY compelling about The Haunted being mostly just a regular alive person who happens to be in close contact with death/ghosts, in contrast to the other playbooks who have been fundamentally changed by some force and are on a slow slide toward alignment with that force. Like, yeah, The Haunted kind of is, too, but mainly just by being on an accelerated path toward the same inevitable end that every mortal faces.
Dread (Cal Hashimoto, exogeologist): This was the other Dread scenario I played, The Fermi Paradox, and WOW it was absolutely stellar (BA DUM TSSH). We played a mining crew landing on a moon of Uranus and discovering some cosmic horror, & what made it great for me personally was a) all the hard scifi nerdery I got to really lean into, & b) the way our character questionnaire answers at the start got tied in to the action of the plot and turned out to connect the different characters together.
Defy the Gods (Dumuz, The Revenant): In addition to Charlie, Dumuz really lives in my head now and I would LOVE to play a whole campaign as them with the table we had. In just the 1 session, we developed a burgeoning PC romance between the Revenant & the Sword, and I got to swing big by using the eponymous 'Defy the Gods' move to defile a temple and humiliate the god who wanted me destroyed (just because I lied to him to persuade him to help me escape the Underworld, I can't imagine why he was mad).
I find the playbooks for Defy the Gods really interesting and creative -- like The Revenant for example being someone who, having returned from the dead, is embracing a whole new life & identity, and who could quite readily serve as a face or expert kind of role given the skills they have access to.
The system reminds me a little of AGON, with the invocation of epithets, and certainly also of games like Apocalypse Keys, Abyssal, and Demigods, where you have a "nova" kind of state you are at risk of reaching whether you want to or not, and there's only so many times you can draw from that well before your character transitions into a whole new state of being.
One of the juicy things about Defy the Gods in particular compared to those others is that almost every single roll is risky in that "flying too close to the sun" way, because for almost EVERY possible move, doing TOO well is actually a worse (but more interesting) outcome in most cases than just barely scraping by.
And, of course, like with Abyssal, it was a delight having this game run by the creator herself as well. :) I'm so interested to see how the system continues to develop.
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