#its hard to be excited about the new book (which i am) because i now hate this fandom so much

[radiant--as-the--sun]

do people really just wanna be fans of the hunger games and not mention palestine at all? like honestly? do you really wanna just support fictional uprisings and fighting back against fictional oppression but don't actually give a shit about it in real life? did y'all genuinely learn and internalize nothing from this series????

[finelinefae]

the game [tennisplayer!harry x tennisplayer!y/n]

synopsis: y/n's desperate to play tennis and who better to coach her than her rival

word count: 6.7k

contains: enemies to lovers, set at a boarding school, jealous h, slow burn, angst, tennis rivals

a/n: this is the very first part of a new series that i am soooooo beyond excited to be writing !! it will most likely have 4/5 parts <333 enjoy !!!

. . .

Crestwood Academy was a prestigious boarding school with a mission to cultivate excellence in its students, many of whom went on to achieve great success in their respective fields. Nestled amidst rolling hills and lush greenery, it welcomed only the most accomplished families into its esteemed halls.

Y/N had attended Crestwood Academy since she was five, thanks to her father, who owned a country club and could afford the tuition. Her parents, strict and focused on success, were determined to give her the best education possible so that she could be the very best. Her face was always buried in a book or spending her days in the library, right up until the very last minute of its opening hours. 

It was her final year at Crestwood Academy before graduation. Y/N had been set on passing all of her exams at the top of her class so had been working extra hard. She studied English, maths, all three sciences, Latin, French and History as well as tennis. 

Y/N's parents had always urged her to pursue a career in the top industries. Despite her efforts to feign interest in that direction, her heart had always belonged to tennis ever since she first took up the sport at Crestwood.

She had competed plenty, winning all the academy trophies and medals. Her parents would visit whenever she competed in finals and congratulated her on winning but saw it as nothing but a hobby to participate in when she wasn’t studying. 

However, Y/N couldn’t deny herself the rush of playing knowing she’d have to part with the sport once she graduated. The career path of becoming a doctor was already laid out for her by her parents but she felt destined to follow a different path. 

Despite the fact she had applied to dozens of schools to study medicine, she still had one more option that had nothing to do with science at all. 

Every year, the academies hosted their own version of a grand slam in which the winning player received a scholarship and three years' worth of training from one of the top tennis academies in the world. Y/N longed to be at the top with the greats and she knew that this competition was the only way she could get there. 

For the most part, Y/N had been self-taught. She watched videos online and took notes from the Wimbledon matches she’d see on the television. Crestwood only had one sports coach who focused most of their time on the football team so if she was going to win the scholarship, she needed the very best. 

She sat on the bleachers, her book open in front of her, but her attention was drawn to the man on the court. The player’s movements were fluid and powerful, each action deliberate and precise. Yet, it was another man who held her gaze—a figure with an impassive expression, focused solely on his player.

When the match was over, Y/N slammed her book shut and walked towards the court after the players shook hands. Her eyes looked down at the limp in his step as he walked towards the cooler to grab a water bottle. 

It had been a while since she had last seen him. She remembered the proud look on his parent’s faces when he was pulled out of Crestwood eighteen months ago and went on to win a grand slam in Australia. She could still feel the intense jealousy that filled her as she watched the match on television whilst studying for her chemistry test that he was also supposed to sit had he stayed. 

Now he was here, back to his roots and maybe it had been fate because what she was about to ask him would determine her own path in the tennis career she longed for. 

His hair was slightly longer now, his brunette, touseled curls were swept to the side in a loose, dishevelled manner. He wore sunglasses to cover his eyes from the sunlight and a navy tracksuit paired with white vans. 

Seeing him brought back the once competitive emotions she had whenever she’d see him strut about the courts every lunchtime but she’d have to suppress those emotions, especially for what she was about to ask him. 

“Excuse me, Harry?” Y/N called out. 

He took a water bottle from the cooler and flicked off the cap before holding it to his lips and gulping it down. Y/N waited, crossing her arms as she did. “I’ve been waiting for you to show up.” Was the first thing he said. 

Y/N didn’t know what to say. It was unexpected to know that he had been waiting to see her, “I didn’t know you were part of the furniture on these courts,” He smirks and Y/N’s jaw ticks. “And you still sit in the exact same spot on those bleachers, to what? Admire me?”

Y/N bristled at Harry's cocky remark, her irritation bubbling to the surface. "Hardly," she retorted, her tone sharp. "I have better things to do than waste my time watching you play."

Harry chuckled, his smirk widening as he leaned against the cooler. "Is that so? Then what brings you here?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity. “Come to get an autograph?”

Y/N squared her shoulders, determined not to let his arrogance get under her skin. "I was actually hoping to talk to you about something," she replied, her voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in her stomach.

Harry raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Oh? And what might that be?" he inquired, his gaze piercing as he studied her intently.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N gathered her courage and suppressed her pride, "I want you to coach me," she blurted out, her words hanging in the air between them. 

Harry made no effort to hide the surprise on his face but it quickly melted into a cocky smirk, “You want me to coach you? I thought you hated me?” 

“I do,” She replies quickly. She’d hated him ever since he had humiliated her in a battle of the sexes tennis tournament when they were young despite the fact she had little chance of winning against him anyway. “But I don’t have to like you to recognise your talent and right now you're the best and only coach I can get if I’m going to win that scholarship,”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Your parents still want you to study medicine?” Something flickered in his eyes that Y/N couldn’t put her finger on. 

Y/N wasn’t going to give him an answer even though it was obvious, “This is the only chance I get to escape it,” She mutters, “I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate.”

He glanced around before taking a step forward. She was tempted to step back at the same time but she didn’t want to seem intimidated by him so stood her ground. From this proximity, she noticed how much taller he was compared to her - almost an entire foot. 

“What’s in it for me?” He asked.

Y/N knew he’d ask which was why she spent so much time figuring out what she could tell him to make it worthwhile. “I know about your injury,” She says and he stills.

“Everyone knows about my injury.” He grumbles. 

It had been a spectacle in the world of tennis. The new grand slam winner loses out on his second after a fatal injury at the French Open. Y/N remembered seeing him rolling on the ground, holding onto his leg as paramedics ran onto the court to aid him. 

“People think you’re a one-hit wonder since you’re out for the season,” His jaw clenched as she spoke, “But if you coach me and get me to win, I guarantee you’ll be out on the court again - back where you belong,”

“You think an academy league game can get my back onto the court?”

“No, but it's a start and maybe I’ll be competing alongside you the next time you’re playing.” 

There was a moment of silence as Harry absorbed her words, his gaze searching hers for any hint of insincerity. Finding none, he let out a heavy sigh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Fine," he relented, his voice tinged with resignation. "You want me to coach you? Prove you’re worth coaching.” 

He walked over to the barrel of tennis rackets and picked one up. Y/N narrowed her eyes, remembering the last time they had played against each other and how embarrassed she was afterwards. 

“But you’re-”

“One game won’t hurt,” He said before she could finish. 

She followed, her steps purposeful as she reached for a racket, flipping it over in her hands as she strode to the other end of the court. Despite being clad in her school uniform—a pleated skirt, white shirt with the school crest, and loafers that threatened to slide off her feet—she was determined to prove herself. She'd show him she was worth his time, that she was a far better tennis player than he gave her credit for.

As they took their positions on opposite ends of the court, the tension between them crackled in the air. Y/N gripped her racket tightly, her focus sharp as she prepared to face off against Harry once again.

The first serve sliced through the air, the sound echoing as the ball hurtled towards Y/N. She moved with fluidly, her muscles tensing as she returned the serve.

Harry's response was swift, his movements confident as he returned the ball with a well-placed shot that left Y/N scrambling to keep up. Even with his injury, he still held the precision of a professional. But she refused to back down, her determination driving her to match him shot for shot, rally after rally.

The game intensified as they traded blows, each point reflecting their skills and determination. Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she fought to keep pace with Harry, her mind focused solely on the ball. Both Y/N and Harry vocally exerted their energy through grunts and cries as they hit the ball with all their energy. 

Despite her efforts, Harry seemed to anticipate her every move. But Y/N refused to be outdone, drawing on every ounce of strength and skill as she fought to gain the upper hand.

As the game progressed, Harry's skill and experience began to overthrow her. His shots were close to perfect and strategic, leaving Y/N struggling to keep up. Despite her determination, she found herself falling behind as Harry continued to dominate the match.

In the end, it was Harry who emerged victorious, his final shot landing just beyond Y/N's reach with a satisfying thud. As the ball bounced out of the court, Y/N knew that she had been outplayed.

She rested her hands on her knees, hunched over as she tried to regain her breath. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she’d lost despite the fact she was at a disadvantage anyway. 

Harry’s shadow fell over her but she refused to look up just yet. He spoke anyway, “You’ve gotten better since the last time I saw you,” He spoke, holding a cold water bottle in front of her face. 

She took it, the plastic crackling under her fingers, “You can just say you’re not going to do it,” She mumbled, unscrewing the cap and taking a swig of water. 

“I’ll coach you,” He says, “Meet me here at 6 pm tomorrow.” 

Y/N finally looked up, her mouth parted, only to find his back facing her as he walked away from the courts. 

. . . 

Harry had no idea what he had agreed to in coaching Y/N at tennis. 

He sat in his luxurious apartment ten minutes away from Crestwood Academy, surrounded by furniture wrapped in plastic or still in cardboard boxes. 

He sat on the couch with his feet resting on the coffee table in front of him and a glass of whiskey in his hand. The TV was playing quietly in front of him but his mind was on the girl he had spent the majority of his life competing with. 

She had grown since the last time he had seen her before he graduated and left the country to compete in the Australian Open. Her long, tanned legs were on show beneath the grey school skirt she had been wearing. He couldn’t seem to get the image of the visible muscles in her calves out of his mind as she moved across the court to hit the ball during their impromptu tennis match. 

Despite their personal differences, Harry couldn't resist her. There was an undeniable thrill in riling her up, in watching her reactions to the smallest digs. They had once been friends, back when Y/N would trail after him on the playground, eager to understand how to hit a ball with a tennis racket. But as she began competing in school competitions, she quickly learned that beating him was an impossible feat. 

He wasn’t surprised to see her watching him on the court today, in fact, it amused him. Whether she liked it or not, he would always look out in the bleachers for her whenever he’d play during his time at the academy. Her reactions were what kept him going, some might even say made him better. 

But, he couldn’t deny the fact that he was surprised to see her so brazenly asking him to coach her. He could tell by her reaction that it was killing her inside, to be coached by him when all she’d done was pick apart his technique, but it was clear she was desperate and Harry knew it was because of her parents. 

Harry had had his fair dose of strict parentage. When he was told he could no longer play tennis for the season, his parents shipped him straight back to Crestwood to finish his final year since he never actually graduated. 

He loathed them for it, barely saying a word to them as they paid the rent in cash for his apartment and left him with boxes to unpack on his own. He knew they were disappointed in him despite the fact the injury was no fault of his own, they could barely look at him as they left, closing the door behind them. 

It was embarrassing. How could he have gone from being at the top of his game to the very bottom? Now he was back in the place he had turned his back on, feeling like he was back to square one all over again. 

Harry’s thoughts were broken by the sound of his phone ringing. The name of his best friend since he was born lit up the screen.

“What?” Harry answered the call, his train of thought forming a particular level of intolerance in him.

“Hey, is that any way to talk to your best friend?” Mitch replied along with the sound of loud chattering in the background because he always had to be somewhere with someone. 

“Sorry,” Harry huffed, “Long day.”

“Already? You’ve not even started classes yet,” Mitch chuckled.

“Don’t remind me,” Harry hadn’t even begun thinking about being back in classrooms and having to put up with kids his age berating him with questions he didn’t want to answer. Tomorrow would be his first day back and he was dreading it.

“C’mon now, don’t be too glum about it, haven’t you missed me?” 

“No,” Harry lied. 

“I know you well enough now to know when you’re lying.” Mitch laughed down the phone. 

A hint of a smile grazed Harry’s lips, "Whatever," he replied, his tone gruff but lacking conviction. Despite his attempt to feign disinterest, a part of him couldn't deny the truth in Mitch's words. There had been many moments he had experienced after leaving school when he missed the company of people his own age. Everyone around him was older than he was and spoke to him as though he was some prized trophy that needed to be handled with caution. He’d spend evenings by the pool by himself, watching the sunset and wishing his friends were there to celebrate his win with him. 

"I'll take that as a yes," Mitch teased, “I know the boys will be happy to have y’ back and I can introduce you to Sarah. I think Molly Brown still has a thing for you as well by the way, talks about you all the fuckin’ time.” Harry listened to his friend ramble about all the things he had missed in the last year or so but his mind seemed to travel elsewhere. 

His eyes wandered around the room, his ear still pressed to his phone, until they landed on an open box with a picture frame resting on top. He recognized the photo immediately, even without picking it up, because he had kept it hidden in his old dorm desk. In the picture, a group of eight students—four boys and four girls—smiled at the camera, with Harry standing at the back and Y/N right beside him.

. . . 

Y/N slammed the door of her locker shut after pulling out her workbooks for her next class. Students bustled down the hallways of Crestwood Academy, wearing their navy blazers and uniform for another week of school. 

“Have you seen him yet?” Sarah, Y/N’s best friend, came out of nowhere and stood in front of her. 

“Seen who?” Y/N remained indifferent even though she knew who Sarah was referring to. 

Everyone had been talking about Harry since she had walked into school from her dorm room this morning. It was the main topic of conversation, everyone’s eyes darting around the hallways to try and find him. 

“You know,” Sarah nudged her, “The boy you’ve spent most of your life in a one-sided rivalry with?” 

“One-sided? It’s a mutual hatred,” Y/N argued.

Sarah gave her a look before continuing, “I texted Mitch twenty minutes ago but he hasn’t replied. I know I’ve met Harry before but this is the first time I’ll be meeting him as Mitch’s girlfriend and I don’t want it to change anything.”

Y/N’s eyes softened, “Sarah, just because he’s the winner of a grand slam doesn’t make his opinion of you any more important. Whether Harry likes you or not, everyone knows you and Mitch are perfect for each other.”

Y/N remembered the first time her friend had told her she was seeing Mitch. He had taken her out to dinner a few times and Sarah had come back to their shared dorm swooning and unable to stop herself from rambling the rest of the night about how romantic and funny he was. 

Y/N had never experienced anything like that in her life, too busy focusing on tennis and academia to find herself in relationships, but she was happy her best friend was happy and that was all that mattered to her. 

“I know but he’s important to Mitch. They’ve been best friends since infants and… that’s not all I’m worried about,” Sarah looked at Y/N pointedly. 

“What?” 

“Now that Mitch and I are together, that means we’ll be spending more time around each other which also means…” Sarah didn’t have to finish her sentence for Y/N to understand what she was trying to get at. 

“Oh n-no! No way! Sarah, are you being serious right now?” Y/N whined, “You want me to get along with Harry just because you’re dating his best friend?”

“You don’t have to but it would be nice if you did,” Her voice trailed off at the end, her eyes looking at her pleadingly, “I’m not asking you to be best friends, I’m just asking you not to chew his head off when we’re all in the same room together.”

Y/N wanted to argue and tell her she wouldn’t be able to chew his head off anyway because she needed him to coach her for the scholarship but an arm slid around Sarah’s waist and interrupted their conversation. 

Sarah grinned, turning to look up at her boyfriend who was now standing beside her, “Hey babe,” Mitch smiled.

“You’re here,” Sarah craned her neck to kiss his lips, “I texted you forever ago and you never replied.

Mitch scoffed, “It was twenty minutes ago and I didn’t have time to check my phone, too busy dragging this one through the front gates.”

Out of the corner of Y/N's eye, another figure appeared. She didn’t have to look to see who it was, the sudden surge of annoyance within her already gave them away. Her head tilted to the left to look up and see Harry. 

He was wearing his school uniform, the same way he always did before he left for Australia. His shirt was untucked, and the top button was undone revealing a gold chain and a white vest underneath, his grey trousers were ironed with not a crinkle in sight and his navy blazer hung casually behind him, hooked by his middle finger.

Y/N’s eyes shifted behind him to find people whispering to each other and groups of girls giggling as they walked past. It was nothing new to see girls getting riled up over him but it had become more intensified now that he had gone abroad and made a name for himself. Despite his injury preventing him from playing, Y/N was certain that even if Harry had lost every game and embarrassed himself on live television, people would still adore him.

“Hey Harry,” Sarah offered a kind smile.

“Hi Sarah, nice to see you again. Glad to know Mitch was in good hands whilst I was away,” Harry clapped his friend on the shoulder before turning to Y/N.

“Only the very best,” Mitch pulled Sarah into his side before motioning to Y/N, “You remember Sarah’s best friend Y/N right?”

“Hmmm, aren’t you the one who lost the Junior tennis competition to me a few years ago?” Harry smirked.

Y/N's jaw clenched, but she managed to force a smile. "I could be, but aren’t you the one who they recorded rolling around on the floor like a big baby at the French Open last year?" Her retort was sharp, aimed directly at Harry.

Harry's eyes narrowed in response, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. Y/N felt a sense of satisfaction at having gotten such a reaction from him. "Welcome back to Crestwood," she added, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Mitch and Sarah exchanged weary glances, sensing the tension between Y/N and Harry.

"Quite a welcome. I’ve already been asked to coach someone and I’ve only been back a week," Harry remarked, his gaze still fixed on Y/N, who met his stare with a glare of her own.

"You have?" Mitch frowned, his confusion evident.

"Who?" Sarah asked, equally perplexed.

Harry's eyes remained locked on Y/N, giving them their answer. "You asked him to coach you?" Sarah questioned her confusion mirroring Mitch's.

Y/N shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny, "Yeah, I did," she admitted reluctantly, her gaze flickering briefly to Harry before returning to Mitch and Sarah.

"Why would you ask him to coach you?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowing in confusion, “You argue all the time,” 

Y/N hesitated, “I need to win the scholarship to the tennis academy in London and Harry’s the only person here who knows how to play the game.” 

“Glad to know I was the pick of the bunch,” Harry’s voice dripped with sarcasm. 

“I thought you were applying to go to UCL?” Sarah frowned. 

“I was but you know how much the game means to me and my parents refuse to believe it’s more than just a hobby. This is the only chance I’ll get to prove them wrong and the only option to get me out of studying medicine.” Y/N explained. 

Sarah’s eyes softened, she too was no stranger to how strict Y/N’s parents could be. “Which is why she needs me,” Y/N felt the weight of his arm rest across her shoulders, “Right, love?” 

Y/N spun around to face Harry, eyes sharp, “Don’t call me that,” She hissed, seeing the satisfied grin on his face. 

He shrugged, “But I always call you that,” 

Ever since they were teenagers, when the rivalry first began, Harry had opted to calling Y/N ‘love’ knowing how much it riled her up. To some, it was a term of endearment but in the world of tennis the word ‘love’ meant one thing. 

‘Nil, ‘Zero’, ‘Loser’. 

Y/N hated the way he spoke it too - accentuating each letter of the word to drag it out for as long as he could just to annoy her further. 

She stepped forward, “Call me that one more time,” She threatened.

“Or what?” He tilted his head to the side. 

“Guys seriously, break it up,” Sarah intervened, “Aren’t you supposed to be getting along if you’re going to be spending more time together.”

Y/N hated the thought of it but knew she was right. If she wanted Harry to coach her, she couldn’t go around screwing things up by arguing with him. If he was going to coach her at the sport, she’d have to coach herself in controlling her attitude around him. 

“C’mon Sarah, let’s go to class,” Y/N hooked arms with her best friend, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. 

“Oh okay, bye Mitch.” Sarah kissed her boyfriend before she was dragged down the hallway in a hurry.

Harry watched as Y/N practically sprinted down the hallway with Sarah in tow. He felt the need to call out of her for one last dig just so she would turn around and he’d see her face before she rounded the corner, “See you on the courts, love.” He called down to her. 

As he had hoped, Y/N’s head whipped around to glare at him along with her middle finger, “Asshole!” She called back.

Harry chuckled to himself, “That face,” he murmured. 

Mitch placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “You’ve got it in for yourself with that one, lad.” Mitch said.

“Tell me about it,” Harry replied, his eyes still on the place he’d last seen Y/N. 

Maybe returning to Crestwood wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

. . . 

With Harry back, Y/N had suspected the day would be a drag with everyone constantly bringing him up in every conversation, but the first half of the day had gone well. Y/N was easily used to her classes by now and was still top of the class in all of them. 

During lunch period, Y/N always sat with Sarah in the library where they’d catch up on what they missed out on each other’s lives or study during exam season. It was nice to have some reprieve during the school hours and whenever she was with Sarah, Y/N could talk for hours and hours.

Now that Sarah was dating Mitch, Y/N and Sarah would spend their lunch with his friends in the lunch hall. Y/N didn’t mind it so much having grown used to being around Mitch’s friends despite their loud and boisterous personalities. 

However, today she was dreading the fact that now her lunchtimes would also include being around the person she wanted to spend as little amount of time with as possible. 

“Can’t we just eat in the library today? Please?” Y/N pulled on the sleeve of her best friend's blazer as she begged her to turn back in the direction of the library. She could already picture Harry’s annoying smirk the closer they got to the entrance of the lunch hall.

“Y/N you’re being dramatic. It’s just an hour, I’m sure you can survive being around him that long.” Sarah continued to tug her down the hallway.

“Sarah I already have to spend enough time as it is,” Now that she asked him to be her coach. The more the day went by the more she was starting to regret her decision. 

Sarah spun on her heel, “Think of this as practice then,” Her eyes looked past Y/N’s shoulder, “Look, there they are,” She moved past her and beelined towards their table where Y/N saw Mitch, Jake and Adam already sitting along with that head of brunette curls that Y/N just wanted to tear out every time she saw him. 

Sighing, she followed Sarah and approached the table responding to everyone’s friendly greetings until she got to Harry, “You’re in my seat,” She spoke after realising all the seats were taken. 

Harry didn’t bother to look around, that stupid grin plastered to his face when he looked up at her, “Am I?” 

Y/N gritted her teeth, “Yes,”

“Hmm,” He swivelled around to look at the back of the chair, “I don’t see your name anywhere.”

A wave of chuckles rippled around the table but Y/N had yet to find the amusement in it. “She does always sit there, H.” Mitch chuckles, “Just grab another chair from a different table.”

Harry leant back against the seat and crossed one leg over his thigh, “But I quite like this seat.” 

“I’m not moving until you get out of my seat,” Y/N crossed her arms, refusing to give in to him. 

“Well you’re going to be stood up for a long time and y’ need those legs for later,” Harry smirked, “Or you could just sit here,” He unfolded his legs and motioned towards his lap, “Still your seat.” 

Y/N’s jaw clenched but before she could respond, Adam chuckled and stood up, “Here,” He picked another chair up from an empty table and set it down next to him, “Y’ can sit here Y/N.” 

She was tempted to refuse and continue to nag Harry for the rest of lunch but decided against it, not wanting to waste her energy on him. Her eyes softened at Adam’s kindness, “Thanks, Adam.” She sat beside him. 

Harry’s smirk seemed to falter when Y/N sat down, watching as Adam looked at Y/N even as she turned to face the others. 

“Is that Molly Brown looking at y’ again Harry?” Jake, who Y/N considered the loudest one of Mitch’s friends, leant over the table to speak lowly to Harry even though it was impossible for him to ever be so quiet. 

Harry forced himself to look away from Adam before he burnt holes into him. “She’s been after him since fifth year,” Mitch chuckled. 

“Y’ think you’ll let her have it this year, H?” Jake takes a spoonful of his lunch and swallows it down. 

“Have what?” Sarah frowned, confused.

“Nothing you need to know about, babe,” Mitch replies, opening her waterbottle for her after she silently handed it to him. 

“I’ve never been interested in Molly,” Harry quickly replies but his ears prick when he hears Y/N laughing quietly with Adam. 

“Mind if I take my chances then?” Jake asks, “I’ve always wanted to date a cheerleader,” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Harry shakes him off, “What about you Adam?” He gets the attention from both Y/N and Adam as they look up, “Don’t you have a thing for Molly?”

Adam furrows his brows, “Molly Brown? Maybe in like third year,” He chuckles, “I’m not interested in anyone at the moment.”

Harry wants to laugh in his face, “Y’ sure about that?”

Adam frowns but Y/N quickly interrupts them, “People are allowed to have other interests you know.”

Harry feels that rush of excitement when she speaks run through his body, “Is this a touchy subject for you?”

Y/N scowls, “No, I’m just saying Adam doesn’t need to be interested in girl’s all the time.”

“Well maybe Adam can speak for himself,” Harry quips.

“Lord save me,” Jake mumbles and Sarah laughs.

“Well what about you? Have you managed to sink your fangs into anyone?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Y/N gapes, “I’ve dated plenty of people,”

The image unsettles Harry but he takes the opportunity to tease Y/N further. "Plenty of people, huh?" he echoes.

Y/N's cheeks flush slightly,  "I mean... well, not plenty, but a few," she stammers.

But Harry doesn't let up, "Oh, really?" he presses, "Care to share? I'm sure we'd all love to hear about the few men who you’ve tempted."

Y/N shoots him a glare, knowing full well that Harry was onto her. "I... uh, well," she stumbles over her words, searching for a way to change the subject.

But before she can respond, Adam jumps in. "Come on, Harry, give her a break," he glowers. 

“Yeah, Y/N’s just waiting for the right guy and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Sarah pipes in, always one to have her best friend’s back.

Harry raises an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between Y/N and Adam before settling on Y/N, who shifts uncomfortably. Sensing the tension, Mitch swiftly changes the subject to something else.

. . . 

After lunch, Y/N made her way to her next class with Adam walking alongside her. Out of all of Mitch’s friends, she got on the most with Adam to the point where Sarah was constantly pestering her over considering a date with him but Y/N didn’t see him as any more than a good friend.  He was quiet and kept to himself for the most part, excelling in the arts and playing bass guitar in a band on weekends. Y/N enjoyed the calmness he brought to the group especially with the others being so loud all the time. 

“What do you think?” Adam asked, holding the strap of his backpack in one hand as it hung over his right shoulder. 

“What do I think about what?” Y/N frowned. 

“You know, Harry being back. I know you two didn’t always get along,” He explained.

Y/N scoffed, “If it weren’t for the fact he’s coaching me for the Academy Slam, I would be praying to whatever God that’d listen to send him back to Australia,” Which was also the furthest possible country he could be away from her. 

Adam chuckled, “He told us earlier he’d be coaching you,” 

Y/N scowled, “I bet he couldn’t get enough of it,” 

“Actually he seemed pretty happy about it. We haven’t seen him that happy since he got back from Australia.”

“Really? Maybe that injury did something to his head,” 

“What makes you hate him so much anyway?” Adam asked. 

Y/N sighed. It was a question she heard often but never had a solid answer for. She couldn't quite explain why she disliked Harry so much. Maybe it was because he had things she wanted, and jealousy often turned into hatred. But there was something more, something she couldn't quite pin down.

Despite her dislike, Y/N went to all of Harry's matches, and she watched them on TV too. Even when she tried to stay in her room, her legs seemed to move on their own, taking her to the courts to watch him play. She hated that part of her rooted for him, and she couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because Harry had been the first person to teach her how to play and she felt some sense of loyalty to that but she had no perfect answer even though she wished for one. 

“His face annoys me,” Y/N says.

“That’s it?” Adam snickers. 

“I don’t know,” Y/N shrugs, “We’ve always had this rivalry that stemmed out of nowhere but I can’t even remember how it started.”

“You don’t have feelings for him do you?” The question came out of nowhere and took Y/N completely off-guard. 

"What? No!" Y/N's response came out a little too quickly, and she hoped her cheeks hadn't betrayed her by turning red.

Adam shrugged. "Just making sure," he said casually. "You know, some people get them mixed up—love and hate."

Y/N furrowed her brow, genuinely puzzled. "How is that even possible?"

"Well, they're both intense emotions, aren't they?" He mused. "And sometimes, when you feel strongly about someone, whether it's love or hate, it can blur the lines between the two."

Y/N pondered his words, a sense of unease settling in her stomach, "No way," she replied firmly, shaking her head. "I may not like him, but there's definitely no love there."

Adam chuckled, sensing her defensiveness. "Alright, that’s good," he said with a grin.

Y/N felt a hint of a smile on her lips, “What does that mean? That’s good?”

Adam shrugged, still smiling, “Jus’ saying,” He spoke and Y/N laughed. 

Her gaze flicked from Adam's to Harry, who stood in the hallway with Molly Brown, her brunette waves tied up in the perfect, slicked back ponytail. Hoping to slip by unnoticed, she quickened her pace, but it was too late. Harry's eyes locked onto hers, then shifted to Adam. She caught the subtle twitch of his jaw before he pushed off the wall, ignoring Molly, and strode toward them.

Adam must not have noticed Harry coming towards them because he quickly bid goodbye so he could rush to his literature class. Y/N picked up her pace but Harry was already by her side, “Do you like him?” Harry asked.

“Who Adam? Well let’s see, he’s nice and smart and doesn’t feel the need to open his mouth every five seconds unlike some people I know, so yeah I do like him.” 

Harry scoffed, “He’s a little boring don’t you think?” 

Y/N rolled her eyes at Harry's comment, a retort already forming on her lips. "Nice of you to say that about your own best friend," she quipped. "Makes me wonder what you say about me."

Before she could say anything more, she gasped in surprise as Harry tugged on her hand and swiftly spun her around until her back was against the row of lockers. Her heart raced as he stepped forward, blocking her in, and dipped his head closer to hers.

"I think we need some ground rules for this whole coaching thing," Harry murmured, his voice low. "If you're planning on winning, I recommend using your time more wisely instead of wasting it on nice boys."

Y/N's breath caught in her throat as she processed his words. "Is that a rule or are you asking me not to date anyone?" she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Both," Harry replied, his tone unwavering.

Her mind raced, unsure how to respond, "What about you then?" she countered.

"Is that a personal request?" Harry's smirk widened, his gaze locking onto hers. "Because I'm the coach, and I set the ground rules so anything you ask me to do is because you want me to do it."

Y/N's heart pounded louder in her ears as Harry's proximity sent heat coursing through her, "It's only fair," she replied, her voice barely audible.

Harry chuckled softly. "Fine, if it makes you happy. But I’m not interested in dating nice girls or boys anyway," he remarked with a smirk.

Y/N swallowed, her curiosity piqued. "What are you interested in?" 

He smirked, "The game," he replied cryptically.

With that, he moved away from her, his eyes lingering on her lips for a moment before he turned and walked down the hallway, “See you tonight, love.” He called back. 

As the sound of his footsteps faded, Y/N stood there, stunned and unable to move. She was grateful that no one had witnessed the exchange as she pulled out her compact, trying to compose herself and hide the flush of embarrassment that coloured her cheeks.

As she hurried to class, already five minutes late, Y/N couldn't shake the intensity of her encounter with Harry. Sitting by the window, her mind wandered as the teacher lectured the class, her gaze drifting to the courts outside where she'd soon be training with him this evening.

This coach-student dynamic had unlocked a new territory between them, something unpredictable that Y/N had no choice but to delve into for the months ahead. 

Yet, it was her only choice. Harry was the only way she could win and she’d push through whatever feelings she had to get what she wanted. 

She’d play the game, just as he wanted her to. 

[bellisima-writes]

Some Rebellious GO Fanfic Recs

Hey there fandom fam,

It’s been an absolute wretched couple of days. I had expected many different outcomes to Tuesday, but the decisiveness with which my country elected a convicted criminal to its highest office left me shocked and numb.

And I know we all don’t come here for politics and real life. We come here to escape. But if you’re like me, and you have this itching need to fight, to organize, to lift up the vulnerable and protect those most at risk, then it’s hard to be here and escape right now.

And that sucks.

But this is and will remain a fanwork blog, and so I offer you some solace - here are some GO fanfics that focus on fighting. On breaking a broken system and protecting humanity, no matter the cost. Because, as much as we love Aziraphale and Crowley, that’s what the original work was about. Love and connection and humanity as an act of rebellion, and we sure do need those themes right now.

So if you’re angry and in the mood for some more plot/action based fics, with a flaming sword and maybe a dash of BAMF Aziraphale, I got you.

I am going to start with my own here, because I've not found one as outrightly rebellious as this yet in my own reading.

The Last Angel by me - (E, 162K) A canon-divergent AU where Crowley and Aziraphale are never assigned to Earth, Hell wins Armageddon and Angels are all but extinct. The story follows Crowley, the Grand Inquisitor of Hell, and Aziraphale, the last Angel alive, as he is captured and brought to Hell to face his execution. But, Hell hath no fury like an Aziraphale scorned...

So, was he really captured, or does Aziraphale have a plan to seek revenge on the beings responsible for destroying everyone he ever knew? And how will the way the Grand Inquisitor makes him feel affect his plans?

Tether by @gingiekittycat - (E, 45K) - a post Season 2 story in which Aziraphale is summoned back to Earth by Crowley for reasons he doesn't understand. This one has all of the sexy goodness you come to expect from a gingikittykat work, with a heartwarming take down of Heaven's Second Coming plans.

What are you doing here by @alphacentaurinebula - (E, 68K) sexy and popular season 3 speculation fic that encompasses both the humor of the source material shockingly well while also providing a rebellious and on brand end to the conflict between Heaven and Hell. Because sides don't matter, working together matters, and this story delivers that theme beautifully.

The Beginning of the End (Again) by @addledmongoose - (M, 79K) a post Season 2 story where Crowley and Aziraphale work to convince Jesus to not go forth with the final judgment. This one stands out for its take on Aziraphale as a guardian angel, fierce, protective, and an ending where he shows his true colors and fights for everything he loves. BAMF Aziraphale in the best way.

Echo by @snae-b - (E, 52K) a story of waking up to find an invisible hand controlling your life, and fighting back to break it and create a new world for everyone.

And a current WIP that's not complete, but the last chapter left me with chills and I am SO excited to see how it will end - And I Did by @di-42 - a Season 3 speculation fic that has Aziraphale as Supreme Archangel in Heaven and Crowley as Grand Duke of Hell. The story is rich and complex, and the cast of characters (both favorites from the show and book as well as new additions) are wonderful. There are two chapters left and I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Please add on to this list with your own works and favorite rebellious fics!

[pinecipitation]

I am once again up at your ass and asking for smiling friends hcs,,,, can I get fucking uhhhh Charlie and Alan with a crush who can't help but infodump their interests?? Talking about sitting then down and forcing them to watch their favorite movie and just rambling. (This is totally not me projecting in the slightest, nuh uh) THANK YOU WIFE I HOPE THIS IS OKAY TO ASK MWAH

SMILING FRIENDS X GN!READER

HELLO WIFE YES THANK YOU FOR THE ASK!! LEAN IN I HAVE A KISS READY FOR YOU

word count: 800+

warnings: none!!

CHARLIE:

- my guy doesn’t know about shit honestly, I feel like just how in the president election episodes he’d be like “idk idc” but in the end he gets an opinion with the more info you talk about

- of course because it’s YOU, he’d listen though

- you’re more into movies and shows and games than he is, so if the moment is ever dull he’d immediately hit you with the “….soooo,, any new recommendations?”

- boy do you have them

- he honestly enjoys the way you light up talking about the media you’re into, even if he isn’t quite retaining the information

- he doesn’t mind asking about it again just to hear your piece

- he thinks it’s sort of sweet that you get so heavy into a piece of media that you’d defend it to the ground, especially if its media that isn’t too widely liked or known or have much of a fanbase. he thinks it’s cool that he’s that person for you, like he’s getting insider information from a reliable source

- he finds himself seeing the media in the wild and immediately thinking about your thoughts on it, if he sees a figure of a character you don’t like or a poster of an arc you loved he’d be sure to point it out to himself

- will find himself going “man, fuck this character” to himself because of you, immediately shaking his head and wondering what was wrong with him. He didn’t even know the character, but he subconsciously has an opinion on them because of you

- back to you though, he would have a hard time physically sitting down to watch or read what you’re into, or try out a hobby you like, but when the moment comes where you offer watching the series with him he will jump on it without a second thought

- you do talk and pause to rewind certain parts in it, which he usually wouldn’t like people doing, but it doesn’t matter to him. it’s not like he’s watching the show anyways, he’s too fixated on you and how close you two are on his couch

ALAN:

- now he would ACTUALLY know what you’re talking about and pay attention to the movies and series

- usually he would just state he’s seen it or doesn’t care for it, but he’s breaking habits if it’s something you’re visibly excited about

- of course he’s happy to rewatch it though

- “no, I don’t know about it, is it good?” he’s seen the movie four times

- alan the type of man to stare at you blankly and resist the urge to add his own opinions and facts, but stays quiet for the plot

- he does genuinely enjoy having you so vocal about a subject you’re so passionate about, you’re somehow one of the only people he doesn’t get too overstimulated around, plus this way he doesn’t have to talk as much

- the day you offered a movie marathon at his place was a turning point, him taking the day off before just so he can clean and make the place acceptable, going the lengths to get usual movie snacks and blankets and such. this, and him hiding his books and dvds so that you wouldn’t stumble on them and find out he’s been pretending this entire time

- for the sake of the plot we’re ignoring alan being a morning person, in this universe he’s a night owl hence the eye bags

- the marathon goes on for later in the night than you both anticipated, after the first several hours and rambles of explaining you find yourself more and more tired and you pause the movies less and less

- it doesn’t take Alan long to notice that you fell asleep just like that, the blanket around the two of you and the bowl of chips discarded beside you

- he doesn’t care about that though, what he does care about is your head centimeters away from his shoulder

- not feeling even a little tired, he pauses the movie and carefully grabs his phone, sure not to move himself or you and writes down the time and place he paused, sure that you’d want to continue in the morning or another day. he’s also sure to write a small summary of where you two left off, now that you both “watched it together” he can talk back in infodump conversations and not give away that he knows the parts you two didn’t watch

- he’s quick to move when you shift in your sleep, him carefully but rapidly moving his hand from between you two and scooping his shoulder right under your head. you didn’t seem to wake or notice, a small lazy smile of success on his face as the two of you spend the rest of the night on the couch, him on his phone and you resting peacefully on his shoulder.

[katatty]

Shifting Priorities

Thank you for all the nice comments yesterday! Some really helpful perspectives that gave me a lot of ideas on how I can tackle my simmer's block :)

Mostly, I think I need to trim down the number of neighbourhoods I consider "active" and the amount of projects I am doing in general. I have a hard time letting go of neighbourhoods, especially if I am still somewhat invested in them! But I also need to face the fact that I only have so much free time, and do not want playing the sims to be the sole thing I do with that free time XD

For some neighbourhoods I will also be trying out a more stripped-down approach to blogging, similar to what I've been doing with Driftwood. It makes me a little sad because I like my sims to feel fleshed out as characters and giving them voices is a big part of that! But maybe I can save the prose/dialogue for times when it is particularly needed, rather than including it as a default.

Finally, I am going to prioritise based on what I actually have the most fun with, rather than letting popularity drive my decisions!! Some neighbourhoods I feel sad about potentially retiring because I know people enjoy them, or I feel bad admitting I am never going to finish projects people were excited for, but I have to remember simming is something I do for myself, not for popularity or for other people.

So, plans for my neighbourhoods:

Pleasantview Plus - will continue in its current form for the most part, but holdholds I found less inspiring will just get short summaries rather than extensive documentation. This hood is waaaaaaay too big and I think not that many people follow it all that closely, but it's also my one true love and I would like to start prioritising it again rather than it always being on the backburner

Uberhood Challenge (YouTube Series) - This is a short-term series, and will continue as planned until I finish the challenge, which I'm over halfway through :)

Hollyhead - I hate to say it because I know a lot of people love it, but I feel like I have sorta outgrown this neighbourhood? Some simmers like their settings to be an escape from the real world, and when I made Hollyhead I think it was what I needed too, but these days I find how upbeat & wholesome it is a bit, idk, constraining?? I crave drama and conflict in my stories!! I also have kinda lost interest in the BACC rules and have started to find it more book-keeping and hassle for what I get out of it... Whenever I do open the neighbourhood I still really enjoy actually playing it, and I love the characters so much, but I just haven't found the events interesting enough to want to write about. I think this neighbourhood will not be retired completely (yet), but I will move towards writing much shorter updates in the form of newspaper articles and see if that helps. If by the end of this season I still feel ehhh about it, I might formally end it <3

Driftwood - no complaints about this hood, I'll probably continue with the current style of documenting major events & new builds only

Spruceburg (YouTube series) - I would like to do another season of this next year, after I finish the uberhood challenge! But I will probably go for a schedule of like, one season of series per year, rather than posting consistantly. I enjoy YouTube a lot, but its a lot of work too and I think has majorly taken away from my blogging time this year, which I am mourning now lol!!

The Fiero Legacy - it is probably time to throw in the towel with this and admit I just don't enjoy playing legacy style or with story progression that much! I always enjoy the period where the heir is dating but once they settle down and have kids it becomes a chore and a grind, plus with story progression's time system I always feel rushed and like I can't take a sim out of the house for an outing without potentially missing important milestones - the urban setting feels so wasted when its all family gameplay, haha. Hallie should be at the club!! It was an interesting experiment and a nice change of pace, but idk if I really see myself returning to it. I love the sims themselves and the setting, but whenever I actually load up the neighbourhood I just feel kinda stressed and overwhelmed :(

As for my building projects like Belladonna Cove, perhaps at some point I will get really inspired and return to them but for now they are on indefinite break. I remember saying a few time in the past that I didn't really feel much need to make over Pleasantview and Strangetown because if I wanted nice makoevers I would use frottanas, and tbh I feel the same way about Belladonna Cove - if I was playing it I would just use plumbtales makeovers XD With my past neighbourhood makeovers I was really inspired to make them because there wasn't anything out there that was exactly what I wanted but, well, there's loooooads of nice Belladonna cove makeovers these days so I just don't feel much drive to make my own version I guess?? I think I also have lost interest in building a little becasue I am no longer into super heavily decorated lots - I prefer lighter lots that won't cause lag lol! So yeah, I am probably not retiring from building forever but its no longer a priority for me :)

[hkthatgffan]

Well, today's the day! Hilda comes to an end. I figured now more than ever is time I make this post on just…how I feel about this incredible show ending and why it means so much to me…and why I'm grateful to Luke Pearson and the whole Hilda team. So, long post below ahead!

I found Hilda in 2018 via a post on the Gravity Falls sub of the trailer. Right from the start, something felt special about this show. And like many, I tuned in to watch it when it began. I didn't know what would be in store as I began it, but I was excited. This was at the end of the summer as GF hype for Lost Legends and the box set died down. So, getting in to a new show seemed like the best idea. It took literally hearing that theme song for me to instantly fall in love with Hilda. There was something so familiar and wholesome just bursting out of that opening. It was a feeling hard to really explain. By episode 3 and specifically the ending of it…I knew I had my next favourite show.

Everything about Hilda just felt perfect to me. The animation was incredible, Hilda as a character was enjoyable and full of life, the story felt fresh even if the core concept seemed familiar and all in all, I just loved the atmosphere this show radiated. It also made me so happy to see Canada have a part in Hilda. The Canadian animation industry is one I love given how much of a part of my childhood it was. And so to see it have a hand in this incredible show just made me so happy. Mercury Filmworks did amazing with Hilda. And I think that's how I began to understand why Hilda feels so familiar; it reminds me of those old cartoons I grew up on. Those Canadian Nelvana shows that were so wholesome & yet so fun to watch…while also not afraid to be bold. Hilda was that kind of show for a new generation!

I also didn't shy away from poking some nods to Gravity Falls. It was a great way to help spread Hilda's existence to more people and to this day I get messages from people who tell me they found Hilda because of my tweets, or videos or more. That means the world and I am grateful to have helped you discover this show. And like any show I fell in love with, I also bough the books and other merch for it. The Hilda graphic novels were amazing to read and see how the show grew from them, the figurine still just fits in my shelf, and the tie in books and more are always fun to collect. I'll miss it. Not to mention the memes…of which I made a few. The Hilda fandom is insane, yet so funny. Like all fandoms it has its ups and downs but I've met some amazing people because of Hilda and some who I remain great friends with. You know who you are <3

Hilda's conclusion means that the last of my holy trinity shows is now over…and with that, the end of an era. Truthfully, IDK what my plans are post Hilda. It was the last show still airing that I truly was 110% passionate about. That's not to say there aren't other shows, But there will never be another Hilda for me. Hilda is a show unlike any other I have seen. Yeah, perhaps it's not the most popular or the biggest or the best cartoon out there. But OMG, no other show since ever made me as happy and passionate as Hilda did. It's one of a kind!

I said in 2018 that Hilda is everything out of a cartoon that I wanted. I still believe that.

No cartoon is perfect and our definition of perfection is our own. If you ask me though…Hilda is the closest cartoon I have ever come across to my definition of perfection!

With that, while I am heartbroken to bid farewell to Hilda…I am happy I got to experience this show as it aired. I'm grateful for all the memories I made in the 5 years I had it. I'm grateful for the adventure and above all else…I'm grateful to have seen Hilda! ❤️

2018-2023

[ange11icyuri]

PICK A PILE 🫀

˚ ༘♡ ·˚BOOK WITH ME ₊˚ˑ༄

◆:*:◇:*:◆:*:◇:*:◆

I’m doing paid readings, here’s the link to my prices :) it’s super cheap to book with me and you won’t be disappointed, so why not take a chance? You will definitely have insight and clarity once you book with me now! 5 dollars for a reading and 10 dollars depending on how detailed you want the reading. (A more detailed reading is 20 bucks) learn more about the prices by checking out my list linked below!

◆:*:◇:*:◆:*:◇:*:◆

Pick a pile, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

How to pick a pile:

Choose a picture that’s to your liking, a picture you feel connected to, then read the number of the picture you chose! :) this is a general romance reading.

☽

PILE l ✯

For those who chose pile one, there is a lot of pain here. You’ve lost someone and you are in mourning. Wether be it from death or separation. Right now its hard for you. There is so much conflict that cause you to hurt. The changes you are facing are sad and hurtful and you are trying too cope. Don’t lose hope though because i see there will be new love entering your life. This person is you’re soulmate. They will be your lover. It will be a perfect union that is will help you heal and grow with this person. Beware though you’ll never get better if you continue to hold onto things or people that you have lost. You need to move on in order to find your happy place with the new person coming in. Be careful not to be too possessive either. Try to be humble, everything will come in time and be put in its place for you. On the other hand i see an opportunity for you with career, you will have financial stability when it comes to this opportunity so take this chance and everything will be going good for you.

PILE ll ✯

For those who chose pile two, there’s a lot of change coming your way. It’s been hard for you in you’re life but you will be coming out of a painful situation. Do not be afraid of change because the change that is coming is going to be what you need to get yourself up again. You’re afraid but you don’t have to be. You are indecisive about a situation and you don’t want too make the decision because your scared but you should choose your decision now. It will lead you down a good path. There will be good news coming in for you. You might get a phone call and be making exciting plans, so go out there and make those choices because it’s leading you down an exciting path.

PILE lll ✯

For those who chose pile three, you’ve been overloaded with stress could be because of work or problems in your life. There is too many responsibilities for you to tackle all at once and its hard for you. You feel restricted and that you are being taken for granted. Things may not be going you’re way. Someone might’ve cheated and broke you’re heart. You could’ve fell in love with you’re one night stand but it might have not gone well and turns out they were a terrible person. In this time you are going to be on your way of success, you might be planning or coming up with new ideas. You will have a breakthrough. You will realize the truth and do what you need to. You will be self employed or doing well in your career and you will be manifesting whatever you want and working hard with focus to achieve your dreams and goals, which will come true.

PILE IV ✯

For those who chose pile four, you’re going through a struggle because of you’re relationship, and your at your last breaking point. It’s become so stressful and you might want to leave the connection. There’s a lot of regret, guilt, and remorse. Be strong everything is happening for a good reason, it might not feel like it now, but there is a purpose for all of this. The relationship will end and you will be free of this connection. You will let go of this connection and move on. For this ending will bring about a new beginning. This will transform you and heal you for better to come. It might be a battle, but once you fight for what it is you want it will happen for you.

☻

Thanks for staying and reading if you enjoyed and you wanna know more dm me for a more detailed reading! It's cheap and affordable and you won't regret it! See you soon.

[autisticlalna]

less fun shitpost, more on the emotional side of things:

i dunno man. i think i personally am taking it super hard bc yellow was one of my favorites. like, a lot of people in the dominion fandom favored blue, but i really liked yellow and included a "i think he's neat" joke in the og version of the powerpoint (which i guess i get to write a conclusion to the sbk section of now)

the whole thing with me writing Yellow In Limbo was "nobody talks about this guy except for aces sometimes, i have a lot of emotions about him and how he died, what if he got to meet avoid". and literally while i was writing the first two chapters, when i hadnt even told anybody outside dnerds about it yet, we get the end of episode 12. the first ever canonical on-screen appearance of yellow.

(and even with a tiny snippet of crossing the rubicon eeeee ok i am still not over that. i was actually considering including that moment in the finished pmv but i had so much trouble trying to get the clip and decided it wouldnt work tonally/visually unless i reanimated it, and then my laptop died right after rendering and uploading, so. o7)

point is, i was thrilled for yellow to be here, and super into the mystery of How he got here. i dont remember if i really talked about my theories much bc they were very scattered, but ive been constantly trying to figure out What Happened To Summertime. bc the original thought i had after the reveal was that summertime was yellow's reincarnation somehow, but yellow had none of his memories and summertime seems to be completely Gone, and we still dont know why the gold farm caused it or what was the deal with the design of it (bc viking did hint the design was for a reason and related to it somehow!!)

we finally get to see a recap of the finale-that-never-was, we get the flash of "you're broken it didn't work you're broken", and then we got the book! holy fuck, the Book! volm just.. had the Book! and gave it to yellow! and egged him into trying the ritual! and like.. obviously the ritual wasn't going to work. it was never going to work, or if it did it was going to herald the death of the server. that was how it was in dominion, that was how it was here. of course olm was co-opting it for himself.

the fact that yellow doesnt get his memories back is something im undecided if im okay with or not. it wouldve been cool to at least get a hint of who dviking used to be, but mostly im stuck on trying to figure out if i think this is narratively satisfying or not. bc again, i knew the ritual was going to fail from how it was set up in both series. but i think the reason why im undecided is because dominion was going to be open-ended, and this is... very final. yellow doesn't get his memories back. blue is gone, never mentioned past yellow's recap. we dont learn anything more about the book, or how he got it. yellow has a whole-ass breakdown before being buried, and then the world is erased.

(and like, ive already talked abt how i dont like the joke abt the world being erased. those emotions are still very much present. but im trying to focus on the Rest of the ending rn)

there's this finality to it. yellow is gone. we finally got to see him after two years, and then he dies with no fanfare. book snaps shut. questions remain unanswered. there was over half a season's worth of build-up, starting from summertime's weird flashbacks, and then he's gone and that's it.

i don't know, maybe viking does intend to still do things with blue. whatever it is, it's not going to be sbk season 2 - he's confirmed a few times that it's gonna be somebody entirely new. which im excited for! i like new vikings. i like summertime. but this is an ending without an ending. its not a cliffhanger, like dominion's intended end, its not an answer to two years' worth of speculation, it is literally "rocks fall, yellow dies".

again, there is a bias here. i started writing yellow in limbo with the goal of making people care about yellow bc i only ever saw people talk about or draw blue. i found yellow, and what he represents, compelling-- dviking is a character that has always been paradoxical in nature and behavior, and examining that through the lens of his halves only works if you analyze both halves.

i just wish we'd gotten something. some kind of closure. or, at least, that yellow's final breakdown hadn't been followed up with a joke about how all of it was pointless.

[forgetmenotsassenach17]

10 Books for 2025

Tagged by the lovely @flyinghome-againstthewind and the delightful @frasers-of-my-heart to share 10 books I am looking forward to reading in 2025.

Imani Perry is one of my most favorite writers. She writes so eloquently and precisely about whatever the topic at hand is, and this book - on how the color blue plays a unique and fascinating role in black culture - sounds like it will again leave me breathless with its prose and insights.

Starting with two non-fiction books because in these trying and exhausting political times, I am always looking for sharp, incisive commentary to help me articulate my own thoughts, feelings, and frustrations about the current moment. I've heard nothing but raves about this book and how it helps us those who want better for the West to make sense of it all.

Too Soon recently just came on my radar and I am excited to get my hands on it. It is billed as a bitingly funny book following an intergenerational Palestinian family in America.

There is a real possibility I might end up hating Hot Air but it also sounds like unhinged fun? The main summary is that a billionaire crash lands his hot air balloon into a pool in someone's backyard, interrupting a first date and it just so happens he knows one of the people. It is also a "post-pandemic" book (though are we really post pandemic?) and I am generally curious to see how writers grapple with the pandemic in future novels.

Ashley Herring Blake and Jasmine Guillory are very dependable romance writers for me and I'm glad both of them have new books coming out this year! I read a lot of heavy and intense books, but every so often I need to balance it out with some romance by authors I know I can count on.

I have had Original Sins on my radar for months and months now. I work in education and am always grateful for more writing that helps me be a better advocate for the students and communities my organization supports.

Vuong's first novel - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - had me underlining basically every other sentence because they were so thoughtful and beautifully constructed. I also have loved a lot of his poetry so I am excited for this - which is billed as about "chosen family, unexpected friendships, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive."

A book about female rage, art, and power that is also apparently hilarious and kicks off at the Edinburgh Fringe? Yes please.

Another novel that deals with the pandemic, this one set in London and spanning ten years. It grapples with how our home lives compete for attention with the shared public dramas of our time and is billed as a literary love story.

Okay, this was very hard to narrow to 10. Please share yours!

[hollyhomburg]

Hi Li🥰

I've been keeping up with bily since chapter 7 (I think🤔) I just finished chapter 14 of prey animals on ao3 and I just wanted to gush about how much I love this story and your writing!! I've re read bily a couple times its genuinely one of the best things I've read🥺 It's become one of my little comforts, re reading some chapters when my brain wants a mini break from life. The excitement I feel when I see a new chapter is coming, or realize I'm a little behind and have a couple chapters to catch up on is something I haven't felt for a story before🥺The way you've built the world, described the settings, made the characters feel real and let me empathize with them through everything that happens in the story is incredible! Every plot twist and secret reveal had me gasping and clutching my imaginary pearls, then seeing the little hints sprinkled thru the earlier chapters when re reading was soo fun!! I absolutely love the relationship building/dynamics especially Tae/MC and Hobi/MC (that burn was slow but soo worth it😭) and of course theres the relationship with yoongi which was so comforting, I love the way you're building it in prey animals! OG Bily is forever iconic but during re reads the relationship start did feel a little fast, which isnt bad at all but the pacing now feels right and their backstory is a lot more fleshed out. Watching them fall in love was beautiful but also kinda ouch because I know what they're about to go thru together in the next few chapters😭 I'm a little sad the official ending chapters are coming up, but I am so stoked for the finished re write/book (if it happens i will buy several copies🫡😌) I was here when the community was a little bigger and the secrets weren't out yet, I wish I were more active on here back then so I wouldn't be word vom ing my love for the series rn (I'm almost done I swear😅) There were a couple other popular bts fics i started at the same time as bily that had similar upload schedules and youre the only one thats stayed pretty consistent with your uploads(the others do too but like a couple times a year?) and I think thats so cool, you're so passionate about your works and I admire that so much. After ch 30smth of bily I went thru the masterlist i realized you wrote a couple of my faves!!(alpha goes first +the hybrid series) I think what I'm trying to say now is I'm a fan of your writing and while bily will always be with me I'm excited for your future works as well!!! This was so long I'm so sorry I've been wanting to say something since ch60 ish but i kept chickening out😅 Ily and your work and I'll always cheer for you!! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

ahhhh this was so sweet to read! i read this late last night when i woke up having a panic attack. ahhhh i'm always stunned when people tell me that they've re-read bily a bunch of times because it takes so long! i hope there are moments in it that you come back too when you need them!

ahhhh i'm glad the slow burn was worth it- i was writing some of their smutt in the next chapter and 😵‍💫 hopefully it's a satisfying conclusion to their love story (we still have to see them get matching tattoo's so it's not quite the whole conclusion but still!)

i'm glad you like how i expanded upon the m/c and yoongi's story! honestly- i think it reads totally different and like- totally changes how the rest of it goes and gives you a different view on it, there's so much more rawness in the new version, i know i'll probably hear that people like it alot less but i'm still very excited for it!

please don't chicken out! i hope people know that if i don't respond it's not because i'm offended/don't value your ask its just that sometimes words are hard for me and even small responses can take a bit out of me. my brain feels like bad soup someitmes and its hard to pick the words out.

thank you for finally telling me though! it's hard to belive that i would never have known that the series was so loved or smiled so much last night while reading it if you'd never have told me! i don't think i'll ever know quite how many people love bily because i know there are silent readers. it's dishartening but! i will do my best to overcome it and continue to give you more!

[that-shy-fanfic-writer]

What started as an interview (aka writing practice) to get to know my OC better turned into more of an introduction into who they are and where they come from, so I decided to fix it up and share it here. Enjoy?

Interview with my OC

Lavender: Okay, Mercy. They're all yours.

Mercy: Ooh, this is so exciting! My first real taste of social media! Hi, random strangers on The Internet! My name's Mercy Fey! I can't wait to share my story with you all!

Lavender: Don't get too excited. This is just to test the waters. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

Mercy: Sure! So first off, while I share traits with Y/N characters—or Reader Inserts, what have you—I'm not a Reader Character. I am my Own Character and would appreciate being treated as such.

Lavender: Wow, you just jumped right into that. Can you explain what you mean? That you share traits with Reader Inserts?

Mercy: I'm what you'd call non-human, or maybe human adjacent? I don't have a solid appearance so my features are always changing, hard to pin down. That's what I mean when I say I share characteristics of a Y/N. But I'm an OC. Please don't mix me in with them. Besides, I have a name and belong to a Creator, as much as I don't want to admit it.

Lavender: Why not?

Mercy: Why would any character want to have the self-awareness of the Fourth Wall? It means we're being controlled by forces outside of ourselves. It means we're not Real. I can't speak for all characters, but I'm sure the Truth can be mind breaking to some. However, while I don't like to admit I have a Creator, I can accept that I have an Author. Which is more fun, because that means I have just as much control over my person as she does.

Lavender: … Right. Would you mind sharing some things about the world you inhabit?

Mercy: Nope! I live in a pocket dimension on the outskirts of the omniverse, just this side of the Fourth Wall, at the edges of Reality. It's how I can connect to everything from the Real World while also Knowing there are a multitude of other worlds beyond mine that are Fictional. And I can access all of it right here at Home.

Lavender: Speaking of, what does Home look like?

Mercy: Well, it's empty, for one. Kinda like the anti-void, just pure white all around with a House built for me at its center. Or maybe it was created? I have no idea how it got here, but I'm pretty sure it's been here since the beginning of my own existence, and it can change its shape to whatever I want. The Background too, outside, depending on my mood. Sometimes, I'd want a forest setting, sometimes a city scene. Not that there's anyone else who lives in it. Just the sounds of a city. Like ambience or whatever.

Lavender: It must get lonely.

Mercy: Not really. I can keep my own company well enough. And if I'm bored, I have lots to do! There's a library that holds all the books of Reality and then some! Fanfiction too! And I've got a TV that plays movies and shows, some YouTube videos, blah blah blah. I've never had access to The Internet before now, though. At least, not like this! Especially social media sites. Oh! But I can break the fourth wall sometimes! When I want to—or rather, whenever the Author remembers. She forgets too, a lot. Hah! Anyway, breaking the fourth wall is usually the only way I can learn all the Meta things, like fandom theories, how people in Reality behave, The News. Awful times y'all live in, by the way. How do you cope?

Lavender: Let's move on. Is there anyone in particular that has, or had, an influence on you?

Mercy: Oh, yeah, for sure. The Author, mostly. Have I mentioned I'm completely non-gendered? There's absolutely nothing down there! Or up here! I checked! But because of the Author's influence, my pronouns are sometimes she/her because she identifies as female herself and tends to project. And sometimes there are characters I find cool and inspiring—like AVA by Inyahs and that one Frequently Isekai-ed Protagonist who, by the way, is a Reader Insert—so I'd say they have an influence on me too. It's one of the reasons why the Author can't pin me down. My appearance is vague at best and I can flip emotions, personalities, thoughts at the drop of a hat.

Lavender: Okay, we gotta wrap it up soon, so only a few more questions. What would you do if your favorite characters suddenly showed up in your world?

Mercy: Well, I'd want to play, obviously! My first time getting to meet people from The Outside? And they're characters I know? Heck yeah! I'll give 'em a whole tour, show them everything! And we can hang out and play!

Lavender: That's… very in character for you, I just realized. Huh. Speaking of showing them everything, what can you tell us about your powers?

Mercy: I have all the powers! This world is my playground, mine to control, so I can teleport to wherever I want to be the moment I think it, or float in the air, fly even! I can change what I'm wearing with a snap of my fingers! Oh! I can also change whatever I want in the House, down to the room count or the size of the rooms or the furniture, and even how it appears from the outside. Though sometimes I have to ask House for requests. It can't know what I want until I ask, but sometimes it can. It's as fickle as I am, I guess.

Lavender: Are you saying the House is sentient?

Mercy: Maybe? At least semi-sentient? Or maybe the word is sapient? I dunno. Sometimes it'll do things without my input—I just have to think and it does it—and sometimes it won't, even if I ask. It can also hold a grudge, apparently. I learned that the hard way…

Lavender: Okay, last question. What would you do if you found yourself in another universe? A fictional one?

Mercy: I guess that depends? Which world am I in? What are the Rules there? If I'm not even familiar with the world or its characters, I'd observe what it's like. Do they have powers or magic? Am I in an AU of a world? Space or Sci-Fi? What's the genre? Once I figure it out, I keep observing. If it's a world I'm familiar with, I'll mess with the cast a li'l, play around, since I know what's going to happen—or has happened—for the most part. And if it's a world I don't know? Well, it won't be too hard to figure out the ropes. I'm a pretty fast learner. Especially with Knowledge from the Author. What she knows, I know. … Sometimes. Sometimes, she doesn't want me to know so I'm blocked from Knowing the Plot. That's just how it be, I guess.

Lavender: This interview had been pretty insightful, I think. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mercy.

Mercy: No prob. Now get back to writing my stories! I wanna play! Cringe is dead and fun is in! Go! Shoo! And to those who stayed to read the whole thing, thank you! Love you! Hope you enjoyed!

Lavender: Hey! That's my line! Scratch the love you part-

Mercy: Not anymore! I already said it. Now what are we still doing here, let's go!

[fayedartmouth]

Too many but im a curious person <3

🥸 🫘 🦷 💥 🛏

I'm gonna put my answers beneath a cut because whatever. I talk a lot, lol.

🥸 Does anyone in IRL know you write fanfic or original fiction? If not, do you plan on telling anyone this year?

Yes! Though KNOWING is not the same as letting them read it, and I've gained a significant amount of comfort in telling people that I write and that I write fic over the years. I'm old enough now that I know who I am and what I like, and I'm not super keen to apologize for it. So I've told my sister-in-law that I write it but when she asked to read it, I politely laughed it off and she never brought it up again. I told my daughter (who is 13) I write it, but I'm definitely not ready for her to read anything.

My husband knows and he's read a limited amount of it. If he had the wherewithal, he could easily find my stuff online but he hasn't for whatever reason. He would like me to talk more about it, but that's just hard for me to do. I think it's not so much that I write fic, but like the very specific type of fic that I write. I don't feel like having to explain why I'm obsessed with whumping my faves.

I have one coworker who knows and he does seem to read my stuff from time to time and talk to me about it. Which is surreal and kind of neat. He's been very chill about it and doesn't seem to think I'm a complete weirdo for the fact that I write as much as I do or what I do.

But like people like my parents? They will never know. LOL, never.

🫘 Spill the beans. What's a new project you're doing this year?

I wish I had a new one to talk about it! But I think I've blathered about the big ones already. The fix-it is a huge project for me, and that will preoccupy me for a while. At some point, I have to get back to Best of a Bad Deal Book Three, but I think my goal is to finish the first fic of my fix-it series.

Beyond that, there's nothing "big." I'm writing a Sarah and JJ as siblings fic for a friend, and I've got a bunch of other WIPs. I also have like two-three other really pressing ideas for shorter fix-its I'd LIKE to write but it is unclear if I'd ever have the time.

But yeah, I don't think I have anything dramatically new I haven't talked about.

🦷 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're dreading to write (but is necessary to your plot)? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

Yes, I think so. With the fix-it, I ended up basically supplementing all of the back half of S4 because I just needed to for context and balance and in my head it was the only way to approach it. My problem is that I don't want to rewatch those episodes at all. In fact, at this point, I don't want to rewatch anything. Writing fic is great -- I'm good with that. But watching the show is still just too hard and I'm not sure I'll ever get to the point where I'll enjoy it again, even in small sections. Which kills me. To never watch Midsummers again? To never watch JJ's hot tub scene again? But it's just hard.

That said, I will do it because I need to ground the fix-it in what we saw on screen. I'd post a snippet but this answer is getting kind of long anyway. If you want more snippets, just ask. I'll share anything.

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

Always! I'm excited about so many things. Most of the time, I tend to be most excited about upcoming whump. There's a scene in the second fic of the fix-it that I'm obsessed with but I feel like I shouldn't share it yet because I don't know. It seems like it gives too much away.

So I'll post a snippet at the very bottom here from JJ's recovery bit of the fix-it, when he's holed up in Morocco without the Pogues. Let's just say he's not doing well and his self destructive tendencies become a lot more overt as he takes a knife to his own stitches.

This fic is largely about JJ's downward spiral. The scene below isn't even his rock bottom, the poor guy.

🛏 Is there a new trope you'd like to write this year?

I don't know! I haven't actively thought about it. I think I've been doing fic a long, long time so I feel like I've been there and done quite a few things. I'm also guilty of going back to the same tropes that I love time and time again. So nothing is on my mind right now? But I'm really easily persuaded and I love new idea and new things. I love writing, so being challenged to do something new is always up my alley, even if right now my focus is nearly exclusively on making sure JJ isn't dead.

Here's the snippet:

It wasn’t as much a conscious thought as it was an inevitability.  His fingers were unusually steady as he reached the blade down, catching the first stitch and teasing it out–

And with a single, hard motion, he jerked his hand up, slicing clean through the stitch with surprising ease.  For a split second, the shock was all.  Then, blood welled up almost in protest.  And finally – belatedly – the numb echo of pain as it shuddered through his body.

The pain felt different, though.  It felt good.  It felt <i>right</i>.

At the very least, he decided, it felt real.

His lips twitched up with an unfamiliar rush of satisfaction.  The relief felt like the best kind of high, and it took nothing to catch the second stitch and rip it clean, too.

These quick fixes.  These temporary patches.

They didn’t work.

If they saved his life for a day, two days?  A week?

Even a year?

What did it matter?

They were just prolonging the inevitable.

Everybody knew it.

<i>Everybody</i>.

Luke couldn’t raise him.  John B’s friendship couldn’t save him.  Pope’s sacrifice was lost on him, and Kie’s love would never be enough to redeem him.

His mama had left him.

Groff had seen him, small and needy, and knew it wasn’t worth it.

Now, all JJ could do was let it bleed.

He had to let it bleed out.

There was no one left to hold him together.  He was alone, just like he was meant to be.

So he would take himself apart, stitch–

He cut the next one, slicing deeper with a grimace–

By stitch–

The pain hitched and his breathing tightened as he cut through the next–

By stitch–

The blood was weeping now, covering his abdomen.  He could feel it, trailing down his back and soaking into the sheets.  He watched, morbidly fascinated, as it left him, and the thrum of his heart rose tremulously in his ears.  His cuts were getting sloppier, reopening the wound and cutting into the healing skin.  He didn’t stop, though.  He couldn’t stop.

He grappled at the stitches, pulling the threads clean out of the skin until there was nothing left for his bloody fingers to grab.  His vision began to swim, and he had to put down the bottle to finish the work, pulling out the frayed edges until the blood made it too hard to see and there was nothing left to grab.

JJ exhaled, feeling light headed again.  His fingers were like lead weights as it slipped away from him, and he narrowed his focus as best he could, but it was a fleeting, impossible thing.  It hurt more than he thought it would, but the pain was part of it.  It defined him, and he held onto it as long as he could until he exhaled again.

His bloody fingers fell away.  The sound of his heart grew faint, and he lay there, open and exposed.  It was okay now.  He’d held on too long, he’d fought too hard.  He could let it bleed, let it go.

Until there was nothing left at all.

[smilingangel582]

Lemme be honest, Percy Jackson is a book series I read and enjoyed as a kid, but I was totally not expecting these boys Nico and Will! And it's real! Omg I just read the new book, Sun and Star, and they really tickled my fancy!

Btw... I am not enlightened about hero's of olmypus since I don't remember much apart from the basic story line. Sooo, I will write about these boys more since I know them better. Btw I'm gonna be a lee!nico main! Ler!Will is the best! Sunshine needs to shed more light on him.

And the one I'm writing now is not entirely a tickle fic, because I want some more cuteness and love from them, so... there will be only a minor tickle scene. If that's not enough, I'll write a better and intensely cute one! Heeeheee

Warning spoilers alert

Need you by my side.

Ps. You can't tell me this gif is not relatable!

Camp half blood was much quieter around this time. Will rested by the stretchers after most of the patients are well taken care of. He was ready to close down the infirmary when he noticed a familiar presence by the Apollo cabin.

"Nico?"

This made the son of Hades step out and push his hands down his pockets giving a head gesture "Yo,"

As calm and reserved as ever, so intense. Will thought with a smile, but he really wished Nico could open up more than the rest. He just got used to socializing, but its kinda hard to get him to interact with others willingly.

He would do it for Will. Indirectly, he had that look ever since. Plus, he would swing by the infirmary to check on Will, showing his love more endearing for Will.

"Are you here to see me?" Will asked teasingly.

Nico looked away with a frown "Well, no... just bored,"

"I thought you enjoyed your self-solitary confinement," raising an eyebrow, Will watched Nico shift from one foot to another by holding the expression of seriousness. "Yeah, can't I roam around these lands?" He added "I need to get out of there at least once"

Sighing, Will reached to grab his shoulders and slide his arms over his neck to embrace him. "Just simply say you missed me"

Almost. Will saw a faint blush, but it was a split second. He scoffed but didn't push him off, "Yeah, think whatever you want"

"Babe..." he whispered to his ear now, this made Nico stagger back and Will grabbed his elbows now to avoid a sudden tumble on the grass.

There's that blush. Will grinned, now blowing into his ear. "Your ears are red... that was a dead giveaway..."

(A/N: I'm a sucker for sensitive ears - may it be for tickle purposes or any non-tickle purposes)

"Solace..." he gritted his teeth but didn't say anything much as he felt himself melting to the sudden arousal. He had always been weak on the ears, he can't control himself when Will took advantage of this.

They were still outside by the forests, far from the other cabins but close by the infirmary. They could slip away easily without anyone finding out... hopefully.

"W-wait..." Nico gasped suddenly leaning against the tree as he felt Will push himself to bite his ear, which made him moan a wavery and high vibrato.

"Nico that's adorable" he whispered.

"Ngh! S-shut up" hi gripped Will's jacket to push him and pull him... he was torn with both desires.

Will felt him warmer now, his own face slightly flushed with excitement. He watched the beautiful face of the Ghost King turn to something cute and stimulative.

"Can't... sorry," he nipped his collarbone, making Nico give a weak cry of protest, "I missed this... so much Nico"

He decides to back off before giving a long kiss to his tender lips. Nico widened his eyes. Those pitch-black eyes were brighter like a confused kitten. Will didn't stop his fingers from holding Nico's shoulders. He could see this was a temptation he wanted desperately for himself as well.

"You had to do that...?" Nico whined, pulling his knees to his chest as he mumbled like a child. Another lovely side that Will loves in him was this childish pout and complains he had. When things don't go his way he would be like this.

"Come on... you look like a puppy that needed attention"

"Is that so?" His tone shifts to a smirk. Will didn't see this coming. He felt a sudden weight on his chest as he watched Nico kiss him more vigorously, now pinning his own wrists. Too surprised by the attack, he gasped. "W-wait!"

"Your turn..."

Will liked it rough, he smiled fondly but then again, they might go too far as to getting caught. He should stop nico from getting too far.

There is only one way to stop him.

"Ack! Will!" He yelped now, stumbling away from his boyfriend."Dohont do that!"

Will snuck a few fingers clawing at his ribs. He resorted to immature measures in order to tame Nico's wild vengeance. It's effective even for someone like him.

"I'm sorry, but is the big bag son of hades a bit ticklish?" Will giggled when Nico tried to escape the playful nimble fingers of his. Chuckling more at that, he grabbed Nico's wrist and in one hand to his chest while the other hand snuck to his hips, pinching them rapidly. This drove Nico wild, "Yohohou moron! I'll sehehend you creatures ohohof -gahaha nohoho more -aahha ihihihi wihihill make suhuhuhure thehehehey eheheheat your brahahahain!"

Clicking his tongue, he poked his stomach. "That's so adorable. You should stop watching dead rising though," he grinned, now wiggling his fingers. "I can't help but want to tickle you more for that stunt you pulled ..."

"SOHOHORRY!" He yellled when Will hit a particular sensitive spot. He snuggled his lips to the side of his neck bringing tickly kisses which made Nico arouse and giggle at the same time.

"Alright, alright... we gotta stop. Let's continue on bed"

"Y-yohou mean thahat?"

Will watched the keeness in his eyes, then smugly pointed out "Oh, don't you like my seduction? That's fine, I can tickle you instead?"

"Stop, you know what I meant." Nico gave a soft smile without any forced attempt. Will felt his heart begin palpitation at that. He gave one last kiss on Nico's pale cheek before dragging him away, "I know, Nico..."

"I need you by my side," Will said unexpectedly, then Nico widened his eyes by this confession. He chuckles playfully. "That reaction was priceless... I gotta take a photo of that someday"

"Bastard, what am I a cat...?" he chuckled in a low voice but then looked up at the blond who was glimmering light to his life. Before that, he blushed as he said, "I love you, sushine, so i need you by my side too"

"I love you too, my grumpy ball of darkness"

[professionalowl]

@astriiformes tagged me to post about the books I have on my to-be-read list for 2025, and I promised myself I'd get through at least twelve of them, so here's a selection of the "at least twelve" I want to get through. I'm a habitual non-fiction reader because when I was 12 I hated everything "written for twelve year olds" and switched my focus to pop science (and to a lesser extent history) instead, so I am, consequently, much better at judging and picking up quality non-fiction than I am finding and reading fiction. I'm trying to spice it up by adding some (science...) fiction to the list this year, as I did last year.

I'm currently reading the very last one, Selfish Genes to Social Beings, and am hoping (in vain?) to get it done before I get back to university on Sunday. Currently stalling on chapter 6 of 13-or-so, so probably not. (It doesn't help that like...see...I've been to the optician four times in the past three weeks...and I've come away with a new prescription three of those times, with more on the way...and on top of all that, I have a "dissertation to draft" or something. It's hard.) It's very readable, though, I'd recommend it.

Tagging: @magiefish, @t4tbruharvey, @specialagentartemis and...whoever else I've interacted with who has a long list of things to read on their plate.

Detailed exposition below the cut, because one of my other goals is to get used to expositing more frequently and more clearly:

Fiction:

On The Origin Of Species and Other Stories (Bo-Young Kim, 2021) - I was looking for short story collections to try and get back into the habit of reading at lunchtime, and a user I follow recommended this one. The theme is, roughly, "posthumanist stories about evolution" and it's great so far - I've only read the first one, but. Like. (Staring out over the water) Man.

Children of Ruin (Adrien Tchaikovsky, 2019) - I really liked Children of Time, which is about artifically-evolved hyperintelligent spiders colliding with the descendants of the dying civilisation that accidentally created them while trying to force-evolve servile primates. They make a computer out of ants and store a person on it. It absolutely ruled the whole way through, so obviously I have to read the sequels - I hear this one is about octopi, but I'm about 12 pages in, so who can say.

Absolution (Jeff VanderMeer, 2024) - again, I finished Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance last summer, specifically because I discovered he was dropping a new one, and really enjoyed them. I think my sibling has made off with this one for now, though.

Non-fiction:

Planetary Social Thought: The Anthropocene Challenge to the Social Sciences (Nigel Clark and Bronislaw Szerzynski, 2021) - my best friend got me this for my birthday. I've read a small chunk of the literature on the Anthropocene, and the concept succeeds and fails in ways I find really interesting, so I'll happily read an entire book about it.

The Serviceberry (Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2024) - I've been meaning to read Braiding Sweetgrass since forever, and the economic angle of this one really intrigues me - I've encountered similar ideas in the course of reading anthropology, but one of my missions for this year is to start reading indigenous authors directly instead of just letting anthropologists paraphrase them, so I'd like to get a hold of a copy at some point.

Rebirding: Restoring Britain's Wildlife (Benedict Macdonald, 2019) - I read the first chapter of this in Year 13, which was about the history of Britain's relationship with its wildlife, and it was horrifying. I must read more.

The Museum of the Wood Age (Max Adams, 2022) - my brother gave this to me for Christmas and it looks awesome. It's about wood technology - "basic devices" like screws, levers, and wheels, as the blurb calls them - and its adaptability. I'm always a fan of flipping the script on quote-unquote "basic technologies" and simplicity/complexity is a favourite issue of mine, so I'm quite excited about this one!

The History of Magic: From alchemy to witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the present (Chris Gosden, 2020) - picked it up at a local bookshop for £6 (a steal) last Christmas because it was there, started reading it, got distracted, never made it past the second chapter. What I did read was very good, as is everything else I've read by Chris Gosden - albeit very broad in scope, so it'll be interesting to see what he chooses to cover! Probably one for after I graduate in June. Most of these are for after I graduate in June.

Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture (Suhir Hazareesingh, 2020) - another book I got halfway through and then dropped when school started again, way back in 2021. I distinctly remember that it was impressively well-written and engaging, and I'm not usually one for biographies, but the guy is really compelling, as are the details Hazareesingh includes on the specifics of the Haitian Revolution and the links between revolutionary action and Haitian culture. It's high on my "HAVE to finish this at some point" list.

What An Owl Knows (Jennifer Ackerman, 2023) - Ackerman's The Genius of Birds had a massive impact on me and the way I thought about intelligence (human and animal) when I was like, 14, and I was a big fan of the half of the sequel The Bird Way I managed to get through in 2020. I've always been a fan of making the self-deprecating joke "I call myself Owl online because I appear to be wise but am actually very stupid," and this book seems like it's trying to swing the pendulum back in the other direction - so, of course, I must read it.

Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are? (Franz de Waal, 2016) - relatedly, I've read a lot of cognitive archaeology over the course of my degree, much of which plays on the same things I found interesting about The Genius of Birds, but it's obviously hominid-focused, and where it isn't the lens is mostly on other primates and occasionally some cetaceans and corvids, and it's prone to making sweeping statements about what animals can/can't do. This one came up in a book I read last year, which was also about conceptions of 'intelligence,' and we had a copy lying around, so it's on the list.

Selfish Genes to Social Beings: A Cooperative History of Life (Jonathan Silvertown) - relatedly relatedly, I know a guy who does social cognition and philosophy of nature, and this one partially derives from trying to pick up on those threads, as well as get to grips with the "cooperation versus competition" arena of the philosophy/science of evolution. I'm reading it right now and while I have some nitpicks about the way it talks about human cooperation (of the "reliance on modelling leaves it stripped down and apolitical" variety), the science is very clearly presented and the author is pretty funny.

Assume also that whatever godforsaken iteration of the Skulduggery Pleasant threequels drops next is on this list, as well as a variety of other books I have yet to acquire a copy of. Most of these are recent to very old Christmas/birthday presents, so I'm prioritising the things I have a physical copy of for now.

[teasiswriter]

BOok!

Hi! I've been writing a book about this guy who enjoys sleeping and his own reality in his mind and stuff over being alive and awake, and I'm really excited and want to share! If you have any suggestions, feel free to DM me or send questions. With that said, here is the prologue of "The Dreaming Man"

Prologue:

It never works. It always begins the same way every instance. Every morning I plead, beg Dionysus, it cannot be Kazlauskas v. Caplan. Maybe it was doomed from the start. But why couldn’t I change it? Shouldn’t I? It is my mind, the voices and the visions, it is my mind why can’t it win over itself for once, it is my mind but I am unable to. My mind is everything that exists. When my life loses its hard edges and numbs, and my life with her begins, I always forget to change the beginning, I always forget to want to find her. It starts.

I wake up. My socks are wet, the worst thing to be.

I am wet. The worst way to be. I look down, the terrifyingly familiar pond, the extensions of my blurred body.

I get up. I hate rivers. They move too much, that’s why it’s a pond. Not a river. 

(Dorian, whatever we are, thinks it’s better to fix me using humor. He laughs when I tell him about this dream. 

‘It’s definitely a river, you’re too wishy-washy, love, he starts, chucking that word with a practiced frivolity.

‘It’s always a pond, from Monet’, I bark.

‘I can’t hear you’, he attempts to tease.

Yes he can. He just can’t speak the Adamic Language. French. Which is idiotic because his last name is a monster of a French word. l'Auxiliaire. He never includes the stupid apostrophe.  It’s why he can’t go on flights, his passport wouldn’t match up, even though it’s one apostrophe. He could do the sensible thing, figure it out himself, find a fake ID, but he finds it romantic to ignore himself. He’d rather fix me.

Pushing back my hair he kisses my forehead. He thinks it’ll make me love him. I don’t love him. I won’t love you Dorian.)

The quickest way to stay dry is to stand up. I do. The non-existent shadow-like figure (my darling) catches my eye, she is what I want. My faith. She’s always out of the corner of my eye. I turn.

I know your demons disappear when you look;  the woman I pray to does as well. I walk and the color of the fog—so purple it could rain—becomes one with the pond. I begin. Walking, wandering, rushing, the fog solidifies beneath my feet, the staircase to my heaven.

I arrive at the forest that never showed itself when I was a young boy. 

When I was a young boy, I swam under the lily pads, then I found myself in Dante’s inferno to the nth degree. My mind is what’s real, Dorian is a liar, so is Dr. Tuttle. So I never swam again, I know now Monet’s muses were tortured. As a child I was scared, but now I see it was an honor. I am what Monet paints. I am almost everything beautiful. Now I am her Monet—I want her. 

In the forest, the Prairie, I see people. Writhing at the seams, sans tes conseils. Disgusting. They’re wet. Disgusting. As a boy I was so quick to hope, however I saw something creeping through the black, behind in the pond, cutting through the forest, and I was so swift to despair. 

When traversing through the only reality I made it through the clearing. When this life was considered a problem and they told me to take my pills, I resisted the siren call. I made it to her, knowing she would always be ahead of me. She is my old new vision. Yet she’s become so old I feel like she’s birthed me daily. The haziest of visions wears no name. No face. Nobody. Yet she’s the most beautiful sight I’ve laid eyes on. Her skin—I presume—must be so burningly calm. Pale as moonlight and rich as honeyed-earth.

This is where I am stuck. As a boy I didn’t know to make it this far; now I am here I have no further guidance. When I ask the poets they give no answer and when Dorian speaks I hear nothing but misdirection. I need to touch her but she is gone. I’ve serenaded, I’ve mused, I’ve tried the arts, but she vanishes and I hate her for it. I just want to kill the butterfly. I want to keep it pristine and dead.

Dorian always shows up in the dream. One of the faces in the Prairie. Donning a blue trench coat. Comme angélique, je le déteste. The best part is that I can’t hear him. His rejection of his mother tongue pains him, and with no mother his words are orphans in my mind. I’ve ambled around, taken walks while avoiding this suffocation. I walk away from her yet I cannot move off this path.I follow the path. I push forward. I wake up.

[allylikethecat]

Happy June 1st, The 1975! In celebration of The 1975 day, have a little snippet of the vampire fic! All of the vampire brain rot has been so extremely real, and I am so excited to start sharing this one with y'all! (And thank you so much to everyone who has been so supportive of this new obsession!) It's still rough and things are subject to change, but I'm excited so here it is!

Matty knew that George was a vampire, he had known since they met in school, Matty bombarding him in the hallway, cornering him with a sly grin and a so I heard you played the drums. Everyone knew that George Daniel was a vampire, that his entire family was made up of vampires, that’s why he was weird, and quiet and kept to himself, more interested in books than people. It’s why he had to lather himself in sunscreen even in the English gloom before going outside. Matty, painfully human, had been fascinated by him, and getting him to join his band?! It was the perfect excuse to get closer to him, to get to know the boy with the pretty eyes and porcelain skin that he wanted to lick every inch of. 

But looking at him now, Matty couldn’t help but notice that he was so much more. Sharp, angular features, and while George had always been pretty, there was something about him now that seemed unworldly. Matty didn’t know if it was because his own senses had been heightened, his body settling into its new normal, its new existence. He didn’t know if he could actually, finally see George for what he truly was, which was perfect or if it was because he was looking at George sober for the first time in ten years. He didn’t know which was worse, that he had spent so many years blind or that he had spent so many years inebriated that he didn’t even realize that his best friend looked like he had been carved by a renaissance artist. 

“Matthew,” George said with an exasperated sigh, oh Matty thought, having been lost in his own lust filled thoughts, George had been speaking this entire time. “Are you even listening to me?” 

Matty would have flushed if he had any excess blood left in his body to do so, instead he just shivered, he liked the way his name, his full name sounded coming from George’s lips. He wondered if that was another new side effect of his condition. Everything sounded clearer, sounded richer, and it made his spine tingle. He needed to listen to music, he realized, sitting up so fast that it made him feel dizzy, pain prickling along the side of his neck. He reached up without thinking about it, touching the bandage at his throat, wrapped around his neck where George had ripped into his jugular, saving his life even as he took it for his own. 

George swallowed hard, and looked away. “Does it hurt?” he asked instead of whatever he had been going on about before. “I can get a nurse—” 

Matty snorted, “George,” he said calmly, “they’re not going to give me anything for it even if it did.”